[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 126 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6886-H6904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE PATSY T. 
           MINK, MEMBER OF CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution (H. 
Res. 566) and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 566

       Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
     the death of the Honorable Patsy T. Mink, a Representative 
     from the State of Hawaii.
       Resolved, That a committee of such Members of the House as 
     the Speaker may designate, together with such Members of the 
     Senate as may be joined, be appointed to attend the funeral.
       Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be 
     authorized and directed to take such steps as may be 
     necessary for carrying out the provisions of these 
     resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection 
     therewith be paid out of applicable accounts of the House.
       Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
     the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as 
     a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Goodlatte). The gentleman from Hawaii 
(Mr. Abercrombie) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that at the end 
of the allotted time, the House rise for a moment of silence out of 
respect for the Honorable Patsy T. Mink.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Hawaii?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I take this action. The 
hearts of all of us here go out in sympathy to Patsy's husband, John, 
and her daughter, Gwen; to her brother, Eugene; to her staff in 
Washington and in Hawaii; and to her large family of friends and 
admirers.
  Mr. Speaker, I am devastated by her loss. Patsy Mink was more than my 
friend and my colleague; she was a true daughter of Hawaii. She was a 
person of enormous spirit and tenacity and inner strength. I will miss 
her terribly. I will especially miss her wisdom, her energy, her 
readiness to fight for principle. She fought all her life for social 
and economic justice.
  Throughout nearly 50 years of public service, she championed 
America's most deeply held values: equality, fairness, above all 
honesty. Her courage, her willingness to speak out and champion causes 
that others might shun resulted in tremendous contributions in the 
fields of civil rights and education. She has earned in my estimation 
an honored place in the history of the United States House of 
Representatives as the co-author of title IX, which guarantees equality 
for women in education programs.
  Every single woman in this Nation who today has the advantage of the 
capacity to command equal opportunity in education, and by extension in 
virtually every other field of endeavor, owes the impetus to that in 
modern times to Patsy Mink. She was one of the pioneers who transformed 
Hawaii and transformed this Nation. Her legacy will live on in every 
campus in America and in the heart of every American woman who aspires 
to greatness. Most profoundly, it lives on in my estimation in hope, 
hope for the millions of lives that she touched.
  Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for me to realize that I am standing 
here this evening paying my respects to the memory of Patsy Mink 
because my first memories of her go back to when I was a student at the 
University of Hawaii involved in one of her first campaigns, not for 
elective office because she did that when Hawaii was still a territory.
  She came back to Hawaii from her early plantation days, running 
around as a little kid in the plantation ditches over in Maui, 
encouraged by her family, most particularly her father, to reach for 
her star in the Hawaii firmament.
  She was turned down for medical school, discriminated against because 
she was female, because she was Japanese, because she came from an 
unknown territory out in the Pacific. That is why she went to law 
school, fought her way into law school so that she could achieve a 
degree that would enable her to fight against the discrimination she 
had suffered.
  She was a champion then. We all recognized it. She was smart and she 
was tough and she was articulate and she would not quit. She was an 
inspiration then and now.
  Whenever any of us felt some sense of discouragement, whenever any of 
us felt some sense of despair or feeling that we could not succeed, it 
was only required for Patsy to come in the room to change the 
atmosphere.

                              {time}  1945

  Patsy Mink had the capacity to make dead air move. Patsy Mink, this 
little lady from Hawaii, was a giant in her heart and in her 
commitment. With every breath that she took, she championed those who 
had no one to stand up and speak out for them. A little lady with a big 
heart, a lioness. We will not see her like again. Someone will take her 
place here in the House, that is the way of it in our democracy, but no 
one will replace her in the hearts of the people of Hawaii. No one will 
replace her in the role that she played in this House of 
Representatives. No one was more beloved than Patsy Mink in this House.
  Mr. Speaker, as an expression of the gravity of the feelings of the 
Members of this House, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio 
(Ms. Kaptur), whom I think has an opportunity for Members of the House 
to be able to express in a more concrete fashion the feelings that we 
all have for Patsy.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the distinguished 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), now the senior Member 
representing that great State here for our Republic in the House, and 
rise in support of his Resolution with all of our colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle to honor our friend and colleague Congresswoman 
Patsy Mink, as this beautiful, beautiful poster indicates, a woman of 
hope.
  Patsy's service, now 24 years, places her among the longest-serving 
women in the House, certainly currently. She was honest and 
intelligent, gifted and dedicated, and leaves behind a stellar record 
of accomplishments. For almost half a century, she was a devoted 
advocate for her constituents and her native State of Hawaii. She 
served America with distinction. She will be deeply missed.
  She was a trailblazer. Her career embodied a series of firsts. She 
was the first Asian American woman to practice law in Hawaii, and the 
first Asian American woman to be elected to the Hawaii Territorial 
Legislature. And then in 1964 she became the first, in her own words, 
woman of color ever elected to the United States Congress, an Asian 
American woman of Japanese American heritage from the then new State of 
Hawaii.
  She transcended race and gender throughout her life. She was a leader 
on women's rights, social and economic justice, health care and child 
care, and no one here knew more about education. She came to this House 
at the beginning of the 88th Congress in 1965, served until 1977, and 
then again from 1990 until her untimely passing this past Sunday.
  When Patsy first began her career in this Congress, she was one of 
only 11 women serving in the House. She watched as Members came in the 
1980s and began to double the number of women to 24, up to the current 
? level of 62 with 13 women now in the Senate.
  I agree with my colleagues that Patsy viewed as her most important 
achievement passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. 
She, as the gentleman from Hawaii indicated, had experienced race and 
gender discrimination. She often said her life experiences challenged 
her to lead the

[[Page H6887]]

fight for women and girls to have equal access to education and 
athletic opportunities. Title IX has torn down barriers for women and 
girls in America. Title IX has had a dramatic impact on women's access 
to higher education opportunities, especially medical and law school, 
in addition to the more publicized impact on girls' and women's 
athletics.
  Throughout our Nation, millions of girls participate in sports 
programs today, and millions of girls and women have more opportunities 
available to them because of Congresswoman Patsy Mink. She stood up for 
them and for us. Her legacy will survive in every classroom, every 
school and every campus. In celebrating the 30th anniversary of Title 
IX, Patsy stated her belief that ``we must rededicate ourselves to the 
continued pursuit of educational opportunities for girls and women.'' 
Her leadership on a wide range of issues, the environment, poverty, 
civil rights, helped shape a stronger America.
  Patsy will live forever in our hearts and in this great institution. 
She truly remains America's daughter for all time, a woman of hope.
  In that regard, Mr. Speaker, I would like to place on the record and 
ask my colleagues to sign a letter being sent to the Speaker from all 
of us that asks the Speaker to work with the membership as the Speaker 
deems appropriate to commission a portrait or sculpture of 
Congresswoman Mink to memorialize her contributions to our Nation. We 
would expect that the costs of this effort would be privately financed, 
working with an appropriate nonprofit entity, and that following the 
completion of this work of appropriate artistic quality, we would like 
to have it placed in a fitting public space here in the Capitol, 
perhaps in the new Capitol Visitors Center, so that her story can 
continue to inspire the millions of visitors who come to Washington to 
learn more about our democratic system, which she strengthened every 
day of her service to our country and indeed the world.
  Mr. Speaker, the text of the letter is as follows:

                                Congress of the United States,

                                  Washington, DC, October 1, 2002.
     Hon. Dennis Hastert,
     Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: Appreciation for the diversity and 
     accomplishment of our nation's leaders throughout our history 
     strengthens people's understanding of freedom's legacy and 
     potential. This is a key reason why so many of us have urged 
     that the artwork displayed in the public spaces of the House 
     be more representative of this rich history of 
     accomplishment, including correcting the underrepresentation 
     of women in the current collection on display.
       The passing of our beloved colleague, Patsy Takemoto Mink 
     of Hawaii, offers us the opportunity to both improve our 
     representation of women who have contributed to this 
     institution and our nation, as well as pay proper recognition 
     to a woman whose path-breaking efforts have shaped a more 
     optimistic future for generations of Americans.
       Congresswoman Mink's life embodied a series of firsts.
       She was the first Asian-American woman to practice law in 
     Hawaii, and was the first Asian American Women to be elected 
     to the Territorial House before Hawaii became a State in 
     1959, and she was one of the pioneers that advocated for 
     Hawaii's statehood.
       In 1964, she became, in her words, the first woman of color 
     ever elected to the U.S. Congress. As the first Asian 
     American woman of Japanese-American heritage elected, she 
     served with distinction twelve terms in the House of 
     Representatives for two 12-year periods.
       Congresswoman Mink transcended race and gender 
     discrimination throughout her career. Her life experiences 
     challenged her to lead the fight for women and girls to have 
     equal access to education and athletic opportunities. She 
     played the leading role in the enactment of Title IX of the 
     Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibited for the first 
     time gender discrimination by federally funded institutions. 
     That law has become the major tool for women's fuller 
     participation not only in sports, but also in all aspects of 
     education.
       Patsy's leadership on a wide range of issues as the 
     environment, poverty, education, and civil rights shaped a 
     stronger America. During her tenure in Congress Mrs. Mink 
     helped write environmental protection laws safeguarding land 
     and water, and communities affected by coal strip mining.
       For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, we respectfully request the 
     opportunity to work with you and other officials of the House 
     whom you deem appropriate to commission a portrait or 
     sculpture of Congresswoman Mink to memorialize her 
     contributions. We would expect that the costs of this effort 
     would be privately financed, with an appropriate nonprofit 
     entity being designated for the receipt of any contributions. 
     Following the completion of this work of appropriate artistic 
     quality, we would like to have it displayed in a fitting 
     public space of the House, including possibly the new Capitol 
     Visitors' Center, so that her story can continue to inspire 
     the millions of visitors who come to Washington to learn more 
     about our democratic system which calls for the inclusion of 
     all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or origin.
       We look forward to this opportunity to work with you.
           Sincerely,
     Neil Abercrombie,
     Marcy Kaptur,
     Robert A. Underwood,
     Diane E. Watson,
     Michael M. Honda,
     Robert T. Matsui,

       Members of Congress.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica), who was Representative Mink's chairman in the 107th 
Congress.
  Mr. MICA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time, and I 
also extend my condolences to the Hawaii delegation and especially to 
John Mink, to John and his daughter Wendy.
  It is hard to believe that Patsy Mink is gone. Patsy Mink was truly 
an American icon. I had the wonderful privilege and opportunity to 
serve with Patsy. She was my ranking member as I chaired the 
Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. 
Sometimes in this body we get to know folks from a distance, but 
sometimes when you work with them as I worked with Patsy, you get to 
know them as a friend.
  This House and this Nation and certainly Hawaii just received a 
tremendous legacy from her service. This lady served in this Chamber as 
a role model for young women, for Asian Americans and for all 
Americans. I remember Patsy because of her conviction, because of her 
determination, because of her caring and love for people truly in her 
heart, and I honestly cannot believe she has left us. Not only will she 
be remembered for her public service in local government, in the 
territory of Hawaii and in the State of Hawaii, but for all she has 
done for so many people. She worked with me on our national drug 
policy, and the education program that we now have nationally is a 
legacy from Patsy Mink.
  Again, her heart, her trust, and her love was with the people that 
she represented. So I salute her on her years of service. I will miss 
her from the bottom of my heart. As I came to the Capitol, I saw the 
flags flying at half mast, and how proud she would be that we honor her 
today for her service, which she so richly deserves. She was a great 
American and a great colleague, Patsy Mink, the gentlewoman from 
Hawaii.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Matsui).
  Mr. MATSUI. I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, first I would like to offer my condolences to John, 
Patsy's husband, and Wendy, Patsy's daughter, and obviously her staff 
both in Hawaii and in Washington, for the wonderful job that they have 
given her and the people of her State over the past 24 years. And this 
goes from the time she was in Congress, from 1964 to 1976, and from 
1990 until she passed away last Saturday.
  It is somewhat unique when a colleague of ours dies. I remember when 
Walter Capps, the member from California, passed away. We had a chance 
then to look at his accomplishments over the years, and we began then 
to realize what a great human being he really was. We see our 
colleagues on the floor every day, and we obviously know them, we like 
them, we have friendships, but until they leave us do we really have an 
opportunity to really look at their careers. Unlike Members of the 
other body and unlike Governors in statehouses, we do not have an 
opportunity to view our colleagues as we do Patsy Mink today.
  Her political career went over 46 years. If one really thought about 
it, she was the first Asian American, she was the first woman of color 
to enter the House of Representatives. I had not known that until this 
week. I think many of my colleagues did not know that. She was the 
first Asian American woman to be admitted to the Hawaii bar, and she 
had to do it by challenging the residency requirements because her 
husband was from Pennsylvania, and in those days she had to take the 
residency of her husband, and so she was

[[Page H6888]]

first not admitted. But at the age of 26, Patsy Mink challenged the 
Hawaii residency requirements in respect to admission to the bar, and 
her life was like that.
  I think the gentlewoman from Ohio stated that Patsy was the one who 
made an amendment through the Higher Education Act, Title IX, back in 
1972. Because of her, young elementary schoolgirls can say that they 
want to be like Mia Hamm. A young woman in college now can aspire to be 
a professional player in the WNBA. She has just done so much.
  Two things stick out in my mind about Patsy, if I may just say this, 
and I know there are so many speakers that want to talk about Patsy. 
When she came back in 1990, Bill Ford was the chairman of what was then 
known as the Committee on Education and Labor. Bill said, ``Patsy Mink, 
she's coming back. I'm going to get her on my committee. She's just a 
great Member.''
  I said, ``Yeah, I know.''
  He said, ``No, no, you don't understand. Patsy Mink is a great 
legislator. She knows how to bring people together, she knows how to 
develop a consensus, she knows how to use words that are words of art. 
She is a legislator's legislator.'' I think all of us that have worked 
with Patsy know that.
  Last, let me just say that I have worked with Patsy on welfare and on 
a number of issues. I have never seen anyone in this body, or in any 
body, any more impassioned, any more committed to the forgotten people, 
the people that perhaps do not have the chance that many of us have, 
for people that really want to aspire in America. That is what Patsy 
Mink means to me and to all of us. She is truly a role model not just 
for Asian Americans or women, but for all Americans.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Gilman).
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for 
bringing this resolution to the floor and for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, on days such as this, we sadly woe the present but 
nostalgically reflect upon the past. Hawaii and the Congress has lost 
one of its great leaders this week, a Congresswoman whose life and her 
24-year congressional career have been nothing short of amazing. The 
passing of Congresswoman Patsy Mink is felt not only by her family, her 
husband John and daughter Wendy, and those close to her, but also by 
her constituents and all of us in the Congress who had the privilege to 
serve with Patsy.

