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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, The nation lost a passionate champion of economic |
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opportunity and inclusive democracy with the death of Jack Kemp on |
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May 2, 2009, at the age of 73; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Los Angeles in 1935, John French Kemp, Jr., |
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graduated from Occidental College, where he started as quarterback; |
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he went on to a successful 13-year career in professional football |
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and led the Buffalo Bills to two American Football League |
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championships; as a founder and president of the AFL Players |
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Association, he helped African American athletes fight |
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discrimination, and when they were barred from nightclubs and cabs |
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in New Orleans, he supported the boycott of an all-star game in the |
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city; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Kemp made a graceful transition from sports into |
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politics, winning the first of nine terms in the United States House |
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of Representatives in 1970, representing western New York; his low |
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tax platform and advocacy of supply-side economics laid the |
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groundwork for Ronald Reagan's economic program and presidential |
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victory, and Mr. Kemp was elected chair of the House Republican |
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Conference, the third-ranking leadership post; in the next |
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administration, he was appointed secretary of housing and urban |
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development by George H. W. Bush and strove with tireless resolve |
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to revitalize the nation's inner cities, closing down failed |
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housing projects and championing the establishment of enterprise |
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zones to encourage development and job creation; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1996, Bob Dole chose him as his presidential |
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running mate; after their campaign ended, Mr. Kemp focused on his |
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work as a codirector of Empower America, a public policy and |
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advocacy organization that he founded with former secretary of |
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education William Bennett and former U.N. ambassador Jeane |
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Kirkpatrick, and as head of Kemp Partners, a Washington, D.C., |
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strategic consulting firm; in recent years, he co-chaired the |
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Russia Task Force of the Council on Foreign Relations and served on |
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the Saving America's Cities Working Group; he helped form a new |
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nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank, the Foundation for the Defense |
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of Democracies; moreover, he served on numerous corporate boards, |
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wrote a popular syndicated column, and was much in demand as a |
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speaker; and |
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WHEREAS, For decades, this respected statesman and |
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self-described "bleeding-heart conservative" advocated for civil |
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rights and sought to improve the lives of all Americans; a devoted |
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family man, he was supported in his endeavors by his wife, Joanne |
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Kemp, their children, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Judith, and Jimmy, and |
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their 17 grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, Jack Kemp set an inspirational example of public |
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service, and through his commitment to freedom, progress, and |
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equality, he played an important and enduring role in moving our |
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nation forward; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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Legislature hereby pay tribute to the life of Jack Kemp and extend |
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sincere condolences to his family and many friends. |