[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 137 (Wednesday, October 1, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1942]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        A TRIBUTE TO FORMER REPRESENTATIVE TOM LEWIS OF FLORIDA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. E. CLAY SHAW JR.

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 1, 2003

  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as Chairman of the Florida 
delegation in honor of former Representative Tom Lewis, a dear and 
trusted friend and colleague for more than a decade. Tom recently 
passed away, and although his death is saddening, his life should be 
remembered with celebration. Tom was much more than just a Florida 
Republican representing the people of his state and his district, but 
Tom was a man of immense character and a firm believer in public 
service. In fact, much of Tom's life was spent protecting our great 
country from many different evils in a wide variety of ways.
  Before Tom even thought of running for national office, he was a 
brave member of the Air Force of the United States. For 11 years Tom 
courageously and selflessly served his country in World War II and the 
Korean War. Wrapping up his tour of duty with the Air Force, Tom was 
assigned to Morrison Field in Florida, today known as Palm Beach 
International Airport. Becoming attached to Florida and the community, 
Tom and his wife, Marian, decided to stay and raise their family. Tom 
became chief of jet and rocket operations for Pratt and Whitney, 
supervising the company's work to make sure everything was up to both 
military and commercial standards. However, public service once again 
called and Tom started on what is a very impressive and influential 
journey that not only benefited his community and state, but his 
country as well.
  From 1964 until 1971, Tom served as both a city councilman and mayor 
in North Palm Beach. He was elected to Florida's House of 
Representatives in 1972 and served eight years. In 1980, Tom ran 
successfully for the Florida Senate where he served for two years, and 
was recognized by his peers as the most effective first term senator. 
Then, in 1982, he ran successfully for a new congressional district, 
where he proudly served in Congress until his retirement in 1994. 
During his time in Congress, Tom served on the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee where he wrote and passed the Air Safety Research 
Act requiring the FAA to establish new methods to detect aging aircraft 
defects and improve safety. He also passed legislation mandating a 
system of finding and correcting aircraft problems before they cause 
serious accidents.
  When it appeared the U.S. Air Force was going to scrap the hurricane 
hunter reconnaissance program, Tom led the successful congressional 
charge to keep this vital program intact. As a result of this and other 
related priorities, the National Hurricane Conference named Tom 
Legislator of the Year.
  Tom also served as a member of the Agriculture Committee where he was 
a leader in negotiating an agreement with Japan to open its markets to 
U.S. agricultural products, including Florida's beef and citrus. He was 
also a key member of the Florida delegation in working with the Office 
of the U.S. Trade Representative to negotiate an acceptable North 
American Free Trade Agreement between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.
  Never forgetting his military roots, Tom remained a friend to 
veterans the many years he served in Congress. His leadership and 
persistence ensured funding for a 400-bed Veterans hospital and nursing 
home in Palm Beach County. This facility opened in 1995 and serves 
300,000 veterans in South Florida today.

  Children were always a priority for Tom. As a way to help the 
thousands of school children who were watching the Challenger explosion 
as they were awaiting their first lesson in space, he created a program 
to involve them in naming the next orbiter. More than 70,000 children 
participated in the inter-disciplinary project sponsored by N.A.S.A., 
and ultimately led to the naming of the shuttle Endeavor. When Amtrak 
cancelled their contract, Tom successfully negotiated a new agreement 
with them to continue bringing more than 2,000 members of the Palm 
Beach County Safety Patrol members on their annual trip to the nation's 
capital.
  Tom recognized early the transportation needs of south Florida. The 
work he started in the Florida legislature, and completed when he was 
elected to Congress, led to the completion of the ``mission link'' of 
I-95--creating safer traffic flow and better north-south evacuation. 
Using already committed I-75 right-of-way funds and other state and 
federal funds, Tom worked with then-Senator Lawton Chiles to add 
160,000 acres of pristine marshland to the Big Cypress Preserve, 
contributing to the Everglades restoration.
  There also exists a road in Florida, U.S. 27 that is a tiny, narrow, 
two-lane stretch of lane where more than 100 people were killed from 
1982 through 1997. Tom and his wife Marian were instrumental in raising 
a reported $66 million to restore and renovate this deadly stretch of 
highway. The highway now bears the names of those two public servants, 
an honor bestowed on two of the most influential of Florida's public 
servants.
  Tom was indeed a very close friend of mine, and my prayers go out to 
his family; his wife Marian, his three children, his seven 
grandchildren, and his one great-grandchild. Mr. Speaker, Tom Lewis 
will always have a place in the hearts of everyone he represented and 
his memory will no doubt live forever in the State of Florida.

                          ____________________