[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 137 (Friday, October 27, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H11422-H11430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM L. CLAY, SR.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 1999, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. 
Christensen) will control the time for the minority.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South 
Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, there are many Members who are gathering here this 
afternoon to pay tribute to Congressman Clay.
  Mr. Speaker, first, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
(Mrs. Clayton).
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, next year this Congress will be without the wit, the 
wisdom, insight, genius of one who has become a fixture and a fact of 
life. That loss is irreplaceable. In the next Congress, we will be 
without my friend, our colleague, Congressman William ``Bill'' Clay.
  Throughout his career, Bill has been a trailblazer, a pathfinder, a 
pacesetter, an innovator, a leader.
  Whether leading the fight to raise wages to a fair level, pushing 
through historical funding for college grants for disadvantaged 
students, taking on the fight to reduce class sizes, finding a way for 
federal employees to enjoy greater participation in the political 
process, initiating efforts to require employers to afford time for 
families, or reforming pension laws, Bill has stood firmly with 
workers, children, students, families and senior citizens.
  He has been both the first and the last line of defense for the 
voiceless and voteless. More than a legislator, however, Bill is a 
noted author, a walking history book, a student, a teacher of science, 
a policymaker. But more than anything else, Mr. Speaker, he cares.
  He is passionate when he speaks, because he is compassionate in his 
heart. This son of the Midwest has lived his life in sacrifice that 
millions could live their lives in pride.
  He has manifested what his home State of Missouri symbolizes, ``don't 
tell me, show me.''
  A dedicated husband, a loving father, he has helped to build this 
institution, the Congress of the United States.
  His deeds have made a difference in many lives. Mr. Speaker, over 
time, many will come and many more will go, but few, very few, will 
leave the imprint that Bill Clay leaves, having given three decades of 
his life in service to others.
  At times, he has been a single voice, a lone agent for change. He has 
dared to be a Daniel. Most of the time, however, he is, indeed, a 
coalition builder. He is comfortable in either role. But wherever he 
has gone, whatever he has done, whomever he has confronted, he has left 
a legacy. He has given a gift. He is giving of himself. He has made an 
impact.
  He leaves us now, not to quit, but to fight another fight, to write 
another book, to write another chapter, to run another race of life.
  William ``Bill'' Clay, we will miss you. I have been rewarded, 
fortunate, favored, grace, privileged, inspired, invigorated, sometimes 
frustrated, but forever richly empowered to have served with you, and 
most of all, to call you my friend.
  I will dearly miss you. Congress indeed will miss you. The United 
States is honored to have had you to serve us so graciously.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North 
Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with my colleagues in paying 
tribute to Congressman Bill Clay.
  Congressman Bill Clay is more than a friend. As a matter of fact, we 
are kind of relatives. We are relatives by marriage. My nephew is his 
cousin. I feel very close to Congressman Clay, not only because we 
share family members, but because Congressman Clay represents the kind 
of elected official that I have always wanted to be.
  Congressman Clay has had a brilliant career. He started out as a 
young man with a mission, a young man who decided to run for office, 
because he wanted to create change, not someone who wanted to run for 
office because they thought it was an upward mobility opportunity or it 
was a way to get a title, but it was a young man who had a mission and 
put his life on the line for his mission.
  I think I really did begin to understand who he is when I learned 
about the work that he did in my hometown and his hometown, St. Louis, 
Missouri, when he challenged the establishment. As a young man, as a 
young turk, he said that he could not be comfortable with the fact that 
African Americans, Negros would not, could not be hired in St. Louis by 
any of the major corporations.
  He organized, he worked with other young turks and they confronted 
the establishment. He went to jail for what he believed in, because he 
decided to take on one of the most powerful banks in St. Louis who 
resisted the efforts of these young people who said why are you not 
hiring qualified Negros to fill these positions.
  He went to jail for what he believed in. He literally did the kind of 
studying and assessment of the situation in St. Louis and helped to 
develop a document called the Anatomy of an Economic Murder. It is a 
report by Clay that detailed the pitifully small number of blacks 
working for the city's big employers.
  They were successful after a lot of hard work, a lot of organizing, a 
lot of getting people to confront what was happening. He was elected to 
the Congress of the United States in January of 1969. And, of course, 
this place has never been the same, because he came here with a 
mission, and he came here at a time when there were other young blacks 
elected to Congress who were determined they were going to bring about 
some change.
  He came in with Shirley Chisholm and Lou Stokes. He and Lou Stokes 
became the best of friends. It is something wonderful about watching 
men who really do become friends, who respect each other, whose 
families become so very close that they take their vacations together. 
Young men who love each other, young men whose families began to live a 
life of commitment, with the wives and the children getting to know 
each other. I really have respect for those kinds of relationships.
  What has he done here in Congress? He has been one of the strongest 
legislators that ever came to this place, not only has he gotten his 
bill signed into law. He has sponsored successfully over 295 pieces of 
legislation.
  There are people who come here who never sponsor a piece of 
legislation. There are people who come here who do not even get an 
amendment to a bill. There are people who come here and go home and 
talk about all that they have done, really describing other people's 
work. So to get 295 pieces of legislation signed into law is a 
tremendous accomplishment. He served with distinction.
  I talked about his brilliant career. But let me just outline for you 
or mention to you some of the things that he has done.
  As a matter of fact, he has had the opportunity not only to serve on 
the committees where he was able to do some of this tremendous work, he 
is one of the few persons who has chaired at least two of the 
committees that I am going to talk a little bit about.
  For 23 years, the Congressman served on the Postal Office and Civil 
Service Committee, chairing it from 1990 through 1994. Let me tell you, 
if you speak to any postal workers in America, they know who Bill Clay 
is, because he fought some tremendous battles for them. He stood up for 
postal workers. He made sure that the work that he did would help to 
make working conditions better for them, would help to deal with 
creating possibilities for upward mobility for them. So the postal 
system in America is better off because Bill Clay served.
  From 1989 to 1994, he served as chairman of the House Administration 
Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials.
  He was among 3 Members of the House assigned to recount ballots in 
the 1984 congressional election in Indiana's 8th District.
  Again, he sponsored over 295 bills, but let me just tell you about 
some of the most important of them. In 1996, Congressman Clay was 
instrumental in

[[Page H11423]]

forcing a minimum wage increase through Congress, despite the adamant 
opposition of some of our friends from the other side of the aisle. But 
he has been a tremendous force dealing with historically black colleges 
and universities, Federal student grant and loan programs, class size 
reduction, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
  He has done all of these things. And he can take credit for the Hatch 
Act Reform Law that was passed. In addition to that, he can take a lot 
of credit for the Family Medical Leave Act that was adopted by the 
Congress of the United States of America.

