[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 27, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H8-H18]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HON. SONNY BONO, 
              REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA.

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution 
(H. Res. 338) and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 338

       Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
     the death of the Honorable Sonny Bono, a Representative from 
     the State of California.
       Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
     the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as 
     a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), 
the dean of the California Congressional delegation, is recognized for 
1 hour.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Brown).
  (Mr. LEWIS of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it was with great sadness that I was awakened in the 
middle of the night during the recess. I want to share with my 
colleagues that I was struggling in my subconscious, attempting to put 
together words that were of condolence to my colleague the gentleman 
from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] regarding the recent tragic loss in 
his family, only to be awakened by a telephone call from a reporter, 
Jim Specht, who writes for a number of newspapers in our region, Jim 
told me of the tragic accident that led to the death of our friend and 
colleague, Sonny Bono.
  To say the least, we were all shocked by this development. Sonny Bono 
is one of those very, very unusual people you meet very rarely in 
public life or in life in general.
  Sonny is survived by his oldest children, Christy and Chastity, and 
by his lovely wife Mary and their children, Chesare, who is 9 years of 
age, about to be 10, and Chianna, who is 6.
  During the time he was with us, Sonny demonstrated to all of us that 
he is one of the most unusual characters you could ever meet. But by 
way of background, Sonny Bono came to California when he was 7 years 
old and moved to Los Angeles. Following high school he got his first 
job, that of being a meat truck driver. I think we all know that his 
heart lay in the entertainment business. In those early days he was 
developing his skills as a music writer. Often on those trips around 
the city of Los Angeles making stops for his product purpose, he would 
also drop off at various locations various songs that he had developed.
  Sonny's talent became very apparent to all the world when his then 
girlfriend, Cherilyn Sarkasian, and he made their first recording 
together, among a number of recordings that led to that show known as 
Sonny and Cher. Between 1971 and 1974, Sonny and Cher were among the 
great hits across the country. They had an impact upon young people of 
that age that is remembered by all.
  Following that work, which eventually came to an end, the partnership 
came to an end, about 1974, Sonny went on with his business over a 
period of time. He then took the next step in terms of his most amazing 
career. In the early 1980s, he established what were to become known as 
Bono Restaurants, first in Los Angeles, then in Texas. I began to 
personally get to know Sonny when he opened such a restaurant in Palm 
Springs, California. At that time, the location of the restaurant was 
actually in my own district.
  In Palm Springs, he quickly became known by anybody who enjoyed both 
the entertainment as well as the fun restaurant opportunity in Palm 
Springs. As he developed that process in Palm Springs, he found himself 
having some difficulty with local government regulations. It seems 
there was a conflict that arose over a sign that he needed for his 
restaurant. Local bureaucracy, he would suggest, was getting in the 
way. That kind of led to a minibattle that caused Sonny a different 
way, perhaps for the first time, to especially focus upon politics.
  With that confrontation, when the local person resisted what he 
thought was sensible public policy, he indicated that maybe the best 
alternative for him was to run for office and become that person's 
boss, Sonny wanted to make sure that sense was made out of local 
policy. With that, Sonny became the mayor of Palm Springs.
  Known by all in Southern California in connection with that, after 
some time carrying forward that work, he ran for the U.S. Senate. I 
mention that, even though he was unsuccessful in the primary process, 
only by way of

[[Page H9]]

giving a preliminary hint of the quality and mix that is the character 
of Sonny Bono.
  The person who won that primary, Bruce Hershenson, along with our 
colleague Tom Campbell and Sonny all ran in that primary, Bruce 
eventually won the primary. But in spite of an intense process, Sonny 
and Bruce Hershenson developed a personal relationship that was as deep 
as any I have ever seen in public affairs. They were fast friends and 
loyal friends from that point to this day forward.
  Sonny ran for the House of Representatives in 1994 when the seat 
became vacant, as our colleague Al McCandless decided to retire. With 
his election who will ever forget Sonny's early stay in the House. I 
wonder how many of those of you who are here with me today remember 
that event in which he was a guest during his first term at the annual 
press club dinner, a black tie affair. You know how we all love those 
black tie affairs.
  Sonny was one of the speakers chosen that evening during his first 
term, and I remember very, very clearly Sonny's giving formal written 
remarks, from the start I could sense he was not particularly 
comfortable with them.
  About halfway through the remarks, he turned, and it looked as though 
somebody was a little perplexed. He said, hey, you are trying to give 
me the hook, huh, an old slang line for people in the entertainment 
business to get you off the stage.
  With that, Sonny threw aside his written remarks and began talking 
about his real feelings about his experience in the House. It is really 
amazing what developed. A half an hour late, he had these cynical press 
people rolling in the aisle.
  Sonny Bono demonstrated his sense about the House and used his sense 
of humor ofttimes in times of critical circumstance to bring us 
together.
  In our Conference, time and time again, he illustrated that his voice 
was exactly what was needed to provide the sort of oil that allows us 
to work together. He did that not only in our Conference, but also on 
both sides of the aisle as well.
  Sonny served with us in the House as a member of the Committee on the 
Judiciary. He was very active in the war on drugs and demonstrated an 
ongoing and active interest in copyright law and intellectual property 
concerns.
  You will hear a good deal today about his most important concern as 
it relates to the environment, for he has been the co-chairman of our 
task force dealing with the Salton Sea, which, as many of you may know, 
is the largest inland lake in the West. It clearly involves the most 
important environmental challenge that faces the United States insofar 
as the West is concerned.
  Sonny also worked on the Committee on National Security and played a 
very big role in making sure that our Armed Forces have the quality and 
strength that are required for this country that now leads the free 
world.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The gentleman from California, 
Mr. Brown, is recognized for 30 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I also 
appreciate very much what my colleague from California has said about 
Sonny Bono and giving some of his background before he came to 
Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I recall fairly clearly my own first awareness of Sonny 
as a part of the duo of Sonny and Cher. I am not one normally given to 
spending a lot of time with popular entertainers, but I was struck by 
this couple who made a very great impression on me, and Sonny in 
particular, because I was not convinced that he had any obvious 
talents. But he did pass the critical test of being extremely 
successful and extremely popular, and one cannot quarrel with success.
  Obviously, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), has already 
reported, he had talents that extended into a variety of fields.
  I first became personally acquainted with him, of course, after he 
was elected to the Congress, and I observed his operations here on the 
floor. As with most new Members, it seemed to me he was not quite sure 
what he was doing much of the time, but he learned with great rapidity. 
I came to admire the way in which he grasped opportunities to 
participate in a variety of different issues and generally bring a high 
degree of common sense to the consideration of those issues.
  As my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), has 
indicated, we became involved, those of us in what we call the Inland 
Empire region of Southern California, which includes the counties of 
San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial, we became involved as a group, 
all of the Members from that region, in efforts to achieve some 
remediation of the problems of the Salton Sea. I will not deal unduly 
on that at this point.
  But we all recall the fact that in the Congress 3 or 4 years ago, the 
California delegation had somewhat of a reputation as being, shall we 
say, lacking in cohesiveness. Some of us became concerned with that 
problem and began to initiate steps to distinguish between those things 
which were worthy of lack of cohesiveness and those which really 
deserved cohesiveness.

