Robert Garcia, the Democrat who is soon to be the first openly gay, immigrant US congressman, has revealed which items he will take his oath of office on.
In a tweet on 3 January, the 45-year-old revealed that he will have a photo of his parents, his citizenship certificate and an original Superman comic underneath the Constitution during his swearing-in.
“Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution,” he wrote. “Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress.”
In a statement, Sara Guerrero, Garcia’s spokesperson, explained why the latter item has so much significance to the politician.
“Congressman Garcia learned to read and write in English by reading Superman comics so it’s especially exciting he was able to borrow this rare copy from the kind folks at the Library of Congress,” she said.
Will be proudly sworn-in to Congress on the U.S. Constitution. Underneath the Constitution will be 3 items that mean a lot to me personally. A photo of my parents who I lost to covid, my citizenship certificate & an original Superman #1 from the @librarycongress. 🇺🇸😊 pic.twitter.com/YGW43OLsIp
— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) January 3, 2023
Garcia, who previously served as the mayor of Long Beach, California, has a long history of sharing his love of comics and graphic novels.
“Anyone who understands comics knows that comics are an essential part of American fiction,” he wrote on Twitter in November. “And the lessons learned are invaluable.”
A year earlier, when it was announced that the new Superman would be bisexual, he tweeted: “I became a Superman fan as a kid because I related to him. An immigrant, a sense of justice, and a secret identity.”
Given that the Republicans have failed to elect a speaker, Garcia is yet to take his oath of office and exactly when he will be able to do so remains unclear.
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