Congressional Record, Volume 158 Issue 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)

[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[House]
[Pages H7341-H7347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

{time} 1900
RECOGNIZING DEPARTING MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) is
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor two great
Members of the Massachusetts delegation who are departing. The first,
John Olver.
John Olver is a public service powerhouse, a transportation titan
inside of this institution. He has a Ph.D. in science; but as he came
to this institution, he became a scientist who became a statesman, and
we were honored to have him in our delegation and in this Chamber. He
was an avid outdoorsman, but he was ahead of his time in bringing
attention to this Chamber for our consideration of the impacts of
climate change, the need to protect our natural environment, the need
to raise science as it affected the planet.
He arrived in Congress in 1991. His service on the Appropriations
Committee helped rebuild our country's infrastructure and resulted in
critical investments in transportation. At the same time, he was always
an incredible advocate for his constituents, for their industries, and
for the way of life of western Massachusetts.
He was a very special Member of this institution. He began his career
in the Massachusetts State Legislature. He has dedicated the largest
portion of his life to serving the public, to serving ordinary
citizens; and he is going to be sorely missed. He made a huge
difference in the lives of the people of Massachusetts and our country.
And I just want to say that from our entire delegation and from the
entire Congress, he is definitely going to be someone who is
irreplaceable in this institution.
At this point, I would like to reserve the balance of my time and to
recognize the gentleman from western Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Markey for allowing me to
participate in this Special Order tonight and to speak of two very
valued Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation and to
speak of two Members who have had a profound influence on not just the
politics of Massachusetts, but the important policies of Massachusetts.
Some years ago, George W. Bush, President Bush, said to me at a St.
Patrick's day luncheon with some humor, Hey, Rich, how am I doing in
Massachusetts? And I said, Mr. President, I don't think you're doing
that great in Massachusetts right now, with some laughter. He said to
me in a very candid observation, I want to tell you something. I always
liked running against you guys from Massachusetts and tangling with you
guys from Massachusetts, he said, because I always felt I was matching
up against the best in America.
I thought that was pretty interesting for a conservative President to
talk about the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and I think that
the two members who are departing from this delegation are part of the
high skill of two very good legislators. That's a skill that is not
today held in the regard that it once was, the skill of the really good
legislator, individuals who painstakingly know where the commas have to
go, know when paragraphs have to end, and to make sure that sentences
don't run on so that the intention of the legislation is honored. We
all cheer on the final product, but many people dislike having to view
the process that gets us there.
In the case of Congressman Frank, he always had this reputation for
being the great and universal outsider in politics, but his success
came from the fact that he mastered the skill of the insider in this
institution. He knew when enough was enough and it was the best deal
you were going to get. After he made full advocacy for the plan that he
offered and desired, he also knew that you needed 218 votes, or in his
committee, he wanted to put the face of bipartisanship on the actual
bill.

[[Page H7342]]

So Republican legislators in this institution, members of the Banking
Committee would always say to me, Geez, Barney Frank is one capable
guy, because he was looking for the compromise as the path forward. You
could talk to him about the complications of capital ratios, you could
talk to him about the Federal Reserve Board, and you could talk to him
about world issues; but at the same time, he unfailingly made it home
to march in all of those parades, to attend functions for people who
had been with him in elected office for four decades, to make those
phone calls that you have to make. And he understood, once again, that
in this institution the opinions of America and the emotions of America
play out. Sometimes you get a good deal, and other days you don't quite
get the deal that you wanted.
Before anybody in public life was advocating for gay rights, Barney
Frank was in the forefront. Barney Frank was in the forefront on
women's rights, and he was a great scholar, student, and participant in
the civil rights struggles of our times.

Both these legislators are, interestingly enough, in my mind,
principled individuals, children of the New Deal who believed that
government plays a positive role in the lives of the American family.
Not because government draws a conclusion on where we end up
necessarily in life, but they both believe fervently in the idea that
government ensured that everybody could get to the starting line for
the race.
In the case of John Olver, Ray LaHood said to me one night at
dinner--and Ray has been a fast friend. For those of us who are
interested in transportation in western Massachusetts and indeed
central Massachusetts, Ray LaHood said to me, You know, John Olver is
one smart guy. He said, The meetings in his office can go on for a long
time, but I've got to tell you, he really understands transportation
theory and he understands transportation implementation.
A couple of the great things that we were able to participate in--
because in western Massachusetts we always use the argument that people
don't pay enough attention to our part of the State--but it was the
small things like extending broadband access into the hill towns of
western Massachusetts, improving rail transportation from New Haven, to
Hartford, to Springfield, and on to Vermont. And in the case of John
Olver, he was very helpful to me when I asked him in the transportation
legislation to make sure that my congressional district and
constituency were able to secure the funding that we desired. That's an
important part of the legislator's life.
I also think that what was interesting about John and Barney, they're
believers. In a time when the public often says that the elected
embrace superficial positions only to seek and curry the favor of the
public, one of the two important things about these two guys is they
were happy to tell you they disagreed with you. In fact, as the two of
them got older, they were enthusiastic about telling you they disagreed
with you. Oftentimes, when you walk into a room where the audience
might be one that only wants you to say what they want you to say,
these two would go into the room and say what they thought was on their
minds, conclusions that they had drawn after long service in this
institution and in the Massachusetts Legislature.

