[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 24, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H10798-H10803]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE TOM EWING ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodling). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 6, 1999, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I come to 
the floor tonight to spend some time to think about a good friend and 
colleague who is also leaving, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing). 
I have been joined by a couple of my colleagues that because of the 
lateness of the hour I would like for them to have the opportunity to 
address the House and then I will pick up.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from upstate Illinois (Mr. 
Porter) whom we have heard a lot about tonight already.
  Mr. PORTER. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding to me. I 
am very pleased to be able to participate in this tribute to our 
colleague, Tom Ewing. Mr. Speaker, I was elected to the Illinois 
General Assembly in 1972. Tom Ewing was elected to the Illinois General 
Assembly in 1974. I had the privilege of serving with Tom for 4 years, 
1974 to 1978 in the Illinois House of Representatives. He roomed with 
another Illinois representative elected in his class of 1974, Lee 
Daniels of Elmhurst, and I sat next to Lee Daniels. Now, I was a one-
term member when Lee Daniels and Tom Ewing arrived in the chamber and 
the first order of business because the Democrats had achieved in 1974 
a very large majority in the Illinois House as a result of the 
Watergate problems and the first order of business was the election of 
a Speaker of the House. Two Democrats vied with one another, and Bill 
Redmond, who was from Lee Daniels' area, had not quite enough votes to 
be elected Speaker. The balloting went on for 14 days with 88 ballots 
being cast without a result, and no Speaker having been chosen, when 
Lee Daniels, a Republican, finally broke the tie, or broke the impasse 
and cast a Republican vote for his Democratic colleague, Bill Redmond, 
to become Speaker of the House, and that caused Bill Redmond's 
election. Now, I sat there pleading with Lee Daniels not to cast that 
vote. I assumed it would be the end of his political career. It is 
fascinating that Lee later became the Illinois House Republican leader 
and Speaker of the Illinois House and is today the minority leader of 
the Illinois House. But Lee Daniels was kind of the glue that brought 
Tom and I together. The three of us became very close friends, and 
others I might add became very close friends in the Illinois General 
Assembly, and I was very privileged to have the opportunity to serve 
with Tom for those 4 years.
  In 1977, I felt that I was conducting two full-time jobs. I was 
practicing law, which seemed to take my full time, and I was also in 
the general assembly; and that seemed to take my full time. And so I 
said to myself, I am going to let my constituents decide whether they 
want me to become a lawyer or a legislator full time, and I am going to 
run for Congress. I took on the incumbent Democrat in my district and 
after one of the really truly classic elections I think fought on the 
issues, I lost that election by 650 votes out of 189,000 cast. My 
constituents decided they wanted me to be a lawyer. Actually, I then 
gave them another chance when my opponent immediately was appointed to 
the Federal bench by President Carter, and I was elected in a special 
election and left the general assembly. I came here to Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, frankly it was lonely here without Old Tom. I like to 
call him Old Tom because he and I are exactly the same age. Actually, I 
am 4 months older but I do not admit it. And for 11 years I waited for 
Tom to come to Washington, and he finally arrived in July of 1991 when 
he was elected in a special election. In the meantime, he served as one 
of the outstanding representatives in the Illinois General Assembly, 
heading the revenue committee, acting as assistant Republican leader 
under Lee Daniels from 1982 to 1990.
  Finally, after all that time, Tom came and joined us here in 
Washington. He brought with him, Mr. Speaker, his great commitment to 
fiscal responsibility. He brought it here to Washington where it was 
really, really needed. And from the very first time when he arrived 
here in 1991, he worked to ensure that we attempted to balance the 
budget, to protect Social Security, to promote economic growth, and he 
has during his time in Washington been repeatedly recognized for his 
commitment to balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility by the 
Citizens Against Government Waste, by the Watchdogs of the Treasury, by 
Americans for Tax Reform, by the American Taxpayers Union, by the U.S. 
Chamber of Commerce, by the National Federation of Independent 
Business.
  Over and over again, all of the organizations who watch this very 
closely have recognized Tom's commitment to fiscal responsibility, and 
he has been one of the great leaders here in bringing that about. 
Today, we enjoy balanced budgets because of legislators like Tom Ewing. 
He brought, of course, his friendship with our Speaker, Dennis Hastert, 
with him. Both served in the Illinois General Assembly together as 
well. And he brought with him a commitment to agriculture so important 
to central Illinois and to his district, to health care and to 
education, and he has received award after award for his work in each 
of those three areas.
  Mr. Speaker, he also has brought a commitment to transportation. He 
has served on the transportation committee. One of the things that 
brings us together as we work as an Illinois delegation is our 
commitment to the use of ethanol in American automobile fuels. And Tom 
has been a great leader in respect to bringing agriculture and 
transportation together in respect to ethanol. He has also, and this 
has been the area of his greatest expertise, he has served the entire 
time as a member of the agriculture committee. He is chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Risk Management, Research, and Specialty Crops of the 
Committee on Agriculture, and as you may know, Mr.