                              {time}  1615

  There are very few who will be able to match this brilliant career. I 
think he has left a mark on this House, not only because of his 
tremendous legislation, but because he is a friendly person who gets 
along with people. He makes us laugh even when we are mad at him. I 
have tried to stay mad with Congressman Clay, but I cannot because he 
will walk up to me and tell me the funniest joke and get me laughing in 
ways that I never thought I would do.
  He is a brilliant writer and author who is, I think, perhaps one of 
the best historians this House has ever known. If we want to know what 
happened in a particular year that he served here, just walk up to him 
and ask him about an issue, about legislation, about something that 
took place on this floor. He can recount chapter and verse and in 
detail what took place.
  He is a prolific reader and a prolific writer. He is one of the 
original founders of the Congressional Black Caucus. I am able to serve 
in this House and work with a Congressional Black Caucus because of the 
work of Bill Clay. He is a pioneer. He opened doors. He helped a lot of 
other people to dream that they could come here and do what he has 
done.
  He is an icon in the city of my birth. I am proud of him. His family 
is proud of him. The City of St. Louis is proud of him. We all know 
that because Bill Clay pioneered the efforts of African Americans to 
serve in this body, that a lot of changes have taken place and the 
cause of African Americans, and others who were denied, who were 
marginalized, have been advanced because he served here. I am going to 
miss him.
  They do not make Bill Clays anymore. There are people who come here 
who know nothing about the history and the struggles of our people. 
There are people who come to serve here not intending to make anybody 
angry, not intending to give up any perks, not intending to cause any 
trouble or make any waves. Bill Clay made some waves. He caused some 
troubles, but he was one of the finest debaters that ever graced this 
floor.
  A combination of everything that he has done, his debate, his work, 
his talent, all of that has helped him to become one of the most 
respected Members of Congress that ever served. I will miss him and I 
hope that I will be able to call him and ask for his assistance and get 
his wisdom for things that I will attempt to do.
  Mr. Speaker, I say, ``Thank you, Bill Clay, for the service that you 
have given.''
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Waters) for those comments.
  Next, I would like to yield to our distinguished leader from 
Congressman Clay's home State, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Gephardt).
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me 
for the purpose of talking about Congressman Bill Clay on the occasion 
of his retirement from the Congress.
  Let me first say that I have known Bill Clay for over 25 years. We 
both served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen many years ago. We both 
come, obviously, from the same city and really in a way grew up 
together in the City of St. Louis and have had many of the same 
experiences in our time in politics.
  I clearly remember when I first got elected to Congress, Bill Clay 
invited me to lunch and we sat and talked about what it was like and 
what it meant to be in the Congress. He has been a mentor to me and has 
helped me in everything that I have done in public life.
  He is one of the finest human beings that I have ever met. He is a 
leader in every sense of the word on a whole range of issues that go 
from civil rights, which he has been deeply and intimately involved in 
through his entire career, through education, through health care, 
through labor and human rights and every other issue that is of 
importance to the people in his district.
  Perhaps most importantly he has always stayed deeply connected to the 
people who elected him. Never was there a time when he did not go home 
regularly, meet with his constituents, solve problems in the community, 
help people with community issues, and try to be an advocate for all of 
the people that he represented.
  He was also one who believed in politics. He is a politician in the 
truest sense of the word. And I admire that, I think, most in him, 
because he realized that to make change in our world, we have to be 
involved in political life.
  For most of his career in the Congress and in the Board of Aldermen, 
he was also a committeeman in the City of St. Louis political 
operation. He believes in political action. He also believed in civil 
disobedience when political action could not get the job done. I 
remember one of the first times I learned about him, he was engaged in, 
I think, a sit-in at a prominent bank in St. Louis in order to get 
proper civil rights with regard to that institution and other 
institutions like it in St. Louis.

  But never did his civil disobedience keep him from being involved in 
the political process. If he could get it done in the political 
process, he got it done in the political process. And to this day, he 
obviously has been involved in politics in the truest sense of the 
word.
  He has raised a wonderful family and his children, to his everlasting 
credit, are also involved in politics. And, in fact, we know his son is 
now running for the seat that Bill is leaving and retiring from, and I 
believe and hope that he will be elected. But, again, he is in public 
service like his father was in public service, his daughter has been 
involved in politics. The whole family is focused on political life and 
how we can improve our country, how we can improve our community.
  Bill Clay never stops fighting for what he believes in. He is the 
dean of our delegation. We will miss him in every sense. He is 
tenacious. He never gives up a cause. He has a wonderful sense of 
humor. He always makes fun of himself and makes fun of the funny things 
in politics that we all laugh about.
  In 32 years of service, no one fought harder for labor rights, for 
human rights, for education, and as I said, for his constituents. He 
was first elected in 1968. In his groundbreaking book, Just Permanent 
Interests: Black Americans in Congress 1870 to 1991, he wrote that the 
congressional election that year ``. . . reflected the changing fortune 
of blacks in American politics.'' With his classmates, Shirley Chisholm 
and Louis Stokes, he came ``. . . to Washington determined to seize the 
moment, to fight for justice, to raise issues that had been too long 
ignored and too little debated.'' And he did all of it.
  Mr. Speaker, he was and remains a passionate and forceful voice for 
the people in his district, for equal treatment of all Americans, 
regardless of race, regardless of ethnicity.
  In representing the hopes and aspirations of the people of his 
district, he built an institution within this institution that has 
stood for equal representation and opportunity. He was a founding 
member of the Congressional Black Caucus, which we are all so proud of 
today. He created one of the leading voices for African Americans in 
the Nation and an influential force in the House of Representatives.
  I might add that if the majority changes in this institution in a few 
days, for the first time in the history of this institution, the chair 
of the Committee on Ways and Means will be an African American, the 
chair of the Committee on the Judiciary will be an African American. 
And I dare say if he had decided to stay, the chair of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce would have been an African American. But 
none of that could have happened if Bill Clay had not helped

[[Page H11424]]

form the Congressional Black Caucus and helped people of minority 
status run for the Congress and become Members of the Congress. And we 
would not have as many African Americans and Hispanic Americans and 
Asian Americans in the Congress if he had not fought those fights many, 
many years ago.
  He has also been on the side of working men and women. He was a 
leader on the minimum wage, protecting worker rights, getting safety in 
the workplace. He authored most of the legislation for working people 
over the last 32 years. He was a labor supporter who gave no ground to 
those who attacked the right to organize, who attacked worker 
protections and the right to earn a decent living. Working families in 
this country, labor union members have never had a better friend and 
they will never have a better friend in this Congress than Bill Clay.
  He was deeply committed to making sure that every child in this 
society should be able to realize their full potential. He was the 
leading supporter of historically black colleges, the beacons of 
advancement and achievement for African American young people. He 
helped craft the Family and Medical Leave law that has helped so many 
families today. He challenged every Member of this institution to live 
up to the ideas of equality and justice and enshrine those ideas into 
our laws.
  We are going to miss Bill Clay. I asked him before I came down here 
whether he had decided what he was going to do next year and he said, 
``Well, I have not even thought about it.'' I am sure he has not. But I 
am convinced that his service for the people of this country does not 
end with his leaving the Congress. He will continue to fight in other 
capacities for the people of this country.
  This is a great leader. This is a heroic leader that we will miss in 
this institution. But I am only assured that knowing him, he will not 
stop the fight. He will be out on the field every day that he is on 
this earth fighting for children, fighting for civil rights, fighting 
for human rights, fighting for this democracy.
  Finally, let me say that America is a better, more just, more civilly 
equal society today because of the work and the commitment and the 
passion and the leadership of Bill Clay. We cannot say more about any 
of us who have ever served in this institution.
  Mr. Speaker, I say to the gentleman, ``Thank you, Bill. God bless, 
you. God bless your family.''
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I next yield to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand with my friends and colleagues of the 
Congressional Black Caucus and there are three words that I think kind 
of epitomizes Bill Clay. Those are: Determination, dedication, and 
distinguished.
  He is a man of such distinction. I am so pleased that he, along with 
a few members of the Congressional Black Caucus, formed such a caucus. 
Otherwise, we would not be here together in unanimity trying to work on 
behalf of the constituents we serve in our districts.
  This man of honor is the most effective and hard-working colleague in 
the House. He is from Missouri and he is from that ``show me'' State, 
so we have had to show him our interest and our determination and our 
true grit on educating the children of this country.
  He has served tirelessly and been a strong advocate for America's 
children. This is why we have to show him, and continue to have to show 
him, where our hearts are in terms of educating our children. We have 
heard from other speakers before that he has been in the forefront 
fighting for workers' rights and was the key sponsor of the Family and 
Medical Leave Act, which was the first bill signed into law by 
President Clinton.
  For nearly two decades, Congressman Clay fought hard and tirelessly 
for the Hatch Act which is one of his labors of love and one of the 
really sterling pieces of legislation that was passed out on this floor 
and signed October, 1993, by President Clinton.

