[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 57 (Tuesday, April 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SAM GIBBONS WILL BE MISSED DEEPLY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin] is recognized during 
morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I first came really to know Sam Gibbons and 
his wife, Martha, on what is now a rather famous bus trip to Eastern 
Europe. I think I was just a freshman then; not on the Committee on 
Ways and Means. Sam was good enough to invite me.
  No junket was that. We worked 12 hours, sometimes 14 hours a day. We 
went to Czechoslovakia, to Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and we went to 
most of those places by bus. Mr. Speaker, I saw firsthand what Sam 
Gibbons was really like. Hard working, down to earth, good natured, 
generous. He made sure that each of us had a crack at introducing the 
delegation to the distinguished, and not so distinguished in some 
cases, leaders of those countries.
  Then, Mr. Speaker, I joined the Committee on Ways and Means and since 
then I have had a chance to work firsthand with Sam Gibbons, to work on 
trade. He and I have not always agreed, but one thing all of us agree 
on and that is the caliber of leadership and commitment of Sam Gibbons.
  He has been compared to some other famous people. Claude Pepper, for 
example, another favorite son of Florida. But I do not think you can 
compare Sam with anyone. He is very much his own person. He is very 
much a real article.
  Sam, you care so much, you have such a sense of commitment. So, I am 
not sure why you are leaving. I think maybe it is because his main 
passion is not for power; it is for public service. I think there is 
some hint that Sam is going to remain very much a public figure.
  I close with this, Sam. I think with your streak of modesty you do 
not really know how much you are going to be missed. The answer is, 
very deeply.

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