[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 163 (Friday, November 15, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HONORING REP. HELEN DELICH BENTLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. C.A. DUTCH RUPPERSBERGER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 15, 2013

  Mr. RUPPERSBERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor 
Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, a longtime member of the U.S. House 
of Representatives, a champion of the Port of Baltimore and a dear 
friend on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
  A graduate of the University of Missouri, Congresswoman Bentley is a 
former journalist who worked as a reporter and editor for the Baltimore 
Sun, where she developed her lifelong passion for the Port of Baltimore 
and Chesapeake Bay. She then hosted a TV program about the Port 
focusing on maritime and transportation issues. She was elected to 
represent Maryland's Second Congressional District in 1985 and served 
the next four terms. She chaired the Federal Maritime Commission and 
became a strong advocate for responsible trade policies, the U.S. 
Merchant Marine fleet and, of course, American ports. As chair, she was 
then the fourth-highest ranking woman in federal government history, 
the first woman to serve in a key government position in the maritime 
field and the first woman appointed by a President to head a regulatory 
agency.
  It is because of Congresswoman Bentley's decades of dedication, 
passion and advocacy that the Port of Baltimore will continue to 
prosper and provide honest, good-paying jobs to many Maryland families 
for generations to come. In 2006, the Port was rightly renamed the 
Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.
  Congresswoman Bentley continues to exercise her expertise in the 
maritime and manufacturing industries as President and CEO of Helen 
Bentley & Associates, Inc. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for 
the Baltimore Museum of Industry. While too numerous to list in their 
entirety, Congresswoman Bentley is the recipient of countless awards 
and accolades. In 2006, she earned the Governor's International 
Leadership Award and was named the 2010 William Donald Schaefer 
Industrialist of the Year. She was inducted into the International 
Maritime Hall of Fame in 2004 and has earned 10 honorary doctorates.
  I have had the pleasure of knowing Congresswoman Bentley for many 
years. Once political rivals, I consider her a mentor and trusted 
advisor, especially on maritime issues. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you 
join with me today to honor Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley. The 
citizens of Maryland have been lucky to have her as a champion all 
these years. It is with great pride that I wish her the happiest of 
birthdays and many more years of success.

                          ____________________