[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 172 (Thursday, November 19, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H13327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO FORMER GOVERNOR BRUCE KING OF NEW MEXICO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. Speaker, it's difficult to put into words the 
tremendous loss that New Mexicans are suffering due to the passage of 
an unforgettable New Mexico public servant. Last Friday, we lost former 
Governor Bruce King at the age of 85. He was our revered ``Cowboy in 
the Roundhouse,'' who served three terms as Governor of New Mexico.
  Across our State, we were all touched by this one-of-a-kind New 
Mexican who personified a rare brand of leadership, perseverance, and 
integrity. That brand of leadership epitomizes what I love about New 
Mexico, and I believe it was a result of his humble upbringing on a 
ranch near the small town of Stanley, New Mexico. There, his parents 
raised him to always provide water to travelers passing through their 
homestead, no matter their background, and certainly never asking 
whether they were a Republican or Democrat.
  From the very beginning, Governor King's philosophy remained that New 
Mexicans needed to ``work together and be one large family,'' to be 
successful, whether from rural New Mexico towns like Stanley or an 
urban center like Albuquerque. Wherever he went in our State, New 
Mexicans felt like Governor King spoke their language, and they felt 
like his agenda was to address their family's struggles.
  It was clear that he loved New Mexico and New Mexicans. He loved 
spending time with them. He loved bridging people's differences to get 
things done. His leadership united New Mexicans, and I think as we near 
our 100th anniversary of statehood, I have no doubt that his impact 
will be a central chapter in our history.
  Governor King passed away Friday on the ranch where he was raised in 
Stanley, New Mexico, almost 1 year after the passing of his wife of 61 
years, Alice King. Alice was equally revered for her contributions to 
our great State. Together, their humanitarian legacy includes 
equalizing funding between wealthy and not-so-wealthy schools, as well 
as establishing the Children, Youth and Families Department to tackle 
struggles faced by youth across our State. We're heartbroken at the 
loss of Governor and Mrs. King, but we're comforted that they are 
together again.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the entire King 
family, and I thank them for sharing such an incredible public servant 
with our State. It is an honor to be able to serve in the kind of State 
that loved two public servants like Alice and Bruce King and that was 
so deeply loved by both of them.

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