[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 185 (Wednesday, November 8, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H5649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING GARY KARNES

  (Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a pillar of my district's 
activist community, Gary Karnes.
  Throughout his extraordinary life, Gary was the conscience of the 
local Democratic Party and a cornerstone for promoting, protecting, and 
perpetuating the values of our country.
  Gary was born to be an activist. He walked with JFK in the 1950s; he 
protested the Vietnam war in the 1960s; he stood with farmworkers in 
the 1970s; and throughout his life, he always fought for peace, human 
rights, and dignity.
  The thing about Gary, though, is he knew that American activism is 
not just about yelling and screaming or just being outraged. Gary 
understood that it is about doing the hard work, of walking precincts, 
banging on doors, and bringing out the votes. This included his work of 
supporting over 70 election campaigns throughout his life.
  Mr. Speaker, it was not just his advocacy and principles that shaped 
our local Democratic Party, but Gary Karnes' work and personality added 
to the collective story of what we stand for as a community, and that 
is why Gary Karnes helped strengthen our democracy.

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