[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 58 (Wednesday, May 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H1735-H1744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECEPTION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
The SPEAKER of the House presided.
The SPEAKER. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome
everyone here this morning. On behalf of the House of Representatives,
I am happy to welcome to this Chamber very good friends of this
institution, former Members of Congress. You are not only friends of
this institution, you are also friends of ours, and for many of us, and
for many of you, we stand on your
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shoulders. The things that you have accomplished, the works that you
have done, we are able to carry on. We are able to carry it on in the
way that we have been able to because of your great works that have
gone before us.
Every one of the Members here has spent precious years of their life
in this chamber. Some of the best years of their lives were spent in
this Chamber working to represent the needs and the concerns of the
American people.
Your commitment to your Nation did not end when you left Congress.
Many of you went on to do other things in public service. Many of you
excelled in the private sector. Many of you have continued to serve our
Nation in many other honorable ways.
Jack Kemp is one of those people. He is certainly an ideal and worthy
choice to receive the Distinguished Service Award that this body, your
group, is about to give. After 18 years in Congress, Jack Kemp had
still more to do, including his service as Secretary of Housing and
Urban Development; and we were all impressed, but not surprised, when
Jack was nominated for Vice President in 1996. Today, he has continued
to work to advance the kinds of policies he cares about that empower
America. He is truly dedicated to the betterment of our Nation, and I
say to you, congratulations, Jack.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the
former Members. Thank you for being here and for your continued effort,
both home and abroad. Your outreach to college campuses throughout the
country helps to strengthen the work of our government and encourage
public service. Your support to parliaments around the world is
invaluable, and I want to thank you for those efforts.
At this time I would request that the gentleman from Idaho, Mr.
LaRocco, Vice President of the Former Members Association, take the
Chair.
Mr. LaROCCO (presiding). The Chair would recognize the gentleman from
New York, Mr. McNulty.
Mr. McNULTY. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On behalf of Minority Leader
Dick Gephardt and all of the Members of our side of the aisle, we want
to welcome all of the former Members of Congress to this session today.
It is a great opportunity for us to reminisce.
I personally try never to miss this particular event. I walked into
the Chamber and one of the first people I saw was one of my former
leaders on the Committee on Armed Services, Sonny Montgomery. Before I
came into the Chamber, I had breakfast with my class president, Bill
Sarpalius, of the class of 1988. George Sangmeister, another member of
our class, is over here. I saw my old buddies, Denny Hertel and Larry
LaRocco. Last night at the reception I had a chance to visit with
Ambassador Lindy Boggs and thank her for her outstanding service to our
country, especially in her latest assignment.
I see so many members of the New York family, Matt McHugh and Bobby
Garcia and Norm Lent and Jerry Solomon and Dave Martin, and New York, I
am happy to say, is very, very well represented here today.
So, on behalf of Dick and Dave Bonior and all of the members of the
Democratic Party, I join with Speaker Hastert and the Republican
leadership in welcoming all of you to this session today, and to thank
you for your outstanding service to our country, and for reminding us
of our great history and our heritage.
Thank you very much.
Mr. LaROCCO. The Clerk will call the roll of the former Members of
the House and the Senate who are present today.
The Clerk called the roll of the former Members of the Congress, and
the following former Members answered to their names:
Rollcall of Former Members of Congress Attending 31st Annual Spring
Meeting, May 2, 2001
The United States Association of Former Members of Congress
William V. (Bill) Alexander, Arkansas
Bill Barrett, Nebraska
J. Glenn Beall, Jr., Maryland
Tom Bevill, Alabama
Lindy Boggs, Louisiana
William Broomfield, Michigan
Glen Browder, Alabama
Clarence ``Bud'' Brown, Ohio
James Broyhill, North Carolina
John H. Buchanan, Jr., Alabama
Jack Buechner, Missouri
Beverly Byron, Maryland
Elford A. Cederberg, Michigan
Charles Chamberlain, Michigan
Norman E. D'Amours, New Hampshire
Joseph J. DioGuardi, New York
John N. Erlenborn, Illinois
Lou Frey, Jr., Florida
Robert Garcia, New York
John Paul Hammerschmidt, Arkansas
Robert W. Hanrahan, Illinois
Ralph R. Harding, Idaho
Dennis M. Hertel, Michigan
George Hochbruechner, New York
Ken Holland, South Carolina
Marjorie Holt, Maryland
William J. Hughes, New Jersey
Robert Kastenmeier, Wisconsin
Jack Kemp, New York
David S. King, Utah
Herbert C. Klein, New Jersey
Ernest Konnyu, California
Steven T. Kuykendall, California
Peter N. Kyros, Maine
H. Martin Lancaster, North Carolina
Larry LaRocco, Idaho
Norman F. Lent, New York
Tom Lewis, Florida
Jim Lloyd, California
Catherine Long, Louisiana
Daniel E. Lungren, California
Connie Mack, Florida
David O'B. Martin, New York
Bob McEwen, Ohio
Matthew F. McHugh, New York
C. Thomas McMillan, Maryland
Lloyd Meeds, Washington
Robert H. Michel, Illinois
Clarence E. Miller, Ohio
G.V. ``Sonny'' Montgomery, Mississippi
John Myers, Indiana
Richard D. ``Dick'' Nichols, Kansas
Ed Pease, Indiana
Howard W. Pollock, Alaska,
Don Ritter, Pennsylvania
Carlos Romero-Barcelo, Puerto Rico
George E. Sangmeister, Illinois
Bill Sarpalius, Texas
Richard T. Schulze, Pennsylvania
Bud Shuster, Pennsylvania
Carlton R. Sickles, Maryland
Jerry Solomon, New York
Jim Symington, Missouri
Steve Symms, Idaho
Charles W. Whalen, Jr., Ohio
Harris Wofford, Pennsylvania
Howard A. Wolpe, Michigan
Joe Wyatt, Jr., Texas
{time} 0915
Mr. LaROCCO. The Chair announces that 53 former Members of Congress
have responded to their names.
The Chair recognizes the distinguished majority leader of the House,
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), for the purpose of making some
remarks to the association.
Mr. ARMEY. Well, good morning. I look around the room, I think I know
most of you, and it is nice to see a lot of your faces back. Sonny, we
will probably have a veterans bill on the floor later today by
unanimous consent.
It is so nice to see all my good friends, Bob Michel, who is a bit of
a mentor and a somewhat frustrated disciplinarian in my case for a lot
of years. I see Jerry. And, oh, look here. Bill, how are you? A true
mentor. I was thinking about this this morning as I was coming in here.
Joe, how are you this morning? One of the things that has been a
blessing in my life, and some of you remember when I came here. I was
what was known as a bomb thrower. I still am, am I?
