[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 82 (Monday, June 20, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H4790-H4796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO PETER RODINO

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 4, 2005, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, we are gathered here this evening to pay 
tribute to one of the true heroes of our time, a man who earned a 
stellar national reputation but who also holds a very special place in 
the hearts of those of us from his home State of New Jersey and those 
who had the privilege to serve with him, former Congressman and 
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the Honorable Peter W. 
Rodino. I feel privileged to hold the seat in Congress which Chairman 
Rodino previously held from 1948 until his retirement 40 years later in 
1989.
  It is certainly a testament to his outstanding work here in the House 
of Representatives and the high esteem in which he was held among his 
constituents that he won reelection to Congress 19 consecutive times 
over the course of his career. From my personal experience growing up 
in Newark, New Jersey, I was inspired to enter public service after 
reading stories in the newspaper I delivered as a youngster, the Star 
Ledger, about the work of my local Congressman, Peter Rodino, and the 
passion he brought to his job. We felt proud to have such a hardworking 
and dedicated public servant representing our interests in Washington, 
especially since I lived in the neighborhood in the old North Ward of 
Newark where he served and lived.
  Peter Rodino was a driving force behind all of the major civil rights 
legislation and opened up doors of opportunity for an entire 
generation. Throw his service on the House Judiciary Committee he 
authored the majority reports on which the civil rights legislation of 
1957, 1960, 1964 and 1968 were based. In addition, he played a key role 
in the passage of the fair housing bill in 1966.
  He was active in the movements to establish a national holiday in 
honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior, and to provide the District of 
Columbia with a voting delegate.
  During the Watergate hearings, Chairman Rodino won praise from both 
sides of the aisle for his fairness, even-handedness and sense of 
decorum. He carried out his constitutional duty, but it was not a role 
he chose or relished. In fact, he broke down in tears after the 
Judiciary Committee approved articles of impeachment against a 
President not of his own party. That kind of sensitivity and compassion 
is indeed rare today in the political arena.
  After his retirement from Congress, Congressman Rodino continued 
working diligently, serving as a distinguished visiting professor of 
constitutional law at Seton Hall University in Newark, New Jersey. I 
was excited during my first term in Congress to be part of a successful 
effort to secure over $5 million for the establishment of a model 
center for social justice at Seton Hall University School of Law, the 
Peter W. Rodino, Junior, Institute of Social Justice.
  Despite all of his achievements, Peter Rodino was most proud of being 
the son of an Italian immigrant who achieved the American dream. In 
fact, in a tribute to his Italian heritage, he sponsored the bill that 
made Columbus Day a Monday national holiday. He never forgot where he 
came from and he always had time to help other people who needed a 
hand.
  In fact, after his passing on May 7, the Star Ledger ran a story 
about a sixth grade student, Christina Rodriguez, who had never met 
former Congressman Rodino, but called seeking an interview for a school 
paper she was writing. Although he was in the middle of celebrating his 
95th birthday with friends and family, he generously spent 45 minutes 
giving her a firsthand account of a chapter of history that took place 
long before she was born.
  Mr. Speaker, former Congressman Rodino was not only an admired leader 
and a great champion for all of the right issues, he was also a 
wonderful human being. Let us express our deep appreciation for his 
service in Congress.
  Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Joy; his son, Peter W. 
Rodino, III; his daughter, Margaret Stanziale and her husband Charles 
Stanziale; his three grandchildren, Carla Prunty, Maria Stanziale and 
Talia Rodino; and his twin great-grandchildren, Annabel and Charlotte 
Prunty.
  At this time, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Conyers), who served on the Judiciary Committee with Mr. Rodino, 
the current ranking member on the Committee on the Judiciary, who has 
served in the Congress for close to 40 years.

                              {time}  2045

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, 
but would be pleased if the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), 
the minority leader, would precede me.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California 
(Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I know how close the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Conyers) was to our former colleague, Congressman Rodino, and I am 
very honored he would yield to me to speak about him.
  I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Payne) and say how impressive it is to see him; the Chair of our 
caucus, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez); and all of the 
members of the New Jersey delegation; along with the gentleman from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Sherman) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) of the 
Committee on the Judiciary, all who served with Mr. Rodino or served 
under his legacy, or are just proud to speak out this evening. I thank 
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for organizing this Special 
Order.
  First, I join the gentleman in expressing heartfelt condolences to 
the entire Rodino family, to his wife, Joy, daughter Margaret, and of 
course his son, Peter. I hope they find comfort in the proud legacy he 
leaves. I hope it is a comfort to them that so many people mourn their 
loss and are praying for them.
  A man of integrity and humility, Peter Rodino was a great American 
who served our Nation with great dignity and honor. He was truly a 
historic figure and consequential leader who changed the course of 
history for the better.
  Many years ago, President John Kennedy spoke of ``the high court of 
history'' by which public officials will be judged. History will treat 
Peter Rodino very well.
  By conducting the Watergate impeachment hearings with fairness, Peter 
Rodino ensured that the rule of law prevailed during one of the 
greatest constitutional crises in our country. He spoke before this 
House when the Watergate impeachment hearings and said, ``Whatever the 
result, whatever we learn or conclude, let us now proceed with such 
care and decency and thoroughness and honor that the vast majority of 
the American people, and their children after them, will say: `That was 
the right course. There was no other way.'''
  He did all that and more. His contribution was immeasurable. 
Americans will be forever grateful for his courage and for his defense 
of the Constitution.
  Though most renowned for the service he rendered during the Watergate 
impeachment hearings, Peter Rodino left a lasting imprint as a 
distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee, an author of 
significant legislation, ranging from civil rights to immigration to 
protecting consumers. A Seton Hall law professor, Paula Franzese said 
at his funeral, ``He was a champion for the underdog. He was a speaker 
for those who had no voice.'' What a magnificent compliment, and still 
understates the contribution he made.
  Peter Rodino was a main sponsor of the Civil Rights Act of 1966 and 
authored the extension of the Voting Rights Act in 1982. He reformed 
immigration quotas and promoted fair housing laws, and he was one of 
the authors of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act that protects consumers by 
preventing anti-

