[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 125 (Wednesday, October 6, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H8314-H8317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER ON HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 798) honoring former President James
Earl (Jimmy) Carter on the occasion of his 80th birthday, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 798
Whereas Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, on
October 1, 1924;
Whereas Jimmy Carter attended Georgia Southwestern College
and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and received a B.S.
degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946;
Whereas Jimmy Carter served honorably as a submariner in
the United States Navy in both the Atlantic and Pacific
fleets, working under Admiral Hyman Rickover in the
development of the nuclear submarine program;
Whereas Jimmy Carter continued his commitment to public
service, serving as Georgia State Senator and Governor of
Georgia;
Whereas Jimmy Carter was elected the 39th President of the
United States on November 2, 1976;
Whereas Jimmy Carter created both the Departments of
Education and Energy;
Whereas Jimmy Carter oversaw deregulation of the airline,
energy and banking industries;
Whereas Jimmy Carter established human rights as a tenet of
American foreign policy;
Whereas Jimmy Carter inaugurated diplomatic relations with
the People's Republic of China;
Whereas Jimmy Carter successfully negotiated both the
Panama Canal and SALT II Treaties;
Whereas Jimmy Carter was instrumental in the completion of
the Camp David Accord between Israel and Egypt, signaling a
new era of peace between those two countries;
Whereas Jimmy Carter has continued his service to his
country since leaving the Presidency by championing safe and
affordable housing, human rights, and disease prevention;
Whereas Jimmy Carter remains actively committed to
promoting democracy abroad and supervising elections in
fledgling democracies;
Whereas Jimmy Carter was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize
for ``his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful
solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy
and human rights, and to promote economic and social
development''; and
Whereas Jimmy Carter serves as an international symbol of
the integrity and compassion of the country he loves: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors former
President Jimmy Carter on the occasion of his 80th birthday
and extends best wishes to him and his family.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Deal) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal).
General Leave
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in
[[Page H8315]]
which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous
material as it relates to this resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Georgia?
There was no objection.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution which wishes
President Jimmy Carter a happy 80th birthday. Our 39th President was
born on October 1, 1924, some 80 years ago last Friday, in Plains,
Georgia.
In his 4 years in the White House, President Carter worked to make
the Federal Government more competent and compassionate and more
responsive to the American people. But perhaps President Carter's most
significant accomplishment in office was his coordination of the
signing of the Camp David Accord between Israel and Egypt. This
achievement ushered in an important new beginning for these two Middle
East countries.
The President continues to this day to be active in world affairs.
For his efforts across the globe, he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Peace
Prize. President Carter has always been a very compassionate and
tremendously principled man who has based his leadership on his deep
Baptist faith.
Mr. Speaker, I know I speak for all Members when I wish President
Carter and his family the very best on the occasion of his 80th
birthday. My distinguished colleague from my home State of Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) deserves commendation from all Members for extending these
birthday wishes to President Carter on behalf of the House of
Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a milestone in the extraordinary
life of one of America's distinguished statesmen, former President
Jimmy Carter, who celebrated his 80th birthday last Friday, October 1.
In the aftermath of Watergate, America yearned for a leader with
honesty and integrity to lead our country. We found that man in Jimmy
Carter, a farmer from Georgia with dreams of a better day for America,
and we elected him as our 39th President.
{time} 2300
As President, Jimmy Carter achieved great distinction for his
mediation of the Camp David Accords, a historic alliance between Israel
and Egypt. President Carter succeeded in obtaining ratification of the
Panama Canal treaties, established full diplomatic relations with the
People's Republic of China, and completed the negotiation of the SALT
II nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union.
Perhaps what many find most admirable about Jimmy Carter is his 24
years of continued service as one of the world's great humanitarians.
In 1982, Jimmy Carter founded the Carter Center, a nonprofit,
nonpartisan center that is dedicated to the promotion of democracy,
human rights, and conflict resolution throughout the world. The
center's work has been extraordinary. The Carter Center has fought to
eradicate Guinea worm disease, to ease tensions in Haiti, and to help
free political prisoners throughout the world. Through these
achievements, Jimmy Carter has earned the respect of this Nation as one
of the most active humane and generous former Presidents in American
history.
