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Statement from Representative Adriano Espaillat on the Passing of General Colin Powell

October 18, 2021

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) released the following statement on the passing of General Colin Powell:

"Words simply fail during times like these to adequately convey the loss of the great American statesman, General Colin Powell, who represented the very best of our country and believed deeply in the promise of our nation and all that it stands for and represents," said Rep. Espaillat.

"His unwavering faith in our nation and our Constitution served as a beacon for all, both here at home and around the world. A son of Jamaican immigrants, born in Harlem and a son of New York, General Powell earned his commission after graduating from City College of New York (CCNY), after which he went on to serve in Vietnam and rose through the ranks of the United States Army.

"His continual service, leadership, forthrightness and dignity, from the battlefields of Vietnam to the battlefields of the Gulf War and beyond, transcended and inspired so many, both in the United States and around the world. I extend my deepest condolences to General Powell's wife, Alma, and to the entire Powell family during this time of bereavement, and we are forever indebted for his tremendous service to our country.”

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov