[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14920-14922]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CARL T. CURTIS NATIONAL PARK SERVICE MIDWEST REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS 
                                BUILDING

  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 703) to designate the regional headquarters building 
for the National Park Service under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as 
the ``Carl T. Curtis National Park Service Midwest Regional 
Headquarters Building.''
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 703

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION OF CARL T. CURTIS NATIONAL PARK 
                   SERVICE MIDWEST REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS BUILDING.

       The regional headquarters building for the National Park 
     Service under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, shall be known 
     and designated as the ``Carl T. Curtis National Park Service 
     Midwest Regional Headquarters Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the regional 
     headquarters building referred to in section 1 shall be 
     deemed to be a reference to the Carl T. Curtis National Park 
     Service Midwest Regional Headquarters Building.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Filner) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

[[Page 14921]]

  Mr. Speaker, S. 703 designates a building under construction in 
Omaha, Nebraska, as the Carl T. Curtis National Park Service Midwest 
Regional Headquarters Building.
  Carl T. Curtis was born near Minden, Nebraska in 1905. Upon 
graduating from the public schools in Minden, Curtis attended Nebraska 
Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. After his graduation from 
Nebraska Wesleyan, he taught in the Minden public schools. Carl Curtis 
never attended law school, but he obtained his law degree by reading 
the law on his own and passing the bar exam in 1930. He was in private 
practice until 1939 when he went on to serve Nebraska and the country 
in Congress for the next 40 years. He was elected to the U.S. House of 
Representatives for the first of eight successive terms in 1938, and 
the United States Senate for four terms until 1979.
  Carl Curtis is the only elected official in the history of Nebraska 
to win statewide office while losing both Omaha and Lincoln. In 
Nebraska politics, he was known as a giant killer, defeating two 
incumbent governors, one former governor, one governor-to-be, and two 
former House Members.
  He was chairman of the Republican Conference in the Senate from 1975 
until 1979. In Congress, he served on the Committees on Finance, 
Agriculture, Rules and Space, and led the drive for flood control and 
irrigation improvements along the Missouri River.
  He is the author of one book, and the coauthor of a second book, both 
on public policy.
  Carl T. Curtis passed away in 2000 and is survived by his wife, 
Mildred, son Carl, Jr., four grandchildren and five great-
grandchildren. This is a fitting tribute to a dedicated public servant, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today also in support of S. 703. This designation 
that we do today is a fitting tribute to the distinguished career of 
Carl Curtis. As the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) stated, 
he served the citizens of Nebraska for eight terms in the House and 
four terms in the Senate. He was a strong advocate for small business, 
agriculture producers and Social Security reform. In fact, he predicted 
very early in his career that Social Security would be a serious 
financial problem if the government did not plan for the future. We 
know he was a devoted family man, dedicated public servant, and 
distinguished elected official, and so it is both fitting and proper 
that we honor his civic contributions with this designation. I urge 
passage of S. 703.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Omaha, Nebraska (Mr. Terry).
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 703. I have very fond 
memories as a child of meeting our great Senator from the State of 
Nebraska, Carl Curtis. In Nebraska, of course, having served as long as 
he did, he was an icon; but he was known as a statesman who really 
fought for Nebraska, and agriculture specifically. He has an 
unparalleled record of service to Nebraska. He was elected to eight 
terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and four terms to the United 
States Senate. Those 40 years distinguished Senator Curtis as the 
Nebraskan with the longest time in service in the U.S. Congress.

