Kamala Harris swears in out Rep. Robert Garcia to key House role: I am very proud to be here.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday officiated the swearing-in ceremony of out Rep. Robert Garcia (D) as he took the oath to become the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.I am very proud to be here this evening to administer this oath, she said, praising the impact he has made since taking office. Related There are finally signs that some Democrats are growing a spine against Trump Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today When Robert Garcia walks the halls of Congress, people pay attention. If not, try to catch up. What an incredible mark of a leader that their peers recognize their leadership and ask them to lead even more. According to the Long Beach Post, he is the first sophomore elected to a ranking role in over one hundred years.Kamala Harris: When Robert Garcia walks the halls of congress, people pay attention if not try to catch up pic.twitter.com/zbs1WyJZie Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2025 Garcia had already taken on his role in the committee, but the ceremony was a formality that allowed him to celebrate locally. It was a full-circle moment for the pair, as Harris also swore Garcia into office when he became mayor of Long Beach, California, in 2014.Former Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster also spoke at the event, the Post reported, and he praised Garcia for having taken on an important role, being the critic of this administration and in the defense of people with little or no power. Im proud of his energy, Foster said. Im proud of his zeal. Im proud of his courage to stand up to the kind of bullying tactics that take place every day in this country.His commitment to standing up against the current administration makes him apt for a leadership role in the House Oversight Committee, which is one of the most powerful committees in the House and focuses on holding federal agencies accountable for following the law.Kamala Harris swears in Robert Garcia as Ranking Member of Oversight pic.twitter.com/VrNPtd3YlF Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2025At the ceremony, Garcia reportedly said his role is about more than just opposing the president. Its going to also be about delivering for the American public. That means building a government created in truth, driven by public service not by special interests and powered by strong, respected work that honors all of our union workers and hard-working people that are laboring every single day.But he also vowed to resist the presidents agenda and called him the most corrupt person ever to serve as president of the United States. We need to work together to stop him, he said, before its too late. An immigrant himself, Garcia also called out the administrations immigration raids, saying masked men are in many instances kidnapping people and sending them away with no due process. Immigrants are some of the most patriotic people in this country because we fought for citizenship, he declared. Patriotism is not screaming and yelling America First. Real patriotism is loving your country so much that you actually want to help the people in your country. Garcia: Patriotism is not screaming and yelling America first. Real patriotism is loving your country so much that you actually want to help the people in your country. That is real patriotism pic.twitter.com/VSFKJcX4X6 Acyn (@Acyn) August 21, 2025In 2022, Garcia became the first out LGBTQ+ immigrant elected to Congress. Garcia immigrated to the United States from Peru at age five and holds an M.A. from the University of Southern California and an Ed.D. in Higher Education from California State University Long Beach, where he also earned his B.A. in Communications.My mom brought me to this country when I was 5. She risked everything so that I could succeed, Garcia said in a tweet when he announced his Congressional campaign. Every single kid deserves the same shot that this country has given me. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.