87R28155 JGH-F
By: Morales of Harris H.R. No. 1493
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, In the aftermath of the devastating winter storm of
February 2021, many leaders and philanthropists across the nation
came to the aid of Texans in need; and
WHEREAS, One such individual was U.S. Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York; shortly after the storm left
millions of Texans without power, heat, or access to food and water,
she spearheaded a fundraising campaign that raised $5 million in
less than a week to benefit Texas residents; the money was evenly
allocated among five Texas nonprofits, including the Houston Food
Bank, Feeding Texas, Family Eldercare, The Bridge Homeless Recovery
Center, and the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO); and
WHEREAS, In addition, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez flew to
Texas to help distribute emergency supplies at the Houston Food
Bank with Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvia R. Garcia of
Texas; she also visited residents of Representative Garcia's
district on the east side of Houston; and
WHEREAS, A third-generation Bronxite, Congresswoman
Ocasio-Cortez represents the 14th district of New York in the U.S.
Congress; after earning degrees in economics and international
relations at Boston University and interning in the office of the
late Senator Ted Kennedy, she returned to the Bronx to work as a
community organizer and went on to serve as educational director
with the National Hispanic Institute; and
WHEREAS, Following the financial crisis of 2008,
Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez experienced firsthand the challenges
faced by many Americans when her family was forced to sell their
home after her father's death; she took on extra shifts as a
waitress and bartender to help out, and her dedication to issues
affecting working people deepened as a result; in 2016, she
volunteered as an organizer with the Bernie Sanders presidential
campaign, and two years later, she stepped onto the national stage
when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; and
WHEREAS, A true champion for working-class people across the
country, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has inspired her fellow
citizens with her eloquent advocacy and her passionate commitment
to social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and her
generous actions in the aftermath of the 2021 winter storm have
earned her the lasting admiration and appreciation of many Texans;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby commend the leaders and philanthropists who
assisted the people of Texas in February 2021 and extend to them
sincere best wishes for continued success in their important work.