[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H334-H343]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1045
              JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of 
Tuesday, February 13, 2001, I call up the bill (H.R. 559) to designate 
the United States courthouse located at 1 Courthouse Way in Boston, 
Massachusetts, as the ``John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse,'' 
and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of H.R. 559 is as follows:

                                H.R. 559

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

[[Page H335]]

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The United States courthouse located at 1 Courthouse Way in 
     Boston, Massachusetts, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the United States 
     courthouse referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
     reference to the ``John Joseph Moakley United States 
     Courthouse''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). Pursuant to the order of the 
House of Tuesday, February 13, 2001, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
LaTourette) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) each 
will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, as I begin my remarks on H.R. 559, I want to thank and 
commend our colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) 
for one, not only bringing this matter before the attention of the 
House, but also for pushing for its expedited consideration.
  I was in my district in Ohio as all Members were earlier this week. 
They all were not in Ohio, they were all in their districts. And the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) was kind enough to call and 
indicate this was a bill that was not only deserving of the body's 
attention, but it was deserving of expedited attention.
  Madam Speaker, I also want to commend the leadership of the House for 
giving it every consideration.
  Madam Speaker, H.R. 559 designates the United States courthouse 
located at 1 Boston Way in Boston, Massachusetts as the John Joseph 
Moakley United States Courthouse. It is only fitting that the 
courthouse in Boston bear the name of our witty, compassionate and 
amiable colleague in the House.
  Mr. Moakley has been a staple in this body since his election to the 
House in 1972. Congressman Moakley was born, raised and lived most of 
his adult life in South Boston, something he is very proud of. He began 
his long distinguished career in public service at the age of 15 when 
he enlisted in the United States Navy and served in the South Pacific 
during the Second World War.
  Upon returning from his service in World War II, he attended the 
University of Miami, and later received his law degree from Suffolk 
University Law School in Boston.
  At the age of 25, Congressman Moakley was elected to the 
Massachusetts State Legislature, serving in both the State House of 
Representatives and the State Senate for 18 years before being elected 
to the Boston City Council.
  In 1972, as I mentioned before, Congressman Moakley was elected to 
the United States House of Representatives.
  After his first term in the House, Congressman Moakley was appointed 
to the Committee on Rules. He later became chair of the Committee on 
Rules in 1989. He is now serving as the Committee on Rules ranking 
member. With his affable personality, he was able to give everyone a 
fair shake that came before his committee, even during some of the more 
than difficult political debates that we, from time to time, have in 
this Chamber.
  In addition to his work on the Committee on Rules and being an ardent 
supporter for South Boston's transportation infrastructure, Congressman 
Moakley continues to be dedicated to ending human rights violations 
around the world, particularly in Central America. This naming is a 
fitting tribute to our colleague.
  Madam Speaker, I support the bill and encourage my colleagues to join 
in support.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. LaTourette), for his cooperation on this matter. I want to thank 
the leadership, the Republican leadership and the Democratic 
leadership, for all their cooperation, and, in particular, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Armey), the majority leader; the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), the 
chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; as I 
mentioned, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette), as well as the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the minority leader; and the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), and the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Costello).
  I really appreciate everybody here working together to move this 
legislation to the floor expeditiously, and it is for our very dear 
friend, Joe Moakley.
  Madam Speaker, this is a very special moment for me. Joe Moakley has 
been my teacher and he has been my mentor. He has, as I have said many 
times over the last couple of days, been like a second father to me, 
and he is my best friend.
  As many of my colleagues know, I worked in Joe Moakley's 
congressional office for over 13 years. I have seen him solve problems, 
both large and small. I watched as he steered countless millions of 
dollars to his district and to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for 
sensible economic development.
  There is not a Federal project in Massachusetts from the Berkshires 
to Cape Cod that does not have Joe Moakley's fingerprints all over it.
  I watched him help colleges and universities build new buildings, 
research facilities, classrooms and laboratories.
  I watched him champion the cause of health care, because as he said 
on Monday, he knows probably better than most of us the miracles of 
medical science.
  Madam Speaker, I have seen him immerse himself in constituent 
casework. If someone stops him at a local diner or on the street with a 
problem, Joe Moakley is immediately on the phone, usually using some 
very colorful language to get his point across in order to solve that 
problem. And I have even seen Joe stare down death squads in El 
Salvador.
  Joe Moakley's commitment to human rights in that war-torn country 
played a mighty role in ending the Salvadoran war, which caused over 
80,000 innocent civilians' lives.
  I returned to El Salvador with Joe in November of 1999 to mark the 
10th anniversary of the murder of the 6 Jesuit priests, the case in 
which Joe successfully exposed the truth.
  Everywhere we went in El Salvador, even in the most remote villages, 
people remembered what he did. They would come up and give him a big 
hug and say thank you and tell him how much he impacted their lives.
  In return, Joe would sing his favorite Irish tunes, if you are Irish, 
Come Into the Parlor, or Southey, My Hometown, or his personal 
favorite, Redhead, and I am not sure that they knew what the heck he 
was singing, but they all fell in love with him. They all appreciated 
what he did and they will remember him forever.
  In 1996, I was elected to the United States Congress, and I would not 
have won that race if it were not for Joe Moakley. There is no way that 
I can adequately say thank you to him for helping me realize my dream.
  Today we are naming the U.S. courthouse in Boston, a building that, 
quite frankly, would not be there if it were not for Joe Moakley. We 
are naming it the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse.
  It is an appropriate tribute for two reasons. First, that new 
courthouse is already serving as a catalyst for economic development in 
that area of South Boston with new construction springing up all around 
it. And so much of Joe's career has been about promoting economic 
development and creating jobs.
  He joked the other day that his favorite bird is the crane, and if 
you visit Boston, you will see cranes all over the place.
  The second reason why I think this is appropriate is that that 
courthouse is a symbol for justice, and Joe Moakley's entire life has 
been dedicated to fighting for justice, especially for those who do not 
have a powerful ally or who are not well committed; whether it is 
fighting to help Mrs. O'Leary find her lost Social Security check, or 
whether it is fighting on behalf of refugees from El Salvador who were 
too afraid to go back to their homeland during that war, or whether it 
is fighting for health care or for Medicare or for hospitals or for 
anybody who has any problem, Joe

[[Page H336]]

