[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 83 (Monday, June 27, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    WILLIAM H. NATCHER FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 4577) to designate the Federal Building and U.S. courthouse 
located at 242 East Main Street in Bowling Green, KY, as the ``William 
H. Natcher Federal Building and United States Courthhouse.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 4577

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

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building and United States courthouse located 
     at 242 East Main Street in Bowling Green, Kentucky, shall be 
     known and designated as the ``William H. Natcher Federal 
     Building and United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall 
     be deemed to be a reference to the ``William H. Natcher 
     Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Ohio [Mr. Traficant] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the 
gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan] will be recognized for 20 
minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant].
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield whatever time he may consume to 
the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Mazzoli].
  Mr. MAZZOLI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, it is really a moment both of happiness and sadness on 
my part. And, I think I speak for all Members of the House, all in the 
Congress, who ever did serve with our late colleague, Bill Natcher.
  It is a moment of happiness because we think it is a fitting tribute 
to have a building, something tangible, something physical, something 
which is enduring, to be named after a man such as Bill Natcher because 
of his many talents and many accomplishments here in the House. But, of 
course, when we name a building posthumously, it is done after the 
namesake passes away and that, of course, is sad to these of us who 
remember Chairman Natcher, and it was my privilege to serve with him 
for almost 24 years, for his jauntiness, his quick step, his straight-
arrow bearing, his constant energy, his wonderful ability to be friends 
with all Members on both sides of the aisle, his courtliness, his 
charm, his intelligence, and his amazing mastery of the legislative, 
appropriations, and budgetary process.

                              {time}  1410

  We in Kentucky always looked upon Bill Natcher, Mr. Speaker, as an 
icon, as a kind of symbol of what is best about public service, a 
symbol of what young men and young women could aspire to be if they 
chose a career in public service.
  When he became ill and eventually, I think it was on March 3 when he 
missed his first vote in some 18,401 consecutive votes, we realized 
that things were changing, that an era was ending and that something 
had overtaken our friend which in the end was something he could not 
conquer. Death was the only thing, I believe, in his life that Bill 
Natcher never conquered and never mastered.
  But what Bill did teach me, Mr. Speaker, and I think he taught all of 
us who worked with him, was that life is multifaceted, and the 
legislative process is multifaceted. As in life, we have to keep out 
priorities in Congress correctly arranged, or we get too deeply into 
one thing or too lightly into another.
  I think the legislative and the political process is the same as the 
life process. It has many facets, and Bill was always able to maintain 
his decorum and his charm and courtliness, even in the midst of 
pressure when he sat in the very chair you, Mr. Chairman, are sitting 
in managing these big appropriations bills.
  I think Bill taught me a lot, Mr. Speaker, of how to handle our 
responsibilities as people and as professionals, and his passing is a 
loss to the people of Bowling Green, his hometown, to all of the people 
in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, his home State, all the people of the 
Nation, all the people here in this body and in the other body.
  It certainly is of great pride to all of us that in Bill's last hours 
the President of the United States made a trip out to the hospital to 
visit with Bill, and that the President actually came to Kentucky to be 
part of the funeral ceremonies, and then as we all know, Mr. Speaker, 
over in Statuary Hall, there was a commemoration at which the Vice 
President, the Speaker, and other leaders spoke.
  So we in Kentucky have lost a wonderful man. We are happy, through 
your leadership, Mr. Chairman, there will be some lasting and long-
lived evidence of our respect and friendship and our fondness for Bill 
Natcher in the form of a building bearing his name. I want you to know 
how much we in Kentucky appreciate that, Mr. Chairman, and how much we 
will remember and revere our late friend, Congressman Bill Natcher.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4577, a bill to 
designate the Federal building and U.S. Court House in Bowling Green, 
KY, as the ``William H. Natcher Federal Building and United States 
Court House.''
  William Natcher served with great distinction in the House for over 
41 years. During that time Mr. Natcher did not miss a record vote or a 
quorum call. He took no campaign contributions, as has been noted, and 
he was very proud of that.
  He was also proud of the fact that he issued just one press release a 
year, and that was to announce the continuation of his unblemished 
voting record.
  In short, Mr. Natcher was a model Member of the House of 
Representatives. He served his constituents by his devotion to his job, 
and his main priority was to cast the votes on matters before the 
House.
  As the Congressional Quarterly, ``Politics in America'' book says, 
Chairman Natcher set the standard for collegiality in this body.
