Nancy Pelosi

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Golden State Valkyries on winning the 2026 WNBA Championship and bringing a new banner home to the San Francisco Bay Area. With a thrilling Game 7 victory over the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center, the Valkyries made history by capturing the title in just their second season. Their energy, determination and resilience have made our City and the entire Bay Area proud.

As a fan since their first tip-off, I have been thrilled to watch the Valkyries soar--and to join the devoted fans whose enthusiasm has made Ballhalla a safe and magical home for this team and its supporters. Together, the players, owners, coaches and staff have built a championship team that inspires countless young women to pursue their dreams and advances the proud legacy of women on the court and women in sports.

This championship belongs, too, to the community that embraced our Valkyries from the beginning, painted the community with bursts of lavender and cheered the team on every step of the way. On behalf of San Francisco, I congratulate our new WNBA champions on this historic achievement. Go Valkyries.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to what is happening in Hong Kong, especially to Joshua Wong. As a teenager, he led millions of people to the streets of Hong Kong to speak out for democracy and for freedom in Hong Kong and for the Chinese Government to honor its commitment to the Basic Law, which was the foundation of the transition in 1997 from Great Britain to the Chinese Government having control over Hong Kong.

Speaking out for freedom should not be against the law. Since the Basic Law, the Chinese have passed a security law, which is anything but security. It is a repression law. Under this law, Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to speaking out for freedom. He said: Yes, I have done that.

He can be sentenced to life for speaking out for freedom.

This House, this Congress, has always been bipartisan in joining together for freedom, whether it is in Hong Kong, whether in Tibet, or wherever in China, and for human rights in China. Let us not forget Joshua Wong at this time and not forget Jimmy Lai at the other end of life. Joshua Wong is a young teenager who is doing this now, or in his early twenties. Jimmy Lai is toward the end of his life in prison.

We must speak out for freedom. We must not let this be ignored. The most horrible form of torture that the Chinese have over these people is to tell them that nobody remembers you or why you are here.

We want to be sure that they know we remember them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Philip De Andrade, whose joyful spirit, generous heart and deep love of San Francisco enriched the lives of all who knew him, and to express my condolences to his family.

For decades, Philip was a treasured member of our extended Pelosi family. From my first campaign for Congress, his friendship, kindness, and dedication were gifts that we all deeply cherished. Philip served on my staff both in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., always bringing his warmth and generosity to our work on behalf of our constituents, who loved him dearly.

Through his beloved Goat Hill Pizza, Philip helped create a gathering place that became woven into the fabric of both Potrero Hill and our City. May it be a comfort to Philip's family and his many friends that so many join them in mourning during this sad time.