[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 65 (Thursday, May 6, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF THE PAUL E. TSONGAS FELLOWSHIP ACT

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                         HON. MARTIN T. MEEHAN

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 6, 1999

  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the 
following in the Record.
  Today, I have the privilege of reintroducing legislation that honors 
the legacy of Paul E. Tsongas, one of the outstanding leaders of our 
time from Massachusetts. I must commend a good friend of mine and 
former colleague, Joe P. Kennedy II, for sponsoring this legislation in 
the 105th Congress. In the 106th Congress, I commit myself to ensuring 
the passage of the Paul E. Tsongas Fellowship Act to serve as a lasting 
memorial to this great man.
  Always a visionary, Paul Tsongas dedicated himself to strengthening 
our nation's economy through technological innovation and protecting 
the environment for future generations. As the inheritor of Tsongas' 
seat in the House of Representatives, I can think of no more fitting 
tribute to his legacy than to establish in his name doctoral 
fellowships for the study of the global energy and environmental 
challenges of the 21st century.
  Many in Congress remember Paul Tsongas as an often solitary voice of 
caution, warning about saddling our children and our children's 
children with a mountain of debt. But his vision did not begin and end 
with budget deficits.
  In announcing his candidacy for the Presidency in 1992, he outlined a 
much broader conception of intergenerational responsibility, saying 
``Just as we reach back to our ancestors for our fundamental values, so 
we, as guardians of that legacy, must reach ahead to our children and 
their children * * * That sense of sacredness, must begin with a 
reverence for this earth. This land, this water, this air, this 
planet--this is our legacy to our young.''
  Paul spent much of his career in public service making this vision of 
resource conservation a reality. He not only restored a run-down 
neighborhood park in our hometown of Lowell, Massachusetts, but he also 
established the first urban park in our city. He also led efforts to 
preserve the historic lands and water of Walden Woods and helped to 
create the Cape Cod Commission, which is dedicated to protecting our 
open space.
  Paul's concern for the environment did not end in Massachusetts, 
however. He was a national leader in securing the enactment of the 
Alaska Lands Act of 1980, a law that essentially doubled the size of 
our National Park and Wildlife Refuge Systems.
  Tsongas understood the value of investing in human resources, as 
well. He often articulated the need to foster scientific achievement 
and innovation, which he saw as critical to keeping our nation's 
economy strong.
  Our nation needs a pool of scientists and engineers with the 
intellect of Einstein and the public spirit and vision of Paul Tsongas 
to surmount the environmental and energy challenges posed by the 21st 
century.
  Towards that end, the Paul E. Tsongas Fellowship Act would allow 
aspiring physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and computer scientists 
to enhance their skills through graduate education so they may become 
the pioneers of tomorrow. Furthermore, I am convinced that the 
fellowships in Tsongas' name will elicit a strong sense of 
intergenerational responsibility among the recipients.
  Mr. Speaker, Paul Tsongas serves as a great inspiration to 
individuals who will dedicate their lives to advancing technology and 
environmental protection. A wise investment in our country's future, 
the Paul E. Tsongas Fellowship Act honors the memory of one of the 
finest persons ever to serve this institution.

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