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DeLauro Celebrates the Legacy of Debra Ness at the National Partnership for Women & Families

April 8, 2021

Debra Ness to Step Down as President after 17 Years Leading the Organization

NEW HAVEN – House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) issued the following statement honoring Debra Ness' 17 years of leadership at the National Partnership for Women & Families:

"Debra Ness is more than a changemaker. In her nearly two decades of leadership at the National Partnership, she has been a powerful force, a unifying voice, and a trusted, strategic partner in the fight to help women and families live better lives.

"Debra and I worked hand in glove long before I became a Member of Congress. We worked closely together during my time as political director of EMILY's List—in fact, we worked on the same floor in the same building. Even then, Debra was a champion and a visionary in the fight against gender discrimination.

"My friend, Debra, embodies the search for and the commitment to social and economic justice. And in great part due to that commitment, today Members of Congress and political and community leaders across the country rely on the National Partnership for Women and Families for our fights on health care, equal pay for equal work, reproductive health, and of course, paid family leave.

"Debra has always been there, on the front lines, strategically building coalitions when it counts. I know that we have reached a moment to create lasting change, the infrastructure for the future, because of the energy Debra has directed and the ground that she helped the National Partnership plow.

"I am sad to see Debra leave this position, but I know she will continue to be a steadfast partner and an unshakeable champion of women and families."

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