[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
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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
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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.
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