[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 148 (Tuesday, December 5, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H11998-H12007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE IN MEMORY OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN HENRY B. GONZALEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 1999, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, I paid my last respects to a 
man that I knew since the age of 12, a man that I respected and admired 
immensely, Henry B. Gonzalez. I have called this special order so that 
we may honor Henry B., a friend and a former colleague.
  I would like to express my condolences to his wife, Senora Gonzalez; 
my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Charles 
Gonzalez); and the entire Gonzalez family. My heart and prayers are 
with them in this time of sorrow.
  Henry B. was one of the hardest working men I have ever known. My 
father often referred to him as ``El Compadre,'' the godfather. He was 
a true friend to all San Antonions and all Texans and throughout the 
country. From my father's radio I grew up listening to the words of 
Henry B. My dad's Compadre was famous for his blazing honesty, strong 
convictions, compelling oratory, and undying dedication to public 
service.
  Long hours working at a Southside San Antonio gas station as a young 
man gave me the opportunity to meet dozens of people every day when I 
used to fill gas tanks. When I worked at the gas station and people 
came by, I checked their oil and washed their windows. I still vividly 
recall the day almost 40 years ago when I was working there at that gas 
station on Pleasanton

[[Page H11999]]

Road and a special customer drove up and asked me to fill up his tank. 
When I realized that it was Henry B. Gonzalez who had parked next to 
me, I was filled with pride and excitement.
  Even at that age, as a teenager, I knew Henry B. and the legacy that 
he was hard at work establishing. Congressman Gonzalez was a role model 
to all of us, a strong man with a strong work ethic fighting for all of 
us. But at the time, for me, he was one who needed gas; and I took 
pride in being able to fill up his gas tank at that age.
  As the Nation pays tribute to Henry B. and the hard-fought battles he 
championed, Alamo City mourns the profound loss of one of the most 
well-known figures in Texas public office. He served proudly in the 
United States House of Representatives, but long before his famous days 
in Washington, our Compadre served as a civilian cable and radio censor 
for military and naval intelligence, as a Bexar County probation 
officer, the deputy director of the San Antonio housing authority, and 
as a city councilman in San Antonio and the Texas State Senate fighting 
for our communities.
  Henry B. spoke for those who had no voice of their own. Then State 
Senator Gonzalez is also known for his famous filibuster. To this day, 
as a State Senator in Texas, he still holds the record for the longest 
filibuster. And his filibuster helped kill several bills, in fact 
almost 20 or 30 bills, that were still pending in the Texas House that 
would have overridden and circumvented the Supreme Court decisions 
regarding segregation.
  Congressman Gonzalez shepherded the construction of a medical school 
in San Antonio and veterans hospital in San Antonio, he brought the 
HemisFair exposition to the city, he passed measures protecting San 
Antonio's vital drinking water supply, supported area military 
installations, and worked to expose the 1980 savings and loan scandal.
  As a partisan firebrand in the United States Congress and chairman of 
the House Committee on Banking, Henry B. was tireless at his work. As 
chairman, he helped to usher over 71 bills through the legislative 
process. He was an advocate for making more credit available to small 
businesses, helping find safe places for people to put their savings, 
and reauthorizing the Federal housing loans and laws.
  In 1997, from the floor of the United States House of 
Representatives, our Compadre introduced me to the country as I was 
sworn in to the Congress. As he introduced me to his colleagues of more 
than 30 years, I recalled with great pride his leadership throughout 
the years that he had espoused. I also thought back to that one day 
when some 40 years before that I had had a chance to meet him for the 
first time and marveled at how far our community and Nation had come 
because of this single man.
  It is with deep sadness that we say good-bye to a true American hero. 
Henry B. dedicated his life to public service and we have all 
benefitted from his kindness and his wisdom.
  Mr. Speaker, I will attach additional documentation on Mr. Gonzalez 
at this point for the Record.

   Henry B. Gonzalez; United States Representative, Democrat of Texas

 Eighty-seventh-One Hundred Fourth Congresses, November 4, 1961-Present

       A strong personality who has received national attention 
     for his various crusades, Henry Gonzalez was the first 
     Hispanic Representative from Texas, and has served in 
     Congress longer than any other Hispanic. He was born Enrique 
     Barbosa Gonzalez in San Antonio, Texas on May 3, 1916. His 
     parents, Leonides Gonzalez Cigarroa and Genoveva Barbosa 
     Prince de Gonzalez, fled to San Antonio from the state of 
     Durango in northern Mexico during the Mexican Revolution in 
     1911. Leonides Gonzalez had served as mayor of the town of 
     Mapimi, Durango in Mexico. Henry Gonzalez attended public 
     schools and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1935. He 
     continued his education at the University of Texas and San 
     Antonio College. In 1943 he graduated from St. Mary's 
     University School of Law. Shortly after the Japanese attack 
     on Pearl Harbor, he was called to government service and 
     worked as a civilian cable and radio censor for military and 
     naval intelligence. After graduation he worked as assistant 
     juvenile probation officer, quickly rising to chief probation 
     officer of the Bexar County Juvenile Court. In 1947 he was 
     hired by the Pan American Progressive Association as 
     executive assistant. From 1947 to 1951 he helped his father 
     ran a translation service in San Antonio.
       In 1953, with the support of Mexican-Americans and Anglos, 
     Gonzalez was elected to the San Antonio City Council, serving 
     as mayor pro-tempore for part of his first term. In the city 
     council he spoke against segregation of public facilities, 
     and the council passed desegregation ordinances. In 1956 he 
     was elected to the State Senate; he was subsequently 
     reelected and served until 1961. In 1957 Gonzalez, along with 
     Senator Abraham Kazen, attracted national attention for 
     holding the longest filibuster in the history of the Texas 
     Legislature, which lasted thirty-six hours. They succeeded in 
     killing eight out of ten racial segregation bills that were 
     aimed at circumventing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in 
     the Brown v. Board of Education case. Among his other 
     achievements in the Senate were a slum clearance law and the 
     passage of a bill for the creation of a medical school. In 
     1958 Gonzalez unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Texas; 
     although an unlikely candidate, he wanted to offer an 
     alternative to the race between Governor Daniel and former 
     governor W. Lee O'Daniel.
       During the 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy 
     requested Gonzalez's help in organizing Viva Kennedy Clubs 
     throughout the country. Gonzalez and U.S. Senator Dennis 
     Chavez of New Mexico served as national co-chairman.
       Gonzalez was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
     in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the 
     resignation of Paul J. Kilday (D-TX), who had been appointed 
     to the Court of Military Appeals. In 1961 he was elected with 
     over half of the votes. Subsequently he has faced little 
     challenge in reelection bids; he has generally won with at 
     least eighty percent of the vote and a number of times he has 
     run unopposed. Although he has supported and initiated 
     legislation for the welfare of Hispanics, he has never run on 
     a Hispanic platform.
       As a Representative, Gonzalez quickly got attention in 
     1963. He received substantial publicity when he voted against 
     additional appropriations for the House Committee on Un-
     American Activities, because it received more money than 
     other committees that produced more reports and legislation.
       During his first term, Gonzalez was assigned to the 
     Committee on Banking and Currency, which in 1977 became the 
     Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee, where he 
     worked for the passage of a number of legislative proposals 
     of the New Frontier and Great Society including the Housing 
     Act of 1964. He worked on legislation that was eventually 
     incorporated into the Equal Opportunities Act of 1964, and 
     supported the Library Service Act of 1964, and the Civil 
     Rights Act of 1964. In addition, Chairman Wright Patman (D-
     TX) appointed Gonzalez as a special liaison representative on 
     Latin-American affairs; Gonzalez attended the Inter-American 
     Development Bank Board of Directors conference in Panama in 
     April 1964. During the 1960's he also campaigned to put and 
     end to the bracero program, which allowed the use of foreign 
     labor to harvest agricultural crops. He criticized the 
     program for the deplorable conditions under which laborers 
     worked.
       In the 1970's Gonzalez continued with his crusades. In 1977 
     he gained national attention as Chairman of the House 
     Assassinations Committee that was established to investigate 
     the murders of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. 
     Animosity developed between Gonzalez and the attorney who 
     headed the probe. Gonzalez quit within weeks, due to the fact 
     that in his opinion the investigation was doomed because 
     powerful forces in organized crime were against it. He also 
     urged an investigation of the murder of Judge John W. Wood in 
     San Antonio. When the indictments were handed down, Federal 
     prosecutors thanked Gonzalez for his perseverance. As a 
     member of the House Small Business Committee in the 94th 
     Congress, Gonzalez served as Chairman of the ad hoc 
     subcommittee on the Robinson-Patman Act, Anti-trust 
     Legislation, and Related Matters. He played a key role in 
     salvaging the Robinson-Patman Act, which some consider to be 
     the ``Magna Carta'' of small business. During the 1970's 
     Gonzalez opposed nuclear power and introduced legislation to 
     phase out existing nuclear facilities, and continued his work 
     in support of public housing.
       In 1981 Gonzalez became the Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
     Housing and Community Development, where he worked on 
     legislation to approve a program to assist families who faced 
     foreclosure on their homes. Later he battled the Reagan 
     administration when it proposed cuts in public housing 
     programs.
       With the leadership of Gonzalez as Chairman of the Banking, 
     Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee, the committee was able 
     to enact many pieces of legislation, including flood 
     insurance reform, major housing initiatives, increasing the 
     accessibility to credit to small business, and strengthening 
     anti-money laundering laws, bank fraud, and other financial 
     crimes. In addition, through his efforts with legislation and 
     through hearings, he succeeded in making the Federal Reserve 
     more publicly accountable. During his ten year Chairmanship 
     (1971-1981) of the Banking Committee's Subcommittee on 
     International Development Institutions, and Finance, he 
     sponsored an amendment to a number of international banking 
     bills. The ``Gonzalez amendment.'' as it was commonly known, 
     protects U.S. citizens from expropriation by countries that 
     receive loans from international development institutions to 
     which the U.S. contributes.
       During his tenure as Chairman of the Banking Committee, 
     Gonzalez had to deal with the collapse of the savings and 
     loan industry, a crisis he had predicted throughout