                              {time}  2000

  I served with her on the Committee on Education years ago. Known for 
her strong, sincere demeanor, Patsy Mink has been an outstanding asset 
to Hawaii's Second Congressional District. She achieved significant 
support for the people of Hawaii. In those respects, Patsy was close to 
us all. Mrs. Mink was one of our Nation's strongest proponents of 
women's equality, pushing feminism from a fringe cause to an important 
rallying cry. Her sense of what was needed to be done to help her 
native Hawaiians and immigrant citizens alike has marked her as a 
sympathetic and caring congressional Member. She championed important 
reforms in education, such as smaller class sizes, passage of title IX, 
and more spending on special education and school construction, and the 
need to provide more assistance for Impact Aid, for which I had the 
honor and pleasure of working with Patsy.
  All of Patsy's work in education demonstrates her desire to improve 
the future of our children who one day will be our Nation's leaders. 
This Congress will sorely miss Patsy Mink. She will be remembered for 
her leadership, her concerns, her compassion, for her positive aspects 
and the efforts she has undertaken to make Hawaii a strong political 
force in our Nation. May it be of some consolation to her husband, 
John, to her daughter, Wendy, that the people of Hawaii and so many 
others across the country will not forget our outstanding colleague, 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney).
  (Mr. TIERNEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my condolences on the 
death of the Honorable Patsy Mink.
  Mr. Speaker. I rise this evening to join my colleagues in 
commemoration of the remarkable life and tremendous achievements of the 
woman who served with great distinction in the House of 
Representatives, Patsy Mink. I offer my condolences to the Mink family, 
especially her husband John and daughter Wendy, and to the people of 
her district who have lost a leader and a friend.
  From age 4 when she insisted on joining her brother at school to her 
service as the first Asian-American woman to practice law in Hawaii, 
and to her election as the first woman of color to Congress, Patsy 
broke down barriers--first for herself, and then for others. Patsy left 
a legacy for millions of working families she helped lift out of 
poverty with education and job training programs ranging from the War 
on Poverty to Welfare Reform, and the generation of female student 
athletes for whom she drafted, passed and implemented Title IX, the 30 
year anniversary of which we just commemorated this June.
  I was proud to serve with Patsy on both the House Education and the 
Workforce Committee and the Government Reform Committee, where she gave 
a voice to the voiceless every day that she served.
  Patsy provided vision, courage and leadership--speaking out on all 
the vital issues of the day and inspiring us, her colleagues, with here 
fiery oratory on the House Floor and policy negotiations that combined 
her mastery of education, labor and economic issues with the persuasive 
power of Hawaiian chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.
  Mr. Speaker, the Members and staff of this great institution mourn 
the loss of a valued friend and colleague whose distinguished service 
to the House made a difference in the lives of millions of Americans. 
We will miss her dearly.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown).
  (Ms. BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would just make a quick comment 
to the family. My favorite scripture is ``To whom God has given much, 
much is expected.'' Our colleague has given much to this country on 
women's issues and on education. She has done her work. We have to 
carry on the legacy.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. George Miller).
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman 
for yielding me this time, and I thank him for bringing this together 
this evening to be able to express ourselves about Patsy and the 
wonderful person she was.
  Patsy had a wonderful sense of urgency about being a Member of 
Congress. She was so clearly aware that she had been given a gift by 
the people of Hawaii, and she was so clearly aware that it was not to 
be wasted and not a moment was to be wasted as long as she was in this 
body.
  When I first came here in 1974, she was a very senior member of the 
Committee on Natural Resources and of the Committee on Education and 
Labor, and I was the most junior member. When Patsy came back, I was 
one of the most senior members of those two committees, and she was the 
junior member of those two committees. The relationship never changed 
from the first day in 1974. I admired her skill on the Committee on 
Natural Resources as we argued mining law, public lands issues, forest 
issues, law of the sea. I asked her once, How do you do it? How do you 
do it? She was so engaged in the debate, and that is when debate really 
took place in the House of Representatives. She said, Read the bill and 
make them defend it. Make them defend it. And she did. She read every 
word in the legislation. And in those committee hearings, you had to 
defend your amendment; you had to defend your bill. And if you could 
not, she was not with you.
  No matter what the topic was, whether it was title IX or pay equity 
or natural resources or mining law, the issues that she was involved in 
span the globe, but the reason was always the same: economic and social 
justice. She never waivered. It did not matter if it was welfare reform 
or water reform. She wanted to know what the

[[Page H6889]]

implications were for economic and social justice, who was getting and 
who was giving.
  She never waivered from that, and for that she made many of us 
uncomfortable, as we thought we could waiver; and she would reach out 
and grab you and say, you cannot do that. You cannot be for this. You 
cannot vote for this. She said it to me when I was her chairman, and 
she said it to me when I was her ranking member; and she said it to me 
when I was a freshman member. That little woman that the gentleman from 
Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) described was so full of commitment that she 
was compelling in all of our lives. There are so many firsts in her 
history.
  But her sense of urgency and her sense of justice were her guiding 
stars. I think that when I came here at the end of a war, and here we 
are on possibly the eve of yet another war, and of those battles inside 
of the democratic study group which basically amends organization, and 
this woman went at it toe to head to toe to head on the arguments of 
ending the war.
  I also think tonight that we send Ben Rosenthal and Bella Abzug and 
Phil Burton a great companion in heaven.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald).
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the legacy 
of one of the most distinguished and honorable women of this august 
body, my friend, my colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Mink.
  I shall remember her as a giant who spoke in gentle tones, but very 
fierce and very deliberate, whose frame towered with her ability to 
rise above the fray and get to the substantive issues at hand. In a 
career that began before territorial Hawaii became a State in 1959, 
Patsy Mink, with authority, wit, and clear perspective, became one of 
the best-known women politicians in these United States and, of course, 
as everyone has said, the first woman of color.
  I stand today to celebrate the role that Patsy played in the life of 
this great Nation. Her career spanned over 24 years of service in this 
House of Representatives; and Patsy concentrated upon the removal of 
negative factors, social, economic, and educational restrictions which 
had been directed against minority groups, and which prevented the full 
development of an individual's ability and dignity.
  It is hardly possible to stand here today to recapitulate on the 
extraordinary career of Patsy Mink, except to point out that a 
succession of legislative victories are owed to her tireless work. 
Later on next week, the women of the House will highlight the many 
legislative victories that this great woman has brought to the 
forefront, like improved opportunity in education, elimination of much 
overt discrimination, and modifying environmental policies which were 
part of the hallmark of her career.
  Her persistent and passionate campaign for equity for women is 
credited as a centerpiece for the Democratic Party today. I can recall 
a couple of months ago when Patsy celebrated 30 years of the passage of 
title IX, and I came on the floor to talk with her and I asked Patsy, I 
said, Patsy, are all of the States in compliance with this law? She 
says, Juanita, I don't know, but why don't you get on that? And Mr. 
Speaker, I have begun to get on that. I thank her so much for giving me 
the courage and tenacity to move forward on title IX.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).
  Mr. OBEY. Mr. Speaker, until last Saturday, Patsy was one of the 
three people left in this House who was here when I first came. At that 
time, she was one of a handful of progressives who would gather each 
week to discuss ways that we could prod our own party into being more 
aggressive in pushing for education and health and retirement needs of 
working people. I learned oh, so much from her. She was one of the best 
debaters in this House. She was a superb legislative craftsman; and 
above all, she had steel, and she had something else. She had a passion 
for justice, for women, for minorities, and the poor. She had a sense 
of rage about the opportunities that this House misses every day to do 
more for the people who have no other resource. We respected her, we 
loved her, this tiny woman with that giant heart. We were very lucky to 
have her as long as we had her. She made us all better than we ever 
expected to be.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson).
  Ms. WATSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in paying 
tribute to an outstanding United States Congresswoman. I am saddened, 
like the rest of my colleagues, by the loss of a tireless advocate for 
civil rights for women and minorities, especially native Hawaiians.
  First elected in 1965, Patsy Mink was a pioneer for women across this 
country. As the first minority woman elected to Congress, Patsy has 
always been an inspiration to me as an elected official. On the path of 
good policy, Patsy Mink never backed down and she never gave up. Patsy 
was a true champion for American values and ideals. Early in her first 
term, she lent her unyielding support to the creation of Medicare. I 
first became directly involved with Patsy and her work when title IX 
was passed 30 years ago. Back then, as a member of the Los Angeles 
Unified School Board, I was charged with implementing a title IX plan 
for the Los Angeles Community College system. I have followed and I 
have had admiration for Patsy's work and for her public service career 
ever since then.
  Now as a Member of the 107th Congress, replacing another strong 
public servant prematurely taken from us, Julian Dixon, and one of the 
highlights of my short time here so far has been the opportunity to 
work with Patsy on welfare reform. In the fast-moving world of 
Congress, I was able to spend some quality time with Patsy after going 
on a trip to Sacramento to collect the data on our welfare reform 
program. We worked together to compile information for legislation. We 
might have been unsuccessful; but in working with her, I knew I had 
someone who really understood what we were trying to achieve.
  Mr. Speaker, although our most recent attempt for meaningful change 
was rebuffed in committee, I want my colleagues to know that Patsy, 
that working with her, she leaves a legacy that we can all model after. 
Her dedication, her strength, her principled and hard-working self will 
remain with us forever. Patsy, thank you for what you have done for all 
of us, especially women.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Patsy Mink was a thoughtful, passionate, kind, strong, gentle, and 
lovely person who bravely and courageously fought and spoke out for 
those who could not always do it for themselves. She fought undeterred 
for social and economic justice in our country and around the world, 
and she never gave up. She is, in my eyes, Winston Churchill's ideal 
model when he spoke to a group of young men, young boys during the war, 
the Second World War, and told them ``Never, give up. Never give up. 
Never, never, never give up.''
  She was a giant. I did not even know that she was small in figure. 
She always, to me, was a giant, a champion and someone I wanted to know 
better. I loved her passion, but I loved more understanding why she 
felt so passionate. She wanted to make a difference in this place. I 
want her family to know her efforts were worth every minute. She did 
make a difference, a huge difference. I loved, no, I want to say I love 
Patsy Mink.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott).
  Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
distinguished legislator and an amazing activist and a wonderful 
person, Patsy Mink. President Kennedy once said, ``A nation reveals 
itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors, 
the men it remembers.'' Because of Patsy, both from her example and her 
legislative teachings, we know that quote needs to be amended, for a 
Nation is revealed not only by its men, but also by the women produced, 
honored, and remembered.

                              {time}  2015

  As we know from working with her, Patsy made sure that, as a Nation, 
we

[[Page H6890]]

honored and remembered those who might otherwise be pushed aside and 
forgotten. Patsy was a voice, loud and strong, for those who had no 
voice, or those whose voices were in danger of being drowned out.
  As the author of Title IX, she drew attention to women's educational 
needs and abilities. When we consider that over 80 percent of women in 
senior executive positions today report having participated in 
organized sports after grammar school, we can know that Patsy Mink's 
work has changed the face of the Nation.
  Through her years in the House, she tirelessly fought for women, for 
the poor, for immigrants, for children, for workers. She fought for 
civil rights, for health care, education, child care, teachers' 
professional development.
  I had the honor of knowing Patsy for the last 10 years. We were on 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce, where I had the privilege 
of watching her at her best.
  Although we mourn the loss of Patsy, I will always honor the 
privilege of having served alongside such a tenacious and thoughtful 
legislator. The legacy of her life and accomplishments are great 
lessons to us all. We owe many thanks to her work and her memory, and 
that has revealed a lot about this Nation. So today we are better for 
honoring and remembering the gentlewoman from Hawaii, the Honorable 
Patsy Mink.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).
  (Mr. FARR of California asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak of the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii, Patsy Mink, and especially to her daughter, my 
constituent, Wendy.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks in support of the pending resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Platts). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Hawaii?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Mrs. Meek).
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, my dear departed friend and 
colleague, Patsy Mink, was a big girl. She was slight and small in 
stature, but great in spirit and heart.
  I think God thought about Patsy and decided he needed somebody in the 
Congress who could reach out to everyone, who could make laws, who 
could extend her hand to everyone. God needed a very strong person. He 
needed a woman who would stand up against everybody and bring a voice 
to this Congress for the voiceless people.
  That is what he did: He chose Patsy. She came in and broke down 
barriers. She opened doors. She did everything God would have her do. 
In terms of race, color, gender, she had nothing to stop her.
  Patsy was a woman of great honor, and we come here tonight to honor 
her, because God chose Patsy. She spent a lot of her time working for 
all of us. Every woman in this country stands now on the shoulders of 
Patsy Mink. I feel much stronger and taller because of what Patsy left, 
the legacy she left to us. She was a tireless advocate for her 
constituents in Hawaii. She was a great leader. She was a great model.
  I remember the many things, being one of the older women here in the 
Congress, of the work that Patsy did: Equal pay for equal work; all of 
it. There is a litany of things that Patsy did which I will put in the 
Record.
  She was a great friend and kindred spirit. She used to send me candy 
on my birthday; and I had plenty of those, Mr. Speaker. She would send 
me whatever those nuts are that they grow in Hawaii.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Hawaii.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I will keep on doing that for the 
gentlewoman.
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Good. I hope the gentleman will keep it up.
  Patsy Mink was the first woman of color admitted in Congress, and the 
first Japanese woman admitted to the bar in Hawaii.
  So I say, I stand on her shoulders, Mr. Speaker, and I pray that each 
of us here would take a pattern from Patsy, because she was a great 
leader who gave service to God for the space she occupied.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from California (Mrs. Davis).
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, with real sorrow I come to the 
podium today to honor a truly memorable colleague, the Honorable Patsy 
Mink. As a freshman Member, it has been so inspiring to serve on a 
committee with a role model who has made a real mark on our society 
through her lengthy service in the House of Representatives.
  It was an honor for me to join her at this podium on June 19 in the 
commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Title IX. Seldom does one get 
to join forces with one of the original sponsors of legislation that 
was not only landmark legislation for our country, but was so formative 
for my children's generation.
  When I was a local school board member, I remember how hard we had to 
work to change the culture of our society to implement the equality 
embodied in this bill. She lived the battle for equal opportunity that 
that bill codified.
  I was so touched that she thanked those of us who spoke honoring this 
legislation by presenting us with the T-shirt that I wear very, very 
proudly today.
  The comment has already been made: We know how giving Patsy was, 
because whenever we did something that she liked, she showered us with 
macadamia nuts so we would have a taste of Hawaii.
  I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), 
for bringing us all together this evening. No one will easily fill the 
chair of Patsy Mink, but we were all privileged to call ourselves her 
colleague, and we will rekindle the commitment she made to the issues 
which empowered her life: working for children, their education, their 
homes, and their health care. I thank her for showing us the way.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Just before I go on, Mr. Speaker, I most deeply want to thank 
everyone who has spoken so far. There are many more people to come, as 
we can see, Mr. Speaker, but the depth and the breadth of what Patsy 
accomplished I think is now going on the Record here in the 107th 
Congress. It will be there for all to see and view, and I know it will 
be an inspiration.
  I am very, very grateful, as are the people of Hawaii, to all who 
have appeared so far and are yet to come for letting everyone know of 
Patsy's legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. 
Carson).
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I thank the honorable gentleman 
from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for yielding time to me.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to first include for the Record comments from my 
predecessor, the Honorable Congressman from Indianapolis, Mr. Andy 
Jacobs, who was in the class of the honorable gentlewoman from Hawaii, 
Mrs. Mink. He wrote a letter to the family, John and Wendy, which 
simply says: ``I hurt, dear God, do I hurt. You are in my prayers and 
in my heart, Andy Jacobs.''
  The letter referred to is as follows:

                                Congressman Andy Jacobs (Ret.)

                                                       D--Indiana.
       To John--Wendy,
       I hurt, Dear God do I hurt.
       You are in my prayers and in my heart.
                                                      Andy Jacobs.

