Rep. Jennifer Wexton made a little more history Tuesday in her final speech on the House floor.
The Virginia Democrat, who is retiring from Congress after announcing last year that she had been diagnosed with a severe neurological disorder, delivered her farewell remarks with the assistance of an augmentative and alternative communication device with an artificial intelligence-enabled version of her own voice.
“As I battled this disease, which robbed me of my ability to move and speak, I wanted to make the most of my platform to bring some good out of this terrible situation. As I mentioned, my best ideas for legislation often come from personal stories constituents share with me. Now, it was my own struggle that I hoped to help turn into meaningful change in policy,” Wexton said.
Wexton first announced in April 2023 that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which affects the nervous system. At the time, she said she planned to remain in Congress while undergoing treatment. But that September, she revealed that doctors had modified her diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy, which she described as “a kind of ‘Parkinson’s on steroids,’” and announced that she would not seek reelection. PSP is a rare neurological disorder that can affect body movements, walking, balance and eye movements, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can later affect swallowing. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms because there is no cure.
Wexton unveiled the AI voice model in July, when she became the first member of Congress to use the technology to aid in delivering a floor speech.
“This has been a journey which has been so challenging, yet one which I am proud to have stood strong in and done my part to give hope and comfort to others facing similar battles,” she said on the floor Tuesday. “Our disabilities and our health struggles do not define who we are, and I feel more strongly than ever that it is so important to share that truth with the world.”
In her remarks, Wexton recalled being drawn to politics by a 2008 speech by then-Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., at Ida Lee Park in Leesburg, Va.
“As I head into my final days in Congress, I’m choosing — once again — to have hope. People didn’t lose hope in me after my diagnosis. I have real hope that one day we’ll find a cure for PSP and other atypical Parkinsonisms,” she said. “I see reasons for hope every day, especially in young people, women and girls, and others who don’t traditionally have a seat at the tables of power, who are discovering and believing in the power of public service — just like I did all those years ago at Ida Lee Park.”
A former Loudoun County prosecutor, Wexton was elected to the Virginia Senate in a 2014 special election. She entered Congress in 2019 after unseating Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia’s 10th District.
She will be succeeded next month by state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam, a fellow Democrat who won a closer-than-expected November election for the seat.
Mary Ellen McIntire contributed to this report.
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