In 2002, Jimmy Carter's achievements as a Middle East diplomat and as
the driving force behind the Carter Center earned him the Nobel Peace
Prize. The Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Jimmy Carter ``for his
decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international
conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote
economic and social development.''
Now 80, the steadfast and courageous advocate for peace and justice
continues to represent the very best of American values.
I am honored and pleased to thank Jimmy Carter for his selfless work
and to wish him a happy birthday.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), who brings us to this point.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me this time. I thank the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Deal) for speaking on behalf of this legislation and
being here tonight.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a fellow Georgian, a man whom
I am proud to call a friend, former President Jimmy Carter. It is
fitting that we honor President Carter on the occasion of his 80th
birthday, which was celebrated just a few days ago.
President Carter has spent the better part of his life in public
service, serving honorably as an officer of the United States Navy, as
a Georgia State senator, as Governor of Georgia, and as the 39th
President of the United States.
During his Presidency, he was a steadfast champion on human rights.
Jimmy Carter established human rights as a tenet of American foreign
policy and pressed nations to uphold basic standards. In the foreign
policy arena, he successfully negotiated both the SALT II and Panama
Canal treaties. However, his greatest achievement was the Camp David
Accord. President Carter was instrumental in brokering the long-sought-
after peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
I have known Jimmy Carter for more than 40 years. He is a truly
dedicated, committed human being. Considered the most successful ex-
President of our time, President Carter has used his position not to
earn a lot of money but to do good. He has used his position to
continue his commitment to peace by going around the world doing good,
monitoring elections, and fighting for health care and eradication of
diseases that afflict humankind the world over.
In addition, he has been influential in mediating international
crises around the world, including those in North Korea, Somalia, and
Haiti.
A true man of peace, Jimmy Carter serves as a living international
symbol of what is right, of what is good and what is compassionate. In
2002, President Carter's effort to promote peace earned him recognition
by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awarded him the Nobel Peace
Prize.
Now, Mr. Speaker, it is our turn to recognize his tireless efforts to
improve the human condition and to bring peace to a world in need of
peace.
So tonight I ask all of my colleagues to join us in extending the
birthday wishes of the House to former President Jimmy Carter.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) from the Albany area of Georgia.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
Illinois for yielding me this time. And I thank my colleagues for
bringing this resolution.
I am very proud to represent President Carter. Plains, Georgia, and
Sumter County are in the Second Congressional District. So it is a very
proud moment for me to be here to today to help celebrate his 80th
birthday.
Today, we certainly honor and give recognition to a man who truly
serves as a living international symbol of American compassion and
integrity. But his integrity did not begin with winning the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2002 or when he brokered peaceful solutions to international
conflict. Rather, his humanity stems from a foundation of values laid
in rural Georgia years ago, where church and school heavily influenced
his early life. Those values, infused in the noble profession of peanut
farming, shaped his character, influenced his political ideologies, and
added to his commitment to democracy, to freedom, and to peace.
His commitment to humankind carried him through his early years of
public service, on the school board, State senator, governor, and
through election as the 39th President of the United States.
President Carter negotiated the Panama Canal treaties. He conceived
the Camp David Accords, which laid a foundation for settling disputes
in the Middle East, a feat that eluded peacemakers, I guess, for
decades and decades, and he was behind the second Strategic Arms
Limitation Talks with the then-Soviet Union.
[[Page H8316]]
But President Carter's success was not limited to just foreign
policy. On the American home front, he worked on developing programs
for harnessing alternative sources of energy such as solar, nuclear,
and geothermal power. He created new departments of education and
energy. His environmental track record included passage of legislation
to preserve the wilderness and the vast natural resources in Alaska.
President Carter's deep commitment to social justice and human rights
continued even after he left office. In 1984, he started the Jimmy
Carter Work Project with Habitat for Humanity. Through this project
volunteers built thousands of houses, raising the awareness of the need
for affordable housing.
And today he remains loyal to his roots in rural Georgia and has
worked to create job opportunities through State and local
partnerships, which has stimulated economic growth and tourism.
President Carter has served his Nation and the world as the best
example of American service. His actions always bring to mind
dedication, statesmanship, and above all, honor.
