Calling for Cease-Fire and De-Escalation in Middle East
Floor Speech
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the massacre of the Palestinian people and the urgent need to de-escalate the Middle East.
For months now, after the brutal attack on October 7, the world has watched in horror as the crisis in Gaza has worsened daily. Today, less than 200 days later, nearly 34,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
Every day that goes by without a cease-fire is another day that Palestinians are subjected to violence, starvation, death, and destruction.
Every day that we do not de-escalate the region, more lives are put at risk.
Mr. Speaker, I condemn the Iranian military's attack on Israel, and I condemn the Israeli military's attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria.
These escalations are dangerous, and we now find ourselves at a critical inflection point. We can either leverage diplomacy to de- escalate tensions and push for peace, or we can stand idly by as this spirals into a broader regional conflict that will result in more loss of life--Palestinian, Israeli, and American.
We must de-escalate, and facilitating a lasting cease-fire in the region is the only path forward.
Some of my colleagues seem all too willing to rush into an endless war with Iran and continue providing a blank check to the Israeli military.
Right now, Palestinians in Gaza are being starved, bombed, tortured, and executed. Generations of Palestinian families have been wiped out. Over 2 million are displaced from homes that have been razed to the ground. Make no mistake: History will remember this moment as a genocide.
We cannot bomb our way to peace, and the U.S. must stop using our tax dollars to arm the Israeli military with more bombs and bullets. These are the same bombs and bullets that have been used to kill over 14,000 children in Gaza. It is shameful.
It is why we see momentum across the globe in support of a cease- fire. Millions are marching peacefully in the streets. A cease-fire is the mandate, a cease-fire to surge humanitarian aid, a cease-fire to bring all the hostages home, a cease-fire to save lives.
We will never be silent in the face of injustice. We need a cease- fire now. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Luke Bailey Santos
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Luke Bailey Santos of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Our community is devastated over the loss of Luke. He was a force for good and a bright light in politics and our world. Luke believed deeply in the power of community organizing and could build meaningful relationships with folks from any and every walk of life because he cared deeply.
He knew that our destinies were tied and our humanity connected. He had a heart for storytelling, as well. He represented the best of us, a genuine person who loved his family, his friends, and the pursuit of justice.
Luke never had an agenda, only passion. He was ready to roll up his sleeves and play any role. Our team often described him as a wunderkind and the kid who would be President someday.
Mr. Speaker, I am devastated that Luke's time on this Earth was so short. His 20 years were filled with meaning and contribution and love. He made every day count, and every day, he made our world better. In his name, we will continue the work of building a more just world. Honoring the Life of a True Community Builder, Paul Parravano
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Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the passing of a true community builder, the unofficial ``Mayor of MIT,'' Mr. Paul Parravano.
Paul was compelled to work ``so tell me about yourself'' into every single conversation he had, and he meant it, so let me tell you a little bit about him.
Paul Parravano joined MIT's Office of Government and Community Affairs in 1990. He touched countless students, faculty, community leaders, and elected officials in his 33 years of service. He was committed to the full inclusion of disabled people in every aspect of life. He served as a board member of the National Braille Press, just one of his many contributions to the empowerment and upliftment of the broader disability community.
A Braille champion, his advocacy improved access to financial information for the blind across the United States. His contributions earned him the Cambridge NAACP's Lifetime Achievement Award and the Cambridge Community Center's Reverend Nichols Founder's Award, and he was the inaugural recipient of the MIT Staff Award for Distinction in Service--all well deserved.
His legacy was really forged in the intimate moments he shared so freely with any and everyone he met and how generously he shared his hard-fought wisdom.
He showed us how to lead with compassion, and although he was blind, Paul saw people. He saw the infinite possibilities within people and in our world more than any person I have ever known.
Mr. Speaker, to his wife, Martha, and his daughters, Emily and Ellie, I thank them for sharing Paul's light and love with us. We are a better Commonwealth because of him.
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