[House Document 110-61]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




 
                      Gerald R. Ford  h  1913-2006


                            Gerald R. Ford


                  Late a President of the United States

                                

                            MEMORIAL TRIBUTES

                          DELIVERED IN CONGRESS







  
  
David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library 

                             Gerald R. Ford
?


      [110th congress, 1st session . . . house document no. 110-61]

              M E M O R I A L  S E R V I C E S  I N  T H E

         C O N G R E S S  O F  T H E  U N I T E D   S T A T E S

              A N D  T R I B U T E S  I N  E U L O G Y  O F


                             Gerald R. Ford


               L A T E   A  P R E S I D E N T  O F  T H E

                        U N I T E D   S T A T E S


                   Compiled Under the Direction of the

                       Joint Committee on Printing





                united states government printing office

                            washington : 2007
     (Mr. Brady submitted the following concurrent resolution)
                              In the House of Representatives of the    
                                                          United States,
                                                           May 22, 2007.

          Resolved by the House of Representatives (the 
          Senate concurring),

          SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.

          (a) In General.--A commemorative document in 
          memory of the late President of the United States, 
          Gerald Rudolph Ford, shall be printed as a House 
          document, with illustrations and suitable binding, 
          under the direction of the Joint Committee on 
          Printing.
          (b) Contents.--The document shall consist of the 
          eulogies and encomiums for Gerald Rudolph Ford, as 
          expressed in the Senate and the House of 
          Representatives, together with the texts of each 
          of the following:
          (1) The funeral ceremony at Palm Desert, 
          California.
          (2) The state funeral ceremony at the rotunda of 
          the United States Capitol.
          (3) The national funeral service held at the 
          Washington National Cathedral in the District of 
          Columbia.
          (4) The interment ceremony at the Gerald [R.] Ford 
          Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

          SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.

          In addition to the usual number of copies printed 
          of the commemorative document under section 1, 
          there shall be printed the lesser of--
          (1) 32,500 copies, of which 22,150 copies shall be 
          for the use of the House of Representatives and 
          10,350 copies shall be for the use of the Senate; 
          or
          (2) such number of copies that does not exceed a 
          production and printing cost of $600,000, with 
          distribution of the copies to be allocated in the 
          same proportion as described in paragraph (1).
?


                                     

                    --------------------------------
                    A compilation of addresses and 
                      tributes as given in the 
                      United States House of 
                      Representatives and Senate 
                      plus such additional 
                      materials, including the 
                      texts of eulogies, messages, 
                      prayers, and scriptural 
                      selections delivered at the 
                      funeral services held in 
                      Palm Desert, CA, Washington, 
                      DC, and in Grand Rapids, MI, 
                      on the life, character, and 
                      public service of the late 
                      President Gerald R. Ford.
                    --------------------------------
                                Contents

                                                                    Page
      Biography...............................................
                                                                     vii
      Funeral Services for the Late Gerald R. Ford, Held at--
        St. Margaret's Episcopal Church.......................
                                                                    xxxi
        U.S. Capitol Rotunda..................................
                                                                     xli
        Washington National Cathedral.........................
                                                                     lxi
        Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum....................
                                                                     xci
        Grace Episcopal Church................................
                                                                    xcix
      Naming Ceremony for the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford...........
                                                                  cxxxii
      Memorial Tributes in the House of Representatives of the 
      United States...........................................
                                                                       1
      Memorial Tributes in the Senate of the United States....
                                                                      45
      Index...................................................
                                                                      71
Gerald R. Ford

Biography


                             Gerald R. Ford

                               (1913-2006)
                               Early Years

Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States, was born Leslie 
Lynch King, Jr., the son of Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy Ayer Gardner 
King, on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, NE. His parents separated 2 weeks 
after his birth, and his mother moved with him to Grand Rapids, MI, to 
live with her parents. On February 1, 1916, approximately 2 years after 
her divorce, Dorothy King married Gerald R. Ford, a Grand Rapids 
businessman. The Fords immediately began calling her son Jerry Ford, and 
in 1935 his name was officially changed to Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.

    The future President grew up in a close-knit family that included 
three younger brothers, Thomas, Richard, and James. Mr. Ford attended 
South High School in Grand Rapids, where he excelled scholastically and 
athletically. He was named to the honor society and both the ``All-
City'' and ``All-State'' football teams. To earn spending money he 
worked for the family paint business and at a local restaurant. He was 
also active in Scouting, and achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 
November 1927--the only American President to do so.
                              College Years
    From 1931 to 1935 Mr. Ford attended the University of Michigan at 
Ann Arbor, where he majored in economics and political science, and 
graduated with a B.A. degree in June 1935. At a time of national 
economic hardship, he financed his education with part-time jobs, a 
small scholarship from his high school, and modest family assistance.
                           Outstanding Athlete
    An extremely gifted athlete, Mr. Ford was a 3-year letterman and 
played on Michigan's national championship football teams in 1932 and 
1933. He was voted the Wolverine's most valuable player in 1934. On 
January 1, 1935, he played in the annual East-West College All-Star Game 
in San Francisco. That August, he played at Soldier Field against the 
Chicago Bears in the Chicago Tribune College All-Star Football Game, and 
his performance led to offers from the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay 
Packers. In tribute to one of its greatest student-athletes, Michigan 
subsequently retired Mr. Ford's jersey number 48. In addition, he was 
named to Sports Illustrated's Silver Anniversary All-America Football 
Team, received the National Football Foundation's Gold Medal--its 
highest honor--and in 2006 was recognized by the NCAA as one of the 100 
most influential student-athletes of the last century. In 2003, the NCAA 
created the NCAA President Gerald R. Ford Award, which is presented 
annually to an individual who has provided significant leadership as an 
advocate for intercollegiate athletics on a continuous basis over the 
course of their career. In 2005, the ``Gerald R. Ford Legends of Center 
Award'' was created to honor and promote President Ford's athletic and 
public service ideals. The award is presented annually to an outstanding 
former collegiate or professional football center, who has also made 
significant contributions to his community through philanthropic or 
business endeavors.
                             Yale Law School
    Mr. Ford chose the legal profession over a professional football 
career. To help pay for law school, he initially took a dual position as 
assistant varsity football coach and boxing coach at Yale University, 
where he coached future U.S. Senators Robert Taft, Jr. and William 
Proxmire. He enrolled in Yale Law School, while also continuing his 
coaching responsibilities. Among an extraordinary group of law school 
classmates were future Supreme Court Justices Potter Stewart and Byron 
White, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Sargent Shriver, Pennsylvania 
Governors William Scranton and Raymond Shafer, U.S. Senator Peter 
Dominick, and author William Lord.
    Gerald Ford earned his LL.B. degree from Yale in 1941, and graduated 
in the top 25 percent of his class. After returning to Michigan and 
passing the bar exam, Mr. Ford and a University of Michigan fraternity 
brother, Philip A. Buchen (later to serve as President Ford's White 
House Counsel), established a law partnership in Grand Rapids. Mr. Ford 
also became active in a local group of reform-minded Republicans who 
called themselves the Home Front, when the United States entered World 
War II.
    Mr. Ford promptly joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, where he received a 
commission as an ensign in April 1942 and subsequently was appointed 
lieutenant commander. Following an orientation program at Annapolis, he 
became an instructor at a pre-flight school in Chapel Hill, NC. In 
spring 1943, he began service on the light aircraft carrier U.S.S. 
Monterey. Initially assigned as a gunnery division officer, then 
assistant navigator, he took part in major operations in the South 
Pacific, including the battles for Truk, Saipan, Guam, Formosa, 
Marianas, and the Philippines. During a vicious typhoon in the 
Philippine Sea in December 1944, he came within inches of being swept 
overboard. Severely damaged by the storm and a resulting fire, the ship 
had to be taken out of service. Lieutenant Commander Ford was honorably 
released from active duty in February 1946, having been awarded:

 An Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one silver star and four 
bronze stars,

 A Philippine Liberation Ribbon with two bronze stars,

 An American Campaign Medal, and

 A World War II Victory Medal.

                                Congress
    Returning home to Grand Rapids, Mr. Ford became a partner in the 
prestigious law firm of Butterfield, Keeney and Amberg. A self-
proclaimed ``compulsive joiner,'' he was already well known throughout 
the community. He rejected his previous support for isolationism and 
adopted, instead, an outlook more in keeping with America's new-found 
responsibilities on the global stage. In 1948, with the encouragement of 
his hometown political hero, Senator Arthur Vandenberg, and reinforced 
by his stepfather, who was county Republican chairman, Mr. Ford decided 
to challenge isolationist Congressman Bartel Jonkman in the Republican 
primary. Against all odds, the upstart Gerald Ford defeated Jonkman. In 
the subsequent general election that fall, he received 61 percent of the 
vote.
    At the age of 35, Gerald Ford was on his way to Washington for the 
1st of 13 terms in the House of Representatives. A seat in Congress 
wasn't the only thing he won in autumn 1948. On October 15, at the 
height of the fall campaign, Mr. Ford married Elizabeth Ann Bloomer 
Warren. For over 58 years their partnership flourished, enriched 
immeasurably by their four children, Michael, John (Jack), Steven, and 
Susan, their seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
    Gerald Ford served in the House of Representatives from January 3, 
1949 to December 6, 1973, being reelected 12 times, each time with more 
than 60 percent of the vote. The new Congressman quickly established a 
reputation for personal integrity, hard work, and the ability to deal 
effectively with both Republicans and Democrats--qualities that would 
define his entire political career. He once described himself as ``a 
moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs, 
and a conservative in fiscal policy.'' He became a member of the House 
Appropriations Committee in 1951 and rose to prominence on the Defense 
Appropriations Subcommittee, becoming its ranking minority member in 
1961. In 1949, President Truman invited him to the White House for a 
personal tour to examine the dilapidated and dangerous conditions of the 
White House. Mr. Ford subsequently was instrumental in securing 
necessary congressional funding to rebuild and modernize the White House 
during the Truman Presidency.
    As his reputation as a legislator grew, Gerald Ford was called upon, 
among other assignments, to serve on the first NASA Oversight Committee 
and on the CIA and Intelligence Oversight Committees. He declined offers 
in the 1950s to run for both the Senate and the Michigan Governorship. 
His political ambition was specific--to become Speaker of the House. In 
1960 he was mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential running mate for 
Richard Nixon. In 1963 a group of younger, more progressive House 
Republicans--the ``Young Turks''--rebelled against their party's 
leadership, and Mr. Ford defeated Charles Hoeven of Iowa for chairman of 
the House Republican Conference, the number three leadership position in 
the party.
    In 1963 following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 
President Johnson appointed Gerald Ford to the Warren Commission that 
investigated the crime. Mr. Ford was the last living member of the 
Warren Commission. In 1965 he co-authored with John R. Stiles ``Portrait 
of the Assassin,'' a book about the findings of the Warren Commission.
    The battle for the 1964 Republican Presidential nomination was drawn 
on sharp ideological lines between liberal Nelson Rockefeller and 
conservative Barry Goldwater. However, Mr. Ford had previously endorsed 
Michigan's favorite son, Governor George Romney, and thus did not become 
embroiled in the resulting schism in the party. In the wake of 
Goldwater's lopsided defeat at the hands of Lyndon Johnson, Gerald Ford 
was chosen by the Young Turks to challenge Charles Halleck for the 
position of minority leader of the House. With the help of then-
Congressmen Donald Rumsfeld and Bob Dole, Mr. Ford narrowly upset 
Halleck. He assumed his new position early in 1965 and held it for 8 
years. As minority leader, his national stature rose quickly. As part of 
his efforts to rebuild the Republican Party, he typically made over 200 
speeches a year across the country. Under Mr. Ford's leadership, the 
House Republicans steadily gained members, but never a majority. In both 
the 1968 and 1972 elections, Mr. Ford was a supporter of Richard Nixon, 
who had been a friend for many years. In 1968, Gerald Ford was again 
mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential candidate. Not even the Nixon 
landslide of 1972 could give Republicans a majority in the House, 
thereby leaving Mr. Ford unable to reach his ultimate political goal--to 
be Speaker of the House of Representatives.
                             Vice President
    When Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in October 1973, President 
Nixon was authorized by the 25th Amendment to appoint, subject to 
congressional confirmation, a replacement. He needed someone who could 
work with Congress, survive close scrutiny of his political career and 
private life, and be confirmed quickly. Heeding an immediate and strong 
bipartisan consensus, he chose Gerald R. Ford. Following one of the most 
thorough background investigations in the history of the FBI, Mr. Ford 
was confirmed by a vote of 92 to 3 in the Senate and 387 to 35 in the 
House of Representatives and sworn in as Vice President on December 6, 
1973.
                                President
    The specter of the Watergate scandal, the break-in at Democratic 
headquarters during the 1972 campaign, and the ensuing coverup by Nixon 
administration officials hung over Mr. Ford's 9-month tenure as Vice 
President. When it became apparent that evidence, public opinion, and 
the mood in Congress were all pointing toward impeachment, Richard Nixon 
became the only President to resign. On August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford 
assumed the Presidency amidst the gravest constitutional crisis since 
the Civil War.
    Few Presidents confronted so daunting a challenge. Not only did the 
new President face widespread public disillusionment in the wake of the 
Watergate scandals and the Vietnam war, he had to grapple with a 
devastating economic recession, a burgeoning energy crisis, and mounting 
tensions around the globe. The President who never sought the Presidency 
resolved that his time in office, however long or short, would be a time 
of healing and energizing the country to move forward in a positive way. 
But it was President Ford's confidence in his fellow citizens, and his 
devotion to our constitutional heritage, that helped him shoulder so 
effectively the burdens of the Oval Office.
    He immediately set about restoring confidence in the Presidency and 
healing the wounds of the Nation. In his first speech as President--
Lincolnesque in tone and Ford-like in its personal modesty--he said:

    ``My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our 
Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of 
men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we 
honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice 
but mercy. As we bind up the internal wounds of Watergate, more painful and 
more poisonous than those of foreign wars, let us restore the golden rule 
to our political process, and let brotherly love purge our hearts of 
suspicion and of hate. With all the strength and all of the good sense I 
have gained from life, with all the confidence of my family, my friends, 
and my dedicated staff impart to me, and with the good will of countless 
Americans I have encountered in recent visits to 40 States, I now solemnly 
reaffirm my promise I made to you last December 6: to uphold the 
Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to 
do the very best I can for America. God helping me, I will not let you 
down.''

                           Pardon and Amnesty
    Shortly after becoming President, he announced amnesty terms for 
Vietnam-era draft evaders and pardoned his predecessor. Both acts were 
highly controversial at the time, but President Ford courageously put 
America's best interests ahead of his own political popularity. The 
pardon of Richard Nixon was an act as personally courageous as it was 
politically detrimental. However, Mr. Ford strongly believed that 
protracted criminal proceedings would keep the country mired in 
Watergate and prevent the new administration and the American people 
from addressing other critical issues. Accordingly, he decided to grant 
the pardon prior to the filing of any formal criminal charges against 
the former President. Many in Washington and around the country were in 
an uproar, and Gerald Ford's political honeymoon was over; his approval 
rating plummeted immediately with an estimated 60 percent of the 
American public disagreeing with the pardon.
    However, history has been much more generous regarding the pardon 
than were President Ford's contemporaries. This historical re-
examination of the pardon culminated in the May 2001 presentation of the 
Profile in Courage Award to President Ford by the John F. Kennedy 
Foundation. As Senator Edward Kennedy explained in presenting the Award:

    ``At a time of national turmoil, America was fortunate that it was 
Gerald Ford who took the helm of the storm-tossed ship of state. Unlike 
many of us at the time, President Ford recognized that the Nation had to 
move forward, and could not do so if there was a continuing effort to 
prosecute former President Nixon. So President Ford made a courageous 
decision--one that historians now say cost him his office--and he pardoned 
Richard Nixon. I was one of those who spoke out against his action then. 
But time has a way of clarifying past events, and now we see that President 
Ford was right. His courage and dedication to our country made it possible 
for us to begin the process of healing and put the tragedy of Watergate 
behind us.''

    President Ford's Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, was equally 
direct in concluding that Gerald Ford ``saved the country. In fact, he 
saved it in such a matter of fact way that he isn't given credit for 
it.''
                           New Administration
    Within the month President Ford nominated Nelson Rockefeller for 
Vice President. On December 19, 1974, Rockefeller was confirmed by 
Congress, and the country once more had a full complement of leaders. 
Mr. Ford confronted a divisive war in Southeast Asia, rising inflation 
at home, and a desperate need to restore the credibility of the 
Presidency. He also found himself dealing with a Congress increasingly 
assertive of its rights and powers.
    The Ford philosophy was best summarized by one of his favorite 
speech lines: ``A government big enough to give us everything we want is 
a government big enough to take from us everything we have.'' In 
domestic policy, President Ford pioneered economic deregulation, 
formulated tax and spending cuts, and decontrolled energy prices to 
stimulate production. Through such steps, he successfully contained both 
inflation and unemployment, while at the same time reducing the size and 
role of a Federal Government whose growth to many observers seemed 
inexorable. Thus, President Ford foreshadowed subsequent efforts by his 
successors to continue these policies to make government smaller, 
smarter and more supportive of private initiatives. He championed 
policies and legislation that brought about changes that today we take 
for granted, including individual retirement accounts (IRAs), automated 
teller machines (ATMs), Title IX regulations for women's high school and 
college athletics, and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.
    The heavily Democratic Congress often disagreed with President Ford, 
which led to numerous confrontations and his frequent use of the veto to 
restrain runaway government spending. Presidential historian Richard 
Norton Smith described the essence of Gerald Ford's leadership and 
strength of character: ``President Ford never confused compromise with 
surrender, or moderation with weakness. While he had adversaries, he 
never had an enemy.'' Documentary producer Michael Grass summarized Mr. 
Ford's effectiveness: ``Ford practiced the political art of intelligent 
compromise with low-key Midwestern habits of fairness, civility, and 
truth-telling.'' Columnist Mort Kondracke noted, ``Gerald Ford 
represented the best in American politics . . . and [a style] that I'm 
afraid we are never going to see again.'' Through tough negotiations and 
principled compromise and despite large Democratic majorities in 
Congress, landmark legislation was enacted to promote energy decontrol, 
implement sweeping tax cuts, deregulate the railroad and securities 
industries, and reform antitrust laws.
                Outstanding Cabinet and White House Staff
    One of Mr. Ford's greatest strengths as a leader was his self-
confidence and sense of security around others. According to columnist 
David Broder, President Ford ``had one of the most competent staffs any 
of us have seen.'' The advisors he appointed included a large number of 
extremely bright, capable people who would go on after the Ford 
administration to render further outstanding service to the American 
people. George H.W. Bush was his CIA Director; his White House chief of 
staff was Dick Cheney; his Secretary of State was Henry Kissinger; his 
chief economic advisor was Alan Greenspan; Donald Rumsfeld was his 
Secretary of Defense; his Attorney General was Edward Levi; his 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development was Carla Hills; Brent 
Scowcroft was his National Security Advisor, William Simon was Treasury 
Secretary, and David Mathews was Secretary of HEW; his Under Secretary 
of Commerce was James Baker; his Secretary of Transportation was William 
Coleman; Frank Zarb was Administrator of the Federal Energy 
Administration; his OMB Director and Deputy Director were James Lynn and 
Paul O'Neill; and his White House staff included Robert Gates, James 
Cannon, John Marsh, William Seidman, Max Friedersdorf, Terrence 
O'Donnell, Robert Hartmann, Red Cavaney, David Gergen, Larry Speakes, 
and Roger Porter. The list of President Ford's outstanding advisors who 
continued with distinguished public service careers goes on and on.
                             Foreign Policy
    In foreign policy, Mr. Ford was resolute and visionary. He continued 
the policy of detente with the Soviet Union and developed an aggressive 
``shuttle diplomacy'' in the Middle East. U.S.-Soviet relations were 
marked by ongoing arms negotiations, the Helsinki agreements on human 
rights principles and East European national boundaries, trade 
negotiations, and the symbolic Apollo-Soyuz joint manned space flight.
    One of President Ford's boldest, and at the time most controversial, 
foreign policy initiatives occurred in southern Africa. For many years, 
U.S. policy was to support the Government of South Africa, which for 
decades had practiced apartheid. In 1976, President Ford decided that a 
change in U.S. policy was long overdue, despite political considerations 
that strongly suggested otherwise. Secretary of State Kissinger went to 
Zambia and announced President Ford's decision that the longstanding 
U.S. support of South Africa, with its unconscionable policies of 
apartheid, was over. Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, 
William Scranton, characterized this decision by President Ford as ``one 
of the finest achievements'' of twentieth century U.S. foreign policy.
    President Ford forcefully pushed for conclusion of the Helsinki 
agreements. His tireless efforts in negotiating those agreements, though 
politically controversial at the time, are now seen with the benefit of 
history as the first step toward democratization of Eastern Europe and 
the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union. Years later Colin Powell 
declared Gerald Ford's leadership and personal participation in the 
Helsinki agreements as ``a bold, brave, visionary act'' and ``one of 
President Ford's greatest moments.''
    President Ford's personal diplomacy also included trips to Japan--
the first by an American President--and China; a 10-day European tour; 
and establishment of the annual international economic meeting of 
leaders (today known as the G-8 summits). In addition, as America's 
Bicentennial President, Gerald Ford received numerous foreign heads of 
state in the Nation's Capital. Henry Kissinger noted the depth and 
breadth of President Ford's achievements in foreign policy: ``President 
Ford established what I believe was the closest relationship of any 
American President, in any period, with European leaders, and he did 
this by his special qualities--openness, intelligence, directness. And 
what is even more remarkable is that they have remained friends of his 
even after he left government. . . . Abroad his reputation was 
enormous.''
    With the fall of South Vietnam in 1975 as background, Congress and 
President Ford repeatedly clashed over Presidential powers, oversight of 
the CIA and covert operations, military aid appropriations, and the 
stationing of military personnel. On May 14, 1975, just days after 
Saigon fell, President Ford ordered U.S. forces to retake the SS 
Mayaguez, an American merchant ship seized by Cambodian gunboats in 
international waters 2 days earlier. The vessel was recovered, and all 
39 crewmen were saved. Unfortunately, 41 brave Americans lost their 
lives in the preparation and execution of the rescue. The President 
himself did not escape the tumult of those times. On two separate trips 
to California in September 1975, Gerald Ford was the target of 
assassination attempts.
    The next year he fought off a strong challenge from Ronald Reagan to 
secure the Republican nomination for President, and a chance to have his 
leadership confirmed by the voters. He chose Senator Robert Dole of 
Kansas as his running mate. The Ford-Dole team succeeded in narrowing 
Democrat Jimmy Carter's large lead in the polls, only to fall short in 
one of the closest Presidential elections in U.S. history.
                      The Presidency of Gerald Ford
    The Presidency of Gerald Ford is defined by his personal integrity 
and unbending adherence to the truth. Ever the Eagle Scout--literally 
and metaphorically--in reflecting on his life, President Ford 
consistently referred to the straightforward standards of conduct taught 
by his parents: ``Work hard, tell the truth, and come to dinner on 
time.'' Openness was, and is, a core Ford family value. Equally honest 
and open was Betty Ford, who as First Lady developed a reputation for 
candor and lack of pretense. President Ford strongly supported his wife 
in her battles with breast cancer, alcoholism, and addiction to 
prescription medicines, and he warmly endorsed her frank talk about 
these and other issues.
    In 2003 Vice President Dick Cheney observed, ``President Ford 
restored trust and confidence in the Presidency and the White House 
simply by the sheer force of his character.'' Thus, by the time of the 
Nation's Bicentennial, the American people had a renewed pride in their 
free institutions, and in themselves. Presidential biographer Richard 
Reeves acknowledged that his earlier assessment of the 38th President 
had been unduly harsh. A quarter century later, Reeves took a very 
different tack: ``We judge presidents by the one or two big things that 
they do,'' he wrote. ``Nobody remembers that Lincoln balanced the 
budget, and nobody cares. In the end, President Ford did the one thing 
he had to do, which was hold the country together.''
    With the passage of time and the perspective of a broader historical 
context, the Presidency of Gerald Ford has been understood and 
acknowledged with much greater clarity and appreciation. Columnist David 
Broder was unequivocal: ``In an odd, inexplicable way, the truth has 
begun to dawn on people--that he was the kind of President Americans 
wanted--and didn't know they had.''
    Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Thomas P. 
``Tip'' O'Neill concluded: ``God has been good to America, especially 
during difficult times. At the time of the Civil War, he gave us Abraham 
Lincoln. And at the time of Watergate, he gave us Gerald Ford--the right 
man at the right time who was able to put the Nation back together.''
    Former Senator Tom Daschle observed: ``As our President, Gerald Ford 
did more than wake us from our long national nightmare; he made it 
possible for us to dream again.''
    As President Jimmy Carter graciously acknowledged on January 20, 
1977, the man from Grand Rapids had indeed healed the land.
                             Private Citizen
    Upon returning to private life, President and Mrs. Ford moved to 
California where they built a home in Rancho Mirage. President Ford's 
memoir, ``A Time to Heal'' was published in 1979. President Ford 
remained an active participant in the political process. He spoke out on 
important political issues and wrote numerous op-ed columns and other 
articles dealing with issues ranging from support for stem cell research 
and affirmative action, to urging a censure alternative to the 
impeachment of President Bill Clinton. In 1999, 25 years after he 
assumed the Presidency, he returned to the East Room of the White House 
to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He and Mrs. Ford were also 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the first ever joint presentation 
of Congress' highest civilian honor. In November 2006, President Ford 
became the longest living President in U.S. history.
    The year 1981 saw the dedication of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential 
Library in Ann Arbor, MI, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in 
Grand Rapids, MI. Both institutions quickly established themselves as an 
important part of the Ford legacy. In 2006 the Gerald R. Ford School of 
Public Policy moved into its new home at the University of Michigan. 
President Ford was a frequent participant in conferences examining 
Congress, the Presidency, and foreign policy; Soviet-American relations; 
German reunification, the Atlantic Alliance, the future of American 
foreign policy; national security requirements for the 1990s; humor and 
the Presidency; and the role of First Ladies in the life of the Nation. 
At hundreds of colleges and universities he lectured on Congressional/
White House relations, Federal budget policies, and domestic and foreign 
policy issues. He attended the annual Public Policy Week Conferences of 
the American Enterprise Institute, and in 1982 established the AEI World 
Forum, which he hosted for many years in Vail, CO. This continues as an 
international gathering of former and current world leaders, as well as 
business executives--all gathered to discuss issues of topical concern.
    On August 9, 2004, President Ford spoke in Statuary Hall at the U.S. 
Capitol to members of his Cabinet and White House staff and reflected on 
his life and Presidency:

    ``At my stage in life, one is inclined to think less about dates on a 
calendar than those things that are timeless--about leadership and service 
and patriotism and sacrifice, about doing one's best in meeting every 
challenge that life presents.

    ``History will judge our success. But no one can doubt our dedication. 
We set out to bind America's wounds, and to heal America's heart. By the 
time we celebrated our Bicentennial in 1976, we celebrated more than a 
distant event--we were able to take heart ourselves from the renewal of the 
great truths expressed by our Founders.

    ``Without seeking them, I was called upon to fill this Nation's highest 
offices. For 2\1/2\ years, I had the greatest privilege that can come to 
any American--to lead my countrymen through trying times, and uphold the 
sacred honor of free men and women everywhere.

    ``So I ask you to join me in saluting the past, savoring the present, 
and anticipating the future. For in America, the best has never been--it is 
always yet to be.''

    And now Gerald R. Ford has passed on, having fulfilled the legacy 
instilled more than 90 years ago in a Grand Rapids household: ``love of 
God, love of family, love of country.''


Courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library            

                   Gerald R. Ford as a naval officer.


Robert Knudsen, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library    

         Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as the 38th President of the
                             United States.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library     

    President Ford briefs the congressional leadership on the seizure
               of the American merchant ship SS Mayaguez.


Ricardo Thomas, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library      

        President Ford and his golden retriever, Liberty, in the
                              Oval Office.


David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library       

         Escorted by Deng Xiao Ping, President Ford inspects the
             honor guard upon his arrival in China with his
             official delegation, which included Mrs. Ford,
           Susan Ford, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.



William FitzPatrick, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library       

        Mike, Gayle, President Ford, Mrs. Ford, Jack, Susan, and
               Steve on the South Lawn of the White House.


David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

          President and Mrs. Ford in the White House residence.
?


                                     

                          FUNERAL SERVICES FOR

                             Gerald R. Ford

                                1913-2006



Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

                              State Funeral


                         Services And Ceremonies

December 29, 2006
St. Margaret's Church, Palm Desert, California

Arrival ceremony

Family prayer service

Family visitation

Public repose

December 30, 2006
St. Margaret's Church, Palm Desert, California

Departure ceremony

Palm Springs International Airport, California

Departure ceremony

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland

Arrival ceremony

World War II Memorial, Washington, DC

Ceremonial pause and moment of mutual tribute

U.S. Capitol

Arrival ceremony, east steps U.S. House of Representatives

Casket in repose outside U.S. House of Representatives

State Funeral Service, Capitol Rotunda

December 30, 2006-January 1, 2007
U.S. Capitol Rotunda

Lying in state on Lincoln Catafalque

January 2, 2007
U.S. Capitol

Casket in repose outside U.S. Senate

Departure ceremony, east Senate steps

White House--Pennsylvania Avenue

Tribute by White House staff, U.S. Secret Service, and Blair House staff

Washington National Cathedral

Arrival ceremony

National Funeral Service

Departure ceremony

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland

Departure ceremony

Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Michigan

Arrival ceremony

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Arrival ceremony

Prayer service--Tribute wreaths, University of Michigan and Yale 
University

Public repose

January 3, 2007
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Departure ceremony

Grace Episcopal Church

Arrival ceremony

Funeral service

Departure ceremony

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Arrival ceremony

Interment service

21-Aircraft flyover
                                     


Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

                                     



                             GERALD R. FORD
                   University of Michigan, B.A., 1935
               Yale University School of Law; LL.B., 1941
                      United States Navy, 1942-1946
            United States House of Representatives, 1949-1973
             Vice President of the United States, 1973-1974
                President of the United States, 1974-1977
                    --------------------------------

                   The family of Gerald R. Ford deeply

              appreciates your prayers and many kindnesses

               as together we celebrate and honor the life

                of a loving and devoted husband, father,

               grandfather, and great-grandfather, and the

                  38th President of the United States.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Rancho Mirage, California

President Gerald R. Ford died peacefully at his home in Rancho Mirage, 
California, at 6:45 p.m. PST.

Friday, December 29, 2006
Rancho Mirage, California

Mrs. Ford and the Ford family depart the residence en route to St. 
Margaret's Church.

Hearse departs Eisenhower Medical Center en route to St. Margaret's 
Church.

Combined motorcade arrives at St. Margaret's Church, Palm Desert, 
California.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by Major General Guy C. Swan III, and the Ford 
family proceed inside to the narthex. They then are escorted outside for 
the arrival ceremony.

Family members with Mrs. Ford are Michael Ford, John Ford, Steven Ford, 
Susan Ford Bales, Sarah Ford Goodfellow, Bekah Ford Cooke, Hannah Ford, 
Christian Gerald Ford, Jonathan Ford, Tyne Vance Berlanga, Joy Elizabeth 
Berlanga, Heather Vance, Riley Ann Goodfellow, Gayle Ford, Juliann Ford, 
Vaden Bales and Matthew Bales.

United States Marine Corps Twentynine Palms Band (Twentynine Palms, 
California):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``O God Our Help in Ages Past''

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket into the narthex where the 
Prayers for the Reception of the Body are offered. The casket is carried 
from the narthex and positioned on a bier in front of the altar.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, and the family follow the casket 
into St. Margaret's Church.

A brief prayer service for the Ford family is conducted by Father Robert 
Certain of St. Margaret's Church and Father Brooks Keith of Beaver Creek 
Chapel, Beaver Creek, Colorado.


At the conclusion of the family's private time, the following guests 
proceed to the altar to pay their respects:

Mr. Gregory Willard

Ms. Penny Circle

Ms. Ann Cullen

Mr. and Mrs. Lee Simmons

Mrs. Janice Hart

Mr. Richard Garbarino

Mr. David Hume Kennerly

Ms. Carol Buck

Visitation with invited friends and guests begins.

Visitation concludes. Mrs. Ford and the family return to the residence.

Private repose begins for invited public officials, U.S. Secret Service 
families, law enforcement leadership and families, and other invited 
guests.

Public repose begins at St. Margaret's Church and continues through the 
night. During the repose, approximately 57,000 people paid their 
respects at the casket.

Saturday, December 30, 2006
Rancho Mirage, California; Washington, DC

Mrs. Ford and the family arrive at St. Margaret's Church.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, and the Ford family proceed to the 
church steps.

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket from St. Margaret's Church to 
the hearse.

United States Marine Corps Twentynine Palms Band:

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name''

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Gregory Willard, and the Ford 
family proceed to the motorcade.

Motorcade departs St. Margaret's Church en route to Palm Springs 
International Airport.

Motorcade arrives at Palm Springs International Airport.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, and the family proceed to the 
arrival ceremony.

Several thousand members of the general public are gathered around the 
perimeter of the airport to pay tribute and offer their final farewells.

Guests of Mrs. Ford traveling with her on the Presidential aircraft are 
escorted by Richard Wennekamp from the motorcade to the arrival 
ceremony.

Third Marine Air Wing Band (Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, 
California):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute (5 second intervals)

``America the Beautiful''

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket to the Presidential aircraft.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

                  Departure ceremony, Palm Springs, CA.


David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

                  Departure ceremony, Palm Springs, CA.

Presidential aircraft departs Palm Springs International Airport.

Presidential aircraft arrives Andrews Air Force Base.

Honorary pallbearers: Washington, DC

Martin J. Allen, Jr.

James A. Baker III

Robert Barrett

James Cannon

Kenneth Chenault

Richard B. Cheney

William Coleman

Richard DeVos

Robert Dole

Richard Ford

Alan Greenspan

Robert Hartmann

Carla Hills

Henry Kissinger

Jack Marsh

Paul O'Neill

Donald H. Rumsfeld

Brent Scowcroft

Sanford Weill

Frank Zarb

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Susan Ford Bales, proceeds to 
the arrival ceremony.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the Presidential 
aircraft.

United States Air Force Band:

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute (5 second intervals)

``My Country 'Tis of Thee''

Armed Forces Body Bearers place the casket in the hearse.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Susan Ford Bales, proceeds to 
the motorcade.

Motorcade departs Andrews Air Force Base en route to the World War II 
Memorial.

En route, the motorcade passed slowly through Alexandria, Virginia, 
where thousands of people lined the motorcade route to pay their 
respects to President Ford.

Motorcade arrives at World War II Memorial.

Present at the World War II Memorial are female graduates of the U.S. 
Naval Academy who have gathered in tribute to President Ford's signing 
the legislation that admitted women to the Academy. Current Eagle Scouts 
and Boy Scouts from the Washington, DC, area are present. Several 
thousand members of the public, assisted by Mr. John Shlaes, are also 
present.

World War II veterans groups come to attention, and Colors are posted.

Naval boatswain's mate walks several steps forward toward the hearse. He 
then pauses and ``Pipes the Side,'' the Navy tradition of honoring 
senior officers onto or off of the ship.

Upon conclusion, the boatswain's mate salutes and holds. The hearse 
moves slowly away from the Memorial.

Mrs. Ford's limousine proceeds to the point just vacated by the hearse. 
Mrs. Ford acknowledges the female graduates/naval officers of the U.S. 
Naval Academy.

Motorcade departs the World War II Memorial en route to the U.S. 
Capitol.

President Ford previously chose not to have a funeral procession through 
downtown Washington. However, in tribute to President Ford, military 
units that would otherwise have marched in such a processional assemble 
in formation outside the U.S. Capitol in the plaza area just to the east 
of the House of Representatives steps.

Motorcade arrives at U.S. Capitol, East Front of U.S. House of 
Representatives.

President Ford is the President who served the longest in the U.S. House 
of Representatives. In addition, he is the only President who went 
directly from the U.S. House of Representatives, to the Vice Presidency, 
and then to the Presidency. Accordingly, in an unprecedented tribute, 
instead of the traditional processional into the Rotunda, President 
Ford's casket will be carried up the east steps of the U.S. House of 
Representatives and placed in repose on a bier immediately outside the 
main door of the House Chamber before being carried into the Rotunda for 
the State Funeral Service.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, proceeds inside the Capitol and 
then to the east corridor adjacent to the House Chamber. She is greeted 
by Mr. William Livingood, Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. House of 
Representatives and Mr. William Pickle, Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. 
Senate.

Michael Ford, John Ford, Steven Ford, Susan Ford Bales, Sarah Ford 
Goodfellow, Bekah Ford Cooke, Hannah Ford, Tyne Vance Berlanga, Heather 
Vance, Christian Gerald Ford and Jonathan Ford are escorted by Mr. 
Michael Wagner and Captain Eldridge Browne to the foot of the House 
steps.

A group of President Ford's former House colleagues assembles at the top 
of the House steps.

The following Ford family members and guests proceed to the balcony to 
the left of the House steps for the arrival ceremony: Gayle Ford, Vaden 
Bales, Juliann Ford, Blake Goodfellow, Clay Cooke, Matthew Bales, 
Gregory Willard, Ann Willard, Penny Circle, Ann Cullen, Janice Hart, Len 
Nurmi, Leon Parma, Barbara Parma, and Richard Garbarino.

During the arrival ceremony and the subsequent State Funeral Service in 
the U.S. Capitol, Mrs. Ford and the family are assisted by Troy 
McNichols, Ted Daniel, Robert Goodwin, Rachel Perry, Lucy Tutwiler, and 
David Bohrer.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, proceeds outside to the top of the 
House steps, opposite the former congressional colleagues.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

United States Army Band:

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute

``America the Beautiful''

``Holy Ghost with Light Divine''

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket up the east steps to the 
House Entrance to the Capitol.

The four Ford children, followed by the seven grandchildren, walk up the 
House steps immediately behind the casket.

The honorary pallbearers then walk up the House steps immediately behind 
the grandchildren.

At the top of the House steps, Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and 
joined by the children and grandchildren, follows the casket into the 
Capitol. Mrs. Ford and the children and grandchildren proceed to the 
Rayburn Room, where they are received by House Speaker Dennis Hastert 
and President pro tempore of the Senate Ted Stevens.

As Mrs. Ford enters the Rayburn Room, the Armed Forces Body Bearers move 
the casket to the Main Doors of the House Chamber.

In an unprecedented tribute to President Ford, the casket is placed in 
repose directly outside the Main Doors of the House Chamber, which is 
open and lit. The casket remains there prior to the processional.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and accompanied by Speaker Hastert 
and President pro tempore Stevens and by her children and grandchildren, 
proceeds from the Rayburn Room and pauses briefly at the casket.

Mrs. Ford and those with her proceed into Statuary Hall.

Procession into U.S. Capitol Rotunda through Statuary Hall

Former House colleagues of President Ford.

Congressional leadership (joined en route in Statuary Hall by the Speaker 
of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate):

Special Honor Guard (Joint Chiefs of Staff)

Honorary pallbearers

National Colors

Military clergy and Father Robert Certain

Casket

Presidential Colors

As the Presidential Colors pass in front of Mrs. Ford in Statuary Hall, 
Mrs. Ford and her children and grandchildren join the processional and 
proceed into the Rotunda as follows:

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan

Ford children

Ford grandchildren

The casket is placed on the Lincoln Catafalque in the Rotunda.

Mrs. Ford is seated.

Mrs. Ford is flanked on her immediate right by the congressional 
leadership and on her immediate left by Vice President and Mrs. Cheney.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library  

        President Ford's casket in repose outside House Chamber.
                                     




                              The Honorable

                             Gerald R. Ford

                     July 14, 1913-December 26, 2006

                         Thirty-eighth President

                                 of the

                        United States of America

                 In Final Tribute from a Grateful Nation

                  The Lying in State of President Ford

                   The Rotunda, United States Capitol

                            Washington, D.C.

                        December 30-31, 2006, and

                             January 1, 2007

Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

       
    
    
                                     






                              The Honorable


                             Gerald R. Ford

              Thirty-Eighth President of the United States

                     July 14, 1913-December 26, 2006



                          United States Capitol
                               The Rotunda
                       Saturday, December 30, 2006
                                7:00 p.m.
                            Order of Program


             Preceding the Lying in State of President Ford
                   The Rotunda, United States Capitol
                            December 30, 2006

                                 Prelude
                    United States Army Brass Quintet

                               Invocation
                     The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin
            Chaplain, United States House of Representatives

                                Interlude
                     United States Navy Sea Chanters

                                 Remarks
                        The Honorable Ted Stevens
               President Pro Tempore, United States Senate
                     The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
             Speaker, United States House of Representatives
                     The Honorable Richard B. Cheney
                   Vice President of the United States

                         Presentation of Wreaths
                        The Honorable Ted Stevens
               President Pro Tempore, United States Senate
                     The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
             Speaker, United States House of Representatives
                     The Honorable Richard B. Cheney
                   Vice President of the United States

                               Benediction
                           Dr. Barry C. Black
                     Chaplain, United States Senate

REV. DANIEL P. COUGHLIN, Chaplain, U.S. House of Representatives: ``How 
mighty is the hand that can turn a page of history!'' Lord God, You call 
each of us by name and You alone know each of us through and through. 
You have called Gerald R. Ford unto Yourself and again he has responded 
to You with hope and is confirmed by America's prayers just as he sought 
them when called to serve as President of this great Nation.

