Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share my gratitude for this remarkable opportunity to serve my community. As I prepare to retire from Congress, I have been reflecting on what brought me here.

Despite growing up just outside of D.C., I was very much not one of those people who envisioned themselves in elected office since grade school, but I did want to help people. That is why I chose to be a lawyer.

I was very fulfilled doing that work, especially the opportunities to serve as a prosecutor, and later, a guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children and a substitute judge.

Then, one day in late 2008, I went just around the corner from my law office to Ida Lee Park in Leesburg to hear a skinny guy with a funny name talk about his message of hope and change and: ``Yes, We Can.''

Hearing then-Senator Obama speak was the first time that I stopped thinking that can't be me and started thinking, yes, I can. I believed him when he

said that we could come together around what unites us as Americans and do the hard work of making life better for our neighbors.

So my political career began. In 2014, I won a State senate special election and went to Richmond as a bright-eyed, new legislator at a time when the legislature still didn't have a whole lot of people like me there. I was one of just a few women with school-aged kids, and I served in the minority.

I learned quickly that my best ideas for policy come from my constituents. I heard a woman's tragic story of losing her brother to an overdose and took action to make Narcan more accessible.

I worked with a mom to help pass a law that gave greater benefits to single parents of kids with disabilities. Another constituent came to me about her horrific sexual assault story, so I wrote a law empowering victims of revenge porn to file lawsuits and recover damages from their perpetrators.

Then, in 2016, another unlikely candidate for President led me to make a career change I never could have imagined. Once again, though, it was the hope that I could help people that led me to run for Congress.

I wanted to stand up for communities who did not feel represented. I stood with our Muslim neighbors at Dulles Airport to protest the Muslim ban. I became the first Member of Congress to hang a transgender rights flag outside of my office.

As the child of two parents who had worked for the Federal Government, I became a vocal advocate for the integrity of our civil service.

Most of all, I ran for Congress because of my kids. I went to Washington with the goal of making sure the stories of Virginia's families were heard, and that their Representative was fighting for their needs.

I am proud of what I was able to do, like working on legislation to invest in childhood cancer research in honor of a young constituent, Gabriella Miller, and her courageous battle and advocacy; supporting survivors of domestic violence and abuse; expanding mental health resources for Capitol Police in the wake of January 6; and standing up for human rights of Uyghurs in China.

It has been quite the unprecedented 6 years in Congress: Facing the longest government shutdown in history; not one, but two impeachments; a pandemic; an insurrection; and in the midst of it all, I began facing the greatest challenge of them all, my battle with PSP.

One of the first questions I asked my doctor after my diagnosis was if I could still run for reelection. His response was: Why would you want to? It was a very serious and sobering moment, but in truth, I had plenty of answers for him.

Above all, I did and still very much do believe in the possibility to bring hope and make change in the lives of those we serve here. As I battled this disease, which robbed me of my ability to move and speak, I wanted to make the most of my platform to bring some good out of this terrible situation.

As I mentioned, my best ideas for legislation often come from personal stories constituents share with me. Now, it was my own struggle that I hoped to help turn into meaningful change in policy.

One of my proudest moments in Congress has been successfully helping lead the bipartisan National Plan to End Parkinson's Act to become law, the most consequential legislation ever passed to tackle Parkinson's and related conditions like my PSP. It will go a long way toward improving and saving lives.

This has been a journey, which has been so challenging, yet one which I am proud to have stood strong in and done my part to give hope and comfort to others facing similar battles.

Our disabilities and our health struggles do not define who we are, and I feel more strongly than ever that it is so important to share that truth with the world. This journey could not have been possible without so many people who share my belief that I could make a positive change and conviction that there is real good to be done through public service.

I thank my family, Team Wexton, and all of the people of Virginia-10. I hope I have made you proud. As I head into my final days in Congress, I am choosing once again to have hope.

People didn't lose hope in me after my diagnosis. I have real hope that one day we will find a cure for PSP. I see reasons for hope every day, especially young people, women and girls, and others who don't traditionally have a seat at the tables of power who are discovering and believing in the power of public service, just like I did all those years ago at Ida Lee Park.

I hope that the most impactful legacy I can leave is in the power of perseverance and persistence, in the belief that change is possible through public service, and that change is coming if we are willing to work for it.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 499 and NAY on Roll Call No. 500.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote on November 21, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 477 and YES on Roll Call No. 478.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 456.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader and staff for allowing me to participate in today's Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin my speech, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Disability Pride Month, celebrated each July to commemorate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It is hard to believe that the ADA will turn 34 years old tomorrow. I was in college when it passed in 1990. Today, an entire generation has never known life without the protections that exist because of the ADA.

