[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2228-E2229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      HAPPY 35TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO KATHRYN AND RAPHAEL FALLON

                                 ______


                         HON. ROBERT K. DORNAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 20, 1995

  Mr. DORNAN. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to rise today to congratulate 
Kathryn and Raphael Fallon of Wenona, IL, on the occasion of their 35th 
wedding anniversary. I am submitting for the Record a copy of a news 
article describing their wedding ceremony on November 19, 1960. I also 
am including a copy of an award winning essay by then Kathryn Brunski 
as well as a news article describing how Raphael was able to complete 
his college degree while operating a 240 acre grain farm. 
Congratulations Kaye and Ray on your 35th wedding anniversary.

             Kathryn Brunski, Raphael Fallon Vows Exchanged

       Simplicity was the keynote of the wedding which united the 
     lives of Miss Kathryn Brunski, daughter of Mrs. Edgar Brunski 
     and the late Edgar Brunski of Wenona and Raphael Fallon, son 
     of Mrs. Kerrie Fallon and the late Kerrie Fallon of Rutland 
     at St. Mary's church, Wenona, at 9:30 a.m. on November 19th.
       The nuptial Mass and single ring service was celebrated by 
     the Rev. Paul Reddy before the altar adorned with white and 
     gold mums. Sister Adele, OSB presided at the organ assisted 
     by the children's choir.
       The bride wore a silk brocade costume in candlelight with a 
     matching velvet petite hat with a blusher veil and carried an 
     arrangement of white roses on a white pearl prayerbook, a 
     gift of the groom.
       The maid of honor was Angela Goropesek, a close friend of 
     the bride, who wore a silk gold brocade outfit with matching 
     hat and carried a cascade arrangement of white fujii mums.
       Andrew Fallon of Beloit, Wisconsin, was his brother's best 
     man.
       The mother of the bride wore a blue suit dress with 
     matching accessories and the bridegroom's mother wore a green 
     knit dress with matching accessories. Both had white 
     carnation corsages.
       A dinner for the immediate family was held at Ryan's Corner 
     House in Tonica following the ceremony.
                                                                    ____


             Winning Essays in Rural Life Contest Published

       The essay written by Kathryn Brunski, winner in the junior 
     division, is as follows:


              why rural boys and girls think often of god

       Rural boys and girls think often of God because they have a 
     wonderful opportunity to observe nature. Consequently they 
     are able to realize how great God is.
       In the beautiful days of spring the boys and girls on the 
     farm can learn the wonderful miracles of life. They can watch 
     their fathers plant the seed and see the beautiful green 
     plants begin to grow.
       When they play in the nearby woods and watch the flowers 
     and trees bud and blossom into bloom, as they watch 
     everything becoming alive, they can think of God who gives 
     life to all things, and who makes the world beautiful for the 
     men whom He has made.
       In the summer with the sun shining, the crops at the height 
     of their growth, when everywhere nature can be seen at the 
     height of her glory, grateful thoughts turn to God.
       As winter draws near, when rural boys and girls see 
     everything dying, the leaves of the trees falling, all the 
     beautiful green becoming brown and dry, they will realize 
     that they too must die some day, and that they should have 
     their souls in readiness for that day.
       Everything in nature tells them of God's care for men. God 
     sends the essential rain and sunshine for the crops. He 
     provides trees from which man can obtain food, wood, and even 
     shelter. He provides plants for food, clothing, and other 
     purposes; the rivers for transportation are His creation. To 
     what other boys and girls does God's care seem so necessary 
     and so protecting and loving? When they look around and see 
     the great wonders of nature, they will turn their thoughts to 
     Almighty God who has made all things possible.
       Country children can realize just how all things depend on 
     God. If God doesn't send the necessary rain and sunshine for 
     crops, the long hours that their fathers spend in doing the 
     hard work that is necessary on the farm will be in vain. They 
     learn how little man can do without God.
       Wherever the country boy or girl turns he sees some 
     evidence of God's great love, kindness, and power, and thinks 
     more often of the Creator and Lord of all things.
                                                                    ____