    As we welcome Mrs. Ford and President Ford's family and friends to 
this Rotunda, the Nation is called to surround them with their prayers--
their sympathy for their loss and their gratitude for sharing his love 
and his loyalty with all of us for so many years in Government service.
    Again, at this moment of death, we humbly ask You, Lord, to grant 
peace and reconciliation, healing and gentle civility to this Nation, as 
this man so nobly tried to do in life's singular moments by his efforts 
to close chapter upon chapter on America's sadness.
    May the brightness of hope and the promise of eternal life reward 
this modest man, the Honorable Gerald Ford. And may the story of the 
38th President of the United States inspire others in this Nation and 
around the world, to respond to Your Providential call as he did. Lord, 
call many to seize their moment to make a difference ``by serving the 
people's urgent needs.'' Then empower them to make bold steps in 
searching for ways of peace and reconciliation, just as he did. ``For 
mighty is the hand that can turn a page of history.''


THE HONORABLE TED STEVENS, President Pro Tempore, U.S. Senate: Mrs. 
Ford, Michael, Jack, Steven, and Susan, distinguished guests, members of 
the Ford family, friends of Gerald Ford in America and throughout the 
world:

    Tonight we say goodbye to a true gentleman, an exceptional leader, 
and our good friend, President Gerald Ford.
    In our Nation's history, only nine men have been called upon to 
assume the mantle of the Presidency by succession. Even among these 
chosen few, Gerald Ford stands out as exceptional for only one man has 
assumed both the Vice Presidency and the Presidency.
    When he took his oath as President, we were a people shaken by 
disbelief, racked with cynicism, and paralyzed by doubt. Then President 
Ford's voice--gentle but firm--told us, ``We must go forward now 
together.''
    In our Nation's darkest hour, Gerald Ford lived his finest moment. 
Guided by his conscience, informed by our history, supported by the love 
and friendship of his wife, Betty, he was the man the hour required. He 
knew the road toward national healing began with courage to forgive. He 
reminded us: while the Presidency may be a human institution, there is 
great nobility in its humanity.
    While his path to office was unlikely, history will know Gerald 
Ford's Presidency was no accident. By the time he took the oath of 
office, he had achieved everything he set his mind to do: He earned the 
rank of Eagle Scout and became the University of Michigan football 
team's most valuable player. During World War II, he served our country 
with distinction and was one of the men who inspired the title ``the 
Greatest Generation.'' He honorably served the people of Michigan in the 
U.S. House of Representatives.
    A ``Man of the House,'' Jerry Ford stepped proudly into his role as 
Vice President, and the Senate welcomed him as the President of our 
Chamber. While he never voted to break a tie in the Senate, he was known 
to all of us as a person full of friendship, willing to sit and discuss 
issues at the request of any Senator.
    President Ford achieved the goals he sought, but history will 
remember most, how, in its hour of need, our Nation sought him. As our 
38th President, Gerald Ford stood ready to faithfully execute his 
office. In doing so, he woke us and told us ``Our long national 
nightmare is over.''
    He was the steady hand in the storm, an honest broker of compromise. 
He became a great leader--an example for others to follow. President 
Ford understood the unique circumstances of his moment in history. He 
strove not to placate some, but to serve all. In so doing, he showed us 
there were still things which were good and honest and true. He restored 
our faith in our leaders, and he ensured the office of the Presidency 
was an institution worthy of the people it serves.
    We here honor a leader for America and the world. President Ford 
fought high inflation and unemployment, completed the process of 
bringing our troops home from Vietnam, set the framework for the Middle 
East peace accords, and began a new era of cooperation and friendship 
with Japan. He was deeply beloved by the people of Alaska for signing 
legislation to protect the marine resources within 200 miles of our 
shores.
    No one should suggest the tasks before him were easy. President Ford 
was scrutinized, questioned, and criticized. He was tested by the fire 
of public opinion. Few have remained hopeful in the face of such 
adversity, but Gerald Ford's optimism about America never wavered. He 
faced each challenge with bravery and courage matched only by his wife 
Betty, a woman who literally offered hope to millions of Americans by 
candidly sharing her experiences and inner strength.
    President Ford once said, ``I am indebted to no man, and only one 
woman--my dear wife.'' That debt our Nation shares, for Betty Ford is 
one of the most remarkable First Ladies to have ever graced the White 
House.
    In the days since President Ford's passing, many words have been 
spoken and many statements published alluding to the tremendous 
character with which he approached his nearly three decades in public 
life. It was a character I witnessed firsthand when, as chair of our 
Senate campaign committee, I worked closely with President Ford and his 
running mate, Senator Bob Dole. During that time, I developed a deeper 
understanding and greater appreciation for Jerry Ford as a man, a 
father, and a husband. As was his running mate, Bob Dole, he was deeply 
committed to our democracy. Absolute honesty, integrity, and openness 
were the hallmarks of his career. They are now the legacy and the 
challenge he leaves to us.
    President Ford's life is a reminder to those who serve this 
democracy--under this Capitol dome and elsewhere--that we are--for a 
time--the keepers of this great American experiment. Good stewardship 
requires us to see beyond party, beyond division, beyond personal 
aspirations.
    President Ford once said: ``The Constitution is the bedrock of all 
of our freedoms. Guard and cherish it, keep honor and order in your own 
house, and the Republic will endure.''
    It will be a fitting tribute to our good friend's memory to make 
this truth our intention and our purpose.
    Upon taking the oath of office, President Ford asked our Nation to 
pray for him. In the next 2 days, Americans will come to this Rotunda to 
join us in praying for him once again. The line of visitors saying 
farewell has literally stretched from sea to shining sea--from 
California to our Nation's Capital. And it will end in Michigan, where 
the prayers of our grateful Nation will carry President Ford on his 
final journey home.


THE HONORABLE J. DENNIS HASTERT, Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives: 
Mrs. Ford and members of the Ford family, Mr. Vice President, Members of 
Congress, distinguished guests:

    I don't think it is a coincidence that American history seems to be 
an almost providential narrative--a story about finding the right man at 
the right time to lead the Nation. The Presidency is more than agendas 
and ideas. It is, at its core, a human institution molded and shaped by 
the character of the men who have served there. In summer 1974, America 
didn't need a philosopher king or a warrior prince, an aloof aristocrat 
or a populist firebrand.
    We needed a healer. We needed a rock. We needed honesty and candor 
and courage. We needed Gerald Ford.
    President Ford was one of the few men in history who did not need 
great events to make him great.
    On the football field, in the halls of Congress, and in the Oval 
Office, there was always something big and solid about him. Big and 
solid and good.
    In this sacred place, the President now lies in state under the 
Statue of Freedom. On the way here we paused at the door to the House of 
Representatives. In that place--the People's House--where Gerald Ford 
served for a quarter of a century--he was known simply as the 
``Gentleman from Michigan.''
    And while all Members are afforded this courtesy, in the case of 
Gerald Ford--``gentleman''--was much more a description of the man 
himself.
    For in a time when turmoil and bitter division were all too common, 
he stood out as a man of deep civility, quiet thoughtfulness and sound 
judgment.
    Like Abraham Lincoln, another great Midwestern President who 
confronted a Nation divided, Gerald Ford was called upon to bind our 
country's wounds. The twin crises of Vietnam and Watergate had crippled 
America--sapped our strength--shaken our confidence. With humility and 
devotion to purpose, Gerald Ford united us once again.
    In an era of moral confusion, Gerald Ford confidently lived the 
virtues of honesty, decency, and steadfastness. His example of fairness 
and fair play, of dignity and grace, brought forth in us our better 
instincts.
    He reminded us who we should be and he helped us to heal. The traits 
that Gerald Ford showed us as a congressional leader--the ability to 
listen, the courage to forge compromise in the face of shrill 
partisanship, and the willingness to make the hard, and sometimes 
unpopular decisions, served him well as President.
    The critics of the day got it wrong, but history is getting it 
right.
    Despite his considerable achievements, the greatness of Gerald Ford 
lies not in what he did--but in who he was. He represented the strength 
of the Middle America that forged him.
    He never changed.
    Even when power was thrust upon him he remained an ``every man'' who 
exemplified all that is good about America.
    Mrs. Ford, you were his best friend, his close partner--and, along 
with his faith, the source of his strength. You and your children knew 
him as a devoted family man and you loved him for his integrity, his 
kindness, and his humor. As the leader of our country at a difficult 
time in our history, it was those qualities that drew a grateful Nation 
to him as well.
    We can never thank you enough for sharing him with us. Just a few 
feet from here--in the House Chamber--Gerald Ford was sworn in as Vice 
President of the United States. It would not be long before he would 
become our President. Speaking to the Nation after taking the oath as 
President he concluded by saying:
    ``I now solemnly reaffirm my promise to uphold the Constitution, to 
do what is right as God gives me to see the right and to do the very 
best for America. God helping me, I will not let you down.''
    You did right, Mr. President. You did not let us down.
    Well done, good and faithful servant.
    Godspeed Mr. President.


THE HONORABLE RICHARD B. CHENEY, Vice President of the United States: 
Mrs. Ford, Susan, Mike, Jack, and Steve; distinguished guests; 
colleagues and friends; and fellow citizens:

    Nothing was left unsaid, and at the end of his days, Gerald Ford 
knew how much he meant to us and to his country. He was given length of 
years, and many times in his company we paid our tributes and said our 
thanks. We were proud to call him our leader, grateful to know him as a 
man. We told him these things, and there is comfort in knowing that. 
Still, it is an ending. And what is left now is to say goodbye.
    He first stood under this dome at the age of 17, on a high school 
tour in the Hoover years. In his congressional career, he passed through 
this Rotunda so many times--never once imagining all the honors that 
life would bring. He was an unassuming man, our 38th President, and few 
have ever risen so high with so little guile or calculation. Even in the 
three decades since he left this city, he was not the sort to ponder his 
legacy, to brood over his place in history. And so in these days of 
remembrance, as Gerald R. Ford goes to his rest, it is for us to take 
the measure of the man.
    It's hard to imagine that this most loyal of men began life as an 
abandoned child, facing the world alone with his mother. He was devoted 
to her always, and also to the fine man who came into their lives and 
gave the little boy a name he would carry into history. Gerald and 
Dorothy Ford expected good things of their son. As it turned out, there 
would be great things, too--in a journey of 93 years that would fill 
them with loving pride.
    Jerry Ford was always a striver--never working an angle, just 
working. He was a believer in the saying that in life you make your own 
luck. That's how the Boy Scout became an Eagle Scout; and the football 
center, a college all-star; and the sailor in war, a lieutenant 
commander. That's how the student who waited tables and washed dishes 
earned a law degree, and how the young lawyer became a Member of the 
U.S. Congress, class of 1948. The achievements added up all his life, 
yet he was known to boast only about one. I heard it once or twice 
myself--he said he was never luckier than when he stepped out of Grace 
Episcopal Church in Grand Rapids with a beautiful girl named Betty as 
his bride.
    Fifty-eight years ago, almost to the day, the new Member from 
Michigan's Fifth District moved into his office in the Cannon Building, 
and said his first hello to the Congressman next door, John F. Kennedy 
of Massachusetts. They belonged to a generation that came early to great 
duties, and took up responsibilities readily, and shared a confidence in 
their country and its purposes in the world.
    In that 81st Congress were four future Presidents, and others who 
wished for that destiny. For his part, Mr. Ford of Michigan aspired only 
to be Speaker of the House, and by general agreement he would have made 
a fine one. Good judgment, fair dealing, and the manners of a gentleman 
go a long way around here, and these were the mark of Jerry Ford for a 
quarter century in the House. It was a Democrat, the late Martha 
Griffiths, who said, ``I never knew him to make a dishonest statement 
nor a statement part true and part false, and I never heard him utter an 
unkind word.''
    Sometimes in our political affairs, kindness and candor are only 
more prized for their scarcity. And sometimes even the most careful 
designs of men cannot improve upon history's accident. This was the case 
in the 62d year of Gerald Ford's life, a bitter season in the life of 
our country.
    It was a time of false words and ill will. There was great malice, 
and great hurt, and a taste for more. And it all began to pass away on a 
Friday in August, when Gerald Ford laid his hand on the Bible and swore 
to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. 
He said, ``You have not elected me as your President by your ballot, and 
so I ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers.''
    What followed was a Presidency lasting 895 days, and filled with 
testing and trial enough for a much longer stay. Even then, amid 
troubles not of his own making, President Ford proved as worthy of that 
office as any who had ever come before. He was modest and manful; there 
was confidence and courage in his bearing. In judgment, he was sober and 
serious, unafraid of decisions, calm and steady by nature, always the 
still point in the turning wheel. He assumed power without assuming 
airs; he knew how to treat people. He answered courtesy with courtesy; 
he answered discourtesy with courtesy.
    This President's hardest decision was also among his first. And in 
September 1974, Gerald Ford was almost alone in understanding that there 
can be no healing without pardon. The consensus holds that this decision 
cost him an election. That is very likely so. The criticism was fierce. 
But President Ford had larger concerns at heart. And it is far from the 
worst fate that a man should be remembered for his capacity to forgive.
    In politics it can take a generation or more for a matter to settle, 
for tempers to cool. The distance of time has clarified many things 
about President Gerald Ford. And now death has done its part to reveal 
this man and the President for what he was.
    He was not just a cheerful and pleasant man--although these virtues 
are rare enough at the commanding heights. He was not just a nice guy, 
the next-door neighbor whose luck landed him in the White House. It was 
this man, Gerald R. Ford, who led our republic safely through a crisis 
that could have turned to catastrophe. We will never know what further 
unravelings, what greater malevolence might have come in that time of 
furies turned loose and hearts turned cold. But we do know this: America 
was spared the worst. And this was the doing of an American President. 
For all the grief that never came, for all the wounds that were never 
inflicted, the people of the United States will forever stand in debt to 
the good man and faithful servant we mourn tonight.
    Thinking on all this, we are only more acutely aware of a time in 
our lives and of its end. And we can be certain that Gerald Ford would 
now ask only that we remember his wife. Betty, the President was not a 
hard man to read, and to his friends nothing was more obvious than the 
source of his great happiness. It was you. And all the good that you 
shared, Betty, all the good that you did together, has not gone away. 
All of that is forever.
    There is a time to every purpose under Heaven. In the years of 
Gerald Rudolph Ford, it was a time to heal. There is also, in life, a 
time to part, when those who are dear to us must go their way. And so 
for now, Mr. President--farewell. We will always be thankful for your 
good life. In Almighty God, we place our confidence. And to Him we 
confirm you, with our love and with our prayers.


DR. BARRY C. BLACK, Chaplain, U.S. Senate: Eternal, Lord God, the giver 
of every good and perfect gift, this evening we express our gratitude to 
you for giving our Nation the blessing of President Gerald R. Ford. 
Lord, when this land desperately needed strong moral leadership, you 
gave it--President Ford's astuteness, honor, commitment, and courage. 
When we needed a model of unswerving integrity, you provided us with 
someone who was true and honest. Accept our gratitude for his courage to 
decide based upon principles, for his pragmatic leadership during 
cynical times, and for his long life of exemplary service. Thank you for 
his efforts to do what was in the country's best interests and for 
helping to bind the Nation's wounds after Watergate and Vietnam. Thank 
you also for permitting him to remind us that family and faith still 
matter, and that right living is a language which is clear to everyone. 
Comfort those who mourn, particularly Mrs. Ford and the children. May 
the memory of President Ford's dignity, decency, diligence, and 
decisiveness challenge us to use our lives for your glory. We pray in 
the name of him who is the resurrection and the life. Amen.

At the conclusion of the service, Mrs. Ford, escorted by Vice President 
Cheney and accompanied by her four children, approaches the casket for a 
moment of prayer.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by Vice President Cheney and her four children, 
exits the Rotunda and proceeds through Statuary Hall en route to the 
Rayburn Room.

Mrs. Ford and the family depart the U.S. Capitol en route to Blair 
House.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

         Mrs. Ford and Ford children at casket, Capitol Rotunda.

Casket lies in state at U.S. Capitol.

Sunday, December 31, 2006
U.S. Capitol

Casket lies in state at U.S. Capitol. Members of the public proceed 
through the Rotunda to pay their respects.

Members of the Ford family throughout the day chose to come to the 
Rotunda and greet members of the public.

Mrs. Ford and the family are in residence at Blair House.


Monday, January 1, 2007
U.S. Capitol

Casket lies in state at U.S. Capitol. Public proceeds through Rotunda to 
pay their respects.

Mrs. Ford and the family are in residence at Blair House.

Members of the Ford family throughout the day chose to come to the 
Rotunda and greet members of the public.

Invited representatives from the countries visited by President Ford as 
President and from Great Britain arrive at Blair House and, assisted by 
Mr. Randell Bumgardner and Mrs. Syd Goodwin, pay their respects to Mrs. 
Ford and the Ford family.

Austria--Harald Guenther

Belgium--Ambassador Dominique Struie

People's Republic of China--His Excellency Wen Zhong Zhou

Finland--His Excellency Pekka Lintu

France--His Excellency Jean-David Levitte

Germany--Johannes Handl

Apostolic Nunciature, the Holy See--His Excellency Most Reverend Pietro 
Sambi

Indonesia--His Excellency Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat

Italy--His Excellency Stefano Stefanini

Japan--His Excellency Ryozo Kato

Korea--His Excellency Tae-sik Lee

Mexico--His Excellency Carlos Alberto de Icaza Gonzalez

Republic of the Philippines--His Excellency Willy Gaa

Republic of Poland--Wojciech Flera

Romania--Dorian Mihai

Russian Federation--Alexander Darchiev

Spain--Rafeal Garranzo

United Kingdom--His Excellency Sir David G. Manning

The Chief of Protocol Donald Burnham Ensenat

Countries of Former Yugoslavia

Macedonia--Oliver Krliu

Montenegro--Ms. Zorica Maric

Serbia--His Excellency Ivan Vujacic

Slovenia--His Excellency Samuel Zbogar

Bosnia and Herzegovina--Darko Zelenika

Croatia-- Marijan Gubic

Honorary pallbearers and spouses, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brokaw, Mr. and Mrs. 
Terrence O'Donnell, Mrs. Mary Claire Murphy, and Mr. John Rogers are 
received by Mrs. Ford.

President and Mrs. George W. Bush arrive at Blair House and are escorted 
by Gregory Willard to the Eisenhower Library where they sign the 
condolence book. They then proceed to the Main Library where they are 
received by Mrs. Ford and the family.

President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush and Mr. and Mrs. James A. Baker III 
are received by Mrs. Ford and the family in the Main Library.

At the personal invitation of Mrs. Ford, Mr. Joseph Hagin, Deputy White 
House Chief of Staff, is received by Mrs. Ford and the family in the 
Main Library.

President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, President and Mrs. Bill Clinton, former 
First Family members, Mrs. Happy Rockefeller, Mr. Nelson Rockefeller, 
Jr., and Vice President and Mrs. Cheney arrive at Blair House and are 
received by Mrs. Ford and the family.

Mrs. Ford and the family proceed to the U.S. Capitol.

Motorcade arrives at U.S. Capitol. Steven Ford and Gregory Willard 
escort Mrs. Ford into the U.S. Capitol, accompanied by Michael and Gayle 
Ford; John and Juliann Ford; and Susan Ford Bales and Vaden Bales.

Upon arrival, Mrs. Ford and the family are assisted by Ted Daniel, 
Rebecca Daugherty, and Lt. Kathryn Stillman.

Upon arrival, Mrs. Ford is greeted by her granddaughters who have been 
at the Rotunda greeting guests and paying their respects.

Mrs. Ford and the family are accompanied in the Rotunda by Terrence and 
Margaret O'Donnell, Gregory and Ann Willard, Ann Cullen, Len Nurmi, and 
Janice Hart.

Mrs. Ford is escorted into the Rotunda by General Guy Swan and is seated 
with her four children and their spouses next to the casket.

Mrs. Ford and her family return to Blair House.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Washington, DC; Grand Rapids, Michigan

In an unprecedented tribute to President Ford and his service as Vice 
President and President of the Senate, the casket is carried from the 
Rotunda to outside the door of the Senate Chamber, where it is placed in 
repose prior to departure from the Capitol.

Motorcade departs Blair House en route to the U.S. Capitol. As Mrs. Ford 
and the family depart, the staff of Blair House line the sidewalk 
outside Blair House in tribute to President Ford.

Motorcade arrives at the U.S. Capitol, east Senate steps.

Michael Ford, John Ford, Steven Ford, and Susan Ford Bales proceed to 
the east Senate steps of the U.S. Capitol, ascend the steps, and enter 
the U.S. Capitol.

The four children proceed to the hallway immediately outside the Senate 
Chamber, where they pause at the casket.

The honorary pallbearers proceed to the base of the Senate steps.

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket to just inside the door to 
the east Senate steps. The four children follow behind the casket.

As the movement of the casket to the east Senate door commences, Mrs. 
Ford, escorted by General Swan and Vaden Bales, proceeds to her position 
on the East Plaza.

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket from the U.S. Capitol via the 
east Senate steps. The four Ford children accompany the casket.

United States Navy Band:

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute

``Abide with Me''

``Soul of My Savior''



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

                    Departure ceremony, U.S. Senate.

Armed Forces Body Bearers place the casket in the hearse.

Motorcade departs the U.S. Capitol en route to the National Cathedral.

En route to the National Cathedral, the motorcade pauses at the White 
House. White House staff and U.S. Secret Service personnel are gathered 
outside in tribute and farewell to President Ford.

The staff of Blair House is also gathered outside Blair House in tribute 
and farewell to President Ford.

Motorcade arrives at the National Cathedral.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Steven Ford, and the family 
proceed into the Cathedral to the Rare Books Library, where they are 
received by President and Mrs. George W. Bush.

Mrs. Laura Bush is escorted to her seat in the Cathedral by General 
Swan.

Sarah Ford Goodfellow, escorted by Gregory Willard, and Bekah Ford 
Cooke, Hannah Ford, Gayle Ford, Tyne Vance Berlanga, Heather Vance, 
Christian Gerald Ford, Jonathan Ford, Juliann Ford, Vaden Bales, Blake 
Goodfellow, Clay Cooke, Matthew Bales and Hector Berlanga proceed to 
their seats in the Cathedral.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

   President and Mrs. Ford's family arrives at the National Cathedral 
                            Funeral Service.

Vaden Bales proceeds to the south transept and greets Supreme Court 
Justice John Paul Stevens on behalf of Mrs. Ford and the family.

Michael Ford, Steven Ford, Susan Ford Bales and John Ford are 
accompanied by General Swan to their seats.

Mrs. Ford is escorted by President George W. Bush to her seat.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

United States Coast Guard Band (New London, Connecticut):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``Nearer My God to Thee''

The casket is carried into the narthex.

Processional into the Cathedral:

Special Honor Guard--Joint Chiefs of Staff

Honorary pallbearers

Clergy

National Colors

Casket

Personal Colors

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket to the crossing.

Service begins.
Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

                   In Celebration of and Thanksgiving
                             for the Life of


                           GERALD RUDOLPH FORD

                                1913-2006




                     Tuesday, the Second of January

               In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

           The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul

             in the City and Episcopal Diocese of Washington

  




Gerald Rudolph Ford

July 14, 1913-December 26, 2006

Thirty-Eighth President of the

United States

Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford




     Prelude

     ...  Performed by the Cathedral Organists
     ...  Prelude and Fugue
     Johann Sebastian
      Bach (1685-1750)
     ...    in G Major, BWV 541
     ...  Cortege et Litanie, Op. 19
     Marcel
      Dupre
      (1886-1
       971)
     ...        Choral in E major
     Cesar
      Franck
      (1822-1
       890)
     ...  Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 544                                    J.S. Bach
     ...  Prelude and Fugue in
            G Major, Op. 37, No. 2
     Felix
      Mendels
       sohn
      (1809-1
       847)
     ...  Praeludium circulare, from
            Symphony No. 2, Op. 13
     Charles
      Marie
      Widor
      (1844-1
       937)
     ...  Prelude and Fugue in
                   A minor, WoO 9
     Johannes
      Brahms
      (1833-1
       897)
     ...        Choral in A minor
        C.
      Franck
     ...      Two choral preludes
      Paul
       Manz
        (b.
      1919)
     ...  ...  Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
     ...  ...  What Wondrous Love Is This
     ...  Prelude and Fugue in E-flat (``St. Anne''),                              J.S. Bach
            BWV 552

     ...  Performed by the United States Marine Orchestra
     ...  Fanfare for the Common
                              Man
     Aaron
      Copland
      (1900-1
       990)
     ...  When Jesus Wept, from
             New England Triptych
     William
      Schuman
      (1910-1
       992)
     ...  ...  (after the music of William Billings)

     ...  Performed with the Armed Forces Chorus
     ...  O waly waly, from Suite for
                          Strings
      John
      Rutter
        (b.
      1945)
     ...           Pilgrims' Hymn
     Stephen
      Paulus
        (b.
      1949)
     ...  How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place, from                                   J. Brahms
            A German Requiem, Op. 45

     ...  Music from the
            Bicentennial of
            American Independence
     arranged
         by
      Stephen
      Bulla
     ...  ...  Heritage
     ...  ...  Amanda
     ...  ...  Chester
     ...  The Promise of Living, from                                              Aaron Copland
            The Tender Land
     ...                  America
     Traditio
        nal
     lyrics
         by
      Samuel
         F.
      Smith
     arranged
         by
      Robert
      Edgerto
          n
     ...   America, the Beautiful
     Samuel
      Augustu
      s Ward
     lyrics
         by
      Katheri
      ne Lee
      Bates
     arranged
         by
      Carmen
      Dragon






                                              BURIAL OF THE DEAD--RITE I

           The Bourdon Bell tolls thirty-eight times as the cortege moves from the Capitol to the Cathedral

     Reception of the Body
     The Right Reverend John
       Bryson Chane

     ...  The Bishop meets the body at the door of the church and says:

     ...  With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother Gerald for burial. Let us pray with
           confidence to God, the Giver of life, that he will raise him to perfection in the company of the
           saints.

     ...  Deliver your servant, Gerald, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, and set him free from every
           bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the
           Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

     ...  Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God, and know the consolation of
           his love.

     ...  Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord,
           in mercy; nourish them with patience; comfort them with a sense of your goodness; lift up your
           countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

     ...  The people stand.

     Anthem in Procession
     The Reverend Dr. Robert
            Certain

     ...  I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
           shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

     ...  I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though
           this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold,
           and not as a stranger.

     ...  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord;
           and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

     ...  Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.

         Opening Collect
     The Very Reverend
      Samuel T. Lloyd III

     ...  Dean
     The Lord be with you.
     ...  People
     And with thy spirit.
     ...  Dean
     Let us pray.
     ...
     O God, whose mercies cannot be
      numbered: Accept our prayers on
      behalf of thy servant Gerald Ford,
      and grant him an entrance into the
      land of light and joy, in the
      fellowship of thy saints; through
      Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who
      liveth and reigneth with thee and
      the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
      for ever.
     ...  People
     Amen.

     ...  All are seated for the readings from scriptures.

             Old Testament Lesson
     Isaiah
      40:28-3
          1
                                read by Mr. John (Jack) Ford

     ...  A Reading from the Prophet Isaiah.

     ...  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of
           the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the
           faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall
           exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings
           like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

     ...  Reader
     The Word of the Lord.
     ...  People
     Thanks be to God.

     Anthem--The King of Love My
       Shepherd Is
      Sung by the Cathedral choirs
      arr.
      Michael
      McCarthy

     ...  The King of love my shepherd
            is,
          whose goodness faileth never;
          I nothing lack if I am his,
          and he is mine for ever.
     In
      death's
      dark
      vale I
      fear no
       ill
     with
      thee,
      dear
      Lord,
      beside
       me;
     thy rod
      and
      staff
      my
      comfort
       still,
     thy
      cross
      before
      to
      guide
      me.

     ...  Where streams of living water
            flow,
          my ransomed soul he leadeth,
          and where the verdant
            pastures grow,
          with food celestial feedeth.
     Thou
      spread'
      st a
      table
      in my
       sight;
     thy
      unction
      grace
      bestowe
      th;
     and oh,
      what
      transpo
      rt of
       deligh
      t
     from thy
      pure
      chalice
      floweth
      !

     ...  Perverse and foolish oft I
            strayed,
          but yet in love he sought me,
          and on his shoulder gently
            laid,
          and home, rejoicing, brought
            me.
     And so
      through
      all the
      length
       of
      days
     thy
      goodnes
      s
      faileth
      never
     Good
      Shepher
      d, may
      I sing
       thy
      praise
     within
      thy
      house
      for
      ever.

                 Epistle
     James 1:19-25
                               read by Mrs. Susan Ford Bales

     ...  A Reading from the Letter of James.

     ...  You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;
           for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and
           rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save
           your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are
           hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they
           look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look
           into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who
           act--they will be blessed in their doing.

     ...  Reader
     The Word of the Lord.
     ...  People
     Thanks be to God.

                Tributes
     The Honorable George
          H.W. Bush
                        The Honorable Dr. Henry A. Kissinger
                                        Mr. Thomas J. Brokaw
                                The Honorable George W. Bush

     Anthem--O God, Our Help in Ages Past                                arr. Mack Wilberg
     Sung by the Armed Forces Chorus with the United States Marine Orchestra

     ...  O God, our help in ages past,
     ...  our hope for years to come,
     ...  our shelter from the stormy blast,
     ...  and our eternal home:

     ...  A thousand ages in thy sight
     ...  are like an evening gone;
     ...  short as the watch that ends the night
     ...  before the rising sun.

     ...  O God, our help in ages past,
     ...  our hope for years to come,
     ...  be thou our guide while life shall last,
     ...  and our eternal home.

     ...  The people stand.

         The Holy Gospel
      John 14:1-6a
                                      read by Father Certain

     ...  Priest
     The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus
      Christ, according to John.
     ...  People
     Glory be to thee, O Lord.

     ...  Jesus said, ``Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's
           house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a
           place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to
           myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am
           going.'' Thomas said to him, ``Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?''
           Jesus said to him, ``I am the way, and the truth, and the life.''

     ...  Priest
     The Gospel of the Lord.
     ...  People
     Praise be to thee, O Christ.

     ...  The people are seated for the Homily.

                  Homily
     Father Certain

       The Lord's Prayer
     Albert Hay Malotte
     Ms. Denyce Graves and the United States Marine Orchestra

     ...  Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as
           it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our
           debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the
           power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

     ...  The people stand for the prayers.
     ...  After each petition, the people respond Amen.

        The Prayers of the People
      Rear
      Admiral
      Robert
      F. Burt

     ...  In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

     ...  Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body
           of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant, we beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, thy
           light and thy peace. Amen.

     ...  Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to
           newness of life, and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful
           resurrection. Amen.

     ...  Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, that thy Holy Spirit may
           lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. Amen.

     ...  Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve
           thee with a quiet mind. Amen.

     ...  Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in thy fatherly care, that, casting all their grief on thee,
           they may know the consolation of thy love. Amen.

     ...  Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead
           in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those
           they love. Amen.

     ...  Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion
           of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Amen.

     ...  Grant us grace to entrust Gerald to thy never-failing love; receive him into the arms of thy mercy,
           and remember him according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people. Amen.

     ...  Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life
           of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

     ...  Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss
           in thy eternal and everlasting glory, and, with all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which
           thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth
           with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

     ...  The people are seated.

     Anthem--Eternal Father, strong to save                              arr. Mack Wilberg
     Sung by the Armed Forces Chorus with the United States Marine Orchestra

     ...  Eternal Father, strong to save,
          whose arm hath bound the
            restless wave,
          who bidd'st the mighty ocean
            deep
          its own appointed limits keep:
          O hear us when we cry to thee
          for those in peril on the sea.
     O
      Spirit,
      whom
      the
      Father
       sent
     to
      spread
      abroad
      the
       firmam
      ent;
     O Wind
      of
      heaven,
      by thy
       might
     save all
      who
      dare
      the
      eagle's
       flight
      ,
     and keep
      them by
      thy
       watchf
      ul care
     from
      every
      peril
      in the
      air.

     ...  O Christ, the Lord of hill and
            plain
          o'er which our traffic runs
            amain
          by mountain pass or valley
            low;
          wherever, Lord, thy people go,
          protect them by thy guarding
            hand
          from every peril on the land.
     O
      Trinity
      of love
      and
      power,
     our
      people
      shield
      in
      danger'
      s
       hour;
     from
      rock
      and
      tempest
      , fire
       and
      foe,
     protect
      them
      whereso
      e're
       they
      go;
     thus
      evermor
      e shall
      rise to
       thee
     glad
      praise
      from
      space,
      air,
       land,
      and
      sea.

     ...  The people stand.

        The Commendation
     Father Certain

     ...  The Officiant and other ministers take their places at the body.

     ...  Officiant
     Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant
      with thy saints,
     ...  People
     Where sorrow and pain are no more,
     ...
     neither sighing, but life
      everlasting.

     ...  Officiant
     Thou only art immortal, the creator
      and maker of humankind; and we are
      mortal, formed of the earth, and
      unto earth shall we return. For so
      thou didst ordain when thou
      createdst me, saying, ``Dust thou
      art, and unto dust shalt thou
      return.'' All we go down to the
      dust; yet even at the grave we make
      our song: Alleluia, alleluia,
      alleluia.
     ...  People
     Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant
      with thy saints,
     ...
     where sorrow and pain are no more,
     ...
     neither sighing, but life
      everlasting.

     ...  Officiant
     Into thy hands, O merciful Savior,
      we commend thy servant Gerald.
      Acknowledge, we humbly beseech
      thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a
      lamb of thine own flock, a sinner
      of thine own redeeming. Receive him
      into the arms of thy mercy, into
      the blessed rest of everlasting
      peace, and into the glorious
      company of the saints in light.
     ...  People
     Amen.

            The Blessing
      Bishop Chane

     ...  The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the
           sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant: Make you perfect in every good work to do his
           will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight; through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory
           for ever and ever. Amen.

           The Dismissal
        Dean Lloyd

     ...  Dean
     Let us go forth in the name of
      Christ.
     ...  People
     Thanks be to God.

         Hymn--For All the Saints
     tune:
       Sine
      Nomine
     Sung by all

     ...  For all the saints, who from
            their labors rest,
          who thee by faith before the
            world confessed,
          thy Name, O Jesus, be for
            ever blessed.
          Alleluia, alleluia!
     And when
      the
      strife
      is
      fierce,
       the
      warfare
      long,
     steals
      on the
      ear the
      distant
       triump
      h song,
     and
      hearts
      are
      brave
      again,
       and
      arms
      are
      strong.
     Alleluia
      ,
      allelui
      a!

     ...  Thou wast their rock, their
            fortress, and their might:
          thou, Lord, their Captain in
            the well-fought fight;
          thou, in the darkness drear,
            the one true Light.
          Alleluia, alleluia!
     The
      golden
      evening
      brighte
      ns
       in the
      west;
     soon,
      soon to
      faithfu
      l
      warrior
      s
       cometh
      rest;
     sweet is
      the
      calm of
      paradis
      e
       the
      blest.
     Alleluia
      ,
      allelui
      a!

     ...  O may thy soldiers, faithful,
            true, and bold,
          fight as the saints who nobly
            fought of old,
          and win, with them, the
            victor's crown of gold.
          Alleluia, alleluia!
     But lo!
      there
      breaks
      a yet
       more
      gloriou
      s day;
     the
      saints
      triumph
      ant
      rise in
       bright
      array;
     the King
      of
      glory
      passes
      on
       his
      way.
     Alleluia
      ,
      allelui
      a!

     ...  O blest communion, fellowship
            divine!
          We feebly struggle, they in
            glory shine;
          yet all are one in thee, for all
            are thine.
          Alleluia, alleluia!
     From
      earth's
      wide
      bounds,
       from
      ocean's
      farthes
      t
      coast,
     through
      gates
      of
      pearl
      streams
       in the
      countle
      ss host
     singing
      to
      Father,
      Son,
      and
       Holy
      Ghost,
     Alleluia
      ,
      allelui
      a!

     Postlude

          Piece Heroique
     Cesar Franck (1822-
              1890)

                                        As the President leaves the Cathedral,
                    the congregation is asked to remain in their seats until directed by an usher.






                                                     PARTICIPANTS

     Officiating Clergy

     ...  The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane
     ...  Bishop of Washington

     ...  The Very Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III
     ...  Dean of the Cathedral

     ...  The Reverend Dr. Robert G. Certain
     ...  Rector, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School, Palm Desert,
     ...    California

     Homilist

     ...  The Reverend Dr. Robert G. Certain
     ...  Rector, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School, Palm Desert,
     ...    California

     Minister of Ceremonies

     ...  The Reverend Canon Carol L. Wade
     ...  Canon Precentor of Washington National Cathedral

    Prayers of the People

     ...  Rear Admiral Robert F. Burt
     ...  Chief of Navy Chaplains

     Readers

     ...  Mr. John (Jack) Ford

     ...  Mrs. Susan Ford Bales

     Tributes

     ...  The Honorable George H.W. Bush
     ...  Forty-First President of the United States

     ...  The Honorable Dr. Henry A. Kissinger

     ...  Mr. Thomas J. Brokaw

     ...  The Honorable George W. Bush
     ...  Forty-Third President of the United States

     Representatives of Faiths

     ...  Dr. Akbar Ahmed
     ...  Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University,
     ...    Washington, D.C.

     ...  Archbishop Demetrios
     ...  Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America

     ...  The Right Reverend Frank T. Griswold III
     ...  The Twenty-fifth Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal
     ...    Church

     ...  The Metropolitan Herman
     ...  Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and
     ...    Canada, Orthodox Church in America

     ...  Rabbi Bruce Lustig
     ...  Senior Rabbi, Washington Hebrew Congregation

     ...  Archbishop Pietro Sambi
     ...  Papal Nuncio to the United States

     ...  The Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl
     ...  Catholic Archbishop of Washington

     Honorary Pallbearers

     ...  Martin J. Allen, Jr.
     ...  James A. Baker III
     ...  Robert Barrett
     ...  James Cannon
     ...  Kenneth Chenault
     ...  Richard B. Cheney
     ...  William Coleman
     ...  Richard DeVos
     ...  Robert Dole
     ...  Richard Ford
     ...  Alan Greenspan
     ...  Robert Hartmann
     ...  Carla Hills
     ...  Henry Kissinger
     ...  Jack Marsh
     ...  Paul O'Neill
     ...  Donald H. Rumsfeld
     ...  Brent Scowcroft
     ...  Sanford Weill
     ...  Frank Zarb

     Musicians

     ...  Ms. Denyce Graves

     ...  The United States Marine Orchestra
     ...  Lieutenant Colonel Michael Colburn, Director

     ...  The Armed Forces Chorus
     ...  Lieutenant Colonel John Clanton, Director

     ...  The Cathedral Choirs of Men, Boys and Girls
     ...  Michael McCarthy, Director of Music
     ...  Erik Wm. Suter, Organist and Associate Director of Music
     ...  Scott Hanoian, Assistant Organist and Assistant Director of
     ...    Music
     ...  Christopher Jacobson, Organ Scholar
     ...  Edward M. Nassor, Carillonneur
     ...  The Washington Ringing Society

     The Cathedral Vergers

     ...  Stephen Lott, Head Verger

     The Cathedral Ushers

     ...  Michael Heid, Head Usher
     ...


          
          

                   University of Michigan, B.A., 1935

               Yale University School of Law, LL.B., 1941

                      United States Navy, 1942-1946

            United States House of Representatives, 1949-1973

             Vice President of the United States, 1973-1974

                President of the United States, 1974-1977

THE HONORABLE GEORGE H.W. BUSH, Former President of the United States: 
Well, as the story goes, Gerald Ford was a newly minted candidate for 
the U.S. House of Representatives in June 1948 when he made plans with a 
reporter to visit the dairy farmers in Western Michigan's Fifth 
Congressional District. It was pouring rain that particular day and 
neither the journalist nor the farmers had expected the upstart 
candidate to keep his appointment. And yet he showed up on time because, 
as he explained to the journalist, ``they milk cows every day and, 
besides that, I promised.''

