[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 102 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H4696-H4706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PRINTING OF PROCEEDINGS OF FORMER MEMBERS PROGRAM
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent
that the proceedings during the former Members program be printed in
the Congressional Record and that all Members and former Members who
spoke during the proceedings have the privilege of revising and
extending their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
The following proceedings were held before the House convened for
morning-hour debate:
United States Association of Former Members of Congress 2012 Annual
Report to Congress
The meeting was called to order by the Honorable Barbara Kennelly,
vice president of Former Members of Congress Association, at 8:12 a.m.
prayer
Dr. Alan Kieran, Office of the Senate Chaplain, offered the following
prayer:
Lord God Almighty, author of life and creator of the universe, we
come today seeking Your divine wisdom, peace, and protection.
In these complex times, inspire our Nation's leaders to pray with the
certainty that You hear them and respond to their petitions. Anoint our
leaders with Your spirit and grant them Your favor.
Father, we also know that Your divine protection is everlasting. We
are not naive, though, in thinking that all will always be well. But in
tough times, we are assured that You, King of Heaven's armies, will be
watching over us and guiding us.
Finally, Lord, be with those in harm's way and their families. I pray
in Your mighty name, Amen.
Pledge of Allegiance
The Hon. Barbara Kennelly led the Pledge of Allegiance as follows:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Ms. KENNELLY. The Chair now calls on the Honorable Connie Morella,
president of the association, and a wonderful president, to take the
chair.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you. Thank you, Barbara.
It's always a very distinct privilege to be back in this revered
Chamber, and we appreciate the opportunity today to have the 42nd
annual report of the United States Association of Former Members of
Congress.
I'm going to be joined by a number of our colleagues in reporting on
the activities and the projects of our organization.
And so first of all, I'd like to ask the Clerk to call the roll.
The Clerk called the roll of the former Members of Congress, as
follows:
Mr. Alexander of Arkansas
Mr. Blanchard of Michigan
Mr. Bonker of Washington
Mr. Buechner of Missouri
Ms. Byron of Maryland
Mr. Carr of Michigan
Mr. Clement of Tennessee
Mr. Coyne of Pennsylvania
Mr. Davis of Virginia
[[Page H4697]]
Mr. DioGuardi of New York
Mr. Garcia of New York
Mr. Green of Wisconsin
Mr. Glickman of Kansas
Mr. Hertel of Michigan
Mr. Hochbrueckner of New York
Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota
Ms. Kennelly of Connecticut
Mr. Kolbe of Arizona
Mr. Konnyu of California
Mr. Kramer of Colorado
Mr. Lancaster of North Carolina
Mr. LaRocco of Idaho
Mr. McHugh of New York
Mr. McMillen of Maryland
Mr. Michel of Illinois
Mr. McNulty of New York
Ms. Morella of Maryland
Mr. Pressler of South Dakota
Mr. Sarasin of Connecticut
Mr. Skelton of Missouri
Mr. Symington of Missouri
Mr. Walsh of New York
Mr. Zeliff of New York
Ms. MORELLA. Fellow association members, I'm very pleased again to
welcome you to our 42nd annual meeting. And I'd like to tell you
something about the association.
It is bipartisan, as you know. It was chartered by Congress in 1983.
The purpose of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress is to
promote public service and strengthen democracy, both abroad and in the
United States.
About 600 former Senators and Representatives belong to the
association. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents are united in
this organization in their desire to teach about Congress and the
importance of representative democracy.
We're proud to have been chartered by Congress, and we receive no
funding from Congress. All the activities which we're about to describe
are financed via membership dues, program-specific grants, and
sponsors, or via our fund-raising dinner. Our finances are sound, our
projects are fully funded, and our 2011 audit by an outside accountant
came back with a clean bill of financial health.
It's been a very successful, active, and rewarding year. We have
continued our work serving as a liaison between the current Congress
and legislatures overseas. We have created partnerships with highly
respected institutions in the area of democracy building and election
monitoring.
We have developed new projects, we're expanding others, and we again
have sent dozens of bipartisan teams of former Members of Congress to
teach about public service and representative democracy at universities
and high schools, both in the United States as well as abroad.
When this organization was created over 40 years ago, the former
Members who founded our association envisioned the organization taking
the lead in teaching about Congress and encouraging public service.
They were hoping that former Members could inspire the next generation
of America's leaders. And over the years, we have created a number of
programs, most importantly, the Congress to Campus program, to do just
that.
We continue to work with our great partner, the Stennis Center for
Public Service. We thank them for their invaluable assistance in
administering the Congress to Campus program.
It now gives me great pleasure to yield to a former president of our
association, a good friend, Matt McHugh of New York, who, along with
Jack Buechner, another former president from Missouri, cochairs this
great program. Thank you, Matt.
Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Connie, and congratulations to you
on assuming the leadership of the association. We know you will do a
wonderful job.
As you all know, the Congress to Campus program is the association's
flagship domestic program and the one that most engages Members from
all across the country of the association. Congress to Campus sends, as
Connie said, bipartisan teams of former Members to colleges,
universities, and high schools across the country and around the world.
We educate the next generation of leaders about the value of public
service. Students benefit from the personal interaction with our
association members, whose knowledge, experience, and accessibility are
unique teaching tools.
During each visit, our bipartisan teams lead classes, meet one-on-one
with students and faculty, speak to campus media, participate in campus
and community forums, and interact with local citizens. Institutions
are encouraged to market the visit to the entire campus community and
not just to those students majoring in political science, history, or
government. Over the course of 2\1/2\ days, hundreds of students are
exposed to the former Members' message of public service and civility.
The Congress to Campus program reached an exciting new audience this
June at the 2012 American Democracy Project annual meeting in San
Antonio, Texas. Former Members Dan Miller of Florida and Jerry
Patterson of California, as well as our staff member, Liz Ardagna,
traveled to Texas to promote the program to nearly 500 university
students, administrators, and professors who are actively engaged in
civic education.
During the conference, our former Members hosted a town hall meeting,
a breakout session on the Congress to Campus program, and passed out
brochures and spoke with teachers at the Campus & Friends tabling fair.
Our people not only got the word out about our program, but also
energized and reinvigorated hundreds of teachers who instruct our
Nation's youth about the importance of civic engagement.
The program also made a number of international visits this academic
year, including two visits to the United Kingdom and one to Turkey.
Domestically, the Congress to Campus program more than doubled its
visits from the fall of 2011 to the spring of 2012 and already has 13
visits booked for the fall of 2012.
The 2011-2012 academic year included visits to the United States
Naval Academy, Dartmouth College, and the Coast Community College
System in California. This fall we will be visiting Boston University,
Penn State, and the McGovern Center for Public Service at the
University of South Dakota, among others.
More than 25 former Members participated this academic year, and I
want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who participated and
donated your time and energy. I also want to make a special note of
thanking Jack Buechner, who cochairs this program with me and who has
done a magnificent job.
I also want to encourage those who have not yet had the opportunity
to do so and to encourage a friend from across the aisle to join you.
It is an excellent opportunity to continue your public service after
Congress. Our staff has the fall 2012 Congress to Campus schedule here
this morning and you can volunteer today to participate in these
exciting visits. You could also connect us with a host school--for
example, your alma mater, a college in your old district, or the
university your grandchild attends. Our staff will then follow up with
you to make the arrangements. Liz Ardagna runs the program for us and
has all the information you need.
Perhaps Liz would just stand up for a moment so everyone knows who
she is, if they haven't met her yet. She does a great job for us in
coordinating this program.
As was mentioned earlier, we have continued our excellent partnership
with the Stennis Center For Public Service in the administration of the
program. We owe a special debt of gratitude to Liz, but also to Brother
Rogers of the Stennis Center for their fine work. Brother Rogers has
worked with us for many years now and is located at the Mississippi
State University, and has done a wonderful job as well.
