[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22764]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES WINE INDUSTRY TO THE 
                            AMERICAN ECONOMY

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform be discharged from further 
consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 429 and ask for its 
immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 429

       Whereas the United States is one of the largest wine 
     producing countries in the world, with the United States 
     wine, grape, and grape products industry representing more 
     than 1 percent of the $13,800,000,000 American economy in 
     2007;
       Whereas the wine and winegrape industry of Texas has an 
     economic impact of $1,000,000,000 on the economy of Texas;
       Whereas since 2000, the wine and winegrape industry of 
     Texas has experienced tremendous growth, with nearly 90 
     percent of that growth resulting from an increase in the 
     number and revenue of small wineries producing less than 
     5,000 gallons of wine each year; and
       Whereas in 2005, the wine and winegrape industry of Texas--
       (1) included 113 wineries and 220 commercial growers of 
     winegrapes on 2,900 acres;
       (2) produced over 626,000 cases of wine;
       (3) provided the equivalent of 8,000 full-time jobs and 
     paid over $234,000,000 in wages to workers;
       (4) generated revenue from wineries that produced an 
     economic impact of $91,500,000 on the economy of Texas;
       (5) generated over $10,000,000 in revenue from vineyards in 
     Texas;
       (6) attracted over 868,000 tourists to Texas, who spent 
     over $220,000,000; and
       (7) generated over $69,000,000 in Federal, State, and local 
     taxes: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) recognizes the importance of the United States wine, 
     winegrape, and grape products industry to the American 
     economy; and
       (2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy 
     of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Texas 
     Department of Agriculture and the Texas Wine and Grape 
     Growers Association in Grapevine, Texas.

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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