[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1881]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE SIDNEY R. YATES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. JERRY F. COSTELLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 1998

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to rise today 
to join my colleagues in paying special tribute to my good friend and 
colleague from Illinois, Mr. Sid Yates. During my tenure in Congress, 
Mr. Yates has been an inspiration and a friend. He welcomed me here on 
my first day in Congress after my special election in 1988 and I am 
glad to call him a friend.
  Sid Yates has represented the 9th Congressional District and the 
State of Illinois well. He has dedicated himself to representing the 
citizens of the Great State of Illinois. He has been a great 
representative for our state and as an fellow Illinoisan, I salute Mr. 
Yates for his dedication and good work. He is a true statesman.
  Mr. Yates' distinguished career began as an attorney in Chicago. He 
was first elected to this House in 1948. As a member of this body, Mr. 
Yates has been a quiet yet strong voice.
  Mr. Yates has risen through the ranks to hold positions on the 
Appropriations Committee. I have worked closely with Mr. Yates in his 
capacity as the Ranking Member on the Interior Subcommittee to develop 
an interpretive center at the first campsite of Meriwether Lewis and 
William Clark. This project is very exciting, especially since we will 
be celebrating the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's historic journey 
to explore the American West in 2003-4. Mr. Yates has worked diligently 
to help establish this important center. If this project comes to 
fruition, it will be in part due to Mr. Yates. I appreciate his 
interest and hard work on the issue.
  Mr. Yates has used his influence on the Appropriations Committee to 
create new national parks, wilderness, seashores, lakeshores and wild 
and scenic rivers. He has been a great champion for the arts and 
humanities. During years of attacks on the National Endowment of the 
Arts, Mr. Yates has been its chief defender. I believe we as a nation 
owe a debt of gratitude of Mr. Yates for his perseverance on preserving 
the integrity and, in fact, the institutions themselves that promote 
artistic expression and our cultural heritage for future generations.
  Sid Yates has served this institution well and he will be missed. I 
wish Mr. Yates and his family well in the years to come.

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