[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6971-S6972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                       Remembering Berkley Bedell

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to pay tribute 
to an extraordinary Iowan with whom I shared a decades-long 
friendship--a very prominent Democrat from my State.
  Over this past weekend, former Iowa Congressman Berkley Bedell passed 
away at the age of 98. For nearly a century of life, Berkley took his 
grandmother's advice to heart: ``You can do almost anything within 
reason if you will only set your mind to it.''
  From an early age, Berkley Bedell set his mind to a high standard of 
achievement. He set an example for the rest of us. He practiced what he 
preached and he made a difference in this world.
  As a child raised during the Great Depression, Berkley became a 
soldier in the U.S. Army. He was, obviously, a World War II veteran, an 
entrepreneur, a job creator, a philanthropist, a policy influencer, 
and, most of all, a devoted husband and father.
  What I left out is how I got acquainted with him. He was a fellow 
Member of the House of Representatives during my early years and for 
some time after I came to the Senate. Our decades-long friendship began 
when Berkley and I were elected to serve Iowans in the House of 
Representatives in 1974. Soon after the orientation for new Members, 
Barbara and I developed a close relationship with Elinor and Berkley. 
This friendship remained for the next 45 years.
  Looking back, those were lonely days for a freshman Republican House 
Member. That is when the Watergate scandal upended the midterm 
elections. Voters elected 91 new House Members to that Congress. I 
happened to be the only Republican in the Iowa congressional 
delegation. Among our so-called Watergate class of 1974, I was joined 
by Iowans Tom Harkin, Michael Blouin, and Berkley Bedell. We were all 
freshman Members of Congress. We joined then with more senior Members 
from the State of Iowa--Neal Smith, who went on to serve 36 years in 
the House, and Ed Mezvinsky. The Democrat Senators from Iowa were Dick 
Clark and John Culver. Berkley would go on to represent Iowa's Sixth 
Congressional District for six terms, from 1975 to 1987. Even though he 
lived about another 32 years after that, I presume he would have served 
a lot longer if his health had held out.

  Although Berkley and I didn't share the same political points of 
view, we did share a common approach for representative government, 
meaning with dialogue and feedback from Iowans that was very necessary 
if we were going to represent them properly. Most often, the forums for 
that were our respective townhall meetings.
  Throughout our service together in Congress, party labels didn't 
displace our ability to work with and for Iowans. As one example, 
during the farm crisis of the 1980s, which was much worse than this 
farm crisis we have right now, we used our voices to raise public 
awareness and steer help to struggling farm communities in our home 
State. We did everything possible to shape farm policy and restore hope 
to thousands of farm families who were coping with double-digit 
inflation and with the farm debt crisis.
  As a Federal lawmaker, Berkley took his oversight work seriously. 
Even though I take oversight seriously, I didn't do it in quite the way 
he did. His was kind of an unorthodox approach. He just ventured, 
willy-nilly, into a Federal bureaucracy here or a Federal bureaucracy 
over there. He took the liberty of dropping by in person at these 
agencies. He would go up to people and ask: What is your job? I don't 
know exactly the questions he asked, but in knowing Berkley the way I 
did, I think he probably wanted to have very calm conversations with 
them to determine what they did and maybe even see if they were doing 
it right, particularly if they were spending the taxpayers' money 
right. He did this to keep tabs on how these Federal employees in these 
various bureaucracies were serving the Nation and, particularly, 
serving Iowans. Now, that is what I would call an in-the-flesh gut 
check--a very different type of oversight from what I have done.
  Berkley was born in Spirit Lake, IA. I assume he lived his entire 
life in Spirit Lake, IA, except for the period of time he was in the 
military and until he spent some retirement time in Florida. Spirit 
Lake, IA, is a close-knit farming community in Dickinson County. His 
neck of the woods is located in the Iowa Great Lakes region--a regional 
destination for fishing, boating, and outdoor recreation. I will bet 
the Presiding Officer has been there many times.
  The area is fondly known as the University of Okoboji, where 
generations of families go year after year to vacation and enjoy life. 
By the way, the University of Okoboji is not really a university but is 
very much a selling point for that part of the State, from an economic 
development point of view, and it has worked very successfully.
  As I just described, this is where Berkley's insatiable work ethic 
took root. It guided him for his nearly 100 years of life on Earth. 
Through philanthropic good works, he leaves behind a legacy of 
conservation, stewardship, and historic preservation. With his wife, he 
helped to launch the Okoboji Foundation more than three decades ago. 
Since then, the foundation has awarded millions of dollars to scores of 
nonprofit organizations in that lakes region of Iowa.