  Mr. Speaker, in the greatest book ever written, in the most 
universally read book of all times, it is worth recalling in this most 
special period in the U.S. House of Representatives an inscription in 
the book of Ecclesiastes.
  It says: ``For everything there is a season, and a time for every 
purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to 
plant, and a time to pluck up that which has been planted.''
  Representative Patsy Mink represented her seasons and her purpose

[[Page H6891]]

under heaven. She planted great, eternal seeds in her season, and 
certainly fertilized them well.
  Often when I would see Mrs. Mink fight for a cause on the floor, I 
was reminded of a cliche that we often used when we were coming up 
describing Patsy Mink: She was a little piece of leather, but well put 
together.
  Today I am filled with sorrow over the passing of Congresswoman Patsy 
Mink. She was a remarkable, extraordinary woman, and certainly a 
wonderful friend. Perhaps I can shed a few of those pounds that I kept 
saying that I was going to do now that she is no longer here. The 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) promised he was going to bring 
some to us.
  Congresswoman Mink had on her Web page a quote from a 1973 news 
article. She said: ``It is easy enough to vote right and be 
consistently with the majority, but it is more often more important to 
be ahead of the majority, and this means being willing to cut the first 
furrow in the ground and stand alone for a while if necessary.''
  So please know, to the Mink family, her husband John and daughter 
Wendy, her many loyal constituents, they are all in my thoughts and 
prayers these days. I extend to all of them my heartfelt appreciation 
for loaning us Patsy, even if it was just for a little while, and 
something called the chicken pox came through and decided that she 
needed to do work elsewhere.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me, 
and for bringing this resolution honoring our colleague, the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii, and our dear friend.
  First I want to begin by extending my deepest and most heartfelt 
condolences to Patsy's family, to John, Wendy, friends, and 
constituents, and to the entire State of Hawaii. My thoughts and 
prayers are with them during this very difficult period.
  In the words of our Secretary of Transportation, Norm Mineta, Norm 
said: Patsy Mink spoke for the forgotten, the disenfranchised, the 
poor, and worked unceasingly to remind the Nation of its obligations to 
those whom it sometimes forgets.
  Patsy spoke not only for the forgotten, the disenfranchised, the 
poor, but also to the conscience of all Americans. The leadership that 
Patsy commanded on the welfare reauthorization debate this year really 
exemplified her values and her character.
  During that debate and during our work on that bill, Patsy Mink 
authored a fair and compassionate bill that would have helped women 
provide for their families and enhance their futures through education. 
Although that bill was not voted out of the House, it was really the 
right bill, and many of my colleagues, myself included, supported it. 
We were determined to stand by Patsy through this. I am glad we did. 
She was right.
  I also appreciate her passion for peace. Patsy was an early opponent 
of the Vietnam War, and accompanied another great woman, Bella Abzug of 
New York, to Paris to participate during the Vietnam-era peace talks.
  In 1967, right here on this floor, and I want to quote this, because 
Patsy spoke of peace instead of war, she said right here, ``America is 
not a country which needs to punish its dissenters to preserve its 
honor.'' Patsy said, ``America is not a country which needs to demand 
conformity of all its people, for its strength lies in all of our 
diversities converging in one common belief, that of the importance of 
freedom as the essence of our country.'' Patsy said that in 1967 right 
here.
  Of course, I have thought long on this issue, and truly respect Patsy 
for her courage and her fortitude.
  She was tremendously supportive of me on many tough issues and truly 
was an inspiration. Patsy had a brilliant intellect, yet a big heart 
and a lot of soul. As a leader and advocate on so many issues, she 
always took the time to say thank you, as we heard earlier. Sometimes 
she sent candy or flowers or nuts or coffee from her home State as a 
token of her appreciation and her friendship.
  To know Patsy was really to love her. Many of us, myself included, 
have benefited from Patsy's warm hospitality when visiting her 
beautiful home, the State of Hawaii. She happily shared information and 
knowledge about her home, and wanted her friends to experience it to 
its fullest, and to really feel at home.
  Mr. Speaker, let me just say, I will miss Patsy. She was a woman 
whose wisdom and genius really helped us make a better world. May she 
rest in peace.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
time to me. I know this is a very hard and difficult time for the 
gentleman and for all of us, and for the people of Hawaii.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution remembering 
the life and the work of our colleague, the gentlewoman from Hawaii, 
Patsy Mink. Patsy was beautiful and smart. I loved this woman. I loved 
Patsy Mink. Sometimes on this floor when Patsy was sitting here, I 
would just walk over and say, hello, Patsy, how are you? What are you 
thinking about?
  I first met Patsy when she was a keynote speaker at a Democratic 
convention during the 1960s. Patsy was one of the most liberal and most 
progressive Members of this Congress.

                              {time}  2030

  When Patsy spoke, she spoke from her soul. She spoke from her heart. 
She had the capacity to get our attention and hold our attention when 
she stepped in the well of this House. She spoke with passion. 
Determined, dedicated and committed, Patsy was a fighter. She fought 
for civil rights, social justice and equality. She was a champion of 
education. Patsy stood by her convictions. She would not yield to the 
prevailing wind. She did not put her fingers into the air to see which 
way the wind was blowing.
  Patsy will be forever missed. We will miss her as a Nation and as a 
people. We will never be so lucky, not so blessed to see her likeness 
again.
  Mr. Speaker, when the Master created Patsy Mink, he threw away the 
mold. May the mercy and the grace of God be with her family and with 
all of us.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for 
bringing us together to acknowledge our dear and loved colleague.
  It is a sad day for the House of Representatives. We mourn the loss 
of a great American, not only a friend whom we loved but a dedicated 
public servant who loved her country, and through the course of her 
life literally changed the course of history. How many people can we 
say that about?
  We all come to this institution with the hope in trying to make a 
difference. Patsy Mink made a difference, whether it was fighting 
poverty, standing up for civil rights, for education, for women's 
rights or her passionate and articulate opposition to the Vietnam War.
  Patsy Mink was there in the forefront fighting for the causes she 
believed in and for the people she believed society had forgotten. She 
gave voice to those who did not have a voice. Her legacy was about more 
than issues. Patsy Mink personified the fight for social change, for 
social justice, and for equality among all people, no matter their 
race, religion or gender. Patsy may have been small in stature, as we 
have said; but she was a giant when it came to fighting for the causes 
that she believed in. There would be no title IX without Patsy Mink. 
She was the mother of title IX. And when we look at those soccer fields 
with those little girls in their uniforms or when we watch the UCONN 
women Huskies play that game, we know who was responsible for making 
that happen. And only just 3 months ago, we honored her and her 30th 
anniversary on title IX, perhaps her greatest triumph in a large and 
distinguished career. But when you also think about education, less 
than one in five young women completed 4 or more years of college 30 
years ago, but by the middle of this decade women are expected to earn 
more than half of all bachelors degrees.
  Patsy Mink made a difference. That we have come so far is Patsy's 
legacy. She knew what it required to put our country on a path to 
social justice. She knew how to make her case, to bring

[[Page H6892]]

people together, and make us a better and more understanding Nation for 
it.
  Pushing against the social norms is what trail blazers do, and Patsy 
Mink was a trail blazer to her core. Patsy changed so many lives during 
her time here. We will miss her passion and her voice; but what we will 
most miss is her spirit, her easy-going sense of humor, her laughter, 
and her eyes crinkled up when she laughed. She was a good friend to me, 
a kind soul, reliable, and profoundly decent. We loved her and we will 
miss her more than words can say.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute to my dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Mink. 
Patsy spoke for the women of the world, children of the world, and 
really broke so many barriers that she also was a role model for women 
and children of the world. She was an aggressive fighter for what was 
best for citizens of the second district in Hawaii, but also for the 
Nation and for the whole world.
  She was a tireless supporter of the Congressional Black Caucus and 
its agenda. She was a disciplined and focused advocate for the 
voiceless, and she was my dear friend. As heaven gains another angel, 
we in Congress mourn our unfortunate loss. May God be with the Mink 
family.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay final tribute to my dear friend and 
colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Mink.
  Congresswoman Mink was able to break through racial and gender 
barriers to attain goals that others thought were impossible. Her 
career was a series of firsts: the first woman of color elected to 
Congress, the first Asian-American woman to practice law in Hawaii, the 
first Asian-American woman to be elected to the Territorial House.
  Representative Mink entered this world as a fighter for equality. 
Born in Maui in December of 1928, from her earliest years, she was 
encouraged to excel in academic courses. As a four year old, she 
recalled how she hung onto the shirt of her older brother, demanding, 
and eventually winning the right to accompany him to the first grade.
  As Patsy Mink grew up in Hawaii, she saw her life change overnight 
with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She turned 14 the day before the 
bombing of Pearl Harbor. At that time, anyone who was looked up to in 
the Japanese community was seen as a threat; this included her father. 
He was taken away for questioning but returned to the family. Patsy 
realized that anyone could be arrested for no reason except that they 
were Japanese.
  Mink attended Maui High School, where she played basketball at a time 
when girls played half-court because, as Mink put it, ``they said it 
was too strenuous for us.'' When she ran for student body president 
during her junior year in high school and won that campaign, she began 
her unofficial political career. In 1944 she graduated as high school 
class valedictorian.
  Representative Mink went on to attend college at the University of 
Hawaii, but transferred to the University of Nebraska where she faced a 
policy of segregated student housing. She arrived at the campus and was 
housed at the international house. When she found that this housing was 
for the ``colored'' students, she was outraged. Patsy wrote a letter of 
protest and sent it to the local newspaper. The accompanying protests 
and objections resulted in the University changing its policies.
  However, Patsy was not able to enjoy the changes she had caused to be 
made because she became very ill and had to return to Hawaii where she 
finished her baccalaureate degree.
  She returned to the University of Hawaii to prepare for medical 
school and graduated with a degree in zoology and chemistry. However, 
in 1948, none of the twenty medical schools to which she applied would 
accept women.
  She decided to study law and was accepted by the University of 
Chicago because they considered her a ``foreign student.'' Choosing not 
to inform the University that Hawaii was an American territory, she 
obtained her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1951.
  Getting a job in the legal field was not easy for a woman at that 
time, but that did not deter Patsy. No one was willing to hire her, 
even as a law clerk. She worked at the University of Chicago Law School 
library until the eighth month of her pregnancy. Six months after 
giving birth, she, her husband John and baby daughter Gwendolyn moved 
to Hawaii.
  When she found no law firm that would hire a woman, she decided to 
start her own firm. She became the first Japanese-American woman lawyer 
in Hawaii. She also taught at the University of Hawaii.
  In 1965, Patsy Mink was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
and began the first of six consecutive terms in the House of 
Representatives. Again, she was the first woman of color to be elected 
to Congress.
  Mink's ability to build coalitions for progressive legislation 
continued during her tenure in Congress. She introduced the first 
comprehensive Early Childhood Education Act and authorized the Women's 
Educational Equity Act.
  Mink believed one of her most significant accomplishments in Congress 
was Title IX of the Education Act, which she helped authored in 1972. 
It mandated gender equality in any education program or activity 
receiving federal financial assistance. Title IX has become the major 
tool for women's fuller participation, not only in sports, but in all 
aspects of education. The law promotes equality in school athletics. 
Scholarship money for women increased from $100,000 in 1972 to $179 
million in 1997, but was equally important in opening academics.
  Representative Mink was an early opponent of the Vietnam War and 
accompanied fellow Representative Bella Abzug, D-N.Y., to Paris to talk 
to participants in the Vietnam War peace talks. She supported women's 
rights, was against the death penalty and had as her spending 
priorities education, housing and health. Mink's strong liberal stands 
led conservative opponents to dub her ``Patsy Pink.''
  Her career included an appointment by President Jimmy Carter as 
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, International, Environmental 
and Scientific Affairs from 1977 to 1978.
  Patsy Mink returned to Washington, DC in 1991 and has been here ever 
since.
  Congresswoman Patsy Mink was an aggressive fighter for what was best 
for citizens of the second district in Hawaii, as well as this nation 
as a whole. She was a tireless supporter of the Congressional Black 
Caucus. She was a disciplined and focused advocate for the voiceless. 
And she was my dear friend. As Heaven gains another angel, we in 
Congress morn our unfortunate loss. May God be with the Mink family.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I cannot thank the 
distinguished gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) enough for 
bringing us together for this very special tribute. Might I also add my 
deepest sympathy to Patsy's husband and daughter.
  I cannot recall when I last saw John with Patsy, but I can assure you 
I have never seen such a bond, such a sense of connection and 
friendship, such a joy of being together. And I hope that as he mourns 
the loss of his dearly beloved wife, he will remember her with the 
wonderful memories that so many of us saw.
  This past summer I had the opportunity to speak in Hawaii, and I took 
time to visit in and about the area and mentioned Patsy's name 
frequently to those I would meet. And interestingly enough, as I called 
her name Patsy, it is not out of disrespect. It is because those who 
lived there, they would say, That is our Patsy. That is how we know 
her. That is how we vote for her. That is how she comes to us. That is 
our Patsy.
  That is the way the Congresswoman was to her colleagues as well, 
caring and nurturing; and I stand here this evening just to thank the 
gods, if you will, to have allowed me to not be in that time frame 
between 1977 and 1990 but to come to this House when Patsy came back to 
this House.
  We deal a lot now with 9-11 issues and there is fear in America, but 
Patsy stood above that fear. And I want to pay tribute to her ancestry, 
which is a noted classic story of immigrants seeking and determined to 
live a better life in America for themselves and their families. Her 
four grandparents immigrated from Japan in the late 1800's to work as 
contract laborers in Maui's sugar plantations. That is why she was a 
person who believed in lifting the boats of all others. And if there 
was ever any legislation to join, if you knew Patsy had authored it, 
you needed to be on it. You needed to be on her welfare reform 
legislation because she was ready to fight against those who did not 
understand the need for child care and transportation and training.
  And then, of course, if you just take a moment, just a second of 
quietness, you can see Patsy running to the front, coming to this mike, 
and then speaking in a booming voice on her beliefs and causes.

[[Page H6893]]

  Thank you, Congresswoman Mink for title IX because I knew what it was 
like when I grew up; but what joy as I watch the Olympics time after 
time after time to see young women rising because of you.
  I close briefly because I know time draws nigh to simply say this in 
Patsy's words. She was asked what she wished someone had said to her 
when she started and she said.

       When I was in high school and college I wanted to become a 
     medical doctor. I wish someone had told me then that medical 
     schools in the U.S. did not admit women students except for 
     one all-female school. I wish someone had told me about sex 
     discrimination and about how deeply embedded it is and about 
     how every day would be a struggle to overcome it.

  Patsy, they may not have told you, but you were a fighter. May you 
rest in peace.
  I would like to express my heart-felt condolences to the many 
colleagues, constituents, friends, and relatives of Congresswoman Patsy 
Mink of the 2nd Congressional District of Hawaii. A coalition builder 
for greater understanding, the Honorable Patsy Mink served in the House 
of Representatives for twelve terms as the first woman of Asian descent 
to serve in the U.S. Congress.
  Representative Mink was the first woman of an ethnic minority elected 
to federal office and had been a member of the House for 24 years over 
two different stretches. She won re-election two years ago by a nearly 
two-to-one margin, and has been considered a sure winner in the 
November 5 general election.
  Her ancestry has been noted as a classic story of immigrants seeking 
and determined to live a better life in America for themselves and 
their families. Her four grandparents emigrated from Japan in the late 
1800's to work as contract laborers in Maui's sugar plantations.
  She supported women's rights, was against the death penalty and had 
as her spending priorities: education, housing and health. Among her 
legislative involvement and victories are the first comprehensive Early 
Childhood Education Act and the enactment of Title IX of the Higher 
Education Act Amendments, prohibiting gender discrimination by 
federally funded institutions. Her legislation has served both as a 
catalyst and a major tool for women's fuller participation both in 
sports and in all aspects of education.
  From her scholastic accolades to her congressional achievements, 
Congresswoman Mink accomplished much in sustaining the American spirit. 
This very truth was exhibited throughout her earlier academic years as 
a student government representative and on through her political 
career. As she galvanized individuals to unite for the common good, I 
am reminded of her leadership and keen ability to build coalitions for 
progressive legislation throughout her tenure in Congress.
  When asked, ``What advice do you wish you had when you started?,'' 
she responded by saying:

       When I was in high school and college, I wanted to become a 
     medical doctor. I wish someone had told me then that medical 
     schools in the U.S. didn't admit women students--except for 
     one all-female school. I wish someone had told me about sex 
     discrimination--about how deeply embedded it is and about how 
     everyday would be a struggle to overcome it. I wouldn't have 
     lived my life differently. But I wish I had known that 
     opportunities would not come easily and that to excel in my 
     work. I also would have [fought] discrimination, not only for 
     myself, but for and with others (Rep. Patsy Mink).

