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>> democracy is always an unfinished creation. >> democracy is worth dying for. >> democracy belongs to us all. >> we are here in the sanctuary of democracy. >> great responsibilities fall once again to the great democracies. >> american democracy is bigger than any one person. >> freedom and democracy must be constantly guarded and protected. >> we are still, at our core, a democracy. >> this is also a massive victory for democracy and for freedom. >> coming up next, conversatio with new members of congress, talking about their early lives, previous carrs, their families, and what dve their interest in running for office. spoke with representatives eugene vindman of virginia, bob under of missouri, wesley bell of missouri, rob bresnahan of

pennsylvania, and emily randall of washington. >> one of more than 60 members of the u.s. house is democrat eugene vindman. he was born in the ukraine and after a career in the u.s. military and government service, old elected office for the first time. he is also the brother of alexander vindman, who came to national attention in 2019 when he testified before congress on president donald trump's relationship with ukraine. >> i spent 25 years in the military, serving this country. even after i retired, i continued serving in a different capacity, investigating more crimes in ukraine. after our fantastic representative, abigail spanberger, retired, there was an opportunity to continue to serve during a time when i thought the election coming up was critical. decided to throw my hat in the ring. and things worked out. >> like your brother, alexander,

who made so much news, you were born in ukraine. tell me the story of how you came to america. >> alex and i are identical twins. we have an older brother. the five of us, my dad, my two brothers, and my grandma, came to the u.s. in 1979 with less than $800 between us. we did not speak a lick of english. we moved into -- we were actually former soviet refugees, from soviet ukraine. we moved to new york city, and ethnic neighborhood in brighton beach, and grew up there. really a working class family. my dad, for the first eight months, did not speak any english. he still has his notebook where he learned 10 english words a day until he learned enough to pass a technical civil engineering exam and began to

work for the city of new york. we grew up, went to public schools, i went to public university, and the first chance we got, all three of us served in the military, to return the favor ingratitude gratitude to this country. we all served in uniform. >> what did all these experiences teach you? >> hard work. the value of patriotism and love of country. i worked with people from all walks of life. it did not matter whether you were a democrat, republican, independent, black, white, hispanic. we all served because we love this country. and frankly, some of the most patriotic people that i worked with were immigrants. they had the opportunity to come here, whether it was refugees or as immigrants. and it was a wonderful experience. >> let's talk about 2019.

the name vindman is often connected with that phone call between president trump and ukraine's president zelenskyy. what was your role in that story? where were you at the time? what happened? connect the story to your brother and what happened after. >> i was a deputy legal advisor, a lieutenant colonel assigned to the white house on a detail, a deputy legal advisor on the security council staff. the chief ethics official on the national security council staff. i worked right across the hall from my twin brother. he had the portfolio of russia and ukraine, belarus, moldova. he listened to the phone call. he heard the president's attempt at extortion, and he reported directly to me. we talked about it briefly and we knew we had a duty to report that call, to report it up the chain. the rest is history. >> what did that episode teach

you, and especially teach you about washington? >> i think there are some lessons still to be learned. but for us, that phone call, the report of that phone call, was a form of our duty. had we not reported the phone call, i think we would have been derelict in our duty. but it taught me is that there is no place in washington, even if it is national security, that politics does not come into play. that is what i learned from that episode. >> long experience in the army and at the trump white house for a time. how did that prepare you for this particular new role? >> the experience in the army was the best preparation. every two or three years, you have a new assignment. you are thrown into a pot where you may not have done the job ever before. i had the privilege of being a

prosecutor as a jagged officer deploying to erect and advising commanders in the field on national security law, war issues. working at the white house on the national security council. being resilient, adaptable, doing your homework, putting in the hard work to understand an issue, and struggling through what the right answer is. i think all of those -- all of those experiences prepared me. leading troops, stepping out and leading -- all of those were great experiences. >> politically speaking, were you always a democrat? what does that affiliation mean to you? >> i came from a working-class family. my dad was in a union. this union benefits were critical to making sure our immigrant family, three boys -- our stepmom joined, and we had a stepbrother as well.

