The Profile in Courage Award is a private award which is entitled to individuals who risk their careers or lives by helping the nation, state, or local interest. A Representative that came from Texas and goes by the name Henry Gonzalez was given the Profile in Courage Award on September 11, 1994. Henry B. Gonzalez launched multiple hearings on saving and loan crisis, which eventually resulted in a reform in the industry.

Henry Gonzalez deserved the Profile in Courage Award because he was versatile and would risk his career or life to help the state and others.Henry Gonzalez is listed as the first Hispanic Representative from Texas, as well as the longest served in Congress than any other Hispanic. Henry was a Democratic Congressman who had made sure that he stood out as the most outspoken voice for the voiceless, battler for the embattled, and a politician of the constant honesty. He began to speak on the crisis in saving as well as loan industry. Henry began to blame the crisis on the reducing of state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. “In 1981 Gonzalez became the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development, where he worked on legislation to approve a program to assist families who faced foreclosure on their homes.

Later he battled the Reagan administration when it proposed cuts in public housing programs” (loc). Due to Gonzalez leadership, the committee was able to make a bill or proposal of many pieces of legislation. The enact included the flood insurance reform, major housing enterprise, increasing the accessibility to credit to small business, and strengthening anti-money laundering laws, bank fraud, and other financial crimes. “In December 1990, the House Democratic colleagues launched a surprise challenge to Gonzalez’s leadership and tried to strip him of his Banking Committee chairmanship” (JFKLibrary). Gonzalez fought back and survived the challenge when the House Democratic Caucus to retain him as chairman. I believe Gonzalez deserved the Profile in Courage award because as a result of the hearings, he passed the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 is a United States federal law proposal during the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 changed the savings and loan industry, federal regulation, and encouraged loan origination dramatically.

Gonzalez worked day and night so that his state obtained federal grants and loans for housing, hospitals, schools, federal buildings, and lastly military bases. Overall, Gonzalez won the award due to the fact that on the council he spoke out against segregation of public facilities. Gonzalez began to start a campaign to put an end to the manual laborer which included many foreign workers that harvested agricultural crops. He was devoted man to the people of the 20th District and stated “This Office Belongs to the People of Bexar County”. The importance of each cause on the reason why Henry Gonzalez was elected to get the Profiles in Courage Award can be debated, but what is fact is that there were several factors that led to his award.

His devotion to his people, starting campaigns to put an end to manual laborers, and speak on the crisis in saving as well as loan industry contributed to his award.  Even though it has been years since he was rewarded this award, some of the reasons why he was rewarded can still be seen.