[[Page H12000]]

     the 1980's. In 1991 he led a restructuring of the federal 
     deposit insurance system. As Chairman he earned a reputation 
     for being a fair leader who allowed equitable participation 
     in the creation of bills.
       Gonzalez was once again in the national spotlight in 1992, 
     when he requested an investigation of the Bush 
     administration's involvement in loans to Iraq.
       In addition to his legislative career Gonzalez has served 
     seven times as a House Delegate to the Mexico-United States 
     Interparliamentary Conference, and has received numerous 
     awards from universities, including honorary doctorates from 
     St. Mary's University and from Our Lady of the Lake College.
                                  ____


     Henry B. Gonzalez of San Antonio--Elected 1961; 18th Full Term


                        Biographical Information

       Born: May 3, 1916, San Antonio, Texas.
       Education: San Antonio College, 1937; U. of Texas, Austin, 
     1937-39; St. Mary's U. of San Antonio, LL.B. 1943.
       Occupation: Teacher; public relations consultant; 
     translator.
       Family: Wife, Bertha Cuellar; eight children.
       Political Career: Candidate for Texas House, 1950; San 
     Antonio City Council, 1953-57, mayor pro tem, 1955-57; Texas 
     Senate, 1957-61; sought Democratic nomination for governor, 
     1958; sought Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, 1961.
       Capitol Office: 2413 Rayburn Bldg. 20515; 225-3236.


                               Committees

       Banking & Financial Services (ranking).
       In Washington: Gonzalez, more than most other senior 
     Democrats who once ruled the roost in the House, went into a 
     shell with the Republican takeover in 1995. The energetic (if 
     eccentric) former chairman of the Banking and Finance 
     Committee was absent or inactive at many important committee 
     sessions in the 104th Congress. An intensely proud man, he 
     showed little interest in waging losing battles in committee, 
     unlike many other Democrats who put up fierce resistance to 
     the newly empowered GOP majority.
       Ironically, Gonzalez's most notable achievement of late 
     involved him defeating Democrats, and Republicans. In 
     November 1996, he fended off two Democrats who challenged him 
     for the ranking spot on Banking for the 105th Congress.
       But one of the factors that kept him in the ranking seat 
     was his promise to party colleagues that he would give up the 
     seat after two more years and serve in an emeritus capacity--
     if Gonzalez, now past 80, tries for a 19th full term in the 
     House in 1998.
       The House Democratic Caucus let Gonzalez have two final 
     years as ranking member after he made an emotional plea to 
     stay on. The mercurial Texan, who legendary independent 
     streak has long ruffled the feathers of House leaders, 
     demonstrated a vigor in the caucus session that noticeably 
     has been lacking since the GOP takeover. He emerged with a 
     plurality of the vote in a three-way race with John J. 
     LaFalce of New York and Bruce F. Vento of Minnesota, second- 
     and third-ranking Democrats on the committee. Gonzalez got 82 
     votes, LaFalce 62 and Vento 47. LaFalce conceded rather than 
     continuing the fight into a runoff, sparing the party a clash 
     that made many Democrats uncomfortable.
       The effort to topple Gonzalez arose after his repeated 
     absences from committee meetings in the 104th caused even 
     longtime supporters such as Barney Frank of Massachusetts to 
     recommend that Democratic leaders push out Gonzalez.
       ``I think we had a very good six years under Henry,'' said 
     Frank, who had been Gonzalez's conduit to the House 
     Democratic leadership but supported LaFalce's challenge. 
     ``But the transition from chairman to ranking member was 
     personally very tough for him.''
       Gonzalez's supporters mounted an active campaign. Committee 
     colleague Joseph P. Kennedy II of Massachusetts said that 
     Banking Democrats had pulled together to repel GOP 
     initiatives even though Gonzalez himself had slowed. ``What 
     are we going to do, take away a ranking membership from a guy 
     who is a folk hero among Democrats?'' Kennedy asked. ``This 
     guy defines the Democratic Party's values.''
       Gonzalez helped himself with a masterful speech in which he 
     made the one-last-term pledge that earned him the benefit of 
     some members' doubt. ``I say to you, I have served with honor 
     and integrity and success. I have never failed myself and I 
     have never failed you,'' Gonzalez told the caucus behind 
     closed doors. ``And so I appeal to you: Do the right thing. 
     Do the fair thing. I appeal to your sense of justice: One 
     last term as ranking member, and I will not disappoint you.''
       The caucus erupted in applause audible in the corridors of 
     the Longworth House Office Building. ``There were probably 
     some votes that he swayed even in that speech, which is 
     unusual around here,'' admitted LaFalce supporter Floyd H. 
     Flake of New York. Gonzalez received two standing ovations, 
     and balloting started immediately after his speech ended.
       Gonzalez's victory came despite LaFalce received the 
     Democratic Steering Committee's endorsement by a 22-19 
     margin, and Vento campaigning vigorously. ``It's very 
     difficult to express in words the profound sense of gratitude 
     I feel at this moment,'' Gonzalez said after the vote. He 
     said he did not harbor any ill feelings towards LaFalce or 
     Vento, saying, ``It's all part of the process. It's better to 
     be tested and tried and win than not to be tried at all.''
       During a congressional career that has spanned nearly four 
     decades and included three terms as chairman of the Banking 
     Committee, Gonzalez has earned a reputation for iconoclasm 
     that few can match. Republicans remember him for advocating 
     impeachment of Presidents Ronald Reagan after the 1983 
     Grenada invasion and the 1987 Iran-contra scandal, and George 
     Bush after the 1991 Persian Gulf War. But Gonzalez also has 
     been an affliction to some in his own party. His bulldogging 
     of savings and loan kingpin Charles Keating, Jr. played a 
     part in ending the political careers of three Democratic 
     senators with ties to Keating. And he gave no quarter when 
     interrogating Democratic wise man Clark Clifford about his 
     role in the world's biggest bank scandal, involving the Bank 
     of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).
       Gonzalez's hands-off attitude toward Whitewater was rather 
     out of character; in the past he had often shown himself to 
     be an aggressive investigator. After the Gulf War, for 
     instance, he waged a lonely crusade to expose what he saw as 
     the U.S. government's wrongheaded pre-war attempts to curry 
     favor with Iraq and help it strengthen its military--a policy 
     he said had encouraged Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to invade 
     Kuwait.
       But from the beginning, Gonzalez opposed using his Banking 
     Committee to hold Whitewater hearings. He condemned 
     Republican inquiries as a ``witch hunt'' and an ``array of 
     half-truths, old rumors, half-baked conspiracy theories and 
     out-right lies.'' Gonzalez finally gave in, but when the 
     hearings took place in August 1994, he made prolific use of 
     the gavel to enforce a five-minute limit for questioners and 
     limit the scope of the inquiry.
       Before he assumed the Banking chairmanship, his record as a 
     legislator was dismissed as thin, even as he was revered in 
     San Antonio for his unstinting defense of the underclass. But 
     in the six years he chaired Banking, Gonzalez significantly 
     rehabilitated his image in Washington. He helped repair one 
     of the biggest financial debacles in the nation's history--
     the near-collapse of the savings and loan industry. He also 
     helped avert a lesser crisis affecting banks by shepherding 
     an overhaul of the deposit insurance system in 1991. He earns 
     credit for being one of the House's most committed fighters 
     for affordable housing, although victories on that front have 
     been few in recent years. And in the 103rd--a Congress that 
     failed to enact major legislation in several areas it 
     pursued--Gonzalez's committee passed two significant 
     measures: in interstate banking law and a community 
     development law that married bank regulatory relief with 
     several schemes to encourage lending in distressed 
     communities.
       Gonzalez has been a fighter since the beginning of his 
     career, whether pressing solo causes or setting personal 
     quarrels. He is a passionate populist, and a sincere if long-
     winded one. He also can be stubborn, short-tempered and prone 
     to eruptions of anger. In 1963, he threatened to ``pistol 
     whip'' and then struck a House Republican who claimed 
     Gonzalez's ``left-wing voting record'' served the socialist-
     communist cause. In a San Antonio restaurant 23 years later, 
     Gonzalez struck a man who had called him a communist; 
     prosecutors later dropped misdemeanor charges.
       At Home: Like many Texas Democratic incumbents, Gonzalez 
     felt some impact from the big GOP year of 1994. While his 
     Republican opponent, Balcones Heights City Council member 
     Carl Bill Colyer, pulled in less than 40 percent of the vote, 
     he nevertheless held the incumbent to his lowest winning-
     margin since his first election in 1961.
       The son of Mexican immigrants, Henry B. (as he is known 
     both in Washington and in Texas) began climbing the local 
     political ladder after World War II. He sought office while 
     helping his father, the managing editor of a Spanish-language 
     newspaper, run a translation service. Gonzalez made it to the 
     state Senate in 1957 and quickly drew attention by 
     filibustering against Democratic Gov. Price Daniel's bill to 
     allow the state to close schools threatened by disturbances 
     surrounding integration.
       In 1958 Gonzalez ran as the liberal alternative to Daniel 
     in the Democratic gubernational primary. He was beaten by a 
     margin of more than 3-to-1, but the defeat only encouraged 
     his ambition. Three years later, he sought the Senate seat 
     vacated by Lyndon B. Johnson. While Gonzalez carried his home 
     base, Bexar County, his statewide appeal as a candidate with 
     a Hispanic name was limited. He ran sixth out of 73 
     candidates, gaining 9 percent of the vote.
       But he soon had another chance. Later in 1961, Democrat 
     Paul Kilday resigned from the House to accept a judgeship, 
     and Gonzalez became the consensus Democratic candidate for 
     the seat.
       The special election was a clear liberal-conservative 
     choice. Gonzalez was warmly endorsed by the Kennedy 
     administration. John Goode, a former GOP county chairman, had 
     the active assistance of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater and 
     Texas' newly elected GOP senator, John Tower. With strong 
     support in Hispanic areas, Gonzalez won with 55 percent. He 
     became the first person of Mexican-American extraction to be 
     elected to the House from Texas.

