[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 135 (Thursday, October 1, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9252-H9255]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE SIDNEY R. YATES
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Everett). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 7, 1997, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski)
is recognized for 60 minutes.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to pay tribute to one of
the most outstanding Members that the United States House of
Representatives has ever had; that is Sidney R. Yates of the 9th
Congressional District in the State of Illinois.
Sid Yates is retiring this year after 48 years in the House of
Representatives, 24 terms. It would be an even 50 years if he had not
been selected by the Democratic Party of Illinois in 1962 to run
against the then Republican leader of the United States Senate Everett
McKinley Dirksen.
In 1962, he ran against Dirksen in a very spirited hard-fought race,
which he unfortunately, from our perspective, lost 53 to 47. For the 2
years he was gone from the House of Representatives, he served as the
United States representative to the United Nations. He returned in 1964
to resume his influential position here in Congress.
Sid Yates is the product of immigrant parents. His parents were born
in Lithuania, and Sid was born here in this country shortly after his
parents arrived. He also has 3 brothers that were born here in this
country.
Sid Yates has served on the Committee on Appropriations just about
his entire career here in the House of Representatives. He also served
on the Committee on Foreign Operations for many, many years. He has a
law degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.
{time} 1915
But besides pursuing those academic credits at the University of
Chicago, Sid Yates was an outstanding college basketball player. He was
placed on the All Big 10 Team in his senior year, 1933, and he also was
mentioned as an honorable all American candidate.
He did not shoot jump shots. He did not shoot set shots, but, believe
it or not, he played center for the University of Chicago and had an
excellent left-handed hook shot and an excellent right-handed hook
shot.
Sid has been the subcommittee chairman on the Subcommittee on
Interior for over 20 years. He is now the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Interior. He is an individual that has fought for the
environment his entire career here in the House of Representatives. He
is a man who has been the chief supporter of the National Endowment for
the Arts and Humanities. He has also been the chief supporter of the
National Trust for Historic Preservation.
But he has also been very, very practical. He is a man that has
always seen to it that money has come back into the City of Chicago and
the State of Illinois for very significant and important projects: The
Illinois Deep Tunnel system, Chicago Wilderness Project, the Chicago
Green Streets program, the Chicago Shoreline project, the Indiana Dune
center, and Navy Pier.
It is only fitting and proper that a few days ago the United States
House of Representatives renamed the auditors main building located at
2101 14th Street, S.W. in Washington, D.C. in honor of Sidney R. Yates.
Back in 1944, when Sid was 35 years of age, he joined the United
States Navy and served from 1944 to 1946. When he came out of the Navy,
he got himself involved in politics and, as I mentioned earlier, he was
elected to the House of Representatives in the Harry Truman year of
1948.
Through all those years, Sid has had very, very few difficult primary
or general elections. But in 1990, he did have
[[Page H9253]]
what some people thought was going to be a strong challenge. He ran up
against a young alderman in the City of Chicago who was independently
wealthy, who was extremely well funded. And the newspapers in Chicago
and some of the political pundits had great concern that Sid Yates,
after all these years in Congress, might go out a loser. But to the
astonishment of many people who were not really that well informed, Sid
Yates won that primary with 70 percent of the vote. His opponent
received only 27 percent of the vote.
I have a few other things to say here about Sid Yates, but there is a
gentleman who has now joined me on the floor, a colleague of Sid Yates
and a colleague of mine, Congressman Danny Davis.
I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), my colleague, for first of all taking out
this time to salute and honor a tremendous legislator, a tremendous
American, a man whom I am proud to call a colleague, Mr. Sidney Yates.
I thank the gentleman for yielding me the opportunity.
Mr. Yates has the honor, of course, of representing the 9th
congressional district of Illinois and has represented the people of
the 9th district since 1953, serving 24 terms in the House. Born the
son of Jewish immigrants in 1909, Mr. Yates was born in Chicago, and I
am proud to say that he was born in my district, the district that I
currently serve. His family lived on Maxwell Street, but later moved to
the Lakeview area.
Mr. Yates was educated in the Chicago public schools, attended
college at the University of Chicago where he played on the basketball
team. I am not sure that he slam dunked that often but occasionally I
suspect that he could rise to the heights of the basket. But
nevertheless, he received his law degree from the University of Chicago
Law School.
