Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Chairman, who bears the brunt of these cuts: seniors, children, low-income families, people with disabilities, those struggling. The most high healthcare costs impact the first ones left behind. Republicans are coming for SNAP next, threatening 40 million Americans who are just trying to put food on the table. Democrats will stand where we always do, on the side of the middle class, against yet another reckless Republican budget that steals even more wealth for the billionaire class.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the incredible life and legacy of William ``Bill'' Lester Spruill, Jr., a brilliant man who left us peacefully on January 18, 2025. Born and raised in New Haven, Bill was a lifelong public servant, member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and proud veteran who was exceptionally passionate and determined to make the world a better place for all. Shortly after graduating from James Hillhouse High School in 1953, Bill enlisted in the Marine Corps and received the honorable rank of Sergeant. His career after serving our country began at Pratt and Whitney where he worked as a machine operator. Bill continued his passion for serving his country by working for various initiatives in Connecticut's public sector. Bill was a housing specialist at the Redevelopment Agency, Executive Director of the Commission on Equal Opportunities for the City of New Haven, and finished his successful career as an Affirmative Action Administrator of the State of Connecticut's Department of Social Services. In these roles, he continued to fight for the greater good and helped improve the lives of thousands in our community and beyond. Even after retirement, Bill continued to work by assisting others as a volunteer at the Hospital of Saint Raphael's for fifteen years--this is just one example of how passionate Bill was to help those around him. Bill had a presence in this world that lifted others up, making everyone feel loved and supported. If you knew Bill, you would know he believed in serving his community and always being there. My heart and my prayers are with his family, loved ones, and friends, and I know that he will always be remembered for making Connecticut a better place.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the incredible life and legacy of a woman who never let anything dissuade her from fighting for what she knew to be right. My dear friend Lilly Ledbetter was a champion for women's equality and trailblazer in the fight for economic justice. Today, we honor her immeasurable contributions to our movement on the 16th Anniversary of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This is the first anniversary we are commemorating since her passing last fall. Her story begins in Alabama, where Lilly was born and raised, but it did not end there. Lilly was as passionate and fearless as anyone I have ever met. Underneath her genteel southern charm, she was an iron fist in a velvet glove. She never set out to be a hero, but she became one for me and millions of women whose struggles for equal pay and workplace fairness, which she elevated. In 1979, Lilly accepted a job at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Gadsen, Alabama. She started there as the only woman in her position as an overnight supervisor. By the end of her career 19 years later, she was anonymously informed that over her decades of hard work for Goodyear she had been receiving 40 percent less pay than her male coworkers. Lilly left a quiet retired life behind to wage a righteous fight for the pay that she had earned and deserved. Her lawsuit made it to the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-4 against her in a contentious decision that rested on a technicality. They reversed her jury award of over three million dollars, yet never reached the merits of her case. Reversing decades of settled law, they said she needed to bring her pay discrimination case when the discrimination began, two decades before, even though she didn't know about it. Many would have thrown in the towel then. But Lilly knew she was in the right, and as always, she refused to give up. Lilly then came to Congress, where I had been leading the fight for equal pay for decades. She was an eloquent and powerful champion, and together we assembled a broad coalition of advocates in support of pay equity. In 2009, we passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It was the first bill President Barack Obama signed into law, restoring the time period women have to sue for pay discrimination after receiving a paycheck tainted by discrimination. It took remarkable perseverance and a relentless desire to see justice done. Lilly was attacked in the media and suffered all the pitfalls of becoming the public face of an equal rights issue. But as long as there was still work to do, Lilly never let that dissuade her. Lilly kept traveling the country--speaking out and championing the cause of equal pay, and the need for new tools to challenge discrimination going forward. She did this not because she benefitted from it, but because the work is not done. This is a fight that I continue to this day, for her and the rest of American women who, on average, still earns only 78 cents for every dollar that a man makes, regardless of state or occupation. This is what my bill, the Paycheck Fairness Act, is designed to fix. The House has passed this bill four times--it is past time for the Senate to act. In a world where women continue to suffer from intense economic pressures, Lilly showed that the power of one woman's relentless commitment to justice can make a difference. Because she refused to be silent in the face of terrible injustice, and because she exhibited such strength and perseverance in seeing a wrong made right, she transformed the lives of millions of American women for the better. I was consistently inspired by her strength, courage, and selflessness. Reflecting on her continuous and persistent efforts, Lilly said, ``I told my pastor when I die, I want him to be able to say at my funeral that I made a difference.'' While our Nation lost Lilly last year, I know she is looking down on us while we continue our fight for economic justice. And we are looking up at Lilly and to say, yes, she made a difference. Lilly Ledbetter was a remarkable woman, a good friend, and a true American heroine. We must complete her legacy by ending the gender pay gap once and for all.