Lincoln Diaz-Balart: “I have been very impressed, since the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Redmond) arrived in this chamber, with his…”

“I have been very impressed, since the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Redmond) arrived in this chamber, with his extraordinary perseverance and leadership on the issue of redress for what is, yes, a historic injustice but it is nevertheless an injustice. One of the characteristics that I think speak very highly of the people of the United States of America is that Americans redress and rectify injustice, even when it is historic, and even when it is an injustice of generations ago. It is without doubt, it can be without doubt, that at the end of the war between the United States and Mexico, many of the rights that were given by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo to the citizens who were previously Mexican citizens and then became American citizens, many of the rights that were given to them under that treaty were not complied with. What the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Redmond) is seeking to do in this historic legislation is not to give the Commission that this legislation is creating any judicial powers, but it is authorizing this commission to review and make recommendations to Congress with regard to precisely any historic injustices that have not been redressed and have not been remedied.”