(Richmond) – House Democratic Leader Eileen Filler-Corn delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Delegates on Thursday, February 7:
“Mr. Speaker – and members of the body, the past few days have been incredibly difficult and painful for us personally and for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“But, Mr. Speaker – our constituents sent us all here to do a job, a very specific job. As we begin to debate the budget, I have a message to all Virginians: House Democrats are here. We are here representing you and doing the work of legislating and of governing the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“We know why we are here. We know why we fight. And what we are fighting for:
- For those without power and privilege.
- For human rights, for civil rights, and for inclusion.
- For the dignity of all Virginians.
“We fight for the home health worker who makes $8.00 an hour and would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage.
We fight for the parents who, before last year, were living in the coverage gap and couldn’t afford health care to take their sick child to see a doctor.
“We fight for the high school students worried about being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation, or frightened by the possibility of a mass shooting in their school.
“We fight for women demanding workplace equality by seeking passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.
“And we fight for all of our citizens who are concerned about the impact of climate change and want clean air, clean water, and clean energy because we believe in science, and we won’t ignore what we can see with our eyes.
“So, Mr. Speaker – with just under three weeks remaining in our 2019 General Assembly session, House Democrats are more determined than ever to fight for a better and brighter future for all Virginians.
“Where we can, we will continue to work diligently to find common ground with our colleagues on the other side. And where we cannot, we will continue to fight, unapologetically, for those values and principles we hold dear.”
###