[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 13, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING THE NATIONAL TREASURY EMPLOYEES UNION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 13, 2010

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of America's 
front-line government workers from Maine to Montana, Spokane to 
Sarasota and everywhere in between--especially Austin, Texas.
  On February 18, an angry and misguided individual took out his 
personal frustrations and his own failures when he flew a plane into a 
federal government building outside Austin. The impetus for his 
deplorable and heinous act: settling a grudge against tax authorities 
and a government he deemed un-American. But his weapon of choice, 
mimicking the greatest American tragedy of this generation, shows how 
confused and simply wrong he was.
  His plane took the life of a member of the National Treasury 
Employees Union, Vernon Hunter. Vernon was a victim of the worst kind--
an innocent bystander in the worst place at the worst time. But 
economic hardship is the fertilizer that grows fear-mongering and from 
those depths despair can be a dangerous weapon. We must take the time 
to educate the public, stand with our friends at the Treasury, and 
bridge the divide between ignorance and understanding so that we may 
never again mourn a friend at the NTEU.
  Our largest federal employees union, the NTEU is an eclectic and 
dedicated group that does everything from print our money to guard our 
borders. Its members can be scientists searching for a cure for cancer 
or working to preserve our national parks and historical sites. The 
NTEU has a hand in agriculture, commerce, finance, and health care, 
and, above all, is a vital part of every community across the country.
  It is with a heavy heart that I offer my condolences to all who were 
touched by February's tragedy, but with a renewed spirit that I pledge 
my support to the NTEU and each and every one of its members.

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