[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H3109-H3116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RECEPTION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER presided.
  The SPEAKER. If the Chair might comment, on behalf of this chair and 
the Chamber, it is a high honor and distinct personal privilege to have 
the opportunity of welcoming so many former Members and colleagues as 
are present here for this occasion.
  Those of us serving in this body today are engaged in a tiny piece of 
a great conversation about self-government that stretches back in time 
and place to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 5th day of September, 
1774. Today's proceedings provide a unique opportunity to reflect upon 
that conversation and to recognize that we truly stand on the shoulders 
of giants.
  Let me also mention, if I might, what a pleasure it is for me to be 
here as we pay tribute to the achievements of Senators Howard Baker and 
Nancy Kassebaum Baker and their service to this Nation. We all owe them 
a great deal of thanks, and I think it is quite appropriate that the 
Former Members Association has decided to honor them with the 
Distinguished Service Award here today.
  Let me also recognize the Honorable Matt McHugh, Vice President of 
the Association, and ask him to come forward and take the Chair.
  Mr. McHUGH (presiding). Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for your 
welcome and your kind remarks. We very much appreciate your hosting us 
again.
  The Chair directs the Clerk to call the roll of former Members of 
Congress.
  The Clerk called the roll of the former Members of the Congress, and 
the following former Members answered to their names:


  Rollcall of Former Members of Congress Attending 28th Annual Spring 
                         Meeting, May 13, 1998

  James Abdnor of South Dakota (R);
  William V. (Bill) Alexander of Arkansas (D);
  Howard H. Baker, Jr., of Tennessee (R);
  Nancy Kassebaum Baker of Kansas (R);
  Perkins Bass of New Hampshire (R);
  J. Glenn Beall, Jr., of Maryland (R);
  Berkeley Bedell of Iowa (D);
  Daniel B. Brewster of Maryland (D);
  Don G. Brotzman of Colorado (R);
  Glen Browder of Alabama (D);
  Clarence J. Brown of Ohio (R);
  John Buchanan of Alabama (R);
  Jack Buechner of Missouri (R);
  Beverly B. Byron of Maryland (D);
  Elford A. Cederberg of Michigan (R);
  Rod Chandler of Washington (R);
  James K. Coyne of Pennsylvania (R);
  Neiman Craley, Jr., of Pennsylvania (D);
  Robert W. Daniel, Jr., of Virginia (R);
  John N. Erlenborn of Illinois (R);
  Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen of New Jersey (R);
  Louis Frey, Jr., of Florida (R);
  Don Fuqua of Florida (D);
  Robert N. Giaimo of Connecticut (D);
  Sam M. Gibbons of Florida (D);
  Robert P. Hanrahan of Illinois (R);
  Dennis M. Hertel of Michigan (D);
  Jack Hightower of Texas (D);
  George J. Hochbrueckner of New York (D);
  Lawrence J. Hogan of Maryland (R);
  David S. King of Utah (D);
  Herb Klein of New Jersey (D);
  Ernest L. Konnyu of California (R);
  Peter N. Kyros of Maine (D);
  H. Martin Lancaster of North Carolina (D);
  Lawrence P. (Larry) LaRocco of Idaho (D);
  Norman Lent of New York (R);
  Cathy Long of Louisiana (D);
  Bill Lowery of California (R);
  Manual Lujan of New Mexico (R);

[[Page H3110]]

  Charles ``Mac'' Mathias of Maryland (R);
  Wiley Mayne of Iowa (R);
  Romano L. Mazzoli of Kentucky (D);
  John Y. McCollister of Nebraska (R);
  Matthew F. McHugh of New York (D);
  Robert H. Michel of Illinois (R);
  Abner Mikva of Illinois (D);
  John S. Monagan of Connecticut (D);
  Carlos John Moorhead of California (R);
  Frank E. Moss of Utah (D);
  John T. Myers of Indiana (R);
  Lucien N. Nedzi of Michigan (D);
  Dick Nichols of Kansas (R);
  Stan Parris of Virginia (R);
  Shirley N. Pettis of California (R);
  Howard W. Pollock of Alaska (R);
  Jim Quigley of Pennsylvania (D);
  Thomas F. Railsback of Illinois (R);
  John J. Rhodes of Arizona (R);
  John J. Rhodes, III, of Arizona (R);
  Toby Roth of Wisconsin (R);
  J. Roy Rowland of Georgia (D);
  Marty Russo of Illinois (D);
  Ronald D. Sarasin of Connecticut (R);
  Bill Sarpalius of Texas (D);
  Jim Scheuer of New York (D);
  Richard T. Schulze of Pennsylvania (R);
  Richard S. Schweiker of Pennsylvania (R);
  Jim Slattery of Kansas (D);
  Lawrence Jack Smith of Florida (D);
  Don Sundquist of Tennessee (R);
  James W. Symington of Missouri (D);
  Harold L. Volkmer of Missouri (D);
  Mike Ward of Kentucky (D);
  Charles W. Whalen, Jr., of Ohio (R);
  Larry Winn, Jr., of Kansas (R);
  Lyle Williams of Ohio (R);
  Harris Wofford of Pennsylvania (D);
  Lester Wolff of New York (D);
  James C. Wright, Jr., of Texas (D);
  Samuel H. Young of Illinois (R).