the four of us, we had the benefits we needed in order to survive the cuts, scrapes, and broken bones that we had. that opportunity that we had to enter the middle class is the type of opportunity i want to provide to my family and every american family and every family in virginia's seventh congressional district. i would say i have a certain set of values that i grew up with. i have talked about education and integrity and hard work. but, you know, from my time in the military, politics was not a huge factor. i worked for chronic and republican administrations. and i cared deeply about this country, about our national security. >> tell us about your family and what they think of this new job. >> i have a 14-year-old daughter and she told me that i should not -- that i should be more of

a sigma. if you have teenagers, you know what that is. that is some of the slang that kids use these days. i'm a middle -- she is a middle school are. i am proud of her. i have a son who is in his third year at william and mary, and he is doing great. i married my wife of funny six years who has been with me every step of the way. we are college sweethearts. after decades of moving around, we have made northern virginia, northern central virginia are home. our kids have gone to school there. we love the region. i love to spend time with the family. right now, we would be maybe skiing. but hiking. and binge watching tv shows, things like that. >> republican bob under-- onder of missouri has a varied

background as a doctor who also holds a law degree, a legislature -- legislator in his home state, and a licensed pilot. he talks about why he ran for a seat in congress. >> this country has been so good for me and my family. i wanted my kids and grandkids to have the same opportunities i did. i saw our country threatened by different issues -- the invasion of our southern border, rising crime, the economic catastrophes of the last four years, rampant wokeness, poor energy policy. i thought i needed to step forward and do something about it. >> what is it like being here so far? >> it is exciting. it is really an honor and a privilege to be sent by the people of my district to represent them in washington. yesterday was a really exciting day, certifying the election of donald trump as the president. we are excited to get to work. today, we passed the laken riley bill to push back and protect

americans against criminal illegal aliens. i am just very excited to be getting to work. >> let's learn more about you. where did you grow up and what kind of experiences do you remember? >> i grew up in south st. louis county. my family goes back several generations in missouri. my father was an accountant. my mom ran a tax and bookkeeping service. one brother and one sister. i grew up in south st. louis city and then south st. louis county. and we were a very close net family. my parents worked extremely hard and set a great example. valued education. stayed together. they have been married over 60 years. and we really -- it really was a close community in south st. louis county back then. you could leave your doors open. the kids played in the church parking lot after school. and really, we benefited from that, that american dream of

solid families, homeownership, parents who work hard, valued education, state together. something that too often is missing from society nowadays. >> when did you first become politically aware? >> a long time ago. i'm dating myself now. in junior high during watergate, i watched the watergate hearings. i'm not sure i really understood exactly what was going on. but i started to volunteer in political campaigns and ballot initiatives. but i really became much more politically active in college. my first presidential election i was very involved in was ronald reagan's. >> you have a law degree and a medical degree. what do you practice west and mark >> i am an allergy specialist. kind of a forced retirement because of congressional ethics rules. but yeah, i still keep in touch with the folks back home.

>> tell us where all that ambition comes from. >> i think just from the good example of my parents. my parents always worked two or three jobs. i sister also got a medical degree. my brother is a lawyer. i just think that -- i don't know if you would call it ambition. just restless. had time on my hands. so i went to law school. being interested in politics, public policy, and the law -- not 100% sure what i was going to do with it. i decided to stay with medicine. but now i practice law by writing laws. >> you have also spent time in the missouri house and senate. how do you think those experiences translate into congress? >> i think those experiences translate very well. i spent two years in the house, eight years in the missouri senate. i will tell you some of the issues we tackled back their are very much alive today. we tackled the issue of illegal immigration. he passed the strongest state law in the country to fight

illegal immigration. we worked on issues like the second amendment. because we were a state, we had a balanced budget amendment and we always balanced our budget and lived within our means, reformed entitlements. i think all of those -- the skills of being a legislator, and also the background in those issues, will serve me well here in congress. >> you know represent the third district of missouri. tell me about the folks back home. >> the third congressional district is really diverse. it goes from the suburbs of st. louis county all the way into central missouri. a lot of farmland. a lot of ranchers and farmers. a flagship university, colombia -- columbia. go tigers. the seat of government in jefferson city. then, the lake of the ozarks. a big, diverse district. 16 counties. i am honored to represent such a great district. cliques tell us about your family and what they think of this. >> my wife and i, allison, have

raised our family for 25 years on a farm. we have six children, and they are excited as well. >> you own a small business. >> the medical practice. we also do clinical research, pharmaceutical research. also, a little bit of commercial real estate. i have signed, as they say, the front of the paycheck as well as the back. >> i also read that you have a pilots license. when did that happen? and what do you fly? >> i learned on a small cessna 150, a little two-seater. luckily, my instructor was a pretty small guy or we would not have fit. i got my license a few years ago and got my instrument rating. i fly a serious sr 22, known as the plane with the parachute. that is the only plane my wife would let me get. >> how else do you like to spend