[[Page H4791]]

competitive mergers. He was a legislative and legal giant whose work 
continues to have a profound impact on the lives of Americans.
  Peter Rodino's passing is a personal loss to who all served with him. 
It was an honor to call him colleague. Though a giant in Congress, he 
was always kind to newer, more junior Members who looked to him for 
guidance. He was of course a great source of pride and inspiration for 
all of us in the Italian-American community. I had a special bond with 
him in that regard. He was, as Father Nicholas Gengaro noted at the 
funeral, ``a household God, patron of the good name and respect'' of 
Italian Americans.
  He was always proud of his heritage. As a Congressman, one of his 
notable achievements was sponsoring the bill that made Columbus Day a 
national holiday, a day that commemorates the contributions of Italian 
Americans.
  After serving in Congress for nearly 40 years, Mr. Rodino did not 
retire, he returned to his beloved Newark and continued his public 
service until his passing. He found a new and noble calling as an 
educator and law professor at Seton Hall Law School, and he shared his 
lessons with new generations of students so they could learn from his 
example and so that the lessons of Watergate will never be forgotten.
  As he said in an interview a year ago, ``People today just do not 
know what happened, and they should.'' And they did learn more when he 
passed away because so many compliments were extended to his family for 
his incredible leadership. Because of Peter Rodino, the rule of law 
prevailed. He stood for truth and accountability and fought against 
abuses of power and corruption.
  His legacy is a reminder it is our constant duty to protect and 
defend the Constitution of the United States, the rule of law and our 
civil liberties. That is the oath of office we take and we must never, 
never let our guard down on it. Tonight as we recall the life of Peter 
Rodino, we must honor his legacy by conducting ourselves and all of our 
public duties with integrity and fairness, and we must honor his 
courageous legacy by upholding the rule of law as he did so much to 
advance, and defending the Constitution he did so much to protect.
  Again, I offer my condolences to the family. It is a great loss for 
so many reasons, but he had a wonderful smile and a twinkle in his eye 
and he was just a great and wonderful person. You could see the spark 
of divinity in him, and his generosity of spirit and kindness to so 
many people, and the greatness of his intellect.
  I offer my condolences to his family for their personal loss. As a 
Nation, we give thanks for his life, a life that enriched and ennobled 
all who knew him, and a life of dedicated and courageous service. We 
shall miss him greatly.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for 
calling this Special Order to commemorate a giant of the Congress.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Pelosi) for those kind words. I know his wife, Joy, will appreciate 
those words as she is watching this tonight in the comfort of her home 
with other members of her family.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers).
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, when we think of Peter Rodino on the 
Committee on the Judiciary, it conjures up the names of some of those 
great men and women, Barbara Jordan, who walked the halls, who listened 
in that 2141 Rayburn Room to the constitutional arguments that were 
being presented day in and day out. And we thought what would happen 
after Mannie Celler was the chairman. Here was little old Peter Rodino 
and people said, Wow, where are we going to go from here? Mannie Celler 
was a giant, an orator, a fighter, a great writer. And Peter Rodino 
came to the chairmanship of the Committee on the Judiciary as a very 
modest, humble member of that committee. He never sought the spotlight. 
You would rarely see him on television before Watergate and 
impeachment. It seemed like it was provident that for that impeachment, 
we needed exactly the kind of persona that Peter Rodino brought because 
without it, I can tell Members we do not know where that committee was 
going. That committee was very passionately divided, and it was very 
even numbers of Democrats and Republicans.
  There was open writing about whether this Nation could stand an 
impeachment of a President because there had not been one in over 100 
years. They were saying how can Chairman Rodino contain this huge 
division that is ripping not just Washington but the whole Nation, 
indeed the world was focused on whether or not there were grounds to 
remove under the second amendment to the Constitution under articles of 
impeachment for treason, high crimes or misdemeanors.
  Believe me, we were under a great deal of tension. Everybody was 
getting angrier in their speeches and the pronouncements of the 
Members, but Peter Rodino never lost his temper. He never raised his 
voice. After we had the White House tapes come out, then the articles 
of impeachment came forward. And out of five of them, three of them 
received the votes of at least half a dozen Republicans and Democrats 
as well. I might as well tell Members there were Democrats on the 
committee that were not convinced that impeachment was the route to go.
  So Peter Rodino, with people like Bob Kastenmeier of Wisconsin, Don 
Edwards of California, Jerome Waldie of California, Barbara Jordan. And 
there was a freshman member on the committee named the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Rangel). And there were some interesting staff members. 
One was named attorney Hillary Rodham and another was Attorney Zoe 
Lofgren. There were all kinds of names coming in and out.
  Every day brought new developments. President Nixon was resolute that 
he would never give up his office to these kinds of scurrilous attacks, 
and Peter Rodino persevered through this. Had there been a chairman 
with a different personality or temperament, I am not sure how those 
impeachment hearings would have gone forward.
  When I visited Peter Rodino at Seton Hall Law School last spring, he 
was still full of stories. He was still reminding me of incidents and 
how we had to get the votes and master the subpoenas, the issuance of 
the subpoenas and the order of witnesses and what we would do with John 
Dean and Haldeman and Archibald Cox. Those names all figured into this 
incredible situation that this very modest Member of Congress from 
Newark who preceded the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) was able 
to keep it together.
  It transformed America. It forced the President to resign rather than 
to have us have to bring those articles of impeachment forward. 
Chairman Rodino worked behind the scenes to figure out who would 
actually take the place of President Nixon.
  I will never forget the discussions that went on in 2141 Rayburn 
House Office Building in which finally the Speaker from Oklahoma and 
the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary said there is only one 
thing that we can do to keep this country on an even keel, and that is 
there is one congressman in the House who can do this and he would be 
accepted by the Ds and the Rs, and his name was the gentleman from 
Michigan, Gerald Ford. They took that name down and moved it forward.
  I want to tell Members, Peter Rodino, when he would see someone that 
was there during those months from May 1974 to July 1974, he would 
start off by saying, John, do you remember that day we had so and so 
come by our office and we had to decide on whether we were going to 
issue subpoenas or not, or whether we were going to let them bring 
their testimony forward or whether we could get a bipartisan group of 
Members to move these hearings forward.

