Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, before my colleague from Texas walks out, I will do whatever I can do to help him because the Chicagoland area is number three.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce I will be impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Secretary Noem has violated the Constitution, and she needs to be held accountable for terrorizing our communities.

Operation Midway Blitz has torn apart the Chicagoland area. President Trump declared war on Chicago, and then he brought violence and destruction to our city and our suburbs in the form of immigration enforcement.

In my district, Federal agents rapelled down from Black Hawk helicopters and burst into an apartment building in the South Shore area. They dragged U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike out of their beds in the middle of the night. They claimed the apartment was infiltrated by members of a Venezuelan gang. I don't understand this President's obsession with Venezuela, but they did not arrest a single member from that gang.

I visited that apartment building and saw firsthand the destruction those agents left. Doors to people's homes or apartments were kicked down. Belongings, including little kids' toys, were strewn about in the hallway. That raid and so many others shook our community, not just immigrants, but everyone.

Now, Secretary Noem has brought her reign of terror to Minneapolis after she left Charlotte and Raleigh. We have all seen what happened. An ICE officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in cold blood.

Without knowing any of the facts or an investigation, Secretary Noem lied about what happened. She called a beloved 37-year-old mom a domestic terrorist.

Secretary Noem and her rogue agents are the ones terrorizing our communities, and she is breaking the law to do so. I will hold her accountable, and I am filing three Articles of Impeachment against Secretary Noem.

Number one, obstruction of Congress. Secretary Noem has denied me and other Members of Congress oversight of ICE detention facilities. It is our constitutional duty to find out what is happening in these centers where people are reportedly being treated like less than animals.

Two, violation of public trust. Secretary Noem directed ICE agents to arrest people without warrants, used tear gas against citizens, and ignored due process. She claims she is taking murderers and rapists off our streets, but none of the 614 people arrested during Operation Midway Blitz has been charged or convicted of murder or rape.

Three, self-dealing. Secretary Noem has abused her power for personal benefit. She steered a Federal contract to a new firm run by a friend, her friend. Her propaganda campaign to recruit ICE agents cost taxpayers $200 million.

She made a video that turned the South Shore raid into something that looked more like a movie trailer. Make no mistake, this is not a movie. This is real life, and real people are being hurt and killed.

I really have to wonder who the people are behind the mask. These DHS agents have no identifying factor. From all their botched raids and officer-involved shootings, I have to ask: What is their training like? What is the vetting? Is Secretary Noem recruiting January 6 insurrectionists?

I was one of the last Members of Congress to escape the House gallery on January 6. I remember hiding on my hands and knees and running through the hallways to a safe room. Insurrectionists are not fit to serve as law enforcement.

I realize that the impeachment of Secretary Noem does not bring Renee back. True justice would be Renee alive today, at home with her family. Impeachment doesn't bring back the four other people killed by immigration officers this year, including a man in Chicago. We cannot bring them back to their loved ones. What we can do, though, is impeach Secretary Noem, hold her accountable, and let her know the public is watching.

In this country, we do not kill people in cold blood without consequences. These are not policy disagreements. These are violations of her oath of office, and she must answer for her impeachable actions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust to urge my colleagues across the aisle to extend the ACA tax credits.

As you know, they are set to expire at the end of the year and will cause monthly health bills to skyrocket for millions of Americans. The rising cost of healthcare goes beyond the individual. It affects Black small business owners.

A small business owner in my district owns several coffee shops and worries about her employees being able to afford healthcare. She feels responsible for her employees, but healthcare is a large expense for a small business. The ACA premium tax credits provide affordable care to her employees, allowing her coffee shop and her employees to thrive.

Another small business owner in my district runs a wine production business that sells nationwide. Despite her success, she has to rely on her husband's job for healthcare. These are two small business owners who have created their own success, and through their businesses created jobs for other people.

Republicans love to say they support our economy. It is time to actually support the healthcare of small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy. Republicans also love to say the best option for healthcare is a job.