                              {time}  0915

  Mr. McHUGH (presiding). The Chair announces that 66 former Members of 
Congress have responded to their names.
  The Chair now recognizes the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 
remarks on behalf of the Democrats in the Congress.
  Mr. HOYER. Speaker McHugh, for some of us, that sounds pretty good; I 
want you to know that. We are glad to have you back.
  Speaker Wright, Speaker Michel, Mr. Speaker, I want you to know that, 
with all due respect, I said to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ray 
LaHood), I said, Mr. LaHood, I will get you 207 votes if you will get 
11, and we will make Bob Michel the Speaker. But he still has not come 
up with those 11 votes, Bob. I don't know what the problem is, but we 
are working on it.
  I am very pleased to have the opportunity once again to be the 
designated hitter to welcome you back to the halls of Congress. One of 
my constituents from New Carrollton got an award this morning from the 
Small Business Administration, so I was down there. As I was driving 
back from the Grand Hyatt Hotel, I was thinking about welcoming this 
group back.
  The thought occurred to me that it is so nice to have you back, the 
generation that had those raging deficits. We have balanced the budget, 
you know. It was your generation that gave us the unrestrained Cold 
War, and we are welcoming you back now that we have solved that 
problem.
  But also I thought to myself, yours was the generation of 
unapologetic civility in the Congress of the United States. Those were 
the good old days, although I might observe, I am sure, that the 
civility is much greater in its recollection than it was in its 
experience, because I served with so many of you, and I know that there 
were acrimonious times even then.
  We are very pleased to have you back, because you are part of the 
brotherhood and sisterhood of those who had the opportunity of serving 
the peoples' House.
  I think all of us, and those who are in the Senate, I see three of my 
Senators are here, Senator Mathias, Senator Beall, and my patron, as 
all of you know, Senator Daniel Brewster, who employed me, and 
effectively made it possible for me to get through Georgetown Law 
School as a member of his staff. I will forever be thankful for his 
contribution to my success. We have two Republicans and a Democrat, 
great friends and great patriots all. We are pleased to have you back.
  One of my predecessors is here, Congressman Larry Hogan, who had the 
experience of having his son run against me some 6 years ago; but we 
have remained friends, and I am pleased to see all of you back.
  It is clear that this body and the body across the Capitol are 
perceived correctly by the world's population as being the repositories 
of how people get together in peaceful ways and resolve differences. So 
many of you have been heroes in that effort.
  Senator Baker is mentioned most recently for his role in the crisis 
confronting a democracy that saw the Constitution of the United States 
work its will, and the people's will reflected in a peaceful transition 
of power. So I am pleased, because I know that so much of what we do 
from a good standpoint, we do and are enabled to do because of the 
contributions that so many of you made.
  I had the privilege of coming to the House under Speaker Tip O'Neill, 
one of the beloved Speakers of this House. Then I had the great 
privilege of serving in what I perceived to be, and I know that that 
may not be a universal judgment, as the most productive Congress in 
which I served, the 100th Congress, under the leadership of Speaker Jim 
Wright. Speaker Wright, it is a privilege and pleasure to have served 
with you and to have you back, and recognize your great contribution to 
the history of this country and the history of this House.
  I am so honored to be with all of you, and so honored to recognize 
your contributions to America's well-being, to its role not only in 
this country, for its own citizens, but around the world.
  God bless you, good health, and I look forward to seeing you again, 
over and over. Thank you very much, and welcome.
  Mr. McHUGH. We thank our friend, the gentleman from Maryland, for 
those very thoughtful remarks.
  At this time, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida, the 
Honorable Louis Frey, Jr., who is the president of our association.
  Mr. FREY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to thank the Speaker for 
those kind remarks. They are deeply appreciated.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honored to have the opportunity once 
again to be in the Congress to present our 28th annual report to the 
Congress. We want to thank the Speaker, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Newt Gingrich) and the minority leader, the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Richard Gephardt) and all Members of Congress for the opportunity 
to allow us to return to this place we dearly love.
  We want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for his warm 
and generous greeting to us.


                             General Leave

  Mr. FREY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FREY. Mr. Speaker, there are no term limits on public service. 
The reason we are here today and why we have approximately 600 Members 
is, each of us believes that serving our country is a lifetime job.
  When we were sworn in, we did not take an oath to a political party, 
we took it to our country. Our nonpartisan organization has a budget of 
approximately three-quarters of a million dollars and is chartered, but 
not funded by the United States Congress. Its purpose is to promote the 
improved public understanding of the role of Congress as a unique 
institution, as well as the crucial importance of representative 
democracy as a system of government, both domestically and 
internationally.
  We are not naive. We know that it is a continuing struggle, 
especially in today's cynical world, to try and get people to 
understand and appreciate the political institutions that have kept us 
free for over 200 years. We live in an age where bad news seems to 
dominate the airwaves, where a television talk show that highlights 
people verbally and physically abusing each other is the top-rated 
show.
  Yet, underneath the cynicism and sensationalism, most Americans 
understand intuitively what we have inherited from our Founding 
Fathers, and if given the chance, want to believe and participate in 
our system. It is easy to

[[Page H3111]]

sit on the sidelines and just complain. It is a lot more difficult to 
be part of the process and work to make it better, but that is our 
commitment, to spend the rest of our lifetimes making it better.

