[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 144 (Tuesday, November 13, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1749]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING FORMER FIRST LADY MRS. CLAUDIA ALTA ``LADY BIRD'' JOHNSON

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                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 13, 2012

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
honor the life of former First Lady, Mrs. Claudia Alta ``Lady Bird'' 
Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, was 
known for her prominent role in public service, and for her lifelong 
efforts to beautify public places across the country.
  As First Lady, Mrs. Johnson promoted the conservation and 
beautification of our public lands. She believed that by making these 
civic improvements, we could help pay tribute to our great country. One 
of Mrs. Johnson's greatest rehabilitation efforts took place right here 
in Washington, DC, where she oversaw the planting of thousands of 
flowers throughout our Nation's capital.
  Driving from her home in Texas to Washington, DC, Mrs. Johnson 
expressed concern with the uninviting appearance of our Nation's 
Interstate highways. Ultimately, President Johnson signed the ``Highway 
Beautification Act'' into law in 1965, enhancing the scenic views of 
our highways and byways. In 1999, when Secretary of the Interior Bruce 
Babbitt presented Mrs. Johnson with the Native Plant Conservation 
Initiative Lifetime Achievement Award, he noted that the First Lady had 
been a shadow Secretary of the Interior for much of her life. Today, we 
continue to enjoy the benefits of the First Lady's efforts to beautify 
our roads and highways.
  Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the centennial of Mrs. Johnson's birth, 
we hold in great regard the value of these national improvements by 
preserving the beauty of our lands--through constant revitalization and 
conservation. We have Mrs. Johnson's unifying grace to thank for her 
contributions to the American landscape, and I am pleased to recognize 
these lasting contributions by the former First Lady from Texas.

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