Indian American Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, has announced that Susan Perri will be his guest at President Donald Trump’s Joint Address to Congress on March 4, 2025.

Speaking on the House Floor, Rep. Subramanyam shared Susan’s story:

“Last week, the first speaker in line at my Town Hall was Susan Perri. You wouldn’t know it at first, but Susan has difficulty speaking. Within the last six months, she had a 7-centimeter tumor removed from her adrenal glands.”

Despite her challenges, Susan was determined to make her voice heard, speaking about how Republican-led budget cuts to Medicaid and medical research would impact her family and countless others.

“And I could hear her loud and clear,” Subramanyam said. “And that is why I am honored that Susan will be my guest at tomorrow’s Joint Address, because we should all hear her voice too.”

Susan, a retired special education teacher from Fauquier County, has deep personal stakes in these policies, he said. Her husband, a retired Postal Service employee of 44 years, worries about potential cuts to his retirement benefits. Meanwhile, their son, who has Cystic Fibrosis, has relied on groundbreaking NIH research and lifesaving medication approved by the federal government.

“As this Administration is cutting the very science that saves lives, Susan’s fight gives me hope that we can all make our voices heard and fight for change. So don’t underestimate Susan, and don’t underestimate the American people,” he added. 

In Virginia’s 10th District, over 98,000 residents – including 51,000 children – rely on Medicaid and are at risk of losing healthcare under the proposed Republican budget. Additionally, 14,000 people in the district depend on SNAP benefits, which also face potential cuts.

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