[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 22 (Tuesday, March 5, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    HONORING THE LATE GERALD SOLOMON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DAN BURTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 5, 2002

  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, October 26, my good 
friend Gerry Solomon passed away after suffering congestive heart 
failure. What a great loss for this institution and for the 
constituents he once served.
  Gerry was a Member of this Chamber for 10 terms serving from 1979-
1999. Ask anyone who served with him, and they will remember him as an 
outspoken and tenacious advocate for his views and constituents.
  I knew Gerry well and he was second to none in this Chamber. In 
losing Gerry, we lost a tremendous patriot and committed public 
servant. He was often referred to by his fellow colleagues as ``the Pit 
Bull of the House.''
  And, although he enjoyed his work in Washington and in the 
International arena, he always said his greatest enjoyment came from 
successfully helping people back home in his district cope with 
problems they had with the Federal bureaucracy.
  He was very proud of the often repeated comments on the streets back 
in his district that ``you may not always agree with Jerry Solomon, but 
you sure as hell know where he stands on the issues.'' His commuting 
back home every weekend, catapulted him to re-election usually by 
overwhelming 3-1 margins during his ten terms in Congress.
  During his Congressional career, which spanned 20 years serving in 
the House of Representatives, Jerry devoted most of his time to the 
issues of veterans, senior citizens, foreign policy, national defense, 
the war on drugs, and the budget.
  May he always be remembered for the good father and husband that he 
was, and his relentless efforts to promote pride, patriotism and 
volunteerism. He proudly and unabashedly showcased his love for his 
family and his country everyday of his life.
  Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 338, a resolution authoring the printing of 
a collection of memorial tributes made in honor of the late Gerald 
Solomon, is a fitting tribute to our late colleague and friend. I rise 
in strong support of it.

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