[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1461 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1461
The Original Resolution honoring the life, public service, and legacy
of the Honorable Congressman Craig Anthony Washington, a distinguished
legislator, superior attorney, civil rights advocate, and champion for
justice.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2026
Mr. Green of Texas submitted the following resolution; which was
referred to the Committee on House Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
The Original Resolution honoring the life, public service, and legacy
of the Honorable Congressman Craig Anthony Washington, a distinguished
legislator, superior attorney, civil rights advocate, and champion for
justice.
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This resolution may be cited as the ``Original Resolution Honoring
the Life, Public Service, and Legacy of the Honorable Craig Anthony
Washington''.
SEC. 2. HONORING CRAIG WASHINGTON.
Whereas this original resolution honors the life, public service,
and legacy of the Honorable Congressman Craig Anthony Washington, a
distinguished legislator, superior attorney, civil rights advocate,
human rights warrior, and champion of justice for all, in a society
emerging from the injustice of lawful racism (a progeny of slavery),
masquerading as segregation;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Anthony Washington was born on October
12, 1941, in Longview, Texas, to Roy Washington, a United States
Marine, and Azalea Washington, a mother who taught him to read when he
was only three years young;
Whereas the Washington family moved to Houston, Texas, in search of
a better life;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington attended historically Black
schools, including Brock Elementary, Fidelity Junior High, and Fidelity
Manor Senior High School, from which he graduated in 1958 at the age of
16;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington attended the historically
Black Prairie View A&M University, graduated with a Bachelor of Science
degree in biology in 1966, and dreamed of becoming a physician;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington decided to enter law school
temporarily until he could gain acceptance to Meharry Medical College;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington enrolled in the historically
Black Texas Southern University Law School in 1966 and graduated in
1969, first in his class with honors;
Whereas, while in law school, the Honorable Craig Washington served
as president of the Student Bar Association, captain of the Moot Court
Team, and research assistant to the Dean of the Law School, receiving
numerous awards and consistently earning a place on the Dean's List;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington served as Assistant Dean as
well as Assistant Professor of Law and taught a course on legislation
at Texas Southern University Law School from 1969 to 1970;
Whereas, as a result of his law school experiences at Texas
Southern University Law School, the Honorable Craig Washington realized
he could best serve society by working within the legal profession; his
dreams of becoming a physician evaporated;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington entered private practice in
Houston and became a founding partner of Washington & Randle, which
later became Washington, Lampley, Evans & Braquet;
Whereas, in 1972, the Honorable Craig Washington was elected to the
Texas House of Representatives as part of the 63d Legislature to
represent the 86th District of Harris County;
Whereas Texas Monthly selected the Honorable Craig Washington as
one of the Ten Best Legislators in 1973, 1979, and 1981;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington served five terms in the
Texas House of Representatives, where he chaired committees addressing
criminal justice and human services and became known as one of Texas's
most gifted legislative orators and a forceful advocate for civil
rights and racial justice;
Whereas, in 1982, the Honorable Craig Washington was elected to the
Texas State Senate, representing District 13, where he continued his
advocacy for civil rights, criminal justice reform, and equal political
representation, and later served as President Pro Tempore of the
Senate;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington established himself as a
distinguished criminal defense attorney and a fierce advocate for equal
justice under the law;
Whereas, in 1985, the State Bar of Texas honored the Honorable
Craig Washington as Outstanding Criminal Defense Lawyer of the Year;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington became one of the most
prominent lawmakers championing civil rights in Texas, seeking to
increase the participation of minorities and women in State government,
supporting Texas divestment from South Africa, and helping coordinate
Texas's response to the AIDS epidemic;
Whereas, following the tragic death of his longtime friend and
fellow freedom fighter, the Honorable Congressman George Thomas
``Mickey'' Leland, the Honorable Craig Washington, a representative of
the people (not the establishment), was elected to represent Texas's
18th Congressional District and was sworn in as a Member of the United
States House of Representatives on January 23, 1990;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington's legal background earned
him appointments to the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on
Education and Labor, as well as to Congressman Leland's seat on the
Select Committee on Hunger;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington later served as a member of
the Committee on Energy and Commerce during the 103d Congress;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington drew upon his experience as
an attorney and civil rights advocate to help shape Federal civil
rights legislation, rejecting a weakened compromise bill in 1990 and
later supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which strengthened
protections against employment discrimination;
Whereas, as a member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and
Criminal Justice, the Honorable Craig Washington opposed punitive
measures in criminal justice and introduced the Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice Reform Act, which promoted alternative sentencing,
youth crime prevention programs, and community policing initiatives;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington also sponsored the Family
Unity Demonstration Project, which sought to locate community
correctional facilities near the parents and children of the
incarcerated to maintain family unity;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington demonstrated a willingness
to take politically difficult positions, including opposing Federal
projects when he believed that those resources should instead support
education, health care, and social services;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington displayed uncommon courage
when he opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),
arguing that the agreement would lead to the loss of jobs in his
congressional district;
Whereas, in 1991, the Honorable Craig Washington opposed the
authorization for the use of military force in the Persian Gulf and
instead introduced a resolution calling upon Congress to exercise its
constitutional authority through a formal declaration of war;
Whereas, during his service in Congress, the Honorable Craig
Washington advocated for civil rights and criminal justice reform,
including legislation promoting crime prevention, alternative
sentencing, community policing, and policies to help incarcerated
parents remain connected with their children;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington earned a reputation as an
independent-minded and principled public servant who was willing to
challenge prevailing political opinion and defend his convictions with
exceptional intellect and eloquence;
Whereas, angered by his loyalty to his constituents in tandem with
his refusal to kiss the ring or bend a knee to the establishment, the
establishment empowered a well-funded, successful hidden-hand removal
movement;
Whereas, after leaving Congress, the Honorable Craig Washington
returned to the practice of law in Houston and continued his career as
an advocate and freedom-fighting attorney;
Whereas the Honorable Craig Washington's more than two decades of
public service in the Texas Legislature and the United States Congress
left a lasting legacy of bold advocacy for civil rights, human rights,
equal justice for all, criminal justice reform, and meaningful
political representation; and
Whereas, blessed with uncommon courage coupled with superior
intellect, the Honorable Craig Washington effected great societal
change, in spite of the racism institutionalized in the norms of
society: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors the life, legacy, and distinguished public
service of the Honorable Congressman Craig Washington;
(2) recognizes his historic contributions to civil rights,
human rights, equal justice under law, criminal justice reform,
and representative government of, by, and for the people; and
(3) expresses its respect for the Honorable Craig
Washington's lasting contributions to the City of Houston, the
State of Texas, the United States, and the worldwide movement
for peace, justice, prosperity, and dignity for all.
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