[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 144 (Friday, November 3, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       A TRIBUTE TO SIDNEY YATES

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, November 3, 2000

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to be able to 
enter these precious remembrances of our dear friend and able attorney, 
Congressman Sidney Yates, into the Congressional Record. His 
illustrated career spanned half a century, 24 terms as a Member of the 
people's House. And what a stellar human being, citizen, and Member he 
was! I had the distinct pleasure of serving with him on the 
Appropriations Committee and in that capacity deepened my respect for 
him each passing year.
  When I think of this true gentleman from Illinois, I remember his 
engaging smile, his brillant intellect, his love of the arts and of the 
environment, his puckish humor, and his devotion to human and civil 
rights. His knowledge of the Rules of the House knew no equal. And he 
applied his legislative skills with a mastery that elevated us all. 
Yes, Sid Yates, Master of the House.
  How many times I recall Sid standing up for recognition in the 
Committee to carry his arguments. Eloquent. I admired his ability 
highly. So erudite was he, holding the attention of all listeners. Were 
it not for the fact that he left the House briefly to run for the U.S. 
Senate, I have no doubt he would have attained the Chairmanship of the 
Appropriations Committee. He certainly possessed all the ability and 
respect required of it.
  Just before Sid left Congress, I asked him what he considered his 
major accomplishments as a tenured Member of this body. I thought he 
would answer that his legacy included major expansion of our national 
park system, or our institutions of art and culture, or improvements to 
his home district on Chicago's northwest side. Or, I imagined he would 
mention the major donations of art he had given to museums across our 
nation. For indeed his accomplishments included all of these. Yet he 
mentioned none of this. First, he said he considered his efforts to 
achieve the integration of the Capitol Police Force in the late 1940's 
to be a stellar achievement. Then, he said helping establish the United 
States Holocaust Memorial Museum would remain in his memory always.
  One cold winter evening, when the National Gallery of Art had a 
modernist exhibition, I was strolling through the galleries and came 
upon Sid with his beloved wife, Addie. As always, he greeted me warmly 
and called me ``dearie'', too, as I imagine he did with all the women 
Members. He was always encouraging, cajoling, lifting us all. I think 
he took special satisfaction in helping the minority of women in this 
institution rise to full acceptance.
  My heartfelt sympathies go out to the family of this magnificent man 
who loved his nation and dedicated his entire life to the business of 
democratic governance. What a joy to have known him and learned from 
him! What a legacy he has left for America.

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