YouSaid · the spoken record
Ayanna Pressley
On the record 2025–2026
congress
This is everything the corpus holds for Ayanna Pressley. It is not everything they have said on the record.
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“Pierre's father's last words to him were: ``Pierre, come home.'' Because of the cruelty, anti-Blackness, and anti-immigrant policies of this administration, which I consider to be un-American, sadly, Pierre never will make it home. Rest in eternal peace. ____________________”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Trump's termination of Haiti TPS robbed this young man of his humanity, stripped him of his dignity, and inflicted mental trauma that became too much for him to bear. He simply could not go on. Trump's cruel attacks on our Haitian neighbors certainly will take a toll on our economy and our national security but also a psychological and emotional toll. Mr. Speaker, no parent should lose their child, no sibling their older brother, yet Trump is traumatizing communities in every corner of our country. Pierre should be alive today, falling in love, playing soccer, and on path to becoming a doctor. We honor his memory by doing everything we can to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti. The House has already passed our legislation to do just that, and the Senate must follow suit without delay.”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise for the family and loved ones of Pierre Damas Bel, a beloved son and brother, 20-year-old college student, and Haitian immigrant with temporary protected status. He found joy on the soccer field and dreamed of studying medicine until the Trump administration forced an ankle monitor, really a shackle, on him and threatened his deportation.”
House of Representatives3 September 2026Source ↗
“Fiercely competitive on the basketball court, never missing the playoffs in his 10 seasons with the Celtics, he has been equally driven to uplift those around him through mentorship in his nonprofit, Boston XChange, which seeks to build wealth in communities of color, as well as his 7uice Foundation, connecting young people in and around Boston with opportunities. In 2022, just before the Celtics turned their season around and made it all the way to the NBA Finals, Jaylen stated simply: ``The energy is about to shift.'' Mr. Speaker, thanks to the example, impact, and influence of this brilliant and proud Black man, the energy has shifted in Boston. Jaylen delivered banner number 18, the most in NBA history. His legacy as an advocate, truth teller, community builder, justice seeker, and champion will endure. Job well done. We thank him.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the contributions of NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown to the city of Boston on and off the court. Born in Marietta, Georgia, and drafted number 3 overall by the Celtics from the University of California, Jaylen embraced our community and the city of Boston from the day he arrived in 2016.”
House of Representatives2 September 2026Source ↗
“He married his wife, Katani, in 1985, and they raised three beautiful children: Kandice, Kortney, and Kristian. He also faithfully served as executive director and executive pastor of Jubilee Christian Church, supporting our community with spiritual covering, stewardship, and, most of all, joy. As we grieve his loss, may we move forward in service of our children, young adults, families, and elders, or, as Chris would say, our city's treasured assets. May he rest peacefully in eternal rest. ____________________”
House of Representatives23 July 2026Source ↗
“He excelled from a young age in athletics, particularly basketball, which brought him to Canada, where he earned scholarships and eventually played semi-pro. His commitment, talent, agility, and strength went beyond the court. He returned to Boston, where he devoted his career to serving his community as executive director of the I Have a Dream program, Blue Hill Boys & Girls Club, Boston TenPoint Coalition, and St. Stephen's Youth Programs. His final role was an appointment from Governor Healey as executive director of the Melnea A. Cass Recreation Center, what he often called his dream job. Chris' true passion was his family and his faith. I have said so often, I would rather see a sermon than hear one any day. Chris was a sermon, the best kind.”
House of Representatives23 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my family--my husband, Conan, and our daughter, Cora--and the city of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to honor the life of Pastor Byron Christopher Sumner. A beloved son of Roxbury, Chris deserved to grow old, but he transitioned on July 5 due to complications from ALS.”
House of Representatives23 July 2026Source ↗
“A cage is a cage at a for-profit prison or at a detention center. Everyone deserves to live free from fear. Policy is not abstract. It is not a dusty document on a shelf. Policy determines who lives. Policy determines who dies. Policy determines who survives. Policy determines who thrives. These disparate outcomes are the result of policy choices. There is no deficit of resource in this country, only a deficit of empathy. I will tell you this: Every day I will use each tool I have to fight for the lives of my constituents, neighbors, and families across this Nation that I have never met. Lives depend on it. Our greatest wealth as a nation is the health of our people, and Black health matters.”
