WHEREAS, We recognize and honor on this day, George Washington, the father of our country and our state's namesake, who led our country through the pains of its birth, and Abraham Lincoln, our sixteenth president, who was called upon to preserve and perpetuate our nation; and
     WHEREAS, Washington is the only state named for an American president, George Washington, and as such, we Washingtonians hold the presidency and presidents in especially high regard; and
     WHEREAS, George Washington, born February 22, 1732, led the Revolutionary Army with courage and fortitude, and then serving as the first President of the United States, defined the office and remained ever mindful of his actions and the ramifications carried by his deeds; and
     WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, 1809, is remembered for his connection with common people having risen from humble beginnings to our nation's highest office, and as the savior of the Union, spending his first term fighting the Civil War, with a horrific toll on human lives, and then turning at the war's conclusion to rebuilding the Union based on the principle that our government and people act "with malice toward none; with charity for all"; and
     WHEREAS, It was in 1968 when federal legislation, the "Monday Holidays Act," was passed to install the Presidents' Day celebration that we have come to know and respect; and
     WHEREAS, Although traditionalists cling to the notion that Presidents' Day remains a time for celebrating the specific legacies of Presidents Washington and Lincoln, nontraditionalists are very welcome to embrace the fact that former Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses Grant, James Garfield, Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as the presidents of later decades, are honored in numerous commemorations across the country; and
     WHEREAS, In 1985, the Washington state legislature singled out the third Monday in February as a day for commemorating the births of Presidents Washington and Lincoln; and
     WHEREAS, It is recognized that this very diverse, wonderful land of ours has been fashioned into an uplifting, multicultural quilt thanks to the tireless efforts of our forefathers, especially George Washington and Abraham Lincoln; and
     WHEREAS, No Presidents' Day celebration would be complete without appropriate recognition for the invaluable service of the admirable first ladies in our American presidential history; and
     WHEREAS, The first ladies of our nation have not only provided citizens with role models who exemplify what it means to be an American, but icons such as Dolly Madison, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jacqueline Kennedy have served as symbols of great strength or advocates for equality in times of great adversity throughout our history; and
     WHEREAS, These presidents and first ladies remain among the finest examples of leadership, determination, and honor, not only for political leaders but for citizens everywhere;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That on this twentieth day of February 2012, the House of Representatives of the State of Washington honor the first and sixteenth Presidents of the United States and, in fact, all of our presidents, for their immeasurable contributions to, and noble sacrifices for, the causes of liberty, justice, and equality.