The Civics Connection, a Webcast series that is broadcast to high
school civics classes across the country, has become an extension of
the Congress to Campus program. It is a partnership with the Lou Frey
Institute of Politics and Government at the University of Central
Florida. I am pleased to announce that since our last annual meeting
these Webcasts have officially been added to the advanced placement
government and politics syllabus for high schools nationwide. Now a
high school student participating in the AP civics program at the
school will benefit from the experience of our former Members since our
Webcasts are incorporated into the AP civics curriculum. This is a
great achievement of which we are very proud.
Since our last annual meeting, we have also continued our
relationship with the People to People Program, an
[[Page H4698]]
organization that provides hands-on learning opportunities for
elementary school, middle school, and high school students visiting
Washington, D.C. On each visit, former Members meet and speak with
students about the experience of public service, their personal
experiences in Congress, and the value of character and leadership.
In the spring of 2012, these speaking engagements took on a new
congressional panel format. The events take place on Capitol Hill and
not only feature a former Member as speaker, but also several Hill
staffers and interns. This gives students the opportunity to learn what
it is really like to work in the U.S. Congress. People to People visits
are often in the middle of the business day, and again we are grateful
to those former Members who take the time out of their busy schedules
to connect with students touring our Nation's Capital.
Finally, I want to say again how grateful we are to all of those who
have made Congress to Campus such a success in the 35 years that we
have had it and to strongly encourage all of my friends and colleagues
to participate in the program, either by making a visit to a school or
by recommending a school to host the program. As you know, a democracy
can prosper only if its citizens are both informed and engaged, and as
former legislators we have a particular opportunity and responsibility
to encourage such involvement. This program gives us the opportunity to
do so, particularly with our young people.
Again, thank you all very much for participating and for paying
attention this morning.
Thank you, Connie.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Matt, for your leadership in this program and
the report that you have given, the great work. Again, I also give a
tip of the hat and congratulations to Jack Buechner, working in
partnership with you.
As you may recall from our last report to Congress, the association
has put some energy and focus into the question of bipartisanship and
civility in our political dialogue. Last year we announced the creation
of a new undertaking for our association, the Common Ground Project.
The purpose of the Common Ground Project is to involve citizens in a
dialogue about the issues of the day, to have a vigorous debate that is
both partisan and productive, and to benefit from the experience of
respecting a different point of view. Some of our existing undertakings
already fit into that category very nicely, with that objective, for
example, the Congress to Campus program that you just heard about.
To give you more background about this Common Ground Project, I
invite my colleague from Michigan, former Member Bob Carr, to share a
report. Thank you, Bob. We did a Congress to Campus program together a
few years ago.
Ms. KENNELLY. The Chair wishes to recognize that our president is
here, Dennis Hertel, and one of the finest Members that we have had for
years, Bill Hughes is also here. We are delighted to have both of you.
Of course, Dennis has given us yeoman's service.
Bob.
Mr. CARR. Thank you, Barbara, and thank you, Connie, so much.
I just want to rise for a second to talk about the Common Ground
Project. Of course, we are a bipartisan organization and everything we
do is bipartisan. We have bipartisan leadership, and our programs, our
Congress to Campus program, everything we do is in a bipartisan way. We
are also mindful that sitting Members of Congress and the Congress
itself faces much different pressures than we do. But yet this
organization is in a unique position because we have both been inside
and outside of the Congress, and because we are supporters of the
Congress, the institution of the Congress, and hence its Members, we
think that we are in a unique situation to maybe bridge that gap
between the divisiveness and the lack of civility and the discourse
that we are seeing today and hope to improve that.
That is what the Common Ground Project is really all about. It seeks
to organize our efforts and focus them more deliberately on this issue
of the discourse in this country. Now, you can't just focus on Members
of Congress. You have to focus on the country itself, so that is what
some of our programs are all about.
For example, just recently at George Washington University, in
cooperation with their Graduate School of Political Management and the
Concord Coalition, we held a one-day event where we brought students
together to work on a budget simulation so that people of a variety of
points of view, different philosophies and different partisan
backgrounds, could work together through the numbers and on the
tradeoffs of a budget. At the end of the day we all didn't agree on
everything, but we managed to come to some conclusions, and we weren't
throwing dishes and napkins at one another over the process. Just
through that kind of pilot learning project we were able to, I think,
demonstrate to some graduate students at George Washington University
how the process can be done in a productive way.
Also the Common Ground Project is partnering with some like-minded
organizations around the country. One is the National Institute of
Civil Discourse in Arizona. Our organization and their's brought
together a group of bipartisan former Members and current Members to
have a discourse on what kinds of things we might do to lower the
temperature, tune down the anger, and get to a more productive civil
discourse. It was a good discussion, and our goal in this Common Ground
Project is to continue to expand our activities and expand our
cooperation with other like-minded organizations and not just speak to
more Members of Congress, but to speak to the American public.
Thank you, Connie.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Bob. We appreciate your efforts, Bob, on
behalf of this important undertaking as we expand it and hope it will
make a difference beyond our association.
A great example of how powerful and productive bipartisanship can be
is our Annual Congressional Golf Tournament. Leave it to a sport to
bring us together. It is chaired by our immediate past president,
Dennis Hertel, and by former board member Ken Kramer of Colorado. I
would now like to yield to Ken to give us a brief report about this
charitable golf tournament.
Mr. KRAMER. Thank you very much.
Connie, congratulations on your ascension to the presidency. I look
forward very much, as I know others do, to working with you. You are
going to do a great job. And to my fellow cochair of the golf
tournament, Dennis Hertel, I want to thank him for his efforts. He is
now retired, and we are on somewhat of a more equal status than we were
before, so I look forward to working with him for many, many years.
Five years ago we took what was a 35-year-old tradition, which is our
annual golf tournament, which as many of you know pits Republicans
against Democrats, and we gave it a bigger mission. We converted it
into a charitable golf tournament to aid severely wounded veterans
returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our beneficiaries, Warfighter Sports, a program of Disabled Sports
USA, and Project Hope, which is a program of the Professional Golfers
Association of America, used golf and other sports to help our wounded
veterans readjust to life after sustaining such severe injuries. They
involve the entire family in the sport and they provide equipment and
training. Our fifth charitable golf tournament will be held on July 23
at Army Navy Country Club, and if you add up the revenues from our five
tournaments, we will have raised over one quarter of a million dollars
now for these outstanding programs that I mentioned.
During each of our past tournaments, we have had literally dozens of
current and former Members come out from both sides of the aisle to
support our wounded troops. They in turn have met with dozens of
wounded warriors, many of whom provide us with golf demonstrations and
play in our foursomes. I might add that there have been some double
amputees included in their numbers who hit further and straighter than
a lot of our members. It is an incredibly humbling, rewarding, and
memorable experience to spend a day in the presence of these inspiring
men and women.
We have two outstanding current Member honorary chairs, Joe Baca of
California and Andrew Crenshaw of
[[Page H4699]]
Florida, and I want to thank them, as well as Dennis, for all that they
have done to make our tournament such a success. I also want to thank
all of our sponsors for their generous contributions, with particular
thanks to Disabled Sports USA and the PGA for being such steadfast and
invaluable partners. It really is an honor to help our Nation's heroes
in this very small way.
Again, the next tournament is July 23. Let us know, if you haven't
done so yet, of your interest in either playing or becoming involved
with helping with sponsorship.
Thank you so much for your time.
Ms. KENNELLY. The Chair would like to mention that the first time I
played in the golf tournament I said, Where are the good golfers? And
they said, What do you think? As a Congressperson, you have to work
down here, and on weekends you have to work at home. There are only
about two good golfers, so anybody who hesitates because they think
they are not good enough, feel free.
Ms. MORELLA. We appreciate Ken's report and his leadership in helping
our wounded warriors. We are so honored that we can play a small role
in the rehabilitation of these amazing young men and women.
Now it is my distinct honor, truly an honor and a privilege, to
present our 2012 Distinguished Service Award to Representative
Gabrielle Giffords of the great State of Arizona. Bestowing our
association's highest award on Gabby Giffords was an easy decision. In
all her endeavors in public service, she has led by example and
commendable distinction in courage. I have seen her as a unifying force
here on the House floor as well as in the Nation.
