[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2266-E2267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRIBUTE TO JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, II, MEMBER OF CONGRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JOHN LEWIS

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 12, 1998

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the good-
hearted gentleman from Massachusetts. I have had the great privilege to 
serve in the United States Congress with Joe Kennedy since we were both 
elected in 1986. Over the years, Joe Kennedy has become more than just 
my colleague, he has become my friend and my brother. He will be missed 
in this great institution. He will also be remembered for his 
indefatigable capacity to help those and to stand up for those who have 
been left out and left behind.
  It is no great secret that Joe Kennedy is the oldest son of my friend 
and hero, Robert F. Kennedy. There goes a saying that the apple never 
falls very far from the tree. Since I first met Joe, I knew he 
possessed the same passion for justice and equality that characterized 
the extraordinary political career of his father. For some, to follow 
in the footsteps--let alone be the eldest son--of an American hero 
would be a curse. But for Joe, he honors his father and his mother, 
Ethel Kennedy, by being a passionate fighter for what is right. Our 
nation has been well served by his advocacy for better public and 
affordable housing for every American, by his tireless efforts for low 
income energy assistance, by his tenacious efforts to stop the practice 
of redlining by banks and other institutions and by his leading 
opposition to the School of the Americas, better known as the ``school 
of assassins.'' I will miss Joe Kennedy, but the poor, the elderly, the 
dispossessed and the lovers of democracy will miss him even more.
  When you consider all the accomplishments of Joe Kennedy, both as a 
private citizen and

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as a member of the House, he has stood tall for the ``dignity of 
mankind.'' He has never faltered in the long walk toward justice. He 
has never feared the good fight. He knows how to build a coalition and 
bring together disparate voices under one tent. We need more Joe 
Kennedys in the U.S. House of Representatives. We need men and women 
who are willing to stand up for the enduring principles of democracy. 
Joe Kennedy is, above all else, an American patriot--he cares deeply 
for justice, equal opportunity and peace.
  As we lose one of the finest members of this Congress, Massachusetts 
gains a concerned and tireless citizen. I know he will not give up in 
fighting for those who will need heated homes for the long New England 
winters. He will continue to speak up and speak out for what is right 
and for what is just and for what is fair.
  It was Joe's father--Robert Kennedy--who used to say: ``Some men see 
things as they are and say why, I dream of things that never were and 
say why not.'' Joe Kennedy has lived up to his father's words. He has 
always said ``why not?''
  I am convinced that the spirit of history will continue to guide Joe 
Kennedy. I pray that the spirit of history guides him to even greater 
challenges. Thank you, Joe, for your great service to our nation. You 
have made a profound difference in the lives of millions of Americans. 
I will miss you, your colleagues will miss you and the American people 
will miss you. Keep your eyes on the Prize!

                          ____________________