[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 107 (Monday, August 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H6906-H6909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GEORGE H.W. BUSH CENTER FOR CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3821) to designate the Headquarters Compound of the Central
Intelligence Agency located in Langley, Virginia, as the George H.W.
Bush Center for Central Intelligence.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3821
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Headquarters Compound of the Central Intelligence
Agency located in Langley, Virginia, shall be known and
designated as the ``George H.W. Bush Center for Central
Intelligence''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Headquarters
Compound referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a
reference to the ``George H.W. Bush Center for Central
Intelligence''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Goss) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss).
General Leave
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 3821.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am pleased to bring this legislation before the House today. H.R.
3821 will designate the Central Intelligence Agency's headquarters
complex in Langley, Virginia as the George H.W. Bush Center for Central
Intelligence. This is a fitting tribute to our 41st President and
former Director of Central Intelligence, the only person in our
Nation's history to have occupied both offices.
The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence has taken no formal
action on this bill. However, I would note that all 16 of our members
are cosponsors, among the 150-plus cosponsors we have for this
legislation. There is strong bipartisan support for H.R. 3821 in the
House as a whole, and the other body has passed a similar measure as
part of its fiscal year 1999 Intelligence Authorization Act.
George Bush has dedicated much of his life to public service. I think
we all know that. Beginning back in World War II where he flew for the
Navy in the Pacific theater. We have heard many of those stories. In
1967, Bush was elected to the House of Representatives, and he would
later serve as Ambassador to the United Nations and as chief of the
U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China.
In January of 1976, Bush was appointed Director of Central
Intelligence by President Ford, a position he held through the end of
the Ford Administration. His tenure as DCI was relatively short, but it
came at a time when the U.S. intelligence community was undergoing
increasing public scrutiny and some criticism.
It was during this year that the first permanent congressional
committee on house oversight devoted to intelligence matters was
formed. Took place in the other body. Of course, the House followed
suit.
Bush demonstrated leadership and trustworthiness at a time when both
were desperately needed to help restore confidence in the Central
Intelligence Agency and the other intelligence agencies that make up
our intelligence community. Mr. Speaker, I urge the House to support to
this bill. I congratulate its author and lead sponsor, my friend, the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman).
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3821, to designate the
headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Virginia as
the ``George Herbert Walker Bush Center for Central Intelligence.''
George Bush served this country not only as President but also as
Vice President, Member of Congress, United Nations Ambassador, chief of
the U.S. Liaison Office to the People's Republic of China, Director of
the Central Intelligence Agency and also, Mr. Speaker, as a naval
aviator in World War II. As a matter of fact, he received the Navy
Cross for his courageous action in the Pacific.
He is the only Director of Central Intelligence to have become
President of the United States. The CIA headquarters does not now have
a formal name, and there is no facility in the Washington, D.C. area
named after President Bush. I thus believe this legislation represents
a fitting tribute to honor President Bush's long and distinguished
career in public service.
I have known President George Bush for a good many years. History has
shown that he was an excellent Director of Central Intelligence, and I
heartily endorse naming the CIA headquarters after him.
I am thus happy to join my colleagues on the Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence in cosponsoring this tribute to former
President George Bush, and I urge its passage by the House.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from Missouri,
who participates in an extraordinarily helpful and valuable way on
matters of national security, many of the things we cannot talk about.
If people knew the contributions he made, they would indeed be
gratified. I think that to have his support for this bill is a very
meaningful statement, and we appreciate it very, very much.
Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Portman), author of the bill, and I ask unanimous consent
that he be permitted to control the balance of the time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
While he is here, let me thank him for the critical role he has
played in this concept from the outset in his role as Chairman of the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, but also in his role as a
friend and supporter of George Bush. He has been absolutely essential
to getting this legislation to this point.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Boehlert).
Mr. BOEHLERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me the
time. I also thank him for his leadership in advancing this important
legislation.
[[Page H6907]]
I am privileged to serve on the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, and in that capacity I have come to appreciate even more
than before the invaluable contributions of President Bush, former
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Bush, for all that he did
so well for so long, but particularly in his capacity as Director of
the Central Intelligence Agency.
He took over that agency at a time when it was somewhat troubled.
Morale was low. He elevated it to a new high. For that, everyone in the
intelligence community will be internally grateful.