                              {time}  1330

  In other words, we began to try and define those areas where it was 
appropriate for Congressmen in California to work together regardless 
of party, and those equally or more important areas where we needed to 
be divided on the basis of political principle. And we learned a number 
of lessons, and we began this process of working together, and my 
experience with Sonny and my appreciation for him began to rise as I 
had the opportunity to participate with him in these vital areas which 
were nonpartisan in their scope, but which related to the welfare of 
all of our constituents in our respective districts.
  I will not belabor the details of this particularly, although I may 
come back to them a little bit later, but my last recollection of Sonny 
was in his office in Palm Springs where we had one of the meetings of 
our task force, we call it the Inland Empire Salton Sea Task Force, and 
Sonny of course is a cochairman of that task force, brought us together 
in his office to discuss at that point the impending visit of the 
Secretary of the Interior. I will tell my colleagues that Sonny's 
efforts as a cochairman of the task force were unique and very 
successful in focusing the attention of the Executive Branch on the 
need to take some action there.
  He was the kind of a person who worked easily to bring people 
together, and I wish that trait were more common amongst our 
colleagues. I will always remember him as a gentleman, one who could 
bring us together, could bring about agreement with regard to critical 
issues, could identify critical problem areas and focus discussions on 
them in a way which is not too usual amongst the Members of Congress, 
and which I think will create a lasting monument to his work as an 
elected public official.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 
minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).
  (Mr. HYDE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  I have a statement covering an outline, a brief outline, of some of 
the services and contributions that Sonny Bono made as a member of the 
House Committee on the Judiciary, and I am going to ask that that be 
printed in the Record, but I have some remarks I would like to make 
that are more of a general nature than a specific recitation of his 
great contributions to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. Speaker, contemplating the untimely death of our colleague and 
really our brother, Sonny Bono, forces us to confront the mystery of 
life and death. It makes us ask the question to which there is no 
answer in this lifetime: Why me, Lord? Sonny's impact on us was like a 
skyrocket. It was bright, it was beautiful, and very brief. He left us 
many examples of how we should understand our vocation as legislators, 
how we should treat each other as brothers and sisters and of the value 
of laughter and inner joy.

[[Page H10]]

  Sonny, in one brief lifetime, was a resounding success in 4 difficult 
careers: Songwriting, performing, mayor of an important city, and a 
Congressman. Sonny laughed often, he loved much, especially his wife, 
Mary, and his children. He won the respect and the affection of all who 
knew him. He appreciated beauty and he saw the good in others. He was 
an authentic free spirit. Among the many lessons we can draw from his 
example, the one most important to me are three words that his life 
said to every person, young or old, who has a burning desire to 
achieve. ``Yes, you can.''
  Sonny, I know you are up there. Do not forget us, because we will 
never forget you.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow this House will remember in a memorial service 
the life and work of Representative Sonny Bono, who lost his life 
tragically in a skiing accident on January 5, 1998. As we convene to 
reflect on his remarkable life, I would like to recognize his 
achievements as a valued member of the House Judiciary Committee.
  Sonny was not a lawyer, and yet he requested to become a member of 
the Judiciary Committee out of his concern for the issues entrusted to 
its jurisdiction. I was happy to recommend his placement on the 
Committee and I know that I speak for its entire membership when I say 
that his refreshing approach to legislation and his immediate 
contributions were appreciated on both sides of the aisle.
  How Sonny became a Member of Congress is a classic American tale that 
should be studied by anyone interested in pursuing politics. Unable to 
cut through the municipal bureaucracy necessary to simply put a sign in 
front of his restaurant in Palm Springs, California, Sonny ran for 
Mayor to fix the problem himself. Elected twice to that position, Sonny 
succeeded in bringing government closer to the people and in bringing 
new revenue, including an International Film Festival, to his city and 
its surrounding areas. Elected to the 104th Congress in 1994, this 
ambitious freshman's first bill called for another initiative to bring 
government closer to the people: the appointment of a three-judge court 
panel, already used in Voting Rights Act and apportionment cases, to 
hear constitutional challenges to popular referenda voted upon by the 
entire population of a state. His reasoning was simple: when the 
citizens of a state vote directly on an issue that is important to 
their lives, and a direct majority speaks, one judge should not be able 
to delay the execution of the will of the people of an entire state for 
years. This sophisticated measure was aimed at addressing the legal 
aftermath of the affirmative action and immigration referenda in his 
home state.
  Sonny Bono, the self-proclaimed non-lawyer, had to argue for this 
bill before a Judiciary Committee comprised of legally-trained members. 
He effectively laid out his case. Sonny's bill was reported to the full 
House by the Committee. Then, as a freshman, Representative Bono went 
to the floor of the House armed only with the logic of his arguments 
and convinced a majority of his colleagues to support passage of his 
bill.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress can be a daunting institution for anyone to 
master. Sonny Bono, as a freshman, tackled a serious subject like 
judicial reform and made it his first effort at lawmaking. His 
legislation has been reintroduced this Congress and is pending before 
the Judiciary Committee as part of the Judicial Reform Act of this 
Congress.
  His gifts reflected Sonny's diverse background as a songwriter, 
entertainer, business owner and Mayor. Those experiences gave him a 
unique perspective on issues as diverse as tax reform, immigration and 
intellectual property. As a member of the Subcommittee on Courts and 
Intellectual Property, he worked hard to negotiate difficult legal 
solutions to problems facing the country as the Internet becomes a new 
means of distributing books, music, software, and movies. To Sonny, 
these were not just theories to be discussed, they were part of his 
life. He had the unique distinction of being someone who could 
understand the practical effects of legislation in this area.
  Many of us attended the funeral service in Sonny's home of Palm 
Springs and saw, along with the rest of the country on their 
televisions, the hundreds of people who stood in line to pay their last 
respects to this unique and gifted citizen. Sonny will be remembered as 
an ambitious member of Congress who represented with distinction the 
interests of his district and the interests of our country. I join with 
my colleagues in remembering his political career, and send prayers of 
comfort to his wife Mary and his children Chesare, Chianna, Chastity 
and Christy. The people of the 46th District of California are 
fortunate to have had Sonny Bono as their Representative, and those of 
us who worked closely with him are fortunate to have experienced his 
refreshing candor and lighthearted wisdom.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time. I first met Sonny a little over 3 years ago. The only contact I 
had with Sonny prior to that is when I had dinner at his restaurant in 
Palm Springs, Sonny's. We both share that common background. My family 
was in the restaurant business for close to 45 years.
  Three years ago we started this relationship and we became very 
close, both as friends and as colleagues. We represented most of 
Riverside County, shared a district line in many communities together. 
And he always just was so excellent at what he did in representing his 
constituents, and let me put a word in for his staff, especially Brian, 
his chief of staff, who did an excellent job for Sonny over the years; 
Frank, Beverly, the whole staff.
  I would like to talk briefly about the last time I saw Sonny. I got a 
call on a Friday afternoon that, this was two weeks before Christmas, 
that Sonny wanted to have a meeting, and I am sure all of us were busy, 
all had things that we wanted to do that Sunday two weeks before 
Christmas, but Sonny wanted to meet with us, it was important. And we 
were all there: Jerry Lewis, George Brown, Duncan Hunter, myself, 
Sonny, meeting in his office to talk about something he loved, 
something we all care about: The Salton Sea. And for two-and-a-half 
hours we sat in his office and we discussed ways we could finally 
resolve this issue that was important to every one of us. All of us 
have different backgrounds as both individuals or politicians, but 
Sonny could bring us all together, and I was thinking about that even 
while I was driving down on that Sunday that certainly we all cared 
about the Salton Sea, but we all cared about Sonny Bono, and I think 
that that was one of the reasons we were there, if not the most 
important thing, because Sonny was somebody you just liked to be 
around, somebody you wanted to be with.
  So as we come back to Congress for the second half of the 105th, we 
are going to miss Sonny, those moments sitting back here in the Chamber 
when we needed that little lift, that joke, that smile. I think all of 
us will always remember Sonny's smile that we are just not going to 
have with us anymore. But we will have that memory, and we certainly 
have all of our prayers for Mary and the children, and we wish them 
Godspeed. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself an additional 6 
minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Calvert's recitation of this meeting that brought us 
together in Sonny's office just before Christmas leads me to offer some 
additional comments about some of Sonny's unique contributions. He did 
have a background in business as well as a background as mayor of the 
City of Palm Springs, and in looking at this new challenge that faced 
him as a Member of Congress with a huge environmental problem that was 
getting worse in the form of the Salton Sea, Sonny made several what I 
considered to be unique contributions to pointing in the direction of 
solutions.
  One of the first things that he did was to bring the group of us 
together with some consultants who had extensive experience with 
solving environmental problems and developing unique solutions to 
ecological and environmental conditions. One of these was an 
internationally known designer who had worked all around the world and 
who brought to us the possibility that we could turn a declining Salton 
Sea, declining in an economic sense, into an asset by doing something 
that none of us had thought about before, and that was creating islands 
in the sea which could be developed for recreational and commercial 
purposes.
  That was the kind of thing that Sonny easily perceived that I think 
was more difficult for the rest of us. We have, of course, some 
interest in the commercial development of casinos in southern 
California by Indian tribes, and Sonny established a dialogue with the 
local Indian tribes who did not have casinos, about the possibility of 
doing something of that sort. And lo and behold, the Indians were very 
interested. The idea of building islands which could be developed for 
recreational and commercial use is now

