New Jersey has faced its own history of citizens demanding change and federal engagement in programs to address the needs of our community. We have also seen the success of law enforcement in our state when members work to listen to our communities and build a brighter future alongside our residents.
At the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey, I worked as an Outreach and Re-entry Coordinator and an Assistant U.S. Attorney. I have seen the best of our law enforcement community and the commitment that they have made to the public's safety. But I've also seen too many examples of where our system falls desperately short.
Through educational programs, community engagement and legislative efforts, players, owners and the NFL are working with law enforcement, advocacy groups and legislators to transform our communities.
Here in Washington State, I've supported efforts to provide our law enforcement with the proper training and resources required to meet their changing and demanding needs of their job. In doing so, I feel that the community and the law enforcement relationship will gratefully benefit from a renewed sense of responsibility and accountability.
Given our law enforcement authorities, our central role in the Intelligence Community, and the span of our responsibilities - from counterterrorism to counterintelligence to criminal investigations - we're particularly well-positioned to address cyber threats to our national security.
We are living in a world that has been changed by COVID, and our legislative priorities need to support our communities and our workers to address the needs of our new environment.
I was elected to fight for the people of New Jersey, to win federal investment in our infrastructure, to strengthen our health care, to address gun violence, and get back our SALT deductions.
We must continue to work hard on the federal level, to make sure that our local law enforcement and communities have the tools and resources they need to fight this war against methamphetamine, and keep our kids safe.
Community partnerships need to be formed between law enforcement organizations, residents, schools, child-support services, prosecutors, religious leaders, businesses and other members of our society.
It's wonderful to work for a company that gives so much back to its communities, especially to our children. Donations are only one way we support our communities. Our team members also volunteer their time and energies to a number of different local groups, including this aquarium. We form partnerships with these organizations because we feel we can accomplish more together than if we were each working on our own.
Communities do need police, but law enforcement needs to be much more transparent and held accountable for their actions. We also need increased resources for mental health services, affordable housing, education, jobs training, and much more to truly address social and economic issues in our communities.
Law enforcement must be guardians in our communities, not warriors against our own people.
The fabric of North Carolina and what makes our state so special is our families and our common desire for a brighter future for our children. No matter what your family looks like, we all want the same thing for our families - happiness, health, prosperity, a bright future for our children and grandchildren.
Let's share our abundance and make our country stronger. We can encourage programs that collect and distribute excess prepared food to local organizations that are helping the hungry in our own communities. We can also support programs that supply commodities to food banks. It's all part of committing our country's wealth and resources to end childhood hunger.
I will put the needs of the citizens of all creeds and backgrounds in our community over the needs of individuals who decide to break the law to come to our nation.
I want to see us push for economical and educational advancement in communities of color and low-income communities, and I want to see our relationships between our communities and our law enforcement be advanced.
I am incredibly proud of the hard work of our law enforcement officers and their commitment to protecting our communities.