Ayanna Pressley

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Chair, I rise on behalf of the Massachusetts Seventh Congressional District. As the House prepares to vote on a truly horrifying Republican budget resolution, one void of empathy or common sense, I am thinking of the people in my district who stand to be harmed the most: families in Mattapan who receive their healthcare through MassHealth, the Medicaid program for Massachusetts; mothers in Chelsea, who rely on SNAP to feed their babies; disabled veterans in Randolph who receive lifesaving care and benefits through the VA; families in Roxbury who rely on Head Start for childcare. This Republican majority said they would spend the next 2 years cutting costs for the middle class, but the only thing they are cutting is trillions of dollars from lifesaving programs our communities depend on to make ends meet. Mr. Chair, this has never been about efficiency. Tell me how it is efficient to make people across this country sicker, hungrier, poorer, and more vulnerable. Tell me how it is efficient to buy more toy rockets for Donald Trump's billionaire friends while parents can't afford groceries. The cruelty is the point. What a callous shame and a sham. I urge my colleagues to stand with the people. Protect families and reject this shameful budget resolution. In the words of a righteous faith leader whose place of worship Donald Trump recently attended: Have mercy.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember Kyre Ambrose, an incredible young man and talent who, in his far-too-short life, touched the lives and hearts of many. Kyre was a source of joy and love to his family, his community, and the audiences he performed for, where he shared his calling, his true artistic genius, his dancing with all of us. He was strength, beauty, and poetry in motion. Kyre was a recent graduate of Boston Arts Academy and an incredible contributor to the cultural fabric of the Boston dance community, as well as OrigiNation, the BAA school community, and the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where he was studying and performing. Those who knew, instructed, learned from, and, most of all, danced with Kyre described him as a remarkable spirit who exuded love and tenderness on the stage and in his relationships. The loss of his talent, joy, and love is deeply felt by the Mattapan and Boston communities. We mourn the passing of this young man on January 18, and we continue to grieve his absence. To his beloved mom, Rina; to his father, Kyron; to his sisters, Hope and Ky'Leah; and to his grandparents, family, and friends, thank you for sharing the bright light and gift that Kyre was for so many of us. His memory and legacy will continue to dance in our hearts and minds forever. Thank you, Kyre. We are honoring you here today on the House floor because I do consider your loss to be a loss for our Nation.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, good morning and happy Black History Month. Black history is American history, so I rise today to give a history lesson. I think, at moments of inflection for our country, history provides a critical contextualizing. In order to go forward, we need to look back, especially when the White House is working overtime, as laid out in their playbook, Project 2025, to ban our history and to dismantle our Department of Education. Let's start at the beginning. Why did we establish a Federal Department of Education? In the early days of this Nation, education was left entirely to the States, and schools were run by a patchwork of religious schools and one-room schoolhouses, leaving many children excluded based on their race, gender, or poverty. Madam Speaker, there is much I disagree with our Founding Fathers on, but they knew that preserving democracy required an educated population, one that could participate in civic issues, understand social and political issues, vote, and resist tyrants. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the concept of free public education began to take hold, but not for everyone. Enslavement ruled the day. Black and Native American families faced State-sponsored violence and systemic exclusion from education. In the 1830s, it was the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and a legislator named Horace Mann who established the common school movement, pushing to extend free public education to poor and middle- class children. Yet, Black children across the Nation were still barred from learning and faced severe punishment and abuse if they tried. By the 1870s, Reconstruction in the South gave way to Jim Crow laws that segregated public spaces, explicitly including our schools. Additionally, child-labor exploitation was rampant; education for girls lagged far behind; and children with disabilities were far too often institutionalized and not educated at all. A little more than 100 years later, our Department of Education in its modern-day form was championed by none other than the late, great President James Earl Carter. May he rest in peace and power. He knew that fully implementing the civil rights legislation of the 1960s and fighting Jim Crow would require a well-resourced Federal role in education. This agency had existed for over a century in many iterations, but Carter explicitly understood that at the core of education was a vision of opportunity and access for every child in America. He and Congress resourced the Department accordingly, and this Department was tasked with implementing core tenets of the Civil Rights Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Federal funding through the Department of Education became integral to addressing disparities, hiring and training teachers, building accessible school facilities, enforcing civil rights protections, heating and powering those buildings, and, finally, living up to our ideals of education as a pathway to opportunity in America. Madam Speaker, today, that progress is under attack. The Trump administration's attack on education is a fundamental attack on democracy and on every child who calls this country home. Let's call it what it is: resegregation and a full-scale attack on civil rights. Dictating what can be taught is shameful. Madam Speaker, I stand firmly on the side of our public school babies and our educators and families today and always.