             Rutland Farmer Travels 40,000 Miles for Degree

       Rutland.--When candidates for Bradley degrees don their 
     academic robes and start the last five-minute, two-block 
     procession to the Robertson Fieldhouse Sunday evening, one 
     among them will view the last walk as a ``Snap.''
       Twelve years and 40,000 miles lie behind his search for a 
     college degree.
       Raphael Fallon, who operates a 240-acre grain farm about 
     two and a half miles northeast of Rutland, will be reaching 
     the culmination of a dream that started several years ago and 
     was achieved only through a dogged determination.


                         majored in accounting

       Fallon will receive a degree in business administration 
     with a major in accounting.
       ``Many people think that you can't use this kind of an 
     education in farming,'' he says, ``but you sure can--
     especially cost accounting.''
       Fallon transferred about two years of previous college 
     work, started at LaSalle-Peru Junior College and University 
     of Illinois Extension Service, to Bradley in 1956.
       In the last four years, he has commuted regularly to 
     Bradley's evening college, covering about 100 miles each 
     night, in order to complete work for his degree.
       He never missed a class session and maintained a ``B'' 
     average.


                          operated on schedule

       How can you run a farm and still manage to travel and 
     study?
       ``It's important to schedule yourself,'' says Fallon. ``I 
     managed to work out an organized program at home for study 
     and work. I don't think that you can do it without a 
     schedule.''
       ``I owe an awful lot to the instructors at Bradley and to 
     my parents,'' says the dark-haired farmer. ``It was their 
     encouragement and help that made it possible. I have a 
     younger brother and sister, each of whom has a master's 
     degree, and this was an inducement to keep up with them.''
       Fallon made the trip alone except for one semester when he 
     had a student from Minonk as a rider. Fortunately, he had no 
     car trouble in the four years that he drove to Peoria, but 
     weather made some of his trips difficult. During last 
     winter's heavy snows, it was sometimes sleety and sometimes 
     foggy. Ordinarily, he was home before midnight.


                            anyone can do it

       ``Lots of young fellows up my way have talked about coming 
     down.'' says Fallon. ``It's one way to get an education when 
     you can't go full time during the day. If an ordinary 
     individual like me can do it, anyone can.''
       Fallon only came close to missing a class on one occasion. 
     This was two weeks ago when his father died. The funeral was 
     on a Monday and Fallon considered missing class that night, 
     but decided to make the drive after the rites and thus 
     maintain his record.
       What next for the farmer accountant?
       ``I think I'll work for my master's degree in business 
     administration. I already have three hours toward the degree 
     and I figure that another 15,000 or 16,000 miles and I can 
     get it.''
     
[[Page E 2229]]


                    LOBBYING DISCLOSURE ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                          HON. BRUCE F. VENTO

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 16, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2564) to 
     provide for the disclosure of lobbying activities to 
     influence the Federal Government, and for other purposes:

  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of House Resolution 250 
and H.R. 2564, legislation to strictly limit gifts to Members of 
Congress and to strengthen the disclosure requirements for professional 
lobbyists. The positive action before us will incorporate this change 
into the House rules.
  This reform legislation is long overdue. In fact, if not for the 
Republican parliamentary maneuvering last year, these proposals would 
already be the law of the land. Unfortunately, in 1994 when the 
Democratic Congress tried to pass these important congressional 
reforms, the Senate Republicans blocked our efforts. That is the recent 
history of this debate. Today, I want to recognize my Republican 
colleagues' belated conversion and welcome them as they join the 
Democratic Party's effort to reform how Congress operates and public 
accountability.
  As we consider these proposals today, I would urge my colleagues to 
resist the temptations to weaken or side track these needed reforms. As 
we are serious about reforms, we should oppose the Burton amendment to 
House Resolution 250. That policy path is business as usual wrapped in 
new disclosure reports and does not merit support.
  For too long this year, meaningful congressional reforms have been 
postponed. A separate important initiative, the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act, attempts to modernize our Federal lobby registration requirements 
and is intended to effectively cover all professional lobbyists. This 
too is similar to a measure that passed the House in the past Congress 
but again was held up in the Senate and did not become law. While this 
bill does cover professional lobbyists, grassroots lobbying would not 
be covered.
  Mr. Chairman, it is unfortunate that under the cover of reforming 
professional lobbying, some Members are seeking to silence legitimate 
lobbying efforts by nonprofit grassroots organizations. I urge my 
colleagues to oppose the Istook amendment, it is wrong and its 
objective is not lobby reform but silencing those with whom some 
extreme Members of Congress disagree.
  I urge my colleagues to join me to defeat this new gag rule. The new 
Republican majority in Congress may not want to hear from nonprofit and 
charitable organizations, who so often serve and advocate for people in 
need, but I want to hear from such groups. These groups surely act as 
the conscience of those without power. Further, I believe that this is 
a fight of free expression and such involvement is essential in a free 
society. The Republicans have been making public policy based on 
anecdotes and radio talk sound bites. Congress must make public policy 
on the facts and on information from those individuals on the front 
lines. We need the input from the Red Cross, the Children's Defense 
Fund, and the Catholic Conference of Bishops as we develop policies on 
welfare, housing, and health care--issues to which these organizations 
have committed their time and limited funds. I want to hear from the 
American Lung Association, the Alzheimer's Association, and the 
American Cancer Society about health research.

  The Istook proposal attempts to characterize such groups as 
publically funded lobbyists and pretends to address a misuse of Federal 
funds. But Federal law already bans the use of public funds for 
political advocacy, and the advocates of the new restrictions certainly 
have not been able to demonstrate that the current law has been 
violated. The Istook amendment goes far beyond the current law and 
restricts the recipients' ability to use their own funds for political 
advocacy. This is purely an attempt to kill the messenger because some 
Republican Members do not want to hear the message.
  I believe that all Americans have the right of free speech. In 
developing national policy, Congress benefits from the input and 
experience of all citizens. Whether it be a multibillion dollar 
corporation, an advocacy group for the homeless, or the individual 
citizen, their voices should be heard. The Istook amendment sets a 
dangerous precedent in trying to silence the voice of a key segment of 
American society--those serving the Americans in need without a voice 
or means.
  In conclusion, I would point out to my colleagues that the most 
crucial component of congressional reform is left undone. Unless and 
until we have meaningful political campaign funding reform in place, 
the special interests will continue to control the agenda.
  As with lobbying and gift reform, meaningful campaign reforms have 
been postponed, blocked by today's majority party and filibustered as a 
minority in the Senate during the past congressional session. The 
Congressional Campaign Spending Limit and Election Reform Act, which I 
supported, represented the most sweeeping campaign reform since 
Congress enacted the Campaign Reform Act in 1974. Since the 1976 
Supreme Court decision in Buckley versus Valeo, Congress has had much 
less ability to control many important aspects of campaign finance 
reform. This bill would have established a voluntary spending limit for 
congressional races. In addition, the bill limited the total political 
action committee [PAC] and wealthy individual contributions each House 
and Senate candidate could accept and closed other campaign loopholes 
dealing with independent expenditures, bundling of contributions, 
disclosure requirements for negative advertising, and soft money. In 
spite of assurances to address the issue, the Speaker has frustrated 
action by illogical and partisan delay. Any attempt to implement these 
reforms for 1996 now appears moot, ironically, in spite of the 
Speaker's public agreement to set up a commission 6 months ago, which 
he completely reneged upon.
  I urge my colleagues to support the pending reforms and to work for 
the timely enactment of comprehensive campaign reforms.

                          ____________________