[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 055 (Monday, April 7, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H2825-H2826]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SALUTING SENATOR MOYNIHAN

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, much has been written recently about 
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, scholar, politician, diplomat, public 
servant. We have been reminded again, in the wake of his passing, of 
his intellectual and political contributions dealing with the most 
sensitive and complex questions of our society. Ideas that were 
controversial when he first advanced them are now accepted as 
conventional wisdom.
  I rise today to salute this giant and his greatest gift, which is to 
influence how America faces its challenges. He was regarded 
appropriately as a tremendous architectural influence. No one over the 
last third of a century has done more to shape American communities. 
His influence can be seen from the steps of the Capitol with the 
creation of the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Corporation. He 
worked to restore once magnificent James Farley Post Office in New York 
back to life as a new Penn Station. He was the intellectual force 
behind the revolutionary 1991 ISTEA legislation, allowing communities 
to use transportation resources to shape their development rather than 
transportation choices shaping our communities. His legacy gave more 
power to citizens at all levels and made the money go farther to do 
more and better things.
  As we begin the reauthorization this Congress of his landmark ISTEA 
legislation, we deal with many opportunities to revitalize America's 
communities through wise infrastructure investment, a critical and 
underappreciated part of the Moynihan legacy. But, Mr. Speaker, I think 
there is an even more important part of his legacy for those of us who 
serve in this Chamber. At a time when our problems appear more complex 
and difficult and when our divisions appear deeper than ever before, 
Senator Moynihan gave us a blueprint for channeling the riches and 
power of America to greatness at home and abroad. At a time when the 
activities here somehow make the most monumental occasions appear 
smaller than life, we can look to this intellectual and political 
giant, himself larger than life, who had a gift to magnify the things 
he said and did. His advice for us would be to put aside the narrow and 
the partisan, not to rationalize what we know to be reckless or 
inappropriate in the name of the legislative process, and have the 
courage to

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have the free exercise of ideas and debate, not to stifle discussion 
here on this floor.
  Some of the Senator's more profound contributions initially appeared 
extraordinarily controversial. Only after they were entered into debate 
did their meaning take root and the controversial become the accepted. 
People here can honor the legacy of Senator Moynihan by doing the time-
honored work of Congress, debating, listening, legislating, and working 
together in committee and in the House Chamber; and seize the 
tremendous opportunities to deal with world peace, the protection and 
economic security of our families and safeguarding the environment.
  In honoring the memory of Senator Moynihan in practice, we will be 
honoring the trust that has been given to us by our constituents. We 
too can be larger than life rather than a side show while the real 
drama is worked out in some back room. We can reflect our own hearts 
and visions and the needs of our communities rather than being 
orchestrated by focus groups and special interests. Part of what 
characterized Senator Moynihan's genius was simply that he presented 
ideas regardless of the short-term public relations and political 
consequences. This meant that some people in Washington, D.C., were 
nervous working with him. It made it harder for some of the powers that 
be and the media pundits, but as the Senator proved time and time 
again, it made it easier to push America to do the right thing.
  As someone raised in an often bipartisan or even nonpartisan Oregon 
political culture, this simple truth seems so obvious but somehow 
elusive in today's Washington, D.C. By doing our job as legislators, as 
independent, thoughtful representatives, we can make vital 
contributions during the most critical times since we were fighting 
Hitler and recovering from the Depression. I suspect the Senator 
himself would deem that to be a most fitting tribute to his legacy.

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