109 HCON 413 IH: Expressing appreciation for the life and U.S. House of Representatives 2006-05-23 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

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

That Congress— (1)appreciates the life and service of Lloyd Bentsen; and (2)expresses deep sympathy to his family.