[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 146 (Monday, September 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8118-H8121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING CONGRESSMAN JOHN SEIBERLING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Ryan) for half the time remaining before midnight, which is 
approximately 43 minutes.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we appreciate the opportunity to be 
here.
  Tonight we rise to honor one of the great Members of Congress that 
has ever stepped foot into this Chamber, and that has ever served in 
the United States Congress, and that's John Seiberling. Mr. Seiberling 
passed away a

[[Page H8119]]

few weeks ago. We rise today, I am joined by my colleague, and I join 
my colleague, Congresswoman Betty Sutton. We split the Congressman's 
old district in Akron and Kent, her particular district goes up to 
Lorraine, but Ms. Sutton has to leave us, because she is going to go 
into the Rules Committee room and actually put forth some comprehensive 
energy legislation that we just heard so much that we weren't doing, 
that's going to be here on floor of this week addressing all of the 
issues that the American people want us to address.
  With that, Ms. Sutton, I will yield to you.
  Ms. SUTTON. I thank the gentleman. I thank you for putting together 
this hour that we have to honor Congressman John Seiberling. I do rise 
with a deep sense of humility and appreciation to speak about this 
great man.
  Congressman Seiberling was an extraordinary public servant and 
humanitarian who gave countless years of humble service to the people 
of northeast Ohio and our country. His unflinching commitment to the 
rule of law and the pursuit of social justice have inspired so many. 
Through selfless service, John Seiberling and his extraordinary wife, 
Betty, have given those of us in the Akron community, Ohio and this 
Nation, far more than we can adequately pay tribute to here tonight.
  But for all that you have given us so generously in service, we thank 
you.
  Though I am almost certain he would argue this point, John Seiberling 
was a great man, and the fact that he would, with humility, object to 
such praise, would only prove the point. Congressman Seiberling, 
together with Congressman Ralph Regula, worked to create the Cuyahoga 
Valley National Park, a gift for the ages, bettering the lives of 
people throughout our area, our country and our world. From near and 
far, people visit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, making it among 
the most visited national parks in this country.
  Congressman Seiberling was a special soul, one who traveled a path of 
common good. He touched so many lives throughout this Nation and 
beyond, and I, like others, like Tim and others here today, were so 
fortunate to have him touch ours.
  I shall never forget the occasion that I became aware of John 
Seiberling. I was blessed with an opportunity to visit Washington, 
D.C., as a high school student.
  As fate would have it, on the day that I came to this, the United 
States House of Representatives, I sat in the gallery, and the 
distinguished gentleman from Ohio, Congressman John Seiberling, rose to 
the floor to speak to an issue of the day.
  Though I will always recall this amazing experience, I could not tell 
you the subject matter of his remarks. It was not the subject that 
struck me that day, it was his passion, his unabashed resolve. It was 
the heart with which he spoke on behalf of those he so clearly served.
  After leaving Congress, Representative Seiberling returned home to 
Akron and continued his service to our community as a teacher and a 
scholar.
  Fate again brought me to his presence. As a law student at the 
University of Akron School of Law, I had the privilege to be his 
student. My fellow law students and I were blessed to witness his 
humble strength and his enduring belief in public service as a pursuit 
of a high calling.
  As he taught us about the legislative process, which was the subject 
of the course, we learned about the work and perseverance that went 
into the creation of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and also into 
passage of the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which was an achievement of 
historic proportion.
  But amazing though his achievements were, Congressman Seiberling 
never bragged of his accomplishments. He was far too modest for such 
things.
  Instead, he focused on teaching us about how to make the legislative 
