[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 18, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HON. WILLIAM H. NATCHER

                                 ______


                               speech of

                            HON. NEAL SMITH

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 17, 1994

  Mr. SMITH of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, we meet today to pay respects to one 
of the all time distinguished citizens of the U.S., Congressman William 
H. Natcher of Kentucky. Chairman Natcher was an influential leader in 
our country and a role model through all of the years of the his active 
life. He lived up to the expectations of all who knew him proudly and 
with great distinction, he knew his rights and stood his ground, but he 
never offended anyone and accomplished by persuasion where others have 
failed by confrontation and loud or foul talk.
  Bill Natcher and I were appointed on the same day to the subcommittee 
where all health and education funding in the United States begins and 
ends. The funding for health research on that day for the NIH was $73 
million. Today it is over $11 billion. No other American has more to do 
with advancement in health care and saving lives through research than 
Bill Natcher. Millions of people world wide live today because of his 
dedication and effective resolve to advance health research. But even 
with the great advancements in health care available today, eventually 
ones time on this Earth must arrive. Sitting next to and learning from 
Bill Natcher, I was exposed to his intuition that permitted him to 
decipher witnesses, to recognize those who could offer valuable advice 
as to the deviation of limited funding and at the same time to be 
scrupulously fair and just. He was peculiarly capable of exercising the 
responsibility and power he possessed and which led to the great 
respect for his judgment and recommendations.
  I had the good fortune and I stress the term good fortune to serve on 
three subcommittees he served on and I quickly realized that it would 
be easy to underestimate this man who understood the problems of the 
disadvantaged, the importance of access to education for individuals to 
reach their potential, and that he held no rancor against others, but 
was both proud and humble, gentle and fun-loving, and intensely earnest 
about helping others who deserved help. He always paid his dues quietly 
and waited for another opportunity to help. He lived through eras when 
demogoguery, loud talk, and attacking others seemed to temporarily 
reward some in public officials life but he never engaged in those 
tactics. Those types soon disappeared from the scene but the ever 
polite, firm but fair Bill Natcher lived on.
  While he loved the Congress and the constituents he represented, his 
daily love and devotion was to his family.
  You all know he wrote faithfully to his grandchildren every week he 
was in Congress and those letters will be published and forever be a 
treasured part of literary history. Much of the content of those 
letters, which were not kept secret, referred to historical events.
  He also recorded his observations about current events on a regular 
basis and those observations were not public. I have seen these volumes 
many times but like all others, was never permitted to read a page. All 
he would say is, ``You are treated kindly.'' I certainly hope so, 
however, knowing Bill Natcher as I did, I doubt if anyone was treated 
very unkindly.
  Chairman Natcher lived a long, full life, touched, at times, by 
personal sorrows, as are most human lives, but basically a happy career 
of rich fulfillment and achievement. He was blessed with a wonderful 
wife, Virginia, who shared his ideals and aspirations and was always a 
source of strength at his side, and by two daughters and seven 
grandchildren. Our sadness and I am sure their sadness today is 
tempered by our thankfulness that such a man lived among us and 
enriched all of our own lives with his wisdom, his love of justice and 
his unfailing good humor.
  Sometimes a person comes into our lives who touches us in such a way 
that we are better off for having known him. Congressman William H. 
Natcher was definitely such a person.

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