REMEMBERING ED BAROCAS

On 2026-09-16, Representative Analilia Mejia (D-NJ-11) delivered a floor speech titled "REMEMBERING ED BAROCAS" in the House.

REMEMBERING ED BAROCAS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 146 (Wednesday, September 16, 2026)] [House] [Page H5962] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] REMEMBERING ED BAROCAS (Ms. MEJIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. MEJIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Ed Barocas of Fairfield, New Jersey, a tireless champion for civil rights and civil liberties in New Jersey. For nearly 20 years, Ed served as the legal director of the ACLU of New Jersey, where he fought for free speech, religious freedom, reproductive freedom, due process, and equal protection. He was an early supporter of marriage equality in New Jersey and played a leading role in consequential civil liberties battles, including challenging post-9/11 secret detention and surveillance practices and fighting for government transparency. Ed's legacy was not only in the courtroom. He was a mentor to generations of lawyers, a professor at Rutgers Law School, and a fierce believer in the power of the law to protect people and expand freedom. Like so many organizers, I also benefited from Ed's wisdom, camaraderie, and mentorship. He lived with muscular dystrophy--thrived, in fact--mostly because he never let those barriers diminish his commitment to justice. Mr. Speaker, we mourn his passing and celebrate his life devoted to making New Jersey and our country more free and more just. May his memory always be a blessing. ____________________