Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock is working across party lines in Washington to crack down on gang violence.
Northern Virginia has the second highest gang activity in the country, and Republican Congresswoman Barbara Comstock says she’s seen it firsthand during a ride along with a regional gang task force. But she’s concerned that the Northern Virginia task force isn’t getting enough resources. She’s pushing a bill that pumps $15 million a year in grant funding to areas with high gang activity.
“In the Washington metropolitan region, we’ve had strong support from my — well I’m the only Republican, so from all of my colleagues. So it is bipartisan.”
Quentin Kidd at Christopher Newsport University says Comstock is continuing the playbook from the Ed Gillespie’s campaign for governor last year, which identified the rise of MS-13 as a concern of voters across Virginia.
“It’ll be one of many things that she has to do to speak to the broad array of voters in the 10th Congressional District that she’s going to need if she’s going to win reelection in what will be the toughest year of her political life.”
The bill sailed through the House of Representatives with no opposition and is now on its way to the Senate.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