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Christian Jose Fidalgo Barros, who was called to be with his Lord in Heaven far too soon. After Christian's first birthday, he was diagnosed with a rare form of high-risk neuroblastoma cancer. John and Tchintcia were unrelenting in their prayers and their efforts, as were his doctors, to extend and to save his life. Christian's weary body is now at rest. His soul was called home on January 13, 2025, just weeks after his second birthday. Despite his short time here on Earth, Christian left an impression on all blessed to meet him and to bear witness to his faithfulness. Christian means follower of Christ. I know he knew God. It was the only way he could have summoned the strength and kept a smile every day. So last weekend, it was no surprise, given the masses and the multitudes he inspired, to see thousands of people show up to support Christian, John, Tchintcia, John Junior, Jeremiah, Casey, and Olivia. They braved the New England winter to share their love and support for the Barros family during this time of unspeakable grief. The Barros family is our chosen family. To many in the city and our Commonwealth, they have put their love into action in public and in private and in big and small ways in public service. They are loved, and Christian belonged to all of us, which is why I am on the House floor eulogizing him because I believe his loss is one for our Nation. I mourn his loss, but I celebrate his life and his light. Christian, we thank you for the happy memories you leave behind, and we thank you for inspiring us with your courage, your strength, and your joy.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, how cruel it is that Republicans in Congress would deny them that small comfort? In these dire situations, families forego treatment which has no hope of saving their baby's life and instead spend time comforting them and saying good-bye. Physicians who care for families have shared how their patients spend this very limited devastating time with their infants. Once again, we have ignorant, uninformed men who think they know better than doctors and mothers taking to the House floor to deny us our medical care. It is another day under a Republican majority. Enough.

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, it is another day under a Republican majority and of an antiscience, antifacts healthcare agenda. I don't know which is worse: the cruelty or the ignorance on full display here across the aisle. I would ask my colleagues if they have ever met or spoken to a woman who had abortion care late in pregnancy? If they had, what they would have heard her share is about the nursery that she lovingly decorated. If they had, what they would have heard her share was about the name that she picked out. If they had, then they would have heard her share about how her world collapsed all around her when learning of her baby's devastating medical diagnosis. Let me be clear what my colleagues are doing here. The majority is not only putting women's lives at risk, but they want to deny them the chance to hold their baby who will not survive. I don't know what God my colleagues on the other side of the aisle serve. The God I serve is one of love and mercy and would not deny a mother final moments with a dying child or subject her to carrying a lifeless fetus around. Republicans want to force their way into the exam room during one of the most impossible, dangerous moments in someone's life. When a family learns their baby has a fatal diagnosis and would be born with only a short time to live, some people make the decision to end the pregnancy so they can hold their baby during their final moments.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, this weekend in my district, the Massachusetts Seventh, community members came together to celebrate Haitian Independence Day. There was much soup joumou, freedom soup, that was consumed. On January 1, 1804, Haiti became the first free Black republic, declaring independence for all people from colonial rule and enslavement. This weekend also marks 15 years since a devastating earthquake killed thousands and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes on the island. These anniversaries encapsulate the values of the Haitian people: resistance and resilience. The Republic of Haiti continues to experience heightened violence and political instability, which is why, as co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, I continue to advocate for humanitarian aid to our ally, TPS for migrants, strategic trade partnerships for economic prosperity, and an end to deportations to Haiti. Even with just a few days remaining in the Biden-Harris administration, we must prioritize stability for Haitians on the island and in the United States.

