[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 13821-13823]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING JOHN B. ANDERSON

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
honoring an icon of American politics, John B. Anderson. John is 
someone about whom the traditional appellation

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we apply to one another here could not ring more true. He is indeed a 
``gentleman from Illinois.''
  A member of what commentators are calling ``the greatest generation'' 
of Americans, John was born in Rockford and, after graduating from the 
University of Illinois, began his public service as did so many of that 
generation by enlisting in the field artillery during World War II. As 
part of democracy's greatest Army, he saw extensive combat in France 
and Germany.
  After the war, John joined many of his comrades in returning to 
school, receiving his JD from the University of Illinois and an LLM 
from Harvard. A member of the Foreign Service from 1952 to 1955, he 
served on the staff of the United States High Commissioner for Germany. 
John's first elective office was that of State's attorney for Winnebago 
County, Illinois. In 1960, John was elected to Congress, where he 
represented Illinois' 16th Congressional District with great 
distinction and signal independence for 10 terms. While a Member of the 
House, he served on the Rules Committee and, indicative of the esteem 
in which he was held by his colleagues, for a decade as chairman of the 
House Republican Conference.
  While in Congress, John was an unabashed progressive, championing 
civil rights legislation, advocating open housing and nondiscrimination 
measures, and promoting campaign finance reform. With Mo Udall, a 
colleague John and many of us admired greatly, John helped secure 
passage by the House of the landmark conservation measure setting aside 
125 million acres in Alaska, 67 million dedicated to wilderness.
  In 1980, John challenged the political establishment by running as an 
independent for President. He ran a spirited, issue-oriented campaign, 
which in the end garnered over 6 million votes. Since leaving public 
office, John has taught political science as a visiting professor at 
some of the Nation's most prestigious colleges and universities and for 
the past 16 years has taught courses in the electoral process and 
constitutional law at Nova-Southeastern University Law School in Fort 
Lauderdale, Florida.
  True to form, John remains an active challenger to the political 
status quo. He is a frequent lecturer and commentator on issues of 
electoral reform, United Nations reform, foreign affairs and American 
politics. He currently chairs the Center for Voting and Democracy.
  In February, John turned 80. Keke, his wife of almost 50 years, whose 
Greek spontaneity provides such a warm complement to John's 
Scandinavian reserve, their five children and nine grandchildren, along 
with friends and admirers from across the country, celebrated that 
milestone and the wonderful career it encompasses last week here in 
Washington.
  A soldier, a diplomat, a legislator, a teacher, a big ``R'' 
Republican and small ``d'' democrat, John Anderson epitomizes the very 
best in the American political tradition. His congressional career 
stands as an ornament to the House he served with such progressive 
vision. His Presidential race remains a model of decency and 
commitment, a beacon of reasoned positiveness in an era of social 
division. His service to the public provides the younger generations he 
continues to instruct living proof of the value of a principled life.
  It is a privilege to honor John B. Anderson. This gentleman from 
Illinois is an inspiration to us all.
  Mr. LaFalce. Mr. Speaker, I had the honor to serve in the House of 
Representatives for six years with John Anderson, from my arrival in 
the House in 1975 thru the end of his tenth term in 1981.
  John Anderson is probably best known for his 1980 run for President 
as an independent candidate. he garnered 5.7 million votes in his 
candidacy. While that campaign marked the end of his electoral career, 
he has remained active in the political arena.
  Even though he ran for the Presidency more than 20 years ago, he is 
still recognized by many, including persons who were too young to vote 
in 1980. When people tell him that he looks like the John Anderson who 
ran for President, he tells them ``that's what my wife tells me every 
morning.'' John has been married to his wife Keke for almost 50 years, 
so she should know.
  Mr. Anderson, who turned 80 this year, is active with the Center for 
Voting and Democracy and the World Federalist Association. He is a 
distinguished visiting professor at Nova-Southeastern University Law 
School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Students there benefit from his 
insights in courses in the electoral process and constitutional law. He 
