Henry Cuellar: “I thank the chairwoman for her leadership, and the ranking member, also. Mr. Speaker, today we honor our fallen…”

“I thank the chairwoman for her leadership, and the ranking member, also. Mr. Speaker, today we honor our fallen servicemembers to award them with this Congressional Gold Medal. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation, H.R. 5142. On August 26 at 9:44 a.m., an explosion from a suicide terrorist bombing in Afghanistan killed 13 of our servicemembers. One of those servicemembers was my constituent, Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza from Rio Bravo. He was born in Laredo and graduated from the city's Lyndon B. Johnson High School in 2019. His mother, Elizabeth Holguin, and his father, Victor Dominguez, and his brothers and sister, Angel, Victor, and Delilah, mourn his loss and are endlessly proud of David and his service. When we attended David's funeral in Laredo, we all knew that families across the United States also mourned their loved ones. David joined the Marine Corps with the intention of protecting our Nation and demonstrating his selfless acts of service to his country. He embodied the American values of grit, dedication, service, and valor. May Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza and our fallen servicemembers forever be honored and never be forgotten.”