[JPRT, 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Paul E. Gillmor
LATE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM
OHIO
MEMORIAL ADDRESSES
AND OTHER TRIBUTES
HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR 1939-2007
HON. PAUL E. GILLMOR 1939-2007
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Paul E. Gillmor
Memorial Addresses and
Other Tributes
HELD IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AND SENATE
OF THE UNITED STATES
TOGETHER WITH MEMORIAL SERVICES
IN HONOR OF
PAUL E. GILLMOR
Late a Representative from Ohio
One Hundred Tenth Congress
First Session
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2008
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Page
Biography ................................................ v
Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
Tributes by Representatives:
Aderholt, Robert B., of Alabama .................. 20
Bachus, Spencer, of Alabama ...................... 18
Barton, Joe, of Texas ............................ 10
Blunt, Roy, of Missouri .......................... 28, 38
Boehner, John A., of Ohio ........................ 3, 16
Burgess, Michael C., of Texas .................... 19
Chabot, Steve, of Ohio ........................... 24
Ehlers, Vernon J., of Michigan ................... 34
Fossella, Vito, of New York ...................... 31
Hobson, David L., of Ohio ........................ 29
Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland ..................... 38
Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas .................... 35
Jones, Stephanie Tubbs, of Ohio .................. 15, 31
Jordan, Jim, of Ohio ............................. 20
Kaptur, Marcy, of Ohio ........................... 3, 5
LaTourette, Steven C., of Ohio ................... 9
Maloney, Carolyn B., of New York ................. 25
Myrick, Sue Wilkins, of North Carolina ........... 32
Obey, David R., of Wisconsin ..................... 13
Pelosi, Nancy, of California ..................... 22
Price, Tom, of Georgia ........................... 28
Pryce, Deborah, of Ohio .......................... 12
Regula, Ralph, of Ohio .......................... 4, 5, 30
Ryan, Tim, of Ohio ............................... 17
Schmidt, Jean, of Ohio ........................... 21
Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr., of Wisconsin ....... 37
Sessions, Pete, of Texas ......................... 32
Space, Zachary T., of Ohio ....................... 3, 27
Stearns, Cliff, of Florida ....................... 26
Sutton, Betty, of Ohio ........................... 10
Tanner, John S., of Tennessee .................... 8, 40
Tiberi, Patrick J., of Ohio ...................... 14
Turner, Michael R., of Ohio ...................... 21
Walsh, James T., of New York ..................... 33
Westmoreland, Lynn A., of Georgia ................ 3
Wilson, Charles A., of Ohio ...................... 11
Wilson, Joe, of South Carolina ................... 31
Wolf, Frank R., of Virginia ...................... 33
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Voinovich, George V., of Ohio .................... 41
Memorial Services ................................ 43
BIOGRAPHY
Congressman Paul E. Gillmor (R-Tiffin) was sworn in to
the U.S. House of Representatives to represent the people
of the Fifth Congressional District of Ohio in January
1989. Prior to his election to Congress, Mr. Gillmor
served in the Ohio Senate for 22 years where he was
unanimously elected Republican leader five times and
served as Senate president for three general assemblies.
At the time of his passing, Congressman Gillmor was the
ranking Republican member of the House Financial Services
Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer
Credit. Previously, Congressman Gillmor served one term as
the ranking Republican member of the Committee on House
Administration Subcommittee on Accounts and three terms as
the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on
Environment and Hazardous Materials. In addition,
Congressman Gillmor was unanimously elected in 2006 by
representatives of the 26 NATO countries to serve as vice
president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. In his role,
Congressman Gillmor was the highest ranking North American
in the assembly.
Mr. Gillmor served as a deputy minority whip for the
110th Congress and was in his eighth term as a member of
the Republican whip team. Previously, he was elected a
regional representative for four States to the House
Republican Policy Committee. He served as a member of a
bipartisan reform task force on ethics and congressional
mailing practices. In 1994 Mr. Gillmor authored an article
for the Harvard Journal on Legislation on ``Reconstruction
of Federalism: A Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit
Unfunded Mandates.''
Congressman Gillmor sponsored the Small Business
Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, which
was signed by President Bush in 2002. According to the
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Congressman Gillmor's bill to
promote the redevelopment of abandoned industrial sites
has created 85,000 jobs and has the ability to create as
many as 570,000 jobs if it is fully implemented.
Throughout his career in public service, Mr. Gillmor
received numerous awards for his accomplishments from
groups representing businesses, veterans, senior citizens,
educators, prosecuting attorneys, civil service employees,
and environmental concerns. In 2006, he was honored by the
Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce for his efforts to
successfully prevent the Toledo Air National Guard Base
from closing while saving more than 1,000 jobs. In
addition, Mr. Gillmor was selected as one of the 10 most
outstanding legislators in the United States by the
National Republican Legislators Association.
Congressman Gillmor received his bachelor of arts degree
from Ohio Wesleyan University and his law degree from the
University of Michigan Law School. He was a graduate of
Old Fort High School in Seneca County, OH. Mr. Gillmor
also held honorary degrees from Heidelberg College,
Defiance College, Ohio University, Tiffin University, and
Rio Grande College.
As a U.S. Air Force veteran, Mr. Gillmor attained the
rank of captain while on active duty. As an Air Force
judge advocate, Mr. Gillmor served during the Vietnam
conflict from 1965 to 1966.
Ohio's Fifth Congressional District is home to
approximately 630,000 people in Crawford, Defiance,
Fulton, Henry, Huron, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca,
Van Wert, Williams and Wood counties, and parts of
Ashland, Lucas, Mercer and Wyandot counties. The district
is larger in area than the States of Rhode Island,
Delaware, Connecticut or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
Congressman Gillmor is survived by his wife, Karen
Gillmor. A former two-term State senator, Karen Gillmor
was selected the Outstanding Freshman Legislator in the
Country by the National Republican Legislators Association
in 1995. Congressman Gillmor is also survived by his two
daughters, Linda and Julie, and three sons, Paul Michael
and twins Connor and Adam.
MEMORIAL ADDRESSES
AND
OTHER TRIBUTES
FOR
PAUL E. GILLMOR
Proceedings in the House of Representatives
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, it is with profound sadness
that I come to the floor today and inform all of my
colleagues that our colleague from Ohio, Paul Gillmor,
passed away suddenly overnight.
Paul was a good friend to all of us, a colleague of mine
who served in this House for nearly two decades after a
long, distinguished career in the Ohio Senate. He was from
Ohio, born there, raised there, went to school there. He
is going to be missed by all of us.
I want to make sure that we keep Karen and his children
in our thoughts in this very difficult time.
We will notify Members of the arrangements when they are
made, but I would expect that later this afternoon the
members of the Ohio delegation from both sides of the
aisle will be on the floor for a tribute to our friend.
Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I would just like to
offer my condolences to the Gillmor family at this tragic
time in their life. . . .
Mr. SPACE. . . . I would like to preface my remarks with
my condolences to the family of Paul Gillmor as well, an
Ohioan and a good man who will be missed. . . .
Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to inform the House
that in addition to the loss of Ohio's beloved colleague
Paul Gillmor today and former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn,
we have lost a beloved friend and indefatigable colleague
when Ohio Congressman Charles Vanik passed away last week
at the age of 94. . . .
I would just ask for 10 seconds to say to my colleagues
in terms of my neighbor, Paul Gillmor, with whom I served
over 20 years in this body, we just happened to be flying
over Ohio this past week to assess the flood damage in his
district. My last memory of him is actually climbing out
of the Apache helicopter we were both in. There were just
the two of us with the Ohio National Guard, and he
extended his hand to me to help me get out of the
helicopter after a very long day in many communities,
including Bucyrus and Findlay. I have many memories, but I
shall never forget that. He was a gentleman of this House.
I thank my colleagues very much.
MOMENT OF SILENCE IN MEMORY OF THE LATE HONORABLE PAUL
GILLMOR
Mr. REGULA. Madam Speaker, I know that Leader Boehner
has already informed the House of the untimely death of
our colleague, Paul Gillmor, but I want to just add to
that. I will be offering a resolution of bereavement after
we have finished the suspensions for the day, which will
be very shortly, for those who might want to comment.
It is a tremendous loss for Ohio. Paul was a leader in
the Ohio Senate over a number of years, 22 years to be
exact. He was a leader here on the Financial Services
Committee. But most important, he was a person who cared
about the people of Ohio. He made a tremendous effort to
represent them well. It is evident by a number of awards
that he received and so on. I won't take the time to go
into that now, but all of you knew Paul.
I think something that many were not aware of, he was
chosen as the vice president of the International NATO
Group, the parliamentary group that is made up of
something like 26 nations, and they elected him as the
highest ranking American in their leadership
responsibilities. It is a tribute to him and to Ohio and
to this body that he was chosen for that assignment.
Madam Speaker, I would like for us all to rise and
recognize his loss, too, in a moment of silence.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution
(H. Res. 632) and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 632
Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow
of the death of the Honorable Paul E. Gillmor, a
Representative from the State of Ohio.
Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House
as the Speaker may designate, together with such Members
of the Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the
funeral.
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House be
authorized and directed to take such steps as may be
necessary for carrying out the provisions of these
resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection
therewith be paid out of applicable accounts of the House.
Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions
to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of
the deceased.
Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn
as a further mark of respect to the memory of the
deceased.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio is
recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), my colleague, who is
the senior member of the Democrat delegation, pending
which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend
and colleague Paul Gillmor of Tiffin, Ohio. Paul Gillmor
was a leader in Ohio. He was elected five times by his
colleagues in the Ohio Senate as a leader and was
President of the Ohio Senate three times.
He was a leader here in this House on financial issues,
focusing effectively on legislation to protect the general
public. Additionally, Paul's leadership extended beyond
Ohio and Congress to his position as vice president of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
His awards from grateful constituents and community
groups he represented were powerful evidence of Paul's
diligent efforts on behalf of those who depended on his
caring representation on their behalf. Five Ohio colleges
and universities honored his outstanding leadership with
honorary degrees.
In addition, he served his country as a captain in the
Air Force with active duty during the Vietnam conflict
from 1965 to 1966. Ohio Wesleyan University and the
University of Michigan Law School are proud to claim him
as an alumnus.
Our sympathy goes out to Paul's wife, Karen, and his
five children.
To those of us who cherished him not only as a
colleague, but as a friend, we will long remember Paul and
will always be grateful that he was part of our life.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I would very much like to thank the dean of the
Republican delegation from Ohio, Congressman Ralph Regula,
a dear friend, for helping to organize this very special
moment tonight in honor of our friend and colleague from
Ohio, Representative Paul Gillmor, who last evening
succumbed to a call that will greet us all. We never know
the time nor the hour.
I understand that Paul flew back to Washington yesterday
with several of his colleagues. And sometimes we wonder
why things happen the way they do, but he was able to
speak with several of them upon his return to Washington
after having spent most of August with his family in Ohio.
That itself is a gift.
It is with shock and sadness that we on this side of the
aisle extend heartfelt sympathy to the Gillmor family. To
his wife, Karen, I can't tell you how many White House
Christmas parties I recall sharing with her, our travels
to Mexico long before the passage of NAFTA as we evaluated
the situation on the ground. Those are memories that I
will hold forever.
To the five Gillmor children, Paul was a very dedicated
father. I recall one time I was going into Channel 11, our
CBS affiliate, I'll probably get in trouble for saying
this, the other affiliates won't be mentioned, even though
it didn't happen in their stations, and Paul had one of
his sons with him that day, and he was so polite. And we
were talking about where he was going to school. Paul
tried to be with his family, especially with his younger
children, as much as he could.
He suffered great tragedy in his own life, serving
during the Vietnam war as a captain in the Air Force in
that very troubled conflict. I'm sure that he carried
memories and wounds from that. And then having lost his
first wife in a tragic automobile accident, having to
survive that and continue to serve.
He dedicated his life to public service. Many people I
don't think realize what a wealthy man he was. He didn't
have to be here in the Congress. He could have checked out
long ago. But in the tradition of service that his family
represented and very deep roots in Buckeye land in Ohio,
he served his country not just in the Air Force, but in
the Ohio Senate where he was the Republican leader or
president for 10 years, and finally, the people of the
Fifth Congressional District in this House since 1989, a
decade and a half (19 years).
There are many pieces of legislation for which he
exhibited leadership. One of those dealt with brownfields,
a problem well known in a State like Ohio, and trying to
move legislation in order to convert those over for reuse.
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and
Subcommittee chair during a portion of his career, he made
a real national contribution there.
Together, we worked on saving the 180th Tactical Fighter
Squadron of the Army Air National Guard in our districts.
When gerrymandering occurred a few years ago and the
districts were redrawn, literally, he ended up with one
half of the airport and I ended up with the other half.
And I thought, oh, this is interesting. So we were very
successful in our efforts there. And without question,
that particular unit, which will be returning to Ohio this
week, will go to a facility that he helped to save. One of
my memories is that before their departure about 4 months
ago, Paul and I were there together wishing every single
one of the members of that unit Godspeed and a quick
return to our country.
There were many times that we spent together in our
region of the State. Just last week, Paul and I appeared
in Findlay, Ohio, as a result of the tragic 1,000-year
flooding that occurred up in our area. Congressman Jim
Jordan was there as well from Urbana, Ohio. Then Paul and
I met with Secretary Chertoff. We were planning meetings
here upon our return here this week. We talked about the
need for FEMA to be more responsive to the needs of this
region. We then took an Apache helicopter with General
Wayt from the Ohio National Guard and we flew over to
Bucyrus, just the two of us together in that helicopter.
We were pointing out different reservoirs and different
dams and different things that had to be done in order to
prevent this type of tragedy again. We met with the mayor
of Bucyrus and with the county commissioners there and the
emergency management officials. We had quite a visit. Then
Paul and I got back on the Apache helicopter and we flew
back to Findlay, Ohio, where his sister was waiting for
him at the airport. They were on to the next stop. I think
he was headed over to Ottawa, Ohio, in his district, which
had also been very badly flooded.
I see Congressman Jordan over there. I never knew that
when we were in Findlay, Ohio, together, we kind of
grabbed hands and tried to deal with the flooding in your
district as well, that that would be the last time that we
would do that together.
So we had many memories that we share of Paul's service.