  Earlier this year, after Mr. Natcher cast what was to be his last 
vote, the House paid tribute to this fine man. While he was unable to 
attend this fitting tribute, it was a genuine and heartfelt 
testimonial.
  I doubt there will be another Member who will even come close to 
equaling the record amassed by Mr. Natcher.
  This body and this country will miss him. He was a man who was 
greatly admired by all of the Members on both sides of the aisle and 
was a kind Member, a kind person, and helpful to all of us.
  I strongly support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery], the distinguished 
chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
  (Mr. MONTGOMERY asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4577, 
the bill to name our Federal courthouse at Bowling Green, KY, after Mr. 
Bill Natcher. I want to thank the chairman of this subcommittee, the 
gentleman from Ohio, and the minority ranking Member, the gentleman 
from Tennessee, for bringing this bill before us today.
  Chairman Natcher meant so much to all of us. I had the privilege of, 
for several years, having breakfast with Bill Natcher every morning 
that we were in session.
  As we all know, and it has been mentioned, he had never missed a 
vote. He, for many, many years, set some high standards for us, and I 
think this is very proper today that this legislation is before us to 
name this Federal courthouse after Mr. Natcher.
  I am sure it will be a unanimous vote.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Lewis].
  Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise in wholehearted support of 
H.R. 4577, designating the court house and Federal building in Bowling 
Green, KY, as the ``William H. Natcher Federal Building and United 
States Court House.''
  No one knows any better than I what an awesome responsibility it is 
to follow the Congressman, Congressman Natcher, in the Second District 
of Kentucky. I have the utmost respect for the tremendous feat, 
realizing how easy it would be to miss a rollcall vote, that 
Congressman Natcher was able to accomplish over a period of 41 years, 
the fact that he never missed a vote, accumulating 18,401 continuous 
votes. What a great and dedicated servant he was and truly a Kentucky 
treasure.
  His memory is more than deserving of this honor.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my 
good friend, the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Rogers].
  Mr. ROGERS. Mr. Speaker, like the other members of the delegation, 
the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Mazzoli] and the gentleman from 
Kentucky [Mr. Lewis], I would like to add my compliments to the 
committee and congratulations to the committee for this very special 
honor that you are paying to our beloved Bill Natcher.
  No one really knows the contributions this man made to the Nation. 
For the most part, his work was done in subcommittee away from the 
television lights and the newspaper reporters. That is the way he liked 
it. But it is also the way he was most effective.
  He wrote the biggest budget in the Committee on Appropriations. In 
fact, someone told me one time that the subcommittee's appropriations 
budget was the fifth largest budget of any nation in the world; if it 
were a separate nation, it would be the fifth largest national budget. 
He did it in a very unassuming and humble way, and yet he worked 
changes of dramatic proportions in the country's education systems, in 
all aspects of the bill that he supervised. And he did it with little, 
if any, fanfare.
  I am just delighted that you are going to see now on the name of a 
building in the hometown of Bill Natcher the name on the most prominent 
Federal structure in that city; it will be a constant reminder to the 
people who sent him here for all of those years and to the rest of us 
of the tremendous contributions that Bill Natcher made.
  I wish we could name perhaps something much, much larger, and I am 
glad to see his successor in this body working to continue the work to 
name that new bridge under way at Owensboro across the Ohio River in 
honor of Bill Natcher.
  But I am proud of the committee for your work, Mr. Chairman, and Mr. 
Ranking Member, the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan], and I 
appreciate the remarks of our colleagues, the gentleman from Kentucky 
[Mr. Mazzoli] and the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Lewis], in his 
behalf, and I want to extend my compliments to them and congratulations 
on this notable achievement.
  Let me say that the work of this man will not ever go unnoticed, 
because I hope that we will continue to be reminded here in this body 
of the tremendous impact he had on each of our personal lives and our 
service to the country and the House.

                              {time}  1420

  Mr. PENNY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Clearly it is agreed by all of us here in the House of 
Representatives that Bill Natcher was an example of public service at 
its best. Mr. Natcher arrived in this institution in a special election 
back in 1953 and served some 41 years. He rose to power as is the case 
with seniority around here, but he never once allowed that power to go 
to his head. He never once forgot where he came from or who he came 
here to serve.
  Mr. Natcher waited his turn to take the reins of power. Others are 
driven by ambition, his only ambition was to serve his constituents and 
to serve his country.