your time when you are not working? >> i like to spend a lot of time outdoors, hunting, bicycling, reading. mostly spinning time with my family. >> democrat wesley bell of missouri is one of the new members of the u.s. house. he is an attorney who became the first african-american to hold the position of st. louis county prosecutor. he talks about his career including his first run for elective office. he won a seat on the ferguson, missouri town council after the protests there a decade ago. >> i thought i could help. at the time, i taught at the community college in ferguson. at the time, i was a municipal court judge. i was a former public defender. and i thought that my expertise, my skill set, could help potentially turn things around. so i put my hat in the ring and was very fortunate to get the opportunity to be on the negotiating team with then

president barack obama's department of justice, helping create and negotiate the ferguson consent decree, bringing body cameras to every single police officer, increasing pay for our law enforcement officers, and just being part of the group that helped turn a very tough situation around. >> what did you learn personally and professionally from that experience? >> what i learned is that there is no substitute for listening and building relationships, not only with your constituents, most importantly, it also with stakeholders. the firstcouncil, i had a typicr and i wrote up this platform that i thought was god's gift to politics and i got into my first town hall meeting. and i tore it up after five seconds because folks started asking questions and started telling me what their issues

were and i were able -- i was able to create a platform based on the folks that i wanted to represent and i have never forgotten that, and that is why that community engagement and outreach piece is so important. >> you grew up in the st. louis area, what was early life like? rep. bell: football and school. my parents were essentially those folks who were like ok, you can do whatever you want within reason as long as the grades are good. if the grades are not good everything gets shut down. and growing up the youngest of four boys we played football in the basement and when the weather was good we played outside. he played organized we sports. but also, just being a part of a great community and having a great support system. it is fortunate with the support that i have had. >> you of congress -- come to congress having served as prosecuting attorney for several

years. what was your approach to the position and what would people remember? rep. bell: our focus was on practical criminal justice reform. we recognize that serious and violent offenders have to be held accountable. there is no getting around that. when you cross the line of harming folks, we will hold you accountable. there is also a large bucket of people struggling with opioid abuse, mental health issues that have not hurt or harmed anyone other than the disease that they are struggling with. for those folks, those nonviolent and low-level offenders we expanded treatment program by creating an advisory committee where we connected our criminal justice system with our health care system. i got a good piece of advice, you want to picture public safety problem, fix your health care problem. so many folks who come through

the colonel justice system are struggling with medical or diseases and as i said, mental health and we have to address those root causes. >> you are the first african-american to serve in that position, what did that mean to you and to others? rep. bell: it is not lost on me being the first of anything and i obviously recognize the responsibility of that. you want to set an example for those who look like me who might want to come along and do this 10 years from now or 15 years from now or however long and so but, also we want to do the work. we want to keep our region safe. i do not care what letter is in front of your name, democrats as well as republicans, everyone cares about the safety of your family and loved ones.

and so that job, i take very seriously. i took it very seriously and i will continue to support local prosecutors as well as da's and law enforcement to make sure they have all of the tools that they need. but some of those are about treatment. in addition to addressing incarcerating and violent offenders. >> do you remember the moment you wanted to run and what drives you? rep. bell: it was a culmination of events. my time in ferguson opened up my eyes to the need in ferguson and across the state and country for practical criminal justice reform. and, as a former professor, teaching our young people and recognizing that a lot of folks, they want a lot of young people are looking for opportunities, and we want to make sure -- make certain that we grow these -- this economy hopefully in my

district that also has a former judge. you know, i saw folks at their lowest in many cases. and what i have seen consistently is whether someone agrees or disagrees, what is more important is to be treated fairly. i bring all of those experiences to my role in the house of representatives and it is an honor and pleasure to serve. and i am looking forward to it. >> how would you describe yourself politically? rep. bell: a common sense public servant, laser focus on getting things done for my constituents. and if that means i'm going to work with anyone that has the interest of the saint -- of the st. louis region and this country in mind. and so, i look forward to working with my fellow democrats and when possible, we will reach across the aisle and work with republicans.

i think we agree on a lot more than we disagree and i think it is time we focused on those things. >> back to the family and the brothers of yours, what does everyone think about this? rep. bell: it occurred to me on swearing in about 50 to 60 people came to town. i think they were more excited than i am, actually. so, it is just humbling and also, exciting to know that i can serve the folks back at home , and what they are going to get from me is someone who will put the st. louis region first. we will focus on getting things done. creating good jobs, and lowering the cost of food and drug costs. but every day waking up and thinking about what can i do for our region. >> rob bresnahan of pennsylvania is one of 60 new members.