My constituents have a job. They also provide jobs for more people, but they all receive affordable healthcare through the ACA. Without the ACA tax credits, their employees may have no other option but to go uninsured or find another job. If they decide to leave, my constituents' businesses won't be able to run.

It is simple: We all do better when we all do better. We are all healthier when we are all healthier. Let's extend the ACA premium tax credits. Let's make healthcare more affordable and accessible.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defiance of President Trump's threats to deploy the National Guard to Chicago.

He wasted $1 million every day to house the National Guard in D.C., and now he wants to further misuse taxpayer dollars instead of investing in real, permanent solutions to gun violence. Like D.C., I am sure Chicago can use money for more police, mental health counselors, social workers, and community violence intervention programs.

President Trump is actively making gun violence worse. He froze funding allocated to community violence intervention organizations, shut down the Office of Violence Prevention, and made it easier to buy guns.

Gun violence is a public health issue, but the CDC has been stripped of medical experts and leaders.

Let's be truthful about the real reason why President Trump wants to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. It is not to reduce crime. It is to instill fear and abuse his power.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation recognizing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome.

Whereas, on September 15, we will welcome His All-Holiness

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of

Constantinople-New Rome to Washington, D.C., to receive the

Templeton Prize, the world's most prestigious award in

Religion and Science;

Whereas, His All-Holiness is the spiritual leader and

Primus inter pares (``Fast among Equals'') of Orthodox

Christianity worldwide--a Church of 30 million individuals--

and is the longest-serving Archbishop of Constantinople;

Whereas, in 1997, His All-Holiness was awarded the

Congressional Gold Medal and declared that pollution,

deforestation, and climate change, among other acts harmful

to the environment, should be considered ``ecological sin''

and moral failings, as opposed to merely practical missteps;

Whereas, he has worked to guide the Orthodox Christian

Church in an environmentally conscious and Godly way, helping

to develop a strong community of faith, and has presided over

events including the 150th anniversary of the Theological

School of Halki and the 500th anniversary of the Greek

Orthodox Community in Venice, among others;

Whereas, he has visited the United States during the

Clinton (1997), Bush (2004), Obama (2009) and Biden (2021)

administrations;

Whereas, His All-Holiness was elected in October 1991 as

the 270th Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and

Ecumenical Patriarch, and has served for nearly 34 years;

Whereas, His All-Holiness has authored four books in

English and has been invited to speak before the United

Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, and the World Economic

Forum; and

Now, therefore be it resolved, that I Robin L. Kelly,

serving as a member of the House of Representatives,

recognize and honor the remarkable work and accomplishments

of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I,

Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to amend the rule to make in order the amendment at the desk that protects against any cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to President Trump's rescission package that steals $400 million from PEPFAR, a lifesaving global health program.

Let me remind my colleagues that PEPFAR is a bipartisan effort first led by Congresswoman Barbara Lee and signed by President George W. Bush. It has been reauthorized on a bipartisan basis four times.

Right now, Republicans who are supportive of PEPFAR are calling the White House seeking assurances that it will be protected. Do not listen to the President's empty promises. Nothing in this bill protects

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on May 31, 2025, Ms. Teri Gage retired from her position as Superintendent of the Pullman National Historical Park. Today, I include in the Record the following Proclamation to recognize and honor her accomplishments and contributions to Chicago's first National Park.

WHEREAS, Teri Gage began her long career with the National

Park Service in 1986 and worked at eight additional National

Parks across the United States;

WHEREAS, she was notably enthusiastic, forward-thinking,

and creative regarding her many managerial and budgetary

responsibilities, working with the National Park Service,

state and local officials, community organizers, and park

visitors;

WHEREAS, she emphasized the growth of her colleagues to

find increasingly new and illuminating narratives to describe

Pullman's long, complicated, and important history to enhance

the visitor experience at the Pullman National Park;

WHEREAS, she worked closely with the Historic Pullman

Foundation, the National A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter

Museum, railroads officials, railroad buffs, industrialists,

labor groups, architectural enthusiasts, historical

organizations and other prominent local community

organizations;