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Shelley Diehl Geballe--a dear friend, community leader, and advocate--as she celebrates her 75th birthday, marking a remarkable milestone in her extraordinary life. An attorney by education and training, Shelley has dedicated a lifetime to advocacy and mentorship, touching countless lives. Following her graduation from the University of Michigan, Shelley went on to attend Yale Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctorate, as well as the Yale School of Public Health, where she earned a Master of Public Health degree. She has used this unique educational background throughout her career to make a difference in the lives of others, particularly children. Shelley began her career as a civil rights attorney with the Connecticut chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union where she served as counsel in a variety of federal class action cases, including representing the state's abused and neglected children in a challenge to Connecticut's foster care system. In 1995 she co-founded Connecticut Voices for Children, a state research and advocacy organization focused on improving the well-being of Connecticut's children and families, specifically those that have been historically disadvantaged. Shelley led the organization as its President for more than a decade during which time she focused her own research and writing on state and federal tax and budget policy, family economic security, child welfare and juvenile justice, and children's health and mental health. She remains a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children. In 2009 Shelley co-founded the Connecticut News Project, the parent organization of the CT Mirror, an early on-line news site that provides professional reporting about Connecticut government, policy and politics. Shelley continues to serve on its Board of Directors. Shelley has always felt a deep commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders. For 20 years she served as a Clinical Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School where she co-taught the Legislative Advocacy Clinic. There, under faculty leadership, students became familiar with the state legislative process and were able to work with non-profit organizations to advance their legislative agendas. Today, Shelley is a Professor in the Practice (Health Policy) at the Yale School of Public Health, the first Health Policy Professor to have held that title. In this role, she has developed and taught courses in Public Health Law and Health disparities while also directing the Health Policy Practicum. Since 2011, she has been voted best professor once, most inspiring teacher twice, and best mentor twice. Shelley's background, experience, and knowledge have combined to give her a unique voice as well as earning her the respect and admiration of leaders across Connecticut. Her advise and counsel is often sought. Shelley has served in multiple appointed positions in Connecticut, including on the Advisory Committee of the Office of the Child Advocate. She has been a consultant in diverse international contexts, including the role of the non-profit sector and public health law. She has also served on the boards of multiple state and national organizations, including the ACLU, Planned Parenthood of America's Legal Advisory Board, and the Melville Charitable Trust. Today, as Shelley reflects on her 75th birthday, she can be proud of her many accomplishments as well as her legacy of public service and invaluable contributions. I am honored to join her husband of fifty-two years, Gordon, as well as their three sons, Josh, Ben, and Dan, their nine grandchildren, and all of the extended family and friends who have gathered in extending my heartfelt congratulations to Shelley Diehl Geballe on her 75th birthday as well as my very best wishes for continued health and happiness. Happy Birthday.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman would understand that I am waiting for someone else who was coming, but I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this continuing resolution. We had a strong bipartisan and bicameral agreement among the leadership of both parties at both ends of the Capitol to avert a disastrous and pointless government shutdown, to provide desperately needed disaster aid and emergency assistance, and to provide Congress with the time required to enact full-year funding bills for fiscal year 2025, which is our responsibility. That bill was a result of a compromise. There were things in it Democrats liked and Republicans did not. There were things in it Republicans liked that Democrats would have preferred to leave out, but that is the nature of government funding bills. They require compromise, which we accomplished with the support of Democrats and Republicans in the House and in the Senate, in order to become the law of the land. That was true throughout the 118th Congress, despite Republicans' repeated and failed efforts to write extreme and partisan funding bills, and that will be true in the 119th Congress as well. We are on the cusp of an agreement to move this country forward. Then 2 days ago, a multibillionaire with apparently no working knowledge of our government or of appropriations, someone who is a self-appointed president of the United States, Elon Musk, issued a marching order for House Republicans to go against their own elected leadership and shut down the government. House Republicans are responsible for any harm and uncertainty brought upon the American people. Should some get their wish for a month-long government shutdown, they will be responsible for cleaning up their mess come Inauguration Day. Indeed, we are in completely unprecedented times when someone who has no knowledge of government, who has no knowledge of an appropriations