Keeping our communities safe

Public safety has become a top priority for voters, not just here in Northwest Washington but nationally, which is why my Congressional colleagues and I have taken meaningful action:

→ We passed the first gun violence prevention bill in decades. The bipartisan bill closes the boyfriend loophole, toughens background checks, and provides local governments with the means to administer red flag laws.

→ The American Rescue Plan included $10 billion to put more police officers on the streets, which is the single largest federal investment in state and local law enforcement in history.

→ We reauthorized and expanded the Violence Against Women Act. I am especially proud that this bill also passed on a bipartisan basis.

These common-sense measures represent only a few critical steps we can take to reduce crime, reduce gun violence, and save lives.

There is still more to do, of course, including sending the Invest to Protect Act to the president's desk, which provides increased funding to local and tribal police departments. The House passed it – along with a package of other public safety bills – to the Senate this past summer. In the next term, I am hopeful we can find bipartisan agreement on all of them and pass them into law.

Whether it is crime, the economy, or any other issue, I will always work hard to ensure you and your family live in a safe and prosperous community.

That is my core duty as your Representative.

Rick