[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24359]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE THOMAS EWING AND THE HONORABLE JOHN PORTER, 
                          MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to two 
retiring Members of the Illinois delegation who have faithfully and 
effectively served their constituents and the citizens of this Nation.
  First, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing), who spent 17 years in 
the Illinois General Assembly and rose to the position of assistant 
Republican leader and deputy minority leader before he came to 
Congress. In Congress, Tom Ewing has focused much of his attention on 
issues relating to agriculture, crime prevention, education, economic 
growth and health care.
  It has been a pleasure to work with him, and I wish him well as he 
returns to the very pleasant, peaceful, and friendly community in and 
around Pontiac, Illinois.
  Now, Mr. Speaker, I turn my attention to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Porter), who is completing his 11th term as a Member and is the 
very astute, sensitive, and effective chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Labor, Health and Human Services and Education of the Committee on 
Appropriations. He is founder and cochairman of the Congressional Human 
Rights Caucus. He has been cited many times by various budget watchdog 
groups and has stood in the vanguard on environmental issues.
  John Porter has been a strong supporter of biomedical research, a 
friend of community health centers, and has stood tall against the 
continuous spread of HIV/AIDS. The Core Center of Chicago stands today 
as a model to fight these dreaded diseases and is indeed a testament to 
the support which John Porter gave to its efforts.
  One of the things that I have always liked best about John Porter is 
his ability to convey optimism even when the cupboard is practically 
bare. He is always eager to look, to see, to try and determine and 
figure out whether or not he can find greatly needed resources for 
these programs.

                              {time}  1900

  I thank him for his sensitivity to the issues facing America and 
especially my district and wish him well in retirement.
  Mr. Speaker, I also take this opportunity to pay tribute to the 
Honorable Donald Lemm, Mayor of Bellwood, Illinois, on the occasion of 
his pending retirement.
  Mayor Lemm has lived in Bellwood all of his life, he and his late 
wife and four children and five grandchildren. He and his current wife, 
Joy, live at 517 51st Avenue. Mayor Lemm is a graduate of DePaul 
University with a degree in business administration and accounting. He 
is a member of the VFW and served in Korea with the 71st Station 
Hospital as sergeant major.
  Prior to becoming mayor, Donald Lemm was a CTA executive for 40 
years, serving in the capacities of training specialist, methods 
analyst, superintendent of bus and rail transportation, and retired as 
manager of insurance and pensions. He also served as administrative 
assistant to the chairman of the CTA Board and was retained by the 
Chicago Transit Authority as a consultant for 3 years after retirement.
  Mayor Lemm is active in St. Simeon parish, has served several times 
as president of the Holy Name Society, is a member of the St. Simeon 
Contemporary Choir and St. Simeon Traveling Troop, is a lector and 
minister of the cup, and has served as a member of the parish financial 
planning commission.
  Prior to becoming mayor, Donald Lemm served for 16 years as village 
clerk. As mayor, he has led the Village of Bellwood into the new 
millennium, opening up opportunity, creating increased property values, 
and serving as the role model.
  Mr. Lemm has demonstrated what it really means to be a true public 
servant, always putting the interests of his community and his people 
above any personal interests.


  And so, I am pleased to congratulate him on an excellent public 
career and wish him and his family well in retirement.

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