[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 171 (Tuesday, December 11, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H9152-H9154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1800
MIKE MANSFIELD FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3282) to designate the Federal building and United States
courthouse located at 400 North Main Street in Butte, Montana, as the
``Mike Mansfield Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3282
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Federal building and United States courthouse located
at 400 North Main Street in Butte, Montana, shall be known
and designated as the ``Mike Mansfield Federal Building and
United States Courthouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, may, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Federal building
and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall
be demand to be a reference to the ``Mike Mansfield Federal
Building and United States Courthouse''.
qThe SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Duncan). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette)
[[Page H9153]]
and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Clement) each will control 20
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Rehberg), the author of the bill, to
explain the bill before us.
(Mr. REHBERG asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks, and include extraneous material.)
Mr. REHBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3282, that
designates the Federal Building and United States Courthouse at 400
North Main Street in Butte, Montana, as the Mike Mansfield Federal
Building and United States Courthouse.
Mike Mansfield's tenure as majority leader of the United States
Senate from 1961 until his retirement in 1976 is well-known. Likewise,
his record as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1977 to 1988 was legendary.
In both cases, he held each position longer than any of his
predecessors.
Mike Mansfield's public service spanned five decades, beginning from
his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1942 to his
retirement as U.S. ambassador in Japan in 1988. This remarkable career
saw him work with nine U.S. presidents, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower,
Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan.
However, the formative stages of Mike Mansfield's early years are
equally as remarkable. After the death of his mother, at age three he
was sent from New York City to Great Falls, Montana, and raised by an
aunt and uncle that owned a grocery store. One month shy of age 15, he
joined the Navy, shortly before we entered World War I, and he served
in the Atlantic. He served in the Army after the war. Finally, he
enlisted in the Marine Corps for 2 years, serving in the Philippines,
Japan and China. This contributed to his lifelong interest in the Far
East.
He returned to Montana in 1922 at age 19 and worked as a mucker,
shoveling rocks and dirt in the underground copper mines in Butte.
While in Butte he met schoolteacher Maureen Hayes, who became his
future wife. She encouraged him to complete his high school education
by taking correspondence courses.
The City of Butte, Montana, was the chapter of Mike Mansfield's life
that paved the way for his later career as a professor at the
University of Montana, and a great statesman. As a result, it is only
fitting that the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse there be named
after him.
Mr. Speaker,I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3282.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record an article by Associated Press
writer Bob Anez.
Montana Officials Recall Mansfield as Quiet, Dignified Leader
(By Bob Anez)
Mike Mansfield, who dominated Montana and national politics
during his 34-year legislative career, was remembered Friday
as a statesman of honesty, homespun integrity and few but
gentle words.
``I don't remember anything mean that Mike ever said,''
said former Democratic Gov. Ted Schwinden.
``But that doesn't mean he couldn't speak out on difficult
issues like the Vietnam war,'' he said. ``Mike was not afraid
of the fray, but was able to step above it.''
Mansfield, who died Friday morning at the age of 98, was
Senate majority leader for 15 years during a period of
political and social turmoil that enveloped a civil
revolution, an assassinated president, a war he opposed and
the first presidential resignation. He retired in 1976 and
then served as ambassador to Japan for 11 years.
Francis Bardanouve, a Democratic state representative for
37 years, recalled Mansfield's quite demeanor during that
time. ``He was a calm leader; he gave confidence to the
people that government was in good hands.''
Gov. Judy Martz, who ordered U.S. and Montana flags at all
public buildings flown at half staff until sunset Saturday,
called Mansfield a rare find for humanity.
``There are very few people who have or will walk this
earth like Senator Mike Mansfield,'' the Republican said.
``He served as an example throughout Montana, the nation and
the world through his work ethic and dedication to service.
``I am sure that he has now rejoined his beloved wife,
Maureen,'' Martz added, referring to Mansfield's wife, who
died Sept. 20 last year.
Donna Metcalf, whose husband Lee served in the Senate with
Mansfield for 16 years, recalled Mansfield as a gentle giant.
``He was a very kindly and considerate person who never
forgot where he came from,'' she said.
She first met Mansfield when he was a popular instructor at
the University of Montana and grew to be good friends with
the Mansfields during the time the two men served together.
``They made good partners for Montana,'' she said.