WHEREAS, as the face of Pullman National Park, she

facilitated innovative storytelling, exhibits, and ideas

drawn from her colleagues, park visitors, and community

stakeholders to preserve the many stories of Pullman,

including its role in creating America's Labor Day holiday;

WHEREAS, she launched a project to bring historically

significant railcars back to the Pullman National Historical

Park;

WHEREAS, her inspiring contributions to Chicago's first

National Park assisted in its continued ability to serve

visitors with valuable information to conncct them with the

history of an integral Chicago industry: railroads;

WHEREAS, her colleagues have noted that while National

Parks are one of America's best ideas, hiring Teri Gage as a

superintendent of Pullman was another of those great ideas;

WHEREAS, even in retirement, she will continue to serve as

the official philanthropic partner and share her talents to

preserve the Pullman story and encourage visitors to imagine

themselves as an active part of that story;

WHEREAS, her many contributions, leadership skills, and

true passion for the Pullman National Park will continue to

impact and serve the National Parks for generations of

visitors, employees, and community members to come; and

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative McClellan and Representative Carter for inviting me to speak tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because there is a gun violence epidemic in America.

I have spoken loudly and clearly on gun safety again and again and again, shooting after shooting. Moments of silence have never been enough.

Thoughts and prayers have never been enough.

Americans need real action by Congress to end gun violence. That means universal background checks, funding and support for community violence intervention organizations, safe storage laws to prevent unintentional shootings, and an assault weapons ban.

We know the solution is to end gun violence, and yet the Trump administration and this legislative body refuses to act. Instead, President Trump and Republicans reversed the progress we have made these past few years.

On day one in the Oval Office, President Trump shut the doors of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Since then, he continues to pour salt into injury after injury.

The Department of Justice terminated over $66 million in grants that were already designated by Congress to community violence intervention programs.

CVI organizations are led by trusted community members who offer job training, mental health resources, de-escalation tactics, and more to keep our neighborhoods safe.

CVI strategies are proven, evidence-based solutions to gun violence, and yet the Trump administration decided they are inefficient.

House Republicans are complicit in the Trump agenda to endanger public safety. In the dead of night, Republicans added a provision to their budget that would deregulate gun silencers, allowing any and all private sales of silencers. The deregulation of gun silencers is reckless and outrageous. Silencers are not something out of a movie. They cause real pain in our communities.

In 2019, a gunman attached a silencer to a handgun that he used to kill 12 people in Virginia Beach. Survivors of the shooting said they did not flee because they didn't identify the muffled sounds as gunshots.

If the cost of American lives does not move my colleagues across the aisle, then perhaps they will be attentive to the fact that the deregulation of silencers will cost American taxpayers nearly $3 billion. Americans cannot afford the cost of gun violence, not in dollars, in pain, or in grief. Black Americans, in particular, bear a disproportionate weight of that grief.

This past weekend, I joined survivors of gun violence in an environmentally-friendly balloon release to honor the 46,000 lives lost to gun violence every year. They have lost daughters and sons, nephews and nieces, siblings, mothers and fathers to gun violence.

One daughter's name is Hadiya Pendleton. Hadiya was a bright student involved in marching band and volleyball. She was on top of the world when she led her marching band in President Obama's second inauguration. Just one week later, she was shot and killed in a park in Chicago.

Hadiya should have turned 28 years old yesterday. Hadiya's friends and family started the Wear Orange movement to raise awareness of gun violence. Now the orange color has become a beacon for activity and advocacy against gun violence.

Since they started the Wear Orange movement in 2015, I have introduced the Wear Orange Resolution every year to honor Hadiya.

I ran for office because I couldn't stand by and watch as Congress did nothing as children like Hadiya were ripped away from families. While gun violence became the leading cause of death for all children and teenagers in 2020, it has been the leading cause of death for Black children since 2006.

I swore my first oath of office just 3 months after Hadiya was shot in the Second District. Since then, I have never, ever stopped fighting for her, and I will never stop until we end gun violence once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H. Res. 353.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Minority Health Awareness Month.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congressman Clyburn and Congresswoman McClellan, for holding this Special Order hour to bring attention to our country's health disparities.

As chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, I am familiar with the adverse statistics that face Black and Brown communities.

Black women are three times more likely to die due to pregnancy- related causes than White women.

Black people are about twice as likely to die from diabetes than White people.

On the South Side of Chicago, which I represent, Black people are expected to die 11 years earlier than White people living on the North Side, and sometimes it is higher than that.

Let us not forget gun violence, a public health crisis and emergency in our country. Black people die from gun violence at 2.7 times the rate of White people. While guns have been the leading cause of death for all children and teenagers since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for Black children since 2006.

These statistics are horrifying, but we cannot forget the faces and stories behind the numbers.

When I was first elected to Congress, a constituent called me and said her friend's daughter-in-law died in child labor. That baby had to grow up without a mother. It is because of her and her baby that I continue to fight for Black mothers and maternal health.

I have heard countless stories from parents who have turned their pain into purpose after losing a child to gun violence, determined not to let another family go through the same grief. I continue to fight to end gun violence because of these families. Even now, I stand firm amid attacks against public health.

House Republicans want to slash Medicaid by $880 billion. Their budget is an attack against millions of Americans who depend on Medicaid for healthcare.

Over 300,000 of my constituents are at risk of losing healthcare if House Republicans get their way. More constituents stand to see their health premiums increase by over $1,000.

Again, it is more than just the numbers. I heard from parents who won't be able to provide the lifesaving medication and treatment their son needs. If they can't afford healthcare for their son, they will first sell their home. If that doesn't work, they actually talked about giving up custody of their son to the State.

I heard from a mom whose son has autism and is terrified for his future if he doesn't have healthcare and specialized education.

I have heard from another mother whose entire family relies on Medicaid for lifesaving care.

As House Republicans attack Medicaid, Elon Musk and his unqualified team at DOGE have slashed 20,000 jobs at the Department of Health and Human Services. Their staff cuts and restructuring have targeted the Offices of Minority Health at CMS and SAMHSA.

How can we honor Minority Health Month if the institutions dedicated to closing health disparities are being eliminated?

For over a decade in Congress, I have worked with CDC, HRSA, and NIH to reduce pregnancy-related deaths. I have introduced legislation to help diversify clinical trials so medical breakthroughs can reach the patients who need treatment the most.

President Trump's agenda, however, is determined to drag us backward. He has declared an end to so-called woke research and programs. These programs are meant to help women, veterans, Black people, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and, frankly, all of us.

In the middle of our country's maternal mortality crisis, Trump and DOGE fired the people dedicated to finding and implementing solutions mothers desperately need. Only three government data sources report maternal deaths in the U.S., and they are all in dire risk with the current reorganization plans at HHS.

These cuts to Medicaid and our country's healthcare infrastructure are simply cruel and will leave all Americans' health in limbo.

I refuse to go backward. I am determined to continue to march forward arm in arm with my CBC colleagues and allies to fight for our healthcare.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in defiance of the House Republicans' partisan funding bill.

Democrats pulled up a seat for Republican leadership at the negotiating table to discuss a bipartisan solution, but Republicans walked away.

What did Republicans propose instead?

A blank check to Donald Trump and Elon Musk to take money away from you and spend as they will.

For years, I have heard my Republican colleagues talk about the power of the purse and how that power belongs to Congress and Congress alone.

Republicans loved to talk about Article I of the Constitution and insisted on clear checks and balances.

What do I hear now? Silence.

Now that Republicans are in control of Congress, they decide to bend the knee to Donald Trump. Republicans are giving Donald Trump and Elon Musk the power to decide who gets money and who doesn't. Based on these last 8 weeks, we know who Trump prioritizes: his billionaire friends and big corporations. He does not care for veterans, workers with disabilities, children, senior citizens, farmers, or families just trying to make ends meet.

Republicans will try to call this a clean continuing resolution. Believe me, that is a bunch of fill-in-the-blanks because this is far from clean. The Republican funding bill has dirt all over it.

