[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 70 (Tuesday, June 6, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H3416]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2320
                    HONORING JUDGE WILLIAM M. STEGER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, this week, America, Texas and East Texas 
mourn the loss of Federal District Court Judge William Merritt Steger.
  As former law clerk and good friend Andy Tindel said, ``Judge Steger 
was one of the finest, fairest, most honest man I have ever had the 
privilege of practicing law before.''
  While Bill Steger was studying prelaw, the Japanese bombed Pearl 
Harbor on December 7, 1941. And within 24 hours the 21-year-old had 
withdrawn from Baylor University and volunteered for service. The 
Dallas native has always wanted the opportunity to become a pilot, and 
with the Nation entering World War II, he took a chance.
  On November 9, 1942, he got his wings. Then after training he was 
sent to Casablanca and flew 56 combat missions for which he received an 
air medal and four oak leaf clusters.
  While later training other pilots, Captain Steger also tested the 
first U.S. jet airplanes.
  Once his Nation was secure, Bill Steger went back to school and 
received his law degree from Southern Methodist University, that is, 
their law school.
  He married his wife, Ann Hollandsworth Steger, on Valentine's Day in 
1948. They had one child, the late Merritt Reed Steger, who was one of 
my younger brother David's closest friends.
  Judge Steger entered and engaged in private practice in Longview and 
Tyler and headed up numerous east Texas campaign clubs for Dwight D. 
Eisenhower for President. After the election, President Eisenhower 
appointed Judge Steger in 1953 to the position of U.S. attorney for 
East Texas at the young age of 32.
  In 1960, he and a good friend debated which one should run for 
governor and which one should run for senator. Their goal was to bring 
the Republican party into popularity in the State of Texas. Because 
Texas was conservative, it seemed to Judge Steger that it would be a 
good fit, but he was blazing a trail. He ended up being the one to run 
for governor against a very popular John Connally, and Judge Steger's 
good friend John Tower ran for senator. The Republican party had never 
before then received enough votes to hold a primary, and though Judge 
Steger knew he would not win the race, he hoped he would get the 
requisite 200,000 votes so the Republican party could hold a primary in 
the next election. Judge Steger actually received more than 600,000 
votes.
  In 1962, Judge Steger was persuaded to run for Congress and received 
49 percent of the vote, lacking only 1,300 votes to beat his Democratic 
opponent who was the incumbent.
  Bill Steger became a Federal district judge for the Eastern District 
of Texas in December of 1970 after President Richard Nixon nominated 
him. He truly loved being a jurist, and he was a hardworking, 
dedicated, cerebral, no-nonsense, constitutional constructionist judge 
whose discerning intellect could always cut straight to the heart of 
any issue.
  In 1987, Judge Steger assumed senior active status duty, but since 
then still continued to handle a full docket. December 1, 2005, marked 
35 years on the Federal bench for Judge Steger, and since his 
appointment in 1970, he had handled more than 15,000 cases.
  Judge Steger received the Justinian Award May 7, 2004, at the annual 
Tyler Law Day luncheon for his community service, legal ethics and 
professionalism.
  He was a Baptist, a charter member and a deacon of Green Acres 
Baptist Church, helping to nurse it through its early days of going 
from nonexistent to its current 12,000 members. He was a confidant for 
me, a friend and a wise sounding board.
  He and Ann endured the worst heartache a couple can face in the loss 
of their only child, Reed, in a tragic scuba diving accident, but the 
manner in which Judge Steger dealt with such devastation and allowed 
his faith, God's help, and Ann's companionship to help overcome the 
horrendous blow will help inspire me the rest of my life.
  Judge Steger was a heroic patriot; a caring father; a loving husband; 
an even-handed, clear-thinking, constitutionally reverent judge; a 
personal mentor; and a cherished friend whom I came to know through my 
brother 25 to 30 years ago.
  Always having had the courage of his convictions despite the odds 
against him, Judge Steger was and is a profile in courage whose memory 
will continue to inspire me the rest of my life.
  God bless the Stegers and God bless America.

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