WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Tuesday released the following statement on the State of Connecticut’s new social connection campaign.

“People are more isolated from each other than ever before, and policymakers cannot continue to ignore the epidemic of loneliness. For over a year, I’ve been leading a conversation in Congress about how to tackle this crisis, and I’m excited to see Connecticut launch this new effort today. At every level of government, we have a role to play in building a society that makes it easier for everyone to live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling life. I look forward to finding new ways we can work together to build connection in our communities,” said Murphy.

Last month, Murphy spoke at the 92nd Winter Meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), a non-partisan organization of over 250 mayors from cities across the country, to discuss how cities and the federal government can work together to tackle loneliness and foster social connection in their communities. Last year, Murphy introduced the National Strategy for Social Connection Act, which would create an Office of Social Connection Policy within the White House to work across federal agencies to develop effective strategies for improved social infrastructure and issue national guidelines for social connection similar to existing guidelines on sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. It would also provide funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better understand the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness.

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