Mayors have a role to play in addressing America’s “spiritual crisis,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told city leaders at the United States Conference of Mayors winter meeting today. "What's our job as leaders?" Murphy asked, then answered: "It's to create a set of rules and laws that allow people to lead a more meaningful, a more purposeful, a happier life." The spiritual crisis Murphy sees is loneliness, and he’s on a quest to help Americans make friends. He said mayors and federal leaders can work together to address it by: — Working to keep "third places," meaning locations other than work and home where people meet, like bowling alleys, veterans halls, churches and barber shops open through federal, state or local support. — Starting a conversation about how federal and local policy can revitalize downtowns, another place where people meet. — Build programming that brings people together and gets families out of the house, like recreational sports leagues. And he said mayors could also pressure federal leaders to support national policy that supports connection, including: — Increases to the minimum wage and promotion of collective bargaining to give Americans more free time to spend with friends and family. —Laws that restrict the addictive tools social media companies use to keep children on their platforms, rather than spending time in-person with friends. In Washington: Last summer, Murphy introduced the "National Strategy for Social Connection Act," a bill which would create an office of social connection in the White House and create a national strategy using public health, technology and social infrastructure policies to drive social connection. Why it matters: Murphy’s push comes months after a surgeon general advisory warned that loneliness and isolation are associated with a greater risk for health problems, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression and anxiety, as well as suicide. | 
