[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 195 (Thursday, November 30, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H9562-H9563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE LIFE OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN MAURICE HINCHEY

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life of Maurice 
Hinchey, a beloved friend and an awesome colleague.
  I entered into the New York State Assembly when he was the 
environmental conservation chair for the New York State Assembly. I 
witnessed his fight to expose toxic contamination of Love Canal where 
he worked against illegal waste dumping by organized crime. I watched 
as he worked so hard to protect the Catskills and the Adirondacks from 
acid rain. It was there that I witnessed his integrity, his intellect, 
his compassion, and his passion to make a difference.
  Then he came to Washington to serve this Nation. He worked hard to 
establish the Hudson River Valley Greenway. He worked hard to fight 
against PCB contamination of the Hudson River. He made certain that 
hydrofracking would not destroy our environment. He made certain that 
he spoke out against the Iraq war and spoke out against NAFTA and the 
damage it could do to American jobs.
  This was a person who was principled. He acted with those principles 
with every fiber of his being. Today I want to recognize that person, 
our voice for the environment, a principled individual that the late 
Governor Mario Cuomo called the environmental conscience of New York 
State.
  I extend my deepest condolences to his wife, Ilene Marder Hinchey; 
and his children, Reese, Josef, and Michelle.
  I know that, in the last year of his life, Maurice and his family 
worked to raise awareness for frontotemporal degeneration. I am hoping 
that their fight will continue so that others impacted by this disease 
will be able to conquer that situation.
  Maurice, rest in peace. You are a champion.
  We don't live in a perfect world, perhaps we never will. But those 
who are disadvantaged and those who are in need will need a champion. 
That champion was Maurice Hinchey, and he will continue to inspire.

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