You know, you come to this body, I think, without any full
appreciation of what this institution is. Then yesterday I happened to
be downtown; and as we were driving back toward the Capitol, I looked
up and I saw the dome, and I had two or three of my young staffers, and
I began to comment that it is a big deal where we work and are we not
privileged to be here. And I think that one of the things that we
develop over here is a genuine love for this institution.
I am sure that some of you remember, frankly, my lack of
understanding of that, appreciation for it and respect for it, and
thought, as a young new Member, that this guy will never come to this
point. Well, let me just say I believe I have come to the point that
you have come to and that has brought you back today. We love this
House of Representatives. I consider it the most unique institution of
democracy in the world. There is nothing really quite
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like it. And for you and me, we have had, I think, an extraordinary
privilege, a privilege that unfortunately we do not always fully
respect during the time we are here.
Let me first thank you for coming back here as you have done to pay
respect to this institution and to honor this institution; and let me
ask you, as you visit with some of us that are still here, particularly
some of us that are new here that you may know, that maybe replaced
you, take the time, take a chance on us and give us a word of
encouragement to come and know the love of this House. It is a special
place. We have been so privileged to serve here together. We have
learned a lot from one another, we have learned that we can filter
through this love of the institution a respect for one another and our
differences.
For me, of course, the unbelievable privilege of being the majority
leader of the House, being trusted by my colleagues to schedule the
House, this prompted a discussion with former Speaker Jim Wright. Some
of you may recall that when Speaker Wright was here and we were in the
minority he and I did not necessarily have the most cordial
relationship. But Jim asked me, he said, ``Dick, is there anything you
have learned while being majority leader?'' I said, ``Yes, Jim, I
learned I should have had more appreciation for you when you had the
job.''
So help us, if you will, to know what you now know, that has brought
you back here today. This is a wonderful institution. We are privileged
to be here. We ought to first manifest our love for this institution
and through that perhaps gain some regard and respect, appreciation,
patience, and good humor between ourselves even in the heat of our
debates.
Thank you for coming back. Thank every one of you so much for what
you did for me. I see so many people here that helped me, encouraged me
along the way. Bob, if you think it is hopeless to try to discipline
that Armey, you have a soul mate, my wife has the same feeling. So in
the House or the house in Texas, I am still incorrigible. We will try
to at least be good natured and well-mannered while being incorrigible.
Thank you for letting me be here.
Mr. LaROCCO. At this time the Chair would recognize the gentleman
from Illinois, the Honorable John Erlenborn, president of our
association.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Thank you, Mr. Speaker pro tempore. My colleagues,
members of the Former Members Association, and others who are here
today with us, first of all, let me say that right now represents for
me a somewhat unique situation. After 20 years in Congress, this is the
first time I have spoken from the Democratic podium, but I wanted to
highlight our bipartisan nature today.
Mr. Speaker, thanks to you and to all of you who have come here
today. We are especially grateful to the Speaker, Dennis Hastert, for
taking time from his busy schedule to greet us, and for Representative
Michael McNulty for his warm welcome on behalf of the Democratic
leadership.
It is always a privilege to return to this institution which we
revere and where we shared so many memorable experiences. Service in
the Congress is both a joy and a heavy responsibility. And whatever our
party affiliation, we have great admiration for those who continue to
serve the country in this place. We thank them all for once again
giving us this opportunity to report on the activity of our association
of former Members of Congress.
This is our 31st annual report to Congress, and I ask unanimous
consent, Mr. Speaker, that all Members be permitted to revise and
extend their remarks.
Mr. LaROCCO. Without objection, so ordered.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Our association is nonpartisan. It has been chartered,
but not funded, by the Congress. We have a wide variety of domestic and
international programs, which several other members and I will discuss
briefly.
Our membership numbers approximately 600 former Members of the House
and the Senate, and our purpose is to continue in some small measure
the service to this country that we began during our terms in the
Senate and the House of Representatives.
{time} 0930
Our most significant domestic activity is our Congress to Campus
Program. This is an effort, on a bipartisan basis, to share with
college students throughout the country our insights on the work of the
Congress and the political process more generally. A team of former
members, one Republican, one Democrat, spend 2\1/2\ days on college
campuses throughout the United States, meeting formally and informally
with students and members of the faculty and local communities. This is
a great experience for our members.
I have made the trip five or six times myself. It has always been
enjoyable. But our primary goal is to generate a deeper appreciation
for our democratic form of government and the need to participate
actively.
Since the program's inception in 1976, 120 former Members of Congress
have reached more than 150,000 students through 273 visits to 186
campuses in 49 States and the District of Columbia. In recent years, we
have conducted the program jointly with the Stennis Center for Public
Service at Mississippi State University. The former Members donate
their time to this program. The Stennis Center pays transportation
costs, and the host institution provides room and board.
At this point, I yield to Dennis Hertel, the gentleman from Michigan,
to discuss his participation in the Congress to Campus Program.
Mr. HERTEL. Thank you, John.
The Congress to Campus is the major program of our Association, in
conjunction with the Stennis Center for Public Service, as was just
stated. We send one Republican and one Democratic for 2\1/2\ days to
various campuses. I have been fortunate enough to go to South Dakota,
Mississippi, North Dakota and Oklahoma with Rod Chandler from
Washington State, George Wortley from New York, and John Erlenborn,
just 2 weeks ago, to Minnesota.
What we do is talk with the students about what our government does
and how it works. We are not running from office or seeking anything.
They realize that we are going to give them frank answers to their
questions. We meet with assemblies, classrooms, small groups and have
lunch and dinner with the students. My wife, Cindy, and I have three
students in college now, one a first-year law student, and so you can
see where our focus and finances are. Sometimes my children ask, where
are you going now and why are you going there. They wonder if I have
any knowledge to tell these other college students.
The truth is, I learn from the students every time. The things that
they are talking about, the questions that they are debating, the
questions that they ask us provoke us to reflect on what we have done
and what Congress is doing today.
Mainly, we let them see us as people and tell them our history as to
how we got involved and how we were elected to Congress and got
involved in the political process. Our goal is to combat that cynicism
out there and to give them an understanding what this Congress does,
but mainly it is to let them know that there are people from the
Democratic and Republican parties that care, and to let them know that
it is their responsibility to get involved, whether in the community or
State, or here in the Congress in the future. I am sure that we have
talked to many future leaders, many future Congressmen and
Congresswomen.
And I always emphasize that we are not up to 51 percent of the
population in the Congress reflecting the Members, even though we have
made great strides in terms of the number of women in the House and
Senate. It is satisfying and electrifying when I talk to the students,
and I thank all former Members who have participated.