Pat Williams, who was a Montana congressman for 18 years
until retiring in 1996, said Mansfield's integrity set him
apart.
``Mansfield, as our senator, he brought honor not pork to
Montana,'' the Democrat said. ``He did things his way and
believed that if Montanans didn't like it--as they didn't on
his position and votes on gun control--that they'd bring him
home at the next election. But, of course, we never did.''
Kelly Addy, a Billings attorney, former legislator and
staffer for Mansfield in 1974, described the senator as
extremely humble and mindful of his modest beginnings in the
Butte mines.
``He knew who he was,'' Addy said. ``He knew he came from
nothing. He knew everything had been given to him. He had no
quarrel with anybody.''
He said he learned a valuable lesson from Mansfield. ``You
can't be anything more than who you are, but if you're
willing to be that, it can be quite something. He was able to
accept himself and, therefore, he was able to accept
others.''
Former Gov. Stan Stephens called Mansfield ``probably the
most distinguished Montanan in the history of public
service.''
Mansfield was revered by members of both political parties
because of his nonpartisan character, the Republican said.
``He was a very kind and considerate man. He never looked at
people or issues as political threats.
``He has made Montana proud,'' Stephens said.
George McGovern, a U.S. Senator from South Dakota during
all but one of Mansfield's years in the Senate, praised his
former colleague as an ``example to all of us in the world of
politics.''
``Always a humble and dedicated public servant for the
people of Montana, he became a superb majority leader of the
U.S. Senate and a brilliant diplomat in the Far East,'' said
McGovern, who was in Missoula where his wife is hospitalized.
Schwinden said a defining memory he has of Mansfield was
his campaign visits to Wolf Point, Schwinden's home town.
Dozens of people in the small community would turn out on
short notice to see the popular Senator.
``If there was a stage, he loved to sit on the stage with
his legs crossed,'' Schwinden said. ``He never lectured. He
just visited with his constituency.''
The attitude is what defined Mansfield and made him a man
of few words, recalled former Secretary of State Mike Cooney.
``He listened. It wasn't that what he had to say was the
most important,'' Cooney said. ``He understood that if you
could sit and listen to people, you could learn a lot more
than if you sat there yacking.
Gov. Tom Judge, who was governor from 1973 to 1981,
remembered Mansfield as a man who did ``an enormous amount of
work for Montana, all the while doing it in a quiet,
effective and--most importantly--very dignified manner.''
Judge said he first became acquainted with Mansfield while
still in college in the mid 1950s.
``When I was a junior in college I nominated him for
president in a mock election at Notre Dame and we almost
won,'' Judge said. ``It was a tight race between him and
Lyndon Johnson. . . . We didn't win but I guarantee you
everyone at Notre Dame knew who Mike Mansfield was when we
were done.''
Bob Ream, Montana Democratic Party chairman, said Mansfield
remained Senate leader for longer than anyone else because he
earned and commanded a great deal of respect.
``I think he stood for the best in politics,'' Ream said.
``He was an extremely ethical person and well-respected by
people on both sides of the aisle.''
``The last time I saw him was about a year and a half ago,
and he still had that twinkle in his eye,'' Ream said. ``And
whenever you left his office, Mike always had the same
farewell. `Tap her light,' he would say. . . . It was an old
miner's line.''
Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3282 is a bill to designate the Federal Building
and United States Courthouse in Butte, Montana, in honor of Senator
Mike Mansfield.
Senator Mansfield, as all of us know, died in October of 2001 at the
age of 98. He served as the Senate majority leader longer than anyone
else in the history of that institution. His legacy spans decades and
is one of public service with unimpeachable integrity, admiring
colleagues, fiercely loyal friends and devoted family.
Senator Mansfield was a native New Yorker, born in New York City on
March 16, 1903. As a young child, he and his family moved to Great
Falls, Montana. When he was only 14 years old, he enlisted in the
United States Navy and served in World War I. From 1919 to 1920,
Senator Mansfield served in the U.S. Army, and later joined the U.S.
Marines as a private first class.
After the war, he returned to Montana and finished his education. He
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graduated from Montana State University at Missoula, where he received
his undergraduate degree, and in 1934, received a masters degree.
From 1933 until 1943, Senator Mansfield was a professor of history
and political science at Montana State. In 1943, he was elected to the
U.S. House of Representatives, where he served 10 years. During his
service in the House of Representatives, Senator Mansfield voted for a
higher minimum wage, economic aid to Turkey and Greece, the Marshall
Plan, and opposed funding for the House Un-American Activities
Committee. In 1953, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and began a
career filled with accomplishments.