                              {time}  1630

  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) knew that he left his paw 
print and his mark on us, and so he then thought that he would get his 
son to come and follow in his footsteps, a young man of distinction. I 
hope that we do have the pleasure of continuing with a Clay Member.
  He serves on many boards. One is the W.E.B. DuBois Foundation and the 
Jamestown Slave Museum. He also serves on boards for furthering 
education to our children, such as Benedict and Tougaloo colleges.
  He is the founder of the William L. Clay Scholarship Fund, a 
nonprofit organization that will continue to give scholarships to young 
African-American students and other students who are aspiring to higher 
education.
  Yes, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) will be missed in this 
body.
  He is the recipient of numerous achievements, degrees, and awards. He 
is the author of many books, as we have been told, but one that really 
gives us a perspective of the history of the Congressional Black Caucus 
and black Members of Congress.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) will be sorely missed. I know 
I have not known him for 20-some years, but I tell my colleagues, the 
way he has whipped us around here to make sure that we will take care 
of the education for the children of this country, it seems like I have 
known him for 22 years. Godspeed to him, a great man.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor one of our most effective, hard 
working colleagues in the House. Congressman William Clay is the 
distinguished senior member of the Missouri congressional delegation. 
He is the Minority Ranking member of the House Education and the 
Workforce Committee where he has served as a tireless advocate for 
America's children.
  As a native of St. Louis, William L. Clay was elected to the House of 
Representatives in 1968. And since that moment, Congressman Clay has 
developed and promoted a legislative agenda focused on ``workers' 
rights.'' He was a key sponsor of the Family and Medical Leave Act, 
H.R. 1, which was the first bill signed into law by President Clinton. 
For nearly two decades, Congressman Clay worked on the Hatch Act reform 
which was one of his labors of love and was signed into law October 
1993, by President Clinton.
  Congressman Clay serves on many boards, one of which is the board of 
the W.E.B. DuBois Foundation and the Jamestown Slave Museum. He has 
served on the boards of Benedict and Tougaloo colleges. He is the 
founder of the William L. Clay Scholarship Fund, a nonprofit, tax-
exempt scholarship program which presently enrolls fifty-six students 
in twenty-one different schools.
  Mr. Clay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in history and political 
science from St. Louis University and is the recipient of numerous 
honorary degrees for his achievements as a legislator. The Congressman 
is author of two books: To Kill or Not to Kill, published in 1990, 
which deals with the savagery of capital punishment, and Just Permanent 
Interests, published in September 1992, which chronicles the history of 
Black Members of Congress.
  Congressman Clay will be solely missed by myself, his Congressional 
Black Caucus colleagues and all of us here in Congress. But we know he 
will continue to provide leadership, dedication and compassion for 
America's workers and for education and our children for years to come.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas 
(Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 
tribute to a genuine American hero, a tireless fighter for inclusion in 
one of the Nation's most influential and prolific legislators in the 
history, my friend, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay).
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) was a hero for justice before 
he came to Congress, and the gentleman's record in Congress is nothing 
short of amazing. Virtually every piece of legislation he touches has a 
direct and decisive impact on all Americans.
  For his entire career, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) has 
been one of the Nation's preeminent fighters for families and for 
students. His impact has been universally felt, whether through his 
critical support for the Family and Medical Leave Act, or his work as 
Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  For decades, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) has fought to 
give every American an opportunity to succeed. As the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) retires after a groundbreaking career, the 
Congressional Black Caucus salutes one of its

[[Page H11425]]

founders and most extraordinary workers.
  Through the work of this congressman and his wife Carol, the 
Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus 
Foundation have become two of the most important organizations in 
America. Thanks in part to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the 
impact of African-Americans in Congress has been enhanced 
exponentially. Thanks to Mrs. Clay and her work with the Congressional 
Black Caucus Foundation, the number of African Americans serving at all 
levels of government has been positively impacted forever.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) practices what he preaches. 
The scholarship fund that bears his name has awarded more than $1.5 
million in scholarships to minority students. Right now, 58 students 
are in college as a direct result of his efforts.
  He is an author and a scholar. His three published books have held 
America's feet to the fire and forced this country to examine the 
treatment of minority issues in the highest levels of power.
  A bold innovator, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) has 
consistently used his stature to help the less fortunate, to make 
America stronger, and to raise the standard of living for everyone in 
the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to call the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Clay) my friend. He has been there to support me and countless other 
Members of Congress during both good times and during some of the most 
challenging moments.
  During this election season, when every candidate espouses his or her 
ability to lead, our youth should look to the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Clay) as a model of integrity, teamwork, and leadership. The 
Congress loses a true treasure with his retirement. But America can be 
thankful that we felt his influence on our lives during his remarkable 
life of service.
  We know that we are not where we want to be, we know that we are not 
where we need to be, but we do know we are a long ways from where we 
were when the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) came.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Hinojosa).
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I, too, am here today to honor and pay 
tribute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce ranking member, as he prepares to retire 
from Congress.
  In the two terms I have served with him on the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce, he has proven himself to be a national leader on 
civil rights and human rights, a leader who truly cares about the 
people of his District and this country.
  He has been a fighter for access to education for kids and access for 
postsecondary education for all Americans, especially women and 
minorities.
  To serve in this Chamber for over 30 years displays supreme, supreme 
dedication. Yes, he is known by many as a great historian about 
Congress, but I will always remember him in the way in which he led his 
side of the aisle in the Committee on Education and the Workforce where 
I learned to respect this gentleman.
  For 32 years, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) has been a 
powerful force on matters involving labor and civil service employees. 
This was best evidenced when he led the fight for the Family and 
Medical Leave Act, the first bill signed by President Bill Clinton. 
Working families have benefited greatly because of his excellent work 
in the U.S. Congress.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) was also remembered and will 
always be remembered as a successful national leader in our fight to 
defeat a very unfair version of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act proposed by the House Republicans this 106th session. I will always 
remember how he pointed out the weaknesses in the work that they were 
doing and the amendments that they were able to pass because they had 
the majority.
  I will always remember how the gentleman from Missouri pointed out 
the need for improving ESEA so that it would reach those children from 
families of low income who, in many cases, are not being served 
properly, who have to attend classrooms with leaky roofs and bad 
lighting and all of the things that we would never want our children to 
have to go to school in.
  I will always remember the way in which the gentleman from Missouri 
pointed out the weaknesses of this ESEA program, not only for the 
minority children for whom he has always fought so hard, but for all 
American children.
  I say that many of the things that we have heard this morning and 
this afternoon, as the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) prepares to 
retire, is very true. But, especially, I learned that he had been one 
of the handful of Congressmen who founded the Black Caucus. I know that 
he saw that handful of Congressmen grow into a very powerful, large 
group of over 40 United States Representatives, better known as the 
Black Caucus.
  When I came to this Congress, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) 
taught me the importance of building coalitions if I wanted to pass 
legislation in this United States Congress. It did not take me long to 
see a kaleidoscope of possibilities of what could be done when we 
joined the Black Caucus with a Hispanic Caucus and the Women's Caucus 
and the Native American Caucus and all those who have come together to 
be able to make the changes that are making life so much better in our 
United States, improving the quality of life of all Americans.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) is a man who has made a 
difference for the people of St. Louis and all of America, not just the 
community that elected him. They elected him, and he earned the right 
to come to Congress because he was a vigorous and exciting campaigner, 
a tough campaigner. That is what we have seen him here as a 
Congressman, a man with a great deal of compassion, a great deal of 
commitment, and a man of integrity.
  We owe the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) our gratitude for 
accepting the challenge as he did and for fighting the good fight. God 
bless the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) and God bless his family.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the 
District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands for yielding to me for a few minutes of remarks about the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), our good friend.
  What a career: Labor leader, civil rights leader, author, Member of 
Congress, founder of the Congressional Black Caucus.
  However, no bio of the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) is likely 
to contain one of his best qualities and one that will be especially 
missed in this body, and that is his wit, one of the sterling and best 
wits ever to hit the floor of the House. I know about what happens when 
it hits the floor.
  One day, when people were coming to vote on the D.C. Appropriation, 
the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) greeted people as they were 
going out, most of the Democrats having voted automatically for D.C., 
and said ``You just voted for D.C. statehood.'' Even among the 
Democrats, there were some people who lost the blood in their face.
  That is the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for us. A man who 
somehow knew how to be serious and knew how to make fun. I tell my 
colleagues, in a body like this, we need that kind of Member.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) is a Member who has always had 
the ability to laugh at himself, make us laugh at ourselves, and, yes, 
make himself laugh at himself.
  My greatest regret that he is going is that he is going before his 
virtual inevitable chairmanship of the House Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, a chairmanship that would have been mighty well earned. 
I guess one has to understand the special quality of the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay) to understand how a man can walk away when that may 
be so very close. Indeed, I believe it is so very close.
  If one had had the kind of career that the gentleman from Missouri 
(Mr. Clay) has had, one does not have to hang around waiting for more. 
To be sure, there is a lot the gentleman from Missouri could have done 
as chair, given what he has already done.
  But the fact is that his roster of accomplishments would make 
anything