Mr. ERLENBORN. One outgrowth of the Congress to Campus Program was an
interest in producing a book that would take an inside look at the
Congress from different viewpoints. There are many fine books written
by individual Members of Congress, but to our knowledge there was no
compendium that goes beyond or behind the scenes in a very personal
way. So a past president of the association, Lou Frey, recruited 34
members, a congressional spouse, two former congressional staff
members, and a former member of the Canadian parliament to write
chapters for a book on Congress. Lou and the
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head of the Political Science Department at Colgate University,
Professor Michael Hayes, co-edited the book, Inside the House: Former
Members Reveal How Congress Really Works, which was published in March
of this year. The book has been very well received and already is in
its second printing. We hope that you and others will find it
interesting and informative. Lou Frey will tell you more about the book
a bit later.
Mr. Speaker, as you know, although many of our former Members live in
the Washington area, there are quite a few who reside in other parts of
the country. Therefore, in an effort to broaden participation in the
Association, we have held some meetings outside of Washington. In
recent years, we have held a regional meeting in California each fall.
In October of last year, we switched the venue to Texas and held the
meeting in Austin. Our former colleagues, Jake Pickle, Jack Hightower,
Kent Hance, Joe Wyatt and Bill Patman planned an interesting schedule
that included visits to the LBJ Library and ranch, tours of the State
capitol building and the governor's mansion, and meetings with students
at the University of Texas.
I would like to yield to Bill Sarpalius, the gentleman from Texas, to
provide more details about the meeting.
Mr. SARPALIUS. Mr. Speaker, the trip that we had occurred from
October 21 through October 25. As the chairman mentioned, the trip
began with a trip to San Antonio, where we took a ride down the River
Walk and toured one of the famous buildings of United States, which is
the Alamo.
The next day we took a private tour of the State capitol, and I might
add, the people from Texas made sure is that everybody understood that
that dome is a little bit taller than the one here in Washington. And
we took a private tour of the governor's mansion. But being the last
part of October, for some reason the governor of Texas was not there.
He was out campaigning for something.
Probably the highlight of the entire meeting and trip that we had was
all of us went to the LBJ Library and had lunch with students there,
and then we broke up into different classes. Of course, Lady Bird
Johnson was there and was a tremendous hostess to us.
To participate in those classes with those students and to see the
brilliance of the future generations of these young people and their
knowledge of politics, and not only politics in the United States, but
politics around the world was extremely impressive.
After the classes, we then took a tour of the LBJ Library, which I
personally found, and I have been through that library many, many
times, but I recall walking with Jack Brooks and Jake Pickle and Graham
Purcell, and we hit a particular spot in that museum where I was facing
them, and all of a sudden their expressions changed. We were entering
the part that was on the assassination of President Kennedy, and to
hear them reminisce of when they were in the motorcade and what they
remembered happened at that event was extremely educational to me
personally.
The next day the delegation had a private tour of the Nimitz-Bush
Pacific War Museum, and then toured the LBJ ranch, and then finished up
with dinner in the Lieutenant Governor's Room at the State capitol.
I might add, in closing, that one of the things that I hope we all
will recall is that the good Lord has given many, many people the
breath of life, and he never created anybody identically the same; we
were all created different. But there is one thing that all of us in
this Chamber have in common, and that is we were Members of the most
powerful governmental body in the world.
We were given that blessing by our constituents, and we were there to
try to help the future, but we are cheating the future if we do not
take those experiences that we gained and share it with future
generations, like the opportunities that we had to participate in
speaking to those classes at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas. It was a
wonderful trip.
Mr. ERLENBORN. On December 5, 2000, the Association once again
sponsored a ``Life After Congress'' seminar, a program we have
traditionally organized for the benefit of Members leaving Congress.
During the seminar, former Members Larry LaRocco, Jack Buechner, Martin
Lancaster, Henson Moore, Fred Grandy and I shared our experiences about
the adjustments we had to make when we left Congress and how we managed
to seek and pursue careers in a variety of fields.
Congressional spouse Leslie Hayes described how members of families
of former Members cope with leaving Congress and beginning a new life.
In addition, congressional support staff outlined the services
available to former Members of Congress. As in the past, the seminar
was followed by a reception sponsored by the Association's Auxiliary to
afford more time for informal exchanges.
Mr. Speaker, beyond the events we organize here, the Association is
very active in sponsoring programs that are international in scope.
Over the years, we have gained considerable experience in fostering
interactions between the leaders of other nations and the United
States. We have arranged more than 424 special events at the U.S.
Capitol for international delegations from 85 countries and the
European Parliament, programmed short-term visits for individual
members of Parliament and long-term visits for parliamentary staff,
hosted 47 foreign policy seminars in nine countries involving 1,500
former and current parliamentarians, and conducted 18 study tours
abroad for former Members of Congress.
The Association also serves as the secretariat for the Congressional
Study Group on Germany, the largest and most active exchange program
between the U.S. Congress and the parliament of another country.
Founded in 1987 in the House and in 1988 in the Senate, it is a
bipartisan group involving 170 Representatives and Senators. They are
afforded the opportunity to meet with their counterparts in the German
Bundestag to enhance understanding and greater cooperation.
Ongoing study group activities include conducting a Distinguished
Visitors Program at the U.S. Capitol for guests from Germany;
sponsoring annual seminars involving Members of Congress and the
Bundestag; providing information about participants in the Congress-
Bundestag Youth Exchange Program to appropriate Members of Congress;
and arranging for members of the Bundestag to visit congressional
districts with Members of Congress.
New activities are being explored to enhance these opportunities. The
Congressional Study Group on Germany is funded primarily by the German
Marshall Fund of the United States. Additional funding to assist with
administrative expenses has also been received this year from eight
corporations: BASF, Celanese, DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche Telekom, J.P.
Morgan Chase, S.A.P., Siemens, and Volkswagen, whose representatives
now serve on a Business Advisory Council to the study group, which is
chaired by our former colleague, former Member Tom Coleman, who served
as the chairman of the study group in the House in 1989.
I now would like to yield to the gentleman from Missouri, Jack
Buechner to report on the 18th Congress-Bundestag Seminar held in
Germany from April 9 to 12 and other study group activities.
Mr. BUECHNER. I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding to me.
It gives me great pleasure to report on the activities of the
Congressional Study Group. This program remains the largest and most
active parliamentary exchange between the U.S. Congress and the
legislative branch of any other country.
{time} 0945
I would add that I do not think there are any similar programs
anywhere in the world that would compare with this program. Currently
170 Members of Congress, 33 Senators, and 137 Members of the House,
participate in the activities of the congressional study group. With
the inauguration of the 107th Congress, the study group saw significant
changes in its congressional leadership.
