[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 33 (Friday, February 18, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING TEXAS STATE SENATOR EDDIE LUCIO, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 18, 2022

  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Texas State Senator 
Eddie Lucio, Jr., a man who has devoted his life to bringing dignity 
and prosperity to the people of the Rio Grande Valley.
  Eduardo Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, Jr. was born on January 20, 1946, in 
Brownsville, Texas. The second of ten children, Eddie grew up in the 
Bougainvillea neighborhood, where he learned the importance of hard 
work and a good education. He attended the University of Texas-Pan 
American in Edinburg, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 
Education. Eddie served as an educator and coached football, 
basketball, and track and field in the Brownsville Independent School 
District before running for office in 1971.
  At the age of 25, Eddie became the youngest person ever to be elected 
County Treasurer in the State of Texas. He also served as Cameron 
County Commissioner before his first election to the Texas House of 
Representatives, where he represented the people of Brownsville from 
1986 to 1990. He then successfully ran to represent District 27 in the 
Texas Senate, a position he held continuously for 31 years until he 
announced his retirement in 2022.
  Eddie leads by example and believes that looking out for your 
neighbors, especially those who have fallen on hard times or are 
economically disadvantaged, is the heart of public service. He has 
assisted families who have lost their homes to fire with food, 
clothing, and rent, and he donates hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys 
every year. After witnessing the destruction of Hurricane Harvey, he 
purchased a food truck, which he operates with the help of friends and 
family to feed residents in remote locations when they are affected by 
natural disasters or other events such as the ongoing coronavirus 
pandemic. As a former educator, Eddie is a fierce advocate for students 
and teachers and is well-known throughout South Texas for his work to 
help young scholars, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships from 
funds raised by his annual golf tournaments over the past 30 years.
  In the State Senate, Eddie authored bills to increase public school 
funding, expand bilingual education, improve bus safety, ensure 
nutritious school lunches, and secure better pay for teachers. He also 
fought to improve access to higher education in the Rio Grande Valley. 
He was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Texas 
Regional Academic Health Center and helped fast-track the creation of 
the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and its groundbreaking 
medical school, which are helping to train the next generation of 
doctors and medical professionals in a medically underserved area of 
the country. To honor his countless contributions to education in the 
community, Brownsville ISD named Lucio Middle School after him in 1997.
  Eddie has changed the landscape of South Texas. As Vice Chair of the 
Finance Committee, he worked to secure millions of dollars in state 
funding for infrastructure, which contributed to the designation of the 
first interstate highways in the Rio Grande Valley and addressed water 
and wastewater needs for colonias. He also introduced legislation in 
support of bringing the World Birding Centers to the area and building 
an artificial reef off the coast of South Padre Island, boosting 
tourism and ecotourism in the area. Eddie was an early advocate for 
bringing SpaceX to the region, knowing it would eventually spur a boom 
of economic development.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, Eddie's wife, Minnie; 
his children, Eddie Lucio Ill and Lynda; and his grandchildren, Eddie 
`Luc' Lucio IV and Olivia Rose, in thanking him for five decades of 
selfless dedication to his community.

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