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.