process work, even against long odds. For the knowledge that he shared, 
I will always be grateful.
  Though his modesty precluded him from bragging, make no mistake. The 
Alaska Lands Act of 1980 was historic, and as its author, Congressman 
Seiberling deserves our admiration and appreciation.
  Describing the importance of this immense contribution to the 
country, in 2001, when President Clinton presented Congressman 
Seiberling with the Presidential Citizens Medal, Clinton said, ``With 
that legislation, John Seiberling single-handedly saved more of our 
wilderness than any previous American, a legacy that will last for 
generations.''
  Congressman Seiberling, with his vision, perseverance and courage, 
with his heart and mind combined, he made our community and our country 
and our world a better and more just place, leaving us with a legacy 
and inspiration that shall long endure.
  Thank you, Congressman Seiberling, for the life that you lived and 
the example you set.
  Betty, thank you and your family for all that you have given so 
generously. I thank you for the time.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Good luck up in rules. I know we are going to do 
the right thing. I know Congressman Seiberling would be proud of the 
efforts we have been making on behalf of the environment, on behalf of 
alternative energy.
  I just had the opportunity to kind of peruse through some of my old 
staff, was his old staff, had an opportunity to peruse, as you were 
talking the Plain Dealer Magazine from 1986 when Congressman Seiberling 
retired, and they did a full spread. Just looking through here, I had 
prepared remarks, but this is a heck of a lot better than what I was 
going to say.
  As you go through, and you talk, as Congresswoman Sutton was talking 
about the Cuyahoga Valley and the park, which basically, for those who 
don't know the area, Cleveland and Akron would have just grown 
together, and they would have just been this huge, you know, megacity.
  Because of the vision of John Seiberling and Ralph Regula, who is 
just retiring from Congress now, there is this huge Cuyahoga Valley 
National Park that is one of the beautiful landscapes in Ohio, has 
separated Akron and Cleveland and provided this gorgeous scenic area. 
But that's the kind of vision that Congressman Seiberling had.
  I am trying to find the quote here from Mr. Regula, if I can find it, 
the newspaper is sticking together because it's 22 years old, but there 
is a great quote in here from Mr. Regula, just talking about how this 
is John Seiberling's legacy, is that the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
  To have the vision and the foresight that Congressman John Seiberling 
had is something that I think all of us who serve in Congress aspire 
to, because it's not about dealing with, necessarily, the problems that 
we have today, but as we deal with those problems, figure out how we 
put the country in a good position 10, 15, 20 years from now. When this 
gentleman was talking about the Cuyahoga Valley National Park 30 years 
ago, almost 40 years ago, and when he was talking about preserving the 
wilderness and the natural landscape of our country, not just historic 
buildings, but historic landscape, and the natural landscape that we 
have in this country, he was a man ahead of his time.
  I also had an opportunity to look through one of his old pieces of 
campaign literature. As we hear the rhetoric, and I know Congressman 
Seiberling wouldn't in the least bit mind me incorporating some of what 
the Democrats are doing today into his kind of memorial here, he 
wouldn't mind that in the least bit, I was looking through his campaign 
literature.
  I just want to share with everyone some of the things he was saying 
in his election in 1970, 38 years ago, when the Vietnam War was going 
on, issues on the economy, I will give you an example here. On the 
economy, ``I oppose the economic policies of the Nixon administration. 
Instead of ending the war and massive military space spending, Nixon 
has chosen to squeeze the little guy with high prices and 
unemployment.''
  On pollution, ``Facing the greatest environmental crisis of our 
history, we must move as fast as possible to end the major causes of 
pollution. I favor a system of fees to be charged against polluters in 
proportion to the amount of pollution they create.''
  This is a guy who was in northeast Ohio and not too far from coal 
country, standing up saying this is what I believe in. This is what I 
believe, and this is where I think the country needs to go.