                              {time}  2100

  The pundits were all writing, This is ridiculous. This can't be done. 
Peter Rodino has no experience to bring this kind of a matter to the 
House of Representatives. It does the House and the Congress and the 
country a huge disservice. But Peter Rodino, his excellent staff, the 
Members of both parties gradually, one by one, realized that we had 
more than enough grounds. As a matter of fact, we had more articles of 
impeachment. After a while, we stopped raising new articles because 
they were not necessary.
  And so I want to tell everybody here that even though I have served 
under

[[Page H4792]]

Emanuel Celler and Jack Brooks and Henry Hyde and Jim Sensenbrenner, 
Peter Rodino was the leader of this committee that I have served on 
since I have been in the House of Representatives, the committee that 
protects the Constitution, the committee that promotes civil rights, 
the committee that has spent all of its time trying to make the Federal 
criminal code, the laws of the land, the compacts between the States, 
the Department of Justice oversight that has been within our 
jurisdiction.
  Peter Rodino served those noble ends in a way that none of the 
previous chairmen of this great committee and the Congress have. I will 
always remember with great pleasure and privilege in the fact that I 
was able to serve on that committee with this wonderful man. We will 
always remember the great service that he gave to this country.
  Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank the gentleman from Michigan for his 
institutional memory and to really bring alive those trying days when 
this Nation was on the brink of which way to go. We really appreciate 
his recounting history. He made it alive again.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), 
the caucus Chair of the Democratic Party.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my distinguished colleague 
and friend from New Jersey, particularly as we coshare the great city 
of Newark in representation in the Congress of the United States and 
particularly the privilege I have had representing the people of the 
North and East Ward at Newark North Ward where Peter Rodino lived most 
of his life, throughout his life, and for organizing this special 
opportunity. I want to thank the distinguished whip for yielding in the 
process here because I have an event to go to.
  Particularly, I want to join in paying honor to a great American and 
a respected public servant, the late Congressman from New Jersey, Peter 
Rodino. Though I never had the pleasure of serving with Congressman 
Rodino in the House, I have tremendous admiration for his work. I have 
heard from so many of his colleagues who did have the opportunity and 
the privilege of serving with him as well as from my colleague Donald 
Payne of his tremendous respect in the House; and certainly from his 
work, one would understand that.
  I join today in mourning the loss of a man of wisdom and integrity 
who spent his long career fighting tough battles to improve the quality 
of life for the people of his district and the Nation. Like many of his 
generation, Congressman Rodino's loyal service to his country began in 
the trenches of World War II, where he fought valiantly and emerged as 
a decorated war veteran.
  During his 40-year tenure in the House of Representatives, he served 
with distinction and established himself as a champion in the fight for 
social justice and equality for all Americans. Though some may not have 
viewed him as the most outspoken Member of Congress, Congressman Rodino 
worked diligently to bring about real social change and let his actions 
speak instead. He chose his battles wisely and played a critical role 
in developing historic pieces of legislation in the areas of civil 
rights, immigration, and fair housing. His vision is imprinted in many 
legacies that have shaped the future of our country, including the 
monumental Civil Rights Act of 1964 in which he played a vital role 
pushing it forward and seeing it become law.
  In this way and many more, Congressman Rodino served our country far 
beyond the borders of his constituency. His sense of duty to serve our 
Nation saw no barriers and no obstacle too great. Just as remarkable as 
his perseverance to improve civil rights was his fairness during a time 
of constitutional crisis.
  Congressman Rodino, as we just heard from our colleague, stepped into 
the role as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee during a 
precarious moment in our Nation's history. Today in a political 
atmosphere sharply divided along party lines, we look with even greater 
admiration at Congressman Rodino, a statesman who was able to use his 
political acumen to work in a bipartisan fashion during the turbulent 
era of the Watergate investigation. His calm, nonpartisan leadership 
approach earned him the respect of people from all political 
persuasions, and he proved himself to be a steady hand in a sea of 
storms.
  History will record that he defended and preserved the Constitution, 
some may say an ordinary man who performed an extraordinary service for 
the Nation. His life experiences and extensive career in this Chamber 
helped him to become one of its great voices of reason.
  I had the benefit of speaking with Congressman Rodino during the 
Clinton impeachment trial. After hearing his wise counsel, I was 
convinced based on that conversation and all of the facts, of course, 
that there were no grounds for impeachment. I, like many, trusted his 
insight, and the House was fortunate to have such a thoughtful, 
perceptive Member.
  But beyond the longevity of his public service, I was most impressed 
by his sense of integrity and his commitment to upholding the 
principles of the Constitution. He was known for carrying around a copy 
of the document he so admired in his pocket. Not only did he know the 
principles it embodied inside and out; he lived them. Few of us have 
the opportunity to witness almost a century of history, but we should 
all aspire to be so influential in shaping that history. Peter Rodino 
was a man ahead of his time, who saw beyond the circumstances he came 
from and beyond the barriers that surrounded him. His vision for this 
country has made this Nation and the people it protects stronger, and 
it is a lasting vision we still benefit from today.

