[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H2150-H2151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING STACY DAVIS GATES

  (Mrs. Ramirez of Illinois was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an educator, a 
force for justice, an unapologetic champion of our Chicago communities, 
and my friend, Stacy Davis Gates.
  Stacy is a high school social studies teacher, a South Sider, a wife, 
and a mother. For many, she is best known as president of the Chicago 
Teachers Union and executive vice president of the Illinois Federation 
of Teachers.
  Stacy's leadership has called us to bargain for our collective good 
and to think about how organized labor can win bold campaigns that 
build the schools, the communities, and the city that our children 
deserve.
  In 2019, she helped lead a 15-day strike and negotiated a historic 
contract that ensured a nurse and a social worker in every Chicago 
public school. She secured sanctuary protections for immigrant families 
and supported students and families experiencing homelessness.

[[Page H2151]]

  Putting Chicago's children at the center of everything she does, she 
has worked to build a collective of community, and she has elected to 
create opportunities for our communities, at times confronting 
corporate and charter interests head-on. She always puts our children 
at the center of what she does.

                              {time}  1030

  On behalf of the Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my 
sincere honor to commend Stacy Davis Gates for her dedication to 
educational equity in our city, in our State, and in our Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate Stacy.


     Honoring Labor Organizers Keith Kelleher and Madeline Talbott

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friends and 
constituents, Madeline Talbott and Keith Kelleher, for a lifetime of 
labor organizing, community solidarity, and deep love.
  Madeline Talbott spent 37 years building ACORN and Action Now with 
thousands of dues-paying members, helping to found the Fight for $15 in 
Chicago: a campaign that grew nationally and eventually brought $15 an 
hour to over 22 million workers across the country.
  Keith Kelleher founded ULU Local 880 and eventually became president 
of SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Kansas and 
international vice president of SEIU. He built the largest union local 
in Chicago and Illinois, from only 7 dues-paying members in 1983 to 
over 90,000 home care, childcare, and healthcare members today.
  Madeline and Keith have been partners in love and organizing since 
1979. They have left a lasting mark on community, labor, and political 
organizing. They have trained hundreds of people to ensure the movement 
continues. They have raised an incredible family, including their two 
daughters, Aileen and Ryan, who continue their organizing legacy.
  On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my 
privilege to commend Madeline Talbott and Keith Kelleher for their 
exceptional contributions as organizers, and their exceptional 
commitment to our fight for justice.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate them.


    Congratulating Victor Gomez, Illinois State Teacher of the Year

  Mrs. RAMIREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my 
constituent from Wheaton, Victor Gomez, for his achievement as one of 
2025 Illinois State Teachers of the Year.
  An educator in East Leyden High School, Victor Gomez is a passionate 
teacher, who for 6 years has transformed the lives of his students.
  Through his commitment to bilingual education, he has created more 
welcoming and culturally competent classrooms where students are 
challenged and inspired to pursue their goals.
  Mr. Gomez is also a mentor to aspiring bilingual educators. In 
partnership with Elmhurst University and the Noyce PRIDE STEM Teacher 
Scholars program, he empowers educators from diverse backgrounds to 
bring their wisdom, their voice, and their experience into the 
profession.
  As a fluently bilingual Latina daughter of immigrants, I know the 
importance of having teachers and mentors who looked and sounded like 
me.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it 
is my privilege to commend Victor for nurturing equity in our 
classrooms, encouraging leadership in our communities, and building 
educators who reflect the diversity of our multiracial and 
multicultural democracy.
  I congratulate Victor again on winning Illinois State Teacher of the 
Year. ``Congratulations''; ``felicidades.''

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