[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 2, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        HONORING JOSEPH ORENDAIN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. VICENTE GONZALEZ

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 2, 2019

  Mr. GONZALEZ of Texas. Madam Speaker, I stand today to honor the 
career of Joseph Orendain. Mr. Orendain recently retired from the 
Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office, serving with honor and 
prestige throughout his tenure as an Assistant District Attorney.
  Twenty-nine years ago, Mr. Orendain began his legal career in the 
District Attorney's office. Though he easily could have left for a more 
lucrative job, he continued his service to the community for nearly 
three decades. He has worked on countless noteworthy cases and earned 
recognition from his peers as well as the Association of Government 
Attorneys in Capital Litigation Awards, receiving an award for 
Outstanding Advocacy in Capital and Complex Homicide Cases. Mr. 
Orendain made history when he became the first prosecutor to 
successfully try a human trafficking case in the United States using a 
state penal code.
  Mr. Orendain's involvement and commitment to justice was ingrained in 
him at an early age The child of the man who founded the Texas Farm 
Workers Union, he followed his father to strikes and marches to fight 
for workers' rights. When he was only 14-years-old he marched in the 
Texas Farm Workers March for Human Rights from the Rio Grande Valley in 
Texas to Washington, D.C.
  In 2017, Mr. Orendain and his trial partner, Cregg Thompson, tried 
and successfully secured a guilty conviction in another landmark case. 
Ultimately, it took them six weeks of rigorous work to succeed. I am 
confident that Mr. Orendain will continue to improve the lives of many 
in his community and make us proud. I wish him the best as he enjoys 
his well-earned retirement with family, friends and loved ones.
  Madam Speaker, Joseph Orendain is a pillar of our community, and it 
is truly a privilege to represent committed, selfless individuals like 
him

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