[[Page H11426]]

he did as chair of a full committee icing on the cake: his work on 
notice for plant closings, if we can remember when those plants were 
closing precipitously all around the country; of course his work that 
has been cited in the Family Medical and Leave Act; the way he has 
blocked repeal of measures for affirmative action; his work on Hatch 
Act reform, his work on IRS reform. This is all very serious 
legislation.
  What is important to remember about the gentleman from Missouri, for 
me at least, is that the man brought his career into the House. In the 
streets, he was a civil rights demonstrator and activist and a labor 
man. In this House, he became a labor Democrat and a civil rights 
Democrat. Few Members have been able to make that seamless a transition 
so that their entire life reflects what they have stood for. He did not 
have to change up when he came into the House. He simply brought his 
great principles, his great causes, and found a way to achieve what he 
had worked for outside on the inside.
  The gentleman from Missouri was one of the first critical mass of 
African Americans to serve in this House.

                              {time}  1645

  They got to have a small number, but large enough to form their first 
caucus and then to become a model for many others groups who then 
formed their own caucuses to press in a cohesive and unified way for 
their constituents.
  Bill fought his way into Congress by fighting on the front lines of 
the labor movement struggle and the civil rights struggle. I must say 
there are probably few Members who can look back at their career and 
say they spent their first term as an alderman, the first 4 months of a 
9-month term, actually in jail for his constituents. Talk about fibrous 
transitions. If that does not show it, I do not know what does. But it 
is one of those actions that cemented Bill Clay in the hearts and minds 
of his constituents, and no one could have gotten him out of here 
unless he walked away from here if they had wanted to.
  Bill brought that willingness to fight here, because that is part of 
who the man is, and it is quite amazing to see that a man with that 
kind of street smarts and street activity would have a side of him that 
most Members do not know. It is reflected in one of perhaps the longest 
of his writings, ``Just Permanent Interests,'' his book about black 
Americans in Congress from 1970 to 1991. It is an extraordinary 
compendium and reference and eye opener. That is Bill Clay the scholar. 
That is this multifaceted man.
  Well, I can only say to my good friend that we are told that a 
younger, more handsome Clay is about to grace this floor. We will be 
mindful, however, that Representative William L. Clay was an original.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands for yielding to me.
  I have sat and listened and been thrilled and delighted and smiled 
hearing all of the accolades that have been bestowed upon Bill Clay as 
he prepares to retire, and I agree with everything that I have heard. 
It occurred to me as I listened, though, that I knew Bill Clay perhaps 
better than I did any Member of Congress, other than those from 
Chicago, in terms of being way back, and that is because St. Louis is 
so close to Chicago. We used to call it the big city, and felt we were 
one of the suburban communities of St. Louis.
  But Bill Clay has always represented a large urban area, which is not 
always the easiest to represent. There are large numbers of low-income 
people, people who are searching and seeking. In many instances in the 
Midwest and the north there are people who migrated from southern areas 
of the country, and so I know it well.
  The thing that has impressed me the most about the gentleman from 
Missouri is that the same comments that we hear from his colleagues in 
the House we also hear from the people on the streets in St. Louis. I 
have never met a person in St. Louis who did not feel that they knew 
Bill Clay. And it was not that they knew him through what they had read 
in the newspapers, or they knew him from what they had seen on TV, they 
simply felt close to the man. So the fact that he could give people a 
feeling of empowerment, that he could cause the ordinary person in a 
community, in a neighborhood, in the inner city to feel empowered is 
the true mark of a genius, a man who can transcend, a man who can 
communicate effectively, who can talk to the people on the corner, walk 
in the pool room, walk into the neighborhood tavern, walk in the alley 
where the people are working on their automobiles and having a beer in 
the summertime and be at home.
  We used to work Bill to death, I guess, in the 1970s. There were not 
as many African American Members of Congress. I was involved with 
community action groups and organizations, and every time we needed a 
speaker, we would be looking, and we would just work Bill Clay and 
Shirley Chisholm to death. We would work them. They would be running 
from one place to another. But Bill never said no unless he just had 
to. If he could make it, he would.
  So, Bill, as you leave, I know you leave with the satisfaction that 
you have done a good job. You leave with the understanding that you 
have epitomized the words of Kipling when he said, ``You have learned 
to walk and talk with kings and queens, and you never lost the common 
touch. All people have mattered with you, but none too much. And, yes, 
you have given the unforgiven moment, with 60 seconds worth of distance 
run. Yours has been not only these chambers but yours has been the 
earth and all that is in it. And, yes, your father would say you have 
been a man, my son.''
  Good luck and best wishes.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Rush).
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this 
time.
  It is with great humility and admiration that I stand before this 
body today for perhaps the most profound few minutes that I can imagine 
to pay tribute to a man who is a hero to many, many others and a hero 
to myself; a man who has paved the way for so many African American 
Members of Congress through his many, many years of distinguished 
service.

