Lincoln Diaz-Balart: “It is my solemn duty to rise today on behalf of the Florida delegation as we continue to grieve the passing of our…”

“It is my solemn duty to rise today on behalf of the Florida delegation as we continue to grieve the passing of our colleague and our friend, Alcee Hastings of Florida. Congressman Alcee Hastings was more than a colleague; he was a dear friend to me and to my family. Madam Speaker, my brother, Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, served with Alcee Hastings on the Rules Committee; and, through him, I also developed a very special relationship. Along with Congresswomen Carrie Meek and Corrine Brown, Alcee Hastings was the first African American from Florida to serve in Congress after more than 100 years. Alcee Hastings dedicated his life to serving others and to fighting for human rights. You know, Alcee lived by Dr. Martin Luther King's phrase, ``An injustice anywhere is an affront to justice everywhere.'' Alcee Hastings' brilliance, his perseverance, and his charisma, along with his ceaseless fight for human rights, built a lasting and meaningful legacy. And even during that last battle of his, the one that ultimately took his life, he continued to serve with passion, with great heart, and always with that special spark that he had, that smile of his that he always had. We are truly heartbroken by his passing, and we offer our deepest condolences and prayers to his family and all of those who knew and loved him. Florida and Congress really lost a trailblazer.…”