{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12435", "1996-10-21", 104, 2, null, null, "TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE KIKA DE LA GARZA", "SENATE", "SENATE", "TRIBUTETO", "S12435", "S12435", "[{\"name\": \"Howell Heflin\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "142 Cong. Rec. S12435", "Congressional Record, Volume 142 Issue 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 143 (Monday, October 21, 1996)]\n[Senate]\n[Page S12435]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n               TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE KIKA DE LA GARZA\n\n Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the\nHonorable Kika de la Garza.\n  There is nobody in the U.S. Congress more deserving of a tribute than\nthe distinguished and longtime chairman of the House Agriculture\nCommittee and defender of rural America and family farms.\n  Kika de la Garza began his elected public service with six terms in\nthe Texas House of Representatives and was first elected to the U.S.\nHouse of Representatives in 1964. Kika was immediately appointed to the\nAgriculture Committee and has served as the committee chairman since\n1981. As a matter of fact, Kika was the first Hispanic American to\nhead-up a standing committee of the House of Representatives. Kika de\nla Garza is very proud of his Hispanic heritage, and with good reason.\nKika can trace his ancestry back to one of the ruling families of Spain\nand to one of the earliest settlers of Texas. Don Martin de Leon and\nhis wife, Dona de la Garza, petitioned the Spanish Governor in San\nAntonio for the right to establish a permanent settlement in Texas long\nbefore Moses Austin had received permission. Kika is also proud of his\nAlabama ancestry, as he often reminds me that he can trace some of his\nforebears to Etowah County, AL.\n  During his tenure as committee chairman, Kika de la Garza has\nsuccessfully guided the passage of three omnibus farm bills. He is also\nresponsible for a major overhaul of the agricultural lending system,\nFederal crop insurance reform, reorganization of the USDA, and reforms\nin pesticide laws. Chairman de la Garza has also brought special\nattention to rural development and the needs of rural families. He has\nfought tirelessly for rural development programs such as rural waste\nand water systems. Through this strong commitment and leadership on\nbehalf of rural America, his efforts were recognized with the\nestablishment of an empowerment zone in south Texas, one of only three\nin rural America.\n  I recall working closely with Kika de la Garza over the years. We\nhave worked many long hours together to restructure the Farm Credit\nSystem and provide disaster assistance when our Nation's producers have\nsuffered from drought and other natural disasters. However, what comes\nto mind when I think of Kika De la Garza is his invaluable leadership\nin defense of the peanut program. It may come as a surprise to some,\nbut the peanut program is vitally important to Alabama and I have\npersonally fought hard to preserve this program. Had it not been for\nChairman de la Garza, though, we would not have been able to maintain\nthis program that is also an integral part of Texas agriculutre. Many\nwere the occasions that I came to Kika and I told him that I needed his\nhelp and without fail, we were able to hold off efforts to eliminate\nthe peanut program. For this, I am deeply grateful to Kika.\n  As Kika de la Garza leaves Congress and returns to Texas, we are\ntruly witnessing the end of an era. Kika de la Garza has outlasted Bob\nPoage, Herman Talmadge and Jamie Whitten to become the dean of American\nAgriculture. Rural America has had no stronger advocate than Kika de la\nGarza, he has indeed been the champion of the small farmer.\n  When Kika and his wife, Lucille, return to Texas, they will return\nhome to Mission. Mission, TX, is known for producing famous Texans,\namong them include Tom Landry and Lloyd Bentsen. However, none have\ncontributed more to improving the lives and living conditions of all\nAmericans. Congress will indeed be a different place next year and it\nwill sorely miss the wisdom and leadership of Kika de la Garza.\n  From the beginning, man has been at work in agriculture. In Genesis\nChapter 3, Verse 23, Moses writes, ``Therefore the Lord God sent him\nforth from the Garden of Eden, to till the Ground from whence he was\ntaken''. Although there are tremendous challenges that lie ahead, the\nSun shall rise tomorrow, and we can bear fruit for our neighbors and\nfriends and those who are without nourishment. As we strive to feed a\ngrowing population, protect our environment, and keep farmers and\nranchers strong, I am confident that with God's guidance, those who\nrely upon him will succeed. We have all been blessed to have had the\nwisdom and leadership of Kika de la Garza. As Americans we are all\nbetter for his service to this great country. As Kika and his wife,\nLucille return home, as Mike and I are returning home, we wish them\nboth the very best for many years to come. It has been my honor to have\nserved with Kika de la Garza.\n\n                          ____________________"]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-1996-10-21-pt1-PgS12435"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 56.686497991904616, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}