Analilia Mejia

Ms. MEJIA

Ms. MEJIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the life of Mrs. Jennifer Gonzaga, who passed away on May 10, 2026, after dedicating her life to education and the joy of nurturing young minds. For 25 years, Jennifer served as a first and second grade teacher at Linden School in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Her commitment to her students and her passion for teaching left an indelible mark on countless lives. She was known for her patience, creativity, and unwavering dedication to fostering a love of learning in her classroom. She is survived by her devoted husband, Rommel ``Mel'' Gonzaga. Their enduring 29-year partnership was a testament to love and support through all of life's seasons. Jennifer's memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew her, including myself.

Ms. MEJIA

Ms. MEJIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise because our Nation is at a crossroads. We face a familiar foe: the avarice of the powerful who rig our electoral systems in order to cement their power. This story is as old as our Nation. The powerful weaken the power of the many so that they cannot be held to account. After all, if entire communities are silenced, then the greed that results in cancer alleys, in mass unemployment, high infant mortality, or explosive unaffordability has neither check nor balance. While these actions begin along racial lines, the harm rarely limits itself to the same. While stripping Black Americans of hard-fought political power is weaponized racism that would make Strom Thurmond proud, the result is that every American is, in fact, losing their representative government. This is an act of war against democracy, and we should see it as such.