[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 137 (Friday, October 27, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H11415-H11421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE BILL ARCHER
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 1999, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) is recognized
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to rise in really
celebration of a career of probably one of the most respected Members
of this great body, and I am speaking of the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Archer).
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) came to this House back in 1970
after having served a short term in the Texas House of Representatives.
But I think he really came into his own in 1994 when he became the
Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means after serving for several
years as the Ranking Republican Member.
If there is one person in this body that I really try to as much as I
possibly can to pattern myself after, my conduct and how I vote and how
I view things, it would be the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer). He
has such a high moral standard that he sticks to himself.
His ability to listen to the Members and his ability of inclusion on
the Committee on Ways and Means, it is sort of a rare thing that one
sees that there is a coming together, because we see tax policy
different, the two political parties.
But under his leadership, he was a key player in getting the 1997
balanced budget with tax relief signed into law. That tax cut was the
first tax cut in 16 years. That shows his ability to work with the
administration.
I know that, on many occasions, he has gone down and has met with
President Clinton on a number of things, some of which bear fruit and
others that have not.
I would like to just tick off a few of the accomplishments that the
Committee on Ways and Means has done under his leadership. He shifted
the burden of proof off the taxpayer and onto the Internal Revenue
Service. That does not sound like much. But under our form of law, the
taxpayer had the burden of proof, which just does not seem to be fair
under our sense of justice.
Under the leadership of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), we
changed that. We gave taxpayers 74 new rights and protections in their
dealings with the Internal Revenue Service. We created an independent
oversight agency to oversee the Internal Revenue Service.
We gave new protections for innocent spouses. This is where,
particularly in a case of a divorce, where the Internal Revenue Service
would go back after, usually, the wife who just signed the return that
her husband put in front of her; and they would go after her for things
that were in the tax return that were stated wrong, fraudulently or in
error. Now they have new rights, which is something that was very
important.
It prevents the IRS from seizing homes without a court order. It
seems peculiar that the IRS could have done this without court orders,
but now they have to have a court order; and that is the right thing to
do.
[[Page H11416]]
These things, among the others, were the first overhaul of the
Internal Revenue Service since 1952.
Human resources, he steered the welfare and health care reforms into
law. I had the great privilege of working with the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Archer) on welfare reform. We have done unbelievable things. We
have cut the roles in half in this country, and in doing so, not just
by shoving people off the roles, but giving them pride in themselves to
raise their own self-esteem and expectations that we have of them and
they have of themselves.
So many of these people have now become the role models for their
kids, and that is terribly important. Eight million former
beneficiaries are now working and have gained their independence. What
a wonderful thing that is.
Child poverty now is at an all-time low. Out-of-wedlock birth rate
plateaued and now is declining for the first time in an entire
generation and longer.
Prisoners are no longer receiving welfare checks. That is something
that is hard to believe, that welfare checks were being paid to
prisoners, but that is what was happening. We put a stop to that.
Taxpayers have saved $30 billion.
His goal was to preserve Social Security. The Archer-Shaw bill was a
perfect example of trying to work with inclusion. All the hearings that
we had, listening to our Democrat colleagues, we incorporated into the
bill their concerns through the hearing process.
I would think that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), probably
one of his great disappointments is that we did not get the bipartisan
support and the support from the White House that we felt we were
promised. But I am confident in the next Congress that we will save
Social Security. That plan that we will adopt may not have the name of
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) on it, but it certainly will have
his spirit and the result of the good works.
Beginning in the year 2012, we are looking at a $120 trillion deficit
in Social Security. One tries to think how many zeros are in 120
trillion. Just think of it this way, it is 36 times the amount of the
national debt. We talk so much in this Chamber about getting rid of the
national debt, and we have a projection out there by the Social
Security Administration of an amount equal to 36 times, 36 times the
national debt. That will be just over 60 years beginning in the year
2015. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) tried to change that.
Mainly because of his good works, we will be able to reverse that in
the next Congress.
He sponsored the bill and led the fight for the PNTR for China. As a
conservative, he was the right man to lead that. I think that it is
certainly a great accomplishment for which we can be proud.
When he took over the Committee on Ways and Means as chair, he
actually looked at our staff and reduced the staff by one-third. This
is something that I think is really totally innate, the extent of that
reduction in this Congress.
The example of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) is everywhere, I
think, in what he was able to accomplish, particularly during his time
as chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. He certainly will be
missed, but his good works will be enjoyed by the American people for
generations to come.
Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. SHAW. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Shaw) bringing this special order honoring the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Archer). The gentleman from Florida has already gone
over his legacy, and what a legacy it is.