As you well know, her challenging schedule, which includes focusing
on getting well and still working on those issues that are so dear to
her, absorbs her time. Therefore, we didn't want to impose any further
on her schedule. But we are thrilled that on her behalf one of her very
best friends in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Debbie
Wasserman Schultz, will accept the award on Gabby's behalf.
But before we invite her to come up and make comments, another friend
of Gabby's, our former Member Jim Kolbe of Arizona, I would like to
invite him to make a few comments.
Mr. KOLBE. Madam Speaker, the gentlelady from Maryland--Connie--thank
you very much for yielding to me. It is a wonderful privilege to be
back with my colleagues, former Members, here today on the floor of the
House of Representatives and especially for me to be able to
participate in this award.
I had the privilege of serving for 22 years in the House of
Representatives representing District 5 and then District 8 in the
House of Representatives--Districts 5 and 8 from the State of Arizona.
I retired in 2007 and was succeeded by Representative Gabrielle, or as
we all know and love her, Gabby Giffords.
But my association with Gabby runs back much further than that. When
I was in Tucson, even before I became a member of the Arizona State
legislature, I knew Gabby Giffords and her family, who were a very
prominent business family in Tucson, and she was deeply involved in the
community even then as a very young woman.
I had the privilege of not serving with her but serving alongside
her, serving from here while she was in the Arizona State Legislature,
and she had a very distinguished career in the legislature, as she did
here, reaching across the aisle, accomplishing legislation because she
was able to talk to people and compromise and reach those kinds of
decisions that needed to be made. She has been involved for years with
the education of young people in our community. She is loved by
virtually everybody in Arizona and certainly in Tucson.
When I announced my retirement shortly before 2006, Gabby Giffords
quickly jumped into the race as a sitting member of the Arizona State
Legislature. She didn't hesitate. She left the legislature to campaign
full-time. She threw herself, as she did with everything, body and
soul, into her campaign to serve here in Congress. Even though I had
represented the district as a Republican for 22 years, she won quite
easily in 2006 as a Democrat. And then, of course, was reelected in
2008 and reelected again in 2010 in a district that was at least
marginally Republican in its registration, an indication, I think, of
how Gabby Giffords was able, and continues to be able, to reach across
the aisle.
After she was elected to the Congress, I got to know both Gabby and
her then later husband, Mark Kelly, a lot better. And it was a
wonderful relationship that they had together, and a wonderful
relationship I had with them and the relationship they had with our
community, again, loved by everyone.
Gabby was successful, I think, because she did reach across the
aisle, because she didn't worry about partisan labels, because she
thought about how she could accomplish things. And it is in that spirit
that, following the tragic accident, we have formed the National
Institute of Civil Discourse, which has been mentioned here. And our
new executive director, Dr. Carolyn Lukensmeyer, is with us here today.
I think it is a real tribute to Gabby and a real tribute to all of us
who care about bipartisanship and about achieving things in this House
of Representatives that this organization came about in her spirit. I
think Gabby is the definition of an eternal optimist. No matter what
kind of trouble she faces, no matter what travails she has, she is
always cheerful, always looking forward, always looking up, and always
thinking about what is the very best thing that is happening in our
community, in our State, and how she can make things better for all of
us.
So it is a great pleasure, I think, for our association to make this
award to somebody that I think has made a real contribution to
bipartisanship in the House of Representatives.
I now would ask Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz to come
forward and accept this award on behalf of Congresswoman Gabby
Giffords. I hope you will let Gabby know how much we miss her and
appreciate her good work and how honored we are that she is receiving
this award.
We have also invited Members to send a personal note, which we have
collected in a book which I'm going to hand to you in just a moment.
It's a great pleasure and honor for me to present our 2012
Distinguished Service Award to Gabriel Giffords of Arizona.
Ms. MORELLA. Mr. Kolbe, if I may read it. It is very small print.
The plaque is inscribed as follows:
The 2012 Distinguished Service Award is presented by the
U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress to
Congresswoman Gabrielle ``Gabby'' Giffords for her
exceptional public service and bravery in the face of
adversity. Through her efforts on the House Armed Services
Committee; the House Science, Space and Technology Committee;
the Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces; the Subcommittee on
Readiness; the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation; and
as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics,
Congresswoman Giffords worked tirelessly to represent not
only Arizonans, military families, and veterans, but all
Americans. Congresswoman Giffords served her country with
honor, reaching across party lines to forge bipartisan
solutions to our nation's problems. Even after the tragic
events of January 8, 2011, Congresswoman Giffords continues
to inspire all Americans with her incredible strength,
courage, and perseverance. Congresswoman Giffords is an
example to us all, and her former colleagues from both sides
of the aisle salute her.
Washington, D.C., July 10, 2012.
And all of that is on this plaque which I hand to you, along with the
portfolio of letters of congratulations.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you very much.
Mr. KOLBE. Thank you.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Thank you so much, Madam president, Madam
Chair. Wow, all on one plaque. That's impressive.
I also, Madam President, have additional letters that were sent to my
office for the book. So I'm the repository going forward, and so I will
make sure that we add to this for Gabby.
Good morning, and thank you, Congressman Kolbe, for that warm
introduction and for all of you for being here. It really is a
privilege to address such a distinguished group, one that I hope to not
join for quite awhile, but that I'm really glad exists and exists in a
bipartisan way, because it is important to note, especially given the
struggles that we're going through right now to come together and work
together, that there isn't a Republican Former Members of Congress
Association or a Democratic Former Members
[[Page H4700]]
of Congress Association. There is one united association. We are all
Americans, and we should all work hard to work together.
I also want to acknowledge the presence of Gabby's former chairman of
the Armed Services Committee, my former colleague, Ike Skelton from
Missouri. It is wonderful to be with you.
There really is no one more suited to receive your association's
highest award, the Distinguished Service Award, than my dear friend,
Gabby Giffords.
Gabby, as has already been said, but can't be oft repeated, has
always led by example, as an incredible public servant, woman, and
friend. Gabby was the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to
serve in the U.S. House. Gabby worked tirelessly over the years to
represent not only Arizonans, military families, and veterans, but all
Americans. Here in Congress, we all came to recognize that bright smile
of Gabby's which people so often refer to when they're talking about
her, as she reached across party lines to forge bipartisan solutions to
our Nation's problems. In doing so, she has inspired so many people
with her strength in the wake of unimaginable tragedy and heartbreak.
For more than a year, she's been working hard every day to get back
to full strength. And Gabby never does anything halfway, and her
service in Congress, as well as her recovery, is no exception. I'm so
proud of my friend for her commitment to her constituents, to her work
ethic and her perseverance.
It will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met
Gabby Giffords, to have served with her in Congress, but especially to
share our special friendship. She has always been an inspiration to me,
and seeing her become an inspiration to the entire world warms my
heart, I'm sure, as much as it warms yours.
I know that you all believe, as Gabby does, that our country must be
strong enough to come together to solve the challenges before us.
Compared to the obstacles that Gabby has overcome in the past year,
surely this is an attainable goal. We must recommit ourselves to
working together to fulfill the promises of our democracy and a
commitment to making America stronger so that everyone can fulfill
their American Dream. And this association really is the epitome, the
example. You could lead by example and be the catalyst and help us
forge the way toward compromise, toward working together.
So many of you, looking across the Chamber, have served in the time
when relationships were much tighter, when the fabric interwoven
between the two parties was really thicker, and we could learn from
your experience. I would urge you and encourage you to reach out to the
leadership of both parties in the Congress and try to help us because
we are going to have a better Nation if we work together. I know it is
possible. Even from the political position that I hold in addition to
my service in Congress, I know that it is possible. I know there are
committed Members on both sides of the aisle because I work with them
every day. So I would urge you to extend your involvement in the
political and public policy process and help us make things work and
get things done.
