[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 131 (Monday, September 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JAMIE L. WHTTEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, June 10, 1994, the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Montgomery] is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the 
majority leader.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important time for us 
from Mississippi as well as all Members of the House. I am taking this 
time today, along with the rest of our Mississippi delegation, 
Congressmen Mike Parker, Gene Taylor, and Bennie Thompson, to honor the 
gentleman from Mississippi, Congressman Jamie Whitten, on his unequaled 
record of service to our State and to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Whitten was elected in a special election and sworn 
in to the House of Representatives on November 4, 1941. He did 
announce, on April 5 of this year, that he will retire at the end of 
the 103d Congress, ending a 53-year career in the House of 
Representatives.
  He has served longer in the House of Representatives than any other 
Member in the history of the country. It is a record that will never be 
broken. In fact, he broke the record on January 6, 1992, and the record 
was held by Mr. Vincent of Georgia.
  To put his career in perspective for some of our younger Members, I 
would point out that he was sitting in the House Chamber when President 
Franklin Roosevelt, the day of infamy speech in 1941, following the 
Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.
  He has served as the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, 
subcommittee, for 43 years, and he chaired the full Committee on 
Appropriations for 13 years.
  He was such an important force in helping shape our agricultural 
policies that he was known for many years as the permanent Secretary of 
Agriculture.
  Mr. Whitten has spoken so many times about the need to develop the 
natural resources of this country, and he used his position of the 
Committee on Appropriations to pursue that goal.
  I notice the gentleman from Wisconsin is here. I will be glad to 
yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Roth].
  Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Montgomery], for yielding to me.
  I want to join with him today in honoring Mr. Jamie Whitten.
  As the gentleman has pointed out so well, he has served longer than 
any Member has in American history.
  I would say that few Americans have seen as much history as Mr. 
Whitten, and few Members have done as much for their country as has 
done Mr. Whitten for his country.
  I remember coming here as a freshman Congressman and being very much 
interested in agriculture. I have gotten some excellent advice from Mr. 
Whitten, and many of our dairy farmers in northeast Wisconsin, I can 
tell the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery], have benefited 
from the Mr. Whitten's advice to me.
  I thank Jamie Whitten for his advice to me. He is not only a walking 
history book, but he is also a very decent human being and a person who 
has always treated, I think, those of us on this side of the aisle with 
a great deal of fairness and civility. We appreciate that very much.
  I am indeed fortunate that I can look back, when I am sitting in a 
rocking chair, and look back in reading American history and say, I 
knew a man that actually witnessed and voted on all this legislation 
and the greatness of our country, and he was part of it.
  I am today moved and honored to be able to say a few words here for 
Mr. Whitten, a man who has done so much for his country.

                              {time}  1400

  I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I appreciate my colleague making those remarks. I 
yield to the gentleman from Missouri.
  Mr. SKELTON. I thank my colleague and friend from Mississippi for 
this special order for this very outstanding gentleman, a wonderful 
American, the Member of Congress from Mississippi, Jamie Whitten.
  As the gentleman pointed out a few moments ago, he came here in 
November, 1941. This Member was all of eight years of age at that time. 
Mr. Whitten has seen a great part of America unfold, and he is witness 
to the attempt to reach that rendezvous of destiny that Franklin 
Roosevelt spoke of many years ago.
  He is a gentleman's gentleman, a true Southern gentleman. I enjoy 
working with him. I recall on numerous occasions, representing a rural 
constituency in agriculture I think at its finest, and going to Mr. 
Whitten, asking for and receiving help legislatively, advice from time 
to time.
  We will truly miss him. He is a wonderful friend, and we will all be 
glad that we served with him as the days go by. I wish him well; and I 
thank the gentleman for bringing this special order to us.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman from Missouri for his remarks.
  The effects of Mr. Whitten have spilled over, as I have said earlier, 
around the world.
  Chairman Whitten has sponsored many successful programs in our rural 
areas, and he brought to the rural Americans the modern comforts that 
were had by our urban colleagues, and they enjoyed them, which we did 
not have in the rural areas of the United States until Mr. Whitten 
became involved.
  I am talking about programs such as the Farmers Home Administration, 
which he probably was the father of that; the Appalachian Regional 
Commission; and the Rural Electrification Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, these programs brought electricity, and I can remember 
in the rural areas many, many years ago, in the rural areas of 
Mississippi there was no electricity. They used kerosene lamps, and the 
fires that they built in the fireplaces. Telephones have come to our 
rural areas on account of Jamie Whitten, and wonderful programs of 
water and sewage service are now in the rural areas. This has brought 
good housing opportunities to our people who never before had these 
services.
  Mr. Whitten was always there to make sure the funding levels were 
adequate to keep these services on track. If he did not look after 
them, these programs would have died away.
  Let me mention again, such things as electricity, believe it or not, 
most of our people in the rural areas 50 years ago did not have lights. 
Telephones, I would say maybe 30 years ago there were people who did 
not have telephones. Only recently did we have the rural water and 
sewer services out in our areas.
  Mr. Speaker, Jamie Whitten has always looked out for the First 
District of Mississippi, and everywhere we look across north 
Mississippi we can see the results of Mr. Whitten's influence. He 
really, Mr. Speaker, had a big hand in projects such as the Tennessee-
Tombigbee Waterway on the east, and moving over to the west, toward the 
Mississippi River, Mr. Whitten had a lot to do with the agricultural 
research facilities in the Mississippi Delta. For the many communities 
in between, he has always made sure they got a fair share of funding 
from the agencies of the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Whitten was a leader in the effort to complete the 
Natchez Trace Parkway. Work has now been finished in Tennessee, 
Alabama, and north Mississippi on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a 
wonderful area added to the beauty of our country. The only areas now 
that have not been completed are around Jackson, MS, and Natchez. We 
hope that will be completed in the near future, and that the Natchez 
Trace runs through Tennessee, Alabama, into north Mississippi. This 
will give us a complete route of the Natchez Trace from Natchez all the 
way up to Nashville, TN.

  Before coming to Congress, Mr. Whitten was the State representative 
in our State, and then he was a county prosecutor. He was one of 
probably the youngest county prosecutors we had in Mississippi. He says 
he learned how to make tough decisions and cast the tough votes way 
back then. He says his experience in the State legislature prepared him 
well for his service in Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, I see my colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi, Gene 
Taylor, and I yield to him.
  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I 
get to come to the floor and speak of my friend and colleague, Chairman 
Jamie Whitten. It was 4 years and 11 months ago today that Mr. Whitten 
stood next to me as the chairman of the Mississippi delegation, the 
dean of the delegation, when I was sworn into Congress, and it was by 
all means one of the greatest moments of my life, to be standing next 
to someone who has been part of American history for over 50 years.
  On Saturday a guy was in front of the Wal-Mart back home passing out 
petitions for United We Stand calling for term limits, and several of 
my friends called me to tell me that when they told the gentleman that 
they would not sign it, they mentioned their reason for not signing it 
as being Jamie Whitten, by name. They said Jamie Whitten is living 
proof that you can serve in Congress for many years and never forget 
who sent you to Congress and why you are here.
  He has done a wonderful job for Mississippi, the Tenn-Tom Waterway, 
just recently the deepening and widening of the Gulfport ship channel 
that doubled the amount of commerce there, but above all, he never lost 
his humility.
  I can remember in my first months as a Congressman, an ammunition 
plant in my district was about to be closed, and it would have taken 
$90 million to keep the plant open. I went and saw Mr. Whitten, and 
after making the case for it, I said, ``Mr. Whitten, can you help us?'' 
He started by saying, ``You know, Gene, I don't have much influence 
around here.'' This is the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, 
a $1.2 billion budget had to pass through his hands, yet he began his 
conversation by saying he did not have much influence, but if I would 
go see Jack Murtha, Tom Bevill, and a couple of other members of his 
committee, he felt like he could help me.
  Mr. Speaker, Chairman Whitten, it is a distinct privilege to be part 
of a delegation that has had Jamie Whitten as its dean for so many 
years. He is a great American.
  I cannot think of a greater tribute to our State as being the State 
that had had the longest-serving Member of Congress. I cannot see where 
anyone will ever break this record. Above all, I do not think anyone 
can ever break the record of unparalleled public service.
  To my knowledge, no one has ever questioned Mr. Whitten's integrity 
in his 53 years of public service. I do not think he has ever had a 
serious challenger, because the people back home continued to send him 
here because they knew he was the best man for the job.

