[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H11565-H11567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TED WEISS UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for the immediate 
consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 4042) to designate the 
United States courthouse located at 500 Pearl Street in New York City, 
New York, as the ``Ted Weiss United States Courthouse.''
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to 
the distinguished chairman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] for an 
explanation of the legislation.
  Mr. GILCHREST. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4042 is a bill which would designate the United 
States Courthouse in New York City as the Ted Weiss United States 
Courthouse. Ted Weiss was born in Gava, Hungary in September 1927. He 
and his family fled Eastern Europe to escape Nazi persecution on the 
last passenger ship to leave Hamburg, Germany during the course of 
World War II, arriving in the United States in 1938.
  In 1961, Ted Weiss was elected to the New York City Council where he 
was influential in writing the city's gun control laws and 
environmental measures. After 15 years of service as a councilman, he 
was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976.
  As a colleague of so many in this body, Ted Weiss is remembered as a 
thoughtful advocate of all that he believed. Though one may not have 
always agreed with his position, one could always respect the force of 
his convictions. Unfortunately, Ted passed away on September 4, 1992.
  The naming of this courthouse in his honor is a fitting tribute to a 
distinguished colleague.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar], the distinguished 
ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OBERSTAR. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

[[Page H11566]]

  Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great privilege to be a cosponsor of 
this legislation to name the new courthouse in Foley Square, NY, for 
our former colleague, Ted Weiss. It was a great privilege to serve with 
Ted Weiss, who escaped with his family just at the leading edge of the 
Nazi persecutions in Hungary.
  He grew up as a young lad in New York City and fulfilled the 
immigrant dream of being elected to the highest office in the land, the 
United States Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives, where here 
his wisdom, his understanding, his memories brought justice to this 
body, brought justice to the issues of human rights, of civil rights, 
and to support for the oppressed at home and the oppressed abroad, a 
person who was always filled with justice and peace, of understanding 
and honor for others.
  His legacy will be one of deep sensitivity to the broadest of all 
human needs, and his name on this courthouse, I hope, will serve as an 
inspiration to all who enter it, to honor his name by deliberating in 
that place with the same spirit of fairness, justice, wisdom, 
understanding, and love of others that Ted Weiss demonstrated in this 
body.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4042, a bill to designate the 
new courthouse in Foley Square, New York as the Ted Weiss United States 
Courthouse.
  Ted Weiss was an active, vibrant, thoughtful member of the House of 
Representatives. He brought to our attention, indeed to the attention 
of our Nation, the need for an increase in funding for AIDS research 
long before the word epidemic was used.
  He was a leader in addressing the needs of the homeless and in 
devising an appropriate role for the Federal Government in solving this 
problem.
  Ted Weiss created a legacy of devotion and commitment to issues such 
as social and economic justice, environmental protection, and peacetime 
conversion of defense industries.
  Ted Weiss will be remembered as a brilliant, caring, conscientious 
public servant who cared deeply for people and worked tirelessly to 
bring society closer together. I urge support for H.R. 4042.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentleman from New York [Mr. Nadler], the dynamic young 
sponsor of this legislation.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, as the sponsor of this bill, I would like to 
begin by thanking Chairman Gilchrest and the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. 
Traficant, the ranking member, as well as Chairman Shuster and ranking 
member Jim Oberstar for their support of this legislation which names 
the new Federal courthouse in New York City after our late colleague, 
Ted Weiss.
  Mr. Speaker, I knew Ted Weiss for almost 30 years. I knew him to be a 
compassionate, dedicated, hardworking, and loving man. Ted was born in 
Hungary in September 1927. At the age of 10, he and his family fled the 
Nazi tyranny and left for the United States on the last passenger ship 
out of Hamburg, Germany, before World War II, arriving here in March 
1938.
  Ted went on to earn his undergraduate and law degrees, both in 4\1/2\ 
years, at Syracuse University. After serving in the United States Army, 
he served as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan for 4 years.
  In 1961, Ted was elected to the New York City Council, where he was 
instrumental in supporting gun control legislation, the first 
environmental laws in New York City, and the first noise control laws 
in New York City. He was known as the conscience of the city council. 
He began there a lifetime of public service that was marked by 
compassion and principle.
  As a constituent and a friend of Ted's, I knew firsthand how 
tirelessly he worked to bring issues important to the people whom he 
served to the forefront of public debate.
  Ted Weiss was one of the first elected officials in the Nation to 
focus attention on the need to increase funding for AIDS research 
before the epidemic dominated discussion nationwide and worldwide. He 
was a strong supporter of human rights throughout the world and here at 
home. He received the Vietnam Veterans of America's highest award 2 
years in a row for his work on behalf of America's veterans.
  Ted was not afraid to stand up for his convictions and make sure we 
understood why he held them so dear to his heart. We will be honoring 
Ted by naming this courthouse after him. I believe this suits the man 
who fought so hard to create a more just world. By adopting this 
legislation, this House will honor the memory of a friend and colleague 
who was respected by all who knew him, who was loved by many of us, and 
who brought prestige and honor to this institution.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I again thank the 
chairman, the ranking members and the other Members of this body for 
supporting it.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
yield to the gentlewoman from California [Ms. Pelosi].
  Ms. PELOSI. I thank the ranking member for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great privilege to rise in support of 
this resolution and commend the chairman of the committee and the 
ranking member as well as the author of the resolution for bringing it 
to the floor tonight, because in honoring Ted Weiss by naming this 
courthouse in his honor, we bring honor to the House of 
Representatives.
  Anyone who served in this House with Ted Weiss knows that on a daily 
basis he brought dignity to his service here and as he challenged the 
conscience of our country. Many of us were close friends of Ted's and 
had a regular dinner group, and so we miss him not only as a colleague 
but as a precious and dear friend.
  I had the special privilege of speaking at Ted's service. It was a 
shock to us when Ted passed away. So it was remarkable to see that in 2 
days, it was actually the day after the primary election in New York, 
and all of the New York politicos were out in full force to see this 
funeral, the cross section, the rich, the poor, in a synagogue in 
midtown Manhattan.
  Harry Belafonte spoke and sang. Have you ever been in a temple where 
they sing ``Amazing Grace''? This was Ted Weiss, he was ecumenical, and 
he had a sense of humor. His beautiful sons spoke so lovingly of their 
father, and his loving wife, Sonny Weiss, helped us all through our 
grief.
  But why I mention his service was, I remember the lasting impression 
on me was that, there was Ted Weiss, this champion of the First 
Amendment, this super-patriot of defending our Constitution every 
single day of his public service, and especially in the Congress of the 
United States, there he was, wrapped in the flag, and I thought, how 
appropriate. I cannot think of anyone who deserves more to be wrapped 
in the flag for his defense of the Constitution and his great 
patriotism.
  The gentleman from New York [Mr. Nadler] mentioned that the Weiss 
family came here March 5, 1938. Many of us were in service here in the 
House on March 5, 1988, and will never forget how he rose that day to 
speak with great pride of his family coming to America 50 years before, 
that was obviously the 50-year anniversary, and how lovingly and how 
proudly he spoke of what America meant to the Weiss family and to this 
little boy fleeing tyranny and coming to America. Maybe perhaps more 
than some of us who have never had to flee tyranny, he appreciated what 
America means to the world and to its citizens and, as I say, deserved 
as much as anyone I can think of to be draped in the American flag.
  And so in that spirit, I again, with the greatest appreciation, 
commend all of those who have taken part in bringing this resolution to 
the floor. As I said before, in honoring Ted Weiss, we honor this House 
of Representatives.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, Ted Weiss was a friend and colleague of 
mine as well. It was an honor just to have known him and to have served 
with him, and everybody who did remembers him and appreciates his 
presence, what he stood for. He was an acknowledged champion of human 
rights. His commitment to fairness and justice and peace set a standard 
for anybody who rubbed shoulders with him here in the House of 
Representatives and during his service on the city council of New York. 
Ted Weiss is fondly remembered as a man of gentleness and grace who 
represented the best in public service that was there to be offered. It 
is absolutely fitting and proper to honor Ted Weiss's civic 
contributions by designating the new courthouse in New York City as the 
Ted Weiss United States Courthouse.

