Recognizing Ms. Andrea Gutierrez-Cortez

Floor Speech

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Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ms. Andrea Gutierrez-Cortez for her service to my office and to thank her for her dedication to the people of California's 22nd Congressional District.

Born in 1998, Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez has spent most of her life in the Central Valley. Growing up in Tulare, she attended Mission Oak High School and graduated in 2016. She would go on to attend the University of California, San Diego, where she became a sister of the Phi Sigma Rho Sorority and was a student-athlete on the club lacrosse team. In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology. Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez has been a member of my team since 2020, first as a volunteer on my campaign and then as a Constituent Services Representative in my Hanford office.

In her role, she has been critical in helping my constituents navigate complex federal agencies. She has assisted over 500 constituents in resolving problems with federal agencies including the Department of State, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Internal Revenue Service, and Social Security Administration. Throughout her time in my office, Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez has completed an impressive 810 cases--helping to return nearly $5 million in tax refunds, Small Business Administration loans, farm loans, and federal grants to constituents of California's 22 Congressional District.

Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez's extensive knowledge of the complex immigration system has made her an invaluable member of my team. She has managed all immigration cases that have come into my office over the past two and a half years. Her dedication to solving these difficult cases is a true testament to her compassion and character, and she has been vital in securing nearly 100 immigrant visas for families across the Central Valley.

As the only member of my district team who is fluent in Spanish, Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez has also been essential in helping Spanish-speaking constituents in my district feel welcomed and heard. I have entrusted Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez with some of my office's most challenging and complicated cases. No matter how difficult the case, her professionalism, determination, and genuine compassion never wavered. Not only is she an incredible worker, but she has also become a beloved colleague in both my DC and District offices, earning the title ``Commander'' and even being recognized as the official office holiday decorator.

This July, Ms. Gutierrez-Cortez's time in my office came to an end, as she will begin pursuing a Juris Doctorate at the University of Tennessee College of Law this fall. She intends to begin practicing law after graduation, focusing on constitutional law and pro-bono immigration work. While I am excited for her to begin this new chapter of her life, her compassion for others, work ethic, and dedication to my constituents will be greatly missed. I am confident that Andrea has many accomplishments still ahead of her and will continue having a positive impact on everyone she meets.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending Andrea Gutierrez-Cortez for her service to the people of the Central Valley and wishing her the very best in this next chapter of her life.

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