  The future of our country rests with our young people, yet 3 decades 
after massive student unrest, demonstrations on campuses, and the civil 
rights struggle, fueled by students, a record low number of college 
freshmen show much interest in politics.
  The annual survey by UCLA for the Washington-based American Council 
on Education found just 27 percent of the Nation's 1.6 million freshmen 
believe that keeping up with political affairs is a very important life 
goal, less than half the percentage than in 1966. Fourteen percent said 
they frequently discuss politics, down from 30 percent in 1968.
  The most important program of this association is our Congress to 
Campus program. We began teaching in colleges in 1976, and have reached 
more than 100,000 students across this country. However, we felt the 
program should be formalized and upgraded, with a goal of reaching 30 
college communities a year.
  We started in 1996 our Congress to Campus program, in conjunction 
with the Stennis Center for Public Service at Mississippi State 
University. This program sent teams of two Former Members, one 
Democrat, one Republican, to college communities to teach in colleges 
and high schools, spend 2\1/2\ days there, have formal and informal 
meetings with the students, morning, noon, and night, talk to the 
faculty, the community civic clubs, and just be part of that community.
  The association arranges the participation of Members who contribute 
their time. The Stennis Center coordinates the trip, and the colleges 
and universities pay lodging and meals for the visitors. We have an 
advisory team of Members of Congress, the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Stephen Horn), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Clay Shaw), the 
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Louise McIntosh Slaughter) and the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. John Tanner), that we work with.
  I now would like to yield to the gentleman from North Carolina, the 
Honorable Martin Lancaster, Treasurer of the association, and then the 
gentleman from Washington, the Honorable Rod Chandler, to discuss their 
personal visits to college campuses.
  Martin?
  Mr. LANCASTER. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It was a great pleasure for me 
to have an opportunity to go with the gentleman to the University of 
New Mexico as a part of the Congress to Campus program.
  With the success of our dinner last year, we are pleased that we will 
be able to expand from approximately 10 schools a year to perhaps as 
many as 30 schools a year in the future. It is a great opportunity for 
those of us who are Former Members to get out across the country and to 
share with the future leaders of our country, the current college 
students, what the democratic process is all about, since, 
unfortunately, many of them get a skewed idea of what Congress is about 
through the media.
  Since Members of Congress rarely can spend more than an hour or so on 
a campus, having an opportunity for two Former Members, a Democrat and 
a Republican, to spend 2\1/2\ days on a campus is truly an outstanding 
opportunity for those students to get a better understanding of 
Congress.
  As Lou has indicated, a full schedule of meetings is usually a part 
of the agenda, with students teaching in classes, doing civic club 
speeches in the community, and meeting informally, one-on-one, with 
students in their various meeting places across campus.
  I would encourage all of you who have not done this, and for some of 
you who have to make repeat visits. But it is, with the expansion of 
our program dollars, going to be a challenge to get 30 Democrats and 30 
Republican Former Members to participate in this program, so I hope 
that you will make yourself available. It will be something rewarding 
and worthwhile, and you will come back with a much better feel for the 
future, seeing the quality of young people who are now enrolled in our 
colleges. Thank you.
  Mr. CHANDLER. Mr. Speaker, it has been my honor and pleasure to 
participate in the Congress to Campus program on three separate 
occasions. I have visited California State University at Monterey Bay, 
the University of Georgia and Florida State University, and, as 
President Frey pointed out in his remarks, these were all on a 
bipartisan basis.
  At all three campuses I found students who were eager to learn more 
about their government. In political science classes, we talked about 
careers in public service and the personal rewards to be gained from a 
life of service. I recall well at a Florida State University law class 
my colleague from Michigan, Bill Ford, a former committee chairman, 
providing a lengthy but nevertheless fascinating lecture on the 
development of legislative intent for later interpretation by the 
courts.
  At the University of Georgia, my Democratic colleague and I engaged 
in a very spirited debate over the future of Social Security, a rather 
perfect lesson of how adversaries can argue with conviction and 
passion, and yet remain friends.
  We Former Members, when we go to campuses, meet with community 
groups, faculty members, and student government leaders. At the 
University of Georgia, I spent several hours with activists from the 
Young Republican group. At Florida State University, the elected 
student leaders invited us to a luncheon where we discussed campus 
elections, the limitations of the administration, and of course, 
Seminole football.

                              {time}  0930

  The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress is assisted with 
our Congress to Campus program by the Stennis Center for Public Service 
of Mississippi. Since 1996, the Stennis Center has provided funding and 
logistical assistance for the program. Congress to Campus started in 
1976 and since then 107 former Members have made 250 visits to 176 
campuses in 49 States and the District of Columbia and over 100,000 
students have participated.
  Mr. Speaker, I suspect most of us who have had the honor to serve in 
Congress received important inspiration or encouragement from some 
public servant who went before us. In my case, it was governor Tom 
McCall of Oregon. All of us, believing in the concept that there are no 
term limits on public service, volunteer our time to meet with 
interested young people and share our experience with them. Who knows 
when one of us will interest, perhaps inspire the next Trent Lott, Tom 
Daschle, Newt Gingrich or Dick Gephardt? Perhaps one of those students 
will prove to be a Franklin Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan. At the very 
least, we can hope that young men and women will take a greater 
interest in the very institutions our forefathers fought and died for.
  If we inspire students to be informed and to vote, we accomplish a 
great deal.
  Mr. FREY. The Congress on Campus program is not government funded. In 
order to help institutionalize the program, we held our first annual 
Statesmanship Award Dinner at the Willard Hotel on February 10, 1998. 
The dinner was highlighted by an award to the Secretary of Agriculture, 
Dan Glickman. Cokie Roberts served as MC. The dinner also featured a 
public and silent auction of presidential and congressional 
memorabilia. I would like the co-chairmen of this incredibly successful 
dinner, who did such a wonderful job, the gentleman from Kansas, Mr. 
Jim Slattery and the gentleman from Missouri, Jack Buechner, to discuss 
this dinner and next year's event, which is already scheduled for 
February 23 at the Columbia Club and East Hall at Union Station.
  Mr. SLATTERY. The first thing I want to do is express my gratitude to 
you for the tremendous leadership you have provided this organization 
over the last year. Let us join in giving Lou Frey a great round of 
applause. You are absolutely super, Lou.
  As someone who worked in the capacity with my friend from Missouri, 
Jack Buechner, in trying to raise a little bit of money in the project, 
I know that it would not have been possible without Lou Frey on the 
phone daily calling people all over the country. Lou, you are just a 
great inspiration to all of us. You shamed us into action.

[[Page H3112]]