{time} 1910

I also will tell you, based upon the point that I raised at the
beginning of my comments, that we need to return in this institution to
the skill of the legislator. It's the same skill that the jeweler looks
at a diamond with. It's the same ambition that takes people to Pulitzer
Prizes. It's the athlete in the gym who spends his time preparing for
the Olympics. We need to honor that skill because it's often outside of
the glare of the public, and when those in the public do see it,
they're uncomfortable with it. It's the give and take of legislative
life that made these two very good to work with.
I'll say this about the two of them as well--and they might not like
it--that there were times when we needed something that they might not
quite have been in agreement with; and after you got a little bit of
their irritation, they generally included what it was that you wanted.
So it was an honor to serve with them, and I hope that we haven't
heard the last of either John Olver or Barney Frank. They've been very
important to this institution and to America.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman so much.
I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mike
Capuano.
Mr. CAPUANO. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I generally don't do a whole lot of work on this stuff, but I've
known these two gentlemen a long time. I met them both in 1976 when I
was in law school and had the good fortune of getting a work study job
at the statehouse. They were both there already. They were both already
well recognized and influential at the statehouse; and I will tell you,
from the day I met them, I started learning from both of them.
I want to be very clear. I want to echo everything Richard Neal said.
I hold public service up in high regard, and I know that everybody in
the Mass delegation does as well. These two gentlemen not only have
served in Congress; they've served at the State level, and they were
both educators. They didn't do this because that's what they could do.
One has a Ph.D. from MIT. The other has a law degree from Harvard.
Either one of them could have done anything he wanted to do and been
well compensated in doing it, and they could have had much more
comfortable lives in never having read their names in the newspapers as
bad people on different occasions. The fact is that they gave of
themselves right from the beginning as young men. They didn't go out
and make $1 million and then come in.
I think it's an amazing thing because, for those of us who have
followed a similar path, the first several years of doing public
service, no matter what you're doing, are not lucrative--they're
usually a difficult struggle--and then to stick to it for as long as
they did. Between the two of them, if you add up not just the years
they served in elective office--because elective office is only one way
to give back to the public--but if you add to that the years they
served as staff members or teachers and if you add that together,
combined, we're talking 100 years, guys.
I'm sorry, between the two of you, it's 100 years of public service
to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That's something that's amazing.
As I said, I started learning from them both at the statehouse. It
didn't stop. I moved beyond the statehouse. John was still there.
Barney had moved to Congress. I kept learning from them. I'll be
honest, in my job at the statehouse, I went on to become a full-time
employee.
You know it, but most people listening don't know it.
In Massachusetts, most of the committees are joint committees--house
and senate. I was on a joint committee payroll, but everybody knew that
I worked for the house. John happened to be the senate chairman of the
committee I worked for, and since Massachusetts is such an
overwhelmingly Democratic State, my job was, really, to do everything I
could to stick it to John Olver on behalf of the house and get
everything we wanted and not what the senate wanted. It was kind of
funny because, now that I'm in Congress, it's amazing in that those
fights were really nothing more than just the epitome of family fights.
They were nothing compared to the fights we have here that are based on
deep philosophical differences of opinion.
Even then, I loved working with John because, as Richie said, I
remember once we were at 2\1/2\ and we traveled in the State, arguing
against the limitations of local rights. John went on for about 20, 30
minutes at some hearing about the evils of this particular proposition.
Everybody was kind of getting tired and moving on.
John broke and said, I'm awfully sorry that I'm kind of running on
about this issue, but you have to understand that I'm a college
professor. I think in 50-minute blocks.

Then he went right back in and did the other 20 minutes. I don't know
if he convinced anybody, but he made me laugh the whole time because he
knew who he was; he knew what he was; and he knew the subject better.
When I got to Congress, my first assignment, per one of my many
friends

[[Page H7343]]