  I like to say that my familiarity, my contact with Bill Clay goes 
back many decades. Indeed, forever etched in my mind is a photograph of 
him as a young man, tall, handsome, a large Afro, being sworn in as a 
Member of the city council in St. Louis, Missouri, many, many years 
ago. For those of us who were young at that time and who also wore 
Afros, it was quite an honor, quite a motivation, quite an 
inspirational moment to see someone who looked like us, who came from 
the same type of background and neighborhood as we did, to finally be 
accepted into a government office, into the city council in St. Louis. 
Indeed, it was an inspiration, an inspiration that still motivates me 
even today.
  It is probably one of the most pleasurable things that one can ever 
experience, having looked at a hero, at a role model, at someone that 
one idolizes, and then to have God's blessing of serving with him as a 
colleague in the Congress. But between that swearing in and my coming 
to Washington as a Member of this body, Bill Clay touched my life on 
many different occasions.
  I can remember a time, a period in American life when in my own home 
City of Chicago, in my home State of Illinois, when as a young man I 
was an activist, and there was a lot of turmoil and controversy, a lot 
of violence that occurred. A close, close friend of mine, Fred Hampton, 
a member of the Black Panther Party in Illinois, was murdered on 
December 4, 1969. And as a member of that organization, I do recall the 
kind of terror that was in my heart, the fear that existed among all of 
us as we were being hunted down by police agencies and the FBI all 
across this Nation. We did not know where to turn or who to turn to. 
But on the horizon Bill Clay and other Members of the Congressional 
Black Caucus did come into Chicago and conducted a hearing in Chicago 
that kind of settled the turmoil, brought clarity to the situation. The 
impact of the Congressional Black Caucus in Chicago will never, never 
be fully told, but I can say this, that without the intervention of 
Bill Clay and other Members of the Black Caucus, then I certainly would 
not be standing here today.

[[Page H11427]]

  Let me just say that since I have been a Member of this body and have 
experienced not only his friendship and his professionalism, one thing 
that keeps me thinking and admiring Bill Clay the most is that he 
really cares for this institution, he cares for everything about it. 
Bill Clay understands this institution, the potential of this 
institution, and he works very, very hard to realize that potential for 
his constituents and for all Americans.
  Bill Clay understands the importance of the Congressional Black 
Caucus. Indeed, he was a founding member of the Congressional Black 
Caucus. Bill Clay understands all the other allied institutions and 
agencies that affect this caucus. Bill Clay is probably the single most 
profound individual, most consistent individual to look at the affairs 
of the Democratic National Club.
  Mr. Speaker, that is another thing. Bill Clay called me one morning a 
few years ago and asked me would I serve on the Congressional Black 
Caucus Foundation. This man cares about this institution and all the 
allied institutions and all the supportive institutions and all the 
institutions that impact on America's people, and I say to my 
colleagues that we will miss this giant of a man. We will miss this 
Member of Congress, this trailblazer, who in his own humbleness has 
touched many, many of us for many, many years.
  I will say to Bill that my wife Carolyn asked me to pass on to him 
and his wife Carol that she is going to miss the letters that he sends 
to the spouses, our spouses, Members of the Black Caucus spouses, as he 
critique the actions and attitudes and the history and the legacy of 
the Congressional Black Caucus. The gentleman has been a friend, a 
person whose humor has really made this place a different place than 
what it could have been.

                              {time}  1700

  He has been a beacon for us all. His history, his presentation, his 
involvement in this Congress certainly is unparalleled; and I thank him 
so very, very much. And to him and his wife, Carol, I say Godspeed and 
thank you for all the service that he provided. We are all going to 
miss him.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great humility and admiration that I stand 
before this body today to pay tribute to Congressman Bill Clay, a man 
who has paved the way for so many African American members of Congress 
through this many years of distinguished service.
  In a day and age when so many Americans are disillusioned with 
politics and politicians, Bill's historic tenure in this house 
represents the virtue and honor of a career in public service. Even 
before entering Congress, Bill tirelessly fought for equality for 
African Americans by organizing protests against racial inequality. As 
a member of Congress, Bill has been staunch advocate for those most in 
need of a voice in Washington.
  As the ranking member of the Education and Labor Committee and the 
former Chairman of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, Bill 
used his influential position to advocate for a stronger educational 
system and ensure greater worker protections.
  As the founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Bill 
established a forum in which minority issues can be addressed. Bill was 
the glue that kept the caucus together. Bill has also fought tirelessly 
for working families through such efforts like the Family and Medical 
Leave Act.
  Bill is also a wonderful writer and communicator. His book, ``To Kill 
Or Not To Kill,'' made us all think long and hard about the death 
penalty. Also, his book ``Just Permanent Interests'' is a testament 
about African Americans in Congress.
  Let there be no question that the departure of Bill will leave a void 
in this body. We will miss his thunderous oratories, his tireless work 
ethic and his uncompromising morals. And yes, we will even miss his 
witty criticism of the Congressional Black Caucus' annual meetings. 
However, he will always live in this house because his legendary 
accomplishments and statesmanship are an example to us all.
  Bill thank you for your leadership and friendship. It has been a 
personal privilege to work with a man I have admired so much throughout 
my life. I wish you and your wife Carol well.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend and 
colleague, William Clay. Bill and I have known each other for over 
thirty years, I have campaigned on his behalf, we have worked on 
legislation together and we have developed a deep abiding friendship. 
Indeed, Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand here today and pay tribute 
to both a true gentleman and a fine public servant. While in Congress, 
Bill Clay worked to enact the Family and Medical Leave Act, ERISA, to 
increase the minimum wage, strengthen worker protections of union 
members, and to ensure fair treatment and pensions for women.
  Congressman Clay is the third most senior member of the House of 
Representatives, the dean of the Missouri Congressional delegation and 
ranking member of the Committee on Education and Workforce and former 
Chairman of the Postal Operation and Civil Service Committee. He has 
also served as the Historian for the Congressional Black Caucus.
  In his role as the Ranking Member on the Committee on Education and 
Workforce, in addition to the aforementioned accomplishments, he 
enacted numerous education provisions; including those strengthening 
Head Start, elementary and secondary education programs, and college 
financial aid programs. Just last year, he helped engineer a student 
loan forgiveness provision for new teachers going into inner city 
schools and a provision which reduced the interest students pay on 
educational loans. Additionally, he has always been a strong voice and 
champion for working families.
  Mr. Speaker, this moment is bittersweet. It is with great pride and 
with sadness that I bid farewell to my dear colleague. The price is due 
to the great work and fellowship that I have shared with Bill and the 
sadness is because I will dearly miss our one on one interactions, his 
counsel and his presence. Bill has always stood for justice, fairness, 
and equality for all citizens. His sense of commitment and morality has 
always been that every person is entitled to live in a decent home, in 
a safe neighborhood, receive a quality education, be paid commensurate 
with one's experience, and receive the best medicare regardless of 
social status. He has served these principles in an exceptional way--he 
will be sorely missed by the nation and by me.
  Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, the past few years have witnessed the 
departure of some of this institution and the Nation's most 
distinguished and effective legislators. This year certainly is no 
exception. With the departure of our dear colleague, dean of the 
Missouri delegation, third ranking Member of the House, and 
distinguished gentleman from the 1st Congressional District of 
Missouri, the Honorable William L. Clay, the House is losing one of its 
most extraordinary members.
  Educational trailblazer, legislator, author, political firebrand, and 
passionate civil rights activists and advocate for the rights of 
working men and women throughout this country, Bill Clay has 
concentrated his congressional career on improving working conditions 
for men and women, ensuring that every child, regardless of their 
socioeconomic background, has equal entitlement to a quality 
educational foundation, assuring Americans a quality health care 
network, and providing seniors with a safe and secure retirement 
system.
  As the ranking and senior Democratic member of the Education and the 
Workforce Committee, Bill has influenced and had a major impact on most 
of the major Federal education and labor initiatives to have occurred 
over more than a quarter of a century. Appointed to the then-Education 
and Labor Committee in 1969, he has been one of the committee's 
staunchest proponents of higher education funding, and for maintaining 
a decent, realistic, and respectable living wage for employees. He has 
been a stalwart supporter of this Nation's 39 historically Black 
colleges and universities (HBCUs), many of which have produced some of 
the Nation's most distinguished and successful African American public 
servants, business entrepreneurs, educators, and government officials.
  During his illustrious congressional career, Bill has sponsored or 
co-sponsored nearly 300 bills which were enacted into law. Among them, 
legislation to increase funding for higher education and the minimum 
wage; reform of the Hatch Act; and providing economic assistance and 
job training for dislocated workers. Also, legislation which 
reauthorized the Pell Grants Program for disadvantaged students; the 
Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act; the Individuals 
With Disabilities Education Act; and the Higher Education Act. As my 
colleagues know, these citations scratch just the surface of the 
thousands of history-making bills with which ``the distinguished 
gentleman from Missouri,'' has been chiefly responsible for or 
affiliated with during his remarkable 32 years in Congress.
  Early in his career, Bill worked to develop the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act (ERISA), a law which protects private pension and 
welfare benefits. He played a strategic role in legislation that led to 
the enactment of Cobra, which provides qualified beneficiaries, such as 
surviving and/or divorced spouses, and terminated and reduced-time 
employees, to continue health insurance coverage in employer provided 
group health plans for a transitional period until such time as they 
are able to obtain other coverage. One of the bills with which this 
bill is perhaps best identified, is the

