[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 24150-24153]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    RETIREMENT OF HON. TILLIE FOWLER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise now to honor one of our 
colleagues who will be sorely missed next year in the United States 
House of Representatives, my good friend, the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Mrs. Tillie Fowler).
  Tillie and I were both elected to Congress in 1992. As Members of the 
Class of 1992, we quickly became close friends. I consider her one of 
my best friends and confidants here in the House. She was a true friend 
through some of the toughest times of my personal life and professional 
career. She was a tremendous source of strength for me, and I will 
never ever forget her for that.
  I have a great amount of admiration for Tillie Fowler. She has served 
the people of the Fourth District of Florida and our Nation with 
distinction, and I am so proud of her.
  I have been privileged to serve in the Republican leadership with 
her. After her 1998 election, she was elected Vice Chair of the 
Republican Conference, making her the highest ranking woman in all of 
Congress.
  I feel it so appropriate that Tillie holds this position because I 
know for me and for many of my colleagues that she has been a true 
leader among leaders. She is a tough negotiator, a strong voice, and 
she never wavered from her heartfelt convictions.
  As a senior Republican woman on the House Committee on Armed 
Services, the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler) has demonstrated 
her expertise on defense issues. She has gained a reputation as a 
leading advocate of a

[[Page 24151]]