  It is great to see you all today and to have an opportunity to greet 
so many friends of longstanding. I do not want to say old friends 
anymore as my hair greys with every passing day, but it is great to see 
so many of you. I want to thank you all. So many of you did actively 
get involved in supporting this first effort, which I think is a very 
important project, this whole concept of trying to take the Congress to 
the campuses of America and try to help educate young people all across 
this country about the importance of our basic institutions of self-
government.
  The other day, one of the most distinguished and respected Members of 
this body currently serving, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), 
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, said, and let me quote what 
was in the Washington Post, he said, ``People today don't understand 
how painful the development of self-government is. This is a great 
place,'' referring to the Congress, ``and people demean it. They do not 
realize what it cost to create it.''
  It is this problem that I think the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Hyde) was trying to identify that we are trying to correct with the 
Congress to Campus program. The land is full of cynicism and it is 
perhaps no deeper than on our college campuses. With the Congress to 
Campus program, we hope to be able to go out on a bipartisan basis, 
spend quality time with students and young leaders all across this 
country talking to them about self-government, talking to them about 
what really goes on in this, the people's House.
  If we can do this successfully, hopefully as previous speakers have 
said, we will inspire a greater confidence in the basic institutions of 
our democracy. I happen to believe very strongly that the people's 
confidence in the institutions of our democracy is essential to the 
survival of this democracy. I think that is why we should be investing 
what time we have and the talent of all of you in trying to carry on 
this effort across this country. It was a pleasure to work with you, 
Jack, on this project, and I look forward to working with you next year 
on it.
  Mr. BUECHNER. I thank the gentleman from Kansas. What I am trying to 
figure out is I have spent 16 years in elective office in my life, 
always in the minority. And when the Republicans get control of the 
House, I end up in the Democratic well. I guess I am just, it is 
forecasted that this is what is going to happen.
  I do want to say that it is irrelevant which side of the well I am 
on, because what I want to talk about is the absolute success that we 
were able to enjoy with the dinner. We cannot talk about the nitty-
gritty things about dollars and cents, but I will say that what we have 
been able to achieve takes what the Stennis Center has been able to 
give to us and leapfrogs us into a completely different dimension.
  When we started on this effort, the old maxim was that if there is 
anybody cheaper than sitting Members of Congress, it is former Members 
of Congress. But throughout the efforts of so many people from all 
across the United States, and I want you to remember that Lou Frey was 
operating this out of Florida, and it was a real labor of love that he 
was contacting people that he had served with and getting them 
energized. And probably one of most amazing things that occurred was 
the accumulation of so many fine pieces of memorabilia that we were 
able to engage in the auction phase of it. I think a special word of 
thanks needs to go out to Jim Symington. Where are you, Jim? Jim 
donated a family piece that if you have read the materials it really 
did not adequately explain the impact of it, which was a letter from a 
constituent to his Member of Congress who was a unionist from Kentucky, 
asking that his grandson, excuse me, his nephew would be paroled from a 
union prison in Alton, Illinois because he was not really a reb, that 
his grandpa had forced him from Missouri to join the rebel army and 
that he would support the union, but he needed to be paroled out. And 
the Congressman had sent a letter to President Lincoln and President 
Lincoln had written on the bottom of the letter, Find the boy, have him 
take the pledge, parole him out, Abraham Lincoln.
  That was an unbelievable gift from a great man and it set the tone 
for everybody to, if you didn't have Abraham Lincoln around, did you 
have Jim Wright, did you have Bob Michel, did you have Howard Baker. We 
are trying to get as many things for the next auction that are sitting 
in your closets that maybe you do not want to give to your grandkids 
because they do not really know much about politics, unfortunately, 
that is the way life is, but to have an opportunity to help 
this Congress to Campus program.

  It was a great success. We are optimistic. We picked a bigger venue 
next time round. We want you to come back. We want you to share with 
your old colleagues a lot of old war stories but, more importantly, to 
help support this program because it is a great program. I want to tell 
you though that it does not always work the way you want it to. When Al 
Swift and I went down to Florida International, they thought we were 
recruits and they took us to every possible corner of the campus to 
show us the new boilers and the new classrooms. So you have to remind 
them you are there to instruct, not to be recruited. But I want to 
thank the gentleman from Kansas, he deserves an extraordinary amount of 
applause because he really did take the bull by the horns. And 
Missourians, we always follow our Kansas neighbors in basketball and 
some other things, but he did a great job. I would just like to thank 
you, Jim, and tell you it was a pleasure working with you.
  Mr. SLATTERY. Thank you, Jack.
  Mr. BUECHNER. And to exhort you all to be participants in the program 
next February.
  Mr. FREY. Talking about the auction, Dick Schulze had the idea for 
it, the gentleman from Pennsylvania. It was his idea really about this 
and I would like to yield now to him. He co-chaired the auction along 
with Chris LaRocco, President of the Auxiliary. Dick?
  Mr. SCHULZE. I feel like we have reached the point of redundancy 
here. The Congress to Campus program is a marvelous program. Those of 
you who have participated know and understand that. You have heard 
enough about it. So how do we support it? How do we enlarge it and how 
do we make it more successful? We have got to raise money to do it. 
Although Jack said that former Members are almost tighter than sitting 
Members, we have found a way to reach our hands in their pockets; that 
is, most of us do have boxes of what we might term as junk in the 
basement or in the attic, various memorabilia from the time when we 
served in Congress, items, they do not have to be quite as wonderful as 
that which Jim Symington gave to us, but I wanted to give you an idea. 
And by the way, let me tell you that we were very successful. We raised 
$18,000 from the auction and so even those little things that you may 
not think are very valuable, it all adds up.
  I wanted to give you an idea of those who did help so that you can 
help next year. From David King, whose father was William King, United 
States Senator from Utah from 1916 to 1940 had, on a trip to the Soviet 
Union, had been given a set of dinnerware that either by the Czar or 
that had been used by the Czar that we auctioned off, which was a 
marvelous one of a kind. We got things from Jay Rhodes, from Jake 
Pickle, we had Lyndon Johnson's hat, Jake got from Lady Bird, Dan 
Brewster, Jerry Ford, a variety of people, Bob Dole, Trent Lott, from 
the former Senator from Louisiana, Russell Long gave us an autographed 
copy of the autobiography of Huey Long, a lot of those things that you 
or I may not think are extremely valuable but are of value to other 
people. So I urge you in this next couple of months, take time to look 
at those boxes in the basement. See if you can get us some letters, 
some autographed photographs, anything like that, send it over to 
Former Members headquarters, to Linda and we will put it to good use 
next year.
  Mr. MAZZOLI. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SCHULZE. I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.
  Mr. MAZZOLI. I want to thank my friend for his statement today for 
the work that he has done for the association and being such a pleasant 
traveling partner. The two of us went to the University of Maine in 
April and excellent, I urge all of my colleagues and I think the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania would agree, that that was a very wonderful 
couple of days we spent with our students, with the faculty, with the 
administration, talking about democracy, hopefully making a few of the