  I want to thank you for the opportunity to recognize his good works. 
My words fail to express the true greatness of this man. He is going to 
be a great loss for the people of Mississippi when he retires at the 
end of this year, but it has truly been my privilege and my honor to be 
a Congressman and to serve with Jamie Whitten.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Thank you. Your words were well said, and I thank my 
colleague from Mississippi.
  I yield to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Wolf].
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me today to join so many 
of my colleagues in saluting Congressman Jamie Whitten and thanking him 
for his 53 years of service to the people of Mississippi and our 
Nation.
  For over 50 years, Jamie Whitten  has been not just another Member of 
this House--he has been an institution, and his great contributions to 
this body and our Nation will always be remembered. I have had the 
honor of serving with Jamie as a member of the House Appropriations 
Committee, and know first hand how hard Jamie has worked over the years 
on behalf of the people he serves.
  Elected in 1941, just before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, to 
the House, we all celebrated with Jamie in January 1992, when he broke 
the record for longest service in the House: 50 years, 2 months, and 2 
days. His record as a legislator has always been impressive, and his 
service to our Nation as the chairman of the House Appropriations 
Committee and the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee has earned 
him the respect and admiration of many, including myself and all his 
other colleagues here in the House.
  As the chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee since 
1949, Jamie has perhaps had the greatest influence on the development 
of agriculture programs of any public official or individual. Over the 
decades he has helped gain emergency funding for farmers in dire need 
of financial assistance, as well as helped develop electric and water 
systems, telephone service, and highway and road networks in some of 
our Nation's most rural areas. His contributions as chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee are too numerous to name in the course of my 
time, much less the special order we are having for Jamie today. 
Needless to say, Jamie's influence and legacy has been felt in every 
district across the United States.
  The people of Mississippi should be proud that they sent a man of 
integrity and decency such as Jamie Whitten to Washington for the last 
53 years. The Nation has grown, developed, and prospered over the 
course of Jamie's 26 terms in the House, and Jamie's work here in 
Congress is responsible for much of that growth and prosperity. It is 
an honor for me to join today in saluting my friend and colleague, 
Jamie Whitten, and I want to wish Jamie and his family all the best as 
Jamie begins his retirement.
  I thank the gentleman for taking this time.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia 
[Mr. Wolfe] for coming over and participating.
  I yield to the gentleman from Kansas [Mr. Roberts].

                              {time}  1410

  Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
thank the gentleman for taking this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to join the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Montgomery] in paying tribute to my good friend and honored colleague, 
the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], who is retiring this 
year.
  As has been said, for more than a half century he has given very 
devoted service to the people not only of his State, his home State of 
Mississippi, but he has guided and helped his colleagues from his post 
on the Committee on Appropriations. He has been known quite frankly 
through the tenure of many Members and many Secretaries of Agriculture 
as the real Secretary of Agriculture. He has without question really 
protected the interests of America's farmers all throughout his long 
service.
  The end of this Congress will be a particularly sad time for those of 
us who have a special interest in agriculture, for those of us who are 
truly privileged to represent our rural and our small town areas. For 
as long as we can remember, whenever our farmers were hit with a 
weather catastrophe or any kind of an economic crisis, they could 
always count on the real Secretary of Agriculture, Chairman Whitten, to 
stand up for them and to act to really have some answers in regard to 
their distress. Since 1940 as chairman of the Agriculture 
Appropriations Subcommittee, and I tell my friend from Mississippi, in 
1949, that even predates the last Republican chairman of the House 
Committee on Agriculture. My goodness, that is a long time ago. But 
since 1949, he has been the champion of the American farmer. Clifford 
Hope Sr., who was the last Republican chairman of the House Ag 
Committee, certainly counted the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Whitten] as a good friend and every chairman of the Ag Committee, every 
ranking member, every Secretary of Agriculture, has been proud to have 
his counsel and leadership. He always could be a sympathetic ear and a 
powerful voice to speak for them and for us.
  For Members like me who have come along in some later years, the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] has always been available to 
offer advice to the rookies, if I can describe ourselves in that 
fashion, and if sometimes we embarked on a course that might not serve 
our interests well or agriculture well, he could always be depended on 
to guide us rather firmly back on the proper path. He taught the whole 
House and the Nation the importance of agriculture as the base upon 
which our entire economy is founded.
  I can remember in 1981, I think, and there was a cut that was being 
proposed by the chairman and it was in regard to agriculture spending, 
and I had a little concern about it because I was afraid some of the 
funds might be cut from the Commodity Credit Corporation, the CCC, 
which is the revolving fund in regard to agriculture, our bank, so to 
speak, so safeguarded by the chairman. So I rose, as a matter of fact, 
I rose right from that microphone, from that chair, and the chairman 
was, of course, ensconced in his position over there, and I said, 
``Would the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Appropriations 
please answer my question. Will this cut affect the CCC funds?'' And 
the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] responded and in about 2 
minutes' worth he indicated to me that they would not be cut. The fact 
that I did not understand a word that he said because of the 
Mississippi brogue I think was probably irrelevant, so I sat down in my 
chair and I said to one of my senior Members, ``What did he say?'' and 
he said, ``No, they weren't cut.'' So I went over to the chairman 
afterward and in 10 seconds he informed me that that was the case.
  I guess the point I am trying to make is that in a very nice way, the 
chairman was letting me know in his own special Mississippi way, and I 
do not know whether you want to call it a brogue or a dialect, ``No, 
Mr. Rookie, we're not really cutting those funds but I'm going to be 
nice to you,'' and then in 10 seconds he let me know what the score 
was. So I learned my lesson, and I think it was a lesson that was well 
taken.
  Jamie Whitten has been a role model to generations of his colleagues 
demonstrating the proper way to really represent a district and 
seriously approach our committee responsibilities. So for those of my 
colleagues who have recently arrived and do not know the chairman, let 
me just say this and this is in behalf of all of his friends and all of 
his colleagues. Mark this man well. We will not see his like again. I 
thank the gentleman from Mississippi. I feel it a privilege to rise and 
extol the obvious virtues of a man we all love and we all respect.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I want to thank the gentleman from Kansas. The 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] was pretty good at mumbling 
through certain areas that he would not want to be challenged on, and 
the gentleman points that out. We appreciate him taking this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want 
to thank the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery] for arranging 
this special order today.
  Mr. Speaker, paying tribute to our distinguished colleague from the 
State of Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] is certainly a bittersweet 
experience. While I join with our colleagues in expressing deep regret 
that he is leaving us, depriving us of his invaluable insight and 
experience, I also recognize that no one in this Chamber has earned a 
retirement and well-deserved rest more than he.
  On January 6, 1992, Jamie L. Whitten set a new record for longevity 
in the U.S. House of Representatives. As of the day, he had served 
longer than any Member of Congress in history. As our senior Member, we 
looked to him for guidance and advice. He is our living link with the 
past--the last Member remaining who was in this Chamber to vote for war 
the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked; the last Member to recall 
service under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman.
  Jamie Whitten's major concern was the agricultural interests of our 
Nation. He was never afraid to remind us, in his words, ``agriculture 
affects 84 percent of the geography of this country.'' Jamie was proud 
to have his name associated with rural electrification programs, 
irrigation projects, service road infrastructure, and bringing 
telephones to our farmers--to make their lives and their families 
tolerable.
  Representative Whitten served for so long as chairman of the 
Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Agriculture that he is known 
in some circles as the permanent Secretary of Agriculture. But I know 
all of his colleagues throughout the years will testify to Jamie's 
honesty and fairness in that position.
  Jamie Whitten was first elected to Congress in a special election to 
fill a vacancy in November 1941. Today, over a half a century later, he 
is prepared to retire at the age of 84.
  Our Nation and the world have changed immeasurably since Jamie 
Whitten first came to Congress. One thing that has not changed, 
however, is his reverence for the grand traditions of our Nation, and 
his impeccable integrity. From 1941 through 1994, Jamie Whitten's has 
been an example to all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, I join our colleagues in wishing a long, healthy, happy, 
and productive retirement to Jamie Whitten, to his wife Rebecca, and to 
their family. They will be missed here at the Capitol.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I certainly 
appreciate the gentleman from New York State taking the time today to 
be a part of this honor for the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Whitten]. I thank the gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hutto].
  Mr. HUTTO. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the gentleman from 
Mississippi taking this special order.
  Mr. Speaker, It is a great pleasure for me to join the many friends 
of our dear colleague, Jamie Whitten, in paying tribute to one of the 
outstanding statesman to serve in the Congress of the United States. 
Jamie's retirement at the end of this Congress marks the end of an era 
in longevity in Congress. I doubt very seriously if anyone will ever 
come close to serving the length of time, more than half a century, 
that Mr. Whitten has served. I, too, am retiring at the end of the 
year, but after only 16 years. Frankly, that is a pretty long time to 
serve in the volatility of today's political world. So, it is 
unthinkable to me that anyone could serve in this body for more than 50 
years, but Jamie did it, and did it well. It would take a long time to 
enumerate Jamie's accomplishments, so I will just say that he has 
served his district, State, and Nation with great distinction, and I 
want to congratulate our good friend, Jamie Whitten, and extend for 
Nancy and me our very best wishes to Jamie, his lovely wife Rebecca, 
and their family. May God richly bless you in your retirement.

