Rubén Hinojosa: “on June 18, this nation lost a true patriot when James Jarrell ``Jake'' Pickle passed away. Congressman Jake Pickle was…”

“on June 18, this nation lost a true patriot when James Jarrell ``Jake'' Pickle passed away. Congressman Jake Pickle was truly dedicated to his country, the state of Texas he loved so much, and to the constituents he served so dutifully. In 1942, young Jake Pickle began his public service by enlisting in the U.S. Navy and serving as a gunnery officer in World War II. After surviving three torpedo attacks he returned to Texas and with some fellow veterans established radio station KVET in Austin, Texas. As a protege of President Johnson, he came to the U.S. House of Representatives in the early 1960s looking to make a difference. He got his chance almost immediately. Bucking the trend of the times, and breaking with many from the Southern delegation, Congressman Pickle voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and continued to remain a staunch advocate for civil rights and protections for minorities. He always said that this vote was the proudest moment of his career. In the early 1980s, as chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, he worked to protect and strengthen Social Security from financial ruin. Recognizing the need to maintain America's technological edge and always mindful of the need to increase job opportunities for his constituents, he helped bring high-tech industries to Austin and worked to make the University of Texas, my alma mater and his, a cutting edge research institution.…”