I happen to have the district that is next to the district of the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), and I have known the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Archer) for many, many years. In fact, he does not
particularly like for me to tell people how long I have known him, but
back when I was going to the University of Houston, my senior year in
1970, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) was running for Congress
for the first time. At that time, it was the first campaign that I had
ever worked in. I never met him. I did not meet him for another 20
years. But I saw a man that I wanted to work for, a man of great
integrity, a wonderful conservative, a man of principle, a man that
stood for principle.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) was running as a Republican.
Back in Texas in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they did not elect
Republicans, they shot them. To run as a Republican was pretty near a
death sentence if one really wanted to get elected. But the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Archer) stood up. He ran as a Republican. His district
saw his great worth, and they elected him.
He has served with such distinction. Even when he served in the
minority for so long, the majority would come to him for advice on tax
policy and the tax code. Then when he took over as Chairman of the
committee, most Members, particularly those that are not as senior do
not remember, but the Committee on Ways and Means carried, I think,
about 70 percent of the Contract with America.
They drove that legislation and did an outstanding job in telling the
American people that we were going to do it. We showed them that we
were going to do the Contract with America, and we did it under the
Committee on Ways and Means and, most importantly, the leadership of
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer.)
It was hard to do because we were fought every step of the way in
everything we were going to try to do. Most people do not see it this
way, but it is true. The shutdown of the government was caused by the
President of the United States because he was opposed to balancing the
budget. Yet, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) stood there, and
stood there with great, great strength in order to carry that out, and
finally signed in 1997 the Balanced Budget Act.
Along with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the most important
thing that I have ever done in my career and many of our careers was
welfare reform. We found a system that had failed. It had failed
because of its liberal approach. It had failed the people on the
welfare system. It had destroyed families by being dependent on the
government.
Yet, with the President fighting us every step of the way, we passed
that legislation, and now we are reaping the benefits. Families are
coming back together. Fathers are moving back in with the mothers of
their children. Children are looking up to their parents as role models
because they are receiving a paycheck. All of this is due to the will
and the stamina and the distinction of the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Archer).
Let me just say on a personal note, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Archer) is one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege of
knowing. Because he is strong in his faith in God, his wife Sharon,
whom he dearly loves, at his side, a very extensive family, he has been
a role model that they have modeled themselves after. His children are
role models in themselves to their own children. His legacy is truly
his family.
Being the role model that he is, a man that shows integrity works,
shows that being principled works, shows that if one loves one's family
and holds them together, it truly works.
{time} 1515
And so I am more than pleased to be here in honor of Bill Archer.
Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Thomas).
Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida, one, for
taking this time to honor our colleague and our leader on the Committee
on Ways and Means, the chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer).
I came to the House in 1978 and moved to the Committee on Ways and
Means in 1983. My predecessor from my district in Bakersfield was a
Congressman by the name of Bill Ketchum, who was a member of the
Committee on Ways and Means during his tenure in Congress. I already
knew Bill Archer by reputation through Bill Ketchum before I came to
Congress.
Bill Archer has provided an extremely important institutional link to
an earlier period of this body when there was a different tone, a
different civility and, more importantly, a different approach to work
product. The
[[Page H11417]]
thing that I will remember most about Bill Archer is that oftentimes we
know a person as an individual and a person as a Member, and the way in
which they conduct their business as a Member and the way in which they
deal with various other personal aspects as a person are often
different. I do not know of anyone else who follows a course in which
his professional action is paralleled by his personal action.
Any time I have been in a closed room with the gentleman from Texas,
and we have had to reconcile a difference, the reconciliation takes the
course of what is the right policy; what is the appropriate action, not
what is in it for me, this is necessary for my constituents. It served
him well as a compass, but it has not always provided a smooth road.
Because oftentimes he stood in the way of someone wanting to get
something from a personal or a district point of view, and sometimes
that individual's discretion was clouded by the desire to obtain a
particular end and what that gentleman was going to do to comity, to
the Tax Code, and to policy by doing it. This institution has been well
served by Bill Archer many, many times behind closed doors when his
resolute determination to do what is right has prevailed.
Sometimes when one winds up being in the majority, and obviously I
served with Bill Archer in the minority for almost 16 years, and I
think we get to know a person more when they are not able to do
something, and the way in which they conduct themselves when they
cannot do it, than when they are in a position of authority and they
are able to do it. The civil manner in which Bill Archer presented his
arguments, the determination, the preparation, is once again a model
that all of us can remember and would be a model for all of us to
adhere to.