                              {time}  1420

  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman for coming over and wish him 
the best as he retires, and thank him for honoring Jamie Whitten.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey], 
chairman of the Committee on Appropriations.
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi for 
yielding. I vividly remember the first time I sat in an Appropriations 
Committee meeting--as a very green freshman--and I was in awe of some 
of the representations on the top of that committee then. People like 
George Mahon and Jamie Whitten and others who had already then served 
this House with such great distinction.
  I agree with the gentleman from Florida who just spoke. I believe 
Jamie Whitten's career here is truly unparalleled. I do not believe it 
will ever be equaled. I cannot imagine anyone being able to endure the 
pressures and tensions of this job as long as the distinguished 
gentleman from Mississippi has.
  I would say that it takes a remarkable human being to go with the 
flow as the country changes, the institution changes, the Government 
itself changes and to still be able to be on top of those changes and 
deal with them in ways which respond to the needs of the country and 
the body. I think Jamie has done that with grace and with diligence, 
this despite what people are sometimes led to believe about political 
institutions in this country. It has been my experience, regardless of 
philosophy and regardless of party, most people who come here come here 
to try to do good things for their country. They take the positions 
they take because they have deep beliefs about the direction in which 
the country ought to go. They use their energy and their convictions to 
try to push the country in that direction. I think Jamie is a great 
example of that.
  It is also remarkable that he has seen the changes in the country 
that he has seen through the years. He has been one of the greatest 
voices in this Congress for demanding that we preserve the resource 
base of the country, the fundamental agricultural resource base upon 
which all societies are founded. And he has also seen his region 
change. Our history is very clear about the changes that have occurred 
with respect to the issue of race, and I must say I think that the 
South has probably handled that better than any other sector of the 
country because they have a lot longer experience dealing with the 
issue, and I think Jamie has demonstrated his ability to do that as 
well through the years that he has served in this place.
  Lastly, I would simply say that in the years that he ran the 
committee which I now chair he ran that committee with grace, he ran it 
with good and gentle humor, and he almost always had a kind word to say 
for those of us who were just getting started on the committee.
  Sid Yates has often remarked that the question has often been asked 
of Jamie: ``Do you think you've changed?'' His response has been, ``No, 
but I have had to adjust to the change.'' I think that is something 
which all of us have to do if we want to perform our years in public 
service in a way which does credit to the country and recognizes 
reality, and I think the gentleman has done that with great grace and 
skill, and I very much treasure the experience I have had serving under 
him and with him.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I very much thank the chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations for taking the time. As he knows, since he has been 
there, it is a very responsible job, and Mr. Whitten handled it well 
over the years.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi, 
Mr. Benny Thompson.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding. I would like to associate myself with the comments that have 
been made by speakers before me about Mr. Whitten. But I would also 
like to compliment the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery] on 
pulling this special order together highlighting Mr. Whitten and his 
tenure here in Congress. Many times our flowers are not given while we 
are here, and I think this is a fitting tribute for Mr. Whitten who is 
present here today to hear what his colleagues think of him. Many 
times, as Members know, most of what our colleagues say probably cannot 
be repeated in these halls. But I am happy to be party to the fine 
comments that I have heard today.
  Also, as the newest Member of the Mississippi delegation, I can say 
my short tenure here has been one where Mr. Whitten's staff has been 
very supportive of me upon replacing Mike Espy, who as Members know is 
now the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. Whitten's staff was more than 
helpful to me when I arrived here on April 22 of last year. And I can 
say that during my tenure here every time we have needed some 
information, his staff has been more than helpful.
  Also before I came to Congress I was a county supervisor in the 
largest county in Mississippi, and many times we had an opportunity to 
come to Washington. I might add that there was never an opportunity to 
come to Washington that we did not come by Mr. Whitten's office, and 
every time, I might add also, we were very successful in getting the 
projects funded. Most of the projects had specific emphasis on 
agriculture and rural development, and given his love for his State and 
this country as a whole it has been a pleasure associating myself with 
him in Congress as well as before that.
  So I would as a parting comment want to wish him well on whatever 
career he chooses to take after the end of this year. May it be 50 plus 
more years of success that he has had like here in Congress. Again I 
would like to pay special tribute to the gentleman from Mississippi 
[Mr. Montgomery] for putting this special order together, and would 
just like to say thank you.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. 
Our State has been good to us. They have sent us back and given us an 
opportunity to get seniority. Being a small State, this is certainly 
helpful. That is what the people did in the First District of 
Mississippi. They sent Jamie Whitten back time and time again, and he 
came through for them, and I thank the gentleman for participating.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Gonzalez], who 
is also a chairman of the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban 
Affairs. I appreciate his participating.
  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I very much thank Chairman Montgomery, may 
I say. First I want to thank him for giving us this opportunity by 
setting aside this time as a means through special orders to recognize 
and render tribute to what will go down as one of the most venerable 
and longtime Members and effective Members of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, Chairman Jamie Whitten. Since I came to Congress 33 
years ago next month I found that the system then which later became 
under such severe attack had one thing that unfortunately, and this is 
a personal opinion, has eroded in the House.

