[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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