Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., lost her ability to speak within the last year due to Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) but she is now able to use her own voice again. On Thursday, July 25, she gave a speech on the House floor, but it was different — it was played with artificial intelligence (AI).
When Wexton won her seat in 2018, she was all smiles and applause. She cast her ballot in the 2020 election with no visible issues.
Wexton first announced she had Parkinson’s in April 2023.
“I’m doing well,” Wexton said in her first announcement. “I’ve got a positive attitude and have the strong support of so many family, friends and loved ones.”
She then discovered she had progressive supranuclear palsy, which she describes as “Parkinson’s on steroids.” She began delivering speeches using AI in May.
During her most recent address, Wexton explained her new challenges and those yet to come.
“Rather than striding confidently onto the House floor to vote, I gratefully accept rides across Independence Avenue, and yes I get the irony, from my office to the Capitol,” Wexton said. “I rely on a walker to get around, and in all likelihood, before my term ends I will appear on the House floor for votes in a wheelchair.”
Wexton is not running for reelection, so she will end her tenure in Congress in January. She said she’s determined to use her platform for the millions of Americans who have conditions that make it harder for them to move, speak or otherwise function in their everyday lives. She’s also working hard to stay positive.
“I used to be one of those people who hated the sound of my voice,” Wexton said in her speech Thursday. “When my ads came on TV, I would cringe and change the channel. But you truly don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. Because hearing the new AI of my old voice for the first time was music to my ears. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, and I cried tears of joy.”