During the past 48 years, Mr. Yates can claim a leadership role in
many important efforts. Most notably, he has been the staunch backer of
the NEA and is often credited for saving this valuable program. Arts
funding and environmental protection are perhaps two of his highest
priorities.
In addition to this, Mr. Yates has assisted projects such as Navy
Pier in Chicago, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, defunding the
School of the Americas, gaining citizenship rights for the Japanese in
the United States after World War II, and the Chicago Transit
Authority. I can think of no more spirited of an advocate for the
people and their civil liberties than my good friend, Sid Yates. If he
gets behind an issue, he will fight for it until the end.
Mr. Yates has often been deemed by the press a Truman era liberal, an
unapologetic liberal and the greatest friend the arts have in America
today. In 1973, Congressman Anunzio remarked, For in the Congress, he
is the people's advocate, and his contributions have been positive and
numerous. He has waged war against the common enemy: hunger, disease
and apathy. He has helped relieve human suffering by devoting his
energies to equal opportunity for employment, housing and education. He
has encouraged the immigrants and the oppressed from other lands to
migrate to America, the land of the free. He is a true liberal with his
goals and sights high, but with his feet on the ground. He has vision
and courage in abundance.
And so as Sid Yates takes leave of 48 years of service in the House,
I am proud to salute the honorable Sidney Yates. His voice is one of
principle and honor. His vote has always been one of the people, and
all of the people in the 7th congressional district in the State of
Illinois commend, congratulate and salute him for his service.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those fine words
about Sid Yates.
I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox).
Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership of
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) in taking out this time to
salute Congressman Sid Yates, a pioneer for the people, someone who is
a true gentleman and has been an outstanding member. He let his actions
speak for his district and for his country, and in every way he has
shown what a great Congressman can be, what it means to be selfless,
what it means to be a visionary, what it means to make a difference. So
while he will be concluding his many terms here in Congress, his legacy
will live on in all the people programs that he supported. He is
someone who for many of us who are newer Members, he is someone who we
have gone to for advice. He is someone who has captured our imagination
and our spirit and someone who has set high goals for us to reach, and
we hope to continue the fine association with him and wish him the best
as he moves forward in his life.
Let me add, if I may, that at the same time we are going to be
missing Congressman McDade of Pennsylvania, who has been the dean of
our delegation and also a fighter for his constituents as subcommittee
chair of the Committee on Appropriations, someone who has done great
things to stop waste, cut taxes and fight for important programs that
he and Sid Yates together thought were important to the people. And so
two great giants of the House, Congressman Sid Yates and Congressman
Joe McDade are individuals whose accomplishments are legion, Members
who have given their whole professional life to this institution.
Because of their outstanding service, their States, Illinois and
Pennsylvania, are stronger, and America has a record of accomplishment
second to none.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those words
about Congressman Yates.
I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).
Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Lipinski) for setting aside this time to pay tribute and honor one of
the most distinguished and longest-serving Members of this House of
Representatives.
Even though I have only been here for two terms, I remember Sid Yates
very findly because of the mark that he left on Illinois, because of
the mark that he made in Illinois politics. He was in the House and
actually ran for the United States Senate against a very distinguished
Senator by the name of Senator Everett Dirksen. I think back in the
days when Sid ran for that position, he actually thought that he could
beat Senator Dirksen. But given the kind of record that Sid had even
back then, he waged a very, very vigorous campaign and represented
really, I think, the best of Illinois politics, because I know that he
cares very deeply about issues that face Illinois and has been very
strong on trying to solve problems on behalf of the State of Illinois.
He represents, I think, one of the prettiest parts of Illinois and
one of the prettiest parts of the Chicago land area along the coast of
Lake Shore Drive and commonly referred to as part of the Gold Coast of
Chicago. I think that for the people that Sid has represented, he will
be long remembered, probably, as the Congressman for the arts.
Of all of the things that I think Sid has accomplished here in the
House, I think he will always be remembered for his very, very strong
advocacy for the arts, for the humanities, and really trying to promote
and encourage people in those areas, whether they be the arts or the
humanities. I think in reality that is what his moniker will be.
He also is someone that any Member of our delegation could go to and
speak to about any particular project or opportunity for funding for
the State of Illinois. Whether it be in Central Illinois, which I
represent, or Southern Illinois, it did not make any difference whether
the Member was a Republican or a Democrat, Sid would listen
attentively, would pay attention, and then do his homework and do his
work to accomplish whatever the Member needed for their part of the
State, because as much as I know he loved his own district, he also
loved the State of Illinois and would do anything he could to improve
that part of Illinois that the Member had come to him and asked him
about.