                              {time}  1430

  That is institutional integrity. Jamie Whitten was powerful then. He 
was not chairman of the full committee, but he certainly was chairman 
of a powerful subcommittee.
  As a freshman, maybe I would not be recognized to spout off or 
venture forth with particular amendments or what have you, but I was 
recognized as a peer that represented, like the gentleman from 
Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] and his colleagues of that day, in command 
posts, did themselves, and, therefore, there was that feeling that 
though we may not have that access to the decisionmaking and 
powermaking actions, we were respected as peers duly elected in our 
respective districts just like everybody else.
  I learned that, given a problem arising in my district which would 
necessitate visiting with the chairman of the Appropriations 
Subcommittee, that Chairman Whitten was accessible. He was reactive to 
the needs, and I think it is a tremendous privilege that I should have 
this opportunity to say so in his presence.
  I am one of those that supported him to the very end and would today.
  The precious ingredient that I call institutional integrity was 
something that I first recognized in a similar body, the Texas State 
Senate, where Mississippians and their descendants contributed very 
much to the development, and it was considered a very hidebound, 
authoritarian type of institution.
  I proceeded forth under similar circumstances as being somebody out 
from left wing or somewhere, but the Texas State Senate had 
institutional integrity, and those colleagues, just like the colleagues 
here when I came to the U.S. House, had that same solidarity of respect 
for a member they considered a peer, no matter how much they disagreed, 
no matter how much they may have felt antipathy, and this is what I see 
personified in Chairman Whitten, a great tradition that through the 
decades since the founding of this, the first session of this 
institution in 1789, really made it the most vigorous parliamentary 
body in the world.
  It was with regret that when we had the great transition periods, 
1974, and we had the Legislative Reform Act and the Budgetary Reform 
Act, and I studied them, the intended purpose was to streamline 
committees and also to break the authoritarian, dogmatic, if you want 
to call it that, dictatorial power of the old chairmen. The chairman of 
the Committee on Appropriations at that time was my fellow Texan, 
George Mahon. The gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] was right in 
line.
  I saw in those reform movements what I thought were dangers; to make 
a long story short and not to personalize this, I consulted first with 
Mr. Mahon, Chairman Mahon. He did not seem to be very much interested 
in my preoccupations. I felt that the language of the Budget Reform Act 
was such that it was going to shake up the traditional two-track method 
of doing business, authorization and appropriation.
  However, I discussed it with the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Whitten]. He seemed to sense what I was getting at, but the language 
was so obscure that it was not until 1981 and the Reagan tax bill that 
the word ``reconciliation'' finally showed up.
  Let me say this: I was one of 10 who did not vote for either one of 
those reform acts, but I will never forget the fact that the chairman, 
the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], that so many young, new, 
and effervescent Members would dismiss as an old nestor and perhaps 
ancient, as I am considered now myself, but I could always see that too 
much youth is like too much sunshine, it creates deserts, and that with 
experience, which is the only source of, comes wisdom.
  Of what avail is it to have all the knowledge in the world and all of 
the rules known and be very smart in modern-day techniques, that the 
young perhaps might epitomize and symbolize, that there is no wisdom 
and no prudence? And from time immemorial, that has been the long 
objective goal, to seek knowledge and wisdom.
  Therefore, I round this out by rendering tribute to the chairman, the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], who had wisdom and has had 
wisdom and tempered many a crisis by his standing right here at this 
podium and handling some of the most difficult appropriation bills.
  So, Godspeed, Chairman Whitten. Your departure is our loss, but I 
think many of us go with you in spirit and enjoinder in wishing you the 
best.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman.
  I would like to point out that the gentleman is a chairman, and that 
when the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], the years that he 
was chairman, that his committee under both Democrats and Republicans, 
came up with less dollars than the President's budgets were, and we get 
criticism for overspending, but under the gentleman from Mississippi 
[Mr. Whitten], whatever the President requested, our budgets were 
always below that.

  Mr. GONZALEZ. If the gentleman will yield further, there is another 
thing we have lost sight of. Very few Members who have come aboard 
since 1974 fail to realize that there were days in which we did not 
have continuing resolutions, much less dire supplemental, dire 
emergency supplemental resolutions. That was abhorrent to men like the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten].
  All of that came after the 1974 so-called Reform Act, which I want 
the record to show I did not vote for.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman
  I would like to yield to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Barlow].
  Mr. BARLOW. I thank the gentleman very much.
  I, too, want to pay tribute to the chairman, the gentleman from 
Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], and to the State of Mississippi. The State 
of Mississippi has certainly served our Union well through the years, 
and the decades, sending such men as the chairman, the gentleman from 
Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], and yourself, Chairman Montgomery, to 
Congress to help us as a Nation with some of the most important work we 
have to keep America strong, and that is supporting the labors of our 
farmers and supporting our veterans as you do, sir.
  But I want to particularly talk about the work that the gentleman 
from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] has done through the decades, the long 
decades in supporting the work of farmers on the land. He came when we 
had been through a harrowing period in our Nation's history of 
depression, when people were losing their farms to the gavel of 
auctioneers, sales, being driven off their land when crop prices were 
in free fall, when it was not at all certain whether we were going to 
have peace in the rural areas, indeed, whether we were going to be able 
to feed and clothe our Nation with the sustained production from the 
land.
  The chairman, the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], through 
the years, the other members of the Agriculture Committee and the 
Appropriations Committees have labored mightily to make certain that 
our farmers have the structure and the framework in which we today 
benefit with abundant food supplies. You do not pull into a fast-food 
restaurant today and ever run into a shortage. You do not go into a 
supermarket today and ever see a shelf that is not overflowing with all 
variety of production from the United States.

                              {time}  1440

  It is the chairman, Chairman Whitten, who nurtured this. I want to 
pay my deepest respects to him.
  Mr. Speaker, in my lifetime--54 years old--we in our Nation have 
never known shortages the way many other nations have known shortages. 
This is due to the work and the leadership of the gentleman from 
Mississippi [Mr. Whitten]. And it is at a time when technology has put 
tremendous stresses on our farm land and on the structure of farming. 
This has required wisdom to guide our policy so that we can keep the 
land and water resources in condition, in good quality for future 
generations. Also so that the abundance of the new technology does not 
drive prices to the point that existing farms slide into economic ruin.
  This has taken careful crafting, guidance, working with farm groups, 
working with urban consumer groups. Chairman Whitten has fashioned that 
in a very creative way. We are coming into a period in the Congress, in 
the House, where we will not have the wisdom of people such as Mr. 
Whitten, who have served for many years, whose collective wisdom will 
be missed. We will be having a House with many younger Members in it. 
And I pray that the experience that has been put together through the 
years by Jamie Whitten will be passed onto us in some divine fashion. 
And I know it will.
  I thank the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery].
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Barlow].
  I say to the gentleman that our great friends, Mr. Jamie Whitten, and 
the gentleman from Kentucky, Bill Natcher--and I am scared to guess at 
the number of years, but I think it was over 40 years they served 
together in the Committee on Appropriations.
  I know Bill Natcher is looking down from heaven today trying to honor 
Jamie Whitten.
  Mr. BARLOW. I know the gentleman would want me to be here today.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri 
[Mr. Volkmer].
  Mr. VOLKMER. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and commend the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery] for taking this special 
order.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to take the time here to commend the illustrious 
gentleman, the former chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten], for all the work that he has 
done, not only for this House of Representatives but through the years 
for the people of the United States.
  Again, I also wish to commend the gentleman in the well, the 
gentleman from Mississippi, for taking this special order, in order to 
enable us to take a few minutes to recognize a person who has really 
been a star in the heavens of the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, you know, as I travel around my rural district--and I 
know the gentleman we are honoring today has a rural district also--but 
I have seen signs of what the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] 
has been able to do and to bring about not only through Farmers' Home 
but also through rural development.
  You know, back when Jamie first came to this Congress, 
electrification was really just getting going in this Nation and our 
rural areas were starting to get electricity. A lot of those people did 
not have running water. They had cisterns, they had wells, they did 
have to haul water. They did not have sewers or anything like that.
  Mr. Speaker, through the work of Jamie Whitten and the members of the 
Committee on Appropriations and our members on the Committee on 
Agriculture, as I travel around my district now, almost everybody has 
been hooked up to water. Now, we still have some who are not, and we 
still have some small towns with whom we are working with to get those 
sewers in. But just a couple of weeks ago in one of my rural 
communities, they were very grateful that they had just received a 
grant from Farmers' Home Administration for their sewer system. And 
they were gong to get some bonds and provide local funds, CDBG money, 
the State, and they are going to have sewers in that town.
  You know, a lot of our cities probably do not think it, they have had 
sewers all their lives, they never grew up without anything like that. 
They never grew up without turning on the tap and getting water. They 
did not have to worry about sending a truck to town, getting it filled 
up and then come back and fill up the wells or tanks or things like 
that. But Jamie has brought rural America more development than any 
other Member has been responsible for to date, any other Member of this 
body.
  For that, I wish, on behalf of my people, to thank him sincerely for 
that.
  You know, Jamie, I guess you well remember one of my predecessors, a 
guy named Clarence Cannon. Clarence Cannon served in this body, not 
quite as long as Jamie, but he served here for some 42 years. He also 
was chairman of the Committee on Appropriations for a good number of 
years. As I remember, Jamie served on that committee under Clarence 
Cannon.
  I would say, having known both of them, one back when I was a 
practicing lawyer back home and then as a State representative, as I 
got to know Clarence Cannon, then as I came here and got to know Jamie 
Whitten, they are really two people out of the same cloth. I want to 
say that it has been an honor and a privilege for me to have served in 
this body with the honoree today.
  You know, when you come here and you start as a freshman and then 
move up, there are certain people whom you learn to know, that you know 
that they know how to do things and get things done. There are others 
that you respect a little bit more than others.
  Well, folks, I want you to know that the person we are honoring today 
has always had my deepest respect and one who I always go to talk to on 
agriculture issues and things affecting rural America. And I think that 
it is a great thing to be able to be here today with Jamie and also to 
be able to recognize him for all the years that he has spent in this 
body, longer than anybody else. I am sure with term limits and 
everything else coming down the pike, there is just never going to be 
anybody to ever equal the years that Jamie has served. There probably 
will neither be another who will be able to equal all the 
accomplishments that he has been able to do throughout his service 
here.
  So I wish to join with everybody else in honoring our honoree today, 
Jamie Whitten.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. If the gentleman would yield, you know, they break 
sports records every day in the different sports around the country. I 
doubt very seriously, as the gentleman said, this record will ever be 
broken.
  Mr. VOLKMER. It will never be broken. It is one that we will always 
recognize, just like that of his predecessor, the person who followed 
him, who has now passed away. I do not think Bill Natcher's record of 
consecutive number of votes without missing a single vote will ever be 
changed either.