In the House, Joel Hefley of Colorado assumed the post of chairman
and Nick Lampson of Texas became the new vice chairman. On the Senate
side, Tim Johnson of South Dakota remained the Democratic cochair while
Chuck Hagel of Nebraska replaced Bill Roth as the Republican cochair.
I would hope everybody would join with me in thanking Bill Roth for
the
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tremendous service and commitment that he gave to this program in his
years in the Senate. Under the Study Group's new director, Peter
Weichlein, the study group has significantly expanded the number and
scope of its activities. However, the two main programs of the group
remain its distinguished visitors program at our Capitol and its annual
Congress-Bundestag seminar. The Distinguished Visitors Program has
hosted numerous high ranking elected and appointed officials of the
Federal Republic of Germany here on Capitol Hill.
In this congressional session alone, the study group brought together
with Members of Congress Germany's Federal Minister of Economics,
Werner Mueller, and just last week the chair of Germany's CDU party,
that is the Christian Democrats, Dr. Angela Merkel, who quite possibly
could be elected Germany's next Chancellor in 2002.
I now have had the pleasure of attending several Congress-Bundestag
seminars. The annual meeting arranged by the Congressional Study Group
on Germany that brings together Members of Congress and their confreres
from the Bundestag for in-depth dialogue. This is the 18th year the
seminar was hosted by the study group and they just seem to be getting
better each year, although I would add I think they get colder each
year. As we were leaving Usedom, we looked out the window and we were
greeted by some good Baltic Sea snow.
Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota led a delegation of current and former
members first to Berlin and then to Usedom Island from April 7 to April
13. We arrived in Berlin on Sunday, were treated to a private tour of
the Reichstag by a member of the Bundestag, Volkmar Schultz. The next
morning, we had a working breakfast with Germany's foreign minister. It
was over an hour. I would be hard pressed to think that our Secretary
of State would have given the same greetings and in-depth discussion
with Members of the Congress. We also went with the Vice Chancellor,
Joschka Fischer, where we discussed global security issues including
China and the Middle East. We then traveled to Usedom, which is a
beautiful island in the northeastern part of Germany three kilometers
from the Polish border.
As you can imagine, as I said before, the second week of April and
Usedom in the Baltics, it was a bit cold but that did not deter anyone
from having a joyful experience. There were four days of meetings with
seven current Bundestag members ranging from the Greens to the
Christian Democrats. Our discussion focused on domestic issues,
especially East Germany 10 years after reunification and the United
States under the Bush administration. We also had a dialogue on trade
questions, such as the trade implications of EU expansion to the east.
We discussed security policy issues, for example, NMD and NATO
expansion.
The study group also organized several memorable excursions and
activities. For example, we toured Peenemunde where Werner von Braun
and his team developed rocket technology still in use today. We were
flown by military helicopter to Eggesin Army Base where the German,
Polish, and Danish troops form the tri-national corps. Here we were
briefed on the Kosovo mission. We witnessed several troop exercises
which are used to prepare the soldiers for their Balkan mission.
The activities of the Congressional Study Group on Germany as
highlighted by the annual seminar are quite impressive and they serve
an important purpose of providing current Members with the opportunity
to communicate with legislators from one of our most important allies
and trade partners. The Association of Former Members, through this
program, provides a very unique and vital service to the current
Members. I believe the Congressional Study Group on Germany is an
excellent example of how the talents and efforts of former Members can
be used to benefit current Members and to a larger extent the public. I
thank you.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Our association also serves as the secretariat for the
Congressional Study Group on Japan. Founded in 1993 in cooperation with
the East-West Center in Hawaii, it is a bipartisan group of 86 Members
of the House and the Senate with an additional 49 Members having asked
to be kept informed of the study group activities. In addition to
providing substantive opportunities for Members of Congress to meet
with their counterparts in the Japanese Diet, the study group arranges
monthly briefings when the Congress is in session for Members to hear
from American and Japanese experts about various aspects of the U.S.-
Japan relationship. The Congressional Study Group on Japan is funded
primarily by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission.
In 1999, the association began a parliamentary exchange program with
the People's Republic of China. In October of that year with funding
from the U.S. Information Agency, the association hosted a delegation
of nine members of the National People's Congress of China in
Washington. This program marked the inauguration of the U.S.-China
Interparliamentary Exchange Group whose members are appointed by the
Speaker. The visit included in-depth discussions between Members of the
two Congresses as well as meetings by members of the Chinese delegation
with high level executive branch representatives, academics, and
business representatives.
In 2000, the association received a grant from the Department of
State to continue this exchange program by arranging a visit to China
by members of the exchange group. The trip to China, which is scheduled
to take place in August of this year, will include stops in Beijing for
in-depth discussions with members of the National Peoples Congress of
China and meetings with other government representatives and in Tibet
to observe conditions there.
The association also has received funding from private sources to
initiate a Congressional Study Group on China which will hold monthly
meetings at the Capitol for current Members to discuss with American
and Chinese experts topics of particular concern in this important
relationship. We believe the current situation with China underscores
the need for forthright and open dialogue between the leaders of the
United States and China, and we are working with the leaders of the
U.S.-China Inter-Parliamentary exchange group to encourage the
continuation and expansion of this vital dialogue.
The U.S. Congress and the Congress of Mexico have been conducting
annual seminars for 40 years under the auspices of the U.S.-Mexico
Inter-Parliamentary Group. However, there is little interaction between
legislators from these two countries during the rest of the year. The
association hopes to initiate a Congressional Study Group on Mexico,
with funding from the Tinker Foundation, so that Members of Congress
can meet on a regular basis with visiting American dignitaries and
other experts about various aspects of the U.S.-Mexico relationship.
These plans have been delayed by the advent of new administrations
both in the United States and Mexico. However, knowing the importance
placed on both new Presidents and the U.S.-Mexican relationship, it is
anticipated that this program will get under way in the near future. In
the aftermath of political changes in Europe, the association began a
series of programs in 1989 to assist the emerging democracies of
central and eastern Europe.
With funding from the U.S. Information Agency, the association sent
bipartisan teams of former Members of Congress, accompanied by either a
congressional or a country expert to the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary and Poland for up to 2 weeks. They conducted workshops and
provided instruction on legislative issues for new members of
parliament, their staffs and other persons involved in the legislative
process. They also made public appearances to discuss the American
political process. In addition, the association brought delegations of
members of parliament from these countries to the United States for 2-
week visits.