[[Page H11428]]

Family and Medical Leave Act, landmark legislation which provides 
employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually to care for a 
new born infant or sick and infirm family members. The Family and 
Medical Leave Act was the first bill signed into law by President 
Clinton shortly after his 1992 inauguration and it has been a Godsend 
to millions of workers and families faced with family emergencies.

  Prior to its dismantling, Bill chaired the Post Office and Civil 
Service Committee from 1990-1994. He also chaired the Franking 
Commission, and from 1989 to 1994 served on the House Administration 
Committee, chairing the committee's Subcommittee on Libraries and 
Memorials. In 1990, he became one of the first Members of the House 
appointed to the Office of Fair Employment Practices Committee.
  Bill has spent nearly 50 of his 69 years fighting for the civil 
rights and equal opportunities for all minorities.
  As a founder and senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, 
Bill's advocacy for civil and voting rights opened the doors that made 
it possible for more junior members of the caucus to run successfully 
for election to the Congress. As a longtime board member of the 
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., he has been one of the 
most steadfast proponents of the organization's excellent educational 
programs.
  Bill's passion for education also led to his founding of the William 
L. Clay Scholarship and Research Fund in St. Louis. Because of his 
efforts, more than 100 St. Louis area students have been able to attend 
colleges and universities throughout the United States.
  A serious and astute student of the history of this Nation, Bill is 
the published author of two books, ``To Kill Or Not To Kill,'' which 
examines America's capital punishment system and its disproportionate 
impact on African Americans; and ``Just Permanent Interests: Black 
Americans in Congress 1870-1992.'' Bill currently is working to 
complete his third publication, ``Racism in the White House.''
  Mr. Speaker, students and employees throughout America can thank Bill 
Clay for many of the educational opportunities and substantially 
improved workers benefits they enjoy today. He has been their biggest 
and most ardent supporter, spending the better part of his adult life, 
and certainly his entire congressional career, committed to improving 
the social condition for them and for all Americans. It has been an 
honor and a distinct pleasure to serve with him in the Congress. As he 
prepares to say farewell to this esteemed institution where he has had 
such a tremendous impact on the social fabric of this country, may he 
do so proudly, grounded in the knowledge that he leaves behind a legacy 
that is secure for the ages.
  Good luck and Godspeed Bill. May you and Carol enjoy a long, healthy, 
and prosperous retirement.
  Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor to have an opportunity 
to serve with our friend and colleague Bill Clay, whose contributions 
during 32 years of service in this body have earned him widespread 
recognition as one of America's great voices for justice and 
opportunity during the last half of the 20th century.
  To me, and I'm sure to everyone who follows in his footsteps, he has 
been a personal mentor--one who has inspired us and guided us with his 
extraordinary skills; dedication and integrity; intellect and 
eloquence; and his thoughtful and gentlemanly demeanor that somehow 
makes his tenacious fighting spirit all the more effective.
  Many Americans believe that those of us who serve in public life may 
tend to overstate things from time to time. But that would be difficult 
to do in reference to Bill Clay's record of accomplishment.
  There is just so much that he has done that benefits people in his 
home state of Missouri and throughout the country.
  He fought for Hatch Act reforms for two decades, and eventually 
succeeded. In fact, he played a major role in shaping and passing a 
number of major initiatives that have helped ensure safety and fairness 
in the workplace.
  His imprint can be found on virtually every federal educational 
program that exists today, from Head Start to college aid.
  He was among those who engineered a student loan forgiveness program 
that eases the student payments on educational loans and provides an 
incentive to attract qualified new teachers into schools where they are 
needed the most. And this year, he is a leader in the effort to 
reauthorize the Class Size Reduction Act, which is adding 100,000 
teachers in school systems throughout the country.
  He is a thinker and writer who has authored several important books; 
a philanthropist who founded a scholarship fund that has helped scores 
of young people to fulfill their potential; a public servant whose 
efforts have brought enduring changes; and a committed citizen who has 
more than lived up to his belief that everyone should have a decent 
home in a safe neighborhood; receive a quality education; have an 
opportunity to work at a job commensurate with his or her skills and 
abilities, and receive quality health care regardless of income or 
social status.
  I know I will personally miss Bill Clay's friendship and leadership 
in this body.
  More importantly, he will be missed by the country at-large.
  But anyone who knows him knows that he is not the kind of person who 
will just vanish from sight.
  Whether retired or on active duty, you can bet that Bill Clay will be 
a caring, involved citizen, continuing to do everything in his power to 
make life better for others and, in so doing, to provide inspiration 
and guidance for us all.
  And, for that, we can all be thankful.
  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend and 
retiring colleague, Bill Clay.
  For nearly three decades, you have served African Americans across 
the nation very capably, Members of Congress included. When you founded 
the Congressional Black Caucus several decades ago, the environment on 
Capitol Hill and in America was very different. It was a time of 
struggle, and in spite of the many victories we had won during the 
Civil Rights Struggle, you knew we still had a long way to go. 
Congressman Clay, the victories you won in those exciting, turbulent 
days mean so much for African Americans today.
  Many of my colleagues gathered here today will remember that in Post-
Civil War America, Congress passed the Fourteenth and Fifteenth 
Amendments to the United States Constitution. While 22 African-
Americans were elected to Congress in the following years, the promise 
of these amendments was destroyed by Jim Crow laws. After decades of 
struggle, the sacrifices of nonviolent civil rights protesters, such as 
yourself, spurred Congress to approve the Voting Rights Act in 1965. 
The passage of the Voting Rights Act was perhaps the most important 
victory won by Bill Clay and the Civil Rights Movement. Today, with 
what I hope will be the imminent Democratic takeover of the House of 
Representatives, our nation stands on the eve of a historic moment as 
the prize of the Civil Rights Movement--the Voting Rights Act--bears 
fruit.
  The fruit comes in the form of African American legislators like 
myself, gaining seniority, the foundation of power in Congress. In 
fact, the upcoming Congressional Election represents a significant 
opportunity where, for the first time in United States history, 
Congressional Communities would be chaired by 3 African Americans: 
Congressmen Charlie Rangel, Julian Dixon and John Conyers would Chair 
the Ways and Means Committee, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and 
Judiciary Committees, respectively. Further, as many as 10 African 
Americans, including myself, would chair important Subcommittees if the 
Democrats win the majority. Bill, this is your legacy, and I salute you 
for it.
  I am also pleased to announce that your work will be continued in the 
107th Congress. For example, earlier today, like you, I have long been 
interested in promoting sound public policies that will ensure that 
students living in economically disadvantaged areas have the same 
educational opportunities as children in affluent areas.
  That's why I introduced legislation to create Educational Empowerment 
Zones. This legislation is premised on the idea that giving teachers 
meaningful incentives to live in the communities where they teach will 
improve the educational opportunities for children in low-income areas. 
My legislation will provide for the establishment of federally 
designated areas where federal aid and private funding can be targeted 
to increase teacher salaries, provide for loan forgiveness, and enhance 
teacher-training opportunities. The specific choice of the Educational 
Empowerment Zones will be based on factors such as the number of low-
income families, the dropout rate, the rate of teen pregnancy and class 
size.
  Bill, in addition to promoting initiatives like my Educational 
Empowerment Zones, I am looking forward to guarding your legacy by 
working with the Congressional Black Caucus to take the lead on efforts 
to close the Digital Divide. As we travel through our Districts and 
look in the faces of our children, we see the tremendous potential 
within these kids. It is our duty to ensure that this potential is not 
wasted because they do not have access to technology.
  As we all know, our rapidly growing electronic economy will drive our 
growth and prosperity throughout the new century. Yet, business leaders 
and policy makers must work together to ensure that everyone in our 
society is positioned to reap the benefits of, and participate fully 
in, the new digital age. In my opinion, the effort to close the digital 
divide represents the first major civil and economics rights struggle 
in the new millennium.
  We've seen the statistics, and we know people on the downside of the 
digital divide--the `have nots'--are already at a competitive

