Adelita S. Grijalva · TranslatePolitics.com

House of Representatives

Giving Voice to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Principles

2026-09-02

“The other side is bad. They are mean and unfair. They hurt people. I want the government to do many things for people. People need help. The government should help them. We should all work together and fight for what is right.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Jackson and the Congressional Progressive Caucus for bringing attention to this important issue during this Special Order hour. We are all here to call out the quiet, calculated campaign sweeping across our Federal agencies. Under the banner of defeating wokeness, the Trump administration is dismantling the structures that protect civil rights, equal opportunity, and equal protection under the law. This is not a theoretical debate over acronyms. It is about the resources, protections, and dignity of everyday families. In southern Arizona--from Tucson to Nogales, Yuma, Avondale, Tolleson, Douglas, and our border and travel communities--the impact is deeply personal. Let us take a look at what is being dismantled. They are stripping economic lifelines from rural communities. The Department of Agriculture canceled a $300 million program to help minority and marginalized farmers buy land. For Arizona's small-scale, Tribal, and Latino farmers, this isn't about ending favoritism. It is about crushing the dream of land ownership. They are silencing families by cutting language access. In Arizona's Seventh Congressional District, bilingualism and multilingualism are our strengths. When language access is rolled back, grandmothers struggle to understand their doctors, and parents struggle to access basic Federal services. They are compromising our local healthcare security. In border and rural communities where healthcare deserts are a reality, rolling back health equity initiatives means leaving mothers, children, and our most vulnerable neighbors behind. They are blinding our civil rights watchdogs. After 60 years of progress, our Federal civil rights agency is moving to end demographic data collection. For six decades, that data has helped us identify where discrimination exists. We cannot address what we refuse to see. They are politicizing our military and threatening free media. They are replacing merit with ideological litmus tests in Pete Hegseth's military. They are weaponizing independent watchdogs, with the FCC ordering a review of ABC's broadcast licenses over its diversity and inclusion policies. Mr. Speaker, these attacks are not isolated. They are interconnected. When this administration rolls back protections for people with disabilities, strips LGBTQ+ protections, or targets women's medical research, it is not simply streamlining government. It is unravelling the public infrastructure of our democracy, because diversity, equity, and inclusion are not buzz words. They are guarantees. They guarantee that a child with a learning disability in Tucson gets a fair and just education. They ensure that a small business owner in Yuma gets an honest shot at a Federal contract, and they uphold a basic promise: every American deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. We in southern Arizona know how to stand our ground. We will not sit in silence while 60 years of civil rights progress are erased by an executive decree. I urge my colleagues and the American people to see this campaign for what it is: a systemic dismantling of our civil rights. We must stand united. We must organize, and we must fight to defend equal opportunity for every community in this Nation.

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House of Representatives

Honoring Cameron Davis Capara and Vincent Anthony Siqueiros

2026-09-02

“I'm sad that two people died. I want Congress to pass gun control laws. I think Republicans are to blame for these deaths. I want a moment of silence. I use this moment to say we should pass the laws I want.”

Official Congressional Record

Today, we honor the lives of Cameron Davis Capara and Vincent Anthony Siqueiros, who were taken from us far too soon in an act of gun violence and hate at the Venture-N in Tucson, Arizona, a cherished place for queer people across the city. This type of targeted violence does not happen in a vacuum. It is cultivated by anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, laws, policies, and executive orders. And it is a direct consequence of this body's failure to act on gun violence. Cameron and Vincent should still be alive today. Mr. Speaker, how many more parents need to bury their children before Congress takes action to address the gun violence epidemic? How many more people need to die before this Chamber stands up to the gun lobby? Our communities are sick and tired of hearing our thoughts and prayers. We should be acting today to pass commonsense gun safety laws and to combat hate and violence targeting our LGBTQ folks. Mr. Speaker, I ask all of my colleagues to join members of the Arizona delegation and the Congressional Equality Caucus in a moment of silence to honor their lives and commit this Chamber to action.

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House of Representatives

Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025

2026-09-02

“I want to slow down mining projects. I don't want them to go fast. I want tribes to have more power to stop mining projects. I say that is very important. I don't like this mining bill. I want others to vote against it too.”