And I offer the consolation and the condolences of the
people from the Ninth Congressional District, which
literally wraps its arms around the northern part of
Paul's district, to his family, to his friends, to his
colleagues, and to say we are there in dutiful service to
do what is necessary to transition in these very difficult
days and months ahead.
I want to say personally to Karen, his wife, that I
value our friendship. And many of us who have reached the
age we are know what a loss this is, and we are praying
for you, we are praying for your children, we are praying
for your family.
I wanted to extend the opportunity for our dear
colleague from Tennessee, Congressman John Tanner, who is
down here on the floor, who wanted to offer words on
behalf of Paul Gillmor whatever time he wishes to consume.
I yield him such time.
Mr. TANNER. Thank you very much, Ms. Kaptur.
I just felt compelled to come down here. Mr. Regula, I
thank you for taking this time.
I guess I've traveled more with Paul Gillmor than any
other Member. We have traveled together on the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly business for at least the last 9 or
10 years, and that's two or three trips a year to the
parliamentary meetings of NATO. And during that time, not
only have my wife, Betty Ann, and his wife, Karen, become
close friends, but I don't have or didn't have a closer
friend in Congress than Paul Gillmor.
He was not only an extraordinarily talented individual
who made people comfortable around him, but he also had a
leadership quality that I observed up close and personal
many times in these NATO meetings.
It hasn't been all that easy the last few years. There
has been unrest in the alliance. And Paul was chairman of
the Economics and Security Committee during part of that
time, and I was a member and succeeded him as chairman. It
was an easy transition from the standpoint that Paul had
gained so much respect from our European allies and
colleagues that it was easy for us to run that committee
in a way that I think was constructive.
He was extraordinarily dedicated to his family. He
talked about them all the time. And beyond that, he was a
man that had a well-grounded sense of himself. He was one
who not only cared deeply for his family, his State, and
his country, but was willing to go out of his way and
inconvenience himself time and time again to go the extra
mile to try to make things better. I feel very privileged
to just have known him and to be a friend of his, and more
important to have him as a friend of mine.
I'm going to miss him a lot. I know this House will miss
him a lot. The country will miss him a lot. He is
currently serving as North American vice president of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and I'm sure that
organization will miss him as well.
Thank you for allowing me this time.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the dean of
our delegation for authoring this resolution. I also want
to thank our Democratic friends from Ohio and Members from
other States whom I see gathering on the floor.
Mr. Speaker, there is no way to describe today's news
about our friend, Paul Gillmor, other than shock, a
devastating loss to his family, to his friends, his
colleagues, Ohio, and our Nation.
Unlike a number of the other members of the Ohio
delegation, I didn't come to Congress through the Ohio
Legislature, and so I didn't serve with Paul in the Ohio
Legislature, although I knew of him from Republican
gatherings around the State of Ohio, he also was my mom's
Congressman. She always told me the story about how
excited the people were who were up in Lakeside,
Marblehead, and the Islands that Congressman Gillmor was
going to come up and share his thoughts. But I didn't have
the chance to work with him until I arrived here about 13
years ago. What I found was what I had heard, and that was
that Congressman Gillmor was a hardworking, smart
legislator who loved his family, loved his friends, loved
this institution and the people he served. He was willing
to take the time to show a young freshman around back in
1995. He was willing to share his vast knowledge of
financial services with those that didn't quite have the
same expertise. If you were having a sadness or a joy in
your life, he was willing to share in that. And he was a
wonderful fellow to sit and have dinner with. And after
dinner, he was a wonderful fellow to sit around with and
tell war stories. And over the course of the years, many
of those stories were exaggerated with the passage of time
and also the failing of memory, but it was always a good
time.
I was reminded by my staff, because I want to talk about
Paul's family, but I also want to talk about Paul's other
family. And my staff reminded me, when they learned of
Paul's passing today, that we were neighbors in the
Longworth Building, and my staff told me how lucky we were
to have a neighbor whose staff was always willing to walk
us through another clueless day in the 104th Congress. And
how you could always walk into the lobby, and how he
taught us about constituent services because you would
always find a bowl of Dum Dum suckers because the Spangler
Candy Company was located in Bryan, Ohio, which was in the
Congressman's district.
Our Ohio delegation is poor today with the loss of our
friend, neighbor and mentor, Paul Gillmor. Our thoughts
and prayers are with Paul's wife, Karen, his five
wonderful children, and also, Mr. Speaker, with his
Capitol Hill family, many of whom have been with him for
many years and who miss him very badly today.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the
gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Sutton, will control the
remainder of the gentlewoman from Ohio, Ms. Kaptur's time.
There was no objection.
Ms. SUTTON. Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened today to
hear of the passing of Congressman Paul Gillmor.
As a freshman Member of this body, I haven't known Mr.
Gillmor as long as some of my colleagues who have already
spoken and who will, I'm sure, rise to speak in moments
following my remarks.
I did have occasion enough to spend time with Mr.
Gillmor to know what a friendly and unpretentious and
likeable man he was. And my thoughts and prayers are with
his wife, Karen, and his family and his friends. I did
have the opportunity to serve with Karen in the State
legislature in Ohio. And Karen, as I said, you're in our
thoughts and prayers.
The State of Ohio and the U.S. Congress have lost a
great friend. Paul Gillmor devoted his life to serving his
community, his State and his Nation. From his service in
the U.S. Air Force to his tireless efforts on behalf of
the people of Ohio in Congress, Paul Gillmor always fought
hard to make a difference in people's lives. We will all
miss him greatly. And I am grateful for the opportunity to
have known him even for the short time that I did.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), chairman of the
committee on which Paul served.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Well, the former chairman, the
ranking member now.
When I think of Paul Gillmor, I think of two words,
``team player.'' Earlier this year, when the Republicans
lost the majority, we had to downsize the number of
Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I
made a decision, as the ranking member, to try not to have
to kick anybody off the committee and not bump off our
junior members. So I went to the senior members of the
committee and asked if there were any volunteers who might
want to take a leave of absence to allow the junior
members not to have to be bumped off, and of course Paul
Gillmor was one of the ones who volunteered to take a
leave of absence so he could serve on the Financial
Services Committee and keep his seniority on the Energy
and Commerce Committee.
Because of that, several of our junior members were able
to stay on the committee.
Well, about a month ago, we had a contentious mark-up
coming up. Sure enough, one of the junior members had a
personal family situation that they couldn't get out of.
They were going to have to take a leave of absence. We
needed every vote. So I went to Paul, and I said, ``Would
you be willing to come back on the committee for 1 or 2
days?'' He kind of grumped a little bit about it, but he
said, ``If you need me, I'll be there.'' Not only did he
come back on the committee, but he offered amendments and
was there all of the time and didn't complain, whine,
moan, or groan about how tough it was. He was a team
player. He did a good job.
When we were in the majority, Paul was the chairman of
the Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials,
which is not one of the more glamorous subcommittees of
this Congress. It deals with such things as the Superfund
and the Clean Water Act and all these international
treaties. It's a tough job. Paul did it not only with good
grace, but he did it in an excellent fashion.
Paul Gillmor is going to be missed as a friend. He is
going to be missed as a Congressman. He is going to be
missed as a statesman for this country. My sympathy goes
out to his wife, Karen, and his family. We will definitely
miss the services of the Honorable Paul Gillmor in the
House of Representatives.
God bless him, and God bless his family.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wilson) will control the
remainder of the time of the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms.
Sutton).
There was no objection.
Mr. WILSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I join with my
colleagues here today saddened by the death of Paul
Gillmor. Paul and I took much the same track to come here
to Congress in that Paul served diligently for the State
of Ohio in the Ohio Senate. As a matter of fact, he and
his wife, Karen, both left quite a legacy there and then
moved on to Congress. I knew Paul, but through other
people, so to speak, until I came to Congress. I can still
remember how welcoming he was to me as another Ohio
delegate and welcoming me to be here in Congress. I was
very comfortable when he, Deborah Pryce and I were the
Congress people hosting a banking financial seminar in
Columbus not too many months ago, 4, 5, or 6 months ago.
It was good to sit with Paul. We chatted during breaks at
the seminar.
One of the things that comes to mind about Paul is that
he was my sister Becky's Congressman. She lives in Henry
County in part of his district. She is a yellow dog
Democrat, but she loved Paul Gillmor. Just as recently as
last night, before we knew any of this had happened, we
talked about him at dinner. She said, ``Paul Gillmor
always listens to us.'' So she felt very proud of her
relationship with her Congressman.
I think many people have felt that way about Paul. When
this type of thing happens, it shows you the compassion
and the feeling among us, as one body, as one set of
people representing America. I think that is what makes
our country different from others. Paul Gillmor was
certainly a perfect example of that. So my heart and my
sympathy go out to his wife Karen and his five children.
Hopefully, they will be able to continue the legacy he has
set for the Gillmor family.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce).
Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, we all rise in shock and great sadness to
mourn the death of our friend and colleague, Paul Gillmor.
There is really so much to honor about his life. He was
actually a legislator's legislator. Before he came to
Capitol Hill, he spent 22 years in the Ohio statehouse
where he became the senate president for three terms. He
was there during those formative years of his professional
life so long, and to the extent that he became a real pro
at it, that he had an innate sense of the legislative
process. He got to know the people, because half of this
work is getting to know the people.
He seemed to come by it naturally. We would sit at whip
meetings when he came to Congress. He would ask all the
right questions and get to the bottom line in half the
time as anyone else. Paul Gillmor really knew what he was
doing, and he always made it look so effortless.
He cared about other people. He cared about his staff.
He cared about his colleagues. He cared about his friends.
I didn't know a single soul who didn't like Paul Gillmor.
And that is saying a lot in this business. Paul was a
people person. He was a person that others gravitated to
because he cared about them.
But he cared about no one more in life than his family.
As a Member who on occasion myself has missed a vote on
the naming of a post office or two, I really respect the
priorities that Paul Gillmor had about putting his family
first. That's the right thing to do and that's the way
Paul did it.
He has a lot for which Karen, his dear wife, and his
family can be proud to look back upon as they examine the
legacy that he left to Ohio, to them, and to our country.
Once again, we have much to honor in Paul Gillmor's
life. Our prayers are with his family.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the
gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) will control the
remainder of the time of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Wilson).
There was no objection.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would
yield time to Mr. Obey, the chair of the Appropriations
Committee, such time as he may consume.
Mr. OBEY. I thank the gentlewoman for the time.
I simply cannot believe that Paul is gone. I first got
to know him when we both served on a task force to rewrite
the code of ethics in the nineties. That was not an easy
job. Paul's performance was solid. It was thoughtful. In
all the time that we discussed those issues before we
brought our recommendations to the floor, I never saw him
for one moment raise a partisan angle on any ethics
question, and I never saw him question anyone else's
motives.
What I did see was a man who understood that ethics is
important, and yet because it involves the rules of the
House, it can also be exceedingly complicated.
I never saw Paul take a single cheap shot in all the
time that he served on that committee. That is one of the
reasons that he became one of my favorite Republicans in
this place, because there are very few people on either
side of the aisle who aren't willing to take a cheap shot
at the other side, even if it results in damage to the
institution. That's where Paul drew the line.
He didn't mind seeking partisan advantage. That's what
all of us try to do from time to time. But what he always
tried to do, in my judgment, was to seek whatever
advantage he saw without taking advantage of the
institution at the same time. That's an important line to
draw in an institution like this.
I think we can all be grateful for the job that Paul did
for as long as God allowed him to do it. I simply cannot
believe he is gone.
I extend my sincere regrets and best wishes to his
family and all the members of the Ohio delegation.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi).
Mr. TIBERI. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, my heart
goes out to Paul's wife, Karen, and his five children.
As Mr. Obey said, I can't believe it, either. I first
met Paul Gillmor when he served in the Ohio Senate. He had
a very distinguished career before ever having come to the
U.S. Congress, a career that many would admire, just there
in our statehouse in Ohio.
His reputation was as a man of great humility. Something
that we all could learn a lesson from is Paul Gillmor's
humility, the gentleness of Paul Gillmor, the way he
treated people, the way he loved to serve the public of
Ohio and northwest Ohio and the constituents he was so
proud to serve.
Paul was an Air Force veteran. Many didn't know that. He
was a proud graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University in my
district, and, for an Ohioan, a proud graduate of the
University of Michigan's law school.
Paul was known around the statehouse as a very gentle
person, as a man who rose to the top of the political
game, but never forgot where he came from, a successful
politician, a successful public servant, a successful
businessman.
Yesterday I had the opportunity with a couple of other
Members, Congressman Jordan and Congressman Hobson, to sit
in the airport in Columbus in the afternoon to chat with
Paul as we were coming back to Washington, DC.
I had the added opportunity to spend some time with him
on the airplane sitting next to him. I will remember Paul
in the way that I have always known Paul, a very happy
warrior, a man who loved what he did on a daily basis. He
enjoyed August, reaching out to community after community
in northwest Ohio at town hall meeting after town hall
meeting, up at the lake with friends and family. He had a
smile on his face. He enjoyed public service. He enjoyed
representing the people of northwest Ohio.
That's how I will remember Paul Gillmor. We lost a good
friend. Ohio lost a native son. And America lost a
patriot.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield
myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, my first comments are to Karen Gillmor.
Karen, I stand in your stead. Only 4 years ago I lost my
husband suddenly. All I can say to you is hold on to God's
unchanging hand. He will help you through all of this. And
as you think about all the wonderful memories and the
wonderful opportunities and the blessing that you had to
have Paul Gillmor in your life. To your sons and
daughters, I say the same thing. I always talk to my son,
and I say, ``Merv, just remember all the good times.
Remember all the fun you had, all the things you learned,
and cherish each and every one of them.''
As a Member of Congress, I rise to speak to honor the
life of my colleague and friend, Paul Gillmor. Paul and I
served on the Committee on Financial Services together.
When I first came to Congress, Paul reminded me of a big
bear, kind of a gentle bear. You don't even know he is
really in the room until he kind of humbles into the room.
I remember him saying on occasion, Stephanie,
Congresswoman Jones, so forth and so on.
I was pleased to have had the opportunity to cosponsor
some legislation with him with regard to historic
preservation. He and I both understood the importance of
preserving historic buildings in this Nation and offered
legislation that would have provided tax incentives for
people to be able to shore up that legislation.
Unlike Paul, I was not in the legislature when I first
came to Congress. The advantage of having a colleague and
a friend who has had some experience in the legislature
works greatly. I can remember one time at a Financial
Services hearing, as usual, I was going at a witness.