[[Page H10799]]

Speaker, Tom's predecessor was Ed Madigan, a gentleman that you served 
with many years here, a gentleman who chaired the agriculture committee 
and became Secretary of Agriculture under President George Bush, and 
very frankly, and I will admit to my downstate colleagues this at any 
time, my district has no farms.

                              {time}  2245

  If I receive a letter regarding an agricultural issue from one of my 
constituents, it would be likely to begin, my uncle or father died and 
left me his farm in Iowa and then the agricultural issue may be raised. 
So my knowledge of agricultural issues, which is a very difficult 
segment, a very deep part of American law, I always look to my 
downstate colleagues for guidance. Whenever I had to cast a vote on an 
agricultural issue in the House of Representatives invariably I would 
look to see where Ed Madigan was when he was here, and when he became 
Secretary of Agriculture and Tom replaced him in that seat I would look 
to see where Tom Ewing voted because I knew that he would know that 
issue backwards and forwards and I could count on him to exercise the 
kind of judgment that I respected, and I always felt complete 
confidence both in Ed Madigan and in Tom Ewing in casting those votes.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Ewing is the kind of person you want in a 
legislative body of this type, an honest person, a smart person, a man 
of very sound judgment, a conservative who is not necessarily 
conservative in a philosophical sense but conservative intellectually. 
You have to convince him that change is necessary and change is the 
right way to go; conservative in his personal outlook but willing to 
listen to sound arguments for change that may be needed.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom has served in legislative bodies, the Illinois 
General Assembly, from 1974 to 1991, and here in the Congress from 1991 
to the present time, a total of 26 years. I was most fortunate to be 
there at the beginning when his political career started in the 
Illinois General Assembly and to be his colleague there. I have been 
most fortunate to be here through the 9 years that he has served in 
this body, and to be his colleague here as well. Our two careers have 
been exactly parallel in time and in place in large measure, at 
different times in the same place, but we have served together and it 
has been a wonderful, wonderful part of my service in Congress to be 
able to call Tom Ewing my colleague and my friend. He has earned the 
accolades of his colleagues and constituents for his work. He has 
earned a deserved retirement with his wonderful wife, Connie. I cannot 
tell you what it has meant to me to be a friend and a colleague of a 
gentleman like Tom Ewing. I wish him well in his retirement, in all 
that he undertakes in the future. He has been a true credit to American 
politics, to public service and to the Illinois General Assembly and 
this esteemed institution.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the Record the 
following statements, a statement from Congressman Ewing's staff, a 
letter by the Governor of the State of Illinois, and a letter by Eric 
Nicoll, former staff director for Congressman Ewing and now an industry 
representative in Washington.

       As members of Tom Ewing's staff, we have a unique 
     perspective on what makes Tom such a great person and 
     Congressman. He is a man who is straightforward and honest, a 
     solid, upstanding, good-hearted person--a true Midwesterner. 
     Tom is one of the hardest workers in Congress, setting an 
     example we could never meet, being the first person in the 
     office in the morning, and the last to leave.
       Tom's quiet leadership, friendly manner, gentle guidance 
     and terrific sense of humor created a great working 
     environment. He made sure that we all worked hard, but never 
     took ourselves too seriously, constantly joking with and 
     teasing us all. Staff always had a lot of latitude to work on 
     their issues and projects, and the door to Tom's office was 
     always open. He was always interested in our opinions and 
     input, and tolerant of mistakes. We will always remember him 
     as the ideal boss--a mentor, friend, and someone we could 
     look up to and on whom we could depend.
       Tom considers his staff an extension of his family, and 
     takes great interest in all that is happening in our lives. 
     He is first and foremost a family man, and when members of 
     our staff faced family emergencies, Tom made sure that our 
     families came first.
       In short, Tom Ewing reminds us all that public service can 
     and should be an honorable profession--he is a shining 
     example of why citizens could get involved in their 
     government. Tom has said that in politics, ``it is always 
     best to leave with your hat in the air.'' That he has done. 
     We will miss Tom greatly, and wish him every success and 
     happiness as he moves into the next chapter of his life.
                                  ____