[[Page H3113]]

converts that may actually become part of this body at some point. I 
just want to thank the gentleman for all he did and for being, again, 
such a pleasant person for those two days.
  Mr. SCHULZE. It was my pleasure and your contributions during that 
trip were outstanding. I assume you have received a couple of letters 
from the people we talked to. I have. Those of you who have done a 
little teaching understand what it is like to turn, maybe change a 
student's life. Those of us who have not are kind of thrilled by that. 
Some of the letters I have received just make me want to do it again.
  I would urge all of you, if you have the opportunity to get involved 
with the Congress to Campus program, send us your cards and letters, 
memorabilia, photographs, hats, ties, whatever you have, send it to us 
and we will auction it off.
  Mr. FREY. One of the things we have decided to do is hold a meeting 
each year in November in California alternating between Northern and 
Southern California. Our first California meeting in Northern 
California was hosted by a former member, Congressman Peter Smith, who 
is the founding President of California State University at Monterey 
Bay.
  We used this opportunity to teach in at colleges and high schools. We 
went to something like 12 or 13 high schools all over and spent three 
or four hours there plus, of course, at the university. This year we 
are going to go to Southern California, the Palm Springs area, 
beginning in November 15, Shirley Pettis has agreed to have us at the 
house; Railsback is going to teach us golf. The college of the desert 
is going to be our host school so it should be a fun time to plan 
ahead.
  One of the things we have tried to do is give Members the ability to 
travel overseas. We have had 16 study tours in the past throughout the 
world. Bill Peterson from Florida is the ambassador to Vietnam. Jay 
Rhodes, who is very close to him in the Congress, has talked with him 
and we are going over there this October to Vietnam. I would like to 
yield to the gentleman from Arizona, Jay Rhodes, to talk about this.

                              {time}  0945

  Mr. JOHN J. RHODES III. Thanks, Lou. Briefly, on the Congress to 
Campus, I have been there as well. It is a marvelous experience. I went 
to Denison University with Austin Murphy. I do not know if we had any 
impact on the kids, but Austin and I had a wonderful time.
  None of us served here in times of budget surplus. Now it seems there 
is a budget surplus and our current colleagues are hell-bent to try to 
find a way to spend that money. Why do we not encourage them to spend 
some of it on the former Members of Congress and the Congress to Campus 
program. I think that is a wonderful way to spend a budget surplus.
  I got a phone call shortly after the board of directors of this 
organization said we would like to go to Vietnam, a phone call from 
Lou. And Lou said, I understand you are a Vietnam veteran; and I said, 
I am. And he said, I understand you went back to Vietnam a few years 
ago with Pete Peterson; and I said, I did. And he said, I understand 
you are particularly close with Pete; and I said, I am. And he said, 
good, you are in charge of this trip; put it together. By the time I 
could say, what do I look like, a travel agent, the phone was dead. And 
this is the kind of leadership we get out of Frey, very effective 
leadership.
  There is no saying, no, to Lou, so the answer is, we are going to 
Vietnam. Peterson wants us to come. Peterson would like us to come in 
October, if we can put it together.
  I have been able to find an organization that actually does trips to 
Vietnam. They have done 15 trips to Vietnam. They start with getting 
the visas and they end with taking the luggage off the carousel when 
you get back in the United States.
  We are looking at a trip that would include about 7 days in-country 
in Vietnam; 2 or 3 days in Hanoi, a couple days in Hue and ending up in 
Saigon. The possibility for some side trips.
  We are in a relatively early planning stage. We should be able to get 
you some details about cost and so forth within probably 2 to 3 weeks. 
We would still like to make it in October. The organization that will 
be helping us is indicating that may be a little bit of a short fuse, 
but they are willing to try to get us there in October.
  We have had preliminary expressions of indication from our membership 
of about 45 to 50 individuals who would like to go, depending of course 
on time and cost, and it could grow from that number.
  I think it is a very exciting prospect, and I am very encouraged that 
we have been able to actually locate an organization that can do what 
Frey told me to do all by myself. And so I think that we will be 
organizing a trip that will go to Vietnam, hopefully in October of this 
year, and if not, then early next year.
  So I would be happy to yield back to the unchallengeable leader of 
this organization, unchallengeable only because he hangs up on you 
before you have a chance to say, Lou, I do not know how to do that.
  We will see you in Vietnam in October.
  Mr. FREY. Jay, thanks for all that hard work.
  I would like to yield now to the former president of the association, 
the gentleman from Missouri, the Honorable Jim Symington, to talk about 
the trip to Cuba, which Jim really put together, and the upcoming trip 
possibly to Cuba.
  Before I do, there are two things I would like to say. Number one, 
just for the press, who is not always accurate, we pay for these; this 
is not government funded. We pay our own way over and pay our own way 
back and pay for everything on it.
  And secondly, and Jim Slattery mentioned it before, but I think we 
should all give Jim a round of applause for what he did. He set the 
tone for this thing and that was an amazing gift that you gave. So, 
Jim, thank you so much.
  Mr. SYMINGTON. Thank you, Lou, Mr. President, colleagues. President 
Lou, you led the breakthrough visit to Cuba a year ago December by a 
bipartisan delegation of former members and one sitting Member of 
Congress. The delegation which you and I cochaired consisted 
additionally of Toby Roth, Mike Barnes, Dennis DeConcini and the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Jon Christensen). Plus, of course, FMC's 
consultant, Walt Raymond, who did a lot to put it together.
  We were both briefed and debriefed by the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Gilman), the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hamilton), and other key 
members of the Committee on International Relations in the House and 
the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Senate. We also met senior 
officials in the State Department, the National Security Council, Stu 
Eizenstat, who was in Commerce at the time, but also our government's 
special emissary to Cuba.
  In addition, we made a very concentrated effort to reach out and get 
the views and input of experts on Cuba, from think tanks, other private 
groups, including, of course, representatives of the Cuban-American 
community.
  Our report's policy recommendations were entered in the Congressional 
Record February 26, 1997, pages E. 315 to 316. While acknowledging the 
unrepentant nature and indeterminate duration of Cuba's rigid political 
system under Fidel Castro, the unanimously signed report called for 
increased engagement, as preferable to the current policy of isolation, 
as a way to prepare for a peaceful transition toward democratic 
governance and free market principles.
  Among the report's recommendations, which have resonated positively 
in the United States, are its emphasis on humanitarian aid and direct 
flights to relieve suffering and permit greater contact between 
ordinary citizens of our two countries. The recent visit to Cuba by 
Pope John Paul not only echoed these themes, but appears to have 
dramatically altered the religious, if not the political, landscape of 
the island.
  We continue to monitor the situation, as you mentioned, Mr. 
President. If we determine that another trip could serve a useful 
purpose, we would certainly give it serious consideration. It would 
seem that this year, 1998, marking as it does the centennial of the 
Spanish-American War, calls us now to the colors of a new peace, 
beginning with the brush strokes of personal contact, family visits and 
grass-roots diplomacy.