[[Page H12001]]



                             HOUSE ELECTIONS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                             Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996 General:
  Henry B. Gonzalez (D)..............................      88,190  (64%)
  James D. Walker (R)................................      47,616  (34%)
  Alejandro ``Alex'' DePena (LIBERT).................         2,156 (2%)
1994 General:
  Henry B. Gonzalez (D)..............................      60,114  (63%)
  Carl Bill Colyer (R)...............................      36,035  (37%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Previous Winning Percentages: 1992 (100%); 1990 (100%); 
     1988 (71%); 1986 (100%); 1984 (100%); 1982 (92%); 1980 (82%); 
     1978 (100%); 1976 (100%); 1974 (100%); 1972 (97%); 1970 
     (100%); 1968 (82%); 1966 (87%); 1964 (65%); 1962 (100%); 
     1961, special election (55%).

                                                CAMPAIGN FINANCE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      Receipts  Receipts from PACS  Expenditures
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996:
  Gonzalez (D).....................................................   $123,375       $46,600 (38%)      $86,231
  Walker (R).......................................................    138,847           450  (0%)      138,735
1994: Gonzalez (D).................................................    116,025        32,650 (28%)       55,382
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                       DISTRICT VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996:
  D...................................................      82,892 (59%)
  R...................................................      48,485 (35%)
  I...................................................       7,285  (5%)
1992:
  D...................................................      81,373 (48%)
  R...................................................      57,964 (34%)
  I...................................................      28,970 (17%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                KEY VOTES
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1997: Ban ``partial birth'' abortions...............................   N
1996:
  Approve farm bill.................................................   Y
  Deny public education to illegal immigrants.......................   N
  Repeal ban on certain assault-style weapons.......................   N
  Increase minimum wage.............................................   Y
  Freeze defense spending...........................................   N
  Approval welfare overhaul.........................................   N
1995:
  Approve balanced-budget constitutional amendment..................   N
  Relax Clean Water Act regulations.................................   N
  Oppose limits on environmental regulations........................   Y
  Reduce projected Medicare spending................................   N
  Approve GOP budget with tax and spending cuts.....................   N
------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                 VOTING STUDIES
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Presidential     Party unity    Conservative
                                                                      support    ----------------    coalition
                              Year                               ----------------                ---------------
                                                                     S       O       S       O       S       O
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996............................................................      84      16      84      16      67      31
1995............................................................      82      14      82      11      48      44
1994............................................................      78      19      96       4      22      78
1993............................................................      90      10      95       5      34      66
1992............................................................      23      77      94       6      38      63
1991............................................................      32      67      93       7      16      84
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                         INTEREST GROUP RATINGS
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Year                 ADA      AFL-CIO      CCUS       ACU
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1996........................         80        n/a         38         15
1995........................         85        100         20          4
1994........................         75        100         25         15
1993........................         80        100          9          8
1992........................         80         92         38          4
1991........................         75        100         10          0
------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                               
                                  ____
           [From the San Antonio Express-News, Dec. 2, 2000]

                 Political Leaders Offer Their Tributes

                            (By Gary Martin)