But when I think of President Bush, I just think about him in today's
terms. Every day when I get up and read the day's newspaper, we read
yet another story about how good the economy is and how the Nation is
moving forward, and I am reminded and all of us should be reminded that
this longest period of sustained growth in our economy started under
the leadership of President Bush, during his administration, and it has
sustained itself. I think that is something that he can be proud of. It
is one of the enduring legacies he has left to this Nation.
I also think of George Bush the human being, one of the finest, most
decent, most caring, sharing individuals it has ever been my privilege
to know. He is a wonderful inspiration for generations to come. He
still is at it, providing leadership. He is still at it, providing
valued friendship. He is very deserving of this honor for a whole bunch
of the right reasons. And for that, I am proud to identify as one of
the 16 members on a bipartisan basis of the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence who have cosponsored this legislation.
Let me again thank my colleague for the leadership he has
demonstrated.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentleman for his wonderful comments and for his support
of the legislation.
I would like to make one point, to reiterate what the gentleman said,
which is that all members of the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, Republican and Democrat, have now cosponsored this
legislation, and that is the one committee of jurisdiction for the
naming of the CIA center. So we are appreciative of the support of the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and really the entire committee,
Republican and Democrat.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr.
Wolf).
(Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our colleague, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Portman) for sponsoring this bill. It is with great
honor I rise today in support of this legislation that would designate
the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia as the George H.W. Bush
Center for Central Intelligence.
Renaming the CIA headquarters would be a fitting tribute to our
distinguished former President. The fact is, in the early 1980s this
used to be in my congressional district. I was out there at the
dedication of the addition to the new building. At that time former
President Bush, who was then Vice President, was out there with then
President Reagan and was so warmly and well thought of by everybody at
the CIA at those times.
George Bush has an exceptional career in service to the American
people. He triumphantly led our country to victory in the Gulf War
crisis, and he paved the way for freedom and democracy in Eastern
Europe as the Cold War ended and the communist empire broke up.
George Bush also served our Nation in many other capacities. He has
the distinction of being the only former President to be Director of
the Central Intelligence Agency. George Bush is still today held in
highest regard by the CIA and its employees. In fact, many times I will
talk with a CIA employee or former employee, they tell me they thought
George Bush was one of the best directors they ever had.
When appointed Director to the CIA in 1976, he inherited a very
difficult situation, but during his tenure he created strength and
stability in the intelligence community, and he is widely credited for
restoring morale at the CIA.
Mr. Speaker, America has a proud tradition of honoring our great
presidents. What better way to honor George Bush than to place his name
on the CIA headquarters in Langley. I urge my colleagues to join me in
support of this. I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) for
introducing the bill.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Virginia for that
great statement. The folks at the CIA near his district certainly have
a lot of continuing respect and really warm feelings toward their
former Director and former President, George Bush.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Regula), one of the original cosponsors of this legislation.
(Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time. In my early years here I used to visit agencies to get a better
understanding of how the various departments functioned. One of those I
visited was the CIA. This is where I first met President George Bush. I
was tremendously impressed.
It was so great that, as the Director, he took a lot of time to
explain to me the function of the CIA and all the various facets of
this organization. I thought at the time when I first met him, this is
a person I would like to support as President of the United States.
Fortunately, I had that opportunity in subsequent years, and I have
always been pleased that I could be one of the backers of President
Bush for the highest office. I was proud to have been part of his team,
with the integrity and the leadership he brought to this office.
A couple of things I would mention. One of the great diplomatic
achievements, I think, was the transition in Russia during times of
President Gorbachev, when there was a lot of turmoil in that country.
As outlined in Ambassador Jack Matlock's book ``Autopsy of an Empire,''
President Bush had to make some really tough decisions as to what the
position of the United States would be in light of the events in
Russia. I thought he handled it with great skill, and I believe that
the success of the transition in that nation, from what was formerly
the U.S.S.R. to what we have today, was due in no small part, or I
should say due in large part to the sense of diplomacy, the sense of
understanding that President Bush brought to his role of leadership in
establishing the position of the United States.
Also, I think it is very appropriate to name this building after
President Bush because it does have a connection to our international
relationships. His leadership during Desert Storm was just remarkable.
