Calling CD Three “Resilent”, Representative Yassamin Ansari Delivers Her First State of the District Address

In a packed Memorial Hall at Steele Indian School Park filled with constituents, activists, and political leaders, Arizona Congressional District Three House Representative Yassamin Ansari, the youngest woman in Congress, delivered a rousing State of the District Address, which focused on her first year achievements, what she would like to do for Arizonans in the coming months, and a scathing criticism of the Trump Administration.

Before Representative Ansari spoke, several activists delivered remarks praising the Congresswoman’s leadership on the issues and willingness to fight to:

• Protect Democracy and access to the ballot box.
• Safeguard the rights of all Arizonans and Americans, regardless of ethnicity.
• Investing in public education and private school voucher reform.
• Combat poverty.
• Promote an agenda for kindness and doing what is right for the people including fostering the spread of knowledge.

These activists that sang Representative Ansari’s praises and their dedication to her public service vision were:

• Jake Hylton, Master of Ceremonies and Executive Director of Lookout Publications.
• Reyna Montoya, Founder and CEO of Aliento.
• Mike Renuad, President and CEO of Valle Del Sol.
• Marisol Garcia, President of the Arizona Education Association.
• Dr. Matthew Whitaker, Executive Director of George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.
• Karyleni Alburquerque, Former AZ CD Three Community Ambassador for Representative Ansari and Youth Advocate.

Saying serving as the Arizona CD Three House Representative has been “The honor of my life,” Representative Ansari praised the previous speakers, especially saluting the person who introduced her, Ms. Alburquerque, remarking, “She is one of the bright lights in this district, who gives me so much hope for the future.”

Diving right into what she has done for the district since taking office, the Congresswoman cited:

• Introducing 32 bills and cosponsoring 452 more, including measures to fund women’s health programs, reduce utility costs, oppose Trump’s “racist travel ban,” and repeal Trump’s 75 billion cash infusion to ICE
• $17.7 million in new investments, which included monies for the City of Phoenix to invest in wildfire prevention and Sky Harbor, Arizona State University for their Center for Heat, Resilient Communities, and University Chips and Domestic Manufacturing Research Program, Guadalupe’s Bean Colony Park, Glendale’s transportation infrastructure, and renovations at the Central Arizona Shelter Service.
• Protecting and getting back funds that the Trump Administration tried to slash, like a million dollars for the Issac School District and thousands in grant funding for Prizma Community Care.
• Hosting 300 community events, 18 town halls, and reaching out to 77,000 residents, “From every corner of this district.”
• Community outreach to populations “That are too often ignored,” including the “Sudanese community, Afghan refugees, Iranian students, our diverse Asian communities, and so many more.”
• Protecting the rights of immigrants by distributing Know Your Rights Flyers in the five most common languages in the district and hosting telehall events.

After asking the audience to applaud her Congressional staff for all their hard work for the people in the district, Representative Ansari went after the Trump attack on innocent immigrants, saying, after discussing the plight of one Cuban landscaper being fined $1.8 million for “fleeing political violence,” that the Administration’s repressive policies were “Outrageous, it is cruel, and it is evil. No American could have fully predicted or prepared for the consequences that Trump 2.0 would bring to Arizona and to the country.”

After recounting to the attendees the horrible experiences of Kilmar Abrego Garcia (who has received a favorable ruling from the courts) and Abelda Yari Marquez (a person suffering from leukemia who has been detained in the Eloy Detention Center for over a year), Ansari promised to continue her efforts to abolish ICE and bring accountability to those people who caused harm and death to innocent people, saying:

“…It is absolutely clear that we must do everything in our power to stop and abolish ICE as quickly as possible.

This is a message that cannot be reformed. Immigration enforcement should be carried out by accountable public servants who follow the law and believe in the Constitution. Immigration enforcement is not murdering American citizens in broad daylight or locking up tens of thousands of people into what can only be described as concentration camps run by private prison companies designed to profit off of human suffering.

And let me tell you, accountability is coming. I am committed to ensuring that everyone, whether it be former DHS Secretary Kristine Noem down to the ICE agents who committed murder, these individuals must be held accountable for the crimes that they have committed in this country.”

