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“MOURNING THE PASSING OF FORMER FIRST LADY, LADY BIRD JOHNSON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H8237-H8241 on July 23, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MOURNING THE PASSING OF FORMER FIRST LADY, LADY BIRD JOHNSON
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 553) mourning the passing of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and celebrating her life and contributions to the people of the United States.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 553
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was born Claudia Alta Taylor in Karnack, Texas on December 22, 1912, the daughter of Minnie Pattillo Taylor and Thomas Jefferson Taylor;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson received her nickname ``Lady Bird'' from a nurse who thought she was as ``purty as a lady bird'';
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was known for her academic accomplishments, graduating from high school at 15 years of age and graduating from the University of Texas in Austin in 1933 as one of the top 10 students in her class;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson married President Lyndon Baines Johnson on November 17, 1934;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was a dedicated wife to President Johnson and a devoted mother to their two daughters, Lynda Bird Johnson and Luci Baines Johnson;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson served with honor and dedication as the wife of President Johnson throughout his service as a congressional secretary, United States Representative, United States Senator, Vice President of the United States, and President of the United States;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was known for expanding the position of First Lady by taking a visible role in President Johnson's administration;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson served as President Johnson's personal adviser throughout his career, and was a champion of civil rights and programs for children and the poor, including the educational Head Start programs;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was known for her passion for environmental causes and the preservation of native plants and wildflowers;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson paved the way for the environmental movement of the 1970s through her efforts to replace urban blight with flowers and trees;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson established the capital beautification project and played a major role in the passage of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, which was the first major legislative campaign initiated by a First Lady;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson and President Johnson retired to their ranch located near Austin, Texas following the completion of President Johnson's term as President;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson continued her dedication to education through her service on the Board of Regents for the University of Texas and through her work planning the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum at the University of Texas in Austin;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 1977 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 1988;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson co-founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in 1982 in order to protect and preserve North America's native plants and natural landscapes;
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson leaves behind an honorable legacy that represents her gentle nature and strong spirit though her dedication to her family and her passion for the environment; and
Whereas Lady Bird Johnson died on July 11, 2007, at 94 years of age at her home in Austin, Texas, and was survived by her 2 daughters, 7 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives mourns the passing of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and celebrates her life and contributions to the people of the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois.
General Leave
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H. Res. 553, a bill that mourns the passing of former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and celebrates her life contributions and achievements.
H. Res. 553, which has 58 cosponsors, was introduced by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson on July 17, 2007. H. Res. 553 was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 19, 2007, by a voice vote.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague and Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson for seeking to honor the former First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, and celebrating her life contributions to the people of the United States.
I urge swift passage of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, it is certainly a pleasure to honor a remarkable First Lady and great conservationist, Lady Bird Johnson. And it is with much sadness that the House continues to note her recent passing.
Born in 1912 in Karnack, Texas, in an era when women were not expected to accomplish great things, Mrs. Johnson came to represent strength of character that was the hallmark of her life.
After graduating from the University of Texas in 1933, she married Lyndon Baines Johnson. Mrs. Johnson became the mother of two daughters, certainly her most important work, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines Johnson. She spent the next few decades raising her children and supporting her husband in his political career, which, of course, led him to the Presidency. She was a trusting sounding board for her husband through all his years in the House and Senate and in the White House.
Mrs. Johnson led a nationwide effort to call attention to the beauty and the goal of highlighting historical sites and highways by planting flowering plants and wildflowers. While First Lady, she visited numerous public sites and scenic areas, thus bringing local and national attention to her beautification and conservation initiatives.
As we all have seen each spring in Washington, Mrs. Johnson has left a lasting legacy for all American and foreign visitors to this great city, who can now see incredible numbers of flowers throughout the area. She not only helped beautify Washington, but was also responsible for the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, calling for control of outdoor advertising, as well as the clean-up of junkyards along the national highways.
It is partly because of her efforts that we now have the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, requiring at least one-quarter of 1 percent of funds expended for landscaping projects in the highway system to be used to plant native flowers, plants and trees.