  The years and the days and the months that Jamie has been here and 
served in this body, there is no question in my mind that that record 
will never be broken.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. It is really a part of history that we are doing here 
today.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Yes, it is. You know, there have only been so many 
Members in this body, this historic body, this greatest institutions in 
the world as far as democracy is concerned, as far as that is 
concerned--we do have the other body, but I consider it a little 
inferior to this one. So that makes this one the greatest deliberative 
body of any democratic institution. It has lasted longer than any other 
body. We are honoring a person here today who is probably one of the 
top Members of those who have been here, the top one of all of those 
Members. So it is quite a historic occasion.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. And further, when the gentleman from Missouri [Mr. 
Volkmer] and I are gone, maybe Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Parker and Mr. 
Taylor, after we are long gone, they will still remember Jamie Whitten.
  Mr. VOLKMER. Oh yes, we have not made the history books; but Jamie 
did. He made the history books.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. I thank the gentleman for his comments.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend, the gentleman from Mississippi 
[Mr. Parker].
  Mr. PARKER. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery] for calling this special 
order. It is indeed a special day.
  Mr. Speaker, when I first got here, one of the first things I noticed 
was that the dean of the House of Representatives was the one who swore 
in the new Speaker each time. After watching Mr. Whitten swear in the 
Speaker of the House, I thought to myself that is just the way it 
should be, somebody from Mississippi should swear in the Speaker.
  Mr. Whitten has indeed been here longer than anybody else. His tenure 
is unparalleled. When I first came on this floor--and I have told this 
story before--Mr. Whitten put his arm around me and he said, ``Mike, do 
you remember Roosevelt's Day of Infamy speech?''

