[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25611]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                          HONORING RON HASKINS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. NANCY L. JOHNSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 30, 2000

  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, as the 106th Congress comes 
to a close, my colleague Mr. Shaw and I pay tribute to Dr. Ron Haskins, 
Staff Director of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources. 
Ron will leave the Committee at the end of this year and he will be 
sorely missed by the Members of the Committee and the many staff who 
have worked with him over the years.
  Since joining the Ways and Means staff in 1986, Ron's hard work, 
intelligence, quick thinking, and unique personality have made him a 
strong force in the Congressional process as we have worked to improve 
the lives of children and families. His ability to truly understand the 
diverse points of view of people intensely interested in a problem has 
made action possible where others would have failed.
  Once he became Staff Director in 1995, Ron put his extensive 
knowledge of the nation's welfare system to use by working with 
Chairman E. Clay Shaw to develop and pass legislation overhauling the 
system. Despite two Presidential vetoes, Ron successfully urged 
Republican Members to continue to push for welfare reform. On August 
22, 1996, the welfare reform bill finally became law (P.L. 104-193). 
The sweep of this reform has been spectacular, resulting in 
dramatically reduced child poverty, increased numbers of working single 
parents, and families living improved lives with both more income and 
real hope.
  Three years later in 1999 the Speaker of the House, J. Dennis 
Hastert, spoke of the accomplishments of welfare reform: ``we've broken 
the mold from a lifestyle of generational welfare dependency. In turn, 
we've created a path to the American dream which holds more personal 
security and more control for individuals over their own lives.''
  In 1999, Representative Nancy L. Johnson took over as Subcommittee 
Chair. Since then Ron has continued to have a major role in developing 
important legislation including the Foster Care Independence Act (P.L. 
106-169), the Fathers Count Act of 1999 (H.R. 3073), and the Child 
Support Distribution Act of 2000 (H.R. 4678). The positive influence of 
Ron's presence here on Capital Hill will be felt long after he's moved 
on to new endeavors and by millions of families who will never know his 
name.
  Before joining the Committee staff, Ron was a U.S. Marine, a high 
school teacher, and a professor at the University of North Carolina at 
Chapel Hill. In addition to working for the Committee, Ron is a devoted 
father and husband, a prolific writer, an outstanding public speaker, a 
man of strong principles, one of the most honest people either of us 
has ever met, and a true friend.
  As he embarks on the next chapter of his life, we wish Ron well and 
know that he will be a great success in any endeavor he undertakes. We 
will always be grateful to him for his fine service, his good cheer, 
his high energy, and his excellent advice.

                          ____________________