[[Page H3114]]

  Thank you.
  Mr. FREY. Another one of our activities is that we are the secretary 
to the congressional study group in Germany composed of 130 sitting 
Members of the House. It is a bipartisan group and, obviously, it works 
on trying to understand better what is going on in Germany and the 
Germans understanding of what is going on here.
  It is funded primarily by a grant from the German Marshall Fund of 
the United States to the association. We had a meeting of the study 
group in April in the district of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Owen 
Pickett). I would like the gentleman from Virginia, the Honorable 
Dennis Hertel, who attended the meeting, to discuss this event and 
explain the study group to us a little bit. Dennis.

  Mr. HERTEL. Thanks, Mr. President. It is still Michigan. I still pay 
taxes there.
  Mr. FREY. What did I say?
  Mr. HERTEL. Virginia.
  Mr. FREY. I apologize. I know better.
  Mr. HERTEL. I will be brief. The 15th Annual Congress-Bundestag 
Seminar took place in Virginia Beach on April 6th through 9th, 1998. 
The main topics of discussion included current domestic, economic and 
political issues, bilateral trade relations, the Euro, NATO 
enlargement, and policies toward the Middle East.
  The Members' discussion of issues arising out of the Middle East was 
particularly noteworthy. In discussing Turkey, its political situation, 
its role in NATO, and its relationship to the European Union, it was 
clear that Members on both sides would benefit from more attention to 
this important country.
  Likewise, the issue of how to deal with Iran in a constructive and 
effective manner was discussed at some length, a discussion which 
benefited from the observations of a Bundestag member who recently 
visited Iran. Related to that discussion was one of U.S. sanctions 
legislation directed towards Iran, the effectiveness of it, and the 
fairness of its implementation.
  What makes these discussions so useful is the friendship and 
underlying values that we share, which enable the Members to speak very 
openly and frankly about matters of common interest and concern. The 
discussion served to inform and clarify facts and positions on issues.
  Disagreements are aired both within and between the delegation, 
sometimes passionately but always constructively. In fact, as are all 
of our programs, we have a bipartisan delegation, sometimes our 
arguments are more heated than they are with the foreign nations that 
we deal with.
  We plan to follow up on these topics during the course of the year 
and we look forward to meeting our German colleagues at the 16th annual 
seminar to be held next year in Germany. This is the longest-standing 
program of our association, and it continues to be successful.
  Mr. FREY. I thank the gentleman from Michigan for that.
  We also have a program with the Japanese, where we do the same kind 
of thing, where we act as a secretariat. We had a trilateral meeting 
between members of the Bundestag, the Diet, and the U.S. Congress in 
West Virginia a few weeks ago, and it was in the district of the 
gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Bob Wise).
  I would like the vice president of the association, the gentleman 
from New York, the Honorable Matthew F. McHugh, to report on this 
event.
  Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Lou. I would like to begin by 
seconding what Jim Slattery and others have said about Lou's 
extraordinary leadership over the last 2 years. As an officer who has 
served with him, I can attest that he has done an enormous job of 
bringing energy and broadening the programs of our association, which 
you have heard a great deal about already and will hear more. That is a 
reflection in large measure of Lou's leadership.
  One of the programs that we have been developing over the past year 
would periodically bring together legislators from the Congress, the 
German Bundestag and the Japanese Diet. Given the importance of these 
three countries, which account for almost half the world's GNP, we 
think that more dialogue involving the three groups of parliamentarians 
together would be constructive.
  We initially explored this idea with members of our congressional 
study groups on Germany and Japan; and as you know, these two study 
groups have been conducting bilateral meetings for some time, and those 
meetings will continue in any case. They expressed an interest in these 
proposed trilateral sessions and so, after an initial planning session, 
we convened our first group meeting of the three parliamentarian groups 
earlier this month in West Virginia.
  It was hosted by the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Bob Wise) in 
whose district the meeting was held. Representatives from all three 
parliaments actively participated, as did representatives of our State 
Department and the German and Japanese embassies. Members of our 
association also participated, in most cases chairing the panels which 
took place during the program.
  The subjects that we covered in these sessions reflected some of the 
common interests and challenges that all three of our countries face. 
One session, for example, covered international economic issues, 
including trade relations and the current crisis in East Asia.
  A second session focused on the security issues common to us all, 
such as the different security arrangements that have been developed in 
Europe and Asia. The expansion of NATO and the emergence of China as a 
power in Asia were among the topics we discussed.
  A third session dealt with environmental concerns, with significant 
time being spent on the Kyoto Conference and what action should or 
should not be taken to address the global warming question.
  Another session considered some of the contrasting political dynamics 
in each country, such as the role of party discipline in the 
legislative process and the way in which political campaigns are 
financed in each of our countries.
  A final session considered whether these tripartite meetings should 
be continued and, if so, how they might best be structured in the 
future. I think there was general agreement that the meetings are 
useful, but to be successful over time we have to identify a core group 
of parliamentarians who will assume continuing responsibility for the 
conferences, and that is a critical matter which will be pursued in 
each of the capitals over the next few months.
  The tentative conclusion was that we would hold another conference 
next year, probably in Germany or Japan. In the meantime, the 
association will continue to work with the existing study groups on 
Germany and Japan, and subject to funding, will pursue our supportive 
role in putting together that second conference in 1999.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. FREY. We have a program in the Ukraine where we train interns, 
which is a really very interesting program to work with their Rada, and 
we have had 565 interns so far that we have worked with and we have 
trained. I would like to yield to the gentleman from Michigan, the 
Honorable Lucien Nedzi, to talk about that.
  Lucien, you have been over there and you speak the language, which 
helps also.

