[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7327-H7328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          FOCUSING ON THE GOOD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WILD. Mr. Speaker, I dedicate these remarks to my wonderful 
community in Pennsylvania-Seven and to my mother and father, who didn't 
live long enough to see me elected.
  I grew up in a true bipartisan household, with a father who was an 
old-school Republican Air Force officer and a mother who was a Quaker 
pacifist liberal. It was an interesting childhood, as you can imagine.
  You hear a lot of bad about Congress, but I am going to choose to 
focus on the good, what we can actually get done for the people.
  My district office should, first and foremost, be thanked. My 
district office back home is often the closest contact that any 
constituent has with the Federal Government. They hear from our local 
voters, our local constituents, sometimes with frustration, sometimes 
with happiness when there is a good result, and sometimes with anger. 
They treat every single person in Pennsylvania-Seven as though they are 
family. I have been told that multiple times.
  Legislatively, here in Washington, I have to speak of some of my 
proudest moments. I was sent to Congress with a mandate to work on 
reducing prescription drug prices. I heard from so many people on the 
campaign trail about the struggles that they had, and I am so proud to 
have been part of a Congress that passed the IRA, which was the first 
time that we have ever managed to get prescription drug prices down.

  That effort continues and every year will increase. I beseech my 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle to please keep that intact.
  I am proud of having raised awareness of mental health issues and 
suicide prevention. I am so proud of the work done to pass the CHIPS 
Act,

[[Page H7328]]

which has benefited my industrial and manufacturing district so very 
much.
  I am most proud, I think, of having put the greater Lehigh Valley on 
the radar of folks here in D.C. because Pennsylvania is not just 
Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, although some would say it comes down to 
the Eagles and the Steelers. We in the greater Lehigh Valley are the 
third largest region in Pennsylvania and the fastest growing region in 
Pennsylvania. I am proud to say that my team and I did just that: We 
put Pennsylvania-Seven on the radar of people here in D.C.
  I am proud to have had huge returns for the greater Lehigh Valley 
during the past 6 years. The bipartisan infrastructure law alone 
brought $395 million to my community. Our local airport has constructed 
a whole new TSA terminal. It was the first completed project under the 
bipartisan infrastructure law.
  I was able to bring $50 million over the past 6 years in community 
project funding, ranging from funding for food pantries and grocery 
deserts, Head Start, wastewater treatment plants, bridges long in 
disrepair, and all kinds of things. There have also been countless 
thousands of dollars returned to the people of Pennsylvania-Seven 
through the work of my district office team.
  There is a lot to be worked on in the future, and I hope that 
Congress will work on the issue of childcare. It is such an important 
issue. We must do something about childcare, and I hope that universal 
pre-K will be part of our future.
  Most of all, we need to work on campaign finance reform--please. This 
past election, in my district alone, the race cost a total of $38 
million for one congressional race. That is obscene. It wasn't even the 
most expensive in the country. It was the 10th most expensive in the 
country. Imagine that, and imagine all the good that could be done with 
that.

                              {time}  1100

  All of this work doesn't happen because of one elected official. It 
is the team that you have behind you. My wonderful, caring, intelligent 
team that never forgot that our mission was to serve the wonderful 
people of Pennsylvania-Seven, I thank them.
  To the voters of Pennsylvania-Seven, I thank them for the greatest 
privilege and honor of my life in representing you.
  Finally, my amazing kids, Clay and Adrienne. They are my rocks, the 
center of my universe. I am so glad they were here by my side for this 
incredible journey, and I could not have done it without them. I love 
them. Then there's my sidekick, Zoey, the Congress dog.
  Mr. Speaker, I will miss this place.

                          ____________________