HR0857 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0857 LRB104 21726 RMO 37352 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia, a dedicated public servant, community organizer, and administrator, has served the people of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the United States with distinction throughout his storied career; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia, who was born in Durango, Mexico and arrived in Chicago at the age of nine, has remained steadfastly focused on immigrant access, neighborhood equity, public services, and working-class representation; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia's extensive career in public office includes serving as Chicago Alderperson for the 22nd Ward, an Illinois State Senator, a Cook County Commissioner, and a U.S. Representative; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia was the first Mexican American alderperson of Chicago's Little Village, where he helped strengthen progressive governance, championed immigrant access to city services, and commissioned the iconic Little Village Arch; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia authored the landmark Language Assistance Services Act of 1993 during his time as the first Mexican American Illinois State Senator, making language access in hospitals and long-term care facilities a legal obligation and thereby improving patient safety and setting a precedent for language access as a core public service; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia worked as an administrator for non-profit and philanthropic organizations during his tenure as a public official, notably founding the Little Village Community Development Corporation, now Enlace Chicago, which began as a one-person startup and became a major entity advocating for community schools and providing after-school programs and anti-violence work; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia served as floor leader while on the Cook County Board of Commissioners, successfully pushing for the end of county cooperation with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a policy that became a national model as well as championing minimum wage increases and paid sick leave; and

WHEREAS, As a U.S. Representative, Mr. Garcia was elected Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, appointed vice chair of the Natural Resources Committee, and secured significant federal funding for community projects and statewide infrastructure and public transportation initiatives, continuing his focus on civil rights, economic opportunity, consumer protection, and immigration reform; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Garcia's career has been defined by his ability to identify practical points of vulnerability and address them through consistent, community-based policy throughout his decades of service; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we commend Jesus G. "Chuy" Garcia for his lifetime of dedicated public service to the State of Illinois and the nation, commend him for his enduring legacy of strengthening representation for immigrant and working-class communities, and congratulate him on his retirement from public service, effective January 2027; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mr. Garcia as a symbol of our respect and esteem.