[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 111 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H8527-H8534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HONORABLE HAMILTON FISH, JR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May

[[Page H8528]]

12, 1995, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] is recognized for 60 
minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would gladly have made any sacrifice to 
avoid having to stand before you today for this solemn purpose.
  Before I make comments on this special order, I would like to note 
for our colleagues' information, that on Tuesday, July 30, 1996, at 10 
a.m. at St. Albans Episcopal Church on the corner of Massachusetts and 
Wisconsin Avenue, there will be a memorial service for our 
distinguished colleague, Hamilton Fish.
  The House Sergeant at Arms will provide bus transportation for 
Members, and buses will depart the east front of the Capitol at 9:15 
a.m. and return to the Hill following the reception.
  Mr. Speaker, the passing of Hamilton Fish, Jr., is a genuine shock 
which reverberated in this Chamber as well as back in our Hudson Valley 
region of New York. We knew that Ham was ill when he announced his 
retirement from this body only 2 years ago, but his intelligence, his 
helpfulness, his integrity, and his charm were so overpowering--right 
until the end--that it is virtually impossible to believe that he is no 
longer with us.
  Ham Fish was born right here in Washington, DC 70 years ago last 
month. At the time of Ham's birth, his father, Hamilton Fish II, was 
serving in his fourth term in this Chamber. The senior Congressman Fish 
went on to serve until near the end of World War II, earning a 
nationwide reputation as a critic of the New Deal and as ranking 
minority member on the House International Relations Committee.
  In fact, members of the Fish family, usually surnamed Hamilton, have 
served in the Congress, representing New York, since the earliest days 
of our Republic. One Hamilton Fish, after service in this body, went on 
to serve as a Senator and as Secretary of State in the Grant 
administration.
  Our Hamilton, the one who shone so brightly in this Chamber during 
the last third of the 20th century, brought to this Chamber a heritage 
of public service nearly 200 years old.
  Ham received his B.A. from Harvard, and his LL.B. from the New York 
University School of Law. In between, he committed himself to service 
with our Foreign Service, and as a member of the Naval Reserve. He was 
admitted to the New York Bar in 1958.
  Ham Fish first sought election to the House in 1966. He narrowly lost 
to a popular incumbent, but 2 years later was victorious. In order to 
win that 1968 election, Ham first had to defeat a local district 
attorney in the Republican primary. The person Ham defeated was named 
G. Gordon Liddy, who later went to achieve notoriety in other ways. 
Today, Mr. Liddy is a nationally syndicated radio show host, and I 
understand that yesterday he devoted a portion of his show in an 
extremely gracious tribute to Ham Fish.

  Since his first election to the House in 1968, Ham served on the 
House Judiciary Committee, which becomes his principal love. As a 
distinguished member of that committee, Ham became a champion of civil 
rights under the law, and human decency tempered with justice.
  The entire Nation first learned of Ham's talents during the wrenching 
days of Watergate. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, Ham was one 
of the first Republicans to vote in favor of impeaching President 
Nixon, to the objection of many of his constituents including his own 
father. Ham, however, recognized that a government of laws had to have 
precedence over any individual or party loyalty. His belief in our 
constitutional system of government was absolute and he was willing to 
endure criticism and censure to stand up for it.
  When Ham passed on earlier this week, the Poughkeepsie Journal, his 
hometown newspaper, asked Ethel Block, who was chairman of the Dutchess 
County Republican Party at the time of Watergate, to recall her 
recollection of Ham Fish's role at that time: ``I personally had such 
faith in him that after that vote [to impeach Nixon], I was sure that 
it must have been the right thing to do. It took a lot of backbone,'' 
Ms. Block noted.
  Throughout the coming years, Ham's seniority on the Judiciary 
Committee grew, until he eventually became ranking Republican on that 
committee. However, Ham's contributions were legion even before he 
reached that pinnacle of leadership. He was one of the four original 
sponsors of the extension of the Voting Rights Act which were enacted 
into law in 1970, 1975, and 1982. Just as his father earned fame and 
glory as the champion of Afro-Americans during World War II, Ham earned 
recognition as their champion at a time when prejudice and racial 
hatred became much more subtle but just as insidious.
  Ham fought discrimination in education by his authorship of the Civil 
Rights Restoration Act in 1988, requiring all operations in any entity 
receiving Federal funds to adhere to all antidiscrimination 
requirements contained in the major Civil Rights Acts of 1988. It was 
with courage that Ham Fish prodded the Congress into adopting this 
legislation; it was with even more courage that he led the successful 
battle to override the Presidential veto of it.
  The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, the Civil Rights Act of 
1990, and perhaps most significantly of all the far-reaching Americans 
with Disabilities Act of 1990 are all legislative landmarks that are 
living monuments to Congressman Ham Fish.
  Ham did not restrict his incredible energies to the work of his 
Judiciary Committee. Back at home, representing adjacent districts, Ham 
and I fought many battles together: the battle to try to keep the 
General Motors plant operating in Tarrytown; the battle for better 
commuter service on our Metro North rail lines; the fight to expand 
Stewart Airport and with it the economy of our region; the struggle 
on behalf of our apple growers and vegetable farmers; the continual 
fight to render our majestic Hudson River pollution free and pristine--
there was no cause, no group, no constituent in which Ham Fish did not 
have a love and an abiding interest.

