[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 100 (Thursday, July 27, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE REGISTER GUARD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 27, 2000

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Congressional Record, an 
Opinion Editorial written by my predecessor, former Congressman Jim 
Weaver. In the article, printed in the Register Guard, Wednesday, July 
26, 2000, Weaver discusses his encounters with Governor Bush's newly 
appointed running-mate, Dick Cheney. I recommend Jim Weaver's well-
crafted, thought-provoking article to my colleagues for its insight and 
importance.

       Cheney Has Shown He's Soft in Nature, but Tough on Issues

                            (By Jim Weaver)

       Dick Cheney and I were members of the House Committee on 
     the Interior in the 1970s and 1980s. We sat opposite each 
     other on the upper tier of the committee bench, he on the 
     Republican side, and I on the Democratic side.
       Cheney was always cordial, even gentle in demeanor, willing 
     to discuss any matter and listen to other views. I grew to 
     like him and conferred with him often.
       While writing a book on the U.S. House of Representatives, 
     he discovered that an ancestor of mine, James B. Weaver, had 
     conducted a filibuster in the House in 1888 on the Oklahoma 
     Land Bill. As I, too, had filibustered a bill, he told me the 
     story. I appreciated his personal consideration.
       So it always surprised me that when decisions were actually 
     made in the committee, Cheney was hard as steel, and 
     uncompromising on the hard-fought issues over forest 
     preservation, revision of the 1872 mining act, grazing on 
     public lands or nuclear power. He was three or four places 
     down from the ranking Republican on the committee, but there 
     was little question as to who controlled the Republican 
     side--Dick Cheney. This very strong, highly intelligent, 
     determined man kept the Republicans unanimous against any 
     environmental incursions the Democrats attempted.
       The chairman of the committee at that time was Mo Udall of 
     Arizona. He bent over backward to conduct the committee 
     fairly and to give the Republicans every parliamentary 
     opportunity. His reward, offered by Cheney and his cohorts, 
     was constantly and vehemently to accuse him and the Democrats 
     of tyranny and railroading our bills. I only wish we had done 
     so.
       After the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant 
     in 1979, a House committee was chosen to conduct an 
     investigation. I was named chairman and Cheney vice chairman. 
     It was an intensive inquiry and resulted in many revelations. 
     Cheney was an admirable person to work with. Conscientious 
     and penetrating, Cheney helped make the inquiry the best of 
     the presidential, Senate and House investigations.
       But when the committee reported its findings, Cheney wrote 
     a minority report to accompany my majority report.
       My report blamed the accident on the extreme technological 
     complications of nuclear power while Cheney, as did the other 
     reports, blamed ``human error.'' Cheney concluded with the 
     NRC estimate that the accident would take a year and $60 
     million to repair. My report predicted 10 years and $1 
     billion dollars. Ten years later and more than a billion 
     dollars spent, they were still cleaning up the last remnants.
       I think Cheney would make an outstanding Republican vice 
     president; actually, an outstanding Republican president. If 
     I were a dyed in the wool Republican, I could not find a 
     better person to vote for. But I am not a Republican.

     

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