The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING TEXAS STATE SENATOR EDDIE LUCIO, JR.
______
HON. FILEMON VELA
of texas
in the house of representatives
Friday, February 18, 2022
Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., a man who has devoted his life to bringing dignity and prosperity to the people of the Rio Grande Valley.
Eduardo Andres ``Eddie'' Lucio, Jr. was born on January 20, 1946, in Brownsville, Texas. The second of ten children, Eddie grew up in the Bougainvillea neighborhood, where he learned the importance of hard work and a good education. He attended the University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Education. Eddie served as an educator and coached football, basketball, and track and field in the Brownsville Independent School District before running for office in 1971.
At the age of 25, Eddie became the youngest person ever to be elected County Treasurer in the State of Texas. He also served as Cameron County Commissioner before his first election to the Texas House of Representatives, where he represented the people of Brownsville from 1986 to 1990. He then successfully ran to represent District 27 in the Texas Senate, a position he held continuously for 31 years until he announced his retirement in 2022.
Eddie leads by example and believes that looking out for your neighbors, especially those who have fallen on hard times or are economically disadvantaged, is the heart of public service. He has assisted families who have lost their homes to fire with food, clothing, and rent, and he donates hundreds of Thanksgiving turkeys every year. After witnessing the destruction of Hurricane Harvey, he purchased a food truck, which he operates with the help of friends and family to feed residents in remote locations when they are affected by natural disasters or other events such as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As a former educator, Eddie is a fierce advocate for students and teachers and is well-known throughout South Texas for his work to help young scholars, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships from funds raised by his annual golf tournaments over the past 30 years.
In the State Senate, Eddie authored bills to increase public school funding, expand bilingual education, improve bus safety, ensure nutritious school lunches, and secure better pay for teachers. He also fought to improve access to higher education in the Rio Grande Valley. He was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center and helped fast-track the creation of the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and its groundbreaking medical school, which are helping to train the next generation of doctors and medical professionals in a medically underserved area of the country. To honor his countless contributions to education in the community, Brownsville ISD named Lucio Middle School after him in 1997.
Eddie has changed the landscape of South Texas. As Vice Chair of the Finance Committee, he worked to secure millions of dollars in state funding for infrastructure, which contributed to the designation of the first interstate highways in the Rio Grande Valley and addressed water and wastewater needs for colonias. He also introduced legislation in support of bringing the World Birding Centers to the area and building an artificial reef off the coast of South Padre Island, boosting tourism and ecotourism in the area. Eddie was an early advocate for bringing SpaceX to the region, knowing it would eventually spur a boom of economic development.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, Eddie's wife, Minnie; his children, Eddie Lucio Ill and Lynda; and his grandchildren, Eddie
`Luc' Lucio IV and Olivia Rose, in thanking him for five decades of selfless dedication to his community.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 33
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