[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 147 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1391-E1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 COMMEMORATING CONGRESSMAN PAUL FINDLEY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DARIN LaHOOD

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 28, 2016

  Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to recognize Paul 
Findley's contributions to the state of Illinois and his 
accomplishments as a Member of the United States House of 
Representatives.
  From a young age, Mr. Findley had a talent for writing, starting at 
the Jacksonville Journal Courier in high school, he went on to author 
his own section in the Illinois College newspaper titled, Findley's 
Uncensored Prejudices. He then became the first editor of Wingtips at 
Monmouth College. Mr. Findley joined the Navy Reserves in the spring of 
1942, following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Eager to go overseas, he 
was stationed in both Guam and Japan during the war. Upon his return to 
the United States, he married Lucille Gemme, a flight nurse whom he had 
met in Guam. They moved to Pittsfield, Illinois, where he became the 
managing editor of the Pike County Republican.
  In 1958, Mr. Findley felt called to enter politics, and he ran for 
Illinois' 20th congressional seat, which he won in 1960. As a 
Congressman, he was an active supporter for the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. He persistently offered the Powell Amendment, to prohibit racial 
discrimination, as an amendment to each bill considered on the House 
Floor. In 1965, Congressman Findley hired Frank Mitchell, a 15-year-old 
boy from Springfield, Illinois, and the first African American page in 
the U.S. House of Representatives.
  Congressman Findley shaped U.S. House of Representatives' foreign 
policy by leading the NATO task force and establishing a stronger 
relationship with France, particularly General de Gaulle, whom he 
always considered a strong ally of the United States. In his early 
years in office, Congressman Findley was a supporter of the Vietnam War 
and led initiatives to block food sales to any Warsaw Pact countries 
aiding Hanoi. This action became known as the Findley Amendments.
  Congressman Findley devoted a considerable amount of his public and 
personal life to honoring Abraham Lincoln. He authored, ``A. Lincoln: 
The Crucible of Congress,'' a book about Abraham Lincoln's influence in 
the U.S. House of Representatives. His admiration of Lincoln led to the 
preservation of Lincoln's home, which was fulfilled when the Lincoln 
Home Historic Site Act was signed into law by President Nixon in 1974.
  Congressman Findley was the first Republican member of the House of 
Representatives to advocate for diplomatic relations with the Peoples 
Republic of China, during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Once 
diplomatic relations were achieved, the Chinese Ambassador traveled to 
Jacksonville, Illinois to speak to the local Rotary Club, where he 
praised the leadership and friendship of Congressman Findley.
  During all of his overseas negotiations, Congressman Findley still 
found time to support his constituents in Illinois. He continuously 
protected the interests of farmers and the agricultural community, 
which made up most of Illinois' 20th Congressional District. Although 
one may disagree with Congressman Findley on policy, he was never a 
disagreeable person. His personal motto was ``One catches more flies 
with honey than vinegar.''
  Congressman Findley spoke freely about his passions, even if they 
were against his own party. He continues, at the age of 93, to play a 
role in politics through speeches, books, and Op Ed articles advocating 
for tolerance, fair and balanced policy, and against nuclear 
proliferation. Stephen Jones, a long-time colleague and friend of Mr. 
Findley, described him saying, ``He was an ideal Congressman. He was 
not dogmatic, always open to persuasion, did his homework, and 
remembered the people back home.''
  It is an honor to represent Jacksonville, Illinois, the hometown of 
Congressman Findley. He admirably served our state, worked to make the 
United States a stronger nation, and continues to live Abraham 
Lincoln's vision.

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