    Long before he arrived in Washington, Gerald Ford's word was good. 
During the three decades of public service that followed his arrival in 
our Nation's Capital, time and again he would step forward and keep his 
promise even when the dark clouds of political crisis gathered over 
America.
    After a deluded gunman assassinated President Kennedy, our Nation 
turned to Gerald Ford and a select handful of others to make sense of 
that madness. And the conspiracy theorists can say what they will, but 
the Warren Commission report will always have the final definitive say 
on this tragic matter. Why? Because Jerry Ford put his name on it and 
Jerry Ford's word was always good.
    A decade later, when scandal forced a Vice President from office, 
President Nixon turned to the minority leader in the House to stabilize 
his administration because of Jerry Ford's sterling reputation for 
integrity within the Congress. To political ally and adversary alike, 
Jerry Ford's word was always good.
    And, of course, when the lie that was Watergate was finally laid 
bare, once again we entrusted our future and our hopes to this good man. 
The very sight of Chief Justice Burger administering the oath of office 
to our 38th President instantly restored the honor of the Oval Office 
and helped America begin to turn the page on one of our saddest 
chapters.
    As Americans we generally eschew notions of the indispensable man, 
and yet during those traumatic times, few if any of our public leaders 
could have stepped into the breach and rekindled our national faith as 
did President Gerald R. Ford.
    History has a way of matching man and moment. And just as President 
Lincoln's stubborn devotion to our Constitution kept the Union together 
during the Civil War, and just as F.D.R.'s optimism was the perfect 
antidote to the despair of the Great Depression, so too can we say that 
Jerry Ford's decency was the ideal remedy for the deception of 
Watergate.
    For this and for so much more, his Presidency will be remembered as 
a time of healing in our land. In fact, when President Ford was choosing 
a title for his memoirs, he chose words from the book of Ecclesiastes.
    Here was the verse:
    ``To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under 
the heaven.
    ``A time to be born, a time to die.
    ``A time to kill, and a time to heal.
    ``A time to weep, and a time to laugh.
    ``A time to mourn, and a time to dance.''
    He acknowledged that he was no saint. To know Jerry was to know a 
Norman Rockwell painting come to life. An avuncular figure, quick to 
smile, frequently with his pipe in his mouth. He could be tough. He 
could be tough as nails when the situation warranted. But he also had a 
heart as big and as open as the Midwest plains on which he was born. And 
he imbued every life he touched with his understated gentility.
    When we served together in the House of Representatives years ago, I 
watched from the back bench--I watched this good man--and even from way 
back there I could see the sterling leadership qualities of Jerry Ford. 
And later, after I followed his footsteps into the Oval Office, he was 
always supportive.
    On the lighter side, Jerry and I shared a common love of golf and 
also a reputation for suspect play before large crowds.
    ``I know I'm playing better golf,'' President Ford once reported to 
friends, ``because I'm hitting fewer spectators.''
    He had a wonderful sense of humor and even took it in stride when 
Chevy Chase had to make the entire world think that this terrific, 
beautifully coordinated athlete was actually a stumbler. Ford said it 
was funny. He wrote it in his memoir.
    I remember that lesson well, since being able to laugh at yourself 
is essential in public life. I'd tell you more about that, but as Dana 
Carvey would say: ``Not gonna do it. Wouldn't be prudent.''
    In the end, we are all God's children. And on this bittersweet day 
we can take solace that the Lord has come and taken this good man by the 
hand and led him home to heaven.
    It is plain to see how the hand of providence spared Jerry in World 
War II and later against two assassination attempts. And for that we 
give thanks. It is just as plain to see how the same hand directed this 
good man to lead a life of noble purpose, a life filled with challenge 
and accomplishment, a life indelibly marked by honor and integrity. And 
today we give thanks for that, too.
    May Almighty God bless the memory of Gerald R. Ford and keep him 
firm in the hearts of his countrymen. And may God bless his wonderful 
family.

THE HONORABLE HENRY A. KISSINGER, Former Secretary of State: According 
to an ancient tradition, God preserves humanity despite its many 
transgressions because at any one period there exist 10 just individuals 
who, without being aware of their role, redeem mankind.

    Gerald Ford was such a man. Propelled into the Presidency by a 
sequence of unpredictable events, he had an impact so profound it's 
rightly to be considered providential.
    Unassuming and without guile, Gerald Ford undertook to restore the 
confidence of Americans in their political institutions and purposes. 
Never having aspired to national office, he was not consumed by driving 
ambition. In his understated way, he did his duty as a leader, not as a 
performer playing to the gallery.
    Gerald Ford had the virtues of small-town America: sincerity, 
serenity and integrity. As it turned out, the absence of glibness and 
his artless decency became a political asset, fostering an unusual 
closeness to leaders around the world, which continued long after he 
left office.
    In recent days, the deserved commentary on Gerald Ford's character 
has sometimes obscured how sweeping and lasting were his achievements.
    Gerald Ford's prudence and common sense kept ethnic conflicts in 
Cyprus and Lebanon from spiraling into regional war.
    He presided over the final agony of Indochina with dignity and 
wisdom.
    In the Middle East, his persistence produced the first political 
agreement between Israel and Egypt.
    He helped shape the act of the Helsinki European Security 
Conference, which established an internationally recognized standard for 
human rights, now generally accepted as having hastened the collapse of 
the former Soviet empire.
    He sparked the initiative to bring majority rule to southern Africa, 
a policy that was a major factor in ending colonialism there.
    In his Presidency, the International Energy Agency was established, 
which still forces cooperation among oil-consuming nations.
    Gerald Ford was one of the founders of the continuing annual 
economic summit among the industrial democracies.
    Throughout his 29 months in office, he persisted in conducting 
negotiations with our principal adversary over the reduction and control 
of nuclear arms.
    Gerald Ford was always driven by his concern for humane values. He 
stumped me in his 5th day in office when he used the first call made by 
the Soviet Ambassador to intervene on behalf of a Lithuanian seaman who 
4 years earlier had in a horrible bungle been turned over to Soviet 
authorities after seeking asylum in America. Against all diplomatic 
precedent and, I must say, against the advice of all experts, Gerald 
Ford requested that the seaman, a Soviet citizen in a Soviet jail, not 
only be released but be turned over to American custody. Even more 
amazing, his request was granted.
    Throughout the final ordeal of Indochina, Gerald Ford focused on 
America's duty to rescue the maximum number of those who had relied on 
us. The extraction of 150,000 refugees was the consequence. And 
typically Gerald Ford saw it as his duty to visit one of the refugee 
camps long after public attention had moved elsewhere.
    Gerald Ford summed up his concern for human values at the European 
Security Conference, when looking directly at Brezhnev he proclaimed 
America's deep devotion to human rights and individual freedoms. ``To my 
country,'' he said, ``they're not cliches or empty phrases.''
    Historians will debate for a long time over which President 
contributed most to victory in the cold war. Few will dispute that the 
cold war could not have been won had not Gerald Ford emerged at a tragic 
period to restore equilibrium to America and confidence in its 
international role.
    Sustained by his beloved wife, Betty, and with the children to whom 
he was devoted, Gerald Ford left the Presidency with no regrets, no 
second-guessing, no obsessive pursuit of his place in history.
    For his friends, he leaves an aching void. Having known Jerry Ford 
and having worked with him will be our badge of honor for the rest of 
our lives.
    Early in his administration, Gerald Ford said to me: ``I get mad as 
hell, but I don't show it, when I don't do as well as I should. If you 
don't strive for the best, you will never make it.''
    We are here to bear witness that Jerry Ford always did his best, and 
that his best proved essential to renew our society and restore hope to 
the world.

THOMAS J. BROKAW, Journalist: Mrs. Ford, members of the Ford family, 
President and Mrs. Bush, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, President and 
Mrs. Bush, President and Mrs. Carter, President and Mrs. Clinton, 
distinguished guests, my fellow Americans, it's a great privilege and an 
honor for me to be here.

    For the past week, we have been hearing the familiar lyrics of the 
hymns to the passing of a famous man, the hosannas to his decency, his 
honesty, his modesty and his steady-as-she-goes qualities. It's what 
we've come to expect on these occasions.
    But this time there was extra value, for in the case of Gerald Ford, 
these lyrics have the added virtue of being true.
    Sometimes there are two versions to these hymns--one public and one 
private, separate and discordant. But in Gerald Ford, the man he was in 
public, he was also that man in private.
    Gerald Ford brought to the political arena no demons, no hidden 
agenda, no hit list or acts of vengeance. He knew who he was and he 
didn't require consultants or gurus to change him. Moreover, the country 
knew who he was and despite occasional differences, large and small, it 
never lost its affection for this man from Michigan, the football 
player, the lawyer and the veteran, the Congressman and suburban 
husband, the champion of Main Street values who brought all of those 
qualities to the White House.
    Once there, he stayed true to form, never believing that he was 
suddenly wiser and infallible because he drank his morning coffee from a 
cup with a Presidential seal.
    He didn't seek the office. And yet, as he told his friend, the late, 
great journalist Hugh Sidey, he was not frightened of the task before 
him.
    We could identify with him--all of us--for so many reasons. Among 
them, we were all trapped in what passed for style in the 1970s with a 
wardrobe with lapels out to here, white belts, plaid jackets and 
trousers so patterned that they would give you a migraine. The rest of 
us have been able to destroy most of the evidence of our fashion 
meltdown, but Presidents are not so lucky. Those David Kennerly 
photographs are reminders of his endearing qualities, but some of those 
jackets--I think that they're eligible for a Presidential pardon or at 
least a digital touchup.
    As a journalist, I was especially grateful for his appreciation of 
our role, even when we challenged his policies and taxed his patience 
with our constant presence and persistence. We could be adversaries but 
we were never his enemy, and that was a welcome change in status from 
his predecessor's time.
    To be a member of the Gerald Ford White House press corps brought 
other benefits as well as we documented a Nation and a world in 
transition, in turmoil. We accompanied him to audiences with the 
notorious and the merely powerful. We saw Tito, Franco, Sadat, Marcos, 
Suharto, the shah of Iran, the emperor of Japan, China with Mao Zedong, 
Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping all at once, what was then the Soviet Union 
and Vladivostock with Leonid Brezhnev, and Helsinki at one of the most 
remarkable gatherings of leaders in the 20th century.
    There were other advantages to being a member of his press corps 
that we didn't advertise quite as widely. We went to Vail at Christmas 
and Palm Springs at Easter time with our families. Now cynics might 
argue that contributed to our affection for him. That is not a premise 
that I wish to challenge.
    One of our colleagues, Jim Naughton of the New York Times, 
personified the spirit that existed in the relationship. He bought from 
a San Diego radio station promoter a large mock chicken head that had 
attracted the President's attention at a GOP rally. And then, giddy from 
20-hour days and an endless repetition of the same campaign speech, 
Naughton decided to wear that chicken head to a Ford news conference in 
Oregon with the enthusiastic encouragement of the President and his 
chief of staff, Dick Cheney.
    In the next news cycle, the chicken head was a bigger story than the 
President. And no one was more pleased than the man that we honor here 
today in this august ceremony.
    When the President called me last year and asked me if I would 
participate in these services, I think he wanted to be sure that the 
White House press corps was represented. The writers, correspondents and 
producers, the cameramen, photographers, the technicians and the 
chicken.
    He also brought something else to the White House, of course. He 
brought the humanity that comes with a family that seemed to be living 
right next door. He was every parent when he said my children have 
spoken for themselves since they were old enough to speak--and not 
always with my approval. I expect that to continue in the future.
    And was there a more supportive husband in America than when his 
beloved Betty began to speak out on issues that were not politically 
correct at the time. Together, they put on the front pages and in the 
leads of the evening newscasts the issues that had been underplayed in 
America for far too long.
    My colleague Bob Schieffer called him the nicest man he ever met in 
politics. To that I would only add the most underestimated.
    In many ways I believe football was a metaphor for his life in 
politics and after. He played in the middle of the line. He was a 
center, a position that seldom receives much praise. But he had his 
hands on the ball for every play and no play could start without him. 
And when the game was over and others received the credit, he didn't 
whine or whimper.
    But then he came from a generation accustomed to difficult missions, 
shaped by the sacrifices and the depravations of the Great Depression, a 
generation that gave up its innocence and youth to then win a great war 
and save the world. And when that generation came home from war, they 
were mature beyond their years and eager to make the world they had 
saved a better place. They re-enlisted as citizens and set out to serve 
their country in new ways, with political differences but always with 
the common goal of doing what's best for the Nation and all the people.
    When he entered the Oval Office, by fate not by design, Citizen Ford 
knew that he was not perfect, just as he knew he was not perfect when he 
left. But what President ever was?
    But he was prepared because he had served his country every day of 
his adult life and he left the Oval Office a much better place. The 
personal rewards of his citizenship and his Presidency were far richer 
than he had anticipated in every sense of the phrase.
    But the greatest rewards of Jerry Ford's time were reserved for his 
fellow Americans and the Nation he loved.
    Farewell, Mr. President. Thank you, Citizen Ford.

THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States: Mrs. Ford, 
the Ford family; distinguished guests, including our Presidents and 
First Ladies; and our fellow citizens:

    We are here today to say goodbye to a great man. Gerald Ford was 
born and reared in the American heartland. He belonged to a generation 
that measured men by their honesty and their courage. He grew to manhood 
under the roof of a loving mother and father--and when times were tough, 
he took part-time jobs to help them out. In President Ford, the world 
saw the best of America--and America found a man whose character and 
leadership would bring calm and healing to one of the most divisive 
moments in our Nation's history.
    Long before he was known in Washington, Gerald Ford showed his 
character and his leadership. As a star football player for the 
University of Michigan, he came face to face with racial prejudice when 
Georgia Tech came to Ann Arbor for a football game. One of Michigan's 
best players was an African American student named Willis Ward. Georgia 
Tech said they would not take the field if a black man were allowed to 
play. Gerald Ford was furious at Georgia Tech for making the demand, and 
for the University of Michigan for caving in. He agreed to play only 
after Willis Ward personally asked him to. The stand Gerald Ford took 
that day was never forgotten by his friend. And Gerald Ford never forgot 
that day either--and three decades later, he proudly supported the Civil 
Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in the U.S. Congress.
    Gerald Ford showed his character in the devotion to his family. On 
the day he became President, he told the Nation, ``I am indebted to no 
man, and only to one woman--to my dear wife.'' By then Betty Ford had a 
pretty good idea of what marriage to Gerald Ford involved. After all, 
their wedding had taken place less than 3 weeks before his first 
election to the U.S. Congress, and his idea of a ``honeymoon'' was 
driving to Ann Arbor with his bride so they could attend a brunch before 
the Michigan-Northwestern game the next day. (Laughter.) And that was 
the beginning of a great marriage. The Fords would have four fine 
children. And Steve, Jack, Mike, and Susan know that, as proud as their 
Dad was of being President, Gerald Ford was even prouder of the other 
titles he held: father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
    Gerald Ford showed his character in the uniform of our country. When 
Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1941, Gerald Ford was an attorney 
fresh out of Yale Law School, but when his Nation called he did not 
hesitate. In early 1942 he volunteered for the Navy and, after receiving 
his commission, worked hard to get assigned to a ship headed into 
combat. Eventually his wish was granted, and Lieutenant Ford was 
assigned to the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Monterey, which saw action in 
some of the biggest battles of the Pacific.
    Gerald Ford showed his character in public office. As a young 
Congressman, he earned a reputation for an ability to get along with 
others without compromising his principles. He was greatly admired by 
his colleagues and they trusted him a lot. And so when President Nixon 
needed to replace a Vice President who had resigned in scandal, he 
naturally turned to a man whose name was a synonym for integrity: Gerald 
R. Ford. And 8 months later, when he was elevated to the Presidency, it 
was because America needed him, not because he needed the office.
    President Ford assumed office at a terrible time in our Nation's 
history. At home, America was divided by political turmoil and wracked 
by inflation. In Southeast Asia, Saigon fell just 9 months into his 
Presidency. Amid all the turmoil, Gerald Ford was a rock of stability. 
And when he put his hand on his family Bible to take the Presidential 
oath of office, he brought grace to a moment of great doubt. In a short 
time, the gentleman from Grand Rapids proved that behind the affability 
was firm resolve. When a U.S. ship called the Mayaguez was seized by 
Cambodia, President Ford made the tough decision to send in the 
Marines--and all the crew members were rescued. He was criticized for 
signing the Helsinki Accords, yet history has shown that document helped 
bring down the Soviet Union, as courageous men and women behind the Iron 
Curtain used it to demand their God-given liberties. Twice assassins 
attempted to take the life of this good and decent man, yet he refused 
to curtail his public appearances. And when he thought that the Nation 
needed to put Watergate behind us, he made the tough and decent decision 
to pardon President Nixon, even though that decision probably cost him 
the Presidential election.
    Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency when the Nation needed a leader 
of character and humility--and we found it in the man from Grand Rapids. 
President Ford's time in office was brief, but history will long 
remember the courage and common sense that helped restore trust in the 
workings of our democracy.
    Laura and I had the honor of hosting the Ford family for Gerald 
Ford's 90th birthday. It's one of the highlights of our time in the 
White House. I will always cherish the memory of the last time I saw 
him, this past year in California. He was still smiling, still counting 
himself lucky to have Betty at his side, and still displaying the 
optimism and generosity that made him one of America's most beloved 
leaders. And so, on behalf of a grateful Nation, we bid farewell to our 
38th President. We thank the Almighty for Gerald Ford's life, and we ask 
for God's blessings on Gerald Ford and his family.

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket from the crossing.

As the casket is moved from the altar and, by prior personal request of 
President and Mrs. Ford, Vice President Cheney escorts the casket out of 
the Cathedral.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by President George W. Bush and Steven Ford, and the 
Ford family proceed to the narthex.

United States Coast Guard Band (New London, Connecticut):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``Holy, Holy, Holy''

Mrs. Ford and the family proceed to the motorcade for boarding.

Motorcade departs the National Cathedral en route to Andrews Air Force 
Base.

Motorcade arrives at Andrews Air Force Base.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Steven Ford, and the family 
proceed to their positions.

Mrs. Ford and the family are joined at the departure ceremony by 
President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter, Tom and Meredith 
Brokaw, Dr. Fletcher ``Buzz'' Miller and Debby Miller, Richard Norton 
Smith, Gregory and Ann Willard, Penny Circle, Ann Cullen, Len Nurmi, 
Michael Wagner, Janice Hart, Terrence and Margaret O'Donnell, Leon and 
Barbara Parma, Lee and Jeanette Simmons, Richard Garbarino, Dr. Ted 
Garrett and Gayle Garrett, John Gregory Willard, and Thym Smith.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

United States Air Force Band:

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute (5 second interval)

``Goin' Home''

Armed Forces Body Bearers place the casket onto the Presidential 
aircraft.

The Ford children greet each of the honorary pallbearers.

The Ford family and President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter are escorted by 
Michael Wagner to the Presidential aircraft for boarding.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, boards the Presidential aircraft.

Presidential aircraft departs Andrews Air Force Base en route to Grand 
Rapids, Michigan.

Approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes following departure, the 
Presidential aircraft flew very low over the University of Michigan and 
the University of Michigan Stadium and dipped its wings in tribute and 
farewell to President Ford's alma mater.

Presidential aircraft arrives at Gerald R. Ford International Airport, 
Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Honorary pallbearers: Grand Rapids

Martin J. Allen, Jr.

Mary Sue Coleman

Richard M. DeVos

Richard A. Ford

David G. Frey

Pepi Gramshammer

Robert L. Hooker

Frederick G.H. Meijer

Jack Nicklaus

Leon W. Parma

Peter F. Secchia

L. William Seidman

Steve Van Andel

Glenn ``Bo'' Schembechler (in memoriam)

President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, escorted by Michael Wagner, and the 
Ford family proceed from the Presidential aircraft to the departure 
ceremony.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Guy Swan and John Ford, proceeds from the 
Presidential aircraft to the departure ceremony.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the Presidential 
aircraft.

University of Michigan Marching Band (Ann Arbor, Michigan):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

21-Gun Salute (5 second interval)

``The Yellow and Blue''

``Hail to the Victors''

Motorcade departs en route to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

As the motorcade proceeds from the Gerald R. Ford International Airport 
en route to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, honorary Color 
Guards from veterans organizations and regional Boy Scout troops are in 
formation across the entire south side of the Bridge Street Bridge.

Motorcade arrives at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library 

     Mourners in line to pay their respects during the public repose
               at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

President and Mrs. Carter are escorted inside the museum by U.S. 
Military Academy Cadet Peter Meijer.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Gregory Willard, and the Ford 
family proceed to the arrival ceremony.

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Grand Rapids Mayor George 
Heartwell stand just outside the main entrance. The remaining members of 
the 30/30 Club (teammates from President Ford's high school football 
team) are inside the museum atrium.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

126th Army Band (Wyoming, Michigan):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

Armed Forces Body Bearers proceed through cordon, and into the museum as 
``Amazing Grace'' is played by a Grand Rapids Police Department 
bagpiper.

Bagpiper

Color Guard

Clergy

Casket

Presidential Colors

Honorary pallbearers

Mrs. Ford and General Swan

Family

Guard of Honor is posted.

A brief service is conducted in the museum.
Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

                          Arrival Ceremony for
                          President Ford at the
                             Gerald R. Ford
                           Presidential Museum
                             January 2, 2007

Invocation given by George Heartwell, Mayor of Grand Rapids

Remarks by Mr. Martin Allen, Chairman Emeritus, Gerald R. Ford 
Foundation

Remarks by Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan

``Shall We Gather at the River,'' sung by the United States Army Chorus

Placing of the University of Michigan wreath by Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, 
President, University of Michigan

Placing of the Yale University wreath by Dr. Richard Levin, President, 
Yale University

Benediction by Reverend Robert G. Certain
GEORGE HEARTWELL, Mayor of Grand Rapids: And those who know thy name put 
their trust in thee, for thou O Lord has not forsaken those who seek 
thee.

    Let us pray:
    Merciful God, we call on you to be powerfully present at this moment 
in the life of this family and this Nation. We celebrate your servant 
Gerald Ford who gave a lifetime of service to his country, who heard 
your call spoken through the votes of the people of this congressional 
district, spoken through a confirmation process for Vice President, and 
spoken through a succession process that placed him in the highest 
office of our land. Each time that he heard your call to move higher, he 
faithfully responded. Now in his spirit, he meets you face to face and 
hears your final call: Well done good and faithful servant, enter into 
the joy of your Master. We who are left behind can only mourn his 
passing, pray for his soul, and look to a bright future for America 
which he saw so clearly. Comfort us in our grief, especially comfort his 
family whose sadness surpasses all. Comfort the Nation which strives for 
the decency and honor which President Ford embodied. Yet though we 
mourn, we are not a people who mourn without hope or who grieve without 
purpose. Our purpose must be to grasp what you have given us and to 
understand what you have shown us so that out of our night of mourning 
might come a dawn of quiet resolve. Thus today we resolve to be the 
great Nation President Ford challenged us to be. A Nation that is strong 
and courageous in the face of opposition. A Nation that forgives freely 
and seeks forgiveness from others. A Nation that adheres to the highest 
standards of ethics and diplomacy. A guiding light to the world. Bless 
the soul of Gerald Ford with homecoming joy and bless those of us who 
remain behind with the confidence of eternal life. Amen.

MARTIN J. ALLEN, JR., Chairman Emeritus, Gerald R. Ford Foundation: 
Betty, Mike, Jack, Steve, Susan, Brother Dick, members of the Ford 
family, the Ford staff, and friends of Ford:

    There is a group here that could be classified as friends or family, 
the United States Army Chorus who have been with the Fords for so many 
of their significant events while in the White House and after. One of 
the many events that they performed in Grand Rapids was the dedication 
of this museum. They have adopted the Ford family as the family has 
adopted the chorus. It is most appropriate that they are here today and 
for tomorrow's services.
    ``Grand Rapids, Michigan--a place from which a man can journey far 
and never leave.''
    These words are taken from Jim Cannon's book on President Ford 
entitled ``Time and Chance.'' Jim came to Grand Rapids with an 
understanding of the Midwestern culture, but when he left he had a much 
better understanding of what shaped President Ford's values and 
characteristics developed throughout his formative years. He found a 
young man whose family values were based on simple but profound Ford 
rules: ``tell the truth, work hard and be at dinner on time.'' He abided 
by the Boy Scout oath: ``Duty to God and Country''--and achieved the 
distinguished title of Eagle Scout. He experienced discipline, courage, 
and competitiveness with respect for opponents as a football player at 
South High School. Those values would endure throughout his life and 
evolved characteristics of decency, integrity, civility and goodwill.
    ``A place from which a man can journey far and never leave''--and 
journey from Grand Rapids he did . . . to the University of Michigan, 
Yale University, the South Pacific during World War II, Alexandria, 
Virginia, the White House, Colorado, and California . . . but wherever 
he journeyed, the values forged in Grand Rapids never left him.
    And most important to him, of all of his memories and experiences in 
Grand Rapids, it was in this city where the great love story of Jerry 
Ford and Betty Bloomer had its beginning, a beginning that would have no 
end. The concise, but powerful, words selected by President and Mrs. 
Ford inscribed at the burial site say it all--``Lives committed to God, 
Country and Love.''
    We have just completed the 25th anniversary of the dedication of 
this museum. For over 20 years, I have had the privilege--indeed the 
pleasure--to meet President Ford at these entrance doors whenever he 
visited his Presidential museum. I always greeted him the same way, 
``Welcome home, Mr. President.'' And he always responded, ``Marty, it's 
good to be home.''
    Following Governor Granholm's remarks, the United States Army Chorus 
will sing the beautiful hymn that asks the question in its title ``Shall 
We Gather at the River?,'' and is answered by the refrain ``yes, we'll 
gather at the river.''
    And so we gather here to conclude President Ford's final journey 
from California, to Washington, DC, to the city he never left, Grand 
Rapids, to say
    ``Welcome home, Mr. President.''

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, Governor of Michigan: To Mrs. Ford, Michael, Jack, 
Steven and Susan, friends of the Ford family, President and Mrs. Carter, 
and honored guests:

    On behalf of the State of Michigan, welcome. We are proud and 
honored that you are here.
    And to President Ford: Welcome home, Mr. President. Welcome home to 
the city where you ate dinners with your family on Union Avenue, where 
you laughed with your high school football friends, and graduated with 
honors from Grand Rapids South High.
    Mr. President, welcome home to the State and the city where your 
mother and your stepfather baked into your young life some good 
Midwestern values--hard work, sportsmanship, integrity, honesty.
    Welcome home to the city you returned to after serving your country 
in the war.
    Welcome home to the city where you and Betty were married, at Grace 
Episcopal Church--Betty in a $50 dress, and you in muddy shoes.
    Welcome home to the district you represented in Congress so well for 
25 years, while living on Crown View Drive.
    And welcome home to the people you reflected so well when you were 
in Washington.
    You probably saw as the motorcade drove in the citizens of Grand 
Rapids on freeway overpasses, children holding signs saying ``Welcome 
Home.'' We are so proud. And let me just observe, sir, that a lot has 
been said about your humility, simplicity, low-key approach to leading. 
But we won't let all that understatedness fool us--you were incredible. 
We all know about being a high school and college football star, but . . 
. an Eagle Scout, a war hero, an honors graduate of the University of 
Michigan and Yale Law School. In fact, the most delightful secret about 
Jerry Ford is that you were a paradoxical gift of remarkable intellect 
and achievement, wrapped in plain brown paper.
    Mr. President, you embodied the Midwestern spirit illustrated in the 
three rules you often said your parents taught you--tell the truth, work 
hard, and come to dinner on time. I cannot think of three better rules 
to live by, whether you are a boy growing up in Grand Rapids or the 
President of the United States.
    I was listening to the commentators on the news this morning 
describe the actions yesterday by Susan and Jack and Michael and Steven 
as they personally shook the hands of mourners who came to pay their 
respects--the commentators described their graciousness and warmth and 
accessibility as an example of good Midwestern values. It made me proud. 
I'm sure that you were proud too, Mr. President.
    We were proud to see the down-to-earth spirit you brought to the 
White House. We are proud that we will put you down in our Michigan 
earth, right here.
    Welcome home, Mr. President, to a State proud of your time as not 
only the Nation's President, but our President, Michigan's President.
     Mr. President, you said at the rededication of this museum in 1997:
    ``Like a runner nearing the end of his course, I hand off the baton 
to those who share my belief in America as a country that has never 
become, but is always in the act of becoming. Presidents come and go. 
But principles endure, to inspire and animate leaders yet unborn. . . . 
That is the mission of every American patriot. For here the lamp of 
individual conscience burns bright. By that light, we can all find our 
way home.''
    Mr. President, we are proud that you have found your way home.

``Shall We Gather at the River'' sung by the United States Army Chorus:

Shall we gather at the river,

Where bright angels he has brought,

With its crystal tides forever

Flowing by the throne of God

Yes, we'll gather at the river.

The beautiful, the beautiful, river.

Gather with the saints at the river,

That flows by the throne of God

Ere we reach the shining river

Lay we every burden down,

Praise our spirits will deliver

And provide our robe and crown.

Yes, we'll gather at the river.

The beautiful, the beautiful, river.

Gather with the saints at the river,

That flows by the throne of God

Soon we'll reach the shining river,

Soon our pilgrimage will cease,

Soon our happy hearts will quiver

With the melody of peace.

Yes, we'll gather at the river.

The beautiful, the beautiful, river.

Gather with the saints at the river,

That flows by the throne of God

JENNIFER GRANHOLM: Second only to Grand Rapids, the University of 
Michigan shaped Gerald Ford's character and broadened his outlook. In 
placing a memorial wreath on behalf of the entire Wolverine family, 
President Mary Sue Coleman expresses the university's own pride in, and 
affection for, its most distinguished graduate.

Dr. Coleman approaches the Michigan wreath, which is carried by a 
soldier. The wreath is then placed by Dr. Coleman at the casket. 
Following a personal moment, Dr. Coleman speaks with Mrs. Ford.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM: In his memoirs, President Ford wrote of Yale 
University and its gothic towers with unabashed enthusiasm. ``Everywhere 
I went, I observed an atmosphere of scholarship, dignity, and 
tradition,'' he said. In Yale's classrooms he mastered the law; on its 
athletic fields he learned lessons that would stand him in good stead 
and guide him for the rest of his life. Today, President Richard Levin 
and Yale University honor us, even as they honor this son of Michigan, 
who was also a loyal son of Eli.

Dr. Levin approaches the wreath, which is carried by a Marine. The 
wreath is then placed by Dr. Levin at the casket. Following a personal 
moment, Dr. Levin speaks with Mrs. Ford.

FATHER ROBERT CERTAIN: Let us pray.

    Lord God Almighty, in whose name the Founders of this country in 
liberty for themselves and for us, lit the torch of freedom for nations 
then onboard, grant we beseech thee that we and all people of this land 
may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace 
through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the 
Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
    And may the peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your 
hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son, Jesus 
Christ our Lord, and the blessing of the Almighty, the Father, the Son 
and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you, always. Amen.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and John Ford, and the Ford family 
proceed to the motorcade.

Mrs. Ford and the family proceed to Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

Public repose begins at the museum. Approximately 69,000 people paid 
their respects at the casket throughout the night. At various periods 
during the night, several of President and Mrs. Ford's children and 
grandchildren greeted the guests.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Grand Rapids, Michigan

The family proceeds to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

The family, accompanied by General Swan, proceeds inside the museum for 
private time prior to the departure ceremony.

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket from the museum.

126th Army Band (Wyoming, Michigan):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``Crown Him with Many Crowns''

Procession moves to the hearse.

Order of Procession

Honorary pallbearers

Clergy

Casket

Presidential Colors

Family

Armed Forces Body Bearers place the casket in the hearse.

The family departs en route to Grace Episcopal Church.

Along a portion of the motorcade route from the museum to Grace Church, 
Boy Scouts formed a 1-mile long honorary cordon to pay their final 
respects to President Ford.

Mrs. Ford and the family arrive at Grace Church and are escorted to the 
Guild Room.

Vice President and Mrs. Dick Cheney, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, 
and Secretary and Mrs. Donald Rumsfeld proceed to the Guild Room and 
greet Mrs. Ford.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan, and the family proceed to the 
sanctuary.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

Air Force Band of Flight (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

Armed Forces Body Bearers carry the casket through the cordon and into 
the church as ``Fairest Lord Jesus'' is played.

Former Michigan football coach, the late ``Bo'' Schembechler, had been 
invited by President Ford to be an honorary pallbearer in Grand Rapids. 
In tribute to Coach Schembechler and his friendship with President Ford, 
a maize and blue stadium blanket with the University of Michigan ``M'' 
was placed on the pew that would have been occupied by Coach 
Schembechler. Mrs. Cathy Schembechler, Coach Schembechler's widow, 
accompanied the honorary pallbearers and their spouses at all ceremonies 
and services in Grand Rapids.

Service commences.
Funeral Services

Gerald R. Ford

                                            

                A Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of

                             GERALD R. FORD

              Thirty-Eighth President of the United States




                       Wednesday, January 3, 2007

                                2:00 P.M.

                         Grace Episcopal Church

                         Grand Rapids, Michigan

                                            

  

``Our Constitution works; our great Republic
is a government of laws and not of men.
Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power,
by whatever name we honor Him,
who ordains not only righteousness, but love;
not only justice, but mercy.''
--Gerald R. Ford, August 9, 1974


``Trust in the Lord with all thine heart,
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
and He shall direct thy paths.''
--Book of Proverbs, Chapter 3:5-6


``God has been good to America, especially during difficult times.
At the time of the Civil War, he gave us Abraham Lincoln.
And at the time of Watergate, he gave us Gerald Ford--
The right man at the right time who was able
to put the Nation back together.''
--The Honorable Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill
  Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives
  



                            ORDER OF SERVICE
                                            




           PRELUDE
     Grace Episcopal Church Choir and
                 Organist

     RECEPTION OF                The Reverend Dr. J. Nixon McMillan
     THE BODY

     ...  With faith in Jesus Christ, we receive the body of our brother Gerald for burial. Let us pray with
           confidence to God, the Giver of life, that He will raise him to perfection in the company of the
           saints.

     ...  Deliver your servant, Gerald, O Sovereign Lord Christ, from all evil, and set him free from every
           bond; that he may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations; where with the Father and the
           Holy Spirit You live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

     ...  Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on God, and know the consolation of
           His love.

     ...  Almighty God, look with pity upon the sorrows of Your servants for whom we pray. Remember them, Lord,
           in Your mercy; nourish them with patience; comfort them with a sense of Your goodness; lift up Your
           countenance upon them; and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

     ...  The people stand.

     ANTHEM IN
              PROCESSION
     The Reverend Dr. Robert
            Certain

     ...  ``I am the resurrection and the life,'' saith the Lord.
     ...  ``He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;
     ...  and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.''

     ...  I know that my Redeemer liveth,
     ...  and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;
     ...  and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God;
     ...  whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold,
     ...  and not as a stranger.

     ...  For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
     ...  For if we live, we live unto the Lord;
     ...  and if we die, we die unto the Lord.
     ...  Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

     ...  Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord;
     ...  even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.

     OPENING COLLECT                 The Reverend Charles Howell

     ...  Priest:
     The Lord be with you.
     ...  People:
     And with Thy spirit.
     ...  Priest:
     Let us pray.
     ...
     O God, whose mercies cannot be
      numbered: Accept our prayers on
      behalf of Thy servant Gerald Ford,
      and grant him an entrance into the
      land of light and joy, in the
      fellowship of Thy saints; through
      Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, who
      liveth and reigneth with Thee and
      the Holy Spirit, one God, now and
      for ever.
     ...  People:
     Amen.

     ...  The people are seated.


                        PSALM 23
     Read by
        Mr.
      Michael
       Ford

     ...  A Reading from the Psalms of David

     ...  The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.

     ...  He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leadeth me beside the still waters.

     ...  He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.

     ...  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with
           me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

     ...  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my
           cup runneth over.

     ...  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of
           the Lord for ever.

     ...  Reader:
     The Word of the Lord.
     ...  People:
     Thanks be to God.

     ...  The people stand.

     HYMN
     ...  Sung by all
     ...






     ...      Refrain:                                       3.  The people of the Hebrews
              All glory, laud, and honor                         with palms before Thee
              to Thee, Redeemer, King!                             went;
              to whom the lips of                                our praise and prayers and
                children                                           anthems
              made sweet hosannas                                before Thee we present.
                ring.                                            Refrain.






     ...  1.  Thou art the King of                           4.  To Thee before thy passion
                Israel,                                          they sang their hymns of
              Thou David's royal Son.                              praise;
              who in the Lord's Name                             to Thee, now high exalted,
                comest,                                          our melody we raise.
              the King and Blessed                               Refrain.
                One.
              Refrain.

     ...  2.  The company of angels                          5.  Thou didst accept their
              is praising Thee on high;                            praises;
              and we with all creation                           accept the prayers we
              in chorus make reply.                                bring.
              Refrain.                                           who in all good delightest,
                                                                 Thou good and gracious
                                                                   King.
                                                                 Refrain.






     ...  The people are seated.


     Read by
        Mr.
      Steven
       Ford


     ...  A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans.

     ...  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of
           slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ``Abba!
           Father!'' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if
           children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with Him so
           that we may also be glorified with Him.

     ...  I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be
           revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.

     ...  Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God,
           who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or
           distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

     ...  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that
           neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
           nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love
           of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

     ...  Reader:
     The Word of the Lord.
     ...  People:
     Thanks be to God.

     ANTHEM: THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC
     ...  The United States Army Chorus

     ...  Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
     ...  He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
     ...  He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
     ...  His truth is marching on.

     ...  Refrain:
     ...  Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
     ...  Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

     ...  I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
     ...  They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
     ...  I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
     ...  His truth is marching on. Refrain

     ...  In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
     ...  With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
     ...  As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free;
     ...  While God is marching on. Refrain

     ...  The people stand.

     THE HOLY GOSPEL: JOHN 14:1-6
     Reverend
      Katheri
         ne
      Brower

     ...  Priest:
     The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus
      Christ, according to John.
     ...  People:
     Glory be to Thee, O Lord.

     ...  Priest: Jesus said, ``Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in Me. In My
           Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to
           prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you
           to Myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am
           going.'' Thomas said to him, ``Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?''
           Jesus said to him, ``I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
           through Me.''

     ...  Priest:
     The Gospel of the Lord.
     ...  People:
     Praise be to Thee, O Christ.

     ...  Afer the Gospel, the people are seated for the tributes and Homily.

                TRIBUTES
     The Honorable Donald
           Rumsfeld
                                  The Honorable Jimmy Carter
                                    Mr. Richard Norton Smith

                  HOMILY
     The Reverend Dr. Robert
            Certain

    ...  The people stand.

     THE APOSTLES' CREED
     ...  Said by all

     ...  I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

     ...  I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
           and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
           He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at
           the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

     ...  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of
           sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

     THE LORD'S PRAYER
     ...  Said by all

     ...  Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as
           it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
           who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the
           kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

            THE PRAYERS
     Mrs. Sarah Ford
         Goodfellow
                                    Mrs. Tyne Vance Berlanga
                                   Mr. Christian Gerald Ford

     ...  In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

     ...  Almighty God, who hast knit together Thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body
           of Thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant, we beseech Thee, to Thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, Thy
           light and Thy peace. Amen.

     ...  Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ's death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to
           newness of life, and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with Him to our joyful
           resurrection. Amen.

     ...  Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, that Thy Holy Spirit may
           lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. Amen.

     ...  Grant to Thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve
           Thee with a quiet mind. Amen.

     ...  Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in Thy fatherly care, that, casting all their grief on Thee,
           they may know the consolation of Thy love. Amen.

     ...  Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead
           in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those
           they love. Amen.

     ...  Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion
           of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Amen.

     ...  Grant us grace to entrust Gerald to Thy never-failing love; receive him into the arms of Thy mercy,
           and remember him according to the favor which Thou bearest unto Thy people. Amen.

     ...  Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of Thee, he may go from strength to strength in the life
           of perfect service in Thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

     ...  Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss
           in Thy eternal and everlasting glory, and, with all Thy saints, to receive the crown of life which
           Thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of Thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth
           with Thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

     ...  The people are seated.

     ANTHEM: ON EAGLE'S WINGS
     ...  The United States Army Chorus, Sergeant First Class Alvy R. Powell, Jr., Soloist







     ...  1.  You who dwell in the                           2.  You need not fear the
                shelter of the Lord,                               terror of the night,
              who abide in this shadow                           nor the arrow that flies by
                for life,                                          day;
              say to the Lord: ``My                              Under His wings your
                refuge,                                            refuge,
              my rock in whom I trust!''                         His faithfulness your
                                                                   shield. Refrain

     ...      Refrain:                                       3.  For to His angels He's
              And He will raise you up                             given a command
                on eagle's wings,                                to guard you in all of your
              bear you on the breath of                            ways;
                dawn,                                            upon their hands they will
              make you to shine like the                           bear you up,
                sun,                                             lest you dash your foot
              and hold you in the palm                             against a stone. Refrain
                of His hand.






     ...  The people stand.

     THE COMMENDATION              The Reverend Charles Howell
    ...  The Celebrant and other ministers take their places at the body.

     ...  Celebrant:
     Give rest, O Christ, to Thy servant
      with Thy saints.
     ...  People:
     Where sorrow and pain are no more,
      neither sighing, but life
      everlasting.

     ...  Celebrant:
     Thou only art immortal, the Creator
      and Maker of mankind; and we are
      mortal, formed of the earth, and
      unto earth shall we return. For so
      Thou didst ordain when Thou
      createdst me, saying, ``Dust thou
      art, and unto dust shalt thou
      return.'' All we go down to the
      dust; yet even at the grave we make
      our song: Alleluia, alleluia,
      alleluia.
     ...  People:
     Give rest, O Christ, to Thy servant
      with Thy saints, where sorrow and
      pain are no more, neither sighing,
      but life everlasting.

     ...  Celebrant:
     Into Thy hands, O merciful Savior,
      we commend Thy servant Gerald Ford.
      Acknowledge, we humbly beseech
      Thee, a sheep of Thine own fold, a
      lamb of Thine own flock, a sinner
      of Thine own redeeming. Receive him
      into the arms of Thy mercy, into
      the blessed rest of everlasting
      peace, and into the glorious
      company of the saints in light.
     ...  People:
     Amen.

            THE BLESSING
     The Reverend Dr. Robert
            Certain

     ...  Nearing the end of his Presidency on January 12, 1977, President Ford distilled a quarter century of
           public service into a farewell address to the American people that was, like the man himself, more
           connected with the future than the past. May the words he spoke that night of reflection and his
           testament to faith serve as our benediction on Gerald Ford for his courage, his character, and his
           providential place in the history of America:

     ...  ``My fellow Americans I once asked you for your prayers, and now I give you mine. May God guide this
           wonderful country, its people and those they have chosen to lead them. May our third century be
           illuminated by liberty and blessed with brotherhood so that we and all who come after us may be the
           humble servants of thy peace. Amen.''

           THE DISMISSAL
     The Reverend Dr. J.
      Nixon McMillan

     ...  Priest:
     Let us go forth in the name of
      Christ.
     ...  People:
     Thanks be to God.