[[Page S6972]]

  In other words, Berkley believed in paying it forward. He cared 
deeply about giving back to his community for future generations to 
enjoy. As you would expect an Iowan to do, he rolled up his sleeves, 
opened his wallet, and pitched in to make a difference. By my measure, 
his represents a life well lived, and he lived life well.
  As I mentioned earlier, Berkley and Elinor became steadfast friends 
with Barbara and this Senator. We shared an abiding mutual respect, and 
we cherished their gracious regard for that friendship. After the 
Bedells moved to Florida in their retirement, Barbara and I enjoyed an 
annual gift from the Bedells each February. It was a very simple annual 
gift but one that had a lot of meaning to it--more than the material it 
represented. They sent us a box of oranges from their home in the 
Sunshine State. Just as regularly as a clock, we received these over 
many, many years.
  Through these many years, their annual Christmas letter was something 
that we looked forward to. In many years, in personal notes in those 
very letters, they even thanked us for our friendship. Berkley also 
stayed in touch with a friendly Valentine note each year to Barbara, my 
wife. With Berkley's passing, we are saddened to know that these tokens 
of friendship have now come to an end.
  Berkley's story is an inspiration for younger generations of 
Americans who are pursuing their dreams. It is never too early to dream 
big. This was how Berkley Bedell was dreaming as a 16-year-old: He 
became an entrepreneur. Berkley launched a fishing tackle business with 
Jack, his brother. It was called the Berkley Fly Company. I am told he 
started the company with $50 from paper route money. He started tying 
fly fishing lures in his bedroom.
  Pouring years of sweat equity into the family business boosted the 
local economy and created jobs in his beloved Iowa Great Lakes. His 
tenacious leadership developed a strong workforce for what was then 
called Berkley Industries. That company, which is now called Pure 
Fishing, is today one of the leading fishing tackle manufacturers in 
the world.
  At 98 years young, Berkley didn't let age slow him down by any 
stretch of the imagination. He remained active in public policymaking 
and immersed in electoral politics in Iowa. Usually, at least once a 
year, he called on me here in Washington, in the Hart Office Building, 
to tell me about some legislative issue he was interested in, and we 
worked together on some of those legislative issues. Everything here in 
Washington is so political, so this may sound very unusual, and maybe 
it is unusual today: Despite our differences in political 
philosophies--he was a Democrat; I am a Republican--we both appreciated 
how crucial it was to engage the next generation in civic life.
  Berkley's leadership and legacy will be remembered for generations to 
come. I am proud to have called him a very good, good friend.
  Barbara and I extend our condolences to his sons, Ken and Tom, and to 
Joanne, his daughter.
  Your dad made a big footprint in his life's journey.
  As my former colleague in the House of Representatives, Berkley later 
became my constituent when I was elected to serve here in the U.S. 
Senate. I never knew Berkley Bedell to stop advocating for his 
community or for the good of our Nation. It became Berkley's lifelong 
hallmark to leave God's green Earth better than he had found it for 
generations to come.
  I wish Godspeed to my good friend Berkley Bedell, who joins Elinor, 
his beloved wife, in eternal life.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I was in my office and just learned, by 
Senator Grassley's floor speech, about the passing of Berkley Bedell, 
and I just wanted to add my voice to his.
  He was a wonderful man. I served with him in the House of 
Representatives. Spirit Lake was his home area in Iowa. He was a really 
knowledgeable man when it came to issues of agriculture, and I didn't 
learn until many years later that he was a very successful businessman 
in the fishing tackle business, if I remember correctly, and sporting 
goods. He had many interests.
  He was a spirited, friendly, good person who worked hard at his job 
and was a credit to the U.S. House of Representatives, regardless of 
party, and I think Senator Grassley's remarks reflect that.
  I am going to miss his annual Christmas card. He and his wife--she 
passed away just recently, as well--would send a card about the comings 
and goings of their big, old family. It was a big oversized card, and I 
always looked forward to it.
  I feel honored to have been able to serve with him. I thank my 
colleague and friend Senator Grassley from Iowa for paying tribute to 
him.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 2 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.