Later Paul said, ``Now, Stephanie, just calm down a little
bit. It ain't like you're in a courtroom anymore.''
We're all going to miss Paul Gillmor. The beauty of the
U.S. Congress is that it is a bipartisan body where you
have Democrats and Republicans who are there and who are
able to argue or debate their particular issue. But the
beauty also of a bipartisan body is that you have
Democrats and Republicans who can get along, who
understand the importance of raising the issues on behalf
of their constituents, but also understand the importance
of working together.
I know everyone has already placed into the Record all
of Paul's background, experience and things that he did to
represent the great State of Ohio. Again, I stand here as
a colleague and a friend to talk about my experiences with
Paul Gillmor, to record them in my memory, and to smile,
because at these times it is often hard to smile and lift
up a time of laughter. But I call upon all of our friends
and colleagues and his family to look to the good times,
to look to all the great memories, and, over time, time
will heal some of the wounds.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
leader, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the dean of our
delegation for bringing this resolution to the floor, and
thank my colleague from Cleveland, Mrs. Jones, for her
enlightening remarks and lightening this up.
I was here earlier to announce Paul's passing to the
House. I can remember the first time I met Paul Gillmor. I
was a brand new State legislator. It was 1985, and it
wasn't at the statehouse; it was down the street at the
Pewter Mug.
Now, for those of us who served in the statehouse, we
have all been to the Pewter Mug. That is where I got to
know Paul Gillmor. He was the senate president; I was a
lowly new House member, and Helen used to come over and
wait on us. For those who came to the statehouse who went
to the Pewter Mug, you would remember Helen, because you
could never forget her, and she would never forget Paul.
I got to know Paul Gillmor. In 1986, Paul decided to run
for Governor in a Republican primary, and I was on his
team. As a matter of fact, it might have been one of the
first political checks I actually wrote was to Paul
Gillmor when he ran for Governor. Unfortunately, he didn't
win that primary election, but I really got to know Paul
Gillmor.
He really was a public servant who enjoyed what he did,
who enjoyed representing people, and someone who came to
Congress right before I did. He came in 1988; I came in
1990. We have been close friends over the 17 years that we
have worked here together. We worked on a number of
issues.
Paul loved to understand what was happening around the
world, and he certainly did his share of traveling to try
to understand what was happening. But his work on the
Energy and Commerce Committee, his work over in the
Financial Services Committee will speak for itself.
But earlier this year, I think it was mentioned by the
gentleman from Texas, Mr. Barton, earlier this year we
lost our majority, we lost a number of seats, and Paul
Gillmor took the magnanimous step of relinquishing his
seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee to take a seat
on the Financial Services Committee to help make room for
other Members. It was that kindness and consideration that
I think all of us will remember about Paul Gillmor.
Karen and the children, our prayers are with you. Paul
was a great servant, a great friend, and someone who we
will all miss.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Ohio, Tim Ryan.
Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman,
and I also thank our friend, the dean of the delegation,
Mr. Regula.
I would just add for a minute my thoughts and memories
of Mr. Gillmor. I graduated from Bowling Green State
University, so I knew of Mr. Gillmor before I ever got
into politics, because as many of the Members from Ohio
know, he is a legend in northwest Ohio, especially in
Bowling Green and especially with the Bowling Green Young
Republicans. He was very familiar.
I remember, as we all do, taking the little trolley back
and forth from the office buildings over here, and for
some reason our conversations always ended up talking
about Ohio State football. Mr. Gillmor loved the Buckeyes.
He loved going to the Ohio State football games. I
remember being in the State senate seeing him at the Ohio
State football games. That is just the kind of guy he was.
He loved football, he loved his country, he loved his
constituents, he loved this institution, and he certainly
will be missed.
So from the citizens of the 17th District, we just want
to thank Mr. Gillmor for his service and send our
condolences and our prayers to his family and his children
and his wife Karen. And also to say, as Mr. Boehner, the
minority leader said, he was a gentleman. He was a gentle
man. In the midst of all the chaos of Washington, DC, his
silence and his gentleness were very refreshing, and he
will be missed.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Ohio.
We have heard words about Paul Gillmor, our friend, and
one word we keep hearing over and over is ``caring.'' He
really cared. He cared about his family. You would go in
his office and you would see the pictures of his family.
He cared about his staff. Mark Wellman, his chief of
staff; Dave Oxner, great guys. They were sort of a
reflection and extension of Paul. They were gentlemen.
They really did not care about who got the credit. They
were hard workers. I say to Mark and Dave, I know that you
are grieving right now.
Mr. Obey mentioned that he cared about this institution.
He truly did. He cared about every Member. I never heard
him insult another Member. I never heard him say something
unkind.
He talked about issues. He felt strongly about issues.
The brownfields legislation was a great example of how he
was very tenacious, had very strong feelings. He did that
earlier this year on the industrial loan companies when,
as a small town banker, mainstream banker, he felt very
strongly that small town banks were being disadvantaged.
But he never said anything unkind about those who opposed
his position.
To his credit, I think part of that kindness, that
caring, and also his capable leadership, that legislation
passed the House 371 to 16. I think brownfields will be
part of his legacy, particularly to the industrial States,
the people of Ohio that he loved; as will the industrial
loan company legislation, that really will help preserve
small town mainstream banking.
He was a banker. I had the privilege of appointing Paul
as the ranking member of the Financial Institutions
Subcommittee. I never regretted that decision. I knew that
what Paul cared about was not himself or not the glory,
but doing what was right for the American people. He never
disappointed me. I will miss him deeply.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding. I thank him for convening this resolution this
evening and I thank the Ohio delegation for allowing me to
be part of this remembrance of the life of our friend Paul
Gillmor. Like everyone else, I was shocked and saddened
this morning to hear the news about the loss of our
friend.
We have heard several people talk about Mr. Gillmor and
his work on the committee. I remember last year in the
109th Congress when he was the subcommittee chairman and
the work he did on persistent organic pollutants. It
really was not something I had ever thought about before I
came to Congress, it really wasn't something I ever
campaigned on, but Paul had a way of explaining it and
making it understandable and addressing a very complex
issue working with both sides of the committee dais to get
meaningful legislation passed.
Then at the end of the 109th Congress, after the
election, coming back for the 110th Congress, someone
explained to me the arithmetic that happens when you lose
the majority, and counting on my fingers the number of
seats we had lost on the Energy and Commerce Committee and
realizing I was no longer going to be on that committee,
then later Paul came to me and said, ``Doc, you are too
important on that committee, so I am going to stay on
Financial Services and I will take a leave from Energy and
Commerce.''
You heard Ranking Member Barton mention it. You heard
Leader Boehner mention it. I was the guy who he let stay
on the committee by his selfless act of taking a leave of
absence from a committee that he loved, committee work he
loved to do. I thank him so much for giving me the
opportunity to stay on the committee.
Of course, we welcomed him back a few weeks ago when we
needed that extra vote when we were discussing energy
legislation. And, sure enough, Paul was there not just to
be a vote, but he brought amendments with him. He tied
things up. He behaved just like the Paul Gillmor that I
had remembered on the committee from the year before.
So, to his family, I wanted you to know, you had heard
me mention before how selfless Paul was about giving up a
place on the committee. I am the guy who he let stay on
the committee. I will never forget that, and I will always
try to live up to his expectations.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to our
colleague from Ohio (Mr. Jordan).
Mr. JORDAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the dean of our
delegation.
Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues from Ohio in
expressing great shock and sadness at the passing of our
friend and neighbor, Congressman Paul Gillmor.
As previous speakers have mentioned, Congressman Gillmor
was in our district last week with the flooding. I had the
opportunity to just visit with him yesterday, as
Congressman Tiberi mentioned as well, at the airport
before we flew down here. I just can't believe this has
happened.
Paul was a husband and a father. He was a proud
Republican, an Air Force veteran, as others mentioned,
with Vietnam era service, and a long-time congressional
expert on international leaders.
Prior to his distinguished service in Congress, he made
his mark in the Ohio Legislature with an impressive 22-
year career in the Ohio Senate, and as Congresswoman Pryce
mentioned, three terms as senate president.
I had the unique opportunity to work with Paul on issues
that affected our part of Ohio. I counted on him as a
staunch ally in promoting the workers and the mission at
Lima's Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, our tank plant
in Lima, Ohio.
We also shared in challenging times, including the
tragic Bluffton University bus crash earlier this year,
and more recently, as I mentioned, the flooding that took
place and devastated many areas of both of our districts.
I served with Paul's wife, Karen, in the general
assembly, although she was on the senate side and I was on
the house side, and got to know their family a little bit
over the years. Our family's prayers are with her and the
entire Gillmor family as they attempt to find peace in the
midst of this tragedy.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).
Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my
colleagues in remembering one of our own, Paul Gillmor. It
is moments like this that you realize the fleeting nature
of time. Indeed, we truly realize the shortness of time
and the greatness of eternity. Our thoughts and prayers go
out to his family, his friends and all of the people that
he touched during the time he was on this Earth.
Representative Gillmor was a friend. He was a gentleman
whom I had the pleasure of getting to know as a neighbor.
Because we lived across the street from each other at one
time, there were several occasions that we shared a ride
home after a long night of votes. During those times, I
was able to gain a small measure of the man and discovered
him to be generous, kind, and above all, considerate.
The people of Ohio were privileged to have known him as
a public servant. The Members of Congress were honored to
share him as a colleague. His friends were rewarded with
his company, and his family was embraced by his love.
We will miss Paul and remember our time with him and
honor his memory. May God give Karen and his children an
extra measure of grace during this most difficult time.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Ohio, Mrs. Schmidt.
Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened today by
the news of the loss of my dear friend Paul Gillmor. PG,
as many of us called him, was a shining example of service
and leadership. As president of the Ohio Senate, he led
Ohio through good times and bad times with such grace.
For the last two decades, he fought for all Ohioans here
in Congress, not just those in his own district. During
his entire life, Paul Gillmor was a true leader, a
gentleman and a statesman. Most important, he was a nice
guy, a true friend to all.
When I was first elected, he became a mentor to me. I
would always welcome his kind words on the House floor,
``How is it going, kid?''
Just as important, he was a great father and a loving
husband.
My prayers go out to his wonderful wife Karen and all of
his children. Ohio has suffered a great loss. America has
suffered a great loss. We here in this House have lost a
dear friend. May God be with you, Paul. Godspeed.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).
Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the dean of our
delegation, Ralph Regula, for bringing this resolution
forward to honor the life of Paul Gillmor. We are all
deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Paul
Gillmor.
I want to tell you one story from when I first got to
Congress. Mr. Gillmor, as I referred to him, as many have
said, had a gentle spirit and an informal way and a very
accepting way. When I referred to him as Mr. Gillmor, he
corrected me and said, ``You're to call me Paul.'' You
will hear, as almost everyone comes forward today and
eulogizes him, as they honor him, they refer to him as he
had us refer to him, and that is Paul.
One time we were having dinner and he was talking about
some of his accomplishments. Brownfields is an area that
is very important to me. When you look across Ohio and see
the number of abandoned factory sites and the potential
that they represent, Paul told about his work on the
Brownfields Remediation Act that changed the laws that
made it easier for those sites to be remediated, and
provided tax benefits so that capital would be brought to
them.
As you go throughout Ohio today and see abandoned
factory sites where buildings are being demolished and new
buildings and businesses are being built, it is to Paul's
credit and one of the things he was most proud of, that he
was able to work to change the laws to help make it easier
for their sites to be developed.
He talked about the number of jobs that it brought, not
just in construction but the jobs that it brought to
communities, recognizing the impact on families.
Most recently, Ohio has been plagued by scandals arising
from predatory lending. Paul was a leader in trying to
help families and communities that had been subject to
predatory lending. He pulled together the Ohio delegation
to talk about ways we can impact our neighborhoods and
support laws that could impact families that had been
subject to predatory lending.
Paul will be remembered as an effective legislator, and
as someone who cared deeply for Ohio and for this
institution and for his country, and had an impact on the
lives of Ohioans.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as
she may consume to the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding on this
very sad occasion. I join my colleagues as we face the
very sad news regarding the loss of our colleague, Paul
Gillmor.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Members of Congress, I
rise to pay tribute to Paul Gillmor, who passed away
suddenly today. I offer my deepest condolences to his
wife, Karen, to his two daughters, Linda and Julie, and
his three sons, Paul Michael, Connor, and Adam. How proud
he was of his children. That was one thing that we used to
chat about quite regularly. I would hear about the
progress of the twins and how everybody was doing.
Congressman Paul Gillmor was an experienced and talented
legislator who spent much of his life serving his country.
His service began in the Air Force where he rose to the
rank of captain as an Air Force judge advocate. As a true
Ohioan, Congressman Gillmor then served his State in
public office for more than four decades, first in the
Ohio State Senate where he was elected president of that
body, and later here in the House where he also served
ably and was held in high esteem by his colleagues.
More interested in policy than in seeking the limelight,
Paul Gillmor focused his time here in the House squarely
on the needs of his constituents. On the Energy and
Commerce Committee he was deeply involved in consumer
issues, including protecting consumers from unfair credit
report practices. He also worked to preserve our history
by supporting and improving sites honoring our Nation's
Presidents. As vice president of the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly, Congressman Gillmor was the highest ranking
American in this highly esteemed international
organization of parliamentary members from the 26 NATO
states.
Congressman Gillmor's passing is a loss for this House
and for our Nation. It is, of course, a greater loss for
his family. I hope it is a comfort to them, to Paul's
family and friends, that so many people mourn their loss
and are praying for them at this sad time.
Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day for us because we also
learned of the sudden passing of our former colleague,
Jennifer Dunn. She was a distinguished former Member of
Congress from the State of Washington, and I know we will
acknowledge her service and leadership in the Congress on
another occasion. But getting hit from all sides on this
in one day is a great loss for the Congress.
As I yield back to the distinguished gentlewoman, I also
want to thank her for bringing to the attention of so many
Members of Congress the passing of Congressman Vanik who
served so ably in this body who passed away last week.
Anyone who knows about international human rights knows
that Congressman Vanik as part of the Jackson-Vanik
amendment did so much to free people in the Soviet Union.
He made a very big difference for Soviet Jewry.