He will be sorely missed for our State on the Committee on
Appropriations. He will be sorely missed by the people who represent
the arts and humanities for his advocacy, and he will be missed by all
of the House for his intelligence and his ability to really come to the
floor and make a case for the important issues of the day or the
important
[[Page H9254]]
issues before the Committee on Appropriations.
{time} 1930
I am sorry Sid is not here tonight, but in the remaining days that we
have, I know that many of us will have an opportunity to bid him a fond
farewell and thank him for the many, many things he has contributed to
his own district, one of the most beautiful parts of Chicago, to the
beautiful State of Illinois, and to our wonderful country. And on
behalf of, I think, those in Illinois that are not represented by Sid,
in central or southern Illinois, we say, ``Thank you for your
stewardship and your service.''
And I thank the gentleman for setting aside this time to honor a
great American, a great Member of this body, Sid Yates.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. We
appreciate the words the gentleman had to say about Sid Yates, and I
want to say to the gentleman that when he talked about Sid Yates being
a gentleman, he certainly is a gentleman. We could not find a finer
gentleman in this body or, I believe, anyplace in this country. I think
his character has always been beyond reproach and his integrity has
been of the highest possible degree. And in this day and age, that is
something we really have to salute and admire.
General Leave
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on the subject of this special order.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Illinois?
There was no objection.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Jesse Jackson).
Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me,
and I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to pay tribute to a distinguished
legislator, a paragon of virtue and a national treasure, Congressman
Sidney Yates from my home State of Illinois.
I am deeply saddened that Mr. Yates will be leaving the House of
Representatives at the end of this term. I join my colleagues in
thanking this truly remarkable man for his invaluable contribution to
this Nation.
Mr. Yates was first elected in 1948, and for 4 decades he has served
as a member of the Committee on Appropriations. As the Member who
coined the appropriations moniker, ``College of Cardinals'', he has
spent 20 years as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior of the
Committee on Appropriations and has been a staunch advocate for the
arts and defender of the environment.
Mr. Yates embodies all that is just and virtuous about public
service. Through his exemplary tenure, Sid Yates has typified what it
truly means to be called ``the honorable''.
Mr. Yates has been considerate to me, generous with his time, and
extremely helpful to me as a new legislator. On December 14th, 1995,
Mr. Yates introduced me, after I took the oath of office, and has
continued to serve as a guide and a teacher. As the dean of the
Illinois delegation, he has proved inspiring by his courageous and
principled stands on issues and legislation, despite great pressures to
do otherwise.
I believe I speak for everyone in this body by thanking him for his
leadership, public service, experience and wisdom. I will miss my good
friend and trusted mentor, and I wish him and his family the very best
as they embark upon the next chapter of their lives.
I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues, the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush),
and certainly the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), for being
considerate enough to yield to me this time and for hosting this
special order on behalf of Mr. Yates.
Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman very much for those outstanding
words about Sid Yates.
I was just thinking the other day that people have never talked about
the Ninth Congressional District in the State of Illinois as anything
other than the Yates district. Even when people were campaigning in the
primary to succeed Congressman Yates, they never talked about running
for the Ninth Congressional District, they talked about running for Sid
Yates' seat. And I believe that it will be thought of as Sid Yates'
seat for a long, long time into the future.
As I mentioned earlier, Sid Yates is a man of the highest quality of
character, the greatest integrity. He is a gentleman in the finest
sense of the word. He never has a bad word to say about anyone. He has
led many, many causes on this floor. He led them very strongly. He led
them with a great deal of intellectual persuasion behind these causes.
He never became upset with what other people had to say, even though,
as time has gone on, some of the causes, some of the things that he
championed may have had less and less support here in the House of
Representatives.
As the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jesse Jackson) just mentioned,
and as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) has mentioned, he never
changed his position. He never changed his principles. You knew when
you met Sid Yates where he stood. We knew that when he spoke, he spoke
directly, accurately, forcefully, and with the highest degree of
integrity behind it.
