[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 167 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S15051]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      IN MEMORY OF PETE B. WILSON

  Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, I come to the floor under the privilege 
to speak about a situation that occurred in Idaho that brought great 
sadness to me and to some of my staff.
  In 1974, when I was elected to the State legislature, prior to that 
legislative session convening, I traveled to the north end of my State 
for the North Idaho Chamber Tour which goes on every 2 years for Idaho 
legislators. It was at that time I met the chairman of the North Idaho 
Chamber, a fellow by the name of Pete Wilson, who was a leader in his 
community of Bonners Ferry, who was well known across north Idaho as an 
attorney who gave so much of his time to his community and to the 
citizens of that area.
  Little did I know years later when I ran for Congress, Pete Wilson 
would become one of my strong supporters. Pete became a friend down 
through the years. Just a few years after I got here, a young woman 
came to my office to seek employment, a young lady by the name of 
Brooke Roberts, who happened to be Pete Wilson's niece. Brooke Roberts 
is now my head of legislative affairs and my chief counsel and 
assistant manager of my office. Not only has Brooke played a tremendous 
role in my political life, but her uncle, Pete Wilson, has played a 
tremendous role. I say now, sadly, in the Senate, has played. Last 
Friday night or early Saturday morning, Pete Wilson and his son Kip 
were killed by asphyxiation believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. 
His wife Rhoda and another son who was there visiting because of Pete's 
illness at age 78 are still recuperating from a near-death experience 
of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  My sympathies go out to Rhoda and to Duff, to Tim and to Neal, the 
remaining sons of this wonderful family. Idaho has lost an icon. Idaho 
has lost one of those kinds of citizens who gives and gives and gives 
more, not for himself but for the community he was a leader in, for the 
State he loved so well, for Boundary County, where he sought his 
professional life, where he raised his family, and where he made a mark 
on Idaho. Pete Wilson will be long remembered as a citizen of our State 
who gave.
  He has always been in my political life, not just as someone who 
supported me but someone who advised me. Uncle Pete would pick up the 
phone and call and say: Larry, you're wrong about this issue. You ought 
to do it this way or you ought to do it that way. And usually he was 
right. I took his advice because he was so well grounded in the 
community he served.

  He served as president of the chamber, served as a lawyer who in many 
ways gave time and time again to the charities and to the communities 
of that marvelous community of Bonners Ferry and Boundary County.
  Pete Wilson will be missed. Pete Wilson will be long remembered. It 
was a tragic accident that took him and his son, nearly took another 
son, and his wife.
  To their family, I must say, on behalf of Suzanne and myself, we are 
so saddened by this situation, but we want Idaho to know Pete Wilson 
will be remembered as someone who made our country work, someone who 
never wanted to aspire beyond being just that strong community leader 
who associated himself communitywide and statewide to make for his 
family and for his friends a better place to live.
  Pete Wilson of Bonners Ferry, ID, of Boundary County, ID, made north 
Idaho a better place because he was there as a marvelous leader of that 
community. Pete will be long remembered.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Madam President, I want to speak in morning business, 
but I would be pleased to yield, with unanimous consent, to my friend 
from Delaware, Senator Biden.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. BIDEN. Madam President, I feel like I am part of New Jersey. The 
Senator from New Jersey is--I don't want to hurt his reputation--my 
closest ally in the Senate. We share a common border. Although I always 
kid him, as big as New Jersey is, the Delaware River is owned by the 
State of Delaware up to the high river mark in New Jersey. It is one of 
our claims to fame. We literally lap upon New Jersey's shore. But I 
thank him. I will be very brief.

                          ____________________