                                                State of Illinois,


                                            Washington Office,

                                 Washington, DC, October 11, 2000.
     Hon. Thomas W. Ewing,
     House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Tom: On behalf of the State of Illinois, please accept 
     our profound appreciation for your tireless efforts and 
     myriad contributions for people throughout the State of 
     Illinois and our nation.
       As the 106th Congress of the United States nears 
     adjournment, we understandably pause to reflect on the 
     benefits for all of us from your 17 years of service in the 
     State Legislature and nearly a decade in Congress. As a 
     family man, farmer, business owner, lawyer and a devoted 
     public official, your unassuming, yet effective leadership, 
     in both the Illinois and the US House of Representatives will 
     not soon be forgotten.
       Those of us who have had the good fortune to work closely 
     with you know how important your family has been to you 
     throughout your years of public service. You and your wife, 
     Connie, have six wonderful children and five very special 
     grandchildren. Your mother, Harriet, is justifiably proud of 
     your many awards and accomplishments. Hopefully one of the 
     benefits of the days to come will be more relaxed moments 
     with your family. In any event, you have earned and will be 
     able to savor a host of memories--including more election 
     nights then you care to remember, along with the Ewing for 
     State Representative signs on the back of your father's horse 
     trailer!
       Since our days together in the Illinois House of 
     Representatives, nearly 25 years ago, you have remained an 
     esteemed colleague, and more importantly, a dear friend. Side 
     by side, we weathered debates when our views did not easily 
     prevail. Whether in the majority or the minority, you always 
     advocated common sense solutions and fought effectively and 
     wholeheartedly for your constituents.
       Your deep commitment to sound fiscal policy, quality 
     education, free trade, along with your dedication to farmers 
     and their families are but a few of the reasons why your 
     constituents value your lifetime of public service so very 
     much. You have known when to speak out and when to listen. 
     You have earned a national leadership role among those who 
     have unselfishly provided future generations with so much.
       Your friends at home, in the Illinois General Assembly, 
     among Members of Congress and admirers of yours from around 
     our state and nation join Lura Lynn and me in communicating 
     an enthusiastic thank you, in wishing you and yours the very 
     best of health and happiness, and in expressing our hope that 
     we will find new and creative ways to work together with you 
     in the future!
           Very truly yours,
                                                   George H. Ryan,
     Governor.
                                  ____

                                                  October 3, 2000.
     Hon. John M. Shimkus,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Shimkus: Thank you so much for sponsoring 
     a Special Order to honor Congressman Ewing on his retirement 
     for the House. Congressman Ewing hired me as his Legislative 
     Director on the day he was sworn in on July 10, 1991 and I 
     worked in his office for over six years.
       I know that I speak on behalf of dozens of current and 
     former staff and interns over the years in saying that we are 
     proud to have had the chance to work for Tom Ewing. He is one 
     of the most decent persons I can think of--in or out of 
     Congress.
       Congressman Ewing helped many of us start our careers in 
     politics and gave us opportunities to grow professionally. 
     But more importantly, he looked out for us personally and 
     acted as a second father to many of the staff--listening to 
     our problems and giving us helpful advice. In fact, he helped 
     me buy my first home and even gave me pointers in negotiating 
     my first job off the Hill!
       Congress will be losing a fine man when Tom Ewing retires. 
     And, you'll be losing that cutting Midwest human! Thanks for 
     recognizing him with this Special Order.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Eric Nicoll,
                                 Director of Government Relations.

