[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 144 (Thursday, October 6, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 6, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
           THE RETIREMENT OF REP. TOM LEWIS, OCTOBER 6, 1994

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Fowler] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to my 
friend and colleague, Rep. Tom Lewis of Florida, who will be retiring 
at the conclusion of the 103d Congress.
  Although as a freshman I have only known Mr. Lewis for the last 2 
years, I hold him in high esteem and have looked to him as an example 
of what a good legislator should be.
  Tom Lewis is a man of great intelligence and character, and he has 
served his constituents and his Nation with energy and dedication. He 
has been a stalwart defender of agriculture, which is Florida's second 
largest business. And he has put his engineering and aviation 
background to good use during his service on the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee, working to keep America aviation competitive and 
on the cutting edge.
  Representative Lewis has also been a strong advocate for commonsense 
Government and fiscal responsibility, standing against the tide of 
increasing government regulations and reckless spending with courage.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Lewis is the kind of man we need in Washington, and 
he has earned the friendship and respect of Members on both sides of 
the aisle. Honest, straightforward and kind, he has always put the good 
of Florida and this Nation at the top of his agenda. And from his 
service in World War II to his service here in Washington, he has 
always given his best. He will be greatly missed but as he leaves this 
body he takes with him the best wishes of his friends and colleagues.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to join with my 
colleagues in recognizing the outstanding service to Congress and our 
nation of my friend and colleague, Tom Lewis.
  Tom has been a member of Congress since 1982 but has a record of 
public service which stretched over 50 years. A native of Philadelphia, 
which is also my hometown, Tom served for eleven years in the United 
States Air force. After completing his tenure in the Air Force, during 
which Tom fought in both World War II and the Korean War, Tom settled 
in Florida, graduated from the University of Florida, and began his 
work as the chief of rocket and jet engine testing with Pratt and 
Whitney.
  In 1964, Tom successfully ran for mayor of North Palm Beach, Florida, 
and hasn't looked back since, winning races for the Florida House, 
where he was the minority leader, the Florida Senate, and in 1982 to 
the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 16th District, which 
includes the beautiful coastal areas of Palm Beach.
  Throughout his tenure in Congress, Tom has earned the respect of his 
colleagues through his hard work and support of programs beneficial to 
his district and our Nation. As a senior member of the House Science, 
Space, and Technology Committee, Tom has championed public-private 
business partnerships to help our Nation's aerospace and defense 
industries, which are essential especially in light of the downsizing 
of the military as we enter the next millennium. Through his position 
on the House Agriculture Committee, and as ranking minority member of 
the speciality crops and natural resources subcommittee, Tom has also 
worked on behalf of farmers across the Nation, opening up trade 
barriers and strengthening worker-safety provisions.
  Above all, Tom has earned my respect and admiration, as well as the 
respect of his colleagues and constituents, through his integrity, 
devotion to this institution and his constituents, and his hard work. 
Tom Lewis will be missed, and it is a pleasure for me to join with 
Tom's friends and colleagues in wishing him, his wife Marian, and his 
family all the best as he begins his retirement.
  Mr. QUILLEN. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be here tonight to honor my 
good friend Tom Lewis, who has so ably represented the Sixteenth 
District of Florida here in the House of Representatives for the last 
12 years. I am saddened that he has chosen to retire at the end of this 
Congress, but this is not the first time that Tom has left one career 
to do something different.
  Tom only came to Congress after 11 years in the Air Force, 17 years 
in the aerospace industry, 7 years in local government, and 10 years in 
Florida State government. I can think of few Members of this body with 
a greater breadth of experience gained before coming to Congress, and 
it shows in the broad perspective that Tom has brought to his work 
here.
  Tom Lewis has put in a tremendous amount of hard work on the House 
Agriculture Committee. As someone whose district is heavily dependent 
on growing specialty crops, I have come to appreciate Tom's good work 
as ranking minority member on the Specialty Crops and Natural Resources 
Subcommittee. We will sorely miss his expertise as the House tackles 
next year's farm bill.
  Tom's work on the Committee on Science, Space and Technology has also 
been exemplary, and I know that his close attention to detail in these 
matters has made the country better off. Here on the House floor, he 
has agreed with me on almost every issue that I can recall, and I 
deeply appreciate the advice and counsel he has given me over the 
years.
  Tom will be sorely missed here, but it is good to know that he and 
Marian will be enjoying retirement at home in Palm Beach Gardens, 
thinking of Tom's next career choice. I hope he keeps in touch, and 
that he continues to come by the floor and see us now and then.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
gentleman whose public service career will have spanned 30 years. The 
House of Representatives has been a fortunate beneficiary of 
Congressman Tom Lewis' talents. I am pleased to have worked closely 
with Congressman Lewis on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
  While serving on Science, Space, and Technology, Representative 
Lewis' personal expertise has made him a natural proponent of programs 
promoting U.S. aerospace competitiveness, and a keen watcher of the 
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
  During the 102d Congress, Representative Lewis monitored the FAA's 
implementation of two measures for increasing aviation safety that had 
passed in the previous Congresses. His National Air Safety Act of 1988 
orders the FAA to spend a minimum of 15 percent of its annual research 
budget on a variety of safety issues. In the 101st Congress, 
Congressman Lewis also wrote a law to require the FAA to perform 
additional research aimed at detecting problems that could lead to 
accidents involving aging airliners.
  Congressman Lewis' efforts continued in the 102d and 103d Congress, 
where he pushed for legislation providing a joint planning board from 
which NASA, the Defense Department, and private companies could map out 
future research development projects in the aerospace industry. This 
system would have afforded private companies the opportunity to 
advocate for defense-related projects that have commercial 
applications.
  I know I am joined by my colleagues in saying Congressman Lewis has 
served this body with dedication, virtue, and dignity. The Science, 
Space, and Technology Committee will be at a loss without the 
invaluable contributions of Representative Lewis.

                          ____________________