With funding from the USIA, the association sent a technical advisor
to the Hungarian parliament from 1991 to 1993. With financial support
from the Pew Charitable Trust in 1994, the association assigned
technical advisers to the Slovak and Ukrainian parliaments. This
initial support was supplemented by other grants to enable the
Congressional Fellows to extend their stays. From 1995 through 2000,
with funding
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from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Eurasia
Foundation, the association managed a highly successful program that
placed Ukrainian students in internships with committees, legislative
support offices, and leadership offices of the Parliament of Ukraine.
This program met not only the Parliament's short-term need of having a
well-educated, motivated, and professionally trained staff to conduct
its current legislative work effectively, but also the longer term need
to develop a cadre of trained professionals. Former Members of Congress
visited Ukraine from time to time to assist with these efforts by
meeting with the students involved in the program as well as with
Ukrainian government leaders.
At the end of 2000, the association turned over the administration of
this program to local Ukrainian management to ensure its long-term
viability. Two independent Ukrainian groups, one academic, and the
other the Association of Ukrainian Deputies, have committed themselves
to maintaining the high professional standards in the nonpartisan
selection process.
The Ukrainian program proved to be an excellent pilot that was well
worth replicating in other emerging democracies, particularly in the
Central/East European and NIS areas. In late 1999-early 2000, under a
grant from the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs,
with funding from the Agency for International Development, the
association sent a congressional staff member to Macedonia for 6
months. He selected university students and recent graduates in that
country and trained them to provide research and drafting services to
the Members of Parliament who lacked such resources. A young Macedonian
lawyer worked with our congressional fellow and assumed the management
of the program upon his return to the United States. I was privileged
to have traveled to Macedonia in January of 2000 to confer with Members
of the Macedonian Parliament concerning the intern program that we had
established for them.
I believe that one of the most important programs the association has
undertaken is providing help to emerging democracies, especially their
parliaments. The transition from the old ways to democratic governments
is a basic test of the success of the newly emerging democracies.
Similar problems are being faced by all of them with varying successes.
I believe the intern projects that we have initiated are necessary to
help the legislatures transition to independent and meaningful roles if
the voice of the people is to be heard as it must in a democracy.
The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress is uniquely
qualified to provide the resources for the education of the legislators
in the emerging democracies. Former Members have experience in State
legislatures and in Congress. We cannot expect other countries to adopt
our ways, but we can help them identify the basic elements of a free,
representative government sensitive to the traditions of their country.
I believe that each and every one of us, having served our country in
the past, still has the urge to serve in some capacity. With our
experience, we can help other countries move toward responsive
democratic governments. It would be a shame to waste the resource that
we represent. I hope that we can have more programs such as those in
Ukraine and Macedonia. The association would be happy to respond to
requests to assist other emerging democracies.
The association also has been interested in assisting with U.S.-Cuban
relations. In December of 1996, we sent a delegation of current and
former Members of Congress to Cuba on a study mission to assess the
situation there and analyze the effectiveness of U.S. policies toward
Cuba. Upon its return, the delegation wrote a report of its findings
which was widely disseminated through the media and was made available
to Members of Congress as well as to personnel in the executive branch.
A follow-up to this initial study was conducted in January of 1999.
Again, the delegation wrote a detailed report of its findings and
shared it through media and briefings with congressional leaders and
representatives of the executive branch. A final study mission to Cuba
took place from May 29 to June 3 of 2000. A delegation led by John
Brademas of Indiana and including Jack Buechner of Missouri, Larry
LaRocco of Idaho, and Fred Grandy of Iowa met with representatives of
the Cuban Government, dissidents and others to assess the present state
of the U.S.-Cuba relations.
{time} 1000
This program with Cuba was funded by the Ford Foundation.
I would now like to yield to the gentleman from Idaho, Larry LaRocco,
to share his observations from the most recent trip to Cuba; and I will
replace the gentleman while he is in the well.
Mr. LaROCCO. Thank you, Mr. President.
I am pleased to report on the third fact-finding mission to Cuba by a
bipartisan delegation from the Association of Former Members of
Congress. Our trip was just about 1 year ago, from May 26 to June 3,
2000. Our purpose was to explore firsthand the current political,
social and economic realities in Cuba and to consider what steps might
be taken to improve relations between Cuba and the United States.
Before traveling, we were fully briefed by officials in the
Department of State, key Members of Congress, leaders of
nongovernmental organizations, and officials of the Cuban Interests
Section in Washington, D.C.
Unlike the two previous delegations, we did not travel as a group
officially invited by the Cuban Government. We had the appropriate
documentation from the U.S. Government, however.
The Cuban Government did not extend an official invitation to the
delegation. We were simply issued tourist visas. This unofficial
character of the trip allowed us to control our own time, to have a
variety of meetings, and to gain a much better idea of what a cross-
section of the Cuban population thinks. Unencumbered by the protocol
demands that normally accompany an officially approved trip, we were
free to visit a wide range of independent organizations, art centers,
church and church-sponsored groups, and research centers.
We were also able to attend church services, visit markets, travel
into the countryside and talk freely to private citizens. On the ground
in Cuba, we heard a remarkably diverse array of voices and observed a
highly complex set of political and social circumstances.
The report we wrote upon our return from Cuba reflects the collective
deliberations of the delegation, and lists six specific recommendations
we all endorsed. We did not attempt to tackle every issue involved in
the relations between our countries. In order to make concrete
recommendations, we focused, however, on a core of matters that seemed
particularly significant to us.
Our recommendations closely paralleled those of the previous two
bipartisan delegations. To date, 15 former Members of Congress, eight
Republicans and seven Democrats, have traveled to Cuba on these Ford
Foundation-sponsored missions. The recommendations of all three
delegations have been unanimous and are remarkably similar in terms of
their implications for U.S. policy.
I would like to briefly summarize our recommendations: number one,
Congress and the administration should begin a phased reduction of
sanctions legislation as defined in the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992
(P.L. 102-484) and the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity
(LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, that was known as the Helms-Burton P.L. 104-
114. At the time of our report, we supported the enactment of H.R. 3140
and S. 2382 to remove all restrictions on the sales or gifts of food
and medicines.
Number two, serious consideration should be given to the
establishment of a U.S. bank in Havana, if legislation to authorize the
sale of food and medicine is approved by the Congress and the
administration.
Number three, opportunities for people-to-people contact between
citizens of the United States and Cuba should be expanded, particularly
through the two-way exchanges in the fields of education and culture.
More links between educational, cultural and nongovernmental
institutions in our two countries should also be established.
Number four, the current ceilings on annual remittances from the
United
[[Page H1741]]
States to Cuba should be raised significantly, if not eliminated.
Number five, steps should be taken to facilitate direct flights
between the United States and Cuba.
