[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 37 (Tuesday, March 3, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E524]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRIBUTE TO NELL SOTO

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JOE BACA

                             of california-

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 3, 2009

  Mr. BACA. Madam Speaker, I stand here today to honor a loving mother, 
adoring grandmother and great-grandmother, passionate lawmaker and 
cherished friend, Nell Soto.
  Working in the citrus groves as a child during the Depression, Nell 
eventually grew up to become influential and well-respected in the 
California Legislature. A sixth-generation Pomona resident, her passion 
for positive change and betterment of the community began early on in 
her life. Walking precincts as early as 1948 to help elect President 
Truman, she eventually became a pioneer of Latino political activism 
during the 1950s and 1960s. Actively involved in supporting the rights 
of farm workers, she walked the streets of Delano, California with 
Cesar Chavez. She also played an active role in the anti-war movement 
of the 1960s, including helping Senator Bobby Kennedy win the 
California primary. These are only a small sample of the impressive 
events she was a part of and one of the many reasons as to why she 
became an inspiring role model to us all.
  Nell's fight for change carried on into politics where she helped 
elect her husband, Phil Soto, to the California Assembly in 1962. Nell 
herself was first elected to office in 1987 as a Pomona City 
Councilmember, serving for twelve years and becoming a prominent figure 
in the community. In 1993, she was appointed to the South Coast 
Management Quality District board and truly became aware of the growing 
concern of the environmental hazards that were affecting the community. 
This is where she first made her true mark as a champion of 
environmental protection. Concerned by the increasing rise of pollution 
in the Pomona area, she recognized how this was especially affecting 
all of the hardworking people in fields. Understanding that they were 
constantly being exposed to these toxins, she continued to push for 
greater reform.
  Only a year after the death of her husband in 1997, she was elected 
to the California State Assembly. However, shortly thereafter, she 
replaced me in the State Senate when I left to become a Congressman in 
1998 and then returned to the State Assembly in 2006 after her Senate 
term limits expired. Bringing her determination to create a better life 
for the people in her community, she formed a task force in the State 
Senate to help water districts in Fontana, Rialto and Colton address 
perchlorate contamination of groundwater, an issue that is very dear to 
my heart. Nell was instrumental in helping deliver $20 million in 
federal funding to the Inland Empire to buy replacement water.
  Nell always stood up to fight for the poor, the undeserved, and for 
the community as a whole. She was a forceful voice for Latinos 
everywhere, making sure our community and its issues were heard. In 
addition to believing in the protection of the environment, Nell was 
also a fierce advocate for issues related to education, housing, public 
safety and transportation. Always prioritizing children and families at 
the top of her agenda, she helped establish legislation to create safer 
school routes for children and get parents more involved in their 
children's education. In addition, Nell was instrumental in securing 
5000 new jobs by helping turn the General Dynamics plant in Pomona into 
a furniture plant, as well as helping to secure $22.5 million for the 
Pomona Metro Link and Transit System. She was also responsible for 
helping secure $5 million from the state budget for numerous parks and 
community centers within her district.
  I have always been grateful for Nell's friendship, a woman who has 
always been an inspiration to my family and I. She always supported me, 
from the time I entered the Board of Trustees, to when I served in the 
State Assembly, State Senate and still as I came here to serve as a 
Member of Congress. I thank her for always making a point of attending 
one of my events or at least sending a representative if she couldn't 
come herself. I know I am not alone when I say that I have lost a truly 
amazing friend, one who will be remembered for her hard work, true 
commitment to family and tireless efforts to better her community.
  I am proud to have known a woman who was so loved by all of her 
family and friends. Nell is survived by her children, Philip Jr., 
Michael, Patrick, Anna and Tom, as well as her eleven grandchildren and 
three great-grandchildren.
  I would like to express my greatest sympathies for her family's loss. 
Let us take a moment to remember this great woman and her admirable 
dedication to instilling positive change and leading an exemplary life, 
one whose footsteps we all hope to follow. The thoughts and prayers of 
my wife Barbara and children Councilman Joe Baca, Jr., Jeremy, Natalie 
and Jennifer and I are with her family at this time.
  God bless Nell Soto for love of God, country and mankind.

                          ____________________