Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life of Marina Eudelia Hoepelman Del Monte, the beloved mother of Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, who passed away at the age of 77.

Marina was the embodiment of strength, sacrifice, and quiet dignity. After emigrating from the Dominican Republic, she worked hard to build a better life for her, her family, and helped raise generations rooted in love, resilience, and service to others.

Her legacy lives on through her daughters, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren, and through the values that she instilled in all who knew her.

Today, we mourn alongside Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie and her family, and we honor a remarkable woman whose life reminds us of the extraordinary impact of mothers, immigrants, and caregivers in shaping our communities and our country.

May Marina's memory forever be a blessing.

Mr. Speaker, a year ago, I was an advocate standing outside Delaney Hall, a detention center in Newark, New Jersey, demanding our government treat immigrants with justice and human decency.

I watched in horror as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was dragged across a gate only to be arrested. I was appalled to see three of my now congressional colleagues manhandled with impunity. This week, when I returned to Delaney Hall with two of those same colleagues, I had my worst fears confirmed.

Injustice and suffering are visible in plain sight. Pregnant women writhe in pain without care. An injured man wept in fear for his life, and more alarming, the staff of this facility are unprepared and unable to care for those in their custody.

I may never forget the faces of those detainees begging for help. These people deserve the fullness of our Constitution and laws. These immigrants deserve humanity, and we must fight for justice if we wish to protect our own.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 6 o'clock and 7 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Mrs. Jennifer Gonzaga, who passed away on May 10, 2026, after dedicating her life to education and the joy of nurturing young minds.

For 25 years, Jennifer served as a first and second grade teacher at Linden School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Her commitment to her students and her passion for teaching left an indelible mark on countless lives. She was known for her patience, creativity, and unwavering dedication to fostering a love of learning in her classroom.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Rommel ``Mel'' Gonzaga. Their enduring 29-year partnership was a testament to love and support through all of life's seasons.

Jennifer's memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her, including myself.

Mr. Speaker, I rise because our Nation is at a crossroads. We face a familiar foe: the avarice of the powerful who rig our electoral systems in order to cement their power. This story is as old as our Nation. The powerful weaken the power of the many so that they cannot be held to account.

After all, if entire communities are silenced, then the greed that results in cancer alleys, in mass unemployment, high infant mortality, or explosive unaffordability has neither check nor balance.

While these actions begin along racial lines, the harm rarely limits itself to the same. While stripping Black Americans of hard-fought political power is weaponized racism that would make Strom Thurmond proud, the result is that every American is, in fact, losing their representative government.

This is an act of war against democracy, and we should see it as such.