  I, too, would like to offer my sincere condolences to Congressman 
Rodino's wife, Joy, his two children and extended family. May they find 
comfort and peace in the memory of this accomplished man who leaves 
behind a tremendous legacy of greatness.
  Mr. PAYNE. Let me thank the Democratic Caucus Chair, the gentleman 
from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), for those kind words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the minority whip, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne) for yielding, and I am pleased to join so many of my friends 
from New Jersey who were and are from the State so ably represented for 
40 years by Peter Rodino. I note that we are also joined by Charlie 
Rangel who served side by side with Peter Rodino from an adjoining 
State and my friends Barney Frank and Howard Berman who have served 
with such distinction on the Judiciary Committee.
  I did not know Peter Rodino well. I knew him. I had the privilege of 
serving with him. I worked for a United States Senator, first a House 
Member, in 1962. Of course, Mr. Rodino was here at that point in time. 
But it was not until some 10, 12 years later that he became the famous 
Peter Rodino. But he was not necessarily perceived to be famous at the 
outset.
  His father at the age of 16 came from Italy, had come to the United 
States. Peter was born in a tenement in Newark. His mother died at age 
4. I am sure that most Americans hearing that background would not have 
said to themselves that this young man will grow up not only to be a 
Representative in the Congress of the United States but also to 
represent America's most valued principles, America's bedrock 
commitment to democracy and its commitment to the fact that no 
individual, no matter how powerful he or she might be, is above the 
Constitution or the laws of the United States of America.
  That in many ways makes us unique. Certainly it makes us different 
from the autocracies that we see even today around the world. It was 
Peter Rodino's lot to be called upon to meet the challenge of redeeming 
once again that promise of American democracy; and short in stature 
though he may have been, he was tall in stature to meet that challenge. 
Last month, we lost him at age 95, having served 40 years in this body.
  Peter Wallace Rodino ably represented the 10th District of New 
Jersey, 40 years, 4 decades, a long period of time. He was first 
elected to the 81st Congress in 1948 and reelected 19 times. I believe 
the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) has been reelected at least 19 
times.
  Mr. RANGEL. Seventeen.

[[Page H4793]]

  Mr. HOYER. Seventeen times. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) 
has been reelected 19-plus times. We all had the opportunity of serving 
here with Mr. Whitten who was reelected, I believe, 25 or 26 times, 
served a half a century. Clearly, Peter Rodino was one of the longest 
serving. But serving a long time in and of itself simply means that you 
were able to live and to be reelected. Serving well is the mark of one 
who served our country, and that is Peter Rodino's legacy.
  His lead role as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's 
impeachment investigation has been spoken of here, and that is clearly 
what he will be remembered for. However, he also doggedly, as has also 
been said, fought for the rights of people, authoring multiple civil 
rights reports which formed the basis of several landmark civil rights 
bills.
  That was in a time when we recall that the Senate was refusing to 
pass legislation to outlaw lynching. The Senate just a few days ago 
apologized for that. The House passed a number of bills, but the Senate 
failed to pass them. Peter Rodino, even at that time, before it became 
really popular and the thing to do, was standing tall for the rights of 
individuals. John Conyers spoke eloquently to that just now.
  The son of an Italian immigrant. How proud Nancy Pelosi, herself a 
child of a famous Italian family, must have felt in rising to speak 
about Peter Rodino, an Italian who brought luster to his Italian 
heritage and to his American citizenship and country. He demonstrated 
extraordinary determination that characterized so many of his 
generation. Tom Brokaw called Peter Rodino's generation the greatest 
generation. Peter Rodino demonstrated that both at war and at peace, on 
the fields of battle in World War II and on the floor of this House, 
particularly in the 1970s.
  For 10 years, he worked days and attended law school at night, 
graduating from what is now Rutgers law school.