His ability and the confidence and respect for him throughout the world
and particularly with the other leaders enabled him to reach out and
get the support that was essential for a successful Desert Storm. I
think it was a remarkable achievement that a President of the United
States could pick up the phone and elicit the kind of support that we
had in the venture known as Desert Storm and without question the
success of the coalition of governments in prosecuting Desert Storm was
due in large part to the leadership of President George Bush.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).
(Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time, and rise informally but very sincerely to commend our colleagues
for bringing this legislation to the floor. I am pleased to be a
cosponsor.
As a former member of the House Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, I am aware, very much aware, of the extraordinary respect
that the men and women of the CIA hold for their former Director, the
honorable George Bush, our very distinguished former President. He
brought innovation to the agency, he improved the morale dramatically
of the Central Intelligence Agency, and his legacy continues on there
today. So I think it is a very fitting tribute to name this facility
after our former President and
[[Page H6908]]
the former head of the Central Intelligence Agency, George Bush.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), chairman of the House Committee on
Ways and Means, who actually took George Bush's seat in the United
States Congress and has continued to be a strong supporter and friend
of President Bush's over the years, and was one of the original
cosponsors and supporters of this effort.
Mr. ARCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time, and I am excited and pleased to be able to speak in favor of
naming the CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia as the George H. W.
Bush Center for Central Intelligence.
I am proud for many reasons. Yes, I do hold the seat that he held in
the Congress of the United States back in the 1960s, and I would like
to think that I can walk in his footsteps, but his feet were very, very
big.
In the life of a Nation, it is crucial that some men and women take
it upon themselves to preserve and foster the Nation's institutions; to
preserve the blessings of the past and create new opportunities for the
future. While most of us spend our lives pursuing personal gain, George
Bush early on took up the long and wearying task of building and
maintaining the Nation's institutions, guarding them for future
generations.
His patriotism and courage were evident from the beginning of his
adult life when, as the youngest Navy pilot flying torpedo bombers in
World War II, he was shot down on a bombing run in the South Pacific
and narrowly escaped death. He was truly a hero and was distinguished
with the Flying Cross and three Air Medals.
Coming back from the war, he married his sweetheart, Barbara Pierce
of Rye, New York, and later that year made his first civilian adult
decision when he made the appropriate choice of moving to Texas, and
lived the rest of his life in Texas, where he started his own company
and was successful in one of the riskiest businesses in the world, the
oil business.
After selling it, he became involved in politics, his love for the
rest of his life, and he was elected to represent Texas's 7th
Congressional District, the district that I now represent, and he
served on the Committee on Ways and Means, where I now serve. I am
privileged to represent him as my most famous constituent today, living
with his wife, Barbara, in my district.
History already records what he went on to do. Ambassador to the
United Nations; chairman of the Republican National Committee, when it
was in dire straits during Watergate; and chief U.S. liaison official
to China, the first one after China was recognized by the United
Nations; and then, when the Central Intelligence Agency needed
leadership because of its great struggles, again during the Watergate
period, he was picked, and did an outstanding job heading that
institution; and of course, later, became Vice President under Reagan
until 1988, when he was elected President.
He is a man of unblemished integrity, and his life has been the model
of selfless public service, honor and scrupulous commitment to the
people's institutions. Men like George Bush have preserved the peace,
freedom and prosperity that we all enjoy as Americans today, and it is
our privilege, mine particularly, to honor him by naming the
headquarters of the CIA after him.
I particularly compliment my friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Rob
Portman), for bringing forward this issue and giving us this
opportunity.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume
to again compliment the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) on his
efforts, which appear to be successful, in naming the CIA headquarters
after former President George Bush. It is a very, very fitting tribute
to this man who was the head of the CIA, and who later became President
of our country.
I had the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to work with President Bush
rather closely in preparation for Desert Storm and Desert Shield, in
which American interests were so vitally involved, and he not only
marshaled support for the effort here in our country, he marshaled
support among our allies, and he should long be remembered for that.
I compliment the gentleman and thank him for his work on putting this
piece of legislation together. It certainly is a fitting tribute to Mr.
Bush.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and thank my colleagues who have spoken about George Bush, the man, and
about the appropriateness of this tribute.
