88R32727 BPG-D
By: Davis H.R. No. 2308
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson of Dallas
retired as dean of the Texas congressional delegation in January
2023, concluding a noteworthy tenure spanning 15 terms in office;
and
WHEREAS, Admired as a trailblazer, Representative Johnson
became the first Black woman ever elected to public office in Dallas
when she won a seat in the Texas House in 1972; twenty years later,
she earned distinction as the first registered nurse ever to serve
in Congress; she became the first Black woman to chair the House
Science, Safety, and Technology Committee in 2019; and
WHEREAS, Representative Johnson was an ardent champion of
STEM education for girls and minority students, and she helped
secure passage of the CHIPS and Sciences Act to increase production
of semiconductor chips in the United States; moreover, she played
an important role in the development of The University of Texas
Arlington and Dallas campuses as Tier One Research facilities; and
WHEREAS, Benefiting transportation and the economy in North
Texas, Representative Johnson was instrumental in passage of the
law repealing the Wright Amendment, which had imposed flight
restrictions on Dallas Love Field; throughout her tenure, she
worked tirelessly to bring federal funding for Dallas Area Rapid
Transit; her efforts also proved key in legislation that helped
enable construction of AT&T Stadium in Arlington; she excelled in
forging positive relationships across the aisle to achieve results
for her constituents; and
WHEREAS, Representative Johnson was born in Waco in 1935, and
after graduating from A. J. Moore High School, she earned her
nursing certificate from St. Mary's College at the University of
Notre Dame; she went on to receive a bachelor's degree from Texas
Christian University and a master of public administration degree
from Southern Methodist University; while employed by the Veterans
Administration hospital in Dallas, she was a psychotherapist and
chief psychiatric nurse; following three terms in the Texas House,
she served as an administrator for the United States Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare; she then became a business owner
and served in the Texas Senate from 1987 to 1993; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of her long and distinguished career
in public service, Eddie Bernice Johnson demonstrated a deep
understanding of the needs of her constituents and an unyielding
commitment to building a brighter future for all Americans; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Eddie Bernice Johnson for her exemplary
service as a United States congresswoman 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 Representative Johnson as an expression of high regard
by the Texas House of Representatives.