     CLOSING PROCESSION: HYMN
     ...  Sung by all







     ...  1.  A mighty fortress is our                       3.  And though this world,
                God,                                               with devils filled,
              a bulwark never failing;                           should threaten to undo
              our helper He amid the                               us;
                flood                                            we will not fear, for God
              of mortal ills prevailing:                           hath willed
              for still our ancient foe                          His truth to triumph
              doth seek to work us woe;                            through us;
              His craft and power are                            the prince of darkness
                great,                                             grim,
              and, armed with cruel                              we tremble not for him;
                hate,                                            his rage we can endure,
              on earth is not His equal.                         for lo! his doom is sure,
                                                                 one little word shall fell
                                                                   him.

     ...  2.  Did we in our own                              4.  That word above all
                strength confide,                                  earthly powers,
              our striving would be                              no thanks to them,
                losing;                                            abideth;
              were not the right man                             the Spirit and the gifts are
                on our side,                                       ours
              the man of God's own                               through Him who with us
                choosing:                                          sideth:
              dost ask who that may                              let goods and kindred go,
                be?                                              this mortal life also;
              Christ Jesus, it is He;                            the body they may kill:
              Lord Sabaoth His Name,                             God's truth abideth still,
              from age to age the same,                          His kingdom is for ever.
              and He must win the
                battle.







     POSTLUDE: NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD
     ...  The people are asked to remain at their seats until directed by an usher.





                                              

                              Participants


                           Officiating Clergy

               The Reverend Dr. Robert G. Certain
     Rector, St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School, Palm 
                     Desert, California
                 The Reverend Charles H. Howell
         Rector, Christ Church, Staten Island, New York
      Former Rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, 
                          Michigan
               The Reverend Dr. J. Nixon McMillan
     Interim Rector, Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, 
                          Michigan
                  The Reverend Katherine Brower
     Deacon, Grace Episcopal Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan

                                 Readers

                        Mr. Michael Ford
                         Mr. Steven Ford

                              Intercessors

                   Mrs. Sarah Ford Goodfellow
                    Mrs. Tyne Vance Berlanga
                    Mr. Christian Gerald Ford

                                Tributes

                  The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld
                   The Honorable Jimmy Carter
           Thirty-Ninth President of the United States
                    Mr. Richard Norton Smith

                                Musicians

                The Grace Episcopal Church Choir
       Mr. John E. Hamersma, Director of Parish Music and 
                          Organist
                  The United States Army Chorus
                  Major James Keene, Conductor
        Sergeant First Class Alvy R. Powell, Jr., Soloist

                          Honorary Pallbearers




       Martin J. Allen, Jr.      Richard A. Ford           Frederick H.G. Meijer        Peter F. Secchia
       Mary Sue Coleman          David G. Frey             Jack Nicklaus                L. William Seidman
       Richard M. DeVos          Pepi Gramshammer          Leon W. Parma                Steve Van Andel
                                 Robert L. Hooker          Glenn E. Schembechler
                                                           In Memoriam


                                               





Gerald R. Ford has come home--to the place where his commitment to 
integrity and selflessness was first instilled in him over 90 years ago by 
Dorothy and Gerald Ford, Sr. A graduate of the University of Michigan and 
Yale Law School, Lieutenant Commander Ford served aboard the U.S.S. 
Monterey in the South Pacific theater during World War II. After the war, 
he returned to Grand Rapids where in October 1948 he married the former 
Betty Bloomer. For over half a century their partnership flourished, 
enriched immeasurably by their four children--Michael, John (Jack), Steven, 
and Susan--and by their seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Soon after their wedding, voters in Michigan's Fifth Congressional District 
sent the Fords to Washington for the first of his 13 terms in the House of 
Representatives. The new congressman quickly established a reputation for 
personal integrity and political moderation--a reputation that would define 
his entire political career. An internationalist in the tradition of 
Senator Arthur Vandenberg, Ford was entrusted in Congress with growing 
responsibilities for national defense and foreign relations. In 1963, 
President Lyndon Johnson appointed Congressman Ford to serve on the Warren 
Commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. 
Kennedy. Two years later, Ford was elevated by his Republican colleagues to 
the post of House Minority Leader, where he encouraged a constructive 
opposition and an inclusive GOP. By the early 1970s, Ford concluded that he 
would never realize his ambition to be Speaker of the House and decided 
with Betty that they would return home for good in January 1977.

But history and the American people weren't ready to part with Gerald Ford. 
In December 1973, he was confirmed as Vice President of the United States. 
And just eight months later, on August 9, 1974, Ford assumed the Presidency 
amidst the gravest constitutional crisis since the Civil War. Upon taking 
the Presidential Oath, he spoke to the American people: ``I am acutely 
aware that you have not elected me as your President by your ballots. So I 
ask you to confirm me as your President with your prayers.''

Not only did the new President confront widespread public disillusionment 
in the wake of the Watergate scandals and Vietnam War, he also grappled 
with a devastating economic recession and mounting tensions around the 
globe. The President who never sought the Presidency resolved that his time 
in office, however long or short, would be a time of healing. He promptly 
announced clemency terms for Vietnam-era draft evaders and pardoned his 
predecessor in an act that was as personally courageous as it was 
politically detrimental. In 2001, the John F. Kennedy Foundation presented 
the Profile in Courage Award to President Ford in tribute to his placing 
the Nation's best interests over his political future in issuing the 
pardon.

More than his many achievements and visionary initiatives in foreign and 
domestic policy, the Presidency of Gerald Ford is defined by his personal 
integrity and unbending adherence to the truth. As Vice President Dick 
Cheney has observed, President Ford ``restored trust and confidence in the 
Presidency and the White House simply by the sheer force of his 
character.'' Thus, by the time of the Nation's Bicentennial, the American 
people had a renewed pride in the Presidency, the Nation, and themselves. 
As President Jimmy Carter graciously acknowledged on January 20, 1977, the 
man from Grand Rapids had healed the land.

Upon returning to private life, President Ford remained active in public, 
civic, and charitable activities. He received the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom, and he and Mrs. Ford were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He 
spoke at over 200 college campuses, convened annual meetings of his AEI 
World Forum in Vail, Colorado, and contributed significantly to the 
presidential library and museum which bear his name. Decrying popular 
cynicism, President Ford used his speeches, newspaper articles, and other 
writings to remind his countrymen that politics is indeed a noble calling.

And now Gerald R. Ford has made his final trip home, having fulfilled the 
legacy instilled in him in a Grand Rapids household more than 90 years 
ago--

Love of Family, Love of Country, Love of God.

  




                 JULY 14, 1913-DECEMBER 26, 2006

DONALD RUMSFELD, Former Secretary of Defense: Reverend, clergy, 
President and Mrs. Carter, Mr. Vice President and Lynne, honored guests 
and friends of Gerald Rudolph Ford.

    There's an old saying in Washington that every Member of the U.S. 
Congress looks in the mirror and sees a future President. Well, Jerry 
Ford was different. I suspect that when he looked in a mirror, even 
after he became President, he saw a citizen and a public servant.
    A few days ago a neighbor offered an insight, saying, ``He was one 
of us.'' And he was. And that made him special and needed in a dark and 
dangerous hour for our Nation.
    No matter how mean-spirited or partisan Washington became--and let's 
not forget that as President, Gerald Ford, as other Presidents, was 
roundly criticized and belittled, he never lowered himself to that 
level.
    Mr. Vice President, you will recall well his strong disapproval when 
his longtime friend, Congressman George Mahon, a Democrat, was 
criticized. And his deep disappointment when, for a variety of reasons, 
he was unable to attend a function honoring his political rival but 
close friend, then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tip O'Neill. 
In the Oval Office, working on his transition to the Presidency, we saw 
him welcome advice from Democrats and Republicans alike in those very 
early days.
    But the advice he valued most, as he put it, ``Was that which comes 
from my wife.'' Betty, as I recall, your advice was unvarnished, 
sometimes unsolicited, and almost always right on the mark. Indeed, 
everyone who knew him could see that Gerald Ford seemed to marvel every 
day at his great good fortune at having met and married Elizabeth 
Bloomer Ford.
    Betty was a First Lady like no other, an inspiration for truly 
millions that she never met and a rock of support for a husband who 
relied greatly on her wisdom, her candor, and, indeed, her personal 
courage. Betty, we thank you for your devotion to him, to our country, 
and to the millions of Americans who have benefited because you have 
touched their lives.
    Mike, Jack, Steve, and Susan, you and your children are in our 
prayers today also. You strengthened and sustained your dad during a 
profound and turbulent time. And your country is grateful for that.
    You know, a wonder of America is that its future Presidents can rise 
from unlikely places: a log cabin in Kentucky, a haberdashery in 
Missouri, an ice creamery in Kansas, or a paint shop in Michigan.
    In fact, a visit to this city in the 1920s or 1930s might well have 
come across a towheaded boy cleaning paint cans or selling soda at the 
amusement park to earn some extra money during the Depression.
    Jerry Ford had a self-described fiery demeanor. He said because of 
it, his mother made a lot of friends, all of the mothers of the kids 
that he had gotten into scraps with. But if he had a certain 
``vinegar,'' he was also brimming with promise. He demonstrated that at 
Michigan, at Yale, and as a volunteer in the Navy stationed aboard the 
U.S.S. Monterey.
    When Joyce and I visited him just after Thanksgiving, he told us 
about the time that the U.S.S. Monterey, the aircraft carrier he served 
on in World War II, encountered a typhoon which heavily damaged the ship 
and nearly threw him overboard. I doubt that he ever imagined that 30 
years later, he would be at the head of a different kind of ship, swept 
by a different kind of storm, and that America would be depending on his 
steady and trusted hand at the helm.
    When I joined Gerald Ford as a Member of Congress in 1962, I found a 
skillful legislator who had earned the respect of his colleagues. He was 
energetic in his desire to serve and to contribute, but he did not wake 
up every morning wondering how he could get ahead. In fact, in 1964, 
Betty will remember that a small group of us had to work very, very hard 
to persuade Jerry Ford to run for minority leader of the U.S. House of 
Representatives. And I was able to see him work skillfully to achieve 
passage of the historic civil rights legislation during the 1960s.
    Later, as White House chief of staff, I was standing next to 
President Ford during two assassination attempts that stunned an already 
traumatized country, which he handled with courage, with poise, and, I 
should add, with good humor.
    He was a patriot who knew that freedom is precious and that it comes 
at a cost. I'm grateful that I was serving last year when the Navy 
considered naming a new aircraft carrier class the U.S.S. Gerald R. 
Ford, a decision to be announced some time later this month, I'm told. 
And, without giving away any secrets, I can report that, during that 
visit with President Ford, I brought him a cap with the U.S.S. Gerald R. 
Ford emblazoned across the top of it. How fitting it will be that the 
name Gerald R. Ford will patrol the high seas for decades to come, in 
the defense of the Nation he loved so much.
    Over the past few days, in the midst of our mourning, Americans have 
searched for the words to best describe Jerry Ford, the man, and the 
Ford era. My own thoughts are drawn to the profound and historic legacy 
he created in his nearly 900 days as President. It takes time and 
distance before one can truly measure an event or even an era, but many 
here remember well what our country was like on that day that Gerald 
Ford took the Presidency.
    The pressures were enormous. The stakes were high. The world was 
watching. And the American people were holding their breath, wondering 
what would happen next.
    The words President Ford used to reassure our country and the 
American people were plain and they were straightforward. His sincerity 
gave them eloquence. Even in a country coarsened by skepticism, few 
doubted that the gentleman from Michigan would keep his word.
    That was his special magic. He was then, and remains today, the only 
person who took office without having been elected to either the 
Presidency or the Vice Presidency. He had no national base. He had no 
political platform, no campaign team, no time to prepare for his truly 
awesome responsibilities. In a sense, he stepped into an airplane in 
full flight as the command pilot, without even knowing the crew.
    Our cold war enemies were searching for signs of vulnerability. So 
the American President had to be strong.
    Our Nation was reeling from bitterness and suspicion. So the 
President needed to be comforting and reassuring.
    The economy was fragile, and our national political institutions 
were shaken. So the President had to be decisive and confident.
    Our country generally seems blessed to find the right leader at the 
right time. Through that special providence, the times found Gerald 
Ford. Because Gerald Ford was there to restore the strength of the 
Presidency, to rebuild our defenses, and to demonstrate firmness and 
clarity, America could again, in Lincoln's words, ``stand as the last, 
best hope of Earth.''
    He reminded Americans of who they were. And he put us on the right 
path, when the way ahead was, at best, uncertain. And, all things 
considered, those are probably the most lasting and profound 
contributions that a leader can make.
    It's commonly said that President Ford healed the Nation. And he 
did. Like all great leaders, he knew victory, and he knew loss. After a 
long and tough campaign, one might have expected him to carry some 
bitterness over his narrow defeat for election in his own right.
    Instead, he remembered the cloudy skies over Washington on the day 
he first entered the White House. And, as his plane left the city on his 
last day as President, he recalled that the sun was shining brightly.
    He said, ``I couldn't see a cloud anywhere, and I felt glad about 
that.''
    Today, we say goodbye to a leader, a husband, a father, a 
grandfather, and, for so many of the people here today, a friend. And we 
take comfort knowing that Gerald Ford is now in a place greater than 
even the country he led, a kingdom everlasting, and without a cloud in 
sight. It is a place where, in the words of the scriptures, ``the lord 
God will wipe away tears from all faces.''
    May God bless Gerald Ford and his strong and loving family. And may 
God bless the country he loves so much, served so well, and did so much 
to heal and strengthen.

THE HONORABLE JIMMY CARTER, Former President of the United States: ``For 
myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has 
done to heal our land.''

    Those were the first words I spoke as President. And I still hate to 
admit that they received more applause than any other words in my 
inaugural address.
    You learn a lot about a man when you run against him for President, 
and when you stand in his shoes, and assume the responsibilities that he 
has borne so well, and perhaps even more after you both lay down the 
burdens of high office and work together in a nonpartisan spirit of 
patriotism and service.
    My staff and my diary notes, as I prepared for this eulogy, reveal a 
list of more than 25 different projects on which Jerry and I have shared 
leadership responsibilities.
    He and I were both amused by a New Yorker cartoon a couple of years 
ago. This little boy is looking up at his father. And he says, ``Daddy, 
when I grow up, I want to be a former President.''
     Jerry and I frequently agreed that one of the greatest blessings 
that we had after we left the White House during the last quarter 
century was the intense personal friendship that bound us together.
    During our closely contested political campaign, as Don just 
reminded me, we habitually referred to each other as ``my distinguished 
opponent.'' And, for my own benefit, while I was President, I kept him 
fully informed about everything that I did in the domestic or 
international arena.
    In fact, he was given a thorough briefing almost every month from 
the head of my White House staff or my National Security Adviser. And 
Jerry never came to the Washington area without being invited to have 
lunch with me at the White House.
    We always cherished those memories of now perhaps a long-lost 
bipartisan interrelationship.
    Jerry Ford and I shared a lot. We both served in the U.S. Navy, he 
on battleships, I on submarines, as junior officers. In fact, it was my 
profession. And we both enjoyed our unexpected promotion to Commander in 
Chief.
    Each of us had three sons. And then our prayers were answered--and 
we had a daughter.
    And we both married women who were good looking, smart, and 
extremely independent.
     As President, I relished his sound advice. And he often, although, 
I must say, reluctantly, departed from the prevailing opinion of his 
political party to give me support on some of my most difficult 
challenges.
    For many of these, of course, he had helped to lay the foundation, 
including the Panama Canal treaties, nuclear armaments control with the 
Soviet Union, normalized diplomatic relations with China, and also the 
Camp David accords.
    In fact, on a helicopter in flight from Camp David back to 
Washington, President Anwar Sadat, Prime Minister Menachem Begin and I 
made one telephone call, to Gerald Ford, to tell him that we had reached 
peace between Israel and Egypt.
    President Ford and I also shared a commitment to force the Soviet 
Union to comply with its promise to respect human rights within the 
Helsinki Agreement, which gave strength to brave dissidents behind the 
Iron Curtain, and helped to undermine Soviet tyranny from within.
    Our mutual respect, which I have described, blossomed into a valued 
personal friendship during our shared trip to attend the funeral of 
President Anwar Sadat in Egypt. We formed a personal bond while 
lamenting on the difficulty of unexpectedly defeated candidates trying 
to raise money to build Presidential libraries.
    That's what bound us together most firmly, I think, for the rest of 
our days.
     In the early days of the Carter Center, Jerry joined me as 
cochairman in all of our important conferences and projects. And I never 
declined an opportunity to help him with his own post-Presidential 
plans.
    We enjoyed each other's private company. And he and I commented 
often that, when we were traveling somewhere in an automobile or 
airplane, we hated to reach our destination, because we enjoyed the 
private times that we had together.
    More--one of our most successful and little-known joint efforts, by 
the way, was agreeing on how to respond to the literally hundreds of 
invitations from people who claimed that all the Presidents were going 
to participate in an event. And, after a private telephone conversation, 
we would quickly let them know that at least two of us would not be 
attending.
     Yesterday, on the flight here from Washington, Rosalynn and I were 
thrilled when one of his sons came to tell us that the greatest gift he 
received from his father was his faith in Jesus Christ.
    It is true that Jerry and I shared a common commitment to our 
religious faith, not just in worshipping the same savior, but in 
attempting, in our own personal way, to achieve reconciliation within 
our respective denominations.
    We took to heart the admonition of the Apostle Paul that Christians 
should not be divided over seemingly important, but tangential issues, 
including sexual preferences and the role of women in the church, things 
like that.
    We both felt that Episcopalians, Baptists and others should live 
together in harmony, within the adequate and common belief that we are 
saved by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ.
    One of my proudest moments was at the commemoration of the 200th 
birthday of the White House, when two noted historians both declared 
that the Ford-Carter friendship was the most intensely personal between 
any two Presidents in history.
    This close relationship extended to our spouses, as Betty worked on 
drug and alcohol abuse, and Rosalynn addressed the challenges of mental 
illness. And, when those two women descended on Washington together, few 
Members of Congress could resist their combined lobbying assault.
     The four of us learned to love each other.
    In closing, let me extend, on behalf of Rosalynn and me and Jack and 
Chip and Jeffrey and Amy, and our 11 grandchildren, and 1 great-
grandson, our personal sympathy and love to Betty and Mike and Jack and 
Steve and Susan, and all of your extended family.
    The tens of thousands of people who lined the highway yesterday and 
today were expressing this mutual love which we share for President 
Jerry Ford.
    I still don't know any better way to express it than the words I 
used almost exactly 30 years ago. For myself and for our Nation, I want 
to thank my predecessor for all he did to heal our land.

RICHARD NORTON SMITH, Historian: No one ever called Gerald Ford an 
imperial President. Perhaps that was because no figure in memory was so 
immune to Washington's besetting disease of self-importance. Case in 
point: Seven years have passed since Marty Allen and I found ourselves 
in the Fords' living room at Rancho Mirage, for what, in any other 
living room, would have been the most uncomfortable of conversations--a 
discussion of funeral planning. That it wasn't the least bit 
uncomfortable was due entirely to the Fords' sensitivity, their utter 
lack of pretense, and, not least of all, a robust sense of humor 
reminiscent of that other plain-spoken Midwesterner, Harry Truman.

    After a lengthy review of his plans, the President was called away 
to the phone. A few minutes later he returned, with a grin on his face 
and a question on his lips.
    ``Well,'' he asked in a booming voice, ``have you got me resurrected 
yet?''
    All this week Americans, many of them too young to recall the 
strident summer of 1974, have watched grainy images of an East Room 
inaugural. We have listened once more to the words that calmed a Nation 
at war with itself. Thrust into a place to which he had never aspired, 
Gerald Ford resolved to make his Presidency a time of healing, even as 
he drew out the poisons released by Vietnam and Watergate.
    So he didn't only pardon Richard Nixon; he opened the door for 
thousands of Vietnam draft evaders to find their way home. In his first 
days there, he welcomed to the Oval Office the Congressional Black 
Caucus, leaders of organized labor, and others who for too long had felt 
excluded from America's House. ``Hail to the Chief'' gave way to the 
University of Michigan Fight Song. The Justice Department was purged of 
politics, the CIA reined in.
    Thirty years later we acknowledge with pride what then we only dimly 
perceived--Gerald Ford gave us back our Government. But there was much 
more to the Ford Presidency than ending our long national nightmare. 
With the passage of time and the cooling of passions, historians have 
begun to recast his 895 days in office, not as a coda but as a curtain 
raiser. He was, after all, the first President to pursue economic 
deregulation or propose a comprehensive energy policy.
    His critics boxed the ideological compass. The left called him 
intransigent for his refusal to trade away the cruise missile, a weapons 
system then in development, in order to obtain an arms agreement with 
the Soviet Union. The right denounced him for signing the Helsinki 
Accords, which allegedly conceded Eastern Europe to the men in Moscow.
    Today we know better. It is hard to imagine America's military 
arsenal without the cruise missile. And 30 years on, Helsinki has come 
to be seen as an important victory in the age-old struggle for human 
rights, on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
    By 1974 it was rare to hear a President laugh; so it was all the 
more reassuring to hear our new President laugh at himself. Once, after 
an enthusiastic campaign crowd cheered him to the rafters, a beaming 
Chief Executive asked a group of accompanying reporters what they 
thought of his speech. There ensued a few moments of awkward silence, 
finally broken by the President's frank assessment: ``Not worth a damn, 
was it?''
    Gerald Ford could be a surprising man.
    I discovered this for myself 30 years ago, when called on to 
introduce the then-Vice President of the United States to the Harvard 
Republican Club. It was an eye-opening event for everyone concerned. We 
were surprised that Richard Nixon's Vice President would venture so deep 
into hostile territory. No doubt he was surprised that there were enough 
Republicans at Harvard to form a club.
    While chatting offstage, I couldn't resist showing our guest a less 
than flattering caricature that had been plastered all over campus by 
Students for a Democratic Society--the same organization that was, even 
then, noisily demonstrating its displeasure outside the Harvard Club. 
Reflecting the tenor of the time, the poster depicted Vice President 
Ford as a grinning puppet impaled on the arm of a sinister looking 
Richard Nixon.
    Most politicians would have blanched at the sight. Gerald Ford 
chuckled. Then he asked me if he could have a copy to display in his 
office.
    Years later, trustees of his Presidential library foundation were 
debating whether to obtain for permanent exhibit the staircase that had 
once stood atop the U.S. Embassy in Saigon, and which had served as a 
final means of escape for thousands of Americans and South Vietnamese in 
April, 1975. To those who asked, why on earth remind people of that 
humiliating experience, President Ford had a ready answer. ``It's part 
of our history,'' he said.
    And then he revealed a vision few expected from this laconic 
Midwesterner. To the President that staircase symbolized, no less than 
the slab of Berlin Wall already on display, a desire for freedom as old 
as humanity itself. He knew whereof he spoke--for when Congress tried to 
pull up the ladder and slam shut the doors to Vietnamese refugees, it 
was President Ford who went to the country reminding us of our history 
and of our moral obligation to shelter the oppressed. Eventually he was 
able to rescue and resettle 130,000 of the war's most innocent victims.
    On a bittersweet day in 2000 he came home to Grand Rapids, where he 
joined hundreds of members of the Vietnamese community in remembering a 
painful past, and in renewing a shared commitment to uphold freedom 
against those who would put the soul itself in bondage.
    Gerald Ford could be a surprising man.
    As part of the Millennium celebrations, Time magazine invited 
prominent Americans to identify the pre-eminent figure of the twentieth 
century, along with a backup selection in case their first choice had 
already been taken. I fully expected President Ford to nominate a 
Winston Churchill or Dwight Eisenhower. He did nothing of the kind. 
Without hesitation he declared the greatest man of the century to be 
Mahatma Gandhi. The second greatest, in his opinion, was Anwar Sadat.
    Think of it: two peacemakers from the Third World, men of color, 
defiers of the colonial West, each martyred for his convictions.
    By then I shouldn't have been surprised. To most of us, advancing 
age means a narrowing of sympathies. Our attitudes harden along with our 
arteries. But not Gerald Ford. His friendship with President Carter, 
unlikely as it may seem in this era of scorched earth partisanship, 
reveals much about a leader who never confused moderation with weakness, 
nor compromise with surrender, and who in his own estimation had 
adversaries, but not enemies.
    For 60 years he was a patriot before he was a partisan. If he never 
mastered the art of the soundbite, it is equally true that he never 
turned to a focus group to locate his convictions. He was better at 
statesmanship than salesmanship. To be sure, Dorothy Ford's son put his 
faith in God before government. But precisely because he revered the 
individual as a creature of God, he respected individual choices.
    In contending for the greatest of all freedoms--the freedom to be 
oneself--he did not hesitate to dissent from party orthodoxy. This, too, 
should have come as no surprise--for he had first entered politics as a 
rebel with a cause, a young veteran of World War II who was unafraid to 
take on the entrenched isolationism of his own party's establishment.
    Through it all he drew strength and inspiration from the family he 
loved, like his country, with an old-fashioned intensity. He cherished 
beyond words Mike, Jack, Steve and Susan; his extended family; his 
brother Dick, his beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And how 
much they gave back to him, especially in these last few years, when the 
roar of the crowd yielded to the infant's laughter and the mellow 
kinship of Indian summer.
    He often said that his was a life richly blessed. The greatest of 
his blessings was to share a journey of 58 years with a woman whose 
courage and candor matched his own. The President famously observed that 
he was a Ford, not a Lincoln. But in at least one respect he was wrong. 
For his devotion to Betty Bloomer, of Grand Rapids, recalls nothing so 
much as the sentiment engraved on a plain wedding band presented by a 
rising prairie politician to his bride, Miss Mary Todd. ``Love Is 
Eternal,'' it read.
    And so it is. He was so proud of you, Mrs. Ford, proud of your 
bravery and bigheartedness in teaching us all that what some might 
mistake for personal weakness is but the gateway to spiritual witness, 
and that no life is beyond redemption. Naturally you were at his side 
that morning 5\1/2\ years ago when the John F. Kennedy Library presented 
him with its Profiles in Courage Award.
    The award was a lantern, an exact replica of the beacon hung in a 
Boston church steeple to warn American patriots of an advancing British 
army in April 1775.
    Though it recalled a time of intensely partisan feelings, the 
ceremony itself was a ritual of healing--the final act of the Ford 
Presidency, and a fitting climax to a life that wed principle to 
reconciliation. As the least self-dramatizing of men, President Ford 
used to joke that he was charismatically challenged. Whatever he may 
have lacked in charisma, he more than made up for in character.
    In accepting the Profiles in Courage Award, he expressed the hope 
that no future President would ever confront the choice that he faced 
barely 1 month into his Presidency of healing.
    But if he did, or should he be presented with an even greater test 
of national character, said President Ford, ``I hope he will remember 
that the ultimate test of leadership is not the polls you take, but the 
risks you take. In the short run, some risks prove overwhelming. 
Political courage can be self-defeating, but the greatest defeat of all 
would be to live without courage, for that would hardly be living at 
all.''
    And now he has come home, to the place, emotionally, he never left. 
Not long before he died, the President remarked, ``When I wake up at 
night and can't sleep, I remember Grand Rapids.'' That Grand Rapids 
returned his affection many times over was unforgettably demonstrated by 
the tens of thousands who stood in line for hours outside the museum, 
braving the cold to make certain that his last night was anything but 
lonely.
    Soon we will take him to his final place of rest, our grief mingled 
with gratitude for a life that is its own lantern in the steeple. May 
the glow it casts remind us of a politics that elevates rather than 
divides; and of a country as honorable as it is powerful.
    Sleep well, old friend. We love you very much.

Mrs. Ford and the family proceed to the Guild Room.

Honorary pallbearers and family members, escorted by General Swan, 
Captain Eldridge Browne, and Michael Wagner, proceed outside for the 
departure ceremony.

Mrs. Ford, accompanied by Gregory Willard, proceeds by limousine to the 
departure ceremony.

Procession moves from Grace Church to the hearse.

Order of Procession

Color Guard

Clergy

Casket

Presidential Colors

Air Force Band of Flight (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``Hail to the Chief''

``Faith of Our Fathers''

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Michael Ford, proceeds to the 
motorcade.

Motorcade departs en route to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

Upon arrival at the parking lot north of the museum, the honorary 
pallbearers (except Dick Ford) and honorary pallbearer spouses are 
escorted to the interment site.

Dick Ford remains with Mrs. Ford and the family.

Mrs. Ford and the family are escorted to their positions for the arrival 
ceremony.

Armed Forces Body Bearers remove the casket from the hearse.

126th Army Band (Wyoming, Michigan):

``Ruffles and Flourishes''

``The National Anthem''

Armed Forces Body Bearers, followed by the family, proceed through the 
cordon to the interment site. ``God Bless America'' is played. ``America 
the Beautiful'' is sung by the United States Army Chorus.

Order of Family Processional

Color Guard

Clergy

Casket

Presidential Colors

Mrs. Ford and General Guy Swan

Family

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Steven Ford, and the family are 
assisted into the interment site by Michael Wagner. Vice President and 
Mrs. Cheney, President and Mrs. Carter and Secretary and Mrs. Rumsfeld 
join with Mrs. Ford and the family and are accompanied into the 
interment site by Gregory Willard.

Interment service begins.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

         Interment service, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

FATHER CERTAIN: Everyone the Father gives to me will come to me. I will 
never turn away anyone who believes in me. He who raised Jesus Christ 
from the dead will also give new life to our mortal bodies through his 
dwelling spirit. My body therefore is glad and my spirit rejoices. My 
body also shall rest in hope. You will show me the path of life. In your 
presence there is fullness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures 
forevermore. Oh God, his blessed son was laid in a sepulchral in the 
garden. Bless we pray this grave and grant that he whose body is to be 
buried here may dwell with Christ in paradise and may come to your 
heavenly kingdom through your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

``Goin' Home'' is sung by the United States Army Chorus.

21-Gun Salute

Benediction
FATHER CERTAIN: Ensure in certain hope of the resurrection to Eternal 
Life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God our 
brother Gerald and we commit his body to its resting place. Earth to 
earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless him and keep him, 
the Lord make his face to shine upon him and be gracious to him, the 
Lord lift up his countenance upon him and give him peace. Amen.

    Let us pray together in the words our savior Christ has taught us:
    Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom 
come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 
our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who 
trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from 
evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and 
ever. Amen.
    Father of all, we pray to you for those we love but see no longer, 
grant them your peace, let light perpetual shine upon them and in your 
loving wisdom and almighty power work in them the good purpose of your 
perfect will through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
    Grant Oh Lord to all who are bereaved the spirit of faith and 
courage that they may have strength to meet the days to come with 
steadfastness and patience not sorrowing as those without hope but in 
thankful remembrance of your great goodness and in the joyful 
expectation of eternal life with those they love. And this we ask in the 
name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.
    Oh Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful 
hearts, the men and women of our country who in the day of decision 
ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest 
until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and 
gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.
    Oh Lord support us all the days of our lives until the shadows 
lengthen and the evening comes and the busy world is hushed and the 
fever of life is over and our work is done. Amen.
    Rest eternal grant to him Oh Lord and let light perpetual shine upon 
him. May his soul and the souls of all the departed through the mercy of 
God rest in peace. Amen.

Firing of three volleys by seven-member U.S. Navy unit.

Final Prayer by Father Certain:

God of Peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ. The 
Great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant 
make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that 
which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory 
forever and ever. Amen.

Aircraft flyover and Missing Man Formation by 21 U.S. Air Force tactical 
fighter aircraft.

Sounding of ``Taps'' by U.S. Navy bugler.

``Eternal Father, Strong to Save'' is played during the folding of the 
U.S. flag.

Presentation of the U.S. flag to Mrs. Ford by Vice President Cheney.

Interment service concludes. Mrs. Ford and the family approach the 
casket.

Mrs. Ford, escorted by General Swan and Steven Ford, and the family 
proceed inside the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, President and Mrs. Carter, and Secretary 
and Mrs. Rumsfeld pay their respects at the casket and proceed inside 
the museum.

Lilian Fisher, Penny Circle, Richard Norton Smith, Gregory Willard, Ann 
Willard, Richard Garbarino, Ann Cullen, Len Nurmi, Carol Buck, Michael 
Wagner, Barbara Owens, Douglas Emery, Lee Simmons, Jeanette Simmons, 
Shelli Archibald, and Jordan Lewis pay their respects at the casket.

First Sergeant Alvy Powell pays his respects at the casket.

Honorary pallbearers and spouses and other guests pay their respects at 
the casket and proceed inside the museum.

Members of the United States Army Chorus, Robert Boetticher, Sr., and 
Robert Boetticher, Jr., pay their respects at the casket.



David Hume Kennerly, courtesy Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

  President Ford's casket outside the tomb on the night of January 3, 
                                  2007.


 


                             Gerald R. Ford

                 July 14, 1913-December 26, 2006

                State Funeral of President Gerald R. Ford

Gregory Willard was President and Mrs. Ford's and the Ford family's 
personal representative for the State Funeral and was responsible for 
overall planning and implementation of the State Funeral.

Major General Guy C. Swan III, Commanding General, Joint Force 
Headquarters/National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of 
Washington (MDW), was the senior MDW representative to Mrs. Ford and the 
Ford family for the State Funeral. General Swan was Mrs. Ford's official 
escort throughout the State Funeral.

Michael Wagner, MDW Chief of State Funeral Plans and Operations, was the 
MDW family liaison for the State Funeral and was the senior MDW civilian 
representative to Mrs. Ford and the family.

Richard Wennekamp was the California family coordinator for the State 
Funeral.

Terrence O'Donnell was the Washington, DC family coordinator for the 
State Funeral.

Martin J. Allen, Jr. was the Grand Rapids family coordinator for the 
State Funeral.

                       Remarks of Susan Ford Bales
          at the Naming Ceremony for the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford
                           Pentagon Auditorium
                            January 16, 2007

Mr. Vice President, Secretary England, Secretary Winter, Senator Levin, 
Senator Warner, Admiral Mullen, General Swan, distinguished guests, 
ladies and gentlemen:

    The Ford family this morning is filled with tremendous pride. No 
doubt, my brothers and I could spend several hours talking about how 
much the Navy's tribute meant to Dad. However, before talking about 
today's remarkable tribute, with your indulgence, Secretary Winter, I'd 
like to share some thoughts from Mother and our family. Mother is doing 
well and is watching this ceremony on the Pentagon Channel.
    During the past 3 weeks, we've been deeply moved by the outpouring 
of affection and remembrances from across the United States. We 
particularly want to express what an honor it was to have the men and 
women of the U.S. Armed Forces present with us at every ceremony and 
service of the State Funeral. There is nothing--absolutely nothing--that 
would have made Dad prouder. The dedication, compassion, and dignity of 
those brave men and women strengthened and comforted Mother and our 
family at every step of the way. They will always have a special place 
in our hearts--always.
    We would like to extend a personal thank you to President and Mrs. 
Bush and to Vice President and Mrs. Cheney for their many kindnesses 
and, most of all, for their decades of friendship with Dad and our 
family. We remember fondly Mr. Joe Hagin and the White House staff, 
along with the U.S. Secret Service, for their many kind deeds and for 
their moving farewell tribute in front of the White House.
    We are particularly grateful to the U.S. House of Representatives 
and the U.S. Senate, especially both Sergeants-At-Arms and their staffs, 
for their assistance and for the unprecedented historical tributes that 
both bodies conducted for Dad.
    And, General Swan, if I may, a personal comment. The kindness and 
care that you provided to Mother as her personal escort is a gift for 
which we will always be grateful. You embody the highest ideals of our 
great country, General Swan, and your assistance to Mother was, quite 
frankly, beyond description. Thank you, sir.
    As we gather today for the naming of CVN-78, let me first say to 
Senator Levin and Senator Warner, thank you for your tireless efforts in 
make this Naming Ceremony a reality. And thank you for your unceasing 
support of our men and women in uniform.
    The naming of CVN-78 as the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford represents more 
than assigning a name to a naval vessel. There is now a unique bond 
between CVN-78 and its new namesake. The permanence of Dad's name and 
his legacy is forever instilled into this magnificent vessel and the men 
and women who will someday occupy her decks. And it is that special bond 
that gives our family such pride.
    The U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford also shares a unique bond with another 
ship and her crew. As many of you know, several years ago the U.S.S. 
America was towed into the Atlantic Ocean and then sunk in a series of 
tests to verify critical components of the CVN-78 carrier program. Those 
tests were essential to maximizing the survivability of the future 
carrier fleet, including CVN-78. The U.S.S. America and her proud crew 
set a magnificent example of patriotism and unwavering service to the 
U.S. Navy. And now their valor lives on within the spirit of the U.S.S. 
Gerald R. Ford. For that gift and for their service, we are deeply 
grateful to the America and her crew.
    I've thought a lot about how to convey Dad's gratitude upon learning 
that Secretary Winter was considering naming CVN-78 the U.S.S. Gerald R. 
Ford. I struggled to find words adequate to express the emotions that 
Dad shared privately with Mother, Mike, Jack, Steve, and me regarding 
CVN-78. And, as was so often the case with Dad, the answer was found in 
his own words.
    A few weeks before his death, Dad wrote a letter to our friend Greg 
Willard regarding the CVN-78. In the letter, he described how much the 
tribute then under consideration by Secretary Winter meant to him. Dad 
wrote to Greg:

``In closing, please permit me a personal reflection. In my life, I've 
received countless honors. But none was greater than the opportunity to 
wear the uniform of Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. On an 
aircraft carrier in the South Pacific during World War II, I learned to 
respect, and to rely on, my comrades as if my life depended on them--
because it often did. As a World War II veteran, I yield to no one in my 
admiration for the heroes of Omaha Beach and Iwo Jima. At the same time, I 
take enormous inspiration from their grandsons and granddaughters who are 
writing new chapters of heroism around the globe.

``Thus, it is a source of indescribable pride and humility to know that an 
aircraft carrier bearing my name may be permanently associated with the 
valor and patriotism of the men and women of the United States Navy.''

    Dad conveyed in words precisely how each of us in the Ford family 
feels about this wonderful tribute. So today and in our every tomorrow, 
we will fondly remember those words with the knowledge that the U.S.S. 
Gerald R. Ford and her crew will forever embody a tribute to Dad that 
was--and is--without equal.
    Secretary Winter, on behalf of Mother and the entire Ford family, 
please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation for the 
extraordinary honor which you have given Dad.
    May God bless and watch over the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford and her crew. 
And may God bless America.
    Thank you very much.
?


                                     

                                     

                            Memorial Tributes


                               I N   T H E


                        House of Representatives

                          of the United States


                         I N   E U L O G Y   O F


                             Gerald R. Ford

    
          In the House of Representatives of the United States


                        Thursday, January 4, 2007


                          Hon. John A. Boehner


                                 of Ohio

  Madam Speaker, Leader Hoyer, my distinguished colleagues, welcome to 
you all. I would particularly like to welcome our new colleagues. It is 
an honor and a privilege to serve in this great institution, and I would 
like to thank you in advance for the sacrifices and contributions you 
will make to this body during your time here.
  As colleagues, we owe a huge debt to those who have served before us. 
I would be remiss if I did not mention the enormous contributions of one 
of my predecessors, Gerald Ford. Former President Ford served in the 
House over 25 years, including 8 of those years as Republican leader 
from 1965 to 1973. He served his Michigan constituents and the American 
people with great distinction not just here in Congress, but as Vice 
President and as President of the United States. The thoughts and 
prayers of this House and those of a grateful Nation are with Betty and 
the Ford family. . . .


                            Hon. Nancy Pelosi


                              of california

   . . . In this hour, we need and pray for the character, courage, and 
civility of a former Member of this House, President Ford. He healed the 
country when it needed healing. This is another time, another war, and 
another trial of American will, imagination, and spirit. Let us honor 
his memory not just in eulogy, but in dialog and trust across the aisle.
  I want to join Leader Boehner in expressing our condolences and our 
appreciation to Mrs. Ford and to the entire Ford family for their 
decades of leadership and service to our country. . . .


                         Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee


                                of texas

  . . . Mr. Speaker, it is wholly fitting and proper that the Members of 
this House, along with all of the American people, paid fitting tribute 
to the late President Gerald R. ``Jerry'' Ford, a former leader in this 
House, who did so much to heal our Nation in the aftermath of Watergate. 
Upon assuming the Presidency, President Ford assured the Nation: ``My 
fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.'' By his words 
and deeds, President Ford helped turn the country  back  on  the  right  
track.  He  will  be forever  remembered  for  his  integrity,  good 
character, and commitment to the national interest. . . .

   EXPRESSING PROFOUND REGRET AND SORROW OF THE HOUSE ON THE DEATH OF 
     GERALD R. FORD, 38TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 11) 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                               H. Res. 11


  Resolved, That the House of Representatives has learned with profound 
regret and sorrow of the death of Gerald R. Ford, thirty-eighth 
President of the United States of America.

  Resolved, That the House tenders its deep sympathy to the members of 
the family of the former President in their bereavement.

  Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate 
and transmit a copy of the same to the family of the former President.

  Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as a further 
mark of respect to the memory of the former President.

                            MOMENT OF SILENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The House will observe a moment of silence in 
honor of former President Ford.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                              Hon. Ted Poe


                                of texas

  Mr.  Speaker,  during  the  great  World  War II, the U.S. aircraft 
carrier Monterey faced its fiercest naval battle, not with the Imperial 
Japanese Navy, but the storm of the sea, Typhoon Cobra.
  A naval lieutenant (jg) answering the call to action motivated the 
crew to combat against the Cobra's bone-crushing waves, torrential 
rains, and  consuming  fires  it  caused on  board  the ship.
  Refusing the order to abandon the ship, this warrior valiantly went 
below, marching into the mouth of the fire, rescuing those trapped 
within its grasp. He ignored the searing heat of the flames and the 
blackness of the smoke. Hour upon hour this man led others in the charge 
to extinguish the demon fire, saving fellow sailors and officers.
  He did not seek recognition in the darkness of 1944; it sought him. 
When it called, this naval officer answered in a manner of all American 
patriots, with courage, valor, and victory.
  Twenty-nine years later, this same individual helped rescue an entire 
Nation from the fire of corruption and war. And he brought peace. His 
name was President Gerald Ford, and we thank him.
  And that's just the way it is.