                              {time}  2115

  His personal courage, of course, was never in question. He 
volunteered for service during World War II, as I have said, even 
though he was too old and could have been exempted. Some lied, of 
course, and said they were 18 when they were 16 to get in the service. 
But Peter Rodino, who had served ably at that point in time in his 
community said, ``send me,'' ``send me,'' to his country.
  He served in the army from 1941 to 1946, fighting with the First 
Armored Division in North Africa and in the home of his father's birth, 
Italy. He was awarded the Bronze Star, a War Cross, and Knight Order of 
the Crown from Italy.
  His defining moment, of course, as we have all said was 1974, when he 
stood up for the Constitution, for the American people, for a way of 
life, for a continuity of government. Judiciary Chairman Rodino 
demonstrated wise judgment. ``Wise'' has been used a number of times in 
referring to Peter Rodino. How appropriate.
  At a moment of instability and uncertainty for our Nation, which 
could have been dangerously exacerbated by excessive partisanship or 
overzealous action, Chairman Rodino brought wise, measured, thoughtful, 
and honest consideration to this awesome task.
  This Nation was blessed by God with Peter Rodino, as God has blessed 
this Nation with many others at times of crisis to stand and serve ably 
and wisely.
  I want to say to his family that we share their loss, we thank them 
for his service, and we will remember our dear and faithful, wise and 
kind, good colleague, Peter Wallace Rodino.
  I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the minority whip for his 
participation. I am sure those words are of comfort to the family.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Rangel), the ranking member on the Committee on Ways and Means, a 
person who served with Congressman Rodino on the Judiciary Committee.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne) for giving us who knew and loved Peter an opportunity to share 
our views. It has not gone unnoticed that the gentleman from New Jersey 
has reminded me on a number of occasions that if I had endorsed him 
earlier, he would have had as much seniority as I have today. But I do 
recall that he never, ever, in the heat of campaigns, said anything to 
take away from the integrity of this great American, Peter Rodino.
  Ironically, even though the chairman of that committee when I first 
got here was from Brooklyn, I did not know Mannie Celler, but the 
gentleman from New Jersey knows him, the closeness of Newark and 
Harlem.
  I did know Peter Rodino, and during the time I was in the State 
legislature, he was telling me what the Congress was doing or not doing 
or should be doing about the international drug trafficking and about 
the plight that our cities were having with addiction and crime.
  So when I came here, I was so honored to be on that committee, never 
knowing that my friend Peter Rodino would be the chairman of that 
committee in such a short period of time. But Peter really loved this 
country. He really loved the Judiciary Committee. And I never saw 
anyone that felt so warmly about his home country. He really was proud 
of being an Italian and wanted so much to make certain that he brought 
honor to his people and his community, to his constituents and to the 
Congress.
  As I heard the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) say, assuming 
the chairmanship of that committee in the shadows of Mannie Celler was 
not an easy thing to do. We were constantly reminded, and I see the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) here, that impeachment did not 
automatically go to the Judiciary Committee. And more than once the 
Speaker would say if we did not move on to either impeach President 
Nixon or get off his back that a special select committee would be 
called.
  Every time we came here on Monday, we were beseeched by Members 
asking us, ``What are you going to do? Get on with it? We are facing an 
election, and you guys are just on television.''
  That was a lot of pressure on Peter Rodino, who had assumed these new 
responsibilities. There was some testimony that was embargoed but 
recently was released, which to me said a lot about Peter. It had to do 
with the tapes that President Nixon had with conversations he had with 
Haldeman, Erlichman, and Dean. And the President was very concerned 
about the life expectancy of Thurgood Marshall and went on in his 
rambling way of talking about people who would not be replacing him 
based on their color and religion. So he went through blacks, and he 
went through Jewish people, and then he went through Italians, in a 
most derogatory way. The way the operation was on the committee was 
that we would have a transcript, and we would listen to the tape. But 
when it got to the Italian part of the tape, it was excised in the 
written transcript and silenced on the tape. But any Member could go to 
the Chief Counsel to see what was excised, and he had excised that part 
that spoke against the Italian people and why they should not be 
expected to get a judgeship because of their backgrounds.
  I came out and I said, ``Peter, why the heck would you take this off 
of the tape?'' And he said, ``Because it had nothing to do with the 
relevancy of whether or not the President of the United States should 
be impeached.'' And I smiled because that is the integrity of a person, 
who could have received headlines throughout the country for exposing 
the President, wanting so much to have due process overcome the 
prejudices and the partisanship that certainly did not exist as it does 
today but it was there. And Peter just felt that defaming people in the 
privacy of the White House did not determine whether or not he had 
violated the Constitution.
  Peter Rodino was one heck of a courageous guy and, indeed, rose to 
the occasion where those of us that were on the committee knew that the 
wrongdoers in the White House were so afraid that the impeachment of 
President Nixon will cause havoc not only in the government, but 
throughout these United States. And when articles were voted, Peter 
went to the rear of the Judiciary room to call his family and, with 
tears in his eyes, announced that the President of the United States 
had Articles of Impeachment voted against him.

[[Page H4794]]

  A lot of people do not know, but Peter became the most popular person 
not for the decision but because he kept this country together. He kept 
this Congress together. And a lot of people do not know, but Mario 
Biaggi knew that a committee was formed to have Peter Rodino as a 
candidate for Vice President of the United States to run with Jimmy 
Carter. And we discussed that he got his interview, and that was when 
Mondale prevailed. But I would suspect that those people who came to 
this great country forcefully, or because they wanted to get here would 
have to show that if a guy like Peter Rodino from the streets of Newark 
could face the international responsibility of stabilizing the world's 
most powerful government and to come out with the scores that he did as 
a great American, I know his wife, Joy, and his family would know that 
this is a great country, Peter Rodino was a great person, and the 
integrity of this Congress was raised to a level that I do not remember 
ever reading about since.
  I want to thank the gentleman (Mr. Payne) and our colleagues for 
never allowing this world to forget what a person from Newark or Harlem 
or anywhere in this country, when challenged, they could meet this 
challenge.
  I thank Mr. Payne for yielding to me.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Rangel) for bringing history alive. As we have indicated before, I 
think this is a wonderful opportunity for America, and I hope that 
these tapes will be shown in law schools and around the country so 
students who will take the mantles of government and judiciary 
positions will know what a wonderful person this was.
  At this time I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), 
who also served on the Judiciary Committee with Chairman Rodino, who 
actually was a resident of New Jersey before moving to Massachusetts.
  Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
New Jersey for yielding to me.
  And it is true. I grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, in the gentleman 
from New Jersey's (Mr. Menendez) district. And growing up, Peter Rodino 
was someone for whom I had a great deal of respect, someone whom, as I 
thought about a political career, I admired enormously, living not far 
from his district. And then, of course, I watched, as did the whole 
country, in the 1970s when the impeachment went forward. I was then in 
the State legislature. I did not, as did the gentleman from Michigan 
and the gentleman from New York, serve on the committee during 
impeachment. So when I got here in 1981, having been elected in 1980, 
and got assigned to the Judiciary Committee, it was really a 
reinforcement to me of the kind of literally awe-inspiring role I had 
been lucky enough to take, having known of Peter Rodino when I was in 
high school.
  Having watched him perform in that masterfully understated way at the 
most critical period in the 1970s, and then to be accepted by him as a 
colleague meant a great deal to me. And sometimes when we meet someone 
of whom we have a very high opinion, anti-climax sets in. The object of 
one's admiration does not always live up to it. That was not the case 
with Peter. I served for 8 years as a member of the Judiciary Committee 
under his leadership, and it was the legislative process at its best.
  Peter Rodino had a gentle toughness. He was a man who was in person 
pleasant, calm, thoughtful. But there was a toughness both in terms of 
integrity and in terms of commitment to principle that informed that 
gentleness. And as previous Members have said, he was a great defender 
of the U.S. Constitution. He was a great believer that our job here was 
in part to take that marvelous document, the U.S. Constitution, with 
all of the wonderful principles it set forward, and to complete the job 
that had only been begun when the Constitution was adopted of extending 
the benefit of those principles to everybody in this society. Peter 
understood that the Constitution was a set of aspirations only 
imperfectly realized at first. And his job, more than anything else, 
was to help America realize those aspirations and help everybody in 
America realize those aspirations.
  And one of the things that is always striking to me is when someone 
shatters stereotypes. And let us be clear, Peter Rodino, when he got 
here, faced a number of stereotypes. People make jokes about New 
Jersey. People make ethnic allusions. There is no point in denying 
this. Peter Rodino faced that. When Peter Rodino was slated to be the 
chairman of the committee and impeachment was pending, the rumor mill 
was very active: Oh, we cannot have Rodino do it. Who knows what there 
will be? Who knows if he can live up to it? Hey, he is a guy from 
Newark, New Jersey. What do you want to do here?
  Well, this guy from Newark, New Jersey, who was the subject of a lot 
of wholly unjustified innuendo, took that job and did it as well as 
anybody could and did it, as the gentleman from New York, the previous 
speaker, pointed out, superbly, gave America a lesson in how not to 
pre-judge people, gave America a lesson in judging people by who they 
are.
  Peter also, of course, in addition to that, was a dedicated believer 
in dealing with the racism that has sadly been the history of this 
country and in doing with whatever we could do legally to diminish it.

