[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 149 (Thursday, November 1, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H7701-H7707]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE HON. GERALD B.H. SOLOMON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2001, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for participating with 
us in this Special Order this evening to pay tribute to our former 
colleague, the gentleman from New York's 22nd Congressional District, 
Gerald B.H. Solomon.
  I am pleased at this time to yield to our distinguished majority 
leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey).
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) for recognizing me.
  This is kind of a solemn occasion. The Speaker, the gentleman in the 
chair, will be proud to know that Gerald Solomon was born in 1930 in 
Okeechobee, Florida.
  Jerry Solomon grew up to be a fine man, a dedicated Marine, great 
Member of this body, friend and mentor, sometimes disciplinarian to all 
of us. I had the privilege of arriving in the House of Representatives 
when Jerry Solomon had already been here and working with him until he 
retired. I watched him as he worked on behalf of veterans with a heart 
that seemed to be just as big as can be; and he believed in freedom, 
not only for America but for all the world.
  Gerald Solomon was always busy on foreign policy matters. He was busy 
on veterans affairs. He was a strong proponent of a strong defense, but 
he was also a man with a big heart. And one of the things that would 
always shine through with Jerry, especially when he was with his 
beautiful wife, Freda, and his children, was that he was a man who had 
a heart for family. And that too, I think, to many of us was an 
inspiration.
  This is a tough job; this is a tough place. It is tough on our lives. 
And to have those colleagues that we have, Jerry Solomon being a 
perfect example, that can meet all of the demands of this work, and 
especially the demands of travel that he met with foreign travel in his 
interests, and remain so thoroughly dedicated, devoted to his wife. And 
many will remember that you did not have to look much further beyond 
the reflection of Freda and Gerry's eyes to see the definition of the 
word adoration. He truly did love his family.
  So he helped us in so many ways with his presence, with his 
commitment, his sense of courage, his dedication, his legislative 
skills, his good judgment on

[[Page H7702]]

 occasion, good advice on others, and restraining hand on a few. Even 
his willingness to himself accept the restraining hand when that Marine 
Corps temperament would get out of control was an example for the rest 
of us. And then to combine that with the year-in, year-out example that 
yes, you too can meet all the demands of this congressional life and 
still remain devoted to a family life, where you can be cherished and 
where you can cherish your family.
  We were sad when Jerry retired. Many of us talked about Jerry at that 
time. I remember saying to Jerry, Jerry, you are like a boat when you 
come to this body. Everybody loves you when you are brand new, but they 
love you even more when you leave. Jerry got a kick out of that.
  We enjoyed his celebration and we saw him off and on. I have to say, 
Mr. Speaker, it was a blow to me the other day when I picked up the 
paper and saw that we had lost Jerry. I truly lost a friend. And like 
others here, I will miss him. I guess we just did not expect it. We 
just do not expect to lose somebody that seems so strong and so 
boisterous.
  If I can again just thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) 
for allowing me this little bit of time. If I could probably find two 
final words to say to my friend, Jerry Solomon, I guess they would have 
to be semper fi.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority leader for his kind 
remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) for organizing this Special Order in memory of our 
colleague and fine friend.
  Mr. Speaker, last week New York and America lost a great patriot, a 
fierce advocate, a fine leader and legislator and an extremely decent, 
kind and wonderful man. Whatever differences we had on policy, I always 
admired Jerry Solomon and our differences were never personal; they 
were merely based on policy disputes.
  He spoke and acted with tremendous conviction. One never needed to 
interpret what Jerry was saying. He was refreshingly direct. He stuck 
to his guns, and I know my colleagues are going to miss him as much as 
I will.
  Jerry led the Committee on Rules with distinction, decisiveness and 
fairness. His stewardship of that powerful committee was a credit to 
this institution. As a fellow New Yorker, Jerry was extremely gracious 
to me when I came to Congress in 1993 and all the years that we served 
together. He and I shared a love of the Adirondacks and Upstate New 
York. He was devoted to his wife, Freda, and his family. Above all I 
will remember Gerry's passion, an ex-Marine, an entrepreneur, and a 
father of five.
  Jerry had a rock-solid vision of the American way. He was true to 
that vision in everything he did and to his dying day he wanted to know 
what he could do for his country.
  Jerry, I think every Member of this body would agree that you did 
more than enough, and we will miss you.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Maloney) for her kind words.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to one of Gerry's colleagues, 
former colleague on the Committee on International Relations, the 
former vice-chairman of the Committee on International Relations, the 
gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) for yielding me this time to speak about my dear departed 
colleague and friend, Jerry Solomon.
  Jerry Solomon and I were elected together in 1978. We became friends 
and I now count him as one of the very best friends I have ever had. 
His wife, Freda, and my wife, Louise, he and I shared a friendship 
among us that simply grew over time to a point that I came to 
appreciate him in so very many ways.