                              {time}  1000

  Mr. NEDZI. Mr. Speaker, what a thrill it is to see all of you. And it 
is also a great pleasure to add to the successes that have been 
reported on already this morning.
  Ukraine is the fourth largest recipient of American assistance in the 
world; and it is in the strategic interest of this country to help the 
Ukraine, to help it achieve its potential as a secure, democratic, 
prosperous and self-confident state. And we all know from history and 
experience that a freely elected parliament is fundamental to a 
democracy.
  We also know from experience that for a parliamentarian to be 
effective, adequate staff is absolutely essential. With this awareness, 
and after discussions between the Ukrainian parliamentary leadership 
and the association, a program has evolved, which is now in its fourth 
year, to develop and sustain a staff system in the parliament. This 
program is a highlight of association activities about which I would 
like to report.
  During the past 3 years, we have supported a staff intern program in 
an overall total of 135 young Ukrainians. Primarily economists, 
lawyers, and social scientists have been competitively

[[Page H3115]]

selected and served as staff to the Rada for 1 year. This year, as the 
president mentioned, we are supporting 55 staff interns.
  Our program has been funded from public and private sources, 
including the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Eurasia 
Foundation, and we are negotiating with the U.S. Agency for 
International Development for additional support.
  Interns in this program are given much more responsibility than most 
interns in the United States Congress. We will not talk about White 
House interns. Strike that. They serve as mainline staff, and their 
responsibilities include drafting legislation, analyzing and 
researching legal issues, writing briefing papers, and actively 
participating in committee debates. By thus strengthening the staff and 
providing a critical amount of research and analysis, the FMC program 
has responded to two vital needs for an effective parliament.
  An important observation: To date, this program has been developed in 
direct negotiation with the parliamentary leadership, thereby enabling 
the young staffers to steer clear of the old-line, largely unreformed 
parliamentary secretariat, which maintains control over staff 
assignments and research activities.
  Most intern staff assignments are negotiated directly with the 
committees, and therefore, committees which seek to develop reform 
legislation, particularly in the economic area, are able to secure 
critical staff assistance which would not otherwise be available.
  Evidence of the success of this program is its increasing popularity. 
Our dedicated field representative, Cliff Downen, has done an 
outstanding job of keeping the program on track, balanced, and free of 
customary political heavy-handedness. And here we have to give some 
credit to Walt Raymond also, who oversees these operations from this 
side of the Atlantic. But Cliff Downen annually visits a large number 
of universities throughout Ukraine and briefs graduate students on the 
program.
  As testimony to its popularity, over 700 Ukrainians, ages 21 to 29, 
and these are all well-educated individuals, applied for 55 internships 
in the 1997-98 term. Moreover, during the 10-month internship, a 
training seminar is maintained to further broaden the interns' 
experience. This is designed not only to better equip them for their 
parliamentary responsibilities, but also to help develop a strong cadre 
of future Ukrainian political leaders.
  The political challenges in the Ukraine increase as it prepares for 
the 1999 presidential election and digests the results of the March 
1998 parliamentary election. I am pleased to report that there is no 
evidence that the recent election will adversely impact the 
association's intern program.
  There are major economic and political problems as this country, with 
old traditions and a new system, takes its place as a nation-state in 
post-Cold War Europe. We are convinced, and this view is shared 
incidentally by the U.S. ambassador to the Ukraine, that an intern 
program such as ours is the most cost-effective investment we can make 
for a successful Ukrainian future.
  We have observed with considerable pride how many key positions many 
of the interns have been offered after completion of their internships. 
Some remained as permanent staff in the parliament. Others have been 
offered important positions in the government, the academic world, or 
private business. Several have or will run for public office. And two 
have already been elected to city councils.
  We had the pleasure of having a luncheon only yesterday, attended by 
a very prominent reformed politician from Ukraine. The chairman of our 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ben Gilman, also took the time to be 
present. And this politician said that this program is not training 
clerks but future competent politicians.
  As a concluding comment, if any of our former Members of Congress are 
in Ukraine at any time, I can assure them that they will be more than 
welcome to participate in discussions with our interns.
  Mr. FREY. I thank the gentleman. I appreciate it.
  Our last speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from 
Wisconsin, Toby Roth, who was involved in the Marshall Center, which is 
over in Germany. And, Toby, will you tell us a little bit about that 
program briefly so we can move on to the main event.
  Mr. ROTH. Thank you, Mr. President. I get the gist, make it short.
  (Mr. ROTH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to see all of you here today. Golly, you 
bring back so many memories when I look into your faces, and so many 
great anecdotes. I just want you to know how much I appreciate a day 
like today. Let me say thank you to the Former Members Association for 
the Congressional Study Group on Germany and programs that you make 
possible.
  I served for 18 years on the Committee on International Relations, 
and I benefited a great deal from our Former Members and what they gave 
me that allowed me to do a better job. And I know that what you are 
doing, helping the present Members, is so extremely important. I know 
how important these programs are because I benefited from them, as I 
know you have too.
  Let me just say that Lou Frey has had many accolades here today, and 
he deserves them because he has been a great president. But I also want 
to say, we have had a great executive director, Linda Reed, and I want 
to recognize her.
  This week we have Dr. Ludolf von Wartenberg here, the executive 
director, and a delegation from BDI, the German Federation of 
Industries. And when we see what is happening, for example, at Daimler-
Benz and Chrysler, we know how important these relationships are 
between Germany and the United States. They are going to become more 
and more important as we move more and more into that global economy.

  So I wanted to thank you, the Former Members, for what you are doing 
for the present Members and for your country. Thank you very much.
  Mr. FREY. As you can see, we have taken on a lot of tasks and have a 
great deal of involvement, e-mail, we are getting a chat room, and we 
are trying to catch up with the modern times.
  I would like to recognize the Honorable Robert Whan, representing the 
Association of Former Members of the Parliament of Australia, 
accompanied by his wife Jill. They came all the way from Australia to 
be with us. Could you please stand up and be recognized?
  And the Honorable Barry Turner, who is president of the Canadian 
Association of Former Parliamentarians. Barry has been with us three or 
four times. Barry, please.
  Obviously, there are thanks to the officers and the counselors. I 
will not take the time to name everybody individually. But it was a 
great team effort. The auxiliary headed by Chris LaRocco has done a 
great job. We are pleased with the Caring Institute, who is our 
landlord; thanks to Frank Moss and Val Halamandaris, the president of 
it, who have been wonderful to work with. Senator, thank you very much 
for your help over there. And of course, we mentioned Linda Reed and 
Walt Raymond.
  Now it is my sad duty to inform the House of those persons who have 
served in the Congress and passed away since our report last year; and, 
unfortunately, the list is somewhat long. I will read it.
  Bella Abzug of New York; Sonny Bono of California; Walter Capps of 
California; Peter J. DeMuth of Pennsylvania; Samuel L. Devine of Ohio; 
Foster Furcolo of Massachusetts; Harold E. Hughes of Iowa; Robert E. 
Jones of Alabama; Edna Flannery Kelly of New York; Robert Leggett of 
California; D.R. (Billy) Mathews of my State, Florida; Robert C. McEwen 
of New York; Dale Milford of Texas; Newt V. Mills of Louisiana; John 
Moss of California; Joel Pritchard of Washington; Jennings Randolph of 
West Virginia; Terry Sanford of North Carolina; Steve Schiff of New 
Mexico; Garner Shriver of Kansas; Frank E. Smith of Mississippi; 
William B. Spong of Virginia; Winifred C. Stanley of New York; and John 
H. Ware, III, of Pennsylvania.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that all of us rise in a moment of 
silence in their memory.
  May they rest in peace. Amen.
  Now to the highlight of this meeting. Each year the Association 
presents a Distinguished Service Award to an outstanding public 
servant, and it rotates

