During the 2024 Big “I" Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-New York) sat down with Nathan Riedel, Big “I" senior vice president of federal government affairs, for a fireside chat. During the Emerging Leaders Luncheon, a new event added to this year's program that honors young, diverse and politically active leaders, Rep. Torres spoke about the importance of civil discourse in politics, reaching across the aisle for the good of the country and building and leveraging relationships. 

Rep. Torres is a member of the House Committee on Financial Services, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance and the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion. He also serves on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which works on a bipartisan basis to build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. 

In 2013, at the age of 25, Torres became the youngest elected official of the New York City Council. Seven years later, in 2020, Rep. Torres was elected to represent New York's 15th congressional district in the South Bronx. Rep. Torres is also the first openly gay Afro-Latino member of Congress. 

Rep. Torres embodied the spirit of the luncheon, drawing on his tough upbringing in the South Bronx, struggles with substance abuse and depression, and commitment to respecting others. 

“The ideological viewpoints and diversity of our country is not a weakness, but a strength," Rep. Torres said. “I deeply value bipartisanship because it's for the good of the country—Democrats and Republicans have an obligation to make our relationship work to coexist for the good of the country." 

On developing relationships with people with different viewpoints, Rep. Torres said, “I strive to disagree without being disagreeable—I strive to disagree without questioning motives. I assume good faith as a general rule, unless I have reason to think otherwise." 

Discussing the importance of mentorship and developing future leaders, Rep. Torres said “Any young member [of Congress] would be remiss not to tap into their institutional knowledge and avoid mistakes. Members have had growing pains, and they're willing to tell you, 'Here's what you need to do to avoid the mistakes that I make,' and that's a gift." 

Speaking to hundreds of agents before they headed to Capitol Hill to meet with their congressional representatives, Rep. Torres thanked attendees for their willingness to be involved with politics and represent their communities and clients. 

“You are a natural fit for civic engagement because as independent agents you know how to build relationships and you know how to leverage those relationships to build a business," he said. “That's lobbying in Washington, D.C.—it's about building relationships with members of Congress and leveraging those relationships to advance what you care about." 

Olivia Overman is IA content editor.