Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a mentor and true friend, Oregon State Senator Avel Gordly. Senator Gordly, the first Black woman to serve in the chamber, brought a presence that was regal and distinctive. Sadly, her tenure as an elected Black Oregonian was so rare that when she came to visit me on the House floor, many in the chamber thought she was a relative rather than the esteemed public servant who had dedicated and delivered so much to Oregon. I will miss her phone calls, her inspirational texts, and most of all, her high expectations of me. I include in the Record the following obituary as an esteemed account of Senator Gordly's impressive life:

February 13, 1947-February 16, 2026

Avel Louise Gordly was born February 13, 1947, and was a

daughter of Fay Lee Gordly and Beatrice Bernice Coleman

Gordly, a sister to Fayetta (Faye) Burch and Tyrone Lee

Gordly. She was the mother of one son, Tyrone Waters, whose

loving care enabled Avel to live comfortably and peacefully

at home during the last years of her life. She is also

survived by her niece, Michelle Burch, and her great-nieces,

Yasmin Woodard and Mikaela Woodard. Avel grew up in Northeast

Portland, where the seeds of her activism were sown early by

her mother and father, her grandmothers Alberta Randolph and

Lessie Gordly, and by the women in her community.

Avel was committed to building. serving, and celebrating

the Beloved Community, a central tenet of Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr's leadership. A few weeks ago, Avel said she wanted

to be remembered as a Brown Girl from Northeast Portland who

believed in justice, hard work, and taking care of each

other. At every stage of her remarkable life of service, Avel

communicated what she believed through well-chosen words and

through how she showed up for others. In the Oregon

Legislature, with her students at Portland State University,

in her faith community, in her many mentoring relationships

and friendships, Avel conveyed what a former legislative

colleague described as ``a moral clarity'' and what one

mentee described as ``a warm embrace.''

After graduating from her neighborhood elementary school,

Avel attended Girls Polytechnic High School. As one of the

few Black students, this was her first experience of being in

an environment that did not welcome her presence, actively

encourage her learning, or value her intellect. She felt the

contrast between the warmth and affirmation of her early

years in Portland's Black community and her experience in a

mostly white environment. It was during these years that Avel

became aware of racism and developed ways to succeed despite

ever-present barriers to achievement. Although she felt like

an ``alien, in unwelcome territory'' at Girls Polytechnic

High School, with her mother's help, Avel resisted being

steered into vocational education classes and instead

enrolled in academic and business courses. Her advocacy and

preparation led to her first job after high school at Pacific

Northwest Bell. Even though it was a good job with benefits,

Avel was eager to work for the betterment of her community.

She enrolled at Portland State University, where she was

active in Black Cultural Affairs and the Black Liberation

movement while earning a degree in the Administration of

Justice. While at Portland State, she participated in

Operation Crossroads Africa, student exchange program that

brought her to Nigeria, Benin, Togo, the Ivory Coast, and

Ghana. This trip to Africa was transformational, broadening

her horizons as she experienced life outside of the United

States in countries where she was no longer a minority. This

was the beginning of her a love of African history and

culture. Her reverence for Black history and culture was

reflected in the art and books she collected and shared

throughout her life.

Returning to Oregon, Avel continued her advocacy. As a

member of the Oregon Chapter of the Black United Front (BUF),

she coordinated the BUF's Saturday School. Working with the

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Avel helped secure

key anti-apartheid victories in Oregon and during the 1980s

and ran programs for the Urban League and the House of Umoja

to provide opportunities for youth in North and Northeast

Portland.

Avel's entry into political life came at the urging of

those in her community and felt like an extension of work to

which she was already committed. As someone who did not seek

the limelight, she learned the power of well-prepared,

respectful, and clear communication to change minds, hearts,

and, importantly, laws. Initially appointed as a State

representative in 1991, Ave was subsequently elected to serve

three terms in the Oregon Legislature. As an elected

official, she focused on building relationships with her

colleagues on both sides of the aisle and statewide. As she

gained confidence and realized the power of her voice, she

modeled both courage and vulnerability in her leadership.

These qualities made her a trustworthy and valued colleague

in the Legislature and in the Black Community.