process, and who is external to the House of Representatives can make his weight felt here in turning what was a bill that was on its way--a bipartisan bill, a bicameral bill was on its way to achieving its goal of keeping the U.S. Government open. The goal, actually, is providing services to American citizens, to working families, middle-class families, vulnerable families, where our responsibility lies. The world's richest man, reaping billions in government contracts, is calling the shots in the Republican Party. At the behest of the world's richest man who no one voted for, the United States Congress has been thrown into pandemonium. It leads you to the question of who is in charge. I thought that there was a Republican majority in this body, not a president Musk majority. We had a bill on Tuesday that was the result of a year and a half of work and which had the input, as I have said, of Republicans and Democrats. It represented their interests, the interests of their constituents, their concerns, and the needs of their constituents. This bill that we are discussing right now has no such bipartisan input. This was no deal or no agreement, except for among a small group of House Republicans. The bill removes key provisions to limit the power of pharmaceutical companies, which means our prescription drug prices and what happens to the rising prescription drug prices which families can't get to in order to be able to deal with any illness they have or to save their lives. It removes a provision to protect SNAP recipients, people at risk of hunger, from the theft of their benefits. It struck a provision from our colleague, Congresswoman Wexton, to support research into treatments and cures for childhood cancer. I am a cancer survivor. I know what it means to have a cancer diagnosis. I know what it means when parents are told your child has cancer. We want to remove the provision that supports research into treatments and cures for childhood cancer? It drops necessary pandemic preparedness and response programs, including the strategic national stockpile. I know that is something that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are very concerned about and always work to protect what we do with the strategic national stockpile. It also drops the necessary efforts for our hospital preparedness programs. That is for hospitals all over the country. I might add, that is really a big problem for rural American hospitals, which are clamoring for these efforts. It also shortchanges programs to prepare for future public health emergencies, like bird flu, which we now know is striking people on the West Coast of this country in California. This bill also abandons our bipartisan efforts to ensure American dollars and intellectual property are reinvested in American businesses and workers instead of fueling the China Communist Party's technology and capabilities. I am deeply disappointed that this bipartisan priority was abandoned after president Elon Musk bullied Republicans into going back on their word. This is Musk, who got rich off of $20 billion in Federal contracts for his companies. He now makes half of his company's cars at Tesla's $7 billion plant in Shanghai. He clearly does not want to have to answer any questions about how much he plans to expand his business and businesses in China and how many American technologies he plans to sell to the highest bidder. It is chapter and verse. There are many more pieces of fact about his relationship with China, and he has spent the last few years cozying up to the Chinese Communist Party to protect his own business interests. The fight is not over. This is something that simply must be done to safeguard our supply chains and our critical capabilities. American policy should be set on behalf of America's workers, not billionaires who cozy up to Communist China. We must immediately return to considering the bipartisan, bicameral compromise legislation that Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Leader McConnell, and, I might add, the four corners of the Committee on Appropriations, which are the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, myself as ranking member, the chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Murray, and the ranking member on the Senate side of appropriations, Senator Susan Collins. This is the group that constructed the deal on behalf of the American public, and those services are now being shortchanged. We must unequivocally reject the illegitimate oligarchy that seeks to usurp the authority of the United States Congress and of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I would like to take a moment of my time that I have to highlight that we did come to an agreement and acknowledge there are things in this bill that reflect the bipartisan and bicameral agreement on disaster relief. I also might add, as the ranking member on Appropriations, we came to agreement on moving forward on appropriations bills. The supplemental, by the way, includes substantial Democratic wins. Since the summer of 2023, we have been pushing Republicans for a comprehensive disaster supplemental. I am pleased that we have an agreement on $100 billion in disaster aid, and that includes $8 billion for emergency highway funds, including paying the full 100 percent cost to replace the Key Bridge in Maryland; $2.3 billion for disaster loans for small businesses; more than $3 billion for water infrastructure grants from the EPA; and $1.5 billion for the Army Corps of Engineer projects; $12 billion for community development block grants to assist with long-term housing, infrastructure, and economic recovery needs; and $21 billion in disaster assistance to farmers, to producers. This, by the way, is separate from the agreement on an additional $10 billion for farm aid. I might add that at the outset of the negotiations I think it is important to know that there were those on the other side of the aisle who wanted to really cut the disaster effort even to have to provide offsets for the disaster. That was very real. Democrats held the line and said, no, no, that we would get $100 billion for disaster aid because of how