[[Page H8120]]

                              {time}  2245

  On cities, ``Our Nation's priorities are out of whack. The urban 
crisis is the result. We must cut spending for extravagant military 
projects and start spending more on health care, crime control, 
education, housing, recreation areas, public transportation, and other 
pressing human needs.''
  He was extremely involved in the impeachment of Richard Nixon because 
he sat on the Judiciary Committee. He was obviously involved in 
interior projects and in making sure that the natural beauty of the 
United States was preserved. I believe that, as Ms. Sutton stated 
earlier, he partnered with Congressman Mo Udall and led the way to 
adding more than 100 million acres to our national parks--wildlife 
refuges, wild rivers, wilderness areas. He successfully moved to enact 
the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act in 1980, protecting 
56 million acres in Alaska's parks, wilderness areas and forests and, 
as I mentioned earlier, with Congressman Regula, 34,000 acres of the 
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, which is now one of the Nation's most 
visited.
  This is just a great guy, I mean just a class act. His lineage comes 
from the Goodyear Tire Company, which his grandfather started. He just 
goes back from that kind of stock--Harvard, Columbia stock--that kind 
of ivy league stock, but he never, ever lost that common touch.
  We were talking about Stephanie Tubbs Jones earlier and how you can 
be on stages with Presidents and can be passing key pieces of 
legislation, but when you run into them at the grocery store, they're 
the same people that you always knew. John Seiberling was just like 
that.
  Mr. Speaker, we've been joined by the dean of the Ohio delegation, 
the gentlewoman from Toledo (Ms. Kaptur).
  I don't know. Did you have an opportunity to serve with Mr. 
Seiberling for a few years?
  Ms. KAPTUR. Congressman Ryan, I just want to thank you for your 
leadership in assembling this Special Order this evening. Every member 
of the delegation joins you in extending our deepest sympathy to Betty, 
to John's family, to all of his friends, not just in Akron but across 
this country. I know how proud he would be of you and of your service 
to have this very intelligent force here inside the Congress.
  I had the great joy of serving with John Seiberling. One can offer 
many plaudits and memories of his great work, and I am flooded with 
memories as I speak this evening, but one word comes to mind. That word 
is ``integrity.'' John Seiberling was absolutely an honest, decent, 
patriotic American. I recall many of his great works. I think he had 
these beige Chuck-A Boots, these Chuck-A Boots. Do you remember when 
those were in style? He always wore them. You knew when John had the 
Chuck-A Boots on that he'd either been up in Alaska or that he'd just 
come back from trying to get the Cuyahoga National Recreation Area 
designated or that he'd been out west in some park or on some mountain 
somewhere. He always had like a tweed jacket, and he had a cut about 
him where you knew that he had been raised in a family of wealth. He 
didn't spend a lot of money on clothes, but he dressed a certain way. 
There was a certain cut of the man that helped to define him, and when 
he looked at you, he looked at you straight, and you always knew where 
John Seiberling stood. There was a certain way he held himself. It was 
as though he held up the honor of the office by the way he held his 
spine.
  I remember the day that Betty sat in the gallery when those of us who 
were here honored his legacy and his last day of service here in the 
Congress. I can't believe it was that many years ago, because he was 
such a force here within the Congress, itself, such a force for 
integrity of the institution. In fact, in my office, I have a plaque 
that I had made because of a plaque he had hung in his office, which 
said that this office belongs to the people of his congressional 
district in Ohio. I was so impressed that, outside my office, I had a 
sign made: ``This office belongs to the people of the 9th Congressional 
District.'' John Seiberling always held us to a higher standard.
  I have to tell you that I had an experience. When I was first 
elected, there were only two eagles left on Lake Erie, which is in the 
western part of Ohio, the region that I represent, and John had just 
started on the Cuyahoga National Recreation Area. This past year, 
something really wonderful happened. We've increased the number of 
eagles to 12 times what used to exist. We have 144 nesting pairs now, 
but a year and a half ago, two of those critters flew over to the 
Cuyahoga National Recreation Area, and they took nest, and they've now 
had three baby eaglets. Every time I think of that, I say, ``Thank you, 
John Seiberling, for what you did,'' as we give rebirth to this region 
of America.
  When he grew up, the Cuyahoga River became a national disgrace as it 
burned, and people still remember that image today, but John knew it 
had to be healed. He began doing just what Congressman Ryan and what 
Congresswoman Sutton have said, working here in the House and, of 
course, with our dear friend Congressman Ralph Regula as well, to put 
into place these green emeralds, these jewels of parklands that have 
now been placed, expanded and improved to a point where our western 
basin of Lake Erie can touch the eastern side of Ohio in a way that 
helps to raise up the symbol of this country, the bald eagle.
  If it would be all right with the gentleman, I have remarks I would 
like to place in the Record.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Of course.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I don't know if it was noted that John was born in 1918, 
in this month of September, to Lieutenant John Frederick Seiberling and 
Henrietta McBrayer Buckler. Like his father, John went on to serve his 
country in the Armed Forces. While fighting in World War II while in 
the United States Army, he was awarded the Legion of Merit in the 
recognition of his role in planning motor transport for the D-day 
invasion of Normandy.
  When you think back to what he did as a young man and from his 
military service on, he never stopped fighting for his country. He was 
such a patriot. Congressman Ryan talked about his ivy league education 
and his roots, his scion from the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. He 
could have come here, and he could have represented Wall Street, but 
John Seiberling never did that. He represented the best interests of 
this country. He never tried to clean up for himself. I remember, after 
he retired, he sent me this beautiful, beautiful book about flowers in 
the Akron area and about the ecosystem of the northeastern part of 
Ohio. He was always teaching; he was always contributing, and he made 
this institution sparkle.
  Now, was he a telegenic figure? We seem to be in an age of television 
and media where everybody has got to have the right makeup and the 
right glasses. Are you telegenic? Are you TV ready? Are you camera 
ready? You know, John Seiberling didn't care about that. Sometimes his 
tweed suit would be a little bit rumpled. I wish for more Members with 
rumpled suits whose hair isn't exactly combed. John was always very 
neat--don't get me wrong--but he was there for the country, and he 
trudged it from coast to coast.
  I think that his service on the House Judiciary Committee, history 
will note, took great courage as he drafted the Articles of Impeachment 
brought against former President Richard Nixon. Imagine the courage and 
the scholarship and the acumen that that effort entailed. He was a man 
to be dealt with, and you knew exactly where he stood, and when he was 
in your corner, he never wavered.