[[Page H11]]

one of the things which may lead to an economically viable solution to 
the problems of the Salton Sea.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. BROWN of California. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's discussion 
regarding the extension of that Sunday meeting where the five of us 
were together, which is the last time I was with Sonny as well, and the 
remarks of the gentleman caused me to say that indeed, Congressman 
Brown and I have looked at the problems of the Salton Sea for some 
time, and especially my colleague from San Bernardino County has 
expressed long-standing concern, since he was born in Imperial County, 
which has a piece of the Salton Sea, but all of us somewhat frustrated 
over the years watching this incredible asset deteriorate the way it 
has.
  At one time the annual commercial values surrounding the Salton Sea 
were about $100 million a year, and it has come to the point now with a 
combination of sewage that flows from the New River into the Salton 
Sea, the sewage that flows from Mexico adds to a tremendous problem. 
There is salt that flows from the agricultural activities that are 
adjacent to the Salton Sea. It is a reality that as of this moment what 
is a very, very important national asset and important environmental 
asset will all but be wasted and lost unless we take some action in a 
very short period of time. Maybe 5 years from now it will be too late.
  Well, it was Sonny taking over the chairmanship of this task force 
and helping us all to focus in a special way that the gentleman from 
California reminds me has helped us crystallize a process here that I 
think will end up leading to a solution, maybe an expenditure of 
hundreds, not tens of millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars, 
but nonetheless, the result on the other end being a legacy to Sonny's 
service here that is most important.
  Mr. BROWN of California. Well, now that the gentleman has made that 
comment, following Sonny's death there was a major economic conference 
convened in his district to examine the economic impacts of further 
decline or revival of the Salton Sea. It was conducted by the 
University of California based on an economic study that they had made, 
and this bore out what Sonny's instincts told him I think was possible. 
The detailed analysis showed that by reversing the decline of the 
Salton Sea and reviving it as an attractive environmental and 
recreational location, that this could, by the estimate of the 
economist who prepared the report, add to the cash flow of the region 
as much as $1 billion a year.
  Now, this just astounded all of us who had looked at it, and I think 
Sonny, because of his own keen interest in recreational and economic 
development which he had demonstrated during his period as mayor, was 
not as surprised as some of the rest of us at what the potential was.

                              {time}  1345

  Essentially, what this report said, and we will be making a great 
deal of use of it, is that the economic potential of activities related 
to a living and vital Salton Sea is probably equivalent to that of the 
agriculture which is the world's most productive that surrounds the 
Salton Sea. This is something that we will probably be spending more 
time investigating and bringing forth, but we owe this to Sonny's 
instincts as much as anything else.
  Mr. Speaker, I will, for the rest of my life, pay tribute to that 
instinct which gave us the hook, you might say, to create a realistic 
interest in a practical solution to the problems of this great body of 
water.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield 7 minutes to the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble).
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for having brought 
this to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I do not have a prepared statement. I am going to do 
this from the seat of my pants. But that is probably the way Sonny 
would have done it, so I do not think I will violate any protocol as 
far as he is concerned.
  The distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the Chairman of 
the House Committee on the Judiciary, has already indicated that Sonny 
was a valued member of the full committee. He and I sat on the 
Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property, and I came to know 
Sonny very well in that capacity.
  Mr. Speaker, some recent weeks ago a group of mine from North 
Carolina from my congressional district asked me to bring a celebrity 
back home for a special event, and I asked them to identify a celebrity 
since we are not all celebrities here. They mentioned the gentleman 
from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent), the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watt) and 
Sonny Bono, Steve and J.C. being football luminaries and Sonny the 
entertainer.
  I said, ``You all name who your favorite of the three would be.'' 
``We don't have a favorite,'' they said. The chairman finally came to 
me and said, ``How about Sonny Bono? See if we can get him down here.''
  I went to Sonny, and he responded favorably, and he showed up in 
Greensboro, North Carolina, at the home of Charlie and Mary Elizabeth 
Irving back in November. A cold rain had fallen that entire afternoon, 
and Sonny was the headline. I say to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis), he packed them in. They were standing outside as the soft rain 
fell listening to Sonny talk for 35 to 40 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, time and again he referred to himself as a simple man 
from the streets; but his words were warmly embraced not only by those 
exposed to the rain outside but by those who were protected from it 
inside.
  My constituents who attended that event that night came to know him 
favorably even though he was only there for a little over 2 hours. In 
fact, that event, I say to the gentleman from California, may well have 
been his final public appearance.
  Shortly after his untimely death, a syndicated columnist wrote an 
article that appeared in the largest daily in my district, the 
Greensboro News and Record, depicting Sonny as a clown, a buffoon, an 
inept, unqualified Congressman.
  My constituents who visited with him that rainy night in November 
were hopping mad. They weren't angry; they were hopping mad about it. 
They called our offices down home and up here taking great umbrage in 
that article.
  I responded to the article pretty clearly, refuting and disavowing 
the unkind and uncivil portrayal of Sonny Bono in her article. Mr. 
Speaker, I bet 125 to 150 people saw me within 24 hours after my 
article appeared. They were personally offended by the syndicated 
columnist's article.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. COBLE. I yield to the gentleman from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleague to yield at 
this point because he is raising a very, very important item that kind 
of goes to the heart of some of the mystery of Sonny Bono.
  The early days of Sonny and Cher, it was very obvious that he was the 
butt of the jokes that were part of their routine. But what was not so 
obvious was that Sonny was the person who produced those programs. He 
wrote the jokes and had the strength of character to see the value of 
his being the butt of the jokes.
  The fool in this event involves the person who does not understand 
that strength and that quality. For Sonny Bono without any question, 
among other things, understood the value of humor properly placed and 
the strength it could have in terms of making a point and indeed in 
terms of bringing people together. It is a quality that is sorely 
missed by all of us but one that is absolutely needed in a body like 
the House of Representatives.
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman 
from California for his contribution. Indeed, that is true.
  In fact, I told one of the columnists who called me for a comment 
about Sonny as a result of having shared membership on the Judiciary 
subcommittee I mentioned earlier. I said, oftentimes, he would give the 
appearance that he just fell off the turnip truck yesterday, but before 
you knew it the dart was released from his hand and the next time you 
saw the dart was when you were removing it from your own eye.