The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and I both have other
speakers but because our time was changed a little bit, we do not have
all of them here right now. Others may arrive in a moment, but I might
just take a moment to talk about this legislation and talk about the
people who helped so much to get us here.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) has already spoken. He was very
critical in his role as chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence, of course, in getting us to this point, but also in his
support from the outset. The gentleman from Missouri, who we just heard
from, was the original cosponsor of this legislation, along with the
gentleman from Florida and the gentleman from Indiana, (Mr. Lee
Hamilton), and myself.
I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri. He added a lot of
credibility to this effort, frankly made it bipartisan from the start,
and has a deep, as we just heard from the gentleman himself, personal
relationship to Mr. Bush, which grows, among other things, out of his
close working relationship with the President during the Persian Gulf
conflict.
The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Lee Hamilton) is the other original
cosponsor, as I said, the ranking member of the Committee on
International Relations. I want to thank him again personally for his
support of this effort from the start.
There are many others on both sides of the aisle who have been
critical in getting us here today. Many were original cosponsors;
others have come on since then, and we have heard from some today and
we may hear from others in a moment.
The CIA complex at Langley, Virginia, as has been said today, is
currently unnamed, and the effort we have before us here is to
designate that center the George Bush Center. It is a particularly
fitting tribute, I think, to the only President in our history who has
served as Director, and his extraordinary leadership as Director,
during a very difficult time for the agency, makes this a particularly
appropriate way to remember President Bush.
That extraordinary leadership is pretty well documented. What is not
as well documented, perhaps, is the personal importance George Bush
places on his service there. I think it is fair to say he remembers
that service as fondly as any to his Nation, and the other thing that
has come up today in various speeches that we have heard is the degree
to which the CIA employees, the career employees there, hold George
Bush in high regard. Again, all of these make this a perfect fit.
He served his country for over 50 years. It was in 1942, on June
12th, as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) said earlier, the day he
turned 18 years old, that George Bush joined the United States Navy. He
was the youngest pilot in the Navy, and he proved himself time and time
again with his older peers in the Navy. He was the youngest pilot, but
also was one who, in the face of combat, showed himself to be one of
the most effective.
He was shot down over the Pacific, as has been commented on earlier
today. Of course, he completed his mission before he was shot down. He
went on to win not only the distinguished Flying Cross but also three
Air Medals for his courageous service to our country during World War
II.
After the war, he moved to Texas and he was gradually drawn into
politics. In 1966, he was elected to this House, sat in this Chamber
for two terms, distinguished terms, as a member of the Committee on
Ways and Means, at that time the most junior member ever appointed to
the House Committee on Ways and Means. He served the 7th District of
Texas, which is the Houston area.
In 1971, he was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and
it is interesting, then as now, tensions were very high in the Middle
East. It was Ambassador Bush, using his strong friendships with leaders
around the Middle East, who was able to diffuse those tensions between
Israel and the Arab nations.
[[Page H6909]]
In 1974, George Bush had his choice of any ambassadorship in the
world, it is said. He took on the challenge of normalizing relations
with the People's Republic of China and was appointed as the first U.S.
liaison to China.
He was widely regarded at the time as the right man for the job
because of the contacts he had made at the United Nations, but folks
did not know the degree to which his people skills would be put to use
in opening up the relationship between the United States and the
largest country in the world. For over a year he worked hard at that
effort and was very successful in breaking through the wall, which was
really centuries thick, between the People's Republic of China and the
United States.
When he returned from China, he became Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency, again in a very tough time. This was in the
aftermath of the Church hearings up here on Capitol Hill. I think it is
fair to say that morale was quite low at the agency, maybe at an all
time low. It was George Bush, who came into the CIA, who improved the
morale, who improved the agency's standing not only here on Capitol
Hill but among the American people.
{time} 1345
Again, he is remembered so fondly by the agency and its people for
that effort and for his continuing support over the years after being
Director of the CIA, in supporting the CIA's mission and in supporting
the people at the Agency.
In 1980 he reentered elective politics, this time as the vice
presidential candidate with Ronald Reagan. As Vice President, he was as
involved as any Vice President in history, with all the major issues
that the White House faced.
In particular, he focused on the administration's war against
international terrorism and drugs. He also headed the task force on
regulatory relief, which reduced the size of government and increased
American industry's competitiveness around the world.
