[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 130 (Monday, October 7, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H7141-H7143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TONY HALL FEDERAL BUILDING AND UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 5335) to designate the Federal building and United States
courthouse located at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the
``Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 5335
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Federal building and United States courthouse located
at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, shall be known and
designated as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United
States Courthouse''.
SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper,
or other record of the United States to the Federal building
and United States courthouse referred to in section 1 shall
be deemed to be a reference to the ``Tony Hall Federal
Building and United States Courthouse''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Springfield, Ohio (Mr. Hobson), the author of the
legislation
Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, the legislation I introduced has been
cosponsored by every member of the Ohio congressional delegation. It
would permanently name the Dayton, Ohio, Federal building in honor of
our good friend and just recently our former colleague, Tony Hall.
Tony Hall is a gentleman. He has made Ohio and this country better by
his service here, and he has moved on to make the world a better place
as the United Nations Ambassador for Hunger. I would urge every Member
of Congress to support this piece of legislation.
For years, Tony Hall and I worked together for the benefit of the
citizens of the Miami Valley on numerous projects and initiatives. I am
very happy that he can now work directly on hunger issues at the United
Nations, but it was still very sad to see him leave the House.
Tony has been a football star, a Peace Corps volunteer, a noted world
traveler, a devoted husband and father, and a dedicated public servant.
Tony has become the area's longest-serving Congressman and a three-time
Nobel Peace Prize nominee known worldwide for his humanitarian work.
In Congress, Tony always was guided by faith and family. He spent 21
years on the House Rules Committee, was chairman of the House
Democratic Caucus Task Force on Hunger and was founder and chairman of
the Congressional Hunger Center.
We are all better people because Tony Hall was in Congress, and now
the world will be a little better off now that Tony will be working
with the United Nations.
This legislation is a lasting way to pay tribute to Tony's efforts
over the years, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume and first wish to thank the gentleman from Springfield for his
remarks.
It is a personal honor that I rise today to bring this legislation
forward honoring our former colleague and distinguished Ohioan, Tony
Hall, to the floor. H.R. 5335 designates the Federal building and
United States courthouse located at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton,
Ohio, as the Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.
For over 40 years, Tony Hall has dedicated his life to helping others
and serving this Nation. When Tony graduated from Denison University in
1965 as a Little All American running back, he began his public service
by joining the Peace Corps, where he spent 1966 and 1967 teaching
English in Thailand. And I noted at the markup we had in
[[Page H7142]]
our full committee that the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar),
our ranking member of the full committee, also engaged in such public
service.
Upon his return to his native Dayton, Tony was drawn to a career in
public service, and at the age of 26 put himself up as a candidate for
the Ohio House of Representatives, an election he won despite facing an
experienced opponent. Tony ably served in the Ohio House from 1968 to
1972 before being elected to and serving in the Ohio Senate from 1972
to 1978.
In 1978, Tony was elected for his first of 12 terms in this body.
During his tenure here, Tony was a tireless and outspoken advocate for
combating world hunger, protecting human rights, and promoting
humanitarian causes, including basic education, adult literacy,
immunization, and other child survival programs and sustainable
agriculture in other countries.
He served as the distinguished chairman of the House Select Committee
on Hunger from 1989 until it was abolished in 1993. In protest of this
decision, Tony engaged in a hunger strike that lasted 22 days, only
ending after the creation of the Congressional Hunger Center, which he
chaired from its inception until he left the Congress.
Tony also served with distinction on the Committee on Rules, in
addition to numerous other committees and caucus assignments. In 2002,
Tony resigned his seat to accept a Presidential appointment as United
States Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies.
This is an appropriate honor to a dedicated public assistant.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my fellow Ohioan on a
distinguished career thus far, and I am sure we all wish him great
success as he moves on to a new position from which he can continue his
work to help others.
As the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) indicated, it is indeed, I
think, a fitting tribute, in a sometimes fractious and partisan body,
that every member of the Ohio delegation, whether Republican or
Democrat, is a cosponsor of this legislation. It is my honor to be a
cosponsor. I urge my colleagues to adopt this matter.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in strong support of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5335 is a bill to designate the federal building
and courthouse in Dayton, OH, as the Tony Hall Federal Building and
United States Courthouse, in honor of our former colleague from Ohio,
Tony Hall. The bill has strong bipartisan support.
