[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 139 (Thursday, October 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S12017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 290--HONORING THE LIFE AND EXPRESSING THE DEEPEST 
CONDOLENCES OF CONGRESS ON THE PASSING OF EDWARD ROYBAL, FORMER UNITED 
                           STATES CONGRESSMAN

  Mr. SALAZAR (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Clinton, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Mr. Kerry, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Obama, Mr. Reid, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Pryor, 
Mr. Durbin, and Mr. Reed) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 290

       Whereas Edward Roybal was born on February 10, 1916, in 
     Albuquerque, New Mexico, and moved at the age of 6 with his 
     family to the Boyle Heights barrio of Los Angeles;
       Whereas his pioneering efforts in the Congress for civil 
     rights and social justice on behalf of the elderly, 
     Hispanics, and others has inspired generations of Americans;
       Whereas Edward Roybal attended public schools, graduating 
     from Roosevelt High School in 1934, and subsequently studying 
     at the University of California in Los Angeles and 
     Southwestern University;
       Whereas Edward Roybal is a distinguished veteran who served 
     in the United States Army during World War II;
       Whereas Edward Roybal worked as a public health educator 
     for the California Tuberculosis Association, and eventually 
     served as Director of Health Education for the Los Angeles 
     County Tuberculosis and Health Association until 1949;
       Whereas Edward Roybal founded the Community Service 
     Organization in 1947 with Fred Ross and a group of Mexican 
     Americans forging a partnership between the Mexican-American 
     and Jewish communities of East Los Angeles , and as the 
     President of the organization, fought against discrimination 
     in housing, employment, voting rights, and education;
       Whereas Edward Roybal was elected to the Los Angeles City 
     Council in 1949 and, as the first Hispanic to serve on the 
     city council in more than a century, served for 13 years;
       Whereas on November 6, 1962, Edward Roybal became the first 
     Hispanic elected from California to serve in the House of 
     Representatives since 1879, and served for 30 years;
       Whereas during his 3 decades of service in the House of 
     Representatives, Roybal worked to protect the rights of 
     minorities, the elderly, and the physically-challenged;
       Whereas during his tenure in the House of Representatives, 
     Congressman Roybal served on several important congressional 
     committees, including the Committee on the Post Office and 
     Civil Service, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 
     Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and as the Chair of the 
     Select Committee on Aging;
       Whereas in 1971, Congressman Roybal was selected to serve 
     on the Committee on Appropriations, where he remained for the 
     rest of his tenure in the House of Representatives and 
     eventually chaired the Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal 
     Service, and General Government in 1981;
       Whereas, while serving as a member of the Committee on 
     Appropriations, Edward Roybal was a powerful advocate for the 
     funding of education, civil rights, and health programs and 
     was 1 of the first members of Congress to press for and 
     obtain funding for HIV and AIDS research;
       Whereas Congressman Roybal was committed to providing 
     opportunities for Spanish-speaking Americans, helped 
     establish a Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for Spanish-
     speaking people in 1968 with the goal of improving education, 
     housing, and employment opportunities for Spanish-speaking 
     Americans, and authored the first education bill to provide 
     local school districts with assistance with special bilingual 
     teaching programs;
       Whereas in 1976, the County of Los Angeles opened the 
     Edward R. Roybal Clinic in East Los Angeles;
       Whereas in 1976, Congressman Roybal was 1 of the founding 
     members and became the first chair of the Congressional 
     Hispanic Caucus, a legislative service organization of the 
     House of Representatives that today is comprised of 21 
     Representatives;
       Whereas Congressman Roybal was instrumental in the 
     establishment of several national nonprofit organizations 
     dedicated to advancing and promoting a new generation of 
     Latino leaders, such as the Congressional Hispanic Caucus 
     Institute and the National Association of Latino Elected and 
     Appointed Officials; and
       Whereas Congressman Roybal received numerous honors and 
     awards, including two honorary doctor of law degrees from 
     Pacific States University and from Claremont Graduate School, 
     as well as the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal of 
     Honor from President William Jefferson Clinton; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States Congress honors the trail-
     blazing life and pioneering accomplishments of Congressman 
     Edward Roybal and expresses its condolences on his passing.

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