[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 73 (Monday, May 5, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H3039-H3041]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1545

  Not his movie and acting career, not his Guild presidency, but his 
action as the NRA president, National Rifle Association of America; his 
role in being able to assure that each person could carry, on his hip, 
if necessary, against those that invade our domicile. And for that 
alone, we should recognize his great contribution. His civil rights, 
yes, his activities willing to speak out, and his great acting 
capability, yes, but the ability, and what he has left us in the legacy 
under the second amendment, because it will be under attack.
  Let's not kid ourselves. It's under attack by those that would like 
to have the government do everything for you. They want to give you all 
your health care. Of course you won't have health care. They would 
like, in fact, to have

[[Page H3040]]

you taken care of from the birth until the death, and they might decide 
when you will die and even when you will be born.
  And they definitely don't want the American citizen to be armed. They 
don't want the American citizen to be able to protect themselves from 
those who would do you harm. It will be under attack.
  But he left a great legacy. We have 37 States in the Union today who 
have the ``Right to Carry Law,'' and it's all because of Charlton 
Heston, because he saw the need to protect the United States of America 
against those who would take away the great nation that we know.
  So, with great honor, I was able to take and introduce this 
legislation to just recognize himself and his family for what he 
contributed to those he leaves behind, the freedom of the great United 
States of America.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
former chairman of the Rules Committee, now its ranking member, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
  (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my 
appreciation to Messrs. Clay and Shays for their leadership on this 
and, most important, to our good friend, Don Young, for having stepped 
forward to author this resolution.
  And I want to say that as I listened to our friend, Don Young, talk 
about Charlton Heston, I was struck by a story. Don began by taking the 
acting career, which, since I represent Los Angeles, I'm particularly 
proud of people who have great acting careers, and Mr. Heston was 
certainly one of those. I was struck by the fact that Don Young drew 
from that to the fact that he focused on reality.
  And as he was saying that, Mr. Speaker, I'm reminded of a story that 
Mr. Heston used to enjoy telling with regularity. When he was in the 
midst of rehearsals for that famous movie, Ben Hur, he would regularly 
say to people around him, I really want to make sure that I do this 
right because I want to make sure that I win this race. And he was 
constantly assured that he was going to win the race because the 
outcome was clearly predetermined.
  But he understood full well that there was a great disparity between 
the roles that he played, as a great actor, and the fact that the 
reality of life is something that is much different, and it does take a 
great deal of vigilance and hard work.
  Now, all of my colleagues have spoken about the role that he played 
as a civil rights leader. Mr. Young has talked about the fact that he 
played such an important role in preservation of second amendment 
rights, which was very important.
  He was always involved, Mr. Speaker, in public policy issues. Again, 
as a Representative from Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to 
regularly discuss with him issues, and he exercised his first amendment 
rights with me with great regularity. He would call. And I will say 
that even though he was ill, I had the privilege of talking with him 
about, I think it was a year and a half, 2 years ago. And I knew that 
he had been ill, but he still was asking me questions about things that 
were going on here in this institution, making sure that we were 
staying on the right path.
  And so it's difficult to imagine a greater patriot than Charlton 
Heston. And I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that still, to this day, our 
thoughts and prayers are with Lydia and the wonderful Heston family. 
And I know that at this moment he's probably up there playing tennis, 
which was one of his great loves, and looking down and working to make 
sure that we, as Members of the United States Congress, and as leaders 
in our great Nation, do everything that we can to preserve these very, 
very precious liberties that he loved so dearly.
  I thank my friend for yielding.
  Mr. CLAY. I continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time we have left.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Connecticut has 13 
minutes remaining. The gentleman from Missouri has 18 minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) 
such time as he may consume.
  Mr. POE. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding. And I want 
to thank Mr. Young from Alaska for offering this resolution. I'm 
certainly proud to support this resolution honoring Charlton Heston's 
iconic life.
  Charlton Heston has done much for this country in many, many 
different areas of public involvement and public service. He appeared 
in over 100 films during 60 years, but he's best remembered by me as 
Moses. To many Americans, Moses died on April 5, 2008.
  As a kid, I actually thought Heston was Moses. I can remember sitting 
in a Sunday school class as a young kid when the teacher asked me if 
I'd ever read about Moses and the 10 Commandments in the Bible. And I 
said no, but I saw the movie version.
  Charlton Heston brought Moses to life in a way that no one else 
could. As Moses, Heston lifted his staff in the 10 Commandments to 
rally the Israelites. But in his personal life he lifted his musket to 
rally millions of Americans. The second amendment was his tablet of 
stone, proclaiming the right to bear arms.
  Heston was quite the intense actor, and wonderful patriot. Heston 
once said, ``It's been quite a ride. I loved every minute of it.'' And 
his life was certainly extraordinary.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I thank ``Moses Heston'' for bringing life to 
history and for being a great American during his life.
  Mr. CLAY. I continue to reserve, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I 
rise today in support of this resolution honoring the life of one of 
the great American personalities in the century, the late Charlton 
Heston.
  Truly, a man of legends, whether from his epic contributions as an 
actor, to his passionate and momentous involvement in our politics and 
society, Mr. Heston touched us all.
  Born in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois, John Charles Carter spent his 
childhood in Michigan. Following his parents' divorce in the 1930s, his 
mother remarried to Chester Heston, and the family moved to the Chicago 
suburb of Winnetka. It was here that his acting career took flight.
  After enrolling in the theater program at his new high school, he 
earned a drama scholarship to attend Northwestern University. It was 
here that he met another aspiring thespian, future wife, and ``the 
queen of his heart,'' Lydia Clarke.
  Enlisting in the Army Air Forces in 1942, he spent 2 years serving as 
a radio gunner in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.
  After experiencing limited success on Broadway after the war, Heston 
emerged on the big screen in 1950. He captivated audiences with his 
statuesque appearance and his historic epic roles. He scaled Mt. Sinai 
as Moses in the 10 Commandments, rebelled against the Romans in his 
Oscar winning performance in Ben Hur, remained loyal to his king at all 
costs in El Cid, and masterfully decorated the Sistine Chapel as 
Michelangelo.
  Who can forget his gritty performance in such noir classics as Touch 
of Evil, and groundbreaking science fiction classics like Planet of the 
Apes?
  Though he spent more than 60 years on camera and appeared in over 100 
movies, he is also known by many for his passion for politics and 
commitment to a life outside of Hollywood.
  A staunch supporter of civil rights in the early 1960s, Heston called 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the ``20th century Moses for his people.''
  A vocal participant in a number of marches and protests, he 
demonstrated his support long before Hollywood found it fashionable.
  Like his friend, Ronald Reagan, Heston's political views gradually 
began to align more with the Republican Party, and by the late 1980s, 
he had become a prominent orator on behalf of conservative politicians 
and against the debasement of American culture.
  In 1998, the passionate Heston, well in his 70s, was elected 
president and spokesman of the NRA, a position he held until his 
resignation in 2003.
  After a bout with prostate cancer, Heston announced in August 2002 he 
had been diagnosed with symptoms

