[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1941-E1942]
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. JOE SKEEN

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 1, 1998

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McDade) who announced retirement 
from Congress at the end of the 105th Congressional session earlier 
this year.
  I am pleased to have served with Chairman McDade throughout my career 
in the House of Representatives. Working together, we have served as 
members of the minority and majority party in Congress and have always 
held principle over politics.
  We're going to miss Mr. McDade next session. Throughout his 
distinguished 36-year career in the House of Representatives, he served 
his constituents from Central Pennsylvania and the United States with 
honor and distinction.
  I was especially grateful to serve with Mr. McDade on the House 
Appropriations Committee, in particular, the House Interior 
Appropriations Subcommittee and the National Security Appropriations 
Subcommittee. I've always appreciated his easy-going style and his

[[Page E1942]]

willingness to roll up his sleeves and get to work resolving many of 
the nation's problems that face lawmakers. He is a man of his word and 
his character defines the meaning of integrity.
  As the senior Republican member of the House Appropriations 
Committee, Joe McDade led the fight for a strong national defense. As 
the ranking republican of the Defense Subcommittee since 1985, Mr. 
McDade has been a key architect of the annual defense and national 
security legislation during much of the strengthening of the military 
during the 1980s. He played a key role in crafting compromises which 
preserved weapons programs and gave the United States leverage in 
negotiating arms control treaties like the START treaty with the Soviet 
Union and the 1989 United Nations Agreement to totally eliminate 
chemical weapons by the year 2000. He has supported military programs 
which emphasize a high-quality force, with emphasis on training and 
readiness for combat.
  He also served the House of Representatives with distinction as the 
Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water 
Development, which has jurisdiction over most programs of the 
Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works programs, the 
Bureau of Reclamation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Defense 
Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, and several other agencies.
  On the Interior Appropriations panel, I was proud to work with 
Congressman McDade in helping our nation address national energy 
problems. Because of his work promoting parks and recreation, he has 
been honored by the National Parks and Recreation Association.
  Mr. McDade served from 1978 to 1991 as the top-ranking Republican on 
the Small Business Committee. On the Small Business Committee, 
Congressman McDade focused on measures to stimulate the nations small 
businesses and industries, and to create new opportunities for small 
businesses to compete in the international marketplace. Over 98 percent 
of New Mexico's businesses are classified as small businesses, and many 
of these owners are extremely grateful for the Congressman's positive 
work on their behalf.
  I wish Mr. McDade and his family all the best and look forward to his 
continuing dialogue and conversations with members of Congress who need 
advice from time to time in addressing and resolving the challenges 
that face our nation.

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