strong national defense and has worked with great success on behalf of 
the military personnel in her district and all around this country.
  Tillie also chairs the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and 
Emergency Management of the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure. She played a critical role in the passage of the 1998 
reauthorization of the 6-year transportation bill, or TEA-21, which 
benefited so many of our districts and fulfilled our Nation's 
transportation needs.
  Additionally, Tillie has also been an advocate for women and children 
of our country. Together, we have worked with our colleagues to tackle 
issues, including children's health, child abuse prevention, providing 
treatment for breast and cervical cancer patients, providing relief 
from the marriage penalty, and bringing education flexibility to our 
schools, just to name a few. Tillie has been a true champion on so many 
of these issues important to women and families.
  Tillie is an outstanding role model for those considering a career in 
politics. Before she was elected to the United States House of 
Representatives, she served as the first Republican and first woman 
president of the Jacksonville City Council. Tillie has always led by 
example and did that so beautifully prior to becoming involved in 
elected politics herself.
  Prior to her service on the Jacksonville City Council, Tillie was 
active in her community, serving as president of the Junior League of 
Jacksonville, Chair of the Florida Humanities Council, and a volunteer 
for the American Red Cross and other important nonprofits.
  In fact, Tillie started her career as a congressional staffer right 
here on Capitol Hill and later served as the White House counsel before 
moving back to Florida with her beloved husband, Buck. We should 
acknowledge the sacrifices of Tillie's family, including her lovely 
little daughters, Tillie Anne and Elizabeth, who watched proudly as 
their mother accomplished so much for so many.
  Tillie Fowler is a dedicated public servant who believes in keeping 
her word. When she was elected to the House in 1992, she stated that 
she intended to accomplish a lot in a short period of time. And she has 
done just that.
  I want to personally thank Tillie for being a public servant in this, 
the people's House. I will miss my good friend greatly. However, the 
House of Representatives is a better place as a result of her dedicated 
service.
  I wish Tillie the best of luck in her future endeavors. She will 
leave this Chamber knowing that she left a distinguished mark on this 
institution through her thoughtful leadership, her commonsense 
legislation, and she has definitely left a mark on the hearts of the 
Members who knew her best and loved her most.
  It is an honor to call Tillie Fowler a friend, and we wish her 
Godspeed.
  Mr. SPENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join in this tribute to 
a truly exceptional Member of Congress and great American, Tillie 
Fowler of Jacksonville, Florida. After eight years of dedicated 
service, has made the difficult decision to retire from Congress. 
Without question, she leaves behind a tremendous record of service, and 
returns to Florida having changed Congress and America for the better.
  As the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, I have worked 
closely with Tillie on the annual national defense authorization 
legislation and countless national security issues the committee has 
addressed. As a senior member of the committee and of the House 
leadership team, Tillie has been an indispensable ally in helping us 
arrive at the best possible outcomes on so many difficult issues over 
the years. Each of these experiences further convinced me that Tillie 
is truly committed to rebuilding our nation's military.
  Tillie served on two key panels of the House Armed Services 
Committee--the Subcommittee on Military Readiness and the Subcommittee 
on Military Installations and Facilities. Over her eight years in 
Congress, she proved herself to be a leader on both panels, earning the 
trust and confidence of her fellow committee members. Tillie jumped 
headfirst into finding ways to stop the decline in military readiness, 
and her successful efforts to boost readiness budgets is largely 
responsible for reducing shortfalls in training and spare parts 
budgets.
  America owes thanks to Tillie for raising the level of discourse and 
concern about defense issues at the top levels of congressional 
leadership. During her time in the Congress, Tillie has served as the 
Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference in the 106th Congress (the 
highest-ranking woman in Congress), a Deputy Majority Whip (1995 to 
present), and a member of the Republican Steering Committee (1995-1996 
and 1999-2000). Throughout her service, Tillie ensured that 
congressional leadership shares our concerns about declining U.S. 
military capabilities and provides the resources and attention 
necessary to fix it.
  Her efforts have been particularly critical since the end of the cold 
war, when many Americans came to believe that the end of the Soviet 
threat was the end of the need for a strong United States military. 
Tillie has always recognized the important role of America's military 
in ensuring the future welfare of the United Sates and our allies. And 
as she well knows, though the threats may have changed, the 21st 
century world is every bit as dangerous as it was a decade ago.
  Tillie departure from Congress is a loss to this institution, our 
nation, and the U.S. military. We will miss her leadership and her 
patriotism--she has been an inspiration to us all.
  My wife, Debbie, joins me in offering our best wishes to Tillie, her 
husband, Buck--who has also become a good friend--and her family as 
they move on to bigger and better things. In light of her strong 
support of the U.S. military, especially the Navy, it is only fitting 
to send Tillie off with the traditional Navy farewell wish--``Fair 
Winds and Following Seas!''
  Mr. BOYD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of our 
colleagues in the House of Representatives a dear friend of mine from 
my home State of Florida, Congresswoman Tillie Fowler.
  Representative Fowler was first elected to the House in 1992. Since 
then, she has quickly climbed the leadership ladder and currently 
serves as Vice-Chairman of the Republican Conference. This notable 
accomplishment makes her the highest ranking woman in Congress and the 
only Floridian in the House Leadership. In addition to her role as Vice 
Chairman, Mrs. Fowler also serves as a Deputy Majority Whip.
  Throughout her career in Congress, Representative Fowler has been an 
inexhaustible voice for the importance of a strong and ready national 
defense. Her Congressional District is home to many military 
installations, including Jacksonville's Mayport Naval Air Station. Mrs. 
Fowler has worked not only to enhance the readiness of our military 
forces and to ensure that our combat equipment is modernized, but to 
improve the quality of life for military personnel and their 
dependents--the very reason that our military is the most powerful 
fighting force in the world.
  Her political deftness and ability to bring people together have been 
a huge benefit to the people of Florida and our nation. For example, 
when allegations of sexual misconduct arose at several military 
training bases, Representative Fowler was appointed to cochair a 
Congressional Task Force investigating the matter.
  Mrs. Fowler has also served on the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee. From her position on this committee, she 
worked with other key members of the Florida delegation to steer 
millions of needed transportation dollars to Florida when the House 
reauthorized the nation's transportation system. Representative Fowler 
worked to ensure the state of Florida, long short-changed under past 
funding formulas, would get its fair share of federal transportation 
dollars. Thanks to her, Florida now receives $440 million more each 
year than it had in the past to deal with the severe transportation 
obstacles that we face.
  Mrs. Fowler will leave Congress with a legacy that is her own; one of 
kindness, compassion, and accomplishment. She will forever serve as a 
role model to young women and it has been a pleasure and distinct honor 
to serve with her in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her leadership, 
intellect, charm and grace will be sorely missed when she retires from 
the House of Representatives at the end of the 106th Congress.
  In closing, I wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Fowler 
family, her husband Buck and daughters, Tillie Anne and Elizabeth, for 
sharing their loving mother and adoring wife with the American people.
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my 
friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Florida, U.S. Representative 
Tillie Fowler. I am proud to

