[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 162 (Wednesday, October 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING FORMER CONGRESSMAN CHARLES VANIK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID L. HOBSON

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 24, 2007

  Mr. HOBSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
paying tribute to former Congressman Charles Vanik, a long-time 
representative of northeast Ohio and a strong human rights advocate.
  While I did not serve with Congressman Vanik in Congress, his work to 
improve the quality of life for others is well-known. Throughout his 
26-year career in Congress, he worked tirelessly on behalf of his 
constituents and on the issues that he cared about, including: Social 
Security, Medicare, the environment and trade.
  As many of my colleagues have mentioned, Congressman Vanik is most 
widely known for co-authoring an amendment to the 1974 Trade Reform 
Bill with the late Senator Henry ``Scoop'' Jackson that linked a 
country's favored trade status to its record on human rights. 
Specifically, their Jackson-Vanik amendment tied the former Soviet 
Union's trade status to its willingness in allowing freer Jewish 
emigration. As a result, an estimated 2 million Jewish citizens were 
permitted to immigrate to other countries.
  Congressman Vanik also worked with Congressman Ralph Regula to create 
the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and was involved with the important 
work of cleaning up of the Great Lakes.
  Madam Speaker, Ohio, our Nation and the international community have 
lost a true public servant with the passing of Congressman Vanik. I 
join my colleagues in honoring him and in expressing our condolences to 
his family.

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