  Toward this end, she shall be remembered life-long advocate for equal 
opportunity.
  Further, while we mourn her death, we are greatly appreciative and 
shall be ever mindful of the legacy that she has left for many 
generations to follow. Let it be said that she was a champion for the 
rights of all human beings and that she was bold in the face of 
adversity.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), one of Patsy's oldest and 
dearest friends.
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell you a story. There 
was a man called Robert Fulghum and he wrote a book called ``Everything 
I Ever Learned I Learned In Kindergarten.''
  He was in college and there was a Greek immigrant called Dr. 
Papaderos and at the end of one of the courses he said, What is the 
meaning of life, Dr. Papaderos? And everybody laughed. And Dr. 
Papaderos took this thing very seriously. He said, I will tell you a 
story. When I was a little boy in Greece I ran across a German 
motorcycle and there was a glass on the ground, a mirror. And I did not 
have any toys to play with and I picked up the glass and I ground it 
and I ground it. Soon it was perfectly circular. It was a wonderful 
play thing for me, but as I grew up and went into life, I realized it 
was sort of a metaphor for what we were all about. When I used to shine 
this mirror into dark places, it would light up and I could see things. 
And he said, One of things that it taught me is that we are not the 
light, we are not the source of the light; but through our own lives, 
we can shine certain pieces of material, in this particular case it was 
the glass, so that we can illuminate an issue.
  This is the thing I think that Patsy did more than anything for me on 
the other side of the aisle. She was able to illuminate and humanize 
issues in a way I will never forget.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman 
from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge).
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie) for yielding and thank him for this special evening for a 
very special lady that all of us appreciate.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to join my colleagues in honoring the 
passing of a great Member of the U.S. House, Congresswoman Patsy Mink, 
and offer my condolences to her family and to the members of her staff 
and her many friends.
  As others have noted, Representative Mink was a trail blazer whose 
career in Congress spanned 4 decades and whose service has left our 
country a far better place.
  I want to focus my remarks very briefly on the work that Patsy and I 
had an opportunity to do just on education; it was a passion of hers 
and certainly is one of mine.
  Prior to my service in this body, I served as the State 
superintendent of schools in my home State of North Carolina; and when 
I came here in 1996, I was appointed as co-chair along with Patsy and a 
number of others to the Democratic Caucus Task Force. I wanted to thank 
Patsy tonight for looking after the children of North Carolina as I did 
many times.
  She was a long-time champion of the efforts to help our public 
schools, and she fought when others were not willing to fight. And as 
task force co-chairs, Patsy and I worked side by side with our other 
colleagues here in Washington on some very positive progressive 
policies to strengthen public education in this country.
  We may have seemed something like an odd couple. Me, a tall lanky 
Southerner and Patsy a little short lady from Hawaii, but she was tough 
as a leather knot, as we say in North Carolina, and a good Hawaiian 
lawyer and we made a good team along with others.
  Together with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), the gentleman 
from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Menendez), and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) and a number of 
others, we repeatedly fought back the efforts to cut education, against 
private school vouchers and other anti-education items. We pushed our 
message so successfully and Patsy was out there hammering so hard, that 
the other party's Presidential candidate borrowed our message and used 
it to talk about improving quality public education in this country.
  Patsy would be proud of that tonight, as she is. Indeed, she made a 
difference. The list of her accomplishments have been listed already. 
And I thank Patsy for title IX and my daughter thanks her. All the 
daughters of America thank her. She made a difference in this country, 
in the title I children that would not have had a chance, the poor 
children, and all the others. I could not go through the list. Others 
have gone through them. I will not read them.
  But most importantly, Patsy Mink was a leader whose country will 
forever owe her a great debt of gratitude, and there is a bright star 
burning in heaven tonight.

                              {time}  2045

  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, Patsy was so moved by the gentleman 
from North Carolina's (Mr. Etheridge) remarks that she let him know 
what she thought about it. She is our guardian angel here tonight. She 
makes her presence known.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from California 
(Mr.

[[Page H6894]]

Honda), who I might say could also look Mrs. Mink eye to eye.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I think this is what she has done a lot is 
draw the podium down to her height.
  I thank the gentleman from Hawaii for yielding me the time and for 
putting this session together, and I also would like to share my 
deepest sympathies with Patsy Mink's family, John Francis, her husband, 
her daughter Wendy and her brother Eugene Takemoto. I also want to 
share my sympathies to the people of Hawaii.
  Many things have been said here this evening, and as a child growing 
up I remember reading about her. I remember hearing about her in the 
community, her accomplishments, Patsy Mink, and this session, my first 
session, I had the privilege to get to know her, sit next to her 
through the debates and through different issues that came up on the 
floor, but what everybody said here this evening was new to me. So I 
appreciate the Members sharing.
  I appreciate her life. I also appreciate the accomplishments and the 
work that she has done because although we say here tonight of her 
work, there would be many people and future generations who will not 
know of her work, but will be touched by her work. To her, I thank her 
for that.
  Many quotes were given that she had said on the floor. Many thoughts 
were shared by them of her, and I had not had the fortune of being able 
to work with her through many issues on the floor and in this body, but 
I am the recipient of her work. I am the recipient of her toil.
  One thing I did learn listening to people tonight is that many people 
did say, I did not know that she was the first woman of color here. I 
learned that, too, and I think there will be many people in this 
country who will learn and do well by the lessons that she has done 
through her life.
  When I hear other people talk, I understood that she took her private 
and personal life and converted that into public policy that would 
affect this country.
  Let me close with a quote that she has left behind. Many things, 
people have been memorialized by statutes and by the inscription of 
their sayings. Here is one I would like to share with my colleagues 
that she said, and it is especially poignant today because of what we 
face as a Nation: ``If to believe in freedom and equality is to be a 
radical, then I am a radical. So long as there remains groups of our 
fellow Americans who are denied equal opportunity and equal protection 
in the law, we must remain steadfast to all shades of man we stand 
beside in dignity and self-respect, to truly enjoy the fruits of this 
great land.''
  Hawaii was found by Polynesians following the stars. Tonight in the 
skies of Hawaii there is another star to lead the islanders.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, when the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie) said to me last week he was concerned about Patsy, that he 
thought she was at risk, I could not grasp what he was saying to me. I 
could not think about her being at the kind of risk that would cause 
her death.
  My sincere condolences to John and to her family. Patsy was my 
friend. I knew her long before I ever came to the Congress of the 
United States. Patsy was on the cutting edge of the women's movement. 
Patsy was there when all of the great strategies were formed, when all 
of the great organizations got started. Patsy was there with Bella 
Abzug and Gloria Steinem and women who dedicated their lives so that 
women could have justice and equality in America.
  She was there for ERA. She was there for pay equity, and certainly it 
has been mentioned time and time again that she cosponsored Title IX, 
women's educational equity.
  It was just a few months ago that I sat at the WNBA All Star Game 
where Patsy was honored for 30 years' recognition of Patsy's work. As I 
looked at all of those strong, tall women out there playing and my dear 
child, Lisa Leslie, who won the All-Star honor that evening, I thought 
it was a short, little woman that caused this tall, big woman to be 
able to realize her dreams, to be able to hone her talents. What a 
wonderful moment that was.
  We are going to miss her because she was a woman of impeccable 
integrity. She was not about misleading anybody. She did not do a lot 
of small talk. She was a passionate woman, a brilliant woman, who was a 
passionate and articulate debater and debate she could. When Patsy took 
the floor and she decided to let anybody have it, she really could do 
it.
  Let me just say, Patsy was an expert on any number of subjects and 
certainly on education, but the mark of this woman was the fact that 
this brilliant woman devoted her time to poor women. Many people get 
very sophisticated and want to talk about other kinds of subjects once 
they have served in the Congress of the United States, but she stayed 
with poor women.
  She was an advocate for poor women. She fought for poor women to have 
a safety net as we debated welfare reform, and people tried to make it 
something else. She simply talked about the need for poor women and 
their children to have a place to live and food to eat.
  We love you, Patsy. We will miss you.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and classmate the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for yielding me the time, and I 
remember that Patsy was here a few months ahead of us in the special 
election. She got the jump on us in seniority. Actually she had been 
here 25 years ahead of us. Patsy had a second coming, and the House is 
all the better for it, but the heart of the House is broken today. 
Historic woman, first woman of color, came here 4 years before even the 
great Shirley Chisholm, the first African American, came to the House.
  She is known for two signature issues among the many issues that are 
around her name, education and equality. Patsy, of course, is the 
mother and the godmother and the protector and the fighter for Title 
IX. I think she would want this memorial to serve a purpose, especially 
today when Title IX is under attack.
  I remember 2 months ago when she came to this floor to commemorate 
Title IX, and she said this: We have heard much about the many 
successes of Title IX, particularly in athletics. Most do not know of 
the long, arduous course we took before the enactment of Title IX and 
the battles that we have fought to keep it intact. And as we remember 
her tonight, remember, we are fighting a battle to keep it intact 
tonight.
  She recounted some of those battles. She talked about 1975 when there 
was an amendment to keep then HEW from promulgating regulations under 
Title IX. That is how deep it got. Even after Title IX was passed, she 
had a way of piercing to the truth, when they said there is no Title 
IX. It took four men to summarize what she said on the floor, 2 months 
ago, that reductions in men's sports are due to choices made by college 
administrators in favor of the big-budget, revenue-generating programs 
such as football and basketball. She told it like it was. She could not 
help it.
  Let us remember as we commemorate and celebrate Title IX and 
celebrate Patsy's life what we are going through today. There is an 
administration task force. With all her being, Patsy opposed to fix 
what is not broken, Title IX, 30 years later when we go from 32,000 
female athletes to 150,000. Instead of commemorating, the 
administration is fixing. Leave Title IX alone. Let it stand. Let it 
be. Do it for women, and do it for Patsy Mink.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from New York (Ms. Velazquez).
  Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, the mark of an American hero is a person 
who created reality and shaped the values that we take for granted 
today. Patsy Mink is one such American hero. Each time we look around 
at what America is today, we should think of Patsy Mink because our 
Nation is a better place due to the contributions she made throughout 
her life on education, immigrants' rights, health care, and protecting 
the poor.
  She fought for civil rights in an era of segregation. She was an 
advocate for Asian Americans after the internment policy of World War 
II. She opposed a

[[Page H6895]]

war before it made headlines. She fought to provide every child with a 
quality education, and she created opportunities for girls to play 
college sports, sparking a revolution for an entire generation that is 
now the envy of the world.
  She was the first in so many things, the first female student body 
president, the first Japanese American woman to practice law in Hawaii, 
the first woman of color to serve in the United States Congress, all 
things we take for granted today. We should always remember it was 
Patsy who fought to get us here, especially women.
  Perhaps Patsy herself could sum up her life and legacy best when she 
said, my career in politics has been a crucible of challenges and 
crises where in the end the principles to which I was committed 
prevailed.
  We should all strive to be as dedicated to our process and as 
passionate in our arguments as Patsy was to hers. For the many causes 
she championed, there was no fiercer advocate than Patsy Mink. I will 
miss her friendship, her spirit and her sense of humanity.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to extend the 
debate time on the resolution honoring Patsy Mink by 30 minutes and 
that this time be controlled by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Rehberg). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Hawaii?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\3/4\ minutes to the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).
  (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Hawaii for yielding 
me the time.
  I rise in sincere remembrance of a gentle soul and a good friend, 
Patsy Mink. I offer my condolences to her husband John, daughter Wendy, 
and my thanks to the service that the entire family has given by 
permitting their wife and mother to serve this Nation.
  Patsy has gone from our lives, but she will touch the lives of so 
many people tomorrow whose names she will never know. Tomorrow there 
will be welfare mothers who will get up and have a first-rate child 
care center to take their sons and daughters to because Patsy Mink made 
sure that would happen. Tomorrow there will be young women who will 
have a chance to learn math or science or go on to engineering careers 
because Patsy Mink helped lead the fight to let little girls know that 
they could be anything they wanted to achieve in any discipline through 
her work on women's equity in education.
  A few hours ago on the east coast, and Mr. Speaker, right now across 
the country, young women are coming home from sports practice, from 
soccer and field hockey and all the other sports that young women play.

                              {time}  2100

  And the most talented ones know that they have a chance to compete 
now at the intercollegiate level because Patsy Mink wrote title IX and 
made sure it stuck.
  Patsy Mink will touch my life for years to come. My two greatest 
achievements are 9 years old and 7 years old, my two daughters; and I 
take comfort at this time of great loss from the fact that they will 
live in a world where they can be anything they set their minds to, 
reach any heights to which they aspire, because in large part this 
firebrand of a woman stood on this floor and served this country.
  It is my honor to call her a friend. My great expression of 
condolences to her family. May God rest her soul.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like the record to show that I am assuming this 
responsibility for the next 30 minutes only in that the rules do not 
allow the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) to remain on the 
floor for more than 1 hour. He is present in the Chamber and right here 
at my side. We will continue paying tribute to our beloved friend, 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink, and send our sympathies to her precious 
family.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Lofgren).
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad day. I remember when I 
first met Patsy and saw Patsy. It was in 1970, and I was on the staff 
of then-Congressman Don Edwards, and I thought this was really 
somebody, this was really somebody; and I watched her and I watched her 
on the ERA, and I never dreamed that many years later after she had 
gone back to Hawaii and come back to the House that I would get to 
serve with her, and I really value the years I served with Patsy. I 
knew her really as just a tireless champion for the underdog. She 
believed in the power of education, and she fought to make sure that 
every person had the opportunity to do more in life because they had an 
education.
  I remember participating in a Special Order with Patsy before the 
August recess, and we think about title IX rightly about sports; but 
really Patsy and I were talking about the other aspect of title IX when 
there were limits, there were quotas on how many women would be 
admitted to a college, and there were courses of study that women were 
not allowed to take. So I know I benefited personally from what Patsy 
did on title IX and my daughter still benefits from what Patsy did.
  Patsy made her mark and she changed America. There are not very many 
women in the House who are lawyers. Patsy was one of them, and she had 
a fine legal mind. She was someone who I always listened to when she 
had advice to give. She was not afraid to lead. And petite as she was, 
she was always big enough to share the limelight. How someone could be 
so tough and so firm and yet be also warm and kind is a wonder. She was 
funny, smart, brave, a visionary. She helped teach all of us, and we 
are in her debt.
  I give thanks to her husband, John, and her daughter, Wendy, for 
sharing her with us and thanks to the people of Hawaii for sending her 
to the Nation. People of Hawaii have no idea how she and Neil would 
stand up and fight for them whenever they needed them to do so. So I 
know I am not alone in finding it hard to reconcile myself to her 
absence. I miss her and America is profoundly improved by her gift of 
time, energy, and pure goodness.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes on behalf of the gentleman 
from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) and myself to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Solis).
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, buenos noches, America. Today we stand here 
in celebration of a dynamic woman, this woman here, this face that many 
of us here in the House have come to know, and I as a new Member am 
proud to say I that was able to witness her intelligence, her tenacity, 
her wherewithal, a true steel magnolia, a true profile in courage, 
someone who fought even the last few days that we were arguing about 
welfare reform, how important it was for us to decide upon providing 
women with the ability to have child care because if they chose to go 
to work and could find work, the only way they were going to escape 
poverty was to be able to get child care. And she fought tooth and nail 
even sometimes against our own leadership, and many of us stood with 
her.
  I learned a great deal from her, her compassion, and she did shower 
us with support and friendship. And as a new Member here in the House, 
she was someone I looked up to in our Committee on Education and the 
Workforce, always moving me, pushing me along: ``Hilda, keep going. Do 
not give up. Stand up to those people. Do not let people make you turn 
your back.''
  She taught us a powerful lesson. She is the first in many categories 
in her own State and somebody who should be given the dignity and honor 
to stand with us forever, and that is by paying tribute to her and in 
either having a commissioned portrait or a statue, a woman to represent 
us, so proud, and throughout the world.
  I am proud to know her and her family and to have worked with her 
staff and someone that we have to somehow undertake the courage that 
she had to continue the fight because Patsy is watching us and Patsy is 
going to hold us accountable, and she is going to say, My work was not 
done in vain because I have helped to lift so many people out of 
poverty and give them hope.
  And I know she has given us that. I have heard many here speak about 
her attributes and everything that she gave so unselfishly; and I too, 
like my colleagues, join the world in praying for her because she is a 
wonderful, wonderful role model for so many of us. I

