Teresa Leger Fernandez:
I just came from voting. So…
Mary-Charlotte Domandi:
Are you in the hallowed halls?
TLF:
I’m in the hallowed halls. We just voted on the rules for the resolution to pass a budget resolution, as well as the budget resolution an apprenticeship program and fines and enforcement for wearing masks and taking guns and all that kind of stuff.
So anyways, so that’s a good thing. You know, the wonderful thing is there’s this wonderful reading room for women, and it’s just this great place you get your feet up. I went in there and in fact, the first all-women of color delegation from Delaware, Lisa was there and that’s why in New Mexico, we couldn’t say we were the first all women of color delegation because Lisa is a black woman representing Delaware. And it’s, there’s only one woman, so there’s only one in Congress. So it was an all-woman of color delegation, but it was only one person. So that was always kind of funny.
MCD:
Now, was this the famous room where they were holed up during the insurrection?
TLF:
Yeah, there were some that were holed up there too. Women were stranded in there. And they were, they blockaded themselves in there. And that’s when that the rioters and insurrectionists were right outside their door. And so they like literally put furniture up against the main entrance into it. And then they went into a different room within that suite. It’s a four-room suite. Yeah. So, but, it’s wonderful—they were barricaded there, but it’s this great place. And it used to be just a few women would use it … sorry, I’m talking to Lisa Blunt. We sat down there, we had exchanged some chats earlier because she talks a lot about love. And so we exchanged comments about love, and we started having these wonderful comments about the role that love plays and what we’re doing and the idea of, a journey, the hero’s journey, and the work, she’s always seen it as helping people live their purpose. And the idea that finding your passion is such a wrong thing to tell people; it’s really do what you do passionately. So we were just riffing off different things that I talk about that she talks about. And we had just so much in common and she’s such a wonderful person. Anyway, it was a wonderful way to connect even in these circumstances where we have these masks and we really can’t be together in a normal situation. There are still moments—not as many moments as they would normally be—but there are still of connection that we can make.
MCD:
How does love play into your work as a Congresswoman?
TLF:
Well, I always, I ran my campaign, talked about using the power of love to inform decisions that we make, that when you love something, whether it’s an ideal, a community, a child, a friend, that you want to protect it from harm, but not just protect it from harm, but make it thrive. And so when you look at some of the legislation that I am going to be pushing and supporting and getting so excited about that, it actually can happen. Legislation that actually helps communities thrive. That protects communities from harm, protects the earth from harm, helps mother earth thrive. So I think that that’s that emotion, that power that you have for things you love, leads to both of those one, a protective side, and a creating opportunity side. You don’t just want to protect your child. You want your child to thrive. And so, you know, I use that a lot and I like the idea that there are those of us who approach legislating from a concept of love and protection, rather than just always the concept of fighting, right? So many politicians and campaigns. You always want to be the fighter for, I fight for you. I fight for you. And I think that there was a little more, you know, warrior violence kind of based metaphor versus a metaphor that talks to the power of love versus the power of flight.
MCD:
You know, the other thing that I’m noticing—I have a lot of conversations with people and I watch Facebook groups and political groups with people of quite different political orientations—and one of the things that I think is so tricky and hard to fight against is just cynicism. Like “all politicians suck, man.” Do you have that coming at you like that? Cynicism,
TLF:
I haven’t had that coming at me yet. It might come at me when we’re in a more regular world. Right now the people we talk to and see, it’s all voluntary, they’re signing up for Zooms. So I think that there will be a moment when it’s more open and it’s easier to be there rather than I think that’s a bad thing about Zoom is they kind of limit the number of people who show up at things. And so they limit that kind of interaction from a broader group who might just show up at a rally somewhere and shout say those things. I haven’t had it happen yet, though.
MCD:
Anything else on your mind today?
TLF:
No, that’s it. I mean, it was really wonderful to vote today for, this is the procedural vote that then allows us to take the vote on the budget that will establish the framework for being able to pass the rescue and recovery plan. So these are important things. These are significant $1.9 trillion investments in our community, which is about love. If you love your community, you can do everything you need to help it recover from COVID. So this was one of those votes on the process to get there.
