[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.

                          ____________________