- Kika de la Garza
Infobox_Congressman
name = Kika de la Garza
date of birth = birth date and age|1927|9|22
place of birth =Mercedes, Texas
state =Texas
district = 15th
term_start =January 3 ,1965
term_end =January 3 ,1997
preceded =Joe M. Kilgore
succeeded =Rubén Hinojosa
party = Democrat
spouse =
children =
religion =Eligio “Kika” de la Garza, II (born
September 22 ,1927 , inMercedes, Texas ) was the Democratic representative for the 15th congressional district ofTexas fromJanuary 3 ,1965 , toJanuary 3 ,1997 .De la Garza grew up in Mission in Hidalgo County. At the age of seventeen, he entered the
United States Navy and served for two years. De la Garza chose to continue his education at EdinburgJunior College and theUnited States Army Artillery School atFort Still inOklahoma . For two years beginning in 1952, he was alieutenant in the Army while deployed in theKorean War . After returning home, he completed his law degree atSt. Mary's University in San Antonio. After having practiced law for several years in theRio Grande Valley , he was elected to theTexas House of Representatives .While in the state House, de la Garza was famous for sponsoring much legislation in the fields of education and the environment. He authored bills to protect wetlands, create state-sponsored preschools, and more international bridges to
Mexico . From 1955 to 1957, he was the only Hispanic member of the Texas House. He was joined in 1957 by a secondMexican American member,Oscar M. Laurel of Laredo, the seat of Webb County.In 1965, de la Garza, a strong supporter of
U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson , assumed his seat in Congress. From 1981 to 1994, he was the chairman of the Agricultural Committee, leading the way in passing bills that reorganized the agricultural lending system, the farm insurance system, theUnited States Department of Agriculture , andpesticide laws.De la le Garza was also a
civil rights supporter and called for smoother relations between the U.S. and Mexico. He worked to improve trade between the two nations and was critical in passing the legislation that enacted theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).De la Garza's nickname was made famous by
Andy Rooney in the early days of his TV show as he referred to “Kiki de la Garza” as one of the names that stuck with him most. He resides inMcAllen, Texas with his wife Lucille.External links
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