  This week, the Poughkeepsie Journal chronicled memories of Ham from 
many of this neighbors: ``He was a very gentle man,'' said Michael 
Giordano. ``I just loved him. He was a sweetheart,'' said Betsy Abrams. 
``He will be remembered by everyone in Dutchess County,'' said Richard 
Archer.
  If Ham had sought election to a 14th term in Congress 2 years ago, 
there is no question his friends and neighbors would have reelected 
him. Had that happened, Ham would have become chairman of our House 
Judiciary Committee.
  Ham was fully cognizant of that fact, but it did not distract him. 
Instead, he threw his considerable energies into the private practice 
of law here in Washington, with the prestigious firm of Mudge, Rose, 
Guthrie, Alexander, and Ferdon. Just a few weeks ago, he visited our 
International Relations Committee, and I was pleased to introduce him 
to our colleagues and to the many guests in attendance at our hearing. 
Ham was as alert and as welcome as ever.
  Ham Fish is the father of three sons, Hamilton III, Nicholas 
Stuyvesant, and Peter Livingston, and of one daughter, Alexa Fish Ward. 
He also leaves behind eight grandchildren.
  Ham's first wife, the mother of his children, was Julia Fish. Julia 
was killed in a tragic automobile accident during his first year as a 
Congressman. Later, Ham married Billy Lester Cline, a vivacious person 
who died of a brain tumor in 1985.
  Ham's widow, who so many of us know so well, is Mary Ann Tinklepaugh 
Knauss, who in her own right is one of the premier activists here in 
Washington. Currently, Mary Ann serves as an assistant to New York Gov. 
George Pataki here in his Washington offices.
  To the entire Fish family, we extend our sincerest condolences. We 
know that their grief is great, but perhaps they will receive some 
consolation from the realization that so many of us share their loss.
  We also extend our condolences to the people who Ham Fish represented 
so superbly for over a quarter of a century. Each and every one of them 
is well aware, as we all are, that a giant in public service has now 
departed from their midst, and that the world is a far better place 
thanks to the dedication of Ham Fish, Jr.

[[Page H8529]]

  I thank our colleagues who have joined us in this special order.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the dean of our New York 
delegation, the gentleman from New York, Charles Rangel.
  (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, Ben Gilman, for 
getting this time for the New York delegation.
  A few minutes ago one of the Members on the floor asked, is this only 
for New York Members? And I did not give a full answer, but, no, 
Hamilton Fish and his memory will never be just for New York Members or 
Members of this Congress, because I think when you see where we are 
today and where we were 2 or 4 years ago, most everybody that was here 
would say, do you remember the old days of civility, of tolerance, of 
mutual respect? How we could disagree, and yet have respect for each 
other?
  And I am reminded that throughout the rules which govern us in this 
body, interlaced throughout them are words, such as ``yielding to the 
gentleman,'' kind and gentle words that allow us to protect the 
interests of our constituents, and, at the same time, to have this 
place be one that we respect, and would want not only our constituents 
to respect us, but history would do it.
  And who really epitomizes that? We have had a lot of people, Tip 
O'Neill, Silvio Conte, Chairman Natcher, and even Bob Michel, who 
fought for the beliefs of his party. Yet, when you think about a person 
that, no matter what the issue was, Hamilton Fish was not only a 
gentleman, but he had really the type of class, because he came from 
class. His grandfather was Governor and Senator and Secretary of State. 
His dad, who I knew before Hamilton, was not only a member of this body 
for 24 years, but how would I know him so well was because after 
serving in Korea, the only veteran's organization that seemed to want a 
Korean veteran was the 369th African-American Veterans Association, and 
I had to learn about the history of that group.
  It turns out that the 15th Regiment, which later became the 369th 
Regiment, were groups of African-Americans who wanted to serve in World 
War I and were denied the opportunity. They could not enlist to fight 
for their country. So what did they do? They marched all up and down in 
my district on Lenox Avenue with broomsticks, training each other, 
hoping that America would change its mind and allow them to defend the 
free world.