Tony Hall is a true son of Ohio. He was born in Dayton in 1942. After
attending local schools he graduated from Denison University in 1964.
He was accepted into the Peace Corp and served as a volunteer in
Thailand from 1966 until 1968. Upon his return he was elected to the
Ohio House of Representatives, and in 1972 he was elected to the Ohio
Senate. In 1978 he was elected to the House of Representatives where he
service for 11 terms. tony Hall currently serves as the United States
Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
Tony Hall was founder and cochair of the Congressional Hunger Center,
a nonprofit organization created to bring awareness to the growing and
persistent problems of world hunger. He also served as chairman for the
House Select Committee on Hunger from 1989 until 1993. Congressman Hall
sponsored legislation to help immunize the world's children against
major diseases, and to increase U.S. funding for Vitamin A and C.
His passion for protecting and ensuring human rights and combating
hunger brought Congressman Hall to such places as North Korea, Peru,
Sudan, Bosnia, Rwanda, Somalia, Bangladesh, and Haiti. In 1994 he
helped nominate Bishop Carlos Belo for the Nobel Peace Prize for the
Bishop's role in protecting civilians during armed conflict.
Congressman Tony Hall was an exemplar for his unswerving commitment
and sustaining contributions to promoting humanity and peace in a world
stricken with poverty and worn by war. This designation is a fitting
tribute to his exceptional public service.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from
Oregon for yielding me this time, and I offer my strong support of this
wonderful, wonderful resolution that was entered initially by
Ambassador Tony Hall's neighbor, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson),
with the strong support of the Ohio delegation and the full cooperation
of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette). How fitting it is that 200
West 2nd Street, the Federal building and courthouse in Dayton, will
now permanently be named in honor of this really incredible Ohioan, who
has traveled the world on behalf of the most downtrodden people, those
who are starving, those who live in undemocratic places, those whose
futures are truly bleak, and who has tried to be a voice for them in
the world community, in the United States at the United Nations, and
now as U.N. ambassador to the food and agriculture organization.
I think it is so magnificent that Congressman Hall comes from a part
of Ohio that understands agriculture well and yet he was a city boy. I
walked with him many times through the food banks across this city,
across the city of Dayton and across this country. I can remember when
he and Bill Emerson and Mickey Leland traveled together across the
world and began the germ of the idea of a hunger caucus here inside the
Congress of the United States, and bringing young people here to learn
about not just America's needs and the food pantries needs of our
country, but indeed the starving people of the world.
I know the people of Dayton are justly proud that they have sent
their favorite son in service to the Nation not just in the Peace Corps
in one country but in the cause of peace globally. So I wish to thank
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), the gentleman from Oregon (Mr.
DeFazio), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) on behalf of the
entire Buckeye delegation here for so properly recognizing the historic
work of former Congressman and Ambassador Tony Hall.
Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LaTOURETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time
only to thank not only my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Hobson), but also my colleague, the gentlewoman from Toledo, Ohio (Ms.
Kaptur), for being here this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I think all Members would recognize that the mark of a
Member is that it is easy to be elected if you are a Republican from a
safe Republican seat; it is easy to be elected as a Democrat if you
come from a safe Democratic seat. But Tony Hall's seat was marginally
Republican, and the people continued to elect him and reelect him
because of his outstanding work not only for his community but the
Nation and the world.
Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 5335, a bill
to designate the federal building in Dayton, OH, in honor of our former
colleague Tony Hall.
Tony Hall was elected to his first term in the U.S. Congress in 1978.
He went on to serve 11 consecutive terms. Congressman Hall's long
career in public service is distinguished by his unwavering commitment
to humanitarian causes, in particular to combating hunger in this
country and around the world.
I witnessed the commitment first hand in 1983 when I traveled with
Congressman Hall and two other colleagues to Kansas City. At a time of
high unemployment in our country, the Federal Government was storing
surplus milk, butter and cheese in Kansas City. Congressman Hall was
determined to focus national attention on this issue and press for the
release of this surplus food into general distribution. He even went on
a hunger strike to compel the government to release the stored food. As
a result of these efforts, the stored food was eventually distributed
to homeless shelters and the general public.
