[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 137 (Monday, December 6, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




A TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN C.W. BILL YOUNG AT THE CLOSE OF HIS REMARKABLE 
      TENURE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

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                         HON. KATHERINE HARRIS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, December 6, 2004

  Ms. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my 
distinguished friend and Florida colleague, Congressman C.W. Bill 
Young, as he concludes his remarkable tenure as Chairman of the House 
Committee on Appropriations.
  During his 17 terms in Congress, Chairman Young has set the benchmark 
for integrity, compassion, and diligence in serving his constituents, 
our State, and our Nation. With his steady hand at its tiller, the 
Appropriations Committee has remained a sanctuary of comity and 
productivity as it navigated the heavy winds of terrorism, recession, 
the stock market crash, and corporate scandals, as well as the 
budgetary pressures that these crises produced.
  Of course, we Floridians were extremely fortunate that this island of 
calm resolve was serving as Appropriations Chairman when our State 
suffered the devastating, unprecedented blows of four hurricanes 
earlier this year. Within days after we returned from the August 
District Work Period, Chairman Young built a consensus around a $2 
billion relief package that the victims of this disaster desperately 
needed--just as FEMA's available funds were exhausted.
  During our consideration of the subsequent $12.6 billion supplemental 
relief bill, the pressure to include other disasters naturally arose. 
Exhibiting the same empathy and fairness that served as the hallmark of 
his chairmanship, Chairman Young managed to address these concerns 
while achieving swift passage of this legislation.
  Our Nation has been just as fortunate that Chairman Young headed the 
Appropriations Committee as we confronted the daunting challenges of a 
changed world in the aftermath of September 11. A veteran of the Army 
National Guard, Chairman Young has garnered national recognition for 
his expertise on defense and security issues. He had previously chaired 
the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, and he has 
served the longest term on the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence of any member in history.
  While ensuring that our military has the best resources available to 
fight the War on Terror, Chairman Young has always placed his highest 
priority upon the men and women who risk their lives to preserve our 
freedom. He regularly meets with enlisted personnel and officers to 
assess their needs. As a result of his unflagging efforts on their 
behalf, Congress has invested in improved base housing, better medical 
care, increased pay, and more modern equipment.
  Chairman Young has also successfully fought for the health security 
of every American. A leading advocate for increased biomedical 
research, he has worked to double Federal medical research over 5 
years. He has striven to increase the immunization rate for 
preschoolers, improve public health programs, and provide the resources 
necessary to find cures for scourges like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's 
diseases.
  In 1986, Chairman Young played a leading role in founding a national 
registry for bone marrow donors, which now bears his name in his honor. 
Today, the registry contains more than 4 million volunteer donors for 
patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases and serves 
as a model for similar diseases around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, we look forward to many more years of effective, caring 
service from this dedicated public servant, who exemplifies the 
appellation, ``the gentleman from Florida.''

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