[[Page H11429]]

disadvantage in pursuing educational and professional opportunities in 
an increasingly online society.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope that we will be able to work together on this and 
similar initiatives aimed at closing the Digital Divide.
  In closing, let me say again, Bill, that I salute you for your 
accomplishments in Congress and the legacy you will leave us. I hope 
that we will be able to guard that legacy and keep opening doors of 
opportunity for all children in America.
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to a good friend and 
colleague, Congressman William ``Bill'' Clay. I have had the pleasure 
of serving with Bill on the Education and Workforce Committee since my 
election in 1992.
  Throughout his service, Bill Clay has been a fighter--a fighter for 
the hard working Americans who have made our country a global economic 
leader, a fighter for the disadvantaged, a fighter for public education 
but most of all a fighter for social justice.
  Looking back over his career as Chairman of the Committee on Post 
Office and Civil Service to the Committee on House Administration, to 
his current membership as Ranking Member on the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce, we find his imprimatur on numerous initiatives. He 
stewarded the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act into law, the Hatch 
Act reform bill which allows federal employees to participate in the 
political process, legislation prohibiting age-based discrimination in 
employee benefits, legislation providing federal loan guarantees for 
construction projects at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
  Bill Clay's penchant for being a fighter has served his constituents, 
this Congress and especially the Democrats on the Education and 
Workforce Committee well. For those of us who served with him on the 
Education Committee, his leadership was crucial at a time when we were 
in the Minority. Under Bill Clay's leadership we turned back radical 
efforts to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, defeated school 
voucher proposals, and championed meaningful education reforms and 
programs, like Class Size Reduction and School Modernization, that help 
the many, not just the few.
  As an original founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, Bill Clay 
started us on the path to where we are today, a highly respected body 
that is on the front lines championing the causes of the African 
American community in the legislative process.
  I have no doubts that Bill will continue the good fight after he 
leaves Congress. I look forward to his continued leadership.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues in 
paying tribute to Bill Clay.
  I have known Bill Clay best as my ranking member on the Education 
Committee for the past six years.
  During that time, I have seen firsthand Bill's tireless efforts for 
working families in this country.
  Whether he is fighting to increase the minimum wage, to protect 
workers from overtime abuses, or improve workplace safety, Bill Clay 
cares about American workers.
  And he cares about their children. He is a leader in our efforts to 
make sure that every American children has a safe, sound school to go 
to, with small classes and well-trained teachers.
  In Labor and Education Committee hearings, and here on the House 
floor, Bill Clay speaks up for those Americans who cannot always speak 
up for themselves.
  American working families have always been able to count on Bill Clay 
to do the right thing. They will miss him in Congress, just as those of 
us who serve with him will, too.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson.) The time of the gentlewoman 
from the Virgin Islands has expired.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for an additional 15 
minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  Mr. SMITH of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I would object to anything more 
than 5 minutes. A couple of us have been waiting quite a while. I 
certainly respect the opportunity for the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Clay) to respond, so I would not object to 5 minutes. But I would 
object for more than that.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Ford) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will yield, 
it is my honor to be able to rise to the occasion to salute a very 
important gentleman. It certainly is difficult, however, to speak about 
him in 1 minute.
  Many of us know him as the Honorable William L. Clay of St. Louis, 
Missouri, also known as the ``show me congressman.'' But I know him as 
teacher, as Mr. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as Mr. 
Working Americans and Families.
  All that we have heard of the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) is 
that he is certainly not shy in engaging in advocacy for the voiceless. 
But I might take my colleagues back to a special time in our history so 
they can see how his political journey was formulated.
  And 1968 was the first year of his election, the year of Martin 
Luther King's assassination and the assassination of Bobby Kennedy. How 
could the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) be any less than a warrior 
and a fighter for providing better education for our children and 
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary School Act, exploring 
and explaining the Hatch Act, making sure that if factories are closed 
the workers have protections and rights?
  Oh, Mr. Speaker, I wish I had more time. I wish this body would 
refrain from its rules and regulations and allow us to pay tribute to a 
man who deserves this great tribute.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) is my friend. He is our 
historian. I will miss his eloquent words, his chastising, but, most of 
all, your fight and your heart. How could a man who saw the death of 
Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy be any less?
  We look forward to his son. We thank him for his daughter, his wife, 
and all of his family. We thank him for St. Louis, Missouri, for 
sending us their native son, the ``show me congressman.''
  I believe he is the kind of congressman that will never sing the 
refrain ``we shall overcome'' but the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Clay) will sing the song ``we have overcome.''
  For those of this body who did not have the honor nor the pleasure of 
working with the Dean of the Missouri Delegation, the first thing I 
would like to share with you was his deep commitment to working on the 
behalf of working men and women of America. When it came down to a vote 
on a labor bill, Bill Clay would insist that he be shown how it would 
help working people in his district and across this nation.
  Congressman Clay is a native of Saint Louis, Missouri and was first 
elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1968. Because 
of his commitment to labor he selected Committees whose primary 
business deals with labor issues. Because of his skill in the area of 
labor he has reached the position of senior member of the Education and 
the Workforce Committee. The committee was known as the Education and 
Labor Committee when the House was controlled by Democrats, but in 1994 
when the Republicans took control of the House the committee was 
renamed the Education Employment Opportunities Committee, also called 
the EEOC to the consternation of the Republicans.
  Congressman Clay was also a champion of education and played a key 
role in the reauthorization of the elementary and Secondary Education 
Act, including efforts to reduce early grade class sizes by hiring 
100,000 teachers nationwide. He has also been leading the way for our 
nation's schools to be first in getting the resources necessary for 
school construction, renovation and modernization. His work in 
education has also included winning concessions from the Republicans to 
increase the amount of Pell Grant funding and the reduction of student 
loan interest rates. In addition, he has been a moving force behind 
securing increased support for Historically Black Colleges through 
Title III of the Higher Education Act. Congressman Clay has been a 
leader on the issue of education, which reflects the dynamic and 
diverse institutions of higher learning that are found in this great 
nation. Congressman Clay authored the Historically Black Colleges and 
Universities Capital Financing Act, which provides $375 million in 
federal loan guarantees for construction and renovation projects at 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
  He was the draftsman and the builder of an impressive pro-workers 
rights legislative agenda that is not equaled by any other senior 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus. He was one of the first man 
in Congress to really put families first with his sponsorship of the 
Family and Medical Leave Improvements Act to extend coverage of the 
current law.