  The gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) had just talked about 
his interest in doing whatever he could to advance the best interest of 
our country. Jerry Solomon was an unabashed flag-waving patriot. But he 
was a patriot in deed as well as word. And we came to know that because 
of his service on the Committee on International Relations, first of 
all, and later the leadership he brought to the Congress through his 
chairmanship of the House Committee on Rules.
  His dedication to his family has been frequently mentioned. One of 
his children, the only one I am privileged to know, is Linda Solomon 
who has played and continues to play a very crucial role as the person 
in charge of protocol for the Committee on International Relations, and 
she is a very valued and respected and loved staff member for the 
committee.
  I want to speak about Jerry Solomon, however, in a way that perhaps I 
have a special opportunity and knowledge. And that is to talk about his 
role in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. It was through Gerry's 
encouragement that I first became involved in 1984. He already as a 
young Member of the House was involved in this interparliamentary 
effort involving the parliamentarians from the then 16 NATO countries 
and later the 19 countries that now constitute NATO and the associate 
members. He was very well respected in that body. We have five major 
committees. He chaired for the maximum length of time the political 
committee, which you might be surprised was the one that dealt with the 
most controversial subjects and had the widest area of coverage. That 
was in 1993 through 1996.
  Later, in 1997 and 1998 for the maximum 2-year term, he served one of 
the assemblies of vice presidents. He was extraordinarily effective in 
that venue just as he is and was in this House.
  I want to relate one personal experience that I am sure his wife, 
Freda, will remember very well. We traveled together frequently since I 
had the privilege to chair the delegation at the encouragement of Jerry 
Solomon because he was very busy with the Committee on Rules. We were 
having plane trouble as we tried to take off from refueling in the 
Azores on the way back from a NATO meeting in Europe. We had to return 
to the Azores because of pressurization. We tried again. And Jerry 
Solomon was stewing because he had to get back here to chair a 
Committee on Rules hearing. His wife tried to calm him. My wife tried 
to calm him. Eventually about 6 hours later we got on to a transport 
plane, no seats, just webbing and the floors.
  I can recall and I am sure Freda will recall how that ramrod 
straight-back Marine was lying back on the floor in the cold on the 
deck of the transport plane and we worked our way back to Washington, 
D.C. so he could take over the responsibilities of the Committee on 
Rules and move some important legislation for the House.
  Jerry Solomon made many contributions here. It is impossible to 
enumerate them all. But of the things that the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Gilman) and I had the privilege to do today is to offer an 
amendment to legislation that was pending and which we passed 
unanimously from the committee encouraging and enumerating the support 
for NATO expansion.

                              {time}  2130

  We amended that bill to name it for our colleague, our late departed 
colleague Jerry Solomon, because he was such a leader in encouraging 
the enlargement of NATO both within the assembly and here in the House 
of Representatives. And because the House of Representatives, of all of 
the entities across the whole world, took the lead first in trying to 
push for NATO expansion, and because Jerry Solomon played a major role 
in assisting President Clinton at the Madrid Summit, which considered 
for the first substantial time NATO expansion, for these reasons we 
thought it was particularly fitting.
  So I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for 
joining me in that effort, for a suggestion that was always followed 
through on, and for yielding me this time on behalf of our beloved 
colleague, the late Jerry Solomon. We wish all the best possible in the 
days ahead to Freda and his family as they miss his physical presence 
here on Earth.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentleman for his kind words on behalf of 
Jerry. I am pleased now to yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. 
Kaptur), who was kind enough to yield some time to us this evening so 
that we could proceed before her special order.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I would like to thank our esteemed colleague, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), and the

[[Page H7703]]

dean of the New York delegation, for yielding me some time, as a 
Midwesterner, a Buckeye, to place in the Record very sincere remarks in 
memory of the life of our beloved colleague, Jerry Solomon, someone 
with whom I had the great privilege of serving for over a decade and a 
half.
  When I first came to Congress as a young Member we began our service 
on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He was already there. And I 
remember as a new Member his devotion, his commitment, his seriousness 
and his humor on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. He then obviously 
moved over to Rules and became very involved there, rising to chair the 
committee.
  I think I will always remember Jerry coming through these doors with 
those big brown folders. And I do not know how he got all those papers, 
but they were always like a foot thick and they had like a rubber band 
or a tie or something. The papers never seemed to fall out. He would 
kind of grip them, like that. It must have been an old duffle bag 
Marine trick or something, but he carried those folders all over the 
floor.
  And what a great patriot. What a patriot. He loved this country so 
much. And I agree with what my sister colleague, the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Maloney) has said. His determination and his directness 
was refreshing. It was so refreshing. Sometimes you didn't want to be 
at the end when it had a barb, but you always knew that he would level 
with you.
  And he had such a way of carrying himself. He kind of pitched his 
shoulders here, and he looked like he planted himself on the floor. He 
always stood his ground.
  Many people will talk about Jerry getting a little red faced and 
excited at times, but I also remember his humor, the great sense of 
humor that he had. And in some of the issues we got involved in, you 
needed to have a great sense of humor.
  I remember his great friendship and support on all of the economic 
questions that we faced as a country, his deep concern about the 
workers in his community who had been thrown out of work, his mastery 
of international trade law, and his work with us in trying to right the 
wrongs that existed in trade policy so that we would pay attention to 
those who paid the price of trade laws that are out of balance, truly, 
and do not pay enough attention to workers. He really fought for the 
workers of his State and our country.
  So I just wanted to say to his wife Freda, to his five children, and 
they used to sit down in the dining room here all the time and dine 
together, his love for you shown always. And I can still see his 
smiling face. What a square-jawed, patriotic, truly caring gentleman he 
was, and it was my great privilege to have served with him.
  I thank the people of New York for renewing his election many, many, 
many years, allowing him to gain the seniority here where he was given 
true voice. My deepest condolences to his family and the people of his 
home State. And once again I thank the dean of the New York delegation 
for this opportunity.
  Mr. GILMAN. I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for her kind words.
  I am now pleased to yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen), a fellow member of the Committee on International Relations, 
who served with Jerry for a number of years on our committee.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to 
me, and it is with great sadness that I join my other colleagues in 
noting the passing of former Congressman Gerald Solomon, one of the 
most effective and committed Members that this body has ever had. And 
although we are sad in noting his passing, we should take this 
opportunity really to celebrate his productive and fruitful life as a 
husband, as a father, as a Member of Congress, as a businessman, as a 
civic leader, and as a mentor.

