Congresswoman Simon Boycotts the State of the Union, Highlights the Need for Justice for Survivors and a New Path Forward for All Americans

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) released the following statement after the President’s State of the Union. She did not attend, and instead, highlighted the work of her guest, Nola Brantley, co-founder of MISSSEY (Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth) in Oakland. MISSSEY is a survivor-led organization that is confronting human trafficking in Oakland, in Alameda County, and throughout California. Nola currently leads Nola Brantley Speaks where she advocates and conducts training work around youth empowerment and anti-trafficking. 

Of the State of the Union, Congresswoman Simon said: 

“It is abundantly clear that the current state of our union is dire. It does not matter what the President says today. The proof is in his Administration’s actions. 

“From Day 1, this Administration has acted lawlessly and advanced policies that hurt people, not help them. Disregarding basic civil liberties that our elders fought for: gutting workers’ rights, covering up for his friends while survivors seek justice, willingly breaking our public education and health care systems, terrorizing immigrant communities, silencing and even killing people who disagree – the list goes on. This president is in service to no one, but himself. We know the truth: this Administration is not improving the state of our union, and a new path forward is necessary.  

“My guest is Nola Brantley, who started MISSSEY, Oakland’s first ‘survivor-led, survivor-informed’ nonprofit supporting girls and young women experiencing exploitation. This Congress, Oversight Committee Democrats have fought to release the full Epstein files and secure justice for the survivors. This underscores a larger fight in our nation right now – we need a government that works for all, that works towards justice, that works to ensure people do not fall through the cracks.  

“This path forward is not out of reach. In the Bay Area, we have continuously (re)built systems with courage and care and created beautiful new realities guided by histories of migration. As this Administration tries to erase the living history of this nation and eradicate collective belief in a government that works, we must continue to tell the truth, reject despair, and work towards the better. This thinking guides my work in Congress every day and the work I am doing with my Democratic colleagues to ensure that we legislate, conduct oversight and rebuild over this terror the day we get the gavel back.”  

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