  I wanted to mention his devotion to his family, to Betty. They were a 
team. I remember one time, Congressman Ryan, when for whatever reason I 
ended up in Akron, Ohio, at this big event in the city. I walked in 
this room, and I was meeting buckeyes whom I'd never met before. All of 
a sudden, there came this man down the aisle, to be seated with his 
wife. He had retired from Congress, and his vision wasn't that good at 
that point. They brought John Seiberling in, and the audience just 
applauded wall to wall until he took his seat with his wife's next to 
his. He was present for the program, and he heard every word. His mind 
was quick, and he absorbed everything that happened. When I went up to 
him afterwards, he knew exactly who I was; he knew exactly what had 
happened, and he was there to try to change America for the better in 
that particular election year.

[[Page H8121]]

  To their sons John, David and Stephen, all I will say is thank you 
from the Kaptur family for allowing us to know your father because, to 
this day, he has an influence inside this institution. I learned so 
much from him, and he was so kind to me as a new Member and as the 
first woman from my region of Ohio ever to be elected here. He welcomed 
me. He helped to tutor me. He made me feel very much a part of this 
institution from day one. I shall always be grateful to him. I never 
forget him. He is a standard that I hold and is someone to whom I still 
look up in my own work. As I look at that plaque every day, I think of 
him. I can't tell you how many people have commented on it, and I 
always say, ``That's from Congressman Seiberling.'' His life still 
resonates here and across our country. We loved him, too.
  Now, he wasn't exactly a lovable figure in a way. There was a certain 
circumstance about him. I suppose, because of his lawyerly training, 
you sort of felt like you were meeting a judge in a way and that he was 
judging every person and every event at which he was present, but there 
was also a great strength, and you wanted to know him better. You 
wanted him to teach you. You wanted to learn from him. The country is 
better served by individuals like him.
  I doubt that John took millions of dollars away from here in any way, 
personally or politically. He wasn't that kind of guy. He served our 
country. Oh, we would be so much better if we could have more John 
Seiberlings in this institution.
  So I say to Congressman Ryan thank you so much. You know in whose 
footsteps you walk. Congresswoman Sutton knows in whose footsteps she 
walks.
  I just feel very fortunate to have been able to serve here long 
enough to have known John Seiberling. His perseverance, I think, has 
inspired us all.
  I would say to the gentleman I have other remarks to make, but I'm 
sure that you have other material there that you would like to place in 
the Record. I just know John is watching over us and is wanting us to 
do better, to do better for the Republic because he did better for the 
Republic, and we hope to make him proud.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. I appreciate the gentlelady's coming. We thank you 
for your personal recollections. Those of us who came a few years after 
had to hear the stories, but you were here for a lot of that and for a 
lot of those fights.
  You know, even until the last few weeks of his life, until the last 
few months of his life, at any time I talked to him, he wanted to talk 
about what was going on in the country. He wanted to talk about what 
the President was doing and how he was doing it wrong. He wanted to 
talk about alternative energy. I mean, as you said, his mind was always 
working on how we can fix the country, on how the country can do better 
and on how we can move in a new direction.
  I want to share an article. Tom Diemer from the Plain Dealer wrote 
this article and did a great job, which he always does, about Mr. 
Seiberling's reflecting on his accomplishments with the Cuyahoga Valley 
National Park. He is quoting Mr. Regula as saying:
  `` `Without John Seiberling, there would never, never have been a 
Cuyahoga Valley National Park.' The Canton area lawmaker and an 
original cosponsor of the parks bill said, `Not a chance. This is going 
to be a lasting monument to John Seiberling.' ''
  Against strong odds and Gerald Ford in '74 to try to get this 
greenbelt together, Mr. Seiberling said, ``That is one I am most 
satisfied with. Saving the beautiful valley was a real joy. I get 
letters every week from people who say, `I just drove through the 
Cuyahoga Valley, and I'm just so grateful to you for taking action to 
preserve this beautiful area, and it means a lot to me and my 
children.' ''