When he became chairman, and Republicans became the majority, he
carried that over to the conduct on the full committee. Those of us who
are returning, and we have a very high level of confidence that we will
be returning to a Republican majority House and majority control of the
Committee on Ways and Means, though Bill Archer will not be with us
physically, he will always be with us in spirit because there will come
a time behind closed doors when we have a difficult choice to make, and
the response should be, and will be, well, what would Bill Archer do. I
hope that will be our guiding philosophy even when Bill Archer will no
longer be in the room.
We wish him well, Mr. Speaker. We look forward to the enjoyment and
the time he will have to spend with Sharon and the family, but that
time will be taken away from his colleagues and the leadership he has
provided us. He will be sorely missed by those of us who served with
him as individuals; he will be much more sorely missed by this
institution in terms of the way he conducted his public
responsibilities.
I thank the gentleman from Florida once again for taking this
opportunity for us to remember the real meaning of Bill Archer. Do as
Bill Archer would do.
Mr. SHAW. I thank the gentleman for those very fine remarks.
In just a moment I will be yielding back the time, the balance of
which I understand will be claimed by the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Houghton) to conclude this special order, but I would like to just
point out a couple of extra things about Bill Archer which are
tremendously important.
When I first went on the Committee on Ways and Means, the first thing
they would do when they started marking up a tax bill was to close the
doors. I can tell my colleagues that those sessions went a lot quicker
and there were not as many speeches made, but he opened that process,
which I think was a very good thing to do.
Also, I would like to, just from a personal standpoint, mention what
great friends that he and Sharon have been to Emily and to me. In
Congress we do make some friends that last a lifetime, and our
relationship with the Archer's has been a very, very special one, and
one that both Emily and I certainly treasure. After hours, many, many
times we have gotten together for dinner or have gone various places. I
know that they have shown a keen interest in conservation on the
continent of Africa. One such trip, which was not a taxpayers' expense
trip, I must say, was deep back in this Congo, where it took better
than a day to get back where we were going. Then we would walk for
miles and miles and miles through the forest. I can tell my colleagues
that I believe that 70-year-old man can walk further than I can. He
absolutely is in great shape. I can attribute that, I think, to the
time that he spends on a tractor doing other various other things at
his farm out in Virginia, which I know he and his wife dearly, dearly
love. Her love for animals is something that is, I think, really,
really quite incredible.
But I look forward to seeing more of Bill Archer. I have an idea that
his days in government are not entirely behind him. He has so much yet
to offer, and I look forward to working with him in the years ahead in
other capacities.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cooksey). The balance of the pending
hour is reallocated to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton).
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, there are several of us that have remarks
about Bill Archer, and I will begin.
I hope Bill and Sharon Archer are watching this program, because I do
not believe anybody has said so many nice words to him to his face. We
always say things behind people's backs, and it is easier to say things
in public many times than it is in private. I think we all have felt
these things, but it is many times embarrassing to say them on a one-
to-one basis.
So, Bill, if you are listening, I do not want you to inhale all this
stuff, but we really do believe it and want to express our appreciation
and what you mean to us.
It is always hard to say good-bye to somebody, particularly somebody
for whom you have such respect. I am not a tax lawyer. I am far from
it. And one of the great courses I have ever taken, when I came to this
place, was from Bill Archer in terms of tax law. I do not consider
myself a great tax expert now, but whatever I have learned, I have
learned from Bill Archer in a very solid and sort of relaxed way trying
to explain the intricacies.
One of the things which I, as a sort of historian, have been
interested in is his background, talking about institutional memory.
Here is a fellow who was here when Wilbur Mills was here. Here was a
fellow who was here when Russell Long was here. Those great titans of
finance in our government gave him, obviously, a bedrock and an
understanding of what the whole place was about in the thrust of the
Committee on Ways and Means. I think all of us here who are on the
Committee on Ways and Means are very humble about this. It is an
extraordinarily important committee. One hundred percent of the
revenues and 60 percent of the cost of the government goes through this
committee.
When one is involved in these sessions with Bill, one understands not
only the functional parts but also the historic parts. He has always
led that way, so tremendously.
The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) was talking about welfare
reform and was rather casual about it, I thought. Frankly, I think one
of the most extraordinary pieces of legislation, I will say one of the
top five pieces of legislation that I have seen since I have been here,
is the welfare reform. That was Bill Archer and the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Shaw). The gentleman from Florida is very sort of modest
about this whole thing.
