|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords, United States |
|
congresswoman from Arizona, has forged an exemplary career in |
|
behalf of her constituents and this nation, and her arrival in |
|
Houston to begin treatment and rehabilitation at Memorial Hermann |
|
hospital provides a fitting opportunity to honor Ms. Giffords for |
|
her distinguished public service; and |
|
WHEREAS, Born in Tucson, where her family has lived for three |
|
generations, Gabrielle Giffords graduated from Scripps College in |
|
1993 and earned a master's degree in regional planning from Cornell |
|
University in 1996; after receiving her M.R.P., she studied for a |
|
year in Chihuahua, Mexico, on a William Fulbright Scholarship; she |
|
has worked in New York City on regional economic development issues |
|
and has also garnered experience in the private sector, having held |
|
the posts of president and CEO of her family's tire and automotive |
|
business; and |
|
WHEREAS, Gabrielle Giffords entered public life in 2001, when |
|
she joined the Arizona House of Representatives; two years later, |
|
at the age of 32, she became the youngest woman ever to be elected to |
|
the Arizona State Senate; she has represented Arizona's Eighth |
|
Congressional District since 2007; and |
|
WHEREAS, In her approach to problem solving, Ms. Giffords has |
|
put a premium on collaboration, seeking to ensure that all |
|
viewpoints are heard and that the best ideas are explored; she has |
|
worked tirelessly for the people of Arizona and has become a leading |
|
advocate for military families and veterans, immigration reform, |
|
and solar energy, three areas of major importance to her district |
|
and to the nation as a whole; and |
|
WHEREAS, During her tenure in Congress, this esteemed |
|
lawmaker has held a seat on the House Armed Services, Science and |
|
Technology, and Foreign Affairs Committees; she has also served as |
|
chair of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, as vice chair of |
|
the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, and as vice chair |
|
of the U.S.-Mexico Interparliamentary Group; and |
|
WHEREAS, Ms. Giffords has consistently sought to make herself |
|
accessible to her constituents, holding frequent events where she |
|
and her staff would engage with citizens one-on-one about any |
|
matter related to the federal government; and |
|
WHEREAS, Gabrielle Giffords has been married to Captain Mark |
|
Kelly, a navy pilot and NASA astronaut, since 2007; and |
|
WHEREAS, In the conscientious devotion she has brought to her |
|
duties as an elected representative, the energy and intelligence |
|
with which she has addressed the issues before this country, and the |
|
determination she has shown to make government responsive to the |
|
people, Gabrielle Giffords has embodied the highest expression of |
|
democracy in action, and her fight to recover from her injuries has |
|
inspired Americans in every part of this land; now, therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
|
Legislature hereby pay tribute to the Honorable Gabrielle Giffords |
|
for her outstanding public service and extend to her and her family |
|
sincere best wishes as she begins treatment and rehabilitation in |
|
the Lone Star State; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for Ms. Giffords as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives. |