[[Page H12]]

  Sonny, as the gentleman from California just pointed out, had the 
ability to laugh at himself. It is too bad more of us on this Hill do 
not have that ability and do not practice it more often. He was the 
butt of the joke, and I think he enjoyed being the butt of the joke.
  Mr. Speaker, as the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) 
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary previously said during his 
time on this matter, ``Sonny, do not forget us,'' because, as Cher said 
at the funeral, she said, ``He was the most unforgettable character I 
have ever met.''
  I can assure you, Sonny, we in this people's House will never forget 
you.
  I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) for this time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kim).
  (Mr. KIM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution 
recognizing the achievement our late colleague, Sonny Bono. His 
district is only about half an hour's drive from the district that I 
serve.
  I speak straight from the heart when I say that Sonny was a dear 
friend. One thing I have learned over the last 5 years in Washington is 
how hard it is to find a true friend, someone who will stay with you 
during the good times and someone there during not so good times. Sonny 
was that kind of true friend.
  Sonny had a unique ability of mixing humor with hard work. But we 
will remember him for making us laugh even during the stressful times. 
Sonny had a serious side too: Helping try to stop drug abuse, trying to 
improve food safety, trying to rescue the Salton Sea, on and on and on.
  Mr. Speaker, he used to joke about my ``Southern accent.'' But I know 
now everyone, including Sonny, can understand me clearly when I say 
that, ``We all miss you, Sonny.''
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for leading 
this discussion and this tribute to Sonny Bono.
  Obviously, the House lost a star over the break; and I am not 
referring to Sonny Bono being the star of the entertainment industry. 
He was a star around here. A star is, what, something in the sky that 
shines brightly; and Sonny always shined brightly.
  His eyes sparkled, and he had a smile that was an uplifting smile. 
Whenever one felt down or was engaged in a controversy or got a little 
bit too involved and was a little bit captured by the moment and did 
not see the big picture, Sonny would always bring us down to earth and 
let us realize that, yes, what we are doing is important but not to be 
so enrapt by it that we lost sight of the values and the things that we 
really believe in.
  Sonny was a star also in the entertainment industry and, as such, 
when he came here he became a champion of the rights of song writers 
and other people and for intellectual property issues, which is an 
issue that is close to my heart. Sonny went out, and he knew this area 
very well. He knew about song writers and writers and other creative 
people in our society and made that a point, to be their champion, 
because that was his area of expertise.
  But, Mr. Speaker, his involvement and his activity went well beyond 
that area. Sonny was a patriot. Sonny ran for office because he wanted 
to make things better. He was someone from the entertainment industry 
and at times people would underestimate Sonny for that reason.
  It was easy for me not to underestimate Sonny Bono, especially with 
the excuse of saying he is just a former rock and roll star or an 
actor, because I had already worked for someone who had been 
underestimated his entire political career by people who said, ``Do not 
worry about him; he is just a former actor.'' But just like Ronald 
Reagan, Sonny Bono, yes, was a former actor, but he was a patriot who 
had a gut instinct about the people, people as individuals and people 
as the general public.
  Sonny, perhaps one of the reasons he had this gut instinct, the same 
way Ronald Reagan had this gut instinct, was that he had not been in 
politics all of his life and he had been in contact with large numbers 
of people outside of the political context for a number of years. In 
that, he developed a relationship with people and knew them and 
appreciated them.
  So Sonny contributed a lot during his short time period here. He 
contributed a great deal to the spirit of this body, and we will miss 
him. And, as has been expressed here today, I will personally miss him. 
Sonny was a man I respected deeply because he just knew people. He 
understood people. He understood the situations, and he was trying to 
do what he could for his country. What more can people ask than that?
  So, with that, I believe in God and I believe in the hereafter and I 
believe Sonny, just like as has been expressed today, he is with us 
today and his spirit will be in this hall today with those people who 
serve in Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, he shines brightly now, a star in the heavens 
overlooking the work that this body does to try to make this a better 
country to serve our people in the best way we can.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join in expressing 
appreciation to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for taking this time and pursuing 
this very important resolution.
  We were all very shocked and saddened, the world was shocked and 
saddened, with the tragedy that struck Sonny Bono, and I have got to 
say that I miss him. I think about him constantly. I think about Mary 
and the children, and I think about the impact that he had on so many 
of us.
  Like most, I plead guilty to having been a little bit skeptical when 
this 1970s, long-haired, mustachioed, bell-bottomed singer-songwriter 
decided that he was going to come to the United States Congress, and I 
wondered what impact it would have.
  Then I began to think about what it was that the founders envisaged 
for this institution. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson both talked 
about how disparate walks of life should be represented here in the 
people's House. And, to my knowledge, Sonny was, in fact, the only 
1970s long-haired, mustachioed, bell-bottomed singer-songwriter to 
serve in the institution. So, actually, Sonny Bono's presence here was 
exactly what Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wanted.
  One of the things that Sonny got very involved in, I remember his 
coming to me shortly after he was elected, and he said, ``David, I want 
to sit down and work with you and the Speaker and others and put 
together a task force that will underscore the very important 
relationship that should exist between the Congress and the Republican 
party and the entertainment industry, the music industry, the film 
industry, the television industry.'' He took a very, very important 
leadership role in pursuing that and did, I believe, a spectacular job.
  We have gotten to the point where there is an understanding of how it 
is that the Republican party, quite frankly, really does embody many of 
those shared goals: An opposition to censorship and dealing with 
intellectual property violations, finding new markets for exports 
coming from the entertainment industry in California. So there are a 
lot of very important things that have been to this point unheralded 
that Sonny was intimately involved in.

                              {time}  1400

  I think that one of my colleagues probably said it best in a 
statement that I read in the paper when he said, many people run for 
Congress and come to Washington acting like they are very smart, and 
they are really not too bright. Well, Sonny Bono ran for Congress with 
this image of being less than intelligent, and it was obvious from his 
work and his life that he was an extraordinarily bright person.
  Mr. Speaker, I will miss him greatly and join in sending condolences, 
as we all have time and time again, officially here from the floor of 
the Congress to all the members of Sonny Bono's family.

[[Page H13]]

