[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 14, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Page S637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 373--RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY 14, 2012, AS THE CENTENNIAL 
                        OF THE STATE OF ARIZONA

  Mr. McCAIN (for himself and Mr. Kyl) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 373

       Whereas, after many changes in government administration, 
     territorial divisions, and additions, including lands 
     acquired through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the 
     Gadsden Purchase, the Territory of Arizona came into 
     existence nearly 150 years ago after serving as a sacred home 
     to native cultures for thousands of years;
       Whereas Arizona is home to many of the greatest natural 
     treasures of the United States, including the Sedona Red 
     Rocks, the White Mountains, the Painted Desert, the Petrified 
     Forest, Monument Valley, Saguaro National Park, the 12,000-
     foot San Francisco Peaks, and the Grand Canyon, 1 of the 7 
     natural wonders of the world, which explorer John Wesley 
     Powell said could not be ``adequately represented in symbols 
     of speech, nor by speech itself'';
       Whereas Arizona is also home to man-made wonders, including 
     innovative projects that have allowed much-needed fresh water 
     to flow to Arizona communities for decades, such as the 
     Hoover Dam, the Glen Canyon Dam, the Central Arizona Project, 
     the Salt River Project, and the keystone element of the Salt 
     River Project, the Theodore Roosevelt Dam;
       Whereas Arizona has long been recognized for being rich in 
     natural resources, including the famous ``5 C's'', copper, 
     cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate, that continue to sustain 
     the economies of Arizona and the United States;
       Whereas Arizona is a mosaic of cultures, cuisines, and 
     traditions, drawing continuing influence from 21 proud 
     American Indian tribes and the early prospectors, ranchers, 
     cowboys, adventurers, and missionaries, as well as a dynamic 
     Latino community;
       Whereas all of these Arizonans were, and remain, bound by a 
     strong sense of independence and a willingness to persevere 
     against the odds, and are again picking themselves up in the 
     wake of devastating wildfires and economic challenges;
       Whereas this unique Arizona spirit has nurtured leaders in 
     the arts, justice, conservation, and science, as well as some 
     of the greatest statesmen in the 20th century United States, 
     including Senators Ernest McFarland, Carl Hayden, and Barry 
     Goldwater, Representative Morris Udall, and Supreme Court 
     Justices William Rehnquist and Sandra Day O'Connor;
       Whereas the many military installations in Arizona have 
     provided valuable contributions to the defense of the United 
     States and will continue to do so for years to come;
       Whereas, after nearly half a century as a territory of the 
     United States, Arizona became the 48th State of the United 
     States, and the last contiguous State, on February 14, 1912;
       Whereas the people of the United States now have the 
     opportunity to celebrate the natural splendor, innovative 
     spirit, and cultural diversity that have made Arizona so 
     special for the past 100 years and will continue to make 
     Arizona special for centuries to come: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate recognizes February 14, 2012 as 
     the centennial of the State of Arizona.

                          ____________________