After leaving Washington, Mrs. Johnson enthusiastically continued her conservation efforts throughout her beloved home State of Texas right up until the date of her death on July 11, 2007.
I urge my colleagues to please join me in honoring this great woman of Texas and First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, for her untiring efforts in educating a Nation on the benefits of conservation and beautification throughout her lifetime.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the author and sponsor of this resolution, the gentlewoman from Texas, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank these two distinguished gentlemen on the floor, Mr. Davis of Illinois and Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, for helping us with this today.
I rise today to honor the life and accomplishments of Lady Bird Johnson. I would like to thank my colleagues Mr. Hall, Mr. Barton and Mr. Ortiz for their sponsorship, and the entire Texas delegation for joining me in sponsoring and honoring Mrs. Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson was known as a woman of class and integrity. She was strong in spirit and always represented herself with dignity and grace.
For decades Lady Bird Johnson served with honor and dedication as the wife of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, throughout his service as a staffer to Representative Kleberg, as he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, as a U.S. Senator, as Vice President, and as President of the United States. She served as President Johnson's personal adviser throughout his career and was known for expanding the position of the First Lady by taking a visible role in President Johnson's administration.
Lady Bird Johnson dedicated much of her life to the preservation of our environment. Perhaps she could be considered the first environmentalist in this era. This passion led her to create the Capital Beautification Project to improve physical conditions in Washington, DC, both for residents and tourists. Her efforts inspired similar programs throughout the country. She also played a major role in the passage of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act. This was the first legislative campaign begun by a First Lady. The trees and flowers we see along our American highways today are a testament to her work and her dedication.
After leaving Washington, President and Mrs. Johnson moved back to Austin, Texas, where Mrs. Johnson continued to work for environmental causes. And that is, perhaps, the most environmentally sensitive city in Texas right now. Today we can all admire her legacy through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas.
Mrs. Johnson died on July 11, 2007, at the age of 94 at her home in Austin, and was survived by her two daughters, seven grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the Johnson family. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution to honor Lady Bird Johnson's incredible life and legacy.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I know that Representative Gene Green had intended to be here. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to make it yet.
It is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to Representative Chet Edwards from the 17th District of Texas.
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, Lady Bird Johnson was a true Texas treasure. She graced the Lone Star State, our Nation, and the world with her beauty and grace.
While she is no longer with us, the masterpiece of her vision can be seen along the highways and byways of America. Lady Bird's wildflowers symbolize her life, a quiet, enduring beauty that will enrich our lives for generations to come. With our highways as her canvas, she painted with a brush of God's hand a landscape that brings peace to us in our day-to-day lives.
The beauty of Lady Bird Johnson's vision did not stop with the highways and parks of our Nation, for she also envisioned a world not blighted by the ugliness of poverty and discrimination. As a partner to the President who fought for a great society, she helped make ours a better society. For that we are all her beneficiaries. I thank God for the life and spirit of Lady Bird Johnson.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to Lady Bird Johnson's Representative, the gentleman from Texas, Representative Lloyd Doggett.
Mr. DOGGETT. With heavy hearts, the thousands of Texans who participated in memorials to Lady Bird Johnson, especially those who filled the streets of Austin, Dripping Springs and Johnson City, attest to our affection and respect for her compassion, warmth and leadership. And with unusually heavy rainfall this year, Texas is literally alive with her legacy, the beautiful wildflowers along our roadways, and filling the photo albums and scrapbooks with children smiling in a bed of bluebonnets or Indian paintbrush for one family after another.
She knew a better America was one that gives all of its citizens an opportunity to succeed. And with the reauthorization this year of Head Start, more young Americans can access quality early education, ensuring that no child starts behind.
When my predecessor, Representative Jake Pickle, spoke on this floor after the death of President Johnson, he said that Mrs. Johnson was her husband's ``wisest adviser'', and that her daughters, Lynda Bird and Luci, had brought ``so much credit to their family and to our country.''
Of her many gifts, perhaps her most meaningful legacy is her spirit of giving that lives on in her children and grandchildren. In Austin, her daughter Lucy and her grandchildren, Catherine Robb and Nicole Covert, among others, give their time, support and leadership to causes such as SafePlace, Seton, the University of Texas, and the Children's Medical Center Foundation.