So on behalf of Gabby and her husband Mark Kelly, thank you for
recognizing her today. I know it means a great deal to both of them.
Thank you so much.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, for
accepting the award, but also for your very inspiring words. And that
is true; that is what we are all about. Thank you.
You know, I'm not in the habit of giving plaques, but I do have
another commendation that I would like to share with you, and this is
to our immediate past president, Dennis Hertel of Michigan. I would
like to ask him to join me at the dais.
Dennis, we wanted to make sure that we gave you something to indicate
your wonderful 2 years as president of the U.S. Association of Former
Members of Congress. You have worked tirelessly. You've made the
organization the very best and the most active that it has ever been,
and I inherit from you an outstanding example of what a little
nonprofit can accomplish if people who are committed lend their energy
and their expertise. I'm going to try to follow your lead. It won't be
easy. I think your shoe size is much larger than mine, but I'll try.
But you don't have heels; therefore, it makes it a little more
difficult for women, but we can do it.
So on behalf of the association, I have a plaque here which is
inscribed as follows:
Presented to the Honorable Dennis M. Hertel in recognition
and appreciation of his strong leadership as president of the
U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. His
tremendous enthusiasm and effectiveness will always be
remembered by his grateful colleagues.
Washington, D.C., July 10, 2012
It's heavy, but it is also heavy in terms of its importance and
significance to us of the work that you have done. Thank you, Dennis.
Mr. HERTEL. Well, that's a very big surprise, and I thank you very
much. It's a great honor. It is especially an honor because of the
people I was able to work with these past 2 years, and all of the time
all of us have worked with the association.
We did our retirement day for the Members last time, and these
honored people like Ike Skelton and Dave Obey and Jim Oberstar, people
I looked to all my life, I look at my governor today, all of the people
I get to serve with on a regular basis, that we all do, it is such an
honor. We have never had more people participate. We've never had a
greater board for the association and all of the officers than ever
before, but especially the staff that we all look to. We haven't been
able to even give them a raise because economic times are tough for
everybody, and yet we have the same enthusiasm, and they do more and
more all the time. So I can't say enough about Liz and Dava and Sabine
and Peter, who make this association what it is. And it keeps growing
and getting better all the time. It is surprising, I think all of us,
as to the capacity that the staff has to help us channel our experience
and ideals into a way of continuing to serve citizens and our country.
Connie, I always tell the school kids that come that the biggest
change in Congress is the number of women serving and the leadership
roles that they take. And so now you'll be the president, only the
second woman since the legendary Lindy Boggs, whom we all loved so
much. I can't think of a better person. I know when I asked you to do
this, I thought we needed some class in our organization; and if there
is any person who gives it, it is Connie. Her leadership here in the
Congress, her bipartisan leadership overall, and her experience in the
international field and her ability to energize all of us and her
enthusiasm, and the fact that she is the most gracious person I know,
really, I think, serves all of us. We are so fortunate to have her
leadership going forward.
I want to talk about some of the international programs we have been
fortunate to have.
Our former Members project with China is about 2 years old. In 2010,
I was privileged to participate in a bipartisan former Member
delegation to Beijing as well as Shanghai. The purpose of the trip was
to learn about China firsthand, engage Chinese officials in a frank
dialogue, shed some light on current U.S. politics and foreign policy,
and gain knowledge about U.S.-Chinese trade relations from U.S.
corporate representatives in China and Asia.
One thing that we found in that first trip, and it has gone on since
in our delegations, they want to find out about our political system
and about how we, as Congressmen and -women, think. They get to meet
with delegations that are coming from the active Members, but it is
always in and out, as we know. But for them to meet with us for several
days and hear us out, hour after hour, about our vast concerns about
human rights and freedom and trade and what it's going to mean in
foreign policy and defense and all the rest, I think, serves it so well
that what we've seen now is that we've had five delegations go, and we
have had delegations go of former Senators and former House Members,
two a year.
This fall we are going to be sending our sixth delegation. We've been
meeting with the highest ranking people. We've met with their speaker.
We've met with their foreign policy secretary, their commerce
secretary, the highest people, and we have also made
[[Page H4701]]
sure that we've met with the NGOs, and we've been meeting with
corporate America doing business in China about their issues and
problems.
We always make sure that we meet with several university groups of
students. And those are, I think, the most encouraging and give us the
most enthusiasm of all, the visits that we have, because we see in them
the future that we see in our own students. And we see that they are
bridging that gap of freedom and communication with us in this new age
that we live in.
We have now begun to incorporate a D.C. component also to the
project. We have good meetings with current Members involved in the
U.S.-Chinese relationship. We are bringing them in more, and we've
hosted more Chinese visitors here on the Hill. We are the perfect
conduit to do that in all respects, not only for China, but all the
other study groups that we have. These former Member delegations to
China and the events here in D.C. are very productive and a great way
of showing the important contribution that we made in one of the most
important areas that we can--internationally.
There are a number of other international projects involving former
Members of Congress. Several years ago, we created the International
Election Monitors Institute under the leadership of then-president Jack
Buechner. My idea was we were sending over 100 Members to the Ukraine
and other places for elections. We found that when we were with people
from other nations--from Belgium, Canada, and other nations--we were
looked at as more impartial than when we were just four Americans
together. So we found that out very quickly, and we actually met with
former Congressman Cheney, the Vice President, and Rumsfeld, and built
at that point a bipartisan effort, and then we went overseas and were
able to have, first, the Canadians meet with us. And they said ``yes''
right away, and some of them are here today with us, and also with our
friends in the EU, in the Association of Former Members of the European
Parliament, also.
What we do is we conduct multiple workshops for former legislators to
train them for elections. What we found, too, was we have a lot of
former parliamentarians going overseas for elections--somebody forgot
to train them before they got there. It is true that we do have the
instincts to be able to sniff out what is illegal and what is wrong in
a system, and we are able to figure that out very quickly just because
of our experience and our instincts, but we still have to train them
properly so that they realize how important it is not only to be
perceived impartially but to, in fact, be impartial and to have the
knowledge of those particular systems.
And so we have sent delegations to Morocco, Ukraine, and Iraq. It has
mainly been possible through the Canadian International Development
Agency, and we thank them very much for their support. The original
intent was to train former legislators and prepare them only for
observing elections. We have since realized, with our partners, that we
have to have a broader, more planned effort as far as strengthening
democracy. We can help an emerging democracy as it seeks to implement
an election result and facilitate a peaceful transition of power, but
also leading up to that election to make sure that it is fair as far as
the media and all other concerns. We can help a legislative branch as
it tries to assert its oversight power over the executive branch once
it is elected. Given this expansion in scope, we have decided that the
International Election Monitors Institute no longer is the appropriate
vehicle--or, as my wife said, it is far too long a title anyway--for
such an ambitious undertaking. We, therefore, disbanded it and created
a new entity this year, the Global Democracy Initiative.
I am pleased that with us today are some of our colleagues from
Canada and Europe and that tomorrow we'll have the first board meeting
of the new Global Democracy Initiative. Our visitors from Canada are
Don Boudria, Dorothy Dobbie, Leo Duguay, Francis LeBlanc, and Lily
Oddie. They are joined by our good friend Richard Balfe, who represents
the former members association of the European Parliament and is our
current president. We thank all of them for joining us at our annual
meeting and for all the work that they help us with throughout the year
and for their friendship and partnership we've been able to enjoy.
As Connie mentioned earlier, we have also begun working with the U.S.
Department of State. This partnership comes in several variations. We
have connected bipartisan teams of former Members of Congress with U.S.
Embassies overseas via Web casts. For example, following the State of
the Union address, we communicated with audiences in Denmark and Tel
Aviv, first giving them an extensive overview of the President's
message and then engaging in a lengthy question and answer.