Moakley is always out there, front and center, fighting for justice.
  He was one time asked what his favorite compliment was, and he 
replied being called a regular guy. Well, Joe Moakley is the most 
extraordinary regular guy I have ever known, and like everyone in this 
House, and I would say like everybody who knows him, I love him a lot.
  Madam Speaker, we are all sad that Joe announced that he will not 
seek reelection in the year 2002, but I want to remind everyone here 
that 2 years is a long time. Joe Moakley will be with us on this floor, 
telling his Irish stories, singing his Irish songs and fighting the 
good fight.
  I, again, want to thank all of my colleagues for bringing this to the 
floor so expeditiously.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes 
to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn).
  Mr. QUINN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for his leadership on this issue. We were 
going to invite the Massachusetts Republican delegation down here to 
speak today, but, you know, that does not exist. There have been a 
couple of great Republicans in the Congress from Massachusetts. Of 
course, the great Silvio Conte and Mr. Torkelson, who my colleagues 
took care of and Mr. Blute, who my colleagues took care of, and so we 
are without a Massachusetts Republican delegation. But, nonetheless, I 
rise this morning to represent all of the Members on our side of the 
aisle in talking about Joe Moakley for a couple of minutes here this 
morning.
  A good thing, as the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) 
pointed out, is that sooner or later everybody will have a chance to 
talk about us, sooner or later; some sooner, some later. But by doing 
this naming today, we get a chance to talk this morning about a good 
friend in Joe Moakley. I want to talk to Joe this morning, not about 
him, because he is with us. I do not want to talk to him.
  I want to thank Joe Moakley personally for the work he has done with 
me on our weatherization and our LHEAP program where we have been able 
to restore some money back into this Federal budget to take care of 
people who have to make decisions about whether or not they are going 
to heat their homes or put food on the table; not an easy decision, not 
an easy road to hoe for people in the northeastern part of our country.
  Joe and I have teamed up together to do that these last couple of 
years, and I have learned from Joe Moakley more in these last couple of 
years than all of my years in education, all my years in government, 
all my years in public life. And I do not know Joe Moakley's district 
exactly, but I will tell you, Joe, and I know you like to be called a 
regular guy, which you are, but I have a feeling that that district 
back there in Massachusetts when you care about the rest of the regular 
guys, you are caring about the teachers. You are caring about the cab 
drivers and the truck drivers. You are caring about the electricians 
and the carpenters. You are caring about the people that really make 
this country what it is.
  And I, for one, want to thank you for doing that. I also want to let 
you know, Joe, whether you know it or not, you have taught a lot of us 
here in the House on both sides of the aisle, not only to be Members of 
Congress, but how to act as respectful gentlemen and from all of us, we 
appreciate that.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano).
  Mr. CAPUANO. Madam Speaker, I guess, to a certain extent, I do not 
want to talk about what Joe Moakley has done, because, to me, that is 
not the measure of a man. It is not the measure of the reason I like 
Joe, and I think the reason Joe is so well loved in his own district. 
It is what he is.
  I grew up in Massachusetts, and for all of my life, like Joe, I live 
in my own hometown. Like Joe, I live in my own neighborhood. And I want 
to tell my colleagues, all of my life, I have heard about Joe Moakley, 
as I heard about Tip O'Neill, as I heard about Ted Kennedy, as I heard 
about James Michael Curly, as I heard about John Kennedy. In my world, 
there were many political giants. But, for me, most of them came before 
me. And I knew some of them in passing. I knew Mr. O'Neill a little 
bit. My father knew him better.
  This is the first time in my life I have had an opportunity to get up 
close to someone who is a living icon in my world, and it is the first 
time in my life that I know that all the things I heard about him were 
not just the typical media fluff that many of us around here worry 
about. We are all worried about our image. We are all worried about 
what people say about us. And Joe Moakley could not care less because 
he is what he is, and what he is is a regular guy.
  I say that representing a district that almost is a mirror image of 
Joe's district. We do represent all of those people. I will tell you 
that Joe Moakley would have been the exact same person if he did not 
get into politics, if he had gone the way of so many of his friends and 
gone to work as a Teamster, or gone to work as a longshoreman or gone 
to work as a bus driver, like many of the people he grew up next to, 
like many of the people I grew up next to, would have been the same 
person, would have still joked, would have still sang songs, would have 
still had fun, and would have still been loved by all of his neighbors 
and friends.

                              {time}  1100

  The fact that we have had so much of an opportunity to get the best 
from Joe Moakley does nothing more than enriches us. I can only say 
that I am personally happy and proud to have gotten to know him as more 
than a political icon, as a person, a person that so many people in 
Massachusetts love and a person that so many people in Massachusetts 
wish only the best for.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, it is really a great honor for me to be able to stand up 
and speak on behalf of this resolution. If there is anyone who deserves 
it, it is Joe Moakley. I can honestly say that, for the time that I 
have been in Congress, no one has personified to me more what it means 
to be a Congressman than Joe Moakley. If everybody in this House were 
like Joe Moakley, we would get along much better; we would get a lot 
more done.
  We would realize that partisanship is important, but yet it stops. We 
should be able to reach across the aisle and shake hands and have a 
drink and share a joke and make a cutting remark or humorous remark 
about one of our colleagues in a way that really shows the camaraderie 
that we should have.
  From the time I came here, Joe Moakley reached out to me. He was, as 
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano) and the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Quinn) have said, a good guy in the very best sense of 
the word.
  Yet, he was also an outstanding Congressman, a man who fought and 
fights so hard for his district, a man who obviously believes the 
principles for the Democratic party, fights hard for those principles; 
but at the end of the day, is willing to sit down and talk with anyone, 
no matter what their party affiliation happens to be.
  He reaches out for people who need help. He is a person who I know, 
speaking for Members on my side of the aisle, when they needed a favor, 
when they needed help, when they needed a break, the guy they went to 
on the other side was Joe Moakley. He never let party divisions stand 
between him and them.
  As the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano) said, Joe Moakley 
represents a working class district. He represents real people. There 
is nothing phony. There is nothing built-up by the media. This is the 
real thing. When one sees Joe Moakley, one is seeing what a real person 
is.
  Today, to be honoring him in this way, it is important. It means a 
lot. But on the other hand, if there was never any courthouse named 
after Joe Moakley, if there was never any plaque or citation put out 
for Joe Moakley, he would always be remembered by those who knew him, 
those who served with him in Congress.

[[Page H337]]

