[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 27322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 27322]]

                    HONORING SENATOR SPENCER ABRAHAM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 15, 2000

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize my good friend from the 
other body, Senator Spencer Abraham.
  Senator Abraham is a good American and a great Michigander. Over the 
years, I have gotten to know Senator Abraham well and I can truly say 
his family has lived the American dream. His maternal grandfather came 
to America from Lebanon, began a new life in America as a peddler and 
eventually opened his own grocery store. His paternal grandfather was 
also a Lebanese immigrant who worked in the West Virginia coal mines 
before seeking a better life in Michigan as an autoworker and grocery 
store owner. Spence's dad was also an autoworker, and with his wife, 
owned a small shop in downtown Lansing.
  As Michigan's U.S. Senator, Spencer put the strong values he learned 
from his family into action. He worked hard and lived his dream. Spence 
was the first member of his family to attend college and went on to 
earn his law degree. Prior to serving as our Senator, Spencer served as 
Michigan's Republican Chairman and in the Reagan Administration.
  Since Senator Abraham's election in 1994, I have had the distinct 
opportunity to work with him on a host of issues of importance both to 
the people of our state and the nation. And, his record speaks for 
itself. As a United States Senator, he has truly been a workhorse--and 
it's paid off. Senator Abraham is one of the few Members of the Senate 
that can say 16 bills he wrote have been signed into law.
  One of the things I am most proud of is our work this past Congress 
to protect kids across America from the dangers of ``date rape'' drugs. 
By working together, we were able to write and pass a bill that outlaws 
the dangerous substance, GHB, and its close chemical cousins. This 
legislation was named in memory of Samantha Reid, a southeast Michigan 
teenager who died in 1999 after drinking from a can of Mountain Dew 
that was secretly laced with GHB.
  I would personally like to thank Senator Abraham for his assistance 
this past year to secure badly needed funds from Southwest Michigan's 
farmers whose crops had been devastated by fireblight. By working 
together we were able to deliver much needed relief to these farmers.
  Mr. Speaker, Senator Spencer Abraham has left a distinct mark on our 
nation. I submit my remarks into the Congressional Record to ensure 
that future generations have the opportunity to be inspired by the 
contributions of Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan.

                          ____________________