[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 107 (Wednesday, June 28, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 REMEMBERING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FORMER CHIEF JUSTICE WARREN BURGER TO 
                        THE COURT AND THE NATION

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                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 28, 1995
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of an 
extraordinary Minnesotan, former Chief Justice Warren Burger, who 
passes away this past Sunday. I am proud to say that Justice Burger was 
not only from Minnesota, but he hailed from my home city and 
neighborhood of St. Paul, MN.
  Justice Burger's devotion to the Court and the justice system was 
evident in his hard work and long tenure as a public servant. He began 
working in the Federal court system in 1956 and remained until he 
retired as the most senior justice on the Supreme Court through 1986. 
Justice Burger devoted time after his retirement from the Court to 
organize the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Constitution 
and Bill of Rights, serving as the Chairman of the Commission on the 
Bicentennial of the United States Constitution.
  During his 17 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Burger made rulings 
on complex and controversial issues such as school busing, obscenity 
laws, prison reform, and sexual discrimination, and he was a special 
champion of judicial reform. It was importantly Justice Burger, a Nixon 
appointee, who in one of the most important chapters in our history 
wrote the opinion clearing the way for the release of the Watergate 
tapes that would become a determinating factor in Nixon's resignation 
of the Presidency averting a constitutional crisis that threatened our 
Nation.
  During his years of service on the Supreme Court, he watched the 
ideology of the Court as a whole swing between liberalism and 
conservatism. Justice Burger tended toward strict conservatism, but he 
was also sympathetic and pragmatic; open to others ideas often writing 
opinions praised by his colleagues attempting to insure the 
Constitution as a living document and judicial review activism.
  The Nation is saddened by the loss of former Chief Justice Warren 
Burger. As we mourn his death, however, we must remember how much he 
gave to the Court and the Nation. His work is an important legacy that 
impacts every American's life and will shape the lives of future 
generations. We will not forget his positive contributions to this 
country, and I join the Nation in applauding his accomplishments and 
expressing my sympathy to Justice Burger's surviving family for their 
loss.


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