Ohio has been generous to the country. We mourn the loss
of Paul Gillmor and Jennifer Dunn and Charles Vanik, the
last of whom lived until his nineties, so God blessed him
with that long life.
God did not give Paul Gillmor a long life, but he gave
him a life of great quality with a beautiful family and
the opportunity to serve a State he loved and a country
that he was very patriotic about.
On behalf of all of our colleagues, I extend my deepest
sympathy to his family.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).
Mr. CHABOT. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I stand with my colleagues today to honor the memory of
Paul Gillmor. He was really a great guy. He actually ran
the first time in 1988 for this esteemed institution, for
the Congress, the same year I first ran. He won and I
didn't. But in 1994 I did get to join him here.
He was one of the guys who, as other Members have said,
was just an all around good guy. He really was. You liked
to talk to him. For some reason, he used to call me Mr.
Steve; I don't know why he did that. So I started calling
him Mr. Paul, and that is the way we referred to each
other.
Yesterday evening after we had our votes, we had all
come back into town from the August recess and we were
asking each other what did you do over the break? What
happened during the break? He was telling me how he had
stayed pretty close to home. He had worked with his
constituents, been with his family for some time, and he
wanted to know what I had done. I said I had done some of
those same things, and that I had also had an opportunity
to go to Darfur where there is probably one of the
greatest human tragedies that we have seen on Earth in a
number of years, and he was very interested and wanted to
know what we can do to help the people in Darfur. So we
spent a period of time discussing that right outside those
doors just last evening. I was just shocked when I learned
that Paul had passed away suddenly so recently.
He was somebody I think really made a difference in this
institution. As has been mentioned, he loved his Buckeyes.
He would talk about what they had done and how the game
had been played and how he couldn't wait to go to the next
game. And he loved our State of Ohio. He loved the people
whom he represented. And most especially, he loved his
family.
We are all going to miss Paul Gillmor, and we wish the
best to his wife Karen and his five children. God bless
you, Paul.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).
Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I thank the gentlewoman for
yielding, and I rise to express my deep sadness to learn
of the passing of one of my good friends and colleagues,
Paul Gillmor.
Paul was the ranking member of the Financial
Institutions Subcommittee that I chair, and I had the
great privilege of working with him on so many important
issues throughout the years. In fact, this morning at the
hearing we were holding on the subprime mortgage crisis I
had reserved 4 minutes for Paul to speak and he didn't
come to the meeting. He was always punctual, and so we
sent a staff member out to find him and found out the very
sad news.
Paul was a distinguished Member of Congress representing
Ohio for many years. He held some partisan positions as
the minority deputy whip; but on Financial Services, he
was always ready to reach across the aisle and work in a
bipartisan way for the safety and soundness of our
financial institutions and protections of consumer
concerns.
He had a great deal of experience in banking, and in
fact had run banks back in his home State of Ohio, so he
brought the practical common sense of having known the
business firsthand, and he always had valuable insights.
Just before we broke for our August work period, we had
introduced a bill together on file freeze and negotiated
various aspects that he thought was important for the
bill. He was an outstanding person.
He served during the Vietnam war and he was a
distinguished veteran. He served in the Air Force and
achieved the status of captain. My brother served in
Vietnam, and we shared conversations about that
experience.
He was an extremely outstanding leader in his home State
of Ohio, and actually served in the State senate and
headed the State senate for five terms as minority leader
and president (including three of those terms as
president) before becoming elected to Congress.
My heart goes out to his wife and children. I know I
speak for many of my colleagues when I say that Paul's
presence in this Chamber will be deeply missed. He was an
outstanding patriot, an outstanding Congressman, and an
outstanding spouse, husband and father. We are all deeply
saddened.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns).
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, it is obviously with great
sadness that we all honor the service of our colleague and
friend, Paul Gillmor.
Paul and I came to Congress the same year. We were in
the 101st Congress and we were both veterans of the U.S.
Air Force. He obviously expressed a great love for this
Nation, for this institution, and I believe sincerely he
brought credit to all of us.
This dedication was matched by his love for his family,
his wife Karen, his two daughters, Linda and Julie, and
his three sons, Paul Michael, Connor and Adam. I express
my deepest condolences to the family.
I had the opportunity when I first met Paul to talk
informally with him about his background. He said he was a
leader of the senate. Coming from the private sector and
not understanding the full significance of what that
meant, I became acutely aware of what it meant when I
heard him in informal sessions or in meetings where he had
a presence about him, an aplomb, and also a sincerity, in
which he would express his ideas in a way that would get
to the meat of the issue and cut to the chase. And I
realized during this, he could do it tactfully. He was not
a partisan individual. He was bipartisan, in fact. I can't
recollect on the floor him having a really partisan speech
because I think it goes to when he was a leader of the
senate, he understood to get things done, he had to
develop consensus. So when he went to a meeting, he
listened more than he talked and he also stepped forward
with the idea of what we should do in a very nice way such
that most people would say at the end of the meeting,
``Wow, Paul Gillmor made the most sense.''
Another vignette is when he was in the speaker's chair.
I watched when there would be a huge din on the floor, and
somehow his voice rose to such a crescendo and also a
pitch that he could pierce this noise and bring order and
stability to the House here. I used to watch him also with
great admiration on how he did this. It was a tribute to
his leadership and also his background as leader of the
senate.
So I come to the House floor to say his dedication and
expertise will be greatly missed. He has had 40 years of
public service. He established a long record of working
for average Americans. God bless the Gillmor family, and
God bless Paul Gillmor.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Regula) has 2 minutes.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
both sides have 5 additional minutes.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Space).
Mr. SPACE. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my colleague
for yielding the time.
I'm a first-year lawmaker here in Washington and came in
with this new majority in a very partisan time in American
political history, a time where too often we're
preoccupied with political bickering, a time when we
needed more people like Paul Gillmor on this floor.
Paul befriended me. We, by chance, both flew out of the
Columbus Airport to and from Washington, so we had a
chance to sit and talk about nonlegislative matters, about
our families, about some of the nonpolitical aspects of
this job. And Paul was one to give advice, despite the
fact that we're on the opposite sides of the aisle. He
provided me, as a good man would, with the wisdom he's
obtained, and as a freshman, I was very grateful to him
for his help.
I didn't know Paul before being elected to the House
last November, but we share many mutual friends. Harry
Meshel is a dear friend of mine, a former president of the
Ohio Senate, was a good friend of Paul's and spoke very
highly of Paul. And I think it's a testament to the kind
of person he is that he would engender that kind of
friendship and support, regardless of where one stands on
the political aisle.
One other small anecdote that I think sums Paul up. A
very good friend of mine worked in the Ohio caucus 20
years ago when Paul was with the Ohio Senate, and recently
this friend returned to Columbus and ran into Paul who was
there while on break. Paul still remembered this man, not
just his last name, but his first name, and greeted him as
a friend after 20 years.
That's the kind of man Paul Gillmor was. That's the kind
of man I will remember, and my deepest and heartfelt
condolences from not just me but the many good folks of
Ohio's 18th District go out to Paul and his family. He and
they are in our prayers.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).
Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for
yielding.
This is truly a day of great sadness for our conference,
for this House, for the State of Ohio and, yes, Mr.
Speaker, for our Nation.
Though only in my second term in Congress, I came to
know and appreciate Paul Gillmor, serving on one of his
committees, Financial Services, and I came to appreciate
him for many different and wonderful attributes. He had a
warm and gentle temperament, a calm and friendly demeanor,
a measured and thoughtful reason, and was a respected and
respectful legislator. These and so many other attributes
shall be missed by one and all.
I join my colleagues in extending our thoughts and our
prayers to his constituents, to his friends, and most of
all, to his family. We are truly a better Nation because
of the service of Paul Gillmor.
May God rest his soul.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the minority whip.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for
yielding and for managing this recognition of our
colleague Paul Gillmor.
Like so many people in this room, I've had lots of
experiences with Paul, and they were all good, whether
they were watching him represent our country in diplomatic
situations in his role leading our NATO parliamentary
effort, one of the leaders in that effort, or whether it
was every Thursday when we had the deputy whip meeting and
talked about where we ought to be going as a conference,
where we ought to be going as a country.
I remember Paul said to me one time, ``You know, that's
my favorite meeting of the week because that's where we
talk about the future,'' and Paul Gillmor was a future-
oriented guy who loved his family, who loved his country,
who loved the concept of public service. And he performed
that public service well, whether it was years in the Ohio
State Senate or two decades in the U.S. Congress.
We will truly miss him. We are surprised at his leaving
us way too early. His contributions would have continued
to be great here, and the country will suffer from the
loss that we feel today.
I also want to reach out to his family. And as I said,
Paul loved his country, but he also loved his family. And
you didn't have to spend much time with him to find out
that deep love he had for his sons, for his daughters, for
his wife and for his extended family. And I appreciate him
so much, and I'm going to join his family and his friends
in missing him. His place here will be hard to fill, and
his contributions have been great.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
both sides have an additional 5 minutes each.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield so much time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), a good
friend of Paul's, a good friend of our Ohio delegation.
Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember our
good friend Paul Gillmor. Just yesterday, the three of us
rode in together from Columbus.
I saw him in the airport, and I said, ``Hi, Gillmo.'' He
said, ``Hi, Honorable Dave,'' and we started to talk, as
we did often, because we've known each other a long time.
And I said, What'd you do, and he told me about going to
the floods. And then he told me about his boat and the
times he was having on the lake with his children and
Karen, and he was happy.
Then we started to talk business, because Paul wasn't
just a legislator. He was a businessman, too, and he was
starting a bank in Florida. He said, ``You want to
invest?'' I said, ``Well, we've been talking about that.''
So we talked about that for a while, and he was happy, and
we were all happy. We were colleagues, friends.
I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for Paul Gillmor.
When Paul Gillmor was president of the senate, I lost an
election and got appointed to the State senate. Paul
Gillmor was president then for a few more weeks before we
became the minority, and he helped pick me. He picked me,
and the newspaper read ``Loser Wins.'' But Paul Gillmor
set me on the way.
I've never lost another election, thanks to Paul
Gillmor. Paul Gillmor was always there, and I think his
staff knows that.
I met a young man then in the State senate named Mark
Wellman who was working for Paul then. He works with Paul
to this day. That's the kind of loyalty people had to Paul
Gillmor.
I know of no politician in Ohio today who doesn't have
respect for Paul Gillmor and wasn't his friend. He
transcended partisanship. He had his way about the things
he had to get done, but it never became personal.
When we were in the legislature, both sides had great
respect for Paul Gillmor, and we used to meet together and
talk about things together. Paul Gillmor was a unique
person in that respect because there's always somebody out
there who has got it in for somebody, but they didn't have
it in for Paul Gillmor because he was what I would call a
true gentleman.
We're SAEs and Ralph's an SAE, too, and Paul went to
Ohio Wesleyan, and I went to Ohio Wesleyan. We went there
at the same time. But I would meet people when I got in
the State senate, and they asked, ``Do you know Skip, Skip
Gillmor''? I said, ``No, I don't know Skip Gillmor. I know
Senator Gillmor.'' But he was Skip Gillmor to all the
people at Ohio Wesleyan. They loved him at Ohio Wesleyan,
and they still do. One of the first calls I got today was
from people at Ohio Wesleyan asking, What do we do? I said
I don't know.
We've lost a good friend. I hope Karen and the children
can review the statements that have been made about Paul
today. It's something that is not said about a lot of
people. He was a good man, he was a great man, and he was
a great father to his children, which is the most
important thing, and we're going to miss him.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I just
want to say, too, that Paul cared a lot about his staff.
He was always a person who cared for others, and
particularly his staff, and I want the members of his
staff to know that we understand the great loss that they
feel.
I guess particularly when I left the Ohio Senate, my
staff person was inherited by Paul, and we used to often
talk about Celia Forker, about Celia did this and Celia
did that, because we both shared a great fondness for her.
I know that Paul felt that way about his staff here. It's
a great loss to his staff to have a Member that had the
caring concern that he did.
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, the people of
Ohio have lost a dedicated public servant and genuine
leader today with the passing of Congressman Paul Gillmor.
As a colleague and friend in the House of Representatives,
Paul was a strong voice for the needs and interests of the
people he represented as well as a model of integrity.
In addition to the almost 20 years he served as a Member
of Congress and the two decades he spent in the Ohio State
Senate, Paul was also a veteran of the U.S. Air Force
serving on active duty during Vietnam.
As a fellow member of the Republican whip team, I
enjoyed sitting with Paul at the weekly meetings where he
always was perceptive and provided insight from his
decades of legislative service.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Paul's family during
these difficult times.
Mr. FOSSELLA. Mr. Speaker I rise today to pay tribute to
the life of Congressman Paul Gillmor and offer my sincere
condolences to his family. My wife and I extend our
sympathies to Paul's wife Karen and their five children. I
know that no words can provide comfort during this
difficult time or shine light on this period of darkness,
but please know that Paul's family remains in my thoughts
and prayers.
I had the pleasure to work closely with Paul as a member
of both the Energy and Commerce Committee and Financial
Services Committee for nearly 10 years. I got to see
first-hand his passion for public service, his commitment
to the people of Ohio and the earnest way in which he
approached his job. He truly loved representing his
community and making a positive difference in their lives
and the lives of all Americans.
The Fifth District of Ohio was well served with Paul
Gillmor in office, and he will be remembered dearly for
his many years of public service.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of our time.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I have no further
requests and join with my colleagues issuing condolences
to the Gillmor family, and I yield back the balance of my
time as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous
question is ordered on the resolution.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the
resolution.
The resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Mrs. MYRICK. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the
late Paul Gillmor. Paul was a gentle, compassionate man
who will be missed by all of us in Congress, as well as by
those in his district. Our hearts go out to Karen and his
children during this difficult time.
I'm an Ohio native and before redistricting, Paul
represented my family members in Ohio.
His wife Karen served on the Heidelberg College Board of
Trustees with me, and I know all the Heidelberg family
also mourns his passing. He was an ardent supporter of the
college.
Please keep his family in your prayers.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in heartfelt
sorrow to mourn the passing of the Honorable Paul E.
Gillmor, a true friend and a wonderful statesman for the
people of Ohio. I was greatly saddened when I was told the
terrible news of his passing this morning. The House of
Representatives has lost a hardworking leader who was a
friend to many on both sides of the aisle in this Chamber.