                             Hon. Mark Udall


                               of colorado

  Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to name the post office 
in Vail, CO, after our Nation's 38th President, Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
  I believe this legislation is appropriate as another means of honoring 
the legacy of President Ford, in large part because of his special 
connection to Colorado and the Vail Valley.
  In 1968 then-Congressman Ford and wife Betty first came to Colorado 
with their children to celebrate Christmas and to ski in the mountains 
at Vail. Like many other visitors, President Ford was inspired by the 
beauty of the area and found a connection to the land and to the 
surrounding community.
  The Fords later owned a home and continued to vacation in Vail. When 
he became President, his vacations in Colorado helped introduce the 
world to the town of Vail, and in fact, the family home was dubbed the 
Western White House.
  Vail residents knew President Ford and his family as neighbors and 
friends and are proud of their long association with them. Gerald Ford 
was beloved in Vail, where he was known to be a good neighbor, an avid 
golfer and a lover of the outdoors.
  President Ford will rightly be remembered for his personal warmth, his 
decency, and his interest in bridging the many divisions in America 
during the 1970s. My father, Mo Udall, served in Congress with Gerald 
Ford, and while they were often on different sides in political 
matters--so much so that my father hoped to run against President Ford 
in the famous election of 1976--they were united by a common view that 
politics should unite people. They both were firm believers that in 
public life one could disagree without being disagreeable.
  This is a credo I continue to believe in, and I commend the memory of 
both good men to this House, an institution they loved.
  Coloradans, especially those in the Vail Valley, have come to think of 
Mr. Ford as the first President from Colorado because he was a great 
ambassador for the State who established long ties to the people of 
Colorado.
  As a dedicated public servant, President Ford served honorably in his 
years in Congress and in the White House. Most important, when America 
needed someone to reassure their trust in government after Watergate, he 
filled that leadership role with authenticity.
  I believe President Ford's special relationship and legacy in Colorado 
should be appropriately recognized by naming the postal facilities in 
Vail, CO, in his honor.


                            Hon. John L. Mica


                               of florida

  Madam Speaker, with the passing of President Gerald Ford, our Nation, 
the U.S. House of Representatives and the Ford family have lost a 
leader, a respected colleague and a loved one who was very special to 
their lives.
  Few American leaders of our time have gained the admiration and 
appreciation so well deserved and earned by our 38th President. While 
our country has lost a distinguished leader and the Congress has lost a 
distinguished Member, Gerald Ford's life and public service will always 
remain a model for future generations.
  In October 1999 I had the pleasure to quietly sit and speak with 
President Ford at the conclusion of a Capitol Hill reception that was 
held after he was honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in the 
Capitol Rotunda. While I had met him before, what struck me on this 
special occasion was how such a great man receiving the highest honor 
from our Nation and Congress could be so humble, so gracious and so 
genuine.
  How memorable it was for me to spend that special time with that 
gentle man and great American. How fitting it was that Gerald Ford 
returned this week to the Capitol and the Congress he loved. While this 
gentle man belongs to the ages, he will always share a special place in 
our hearts and fond memories.

                               ADJOURNMENT

  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now 
adjourn.
  The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 49 minutes 
p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, 
Friday, January 5, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. as a further mark of respect to 
the memory of the late Honorable Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the 
United States.

                         Friday, January 5, 2007


                              Hon. Ted Poe


                                of texas

  Madam Speaker, when President Gerald Ford played football for 
Michigan, he was the team's center on offense. He touched the ball on 
every play. The play could not begin without Gerald Ford snapping the 
ball. Others on the team, however, the quarterback, running back and 
receivers, made all the headlines, but that was fine with Gerald Ford. 
As the center he was neither on the right nor the left but in the middle 
of the charge to move the ball over the goal line.
  Gerald Ford and Michigan were successful. Michigan won two national 
championships. Gerald Ford was offered contracts with NFL teams, such as 
the Detroit Lions. He chose law school instead, served in World War II, 
fought in that great war, and was a Member of this very House.
  When he became President, ``Ole No. 48,'' President Ford, took the 
ball again, but this time on the field of American discontent about 
corruption  and  war.  He  stayed  in  the  center and once again was 
successful in moving Team America  across  the  goal  line  of  healing  
and hope.
  However, when entering a room, President Ford always preferred the 
band not play the traditional ``Hail to the Chief'' but, rather, the 
Michigan fight song.
  Thank you, President Ford, for playing ball for Team America.
  And that's just the way it is.


                             Hon. Steve King


                                 of iowa

  Gerald R. Ford, and may he rest in peace, to whom we said goodbye 
within this past week was the man who came to the Presidency after 
having served 25 years here, Mr. Speaker, in the House of 
Representatives, a man who was almost without guile as President. He was 
a President who made decisions at a time when we needed someone who had 
absolute integrity. He was the person who had confidence, the confidence 
and the endorsement of Democrats and Republicans at the time, Mr. 
Speaker. And with Gerald R. Ford as President, when he made a decision, 
he laid out his reasoning and his rationale, when he made the right 
decision, he made it for the right reason.
  He thoughtfully deliberated on the components of the information, the 
interactivity of them  and  what  the  result  would  be  and  what the 
constitutional foundation was on that decision. And he made his 
decision, and he told us why. And that established confidence in the 
integrity and the judgment, in the intellect, and the character and in 
the faith of Gerald R. Ford.
  When he made the wrong decision, and I will just say when I disagreed 
with him would be my definition of the wrong decision, he still laid out 
his argument. And when he laid out his argument, I could not fault him 
for using the wrong criteria. It was well thought out. He made his 
arguments well. When we disagreed, I would have a different argument.
  But in those kinds of debates he earned our respect for President 
Ford. . . .


                            Hon. Artur Davis


                               of alabama

  Madam Speaker, we overlooked Gerald Ford's significance when he served 
as President. His tenure was only slightly longer than a congressional 
term, a cruel irony for a politician whose political career was so 
grounded in the by-ways of the House. He was hardly a master politician, 
if the term refers to the winning of elections or the swift dispatch of 
opposition: Ford came within an inch of not being re-nominated, and he 
lost in the general election to the most obscure winner of our times.
  This week, as we mourn President Ford's passing, his legacy is much 
clearer: first, he gracefully presided over the aftermath of Richard 
Nixon's forced removal, and over the culmination of our debacle in 
Vietnam. Had he gotten either moment wrong, the country might have been 
ripped into two bitter competing halves. As we contemplate the mistakes 
subsequent Presidents have made, it is a virtue that Gerald Ford made 
not a single major error in judgment: he did not blunder into any ill-
chosen wars, and as much as an opposition-dominated Congress thwarted 
him, he never resorted to subterfuge in an effort to tip the scales.
  Then there is the graceful way President Ford practiced politics. The 
challenge from Ronald Reagan was perilous because even in 1976, 
President Ford was not of a philosophic kin with most Republican primary 
voters. A less principled President would have demagogued on issues like 
busing or affirmative action; certainly, he might have abandoned the 
detente that was a major contributor to taming the Soviet Union. A 
modern, win-at-all-costs politician would have savaged an unknown like 
Jimmy Carter. The fact is that the 1976 election season was at once 
breathtakingly close and remarkably civil.
  Imagine if Gerald Ford's major value, the cultivation of common 
ground, had dominated the last two fractious decades. Our two major 
political philosophies would not have been at irreconcilable odds, with 
both tending to treat each battle as if it were the ultimate one or as 
if we weren't bound to share a future together. We mourn Gerald Ford's 
decency and we also mourn the loss of the political character that left 
the stage when we retired him.


                        Tuesday, January 9, 2007

                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered the following 
prayer:
  This Nation is still in mourning for President Gerald Ford. Today, as 
the House of Representatives pays tribute to him, we pray to You, Lord 
God, paraphrasing his own remarks in 1974 on taking the oath of office 
as President:
  ``We believe that truth is the glue that holds government together, 
not only our government but civilization itself. That bond is unbroken 
at home and abroad.
  ``In all our public and private acts as Members of Congress, we expect 
to follow our instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that 
honesty is always the best policy in the end.
  ``As we bind up internal wounds, let us restore the golden rule to our 
political process and let mutual love purge our hearts of suspicion and 
of hate.''
  At the beginning of the 110th Congress, we ask the people of this 
Nation for their prayers. With all the strength and all the good sense 
we have gained from life, with all the confidence our family, friends 
and dedicated staff impart to us and with the good will of countless 
Americans we have encountered, we now solemnly reaffirm our promise to 
uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives us to see the 
right, and to do the very best we can for America.
  ``God helping us, we will not let you down.''
  Amen.

                         MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

  A message from the Senate by Ms. Curtis, one of its clerks, announced 
that the Senate has agreed to the Following Resolution:

                               S. Res. 19


  Whereas Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th President of the United States, 
was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska;

  Whereas Gerald Ford was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was 
active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the Eagle Scout rank, and where he 
excelled as both a student and an athlete during high school;

  Whereas after graduating from high school, Gerald Ford attended the 
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he played on the university's 
national championship football teams in 1932 and 1933, and was honored 
as the team's most valuable player in 1934, before graduating with a 
B.A. degree in 1935;

  Whereas Gerald Ford later attended Yale Law School and earned an LL.B. 
degree in 1941, after which he began to practice law in Grand Rapids;

  Whereas Gerald Ford joined the United States Naval Reserve in 1942 and 
served his country honorably during World War II;

  Whereas upon returning from his service in the military, Gerald Ford 
ran for the United States House of Representatives and was elected to 
Congress;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served in the House of Representatives from 
January 1949 to December 1973, winning reelection 12 times, each time 
with more than 60 percent of the vote;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served with great distinction in Congress, in 
particular through his service on the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee, of which he rose to become ranking member in 1961;

  Whereas in addition to his work in the House of Representatives, 
Gerald Ford served as a member of the Warren Commission, which 
investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy;

  Whereas in 1965 Gerald Ford was selected as minority leader of the 
House of Representatives, a position he held for 8 years;

  Whereas after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew in 1973, 
Gerald Ford was chosen by President Richard Nixon to serve as Vice 
President of the United States;

  Whereas following the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford took 
the oath of office as President of the United States on August 9, 1974;

  Whereas upon assuming the presidency, Gerald Ford helped the nation 
heal from one of the most difficult and contentious periods in United 
States history, and restored public confidence in the country's leaders;

  Whereas Gerald Ford's basic human decency, his integrity, and his 
ability to work cooperatively with leaders of all political parties and 
ideologies, earned him the respect and admiration of Americans 
throughout the country;

  Whereas the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2007 recommended that America's next nuclear-powered aircraft 
carrier, designated as CVN-78, be named as the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, in 
honor of our 38th President; and

  Whereas Gerald Ford was able to serve his country with such great 
distinction in large part because of the continuing support of his 
widely admired wife, Elizabeth (Betty), who also has contributed much to 
the nation in many ways, and of their 4 children, Michael, John, Steven, 
and Susan: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved, That the Senate notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning 
the death of President Gerald Rudolph Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate extends its heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Ford 
and the family of President Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate honors and, on behalf of the nation, 
expresses deep appreciation for President Ford's outstanding and 
important service to his country.

  Resolved, That the Senate directs the Secretary of the Senate to 
communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
transmit a copy thereof to the family of the former President.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, the last 2 weeks have been a time of sorrow for me, and a 
time of pride also. I was awakened at 2 in the morning to learn that my 
good friend, President Ford, had passed away. And the succeeding 
whirlwind of funerals, receptions, and events dealing with his death 
have reminded us all how much he gave our country and how much he did 
for our country.
  I am proud to call Mr. Ford a friend. I am proud of what he did for 
our country. I am proud that he so ably reflected the values and virtues 
of West Michigan, my part of the country.
  We pray that You will bless Betty and his family and give them comfort 
and give them strength.
  I will shortly be presenting a resolution honoring President Ford, and 
I hope that Members will find their way to the floor to speak on this 
special resolution, or speak later this evening. I encourage them to 
join me in honoring this great American and wonderful President.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution 
(H. Res. 15) mourning the passing of President Gerald Rudolph Ford and 
celebrating his leadership and service to the people of the United 
States, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H. Res. 15


  Whereas all American Presidents affect the history of the United 
States, but President Gerald Rudolph Ford leaves a legacy of leadership 
and service that will endure for years to come;

  Whereas millions of men and women across America mourn the death of 
the 38th President of the United States;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford is the only person from the State of Michigan 
to have served as President of the United States;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford graduated from the University of Michigan with 
academic and athletic excellence;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford attended Yale University Law School and 
graduated in the top 25 percent of his class while also working as a 
football coach;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford joined the United States Navy Reserves in 1942 
and served valiantly on the U.S.S. Monterey in the Philippines during 
World War II;

  Whereas the U.S.S. Monterey earned 10 battle stars, awarded for 
participation in battle while Gerald R. Ford served on the ship;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford was released to inactive duty in 1946 with the 
rank of Lieutenant Commander;

  Whereas in 1948, Gerald R. Ford was elected to the House of 
Representatives, where he served with integrity for 25 years;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford's contributions to the foreign operations and 
defense subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations earned him a 
reputation as a ``congressman's congressman'';

  Whereas in 1963, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Gerald R. Ford to 
the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President John 
F. Kennedy;

  Whereas from 1965 to 1973, Gerald R. Ford served as minority leader of 
the House of Representatives;

  Whereas from 1974 to 1976, Gerald R. Ford served as the 38th President 
of the United States, taking office at a dark hour in the history of the 
United States and returning the faith of the people of the United States 
in the Presidency through his wisdom, courage, and integrity;

  Whereas the Presidency of Gerald R. Ford is remembered for restoring 
trust and openness to the Presidency;

  Whereas President Gerald R. Ford followed a steady, sensible course to 
cope with the Nation's economic problems and during his Administration 
halted double-digit inflation and lowered unemployment;

  Whereas President Gerald R. Ford worked to solidify President Nixon's 
accomplishments in China, bring representatives of Israel and Egypt to 
the conference table, and provide developmental assistance to poor 
countries;

  Whereas in 1975, under Gerald R. Ford's leadership, the United States 
signed the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in 
Europe, commonly known as the ``Helsinki Agreement'', which ratified 
post-World War II European borders and supported human rights;

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford, together with Betty Ford, was awarded the 
Congressional Gold Metal in 1999 in recognition of dedicated public 
service and outstanding humanitarian contributions to the people of the 
United States;

  Whereas in 1999, Gerald R. Ford received the Medal of Freedom, the 
Nation's highest civilian award, for his role in guiding the Nation 
through the turbulent times of Watergate, the resignation of President 
Nixon, and the end of the Vietnam War, and for restoring integrity and 
public trust to the Presidency;

  Whereas since leaving the Presidency, Gerald R. Ford has been an 
international ambassador of American goodwill, a noted scholar and 
lecturer, and a strong supporter of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public 
Policy at the University of Michigan, which was named for the former 
President in 1999; and

  Whereas Gerald R. Ford's life has been characterized by honesty, 
integrity, and dedication of purpose: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

  (1) expresses its appreciation for the profound public service of 
President Gerald Rudolph Ford;

  (2) tenders its deep sympathy to Betty Ford; to Michael, Jack, Steven, 
and Susan; and to the rest of the family of the former President; and

  (3) directs the Clerk of the House to transmit a copy of this 
resolution to the family of President Gerald Rudolph Ford.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

   . . . Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford, the Nation's 38th President, and the 
only person to serve both as President and Vice President, although 
elected to neither office, led the Nation out of the dark days of the 
Watergate scandal. When Gerald Ford took office on August 9, 1974, he 
declared:

  I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an 
hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.

  After playing football at the University of Michigan and serving on an 
aircraft carrier in the Navy during World War II, Ford was elected to 
the House of Representatives in 1948 as a Republican. The district he 
represented included his hometown of Grand Rapids, MI. Ford's reputation 
for integrity and openness made him popular and well regarded among his 
peers during his 25 years in Congress.
  In 1965, he was elected minority leader. In October 1973 Vice 
President Spiro Agnew resigned from office after pleading no contest to 
tax evasion. President Nixon, ensnared in the rising Watergate scandal, 
asked the well-respected Ford to leave Congress in order to replace 
Agnew, and he accepted.
  In September 1974, Ford granted President Nixon a pardon, an act that 
is credited for calming American anxieties about the Watergate 
controversy. ``It was a tough decision,'' Ford told USA Today in an 
interview in 2000. ``We needed to get the matter off my desk so I could 
concentrate on the problems of 260 million Americans and not have to 
worry about the problems of one man.''
  Gerald Ford was a devoted public servant who led this country with 
grace and bipartisanship during challenging times. All of America is 
grateful to him for his leadership and dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


                             Hon. Tom Davis


                               of virginia

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, though he served as President for only 2\1/2\ years, 
Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr., leaves a legacy of leadership and service that 
will endure for years to come. As the 38th President of the United 
States, he is remembered as a man whose integrity and decency would be 
the salve needed to heal a deeply divided country during one of the most 
politically turbulent periods in our Nation's history. He is also 
remembered as a loving and loyal husband, family man, and friend.
  Born on July 14, 1913, in Grand Rapids, MI, Gerald Ford graduated from 
the University of Michigan and excelled in both academics and athletics. 
He was voted the most valuable player on the football team his senior 
year at Michigan, which led to offers to play for the Detroit Lions and 
the Green Bay Packers.
  Despite these offers, Ford decided that law would be a better career 
choice. He attended Yale University Law School, graduating in the top 25 
percent of his class while working both as a football and a boxing 
coach.
  It was at Yale that he would receive his first taste of national 
politics, volunteering on Wendell Willkie's 1940 Presidential campaign.
  His rise in Michigan politics was put on hold when he joined the U.S. 
Navy in 1942 to serve in the Second World War. He served valiantly on 
the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Monterey until 1946, attaining the rank of 
lieutenant commander.
  The year 1948 was a banner year for Ford as it was the year he was 
elected to the House of Representatives, with over 60 percent of the 
vote, the lowest margin he was ever to receive. It was also the year he 
would marry Elizabeth ``Betty'' Bloomer, who would become one of his 
most ardent campaigners and mother to their four children.
  Ford served in the House with distinction and honor for 25 years, 
where his contributions earned him a reputation as a Congressman's 
Congressman. Even though his highest aspiration was to be Speaker of the 
House, he never got the chance. He did, however, hold the highest 
Republican post in a Democratically controlled Congress by being elected 
the minority leader in 1965.
  He held that post until 1973 when he was appointed by President Nixon 
to replace Spiro Agnew as Vice President of the United States of America 
amid allegations of corruption.
  After Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, Gerald Ford became the 
38th President of the United States and has the distinction of being the 
only person to serve but never was elected by the populace to either the 
Presidency or the Vice Presidency.
  As President, he followed a steady, sensible course to cope with the 
Nation's economic problems. He is credited with halting double-digit 
inflation and lowering unemployment. He also worked to solidify 
President Nixon's accomplishments in China and ended U.S. involvement in 
the Vietnam war.
  Under his leadership, the United States signed the final act of the 
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, commonly known as the 
Helsinki agreement, which ratified post-World War II European borders 
and supported human rights, and is now regarded as having helped bring 
down the Soviet Union. Maybe most important, his wisdom, courage and 
integrity restored the faith of the American people in the executive 
branch of government. His time in office is remembered for restoring 
trust and openness to the Presidency.
  His courageous and difficult decision to pardon President Nixon may 
have cost him the election. However, it is now regarded as being in the 
best interests of the Nation, allowing it to move forward and recover 
from a tumultuous time.
  After leaving the Presidency, Ford became an international ambassador 
of American goodwill, a noted scholar and lecturer, and a strong 
supporter of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the 
University of Michigan. And together with his wife, Betty, he was 
awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 1999 in recognition of their 
dedicated public service and outstanding humanitarian contributions to 
the people of the United States.
  Also in 1999 Ford received the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest 
civilian award, for his role in guiding the United States through the 
turbulent times of Watergate, the resignation of President Nixon, and 
the end of the Vietnam war, and for restoring integrity and public trust 
to the Presidency.
  Gerald R. Ford, the President and the man, embodied many fine 
characteristics that we as Americans value: honor, integrity, decency, 
hard work, and kindness. For this, I ask my colleagues to join in 
honoring his legacy by supporting this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Virginia for his remarks and would like to yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Michigan, Representative Bart Stupak.


                            Hon. Bart Stupak


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this 
resolution, paying tribute to one of Michigan's greatest sons, a man who 
dedicated the best years of his life to public service, President Gerald 
R. Ford. Those who knew Gerald Ford remember him for his humility, his 
understanding of the virtue of public service and his dedication to his 
family. Michigan and America have lost a statesman who truly believed in 
the honor of public service.
  President Ford will be remembered not only for his Presidency but also 
for his distinguished career representing Michigan in Congress and for 
his service as minority leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. He 
believed deeply in this institution, and he served his State, his party, 
and his Nation skillfully as a Congressman for more than a quarter of a 
century. President Ford exemplified the values both of this institution 
and the great State of Michigan with humility, good humor, faith, and 
persistence.
  Gerald Ford did not seek power or fame, but he answered the call of 
our Nation's highest office when our Nation needed him. He was selected 
to be Vice President because of his high character, bipartisanship, and 
integrity. Eight months later, these qualities were evident when 
President Ford helped heal a divided Nation after the Watergate scandal.
  There can be no better demonstration of a tribute to President Gerald 
R. Ford than the outpouring of gratitude and respect from ordinary 
citizens when he was laid to rest on January 3. The people of Michigan 
remember him not only as President or minority leader but as a constant 
presence in our lives and as a selfless, dedicated public servant who 
talked about the values that unite us in the most divisive of times.
  President Gerald R. Ford represented us with honor and courage, and he 
will be deeply missed. To Betty and his children, Michael, Jack, Steven 
and Susan, thank you for sharing the President with us.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the author of this resolution, the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Ehlers).


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 15, a resolution I 
introduced along with Speaker Pelosi, Republican Leader Boehner, 
Majority Leader Hoyer and the entire Michigan congressional delegation. 
This resolution honors our great President, Gerald R. Ford, who was also 
an outstanding Member of Congress.
  I am privileged to serve in the same House seat that President Ford 
held. I am still deeply honored when people, both here and in Grand 
Rapids, MI, refer to my district as ``Jerry Ford's district.'' After all 
these years, they still consider it to be Jerry's.
  He personified the many good traits that West Michigan has to offer 
our Nation; honesty, integrity and a sense of courage and duty. I think 
you are going to hear these words a great deal as we honor President 
Ford in this Chamber, where he honorably served for 25 years.
  I was deeply touched by the funeral services and memorial celebrations 
held for President Ford over the past 2 weeks since his death on 
Tuesday, December 26, 2006. I want to thank all those who helped plan 
and carry out those memorable events, which solemnly reflected on this 
great man and his service and leadership to our Nation. I am pleased 
that this House can now take time at the beginning of a new Congress to 
celebrate and remember one of our own Members and the great things that 
he did for our country.
  For many younger Americans, these past tributes have served as a 
history lesson about the so-called ``accidental President.'' They have 
learned, and those of us who knew him, have remembered his athletic 
prowess at the University of Michigan; his brave service in the Navy 
during World War II; his outstanding representation of Grand Rapids and 
Western Michigan in the Congress; his ascension to the Republican 
leader's position in 1965; his appointment and confirmation as Vice 
President in 1973; and, of course, his rise to the Presidency in the 
wake of Richard Nixon's resignation in August 1974.
  What has struck me during the memorial services and tributes is the 
shift in the way President Ford is regarded as compared to some of the 
opinions during his Presidency. For example, at the time of his 
appointment as Vice President, the Wall Street Journal editors wrote 
that the nomination ``caters to all the worst instincts on Capitol Hill, 
clubbiness, partisanship and the small-mindedness that thinks in terms 
of those who should be rewarded rather than those who could best fill 
the job.''
  Little did the Wall Street Journal know that the Congress had in fact 
picked the person who could best fill the job; they later changed their 
thoughts and their writings about President Ford.
  I think a lot of people probably thought at the time as the Wall 
Street Journal did. He was a political insider, from a relatively small 
city in Michigan, who many knew little about. But those of us in Grand 
Rapids, his constituents and his colleagues, knew who he was, a decent, 
thoughtful, trustworthy man, full of integrity and courage.
  As it turns out, the country should be eternally grateful for the 
blessing of the timely leadership, strength and wisdom of Jerry Ford 
during this perilously difficult time in the constitutional history of 
our Nation. I am glad that 30 years of history have shown that the 
Members of Congress, and those who advised President Nixon on his 
appointment, knew what they were talking about and what they were doing.
  President Ford's appointment and his ascendancy to the office of 
President was not the result of ``clubbiness'' or ``political favor.'' 
He was the person best suited to fill the job, and he literally healed 
our Nation by the actions that he took during those troubled times.
  I am pleased that the opinion writers at the Wall Street Journal 
recognized this when editorializing after his death. They eloquently 
wrote that President Ford navigated many perils in his short tenure, 
including the public furor over Watergate, the unpopularity of the 
Vietnam war, dramatic inflation and a struggling economy, and, as they 
put it, ``better than he gets credit for.''
  I think that over time history will continue to hold President Ford in 
even higher regard for the actions he took to bring honor and respect 
back to the Presidency, to stabilize the economy, and to lay the 
groundwork for freedom and democracy to spread, and for Soviet communism 
to fall.
  My thoughts and prayers continue to go out to Betty and to their 
children, Michael, Jack, Steven and Susan, as well as their 
grandchildren. The Ford family demonstrated remarkable composure and 
strength during these long weeks of mourning, and we thank them for 
helping to lead us in our grief.
  At the beginning of this new year and this new Congress, I am hopeful 
that we in this House will be mindful of the life and legacy of Jerry 
Ford. He served in this House with distinction, he treated everyone with 
respect, and he always conducted himself with honesty, integrity and 
forthrightness in every matter he undertook. I pray that we will do the 
same.
  His family creed, incidentally, although humorous, is one we should 
all emulate: ``Work hard, tell the truth, and come to dinner on time.''
  Mr. Speaker, I know all my colleagues will support this resolution to 
honor our 38th President.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, during the last week we have heard many discussions about 
the impact of President Gerald Ford. We have heard people talk about the 
fact that he was never elected to either the Presidency or the Vice 
Presidency of the United States. But yet his impact has been felt in 
such a way, as I listened to Representative Ehlers from Michigan talk, 
that people still refer to the district as his district.
  I hear individuals who are sports fans who remember his days as an 
athlete when he played football and the fact that whatever the 
assignments were, that he could pick up the assignment and do 
exceptionally well with it, and that oftentimes he didn't veer too far 
from the center. He didn't always veer so far to the left or he didn't 
always veer so far to the right, but he was one of these kind of 
straight-down-the-middle people who protected the interests of his 
colleagues, who protected the well-being of his mates, who protected the 
interests of those on the team.
  I think he saw America as a team and, when he was given the ball, 
decided that his greatest challenge was to protect the interests of 
America. And that is what he did, even though he probably knew that it 
would cause some difficulty with his reelection.
  Even though he knew that in all likelihood and all probability there 
were individuals who would be concerned enough that they may not give 
him the kind of support that he would need to be reelected, he did it 
anyway. He did it because he could put the interests of the country 
above those of any personal feelings or personal need that he had. I 
think that that is really what puts him down in history as one who 
excelled to the point of greatness, because he served the country and 
served the interests of the country extremely well.
  Mr. Speaker, when students study politics, when young people are 
trying to understand what it is that they need to be and what they ought 
to become if they really want to be a great public servant, they should 
study the life of President Gerald Ford, and they should understand that 
being a public servant is to put the public interest first. That is what 
he did, that is what he is noted for, and that is why all of America 
continues to revere him, especially those of us who are old enough to 
remember that period, who are old enough to kind of recall the mood of 
the people and what was taking place and what was going on at that time.
  No matter how historians write the script, you can never take away 
what President Gerald Ford did for America. That is why we salute him, 
and that is why we raise him up; that is why we lift him to the American 
people, and that is why this resolution is so important.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).


                            Hon. Tim Walberg


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud Michigander today to express my 
profound respect and appreciation and admiration for the life and public 
service of our 38th President.
  President Gerald Ford was a man of impeccable integrity and ethics who 
served valiantly in World War II on the U.S.S. Monterey, where he came 
close to losing his life in December 1944. After returning home to 
Michigan, his calling remained in public service to his country. He ran 
for the Grand Rapids area congressional seat against an incumbent 
Republican Congressman. Nobody thought he could win. But with a strong 
conviction and a clear contrast between the two, he won two to one in 
the primary.
  President Ford went on to serve 25 years in the U.S. House and was 
voted in 1961 by the House membership as a ``Congressman's 
Congressman.'' Rising to the rank of Republican leader, he was known for 
his modesty, his intelligence, and thoughtfulness throughout his career. 
After Ford became President, the decisions that he made, though costing 
him politically, healed a fractured Nation. Today, we thank him for 
putting our country ahead of his own political success.
  May we never forget this great Michigander, and may the Lord's 
blessings be upon his family.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, could I inquire as to how much 
time I have left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Illinois has 21 minutes 
remaining and the gentleman from Virginia has 18 minutes remaining.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Oftentimes when we talk about civil rights and the era of civil 
rights, and we talk of the individuals who were pushing perhaps the 
most, sometimes the name of Gerald Ford does not get included in that 
discussion, and he is not included in that discussion because he didn't 
always loom as high as some others might have. He was not necessarily 
one of these individuals that you would just simply know about. 
Oftentimes he did what he did somewhat quietly but, nevertheless, did it 
and it had the impact that it was designed to have.
  Such were his positions relative to civil rights issues, even prior to 
ever seeking or getting involved in public office. I was told a story of 
how, as he captained the football team, there were some controversies 
relative to an African American member of the team who was not going to 
get an opportunity to play. Of course, President Ford, as football team 
captain at that time, a sort of President-in-waiting, learning what 
leadership really meant and what leadership was all about, just sort of 
took the position that if this gentleman was not going to be able to 
play, then neither would he. And of course the team was concerned, 
because if you have a star and the star is not playing, then of course 
it decreases your chance of winning.
  Think of what America would be if all of us stood up all of the time 
for stars, or for the individuals who had the potential to be stars, to 
make sure that they got their rightful chance, their rightful 
opportunity, got their acceptance because of what they could contribute 
and because of what they brought to the table. I guess that really was 
the understanding that Gerald Ford had even at that moment, and all of 
America continues to be grateful to him.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time it would be my pleasure and my honor to 
yield to the gentlewoman from California, the Speaker of the House, such 
time as she might consume.


                            Hon. Nancy Pelosi


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and applaud him, Mr. 
Davis of Illinois, and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis), for 
bringing this resolution to the floor to honor a great man, and I rise 
today to join them in paying tribute to the life and leadership of 
President Gerald Ford.
  I would like to also recognize Mrs. Betty Ford and the wonderful 
children, Michael, Jack, Steven, and Susan, who with their love and 
support helped to make President Ford's leadership possible; but they 
made a contribution in their own right.
  Betty Ford really changed the way people in America talked about their 
health and the challenges in their lives. Every family in America 
respects her, every family in America is in her debt for, again, 
changing how people speak about their physical and other challenges. 
Mrs. Ford, we all give you our condolences and our respect and 
admiration for your leadership as well.
  Having also served as House minority leader, as President Ford did, I 
have great respect for the fair and reliable leadership that President 
Ford displayed throughout his service in the House. He was effective and 
respected on both sides of the aisle. He recognized that however much we 
may disagree on political questions, we serve the people of the Nation, 
the great institution, the House of Representatives.
  He later became President, and another President, Thomas Jefferson, 
said: ``Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle.'' 
Gerald Ford knew that. Gerald Ford followed that. He assumed office 
during one of the greatest times of challenge for our Nation and 
provided the American people with the steady leadership and optimism 
that was his signature.
  The outpouring of emotion and affection displayed by the American 
people last week and the week before reminds us that they desire the 
kind of leadership President Ford embodied. In this hour, we need and 
pray for President Ford's character, courage, and civility to affect us. 
He healed the country when it needed healing. This is another time, 
another war, and another trial of our American will, imagination, and 
spirit. I ask our colleagues, let us honor his memory not just in eulogy 
but in dialog and trust across the aisle.
  Once again, our condolences to the family. I hope it is a comfort to 
the Ford family that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for 
them at this time.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, thrust by President Nixon's resignation into an office he 
had never sought, former President Gerald Ford occupied the White House 
for just 895 days. They were, however, 895 extraordinary days that 
President Ford used to guide the Nation through and out of the dark days 
of the Watergate scandal.
  When Ford took office on August 9, 1974, he declared: ``I assume the 
Presidency under extraordinary circumstances. This is an hour of history 
that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts.''
  Ford got his first exposure to national politics at Yale University, 
working as a volunteer in Wendell Willkie's Republican campaign for 
President.
  After World War II service with the Navy in the Pacific, he went back 
to practicing law in Grand Rapids and became active in Republican reform 
politics. The rest is history.
  President Ford was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948 as 
a Republican. Ford's reputation for integrity and openness made him 
popular and well regarded among his peers during his 25 years in 
Congress.
  In 1965, he was elected minority leader. Mr. Ford was a devoted public 
servant who led his country with grace and bipartisanship during 
challenging times. The country is grateful to him for his leadership and 
dedication.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is a great pleasure once again to recognize the many 
accomplishments that President Ford had during his life, and I am 
pleased that we can spend more time this evening adding to the record we 
began early this afternoon.
  Before I do that, I want to remind all Members to please take the time 
to go to the Cloakrooms and record their remembrances in the books that 
are displayed there. This will be very meaningful to Mrs. Ford and the 
family if we can do that, and I urge all Members to do that.
  Mr. Speaker, before I proceed any further, I would like to yield to 
Mr. McCotter from Michigan for such time as he may consume.


                        Hon. Thaddeus G. McCotter


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to go on record with the reminiscence of 
the late President Ford.
  As a young person growing up in Michigan, I remember Watergate. It is 
a very early political memory. And it would have been so easy at the 
time for that indelible memory to remain with a young person and sour 
them and make them cynical toward the public process and toward 
government in general.
  But I was very lucky because the man who took the place of the 
disgraced Richard Nixon was a man from Michigan by the name of Gerald 
Ford. Living in Michigan at the time being a young person, to see 
someone from my home State filled me with pride and a sense of 
inspiration that one person could rise above it and help to heal the 
wounds of a Nation.
  So in many ways today in paying respect to Gerald Ford, it is not my 
ability to thank him for his service to our country in general, but to 
thank him personally for the inspiration that he provided me, to see 
what one good and decent man could do for his fellow Americans.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure now to yield 
such time as he may consume to one who knew President Ford well, the 
Dean of the House of Representatives, the Honorable John Dingell from 
the State of Michigan.


                          Hon. John D. Dingell


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I thank my dear friend for his kindness and for his 
yielding me this time. I express to him my gratitude not only for his 
managing this time, but for bringing this bill to the floor. You have 
done a good thing, and I say to you, sir, my thanks.
  I also want to congratulate my dear friend from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) 
for his part in bringing this matter before us.
  We honor here a great American, a real patriot, a distinguished 
President, a man who served with distinction in the House, where he had 
no enemies and legions of friends. He was an honorable and decent man. 
He was a friendly man. He was uncomplicated. He was good. He was a fine 
family man, and he was a man with whom any Member of this House on 
either side of the aisle could work with affection and with respect. We 
will miss him. He was a great American, and he was a man who left a 
great tradition as a Member of this body and as a member of the 
Appropriations Committee where he served with distinction.
  A curious event associated with him is that he always wanted to be 
Speaker, but never made the grade. By a curious set of circumstances, he 
was the only man who probably could have been confirmed as Vice 
President under the constitutional amendment. And by an even more 
curious circumstance, he was never elected either Vice President or 
President, and yet he served in both offices with real distinction.
  I will be praying for the repose of his soul. My wife, Deborah, and I 
knew Gerald Ford and admired him greatly. We extend our condolences to 
his wonderful wife, Betty, who was his loyal friend, supporter, 
counselor, and who served his country and him and all of us with 
distinction and who brought luster not just to her name but also to the 
name of her distinguished husband.
  We will pray to God He will be good to Jerry Ford, and I thank my 
colleagues for bringing this resolution. It is well deserved by a great 
American.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just like to give a few vignettes of Jerry Ford 
that illustrate the type of man that he was.
  We heard this afternoon when we discussed this on the floor that he 
had been active in supporting the Civil Rights Act that passed this 
House and the Senate some years ago. But this was not an out-of-the-
ordinary thing for him. When he was a football player at the University 
of Michigan, and a very fine one, I might add, undoubtedly the finest 
athlete to ever occupy the White House, he was the captain of the 
football team. They were scheduled to play Georgia Tech. There was one 
African American football player on the Michigan football team, and 
Georgia Tech said we cannot allow a black player to play on the field at 
Georgia Tech.
  When Gerald Ford heard that, he said, ``I will not play either. I am 
simply not going to play if they will not let my friend, Ward, play.'' 
That was the type of person he was. It was not until his African 
American friend begged him to play that he finally conceded that he 
would play.
  Another vignette is when he was elevated to the Presidency, we had a 
big party for him back in Grand Rapids, MI, and 5,000 people turned out 
for our little party. Person after person got up to the microphone and 
related experiences in their life where Jerry Ford had helped them, 
whether it was a matter of housing, of veterans benefits, getting medals 
for veterans. The list went on and on and on.
  That accords with another thing that was told me by one of my fellow 
legislators at the time. He had become a Member of Congress and he said, 
``Sometimes I cursed Jerry Ford. Because of the high standard of 
constituent service he provided, we worked endlessly in our office to do 
as well as Jerry Ford and his staff did in his office.''
  Those are two examples. I have more, but I see that the majority 
leader has arrived, and I know he is anxious to speak on this issue.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 
such time as he may consume to the majority leader, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), one who did know the President, but, as I observed 
a few minutes ago, not quite as long as Representative John Dingell.