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Packard), from beautiful 
downtown San Diego and other territory in California.
  (Mr. PACKARD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I consider it a real privilege to get up on 
the floor and speak of my friend Sonny Bono. Sonny really became a 
heavyweight in everything he did. I think he started out perceived as a 
lightweight in most everything he did, but before it was done, he rose 
to the point where he really became an influence, a significant 
influence, in everything he did.
  In the entertainment industry he started out conceived as a 
lightweight and one that would never make an impact, and few people in 
the entertainment industry have made a greater impact than Sonny Bono 
has.
  Then he went to the city of Palm Springs, was elected mayor. I served 
as a mayor. I know the impact that a mayor has on a community, and 
Sonny Bono, I am sure, was perceived initially that it was kind of a 
fluke that he would be elected. But before he was done, he made a 
powerful impact upon the quality of life in Palm Springs. It is a 
better place to live and work than it was before Sonny Bono served.
  Then he came to Congress. In the Congress of the United States 
unquestionably he was perceived to be a lightweight when he came, but 
it did not take long until we recognized that he carried a powerful 
wallop and made a powerful influence for good in this institution. He 
made his mark. He has been a heavyweight in everything he has touched.
  I admire him. I love him. I appreciated the work he did. I hope that 
we will keep him as a memorable Member of this body. It is a better 
place to serve because of Sonny Bono.
  Often our leadership, when things were the most tense in our 
Conference meetings or in here on the floor of the House, they would 
ask Sonny Bono to take the edge off of things, to pull our delegation 
together and to bring us back to reality. And Sonny Bono had an 
incredible talent of using his wit and his ability with comedy to 
really bring us back to reality. And then he would always wrap up with 
a very serious point that he used his tremendous ability at wit to 
initiate.
  I really appreciated that talent in Sonny Bono. He expressed it and 
used it several times, sometimes at the request of our leadership. I 
remember Newt Gingrich himself asked at one time Sonny Bono to take the 
edge off of the real tension that existed recently in our Conference. 
What a masterful job he did of bringing us right back to where we 
needed to be and accomplished exactly what we needed to be done.
  He was a master at it. But he was a heavyweight in everything he did. 
He was a heavyweight legislator, make no mistake about it. We are going 
to miss him dearly in this body.
  I truly pray for his family that they will recognize the great 
service that he has rendered both to the people of America through the 
entertainment industry, to the people of Palm Springs in his service 
there, to the people of America in his service here in the House of 
Representatives. He has truly made his mark in the world. We want to 
thank Sonny Bono.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). The gentleman from California 
(Mr. Brown) has 17\1/2\ minutes remaining, and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lewis) has \1/2\ minute remaining.
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
California for yielding me this time.
  I appreciate that we as colleagues recognize that Sonny Bono belonged 
to America. Sonny Bono was known to me as a fellow colleague on the 
House Committee on the Judiciary. He sat on one side as a Republican, I 
on the other side as a Democrat. But my tribute to him comes more as a 
believer in his view and the way he carried himself, that he was an 
American who came here to serve his constituents and to serve this 
country.
  I would remember sometimes he would add to the very serious 
deliberations that all of us would engage in with just a slight bit of 
humor. He would always say, I am not a lawyer, and I hear a lot of 
lawyers talking in this room. But whenever he would offer his insight, 
it brought about clarity and frankness that we all could appreciate.
  He would draw down that pompousness that lawyers may tend to have by 
just saying to us, make it plain, let everybody understand it. And once 
we stood back from his challenge, we would say, he is right. What are 
we doing here other than making sense for the American people. I 
appreciated that in Sonny Bono, and I thank him.
  I think all of us have got a fuller sense of appreciation of what we 
call changing careers. Everybody was something else when they came to 
this body. In fact, the Founding Fathers were always something else. 
They were farmers and artisans and lawyers and teachers. They came and 
spent a few months here and went back to their work. So what was wrong 
with being from the music industry and an entertainer? Nothing.
  He brought us a different perspective, his sense of humor, but his 
commitment to the ideals of this country. So I would simply like to 
say, as a member of the House Committee on the Judiciary where I got to 
know him most, thank you, Sonny Bono, for what you brought to this 
body. Thank you, Sonny Bono, for not being a lawyer and making just 
plain sense, for I do believe that your presence in this body and your 
membership on the House Committee on the Judiciary, which was extremely 
unique as a nonlawyer, added to the processes of government, reaffirmed 
the Constitution of the United States and as well reaffirmed your place 
in history.
  God bless Sonny Bono and his family, and God bless America.
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, I know of no other requests for 
time on my side, but I know that there are on the other side. I yield 
the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker I rise today to add my voice to the chorus of voices 
singing the praises of our colleague Sonny Bono. I am not sure there is 
anything I can say that has not already been spoken. It was with deep 
sadness that I learned of Sonny's death. In life he was vibrant and 
witty, always quick to offer a smile, an amusing story or a simple word 
of encouragement.
  Many of our colleagues have shared personal stories about working 
with Sonny, but I would like to share something a member of my staff 
just today told me which illustrates why Sonny was loved in life and 
why he will be remembered in death.
  My aide told me of an encounter he had with Sonny in 1995. He was 
walking between the House office buildings when he encountered Sonny in 
the street. When they passed, my staffer gave Sonny a puzzled look. 
Sonny, realizing that my staffer recognized him but maybe couldn't 
place the name with the face, turned around and said hello.
  I tell this story simply because it is indicative of Sonny's engaging 
personality. In his long and immensely successful career, Sonny never 
got too big to remember those around him. He was at ease with Hollywood 
stars, politicians, his constituents and, of course, his wonderful 
family, and, most important, Sonny made those around him feel at ease.
  Sonny visited my district for a Lincoln Day dinner last year and won 
the hearts of my constituents immediately. In fact, I had to get him 
out of town quickly because I was afraid they would ask him to move to 
Florida and challenge me.
  I think it is important, Mr. Speaker, not to let stories of Sonny's 
generosity and kindheartedness overshadow his legislative 
accomplishments. He was a serious and effective legislator. He was an 
average guy in a business where we often take ourselves too seriously. 
He worked diligently on behalf of his constituents, and he entered the 
political arena for the right reasons. I repeat that. He entered the 
political arena for

[[Page H14]]

the right reasons, because he saw the problem, in his case, of business 
shackled by excessive regulations, and he figured the best way to solve 
that problem was to change it himself. He was a true citizen 
legislator.
  I would like to close by sharing the impression Sonny has left on me. 
I am sure that those of you who attended his funeral and those who 
watched on television were struck not by the profound sadness of the 
affair, but by the joy and happiness which Sonny brought into people's 
lives. Mixed with the tears of joy and happy memories of Sonny was that 
unforgettable picture. Each time the television camera cut to a shot of 
Sonny's picture with that engaging smile, I could not help but laugh 
and think, that is Sonny. It was almost like he was there. And the 
thing is, Sonny is here with each and every one of us who had their 
opportunity to work with him and share a piece of his unique 
perspective on life.
  So let me wish Mary and their wonderful children, Chesare and 
Chianna, God's blessings. They may have lost a father, but they have 
gained a House full of aunts and uncles. I think I speak on behalf my 
colleagues by saying we will always be willing to help whenever it is 
needed.
  Sonny, may you keep them smiling up there.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox).
  (Mr. COX of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COX of California. Mr. Speaker, my heart, along with the hearts 
of all of my colleagues, is with Sonny Bono at this time. I would like 
to submit my tribute for the Record. I am delighted that we are 
spending this time, and I am delighted we are having a memorial service 
that we will all attend tomorrow for this same purpose. This Chamber 
will deeply miss Sonny Bono.
  Mr. Speaker, the world watched and mourned as Sonny Bono was laid to 
rest in Palm Springs a few weeks ago, and many of our colleagues here 
were among those present. It is a rare person whose passing causes us 
all to stop and reflect, and I want to take a moment and explain why, 
to my mind, Sonny Bono's life touched so many people.
  I think it is because he was uniquely American. His life was proof of 
all the things that we believe make America special, and like Ronald 
Reagan before him, he did it all with the smile and the kind words that 
come from a man who is at peace with himself and who believes in what 
he is doing.
  The more I got to know Sonny, the more respect I had for him, and the 
more I counted him as a friend. I don't think anyone in the last 10 
years has made me laugh so hard as Sonny, but most importantly, he made 
all of us laugh at the right times. Sonny knew when things had become 
too serious, when we were all becoming swollen with our own importance, 
and when instead of anger and recriminations we needed laughter and 
unity. He had a unique ability to use humor to remind us of who we are 
and what we should be doing.
  Sonny's parents wanted him to be a doctor. But he wanted to be in 
show business, so he went to Hollywood, and took a job that allowed him 
to pursue his dream--he drove a meat truck. What does this have to do 
with Hollywood and the music business? Nothing, except that by taking 
this job and delivering meat along Sunset Boulevard, Sonny was able to 
drop off recordings of his songs at record companies along his route. 
This was typical of Sonny's persistence in pursuing his goals--he 
always believed there was a way, whether it seemed obvious or not. And 
as we all know, he was right--his records became hits, and he ended up 
entertaining millions of Americans every week on national television. 
This kind of confidence is uniquely American--Sonny knew that there 
would be opportunities, and that all he needed was talent and 
determination to succeed.
  When Sonny left show business, he went into the restaurant business, 
and in the private sector he learned a lesson that too many people in 
Washington, DC have either never learned or have forgotten--the 
government interferes far too much into the private lives of citizens. 
As a businessman, Sonny found that government thought it could tell him 
what kind of a sign he could put on his restaurant.
  Unfortunately, he discovered, it could--so Sonny ran for mayor and 
made the changes that he thought needed to be made. The people who had 
seen what he could do overwhelmingly voted to send him to Congress to 
give him a chance to make some needed changes here as well.
  Sonny was just getting started when he was taken from us, but he had 
already made a difference. We passed legislation here in the House that 
he wrote which was designed to protect the voters in my state, 
legislation that would prevent a single judge from overturning the will 
of the people as expressed through a statewide ballot initiative.
  In short, though Sonny Bono was successful, and though he did serious 
work, he never took himself, or this body, too seriously. He knew that 
the important things in life should be enjoying your family, enjoying 
your work, and chasing whatever dreams you have, whether it's a gold 
record or a Senate seat. In that, he set a good example for us all.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.]
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlemen from 
California (Mr. Lewis) and (Mr. Brown) for arranging this opportunity 
to memorialize our good friend, Sonny Bono. And it is with a great deal 
of sadness that I join with our colleagues in expressing our deepest 
condolences upon the tragic, untimely and premature passing of our 
colleague from California, Sonny Bono.
  It is difficult in our society to achieve any phenomenal success in 
any given field. Sonny was one of the few people to achieve distinction 
in four different occupations: songwriting, show business, managing a 
restaurant business and, most important, public service.
  I first came to know Sonny during his first term in the Congress. His 
knowledge of the copyright law, his dedication to intellectual property 
rights and his indignation over the pirating of American works by other 
nations, particularly the People's Republic of China, was one of 
significant assistance to those of us on our Committee on International 
Relations as we wrestled with those issues.
  He brought to the Congress his experience and insight, which were 
rare, and he will not soon be forgotten. It was pointed out at the time 
of his passing that Sonny Bono is one of the few Members of Congress 
ever to habitually attend hearings of other committees, committees he 
did not serve on, simply because the subject was of interest to him or 
because he wanted to learn more about the issue. As a former restaurant 
owner, Sonny understood and brought to the Congress an understanding of 
the burdens faced by our small business owners. He had told me that 
most of us in the Congress cannot truly comprehend the extensive 
paperwork and the bureaucratic red tape burdening those who merely 
sought to follow the American dream of business ownership.
  As mayor of Palm Springs, California, Sonny understood the problems 
faced by our local governments in small cities. The television 
interviews with Palm Springs residents, which were broadcast in the 
wake of his passing, underscored how much appreciated and loved he was 
by the residents of his home town in California. He brought to the 
mayor's office professionalism, seasoned with a generous helping of 
common sense. His revitalization of downtown Palm Springs with such 
innovations as a film festival has set a model which mayors and town 
supervisors throughout our Nation have sought to emulate.