and mentors, Joe Moakley, was Financial Services. Barney was already
there. I can't tell you how much I learned from him. We share a
philosophical view, as I think most of the delegation does,
particularly in the matters of financial services. Housing is a passion
of mine. It has been for a long time, as it was for Barney. The truth
is that it really became incredibly easy for me. I was able to cut a
step back on the details of a lot of the major housing policy because
Barney was such a champion, and I was able to focus on some of the
holes that I saw in some of the policies that maybe some of the other
Members of this Congress didn't see.
That's true about many, many things--of the financial services bill.
Barney just carried that bill like you can't believe. It allowed me the
opportunity to not worry about the big stuff because Barney was going
to take care of it. I got to focus on some of the smaller details that
we got engaged in. I learned so much from him as a member of the
Financial Services Committee.
I hope I can be one-tenth as successful as you have been, Barney, in
bringing people together but in not forgetting who and what we are and
who and what we believe in.
Then I got on the Transportation Committee. John, by that time, was
already the cardinal of the Transportation Subcommittee and
Appropriations. It's true. I thought I knew a fair amount about
transportation. I'm kind of one of those guys who thinks, Don't tell me
about my district. Nobody knows my district better than I do. I know
the needs. I work with them. That's one of the reasons I'm such a vocal
and public proponent of earmarks, because no one knows my congressional
district better than I do except John Olver when it came to
transportation matters.
I've got to tell you, John, it made me angry a couple of times when
you came up and you told me things about my district's transportation
needs. You were right and I hadn't realized. I was like, Oh, geez. He
got me again.
I can't tell you how many times I've worked with him to try to
improve transportation policy for my district but, in turn, for the
Commonwealth and, in turn, for the country. So I just wanted to come up
tonight to thank both of them for their service on behalf of the
general public, but also on a personal matter.
Both of you have been guiding lights for me. I have learned a lot
from both of you--different approaches, similar philosophies, different
personalities, different attitudes. I'm a little different than both of
you on some things, but I'm alike on some things as well. I will tell
you that, as a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I am proud that you
served us. I am proud that I've had the opportunity to work with you
before Congress and in Congress; and I will tell you that I am proud to
call you both colleagues and friends. Thank you very much.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman for his comments, and I turn to
recognize the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating).
Mr. KEATING. I thank my colleague for yielding.
I had the privilege of serving with these two gentlemen, not only in
Congress but in the Massachusetts Legislature. I remember being elected
and serving at the age of 24, and my seat was right in front of Barney
Frank's seat in the legislature at the time. Now, at that time, we had
240 legislators. Very few people had legislative aides. Truly, you were
on your own: you were your own speechwriter; you were your own
researcher; you did your own negotiations. So to have Barney Frank
behind me in the give and take of everything when there were issues on
the floor and when we were talking was amazing. I can't even tell you
what I learned about being a lawmaker and a legislator, of putting
deals together and negotiating.
We also worked in the legislative study group at the time, and I
learned an important lesson that is, sadly, not utilized at the State
or Federal level these days, that of how to work in coalitions
effectively, because a lot of us were real progressives, and the
legislature at the time wasn't particularly noted for that. I learned
from people like Barney that, if you work together, they're going to
need your vote sometime, and we could work together as a group and be
effective. I learned at that stage that you can be effective at any
level of the legislature if you become skilled and if you become
tenacious. He inherited this.
I had the good fortune of also getting to know his mother, Elsie.
Now, she was very active with the Mass Association of Older Americans,
and she was terrific. She was passionate, knowledgeable, effective, and
I can see where he got a lot of his skills.

{time} 1920

But one of the things that impressed me also was the fact that in his
time working as the chief executive for the late mayor Kevin White in
Boston, he had the opportunity to really be there at the executive
level. And I could see that reflect in his legislating, and I could see
it today because he knew from the legislative side how important it was
to do things to empower people on the executive side and how they could
work in tandem. I know he took from that experience the fact that there
are no sacred cows. When you're in that position in a big city and
you're doing things you have to do, you're not always taking the most
popular stands, but you're taking tough stands against different
groups. And he had no sacred cows and he was willing to speak up when
necessary.
I think people in this Chamber know as well that when he took the
floor then, just like when he takes the floor now, you don't want to be
the other person on the other side of that debating. But even in the
din of a noisy House, something that's similar to both branches, when
he would get up, everyone would get quiet. They wanted to listen. They
were really interested in the intellectual and the humorous sides of
the debate that they were about to see.
During that time as well, we would have our votes up on the board. I
can tell you this: at a time when you were in the distinct minority on
the issue of gender rights, discrimination, discrimination against some
sexual orientation, on issues of basic fairness and progressive, those
lights were always on the right side, whether in the majority, the
winning side or the losing side. Times have changed things. Decades
have changed how the public feels about many of these positions, and
now they're popular. But at that time they weren't, but he was
resolute.
You know, I also look back at some of the differences during that
period of time. Back then Barney would have no time to shine his shoes.
Or he would have holes in his shoes, and maybe his suit looked like it
hadn't seen the cleaners--ever. But I remember his campaign slogans at
the time. They said: Neatness isn't everything, vote for Barney Frank.
And I've seen an amazing transformation now that I'm going to have
the privilege, as he has had, to represent the city of New Bedford, of
Barney around in Joseph Abboud suits, tailor-made, American-made, by
the way, and I've seen that transformation as well.
But I've got some big shoes to fill down there. He is beloved in that
area. As much as he is dealing with the intricacies of something like
Dodd-Frank, many of the other things he's done representing city
issues, he is by far the most popular elected official that the
fishermen in the New Bedford area in the southeastern Massachusetts
area have ever seen. His loyalty to them is probably only eclipsed by
their loyalty to him. He knows so much about fish that I don't know if
I'll ever catch up or ever have the opportunity, but it's amazing how
complex that issue is as well.
But I will say this. Of all of the actions he's taken during his time
in public life, I might dare to say what I think one of his most
proudest actions would be, not just what people would think, working
with fishing or Dodd-Frank, but I think it was really his marriage to
Jim. He has told me how important that was to do while he was a Member
of Congress, again showing leadership by action on an issue. And I was
just so happy to be at that wedding and to see that union, that
marriage, and I was very pleased to see the happiness and the love that
was there at that time. My only regret is that his mother wasn't there
to see it as well because she would have been so proud.
One thing you'll never say about Barney Frank or John Olver, I don't