  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, now I would like to turn to one of the great 
agricultural leaders of the country and in the Congress, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), showing the bipartisan aspect of this period 
of time to reflect on Congressman Ewing. I appreciate him coming down.
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), very much for yielding, and I thank him for his 
extra kind remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I would say to the previous speaker, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Porter), I have not known Tom as long he has, but I can 
say that

[[Page H10800]]

evidently he learned his trade well in the Illinois legislature because 
he carried that over into the House of Representatives.
  As a Texan, I cannot say that Tom and I have always agreed on every 
aspect of agriculture, our States being a little different, the 
rainfall, climate being a little different, but I believe it would not 
be an overstatement to say that in the 9 years that I have served with 
him on the Committee on Agriculture that I cannot think of a time in 
which we have not been able to find a constructive middle ground. For 
the last 6 years, Tom has chaired the Subcommittee on Risk Management, 
Research, and Specialty Crops, and that has been a challenge. Consensus 
building, though, has been the hallmark of Tom's leadership. His legacy 
is well established through some very difficult pieces of legislation. 
Soon after he became chairman, he brought together administration and 
industry officials to develop a compromise that broke a long-lasting 
stalemate over the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. His work 
for peanuts, tobacco and sugar farmers have made this Northerner a 
welcome and well-known guest in rural communities throughout the South. 
When it comes to promoting agricultural exports, again Tom Ewing has 
been a leader. Whether it was NAFTA, whether it was attempting and 
ultimately getting the permanent normal trade relations with China, Tom 
recognized for his farmers, as most of us who represent rural areas 
recognize for our farmers, the absolute necessity of increasing trade.
  Ninety-six percent, for example, of all of the world's consumers live 
outside of the United States and Tom recognized that and he was a great 
ambassador for American agriculture.
  Research is another area of Tom's hallmark, where he has been a very 
forward thinking member. The promise of our future food and fiber 
production system depends on having solid research foundation and Tom 
has been a dedicated member of the House Committee on Agriculture, 
ensuring that innovations and efficiencies continue to bring forth from 
our research system.
  Tom Ewing also deserves a great deal of credit for the enactment of 
the Agricultural Risk Protection Act earlier this year. He understands 
the risk that our producers face and his mark on our risk management 
policy will be long lasting.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, Tom made some previously unimaginable strides 
this year in driving agreements that no one thought could be reached 
with regard to the Commodities Exchange Act, having fought for that 
particular piece of legislation for years, but under Tom's leadership 
the House last week passed by a vote of 377-4 the Commodities Exchange 
Act, a remarkable achievement. I hope the Senate acts quickly to make 
this work complete so that it can be a true legacy to Tom Ewing's 
leadership here in the House.
  One other comment, as so many of us readily admit that we have over 
married as far as the better half of our family, certainly Connie and 
the friendship that Cindy and I have had with Tom and Connie over the 
years is very indicative that behind this good leader there has been an 
even better woman, and that is something that many of us appreciate, 
and I certainly do in Tom and Connie.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for 
yielding me this time tonight to say how much this Texan has 
appreciated, Tom, your leadership in serving in the House and we will 
truly miss you.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) for 
taking the time out late to honor our friend and colleague.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the subject of my special order tonight.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodling). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield time to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), for taking the 
lead on this tribute to Congressman Tom Ewing tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a few moments to recognize and 
reflect on the outstanding public service record of our friend and 
colleague from Illinois, Tom Ewing. Tom is retiring after devoting more 
than 25 years, including 9 years in this House, to serving the people 
of Illinois and the people of this Nation. Over that time, I think that 
Tom has established himself as one of the most valuable, well liked and 
well respected Members of the House, and I think I speak for all of us 
to say that it has been a pleasure to serve with him. He did begin his 
public service in 1974 as a member of the Illinois House of 
Representatives which we have heard reference to several times, and he 
served there with distinction for 17 years. While in Springfield, Tom 
served as the assistant Republican leader of the Illinois House from 
1982 until 1990, when he was named deputy minority leader. I too served 
in the Illinois House and as assistant Republican leader, but to my 
regret we never served there together. As ships that pass in the night, 
Tom left the General Assembly in 1991 and I was elected to serve there 
in 1992.
  In a way, it was agriculture that brought Tom to this House, the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture to be exact. When President Bush named the 
late former Congressman Ed Madigan as Secretary of the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, Tom ran in the 1991 special election for the seat and 
won handily. In fact, he won so handily that he turned around and ran 
again during the next year, 1992, and won again handily.
  So there are many reasons, I think, why this body will miss this 
Member in particular, and will sorely miss this Member Tom Ewing.
  I would like to address the four top reasons that I will miss him. 
First and foremost is his invaluable expertise on all things relating 
to farms, farmers, farm financing, agriculture commodities and 
agriculture in general. In fact, before I actually met Tom Ewing, I 
thought of him as ``Mister Illinois Agriculture.'' That was not because 
of his impressive leadership role in this body but, frankly, for his 
weekly interviews on WGN's radio farm report with Orion Samuelson and 
Max Armstrong. Each week as I commuted from Chicago to Springfield, 
Illinois, for the Illinois General Assembly legislative session, the 
road that took me through this rich farmland of Tom's district, I-55, 
as I drove along I would hear these discussions with Orion and Max 
which enlightened me on the farm policy.
  So now as one whose suburban Chicago district has seen acres of rows 
and rows of corn replaced by rows and rows of single family dwellings, 
I must admit that it was Tom that I turned to for advice on issues 
relating to agriculture. He was always patient, always insightful and 
always frank.
  The second reason that I will miss him is that together he and I 
represent two-thirds of the Illinois Delegation on the Committee on 
Science, and together we have fought many a battle to ensure continued 
funding for two of the world's premier research institutions: The 
University of Illinois at Champaign and Argonne National Laboratory 
located in our respective districts. I cannot say that I rely as 
heavily on Tom's advice in the Committee on Science as I do on 
agricultural issues, however, but on occasions that he was sighted at a 
committee meeting I was always confident of his advice and always 
confident that we would be voting on an issue of interest to the 
University of Illinois at Champaign.
  The third reason that I will miss Tom is for his devotion to the 
principles of free and fair trade, and his leadership in pressing open 
markets for our products and services abroad. Together we served on the 
whip team for permanent normal trade relations with China and together 
we spent a lot of time locked down in Seattle during the WTO 
ministerial last year. Tom's district exports the farm products that 
feed the world, just as my district exports the manufactured products 
and services that the world demands.