Throughout his career, Congressman Hall focused on helping those in
need. He promoted economic development that created jobs, championed
efforts to ease food-stamp reductions, and in 1997, he spearheaded the
``Hunger Has A Cure'' campaign.
In the international arena, Congressman Hall visited numerous
countries around the world in an effort to focus attention on the
problems of world hunger and to promote international aid. He was part
of the first congressional delegation to Ethiopia in the
[[Page H7143]]
99th Congress, and he traveled to Bangladesh to observe disaster relief
programs in the 100th Congress. Congressman Hall also helped create the
Select Committee on Hunger, which focused on the problem of hunger both
domestically and internationally. He served as chairman of that Select
Committee from 1988 until its elimination in 1993.
Congressman Hall continues to work to banish world hunger and promote
developmental assistance. In 2002, President Bush appointed him
Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
This bill to designate the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and U.S
Courthouse.'' is a fitting tribute to the compassion and humanity with
which Ambassador Hall conducts his public service.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5335.
Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5335, to designate
the Federal Building and United States courthouse at 200 West 2nd
Street in Dayton, OH, as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United
States Courthouse.''
As you know, Mr. Speaker, our former colleague Tony Hall was
nominated by President Bush to be the United States Ambassador to the
United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy,
and resigned his seat as the representative of the 3rd District of Ohio
last month to take his post in Rome, where he will be able to continue
his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and
promoting food security around the world.
I want to thank Congressman David Hobson of Ohio for introducing H.R.
5335 to honor Tony in his hometown of Dayton by attaching his name to
the federal building and courthouse there. It is an appropriate
recognition for the nearly 24 years of service in the House and the 10
years of service in the Ohio General Assembly that Tony Hall provided
to the people of Dayton and surrounding areas.
We already miss Tony in the House, but I know that he is absolutely
the right person to serve as the United States representative to the
World Food Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and
International Fund for Agricultural Development, all agencies of the
United Nations which assist international hunger-relief efforts.
Tony Hall's name is synonymous with the cause of alleviating hunger
both domestically and worldwide. He believes that food is the most
basic of human needs, the most basis of human rights, and he
passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which
often gets lost in the legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more
visible issued, deserved a prominent share of attention and resources
to assist people who are the most at risk and too often the least
defended.
He also worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights
around the world and focused his attention on the illicit diamond trade
in Sierra Leone. He convinced me to travel with him to Sierra Leone in
later 1999 to see how the machete-wielding rebels there have
intimidated men, women, and children by hacking off arms, legs, and
ears. He led the effort in bringing to the attention of Congress the
conflict diamond trade and authoring legislation to certify that the
diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of
Sierra Leone and other African nations.
We also traveled together in January to Afghanistan with Congressman
Joe Pitts as the first congressional delegation to that country since
the war on terrorism. We visited hospitals, an orphanage, schools, and
refugee camps. We met with U.S. diplomats and soldiers; with local
leaders and officials with direct responsibility for humanitarian
problems and refugees; with representatives of United Nations and
private relief organizations; and in Pakistan with refugees and members
of religious minority groups.
Tony is never deterred in his effort to help make a positive
difference in the lives of suffering people. In his years in Congress,
he traveled to wherever the need arose and met with whomever he could
to effect change, taking risks few would take, with his own comfort and
safety never entering his mind.
I believe Tony's life destiny is to be a servant. During 1966 and
1967, he taught English in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer. He
returned to Dayton to work as a realtor and small businessman for
several years, but before long, he was elected to the Ohio House of
Representatives where he served from 1969 to 1972, and then to the Ohio
Senate, serving from 1973 to 1978. On November 7, 1978, Tony was
elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Ohio
and served with distinction for over two decades.
Tony Hall is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him.
He has a wonderful combination of compassion and passion filled with
spiritual purpose--compassion to see the suffering in the less
fortunate in the world and the passion to work to do something about
it.
I urge a unanimous vote in support of H.R. 5335, to recognize the
dedicated public service of Tony Hall by naming the federal building
and courthouse in Dayton, OH, in his honor.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the resolution, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Brown of South Carolina). The question
is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette)
that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5335.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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