  And as the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Capuano) has said, 
probably most importantly of all, the average guy on the street corner 
in his district, the average guy in the bar, the average guy driving 
the bus, the average guy going to work every day, he realizes that Joe 
Moakley, in every sense of the word, represented those people here in 
Congress, the people who otherwise would not have a strong voice, the 
people who are so busy working day to day they cannot afford to be 
getting involved in exotic causes. They have to know that they have 
somebody who is on the firing lines for them day in and day out.
  The fact that so many projects went to Joe's district as opposed to 
mine or the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn), we take that in 
stride, realizing that was Joe fighting for his district, and, quite 
frankly, doing a better job than we were for ours.
  So I am proud to join with all of my colleagues today in honoring Joe 
Moakley and speaking on behalf of this resolution and saying it has 
been a true source of pride and honor for me to be able to work with 
Joe Moakley. I wish him the best of health. I wish him the very best to 
himself that he has given to so many of us for so many years.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney), my classmate and colleague.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for this opportunity 
to say some words about Joe Moakley, John Joseph Moakley, but all of us 
know him as Joe.
  He was described the other day by folks from Massachusetts as a 
lunch-bucket Democrat and politician; and a politician obviously 
defined in this sense, as a servant of the people. When one is talking 
about a servant of the people, it is everybody.
  Joe worked over 50 years and continues to work now for a better 
quality of life for everyone, rich or poor, and all those in between. 
He is known for his policy work whether it is housing, whether it is 
the environment, whether it is employment, El Salvador or Cuba.
  He happens to make sure that he is happiest when people are working. 
When they are employed and there are numerous economic development 
projects going on in his district, he is smiling the most. As he said 
just the other day, that the favorite bird for him is the crane. When 
one looks all over his district in Boston, one sees one crane after 
another. One sees construction projects blooming in the Boston skyline 
and that means development, it means progress, it means jobs and a 
better quality of life for all of Joe's constituents.
  His life is a lasting example of honor. He treats others with respect 
and dignity; and in turn, he is liked by everyone, as we have heard 
from Members on both sides of this aisle.
  He is compassionate, but he is certainly not weak. He is strong, but 
he is always considerate of others. He has a sense of responsibility 
that has permeated his being for a long, long time. At the age of 15, 
as I am sure my colleagues have heard or will hear, he forged his 
documents and enlisted in the Navy and went into World War II. Today 
some people would probably say he misrepresented something and try to 
run him out of government; but for Joe, this was the right thing to do 
to get in there, be a patriot, and to represent and work on behalf of 
his country.
  Tom Oliphant wrote a column about Joe the other day; and in it he 
said something that was very touching. He said Joe Moakley treats 
everybody the same. So even if you are a king or President, you get to 
be treated like his constituent. That says a lot about Joe. It is 
exactly the way that he has always treated with respect the people whom 
he represents and whom he considers family.
  So it is fitting that this courthouse be named after him. It is 
fitting because that is where he grew up, that is where he played and 
ran around in the rail yards that used to pass through there, chasing 
watermelons and other fruit off of the trains as they went by.
  I am proud and I consider it an honor to join others here today in 
saying that this courthouse will be appropriately named for Joe 
Moakley. It represents jobs. It represents progress and development. 
Most of all, it represents justice and fairness.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, as we await the arrival of other 
speakers, we reserve the balance our time.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, there is a great void in our delegation and in this 
institution as Joe Moakley announces that he will not run for another 
term. But it is altogether fitting and appropriate that we gather here 
to name the courthouse overlooking Boston Harbor on behalf of Joe 
Moakley.
  There is a great scene in the movie the Ten Commandments where Moses, 
Charlton Heston, is confronted by Pharaoh, his father who has adopted 
him and raised him, where the father says to him, What have you done 
for me, Moses? My son, Ramseys, Yule Brenner, has done so much for me.
  At that point, Moses pulls back the cloth and says, Behold, I have 
built you a city.
  If someone asks me, if someone asks our delegation what has Joe 
Moakley done, we could pull back the same cloth in the Moakley 
Courthouse and look out and say, Behold, Joe Moakley has rebuilt 
Boston.
  One would look out on this clear and clean water of Boston Harbor 
that was once polluted. One can look at the jewels of the Boston 
Harbor, the islands, now the Boston Harbor National Park. One could 
look at the Central Artery, Moses parted the Red Sea, what Joe Moakley 
has done is reunite the city of Boston by putting the Central Artery 
underground so that this city that was divided for 50 years is now once 
again united when the Central Artery, the Big Dig, is completed, the 
civil and political engineering feat of the last 50 years, finding the 
money and then designing it. Then the Moakley Courthouse above from 
which one can see the Evelyn Moakley Bridge named for his beloved wife.
  Joe Moakley talked to kings and pages with the same language. If we 
ever do have a Mount Rushmore for congressmen, Joe Moakley should be up 
there with his great friends, John McCormack and Tip O'Neill as the 
symbols of everything that Congress should stand for. He is a great 
man. We are honoring a great man by placing his name on this 
courthouse.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Frost).
  Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution 
naming the Federal courthouse in Boston in honor of my colleague, Joe 
Moakley. No Member of Congress deserves this honor more than the 
gentleman from Massachusetts, my friend Joe.
  I have had the honor of serving on the Committee on Rules with Joe 
for more than 22 years. No person better epitomizes what is good about 
public service in this country. Joe has served with distinction, with 
good humor and with class.
  Years ago, he personally and courageously took on the death squads in 
El Salvador following the murder of four nuns in his district as well 
as six Jesuit priests. It was his dogged determination and hard work 
that brought an end in that sad chapter in El Salvador's history. Joe's 
district in Boston did not reap great rewards from his courageous 
fight, but all of mankind did.
  Joe Moakley, as we have heard earlier, enlisted in the Navy in World 
War II at the age of 15, lying about his age so he could fight the 
enemies of our Nation. I guess he was big for his age at the time, but 
no one in Congress today has a bigger heart than Joe Moakley.
  Joe served as chairman of the Committee on Rules for 5 years and has 
served as ranking Democrat for the past 6 years. Whether in the 
majority or in the minority, Joe has served with class. He has never 
been mean to his adversaries, but he has always been firm in his 
convictions and vigorous in his pursuit of the values and ideals of the 
Democratic Party.
  Joe has made the decision to step down after this term in Congress 
after having fought valiantly in recent years against a series of 
ailments and will continue to fight against his ailments as he has done 
with courage, grace, and dignity. We look forward to his continued 
service in this body in the months ahead.

[[Page H338]]

  Boston and all America can be proud of this great Congressman. He is 
one of the last of the great Boston pols, a man who is proud to 
represent his district and to serve his country. Naming the beautiful 
Federal courthouse overlooking Boston Harbor in his honor is the very 
least we can do.
  Joe Moakley is a great Congressman. He is and always will be a 
shining example to the entire country about what is good in public life 
today.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to 
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), a seatmate on the Committee on 
Rules with the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley).
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor my good friend from 
Massachusetts and Committee on Rules colleague, Joe Moakley. Anyone 
familiar with the Committee on Rules' work knows that it often entails 
long hearings, very late nights, and early morning wake-up calls just 
to get our work done for the next day.
  But Joe Moakley makes our sacrifices much easier to bear with a 
twinkle in his eye and his quick wit. He keeps us on our toes, and he 
keeps us chuckling even when the joke is at his own expense.
  If more Members could do their party's bidding on both sides of the 
aisle with Joe's flare, there would be a lot less partisan rancor 
around here and many more smiles on the faces of our colleagues.
  Today, we not only honor Joe Moakley, but we also thank him for his 
invaluable contributions to this institution, to the lives of everyone 
he has touched, and all of us who have had the privilege of knowing 
him.
  I was not here when a young Joe Moakley came to Washington some 30 
years ago, but I am very certain that this institution and his 
constituents and every Member he has come in contact with is better for 
his work here.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I am a Republican, and Joe Moakley is a dyed-in-the-
wool Democrat, and most people would, therefore, put us at odds; but I 
am here to tell you, and to turn a phrase, with enemies like that, who 
needs friends?
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
  Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding to me, and thank the Members 
that are assembled here today.
  Joe Moakley's sense of humor was infectious for all of us; and one 
can sense, I think, the affection that we all feel for him today.
  In Massachusetts, people think that one is supposed to be good at 
politics. We take it very seriously. In the instance of Joe Moakley, he 
is heir to the great legacy of the great McCormack and the great 
O'Neill.
  There are two parts of this business in Congress. There is the 
outside business, and there is the inside business. Joe Moakley was 
good at both of them.
  The problem in this institution, like most institutions of 
legislative life today across America, is that the people that are good 
at the outside part of it can never become good at the inside part of 
it because they profess a disdain for the institutions of which they 
serve, thereby never buying into consensus, never having the chance to 
do the great governing that has to take place in legislative life.
  Joe Moakley understood both parts of legislative life. One has to be 
good at the outside part of it, and one has to be very good at the 
inside part of it. Hence, committee assignments. I know people's eyes 
glaze over when they hear that, but the members of the delegation were 
always on good committees, primarily because of McCormack, O'Neill, and 
Moakley.
  The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) said to me a moment ago 
when somebody mentioned, well, Jeez, Joe treated everybody alike. The 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) said, In our delegation, he 
sure did. He thought we were all on his staff.
  But it was a joy to be part of his success in this institution. There 
is still going to be a lot of good days as we move along as well.
  Let me just close on this note: I bumped into the gentleman from 
Alabama (Mr. Everett) today, a terrific guy. He said to me, ``You know, 
I never voted the way Joe Moakley voted in the years I have been in 
Congress, but there was nobody whose company I enjoyed more at dinner. 
There is nobody that I enjoyed talking to more about the great stories 
that he told and still will have an opportunity to tell.''
  I am indeed very grateful for many of the good things that have come 
my way in legislative life here in the Congress because I consider it 
an honor to serve here. Joe Moakley has been responsible for much of 
the success that I have had within this institution.
  I am indeed grateful today and happy to be part of this and only wish 
our friend from South Boston, if one asked him where he was from, he 
would not say Boston, he would say he was from South Boston, our friend 
Joe Moakley.