                           Hon. Steny H. Hoyer


                               of maryland

  Mr. Speaker, I thank my very distinguished friend for yielding and 
thank him for his leadership in this Congress, in the great city that he 
represents and his State of Illinois. He does a wonderful job.
  I am pleased to join the sponsor of this resolution, my good friend, 
Vern Ehlers. Vern Ehlers represents the district, as some of you have 
already been told, I am sure, I just got to the floor, but I am sure you 
have been told he represents the district that Gerald Ford represented 
for a quarter of a century.
  Jerry Ford was my friend. President Ford was someone who I got to know 
after he was President of the United States. As Mr. Davis observed, I 
was not in the Congress and did not serve with President Ford. He was, 
however, a distinguished leader of this body.
  I would like to say just a few words, Mr. Speaker, about the 
contributions of a great American leader, a man who personified 
integrity, openness, civility, and a sense of responsibility, and a man 
who helped restore public confidence in our institutions of government 
during a time of national crisis and grave doubt about our Government, 
and that doubt existed here in this country and abroad.
  President Jerry Ford, our Nation's 38th President, took office during 
a period of American history when deep skepticism was the norm and 
uncertainty ruled the day. The challenges he faced were not the product 
of his actions, but he effectively confronted them and helped our proud 
Nation rise above its ``long national nightmare,'' as he referred to it, 
and to begin dreaming again about the promise that has been ours since 
our founding.
  President Ford, of course, never asked to be our Commander in Chief. 
The responsibilities and burdens of that office were thrust upon him 
when he chose to answer our Nation's highest calling. That calling came 
because of the respect that was accorded to him in this House, in the 
U.S. Senate, and in our country.
  He never put partisanship or ambition ahead of the needs of the 
American people, seeking instead to heal our national wounds. Where he 
saw division, he built bridges, and where he saw doubt, he nurtured 
trust.
  I am proud to be able tonight to serve in the same Chamber where 
Gerald R. Ford served our Nation for such a long time. I have now served 
1 year longer than Gerald Ford served in this House. He served for 25 
years. I am in my 26th year. But no one brought more luster to their 
service, no one brought more integrity to this House, no one was a 
better example of what all of us ought to be as Members of this great 
institution, the People's House, than was Gerald R. Ford of Michigan.
  He offered his talents for seeking compromise and building consensus. 
I would hope all of us would take a lesson from Gerald Ford as we move 
ahead over the next 2 years. Too often, the cycle that we enter is a 
cycle of confrontation rather than consensus creation. We need 
consensus. America wants consensus. America wants progress. America 
wants a Congress focused on its need, not a Congress focused on how we 
can make the other guy look bad.
  Gerald Ford can be an example and should be an example for all of us 
to emulate. I am honored to have this opportunity to carry on President 
Ford's steadfast commitment to God, to country, to, obviously, his 
family, his beloved wife Betty, and to the People's House.
  It goes without saying that the thoughts and prayers of an indebted 
Nation are with the Ford family in their time of sorrow. I want to 
congratulate the Ford family, who conducted themselves with such great 
dignity and returned the caring of literally tens of thousands of people 
who came through our Rotunda to honor President Ford and his service and 
to thank him for that which he has done for our country. Jack and Susan 
in particular stood for hours greeting people and thanking them for 
being there, and the other children as well.
  On December 26, 2006, we lost a great American, a great leader and a 
great friend. I was a member of the Appropriations Committee and had the 
honor of chairing the Treasury-Postal Subcommittee. The Treasury-Postal 
Subcommittee had under its aegis the retirement funds for our former 
Presidents, and in that capacity, I had an opportunity to talk to him 
from time to time, not about his own personal interests, which we did 
talk about, but that is not why we talked.
  He talked about the institution. He talked about what we were doing to 
make this House run better. I can remember we were at a forum at 
Georgetown together over two decades ago at which we both spoke, and he 
spoke of the need for having more contested elections, as opposed to 
districts that were automatic for one party or the other. He said that 
would be good for democracy, good for discussion of issues and good for 
the creation of consensus.
  Gerald Ford's indomitable spirit will live in these halls of power and 
service for generations to come, halls that will forever bear the mark 
of his influence and dedication to the people of the United States of 
America.
  I want to extend my deepest sympathy to President Ford's beloved wife, 
Betty, his children, and his family and loved ones, and in closing thank 
him; thank him for being an example to which all of us could repair for 
service in this body; thank him for being an example for the American 
people to look to for what a Member of Congress can and ought to be, a 
man of principle, a man of generosity, a man who cared about his country 
and its people.
  Gerald Ford, we thank you for your service, and we miss you.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I just want to add a few more comments, little vignettes. 
We have had a lot of discussion today about the wonderful attributes of 
President Ford as a President, as a Vice President and as a Member of 
the House of Representatives. Indeed, he was a most gracious person and 
also a most capable and hardworking person. I appreciate the comments 
that Majority Leader Hoyer made which reflect very accurately what a 
wonderful person Mr. Ford was. But I want to add just a few examples 
from my hometown and my experience with him.
  I, at one time, was the chairman of the County Commission. This was at 
the time when we were erecting the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in 
Grand Rapids. Of course, he was interested in that and came around 
regularly. He was retired from the Presidency at that time.
  I recall walking down the street with Mr. Ford. I thought I knew quite 
a few people there, but walking down the street with him, even though he 
had not served in Congress for some 10 years at that time, people, of 
course, would greet him and say, ``Hi, Jerry, how are you doing?'' They 
all knew him. The amazing part to me was that he knew them, and he would 
say, ``Hi, Bob. Hi, Shirley. Hi, Jerry. How are you doing?''
  Then another time we walked into the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, which 
had been the Pantlind Hotel, and he had stayed there when he came back 
to Grand Rapids for visits and for meetings. We walked into the hotel 
lobby, and, of course, a number of people saw him and sort of mobbed him 
and kept talking to him.
  I noticed a bellman standing off to the side, and it was clear to me 
that he wanted to speak to Mr. Ford but didn't dare to come up to this 
group of people. He just thought it wasn't proper. So I mentioned this 
to President Ford. I said, ``I think the bellman wants to talk to you.'' 
He said, ``Oh, good.'' So he marches over to him and says, ``Harry, how 
are you doing? It is good to see you again.'' I didn't know he had a 
personal relationship with him.
  Then he said, ``By the way, I heard that your mother has cancer. Is 
that true? How is she doing?'' He then had a 10-minute conversation with 
this young man about his mother and her health and what had gone on. I 
am curious how many ex-Presidents would take the time to do that for a 
bellman that they had known in the past?
  Similarly, the first time he went to the White House as President and 
a reporter I know was following him, when he approached the White House, 
of course, the Marines stood erect, opened the doors and stood at 
attention. He came up and held out his hand and said, ``Hi, I am Jerry 
Ford. I am going to be living here. What is your name?'' The reporter 
talked to the Marines at the door after that and said, ``Have you ever 
had that before?'' One said, ``No, I have been here for several years, 
and the previous President has never even looked at me.'' But, again, 
that was characteristic of Mr. Ford.
  One final little note. I am a nuclear scientist, as most of you know. 
I had moved from Berkeley, CA, where I got my Ph.D., and I was teaching 
at Calvin College. I heard a speech at a national convention from a 
Congressman who said, ``It is terrible. We don't have any scientists in 
the Congress. We don't have any scientific advice.'' He said, ``I urge 
you to contact your Member of Congress to see if you can help them by 
giving scientific advice.''
  So I took the gentleman at his word. I sent a letter to Congressman 
Ford and said, ``I am a scientist. I have heard there is not much 
scientific advice there. I would be happy to help you in any way I 
can.''
  I dropped the letter in the mailbox, and my first thought was I would 
get a nice response that said: Thank you for your comments. We will keep 
you in mind if we ever need you. But in fact, Mr. Ford was excited about 
it. The day they got the letter, his chief of staff called me and said, 
``Jerry is very excited with this and would like to meet with you.''
  So I met with him. I established a science advisory committee, and we 
met with him quarterly to advise him on scientific matters. What struck 
me was he was extremely interested in the meetings and in what we were 
saying, but also very, very quick on catching on to the scientific terms 
and issues we were discussing, much more so than the average lay person 
would be able to catch on. So it was a real pleasure for us.
  But one day after a meeting, I said, ``Mr. Ford, I don't quite 
understand, because you come back to Grand Rapids, you spend all day in 
meetings, you spend an hour or hour and a half in a meeting with us just 
because we want you to know more about science,'' and I said, ``You 
really seem to enjoy it. Doesn't it get tiresome sometimes?''
  He put his arm around my shoulder and he said, ``Vern, one thing you 
have to recognize: Everyone else I meet with is asking for something. 
You are the only group I meet with that is offering me something.''
  I have never forgotten that, and it really gave a lot of meaning to me 
when I got here in Congress and found out that is true. Almost everyone 
that walks through our office doors comes in asking for something, not 
trying to help. So I now appreciate more fully why he appreciated our 
help.
  These are just a few instances of what a wonderful human being 
President Ford was, how he related to the people around him, how he was 
concerned about the people around him and really sought to do what was 
best for them and what was best for this country. He was a terrific 
model for the rest of us and for me, and I have always tried to serve 
the people as well as he has.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I have no 
further comments, and I yield back the balance of my time.


                           Hon. Danny K. Davis


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me just first of all commend and thank 
Representative Ehlers for introducing this resolution. I also want to 
thank all of those who have come down and taken the time to speak.
  In summing up the life of President Gerald Ford, I am reminded of 
something that my mother used to tell us all the time, and that is that 
if a task is once begun, never leave until it is done; be the labor 
great or small, do it well or not at all.
  President Gerald Ford, wherever he was, did his work well, whether it 
was on the football field, at the university, in the halls of Congress, 
as Vice President and ultimately as President of the United States of 
America, and our country is a better place because of it.


                            Hon. Rush D. Holt


                              of new jersey

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join all Americans today in mourning the 
passing of President Gerald R. Ford and support H. Res. 15.
  Gerald Ford became President in the aftermath of Watergate, a scandal 
that shook to the core the confidence that Americans place in their 
government. His unquestioned integrity, good humor, and unimpeachable 
personal character carried this Nation through one of the toughest 
periods of American history. Gerald Ford's legacy is one of steadiness 
in a time of crisis and of selfless service for his country.


                             Hon. Mark Udall


                               of colorado

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 15, mourning the 
passing of President Gerald R. Ford.
  While we mourn President Ford, we also celebrate this great American's 
life and unique contributions to our country. I believe he will be 
remembered as a devoted and decent man of impeccable integrity who put 
service to his country before his own self interest. In public life, 
there can be no higher achievement.
  In 1968 President Ford and his family first came to Colorado to ski. 
He was inspired by the beauty of the area and found a connection to the 
land and to the surrounding community and ended up buying a home in 
Beaver Creek. When he became President, his vacations in Colorado helped 
introduce the world to the town of Vail, and in fact, the family home 
was dubbed the Western White House.
  Coloradans, especially those in the Vail Valley, consider Jerry Ford 
to be the first President from Colorado because he was a great 
ambassador for the State who established long ties to the people of 
Colorado. He was known as the first skiing President, and because of 
this tireless promotion of Colorado's ski industry, he was inducted into 
the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame in 2001. He was a good neighbor, an avid 
golfer, and a lover of the outdoors. So you can see why I like to claim 
the former President as a constituent.
  Because of his work with charities in Colorado and his contributions 
to our great State, I've introduced a bill which would rename the Vail 
Post Office after President Ford, and I hope that the House will take up 
that bill soon and pass it in his honor.
  President Ford will rightly be remembered for his personal warmth, his 
decency, his interest in bridging the many divisions in America during 
the 1970s. My father, Mo Udall, served in the Congress with him, and 
while they were often on different sides in political matters they were 
united by a common view that politics should unite people. I remember a 
story--in 1974 President Ford invited Arizona's Senators and 
Representatives to ride on Air Force One for a meeting he was having 
with Mexico's president. At the time, Arizona had two Republican 
Senators and three Republican Congressmen. They all declined. The one 
Democratic Congressman--my dad--accepted the invitation.
  ``All these other politicians don't want Ford to come into their 
district. Hell, I'm glad to see him in mine,'' my dad told a person in a 
crowd outside the place where Ford and the Mexican president were 
meeting. Mo then went into the crowd and put his arm around the 
President, telling him how proud Arizona was to have him. ``It's a great 
day for the State.''
  They both were firm believers that in public life one could disagree 
without being disagreeable. This is a credo I try to live by and I draw 
inspiration from my father and from President Ford. They were both 
practitioners of civility long before the term came a popular term of 
political art.
  As a dedicated public servant, President Ford served honorably in his 
years in Congress and in the White House. Most important, when America 
needed someone to reassure their trust in government after Watergate, he 
filled that leadership role with authenticity.
  In short, Gerald Ford helped heal our Nation during a time of crisis, 
provided steady leadership and restored people's faith in the Presidency 
and in government. We need leaders like him today.


                             Hon. Lee Terry


                               of nebraska

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late President Gerald R. Ford, 
who was born in my hometown of Omaha, NE. President Ford will forever be 
remembered for his great service to the people of the United States of 
America. He served the people at a complicated and divisive time in our 
history with honor and distinction. By helping our Nation heal from the 
political turmoil of Watergate, he helped move us forward.
  President Ford was a man of selfless actions based in modest, 
Midwestern values. As a public servant, I am proud of his efforts; as a 
Nebraskan, I am proud of our President.
  President Ford was a man who gave up a National Football League career 
in order to study law and ultimately serve the people in the highest 
office of public service. His love for our Nation and our American 
freedoms will live on through our work in Congress and his immortal 
words, spoken during his 1977 State of the Union Address when he said:

  The Constitution is the bedrock of all our freedoms. Guard and cherish 
it, keep honor and order in your own house, and the Republic will 
endure.

  He was a scholar, an athlete, an honorable President, and an even more 
honorable American. Our Nation will truly miss his leadership, honesty 
and integrity.


                            Hon. Adrian Smith


                               of nebraska

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great friend of this 
institution, President Gerald Ford. I speak for all of us when I say 
that our thoughts and our prayers go out to his wife, Betty, and their 
family.
  Born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in Omaha, NE, President Ford embodied the 
values and spirit of Nebraska by putting the good of the Nation ahead of 
personal, partisan politics. He was a valued colleague to two branches 
of our Government, who loved and honored our traditions.
  A great statesman, he will be hard--if not impossible--to replace. 
President Ford taught us lessons of unity we will do well to remember as 
we debate issues that may be divisive.
  The flags hang at half mast throughout our entire Nation to remember a 
good and decent man. Though I never met him, I am honored to pay my 
respects to this great man.
  God bless him and his family.


                         Hon. Candice S. Miller


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, as a member from the Michigan congressional delegation I 
am proud to honor today one of our State's favorite sons, the 38th 
President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford.
  President Ford is the only person in the history of our Nation to 
ascend to the Presidency having never sought either the Presidency or 
the Vice Presidency. And he did so at one of the most difficult moments 
in our Nation since the Civil War.
  Upon assuming office he acknowledged that he had not been elected 
through the votes of the American people but simply asked for his 
confirmation through their prayers.
  He was the right man for the right office at the right time for our 
Nation.
  He made policy decisions not based on political calculation, but on 
what he believed was in the best interests of the Nation.
  He was not afraid to reach across party lines to find solutions to the 
myriad challenges which faced our Nation.
  He was a man of unquestionable character.
  Prior to coming to Congress I had the honor to serve as Michigan's 
Secretary of State and as such served as our State's official historian.
  During my term in office I had the privilege to place a historic 
marker at the newly renovated boyhood home of President Ford.
  On that day he spoke of the values instilled in him in that home, in 
his community and in our great State of Michigan.
  These were values that served him well throughout his life and 
certainly when he assumed the Presidency.
  Values like honesty. Integrity. Treating every person with respect and 
dignity. Love of country and a commitment to freedom.
  His commitment to these values was evident throughout his public 
service. As a military officer in the Pacific in World War II. As a 
Member of this House of Representatives for nearly three decades. As the 
leader of the Republican minority in the House where he proudly voted 
for and sought votes for landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act 
and Voting Rights Act.
  And as Vice President and President of the United States where he 
helped America recover from what he called our long national nightmare 
of Watergate and where he concluded the war in Vietnam.
  Simply put, Gerald R. Ford was a great American worthy of our honor 
and respect.
  Our condolences go out to his wonderful and courageous wife Betty and 
to the entire Ford family.
  A grateful Nation owes a debt of gratitude to President Ford for his 
lifetime of honorable service.
  May he rest in peace.


                          Hon. John D. Dingell


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to my dearly 
departed friend, Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United 
States.
  Gerald R. Ford rose to the Presidency at a time when the Nation was in 
crisis. Disillusioned by Watergate, nervous about an economy in 
recession, and anxious to get its soldiers out of war, the country was 
yearning for a leader who could reestablish a sense of normalcy. So when 
Ford took over the White House after a short stint as Vice President, 
and a quarter century in the House of Representatives--even though we 
disagreed on some fundamental policy issues--I was relieved. I knew 
Jerry as an all-American hailing from Grand Rapids, MI, a fellow World 
War II veteran, and above all, a man of extraordinary character. He was 
the right man at the right time to restore a divided Nation shaken to 
its constitutional roots.
  When Ford left for duty he was considered an ``isolationist.'' When he 
came back, he was a committed internationalist. It was this change, 
which I think marks the type of person that my friend Gerald Ford was. 
Many of today's pundits will call him a ``throwback'' or a ``dying 
breed.'' I say he simply possessed a remarkable sense of self, strong 
patriotism, and astute common sense. He looked at the world, saw the 
conflicts, recognized the need for U.S. leadership, and changed his own 
opinion.
  Too often today, men and women in public life who change their opinion 
are derided. Stubborn consistency in the face of rebutting evidence is 
now considered leadership. But this narrow definition of leadership was 
never the Ford model. He was a citizen legislator, a stalwart in a grand 
tradition that stretches back throughout democracy, from the 
complexities of the 21st century to the founding of Athens. He never 
sought leadership, it always came to him.
  During his 25 years in Congress, where we worked side by side in the 
Michigan delegation for 17 years, Ford worked hard for his party but 
also reached out and made many friends across the aisle. His party 
elected him as minority leader in 1965 where he served as an effective 
leader and consensus builder until 1973 when he took over the Vice 
Presidency under Richard Nixon, replacing Spiro Agnew.
  Not only did Mr. Ford take over the Presidency during one of the 
toughest times in American history, he did so as a leader whose 
political party differed from the congressional majority. He vetoed an 
unprecedented 66 bills during his Presidency. Nevertheless, the Congress 
passed some important laws with bipartisan support under the Ford 
administration, including the Community Development Block Grant, the 
Privacy Act, and the Federal Elections Campaign Act Amendments.
  Gerald Ford and I worked particularly closely during his Presidency on 
energy matters. Despite our differences, we were able to work together. 
During the Ford administration we passed the Energy Policy and 
Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), which established the Nation's first 
fuel economy standards. Because of his self assuredness and his uncanny 
ability to think for himself, policy disputes did not deter Ford from 
working across party lines to achieve success. Nor did partisan 
bickering preclude bipartisan friendships: he played golf with political 
adversary Tip O'Neill and became good friends with Jimmy Carter after 
Carter defeated him in the 1976 election.
  President Ford was devoted to ensuring that America and the Presidency 
were in better shape than when he found it, and above all else, this was 
his most important accomplishment. His honesty and patriotism should be 
a model for elected officials today who are often too eager to create a 
sound bite and too reluctant to find common ground. Mr. Speaker, I ask 
that you and my fellow colleagues join me in remembering President 
Gerald R. Ford, and honoring him by carrying on his legacy of 
bipartisanship, honesty and integrity in the years to come.


                             Hon. Mary Bono


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 15, 
and to pay tribute to a dear friend and remarkable American. Today we 
honor the life and memory of our Nation's 38th President, Gerald R. 
Ford. The consideration of this legislation is of great personal 
importance to me, as I had the honor and distinction of counting 
President Ford not only as a friend but also as a constituent.
  These past few weeks, the American people have come to know the story 
of one of our most beloved leaders, a man who brought our Nation 
together during a tumultuous time and restored faith in our democratic 
system of government. President Ford famously said, ``Our Constitution 
works, our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men.'' Yet, 
the truth is that our system works because of people like Gerald R. Ford 
and his wonderful wife, Betty--people who dedicated their lives to 
making our country strong and improving the prospects for all American 
citizens.
  Despite achieving great success as an athlete, President Ford declined 
the opportunity to play professional football because he wanted to serve 
the Nation he loved. He went to Yale to study law, served heroically in 
the U.S. Navy during World War II, honorably represented the people of 
Michigan in this very House for 25 years, and was selected to serve as 
Vice President because he had the confidence of the U.S. Congress and 
was simply the best man for the job. He assumed the Presidency he never 
sought because, when called, he never shied from his duty to his 
country.
  His personal integrity was beyond question and his quiet strength 
steadied our Nation in a time of crisis. President Ford skillfully led 
our Nation through the post-Watergate era. He laid the groundwork for a 
historic peace accord in the Middle East and steered our country through 
tough economic times. History has shown that he was the right leader for 
those difficult days.
  In California's Coachella Valley, where President Ford and Betty made 
their home after leaving the White House, their support of charities, 
too numerous to mention, helped make them the beloved ``first-couple'' 
of the Palm Springs region. As lifelong partners who were truly devoted 
to one another and to their family, the Fords encouraged millions of 
dollars in donations to many worthwhile causes. When Betty Ford 
courageously raised public awareness of dependency issues and founded 
the recovery clinic in her name, President Ford stood squarely and 
quietly behind her every step of the way.
  I extend my deepest sympathy to Betty and the entire Ford family for 
their loss, a loss we all share. As we begin this congressional session 
in the House which he loved so deeply, I think we would be well served 
to remember the example of leadership and selfless duty to country that 
President Ford provided. We celebrate his memory, and our Nation is 
better for his service.


                          Hon. Sander M. Levin


                               of Michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 15. It is 
fitting and right that the House remember this highly distinguished 
citizen of the State of Michigan, and honor his service to the people of 
the United States.
  Gerald Ford's life and legacy define the term ``public servant.'' He 
served with distinction in World War II aboard the U.S.S. Monterey. In 
1948, he was elected to the House of Representatives, where he served 
with integrity for 25 years. In 1974, during one of the darkest moments 
in U.S. history, Gerald Ford served as our Nation's 38th President and 
restored integrity to the Presidency.
  As the Nation has honored President Ford over the course of the last 
week, I have been struck by how many have made mention of his honesty, 
trustworthiness, and essential decency. As the first President Bush said 
of his one-time colleague in the House of Representatives at the 
memorial service at Washington Cathedral last week, ``to political ally 
and adversary alike, Jerry Ford's word was always good.''
  President Ford will also be remembered for believing that America is 
strongest when we work together and work with others.
  President Ford has left us a rich legacy. As we begin this new 
Congress, I hope all of us here will honor him by taking to heart that 
legacy.


                         Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee


                                of texas

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 15. This 
resolution mourns the passing of Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr., the 38 
President of the United States, and honors his lifetime of outstanding 
leadership and service to our Nation.
  President Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in 1913 in Omaha, NE. 
Soon after his birth, his mother moved to Grand Rapids, MI, where she 
remarried and he was adopted and renamed after his stepfather, Gerald 
Rudolph Ford.
  While in high school, Jerry Ford was an outstanding student and 
athlete, and Eagle Scout. He went on to achieve a Bachelor of Arts at 
the University of Michigan, where he majored in economics and political 
science. He also played on the University's 1932 and 1933 national 
championship football teams and was selected to several college all-
American football teams. Indeed, Jerry Ford was such a gifted football 
player that he was offered contracts by the Detroit Lions and Green Bay 
Packers. But he turned them down to accept a coaching position at Yale 
University, in hopes of gaining admission to its law school. His 
perseverance paid off and he was admitted in 1938. He graduated in the 
top third of his class with an LL.B. in 1941.
  President Ford returned to Grand Rapids to practice law and teach a 
course at the University of Grand Rapids. He also helped coach the Grand 
Rapids football team. After the United States entered World War II, he 
joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving on the light aircraft carrier 
U.S.S. Monterey. In 1944, he narrowly survived a deadly typhoon in the 
Philippine Sea. In 1946 he completed his military service and was 
honorably discharged.
  Upon returning home to Grand Rapids, Jerry Ford resumed his law 
practice, this time with a more ``internationalist'' outlook due to his 
experiences abroad. He was elected to Congress with more than 60 percent 
of the vote in 1948 after ousting an isolationist incumbent in the 
Republican primary. During the 1948 campaign, Jerry married the 
outspoken advocate of women's rights, Elizabeth Anne Bloomer Warren, 
whom we all know and love as ``Betty.'' Jerry Ford was elected to 
Congress 13 times by his constituents, never once receiving less than 60 
percent of the vote. In October 1973, he was nominated to be Vice 
President by President Richard Nixon and assumed the office after being 
confirmed by both the House and the Senate. In fact, Jerry Ford holds 
the distinction of being the only person in history to be confirmed by 
both Chambers of Congress.
  At noon on August 9, 1974, upon the resignation of President Nixon, 
Jerry Ford became the 38th President of the United States. In addressing 
the Nation after taking the oath of office, President Ford said: ``My 
fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.'' And he was 
right. Over the next 29 months, President Ford did much, by word and 
deed, to restore public confidence in the institutions of government. In 
the final analysis, President Ford's lasting legacy is ``all he did to 
heal our land,'' as his successor, President Jimmy Carter, memorably put 
it in his 1977 Inaugural Address. There is perhaps no more deserving 
recipient of the Medal of Freedom, an honor bestowed on President Ford 
in 2000 by President Bill Clinton. In 1999, he was awarded the 
Congressional Gold Medal and in 2001, he was presented the Profile in 
Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute President Ford for his outstanding and patriotic 
service, especially his efforts as President to unite and heal the 
Nation in a time when it had lost all confidence in its officials. I 
strongly urge all Members to join me in supporting this resolution 
honoring and celebrating the late President Gerald R. Ford and his 
lifetime of achievement and service to our country. We mourn the death 
but celebrate the life of this great American, this great President, and 
former minority leader of this House.


                           Hon. Peter Hoekstra


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor former President and U.S. 
Congressman Gerald R. Ford.
  Gerald Ford, who is often referred to as ``Michigan's Greatest Son,'' 
worked hard wherever his life led him and based his decisions upon what 
he felt was the right thing to do.
  A star football player with my alma mater, the University of Michigan, 
he turned down offers to play in the National Football League to study 
law at Yale.
  He then volunteered to serve his country in the Navy during World War 
II before returning to Michigan to put his law degree to work.
  He later defeated an incumbent for a seat in the U.S. House of 
Representatives in his own party's primary, which from my own experience 
is an incredibly difficult endeavor. His colleagues later elected him to 
the highest leadership position among Republicans in the House.
  Gerald Ford admittedly did not seek the greatness of the U.S. 
Presidency, but destiny determined that he would become the right man in 
the right place at the right time.
  President Ford allowed the country to move forward by pardoning 
Richard Nixon, although it likely contributed to him failing to win the 
1976 election.
  He helped to unite a divided Nation, even when he knew that it would 
likely result in a great personal cost. He made the decision because he 
knew that if he did not, our country would spend the months and years 
looking back and not ahead. For him it was simply the right thing to do.
  He conducted himself with integrity and character throughout every 
step of his distinguished career. He set a very high standard for those 
of us in West Michigan who would follow him to Washington.
  The legacy he leaves to join his Creator will impact not only the 
officeholders who follow in his footsteps, but generations of Americans 
to come.


                           Hon. Dale E. Kildee


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H. Res. 15, 
a House resolution mourning the passing of former President Gerald Ford 
of Michigan.
  Throughout his life and his career, Jerry Ford exhibited the highest 
standards of courage, wisdom, integrity, and civility.
  I had the honor of serving with President Ford's brother, Thomas, in 
the Michigan Legislature before I was elected to Congress in 1976.
  Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I was one of those who questioned 
President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon at the time he gave it.
  But by the time Ford gave his final State of the Union speech in 
January 1977, I, and most of the Nation, had come to realize the 
rightness of his decision to pardon Nixon.
  I vividly remember the sustained and prolonged applause, from both 
sides of the aisle, for President Ford during his January 1977 State of 
the Union Address to the Congress.
  He took the Office of the Presidency at a very difficult and troubled 
time for our Nation and for our world.
  He had previously served his country with honor as a naval officer 
during World War Two, as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives 
from the State of Michigan, and as the minority leader of the U.S. 
House.
  But when his country needed him the most, he served in the highest 
office in the land, as President of the United States of America.
  He was the right person, at the right time, in the right office.
  He guided our Nation through a very difficult time and he helped in 
the healing process which our country so deeply needed at that time in 
our history.
  Mr. Speaker, Jerry Ford loved this country, he loved his House, he 
loved his State of Michigan, and he certainly loved his wife Betty and 
their children and grandchildren.
  Our thoughts and our prayers are with them as we honor Jerry Ford 
today.


                           Hon. Eliot L. Engel


                               of new york

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the great President Gerald 
R. Ford, who has recently passed away. Gerald Ford was not only 
America's 38th President but he was also a dedicated husband, father, 
athlete, and WWII veteran.
  Born in Nebraska, Mr. Ford was an athletic young man. He was the star 
of his high school football team and continued to play football as a 
college student at the University of Michigan. He then went on to 
receive his law degree from Yale University. Shortly after graduating 
from Yale, Gerald Ford received a commission as ensign in the U.S. Naval 
Reserve and received numerous awards for his bravery and service during 
WWII. After returning from the war, he became more involved in politics, 
serving as a Member of the House of Representatives for 25 years, 
including 8 years as the minority leader, and later becoming Vice 
President before taking the oath as President.
  President Ford took power following one of the most difficult times in 
our Nation's history and brought America back together. Gerald Ford was 
a noble, honorable man who emerged as a leader at a time when Americans 
were questioning their Government. President Ford showed us that 
strength and integrity are indisputably important traits to have in 
order to successfully lead our great Nation.
  As power has just changed hands in Congress, it is my hope that we 
will heed the legacy of Gerald Ford and always seek to stand together to 
face the challenges of the future. Gerald Ford will be sorely missed by 
all of the Americans that he touched. My heart goes out to all of his 
family members.


                              Hon. Tom Cole


                               of oklahoma

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to praise a truly good man. With the 
passing of President Gerald Ford, the House of Representatives lost its 
most distinguished alumnus, and America lost a great patriot who always 
placed his country's good ahead of his own political interest. Gerald 
Ford was a man of absolute integrity and profound personal decency.
  Much has been said about President Ford's distinguished career in the 
House and as President. Many will rightly recall his absolute integrity 
and his profound personal decency. To build upon those remarks, I would 
like to share some of my personal interactions with Gerald Ford. I had 
the honor of meeting and working with former President Ford on many 
occasions after he left office. I found him to be the same man in 
private that he was in public--decent, honorable, and self-deprecating 
in his humor and observations. He was shrewd without being devious and 
wise without being complicated.
  Madam Speaker, President Ford had genuine connections to and affection 
for Oklahoma and Oklahomans. He told me on several occasions that he 
became Vice President and ultimately President because of the late 
Speaker Carl Albert of Oklahoma, who supported his nomination for the 
Vice Presidency. He always remembered that Oklahoma was one of only two 
Southern States that he carried in 1976. Indeed, once while making this 
point to me, he recalled the exact margin of victory--13,266 out of over 
1 million cast.
  Madam Speaker, during a memorable 1976 campaign stop in Oklahoma, 
President Ford said, ``It's great to be in Oklahoma, the home of Will 
Rogers, who never met a man he didn't like, and the Oklahoma Sooners, 
who never played a team they couldn't beat.'' I later told him that 
single line won Oklahoma for him. ``Well,'' he responded, ``talking 
college football is pretty good politics in a lot of places. You might 
try it if you're ever campaigning in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, or 
just about anywhere in the South.'' It is still one of the best pieces 
of advice I ever got from a practicing politician.
  President Ford paired his intelligence with empathy and his candor 
with modesty. He was as politically astute as he was personally decent, 
something that all too many people forget. He was absolutely loyal to 
his party while still approaching politics in a pragmatic and bipartisan 
manner that made genuine political compromise possible. The House was 
all the better because of his character, and so too was our country. 
When speaking to the Congress, the President said with his usual 
humility that he was a Ford, not a Lincoln. Today, only the best among 
us might be able to call themselves Fords.
  We will all miss him very much, Madam Speaker, and I strongly urge 
support of H. Res. 15.


                          Hon. David L. Hobson


                                 of ohio

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in honoring the 
legacy of former President Gerald R. Ford.
  Although I never served with President Ford personally, I admire him 
for his record as a leader in the House of Representatives, and later 
for accepting one of the greatest challenges an individual can assume--
the Presidency of the United States of America.
  In the past couple of weeks, we have heard many historians talk about 
President Ford's legacy of healing our Nation in the aftermath of the 
Watergate scandal. At the time, he was sharply criticized for his 
decision to pardon President Richard Nixon, but now he has been lauded 
for moving this country forward. I think they are right. I admire him 
for the courage he had in making what was arguably one of the most 
difficult decisions a sitting President has ever made.
  As a Midwesterner myself, I would like to think that it was some of 
the values and experiences that President Ford had while growing up in 
Michigan that helped shape him into the courageous and good-natured 
leader that he later became.
  While President Ford played football for what we Ohio State University 
fans refer to as ``the team up north,'' he demonstrated his good-natured 
personality the day that he gave the university's 1974 commencement 
address. It was just a few weeks after he became President and legendary 
football coach Woody Hayes was still at OSU. According to a recent story 
in the Columbus Dispatch, he said:

  We just had our picture taken together and when that picture appears 
in today's Dispatch, I'm pretty sure what the caption will say, ``Woody 
Hayes and friend.''

  President Ford loved our country, and he served it with integrity, 
which helped restore the public's confidence in the Presidency. I 
proudly join my colleagues in honoring him with this resolution and in 
expressing our deepest sympathy to Mrs. Betty Ford and her family.


                         Hon. John Conyers, Jr.


                               of michigan

  Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my colleague and fellow 
Michigander, President Gerald R. Ford. I had the privilege of serving 
alongside then-Congressman Ford in the U.S. House of Representatives for 
nearly a decade, and was able to observe first hand the character and 
integrity of this ``Congressman's Congressman.'' Congressman Ford's 
exemplary service was confirmed by the support of the people of Grand 
Rapids, MI, whose love for him endures to this day. As minority leader 
of this body, President Ford demonstrated the collegiality and 
uprightness he would draw upon to lead our Nation through a dark time in 
our history.
  I disagreed with some of President Ford's decisions. Along with most 
of the American public at that time, I disapproved of the way he 
pardoned his predecessor before trial proceedings had been initiated. I 
also disagreed with many of his policy positions. However, time has 
shown that the man some have called the ``accidental President'' was the 
right person to take the highest office in the land at a critical time 
for our Nation.
  Gerald Ford's honor and integrity were the qualities we needed to 
restore trust and openness to a damaged Presidency. His humble and 
steady leadership brought our democracy back from the brink of a 
constitutional crisis. The citizens of the State of Michigan and of our 
great Nation will not soon forget the important contributions of this 
man of integrity and honor.


                         Hon. Michael R. Turner


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H. Res. 15, a resolution honoring 
the life of President Gerald R. Ford. As America remembers President 
Ford's leadership and service to the American people, I offer my 
condolences to the Ford family.
  While attending former President Ford's funeral, I had the opportunity 
to converse with Dr. David Mathews, a community leader in my district. 
Dr. Mathews served as Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare under 
President Ford and shared with my office some personal stories of the 
President's legacy. Dr. Mathews recalled:

  Ford was a reconciler. While there was a great balance in Ford, he was 
also tough as nails. He did what he believed the country needed and was 
never motivated by polls.

  In 1976 one U.S. soldier stationed at Fort Dix died of the swine flu. 
There was some concern that the potential for an epidemic existed. A 
panel of the best and brightest scientists of the day was convened. That 
panel included Doctors Jonas Salk and Albert Sabin, who did much of his 
research at the University of Cincinnati. Both were pioneers in 
developing polio vaccines. Some of the panelists counseled the President 
to quickly begin creating vaccine and getting the word out to the 
Nation. Others thought it prudent not to risk a panic, and wait. 
President Ford was decisive and unwilling to risk an epidemic, giving 
the order to produce the vaccine. To emphasize the point President Ford 
and I received the first and second doses of the vaccine.

  The working relationship and personal friendship between President 
Ford and I continued after the Ford administration. In the early 1980s, 
when I became president of the Kettering Foundation, I suggested to Ford 
that he invite former President Jimmy Carter to the first conference at 
the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. That conference addressed the 
public's reaction to proposals to strengthen the Nation's Social 
Security Program. The meeting was based on results from a citizens' 
briefing book prepared for the National Issues Forums.

  Characteristically, President Ford agreed, not just begrudgingly, or 
acquiescing, he was enthusiastic about inviting Carter . . . That was 
the first project Presidents Ford and Carter did together. It resulted 
in a lifelong friendship.

  I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting H. Res. 15 and 
honoring the life of President Ford.


                          Hon. John A. Boehner


                                 of ohio

  Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of the resolution honoring the 
life of former President Gerald R. Ford.
  Gerald Ford served America with great distinction--first in the 
military, then as a Member of the U.S. House, and later as Vice 
President and President of the United States. After faithfully serving 
his Michigan constituents for 25 years in the House, he was called to 
serve all of the American people in the White House when his country 
needed him most.
  The Watergate crisis was one of the most difficult times in our 
Nation's history, and President Ford's unflinching leadership helped 
heal a Nation and restore the American people's faith in their 
Government. His decision to pardon President Nixon was a controversial 
and difficult move that drew a great deal of criticism. But in 
hindsight, I think most Americans would agree it was the right decision, 
the honorable decision, and reflected President Ford's good judgment and 
straightforward approach.
  Throughout the ordeal, President Ford earned our affection and 
respect. He will be remembered for the integrity, character, and grace 
he exhibited in his work and throughout his life.
  As public servants we owe a huge debt to those who have served before 
us, and we owe President Ford a debt of gratitude for the enormous 
contributions and sacrifices he made on behalf of his country. I am 
humbled to serve in the same elected leadership post he occupied for 8 
years during his tenure in the House.
  Our thoughts and prayers, and those of a grateful Nation, are with 
Betty and the Ford family. I urge all my colleagues to support this 
resolution.


                            Hon. Ralph Regula


                                 of ohio

  Madam Speaker, I would like to comment on the life and legacy of 
President Gerald Ford.
  I served with him in the House of Representatives and had the pleasure 
of working with him when he served both as Vice President and President 
of the United States. I will always think fondly on President Ford as a 
humble, genuine President and good friend.
  The people of Ohio will always be extremely grateful for his 
leadership in creating Ohio's Cuyahoga National Park, one of the most 
visited in the 388 National Parks and other sites administered by the 
National Park Service.
  President Ford's leadership and service to the Nation is well 
described in the title of his book ``A Time to Heal.''
  His wife Betty in her role as First Lady also was a wonderful role 
model for millions of American women, particularly her devotion to 
helping people in establishing the Betty Ford Clinic to help individuals 
with challenging personal problems.
  Our Nation was enormously enriched by the leadership of President Ford 
and his wife Betty.
  I would like to extend my sincere condolences to the Ford family. I 
pray that you are comforted by the kind words and admiration the country 
has shown for President Ford.


                           Hon. Betty McCollum


                              of minnesota

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 15, a resolution to 
honor the late President Gerald Ford who passed away on December 26, 
2006. A man of great honor and integrity who led this country through 
one of the most difficult times in our history, he will be remembered as 
a fair, respected leader who was able to rise above partisanship to 
serve the citizens of this Nation.
  President Ford, born in Omaha, NE and raised in Grand Rapids, MI, 
embodied the spirit of the Midwest. He was hard-working, modest, 
unassuming, and throughout his life held an unabashed pride in the 
University of Michigan where he starred on the football team. During 
World War II, President Ford earned the title of lieutenant commander 
and several honors while serving this country in the U.S. Navy.
  Mr. Ford began his political career when he was elected to the U.S. 
House of Representatives as the Representative from Grand Rapids, MI. He 
held that seat from 1949 until 1973, and of the 25 years he served in 
the House, he was minority leader for 8.
  In 1973, when Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned, President Richard 
Nixon nominated then-Congressman Ford to assume the Vice Presidency. 
President Ford's nomination was quickly approved by both the House and 
the Senate. However, his time as Vice President was brief and the 
attention of the country was focused on the looming Watergate scandal. 
On August 9, 1974, President Nixon stepped down and President Ford 
assumed the position of Commander in Chief.
  As our Nation's President, Ford was faced with the critical task of 
regaining the trust of a country that had lost confidence in its top 
leadership. In order to begin to restore transparency and integrity to 
the office of the President, he traveled around the country listening 
and talking to the people of this country. President Ford felt the way 
in which he could help the country to begin to move beyond the wounds of 
Watergate was to grant a full and unconditional pardon to President 
Nixon. President Gerald Ford put the needs of our Nation before his own 
vulnerability to political fallout, and that is the mark of a great 
leader.
  On behalf of the families of Minnesota's Fourth Congressional 
District, we extend our prayers and sincerest condolences to Mrs. Betty 
Ford, her children and all of the family and friends of President Ford. 
President Gerald Ford was a loving husband and father and a devoted 
public servant. He will be remembered and honored in the highest regard.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to the life of President 
Gerald Ford.


                     Hon. Juanita Millender-McDonald


                              of california

  Madam Speaker, last week Congress received the body of the late 
President Gerald Rudolph Ford, our 38th President, to lie in State in 
the Rotunda. He was the second President for whom I felt such an 
endearment that it felt as if I'd lost a friend.
  I first met President Ford along with President Carter several years 
ago when I called on both men to support legislation I had introduced to 
give those who had been incarcerated, paid their debt to society, and 
had become productive citizens a restoration of their voting rights. In 
speaking with him, I found him to be very sensitive and understanding of 
that important issue. He said that it was the decent thing to do and 
signed a letter (along with President Carter and myself) asking 
President George W. Bush to submit a proclamation to all States to 
ensure these citizens' voting rights.
  Two years later, I had the opportunity to meet with him and his 
beloved wife, Betty, at Rancho Mirage along with Governor Schwarzenegger 
and others to discuss Federal legislation for California. We continued 
our discussion on voting rights, and I became further impressed with his 
modesty despite the fact that he had served at the highest level in this 
country.
  Gerald R. Ford was a man of character and integrity, with many 
accomplishments to his credit. He was a Boy Scout, and the only 
President who has ever attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He was a 
football star for the University of Michigan where he majored in 
political science and economics while leading his team to two national 
titles. He studied at Yale Law School and opened his own law practice in 
Grand Rapids, MI, before joining the Navy where he served as an officer 
during WorId War II and earned several medals.
  In 1948, Gerald R. Ford was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives where he served until 1973. He was the Republican 
minority leader from 1965 to 1973. During his years in the House, Mr. 
Ford was, as the New York Times described, ``a negotiator and a 
reconciler.'' On October 12, 1973, he was appointed Vice President of 
the United States after Spiro Agnew resigned. He became President after 
the resignation of Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974. President Gerald R. 
Ford is the only person to ever serve as both Vice President and 
President without being elected to either office.
  As President, one of his first actions was to pardon President Nixon, 
allowing the Nation to heal and move on. Although this action was highly 
criticized at the time and may have cost him the election in 1976, it 
helped to restore Americans' faith in the office of the President. 
President Ford successfully addressed high inflation and unemployment 
while ending American involvement in Vietnam and pursuing international 
human rights through the Helsinki Accords, helping end the cold war.
  President Ford's legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments, 
however. More than anything else, President Gerald R. Ford will be 
remembered for his character, integrity, and humility. Gerald R. Ford 
was a very decent and humble human being. As Americans, we mourn more 
than the loss of a former President--we mourn the loss of a truly great 
American.


                            Hon. Rahm Emanuel


                               of illinois

  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise with my colleagues today in support 
of House Resolution 15, honoring the late Honorable Gerald Rudolph Ford, 
the 38th President of the United States.
  Here in this Chamber, Gerald Ford served dutifully for 25 years, 
representing the people of the Fifth District of Michigan from 1949 
until his ascension to the Oval Office. As a Congressman, his warmth, 
approachability, and affability made him one of the most highly regarded 
Members of his day.
  It was these qualities which would shape Gerald Ford into an excellent 
House floor leader for his party, a position he held for 8 years until 
his appointment as the 40th Vice President. During his tenure as 
minority leader, Gerald Ford set a standard of fairness, diplomacy, and 
cooperation to which all of us can aspire.
  As both Vice President and President, Gerald Ford was called to serve 
in positions of great responsibility during a troubled time in our 
Nation's history. He accepted his powers and responsibilities with the 
same steadfast composure and patience for which he had become known as a 
Congressman.
  As a man known for his ability to create consensus, compromise, and 
conciliation, he was well suited to take the helm of America and 
navigate the turbulent storm it faced. President Ford's gentle nature 
helped soothe the deep scars America faced after an arduous period of 
strife at home and abroad.
  Madam Speaker, Gerald Ford served our country with a patient hand, an 
understanding mind, and a reassuring voice. His time in Congress and in 
the White House leave behind a legacy of commitment, passion, and comity 
that we will all remember.