                              {time}  2300

  ``When I get letters like that,'' Mr. Seiberling went on to say, ``it 
brings tears to my eyes because I realize that those people have the 
same feelings that I do.''
  And that was him right there. I mean, that's him in a nutshell, that 
he understood what the people wanted, and he knew that he was down here 
to execute those values and those ideas, and he did it. And just a 
wonderful guy.
  So I would also like to extend my condolences to Betty and the three 
sons and the big family on behalf of me and all the constituents from 
the 17th district, how great it is when we walk around and talk to Mark 
Udall and he talks about his dad's relationship with Mr. Seiberling and 
all the battles that they had.
  In closing here, I would like to just share and ask, Mr. Speaker, 
that this article be submitted for the Record. And I'll make a copy. 
And this is John Seiberling's political philosophy and legislative 
philosophy summed up in this article by Mr. Diemer. ``What we are 
trying to do is maintain a livable world.'' Think how appropriate this 
is for today. ``What we are trying to do is maintain a livable world 
free of nuclear disaster, a world that we have not polluted to the 
point where we can't breathe, and where we preserve some natural beauty 
so that we can have the solace and the experiences of being out in 
God's world. I feel basically it is all part of the same effort to 
preserve part of our heritage for our children.''
  Peace, a clean environment, pristine national parks and wildlife 
areas, and how urban sprawl has eaten a lot of it up in our time. And I 
think for those of us who fill his shoes here, it's now our obligation 
to go in and talk about urban redevelopment, to talk about preserving 
these natural spaces.
  But more importantly, as the debate on energy has heated up over the 
past few weeks and few months, for us to present a comprehensive energy 
policy here, and to fund the investments in alternative energy.
  He would be all over this. He would be at the cutting edge of 
biodiesel and solar and wind, and I think in some ways we're honoring 
his legacy as we move into the alternative energy areas.
  And just think what he would be thinking today, as Merrill Lynch is 
getting bought out, Lehman Brothers is going bankrupt. When you think 
of all the problems in the housing market, because the government 
failed to regulate the markets properly, he would be at the forefront 
of every single one of these fights.
  So you and I and Betty and those of us who need to honor him by 
coming down here and making sure that this standard that he set for us 
gets met every day here.
  Ms. KAPTUR. You know what is really interesting Congressman Ryan, is 
that coming from the background that he did, he could have been an 
unceasing voice for business as usual. But John took that background 
and he grew from it and he became something beyond his own heritage in 
a way, and he wanted to make America a better place.
  Having seen some of what happened in industry run amuck, he believed 
in industry, but he knew it could be done in a better way and he set a 
different path for America. And his family has every right to feel 
blessed and gratified, as we do, for having known him. And Ohioans and 
every American really has a right to consider themselves very, very 
fortunate for having had a man like John Seiberling in our lives, if 
only for a time.
  And I know that his family will miss him deeply. We certainly have 
missed him from the day that he left here, and we hope that the 
strength that he gave to all of us and to his family in life will 
comfort them now.
  And we know that John Seiberling made his mark, and we feel very 
fortunate to have counted him among our most beloved colleagues.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. And in closing, I would just like to say, from one 
of his old, a couple of his older pieces of campaign literature, he had 
the tag line, ``The Guts To Do What's Right.'' And that was John 
Seiberling.

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