                              {time}  1115

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the majority leader of the House.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, let me say that when I picked up my paper 
last Monday and read the news of Joe Moakley's illness, it made me 
extremely sad; and I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern) for calling to my attention this opportunity we have as 
a body to appreciate one of our own.
  Joe Moakley is a pretty good partisan, and that is fine. It is his 
institutional role to stick up for people who have a shared point of 
view of his own, and he has done that and he has done it well. But he 
has never in all the time I have known him done that in any manner that 
was ungentlemanly or inconsiderate.
  On a more personal basis, when we have those moments in our lives 
when we can get beyond our institutional roles, he is a friend. I can 
remember as a young guy in the minority, probably a little bit out of 
line, messing with something that was not in a committee on which I 
served and, therefore, considered by many to be perhaps none of my 
business, having to trek up to the Committee on Rules with the second-
ranking Democrat on the Committee on Rules who showed me patience, 
tolerance, encouragement, consideration, and a helping hand in the 
committee for me to get an amendment that was important to me to the 
floor so he could cheerfully vote against it. That was a pretty decent 
thing, quite frankly.
  So I welcome this opportunity. And I should say, by the way again on 
a more personal note, we should remember that Joe Moakley is from south 
Boston. If we forget, we should just notice that is where the accent 
came from. I had not realized until my brother went to work with the 
Boston Patriots, the New England Patriots, that for all my life I had 
been mispronouncing his name. I, in my misguided youth, had learned 
that his name was Charlie Armey. It was only by Joe's compliments 
towards my brother that I learned his name is ``Chawley Aumey.'' I 
often refer to Charlie with affection as my brother Chawley Aumey, and 
I think of Joe Moakley every time.
  So thank you again for giving us this opportunity, and I thank the 
gentleman for giving me just this moment to speak with very, very real 
affection for a real person. As Evey, his wife, would have said, He's a 
person. And we ought to know that and we ought to appreciate that.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to thank the gentleman from Texas, the majority leader, for his very 
kind words and his eloquent words. I want him to know I appreciate them 
and everybody in the Massachusetts delegation, I think everybody in 
Massachusetts, really appreciates those words.
  The gentleman points out that even though Joe was a solid bread-and-
butter Democrat, that he had this talent to kind of cross party lines. 
There is not a single person, even those who disagree with him on an 
issue, that do not walk away from a fight saying, He's a good guy; I 
liked him a lot.
  We really do appreciate the gentleman's kind words, and we appreciate 
his working with us to bring this to the floor today.
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. McGOVERN. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

[[Page H339]]

  Mr. ARMEY. One final moment. I would just say to Joe, ``Mr. Chairman, 
stay with us.''
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).
  Mr. FRANK. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague in thanking the majority 
leader for really speaking, I think, on behalf of the whole House in 
his very personal eloquent statement. We will have to be forgiven, 
those of us who do this as a profession, because, to be honest, we are 
all reacting personally in these last couple of days.
  Joe Moakley had enormous benefits to the country, to this 
institution, to the city and the State, but for us also the personal 
was there. We could not come into this Chamber on the worst of days, 
having encountered all kinds of unpleasantness, and not have our 
spirits uplifted by sitting with Joe. There was no way that anyone 
could fail in his presence to be cheered. And for that personal 
element, even in this time of trial for him, he has been cheering the 
rest of us up. Typical of this really quite extraordinary man.
  I also want to talk about another aspect in which he is 
extraordinary. He is a great stereotype breaker. One of the things we 
suffer from in this country is this assumption that if we are A, we 
cannot be B; if we are X, we cannot be Y. Joe Moakley showed us that we 
could be. There is a lot of talk about civility now. No one had to tell 
Joe Moakley that a person could be a deeply committed advocate of 
issues, not simply a partisan in the sense of being a Democrat but a 
partisan Democrat who cared a lot about what was necessary to improve 
the lot of those people in our society who were not going to do well on 
their own, no one had to tell him that someone could be deeply 
committed without being truculent or belligerent. No one had to tell 
that a passion for doing the right thing in public policy was 
incompatible with friendliness, and we have seen that demonstrated 
here.
  We have talked about people in whose tradition Joe Moakley was, and 
Tip O'Neill is the one who comes most to mind with me, because Moakley 
and Tip O'Neill shared something which I think is a defining thing 
about greatness. We throw this word around a lot; but to me, in our 
political system, it means among others things this: that someone can 
be a master of a given set of rules. Tip O'Neill and Joe Moakley were 
both masters of the old politics. They were both masters of politics in 
the old school.
  Joe Moakley, 50 years ago in south Boston, was beginning a very 
impressive career in politics as it then was. And both of them, first 
Tip O'Neill then Joe Moakley, showed that an individual could be a 
master of the old ways and welcome the new. Too often people who are 
good at one set of arrangements feel threatened by change. Joe Moakley 
was not threatened by change. He understood that being a basic Social 
Security-getting, job-getting Democrat at home did not mean a person 
could not worry about human rights abroad. Joe Moakley bridged by the 
greatness of his personality his commitment, his caring about 
individuals and humanity at large, a lot of things people have tried to 
pull apart.
  It is for that reason that we will be impoverished personally by not 
having his companionship here on the floor when he leaves this House, 
and this Nation will be impoverished by someone who did so much to try 
to get us to put aside artificial differences.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in this discussion. I 
have not known the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley) as well 
as many of the previous speakers, but I have to say that when I first 
appeared before the Committee on Rules a few years ago as a trembling 
freshman and presented my case on an amendment, it was interesting to 
watch the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley).
  He initially was shuffling papers, then he began listening to me, and 
then he turned to the person next to him and I could see him say, ``Who 
is this guy?'' And after I made the presentation, he made some 
complimentary comments and took the trouble after the meeting to come 
and speak to me about my proposal and explain how it could be improved.
  That was the beginning of a friendship. And even though I cannot 
claim the close friendship that some of the old-timers here have, it 
has always been a good relationship. We joke with each other, we talk 
with each other, we always greet each other in the hallways. He always 
strikes me as what a longstanding Member of Congress should be, a 
kindly older gentleman who is helping and aiding those around him and 
always cheerful, always helpful, and always trying to help us do our 
best for the country.
  We need more Members like that. And the other comments about his 
civility, I believe, are well taken. He is a very civil person in every 
sense of the word and truly a gentleman who deserves the honor that he 
is being given today. We cannot say enough good about him.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Meehan).
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for 
moving on this courthouse quickly with both sides of the aisle 
embracing this. This is very, very important at this time; and I 
compliment the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for not only 
the way he has gone about this but his remarkable friendship with Joe 
Moakley over the years.
  When I got elected to the Congress, I had never been in a legislative 
body before, and I was a little inexperienced; and I remember getting 
here and butting heads with Joe Moakley. Then I quickly surrendered.
  Joe is a remarkable guy. Many of us have heard the stories about what 
he has done in terms of building Boston and what he has meant to that 
community, with the Big Dig, depression of the Artery, the beautiful 
courthouse, the sense of humor that he had. Amazing.
  All of us have read the story about Joe's illness, and his initial 
remark was, ``The doctor told me that I should not get any green 
bananas.'' Remarkable sense of humor. The jokes on the floor. But also 
his commitment on so many issues.
  I remember, and it was mentioned earlier, in the wake of the burial 
of the murdered Jesuits and nuns in El Salvador in 1989, Speaker Foley 
appointed Joe to head the special task force to investigate the El 
Salvadoran government. It was Joe Moakley who led the way there and 
exposed violations of human rights that have made a dramatic difference 
there. What a legacy his work on human rights in El Salvador. An 
incredible legacy.
  Many of us had been fighting over the years to try to get the School 
of the Americas shut down, could never get the votes in the House, 
until Joe Moakley took it up. He said I will offer this and we will get 
it passed. That is Joe Moakley.
  The personal relationships with Members, not only all he has done for 
his own district but everyone's district. When we go to the dean of the 
delegation from Massachusetts and we ask him for help, we are more 
effective in our districts. I will tell a quick story, if I can get 30 
seconds more. Malden Mills in my district in Lawrence and Lowell, a 
great factory that burned down a few years ago. Aaron Feuerstein, the 
owner of the mill, kept all the workers working at Christmas time. Kept 
them all employed. He developed Polartec for cold weather. We were 
looking for a way to get it to the Marines, get it to our service 
members, because it is cutting-edge fabric.
  Aaron came down and said, ``How do I do this?'' I said, ``Well, I 
will tell you how we will do it. We will go to see Joe Moakley.'' 
Needless to say, the contracts have been signed, and the Marines are 
now wearing Polartec.
  So this is a great honor to a great man, and I congratulate the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules, Mr. 
Moakley's counterpart; and Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take 
5 minutes of my time and yield it to the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern) for him to control.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Without objection, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) will have an additional 5 
minutes.