[[Page H7344]]

think there was ever a TV ad, an attack ad, that had one of those
weather vane issues. You know, where you changed your position on this
and you changed your position on something else, on an important issue.
They were both resolute. And I had the opportunity to serve with John
briefly in the Senate in Massachusetts. Interestingly enough, when he
was chairman of taxation in the Senate, I was his successor as chairman
of taxation in the Massachusetts Senate. When I had that position, I
started going through the reports and the research documents, and I
knew that they just weren't done by researchers, that they had his
thumb prints and his intellectual abilities all over them. I must tell
you, if I started going back through those things a few decades ago, I
probably wouldn't be through them now.
I remember on the floor of the House when John would be carrying a
bill to the floor, how people didn't really question anything he had to
say. But it's interesting enough, when you go for questions, I seldom
saw people go up to John with questions on that legislation because all
of us didn't want to know that much about whatever he was talking
about. But John had that same sense, strong sense of fairness, a
protector of civil rights, a protector of equality, and one of the
leaders of our time in understanding about the importance of the
environment and the way we treat it.
He was a champion for western Massachusetts, not just with the
infrastructure that's there, but when you thought of our colleges out
there and the kind of infrastructure that gives people the opportunity
for a good life and to advance in life, John Olver's fingerprints were
all over that. He took that same attention to detail he had in the
Massachusetts legislature and used it in Appropriations to great
effect.
So with John and Barney, I wish them both well. They deserve it, and
they will continue to be productive, helping our State and helping the
people in our State in other capacities.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman, and I now yield to the gentleman
from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney).
Mr. TIERNEY. I thank Mr. Markey for recognizing me at this point in
time for the Special Order. You know, we did a little research so I
wouldn't just stand up here, because I know John and Barney are
sticklers for detail. So we did a little research. We found a Special
Order of some time ago when Barney Frank, Congressman Frank, came down
to the floor basically to chastise one of the colleagues who had made a
false claim during their Special Order. What Barney had to say at that
point:
Special Orders are a time when Members can fairly freely say things
without fear of contradiction because there's generally no one there.
And as you listen to many of the Special Orders, there is a very good
reason why no one is here: no one ought to pay a lot of attention to
them.
Well, Barney and John, today people ought to pay attention to what we
are saying during this particular Special Order because you have both
served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States for a
long period of time, ably, and in a way that nobody should forget and
everybody should want to talk about and recount. There's a lot of years
between the two of you.
John, 40 years in total, over 20 of them here in the United States
House of Representatives. But I remember knowing you well before you
knew me. Back when John Olver was a senator in the State of
Massachusetts, as a young student at the time, I had the responsibility
of janitorial services and cleaning up that State house. And I can
remember going into his office. He was always busy, always had people
in there, still working late into the night. But we were going around
emptying barrels and vacuuming rugs, and he was always generous and
kind to us at that point in time, but I noted how busy he was getting
detail, and that never changed.
When I later had the opportunity to come here to the House of
Representatives and be a colleague of John's, just as others have
recounted before me, he is meticulous in his detail, knowledgeable
about every subject matter upon which he spoke or upon which he acted,
and he added so much. It would be unfair, after over 20 years, to say
that John Olver had a specialty in just one area because like every
Member, you have to know a lot about a lot of different subjects and
work very well with your staff to make sure that you have all of the
information that you need. And John was a leader and knowledgeable in a
number of different areas. What he did for his part of the State will
not be forgotten anytime soon by people there, whether it's getting
designated an actual heritage area for his region, and so much more,
but we will remember him for the work he did, particularly with
appropriations on transportation matters.

{time} 1930

And my district will remember John for the work he did because, as
Richie noted, and Bill before me, he oftentimes knew exactly what your
district needed and knew how to help you get it. And so I can go to
various parts of my district now, John, and see projects that are there
because of your help, because of your knowledge of what went on and
your focus and persistence in making sure that they were funded.
Most recently was the city of Amesbury, which opened up a
transportation center, which also houses its veterans office and its
Council on Aging. And I mentioned to those folks who were there the
work that you had done in helping us do that. They are all incredibly
grateful, as are so many other people throughout my district and the
districts of all of our colleagues here, for the work that you did and
the time you spent on our districts' needs, as well as taking care of
your district's needs. So I want to thank you for that and share the
appreciation of all the people in my district.
Now, up until a couple of weeks ago, Barney's office was around the
corner from mine, and so oftentimes we would have a steady stream of
Barney visitors who found their way in there. If Barney could see them
in the district, he wondered why they were taking up his time down here
when he was busy doing things like the Dodd-Frank bill, fishing bills
and other things of that nature, so they'd all come over and wander
into my office.
But the fact of the matter is that Barney always was intensely
involved with the matters that he was dealing with here. It reminded me
of something else he said on the floor one time. He said that, when he
was talking about one of our beloved former colleagues, Joe Moakley, he
said that--what was true about Joe was, I think, also true about him.
He said Joe Moakley was a great stereotype breaker. And Barney, you've
been a great stereotype breaker as well in so many different areas it's
countless on that.
But you said:

One of the things that we suffer from in this country is
the assumption that if we are A, we cannot be B; if we are X,
we cannot be Y.

