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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 338 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 338

Recognizing the Honorable Yvonne Brathwaite Burke for her distinguished 
                       career in public service.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 29, 2008

    Ms. Waters (for herself, Mr. Baca, Mr. Becerra, Mr. Berman, Mr. 
Bilbray, Mrs. Bono Mack, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Campbell of California, Mrs. 
 Capps, Mr. Cardoza, Mr. Costa, Mrs. Davis of California, Mr. Dreier, 
 Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Farr, Mr. Filner, Mr. Gallegly, Ms. Harman, Mr. Honda, 
 Ms. Lee, Mr. Lewis of California, Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California, Mr. 
     Daniel E. Lungren of California, Ms. Matsui, Mr. McCarthy of 
California, Mr. McKeon, Mr. McNerney, Mr. George Miller of California, 
 Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Richardson, Mr. Rohrabacher, Ms. Roybal-Allard, 
Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, 
    Mr. Schiff, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Solis, Ms. Speier, Mr. Stark, Mrs. 
   Tauscher, Mr. Thompson of California, Ms. Watson, Mr. Waxman, Ms. 
 Woolsey, Mr. Gary G. Miller of California, Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Royce, 
     Mr. Issa, and Mr. Hunter) submitted the following concurrent 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Recognizing the Honorable Yvonne Brathwaite Burke for her distinguished 
                       career in public service.

Whereas the Honorable Yvonne Brathwaite Burke has had a distinguished career in 
        public service for the past 50 years;
Whereas Mrs. Burke, a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District, has 
        blazed a trail for African-Americans and women in public service;
Whereas her career had its genesis during her high school years when, as a 
        teenager, she became involved in public speaking and competitive 
        contests, earning scholarships to college;
Whereas Mrs. Burke attended the University of California, Berkeley, beginning in 
        1949, and transferred her junior year to the University of California, 
        Los Angeles, graduating in 1953;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was the first African-American woman in 1953 to be admitted 
        to the University of Southern California Law School since its founding 
        in 1928, and graduated with her juris doctor degree at the top third of 
        her class;
Whereas upon graduation from law school, Mrs. Burke opened a private law 
        practice, as many law firms showed no interest in hiring women as 
        attorneys, particularly African-American women;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was active in the civil rights movement, with memberships in 
        various local and national organizations, played a key role in 
        organizing a legal defense team for those charged in the Watts Riots in 
        1965, and was appointed by the Governor of California to the McCone 
        Commission to investigate the causes of the riots;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was elected to the California State Assembly in 1966 and, 
        along with the Honorable Barbara Jordan, was invited by Dr. Martin 
        Luther King, Jr., to address many meetings and conventions across the 
        Nation, establishing a close working relationship with the noted civil 
        rights leader;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was actively involved in the 1968 presidential campaign of 
        former Senator and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was the vice chairperson of the 1972 Democratic National 
        Convention, the first African-American to hold that post, and she also 
        played a significant role in the 2000 Democratic National Convention by 
        hosting a major event for hundreds of African-American elected officials 
        from across the Nation;
Whereas Mrs. Burke successfully campaigned for a seat in California's 37th 
        Congressional District in 1972, becoming the first African-American 
        female elected to the House of Representatives from California;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was first appointed to the Committee on Public Works and the 
        Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs during the 93rd Congress, and 
        subsequently became the first African-American woman appointed to a seat 
        on the powerful Appropriations Committee during the 94th Congress, where 
        she served for the duration of her congressional career;
Whereas Mrs. Burke authored landmark amendments in 1973 that were passed which 
        promoted equal opportunities for minority-owned businesses in the Trans-
        Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act, which also resulted in the 
        requirement that any future project funded with Federal dollars would 
        have to support non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity 
        initiatives;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was named the first woman elected to chair the Congressional 
        Black Caucus in 1976;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was one of the first members of the Congressional Women's 
        Caucus when it was founded in 1977, became the first Member to give 
        birth while serving in Congress, and the first to be granted maternity 
        leave;
Whereas Mrs. Burke proposed an amendment to a Community Services Administration 
        bill that called for additional funding for community food and nutrition 
        programs and other services for senior citizens, that was rejected by 
        the full House of Representatives;
Whereas Mrs. Burke supported the Humphrey-Hawkins bill to create a federally 
        coordinated program of full employment;
Whereas Mrs. Burke repeatedly sought to restrict legislation providing foreign 
        aid to nations that were guilty of gross human rights violations;
Whereas Mrs. Burke helped salvage a $50,000,000 appropriation for countries in 
        Africa's Sahel region fighting a large-scale drought in 1977;
Whereas Mrs. Burke, after running unsuccessfully for California Attorney General 
        in 1978, was appointed by the Governor of California in 1979 to a 
        vacancy in the Fourth Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was appointed by the Governor of California in 1979 and 1982 
        to serve on the Board of Regents of the University of California;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was elected to serve as Vice Chairman of the 1984 United 
        States Olympics Organizing Committee;
Whereas Mrs. Burke became the first African-American elected to the Los Angeles 
        County Board of Supervisors in 1992, representing the largest county in 
        the Nation with a population of over 10,000,000, serving as chair in 
        1993-1994, 1997-1998, 2002-2003, and 2007-2008;
Whereas Mrs. Burke has served with distinction as the Supervisor of the Second 
        District for the past 15 years, focusing her work on improving the lives 
        of children, encouraging economic development, improving transportation, 
        and advocating access to healthcare in Los Angeles;
Whereas Mrs. Burke amassed numerous distinctions and honors throughout her 
        career both as an African-American and as a woman, including being 
        selected as one of Time Magazine's ``America's 200 Future Leaders'' in 
        1974;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was selected as the Los Angles Times' ``Woman of the Year'' 
        in 1996;
Whereas Mrs. Burke was selected as the University of California, Los Angeles' 
        ``Alumni of the Year'' in 1996 and the school's ``Local Legislator of 
        the Year in 2008''; and
Whereas Mrs. Burke has served on the boards of numerous prestigious 
        organizations and corporations, including the National Association of 
        Counties Board of Directors, and as the chair of the Healthcare Steering 
        Committee: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) recognizes the Honorable Yvonne Brathwaite Burke for 
        her inestimable contributions in public service throughout her 
        illustrious career;
            (2) believes that Mrs. Burke's exemplary record 
        demonstrates she is a woman of indomitable compassion, courage, 
        character, and commitment;
            (3) believes Mrs. Burke will be remembered for the 
        beneficial changes she made in the lives of minorities, women, 
        and the economically disadvantaged; and
            (4) congratulates Mrs. Burke upon her retirement, and with 
        sincere best wishes, is pleased to join her family, friends, 
        coworkers, and associates in wishing her health, happiness, and 
        continued good fortune in her future endeavors.
                                 <all>
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