My heart goes out to his wife Karen, and their children
Linda, Julie, Paul Michael, Adam, and Connor during this
difficult time. I will be keeping his memory, and his
surviving family in my thoughts and prayers. I pray for
his Washington, DC, and Ohio congressional staffers who
have served him and the people of the Fifth Congressional
District of Ohio.
Congressman Gillmor never forgot his roots and he was
always a champion for the people who he represented in
Congress. He won his first primary election for Congress
by only 27 votes; the grit and determination that carried
him to victory on that day never left him for the
remainder of his service in Congress. When I first arrived
at the House in 1997, I was instantly impressed with the
plain-spoken gentleman from Ohio. He leaves behind a
strong legacy of service to this House. I have lost a
friend, and words cannot fully express my sorrow in his
passing. God bless.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise with our colleagues today
to pay tribute to the lifetime of public service of our
late colleague Paul Gillmor of Ohio.
I know this House today is in shock at the devastating
news of Paul's passing just last night. I join in
expressing profound sympathy to Paul's family--his wife
Karen, two daughters, Linda and Julie, and three sons,
Paul Michael, and twins Connor and Adam. Our thoughts and
prayers are with them.
Paul, who began his 10th term in the House in January,
chose a noble life of serving his country. A graduate of
Ohio Wesleyan University and the University of Michigan
Law School, he attained the rank of captain while on
active duty as an Air Force judge advocate during the
Vietnam war. Before coming to Congress as the
Representative of the Fifth District of Ohio, he
diligently served the people of Ohio for 22 years in the
Ohio Senate. As a State senator, he was unanimously
elected Republican leader five times, and served as
president of the senate for three general assemblies.
Paul was a respected Member of this House and friend to
those on both sides of the aisle. He loved this
institution and worked hard for the people of his district
and for all Americans not only on national issues, but he
also was unanimously elected in 2006 by representatives of
the 26 NATO countries to serve as vice president of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
Mr. Speaker, in remembering Paul Gillmor and his proud
life of public service, I am reminded of the words of
scripture in Matthew 25: ``Well done, good and faithful
servant.''
This House and this Nation will miss the service of Paul
Gillmor. God bless you Paul, and God's blessings on your
family and many friends and constituents in Ohio.
Mr. WALSH of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to
honor my friend and colleague, the Honorable Paul Gillmor.
Throughout his life Paul was a dedicated servant for the
people of his home State of Ohio and his country. He
proudly served in the U.S. Air Force, attaining the rank
of captain.
In 1967 Paul began what would become a long and
successful political career. He served 22 years in the
Ohio State Senate, and he served as Republican leader five
times. A classmate of mine, in 1989 he began the first of
10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives serving the
people of the Fifth District in Ohio. Paul was the senior
member of the Committee on Financial Services and the
ranking Republican on the Financial Institutions
Subcommittee. He also served as a member of the
Subcommittees on Capital Markets and Housing. Paul had a
lot of responsibilities in serving the second largest
district in Ohio, but he did so valiantly and with
tremendous success, showing that he was a true leader. He
served eight terms as a member of the Republican whip
team, including serving as deputy minority whip. Paul was
also unanimously elected to serve as vice president of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly. His ability to lead earned
Paul great respect among his colleagues and his
constituents.
His length and success of service was evidence of how he
truly listened to his constituents and did all that he
could to help them. He was the consummate professional--
always putting the best interests of his constituents and
his country ahead of partisanship by being willing to work
across party lines to successfully achieve goals.
Paul was a soldier, a State senator, and a Congressman,
but the roles he cherished most were that of husband and
father. Few things meant more to Paul than his
constituency, but his family definitely ranked number one
in his life. Paul's five children were his pride and joy.
His happiest times were spent with his wife and children.
My deepest heartfelt condolences go out to Paul's wife
Karen and his children Linda, Julie, Paul Michael, Connor,
and Adam. My thoughts and prayers and those of my wife
Dede are with them at this difficult time, and we thank
them for sharing Paul with us for so many years. He was a
wonderful friend and colleague and will be sorely missed.
Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to
my good friend, Representative Paul Gillmor. I learned of
his sudden passing, and my wife and I are greatly saddened
by this news. I offer my prayers of support to his wife
Karen and their two daughters, Linda and Julie, and their
three sons, Paul Michael and twins Connor and Adam.
I take great pride in knowing such an honorable
gentleman who humbly served his country and constituents.
Paul began his life of public service as a judge advocate
in the Air Force during the Vietnam conflict from 1965 to
1966. He continued his service as a State senator for 22
years and was president of the Ohio Senate for three
general assemblies. Ever since he was first elected to
Congress in 1988, he has honorably represented his
constituents in the most ethical manner. He was reelected
to each subsequent Congress by substantial margins,
indicating the trust and confidence his constituents
placed in him. He served them well and diligently.
Representative Gillmor and I were both long-time
congressional representatives to the NATO Parliamentary
Assembly. Paul was particularly active in this
organization and served several years as chair of the
important Economic and Security Committee, and most
recently has been serving as the vice president of the
entire Assembly. In all Assembly activities,
Representative Gillmor conscientiously and honorably
represented the interests of the United States.
Above all, Paul was a good friend, confidant, and
advisor to me. He was a fountain of wisdom and sage
advice, and I deeply appreciated his friendship and that
of his wife Karen. My wife and I both enjoyed their
company as we traveled together to NATO meetings to
represent the United States. Karen and Paul were
particularly proud of their children, and often told us
about their development and prowess.
We will all miss Paul, and express our condolences to
Karen and the children. He made an important mark on the
history of our Nation and the world. Our country is the
better for his participation in the Congress and the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly.
May God bless Karen, the children, and all Paul's
relatives, and give them comfort and strength during this
time of sorrow.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay
tribute to a great American and a Member of this House.
Paul E. Gillmor was a veteran, lawyer, businessman, and
Member of Congress from Ohio.
Congressman Gillmor was a respected Member of this body
and respected by all who knew him. He was actually a
legislator's legislator. He was known often to put aside
partisan politics and reach across the aisle to legislate
in a bipartisan manner for the best interests of the
American people.
In 1961 he received a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio
Wesleyan University. Although he was a lifelong Buckeye,
Paul Gillmor received a law degree from the University of
Michigan Law School. From 1965 to 1966, he served his
country in the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate,
attaining the rank of captain. In 1983 he married Karen
Lako, who also served in the Ohio Senate. He had five
children: daughters Linda and Julie and sons Paul Michael
and twins Adam and Connor.
Before he came to Capitol Hill in 1988, he spent 22
years in the Ohio statehouse where he became the senate
president for three terms. He got to know the people,
because half of this work is getting to know the people.
His presence will be greatly missed and we all mourn his
loss and extend our sincerest condolences to his family
and friends.
More interested in policy than in seeking the limelight,
Paul Gillmor focused his time here in the House squarely
on the needs of his constituents. On the Energy and
Commerce Committee he was deeply involved in consumer
issues, including protecting consumers from unfair credit
report practices. He also worked to preserve our history
by supporting and improving sites honoring our Nation's
Presidents.
Paul Gillmor was unanimously elected in 2006 by
representatives of the 26 NATO countries to serve as vice
president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. As vice
president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Congressman
Gillmor was the highest ranking American in this highly
esteemed international organization.
Most recently, Ohio has been plagued by scandals arising
from predatory lending, and Representative Gillmor was a
leader in trying to help families and communities that had
been subject to predatory lending, pulling together the
Ohio delegation to identify ways we can impact our
neighborhoods and support laws that could impact families
that had been subject to predatory lending.
Mr. Speaker, a dear colleague has fallen but he will not
be forgotten. We are all saddened by our loss but we are
happy to have served with him. Our prayers and condolences
go out to his widow Karen, his five children, and to
thousands of his friends around the Nation. He touched so
many lives during his career in politics, and he will
truly be missed by me and the American people.
ADJOURNMENT
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, and pursuant
to House Resolution 632, the House stands adjourned until
10 a.m. tomorrow as a further mark of respect to the
memory of the late Honorable Paul E. Gillmor.
There was no objection.
Accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 19 minutes p.m.), the
House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, September 6,
2007, at 10 a.m.
Friday, September 7, 2007
PRAYER
The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered
the following prayer:
Shaken by the news of the sudden death of Congressman
Paul Gillmor of Ohio and mindful also of the passing of
former Members, the Honorable Jennifer Dunn and Charles
Vanik, we turn to You, Lord God of the living and the
dead.
In Your wisdom You called them and all deceased Members
of this Chamber to serve their brothers and sisters in the
backyards, fields, and streets of their districts, and yet
represent them in this legislative body of the Nation.
Now called from this life, welcome them into Your
presence, that they may enjoy the eternal justice and
peace they sought here on Earth. Reward their public
service with Your profound mercy and eternal rest. Comfort
their families in this time of sorrow and loss.
God of faithfulness, enable all these who respectfully
mourn now to press on with renewed faith and seek Your
kingdom, trusting in Your loving guidance and the promise
of eternal reward, both now and forever.
Amen.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the
House of Representatives lost a giant, and the people of
Ohio and indeed all Americans lost a true legislative
workman with the passing of Congressman Paul Gillmor.
When I first was elected to this House, I was told by
former President Gerald Ford, who served with distinction
here for many, many years, that there are two types of
Representatives: The workhorse and the show horse. The
show horse, you see their face on TV all the time and they
issue bombastic press releases. It is the workhorses that
get the work done in this Chamber for the American people.
Paul Gillmor was a workhorse. Not only was he a
workhorse and a true legislative craftsman, but he applied
what those of us who live in the upper Midwest refer to as
Midwestern common sense. We think that we have maybe more
of that than those that live in other parts of the
country. But Paul's Midwestern common sense meant that the
legislative activities that he was engaged in were done
professionally and were done for the benefit of all
Americans.
I am sorry to see Paul pass. We have all lost a giant.
Cheryl and I send our condolences to his wife and his
children.
Mr. HOYER. . . . On Tuesday, the House will meet at
10:30 a.m. in a pro forma session. There will be no votes.
No legislative business or votes are expected. The tragic
loss of Mr. Gillmor saddened us all. His funeral is on
that day, and many Members will be attending. It will take
place that morning in Ohio. . . .
Mr. BLUNT. I thank the gentleman. I also thank the
gentleman for his accommodation to the schedule. I know I
want to go and many other Members will want to attend the
memorial service for our good friend Paul Gillmor who did
so much work for his constituents in this House. . . .
Friday, September 14, 2007
APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO THE COMMITTEE TO ATTEND FUNERAL
OF THE LATE HONORABLE PAUL E. GILLMOR
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution
632, and the order of the House of January 4, 2007, the
Chair announces the Speaker's appointment of the following
Members of the House to the committee to attend the
funeral of the late Honorable Paul E. Gillmor:
Mr. Regula, Ohio
Mr. Boehner, Ohio
Mr. Blunt, Missouri
The members of the Ohio delegation:
Ms. Kaptur
Mr. Hobson
Ms. Pryce
Mr. Chabot
Mr. LaTourette
Mr. Kucinich
Mrs. Jones
Mr. Tiberi
Mr. Turner
Mr. Ryan
Mrs. Schmidt
Mr. Jordan
Mr. Space
Ms. Sutton
Mr. Wilson, and
Mr. Lewis, California
Mr. Petri, Wisconsin
Mr. Hall, Texas
Mr. Barton, Texas
Mr. Kanjorski, Pennsylvania
Mr. Upton, Michigan
Mr. McNulty, New York
Mr. Stearns, Florida
Mr. Tanner, Tennessee
Mr. Bachus, Alabama
Mr. Mica, Florida
Mr. Watt, North Carolina
Mr. Ehlers, Michigan
Mr. LaHood, Illinois
Mr. Shadegg, Arizona
Mr. Wicker, Mississippi
Mrs. Emerson, Missouri
Mr. Aderholt, Alabama
Mrs. Biggert, Illinois
Mr. Moore, Kansas
Mr. Reynolds, New York
Ms. Schakowsky, Illinois
Mr. Walden, Oregon
Mr. Pence, Indiana
Mr. Ross, Arkansas
Mr. Forbes, Virginia
Mr. Boozman, Arkansas
Mr. Wilson, South Carolina
Mr. Cole, Oklahoma
Mr. Gingrey, Georgia
Mr. King, Iowa
Mr. Chandler, Kentucky
Mr. Inglis, South Carolina
Mr. Conaway, Texas
Mr. Dent, Pennsylvania
Mr. Price, Georgia
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Mr. TANNER. . . . I wish to add that this was the first
meeting [of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly] in many years
that we were without our friend, the late Representative
Paul Gillmor. He had been my delegation co-chair since the
beginning of the 110th Congress, and we conducted many
meetings together, in harmony and friendship. He served in
a number of offices in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly,
and was always the voice of reason and judiciousness. He
was widely admired, not only here in the United States,
but by his Assembly colleagues across the political
spectrum. There was a moving tribute to his memory during
the plenary session of the Assembly on October 9. He will
be greatly missed. . . .
Proceedings in the Senate
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. VOINOVICH (for himself and Mr. Brown):
S. 2174. A bill to designate the facility of the United
States Postal Service located at 175 South Monroe Street
in Tiffin, Ohio, as the ``Paul E. Gillmor Post Office
Building''; to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs.
Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce
legislation to name the Post Office in Tiffin, Ohio, after
the late U.S. Representative Paul E. Gillmor. It is my
honor to introduce this bill because of my close
relationship with Congressman Gillmor, and the utmost
respect I have for him and his service to the people of
Ohio. I would like to thank Senator Brown for his
cosponsorship.
Paul and I met four decades ago in 1967 when we began
our careers together, Paul as a State senator and I as a
member of the Ohio House. Paul was immensely successful
and well respected because he treated others with dignity
and respect.
During his tenure as president of the Ohio Senate, he
was able to put partisan politics aside and work together
with Governor Celeste for the best interests of the State.
Paul had a wonderful knack for being able to work with
people to get things done. He led by example, and his
enthusiasm and ability always made you want to be on his
team. He left an indelible mark on the people he worked
with which is a part of his wonderful, lasting legacy.
When I came to the Senate I knew I had a real friend in
Paul Gillmor. My only regret is that I did not have more
time to spend with him.
