[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 136 (Friday, October 2, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JOSEPH M. McDADE, MEMBER OF CONGRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 1998

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Joseph 
McDade--a distinguished member of this body who will retire at the end 
of the session.
  The House of Representatives will lose a great Member of Congress 
when Representative McDade retires. Mr. McDade has represented both his 
constituents and the United States well and faithfully since he was 
first elected 36 years ago.
  Mr. McDade began his career in politics as the Solicitor of the City 
of Scranton. This experience, along with his degree in law from the 
University of Scranton, provided him with an excellent foundation for 
becoming a Member of Congress.
  Joseph McDade was first elected to the House in 1962. Since then, he 
has worked hard to protect the environment, keep military bases open in 
his district, and help Americans buy homes. Today, he has served longer 
in Congress than any other Republican and longer than all but two 
Democrats.
  Mr. McDade has served for many years as Chairman of the 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. He is also 
Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security 
(formerly Defense) and is a member on the Subcommittee on the Interior. 
He also served on the Appropriations Subcommittee for Housing and Urban 
Development, and he was the most-senior Republican on the Small 
Business Committee, of which he was a member from 1978 to 1991.
  Representative McDade has been the ranking Republican on the Defense 
Subcommittee since 1985. On this subcommittee, he helped to craft much 
of the annual defense and national security legislation during the 
final years of the Cold War. His emphasis throughout his tenure on the 
Defense Subcommittee has been on military programs that stress a high-
quality force that is trained and ready for combat. He also was 
instrumental in keeping the region's largest employer, the Tobyhanna 
Army Depot, open during the periods of base closures in 1991, 1993, and 
1995.
  Mr. McDade, through his seat on the Interior Appropriations 
Subcommittee, has led the charge in addressing nation's energy problems 
and has fought to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He was 
invaluable in establishing the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation 
Area, the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, and the Fishery 
Laboratory in Wellsboro. From this position, he has also helped to 
enact major clean air and water legislation. Representative McDade was 
honored for these and other efforts by the National Parks and 
Recreation Association.
  Over the years, Mr. McDade has also pushed for community 
rehabilitation and development, promoted housing for the elderly, 
handicapped and low-income families, and in 1990, led the effort to 
enact the Housing Guaranteed Loan program enacted into law. This 
program will help more than 50,000 low- and moderate-income Americans 
buy homes this year. Congressman McDade also drafted measures to help 
stimulate and protect small companies in his time on the Small Business 
Committee.
  His work with many philanthropic organizations, including the Kennedy 
Center and the National Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., are 
evidence of his strong commitment to the arts. He is also committed to 
education, as his trusteeships at both the University of Scranton and 
Keystone College both indicate.
  Congressman McDade has had an active career in the United States 
House of Representatives. He has helped to pass many significant pieces 
of legislation and will not soon be forgotten by friends and colleagues 
on either side of the aisle.
  Joe, you will be sorely missed in the House. We are going to miss 
your dedication, your intelligence, and your experience. I wish you the 
best of luck in your future endeavors.

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