[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22938]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE JOHN LaFALCE, THE HONORABLE ROBERT A. 
      UNDERWOOD AND THE HONORABLE KEN BENTSEN, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to put in the Congressional 
Record the tremendous accomplishments of John LaFalce, who has served 
this body with great distinction since 1974.
  In 1999, John LaFalce steered the Financial Services Act through 
Congress, which began the process of modernizing the financial services 
industry, and this year his magnificent leadership brought about tough 
comprehensive investor protections that will help preserve pensions for 
years to come.
  As this record attests, John LaFalce made a great deal of law during 
his outstanding career without making a great deal of noise.
  I wish John and his family, Pat and Martin, the very best, which is 
what he has given his fellow Americans, day in and day, out for nearly 
30 years.
  As I do so, I observe that I am here on the floor with two very 
distinguished colleagues who are departing Congress at the end of this 
session.
  Congressman Ken Bentsen from Texas, for whom I have a special 
recognition, since not only is he a great Member of Congress but he 
represents the district where my three grandsons live in Houston, 
Texas. His service in the Congress has benefited Americans across the 
board, whether we are talking about consumers or issues relating to 
financial services and housing. He was a champion in helping get debt 
relief for Third World countries that were poor and developing 
countries that needed assistance to make the future better for their 
children.
  There is hardly any area that you can name that Ken Bentsen's 
contribution has not been important, distinguished and had an impact on 
the American people. It has been an honor to call him colleague. I know 
much more will be said in the days and weeks ahead about his 
distinguished service.
  He comes from a very distinguished family in Texas, Senator Bentsen 
being his uncle, but he made his own mark in Congress. I know his 
contribution to the public is not over and there is a great deal more 
to come. I congratulate him, his wife Tamra and their beautiful 
children on the service they have provided to our country.
  As far as Mr. Underwood is concerned, he comes all the way from Guam. 
His contribution to the Congress has been significant in many ways, 
including his participation on the Asian Pacific American Caucus in the 
Congress. He taught us every day that he was here about the concerns of 
Asian Pacific Islanders and how we could do a better job for them, to 
make the future brighter for them, as well as within the Hispanic 
Caucus. So these issues of diversity are issues on which Mr. Underwood 
has led the way.
  He loves his district, he loves his people, and he has served them 
very well here every day he was in Congress. It has also been a 
privilege to call him a colleague.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish them all the best in their future endeavors, and 
I know that we will see great things from them down the road, in 
addition to the magnificent contributions they have already made.

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