       Washington.--A flag flew at half-staff Wednesday above the 
     U.S. Capitol as former Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez's death was met 
     with a national outpouring of sorrow and mourning.
       President Clinton offered the country's condolences to the 
     Gonzalez family.
       ``Henry will forever be remembered as a man of conviction 
     and humility who devoted his life to lifting people up and 
     building bridges of understanding.'' Clinton said in a 
     statement released by the White House.
       ``Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Bertha, his 
     children, and his family and friends,'' Clinton said.
       Gonzalez, 84, awoke feeling ill and was rushed to Baptist 
     Medical Center in San Antonio, where he died Tuesday.
       The feisty congressman was the first Mexican-American 
     elected from Texas to serve in the House of Representatives. 
     Now there are six from Texas, including three from San 
     Antonio.
       ``Congressman Gonzalez was a trailblazer and a leader for 
     all of Texas,'' Clinton said.
       In addition to kicking down ethnic barriers, Gonzalez had a 
     colorful career in the House that spanned 37 years.
       It was sprinkled with acts of defiance--calling for the 
     impeachment of two Republican presidents--and fisticuffs that 
     led to national headlines when he punched a GOP congressman 
     in 1963 and a restaurant patron at Earl Abel's diner in San 
     Antonio 23 years later.
       A maverick lawmaker who sometimes frustrated the leaders of 
     his own party, Gonzalez wore his populist and liberal 
     leanings on his sleeve, often dressed in seersucker or large-
     lapel suits that caused visitors and Gucci-dressed lobbyists 
     on Capitol Hill to gawk.
       ``I do remember that. They were great suits,'' said a 
     chuckling J.J. ``Jake'' Pickle, a former Democratic 
     congressman from Austin and one of Gonzalez's closest 
     friends.
       ``You could always spot Henry. But he wore, and said, what 
     he thought. It offended some people. But Henry did it his 
     way. And he was as fearless in his crusading, as he was right 
     on most issues,'' Pickle said.
       ``He was one of the rarest political characters I have ever 
     known. And he was champion for civil rights before we even 
     knew what it was,'' said Pickle, who retired in 1994 after 30 
     years on Capitol Hill.
       House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said Gonzalez ``always 
     fought the good fight.''
       ``Henry's passing leaves us all with a void that can't be 
     filled,'' Gephardt said.
       Despite a long legislative career, Gonzalez was most proud 
     of legislation he shepherded through Congress to help the 
     underprivileged gain a foothold to the American Dream.
       ``Millions of Americans will sleep tonight in homes made 
     possible through Mr. Gonzalez's battles for affordable 
     housing and community development,'' said Ralph Nader, the 
     Green Party presidential candidate and consumer activist.
       ``Mr. Gonzalez's record will stand forever as a reminder of 
     what legislators can accomplish when they have the courage 
     and thought to follow their best instincts,'' Nader said.
       His long list of fights and achievements on behalf of 
     racial minorities, women and working families brought out a 
     ``Who's Who'' of politicians paying respect.
       ``Henry B. Gonzalez was one of my heroes,'' former Texas 
     Gov. Ann Richards said.
       ``He spoke out for people and the needs of the poor and 
     working class long before it was easy to do. Henry B. was a 
     catalyst for the advancement of the rights of Hispanics, 
     people of color and women. Our gratitude is boundless,'' 
     Richards said.
       On Capitol Hill, where lawmakers were in adjournment until 
     Monday, fax machines transmitted comments of praise and 
     adulation for Gonzalez, who reluctantly left his Washington 
     office because of illness in 1998.
       Many colleagues were in the Capitol in 1997 when he left a 
     session of Congress in an ambulance. A dental infection had 
     traveled to Gonzalez's heart and damaged a valve. After a 14-
     month absence, he returned, only to announce his retirement.
       His son, Charlie Gonzalez, was elected to succeed him.
       Charlie Gonzalez said his father struggled with the illness 
     and being away from Washington.
       ``It's been hard these last couple of years, being away 
     from Congress,'' Gonzalez said moments after his father died.
       A tireless advocate for San Antonio, Gonzalez was a New 
     Deal Democrat who worked to bring pork barrel projects back 
     to his congressional district, helping to establish Kelly AFB 
     as one of the largest aircraft repair depots in the Air 
     Force, and securing the 450-bed Brooke Army Medical Center.
       Pickle said his biggest achievement was HemisFair 1968. 
     Gonzalez funneled federal money into the project, prompting 
     the city to name the nearby convention center after him.
       ``He put San Antonio on the map, through the HemisFair 
     event,'' Pickle said.
       Early in his congressional career, San Antonio loyalists 
     would hold an annual dinner to honor Gonzalez, Pickle 
     recalled, noting: ``The program would last on and on and on.
       ``On two or three occasions I would just go to listen to 
     him. About 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. they would get around to 
     introducing Henry B.''
       Pickle said he was elated when Gonzalez, who was known for 
     his lengthy speeches, announced at one event that he wouldn't 
     make a speech.
       Instead, the congressman planned to introduce his extended 
     family, which would ``fill up a phone book.''
       Pickle sneaked off.
       ``By the time I got back to Austin, he was still 
     introducing his last cousin,'' he said.
       ``We were good friends,'' Pickle said. ``I accepted his odd 
     characteristics, as I know he accepted mine.''
                                  ____


           [From the San Antonio Express-News, Dec. 2, 2000]

                       Prayer, Praise at Funeral

                (By Carmina Danini and Sherry Sylvester)

       The rich, the poor, the powerful, the disadvantaged, the 
     young and old gathered at San Fernando Cathedral on Saturday 
     to celebrate the life of a man they sent to Congress for 18 
     consecutive terms.
       Henry B. Gonzalez was paid tribute by colleagues, friends 
     and family in a funeral the size of which is rarely seen in 
     San Antonio--and one marked by laughter and applause.
       Aired live on television, the Mass was part political rally 
     and part toast to the life of a remarkable man who was 
     honored in pure San Antonio style with ``Amazing Grace'' sung 
     in Spanish to mariachi music.
       Nearby, about three dozen mourners watched the Mass on two 
     large screens in the City Council chambers.
       The 84-year-old Gonzalez, who retired from public life two 
     years ago after an illness brought on by a dental infection, 
     died Tuesday afternoon.
       For two days last week, thousands of San Antonians paid 
     their respects and shared stories of the man who transcended 
     his West Side background and captured the public's affection 
     with an uncanny ability to connect with people.
       Despite chilly temperatures, throngs of people stood inside 
     the cathedral, in Main Plaza and along the four-mile route of 
     the procession to San Fernando Cemetery No. 2, where he was 
     buried alongside his parents, Leonides and Genoveva Gonzalez.
       The oldest cathedral sanctuary in the United States was the 
     perfect setting for the Mass of such a historic figure--a man 
     beloved by those cramming the old church to capacity.
       Many of them knew him. Others, like Lina Bello, a City Hall 
     secretary in Taxco, Mexico, were visiting but were caught up 
     in the ceremony.
       San Antonians loved Gonzalez, said former U.S. Congressman 
     Kika de la Garza, the

[[Page H12002]]

