Recognizing and honoring the life of the late Raul Julia, his dedication to ending world hunger, and his great contributions to the Latino community and the performing arts.

Mr. Speaker, the resolution we are considering today, H. Con. Res. 287, commemorates the life and legacy of Raul Julia and recognizes his role in tearing down barriers for Latinos around the world.

Both on stage of off, on film and in the community, Raul Julia embodied the strength and spirit that made him a hero and a role model for so many actors and audiences alike.

He had that rare talent, and that unique ability to move people with each performance and to motivate them to embody the passion and purpose he brought to his craft.

Throughout his career, Raul Julia often declined traditional roles in Hollywood blockbusters and mainstream plays.

Instead, he sought out innovative and groundbreaking parts that tested his talents.

He shined as a Fellini-esque filmmaker in the Broadway musical Nine, touched our hearts as slain Salvadoran Archbishop, Oscar Romero, and captivated audiences as political prisoner Valentin in the award- winning film, Kiss of the Spider Woman.

He also was able to show his depth as an actor with characters ranging from Gomez Addams in The Addams Family to Chico Mendes in the Burning Season to Rafael the Fix-it Man in Sesame Street.

But, what made Raul Julia so special and so one of a kind was that his work extended well beyond the stage and the screen.

As committed as he was to perfecting the parts he played, he was equally dedicated to the charitable causes he pursued.

That included the Hunger Project, a non-profit organization focused on ending world hunger.

In 1987, Raul Julia told Elle Magazine, ``There are 38,000 people dying of hunger each day and most are children. And, being a celebrity, I communicate about it as much as I can.''

In addition to fighting hunger on the global stage, Raul Julia was equally involved in local causes by working with numerous nonprofits and social service agencies to help families in need.

He also was able to use his influence in the entertainment industry to create a culture that opened up new opportunities for Latino actors and writers to share their talents.

He was instrumental in the formation of the Puerto Rico Traveling Theater, which continues to promote and showcase bilingual plays and new Latino writers and actors.

It was this dedication and determination and vision that made Raul Julia a mentor and a model for so many.

When he passed away a decade ago, thousands of people attended his funeral in Puerto Rico to pay their respects and to acknowledge his enormous contributions.

They wanted to thank him for his courage and his character and his inspiration. And that is why it is so important that Raul Julia's memory lives on.

So that he can inspire the next generation of actors to rehearse harder and to reach farther.

And so that all people, regardless of race or country of origin, understand the importance of giving back to their communities and to addressing the problems plaguing our society.

Mr. Speaker, the passage of this resolution provides one more opportunity to pay our respects to the passion and the vision of this one-of-a-kind actor and outstanding humanitarian and activist.

And I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I, too, want to thank our colleague the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for introducing this resolution recognizing and honoring the life of Raul Julia.

Mr. Speaker, Raul Julia was discovered by the actor Orson Bean, who inspired him to leave his native San Juan, Puerto Rico, and immigrate to the United States in 1964. Over the next three decades, Mr. Julia enjoyed a stellar career as one of our finest stars of stage and screen.

His first love was always the stage, and he was one of the first Puerto Rican actors to make it big on Broadway. He was nominated for four Tony

Awards, including for his performance as Mack the Knife in the Threepenny Opera. He also boasted an impressive resume of Shakespearean work, beginning with his first starring role, the title character in Titus Andronicus, with the New York Shakespeare Festival. It was once said of this daring actor that he was always outrageous in his acting choices. He is larger than life all the time when he is on stage.

A wider audience grew to know him through his film work, an eclectic body of work that ranges from Valentin, the passionate revolutionary in Kiss of the Spider Woman; to the assassinated Salvadoran archbishop Oscar Romero in Romero; to the campy Gomez Addams in The Addams Family. Mr. Julia's last role, as the Brazilian rainforest activist Chico Mendez, won him posthumous Emmy and Golden Globe Awards.

Raul Julia took seriously his responsibility as a role model for young Latino actors to follow. He made it a point to embrace his Puerto Rican heritage, never changing his name or attempting to cover his accent, and still he resisted the sort of typecasting that all too often afflicts minority actors. In doing so, he quite clearly made a difference to any young Latino who aspired to be an actor.

In addition to his acting career, Raul Julia was tirelessly devoted to making the world a better place. For the last 15 years of his life, he was involved as a major supporter and spokesman for the Hunger Project, a group dedicated to ending world hunger. After his death in 1994, the Hunger Project created the Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund in his honor, as well as the Raul Julia Global Citizen Award. Also in his honor, the Hunger Project extended its programs in Latin America, establishing programs in Mexico, Bolivia and Peru.

One of Mr. Julia's favorite quotes, which he released to the Washington Post in 1992, comes from Don Quixote: Maddest of all is to see things as they are, not as they ought to be.

Raul Julia, accomplished actor of stage and screen, international activist for the alleviation of worldwide hunger and role model for a whole generation of Latino actors, not only saw things as they ought to be, but did his level best to bring his vision to pass. For that he is worthy and deserving of this resolution in his honor.

I urge my colleagues to join with me in support of this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, we reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, we yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 287) recognizing and honoring the life of the late Raul Julia, his dedication to ending world hunger, and his great contributions to the Latino community and the performing arts.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 287, the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 287 that recognizes and honors the life of Raul Julia.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution celebrates the contributions of one of the most dynamic actors of our time. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March of 1940, Raul Julia began his incredible theatrical career at a very young age. He moved to New York City in 1964 to pursue his livelihood on a grander stage, and he quickly landed parts in a number of Spanish-language productions.

