[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 133 (Thursday, November 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN AMO HOUGHTON

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 17, 2004

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of the gentleman from New 
York, my colleague in the New York delegation, Amo Houghton. After 
eighteen years of distinguished service, Amo is leaving the Congress. 
Amo was widely known as one of the most thoughtful and highly regarded 
members in the House from both sides of the aisle. He was also a 
tireless representative for his constituents in the western portion of 
upstate New York.
  As the fifth-ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means 
Committee, Amo has been an invaluable member for the entire State of 
New York. After the tragedy and destruction of September 11, 2001, Amo 
was instrumental in enacting the Liberty Zone Act, which provided $5 
billion in tax breaks and incentives to help New Yorkers rebuild lower 
Manhattan.
  He has also been a leader in furthering U.S. diplomacy around the 
world. He is a member of the International Relations Committee where he 
is Vice Chairman of its Subcommittee on Africa. He was appointed Co-
Chairman of the Canada--U.S. Interparliamentary Group, serves as 
Chairman of the U.S. delegation to the Asia Pacific Parliamentary 
Forum, and was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the 
Congressional Delegate to the 58th General Assembly of the United 
Nations. Additionally, he sponsored the Clean Diamond Trade Act, which 
was signed into law last year. The bill requires that the President ban 
the import of rough diamonds coming from any country that has not made 
an effort to control their trade in diamonds in accordance with the 
internationally negotiated ``Kimberley Process.''
  I would also like to recognize that Amo's service to our country goes 
all the way back to his youth. At just 18 years old, he volunteered for 
service in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was trained and deployed as part 
of a Marine Security Detachment on the cruiser USS Macon in the 
Atlantic theater. Houghton was honorably discharged from the Marine 
Corps as a Private First Class in 1945.
  Mr. Speaker, I think the record is clear that Amo Houghton has been a 
devoted patriot whose service will be missed by his constituents as 
well as all of us who had the pleasure of working with him. We wish you 
all of the best in the future.

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