he owns a real estate developer and country -- company and has leadership experience in his family's election -- electrical business. rep. bresnahan: i have absolutely no political experience. no one in my family ever so much ran for dogcatcher. i am the first one to come through the political environment. our family business or it was traffic signals. every -- heavy highway electrical contracting. my grandfather started a company with a station wagon and a ladder on the roof. in 2008 we got clobbered by the financial downturn and with banks and bonding partners looking for a succession plan i was going to go to school in philadelphia for construction management at drexel university. i grandparent said we will sell you the company if you get a four year degree from my acceptance. i always knew that i would be

back into the family business. i just did not think it would be at the age of 19 as cfo. but to whom much is given, much is required. it is something that i took seriously. the company grew formal -- 400 and -- 400% going to work in 19 different states and i am so incredibly incited to represent my home in washington, d.c.. >> where did the political bug come from? rep. bresnahan: i always tried to help the right people to run for the right reasons. people who did not have an ulterior motive that truly wanted to make northeastern pennsylvania and represent my home and values. so, i have been watching the political landscape and actually came to washington, d.c. for a legislative fly in with national electrical contractors association. we had done some lobbying and we were talking about 529's and how

imperative it is to create the next generation of worker and i met with a member and i felt like he was not very interested in what we are talking about and i felt like i could do that job. never thinking that i would end up doing it. and i had a very successful company and a girlfriend at a time that tolerated me throwing myself into the political gauntlet. that was not something i was looking at doing especially at this point in my life. it goes back to the first statement, to whom much is given, much is required. i want to get back to northeastern pennsylvania. >> what is it about running a business to lend -- that lends itself to being a lawmaker? rep. bresnahan: we are a union electrical contractor. i come from the operating engineer background. the big reason we were able to grow so quickly was because of our relationships with our trade partners. i always consider myself a pragmatic and common sense solution oriented person. i am not from a lineage of

legislators. but i have always looked at situations individually and tried to make the best decision every day for the company. i have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. but i think it comes down to just really being approachable and accessible and listening to people because when you are running a company or helping your district, you are thinking about what is best for your employees and what is best for your district or the company. and i think that being pragmatic and common sense is a fundamental principle you need to be here. >> how would you describe yourself politically? rep. bresnahan: fiscal conservative and socially more moderate. i look at situations and issues individually. i have never been a believer in one-size-fits-all. i am a common sense conservative if that makes sense because i have considered myself to be a rational and independent anger.

i do not know where i fall and that landscape on the climate or temperature. i am a regular person that was born in my district, raised and went to school in my district. i reinvested into my district and i know i will die and buried in my district. my job in my voting card is owned by only the people of northeastern pennsylvania. >> what do you like to do in your spare time? rep. bresnahan: my fiance and i took place in the new york mayor caught -- marathon two years ago. beaches are my worst vacation because i am not a person to just sit still and sit idle. you know, i used to golf once upon a time and i think i have only played four rounds in the last 15 months since we have ventured into the campaign. and now being down here. i love being a part of my community. over the weekend we went to a paramedic fundraiser for one of

our local emergency responders who fell ill to cancer. just being home. i work here but my heart and home is northeastern pa. >> you are 34 years old, longer-term plans? rep. bresnahan: no. i am just excited that a kid from butler street in wyoming, pennsylvania can be representing his family's home. we have called it home for five generations so now i am here to focus on people of paa> >> emily randle of washington state is one of 60 new members of the u.s. house. before her election she served in the washington senate. she talks about her career which also includes work as a community organizer. rep. randall: i worked mostly in nonprofit health care and education organizations, building community support for expanding health care access for kids, for women, lgbtq folks.

i worked at children's hospital boston and i worked for planned parenthood and the san francisco aids foundation and ran for office in 20 -- in 20. i was born in the six congressional district. >> who were your key influences going up cash growing up? rep. randall: i grew up in the house that my mom grew up in. i am close to my dad's parents. i am the first of my family to go to college. my role models were my family that worked in you know the trades. they were my educators and faith leaders and neighbors. and my grammar -- my grandmother was a hospital housekeeper. and she moonlighted as a translator because at that time interpreter services were not insured. so she spoke spanish and would pop into people's rooms to make sure that they knew what they needed to know from the doctor. and so, that sort of eco-of

taking care of your neighbors no matter what is what inspired me to go into public service. >> did you hear politics being discussed growing up? rep. randall: my dad is republican and my mom is a democrat. we had sort of a vibrant kitchen table conversations as a kid. but, you know, i did not really know my elected leaders, i did not really think that i was going to run for office someday. i knew that i wanted to get back to the community. >> were you always a democrat? rep. randall: no. so i had a sister who was born with complex disabilities when i was seven. we are a religious family. my mom jokes now that her third pregnancy was the only one she had planned. and when we found out that

