,,iv  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #adac  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,july #b1       
#bjbf,mr4 ,cuellar 7for himself and ,mr4
 ,mc,caul7 submitted the following      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,oversight and ,government
 ,reform  ,,resolution  ,recognizing the
 #bgast anniversary of ,laredo1 ,texas4 
,whereas1 in #bjbf1 ,laredo1 ,texas1 one
 of the oldest cities in the ,united    
,states1 will celebrate the #bgast      
anniversary of its founding2 ,whereas1  
over the span of its history1 ,laredo   
has been ruled under seven flags1       
including the flags of ,france1 ,spain1 
,mexico1 the ,republic of ,rio ,grande1 
,texas1 the ,confederacy1 and the       
,united ,states2  ,whereas1 in #agee1   
,spanish ,captain ,don ,tomas ,sanchez1 
along with settlers1 founded ,laredo as 
a ,spanish settlement2 ,whereas1 in     
#ahdj1 for #aa months1 ,laredo became   
its own nation1 the ,republic of ,rio   
,grande2 ,whereas1 in #ahdh1 following  

the end the ,mexican-,american ,war and 
signing of the ,treaty of ,guadalupe    
,hidalgo1 under which ,laredo officially
 became part of ,texas1 where it remains
 a proud part of the rich history of the
 ,state of ,texas2 ,whereas1 today1     
located at the center of the primary    
trade route connecting ,canada1 the     
,united ,states1 and ,mexico1 ,laredo is
 a critical inland port of the ,united  
,states1 a gateway to increased trade   
with ,mexico2  ,whereas1 known today as 
both the city under seven flags and the 
gateway city1 ,laredo has greatly       
benefited from its unique history and   
culture2  ,whereas ,laredo's urban core 
continues to be reinvigorated as        
commercial areas1 residential           
communities1 and diverse populations    
make this city their home2 ,whereas     
#bjbf marks the #bejth ,anniversary of  
the ,united ,states of ,america1 known  
as ,america#bej1 a nationwide           
commemoration of the ,nation's founding 
on ,july #d1 #aggf1 bringing together   

communities across the country in       
celebration of ,american history1       
culture1 and the democratic ideals upon 
which the ,nation was built2 and        
,whereas the #bgast anniversary of      
,laredo marks ,laredo a living symbol of
 the ,american story1 a city founded in 
#agee that has endured under seven      
flags1 welcomed generations of families1
 and grown into a vital gateway city    
whose history is inseparable from the   
broader tapestry of the ,united ,states3
 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house
 of ,representatives--  7#a7 recognizes 
and celebrates the #bgast anniversary of
 the founding of ,laredo1 ,texas1 and   
acknowledges the city's singular place  
in ,american history as the oldest      
independent settlement in the ,state of 
,texas2  7#b7 honors the citizens of    
,laredo1 ,texas1 for their patriotism1  
their service to the ,united ,states1   
and their contributions to the cultural1
 economic1 and civic life of the        
,nation2  7#c7 recognizes ,laredo's     

extraordinary legacy of surviving and   
thriving under seven flags1 and salutes 
its people for building a vibrant1      
bicultural community on the banks of the
 ,rio ,grande2  7#d7 acknowledges that1 
as the ,united ,states celebrates the   
#bejth anniversary of its independence  
on ,july #d1 #bjbf1 ,laredo1 ,texas1    
stands as a proud and enduring part of  
the ,american story2 and  7#e7 calls    
upon all ,united ,states citizens1 in   
the spirit of the ,nation's #bejth      
anniversary1 to discover and honor the  
history of ,laredo1 ,texas1 as a        
powerful example of the deep roots1     
cultural richness1 and remarkable       
diversity that have always been at the  
heart of the ,american experience4