[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 147 (Monday, December 4, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2111]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING SID YATES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 4, 2000

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker,

       To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven 
     constitutes perfect virtue. . . . [They are] gravity, 
     generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.--
     Confucius

  We are diminished by the death of our former colleague, Sid Yates, 
who was by every estimation a model legislator and one of the most 
decent men to have served in the House of Representatives.
  Sid devoted his life to public service and spent nearly a half 
century in Congress working to better the lives of all Americans. As 
Chairman of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, he worked hard 
for the protection of our environment and the enrichment of our 
culture. He was committed to bringing cultural opportunities to 
Americans of all backgrounds in every part of the country and he made 
sure that the federal government played a strong role in nurturing the 
development of talented artists.
  Sid always treated his congressional colleagues with respect and 
courtesy. In recent years, when federal funding for the arts became a 
polarizing issue, Sid responded to intolerance with tolerance and 
kindness. He was always an honest broker. He never questioned or 
impugned his opponents' motives. He was unwavering in his beliefs. And, 
he never abandoned principle for temporary political gain.
  Sid left us a strong legacy of achievement on which to build and an 
example of true statesmanship.

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