[[Page H11430]]

  Congressman Clay has also taken on the tough job of reforming the 
Hatch Act, which existed to separate public service from partisan 
politics, but not separate federal workers for their right to free 
speech and freedom of assembly. For this reason, he has worked to 
ensure that Federal and postal workers had the same rights to 
participate in politics that are allowed to other citizens.
  Congressman Clay has also brought sanity to our nation's pension 
plans at a time when many were in doubt of meeting their promise to 
America's older workers. He led the effort to reform our nation's 
pension laws, including legislation to protect employees from raids on 
their pension plans. He championed legislation to prevent age-based 
discrimination in employee benefits, and sponsored legislation to 
provide continued health insurance coverage through employer pension 
plans under COBRA for those separated from their employment.
  On the behalf of the thousands of plant workers in and around the 
City of Houston, I would like to thank Congressman Clay for seeing that 
it was the law of our country that plant closings must give 60 days 
advanced notice or 60 days of pay to employees for failure to notify 
them of a closure.
  Congressman Clay was the founder of the William L. Clay Scholarship 
Research Fund, a non-profit, tax-exempt scholarship program, which has 
enabled over 100 Saint Louis area students to attend colleges.
  I would like to join my colleagues in saluting Congressman Bill Clay 
for a job well done. He has stayed the course and made a positive 
difference in the lives of average working Americans and their 
families. Congressman Clay, I along with the thousands of others who 
are inspired by your efforts in government would like to thank you for 
selecting public service as your life's vocation.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, let me just say 
that it is with a deep sense of admiration and gratitude actually that 
I join my colleagues in honor and recognizing a true warrior and a 
giant of a man, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay).
  I have had the privilege of knowing the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. 
Clay) since 1975, actually, when I joined the staff of another great 
leader, the Honorable Ron Dellums. Then, as now, serving with the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) in this great House, I continue to 
marvel at his intellect and his insight and his total commitment to 
social political and economic justice.
  Yet, his sense of humor, his compassion, and his big heart never 
ceases to amaze me. He is a true trail blazer. And I will actually miss 
his thoughtful reflections and analysis that really always kept us on 
track.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) understood the power of 
coalition building and the clout of a unified Black Caucus way back 
when. We today are benefitting from his insight, his clarity and his 
understanding. He is truly a Member who has not only talked the talk, 
but he has walked the walk and he has shown us what a true statesman 
can and should be.
  So I just want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for 
everything that he has done, for all that he has taught us, and just 
say that I will miss looking up there and seeing those votes oftentimes 
with that one or two red votes next to him being in the real minority 
in terms of doing the right thing in terms of standing for principle 
and honesty and integrity.
  I wish him a wonderful next chapter of his life.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, it has been my privilege to manage 
this hour of tribute to the gentleman from the First District of 
Missouri (Mr. Clay), a steadfast champion of education, labor, and the 
founding member the Congressional Black Caucus.
  We have heard but a few of the accomplishments and contributions of 
the gentleman in this short hour, and I associate myself with all of 
the prior remarks. Truly he has left a rich legacy in labor. And in 
education he has been to minority education what his long-term friend 
and colleague Congressman Stokes has been to the cause of minority 
health.
  The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) will leave a great void, but 
we will fill it with his rich legacy. I am pleased to join my 
colleagues in saying thank you on behalf of this body and our Nation. I 
would say thank you also to his dear wife, Carol, and his family for 
sharing him with us.
  Godspeed and God bless as he leaves this body. But I am sure he is 
not leaving a life of service and many, many more contributions to his 
country.
  We thank him very much for his service.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman from Tennessee 
(Mr. Ford) has expired.
  (By unanimous consent, Mr. Ford was allowed to proceed for 1 
additional minute.)
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, so much has been said about the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Clay). Not enough can be said. I have happened to have 
the chance to know him or he has known me all of my life. My dad was 
his colleague in Congress for more than 22 years.
  Lacey and Michelle, and I know we cannot campaign from this body, but 
he is a Democratic nominee for Congress there in the First District, 
and I certainly wish him the very best of luck. He comes from such 
great genes.
  I want to tell just one story, I was in college at the University of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. Speaker, and a group of us started a monthly 
newspaper there. We sought donations for the start of this newspaper 
because we wanted to maintain its independence from the university, not 
in hostility to the university but wanting to have an independent voice 
on campus.
  I sent out solicitation letters to all of my dad's friends and all of 
his colleagues. And he has some wonderful colleagues, the Rangels, the 
Grays, and the Waters, and there are so many others, the Stokes that he 
served with, the best friend of the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay).
  I will never forget going to the mailbox and here I was 19 years old 
in college, Mr. Speaker, and receiving this envelope from the office of 
(Mr. Clay), $500 donation, for this newspaper. The newspaper started 
and was run by young people at the school, and it is still in existence 
today in the spirit in which he provided all those scholarships for 
children throughout his district and throughout the State of Missouri.
  I am also one youngster whose life he touched and impacted. I would 
not be in the Congress today but for work he did here in the United 
States in opening doors and creating opportunities and chronicling the 
history of not only African-Americans here in the Congress but great 
Americans here in the Congress.
  On behalf of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) and the 
gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) and all the young members of 
Congress, I want to say thank you for his leadership and thank you for 
his service. Aunt Carol has been a gem and a treasure to all of us here 
in the Congress, certainly those of us who have grown up around her.
  I look forward to serving with Lacy and Michelle and Angela and Clay 
and Michael. I love your grandchildren and I love the family. I just 
want to say thank you for all that he has done, all that he will 
continue to do, and all that he has meant to this great body.

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