I think another thing is their concept, which never went anyplace,
and it is too bad because it is a great concept, and it may someday, is
the concept of the Social Security System. They had a plan to fix it,
and there would be an element of pain but not as much if we did nothing
at all. He was always on the forefront of things like that.
One of the great things I think about Bill Archer is that he was
never arrogant. Here was a man who had been in the minority for a long
time and all of a sudden he was thrust in the position of chairman of
the Committee on Ways and Means. Under those circumstances, after
having been dying for years of not being able to be heard then suddenly
being in the chairmanship, the way he conducted meetings, the way he
was polite, the way he was respectful of people's opinions, both the
people on the committee and also those people
[[Page H11418]]
who were testifying, is really an example in statesmanship.
There is something about this man that I think is important,
particularly in the stressful days that we are going through. He never
carried too heavy a pack. In other words, he always could sort of sense
the humor and the perspective and the importance of this place and, as
a result, was a great example to all of us. I can remember taking a
trip, all of us have taken trips with Bill Archer, and on those
congressional delegation trips many times we see a person in full
flower, particularly when he was with his beloved wife, Sharon.
Wonderful human beings. The type of people that, although I do not live
in Texas, I would like to say, gee, I am so proud to have that person
represent me. That was the type of person he was.
Mr. Speaker, I yield now to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Hayworth).
Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York, the
chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and
Means.
Mr. Speaker, as we come together on this floor, not to engage in the
great debates and the differences that ofttimes define us, but to speak
with a united voice in honor of our chairman, the gentleman from Texas
(Mr. Archer), who has decided, after three decades of meritorious
service, to leave our midst for private life, although I have a feeling
that he may be summoned to other duties in future days.
Mention was made earlier of Bill's lovely bride Sharon and the
menagerie of animals they keep in the Archer household. I would note
with some pride, Mr. Speaker, that the Archer family cat is from the
Sixth Congressional District of Arizona, having been picked up there by
one of the Archer children during their time at Northern Arizona
University. So I feel a kinship with the critters in the Archer
household.
And from time to time being described as one of the more animalistic
members of the Committee on Ways and Means when tempers flare, when the
debate is joined, I must say, Mr. Speaker, I look with great respect on
the unique ability of Bill Archer to disagree without being
disagreeable. That is a remarkable gift. Because time and again when we
come to this well or when we meet in full committee, there are honest
disagreements and policy differences passionately held.
{time} 1530
The true mark of service and leadership for our chairman, Mr.
Speaker, is his remarkable ability to deal in an affable, evenhanded
fashion with every Member of the Committee, with every issue that may
be contentious in nature, with every disagreement in such an agreeable
fashion. It is a gift that escapes many of us, truth be told.
So the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) the man leaves a legacy of
kindness and civility, of unpretentiousness in a city where egos can
clash, where, Mr. Speaker, if truth be told, most everyone who runs for
public office and the euphemism of the new century has a healthy dose
of self-esteem. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) stands as a
modest man of incredible abilities.
The public policy side of the ledger demonstrates this and has been
enumerated by speakers who have preceded me, including my good friend
from New York.
Welfare reform can be looked upon as a bipartisan accomplishment
driven by the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Mean, the first
meaningful tax relief in almost a decade and a half under the
chairmanship of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) and at times,
even as recently as yesterday, when a sense of principle motivates him,
there is no debate. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) disagreed
with many of us yesterday and cast a vote based on his firm and
unwavering ideals.
Our other friend the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) mentioned
times ``behind closed doors.'' And while those phrases are used as
figures of speech, ``in the dark of night,'' ``behind closed doors,''
the fact is that we must sit down from time to time away from the roar
of the grease paint, the smell of the crowd, and try to deal with
policy.
And I do not believe I am violating any confidences. I believe, Mr.
Speaker, were the chairman here today he would freely admit to all, as
he did to us privately, his test for how to do this job in the people's
House, a test that may have in fact been magnified given the role he
played as chairman of arguably the most powerful legislative committee
in the greatest Constitution republic this world has seen.
He said quite simply it is this, I made a promise to myself that,
with every vote I would take, I would be able to sleep at night and I
would remain true to my convictions.
So said the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer). His actions have
never wavered from that simple test. And as recently as yesterday, at a
time of contentiousness again, he held firm. We may not agree on every
issue, but we can all agree, Mr. Speaker, that the actions of our
chairman are indeed special.
