[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 20529-20530]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           TRIBUTES TO HON. BILL GOODLING UPON HIS RETIREMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Borski) is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, before I give my own tribute to my good 
friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), I yield to the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), who served for a number of years 
with Mr. Goodling on the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Borski) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I have known Bill Goodling for 24 years. When I arrived 
in Congress, he had already been here 2 years. We served together on 
the Committee on the Budget and the Education and Labor Committee, now 
the Committee on Education and the Workforce. I number him among my 
very, very best friends here in the Congress of the United States.
  I have told this story many times but, Bill, I am going to tell it 
one more time. In November 1994, about 2 o'clock in the morning, I 
realized that I had survived the election, but I was a survivor in 
Cornwallis' army rather than Washington's army, and for the first time 
in 40 years the Republicans had taken control of the House of 
Representatives. I had been Bill Goodling's chairman of a subcommittee 
for about 6 or 8 years, and I realized that now Bill Goodling was going 
to be my Chairman, not of subcommittee, but of full committee.
  So I felt I should call him. I called him at 7 o'clock in the morning 
the day after election. One should call no politician that early in the 
morning

[[Page 20530]]

the day after election but he is a farmer and I knew he would be up. So 
I called him and did not identify myself. I merely said, ``Mr. 
Chairman.'' And he responded, ``How sweet it is.''
  Mr. Speaker, it has been sweet working with Bill. Bill really 
believes in education. He has educated me and the full committee that 
we should look for quality and results, and that has been his theme all 
the way through his time here.
  On the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we have had no 
greater champion in this House than Bill Goodling, both on Committee on 
the Budget and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. He finally 
put through this House a bill leading us to full funding of that 40 
percent of extra cost of IDEA.
  The gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) and I and Bill Goodling, 
we worked together on I think the best higher education bill that we 
have ever passed. It was a bipartisan bill and passed this House, I 
think, around 418 to 1, and the Senate 95 to nothing. We have worked 
well together because we are really concerned about the fact that this 
House had to come together on those issues that really touched American 
children and young people.
  Bill has always had that it is his belief that when we write 
education bills, we do not think Democrat, we do not think Republican, 
we think what is good for the children of this country. And the 
children in this country one better off because of Bill Goodling: in 
their education, in their nutrition, in their approach to life.
  Bill, thank you for what you have done. God bless you.
  Mr. BORSKI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, let me say I became 
friends with Bill Goodling as a freshman Member here. The Pennsylvania 
delegation would from time to time get together and have lunch. He was 
someone who I consider as a mentor.
  We have all heard about his education background as a teacher, a 
coach, an administrator, and truly someone who knows the passion and 
speaks with the passion of education for all the kids in our country. 
Few know better than Bill Goodling that a solid education will provide 
all workers with the necessary foundation to compete in a highly 
competitive workforce.
  He is a good friend, from those early luncheons in the early days in 
the House to the time where we had offices just across the aisle from 
each other. He would wander into our office and pick up the Inquirer, 
look for the sporting results. I think particularly he was looking for 
the horse racing results. Would come in and talk with all the Members 
of our staff. He is just a first-class gentleman.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have served with him, proud to call him my 
friend, and I wish him the very best in his retirement years.

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