With this bill, the Trump administration will decide construction funding by the Army Corps of Engineers. Trump will cut funds for lead pipe replacements for schools, better water mains to prevent flooding, and better streets for our communities.

Elon Musk and DOGE have proven how little they care for our veterans. They made sweeping staffing cuts to veterans' centers across the country, including in Danville, Illinois. My office has gotten calls from workers and some vets who were fired for no justifiable reason, impacting their own families and the veterans they care for.

The Republican funding bill goes even further, cutting $23 billion in veterans' benefits. It gives Trump permission to eliminate programs for veterans, including homelessness prevention programs, which could lead to more than 32,000 veterans losing their homes. These are people who defended our country.

Trump would also have the power to reallocate funding dedicated to maternal and child health programs, including Healthy Start, rural maternal health initiatives, and maternity care training.

For over a decade, I have rolled up my sleeves to save mothers who are dying from preventative pregnancy-related causes. In the middle of a maternal mortality crisis, Trump would sign away all the programs that help mothers and babies.

Trump likes to talk a big game about border control and our country's fentanyl crisis. He plays as the world's biggest bully and hits our closest allies with tariffs. Meanwhile, Republicans give Trump the power to steer funding dedicated to stopping the flow of fentanyl and instead spend that money on mass deportation initiatives.

Last September, Kankakee County in my district received funding to help law enforcement crack down on illicit drug trafficking and address the overdose epidemic. That funding would stop under the Republican bill.

You heard at the joint address to Congress last week that RFK, Jr., is free to run with his conspiracy theories and anti-vaccination lies. This bill would give him broad discretion to spend money as he wishes at the CDC, ignoring critical lifesaving programs like ending the HIV epidemic initiative, Alzheimer's disease programs, and cancer prevention.

If you are not part of the 1 percent, House Republicans and Donald Trump simply do not care about you. It does not matter if you are Democrat, Republican, or Independent. This partisan funding bill proves it. Republicans are giving Donald Trump the green light to do as he wishes, and we all know that he does not have the American people in mind.

I, alongside House Democrats, have also been at the negotiation table, but we will never negotiate away veterans' benefits, healthcare, or people's Social Security. I refuse to betray my constituents. Please stand up, speak out, and make your voices heard.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because, just 2 days ago, my Republican colleagues jammed through a budget plan that puts the 0.1 percent above hardworking Americans.

The Republican budget would give $4.5 trillion to CEOs and big corporations.

Who pays for the tax cuts? American families just trying to make ends meet.

The Republican budget cuts at least $880 billion from Medicaid. It doesn't matter whether someone is a Democrat, a Republican, an Independent, or a nonvoter. Americans across the country will either lose healthcare or see their premiums increase.

All the Federal workers that Elon Musk and DOGE decided to fire for no justifiable reason will also lose their healthcare.

Republicans represent millions and millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid and CHIP, and none of them, not a single one, voted with these constituents in mind.

Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, President Trump was sworn into office. He won the popular vote and the electoral college. I didn't like the results, but I accepted them.

For the past 4 years, I have heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle passionately defend Article I of the Constitution. Not anymore.

I heard them speak about the importance of Congress' power of the purse. Not anymore.

I heard them insist that only Congress can change laws and determine the structure of our government. Not anymore.

In the past 2 weeks, we have seen a familiar pattern emerge: The President creates an issue, causing a crisis. There is confusion. Then, he fixes the crisis, often by walking back the very same issue he created.

Just this week, he threatened tariffs against our closest neighbors, import taxes that would drive up the costs for American consumers. There was no real reason and no real justification, but after days of uncertainty for businesses across the country, President Trump backed down.

What did he get in return? Promises from Canada and Mexico that they were already planning to do around border security.

To make matters worse, while President Trump plays the bully on the world stage, an unelected billionaire has been running our government. Elon Musk, who was never confirmed by the Senate, never elected by the American people, now wields immense power.

He has installed loyalists who stand to profit from unrestricted access to government records and the personal data of millions of Americans. He donated nearly $300 million to elect President Trump, and now he is getting his return on investment.

