[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4212-H4213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
          MOMENT OF SILENCE HONORING LIFE OF JUNIPER BLESSING

  (Ms. Leger Fernandez of New Mexico was recognized to address the 
House for 5 minutes.)
  Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, New Mexico and Washington State 
rise today to honor the life of Juniper Blessing. Juniper was my 
constituent and attended the New Mexico School for the Arts High 
School.
  There, Juniper's voice filled the air with hope, delight, passion, 
and, yes, sometimes angst. Madam Speaker, don't we all remember 
wondering who we are, wondering what our lives will look like beyond 
high school.
  At that age, every joy shines brighter. Every fear cuts deeper. Every 
dream feels possible.
  Juniper lived all of that and more. She was smart, funny, curious, 
energetic, and fiercely herself. She loved music, rainstorms, her dogs, 
her family, and the natural world.
  She looked at the world with wonder and questions. She looked at 
Santa Fe's glorious thunder, lightning, and rainbows and said: I want 
to know more.
  So she went to the University of Washington to study climate science 
and meteorology. She wanted to understand the mysteries of the 
atmosphere, the beauty and power of the world around us.
  But for many, Juniper will always be remembered for her voice. She 
had the voice of an angel whose music filled classrooms, stages, and 
community gatherings. Her voice soared beyond the school walls and into 
the hearts of everyone who heard her.
  I know that like so many parents, Craig and Monica Blessing sent 
Juniper

[[Page H4213]]

off to college in Washington both proud and worried. They were proud 
because she was becoming exactly who she was meant to be, and they were 
worried because loving a child means carrying their hopes and dreams 
alongside your own.
  Through it all, Juniper lived her life on her own terms with 
authenticity, courage, and joy. Her family describes her as pure love.
  Friends remember reassuring hugs. They remember someone who noticed 
when others felt afraid, different, or alone. That kind of compassion 
leaves a mark that never disappears, and Juniper's voice will never be 
silent in our memories.
  While we in Congress must address the senseless violence that took 
her from her grieving family and community, we must also honor the 
blessing that is Juniper. The tragedy of her death must not overshadow 
the beauty of her life.
  We honor Juniper in the people's House so that her voice and her 
memory never fade.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Jayapal).
  Ms. JAYAPAL. I thank the gentlewoman for those beautiful words and 
also for sharing this moment of celebration of Juniper Blessing and her 
life.
  I am so proud that Juniper Blessing was a constituent of mine as well 
as a college student at the University of Washington in Seattle.
  She was deeply loved and respected for who she was. At just 19 years 
old, she had already made her mark, and the tragedy of her murder 
leaves an incredible sense of pain in our community.
  Here on the House floor, we send our thoughts, our prayers, and our 
commitment to her family, friends, and our entire community that we 
will continue to honor Juniper's incredible life, spirit, and light.
  Juniper's friends have described her immense warmth, kindness, and 
commitment to justice. An incredibly talented woman, she shared her joy 
with our community through the arts and her singing voice. She said 
that her participation at the University of Washington's production of 
``Considering Matthew Shepard,'' a musical response to the murder of a 
gay college student, was the most powerful thing she had ever been a 
part of.
  She had a curiosity and love of planet and people that showed up in 
her choice of majors: atmospheric science specializing in meteorology 
and hurricane tracking with minors in both philosophy and music.
  She was beloved on campus. Just a few weeks ago, the University of 
Washington community took part in an honor walk across campus carrying 
pieces of her memorial from Red Square to Mary Gates Hall where a new 
memorial will remain through September as a place for reflection and 
remembrance.
  Let's honor Juniper's life and legacy to make this moment a rallying 
cry of love to all our transgender students at the University of 
Washington and across the country and a display of our strength and 
commitment that comes in times of tragedy to embrace even more tightly 
the right to freely and safely express who you are.
  To the people at the University of Washington and my district and 
across the country, know that you are loved, and we will never stop 
fighting for the right for everyone to be who they are.
  I now ask for a moment of silence to honor the incredible life of 
Juniper Blessing.

                          ____________________