critically important it is. I might add, there was agreement, as well as what Democrats talked about on disaster relief. There was also agreement on pediatric cancer and rare disease research, community health centers, teaching health centers, prescription drug reform, pediatric therapies. This was all agreed to. It wasn't that we were saying we don't want disaster relief, you don't want this. We came to a conclusion that these were all of the pieces that were needed to move forward. I also might add because I am very concerned about our supply chain and what happens with regard to what we transmit and provide for the Communist Party for China, and while I support all of disaster pieces and I supported all the health pieces, it is maddening that the Republicans walked away from that bipartisan priority, the outbound investment to ensure American dollars and intellectual property are reinvested in America's businesses and workers instead of fueling the Chinese Communist Party's technology and their capabilities; and that, again, which can be documented is something that is critically important that it not be there to Elon Musk because of all of his efforts and contracts that he has and the work that he has in China. That should not enter into how we craft a bill that serves the American people and American workers. It is unfortunate the way that this process has worked out. You know, we want to and we really need to rely on each other. We need to rely on each other to keep our word that when we have an agreement that we keep that agreement. I said this, as well, yesterday. I think all of us know here in the Congress that the only thing that we have is our credibility and our word. That is what allows us to move forward to trust one another, to move forward on legislation that helps and serves the American people. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is the distinguished Democratic leader.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this continuing resolution. We had a strong bipartisan, bicameral agreement among the leadership of both parties at both ends of the Capitol to avert a disastrous and pointless government shutdown, to provide desperately needed disaster aid and emergency assistance, and to provide Congress with the time required to enact a final funding bill for fiscal year 2025. That bill was a result of a compromise. There were things in it that Democrats liked and Republicans did not. There were things in it that Republicans liked and Democrats would have preferred to leave out. That is the nature of government funding bills. They require compromise and the support of Democrats and Republicans that we in the House and Senate need to have in order to become law. That was true throughout the 118th Congress, despite Republicans' repeated and failed efforts to write extreme and partisan funding bills. That will be true in the 119th Congress, as well. Yes, we were on the cusp of an agreement to move this country forward. Yesterday, a multibillionaire with apparently no working knowledge of government or of appropriations, a self-appointed president of the United States, Elon Musk, issued a marching order for House Republicans to go against their own elected leadership and shut down the government. Soon after, Congress was on a fast track to a government shutdown. House Republicans are responsible for any harm and uncertainty brought upon the American people. Should some get their wish for a monthlong government shutdown, they will be responsible for cleaning up their mess come Inauguration Day. We are in completely unprecedented times. The world's richest man, an unelected contractor reaping billions in government contracts, is calling the shots in the Republican Party. Who is in charge? At the behest of the world's richest man, who no one voted for, the United States Congress has been thrown into pandemonium. We had a bill on Tuesday that was the result of 1\1/2\ years of work, which had the input of Republicans and Democrats, their interests, their concerns, and the needs of their constituents. This bill has no such bipartisan input, and we are considering it in mere minutes after it was released. It removed key provisions to limit the power of pharmaceutical companies. It abandons our bipartisan efforts to ensure American dollars and intellectual property are reinvested in American businesses and workers, instead of fueling the Chinese Communist Party's technology and capabilities. It includes a 2-year raising of the debt limit. What does that do? That serves to allow Republicans to cut taxes on the ultra wealthy like Elon Musk and raise deficits on the backs of the American people. We must immediately return to considering the bipartisan, bicameral compromise legislation that Speaker Johnson, Leader Schumer, Leader Jeffries, Leader McConnell, and the four corners of the Appropriations Committee reached earlier this week. We must unequivocally reject the illegitimate oligarchy that seeks to usurp the authority of the United States Congress and of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I remind the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Alford), my colleague and friend, that the compromise bill had overwhelming support for farmers and for American families, as well. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal), the distinguished ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee. (Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, a deal is a deal. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the distinguished ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Moskowitz).