IV 111th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 1120 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 25, 2010 Mr. Poe of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform RESOLUTION Recognizing the 174th anniversary of the independence of the State of Texas.

Whereas the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Delegates of the People of Texas in General Convention on March 2, 1836; Whereas the name Texas came from the Caddo Indians of eastern Texas who called their group of tribes the Tejas, meaning those who are friends; Whereas Texas was admitted as a State of the United States on December 29, 1845; Whereas Texas is the only State to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation; Whereas the colors in the Texas flag, red, white, and blue, symbolize bravery, liberty, and loyalty, respectively; Whereas Texas covers an area of 268,601 square miles, which makes Texas the largest of the contiguous States, encompassing 7.4 percent of the total land mass of the United States; Whereas Texas contains three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States: Houston, Dallas and San Antonio; Whereas the capitol building in Austin, Texas, is taller than the United States Capitol Building and was constructed of 15,000 carloads of pink granite; Whereas Fort Hood and other military installations in Texas serve as home to 40 percent of the combat power of the Armed Forces, and these installations also have an enormous economic influence on their surrounding communities; Whereas the principal farm products produced in Texas are cattle, cotton, wheat, and dairy products, and Texas is the largest producer of wool in the United States; Whereas Texas produces more fuel, including petroleum and natural gas, than any other State; Whereas Texas ports move an average of 317 million metric tons of cargo annually, which represents approximately 17 percent of the total United States port tonnage and over 50 percent of United States imports and exports; Whereas marine and intermodal transportation accounts for nearly $65 billion, or 10 percent, of the gross State product of Texas, and Texas ports account for almost $5 billion in local and State tax revenue annually; Whereas the official nickname of Texas is The Lone Star State, in recognition of its origin as an independent republic and the single star on the Texas flag; Whereas the Texas State motto is Friendship and the State Song is Texas, Our Texas; Whereas Texas has two State mammals, the Texas longhorn and the armadillo; Whereas the State tree of Texas is the pecan, the State Bird is the Mockingbird, the State flower is the Bluebonnet, and the State gem is the Texas Blue Topaz; and Whereas the official sport of Texas is Rodeo: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives recognizes the 174th anniversary of the independence of the State of Texas.