  In all the years that he served on the Committee on Appropriations he 
could have taken truckloads of port back to his home district in 
Kentucky. But that is not the way he played the game. He eschewed the 
temptation to pork barrel spend, even though the power to do so was in 
his hands. In fact, he discouraged his colleagues on the Committee on 
Appropriations from practicing the art of pork-barrel spending.
  He would not fund projects in his appropriations bill unless they 
were duly authorized. He believed in following the rules and sticking 
to our normal budget process, which is to say that spending measures 
can only be approved for those initiatives that have been duly 
authorized by the appropriate committee.
  And when he brought his legislation to the House floor, he always 
brought that measure forward under an open rule, which allowed for a 
fair debate on any amendments filed by the membership.
  He did not believe in manipulating the process in order to protect 
his own prerogatives or his own priorities. He believed in a fair and 
an open fight on policy questions. He believed in allowing the process 
to work.
  Mr. Speaker, it was stated by an earlier speaker that Mr. Natcher set 
the standards for collegiality--and he certainly did. When he presided 
over the House floor or the House proceedings, it was his own knowledge 
of Roberts' Rules of Order and the rules of the House that dictated his 
work in the chair. He knew those procedures better than anyone here 
except perhaps the Parliamentarian, and I am not so sure that the 
Parliamentarian would have known the rules of the House as well as Mr. 
Natcher.
  He handled his authority with a good sense of justice and fair play, 
and he always kept the focus of the debate on the issues and not on the 
personalities.
  He was an example to all of us in gentlemanly behavior and respect 
toward all of his colleagues.
  After casting 18,401 consecutive votes back in March of this year, he 
missed his first vote due to the illness that ultimately led to his 
death. I think all of us on that day felt a deep sense of sadness and 
loss to know that after serving so faithfully and casting his votes so 
faithfully through all those years, that he had to accept the 
limitations of his own physical condition and stay in the hospital bed 
that day and miss a vote on the House floor.
  But we are encouraged to know that his record of 18,401 votes will 
forever stand. It will stand as a monument to someone who came to 
Washington to serve and who served capably, honorably, and with 
exceptional commitment to America's high deals.
  We will all miss Mr. Natcher more than words can express. In fact, he 
needs no monument to his service here in Congress; no public building 
or structure named after him can present to America a higher monument 
than he himself established by the way in which he conducted his 
service to America.
  He will be remembered for the kind of person he was. He will be 
remembered by generations yet to come in Kentucky. He does not need 
this building named after him to be remembered, but it is our small way 
of expressing how much we respected him and how much we will miss him.
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I 
have no additional speakers, but I would in closing like to once again 
thank the chairman of the subcommittee for his outstanding work and 
leadership on these three bills. And I would also like to note that I 
do not think there is anyone who has spent more time with or shown more 
kindness to the gentleman from Mississippi, [Mr. Whitten] in these last 
couple of years than has the chairman of our subcommittee. That has not 
gone unnoticed by many people in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for all of these bills. I would 
especially like to second the very fine comments by the gentleman from 
Minnesota [Mr. Penny] in regard to Mr. Natcher whom all of us admired 
so greatly.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, if they ever develop a definition for a Congressman and 
place it in the Webster's Dictionary, it will be simply a photograph, a 
photograph of William Natcher. Bowling Green, KY: Known for Bill 
Natcher and the Corvette; both of them are American institutions.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to concur with the comments made by the gentleman 
from Minnesota [Mr. Penny]. In his fight to try to keep spending down, 
at times he brought amendments to Chairman's Natcher's bill, and he was 
treated with respect and fairness and, wherever he could, a helping 
hand. To see Chairman Mazzoli on the floor here, he is presently the 
dean of the congressional delegation from Kentucky, and he is moving 
on.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a sad day for me as well. I think he too 
exemplifies the cut and the mold of the people from Kentucky. I think a 
big shadow has been cast over the State and cast over the entire 
Congress.
  The record will reflect 18,401 votes, as the gentleman from 
Minnesota, stated; ladies and gentlemen, the first vote that Chairman 
Natcher missed was a rollcall vote on the Journal called for by Jim 
Traficant from Ohio. I do not want the record to stand and to be 
memorialized in regard to my association with Bill Natcher as having 
been the congressman who called for a rollcall vote which due to 
illness Chairman Natcher was unable to cast his vote.
  I would prefer that the record show that I will have been the Member 
to sponsor legislation to memorialize Bill Natcher and to name this 
building in Bowling Green, KY, after the great chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I think we all know what he stood for. We are all very 
proud to be associated with this legislation. We have been enriched by 
having known this great American.
