106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 445
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez served his Nation and the people
of the 20th District of Texas in San Antonio with honor
and distinction for 37 years as a Member of the United
States House of Representatives;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez became an internationally recog-
nized leader in the fields of banking and housing, having
held more than 500 hearings as Chairman of the Com-
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mittee on Banking and Urban Affairs, and having shep-
herded more than 70 bills from introduction to enactment
into law, including landmark legislation to revamp and
rescue the United States savings and loan industry;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez focused the attention of the
House of Representatives on solving numerous and chal-
lenging public policy problems, especially the needs of the
poor and the powerless, including making affordable
housing available to the poor, making credit more readily
available to underprivileged communities and small busi-
nesses, making the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System more transparent and accountable to the
United States public, and strengthening civil rights for
all Americans;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez represents the quintessential
American success story by virtue of having become the
first American of Mexican descent in Texas history to
represent Texas in the United States House of Rep-
resentatives, and one of the first Mexican-Americans to
rise to the position of Chairman of a major congressional
committee of the House of Representatives;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez served his country in World War
II in military intelligence, and taught math to veterans
and citizenship classes to resident immigrants seeking
American citizenship;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez leaves a proud legacy to his
hometown of San Antonio (in whose public schools he
was educated), encouraging the development of public
housing, 2 major medical centers, numerous development
projects, and the public laws he authored that brought
the HemisFair ’68 World’s Fair to San Antonio, thereby
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making the city a recognized center for international con-
ventions and tourism;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez, a champion for the down-
trodden and the poor (exemplified, among other things,
by his 22-hour long filibuster of segregationist bills in the
Texas Senate in the 1950’s), consistently brought his
skill and passion to bear on behalf of the underprivileged,
thereby making our Nation a much better place;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez, a modest man of great popu-
larity and of a fervently independent character, was
awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award
for his display of political courage as a leader who acted
on principle throughout his multifaceted career, without
fear or favor;
Whereas Henry B. Gonzalez will always remain an enduring
symbol of integrity, independence, solid principles, and
strength of character, and will always remind us of what
it means to give honorable public service, as he did to his
San Antonio constituents, the State of Texas, and to all
Americans: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring),
That the Congress—
(1) has learned with profound sorrow of the
death of the Honorable Henry Barbosa Gonzalez on
November 28, 2000, and extends condolences to the
Gonzalez family, and especially to his wife Bertha
and their 8 children;
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(2) expresses its profound gratitude to the Hon-
orable Henry Barbosa Gonzalez and his family for
the service that he rendered to his country; and
(3) recognizes with appreciation and respect the
Honorable Henry Barbosa Gonzalez’s commitment
to and example of leadership and commitment to
public service and to his constituents, and his serv-
ing as a role model for generations to come.
SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION OF ENROLLED RESOLUTION
The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall
transmit an enrolled copy of this Concurrent Resolution
to the family of the Honorable Henry Barbosa Gonzalez.
Passed the House of Representatives December 15,
2000.
Attest:
Clerk.
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. CON. RES. 445
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
In honor of Henry B. Gonzalez.