[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 103 (Thursday, July 22, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H6678-H6679]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO FAMILY AND 
               FRIENDS OF MATTIE STEPANEK ON HIS PASSING

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the 
resolution (H. Res. 695) expressing the condolences of the House of 
Representatives to the family and friends of Mattie Stepanek on his 
passing, and honoring the life of Mattie Stepanek for his braveness, 
generosity of spirit, and efforts to raise awareness of muscular 
dystrophy, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I do not 
intend to object, first I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Murphy) for bringing forward this unanimous consent request.
  Under my reservation, I would be pleased to yield to the gentleman to 
explain the resolution.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. CARDIN. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

[[Page H6679]]

  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Government 
Reform, I want to offer strong support for H. Res. 695. This resolution 
expresses the condolences of the House of Representatives to the family 
and friends of Mattie Stepanek on his passing on June 22. Thirteen-
year-old Mattie Stepanek was a writer and a national figure who 
suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy, called dysautonomic 
mitochondrial myopathy.
  Mattie, who lived in nearby Rockville, Maryland, was an incredibly 
articulate and optimistic spokesman for muscular dystrophy. He was 
perhaps best known for writing five volumes of poetry. Incredibly, 
three of his books reached the New York Times best seller list. I will 
briefly read one here. It is called, ``On Being a Champion.''
  Mattie wrote: ``A champion is a winner, a hero, someone who never 
gives up even when the going gets rough. A champion is a member of a 
winning team, someone who overcomes challenges even when it requires 
creative solutions. A champion is an optimist, a hopeful spirit, 
someone who plays the game even when the game is called life, 
especially when the game is called life. There can be a champion in 
each of us, if we live as a winner, if we live as a member of the team, 
if we live with a hopeful spirit, for life.''
  Mattie Stepanek passed away just a few weeks before his 14th 
birthday, which was last Saturday, July 17. His life was a singular 
credit to the strength of the human spirit. He contributed so much 
during a life that was so short. He has given faith to those in need 
and hope to those who have lost direction. He has touched so many lives 
that he has never met, and I know he has touched mine. Mattie will 
continue to reach down from heaven and touch so many more.
  Tonight, I stand in strong support of this resolution that honors 
Mattie Stepanek, and I highly commend the gentleman from Maryland for 
moving ahead with H. Res. 695. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me 
and offer blessings to Mattie.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I 
first, again, thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for moving this 
resolution.
  I filed it on behalf of the entire Maryland congressional delegation. 
Mattie was a resident of our State. Jimmy Carter said that he was the 
most extraordinary person that he had ever met. Although only 13 years 
of age when he died, he had the courage that really led all of us. He 
captured love in the entire Nation when on Oprah's show, Oprah asked, 
what can I do for you, and he said just pray for me.
  As the gentleman from Pennsylvania pointed out, Mattie published five 
books of poetry, an extraordinary accomplishment for a person his age. 
Of course, he is best known as a national poster child for muscular 
dystrophy and along with Jerry Lewis appeared on national television on 
behalf of raising money to cure that disease.
  He was a national figure, a person who touched all of our lives, any 
person who met him.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. CARDIN. I yield to the gentleman from Maryland.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.
  For those of us who met this extraordinary young man, it was really 
in many ways a life-enriching experience. It is hard to believe that 
someone as young as Mattie had such a depth of understanding of life. 
His mother is a wonderful lady who transferred to Mattie her own 
courage, and he had that in great abundance.

                              {time}  2130

  But it was his wisdom far beyond his years that impressed everyone 
who met with him.
  When you listened to Mattie, he spoke as a child; but when you 
listened to what he said, he spoke as a very wise man.
  Mr. Speaker, Mattie Stepanek was someone who enriched the lives of 
all with whom he came in contact. I had an opportunity to see him every 
year for a number of years at the softball tournament that the 
International Association of Firefighters conducted in Prince George's 
County on behalf of Jerry Lewis' telethon on muscular dystrophy. Mattie 
would attend and he would speak, and everyone there came to hear 
Mattie. The rest of us were simply surplus.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) for 
introducing this resolution and thank everyone who has been involved in 
making sure that this resolution comes to the floor and that we observe 
the passing of an extraordinary American, an extraordinary young man, 
an extraordinary child of God.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 695

       Whereas Mattie Stepanek was born on July 17, 1990, and was 
     raised in Rockville, Maryland;
       Whereas Mattie Stepanek had mitochondrial myopathy, a rare 
     form of muscular dystrophy that affects heart rate, 
     breathing, and digestion;
       Whereas in 2002, 2003, and 2004, Mattie Stepanek served as 
     the National Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy 
     Association (MDA), appearing with MDA National Chairman Jerry 
     Lewis on the MDA Labor Day Telethon;
       Whereas Mattie Stepanek was able to fulfill three of his 
     dreams by publishing a book of poetry, meeting his hero, 
     former President Jimmy Carter, and meeting Oprah Winfrey;
       Whereas Mattie Stepanek has written five books of poetry, 
     including Heartsongs, Journey Through Heartsongs, Hope 
     Through Heartsongs, Celebrate Through Heartsongs, and Loving 
     Through Heartsongs;
       Whereas the poetry books written by Mattie Stepanek have 
     sold more than 500,000 copies;
       Whereas by the age of 13, Mattie Stepanek reached an 11th 
     grade education level through home schooling; and
       Whereas on June 22, 2004, Mattie Stepanek lost his fight 
     with muscular dystrophy at Children's National Medical Center 
     in Washington, District of Columbia: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its condolences to the family and friends of 
     Mattie Stepanek on his passing; and
       (2) honors the life of Mattie Stepanek for his braveness, 
     generosity of spirit, and efforts to raise awareness of 
     muscular dystrophy.

  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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