On the recordJuly 11, 2017
I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome. I also want to thank Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy for all the attention he has given me for the past several weeks. Thank you so much. I am truly honored to be here and to be joined by my mother, Socorro; my brother, Gerry; my mother-in-law, Sally; and, of course, my amazing wife, Mary. My approach to public policy, politics, and government is shaped by the experiences of my family and of my community. As the son of immigrants who believes in this country and everything it promises, I am a living embodiment of that promise. I have a profound commitment to protecting the rights of immigrants no matter where they are from and no matter what God they worship. I am also a fighter for universal healthcare, because when I was 7 years old, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia, and that 1-week stay in the hospital almost bankrupted my family. I also believe that young people from working families should have access to debt-free education, because I know from my own personal experience that a high school degree is not always enough, and that is why a higher education can actually transform an individual's life. I believe everyone deserves access to clean air and clean water and that climate change has exacerbated that challenge. And lastly, I don't believe in the hype and the false divides that progressives can't be for working families and for families from all over America.…