                              {time}  2300

  His efforts to open markets, not just for American farm products, but 
for all products and services will long be remembered. His council on 
agricultural trade, not to mention his insights into the issues that 
have dominated the

[[Page H10801]]

past decade's trade negotiations are without compare.
  Last, but not least, I will miss Tom for his candor, his humor and 
his joy in life. Tom will be remembered for the great things he 
accomplished during his service here, from drafting and guiding passage 
of the Freedom to Farm Act of 1996, to fighting for the repeal of the 
unfair death tax, to leading the way in reforming and reauthorizing the 
Commodities and Exchange Act.
  But for those who of us who have had the privilege of serving with 
him, Tom will be remembered the best and missed the most for his warm 
friendship, his ready humor and his generosity of spirit and time. So I 
join my colleagues tonight in wishing Tom and his wife, Connie, and 
their wonderful six children all the best that their future life has to 
offer. So I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for 
allowing me to participate in this tribute.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. 
Biggert).
  Mr. Speaker, I am now joined by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Hoekstra), and we are glad to have him and please entertain us with 
your reflections of Congressman Ewing.
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. I thank my colleagues from Illinois for pulling 
together the special order to recognize the accomplishments of our 
colleague, Mr. Ewing. Before I do that, I cannot help but acknowledge 
the contributions of the gentleman sitting in the chair this evening, 
who has been my chairman for the last 6 years, who was my ranking 
member for the 2 years before that, who still every once in a while 
pulls me aside for a couple of words of wisdom, especially on one 
project that we remember so fondly from 1993 where he continues to say 
I told you so, in a very good-humored way, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania, (Mr. Goodling).
  Thank you for the contributions that you have given to this Congress, 
to this House, to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, to me 
personally for the last 8 years and trying to keep me under your wing, 
sometimes being successful, sometimes wishing you had a little bit of a 
tighter rope to pull me back. But we have had a great colleagueship and 
a good friendship over the last 8 years, and I want to again express my 
appreciation to you for that, and to wish you Godspeed as well as you 
move into your retirement, which probably will include some work, 
probably will commit some time to the passion that you have for 
education and public service, and probably will continue some time for 
your passion with the horses and that side of your business, and the 
orchards, the apples and those types of things, and the peaches, I 
think.
  Thank you very much for the contributions that you have made. I could 
not start talking about another friend of mine without recognizing your 
service and seeing you in the Chair tonight. So thank you very much.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom and I kind of developed a special friendship over 
the years that I have been here. Tom came in to the Congress in a 
special election in the Congress before I did. I got elected in 1992. 
Tom had served here a short period of time prior to me coming here. We 
came here in different routes. Tom having had experience of 25 years, 
26 years, or at that point in time 17 years, 18 years in the State 
legislature, and before I came here, I came directly from the private 
sector.
  When I came here, Tom, I think, still regrets the day that he came to 
his office on the third floor of the Longworth and found out that he 
had this freshman Republican from Michigan next door, and for the next 
2 years, I constantly would just kind of move. I would come into my 
office. As I faced an issue or whatever or just had a little bit of 
extra free time, we just kind of meandered and roamed over to that guy 
next door and to his staff. And we really developed a very good and, I 
think, a very unique friendship that I cherish over the last 8 years.
  Tom was a great neighbor. I have gotten to know at least part of the 
family having met them here in Washington or having spent some time 
with them back in the district. I have had the opportunity to go back 
into Tom's district a few times and spent some time with Connie and 
also with their son Sam. I have not had the opportunity to meet all the 
other children. But it is a great district that has been very, very 
well represented, and the time that I spent going back through the 
district, recognized that he is as well liked in his district as he was 
here by his colleagues. I think that is a great testament to the work 
that he has done.
  I also recognized that his golf game is not a whole lot better than 
mine, it is not a whole lot better than the Chairman of the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce. I think what we all have in common is 
we have a pretty mediocre game of golf. That is the thing that I have 
cherished most in the 8 years that I have gotten to know Tom, is the 
hospitality, the friendship, some of the other things that the 
gentleman has talked about, just a great fun spirit, always an open 
heart and a willing hand to help a new Member to the political process 
get done what we needed to get done.