She also described challenging Administration officials at hearings of the House Oversight Committee, commenting:

“Through my position on the House Oversight Committee, I stood toe-to-toe with Cabinet Secretaries, fought to expose corruption, pushed for the release of the Epstein files, and worked to hold powerful people accountable no matter who they are or how much money they have. I questioned Secretary Linda McMahon on her efforts to federalize the disastrous school voucher system that Arizona already knows so well, and our wonderful President of the AEA spoke to. I interviewed the Commerce Secretary (Howard Lutnick) about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein and other rich and powerful individuals who are connected to one of the most disturbing cover-ups in American History.

I introduced articles of impeachment against Secretary Pete Hegseth for violating the Constitution.”

Moving forward, Representative Ansari counseled that Democrats should emulate Republicans in their messaging delivery of adopting a central message and endlessy repeating it, saying:

“We need to do the same. We cannot accept billionaires treating our country like a Monopoly game. We cannot normalize politics that are built on cruelty, fear, and endless chaos. We are living through the most corrupt and the most authoritarian administration in American History, led by a lunatic with no regard for human life. And as the daughter of immigrants who fled an authoritarian regime, I have now taken these warning signs lightly. I grew up understanding that democracy, even stability, is fragile. That rights can disappear, that institutions can erode, and that good people can convince themselves that somebody else will save the country for them. So what must we protect? Our right to vote? Our courts and our justice system? Our free press?”

After praising the efforts of local journalists and organizations under attack by Anti Bill of Rights Trump, including PBS and Master of Ceremonies Jake Hylton, for exposing the cruel rot in Trump 2.0 and motivating her and her colleagues to perform greater due diligence inspections of the Mesa Gateway Airport Detention Center, Ansari spoke of advancing her Progressive Caucus’s Affordabilty Agenda, saying:

“At an affordability town hall that we held recently, one constituent told me, ‘Congresswoman, I can’t eat a tax cut.’ Families are being forced to choose between turning off the AC and buying groceries. And beyond the rising prices themselves, one of the hardest things to hear is the shame that hardworking people feel for no longer being able to afford basic necessities.

Let me be perfectly clear. This affordability crisis is the result of a deeply broken system rigged in favor of billionaires and giant corporations, exacerbated by a deeply corrupt president who is exploiting it to enrich himself and his family to the tune of billions of dollars. Donald Trump should feel ashamed, not Arizonans.

The people I speak to have worked for decades, often juggling multiple jobs, and still cannot afford rent, car insurance, or quality home care. People are tired of hearing talking points while their lives get harder. They want results, and together we can deliver them.

Our new affordability agenda that Progressive Caucus recently launched focuses on simple, easy-to-understand solutions that provide real economic relief quickly and broadly. Lowering prescription drug costs by establishing a government program to sell generic drugs at a discount, cutting the price of insulin from $300 to $50. Policy-like lowering utility bill costs by cracking down on for-profit utility companies that overcharge consumers, saving the average family hundreds of dollars per year.

Lowering gas prices by taxing excess profits from big oil and returning that money directly to constituents. Lowering housing costs by building millions of new homes, expanding rental assistance, and helping first-time homebuyers with a $20,000 down payment assistance. Banning surveillance drug pricing, where companies use personal data and AI to charge people higher prices.

Putting more money in workers’ pockets by requiring companies to pay double wages for overtime instead of time and a half. And a new polling shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans, no matter what political party, support these proposals in our affordability agenda, including finally passing Medicare for All.”

In closing her address, Congresswoman Ansari said the State of the District was “resilient, and I am proud to be in this body with all of you.”

She continued with:

“We have people and communities here that refuse to be silenced, and we have the courage to fight for the future of this country. Let us prove once again that Democracy is stronger than fear, stronger than corruption, and stronger than the extremists trying to tear this country apart. This year marks America’s 250th anniversary, and I know that for some of us, patriotism can feel complicated during times that are especially difficult like this.

But I want to renew patriotism in this country. I want to rebuild systems that work for people and not billionaires. I want an America where your ability to enjoy life is not solely determined by your income.

The America that my parents came to, believing it could provide for a better life for me and my mother. It is the honor of my life to be in this fight with you. And please remember, we work for you.

We want to hear from you. Tell us what issues matter to you. Tell us what federal action is needed.

Tell us about casebook challenges, community problems, or neighbors who deserve congressional recognition. My district and my D.C. staff are here today watching how you are our first-ever team retreat this week for everyone in town. Please talk to them, get their business cards, and stay in touch with us.

And yes, even your DMs on Instagram really do matter. Many of the times it’s myself checking and responding. Because the privilege of representing you is truly an enormous one, and one that I intend to continue to earn every single day.”