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, for too long, our Nation's criminal legal system has been wrought with systemic injustices and biases and has prioritized cruelty at the expense of rehabilitation and justice. That is why we have a mass incarceration crisis. Nearly one in two adults in America has had an incarcerated loved one. Today, in the name of all who have felt the injustices of the carceral state, we are standing united to call on President Biden to use his clemency powers to release people from prison and reunite them with their families. There are mothers like Michelle West, who is incarcerated for the crimes of her abuser; brothers like Charles Ellis, Jr., from my district, the Massachusetts Seventh, who had ineffective assistance of counsel when he committed a crime at the age of 19; and sons like Ismael Lira, who was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent cannabis charge. Madam Speaker, why is anyone still incarcerated for cannabis? With nearly 1 million people behind bars, more people per capita than any other country, it is time for clemency to put the United States on a path toward ending mass incarceration. Locked in cages are people who pose no threat to public safety: the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill; those who were wrongly convicted; and people serving time under outdated sentencing laws. It is the height of hypocrisy to claim they are a risk to public safety when they are the very people at this moment that we are trusting to keep the public safe. Eight hundred incarcerated men are fighting wildfires in California for $5 a day, only to return to a jail cell at night. During the pandemic, these same people were making hand sanitizer. President Biden has the power to save their lives. That is what this moment demands, and we are grateful for his leadership. We need action. We need compassion. We need clemency. Celebrating Haitian Independence Day

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call out harm and hypocrisy. This bill, H.R. 28, is couched as a bill that protects children when it does the exact opposite. Madam Speaker, this bill not only erodes Federal protections for our kids, but it puts the physical and emotional safety of every child in our public schools at risk. Imagine that you are 8 years old, trying out for the soccer team, and your coach demands that you show them your genitals. That is abuse. That is exploitation. That is egregious, but it is exactly what this Republican bill does. It allows adults--not medical professionals, just random adults--to demand to inspect our child's genitals without parental consent. As a survivor of a near-decade of childhood sexual abuse and as a bonus mom to a school-age daughter, I am horrified. To Members of Congress who support this legislation, you are putting the safety of children across this Nation at risk. Why? Because you want to vilify and harm trans kids, children who should have every right to show up in this world and live and thrive like anyone else. You are punching down at the most vulnerable and exacting harm on everyone. I would ask my colleagues: Have you spoken to any of these children? How about their parents? They pose no threat to you, but you pose a threat to them, denying them their healthcare, isolating them from their friends, creating conditions for bullying and even suicidal ideation. You are posing a threat to every child who wants to step onto a soccer field or pick up a softball bat in this country. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and to speak out in strong opposition to this disgusting, predatory bill that does nothing to keep a single child safe. We Need Clemency

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to physically record my vote on suspensions. Had I been present, I would have voted YES on Roll Call No. 505; YES on Roll Call No. 504; YES on Roll Call No. 503; and YES on Roll Call No. 502.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an activist, an advocate, a legislator, a trailblazer, and now an ancestor, the Honorable State Representative Gloria Fox. Representative Fox retired as the longest serving woman in the Massachusetts State House, but even before making electoral history, she had already cemented her reputation as one of the fiercest advocates in the city of Boston, and that activism was born from an uncompromising love of community, the pursuit of justice, and her constant presence in her district, from community meetings, to ribbon cuttings, to Sunday brunch after services. Whenever she was greeted with a, ``Good to see you, Rep,'' she would exclaim, ``Good to be seen.'' She was a truth teller, a justice seeker inspiring order. Although, no one wanted to follow her on the microphone in a speaking program, we would follow her anywhere. As I reflect on the incredible legacy of Representative Gloria Fox, I keep returning to her ability to make every constituent feel seen-- actually, anyone who ever met her felt seen because her impact far exceeded the geographical bounds of her district. She had an ability to make everyone feel seen and to see greatness in everyone. From our foster youth to our elders, to people living with HIV/AIDS, to those that are incarcerated, she made everyone feel seen and centered in her policies and in the budgetary investments that she fought for. May she rest in power. I thank Gloria Fox for making us all feel seen. I know I will certainly miss seeing her.