[[Page H6896]]

thank this House for the opportunity to be able to pay tribute to her 
tonight.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey).
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie) for making this possible for all of us to come here to 
honor our colleague, Patsy Mink, with the resolution and with memories 
that say so very much about this woman that we loved so dearly. But as 
everyone has heard, no words can capture the great loss that we feel. 
The Congress, our country, and the rest of this world have lost a most 
remarkable woman. I knew of Patsy Mink from Hawaii by reputation for 
many, many years before I met her. In fact, Patsy is one of the reasons 
I decided to run for the House of Representatives. I was convinced that 
I would be a help to her in her work for civil rights and economic 
justice; but once I was elected and sworn in in 1993, I think I was 
more work to Patsy than I was help for her because she became a mentor, 
a mentor to me, and through her I learned so very much about standing 
up for my beliefs even when they were not always popular, knowing and 
trusting my constituents, remembering that those were the people that I 
work for and passionately fighting for those who are less well off who 
need a hand up.
  Women and minorities in our country have benefited greatly because of 
Patsy Mink. She has taught us all so very much. Patsy Mink will never 
be forgotten, and she will always be honored.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes and 15 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie) for bringing us together.
  I rise to join our other colleagues to pay tribute to Patsy Mink's 
outstanding legacy which spanned more than 24 years. Though small in 
stature, as many of us have made reference to, the death of our dear 
friend, colleague, and leader on so many important issues has left a 
very large void in this body. Our hearts and prayers go out to her 
husband, John; daughter, Wendy; brother; and other family members and 
the community that she loved and served so well.
  I consider myself privileged to have had the wonderful opportunity to 
have worked with her on a number of issues. I have been particularly 
grateful for her tenacity in our work to eliminate health disparities 
for women and people of color. Just this past spring, Patsy joined me 
in a forum on improving health care quality for minority Americans. As 
ranking member on the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness of 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the gentle lady from 
Hawaii used her position to influence and improve education and work 
opportunities for all.
  This summer we were all fortunate to be able to follow her leadership 
as she worked to craft commonsense welfare reform legislation which 
would not only prepare those on welfare for work but lift them out of 
poverty and give them the opportunity to improve their status and the 
status of their families. She was always sensitive to the unique issues 
of my district and the other offshore territories.
  Congresswoman Mink is most remembered for her work on title IX of the 
education amendments of 1972 to eliminate sex discrimination in all 
educational institutions receiving Federal funds. Patsy Mink displayed 
a thirst for justice, a drive to convince others that it is in the best 
interest of all that women be treated equally, a zeal to ensure that no 
young girl would ever be told that she could not achieve her goals, and 
a disdain for any antiquated approaches which would leave women behind.
  By challenging discrimination both at home and in the Nation at 
large, she helped this country to better live up to its obligation to 
improve the health and well-being of all its residents and to close the 
wide gaps in service and status for women and people of color.
  Patsy gave herself generously. She was a warrior who never shied from 
the challenge when the cause was just; and by her life, her service, 
she has lifted us all. I am, we are all honored by having had the 
opportunity to know her, to serve with her, and partake of her wisdom, 
her warmth, and her friendship.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join our other colleagues to pay tribute to 
Patsy Mink's outstanding legacy which spanned more than 24 years.
  Through small in stature, the death of our dear friend, colleague and 
leader on so many important issue, has left a very large void in this 
Body. Our hearts and prayers go out to her husband, John, daughter 
Windy, brother, other family members, and the community she loved and 
served so well.
  I consider myself privileged to have had the wonderful opportunity to 
work with her on a number of issues. I have been particularly grateful 
for her tenacity in our work to eliminate health disparities for women 
and people of color.
  Just this past spring, Patsy joined me in a forum on improving health 
care quality for minority Americans.
  As ranking member on the education and workforce subcommittee on 21st 
century competitiveness, the gentle lady from Hawaii used her position 
to influence and improve education and work opportunities for all.
  This summer we were all fortunate to be able to follow her leadership 
as she worked to craft common sense welfare reform legislation which 
would not only prepare those on welfare for work, but lift them out of 
poverty and give them the opportunity to improve their status and the 
status of their families. She was always sensitive to the unique issues 
of my district and the other offshore territories.
  Congresswoman Mink is most remembered for her work on the title IX of 
the education amendments of 1972 to eliminate sex discrimination in all 
educational institutions receiving Federal funds.
  Patsy Mink displayed a thirst for justice, a drive to convince others 
that it is in the best interest of all that women be treated equally, a 
zeal to ensure that no young girl would ever be told that she could not 
achieve her goals, and a disdain for antiquated approaches which would 
leave women behind.
  By challenging discrimination both at home and in the Nation at 
large, she helped this country to better live up to its obligation to 
improve the health and well-being of all of its residents and to close 
the wide gaps in service and status for women and people of color.
  It is her legacy that allows the women of Congress to walk these 
hallowed halls with sure footing. I thank Patsy Mink for her grateful 
heart, her strong spirit, for breaking down barriers, and for leading 
the way as the first woman of color in the Congress of the United 
States. Through her presence and her determination, she set the stage 
to ensure that all issues--that minority issues and womens' issues are 
also American issues.
  To her family, staff and constituents, I express my sincere 
condolences and that of my constituents of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  Patsy gave of herself generously. she was a warrior who never shied 
from a challenge when the cause was just, and by her life, and her 
service she has lifted us all.
  I am, we all, are honored by having had the opportunity to know her, 
serve with her, and partake of her wisdom, her warmth and her 
friendship.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton).
  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. 
Kaptur) for yielding me this time. I thank the gentleman from Hawaii 
(Mr. Abercrombie) for organizing, introducing the legislation allowing 
us to reflect on Patsy Mink's life. I think all of us have a sense of 
loss and especially those of us who feel that somehow we just did not 
take seriously that she was that ill and we just felt that we will have 
the rejoicing of her coming back and to feel that somehow we did not 
understand that. But perhaps it was wise that we did not. I was back 
there when the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) mentioned that 
too.
  I want to extend my sympathy to the family, John and her daughter. I 
got to travel on three occasions with Patsy, and I also got to feel 
that I knew her husband. And I remember Patsy sharing with me why I had 
wanted to be a doctor and missionary, and she shared with me she wanted 
to be a doctor and she had been discriminated against. She could not 
be. I shared with her the reason I did not become a doctor was because 
I did not do that well in organic chemistry. And graduating from the 
University of Chicago as a woman in 1971, an honor student, and she 
told me she could hardly find a job as a clerk and the difficulty they 
gave her in her birthplace to even pass the bar.
  I also went to law school and I did not finish. I had four kids, but 
I understood what it meant when she was denied the right as a person, a 
resident of

[[Page H6897]]

Hawaii not to be allowed to take the bar other than through her 
husband. That was a way of discriminating even among her own natives. I 
will remember Patsy for a lot of reasons, for all the legislative 
reasons that my colleagues know even better; but one thing I remember 
about Patsy is that she was a little person but had a loud voice and a 
very forceful voice. And the 58th chapter of Isaiah says this, and I am 
reading from the English version. It says: ``The Lord says shout as 
loud as you can, tell my people Israel about their sins.''
  Patsy spoke loudly but clearly, eloquently, about the injustice, 
inequality, and she also is known not for what she passed in 
legislation but what she was willing to fight against. So we remember 
Patsy with passion and dignity, and we pray that her life will be a 
shining life for the rest us to carry on in the same way.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina 
(Mrs. Clayton) for those eloquent words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor our friend and colleague, Patsy 
Mink. I was honored to serve with her on the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, and I am proud to be one of her successors as Chair of 
the Asian Pacific American Caucus.
  Patsy was an absolutely wonderful, wonderful person from a wonderful 
place. Mr. Speaker, I can share with my colleagues that the first time 
I was ever recognized on this floor, I was recognized as the gentleman 
from Hawaii, and I had to resist the temptation then, representing my 
wonderful folks, the sensible folks from Oregon, from saying yes, yes, 
I am the gentleman from Hawaii.

                              {time}  2115

  Mr. Speaker, Hawaii is a wonderful place, a great culture, good 
people and fine Representatives here in the United States Congress. It 
has a wonderful language, words like ohana and aloha. Sometimes we 
wonder whether they found too much use for consonants, but a wonderful, 
beautiful language; and those words embody for me what Patsy and her 
service here was all about, community. Communities where children, 
where every child would have a chance to build a better future, where 
all of us will go forward together rather than divided against each 
other.
  Aloha, the spirit of aloha where Patsy was so helpful to us freshmen 
and junior Members. She was like a gentle Hawaiian breeze, but we all 
knew about her issues; she could storm up like a typhoon. I had the 
misfortune to follow her on a podium once, and after my rather tepid 
remarks, she pounded home her views and she was Olympian in her 
stature, and it was like thunderbolts were coming from her forehead.
  There is a time when God calls us all home; and I have to say, Patsy, 
you are fortunate that God has called you home to Hawaii. We will miss 
you.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise 
to participate in this Special Order to share with my colleagues of the 
House and with the American people the tremendous loss to our Nation 
and the good people of the State of Hawaii, the recent passing of the 
gentlewoman from Hawaii, Patsy Takemoto Mink.
  Patsy was more than a friend to this Member. She was my mentor, my 
teacher, my senior advisor on the nuances of this institution. She was 
my champion fighter on any issues taken by this body on anything 
relating to the rights and lives of millions of American women, 
children, minorities, and last but not least, the poor and the needy.
  Some of my colleagues have outlined a listing of so many of the 
accomplishments of Patsy's career in public service. So as not to be 
repetitious, I want to share with my colleagues and our Nation how I 
feel about Patsy Mink as a person.
  Patsy did not share much with me concerning her early youth, born of 
a humble family and grew up on the Island of Maui, graduated from high 
school on Maui, and then enrolled at the University of Hawaii. But as I 
can remember, remember and well imagine the hardships Patsy had to 
endure, especially after the sudden attack of Pearl Harbor by Japanese 
war planes that Americans of Japanese ancestry immediately, herded like 
cattle and placed in what was then described as relocation camps but I 
consider them as concentration camps, I have no doubt that Patsy and 
her family were severely affected socially and psychologically.
  How a Nation can unilaterally terminate the constitutional rights of 
its citizens solely on the basis of race, their lands and properties 
were confiscated, and some 100,000 American citizens, men, women and 
children, who happened to be of Japanese ancestry were placed in these 
so-called relocation camps throughout the United States. Despite all 
this, at the height of racism, hatred and bigotry placed against 
Japanese Americans during World War II, some 10,000 Japanese Americans, 
like Senator Dan Inouye and the late Senator Spark Matsunaga among 
them, nevertheless volunteered to fight against our Nation's enemies in 
Europe. That was part of Patsy's early youth and the legacy that was 
given under the 100 Battalion 442nd Infantry and what they did when 
they fought against enemy forces in Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, this was the kind of atmosphere that Patsy grew up with. 
The irony of it all is that Patsy Mink wanted very much to be a doctor, 
a healer. I guess after personally witnessing the horrors of war during 
her youth, Patsy wanted to enter a profession that would save lives 
rather than destroy them.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to convey my sincere aloha pumehana and my 
sincere condolences on behalf of our Samoan community living in the 
State of Hawaii to Patsy's dear husband and my friend for many years, 
John Mink, and their daughter, Wendy, and her brother, Eugene Takemoto, 
and to Joan Manke, her administrative assistant, and members of her 
staff.
  Patsy Takemoto Mink, may you have a successful journey.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Maloney).
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding me this time, and I thank the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. 
Abercrombie) for his leadership on this and so many important issues 
before this body.
  It is with great sadness that we come to the floor this evening to 
honor the legacy and hard work of my good friend and colleague, Patsy 
Mink. She was a champion for women's rights, education, civil rights, 
and America's workers. She was a tireless advocate for our Nation.
  I have a long list of firsts where Patsy was the first person to do a 
particular job or make a particular gift to this Nation, and I would 
like to enter this into the Record.
  In fact, she told me she never intended to come to Congress. It was 
her dream to be a doctor. Like many very talented and intelligent 
women, she applied to medical school, and every single one of them 
turned her down. She told me that she faced great discrimination in her 
life, yet she turned adversity into a positive life of working to help 
improve the lives of women, children, minorities, and the equality of 
all people.
  One of the things that I loved about Patsy, there was never an issue 
that was too large or too small for her to champion and for her to work 
extremely hard on. Unlike many of us, she was able to see the fruits of 
her hard work. As one of the principle authors of title IX, she saw the 
benefits of a whole generation of young women, including my two 
daughters, who have benefited from the equality in treatment of women 
in education and sports.
  When I first came to Congress, I would sometimes call one of my 
friends and mentors from New York, Bella Abzug, and Bella would always 
end the conversation by saying, ``Carolyn, why in the world are you 
calling me when you could talk to Patsy Mink on the floor?''
  Patsy told me that many of her colleagues would call her in Hawaii, 
and because of the time difference, they would wake her up at 2, 3 in 
the morning; yet she would always wake up and be there to help.
  It is impossible to name all of Patsy's great accomplishments, but

[[Page H6898]]

tonight we can take the baton on one that is tremendously important. 
Patsy authored the Women's Educational Equity Act, and I call upon 
Members to name this important act for Patsy. I am circulating a letter 
which builds on Patsy's work. Patsy was working to restore the funding 
for the Women's Educational Equity Act, which has zeroed out; and the 
letter calls upon our President to restore the $3 million and to name 
this important act after our beloved friend and colleague, Patsy Mink.
  Patsy did so much and I am saddened tonight, and I am going to close 
by saying I am saddened for many reasons, and one is that I can no 
longer pick up the phone and call Patsy and say, ``Let me pick your 
brain.'' She would always have an idea. She would always have a 
strategy, and she was always helpful. We will build on her work, and we 
will succeed on the issues Patsy cared about because for over 150 years 
women have fought against much larger odds than the ones we now face in 
Congress. We will succeed because Patsy Mink succeeded before us and 
because of those who succeeded before her.
  Patsy the great, I am honored to have known her. She will always be 
an inspiration to me and to women around the world. My condolences to 
her family and her constituents.


                                Congress of the United States,

                                  Washington, DC, October 1, 2002.
     Hon. George W. Bush,
     President of the United States, The White House, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear President Bush: We have stood together many times with 
     Representative Patsy Mink to help the women and girls of this 
     country. As you may know, Mrs. Mink was the strongest 
     proponent of the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA) and 
     worked very diligently in Committee to succeed in getting 
     WEEA on the list of authorized programs. Unfortunately, your 
     Administration zeroed out the funding for this very important 
     act.
       Mr. President, in honor of the memory of Representative 
     Mink, we ask that you fully fund the $3 million for the 
     Women's Educational Equity Act. We cannot think of a better 
     way to commemorate the work and dedication Mrs. Mink offered 
     to this body and to the people of this country.
       As you know, the purpose of WEEA is to promote equal 
     educational opportunities for girls and women by providing 
     funds and assistance to help educational agencies and 
     institutions to meet the requirements of Title IX of the 
     Educational Amendments of 1972. WEEA provides grants and 
     contracts for the development, implementation, and evaluation 
     of a broad range of programs at the community, state, and 
     national levels. WEEA grantees have offered leadership for 
     inclusive education reform and many of the participants and 
     beneficiaries of WEEA projects are at the core of the 
     development of equity initiatives in education, work, and 
     public life.
       Mr. President, on behalf of all girls and women in America, 
     and in memory of Representative Patsy Mink, we request full 
     funding of $3 million for the Women's Educational Equity Act.
           Sincerely,
         Carolyn B. Maloney, Zoe Lofgren, Lynn C. Woolsey, Nydia 
           M. Velazquez, David Wu, Jan Schakowsky, Lynn N. Rivers, 
           Eni Faleomavaega, Robert E. Andrews, Neil Abercrombie, 
           Corrine Brown, Michael M. Honda, Eddie Bernice Johnson, 
           Sheila Jackson-Lee, Bob Etheridge, Eleanor H. Norton, 
           Maxine Waters, Donna M. Christensen, Marcy Kaptur.

