In final House speech, U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria discusses gun violence, threats to democracy

Rep. Elaine Luria gave her final speech in Congress this week, touching on gun violence, threats to democracy and the ramifications of political division.

“It has been the honor of my life to serve the people of Coastal Virginia, support our veterans and military families, defend our democracy, strengthen and grow our Navy, and deliver for Hampton Roads,” she wrote on Twitter after delivering her remarks.

Luria, a Democrat and two-time incumbent, was recently unseated by Republican challenger Jen Kiggans in a fiercely contested race to represent Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.

During her Wednesday speech from the House floor, Luria said May 31, 2019, remains “etched in the memory of Virginia Beach” after a gunman fatally shot 12 victims and wounded four others at the city’s municipal center.

A similar tragedy played out this year on the eve of Thanksgiving, she said, with a gunman killing six victims at a Chesapeake Walmart.

“Among those was a 16-year old boy,” she said. “This Congress has taken measures to prevent these type of tragic events — but as I depart, I implore my colleagues to do more.”

During the first speech she gave in Congress, Luria recalled mentioning the oath she took as a Naval officer to defend the Constitution.

“Little did I know that two short years later I would witness an attempt by our own president and his allies to subvert the Constitution,” she said, referencing the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Luria, who serves on a House committee investigating the attack, said she was humbled to participate on the panel and thanked its members for “standing on the side of democracy.”

The congresswoman also recalled starting her first term in Congress during a partial government shutdown that resulted in a 35-day lapse in federal funding.

She said a pop-up food bank in her district offered support to Coast Guard families who were starting the new year without a paycheck.

“This was a story of our community stepping in to care for one another,” she said. “But (it’s also about) how the distraction caused by political theater and political divisions can lead to unnecessary hardship.”

The nation now faces another deadline to fund the government, Luria said.

She urged legislators to focus on the task at hand.

“We should not let divisions or rhetoric stand in the way of performing our fundamental role as Congress,” she said.

Luria, a retired Naval commander, was first elected in 2018.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com