[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 16] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 21737-21738] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]ANN RICHARDS' PASSING ______ HON. ROSA L. DeLAURO of connecticut in the house of representatives Friday, September 29, 2006 Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, earlier this monthy, our country lost one of its most vibrant political forces--a woman of remarkable intellect, principle and--to be sure--wit. Regardless of who you were or whether you agreed with her politics, you could not help but admire and respect Ann Richards for who she was and what she accomplished. She was one of a kind--and she was my friend. The twelfth woman ever elected Governor in the United States and the first elected in Texas in her own right, Ann Richards was a trailblazer--a pioneer who never wasted a minute of her 73 years. Like few others, she was a force of nature--always pushing forward. And whether she was raising her four children, teaching high school and college, working to elect women to the Texas Legislature when there were hardly any, or training women candidates and campaign managers, Ann Richards made opportunity real for women--something I learned for myself, when she came to Connecticut to help me highlight the issues important to the women in my community. There I saw firsthand how she understood that the political process was a powerful force for change. But you did not have to be a woman or a student to admire and learn from Ann Richards. The secret to her success as simple as it was elemental. Indeed, as much as Ann Richards's wit made people laugh, more importantly, she made people think. She challenged our society and believed we could always make it better, fairer, more just. And Mr. Speaker, for someone so relentlessly quotable, no one will ever say that Ann Richards could not also walk the walk. During her campaign for Governor, Ann said she would be the face of ``New Texas'' and believed that government ought to reflect the diversity of its citizens. When she left office 4 years later, 46 percent of her appointees had been women, 15 percent were African-American, and one- fifth were Hispanic. And most importantly, her successors have since followed her example. ``New Texas'' is now the standard. [[Page 21738]] Ann Richards blazed a path taken now by women in all corners of society--in the well of the United States Congress and in Governor's mansions in States like Delaware and Michigan. In corporate boardrooms and in homes all across America. And most of all, at Planned Parenthood, where her daughter Cecile not only carries on her mother's irrepressible passion for women's advancement--she builds on its very foundation. I cannot think of a legacy more fitting than that. And so, Mr. Speaker, today we thank Ann Richards--for her fight, her tenacity and her special, unwavering sense of purpose. We should all make such a mark so extraordinary. ____________________