  With devotion and love, Congressman Solomon shared his life with his 
high school sweetheart, Freda, and later with his five children, 
including Linda, who works in our Committee on International Relations, 
and his six grandchildren. Although our Nation mourns the loss of this 
great leader, his family, as noted in their own words, lost a deeply 
loving husband, father and grandfather.
  The spirit of love permeated all facets of his life. During his 
spectacular career in the House of Representatives, spanning over two 
decades, Jerry worked tenacious on issues benefiting not only his 
district in New York but benefiting the entire country. Love for his 
work and devotion to his country were the impetus for his efforts here 
in Congress. An example was his support of a balanced budget, of which 
he was a proponent long before it became in vogue, so that our country 
could be fiscally sound and responsible.
  His love for the American people led him during his tenure as 
chairman of the Committee on Rules to streamline many areas of the 
House and reduce the size and the power of Congress to remain true to 
our belief that individuals and not Congress are vested with power.
  Jerry's love for recognizing our country's veterans was the impetus 
for authoring the bill creating the Department of Veterans' Affairs, 
for co-authoring the GI bill, and fighting to establish the Saratoga 
National Veteran's Cemetery.
  Work during his tenure in Congress was not limited to legislative 
efforts only. Jerry also led many task forces, boards, and represented 
us in important global organizations. My colleague, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), mentioned some of those. For example, he was 
the Chair of the National Defense Task Force, he was the Congressional 
Advisor to the United Nations Session on Disarmament, Representative to 
the North Atlantic Assembly, Chair of the Political Foreign Affairs 
Committee, Chair of the House NATO Observer Group, and the U.S. Task 
Force on POW-MIAs.
  Jerry shone in business as brilliantly as he did in Congress. His 
most recent business achievement was forming the Solomon Group, a 
successful consulting firm providing advice and counsel to Fortune 500 
companies and international corporations worldwide. Before serving in 
Congress, Jerry was also a successful businessman, dealing with 
insurance, investment, and international trade.
  We were fortunate to have known Jerry and to have had him as a 
congressional leader, but it is his community that will miss him the 
most. I am certain that the love and the kindness that he expressed to 
the people in his district, in his State, will be forever remembered 
and cherished. He said that his greatest enjoyment came from 
successfully helping people back home in his district cope with 
problems that they had with the Federal bureaucracy.
  His selflessness and commitment to civic duty was demonstrated by his 
service as a volunteer fireman; his involvement with the Boy Scouts of 
America, spanning over 50 years; his founding of the Queensbury Kiwanis 
Club and the Queensbury Jaycees; his active membership in his local 
Elks Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons Lodge, the Royal Arch Masons, and 
the Joseph Warren Council. Through all of these activities, Jerry 
touched the lives of many who have also aspired to greatness, and 
numerous other honors that we cannot name tonight, for Jerry truly 
served as a mentor to many of us.
  I am proud to pay tribute to this devoted leader, to this patriot, 
and to express my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May 
they find peace and comfort in the knowledge that he made significant 
differences in the lives of everyone whom he touched and that he was an 
inspiration to those of us who also serve. He will forever be 
remembered as a patriot, as an American, always a proud Marine.
  Semper fi, Jerry Solomon.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida, the 
distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on International Operations 
and Human Rights, for her very kind words.
  I am pleased to now yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Shimkus).
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Semper fi. Always faithful. There is no better phrase to 
describe Jerry Solomon. He was always faithful to his family, he was 
always faithful to his God, he was always faithful to NATO, to our NATO 
allies, and to the cause of NATO enlargement. And I bring a warm 
heartfelt thanks from the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and 
Lithuania, whose role in NATO enlargement was always championed by 
Congressman Solomon.

  He was always faithful to this institution, he was always faithful to 
the

[[Page H7704]]

