Fireside chat with Congressional Candidate Eric Jones and Assemblyman Joe Patterson

On Oct. 27, it was a pleasure to hear from Congressional Candidate Eric Jones and Assemblyman Joe Patterson. They are very devoted to their families, which means a lot to me. There is nothing more urgent than protecting our kids. Social media has connected the world, brought us closer to our families and given voice to people and communities that were never heard before. It has also wreaked a level of havoc on young people's mental health that anyone in their right mind should refuse to accept. This generation has a responsibility to set the guardrails, and we are out of time to wait. "Bipartisanship should not be the exception in Washington, it should be the standard. When we come to the table on the issues where there is real agreement, we can actually get things done," Jones said. "The safety of our kids is exactly that kind of issue. I sat down with Assemblymember Joe Patterson, who has been one of the most important voices in Sacramento on kids' social media protections, because this work is too important to leave to one party. He and his colleagues identified a real problem, built a real coalition across party lines, and got something done. That is the kind of bipartisan leadership Washington desperately needs, and I will take that model with me when elected." Patterson added, "Being from Napa, where my parents live, and as a former Lincoln resident that currently represents Lincoln, I care deeply about who will be our congressional representative. The reality is, whoever wins the seat, we will have to work together. After meeting Eric, I thought it would be a good idea to have an unscripted conversation where I could ask him tough questions in public."