On the recordFebruary 23, 2021
It is an honor to rise to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an institution like no other, the Congressional Black Caucus. I am honored to be in the presence of fierce and formidable public servants like the CBC chair, Joyce Beatty, and today's anchor, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Madam Speaker, I thank her for those inspiring words. I thank her for reminding us of the long and rich history of the CBC, a history that continues to inspire us all. Madam Speaker, I am also honored to be here in the presence of my brother, Mondaire Jones. You know, in the history of the United States Congress there have only been about 163 Black Members of Congress, and none of them were openly LGBTQ until the election of Mondaire Jones and myself. So I am proud to join my brother in making history in the 117th Congress. You know, before I was Congressman Ritchie Torres, before I was Councilman Ritchie Torres, I am and will always be the son of the most powerful woman I know, Debra Bosolet, my mother. And the most important lesson that my mother taught me is never forget where you come from. Never forget where your roots lie. And my roots are in the Bronx. Even when I leave the Bronx for Washington, D.C., the Bronx never leaves me. I was born, bred, and battle-tested in the boogie down Bronx. And I have the high honor of representing New York's 15, the south Bronx, which for too long has been ground zero for racially concentrated poverty.…