     Democrat from Mission, because he had ``el don de gentes.''
       The Spanish phrase means having the capability to win the 
     good will of people.
       Former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros said Gonzalez was 
     never a ``jefe politico'' or political boss.
       ``He didn't control a political machine,'' Cisneros told 
     mourners, many of whom arrived at the cathedral three hours 
     early to ensure they had a place to sit at the Mass.
       ``His political code was a bond directly between him and 
     the people. The only words that I find to describe this man 
     is that he was a tribune of the people,'' Cisneros said.
       Considered sacred in ancient Rome, the tribunes could 
     defend commoners against unfair acts by officials.
       Other speakers, many of whom worked alongside Gonzalez on 
     Capitol Hill, told of his unwavering work on behalf of the 
     voiceless.
       ``He was the champion of the common man and an 
     extraordinary figure in Texas politics,'' said U.S. Rep. 
     Martin Frost, D-Dallas, dean of the Texas congressional 
     delegation.
       Gonzalez's congressional colleagues came from all over 
     Texas and the nation to say goodbye to a man they called a 
     warrior, a statesman, a pioneer, a hero and a national 
     treasure.
       They also called him funny, brilliant, a maverick and a 
     coalition builder who lived his life with gusto.
       But the long line of elected officials who spoke also 
     described their longtime colleague as a warm and loyal 
     friend.
       Bill Richardson, secretary of the U.S. Department of 
     Energy, told people that Gonzalez loved Congress and the 
     people of San Antonio.
       ``But he was not just yours,'' Richardson said. ``He 
     belonged to everybody. He was national, but he was local.''
       Richardson, who represented President Clinton at the 
     Gonzalez funeral, knelt before Gonzalez's coffin before he 
     spoke, calling Henry B. ``a champion of the downtrodden.''
       U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, predicted that 
     Gonzalez's legacy will never die because he had pursued the 
     path of what was right instead of what was easy.
       ``Like FDR, Henry B. was loved for the enemies he made,'' 
     Kennedy said.
       ``He had the privilege of being a thorn in the side of 
     great privilege.''
       Cisneros called Gonzalez the single most important person 
     in San Antonio's history and one of the great leaders of the 
     20th century.
       ``Hearts were touched and dreams were forged by what Henry 
     B. Gonzalez inspired,'' Cisneros said. ``We have lost a great 
     one.''
       Frost, who served with Henry B. for a longer time than any 
     other Texas congressman, called Gonzalez ``an extraordinary 
     figure in Texas history.''
       Frost said that during his time in Congress, Gonzalez 
     always took the stand he believed was right.
       Frost said that unlike many politicians, Gonzalez never 
     cast a token vote for the other side in an effort to avoid 
     looking ``too liberal.''
       ``He never threw a vote, he never trimmed his sails,'' 
     Frost said.
       Gonzalez's congressional colleagues credited him for 
     creating housing laws, financial regulations that opened the 
     way to home ownership and financial security for poor people.
       U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, told the mourners at 
     San Fernando Cathedral that he had flown to San Antonio on 
     Saturday because Henry B. had played a key role in rescuing 
     his state of Rhode Island from a severe financial crisis.
       ``He brought hope to a state whose motto is hope,'' Reed 
     said. ``We could not have done it without Henry B.''
       Former Congressman Bob Krueger said that Gonzalez was able 
     to follow his conscience in Congress and speak from his heart 
     because he knew he had the support of the people of San 
     Antonio.
       Former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox said he was a 
     little ill at ease seeing so many political dignitaries at 
     Gonzalez's funeral.
       ``I have a feeling that Henry B., would open the doors and 
     make sure all the common folks could get in here,'' Mattox 
     said.
       U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, thanked the 
     Gonzalez family for allowing the high Mass to become a 
     ``state funeral,'' and Texas state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos 
     noted that he was in segregated schools when Henry B. first 
     went to Congress. He thanked Gonzalez for making his career 
     possible.
       U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, told the crowd about 
     joking with Gonzalez about a young Republican in Congress who 
     learned how to vote by watching Gonzalez and always voting 
     the other way.
       State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, 
     D-California, U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez, D-San Antonio, former 
     U.S. Rep. Bill Patman, U.S. Rep. Ken Bentsen, U.S. Rep. Henry 
     Bonilla, R-San Antonio, and de la Garza also spoke eloquently 
     about their comrade.
       ``Texas is a better place today because Henry B. Gonzalez 
     spent 84 years on the face of this earth,'' Frost said.
       Both Richardson and Jackson Lee told of the time, close to 
     his retirement, when several young Democrats believed Henry 
     B. should be replaced as chairman of the House Banking 
     Committee.
       ``We needed 211 Democratic votes,'' Richardson said, ``I 
     was a little worried.''
       But Richardson said that Henry B. would not allow him to do 
     any campaigning to keep him in the job.
       When it came time for the Democratic Caucus to vote, Henry 
     B. spoke last.
       ``I've never failed myself, and I've never failed you,'' 
     Gonzalez said.
       Richardson said he won the vote by a 3-to-1 margin.
       ``It wasn't even close.''
       A sorrowful Charlie Gonzalez paid the final tribute to his 
     father with stories, jokes and poetry. Gonzalez said that he 
     had no questions about whether or not his father was in 
     heaven, saying he believed his father was probably talking 
     politics with St. Peter.
       ``In heaven all the political yard signs will say `Keep 
     Henry B. in D.C.' and `All the Way with LBJ' and, of course, 
     `Viva Kennedy.' ''
       Gonzalez said he wanted to thank everyone who had ever 
     voted for his father. ``You are the people who made his life 
     possible,'' he said.
       Gonzalez said that he and his family had been comforted in 
     recent days by the knowledge that his father had left so much 
     more to the world than he had taken.
       The congressman shared some of the many stories he said he 
     has heard since his father's passing from people who said 
     Henry B. had touched their lives.
       The younger Gonzalez said he had been visited by two 
     brothers who had met Henry B. when he was their juvenile 
     probation officer.
       ``He straightened us out,'' Gonzalez reported one brother 
     saying. ``He got me out of reform school and sent my brother 
     there.''
       Gonzalez also read the William Wordsworth poem, ``The 
     Character of the Happy Warrior'' as his elegy.
       ``He opened eyes, he opened hearts and that shall be my 
     father's legacy,'' Gonzalez said.
       Sitting on a back pew, Maria Palencia spoke proudly about 
     the photos she had of Gonzalez holding her then-3-month-old 
     granddaughter, Adelita Becerra.
       ``He went to Ruiz Elementary School, where my daughter was 
     a teacher,'' Palencia said. ``She had taken the baby to 
     school that day.''
       The granddaughter is now 26 years old.
       Outside the cathedral, people stood three deep as the 
     pealing of bells competed with music by the Mariachis 
     Campanas de America.
       A few waved as the casket was placed inside the hearse. An 
     elderly man who began weeping uncontrollably was led away by 
     his daughter.
       ``We'll never have anyone like him ever again,'' the man 
     said.

  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), our dean and chairman.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the designation of the minority 
leader, the balance of the time is reallocated to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Frost), and the gentleman from Texas may proceed.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of my friend and 
colleague, the late Henry B. Gonzalez. I remember the day in January of 
1979 that, as a new freshman Congressman from Dallas, I walked across 
the floor of the House and first introduced myself to Henry B. 
Gonzalez. I, of course, knew who he was and what he had stood for; but 
I am not sure he knew anything about me.
  I mentioned to Congressman Gonzalez that my father was from San 
Antonio, that I had a lot of family in his district; and I said 
something about my 88-year-old grandmother, Pearl Frost, living in San 
Antonio. His eyes brightened, and he replied that of course he knew my 
grandmother. Well, after all, he knew everybody in San Antonio. From 
that moment on, Henry B. took a special interest in my career. He was 
very kind and very helpful as I started learning how to be a 
Congressman.
  For 20 years, I had the chance to observe Henry B. up close. Several 
things struck me during that time. First, he was always true to his 
core beliefs. He never varied from his support for the downtrodden and 
in his support for equal justice for all people, regardless of race, 
color, or creed. Some Members of Congress will follow a zigzag path in 
their voting pattern from time to time, casting a conservative vote 
here and there so that opponents cannot call them a liberal in the next 
election. Henry B. never worried about that kind of thing. He was 
always on the side of the people, no matter what the issue. He did not 
try to trim his sails. He was who he was.
  Second, Henry B. was well read, smart and very able. When he first 
became chairman of the House Committee on Banking, some Members 
questioned whether he had the temperament to chair a major committee. 
Some good-naturedly commented to him about how he had changed his 
wardrobe now that he chaired the Committee on Banking. He no longer 
wore brightly colored suits all the time, but could often be seen in 
dark pinstripes.

[[Page H12003]]

They told him that he was even dressing like a banker.
  The concerns about Henry B.'s ability to handle the Committee on 
Banking quickly disappeared. He was a steady chairman, fair to all 
sides, and he guided the committee through some very tough legislative 
balances. Early on, he correctly predicted problems faced by 
deregulating Texas savings and loans and, as chairman, crafted a fair, 
tough plan to correct these problems.
  Finally, no one could ever say that he benefitted financially from 
his position, or that he was in any way influenced by special interest 
contributions. He simply did not need the contributions and probably 
would not have taken them even if he ever did have a campaign, which he 
usually did not. Most of us spent hours putting together our annual 
financial disclosure statements we had to file with the House. Henry B. 
filed the same statement every year. He had his congressional salary, 
and that was it.
  During his final years as a Member of Congress, age finally had 
started to slow him down. He was challenged in the Democratic caucus in 
1996 by two younger Members who wanted his position as ranking 
Democratic Member on the Committee on Banking. Henry B. rose in a 
hushed meeting of the caucus to ask his colleagues for one more term as 
the ranking member. He eloquently recounted his career, how he had 
fought for the people his entire life and what he had done as chairman 
of the committee. It was no contest. The caucus rallied behind this 
champion of the common man and the challenge disappeared.
  As Molly Ivins said in a recent column, ``Henry B. was not a saint, 
but he was a fighter. He was the genuine article, the real thing. He 
was an extraordinary figure in Texas political history who advanced the 
cause of Hispanics and all minorities in our State. Texas is a better 
place today because Henry B. Gonzalez spent 84 years on the face of the 
Earth. He will be remembered long after most of his contemporaries have 
been forgotten. And that's the way it should be. We love you, Henry, 
and we are better because you walked our way.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen), who 
served on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services with Mr. 
Gonzalez.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas for 
yielding to me, and let me say that the people of San Antonio, the 
people of Bexar County, Texas, and the people of Texas and the United 
States suffered a great loss with the passing of our former colleague, 
Henry B. Gonzalez, last week.