                              {time}  1815

  Eventually they won out and they were trained and they were sent to 
Europe. And there were some protests among the white soldiers. But the 
captain of that 369th pulled out his gun and told the white soldiers 
that were protesting the presence of these African-Americans in the 
369th that to defend his country he had to defend his regiment, and he 
cocked his pistol and said, if you touch one of these soldiers I will 
kill you dead.
  That person was Capt. Hamilton Fish, the father of the person that we 
served with. He took them to Europe and they came back to America as 
the most decorated unit that served in the entire World War II. And 
there was not a parade that the 369th veterans ever had, until the time 
that Hamilton Fish's dad died, that he was not at that parade.
  When I met his son, I felt as though I knew him because his dad 
accepted me and the things I believed in because of our military 
background but was always critical of his liberal son Hamilton.
  So, then, Hamilton and I go on to the Judiciary Committee, where we 
found a voice there that was not only there to weigh the facts, to see 
whether or not they were so serious that we should even think about 
impeachment, but he was a mediator, a conciliator, one that brought 
Democrats and Republicans together, not just for the TV cameras, but to 
sit down, to weigh the evidence and to see whether it made any sense 
not to impeach or not to impeach but to better understand how important 
this was for the integrity of our great Nation and to make certain that 
Chairman Rodino would not have to make anything that looked partisan 
because he was there to work it out.
  The funniest thing in the world was seeing Hamilton Fish working out 
problems and his dad having a press conference saying he should not 
even be thinking about impeaching the President. Is that not what makes 
America great? And it was.
  I hope that in memory of our dear friend that maybe when we are 
tempted to be angry with each other, maybe when we are tempted to say 
the things that we all regret after we say them, that we can wonder 
what Hamilton would want us to do no matter how angry and how many 
differences we had about reaching that common goal.
  And so we all lose a dear friend, but I lose someone that is a part 
of a very, very long tradition. He is a part of the history of the 
House of Representatives, and he served us so well that we can all know 
in the State of New York that nobody from any other State could 
possibly do better in presenting what a Congressperson should be.
  In his memory I will try to be a more compassionate, a better 
understanding person, because it is not our individual beliefs that 
count, it is how do we look as a body that represents not just our 
districts but the United States of America. He was in New York and we 
are proud, but he was first an American.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Rangel] for his 
moving words.
  I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from New York, our 
distinguished chairman of our House Committee on Rules, Mr. Solomon.
  Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Gilman for taking this 
special order to pay tribute to not only a great Congressman, a great 
American, but really a great friend of all of ours.
  Ham Fish, Jr. It seems like only yesterday, although it was 18 years 
ago, that I walked onto this floor as a newly elected Member of 
Congress and there were 35 Members from New York State back in those 
days, before reapportionment cost us all of our seats and now we are 
down to 32, I guess. But the only two left after the passing of Ham 
Fish, is you, Mr. Chairman, and Charlie Rangel over there.
  It seems like this young pup now is the third ranking member of our 
delegation. That does not seem possible, but I recall it because I can 
recall how proud Ham Fish was at the last delegation meeting that he 
presided over. He pointed out back in those days when Frank Horton was 
here, and Frank Horton was the chairman of a very important committee. 
I beg your pardon, he was the ranking member of a very important 
committee, along with Norman Lent, who was ranking on Commerce, and Ben 
Gilman, you were ranking on Foreign Affairs, and myself ranking on 
Rules, and the 5 members of the New York delegation were the ranking 
members on 5 of the 13 committees.
  That was really something that Ham was proud of back in those days. 
It just makes you think of the difference between Ham Fish and perhaps 
the rest of us.
  I look over here and I see the gentleman from Louisiana, Bob 
Livingston, and he is the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, 
and he has a reputation like Jerry Solomon of sometimes being a little 
excitable perhaps; but I can remember how many times when I had a 
tendency to be excitable and Ham would walk up and we would sit down in 
the back of the Chamber and it would just rub off, that calmness that 
that man exuded. It was something that you had to really look at in him 
and respect.
  Mr. Gilman said so much here, I am going to be brief because we do 
have an awful lot of Members here that are coming on the floor and want 
to talk, but Ham Fish really was the quintessential family man and I 
believe one of the most devout public servants that ever served in this 
body and certainly in the Hudson Valley that you and I and some of the 
others here have the privilege of representing. To me, Ham Fish was not 
just a Congressman, he was a mentor of mine and he taught us all so 
much.
  He was just a great friend and it was truly an honor and privilege to 
have served with him representing the Hudson Valley. Ham's good nature 
was just renowned throughout this Congress.
  I even see some former Members of Congress from New York sitting over 
here, and, Bob, you remember too from

[[Page H8530]]

