[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE OF CONGRESSMAN ELIGIO ``KIKA'' DE LA GARZA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VICENTE GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 15, 2017

  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of 
Congressman Eligio ``Kika'' de la Garza, who passed away this Monday, 
March 13, 2017.
   De la Garza served as the federal representative for the 15th 
District of Texas from 1965 to 1997. During his Congressional service, 
he was Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture from 1981 to 1994 and 
Ranking Member of the Committee from 1995 to 1997. De la Garza was a 
founding member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
   At the age of 17, de la Garza joined the United States Navy and 
served for two years, including the final months of World War II. Upon 
returning home, he completed his high school education before attending 
Edinburg Junior College and St. Mary's University in San Antonio. While 
at St. Mary's, de la Garza was again deployed, this time to the Korean 
War where he was an artillery officer in the United States Army. He 
then earned his Juris Doctor from St. Mary's University in San Antonio. 
De la Garza was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1951, 
at the young age of 24, serving six terms before being elected to the 
U.S. House of Representatives.
   During his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, de la Garza 
endeavored to improve the lives of rural Texans, working to expand and 
improve federal support for farmers and ranchers. He also stood up for 
the disenfranchised, supporting landmark civil rights legislation that 
led to important progress for our society. Born and raised in the Rio 
Grande Valley, de la Garza understood the importance of maintaining 
strong international relations and was a staunch supporter of the U.S.-
Mexico relationship. He was the first Member of Congress to receive 
Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle Award and Israel's Vulcan Center's 
Lifetime Achievement Award--both awards recognized his efforts to 
cultivate stronger, more constructive ties between the United States 
and its allies. As a founding member and chairman of the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus and the first Hispanic to chair a standing committee in 
the U.S. House of Representatives, he is an inspiration for the next 
generation of Latino leaders.
   Mr. Speaker, this week our country lost a statesman, public servant, 
husband, father, grandfather, and friend, but his legacy will live on. 
It is a privilege to follow in the footsteps of Eligio ``Kika'' de la 
Garza, who was genuinely committed to empowering rural areas and the 
Hispanic community.

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