[[Page H340]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me this time. 
I hear all these nice things being said about Joe Moakley by Members of 
the Massachusetts delegation, Members on this side of the aisle; and I 
have to say that I probably more than any other Member of this House 
know Joe Moakley to be a real fighter. In fact, he has abused me 
regularly up in the Committee on Rules and I know plans to continue 
that pattern over the next couple of years. He is one who clearly does 
stand for his principles very firmly.
  But I will agree with the arguments that have been made by my 
colleagues that he is extraordinarily civil in the process. Just 
yesterday I followed a statement that he made about the fact that he is 
at a point in his life where he does not purchase green bananas any 
longer because he does not know if he will be around long enough for 
them to ripen. Well, we know that Joe Moakley is going to be around for 
a long time. He continues to fight very hard. But the fact is I 
presented him yesterday with some green bananas upstairs in the 
Committee on Rules, and he told me that he would much rather have the 
gavel than the green bananas that I presented to him.

                              {time}  1130

  I let him hold the gavel momentarily. But I will tell my colleagues 
that I have the highest regard for the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. Moakley). I have had the privilege of serving on that Moakley 
Commission in El Salvador, and he did tremendous work and was so 
dedicated in that effort.
  He has represented the Democrats extremely well in the Committee on 
Rules. The Committee on Rules is one of the most partisan committees in 
the institution, and yet we have been able to work in a bipartisan way 
on lots of different issues.
  I am proud to have worked with him on bringing about a complete 
overhaul of the rules structure here in this House. We did that in a 
bipartisan way. Were it not for Joe Moakley, we would not have been 
able to proceed with what was one of the boldest reforms since 1880 in 
this institution. On lots of issues, we have been able to find areas of 
agreement. Of course, the attention is focused on areas of 
disagreement. But he is a fighter who is going to continue to be with 
us for a long time to come, and I am looking forward to continuing to 
get the wit and wisdom of Joe Moakley upstairs and down here on the 
floor.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Dreier) for his kind words. Those of us in the Massachusetts delegation 
have not heard so many nice things said about Massachusetts Members of 
Congress in a long time, but we really appreciate it. We appreciate the 
heartfelt comments. It means an awful lot to us, and I know it means an 
awful lot to Joe.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt).
  Mr. DELAHUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), for leading us in this resolution.
  It is so appropriate that we are naming a courthouse after Joe 
Moakley. We probably should also name a post office, and maybe we will 
do that at a later point in time. Because certainly, as has been 
referenced here, Joe Moakley has delivered the mail. I mean, he has 
delivered the mail for his district. He has delivered the mail for 
Massachusetts.
  As the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) has said, he more 
than anyone, along with Tip O'Neill, is responsible for rebuilding the 
city of Boston. And that will be a lasting monument to Joe Moakley, as 
well as Tip O'Neill.
  But appropriate I say a courthouse because a courthouse is a symbol 
of justice. And I thought it was fascinating the other day, because 
some of us attended his press conference, where he stated publicly 
that, as he looked back on his political career, the one aspect of his 
legacy that he was most proud of is what he did in El Salvador. What he 
did in El Salvador was really to begin the process of stopping a civil 
war that took oh so many lives. It was about justice. It was about 
social justice and economic justice.
  Beyond buildings and beyond bridges and beyond harbors, really the 
heart and the soul and the core of Joe Moakley is social and economic 
justice. And that is why it is so appropriate to name the ultimate 
symbol of a democracy, a courthouse, after Joe Moakley.
  On a personal note, I want to thank Joe Moakley for his wisdom, his 
counsel, for his kindness, his advice, and help to me. I know I speak 
for everyone in Massachusetts when I say, we respect him and, as 
importantly, we love him.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).
  Mr. OLVER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley) who announced his retirement 
from the Congress this week. With his departure, we will lose one of 
our finest, wittiest, and longest serving Members. We in the 
Massachusetts delegation will lose our dean, our load star, and the 
patron saint of South Boston.
  Even before his years as chairman and later ranking member of the 
Committee on Rules, Joe was a force not to be tangled with. In nearly 3 
decades of service in the House, he cites among his most notable 
accomplishments his fight for peace and justice in El Salvador during 
the conflict-ridden 1980s. He is known for that and a lot more in 
Massachusetts.
  Congressman Moakley has literally lifted the city of Boston up. He 
has set an example for all of us in his efforts to improve the lives of 
working families, and his deeply personal style will be remembered.
  Speaking of lifting the city of Boston up, Joe has spent the last 
decade securing crucial transportation funding for the Boston 
Metropolitan area, which faces formidable transportation challenges. 
Joe recognized that large investments were necessary to keep the great 
and historic city of Boston in a prominent place in the global economy, 
and soon Boston will be a shining example of efficient transportation 
that will be a tribute to Joe's tireless work.
  Joe has been an important part of my political life, too. When I was 
elected in 1991, Joe cleared the way for me to join the Committee on 
Appropriations and so helped me define my role in Congress. And I am 
grateful to him.
  Joe's recent diagnosis of incurable leukemia touches all of our 
lives. It takes a special breed of person to respond with such grace 
and equanimity.
  Joe, I wish you the best. We all wish you the best. Our thoughts and 
prayers will be with you always.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts 
(Mr. McGovern) for bringing this bill before us today. It is but a 
small recognition of Joe Moakley's dedication to public service and of 
his great accomplishments for the people of Massachusetts.
  I urge its adoption.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Larson).
  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, let me also congratulate the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern). I join my colleagues from 
the Massachusetts delegation and those Members of the House who have 
come to the floor today to pay honor and tribute to an outstanding 
American, a quintessential Irish statesman who I think, as the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) pointed out, is not only a 
link to the past but a handshake and a look into his eyes is peering 
into the future.
  I spoke with Joe the other day, and he said with a great deal of 
pride how he assumed office on the same day that Tip O'Neill was taking 
John Kennedy's place in the House of Representatives and John Kennedy 
was going on to the Senate and Joe Moakley was taking Tip O'Neill's 
place in the great State of Massachusetts Assembly.
  Mr. Speaker, Joe Moakley simply embodies everything that is rich 
about public service and public life. I commend the delegation for its 
salute and tribute to Congressman Moakley.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of my most admired 
colleagues in the House of Representatives, Congressman Joe Moakley of 
Massachusetts who today is the subject of legislation before this body, 
that has been written in his honor.