{time} 2310
I am privileged to recognize and to commend President Carter, my role
model, my constituent in the Second District of Georgia, and my friend,
on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
The late Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays, President Emeritus of Moorehouse
College, said, ``You make your living by what you get; you make your
life by what you give.'' We are all pleased because of the life that
President and Mrs. Carter have made.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 5
minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois for yielding me time, and I welcomed hearing my
colleagues from Georgia. It is interesting to think of President Carter
as having deep roots down in the heart of Texas, but he does.
Let me say to my colleagues that my daughter's first political
experience was as a 7-month-old at a rally for President Carter in
Houston, Texas. I think that made an indelible mark on her and began
her own journey of concern and interest in the needs of others.
So I rise today to honor the 39th President of the United States,
Jimmy Carter, as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Truly this is a man
worthy of commendation and the recognition of this entire body.
It is rare when a man can achieve the position of President, but it
is even rarer when the same man can continue to do public service long
after his political career is long over. That is President Jimmy
Carter.
I can see his smiling face even now as he has traveled around the
world touching the lives of people in the United States and around the
world. He has championed safe and affordable housing, human rights and
disease prevention. His fight for those who are underprivileged and
often overlooked earned him the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his decades
of untiring efforts to find peaceful solutions to international
conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights and to promote
economic and social development.
I wonder if there is a place around the world where there has been
hostility, divisiveness over elections and the search for democracy
that President Carter and his lovely bride have not gone to count the
votes and to ensure the integrity of the process and to help promote
democracy.
President Carter loved this Nation, and, by doing so, by loving it,
he has continued his work or the new work of his life in seeking to
bring peace and reconciliation around the world.
I had the privilege, as I said, of having my 7-month-old daughter
with me in a rally for President Carter. I am glad it was her first
introduction to politics. I then had the honor of having President
Carter alongside of us, many volunteers, as we worked in a project in
my Congressional district for Habitat for Humanity, some 30 or so
homes, families now living with integrity and dignity in the project
that President Carter and his wife adopted in the aftermath of their
presidential responsibilities. What President we know spent these long
years of service to his community and to his Nation and to the world
way after, way after, his tenure in office?
I am reminded of the words of President Carter when he said,
``Globalization as defined by rich people like us is a very nice thing.
You are talking about the Internet, you are talking about cell phones,
you are talking about computers. This doesn't affect two-thirds of the
people of the world.''
This is a simple testament to what President Carter understood and
what he believed in, and that is helping the least of those.
As I conclude my remarks on President Carter, let me make mention of
another one of his friends that has since gone on, and that was
Congressman Mickey Leland. There lies the nexus of the additional
connection of President Carter to Texas, because in the last years of
President Carter's tenure as president Mickey Leland was elected to the
office of Congressperson of the 18th Congressional District
representing Texas, and he became a good friend of the President.
Mickey Leland became a very good friend to President Carter, which
leads me to make mention of another individual that was honored today.
I was not able to arrive on the floor of the House at the time of the
redesignation of the Kingwood Post Office facility to be named the
Congressman Jack Fields Post Office facility, and I would like to
briefly add my words and commendation to Congressman Jack Fields, who
was a very, very strong friend of Mickey Leland and his family.
We have many fond memories of that friendship, and I have fond
memories of the 2 years that I had the privilege of working with
Congressman Fields, an individual who loved his country as well and
worked with Democrats and Republicans. The great work that he did on
restructuring the telecommunications industry, he did it in an
enormously bipartisan way.
I cannot imagine a greater tribute to a great American, a great
Houstonian and great Texan than Jack Fields, a friend of Mickey Leland,
one who laughed frequently about the relationship they had on the
basketball court.
Let me conclude by saying, Mr. Speaker, that these two individuals
are joined by their knowledge and their great love of America and
joined by their friendship with my friend and colleague Mickey Leland.
I ask support of this legislation.
I rise today to honor the 39th President of the United States, Jimmy
Carter, as he celebrates his 80th birthday. Truly, this is a man worthy
of commendation and the recognition of this entire body. It is rare
when a man can achieve the position of President, but it is even rarer
when that same man can continue to do public service long after his
political career is over.