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my forever shero, Shirley Chisholm. Long before I joined this chamber, I had a soul-tie to Shirley. My mother used to read me the words of Shirley Chisholm instead of fairy tales at bedtime, and I often remember her words: If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring your own folding chair. We often define iconic trailblazers to a single moment in history, but Shirley's contributions go beyond just one speech or achievement. A visionary and a doer, Shirley Chisholm was a forceful champion and helped advance policies that support our most marginalized communities. Mr. Speaker let the record reflect that Shirley Chisholm was a legislator in her own right. Without her, we may not have an effective SNAP program or a multi- racial, intergenerational coalition fighting to codify the ERA. She paved the way for every Black woman in this legislative body-- myself included. As the first Black woman to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the House of Representatives, I was honored during my first two terms to occupy the physical office she once held as the first Black woman elected to Congress ever. Shirley was disruptive. She was brave. Shirley dared to be herself, and Shirley dared to dream. So it's befitting she was also the first Black woman to make a presidential run, paving the way for our Vice President Kamala Harris to do the same. She was unbought and unbossed, and she is a reminder to Black girls everywhere that we belong in the halls of power. Today, we honor one of the founders of the Congressional black Caucus by leading, legislating and taking up space--just like she taught us. Happy 100th birthday to the Congresswoman, and may she rest in peace and power.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to fulfill a promise, a promise I made to a 17-year-old girl named Sara to share her story. Sara is a brilliant artist and a loving sister. She was savagely burned and severely injured in an Israeli airstrike, an airstrike that killed her two brothers, Ahmad, 15 years old, and Mohamed, 8 years old. Sara and her mother are currently in the U.S. seeking medical treatment, treatment she couldn't access for over a month as her family was trapped in Gaza and denied care. No child should ever have to endure this brutality. Sara's mother spoke about Ahmad and Mohamed with love. They were gentle, sweet boys who lit up the room with joy and loved to ride horses with their sister. What have we as a Nation done? We are supplying bombs that maim and murder babies. Where is our humanity? I carry Sara and her family with me always, and I will press for peace in her name.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Chair, I was unable to physically record my vote on the Ogles Amendment for H.R. 8997. Had I been present, I would have voted NO on Roll Call No. 363. Amendment No. 42 Offered by Mr. Perry

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus- McCormick and Congressman Jackson for convening this Special Order hour for, indeed, a special woman. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life and legacy of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas' 18th District. Sheila was a legislator, scholar, orator, truth teller, and justice seeker. From Houston to Boston, from the Nation's Capitol to throughout the African diaspora, Sheila Jackson Lee is a name you should know. If you don't, trust me, you have benefited from her work--recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday, reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, advocating for police accountability, reparations, and so much more. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee will always be remembered as a force to be reckoned with, who loved her constituents dearly, and represented them with sincerity. I can see her now in my mind's eye: folders full of notes spilling over, research, question lines, floor statements, multiple bags, and layered clothing. She wore a colorful scarf to beat the chill and show her own unique style with her hair always in a regally braided crown. With nearly 30 years of service in Congress, she spent every moment working toward progress. In our final text exchange before her transition to ancestor, she said to me, keep working on our priorities. We cannot give up. So in her memory, alongside my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, her staff, current and former, her constituents and her family, we will continue the fight for justice. SJL, I already miss your rich and powerful voice, but most of all, I will miss how you used it for the people. Rest in peace and power.