You said Joe Moakley showed us that that could be and what it could
be, and you have done the same.
Barney's been about one of the most fierce debaters down here. Used
to be before I got to Congress, whenever I saw something going on in
the House, I would always be anxious if Barney was up there, and I
would watch other colleagues who might be in a colloquy with him sort
of wince because they knew if they had misspoken or spoken out of line
or out of turn they were going to get a comeuppance on that that they
deserved, but done in a way that always had either good biting sarcasm
or wit to drive it home on that basis.
You've been one of the most intense Members, and I say that in a good
way, when you believe on the issues that were there, but always
pragmatic enough to know the art of the deal. And Richie spoke to that,
Richie Neal when he discussed things on the floor here.
It's important in this legislative body to not be so ideologically
extreme that you cannot, at some point, make a compromise, not on your
principles, but on other matters so that we can get the business of
this House done. Barney Frank and John Olver always had that in mind,
always knew how to treat their colleagues with respect, and always knew
how to drive to a bargain that would represent all of their values,
make sure that they weren't compromising their principles, but make
sure that the business of this country

[[Page H7345]]

and the things that were important in their district and their State
got done. Both of you deserve a great deal of credit, and we can only
hope that this House finds its way back to those days, when the
majority of this body finds all of that necessary and possible to do.
On a personal note, as Bill mentioned, Patrice and I were thrilled
when Barney and Jim got married; another way of showing that you can be
a leader at times.
I just recently saw a program on Cheryl Wright, a country western
singer; and if anybody got a chance to see it, she went through how
difficult it was for her to come out. And I was moved by that show
because it reminded of what it must have been for Barney and for
anybody else in public life to have to come out--not knowing what the
reaction of your own family or your friends or their colleagues or
anybody in public is going to think about that--and take the risk to do
it. And that is certainly one thing that this body and this country
will always remember.
Whether it was our fishermen, the gay, lesbian and transgender
community, so many Massachusetts residents are going to remember Barney
Frank for all that he did, as they are going to remember John Olver on
that. We're going to miss both of you fellows down here.
And John, we wish you and Rose only the best in your future. I know
you're going to keep busy in so many ways that you can.

And Barney, you and Jim are going to be busy, but not too busy, I
hope, to come and share some dinners with Patrice and me.
The one nice part about that is Barney was never bashful about
telling Patrice she could make what she made last time, that was just
fine, but he and Jim weren't going to be doing the cooking.
So good luck to both of you, and thank you for letting us share your
comradeship and be colleagues of yours. Thanks for all that you've done
for the country and the Commonwealth and your districts.
Mr. MARKEY. We thank the gentleman from Salem.
I recognize the gentlewoman from Lowell, Ms. Tsongas.
Ms. TSONGAS. Thank you, Mr. Markey.
It's great to be here, although a sad moment as well because we are
losing--not truly losing, but no longer serving on a daily basis with--
two remarkable colleagues with whom it has been my privilege to serve
for 5 years. They are distinguished legislators, as we're hearing, but
they're also great friends.
Barney Frank has been a family friend for many years. In fact, my
sister-in-law, Thaleia Tsongas Schlesinger, was Barney's press
secretary in his first race for Congress.
And I was so proud to receive his support when I first got the seat 5
years ago. He commented at the time that he was responsible for
defeating the last woman who had served from Massachusetts, and he
wanted to help elect the next woman who was seeking to serve for
Massachusetts. It had been 25 years.
And Barney, as we've heard, really has been a legend in everything
he's done. I watched him from afar. I was quite young when he was
working with Kevin White. We knew who he was because, even at that
young age, he was very colorful and very able and recognized as being
so extraordinarily bright and always witty, as a State legislator as
well. In here we see it and have heard about it over and over again.
Soon after getting here 5 years ago, maybe a year into it, you know,
we struggled with the collapse of Wall Street. And I remember thinking
that we were so fortunate to have Barney Frank in a place where his
expertise, his commitment to learning, brought such great value to what
we sought to do in order to stop the free fall, while protecting
American citizens and the American economy. And it really was a moment
where one was reminded that as much as we talk about term limits and
the need to be reinvigorated and bring new people in, there is
tremendous value in people who have been here a while, who have
mastered the material and who know quickly how to respond in an
emergency, which that moment most certainly was. And it's something I
take with me, that we need to have a balance. But we were fortunate to
have Barney Frank in the position as chairman of Financial Services, as
he was at that moment.
And we've heard and will never forget the tremendous work he has done
on civil rights and gender equality. I often think that, as we come to
Washington and we seek to make a difference, we're really like a little
feather in a stream. We can make a little difference here and there,
but Barney Frank has improved the lives of millions of Americans across
this country with his work on gender equality.
And, again, I will never forget, as the Employment Nondiscrimination
Act passed this House for the first time, did not go anywhere in the
Senate, but, again, a remarkable testament to Barney's commitment and
extraordinary personal courage as he has fought for these issues for so
many years.
And I have to congratulate him on falling in love with and marrying a
gentleman from my district, Jim Ready. It's been a wonderful thing. But
I think the best thing of all was that he came from Tewksbury,
Massachusetts, now John's district.
John Olver, I think of John as a gentleman of the House. He's so
thoughtful, so knowledgeable, so quiet, but so committed. And I've been
happy to inherit a certain part of his district; although, I know that
his constituents there will miss him forever. And I think, as an
example of how generous a man he is, how hard he worked as we made our
way into these new communities, how hard he worked for me and
Congressman McGovern to make sure that we were introduced in a way that
positioned us well to move on and become representatives of those
communities.
So I'm happy to inherit them, but again, I know I have such big shoes
to fill, and I see it in particular in all his work. He has been the
cardinal on the transportation side of the Appropriations Committee,
the tremendous work he's done to bring resources to some communities
that really will benefit from them.
But it is not just about the resources. The Fitchburg rail lane is
not just about a rail line. It is about the future of a community
connecting the central part of Massachusetts into the Boston area,
improving the lives, the economic opportunities of the people who live
and work there. So again, a remarkable legislator who I know I will
miss.
I went to an event that was hosted by his many, many staff members.
He was beloved by his staff. And also attending were a number of people
who, over the years, had made their way into John's office to talk
about some particular funding that they were seeking. And across the
board, everyone said how well prepared they had to be because,
invariably, he knew more than they knew and would have a question for
them that they could not answer.

