[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H10891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE RON PACKARD
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from California (Mr. Packard) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make a response, but there
is one or two others that would like to say a word.
Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. PACKARD. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the gentleman from
California (Mr. McKeon) would also be pleased to be recognized before
the gentleman from California (Mr. Packard) speaks. If the gentleman
would be willing to yield to him for 5 minutes, I will ask then for a
5-minute special order myself and yield to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Packard).
Mr. PACKARD. That will be fine.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon).
Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, this has been a very enjoyable evening. I
think there have been many great things said about a very great man.
Years ago, in 1982, my father-in-law, in one of his visits, said that
he had been asked to help a great man in his Congressional District to
run a write-in campaign for Congress. That man was Ron Packard.
Whenever my father-in-law would visit, he would tell us stories of
what they were doing and how they were preparing for the campaign. I
knew not much about the Congress and knew nothing about running a
campaign for Congress, and so I was not as impressed as I should have
been.
Now, having run a campaign and been elected to Congress, I know that
it is impossible to win on a write-in. I wish my father-in-law were
still alive, and I could tell him how great a job I think he did in
helping elect such a great man as Ron Packard to Congress.
Ron is in stature shorter than I am, but he is a man that I always
look up to. There have been a couple of stories told about how tight he
is with a penny or a dime. I think that if one knew his background one
would understand why the story told about how he was raised with 16
brothers and sisters and how every penny, every dime counted I think is
really important. It is reflected in one story that I have heard Ron
tell that I think shows how important money was to him and to his
family as they were growing up.
His family had a .22 and a shotgun, and it was very expensive for
them. It was hard for them to buy ammunition. But he tells of a story
one time that he and his brother went out hunting ducks, and they had
to wait till the ducks got in a line because they had to get as many as
they could with one shot.
The one brother shot as many as he could when they got in line with
the .22. Then, as the rest of the ducks took off, the second brother
shot with the shotgun. Then they went around and gathered up all the
ducks. They got 23 with one .22 shell and one shotgun shell.
The meat was important. The feathers were important for their pillows
and their quilts. They used every bit of those 23 ducks. Life was not
easy for them in Meridian, Idaho. But they did great things with their
lives.
We have heard lots of stories about Ron and his family. I know some
of his brothers. I know what great people they are. There are so many
things that we can learn from this great man.
He and I are from the same faith, and we believe the words of a
prophet that lived many years ago that said, ``whatever you achieve
outside the home is not as important as what you achieve within the
home.'' Ron has done a great thing both within and without the home,
but he has never forgotten his family.
Now, as he retires, he is going back to live in San Diego by other
members of his family. We will miss him here but know that he will
continue to do great things as he has throughout his life.
{time} 2030
I am very fortunate to call this great man a friend.
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