[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 10, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1645
                          READY TO GET TO WORK

  (Ms. SCHOLTEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHOLTEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I believe this 
Congress has a chance to do what is right.
  I am an unflinching optimist, and I believe that we can come together 
to make our communities safer and more just for all.
  As the first woman and mother in history to represent my district in 
Congress, and as an attorney that has worked for our Nation's top law 
enforcement agency, keeping our communities safe is a top priority of 
mine because violence, of all kinds, takes a massive toll on the people 
we represent.
  Just 2 years ago, a friend of mine, Romito Jones, was shot and killed 
in our neighborhood on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. He was a 
father of five and a friend to my family.
  Just last month, a recently elected member of the Muskegon Heights 
school board, Julius Muhammad, was shot and killed in his home. He was 
a dad and a public servant. He was loved and admired by his community.
  Today I honor their lives as I strive for safer communities for all.
  We must come together to enact commonsense reforms to keep our 
neighborhoods safe, support our law enforcement, and support fair and 
equitable enforcement of the law.
  I am ready to get to work, and I invite all of my colleagues to join 
me.

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