[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21840]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  HONORING ISABELLA ``BELLE'' CUMMINS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GEORGE W. GEKAS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 6, 2000

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today at the close of the 106th 
Congress to remember an outstanding individual who was a native of my 
own state of Pennsylvania and a friend to me and many of my colleagues, 
Isabella ``Belle'' Cummins. Belle tragically passed away in May of this 
year.
  Belle was a familiar sight around the halls of the Capitol, where she 
served as staff counsel to the House Judiciary Committee from 1987 to 
1991. During this time she was instrumental in gaining the passage of a 
national apology to Japanese-Americans for their internment during 
World War II. In 1991, Belle joined with former Representative Peter 
Kyros to establish the firm of Kyros and Cummins, where she promoted 
biomedical research causes until her untimely passing. She was an 
expert on administrative law, social security, and tort reform as well.
  A decade ago, Belle played an instrumental part in developing the 
Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus, of which I am a Co-Chairman. 
This year the Caucus celebrates its tenth anniversary. Without the 
extraordinary efforts of Belle Cummins ten years ago and throughout the 
past decade, the Caucus would not have achieved the tremendous level of 
success that it garners today. With Belle's great assistance the 
bipartisan Caucus has grown to almost one hundred Members. The goals of 
the Caucus coincide with those Belle championed herself increasing 
funding for the National Institutes of Health and developing new and 
improved methods in biomedical research. Tragically, before science 
could repay with a cure its debt to her for her fantastic efforts in 
the field of biomedical research, Belle succumbed to cancer only one 
month after her diagnosis.
  Belle had an upbeat attitude and positive outlook that could not be 
diminished. Belle was well-loved and well-respected by Members and 
staff alike on both sides of the aisle. Belle's reputation preceeded 
her, as she was often able to gain meetings with Members of the House 
or Senate when others could not. Perhaps no greater testimony to the 
impact Belle Cummins had on all of those who were privileged to know 
her could be found at a memorial held in her honor by family and 
friends in the Rayburn building last June. Countless friends and family 
attended to remember Belle, and many Members of Congress, staff, 
friends, and relatives shared their memories of her as a driven and 
determined, yet kind, generous, and positive individual.
  Words cannot adequately express my extreme gratitude to Belle not 
only for her enormous efforts on legislative interests we shared, but 
for her friendship that spanned more than a decade. With Belle's 
passing, all of Congress suffers a great loss. My dear friend Belle 
Cummins is, and will be, greatly missed.

                          ____________________