[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 589 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 589

Commending New York State Senator John J. Marchi on his 50 years in the 
    New York State Senate and on becoming the longest serving state 
                    legislator in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 28, 2006

 Mr. Schumer submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Commending New York State Senator John J. Marchi on his 50 years in the 
    New York State Senate and on becoming the longest serving state 
                    legislator in the United States.

Whereas New York State Senator John J. Marchi has been recognized by the 
        National Conference of State Legislatures as the longest serving state 
        legislator in the United States;
Whereas State Senator Marchi was born on May 20, 1921, in Staten Island and 
        attended local primary and secondary schools in New York, then Manhattan 
        College, from which he graduated with first honors in 1942, St. John's 
        University School of Law, from which he received a law degree, and 
        Brooklyn Law School, from which he received an advanced degree in law;
Whereas, during World War II, State Senator Marchi served in the United States 
        Coast Guard and saw combat in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters and in 
        the China Sea, and subsequently served in the United States Naval 
        Reserve until 1982;
Whereas, in 1956, State Senator Marchi was elected to the New York State Senate 
        and has served the citizens of Senate District 24 for 50 years, making 
        him the longest serving state legislator in the United States;
Whereas State Senator Marchi served as a delegate to the New York Constitutional 
        Convention in 1967;
Whereas State Senator Marchi is a recognized leader of the New York State Senate 
        and was named Assistant Majority Leader on Conference Operations in 
        January 2005, Assistant Majority Whip in 2003, Chairman of the Senate 
        Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions in 1995, and Vice 
        President Pro Tempore in 1989;
Whereas, prior to holding these offices, State Senator Marchi served as Chairman 
        of the Finance Committee for 15 years;
Whereas State Senator Marchi is a tireless leader and advocate for New York 
        City, has served on the City of New York Committee in the New York State 
        Senate, and was named Chairman of the Temporary State Commission on New 
        York City School Governance in 1989, a panel of civic, governmental, 
        business, and educational leaders that conducted a 2-year examination of 
        the control of the city schools and, in 1991, gave the State legislature 
        a package of proposals intended to improve the administration of, and 
        public participation in, the New York City school system;
Whereas State Senator Marchi is widely recognized as one of the city and State 
        leaders who helped write the laws that saved New York City from 
        financial collapse in the mid-1970s;
Whereas State Senator Marchi sponsored the bill, now law, that modernized New 
        York State's financial reporting and bookkeeping practices so that the 
        legislature and the public could see more clearly the State government's 
        actual fiscal condition;
Whereas, in 1997, State Senator Marchi successfully advanced--and saw passed and 
        signed into law--a bill to require the closing by January 1, 2002 of the 
        Fresh Kills Landfill, Staten Island's worst environmental problem for 
        more than half a century, which the legislature had not previously 
        scheduled for closure;
Whereas State Senator Marchi has also been a leader in the development of 
        legislation to strengthen public education from kindergarten through 
        graduate school;
Whereas State Senator Marchi has been a member of the Executive Committee and 
        Board of Governors of the Council of State Governments since 1965, is a 
        former Chairman of the Committee, and was designated the first permanent 
        member of the Committee in 1982;
Whereas, in 1969 and 1973, State Senator Marchi was the candidate of the 
        Republican Party for the Office of Mayor of the City of New York;
Whereas, in October 1972, State Senator Marchi was appointed by President Nixon 
        to serve as the only legislator on the National Advisory Committee on 
        Drug Abuse Prevention;
Whereas, following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the New York Senate Majority 
        Leader appointed State Senator Marchi to head the New York Senate Task 
        Force on World Trade Center Recovery, which was to help oversee the 
        reconstruction of Ground Zero;
Whereas, on June 2, 1968, State Senator Marchi received from the President and 
        Prime Minister of Italy the highest award that country bestows on a 
        nonresident, the award of Commander of the Order of Merit of the 
        Republic of Italy, and in 1992, the Senator received another of Italy's 
        most prestigious honors, the Filippo Mazzei Award, in recognition of his 
        public service and for helping to strengthen relations between the 
        United States and Italy;
Whereas State Senator Marchi is the recipient of the Mills G. Skinner Award of 
        the National Urban League, an organization devoted to empowering African 
        Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream;
Whereas, in 1976, the New York State Veterans of Foreign Wars conferred upon the 
        Senator the Silver Commendation Medal for ``legislative service to 
        veterans and all New Yorkers''; and
Whereas, in 1971, State Senator Marchi was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, 
        honoris causa, from St. John's University and, in 1973, received the 
        same degree from Manhattan College, and in 1974, was awarded the degree 
        of Doctor of Laws from Wagner College: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate commends New York State Senator John J. 
Marchi for his 50-year tenure in the New York State Senate, on becoming 
the longest serving state legislator in the United States, and on his 
lifelong commitment to the citizens of Staten Island and New York.
                                 <all>