[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 7 (Friday, January 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E100]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MOURNING THE PASSING OF PRESIDENT GERALD RUDOLPH FORD

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 9, 2007

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, last week, Congress received 
the body of the late President Gerald Rudolph Ford, our 38th President, 
to lie in State in the Rotunda. He was the second President for whom I 
felt such an endearment that it felt as if I'd lost a friend.
  I first met President Ford along with President Carter several years 
ago when I called on both men to support legislation I had introduced 
to give those who had been incarcerated, paid their debt to society, 
and had become productive citizens a restoration of their voting 
rights. In speaking with him, I found him to be very sensitive and 
understanding of that important issue. He said that it was the decent 
thing to do and signed a letter (along with President Carter and 
myself) asking President George W. Bush to submit a proclamation to all 
States to ensure these citizens' voting rights.
  Two years later, I had the opportunity to meet with him and his 
beloved wife, Betty, at Rancho Mirage along with Governor 
Schwarzenegger and others to discuss federal legislation for 
California. We continued our discussion on voting rights, and I became 
further impressed with his modesty despite the fact that he had served 
at the highest level in this country.
  Gerald R. Ford was a man of character and integrity, with many 
accomplishments to his credit. He was a Boy Scout, and the only 
President who has ever attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He was a 
football star for the University of Michigan where he majored in 
political science and economics while leading his team to two national 
titles. He studied at Yale Law School and opened his own law practice 
in Grand Rapids, Michigan before joining the Navy where he served as an 
officer during WorId War II and earned several medals.
  In 1948, Gerald R. Ford was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives where he served until 1973. He was the Republican 
Minority Leader from 1965-1973. During his years in the House, Ford 
was, as the New York Times described, ``a negotiator and a 
reconciler.'' On October 12, 1973, Ford was appointed Vice President of 
the United States after Spiro Agnew resigned. He became President after 
the resignation of Richard Nixon on August 9, 1974. President Gerald R. 
Ford is the only person to ever serve as both Vice President and 
President without being elected to either office.
  As President, one of Ford's first actions was to pardon President 
Nixon, allowing the nation to heal and move on. Although this action 
was highly criticized at the time and may have cost him the election in 
1976, it helped to restore Americans' faith in the office of the 
President. President Ford successfully addressed high inflation and 
unemployment while ending American involvement in Vietnam and pursuing 
international human rights through the Helsinki Accords, helping end 
the Cold War.
  President Ford's legacy extends far beyond his accomplishments, 
however. More than anything else, President Gerald R. Ford will be 
remembered for his character, integrity, and humility. Gerald R. Ford 
was a very decent and humble human being. As Americans, we mourn more 
than the loss of a former President--we mourn the loss of a truly great 
American.

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