[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 2 (Wednesday, January 26, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: January 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM D. FORD

  (Mr. CLAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise his remarks.)
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened by the announcement by my 
good friend Bill Ford that he will not seek reelection next fall.
  Bill Ford will be sorely missed around this institution. When he ends 
his long and brilliant career in Congress next January, America's 
working men and women and America's youth will lose one of their 
greatest legislative champions. Few men or women who have served in the 
Congress have done more to protect and advance the well-being of 
working men and women. His political acumen and influence is reflected 
in nearly every important labor law enacted by the Congress during the 
last 25 years. The son of a factory worker who died as a result of a 
workplace accident, he became the chief guardian of the occupational 
safety and health of our Nation's working men and women. He was chiefly 
responsible for enactment of the plant closing law and the family and 
medical leave act and is a tireless advocate for the striker 
replacement bill, OSHA reform, and the President's health care reform 
bill.
  The Nation owes him a debt of gratitude for his contributions to 
educating several generations of Americans. Throughout his 29 years on 
Capitol Hill he championed the Higher Education Act. It was Bill who 
during the 1980's not only protected, but expanded college loan and 
grant programs. By making college education a reality for millions of 
Americans, his work contributed greatly to the economic prosperity and 
social equality of the United States.
  As my predecessor as chairman of the Post Office and Civil Service 
Committee, he was a staunch and unabashed friend of Federal and postal 
workers. To the degree that the Federal Government is a model employer 
today, it is because of his tenacity and his conviction that there is 
no greater calling than public service.
  There is a very simple explanation for his undying commitment to 
protecting American workers and expanding educational opportunities: He 
has never forgotten his own humble beginnings and the opportunities he 
had along the way. He has given back to his country by making it his 
lifework to honor the dignity of labor and to expand the horizons of 
young people.
  Bill will still be here for the 2d session of the 103d Congress. His 
work here is not finished. I believe that his efforts this year in 
navigating the President's health care reform bill through Congress and 
passing the long overdue Ford OSHA reform bill will firmly establish 
both his place in history and his place in the hearts of working men 
and women everywhere. While Bill will not be serving in the next 
Congress, I know he will continue to be a powerful force on labor and 
education issues. He will be heard from, and that is all for the better 
for those of us who stay on to fight the good fight. He will always be 
with us in the fray.
  Finally, Carol and I have known Bill for over a quarter of a century. 
He is foremost my friend and then one of my respected colleagues. I 
will miss him. The Congress will miss him. The citizens of this Nation 
who are the beneficiaries of his diligence, his convictions, and his 
generosity of spirit will miss him. I wish Bill and his wife Mary a 
happy and productive future.

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