                              {time}  1415

  Sonny will always be remembered in this body for his enthusiasm and 
his vigor. And at a time in Washington noted for extreme partisanship, 
Sonny made a point of reaching across the aisle to befriend and to aid 
all Members of our body. Sonny's heart was as big as the outdoors, and 
he will long be remembered for his ability to bring people together.
  Mr. Speaker, I join in extending my deepest condolences to Sonny's 
widow, Mary, to his children, and to the many Americans who loved and 
respected Sonny Bono. He was a voice we needed. Sonny will be sorely 
missed.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the minority 
leader of the House.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much and 
commend him and the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for bringing 
this special order so that all of us would have an opportunity to speak

[[Page H15]]

about our fallen colleague, Sonny Bono.
  I certainly rise first with sympathy and condolences for his family. 
This is a horrible loss to them and we send prayers of understanding, 
prayers of comfort for this time of great sorrow in their lives.
  We all speak today with a very heavy heart and great sadness that 
this would happen. It is always tragic when we stand here to eulogize a 
fallen colleague, but it is much more difficult and sad when that 
colleague is taken from us at the pinnacle of their life, before their 
time.
  Sonny Bono brought his wonderful spirit and sense of humor to all of 
us here in the Capitol, here in the House of Representatives, and a 
good sense of humor is always bipartisan, and Sonny Bono was. He had a 
good word for everyone, Republican, Democrat. He had a kind word for 
everyone. He was never, that I could see, in a bad mood. He was always 
in a good mood. He was never pessimistic. He was always optimistic. He 
was always very, very optimistic that we could solve our problems.
  He brought another great gift. He brought the gift of humor. He had 
the facility to, no matter how important the situation, no matter how 
tense, no matter how much controversy surrounded an issue, he would 
bring his wonderful sense of humor that made us all laugh, made us all 
stop, and made us all consider whether or not we really wanted to be as 
serious as we were about a subject.
  But I want to say that he always took his office and the issues 
facing this country seriously. He always reminded the rest of us about 
one thing; that as important as the issues are, as seriously as we take 
ourselves, we were basically sent here to address the needs and 
concerns of a half a million people in our districts, and there was 
nothing that Sonny took more seriously than that. He cared about the 
people he represented and he worked in their behalf. This, of course, 
is a message that all of us must remember every day that we serve.
  Fate robbed us of the presence of Sonny Bono, but fate will never 
take away his spirit from the people's House of Representatives. I 
commend the gentlemen. We will all miss Sonny Bono, and our hearts and 
prayers go out to his family at this time of great sorrow.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr.  LaHood). The gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lewis) has 6 minutes remaining. There is a total of 6 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Bilbray).
  Mr. BILBRAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of a gentleman who 
changed not only many of us personally but who changed this institution 
overall. Sonny Bono truly was the Will Rogers of this Congress. He was 
a man who brought common sense and the reminder to all of us that what 
really matters is what happens to America, not what happens to those of 
us in Congress. He reminded all of us that the people who are really 
important are not people in Washington, D.C. but the people out in the 
rest of America.
  I think that I had the privilege of knowing Sonny actually before the 
other Members of Congress for a lot of reasons, not just because I was 
from California but because myself and Sonny Bono ended up being seated 
together during freshman orientation, and it was my privilege to learn 
about a man who had gone through many things, who had accomplished many 
things without all the benefits and advantages that many of us here in 
Congress had.
  Sonny Bono was a man who was able to remind us again and again that 
we are not what is essential for America, but what we do for the 
American people is what is absolutely essential. Sonny's legislative 
packages were not highlighted with great press conferences and great 
activity, but things like defending the right of the initiative of the 
people's vote by requiring three judges to review the citizen's 
initiatives before it is overturned was basic, strong, good 
legislation, not just for California but for all of America.
  Sonny Bono's position on the Salton Sea that the Federal Government 
and the State government and local communities should work together to 
help clean up environmental problems was a strong message that Sonny 
Bono was able to send us.
  Mr. Speaker, Sonny's death hit many of us very, very personally. Mary 
Bono and her children had their husband and father taken away from them 
at a very critical time in their life, and our hearts go out to Mary 
and the children. Congress may think about the fact, and those of us 
that knew Sonny may say, Congress will not be the same without Sonny 
Bono on that front aisle reminding all of us to be up front. I think 
what we need to remember is Congress will never be the same because 
Sonny Bono sat in that first aisle and was so up front.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, those of us who gather today gather to 
celebrate the life of a man who, while small in physical stature, had a 
giant heart and a remarkable way of putting us all at ease.
  We were both elected in 1994, and having grown up watching Sonny and 
Cher, he was an instant celebrity to us and to many Americans. But he 
was also one who found time in his day to help give an idea, an 
insight, a solution to a problem that many who had graduated from 
college could not think of because it was not in a textbook. Sonny Bono 
lived a life of having to struggle and survive and prosper by 
ingenuity, hard work and determination. So his solutions were not 
always something you would find in the Harvard Law Review, but really 
something he scratched out when he was working as a restaurateur, a 
songwriter, a creative partner in Sonny and Cher.
  He did a lot for his country and a lot for his district by bringing 
that simple sense of purpose to this Chamber, a Chamber that is rich in 
history and sometimes too steeped in tradition to recognize that there 
is a time when we all have to just laugh and say we are Americans 
first, we are not partisan gladiators in a war, but we are Americans. 
And Sonny had that wonderful ability to bring forth that smile and that 
spirit.
  He worked on, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Brian Bilbray) 
said, the Salton Sea, and labeling of produce, and so many other issues 
that affect us, but he was, at the bottom of it all, most proud that he 
was a husband and a father, proud of what Chastity was doing in her 
life now, proud of the two children he was raising with Mary, proud of 
the work he had done with his partner and collaborator, Cher, and I 
guess proud of the fact that he got to serve in this great Chamber as a 
Member of the United States House.
  For that bit of opportunity that all of us knew him, we thank God for 
the richness that he blessed us with giving us Sonny. We thank the 
people of California for sending him. And we really thank Mary and his 
children for sharing him with us. It takes a lot to be in this body. It 
takes a lot from our families and our families deserve all the credit. 
Not the Member, but the family, for enduring the sacrifice that it 
takes to serve this country.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
  Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentlemen from California 
(Mr. Lewis) and (Mr. Brown) for bringing this. This is not easy. I 
think it is easier for me today than it was for some of us when we went 
to Sonny's funeral.
  Sonny had a unique way about him to make every person he met feel as 
though they were his friend, and that they were his only friend and 
that they were his best friend. He had a unique ability to do that. He 
did not care who an individual was. And I think that is why so many 
people in America feel as though when Sonny passed that we all feel a 
loss because he had an impact on so many people. Yes, my heart goes out 
to Mary and the children, but to everyone who feels as though somehow 
their life has been diminished because of the loss of Sonny Bono.
  We have also been enriched. I wanted to say here that when I think of 
my good friend Sonny, his office was right next to mine, we sat next to 
each other for three years on two different committees, and when I 
think of Sonny, I think of an individual who is good natured. He had a 
winning smile and

