[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H4552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING FORMER MEMBER OF CONGRESS BILL ORTON

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOYER. Ladies and gentlemen of the House, today we come to the 
House floor in memory of a fine Member of this body who distinguished 
himself here, in my opinion, and left a lasting legacy.
  Bill Orton, who our colleague, Jim Matheson, informed us passed away 
in an accident in Utah, who represented the people of Utah's Sixth 
District from 1991 to 1997, died last weekend at the age of 60.
  Bill always was an independent thinker and serious-minded public 
servant. He was elected three times as a Democrat in one of America's 
most conservative districts, as our friend Jim Matheson has done, a 
fact that testifies both to his persuasive skills and the deep respect 
he earned even from those he didn't persuade.
  As a local paper wrote, ``Utahans couldn't have done much better than 
electing Bill Orton.'' I agree with that sentiment, Mr. Speaker. In 
just three terms here, Bill left a permanent mark. He was a founder of 
the Blue Dog Coalition, which has stood up for fiscal discipline ever 
since and is well represented here tonight.
  Bill was instrumental in creating the Democratic ideal of fiscal 
responsibility. And ever since, when Democrats have come to this floor 
to defend the government's essential programs while advocating for a 
balanced budget, they have been following in Bill's footsteps. Now, 
every time we speak out for a government that pays for what it buys, we 
have an opportunity to carry on Bill's work.
  But as much as we will miss him, I know that his community and his 
family will miss him incomparably more. Bill became a father late in 
life, but his boys, Will and Wes, filled what turned out to be the last 
years of his life with so much joy. Those who know Bill remember, I'm 
sure, how he turned half of his congressional office into a nursery, or 
how he proudly brought baby Will to sit with him at hearings.
  I know that nothing can make up for the loss of a father, 
particularly a father of young children. For Jacquelyn Orton, I know 
that nothing can make up for the loss of her husband. But I hope it 
will be some consolation--small, but some--to know that Bill was 
important to the life of his State and of his Nation, and that he 
shaped them for the better; that even though he had more to give, he 
gave much more than most ever do.
  To his family, we extend great sympathy. From his country, to Bill 
Orton, we say thank you; thank you for serving so well the people of 
Utah and the people of the United States of America. God bless his 
family.

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