both sides of the aisle. He just embodied what it means to be a 
representative of democracy and he will undoubtedly be remembered as a 
true gentleman of this House, and what better respect can you say of a 
person than that.
  We will miss him dearly. Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife 
Mary Ann, his entire family and, Ham, we just wish you the best, good 
friend.
  Mr. GILMAN. Thank you, Jerry Solomon, for your kind remarks on behalf 
of Hamilton Fish.
  I am pleased to now recognize the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Manton].
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for setting up this 
special order.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear departed friend 
and colleague, Hamilton Fish, Jr. It was a true honor to serve with Ham 
fish as a fellow New York delegation member. His presence in the House 
has been dearly missed over the past 2 years and he will continue to be 
missed both in Washington and in the Hudson Valley, which he proudly 
represented in Congress.
  Hamilton Fish, following a 150-year-old family tradition of 
congressional service, was a most conscientious and thoughtful 
legislator. He was naturally gifted at working with colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to reach bipartisan agreements that resulted in 
legislation benefiting all of us today.
  As an ardent advocate of civil and human rights, he worked diligently 
to pass legislation such as the 1982 Voting Rights Act extension, the 
Fair Housing Act of 1988, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 
1990. His hard work was also instrumental in passing the Civil Rights 
Act of 1991 that provides women and minorities with monetary damages 
when discriminated against in the workplace. His commitment to New York 
and this country was exceptional and his accomplishments beyond number. 
Ham Fish was also a champion for freedom and human rights in Ireland. I 
am honored to follow in his path as a cochair of the Ad Hoc Committee 
for Irish Affairs.
  Mr. Speaker, I am most thankful that Ham Fish graced the halls of 
this House. His integrity and credibility was widely recognized and 
earned him respect and admiration from all of his colleagues.
  I would like to send my condolences to Mary Ann and all of the Fish 
family. My thoughts and prayers are with you at this most difficult 
time.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman from New York, Mr. Manton, for his 
kind remarks, and I am pleased to yield at this time to the gentlewoman 
from New York, Congresswoman Sue Kelly, who succeeded Hamilton Fish, 
representing that district in New York.
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, we were all deeply saddened by the passing 
of our friend, and a distinguished Member of this institution, Hamilton 
Fish. Ham served in Congress for 26 years, representing the same 
congressional district from the Hudson Valley of New York that I have 
the honor of representing today.
  Each of us has our own personal memories of Ham Fish. My husband and 
I remember Ham as a good friend with a wonderful sense of humor. We 
also remember him as a public servant devoted to the well-being of the 
people of the Hudson Valley in New York.
  In fact, the term ``public service'' was at the core of Hamilton 
Fish's life. He served in the Navy during World War II. After the war, 
Ham attended the Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration, and 
then joined the U.S. Foreign Service. In the early fifties he was 
posted to Dublin, Ireland. He really loved Ireland. He talked about it 
often.
  Following this stint, he earned his law degree from New York 
University in 1957, and practiced law in the city and in Dutchess 
County, NY until he became a Member of Congress in 1968. I first met 
him 2 years before he was redistricted into my area.
  I set up and worked in his first office in Westchester County and my 
husband and I worked to back him for the next 24 years. As a matter of 
fact, my staff card for Hamilton Fish's office expired 20 years to the 
day I was sworn into Congress. My husband and I have been priviledged 
to know first three, and now four, generations of this Hamilton Fish 
family. They have represented the gentility of the Hudson River Valley. 
Ham was a gentleman's gentleman. His behavior on the floor of the House 
set a standard many of the Members of this Congress would do well to 
emulate.
  His career was marked by accomplishments in the areas of civil 
rights, the environment, crime, the handicapped, and business 
regulation. Ham was a strong supporter of the Legal Services 
Corporation because he recognized and prized the important role LSC 
plays in providing legal assistance to those who otherwise could not 
afford it.
  The 1990 Civil Rights Act and the Americans With Disabilities Act 
represent hallmark achievements and will stand as lasting legacies to 
the memory of Hamilton Fish.
  To know Hamilton Fish, Mr. Speaker, was to know someone dedicated to 
truth and the dignity of public service. This institution is too often 
criticized for its problems, the partisanship, the lack of comity, and 
the arduous process that is the people's business.
  Unfortunately, it is seldom judged by the virtues of its individual 
Members. Ham Fish carried out his work with dignity and respect, and 
represented the very best of this institution.
  Mr. Speaker, we will miss Ham. My thoughts and prayers go out to his 
wife, Mary Ann, and his children, Alexa Ward, Hamilton, Nicholas 
Stuyvesant, and Peter Livingston, and his eight grandchildren.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank Congresswoman Kelly for her moving remarks.
  I would be pleased to yield to the gentleman from New York, 
Congressman Maurice Hinchey.
  Mr. HINCHEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank our friend, the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Gilman], the distinguished chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations, for arranging this tribute to our friend, 
Hamilton Fish, Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, it was with deep sorrow that we received the news that 
the Nation and New York have lost one of its great men, Hamilton Fish, 
Jr. Ham stood for what was best in this institution and what is best 
about our system of government. He was the kind of person that 
Jefferson and Madison had in mind when they wrote the Constitution, the 
kind of person they wanted and expected to serve in the legislature 
they were creating. They wanted the seats in this Chamber to be 
occupied by people who took their responsibilities more seriously than 
they took themselves, people of judgment, people of substance. Ham was 
above all a thoughtful, judicious person, a man of integrity. This 
institution already misses his wisdom.
  Ham was known and respected for his independence. He was still a 
relatively junior Member of Congress when he gained national 
recognition for his committee vote to recommend impeachment of 
President Nixon. He will always be remembered for that vote, for his 
decision to apply his high standards of integrity impartially, even 
when he must have been under great pressure to do otherwise. But it 
would be a mistake to take that one vote as the measure of his 
independence or of his career. Ham was proud to be called a loyal 
Republican, but he knew that loyalty does not mean surrender of one's 
own judgment and temperament. Much of what Ham accomplished was done 
quietly, behind the scenes, in his conversations and discussions with 
his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He believed that he served 
his party best when he served the country best, and that he served the 
country best by bringing the best of his own mind and heart to every 
issue he addressed.
  There have been Hamilton Fishes in Congress since our republic was 
young. His family was one of the most celebrated and distinguished 
families in the Hudson Valley of New York, which is also my home, and 
they have made their mark. One of his forebears served as President 
Grant's Secretary of State. His father was famous for his staunch 
opposition to the New Deal. Another forebear was known as an arbiter of 
New York society, an aristocrat among aristocrats. I know some people 
thought of Ham that way. His bearing, his manners, even his height 
marked him as a distinguished person, someone who literally stood head 
and shoulders above the rest. Ham had all the good characteristics we 
associate with aristocrats like Lincoln and Jefferson. But like them, 
he believed in

[[Page H8531]]

all the people, and did not set himself above anyone. He brought people 
up to his level by treating them as if they had always been there.

  For many years, he served as the ranking member of the House 
Subcommittee on Immigration. To some people, this seemed incongruous, 
perhaps even threatening. Here was a man whose ancestors had settled in 
long before the Revolution making policy on immigration. But perhaps it 
was this perspective that let him understand just how much America is 
an immigrant Nation, and how much immigrants continue to contribute. 
Despite the traditional hostility between the Irish and the English, 
Ham was probably honored and loved by more Irish groups back in the 
Hudson Valley than any of us who can trace our ancestry back to 
Ireland. Some of my friends up there still wonder if he had some hidden 
connection or relation to Ireland, to Italy, or to Poland, since he was 
so fair and generous to their people. I don't think he did--but any of 
them would have been honored if they could count him as one of their 
sons.
  Ham and I both represented parts of the Hudson Valley for many years, 
most of my time in the State Assembly, most of his time in Congress. 
Our mutual love of the valley brought us together many times. Ham could 
always be counted on to support any effort to protect the valley's 
beauty, grace, and charm, and to advance the welfare of its citizens. 
It was Ham Fish who wrote the legislation preserving Eleanor 
Roosevelt's home at Hyde Park as a national historic site, although his 
father could not bear to hear her name. I hope that his actions, his 
spirit, and above all his character will long be remembered in our 
valley, and I hope they will be remembered too here in Congress. If his 
spirit serves as an example to us, perhaps it can raise all of us to 
his towering height.
  I extend my condolences to his widow, Mary Ann, and his children.

