[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3386-H3387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                JAMES R. DOMINGUEZ MEMORIAL ACT OF 2023

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5799) to designate the checkpoint of the United States 
Border Patrol located on United States Highway 90 West in Uvalde 
County, Texas, as the ``James R. Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5799

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``James R. Dominguez Memorial 
     Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

        Congress finds the following:
       (1) A native of San Antonio, Texas, Border Patrol Agent 
     James R. Dominguez--
       (A) proudly and honorably served his country as an agent of 
     the U.S. Border Patrol for more than 12 years;
       (B) began his service with the U.S. Border Patrol in 2000; 
     and
       (C) graduated as part of the 434th session of the Border 
     Patrol Academy.
       (2) Agent Dominguez served at the Uvalde Station in the Del 
     Rio Sector.
       (3) On July 19, 2012, Agent Dominguez stopped to clear 
     debris from the roadway that posed risks to road and 
     community safety along Highway 90 near Cline, Texas. While on 
     scene, Agent Dominguez was struck and killed by a passing 
     vehicle.
       (4) Agent Dominguez is survived by his wife and 4 children.

[[Page H3387]]

  


     SEC. 3. DESIGNATION.

       The checkpoint of the United States Border Patrol located 
     on United States Highway 90 West in Uvalde County, Texas, 
     shall be known and designated as the ``James R. Dominguez 
     Border Patrol Checkpoint''.

     SEC. 4. REFERENCES.

        Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the checkpoint 
     described in section 3 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``James R. Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Molinaro) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 5799.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5799, a bill that honors 
the service and sacrifice of Border Patrol Agent James R. Dominguez by 
naming the United States Border Patrol checkpoint in Uvalde County, 
Texas, after him.
  Border Patrol Agent Dominguez served our country for more than 12 
years. On July 19, 2012, Agent Dominguez stopped to clear debris out of 
the roadway when he was tragically struck and killed by a passing car.
  It is fitting that we honor Agent Dominguez by naming this Border 
Patrol checkpoint after him.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H.R. 5799, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5799, a bill to designate the 
checkpoint of the U.S. Border Patrol located on United States Highway 
90 West in Uvalde County, Texas, naming it the James R. Dominguez 
Border Patrol Checkpoint, and I thank Mr. Gonzales for bringing the 
bill.
  In 2012, 41-year-old United States Border Patrol Agent James R. 
Dominguez was struck and killed by a vehicle while assisting a disabled 
motorist on U.S. 90 near Cline, Texas.
  Agent Dominguez had served with the U.S. Border Patrol for 12 years. 
He is survived by his wife and four children. Agent Dominguez' brother 
and father were also members of the Border Patrol.
  I support this legislation to rename the Border Patrol checkpoint 
located on U.S. Highway 90 West in Uvalde County, Texas, as the James 
R. Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to do the same, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales), who is the sponsor of the bill.
  Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
my bill, H.R. 5799, the James R. Dominguez Memorial Act. I thank this 
Chamber for bringing this bill to the floor for a vote today.
  I have the privilege of serving Texas 23 and the people of Uvalde. I 
was in Uvalde yesterday. It has been a tough couple of years for us in 
the district.
  Just outside of Uvalde is a checkpoint called the Uvalde Checkpoint 
Station. Very soon that checkpoint will be known as the James R. 
Dominguez Checkpoint.
  When I met with Border Patrol agents that day, it was nothing but 
smiles, whether they had been in for 2 years or they had been in for 30 
years, like Agent Moreno, it was all smiles. They were smiling because 
they knew that they weren't going to be forgotten, whether they passed 
away during service over 12 years ago, they were not going to be 
forgotten. Their families weren't going to be forgotten.
  In 2012, Border Patrol Agent James Dominguez tragically passed away 
in the line of duty when he was struck by a vehicle along Highway 90 in 
Texas.
  Agent Dominguez was a loving father, a husband, a friend to all that 
knew him, and a strong man of faith. He dedicated 12 years of his life 
as a Border Patrol agent, the last serving in the Uvalde station in the 
Del Rio sector.
  Today is a special day for this Chamber. We will move forward tonight 
on legislation that will honor the memory of Border Patrol Agent James 
Dominguez by renaming the checkpoint in Uvalde in his honor.
  I am proud to work very closely with Chief Owens and his wife, Cassy 
Garcia, as well as the family members of Agent Dominguez, his brothers 
and sisters, his widow, to rename this Uvalde station and make this 
memorial possible.
  Agent James Dominguez' legacy will live on for generations to come, 
and his service will never be forgotten.

                              {time}  1745

  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this legislation, as 
I said, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this bill to honor the 
service and sacrifice of U.S. Border Patrol Agent James R. Dominguez by 
designating the United States Border Patrol checkpoint in Uvalde 
County, Texas, as the James R. Dominguez Border Patrol Checkpoint.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Representative Gonzales, for his 
advocacy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5799.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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