[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1050 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1050

Honoring the life and accomplishments of the late Ann Richards, former 
                           Governor of Texas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2006

Ms. Solis (for herself, Mrs. Capps, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Eddie 
    Bernice Johnson of Texas, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Norton, Ms. Wasserman 
Schultz, Mrs. Tauscher, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. DeLauro, Mrs. 
  McCarthy, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of 
 California, Ms. Matsui, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Slaughter, 
  Ms. McCollum of Minnesota, and Ms. Kaptur) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Honoring the life and accomplishments of the late Ann Richards, former 
                           Governor of Texas.

Whereas Ann Richards was elected Governor of Texas in 1990 and was a role model 
        for women in politics and for women throughout the Nation;
Whereas Ann Richards was the first woman elected Governor of Texas in her own 
        right, rather than as a successor to her spouse or a male Governor who 
        died, resigned, or was impeached;
Whereas at the time of her election in 1990, Ann Richards was only the twelfth 
        woman elected Governor in United States history, and only the seventh 
        woman elected Governor in her own right;
Whereas only 29 women have been elected Governor in the United States, and women 
        Governors have served in only 21 States and 1 territory;
Whereas in 1976, Ann Richards was elected to her first government office, 
        defeating an incumbent to become the county commissioner of Travis 
        County, Texas;
Whereas in 1982, Ann Richards became the first woman elected to a statewide 
        office in Texas in over 50 years when she was elected to her first 
        statewide office as the State treasurer, a position to which she was 
        reelected 4 years later;
Whereas in 1988, Ann Richards delivered the keynote address at the Democratic 
        National Convention, which catapulted her to fame as a national 
        political figure and included her critique of then Vice President George 
        H.W. Bush as well as her coining of the famous phrase: ``Ginger Rogers 
        did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high 
        heels.'';
Whereas Ann Richards declared her Governor's administration to be the ``New 
        Texas'' and, in the interest of diversifying the State government to 
        better represent the population of Texas, appointed more women, African-
        Americans, and Hispanics to commissions and State boards than any 
        previous Governor of Texas;
Whereas Ann Richards's indomitable wit, spirit, intelligence, tenacity, and 
        sense of civic duty helped propel her to the highest office in Texas and 
        solidified her as a nationally known leader;
Whereas Ann Richards was a pioneer for women in politics and other fields, and 
        helped shatter social barriers that held women back from powerful roles 
        in government and business; and
Whereas Ann Richards died on September 13, 2006, at the age of 73, in Austin, 
        Texas: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life and accomplishments of the late Ann 
        Richards, former Governor of Texas;
            (2) recognizes the contributions of Ann Richards to the 
        State of Texas, to the progress of women in politics, and to 
        the progress of women throughout the United States; and
            (3) expresses condolences to the family and loved ones of 
        Ann Richards.
                                 <all>