00:00Without objection, will Representative-elect Wahab and members of the California delegation present themselves in the well?
00:10All members will rise, and the representative-elect will please raise her right hand.
00:20Do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign
00:26and domestic,
00:27that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same?
00:30That you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion,
00:34and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter,
00:39so help you God.
00:41Congratulations, you're now a member of the 119th Congress.
00:59Without objection, the gentlewoman from California is recognized for one minute.
01:02Mr. Speaker, we welcome a new member of the California congressional delegation to our ranks.
01:09Born in New York City to Afghan refugees and raised in Fremont, California,
01:15Dr. Wahab earned her doctorate of social work from the University of Southern California.
01:19She was elected to the Hayward City Council in 2018 and to the California State Senate in 2022 where she
01:27served as assistant majority leader.
01:30As someone who experienced foster care herself, Dr. Wahab has made protecting vulnerable people a central focus of her public
01:38service.
01:39Today, she makes history as the first Afghan American elected to Congress.
01:50As chair of the Democratic congressional delegation from California, I'm proud to welcome her to the largest delegation in Congress.
01:59We look forward to working together on behalf of Californians and the most vulnerable among us.
02:05I now yield to the newest member of the California delegation, Congressmember Ayesha Wahab.
02:29Thank you all.
02:30I want to begin by thanking the people of one of the most diverse districts in America.
02:35My home, California's 14th Congressional District.
02:38In the gallery today are people from across our district representing different walks of life from educational backgrounds, economic circumstances,
02:47and immigration stories.
02:49Yet every single one of them is an American.
02:52And every one of them believes in the American dream.
02:55A dream rooted in a simple promise that we are all created equal and that no matter where we begin,
03:02each of us deserves an opportunity for a better life.
03:05Today, Americans are tired, tired of Democrats and Republicans fighting with one another, tired of the division that this Capitol
03:14sometimes represents, because Republicans and Democrats alike are struggling to afford housing, utilities, groceries, education, health care, and the basic
03:25necessities of life.
03:27That struggle belongs to all Americans.
03:30For generations, the American dream has made this country a beacon to the world because of one powerful promise.
03:38Your past does not determine your future.
03:42Today, I stand here as a reminder of that promise.
03:45I walked into Congress carrying the beating heart of a former foster care kid.
03:50The daughter of Afghan refugees who came here searching for a better life.
03:55The daughter of a murdered father from a family shattered by loss.
04:01A child born in New York City and raised in the Bay.
04:05A woman whose family was devastated by the Great Recession.
04:09I am grateful for all of those experiences, however heavy they may be.
04:14Not because they were easy, but because they taught me what it means to fight for justice for all.
04:20I'm a proud American.
04:22I often say Uncle Sam raised me.
04:24And because of that, I have always seen the people of this nation as family, regardless of background.
04:30The people too proud to ask for help.
04:33The people who wake every morning and work hard.
04:36Who struggle in silence.
04:38Who hold on to hope that tomorrow can be better than today.
04:43I have seen some of the darkest corners of our society.
04:47But I have also seen its greatest light.
04:49I've met many Americans, refugees and immigrants, foster children, people with disabilities, families relying on food assistance, seniors stretching every
05:01dollar, and people who have trusted me with their deepest fears and hardest setbacks.
05:05They believe dignity belongs to everyone, regardless of faith, gender, education, income, background, or circumstance.
05:14That's the belief of the American dream that still burns today so brightly.
05:20Millions of Americans are weary of the fighting, the rising bills, and being told to fear their neighbors while they
05:26struggle to make ends meet.
05:28They are tired of being overlooked by those in power, by the wealthy, and those who have forgotten what it
05:33means to struggle.
05:35Americans deserve better.
05:37They deserve justice, dignity, and a quality of life worth of the promise of this country that was made to
05:45them.
05:46They deserve to be able to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.
05:50Their children deserve an excellent education in the brightest possible future.
05:53A person who is sick should receive excellent care without fearing financial ruin.
05:58And those in their golden years, or those who have simply fallen on hard times, should know their country has
06:05their back.
06:06That must be our purpose here.
06:08The people.
06:10As a policymaker, my goal is simple to work with each and every one of you to deliver for the
06:16American people, regardless of party.
06:19These are our people.
06:20If we choose common purpose over division and people over politics, we can make the promise of America real again,
06:27because the American dream does not belong to Republicans or Democrats.
06:31It belongs to every American who believes tomorrow can be better.
06:35I believe in that dream.
06:36I believe in this country.
06:38And as patriots of this beautiful nation, we have a duty to fight for one another,
06:43to see one another as fellow Americans, and to deliver on the promise to the people.
06:48I stand with you in this fight for the people of the greatest nation.
06:53God bless the United States of America.
06:56And thank you for this opportunity.