Another State Department-sponsored program brings former Members
directly to the embassies and consulates overseas. Sometimes former
Members travel specifically at the invitation of the Department, for
example, when the State Department brought Connie Morella and Pat
Schroeder to Poland late last year for the third annual European
Congress of Women. Sometimes the State Department, under Hillary
Clinton's leadership--who has reached out to the Former Members
Association with her staff, thinking that we are a very vital and
active asset--they will piggyback. If we let the State Department know
who's taking a trip overseas, then they will connect with embassies and
consulates and NGOs in those countries that the person is in, saving
our government money, but also extending the kind of people that we, as
former Members, can communicate with and reaching foreign audiences.
I think that's just one example of the kind of thing we can be doing
more of in the future. I already know that the experience and breadth
of knowledge of the former Members is limitless. And when I see that
the more that we can reach young people, the more we can reach our
citizens, the more we can reach out to the world in communication, it
seems to me that the greatest problem we have today is not that we
don't have more information. It's that we don't have better
communication.
And it seems that when we're able to reach out, that that is the best
possible thing we can do for democracy in our country here at home,
having people have a greater understanding and communication about the
issues and the problems and the same overseas. I think that the people
here in our association have shown that they have the leadership, the
knowledge, the ability and, most of all, that they're willing to make
that kind of a sacrifice of their time to reach out and go overseas and
go around our country talking to junior colleges and universities and
citizen audiences about how we can have better communication and, most
importantly, a greater democracy.
So thanks very much for all of your help. I am really very honored.
Thank you.
Ms. MORELLA. Dennis has demonstrated his commitment to the programs
of the Association of Former Members; also, his appreciation to our
international parliamentarians who joined with us in partnership on so
many wonderful programs. I do hope, Dennis, that you continue with that
kind of involvement that you have demonstrated. And thank you for your
kind words too.
Another important international undertaking involving former Members
of Congress is our Middle East Fellows Program. Now in its second year,
the project brings young professionals from the Middle East to
Washington, D.C., for a 1-month immersion program. It is chaired by
former Members Scott Klug and Larry LaRocco. And now I would like to
call on my friend and former colleague Larry LaRocco of Idaho to give
us some more details. Thank you, Larry.
Mr. LaROCCO. Well, thank you, Connie. I want to send my best wishes
and appreciation for all you do for the association. It was great to
serve with you here in the House. And I look forward to serving with
you as a board member.
In the spring of 2009, the Former Members of Congress Association
began a partnership with Legacy International, a Virginia-based NGO
with 30 years of experience in citizen exchange programs, for the
Middle East Legislative Fellows Program, or LFP. Initiated by the
Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
the LFP hosts young professionals from Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco,
[[Page H4702]]
and Oman for a month-long fellowship in a congressional office or a
prominent NGO in Washington, D.C.
The LFP is designed to promote a positive relationship between the
United States and the Middle East and the gulf states which, in light
of the Arab Spring, is now more vital than ever. The fellows,
candidates with strong leadership skills who represent the top talent
in their fields, have the opportunity to gain practical experience and
direct interaction with the U.S. Government and its officials. This is
an invaluable opportunity, as many of the fellows are responsible for
drafting policy in their respective countries and, of course, are their
future leaders.
Our association connects the fellows with former Members whom they
meet with several times over the course of their stay. The former
Members act as a kind of mentor to these young men and women through
one-on-one meetings, roundtable discussions, and by attending program
discussions and events. The former Member mentor program provides a
unique experience to the fellows as well as their mentors. While the
fellows learn more about the congressional system and American
politics, former Members learn about the culture and politics of the
Middle East.
In an exciting extension to the LFP, at the conclusion of each
program, a team of former Members complete the exchange by leading a
delegation to the Middle East to conduct workshops and gain firsthand
experience within the region. I was privileged to lead such a
delegation, along with my cochair Scott Klug, to Kuwait and Oman. The
trip was a distinct opportunity to learn about and meet a broad
spectrum of groups and individuals involved in all aspects of the
democracy, governance, and the economy.
The goal of this program is to seek a better understanding between
cultures and establish an avenue of dialogue between nations. LFP is an
unprecedented opportunity to augment a constructive political and
cultural discourse between the U.S. and the Middle East. And I am very
proud that our association can be part of such a vital dialogue. We
maintain this program and will be active again next year with Legacy
International. Thank you.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Larry, for your leadership and your active
involvement in this new and very great program.
Ms. KENNELLY. Madam Chairwoman?
Ms. MORELLA. Madam Speaker.
Ms. KENNELLY. I would like to introduce for a moment the gentleman
from Maryland, Steny Hoyer, one of our leaders in the Congress. We are
very, very proud of Congressman Hoyer because he has taken an interest
in the former Members, and he has taken the time today to come talk
with us.
Ms. MORELLA. And from the great State of Maryland, of course.
Mr. HOYER. Well, I'm sorry I'm a little late. I always try to come by
to say hello to former Members. One never knows when one is going to be
a former Member. So in the expectation that that will be, at some point
in time, where I will be, I want to make sure that the present Members
understand how important the former Members were to creating the
institution that we have and that we're all very proud of.
I apologize for my voice. I have got an awful allergy that I'm
fighting, but beyond that, I'm fine.
I want to say to all of you, welcome. I know that a little earlier
today, I was at a fundraiser--I know you understand those kinds of
things--where we honored our colleague Gabby Giffords. Debbie Wasserman
Schultz was here; is that correct, Connie?
And I'm pleased to see Connie Morella here, my colleague from
Maryland, and my very long-time friend who I met when she was about 2
years of age, some 40 years ago, Beverly Byron from western Maryland
who has remained so active. And we're very proud of them in Maryland.
But we're proud of all of you as well. I'm glad to be your friend and
your colleague, and I welcome you back and look forward to seeing you.
George--where's George? George and I walked in together. I asked him
what he was doing. And he had some billable hours walking up the steps.
Good for you, George.
But I want to say, Madam Speaker, how proud I was to have served with
you. Barbara and I came in within months of one another in special
elections. I think Barbara came in about 5 months after I did in 1981;
and she served in a very distinguished way, as all of you did as well.
I don't know whether Nancy came by or if John was here, but I know
that they--oh, they weren't here, yet. Hope springs eternal. But I
wanted to welcome you here and join you here.
We have a caucus now that I will go down to. We are going to talk
about repealing health care today on the floor of the House. I hope you
are not holding your breath. But in any event, that will be the subject
of our debate this week, I think.
I want to say to all of you that I hope that you are trying to play a
role in energizing the public to the understanding of how critical it
is for us to meet the fiscal challenge that confronts this country. In
my view, the most important thing this Congress can do in the next 6
months is to take very substantive, effective action on behalf of
getting our country on a fiscally sustainable, credible path. In my
view, that's the single most stimulative thing we could do for the
economy. It would give confidence to the world that America, in fact,
will be the economic and national security anchor that it has been for
all of our lifetimes, frankly. And that is threatened by this inability
to come to grips with meeting the fiscal challenges that confront us.
I tell people all over this country, Greece doesn't have the
resources to solve its problems. It's going to need help from outside.
America has the resources to solve our fiscal challenge. What we need
is the political will and the courage to do so. And I would hope that
you would take, as part of your responsibility, as someone who has
worked in this institution--and frankly, many of you worked in it at a
time when it was more possible to work together across the aisle in a
constructive way to solve the problems that confront our country.
I have three daughters, three grandchildren, and two great-
grandchildren. Some of you have more of all of those, I understand. But
I'm very concerned about the world that we're going to leave them. My
father's generation was called the Greatest Generation. Not only did
they defeat the terrorists of their time, but they came home and built
the greatest economy the world has ever seen.
In my view, over the last decades, we have, unfortunately, not built
on that legacy in a way that would have made them proud or that will
make our children proud of us when we leave. So I'm hopeful that you
will play a continuing role in trying to bring the country together and
the Congress together.
My view is--and I said this a little earlier this morning--that we
probably won't get anything of real substance done before November 6.
