[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                    TRIBUTE TO CHAIRMAN WILLIAM FORD

                                 ______


                           HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 1994

  Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to retiring 
chairman of our Committee on Education and Labor--the gentleman from 
Michigan, William Ford.
  Any observer of the Committee on Education and Labor knows that Bill 
Ford and I have never been philosophical soulmates. In fact, we have 
been on opposite sides of more issues than we both care to remember--
our plant closing law, the striker replacement proposal and the Direct 
Loan Program that soon will bear his name, to name just a few.
  But the same dedication and passion that made Bill Ford the most 
formidable of legislative foes, also made him a most valuable ally. I 
was proud to fight by his side for the landmark Family and Medical 
Leave Act, for a tough and effective Higher Education Act and against 
proposals to establish experimental school choice programs.
  His mastery of this institution is well known. Chairman Ford has 
always been a skillful strategist, a meticulous vote-counter, and an 
articulate advocate for his positions.
  Mr. Speaker, mine is not the first tribute to Chairman Ford, and 
certainly will not be the last. After 30 years of congressional and 
community service, he is deserving of all of them. However, when the 
speeches are over and the accolades stop flowing, the many legacies of 
Bill Ford will endure. His lifelong dedication to improving education 
and the lot of working Americans will stand in lasting tribute to his 
intelligence, his tenacity, and his character.
  Mr. Speaker, this Congress and this Nation are better for having been 
served by William Ford, the gentleman from Michigan.

                          ____________________