Mrs. Johnson promoted native species. They have strong roots and improve and beautify our land. The same, and more, can be said of the human legacy that she leaves.
Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, let me just close by saying it has been a privilege for me to handle this resolution on our side.
I know that most of us heard and read and saw some of the beautiful and moving tributes that were made to Mrs. Johnson in her funeral ceremony just a few days ago, especially the tributes from her daughters. And so I think this is a very fitting and appropriate resolution. I commend my good friend, the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Johnson, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and also my friend Mr. Davis.
I urge passage of this resolution.
And Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).
Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to personally thank both the gentleman from Tennessee and the gentleman from Illinois, Chairman Davis, for allowing me this opportunity. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the Honorable Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson for bringing forth this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Claudia Taylor ``Lady Bird'' Johnson. Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson was a woman of incredible caliber, a woman whose contributions of admirable causes have bettered not only Texas, but the entire Nation as a whole.
She redefined what it meant to be a First Lady. Along with championing the environment, Lady Bird Johnson was a confidante to her husband, Lyndon Baines Johnson, and was invaluable to his efforts, improving not only health care but education. She, like no one else, understood the importance of early intervention when it came to education. Her efforts in Head Start to this day are there to show that Head Start has been a program that reaches out to these poor youngsters. Head Start has also proven that those youngsters that participate in Head Start are less likely to drop out than those that don't. She understood that from the very beginning.
Lady Bird Johnson knew and had that Texas charm and wit. Her passion for the environment has left a lasting mark on America. Thanks to her tenacious effort in initiating beautification projects, the Nation's highways are more pleasant to drive on and the Nation's Capital is a lovelier sight. The city of San Antonio, where Lady Bird married President Johnson, has also benefited from the First Lady's efforts.
Her highway beautification projects had a lasting impact not only in San Antonio, but throughout Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation says Lady Bird Johnson's Highway Beautification Act that became law in 1965 annually dispenses over 5.6 billion wildflower seeds of some 30 varieties, including our State flower, the bluebonnet. Lady Bird devoted much of her later life to beautifying her home and the State of Texas with admirable work.
With eternal gratitude from all of us, I ask you to join me today in remembering the magnificent work Lady Bird Johnson has done for all of us. I want to thank her for what she has done for all of us.
Let me just say that every spring as we go along the highways and as the flowers bloom, we will remember her for what she has done for all of us. She now rests near the Pedernales River in Texas. Her legacy will forever be with us.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to another son of Texas, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, the Honorable Silvestre Reyes.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I want to add my condolences to Lady Bird's family and tell everyone that while she will be missed, her legacy lives on in Texas.
I think her contribution to Texas gives us a unique insight into who the former First Lady was; a person who used her gifts, her position, her talents and her status to expand the world for everyday people, to make the world better for the inner city residents of D.C., and for the public that was traveling along the interstates of our great country, and, of course, for Texas.
She had vision and gave people a reason to be proud of their surroundings, to take ownership of their neighborhoods and communities, and to make them better places to live. This is meaningful and important on so many different levels for all of us that are Texans. In doing this, she was ahead of her time. She helped bring the cause of conservation to the forefront and drew our Nation's attention to the importance of creating and nurturing beauty.
I am honored and privileged that I met Mrs. Johnson many years ago when I was a college student at the University of Texas at Austin. I am proud of the legacy that she created and that she leaves with all of us. May she rest in peace among the hills, the streams, and especially the flowers that she so loved in Texas.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his participation in processing this legislation. I want to thank all of the Members from Texas who spoke.
Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today, we honor the memory and celebrate the life of former First Lady, Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson, and the contributions she has given to the people of a country she so dearly loved. I had the privilege of knowing Lady Bird through the White House Fellows program and as anyone who knew her as an individual would agree, she was a person of grace, charm, and an absolute delight to know. As a native Texan, a wife, a mother, a businesswoman, and First Lady, she emitted beauty through her presence and through her actions leaving a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.
