[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 72 (Wednesday, April 30, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H1733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REMEMBERING DOMINICK RUGGERIO

  (Mr. Amo of Rhode Island was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rhode Island's late, 
great, senate president, Dominick Ruggerio.
  Mr. Speaker, ``Donny,'' as he was referred to by those who knew him 
best, was a ``force'' to be reckoned with, a ``forza,'' as his Italian 
loved ones would say.
  For over 40 years as a State legislator for North Providence, a jewel 
of the First Congressional District, President Ruggerio served as 
champion for all Rhode Islanders.
  From infrastructure to the environment, labor protections and more, 
he fought for the places and people who make the Ocean State great, 
hardworking people, like my mom who worked for years as an SEIU nurse 
in Rhode Island nursing homes.
  Every time our paths crossed, he would remind me how, with enough 
hard work, grit, and determination, that anything is possible, even my 
own story. He loved our State, and he loved our Rhode Island State 
House.
  Throughout his tenure, he mentored so many legislators, countless 
legislators, regardless of the aisle they sat on.
  His passing last week, after a lengthy battle with cancer, is both a 
profound loss for our community and for our State.
  Earlier this week, we came together at St. Anthony Church in North 
Providence to remember this beloved icon in Rhode Island history.
  Today, I join President Ruggerio's friends, family, staff, and 
colleagues who will carry the torch that he lit and ensure that his 
legacy shines a light for generations to come.


                      Supporting Edesia Nutrition

  Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, today, I also rise in support of the lifesaving 
producer of humanitarian aid, Rhode Island's own nonprofit, Edesia 
Nutrition.
  Since coming to Congress, I have been proud to advocate for Edesia in 
hearing after hearing as vice ranking member of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  I have joined over 200 of my Democratic colleagues in an amicus brief 
to push back on Trump's and Elon Musk's unlawful destruction of USAID, 
and I have led bipartisan appropriations letters to support funding for 
Edesia's work. Why? Because it reflects the best of America's values. 
Edesia supports domestic peanut farmers, creates jobs, and helps 
distribute the only proven treatment for acute malnutrition and famine.

  To date, Edesia's products have saved over 26 million lives around 
the globe, including in sub-Saharan Africa.
  Mr. Speaker, as the son of West African immigrants, it means the 
world that America shows up in this way, in this important way, for the 
vulnerable.
  Now, more than ever, we should be investing in Edesia's work, not 
stripping them of funding. That is why I will be relentless in sounding 
the alarm and pushing Trump to release the remaining funds that Edesia 
is owed.
  I will continue to fight so that Edesia's programs receive the 
funding they desperately need in fiscal year 2026. The stakes are 
literally life and death for millions of children, mothers, and 
vulnerable populations across the world.

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