  Closing out, I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. 
Duncan] for his untiring effort in helping the country through many 
efforts and for supporting this legislation, for every Member who spoke 
on the floor, and for all of the staff who put together the details for 
us in bringing this legislation forward.
  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak in support of 
legislation naming a Federal courthouse in Bowling Green, KY, for our 
late distinguished colleague, William H. Natcher.
  I was fortunate to know Mr. Natcher for many years prior to my 
election to the House in 1988. Both when my father was Governor of 
Tennessee and when I served as a member of the Tennessee Valley 
Authority, Mr. Natcher was a valued friend and adviser.
  After my election, I often flew to Nashville with Mr. Natcher when we 
both returned to our respective districts. During those flights, Mr. 
Natcher often shared with me some of his great wealth of stories. More 
than any history book could, Mr. Natcher's stories brought life and 
color to the institution of Congress, its Members, and some of the 
controversies with which it dealt.
  While Mr. Natcher's stories often included his judgements of people 
and events, more importantly they included an honest and heartfelt 
belief that the great majority of his House colleagues were sincere in 
their efforts to improve our Nation. Our democracy, he would say, is an 
amalgam, of different views and opinions. Congress reflected those 
differences and faced the great challenge of finding a way to 
accommodate them.
  I know that many of my colleagues will have already spoken of Mr. 
Natcher's fairness and distinguished manner. Many will have commented 
on his respect for the institution, which was reflected in his 
unblemished voting record. But I will always remember Mr. Natcher for 
his commonsense approach to problems. It seemed that he had simple but 
concrete rules with which to evaluate issues and base his decisions. To 
be sure, they often were not easy decisions, but Mr. Natcher made them 
confident that they were his best and had the full support of the 
constituents of Kentucky's Second District.
  Mr. MINETA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4577, a 
bill to name a Federal building and courthouse located at 242 East Main 
Street in Bowling Green, KY, as the William H. Natcher Federal Building 
and U.S. Courthouse.
  At the outset, I would like to once again commend both Congressman 
Traficant, chairman of our Public Buildings and Grounds Subcommittee 
and the ranking Republican member Congressman Duncan for their efforts 
in moving this bill today.
  Congressman Natcher, was a universally respected and distinguished 
Member of Congress who made an impression on this institution that will 
never be forgotten.
  Congressman Natcher was born in Bowling Green, KY. He was educated in 
the public school system of Warren County, received his undergraduate 
degree from what was then Western State College, today Western Kentucky 
University and he then received his law degree from Ohio State 
University.
  Congressman Natcher began both practicing law and his long 
distinguished career in public service in 1934. He served as Federal 
Conciliation Commissioner from 1936 to 1937. During World War II he 
served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945. When he returned home, he 
continued his career in public service by serving as county attorney 
for Warren County for almost twelve years and commonwealth attorney 
from 1951 to 1953. In 1953, Congressman Natcher was elected to Congress 
and served this body with distinction until this year.
  Throughout his service in Congress, Congressman Natcher was widely 
respected for his gentlemanly nature, gentility, and gracious manners. 
He was also well-known and admired for never missing a vote until he 
became gravely ill earlier this year. He proudly cast 18,401 
consecutive votes. He is also greatly admired because he never took any 
political funds from any source, including political action committees. 
In a time of multimillion-dollar campaigns, Congressman Natcher 
financed his own campaigns. He campaigned by putting up signs and 
visiting and speaking with the people of his district.
  Congressman Natcher did not have an extensive staff nor did he 
believe in becoming a hostage to the information superhighway of fax 
machines, copiers, and cellular phones. He believed in honest 
communication with his fellow Members, staff, constituents, and the 
people of this Nation. He was a devoted family man and wrote regularly 
to his grandchildren. Every day he faithfully made an entry into his 
journal.
  From 1992 until 1994 he served as chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations. During his tenure on that committee Congressman Natcher 
also served as the chair of Labor, Health and Human Services and 
Education Subcommittee. He loved being involved with social service 
issues and he was regarded with great respect and affection by all who 
were involved in working with him on these significant national issues.
  Mr. Speaker, it is only fitting and proper to honor Congressman 
William Natcher by naming the Federal building and courthouse located 
at 242 East Main Street in Bowling Green, KY, as the William H. Natcher 
Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. It is the least we can do for one 
who gave so much to this institution, and I urge passage of this bill.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Montgomery). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Traficant] that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4577.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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