[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 139 (Wednesday, September 30, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H10085-H10087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF HELEN KELLER PRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE OF ALABAMA

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and concur in the concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 41) providing for 
the acceptance of a statue of Helen Keller, presented by the people of 
Alabama, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution as amended, is as follows:

                            S. Con. Res. 41

       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring),

     SECTION 1. ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF HELEN KELLER FROM THE 
                   PEOPLE OF ALABAMA FOR PLACEMENT IN UNITED 
                   STATES CAPITOL.

       (a) In General.--The statue of Helen Keller furnished by 
     the people of Alabama for placement in the United States 
     Capitol in accordance with section 1814 of the Revised 
     Statutes of the United States (2 U.S.C. 2131), is accepted in 
     the name of the United States, and the thanks of the Congress 
     are tendered to the people of Alabama for providing this 
     commemoration of one of Alabama's most eminent persons.
       (b) Presentation Ceremony.--The State of Alabama is 
     authorized to use the rotunda of the Capitol on October 7, 
     2009, for a presentation ceremony for the statue accepted 
     under this section. The Architect of the Capitol and the 
     Capitol Police Board shall take such action as may be 
     necessary with respect to physical preparations and security 
     for the ceremony.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel 
E. Lungren) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
on this legislation.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution provides for the use of the Capitol 
rotunda on October 7, 2009, for a presentation and unveiling ceremony 
of the statue of Helen Keller. Since her story has been widely told, 
Helen Keller has been a lasting symbol of perseverance and bravery 
worldwide. Struck blind and deaf when she was a little over a year old, 
Helen Keller went on to lead a remarkable life.

                              {time}  1130

  She was the first blind person to receive a bachelor's degree. At the 
age of

[[Page H10086]]

22, she published her autobiography, ``The Story of My Life'' and went 
on to write 10 more books. She was an outspoken activist and proponent 
of women's rights as well as an advocate for people with disabilities.
  Helen Keller is a superb addition to the already impressive National 
Statuary Hall collection. I am proud to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I am pleased to support this resolution, Mr. Speaker, to accept the 
statue of Helen Keller presented by the people of the great State of 
Alabama. I come here today not to honor a mere statue of marble or 
stone, but to honor a woman of extraordinary courage, compassion and 
determination.
  Helen Keller was born June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. During 
only the 19th month of her young life, Helen lost not only her sight 
but also her hearing during an apparent bout of meningitis.
  As many of us have seen in the award-winning play and the movie ``The 
Miracle Worker,'' at age 7, with the help of her gifted teacher, Anne 
Sullivan, Helen ascertained the ability to communicate. During her 
young life, she worked strenuously and tirelessly to overcome her 
sensory impediments and help others do the same.
  She attended the Perkins School for the Blind for 4 years; the 
Cambridge School for Young Ladies for 1; and Radcliffe College, a 
sister school to Harvard University, for 4 years. There she earned a 
bachelor of arts degree and graduated cum laude as our Nation's first 
deaf and blind college graduate.
  Helen Keller worked tirelessly on behalf of her fellow men and women 
in this country and around the world: the blind, the deaf, the 
disabled, those seeking the right to vote, workers, and many others. A 
prolific author, one of her autobiographies, ``The Story of My Life,'' 
has been translated into over 50 languages.
  She provided vital support to organizations such as the American 
Foundation for the Blind, and was justly given honorary degrees from 
Temple University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Delhi, 
the University of Berlin, and the University of Johannesburg. In 1964, 
President Lyndon Johnson awarded her the highest possible civilian 
award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was also honored with 
Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross, the Philippines' Golden Heart, 
and Japan's Sacred Treasure. In 1991, she was named by LIFE magazine as 
one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century.
  Helen Keller will be the first person with disabilities enshrined 
here in our Nation's Capitol. This honor is long overdue. She was and 
is an inspiration to all of us regardless of our age, status, 
ethnicity, or background. To marvel at the dignity and beauty inherent 
in all human beings, to use the gifts and attributes that each of us 
possess to their full potential, to help our fellow citizens and human 
beings meet and overcome whatever fears, challenges and adversity they 
may face, these are the legacies of Helen Keller that will be so richly 
preserved by this statue in her honor.
  During this time of important challenges in our country and at all 
times in which human beings embark and journey on the road of life, 
Helen Keller reminds us that ``Although the world is full of suffering, 
it is full also of the overcoming of it'' and ``No pessimist ever 
discovered the secret of the stars or sailed an uncharted land, or 
opened a new doorway for the human spirit.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 2 
minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Griffith).
  Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in honor of the life and the 
experiences of Helen Keller.
  Born in my district in Tuscumbia, the Helen Keller birthplace is a 
national shrine visited by thousands of Americans every year. She was a 
remarkable woman, had great courage, and, with the help of Anne 
Sullivan, learned to overcome both deafness and blindness. She said 
about her disability that the loss of sight separated her from objects 
but the loss of hearing separated her from people. She overcame these 
with great courage and determination, and her teacher and her constant 
companion, Anne Sullivan, were heroes for all of America and continue 
to be heroes today.
  Always a constant role model for people with disabilities in America 
and around the globe, Mrs. Keller was a friend of many of our world 
leaders, recognized, as has been said, as one of the greats of the 20th 
century.
  Soon we will celebrate her life and her experiences by unveiling a 
statue, and we believe that she will be permanently enshrined in the 
history of the life of America. Her great courage and great 
determination are qualities that we certainly admire and can use to 
this day.
  I appreciate so much Governor Riley of Alabama and the entire State 
of Alabama in their dedication and their perseverance in getting the 
statue here and all the work that has gone into it. Our Alabama 
delegation here in the Congress as well as our Senators have taken 
part, and we appreciate that so much.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the 
distinguished gentleman from Alabama, Congressman Bachus, such time as 
he may consume.
  Mr. BACHUS. The story of Helen Keller has inspired generations of 
Americans. It is especially meaningful for those of us from Alabama 
because Helen Keller is one of our own. Her statue will vividly remind 
us of a young girl from the rural south and how she overcame tremendous 
challenges to become a symbol of hope and determination for people 
throughout the world.
  As my colleague, Mr. Lungren, described, Helen was not even 2 years 
old when illness left her unable to see or hear. That would be 
difficult enough for a child and for a father and mother to deal with 
today with all our advantages. Imagine how devastating it must have 
been for a family in the Deep South during the 1880s.
  Some might have mistakenly assumed that Helen or a child who is blind 
and deaf may not aspire to do anything more than be cared for with 
compassion. But such is certainly not the normal mindset of children 
with physical limitations as many of us know. They have the same 
aspirations and hopes and dreams as their fellow children.
  It certainly was not the case for Helen. Helen's parents also refused 
to accept limits on their child or on her life, just as Helen. When she 
grew older, they refused to be limited by her disabilities. They had a 
deep and strong faith that their daughter could be educated and live a 
full and rich life. And while Helen could not yet express that she had 
the same determination, ultimately this would bring them in contact 
with Anne Sullivan and lead to the scene which is depicted by the new 
statue: that miraculous moment when Helen Keller, with water running 
over her hands, finally understood what a word meant and that word was 
``water.'' Very few statues can tell such a moving story. This one 
does.
  But, of course, it is only the beginning of the story of Helen Keller 
and what she chose to use her life for, and that was to help others. As 
an educator, as an advocate, as a humanitarian, she showed there is no 
obstacle that cannot be overcome. Her life reminds us to cherish every 
member of our society because each person has unique gifts and 
blessings from God.
  The statue will be very popular, especially with children. It conveys 
the important message that whatever life's challenges, nothing should 
ever hold us back. We live in a country where you can overcome any 
obstacle and achieve your dreams if you work hard and possess the 
desire to succeed.
  There were many people involved with this project that the Alabama 
delegation wishes to acknowledge. My colleague, Parker Griffith, has 
mentioned Governor Bob Riley and his wife Patsy. They were two of the 
guiding forces behind the statue that is such a great gift from the 
people of Alabama to the people of our Nation. Governor, I hope you and 
the First Lady look upon this as one of your proudest legacies.
  Dr. Joe Busta from the University of South Alabama, who was co-chair 
of the Helen Keller Campaign, and his co-chair Elmer Harris, former CEO 
of Alabama Power.

