James Oberstar: “I rise in support of H.R. 2322, a bill to designate the Federal building located at 320 North Main Street in McAllen…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 2322, a bill to designate the Federal building located at 320 North Main Street in McAllen, Texas, as the E. ``Kika'' de la Garza Federal Building. E. Kika de la Garza's long and productive career spanned 30 years of public service to his constituents in Texas. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1953. In 1964, Kika was elected to Congress and served 16 years. Congressman de la Garza was the first Hispanic American to become Chairman of a standing committee, the Committee on Agriculture. In the 103rd Congress, Kika led the initiative to enact legislation to revamp and streamline the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He also became one of the founding Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which he chaired from 1989-1991. His numerous legislative accomplishments included creating the Texas Water Commission and the Reagan/de la Garza coastal wetlands. He was also a driving force behind legislation creating the Nation's first state-run system of English language instruction for pre-school age children. Kika de la Garza was one of Congress' leading experts on U.S.-Mexican relations and worked to improve relations between the two countries. He served as Chairman of the Mexican-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, which promotes dialogue between the two countries. In Congress, Kika was known, on both sides of the aisle, as a gentleman who fostered cooperation and bipartisanship.”