[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 71 (Monday, May 11, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5324-S5325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING JACK KEMP

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to a great American 
and friend, former Congressman Jack Kemp. I was deeply saddened to 
learn of his passing and offer my sincerest condolences to his sweet 
wife Joanne; their four children, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Judith, and James; 
and 17 grandchildren. Jack has left a lasting impression and legacy 
that will be honored and long remembered by a grateful nation.
  Jack came to Congress after 13 years as a professional football 
quarterback. His career in professional football demonstrates the value 
of persistence, self-confidence, and courage. Jack began his football 
career slowly and without much success. However, he was fiercely 
competitive and eventually led the Buffalo Bills to 33 victories and 2 
league championships. He was selected All-League quarterback, AFL 
Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and appeared in five AFL 
championship games and seven AFL All-Star games. Jack was also 
recognized by Sporting News as one of the top 50 quarterbacks of all 
time. Sports taught him that the only real failure is not trying again 
and that out of adversity comes strength, determination, and ultimate 
victory.
  When asked if being a football star helped him get elected to 
Congress, Jack responded, ``Yes, to the extent that I had name 
recognition and people knew who I was. That kind of identification cuts 
two ways. On the one hand, it was harmful because some people consider 
professional football to be anti-intellectual and an inadequate 
training ground for political leadership. To the contrary, I believe 
pro football is great training for leadership. In fact, I hope more 
athletes choose politics as a profession so that we don't leave the 
field to attorneys.''
  Jack made the transition from athlete to politician in 1971, when he 
was elected to represent the 31st Congressional District of New York. 
He was an enthusiastic speaker, especially when the topic was tax 
revision, and was once told he talks ``as though somebody had pulled 
the trigger of a machine gun.'' I can certainly attest to that. 
However, it wasn't the way Jack talked that had everyone's attention; 
it was what he was saying. I would dare argue that much of what he was 
fighting for in the seventies and eighties still holds true today. For 
example, Jack argued that the U.S. Government should shoulder the 
burden of international leadership by becoming ``an active exporter of 
the American idea.'' In his view, the ``greatest weapon in our arsenal 
is the prospect of general well-being that results from the embrace of 
American ideas about opportunity, initiative, and enterprise.''
  During his time as Congressman, Jack was probably best known as a 
champion of tax cuts. He became a fervent supply-side evangelist who 
believed that tax cuts would not only spur economic growth but also 
bring in more revenue for the Government. Jack coauthored the Kemp-Roth 
tax bill, which became the blueprint for what became known as 
``Reaganomics.'' Jack referred to his comprehensive Federal tax-cut 
package as ``the number one offensive play in the country.'' Reagan 
biographer Lou Cannon said Jack, as much as anybody, helped persuade 
Reagan to embrace an economic policy of supply-side economics, 
stimulating economic growth through reducing taxes.
  ``Generally speaking,'' Jack said, ``if you tax something, you get 
less of it. If you subsidize something, you get more of it. In America, 
we tax work, growth, investment, employment, savings, and productivity. 
We subsidize nonworking, consumption, welfare, and debt.'' How true 
that is.
  Jack served as a Congressman for 18 years, until 1989 when he became 
the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President 
George H.W. Bush. Jack was the author of the Enterprise Zones 
legislation to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation in urban 
America and continued to advocate the expansion of home ownership among 
the poor through resident management and ownership of public and 
subsidized housing.
  Jack received the Republican Party's nomination for Vice President in 
August of 1996 and afterward continued a career of public service by 
campaigning nationally to reform the tax system, Social Security, and 
education.
  Jack was always uplifting and optimistic. He consistently 
distinguished himself by exhibiting the rare ability to see real 
opportunity in the seemingly mundane. He seized those opportunities to 
demonstrate qualities of judgment, character, and commitment. Jack once 
said, ``I do not believe there is any future for the Republican Party 
in trying to defeat Democrats. You don't run to fight opponents. You 
run to promote ideas. Ideas are what rule the world. We, the 
Republicans, haven't been offering an alternative. We need more 
positive ideas.''
  When asked about his political ideals, Jack was quick to reply: 
``After going into the highly competitive business of pro football, I 
gained an even deeper appreciation of the competitive free-enterprise 
system to which this country owes its past, present, and future 
progress and freedom. I believe competition breeds the best, and the 
system of free enterprise has brought about the greatest society ever 
known.'' He also praised the American political system as ``the 
greatest experience in human dignity and human freedom that mankind has 
ever known.''
  In a sweet and endearing letter to his grandchildren, Jack talked 
about the future of America. The letter was written days after Barack 
Obama secured the Presidency. Jack wrote, ``My advice for you all is to 
understand that unity for our nation doesn't require uniformity or 
unanimity; it does require putting the good of our people ahead of 
what's good for mere political or personal advantage. You see, real 
leadership is not just seeing the realities of what we are temporarily 
faced with, but seeing the possibilities and potential that can be 
realized by lifting up peoples' vision of what they can be.''
  I would suggest that Jack is one of the greatest political leaders 
the world has ever seen. We all appreciate his efforts and service but 
none so more than me. My dear friend, you will be sorely missed. May 
God bless you and keep you.

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