[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 25142]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



              TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JOHN EDWARD PORTER

 Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I want to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to Congressman John Edward Porter who, after two decades of 
service in the House of Representatives, will retire at the end of this 
session.
  Since 1994, when John Porter became Chairman of the House 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and 
Education, and I took over as Chairman of the Senate Labor, HHS and 
Education Subcommittee, we have spent untold hours working together on 
what is arguably one of the most important pieces of legislation to be 
voted on by Congress each year.
  During his tenure, John Porter has earned a reputation as a champion 
of education, family planning, and disease prevention and control 
programs. But he is perhaps most recognized as a passionate and 
tireless advocate for the National Institutes of Health. Anyone who has 
spent time with him undoubtedly knows that he considers medical 
research to be one of our Nation's highest priorities. He makes no 
secret of his commitment, calling medical research ``our greatest hope 
for effectively treating, curing and eventually preventing disease and 
thereby saving our country billions of dollars in annual health care 
costs.''
  I share John's passion for the NIH. I have said many times that it is 
the crown jewel of the Federal government. Over the past six years, he 
and I, working alongside my distinguished colleague Tom Harkin, have 
increased funding for biomedical research by $9.4 billion. In 1998, we 
made a commitment to double federal funding for the NIH over five 
years. And with this year's increase of $2.7 billion, we are on track 
to reach that goal by 2003. Even though John will no longer be in the 
Congress, I know that he will continue to help us fulfill that promise.
  John's commitment to medical research has earned him high praise from 
numerous scientific, medical and research organizations. Among the many 
honors bestowed on him, the American Medical Association recently 
honored him with the Nathan Davis Award as ``Outstanding U.S. 
Representative.'' The American Federation of Clinical Research honored 
him with its ``Distinguished Friend of Medical Research,'' Public 
Service Award.
  John's interests reach beyond medical research. He is the co-founder 
of the Congressional Coalition on Population and Development, an 
organization that advocates and defends international and domestic 
voluntary family planning programs. He is also a dedicated supporter of 
the arts and humanities, and since 1999 has served on the Board of 
Directors of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  John has an impressive education background: He attended the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his undergraduate 
degree from Northwestern University. Following service in the U.S. 
Army, he received his law degree from the University of Michigan. He 
served three terms in the Illinois House of Representatives before 
being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition to his 
public service, John was an attorney private practice in Evanston, 
Illinois.
  Today, I want to pay a special tribute to John by recommending that 
the neuroscience building on the campus of the National Institutes of 
Health be named the John Edward Porter National Neuroscience Center. 
This building will be a fitting tribute to a man who has devoted so 
much towards finding ways to prevent disease and improve the quality of 
life of all Americans.
  To John Porter, I say, you have carried out your responsibilities 
with skill born of rich experience and insight born of deep compassion. 
I want to offer to you my gratitude for the character, courage and 
dedication with which you have served the people of the tenth district 
of Illinois and the country. I wish you the best as you begin the next 
chapter of your life.

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