[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 6 (Tuesday, January 13, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E64]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    REMEMBERING GOVERNOR MARIO CUOMO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 13, 2015

  Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a true New York 
legend, Mario Matthew Cuomo, and to thank him for his service to the 
people of New York and this country. Mario Cuomo was not only one of 
the greatest governors in the history of New York and an orator whose 
skill rivals legends throughout history; he was a man of great 
principal and humility. At a time when New York needed a bold leader, 
Mario Cuomo stepped up and led the state in a truly unique and 
inspiring fashion.
  Something that was so telling is when I visited the Cuomo family 
during Mario's wake. For our current Governor Andrew Cuomo and his 
sisters and brother, the day was about beginning the process of saying 
goodbye to their father. But for the long lines of people waiting 
outside to pay their respects, Mario Cuomo was a man who understood 
their struggles and worked every single day to make their lives better.
  Governor Cuomo was a man of deeply held convictions, who used his 
time in office to make a difference in peoples' lives. He constantly 
strived to make progress in economic, environmental, and social 
justice, putting a face to what true progressivism looks like in the 
modern era. Even when his choices were not popular in the short term, 
Governor Cuomo had the foresight to understand that history would 
marvel at his wisdom for decades to come.
  The list of accomplishments to Governor Cuomo's name is extensive and 
will serve as a high bar to future governors across our great country. 
A deeply caring family man, Governor Cuomo worked to better the life of 
children by implementing health care and education programs. A student 
of history, the Governor knew that we needed to increase our investment 
in infrastructure to rebuild roads and bridges across the state to 
boost our economy and put people to work. And the Governor was decades 
ahead of his time in aggressively advocating for environmental 
protection, understanding that leaving a more beautiful and healthy New 
York for the next generation was of the utmost importance.
  The passing of Governor Cuomo reminds us all that we should be doing 
our best every single day to advocate for our constituents and give a 
voice to the voiceless. We need to be both practical and bold in our 
thinking, something the Governor mastered. Living up to the example 
left by Governor Cuomo is an enormous challenge, but one that will 
leave this country in a much better place.
  May Governor Cuomo rest in peace.

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