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 336.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise as vice chair of the Renters Caucus to introduce the Tenant Empowerment Act, alongside Ranking Member Maxine Waters and Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. For decades, tenants across the country, including in my district, the MA-7, have organized and mobilized to demand safe, stable, and affordable housing conditions. No hot water or heat during the winter, life-threatening black mold creeping up the walls, leaky roofs that let in rain and snow--these are the conditions that tenants are forced to endure with little to no recourse. How devastating and demoralizing. Our bill, the Tenant Empowerment Act, would change that. It would enable tenants to withhold paying rent if their home fails to meet quality housing standards, allow tenants to be present during building inspections, and extend tenants' rights to organize in federally assisted housing. This bill will empower renters with the tools they need to ensure that safe, stable, and affordable housing is not only a right but a reality for every person in America. As the daughter of a tenants' rights organizer, I am proud to put forward this necessary policy. Everyone deserves to turn the key and to have a place that feels safe, a place of belonging and refuge. On behalf of more than 44 million families living in rental units, Congress must take action.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to physically record my vote on H. Res. 1215. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 233.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, before we began this Special Order hour, I approached Congresswoman Hayes to thank her for her leadership in pulling this together. She said: You are welcome, but I am so sorry we have to do this at all. I am also sorry, as are we all. It is such a shame. I thank Congresswoman Hayes for her leadership and partnership in our fight to eradicate hunger and for convening us this evening. Mr. Speaker, I rise in solidarity with the over 50,000 SNAP beneficiaries in Massachusetts' Seventh Congressional District, as well as the 41-plus million across our country. Parents who choose to go hungry because there isn't enough to feed both themselves and their children, they would rather make that sacrifice than threaten the cognitive development and nutrition that their children need to thrive and, certainly, to support their readiness to learn. I rise in solidarity with those families who, given the high cost of housing and food, are struggling because incomes are not keeping pace. Mr. Speaker, food insecurity is on the rise, but it doesn't have to be. Congress should not advance a farm bill that cuts $30 billion in SNAP funding. Now, to be clear, we are not here due to a deficit of resources for SNAP. We are here due to a deficit of empathy, a deficit of empathy for those who are food insecure, a lack of empathy for our most vulnerable and marginalized neighbors. This Republican cut to our Nation's largest nutrition program will disproportionately harm our seniors, veterans, children, adults with disabilities, and working families. In my home State of Massachusetts, this cut will impact one in six residents, over 1 million people, people who depend on SNAP to put healthy food on the table. That alarming statistic is worse for Black and Latino families who are twice as likely to face food insecurity. For decades, SNAP has been a critical tool in reducing hunger for low-income people, lifting millions out of poverty, and improving health and well-being. To make it plain, food is medicine. Food is life. We should not tolerate the suffering of our neighbors as they live in anxiety and fear, wondering where their next meal will come from. Republicans need to stop playing with people's lives. Hunger is a humanitarian crisis, a moral failing, and a policy choice. I urge my colleagues to choose compassion and care over cruelty and callousness and support full funding of SNAP.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib for her leadership in founding the Mamas' Caucus. I appreciate the way in which wherever she sees a gap, she seeks to fill it. I also appreciate what an incredible role model she is and the righteous representation that she provides for her sons. I appreciate the way that she fights for every child as if they are her own. This time of year, Mr. Speaker, we wax poetic about the contributions of mothers, call their work valued, their love endless, their role invaluable. Mr. Speaker, mothers across America don't want a Hallmark card, they want policy change. I grew up in a small storefront church on the south side of Chicago, and my grandfather was the pastor there. Even as a pastor, he would often say that he would rather see a sermon than hear one. Mr. Speaker, the mothers of this country are deserving of policies, policies that see them, center them, and