                              {time}  1830

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Hinchey] for his kind words.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentleman from Louisiana 
[Mr. Livingston], chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, who I 
understand is a relation of Mr. Fish.
  (Mr. LIVINGSTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. LIVINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Gilman], my friend, for yielding me this time, and I thank him for 
taking out the time to pay tribute to a great American, Hamilton Fish, 
Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very, very pleased to rise along with all of the 
members of the New York delegation who have spoken, and I think it is 
testament to the character of Ham Fish, Jr., that he has had such a 
strong bipartisan show of support for his memory.
  Indeed, we are distant cousins. I cannot help but remember how 
gracious and charming he was when I came to Congress 19 years ago. He 
opened his heart to me, and showed me the ropes as a freshman 
Congressman, and helped guide me throughout the processes in my early 
days as I stumbled along and tried to learn about this intricate place.
  I am proud to rise on his behalf because Ham Fish, Jr., emulated what 
I believe to be all that is good and fine about public service.
  Ham Fish, Jr., was not the only one in his family to serve as has 
been indicated before. There has been a Fish in the country's history 
going back to its origin. Ham's great grandfather served as Governor of 
New York, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State. His grandfather served 
in the House of Representatives. His father served in the House of 
Representatives for over 20 years and earned a name for himself as a 
strong opponent of the New Deal and an outspoken proponent of the free 
enterprise system.
  But Ham, Jr., in his own 26 years on behalf of New York's 21st 
District throughout the Hudson Valley, placed his mark on American 
history as well.
  As was indicated, he was the picture of civility, integrity, 
gentlemanly cordiality, and he was steadfast in his belief in the 
institution of Congress and in the worthiness of his service in the 
U.S. House of Representatives.
  As a Member and ultimately ranking minority member of the Judiciary 
Committee, Ham Fish, Jr., was a champion of civil rights and social 
justice, and he believed in the fiscal integrity of this Nation as 
well.
  He was a strong proponent of the line-item veto and the balanced 
budget. But of all of those activities and the others that have been 
discussed here this evening, Ham will be remembered because he was a 
warm and gracious and friendly person.
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate his assistance and his guidance throughout 
the time that I was privileged to serve with him. We affectionately 
knew each other and called each other ``Cousin'' rather than by our 
proper names. We engaged in special orders from time to time to 
commemorate his heritage and forebears in the Congress, and it was my 
privilege to call him my friend.
  To Mary Ann and to his children and to all of his family, my wife 
Bonnie joins with me in extending our prayers and our best wishes to 
the memory of a fine and wonderful American.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Livingston for his kind 
remarks. I am pleased to yield to the gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. 
Lowey].
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, tonight we gather to mourn the loss and 
celebrate the life of Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr. Hamilton Fish was 
one of the kindest, elegant, finest Members with whom I have had the 
pleasure of working with in this House.
  I had the good fortune of working with Ham for 6 of the 26 years that 
he spent in Congress, and during that time I came to appreciate the 
fact that Ham was not only deeply concerned and involved with local 
issues, he certainly can be considered one of the most expert Members 
in policy.
  Ham served as the Ranking Republican on the Committee on the 
Judiciary and Immigration Subcommittee. More important, Ham was a 
moderate and a fair man who could work with Members on both sides of 
the aisle and rise above partisan politics to achieve the goals of the 
American people.
  Hamilton Fish was part of a true political dynasty in New York's 
Hudson Valley, a dynasty as old as the republic itself. It is from 
Nicholas Fish, who fought in the American Revolution and mounted an 
unsuccessful campaign for Congress, to Ham's great grandfather who ran 
as a Whig in 1842, to Hamilton Jr., who served his country honorably in 
the Navy during World War II and in the House of Representatives for 26 
years, from 1969 to 1994.
  Although there were times when his congressional district was more 
conservative than he was, Ham never strayed from his moderate, fair 
ideals. Despite the fact that his father, Hamilton Sr., was an 
isolationist, Ham was an advocate for human rights issues and refugees 
worldwide. He worked tirelessly during the cold war to allow for Soviet 
Jews to enter the United States. During the 1970's, Ham was an 
outspoken critic of the Nixon administration and its involvement in the 
Vietnam war. As a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, Ham was one 
of the first members of his party to call for President Nixon's 
resignation.
  Ham also had an exemplary record on civil rights issues. Ham 
fervently supported the 1978 extension of the equal rights amendment 
and the 1982 Voting Rights Act. He also supported the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
  As Ralph Neas, the former director of the Leadership Conference on 
Civil Rights said, ``Many of the almost two dozen civil rights bills 
passed in the 1980's would not have become law without him.''
  Mr. Speaker, I, too, would like to extend my deepest sympathies and 
condolences to the Fish family. While this country has lost a great 
civil leader, his wife, Mary Ann, has lost a dear, devoted husband, his 
children, Ham, Nick, Peter, and Alexa, have lost a father, and of 
course his eight grandchildren have lost a friend and a role model.
  As a freshman Member of Congress in 1988, I learned from Ham Fish. 
This Congress would do well to heed his legacy. He was a leader, a 
colleague, and a friend. He will be sorely missed.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Lowey for her kind statement, 
and I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from new York, Mr. LaFalce.
  Mr. LaFALCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues in