“I want to block a mining bill. My amendment would have made it hard for mining projects to go fast. It said tribes have a lot of power over if a project can go fast. I'm mad that they didn't let me add that. I want tribes and people to be able to delay projects. I don't like a mining project in my district because it might hurt water. We need more studies. I want to slow down mining projects.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act. At a time when we should be strengthening environmental protections, respecting Tribal sovereignty, and ensuring communities have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect their land and water, this bill moves us in the wrong direction. I offered an amendment that would have required robust, meaningful, and enforceable consultation with potentially impacted Tribal nations before a mining project may be eligible for expedited permitting under FAST-41. Unfortunately, the Rules Committee refused to make my amendment in order, denying this body the opportunity to even debate or vote on a very basic principle: Tribal nations deserve a meaningful seat at the table when mining projects threaten their lands, resources, and communities. My amendment would have ensured that Federal agencies uphold the United States' trust and treaty obligations by engaging in intentional and substantive consultation with Tribal Governments. It would have made clear that consultation is not a procedural checkbox but a meaningful government-to-government dialogue. It would have also ensured that no mining project could receive expedited permitting treatment unless the affected Tribal nations had been engaged from the earliest possible stages of the project's development. This issue has become increasingly relevant in my district with the Hermosa Project in the Patagonia Mountains, southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Its designation as the first critical minerals project under FAST-41 highlights the growing use of expedited permitting frameworks. While FAST-41 is intended to improve efficiency, mining is among the most environmentally consequential sectors it covers. Expedited timelines must not come at the expense of meaningful public participation or environmental assessment. We have already seen the consequences of insufficient engagement and analysis. The town of Patagonia formally requested a comprehensive groundwater study of the Patagonia mountains from the Coronado National Forest in both 2020 and 2021, specifically citing concerns related to the proposed Hermosa project. Despite these repeated requests, and the support of my dad, Congressman Raul M. Grijalva, the study was never completed. For that exact reason, I sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service in April to follow up on this same request. This gap leaves significant uncertainty about potential impacts to groundwater and undermines public confidence in the adequacy of the review process. I also think it is noteworthy that I kept hearing: American project, American project. This specific project is run by an Australian mining company. When I met with local leaders and community members in Patagonia, they raised serious concerns about their drinking water, their health, and the long-term sustainability of their aquifers. Those concerns are not abstract. They reflect lived experience and legitimate questions that deserve answers before, not after, decisions are made. What these experiences make clear is that the communities closest to these projects cannot be left to react once decisions are already in motion. They must be engaged from the very beginning, with their voices meaningfully incorporated into decisionmaking.

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House of Representatives

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Barbara Matteson

2026-09-02

“I want to say good things about Barbara Matteson. She was a teacher. Many people liked her. She helped students. She went to protests. She wanted more money for schools. She is dead now. I want people to remember her.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Barbara Matteson of Tucson, Arizona. I can't think of a major education event, rally, or protest in Tucson where I didn't see Barbara front and center. A lifelong educator, the first in her family to go to college, Barbara spent over 38 years as a classroom teacher in the Tucson Unified School Direct. As mentioned in her obituary, her ability to make learning fun and meaningful left a lasting impact. Being out and about in Tucson with Barbara inevitably meant being stopped by a former student who would share their stories of how she influenced their lives. As a union organizer and fierce advocate for public education, Barbara dedicated herself to fighting for our students, our teachers, and our schools. She showed up, She spoke up, and she never stopped standing up for what she believed was right. Barbara was not only a champion for education, she was a friend and someone who made our community stronger through her service and her commitment. To Barbara, I thank her for always fighting for our students, teachers, and schools. To Barbara's family, I thank them for sharing her with us. Mr. Speaker, may my friend rest in peace. I will always remember her.

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House of Representatives

Liberty and Justice for All

2026-09-01

“I am sad that a man died. He was in government custody. The government did not help him. They did not give him care. He died from a bad tooth. That should not happen. The government should help people. They should give them care. I want to know why this happened. I want to know what went wrong. I want the government to tell us. I want them to be open. I want them to change. I want them to help people. I don't want people to die. I want people to be safe. I want people to have care. I want the government to do better. I want them to be good to people. I want them to follow the law. I want them to be kind. I want them to be fair. I want them to be just. I want them to be good. I want them to be right. I want them to be true. I want them to be strong. I want them to be wise. I want them to be brave. I want them to be free. I want them to be safe. I want them to be home.”

