[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONSOLIDATED NATURAL RESOURCES ACT OF 2008

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 29, 2008

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 which includes the renaming 
of the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island 
Immigration Museum as the ``Bob Hope Memorial Library.''
  Bob Hope is an American institution and was one of our greatest 
entertainers. Most Americans remember Bob Hope for his work in the 
entertainment business as well as for his USO shows for American 
soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen fighting overseas.
  What few know is that Bob Hope was an immigrant from England. Like 
many of the other 16 million immigrants who passed through Ellis 
Island, Bob Hope and his family arrived in America in 1908 with little 
but the American dream. Bob Hope described himself upon arrival as ``a 
4-year-old boy in knickers who had no idea of the opportunities that 
lay ahead.''
  Bob Hope held a special place in his heart for Ellis Island and, in 
1990, when the Ellis Island Restoration Commission suggested naming the 
third floor of the museum in his honor, he stated that it would be 
``one of the single most important highpoints in his career.''
  The library will be a daily reminder to Ellis Island's visitors of 
the great contributions of one of our Nation's most renowned immigrants 
and of the opportunities of the American dream. While Bob Hope did not 
live to see this project completed after more than 15 years, we honor 
his memory by passing this legislation today.
  It is my hope that the National Park Service and the Ellis Island 
Restoration Commission will work together to make the Ellis Island 
Museum, including the Bob Hope Memorial Library, a place to remember 
the 16 million immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and an 
interactive destination to honor the memories of and learn more about 
some of America's most famous immigrants, such as Bob Hope.

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