Speeches and Statements

Good afternoon everybody.  I want to thank the Small Business Council of America for presenting me with this award.  I’m really honored and humbled to receive it. This award means a lot to me because small businesses mean a lot to me. They are the lifeblood of our national economy and of the Florida economy, my home state. Although the pandemic has affected these numbers, there are 2.7 million small businesses in Florida, employing 3.5 million Floridians.  Of every 10 private sector... Read more

Hello and welcome.   I’m Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy and I represent a district in Central Florida.   I’m honored to be here with my colleague, Congressman David Trone, who represents a district in Maryland.   Like so many of our colleagues, Congressman Trone and I represent communities that have been hit very hard by the opioid epidemic.   Too many of our constituents have lost their lives as a result of opioid overdoses. Opioids are the main cause of drug-related deaths... Read more

Mr. Speaker, I rise to say my final goodbye to Alcee Hastings, the dean of Florida’s congressional delegation, who recently passed away.  Someone will be elected to fill his seat, but Alcee is irreplaceable.    His life was full, complex, and extraordinary.      Born in 1936, Alcee spent his formative years in my district.  He lived in Altamonte Springs and attended the all-Black Crooms Academy in Sanford.   This was the segregated South, where the opportunities... Read more

Thank you, Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon.   And good afternoon everybody.   I’m Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy from Orlando.   I’m honored to be here at this historic ceremony, and humbled to have played a part in officially designating today, April 13 th , and every April 13 th going forward, as “National Borinqueneers Day.”        I want to acknowledge Secretary McDonough, General McConville, Congressman Soto, and Mr. Sam Rodriguez.   Together, they represent... Read more

Good morning, everybody. John, thank you for the introduction. And thank you to you and Shirley for inviting me. It’s great to be here with the Rotary Club of Oviedo. You’ve graciously asked me to speak about someone who is near and dear to my heart. It’s a person I never had the privilege to meet, but a person whose life and legacy inspire me very deeply, and a person whom I’ve tried to honor in different ways since I came to Congress in 2017. I’m talking, of course, about the late, great Alwyn... Read more

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment in the en bloc package.  If it is approved, I will vote for the bill.   The PRO Act aims to protect the right of workers to decide whether to form a union that can negotiate with their employer over working conditions.   It proceeds from the principle that America is stronger when the middle class is stronger—and the middle class is stronger when unions are stronger.   This principle is personal for me.  I grew up in Virginia,... Read more

Good morning.   I’m Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy.     There are over 100,000 people in my Orlando district who were born in Puerto Rico or who have Puerto Rican roots.   The state of Florida itself is now home to over 1.1 million Puerto Ricans, more than any other state.     The cause we are here to discuss—equality for the people of Puerto Rico—matters to the people of Florida, and it matters to me personally.     I want to acknowledge a few friends and... Read more

Mr. Speaker: I rise in support of the Equality Act, a long-overdue measure I’ve cosponsored to expand important civil rights protections to every American. This is personal for me and my district.  Central Florida is an area that prides itself on its diversity, compassion, and inclusiveness. But tragedy struck in June 2016 when a gunman walked into the Pulse nightclub and took the lives of 49 innocent people. Our community relied on those same values—diversity, compassion, and inclusiveness—to... Read more

Mr. Speaker: I rise to honor David King, a constituent of mine who recently passed away. David was born and raised in Tennessee.  He attended Tennessee Technical College and Vanderbilt Law School, where he was an editor of the law review. David then served honorably in the Marine Corps, deploying to Vietnam. Following his military service, David relocated to Orlando, with his college sweetheart Marilyn by his side.  Together, they made Central Florida home. David was a trial attorney of... Read more

Mr. Speaker: As part of our national celebration of Black History Month, I am paying tribute to African-American leaders from Florida who have made outstanding contributions to our community and our country. These accomplished men and women have not always received the recognition they have earned. Today I rise to honor Arthenia Joyner. Born in Lakeland and raised in Tampa, Ms. Joyner has been a champion for justice and equality from a young age, participating in her first civil rights demonstration... Read more