[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E157-E158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING TEXAS STATE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE EDDIE LUCIO, III

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 18, 2022

  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, l rise to recognize The Honorable Eddie 
Lucio, III, who has admirably represented the people of southwestern 
Cameron County in the Texas House of Representatives for the past 15 
years.
  Eduardo Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, III was born in Brownsville, TX, on 
December 19, 1978, to Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, Jr., and Herminia Cerda 
Lucio. He graduated from James Pace High School in 1997 and attended 
Texas Tech University for a year before transferring to the University 
of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor of Business 
Administration in 2001 and a J.D. from the University of Texas School 
of Law in 2005.
  After law school Eddie was called to public service, a value 
instilled in him at a young age by his parents. He worked for the Texas 
Comptroller for Public Accounts before running for Texas State 
Representative of District 38 in 2006, a position he won and to which 
he was re-elected in every consecutive election until he announced his 
retirement in 2022.
  Eddie worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for residents 
of Cameron County during his tenure in the Texas House of 
Representatives and through his work as a lawyer. His efforts have made 
an indelible impact on the Rio Grande Valley, especially in the areas 
of children and families, education, and the environment.
  As a state representative, he found a way to make Pre-K education 
cost-neutral for Cameron County school districts, giving young children 
a better chance to succeed in school; and championed legislation that 
gave foster children a voice in their placement. Eddie also aided in 
the creation of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) in 
2013, which came into being through the merging of the University of 
Texas-Pan American and the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas 
Southmost College. UTRGV has had a transformative influence on the 
community thanks to its affordable tuition, its diverse academic 
curriculum, and the establishment of a new medical school that fills a 
void in an area of the country that is medically underserved.
  Eddie's concern for the environment is evident in his work to pass 
legislation to preserve Texas' access to water for future generations 
through the creation of a regulator system for seawater desalination, 
and his efforts to secure funding for the State Water Plan. He also led 
the effort in the Texas House to make it illegal to buy or sell shark 
fins in Texas, receiving special recognition for the bill's passage by 
the Discovery Channel during its annual Shark Week programming.
  In addition to his work in the Texas House of Representatives and his 
law practice, Eddie's commitment to the community is widely reflected 
through his volunteer work for the Brownsville Independent School 
District, the City of Brownsville's ``Just Say No'' Program, Meals on 
Wheels, Survivors of Domestic Violence Program, Good Neighbor 
Settlement House, the Optimist Club, and Help One Student to Succeed 
Program. He is also a local Orangetheory Fitness franchise owner, 
providing good jobs at his two locations in Brownsville and Harlingen 
and promoting a healthy lifestyle in the region.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, his wife, Jaime, and 
his children, Olivia Rose and Eduardo Andres `Luc' Lucio IV, in 
recognizing Texas State Representative Eddie Lucio, III, for his many 
years of public service and his personal contributions to the success, 
happiness, and well-being of the residents of the Rio Grande Valley.

[[Page E158]]

  

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