[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H5547-H5548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING OF A COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT IN MEMORY OF THE 
        LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, GERALD RUDOLPH FORD

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 128) authorizing 
the printing of a commemorative document in memory of the late 
President of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 128

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. COMMEMORATIVE DOCUMENT AUTHORIZED.

       (a) In General.--A commemorative document in memory of the 
     late President of the United States, Gerald Rudolph Ford, 
     shall be printed as a House document, with illustrations and 
     suitable binding, under the direction of the Joint Committee 
     on Printing.
       (b) Contents.--The document shall consist of the eulogies 
     and encomiums for Gerald Rudolph Ford, as expressed in the 
     Senate and the House of Representatives, together with the 
     texts of each of the following:
       (1) The funeral ceremony at Palm Desert, California.
       (2) The state funeral ceremony at the rotunda of the United 
     States Capitol.
       (3) The national funeral service held at the Washington 
     National Cathedral in the District of Columbia.
       (4) The interment ceremony at the Gerald Ford Presidential 
     Museum, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

     SEC. 2. PRINTING OF DOCUMENT.

       In addition to the usual number of copies printed of the 
     commemorative document under section 1, there shall be 
     printed the lesser of--
       (1) 32,500 copies, of which 22,150 copies shall be for the 
     use of the House of Representatives and 10,350 copies shall 
     be for the use of the Senate; or
       (2) such number of copies that does not exceed a production 
     and printing cost of $600,000, with distribution of the 
     copies to be allocated in the same proportion as described in 
     paragraph (1).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on this concurrent 
resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution provides for the printing of a memorial 
tribute to honor our late 38th President, Gerald R. Ford. A former 
minority leader of this House, President Ford died on December 26, 
2006, at the age of 93. Our distinguished colleague from Michigan (Mr. 
Ehlers), who now represents Gerald Ford's former district, introduced 
this resolution. The measure takes the same form as that passed after 
President Reagan's death in 2004. I support the gentleman's resolution, 
and I thank him for sponsoring it.
  Mr. Speaker, since President Ford's death, Americans have expressed 
their respect and gratitude for his remarkable career that took him 
into the Navy during World War II, to this House, to the Vice 
Presidency, and then to the White House. In the aftermath of the ordeal 
of Watergate, many consider President Ford, then and now, as the right 
man at the right time. It is fitting that Congress provide for this 
customary tribute, and I urge the House to adopt the concurrent 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 128, authorizing the printing of a commemorative document in 
memory of the late President of the United States, Gerald R. Ford.
  It was an honor for me to serve as a scientific adviser to 
Congressman Ford in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and I then came to 
know President Ford in many capacities throughout the years. I now have 
the privilege of serving the people of Grand Rapids and western 
Michigan in the exact seat he held from 1949 until 1973, and I am now 
most pleased to recognize one of the great sons of the State of 
Michigan.
  Although President Ford's life ambition was to become Speaker of this 
esteemed body, fate and the Lord had other plans for Jerry Ford. While 
he was not a man who sought the Presidency, Ford was a tireless public 
servant who did not shrink from duty when his country needed him most. 
He bore the mantle that had been thrust upon him with great humility, 
never forgetting the solid Michigan values that were his compass in the 
most trying of times.
  When he ascended to the Presidency upon President Nixon's resignation 
in 1974, Ford served with honor and dignity, telling us that ``our long 
national nightmare is over.'' He was recommended and approved for his 
position by people in Congress who knew him very well. In fact, I 
believe he is the only President of the past one and a half centuries 
who served as the choice of the Members of Congress. Their trust in him 
aided him in governing and leading our Nation out of that nightmare. In 
pardoning President Nixon, he essentially gave up any chance he had of 
a second term as

[[Page H5548]]

President; but, in doing so, he literally healed the Nation. And I 
recall a very personal discussion with him one time where he said he 
knew full well that he would likely lose the election, because of the 
pardon, but he saw no alternative but to pardon President Nixon in 
order to put the whole Watergate episode behind us and get the Nation 
moving again.
  I am privileged, and I have always felt a sense of honor, to be 
serving in the same House seat that Congressman Ford served. By 
publishing this book, we will educate future generations about the 
contributions of a great man who came from ordinary beginnings yet 
found himself performing well in extraordinary circumstances. Jerry 
Ford personified the many good traits that west Michigan has to offer 
our Nation, with his honesty, his forthrightness, and his hard work. 
And I urge my colleagues to support the creation of this commemorative 
volume. I urge strong support of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague from 
Michigan in support of this fitting tribute for our late President 
Ford. I urge the House to support the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 128.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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