  Mr. Speaker, it is more than just about friendship. It was also about 
mentorship. Tom took the time, the energy and the effort, sometimes the 
tremendous effort that it would take to teach me the ropes, explain to 
me how things worked here, explain to me how things would not work 
here, and how some of the things that I thought might be important in 
the way that I might want to get them done, was very willing to provide 
some minor suggestions on how I might modify some of the things that I 
would do to maximize the impact that I could have in here, that I could 
have here in Washington, taking the time to introduce me to his 
friends, both the staff here in the House, his friends in the Congress 
that he knew, and also friends outside of the Congress who are very 
knowledgeable about the issues that Tom and I would have to work on.
  The second thing I remember is the mentorship and the caring that he 
took, not only with me, but I think with a lot of other new Members who 
were coming into the House. Recognizing that we had a huge class that 
came into the House in 1992, I think we ended up with 47 new Members on 
the Republican side of the aisle in 1992, joined by another 80-plus 
Members in 1994. So there was a tremendous need for the friendship and 
the mentorship that someone like Tom Ewing could provide.
  Then the tremendous background. I think some of the other Members 
tonight have talked about his background and his depth of experience on 
some of the issues, his depth of experience on the Committee on 
Agriculture, the way that he dealt with those issues, and the 
effectiveness with which he would take ideas and move them through the 
political process. The same type of depth and background that he has on 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
  He and I spent a short period of time together on the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure. I then moved off of the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure and had been on the Committee on the 
Budget for 5 years out of the last 6 years. But again he had the same 
kind of depth of background and experience again that he was very, very 
willing to share, and again with something that he has in common with 
the gentleman who is presiding tonight, the gentleman tonight of course 
presiding with his experience and the whole area of education.
  So they in their background and experience were very willing and are 
willing to lead us through the maze and the complexity of the issues 
that they had to deal with in those areas. So in closing, I would just 
say, Tom, you will be missed. We have had a great time here together. I 
appreciate the friendship, the mentorship, the colleagueship, and the 
experience that you have shared with me and that you have shared with 
other Members in the House.
  I wish you Godspeed on your retirement. I recognize that your 
retirement will include some work. I bet it will include some overseas 
trips. I know how much Tom likes to travel, how much Tom and Connie 
like to travel, and I am sure that it will include some work on that 
pretty mediocre game of golf that you have at this point in time. You 
will be missed. Thanks to Tom. Thanks to Connie, and thanks to the 
family for sharing him with us here in Washington for the last 8 years 
to 9 years.

