[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 4517-4518]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1015
                  CONGRATULATING ROTARY CLUB OF MIAMI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the 
Rotary Club of Miami on its 100th anniversary, which will be celebrated 
through the Century of Service Gala this Saturday, March 25.
  The Rotary Club of Miami is the fifth oldest rotary club in Florida, 
and has been working around-the-clock to make positive and long-lasting 
contributions to our beautiful south Florida community. Through 
community service projects and philanthropy, this organization has 
helped establish several institutions that aim to assist some of the 
most vulnerable members of our society, including the Miami Lighthouse 
for the Blind, the YMCA of Greater Miami, and Boys Town of Florida.
  Since its inception, the Rotary Club of Miami has been headed by 
extraordinary individuals with a vision to make south Florida an even 
better place in which to live. Its first president was Dr. James 
Jackson, who was instrumental in establishing Jackson Memorial 
Hospital, which is now the third largest public hospital and the third 
largest teaching hospital in our great country.
  Another Miami staple of the Rotary Club of Miami is the Bascom Palmer 
Eye Institute, which was established by one of the club members, and is 
ranked the number one eye hospital in the United States.
  The Rotary Club of Miami also helped found one of the largest burn 
centers in the south, the Bone and Tissue Bank at the University of 
Miami. And the Rotary Club of Miami has also supported education by 
providing scholarship opportunities for high school, college, and 
postgraduate students.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Rotary Club of Miami for 
its impressive legacy. I thank everyone who is involved in this club 
supporting this wonderful organization. And I wish the members of the 
Rotary Club of Miami much continued success in the decades to come.


                  Tribute to Congressman Robert Garcia

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a 
former Member of the House, Robert Garcia, or, as we used to call him, 
Bobby, who passed away nearly 2 months ago.
  I had the opportunity to serve with Bobby for only a few months 
before his retirement, but during that short time,

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I was able to see firsthand his commitment to our great Nation.
  Bobby was a patriot. After graduating from high school, Bobby joined 
the Army and went on to serve as part of the Third Infantry Division in 
the Korean war, where he earned two Bronze Stars.
  As the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress, I have been 
invigorated by Bobby's unwavering passion to fight for better 
opportunities for our Hispanic community. He was a founding member of 
the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and NALEO, the National 
Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, to ensure that 
more Hispanics become involved in our political arena.
  Bobby was also instrumental in guaranteeing that Hispanics were 
counted in the U.S. Census. One of Bobby's legacies, Mr. Speaker, was 
the creation of free enterprise zones designed to spur job creation and 
economic opportunities in inner city neighborhoods. Bobby also led the 
effort to establish the Martin Luther King national holiday.
  The loss of Bobby's experience and knowledge is felt in New York, in 
Puerto Rico, and all across our country by everyone who benefited from 
his contributions. Bobby Garcia's memory will stand as a great example 
of a tenacious public servant and a remarkable life lived.

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