Emilia Strong Sykes

“The House Oversight Committee's Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses held a hearing last week focused on allegations of home- and community- based services in my State of Ohio. I have some thoughts. First, fraud is wrong. People misusing the system undermines the very purpose of safety net programs. If taxpayer dollars are misused, there must be accountability. Vulnerabilities must be fixed, and oversight should be strengthened. I support that effort.”

“This National Gun Violence Awareness Month, I rise today thinking about families in Ohio's 13th Congressional District, families whose lives were changed forever by gun violence. One of those families is still grieving the loss of LaTeris Cook, a 27-year-old father of four who was killed during a mass shooting at a neighborhood block party in Akron just 2 years ago. What should have been a joyful summer gathering turned into chaos and tragedy. Twenty- eight people were shot. An entire community was and remains traumatized.”