Wiley Nickel

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the celebration of the Diwali Festival in Cary, North Carolina, my home and part of North Carolina's 13th Congressional District.

This year's Diwali Festival was made to happen thanks to the great work of the Cary Town Council. The event is being hosted in commemoration of Cary's Diwali Proclamation, which will be presented to Manoj Pandya, the President of the Hindu Society of North Carolina.

It is also important that I recognize Councilwoman Sarika Bansal of the Town of Cary, for her efforts in organizing this event. Councilwoman Bansal is the first ever Indian-American woman to serve on the Cary Town Council. Councilwoman Bansal ran on the platform that including more voices and citizen engagement would help us to make investments in the town of Cary that will benefit many generations to come. She understands the importance of diversity and uplifting those voices.

North Carolina is a place of abundance, where diverse communities and their traditions contribute to the prosperity of our great state. Specifically, the Indian-American and Hindu communities make great and important contributions to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of North Carolina.

From business and technology to education and healthcare, our Hindu neighbors continue to make a lasting impact on our state. The tradition of Diwali is a testament to the strength that comes from our community's diversity.

Diwali is a time that holds immense significance and marks the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. It is a time to come together with friends and family to enjoy dancing and delicious food. It is also a holiday of hope; an important opportunity to reflect on the importance of light, particularly in times of great darkness and social discord. Diwali stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of resilience and optimism that unites us as a community and a Nation.

I ask my esteemed colleagues to join me in reminding our communities and ourselves to shine our light in darkness, to fight for peace, for justice, and for understanding, even as powerful forces work to sow hate and division. In North Carolina y'all means all.

May we all dedicate ourselves to the beauty of diversity, and pursuit of a brighter future for everyone.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following proclamation honoring the service of Commissioner Antonio Williams.

Whereas Commissioner Antonio Williams continues to advocate for the creation of the Wayne County Homeless Committee to combat homelessness in Wayne County.

Whereas Commissioner Williams accomplished the approval of digital libraries in District 2, which in turn brought more support to the Summer Youth Employment Program that he started.

Whereas the commissioners approved resolutions authorizing the spending of national opioid settlement funds, which will bring needed relief to communities impacted by the opioid epidemic in Wayne County. These funds support every aspect of the effort to combat addiction, from early intervention to recovery support services and the treatment of incarcerated people.

Whereas the commissioners' progress on public service infrastructure, from the Northern Wayne County Library, to Fremont Elementary school, adds to the quality of life in Wayne County and contributes to the delivery of essential support for all constituents.

Whereas the increased allocation for public schools in this year's budget, including expansion of the School Resource Officer program is critical to ensuring safe and accessible public education.

I, Wiley Nickel, Congressman of the 13th District of North Carolina, am honored to recognize the incredible service of Commissioner Antonio Williams of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Williams' efforts to improve citizens' lives through public service is laudable, and his impact on community is immeasurable. I Thank Commissioner Williams for his devoted attention to Wayne County and contributions to the strength of our state.

Mr. Speaker, as my term in Congress ends, I express my heartfelt gratitude to those who made it possible: the people of North Carolina. Representing North Carolina's 13th District has been the honor of a lifetime.

I am proud of the impact our office has had over the past 2 years. We have helped more than 1,600 constituents resolve issues with Federal agencies, returning nearly $2.8 million to my constituents in the process. We have hosted and attended nearly 300 public events, including 16 townhalls, to connect with our neighbors and make their voices heard in Washington.

We responded to over 70,000 pieces of correspondence, ensuring that every constituent knew that their voice mattered, and we brought back millions through the Federal budget to North Carolina's 13th District.

Legislatively, we have worked to make life better for the people we served. I introduced 13 bills and cosponsored over 450 pieces of legislation, fighting for affordable healthcare, safer schools, better infrastructure, and an economy that works for everyone. I took to this floor 70 times to advocate for my district's priorities and to share their stories with the American people.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a normal farewell speech. I am not giving this speech by choice. As someone who first came to Congress 30 years ago as an intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein, I can guarantee one thing: Nobody has truly loved serving in Congress more than me.

