[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 19, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H2266-H2267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WELCOMING THE HONORABLE MIKE GARCIA TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. Without objection, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Sherman) is recognized for 1 minute.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, by tradition, the dean of the respective 
State delegation introduces new Members from their State at a swearing 
in after a special election. Our dean, the dean of the California 
delegation, is also the Speaker of the House. And while I have seen her 
do amazing things, I have never seen her be in two places at the same 
time.
  So I have the distinct honor of filling in for her here as dean, and 
the pleasure of introducing Mike Garcia, the new Member from the 25th 
Congressional District. The election has, as I noted before, not been 
certified by the Secretary of State, but there is no dispute about the 
result.
  Congressman Garcia was born in 1976, and is a native of Santa 
Clarita, California, and is a first generation American citizen. 
Congressman Garcia moved to Saugus, which is now part of the city of 
Santa Clarita, in 1982 with his mother and stepfather at the age of 
six.
  Mr. Garcia received his bachelor's degree in political science from 
the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1998. He was nominated to that 
academy and to the Navy by our long-time colleague, the former chair of 
the House Armed Services Committee, our friend, Buck McKeon.
  He later earned a master of arts in national security policy from 
Georgetown University. He is a former U.S. naval officer and flew as a 
pilot in the Navy from 1998 until 2009. After the Navy, Congressman 
Garcia worked in the aerospace industry, and now owns his own real 
estate business. Mike is the husband of Rebecca Garcia and the father 
of Preston, age 13, and Jett, age 3.
  I represent the district that lies immediately to the south of Mike 
Garcia, and the gentleman who represents the district immediately to 
the north is the distinguished minority leader, who I know has 
additional words to say about our new colleague.
  Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McCarthy).
  Mr. McCARTHY. Madam Speaker, in the last 230 years, dating back to 
the founding of our Republic, fewer than 11,000 Americans have had the 
privilege to stand here as a Member of Congress.
  Today it is my honor to welcome one of the newest, Mike Garcia. As a 
veteran, a businessman, a family man, and a first-generation American, 
Mike has shown a driven-approach to everything he has taken.
  If you ever want a definition of America, look to Mike's life. First 
generation, many like our fathers, mothers, grandparents, wanted 
something better for their children so they came to America. Mike 
dreamed, at age six, that one day maybe he could become a Navy fighter 
pilot. He knew it would not be easy, so he strived, applied himself, 
and was nominated to the Naval Academy from this body itself.
  Not only did he excel, he graduated in the top 3 percent, becoming a 
fighter pilot, something many of us always look to the skies to dream 
and wonder what it takes to become one. As he became a fighter pilot, 
his Nation called upon him to defend our freedoms, those that we 
uphold, that he just raised his hand to defend the Constitution a few 
short moments ago. He excelled at that because he believes in service.
  After his service into the Navy he worked as a businessman. He has a 
beautiful family, Rebecca, sons Preston, who is with us on the floor, 
and his son Jett, up with his wife Rebecca, and his brother, and 
sister-in-law.
  George Washington once said: ``Remember that it is the actions and 
not the commission that makes an officer, and that there is more 
expected from him than the title.'' Washington was speaking about being 
a military officer. But his advice perfectly describes what it means to 
be a Member of Congress. We are a small group with a big 
responsibility, to represent the voice of the people in Washington. 
Ultimately, it is our actions, not our titles, that matter.
  Mike's feat today is not something people just assumed. Yes, you have 
to run. Yes, you have to unite people. But he did something that people 
on my side of the aisle have not done in more than 22 years. He did it 
in a manner where an election was bigger than most people had thought, 
and they had to run these races in a time of a crisis in America that 
they held the elections to be different.
  He changed the course in a few short times. If there is one person 
that I believe can unite this body, unite this Nation, it is a man 
whose life actually defines America. Family comes here, the dreams of a 
life better for their children.
  He strives and excels in public education to get nominated by the 
United States House of Representatives and his own congressman to go to 
the Naval Academy. He excels at the academy to become a jet fighter 
pilot and defends our Nation in a time of need. And one more time his 
Nation called upon him to serve, he rose to the occasion, and 
unbelievable obstacles that many did not believe he could achieve by 
uniting a district to help unite a Nation and help unite Congress 
itself.
  Madam Speaker, I congratulate Mike, and I look forward to what he is 
able to achieve in this body, much that he has been able to achieve 
before he came here.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Garcia), our newest Member.
  Mr. GARCIA of California. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
California and Leader McCarthy for that very gracious introduction. I 
want to thank you all for being here today. First and foremost, I want 
to thank my beautiful bride and wife, Rebecca, and our two beautiful 
boys, Preston and Jett, for being the backbone of my survival, and the 
spirit of this campaign for over a year now. So thank you very much.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to thank the 715,000 people in 
California's beautiful 25th Congressional District that helped me get 
here, and it is a huge honor that has been bestowed upon me to 
represent you in this body, I do it with humility and with, hopefully, 
performance that represents all of us in the 25th District.
  I can think of no better way to serve this country, to serve our 
district, than

[[Page H2267]]

to be here today taking this oath and doing the job before me over the 
course of the next several years.
  For 244 years, this beautiful Nation has thrived and survived on the 
back of those who showed up at the right time to do the right thing, 
and for the right reasons.
  I, as an American, someone who is a first-generation American who 
served my country, I show up today, not only as a patriot, but now a 
citizen legislator, to make sure that we do what is right for our 
country first, to make sure that we do what is right for my district 
that I represent, and to, hopefully, get through this crisis as a 
solid, unified country, becoming stronger as we do so, more cooperative 
in the efforts and, hopefully, making this Nation the strongest the 
world has ever seen for several decades, millenniums to come.
  Madam Speaker, I appreciate all the support. Thank you for being 
here, and may God bless the United States of America.

                          ____________________