Boy Scouts of America, his beloved Marine Corps, this country, and our 
beloved flag. His booming voice left this floor on his retirement, and 
on his death his voice has left this world. But the echoes of his 
booming voice will continue to ring: Duty, honor, country, or let's 
step outside.
  I personally remember, always, one time when I heard ``Shimkus, you 
voted wrong,'' right here on this floor. And the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) has left the floor, but I think the vote was 
on Radio Marti. You know what? He was right.
  I was not a classmate of Jerry's, I was not on his committee, and I 
am not from his State. I am just a veteran, like Jerry, who loves his 
country. Semper fi, Jerry Solomon. I will miss you.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Shimkus).
  I am pleased to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), 
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Research and Development 
of the Committee on Armed Services, a good colleague of Jerry 
Solomon's.
  Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me the 
time, and I thank all my colleagues for their wonderful and eloquent 
words. I was listening to them back in my office, and that is why I 
came over also, to pay tribute to Jerry.
  A number of folks have talked about Jerry's countenance and his 
optimism and his appearance. And he was impressive because he had that 
big voice and he exerted that voice, and he had a great leadership role 
in this House. But he had this countenance and presence that I think, 
to some degree, was America's presence. He was optimistic. He was 
always ready to help. He believed very deeply in principle. I would 
hope that is how other nations would view the United States.
  I can recall waging battles side-by-side with Jerry and with my 
buddies, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) and the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gilman) in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan came in. 
And that was such a joy for Jerry Solomon, because he was such an 
ardent supporter of this guy who believed in peace through strength, 
President Ronald Reagan.
  We fought what were known as the Contra wars, and those were the wars 
in which we came into an era at a time when most of our Central 
American neighbors had military dictatorships of one type or another. 
And through putting a shield around those countries, in terms of the 
foreign intervention, the attempt by the Russians, then the Soviet 
Union, to try to move into our hemisphere, and giving some leadership 
to those nations with respect to democracy, we ended up with fragile 
democracies in all those nations, which heretofore had had military 
dictatorships and, to some degree, tragic histories. But we did that by 
extending the strong hand of American leadership, and that was, I 
think, reflective of Jerry Solomon's belief as to how this country 
should conduct foreign policy.
  I recall all the debates we had on the nuclear freeze; the idea that 
somehow if we would just show a little more passivism, if we would 
simply halt and not do anything while the Soviet Union built 758 big 
ICBMs during the 1970s and early 1980s, that somehow they would 
reciprocate because of our kindness and our good personalities and they 
in fact would start to build down their nuclear inventory.

                              {time}  2145

  But Jerry Solomon believed you could only achieve peace by having 
strength. He was on the floor, as was the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), during the 
nuclear freeze debate that took place over 3 or 4 weeks, holding out 
until we impressed upon the American people, and I think the leadership 
of the Soviet Union, that we intended to remain strong and become 
stronger. Through the leadership of Ronald Reagan, they called up at 
one point, and the Soviets said can we talk. We did talk and that led 
to the first arms reduction agreements. That set the tone for the talks 
that are going on today, that will result in further reductions to our 
nuclear stockpiles, as well as the Russians'.
  Jerry Solomon was here at a critical time in our history. He also 
believed in the American patriot. I think one of Jerry's great 
attributes was that he wanted to remake America in his image. I mean 
that in a good way. Jerry was a patriotic guy who served in the United 
States Marine Corps, and he wanted to make sure that every young man 
had that opportunity. He wanted to make sure that every young man 
registered with the draft and every educational institution which took 
its freedom to teach from the legacy of the 619,000 Americans who have 
died in this last century, Jerry wanted to make sure that those 
educational institutions, if they wanted to receive any largess from 
the Federal Government, would make sure that they allowed a draft 
registration and a presence of military recruiters on their campuses.
  This was Jerry Solomon, the patriot. He believed that every American 
had a duty to serve his country, and as usual led by example by doing 
it himself.
  Jerry, you have left us in a different era, a new era, with new 
threats, new challenges, new dangers, and some receding dangers. I 
think if this country will follow that model of optimism, of help for 
others who need help, of rugged individualism, and of peace through 
strength, that is the American idea that we only achieve peace and 
maintain peace in this world by being militarily strong and thereby 
being able to protect ourselves, and help others, if we follow that 
Jerry Solomon model, even in this new dangerous world that we live in, 
we will come out okay.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I yield to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Cox), the chairman of our Republican 
Policy Committee.
  Mr. COX. Mr. Speaker, when Chairman Jerry Solomon died last Friday, 
America lost one of freedom's great friends.
  Jerry had been leading the congressional charge to put the last nail 
in the coffin of Soviet communism for many years when I began working 
with him here on Capitol Hill in 1988. Decades earlier he had taken 
more direct action volunteering as a Marine during the Korean War.
  In more recent years, it was my privilege to work with Jerry to 
promote freedom in place of communism in the People's Republic of 
China. It was Jerry's leadership, more than anything else, that 
permitted this House to act unanimously to put together the Select 
Committee on National Security that I, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Bereuter), and others from both sides of the aisle served upon. It was 
Jerry's help, as chairman of the Committee on Rules, in structuring 
that select committee of this Congress that paved the way for the 
unanimous and bipartisan result that we achieved, and for the 
implementation by the Congress and the execution of every one of our 
recommendations.
  In 1988, Jerry's work on the Committee on Policy's policy for freedom 
brought us 11 separate pieces of legislation that were passed 
essentially unanimously by this full House, and again the gentleman 
from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) worked very closely with the chairman of 
the Committee on Rules, as did the chairman of the Committee on 
International Relations, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), who 
has already spoken in this Special Order this evening.
  In fact, Jerry Solomon dedicated his entire career to advancing human 
freedom, and he deserves credit for advocating policies supporting 
freedom in Central America, in Eastern Europe, and Central Europe. 
Jerry would be the last, however, to tell us, mission accomplished. If 
Jerry were still here, he would be doing what he did every day, 
exhorting the rest of us to work as hard as we could, as hard as he 
worked, to rededicate ourselves just as this tireless Marine did to see 
the end of communism in the People's Republic of China, to see the end 
of communism in Vietnam, in North Korea and Cuba.
  Jerry did not live to see Fidel Castro brought to justice, and yet he 
was an unwavering voice against appeasing the Castro dictatorship to 
his last day. He did not live to see America's victory in the war on 
terrorism that we are fighting right now; and yet all of the work that 
he did in this Chamber has prepared us to win this war because his work 
and his leadership ensured that our fighting men and women will have 
what they need to see us through to victory.

