[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 18 (Wednesday, January 31, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H321-H322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               LESS GUN VIOLENCE IN CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, last week law enforcement officials in 
Chester, Pennsylvania, announced that this community has seen a 72 
percent decrease in shootings with victims since 2019.
  2023 saw the fewest gun homicides in two decades and a 68 percent 
decrease in gun homicides since 2019.
  Chester was once ranked among the most dangerous cities in the Nation 
for gun violence.
  So how did this happen?
  Since 2019, law enforcement, community members, faith groups, and 
local government have all been working together as the Chester 
Partnership for Safe Neighborhoods.
  During a period when we saw gun violence spike across the Nation, we 
have seen year-over-year reductions in gun violence and other violent 
crimes as community partners have worked together to implement a 
community-based violence prevention program with support from State and 
Federal funding, including the American Rescue Plan and the Bipartisan 
Safer Communities Act.
  It is time to recognize the success of these pivotal programs with 
more than a pat on the back. Rather than offering sound bites and 
saber-rattling, the Chester community, a democratically led community I 
might add, rolled up its sleeves and did the work of identifying the 
resources and community partnerships needed to reduce gun violence and 
create a safer community.
  I want to congratulate DA Stollsteimer, Police Chief Gretsky, Cory 
Long from Making a Change Group, and all of the community members who 
have been so important in this effort.
  To those who say that there is nothing we can do about gun violence, 
I say: Shame on you.
  Programs like this work, and we need to recognize and support them.


           Honoring the Life and Legacy of Anita Santos Singh

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of Anita Santos Singh, a champion for access to justice.
  At the age of 32, Anita became the founding executive director of 
Philadelphia Legal Assistance Center, the federally funded legal 
services program serving Philadelphia.
  It is never easy to head up a program that provides legal services to 
the poor.
  While legal aid is supposed to assure access to justice for low-
income Americans, these programs are chronically underfunded and have 
been so since their inception. We spend more on Halloween costumes for 
our pets in this country than we do for legal services for the poor. It 
is no surprise that study after study shows that 80 percent of low-
income Americans cannot afford or access legal help for civil problems 
like eviction, child custody, or gaining access to their veterans' 
benefits.
  Nonetheless, Anita faced additional challenges of leading a brand new 
program which had been formed in response to the drastic service and 
funding cutbacks imposed by Congress in the 1990s, and she did so in 
the poorest large city in the country, with a shoestring budget and a 
couple dozen attorneys to serve thousands of clients.
  I headed up the search committee that hired Anita, and we knew she 
was up to the job. Under her leadership, Philadelphia Legal Assistance 
grew into a frontline organization that now helps over 6,000 clients a 
year fight systems of injustice and disparity.
  Anita's colleagues describe her as a tireless advocate for access to 
justice who dedicated her life to helping Philadelphia's most 
vulnerable populations meet critical needs.
  Anita constantly developed innovative projects to meet the ever-
changing needs of Philadelphia's poorest citizens. She created the 
first low-income tax clinic in Philadelphia. She expanded legal 
services for migrant farm workers, including addressing issues of 
domestic abuse. She leveraged Federal funding sources to expand family 
law services which is one of the highest legal needs in Philadelphia. 
She created the Medical Legal Community Partnership which brings 
community-based legal assistance to low-income patients at 17 different 
sites.
  During the 2008 recession, she developed programs to assist families 
in danger of losing their homes. In 2021 she helped develop an eviction 
diversion program for tenants which became part of a national model.
  Until her premature death last month, Anita Santos Singh was a legal 
services champion and advocate for access to justice in Philadelphia 
for 34 years.
  Because of her work, thousands of Philadelphians were able to stay in 
their homes, put food on the table, and live a life free of partner 
violence. Her legacy will live on through the thousands of lives she 
has touched through her efforts.
  Her story is a reminder that access to legal aid remains a continuous 
challenge in this country. For many, a single legal problem can spiral 
into a mountain of debt, homelessness, or unemployment. Many Americans 
facing legal challenges are not aware of their rights or options which 
can lead to stress and confusion and can often exacerbate the legal 
challenges they face.
  We have an obligation to ensure that all Americans are aware of their 
legal options, and, more importantly, that they have access to 
representation under the law.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to honor Anita's work by ensuring 
that every American has access to quality legal assistance whenever 
they need it.

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