Many others join us to share their reminiscences. I would simply say
this again to reiterate. I am not at all certain that our chairman is
headed for retirement. I think he is so valuable in so many different
ways that there are those who may follow us into Government service who
may cast a keen eye toward his talents. But for now in this role, as we
prepare to conclude the 106th Congress, we do not say farewell, we
simply say, Mr. Chairman, we will try to follow your example and we
expect to see you again in other endeavors of public service. Because
your wisdom, your unpretentiousness, your good common sense, and your
grace under pressure are things that we cannot leave simply to
retirement.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Nussle).
Mr. NUSSLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, it has been said that character can be best defined by
doing the right thing when no one is looking. I love that phrase.
Because around here in Washington, D.C., particularly in Congress,
there are a lot of people looking out there and it is easy to play to
the camera and it is easy to play for the politics and everything else
and there is often very few moments in time when we get to be on our
own or dealing maybe one on one with a colleague.
I have had that opportunity with our chairman. And I have to report
to my colleagues that he is a man of very high character. I have never
seen him do what I could refer to as the wrong thing, infuriating as
that might be at times. I tried to coax him into violating maybe some
of his own principles, maybe some of his views, political or personal
views, on a couple of different items. And he beat me every single
time. But he was always fair about it, even though he was tough. He was
always forthright, and he always gave me a heads-up. And I respect him
for that.
I just come here today to say that, while there are a lot of people
who are leaving this particular Congress, he is one who ranks up there
as one of the ones that I will miss the most.
Around here in Washington and Congress, many people come and go it
seems. The beauty of our system is that, almost like sticking your
finger in a pool of water, as soon as it removes, it fills in. There
will be a new chairman. There will be another representative from his
district in Texas. But the ripples on the water that the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Archer) has left for freedom in this country will ripple on
for a very long time. And for that I am grateful. I know his family is
grateful. All of America should be grateful.
I bid him adieu.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania
(Mr. English).
Mr. ENGLISH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in paying tribute to
a man whose retirement announcement was one of the things that I most
dreaded in this Congress.
When I came to Congress and came to the Committee on Ways and Means
in 1994, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) was a beacon. We had
just taken control. Revolution was in the air. And we were facing an
enormous task of moving, as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay) noted,
70 percent of
[[Page H11419]]
the Contract with America through our committee and doing it right. We
could not have done it without leadership of the character and quality
of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer).
He has been noted by other speakers for his extraordinary civility in
an institution where that is an increasingly rare element.
I would like to say that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) has
always struck me for his stoicism, his strong principle, and the fact
that when it comes to principle, he has been absolutely unyielding. And
yet, at the same time, Mr. Speaker, he has always been a superb
legislative tactician. He has been courageous and articulate every time
he has risen on the floor of this House.
This chamber has become kind of hushed, because the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Archer) always has something extraordinary to say and the
expertise to back it up. He is one of those Members who brings to this
body true intellectual rigor. He has a profound understanding of the
Tax Code, and that has really been the hallmark of his term as chairman
of the Committee on Ways and Means.
It is notable that he opposed the 1986 Tax Code when it passed, and
with good reason, and every criticism that he made of that Code has
been proven true. He has consistently advocated its replacement, and
perhaps this body will some day have the courage to take up his
challenge and pull the current Code out by the roots.
Yet, he has been involved in other issues, as well. I became aware
that he was a leading advocate of raising the earnings limit for
persons with disabilities and carried that issue in a number of
Congresses. He has consistently defended the prerogatives of the House
Committee on Ways and Means, the oldest committee in this body, and one
that has always risen above the partisan zephyrs that have troubled
other committees.
He has preserved the traditions of the Committee on Ways and Means
very much in the tradition of the giants who have chaired that
committee in this body, like John Randolph of Roanoke, William
McKinley, and in our memory, Wilbur Mills. We will miss the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Archer). His shoes will be impossible to fill.
But like Nathaniel Macon in the 19th century, he has decided that he
is at a stage in his life when he would like to move on and do
something else. We respect that. We wish him and Sharon well. We will
miss him sorely in future Congresses. He has been for me an inspiration
and has been a source, I think, of great institutional memory and
stability.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Smith).
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from New York for
yielding.
Mr. Speaker, one of my most vivid memories as a new Member of
Congress was my first meeting with the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Archer) after I had only been in Washington a couple of days. I went to
see the gentleman because he was a member of what was then called the
Committee on Committees, which now is called the Steering Committee,
which makes committee assignments.
I was interested in serving on two committees, the Committee on the
Judiciary and the Committee on Science. My first choice was the
Committee on the Judiciary because it had subcommittees dealing with
crime and another one that oversaw immigration policy. At the time, it
was not thought possible to serve on both committees at the same time,
even though that was my hope.
