Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Henry Berg-Brousseau.

Henry was a fighter. He was deeply passionate about LGBTQ issues and dedicated to making a difference for everyone.

Henry was my intern in the Kentucky State Senate and helped to kill a discriminatory bathroom bill. He went on to study politics at GW and worked at HRC where he continued his fierce advocacy work.

Losing Henry is a stark reminder that extremist efforts to erase trans people from society have real-life consequences.

More than 80 percent of transgender individuals experience suicidal ideations, and nearly one-half have attempted suicide.

Anti-trans rhetoric must stop. No more families should experience this pain.

We now have the 9-8-8 crisis line to call or text when experiencing a mental health crisis. Use it.

Henry was a smart, kind, and passionate person. He made the world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, I will close by echoing the words of Henry's mother, Karen, who was my colleague in the Kentucky State Senate: Practice tolerance and grace, and love your neighbor.

Madam Speaker, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe last summer, they took away hard-fought rights from millions of women across our country.

Now women in Kentucky no longer have access to safe and legal abortions, even in cases of rape and incest.

The country responded at the ballot box, and my district overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment to further restrict reproductive rights in Kentucky.

So how do we respond here?

Last night the House Republicans' first order of business was to make it even harder for women to receive abortions and for healthcare professionals to provide them. These decisions are best left between a woman and her doctor. But House Republicans have sent a clear message that more legislative attacks against women's rights are on the horizon.

I proudly voted against yesterday's attack on women and their doctors, and I will continue fighting for reproductive rights.