[[Page H8532]]

paying tribute to our late colleague, Hamilton Fish, Jr. As the fourth 
generation from his famous family to serve in Congress, Ham could 
easily have acted as if he were entitled to his position, as if he were 
born to it, but that was the exact opposite of the way he was.
  Ham Fish was as down to Earth and genuine as anyone I have ever 
known. Most important, Ham Fish was indeed a gentleman. One word. And a 
very gentle man.
  He could, and did, hold his own in the rough and tumble of politics, 
but he would not hurt a soul. He must have had as a tenet: Hurt no one. 
Embarrass no one. Be kind and gentle to everyone. Because that is the 
way Ham Fish was, day in and day out. He epitomized what every person 
should strive to be.
  He also epitomized what every legislator should strive to be: A 
fervent advocate for his point of view, yet someone always willing to 
see the other side and always understanding of the necessity to 
compromise for the greater good.

  One got the clear sense that when Ham looked at someone he did not 
see labels like Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative. Ham 
saw a fellow human being, someone who deserved to be heard, regardless 
of ideology, regardless of any other arbitrary classification. And that 
perhaps was his true hallmark. That arbitrary classifications were not 
only not smart, but that they were and are dehumanizing.
  Mr. Speaker, I join in praising the record of service that Hamilton 
Fish gave to his fellow Americans. I, too, extend my sympathies to his 
wife and his entire family.
  In the long run, Ham will be remembered for his hard work, yes. But 
even more than that, I will remember Ham for his grace, his kindness, 
his gentleness, his wisdom, his tolerance, and his love for his fellow 
human beings. And there can be no greater role model and no greater 
legacy than that.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank Congressman LaFalce for his kind remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from western New 
York [Mr. Houghton].
  (Mr. HOUGHTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentleman from New 
York, Mr. Gilman, as I was listening to Mr. LaFalce and others, it 
really is too bad that you cannot hear what other people really feel 
about you while you are alive. I do not know whether Ham is listening 
or whether he can listen, or that is possible in the overall scheme of 
things, but it is a wonderful tribute to hear people from different 
walks of life, different associations say what they have about him.
  I just would like to say a few things. There is an old Arab proverb 
that says, A word when spoken must pass three gates. The first gate is, 
``Is it true?'' The second gate is, ``Is it necessary?''

                              {time}  1845

  The third gate is, ``is it kind?'' Many of us here would not get out 
of the first gate, but Ham always would. He passed all those gates in 
whatever he did. He hit the issues hard, and yet there was an old 
expression from Proverbs, a soft answer turns away wrath. We need more 
of it here. He exemplified that.
  I go back a long way with Ham. It started in 1946, when we both got 
out of the service in World War II, went to college and then 
periodically kept our friendship going during the years.
  I was always in awe of Ham's heritage. It did not seem to be anybody 
that had a greater heritage than Ham, but Mary Ann Fish, his lovely 
wife, told me a story the other day of Ham going into the Rotunda and 
pointing to one of the murals and pointing out that Nicholas Fish was 
standing beside George Washington as he received the surrender from 
Cornwallis. And this man was very polite and he said, thank you very 
much, Mr. Fish.
  He said, on the other hand, there was a mural of Dutch settlers 
coming across and landing in New Amsterdam, and my ancestor was the 
minister at that time; of course, a full 100 years before Nicholas Fish 
ever appeared in Yorktown. And he was always being poked with fun for 
things like this, but had a delightful, easy, wonderful sense of humor.

  We develop many friendships down here. Some are political. Some are 
personal. Some are diplomatic. Some are business. Yet at the same time, 
as you work through this place, you understand those people who have 
that special quality that you know they will not betray you if you are 
vulnerable. Ham was one of those people.
  There are questions which we always ask ourselves: What do I believe; 
what do I stand for; what do I really want. Ham never used that. He 
always changed the ``I'' to a ``we.'' What do we believe; what do we 
stand for; what do we really want. If anybody epitomized service over 
self-service, it was Hamilton Fish and we are going to miss him.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those moving 
comments, Mr. Houghton.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina Mrs. Eva Clayton.
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman and the 
delegation from New York for allowing me, from North Carolina, to say a 
word of tribute to all of our friends and colleague, Hamilton Fish. My 
husband and I both, too, knew Hamilton Fish. We knew him in a personal 
way.
  I am a new Member to Congress so I do not have that long lineage of 
getting to know someone, but I did know him in a personal way. He did 
indeed have fun. So I want to tell you that although he was a gentleman 
and a scholar, he was also a person who could relate to human beings.
  My husband and he had a certain passion for certain fun and they had 
a certain memory that they would remember. His wife, who is probably 
known as a vivacious, caring person, is certainly one that I have 
gotten to know and we had occasion, I guess just 2 months ago, for us 
all meeting together. So this week this Congress, New York will miss 
him, but America will miss him because in many ways he was not only the 
ideal person from New York, but he also was the ideal Congressperson 
for America.
  We all will not only lose a friend but lose someone who has been 
epitomized as being an idol and a symbol.
  Mr. Speaker, this week, Congress and America suffered a sad and great 
loss.
  Former Representative Hamilton Fish, Jr. passed and has left a deep 
void in our reservoir of decency and fair play.
  This devoted husband, caring father and loving grandfather served the 
people of the 19th District of New York for more than a quarter of a 
century. But, he provided more than service to New York's citizens.
  Hamilton Fish, Jr. provided a high standard of statesmanship, an 
unparalleled measure of respectability and dignity, an unprecedented 
display of nonpartisan cooperation.
  Those of us who serve in this 104th Congress can learn much from 
Hamilton Fish, the manner in which he lived his life, the honor he 
brought to this institution, the distinction with which he served his 
party.
  His ability to function as a gentleman in the sometimes murky and 
perilous waters of politics must be attributed in part to the deep 
roots of his ancestors which guided him and gave him important 
benchmarks. This son of New York was always up for the challenge, 
always prepared for the task.
  Throughout his life, he refused to accept mediocrity. He had hopes 
and dreams, he had goals, he had vision, and he dared to be different 
and determined to make a difference.
  In Congress, he distinguished himself, making his mark in many 
places, leaving his permanent imprint on the sands of time.
  He supported civil rights, fought for justice, stood for equality and 
was unwavering in behalf of the principles that make this Nation great.
  Tirelessly, he was a role model for role models, a leader among 
leaders and a champion for all.
  In this august body, he was more than a Member of Congress. He was 
Congress.
  He leaves us now, not to quit, but to fight another fight, to write 
another chapter, to run another race.
  To his darling wife, Mary Ann, who I consider to be my friend, to his 
three sons, Hamilton III, Nicholas, and Peter, to his daughter, Alexa, 
and to his many grandchildren, I say hold fast to the fond memories, 
stay strong on the wings of tradition Hamilton provided and celebrate 
the legacy he has left through the life he lived.

