Marsha Blackburn Report: The Fight Against Youth Violent Crime – Clarksville Online

Washington, DC – In recent years we have seen a worrying increase in violent crime among young people, while previously it was decreasing.

Nationwide, 64 percent of violent juvenile crime occurs on school days. In the U.S. Senate, I introduced the bipartisan AFTER SCHOOL Act, which would strengthen after-school programs with the goal of reducing violent juvenile crime.

After-school programs have been proven to keep juvenile crime down and our young children out of trouble. As children head back to school, I urge the U.S. Senate to pass this bipartisan legislation. Let’s give our local communities more tools to address juvenile crime.

Weekly overview

According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General, ICE has lost track of more than 32,000 unaccompanied migrant children who failed to appear for their immigration court hearings between fiscal year 2019 and 2023. The agency may have lost an additional 291,000 migrant children who were not placed in removal proceedings and never given a court date. Tens of thousands of migrant children are now missing, making them highly vulnerable to trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exploitation. This is, unfortunately, just the latest failure in the unfolding Biden-Harris border crisis. I have sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Acting ICE Director Patrick Lechleitner demanding answers about this unconscionable failure.

This week, I sent a letter to National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner Adam Silver addressing the NBA’s growing involvement with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has a proven track record of human rights abuses. Anyone who dares to question the Rwandan dictator’s regime—whether opposition candidates or the free press—is jailed, disappeared, or brutally murdered. It appears that the NBA—which has long positioned itself as a beacon of social justice—is wrongly choosing to continue developing relationships with dictators in the name of profit over principle. Furthermore, the league’s activities in communist China and its policies regarding products made with forced labor continue to be troubling. Playing ball with dictators and brutal regimes should not be the NBA’s business model.

Last September, a GAO report revealed that service members reported that barracks conditions can impact their quality of life and military readiness. We must continue to improve the living conditions of our men and women in uniform. This week, the 1st Brigade Combat Team opened a new barracks complex at Fort Campbell. It was an honor to join several of my colleagues and service members to celebrate this milestone.

Marsha’s summary

I AM NOT

• Please join me in congratulating Blake Leeper of Kingsport, Tennessee on his participation in the 2024 Paralympic Games as a member of the track and field team.
• It is an honor to represent Tennessee as the state reaches new heights of growth and development. Read more about my 95 County Tour here.