{time} 1940

I have to say I had the very same experience with him as I made my
way into his office.
So, remarkable legislators, people who have done so much good for our
country, so much good for our Commonwealth, and who do so much. For
those who wonder about the quality of those of us who serve here, I
think we can only be proud. They have only elevated the stature of this
most remarkable institution and that which we all seek, which is to be
a Member of Congress, and do so in a way that is intelligent, with
great integrity. None of us will have the wit, though, of Barney Frank.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentlelady, and I yield to the gentleman from
Worcester, Mr. McGovern.
Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the dean of our delegation for yielding me the
time.
Let me just say that it is a real privilege to serve in the
Massachusetts delegation. I think some of the most colorful and
effective political personalities have come from Massachusetts. And I'm
proud to be part of this delegation. But I'm particularly proud to be
part of a delegation that includes John Olver and Barney Frank. My new
district includes many of the towns and cities that John Olver has
represented over the years. As I've gotten to know these communities,
I've gotten to realize how much love the people of these cities and
towns have for John Olver, how much they appreciate his incredible
work. And I have also come to appreciate all that he has done:
transportation and infrastructure projects; new

[[Page H7346]]

quality, affordable housing; protection of open space; daycare centers;
support for colleges and universities. And I can go on and on and on.
As Niki Tsongas pointed out, his intellect is unequaled. Sometimes
it's a little bit intimidating. I'm afraid to ask John Olver a question
because I don't want to know that much. Nonetheless, there is nobody
who knows more detail about every single project in every single
community in his district than John Olver.
John's a quiet man, but he's a determined man. He's someone with
deep, strong convictions and someone who has a spine of steel. He cares
about people halfway down the block and he cares about people halfway
around the world. I had the unique experience of engaging in civil
disobedience with John not once but twice, protesting the genocide in
Darfur. And we shared time in a cell together on two different
occasions. A lot of people wouldn't expect John to be involved in that
type of protest. But he was there. He was there because he thought it
was important. And he thought it was important that the world know that
people are watching what was happening in Darfur and in the Sudan. He's
taught me a lot, and I value his friendship very much. I'm going to be
his new Congressman, so I expect I will hear from him on a regular
basis.
As for Barney, I will miss him, like everyone here, very, very much.
When I was an aide to Joe Moakley in the early 1980s, no matter who Joe
Moakley was meeting with, he had the TV on, watching the proceedings on
C-SPAN. But when Barney came to the floor, he'd tell everybody to be
quiet, shut up, and listen. This is going to be good. And he would
increase the volume and everybody would sit there and watch Barney
Frank in action.
There is no one I enjoy and there is no one I think most of my
colleagues enjoy seeing debate on the floor than Barney Frank. And I
would say that there is probably no one the Republicans fear more
during debate than Barney Frank. He has the ability to be able to make
the most important points but also maintain a sense of humor. It has
been one of the reasons why he's been so effective.
I have had the good fortune of sharing communities with Barney over
the years. We represented the city of Fall River together. And I think
it's important for people to know that in addition to being this
national leader, Barney Frank is also a very effective bread-and-
butter, nuts-and-bolts politician who cared very, very deeply about
every single issue that occurred in his district, whether it was an
economic development initiative, whether it was a bridge or a road,
whether it was helping a veteran get his medals from World War II or
helping Mrs. O'Leary find her lost Social Security check, or becoming
the champion of fishermen on the east coast. He immersed himself in
these issues, and he was an unbelievably powerful spokesperson for all
these issues.
But Barney is not only, in my opinion, a great Member of Congress.
He's also a very, very good man. Look at the causes that he has
championed. We've heard about his efforts on behalf of LGBT rights,
civil rights, human rights, affordable housing, a voice for working
families, reining in the excesses of these financial institutions on
Wall Street. But for me, what I have admired about him is that he has
been a steadfast and unequal voice on behalf of poor people in this