Lady Bird met Lyndon Baines Johnson in 1934 and in seven short months, had captured his heart as he asked for her hand in marriage. Mrs. Johnson stood by her husband and supported his endeavors with a perseverance and tenacity that one rarely finds. When LBJ volunteered for naval service during World War II, Lady Bird stepped in and kept his congressional office running and except for voting, served the need of every constituent. She again came to the rescue in 1955 helping staff keep things under control when her husband suffered a severe heart attack while serving as Senate Majority Leader. The former President once remarked that voters ``would happily have elected her over me.''
In 1960 Mrs. Johnson traveled over thirty-five thousand miles of campaign trail as she pushed LBJ towards a successful bid for the Vice-
Presidency. During this tenure, she visited thirty-three foreign countries as an ambassador of goodwill. Lady Bird again stood by and supported her husband as he became the thirty-sixth President of the United States and helped console the hearts and minds of an entire country as they mourned the loss of President John F. Kennedy.
As First Lady, Mrs. Johnson was highly involved in the President's initiatives supporting education and working to alleviate poverty. Under her own ambition, she created a First Lady's Committee for a More Beautiful Capital which later expanded to include an entire nation. Lady Bird was also the inspiration behind the Beautification Act of 1965 which transformed the landscape of our national highways. Never tiring in her life's work, at the age of 70, Mrs. Johnson founded the National Wildflower Research Center which is dedicated to the preservation and re-establishment of native plants in natural and planned landscapes.
Lady Bird Johnson should be remembered by all as a person with elegance, grace and a tireless work ethic. She dedicated her life in service to others and gave so much of herself in support of her husband, family, and country. Today, as we celebrate the life of Lady Bird Johnson, we honor her contributions to the people of the United States and recognize that we have lost a great American that will be dearly missed.
Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, when Texans think of their home state, and frankly non-Texans do as well, a few key symbols come to mind. There is the instantly recognizable outline of Texas, along with the Lone Star, the Alamo, cowboy hats, barbecue, and so many other great traditions and institutions. Among them is the Texas state flower, the bluebonnet. The bright blue bloom of that flower throughout the roads and lands of southeast Texas is instantly recognizable. The reason why, of course, is that Lady Bird Johnson led the beautification movement to protect and grow our state flower, setting a fine example of state pride for all Texans. We Texans feel the loss of the former First Lady when we think of this symbol, but as future flowers bloom, so too will her memory live on for our great nation.
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 553, to pay special tribute to Lady Bird Johnson. I am proud to recognize the accomplishments of a fellow Texan and a true Renaissance woman.
For much of her life, Lady Bird Johnson acted as the graceful wife of a congressional secretary, U.S. Representative, Senator, Vice President and President. She devoted herself to her husband's political campaigns and lived in the public eye throughout the turbulent 1960s and Vietnam War Era.
But, Lady Bird Johnson was also a scholar, a writer, a politician, and an advocate for education issues. At the University of Texas in Austin she studied journalism and qualified as a public school teacher. Later in life, she wrote A White House Diary and served as a University of Texas regent.
Lady Bird demonstrated her remarkable talents for public speaking while on the campaign trail through Southern states, where, as a product of an East Texas town steeped in traditional southern values, she was an invaluable spokesperson for the 1960 Kennedy-Johnson Presidential ticket.
While her husband served as President, Lady Bird Johnson acted as honorary chairwoman of the national Head Start program. As my colleagues may note, I am a strong proponent of the Head Start program, which can make immense differences in the lives of underprivileged pre-
school children by preparing them to enter elementary school on a par with their peers. Thus, I celebrate Lady Bird's contributions to this invaluable program.
During this time, Lady Bird Johnson has also been credited with holding luncheons spotlighting women of assorted careers. As a strong supporter of women's rights and pay equality, I believe that her efforts to applaud young women's advancements into traditionally-male-
dominated careers have had a profound effect on women's equality in general.
Lady Bird was also an adept businesswoman who purchased a small radio station in 1942 in Austin and built a multimillion-dollar radio corporation. In today's society, young women interested in business and the telecommunications industries may look to Lady Bird Johnson as a trailblazer and a success story.