And none of us know what will happen on November 6. But between
November 7 and December 31 or January 2, when sequestration takes
place, we will see the biggest fiscal challenge this country has
confronted in the 31 years that I have been in the Congress of the
United States. The Bush tax cuts expire. The payroll tax cut expires.
The unemployment insurance expires. The estate tax, dividend tax, the
capital gains tax expire with the Bush tax cuts. The sustainable growth
rate reimbursement for docs expires December 31. The AMT expires on the
31st, and sequestration takes place on January 2. If we took no action,
that would be a devastating blow to the economy, to the country, and to
international confidence in America's ability to lead.
So these are serious times, and I believe that all of you are
continuing to be very significant leaders in our country with an
experience that very few of us are given and, that is, service in this
body. I would urge all of you to take it as your personal
responsibility to try to help energize our people and our Members in
acting responsibly, with courage and with will so that America can
continue to be the kind of country that all of us believe it to be and
want it to be.
So thank you for what you have done--not to get us into this bad spot
because most of you were not here when we really started going down
this road pretty steeply. But you are uniquely capable, in my opinion,
to help us confront this challenge, which
[[Page H4703]]
we can confront because we have the resources, if we have the will.
God bless you. Thank you very much.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you. Thank you, Steny, for your presence and for
your serious and important message. We appreciate it very much.
So, folks, not all of our programs focus exclusively on former
Members. We have a number of projects that benefit from former Member
leadership but involve primarily current Members and their peers
overseas. We call these programs Congressional Study Groups; and our
focus is on Germany, Turkey, Japan, and Europe as a whole.
These programs are now under new management, so to speak, at the
association because since our last report to Congress, we've been
fortunate to secure the services of Sabine Schleidt, who is our
director of international programs. She has brought remarkable
expansion to our current Member portfolio and has implemented several
new initiatives. We are, indeed, fortunate to have someone so capable
oversee this effort.
So to give you more background about these very exciting
Congressional Study Groups, I invite another former Member of the
association, Jack Buechner of Missouri, to the dais. Jack, would you
give a report.
Mr. BUECHNER. Thank you, Madam President.
The Congressional Study Groups are, I think, an extraordinary
extension of our former service to assist the current Members. I want
to report on the work of the study groups on Germany, Turkey, Japan,
and our newest study group, which is the Congressional Study Group on
Europe. These bipartisan programs for current Members of Congress serve
as invaluable tools for dialogue between lawmakers and serve as
educational forums to create better understanding and cooperation
between the United States and our most important strategic and economic
partners.
The Congressional Study Group on Germany is the association's
flagship international program and is one of the largest and most
active parliamentary exchange programs between the U.S. Congress and
the legislative branch of any other country. Celebrating almost 30
years of active programming, the study group offers German and American
lawmakers the unique opportunity to candidly discuss the most pertinent
issues of the day, including the pressing international challenges
affecting both nations and two continents. The 2012 chairman and vice
chairman of the Congressional Study Group on Germany in the House of
Representatives are Representative Phil Gingrey, a Republican from
Georgia, and Tim Ryan, a Democrat from Ohio. And in the Senate, Senator
Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, serves as cochair. And his
study group is in the process of finding a new Democratic cochair.
The study group's programming consists of periodic roundtable
discussions on Capitol Hill for Members of Congress featuring visiting
dignitaries from Germany or U.S. Governmental officials. In addition,
annual seminars are conducted abroad and at home, as well as study
tours geared toward senior congressional staff.
A few highlights for the Study Group on Germany's events on Capitol
Hill during this year's programming include: a luncheon discussion with
Gunter Krings, the vice chairman of the CDU/CSU; a breakfast featuring
Ms. Emily Haber, deputy foreign minister of Germany; a breakfast with
Philipp Missfelder, foreign affairs spokesman for the CDU/CSU; and a
luncheon with Philip Rosler, the Vice Chancellor of Germany. The study
group also hosted a working luncheon on cybersecurity and the fight
against terrorism, joining senior Senate staff with a visiting
delegation from the German Federal College of Security studies.
The Congressional Study Group on Germany's main pillar of programming
is the annual Congress-Bundestag seminar that alternates between the
U.S. and Germany. These 5-day-long conferences present Members of
Congress and their counterparts at the Bundestag with an opportunity to
come together for a series of in-depth discussions focusing on issues
affecting trans-Atlantic relations.
In April 2012, the 29th annual seminar took place in Washington and
Atlanta. Topics for discussion during those annual Congress-Bundestag
seminars included the ongoing financial global downturn, specifically
the development of the euro zone crisis, sustaining economic growth,
relations between the European Union and the United States, foreign
policy challenges, such as Iran, and energy security. And during this
programming year, the study group also took two senior congressional
staff tour delegations, each consisting of eight chiefs of staff, to
Berlin and Brussels.
Since its establishment, the Congressional Study Group on Germany has
been receiving generous support from the German Marshall fund of the
United States. And the association would like to thank Craig Kennedy,
the president of GMF, for his trust in our programming. To assist with
administrative expenses, the association also receives additional
funding from a group of organizations making up the study group's
business advisory council.
This group includes Airbus Americas, Allianz, BASF, Daimler, Deutsche
Telekom, DHL Americas, Eli Lilly and Company, EMD Serono, Fresenius,
Lufthansa, RGIT, and Volkswagen.
Using the successful example of the Congressional Study Group on
Germany as a model, the association established the Congressional Study
Group on Turkey in 2005. Given Turkey's strategic role in the region
and position as a gateway between East and West, the Study Group on
Turkey is essential in forging communications networks between current
Members of Congress and Turkish government officials to discuss such
issues as the Middle East peace process, ongoing Arab Spring
developments, energy security, and avenues of cooperation in the
region. The Study Group on Turkey is active only in the House of
Representatives and is, like the other study groups, led by a
bipartisan group of current Members of Congress. Representative Gerald
Connolly, Democrat of Virginia, and Representative Ed Whitfield,
Republican of Kentucky, are the cochairs.
Similar to the Congressional Study Group on Germany, the Study Group
on Turkey hosts events for Members of Congress on Capitol Hill which
are dedicated to U.S.-Turkey relations, an annual seminar at home or
abroad, and events and study tours geared toward senior congressional
staff. During the 2012 May recess, the study group brought six chiefs
of staff to Turkey to learn about Turkish domestic policies and discuss
the critical issues facing the U.S.-Turkey bilateral relationship.
The Congressional Study Group on Turkey regularly has the pleasure to
feature members of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and members of
the Turkish government, as well as U.S. government officials who come
to its Capitol Hill events. The annual U.S.-Turkey seminar is a
significant aspect of the study group programming for each year. The
seminar brings U.S. and Turkish legislators together with policymakers
and business representatives to examine important bilateral policies
and transnational issues such as the ongoing developments in the
region--terrorism and energy security just to name two.
The seventh annual U.S.-Turkey seminar took place in Ankara, Patara,
and Istanbul in October 2011. The eighth annual seminar will take place
in Washington this fall. Topics of discussion for this year's seminar
will focus on stability in the region, prospects for the global
economy, and the growing U.S.-Turkey relations. I presume there will be
some discussions about the Syrian-Turkish border, also.
The Congressional Study Group on Turkey continues to receive generous
funding from the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey, TEPAV,
and the German Marshall Fund of the United States, as well as a group
of organizations making up the study group's business advisory council.
Currently, the business advisory council of the study group includes
Eli Lilly and Company and the Turkish-American Business Council.
The association also organizes and administers the Congressional
Study Group on Japan. Founded in 1993, the Congressional Study Group on
Japan brings together Members of the U.S. Congress and members of the
Japanese Diet for a series of discussions covering issues of mutual
concern. As with the other study groups, the Japan study group is
chaired in a bipartisan fashion. In the House of Representatives,
[[Page H4704]]
Congressman Jim McDermott, Democrat of Washington, and Congresswoman
Shelley Moore Capito, Republican of West Virginia, serve as cochairs.
In the Senate, Senators Jim Webb, Democrat of Virginia, and Lisa
Murkowski, Republican from Alaska, serve as cochairs.
