[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 14, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E186]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF FORMER REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT GARCIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 14, 2017

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a good friend and 
colleague, Mr. Robert Garcia, better known as ``Bobby,'' who passed 
away on January 25, 2017. Bobby was an influential leader and 
trailblazer in New York, first serving the people of the South Bronx as 
a representative in the New York State Assembly and as the first Puerto 
Rican in the New York State Senate. His decade-long career in the U.S. 
House of Representatives began when he was elected to Congress in a 
special election on February 14, 1978 on the Republican and Liberal 
tickets to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Congressman 
Herman Badillo. He took his seat on February 21, 1978 as a Democrat.
   Bobby played an instrumental role in several local, national, and 
international initiatives and served New York for more than 25 years. 
His legacy of public service will not be forgotten.
   Bobby was born in the Bronx in 1933 to Puerto Rican parents. His 
dedication to serving his country was demonstrated at a young age when 
he served overseas during the Korean War in the U.S. Army's Third 
Infantry, earning two Bronze stars. He attended college under the GI 
Bill, and then began a career in public service.
   Bobby's political career is highlighted by his dedication to fight 
against inequality, intolerance and injustice. He worked on issues such 
as immigration reform, voting rights, Puerto Rico, economic 
opportunities, and U.S. policy towards Central America. Representing 
the South Bronx, Bobby is remembered as a significant reformer and a 
leader for those whose voices were too often lost. While in Congress, 
Bobby served on the Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee and 
the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also sat on the Post Office and Civil 
Service Committee, where he championed the Garcia Amendment to the 
Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 to ensure the recruitment of 
minorities for the civil service.
   During his time in Congress, Bobby was a co-founder of the 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which allowed the Hispanic community to 
gain national recognition in Congress and helped develop young Latinos 
to be the next generation of leaders in America. In addition, he co-
sponsored the bill establishing a national holiday to commemorate the 
life of civil rights hero Martin Luther King, Jr.
   Bobby also advocated to transform the South Bronx district through 
federal funding, jobs and projects. He co-authored the Kemp-Garcia 
Enterprise Free Zone Bill as an initiative to attract businesses to 
areas faced with severe depression, unemployment, and poverty.
   Bobby also had a profound respect for and a deep understanding of 
religious and spiritual development for others, and was active in 
several Christian organizations.
   Bobby received numerous awards and recognition for his pioneering 
work and was an outstanding citizen, a transformational leader in New 
York, and an important voice for the Hispanic community. Garcia was a 
pioneer and a legend in the Latino community, and those that knew him 
will never forget him. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
honoring our former colleague, Robert Garcia, for his service, 
leadership, and accomplishments. He will be greatly missed.

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