[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6846]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO BILL EMERSON OF MISSOURI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to address my 
colleagues on the sad occasion of the passing of one of our most 
honored and distinguished Members. William Emerson, Representative from 
Missouri, had a very distinguished career here in the House. He served 
for eight terms from his district in Missouri. His record for 
constituent services had no peer. He was a parliamentary law expert. 
His legislation filled volumes.
  But above all, as a person he was, to many of us, especially freshmen 
and entering Members as they came to this body, a great teacher, 
someone who loved the House, who loved the legislative process and 
wanted the others to learn about it and do their best, always humble, 
always caring, self-effacing, low-key. This was a humanitarian 
extraordinaire.
  Bill Emerson cared about each person he met, was sincere in all his 
dealings. He was a model Congressman. He was an advocate for his 
people. He fought hard for them. He could listen to others' points of 
view without giving ground and without compromising principle, but 
always patient and open-minded. That was his hallmark as an outstanding 
Congressman.
  It was noted at the beginning of this 104th Congress that there was 
one person who was here as a Member of Congress now and was here the 
last time the Republicans were in the majority, and that person was 
Bill Emerson because at that time he was a U.S. Capitol page, and he 
went on from that outstanding service to Westminister College, 
University of Missouri, law school, University of Baltimore, and he 
also distinguished himself in the U.S. Air Force.
  Besides serving other Representatives in Congress, he had also great 
experience in the business world, for which we are all beneficiaries 
because of the legislation he brought about that was pro-business, pro-
jobs and pro-economy.
  Bill Emerson, his life is a legacy of great service, and, Mr. 
Speaker, for those who choose to serve in this body, they only have to 
look to the life of Bill Emerson as someone who is a role model, and 
for me and the other freshmen who entered the 104th Congress he is 
someone we will always remember. We will cherish our own experiences 
with him and hope that we can model our careers after someone who was 
so great, so humble and so dedicated.

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