Peter H. Bell: “First, I would like to say happy birthday to my father, John Bell; happy heavenly birthday to my stepfather, Larry…”

“First, I would like to say happy birthday to my father, John Bell; happy heavenly birthday to my stepfather, Larry Greer; and happy Founder's Day to the national AME Church and, at home in St. Louis, St. Paul AME Church led by Pastor Spencer Booker. I rise today humbled and with deep gratitude to deliver my first speech here in these Halls, this living testament to both the promise and the challenges of American governance. I stand not merely as a Representative in Congress but as a proud son of St. Louis, one who believes in the power of bringing every voice into our shared conversation. It is my mission to ensure that every single person in my district feels seen, heard, and valued. My first foray into public service was as a city councilman elected in 2015 in a place called Ferguson. In 2018, I was the first African American elected to serve as St. Louis County prosecuting attorney, working with community partners to create the first of its kind diversion advisory committee and connecting nonviolent offenders to substance abuse, opioid, and mental health treatment to address underlying root causes of crime. We also created the first conviction incident review unit in St. Louis County, investigating credible claims of wrongful conviction and police misconduct.…”