                             Hon. Fred Upton


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the passing of a great 
President and American, President Gerald R. Ford.
  As I reflect upon the distinguished life and legacy of President Ford, 
the first things that come to mind are his honesty, integrity, and 
ability to make the tough decisions for a Nation that was fiercely 
divided by war and recovering from a scandal at the highest level of 
government. He served with the best interests of America in mind, never 
losing sight of his faith, family, and his beloved roots in Southwest 
Michigan.
  President Ford was truly a Michigan original, and folks throughout our 
State saw an ordinary man become extraordinary; yet, he always remained 
our native son. His upbringing in Michigan molded the man that Jerry 
Ford became--growing up in an environment that encouraged him to pursue 
his vision of what America should and could be.
  I have the great honor and privilege of representing some of the very 
same folks in Southwest Michigan that President Ford did during his time 
in Congress.
  All our hearts go out to Betty and the Ford children: Mike, Jack, 
Steve, and Susan during this difficult time.
  His legacy continues to grow particularly as we see first hand the 
partisan divisions which divide our country and this Congress. President 
Ford was one that always put his country first and his party second.
  President Ford was a remarkable man and an outstanding representative 
of the Wolverine State. Our Nation was blessed to have such a 
compassionate and steadfast leader and he will forever remain in our 
memory.
  Farewell to our President. Go Blue.


                        Monday, January 29, 2007

                GERALD R. FORD, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 49) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 1300 North Frontage Road West in Vail, Colorado, as the 
``Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Post Office Building''.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 H.R. 49


  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled,

                    SECTION 1. GERALD R. FORD, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING.


  (a) Designation.--The facility of the United States Postal Service 
located at 1300 North Frontage Road West in Vail, Colorado, shall be 
known and designated as the ``Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Post Office 
Building''.

  (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the facility referred to 
in subsection (a) shall be deemed to be a reference to the ``Gerald R. 
Ford, Jr. Post Office Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Issa) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.


                       Hon. Eleanor Holmes Norton


                            of washington, dc

  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of 
H.R. 49, legislation naming a postal facility in Vail, CO, after the 
late Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
  President Ford helped ease a Nation during tense times. But even 
before he was President, he was widely known in this Chamber as a man of 
great integrity and openness. Although never elected to the office of 
President or Vice President, President Ford was appointed to mend a 
bruised American psyche and maneuver our country through the only 
Presidential resignation ever, to help end the Vietnam war, and to help 
ease rising inflation.
  He succeeded, and for that extraordinary service to his country his 
legacy should be remembered by all in our country and throughout the 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


                          Hon. Darrell E. Issa


                              of california

  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of another downpayment on 
thanking President Gerald Ford for his legacy, a legacy that really 
began, flourished and was all about this body. We are recognizing Gerald 
Ford as the 38th President of the United States because he did spend 
2\1/2\ years as our President. But uniquely, the man born in 1913 in 
Grand Rapids, MI, was, in fact, a man of the House.
  During his entire tenure in the House, he did not enjoy time in the 
majority. Yet his goal was to be Speaker of the House. He had no higher 
calling, never sought one, but accepted the one that was cast upon him.
  At the time that he was selected to be Vice President of the United 
States, we were already mired in the Vietnam war and disgrace had been 
brought upon the Vice Presidency. It was Gerald Ford who came in 
impeccably honest, undeniably a man of the people and a man who was only 
for the people.
  That is how he was selected, that is why he was selected, it is why 
the Senate and the House thought he was the only man for the job. Who 
would have known that just a short time, 10 months later in fact, he 
would find himself cast into an even larger role, another role that he 
did not ask for.
  Yet that was who Gerald Ford was, a man who came out of athletics and 
out of university to serve in the U.S. Navy in 1942 because it was the 
right thing to do. He had represented a district that would have 
returned him to the House to this very day if, in fact, he were still 
alive.
  Instead, he answered a call, a call that each of us in the House has 
answered by coming to this body. That was the call of service to the 
United States. As I support the naming of this post office in the place 
he loved, in the place he skied, in the place that he called home for 
his immediate period after leaving the White House, I do so as the 
second man of the House that we are recognizing here today, first 
Congressman Lane Evans and then Congressman/President Gerald Ford.


                             Hon. Mark Udall


                               of colorado

  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 49, legislation to name 
the postal facility in Vail, CO, after our Nation's 38th President, 
Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
  I believe this bill is fitting as another means of honoring the legacy 
of President Ford, in large part because of his special connection to 
Colorado and the Vail Valley. I am pleased by the support it has 
received; all members of the Colorado delegation have co-sponsored the 
legislation.
  In 1968 then-Congressman Ford and wife, Betty, first came to Colorado 
with their children to celebrate Christmas and to ski in the mountains 
at Vail. Like many other visitors, President Ford was inspired by the 
beauty of the area and found a connection to the land and to the 
surrounding community.
  The Fords later owned a home in Vail and continued to vacation there. 
When he became President, his vacations in Colorado helped introduce the 
world to the town of Vail, and in fact, the family home was dubbed the 
Western White House.
  Vail residents knew President Ford and his family as neighbors and 
friends and are proud of their long association with them. President 
Ford served on the board of directors of the Vail Valley Foundation. 
Vail also serves as the home of the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens and the 
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. President Ford was beloved in Vail, where 
he was known to be a good neighbor, an avid golfer and a lover of the 
outdoors.
  President Ford will rightly be remembered for his personal warmth, his 
decency, his interest in bridging the many divisions in America during 
the 1970s. My father, Mo Udall, served in the Congress with Gerald Ford, 
and while they were often on different sides in political matters--so 
much so that my father hoped to run against President Ford in the famous 
election of 1976--they were united by a common view that politics should 
unite people. They both were firm believers that in public life one 
could disagree without being disagreeable.
  This is a credo I continue to believe in, and I commend the memory of 
both good men to this House, an institution they loved.
  Coloradans, especially those in the Vail Valley, have come to think of 
him as the first President from Colorado because he was a great 
ambassador for the State, who established long ties to the people of 
Colorado.
  As a dedicated public servant, President Ford served honorably in his 
years in Congress and in the White House. Most important, when America 
needed someone to reassure their trust in government after Watergate, he 
filled that leadership role with authenticity.
  I believe President Ford's special relationship and legacy in Colorado 
should be appropriately recognized by naming the postal facilities in 
Vail, CO, in his honor.
  I urge all Members support the legislation today.
  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 49.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those voting have responded in the affirmative.


                        Monday, February 12, 2007


                          Hon. Darrell E. Issa


                              of california

  In 1976, President Gerald Ford issued Proclamation 4417, in which he 
said, ``Learning from our mistakes is not pleasant, but as a great 
philosopher once admonished, we must do so if we want to avoid repeating 
them.'' We recently put to rest President Gerald Ford, but there was no 
action that Gerald Ford ever did as President more significant than this 
one. President Ford, in apologizing and taking back the misconduct 
perpetrated on American citizens so long ago, has set a high standard 
for it never happening again.


                       Thursday, February 15, 2007


                           Hon. Louie Gohmert


                                of texas

  Gerald Ford has been quoted recently. What a fine man. I hear people 
on both sides of the aisle at his funeral and after his death. He begged 
this Congress and this House please do not cut off the [military] 
funding; we promised them funding even after we pulled our troops out. 
But this Congress said, no, we are cutting the funding, and we have been 
harmed ever since.


                          Friday, March 9, 2007


                             Hon. Steve King


                                 of iowa

  But the Commander in Chief didn't challenge that. The Commander in 
Chief at the time, the initial one was President Nixon, who was very 
weak politically. And then, of course, the appointed, not elected, 
President Ford, whom I revere, neither challenged that restriction put 
on by Congress.
  So I don't believe we have a constitutional challenge that has taken 
place because President Ford and President Nixon did not challenge the 
Congress when they began to tie the strings in Vietnam.


                         Monday, April 23, 2007


                          Hon. Emanuel Cleaver


                               of missouri

   . . . Not long ago President Gerald Ford died, and I was reminded of 
a story of his days here in this House. He held regular debates here in 
Washington with his Democratic counterpart, Congressman Thomas Hale 
Boggs. They would debate at the National Press Club. At Congressman 
Gerald Ford's suggestion, they would ride over from the Capitol to the 
National Press Club and agree on the topic of the debate. Can you 
imagine that happening in 2007? Then, after the debate, they would go 
out and have lunch. . . .


                        Wednesday, April 25, 2007


                             Hon. Joe Wilson


                            of south carolina

   . . . As former President Gerald Ford said, ``Music education opens 
the doors that help children pass from school into the world around 
them, a world of work, culture, intellectual activity and human 
involvement. The future of our Nation depends on providing our children 
with a complete education that includes music.'' . . .


                         Thursday, May 10, 2007


                              Hon. Bob Dole


                                of kansas

   . . . But Tip O'Neill was a friend of another leader of this body, 
Gerald Ford. As many of you know, Gerald Ford's ambition was to become 
Speaker of the House. Well, he never made it, but he became Vice 
President and President of the United States which probably to him was a 
second prize. And I think we were all reminded earlier this year that 
history chose a good and decent man to heal the wounds of Watergate when 
President Ford was there. . . .


                          Tuesday, May 22, 2007


                          Hon. Robert A. Brady


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent 
resolution (H. Con. Res. 128) authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Gerald Rudolph Ford.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 128


  Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

                    SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.


  (a) In General.--A commemorative document in memory of the late 
President of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford, shall be printed as 
a House document, with illustrations and suitable binding, under the 
direction of the Joint Committee on Printing.

  (b) Contents.--The document shall consist of the eulogies and 
encomiums for Gerald Rudolph Ford, as expressed in the Senate and the 
House of Representatives, together with the texts of each of the 
following:

  (1) The funeral ceremony at Palm Desert, California.

  (2) The state funeral ceremony at the rotunda of the United States 
Capitol.

  (3) The national funeral service held at the Washington National 
Cathedral in the District of Columbia.

  (4) The interment ceremony at the Gerald [R.] Ford Presidential 
Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

                    SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.


  In addition to the usual number of copies printed of the commemorative 
document under section 1, there shall be printed the lesser of--

  (1) 32,500 copies, of which 22,150 copies shall be for the use of the 
House of Representatives and 10,350 copies shall be for the use of the 
Senate; or

  (2) such number of copies that does not exceed a production and 
printing cost of $600,000, with distribution of the copies to be 
allocated in the same proportion as described in paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                          Hon. Robert A. Brady


                             of pennsylvania

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution provides for the printing of a memorial 
tribute to honor our late 38th President, Gerald R. Ford. A former 
minority leader of this House, President Ford died on December 26, 2006, 
at the age of 93. Our distinguished colleague from Michigan (Mr. 
Ehlers), who now represents Gerald Ford's former district, introduced 
this resolution. The measure takes the same form as that passed after 
President Reagan's death in 2004. I support the gentleman's resolution, 
and I thank him for sponsoring it.
  Mr. Speaker, since President Ford's death, Americans have expressed 
their respect and gratitude for his remarkable career that took him into 
the Navy during World War II, to this House, to the Vice Presidency, and 
then to the White House. In the aftermath of the ordeal of Watergate, 
many consider President Ford, then and now, as the right man at the 
right time. It is fitting that Congress provide for this customary 
tribute, and I urge the House to adopt the concurrent resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.


                          Hon. Vernon J. Ehlers


                               of michigan

  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 128, authorizing the printing of a commemorative document in 
memory of the late President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford.
  It was an honor for me to serve as a scientific adviser to Congressman 
Ford in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and I then came to know 
President Ford in many capacities throughout the years. I now have the 
privilege of serving the people of Grand Rapids and Western Michigan in 
the exact seat he held from 1949 until 1973, and I am now most pleased 
to recognize one of the great sons of the State of Michigan.
  Although President Ford's life ambition was to become Speaker of this 
esteemed body, fate and the Lord had other plans for Jerry Ford. While 
he was not a man who sought the Presidency, Ford was a tireless public 
servant who did not shrink from duty when his country needed him most. 
He bore the mantle that had been thrust upon him with great humility, 
never forgetting the solid Michigan values that were his compass in the 
most trying of times.
  When he ascended to the Presidency upon President Nixon's resignation 
in 1974, Ford served with honor and dignity, telling us that ``our long 
national nightmare is over.'' He was recommended and approved for his 
position by people in Congress who knew him very well. In fact, I 
believe he is the only President of the past 1\1/2\ centuries who served 
as the choice of the Members of Congress. Their trust aided him in 
governing and leading our Nation out of that nightmare. In pardoning 
President Nixon, he essentially gave up any chance he had of a second 
term as President; but, in doing so, he literally healed the Nation. And 
I recall a very personal discussion with him one time where he said he 
knew full well that he would likely lose the election because of the 
pardon, but he saw no alternative but to pardon President Nixon in order 
to put the whole Watergate episode behind us and get the Nation moving 
again.
  I am privileged, and I have always felt a sense of honor, to be 
serving in the same House seat that Congressman Ford served. By 
publishing this book, we will educate future generations about the 
contributions of a great man who came from ordinary beginnings yet found 
himself performing well in extraordinary circumstances. Jerry Ford 
personified the many good traits that West Michigan has to offer our 
Nation, with his honesty, his forthrightness, and his hard work. And I 
urge my colleagues to support the creation of this commemorative volume. 
I urge strong support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague from 
Michigan in support of this fitting tribute for our late President Ford. 
I urge the House to support the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 128.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.


                         Thursday, May 24, 2007

                         MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE

  A message from the Senate by Ms. Curtis, one of its clerks, announced 
that the Senate has passed without amendment bills and a concurrent 
resolution of the House of the following titles: . . .

  H. Con. Res. 128. Concurrent resolution authorizing the printing of a 
commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Gerald Rudolph Ford.


                         Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee


                                of texas


   . . . Madam Speaker, it is wholly fitting and proper that at the 
beginning of this new 110th Congress, the Members of this House, along 
with all of the American people, paid fitting tribute to the late 
President Gerald R. ``Jerry'' Ford, a former leader in this House, who 
did so much to heal our Nation in the aftermath of Watergate. Upon 
assuming the Presidency, President Ford assured the Nation: ``My fellow 
Americans, our long national nightmare is over.'' By his words and 
deeds, President Ford helped turn the country back on the right track. 
He will be forever remembered for his integrity, good character, and 
commitment to the national interest. . . .

    

    
    


                         Friday, August 3, 2007


                         Hon. Alcee L. Hastings


                               of florida


   . . . As President Gerald Ford said during the Helsinki Accords, 
``History will judge this conference not by what we say here today, but 
by what we do tomorrow, not by the promises we make, but by the promises 
we keep.'' We continue to respect this profound statement and we 
anticipate the spirit of President Ford's sentiments will continue to 
endure long after the death of the late former President. . . .
?


                                     

                                     

                            Memorial Tributes


                               I N   T H E


                                 Senate

                          of the United States


                         I N   E U L O G Y   O F


                             Gerald R. Ford

    
                   In the Senate of the United States


                        Thursday, January 4, 2007

                        MEASURE HELD AT THE DESK

  The following measure was submitted and ordered held at the desk:

                               S. Res. 19


  A resolution honoring President Gerald Rudolph Ford.

      SENATE RESOLUTION 19--HONORING PRESIDENT GERALD RUDOLPH FORD

  Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. McConnell, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
Akaka, Mr. Alexander, Mr. Allard, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Bennett, Mr. 
Biden, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Brown, Mr. Brownback, Mr. 
Bunning, Mr. Burr, Mr. Byrd, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Carper, Mr. 
Casey, Mr. Chambliss, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Coburn, Mr. Cochran, Mr. 
Coleman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Conrad, Mr. Corker, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Craig, Mr. 
Crapo, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Dodd, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Ensign, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Hagel, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Hatch, Mrs. 
Hutchison, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Isakson, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Kerry, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Kyl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. 
Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lieberman, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Lott, Mr. Lugar, 
Mr. Martinez, Mr. McCain, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Mikulski, 
Ms. Murkowski, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. Nelson of 
Nebraska, Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Reed, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Rockefeller, 
Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Shelby, Mr. 
Smith, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Specter, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Sununu, Mr. Tester, Mr. 
Thomas, Mr. Thune, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Warner, Mr. Webb, Mr. 
Whitehouse, and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was 
ordered held at the desk:

                               S. Res. 19


  Whereas Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th President of the United States, 
was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska;

  Whereas Gerald Ford was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was 
active in the Boy Scouts and where he excelled as both a student and an 
athlete during high school;

  Whereas after graduating from high school, Gerald Ford attended the 
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he played on the university's 
national championship football teams in 1932 and 1933, and was honored 
as the team's most valuable player in 1934, before graduating with a 
B.A. degree in 1935;

  Whereas Gerald Ford later attended Yale Law School and earned an LL.B. 
degree in 1941, after which he began to practice law in Grand Rapids;

  Whereas Gerald Ford joined the United States Naval Reserve in 1942 and 
served his country honorably during World War II;

  Whereas upon returning from his service in the military, Gerald Ford 
ran for the United States House of Representatives and was elected to 
Congress;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served in the House of Representatives from 
January 1949 to December 1973, winning reelection 12 times, each time 
with more than 60 percent of the vote;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served with great distinction in Congress, in 
particular through his service on the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee, of which he rose to become ranking member in 1961;

  Whereas in addition to his work in the House of Representatives, 
Gerald Ford served as a member of the Warren Commission, which 
investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy;

  Whereas, in 1965, Gerald Ford was selected as minority leader of the 
House of Representatives, a position he held for 8 years;

  Whereas after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew in 1973, 
Gerald Ford was chosen by President Richard Nixon to serve as Vice 
President of the United States;

  Whereas following the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford took 
the oath of office as President of the United States on August 9, 1974;

  Whereas upon assuming the presidency, Gerald Ford helped the nation 
heal from one of the most difficult and contentious periods in United 
States history, and restored public confidence in the country's leaders;

  Whereas Gerald Ford's basic human decency, his integrity, and his 
ability to work cooperatively with leaders of all political parties and 
ideologies, earned him the respect and admiration of Americans 
throughout the country; and

  Whereas Gerald Ford was able to serve his country with such great 
distinction in large part because of the continuing support of his 
widely admired wife, Elizabeth (Betty), who also has contributed much to 
the nation in many ways, and of their 4 children, Michael, John, Steven, 
and Susan: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved, That the Senate notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning 
the death of President Gerald Rudolph Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate extends its heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Ford 
and the family of President Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate honors and, on behalf of the nation, 
expresses deep appreciation for President Ford's outstanding and 
important service to his country.

  Resolved, That the Senate directs the Secretary of the Senate to 
communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
transmit a copy thereof to the family of the former President.


                         Monday, January 8, 2007


                             Hon. Harry Reid


                                of nevada

  Mr. President, I never had the opportunity to meet with Gerald Ford 
when he was President, but I did when he was Vice President. I was 
chairman of the National Lieutenant Governors Conference. This was 
during the height of the energy crisis, and we came to Washington. One 
of the pleasures was meeting with the Vice President in the White House. 
That was really a big deal for me, a young Lieutenant Governor from 
Nevada. And a week or so after having met with the Vice President, he 
sent a picture to my home, a picture of me and the Vice President. That 
was really a significant event in the Reid family, but also my boy 
thought it was a significant event, and he took a crayon and marked all 
over that picture--my prized picture of my being in Washington, sitting 
with the Vice President. So my wife and I labored for some time and 
worked to get the crayon off that picture. We did a pretty good job. I 
still have the picture, but you can see my boy's marking on that with 
his crayon. I wish I had the opportunity to talk to the Vice President 
about that. I am sure he would have laughed.
  President Ford was a wonderful man. We all know he died the day after 
Christmas. He was 93 years old. There were celebrations, as there should 
have been, in the Capitol Rotunda, at the National Cathedral, the Gerald 
R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI, and the Episcopal 
Church in Grand Rapids, MI, where I had the opportunity to attend at the 
invitation of the former First Lady. The speeches were good. Former 
Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld spoke, President Jimmy Carter spoke, a 
noted historian spoke. It was really a quite moving event.
  We have heard tales during the past couple weeks of Gerald Ford and 
the athlete he was. We have even read from Chevy Chase, who became 
famous literally making fun of Gerald Ford. He made fun of him because--
he was a big man--coming out of an airplane once, he hit his head on the 
airplane door, and that was the beginning of Chevy Chase's career.
  The fact is, even though Chevy Chase became famous making fun of 
President Ford, we have never had a more athletic President--all-Big 
Ten; he was a great, outstanding football player at the University of 
Michigan.
  As a Member of Congress, he was outstanding. He was praised by people 
who served with him. He served for about 25 years in the Congress and 
became the Republican leader. He, of course, was Commander in Chief as 
President of the United States. But one of the things we have learned so 
directly during the last couple weeks is how great he was to his wife 
Betty. She, during the time of their real public presence, had breast 
cancer and had a bout with alcoholism, and she approached both in a very 
strong, courageous way. The Betty Ford Clinic in Palm Springs is a place 
where people go to find that they are addicted and need help. But we 
have learned what a wonderful wife she was to President Ford and what a 
great First Lady she was to her entire country.
  We have heard tributes from Senators, Governors, clergy, newsmen, and 
Presidents. They differed in tone and substance, but they all made the 
point of stressing one thing: Gerald Ford was, above all, a man of 
integrity, a man of honesty, and, ultimately, a role model for all of us 
who serve in Government.
  He, of course, is the only man to become President who was never 
elected. Yet, time and time again, he proved himself the right man at 
the right time, healing the Nation after the scars of Watergate and 
moving our country forward.
  Husband to his wife Betty, father to his beautiful children, Michael, 
John, Steven, and Susan, World War II veteran, star athlete, even an 
Eagle Scout--Gerald Ford was the core of what America is all about, a 
shining example of what we hold best in America. He took office at a 
dark time in our country's history and shepherded this Nation through 
the trials of Vietnam and Watergate, with a bipartisan spirit of 
reconciliation and grace, a shining example to us all. He reminded a 
wounded Nation of the honesty and decency of its leaders.
  Mr. President, we all hope when we pass on our friends and colleagues 
will look back and say we left the world a better place. With Gerald 
Ford, there is no doubt. This Government, this Nation, this world are 
better from Gerald Ford's life and service to our country, and for this 
the Senate honors his life today.


                          Hon. Mitch McConnell


                               of kentucky

  Mr. President, many praiseworthy things have been said about Gerald 
Rudolph Ford over the past 2 weeks, and this is good. It is good to see 
so many people speak so well of a man who was often wrongly criticized 
in life, and it has been uplifting to watch an entire Nation stop and 
reflect on what it means to live a good life, good to see that old 
virtues still have the power to inspire.
  Of course, Gerald Ford didn't seek out the Presidency, and certainly 
he came into the highest elected position in the land in the unlikeliest 
of ways.
  I was recently reminded that his life didn't get off to the most 
promising start. Born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., in Omaha, NE, his mother 
and father divorced when he was 2.
  His mother picked up and moved back home to Grand Rapids, where she 
married a paint and varnish salesman. Gerald Ford, Sr., gave Dorothy 
three more boys--and her first son a new name that he would carry into 
history.
  The childhood home was pleasant, but since money was tight, Junior had 
to mow lawns and grill hamburgers after school.
  The experiences of the boy had an effect on the man: Gerald Ford would 
later gain a reputation in Congress as a fiscal conservative, as someone 
who thought that Government, like any household, should live within its 
budget. He didn't learn this from a policy paper. He didn't need to.
  We have heard that Gerald Ford was a great athlete, that he could have 
played with the Packers or the Lions, but he took a job as an assistant 
coach at Yale instead. And determined to go to Yale Law School, he 
convinced the faculty to let him on part time. They did.
  Jerry Ford once said: ``The harder you work, the luckier you are. I 
worked like hell.'' He ended up in the top fourth of a law school class 
that included a future Supreme Court Justice, a future Secretary of 
State--and a future President.
  We have heard how President Ford signed up for the Navy after Pearl 
Harbor; that he put duty and country first, and nearly got swept off the 
deck of the U.S.S. Monterey in the middle of a typhoon. It wouldn't be 
his last brush with an early death.
  And we have heard a love story: that Gerald Ford came home to Michigan 
after the war and married a pretty young dancer named Betty Bloomer; 
that he started to think about politics, and that Betty wasn't worried 
at all about it distracting from family life. ``I never thought he'd 
win,'' she said.
  But, of course, he did.
  The Fords moved east, and decided to stay awhile, and stayed together 
through it all--until last week, when Betty, older now but no less 
graceful, said goodbye to her husband, the President, in the same church 
where they said ``I do'' 58 years ago.
  We have been inspired by the story of President Ford's political 
career--how he didn't make a name for himself with high-profile speeches 
or partisan broadsides; how he did his job, and did it well, in big and 
little things.
  He built a reputation as someone who could bridge the gap, who brought 
people together and worked problems out. Jerry Ford summed up his 
approach to lawmaking this way:

  You have to give a little, take a little, to get what you really want. 
But you don't give up your principles.

  All this is what we have heard about Gerald Rudolph Ford's life before 
the President of the United States called him at home on October 6, 
1973, to see if he would be willing to replace a Vice President who had 
resigned in disgrace.
  Congressmen all over Washington were sitting by their phones that 
night, hoping the call would come for them. Jerry Ford was swimming 
laps.
  And 8 months later, when the President himself resigned, Jerry Ford 
was there again.
  There's a plaque at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library which says 
that Gerald Ford may have been among the unluckiest Presidents of the 
20th century. Where I come from we don't call that luck. We call it 
providence.
  As President Ford himself put it: 1975 was ``not a time for summer 
soldiers and sunshine patriots. It was a year of fears and alarms.'' 
Jerry Ford was the right man for the moment because he was a good man 
all along.
  And what did he bring to the Presidency? Exactly what we needed in 
that dark and painful hour: honesty, simplicity, and what he liked to 
call, ``a little straight talk.''
  His sincerity may have been his greatest gift, but it almost surely 
cost him the greatest honor the voters could have given him. He told 
them plainly, just a few months after taking the oath, that the state of 
the Union wasn't good.
  He gave them bad news again the next year, an election year when most 
people would have been tempted to gloss over problems. The state of the 
Union was better, he said, but it still wasn't good enough.
  And when he lost, he wasn't bitter. He even made a point to make sure 
the transition was smooth. He didn't want Jimmy Carter to face the same 
problems he did, he said.
  I remember those days. I was a young lawyer in Jerry Ford's Justice 
Department. I remember how the new President restored hope in our 
country, in the Presidency, and in the Republican Party.
  I remember how he lost his own race for reelection but cleared the way 
for another great Midwesterner to win 4 years later.
  This Nation has owed a tribute to Gerald Ford for a long time, and it 
is good that he has gotten it in these last days.
  In weaker moments, we tend to think that victory goes to the fast, the 
brilliant, the well-born. But in one of our Nation's weakest moments, 
Gerald Ford showed us leadership through the gentlemanly virtues of 
honesty, integrity, and plain hard work.
  The tributes now are almost done. But the greatest tribute we can give 
to Gerald Rudolph Ford lies ahead. The American people have shown how 
much they admire leaders who are honest, straightforward, and kind.
  In the early days of a new session, we best honor the memory of our 
38th President, and the Nation he loved and served so well, by making 
those qualities our own.
  I yield the floor.


                            Hon. John Warner


                               of virginia

  Mr. President, I thank our distinguished majority leader [Harry Reid] 
and minority leader [Mitch McConnell] for their initiative in putting 
this resolution together. I, also, thank both of our distinguished 
leaders for including in the resolution a reference to the action by the 
Senate, an initiative we took in the Senate Armed Services Committee at 
the time that I was privileged to be chairman and the distinguished 
Senator from Michigan, Mr. Levin, was the ranking member, to name one of 
America's future aircraft carriers, now under construction, the U.S.S. 
Gerald R. Ford. This initiative then was taken into consideration by the 
Department of Defense, the Secretary at that time, and, indeed, the 
Secretary of the Navy. The Secretary of the Navy has, traditionally, 
responsibility for the naming of ships. And whereas the Armed Services 
Committee recommended during floor consideration of the annual defense 
authorization bill that the naming be written in law, in conference, at 
the request of the Secretary of the Navy, we made it a sense of the 
Congress.
  The Department of Defense will host a ceremony on January 16, with the 
Ford family and others to formally name the ship in honor of President 
Ford.
  I also thank Jack Marsh, former Secretary of the Army and former 
counselor to President Ford, for his participation in the effort by the 
Senate to take this initiative, as well as former Secretary of Defense 
Melvin Laird. I collaborated with both of those distinguished gentlemen. 
Secretary Laird was a lifetime friend and served in Congress with Gerald 
Ford.
  As we go forth in our careers, we always should look back to 
acknowledge those who made it possible for us to achieve our goals. I am 
always very humbled by the many people who helped inspire me to run for 
the Senate and who helped me win election. Gerald Ford was right there 
at the beginning of my first race with sound, practical advice.
  I ask the indulgence of my colleagues where I recount some of that 
advice: It started, I remember, in summer 1960. I was an advance man for 
then-Vice President Nixon. We were on a campaign train trip through the 
Middle Western States that included a stop in Michigan. This was the 
old-fashioned train with the observation car, where the candidate would 
go out on the rear platform and give a speech to the crowds that 
gathered in all the little towns and communities along the route. But we 
had one very memorable stop. I remember the town was Muskegon, MI.
  My job was to get the candidate, the Vice President, and some of his 
senior staff off the train and to the auditorium in town. In performing 
these tasks, I was joined by an elected Michigan official. In a moment, 
I will provide his name. As we entered the building, we went into a 
holding area. I was awaiting a cue from the master of ceremonies on 
stage to bring on the Vice President. He was escorted by this local 
official. As we were waiting, unbeknownst to us, in the balcony, some 
mischievous people--I don't think it was evil, but it was mischievous--
suddenly pelted us all with raw eggs. There we were, the Vice President 
with eggs streaming down off him. I took out my handkerchief and did the 
best I could to polish him up a bit, and the local official did the 
same. The Vice President went on the stage, fully composed, and gave an 
excellent speech.
  I went back to the train thinking that I would be severely reprimanded 
and my first job in politics terminated. Well, it turns out that the 
local official who helped me get him up to the stage and who also helped 
to polish up the Vice President joined me in the observation car, where 
they were serving beer. As he came in, I thanked him, but said: ``You 
know, I think this is the end of my political career.''
  And he said: ``Why so?''
  And I described my responsibility. And he then said: ``Well, of 
course, I am a local Congressman and I should bear the responsibility.''
  And we joined each other with a beer, he said to me: ``You know, I 
think both of us will survive.''
  That was Gerald Ford, showing the magnanimity of that marvelous man 
and his understanding of those types of situations.
  I want to thank that wonderful American for his contribution to 
inspire me later in years to try for the Senate. He was then Vice 
President, and he used to counsel me on how to get started in public 
life. I was then Secretary of the Navy, having succeeded John Chafee, a 
former Member of this body, the much revered Senator from Rhode Island. 
And John Chafee had left the Navy Secretary's Office and ran for the 
Senate and was defeated in his first bid. And I was ready to plunge in 
and try my first race when Gerald Ford said to me: ``No, you want to 
kind of get behind you this career in the Department of Defense,'' 
because it was a highly controversial period of history. There was much 
concern among the citizenry, not unlike what we see today.
  I took his advice. And he said: ``Go run the Bicentennial. I will get 
you appointed to that Presidential office.''
  I said: ``Mr. Vice President, I don't even know how to spell the 
word.''
  He said: ``Study up on it.''
  Not only did he do that, but he came down as Vice President and 
administered the oath to me on the steps of his beloved House of 
Representatives. The Bicentennial was a marvelous career opportunity to 
learn the fundamentals of public office. I worked with him closely, took 
an enormous interest, as he knew the Bicentennial would become a healing 
mechanism for the country in the aftermath of Watergate. He was right. I 
traveled with him on July 4, 1976, in his helicopter, and we made stops 
along the way. I will never forget going to New York Harbor on the final 
day of the 2-year celebration. And there we were on the deck of a 
carrier. And he struck the ship's bell such that it triggered church 
bells all across the United States to celebrate that day in American 
history.
  While we were standing there, he told me about his trip to sea in 
1944. I read from his biography:

  His closest call with death came not as a result of enemy fire, 
however, but during a vicious typhoon in the Philippine Sea in December 
1944. He came within inches of being swept overboard while the storm 
raged. The ship, which was severely damaged by the storm and the 
resulting fire, had to be taken out of service. Ford spent the remainder 
of the war ashore and was discharged as a lieutenant commander in 
February 1946.

  During the course of the war, he was awarded decorations for his 
valiant service. I remember when I went overseas in 1951, as a 
communications officer for a Marine Corps squadron. We were aboard the 
same class of ship. It was a small carrier. We also went through a 
typhoon in the South Pacific en route to Korea. It was 72 hours of 
memory that will never be erased, but I know what he went through 
because I think that typhoon was far more severe than the one our ship 
experienced. So I take my hat off to this magnificent American, who was 
among those who made it possible for me, in many respects, to eventually 
be privileged to represent the State of Virginia in the Senate.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the sense of 
Congress naming the CVN-78 aircraft carrier as the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford 
be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                    SEC. 1012. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON NAMING THE CVN-78 
                      AIRCRAFT CARRIER AS THE U.S.S. GERALD R. FORD.


  1. (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

  (1) Gerald R. Ford has served his country with honor and distinction 
for the past 64 years, and continues to serve.

  (2) Gerald R. Ford was commissioned in the Naval Reserve in 1942 and 
served valiantly at sea on the U.S.S. Monterey (CVL-26) during World War 
II, taking part in major operations in the Pacific, including at Makin 
Island, Kwajalein, Truk, Saipan, and the Philippine Sea.

  (3) Gerald R. Ford received [7] engagement stars . . . for his service 
in the Navy during World War II.

  (4) Gerald R. Ford was first elected to the House of Representatives 
in 1948.

  (5) During 25 years of service in the House of Representatives, Gerald 
R. Ford distinguished himself by an exemplary record for character, 
decency, and trustworthiness.

  (6) Throughout his service in the House of Representatives, Gerald R. 
Ford was an ardent proponent of strong national defense and 
international leadership by the United States.

  (7) From 1965 to 1973, Gerald R. Ford served as minority leader of the 
House of Representatives, raising the standard for bipartisanship in his 
tireless fight for freedom, hope, and justice.

  (8) In 1973, Gerald R. Ford was appointed by President Nixon to the 
office of Vice President of the United States under the 25th Amendment 
to the Constitution, having been confirmed by overwhelming majorities in 
both Houses of Congress.

  (9) On August 9, 1974, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the 
United States, taking office during one of the most challenging periods 
in the history of the United States.

  (10) As President from August 9, 1974, to January 20, 1977, Gerald R. 
Ford restored the faith of the people of the United States in the office 
of the President through his steady leadership, courage, and ultimate 
integrity.

  (11) As President, Gerald R. Ford helped restore the prestige of the 
United States in the world community by working to achieve peace in the 
Middle East, preserve detente with the Soviet Union, and set new limits 
on the spread of nuclear weapons.

  (12) As President, Gerald R. Ford served as Commander in Chief of the 
Armed Forces with great dignity, supporting a strong Navy and a global 
military presence for the United States and honoring the members of the 
Armed Forces.

  (13) Since leaving the office of President, Gerald R. Ford has been an 
international ambassador of American goodwill, a noted scholar and 
lecturer, a strong supporter of human rights, and a promoter of higher 
education.

  (14) Gerald R. Ford was awarded the Medal of Freedom and the 
Congressional Gold Medal in 1999 in recognition of his contribution to 
the Nation.

  (15) As President, Gerald R. Ford bore the weight of a constitutional 
crisis and guided the Nation on a path of healing and restored hope, 
earning forever the enduring respect and gratitude of the Nation.

  (b) Naming of CVN-78 Aircraft Carrier.--It is the sense of Congress 
that the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier of the Navy designated as CVN-
78 should be named the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford.


                          Hon. Debbie Stabenow


                               of michigan

  Mr. President, I rise today to honor one of Michigan's great sons. 
Today we honor the remarkable life and lasting legacy of President 
Gerald R. Ford. I thank our leaders and colleagues for the wonderful 
tribute that will be voted on at noontime today.
  This past week our Nation mourned the passing of a President, while 
Michigan mourned the loss of a family member. Throughout his decades in 
public service, including a quarter century representing Michigan in the 
Congress, Gerald Ford worked tirelessly to serve the people and the 
interests of our great State and his beloved country.
  It is an honor that the State of Michigan will serve as the final 
resting place for one of our Nation's great leaders. The funeral last 
Wednesday, which I was fortunate enough to attend, was truly a moving 
tribute to a man who cared deeply for the city of Grand Rapids, his home 
State of Michigan, and the country. The thousands of mourners who came 
to pay their respects is evidence of what he meant to us. People 
standing in line for hours, on into the night, and the wonderful, 
gracious way the family greeted so many of those coming to show their 
respect for Gerald Ford was a wonderful, meaningful act to watch.
  I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to speak about 
Gerald Ford's family. Betty Ford's grace and strength throughout the 
past few weeks have stood as a reminder not only of the importance of 
family in the life of Gerald Ford but also how much she has given to 
America through her courage, her example, and her charity. Betty Ford 
stood shoulder to shoulder with President Ford as a true partner 
throughout his life, while redefining the role of First Lady and serving 
the country with her own dedicated work on issues such as alcohol and 
drug abuse. Together, the Fords raised four remarkable children--
Michael, John, Steven, and Susan. It is a testimony to Gerald Ford's 
character that he will be remembered not only as a great leader but as a 
wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
  Born July 14, 1913, in Omaha, NE, Gerald Ford moved at a young age 
with his mother to Grand Rapids, MI, where she married his stepfather.
  While attending South High School in Grand Rapids, Gerald Ford proved 
himself an academic and athletic prodigy, being named not only to the 
honor society but all-city and all-state football teams.
  In 1931, he entered the University of Michigan, playing center and 
linebacker for the Wolverines. He played on two undefeated teams and was 
named the team's most outstanding player in 1934. Ford's legacy will 
always be felt at the university. To this day, his number 28 is one of 
only 5 football jerseys retired by the University of Michigan, while the 
School of Public Policy bearing his name will shape and produce 
America's leaders for generations to come.
  Gerald Ford's childhood in Grand Rapids and his education both on and 
off the field at the University of Michigan helped forge a man whose 
character and actions throughout his life exemplified what is best about 
Michigan--hard work, loyalty, honesty, and selflessness.
  After graduating from Michigan, Ford rebuffed offers from the Detroit 
Lions and the Green Bay Packers in order to attend Yale University Law 
School. He continued his love of athletics there by serving as a boxing 
coach and assistant varsity football coach. In 1941, he earned his law 
degree from Yale, graduating in the top quarter of his class.
  Gerald Ford then returned to the city he considered his home, Grand 
Rapids, to practice law before joining the U.S. Naval Reserve in April 
1942, where he served as an assistant navigator with the U.S.S. Monterey 
in the Pacific during World War II. He was discharged from the Navy in 
1946 as a lieutenant commander, returning to Michigan to practice law.
  Entering politics with the encouragement of his stepfather, Gerald 
Ford ran for Congress in 1948, unseating incumbent Bartel Jonkman in the 
primary and going on to receive 61 percent of the vote in the general 
election. Gerald Ford would go on to represent the people of Michigan in 
Congress for the next 25 years, in 1965 rising to become the minority 
leader in the House.
  In late 1973, he was called on to serve the country in a different 
capacity, as we all know, being named and confirmed Vice President. 
Within 8 short months, he was again called on to take the mantle of 
responsibility he had not sought, taking the oath of office as the 38th 
President of the United States. Stepping into the Oval Office during one 
of America's greatest constitutional crises, President Ford's quiet 
demeanor and steady hand helped calm a Nation and kept the Government 
moving forward during some of its darkest days.
  It is a testament to President Ford and his time in public office, 
highlighted by his years in the White House, that even those who 
disagreed with his policy positions respected him as a person and a 
public servant. Gerald Ford dedicated his life to make our State and our 
Nation a better place to live, work, and raise a family. He was a man 
who understood that integrity and service are more than just words, they 
are ideals--ideals he learned in our wonderful Michigan and practiced 
every day of his life.
  As a husband, a father, a Congressman, and our President, he led 
quietly by example, earning respect and friendship on both sides of the 
aisle through the hard work and honesty for which he was known. 
President Ford was a man utterly deserving of the words inscribed on a 
football resting on a homemade memorial outside the Gerald R. Ford 
Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids this week: ``A true American and a 
hometown hero.'' President Ford, we thank you for your service. You will 
be missed. Our continuing prayers and support go to your family.


                            Hon. Thad Cochran


                             of mississippi

  Mr. President, I am very pleased the Senate is formally expressing its 
respect and appreciation for the life and public service of President 
Gerald R. Ford.
  No person in public service in my memory did more to restore 
confidence in our political institutions than President Ford.
  He was a friend and mentor to me as a Member of the body, giving me 
sound advice and serving as a wonderful role model during my career in 
Congress and in the Senate.
  I admired him enormously. His seriousness of purpose and his common-
sense approach to solving our national problems were qualities that 
enabled him to give our Nation a new sense of confidence and direction.
  We are deeply grateful that he served so ably as our Republican leader 
in the House, Vice President, and President of the United States.


