Hi John, it’s Delia Ramirez.
I'm a new — and the first — Latina congresswoman from the Midwest representing Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, one of several communities across the country that dispelled the myth of a supposed “Latino Red Wave” on Election Day.
Everything we’ve seen from House Republicans in their first week in power has reminded me what's at stake when a band of right-wing extremists scheme to wield power over our government.
But so many of the experiences I’ve had as a new member of Congress this week have also reminded me why I ran in the first place: to deliver for working people in my district in Illinois and across the country.
I wanted to take a quick moment to share some of my thoughts from this first week with Working Families Party members like you, because grassroots supporters are the reason why a candidate like me from a working-class, immigrant background can get elected to Congress. But before I do:
Can you split a contribution today between my campaign and WFP to fuel our shared fight in 2023? With the entire House agenda now controlled by extremist Republicans, we’re going to need every resource at our disposal to stand up for our communities and fight for working families across the country.
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Last week, Republicans took 4 days, 15 rounds of voting, and complete capitulation to their most extreme hard right faction before members of the class of 2022 like me were finally able to be sworn in to the 118th Congress.
Since then, as I've walked through the halls of Congress, I've thought a lot about how I got here:
I’m the daughter of working-class Guatemalan immigrants, the wife of a DACA recipient, a former director of a homeless shelter. I’m someone who has witnessed first-hand the effects that decades of neglect and legislative inaction have had on the most vulnerable and marginalized in our communities.
I’m someone who Congress was designed to exclude.
My first paycheck doesn’t come in until February, and like most working people who don’t have big savings or a rich family to lean on, I had to sit down at the kitchen table to crunch the numbers on how I was going to make the move from Illinois to DC and pay for work-required rent and living expenses with no income.
In years past, many new members like me have had to sleep in their offices, or find temporary arrangements until they could afford their apartment. I was lucky enough to find a roommate at the New Member orientation — fellow WFP champion and congresswoman, Summer Lee.
It’s because of the challenges I’ve faced that I was elected by the people of Illinois’ 3rd Congressional District: to legislate a bold agenda forged from each and every one of these lived experiences, one that addresses each and every one of the crises we’re facing, whether it’s the housing struggle or inflation.
So while Republicans play their harmful political games, I'll keep fighting alongside other progressive champions and organizations like WFP to lower costs for working families, protect reproductive rights, strengthen Social Security and Medicare, and fix our broken immigration system.
Can you split a contribution today between my campaign and WFP to invest in the party and leaders who will always fight for you and other working people?
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With your help, I know we can push back against anything the Freedom Caucus-led House throws our way these next two years.
In solidarity,
Delia Ramirez