serve them, and they would prefer those over bouquets, verbal or otherwise. We tell mothers that caregiving is their greatest contribution and then undermine them at every turn. We tell women that motherhood is aspirational and the greatest contribution they will ever make, while for many a safe pregnancy is a privilege and not a right. Then we thrust them into a broken healthcare system that denies their bodily autonomy, criminalizes pregnancy outcomes, and jeopardizes their lives. We tell mothers that the work of keeping that baby warm, safe, and fed is the highest calling, and then we allow negligence and policy gaps to create a baby formula shortage in the midst of a pandemic as mothers panic to meet a most basic need. We tell mothers that they must work like they don't have children and parent like they don't work while we fail to pass universal paid leave policy, thrusting mamas and caregivers back into the workplace mere weeks after their babies are born. We tell mothers that it takes a village, and we are so proud to be a part of theirs, and then we fail to invest in safe, affordable childcare. We tell mothers that they are their children's first teachers, and they send their little ones out into the world with a hopeful heart, and then a stark reality keeps them up at night--policy gaps that fail to keep that child safe from a gun on the block or in the classroom. We tell mothers that in the twilight of their lives after they poured into their babies that we will take care of them, and then we gut social programs that would help our elders age in community with dignity and the care that they need. Mr. Speaker, mothers don't need empty praise. They need policy change. Now, by the grace of God and the sheer will and brilliance and sacrifice of my mother--my shero, Sandy Pressley, may she rest in peace and power--the woman who gave me my roots and wings, there are many lessons that I was afforded by her example. Chief among those lessons was that being a mother was, in her opinion, her greatest achievement and her superpower. However, it was also not her only identity, and because I had a front-row seat early on to her humanity, I saw the many struggles and hardships that she was confronted with on a daily basis. Not for lack of good character, not for a lack of strong work ethic, but because of an absence of policy or policy violence. Mr. Speaker, as a Nation, we penalize and marginalize the very people who give us life, but yet and still mothers and caregivers persist, persist in doing the work of community and movement building, of mothering, of nurturing, when it has been 101 years too long, and we have yet to even enshrine gender equality in our Constitution. We still have not passed the equal rights amendment, and still we raise our voices, and we rise in the Halls of power, navigating systems not built for us to speak out. Together we press, day in and day out, for a more just America because being a mom, being a mama, being a mommy is our superpower. This is not a just nation which supports us as parents, as caregivers. If we want this to be a just nation and one that is more just and fair for the generations we are raising and for the generations to come, we fight for the rights of our children and grandchildren, we move with the clarity and conviction that only caretakers can. Leaving a better world behind is not an abstract concept, it is grounded in the children right in front of us. Every society owes a debt of gratitude to those who mother, and in their name we press for a world that lives up to their aspirations, a world that keeps their babies safe, a world that keeps all our babies safe. Mr. Speaker, I would rather see a sermon than hear one.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of our beloved colleague, Donald M. Payne, Jr., of New Jersey's 10th District. He was born into a legacy of service but forged his own path. He was warm, witty, and a warrior--a happy one, but a warrior. A warrior for transportation justice, for workers' rights, for healthcare, for gun safety, for clean water. He never wavered in his exuberance for life or for this work. He was a prolific orator, especially on the House floor. I will always remember him smiling, nattily attired, wearing a colorful suit, bow tie, glasses, and sometimes a fedora that I would ask him to loan me. I will remember him heading to the House floor with purpose to speak on behalf of the people and the community that he loved. Mr. Speaker, Black men deserve to grow old. I am heartbroken as I consider consecutively and collectively the loss of Elijah, John, Alcee, Donald McEachin, and now our beloved Donald M. Payne, Jr. It breaks my heart that we are losing yet another member of our historic Congressional Black Caucus. He was an exemplary Member of Congress and an even better man. Job well done, Congressman Payne. Rest in peace, in power. Your legacy will live on. Our deepest condolences to Beatrice, to Donald, to Jack, Yvonne, all of your family by blood and by bond, including your staff.

