[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18112]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING MATT GARCIA

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that my 
friend Senator Dianne Feinstein and I ask our colleagues to join us 
today in honoring the memory of an extraordinary young man, Fairfield 
City councilmember Matt Garcia. Matt, a dedicated public servant, was 
shot in a senseless act of violence on the evening of Monday, September 
1, 2008. Matt passed away on Friday, September 5, 2008. He was 22 years 
old.
  In November 2007, Matt was elected to a 4-year term on the city 
council of Fairfield, CA. Just 21 years old when he was elected, Matt 
was the youngest councilman in Fairfield City history and one of the 
youngest elected officials in the State of California. With a deep 
sense of civic pride, Matt worked tirelessly to address Fairfield's 
crime rate and to develop effective gang prevention programs. In his 
short time on the council, Matt served with distinction and passion, 
earning the respect of both his colleagues on the council and the youth 
of his beloved city.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Long before being elected to the Fairfield City 
Council, Matt Garcia's ambition and dedication inspired his community 
to be better and to do better. Since the 6th grade, friends remember 
Matt telling them that one day he would become the mayor of his 
hometown of Fairfield. Matt attended Armijo High School, where he 
served as vice president of his senior class and was selected as both 
prom king and homecoming king.
  Matt Garcia was a driven young leader who cared for his community 
deeply, and will be remembered by friends and colleagues as honest, 
passionate, and full of life. Matt served Fairfield with enthusiasm and 
a commitment to creating a better world. His dedication to his goals 
and dreams of improving his community will live on in those whose lives 
he touched.
  Mrs. BOXER. Matt Garcia is survived by his grandmother, parents, 
siblings, and extended family members. Senator Feinstein and I will 
always be grateful for Matt's example of passionate public service. Our 
hearts go out to Matt's family, friends, and colleagues who struggle 
with this incomprehensible loss.

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