Because of Paul's diligent and devoted service to his
country, it is fitting that the post office in Tiffin,
Ohio, should soon bear his name. Not far from his small
home town of Old Fort, Ohio; Tiffin was chosen in
concurrence with the wishes of his wife, Karen Gillmor.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The Honorable
Paul E. Gillmor
Date of Birth Date of Death
February 1, 1939 September 5, 2007
Paul E. Gillmor: A Record of Service
Captain, United States Air Force
1965-1966
Member of the Ohio Senate
1967-1988
Republican Leader, Ohio Senate
1978-1988
President, Ohio Senate
1981-1982, 1985-1988
Recognized as one of the Ten Most Outstanding
Legislators in the United States by the National
Republican
Legislators Assoc.
1983
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
1989-2007
Ranking Republican Member
Committee on House Administration
Subcommittee on Accounts
1989-1991
Deputy Republican Whip
1995-2007
Chairman
Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on
Environment & Hazardous Materials
2001-2007
Chairman
NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee on
Economics and Security
2002-2006
Vice President, North America
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
2006-2007
Ranking Republican Member
Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on
Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit
2007
Paul E. Gillmor Memorial Service
Statehouse Atrium
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Musical Prelude
Welcome
Master of Ceremonies
Senator Randy Gardner, 2nd District
Invocation
The Reverend Jim Lillibridge
Pastor, Indian Run United Methodist Church
Remarks
Governor Ted Strickland
President Bill Harris, Ohio Senate
Speaker Jon Husted
Ohio House of Representatives
Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer
Supreme Court of Ohio
Stanley J. Aronoff
Former President, Ohio Senate
You Raise Me Up lyrics by Josh Groban
Vocalist: James ``Jack'' France
Remarks
United States Senator George V. Voinovich
Republican Leader John Boehner
United States House of Representatives, 8th District, Ohio
Congressman Ralph Regula, 16th District, Ohio
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, 9th District, Ohio
Congressman John Tanner, 8th District, Tennessee
Tom Suddes, Op-Ed Columnist, The Plain Dealer
Thank You
Karen L. Gillmor, PhD
Benediction
The Reverend Jim Lillibridge
Recessional
Music by
Members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra
In Memory of
The Honorable Paul E. Gillmor
Final Resting Place
Pleasant Union Cemetery
Old Fort, Ohio
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
If it is encouraging, let him encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of others,
let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
--Romans 12:8
SENATOR RANDY GARDNER. Good morning. To Governor and Mrs.
Strickland, State officeholders, past and present, members
of the Ohio Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives,
Members of Congress, to those who served on the staff of
both Senator Gillmor and Congressman Gillmor, Mrs. Gillmor
and family, and to all who have gathered here today to
mourn the passing of the Honorable Paul E. Gillmor and
also to celebrate the life of this great man, welcome to
the Ohio statehouse.
We have known Paul Gillmor by many titles and in many
ways over the years. He has been called senator, senate
president, Congressman, Air Force captain, husband,
father, grandfather, and friend. Indeed to many of us, one
of the very best friends we could ever have. Paul
Gillmor's more than 40 years of public service is known to
be one of the most distinguished careers in Ohio politics.
But even more important than the titles, and the awards,
and the accomplishments in both the senate and in
Congress, he will best be remembered by many of us as just
one of the finest, most decent and honorable people we
have ever known.
A number of Paul's colleagues have been asked to share
with us today. First for our opening prayer I would call
on the Reverend Jim Lillibridge of the Indian Run United
Methodist Church of Dublin followed by Governor Ted
Strickland.
Reverend Lillibridge.
REVEREND JIM LILLIBRIDGE. Thank you Senator Gardner. If
you're able would you please stand with me.
Let us pray.
Almighty God our Heavenly Father from whom we come and
to whom our spirits return. You have been our dwelling
place in all generations. You alone are our refuge and
strength in time of need. May Your spirit fall fresh upon
us as we gather here today. And as we shrink before the
mystery of death, grant us Your grace, that we might see
the light of eternity.
We pause today, gracious God, to praise You for the
great company of all those who have finished their course
in faith and now rest from their labor. We praise You for
those dear to us whom we name in our hearts before You.
And especially today Heavenly Father, we praise You for
Paul E. Gillmor whom you have graciously received into
Your presence. For his life we thank You. For the ways in
which You carefully formed and made him. Thank You for
placing your thumbprint on his life and creating a right
spirit within him. We thank You God for his merciful heart
and cheerful attitude, his skillful diplomacy and
encouraging ways, his calm presence, humble spirit, and
willingness to always go with the flow, for his love of
home, community, and Nation; and most certainly we thank
You most Heavenly Father for his love and devotion to his
family. Family was everything to Paul Gillmor. And for all
that he was and for his memory that continues to live on
in all our hearts, we thank You and praise You most
gracious God.
And now as we continue our service today grant us the
assurance of Your presence, that we who are anxious and
fearful in the face of death may confidently face the
future in the knowledge that You have prepared a place for
all who love you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
You may be seated.
GOVERNOR TED STRICKLAND. With the passing of Paul Gillmor,
Ohio has lost a devoted servant of the people. Today we
face a moment of great sadness. But we also remember a
lifetime that is worthy of our celebration today. It's not
in vain, the poet wrote, that a man serves his fellow man.
To Paul's wife Karen, his daughters Linda and Julie, his
sons Paul Michael, Adam, and Connor, and to his
grandchildren, you will hear heartfelt tributes today to
Paul's dedicated service in the U.S. House and in the Ohio
Senate. And there could be no doubt that his work touched
all of the people of Ohio, his work touched our Nation,
and the people of the world.
But having had the privilege of serving in the House
with Paul, I know that his proudest days came not from
bills he passed or elections he won. On his proudest days,
he was blessed by the birth of his children and the
beautiful moments of their lives. For all of Paul's family
in your time of grief, may his love provide comfort to you
and may his strength provide strength to you.
The words that those of us who knew Paul used to
describe him are probably not the first words that one
would associate with a politician. Paul was a humble man,
unselfish, thoughtful, decent, a man of his word. He
dedicated his professional life to politics. From the time
he was 27 years old, he served every day of his life in
elected office.
He pursued a life in politics not for the material
gain--Paul had the resources to live a life of ease, but
he chose a life of larger concerns.
He pursued a life in politics not for attention. Paul
wasn't one to shout. He wasn't one to chase television
cameras or grab headlines. ``I'm just a plain vanilla type
of guy,'' he said of himself.
Paul pursued a life in politics not for the fight of it.
Paul was dedicated to his principles, but he understood
that his adversaries were not his enemies.
Indeed, longtime Ohio Speaker Vern Riffe said that it
was easier to get things done for the great State of Ohio
when Paul was the senate president, than when members of
Riffe's own party were in charge.
Paul pursued a life in politics to do good. He lived his
beliefs. He was dedicated to his constituents. He applied
his knowledge every day that he was in office.
In just the last few months, Paul used his vast
experience on banking issues and joined with a bipartisan
group of colleagues to work on a bill protecting
homebuyers from predatory lenders.
Thinking of Paul, I remember the words of the young
missionary Jim Elliot who was killed on the mission field.
When Jim Elliot's parents looked at his diary, they saw
that their son had written these words, ``He is no fool
who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot
lose.''
Paul Gillmor gave us his intellect, his honesty, and his
dedication. All that cannot be kept beyond this earthly
life. And in so doing, he gained what he will never lose;
our admiration, our respect, and our honor.
OHIO SENATE PRESIDENT BILL HARRIS. First, let me thank
Congressman Gillmor's family for allowing all of us to
join with you in celebrating the life and the work of
truly a great man who gave so much to the great State of
Ohio.
We all know the sacrifices that families make when their
loved ones choose the path of public service. Linda,
Julie, Paul Michael, Connor, and Adam, for four decades of
a distinguished career, through campaigns, sessions, town
hall forums, late meetings and many nights away from home,
you shared your dad and our friend with us. And Karen, we
all know how well you supported Paul in his career. And we
also know how well Paul supported you in your career in
the Ohio Senate.
I hope in this difficult time we can find some comfort
in the fact that Ohio is a better place because of Paul
Gillmor's life and his commitment to service. As current
president of the Ohio Senate, I am very proud but also
very humbled to follow in Paul Gillmor's steps.
The year was 1967 when a 27-year-old lawyer from Old
Fort began his career in public service in the Ohio
Senate. Paul served during a critical time in the Ohio
General Assembly's history, helping to shape in what is
today, both from an organizational and political
standpoint, the outstanding organization that it is.
If you'll remember, 1967 was also the year that the
voters of Ohio passed the constitutional amendment that
established the house and the senate as we know it today--
99 house members and 33 senators. Paul began his career in
the majority. But during the 22-year tenure as control of
the chamber changed 4 times, he certainly had an
opportunity to get the majority perspective and the
minority perspective. Whether it was this perspective or
just the general good nature of this man, and all of us
that know him know no one could do anything except like
and love him, Paul Gillmor showed a great willingness to
work on both sides of the aisle to get things done,
regardless of his party's current standings.
He worked well with Vern Riffe, as our Governor just
mentioned, longtime speaker of the house of
representatives. Vern Riffe said, ``Paul Gillmor is a man
of his word.'' And I would add to that amen. The way he
developed these relationships and his ability to work with
other parties are the kinds of experiences that change
politicians into statesmen. And Paul Gillmor was indeed a
statesman.
Approximately halfway through his service in 1978, the
voters passed another constitutional amendment that
established that the Governor and Lieutenant Governor
would be a combined ticket and at this time the majority
leader of the senate would become the president of the
senate and that's the way it currently remains.
In 1981, Paul Gillmor got his first opportunity to be
senate president under the new system. He lost it briefly,
along with a slim 3-member majority and then won it back
in 1984 and in doing so, he created a legacy that we
continue to work very hard to preserve even more than a
decade later.
The challenges we face in our State and at the Federal
level are as difficult as any we face in our State's
history. More than ever, we need elected officials like
Paul Gillmor who demonstrated leadership, vision, a
commitment to service, and the ability to reach out across
the aisle for the good of this great State.
Though in his death we suffer the loss of a great leader
for Ohio, we are exceedingly grateful and thankful to have
Paul Gillmor's example to follow.
Thank you and God bless you.
OHIO HOUSE SPEAKER JON HUSTED. To Karen Gillmor and the
family of Congressman Paul Gillmor, on behalf of the Ohio
House of Representatives, I would like to convey our
deepest sympathies. You have lost a husband and a father,
we have lost a friend, and Ohio has lost one of its most
dedicated public servants. You are and will remain in our
thoughts and prayers.
To all who join us today, thank you for your presence
here to pay honor and respect to a friend, a colleague,
and a fellow public servant. It is a truly fitting tribute
in this room, filled with those who were touched by Paul's
life and those who are here today to honor Paul's service.
It is in times of sadness and celebration that families
come together. Today, as an extended family, we come
together for both purposes; to grieve the loss of Paul
Gillmor and to celebrate his life.
While here in the legislature, Paul worked with his
colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He embodied the
spirit of bipartisanship. He knew that regardless of
political party, that in times of need, we should come
together to get the job done.
Paul believed that we are all one family in service to
the people we represent. Paul had a relationship with his
legislative family for more than 40 years. And he had an
even longer relationship with his constituents, many of
whom he cared for like an extended family back home.
I grew up in Paul's district and in many ways the people
there are the heart of Ohio. Whether farmers or factory
workers, the people that called Paul their Congressman are
plain spoken, work hard, and demand honesty. I can attest
to the fondness he had for his constituents. And in turn,
his constituents honored him with their trust, confidence,
and respect. You could even say that many considered him
part of their families, for to many he was the only Member
of Congress they had ever known. In fact, he began
representing the senate district the year I was born.
For those public officials here today, we often consider
election day our day of judgment. But Paul Gillmor knew
better. Paul understood the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson,
who said that no man has learned anything until he knows
that everyday is the judgment day. And Paul gave each day
to serving others.
From the flags he flew over the statehouse for those in
his district, to the school groups, the boy scouts, the
honor students, the sports teams, everybody from back home
that he honored during his service here, Paul wanted to
share his respect for this institution with all whom he
encountered. If you had a problem and he could help, he
would, and then some. Paul understood that the little
things could be big things to someone in need.
Gathered here today throughout this room are his family,
his nearest and dearest, his colleagues and his
constituents. We are all blessed to have had him in our
lives. His absence leaves an emptiness that those closest
to him hope to fill with fond memories and I hope we
provide you a few today.
And may we honor his memory in this statehouse by
pulling together during the tough times just as Paul
Gillmor did when he served here.
To the Gillmor family, thank you for sharing Paul with
us. He will be greatly missed. And may God bless you all.
OHIO SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE THOMAS J. MOYER. Karen,
Linda, Julie, Paul Michael, Connor, Adam, members of Paul
Gillmor's family, Governor and Mrs. Strickland, Mr.
President, Mr. Speaker, members of the general assembly,
leaders of the general assembly past and present, Members
of Congress, thank you. So many of you have come to pay
your respects to Paul Gillmor. Participants of this
wonderful ceremony in honor of Paul Gillmor, public
officials, friends, and colleagues of Paul, first on
behalf of the third branch, all of whom are here
representing the Supreme Court, we extend our deepest
sympathies to you and to your family, Karen.
Each of us come to this ceremony with our own personal
memories of Paul Gillmor. I knew him as a friend but I
knew him best as citizen legislator. And I respected him
greatly. At times such as this we realize that in
acknowledging a person's legacy, it does not matter how
many years we were here in this life but rather what we
have done with the time God has given us. Paul used his
time to set a wonderful example for those who would serve
in public office.
Public opinion polls and surveys tell us that Americans,
regardless of political party, want their elected
officeholders to be honest, to be decent, to be civil, and
to work with those with whom they disagree in order to
constructively address the issues before them. But Paul
Gillmor did not need a public opinion poll to tell him
that, that's just the way he was.
He knew that a difference of opinion is not a difference
of character, that it is more important to keep a promise
than to make a promise, and that service to the common
good produces more than service to oneself. So Paul we
thank you.
I have to say this to Paul, in death you have done
something that none of us have done in life and that's to
cause Tom Suddes to dress up and wear a tie.
But we thank you Paul for always being one person. For
reminding us that persons of the highest character are
attracted to public office. And we thank you for creating
a legacy that says in a democracy there are no positions
of public trust more important than citizen legislator.