Well, a few days later, while the Committee on Committees was
meeting, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) called me and told me
that he thought that if I changed the order of my preference from
Judiciary first and Science second to Science first and Judiciary
second, we could ``throw a long pass'' and perhaps connect so that I
would be on both.
I decided to leave it up to the Texas quarterback (Mr. Archer) and so
put my committee assignments, and there is nothing more important to a
new Member, in his hands. A couple of hours later he called back and
said that I had been appointed to both. It was obviously thanks to his
strong arm and steady aim.
It is obvious to any Member of Congress who has ever worked with the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) that his strong arm and steady aim
has been a characteristic he has always displayed. Whether it is giving
Americans tax relief or ensuring the long-term solvency of Social
Security or revamping the Internal Revenue Service, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Archer) has as often as not completed that long pass.
One other characteristic needs to be mentioned, and that is that he
not only has a strong record and steady hand, but he also plays fair
and throws straight with his colleague. He tells us the truth. We know
we can rely on what he tells us and what he really thinks about any
issue or any piece of legislation. His consistent record of doing what
is best for the American people, being straightforward in his dealings
with others, and doing what he thinks is right are attributes that
anyone in public life should aspire to.
Mr. Speaker, the good thinking and good judgment of the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Archer) will be missed, but he will always remain an
example of an ideal congressman to us all.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Gilman) the distinguished chairman of the Committee on
International Relations, my friend and associate.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr.
Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton) for
conducting this special order.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleagues in paying
tribute to a legislator who has been one of the more remarkable and
outstanding Members of this body, a gentleman whose impending departure
is going to be a genuine loss to the Congress and to our Nation.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) first came to the House 2 years
before I entered the House, initially being elected from his hometown
of Houston, Texas, in 1970.
From his earliest days as a Member of the House of Representatives,
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) dedicated himself to the need to
reform our outdated tax codes and made it his highest priority as the
chairman of our House Committee on Ways and Means.
In fact, many Americans would have been unaware of the injustice of
the marriage penalty or the death tax were it not for the research and
diligence that the gentleman put into spotlighting these inequities.
The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) first sought election to the
House when his incumbent Congressman, a young man by the name of George
Bush, decided to vacate his seat to seek election to the Senate.
He is so beloved by his constituency, which he represents so
meritoriously, that he has never been reelected to his congressional
seat by less than a three-to-one margin. His 30 years of service to
this body and to his constituents guaranteed that his shoes are going
to be difficult to fill and he is certainly going to be long-missed.
However, his years of service underscore that a long, healthy, and
relaxing retirement is warranted and fully earned.
{time} 1545
To Bill Archer and to his lovely wife, Sharon, to their five children
and two stepchildren, we extend our best wishes for a happy retirement
together, with hopes they will often return to visit us.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Portman), another distinguished member of the Committee on Ways and
Means.
Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for having this
special order.
You know, it is hard to imagine this place without Bill Archer. He
will be very much missed; by me, by Members of this Congress from both
sides of the aisle, by the Committee on Ways and Means, arguably the
most powerful committee in Congress, that he has shepherded with such
skill, and by this institution, by the House, as a body.
Let us be frank here. Not all of us will leave such a void. Not all
of us will have such a remarkable legacy.
What is it about Bill Archer? He is a very special person. I have
learned a lot from him. He is a principled, fierce advocate of limited
government, and
[[Page H11420]]
yet no one I know has deeper respect for public service.
I remember once being at an event where Bill Archer was asked to
speak. Without notes he stood up and recited from memory Teddy
Roosevelt's great statement, in which he said, ``The credit belongs to
the man who is actually in the arena,'' and Bill Archer feels that in
his heart. He has respect for all of us as Members of Congress, in part
because of that respect for public service.
He is firm, he is tough, he is also exceedingly polite. Who in this
chamber has not been greeted at one point by Bill Archer with a smile,
extending his hand saying, how are you? Even as Chairman, Bill Archer
has been very careful not to demand loyalty from members of the
Committee on Ways and Means. He rarely asks anybody for anything, and
yet I know nobody who is more loyal than Bill Archer.
Leader Dick Armey reminded me recently of a song that Bill Archer is
fond of. One day here on the floor things were tough on an issue, I was
having a difficult time as a relatively junior Member of Congress, and
Bill Archer took me aside and told me about a song he used to are cite
to his kids to instill in them a sense of loyalty and brotherly love.
It is a song about two combatants in the Civil War, one on the side of
the North, one on the side of the South. One goes down on the Gray side
of the line. The one on the Blue side of the line says something like,
did you think I would leave you dying, when there is room on my horse
for two?
