Darrell Issa: “I rise in support of S. 188, which adds several names to the short title of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and…”

“I rise in support of S. 188, which adds several names to the short title of the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006. The individuals whose names are added by this legislation deserve to be embodied in that historic legislation for the roles they played in encouraging the participation of all Americans in the political process. Cesar Chavez and Dr. Hector Garcia followed the path of Martin Luther King, Jr. Mr. Chavez founded and led the first successful farm workers' union in the United States and became the president of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO. From its beginnings, the UFW adhered to the principles of non-violent change. Mr. Chavez received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States, in 1994. Dr. Hector Garcia was a Mexican Revolution refugee and medical doctor. He, too, led peaceful protests to empower Mexican Americans to fight legal and political battles against discrimination through his founding of the American GI Forum. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Barbara Jordan was the first African-American woman to serve in the U.S. Congress from the South.”