[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF ALBERTO CARDENAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW, JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 8, 2003

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of my friend, Mr. 
Alberto Cardenas of Miami, for his 10 years of diligent service to the 
Republican Party of Florida and the people of our great state as party 
chairman and vice chairman. Al has served with distinction over the 
last four years in his role as state chairman. During his tenure, 
Chairman Cardenas shepherded the Republican Party of Florida to a 
historic level.
  Following the 1998 election of Governor Jeb Bush, Al was elected 
unanimously by his peers, men and women, black and white; to lead our 
party. As Governor Bush began his agenda of reforming state government, 
Chairman Cardenas undertook the vision of changing the perception of 
Florida Republicans. Chairman Cardenas quickly made diversity a major 
focus of his first year. Establishing both Hispanic and African-
American outreach programs, Al ushered the Party into uncharted 
territory. His message of inclusion spread throughout Florida as 
Republican ranks began to soar. Al's message of inclusion was carried 
out with the formation of the Florida Black Republican Council, the 
Florida National Hispanic Assembly, and the chartering of the Broward 
Log Cabin Club. For his efforts, Republican National Chairman, Governor 
Jim Gilmore selected Al to serve on the RNC Executive Committee. A post 
which gave Al the opportunity to promote Republican diversity 
throughout the nation. Recently, Governor Bush appointed Al to the 
Board of Trustees of Florida A&M in Tallahassee.
  Along with an aggressive vision of inclusion, Al campaigned 
tirelessly throughout Florida urging elected officials, both state and 
local, to join the Republican Party. Since 1999, numerous elected 
officials have switched party affiliation to Republican.
  Mr. Speaker, later this month Al leaves his post and returns to 
Miami. Another chapter in a storied personal journey that began at the 
young age of 13 with his leaving Communist Cuba in 1961, at the height 
of the U.S.-Cuba conflict, and ends leading the largest state 
Republican Party in the nation. State Republican history will look back 
favorably on his service which saw a number of firsts: the first 
Republican governor to be re-elected; the first elected Republican 
Attorney General; the first elected Republican Agriculture 
Commissioner; and the first elected Republican Chief Financial Officer, 
and increased seats in the Florida House of Representatives and Florida 
Senate, as well as, the largest number of Florida members of Congress 
ever.
  Mr. Speaker, I join my fellow Republicans in thanking our friend, 
Chairman Al Cardenas for his friendship, service and support. I wish, 
Al, Diana and the entire Cardenas family best of health in the coming 
year.

                          ____________________