Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) addressed the House of Representatives using voice assistance on Monday, more than a year after disclosing her Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
“Last year, I was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, or PSP,” Wexton began her floor speech Monday using audio assistance. “PSP has made it very difficult for me to speak. I use support apps to help you and my colleagues understand me.”
Wexton went on to discuss a proposed bill to rename the Purcellville Post Office after Madeline Albright, the first female U.S. Secretary of State, who lived for many years in the 10th Congressional District in Wexton, Virginia.
Mr Wexton, 55, revealed last year that he has Parkinson’s disease, saying at the time that the disease “predominantly affects” his speech and mouth movements. It also affects her walking movements and how she maintains her balance.
During her April 2023 announcement, she asked people not to “feel sorry” for her and said she had a “positive attitude”.
Several months later, she announced that she would not run for re-election given her prognosis.
“After years of serving the community, I am heartbroken to have to give up something I love so much,” Wexton said. stated in a statement During September. “However, given the prognosis for my health in the coming years, I will not seek re-election once my term ends and will instead spend valuable time with Andrew, my sons, and my friends and loved ones. I have decided that.
The Virginia Democrat has represented the state’s 10th Congressional District since 2019, flipping the seat held by Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. Since then, she has been re-elected twice to represent Virginia’s 10th District, which consists of the suburbs outside Washington.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, PSP is a “rare neurological disorder that affects body movement, gait and balance, and eye movements.” The disease can cause severe disability and severe complications within three to five years, the institute said.
Wexton’s use of voice assist in Monday’s floor speech received praise on social media.
“Congresswoman Wexton is such a fighting man. Even though her illness has taken away her ability to speak, she fights every day for the people she represents. Truly an inspiration we can all learn from. Isaiah Martin, Texas Democratic Congressional candidate. I wrote it on social platform X.
“Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton is inspiring every day. She continues to dedicate herself to the 10th District with extraordinary courage and grace. We’re lucky that he fought for it,” said Rip Sullivan, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. I wrote to X.
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