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



                    TRIBUTE TO HON. TILLIE K. FOWLER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to join the gentlewoman 
from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) to honor the remarkable career of my friend and 
colleague, Tillie Fowler.
  Tillie has served the Fourth District of Florida, this body, and her 
country with integrity and loyalty. She has been a role model and a 
friend to me during my freshman term here in Congress, and I will miss 
her greatly.
  When I first met Tillie, I knew we would get along well because of 
our similar background. Tillie and I are two of only three Republican 
women attorneys in the House, and both of us have been very active in 
our home communities before coming to Washington.
  At the time when Tillie and I graduated from our law schools, there 
were very few women going into the legal profession and even fewer 
options for women attorneys. We had to create our own options, and 
Tillie certainly did so by deciding to move to Washington and begin a 
career in public service.
  She worked first as a congressional staffer, then as counsel in the 
Nixon administration before moving to Jacksonville, Florida, with her 
husband, Buck, to raise their daughters, Tillie and Elizabeth. Tillie 
established a solid reputation in Jacksonville as a local leader long 
before running for Congress. She was president of the Junior League, 
chairman of the Florida Humanities Council, and president of the City 
Council.
  Because of this background, Tillie is dedicated to maintaining 
excellent relations with her constituents. Tillie serves her district 
with pride, which you can tell just by walking into her office. In 
addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars football helmet proudly displayed 
in her office, artwork from her district lines the walls, and books 
around her district decorate the reception area.
  From the beginning, Tillie made strong national defense one of her 
top priorities. When bases around the country were being closed in the 
early 1990's, Tillie fought to ensure that two of the bases in 
Jacksonville were kept open. Because of such dedication, she is known 
and admired by the military community.
  Our Tuesday Lunch Bunch relies heavily on her expertise in military 
affairs. As such an effective leader, Tillie has been the true role 
model, not only for those of us who follow her in Congress but for 
people everywhere.
  An even greater testament to her character and leadership is that not 
only do so many Members respect and admire her but that her own staff 
does as well. Her staff is extremely loyal to her and most of them have 
been with her for many years.
  Tillie established herself as the leader from her first day in 
Congress. As a freshman, she was elected co-chair of the Freshmen 
Republican Task Force; and in her second term, she became a deputy 
whip. She is currently the chairman of the Committee on Transportation 
Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Emergency Management and 
is the senior Republican woman on the Committee on Armed Services.
  As Vice Chair of the Republican Conference, she is not only the 
highest ranking woman in Congress but the first Floridian to hold the 
position. With such a record of leadership, it is no wonder she was 
elected unopposed in 1994, 1996, and 1998.
  A few weeks ago, I heard a fellow Member on the floor affectionately 
refer to Tillie as a real-life Steel Magnolia. I could not agree more. 
In fact, Tillie takes great pride in being referred to by Working Women 
Magazine as a drill sergeant disguised as a Southern belle.
  Throughout her career, Tillie has always been dedicated to standing 
up for what is right. The strength of character has made her a great 
asset to this body.
  Tillie has been a true friend, and we will all miss her leadership. 
However, I am very confident to say that this is not, as they say, 
farewell and not good-bye. I know this will not be the last time that 
we will hear from Tillie Fowler. I look forward to seeing what she will 
do next because I know that, in whatever capacity she chooses to serve, 
she will serve her country and the good people of Florida with 
integrity, courage, and unending enthusiasm.
  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.
  Mr. CALLAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to join with those of us who are 
praising Tillie Fowler to tell them that I had the opportunity to be in 
Jacksonville and give the commencement address to the Jacksonville 
University senior class; and while there, I had the opportunity to meet 
with most all of the leaders of Jacksonville.
  Up here it is easy almost to be a hero amongst ourselves. But we are 
seldom a hero in our own hometown. And the respect that Tillie Fowler 
has in her hometown is something that is almost astonishing. Every 
business leader there praised her. They were so happy to have her here. 
And they knew that she was term-limiting herself and they knew that she 
was not coming back, and they were remorseful of that.
  I think it is a great compliment that we also recognize that not only 
is she a hero to us, but Tillie Fowler is a hero in her own hometown.

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