While Lady Bird's conservation work in our Nation's Capital is widely-known, Lady Bird's efforts to beautify our great State of Texas should also be applauded. In 1969, she founded the Texas Highway Beautification Awards, and hosted 20 annual awards ceremonies, where she presented personal checks to the winners. And, on her 70th birthday, she founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, to which she donated acres of her own land.
Lady Bird has indeed left her mark upon Texas, as the namesake of a golf course, a municipal park, a walking trail, and a street.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 553, celebrating the life of Lady Bird Johnson. She was a remarkable First Lady, businesswoman, environmental advocate, and trailblazer of women's rights. She has left a grand legacy of strength of character and service upon Texas and upon the entire nation.
Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, the death of Lady Bird Johnson was a sad day for the country. It was also a sad day for my district, and for me personally.
Mrs. Johnson also played a key role in drawing my father, California State Senator Fred Farr, to Washington. She successfully lobbied for his appointment as the Federal Highway Administration's first Highway Beautification Coordinator, wisely drawing his energy and insights to Washington.
Lady Bird was a fervent supporter of so many of the values my constituents and I hold dear. She was a lifelong supporter of the environment, an advocate for preserving the special places in communities around the country. Lady Bird visited California's Central Coast in 1966, where she dedicated Highway 1--now known to all as the Big Sur Coast Highway--as the first scenic route in the state. She even helped plant a redwood tree near Monterey's historic Colton Hall.
Mrs. Johnson was a passionate environmentalist. She argued against the blight of roadside billboards, instead calling for more trees and her beloved wildflowers. And many of the beautification projects that make Washington a gorgeous capital city were the product of Mrs. Johnson and my father. She was responsible for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for the city's streets.
Mrs. Johnson's beautification projects and scenic designation programs were so important to drawing attention to areas that deserve protection. I encourage all of our communities to continue her work. We need more people like Mrs. Johnson in the world, more people who appreciate the beauty that is around us and who strive to preserve it.
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 553 recognizing the passing of Lady Bird Johnson and her contributions to the United States.
Lady Bird Johnson, the wife of the late President Lyndon B. Johnson, passed away last week at the age of 94. We will remember this former First Lady as a woman deeply committed to her husband and his presidency, as well as a calm and elegant figure during a tumultuous time in American history.
Lady Bird took an active role during her husband's time in the White House. Before environmentalism was a part of American political life, she lobbied Congress to clean up the landscape of the United States. Through her efforts, the National Highway Beautification Act and the Clean Air Act became law and the Nation's Capital received a much-
needed makeover to its landscape. After she left the White House, she founded the National Wildflower Research Center in Austin, Texas, which was later named in her honor. The center continues Lady Bird's efforts to preserve this country's natural landscape and beauty.
Lady Bird also influenced many other policies and initiatives during the Johnson administration, including the War on Poverty, Head Start, and the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Gerald Ford in 1977 for her efforts both in and out of the White House. Through her numerous accomplishments, we will continue to remember her as a wife, mother, and passionate and dedicated American. While it is with sadness that I mark the passing of this wonderful individual, I am proud to be able to commemorate her incredible contributions to our nation.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 553, which puts the House of Representatives on record in mourning the passing of Lady Bird Johnson, the former First Lady of the United States. Claudia Alta ``Lady Bird'' Taylor Johnson was the wife of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources. The former First Lady was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Lady Bird Johnson studied journalism and art at St. Mary's Episcopal School for Girls, a junior college in Dallas. She graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a Bachelor's degree in Arts in 1933 and a degree in Journalism in 1934--a time when women were hard pressed to have a career of their own, let alone a college education. Her goal was to become a reporter but her media career was deferred when a friend in Austin introduced her to Lyndon Baines Johnson, a young up-
and-coming political hopeful.
On their first date, which was breakfast the next morning at the Driskill Hotel and a long drive in the country, Lyndon Johnson proposed. Lady Bird did not want to rush into marriage, but Lyndon Johnson was persistent and did not want to wait. The couple married on November 17, 1934, at Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in San Antonio, Texas.