[[Page H341]]

  Joe Moakley is the quintessential Boston Irish public servant. For 
more than 50 years he has served his Nation, his State of 
Massachusetts, and the hard-working men and women of South Boston in 
one form or another. In the long, and inspiring tradition of such great 
men as former Speaker Tip O'Neill, Joe has been the kind of 
Representative that has shown time and time again that he is a leader 
on the national and international stage, yet has remained ever loyal to 
the people of South Boston and all of Massachusetts.
  When I first arrived here as a freshman Member in 1999, Joe Moakley, 
who was then and now Dean of the New England House delegation, was one 
of those remarkable people I looked to as a model of how I wanted to 
conduct myself as a Member of Congress. With character, dignity, 
devotion, and loyalty, Congressman Moakley continues to serve as 
constant reminder that we are indeed part of a noble profession.
  Joe Moakley's remarkable time in public service began when he was a 
mere 15 years old, when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for service in the 
South Pacific during the Second World War. After graduating from 
college in Florida, and law school, Joe Moakley ran for the 
Massachusetts State Legislature in 1952 where he served until 1960. And 
in 1964, he ws elected to the Massachusetts State Senate where he 
served until 1970. It was in 1972, after briefly serving on the Boston 
City Council, that he was first elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives from the 9th District.
  It was not long after he began his second term that he gained a seat 
on the House Rules Committee, where still serves today as ranking 
member. In 1989, he was made chairman of that committee. As chairman, 
he conducted himself with his characteristic sense of integrity and 
humor.
  Through all his years of service which he continues today, he has 
worked tirelessly for his district, giving them the same full measure 
of devotion that he gave to other matters, such as human rights abuses 
in Central America, which he helped investigate and report on. His 
actions helped expose injustice, and likely contributed to the end of a 
brutal civil war in El Salvador.
  I have always believed that the measure of a person's life is not 
contained merely in the years they spend in office, but rather in how 
their actions in office continue to positively affect the 
neighborhoods, district, and people they served, long after their time 
in service has drawn to a close. If a person's actions have improved 
the life of even one person, or one family, or one community, then 
there is no end or limit to what their service has meant to others. And 
for Joe Moakley, there is no end in sight.
  No matter how long I spend as a Member of this body, I am now, and 
will always be, proud to say that I served with Joe Moakley.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  We are waiting for a couple of other speakers, but I want to take 
this opportunity to say something that is important to say. I am a 
former staffer of Joe Moakley. I am one of the few people who ever left 
his staff. Most of the people who have worked for him have worked for 
him for many years, and they have done so because they admire him and 
respect what he stands for. But members of the staff who are in 
Massachusetts, those who are here in Washington, those on the Committee 
on Rules, do not have the opportunity to come up before the mike and to 
say anything, and I want to say a few words on their behalf.
  Mr. Speaker, if they were able to speak here today, they would 
express their incredible gratitude to Joe, not only for what he stands 
for, but for his friendship and for his support over the many years. 
People who work for him and people who deal with him, it is not just 
people who work for him directly, people who are part of the staff, 
people in the House dining room, the credit union, all love him because 
he has a way of connecting with people. He has a way of expressing 
humor that endears himself to these people.
  I want to say on behalf of his staff how grateful we all are to 
everybody who has spoken here today and who has offered tributes. It 
means an awful lot to all of us because we feel that we are part of his 
family as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Bonior).
  Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for taking the time to 
honor our dear friend, Joe Moakley.
  I think above all, Joe communicates. The dedication of this Post 
Office to him fits his ability to communicate with people, whether it 
is a funny story, in which there are endless numbers, and they just 
kind of flow out of Joe, or whether it is something as serious as 
dealing for justice for the people of Central America to which he and 
the gentleman from Massachusetts played such an important role. I 
consider Joe not only a friend but a mentor. We served together on the 
Committee on Rules for 14 years. He was always insightful. He was 
always there to break the tension with a great joke. He is a person 
that knows how to seize the moment and make the most of it politically. 
I will miss him when he leaves this institution. I understand that he 
will not be seeking reelection. In my estimation, he is one of the 
finest people that has ever served in this body.
  I want to say something about Central America because a lot of people 
don't recall Joe's activity there because they were not here. There has 
been such large turnover since the late 1980s. The death squads in El 
Salvador, as the PBS special that recently played across the country 
showed, it was Joe Moakley's persistence and courage that changed the 
complexion of life in that country and for many Central Americans. He 
had great courage in standing up for them. He is a man that I have 
great admiration for, and it is only fitting that we name this Post 
Office after him, but that we pay tribute to his great service.
  Mr. Speaker, he was there for me in every battle that I ever had in 
this institution, in my leadership battles, in my battles with respect 
to putting together an organization that would get the votes on the 
House floor, he is a wonderful human being.
  Joe, thank you for all of your great service. There will be service 
ahead for you here and we want you to know that we love you. We stand 
by you and that you are the best. I thank my friend from Massachusetts.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield another 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for purposes of control.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Without objection, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) will control an additional 
5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to our leader, the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt).
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure 
to name the courthouse in Boston the Joe Moakley Courthouse. Joe has 
been a great friend to all of us. He has been a great strong right arm 
of this caucus and this House. He has played a pivotal role in the 
leadership of this House in many, many different ways: as a member of 
the Committee on Rules, as the ranking member on the Committee on 
Rules, a member of our leadership organization, as a member of our 
ranking Members' organization. We admire tremendously the service that 
he has brought.
  What really sets Joe Moakley apart is his relationship with his 
constituents. We all know that he has all of these wonderful roles, 
dean of the delegation for Massachusetts, ranking member on the 
Committee on Rules, a leader in the House in so many ways. He has done 
so much in Central America. He has done so much with many of his 
constituents in many, many ways. But I think that above all else is his 
humanity, his humanness, his relationship with each of us individually 
and collectively. He is to me the embodiment of public service. At his 
press conference where he announced his retirement, Joe said the people 
I represent are more than constituents, they are family. That is the 
way Joe Moakley treated everyone. He treated everyone he met, his 
constituents, even total strangers as part of his family.