[[Page H3041]]

consistent with Alzheimer's. On April 5, 2008, at the age of 84, 
Charlton Heston passed away.
  He once joked, ``I have played three presidents, three saints, and 
two geniuses. If that does not create an ego problem, nothing does.'' 
But arrogance does not describe this humble man, who pursued life as he 
did each of his roles, a constant pursuit of unattainable perfection.
  Despite numerous accolades, including an Oscar, a Kennedy Center 
Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 
loving husband, devoted father of two and grandfather of three, 
believed that his family was his proudest achievement.
  In his August 2002 announcement regarding his declining health, he 
emotionally stated that, ``For an actor there is no greater loss than 
his audience. I can part the Red Sea, but I can't part with you.''
  Though he may have left us in body, his spirit and legacy live on, a 
lifetime of passionate commitment to freedom in the truest sense.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring a man who 
was as much a hero on the big screen as he was a hero in life.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank my friend, the gentleman 
from Alaska (Mr. Young), for bringing this resolution, and urge my 
colleagues to honor this great American by voting in favor of the 
resolution.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
supporting H. Con. Res. 1091 and honoring the life and contributions of 
the late Charlton Heston.
  A larger than life figure, Charlton Heston was a World War II 
veteran, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and chairman of the 
American Film Institute. He was celebrated--as an Academy Award-winning 
actor and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
  Throughout his life, when he saw injustice, Charlton Heston did not 
hesitate to take action. It did not matter to him whether his position 
was popular. He protested segregation, marching alongside the Rev. Dr. 
Martin Luther King during his campaign for civil rights, and described 
Dr. King as a ``20th century Moses for his people.''
  Never shy to take a stand, Charlton Heston picketed a segregated 
movie theater premiering one of his own movies. All of us should 
commend his principled commitment to civil rights.
  His support for our Nation's Bill of Rights extended to the second 
amendment. Indeed, for many of us, Charlton Heston's most memorable 
contribution may have been his fierce advocacy for our right to keep 
and bear arms. As president of the National Rifle Association, NRA, Mr. 
Heston famously rallied millions of Americans by holding a rifle over 
his head and declaring that the Government would take it only ``from my 
cold, dead hands.''
  When our rights were threatened by the Federal Government, Charlton 
Heston--the face of the NRA--inspired millions of us. This legacy is 
lasting. And it never mattered to him that his stance wasn't 
fashionable with Hollywood elites.
  Not until the onset of Alzheimer's disease did Charlton Heston begin 
to withdraw from public life.
  Mr. Speaker, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Heston family, 
especially Lydia, his wife of 64 years. They must be proud of Charlton 
Heston's life, legacy, and contributions. We all are here.
  Mr. CLAY. I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1091, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a 
quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not 
present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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