Pressley, Who Was Among Dozens of Members to Depart the Speech, Attended to Honor Her Guest, a Fired HUD Worker and Everett Constituent

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement after walking out of the House chamber during the Presidential joint address to Congress. Congresswoman Pressley was among dozens of members of Congress who walked out in protest. She attended the speech to escort her guest, Claire Bergstresser, an Everett constituent, dedicated public servant, and AFGE union member who was unjustly terminated from HUD as part of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s assault on the federal workforce.

“I attended this joint session tonight to honor my guest Claire, a former HUD employee who was unjustly terminated as part of Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s unprecedented and unlawful attacks on our federal workers. Federal workers like her make our communities stronger, and I was proud to uplift their experiences by having Claire as my distinguished guest tonight.

“However, I could not in good conscience sit through this speech and give an audience to someone who operates with lawless disregard for Congress and the people of this nation. Donald Trump has used his bully pulpit to spread lies, demonize vulnerable communities, and double down on the hurt, hate, and harm in his first 43 days in office. He does not respect Congress as a co-equal branch of government, and he has spent his time in office attacking our communities and letting an un-elected, unaccountable billionaire ransack our federal agencies and gut the essential services our families depend on—all to enrich themselves and their billionaire friends.

“This speech was just a reminder of that. It was chilling.

“I remain squarely focused on my constituents, our community, and working to do everything I can to stop this Republican majority from making horrific cuts to Medicaid, halting cancer research, and attacking our dedicated federal workers.”

As a leading voice in Congress for workers’ justice, housing justice, and disability justice, Rep. Pressley invited Claire to platform her story, stand up for vulnerable communities and those in need of accessible housing, and push back against Trump’s unlawful attack on federal workers. Rep. Pressley has been an outspoken advocate for the rights and protections of federal workers amid the Musk-Trump Administration’s unlawful onslaught on federal agencies.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a committed champion for federal workers, taking a stand to protect federal workers and the essential work they do for our communities and fighting for the necessary oversight and efficiency of the federal government.

• On February 28, 2025, Rep. Pressley led 85 lawmakers in a letter urging the Office of Special Counsel to immediate reinstate and expand protections for all unfairly fired federal workers.
• In a House Oversight Committee hearing on February 25, 2025, Rep. Pressley condemned Elon Musk’s abuse of government efficiency through the fraudulent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
• On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied with Senator Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member Maxine Waters, and advocates to protest Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s unlawful takeover of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
• On February 11, 2025, in a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Rep. Pressley criticized the Trump-Musk administration for halting the critical work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) with crypto scams on the rise.
• On February 10, 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming the Trump Administration’s harmful cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to support hospitals, universities, and research institutions conducting lifesaving research.
• On February 10, 2025, as Trump and Musk threaten to dismantle the essential work of the U.S. Department of Education, Rep.  Pressley delivered a powerful floor speech to affirm the role of public education in American democracy.
• On February 5, 2025, Rep. Pressley rallied outside the U.S. Department of Treasury to protest Elon Musk’s unlawful assault on federal agencies and our democracy.
• In January 2025, Rep. Pressley issued a statement slamming Trump’s illegal freeze on federal grants and loans and its harmful impact on vulnerable communities.

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