[[Page H11567]]

  Mr. Speaker, I want to join with the gentleman from New York [Mr. 
Nadler] and all of those who have spoken on behalf of this legislation.
  Mr. ENGLE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the 
gentleman from New York.
  Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend from Ohio for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I just would not feel right if I did not add my words of 
praise to our late colleague, Ted Weiss, and just to state how happy I 
am that we are naming this courthouse in New York City in Foley Square 
after Ted Weiss.
  I had the honor and privilege of knowing Ted for about 25 years, when 
he was a member of the New York City Council and I was a member of the 
New York State Assembly and we worked together many, many times on 
many, many projects.
  Of course with his colleagues here in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, I worked very closely with Ted on the Committee on 
Foreign Affairs and on many different pieces of legislation.
  When you look and you think back on a career, and I know it has been 
stated by my colleagues, there is no one who was more decent, more 
caring, than Ted Weiss. He was not afraid to take unpopular stands. He 
did not care if there was a bill which 434 colleagues voted for. If he 
felt strongly against it, he got up and said so and voted his 
conscience each and every time. I think that all of us always respected 
him both on this side of the aisle and the other side of the aisle even 
when they disagreed with him.
  He was a very gentle person, he was a person who really cared about 
the district he represented. With reapportionment, I represent a 
portion of the Bronx called Riverdale which Ted had represented under 
the old lines, and I know the people in my district, in Riverdale, felt 
very, very close to Ted Weiss and felt that he had provided them with 
excellent representation throughout the years. I remember at his 
funeral, which was in Manhattan, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of 
people were there. It was so packed that you could not even get into 
the funeral.

                              {time}  1845

  Person after person eulogized him and all said the same thing. The 
word ``decent'' kept coming up. The words ``really caring about 
people'' kept coming up.
  The is how I will always remember Ted, as a good friend, someone who 
truly served his constitutes, someone who loved this country, and 
someone who cared about people.
  So I want to commend my colleagues for this bill. It is fitting 
tribute to Ted Weiss. When I go to Manhattan and to the courthouse, as 
I know I will on occasion, I will always think of, at Foley Square, my 
good friend Ted Weiss. I am just delighted to be a part of this and to 
pay tribute to a wonderful, wonderful guy.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the bill, as follows:

                               H.R. 4042

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION

       The Federal building located at 500 Pearl Street in New 
     York City, New York, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Ted Weiss United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 2 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``Ted Weiss United States Courthouse''.

  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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