[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 55 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2150-H2151]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      WISHING A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE HONORABLE HENRY B. GONZALEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take this brief 
moment. It is not often that we have an opportunity to salute a 
gentleman who has served this body for so many years. I would like to 
salute the dean of our Texas delegation, a ranking member and former 
chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, the 
gentleman from Texas, Henry B. Gonzalez, U.S. Representative of the 
20th Congressional District.
  It seems one would question, why now? That is because I want to wish 
him a very happy birthday on tomorrow. He will have been in this great 
body since November 4, 1961. That means that he served under the 
leadership of President John F. Kennedy,

[[Page H2151]]

President Richard Nixon. He has served, as well, under the leadership 
of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and 
certainly, now, William Jefferson Clinton. He has served for 35 years 
in this Congress as of November 4, 1996.
  He has served on the House Committee on Banking and Financial 
Services from January 1962, and on many of the subcommittees. Since we 
have the housing bill on the floor of the House, it is certainly 
important to recognize him as a strong advocate for housing for 
Americans. It is important to be able to acknowledge that he was a 
civil rights leader. He was someone who many thought would not make it 
to the State senate, and certainly would not make it to the U.S. 
Congress.
  Most of all, he is a gentle warrior. He stands tall for the 
principles he believes in. He is a lover of America, but he is a lover 
of the least of those in our community. He certainly is a gentle giant 
on this floor: kind, thoughtful, and respected.
  It is my pleasure to wish to him, on behalf of the constituents of 
the 18th Congressional District, on tomorrow, his birthday, a very, 
very happy birthday, and to say to him that May 2 is a special day, 
because that was the day that America had as one of its own born a 
great American.
  So Henry, happy birthday. Happy birthday on behalf of my 
constituents, and happy birthday on behalf of Texas, and happy birthday 
on behalf of America. God bless you, Henry Gonzalez.

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