He now has access to his competitors' financial information. He can dismantle agencies that have challenged

him or threatened his businesses. The value of Tesla and SpaceX are tied directly to government approvals. If he doesn't get his way, he stands to lose billions.

Elon Musk is not accountable to the American people, yet he is using his unchecked influence to reshape our government for his own gain.

The world's richest man has received over $20 billion from the Federal Government in the past. He enriches himself by pretending to be a selfless innovator. He uses his social media empire to amplify voices that agree with him and to spread misinformation designed to divide and destabilize.

He is now trying to shut down or overturn funding approved by Congress. This is funding that saves lives. Bipartisan programs, like PEPFAR, which provides lifesaving HIV treatment to millions, have been thrown into uncertainty. Stop-work orders have frozen global health initiatives. New funding obligations and disbursements have been suspended.

Healthcare workers have been told to stop. Clinics are being forced to close. Essential medicine and supplies can no longer reach those in need. The impact is devastating, especially for women and children who rely on these programs for survival.

Here at home, this administration has found a new scapegoat for everything that goes wrong: diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A plane and helicopter crash in our Nation's Capital? Must be diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Wildfires in Los Angeles? Must be diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A major IT system failure? Must be DEI.

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge? Must be DEI.

Republicans blame DEI not because it is responsible but because it is an easy target because fear and division are their most effective tools. Yet, as the majority wages this culture war, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle ignore the real crises threatening our democracy and our communities.

We Should Not Be Afraid To Teach Our History

Mr. Speaker, we have entered Black History Month, but now Federal agencies are uncertain about how to recognize it due to new executive orders.

The Pentagon even paused training about the Tuskegee Airmen because they weren't sure if teaching American history violated the President's mandate.

We should not be afraid to teach our history to soldiers. We should not be afraid to teach our history to our children.

Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Maya Angelou, A. Philip Randolph, and many more titans for diversity, equity, and inclusion played essential roles in shaping our Nation. Their contributions made America stronger, and their stories need to be told. Yet, today, politicians are telling young Black and Brown children that they will never earn or deserve a place in this country because of the color of their skin.

We are at a crossroads. We can stand up for democracy, truth, and inclusion, or we can allow fear and division to dictate our future.

I choose to fight for a country where every person, regardless of race, religion, or background, has a fair shot.

I choose to stand against corruption and self-interest that puts lives at risk.

I choose to defend the values that make our Nation strong.

I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will remember their oath of office and that we answer to the U.S. Constitution, not a President.

The silence from the other side is deafening.

Mr. Speaker, every child should be afforded the opportunity to learn the essential lessons of sportsmanship, resilience, and discipline that playing team sports offers. This includes transgender children who make up a very small number of young athletes.

A transgender child who joins a sports team does so for the same reason that any other child does. They want to stay active, feed their hunger for competition, and form friendships with children their age. This typical experience, however, has been stifled by politicians who want to exercise authority on transgender students by prohibiting them from participating on sports teams with their peers.

This bill distracts us from what really matters to our constituents. I thought my colleagues would join me in wanting to continue delivering for people back home by expanding healthcare initiatives, improving economic opportunities, and fostering public safety. Instead, an attack has been launched on a community of marginalized people.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to send a message to my colleague, my dearest Sigma Gamma Rho sorority sister, and my shero, Barbara Lee. She will always be an inspiration to me and many others.

When Barbara Lee started her political career, she couldn't have known that she would become such a role model for so many people, especially Black women. She is an inspiration, and it has been my deepest honor to call her a friend and mentor.

I continue to look up to Barbara Lee as a strong voice for civil rights, health equity, poverty elimination, and actually so much more. She was the driving force in establishing PEPFAR in 2003, a critical program that has saved over 25 million lives from HIV and AIDS all over the world.

I am honored to carry her legacy into the next Congress to reauthorize PEPFAR, one of the world's most successful health programs. We must continue to fund this critical program until we end the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

I thank Barbara Lee for all the work she has done and all the work she continues to accomplish in the future.

I love you, Barbara Lee.