[[Page 24152]]

recognize the gentlewoman for her accomplishments and wish her 
continued success as she retires from the United States Congress.
  Tillie Fowler is one of the hardest working and most effective 
Members of our Florida Delegation. She brings to the job a level of 
commitment, intelligence and thoughtfulness that transcends partisan 
considerations. In addition, Tillie has been a pleasure to work with. I 
know I speak for Members on both sides of the aisle, when I say that 
her calm judgment and pleasant manner has been truly appreciated in our 
deliberations and will be sorely missed.
  Congresswoman Fowler has a long history of public and community 
service. In 1985, she was elected to the Jacksonville City Council and 
was soon named President of the City Council, the first woman and first 
Republican to serve in that role. After devoting more than two decades 
to serving the community of Jacksonville, Tillie Fowler was elected to 
the United States House of Representatives November 3rd, 1992. As a new 
member of Congress, she brought her energetic, compassionate, 
commonsense approach to getting things done in Washington. She has 
worked to end the governmental gridlock so that the real needs of the 
people--jobs, education, health care--can be addressed in a 
conservative but constructive manner.
  As a Member serving on the Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman 
Fowler has gained a reputation as a determined advocate of a strong 
national defense and she has worked with great success on behalf of the 
military personnel and facilities in her district and around the 
country. Congressional Quarterly said of Fowler's work on the 
committee, ``Fowler is a polite but persistent advocate for building 
new military, upgrading wharf facilities and the like.'' Her position 
on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has provided 
her with a tremendous opportunity to improve our nation's roads, mass 
transit, water and public works infrastructure. Last year, her 
colleagues elected her to the 5th-ranking position in the House 
Republican Leadership, Vice Chairperson of the Republican Conference, 
making her the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress and the 
only Floridian in the House Leadership.
  In addition to her work in both local and national government, she 
has been active in many organizations which work to improve the quality 
of life in Jacksonville. She was a founding member of the Duval County 
Public Education Foundation, past president of the Junior League, past 
chairman of Volunteer Jacksonville, a member of the Mayor's Commission 
on the Status of Women and of Leadership Jacksonville. On the state 
level, she served for two years as the Chair of the Florida Endowment 
for the Humanities.
  Tillie, I think you can take great pride in your accomplishments here 
and in the imprint that you have made in this institution. We, who will 
be returning to the 107th Congress, will miss you. I wish you the very 
best in any challenge you undertake.
  Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Fowler's decision not to run for a fifth 
term is a loss to this institution, to her colleagues, and in 
particular to her constituents. She promised that she would only serve 
four terms. It is very much like Tillie to keep her word and I am sad 
to see that the time has gone so fast. She will be remembered for her 
commitment and determination to bring about change for the people of 
her District and for her fair and skilled leadership in public service. 
The people of Florida's Fourth Congressional District will miss her and 
so will we.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute in the best 
bipartisan tradition to my colleague and my friend, Congresswoman 
Tillie Fowler of Florida. I can truly say I am sorry to see her go.
  Tillie and I have served together on the House Armed Services 
Committee during her entire tenure in the House of Representatives. I 
believe I can speak for my colleagues on the committee on both sides of 
the aisle when I say that she has never failed to impress us with her 
deep understanding and grasp of the issues and challenges facing our 
national defense structure. She constantly showed her skills as an 
attorney in her probing questioning of hearing witnesses and her 
summations to the committee members. She never backed away from a 
flight, but she never made it personal, either.
  More particularly, Tillie and I have worked together for these 6 
years as members of the executive committee of the House Depot Caucus. 
Again, we put partisan differences aside as we fought with the 
Pentagon, industry and even our own colleagues here in the Congress in 
our efforts to ensure that the Department of Defense always has a ready 
and controlled source of repair for our vital weapon systems, namely 
our organic depots. We won most of those battles, and those victories 
are due to the strong consensus and teamwork that Tillie helped forge 
among our Depot Caucus members, both Democrats and Republicans.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't like term limits, and Tillie Fowler is one of 
the best reasons I know of to do away with them. While I admire her for 
sticking to her principles and adhering to her self-imposed limit of 
three terms in the House, I for one know that our nation is losing a 