                              {time}  1145

  He was always funny, he was always friendly, he was always warm, he 
was always loving of other people. And he always will be. I think, more 
than anything that we can say about Joe Moakley today, we can see that 
he has embodied in everything that he has done the humankindness and 
love that all of us should like to represent.
  We love you, Joe, and we look forward to working with you in the days 
ahead in this Congress to make things better for the people of America 
and the people of Massachusetts.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page H342]]

  I want to thank our leader the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt) 
for his remarks. He mentioned Joe's humanity. I think all of us agree 
with him when he says that Joe treated us all like family, and he 
treated us all with an incredible amount of respect. Joe Moakley is 
probably the most genuine person that any of us know. There is not a 
phony bone in his body. That is why people love him so much, because 
when he speaks to you and even when he disagrees with you, it is from 
his heart. It is because of what he believes. I very much treasure that 
trait in him and very much value his friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to again thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
LaTourette) for all of his cooperation and for all of his generosity 
with the time. I want to thank on behalf of all the Massachusetts 
delegation and the people of Massachusetts everybody who has spoken 
here today. Words cannot express adequately how much it means to all of 
us that you have come here today to express your support and your 
friendship and your love for Joe Moakley.
  I want to thank all my colleagues for getting behind this initiative. 
This is the right thing to do. Joe Moakley is going to be with us for 
the next couple of years, and we are going to be able to continue to 
enjoy his humor and to watch him in action. But I think this is the 
appropriate way to say to Joe, ``thank you.'' It does not do justice to 
all that we should do to thank him, but this is a small gesture of our 
affection.
  As I said at the end of my remarks when I opened up here, I will say 
it again, Joe, we all love you a lot.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 559.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaHood). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, many Members have come over to the floor today, Members 
that know Joe Moakley far better than I, and have shared their personal 
stories of his dedication and his compassion, his fierce 
competitiveness, his desire to be a good Democrat and serve well the 
constituents of South Boston and a lot of stories about his wit.
  I can only tell you, Mr. Speaker, that as a House we are united in 
our desire to honor our longtime colleague; and there is no honor more 
fitting than what we plan to do today and that is to name the United 
States courthouse in Boston after one of Boston's sons, John Joseph 
Moakley.
  I urge passage of the bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and 
colleague for yielding time and say to my colleague, the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) what a wonderful tribute he has organized 
on behalf of a wonderful man that I know all of our colleagues are 
distressed to learn is facing the fight of his life but someone whom we 
all know could face that fight like no other in this House, with charm 
and dignity and sense of importance in life and humor that none of us, 
I do not think, could have if we were in his shoes right now facing 
what he is facing.
  I just want to close by saying I cannot think of anybody, and I know 
my father feels the same way, that would better have his name on really 
now a landmark in Boston like the Federal courthouse than Joe Moakley. 
I think what a tribute it will be to have that beautiful courthouse 
which he was such a major part in bringing about bear his name right 
next to the bridge that bears the name of his late wife.
  All of Boston and all of Massachusetts and all of New England and all 
of this country and all over the world for the people that Joe Moakley 
has stood for, this is a great tribute to him. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in urging passage of the Joe Moakley Federal Courthouse 
Building.
  Mr. HALL of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation 
as a tribute to a great American and outstanding Congressman, Joe 
Moakley.
  As a member of the Rules Committee, I have the privilege of working 
closely with Joe. Serving on the Rules Committee is often a thankless 
job. It requires late hours and uncertain schedules. For the ranking 
Democrat, that job is even more difficult. Yet Joe approaches his task 
with dedication and never-ending energy.
  I can remember waiting around for many light-night sessions when we 
were entertained by his stories. Even under the most difficult 
circumstances, Joe never lost his wit and sense of humor.
  Joe represents the best of Democratic ideals of compassion and 
justice. He has championed the rights of the poor, the neglected, and 
oppressed, not only in this country but throughout the hemisphere.
  He has served his Boston constituents with honor and dignity. He has 
skillfully used his position to bring Federal Government services to 
his community. He is the best that government has to offer.
  It is highly appropriate to name a Federal courthouse after Joe. A 
courthouse is where citizens seek justice from their government. That 
is Joe's legacy.
  When Joe Moakley was diagnosed with leukemia, his doctor recommended 
that he consider retiring from Congress and doing what he wants to do. 
Joe replied that serving in Congress is what he wants to do. That's Joe 
Moakley--serving others rather than thinking of himself.
  There is no way our Nation can fully thank Joe for his service, but 
this is a fitting attempt.
  I have enjoyed my service with Joe over the years and I will treasure 
the remaining time in the 107th Congress.
  Good luck, Joe.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 559, a 
bill to designate the Federal Courthouse in Boston in honor of 
Congressman Joe Moakley. It is with great respect that we honor one of 
Congress' most prolific workers and dedicated Members with this 
designation.
  Joe Moakley is a true Bostonian. He was born in Boston on April 27, 
1927. He attended local schools, and at the young age of 15 joined the 
U.S. Navy, serving in the South Pacific during World War II. After the 
war, Joe attended the University of Miami. Upon his return to Boston he 
attended Suffolk University Law School and received his law degree in 
1956.
  In 1952, at the age of 25, Joe was elected to the Massachusetts 
legislature. From 1952 until 1960 he served in the Massachusetts House 
of Representatives, and from 1962 until 1970, he served in the 
Massachusetts Senate. He specialized in urban affairs and environmental 
legislation.
  In 1971, topping the ticket with a record-breaking vote in both the 
primary and general elections, Joe Moakley won a seat on the Boston 
City Council. Just 2 years later he was elected to represent the Ninth 
Congressional District. After his first term he was appointed to a seat 
on the House Rules Committee--a seat previously held by former Speaker 
Tip O'Neill, Jr., his close friend and mentor.
  In June 1989, Congressman Moakley was appointed chairman of the House 
Rules Committee, which controls the flow of legislation and set terms 
for floor debate. In 1995, Mr. Moakley became the committee's ranking 
member.
  All of us will be known for our legislative achievements but few will 
be remembered for their broad concern for humanity. For Joe Moakley, it 
is one of the ways in which he distinguishes himself. In 1989, Joe 
embarked on his most ambitious mission concerning abuses of human 
rights. His outrage at the blatant murder of six Jesuits, their 
housekeeper and her daughter in 1989 in El Salvador propelled him into 
a national investigation that culminated in the Moakley report. This 
searing document revealed the involvement of several high-ranking 
Salvadoran military officials in the murders. The findings in this 
report resulted in the termination of United States military aid to El 
Salvador. It also led to his concern with the School of Americas. More 
importantly, the people of the small village of Santa Marta had their 
sense of justice and fairness renewed and refreshed by the diligence 
and hard work of Joe Moakley.
  Although Joe's concern for abuses of human rights brought him 
international attention, he proudly remained a ``bread and butter'' and 
``nuts and bolts'' politician--caring and concentrating on the people 
of the Ninth Congressional District in his beloved Boston. His efforts 
resulted in securing funds for, among other things, the dredging of 
Boston Harbor, renovation of the World Trade Center, bridges for access 
to the Boston waterfront, the Juvenile Justice Center at Suffolk 
University, Boston Public Library, and economic development in the 
Miles Standish Industrial Park in Taunton.

