[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23741]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



    TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JOHN E. PORTER, MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF 
                            REPRESENTATIVES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. J. DENNIS HASTERT

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 18, 2000

  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for arranging a special order to honor an 
outstanding colleague of mine, Congressman John Edward Porter, for his 
twenty years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has 
been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside him for 14 of those 
years.
  In my time working with John, one thing became perfectly clear and 
that's his dedication to improving medical research. Serving as 
Chairman of the Labor-HHS Subcommittee on Appropriations he has been 
the greatest champion of this cause. John knows the important role the 
NIH plays in saving lives and conquering diseases such as diabetes, 
cancer, AIDS and alzheimers, and has made it a top priority to ensure 
the NIH has all the necessary resources to achieve these goals.
  John has also been one of the most fiscally responsible members of 
this House. In fact, when I was a new Member, there was a three-year 
period when John offered budget plans to try and impose a sense of 
fiscal responsibility on Congress. I am pleased to say that as John 
leaves us, the fiscal outlook of the federal government has never 
looked better.
  Although it is often overshadowed by his dedication to medical 
research, John has been an important leader of the ``Green 
Republicans'' in the House. He has been a staunch supporter of the 
Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and has helped to enact important 
legislation to halt the unregulated export of waste and the destruction 
of tropical rainforests, as well as helped to set new standards for 
recycling and energy efficiency. He has also been an advocate for his 
district residents suffering from flood damage. For his leadership on 
these issues, John has received numerous awards from environmental 
organizations all over the world.
  Speaking of world issues, I have had the opportunity to serve as a 
member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which John co-founded 
and currently chairs. This is an important association of Congressmen 
that work together to monitor and end human rights violations around 
the world.
  While it is true that John has been a strong advocate for each of 
these causes, more importantly, he has been the people's champion in 
his service of the 10th District of Illinois. He has addressed 
countless infrastructure needs, most recently bringing Metra rail 
service from Chicago out to Lake County. He has been a great supporter 
of the Palwaukee and Waukegan Airports by securing FAA improvement 
grants to provide better service for his constituents. And he has 
obtained funding to clean up and restore Waukegan harbor and the Skokie 
Lagoons.
  John Edward Porter has served this House with the utmost distinction 
and will be forever remembered for his work on behalf of biomedical 
research, environmental and human rights, and fiscal responsibility. He 
will be deeply missed by his constituents in Illinois, the Illinois 
delegation, and everyone who's known and worked with him over the last 
twenty-plus years. I wish him and his family the very best in the 
upcoming years.

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