That is, in part, because we knew there was a good chance that my district would be erased by partisan gerrymandering and my time here would be short. I had a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

Mr. Speaker, I am not here giving a farewell speech because I did a bad job or because my constituents voted for another candidate. I am here because of partisan gerrymandering by far-right extremists in the North Carolina General Assembly.

The fair, Republican-leaning district that sent me to Congress was erased last year with the stroke of a pen. The people of North Carolina and across the country deserve better. They deserve fair maps, a fair system, and a democracy that they can trust. People should choose their politicians, not the other way around.

I will continue to fight with every ounce of my energy for fair maps and an end to partisan gerrymandering.

Mr. Speaker, as we leave this week, we will be the least-productive Congress in our Nation's history going back to 1860, and that is because of extreme partisan gerrymandering. It provides no incentive to work together.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to end partisan gerrymandering once and for all.

I thank the people of North Carolina's 13th District for trusting me to be your voice in Congress. Serving has been the greatest honor of my life. I am not giving up or going out quietly, and I will always remain committed to working for a brighter future for North Carolina.

To my family, my wife, Caroline; and my kids, Prescott and Adeline, your love and support mean everything to me. Public service is never a solo effort. It is a family commitment. It is a team effort. I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for you. I am very excited to return back to Cary for Christmas.

I also thank my amazing staff. Their hard work and dedication ensured that we delivered for the people we served. I acknowledge their contributions by submitting their names to the Congressional Record. Thank you so much to the best team in the business.

To my Democratic colleagues from North Carolina, it has been a true honor to serve with Alma Adams, Deborah Ross, and Kathy Manning. While not with us in this Congress, David Price and G.K. Butterfield are absolutely part of the team for North Carolina in the House. I especially thank Valerie Foushee, Don Davis, and Jeff Jackson for their partnership, friendship, and outstanding leadership for North Carolina.

Going back to our time serving together in the North Carolina Senate, all four of us served in the senate together and came here in this freshman class. It has been a true honor to serve with all of them.

I also mention the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) on the Republican side. He led the Financial Services Committee. We worked hard together in a bipartisan way on FIT 21, the first-ever crypto bill to be voted on in the U.S. Congress.

I am proud of the effort to bring 71 Democrats together. That is how legislation is supposed to work: working together in a bipartisan way. That, for me, was a bright spot for this Congress.

I thank my colleagues, especially my fellow freshmen, for their friendship and collaboration. Working alongside them has been a true honor.

We ended this term with an amazing dinner together last night. Their passion and determination remind me of why we do this work, and I am grateful for the lifelong friendships we have built.

I know I am leaving the future of the U.S. Congress in very good hands. Public service is about making a difference. It is about putting others first

and leaving things better than you found them. As I leave this Chamber, I do so with a full heart and hope for the future.

There is a lot of work that I still want to do, and I plan to continue in public service. North Carolina's working families deserve elected leaders who will serve their best interests, not the interests of special interests or the interests of Donald Trump. I am not giving up in that fight.

Mr. Speaker, may God bless the United States of America.

Staff Names To Be Added to Congressional Record

Abigail Atkins, Shawntay Anthony, Miles Beasley, Owen

Berman Woodard, Scotty Bryan, Amanda Campos, Jennifer

Cardenas, Wade Chapman, Rachel Curtis, Brady Cusick, Harry

Davis Jr., Jennings Dean, Robert Erwin, Kate Ferland,

Elizabeth George, Jacob Glasser, Henry Goodwin, Caroline

Kenney, Cameron Kidder.

Rachel Kline, Matt Landini, Richard Lin, Abner Martinez-

Padilla, Abby May, Priya Moran, Margaret Murphy, Nalani

Noonan, Quinn O'Connor, Alyssa Olbrys, Jennifer Popa, Kevin

Porter, Laurin Potter, Freedom Fox Richardson, Siyona Shah,

John Sloop, Maddie Smith-Russell, Alicia Speedy, Fallon

Strickland, Nia White, George Willets, Mariam Wolk.