[[Page H8533]]

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Lazio].
  Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I guess, like Congresswoman 
Clayton, I remember my friend as a little bit of a prankster, someone 
with a sense of humor who would joke, a man who certainly had dignity 
and guts, who showed independence and brilliance, but also was not 
beyond whispering something very funny in your ear as you went down the 
aisle.
  As it turned out, I met Ham Fish not 15 or 20 years ago but only 4 
years ago now when I was beginning my first term in Congress. He was 
finishing up what would end up being his last term in Congress. But 
almost immediately, he and I struck out together for what might be an 
unlikely duo, sort of an odd couple, to hang out in the back of this 
Chamber, talk a little bit, see each other once in a while, what were 
very civilized and very social New York State delegation meetings.
  I remember him enjoying his sundae ice cream with complete relish on 
his face as the desserts were offered. I remember him in flashes of 
both frustration and annoyance at things that we did in this body, a 
sense of defiance when he thought we were going down the wrong path out 
of political expediency.
  Ham Fish was somebody who had the ability to have a sense of honor 
and a sense of humor. He was able to mix both with a good old Yankee 
pragmatism, and I think he represents the very best traditions of the 
Republican Party and of this Chamber.
  He was a man of great courage who always kept his bearings. During my 
freshman term, I always thought that he was protective of me. He was 
the sort of generous person who always took time out to help a new 
Member, sit down and discuss things if you had a question, and I will 
always cherish the wisdom that he was able to share with me.
  As my colleagues know and they have been talking about tonight, Ham 
Fish came from a remarkable American political family historical not 
just from a New York perspective but from a national perspective, a 
family whose record of public service can be traced back to the 
beginnings of our Nation.
  In Congress Ham Fish himself was something of a tradition. He was a 
centrist who got things done. He liked to work together with people. He 
played a key role in forging compromises that resulted in important 
legislation like the Fair Housing Act of 1988, the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.

  As a House Committee on the Judiciary member, not just a member but 
as the ranking member, he showed great courage back in the 1970's by 
voting his conscience as one of the few Republicans who voted for the 
articles of impeacement against former President Richard Nixon.
  As the ranking member Republican on the Committee on the Judiciary, 
Ham always was a strong advocate for causes that he deeply believed in, 
the sense of civil rights, the sense of right over wrong.
  He was particularly remembered for his efforts in support of not just 
civil rights but environmental protection.
  With Ham's passing, our Nation has lost a great American. My 
condolences and the condolences of my wife Patricia go to his wife, 
Mary Ann, and to his sons Nicholas, Peter, and Ham Fish III and his 
daughter Alexa Fish Ward and their eight grandchildren, all of which I 
know he loved deeply. We have lost a great friend.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland 
[Mrs. Morella].
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I thank him and his colleagues from New York, Mr. Rangel and Mr. 
Gilman, for having this special order to allow us to pour out our 
hearts to somebody that we dearly love. I firmly believe that those of 
us who serve in this body are diminished as well as the American public 
are diminished by the loss of Ham Fish, Jr. He was fourth generation in 
terms of serving this great country in Congress 26 years.
  I learned about Ham Fish when I was involved in the campaign of a man 
who served with him in the early years, Charles Mac Mathias, who then 
went on to the U.S. Senate. To me Ham Fish himself was a tradition. 
When I was elected to serve in the 100th Congress starting in 1987, I 
turned to Ham and told him that I knew so much about him and looked 
forward to serving with him. Well, he smiled in his very warm way, 
recognizing I had a lot to learn.
  I did find that Ham Fish was a role model. He was always very upbeat. 
There might be times that I would come into this Chamber and go over to 
him despondent about some issue that was coming up or perplexed about a 
vote that needed to be cast. He was always assuage one in terms of 
recognizing what truly are the priorities, and the priorities, I think, 
for him were really human contact.

