[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.
____________________