[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 87 (Thursday, May 21, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H3674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            SALUTING THE MEN OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 128

  (Mr. Latimer of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the men of The 
American Legion Post 128 in Rye, New York, for their patriotism and 
their true sense of civic duty.
  This post, comprised of veterans of military service, is just one 
part of The American Legion Department of New York, and it is led by 
Commander Fred de Barros and Adjutant Tim Moynihan. Their commitment to 
American values will be on display this Memorial Day weekend as they 
host the annual parade and ceremony on the Village Green in Rye.
  The ceremony will feature a presentation of the annual Americanism 
award this year to a deserving Rye resident, Laura Pellegrini, along 
with high school students who have participated in the annual essay 
contest.
  The post members last weekend placed American flags at the graves of 
veterans at Greenwood Union Cemetery. Every year, they conduct Veterans 
Day services on the Village Green in November, and also a used flag 
disposal ceremony and other patriotic recognitions.
  From the floor of the House of Representatives, we acknowledge and 
recognize The American Legion Post 128 and the Ladies Auxiliary for 
their service to city and to country.


                  Remembering Congressman Eliot Engel

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life and 
accomplishments of my predecessor, Congressman Eliot Engel, who passed 
away on April 10, with particular focus on his representation of the 
Bronx and Westchester, and his leadership on the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  A product of the Bronx, Eliot was a fixture in New York politics for 
as long as I knew him and zealously represented the diverse 
constituencies that characterized metro New York, and at various times 
the Bronx, Westchester, and Rockland Counties.
  Originally winning election as a third-party candidate, he first 
served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988, and thereafter 
as a Member of Congress for the Bronx and Westchester until 2020.
  Eliot supported liberal policies at home. He fought vigorously to 
protect Kosovar Albanians and for the United States to recognize Kosovo 
as an independent nation.
  Last week in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, at the urging of my 
colleague Ritchie Torres, leader Brian Mast, and Ranking Member  Greg 
Meeks, we passed a bill to honor Congressman Engel's life and legacy by 
renaming the U.S. Chancery in Pristina, Kosovo, the Eliot L. Engel 
Building.
  While naming a building for someone will never replace having them in 
the room with you, it is my hope that this effort will allow his work, 
his leadership, and his legacy to live on for years to come.
  May his memory be a blessing.

                          ____________________