                              {time}  1450

  And I said, ``Mr. Whitten, I've heard about it,'' and he said, 
``Well, when he gave that speech, I was sitting right over there,'' and 
I thought to myself that was 8 years before I was born. Now I am a very 
young man, but I was born in 1949, and to know that Mr. Whitten served 
in this body, representing the people of Mississippi since November 11, 
1941, is a phenomenal record.
  People in the First District of Mississippi, they call Mr. Whitten, 
Jamie, the vast majority of them. I never got comfortable calling him 
Jamie. He told me to call him Jamie, and I said, ``Mr. Whitten, I don't 
feel comfortable calling you that,'' and I always referred to him as 
Mr. Whitten, but his constituents, the vast majority, feel very close 
to him, and they have called him Jamie lo these many years.
  Now the amazing thing about it, Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine 
tells a story about the people of his district, and in World War II, 
whenever people had trouble and they needed help, they would always 
say, ``Well, we need to just call Jamie,'' and when Korea came along, 
and people needed help, they said, ``Don't worry about it; just call 
Jamie.''
  Then Vietnam, they called Jamie, and it is an amazing thing to see, 
all the way from World War II to the Persian Gulf war they are saying, 
``Well, just call Jamie. He'll be able to take care of it for you.''
  Mr. Speaker, I would love to be able to take credit for all the great 
projects that we have gotten in my district since I have been in 
Congress. I would like to say it is because of my skill as a 
legislator, because of how much influence that I have around this 
place, that we have been able to do some things for the people of my 
district that will be forever remembered.
  It is not I who have gotten those projects, but it is Jamie Whitten. 
Every time that I have needed something for my people, every time that 
we needed something that needed to be built or something funded, 
something done, something that my people felt strongly about, Mr. 
Speaker, I would go to Mr. Whitten, and Mr. Whitten would say, ``Well, 
son, we'll see what we can do,'' and he would take care of it.
  He has been very important in my life in the Congress, and he has 
also been important for all the different politicians, so many young 
men and women that have entered political life, not only in 
Mississippi, but throughout this Nation, because he has truly had to 
have a national vision, especially being chairman of the Committee on 
Appropriations for so many years.
  When the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] came to Congress in 
the early 1940's, Mr. Speaker, the United States was still primarily a 
very rural society. Everybody did not have automobiles. Most people in 
the rural areas had mules and plow horses. A lot of people did not have 
electricity. The ones that had running water maybe had just running 
water inside, but they had plumbing outside. It is an amazing thing, 
the changes that the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] has seen 
occur and the changes that he has personally effected by what he has 
done for rural America.
  Rural electrification has changed the face of what we see in 88 
percent of this country. The Extension Service, because of Mr. 
Whitten's leadership, has changed the way we view rural America.
  And then there is the Postal Service, and this Member will go 
unnamed, but I was talking to a young Member who happened to be a young 
Member at the time, but he was on the Committee on Appropriations at 
the time, and one of the first things he did when he got on the 
Committee on Appropriations was he wanted to get rid of Saturday 
delivery in rural America for the Postal Service, and after Mr. Whitten 
mumbled his way through and explained the facts of life to this young 
man, he decided that he would withdraw his whole concept of changing 
Postal Service Saturday delivery for rural America.
  I think it is safe to say that the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. 
Whitten] has had as much influence on what has happened in rural 
America as any Member who has ever been in Congress, and he has done it 
not only from the standpoint of what is best for his constituents in 
the first district, but he has done it from the standpoint of what is 
best for this Nation as a whole and for the world as a whole. He has 
had to truly have a global view of our society and our Government.
  I just want to personally wish Mr. Whitten the best and Miss Rebecca 
the best. She has had to put up with him lo these many years, and I 
hope that the time that they have after they leave the Congress, they 
will enjoy it, and they will not forget us, and come back and see us 
every once in a while, but I thank the gentleman very much for 
reserving this time for this very special man.
  Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, let me just follow up on what the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Parker] said. The family of the 
gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Whitten] is Rebecca, his wife, and he 
has a son and daughter, Jamie and Beverly. I say to the gentleman, 
``they have been totally supportive of you, Mr. Whitten, since you have 
been serving in the Congress. Rebecca Whitten has maintained two homes, 
one in Washington, DC, and one in Charleston, MS, and I'm told that the 
people of your hometown in Mississippi want you and Rebecca to come 
home.''
  Mr. BEVILL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good 
friend and colleague Jamie Whitten, the dean of the U.S. House of 
Representatives. He is retiring with one of the most outstanding 
records of public service in our Nation's history.
  Jamie Whitten was first elected to Congress in November, 1941, about 
a month before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Over the years, he has 
diligently served his Mississippi constituents and the people of this 
Nation. Anyone who aspires to public office would do well to study the 
career of Jamie Whitten. He exemplifies the dedication and integrity of 
an excellent public servant.
  During his years in the House, Jamie has served with 11 Presidents. 
All of them have solicited his wise counsel and advice. Those of us who 
have served with him for many years recognize Jamie Whitten as one of 
the most respected, most effective and most experienced representatives 
we have ever known. We will all miss his leadership and his many fine 
contributions.
  Jamie has been a strong supporter of the Tennessee Valley Authority 
and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Both of these agencies have 
had a tremendous impact on our Nation and much of the credit goes to 
Jamie Whitten. He helped improve their economic development programs 
and he helped keep them alive.
  Jamie has fought long and hard in support of the hundreds of flood 
control projects, navigation, hydroelectric and recreation projects 
administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He worked hard for 
his district, his State and his Nation, recognizing that public works 
are the lifeblood of our economy. He has always known the importance of 
investing in our Nation's infrastructure, from waterways to highways.
  His support was essential in the successful completion of the 
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.
  Most Members I know have stood in awe of Jamie Whitten. Some used to 
describe him as a 2,000-pound gorilla no one dared tangle with. He is 
known for his determination and he is known to stand his ground on 
important issues. But, I have never known a Member who asked for 
Jamie's help and didn't receive it. He has always been known as one of 
the most dependable Members in Congress. You could count on him, and in 
turn, he would count on you.
  As chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Jamie had the 
respect and support of the entire House of Representatives, the Senate 
and the Administration. His leadership and effectiveness were deeply 
admired.
  His devotion to agriculture was always apparent during his 
chairmanship of Agriculture Appropriations and he was considered an 
expert when it came to farming programs. He was a true champion for 
rural Americans everywhere.
  Jamie has always supported the work of my Subcommittee on Energy and 
Water Development and I appreciated his interest.
  I heard him say many times that energy and water needs are two of the 
most critical issues facing our Nation. His backing has been very 
important to me and I have relied on him to help me get my bill passed.
  We will all miss Jamie Whitten. We will miss his support, his advice, 
and his friendship. But, we will never forget him. His 53 years of 
service to our Nation will stand as an enduring legend.
  Jamie, I wish you and your lovely wife Rebecca all the best in your 
well-earned retirement.
  Mr. YATES. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to 
salute my very dear friend and colleague, Jamie Whitten. We have been 
good friends since 1949, when I began my first term. Jamie, of course, 
was already an established and experienced Member of the House in that 
year and he was eminently kind and very helpful to me.
