[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 182 (Tuesday, December 20, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1728]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE HONORABLE W.J. ``BILL'' USERY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JODY B. HICE

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 20, 2016

  Mr. JODY B. HICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
life of the late Honorable W.J. ``Bill'' Usery Jr., a man who left a 
legacy of service to our Nation and the Tenth Congressional District of 
Georgia, which I have the honor of representing. Mr. Usery was a native 
of Baldwin County where he attended Georgia Military College. Shortly 
after, he proudly served in the United States Navy repairing warships 
as an underwater welder in the Pacific Fleet. In 1952, he started his 
career in labor activism when he joined the International Association 
of Machinists.
  Following years of being the chief mediator in major labor-management 
disputes, President Gerald Ford appointed Mr. Usery as the United 
States Secretary of Labor, a post where he defined the modern era of 
labor-management and helped our Nation maintain its forward momentum 
and status as a global leader. During his tenure, our Nation witnessed 
better working conditions, better wages, better relations between labor 
and management, and an overall better way of life.
  Mr. Speaker, his advice and counsel were valued by the Commander-in-
Chiefs whom he served, including Presidents Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, 
John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton. The Honorable Mr. Usery was born, 
raised, and spent the last years of his life in Milledgeville, Georgia, 
where he continued to serve, making generous donations to his alma 
mater.
  Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege to meet this remarkable Georgian 
this spring during a ceremony that I held in my district to recognize 
our WWII veterans, and it is with pride that I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring the life and legacy of the Honorable W.J. ``Bill'' 
Usery.

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