[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 23, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING THE LIFE OF JOSE FRANCISCO PENA GOMEZ

  (Mr. ESPAILLAT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and commemorate 
Dr. Jose Francisco Pena Gomez on the 20th anniversary of his passing.
  From his lifetime of service, Dr. Pena Gomez will, without question, 
be recorded in history as a civil rights icon to the marginalized Afro-
Latino community and advocate for the poor.
  Dr. Pena Gomez personified his motto, ``Primero la gente,'' or ``The 
People First,'' serving as Mayor of Santo Domingo, vice president of 
the International Socialist Party for the Western Hemisphere, president 
of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, and twice nominated for the 
Presidency of the Dominican Republic.
  Dr. Pena Gomez was a fierce proponent of free speech and denounced 
unfair election practices in the Dominican Republic and around the 
world. He was fervent in his condemnation of civil and human rights 
violations in Latin America. The largest airport in Santo Domingo bears 
his name and welcomes people from all over the world.
  It is my pleasure and great honor to celebrate the life of Dr. Pena 
Gomez with his family and those who fondly remember his model and 
standard.
  Primero la gente.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will remind all persons in the 
gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any 
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation 
of the rules of the House.

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