Paul we will miss you, and the Americans who respond to
those opinion polls will miss you too.
FORMER OHIO SENATE PRESIDENT STANLEY J. ARONOFF. Karen and
Gillmor family--thank you so much for the honor of letting
a non-elected official, currently elected official, speak
a few words.
I can think of no one who was more comfortable in his
skin than Paul Gillmor.
I met him at our swear-in. We were both freshmen
senators. But I had 6 years on him in the Ohio House. I
tried to claim that seniority our entire life but he never
let me.
Paul was the same person in 1967 that he was when I last
saw him in Washington this year. Unpretentious, modest,
genuine, frank, quietly funny, reliable, unassuming but
tough, disarming, and I could go on, and on, and on, and
every person in this room would have something like that
to say about Paul. They'd all be favorable. And they'd all
be true. They just begin to describe the kind of person
Paul was. He was the kind of friend that everyone would
like to have.
We came to the senate in the majority, spent a lot of
years in the minority, and then in the early 1980s
returned to the majority. Paul was instrumental in our
return to ``power'' and he was unanimously elected our
senate president. And he stayed there as senate president,
except for 2 years I'd like to forget.
He was elected to Congress in 1988, winning by a
landslide in the primary of 27 votes, and those 27 votes
were the reason I became senate president. Paul had
promised to turn over the gavel to me and for that I am
forever grateful. By the way, for the Congressmen here,
it's my refusal to let go of that gavel that David Hobson
decided to run for Congress.
Few politicians like serving in the minority as well as
the majority. That's a truism and Paul was no different.
But he never let ambition change the qualities that I just
mentioned. However much we wanted to win, Paul was always
the same. And he selected a good strong team. Jim Tilling,
Curt Steiner, Neil Clark. All rather successful in their
own rights right now. And they helped elevate, what we
called ourselves ``the dirty dozen,'' into the majority.
And from what I know, Paul didn't change when he came to
Congress. He loved the job. But he didn't catch Potomac
Fever. He still was the same easygoing, responsible,
charming guy who really enjoyed what he was doing. And I'm
sure that Minority Leader John Boehner will amplify on
that.
That all of these Congresspersons are here today is
testimony to the respect that Paul had in Congress and the
kind of person and friend he was in the U.S. House of
Representatives. That the Capitol Square Review and
Advisory Board would also recognize his impressive Ohio
career and have him memorialized in our statehouse is
deeply appreciated by everyone in this room and
especially, I am sure, by Karen and her family.
On behalf of all of you that are attending today may I
thank Governor Strickland and all the members of the
Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, especially
Senator Finan, Bill Carleton, Senator Zimmers. Paul
deserves this honor because of the human being that he was
and the example that he set. I wish I could name everyone
and if I forget I apologize but while I'm here I know of
certain people--Governor Taft, former speaker Davidson,
former senate president Harry Meshel, and I hope that
Congresspersons now and before that are here will be taken
care of by other people.
To Karen and the family and everyone in the audience,
Paul, we all will greatly miss you.
SENATOR GEORGE V. VOINOVICH. Karen, Linda, Julie, Paul
Michael, Adam and Connor: My wife Janet and I are honored
to join your friends in expressing our sympathy to you and
our admiration and respect for Paul and to thank you for
your sacrifice over the years so that Paul could serve his
district, his State, and his country.
The last time I saw Paul I asked how he and the family
were doing. He was upbeat in spite of all that was on his
plate as a Member of the House. He was taking things in
stride and was getting the job done--no muss, no fuss.
The same Paul Gillmor I met in 1967 when we began our
careers together--Paul as a State senator and I as a
member of the Ohio House. Paul was immensely successful
and well respected. Because he treated others with dignity
and respect and he always practiced the Second Great
Commandment: Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you. Except perhaps when he was trying to get Republican
control of the Ohio Senate.
His excellent interpersonal skills and the high regard
with which he was held by his colleagues got him
unanimously elected to the role of Republican leader five
times in the Ohio Senate. No one was surprised when he was
elected president of the senate three terms.
During his tenure as president of the senate--at a time
when most statewide elected offices were held by
Democrats--Paul was arguably the most powerful Republican
official in the State of Ohio. Still, he was able to put
partisan politics aside and work together with Governor
Celeste for the best interests of the State, although many
of us thought he was our best candidate in 1986 against
Celeste. I always thought he waited too long before he
entered the primary.
And, in spite of being in leadership and having many
demands on his schedule, he always had time for me during
my years as mayor of Cleveland and always listened to what
I had to say. He was immensely helpful to me in my efforts
to bring the city of Cleveland out of default and back on
its feet.
When I was Governor, Paul, who had moved on to Congress,
was a pivotal ally on the issue of sensible clean air
standards and the importance of protecting public health
and the environment while balancing the impact on jobs and
the economy. As a member of the House Energy and Commerce
Committee, he joined in our fight against EPA for sensible
standards and was able to galvanize a delegation to work
on Ohio's behalf. He was also a great leader in helping to
pass the unfunded mandates relief legislation.
When I came to the Senate I knew I had a real friend in
Paul Gillmor. My only regret is that I did not have more
time to spend with him.
Paul had a wonderful knack for being able to work with
people to get things done. He led by example, and his
enthusiasm and ability always made you want to be on his
team. In fact, some of the most talented staff members I
had during my Governor days cut their teeth under Paul
during their work for the Republican State Senate Caucus.
He left an indelible mark on the people he worked with,
which is a part of his wonderful, lasting legacy.
On a personal note--after Paul lost his first wife,
Janet and I were quite pleased when the rumor that Paul
had taken a fancy to then-Karen Lako, and she to him. We
thought the world of both of them and were so happy that
they got married and started another chapter in Paul's
life and that God blessed them with children--Paul
Michael, Adam and Connor to join his two daughters from
his first marriage.
Children--I hope you take comfort in the fact that your
dad was one of the most conscientious public servants I've
ever met. He was a role model for me and for all who serve
in public office. I count myself as blessed to have had
the opportunity to work with him for over 40 years.
Through his leadership in the Ohio State Senate and the
U.S. Congress, he made a difference for the people of
Ohio, this Nation, and the world. It is said that it is
not the number of years that one lives but what one does
with those years that really matters. And Paul really made
the years matter.
My faith tells me that Paul is in Heaven and was
welcomed with the words from Matthew 25:21: ``Well done,
thou good and faithful servant.'' Take comfort in the
knowledge that Paul is eternally happy with our Father in
Heaven.
REPUBLICAN LEADER JOHN BOEHNER. Karen and family, Governor
Strickland, Mrs. Strickland, members of the Ohio House and
Ohio Senate, my colleagues, friends, and former staff of
Paul Gillmor. On behalf of all of my colleagues in the
U.S. House of Representatives, we offer our sincere
condolences to Karen and the family and to all of you who
are here today.
Paul was a trusted colleague of mine for almost 25
years. I came here in 1984 and Paul had just become
president of the senate once again. But I was a lowly
house member, he was a big senator. And you've heard all
about the personal qualities of Paul Gillmor but I want to
tell you this story because I think it really is the
essence of who he was.
I didn't walk across the statehouse to meet Paul
Gillmor. I didn't walk through this door, which I used to
walk through every day on the way to vote, and that pigeon
that's up there was alive at the time. I met Paul Gillmor
at the Pewter Mug. Now many of you here know about the
Pewter Mug, a little restaurant up the street that I and
some of my colleagues used to go to and some of our
friends. And not only did I get to meet Paul Gillmor at
the Pewter Mug but we used to have lunch about once a week
or run into each other once a week and Paul Gillmor became
my friend. And in 1986 when Paul Gillmor decided to run
for Governor, I was there and wrote the first check to
him, did everything I could. And got to know Karen very
well through that process.
Paul Gillmor was a decent, honest, human being who was
trying to do his best for the institutions in which he
served and for his constituents. And you know for all of
us, Paul, the Great Gillmo as some of us would call him,
especially Mike Oxley, who would never give Paul a
moment's rest, but Paul Gillmor was a great legislator.
Never sought the spotlight. Never really wanted to get a
lot of attention. But he was a very effective legislator
because he was willing to work with Members on both sides
of the aisle and he was willing to do what was right for
the interest of his constituents and for our country.
But really what made the Great Gillmo the Great Gillmo
is that he was a nice guy. A nice guy with a purpose in
life. And so as I stand here today, I want to remember
Paul Gillmor for what a great guy that he was to all of
us, what an effective legislator he was. Paul may be
missed but Paul will not be forgotten.
CONGRESSMAN RALPH REGULA. Paul's family and admirers--
you're here because you realized and recognized in Paul
what a wonderful human being he was, how much he cared for
his family and for the State of Ohio.
Paul was a modest individual as all of you know. I
thought this morning when I went out to Andrews Air Force
Base and I saw those four big beautiful airplanes that
said United States of America waiting to take some 55-plus
Members of the House plus a lot of staff here to Columbus,
Paul would have said, ``for me?'' He would have found that
almost incomprehensible. But they were there because of
Paul and how he lifted each one of us up. As we got to
know him as a colleague, as a friend, he really truly did
lift us up.
One of our colleagues said that we legislators love our
seniority and we love our committees. And Paul gave up his
seniority for a Member with lesser seniority because he
wanted to give that individual a break. That takes a big
individual, a big man to do that. And that's the kind of
person Paul was.
By fate of time, I am the senior Member from Ohio. And
that's why last week many Members came up to me to say,
``he was a good man.'' What better tribute, what better
legacy can you leave than to have your colleagues that you
work with say ``he was a good man'' or ``we loved Paul''
or ``we found him somebody that we could work with so
well''?
So Paul did leave a wonderful legacy, a wonderful legacy
of his family, of his colleagues, who cared about him.
That is something that all of us should desire and Paul
achieved that. What a wonderful man he was to all of us
and we're here today because we want to pay tribute to
that individual.
CONGRESSWOMAN MARCY KAPTUR. Dear friends, dearest Karen,
precious children: Paul Michael, Connor, Adam, Linda and
Julie; grandchildren: Brenda, Lucy and Natalie; sister:
Diane; relatives of the Gillmor family; Governor
Strickland; dear friends, and colleagues:
We come here today to honor the life and service of
Congressman Paul E. Gillmor to his State and Nation.
On behalf of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, all Members of the
House of Representatives, and particularly Paul's
colleagues in the Ohio delegation, we offer our deepest
condolences. I represent the district that hugged Paul's
from the north, the Ninth. We thank you for the sacrifices
you have made, you all have made, so your loved one could
serve the people of Ohio and the United States. Paul
passed from this life serving our country as he prepared
to report for duty to fulfill the solemn oath that he had
taken to defend our Constitution's timeless values.
Paul Gillmor was an honorable man, a family man, a
veteran, and a public servant of high repute who never
lost touch with the common person. The small town values
that made your husband and father successful were the same
as his own father's. They were second nature to Paul. He
never forgot who he was and where he came from--and that
is why he held elected office continuously for more than
40 years. His persevering spirit will endure.
Even at a time when our House has been wracked by
partisanship of historic proportions, Paul was a model of
bipartisan cooperation. He simply refused to judge
colleagues based on their political affiliation or
ideological persuasion. Old Fort, Ohio, is not the type of
place where one learns the ways of guerrilla warfare, and
Paul refused to engage in the personal destruction of
colleagues.
I was going to say that he was ``true blue,'' but in
today's political climate, that is not politically
correct. So I can say that he was a favorite son of this
great Buckeye State. His cooperative spirit held true in
Washington. I was honored to work together with Paul on
several issues of importance to Northern Ohio--making U.S.
Route 24 safer, saving the 180th Tactical Fighter Wing,
protecting the National Civilian Marksmanship Program at
Camp Perry, and, just a week ago, helping the flood
victims throughout Northern Ohio.
Karen and I remember well an earlier trip to Mexico,
prior to NAFTA's passage (where Paul and I simply didn't
agree). But I was given a gift last week, because I have a
last precious memory. As we flew, Paul and I, together, in
a Blackhawk helicopter, doors open wide on both sides,
strapped in there, and both of us extra-knotted our seat
belts. We flew from Findlay to Bucyrus and then back again
and I, being shorter than he, as we disembarked from the
helicopter, he held out his hand, and I thought, ``What a
gentleman, what a gentleman!''
I can remember his kindness and Karen's kindness to our
family on our mother's passing. I thank you.
His work remains unfinished. As ranking member of the
Financial Services Committee, Subcommittee on Financial
Institutions and Consumer Credit, Paul was warmly regarded
by Chairman Barney Frank. They were working together to
address the challenges of the credit crisis when Paul left
us. He was working on that issue as he had worked on
important brownfields legislation, where he was very
successful a few years before.
We as human beings find it so very, very hard to accept
the limits of time on Earth. We seek more of it, surely
with those we love. We try to capture time. We attempt to
order it precisely in minutes, in years, on clocks, on
sundials, on Blackberries. Even votes in Congress are
timed. On many occasions Paul Gillmor assumed the
Speaker's rostrum in the U.S. Congress and gaveled the
final vote tally as the clock ran out. He enjoyed that
duty!
But try as we may to order time, what endures is not
time but treasured moments and timeless values around
which we wrap our lives. Paul's family and all his
children know these moments and values: your moments
together on Lake Erie or in Port Clinton or in Tiffin or
in Columbus or in Washington or in Old Fort; your moments
sitting on his lap as he smiled over his glasses, and
occasionally wrinkled his nose to push them up; your
moments telling him your dreams and asking his advice;
your moments showing you loved him, as he loved you. These
priceless gifts are yours, always.
Your father's work was demanding and tiring. As a man of
means he could have led only a personal life. He chose
otherwise: he was a patriot.
The knowledge that Paul brought to his job will not be
easily replaced. The half-century-long record of service
to his community, the Fifth Congressional District, our
State, and our Nation--service rendered in the Armed
Forces, the State legislature, and the U.S. Congress--will
not soon be surpassed.
There were two tasks he didn't complete, as far as I
know. The first was, despite all the political power that
stood before you today, he was never able to get Port
Clinton placed in the Fifth Congressional District,
because in order to do it, you would have to go through
the lake.
And Karen would be happy to know that, yes, he did keep
cigars in his center drawer, which he would pull out at
the most political of moments, but he never lit them. He
kept his promise.
Paul Gillmor was an officer and a gentleman. He was
loving, persevering, humble, generous and patriotic, and
he was a true public servant.