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this 
time and for joining the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for 
having this resolution on the floor tonight.
  My condolences go to Patsy's family; and our condolences, of course, 
go to the people of Hawaii who have suffered a great loss.
  For almost a generation, anyone who served in this House of 
Representatives has had the privilege of serving with Patsy Mink, has 
had the honor of calling her colleague. Anyone who knew her, worked 
with her on a daily basis, had his or her day brightened by the 
communication from Patsy. She was a patriotic, committed, dedicated 
American.
  She was enthusiastic about America's children. She worked her heart 
out for them. She literally gave her life ministering to their needs, 
visiting a clinic for poor children where she contracted chicken pox. 
It just does not seem real that we have lost such a valuable, valuable 
person on this Earth.
  I know it was intended by the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) 
and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) for this to be a resolution 
with an hour of time, but the people of Hawaii should know because of 
the outpouring of love for Patsy Mink, it has not turned out to be an 
hour of debate on a bill, but a vigil in honor of a beloved Member of 
Congress.
  We all know how much the people of Hawaii thought of Patsy Mink. We 
want them to know how much Members of Congress revered her, respected 
her as a person, and are mourning her leaving us so deeply.
  I am sure colleagues have spoken about her incredible leadership on 
title IX. She conceived this idea and worked very hard for its passage, 
and then an accident that harmed her dear daughter, Wendy, called her 
away from the floor on the day of the vote, and the bill lost by one 
vote. True to her family values, she left immediately to go to her 
daughter's side. Patsy did something so incredible. She came back to 
Congress at a future time and persuaded the speaker, then-Speaker Carl 
Albert to bring the bill up again. That was not the normal regular 
order, but he did, and it then passed. And now generations of young 
women in our country can tear down the ``no girls allowed'' sign off 
the school locker rooms and, in fact, corporate board rooms, because it 
started momentum for women and girls.
  I thank Patsy for being a mentor to so many of us, a joy in our 
lives. Even when Patsy was fighting in her toughest time, and she would 
be fighting as hard as she possibly could, she always did it with a 
smile. She always did it with a smile. So she attracted people to her. 
She attracted people to her point of view. She attracted people to her 
State, which she loved; and some of us will be talking about Patsy for 
a long time to come. We will never forget her. We will always be 
inspired by her, and we know that although she is no longer with us 
physically, that Patsy Mink lives.
  She lives in the spirit of young girls playing sports all over 
America. She lives in the school rooms of America for all she did for 
America's children. She lives in the spirit that she leaves us with as 
she departs in such an untimely fashion.
  Again, many of us will be going on Thursday, returning Friday night. 
The plane leaves at the close of business. I hope many Members will 
join those of us who are going to Hawaii to bid to our dear Patsy Mink, 
aloha.

                              {time}  2130

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank all of those who have 
participated this evening and give special regard and thanks to the 
gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie), who has brought us all 
together, and who has been with us on the floor working to design this 
resolution and to assure that all Members had an opportunity to speak 
this evening.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) for the next proceeding.
  Mr. ABERCROMBIE. As we draw the discussion for the passage of this 
resolution to a conclusion, I would ask, Mr. Speaker, that at the 
appropriate time if you could indicate to the House that perhaps we 
could rise and observe a moment of silence in honor of Patsy Mink with 
the passage of the resolution, I would be very appreciative, and I 
think it is the appropriate way to finish our commemoration.
  Let me conclude my remarks, then, Mr. Speaker. I had not intended to 
speak much further because of the eloquent, articulate, certainly 
comprehensive manner in which the Members tonight have discussed the 
great contributions of Patsy to this body and to the Nation. But all 
through this evening, Mr. Speaker, I have been unable to avoid looking 
at the picture that has been down by the podium on the floor. That 
picture of Patsy really captures the essence of this tiny giant. You 
can see her steadfastness, her sense of perseverance, the stalwart 
person that she was on behalf of all those who had no hope.
  Mr. Speaker, it never occurred to me in my youth that I would have 
the honor and privilege of serving in the people's house, the House of 
Representatives. I look around the floor at my colleagues here. I see 
my dear friend Dana Rohrabacher and others here on

[[Page H6899]]

the floor; Nancy Pelosi, who has just finished speaking of her 
friendship and love for Patsy, and I understand what it was that I knew 
intellectually so many years ago when I worked on Patsy's first 
campaign as a college student at the University of Hawaii when she 
first came here to the House of Representatives. I understood 
intellectually what it was to serve in the House of Representatives. 
But I am sure, Mr. Speaker, you know, as all of our colleagues do here 
in the people's house, that those of us who have sworn an oath to 
uphold and defend the Constitution in this house of freedom know what 
it means to have had the presence of someone like Patsy Mink.
  Surely, Mr. Speaker, there is no other people so fortunate as we, 
free men and women, in the freest country on the face of the Earth, in 
the history of the planet. No one has embodied more the spirit of this 
House than this gentlewoman from Hawaii, a true daughter of Hawaii who 
celebrated in herself and in her service the true spirit and meaning of 
aloha.
  Aloha means that our diversity defines us rather than divides us. In 
this world of adversity and pain and terror and cruelty and horror, 
Patsy Mink was able to stand for those who could not speak for 
themselves and was the living embodiment of what aloha meant not just 
for our Rainbow State, not just for our multicultural, multiethnic, 
multiracial people, but it gave the message of aloha to this House, to 
this Nation and to this world.
  Aloha, Patsy.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe that the time is appropriate to call for an 
expression of assent to the resolution before us, and if I could ask 
for that to be in the form of Members rising, Members and those present 
to rise with a moment of silence not only in commemoration of Patsy 
Mink, but to constitute passage of the resolution.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise 
to participate in this special order to share with my colleagues of the 
House, and with the American people--a tremendous loss to our nation, 
and the good people of the State of Hawaii--the recent passing of the 
gentle lady from Hawaii--Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink.
  Patsy was more than a friend to this member. She was my mentor, my 
teacher, my senior advisor on the resources of this institution. She 
was my champion fighter when this body takes up issues that affect the 
rights and the lives of millions of Americans who are women, children, 
minorities--and last but not least the poor and the needy.
  Mr. Speaker, some of my colleagues have already outlined a listing of 
so many of the accomplishments of Patsy's career in public service. So 
as not to be repetitious, I want to share with my colleagues and to our 
Nation--how I feel about Patsy Mink the person.
  Patsy did not share much with me in her early youth--born of a 
lovable family and grew up on the island of Maui--graduated from high 
school in Maui and then enrolled at the University of Hawaii.
  But I can well imagine the hardships Patsy had to endure especially 
after the sudden attack of Pearl Harbor by Japanese war planes--that 
Americans of Japanese ancestry immediately herded like cattle and place 
in what was then described as ``relocation camps,'' but I consider them 
as concentration camps. I have no doubt Patsy and her family were 
severely affected socially and psychologically--how a nation can 
unilaterally terminate the constitutional right of its citizens solely 
on the basis of race. Their lands and properties were confiscated, and 
some 100,000 American citizens--men, women and children who happen to 
be of Japanese ancestry were placed in these so-called relocation camps 
throughout the United States.
  And despite all this, Mr. Speaker--at the height of racism, hatred 
and bigotry placed against Japanese Americans during World War II--some 
ten thousand young Japanese-American men--Senator Dan Inouye and the 
late Senator Spark Matsunaga--among them--nevertheless volunteered to 
fight against out nation's enemies in Europe.
  This was the kind of atmosphere Patsy grew up with--and the irony of 
it all, Mr. Speaker, Patsy Mink wanted very much to be a doctor--a 
healer--and I guess after personally witnessing the horrors of war 
during her youth--Patsy wanted to enter a profession that would save 
lives, rather than destroy them.
  Things did not get any better--after submitting applications to 
medical schools, Patsy soon realized that she was denied admission for 
two reasons: her ethnicity and because of her gender.

  Patsy's attention turned to law--and thanks to one of our more 
progressive law schools in the country, she was admitted to attend the 
University of Chicago Law School.
  With a law degree from the University of Chicago, and after gaining 
admission to practice law in Hawaii, Patsy Mink started her law 
practice, but eventually ended up in the state senate and elected as a 
Member of Congress.
  It was in this institution that Patsy made her mark not only as an 
outstanding legislator to her constituents in Hawaii, but to our Nation 
as well. As a senior member of the House Education and Labor Committee, 
Patsy's commitment to provide greater educational opportunities for the 
less fortunate--the protection of the rights of women and children 
throughout our nation was women and children equal no compromise! 
synonymous with the name of this great lady from Hawaii--Congresswoman 
Patsy Takemoto Mink.
  I want to convey my aloha punehana sincere condolences on behalf of 
our Samoan community living in Hawaii, to Patsy's dear husband and my 
friend for years--John Mink and their daughter, Wendy, her brother 
Eugene Takemoto, and Joan Manke her Administrative Assistant and 
members of her staff--Patsy Takemoto Mink--Ia manuia lace faiga malaga 
(May you have a successful journey).
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, Patsy Mink will be remembered with a broad 
array of accolades. She was a warm compassionate colleague, civil and 
generous even to the opponents who angered her the most.
  For me, she will be remembered as my friend, mentor and personal whip 
on the floor. At the door of the House Chamber she would often meet me 
with instructions: ``We'' are voting No or ``We'' are voting Yes on 
this one. I consider it an honor to have been invited to function as an 
ideological twin to Patsy Mink.
  In the Education and Workforce Committee as well as on the House 
Floor, I was always inspired by Patsy's convictions. She was always an 
independent spirit and she pursued her causes with total dedication. 
She was not just another advocate for education, for women, for job 
training, for welfare mothers. Patsy Mink was forever a fiery and 
intense advocate on these issues. She frequently exuded an old-
fashioned righteous indignation that seems to have become extinct. For 
Patsy there were the right policies and laws which she pushed with all 
the zeal she could muster. And there were wrongheaded, hypocritical, 
selfish and evil policies which had to be confronted and engaged to the 
bitter end. When colleagues spoke of bi-partisan compromise 
negotiations, Patsy would quickly warn Democrats to beware of an ambush 
or a trap.
  Her profound wisdom on all matters related to education and human 
resources resulted from her long years of service on the Education and 
Labor Committee which later became the Education and Workforce 
Committee. Too many of us have forgotten the value of the institutional 
memory. While the House is filled with members who speak as experts on 
education, Congresswoman Mink was among the few with hard earned 
credentials. She was a part of the development and nurturing of Title I 
to the point where it has become the cornerstone of federal education 
reform. Title IX as a landmark reform to end the gender gap in school 
athletics was conceived and defended by Patsy right up until the recent 
skirmish in this 107th Congress. In this Congress, Patsy also declared 
war on the oppressors of welfare women. No one was more incensed and 
outraged that the member from Hawaii when the so called welfare reform 
program of President Bush threatened greater burdens and smaller 
subsidies for welfare recipients. All of Patsy's proposals in the House 
were voted down. But briefly Patsy Mink stirred up a long dormant 
conscience among Democrats which produced a continuing debate in the 
Senate. That fight still goes on.

  Patsy Mink was a role model for decision-makers of this Congress and 
for the future. Compassion and righteous indignation are still vital 
qualifications for the leaders of a great nation. Patsy Mink was a 
great leader for this great nation.
  Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remember my colleague of these past 
ten years, Representative Patsy Mink, who passed away this weekend.
  During my first years in Congress, I worked closely with Patsy when 
we both served on the Education and Labor Committee.
  Patsy was a wonderful person who believed in the power of education. 
She wanted to ensure that all Americans, especially women, received a 
quality education.
  She was a tireless warrior for women and education, authoring the 
Women's Educational Equity Act of 1974, which provided funding for 
schools attempting to eliminate inequities and discrimination against 
women as required by Title IX.
  She worked to increase Impact Aid to Hawaiian public schools, which 
helps offset the cost of educating the children of Federal employees 
and military personnel.
  But Patsy did not limit herself to only education issues.
  She was also a champion of all working Americans, fighting to protect 
the landmark

[[Page H6900]]