                              {time}  1145

  There is no question that Henry B. Gonzalez, in his service on the 
San Antonio City Council, in the Texas State Senate, and as a Member of 
this body, including the pinnacle of being the Chair of the House 
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs did more for the people 
he represented than probably most Members who have served in this body. 
But more than that, Henry was a trail blazer for the Hispanic 
population of Texas and the United States, and he was a trail blazer 
and a leader for American consumers as well.
  There is not a piece of legislation dealing with consumer rights, 
financial issues, or housing issues that was not greatly influenced or 
does not bear the mark of Henry B. Gonzalez that occurred over the last 
30 years.
  Henry B. Gonzalez was the father of the Community Reinvestment Act. 
He was the father of much of the financial services reform that 
occurred in the 1980s and 1990s. And he clearly was the father of the 
various laws dealing with public housing and housing assistance that 
were adopted by this body in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
  Henry B. Gonzalez was always true to his word. He always rose to the 
occasion and conquered whatever task was put before him. As my 
colleague from Ft. Worth has mentioned, there were some who questioned 
whether or not he would be able to rise to the occasion as Chair of the 
House Committee on Banking, and there were some who questioned whether 
or not he would be able to go beyond issues related to consumer rights 
and community reinvestment and housing issues to deal with the tough, 
intricate issues of financial regulation, particularly in the midst of 
the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. And yet Henry B. Gonzalez was 
the person who was able to show the leadership, to drive a force 
through the middle to pass the FIRREA and FIDICIA legislation and pass 
other legislation which brought this country out of its worst banking 
crisis since the Great Depression.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is any question that Henry B. 
Gonzalez did what he was asked and served with great distinction for 
the people of the 20th District of Texas and the United States.
  I would just close by saying this: I had the honor of serving with 
Henry B. Gonzalez in two ways, one as a Member and also as staff; and I 
can remember, while in graduate school as a young staffer on the Hill 
long before the Conservative Opportunity Society and Members really 
knew what Special Orders were about, it was Henry B. Gonzalez who came 
to the floor every day and closed the House and would speak 
extemporaneously for 60 minutes about whatever issue he happened to be 
interested in, drawing back on his extensive knowledge of history and 
captivating the audience that was there, the new C-SPAN audience that 
was out there.
  Later, as a member of the House Committee on Banking, when Henry was 
the most senior member, with all due respect to the chairman, but still 
the most senior member on the committee, and I the most junior member 
on the committee, he brought me along. And I will never forget, as the 
chairman of the committee knows this well, Henry B. Gonzalez, who built 
his career, who has the longest record for a filibuster in the Texas 
State Senate, fighting the so-called States' rights issues and the Jim 
Crow laws, that at the end of his career, it was Henry B. Gonzalez and 
I who were fighting for States' rights and the rights of Texas to 
determine its home equity laws.
  We were not successful that day in the House Committee on Banking, as 
the chairman will remember. But, in the end, Henry prevailed and the 
issue went back to the State of Texas.
  It was a great honor and privilege to serve with Henry B. Gonzalez. 
He will long be remembered not just in the 20th District and not just 
in Texas, but throughout the United States, for the work that he did 
for the American people. We are a better place for his service.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. 
Leach), the current chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial 
Services.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I 
particularly thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order in 
honor of his great Texas friend. In my time in the United States 
Congress, I have served with no more honorable a man.
  Henry was an old-fashioned liberal, and he never had a conflict of 
interest. He did not just simply advocate, he lived campaign reform. 
His only special interest was his constituents. He never let them down. 
Nor did they ever countenance an alternative. Honesty has its rewards.
  I might say that, while a bit more conservative and bent, I believe 
his values are very much reflected in his son, with whom we are also 
very honored to serve.
  As colleagues on the Committee on Banking, Henry and I held differing 
positions on a number of issues, particularly matters involving the 
Federal Reserve. But Henry Gonzalez always had an element of justice, 
an element of good judgment on the side as, for example, when he sought 
to bring more transparency to certain operations of the Federal 
Reserve. He also led Congress in efforts to uncover money laundering in 
all parts of the country, particularly in his own region, the San 
Antonio Federal Reserve District.
  It is sometimes said that the true riches in one's life can be 
measured by the lives that one has touched and changed for the better. 
Throughout his history in public service, Henry Gonzalez has served as 
a model for millions of Americans. And throughout his career, he 
steadfastly stood for those less advantaged. He has literally 
represented and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of 
Americans.
  For his honorableness, his commitment to basic values, for his 
remembrance of his roots, we in this House are deeply honored to have 
served with this man and we honor his memory.

[[Page H12004]]

  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, at this time it is my intention to yield to 
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the co-chair of our Steering 
Committee. And then it is my intention to yield to members of the Texas 
delegation. And then to the extent that we have other Members who want 
to speak, I will be yielding to them. But I want to give our colleagues 
from Texas the opportunity to speak.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I have 3 minutes. We have an hour Special Order. Each 
one of us that stands could spend an hour talking about our friend, 
Henry Gonzalez.
  This is the people's House. We are proud of that. No person in 
history better represented an advocate for the people than Henry B. 
Gonzalez of Texas.
  In a land of plenty, Mr. Speaker, and in a time of unprecedented 
economic prosperity across our Nation, many Americans, with no 
malicious intent in their hearts, may overlook the plight of the poor, 
the downtrodden, the vulnerable. That, however, could never ever be 
said of Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas, who passed away at the age of 84 
just a few days ago.
  Throughout his entire life in public service, including his 37 years 
in this Chamber, where he represented his beloved community of San 
Antonio, he was a battler for those who were struggling in our society. 
He was a champion of the underdog and for social justice throughout his 
37-year career in this body and previously in local and State 
government. He was a man of integrity, compassion, commitment, courage, 
unquestioned honesty.
  Born in 1916 to recent immigrants from Mexico, he knew firsthand 
discrimination and poverty. He entered public office after once 
resigning a position as a probation officer in juvenile court because 
he was prohibited from hiring an African American.
  Henry's fight for social justice continued when he was elected to the 
San Antonio Council. He won approval for a measure there to desegregate 
city facilities long before it was the popular issue of the day.
  In 1957, he became the first person of Mexican-American heritage 
elected to the Texas Senate. His legacy in that body, as has been 
referenced, certainly is focused on a 22-hour filibuster that he 
conducted to ensure the defeat of measures protecting school 
segregation. Henry could never, and would never, countenance rank 
injustice such as that.
  Henry B. Gonzalez was not always successful in the short term, but 
his cry for justice in the long term was usually successful. Henry's 
indefatigable quest for social justice and equality continued, Mr. 
Speaker, when he was elected to the House in 1961.
  Over the years, he rose to become the chairman of the Committee on 
Banking, as we have heard. In that regard, he fought for the little 
people, the people who did not have the lobbyists in Washington or the 
great money to advocate their position. And during his tenure on that 
committee, he was instrumental in helping to pass key housing 
legislation, repairing the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and 
cleaning up the savings and loan scandals of the 1980s.
  While Henry was undoubtedly proud of his ethnic heritage, he always 
insisted that it did not determine his politics.
  ``I am a Democrat without prefix, suffix or apology or any other kind 
of modification,'' he once said.
  Yes, Mr. Speaker, in this, the people's House, the people had no more 
articulate, no more committed, nor more courageous advocate than our 
friend Henry B. Gonzalez.
  When I first came to this House in 1981, I was privileged to serve on 
the Committee on Banking. I was privileged to know him as a leader, as 
a role model, as a friend. America and its principles and Constitution 
had a great advocate in Henry B. Gonzalez. America, Texas, San Antonio, 
Charlie our colleague and his son, his other brothers and sisters, his 
wife, his family will miss him most. But, Charlie, know well that we 
miss him as well. We loved him when he served with us, and we love him 
now.
  Robert Kennedy once said that:

       Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve 
     the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends 
     forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a 
     million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples 
     build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of 
     oppression and resistance.

  Henry Gonzalez did much more than send forth a few tiny ripples of 
hope. His life's work and his legacy were a strong, powerful wave that 
gives all of us the energy and commitment to keep up the good fight, 
and keep the faith.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Ortiz).
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, to see the future we must stand on the 
shoulders of a giant. At this moment, I would like to offer my 
condolences to the Gonzalez family and to my good friend, the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez), for the loss of his father, a great 
American.
  For me and many of us sitting in the House of Representatives today, 
Henry B. Gonzalez was a giant of a man. He was the key that opened up 
many doors that in the past had been closed to many of us.
  People often speak of pioneers or of giants or of visionaries. 
Sometimes we use those words loosely. But there is literally no better 
example of those words than Henry B., as he will forever be remembered 
by those of us who loved him.
  Henry B. was a pioneer for Texas and for Hispanic Americans 
throughout the United States. He got a law degree in the days of 
segregation because he loved the law and he knew that fundamentally the 
law would eventually come to protect all Americans. He entered politics 
and was successful in municipal, State, and Federal elections even in 
the days of the elite primaries, legal segregation, and the poll tax.
  It was no coincidence that the day Henry B. was sworn in as a Member 
of this body he clutched in his left hand the bill that he would drop 
that day to abolish the poll tax.
  I remember, when I was a young constable back in the 1960s, I was 
running for county commissioner and I knew that there was a political 
rally in San Antonio. I drove all the way from Corpus Christi to see if 
I could talk to Henry B. I had never met Henry B. before. I waited 
until he was about ready to exit the stage of this theater and I 
introduced myself. I said, ``Mr. Congressman, I am Solomon Ortiz. I am 
a constable from a small town, and I am running for county 
commissioner. I would like to see if you would be kind enough to give 
me an endorsement.''
  Right on the steps as he walked down the stage in this theater, he 
said, sit down. And he sat right on the steps. He made one 30-second 
spot and a 60-second spot. I won that election as county commissioner. 
And then on my reelection, again an old friend by the name of Domingo 
Pena and Bob Cuellar, who operated the theater, we went to see Henry B. 
to see if he could come to my district for an event. He and his lovely 
wife, Charlie's mother Bertha, joined me. And we were very successful.

                              {time}  1200

  We lost a man that was loved by many, many people. No matter how much 
he may have disagreed with those who served with him, he always treated 
each person with whom he worked with great respect. We have lost a 
great American.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Edwards).
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, every day when this House goes into 
session, we put our hands over our heart and finish the pledge to our 
American flag with the words ``with liberty and justice for all.'' All 
too often we then go back to our busy daily schedules of phone calls 
and meetings. But to Henry B. Gonzalez, those words ``with liberty and 
justice for all'' were not just a phrase to be spoken on the floor of 
this House the beginning of each day. They were not just a nice phrase 
to be put in high school civics textbooks. Those words were a passion 
of a lifetime. ``With liberty and justice for all.'' He believed it. He 
fought for it. And he sacrificed for that high principle. Because of 
that, America is a better place today.
  Henry B. Gonzalez personified to me what is good about America. What 
is good about America is not that we are a perfect land but that we are 
forever in the struggle to try to come closer to

[[Page H12005]]

reaching the high ideals of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Henry 
B. Gonzalez took the principles of that Constitution and the Bill of 
Rights and fought year in and year out to see that they were not just 
words on a piece of parchment, but they were a reality for all of God's 
children living here in America, people of all races and all colors and 
creeds and religions.
  There is a saying that I will never forget that was given to me by a 
young Hispanic girl several years ago that I met. She was a 9-year-old 
girl fighting for her life against cancer. She gave me a little card 
that I will never forget, and I think it is appropriate to repeat the 
words of that little girl's card today, because to me they reflect the 
meaning of Henry B. Gonzalez's life.
  This is how that card went--(The gentleman from Texas spoke in 
Spanish--``Cuando morimos, dejamos todo lo que tenerras y nas llevarnos 
todo lo que dimos''), when we leave this world, we leave behind all 
that we have but we carry with us all that we have given.
  To me, Henry B. Gonzalez had a great deal to carry with him when he 
left this world, a person who never forgot the least of these amongst 
us. He made a difference for all Americans. He made America a better 
place for us and for our children. For that as well as his decency and 
his dignity, we will never forget our friend and colleague Henry B. 
Gonzalez.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Green).
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Frost) the dean of our delegation, for organizing this special 
order for our colleague, Henry B. Gonzalez. The United States lost a 
patriot; Texas lost a son; and I lost a mentor and a hero. Until today, 
I did not realize that he was a mentor for other people. When the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz) told the story of Henry B. sitting 
down with him and working with him, I felt the same way more recently 
in 1993 and 1994.
  Texas has had many colorful and distinguished leaders. Some have 
reached the level of legend. In Henry B.'s work not only in Congress 
but in the Texas Senate and in Bexar County and San Antonio, his 
dedication to his constituents has placed him in that top category of a 
Texas legend. Myself and my family express our deep regret to the 
Gonzalez family in their loss and our loss as a Nation.
  I think a lot of us really need to talk about how Henry B. affected 
us individually. I had the same situation in 1993 and in early 1994. I 
was elected in 1992. I have some constituents in my district who 
actually were a part of the Henry B. Gonzalez campaign effort in the 
late 1950s. There are now still precinct judges, in Harris County, A.B. 
Olmos; and a number of people said, when you get to Washington as they 
supported me in 1992, you need to look up our friend Henry B. and 
follow Henry B.
  When I was elected and I sat down with Henry B. Gonzalez, and I 
almost see him sitting here in this chair because he always sat just to 
the right of where I am standing, I sat down and introduced myself 
because as serving 20 years in the Texas legislature, Henry B. did not 
come to Austin very often. I remember meeting him a couple of times. 
But I sat down with him and introduced myself and said, ``I'd like to 
work you. I'm not going to serve on the Banking Committee, but 
obviously I have some very close friends in Houston who are your 
longtime supporters.'' I would do that every few weeks and talk with 
him and see what was going on as a freshman Member.
  I had an opponent announce in December of 1993. Henry B. in January 
and February of 1994 said, ``By the way, I want to help you in your 
reelection. I'll do a radio tape or video or whatever.'' We never could 
set up the video and I always wanted him to come to Houston but he 
always passed on through and went back to San Antonio every weekend. 
Henry B. did that out of the graciousness of his heart, because he 
said, and I will remember these words, ``I like the way you handle 
yourself here on the House floor.'' That was like somebody who you 
respected as a hero putting their hand on your shoulder and giving you 
such a great compliment. Henry B. did that. His filibuster in the Texas 
Senate in the late 1950s against the segregationist bills again makes 
him part of legend. He is only one of two Members of Congress whose 
pictures hang in the Texas Senate. The other Member is the late Barbara 
Jordan whose picture, along with Henry B.'s, also hangs in the Chamber 
of the Texas Senate.
  Henry B.'s accomplishments and contributions are legendary. I think 
it is appropriate that we remember him and his leadership. Again as a 
Member from Houston-Harris County, we would not have the benefits we 
have with our homeless funding without Henry B. being chairman in 1993 
and 1994 and helping us to this day receive recognition for our effort 
in our homeless funding.
  Mr. Speaker, last week, I was saddened to hear of the passing of 
Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez. The United States lost a patriot, Texas 
lost a son, and I lost a mentor and hero. Texas has had many colorful 
and distinguished leaders. Some have reached the level of legend. Henry 
B. Gonzalez's work in Congress and his dedication to his constituents 
place him at the top of this category. Myself and my family express our 
regret to the Gonzalez family on their loss.
  Congressman Gonzalez's distinguished 38-year congressional career 
demonstrated his deep commitment to public service and those in our 
society who had no one fighting on their behalf. Prior to his election 
to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1961, Henry B. Gonzalez served 
as a member of the San Antonio City Council, and as the city's mayor 
pro tem.
  He was subsequently elected to the Texas State Senate where he will 
always be remembered as a champion of the common people. He was revered 
for leading a 36-hour filibuster against legislation which sought to 
uphold and facilitate the principles of segregation. Henry B. Gonzalez 
held the floor for 22 hours and two minutes, finishing shoeless and 
exhausted, but victorious.
  He made such an impression on the Texas State Senate that his 
portrait hangs in the chamber in Austin. Only one other Member of 
Congress has ever had their portrait hung in the chamber, the late 
Barbara Jordan.
  Henry B. Gonzalez's greatest accomplishments in the U.S. Congress 
were in the area of affordable housing. He insisted on protecting the 
rights of low-income citizens, even though it was not popular. As 
chairman of the House Banking Committee, he led efforts to repair the 
savings and loans industry and helped stop the crisis from spreading to 
banks by overhauling the deposit insurance system.
  Throughout this service in Congress, Henry B. Gonzalez made it his 
mission to force the chief executive to justify any military action. In 
1983, Congressman Gonzalez was the only Member calling for the withdraw 
of U.S. troops from Lebanon. He introduced a resolution to this affect 
and continue to speak out on this issue. Three days after his last 
statement on the subject, the Beirut bombing occurred.
  Democratic Members of the House are also well aware of Henry B.'s 
efforts on behalf of the Democratic Party. He was an articulate 
spokesman in Presidential politics since 1960, when he served as the 
national co-chairman of the ``Viva Kennedy'' campaign.
  I would like to extend my condolences to his family, especially to my 
colleague and friend Congressman Charlie Gonzalez. I am proud to have 
known Henry B. Gonzalez, and I consider my self fortunate to have 
served with him and to have called him my friend. Henry B. is a true 
Texas legend and a great American.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Eddie Bernice Johnson).
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me rise and 
thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) for providing for this hour.
  As long as I can remember attempting to be a good citizen, from the 
days of not being quite old enough to vote, I remember the name of 
Henry B. Gonzalez. Henry B. Gonzalez came along in Texas before he was 
considered a minority. He attended the University of Texas before the 
university integrated or desegregated. And even during those times, he 
was committed to equality for all. He often had long statements 
concerning the poor, the disenfranchised being seen as equal partners. 
At the same time, he did not ignore his committed thinking and planning 
for those who were even more powerful as long as they were right and as 
long as he felt it was right. He truly believed, as we have heard, in 
liberty and justice for all.
  He was a family man, a community man, a man who gave personal 
attention to his constituents. He sat on sidewalks with a card table 
and visited with people and opened his office door and made all 
welcome. I identify him as the single person on this floor that 
educated Members and the public on

