[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE LANE EVANS, MEMBER OF CONGRESS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 7, 2006

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my 
colleague and treasured friend, Lane Evans. As the 109th Congress comes 
to an end so, too, does the remarkable 24-year tenure in the House of 
Representatives of one of the bravest and most decent members to have 
served in this body.
  I had the privilege of working in Lane Evans' first campaign in 1982. 
At the time Lane declared his candidacy, he was considered a 
sacrificial lamb running against a well-entrenched Republican 
incumbent. His was a pipe dream--except to the many labor union 
workers, consumer and civil rights activists, and ordinary residents of 
this western Illinois district who saw something special in this young, 
legal assistance attorney.
  When the incumbent lost his primary election to a State 
Representative from the far right wing of the party, Lane Evans' 
campaign gained momentum and this young Democrat become the 
Congressman, the first Democrat to do so since the Civil War.
  In the first campaign, Lane spent lots of time with his young 
volunteers. After all, he wasn't much older than they. He sported a 
Beatle-like bowl hair cut that he maintained until rather recently, 
resisting all good-natured recommendations for a style update. He was 
modest, unassuming, friendly, and also inspiring. He showed a humble 
respect for each and every voter, addressing them in the soft-spoken, 
sincere manner that he never lost. The quiet strength that came from 
being a United States Marine during the Vietnam era always shone 
through.
  From the first day and throughout his career in the House, Lane Evans 
remained true to his core progressive beliefs. The working and retired 
men and women of his district and the veterans throughout the nation 
could always count on Lane Evans being there for them--no excuses, no 
exceptions. Environmentalists named him an ``Environmental Hero.''
  There were those who encouraged Lane to trim his positions in order 
to ensure his reelection. In the end, his consistency proved to be a 
great asset, appreciated by his constituents who always knew exactly 
where he stood and who trusted that Lane would not bend with the 
changes in the polls.
  As the Ranking Democrat of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, 
Lane Evans is recognized as the leading advocate of veterans in 
Congress, responsible for legislation to compensate veterans and their 
families for the effects of Agent Orange, help Persian Gulf and women 
veterans, and those now returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The 
veterans' service organizations have honored Lane with their highest 
awards.
  Lane Evans has always been a leader in the fight for universal health 
care. Parkinson's disease has forced him to end his productive service 
in the House. Even now, however, he acknowledges how fortunate he is to 
be able to afford the best care, while so many Americans are not. He 
has become an advocate for expanding funding for research into the cure 
for Parkinson's and many other diseases that might benefit from 
government-funded embryonic stem cell research. As in all things at all 
times, Lane Evans is handling this newest challenge with courage and 
dignity.
  On a personal note, Lane Evans has been a close and dear friend to me 
and my husband, Bob Creamer, since that very first campaign in 1982. 
That friendship, through thick and thin, has been and will always be so 
precious to us. We are grateful to Lane for being such an important 
part of our lives. We love him very much.
  Lane Evans will be sorely missed on a day-to-day basis in this House 
of Representatives, but his legacy will ever be reflected in the 
improved lives of the veterans of the United States and all the working 
families who will continue to benefit from his outstanding service.

                          ____________________