Rep. Robert Garcia pays tribute to Beyoncé on the floor of Congress

Rep. Robert Garcia, the gay congressional freshman from California, took to the floor of the US House of Representatives yesterday to pay tribute to Beyoncé.

About to go on the U.S. House floor to give a speech about…….Beyoncé.

— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) March 1, 2023

Garcia did so to mark the end of Black History Month and the start of Women’s History Month. He said Beyoncé is “an individual who represents both so well.”

He spoke alongside a large photograph of Beyoncé, saying, “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is now and forever the moment.” This was a nod toward a Wendy Williams meme moment.

“I want to celebrate none other than who I believe is the undisputed queen of pop and R&B, Beyoncé Knowles Carter,” he continued.

Related: Robert Garcia trolls George Santos with perfect ‘Drag Race’ meme

Highlighting her recent record-breaking win of a 32nd Grammy award, Garcia said, “But Beyoncé is so much more than a performer and a singer. She’s a creator and an artist. When the radio said to speed it up, she went slower,” he added (“Radio say speed it up I just go slower” is a lyric from the Beyoncé track “Partition”).

He said that hearing Destiny’s Child for the first time, “was life-changing for me and the way I experienced music. I became an instant fan then and have been a huge fan ever since.”

She’s an icon, a legend, and is now and forever the moment. Congratulations to @Beyonce on making Grammy history. pic.twitter.com/TV7SwGnlF3

— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) March 1, 2023

He praised Beyoncé as a role model who has, “stood up for voting rights, for feminism, for women and girls, for my community — the LGBTQ+ community — and for my generation as so many others.”

He concluded, “She simply is the greatest of all time. Her story is history. Mrs. Carter, congratulations on your achievements and for winning the most Grammys ever in the history of our country.”

Garcia explains Beyoncé tribute

Later, Garcia told EW why he chose to honor Beyoncé.

“People celebrate American excellence all the time in Congress,” Garcia said. “There’s American excellence by teachers, by the medical community, by elected officials, by folks that served our country honorably in the military. These are all American heroes. Beyoncé in her own way is also an American hero.

“And for millions of people in our country, she is an icon, she’s an inspiration, she’s someone that actually impacts people’s lives. And so I think it’s important to celebrate different kinds of people, especially as we’re celebrating the contributions of Black Americans and women in this country, she’s an incredible example of an American icon and I was happy to honor her.”

Garcia, 45, represents California’s 42nd District, which covers Downey, Long Beach and Santa Catalina Island. He became the first out-gay immigrant elected to Congress when he won his election in the midterms last November.

Garcia quickly demonstrated a love and knowledge of popular culture. He used a meme of NeNe Leakes to warn Marjorie Taylor Greene of his arrival in Congress.

In January, he was sworn in over a copy of the first Superman comic from the Library of Congress. He explained that as a child, newly arrived in the US from Peru, his love of Superman comics helped him to learn English.

Related: Rep-elect Robert Garcia explains why he’s taking oath over a Superman comic