[[Page H12006]]

the banking industry. When all banks were failing and the S&Ls were 
going under, he frequently talked about rescuing them with public 
dollars and with the same dollars from people that never got service 
from them which led to CRA. Although some may have disagreed with him, 
all respected him no matter what party.
  He will always be a hero of mine, a hero of the people, a hero of the 
common man, because he never left out those persons who were least able 
to speak for themselves. And so Henry B. Gonzalez made his mark not 
only in Texas but in this Nation, standing tall long before it was even 
thought about that Mexican Americans or the Hispanic population in this 
country as it has grown has now been considered a minority, but he did 
that. Speaking for all minorities prior to that time speaks to how 
committed he was to what was right and speaks to the issue of all being 
equal.
  And so I will thank him and tell my grandchildren to thank him for 
his service.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me add my appreciation to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) for organizing this very special 
tribute. A couple of days ago, on Saturday in the month of December, 
San Antonio, the entire city of San Antonio, paid a very special 
tribute to a national treasure. I want to thank the Gonzalez family for 
allowing us to come and share in a celebration of life. I would like to 
offer to Mrs. Gonzalez, Congressman Gonzalez' bride, Bertha, and the 
eight brothers and sisters my deepest sympathy for their loss.
  I want my colleagues to know that Mr. Congressman Gonzalez sat right 
there three rows back on the floor of the House. It did not take long 
for new Members to gravitate toward his calm demeanor and very special 
spirit. I would like to call him a champion for the poor, an on-line 
fighter that did not diminish his burning desire for equality no matter 
who was against him. He was a genteel person, even though I am told 
that he knew a little bit about boxing, and he handled himself very 
well. But I saw him as someone patient with those of us who were new, a 
man who could be counted on.
  I am reminded of his presence and friendship with President John 
Fitzgerald Kennedy, and the fact that he was with him on the day of his 
death in Texas. But in my remarks last Saturday, I ask my colleagues to 
indulge me to allow me to tell them what Henry Gonzalez means to me. I 
will never forget, though as a child I would not have known at the 
time, that in 1957 Henry Gonzalez stood in the Senate in the State of 
Texas and protected me. There was no other voice that could have 
protected me at that time. I had no champions. I had no knowledge. I 
was a child. I was young. And I would not have been aware that a State 
such as Texas had a governor that filed 16 segregationist legislative 
initiatives, 16, not one, not two, not three, not four but 16, and a 
lone Senator with his dear friend stood for 36 hours to protect me and 
the rest of America who looked like me and who of those he represented.
  Thank you, Henry, for fighting against fear, for fighting against 
segregation and discrimination and racism. Thank you, Congressman 
Gonzalez, for acknowledging even though you led out on the Select 
Committee on Assassinations which I served as a staff member, thank you 
for acknowledging that you wanted the truth to be heard on that 
committee. Thank you, Chairman Gonzalez, for fighting for Federal 
housing and fighting against cuts. And thank you, Chairman Gonzalez, 
for allowing me to help nominate you to fight for your ranking position 
which you deserved on the Banking Committee.

                              {time}  1215

  Lastly, let me thank the Gonzalez family for, I guess, bringing about 
our new leader, Charlie Gonzalez, who his father was so very proud to 
watch being sworn in in 1999. Thank you for the sacrifice; thank you 
for what you have done for me and so many others.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Waters).
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for 
organizing this time on the floor for us to pay special tribute to a 
very special man. It is very difficult to do this within 2 minutes, but 
let me try and share with you.
  Saturday I attended the funeral services of Henry B. Gonzalez. It was 
the most beautiful service I have ever attended in my entire life. I 
guess that was the Highest Mass that was held there on Saturday. It was 
a beautiful cathedral, the oldest in the country. All of the elected 
officials from all over the State of Texas and all of the local elected 
officials attended. It was magnificent.
  The church bells rang after the service, the town square was filled, 
the people were all over the steps, and the local newspaper did 
something I have never seen. They devoted more space to Henry B. 
Gonzalez than I have ever seen devoted to anybody, any elected 
official, non-elected official, and I know why.
  It is the same reason I attended the services. He was a man of 
impeccable integrity. He was a very special human being who knew who he 
was and knew from whence he came. He was the Honorable Mr. Chairman of 
the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, a man that had shown 
his commitment time and time again with the kind of legislation that he 
advanced.
  He did not care about the perks, the ceremonies, the hot shots. None 
of that was what Henry cared about. He cared about the people. He 
helped me to become an active member of that committee.
  When I came on to that committee, I did not want to be on that 
committee. I knew nothing about banking. But because of Henry B. 
Gonzalez, I was given an opportunity to advance amendments. He worked 
with me. He helped me to understand what the CRA was all about, he 
helped me to understand what the banking institutions of America were 
all about, he helped me to focus on the World Bank and the 
International Monetary Fund.
  He was a learned man who displayed not only his historical knowledge, 
but his deep intellect on the floor of Congress time and time again.
  He was honored in the most magnificent way, and he will be spoken 
about by many in the most magnificent ways that human beings can today 
because of who he was.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Stenholm).
  (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. STENHOLM. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, a couple of years ago my wife, Cindy, and I sent out 
Christmas cards on which we signed it ``Charlie and Cindy.'' We got a 
couple back saying, ``Thank you for the Christmas card, but who are 
Charlie and Cindy?''
  In San Antonio, no one ever asked the question, who is Henry B.? I 
have known and worked with many colleagues over the years, but none 
that had the absolute reverence shown to them by his constituency, and 
knowing him and favorably calling him Henry B.
  Charlie, you had a great dad. I enjoyed 20 years of his life, getting 
to know him here on the House floor. We did not often vote together. In 
fact, more often than not we voted differently. But I found that at no 
time did I ever doubt the sincerity of the vote cast, the speech made, 
the point made, the dedication and the sincerity of his attempt to 
represent his people, his district and his views; and he articulated 
this in a way that this one more conservative Member never hesitated to 
say to those that differed, you might differ, but you can never doubt 
the sincerity.
  This place, this Congress and this country, is a better country today 
because of the likes of Henry B. Gonzalez that comes to this body, 
represents the views and wishes of his district, and does it in a way 
that, not only his constituents, but the rest of us will never forget 
who Henry B. was and is today.
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Hinojosa).
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, although the occasion for these remarks is 
a sad one, I am honored to be able to participate in this special order 
paying tribute to Texas legend Henry B. Gonzalez. As he did for 
countless others

[[Page H12007]]

since first being elected in 1960, Henry B. truly paved the way for my 
being here in Congress. His invincible will, demonstrated so many times 
during so many battles, served as an example to me, that while the 
fight may not always be easy, it is always worth waging.
  His example set the bar for which all of us aspire. He was a great 
American, a selfless and principled public servant, the best of the 
best, a champion for the poor, a voice for the under-represented in 
Washington.
  Only briefly did I have the pleasure of serving with him here in the 
House. During that all too short time, I can assure you I was eager to 
glean whatever I could from his treasured house of invaluable 
knowledge. In fact, not a day passes that I am not mindful of how he 
commented to me early on that he would never recommend I rope a cow as 
it is going down the mountain. It was sage counsel indeed, and it has 
served me well these past several years, as I know it will continue to 
do in the years to come.
  To me, nothing is more important than standing up for what you 
believe in and having the fortitude to tackle the tough issues. Henry 
B. did exactly that, and he did it on his own terms and with the utmost 
integrity.
  In closing, I have the greatest respect for all he accomplished, and 
I will always admire him. Henry B. Gonzalez represents not only the 
best that Congress can be, but I feel that the best that an individual 
can be. He was a true and caring representative of people, and I can 
think of no greater accolade.
  I will miss him, Texas will miss him, America will miss him. His loss 
is truly immeasurable. Charlie Gonzalez, his son, is my friend and my 
colleague; and I look forward to serving with him in this House of 
Representatives.

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