Raul Julia made his Broadway debut 4 years later in 1968 in a show called The Cuban Thing. He capitalized on his Broadway success to acquire a role as Rafael, the Fix-It Man on Sesame Street in 1971, but it was later that year when Julia earned his breakthrough part. He played Proteus in his first Shakespeare drama, two Gentlemen of Verona, for which he earned his first of four Tony Award nominations. Ultimately, Julia became a feature film star as well, starring most prominently in Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1985 and The Addams Family movies in the early 1990s.

Mr. Speaker, while we may best know Raul Julia for his elegance and success as an actor, this resolution appropriately emphasizes Raul Julia's remarkable humanitarian legacy. Julia worked closely with the Hunger Project, which is a nonprofit aid organization, to create the Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund. Julia worked hard with very little fanfare to recruit individual and business sponsors to contribute to the fund for the purpose of providing food to the hungry worldwide. He was a diligent spokesman for both the Hunger Project, as well as the Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund, and his efforts are worthy of commendation by this House.

In 1994, Raul Julia's noteworthy life was cut tragically short when he suddenly suffered a severe stroke and died shortly afterwards at the age of 54. However, I am very pleased that the House is remembering Raul Julia's legacy by considering this legislation today, and I urge all Members to support its adoption.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Illinois for his work to recognize Raul Julia.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Having no other speakers at this time, I simply urge all Members to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 287, and I thank the gentleman from Illinois for introducing it.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 287, a resolution to honor the life and achievements of the late great actor, Raul Julia.

Julia was born in San Juan Puerto Rico on March 9, 1944. A precocious child, Julia discovered his talent for acting at the young age of 5. From then on he knew his destiny was the theatre. Upon graduation from the University of Puerto Rico, Julia was faced with a difficult choice between his parents' wishes and his own. They wanted him to continue to law school. He wanted to pursue an acting career. Finally, like so many Puerto Ricans, and so many aspiring actors, he left for New York.

In New York, it was Joseph Papp, founder of the New York Shakespeare Festival, who

gave Julia his first break after casting him as a lead in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. With the support of Papp and following in the paths blazed by native Puerto Ricans Jose Ferre and Rita Moreno, who had won acclaim for their stage and on screen performances, Julia became a Broadway star. He was nominated for four Tony awards and more importantly demonstrated that Puerto Ricans could play more diverse roles than the stereotypical roles they were usually given.

While the theatre was Julia's passion, it was film that made him immensely popular. On screen Julia once again proved that he was a diverse actor, starring in comedies, dramas and action films. Perhaps, most of us know him best from his role as Gomez Addams in the hugely successful Addams Family movies.

Julia passed away on October 24, 1994, at the age of 54. He left behind his wife of 28 years, two sons, and a multitude of shocked fans. He is sorely missed, not only for his great acting but for being such a great human being. He never succumbed to pressures to abandon his Latino-Puerto Rican heritage in order to succeed and as a result he opened doors for nontraditional parts for Hispanic Actors. What was more impressive about Julia was his dedication to the uplifting of others. He was a passionate supporter of The Hunger Project, a foundation devoted to the elimination of world hunger. For 17 years, he served as the Project's spokesperson. He also was a dedicated leader in the fight against the rising rates of teen violence and encouraged teenagers to express their emotions through art rather than violence.

Since his death, there have been many awards and honors created in his name. They include a scholarship at Julliard, the Raul Julia award given annually by the National Endowment for the Hispanic Arts in Washington, DC, and the Raul Julia Global Citizen Award. I am also proud to say that in June 1996, a new elementary school in my district in the Bronx, New York was dedicated as the Raul Julia Micro Society Dual Language School.

Mr. Speaker, for his accomplishments on stage and on screen and his unyielding desire to help those less fortunate than he, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring the life of Mr. Raul Julia.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to demonstrate my support for H. Con. Res. 287 and encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this important resolution honoring a very important man, Raul Julia. I request unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks.

As the representative of the people of Puerto Rico, I am proud to address you today to honor the life and work of Raul Julia. Through his groundbreaking work in the theater, television, and film, his commitment to the improvement of the Latino community, and his dedication to ending world hunger, Raul Julia became a role model and inspiration for many.

After being discovered in a nightclub in Puerto Rico by actor Orson Bean, he moved to New York in 1964, when he was just 24 years old. He quickly found work in Broadway and paved the way for Latino actors by taking on nontraditional roles. He became a very well known Shakespearean actor, taking on roles like Othello and Edmund in King Lear, and was the first Hispanic to create a long lasting alliance with the New York Shakespeare Festival. His work on Broadway earned him 4 Tony Award nominations in the course of 10 years.

Julia also served as a role model for children through his portrayal of Rafael, the Fix-It Man in the popular children's television show Sesame Street, and appeared in multiple made-for-television movies. In addition to his theater and television credits, his film career was also very prolific and productive. Among his best-known roles are the political prisoner Valentin in The Kiss of the Spider Woman, Cardinal Oscar Romero in Romero, Gomez Addams in The Addams Family and its sequel, Addams Family Values, and slain Brazilian activist Chico Mendes in The Burning Season, for which he posthumously received Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Cable Ace Awards.

In addition to his acting career, Raul Julia worked to improve the Latino community by becoming a leader in the fight against teen violence and a mentor to aspiring Latino actors. He created and cofounded multiple projects, such as the Latino Playwrights Reading Workshops and the Puerto Rico Traveling Theater, and became involved in other programs, such as ``La Familia'', and the Museo del Barrio. Additionally, he was a lifelong advocate for the Hunger Project, an organization committed to ending world hunger. For all his community involvement and his career achievements, he received the Hispanic Heritage Award in 1995.

Raul Julia was an exemplary Puerto Rican, and a brilliant role model for all. It is an honor for me today to rise and pay tribute to this great man's life and work. I strongly encourage this body to join me in praising this man's life by passing H. Con. Res. 287.