87R23749 BK-D
By: González of Dallas H.R. No. 1029
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of
the United States House of Representatives, was elected to a fourth
term in that office in January 2021; and
WHEREAS, Speaker Pelosi's career as a member of congress
began in 1987, and she has long been one of the most powerful and
influential figures on Capitol Hill; in 2002, she was elected as
house minority leader by her Democratic colleagues, becoming the
first woman in history to hold that title; after rising to the
position of speaker in 2007, she presided over the house during the
highly productive 111th Congress from 2009 to 2011, working with
President Barack Obama to secure passage of the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act and the landmark Affordable Care Act; she also
rallied support for Wall Street reforms, consumer protection
legislation, and anti-discrimination laws, such as the Lily
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, as well as the repeal of the U.S. military's
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy; and
WHEREAS, Throughout her time in office, Speaker Pelosi has
been a leading advocate on environmental issues; in 1989, she
introduced a provision known as the Pelosi Amendment to the
International Development and Finance Act, requiring greater
scrutiny of the environmental impacts of proposed development; as
speaker, she worked to enact comprehensive energy legislation in
2007 that raised vehicle fuel efficiency standards, and under her
leadership, the house continued its efforts to combat climate
change by passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act of
2009; demonstrating her strength as a negotiator, she later helped
secure renewable energy tax credits as part of the fiscal year 2016
spending bill; and
WHEREAS, In her efforts to promote accountability and
transparency in government, Speaker Pelosi has led the house in
passing robust ethics reforms; other prominent bills signed into
law during her speakership have ushered in a minimum wage increase,
a significant expansion in college aid funding, and improved
veterans' services; and
WHEREAS, While holding the post of house minority leader from
2011 to 2019, this determined legislator helped attain funding to
fight the opioid epidemic, to advance medical research, and to
provide child care assistance to low-income families, among other
accomplishments; moreover, she united house Democrats in opposing
attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and championed a
bipartisan agreement to strengthen Medicare; and
WHEREAS, Speaker Pelosi again made history in 2019 when she
became the first member of congress to regain the speaker's gavel in
more than 60 years; through her widely publicized work as a
congressional leader, she has helped break down barriers at the
highest levels of public service and has served as a role model for
other women seeking elected office; in recognition of her immense
influence in politics and society, she was inducted into the
National Women's Hall of Fame in 2013; and
WHEREAS, Nancy Pelosi has played an instrumental role in
American government during a pivotal era in our nation's history,
and her leadership will be integral to the important work carried
out by the United States Congress in the years ahead; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Nancy Pelosi on her election to a
fourth term as speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and
extend to her sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Speaker Pelosi as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.