  Jamie Whitten is, without question, one of the most able and 
dedicated members who ever served here. When he became my chairman in 
1979, I knew the committee would be in the hands of a thoroughly fair 
and very capable chairman. He guided the committee with consummate 
skill during trying and difficult budgetary years. As chairman and as 
subcommittee member, Jamie Whitten has served the Nation and the 
Congress with rare distinction and we are all in his debt. I am honored 
to call Jamie Whitten my friend. I will miss the good gentleman from 
Mississippi and I wish him well.
  Mr. McDADE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to thank Chairman Montgomery for 
taking out this special order, and to rise to take my hat off to one of 
the greatest of all times, Jamie Whitten, the longest serving House 
Member in history, the long-time chairman of the Appropriations 
Committee, and known as the permanent Secretary of the Department of 
Agriculture.
  There is no one around here who knows what it is like to serve in a 
session of Congress without Jamie Whitten. He is our institutional 
memory, our wise man, who has seen it all and done it all, and whom we 
will all miss greatly.
  Jamie never made a secret about whom he came here to help.
  He was and is here to protect and defend the people, the land, the 
natural resources, and the wealth of the Nation. That has been his 
formula for economic success--support the people and the land and you 
will create wealth.
  And his people knew it. They knew he was here for them. So they have 
always been there for him.
  He has served as a role model for generations of Members of Congress. 
He has been a great public servant, going far beyond the bounds of the 
expected and into the realm of the historic. Every day that Jamie 
serves, history is made.
  And history will undoubtedly reward Jamie for his efforts--he will be 
there in the annals of history, enshrined as a special Member, who set 
the standard that probably no one will ever be able to top in terms of 
his service to the Nation.
  On behalf of the Republican members of the Appropriations Committee, 
on behalf of myself, and of all the Members, I rise to congratulate 
Jamie Whitten for his extraordinary record of public service, and to 
stand in tribute to him for all that he has accomplished through the 
more than half-century of service in the House of Representatives.
  Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jamie Lloyd 
Whitten, who represents Mississippi's First Congressional District. As 
we all know, Jamie is retiring at the end of this Congress after a long 
and distinguished career. Jamie is the current dean of the House and 
has served in the U.S. Congress since 1941, the longest tenure of any 
Member in the history of the House of Representatives.
  His service is replete with achievement. Jamie cochaired the Joint 
Study Committee on Budget Control, which led to the enactment of the 
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. That act was 
arguably the most significant change in the Federal budget process 
since the establishment of the modern budget procedure in the Budget 
and Accounting Act of 1921. Jamie served as chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development from 1948 through 
1992, interrupted only by the Republican control of the House from 1953 
to 1955.
  He chaired the full Committee on Appropriations from 1979 through 
1992. In that very important position, he presided over a great number 
of funding decisions that affected the Federal Government and the 
entire U.S. economy.
  Jamie's service in the Congress spanned the period running from the 
beginning of World War II through the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. 
During his career, Jamie has witnessed many historical events, 
including the Marshall plan, the start of the Peace Corps and other 
Great Society programs, and the 1990 Andrews Air Force Base budget 
agreement. Jamie was an active participant in several of these landmark 
programs.
  Jamie Whitten has served the First District of Mississippi and the 
House with honor and dignity for 53 years--and his record is one to be 
proud of.
  We wish Jamie and his wife, Rebecca, the very best in their 
retirement years.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my dear 
friend and colleague, Congressman Jamie Whitten. Jamie was elected to 
Congress in November 1941, and eventually became the dean of the 
Congress, saying ``It is not how long you serve, but how well.''
  His unassuming manner, keen mind, and unquestionable personal 
integrity, have won him the support of all political parties. Even more 
importantly, he has served as a role model to me and many others in 
Congress. Jamie Whitten is held in the highest esteem by all of his 
colleagues. Whether it was as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, 
where all spending bills are initiated, or representing, for over 50 
years, the First District of Mississippi, he has protected all programs 
that are important to real people. Some say that as long as Jamie 
Whitten is around, so too will the spirit of the New Deal, which will 
symbolize fairness and a better standard of living for generations to 
come.
  Jamie recognizes that when you handle money, you're in the strongest 
position in Congress. However, ``The Chairman'' does not measure wealth 
in terms of money, but in terms of physical assets. Rarely in the 
spotlight, he labors hardest for the people from the Mississippi River 
east to the Alabama line, but has never forgotten the rest of the 
Nation. His record of accomplishment is unsurpassed. The standards he 
sets to ensure that our national assets are well taken care of, serve 
also as the yardstick by which we should all measure ourselves.
  Elected to the Mississippi house at the age of 21, he was chosen 
district attorney by the age of 23. Eight years later he would come to 
Washington to serve the people. Jamie Whitten is quoted as saying, ``I 
came to the Congress by accident; my ambition was to practice law.'' 
Mr. Speaker, if he had practiced law it would have been to perfection, 
but if his coming to Congress was an accident, then we need more 
accidents.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, as the years progress, I'm finding it 
disquieting that there are fewer and fewer of my colleagues ahead of me 
on the seniority list. There is my esteemed colleague, Sid Yates, and 
my old friend Jack Brooks. Then, there's my dear friend Jamie Whitten--
who we honor today for his retirement.
  Jamie Whitten is about as much of a personal institution as you're 
going to get around here. He grew up with politics and public service--
much as I did. But Jamie has a little bit more experience.
  At the young age of 20, he was already a school principal. He cast 
his first vote--for himself, I might add--when he was elected to the 
Mississippi State Legislature at the age of 21.
  Jamie began his professional career in law and at the age of 23 was 
elected as the district attorney in Mississippi's 17th District. From 
this post he sought and was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives on November 4, 1941, just a little more than a month 
before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. In later years, Jamie swore to me 
there was no connection between his election and the attack.
  When I came to Congress in the mid-1950's, Jamie was already becoming 
a force to be reckoned with. My dad gave me good advice about Jamie. He 
told me that Jamie Whitten was a master at serving the needs of his 
constituency, particularly in ensuring the appropriate level of 
economic development. In 1960, Jamie Whitten taught President 
Eisenhower the meaning of the separation of powers doctrine by 
challenging his veto of public works appropriations. Jamie won, and 
reestablished the right of Congress to initiate public works projects.
  And on that front, Jamie wasn't shy about the projects he supported 
and funded: flood control, highway and navigation projects, the San 
Francisco Earthquake redevelopment, the Mt. St. Helens Volcano disaster 
cleanup, and before that the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Bonneville Power 
Authority, the Natchez Trace Parkway, the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, 
and irrigation projects in the West.
  Jamie's commitment to the people of Appalachia and to the development 
of this Nation was unsurpassed. On the Appropriations Committee, where 
he served as its chairman for 13 years, Jamie was always successfully 
defending funds for highways, public works, TVA, irrigation for the 
Southwest, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and other important public works 
projects.
  In his active service in the House, Jamie certainly knew the value of 
bipartisanship--and was effective in dealing with the 11 Presidents 
with whom he served, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. He 
handled over 180 appropriations bills during his long and distinguished 
career.
  I would like to point out that unlike any other chairman in this 
institution, the chairman of the House Appropriation Committee enjoys a 
very special advantage, which the National Journal once said of 
Chairman Whitten:

