Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jessica Alana Sanchez, who was born and raised in my community of El Paso, Texas. Jessica sadly passed away in July at the age of 38 after a courageous battle with cancer. She leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter, her husband, a sister, parents, and extended family, many of whom are my constituents. I met Jessica as a young woman when she and I were volunteering on a local campaign. From the first time I met her, it was clear that she was a brilliant individual who was guided by a strong sense of responsibility toward social justice. When Jessica was enrolled in Mesita Elementary School, she participated in a rally to protest a plan to build a nuclear waste facility on the outskirts of our community in El Paso. She was a brave and outspoken girl and wanted to voice her classmates' worries about the negative effects on the environment if the facility were to come to fruition. After months of protests, the site was never built, and the community prevailed. She continued to advocate for people while at El Paso High School, and her advocacy transcended our borders. She was particularly concerned about drug cartel violence and the disappearance and murders of hundreds of women factory workers across the border from us in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. She petitioned city leaders on both sides of the border to take action to curb violence and to safeguard those vulnerable workers. Her activism and community involvement were evident to others.…”