I’d like to thank my friend, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio — not just for the kind introduction, but for her courage, her integrity, and her leadership in Columbus. In a statehouse controlled by a Republican majority, where too often partisan power passes for policy, Nickie has been a fierce defender of workers’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights, public education, and the shared values that bring us together in this room tonight. She reminds us that even when the numbers are against us — even when the deck is stacked — courage still matters. Voice still matters. Truth still matters.

And let’s be honest: right now, it feels like the numbers are against us just about everywhere.

In case you forgot, Donald Trump is back in the White House. Republicans control the House. The Senate. And far too many state legislatures — including our own.

And they’ve wasted no time.

They’ve gutted diversity programs. They’ve slashed Medicaid and food assistance. They’ve rammed through one big, ugly tax giveaway to the ultra-wealthy — paid for on the backs of working families, seniors, and kids. They’ve rolled back climate protections, undermined reproductive freedom, unleashed ICE in our communities, and done everything they can to make cruelty the policy of the land.

But tonight, I want to say something that I hope cuts through the noise, the chaos, and the fear: They may control Washington. They may control Columbus. But the real power — still — belongs to the people.

Let me speak plainly. I’m here tonight not just as your Congresswoman — but as a fellow fighter in an unrelenting battle for the soul of our country.

These past seven months? They’ve felt like seven years. The chaos. The cruelty. The corruption. The bullying, the bluster, the nonstop lies.

Project 2025 is no longer a warning — it’s a war plan and they are executing it day by day, line by line. Because this isn’t just about one man anymore. It’s an organized movement of extremists determined to dismantle democracy, silence dissent, roll back rights, reward the rich, and punish the poor and powerless.

They are purging the civil service. They are targeting political opponents. They are weaponizing the military. They are chipping away at the rule of law — brick by brick.

Let’s stop sugarcoating it: this is authoritarianism in plain sight.

I know it’s a lot. I know many of you are drained, discouraged, and even disillusioned. I see that. I feel it, too.

But I also know this: we’ve been here before. Not exactly this — but moments when democracy bent, when the future of America was pushed to the brink. And every time, people stood up and said: Not here. Not now. Not us.

And every time, we won — because we resisted together. Because we believed in the promise of America — not as it is, but as it could be… as it should be.

That’s our charge now. Because while Republicans have been enriching the wealthy and restricting our rights, Democrats — we the people — have been organizing, educating, and telling the truth.

We knew the truth about that billionaire heir who lived in a gilded Manhattan tower — he never cared about the working men and women of this country.

And neither do the extremists in the statehouse — the ones gutting public education while giving handouts to the wealthy.

Our job now is to make sure every American sees what we see.

So House Democrats are focused on exposing the truth behind Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” — the one that turned out to be nothing more than a scam for rich donors, paid for on the backs of everyday Americans. We’re making sure our friends and neighbors know exactly who to thank when their premiums go up, when food assistance disappears, or when Planned Parenthood clinics shut their doors down the street.

We’re spotlighting how Trump, after promising to lower costs, hasn’t done a single thing to bring down the price of gas, groceries, or goods.

We’re calling out his tired, toxic tactics — pitting people against one another, demonizing immigrants, attacking Black Americans, and stoking fear — all to distract from where our outrage should be aimed: with the mega-wealthy and well-connected who are reaping the benefits of this corrupt agenda.

We’re pulling back the curtain on the corruption and cover-ups — from Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein to the coordinated campaign to bury the truth and rewrite history.

And we are focused — relentlessly — on defending democracy, telling the truth, and building a country where every American has a fair shot.

That’s why you will see me criss-crossing our district spotlighting the damage this agenda is having on Northeast Ohio. Last week a town hall in Shaker Heights on cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Earlier today, a roundtable with veterans on Trump’s layoffs at the VA. Next week, I’ll be at the Cleveland Job Corps — a lifeline for young people in our community — now under full-scale attack by this administration.

We are showing up. We are speaking out. And we are fighting back. But here’s the hard truth: This is not a story where the cavalry is coming. We are the cavalry.

The courts? Stacked and under siege. The media? Bought and bullied. Congress? Gripped by extremists and gagged by so-called moderates too afraid of the President to speak the truth or vote their conscience.

That means the power lies where it always has — with the people. And the next major test of that power is coming in 2026. We cannot afford to wait.

We’ve out-organized, out-hustled, and out-messaged the far-right before — not because we had more money, but because we had a vision worth fighting for.

Republicans know that. That’s why they’re trying to redraw already gerrymandered maps — in Texas and right here in Ohio. It’s their tell: If they can’t beat us, they’ll cheat us.

But we are not just playing defense. We’re putting forward a bold vision of what this country can be. A vision rooted in dignity. In decency. In democracy.

A vision to lower costs — where everyone has access to affordable child care and elder care, a path to homeownership, and a job that pays what you’re worth.

A vision to fix our broken health care system — where we protect Medicaid, reduce premiums, and lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs.

And above all, a vision of a government that works for the people — not the powerful. One that cleans up the corrupting influence of big money, closes billionaire loopholes, and puts working Americans first.

So what do we do now? We build. We organize. We invest in our communities. And we forge a Democratic Party that shows up every day: In Lakewood. In Black and brown communities. In small towns and rural schools. On campuses. At food banks and bus stops.

We don’t give up on the system — we outwork the people trying to rig it. Because this isn’t about one man. It’s not even just about one party. It’s about us. And the kind of country we’re willing to fight for.

So let me be clear: I haven’t given up. I won’t. And neither should you. Because the resistance isn’t performative. It’s not a hashtag. It’s not a one-day protest. It’s a daily act of defiance. A long-haul fight for freedom.

And the only way we win — is together. We need every voice. Every vote. Every volunteer.

This is not a time for despair. This is a time for clarity. For conviction. For courage.

And I want to close by sharing two quotes — both lifted up by our Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, during his eight-hour floor speech before Republicans forced a vote on their “One Big Ugly Bill.”

That speech wasn’t for show — it was strategy. Republicans wanted to vote in the dark of night. Leader Jeffries dragged it into the light of day — and told the truth, district by district, state by state.

Toward the end, he quoted two civil rights legends: First, the great John Lewis:

“Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year. It is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

And then, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do — you have to keep moving forward.”

So let’s move forward — together.

If you can’t organize your block, knock on doors. If you can’t knock on doors, text your neighbor. If you can’t text your neighbor, vote like your life depends on it — because for millions of Americans, it truly does. Whatever you do, you must keep moving forward.

Next year will mark 250 years since our Declaration of Independence — 250 years since a bold group of patriots declared that power would no longer flow from kings and tyrants, but from the people.

And now, two and a half centuries later, the question before us is simple: Will we honor that promise — or let it slip away?

In 2026, let’s make it clear: We are still the heirs of that revolution. We reject the would-be king intent on tearing down two and a half centuries of progress. We still believe in government of, by, and for the people. And we’re ready to fight for it — with our voices, our votes, and our values.

We must take this fight to the ballot box — and bring the power back where it belongs: With the people.