He sung that song to his boys so that they would have brotherly love,
but it goes to what Bill Archer believes, which is there is nothing
more important than personal loyalty.
Bill Archer will be succeeded in Congress and in that district in
Houston where he gets something like 80 percent of the vote, and he
will be succeeded at the Committee on Ways and Means as Chairman, but
nobody will replace Bill Archer. We are going to miss him, the
Committee on Ways and Means will miss him, and this institution will
miss him.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Armey), distinguished Majority Leader.
Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for
yielding. Let me thank the gentleman from New York for taking this
time.
Every now and then I think in our lives we ought to take time. We
ought to just pause and reflect about the good people we are privileged
to know, the good people with whom we are privileged to work.
In my life, in all the years, either in academics or here, never has
there been more such a fine person I have been privileged to know and
with whom to work than Bill Archer. He has been, for all of us, a
source of encouragement, of optimism. On some occasions when we needed
it, what should I say, Dutch uncle-ish criticism, critique and so
forth. But Bill Archer is an interesting fellow in the way that he
could give you the kind of critique you may need at a moment, and, at
the same time, make you feel encouraged by it.
We are all going to miss Bill. I would like to share two observations
in particular. We talk about how we related to him, what he meant to us
as a colleague, fellow Members of Congress.
I would like to reflect for a moment on what he has meant to so many
of the young people that have come through here. My observation has
been all too many times, people come to Washington a young idealist and
leave an old cynic. Bill Archer has beaten the odds on that one. He
came here a young idealist, and he is leaving here as a not so young
idealist.
But I think it was because of the relationship he was able to have
with young people. I have seen that in my own Chief of Staff David
Hobbs, who many of us see now as a competent and able person here, who
had his beginning here on Bill Archer's staff. A Texas boy, graduate of
the University of Texas, graduate of the Lyndon Baines Johnson School
at the University of Texas, who admired Bill Archer and came here and
was privileged to come here and got his early training here.
David was the first hire I made when I came here in 1985. For all
these years I always said to David, I know you really love Bill Archer
more than me. He never denied it. A couple of months ago, Bill Archer
pointed out to me, ``You know, your Chief of Staff really loves me more
than he does you.'' I said, ``Bill, I don't blame him. I love you more
than I do me.''
So he had a big influence. I know there are probably thousands of
stories of that kind of influence on young people who managed to come
here and find their youthful idealism appreciated.
So, Mr. Houghton, if I could end with this observation, it is an
observation I made last Thursday with the Texas delegation at lunch. We
had a great privilege to be in the majority. For many of us we felt it
was something of a miracle in 1994 when we won the majority. We have
had an opportunity to do things that many of us never thought possible.
But when I look on the reflection of it, there is nothing that I have
experienced in the majority in the United States House of
Representatives that has warmed my heart more nor given me greater
reason for optimism about this great land than seeing my friend Bill
Archer be Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means. I believe it was
the only job he ever wanted in this Congress, and, believe me, Bill,
few people will ever be able to say with greater accuracy and
conviction, I got to do the only job I ever wanted in Congress, and I
did it to the best of my ability, and have people say, in a chorus of
response, and no one, Mr. Chairman, could have done it better.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri
(Mr. Blunt), the assistant majority whip.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and
for taking the time today to honor the tremendous service of Chairman
Archer.
I very well remember the first meeting I had with him as a freshman.
It is easy for me to remember that, because it was not that long ago.
But he quickly responded to my request to come over and talk to him
about a piece of the Tax Code that affected colleges and universities.
I spent 4 years as a university president. I felt very comfortable
about that part of the Tax Code. I went over and I found out, of
course, in significant detail that the Chairman knew more about that
very, very small part of the Tax Code than I did. But we had a great
discussion. At the end of our great discussion, he had not changed his
mind.
He felt strongly that he saw this Tax Code and the way it affected
Americans headed in a consistent direction; that was the direction
toward greater simplicity, a direction toward greater fairness, a
direction where he thought that American families would benefit more
universally from the Tax Code, and trying to eliminate those parts of
the code that only benefitted a few, instead of benefiting many. He has
been consistent, he has been strong. He has devoted himself to an IRS
that works better, to a Tax Code that is hopefully fairer and more
easily understood.
I know as he leaves here, he leaves here understanding there is still
a lot of work to be done in that regard, and there will be work for
Congresses to come to be done. But he has advanced the cause of a
fairer, simpler Tax Code.