[[Page H7705]]

  Jerry was an active and invaluable member of the House Republican 
Policy Committee during the entirety of my chairmanship from 1994 to 
1998 when he retired. As chairman of the Policy Committee, I will 
forever treasure the opportunity I had to work with him as one of the 
chief leaders in the House of Representatives, the chairman of the 
Committee on Rules. I will be forever grateful for his tremendous 
contributions to the committee and this Congress in time, advice, 
wisdom, and policy.
  Jerry was also a practitioner of bipartisanship at its best. He was a 
leading Republican in the Congress, but he was also a leading Member of 
the Congress who promoted comity in this institution every day. He 
worked with our colleagues, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Pelosi) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), in pursuit of 
human rights around the world. It was typical of Jerry that he 
commended his ideological opposite, Congressman Ron Dellums, admiring 
him for his sincerity and his principled opposition to the Gulf War, 
even as Jerry fought to do everything possible for victory in that same 
war.
  Jerry Solomon's bipartisanship was not the feckless kind that seeks 
to muzzle debate. Jerry understood that only when all sides of an issue 
get a full airing is there a possibility to achieve true national 
consensus.
  When America lost Jerry Solomon, America lost a hero. We owe him an 
enormous debt. Thanks to Jerry, America's men and women are so well 
prepared and so well equipped today that I have no doubt when we 
achieve victory on today's war on terrorism, we can say thank you, Mr. 
Chairman. I wish Jerry were here tonight so we could say personally 
what we all feel in our hearts. Mr. Chairman, we miss you.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Cox) for his eloquent words.
  Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank all of my colleagues who 
participated in this tribute to one of our great heroes, Jerry Solomon.
  Mr. Speaker, in the House, in the Senate, in Washington, in New York 
State and overseas, many of us were deeply saddened to learn late last 
week of the loss of our former colleague, Jerry Solomon. In New York 
State's capital, in Albany, Jerry was an assemblyman noted for his 
energy, determination and his commitment. It was, therefore, no 
surprise to those of us who knew him when he subsequently brought those 
same characteristic traits to bear as a Member of Congress and as a 
distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules.
  Jerry came to the House in January 1979 serving here for 2 decades, 
diligently and meritoriously representing his constituents in the 22nd 
Congressional District in upstate New York. He came to the floor of the 
House placing his large accordion Solomon folder, placing it on a desk 
with those large letters staring us in the face, always ready to stand 
up vociferously for what he believed in when it came to our Nation's 
defense, for veterans, and his never-ending fight against communism.
  Last week, upon learning of the passing of our former colleague, 
President Bush said ``Jerry Solomon was a true patriot who will always 
be remembered as true to his creed, duty, honor and country.'' The 
President's words remind us that as our military goes into battle 
against those who perpetrated the atrocities of September 11, our 
troops are now relying on advanced weapon systems and technologies that 
Jerry Solomon fought to obtain for them.
  As a Marine veteran, Jerry Solomon was proud to be labeled a hawk on 
defense, consistently arguing that our Nation had to stay prepared and 
strong for the new challenges in the post-Cold War world. Today we 
fully recognize his wisdom in that policy.
  In 1998, Jerry Solomon successfully helped us raise our program of 
rewards for any information leading to the arrest of terrorists to $2 
million, four times the maximum reward at that time, and now we are 
considering a reward of $25 million. I know how strongly Jerry believed 
that the money would be well spent if it helped to stop even one act of 
terrorism against our Nation. He was right.
  Mr. Speaker, along with many of us who have served here in the 
Congress, Jerry Solomon sought to make our Nation better more 
prosperous and more secure. Let me cite some of his many 
accomplishments during his 20 years of congressional service: the 
promotion of the director of Veterans Administration to a cabinet level 
office; the passage of legislation to reduce illegal drug use and to 
fight drug dealers; the reform of the rules of the House; the passage 
of legislation linking Federal student aid to registration in selective 
service; his chairmanship of our House task force on prisoners of war 
and missing in action; his passage of legislation to compel reform at 
the United Nations; creating the Saratoga National Veterans Cemetery, 
where he has recently been buried; representation of the House in the 
political arm of the NATO Alliance for some 18 years where he served 
with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter).

