[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 64 (Thursday, May 1, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H3622]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING NATIONAL AUCTIONEERS DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Feeney). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud lifetime Member 
of the National Auctioneers Association. We want to recognize today 
National Auctioneers Day, which takes place annually on the third 
Saturday of April. This year it fell on April 19. And I suppose some of 
my colleagues are wondering can he really do that? Yes, I do a lot of 
auctions even today: ``And now 35, I'll give you 40, now 5. Anybody bid 
45? I'll give you 50.''
  I have had the privilege of auctioneering events to raise money for 
the American Cancer Society, the Boys and Girls Club, Safari Club, 
Ducks Unlimited, the list goes on and on. As a matter of fact, since I 
was elected to Congress, I have raised almost $2 million for charity. 
Every year billions of dollars are poured into our economy from 
auctions of estates, of vehicles, thoroughbred horses, antiques and 
other goods. And auctions of homes and other real estate are 
increasingly more important as more and more realtors and homeowners 
see the advantages of selling by auction as their first choice.
  On Auctioneer's Day this year, auctioneers across the country held a 
special fund-raiser for the Saint Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, 
Tennessee, the chosen charity of the National Auctioneers Association. 
Auctioneers are generous and patriotic Americans, and I rise to salute 
their contributions to our great country.

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