[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4501]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      NEVADA'S BATTLE BORN HISTORY

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                            HON. DINA TITUS

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 13, 2014

  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, every year on March 21st we take a moment to 
celebrate Nevada's conception and our unique, Battle Born history. From 
Reno to Las Vegas, from the mountains to the desert, from the sage 
grouse to the neon lights, ``Home Means Nevada.''
  One hundred and fifty years ago, the country was in the middle of the 
bloodiest war in our history, President Lincoln's re-election was in 
jeopardy, and the proposed 13th amendment, which would end slavery, 
lacked the necessary votes to pass.
  With little time left in the thirty-eighth Congress, the outlook was 
bleak; but the Republican-dominated Nevada Territory offered an 
opportunity to secure the necessary votes to pass the 13th Amendment 
and ensure the reelection of President Lincoln.
  Anxious to gain the support of the Nevada Territory before the end of 
the session, Congress rushed to pass an enabling act for Nevada 
statehood through the legislature. On March 21, 1864, President Lincoln 
signed the bill to pave the way for Nevada's admission to the Union.
  This unique history proves that though Nevadans rarely do things by 
the book, we always endure. We may be down, but we are never out. Over 
the past decade we have seen Nevada hit hard by the housing crisis; 
unemployment soared; and our economy suffered worse than most during 
the Great Recession. But we are coming back. New businesses are 
relocating to the state; gaming revenues are up; and we've been chosen 
as a site for the exciting new FAA Federal UAV testing program. I have 
no doubt that we will come back stronger than ever, because we are 
Battle Born.

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