[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 24186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 THANKS FOR THE KIND AND GENEROUS WORDS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PORTER. Madam Speaker, one of the reasons I want to rise tonight 
is to commend you, Madam Speaker, and to thank you from the bottom of 
my heart for the special order that you held for me last week and for 
the very kind and generous words that were spread across the Record of 
this wonderful institution about my service here. You brought together 
many of our Illinois colleagues, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
LaHood), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Ewing), on our side, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Crane), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) as well; the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Costello), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) on the other 
side of the aisle; together with others, the gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Dickey), a member of my subcommittee, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr.  Frelinghuysen), the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Maloney), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Hobson), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the co-
chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus with me; the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), my long time friend, so many of 
my colleagues that I am so indebted to for the very wonderful words 
that they spoke about my service in Congress; together with messages 
from our Illinois Governor, George Ryan, who was elected at the same 
time I was in the Illinois General Assembly 28 years ago in 1972; my 
endorsed candidate for the Tenth Congressional District seat and my 
former chief of staff Mark Kirk, two of my former AA's in Washington, 
Rob Bradner and Gordon MacDougall; former State Senator Dave 
Backhausen, Senator Kathy Parker, Representative Jeff Schoenberg, 
Representative Beth Coulson, and our senior Illinois Senator also 
elected in the class of 1972 in Springfield and my long time friend 
Adeline GeoKaris, together with messages from both of my staffs. It was 
very, very heartwarming for me to read. I didn't have a chance to 
actually listen but I do have a videotape. For me, Madam Speaker, to be 
able to sit down and read through all the wonderful words that were 
said I can never thank you enough for providing the leadership and 
putting that together in my behalf. I will always remember it and 
remember you very, very fondly.


                        Tribute to Tillie Fowler

  MR. PORTER. I did not realize until I came to the floor that there 
was a special order tonight for Tillie Fowler. Tillie is one of the 
great people, I was going to say one of the great ladies, but one of 
the great people of this House of Representatives. She has the quality 
that I believe is most important in a public official, that is, she is 
quietly effective. She gets things done for the people of her district 
and her State and this country. We are truly losing a great leader. 
Madam Speaker, she has made only one mistake in the entire time she has 
been in this House of Representatives, and that mistake was in term-
limiting herself. I wish that she was staying for many, many terms to 
come. Unfortunately, she has committed to only four terms and is 
observing that promise that she made to her constituents. We will miss 
her a great deal.

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