III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 609 

Relative to the death of Paul Laxalt, the former Governor and Senator 

of the State of Nevada. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 16, 2018 

Mr. HELLER (for himself, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MCCONNELL, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. ALEXANDER, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. 

BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BOOZMAN, 

Mr. BROWN, Mr. BURR, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CASSIDY, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. 

CORKER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. COTTON, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. CRUZ, Mr. 

DAINES, Mr. DONNELLY, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, 

Mrs. ERNST, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. GARDNER, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASSLEY, Ms. HARRIS, Ms. 

HASSAN, Mr. HATCH, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. HEITKAMP, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. 

HOEVEN, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. JOHNSON, 

Mr. JONES, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. 

LANKFORD, Mr. LEE, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MCCAIN, Mrs. 

MCCASKILL, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MORAN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON, Mr. PAUL, Mr. 

PERDUE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. REED, Mr. RISCH, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SASSE, Mr. SCHATZ, 

Mr. SCOTT, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. SHELBY, Ms. SMITH, Ms. STABENOW, 

Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. TOOMEY, Mr. 

UDALL, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. WARNER, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WICKER, Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. YOUNG) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Relative to the death of Paul Laxalt, the former Governor 

and Senator of the State of Nevada. 


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•SRES 609 ATS 

Whereas Paul Dominique Laxalt was born to Dominique 

Laxalt and Therese (Alpetche) Laxalt on August 2, 1922, 

at St. Mary’s Hospital in Reno, Nevada; 

Whereas Dominique Laxalt and Therese Laxalt were immigrants from the Basque region in Europe; 

Whereas Dominique Laxalt was a sheepherder and Therese 

Laxalt operated a family-owned hotel in Carson City, Nevada; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt was the oldest child and sibling to Robert, Suzanne, John, Marie, and Peter; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt attended Carson High School, where he 

was student body president and played on the 1938 State 

basketball champion team; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served his country in the United States 

Army as a medic during World War II and saw action 

at the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt married Jackalyn Ross in 1946 and 

had 6 children: Gail, Sheila, Michelle, Kevin, Kathleen, 

and John Paul; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt attended Santa Clara University and 

graduated from law school at the University of Denver in 

1949; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as district attorney for Ormsby 

County, Nevada, from 1951 to 1954; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as Nevada Lieutenant Governor 

from 1963 to 1967; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt ran for the United States Senate in 

1964 but lost by 48 votes; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as Governor of the State of Nevada from 1967 to 1971; 


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Whereas, as Governor of the State of Nevada, Paul Laxalt— 

(1) formed the first community colleges and began 

the first medical school in Nevada; 

(2) helped develop the Tahoe Regional Planning 

Agency to protect and preserve Lake Tahoe; 

(3) advanced the gaming industry in Nevada; 

(4) expanded the park system; and 

(5) in 1968, appointed Reverend William Wynn to 

be Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, who 

was the first African American in Nevada to serve in the 

cabinet of a governor; 

Whereas, in 1975, Paul Laxalt married Carol Wilson, who 

had a daughter, Denise, who he adopted; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as United States Senator for the 

State of Nevada from 1974 to 1987; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt was known as ‘‘the first friend’’ to 

President Ronald Reagan; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as presidential campaign chairman for Ronald Reagan in 1976, 1980, and 1984; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as General Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1983 to 1987; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt ran for the Republican presidential 

nomination in 1987; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as presidential campaign advisor 

to George H.W. Bush in 1988; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt served as presidential campaign advisor 

to Senator Bob Dole in 1996; 

Whereas Paul Laxalt was a partner in a New York-based law 

firm and a successor law firm, Laxalt, Washington, 


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•SRES 609 ATS 

Perito & Dubuc, and also formed a government consulting firm known as the Paul Laxalt Group; and 

Whereas the State of Nevada and the United States are 

deeply indebted to Paul Laxalt for his lifelong dedication 

to public service and commitment to improving the lives 

of all of the people of the State of Nevada and the 

United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 

3 (A) has heard with profound sorrow and 

4 deep regret the announcement of the death of 

5 the Honorable Paul Laxalt, former Member of 

6 the United States Senate; 

7 (B) extends deepest condolences and grati8 tude to the family of Paul Laxalt; and 

9 (C) honors the legacy and life of Paul Lax10 alt, his commitment to the people of the State 

11 of Nevada and the United States, and his serv12 ice to the Senate; 

13 (2) the Secretary of the Senate communicate 

14 this resolution to the House of Representatives and 

15 transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of 

16 the deceased; and 

17 (3) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands 

18 adjourned as a further mark of respect to the mem19 ory of the late Paul Laxalt. 

Æ 


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