In 1996, Avel was elected to the Oregon State Senate and

became the first Black Woman to serve in that chamber. She

was known as the ``conscience of the Senate'' because of her

integrity and the mutual respect she shared with her

colleagues. During her twelve years in the Senate, she made

an indelible mark on Oregon. She sponsored the 2001 Senate

Joint Resolution 31, which officially recognized Juneteenth

in Oregon. She was the chief petitioner in 2002 for Oregon

Ballot Measure 14, a constitutional amendment that removed

racially discriminatory language from the Oregon

Constitution, and for Measure 25, which raised Oregon's

minimum wage. She brought a statewide focus on the health

concerns of Oregon's Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian

communities by forming the Racial and Ethnic Health Task

Force and the Environmental Justice Committee. Her personal

experiences and legislative acumen spurred her push for State

Hospital Reform and to establish the Avel Gordly Center for

Healing at Oregon Health and Science University to help

address the gaps in access to mental health services in the

Black community.

After retiring from the legislature, Avel began teaching as

an associate professor in the Black Studies Department at

Portland State. Pouring into students' lives and curating

learning opportunities that connected them to Portland's

Black community and to national and international movements

inspired her. In 2011, she co-authored, with Patricia A

Schecter, her memoir, Remembering the Power of Words, where

she courageously opened up about her experiences of

depression. She received an honorary Doctor of Letters from

Portland State University in 2017. Avel participated in the

African American Alliance and sat on the board of the

Portland African American Leadership Forum. She generously

offered her thoughts on political strategy and endorsed

candidates. She was committed to mentoring emerging Black

leaders and encouraging them to shine. Her commitment to

supporting generations of new leaders has been

institutionalized in the Avel Gordly Scholarship for Black

Women. She valued her lifelong friends and the close, loving

relationships she nurtured with women of the next two

generations, who lovingly called her ``Mama Avel.'' The love

she gave and received from her community filled her heart

with joy. She was a loving aunt, great-aunt, and an honorary

grandmother. She was gratified to spend her final years with

her son Tyrone, enjoying morning coffees, healing

conversations, and prayer times together.

Avel's life and legacy teach us that in alignment with

one's divine purpose, ordinary people can make an

extraordinary difference in changing institutions, healing

lives, and making the world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I first ran for public office to make all of our

kids' futures brighter, and our government hasn't done the same. Millions of young Americans have done exactly what has been asked of them, but our country isn't returning the favor.

Fewer children than ever outearn their parents. The average age of a first-time home buyer is 40 years old, which is at an all-time high, and things feel too costly. Opportunity feels too scarce.

I think Americans need to start believing in young people, and that is exactly why I introduced my K-30 agenda. The legislation takes key commonsense steps to make a difference, from investing in rural schools and supporting our teachers to cutting red tape for small businesses and revitalizing rural economies.

Mr. Speaker, this isn't about politics. It is about building a foundation to empower America's next generation and showing them that we have their backs.

Mr. Speaker, it is Black History Month, and I came to give you hell all month.

This weekend, ICE agents tear-gassed kids. Let me repeat that. ICE agents tear-gassed kids. Protestors from union families in Portland, Oregon, came together to exercise their First Amendment rights. Among the protestors were children, the elderly, even pets, and ICE saw that as enough of a threat to fire rubber bullets, pepper balls, and clouds of tear gas.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: What we are seeing is not law enforcement. It is State-sponsored terror, and this has to stop now.

Mr. Speaker, I am calling on this administration to get out of our city, follow the law, and hold those responsible for this accountable. Enough is enough.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClellan for hosting us this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here as the first, but not the last, Black Member of Congress in Oregon's history, and I rise today to celebrate Black History Month.

It is not lost on me that I am just one generation removed from segregation. It is not lost on me how recently this moment standing before you as a Congresswoman would have seemed impossible.

My mother was valedictorian of a segregated high school in Conway, South Carolina. She had the brilliance and drive to do anything she dreamed, but America didn't believe in her future. She made sure that I had the opportunity to write a different story.

As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I am reminded that I am not in this fight alone. We are a community of leaders, united in our goal to shape a more just, a more inclusive, and a brighter future for this Nation.

