In his First Floor Speech, Representative Magaziner Emphasizes Commitment to Fighting for Working People

Magaziner vowed to fight for working people against the powerful interests who stand in the way of better wages, better healthcare, and lower costs

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Magaziner (RI-02) delivered his first speech on the House floor to introduce himself and lay out his legislative priorities for this Congress. Magaziner focused on his dedication to working Rhode Islanders and reaffirmed his commitment to fighting for all families’ right to a middle-class lifestyle, a secure retirement, and a better future for their children.

“As the Representative for Rhode Island’s Second District, I am determined to restore the promise of the American Dream, so that everyone who is willing to work hard and do the right thing can build a great life for themselves and their children,” said Representative Magaziner. “There’s no question that we have our work cut out for us. But together, I’m confident that we will be able to deliver real change to Washington, so that all Rhode Islanders, and all working Americans can have the opportunity to succeed.”

Watch Rep. Magaziner’s remarks HERE.

Read the Representative’s full remarks below:

The Honorable Representative Seth Magaziner

First 5-minute Floor Speech

January 31st, 2023

Remarks as prepared for delivery

Mister Speaker,

I rise today to offer my first general remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

I’d like to begin by thanking my predecessor, Jim Langevin, for his 22 years of distinguished service representing the people of Rhode Island’s Second Congressional District.

As the first quadriplegic ever elected to Congress, Jim was no stranger to life’s challenges. But no matter what was thrown Jim’s way, he always persevered.

For over two decades, Jim Langevin made Rhode Islanders proud through his leadership in Congress.

He became a widely recognized expert on national security – and cybersecurity in particular.

He was a trailblazer for the disability community, and he shepherded several key pieces of legislation that have made our society more accessible for all.

But most of all, Rhode Islanders always knew that they could count on Jim to listen to their problems and advocate for their families here in Washington D.C.

Thank you, Jim, for all your years of service to Rhode Island.

I am so honored that Rhode Islanders have chosen me to take up the mantle of representing the Second District.

I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, and I feel an abiding sense of responsibility to deliver for the working people who sent me here to fight on their behalf.

I enter Congress as a proud descendant of immigrants.

My grandparents came of age during the Depression.

On my mother’s side was Grandpa Bob, the son of Irish immigrants, who grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts.

After serving in the Marines during World War II, Bob took a job as a steelworker at a company that made airplane parts.

On my father’s side was Grandpa Louis, the son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, who was raised in New York City and served in the U.S. Army in Europe during World War II.

After he returned, Louis worked as a bookkeeper in New York for a company that canned tomatoes.

Neither of them worked in particularly glamorous jobs.

But with a lot of hard work and a little help from the GI bill, these two children of immigrants were able to buy houses for their families, put their kids through school, and earn a ticket to the middle class.

That’s the way things are supposed to be in this country!

If you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to have a stable life, a comfortable retirement, and provide opportunity for your children.

But we all know that’s gotten harder.

That American Dream of economic mobility has broken down for many families – and it was never fully afforded to others to begin with.

There are a lot of statistics to back this up, but the Rhode Islanders I talk to don’t need to see the data – they feel it in their gut.

Despite working harder and harder, they feel that the middle class lifestyle is slipping further and further out of reach.

This has got to change.

As the Representative for Rhode Island’s Second District, I am determined to restore the promise of the American Dream, so that everyone who is willing to work hard and do the right thing can build a great life for themselves and their children.

That starts by going to bat for working people against the powerful interests and their well-funded lobbyists who stand in the way of better wages, better benefits, and good-paying jobs.

I will fight for the right to organize, because you can’t have a broad middle class without healthy labor unions.

I’ll take on Big Oil and Big Pharma, who are keeping record profits for themselves while overcharging Rhode Islanders at the gas pump and the pharmacy.

I’ll work to invest in childcare and universal preschool, because no child’s future should be limited by whether or not their parents have enough money to put them in school.

I will advocate for vocational training and apprenticeships so that we have more people like my Grandpa Bob who can make a living by making things in this country.

I’ll partner with anyone to bring back more manufacturing jobs to our country, and transition to an affordable clean energy economy.

I will always defend the freedoms and democratic ideals that make us the greatest nation on Earth.

This is my commitment to the people of Rhode Island.

There’s no question that we have our work cut out for us.

But together, I’m confident that we will be able to deliver real change to Washington, so that all Rhode Islanders, and all working Americans can have the opportunity to succeed.

I yield back the balance of my time.