Official Congressional Record

I thank Representative Torres and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for hosting this Special Order hour. In Arizona, we have seen firsthand why congressional oversight of our immigration detention systems matter. We have also been witness to inhumane conditions and violent attacks by ICE when trying to detain people on our streets and rip people from their cars or their homes. Earlier this year, Emmanuel Damas, a Haitian asylum seeker, died after being held in ICE custody at the Florence detention facility in Arizona. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner found that Mr. Damas' death stemmed from a severe infection connected to a serious dental disease. A toothache should never become a death sentence, not in Federal custody, not in Arizona, not anywhere in the United States, especially when someone is in the custody of the United States Government and completely dependent on that government for access to medical care. Mr. Damas' death raises serious concerns that remain unanswered. Why did he not have timely medical treatment? Why were his requests for care ignored? How did a treatable condition progress into a fatal medical emergency while he was in Federal custody? In March, my colleagues and I formally requested Mr. Damas' medical records and information about his request for treatment and a full accounting of the circumstances leading to his death. ICE responded in May, but once again failed to provide any real answers. ICE's response said doctors believed Mr. Damas was suffering from septic shock caused by pneumonia; but the medical examiner found his death stemmed from severe infection connected to a serious dental infection. When the Federal Government detains someone, it assumes responsibility for that person's health, safety, and well-being. Congress has a responsibility to make sure our government is meeting that obligation. Unfortunately, what happened to Mr. Damas is not isolated. There have been 56 people who have died in ICE detention since Trump took office last year. In Arizona and across the country, we continue to see reports of delayed medical treatment, inadequate care, deaths in custody, due process failures, and serious questions about conditions inside ICE and CBP facilities. Families deserve answers. Congress deserves the information necessary to conduct meaningful oversight. When failures occur, there must be accountability. Mr. Damas came to this country seeking asylum. While in Federal custody, he deserved humane treatment and appropriate medical care. His family deserves answers. We need to continue demanding that DHS and ICE provide records and information necessary to fully understand what happened in Florence to Mr. Damas and what they are doing to make sure it never happens again. We demand accountability. We demand justice for the individuals who have died and answers for the families and communities mourning their loss. Every day that passes, more people will die, more people will forever be scarred from their time in detention, and more families will be ripped apart. Remembrance is important, but remembrance without accountability is not enough.

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House of Representatives

Remembering Joel Ireland

2026-09-01

“I am sad that my friend Joel died. He did a lot for our city. He was on the school board for a long time like me. Joel did many things to help people. I will miss him.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a figurehead in Tucson and southern Arizona and a true Renaissance man, Joel Ireland. Joel lived a consequential life, and Tucson is better off because he lived it there. He dedicated much of his life to public service, especially to the students, families, and educators of Tucson Unified School District. He served on the TUSD Governing Board for two decades, including as board president, and he was a tireless advocate for public education. Joel's service went far beyond the school board. He was an attorney, an Episcopal priest, an advocate for historic and cultural preservation, and someone who believed deeply in standing up for people who needed a voice. He and his church even opened their doors to refugees from Central America during the 1980s. I am proud that Joel and I shared the distinction of being the longest serving TUSD board members, a record that we both agreed would be pretty hard to break. What I will remember most about Joel is the friend. He could always make me smile, gave great advice, and was always supportive. The last time we saw each other, we talked for hours, catching up on family, politics, and, of course, a little bit of gossip. Mr. Speaker, to his amazing sons and his entire family, I send all my love. May Joel rest in power. I thank him for his life of service, friendship, and community. I am really going to miss him.

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House of Representatives

Hate Has No Place Here

2026-08-31

“A shooting happened in my city. I am sad and angry. I want the government to pass new gun laws. I want to say that I care about gay people.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the victims of a shooting that occurred outside of the Venture-N bar in Tucson, Arizona, last night--Vincent Siqueiros and Cameron Capara--and to demand that this Chamber take immediate action to ensure that this can never happen again. I am disgusted by the targeted act of hate and the cold-blooded murder of two members of our LGBTQIA+ community. This horrific attack is a painful reminder that even in welcoming communities like Tucson, hate and violence against our LGBTQIA+ community still exists. When the hate is combined with easy access to firearms, the consequences can be deadly. I am sick and tired of Congress refusing to lift a finger to protect our communities while every day dozens of people are shot and killed across this country. It does not have to be this way. The House of Representatives is returning to session this week, and our first action should be passing commonsense gun safety reforms that we know can save lives. In Tucson, we must come together as one city, mourn alongside victims and families and friends, and stand with our LGBTQIA+ community, saying in the most unconditional terms: Everyone is welcome in Tucson, and hate has no place here.