                              {time}  2130

  He was a great believer in civil liberties. I will tell my 
colleagues, in 1981 when I got here and I was originally going to go on 
the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, as it was then called, 
because I wanted to deal with housing, Speaker O'Neill said to me, 
listen, would you go on the Committee on the Judiciary as an additional 
committee because Peter Rodino has a tough job. He is dealing with a 
lot of efforts to undermine the Constitution. There are a lot of 
proposals now to undo decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court protecting 
civil liberties.
  I remember at the time saying to the Speaker's emissary, well, you 
know, I do not know if I want to do that. Those are a lot of tough 
issues. There are a lot of groups that will be very angry. The answer 
was, oh, of course, but they do not like you anyway, so you have 
nothing to lose. I went on that committee, along with a lot of others, 
including Pat Schroeder and Chuck Schumer, in a tough time under his 
leadership. I take pride in having been a defender of the 
constitutional principle and having been a defender of the rights of 
minorities and of free speech and other things that were under attack.
  So I am very, very grateful to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne) for giving us this opportunity and this chance to honor this 
man. The thing I think best sums it up is he was a man who understood 
democracy, intellectually and instinctively; and no one I have served 
with in 25 years was better at making democracy work for the people of 
this country.
  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts. At 
this time I yield to another person who had the privilege to serve with 
Congressman Rodino on the Committee on the Judiciary, an outstanding 
attorney, the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne) for taking out this Special Order for those of us who wanted to, 
but because of the craziness of our own lives, could not attend the 
funeral; and this is the chance to testify for the record of my own 
affection and love for our former chairman who so many of my colleagues 
have already spoken of.
  I do not want to dwell on Peter Rodino's incredible role as chairman 
of the Committee on the Judiciary during the impeachment of Richard 
Nixon. His modesty, his humility, combined with his wisdom and his 
strength are known to anyone who is alive and aware at that particular 
time.
  I want to speak just a moment about the way he treated a new member 
of the Committee on the Judiciary. When I came to Congress with my 
colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), in 1982, I was 
assigned to that Committee on the Judiciary; and I want to speak of 
Peter Rodino as mentor and as an example.
  In our first term in Congress, my passion at that particular point 
was about the State of farm workers in this country. It had been for a 
long time and, to a great extent, still is. At that time, a major 
overhaul of our immigration

[[Page H4795]]

laws known as, in that first Congress, the 98th, the Simpson-Mazzoli 
Law, was coming through our committee. There was a great deal of 
controversy, and a particularly contentious part of that bill that 
bothered me tremendously was the fact that it resurrected the Bracero 
program, a massive exploitation of U.S. farm workers, displacement of 
unprotected guest workers at the time who would come in, much like a 
program that had been discontinued a number of years before.
  When the bill came to the floor, this, what we referred to as a 
bracero program, passed as an amendment, and the bill went to 
conference committee. I was a freshman Member of the House, a member of 
the Committee on the Judiciary; but because of my concern about the way 
farm workers were treated, Peter Rodino ensured that Speaker O'Neill 
put me on the conference committee of that legislation, just for that 
issue, just for the issue of farm workers and the guest workers program 
to make my fight against that legislative amendment.
  Two years later, when the chairman himself took over the legislation, 
it had died in the conference committee, and I was not unhappy about 
that. It was clear that the bill was moving, it had momentum, it did 
some controversial things, but it also did some important things; and 
it was on its way to passage. But Peter Rodino held up that bill for at 
least 7 months against the pressures of the Reagan administration, 
against the pressures of the Senators who had already dealt with the 
legislation, against constant pressures from both the Republicans and 
from the House leadership to get the bill moving.
  He held it up until a few of us, Leon Panetta, Chuck Schumer, and I 
had negotiated an alternative program to the Bracero program, an 
adjustment program for farm workers which both protected U.S. workers, 
protected immigrant farm workers, and gave them a chance to come out of 
the shadows and into the mainstream of American society.
  Withstanding that pressure, because of an issue he cared about, was 
so emblematic of the kind of role that Chairman Rodino played in all 
kinds of areas, in all kinds of legislation that came before the 
Committee on the Judiciary. He was, for a mild-mannered and soft-spoken 
person, he was a very, very strong person; and he could withstand the 
pressures that come to that Committee on the Judiciary as well as 
anyone I have ever met.
  I had a chance to, one of those rare chances you get, people pass 
away and you wish you had spoken to them and talked to them; I had a 
chance to talk to him just after he came back from the hospital and 
probably less than a month or 6 weeks before he passed away, and a 
chance to tell him what he meant to me and what he had meant to so many 
people around the country whose work he had benefited; and his record 
and his performance, his stature will always be remembered by me; but I 
think by millions of Americans as well.
  So to his wonderful family I offer my condolences, as have my 
colleagues; and they should know how well he served his country from 
the soldier to his post-retirement teaching, and, of course, during his 
many years in the Congress.

