[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E262-E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CELEBRATING JANIE BARRERA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GREG CASAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 2024

  Mr. CASAR. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to call the attention of the 
House in celebration of a true Texas visionary, Ms. Janie Barrera, for 
decades of work to provide small business owners and working families 
with the means to achieve their dreams.
  A native of Corpus Christi and a sixth-generation Texan, Ms. 
Barrera's entrepreneurial spirit began in her youth. At the age of 12, 
after her mother denied her request to purchase a new bicycle, Janie 
went door-to-door selling raffle tickets for her old bicycle and used 
the proceeds to purchase a new one. Later, as a waitress in her 
parents' restaurant, Ms. Barrera witnessed both the hard work and the 
great financial risks of running a small business.
  After high school, Ms. Barrera became a nun and joined a local 
covenant. She ran the Telecommunications Center for the Diocese of 
Corpus Christi for 15 years. When a bishop told Ms. Barrera that she 
couldn't get a promotion because of her lack of business experience, 
she pursued a Master of Business Administration from the University of 
the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. She left the covenant shortly 
after graduation.
  Ms. Barrera's parents ended up with nothing saved for retirement 
after running their restaurant for 20 years. This motivated her to use 
her personal experience and academic training to support both small 
businesses and working families. In 1994, Ms. Barrera founded Accion 
Texas (later renamed LiftFund) with the commitment to provide small 
businesses with sorely needed financial support through microloans and 
ongoing guidance as they navigated complex financial systems.
  Today, LiftFund has over 100 employees and has disbursed close to 
$500 million to small business owners in underserved communities, 
particularly people of color and low- and moderate-income individuals. 
Ms. Barrera stepped down as CEO of LiftFund in 2023 after three 
decades.
  Ms. Barrera has been an integral part of the creation and 
sustainability of countless small businesses. Her work has received 
high recognition in Texas and beyond, including the ``Small Business 
Administration Financial Services Advocate of the Year,'' and the 
``Minority Enterprise Development Consortium's Corporate Advocate of 
the Year.'' She received the 2022 Ned Gramlich Lifetime Achievement 
Award for Responsible Finance, which is the Community Development 
Financial Institution industry's highest individual honor. Ms. Barrera 
has also served on boards of directors at various levels, including the 
Federal Reserve Board's National Consumer Advisory Council. An 
invaluable leader in her field, President Barack Obama appointed Ms. 
Barrera to the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability.

[[Page E263]]

  As Texans, we are all forever grateful to Ms. Barrera for her vision 
of shared prosperity, her decades-long service to creating economic 
mobility, and her unwavering dedication to our community. As the 
Congressman for the 35th District of Texas, I am proud to congratulate 
Ms. Barrera and LiftFund on 30 years of service in Texas, and beyond.

                          ____________________