olivia halfway through the pregnancy had really -- she would be born with severe disabilities and the other twin died halfway through the pregnancy. my mom's doctor encouraged her to have an abortion. and it was not the right choice for her and it made me as a young person, and i did not identify as pro-choice. i felt like my sister's life was just as important as anyone's. but, as i got older and i met peers who became pregnant you know unexpectedly, unplanned, and knew more stories about the thing that folks were faced with and the challenges, i realize that what bothered me as a young person that someone was trying to impress their idea on my mom about what was the right path. for her it was to remain pregnant. and so now, i have worked at planned parenthood and i have

worked on really strong abortion protections in the state of washington. that was a journey for me to understand the challenges that women faced in the world. >> i want to ask about the experience in the state senate. was there a specific moment where you said i would run for office? rep. randall: the first time? yes. i was at my college campus at wellesley college after doing some tv in new hampshire with planned parenthood. action fund. and we were watching and waiting for the election results. 2016. and it was like 1:30 in the morning, east coast time. and i knew that the candidate that i had fought for had lost. and that the trump administration was going to come for medicaid and the affordable

care act and lgbtq rights and education support that had made the difference for me and people that i care about. and i knew that i had to do more. that is when i decided to run for the state senate. >> how many years did you serve? rep. randall: six. >> what are your major accomplishments? rep. randall: health care access and abortion protections. medicaid expansion for postpartum parents. and for you know, immigrants. i also worked a lot on education and opportunity. as a first generation college grad i chaired the higher ed committee and worked on expanding access to and affordable four-year degree. and then i spent a lot of time also working on transportation and infrastructure new for me. i took a bus sometimes and i drove my car. i was not an expert in

transportation and then i got the chance to negotiate washington's greenest transportation package that invests in roads and bridges and ferries. >> you started making news by being one of the two openly lgbtq women in the state senate. broadly speaking, how does that inform you as a public servant? rep. randall: the fact that i was one of the first two women, claire wilson and i were elected the same year. that is a testament to the fact that there were gaps in knowledge before we joined. you know, folks had had a lot of different experiences. but they had not grown up as a queer woman in washington state. and you know what matters is that we bring our voices and neighbor's voices with us into the halls of power because we get to shape legislation whether through amendment or educating colleagues about the way we talk about community that makes folks and -- in the community feel

seen, heard, and respected. we have passed a lot of lgbtq protections in washington during the first trump administration and advance of this one. and now i am bringing those voices and those experiences to keep fighting for all of our communities. >> when you ran for the house see you occupy you did receive a number of high-profile adore -- endorsements. what was it like campaigning for the house? rep. randall: a different adventure. i had run two of the toughest legislative races for my first senate race and then the reelection. i thought i knew what it was like. but you know, the congressional district is much bigger. running in a democratic primary was new for me. but you know what i did is that i went out and talk to the neighbors and showed up at their front doors and asked them what were they concerned about and what they hoped for and tried to bring those stories with me. i think that is part of why

senator patty murray endorsed me because she saw me doing the work and new that i would be a good colleague to fight for our neighbors together and that is what i am here to do, make sure that folks feel like they have real representation. >> how often they plan to get home -- i also like to ask how often they plan to get home? rep. randall: most weekends. it is a big geographic district so i cannot just go home one weekend a month and be in every corner. so, you know and i also have a family that i want to spend time with. i have a baby nephew, my wife, mother and sister-in-law and my mom. i will take those cross-country commutes with my little dog and wrap up the airlines -- airline miles and then get back to work. >> what is the toughest part of navigating washington, d.c.. rep. randall: this is my first time as a minority. i have always served in a

trifecta in my time in the state senate. even when i was a member of the governing majority that i knew that bipartisan relationships made my policy better. i will draw on those experienced to build relationships with folks in all corners of the country to make sure that the policy that we pass reflects the needs of all americans. >> all this week watch the new members of congress series where we speak to both republicans and democrats about their early lives, previous careers, families and why they decided to run for office. tonight we talk to brandon gail. >> we raised cattle and since i

could remember working cows and building fences and driving tractors and doing everything you would expect to do. >> watch new members of congress starting at 930 -- nine: 30 p.m. eastern on c-span. >> looking to contact your members of congress, c-span is making it easy with our 2025 congressional directory. get essential contact information for government officials all in one place. this guide contains bio and contact information for every house and senate member for the 119th congress. contact information on congressional committees cabinet, federal agencies and state governors. it costs $32.95 plus shipping and handling and every purchase helps support the nonprofit operations. scan the code the -- on the

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