88R32727 BPG-D
 
  By: Reynolds H.R. No. 2305
 
 
 
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.