Finally, number six, steps should be taken to improve Internet
communications between the citizens of both countries. Initiatives
aimed at enabling Cuban citizens to gain greater access to the Internet
should be encouraged and support should be given to individuals and
entities involved in the creation of Web sites and other electronic
platforms aimed at improving mutual understanding between the peoples
of the United States and Cuba.
That, Mr. President, and members of the association, is our report.
At this time there are no future missions to Cuba that are planned, but
we look forward to playing a role in developing better relationships
between Cuba and the United States.
Mr. Speaker, that concludes my report on our trip to Cuba.
Mr. ERLENBORN. I must confess that I arranged to have the gentleman
from Idaho give this report. For the last 2 years, I was privileged to
occupy the Speaker's chair during our report to the Congress. This
year, of course, I am enjoying this role; but I hated to relinquish the
Speaker's chair, so I made it possible I could occupy it for part of
the time at least.
The association organizes study tours for its members and their
spouses who at their own expense have participated in educational and
cultural experiences in Canada, China, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand,
the former Soviet Union, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East
and South America.
In March 2000, 65 association and auxiliary members, spouses and
friends, visited Italy where there were three former Members of
Congress serving as ambassadors. Our ambassador to the Holy See, Lindy
Boggs. Lindy, good to see you here today. George McGovern, who was then
ambassador to the Food and Agricultural Organization; and Tom
Foglietta, our ambassador to Italy.
In September of 2001, we are planning a study tour to Turkey which
will include visits to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, and Ephesus, with an
optional cruise along the southern coast at the end. The trip will
include meetings with Turkish business representatives and government
leaders, as well as opportunities to visit many of the historic sites
in Turkey. I hope many of our association and auxiliary members will be
able to participate in what should be an exceptional opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, as you can see, the association conducts a wide variety
of programs and is continuing to expand them. All of this requires
financial support. At present, our funding comes from three primary
sources: program grants, membership dues, and an annual fund-raising
dinner and auction.
On March 6 of this year, we held our fourth annual Statesmanship
Award dinner at which our friend and colleague, Norm Mineta, was
honored. We presented Norm with the Statesmanship Award in recognition
of his service as a Member of Congress, as Secretary of Commerce, as
the current Secretary of Transportation and for his many other
outstanding achievements.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida, Lou Frey, who
provided the leadership that helped make our first four dinners so
successful, and to yield to him to report on this year's dinner, our
plans for next year, and for any additional comments he would like to
make about the association's book, ``Inside the House,'' which was
mentioned earlier.
Mr. FREY. Thank you, Mr. President. Before we start, I would like to
thank you and Larry, Jack Buechner, Tom Downey, Matt McHugh, the
executive committee, for the leadership you have given us and given us
all an opportunity to put back and continue our public service in a
small way.
The fourth annual Statesmanship Award dinner was held on March 6 at
the Willard Hotel. It was a sellout with over 460 people attending. As
a matter of fact, our honoree, Jack Kemp, called up at the last minute
for tickets to go and our staff turned him down since it was a sellout.
That was quickly corrected; but you better get your order in early, Mr.
Secretary, for that.
As I said, Norm Mineta got the award. We are pleased to report that
the revenues for the ticket sales were over $150,000 from it. We had
two outstanding auctioneers, Jimmy Hayes and Larry LaRocco. We were
joined by a rookie this year, who we gave him a chance to perform for
us, Tom DeLay. He performed very well. As a matter of fact, we have
asked him back he did such a good job. So we hope he will join our team
next year.
We raised over $12,000 from the auction itself. And for those of you
who wish, there is still an opportunity left if you see Jack Buechner
to have a chance in a raffle that we are continuing.
I put in the Record the names of everybody who worked on this dinner
for us, who we really appreciate. The next dinner will be March 5 of
next year. I know there are people like Jim Lloyd who have been beating
on me saying, When is the dinner? I want to go out and sell tickets
again. Jim, I appreciate that offer of yours and everybody else's. So
we need all of you who served to serve again. Frankly, some of you who
have not joined in could really help us because this is really the key
fund-raising event for our association. We really need the help.
We have the date for the dinner. It is going to be at the Willard
Hotel. I had the opportunity with some of you here to have breakfast
with the Vice President, I think a week or so ago, and used that
opportunity and our old friendship to ask him if he would receive the
award next year; and before his staff could intercede he said yes. I am
just putting it on the record now so that we think we have him locked
up for it, and he has agreed to come so we have it all set for next
year. We just need your help to make it even more successful.
I also want to talk a little bit about the book, ``Inside the
House,'' which many of you out here wrote and which we have even got
help from our good friend Barry Turner with a chapter which we would
not have gotten done without your help, Barry; and we certainly
appreciate that. For those of you who have not read it, it is really a
good book. Sonny Montgomery called me the other day and he said, that
is a pretty good book, and it really is. It is a human look at the
Congress. It is a case study of the Congress. It is unique. There is
nothing else, to my knowledge and to those of us who have been working
on this, that exists.
It is not one person's look at the Congress, but it is 34 people and
other people who are looking at it. It is really the human side of it.
If you read this book, you will come away, I think, number one, with a
feel of how all of us care about this place and what we are doing and
how proud of it we are, and the different approaches to it.
I have a bunch of grandkids now, and I am in the reading mode again;
and there is that Aesop's Fable, I think, of the seven blind men and
the elephant who reach out and touch different parts and talk about it.
That is sort of what this book is like. It comes from all different
things, from the spouse's standpoint, from the academic standpoint,
from Jim Symington talking about how he got into public service, going
back to the time that one of his relatives was with Pickett and the
other was on the other side of the fight in the same battle, and just
different interesting looks at people, how they got there, how they
feel and what they do.
Not really to our surprise but to our relief, we have seen some
really good reviews from political scientists across the country. It
has been covered on C-SPAN. It has been covered up here. We have had it
sold out already, another printing coming back. It is being used at the
War College out in California. Colgate University is using it.
One last thing I want to say, we really owe a great debt to Professor
Michael Hayes. He is the chairman of the Political Science Department
at Colgate University, and he really put a lot of work and effort into
this. So for those of you who have not had a chance to read it or use
it, please do it. It is a good book, and I guess there will be a sequel
to it so you will be getting some phone calls in the future.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Would the gentleman from Florida please remain in the
well.
I would like to now yield to the gentleman from Missouri, Mr.
Symington.
Mr. SYMINGTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois, our
esteemed president, Mr. Erlenborn, for
[[Page H1742]]
this opportunity to present to the gentleman from Florida, our former
president, Mr. Frey, on behalf of the Association of Former Members of
Congress, this Moroccan leather-bound copy of ``Inside the House,'' the
collection of congressional memoirs, perceptions and insights which he
conceived, inspired, doggedly pursued, co-authored and proofread.