                              {time}  1600

  Naming a National Park Service building after Senator Curtis is 
especially fitting. He was a tireless advocate for America's 
environment and natural resources. One of his greatest accomplishments 
was sponsoring the resolution that helped create the Pick-Sloan plan 
for the Missouri River, the Nation's first-ever authorized basin-wide 
project for flood control and irrigation. By the way, Mr. Speaker, the 
new National Park Service building is on the banks of the Missouri 
River. This Pick-Sloan plan has made funding possible for every Bureau 
of Reclamation project on the Missouri River since 1944. Senator Curtis 
also authorized legislation establishing Nebraska's third and latest 
national monument, the Agate Fossil Beds in the city of Harrison. Flood 
control for the Republican River Valley is another one of his valuable 
accomplishments.
  As chairman of the Republican Conference from 1975 to 1979, Senator 
Curtis revamped the organization to be the research and information-
based body that it is today. As ranking Republican on the Senate 
Finance Committee, he was instrumental in enacting the Tax Reform Act 
of 1976. He had a passion for savings. He really understood how 
important it was for American citizens and American families to save 
for the future. Hence, his tireless work on what became known as the 
Roth IRAs. Our Senator Curtis from the State of Nebraska was the 
originator of the concept. He was considered, because of this tireless 
work on tax issues, to really be the Senator to go to on those type of 
issues. He had the honor to serve as Senator Barry Goldwater's floor 
manager at the 1964 Republican National Convention. Prior to his 
service, he was a dedicated school teacher and self-educated practicing 
attorney.
  Although he passed on 3 years ago, Senator Curtis remains an 
inspiration to Nebraskans and a cherished father, grandfather, and 
great grandfather in the hearts of his family and to his wife, Mildred.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting S. 703 to 
honor Senator Curtis for his outstanding public service.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
another distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, as has been mentioned a couple of times, 
Carl Curtis served in Congress for 40 years, longer than any other 
Nebraskan in the history of our State. Carl was the Congressman 
representing the Fourth Congressional District in Nebraska for 16 
years. It is kind of interesting to note that at one time Nebraska had 
five congressional districts. Today we have three. That has to do, of 
course, with the fact that Nebraska has not grown in population as fast 
as most other States. Carl was from the central part of the State and 
was very popular in rural areas. He paid a lot of attention to 
agriculture.
  Carl was a close friend of my father's. I knew Carl quite well. Carl 
was not a large man in terms of physical stature; but in terms of the 
way he comported himself in terms of his contribution to the State, he 
was a person of great proportion. Carl was always well-dressed, he was 
always well spoken, he was courteous to a fault, and he was truly well 
respected and well liked by both sides of the aisle. He was not a 
partisan individual. I think the term ``statesman'' really represents 
Carl very well.
  I understand that early on in his life he apparently had some 
aspiration of being a politician and thought that public speaking 
abilities were important, so having lived on a farm, he went out and 
rehearsed his speeches to farm animals. Whether that educated them very 
well or not, we may have had some of the smartest animals in Nebraska 
due to Carl's rhetoric. As was mentioned earlier, he did pass the bar 
by ``reading the law.'' I guess at one time you could do that. That is 
a little bit unusual, but at that time apparently you did not have to 
go to law school.
  As the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) mentioned, probably the 
trademark legislation that Carl introduced was the Pick-Sloan project. 
At one time, the Missouri River ran wild every spring and there were 
numerous floods and whole villages got wiped out. Many people died. 
From Garrison Reservoir up in Montana to Sakakawea down in North Dakota 
and the whole series of dams in South Dakota, Oahe, a tremendous flood 
control project which now has great implications, of course, for 
recreation and barge traffic on the Missouri River down into Nebraska 
and Iowa was really very visionary and the most important thing that he 
did.
  I think the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) mentioned that he was 
the floor manager at the Republican convention in 1964 where Barry 
Goldwater was nominated for President. Carl lived

[[Page 14922]]

to age 95. Carl was bright and was articulate right up until the end. 
He was an amazing gentleman. His wife, Mildred, served on the Park 
Service board. So I think it is only fitting that because of his 
interest in flood control and Mildred's work on the Park Service board, 
that the National Park Service headquarters in Omaha be named after 
Carl. I along with others urge support of Senate 703.
  Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I want to once again thank the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) for 
bringing the distinguished Senator and House Member from the State of 
Nebraska to our attention for a most appropriate resolution. I 
recommend the strong support of the membership.
  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member rises in support of S. 703, 
which designates the regional headquarters building for the National 
Park Service under construction in Omaha, Nebraska, as the ``Carl T. 
Curtis National Park Service Midwest Regional Headquarters Building.'' 
This legislation, which was introduced by Senator Chuck Hagel, passed 
the Senate on April 11, 2003, and was approved by the House Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure on June 2, 2003.
  Carl Curtis was born in 1905 near Minden, Nebraska. He served in the 
House from 1939 until 1955 and subsequently served in the Senate until 
his retirement from Congress in 1979. His 40 years of congressional 
service set a record for Nebraska, and he served with dedication and 
integrity. Carl Curtis passed away in 2000.
  This Member recalls how as a thirteen year old on a family vacation 
he visited Senator Curtis's Washington, D.C. office. On this occasion, 
and always, he showed his deep Nebraska roots as he spoke glowingly and 
knowledgeably about Nebraska and our Seward County community.
  Carl Curtis believed that elected public service was an honorable 
calling and he lived up to that conviction. This Member greatly 
appreciated and admired his commitment to public service and to 
representative democracy.
  This Member urges his colleagues to support S. 703, which would 
provide a fitting tribute to this outstanding former legislator, since 
the new National Park Service regional office will be built on the 
banks of the Missouri River, a river which was the focus of important 
legislation on which Senator Carl Curtis showed crucial leadership on a 
number of occasions.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) that 
the House suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 703.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. HAYES. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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