[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 21, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H2798]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ON THE PASSING OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN JACK METCALF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, I want to join the other members of the 
Washington congressional delegation today in expressing my sadness at 
the passing of our former colleague Jack Metcalf, who represented the 
Second Congressional District of Washington from 1995 to 2001.
  Jack came to Congress later in his career, having served for 4 years 
in the State house of representatives and 20 years in the Washington 
State Senate. And throughout his career in Olympia, he continued to 
teach in the Everett area at the high school, as he campaigned twice 
for the United States Senate against a very popular Warren Magnuson and 
as he built a cabin retreat that became a bed-and-breakfast business 
that he and his family operated, which was a special place for Norma 
and him.
  He campaigned in 1994 for an open seat in Congress and promised to be 
an independent voice for constituents in the Second District. Having 
served with Jack during his 6 years in the House, I am able to confirm 
that he was every bit as independent as he said he would be. He came 
here as a well-established politician with well-established views, and 
he freely expressed those views with vigor and conviction. But along 
the way he also did two things that distinguished him, at least from my 
viewpoint as a colleague of his in the Washington delegation. First he 
established a high priority for constituent service, which I believe 
was critical to his job as Representative. He fought hard to help 
individuals who couldn't get responses from a Federal agency.

                              {time}  1930

  He supported veterans' causes. And even when it came to voting 
against party positions in his own caucus, he was for the veterans. 
Jack also cared deeply about natural resource issues, particularly 
salmon issues. He worked with Senator Murray on the Northwest Straits 
Commission.
  Second, he valued friendship, and he always sought to keep the often-
heated debate from becoming personal. When he spoke against a position 
another Member espoused, he would often cross the aisle and speak with 
that person personally, so you never took any of his comments directly 
as a personal affront.
  Consequently, he was well regarded within our delegation, and I 
appreciated his friendship and his willingness to help on major State 
issues whenever he was asked. He will surely be remembered for the 
independence he demonstrated as a Member of Congress, but I can assure 
my colleagues in the House today that I will remember him as a real 
gentleman and a good friend.
  He will be missed, and our hearts go out to Norma and his family.
  I would like to yield to my colleague Mr. McDermott, who served with 
Jack in the Washington State Legislature before he came to Congress.

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