[[Page H16]]

charm. He had the power of the twinkle in his eye. When he got the 
twinkle in his eye, everyone better look out because he was going to 
suck us into his excitement. He brings out that youthful excitement.
  He was a charming, simple person. He had a quiet unassuming way about 
him. I think it was because even though he recognized his fame, he was 
humble and gracious because he had lived the peaks and valleys of 
celebrity status. So he said basically do not take yourself too 
seriously. Remember why you are here. Sonny was amused by the political 
fakery that he would see in this institution. So he kept himself very 
simple and he would remind us all the time by doing different things.
  I have to take a moment, if I may, and share with America that Sonny 
served on the Committee on the Judiciary, and he was not a lawyer and 
he did not care for lawyers. I know he once said the Committee on the 
Judiciary would be a great committee if it did not have so many lawyers 
on it. He was the only nonlawyer on the Committee on the Judiciary.
  One day the gentleman from Florida (Bill McCollum) had introduced the 
Youth Predator Act. Some on the committee were upset about the word 
``predator,'' and we debated the word all day. Now, Sonny was exhausted 
by lawyers playing their word games and debating one word all day, and 
we were going into the night and all of a sudden the rear doors of the 
Committee on the Judiciary burst wide open, and here comes a gentleman 
in carrying in these stacks of pizzas. Sonny grabs the microphone and 
he asks for the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) to yield to him 
and he asks for a recess because he has bought pizzas for everyone.
  Basically what he was doing was saying just calm down, relax, let us 
think about who we are and how we serve. And that was one of the great 
attributes of our dear friend. He taught us all by his words and his 
actions not to take ourselves too seriously and to remember we are here 
as the public servants.
  I think of my dear friend. He had a heart alive to all of the 
beauties of nature. And as soon as he found out that I was a Frenchman, 
because he could not understand how ``Buyer'' could be pronounced 
Buyer, and I explained to him, he would tickle me sometimes and called 
me Monsieur de Buyer. So to my good friend I refer to you as a la mode, 
which is French, according to your style, Sonny.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks on the resolution, H.R. 338, memorializing Sonny 
Bono.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent, since 
our time is running out, for an additional 20 minutes to complete the 
discussions regarding this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Hearing no objection, an additional 20 minutes is granted to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Gibbons).
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lewis) for yielding this time to me. In addition to the 
speakers of the last hour, I too would like to rise to pay tribute to 
our late colleague, Sonny Bono.
  When often asked to describe Sonny Bono, we here on the floor would 
fondly refer to him as the Will Rogers of Congress. His humor lightened 
our lives, those especially of us who were lucky enough to have had the 
opportunity to know and to serve with him. His klutzy exterior often 
masked the articulate intellectual interior of a man who was committed 
to ending the scourge of drugs on our country.
  When he saw the rock culture of the 60s turning to the drug culture 
of the 60s, Sonny Bono said no. He was outspoken in his opposition to 
drug use throughout his career as an entertainer as well as a public 
servant. He was a dedicated husband and father who placed the well-
being of his family above all.
  While in Washington, Sonny preached a message that each of this body 
would do well to remember: ``Take your job but not yourself very 
seriously.''
  Farewell, Sonny. May God bless your family. This country will miss 
you.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), and I know that this is a 
difficult task for him to undertake. When one orchestrates the goodbye 
to a good friend, it is not an easy thing to do; and I appreciate the 
dignity and the concerns my colleague has shown for all of us in 
dealing with this very, very tragic task that befell him.
  Mr. Speaker, we are too much divided by parties, by ideology. 
Obviously, division properly pursued is at the heart of democracy. That 
is what we enshrine, the right of people to differ. But recently in 
American politics, and maybe in the politics of other places, 
differences have deepened in ways that are not necessary and are not 
healthy. Personal enmity too often has accompanied honest differences 
on issues; and, for me, the greatest loss that we suffer in Sonny 
Bono's death and for many of us he was a good friend. So we lose the 
personal sense.
  I must say, of the large number of people I have gotten to meet, of 
all of them, Sonny was probably the hardest guy to be unhappy in his 
presence. There was about him a determination to seek out the most 
cheerful and the most upbeat in any situation. He radiated that, and he 
shared that, and we benefited from being in his presence. But we lose 
as an institution someone who was dedicated to the proposition that 
ideological and partisan differences were a good thing and part of our 
democracy, but that when personal enmity entered into it, it poisoned 
the process.
  Sonny Bono did more to counter that tendency inappropriately to 
personalize disagreement than anybody. He was someone who it was hard 
to get mad at. He was someone who sought out the common humanity that 
he had with others.
  As an analyst, Mr. Speaker, he was extraordinary; and he showed that 
talent early on in that wonderful monologue he performed in 1995 at the 
Press Club Foundation. Because what he did, this was a man who was a 
first-rate entertainer. He was a man who understood how you make 
yourself appealing and enjoyable to audiences. In the best sense of the 
word, he was a man who was determined to ingratiate himself to others, 
not by giving away principle but by being someone who other people 
enjoyed being around; and he studied how you did that in the 
entertainment context.
  And what was extraordinary was that, within a few weeks, he observed 
how Members of Congress did that here; and he did some great analytical 
work looking at the place as a theater, a small house today, but 
sometimes that happens. He understood this place as a theater, and he 
understood that important element of it, and with the good humor and 
with the lack of malice that drove everything that he did, in my 
experience, he shared that with people. That understanding of the 
legitimately theatrical effects that impacted our politics was an 
important thing that he shared.
  I also benefited, as many did, by his expertise of the field of 
intellectual property, where as a song writer he knew a great deal and 
made a very significant contribution to the Committee on the Judiciary. 
Indeed, I believe there were times when he might have been a little bit 
chagrined if people knew exactly how serious and thoughtful he got when 
we dealt with some of these very complicated and intellectual property 
subjects; and I am very glad now that just before we adjourned he 
passed in this House and I think they became law two important pieces 
of legislation dealing with protection of rights of property owners.
  There was controversy over them, and Sonny weighed in and was 
critical in our passing these bills regarding the