  Today in honoring Jerry, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) 
and I introduced in our Committee on International Relations, as the 
gentleman indicated, and it was the committee on which Jerry served for 
many years, we introduced and adopted a measure, The Gerald B.H. 
Solomon Freedom Consolidation Act, which promotes the continuing 
enlargement of NATO; and that measure will soon be brought to the 
floor.
  In 1998, Jerry authored a book entitled ``The NATO Enlargement 
Debate: 1990-1997: The Blessings of Liberty.''
  His allusions to our own Constitution's preamble was meant to convey 
the view that people everywhere should be able to live in liberty, a 
view to which he dedicated much of his life. Jerry had many legislative 
victories and some defeats, just as we all do; but he never gave in 
when it came to matters which he felt involved principles, whether 
human rights in China, the desecration of our American flag, or the 
support of family dairy farms and small businesses.
  Jerry would not forgive me, of course, if I failed to mention his 
love for and devotion to the United States Marine Corps in which he 
served for several years. My wife, Georgia, joins with me in extending 
our heartfelt condolences to Jerry's beloved wife, Freda, and to their 
children, Susan, Daniel, Robert, Linda and Jeffrey. Linda has served on 
our Committee on International Relations. And to his brother, Richard, 
and their grandchildren.
  While our words may not assuage their sense of loss, we hope that 
they can take some comfort in our recognition of the rich, fruitful 
life that Jerry lived and the way the world embraced his spirit.
  Jerry, when you left Congress some 3 years ago, we in the Congress 
and in New York State and all those across the Nation missed you. We 
missed your shouting at us from across the floor, ``We need that vote. 
One more for the Gipper.''
  May God bless you, Patriot Jerry Solomon. You leave behind many fond 
memories, a loving family, your devoted staff and friends who will long 
miss you. Semper fi, Jerry.
  Mr. Frost. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express may sadness at the 
passing of our former colleague Jerry Solomon. Jerry was a dedicated 
and hard-working Member of Congress, a loyal former Marine, a true 
fiscal conservative, and he was my friend. I rise today to express my 
most sincere condolences to Freda Solomon, a lovely and gentle lady 
with whom I spent many pleasant hours, and to their children and 
grandchildren. Jerry always worked too hard, but I have to believe that 
he always did so because he believed so passionately in this Nation and 
wanted to make sure that its ideals and goodness were preserved and 
protected for his family, for mine, as well as for every other American 
family.
  Jerry also believed passionately that ideals embodied in the 
democratic form of government we practice in the United States were 
worthy of export. Given his long-term commitment to the protection of 
freedom through his active participation in the North Atlantic 
Assembly, it was natural that he be given the role of ranking 
Republican Member when former Speaker Foley created the Special Task 
Force on the Development of Parliamentary Institutions in Eastern 
Europe shortly after the demise of communist governments in Poland, 
Hungary, and Czechoslovakia in 1989 and 1990. Jerry worked closely with 
me during the four years I had the honor to chair the Task Force, and 
in 1995 and 1996 carried on the work we had started. He took a keen 
interest in our work and saw, quite correctly, that the United States 
Congress could play an exceptionally valuable role in the development 
of new parliaments in countries that had, for 50

[[Page H7706]]

