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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Bill Richardson of the state of New Mexico has |
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dedicated his life to the public good, as a United States |
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congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, United States |
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secretary of energy, and now governor of New Mexico; and |
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WHEREAS, Born on November 15, 1947, in Pasadena, California, |
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Bill Richardson is the son of an American father and a Mexican |
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mother; raised in Mexico City, he attended high school and college |
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in New England, where he graduated from Tufts University in 1970 |
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with a bachelor's degree and a master's degree the following year |
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from its Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy; and |
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WHEREAS, Married to his high school sweetheart, Barbara, Mr. |
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Richardson began his career as a public servant as the U.S. |
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representative for New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District, one of |
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the most ethnically diverse districts in the country; serving the |
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people of northern New Mexico for 15 years, he won 60 percent of the |
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vote in every election and held 2,700 town meetings; he sponsored |
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important bills improving rural health care and increasing the |
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number of nurses in New Mexico, and he was also instrumental in |
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bringing new industry and jobs to the state; and |
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WHEREAS, A leader in environmental issues, Congressman |
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Richardson helped create the Jemez National Recreation Area and |
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protect the Rio Grande and the San Juan Basin; he served as a |
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special envoy to sensitive international situations, successfully |
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winning the release of hostages, military personnel, and prisoners |
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in North Korea, Iraq, Cuba, and the Sudan; and |
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WHEREAS, Nominated to represent the United States at the |
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United Nations by President Bill Clinton in 1997, Ambassador |
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Richardson worked as an advocate for universal human rights and |
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democracy and for the status of women in such places as Afghanistan |
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and Africa; he was active as well in security issues, working to |
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stop the spread of international terrorism and the proliferation of |
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biological weapons; and |
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WHEREAS, Unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate as |
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secretary of energy in 1998, Secretary Richardson was a champion |
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for clean and renewable technologies, environmental |
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responsibility, and reducing the nation's dependence on foreign |
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sources of oil; he was the first secretary of energy to request |
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congress to provide compensation for Department of Energy workers |
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whose health had been affected by working in nuclear power plants; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Campaigning for the post of governor of New Mexico |
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in 2002, candidate Richardson broke Teddy Roosevelt's 1907 |
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inauguration day record by shaking 13,392 hands in eight hours; he |
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was sworn in as governor on January 1, 2003, at the Palace of the |
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Governors in Santa Fe, the nation's oldest seat of government; and |
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WHEREAS, In his role as governor, Bill Richardson has |
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garnered support across party lines by improving education, cutting |
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taxes, expanding access to health care, helping to develop |
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renewable energy, and building a stronger economy for the people of |
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New Mexico; he has also made the state safer by strengthening laws |
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against drunk driving, domestic violence, and sex crimes; under his |
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leadership, New Mexico now has a balanced budget and the largest |
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budget reserve in state history; he was reelected to his second term |
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last year by winning 69 percent of the vote, representing the |
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largest margin of victory for any governor in state history; and |
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WHEREAS, While serving as governor, he has taught a unique |
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course in state government at New Mexico State University, adding |
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to his long teaching career at such institutions as Harvard's |
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Kennedy School of Government, the University of New Mexico, and |
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United World College; and |
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WHEREAS, Governor Richardson has further served his state and |
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nation as chairman of the Western Governors' Association and the |
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Border Governors' Conference, as chairman of Freedom House, a |
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nonpartisan organization promoting democracy worldwide, and as a |
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member of the boards of the Natural Resources Defense Council and |
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United Way International; for his work freeing hostages and |
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prisoners around the world, he has been nominated four times for the |
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Nobel Peace Prize; and |
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WHEREAS, Governor Bill Richardson has worked tirelessly to |
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ensure the health, safety, and prosperity of his fellow citizens, |
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and his life and brilliant career are exemplars of America's |
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diversity and boundless opportunity; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for |
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his outstanding achievements and commend him for his many years of |
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dedication to the public good; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Governor Richardson as an expression of high regard by |
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the Texas House of Representatives. |