Davis-Bacon Act, which requires federal contractors to pay local 
prevailing wages.
  She lead efforts to protect the Legal Services Corporation, which 
provides needy individuals nationwide with legal assistance.
  In short, Patsy was a champion of the forgotten--the poor, the 
homeless, those who needed financial assistance for college, those who 
were without health insurance, and those who were unemployed.
  And like the best Members of Congress, Patsy fought hardest for her 
people at home.
  She was a champion for native Hawaiians, and actively sought to make 
sure their interests were protected at the Federal level.
  I have a special affinity for Patsy, for personal reasons as well. 
When my son, Chris, graduated from college, he went to Hawaii to work.
  I could always count on Patsy to occasionally check on Chris, and 
tell me how he was doing when we both came back to Washington the next 
week.
  Mr. Speaker, Patsy Mink, has been part of the Hawaiian political 
landscape since before statehood, and has served as a mentor to 
generations of young Hawaiians.
  Her presence will be missed, both here in Washington, but even more 
back home. This institution will miss her greatly.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, Patsy Mink was my friend and my colleague 
and I am deeply saddened by her death.
  Patsy fought hard every day for the values and ideals that make our 
nation great. She worked to ensure access to good public schools for 
every American child. She stood out as a leading voice for women's 
rights, civil rights and labor unions devoted to raising living 
standards and providing opportunities to all Americans. And Patsy Mink 
never lost her passion for righting the economic and social injustices 
in Hawaii and across America.
  Patsy Mink blazed a trail unlike few members in the history of the 
House. She was the first Asian American woman admitted to the Hawaii 
bar, the first Asian American woman elected to the state legislature 
and the first woman of color to win national office in 1964. She knew 
first-hand the sting of discrimination as a young Asian-American woman 
growing up in Hawaii, and she had the ability to use her experience to 
lift up the hopes and dreams of other human beings. I will always 
admire her willpower, courage and faith in her country and in her 
fellow Americans.
  Through sheer force of her personality, Patsy breathed life into the 
values and ideals enshrined in our Constitution. While she had many 
legislative accomplishments, her leadership on Title IX deserves 
special recognition for opening doors to women's achievements in 
athletics and beyond. As a woman of color advocating for economic and 
social justice as a leader of America, Patsy Mink demonstrated that one 
person, fighting for what's right, respecting every person, can make a 
difference in the lives of her fellow citizens.
  I will miss her progressive voice and aggressive leadership on issues 
important to the American people. I hope and pray that this House will 
dedicate itself to working in her extraordinary spirit in the important 
days and months ahead.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker--I rise in sorrow to express my sadness at 
the loss of the Hon. Patsy Mink, a distinguished colleague and great 
public servant.
  She was a great lady, a superb legislator, an idealist who loved her 
country and her fellow Americans. She believed in the Congress and our 
system of Government, and she worked hard within the institution for 
its protection and for the betterment of our people.
  She knew she was here to serve, and to serve those who have the least 
and need the most. She knew our system is good, but that it could be 
made better, and she worked to make it so, and to make it better serve 
those who most need the help of our country to realize their full 
potential as valuable, productive and happy citizens.
  Patsy worked for the young, for the health, education, for their 
nutrition and training.
  Patsy used her place in Congress to better the lives of the young 
with legislation which helped them to achieve their real value in our 
society.
  Every program to help people with greatest need enacted by this 
Congress during her career bears the mark of her character, her 
leadership, and her goodness.
  Her labors for the poor, downtrodden, the sick are her shining 
monument. Her compassion, her energy, her dedication and decency are 
her hallmark, and made her a leader for those who needed her most.
  She is properly loved, will be long remembered for her goodness and 
work. She will be missed, and never will be replaced. We love her, we 
honor her memory and her labors and accomplishments.
  We pray for her soul, we know God will receive her lovingly. We know 
He greeted her warmly, with the statement, ``Well done, good and 
faithful servant. Welcome home. You have earned your place here in 
Heaven.''
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from 
California, Ms. Millender-McDonald, for organizing this tribute to a 
giant in the House of Representatives.
  Patsy Mink was a fighter. She fought every day of her public service 
for the inclusion of women at every level of government and society. 
She was an inspiration to so many people: women, Pacific Islanders, 
mothers, children, and the working poor.
  Patsy was my neighbor in the southeast corner of the Rayburn building 
for several years. We often walked back and forth to votes together. We 
rarely found ourselves on the same side of political issues, but we 
always marveled that our party was big enough to include both of us.
  Patsy always spoke candidly, and never strayed from the business at 
hand. Her office brightened our corner of the hallway with beautiful, 
fresh exotic flowers from Hawaii every week.
  Through her life, and via her work in Congress, Patsy redefined the 
possibilities for generations of women to come. She forced educational 
institutions to find equity in education between men and women through 
her work on Title IX.
  Patsy's championed her vision of equality and justice in the 
Congress. From her support of Medicare in her first term of service in 
the House--to her work in education, labor, and Hawaiian agriculture--
Patsy's legacy will live on in classrooms, union halls and farm fields 
in Hawaii and around the nation.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today saddened by the 
death of a dear friend and colleague, the Honorable Patsy Mink. 
Throughout her public service career, she was a tremendous force in 
breaking gender and racial barriers by being the first Asian-American 
woman to be elected to Congress, and the first woman of color. Her 
dedication and drive had a major impact both at state and national 
levels.
  One of Patsy's most influential pieces of legislation, Title IX, 
which she co-authored in 1972, is credited by many with changing the 
face of women's sports and societal attitudes about women, and bans 
gender discrimination in schools that receive federal funding.
  During my 6 years in Congress it was both an honor and a joy to work 
with Congresswoman Mink on the Education Committee. I will always 
remember her as a strong, compassionate woman who was not only a 
superior colleague but also a great friend.
  Not only will I miss her intelligence and her wit, but I will also 
miss her generosity. Congresswoman Mink's generosity was famous here in 
the House because of the delicious chocolate covered macadamia nuts she 
brought to late night sessions. Her passing not only leaves a void in 
Congress, but also the district and the state she represented so 
proudly and honorably. We will all miss her.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise 
to express my deep sadness upon he passing of my fellow congresswoman 
and friend, Patsy Mink.
  I had the privilege of knowing Patsy and of serving with her in the 
House of Representatives for many years, specifically on the Budget 
Committee and in the Congressional Women's Caucus.
  Patsy was a trailblazer, a fighter for the rights of women and 
minorities, and a role model for women and people of color everywhere.
  Long before becoming the first Asian-American woman elected to the 
U.S. House of Representatives, Patsy was breaking barriers, refusing to 
let society's unfair and discriminatory practices sand in the way of 
achieving her goals.
  When Patsy was told she could not live in regular student housing but 
had to live at the segregated ``International House'' for minorities at 
the University of Nebraska, she successfully lead the effort that 
changed the university's policies.
  When no law firm in her home state of Hawaii would hire her because 
she was a woman, Patsy opened her own practice and became the first 
Japanese-American woman lawyer in Hawaii.
  After losing her first race for Congress, being a woman of 
determination and perseverance, Patsy ran again, in 1964, became the 
first Asian-American woman and woman of color elected to the U.S. House 
of Representatives.
  Patsy Mink will be remembered as a Member of this House who dedicated 
her career in Congress to opening doors of opportunity for others. For 
example, Patsy played a key role in the enactment of Title IX--landmark 
legislation that ensures equal educational opportunities for women and 
girls in our country.

[[Page H6901]]

  Mr. Speaker, Patsy will be sorely missed in this House, but she will 
be fondly remembered as a woman who used her success and talents to 
tear down barriers and provide fairness and equal opportunity for 
others, particularly women and minorities. Her hard work, perseverance, 
and dedication to the principles of equality will serve as an enduring 
model to us all.
  I join with my colleagues and send my sincere condolences to Patsy 
Mink's family and friends, and to the constituents she represented so 
well.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor 
and say goodbye to our good friend and colleague Congresswoman Patsy 
Mink. For 24 years, Congresswoman Mink served as a strong and 
courageous voice for those who are not always heard in our political 
process. She was an unwavering champion and tireless advocate for 
women's rights, including authoring the landmark Title IX section of 
the Education Act. Among her many accomplishments, we should never 
forget her ardent and selfless struggles to promote equal opportunity 
for all races, to improve the current education system across the 
nation and to protect our environment.
  As impressive as her legislative accomplishments were, the personal 
and professional barriers that she had to overcome in her life were, 
equal, if not more, impressive: she was the first Asian-American woman 
to practice law in Hawaii; the first Asian-American woman elected to 
her state legislature and the first Asian-American woman elected to 
Congress. The courageous choices she made in her life made her a unique 
role model and afforded countless others the opportunity to follow in 
her amazing footsteps.
  Make no mistake about it, what Patsy may have lacked in physical 
stature, she more than made up for with a heart that could fill this 
room and the courage and tenacity to match it.
  Robert F. Kennedy once said, ``It is not enough to understand, or to 
see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity 
by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task.''
  To the end, Congresswoman Mink embodied those attributes and served 
as role model and beacon in the fight for social and economic justice. 
I am humbled to have had the opportunity to work closely with her.
  Congresswoman Mink received her law degree at the University of 
Chicago. Although there is no doubt she would have made enormous 
contributions to our city, Patsy was destined to return to Hawaii, 
where her devotion and dedication to public service helped shape the 
state and also our nation.
  Our hearts and prayers go out to Patsy's husband, John, and daughter, 
Wendy.
  Congresswoman Mink was a true star from heaven, who walked among us 
and touched our lives in countless ways.
  She will be greatly missed.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor one of my esteemed 
colleagues, Congresswomen Patsy Mink of Hawaii, who passed away this 
weekend, on September 28, 2002. This is a very sad day for me and for 
all of Congress as we mourn the loss of a colleague, a patriot and a 
friend.
  While Patsy's death does bring deep sadness to this Congress and the 
state of Hawaii, this is a day for us to reflect on the wonderful 
legacy that she has left behind. I would like to state first and 
foremost that Congresswoman Mink was indeed a true pioneer and a 
maverick. I am honored to have served on the House Education and 
Workforce Committee with her during my tenure here in Congress. She 
served as a great example of someone who believed in her causes and 
would stop at nothing to bring her dreams and those of her constituents 
to fruition. Patsy will be remembered as a champion of minority 
education, especially Title IX legislation that mandated equal 
financing for women's athletics and academics at institutions receiving 
federal money. She will also be remembered as someone who defended 
worker's rights and fought for a welfare system that truly helped 
people receive the training and child care services they need to move 
into the workplace.
  Patsy had the great distinction of being the first Asian American 
woman elected to Congress. Most of her career was spent in politics, 
where her focus was on education, childcare, the environment and equal 
opportunity. Her dedication and drive resulted in a significant impact 
on politics at both the state and national levels.
  Patsy Mink grew up in Hawaii. After graduating as valedictorian of 
Maui High School, she went on to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu 
with hopes of becoming a doctor. After the end of the war, Patsy had 
planned on going to medical school. Luckily for us in Congress, for 
those in her district and for the United States, Patsy instead was 
accepted at the University of Chicago School of Law, married and 
returned to Hawaii. She became the first Japanese-American woman lawyer 
in Hawaii. Since no law firm would hire her because she was a woman, 
Patsy decided to open her own practice. She also taught at the 
University of Hawaii. She became increasingly involved in politics, and 
she started the Oahu Young Democrats and then the Hawaii Young 
Democrats. From there, Patsy worked on the 1954 elections. She decided 
to run for Congress and easily won a seat in the Territory of Hawaii 
House of Representatives in 1956. In 1959, she became a member of the 
Territory of Hawaii Senate. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, Patsy 
ran for Congress but lost to Daniel Inouye. In 1960, she attended the 
Democratic National Convention and was chosen to give the speech for 
the civil rights plank. In 1962, she returned to the campaign trail and 
easily won a seat in the Hawaii State Senate. In 1964, she ran for U.S. 
Congress once more. This time, she won and was sworn in on January 4, 
1965. She had worked long and hard to win that seat, and she served 12 
non-consecutive terms.
  Recently, Congresswoman Mink and I had worked closely on H.R. 1, the 
``No Child Left Behind Act'' which passed both houses of Congress and 
the President signed into law. Patsy served as a key negotiator during 
our Committee's consideration of that bill. I will always admire her 
for being the first Member of the Education Committee to stand by my 
side when I called for a boycott over the manner in which the Majority 
was organizing the Education Committee this Congress. Because of her 
determination and courage, all of the Democrats stood beside us. 
Consequently, we won the fight, and jurisdiction over Hispanic Serving 
Institutions now resides in the Subcommittee on 21st Century 
Competitiveness where it belongs. What is truly unfortunate for us here 
in Congress is that Congresswoman Mink will be unable to play a key 
role in the upcoming reauthorization of the higher education 
reauthorization act. Her institutional knowledge of the subject is 
irreplaceable.
  Again, Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my sadness at the loss of a 
great person in Patsy Mink. I wish to express my sympathy to her family 
and to her constituents. This Congress, Hawaii and this nation have 
lost a truly wonderful person. History will be kind to her.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Patsy Mink was a wonderful person with a 
compassionate heart and a warm and loving spirit. She was tireless and 
forceful in her advocacy for civil rights, for justice, for the 
environment, and for adequate health care and education for the 
disadvantaged.
  Throughout her distinguished legislative career, her work was 
characterized by great skill and a straightforward approach that 
instilled confidence and won her a reputation for being forthright and 
honest. She was known for her ability to build coalitions for 
progressive legislation.
  Hawaii was not yet a state when Patsy started down the path of 
political activism. As the first Asian-American woman elected to 
Congress, indeed the first woman of any ethnic minority elected to 
Congress, she took very seriously her responsibilities as a role model 
and mentor. She fought fiercely against words, actions, and policies 
that she saw as unfair or intolerant. She spent her life breaking down 
barriers and dedicated herself to fighting for equality.
  For me, Patsy was not only a talented professional, but a friend and 
I will miss her greatly.
  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and 
remember the works of a great mentor, friend, colleague, and champion 
in Congress, Representative Patsy Mink.
  I am saddened by the sudden loss of such a great leader and heroine. 
She inspired many of us through her tireless work, commitment, and 
dedication throughout her tenure in Congress. I send my love and 
condolences to Representative Mink's family, Mr. John Francis Mink, her 
husband, and Gwendolyn Rachel Mink, her daughter. You are in my 
thoughts and prayers.
  Congresswoman Mink was the first Asian American woman to serve in 
Congress. During her time in Congress she championed many issued 
including women's rights, education, the environment, equal opportunity 
for all citizens, and Title IX of the Education Act. She will always be 
remembered as an outspoken advocate for women, children, the under 
represented and humanity. She was the kind of public servant we all 
want to emulate.
  She left a lasting legacy behind that has inspired us to continue her 
work. She touched the lives of many individuals, particularly women 
through her work on Title IX, which mandates gender equality in any 
education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. 
Title IX has been instrumental in prohibiting discrimination on the 
basis of sex in educational programs and sports activities that receive 
federal funding. Before Title IX, many schools saw no problem in 
maintaining strict limits on the admission of women or simply refusing 
to admit them. Since the passage of Title IX, this has changed 
dramatically. In 1994, women received 38% of medical degrees, 43% of 
law degrees, and 44% of all

[[Page H6902]]