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing of a true community builder, the unofficial ``Mayor of MIT,'' Mr. Paul Parravano. Paul was compelled to work ``so tell me about yourself'' into every single conversation he had, and he meant it, so let me tell you a little bit about him. Paul Parravano joined MIT's Office of Government and Community Affairs in 1990. He touched countless students, faculty, community leaders, and elected officials in his 33 years of service. He was committed to the full inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of life. He served as a board member of the National Braille Press, just one of his many contributions to the empowerment and upliftment of the broader disability community. A Braille champion, his advocacy improved access to financial information for the blind across the United States. His contributions earned him the Cambridge NAACP's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Cambridge Community Center's Reverend Nichols Founder's Award, and he was the inaugural recipient of the MIT Staff Award for Distinction in Service--all well deserved. His legacy was really forged in the intimate moments he shared so freely with any and everyone he met and how generously he shared his hard-fought wisdom. He showed us how to lead with compassion, and although he was blind, Paul saw people. He saw the infinite possibilities within people and in our world more than any person I have ever known. Mr. Speaker, to his wife, Martha, and his daughters, Emily and Ellie, I thank them for sharing Paul's light and love with us. We are a better Commonwealth because of him.

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Luke Bailey Santos of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our community is devastated over the loss of Luke. He was a force for good and a bright light in politics and our world. Luke believed deeply in the power of community organizing and could build meaningful relationships with folks from any and every walk of life because he cared deeply. He knew that our destinies were tied and our humanity connected. He had a heart for storytelling, as well. He represented the best of us, a genuine person who loved his family, his friends, and the pursuit of justice. Luke never had an agenda, only passion. He was ready to roll up his sleeves and play any role. Our team often described him as a wunderkind and the kid who would be President someday. Mr. Speaker, I am devastated that Luke's time on this Earth was so short. His 20 years were filled with meaning and contribution and love. He made every day count, and every day, he made our world better. In his name, we will continue the work of building a more just world. Honoring the Life of a True Community Builder, Paul Parravano

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the massacre of the Palestinian people and the urgent need to de-escalate the Middle East. For months now, after the brutal attack on October 7, the world has watched in horror as the crisis in Gaza has worsened daily. Today, less than 200 days later, nearly 34,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Every day that goes by without a cease-fire is another day that Palestinians are subjected to violence, starvation, death, and destruction. Every day that we do not de-escalate the region, more lives are put at risk. Mr. Speaker, I condemn the Iranian military's attack on Israel, and I condemn the Israeli military's attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria. These escalations are dangerous, and we now find ourselves at a critical inflection point. We can either leverage diplomacy to de- escalate tensions and push for peace, or we can stand idly by as this spirals into a broader regional conflict that will result in more loss of life--Palestinian, Israeli, and American. We must de-escalate, and facilitating a lasting cease-fire in the region is the only path forward. Some of my colleagues seem all too willing to rush into an endless war with Iran and continue providing a blank check to the Israeli military. Right now, Palestinians in Gaza are being starved, bombed, tortured, and executed. Generations of Palestinian families have been wiped out. Over 2 million are displaced from homes that have been razed to the ground. Make no mistake: History will remember this moment as a genocide. We cannot bomb our way to peace, and the U.S. must stop using our tax dollars to arm the Israeli military with more bombs and bullets. These are the same bombs and bullets that have been used to kill over 14,000 children in Gaza. It is shameful. It is why we see momentum across the globe in support of a cease- fire. Millions are marching peacefully in the streets. A cease-fire is the mandate, a cease-fire to surge humanitarian aid, a cease-fire to bring all the hostages home, a cease-fire to save lives. We will never be silent in the face of injustice. We need a cease- fire now. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Luke Bailey Santos

Ms. PRESSLEY

Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate National Community College Month. Each year, community colleges help over 10 million students achieve their dreams of earning a college degree. I am so proud that the Massachusetts Seventh is home to Bunker Hill Community College and Roxbury Community College. I am grateful for the exemplary work that they do for learners from every walk of life and circumstance. Their impact reaches far beyond the classroom. They deliver critical services to their communities, disrupt generational poverty, and strengthen our workforce. Further, as minority-serving institutions, the students benefit from an academic ecosystem that is rooted in community and reflective of the community. They understand that education justice includes racial justice. In Boston and throughout our country, community colleges are central to making higher education accessible for all and Congress must invest in them like the public good that they are. That is why I was proud to secure Federal funding for Boston's Tuition-Free program to help address our college affordability crisis so students in my district can earn associate degrees and certificates at no cost. This month and every month community colleges are worth the investment.