"Serving our community and our country has been the honor of my lifetime. Every step of this journey has been shaped by the people I represent, by their resilience, their determination, and their belief that government can and should work for the common good,"
"There is still so much work to be done, and I feel the urgency of this moment every day. Our country faces crises on multiple fronts. Every day the Trump administration is working to undermine civil rights and our democracy," Velázquez said in a statement, "At the same time, the American Dream is slipping further away for working people as wealth inequality worsens and life becomes less affordable. But I believe in the resiliency of the American people and the ability of a new generation of leaders who are ready for these great challenges."