The Congressional Study Group on Japan has been funded since its
inception by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, and the association
would like to extend a special thanks and welcome to Paige Cottingham-
Streater, the commission's new executive director.
The Congressional Study Group on Japan has been also able to garner
the support of the Japanese business community in the District of
Columbia with the creation of the business advisory council. Members of
the inaugural BAC include Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Japan Railways-
JR Central, Hitachi, Honda Motors, and Marubeni.
Earlier this year, the association established the Congressional
Study Group on Europe. This study group was formed as a vehicle to
expand our outreach and have a broader transatlantic discussion, not
with just Brussels but capitals throughout Europe. In just over 6
months, the new study group has built the foundation for its
programming and is delighted that Representative Charles Dent of
Pennsylvania, Republican, and Ben Chandler, the Representative,
Democrat from Kentucky, have agreed to serve as the cochairs. Together
with those cochairs, the new study group has enrolled nearly 50 Members
of Congress with a keen interest in the transatlantic community and
partnership. In addition, the study group is working closely with
European focus caucuses and embassies to provide Capitol Hill
programming.
Program highlights thus far include policy discussions at the
residences of the Czech and Belgian ambassadors, a Member briefing by
the German, French, and Spanish ambassadors on recent developments in
the euro zone crisis, a luncheon with the former president of the
European Parliament, a breakfast with the former Prime Minister of the
Netherlands, and a luncheon with Dr. Ulrike Guerot, senior fellow of
the European Council on Foreign Relations, on Franco-German relations.
The association has also established a diplomatic advisory council,
DAC, to enhance the dialogue with other Nations. Over a dozen
ambassadors have joined the informal council because of their interest
and commitment to the transatlantic dialogue, and many ambassadors have
been active in our programming and policy discussions. The input and
expertise of the local diplomatic community is a valued addition to the
Congressional Study Groups. We are very proud that as former Members we
can bring this invaluable service to current Members.
I look forward to being an active part, and playing an active part,
in our continued international outreach.
Before I yield, I'd like to remind everybody that the Speaker's chair
is being held by a birthday girl today. I'd like to ask every one of
you to give a real polite round of applause for her 42nd birthday.
Thank you.
Ms. KENNELLY. Thank you, Jack, and Madam President, may I just for a
moment interrupt. We have one of the finest leaders we have ever had in
this body, Congressman Bob Michel. Would you just give us a wave.
Ms. MORELLA. I was going to mention that we are so very proud of a
guy who is our role model, not only while he was in Congress as the
minority leader, but since then he has come to every one of our
meetings. He's been very actively involved, and I don't know, I think
he has probably set the record, Bob, for the number of years, but we
are so honored to have you here with us today for the example you set
and your continued involvement. Thank you very much.
And, Jack, thanks. Your report demonstrates how very much involved we
are in the critical issues of the day and how much we involve current
Members of Congress in that sweep of international activities.
Well, so far we've heard about international programs, many of which
have a history of several decades, for instance, the Congress to Campus
Program, and as we wrap up our report we want to highlight projects
that we conceptualize to address specific issues of the day. So I'd
like to invite Senator Larry Pressler of South Dakota to talk a little
bit about a symposium on the economy which is going to take place later
today, as well as our partnership with the National Archives. Senator
Pressler, thank you for being with us.
Mr. PRESSLER. Thank you very much, Madam Ambassador. I might say
that, as we discussed earlier this morning, Harriet and I are sort of
following you to Paris in that I have a 4-month teaching assignment
there, which we're looking forward to very much, and I'm also going to
try to suggest that they have the former Members program over there.
In any event, in my script here it says, ``I understand we are under
a bit of a time crunch, so I will keep my remarks brief.'' That must be
a bit of hint.
Later today, we will bring together former Members of Congress, issue
experts, and university students for a 3-hour conference entitled,
``The Future Job Market: How America Can Remain Competitive in a Global
Economy.'' I am pleased to cochair this important undertaking with
former Member Bob Clement of Tennessee. The goal of the conference is
to discuss the future of American jobs, the role of education,
immigration, and legislation in ensuring a globally competitive
workforce. We feature two keynote speakers who will focus on how they
and their organizations view the future of the American economy and the
American worker, some of the main issues our Nation currently faces,
propose solutions and decisions which have to be made today so that we
are competitive one generation from now. And I understand C-SPAN is
going to cover portions of this.
After the keynote remarks, the audience will divide into several
working groups composed of former Members, students, and experts. The
conference will conclude with short reports from each of the groups.
The issues we have identified for the working group discussions are the
role of the community college system, workforce education, and job
training; potential legislation and efforts at both the State and
Federal levels; immigration and outsourcing; and America's current
economic health and possible future economic trajectories. At the
conclusion of the working group discussions, each group will report to
the entire conference their findings and main discussion.
Later on tonight, I am pleased to participate in a public panel
discussion at the National Archives, where we will dive further into
some of the questions that arose during the conference. This panel is
one of a series of panels we have had the privilege to conduct at the
Archives, and I thank the Archivist of the United States, David
Ferriero, for this outstanding collaboration.
Three times a year our association brings together former Members of
Congress and other issue experts on some of the subjects that are
featured on the front pages of our newspapers. We have talked about the
current political climate. We have covered the role of race in America.
We hosted a former Members panel that gave an insider's view to
political campaigning, and we have focused on the 10-year anniversary
of 9/11, to name just a few examples of our presentations. Clearly,
these discussions are timely and important, and they're a great example
of Democrats and Republicans disagreeing on some aspects, coming
together on some aspects, but always treating each other with respect
so that the dialogue is both civil and productive. We talked earlier
about the Common Ground Project, and this is a wonderful way of
implementing the concept of that program.
I think this panel series, as well as the jobs conference, are
terrific examples of how active a role our association can play in
addressing current issues, helping bridge a generational gap, and
involving the public as well as the next generation of leaders in such
a vital discussion.
I appreciate the opportunity to be involved in such important work.
Thank you very much.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you very much, Senator Pressler. We look forward
to participating in the panel and the Archives event this evening, too.
The events you mentioned are good examples of how our association
identifies current issues and plays a role in the political discourse
that's so important in our form of government.
[[Page H4705]]
Well, in addition to the programs you've heard about so far, we're
also tasked with highlighting the achievements of former Members and
providing former Members with opportunities to stay connected with
other former Members after leaving Capitol Hill.
One of our premiere events which achieves both these goal is the
Annual Statesmanship Award Dinner. It should be stateswomanship, too,
shouldn't it? We'll think about that in the future. In March of this
year, we hosted our 15th dinner, and like the preceding 14, it was
chaired by our good friend, Lou Frey of Florida. Lou can't be with us
today, but he has asked that our colleague, Beverly Byron from the
great State of Maryland, report on this year's event.
Bev, of all 15 dinners, has been one of our most active dinner
committee members, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank her
for her tireless efforts on the phone and in many other ways in our
behalf. So I yield the floor to the Beverly Byron.
Ms. BYRON. Thank you, Connie. First of all, let me say, I'm not Lou
Frey, but we all owe Lou a great deal of gratitude for the enormous
amount of work he has done year after year to make the statesmanship
award dinner such a success that it is.
On March 6, the dinner was the 15th annual one. Over 400 guests
attended. For the dinner, they decided to make things up a little bit.
In addition to our traditional Statesmanship Award, we created two
additional award categories: the Civic Statesmanship Award and the
Corporate Statesmanship Award. We wanted to take the occasion of the
15th anniversary and present a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The theme of the evening was ``A Salute to Service,'' and all four of
our honorees very clearly fit into the category of an outstanding
public servant. The focal point was the presentation of a statesmanship
award which recognizes a former Member or a current Member of Congress
for their devotion to public service. We were very pleased this year to
recognize Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts as our statesmanship
honoree for his outstanding political career and his service to the
country.