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House of Representatives

Happy Birthday to Mr. Conrado "Beto" Villegas

2026-07-23

“I want to honor a very old veteran who turned 100 years old. He served in World War II. He lives in my district. I went to his party. He danced with his wife. I thanked him for his service. I want to wish him a happy birthday. I said thank you and happy birthday in Spanish.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a remarkable Arizonan and celebrate the 100th birthday of Mr. Conrado ``Beto'' Villegas. Reaching a century of life is an extraordinary milestone, and I was honored to join Mr. Villegas' family, friends, and neighbors in Nogales to celebrate this special occasion, highlighted by him taking over the dance floor with his wife at his birthday party. Mr. Villegas is a proud World War II veteran whose courage and selfless service continue to inspire all of us. Like so many of his generation, he answered our Nation's call in a time of great need, helping defend the freedoms we cherish today. His service and his life remind us of the enduring values of sacrifice, resilience, and commitment to country and community. I extend ``mil gracias''; ``1,000 thanks'' to Beto for his service, his example, and the extraordinary legacy he has built over the past 100 years. On behalf of the people of Arizona's Seventh Congressional District, I extend my heartfelt thanks and wish him a very happy 100th birthday. ``Feliz cumpleanos. Que Dios lo bendiga''; ``Happy birthday. May God bless you.''

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House of Representatives

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Patricia "Patti" Lopez

2026-07-22

“A teacher and school leader died. She ran a charity that gave pajamas and books to children. Her life work was very good. I liked her. Let's celebrate her.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Dr. Patricia ``Patti'' Lopez, a dedicated educator, mentor, and advocate whose life's work transformed the lives of countless children and families in southern Arizona. For more than three decades, Dr. Lopez served Tucson's students as a teacher, principal, district leader, deputy superintendent, and chief academic officer for Tucson Unified School District. As a former TUSD governing board member, I primarily remember Dr. Lopez for her bright spirit, dedication, compassion, instincts, and smarts. After her distinguished career in education, she continued her mission as executive director of Angel Heart Pajama Project, helping provide more than 73,000 children experiencing crises with new pajamas, books, and the comfort of knowing that they were seen, valued, and loved. Dr. Lopez believed that even the simplest acts of kindness could change a child's life. Her compassion, integrity, and unwavering commitment inspired volunteers, strengthened communities, and brought hope to thousands of children when they needed it most. May we honor Dr. Patti Lopez by carrying forward her example of service and her belief that every child deserves comfort, dignity, and hope. ``Muchisimas gracias''; ``many thanks'', Patti. ``Para todos, descansa en paz''; ``for all, rest in peace.''

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House of Representatives

Recognizing Academia De Baile Tradicion Y Cultura

2026-07-15

“I am happy that a dance school in my district is 25 years old. I am proud that children learn to dance there. It is good for the community. Congratulations to the school for lasting 25 years.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to recognize a remarkable milestone for Tucson's Academia de Baile Tradicion y Cultura as it celebrates 25 years of inspiring young people--including my own children, nieces, and nephews--from across Tucson and southern Arizona through dance, culture, and community. For a quarter of a century, Academia de Baile has provided generations of students with exceptional dance instruction, fostered confidence, discipline, and a deep appreciation for the rich cultural traditions that make southern Arizona so vibrant. I want to congratulate the dedicated directors and instructors whose passion and dedication have made this achievement possible, the students whose hard work, talent, and artistry continue to impress us, and the families whose unwavering support have helped make this academy flourish for so many years. Academia de Baile is proof of how the arts bring people together, preserve our heritage, and strengthen our communities. Their legacy is reflected not only in the performances on stage but in the lives that they have touched across Tucson and southern Arizona. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Arizona's Seventh Congressional District, I say ``congratulations,'' ``muchisimas felicidades'' to Academia de Baile on their 25th anniversary and wish them many more years of success.

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