In 1988, he became the first incumbent Vice President since Martin
Van Buren to be elected President of the United States. While in
office, he led this country through some very historic times.
In 1989, for instance, he ushered in the end of the Cold War with the
elimination of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, if I have the time, I would be pleased to
yield additional time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman). My
inquiry of the Chair is do I have the time?
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Skelton) has 16\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman).
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Again, he led this country through change as President in 1989, the
end of the Cold War, reunification of Germany, the elimination of the
Berlin Wall, leading the effort to spread democracy around Eastern
Europe.
He signed the Start I and Start II treaties that established the game
plan for the reduction of two-thirds of the existing nuclear warheads
by 2003.
Of all the major events in which President Bush played a key role as
Commander in Chief, the one that perhaps best showcases his ability was
the one that the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) talked about
earlier, which is his abilities as leader during the Persian Gulf War.
He put together an unprecedented coalition of 30 nations headed by
the United States to stop the aggression of Saddam Hussein in the
Middle East. I think it is particularly fitting that we consider this
legislation, Mr. Speaker, honoring President Bush exactly 8 years and 1
day from the date that Kuwait was liberated.
Mr. Speaker, to me President Bush exemplified the highest values and
principles of public life. As a staff member in the Bush White House, I
was privileged to learn firsthand from President Bush that honor,
integrity, and responsibility are the most important code of conduct
for a public official.
I feel the Bush Center will not only provide the needed national
recognition for as many years of distinguished service, but also on a
personal note it is gratifying to me to see this legislation coming to
the floor of the House today honoring someone who has given so much to
his Nation.
I urge all my colleagues to support this fitting tribute to our
former President. I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr.
Skelton) again for yielding time and for the leadership of the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) in this effort.
Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to
designate the Headquarters Compound of the Central Intelligence Agency
as the George H.W. Bush Center for Central Intelligence. This is a
fitting tribute to the great contributions of George Bush to the CIA,
our federal government and our nation.
Mr. Speaker, George Bush served our country not only as President,
but also Vice President, U.N. Ambassador, Chief of the U.S. Liaison
Office to the People's Republic of China, Member of Congress and
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. His life was truly one in
the public service, and he served our nation ably and faithfully for
more than 50 years.
He was appointed to serve as director of the CIA in 1976, and
provided leadership to that agency at a time when the U.S. intelligence
community was publically unpopular and roundly criticized as too
secretive. George Bush is credited with many improvements at the CIA
and restoring the morale of the employees. As the only president to
have served as director of the CIA, he continues to be held in high
regard by past and present CIA employees, and may members of the U.S.
intelligence community.
Mr. Speaker, the CIA building is in my district. And although I am a
Democrat and George Bush has been a loyal Republican all his life, it
is highly appropriate to memorialize a man of George Bush's integrity,
work ethic and dedication to public service by naming the headquarters
of an indispensable part of the U.S. Government and an irreplaceable
instrument of world peace in his honor.
George Bush loved the people, and respected the institution of the
CIA as no other American President has. I urge all my colleagues to
grant him this honor.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to add my enthusiastic
support to H.R. 3821, which would name the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) Headquarters in Langley, Virginia after our 41st President,
George Herbert Walker Bush.
I can think of no one today who is more deserving of this honor than
this man of courage, who has such a long and distinguished record of
service to our nation and the cause of freedom. George Bush definitely
represents the principles of dignity and character that we have always
prized in our statesmen. From his service as a teenage pilot during
World War II to his administration as President, he has always
dedicated his life to God, family and country.
Among the roles he served in during his remarkable career, George
Bush should be especially proud of his record as Director of the CIA
from 1976 to 1977. This was a critical time for this key agency which
he helped rebuild after a major Congressional investigation. His
determined leadership helped restore the morale of the CIA at a crucial
turning point in the Cold War. This spade work for our nation's defense
helped pave the way for the triumph of freedom over communism during
his service as Vice President under President Ronald Reagan and his
service as President.
This is definitely a fitting tribute for the only President who
served as Director of the CIA. The overwhelming bi-partisan support for
this proposal definitely demonstrates the widespread respect which
George Bush has from his fellow citizens for his legacy of service to
our nation.
Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, I have no more requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3821.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________