Even after leaving office, President Carter has continued to touch
the lives of people here in the United States and around the world. As
he did during his Presidency, he has championed safe and affordable
housing, human rights, and disease prevention. His fight for those who
are underprivileged and often overlooked earned him the 2002 Nobel
Peace Prize for ``his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful
solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human
rights, and to promote economic and social development.'' It was
President Carter who reminded us of our responsibilities as a nation
and as individuals when he said:
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be
gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to
extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a
weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and
rashness and other signs of insecurity.
It was President Carter who made human rights and compassion a staple
of American foreign policy. At a time of increasing violence and
international unrest it was President Carter who offered a calm and
decisive approach to American foreign policy. It was President Carter
who simply stated: ``America did not invent human rights. In a very
real sense human rights invented America.'' It was President Carter who
was instrumental in the negotiation and signing of the Camp David
Accord between Israel and Egypt, which gave hope to those around the
world that even the most entrenched of adversaries could make peace.
It was President Carter who successfully negotiated both the Panama
Canal and SALT II
[[Page H8317]]
Treaties, which to this day hold such great importance. It was also
President Carter who inaugurated diplomatic relations with the People's
Republic of China. In these difficult diplomatic situations President
Carter never backed down because he knew that the price for a lack of
international cooperation was far greater than any price he would pay
simply for trying. Even today, it is President Jimmy Carter who remains
actively committed to promoting peace and democracy abroad, supervising
elections in fledgling democracies, and helping to defuse international
crises in North Korea, Somalia, and Haiti. There are many men of
rhetoric about how the world should be, but there are only a few men
like President Carter who take the time to make their noble vision into
reality.
I want to conclude my remarks by quoting the words of President
Carter when he said:
Globalization, as defined by rich people like us, is a very
nice thing . . . you are talking about the Internet, you are
talking about cell phones, you are talking about computers.
This doesn't affect two-thirds of the people of the world.
This simple statement is a testament to the selflessness that has
defined President Carter's life. Time after time when he could have
used circumstances for his own advantage, he instead chose to take the
more difficult path and use those circumstances to aid the less
fortunate. It is that great spirit that defines the noble intentions of
our nation and the future we hope to obtain. Again, I wish President
Carter a happy 80th birthday and may God bless him in all his future
endeavors.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, as we conclude this debate on this resolution, I again
thank my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), for
introducing the resolution as we honor our native son, a man that the
State of Georgia is indeed proud of, our 39th President, and truly wish
to President Carter and his family the best wishes of this body.
I urge my colleagues to adopt and support H. Res. 798.
Ms. MAJETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize former President
Jimmy Carter who celebrated his 80th birthday last week. President
Carter continues to show us by his example and by his spirit of service
what it means to be an American and a world citizen.
President Carter served our country as a naval officer; he then
served the people of Georgia both in State government and as Governor.
As President, he served this Nation during challenging times. He
opened the door of opportunity to women, African Americans and
Hispanics by appointing them to many jobs in the Federal Government. He
created the Department of Education, worked to improve the environment,
and expanded the National Park System protection of the Alaskan
wilderness. He worked hard to battle inflation and unemployment during
his administration and was able to increase jobs by nearly 8 million
and to decrease the budget deficit. During the energy crisis he had a
comprehensive energy program.
In foreign affairs, his accomplishments include the Panama Canal
treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and
Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment
of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. He
championed human rights throughout the world.
Since leaving the White House, President Carter has dedicated his
life to peace, democracy, human rights, and the elimination of human
suffering, touching the lives of millions of people around the world.
Through his exceptional work at the Carter Center, he has all but
eliminated Guinea worm disease in Africa, and has treated millions who
suffer from river blindness and trachoma. President Carter was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 ``for his decades of untiring effort to
find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance
democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social
development.''
He is a leader in the fight against poverty nationwide, and
particularly in Georgia, through his Atlanta Project, which addresses
the many social problems that come with poverty. He and Mrs. Carter are
also regular volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, a charitable
organization dedicated to ending homelessness.
President Carter is a man of faith and a man who loves his country.
He has succeeded in making this world a better place than he found it.
He is an inspiration for those of us who serve our communities and our
Nation.
I am proud to call him a fellow Georgian and in celebration of his
80th birthday, I extend my thanks and best wishes to President Jimmy
Carter and his family.
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my
time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida.). The
question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Deal) that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H.
Res. 798, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was
agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________