The Civic Statesmanship Award honored a person or nonprofit that has
made a significant contribution to improving our society. The 2012
recipient was the Tug McGraw Foundation. And for the Corporate
Statesmanship Award, recognizing outstanding corporate citizenship, we
chose David J. McIntyre, chief executive officer of TriWest Healthcare
Alliance.
And finally, we had a new award, a Lifetime Achievement Award,
recognizing the service to the country by a former Member of Congress.
We were extremely pleased to have the opportunity to recognize the 44th
president, George Herbert Walker Bush, who accepted via a video.
The evening is a lot of hard work. Don't let anybody tell you it
isn't. Phone calls, et cetera. But it is a way to showcase the
association and recognize outstanding public servants. Now, who helps
to fund all the programs we've heard about today? The dinner is our
financial lifeline. All the programs you've heard are self-financed by
this association. Not a single taxpayer dollar is earmarked or
appropriated for this organization and for the many projects we
conduct. Therefore, a successful fundraising dinner translates into
direct success for this association. Connie's looking at the budget and
wants to make sure the dinner is a success. The evening is a lot of
fun. It's also of great importance for our organization, and I hope
that all of those former Members that are here today that haven't taken
an active part in the past, when Lou calls, you will say, yes, I will
take care of it.
Let me add a quick moment of congratulations to Matt and Jack
Buechner on the work that they do on the Congress to Campus Program,
because it's one that is absolutely critical. And finalizing, let me
say to the speaker that Jack Buechner blew your cover, and I didn't
have to. Thank you.
Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Bev. Thank you for your report, your tireless
efforts on behalf of the organization, not just the dinner committee
but also on the board and being an active participant in so many of our
programs.
Well, all of the programs we've described, of course, require both
leadership and staff to implement. Our association is blessed to have
top people in both categories. I want to take this opportunity to thank
the board of directors--they are 30 former Members divided equally
between parties--for their advice and counsel. You are the best.
I also would be remiss if I didn't thank the other members of our
association's executive committee: our vice president and birthday gal,
Barbara Kennelly; our outgoing treasurer, Jim Kolbe; our past
president, Dennis Hertel. You've all made this association a stronger
and better organization than it's ever been, and I thank you for your
time and energy and commitment, and I hope I can continue to count on
your counsel and the counsel of all of the former Members who are here
and those who couldn't be here.
Well, to administer all of these programs you heard about this
morning takes a staff of dedicated and enthusiastic professionals. I'm
going to mention their names, but I want you to know that they're only
like five paid employees that run this whole organization. Isn't that
incredible when we think back on our congressional offices and the
staff that we had? So they've got to be pretty remarkable people to do
all of this. I will mention some of the names.
Andrew Shoenig, who is our international programs officer, does such
a terrific job implementing all the Capitol Hill events that you've
heard about, and there are a lot of events here on the Hill.
You've heard from and about Liz Ardagna, who is our member services
manager. Takes exceptionally good care of our 600 association members
and all their various requests, needs, and inquiries. Anytime I ask for
something, I get an immediate response, and she follows through. Thank
you, Liz, for all that you do.
Esra Alemdar is our international programs manager, with particular
focus on the wonderful Turkey program--which is so critically important
at this time--that you heard about earlier.
Sabine Schleidt is our international programs director. She oversees
all the current Member programs, which are so impressive and so
important, including our new Congressional Study Group on Europe.
And Peter Weichlein is the CEO. He has spent 13 years with the
association and 9 years in top position. Peter's been the one who has
been--you know they've been sending you messages, now turn to page
such-and-such and let's go to this because we changed this format. So
there's a lot of scripting that takes place, not only in terms of
papers but a lot of the background work, and it doesn't happen if you
don't have leadership from the top. So I want to commend the staff and
particularly Pete for the work that has been done.
So in addition to a wonderful staff, we benefit very greatly from
volunteers who give us their talents and their expertise pro bono. I
want to mention one who is here today who has done a lot of work, Dava
Guerin. She has taken on the role as our communications director. She
tells our story, connects us with the media, all at a ridiculously low
rate. Thank you, Dava. We really appreciate all that you do.
Now, every year at our annual meeting we ask the membership to elect
new officers and board members, and in the past, we've done so in a
separate business meeting of the membership, but it occurred to us
there is no better place to do it than here in the Chamber of the House
of Representatives. So, therefore, I'm going to read to you the names
of the candidates for officers and board members. They're all running
unopposed, and I, therefore, ask for a simple ``aye'' or ``nay'' vote
as I present to you the list of candidates as a slate.
So, for the association's 2012 class of the board of directors, the
candidates are:
Beverly Byron of Maryland
Jim Coyne of Pennsylvania
Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts
Phil English of Pennsylvania
Barbara Kennelly of Connecticut
Ken Kramer of Colorado
Larry LaRocco of Idaho
Connie Morella of Maryland
Jim Slattery of Kansas
[[Page H4706]]
So, ladies and gentlemen, all in favor of electing these nine former
Members to a 3-year term on our board of directors, please say ``yea.''
All opposed? Hearing no opposition, the slate has been elected by the
membership.
And next we'll elect our executive committee. The candidates for a 2-
year term as president and vice president are--this is a little
embarrassing--Connie Morella of Maryland for president, Barbara
Kennelly of Connecticut for vice president. All in favor of electing
these two former Members to a 2-year term on the executive committee,
please say ``yea.'' All opposed? Hearing no opposition, the slate has
been elected by the membership. Incidentally, I want you to know--I
think this will be the first time in history we're going to have two
gals at the helm, president and vice president. Thank you. It's a great
honor.
The candidates for a one-year term on our Executive Committee are:
Jim Walsh of New York for Treasurer
Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts for Secretary
Dennis Hertel of Michigan for Past President Executive Member
All in favor of electing these three former Members to a 1-year term
on our executive committee, please say ``yea.'' All opposed? Hearing no
opposition, the slate has been elected by the membership.
Thank you.
Now, for the very sad part of the meeting this morning. It's now my
sad duty to inform the Congress of those former and current members who
have passed away since our last report. I ask all of you, including any
visitors in the gallery, to rise as I read the names, and at the end of
the list we will pay our respect to their memory with a moment of
silence. We honor these men and women for their service to our country.
They are:
James Abdnor of South Dakota
Perkins Bass of New Hampshire
Hugh Carey of New York
Robert W. Daniel, Jr., of Virginia
Edward Derwinski of Illinois
Charles Gubser of California
Katie Hall of Indiana
Mark Hatfield of Oregon
Bill Janklow of South Dakota
Ed Jenkins of Georgia
James ``Jim'' Lloyd of California
Norm Lent of New York
Richard Mallary of Vermont
Matthew ``Marty'' Martinez of California
Clarence E. Miller of Ohio
Erwin Mitchell of Georgia
Carlos Moorhead of California
James M. Quigley of Pennsylvania
Charles Whalen, Jr., of Ohio
Howard Wolpe of Michigan
Orvin B. Fjare of Montana
Melton D. Hancock of Missouri
Frank R. Mascara of Pennsylvania
Donald Payne of New Jersey
Charles H. Percy of Illinois
Richard H. Poff of Virginia
Malcolm Wallop of Wyoming
William C. Wampler of Virginia
Thank you. You may be seated.
This concludes the 42nd report to Congress by the U.S. Association of
Former Members of Congress. We want to thank the Congress, the Speaker,
and the minority leader for giving us the opportunity to return to this
revered Chamber and to report on our association's activities, and we
look forward to another active and productive year. Thank you all for
being here, and I will turn it over to the speaker, Madam Speaker.
Ms. KENNELLY. The Chair, again, wishes to thank the former Members
and the Members of the House and Senate who stepped in to see us.
The Chair announces that 19 former Members of Congress responded to
the call of the roll.
Before terminating these proceedings, the Chair would like to invite
those Members who did not respond when the rollcall was called to give
their names to the Reading Clerk for inclusion in the roll.
Thank you all for coming, and I think we're looking forward to a very
exciting day.
The meeting adjourned at 9:46 a.m.
____________________