[[Page H343]]

  His constituents benefited from his dedication to environmental 
protection. He was instrumental in establishing the Boston Harbor 
Islands National Park, and as previously mentioned, he secured funds to 
clean up Boston Harbor. He did not forget historic preservation--
Faneuiel Hall, The African Meeting House, the Old South Church, the 
Freedom Trail, the U.S.S. Constitution, and the Boston Customs House 
all received necessary funding to preserve these American treasures.
  During his career, over 5,100 congressional actions bear the name Joe 
Moakley. His interests include support for the Olympics, regulatory 
review, Medicare, human rights, civil rights, violence, police 
protection, education, environmental protections, energy assistance 
programs for the poor and elderly, landmark legislation designating 
arson as a major crime, merchant marines issues, and international 
affairs. Joe Moakley has received numerous awards and honors including 
an honorary doctorate from Suffolk University, and an honorary 
doctorate from Northeastern University in political science.
  Of course, no picture of Joe Moakley would be complete without 
mentioning his boundless Irish wit, his legendary expertise at telling 
a story, his unfailing courtesy, kindness, and immense generosity.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with an Irish blessing for our 
esteemed colleague Joe Moakley:

     May the friendships you make,
     Be those which endure,
     And all of your grey clouds
     Be small ones for sure.
     And trusting in Him
     To whom we all pray,
     May a song fill your heart,
     Every step of the way.

  Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I support H.R. 559 and 
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, Joe Moakley is a great American. At the 
age of 25 his political career began with a seat on the Massachusetts 
State Legislature. This was just the beginning of a long and active 
political career, serving on both the Massachusetts State House of 
Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate. Joe Moakley started 
his service to the Ninth District of Massachusetts in 1972. His long 
record of service to the Democratic Party was rewarded when he was 
appointed chairman of the Rules Committee in June 1989. Joe Moakley has 
shown his continued dedication through his service as ranking member on 
the Rules Committee since 1994.
  Joe Moakley is a very dedicated man who deserves the honor 
designating the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston, MA. I 
supported a bill proposing this honor for Joe Moakley in the 106th 
Congress and am pleased to support this bill again.
  It has been an honor and a privilege to serve with Joe, and his 
presence in the U.S. Congress will be sorely missed. I will always 
consider Joe as my friend.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 559, a 
bill to designate the new Federal courthouse in Boston as the John 
Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse.
  Mr. Speaker, our friend and colleague Joe Moakley has been an 
outstanding Member of this House working tirelessly for the people of 
his district and our Nation. Like his friend and our former Speaker Tip 
O'Neil, Joe has never forgotten where he came from and has never 
forgotten that ``all politics is local.''
  The people of Joe's district have benefited greatly by his leadership 
in the Hosue--and hundreds of millions of tax dollars have been 
returned to Joe's district and State to improve major infrastructure 
and other public projects.
  Projects include the dredging the Boston Harbor, the reconstruction 
of the Barnes Building--the last major operating military facility in 
Boston, the South Boston Piers Transit Way, the modernization and 
expansion of the Boston transit system, the renovation and 
modernization of South Station and Logan Airport--and the list goes on.
  I have enjoyed working with Joe on human rights issues. Joe's 
dedication to fairness and justice was demonstrated in his leadership 
in bringing to justice the ruthless murderers of six Jesuit priests and 
their housekeeper in El Salvador in 1989.
  Joe's ability to work with other Members and his ability to get 
things done helped him lead the Rules Committee for 6 years. Joe's 
humor and unfailing courtesy have set a high standard for all of us to 
follow in the House.
  It is most fitting and proper that we honor Joe Moakley by 
designating the new Federal courthouse in Boston as the John Joseph 
Moakley U.S. Courthouse.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 559, designating the 
John Joseph Moakley Courthouse.
  My colleague from Massachusetts is a legislator's legislator, 
fighting for the people of his district. He has lived by Tip O'Neill's 
adage that all politics is local, and under his leadership, 
Massachusetts has benefitted, as he has carried bills promoting high 
tech businesses, creating jobs, and developing the local economy.
  It is therefore fitting that a courthouse in his district bear the 
name the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse.
  He is a remarkable man. Serving our nation in World War II, going to 
college and then earning his law degree at night, serving in the 
Massachusetts State Legislature and the Boston City Council, and 
finally being elected to the U.S. Congress. He has filled big shoes, 
serving on the Rules Committee in the seat previously held by former 
Speaker Tip O'Neill, Jr., ascending to its chairmanship when Democrats 
held the majority, and ranking member in the minority.
  He has a strong commitment to human rights, a passion for gentle 
debate, a keen sense of humor, and the ability to resolve difficult 
disputes.
  I can think of no better or more fitting tribute to a man who has 
devoted his career to promoting the rule of law for our nation and his 
constituents.
  I wish him my prayers and good thoughts in fighting his recently 
diagnosed leukemia, and I wish him God's blessings and the strength 
that comes from faith.
  Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many 
accomplishments of my friend, Mr. Joe Moakley of Massachusetts. I stand 
before you to commend a man who embodies infinite courage and legendary 
patriotism. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the dedicated 
service of Congressman Joe Moakley.
  Bound by a sense of service to country, Joe lied about his young age 
to enlist in the U.S. Navy. Risking his life to defend our country 
during World War II only marked the beginning of his career in public 
service. Joe rose through the ranks of local government and was elected 
to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972. It has been my distinct 
honor to work with him the past 22 years, and in that time I have come 
to recognize him, as have many others, as a man driven by principal and 
conviction.
  During his tenure in the House, Joe has become a renegade for human 
rights. His desire to find answers to the brutal murders of innocent 
civilians in El Salvador led a divided country to an eventual peace 
agreement in 1992. His leadership, his passion and his dedication to 
civic justice will truly be remembered.
  Most significantly, I have admired Joe for his tireless commitment to 
the people of the Ninth District of Massachusetts. Joe is a member of 
this body who will truly be missed. While this tribute cannot begin to 
communicate his greatness as a leader and friend, I can say that this 
body has been made better by his presence and will be lesser in his 
absence. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join with me today in 
celebrating the accomplishments of Congressman Joe Moakley.
  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill is considered read for amendment.
  Pursuant to the order of the House of Tuesday, February 13, 2001, the 
previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
  The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read 
the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the 
table.

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