[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14185]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 14185]]

                          EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

                          JOE MOAKLEY'S LEGACY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BARNEY FRANK

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2001

  Mr. FRANK. Mr. Speaker, there have understandably been a large number 
of tributes to our late colleague, Joe Moakley, who so well exemplified 
the best qualities of a representative of the people. One of them in 
particular had special meaning to me.
  Among the issues for which he fought so hard were those affecting the 
right of older people to live their lives in some degree of comfort and 
security. The most recent issue of The Older American, published in 
Boston by the Massachusetts Association of Older Americans, is 
dedicated to Joe and contains a number of articles describing his great 
work in that field. I ask that the article by the MAOA President 
Emeritus, Elsie Frank, recalling the speech Joe made 3 years ago at her 
85th birthday celebration, be printed here, as an example of the impact 
he had. I am proud to share with my colleagues my Mother's excellent 
summary of the qualities that made Joe Moakley so important to so many 
of us.

                  [From The Older American, July 2001]

                              Joe Moakley

                            (By Elsie Frank)

       My friend, Joe Moakley, was not a grandstander but a public 
     official who was dedicated to public service. He took his 
     responsibilities as a Congressman seriously; he was committed 
     to social justice--to equality and respect for human dignity, 
     and to the proposition that private interests shall not 
     prevail over the public good. He wanted a society that is 
     caring, just and fair to all--young and old alike.
       Part of Joe's greatness was his ability to make everyone 
     feel special--like I felt when he spoke at my 85th birthday 
     party.
       Joe agreed with historian Arnold Toynbee that a society's 
     quality and durability can best be measured ``by the respect 
     and care given to its elderly citizens'' and fought to 
     preserve the most important factors in the life of an older 
     American--health care, economic security and housing. He led 
     the Massachusetts Congressional delegation in their efforts 
     to ward off impending disaster for elderly programs because 
     of the notorious Contract With America crafted by Newt 
     Gingrich. He would not let them abolish senior centers, meal 
     sites, meals-on-wheels; he fought their efforts to privatize 
     Social Security: he fought to thwart New Gingrich's stated 
     desire to see medicare ``wither on the vine.''
       Although no one would argue that society can shield every 
     individual from problems that need to be solved, Joe Moakley 
     openhandedly offered his help to others, often frustrated 
     with a feeling of helplessness, and hopelessness. To him 
     helping others was not a political issue, it was a moral 
     issue. Despite the columnists and talk show hosts who 
     ridicule those who help the downtrodden, money could not buy 
     the good feelings Joe Moakley had about helping others. When 
     we at the Committee To End Elder Homelessness, Inc. were in 
     the planning stages of converting an abandoned bread factory 
     into permanent housing for homeless elders, he was the one we 
     turned to for assistance in overcoming obstacles.
       Joe Moakley was more than a politician. By his desire to 
     make a difference in the quality-of-life of young and old, he 
     set an example for all elected officials, those now in office 
     and those who will win elections in future years. To continue 
     his legacy of dedicated public service, his successor has an 
     enormous void to fill.

     

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