We have come a long way from the days when sidewalk curbs would routinely cause insurmountable challenges for Americans in wheelchairs, and now accommodation is the rule, not the exception.

As a new member of the differently-abled community, I believe it is important not only to celebrate how far we have come, but also to recognize how far we still have to go.

The issue of disability rights and accessibility has been one I have worked on closely since my first days in public office. When I served in the Virginia State Senate back in 2015, I worked alongside Conner Cummings, a young Virginian with autism who lived in my district, and his mom, Sharon, to pass Conner's Law, legislation that closed a loophole and extended parental support for severely disabled and special needs children over the age of 18, giving relief to single parents.

I have had the pleasure of welcoming Conner and Sharon to Capitol Hill to testify on the impact of Conner's Law for families like theirs and the need to replicate it in States across the country.

The proudest vote I took in the State senate was in 2018, when we voted finally to expand Medicaid in Virginia. Through this monumental action, we extended affordable healthcare access to hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable Virginians, including many of those living with disabilities.

That is also why I fought so hard once I came to Congress to successfully protect and expand the Affordable Care Act, including preventing insurance companies from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions and defending the elimination of lifetime caps on coverage, which would be devastating for families of those with disabilities.

In fact, the very first constituent meeting I took when I came to Washington in 2019 was with the Little Lobbyists, a group of families with young children with complex medical needs and disabilities. I invited one of those families to be my guest at the State of the Union in 2020 to highlight just how important fighting back against efforts to undermine the ACA was for families like theirs.

Over the past year, the fight for disability rights has become a personal one. My battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP, has robbed me of my ability to use my full voice and move around in the ways that I used to. Rather than striding confidently onto the House floor to vote, I gratefully accept rides across Independence Avenue-- and, yes, I get the irony--from my office to the Capitol. I rely on a walker to get around, and in all likelihood, before my term ends, I will appear on the House floor for votes in a wheelchair.

I can no longer give the same kind of impassioned, impromptu speeches during debates on the floor or in committee hearings. This very impressive AI re-creation of my voice does the public speaking for me now. I found myself understanding firsthand just a fraction of the challenges that so many Americans live with each day.

It has been a big adjustment for me, for my family, for my team, and for my colleagues who have known me for years and have had to watch me go through these challenges, but mine is not a unique story. Millions of Americans face challenges that make it harder to move, speak, act, or otherwise live their day-to-day lives, but that disability does not define who they are.

I certainly have not allowed my new challenges to define me. This is not a situation I would have chosen to find myself in. I never thought that, at my age and otherwise good health, something like PSP could, in the space of just over a year, rob me of my ability to speak, run, or dance, and force me to stop doing the job that I love.

I also never expected to be in a position to make history by being the first Member to use an augmentative and alternative communication device, or AAC device, on the House floor. I used to be one of those people who hated the sound of my voice. When my ads came on TV, I would cringe and change the channel, but you truly don't know what you have until it is gone because hearing the new AI of my old voice for the first time was music to my ears. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and I cried tears of joy.

I am not going to sugarcoat the difficulties I have faced the past year, but what has brought me a renewed sense of determination is the opportunity to use this unique platform to try to help others.

The supportive messages I have received have been overwhelming, especially from those facing similar speaking or movement challenges who see someone like me, who just happens to be in the spotlight, persevere in the same ways that they are.

I am not doing it for praise or admiration, but I do hope that when people see me continuing to do all I can to keep living my life and doing this job I love as best I can, they understand and appreciate the courage, resilience, and spirit that so many Americans of differing abilities demonstrate each and every day.

I hope I can be a voice, even an AI voice, for Americans facing accessibility challenges and other disabilities because, too often, people only see us for that disability. In truth, we are so much more.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this Disability Pride Month and in celebrating the strength and perseverance of the disability community.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my constituent, Prince William County, Virginia resident, United States Marine Master Gunnery Sergeant (Ret.) and proud World War II and Korean War Veteran Carroll Braxton on the occasion of his 100th Birthday, and to thank him for his years of dedicated service.