years, lived behind the Iron Curtain. I will always be grateful for his 
help, his suggestions, and his counsel during the years we worked on 
that project. It was a truly bipartisan effort, in fact, it was an 
American effort. We did something valuable, and it did not matter that 
Jerry and I rarely agreed on much in the legislative arena. We knew we 
were doing something special and we knew we were doing something for 
the good of our families, and for the families of the world.
  Jerry did work too hard. He was probably born to work too hard, but 
he was also born to be a Marine. He was so proud of his service to his 
country in uniform and that pride never left him. We saw it every day 
in his ramrod straight Marine posture, in his dedication to the men and 
women who served before and who serve today, and in his dedication to 
his country. It is fitting that he has been laid to rest in the 
Saratoga National Cemetery, since he was instrumental in its 
establishment.
  And so, Mr. Speaker, I extend my condolences to Freda and to his 
children and grandchildren. They should be proud of him and all he did 
in service to his Nation, to the flag, and to his family. He was the 
true embodiment of Semper Fi.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of profound sadness and a 
touch of nostalgia and deep admiration that I take the floor today to 
speak about a man who served his country and this House with vigor 
distinction. Jerry Solomon was a man who took the concept of service to 
country to its highest plan. He was deeply committed to keeping America 
the bastion of democracy which the founding fathers envisioned.
  As anyone who met Jerry knows, he served proudly, and with great 
honor in the United States Marines. Semper Fi was more than just a 
slogan to Jerry. He took those words to be his code of conduct both in 
the Marines and later as a Member of the House. It was a true badge of 
dignity and commitment for him.
  When Jerry was elected to Congress, he was exultant in having found 
another way to serve his country. While he was dedicated to the 
constituents who so wisely chose to send him to Congress, he was ever 
mindful of the responsibilities he bore as a United States Congressman. 
He realized that every vote he made, and every action he took, affected 
the nation as a whole. While some Members find this responsibility to 
be a heavy burden, Jerry relished in having the opportunity to do 
things to make America a better place to live and work and a stronger 
example of the glories of our democracy.
  When he became chairman of the Committee on Rules, Jerry's 
responsibilities expanded. He was clearly up to the task. He took this 
extra assignment knowing how important it would be, but also well aware 
of the enhanced burden it would carry. Jerry managed to walk the 
tightrope of being a fair and equitable chairman, and still keeping the 
mission of the majority in mind. He was a key member of leadership, and 
used that position to continue his never ending quest for a better 
America.
  The House has lost a tremendous asset, I have a lost friend, and this 
nation has lost a great patriot. How comforting it would be in these 
times of national stress to have Jerry here to lead and inspire us in 
all the challenges ahead.
  When someone you love dies, he is no longer where he was--he is with 
you, in your heart and memory. Rather than mourn our loss let us be 
glad he lived and we knew him.
  My deepest sympathy to his wife and his family--especially his 
daughter Linda.
  Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in paying tribute to 
our late colleague, Gerald Solomon.
  Jerry was a very special individual, Representative and friend. 
Others have described his reputation as ``the pit bull of the House.'' 
I want to describe how encouraging and war, he was under that rough 
exterior.
  As chairman of the Rules Committee, Jerry had enormous influence as 
gatekeeper of the kinds and number of amendments that could be 
entertained on the House floor.
  Many a time, I testified before him and the Committee--pleading the 
merits of the amendment I wanted to offer to some bill.
  I particularly remember the repeated appearances that Bill Brewster, 
Mike Crapo and I made to the Committee to pitch the importance of our 
``deficit reduction lock box'' amendment. Our amendment would designate 
and ``lock'' all savings from amendments cutting spending to deficit 
reduction.
  On every appropriation bill, we asked that our amendment be made in 
order.
  In all cases, Jerry was attentive--even after I starting sporting a 
``where's the money'' button on my lapel and when it was clear from the 
outset that our amendment would not be made in order.
  Each time we testified, Jerry was encouraging of our efforts and 
supportive of the goal of our amendment--even as he and his Committee 
denied the waivers necessary for us to offer it.
  He loved my moniker--``mother of the lockbox.'' We chuckled that it 
had many fathers, but only one mother.
  In fact, Jerry understood the importance of the fiscal discipline we 
were proposing and I think he winked many times as a way to encourage 
us--even though the act of denying us the opportunity to offer the 
amendment embarrassed him and other fiscal watchdogs in his party.
  In time, of course, and with behind-the-scences help, the deficit 
reduction lockbox amendment was indeed made in order to one 
appropriation bill. And the House also considered the lockbox as a 
separate bill. The author of that bill was Jerry Solomon himself.
  Even after he left Congress, Jerry continued to great the ``mother of 
the lockbox'' with a hearty laugh, a twinkle in his eye, and words of 
encouragement.
  We will miss you Jerry.
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our friend and 
colleague from Glens Falls, New York, Gerald Solomon.
  I had the honor to serve with Chairman Solomon on the Rules 
Committee. He was a strong leader for our committee who stood firmly on 
his policy beliefs and was respected for it. He was unyielding and 
passionate on the important issues. I can tell you, there were many 
times that I was glad to have him in my corner.
  During his twenty years of service in the House, Chairman Solomon was 
a tireless advocate for the people of the 22nd district of New York. He 
was a true and dedicated public servant--in every best sense, a 
patriot.
  He served in the United States Marine Corps and exemplified its true 
spirit. He was always faithful to the corps and his country. As a 
member of Congress, he was an unrelenting defender of the American 
flag--the symbol of our nation that has engendered so much unity and 
pride in these trying times.
  I remember Chairman Solomon fondly for so many things, perhaps best 
of all because he shared my passion for adoption. He was dedicated to 
helping children find permanent, loving homes. In fact, he was 
invaluable in aiding two of my constituents in their fight to keep 
their adopted children. I know that they remember him as I do--as an 
advocate for families.
  Here in the House, we remember Chairman Solomon for his service to 
our country. He was also a husband, a father, and our friend. He will 
be missed.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to my former colleague and friend, Representative Gerald 
Solomon, and express my deep sorrow for the recent loss of this great 
American.
  Jerry Solomon faithfully represented the constituents of New York's 
Twenty-Second Congressional District for 20 years. First elected in 
1978, Jerry distinguished himself as a champion of conservative values 
in the House of Representatives. For years he fought for smaller and 
more accountable government, opposing policies which would threaten 
liberty.
  Jerry was never afraid to speak his mind and take strongly held 
positions on important issues. He vehemently opposed the North American 
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and favored an end to China's most favored 
nation trade status. He argued for creation of the line-item veto, 
defended constitutional rights, and chastised young people who ignored 
their responsibilities. Whether or not you always agreed with his 
position on the issues, you always had to admire the boldness which 
characterized his commitment to the causes in which he believed.
  As a former Marine and Korean War veteran, Jerry served the interests 
of our Armed Forces and veterans as a member of the House Veterans' 
Affairs Committee. As the ranking Republican on the Committee in the 
1980s, Jerry helped pass the 1984 G.I. Bill of Rights, an important 
tool which served to increase veterans' benefits and attract quality 
recruits to the military. I was honored to serve with Jerry on this 
Committee during my first terms in Congress.
  Many would argue that Jerry's greatest achievement in Congress was 
his ascension to Chairman of the House Rules Committee. While he 
certainly served this body, the legislative process, and our country 
well in this position, I would maintain that his greatest achievement 
was the dedication with which he served his constituents for two 
decades.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I offer my most heartfelt 
sympathy to the Solomon family. For while America has lost a great man, 
they have lost a great husband, father, grandfather, brother, and 
uncle.
  May his memory be eternal!
  Mr. WOLF. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to 
participate this evening in a special order to remember Jerry Solomon. 
We were all saddened to learn of his passing last weekend and extend to 
his wife Freda and his children and grandchildren our deepest sympathy.
  Jerry was a friend and colleague. I had the privilege of serving with 
him for 18 years until he retired from the House in 1998. I also had

[[Page H7707]]

