Jessica Gorman, bereaved mother of Sheridan Gorman, shot back at Democrat members of Congress who complained about having to hear her testimony about illegal immigrants during a Tuesday congressional hearing on sanctuary cities. “No family should ever have to bury a child because public officials fail to put American lives first,” Gorman said in her opening statement before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement. Venezuelan national Jose Medina has pleaded not guilty to murder charges involving the death of Gorman’s 18-year-old daughter. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who serves as the subcommittee’s ranking member, began her opening statement with condolences to Gorman and Joe Abraham, whose daughter died when an illegal alien drunk driver collided with her car. “Let me start by offering my deepest condolences to you, Mrs. Gorman, and to you, Mr. Abraham, for the loss of your children,” Jayapal said. But then her tune changed. “Unfortunately, this hearing is the fourth time in this committee that we’ve had a hearing on sanctuary cities. The fourth time,” Jayapal told Gorman and Abraham. “And there’s many other things we could be doing other than this.” Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal on a hearing with parents of those murdered by illegal aliens: “Unfortunately this hearing is the 4th time in this committee that we’ve had a hearing on sanctuary cities… There's many other things that we could be doing.” pic.twitter.com/YQeNucvOTC— America (@america) June 30, 2026 When Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., asked Gorman and Abraham whether Americans should be “concerned” about sanctuary city policies, Gorman took the opportunity to respond to Jayapal. “I just have to say one thing because it’s been plaguing me,” Gorman started. “I get so upset with your ‘buts,’ and you don’t want to talk about this. ‘This is the fourth hearing,’” she noted, citing Jayapal. “You know what I’m thankful for? I’m thankful that my daughter was just shot in the back of the head,” the mother added. “Not raped, murdered, dismembered, put in a garbage can.” “And you can actually dismiss the angel families; you can say ‘but.’ You don’t want to hear four sessions on angel families? I’m sorry: you need to. You need to,” Gorman insisted. "I'm thankful my daughter was only shot — not raped." Jessica Gorman, mother of murdered "Angel" Sheridan Gorman, testifying before Congress for the 4th time — while Democrats complain about having to hear it. pic.twitter.com/dJml2Npyip— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) July 1, 2026 “How messed up is that?” the mother asked. “That I’m thankful every day that she was just murdered. Not raped and dismembered.” She also called out House Democrats for supporting sanctuary city policies during her opening statement. “Explain why people here illegally matter more than your American citizens,” Gorman dared. “Explain why sanctuary policies matter more than my Sheridan’s life. Explain why cooperation with ICE too much was to ask for, but asking our American parents to bury our children is somehow acceptable.” “My daughter paid for those failures—your failures—with her life,” she told House Democrats.