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.