  I found him somebody who could make us see what was really important, 
who had a very warm sense of humor, somebody who became a hero because 
he deserved it in the areas of civil rights, human rights, fair 
housing, employment discrimination alleviation, caring about 
minorities, caring about women, having a streak of effective 
independence. We could always rely on Ham to do that. Very often I did 
converse with him about the issues that we had to decide because I 
looked on him as somebody who was a real role model and one who would 
lead me correctly in the right way.
  So Ham Fish will be missed. I got to know Ham and his wife Mary Ann 
personally. My husband and I traveled with them. We always appreciated 
his warm sense of humor, his understanding of human foibles. And with 
Mary Ann, her sense of love of life, the fact that she laughed a lot, 
and Ham helped her to laugh a lot. He was also someone who received the 
benefit of that sense of humor, a man who had great courage.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember we were at a conference in Madrid where we 
had a few hours off. This is when Ham was not well. We would go to an 
art gallery, and he was indeed a true collector of art and an 
appreciator of art. I thought at that time this man of great courage 
also has made politics into an art and has done it exceedingly well.
  I just want to say that we will certainly miss Ham Fish, and he will 
live on in love. I am reminded of a quote from Thornton Wilder, who 
said: ``There is a land of the living and a land of the dead; and the 
bridge is love, the only survival and the only meaning.''
  Tony and I extend to Mary Ann and to the family of Ham Fish our 
deepest condolences.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, Congresswoman 
Morella, for her kind remarks.
  I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Frank].
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I got to know Ham Fish when 
I joined the House and became a member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary where he was then a senior Republican. Later he became the 
ranking Republican.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to talk a little bit about some of the things he 
so exemplified that are less in fashion than they used to be. You will 
look very hard to find a politician who worked as hard for people 
unlikely to vote for him in return. In the first place Ham Fish was a 
champion of a decent policy protecting the human rights of people all 
around the world. Ham Fish spent an awful lot of time on people who 
were never going to be able to vote for him, were never going to be 
able to vote at all in the United States.
  He was a man who became an expert in the intricacies of immigration 
law so that he could give full vent to his burning desire to help 
people live in freedom. I say burning desire because Ham's quiet, 
relaxed demeanor may have fooled people.

                              {time}  1900

  One of the things we can learn from him is that being civil and being 
thoughtful in no way rules out being passionate. This was a man of 
great passion on behalf of human rights, and he exerted a good deal of 
his own influence and his own resource of time and energy on people all 
over this world.
  Immigrants are not the most popular people these days, and people who 
live in other countries are not the most popular people in America. I 
wish the spirit of Ham Fish informed this place a little bit more today 
when it came to recognizing that we, with the great blessing of living 
in this wonderful free country have some obligation to help people 
elsewhere.

[[Page H8534]]

  Similarly Ham, hardly from a district where civil rights in the 
traditional sense was a burning constituency issue for him, was a 
consistent defender of legislation that said America has an obligation 
to end discrimination, to do what we can as a Federal Government to 
reach into those pockets that unfortunately persist of racism and of 
sexual discrimination. He was a consistent and staunch defender.
  I must tell you as we have debated affirmative action in these past 
couple of years that I missed Ham Fish because I believe that the voice 
and the commitment and the passion he showed on behalf of fairness 
would have served us very, very well.
  I also want to talk about Ham Fish as a legislator, a longtime 
legislator. He was here for what, 26 years. I guess the term-limits 
people think that is a terrible thing. People who think we should have 
term limits regret the fact that a man like him was here for 26 years, 
not for lack of anything else to do, not as a careerist, but as a man 
who had a passion which could best be satisfied by helping other people 
and who got better at it and better at it and who was a superb 
legislator who understood.
  And sometimes people defend moderation and give it a bad name because 
moderation gets defended sometimes as a kind of mindlessness, as if the 
middle was the place to be, as if by definition, as if the arithmetic 
means was always the right place. Ham Fish was moderate in his 
approach, and, yes, he was a great legislator, and he could compromise 
and bring people together, but it is because he started from somewhere. 
He did not walk out and say, ``OK, what's the middle of this issue and 
how can I be a big hero by talking about what a middle-of-the-roader I 
am?'' He had passionate and firm convictions on immigration, on racial 
justice, on other areas. He understood how to legislate, and that is a 
talent unfortunately scorned these days in many quarters rather than 
celebrated.

  So I consider this country to have been enormously enriched by Ham 
Fish's service on the judiciary committee as a senior Republican, a man 
who, as we know, was not always in accord with his party on all issues 
but who understood the importance of party in this country and showed, 
I think, how you could both be loyal to your party and independent on 
issues of principle when that was important.
  And finally, let us talk about family values. I think he exemplified 
that at its best too in a 2-generation way. He had fundamental 
disagreements with his own father. He was in Congress a few years and 
had his own father, a man of very, very strong convictions. Yes, his 
father opposed the New Deal, he also opposed American participation in 
World War II, and he took out ads criticizing his son when his son 
voted for impeachment, and Ham Fish, the Congressman, never let that 
interfere with the loving relationship with his father, his ability 
obviously to differ strongly with his father on these issues and 
maintain the loving relationship that was there.
  And I was privileged to see that duplicated in Ham's own response to 
his own children. I knew his son, Ham. I was particularly friendly and 
had been with his son, Nick, and I send my condolences to them, and 
both of Ham's sons became Democrats and had differences with him, and 
they maintained with Ham the same kind of loving relationship in which 
strong personal affection coexisted with deep political differences 
that Ham had showed with his father, and that ability to do that is 
something all of us would benefit from.
  So he is a man who enriched our lives in a lot of ways, and, like 
everybody else here, I miss him a lot.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, Congressman 
Barney Frank, for his moving remarks.

                          ____________________