[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 110 (Thursday, June 26, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MIKE ROTKIN

  (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, today I honor the life and the legacy of 
Mike Rotkin.
  Mike was a tireless public servant, a principled activist, and a 
beloved educator in Santa Cruz.
  As a professor at UCSC, he inspired generations of students to give 
back to their communities. As a leader, he served five terms as mayor 
and nearly 25 years on the city council, more than anyone in the 
history of Santa Cruz. Yet Mike's impact cannot be measured in titles 
nor terms.
  He stood on picket lines, marched for civil rights, fought to save 
libraries, protected our coastline, and never stopped showing up for 
our neighbors. He did it all with civility and hard work. He was a 
competitor, but always compassionate and considerate. If you disagreed 
with him, he was never confrontational. Instead, he took the high road, 
worked hard, and always found common ground.
  I was proud to have not just his political support, but I was also so 
pleased that I could call Mike a personal friend. Although we in the 
Santa Cruz community are moved by his loss, I stand here today, just as 
we stand together in Santa Cruz, inspired to serve by the legacy and 
the spirit of Mike Rotkin.

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