[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 15 (Monday, January 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REMEMBERING THE HONORABLE OTIS PIKE

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 27, 2014

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
former Congressman Otis Grey Pike, who represented New York's First 
Congressional District for eighteen years and passed away on January 
20, 2014.
  Born on August 31, 1921, in Riverhead, New York, Otis was orphaned at 
a young age and was subsequently raised by two sisters and an aunt. 
Overcoming his early losses, he finished his primary and secondary 
education in the Riverhead public schools and enrolled at Princeton 
University.
  In 1942, Otis put his studies on hold to serve our country as a 
United States Marine. During World War Two he was a fighter pilot who 
flew 120 missions and won five air medals. After the war Otis returned 
to his studies, ultimately graduating from Columbia Law School in 1948.
  Upon completing law school, Otis returned to Riverhead, where he 
began practicing law and became a Justice of the Peace in his home town 
in 1954.
  Otis decided to run for Congress in 1958, having become fascinated 
with politics as a teenager. Although his first bid was unsuccessful, 
he was elected to the House in 1960. When voters send someone to 
Congress, they expect that person to be their advocate. And an advocate 
is exactly what the residents of New York's First Congressional 
District got when they sent Otis Pike to Washington.
  Otis first gained national attention for his advocacy in 1967, when 
he spoke out about the military spending too much for small parts that 
he believed could be purchased at greatly reduced rates. The awareness 
he raised helped lead to changes in the Pentagon's purchasing 
procedures. In 1969, Otis led a subcommittee investigation into North 
Korea's seizure of the Pueblo, a United States intelligence ship.
  In 1975, Otis became the Chairman of the House Select Committee on 
Intelligence. While serving in this role, he took on the intelligence 
community in a way Congress had not previously attempted. He led the 
first Congressional investigation into the Central Intelligence Agency, 
which resulted in a report calling for greater Congressional oversight 
of intelligence operations. After being blocked from public disclosure 
by the full House of Representatives, the report was leaked by the 
media.
  During his tenure in Congress, which ended in 1979, Otis was also 
instrumental in the passage of legislation that helped shape the Long 
Island we know today. Among his most important legacies was securing 
enactment of the law creating the Fire Island National Seashore.
  Otis was well-liked, admired and respected in Congress, and he was 
also known for his love of bowties. While on the campaign trail, he had 
often carried a banjo and ukulele to create songs about opponents 
public policy issues. Upon his retirement from the House, he devoted 
greater time to writing and became a syndicated columnist for Newhouse 
Newspapers, a post he held for twenty years.
  On a personal note, I will never forget the kindness Otis extended to 
me when I first ran for his former seat and every subsequent occasion I 
had the pleasure of speaking with him.
  Otis was predeceased by his first wife, Doris Orth, and a son, Robert 
Pike. He is survived by his second wife, Barbe Bonjour Pike, his 
daughter, Lois Pike Eyre, his son, Douglas Pike, and two grandchildren. 
I would like to express condolences to the Pike family on behalf of the 
residents of New York's First Congressional District, both past and 
present,
  Mr. Speaker, Congressman Pike was a dedicated and highly effective 
public servant who made an indelible impression on Congress and on New 
York's first district. He enjoyed an impeccable reputation as one of 
Long Island's longest serving representatives in Congress and will 
always be remembered as one whose career should serve as a model for 
all who engage in public service.

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