[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 88 (Monday, June 16, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF JANE GARCIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 16, 2003

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise on this day to pay tribute to an 
extraordinary community leader, Ms. Jane Garcia. I take great pride in 
honoring Jane for her twenty-five years of tenacious advocacy on behalf 
of the poor, and for her dedication to organizing and empowering the 
immigrant community in its struggle for greater access to health care.
  The monumental integrity and deep compassion that has come to 
characterize Jane's legacy of service to her community are deeply 
rooted in the lessons she learned while growing up in the Chicano 
Movement. Jane's life-long commitment to insuring that every woman, man 
and child has access to culturally and linguistically appropriate 
healthcare, and her belief that healthcare is a fundamental right not 
an economic privilege were inspired by the civil rights activism of 
Cesar Chavez, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Dolores Huerta.
  Recognizing the importance of organizing and empowering the immigrant 
community in its efforts to secure the promises of equality and justice 
made by our nation's founders, Jane has tirelessly worked to improve 
the quality of life for the most vulnerable members of her community. 
Among her many public policy victories, Jane courageously and fiercely 
led the successful battle to preserve prenatal healthcare for low-
income immigrants during former Governor Wilson's draconian era of 
budget cutbacks.
  Inspiring and empowering those whose lives she touches, Jane rises to 
positions of leadership where she effectively challenges the status 
quo, contributes to policy reform, and advocates for equality and 
justice for all. She has provided skillful and passionate guidance to a 
plethora of community service organizations in California, doing so 
most visibly through her twenty-five years with La Clinica de La Raza--
Fruitvale Health Project.
  Under her skillful tutelage and direction, what began as a grassroots 
health clinic more than thirty-eight years ago has become the premiere 
Latino community health center in the nation. During her tenure as 
Chief Executive Officer of La Clinica, the organization's budget has 
grown from $3 mullion in 1983 to over $28 million today. The 
combination of Jane Garcia's focused administrative style and limitless 
compassion has allowed La Clinica to greatly expand the services 
available to its patients. La Clinica now provides high-quality 
healthcare services to over 17,000 families annually, making it a 
critical and irreplaceable component of the healthcare safety net in 
Alameda County. Soon, La Clinica will be assuming the dental facility 
at Children's Hospital in Oakland, making La Clinica one of the largest 
dental providers in Northern California. It is the largest employer in 
East Oakland and was recently listed as the sixth largest non-profit 
employer in the East Bay by the East Bay Business Times.
  Jane's relentless efforts, her ongoing dedication, and her long-term 
vision made La Clinica's impressive growth possible. Thus, it is 
fitting that we honor Jane's twenty-five years of unyielding commitment 
to public service in the same year that we will be celebrating the 
grand opening of the historic Fruitvale Transit Village, which will be 
anchored by La Clinica's newest and largest facility. Jane is truly the 
personification of Cesar Chavez' famous motto: ``Si Se Puede!''.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize my good and long-time friend, 
Jane Garcia, and I take pride in joining the people of California's 9th 
Congressional District in celebrating and honoring her twenty-five 
years of service to our community.

                          ____________________