                            Hon. Barack Obama


                               of Illinois

  Mr. President, I rise today in memory of Gerald Ford, the 38th 
President of the United States. President Ford shouldered his burden 
with a unique sense of humility and good humor, in an office not known 
for nourishing those traits. President Ford's unusual combination of 
courage, strength, and conviction led America out of a deep crisis, 
healing our wounds and strengthening our Constitution in the process.
  Gerald Ford was a self-made Michigander who worked part-time jobs as a 
young man to help support his family, and later to put himself through 
Yale Law School. A man of many talents, he could have been a 
professional football player, or lived well as an attorney. But instead, 
he chose a life of service, first as a decorated naval officer, then a 
24-year Member of Congress, leader of his party in the House of 
Representatives, and presiding officer of this Chamber as Vice 
President.
  Domestic turmoil and foreign policy challenges marked the mid-1970s, 
and President Ford addressed them both. History has favorably judged his 
actions to move the country beyond the Watergate scandal, although he 
paid a heavy price at the time. He also acknowledged the severe economic 
difficulties faced by millions of Americans and worked head-on to 
alleviate them.
  Despite the host of domestic challenges America faced, President Ford 
remained a committed internationalist. He advanced the cause of peace in 
the Middle East, helping to end hostilities between Israel and Egypt and 
laying the groundwork for a peace between those two countries that 
endures to this day. His backing of the Helsinki Accords, while 
controversial, gave important support to dissidents living under Soviet 
rule who sought respect for their human rights.
  Throughout his life, Gerald Ford handled the responsibilities and 
challenges that circumstance thrust on him without losing his Midwestern 
openness and sensibility. To many who disagreed with him, he still came 
across as a comforting figure who had the Nation's best interests at 
heart. Central to this ability to connect with people was his self-
deprecating sense of humor, summed up by the quip, ``I'm a Ford, not a 
Lincoln.''
  And while he may not have been a Lincoln, he certainly was not a 
common President. America is a better place because of him, and we all 
owe President Ford and his wife, Betty, a tremendous debt of gratitude.


                          Hon. Pete V. Domenici


                              of new mexico

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to President Gerald Ford. 
His passing on December 26, 2006, was marked with a yearning for the 
unity he brought to our Nation over 30 years ago. I extend my sincerest 
and most heartfelt sympathies to his family.
  Gerald Ford and I were in Congress together for a brief period of 
time. He was a friend to me when I was a freshman Senator and throughout 
my career. I will always remember and appreciate his support and 
counsel.
  President Ford came into office at a very difficult time and faced 
multiple tasks. He met those challenges and successfully brought the 
Nation through a tumultuous period in the history of the Presidency. 
While his time in the White House was relatively short, his legacy 
continues to persist. President Ford's leadership and credibility worked 
to bring the Nation through the Watergate crisis and its aftermath. That 
proved to be invaluable and underscored the resiliency of our democratic 
Government.
  My wife Nancy and I send our condolences and prayers to First Lady 
Betty Ford and to the entire Ford family. We join the Nation in mourning 
President Ford and in honoring a long life of service. May his soul rest 
in peace.


                        Hon. Kay Bailey Hutchison


                                of texas

  Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 38th President of 
the United States.
  Gerald Ford was an honest man, a modest man, and a patriotic man who 
cared deeply about this country. During World War II, he answered his 
Nation's call to duty, serving in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Monterey in 
the Pacific Theatre. He later trained new naval officers for sea duty. 
Shortly after his discharge as a lieutenant commander in 1946, he began 
his storied political career.
  During his 25 years of service in the House of Representatives, Gerald 
Ford earned the respect and admiration of nearly everyone in Washington. 
Gerald Ford's impeccable integrity made him the ideal choice to lead 
America at a time of considerable division.
  When he was nominated by President Nixon to become Vice President, he 
was confirmed overwhelmingly by the Senate and the House. The Senate 
vote was 92 to 3, and the House vote was 387 to 35.
  Before President Nixon submitted his nomination for Vice President, he 
asked the leadership of both parties who they would choose were they in 
his shoes. The obvious response was Gerald Ford.
  When Gerald Ford assumed the Presidency following President Nixon's 
resignation, he moved quickly to bring our country together. He did this 
by always remaining true to his character. He also adhered to the 
common-sense principles that guided him throughout his career and his 
life. He never lost touch with his Midwestern values. And he never 
wavered from doing what he thought was in the best interests of the 
people of our country.
  President Ford also attracted very talented employees. Among those who 
served in the Ford administration were Alan Greenspan, Council of 
Economic Advisers; George H.W. Bush, CIA Director; James Baker, 
Undersecretary of Commerce; Dick Cheney, Chief of Staff; and Donald 
Rumsfeld, Chief of Staff and later Secretary of Defense.
  I had the pleasure of working with President Ford when he appointed me 
vice chair of the National Transportation Safety Board in 1976.
  President Ford was a reliable friend and invaluable counselor. I will 
never forget his coming to Texas to campaign with me during my first 
race for the Senate. President Ford was always available to offer advice 
and remained in close touch with those of us who were his many 
appointees, staff, and colleagues over the years. This is the kind of 
person he was. It was an honor and a privilege to consider him a friend.
  He cared deeply for his family, for his loving wife Betty, and for his 
four children: Michael, John, Steven, and Susan.
  He cared for everyone he came to know during his magnificent political 
career.
  My thoughts and prayers go out to Betty and the entire Ford family as 
we honor a public servant who gave tirelessly to our country. He will be 
missed.


                             Hon. Carl Levin


                               of michigan

  Mr. President, I don't know if my friends on the other side of the 
aisle want any of the 3 minutes remaining. If not, I will proceed.
  I wanted to comment, briefly, on the life and passing of Gerald Ford 
during this period. I was listening to the remarks of my good friend 
from Virginia [Mr. Warner], and except for the part about eggs being 
thrown in Michigan, it struck an absolutely accurate chord, everything 
he said. It was kind of hard to imagine that anyone would throw eggs in 
Michigan, but I have to defend my home State. Other than that, I am sure 
his memory is very accurate and even the location no doubt is accurate.
  He talked about Jerry Ford and what he did heroically in World War II 
and how he survived the typhoon. Jerry Ford, when he became President, 
inherited a typhoon. Most Americans will remember President Ford for 
righting the Ship of State during that stormy time when he became 
President. We all remember him for that because it was heroic what he 
did then for our Nation, a different kind of heroism from what he 
displayed in World War II but heroism nonetheless. He was deeply 
respected on both sides of the aisle for his civility, his 
bipartisanship, and his integrity.
  We in Michigan, in addition to remembering him as all others will for 
what he did to right that Ship of State of ours, also remember him for a 
lifetime of service, including 13 terms in the House of Representatives 
from Michigan's Fifth Congressional District. And we also take 
particular pride in this son of Michigan and the manner in which he 
always treasured his West Michigan roots. There were many eulogies that 
were recently given about Gerald Ford, but in all of them it was noted 
that he never forgot where he came from. That was a very important part 
of this absolutely wonderful man, a friend of mine, someone with whom I 
had a number of dealings.
  Before time runs out for our morning business, I wanted to thank the 
Senator from Virginia. I don't know if this has been mentioned this 
morning or not. The Senator from Virginia authored an amendment during 
the last authorization bill which we adopted here which, by the way, is 
the John Warner Defense Authorization Act for the next fiscal year, 
named after John Warner in tribute to his chairmanship. But in that 
bill, Senator Warner offered an amendment that would name the first of a 
future class of aircraft carriers the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford. I 
understand that the Navy recently announced that it is going to follow 
the suggestion which was incorporated in the Warner amendment, which I 
was proud to cosponsor, but in presenting that amendment at that time, 
Senator Warner recounted some of the heroism of our dear friend, the 
recently departed President Ford, and his heroism both in war and 
peacetime.
  I thank Senator Warner for the initiative he took to honor Jerry 
Ford's service to our country in a way which I think will have a very 
special meaning to President Ford because, as a Navy man, having the 
first of a future class of aircraft carriers named after him would bring 
a special pride to his heart.
  Gerald Ford began his service to our country in the Navy during World 
War II, where he displayed great valor in combat, and this will be a 
fitting tribute.
  Our thoughts and prayers are with Gerald Ford's beloved wife Betty and 
his family as we celebrate his life and legacy.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague, and I acknowledge the 
Senator's help on that. It was a joint project by the two of us.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the hour 
of 12 noon having arrived, the Senate will now proceed to the 
consideration of S. Res. 19, honoring President Gerald Rudolph Ford, 
which the clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

  A resolution (S. Res. 19) honoring President Gerald Rudolph Ford.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the 
resolution.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays. . . .
  The result was announced--yeas 88, nays 0.
  The resolution (S. Res. 19) was agreed to.
  The preamble, as modified, was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, as modified, reads as follows:

                               S. Res. 19


  Whereas Gerald Rudolph Ford, the 38th President of the United States, 
was born on July 14, 1913, in Omaha, Nebraska;

  Whereas Gerald Ford was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was 
active in the Boy Scouts, achieving the Eagle Scout rank, and where he 
excelled as both a student and an athlete during high school;

  Whereas after graduating from high school, Gerald Ford attended the 
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, where he played on the university's 
national championship football teams in 1932 and 1933, and was honored 
as the team's most valuable player in 1934, before graduating with a 
B.A. degree in 1935;

  Whereas Gerald Ford later attended Yale Law School and earned an LL.B. 
degree in 1941, after which he began to practice law in Grand Rapids;

  Whereas Gerald Ford joined the United States Naval Reserve in 1942 and 
served his country honorably during World War II;

  Whereas upon returning from his service in the military, Gerald Ford 
ran for the United States House of Representatives and was elected to 
Congress;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served in the House of Representatives from 
January 1949 to December 1973, winning reelection 12 times, each time 
with more than 60 percent of the vote;

  Whereas Gerald Ford served with great distinction in Congress, in 
particular through his service on the Defense Appropriations 
Subcommittee, of which he rose to become ranking member in 1961;

  Whereas in addition to his work in the House of Representatives, 
Gerald Ford served as a member of the Warren Commission, which 
investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy;

  Whereas, in 1965, Gerald Ford was selected as minority leader of the 
House of Representatives, a position he held for 8 years;

  Whereas after the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew in 1973, 
Gerald Ford was chosen by President Richard Nixon to serve as Vice 
President of the United States;

  Whereas following the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald Ford took 
the oath of office as President of the United States on August 9, 1974;

  Whereas upon assuming the presidency, Gerald Ford helped the nation 
heal from one of the most difficult and contentious periods in United 
States history, and restored public confidence in the country's leaders;

  Whereas Gerald Ford's basic human decency, his integrity, and his 
ability to work cooperatively with leaders of all political parties and 
ideologies, earned him the respect and admiration of Americans 
throughout the country;

  Whereas the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2007 recommended that America's next nuclear-powered aircraft 
carrier, designated as CVN-78, be named as the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, in 
honor of our 38th President; and

  Whereas Gerald Ford was able to serve his country with such great 
distinction in large part because of the continuing support of his 
widely admired wife, Elizabeth (Betty), who also has contributed much to 
the nation in many ways, and of their 4 children, Michael, John, Steven, 
and Susan: Now, therefore, be it

  Resolved,, That the Senate notes with deep sorrow and solemn mourning 
the death of President Gerald Rudolph Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate extends its heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Ford 
and the family of President Ford.

  Resolved, That the Senate honors and, on behalf of the nation, 
expresses deep appreciation for President Ford's outstanding and 
important service to his country.

  Resolved, That the Senate directs the Secretary of the Senate to 
communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
transmit a copy thereof to the family of the former President.


                         Hon. Richard J. Durbin


                               of illinois

  . . . Last week, America bid farewell to a good and decent man named 
Gerald Ford. I was honored to be at his funeral service in Grand Rapids, 
MI. He was a man who served at one of the most tumultuous times in 
American history. He inherited a war he couldn't win. Years later, when 
asked about that Vietnam war, President Ford said:

  My approach was we inherited the problem with the job. It is my 
obligation on behalf of the country to try and solve the damn thing.

  A generation later, our Nation faces a similar moment. We need to work 
together. We need to cooperate on a bipartisan basis to find a plan 
worthy of the courage and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. It 
should begin now. It shouldn't be left to future Presidents . . .

                         MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE

  At 11:33 a.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered 
by Ms. Niland, one of its reading clerks, announced that the House has 
passed the following concurrent resolution, in which it requests the 
concurrence of the Senate: . . . The message further announced that the 
House has agreed to H. Res. 11, resolving that the House of 
Representatives has learned with profound regret and sorrow of the death 
of Gerald R. Ford, 38th President of the United States of America.


                            Hon. Ken Salazar


                               of colorado

  Mr. President, I rise today to speak in favor of a bill that will be 
introduced by Senator Allard and myself to name the post office in Vail, 
CO, after President Gerald R. Ford.
  I call myself fortunate because I worked with President Ford. In our 
brief time together, it was obvious to me he was a man of honor, 
integrity, and courage.
  Gerald Ford was a man who loved the State of Colorado, who loved its 
people and its culture. So it is a fitting tribute that the post office 
in his adopted town of Vail should bear his name.
  President Ford led a remarkable life--remarkable not only for his 
great success but for the humility, dignity, and candor which were the 
hallmarks of his career. And what a career it was: from the University 
of Michigan to Yale Law School to service in the Navy to a leadership 
position in the U.S. Congress, and eventually, of course, to the 
Presidency of these United States, to say nothing of a long and 
productive post-Presidential career.
  Of course, it is his time in the White House which people will 
remember most, and for good reason. It was President Ford who, through 
his leadership, brought the country together during a time of crisis. He 
was not only the right man at the right time for a very difficult job, 
he was a perfect man to deal with circumstances, the likes of which this 
country had never seen.
  But I will remember President Ford not only for his good deeds in 
public office but for his unending commitment to justice and equality 
well after he left the White House behind. In 1999, when our shared alma 
mater, the University of Michigan, had its diversity policies challenged 
in court, President Ford wrote an op-ed piece in the New York Times 
about diversity, and he talked about an inclusive America which was 
essential to the future and the strength of the United States. In his 
op-ed piece, which was widely circulated, about which he and I spent 
time talking one day, he wrote the following:

  Of all the triumphs that have marked this as America's century--
breathtaking advances in science and technology, the democratization of 
wealth and dispersal of political powers in ways hardly imaginable in 
1899--none is more inspiring, if incomplete, than our pursuit of racial 
justice.

  President Ford bravely defended the University of Michigan's diversity 
program with the same elegance and bravery with which he confronted the 
tribulations of the Watergate era and, in the process, left behind a 
legacy of tolerance and justice which will not soon be forgotten.
  Of course, no tribute to President Ford would be complete without 
mention of his extraordinary family, particularly his wife, Betty, and 
as President Ford famously said: ``I am indebted to no man, and only to 
one woman--to my dear wife.'' Betty Ford's bravery and her candor has 
inspired millions upon millions of Americans, and we are grateful for 
her service, and we wish her and the Ford family the very best.
  The people of Colorado thank Gerald Ford for his service, and we are 
proud to move forward in helping the post office in Vail, CO, bear his 
name.


                            Hon. Wayne Allard


                               of colorado

  Mr. President, as my good friend and colleague from Colorado [Mr. 
Salazar] just mentioned, we are introducing S. 194 naming the post 
office in Vail, CO, after former President Gerald R. Ford. As this vote 
just showed, we are all aware that when Gerald Ford passed away last 
month, our country lost a great man. Much has been said recently about 
President Ford: How he selflessly came to the aid of this country in one 
of its most trying times, how he governed through his beliefs about what 
was the best decision for the Nation regardless of the personal 
consequences, and his lifelong pursuit of bipartisanship and debate.
  The defining characteristic of President Ford was his ability to 
remain humble and a man of the people. As testimonies poured in across 
the Nation, we were reminded about how he played selflessly as center at 
the University of Michigan, worked as a busboy while attending law 
school, and often hosted barbecues for his neighbors at his home in 
Alexandria, VA, while serving as House minority leader.
  President Ford's charm and likability were shown all over the country, 
but away from his home State and the microscope of Washington, DC, 
Gerald Ford and his family also touched Colorado. As a Congressman from 
Michigan, the Ford family visited Colorado to ski in 1968 and since then 
have remained a constant presence in that community. He skied there, he 
built a house in nearby Beaver Creek, and he hosted a golf tournament 
for 20 years.
  Following President Ford's passing, more than 2,500 people gathered at 
the base of Vail Mountain to witness a touching tribute to the President 
that included 500 ski instructors and a torchlight parade on Vail's 
Golden Peak. In Vail, like many other communities, President Ford was 
regarded as a tremendous asset and a man who treated everyone as an 
equal. Several residents remarked that one would never know he was a 
former President.
  As a lasting tribute to this tremendous man, I cannot think of a more 
appropriate honor than to have Vail's post office bear the name of 
Gerald R. Ford, Jr. A post office is the point in every community that 
brings all people together, and there is no better way to symbolize the 
virtues President Ford demonstrated through his public and private life. 
I encourage the Senate to pass legislation entitled ``Senate Bill 194'' 
in recognition of President Ford and his contributions to Vail, CO.


                        Tuesday, January 9, 2007


                           Hon. Orrin G. Hatch


                                 of utah

  Mr. President, even as we usher in a new Congress, Americans have said 
farewell to one of our Chief Executives, President Gerald R. Ford. 
President Ford was a man of character and integrity, a leader of hope 
and purpose. I hope and pray that the outpouring of support for 
President Ford in recent days will be a source of comfort and strength 
for his family and especially for his beloved wife, First Lady Betty 
Ford.
  The people of Michigan's Fifth District loved their Congressman Jerry 
Ford. They sent him to the House of Representatives by large margins 13 
times. In fact, Congressman Ford's reelection percentages over nearly a 
quarter century did not vary by more than a few points. His constituents 
supported him as he served them, consistently and solidly.
  It is easy to see why his constituents felt such a connection with 
him. Jerry Ford grew up in Grand Rapids, MI. He achieved the rank of 
Eagle Scout and, in high school, joined the honor society and was named 
to all-city and all-state football teams. At the University of Michigan, 
he played center on two national championship football teams and was 
named most valuable player in 1934.
  Early in life, Jerry Ford's values and basic good sense helped him see 
past the excitement of the moment. He passed up opportunities to use his 
athletic prowess for the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers and instead 
decided to coach boxing and football at Yale University, where he 
realized his goal of attending law school. He returned to Grand Rapids 
to begin practicing law and, after serving in the Navy during World War 
II, returned again to practice law and seek election to Congress in 
1948. Somehow in all that activity, he found time to court Elizabeth 
Bloomer. She must have been a very understanding woman because he even 
campaigned on their wedding day. President Ford would later say that his 
most valued advice was that which came from his wife. They spent 58 
years together and had four wonderful children.
  The qualities that endeared Congressman Ford to his constituents also 
inspired trust in his colleagues in the House, who elected him 
Republican Conference chairman in 1963 and then Republican leader in 
1965. In fact, Congressman Ford was so well regarded that President 
Lyndon Johnson named him to the Warren Commission which investigated the 
assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and President Richard Nixon 
tapped him to replace the resigned Vice President Spiro Agnew.
  Gerald Ford loved the House of Representatives, and his personal 
political goal was to become Speaker of the House. He declined 
invitations to run for the Senate and for Governor. Ironically, while 
the Republicans' minority status kept him from leading that Chamber, his 
appointment as Vice President allowed him to become President of the 
Senate.
  The Ford Presidency was brief, just 29 months long, but broke 
significant new political ground. He was the only occupant of the Oval 
Office who was never elected either President or Vice President. Former 
New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller's appointment as Vice President 
meant that, for the first time in American history, neither of the 
Nation's two top officers had been elected to either office. The Ford 
and Rockefeller appointments were the first handled under the procedures 
established by the 25th amendment to the Constitution, ratified less 
than a decade earlier. And, of course, President Ford presided over our 
Nation's bicentennial in 1976.
  The passage of even a few years, let alone a few decades, can easily 
change memories and perspectives. In recent years, the majority party 
has held either House of Congress by a modest margin. In this body 
today, the balance of power could rest on one Senator. At one point 
during Gerald Ford's service in the House, however, Democrats 
outnumbered Republicans by more than 2 to 1. Even under those difficult 
circumstances, Congressman Ford found ways of reaching across the aisle, 
working productively with the other party to find solutions to the 
Nation's problems.
  When Gerald Ford took up residence at the other end of Pennsylvania 
Avenue, there were times when he had to stand up to Congress. He issued 
an astounding 66 vetoes in fewer than 3 years, and Congress was able to 
override just a few.
  President Ford served during one of the most trying times in American 
history, facing troubles at home and abroad. At home, there was the 
Watergate scandal that had resulted in the Ford Presidency. In 1975, 
unemployment reached a level nearly twice what it is today. Inflation 
was in double digits. Fears of energy shortages persisted. Elsewhere in 
the world, President Ford faced the war in Vietnam and crises in the 
Middle East and the continued threat posed by the former Soviet Union. 
And on top of all of that, he shouldered the burden of restoring 
Americans' faith in their leaders and in democracy itself. Last week in 
his eulogy, Dr. Henry Kissinger, President Ford's Secretary of State, 
put it this way: ``Unassuming and without guile, Gerald Ford undertook 
to restore the confidence of Americans in their political institutions 
and purposes.''
  He made decisions, some of which were unpopular at the time, that he 
felt were necessary for the good of the Nation. Some say that these 
contributed to his narrow loss to Jimmy Carter. At the same time, from 
opinion polls after the political conventions showing the incumbent 
trailing by nearly 30 points, President Ford closed the gap to make the 
1976 election one of the closest in American history.
  We are all thankful President Ford did not simply retire from public 
life when he left the White House. For nearly three decades, he remained 
active as a statesman and involved in important issues. He founded, and 
for many years chaired, the World Forum conducted by the American 
Enterprise Institute, and he continued writing about some of the 
political and social challenges of our day. In 2001, he authored a 
poignant column which appeared in the Washington Post and endorsed 
legislation to promote regenerative therapies that can give hope to 
Americans suffering from chronic diseases. As a cosponsor of that 
legislation, I was moved and grateful for President Ford's wisdom and 
support.
  For these and so many other activities and contributions, President 
Ford received the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian award, in 
1999 and the Profiles in Courage Award from the Kennedy Foundation in 
2001. In 1999, he and Mrs. Ford received the Congressional Gold Medal 
for their dedicated public service and humanitarian contributions.
  As great as President Ford was, he was always the first to acknowledge 
his wonderful spouse, and I would be remiss, if I did not say a few 
words about Betty Ford. She was such a model of grace and dignity, 
inspiring us with her love and devotion to her family. Betty Ford was a 
bold First Lady, candidly sharing with the Nation her struggles with 
cancer and chemical dependency. She did not, however, stop there but 
turned those struggles into a crusade to help others. She served as 
cochairman of the Susan G. Komen Foundation when it was founded in 1982. 
Each year she presents the Betty Ford Award from that foundation to a 
champion in the fight against breast cancer. The Betty Ford Center, 
which she founded in 1982, is today one of the leading treatment 
facilities in America, perhaps the world, and Mrs. Ford continues to 
serve as its board chairman.
  As recently as last week, Betty and her four children, Steve, Mike, 
Jack, and Susan, showed us their tremendous devotion and kindness as 
they stood in the Capitol Rotunda for hours on end greeting every 
visitor who came to pay their respects to President Ford. Even in the 
face of tragedy, Betty and her children are gracious.
  President Ford believed that most people were mostly good most of the 
time. That optimistic attitude led him once to say that while he had 
many adversaries in his political life, he could not remember having a 
single enemy. When he took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, he 
offered not an inaugural address but what he called just a little 
straight talk among friends. He made a commitment, a compact, with his 
fellow Americans, in which he said:

  You have not elected me as your President by your ballots and so I ask 
you to confirm me as your President with your prayers . . . I have not 
sought this enormous responsibility, but I will not shirk it . . . Our 
Constitution works; our great republic is a government of laws and not 
of men. Here the people rule . . . God helping me, I will not let you 
down.

  Those words so reflected the character and vision of President Ford 
that they were printed in the opening pages of the commemorative program 
distributed when the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum was dedicated in 
September 1981 in Grand Rapids. It is there, along the Grand River, that 
thousands of Americans, many waiting for hours in the cold, paid a final 
tribute to our 38th President. And it is nearby, in the city he loved 
and that loved him, that President Ford was laid to rest.
  Gerald Ford did not let us down. It is fitting that on the gravestone 
of this remarkable man, this distinguished public servant, this healer 
of our Nation, are the simple words: ``Lives Committed to God, Country, 
and Love.''


                            Hon. Chuck Hagel


                               of nebraska

  Mr. President, President Gerald Ford had a distinguished career of 
public service marked by his exceptional personal qualities, and his 
passing is a sad moment for all Americans.
  President Ford was born in Omaha, NE, in 1913 and grew up in Grand 
Rapids, MI. As a student at the University of Michigan, Ford was an all-
star football player and became an assistant football coach at Yale 
University while he earned his law degree. During his service in World 
War II, he attained the rank of lieutenant commander in the Navy.
  President Ford was first elected to Congress in 1948 and served for 25 
years, 8 as the minority leader. He was selected to serve as Vice 
President and became President because he was a man who could restore 
integrity to the Presidency and hope in America, and bridge partisan 
divides in Congress.
  I first met Gerald Ford when he was the House minority leader and I 
was chief of staff for Congressman John Y. McCollister from Omaha. I 
have never met a person in politics who was a more decent and more 
complete individual than President Ford. He earned the trust and 
confidence of the American people through his character, competency and 
common decency.
  I had the honor of attending his Capitol memorial service in the 
Rotunda last week with my daughter, Allyn, and son, Ziller. I am 
grateful and proud that they had the opportunity to hear President Ford 
remembered and eulogized with eloquence, grace, and honesty. America is 
a better place because of President Gerald Ford. He will be greatly 
missed.


                       Wednesday, January 10, 2007


                         Hon. Charles E. Schumer


                               of new york

  Mr. President, it is with great sadness but great honor that I rise to 
commemorate the life and actions of Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President 
of the United States. President Ford led our country through turbulent 
and uncertain times and did so with a kind of strong modesty that he was 
known for his entire life. From his days as a star of the University of 
Michigan football team to serving as minority leader in the U.S. House 
of Representatives, Gerald Ford's ability to lead was apparent to all. 
Aside from his leadership qualities, President Ford was a man beyond 
reproach and respected by all. These qualities made him Richard Nixon's 
choice to replace his first Vice President, Spiro Agnew. Following 
President Nixon's resignation, Gerald Ford returned honor to the office 
of the President and restored the country's confidence in our leaders. 
Gerald Ford exemplified the best of America and served the country in 
every way. From his heroism in World War II to his Presidency and 
graceful retirement, he harkens back to a day when love of country and 
bipartisanship were paramount.


                           Hon. Elizabeth Dole


                            of north carolina

  Mr. President, it is with a heavy heart that I join with all North 
Carolinians and all Americans in mourning the passing of President 
Gerald Ford. I was privileged to call President Ford a dear friend for 
more than 30 years, and my husband Bob and I continue to keep Betty and 
the entire Ford family in our thoughts and prayers.
  President Ford presided over America during some of her most difficult 
and challenging times. Immediately upon entering the Oval Office, 
President Ford was confronted with a myriad of problems--a faltering 
economy, energy shortages, international disputes, and a Nation 
disheartened and disillusioned by scandal. He confronted these 
challenges head on, and he did so with honesty, integrity, common sense, 
and decency. He was a true American patriot who never failed to put the 
interests of his country above his own political interests. And, to me, 
that is the embodiment of a true leader.
  Long before entering the White House, President Ford had a 
distinguished and successful career. He diligently represented the 
people of Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives for 25 years, 
including 8 years serving as House minority leader. Throughout each 
chapter of his career, President Ford displayed extraordinary care and 
thoughtfulness as he worked tirelessly to bring together his 
colleagues--from both sides of the ideological spectrum--for the 
betterment of our Nation. And in turn, his colleagues respected him, 
relied on his wise judgment, and valued his leadership.
  As my husband Bob says, President Ford was the type of person you 
would want as your next-door neighbor. He was humble, down-to-earth, and 
accessible. What you saw with President Ford was what you got.
  In addition to having the honor of serving in President Ford's 
administration as a Federal Trade Commissioner, I had the privilege of 
spending a good bit of time with President Ford and his dear wife Betty 
when my husband campaigned as his running mate in 1976. During this 
time, I saw a side of the President that I wish every American could 
have seen.
  I will never forget the day when President Ford announced that Bob 
would be his running mate. We were in Bob's hometown of Russell, KS, and 
my mother-in-law wanted very much to serve a home-cooked fried chicken 
dinner to the President. But when President Ford and Bob arrived at her 
home, they discovered that Mrs. Dole had accidentally locked herself out 
of the house. So there was the President of the United States standing 
on the front stoop patiently waiting for Mrs. Dole to find the spare 
key. She was a nervous wreck, but the President didn't mind one bit--
instead, he kindly offered to help her find the key, so together they 
searched until they found it behind a drainpipe. I have always thought 
this story about a small kindness truly speaks volumes about the 
sterling character of a man I have long respected and admired. Even as 
President Ford had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he always 
treated his fellow man with kindness, respect, and personal modesty.
  President Ford served the United States with courage and distinction, 
and he provided a shining example for all public servants to follow. I 
am so proud to have known this man of character, strength, and 
intellect. I will miss my friend, and I wish the best to Betty, his 
children Michael, John, Steven, and Susan, and the entire Ford family.


                          Hon. Olympia J. Snowe


                                of maine

  Mr. President, I rise today to state how proud I was to support Senate 
Resolution 19, celebrating the life of the late President Gerald R. 
Ford.
  It was an honor to commemorate the extraordinary legacy of the 38th 
President of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford, as we have mourned 
the loss of a treasured national leader and exceptional public servant.
  President Ford will forever be remembered for his unassailable 
integrity and decency at a most difficult and challenging time. He was 
truly a great American who devoted his life not only to the Nation he 
loved but also to the finest and most ennobling ideals of public 
service. Throughout the years, President Ford represented a voice of 
civility and problem solving--of consensus building--and healing. 
History will record that his contribution to America's story was both 
indispensable and irrefutable.
  When our Nation looked to him for assurance, his stalwart character, 
disposition, and judgment instilled a quiet and renewed confidence in 
our country. He restored the public trust in the Presidency and in our 
Government, reminded us of the strength and durability of our 
Constitution, and engendered a hope that tempered our anxieties and 
turned our attention once again to the future.
  During his distinguished 25 years as both a Member and later minority 
leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, then-Congressman Gerald 
Ford never sought the office of Vice President or President, but when in 
1974 he faced the daunting task of assuming the highest office in the 
land, his steadfast dedication to the bedrock principles of hard work, 
common sense, and duty--so emblematic of his upbringing and his 
remarkable career in Congress--prepared him to occupy the White House 
and served him well over the course of his brief but historic tenure.
  With an unwavering moral compass, a certain grasp of purpose, and an 
always-steady resolve, President Ford guided us out of conflict abroad 
and quelled our concerns here at home and in doing so brought honor to 
the Oval Office and reassurance to Americans. It is fitting that in 
football as well as in his public life, Gerald Ford was ever the 
keystone, the center that held those around him together, who 
exemplified the essential underpinning that made progress possible.
  On a personal note, last summer I had the esteemed privilege of 
cosponsoring--along with Senators Warner, Stevens, and Levin--an 
amendment offered by Senator John Warner to the 2007 defense 
authorization bill that would name our Nation's newest carrier the 
U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford. In fact, the Navy's entire class of future 
carriers would be known as the Ford class--in honor of the President we 
praise.
  Later this month, that accolade--which the Senate passed unanimously--
is expected to come to fruition. Such a bestowal by Navy Secretary 
Winter would be an appropriate tribute to then-Lieutenant Ford, who, as 
a sailor in December 1944, encountered a typhoon while aboard the 
carrier U.S.S. Monterey and demonstrated the virtues that would emerge 
as the hallmark of his unflagging service and sacrifice to our Nation, 
such as calm and courage amid turmoil, presence of mind to act 
decisively despite confusion and chaos, and an unflinching will of 
spirit to help others, even at great personal peril.
  It has been recounted in the Bob Drury and Tom Clavin book ``Halsey's 
Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an 
Untold Rescue'' that Lieutenant Ford rescued wounded comrades, beat back 
raging fires, and helped salvage a ship that was ordered to be 
abandoned. Gerald Ford was integral to the effort driven by the simple 
belief of the skipper, Captain Ingersoll, that ``we can fix this.'' As 
part of Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet, they did not give up the U.S.S. 
Monterey in what reportedly was ``one of the worst natural disasters in 
U.S. military history,'' a disaster where much of the fleet was 
decimated and more men were purportedly killed than in the Battle of 
Midway.
  Mr. President, this story in many ways embodies the essence of this 
great son of Michigan. The story of the U.S.S. Monterey is telling in 
that--like President Ford--it has for years taken a humble and 
unassuming place in the American narrative--and yet over time has 
rightfully grown in stature and acclaim. We also see a disposition and 
valor in a young sailor that would be brought to bear later in life as a 
statesman. Lieutenant Ford's reaction to conflagration and crisis was to 
take action and help tamp it down. Gerald Ford helped bring under 
control the flames that imperiled the U.S.S. Monterey. He would do 
similarly as President when charged to guide the Ship of State--which he 
did with a fearless, unflappable demeanor. And which he did, to 
paraphrase President Lincoln, ``with firmness in the right as God [gave 
him] to see the right.'' And through his eloquence of action, Gerald 
Ford moved us all to ``strive on to finish the work we [were] in'' and 
helped ``to bind up the nation's wounds.'' And for that we are eternally 
grateful.
  Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with First Lady Betty Ford, 
their children, and the entire Ford family. May God bless and keep 
President Gerald R. Ford and may God bless the United States of America 
he so ably led.


                       Thursday, February 15, 2007


                         Hon. Richard J. Durbin


                               of illinois

  Mr. President, like his hero, Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford helped heal 
our Nation. His calm leadership and fundamental decency helped hold our 
Nation together at a time when the forces of war and scandal threatened 
to tear it apart.
  When he took the oath of office on August 9, 1974, President Ford 
declared, ``This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts 
our hearts.'' During his Presidency, he worked to ease our minds, 
comfort our hearts, and restore our faith in our Government.
  In his first official remarks as President, Gerald Ford promised 
America:

  In all my public and private acts as your president, I expect to 
follow my instincts of openness and candor with full confidence that 
honesty is always the best policy at hand.

  Those were not just words to Gerald Ford, as he proved on October 17, 
1974, when he appeared voluntarily before Congress to give sworn 
testimony--the only time a sitting President has done so about his 
pardon of Richard Nixon.
  Gerald Ford believed that pardoning Richard Nixon was the only way to 
end the long national nightmare of Watergate. He also believed that it 
might end his political career. And he did pay a high price at the time 
in lost public approval and public trust.
  Over time, however, many people came to see the Nixon pardon not as an 
act of collusion, but of courage and conciliation. In 2001, the Kennedy 
Library Foundation awarded President Ford its John F. Kennedy Profile in 
Courage Award.
  Gerald Ford believed in hard work and duty to one's country. At the 
University of Michigan, he washed dishes at his fraternity house to earn 
money for college expenses. After graduating in the top quarter of his 
class from Yale Law School, he returned home to Grand Rapids, MI, to 
practice law--but Pearl Harbor was attacked. Like so many young men of 
his generation, Gerald Ford put his life on hold. He enlisted in the 
Navy and spent the next 4 years in the service.
  After the war, Gerald Ford decided to run for Congress and was 
supported by Michigan's legendary Senator Arthur Vandenberg, one of the 
architects of American internationalism. His experience in World War II 
and his friendship with Senator Vandenberg helped turn him away from 
isolationism.
  As President, he described himself as ``a moderate in domestic 
affairs, a conservative in fiscal affairs, and a dyed-in-the-wool 
internationalist in foreign affairs.''
  In the 2\1/2\ years of his Presidency, he ended America's involvement 
in the war in Vietnam. He helped mediate a cease-fire agreement between 
Israel and Egypt, signed the Helsinki human rights convention with the 
Soviet Union and traveled to Vladivostok to sign an arms limitation 
agreement with Leonid Brezhnev, the Soviet President.
  But what earned Gerald Ford the respect and gratitude of our Nation 
was not only what he accomplished but how he accomplished those things. 
He was a master of consensus building, cooperation, and honorable 
compromise.
  It is notable that one of the first calls he made after becoming Vice 
President was to his old golfing buddy, Tip O'Neill. He set a standard 
for bipartisanship that we would all do well to follow.
  He was a good and honorable man who served this Nation well. He will 
be missed.


                         Wednesday, May 23, 2007


                            Hon. Ken Salazar


                               of colorado

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to 
the consideration of H. Con. Res. 128, just received from the House, and 
which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution 
by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

  A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 128) authorizing the printing of 
a commemorative document in memory of the late President of the United 
States, Gerald Rudolph Ford.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 128) was agreed to.


                         Tuesday, July 17, 2007


                         Hon. Edward M. Kennedy


                            of massachusetts


   . . . Not only do we have an obligation to help those who have helped 
us, we have a precedent for action. As the war in Vietnam drew to a 
close, President Ford emphasized America's duty to rescue those who had 
helped and assisted us. He called our response to that refugee crisis a 
reaffirmation of America's awareness of the roots and ideals of our 
society, and he personally greeted Vietnamese refugees on their arrival 
here.
?


                                     

                                I N D E X
 Memorial Tributes in the House of Representatives of the United States


               Boehner, John A., of Ohio, addresses, 3, 32

                 Bono, Mary, of California, address, 26

            Brady, Robert A., of Pennsylvania, addresses, 41

               Cleaver, Emanuel, of Missouri, address, 40

                   Cole, Tom, of Oklahoma, address, 30

              Conyers, John, Jr., of Michigan, address, 31

                  Davis, Artur, of Alabama, address, 7

     Davis, Danny K., of Illinois, addresses, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 22

                  Davis, Tom, of Virginia, address, 10

            Dingell, John D., of Michigan, addresses, 18, 25

                    Dole, Bob, of Kansas, address, 40

    Ehlers, Vernon J., of Michigan, addresses, 8, 12, 17, 18, 20, 42

                 Emanuel, Rahm, of Illinois, address, 35

                Engel, Eliot L., of New York, address, 30

                  Gohmert, Louie, of Texas, address, 39

               Hastings, Alcee L., of Florida, address, 43

                          H. Con. Res. 128, 41

                 Hobson, David L., of Ohio, address, 31

                Hoekstra, Peter, of Michigan, address, 28

                Holt, Rush D., of New Jersey, address, 22

                Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland, address, 19

                               H.R. 49, 36

                              H. Res. 11, 4

                              H. Res. 15, 9

           Issa, Darrell E., of California, addresses, 37, 39

           Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas, addresses, 3, 27, 43

                Kildee, Dale E., of Michigan, address, 29

                 King, Steve, of Iowa, addresses, 6, 39

               Levin, Sander M., of Michigan, address, 27

               McCollum, Betty, of Minnesota, address, 33

             McCotter, Thaddeus G., of Michigan, address, 17

                        Message from the Senate:


                             H. Con. Res. 128, 43

                                 S. Res. 19, 8


                  Mica, John L., of Florida, address, 5

         Millender-McDonald, Juanita, of California, address, 34

              Miller, Candice S., of Michigan, address, 24

                          Moment of Silence, 4

         Norton, Eleanor Holmes, of Washington, DC, address, 36

             Pelosi, Nancy, of California, addresses, 3, 16

                   Poe, Ted, of Texas, addresses, 4, 6

                Prayer by Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, 7

                   Regula, Ralph, of Ohio, address, 33

                 Smith, Adrian, of Nebraska, address, 24

                 Stupak, Bart, of Michigan, address, 12

                  Terry, Lee, of Nebraska, address, 23

                Turner, Michael R., of Ohio, address, 32

             Udall, Mark, of Colorado, addresses, 4, 22, 37

                  Upton, Fred, of Michigan, address, 36

                 Walberg, Tim, of Michigan, address, 15

               Wilson, Joe, of South Carolina, address, 40


                                

          Memorial Tributes in the Senate of the United States


                 Allard, Wayne, of Colorado, address, 61

               Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi, address, 55

             Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina, address, 65

              Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico, address, 56

           Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois, addresses, 59, 68

                 Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska, address, 64

                  Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah, address, 62

              Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas, address, 57

            Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts, address, 69

                  Levin, Carl, of Michigan, address, 57

               McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky, address, 49

                       Message from the House, 60

                 Obama, Barack, of Illinois, address, 56

                   Reid, Harry, of Nevada, address, 48

              Salazar, Ken, of Colorado, addresses, 60, 69

              Schumer, Charles E., of New York, address, 65

                Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine, address, 66

                           S. Res. 19, 47, 59

               Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan, address, 54

                       Warner, John, of Virginia:


                                  Address, 51

        Sense of Congress on Naming the CVN-78 Aircraft Carrier as the 
                             U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford, 53


                            Memorial Services


                       Allen, Martin J., Jr., xcii

                        Black, Dr. Barry C., liii

                         Brokaw, Thomas J., lxxx

                        Bush, George H.W., lxxvi

                         Bush, George W., lxxxii

                          Carter, Jimmy, cxviii

              Certain, Father Robert, xcvi, cxxvii, cxxviii

                          Cheney, Richard B., l

                     Coughlin, Rev. Daniel P., xlvi

                     Granholm, Jennifer, xciv, xcvi

                        Hastert, J. Dennis, xlix

                         Heartwell, George, xcii

                      Kissinger, Henry A., lxxviii

                          Rumsfeld, Donald, cxv

                       Smith, Richard Norton, cxxi

                           Stevens, Ted, xlvi

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