Our country needs it now more than ever. We are seeing attacks on our communities and on our values by this administration.

Mr. Speaker, humbly, I ask that we must continue to rise together, not only during Black History Month but every day.

Mr. Speaker, I will offer my impression of a congressional Member owl who will not stand up to the unconstitutional acts of this administration.

Who? Who me? Everything is okay. I see the beatings on TV. I see ICE showing up at people's doors. I see what is happening, but I am not getting in the way. I am going to keep my head down.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes) for bringing us together to stand up for children with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, if I were to not pay something I owed for 50 years, the consequences would be tremendous. That is exactly what the Federal Government has done with the IDEA, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

In 1976, just a year after I was born, Congress promised to pay for 40 percent of the cost of public education for children with disabilities. Yet, here we are in 2026. I am 50, almost 51, but the Federal Government is paying less than 12 percent. In my home State of Oregon, that means a $315 million gap between the funding that our students are getting and the amount that these schools are owed.

On top of that, it has been credibly reported that the Trump administration has started dismantling the Department of Education, including the staff who oversee these IDEA programs. Now the program is both underfunded and there is no one there to send the money out.

That is why earlier this Congress, I introduced the IDEA Full Funding Act. I urge my colleagues to join me in finally giving our students with disabilities exactly what they are owed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Fitzgerald) as cosponsor of H.R. 5907.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today because this administration is playing games with costs, retirement accounts, and the entire financial system. He is attacking the Federal Reserve, which keeps our economy stable by threatening criminal investigations into Jerome Powell, the Fed's chair. He is doing it because Chair Powell refuses to give in to Trump's demands.

Mr. Speaker, the independence of the Fed makes it so politicians can't use it like a weapon. If the President can bully or threaten the Fed Chair, interest rates become a political tool, inflation becomes a campaign strategy; and your mortgage, your job, and your savings become collateral damage.

Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, this attempt to intimidate the Fed isn't about justice or the American people. It is about the President's ego, in my opinion.

I can't, and won't, stand by and let that happen. I will continue fighting to make sure that the Fed works for Oregonians and for Americans.

Mr. Speaker, early last year, the Flat fire burned over 23,000 acres of land in central Oregon, destroying homes and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.

Our historic fire crews were eventually able to contain the fire, but they were unnecessarily delayed because someone was flying a drone in the area, and it punctured a hole in the plane.

Our historic fire crews cannot afford this delay. It is not just happening in Oregon. There has been an increase in drones interfering with fire responses across the country. We know that a quick response is critical to containing wildfire and saving homes and lives. That is why I introduced the Wildfire Aerial Response Safety Act along with Congressmen Neguse, Crane, and Ciscomani.

As Representatives from States with dangerous wildfire seasons, we understand how important it is to address this issue and that it should not be partisan. I am calling on the House to take up our bill to prevent unnecessary delays to wildfire response efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I am here today not just as the Representative for Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, but as a mom getting ready for the holidays.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, costs are out of control.

Every time I go to make a purchase, these companies keep charging me fee after fee after fee. So whether it is booking travel for my son to come home for the holidays or buying tickets for my daughter as a Christmas gift, these fees are driving up the cost of everything.

You get to the checkout page, and suddenly the price feels like it is 40 percent higher. There are payment processing fees for a flight, venue fees for a concert, airport concession fees for a rental car, or service charges on just about everything.

I have had it with these junk fees, and I have heard from so many others that they have too.

Americans deserve transparency, not bait-and-switch pricing models.

That is why I introduced the Junk Fee Prevention Act. It is past time that we get corporate greed under control and protect American families.

I am calling on the House to get it done for the holidays.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. At the time, that was a landmark piece of legislation that made sure our children with disabilities had what they needed to succeed in the classroom.

The IDEA hasn't been fully funded for decades, meaning these kids aren't receiving all the support that they need. On top of that, President Trump is dismantling the Department of Education and threatening programs that protect civil rights and expand access to opportunity for our kids. I will not stand for that.