House of Representatives28 April 2025Source ↗
“I recently returned from rural Louisiana where my colleagues and I went behind the wall at two remote detention facilities. These facilities have a history of unjust and unsafe conditions. Behind the wall, as co-chair of the House's Reproductive Freedom Caucus, I met women who were pregnant, entering the latter months of their pregnancy and being denied routine prenatal care. I spoke to a woman diagnosed with cancer who has pleaded to anyone she can reach to spare her life and to deport her. While that may put her safety at risk, she said at least if she is deported, she may be able to get cancer treatment and fight for her life. Mr. Speaker, what the other side wants is for us to harp on our differences and to get distracted, but let me say this: A threat to one of us is a threat to all of us.”
House of Representatives28 April 2025Source ↗
“The same report detailed that our Hispanic and Latino neighbors were four times more likely to end up in the emergency room for asthma emergencies compared to White residents and our Black neighbors nine times more likely than our White residents. The disparities don't end there. They persist for cancer, heart disease, life expectancy, and more. The work to address these injustices is urgent. It is a matter of life and death. {time} 2015 Meanwhile, we have a Trump White House threatening to gut and defund essential health programs. They are gutting Medicaid and tearing away school lunches. They are coming for Planned Parenthood. They are cutting regulations, poisoning the air we breathe and the water we drink. The cruelty is the point.”
House of Representatives28 April 2025Source ↗
“These health disparities persist despite the fact that we in Massachusetts are home to some of the finest hospitals and brightest minds in healthcare worldwide. In the Congressional Black Caucus, we are daily organizing and legislating towards a different vision: one of true healthcare justice, a vision where Black men can grow old, where birth is safe and sacred, where every baby has clean air to breathe and safe water to drink, where health equity is a given and not an afterthought, where Black pain is believed. As we stay head down working toward that vision, the status quo is stark. In 2023, the Boston Public Health Commission reported that diabetes mortality for Black women was three times that of White women.”
House of Representatives28 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to be here to mark National Minority Health Awareness Month and to do so shoulder to shoulder with two of my esteemed colleagues, Mr. Clyburn and Congresswoman McClellan. Thank you both for the strength of your convictions. Mr. Speaker, today in America the color of your skin and the ZIP code you are born into are critical determinants of health. I represent Massachusetts' Seventh Congressional District where in a 3-mile radius from Cambridge to Roxbury, the Blackest part of my district, life expectancy drops by 30 years. Now, some have tired of hearing these sobering statistics, but I will enumerate them time and again until they change. If you are tired of hearing them, imagine how tired people are of living them.”
House of Representatives28 April 2025Source ↗
“It is by studying our history we learn how to overcome the systems of oppression, the reckless whims of petulant men thirsty for power, and the will of dictators. My Blackness is beautiful, and Black history is American history. ____________________”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that centuries of bondage and enslavement brutalized Black bodies and tore apart Black families, that Black women have been the mothers of movements, that Black folks have endured redlining and pay disparities, and yet, still, we rise. Black brilliance exists in every corner of this Nation, from the stage to the court to the classroom to the Halls of Congress. I want every single person, certainly every single child who calls this Nation home, to walk into our Smithsonian museums including our beautiful Blacksonian and see our collective history, accurate history on full display. I want them to see themselves in our struggles and our triumphs. I want them to be inspired by the lyrics of Etta and the speeches of Malcolm, and the leadership of Fannie Lou.”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in vigorous opposition to occupant Trump's hostile attacks, hostile and insecure attacks on Black history. Black history is American history. Dictators try to shutter museums, censor history, and whitewash the truth, but we know the truth.”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“Mr. Speaker, they are struggling to make every dollar stretch because of the harmful policies advanced by your dictator in chief. Vote ``no.''”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“For the single parent who has to pay bills today with money that is coming tomorrow, overdrafting may be their only option. The exorbitant fees, sometimes $35 for every overdraft, would further push them into debt. It is a shame the Republicans are attacking poor people just to help greedy bank CEOs get richer, the shame and the sham of it all. I oppose this resolution and encourage everyone to stand with working people who are struggling to make every single dollar stretch.”
House of Representatives9 April 2025Source ↗
“Madam Chair, I rise today to honor Women's History Month. As a practice, I do celebrate Women's History Month every month, but today I take the floor to talk about a living legend, Ms. Alfreda Harris. Ms. Harris is a champion for everyone who calls Boston home and a mother of movements. She has committed her life to building community and supporting our young people.”
House of Representatives26 March 2025Source ↗
“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.”
House of Representatives12 February 2025Source ↗
“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.”
House of Representatives6 February 2025Source ↗
“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.”
House of Representatives23 January 2025Source ↗
“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.”
House of Representatives23 January 2025Source ↗
“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.”
House of Representatives14 January 2025Source ↗