doctoral degrees. In 1972, women received only 9% of medical degrees, 
7% of law degrees and 25% of doctoral degrees.
  Female participation in sports, like receiving a college education, 
has had unexpected benefits for women through Title IX. Studies have 
shown that values learned from sports participation, such as teamwork, 
leadership, discipline and pride in accomplishment, are important 
attributes as women increase their participation in the workforce, as 
well as their entry into business management and ownership positions.
  More and more women are entering and graduating from college and 
graduate school. More women are entering and excelling sports 
activities. And, more women are entering the corporate world and 
holding management positions. Representative Mink's leadership is 
enacting Title IX will continue to make a difference for young women. 
Thanks to her courage and foresight the country is better as women have 
the opportunity to achieve their full position.
  Her work enabled many young women to enter the field of sports, 
medicine, law, and business. Women today have been empowered to reach 
as far as they want because of the work Representative Mink championed 
in Congress.
  Representative Patsy Mink's dedication and perseverance will be 
admired. She will be forever known as a strong, intelligent, and 
inspirational woman. She left a legacy behind that motivated and 
touched me deeply. Her work has allowed women to accomplish and reach 
for any dream they desire to achieve. Thank you, Patsy Mink.
  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, as we gather in the House chamber with 
tremendous sadness over the passing of our dear friend and colleague, 
the Honorable Patsy Mink of Hawaii, I want to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to the career of a distinguished public servant who 
dedicated her life to the people of Hawaii and the United States.
  Patsy graduated valedictorian of her Maui High School class and 
received a bachelor's degree in zoology and chemistry from the 
University of Hawaii and a law degree from the University of Chicago, 
graduating as only one of two women in a class of 200. She practiced 
law and turned her sights to public service while mobilizing the 
Democratic party to take control of the Hawaii territorial government 
in the mid-1950s. From that time, Patsy served as an elected 
representative in the territorial and state legislatures, a city 
councilwoman, a federal official, and a Member of Congress.
  In Congress, as a member of the House Education and Workforce 
Committee, she consistently championed legislation that would improve 
education, child care, welfare, and gender equality. Patsy was an 
especially fierce advocate for women's issues and was instrumental in 
the creation of Title 9 of the federal education act, which has opened 
many opportunities for women athletes in schools and colleges across 
America.
  Patsy also cared deeply about the men and women who serve in our 
nation's military. The State of Hawaii and its citizens play an 
instrumental role in advancing U.S. national security presence 
throughout the Pacific region. As a representative from Hawaii Patsy 
recognized the important military function in her state, and promoted 
the welfare of our troops and their families.
  As members of the House pay tribute to the legacy of this 
stateswoman, we should also take a moment to thank Patsy's staff in 
Washington and in Hawaii for their hard work and dedication. Because 
Patsy's office neighbors mine in the Rayburn building, I have seen her 
staff members burning the midnight oil on more than one occasion. With 
several time zones between Washington and Hawaii, they have often 
worked long hours to get the job done.
  Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Patsy Mink was a remarkable person who 
always stood for what she believed. She was a strong, brave American 
who is a role model for women throughout the nation. Most importantly, 
however, Patsy was a dear friend, and I will miss her. My wife Susie 
and I offer our condolences to Patsy's husband, John, and to their 
daughter Wendy.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. Speaker, for those who knew her, Patsy 
Mink was a tiny woman physically. But don't let appearances fool you--
Patsy Mink was a giant. This Nation has lost a great public servant and 
a true crusader for social justice. For 74 years, every time she came 
to a door that was slammed tightly closed--for no good reason--she used 
those tiny feet of hers to kick it open--and to let others follow 
behind her.
  And those who benefited from her tenacity have not forgotten Patsy 
Mink's pioneering steps. The National Organization for Women, in its 
tribute to Representative Mink, wrote ``Girls and women . . . lost one 
of their most valiant and steadfast champions. Every woman today who is 
enjoying the fruits of her education and job opportunities, and every 
girl who has a chance to play sports in school, owes a nod of thanks to 
Mink who unremittingly and dauntlessly challenged old stereotypes about 
`women's place' and helped engineer the steady progress for women over 
the last four decades--parallel to Mink's career in politics.''
  Patsy Mink was born in Maui, Hawaii, in December 1927, and began her 
political career when she ran for and won the election for student body 
president during her junior year in high school--she was the first girl 
to run. She later went on to graduate as the class valedictorian of 
Maui High School--but her academic achievement became less important 
than her race and sex when she set off to college. She attended Wilson 
College, in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and then the University of 
Nebraska, where she faced segregated student housing. Patsy Mink worked 
with others to end this discriminatory policy. She returned to finish 
her studies in chemistry and zoology from the University of Hawaii in 
1948, with full intentions of attending medical school. However, 20 
medical schools rejected her--obviously, it was not because of her 
grades, but because they would not accept women.
  She then decided to go to law school, and graduated with her J.D. 
degree in 1951 from the University of Chicago. Ironically enough, she 
was accepted into the school because they hadn't realized that Hawaii 
was an American territory at the time, and she was accepted as a 
foreign student!
  Armed with her law degree, Patsy Mink returned to Hawaii and became 
the first Asian American woman to practice law, the first Asian 
American woman elected to the Territorial House of Representatives, and 
then the first Asian American woman to serve in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. For 24 years over two different periods she served in 
this body, and was re-elected two years ago by two-to-one margin. 
Incidentally, when she arrived in Congress, she wasn't allowed in the 
House gym because it was a male-only venue.
  As a champion for civil rights, family rights, education, civil 
liberties, and equal rights and opportunities, Rep. Mink will be 
remembered for many things. She wrote the Women's Educational Equity 
Act, sponsored the first Early Childhood Education Act, and was a 
passionate advocate for poor families, supporting measures to provide 
education and skills to assist families. However, her most crowning 
achievement was Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964. By prohibiting schools that receive Federal 
funding from discriminating because of sex, Title IX has singularly 
been credited with changing the face of education and sports for 
American women--and opening up many of those closed doors. There are 
many who believe we would not have seen such a rise in women's 
athletics were it not for Title IX.
  Rep Mink said of Title IX: ``It's rare as a legislator that you fight 
for legislation you believe in and stay around or live long enough to 
see it come to fruition . . . To be frank, I thought this was great, a 
beginning statement of policy and intent. At the moment we were doing 
it, we didn't think it would have this fantastic momentum and the 
enforcement of the courts.''
  I think The Honolulu Advertiser summed it up right when it said: ``In 
a day when politics appears driven by polls and focus groups, Mink 
stood out as a politician who was true, first and foremost, to herself 
and the people she served.''
  I will truly miss working with Patsy Mink, but I am honored to have 
served with her. She set the standard for public servants, and leaves 
some very big shoes to fill.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a treasured 
colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Mink, whom has passed. I would also like 
to extend my heartfelt sympathy to her family and to her staff.
  Congresswoman Mink leaves this Earth as a great leader of her 
community, a dynamic Member of Congress and as a strong woman. Most 
importantly, she leaves a legacy of work that will continue on after 
her passing. Patsy Mink spent a life in public service working to 
improve the lives of her constituents, her beloved state of Hawaii, the 
environment, the rights of minority communities and the equality of 
women. She broke barriers. She opened doors of opportunity. She gave a 
voice to causes and people once silenced in political arenas.
  Congresswoman Mink's life was a series of firsts. She was the first 
female student body president at Maui High School where she went on to 
become the class valedictorian months later. She was the first Asian-
American woman to practice law in Hawaii and the first to be elected to 
the Territorial House. And Congresswoman Mink was the first woman of 
color to be elected to the United States House of Representatives.
  One of Congresswoman Mink's most important legislative victories 
opened the doors of collegiate sports to women. She coauthored the 
trailblazing Title IX of the Higher Education Act Amendments in 1972 
which prohibited gender discrimination by educational institutions 
receiving federal funds. Thirty years after

[[Page H6903]]

the passage of this remarkable legislation we can look back at a great 
legacy of American women's athletics and forward to its future; a 
future made possible by a Congresswoman's desire to see that women be 
treated equally on the playing field.
  I join with my colleagues in Congress mourning the passing 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink--a trailblazing political leader, a champion 
of civil rights, a strong woman and a great friend whom will be missed.
  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, this House, the State of Hawaii, and the 
nation lost a powerful figure on Saturday. Sadly, our colleague, 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink, passed away in her home state of Hawaii. My 
condolences, thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.
  Patsy spent more than four decades advancing civil rights, expanding 
educational and health care opportunities, and combating poverty. Her 
particular efforts in promoting women's rights and equality have helped 
change the face of this country for the better. My daughters, and my 
granddaughter, have had and will have greater opportunities to achieve 
their dreams in this great country, thanks in part to the efforts of 
Patsy Mink.
  Earlier this year, Patsy played a key role in a joint retreat of 
Members of the Congressional Black, Hispanic and Asian-Pacific 
Caucuses, contributing her enthusiasm to strengthening bridges that 
unite Americans of different backgrounds. As the current Chair of the 
Congressional Hispanic Caucus, it has been a pleasure and inspiration 
to work with her on important issues such as providing assistance to 
low income families and protecting immigrants' rights.
  Witnessing the energy Patsy brought to her work this year never would 
have led me to believe I would have to bid her farewell so soon. A 
woman of her stature, experience, expertise and dedication will be 
impossible to replace. Patsy Mink will be sorely missed.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Patsy T. Mink a 
very special individual to me and to the entire 107th Congress. She was 
truly a beloved woman.
  Born December 6, 1927, Patsy was destined for greatness. She made 
history as the first Asian Pacific American woman admitted the bar of 
Hawaii, the first Asian Pacific American woman elected to state office 
in Hawaii, and in 1964 became the first woman of color to be elected to 
the United States House of Representatives. Furthermore, her vision to 
change the status quo and better the livelihood of all Americans led 
her to sponsor Title IX of the Education Act of 1972, paving the way 
for every woman athlete in America.
  Patsy represented her constituents of the 2nd Congressional District 
of Hawaii, to the fullest of her ability. Before being elected to 
Congress she served in both Hawaii State House of Representatives and 
Senate. With more than 40 years in the political arena she possessed a 
wealth of knowledge that poised her as one of the most revered Members 
of Congress. She dedicated her life to serving her fellow Hawaiians 
through diligently working on legislation that addressed education, 
health, women and veteran issues. She was a beloved community figure 
whose passionate voice spoke for every person regardless of race or 
gender.
  Patsy is survived by her husband John and daughter Wendy. My prayers 
and condolences are with her family and friends as they have lost a 
great, loving, and kind woman. She will be greatly missed.
  And so Mr. Speaker, I submit this loving memorial to be included in 
the archives of the history of this great nation, for women like Patsy 
T. Mink are unique in their generous contributions to this country.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues in expressing 
profound sorrow over the loss this weekend of our esteemed colleague, 
Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii. While her passing saddens me 
immensely, I find myself reflecting this evening not so much on the 
loss of a respected colleague and dear friend but rather on the 
remarkable life of Patsy Mink, one of the most courageous and inspiring 
women I have ever known.
  I had the great privilege of serving on the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce with Congresswoman Mink, whose political journey 
began in 1956 in the U.S. territory of Hawaii, where she was elected to 
the Territorial House of Representatives. She had originally intended 
to become a medical doctor, but in 1948 few opportunities existed for 
women wishing to pursue a career in medicine. Patsy Mink applied to 
twenty medical schools, and was rejected by all of them--not because of 
her academic record, which was highly commendable, but rather because 
of her gender. She did not abandon her dream of a challenging and 
meaningful career, however, she simply shifted her focus. She decided 
to pursue a career in law instead, and was accepted by the University 
of Chicago School of Law. Upon finishing her legal education in 
Chicago, she returned to Hawaii, where she became the first Asian 
American woman to practice law in the territory. In 1965, Patsy Mink 
became the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives. She would go on to serve twelve two year terms in 
Congress. During her time in office, Congresswoman Mink fought 
tirelessly for those issues she cared about so passionately: the 
environment, poverty, civil rights and, most notably, education and 
equality for women. In fact, she was a pioneer in the struggle for the 
equitable treatment of women in education, authoring the Women's 
Educational Equity Act. Additionally, Congresswoman Mink worked to 
increase funding for research on diseases primarily affecting women and 
to expand opportunities for women to become physicians. Unquestionably, 
however, her greatest accomplishment came with the passage of Title IX 
of the federal education act in 1972, which she co-authored. 
Congresswoman Mink played an instrumental role in the passage of this 
groundbreaking legislation, which prohibits gender discrimination by 
federally funded institutions. This law has become the vehicle by which 
girls and woman have achieved greater opportunities in the professions 
and, most notably, athletics.
  I know that I am not alone when I say that I will sorely miss the 
extraordinary Patsy Mink, an admirable woman who bravely challenged the 
status quo--tirelessly fighting for progressive legislation which has 
transformed not only her home state of Hawaii but also the entire 
nation.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the passing of 
one of our own--Representative Patsy Mink was in the truest sense a 
leader by example, and she will be missed.
  Patsy's life is a remarkable story of achievement and bravery, of 
fighting for what she believed in, and--at the end of the day--of 
incredible success in improving the lives of Hawaiians and all 
Americans.
  I think that to understand Patsy's determination to make the United 
States a nation of equal opportunity is to understand her personal 
history. Patsy created opportunity for herself, and in her success, she 
has helped make opportunity for all Americans less elusive.
  Patsy Takemato was born to poor parents on a sugar plantation on the 
island of Maui in Hawaii. An excellent student, she was elected 
president of her high school class and, after graduation, attended the 
University of Hawaii. Patsy then enrolled in the prestigious University 
of Chicago School of Law. With her law degree, she returned to Hawaii 
and became the first Japanese-American woman to hold a law license in 
the state's history. As she was her entire life, Patsy remained unfazed 
by doing what had not been done before--with the bravado and grace 
that, as her colleagues, we all know well.
  After election to the Hawaii Territorial Legislature in 1956, and the 
Hawaii State Senate in 1958, Ms. Mink was elected to the House of 
Representatives in 1965. Since then, she has championed causes that 
mattered to her with a rare sense of determination.
  I have long marveled at Patsy's ability to get things done. She was a 
powerful advocate for the equal rights and fair treatment of American 
women--among her many achievements in this arena, she was a leading 
sponsor of Title IX funding that ensured that women's sports were 
supported at equal levels as those of men. She was an eloquent voice of 
caution during the unfolding debacle of Vietnam. She was an ardent 
supporter of civil rights. She was, in her later terms, one of the 
truly wise voices of this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that I am a 
better legislator and this is a better institution because of Patsy 
Mink. And I know I speak for women, minorities, and all disadvantaged 
communities in America when I say that this is a better nation because 
of the service of Congresswoman Mink.
  I would like to take this opportunity to send my condolences to the 
entire Mink family, and to all of the people who have shared in 
sustaining this loss.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend and 
colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink, beloved representative 
from the State of Hawaii for over 24 years, who passed away last week 
at age 74. She is survived by her husband John Mink, and their 
daughter, Gwendolyn, and I extend my deepest and most heartfelt 
condolences to them on their loss.
  Congresswoman Mink has had a distinguished and extraordinary career, 
both in the private sector and public service. After serving the Hawaii 
state legislature, she was first elected to the House of 
Representatives in 1965, and was the first minority woman to serve in 
the U.S. Congress. However, this was not the first barrier she broke 
through. Congresswoman Mink earned a law degree at the University of 
Chicago in 1951, and subsequently was the first Japanese-American woman 
attorney in Hawaii.

[[Page H6904]]

  Her frustration at her inability to find employment due to her gender 
led to her first involvement in politics. According to The Honolulu 
Advertiser, Congresswoman Mink recalled that ``I didn't start off 
wanting to be in politics--I wanted to be a learned professional, 
serving the community. But they weren't hiring women just then. Not 
being able to get a job from anybody changed things.''
  Her early first-hand experience with these issues led to her vocal 
championing of legislative responses to the problem--most notably the 
landmark Women's Educational Equality Act, otherwise known as Title IX, 
which was passed 30 years ago and mandates gender equality in any 
education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. 
In the years since, the athletic scholarship money available to women 
has increased from $100,000 in 1972 to $197 million in 1997. However, 
Title IX also has a significant impact in the fight for parity in 
academic fields. One of the most important areas to reach parity in is 
math and science education and access to technology and technological 
training. These areas hold the key to achievement and employment for 
women now and in the future. The gains we have made in each of these 
areas could not have been possible without her principled leadership.
  Another issue on which Congresswoman Mink led was opposition to the 
Vietnam War. After being elected in the fall of 1964, she was one of 
Congress' most vocal opponents of the prolonged military campaign. 
Indeed, she and fellow member Representative Bella Abzug of New York 
flew to Paris to talk to participants in the Vietnam War Peace Talks. 
Although this position brought her scathing criticism from many 
sources, including her own constituents, she always did what she felt 
was right, even in the face of namecalling, as she was labeled ``Patsy 
Pink''.
  After leaving the House to pursue other political opportunities in 
the 70's, she returned to the House in 1990. Since then, she has 
continued to be a vocal leader for progressive causes, most recently as 
the lead sponsor of vital legislation on welfare reform. This 
legislation would have expanded educational opportunities for women 
struggling to leave government assistance, and provided ample funding 
for child care. Her commitment to the needs of women and children could 
never be questioned. Indeed, in lieu of flowers, her family has asked 
that donations be made to the Patsy Takemoto Mink Education Fund for 
Low-Income Women and Children, which will be established in her honor. 
What a fitting tribute to her work.
  I am proud to have served with such a remarkable woman. Congresswoman 
Mink will be greatly missed both in this chamber and in her home 
state.I thank the Speaker.
  Mr. ROEMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my heartfelt condolences 
to the family of the late Congresswoman Patsy Mink, including her 
husband John and daughter Wendy, and the people of Hawaii's Second 
Congressional District who share our recent loss.
  Patsy Mink was a dedicated public servant and an inspiring example of 
the great strides minority women have achieved in our society. She was 
a fierce and courageous advocate for women rights and whose powerful 
voice during political rallies and congressional debate belied her 
petite frame.
  I am very proud of my 12 years together with her on the Education and 
Labor Committee. I always admired her compassion, insight, and 
extensive knowledge of each matter considered before our committee. My 
colleagues and I will miss her presence on the dais, but her spirit 
will live on in the memory of her enduring contributions to her 
priorities in education, women's rights, housing and health care.
  I believe Patsy's greatest accomplishment was the addition of Title 
IX to the Education Act, which she helped write in 1972. This landmark 
measure has a proven track record for increasing scholarships for women 
and promoting equality in athletics. Her contributions positively 
impacted the lives of tens of thousands of young American women. 
Without her leadership, the Women's National Basketball Association, 
women's soccer and other athletic endeavors for women would not be 
flourishing as they do today. The Women's Educational Equity Act and 
Native Hawaiian Education Act were also directly shaped by Patsy's 
vision of equality and opportunity.
  I will always remember Patsy's friendship, collegiality and 
generosity, particularly several boxes of chocolate macadamia nuts from 
her native Hawaii that my family and I have enjoyed so much over the 
years! My thoughts and prayers remain with her family and constituents 
as we remember Patsy Mink's contributions to Congress and public 
service in America.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Grucci). Pursuant to the request of the 
gentleman from Hawaii, the Chair requests that all Members stand to 
observe a moment of silence in memory of the late Honorable Patsy T. 
Mink, a Representative from the great State of Hawaii.
  Without objection, the previous question is ordered on the 
resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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