MGySgt (Ret.) Carroll Braxton was born on July 14, 1924 in Manassas, Virginia. Shortly after President Roosevelt cleared the path for citizens ``regardless of color, race, creed or national origin.'' to enlist, Mr. Braxton, along with several of his high school classmates, enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1943. Completing Boot Camp at the segregated, Monford Point Base in North Carolina, Mr. Braxton earned his Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, stating that ``We were `the chosen few,' and as an experimental group, we had to prove we could make it.``

After graduating from Boot Camp, he served as a Marine Drill Instructor until his deployment overseas with the Fifth Replacement Depot Company. Mr. Braxton and his unit island-hopped through the Saipan, Peleliu, and Okinawa campaigns in 1945 where he earned the rank of Sergeant. In 1946, Carroll left the Active-Duty Marine Corps and joined the Marine Reserves, only to be called back to active duty at Camp Lejeune during the Korean War.

After the war, Mr. Braxton returned home to Manassas and married his wife Celestine and welcomed two children Monique and Robert. Mr. Braxton retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1979, as a Master Gunnery Sergeant after 33 years of distinguished and dedicated military service. Though retired, Mr. Braxton continued his dedication and service to his country working as a procurement analyst at the Cameron Station Army Base in Alexandria. Living the values of the Marine Corps, Mr. Braxton also served his community, serving as a Deacon and Board of Trustees Chair at the First Baptist Church of Manassas, and establishing the local American Legion Post. In 2012, President Obama awarded Mr. Braxton and the Monford Point Marines the Congressional Gold Medal. In 2020, Prince William County renamed one of its schools, Unity Braxton Middle School, in honor of Celestine and Carroll and their incredible years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and our colleagues join me today in congratulating Master

Gunnery Sergeant (Ret.) Carroll Braxton on the occasion of his 100th birthday, and for his outstanding service and sacrifice, on behalf of a grateful Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 283 and NAY on Roll Call No. 284.

Mr. Speaker, as you may know, last year I was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP. It is basically Parkinson's on steroids, and I don't recommend it. It has affected my ability to speak, so I am using a text-to-speech app to make it easier for you and our colleagues to hear and understand me.

I rise today in support of my bipartisan Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act, which will help Korean Americans reconnect with the families they left behind in North Korea decades ago in the wake of the Korean war.

For more than seven decades, Korean-American families have not been able to see or speak with their relatives left behind in North Korea, and second- and third-generation Korean Americans know nothing but stories and heartbreak about their separated family members.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, I participated in a bipartisan congressional delegation to the Republic of Korea and saw firsthand some of the lasting consequences that families have faced as a result of the war and displacement.

I have heard the stories of Korean-American families in Virginia and across the country who have sought for most of their lives for a chance to reconnect with their loved ones but have faced too great of a challenge in accessing any official channels to do so.

My bipartisan legislation being taken up by the House today helps to fix that problem. This bill would establish a data repository through the State Department of information about Korean-American families across the U.S., as well as their separated family members in North Korea, both living and deceased, and encourage cooperation between our government and that of North Korea for the purpose of offering the opportunity for these families to reconnect either in person or digitally.

The South Korean Ministry of Reunification, which is tasked with ensuring that South Korea is prepared for reunification when and if it occurs, maintains a similar registry of families that

were separated by the war and its aftermath.

By taking up this legislation today, we are giving these Korean- American families hope. This is a long overdue step to help make these families whole again, fittingly on the anniversary of the start of the Korean war.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bipartisan bill to reunite Korean-American families.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 276, NO on Roll Call No. 277, YEA on Roll Call No. 278, and NO on Roll Call No. 279.

Madam Speaker, as you may know, last year I was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP. It is basically Parkinson's on steroids, and I don't recommend it. It has affected my ability to speak, so I am using this text-to-speech app to make it easier for you and our colleagues to hear and understand me.

I rise today in support of PSP Awareness Month. Over the past year, I have come to personally know how scary and devastating a condition PSP can be for those of us battling it and for those close to us who love us and want us to be well again.

Despite its life-changing impact on more than 30,000 Americans, PSP remains relatively unknown to the general public. I am on a mission to change that. For those of you who are not familiar, PSP is a neurodegenerative condition that occurs when a buildup of a protein called tau damages brain cells, particularly in the parts of the brain that control speech, balance, coordination, and eye movement.

With a rare disease like PSP, there is a lot of confusion about what it is and also what it is not.

As you have noticed, it has affected my mobility. In less than a year, I have gone from striding confidently into and around this Chamber to relying on my walker to get around.

