His simple nickname and demeanor belied the power he wielded in the halls of our nation’s capital.
Eligio de la Garza, known everywhere as Kika, represented the entire Rio Grande Valley for much of his 30 years in Congress. In the Valley, the jovial man with the raspy voice talked mostly about the needs of the people he represented, and the future of their children. Most local residents knew him only in this light, as the personable man of the people.
In Washington, however, Kika de la Garza was known, and respected, as a shrewd dealmaker who was able to cobble together major pieces of legislation that conservatives and liberals alike could support.
De la Garza, who died March 13 at age 89 at a Mission care center, served in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than three decades, from 1965 to 1997. And for nearly half of that tenure the Mission native was chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, holding the post during all or part of the Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations.
The agriculture post is one of the most powerful positions in government. As chairman de la Garza oversaw the development of several U.S. Farm Bills, five-year plans that govern everything from agriculture subsidies to commodity distributions for needy families and even school lunch programs across the country. He also helped draft key elements of the North American Free Trade Agreement and other international trade deals.
De la Garza was instrumental in the development of sugarcane growth and processing in South Texas. The non-native crop now covers a large part of the Valley and is a major part of the region’s economy. The federal Food and Agricultural Act still carries the “de la Garza amendment” that adds sugarcane and sugarbeets to the list of commodities that qualify for federal loans and other support programs.
Source: www.brownsvilleherald.com