Mr. Speaker, my North Star is America's children. That is why, earlier this Congress, I introduced the IDEA Full Funding Act to help our students with disabilities. I will continue fighting in Congress to ensure that our children and our children's children and our children's children's children have access to the education they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, the beginning of this month marked the start of open enrollment for healthcare. As Oregonians have started to select their plans, constituents of mine have been writing in. They are seeing plans that are hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars more.

Without subsidies, David from Bend's monthly health insurance costs will go from $50 to $600 or $700 a month, which would put healthcare out of reach for him. Annie, also from Bend, shared with me her costs could jump to almost $1,700 per month.

There are countless more stories like these, Mr. Speaker, and that is unacceptable. No family should have to choose between getting the care they need and putting food on the table.

Mr. Speaker, I will keep fighting to protect healthcare, lower costs, and make life easier for my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I just wrapped up the Give 'Em Hell Tour, 10 townhalls over the last 3 months from every corner of my district. We welcomed all Oregonians, and we were thankful to have community leaders participating and local law enforcement keeping us safe.

From Bend to Portland, Silverton to Albany, over 42,000 people joined and made their voices heard. Mr. Speaker, the message was clear: Quit messing with our healthcare and start making life more affordable.

Mr. Speaker, hear me when I say this: We will not back down--not on healthcare, not on costs, and not on making our voices heard.

My message to my fellow Oregonians is: I hear you, and I got you. Even though the Give 'Em Hell Tour is over, there is always an open line of communication between you and me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the impressive efforts of Kyla Guerrero, a constituent of mine from Bend, Oregon. Kyla has used her Gold Award Girl Scout project to tackle the issue of food waste, taking leftover food and repurposing it to sustain a local farm. I am truly impressed by her innovation and hard work. This creative compost system keeps our community eco-friendly and helps protect our planet for future generations. I thank and congratulate Kyla. I include in the Record this article from the Central Oregon Daily written by Jakob Salao that details Kyla's hard work:

BEND, Ore.--More than one-third of all available food in

the country goes to waste, according to the U.S. Department

of Agriculture. A Central Oregon Girl Scout is hoping to

change that by taking that waste and using it to sustain a

local farm. ``I've always had a passion for supporting

environmental efforts and I feel like this was a way I could

create a project that suits those passions,'' Girl Scout Kyla

Guerrero said. ``And working with a local farm has been super

fun.'' Guerrero is one of two local Girl Scouts working on a

Gold Award Project. She's partnered with Around the Bend

Farms to get youth involved and make farming a little more

eco-friendly.

``We're creating this food scrap to compost system where

the food scrap waste from the Bethlehem Inn kitchen gets

delivered here and turned into compost which is used for the

farm's agriculture,'' Guerrero said. Those food scraps

contain vital nutrients for vegetables that would otherwise

rot away in a landfill. ``By throwing those nutrients into a

compost pile and into that kind of system, we can re-collect

the nutrients and re-integrate it into our soil to rebuild

that cycle,'' Urban Farm Manager Josh Lesko said. ``Then, our

plants are just re-feeding themselves and feeding us more in

the future.''

The compost system also helps keep the farm eco-friendly.

``We're lowering the amount of costs we're putting in,''

Lesko said. ``We're lowering the amount of transportation for

things we need to pick up. We're letting the natural cycle do

its thing and kind of working alongside it.'' But for

Guerrero, it's starting to plant the seeds for the next

generation. ``It's a great opportunity to have high school

students come out and share this with their friends and be

like `oh there's a farm here and we can all help together.' I

really like that aspect of it,'' Guerrero said.

Mr. Speaker, today I am here to stand up for Oregon. Just before the weekend, the President spouted off some nonsense about deploying the National Guard to Portland. As we have seen in D.C., L.A., and now Boston, it is an unwelcome occupation.

The President is wasting our troops' time and the country's money to play cops and robbers for his ego.

Now, if he wants to send Federal resources to help our State, then how about he invests in our schools instead of cutting the Department of Education?

How about he sends funding that we can use to provide high-quality childcare to every child and family, to build more affordable housing, and to clean up the Superfund site on the Willamette River?

Mr. Speaker, if the President actually wants to help Oregonians, then he should focus on his failing economic policies that are hurting Americans and raising our costs.

We got us.