Alex Padilla: “in Spanish, we say ``en Espanol,'' but I know the Presiding Officer knew that from Colorado. I rise today, as we mark…”

“in Spanish, we say ``en Espanol,'' but I know the Presiding Officer knew that from Colorado. I rise today, as we mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, to reflect on a historic leader whose work inspires me in this fight for voting rights and the work that we have before us. Willie Velasquez, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, dedicated his life to improving the freedom to vote in Latino communities. Everywhere he went, he brought a simple motto. You might have heard it. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) ``Your vote is your voice.'' Willie Velasquez was born in 1944 and grew up in a Latino community in Texas which suffered from the harms of segregation, redlining, and government neglect. He understood that the path to greater recognition for Latinos was through participation in our democracy. So Willie set out to make sure Latinos across the Southwest could participate. In 1974, Willie Velasquez founded his groundbreaking organization, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. Through his efforts, Willie helped bring the vote--and a powerful voice--to many Latino communities. Now, Willie's successes were built on the hard-earned victories of those of past civil rights leaders. Especially critical was Congress's 1975 extension of the Voting Rights Act--yes, a bipartisan reauthorization of the Federal Voting Rights Act--which established protections for language minorities, like Spanish speakers.…”