Mr. FREY. Not perfectly.
Mr. SYMINGTON. For the edification of students and teachers of
government, current and future legislators, and the American people. It
is inscribed, ``For the Honorable Lou Frey, Jr., with the admiration
and esteem of his grateful colleagues.''
{time} 1015
Mr. ERLENBORN. Mr. Speaker, in addition to financial support, the
Association benefits enormously from the effort and leadership of many
people. I want to thank the officers of the Association, Larry LaRocco,
Vice President; Jack Buechner, Treasurer; Jim Slattery, Secretary; and
Matt McHugh, the immediate past President, and the members of our board
of directors and our counselors who are providing the excellent
guidance and support necessary to oversee these activities.
In addition, we are assisted by the auxiliary of the Association, now
led by Nancy Buechner. We are particularly grateful for their help with
the ``Life After Congress'' seminars and our annual dinners.
Needless to say, our programs could not be so effectively run without
the exceptional support provided by our staff, Linda Reed, Executive
Director; Peter Weichlein, Program Director, with special
responsibility for the Congressional Study Group on Germany; Katrinka
Stringfield, Executive Assistant; and Jamie Pearson, Receptionist. Many
thanks to all of you.
The Association also maintains close relations with the counterpart
associations of former members of parliaments in other countries. I am
pleased to recognize and welcome Barry Turner, the President of the
Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, and Richard Balfe,
Member of the European Parliament, who are here to find out some of the
ways that our Association has functioned over the past and as part of
an effort of beginning a new former Members of the European Parliament
Association. I hope that you have found a lot of help here with some
ideas for your new association.
Mr. Speaker, it is now my sad duty to inform the House of those
persons who have served in Congress and have passed away since our
report last year. The deceased Members of Congress are:
Homer E. Abele, Ohio;
William H. Ayres, Ohio;
Herbert H. Bateman, Virginia;
Marion T. Bennett, Missouri;
William T. Cahill, New Jersey;
Alan Cranston, California;
Paul D. Coverdell, Georgia;
Julian C. Dixon, California;
Henry B. Gonzalez, Texas;
Paul G. Hatfield, Montana;
Allan T. Howe, Utah;
Robert J. Huber, Michigan;
James M. Leath, Texas;
John V. Lindsay, New York;
Koln G. McKay, Utah;
James D. ``Mike'' McKevitt, Colorado;
Helen S. Meyner, New Jersey;
James H. Morrison, Louisiana;
John O. Pastore, Rhode Island;
L. Richardson Preyer, North Carolina;
William J. Randall, Missouri;
John G. Schmitz, California;
Timothy P. Sheehan, Illinois;
Norman Sisisky, Virginia;
Joe Skubitz, Kansas;
William G. Stratton, Illinois;
Bruce F. Vento, Minnesota;
E.S. Johnny Walker, New Mexico;
Sidney R. Yates, Illinois.
I respectfully ask all of you to rise for a moment of silence in
their memory.
Thank you.
As you know, each year the Association presents a Distinguished
Service Award to an outstanding public servant, and, Jack, I know you
have been waiting, thinking we were bringing the program to a
conclusion without remembering your part in this ceremony today.
The award normally rotates between the parties, as do our officers.
Last year, we became totally nonpartisan and presented the award to
former House Chaplain James David Ford. This year, we are pleased to be
honoring an outstanding Republican, Jack Kemp.
Jack is a native of California. After graduation from Occidental
College, he began his 13-year career as a professional football
quarterback. After serving as captain of the San Diego Chargers, he
moved east and became captain of the Buffalo Bills, whom he
quarterbacked to the American Football League championship in 1964 and
1965, when he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. He cofounded
the American Football League Players Association and was five times
elected president of that association.
His public service began with 18 years of service from 1971 to 1989
in the House of Representatives, representing the Buffalo area and
western New York, during which he served for 7 years in the Republican
leadership as Chairman of the House Republican Committee. After leaving
Congress, Jack served for 4 years as Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development. In 1995, he served as Chairman of the National Commission
on Economic Growth and Tax Reform. Jack received the Republican Party's
nomination for Vice President in August of 1996, and since then has
campaigned nationally for reform of taxation, Social Security and
education.
Jack currently is codirector of Empower America, a public policy and
advocacy organization that he founded in 1993 with William Bennett and
Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick.
Jack, will you please come and join me in the well.
To the gentleman from New York, on behalf of the Association, I am
delighted to present our Distinguished Service Award to you, Jack. The
plaque is inscribed as follows.
Here, I will let you read along to see if I get it right.
Mr. KEMP. I trust you.
Mr. ERLENBORN. ``Presented by the U.S. Association of Former Members
of Congress to the Honorable Jack Kemp for your outstanding performance
in the world of sports, public service and private life. As a star
professional football player, a Member of Congress for 18 years and a
member of the leadership of the Republican Party, you distinguished
yourself. Your nomination for Vice President in 1996 and service as
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for 4 years added to an
already impressive list of accomplishments. We know that you still are
dedicated to public service, and we salute you. Washington, D.C., May
2, 2001.''
Jack.
Mr. KEMP. Thank you.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Jack, I also am pleased to present you with a
scrapbook of letters from your colleagues offering their
congratulations, along with mine, for this well-deserved symbol of our
respect, appreciation and affection.
We would be pleased to receive some comments from you.
Mr. KEMP. Well, first of all, thank you so very much. It is a great
honor. John, thank you for your kind comments.
I just have a few remarks that I would like to make. I ask unanimous
consent to revise and extend my remarks.
Mr. LaROCCO. So ordered.
Mr. KEMP. Thank you. Like my other speeches.
To be introduced as a former professional football quarterback and a
former Member of the House of Representatives and a former Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development and a former next Vice President of the
United States for about 2\1/2\ months in 1996, my grandson in Seattle,
Washington, introduced me to his Sunday school class in Seattle,
Washington, one time as ``a former very important public serpent.''
I am thrilled today to be joined by my wife, Joanne, many of you know
her, my granddaughter, Babbi, and daughter, Jennifer. My son, Jimmy was
here with his two sons, our 12th and 13th grandchildren. We did not
have any grandchildren when I came to Congress. We had four children.
They subsequently all got married and have wonderful families.
I am very grateful to have served with you, many of you, in this
body, to think and reflect upon the wonderful times through which we
went, as well as the great challenges that we faced.
[[Page H1743]]
It is pretty well-known that I am known as the Hubert Humphrey of the
Republican Party. He said one time that he did not think he spoke too
long, because he enjoyed every minute of his speeches.