There are many, many things that Sid Yates has done for this country
by being a Member of this body. He is retiring at the end of this term,
but the accomplishments that he has had for this country will not only
be remembered for many, many years in this body but will be remembered
by many people in this Nation. Because many of the things that he has
done in the arts, in the humanities field, and in the environmental
field are things that people know about, people appreciate, and people
will always be happy that Sid Yates was here for almost 50 years.
I would now like to conclude this special order by recognizing the
Congressman from Indiana (Mr. Peter Visclosky).
Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and
for setting aside this time to honor Mr. Yates.
I have kidded Mr. Yates in the past that one of the advantages he has
over me is that during the summer months potentially half of his
constituents tend to live in my Congressional District along the
southern shore of Lake Michigan. But what I would like to remember
about Mr. Yates tonight is not only the fact that he is a true
gentleman, in every sense of the word, but as the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) just pointed out, his unflinching devotion and
energies to preserving the environment of the United States of America
as well as this planet and, in particular, the closeness to which he
held the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to his heart, one of the
great natural resources of this country.
I have a picture in my office of my son John when he was 8 years old,
and he had a look of bliss on his face as he was jumping off a small
bluff along the southern shore of Lake Michigan on the day a fence was
torn down and the Dunes was expanded to include an area called Crescent
Dune in the Michigan City area.
It was the last 36 acres of undeveloped property along the 45-mile
southern lakeshore of Lake Michigan. And that property was included for
future generations forevermore because of the strenuous efforts and
commitments of Sid Yates to the environment. It sat next to Mount
Baldy, which was also included in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore,
the highest geographic feature in Northern Indiana because of the
efforts of Mr. Yates.
But most importantly, I think, there are now environmental education
centers, campgrounds and other facilities. So that whether it is the
young students of our area, whether middle-aged individuals or senior
citizens who want to learn more about their surroundings and the
environment, they are now able to do that because of the good works of
Congressman Yates.
He is a gentleman in every sense of the word. He is dedicated to his
family and to his country, and it has been a privilege for me to be
able to serve with Mr. Yates for 14 years. And, again, I thank the
gentleman very much for allowing me the opportunity to speak.
Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I salute my good friend and long-time
colleague and political neighbor, Sid Yates, as he comes to the end of
a most remarkable career in the House of Representatives.
[[Page H9255]]
It was an incredible fifty years ago that Sid first won his seat in
Congress. I was a high school senior at the time, undecided about my
future in the post World War II period.
Over the years since, both Sid and I have worked hard together in
support of numerous projects involving many issues for the betterment
of Illinois citizens. And I must say that Chicagoans have long been
appreciative of Sid's remarkable ability as Chairman of the Interior
Subcommittee on Appropriations to bring to the Windy City large
allocations of funds for many important projects. Literally he has been
able to win billions for the city and for Illinois in projects such as
the Chicago Shoreline Project, the Navy Pier Restoration Project, the
Indiana Dunes Land Acquisition Project, the Chicago Cultural Center--in
addition to many specific public works projects of importance to
Chicago.
Moreover, as one of this country's earliest environmentalists, Sid
Yates will be remembered fondly by many across the land as the prime
mover in the creation of many national parks, as well as in the
preservation of wildernesses, scenic rivers, seashore and lakeshore
projects, for all Americans to enjoy. Each one of these projects stands
as a testimony to Sid's long dedication to keep America beautiful.
These are just some of the accomplishments of my good friend who has
represented the Ninth District of Illinois so ably and for so many
years. His record has continually won him the admiration of his
Congressional colleagues, who will surely miss him in the years ahead.
Because we were of different political parties, Sid and I have not
always, of course, concurred on all the issues. Over the years, we have
particularly had disagreement regarding the NEA. However, all of our
exchanges of opinions on the floor have always been marked by
cordiality and comity. Indeed I have always enjoyed our debates in the
House chamber.
I rise with my fellow Illinois delegation members to salute Sidney
Yates for his incomparable half-century of dedication and
accomplishment in the halls of Congress--a most admirable record which
should well serve as a model for new members as they arrive and take up
their tasks in this hallowed House. We hope he will find time on
occasion to grace the House floor with this presence, so that those of
us who remain may be reminded that his many past examples of
collegiality and hard work should still remain important to this body.
Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman.
I would just like to say, in concluding this special order honoring
Sid Yates, that there has not been a finer Member of the House of
Representatives in its history than Sidney R. Yates of Illinois.
____________________