Beyoncé was recognized Wednesday on the floor of the U.S. Congress as “the undisputed queen of pop and R&B.”
Democratic congressman Robert Garcia of California said he wanted to mark the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month “by honouring an individual who represents both so well.”
Speaking to a mostly empty House of Representatives – but broadcast live on political cable channel C-SPAN – Garcia said: “She’s an icon, she’s a legend, and she is now and forever, the moment.”
He acknowledged Beyoncé’s record 32 Grammy wins and said she “so much more than a performer and a singer. She’s a creator and an artist.”
The 45-year-old, who has been married to university professor Matthew Mendez since 2018, recalled that seeing Destiny’s Child for the first time was “life-changing for me and the way I experienced music.”
Garcia, who managed to work in a reference to Bey's 2013 track "Yoncé," praised the singer as “a role model for millions across the country.” He gushed: “She’s stood up for voting rights, for feminism, for women and girls, for my community – the LGBTQ+ community.
“For my generation and so many others, she simply is the greatest of all time. Her story is history.”
Watch Garcia's speech below: