By: Parker, Button (Senate Sponsor - Campbell) H.C.R. No. 84          (In the Senate - Received from the House May 17, 2021;   May 17, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on   Administration; May 20, 2021, reported favorably by the following   vote:  Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 20, 2021, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote     HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION     WHEREAS, Recent changes in the global economy have introduced   new opportunities for a closer and more mutually beneficial trade   relationship between Texas and the United Kingdom; and          WHEREAS, Texans have a long history of friendship with the   United Kingdom; Sam Houston, president of the Republic of Texas,   was the first state leader to send a diplomatic mission to London,   and a plaque on St. James Street still marks the site of the   legation of the Republic of Texas; the first British Consulate in   the State of Texas was established in Galveston in 1846; and          WHEREAS, Today, the United Kingdom is the top source of   foreign direct investment in Texas, and subsidiaries of British   companies provide over 119,000 jobs for Texans; the UK is also one   of the state's largest global export markets, with British   households and businesses purchasing more than $10.2 billion in   services and goods such as petroleum, aerospace products, and   medical equipment from Texas each year; moreover, high levels of   tourism and business travel bring our two peoples even closer, both   economically and culturally, while cooperation on major defense   projects such as the F-35 fighter jet project based in Fort Worth   emphasizes our shared security interests; and          WHEREAS, Represented by the British Consulate General in   Houston, the government of the United Kingdom works with Texas   state and municipal leaders, nongovernmental organizations, and   businesses to create a more prosperous future, and together Texans   and Britons share a commitment to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and   recover from its economic effects, to create robust and resilient   supply chains, and to build a more secure energy infrastructure;   and          WHEREAS, The relationship between Texas and the UK can be   strengthened by continued dialogue on issues of trade and commerce   that fall within state jurisdiction, as well as the eventual   passage of a comprehensive free trade agreement between the United   States and the United Kingdom; and          WHEREAS, The State of Texas takes great pride in its   partnership with the United Kingdom, and the citizens of the Lone   Star State look forward to many more years of fruitful cooperation   with their friends across the Atlantic; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the 87th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby recognize the vital importance of the enduring friendship   between Texas and the United Kingdom and commend all those   individuals who are working to maintain and strengthen that   relationship and the bonds of shared history, language, and   culture, including British Ambassador to the United States Karen   Pierce and British Consul General in Houston Richard Hyde; and, be   it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for the Consul General of the United Kingdom in Houston and   the British Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C., as   an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives   and Senate.     * * * * *