81R21175 CBE-D
By: Anderson, Miller of Erath, Button, H.C.R. No. 168
Branch, Hartnett, et al.
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, George W. Bush was the first Texas governor to
become president of the United States, and as he takes up residence
once again in the Lone Star State, it is indeed a pleasure to
welcome him home; and
WHEREAS, The eldest child of former president George Herbert
Walker Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, George W. Bush was
born in New Haven, Connecticut, on July 6, 1946; he grew up in
Midland and Houston and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in
history from Yale University and a master of business
administration degree from the Harvard School of Business; after
returning to Midland to enter the energy industry, he met Laura
Welch, who became his wife on November 5, 1977; three years later,
the couple were blessed with twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan continued his career in energy
until his father's successful 1988 presidential campaign, on which
he served as a senior advisor, and he later assembled a group of
investors to purchase the Texas Rangers baseball franchise; in
1994, he began his own career in public service with his election as
governor; during his six years in office, he fostered an atmosphere
of bipartisanship and gained a reputation as a compassionate
conservative who based public policy on a philosophy of limited
government, personal responsibility, local control, and strong
families; and
WHEREAS, Having earned nationwide attention, the popular
governor of Texas was urged to run for higher office, and on January
20, 2001, he became the 43rd president of the United States, making
history as the first son of a former president to win the White
House since John Quincy Adams; President Bush was tested less than
nine months after his inauguration by the terrible events of
September 11, 2001, and the swiftness and determination of his
response would define his presidency; and
WHEREAS, In his address to the nation that night, President
Bush condemned the acts of terror and uplifted the American people
with assurances of safety and justice; he subsequently proclaimed
September 14, 2001, as a National Day of Prayer and Remembrance, and
on that day he stood amid rescue workers in the rubble of the World
Trade Center and again offered words of comfort to the grieving
nation; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the remainder of his first term and
continuing through his second, President Bush made national
security his highest priority; he created the Department of
Homeland Security and transformed the military, the intelligence
community, and the FBI; and
WHEREAS, The Bush administration met numerous foreign policy
challenges, while also making constructive progress in relations
with India and sustaining a solid relationship with China;
President Bush persuaded Libya to abandon its advanced missile
programs, leading to normalized relations; in Africa, he vastly
increased development assistance, and he has won high praise for
his support of global initiatives to combat AIDS, malaria, and
tuberculosis; and
WHEREAS, By pushing through a prescription drug benefit,
President Bush helped millions of older Americans, and today more
than 25 million people are enrolled in Medicare drug plans
administered by private insurers; in addition, he expanded access
to health care by doubling direct federal financing for community
health centers; he also worked with Congress to enact the No Child
Left Behind Act, an ambitious template for educational reform; and
WHEREAS, For the past eight years, President George W. Bush
lived each day with the safety and prosperity of his fellow citizens
foremost in his mind; he took a principled stance on a wide range of
issues of great importance to every American, and his tireless
efforts will not soon be forgotten; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby welcome former president George W. Bush back to the Lone Star
State and extend to him sincere appreciation for his service to our
state and nation; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for former president Bush as an expression of high regard
by the Texas House of Representatives and Senate.