[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 175 (Monday, November 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S6664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REMEMBERING CARMEN RAMIREZ

 Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life 
of Carmen Ramirez, a relentless advocate for Oxnard, CA; a champion for 
the environment; and a dear friend to so many.
  Born in Oklahoma--but a true daughter of California--Carmen grew up 
in the community of Pico Rivera in Los Angeles County. She attended the 
University of San Francisco and California State University, Los 
Angeles, before graduating from Loyola Law School.
  Her passion for improving the lives of others eventually brought her 
to Oxnard. Beginning in 1978, Carmen served as a legal aid attorney 
working to represent low-income Californians of La Colonia. Among her 
many legal and professional accomplishments, she later served as 
president of the Ventura County Bar, president of the Women Lawyers of 
Ventura County, a trustee for The Colleges of Law for Santa Barbara and 
Ventura, a member of the board of governors for the California State 
Bar, and a member of the executive committee of the California Bench 
Bar.
  But what drew Carmen into public service was her passion for the 
environment. In 2007, she joined the fight to oppose a liquefied 
natural gas project proposed near the beaches of Oxnard, and she fought 
successfully to protect her community. She would go on to become a 
staunch advocate in our fight against the climate crisis and to promote 
renewable energy, always leading with kindness, compassion, and 
composure.
  She was elected to the Oxnard City Council for 10 years, where she 
served for 8 years as Mayor pro tem, promoting the causes of social and 
environmental justice. She went on to serve as the first Latina on the 
Ventura County Board of Supervisors in 2020.
  Carmen cared deeply about her community. And in turn, her community 
cared deeply about her. Just ask one of the hundreds of Californians 
who crowded Plaza Park to pay tribute at her vigil. Remembered that day 
in tearful embraces, cutting through the sounds of the mariachi, and 
echoed in shouts of ``Viva Carmen Ramirez!'' we can see the lasting 
memory she leaves behind.
  While she was taken too soon from family, friends, and her community, 
we will always have the example she set--defined by moral leadership 
and a fundamental care for others--to follow.
  ``Viva Carmen Ramirez.''
  Oxnard, Ventura County, and all of California mourns her 
loss.

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