country. I regret very much that so much of what goes on here in
Washington neglects paying attention to the very least among us. And
Barney has been out there, even though it's unfashionable, talking
about the need for affordable housing for people who are poor, making
sure that people have enough eat, making sure that people get what they
need so they can have ladders of opportunity to succeed. And I'm going
to miss his voice on those issues in particular. Because, to me,
they're so important. I happen to believe if government stands for
anything, it ought to stand for the most vulnerable in this country.
So, Barney, thank you. One other thing. My mother wants you to run
for Senate. She told you that at the airport. She wanted me to tell you
that again. But I will close by saying that it is with great affection
and love and friendship and so much respect that I stand here tonight
to pay tribute to two people who I think are giants in this
institution: John Olver and Barney Frank.
I thank the dean for yielding me the time.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman.
I yield such time as she may consume to the leader of the Democratic
Party, the gentlelady from San Francisco, Ms. Pelosi.
Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Tonight, we come to the floor to pay tribute to two people--Barney
Frank and John Olver--who, in many ways, could not be more different.
They are the same in this respect: they have made important marks on
the Congress of the United States. What is special about them is that
they are so different. But in their shared values, in their
effectiveness, their knowledge of the issues and their ability to
persuade our colleagues to join them in a vote, they share that talent,
especially those values representing Massachusetts in the Congress.
I had the privilege of serving with John Olver on the Appropriations
Committee. So I saw firsthand and very close up his extraordinary
mastery of the facts and the substance before us and his political
astuteness to find a way to get the job done as a chairman and ranking
member of an important subcommittee of Appropriations, Transportation,
better known as THUD. He's a cardinal on that committee. That's what
they call them. So as a cardinal, he commanded a great deal of respect
from our colleagues, though that came easy to us because, as I say, we
knew him well, his values and his judgment.
I want to point out one thing in particular, and that is he always
had an interest in promoting or empowering women, whether it was in the
Congress or in the country or in the world. There were some early
conversations I had with him about human rights violations against
women--against anyone--but his concern was deep and knowledgeable. In
Congress, he was supportive of advancing women into positions of power
here. I can speak of that firsthand. And also for women in the country.
His wife is an academic, as he is. Having served in this Congress all
this time, you can still be considered that--an intellectual. Again, he
always knew of what he spoke. He brought great passion, judgment, and
deliberativeness. He was very deliberative in getting a job done.

{time} 1950

So it was an honor to call him ``colleague.'' He brought a special
contribution to the Congress. Thank you, Congressman John Olver, for
your leadership, for your friendship.
Again, sitting there next to Barney Frank, who is a phenomenon, a
force of nature, somebody very special to all of us; unique in terms of
his incredible intellect and, in some people's opinion, great humor--
his and mine, for two. To serve with him is really an experience. We
learned from him not only every time he spoke, because he spoke with
such wisdom and knowledge of the subject, but also we learned from him
how to get his attention, hold it--but not too long--and move on with
whatever idea we had in mind.
I had the occasion when I came to Congress the first time to call
Barney and say, I'm so offended by what is going on on the floor.
They're saying terrible things about people there who are in need, and
the rhetoric went on and on and on and on.
When I got to the end of it, he said, Why are you calling me?
I said, Well, I want to know, what are we going to do about it?
He said, What are you going to do about it? And next time you call
me, just get right to the point right from the start.
Well, that was very good advice. Now when I speak, I say, Barney,
subject, problem, action needed, timing. And now we've gotten along
great for decades. As one of my friends, John Burton, would say, he
just wanted to know if you enjoyed the movie; he didn't want to know if
you had butter on your popcorn. Just spare me the extra information
that was not needed by him.
So I first basked in his aura at the Banking Committee, where he was
a leader on the Housing Subcommittee. We had that in common,
representing Boston and San Francisco, two cities

