2021 -- H 5337

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LC000977

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CONGRATULATING PRESIDENT JOSEPH BIDEN, JR., AND VICE PRESIDENT

KAMALA HARRIS

     Introduced By: Representatives Vella-Wilkinson, Williams, Noret, Kazarian, Ackerman,
Azzinaro, Ruggiero, Shanley, Baginski, and Shekarchi

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2021

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, President Joseph Biden, Jr., a man of great experience and common-man

instincts, took the oath of office on January 20th, 2021, and became the 46th President of the

United States, the most powerful and important position of responsibility on the globe. Hopefully,

in these days of great turmoil and fear, he and Vice President Harris can unify the nation as

together we fight and defeat a devastating pandemic, restore comity and democratic norms within

our nation, and bring peace and stability to a world on the edge; and

     WHEREAS, President Biden was born on November 20, 1942, to a working-class family

in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Growing up, President Biden's family experienced economic

misfortune and he was witness to the economic decline suffered by Scranton and many other

similar cities. Throughout his life, this experience gave him great empathy for the working people

of America who toil and struggle every day to find good jobs and provide for their families; and

     WHEREAS, President Biden has had a long career of distinguished public service that

will serve him well in his duties as President. He served in the United States Senate from 1973 to

2009, where he was a highly-respected leader who held a variety of important positions including

Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee. Most

importantly, he served as the 47th Vice President of the United States under President Barack

Obama. His vast knowledge of world affairs and his deep understanding of how the United States

Congress operates proved to be invaluable assets to President Obama and will serve him and our

nation well as he assumes the duties of the Presidency; and

     WHEREAS, President Biden will be ably assisted by Vice President Kamala Harris, is

the first woman, African-American, and Asian-American Vice President of the United States.

Vice President Harris is a person of great accomplishment. She served as the District Attorney of

San Francisco, as the Attorney General of California, and as a United States Senator from

California and ran an inspired campaign for President of the United States. Throughout her

distinguished public service career, she has fought tirelessly on behalf of consumer rights,

equality for all Americans, public safety and criminal justice reform, and against corruption in

government; and

     WHEREAS, Vice President Harris was born in Oakland, California, to Shyamala

Gopalan, a biologist from Tamil Nadu, India, who did groundbreaking research on the

progesterone receptor gene which stimulated important advances in breast cancer research, and to

Donald J. Harris, a Stanford University professor emeritus of economics, who came to the United

States from Jamaica in 1961. Vice President Kamala Harris and her family are great examples of

how diversity strengthens our nation and makes it more vibrant, both economically and civilly.

Her bold vision about the future of America will be a great asset for President Biden and the

future of our nation; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

wishes President Joseph Biden Jr., and Vice President Kamala Harris the very best as they lead

our nation for the next four years. We hope they can steer our nation safely out of this devastating

pandemic, restore our economy and economic opportunity for the people and businesses that have

suffered so much over the last year, bring security and peace to our nation and the globe, and

return civility and democratic norms to our nation; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Honorable Joseph Biden, Jr., President of

the United States, and the Honorable Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States.

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