[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 78 (Thursday, June 2, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1022]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FORMER TEXAS GOVERNOR BILL CLEMENTS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JEB HENSARLING

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 2, 2011

  Mr. HENSARLING. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to pay tribute to a true 
Texas trailblazer, Governor William ``Bill'' Clements.
  After the loss of his family farm during the Great Depression, a 
young Bill Clements went to work as an oil-field roughneck, no doubt 
shaping him into the legendary man and governor Texas would come to 
know and love. Working his way from roughneck to CEO, the invaluable 
lessons he learned along the way led him to the White House as deputy 
secretary of defense for Presidents Nixon and Ford.
  In 1978, he came home to a Texas politically dominated by the 
Democrat party to run for governor and, in an upset victory, he became 
the first Republican elected since Reconstruction. Bringing this 
experience to the office, Governor Clements changed business as usual 
in the state by demanding sound budgeting and management policies, 
taking a tough stance on crime and working toward education 
improvements. After losing his first re-election bid in 1982, Clements 
returned to the Governor's Mansion four years later for his second and 
final term. Governor Clements' hard work and dedication built a firm 
foundation for Texas's future, and is the reason Texas has remained the 
successful economic model it is today.
  After retiring from public life, Governor Clements made his home in 
Dallas where he spent his days supporting the Texas treasures he loved 
so much. He was an avid supporter of the Boy Scouts and contributed 
generously to the organization. Perhaps one of his most significant 
contributions was the land he and others worked hard to obtain for the 
Scouts in Henderson County--known today as ``The Clements Scout 
Ranch.'' As an Eagle Scout and Representative of Henderson County, I am 
especially thankful for Governor Clements' dedication to Scouting. I 
know that, because of his time and effort, generations of Scouts in and 
around Henderson County will enjoy many summers filled with camping, 
fishing, hiking and horseback riding.
  We will always remember his infectious love for Texas. Bill Clements 
truly embodied the Lone Star spirit. While he will be missed, his 
legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of all Texans.

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