[[Page H7347]]

with the high cost of housing and knowing that we had to meet the needs
of people who could not afford that high cost. So that respect for
people's need to have the dignity of a home, no matter what their
economic situation was, was, again, his commitment, as others have
mentioned, to those at the lower place on the economic scale. So
housing, affordability of it, the stock of it, the housing
opportunities for people with HIV and AIDS, all of those kinds of
issues. As you can imagine, he had the full view of it all in a way to
get the job done.
Discrimination--everybody has talked about it this evening, but it's
a very transformative thing to see Barney talk about discrimination,
how it affected him, could have affected him in his life, and how he
didn't want that risk to be taken by other young people who might have
had some questions about their sexuality and the rest.
I remember when we were doing the hate crimes bill, fully inclusive
hate crimes bill. It was really a very important bill that some people
would have to take a political risk to vote for in their districts.
When Barney came to the Caucus and spoke about it, he said, I'm the
chairman of the Financial Services Committee. Important leaders of the
financial community beat a path to my door. They want to hear what I
think on subjects and tell me what they think. But I wasn't always the
chairman of the Financial Services Committee. I was once a 16-year-old
boy who had questions. I identify with those little boys now, those
young people now, and that's why this was important. It was following
the Matthew Shepard murder and all that that implied.
But for him to have the generosity of spirit to share his innermost
thoughts about his own life and how that instructed him to act, it was
almost a moral imperative for him to act. He had a special
responsibility, because of his own personal experience, to act. And
Members just responded to him. He spoke to them in a very personal way.
They responded to him in a very personal way, and we passed something
very, very important for our country and discrimination.
I remember the first time we passed the amendment to repeal Don't
Ask, Don't Tell. Oh, my gosh, it was so exciting. It was so exciting.
So I went up to Barney after the vote and I said, Barney, you're making
history today.
He said, Yes, because we repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
I said, No.
Because we did this amendment on the Defense authorization bill?
I said, No, not because of that. That's history, yes, but we're
making history because today you're going to vote for your first
Defense authorization bill which has funding for the war in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
So, in any event, knowing that we had a greater good, a separate
issue to deal with and people were waiting to see how Congress would
act, he of course made history by not only voting for an amendment to
repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but for the Defense authorization bill.
Many like-minded and thinking and voting people who follow Barney's
lead followed him down that path so that a bill would pass.
But it just goes over and over again. It's the consumer, protecting
the taxpayer, protecting the consumer; the bill, Dodd-Frank, of such
magnitude and scope, having such important implications for, again,
protecting Main Street. He was masterful, not just because he was
protecting the consumer, but because he understood the balance that was
necessary in the legislation. That was really a mark of his leadership
all along. He always respected the views of all stakeholders and any
initiative that was put forward.
I see by the walking around of the dean of the Massachusetts
delegation that time may be short, so I will reduce my remarks. But I
did want to make sure people knew what an important force he was in
providing affordable housing in our country, ending discrimination in
every possible way--I just named two--in the fight against HIV and
AIDS, in protecting the consumer and the taxpayer, and Dodd-Frank.
I know that any of us who were at his wedding and any of us who
danced with him at his wedding know that that was a special privilege
indeed not shared by many, but a compliment indeed.
He will be very missed. He will be missed for his intellect. Every
time he spoke, we learned. He will be missed for his intellect. He will
be missed for his parliamentary prowess. He was a master of
parliamentary procedure and, I think, revelled in playing that role on
the floor of the House.
Again, always values based, loved his district, proud of the State of
Massachusetts, and, really, a national figure that will go down in
history as one of the greats to have ever served in the House of
Representatives.
Flamboyant--he's given me fashion advice, which is interesting
getting fashion advice from Barney Frank. But I valued that. If he took
the trouble or had the thought to make the point that I should give
away a particular article of clothing because--not known for his
sartorial splendor, nonetheless, if he made a point about it, he knew
that there was some truth to whatever view he was expounding.
So with that, I'm honored to join the Massachusetts delegation to
sing the praises of two great leaders as they're different in terms of
style, but significant, both of them, in their contribution to our
country: Congressman--otherwise known as Chairman--John Olver, the
cardinal from the Appropriations Committee, and Chairman Barney Frank,
it's an honor to serve with you, a privilege to call you friend. Thank
you for your service to our country.
Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentlelady.
I yield myself such time as may remain in the hour. Since my time is
about to expire, I would ask if it were possible for the gentleman from
Indiana to be able to yield 5 minutes to me as the opening part of his
Special Order.
Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, the gentleman, the old man, or
the dean, as they call him, of the Massachusetts delegation, has asked
if we would give him some of our 1-hour time, and I would like to ask
unanimous consent that we give him--how much time do you need? Five
minutes? An additional 5 minutes.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Hayworth). The gentleman's request
cannot be entertained. The gentleman has 1 minute remaining. Then the
gentleman from Indiana will be recognized, at which point he could
yield time.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
Mr. MARKEY. If Barney Frank were down here, none of this would have
happened in terms of the understanding of the parliamentary procedure.
He was up there trying to grab the imaginary microphone so he could
clarify the parliamentary situation.

{time} 2000

I will conclude this part just by saying, again, that John Olver has
been for us just an invaluable colleague. He taught all of us so much
about our own districts. The other Members have mentioned it, but when
he sat down with us talking about transportation, he explained our own
districts to us in terms of what was possible and what was needed.
On climate change, I've talked to him over 20 years about the issue.
He was on this issue in the early 1990s and probably understood it even
before then. He is that smart. He is that visionary in terms of the
issues that are central not just to Massachusetts but to our planet.
And it has been my great honor to have served with you, John, and to
have called you my friend and my colleague over all of these years. We
all thank you so much for what you have done for us and done for the
country.
Thank you. Thank you so much.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

____________________