It is with deep respect that we honor him today, and I'm
going to ask my colleagues--in a way his brothers--
Minority Leader John Boehner, and dean of the Ohio House
Republican delegation, House Member Ralph Regula,
seniority number six in the U.S. House, to join me in
presenting to the Gillmor family the main U.S. flag that
was hoisted at half staff over the East Front of the
Capitol at the request of Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the day
of Congressman Gillmor's passing on September 5, this
year, 2007, and is pictured on the back of your program.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN TANNER. To Karen and the family, to
Paul's staff and to all of you here today:
I want to say Honorable Paul--some of you in Congress,
he probably said to you Honorable Ralph, Honorable George.
I say that because about 10 years ago, Betty Ann and I got
to know Paul and Karen Gillmor even though we weren't in
the same party nor on any committees together.
We came together in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and
we became the closest of friends, and he was my teammate
on NATO. Through the years, I guess we traveled probably
30, 40, 50 times to Europe and other places where the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly had its meetings. And not only do I
want to thank the State of Ohio, Governor Strickland, and
all of the people who are here from Ohio, I know that
Karen and the family will always remember the love and
respect that was indicated here by virtually everybody in
the State of Ohio. And to be that loved and respected in
one's home State says more than I ever could.
But I want to talk just a very brief minute about one of
the most decent people that I ever had the privilege to
know. He was an extraordinary human being in the way he
went about his tasks and how he brought people together
and made them feel comfortable with themselves when he was
there. I watched him through many, many committee meetings
in NATO that last forever because the Republicans--I mean,
not the Republicans, some of them, some of the Democrats
too--but the Europeans in particular are in love with the
sounds of their own voice. And Paul would pride himself as
chairman of the Economics and Security Committee on trying
to get through before any of the other committees did, and
he succeeded. And I have tried to follow in his footsteps.
He was currently serving as the North American vice
president for NATO, and I want to read a letter that I
received as the chairman of the delegation, just last week
from the President, because I think you need to know just
how much respect Paul had among our European allies in
NATO.
``Dear John,'' he goes on to say, ``I was deeply
saddened and,'' he said, ``Paul Gillmor was simply a
wonderful man, and was very much appreciated by all of us
on this side of the Atlantic. He was a bridge builder, one
of those people upon whom we could really rely to create a
friendly and cooperative spirit within the Assembly even
during those moments when the Transatlantic relationship
was proving somewhat difficult to manage politically and
diplomatically.''
All of you know the value of our allies in this perilous
time. Paul Gillmor did more than any other individual in
Congress, in my view, to further the interest of the
United States as it relates to our time and our
relationship with our European allies.
Karen and Betty Ann have become close. It is something
that one will never get over, but it will give great
comfort to the family to know that, not only in Ohio, but
in this country and around the world, your dad was a good
man and well respected.
Mrs. A.J. Stanley wrote a poem some years ago that I
think sums up Paul to me in a way and in words better than
I can do when she wrote;
That person is a success who has lived well, laughed
often and loved much,
Who has gained the respect of intelligent people and the
love of tiny children,
Who has found his niche and accomplished his task,
Who left the world a little better than when he found
it,
Whether by a perfect poem or a rescued soul,
Who never lacked appreciation for the beauty of the
earth, nor failed to express it,
Who looked for the best in others and gave the best he
had.
Paul Gillmor did that.
OP-ED COLUMNIST TOM SUDDES. When Paul Gillmor left this
statehouse for Washington in 1989, Capitol Square lost one
of its most sincere and spontaneous smiles.
Now Representative Gillmor's smile has left our lives.
If we in Columbus were poorer 18 years ago, we are
impoverished now. Yet, as this service shows today,
Ohioans are richer for having known Representative
Gillmor. That's because the measure of a public person is
not just elections won and bills passed. We also measure a
life by its interplay with the lives of others.
One of architect Christopher Wren's great works, St.
Paul's Cathedral in London, bears this inscription as an
epitaph to the architect: ``Reader, if you seek his
monument, look around you.'' Likewise today, if you seek
Paul Gillmor's monument, look around you--not to any
building, but to one another.
Look to Representative Gillmor's devoted and ever-loyal
wife, Karen; his beautiful daughters; his handsome sons;
his beloved grandchildren. If you seek Mr. Gillmor's
monument, look to his family.
Look also to the Senate staff, current and former, many
lobbyists and reporters here today. Their work exposes
them to the political ego in all its sometimes florid
dimensions. Few of these men and women can have known
ever, in Columbus or Washington, an officeholder less
pretentious than Paul Gillmor. If you seek Paul Gillmor's
monument, trawl through the recollections of those who
knew him up close. What Ohio saw was what Ohio got.
Yes, the past can look better than it deserves
sometimes. Nostalgia is the fog on history's lens. Today's
general assembly and its constructive leaders of both
parties face different and even more difficult tasks than
those that arose during the 22 years in which Paul Gillmor
was a member of the Ohio Senate.
But with Mr. Gillmor, as senate president, in harness
with another Appalachian Democrat, a house speaker named
Vernal G. Riffe, Ohio's legislative process worked--
worked, as in, everybody at the table--everybody. Worked,
as in yes, train's on time and--until recently, this would
be a Guinness book item in Ohio--cross-party, cross-aisle
roll-calls. President Gillmor and Speaker Riffe were
equals and friends.
Yes, as Democrats and Republicans, they disagreed on
some fundamentals--taxation, collective bargaining--but
together with legislators and gifted and selfless
legislative aides of both parties, they gave Ohio a period
of truly constructive government. If you are looking for
his monument, look to the Journal of the General Assembly
or the Congressional Record.
In truth, it's the legislator who serves, rather than
shouts, who bolsters representative democracy. With all
due respect to the extremely able and highly conscientious
mourners here today, and I think Mr. Boehner and President
Harris and Speaker Husted might privately agree, the
general assembly might be better off with a few dozen Paul
Gillmors--as might the Congress, with several hundred. A
real public servant is he or she who takes care of
business while some colleagues produce their sound and
light shows.
Besides Paul Gillmor's smile, which none who saw it can
forget, Paul Gillmor was a listener, and in my view,
listeners are an endangered species in Columbus and
Washington. ``Just hear me out'' is the most frequent--and
most ignored plea in American public life. Yet for that
gift, no one ever had to ask Paul Gillmor twice. Whether
he ended up voting your way, or the other guy's way, Mr.
Gillmor treated the mighty and meek alike: With patience
and with respect. If you seek his monument, think of those
words.
KAREN L. GILLMOR. First of all I want to thank all of you
for coming today and most especially to Governor
Strickland and his staff and dear Jan Allen for making
this day so seamless for our family.
Many of you have had special friendships with Paul and
you hold special memories in your heart as we do in his
family. Paul loved his family, his home, his community,
his State, and his country. And even though it was hard
for the boys and me to let him go to Washington every
week, we knew that he was the very best person the Fifth
Congressional District and indeed the heart of Ohio ever
had because he went for the right reasons, not for self-
gain and not for self-aggrandizement, but to help others
in the purest sense of public service.
The people of northwest Ohio must have agreed because
they have reelected him time and again. The boys and I
will keep that Gillmor legacy alive because it's so
important in our family and I myself come from four
generations of public service in Ohio. We want to have
public service and charitable giving be the watchwords of
the Gillmor family.
One of Paul's close friends said to me the other day
that Paul Gillmor lived life large. And I think that's
true. He was so much fun to be with and he really had a
true generosity of spirit. He taught our boys by example
three important virtues: earn your own way, work hard,
also pay back what you have received because, as the
Scriptures tell us, from those to whom much is given, much
is expected.
I think the true secret to Paul's success was that he
did not judge others. He might have judged ideas, but not
people. He liked everybody.
Paul and I were fortunate to travel extensively so I
thought this week about the book ``1,000 Places to See
Before You Die.'' And I thought its author Patricia
Schultz had it all wrong.
Because you haven't lived until you've visited Venice
with George and Janet Voinovich. You haven't lived until
you've attended the flower festival in Vienna with John F.
Wolfe, Jo Ann Davidson, and John and Annie Glenn. You
haven't lived until you have prayed on Friday night at the
Wailing Wall with Stanley Aronoff. You haven't lived until
you have sat in the war room with Jim Tilling, Curt
Steiner, Neil Clark, Mark Wellman, Paul Wilson, Jenny
Worner Carlson, Fred Eames, Mark Isakowitz, Barb Barker
and Tim Brown plotting campaigns. And I remember years ago
sailing Boston Harbor with Keith Brooks before he went
home to ask the beautiful Julie to be his wife. Also, you
have not lived until you have partied at Put-in-Bay with
Bill Newcomb, Terry Fleming, Tom Green, Dutch Schultz,
Mike Dowling and Tom Winters. I can't even tell you those
stories.
But I will tell you one last story and that is how I met
Paul Gillmor. Because there are people in this room who
were present. I started working after I received my
doctorate at Huntington Bank as a vice president. And the
president of the Ohio Bankers Association, Bill Morgan,
thought I should meet the Senate president. So he set up a
lunch. And I didn't catch on that it happened to be on
February 14.
Paul brought some of his staff, Jim Tilling especially,
to lunch. And they were going to tell me about the issues
and the coming campaign. Subsequent to that, the then-
president of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and Governor
Rhodes said to Paul, ``Now there's a nice girl, you ought
to get next to her'' and he said ``Governor, I just think
I will.'' And Speaker Vern Riffe takes so much credit for
our marriage that when we had our first child, Paul
Michael, he sent me two little sneakers with a card that
said ``because his parents are running.'' Vern likes to
tell everybody that he was truly responsible in a
bipartisan manner for us getting together.
But I think Patricia Schultz is wrong about the 1,000
places you should see before you die. Because it isn't
where you go in life. It isn't what you do in life. But
it's who you travel with. And I was privileged to spend a
great portion of my life traveling with Paul Gillmor.
SENATOR RANDY GARDNER. It would seem impossible to
summarize the life of Paul Gillmor but I am going to try.
Ohio is a better State because of Senator Paul Gillmor.
America is a better nation because of Congressman Paul
Gillmor. We are better people because we knew Paul
Gillmor. Because Paul Gillmor graced this Earth.
REVEREND JIM LILLIBRIDGE. At this time I would like to
invite Paul Michael Gillmor, eldest son of the Honorable
Paul Gillmor, to come and stand with me if he would.
Before Paul Michael closes us with the benediction, I'd
like to share with you a story called the ``Keeper of the
Spring.'' The story is told of a quiet forest dweller who
lived high above an Austrian village on the eastern slopes
of the Alps.
The old gentleman had been hired many years ago by a
young town council to clear away the debris from the pools
of water up in the mountain crevasses that fed the lovely
spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent
regularity he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and
branches and wiped away the silt that would otherwise
choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.
By and by the village became a popular attraction for
vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal-
clear spring. The mill wheels of various businesses
located near the water turned day and night. Farmlands
were naturally irrigated. And the view from restaurants
was picturesque beyond description.
Years passed, the town council met for its semiannual
meeting. As they reviewed the budget one man's eye caught
the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the
spring. Said the keeper of the purse, ``Who is this old
man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever
sees him. For all we know the strange ranger of the hills
is doing us absolutely no good. He isn't necessary any
longer.'' By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the
gentleman's services.
For several weeks nothing changed. By early autumn the
trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped
off and fell into the pools hindering the rushing flow of
sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight
yellowish brown tint in the spring. A couple days later,
the water was much darker. Within another week a slimy
film covered sections of the water along the banks and a
foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved slower,
some ground to a halt. Swans left as did the tourists.
Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deep into
the village.
Quickly the embarrassed council called a special
meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they
hired back the old keeper of the spring. Within a few
weeks the veritable river of life began to clear up. The
wheels started to turn once again and new life returned to
the hamlet in the Alps.
What the keeper of the springs meant to the village,
God-fearing, faithful servants mean to our world.
Paul E. Gillmor was a keeper of the spring. The world is
a better place because he was in it. Therefore let us go
forth here in the spirit and memory of Paul Gillmor and
with the hand of God upon us to be keepers of the spring
to our community and world.
PAUL MICHAEL GILLMOR. Please pray with me.
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind blow at your back.
May the sun shine warmly upon your face.
May the rain fall soft on your fields.
And until we meet again,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Amen.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The Honorable
Paul E. Gillmor
Date of Birth Date of Death
February 1, 1939 September 5, 2007
Paul E. Gillmor: A Record of Service
Captain, United States Air Force
1965-1966
Member of the Ohio Senate
1967-1988
Republican Leader, Ohio Senate
1978-1988
President, Ohio Senate
1981-1982, 1985-1988
Recognized as one of the Ten Most Outstanding
Legislators in the United States by the National
Republican
Legislators Assoc.
1983
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
1989-2007
Ranking Republican Member
Committee on House Administration
Subcommittee on Accounts
1989-1991
Deputy Republican Whip
1995-2007
Chairman
Committee on Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on
Environment & Hazardous Materials
2001-2007
Chairman
NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee on
Economics and Security
2002-2006
Vice President, North America
NATO Parliamentary Assembly
2006-2007
Ranking Republican Member
Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on
Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit
2007
Paul E. Gillmor Memorial Service
Tiffin
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Welcome
Master of Ceremonies
Mike Kerschner
President & Chief Executive Officer
Gillmor Financial Services
Invocation
The Reverend Jim Lillibridge
Pastor, Indian Run United Methodist Church
Remarks
Congressman David Hobson, 7th District of Ohio
Commissioner Tim W. Brown
Wood County
Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio
President, Heidelberg College
Dr. George Kidd
President Emeritus, Tiffin University
Adam Greenslade
Sandusky County Republican Chairman
Don Witter
Cousin
Dr. James Tilling
Former Chief Executive Officer, Ohio Senate
Gary Koch
Longtime friend
Ralph ``Spive'' Gillmor
Uncle
Thank You
Karen L. Gillmor, PhD
Benediction
The Reverend Jim Lillibridge
Pastor, Indian Run United Methodist Church
Interment immediately following at:
Pleasant Union Cemetery
Old Fort
In Memory of
The Honorable Paul E. Gillmor
Final Resting Place
Pleasant Union Cemetery
Old Fort, Ohio
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If it is encouraging, let him encourage;
if it is contributing to the needs of others,
let him give generously;
if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
--Romans 12:8