[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18053]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
    WELCOMING THE HONORABLE JUDY CHU TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER. The gentleman from California (Mr. Stark) is recognized 
for 1 minute.
  Mr. STARK. Madam Speaker, as the dean of the California delegation, 
it is my duty and a deep pleasure to introduce the newest addition to 
our delegation, Dr. Judy Chu. The election of Dr. Chu is 
groundbreaking--not only because she's a Renaissance woman--she taught 
psychology at East Los Angeles Community College--but also because 
she's the first Chinese American woman ever to serve in Congress.
  Dr. Chu's impressive record as an elected official goes back over a 
few years. She was elected to the Garvey School District's Board in 
1985. She's held the title of mayor, city councilwoman, State 
assemblywoman and chair of the Assembly appropriations committee, vice 
chair of the California State Board of Equalization, and now a Member 
of Congress.
  The causes she has championed over the years are as varied and 
important as the offices she has served in. As chair of the Assembly 
appropriations committee, she ensured that programs benefiting 
students, people with disabilities, and the elderly were properly 
funded. Her effectiveness extended to the Assembly floor, building 
coalitions to pass legislation that enhanced protections for victims of 
domestic violence, strengthened hate crime laws, and brought much-
needed improvements to public school facilities.
  Her experience as a professor, public servant, and advocate for 
families and the less fortunate will make her an important voice in 
this Congress. I know she's ready to hit the ground running.
  Please join me in welcoming Dr. Chu to the House of Representatives.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).
  Ms. CHU. Speaker Pelosi and fellow Members of the House of 
Representatives, I'm so honored and humbled to be here in this great 
hall of Congress. I'm especially honored to follow in the footsteps of 
my mentor, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, whose support and 
encouragement I truly cherish.
  I am proud to have been elected by a district of people in 
California, in the San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles, that is diverse, 
that is working class, and that cares deeply about its senior centers, 
parks, and community centers.
  They are anxious to ensure that their kids will have a job when they 
graduate from college, that they don't have to fear getting sick, and 
that they can be secure in staying in their homes. I look forward to 
working with you and making sure that this happens.
  I want to thank my supporters for believing in me so strongly. And 
they are up there. I want to thank my family, my nieces--my family 
especially. My husband, Mike Eng.
  It is at times like this when I think about my grandfather, who came 
to this country with nothing. He worked hard and opened up a small 
Chinese restaurant and working night and day, day and night, and he 
used that very expensive labor--his sons--to make ends meet. And now, 
two generations later, here I am.
  America is truly the land of opportunity. I thank you all very much.

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