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. 
Kaptur) who served with Congressman Rodino, and let me thank the 
gentleman from California for his kind words.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Newark, 
New Jersey (Mr. Payne), for allowing me to speak this evening, yielding 
me time, and to thank my colleagues from New Jersey. I am respectful of 
the hour and will be brief.
  Let me say it is a great privilege this evening to rise to pay 
tribute to a legend, and a great honor to help to give word to the 
celebration of the life of Congressman Peter Rodino, a man whose 
commitment to the law, as others have said, is legendary, to civil 
rights, and to his deep-seated belief in the worthiness of every human 
life. He remains a living testament as we speak this evening.
  Many here in Washington, certainly the members of the Committee on 
the Judiciary and others, remember Peter Rodino as a gifted and 
effective lawmaker, an honorable, wise, and good man. Surely others 
have talked about his role on the Committee on the Judiciary during the 
impeachment proceedings when he approached that with utter fairness, 
resolve, and determination that upheld our Constitution and gave 
tribute to the American people that he was sent here to represent.
  But Peter Rodino was also a veteran of World War II and a member of 
America's Greatest Generation. He lived by the advice given to him by 
his father, Pellegrino Rodino, grateful for the help he received as a 
struggling immigrant, as all children of immigrants who serve in this 
Congress bring the special gifts of life that he bore as a Member. It 
made him strong. It gave him deep understanding. It equipped him, even 
probably more than his legal education, for the role that he assumed as 
chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Congressman Rodino's father told his young son to always look out for 
those around him who were less fortunate; and throughout his 40 years 
in Congress, Peter Rodino did exactly that. He was a founding member of 
the Italian-American Congressional Delegation, and as the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Rangel) stated, people of ethnic heritage often face 
discrimination, and that was surely part of his lot in life. But he, 
along with many good friends, including Monsignor Gino Baroni, helped 
to found the National Italian-American Foundation in 1975, a prominent 
group of leaders from both the public and private sectors who formed 
the organization in hopes of bringing public attention to the specific 
Italian-American issues in the Nation's capital here and to provide an 
umbrella group for the Nation's significant Italian-American 
population, who wanted to share that immigrant experience and their 
struggle to be accepted as full Americans.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for 
creating this time for us this evening to pay tribute to Congressman 
Rodino. He was a member of the National Italian-American Foundation 
Board of Directors from 1975 to 1988, was active in their events, and 
rightfully honored by them in 1988 with a Special Achievement Award in 
government. This talented man of humble origins upheld our Constitution 
during his tenure with honor, with kindness, and a sharp eye to the 
law. He was a man, as I recall him, with no pomp, but a lot of grace as 
he handled great circumstance.
  Tonight, I wish to offer, on behalf of the people of Ohio, to his 
wife, Joy, to their family, deepest sympathy and deepest gratitude for 
allowing this towering figure to give us a legacy for the Nation that 
lives.
  I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and thank him so 
very much for the opportunity to appear and for the courtesy of my 
colleagues from the committee and from the State of New Jersey for 
allowing me to speak this evening.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, today the House is honoring the life of one 
of it most distinguished Members, former Representative Peter Rodino of 
New Jersey. Congressman Rodino died on May 7, 2005, and is survived by 
his wife Joy Rodino, two children, three granddaughters and two great-
granddaughters.
  By the time I entered Congress in 1977, Peter Rodino was a national 
figure, a household name and someone to whom I looked for guidance as a 
young Member. He had been one of the main sponsors and a driving force 
behind Civil Rights legislation in the 1950s and 60s. He was Chairman 
of the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings of 
President Richard Nixon. And he participated in the Iran-Contra 
hearings during the 1980s.
  But his friends and colleagues remember more than the fact that he 
was involved in many of the most important matters that faced the 
United States in the second half of the 20th Century.
  Born in 1909, he was a member of the Greatest Generation--serving in 
the Army in North Africa and Italy during World War II. In war, he 
received the Bronze Star and was one of the first enlisted men to 
receive a battlefield commission as an officer. Prior to his service in 
World War II, Mr. Rodino received his bachelor's degree from the 
University of Newark and graduated in 1937 from what became Rutgers Law 
School.
  Following his 40 years of distinguished service in the House, Mr. 
Rodino taught at Seton Hall University School of Law. And it was his 
friends and colleagues at Seton Hall who so

