‘Squad’ Rep Addresses Near-Empty House Chamber On Way Out Of Congress
Rep. Cori Bush, the St. Louis Democrat who will be departing the House following her loss in a closely watched primary, delivered her farewell speech on the chamber floor Thursday.
During her address, she highlighted her achievements, noted the message sent by November’s election results, and hinted that her time in Congress might not be over, according to local outlet Spectrum News.
Bush, who emerged from the Ferguson protest movement, gained prominence after defeating incumbent Rep. Lacy Clay in the 2020 Democratic primary for Missouri’s first congressional district, which includes St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County. In 2022, she handily beat State Sen. Steve Roberts in the primary and secured re-election in her heavily Democratic district, the outlet reported.
She recalled her activism in 2021, particularly when she and others camped outside the U.S. Capitol to protest the looming expiration of a pandemic-era eviction moratorium. Their efforts persisted until an agreement for an extension was reached.
A vocal critic of Israel’s policies in Gaza and U.S. support for Israel, Bush was defeated in the August primary by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell, as voters in her district grew frustrated with her far-left positions.
Bush opposed the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill—one of President Biden’s signature achievements—as an act of protest after the broader “Build Back Better” agenda was pared down.
“When the President asked us to fight for his full economic agenda, I fought. We fought,” she remarked Thursday, joined by a few of her fellow ‘Squad’ members.
“But for a few corporate Democrats, the Build Back Better Act would be the law of the land now,” she continued. “We would have stopped talking about rising inflation and instead delivered on universal pre-K, affordable childcare, a permanent, monthly child tax credit, paid leave, free school meals, investments in our caregivers, historic funding to build new affordable housing and rehabilitate crumbling housing stock, expanded Medicare benefits, taxes on billionaire corporations and the ultra-wealthy so that they can finally pay their fair share, and lastly, removing every lead pipe poisoning our communities.”
She concluded, “We may have lost that fight, but there must be a reckoning. The November election has shown that we were right to fight with everything we had for Build Back Better. This party must do better.”
Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York, another far-left ‘Squad’ member, also lost his reelection bid.
Since last January, Bush has been under increased scrutiny following revelations of an FBI investigation into her use of campaign funds for private security, including payments to her now-husband. She has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
While Bush has not outlined specific plans for her next steps, she suggested that her time in the Capitol might not be over, according to the local outlet.
“While my time in Congress may be coming to an end for now, for now…. know this, I came into Congress with my voice. Congress did not give that to me. Congress can not take that away when I leave,” she declared.
In the August primary, Bell secured a decisive victory over Bush, garnering 54.9% of the vote to her 41.8%, as reported by Decision Desk HQ.
Following her primary defeat, Republicans mocked Bush on social media.
Pro-Trump comedian Terrance K. Williams posted on X, formerly Twitter: “A ‘BLACK JOB’ IS SOMETHING CORI BUSH DOES NOT HAVE. OH HAPPY DAY! OH HAPPY DAY.
“She is the Second Squad member to lose her seat! I can’t wait until they are all gone. They are all full of hate [and] stupidity. I’m laughing so hard. Who’s laughing with me?” he wrote.
In a sarcastic post, then-Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, who served on the House Judiciary Committee alongside Bush, quipped: “I will miss Cori Bush missing every committee meeting.”
Ryan Fournier, co-founder of Students for Trump, shared: “The Squad’s Cori Bush has LOST her primary. Join me in saying GOOD RIDDANCE! Hamas might be hiring, Cori!”