Three years later, when Lyndon decided to run for Congress from Texas' 10th district in the Hill Country, Lady Bird provided the money to launch his campaign. She took $10,000 of her inheritance from her mother's estate to help start his political career. They had two daughters, Lynda (born in 1944), whose husband Charles S. Robb went on to become governor of Virginia and a U.S. Senator, and Luci (born in 1947), who married, firstly, Pat Nugent and, secondly, Ian Turpin.
As First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson started a capital beautification project (Society for a More Beautiful National Capital) to improve physical conditions in Washington, D.C., both for residents and tourists. Her efforts inspired similar programs throughout the country. She was also instrumental in promoting the Highway Beautification Act, which sought to beautify the nation's highway system by limiting billboards and by planting roadside areas. She was also an advocate of the Head Start program.
Johnson's press secretary from 1963-1969 was Liz Carpenter, a fellow University of Texas alumna. Carpenter was the first professional newswoman to be press secretary to a First Lady, and she also served as Lady Bird's staff director.
In 1970, A White House Diary, Lady Bird Johnson's intimate, behind-
the-scenes account of Lyndon Johnson's presidency from November 22, 1963 to January 20, 1969, was published. Beginning with the tragic assassination of John F. Kennedy, Mrs. Johnson recorded the momentous events of ber times, including the Great Society's War on Poverty, the national civil rights and social protest movements, her own activism on behalf of the environment, and the Vietnam War. Indeed, Lady Bird Johnson and her husband were champions of civil rights and were instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I know that her comforting words and her encouragement were part of the decision making of President Johnson as he made some critical decisions during some difficult times regarding the civil rights of individuals who had been discriminated against for most of the history of this country. Long out of print, the paperback edition of A White House Diary will be available again through the University of Texas Press in Fall 2007.
She was acquainted with a long span of fellow First Ladies, from Eleanor Roosevelt to Laura Bush, and was protected by the United States Secret Service for forty-four years, longer than anyone else in history.
Lady Bird Johnson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Gerald Ford on January 10, 1977. The citation for her medal read:
``One of America's great First Ladies, she claimed her own place in the hearts and history of the American people. In councils of power or in homes of the poor, she made government human with her unique compassion and her grace, warmth and wisdom. Her leadership transformed the American landscape and preserved its natural beauty as a national treasure.''
Johnson then received the Congressional Gold Medal on May 8, 1984. In addition to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, her name has been lent to the Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island in Washington, D.C., which was founded as a result of her efforts as First Lady to beautify the capital.
After former President Johnson died in 1973, Lady Bird Johnson remained in the public eye, honoring her husband and other Presidents. In the 1970s, she focused her attention on the Austin riverfront area through her involvement in the Town Lake Beautification Project. From 1971 to 1978, Johnson served on the board of regents for the University of Texas System.
On December 22, 1982 (her 70th birthday), she and actress Helen Hayes founded the National Wildflower Research Center, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and reintroducing native plants in planned landscapes, located east of Austin, Texas. The Center opened a new facility southwest of Austin on La Crosse Avenue in 1994. It was officially renamed The Lady Bird Johnson Wildtlower Center in 1998. On June 20, 2006, The University of Texas at Austin announced plans to incorporate the 279 acre Wildflower Center into the University.
For twenty years Lady Bird Johnson spent her summers on the island of Martha's Vineyard renting the home of Charles Guggeinheim for many of those years. She said she had greatly appreciated the island's natural beauty and flowers.
On October 13, 2006, Lady Bird Johnson made a rare public appearance at the renovation announcement of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. Sitting in a wheelchair and showing signs of recent health problems, Lady Bird seemed engaged and alert, and clapped along with those present at the ceremony.
Mr. Speaker, in the last year the state of Texas has lost several of its greatest sons and daughters: Governor Ann Richards; Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen; columnist and progressive icon Molly Ivins; and now Lady Bird Johnson.
The Lone Star State mourns the loss of our favorite daughter and it will be grieving for some time. But the memory of Lady Bird Johnson will never be forgotten so long as the flowers bloom in the capital city of our nation and along the highways and byways of the several states, especially her beloved Texas.
I strongly support H. Res. 553 and urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 553.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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