[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 145 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING NEW JERSEY BALLET

  Ms. MEJIA. Madam Speaker, one of the most important aspects of the 
human experience is artistic expression. It builds bridges, connects 
communities, and exemplifies how beauty is found in the ordinary and 
extraordinary.
  That is why I rise today to recognize the New Jersey Ballet, an 
institution based in Florham Park that has brought artistic excellence 
to audiences across our State for nearly seven decades.
  Founded in 1958, the New Jersey Ballet is entering a new era under 
artistic director Maria Kowroski, a 25-year veteran of the New York 
City Ballet. The company continues to honor iconic works, while 
commissioning new work that shapes the future of dance.
  Through school partnerships, community programs, sensory friendly 
performances, and Dancing for Parkinson's, New Jersey Ballet is making 
the performing arts accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
  Since 2022, NJB has proudly served as the resident ballet company at 
the Mayo Performing Arts Center, bringing world-class performances to 
our district in Morris County and supporting local businesses.
  I am proud to recognize the New Jersey Ballet for inspiring 
generations of New Jerseyans and enriching our State's cultural 
identity.


              Recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month

  Ms. MEJIA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Hispanic 
Heritage Month and celebrate the vibrant Latino communities across New 
Jersey's 11th Congressional District.
  Our district, at the crossroads of critical moments in history, is as 
diverse as it is historic. Communities from across the diaspora proudly 
call the 11th District home, including my own.
  Recognizing the impact of the Latino community, without naming the 
crisis our community faces would be a disservice at this moment, 
however.
  As the daughter of two Latino immigrants, I was raised by parents who 
recognized the importance of embracing my Nation, while holding on to 
who I was.
  Following the scores of immigrants who arrived upon these shores, 
Latino Americans have created communities that enriched their adopted 
and beloved land, while remembering the culture of their parents and 
grandparents.
  Like many, irrespective of their culture or ethnic backgrounds, we 
stand appalled at the way in which those at the highest perches of this 
land use racist tropes and dog whistles to divide a nation of 
immigrants yearning for liberty and justice for all.

  Across my district, this warfare is made evident by every unjust 
arrest, through the gutting of safety net programs, and the wholesale 
vilification of a community that loves this Nation enough to serve it, 
grow it, and defend it.
  Violent arrests, courthouse ambushes, the denial of justice all lay 
bare the willingness of some to turn away from what actually makes 
America great: ``one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and 
justice for all.''
  Some say that upholding these words somehow takes away the freedoms 
and opportunities of those whose ancestors arrived upon these shores in 
generations past. This flawed thinking treats justice as if it were 
finite, as if it were cake, and sharing a piece somehow lessens what is 
placed upon your plate.
  Well, Madam Speaker, justice, freedom, and opportunity are not cake. 
It does not run out if someone else gets a slice.

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