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the American public has been clamoring for this body to work together, Democrats and Republicans, across the aisle to do what is in the best interest of the American people. To that end and to give credence to what the American people are clamoring for so they can begin to have trust in us again and what we do in this body, is that we have been working since August 2023 on a supplemental disaster relief bill. We worked assiduously over the next several months, day in and day out. I will just say to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I recognize I am part of what is called the four corners of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Cole and myself and Senator Murray and Senator Collins, who wanted to get these appropriations bills done by December 20 because we believed that we could have done it and get these bills done. We were told no. We were told no. We were told that we had to have a continuing resolution that would carry us into next year. No government should be run by continuing resolutions. That is not good governance, but there are those in this body who don't know how to govern and don't care about governing. We worked hard over the last several weeks, back and forth, forth and back, to say we can accept this; we can't accept that. We will do this. We worked hard. To talk about what some of my colleagues have said, the Democrats are in the minority in this body. When you have the pen, which is what the Republicans have, they write the bill. They write the bill. They post the bill. They agreed on a bill. You know what? They got scared because president Musk said don't do it. Don't do it. Shut the government down. What does he know about what people go through when the government shuts down? Are his employees furloughed? Hell, no. Is he furloughed? No. When you shut the government down, people don't get paid. Maybe if none of us got paid if the government shut down, some people on the other side of the aisle would feel differently about where we are going in this effort. We had an agreement. Mr. Speaker, this is no different from what we have experienced over the last year and a half or so. Think about it. The Biden-McCarthy deal comes together and the next day, walk away. The Johnson-Schumer deal comes together and the next day, walk away. Now this deal comes together, and they walk away from it. Who do we trust in this body? Above all, can the American people trust us? Can they trust us with their lives when we had a moment, when we came to agreement as Democrats and Republicans and were able to say: Let's move forward. One of my colleagues, I think it was Congressman Neal, said this: The only currency we have in this body is our word. That is our credibility. That is our bond with each other. When you break that bond, you break the ability to try to come together and be able to govern on behalf of the people of this country. I understand what is in this bill, but what was left out is unconscionable, particularly in the areas of maternal mortality. Mr. Speaker, I implore my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I was delayed by an elevator outside of the House chamber that suffered a mechanical failure during the roll call. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 506.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I experienced a delay in returning from a memorial service. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 474.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, tonight, members of New Haven's vibrant arts community have gathered for the Elm Shakespeare Company's annual gala--an event which both celebrates the past success of the organization and looks ahead as they announce plans for their next season. As part of this year's gala, Elm Shakespeare will also honor the invaluable contributions of the remarkable Barbara Schaffer, who recently stepped down from her 25-year role as Development Director for the organization. Throughout her time with Elm Shakespeare, Barbara's passion for the arts, tenacity, and dedication enabled the Company to thrive, cementing its place as one of our community's most beloved cultural institutions. Barbara began her professional career with Chase Bank, working in offices in both New York and London. When she left the finance industry, it was to pursue a path in the non-profit sector, becoming the Executive Director of High Hopes, a therapeutic riding program serving individuals with emotional health challenges, learning or developmental disabilities, and other neurodivergent challenges. While Barbara was proud of the work she was doing with High Hopes, in March of 1998, she found her true calling when she accepted a role at Elm Shakespeare Company. Elm Shakespeare was only in its third season of Shakespeare in the Park when Barbara joined the organization. Over the course of the following 25 years, Barbara's incredible talent, commitment, and leadership were instrumental in growing the organization into the beloved and respected arts program it is today. Barbara spearheaded fundraising campaigns, cultivated community and corporate sponsorships, and forged key partnerships with the National Endowment of the Arts as well as Connecticut Humanities. Barbara developed Elm Shakespeare's partnership with Southern Connecticut State University, a relationship which has led to the Company becoming the University's Theater in Residence. In fact, it was Barbara who launched Elm Shakespeare's annual gala and auction which has not only become a successful fundraiser but a cherished event for New Haven's arts community. I, like so many others gathered this evening, count myself fortunate to be able to call Barbara my friend. She has an extraordinary depth of energy, passion, and commitment. ``Tapestry'' is the theme of tonight's event, and it could not be a more fitting tribute to the woman whose passion and dedication has enabled the Elm Shakespeare Company to weave the magic of live theater throughout our community. She has helped shape Elm Shakespeare Company into the wonderful organization it is today, leaving an indelible mark not only on Elm Shakespeare but on the New Haven arts community as well. I am honored to stand today and extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to my good friend, Barbara Schaffer, for her good work and invaluable contributions to the Elm Shakespeare Company. All the better for her remarkable effort, we are so fortunate that she continues to be such a strong supporter of the New Haven arts community. While her retirement marks the end of an era, I wish Barbara and her husband, Michael, the very best as they enjoy this new life chapter.