[[Page H4796]]

aptly eulogized him at his funeral. As Paula Franzese, a law professor 
there put it: ``None of us will ever forget Peter Rodino because of the 
way he made us feel. He made us believe.''
  So today the House remembers Congressman Peter Rodino, a lover of the 
Constitution and the law, who meant so much to this body and the 
Nation, particularly at a time of great turmoil.
  Those of us who knew him lost a great friend, New Jersey lost a 
favorite son and the Nation lost a tremendous but humble statesman.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life 
and service to our country of former Congressman Peter Rodino, one of 
the nation's finest public servants. I am honored to have served with 
such a remarkable American, and am humbled to have called him my 
colleague and friend.
  From the streets of his beloved Newark, to North Africa and Italy 
during World War II, to our Nation's capital, Peter Rodino spent his 
life selflessly striving to help, protect, and serve others, all the 
while doing so with the utmost dignity and humility.
  During his twenty terms in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 
1989, Peter Rodino championed his convictions on civil rights and equal 
opportunity, no matter what the cost, and was a key sponsor of the 
landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.
  Mr. Speaker, it was his tenure as Chairman of the House Judiciary 
Committee presiding over the Watergate Impeachment hearings that thrust 
Peter Rodino into the limelight. During this contentious time in which 
political tensions ran high, his restraint and sensibility quelled 
unchecked passions on both sides as he served as model of decorum for 
all. His profound words on the subject, uttered in 1974, still ring 
true today, and contain the type of foresight that only true leaders 
posses: ``Whatever the result, whatever we learn or conclude, let us 
now proceed with such care and decency and thoroughness and honor that 
the vast majority of American people, and their children after them, 
will say: That was the right course. There was no other way.''
  One of my fondest memories of Peter, Mr. Speaker, was the evening my 
wife Annette and I spent with him at one of the annual Gymnasium 
Dinners during the time that he was still serving as a Member of 
Congress. It was an evening that we will never forget as he reminisced 
about his extraordinary political career and his personal recollections 
of Watergate.
  Mr. Speaker, as public servants let us always remember his words as 
the highest example of leadership and integrity.
  Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, this Nation and the great State of New 
Jersey has lost one of its foremost public servants. Congressman Peter 
Rodino was a man who truly honored the law, and when the country called 
on him in time of crisis, Mr. Rodino rose to greatness. I will always 
remember Peter Rodino for faithfully honoring the values that brought 
him to prominence in our Nation's history: honesty, humility, patience, 
and service.
  Peter Rodino represented the district of New Jersey in which he lived 
his whole life. Born in Newark, he worked his way through law school 
and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1941. He was awarded the Bronze Star 
for valor during World War II. He continued to serve his country in the 
House, elected to the 81st Congress in 1949. He served for 40 years, 
retiring in 1989, and turning his seat over to my friend, the Honorable 
Donald Payne.
  Most of us will remember Peter Rodino for his superb leadership of 
the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon Impeachment Hearings. 
His patient and deliberative style gave the proceedings real 
credibility, and helped to hold the country together at a time of great 
upheaval. His reverence to the Constitution ensured that the painful 
and difficult hearings proceeded as our forefathers had envisioned. 
Peter Rodino was called upon by his country in time of crisis, and he 
rose to the challenge.
  Peter Rodino will be sorely missed. In an age of bitter partisanship, 
Mr. Rodino was a calming voice. He guided the country through one of 
its darkest periods in recent history, and did so with grace and 
humility. Mr. Rodino's legacy of service to his country and his fellow 
man will surely be remembered for years to come.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor to pay tribute to 
former judiciary chairman Peter Rodino, he was a champion of civil 
rights and a beacon of justice during his 40 year tenure in Congress 
and his 16 years as a Seton Hall Professor of Law.
  Mr. Rodino was most famous for his handling of the Watergate crisis. 
All sides--including Democrats, Republicans, and even the national 
press--hailed Rodino for the fair and just hand he used to guide the 
impeachment hearings. During this period of crisis, his courage and 
wisdom provided the foundation of strong leadership that gave Members 
the confidence to do what was right, even if it meant crossing party 
lines. The issue became one of preserving the sanctity of the system, 
rather than preserving the reputation of an individual. Throughout the 
process, Rodino's commitment to the system never wavered.
  The son of Italian immigrants, Peter Rodino came of age in Newark, 
New Jersey. After leaving high school, Congressman Rodino endured 10 
years of menial jobs while studying late into the night for a law 
degree at New Jersey Law School. In 1938 his patience and dedication 
was rewarded when he joined a local law firm. He put his newly found 
career on hiatus when he chose to defend his Nation against injustice 
in World War II. Mr. Rodino's strong character and determination earned 
him not only a Bronze star, but also a Knight of Order of Crown from 
Italy--a token of national gratitude for a soldier's accomplishments. 
Upon return he decided to run for Congress. Although his first attempt 
failed, his perseverance and strong work ethic served him well, and he 
was elected to Congress in 1948.
  A strong advocate of racial equality, he was a driving force behind 
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Another 
accomplishment in the long list of Mr. Rodino's notable achievements 
was sponsoring the bill that made Columbus Day a national holiday to 
commemorate the contribution of Italian Americans in the founding of 
our great Nation. Mr. Rodino also contributed to the legislation that 
made Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.
  Though Mr. Rodino will be remembered for so much more than the 
Watergate crisis, it was undoubtedly his greatest moment. Rodino 
allowed a moderate central group of both Democrats and Republicans to 
develop the case for impeachment, preventing it from turning it into 
any type of political ploy. Just last year, Mr. Rodino gave an 
interview stating that there are lessons to be learned from Watergate, 
namely the extent of Government corruption. Mr. Rodino understood that 
it was the duty of Congress to rein in any administration or individual 
that was not adhering to the principles of justice.
  It is with great respect and admiration that I offer my condolences 
to Mr. Rodino's wife, Joy, and their family. Mr. Rodino is survived by 
two children, Margaret Stanziale and Peter W. Rodino III, three 
grandchildren, Carla Prunty, Maria Stanziale and Talia Rodino, and twin 
great-grandchildren, Annabel and Charlotte Prunty. When asked about her 
husband, Joy says, ``He was so ahead of his time. He lived civil 
rights. He lived equality. In his life, he didn't see color, he didn't 
see sex. He just went for the equality of the person.'' Former 
Representative Rodino was a man that I was proud to have worked with 
and honored to call friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues to join me in honoring 
the late Peter Rodino. He was a pioneer for justice in our country and 
he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

                          ____________________