[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 196 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4828]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING THE LIFE OF HELEN RUCKER

  (Mr. Panetta of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, although my heart hangs low, I rise today 
to honor the life and legacy of Ms. Helen Rucker. This week, she passed 
at the young age of 93.
  Now, despite the challenges that Helen faced throughout her life, 
Helen Rucker worked very hard to become the somebody who was a 
sustainer of Seaside, California, the educator of our community, and 
the epitome of our democracy.
  Helen faced blatant racial discrimination in her formative years. As 
a child in Louisiana, she was turned away from the local public library 
to being a college graduate and experiencing some of the same type of 
bigotry when she applied for her first job as a librarian.
  Rather than being despondent, she was driven to make a difference 
with education not just in her life, but in our lives.
  She worked for decades as a teacher and a librarian. She served as a 
Seaside city councilmember, a school board member, and a trustee with 
our local school district.
  Outside of her job, she delved deeper into our community by 
volunteering on such important and challenging issues as civil rights, 
prison education, HIV prevention, police reform, affordable housing, 
and so much more.
  Helen Rucker was an influencer well before the internet was around. 
She wasn't about clicks or likes. Instead, she was about organizing and 
galvanizing people. She wasn't about dividing people, but Helen Rucker 
was all about bridging our divides.
  Even with all of that service and all of that activism, what she came 
to realize early on was that the key to change was our democratic 
process. She realized that it wasn't about yelling and screaming. She 
understood that it is all about working, sweating, and ensuring 
everybody has the opportunity to do what every American should do, and 
that is vote and get out the vote.
  Rather than agonize, she organized--voting, voter education, voter 
registration--and she founded Seaside's Voter Education Center. Just 
like we saw in our recent elections, Helen understood that voting is 
how we make change. That is how we protect our community, and that is 
how we move our country forward.
  No doubt that Helen Rucker faced so many challenges throughout her 
life, but rather than capitulate, she campaigned. Rather than demonize 
or disparage her opponents, she always chose civility and upheld the 
values of our democracy.
  As we enter into this next election year, let us be reminded, let us 
reflect, and let us be reinvigorated by the impactful life of Helen 
Rucker. More importantly, though, let her rest peacefully as all of us 
strive to live up to her legacy by always voting in our democracy.

                          ____________________