[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 131 (Monday, September 15, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1405]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE OF CARMEN BALASQUIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ALAN GRAYSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 15, 2014

  Mr. GRAYSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in honor of Hispanic Heritage 
Month, to recognize Carmen Balasquide. Carmen was born in San Juan, 
Puerto Rico and is mother to three children Janpierre, Kiara, and 
Adriel.
  Carmen moved to Florida in 1993. In 1996, Carmen first got involved 
in community organizing by volunteering for Osceola County Commissioner 
Robert Guevara's campaign in which the first Hispanic-American was 
elected to a local office. While volunteering on the campaign she 
organized community town halls and candidate meet-and-greets.
  After spending time away from politics, Carmen had the opportunity to 
get back into community organizing in 2008 when she met State Senator 
Gary Siplin during his reelection campaign. She took a campaign 
coordinator job with the Florida Democratic Party to help re-elect 
State Senator Siplin and to work on the presidential election.
  In 2012, Carmen worked with Organize Now as a community organizer 
where she educated and developed Hispanic community leaders through 
their Earned Sick Time and Anti-Foreclosure campaigns. Carmen's work on 
the Earn Sick Time campaign helped collect over 52,000 signatures in 
support of earned sick time and was the first successful citizen-
petition campaign in Orange County. In addition to her organizing work, 
Carmen arranged meetings and educated legislators on voting against 
sick time pre-emption.
  In 2013, Carmen started working with National Council of La Raza 
(NCLR) to educate Members of Congress on the need to support 
comprehensive immigration reform (CIR). During the CIR campaign, she 
worked with community leaders and local elected officials in Orange, 
Osceola, and Polk counties by conducting local Hispanic media 
interviews, organizing public letters of support, and facilitating 
congressional legislative visits. Additionally, Carmen worked with 
state Hispanic legislators to pass S.R. 1722 a Florida Senate 
resolution in support of CIR. Carmen has been leading NCLR's vote-by-
mail canvass campaign in Central Florida as well as educating voters on 
the need to vote in midterm elections and to support key issues like 
expanding healthcare access to all and increasing the minimum wage.
  In addition to her professional work, Carmen has served as secretary 
to the Florida Democratic Hispanic Caucus and is currently a member of 
Congressman Grayson's Puerto Rican Advisory Board.
  I am honored to recognize Carmen Balasquide, during Hispanic Heritage 
Month, for her service to the Central Florida Hispanic community.

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