[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 5, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S1982]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DeWINE (for himself and Mr. Voinovich):
  S. 307. A bill 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''; to the 
Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my friend and 
colleague from Ohio, Senator George Voinovich, to introduce a bill to 
name the Federal building and United States courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, 
after Congressman Tony Hall.
  This bill is a fitting tribute to Tony Hall, a tireless and dedicated 
public servant, who we greatly miss since his retirement from the 
United States Congress. He is continuing his commitment to public 
service as our U.S. Ambassador to the UN's food and agriculture 
agencies.
  The people of Ohio and the American people can be proud of and 
thankful for the many years Tony Hall has served in the United States 
Congress. I've had the privilege of working closely with him since my 
early days in the House nearly 20 years ago. He has been a valuable 
legislator and a real statesman. Over the years, he has worked 
tirelessly on behalf of the people of Montgomery County and throughout 
Ohio.
  Tony Hall comes from a family rich in devotion to public service and 
dedication to Ohio. His father, in fact, once served as Dayton's 
Republican Mayor. A graduate of Fairmont High School in Kettering and 
Denison University in Granville, where he was an all-star tailback on 
the football team, Tony served in the Ohio House from 1969-1972, in the 
Ohio Senate from 1973-1978, and as Dayton's Congressman since January 
1979.
  A devoted husband to his wife, Janet, and a dedicated father to Jyl 
and Matt, the entire Hall family struggled valiantly alongside Matt as 
he fought an unsuccessful battle against leukemia that ended in 1996.
  My wife, Fran, and I are proud to have worked over two decades with 
Tony and Janet on humanitarian efforts and other causes that bridge 
across the political aisle. Tony, who served in the Peace Corps in 1966 
and 1967, has been an unmatched advocate for the needy, the poor, the 
hungry, and the oppressed across Ohio, our Nation, and the world.
  Tony has been singularly responsible for much of the world's 
continued, focused attention on the serious hunger issues worldwide. 
His involvement in a 22-day hunger strike in 1989, forced the 
Department of Agriculture and the World Bank to call conferences on 
hunger, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Congressional 
Hunger Center. I'm proud to have worked with Tony on several 
humanitarian initiatives through the years from Africa Seeds of Hope to 
the Global Food for Education Act to the Microenterprise for Self-
Reliance Act to the Clean Diamond Act of 2001.
  We also share a commitment to the yet unborn. A staunch pro-life 
Democrat, Congressman Hall was responsible for language in the 
Democratic National Committee platform respecting the beliefs of those 
within his party who wished to protect the sanctity of life.
  I also have had the pleasure of working with Tony Hall on several 
projects important to the Miami Valley area of Ohio. We share a passion 
for the aviation heritage of the Wright Brothers in Dayton and have 
worked together to protect and preserve the monuments to the Wright 
Brothers legacy. And, we've also worked together on issues to help 
build the unique resources of Wright Patterson Air Force base.
  Today, it is a pleasure to take this opportunity to join Senator 
Voinovich to honor Tony Hall's many legislative efforts and 
achievements and to thank him for his commitment to the people of Ohio 
and this Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to honor our 
good friend and statesman, Tony Hall.
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