has previously taught political science as a visiting professor at 
numerous universities, including Bryn Mawr College, Brandeis 
University, Stanford University, Oregon State University and the 
University of Illinois.
  It is not surprising that teaching law comes naturally to John 
Anderson. He received a J.D. degree from the University of Illinois, a 
LL.M. degree from Harvard University and honorary doctorates of law 
from Wheaton College and Trinity College. In addition, he served as the 
State's Attorney for Winnebago County, Illinois from 1956 to 1960, 
prior to his election to Congress.
  As a Member who will be leaving Congress at the end of this session, 
I look forward to staying active in the public policy arena. John 
Anderson, with his nearly quarter of a century of activity following 
his departure from the House of Representatives, provides me with a 
shining example of what can be accomplished after leaving this House.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my 
colleague and friend, Mr. Leach of Iowa, for organizing this fitting 
tribute to a true American legend. I am proud to rise today to add my 
voice in paying tribute to one of the visionary leaders of the people's 
House. John Anderson never lost sight of who he represented in Congress 
and his approach to his duties is something we all can learn from.
  John Anderson has been a lot of things. He has been a Republican. He 
has been an Independent. He has been a distinguished member of this 
body for 20 years, a Presidential candidate, and a respected law 
professor. He has fought for electoral reform, U.N. reform and human 
rights. He has been a friend: to my uncle, Mo Udall, to many other 
former and current Members of Congress, and to the people of Illinois 
and the entire United States.
  But there are some things John Anderson has never been. He has never 
been one to blindly accept the status quo. He has never been a man who 
got stuck in the rigidity of party politics. Perhaps most importantly, 
he has never been a man to give up; and today, John Anderson is still 
fighting for what he believes in and teaching a new generation of 
leaders to do the same.
  I remember John Anderson as the man who stood with my uncle to put 
millions of acres of pristine Alaskan wilderness under federal 
protection. It's a sad irony that as we celebrate his 80th birthday, 
many in this Congress want to open up this national treasure to oil 
exploration. I'm quite certain that had John Anderson's voice been 
heard here in Congress we might have had a different result.
  I remember him as the brave fighter for campaign finance reform who 
could not reconcile the tremendous power of wealthy special interests 
with his vision of this republic. I am happy that we have finally 
passed meaningful campaign finance reform legislation this year, and 
that John Anderson was able to celebrate with us.
  Even when he was in the House, John always put principle ahead of 
party. He did so when he supported partial public financing of 
elections; he did so when be became one of the first Congressmen to 
call for a balanced national energy policy; and he did so again when he 
publicly questioned the Nixon Administration's illegal expansion of the 
war in Southeast Asia.
  I particularly want to draw attention to John's strong support of 
campaign finance reform. For me, that's the issue where John showed 
real courage and leadership. Not only was John's work on this issue a 
break from party politics, it laid the groundwork for later, more 
successful efforts to try to get money out of politics. The important 
work done in this Congress to reform the Nation's election laws was 
made possible in large partly by the brave stand taken by John Anderson 
and those like him decades ago.
  John once said that when big money rules, ordinary voters get left in 
the cold. And he saw the fight against money in politics as no less 
than a crusade to purify and strengthen the institution of government 
so that ordinary people could once again have their voices heard by 
those who represent them. But John didn't just talk about reform; John 
crossed party lines to support the Mo Udall Public Financing bill and 
other reform proposals during this tenure in the House.
  Today, John is still working to reform our system of elections. While 
he is now calling for more dramatic changes in the way we elect our 
officials, he has never lost sight of

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the need to free our system of the pernicious influence of money.
  Again, I am proud to be here to honor John Anderson. He was--and 
still is today--a true American leader. All of us here in this body owe 
him our admiration and gratitude for his years of public service--both 
in elected politics and in his private life. Thank you John Anderson.

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