[[Page H10802]]

  Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank my colleague from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) for 
taking the time out tonight to speak about my colleague and friend and 
a person who we are going to miss here in Washington.
  And I finally will rise to pay tribute to my dear friend, Tom Ewing. 
Tom was elected in 1991 to replace Ed Madigan who was appointed 
Secretary of Agriculture. Since that time, he has been overwhelmingly 
reelected by the constituents of the 15th District in Illinois.
  During his 9 years in Congress, Tom has worked tirelessly for our 
Nation's farmers, whether it has been to increase the use of ethanol, 
rewrite our Nation's outdated farm laws or work to open new foreign 
markets.
  Tom has been a champion for U.S. agriculture, especially with MFN 
status for China, or as we know it now NTR, and as we now know as PNTR. 
Tom saw the huge market potential for our farmers in China and fought 
hard to make it a reality. Being a farmer himself, Tom knows the 
importance farmers play in our national economy.
  Before his election to Congress, Tom served 17 years in the Illinois 
House where he was assistant Republican leader from 1982 to 1990, and 
was named deputy minority leader in 1990. Prior to that, Tom was the 
assistant State's attorney in Livingston County, Illinois. Like myself, 
Tom also served in the United States Army, and as I always like to say, 
go Army. Beat Navy.
  My connection with Congressman Ewing goes back to 1991, during my 
first unsuccessful campaign for Congress. And, of course, there are 
always good stories that occur on the campaign trail, Mr. Speaker. But 
even though I had Tom's help and he traveled around my district, I was 
not successful. But in 1994, I was being courted to run again.
  I met with Congressman Ewing in his office in Bloomington, Illinois 
one cold February morning. I was concerned about running, understanding 
the great challenge of a large rural district and just having had my 
first son, we sat down and talked about it. And the political history 
of this Nation will mark 1994 as a very, very important year for 
especially the change in the House of Representatives.
  There was a great pressure to continue to bring good candidates to 
the floor, and I asked the question that I think many Members who run 
for Congress ask who are concerned about their family, and I asked now 
that I have a young son, how is this going to impact my family. And 
Congressman Ewing looked at me and he said, John, if you ever think 
Congress is going to be family friendly, if you ever think that that 
job is going to be family friendly, forget it, because no matter how 
they restructure it, no matter what they try to do, the basic aspect of 
working in Washington, representing the large district is not, by 
nature, by definition family friendly.
  He was concerned more about my family than he was concerned about 
recruiting a viable candidate to win in a congressional district. He 
put my family and his recommendation about my family to the forefront. 
And for that, I will always thank him. History now shows that in 1996, 
I did have a chance to run again. Tom was there at my side again, 
helping me negotiate the environment issue, helping me negotiate the DC 
environment, and with his help and the help of many other people, I had 
the fortune to represent the 20th district, which is south and west of 
Congressman Ewing's district.
  Since that time, it has been my honor to serve Tom these past 4 
years; and he was my mentor and advisor as a candidate. He quickly 
became a mentor and advisor to me in Washington. He has been someone I 
have been able to look up to since I have been here. He will listen to 
every argument before making a final decision, and he will make sure he 
listens to opposing views.
  While that may not seem like a big deal to most Members, it has meant 
a lot to me. Oftentimes we meet with people or groups who are opposed 
to a particular stance we may take. Instead of working against these 
groups, Tom has listened and tried to find areas of compromise and 
agreement; that is why the people of the 15th district sent him back to 
Washington time and time again.
  Aside from Tom's work in support of agriculture on the House 
Committee on Agriculture, he has also served on the House Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Science, and the 
Committee on House Administration.

