[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 413 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 413

 Expressing appreciation for the life and service of Lloyd Bentsen and 
                   expressing sympathy to his family.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2006

 Mr. Hinojosa submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
           referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing appreciation for the life and service of Lloyd Bentsen and 
                   expressing sympathy to his family.

Whereas Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr., was born in Mission, Texas, in 1921 to a 
        prominent Danish immigrant Rio Grande Valley family;
Whereas he served in the Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945 and was awarded the 
        Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism in flying over 50 bomber 
        missions in Europe during World War II;
Whereas Lloyd Bentsen graduated from the University of Texas Law School and 
        worked in a variety of successful enterprises including insurance, 
        ranching, and financial services;
Whereas from 1946 to 1955, he served the Rio Valley community as a judge in 
        Hidalgo County;
Whereas Lloyd Bentsen was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948 and 
        served until 1955, when he chose to return to his business career;
Whereas during his service in the House of Representatives Representative 
        Bentsen championed the underserved and the underprivileged and fought to 
        help his community and the people of the State of Texas;
Whereas Representative Bentsen was one of only a handful of Southern Members of 
        Congress to vote to repeal the poll tax that was used to prevent African 
        Americans from voting;
Whereas in 1970, Lloyd Bentsen ran for the Senate and served as a Senator until 
        1993;
Whereas as a Senator, he fought for women's rights and served as Chairman of the 
        Committee on Finance as a staunch advocate of international trade;
Whereas in 1975, Lloyd Bentsen was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for 
        President, but he withdrew to support the candidacy of Jimmy Carter;
Whereas in 1988, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts chose Senator Bentsen 
        to be his running mate in the 1988 presidential election because of 
        Senator Bentsen's experience and political knowledge;
Whereas Lloyd Bentsen resigned from the Senate in January 1993 in order to serve 
        as the 69th Secretary of the Treasury under President William Jefferson 
        Clinton;
Whereas as Secretary of the Treasury, Lloyd Bentsen helped to shepherd President 
        Clinton's first budget through Congress;
Whereas in 1999, President Clinton awarded Lloyd Bentsen the Presidential Medal 
        of Freedom for his distinguished career and lifelong dedication to the 
        people of Texas and of the United States;
Whereas after retiring from public service, Lloyd Bentsen suffered two strokes 
        that left him confined to a wheelchair, yet he continued to be a mentor 
        to members of the State and national Democratic parties, including his 
        nephew, Ken Bentsen, Jr., who served in the House of Representatives 
        from 1995 to 2003; and
Whereas Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. passed away on May 23, 2006, and is survived by 
        his wife Beryl Ann, two sons, a daughter, and eight grandchildren: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),  
That Congress--
            (1) appreciates the life and service of Lloyd Bentsen; and
            (2) expresses deep sympathy to his family.
                                 <all>