Recognizing Marco Antonio Firebaugh

RECOGNIZING MARCO ANTONIO FIREBAUGH -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 11, 2004)

SPEECH OF
HON. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2004

Ms. LINDA T. SÁNCHEZ of California. Mr. Speaker, on December 6, 2004, Marco Antonio Firebaugh, the Assembly Majority Floor Leader for the State of California, will term-out of the Assembly after six distinguished years of public service.

Assembly Member Firebaugh was born on October 13, 1966, in Baja California, Mexico. He made California his permanent residence in 1970.

In 1990, Assembly Member Firebaugh earned his Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He subsequently earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law in 1997.

Assembly Member Firebaugh was first elected to the California State Assembly to represent the 50th Assembly District in November 1998. He easily won re-election and was sworn into office on December 2, 2002, to serve his third term.
As Assembly Majority Floor Leader, Firebaugh has been responsible for all matters that are relevant to the order of business on the Assembly floor. Furthermore, he has served as one of the chief negotiators for Assembly Democrats.

In 2002, Assembly Member Firebaugh was elected Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus and thus was responsible for developing the annual Caucus' Agenda for California's Working Families. He has focused on providing resources to schools, increasing access to health care and affordable housing, and championing immigrant rights.

His legislative tenure has been highlighted with far-reaching accomplishments in numerous policy areas. Assembly Member Firebaugh's effort to ensure that California high school students have the opportunity to pursue a college education, regardless of their immigration status, illustrates his strong commitment to the people he represents.

As Chairman of the Select Committee on California-Mexico Affairs, Assembly Member Firebaugh has done extensive work in establishing a strong working relationship between California and Mexico. Through his committee work, he has launched creative initiatives to establish a Sister-State partnership with Jalisco, a key state in Mexico. He has also led efforts to reform money transmission services and disclosures to protect consumers in California.

Throughout his career, Assembly Member Firebaugh has continuously demonstrated his dedication to his profession, community and family. An avid art enthusiast, Assembly Member Firebaugh continues to seek out resources and facilities to further enable the creativity of the community to flourish. As a family man, he enjoys spending quality time with his son Nicolas and attending his daughter Ariana's soccer games.

From one public servant to another, I praise Assembly Member Marco Antonio Firebaugh for his service and dedication to the community.