the honor of working with him on several major issues over the years. 
We both had serious reservations about the nature of U.S. relations 
with the People's Republic of China (PRC).
  In fact, in the mid-1980's, Jerry Solomon introduced legislation 
prohibiting the export of U.S.-built satellites to the PRC. He argued 
that exporting these satellites to China would place at risk our most 
sensitive military technology. Ten years later we knew Jerry was right. 
The Chinese were stealing this satellite and missile technology and had 
used it to upgrade their ICBMs.
  Needless to say, Jerry was a very effective legislator. Dozens of 
important laws are on the books which are authored by Jerry Solomon. 
Laws aimed to helping the American family by encouraging young people 
not to get involved with illegal drugs, the law which elevated the 
Veterans Administration to a cabinet level department, and the Solomon 
Amendment, denying student aid to people who refuse to register with 
the Selective Service. The list goes on and on.
  A few weeks ago I visited the operations center for the FBI and on 
the wall was a large wanted poster for Osama bin Laden, offering a 
reward of $5 million for information leading to his arrest. It was 
Jerry Solomon who put the terrorist reward law on the books.
  When we look at what this country is facing today we are hard pressed 
not to think of Jerry. A few years back some people thought Jerry 
Solomon was a throwback to some other time because he was so patriotic. 
Not today. He loved America and as a Marine would have died for his 
country.
  Jerry sponsored legislation to prohibit the desecration of the 
American flag. It is a symbol of what unites us as a people and what is 
best about America. Who can forget the firemen in New York raising that 
flag at Ground Zero, the crater where the World Trade Center once 
towered in tandem over the city.
  In Jerry's Capitol Hill office there were shelves covered with 
firemen's helmets from many of the small towns in his upstate New York 
district. He respected and honored our firemen. Today, everyone 
appreciates them.
  Jerry always honored and respected our police, our veterans and our 
men and women in uniform. Jerry had a real appreciation for how 
difficult and important their work is. Today all Americans appreciate 
them.
  Jerry Solomon wore an American flag lapel pin every day for the 20 
years he served as a Member of Congress. Today we all wear them.
  Jerry Solomon was a true patriot and a good friend. He embodied his 
Marine Corps motto--semper fidelis--``always faithful.'' I will miss 
him.
  Mr. GOSS. I am submitting my speech that I gave, Mr. Speaker, at the 
Honorable Gerald Solomon's funeral.
  Were I a fully finished disciple of Jerry Solomon I would now set out 
right here on the lectern a big accordion file with ``Solomon'' written 
boldly across the front--this was his hallmark. The funny thing is--he 
didn't need it--everyone knew when Jerry was in the room. It will be 
easy to remember Jerry--so active, so involved in so many things. He 
touched so many lives--family, colleagues, marines, veterans, the 
people of the 22nd district and so many others. It will be very hard 
not to miss him. How many times since Jerry left Congress have I 
thought ``where's Solomon when you need him?'' When confronted with 
issues of the day, especially now when patriotism is so much in the 
forefront. The display of our flag these days is just what he loved.
  I am reminded of Jerry daily--or at least whenever the Rules 
Committee meets (so perhaps I should say nightly given our recent 
schedule) because his portrait in the committee room is positioned so 
he looks right over my shoulder--so close, he could whisper in my ear, 
which I am sure he will.
  Jerry left his marks of fairness and dynamism and good spirit on the 
committee--they last today under David Dreier's able leadership. Jerry 
wasn't perfect. He failed to convince me that milk marketing orders 
were a good thing. He never could get David Dreier to agree to his 
views on trade. But, he ran a tight ship, even had his own phraseology, 
designed to save words and make the point. ``step out side,'' and 
``taking you out to the woodshed'' are phrases that had meaning when 
Jerry spoke.

  The Washington Post this week labeled him a ``blunt conservative,'' A 
more politically correct paper would have used ``straight-talking 
patriot.'' Political correctness was not his way but Honest-to-God 
concern for people and his country were.
  Many of us here today traveled with Jerry and Freda to far off 
places--some places I'd barely heard of--to serve our Nation's 
Interest. Somehow it just doesn't seem normal to get on a Codel plane 
without having Jerry and Freda leading the way. Early on, I found out 
that Jerry had discovered the best maple ice cream is found in Gander, 
Newfoundland. It was never a surprise to find ourselves on a plane that 
needed to refuel in Gander. He really loved that maple ice cream.
  My favorite recollection dealing with European Parliamentarians--
which we did a lot--occurred one otherwise quite Sunday mid-winter 
morning in Brussels. A certain self-approving Euro-speaker took some 
serious liberties describing U.S. foreign policy to belittle our 
country at a fairly high level gathering of influential 
parliamentarians. Without a note, Jerry instantly stood up, delivered a 
magnificent, passionate oration tracking in some detail American 
sacrifice and contribution to Europe from WWI to the Cold War. It was 
so stunningly effective that our European colleagues were literally 
``speechless''--a condition in which European parliamentarians have not 
found themselves before or since.

  On another occasion in Bucharest, I watched Jerry take on Mr. 
Zhirinovski--a one-time Russian presidential candidate--who was making 
particularly obnoxious remarks about the United States without cause. 
Jerry made short work of him as he did of anyone showing disrespect to 
our country.
  Jerry always got the job done--somehow. One day in the Ukraine, our 
delegation was offered a visit to Sevastopol, Russia Fleet Headquarters 
on the Black Sea. This had been an ``off-limits'' area--so we were 
eager to go, but the Ukrainians were adamant we must go on their plane 
(a well used Russian model) rather than our own Codel plane. Jerry 
dutifully took a vote of the delegation--which was unanimous--to go 
only if we could use our plane. Jerry ``fixed it.'' We arrived at the 
airport dawn the next day--got on the Ukrainian plane and flew to 
Sevastopol. So much vodka was consumed that day celebrating the 
American presence that it didn't matter what plane we flew on. Jerry 
got the job done.
  Jerry's energy was legendary, he never saw a hill he didn't charge; 
some say he made hills where none existed just so he could charge up 
them. To Freda and family go our love and support and the certain 
knowledge that Jerry rests comfortably atop the Lord's hill now.

                              {time}  2200


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on this special order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Putnam). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.

                          ____________________