[[Page H10087]]

  Dr. Bob Morris and his team at the Helen Keller Foundation. Dr. 
Morris devotes weeks of each year to restoring sight of children who 
have lost their sight and is actually a miracle worker today giving the 
gift of sight.
  Dr. Terry Graham, president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and 
Blind, and Lynne Hanner from the Institute.
  Among the members who served on the Helen Keller Campaign and the 
Artist Selection Committee, the Alabama delegation is honored to have 
three members of the Keller family: great nephew Bill Johnson, great 
nephew Warren Johnson, and great grand niece Keller Johnson Thompson.
  And, of course, finally we recognize the outstanding work of the 
artist, Edward Hlavka.
  We all look forward to the formal unveiling of the Helen Keller 
statue next Wednesday. It will be a powerful moment for those of us 
from the State of Alabama at our beautiful Capitol.
  Let me thank Senator Sessions and Senator Shelby for their support of 
this resolution.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no other 
speakers who are here, so let me just say that I rise in support of 
this resolution.
  Helen Keller is not only a tremendous symbol of the State of Alabama 
and the United States, but it's not just her history that we reflect on 
today, it is her inspiration for those of us who are alive today.
  There are some in our society--I remember Professor Peter Singer--who 
have suggested that some infants are not worthy of our support as human 
beings because they are less than the rest of us. I've often wondered 
if it is our failure to be able to unlock that vault in which some 
children find themselves where they're unable to communicate to us. And 
if we reflect back on Helen Keller's life, Helen Keller had that 
greatness within her at all times. It was the inability of the outside 
world to be able to communicate with her as much as it was her 
inability to communicate with the outside world. That should be a 
lesson for all of us that no child is unworthy in our society and that 
sometimes when we do not understand their worth, it may be our loss 
rather than theirs.
  Think what would have happened if that great teacher of Helen Keller 
hadn't taken the time to be able to unlock that vault and be able to 
begin to communicate with that young girl. Not only how differently 
would Helen Keller's life had turned out, but how differently the 
plight of the disabled in this country and around the world would have 
been.
  So let us not just think of Helen Keller as a historic figure for 
which we give her homage today and for which we will honor her with 
this statue, but let's think of her as a living memorial of the 
challenge to all of us to reach beyond that which is easy to find out 
the greatness that lies within every individual.
  So I thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank Chairman Brady and the 
delegation of Alabama for taking up this resolution. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in support.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I also thank the gentleman for his 
cooperation in everything we do in our committee. I do think that Helen 
Keller will be a great addition to Statuary Hall.
  Some wise old lady told me years ago that when someone gives you 
lemons, you turn them into lemonade, and that's exactly what that lady 
did. That statue in Statuary Hall will be an inspiration to all of us.
  With that, I support the resolution.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the 
rules and concur in the concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 41, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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