He has been consistent in his approach to every Member. His door has
been open, from the lowest freshman on the totem pole to every other
member in this conference. He would take time to explain to you his
point of view, even though on your point of view, by others, it could
have easily been argued quickly, well, you have only been here for a
short period of time, or you do not understand the last generation and
how this debate has gone on. But in fact Chairman Archer was always
willing to take time to explain that debate, explain how we got to
where we were, and his vision for where we yet could go.
I am hopeful that his service to America is nowhere near over. His
legacy in this Congress will last for a long time, Mr. Speaker, but I
think he has so much more to offer. I hope to see him willing to do
that, and to continue to make the kind of significant contributions
that he has made for a generation now in this Congress.
He has stuck with his commitment that this would be the time when he
should leave the Congress, a mark that he set half a dozen years ago;
that he
[[Page H11421]]
has decided to, absolutely, as he has done in every other instance,
keep his commitments.
This is the committed time in his mind to leave the Congress. I hope
it is not a committed time in his mind to not be available to further
service to Americans, because he has a lot of service, a lot of wisdom,
a lot of history, a lot of heritage yet to share.
I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and for taking the time
today to recognize the great work and commitment of Chairman Bill
Archer from Texas.
Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I just have a few brief words at the end.
I think our side is done. I think we have expressed our feelings. But I
would just like to say one more thing.
William Archer's example, not what he has done, because what he has
done is very significant, his example is one of the finest I have ever
seen, and he represents the greatest, I think, the greatest
characteristic that this country has to offer.
Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, the legacy of Bill Archer is a gift of
responsible government to the American people in a great diversity of
actions.
Many times I have heard the cry for a national industrial policy. In
truth, the tax code is the nation's industrial policy. Bill's ``steady
as you go'' leadership has made our code far better than it would have
been without his strong role of participation.
I did smile when Phil English mentioned President McKinley, who
represented my home county of Stark as a congressman, as one of Bill's
distinguished predecessors as chairman of Ways and Means. McKinley was
a dedicated protectionist, however, in his last speech in Buffalo, he
repudiated this policy. I think Bill would have liked the reformed
McKinley rather than the congressional McKinley.
The people of this nation are in your debt for dedicated service for
them.
My best to you Bill and Sharon for good health and many fruitful
years of happiness.
Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, it is quite possible I have known Bill Archer
longer than anyone in this Chamber. We met for the first time 30 years
ago at a Lincoln Day festival. Bill was serving in the Texas State
legislature at the time. I was told by mutual acquaintances that Bill
was a strong conservative of unwavering principles, and that he would
soon be elected to Congress. They were right on both counts.
In fact, the only time I have known of Bill wavering occurred about
three years before we first met. Bill found it necessary to correct a
mistake he had grown up with. He switched from the Democratic to
Republican parties.
I have had the great honor and pleasure to sit next to Bill for 25
years now on the Ways and Means Committee. We have fought many fights
together. We saw the power of the Committee exercised first-hand under
Wilbur Mills. We experienced the curious mix of Chicago-style politics
applied to national policy under Danny Rostenkowski. We celebrated the
1981 tax cut together, the effects of which are still being felt in
today's prosperity. And we suffered through the lost opportunities of
the 1986 Tax Reform Act and the disastrous 1990 and 1993 tax increases.
Bill Archer has been a forceful and effective Chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee through some of its most difficult years. These are
partisan times, and, sadly, this partisanship has infected the work of
the Committee all too often. Through it all, Bill has kept to his
principles, and kept his sense of humor.
Bill Archer knows as well as anyone in the United States what is
wrong with our tax system. And he sees all-too-well the unfortunate
trends of recent years, such as the increasing use of tax credits and
the use of the tax system as an alternative to spending. He has fought
valiantly to resist these trends while building a fire for fundamental
tax reform.
Unfortunately, Bill's legacy will not be the enactment of fundamental
tax reform. But it will be the laying of the groundwork for the reforms
to come. And they will come. Each of us must stand on the shoulders of
those who preceded us. The Ways and Means Committee, and tax policy
generally, will be standing on firm and principled ground years from
now thanks to Bill's leadership.
To quote Winston Churchill speaking of Lord Halifax:
The fortunes of mankind in its tremendous journeys are
principally decided for good or ill--but mainly for good, for
the path is upward--by its greatest men and its greatest
episodes.
Bill Archer has participated in, and in some cases presided over,
some of the Ways and Means Committee's greatest episodes. By virtue of
his unbending adherence to principle and fairness in the most
tempestuous of times, he is also, in my opinion, one of its greatest
men.
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