PSP affects how loudly and clearly I can speak, which is not an ideal situation for a politician.

In conversation, I have asked people to just ask me to repeat myself if they can't understand me or find a quieter space to talk so I can be heard. I am grateful that I have received such accommodating support from my colleagues and the staff here in the House that allows me to use this text to speech technology to be able to participate in committee hearings and to speak on the floor.

PSP has no cure, and its cause is unknown. Some medications may help temporarily alleviate some symptoms, and an active lifestyle and physical therapies can help to slow its progress. Whatever your politics, when it comes to illness, progressive is not a good thing to be.

While I will never train for or compete in another triathlon, by working out regularly and doing physical therapy I have improved my posture and balance to help prevent falls, a common source of serious injury for people with PSP. I have a rescue inhaler and certain medications I can take immediately before social engagements that can help improve my affect and my speech.

While PSP has clearly taken a toll on my body, it has not affected who I am inside. My fellow women Members know I will still chime in on the group chat with a joke or barb, which do not need to be repeated on the House floor. I still keep my staff on their toes by riding down ramps around the Capitol complex on my walker as if they were mini roller coasters, and I am still just as dedicated to doing my job of serving my community in Congress as the very first day I got here.

I share the personal details of my journey with PSP not because I want to be told how inspiring I am or for you to feel sorry for me. I speak about what I am going through because there are tens of thousands of other Americans out there who are fighting the same battles I am, and many of their loved ones, colleagues, and neighbors are having similar struggles with how to deal with the rapid and scary changes happening to the person that they know and love.

They are likely spending months or even years going to doctor's appointment after doctor's appointment anxiously hoping for answers but are left with more questions because too few medical providers are familiar enough with PSP to know what telltale signs to look for and diagnose.

In fact, one of the most common ways to diagnose and to differentiate PSP from Parkinson's is signs of brain atrophy seen on an MRI scan which appears in the shape of a hummingbird. The hummingbird sign has become a symbol for PSP, which is why I will be wearing a PSP Awareness hummingbird pin today.

Raising awareness of PSP can mean a quicker, accurate diagnosis; the development of more effective treatments; and more time for those battling PSP to take on this disease with all the resources and support available.

I am determined to use my platform to raise awareness of what PSP is and the urgent need to do more to fight against it. I am proud that over 80 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have joined me on a resolution to recognize May as PSP Awareness Month.

I have also championed the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act that would help bring greater resources to discovering the causes, effective treatments, and a cure for Parkinson's and related parkinsonisms like my PSP. This bipartisan legislation passed the House last year with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I hope that the Senate will take it up very soon and send it to President Biden's desk.

Madam Speaker, I have spent my career uplifting the stories of those in need. I am committed to continuing that work now on behalf of the PSP community and making the most of this platform that I have for as long as I am able.

I urge my colleagues to join me this month to raise awareness of PSP and work together to fight this terrible disease.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 216 and NAY on Roll Call No. 217.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote on May 14, 2024. Had I been present, I would have voted: YES on Roll Call No. 196, and YES on Roll Call No. 197.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 198, NO on Roll Call No. 199, and NO on Roll Call No. 200.

Mr. Speaker, last year, I was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP. PSP makes it very difficult for me to speak, and I use an assistive app so that you and our colleagues can understand me.

I am proud to be here today speaking in support of my bill to rename the Purcellville, Virginia, post office in honor of my former constituent, the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who chose not to have her mail delivered to her rural western Loudoun County farm but instead became a fixture at the post office that will bear her name.

Secretary Albright was a fearless trailblazer for women and a devoted public servant who touched the lives of so many whom she taught, mentored, and worked with, including me. Her relentless defense of democracy and advocacy for human rights, inspired by her own lived experience fleeing Nazi persecution, made her an icon here at home and around the globe.

It is my honor to lead this legislation to celebrate her historic life and legacy here in Virginia's 10th Congressional District, where her farm is located and where she spent as much time as she was able.

Secretary Albright once said the greatest honor of her life was representing the United States of America, a sentiment I am sure we all share as Members of the House of Representatives.

Throughout her life, Secretary Albright received numerous accolades and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. I am honored that the Virginia delegation and I can bestow this posthumous honor on Secretary Albright and her family and help ensure that her legacy continues to live on in Virginia for generations to come.

I urge my colleagues to vote for this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was not able to be present to vote today. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 153 and YEA on Roll Call No. 154.