Having served for 18 years in this body, and to hear Members of the
House on both sides of the aisle reflect upon this House of
Representatives and how much it means to them, I wanted to thank the
Association, thank Lou Frey, former President, and you, John, as the
new President. Lindy, I too want to salute you as our Ambassador to the
Vatican. And to think as I stand here that I served with Hale Boggs.
It is overwhelming to come back. I feel a little bit like I did when
I went back to Buffalo for a reunion of my old championship team. They
showed a film of my highlights. There were a couple of bubble gum cards
and a photograph or two. But they played Gladys Knight and the Pips
singing ``Memories, the Way We Were.''
I can remember watching a football spiral through the air in slow
motion, and I realized that I would never throw a football again, maybe
with my grandchildren, but not in professional ranks, and I really had
a tear in my eye going back and thinking that I would never do that
again. And to stand here today in front of you, so many of whom I
served with, makes me realize that I will never do this again. I doubt
if I will ever give a speech on the floor or from the well of the
House.
To look at you and realize the friendships we made, I came during the
Vietnam War, there was Watergate, the cul-de-sac of the economy into
which we had burst in the late 1970s, inflation, unemployment, an
energy crisis of unbelievable proportions. And, Bob Michel, to have
served with you and Gerry Ford as my leaders, it really does flood my
mind's eye with memories.
But I will not go into it except to say it was the greatest honor of
my life, other than to get this award, to be recognized for a
legislative career that spanned those 18 years. To see Bobby Garcia
over here, with whom one day in the late 1970s when Governor Munoz
Marin died and Bobby got up and memorialized him, and I was over on the
Republican side, had read about him, never met him obviously, but when
Bobby Garcia spoke and Charlie Rangel spoke, I said, would you mind if
a Republican helped memorialize the great career and leadership of
Munoz Marin?
I got up and I said, he was the author of Operation Bootstrap in
Puerto Rico, and I thought, would it not be wonderful, Bob, if we could
do that for the South Bronx, and, Charlie Rangel, if we can do it for
Harlem, and Buffalo, and Watts, Los Angeles, and East L.A. and East St.
Louis and all the areas of urban America that had been troubled by the
problems of our deteriorating inner cities.
It was at that moment, having never met Bob and having never met
Charlie Rangel, I walked across that center aisle and shook hands, met
them, became fast friends of both Rangel and Garcia, and that became
the Enterprise Zone, Operation Bootstrap, that I stole from Luis Munoz
Marin.
Every idea I ever had in this body I stole from someone else. The
Kemp-Roth bill was stolen from John F. Kennedy; privatization of
housing was stolen from Abraham Lincoln's idea of homesteading. I guess
my mother was right when she said, ideas, no one has a proprietary
right over an idea. They are universal, and when you share them with
each other, you do not lose anything. It is a win-win.
I like to think that some of us, and I know that many of you have,
have had a huge impact upon this democratic system of ours. I want to
thank my colleagues from the Democratic side of the aisle for all that
they have meant to me. The Bible says he who wrestles with us
strengthens us.
{time} 1030
I think I have been strengthened by the debates in this Chamber. I
know you have, too. That really means a lot to me.
I appreciate the civility. Yes, we used to go at it hammer and tongs,
but there was great civility. I realize that you can disagree without
being disagreeable. I must say, some of my best friends are not only on
the Republican side of the aisle, but on the Democratic side of the
aisle. I appreciate that. The best friends I made in football were the
guys who used to beat me up on Sunday, and oh, did they beat me up. But
I appreciate that and I am stronger for it.
Many of the ideas I had at HUD came from this body, things that I
wanted to do when I got into that huge agency to help urban America.
So I just want to close with the thought that we all served, or many
or most of us served, when democracy was in retreat. There was an evil
empire. There was a Berlin Wall. There were walls of segregation and
discrimination.
Many of them have come down. This hemisphere today, 97 percent of
this hemisphere freely elect their leaders. When Buchanan, John
Buchanan and I were here, I think it was something like 25 percent. I
am reminded of the words of Benito Juarez, the great President of
Mexico, who said, ``Democracy is the ultimate destiny of all mankind.''
I really believe that. I believe that freedom and democracy is the
ultimate destiny of all mankind. There is a struggle. There is always a
struggle. But we are on the side of history. This House is at the
epicenter of a revolution taking place around the world.
So as I conclude my remarks, particularly with a member of the
European Parliament here that we all welcome and a great Brit, may I
say to all of you, stop and think in this year of our Lord 2001 that
225 years ago on this Earth, think back to July of 1776. There was a
Holy Roman Empire. Venice was a Republic. France was ruled by a king,
China by an emperor, Russia by an empress, Great Britain was a
monarchy, Japan was ruled by Shogun.
All of those regimes and systems have passed into the pages of the
history book. There is really only one that has lasted for 225 years
with its basic, rudimentary, democratic form of government and
Constitution. That is this little experiment in human freedom and
democracy founded on the northeastern shores of North America by a
group of men and women who founded a nation predicated upon the
inalienable right of people to be free, the inalienable right of all of
us to freedom and democratic rule, and the inalienable right to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It is pretty amazing that those words of Jefferson 225 years ago are
quoted from Wenceslaus Square in the Czech Republic in Prague to
Tiananmen Square in Beijing. They are not dead, they are alive, and we
are part of that history.
I get a chill standing here telling you how honored I am to have been
your colleague, to have been your friend, to have wrestled and argued
and debated and discussed and talked and talked and talked, I am sure
you would think. But how else would people learn if I did not?
Thank you for this award. Thank you for the association. Thank you
for your friendship. Thanks for honoring Jack and Joanne Kemp, because
I could not have done it without my wonderful partner of 42 years and
13 grandchildren later. Like all of us, that was the greatest decision
of my life. I love you.
Mr. ERLENBORN. Thank you again, Jack, for your friendship and
service.
Mr. Speaker and members of the association, we are honored and proud
to serve in the U.S. Congress. We are continuing our service to our
Nation in other ways now, but hopefully ones that are equally as
effective.
Again, thank you for letting us return today to this Chamber. This
concludes our 31st Annual Report by the U.S. Association of Former
Members of Congress. Thank you.
Mr. LaROCCO (presiding). The Chair again wishes to thank the former
Members of the House for their presence here today. Before terminating
these proceedings, the Chair would like to invite those former Members
who did not respond when the roll was called to give their names to the
Reading Clerks for inclusion on the roll.
The Chair wishes to thank the other former Members of the House for
their presence here today.
Good luck to all.
The Chair announces that the House will reconvene at 10:45 a.m.
Accordingly (at 10 o'clock and 34 minutes a.m.), the House continued
in recess.
[[Page H1744]]
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