[[Page H3116]]

between parties, as do our offices. Last year Bill Richardson was here 
to receive the award. This year the recipients are both Republicans, 
they are both Senators, and they are married. How is that? Thirty 
questions.
  The recipients of the award are Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker of 
Kansas and the former Republican leader of the Senate, Howard Baker of 
Tennessee. The plaque reads ``Presented by the U.S. Association of 
Former Members of Congress jointly to the Honorable Howard H. Baker, 
Jr., and the Honorable Nancy Kassebaum Baker, each of whom extended the 
family tradition of public service in the highest degree in many areas, 
including a total of four decades of exemplary leadership in the United 
States Senate where their country and colleagues benefited immeasurably 
from their intuition, their judgment, their humanity and their tireless 
dedication to the welfare of the Republic, Washington, D.C., May 13, 
1998.''
  Just very briefly, because everybody here and everybody listening 
knows their backgrounds. But what is really interesting, among other 
things, is both obviously came from a political family. Nancy 
Kassebaum's father was the former governor of Kansas and ran in 1936 
for the Republican nomination. Senator Baker's mother and father both 
served in the House of Representatives. And his father-in-law, Senator 
Dirksen, was the majority leader in the United States Senate for some 
time. And of course, in the Senate, Senator Kassebaum Baker chaired the 
Committee on Labor and Human Resources, the Subcommittee on Africa of 
the Committee on Foreign Relations, and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on aviation, serving today on 
many nonprofit boards. And of course, Senator Baker was the first 
Republican ever popularly elected in Tennessee, won elections, served 
both as the minority leader and the leader in the Senate.
  Everybody remembers Senator Baker as the vice chairman of the 
Watergate Committee, the keynote speaker at the Republican National 
Convention, candidate for President in 1980, received all sorts of 
awards and medals, which I will not go into because I think we would 
rather hear from both of you than read any more of it.
  I would like you both to come up so I may present this plaque to you.

                              {time}  1015

  We also have a scrapbook of letters from many of your colleagues 
which we will add to along the line. Now we would be very privileged if 
we could hear some remarks from both of you.
  Mr. BAKER. Mr. Speaker, and Lou Frey, ladies and gentlemen, as you 
can observe, Nancy always has the last word, and that is as it should 
be.
  When I answered my name on the roll call this morning, that was the 
first word I had ever spoken on the floor of this chamber, 
notwithstanding, as you say, that I am a congressional brat and that I 
have been in and around this chamber since I was a very young man, a 
condition from which I have now fully recovered.
  But as I approached the south side of the Capitol, I was reminded of 
the times when my father brought me here and how awestruck I was by the 
majesty of this place, of this institution, and the inspiration I took 
from not only his service but that of you and many others like you who 
preceded us, and then my chance to serve in the Senate of the United 
States and to say there were many days when I envied you the rules of 
this body, especially on the opportunity of leadership to challenge and 
limit the direction of debate and deliberation. It will always be the 
high point of my public career that I have had an opportunity to serve 
in the Congress.
  I will not speak further except to say that I believe, as I think you 
believe, that our constitutional form of presidential government, of 
congressional government, and judicial oversight is unique in the 
world. It is very much a continuing process. As you have contributed to 
its unfolding development, so will our successors. I am greatly honored 
to be included in this award. I yield the floor to my senior partner.
  Ms. KASSEBAUM-BAKER. Thank you. There is an old Russian political 
adage that says a rooster today, a feather duster tomorrow. There are a 
few of us here that I could say a hen today. But all of us as feather 
dusters who are gathered here were gathered, and I think the reason 
becomes such a unifying experience and pleasure, is because of the 
friendships formed when one serves in either the United States Senate 
or the United States House of Representatives. It cuts across party 
lines.
  We may have debated, as it has been said before, against each other 
against the issues or for the issues, but always remaining friends. It 
is a tie that does bind.
  Secondly, the tie that binds, I believe, is a respect for the 
institution in which we have served. It is a respect that we should 
continue to honor. I am so impressed with all that former colleagues 
are doing to continue that involvement.
  So with Howard having said that we always wanted to be able to speak 
on the House floor, thank you for this opportunity and thank you for 
this honor.
  Mr. FREY. Mr. Speaker, as I said when I began, it is our belief that 
there are no term limits in public service. Every time I have the 
privilege to step back on the floor, it is like getting recharged. I 
love this body. I am proud of my service in the Congress, as each and 
every one of us are.
  We have served our country and we are continuing to serve our 
country. This is the greatest legislative body in the world. The 
country is lucky to have a Congress that has carried on for so many 
years great traditions and will continue to carry it on.
  Mr. Speaker, this concludes our 28th annual report by the United 
States Association of Former Members of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
  Mr. McHUGH (presiding). Thank you. The Chair thanks the President and 
again wishes to thank all of the feather dusters, I mean former Members 
of Congress for their presence here today.
  Before terminating these proceedings, the Chair would like to invite 
those former Members who did not respond when the roll was called to 
give their names to the reading clerks for inclusion on the roll.
  Again, thank you all very much for being with us. It is great to see 
you, each and every one. And we wish you the very best of luck.
  The House will stand in recess until 10:35 a.m.
  Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 20 minutes a.m.), the House continued 
in recess.

                          ____________________