Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HCR83 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R10730 BGU-D
2	2	By: Sheets H.C.R. No. 83
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5	5	CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
6	6	WHEREAS, The Honorable John Goodwin Tower greatly benefited
7	7	his state and his nation through his dedicated public service,
8	8	including nearly a quarter-century in the United States Senate; and
9	9	WHEREAS, Born in Houston on September 29, 1925, John Tower
10	10	served in the United States Navy during World War II on an
11	11	amphibious gunboat in the Pacific; he was discharged as a seaman
12	12	first class and remained active in the naval reserve until 1989,
13	13	when he retired with the rank of master chief boatswain's mate; and
14	14	WHEREAS, Senator Tower earned a bachelor's degree in
15	15	political science at Southwestern University and a master's degree
16	16	in the same discipline at Southern Methodist University; he
17	17	accepted a position as an assistant professor at Midwestern
18	18	University in the early 1950s and continued his studies at the
19	19	London School of Economics; and
20	20	WHEREAS, He soon became a rising star in conservative
21	21	politics, and in 1960, he was elected as the first Republican
22	22	senator from Texas since Reconstruction; Senator Tower took on
23	23	numerous committee assignments in Washington and played a key role
24	24	in the modernization and expansion of the military as chair of the
25	25	Armed Services Committee and as a member of the Joint Committee on
26	26	Defense Production; he also served on the Labor and Public Welfare
27	27	and Banking and Currency Committees, among many others; he was
28	28	known for his skill at guiding legislation through Congress, and he
29	29	sought to stimulate economic growth, increase small business
30	30	opportunities, improve transportation systems, and encourage
31	31	strong financial institutions; working diligently in behalf of his
32	32	fellow Texans, he promoted agriculture as well as the energy,
33	33	fishing, and maritime industries; and
34	34	WHEREAS, After retiring from Congress in 1985, Senator Tower
35	35	served as President Ronald Reagan's strategic arms negotiator in
36	36	Geneva, and he further assisted the president by advocating for
37	37	ratification of a medium-range nuclear weapons treaty with the
38	38	Soviet Union; in late 1986, President Reagan appointed him as chair
39	39	of the special review board assigned to investigate the Iran-contra
40	40	scandals; and
41	41	WHEREAS, This dynamic Texan established a consulting company
42	42	in Dallas that served some of the nation's largest weapons
43	43	manufacturers, and from 1986 to 1988, he taught political science
44	44	as a distinguished lecturer at Southern Methodist University; in
45	45	1990, President Bush named him chair of the President's Foreign
46	46	Intelligence Advisory Board; tragically, he died in a plane crash
47	47	the following year; and
48	48	WHEREAS, Through his leadership in national security and
49	49	foreign policy issues, John Tower made vital contributions to the
50	50	United States, and his tireless efforts to advance the interests of
51	51	the Lone Star State earned the lasting appreciation of his fellow
52	52	Texans; naming the State Insurance Building Annex in the Capitol
53	53	Complex in his honor would provide a most fitting tribute to his
54	54	outstanding accomplishments; now, therefore, be it
55	55	RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas
56	56	hereby direct the Texas Facilities Commission to rename the State
57	57	Insurance Building Annex the John G. Tower State Office Building as
58	58	a lasting tribute to this esteemed Texan; and, be it further
59	59	RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
60	60	copy of this resolution to the chair and to the executive director
61	61	of the Texas Facilities Commission.