       An appropriations chairman is necessarily a figure to be 
     reckoned with. His bills, unlike those of other chairmen 
     eventually must pass * * * without fail.

  Those of us who have known Jamie for a number of years recognize that 
when it comes to the policies and politics of agriculture, no one can 
top Chairman Whitten. If it grows, moos, or grunts in any proximity to 
a farmhouse, you can bet Jamie has had a hand in funding the program. 
One of our esteemed colleagues, former Budget Committee Chairman 
William Gray from Pennsylvania once said:

       Jamie remains and will always be the chief spokesman for 
     agriculture and rural America. That is him; that is his 
     being. That's what flows in his veins. He's got a district 
     that loves him and he produces for them.

  Above all, we will miss Jamie: a man of integrity, a team player, a 
dependable friend, and a very private person whose wry sense of humor 
and quiet self-confidence made him an unmovable anchor in this 
institution.
  This body and its Members--particularly this Member--will never 
forget Jamie Whitten: and institution within our institution. His 
spirit will remain forever.
  Mr. CARR. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in this special order to 
commemorate the career of Jamie Whitten. And what a career it has been. 
I will leave it to my colleagues to catalog most of the accomplishments 
and superlatives that Jamie Whitten has amassed during his long and 
extraordinary service in the House of Representatives. Chairman Whitten 
has served the people of northern Mississippi for nearly one-quarter of 
our Nation's existence. He has undoubtedly served with more Members of 
Congress than anyone ever has--or ever will.
  But I think the important thing to remember is not the length of 
Jamie's service, but the quality of it. For Jamie was always a true 
representative of his district and the people who sent him to 
Washington on 26 separate occasions. Obviously, people and a district 
will change in the course of a half century. And Jamie's district was 
no different in that regard. It is testimony to his intelligence and 
diligence that he was able to change with his district and with the 
country and remain a powerful legislator 50 years after casting his 
first vote in this body.
  I have served with Chairman Whitten on the Appropriations Committee 
for 12 years, and for most of that time he was the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Agriculture. The parts of Michigan I have had the honor 
to represent are largely rural and agricultural. As such, I have dealt 
on many occasions with the chairman. Jamie understood agricultural 
issues, whether they were in Michigan or Mississippi or Montana, and he 
invariably was of tremendous assistance to me and my district.
  Mr. chairman, we all wish you the best of health and happiness in 
your well-earned retirement.
  Mrs. LLOYD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our very 
distinguished colleague, Mr. Jamie Whitten, who will be retiring at the 
end of this legislative term.
  I have known Jamie Whitten for a number of years and have observed 
his admirable service in Washington, both as the dean of the 
Mississippi delegation and as the honorable chairman of the House 
Appropriations Committee.
  He has given his district, as well as our country, more than a half-
century of service. Jamie is a caring, loyal, and an effective leader. 
The House of Representatives and the State of Mississippi have been 
very fortunate to have the service of a man with such integrity and 
determination.
  Jamie, I wish you many more years of happiness, which you well 
deserve. We will miss you, and I hope that you will continue to 
contribute your outstanding qualities to public service, or whatever 
endeavors you may pursue.
  Mr. WELDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the House's 
most distinguished colleague and mentor, Jamie Whitten of Mississippi's 
First District.
  An instrumental force in congressional history since 1949, 
Congressman Whitten is the dean of the House and one of his kind.
  The list of attributes are many, however, Congressman Jamie Whitten 
will be remembered for shaping modern history and fighting to keep the 
spirit of the New Deal alive. He has also always called the shots from 
his longstanding position on the Agriculture Subcommittee.
  A member of the Agriculture Subcommittee since 1949, Congressman 
Whitten helped transform his congressional district from a rural 
frontier to a growing economic town that is welcoming industrial 
business.
  Jamie Whitten has said he is most proud to have his name on rural 
electricity, water systems, telephones, and highway service roads in 84 
percent of the country. It flatters us all that his name has also been 
associated as part of this institution.
  Today I stand before the House proud to have been able to work with 
Congressman Whitten during my brief 7 years in congressional office. He 
is a man not only with the longest service in congressional history but 
a man who has provided leadership to this great Nation for over half a 
century.
  Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in paying tribute to 
our colleague, Jamie L. Whitten of Mississippi, who is retiring at the 
end of this Congress.
  Few individuals who have served here in the Congress leave a legacy 
as distinguished and rich as Chairman Whitten. He devoted his life to 
his constituents, this institution and this Nation. Indeed, during his 
more than 52 years here in the House, he shaped policies great and 
small.
  As the longtime chairman of the Agriculture Appropriations 
Subcommittee, he ensured investment in the family farm and in 
agricultural research so our Nation could reap the bounty of its land. 
To his testament, no nation on Earth has the wealth and diversity of 
food products as does the United States.
  Similarly, as chairman of the full Appropriations Committee, Chairman 
Whitten guided and shaped many of the programs that helped build our 
country. Through the power of the purse, he worked to ensure that our 
Nation was strong by making the necessary and appropriate investment in 
both its people and infrastructure.
  For me personally, Chairman Whitten has been a valued friend. Since 
the day I came to Congress in 1988, he has unselfishlessly offered his 
advice and counsel on the ways of this institution. But even before my 
election, Chairman Whitten was a friend to the Clement family. Both 
when my father was Governor of Tennessee and when I was a member of the 
Tennessee Valley Authority, Chairman Whitten always responded to our 
concerns and our ideas. He gave us the benefit of his experience and 
often a helping hand.
  I will miss Chairman Whitten and I know my colleagues will as well. I 
am sure that in his retirement he will reflect proudly on his many 
accomplishments and on the contributions he made to building the vast 
wealth of this Nation.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, he called himself a country lawyer. But 
for decades, Members of this body--and for that matter, his 
constituents and farmers around the country--have referred to 
Mississippi's Jamie Whitten as a congressional giant and one of the 
most effective chairman this Capital has seen.
  An unassuming master of the legislative process, Jamie Whitten now 
has served longer in the House than anyone else in American history. 
After a meteoric career in local politics that included his election to 
district attorney at the age of 23, Jamie was elected to Congress in 
November 1941--a month before Pearl Harbor.
  Since that time, he has worked with 10 Presidents, earning a well-
deserved reputation as a team player with unquestioned honesty and an 
abiding interest in helping the forgotten farmers of this Nation. He 
has often been dubbed the permanent Secretary of Agriculture.
  All of us who serve in Washington--and all of those who value this 
body as a great American institution--will miss this gentle man, this 
towering legislative figure--both for his personal amiability, but also 
for his great legislative skills. I wish him continued success in his 
retirement.
  Mr. HEFNER. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today in tribute to 
the distinguished gentleman from Mississippi, a man who has given 
unparalleled service to this institution, a skillful leader, a devoted 
public servant, and a dear friend, the Honorable Jamie Whitten of 
Mississippi.
  In his 53 years here no one has been able to doubt these things about 
Jamie Whitten: First, his tremendous love for and commitment to the 
people who sent him here. As he is famous for saying, ``My district is 
a part of the nation, if you handle a national program and leave out 
your district, you would not want to go home.'' He cared about the 
people of the First District of Mississippi and worked so tirelessly on 
their behalf that they saw fit to return him to this body 27 times, 
more than any individual who ever served here.
  Second, no one could doubt that behind his great parliamentary skills 
and his studied leadership lay a simple, humble ambition: to serve his 
nation the best he possibly could. He piloted the Appropriations 
Committee with skill and grace, and with the guiding principle--
repeated at the opening of every hearing--that we were there to do the 
people's work.
  And finally, no one could ever doubt that Jamie Whitten is a man 
whose word is his bond, and whose friendship is real and true. Jamie 
Whitten is the embodiment of a gentleman, and I count the counsel and 
friendship I have enjoyed from him among the genuine blessings of life.
  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, it is with regret, and yet with pleasant 
memories, that we prepare to bid farewell to our dean, Jamie Whitten of 
Mississippi. No man has served this House of Representatives as long, 
and few as well.
  He was first elected to the House on November 4, 1941--the day after 
my 11th birthday.
  He is the only Member of this 103d Congress who was serving when the 
Japanese struck Pearl Harbor and this country was thrust into World War 
II.
  Twenty-seven times he ran for a seat in this House, and 27 times the 
citizens of Mississippi elected him. Their voting acumen has paid 
dividends. He has served his constituents, his State, and his country 
with honor, dignity, and devotion.
  Jamie Whitten began his move up the ladder of success at an early 
age, becoming a school principal at the age of 20. He was elected to 
the Mississippi State Legislature 1 year later. He recalls with a smile 
that the first vote he cast was for himself. And he contends he has 
spent his career attempting to prove that first vote was the right 
vote.
  Congressman Whitten directed his primary energies in the House to 
matters dealing with his State's and his Nation's agriculture. More 
than once, he has been called the permanent Secretary of Agriculture 
because of his efforts in the interests of the Nation's farmers, and 
the programs which he felt support rural America, its people, and its 
economy.
  To the Nation, he is a man who served such a distinguished career as 
chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, a high-profile position 
of great power which he never abused.
  When his term ends in January of next year, Jamie Whitten will have 
served his nation for over 53 years. He will long be remembered for his 
outstanding service to his country and to the State of Mississippi. We 
wish you well, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my colleague, 
Jamie Whitten upon his retirement from the House of Representatives. As 
a leader in politics for many years, he will be dearly missed by the 
members of this body.
  Chairman Whitten has demonstrated strong leadership qualities since 
his early days in Mississippi House of Representatives. His role as a 
leader continues to be evident today as new and seasoned members alike 
look to him for guidance. For over 50 years, Chairman Whitten has 
served this Nation as an effective Member of Congress and committee 
chairman, all the while never forgetting the needs of the people of his 
district and State.
  Since 1949, except for 1953-55 when Republicans had the majority, 
Chairman Whitten has chaired the Rural Development and Agriculture 
Subcommittee of Appropriations. He served as the chairman of the House 
Committee on Appropriations from 1979 to 1992. Currently, he is the 
senior member of the committee. Because Congressman Whitten holds the 
record for the longest service of any House subcommittee chairman in 
history, he has often been referred to as ``the permanent secretary of 
agriculture.''
  As the dean of the House, Chairman Whitten has played an 
unprecedented role in making history during the last half century. 
Furthermore, from his vantage as chairman of Appropriations he has 
personally shaped the modernization and improvement of our Nation's 
infrastructure. He has fought hard for legislation to appropriate funds 
for San Francisco Earthquake redevelopment, flood control, highway and 
navigation projects, Natchez Trace Parkway and irrigation projects, 
Mount St. Helens Volcano disaster cleanup, and other various plans 
designed to protect and develop our country.
  Recently, Chairman Whitten secured the building of the Tennessee-
Tombigbee Waterway, bringing new opportunities for industries, 
recreation, and tourism to this scenic region encompassing parts of 
Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. As former Congressional Budget 
Committee Chairman William Gray from Pennsylvania, now head of the 
United Negro College Fund, said: ``Jamie remains and will always be the 
chief spokesman for agriculture and rural America.''
  Chairman Whitten has served Mississippi and his country for over a 
half a century. I have the highest respect for Congressman Whitten and 
his many accomplishments. I am honored to join my colleagues in paying 
tribute to this most distinguished and devoted public servant. He is 
truly an example for all of us.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the 
dean of both the Mississippi delegation and of the House of 
Representatives, Jamie L. Whitten, and thank chairman Montgomery for 
calling this special order. Chairman Whitten was first elected in 
November 1941--a month before Pearl Harbor. During the ensuing 53 
years, he has played an active role in the dramatic changes both here 
in the House of Representatives and in our country.
  I consider it a personal privilege to honor Jamie because he served 
with my father, Thomas D'Alesandro. They were colleagues in Congress 
and on the Appropriations Committee.
  I am personally saddened that Jamie is leaving Congress because he is 
the only remaining member who served with my father and I consider him 
a link between my father's service and mine. Similarly, he is a link 
for all of us to the New Deal era.
  As a member, and later chairman, of the House Appropriations 
Committee, Jamie Whitten has been a genuine believer in the ability of 
the Federal Government to solve local problems. Long after his service 
in the Congress is over and well into the next century, Chairman 
Whitten's contributions to America will be appreciated and respected.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank publicly Chairman Whitten on 
behalf of all San Franciscans and citizens of the bay area. We have 
seen firsthand the skill, dedication, and commitment which have 
characterized Chairman Whitten's congressional career. In the days and 
weeks following the Loma Prieta earthquake, Chairman Whitten worked 
tirelessly with the members of the bay area delegation to secure the 
funding necessary to begin to repair the multibillion dollar damage. 
His assistance did not end with the immediate post-quake package. 
Recovering from a natural disaster is a long-term endeavor and Chairman 
Whitten has continued to assist the bay area in its rebuilding 
operation. We will always be grateful to him.
  My district is not alone in its respect for Chairman Whitten. His 
wise counsel and able assistance has affected every congressional 
district in the country. It has been my great fortune to have served 
with him both in the House and on the Appropriations Committee. He has 
been a leader, teacher, and friend and we will truly miss him.

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