fine public servant and our armed forces, including the Naval Academy 
where she is a member of the Board of Visitors, are losing a dedicated 
advocate. However, I expect we will see Tillie again in some other job 
at the national level which will put the skills she refined here in the 
House to good use for our country.
  Tillie, mi amiga y mi comadre, we will miss you here in the House and 
on the Armed Services Committee. Thank you for your service to this 
great institution and to our nation. Vaya con Dios!
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, as the 106th Congress draws to an end, we 
can celebrate many of our accomplishments--the Social Security lockbox, 
the third annual budget surplus in a row, and more than $300 billion in 
debt reduction.
  The end of the 106th Congress also means bidding farewell to many of 
our colleagues. Among the outstanding public servants who are stepping 
down is Tillie Fowler of Jacksonville. Her dedication and expertise 
will be sorely missed.
  Mr. Speaker, my district covers all or part of nine counties and is 
contiguous to 6 other congressional districts--five of them in Florida. 
My district stretches from just outside of Orlando all the way to the 
Georgia border. This gives me the honor of representing a portion of 
Jacksonville, and this has given me the privilege of working closely 
with Congresswoman Fowler on many issues.
  Not so long ago, Jacksonville was looked upon as a small city 
supporting paper mills, a commercial port, and military bases. Today, 
the Jacksonville area numbers one million people and the city is 
recognized as a vibrant, growing urban center. Although it has shed 
some its past, Jacksonville maintains its strong commitment to our 
armed services as the host to major military facilities.
  The successful transformation of Jacksonville over the past two 
decades owes much to Tillie Fowler. She has worked on behalf of the 
area as a volunteer, and as an elected official at the local and 
federal levels. This dedication to public service is a family trait.
  Tillie's father, Culver Kidd, served for 42 years in the Georgia 
legislature; and her mother, Katherine Kidd, was a community leader. 
Tillie learned about civic and local involvement in Milledgeville, 
Georgia. I should point out that Milledgeville has contributed a great 
deal to this nation. It was also the home of the distinguished writer 
Flannery O'Connor and the long-time Chairman of the House Armed 
Services Committee Carl Vinson.
  From her small hometown, my colleague pursued her education at Emory 
University in Atlanta earning a B.A. in political science and late a 
J.D. Armed with her law degree, Tillie came here to Washington, D.C., 
and worked on the staff of Congressman Robert Stephens of Georgia. Her 
strong talents were soon recognized and she was brought to the White 
House as a counsel in the Nixon Administration.
  During this period, Tillie not only expanded her professional 
horizons, she met and married a fellow attorney, L. Buck Fowler. In 
1971, she moved with her husband to Jacksonville, Florida, where she 
set about the important job of raising a family, two daughters, Tillie 
Ann and Elizabeth. Although she put her career on hold, Tillie did not 
ease up on public service. She volunteered her efforts as the President 
of the Junior League of Jacksonville, with the American Red Cross, and 
other charitable groups.
  In 1985, she returned to the political scene with her election to the 
City Council and served on the council from 1985 through 1992. In 1989, 
she became President of the Jacksonville City Council, the first 
Republican and the first woman to hold that position. Although she 
retired from the council in 1992, her political career was just 
changing direction; she then successfully ran for Congress.
  Congresswoman Fowler returned to Washington with an ambitious agenda. 
She had vowed to make Mayport Naval Station a top priority and she 
succeeded. Through her position on the Armed Services Committee, she 
has built a reputation as an advocate of a strong national defense. She 
has improved the nation's commitment to military personnel and 
facilities in her district, throughout the nation, and around the 
world.
  Her tenure on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has 
also resulted in major improvements for Florida. Florida is a rapidly 
growing state and deserves a greater share of

[[Page 24153]]

transportation funding. Through Mrs. Fowler's efforts, Florida is 
receiving an additional $440 million annually for its transportation 
needs. Due to her experience with the Transportation Committee, 
Congressman Fowler was named Chairman of the newly created Subcommittee 
on Oversight, Investigations and Emergency Management.
  While making her first run for Congress in 1992, Mrs. Fowler offered 
to limit herself to four terms. Although she was asked by her 
leadership and her colleagues to reconsider, Tillie is stepping down 
after four terms. After all, she has accomplished the goals she set out 
to achieve eight years ago.
  We are losing more than an experienced lawmaker, we are losing a good 
friend. In fact, Mrs. Fowler has been a good friend to the people of 
Florida, and perhaps more importantly, the men and women of our armed 
services. It has been an honor to serve and work with Tillie and we 
will miss her.

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