                              {time}  2315

  On the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, he has been a 
champion for the transportation needs of rural areas in this country, 
especially in downstate Illinois. As a member of the Committee on 
Science, Tom has worked diligently for increased funding for university 
research. With two major universities in his district, he realizes the 
importance of university research and the impact it has on our country.
  During our reorganization meetings for the 106th Congress, Tom Ewing 
placed a name as a nomination to be a majority leader. Some people 
forget that this occurred. Another young Member from the Illinois 
delegation seconded that motion. That motion was for the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hastert) to become the majority leader. The vote was 
taken, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) had committed his 
vote and, of course, the gentleman did not get elected to the majority 
leader's position and stayed in his role initially as chief deputy 
whip. But history now shows another conclusion of that time in the 
history of this House.
  One cannot really talk about Tom Ewing and his role in the House of 
Representatives without also talking about the great friendship and 
working relationship between Tom Ewing and the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives. They roomed together, they worked together, they 
fought on issues for Illinois together, and I am sure of the comments 
that will be submitted in this Record, along with those will be a 
submission in the Record by the Speaker of the House to remember his 
great friend and colleague, Tom Ewing. So the record would not be 
complete without mentioning that dynamic duo that brought so much to 
the State of Illinois and to this Nation.
  I would also like to thank Tom and his wife, Connie, for the years of 
service to this Congress. Connie has been a great friend to my wife, 
Karen. Tom and Connie will be greatly missed and not easily replaced. 
The people of the 15th district should be proud to have had a man like 
Tom serving in Congress. We thank you, Tom.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to my 
friend and colleague, Congressman Tom Ewing. Tom Ewing is retiring from 
the U.S. House of Representatives after almost a decade of service to 
the people of the Fifteenth Congressional District of Illinois. Tom 
will be missed by the Members of this House and by the Members of the 
Illinois delegation in particular.
  Tom and I both serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committee. We worked together to help make sure that the Transportation 
Equity Act for the 21st Century, the massive highway and transit 
funding bill that passed in 1998, provided increased funding for 
transportation infrastructure in the State of Illinois. Due in part to 
Tom's efforts, Illinois received a $200 million increase in federal 
highway funds under TEA 21. In addition, during this year's debate on 
the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, Tom was a 
tireless advocate for improved air service to small and rural 
communities, such as those that he represents. In particular, Tom has 
been particularly effective in advocating the Central Illinois Regional 
Airport, which recently gained increased jet service by both United 
Airlines and American Airlines.
  Tom also serves on the House Agriculture Committee and is the 
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Risk Management, Specialty Corps and 
Research. Because of his position on the Agriculture Committee, Tom is 
able to look out for the interests of the soybean and corn growers in 
his district. For example, Tom is a vocal supporter of the use of 
ethanol, which is produced from Illinois prairie grain. In fact, in 
1998, because of Tom's strong support and tireless efforts, the federal 
subsidy for ethanol was extended to the year 2007. In addition to 
protecting the interests of Illinois farmers, Tom has been an advocate 
for farmers across our nation. Tom, a farm owner, knows firsthand the 
needs and concerns of America's farmers and has successfully encouraged 
Congress to help farmers in rural America.
  Tom has served the constituents of the Fifteen Congressional District 
of Illinois well. Tom has also served the nation well. Tom has been an 
active leader on a number of national issues, ranging from crime 
prevention, welfare reform, preserving Social Security, balancing

[[Page H10803]]

the budget, promoting economic growth, recognizing our nation's 
veterans, improving education and improving health care. Personally, I 
want to thank Tom for his work on changing the Health Care Financing 
Administration's policy regarding Medicare coverage of insulin infusion 
pumps. Because of Tom's efforts, many diabetics and senior citizens on 
limited incomes will now be able to afford this needed device. The 
American Association of Diabetes Educators reports that the use of the 
insulin pump will result in a substantial reducing of many long-term 
complications of diabetes. This is great news in the fight against 
diabetes in this country.
  Tom has an impressive record of service to this nation. Not only did 
Tom serve in the U.S. House of Representatives for five terms, but he 
also served for 17 years in the Illinois House of Representative. In 
addition, he is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army. I want to 
thank Tom for all of his service to the State of Illinois and the 
United States. His leadership and valuable contributions on a number of 
issues will be sorely missed. I wish him the best of luck in all of his 
future endeavors.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me to rise today to 
join my colleagues in paying special tribute to my good friend and 
colleague from Illinois, Mr. Tom Ewing. Mr. Ewing and I have served 
together on both the Science and Transportation and Infrastructure 
Committees. We have worked on many bipartisan issues to improve our 
nation and home state of Illinois including the promotion of ethanol 
use and production as well as many transportation initiatives.
  Tom Ewing has represented the 15th District and State of Illinois 
well over the past decade. Mr. Ewing began his distinguished career as 
an attorney, having graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1968. As 
a member of the House of Representatives he worked hard to ensure his 
constituents were well represented.
  Mr. Speaker, Tom Ewing has served this institution well and he will 
be greatly missed. I wish Mr. Ewing and his family well in the years to 
come.

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