He served the United States in many capacities: Special Committee on
Campaign Expenditures; Democratic Whip; Majority Leader; Chairman of
the Committee of Rules and Administration; Special Committee of Secret
and Confidential Documents; and Ambassador to Japan. In 1956, Lyndon
Johnson named him Assistant Majority Leader. When Johnson was elected
Vice President in 1961, Mansfield became the Majority Leader and served
until 1977.
Mr. Speaker, Mike Mansfield had an unbelievable career. I could go on
and on about his accomplishments and achievements. His word and his
integrity, without question, and his reputation as a straight shooter,
was well-deserved. Unflappable, honorable, brilliant, humble and a
strong person, he will always be remembered.
It is fitting and proper that we honor Mike Mansfield's lifetime of
public service to his country with this designation. I support this
bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3282, a
bill to designate the federal building and United States Courthouse in
Butte, Montana, in honor of Senator Mike Mansfield, who died in October
of this year at the remarkable age of 98.
Senator Mansfield was born in New York City on March 16, 1903. His
family moved to Cascade County, Montana, in 1906 where he attended
local public schools until he dropped out at age 14. At that time, he
lied about his age and enlisted in the United States Navy to serve his
country during World War I. Mike must have liked the military life,
because when he left the Navy, he first joined the Army for two years,
and then the marines for two years, finishing his military service in
1922.
When he returned to Montana, Senator Mansfield went to work in a
copper mine near Butte. While still working the mines, he enrolled in
the Montana School of Mines, where he met this future wife, Maureen
Hays, a schoolteacher. She persuaded him to complete his high school
education by taking correspondence courses.
In 1930, he enrolled at the University of Montana, where he received
his undergraduate degree, and a master's degree in 1934. From 1933
until 1943, Mike Mansfield was a professor of history and political
science at Montana State. In 1943, he was elected to the United States
House of representatives, where he served for ten years.
Later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate where he launched an
illustrious career, serving as Committee Chairman, Democratic Whip, and
Majority Leader.
Some of our Nation's most turbulent times occurred during his tenure
as Senate Majority Leader: assassination of one President and the
resignation of another; the assassinations of a civil rights activist
and a presidential hopeful; student and political unrest; Vietnam and
Watergate.
He was at the helm when the Civil rights Act and the Voting Rights
Act became laws. He also led the Senate to pass sweeping legislation on
health, education, and anti-poverty programs.
Senator Mansfield was going to retire from public life when he
decided to leave the Senate in 1976. However, President Jimmy Carter
urged Senator Mansfield to remain in public service as our Ambassador
to Japan, which he agreed to do--and served with distinction.
Mike Mansfield was so successful and so well respected at home and in
Japan, that President Reagan prevailed upon him to remain in the post
throughout the Reagan presidency. Mike Mansfield managed to impress the
Japanese as well; so much so, in fact, that when he returned to the
U.S. after eleven years as Ambassador, the Japanese Ambassador to this
country said Mansfield ``could have run for prime minister and won.''
He was also Montana's ``favorite son'' for a very good reason. He was
revered in his home State, and highly respected by his colleagues in
the Congress. He was known as a terrific teacher, a great leader, and a
wonderful human beng. He was devoted to Maureen, his wife of 68 years,
and to their daughter, Anne.
His humble and straightforward characteristics made him equally at
home in either royal courts or the local coffee shops in rural Montana.
His word and his integrity were without question and his reputation as
a ``straight shooter'' was well deserved. He combined keen intellect
with good judgment to produce astonishing wisdom. His toughest
assignment came during the Vietnam years. Although he personally
opposed the war, he felt obliged as majority leader, to carry the
President's message to the Senate.
In many ways the federal building and courthouse in Butte, Montana,
accurately reflect who Mike Mansfield was--it is a wonderful, solidly
built, grandly situated building, open to the public and dedicated to
public service. It is strong without being intimidating; it provides
justice and comfort to all who enter.
Mr. Speaker, Mike Mansfield was a modest man, but a giant in American
politics. To have a federal building and U.S. courthouse bear his name
is an honor he earned, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support
this bill.
Mr. CLEMENT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3282.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
____________________