[[Page H17]]

La Machia and La Cienega cases and other contexts people could look up.
  Finally, I just have to return to the personal. Sonny and I and our 
partners, his wife Mary and my partner Herb, went to dinner one night 
at Galileo. It was an interesting night, Mr. Speaker. It was a night we 
thought we were going to adjourn and all the Democrats voted not to 
adjourn and the Republicans double-crossed us by voting also not to 
adjourn, Mr. Speaker. They kind of surprised us.
  So Herb and Mary were kind of waiting for me and Sonny. There was 
kind of a lot of confusion that night because we did not know whether 
we had adjourned or had not adjourned, and we had to choose between 
adjournment and our dinner reservations in Galileo. Actually, in the 
end, I think we managed to get both an adjournment and dinner; and the 
four of us, along with the movie director John Waters, had a wonderful 
time.
  Herb had that same reaction to being in Sonny's company that I did. 
He was just a wonderfully good friend. He was a man who understood the 
meaning of friendship, was dedicated to it and understood the 
importance to our democracy of injecting some of that spirit in here. 
We will all miss him.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the 
comments of my colleague the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).
  I wonder if my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown), 
would like me to yield time for any closing remarks?
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Brown).
  (Mr. BROWN of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of California. Mr. Speaker, just one anecdote that I 
recalled after I sat down about Sonny. That is, amongst many times that 
I met with Sonny, there was one occasion when he did not show up; and 
that was most unusual. I had difficulty understanding why until an 
explanation was offered.
  This particular meeting, which I think involved a visit from the 
Secretary of the Interior to Sonny's district and to the Salton Sea, 
came at a time when he had already scheduled some other activities with 
his children; and he missed this very important high-level meeting 
because he placed his previous commitments to his children above 
anything else. I think that speaks a lot to the nature of the man and 
where his priorities really were.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, let me express my appreciation 
to the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) for his participating in 
this very important session today; and I would join him in extending 
appreciation to the Speaker, as well as the minority and the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) for their giving us time tomorrow, for we 
will have a memorial service for Sonny Bono at 10 in the Hall of 
Statutes, a very unusual opportunity for the House.
  One of my colleagues mentioned that he will never quite forget that 
twinkle in the eye that Sonny always carried with him on or off the 
floor. Sonny also had this wonderful smile that just absolutely melted 
anybody who would even consider challenging him on one issue or one 
problem here or there.
  We all know of Sonny and Cher. Many did not have the opportunity to 
participate in a very small service that took place a couple of 
evenings before the formal funeral service, but there Mary and Cher 
were both present. They are dear friends who together spent those 
several days nurturing their children in this time of pain and sadness. 
But the poignancy of their relationship is a reflection of the quality 
and strength of our friend, Sonny Bono.
  I must say that we all remember Sonny and Cher by way of perhaps 
their first hit record, which was entitled, ``Baby Don't Go.'' We all 
know of ``I've got you, Babe.'' Sonny has had an impact upon all of us 
in many a way throughout his lifetime but certainly during his service 
in this House.
  I want to express both condolences but also deep appreciation for 
some others as well, the staffs of Sonny Bono both in California and 
here in Washington, especially Brian Nestande, his administrative 
assistant; Beverly Swain and Frank Cohen.
  Further, let me say in conclusion that Sonny has made a difference in 
the House of Representatives in that he strove to make certain that we 
did all in our power in spite of our differences from time to time to 
work together in a nonpartisan way on behalf of the people of this 
country.
  To quote and join one of my colleagues, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Harman), let us all say we are going to miss you, babe.
  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues to support this 
resolution honoring our late colleague, Sonny Bono, who was taken from 
us so tragically. My prayers and condolences go out to his wife and 
family.
  I was fortunate to get to know Sonny during his distinguished service 
here. I, like many of my Republican colleagues, took advantage of his 
popularity and hosted him for an event with the Lake County Republicans 
in my district. Sonny's speech was better attended than when I invited 
different members of our Republican leadership. His witty storytelling 
brought down the house. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Sonny 
was scheduled to return next month to my district, and he will be 
missed.
  His self-deprecating humor belied a sharp intellect. It was not an 
intellect bred of school and books--it was an intellect borne of the 
school of hard knocks. Despite his lack of formal education, he 
succeeded in his every endeavor--songwriter, singer, mayor, Member of 
Congress. Although he faced many obstacles, his quiet determination 
overcame them. For all of these unusual achievements, he earned the 
respect and admiration of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
  Sonny was a favorite of my children in particular. I was very 
grateful to Sonny for the time he spent with my daughter Rachel, whom I 
lost to cancer last month. Last fall, Sonny took Rachel out to lunch 
and had his picture taken with her. I will treasure that photo of the 
two of them, each taken from us too early. When my other kids learned 
of Sonny's death they said they were sure that the first person he 
would see in heaven would be Rachel. I am sure that the two of them are 
enjoying life in a better place--in the company of our Lord.
  Again, I want his dear wife and family to know that they remain in 
our prayers. I would like to close by thanking the Dean of the 
California delegation, Jerry Lewis, for sponsoring this resolution.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for a few moments in 
which to pay respect to our late colleague, Sonny Bono.
  Sonny's office is just across the hall from mine, and we often walked 
together to the House floor. We both served on the House National 
Security Committee, and I came to appreciate his open-minded and 
bipartisan approach to tough problems. I will also miss his self-
deprecating charm, which he often used to disguise his seriousness of 
purpose.
  In the past two years, Congress has lost four of its sweetest and 
most decent members--Frank Tejeda (D-TX), Bill Emerson (R-MO), Walter 
Capps (D-CA), and, earlier this month, Sonny Bono. Frank's office was 
also on our hallway, immediately next to mine.
  It's a sad time for Californians. And, I also want to extend my 
condolences to Sonny's wife, Mary, his children, and the members of his 
staff.
  Sonny, we'll miss you, babe.
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, the news of Sonny's untimely passing was 
greatly upsetting to me. Sonny was an upstanding leader in his 
community, a good family man, and a solid legislator. He served his 
constituents in southern California well and brought a certain spirit 
and vitality to all that he did in Congress that will not soon be 
replaced. This is truly a great loss.
  As a dedicated public servant, Sonny used both wit and wisdom to 
serve the interests of his constituents. Although he may best be 
remembered for his success as an entertainer, Sonny quickly earned the 
reputation in Congress as a highly skilled and intelligent legislator. 
As an instrumental member of the Salton Sea Task Force, he has used his 
insight and his intelligence to make great strides toward returning 
life to the Salton Sea south of Palm Springs. In addition, his deep 
concern for the direction of our nation led him to become a top 
fundraiser for the Republican Party and a leading advocate for a drug-
free America.
  Mr. Speaker, Sonny was a man of substance with both passion and 
abilities not to be underestimated. I am fortunate to have worked 
closely with Sonny on several occasions and will hold dear to me 
memories of his character, sense of humor and deep desire to get things 
done. My heart goes out to Mary and his family. He will be truly 
missed.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of 
my time.

[[Page H18]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Without objection, the previous 
question is ordered.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________