[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15104-15106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING FORMER PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD ON HIS 91ST BIRTHDAY

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 702) honoring former President Gerald 
R. Ford on the occasion of his 91st birthday and extending the best 
wishes of the House of Representatives to former President Ford and his 
family.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 702

       Whereas Gerald Rudolph Ford was born on July 14, 1913;
       Whereas Gerald R. Ford is the only person from the State of 
     Michigan to have served as President of the United States;
       Whereas Gerald R. Ford graduated from the University of 
     Michigan where he was a star center on the football team and 
     later turned down offers to play in the National Football 
     League;
       Whereas Gerald R. Ford attended Yale University Law School 
     and graduated in the top 25 percent of his class while also 
     working as a football coach;
       Whereas in 1942, Gerald R. Ford joined the United States 
     Navy Reserves and served valiantly on the U.S.S. Monterey in 
     the Philippines during World War II, surviving a heavy storm 
     during which he came within inches of being swept overboard;
       Whereas the U.S.S. Monterey earned 10 battle stars, awarded 
     for participation in battle, while Gerald R. Ford served on 
     the ship;
       Whereas Gerald R. Ford was released to inactive duty in 
     1946 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander;
       Whereas in 1948, Gerald R. Ford was elected to the House of 
     Representatives where he served with integrity for 25 years;
       Whereas in 1963, President Lyndon Johnson appointed Gerald 
     R. Ford to the Warren Commission investigating the 
     assassination of President John F. Kennedy;
       Whereas from 1965 to 1973, Gerald R. Ford served as 
     minority leader of the House of Representatives;
       Whereas from 1974 to 1976, Gerald R. Ford served as the 
     38th President of the United States, taking office at a dark 
     hour in the history of the United States and restoring the 
     faith of the people of the United States in the Presidency 
     through his wisdom, courage, and integrity;
       Whereas in 1975, the United States signed the Final Act of 
     the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 
     commonly known as the ``Helsinki Agreement'', which ratified 
     post-World War II European borders and supported human 
     rights;
       Whereas since leaving the Presidency, Gerald R. Ford has 
     been an international ambassador of American goodwill, a 
     noted scholar and lecturer, and a strong supporter of the 
     Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of 
     Michigan, which was named for the former President in 1999;
       Whereas Gerald R. Ford was awarded the Congressional Gold 
     Medal in 1999; and
       Whereas on July 14, 2004, Gerald R. Ford will celebrate his 
     91st birthday: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors former 
     President Gerald R. Ford on the occasion of his 91st birthday 
     and extends its congratulations and best wishes to former 
     President Ford and his family.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from

[[Page 15105]]

Michigan (Mrs. Miller) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and 
extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the 
resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  It is certainly a true pleasure today to rise in support of House 
Resolution 702. This is a resolution that wishes former President 
Gerald R. Ford a wonderfully happy 91st birthday on behalf of the House 
of Representatives. President Ford certainly holds a unique place in 
American history. Within a 1-year period during the very destructive 
Watergate scandal, he held the positions of House minority leader, of 
Vice President, and President because he was such a respected national 
leader of unquestioned integrity and principle.
  Mr. Speaker, Gerald Rudolph Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 
14, 1913; and then he moved to Grand Rapids in the great State of 
Michigan shortly after his birth. He was always an exceptional student 
and athlete and was very active in extracurricular activities, even 
attaining the rank of Eagle Scout.
  President Ford attended the University of Michigan to study economics 
and political science; and as a member of the U of M's football team, 
he won two national championships in 1932 and 1933. In 1934, he was 
named the team's most valuable player.
  Rejecting offers to play professional football with either the 
Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers, Gerald Ford took a job at Yale 
University as a boxing coach and an assistant football coach, and he 
received his law degree then at Yale in 1941.
  The war was on, and he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve during the war; 
and then he returned to Grand Rapids after the war, in 1946, to work as 
a lawyer. In 1948, he defeated the incumbent United States 
Representative in that district in the primary election and then won 
the general election by a very wide margin.
  Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford was a Member of this body from 1949 to 1973 
and he served as House minority leader from 1965 to 1973.

                              {time}  1445

  In the Congress, Ford was an ardent proponent of strong national 
defense, and he realized the important role that the United States 
played in the global theater.
  In October of 1973, as the Watergate scandal gradually unfolded, 
President Richard Nixon nominated Ford to succeed Spiro Agnew as Vice 
President of the United States. Ford became Vice President on December 
6, 1973, and, in doing so, he also became the first Vice President to 
be appointed under the procedures of the 25th amendment.
  Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford's vice presidential tenure lasted less than 
a year. When Nixon resigned due to continued revelations of Watergate, 
Ford became President on August 9, 1974. In a move he deemed the best 
for the sake of the Nation, he issued a complete pardon to Nixon in an 
effort to end what he categorized as the Nation's long nightmare.
  During his inauguration speech, President Carter paid immediate 
tribute to President Ford's role in helping America through such a 
difficult period saying, ``For myself and for our Nation, I want to 
thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.''
  On April 20, 1995, President Ford's boyhood home in Grand Rapids was 
designated as an historic site. I bring that up, Mr. Speaker, because 
at the time I was the Michigan Secretary of State, and one of my duties 
and responsibilities was serving as Michigan's official historian.
  Certainly one of my fondest memories was hosting the President and 
his wonderful wife, his very gracious wife, Betty Ford, for the home's 
dedication. There was a huge crowd of family and friends and neighbors, 
and the President was standing on the front porch of his home telling 
everybody about some of his fond remembrances of living in that home in 
Grand Rapids and how he used to play baseball out in front of the 
house.
  Gerald Ford is an extraordinary man and yet he grew up in an ordinary 
neighborhood, just like thousands of other neighborhoods all across our 
Nation. President Ford and his great accomplishments epitomize the 
greatness the American spirit, and I was truly honored to stand next to 
a living piece of American history that day.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from the great State 
of Michigan, the dean of the House of Representatives, the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for introducing this highly deserved 
tribute to our 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford. Our 
entire Nation thanks him for his service, and we wish him a very happy 
91st birthday.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the 
gentlewoman from Michigan in consideration of this resolution, and it 
is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the author of this resolution and one of 
the most distinguished and longest-serving Members of this body, the 
dean of the institution and the ranking member of the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Chairman, I thank my distinguished friend and 
colleague for yielding me time. I commend him for handling this 
legislation, as I do the gentlewoman from Michigan, who has done such a 
fine job of presenting the case for this legislation.
  Today, we honor and congratulate a former President of the United 
States on his 91st birthday, and we extend to him and to his wife the 
best wishes of this body on this 91st birthday which he is celebrating 
Wednesday.
  We are proud of his service, not only in this body, but elsewhere. He 
will be 91, as I mentioned, on July 14, which is Wednesday. He is 
married to a distinguished lady, Elizabeth ``Betty'' Ford, who is much 
loved in this body and much loved elsewhere.
  He attended the University of Michigan, Yale University Law School, 
served with distinction in the United States Navy in the Philippines 
during World War II. He served in the House of Representatives for 25 
years and was appointed to and served with distinction on the Warren 
Commission by President Johnson.
  He was minority leader of this body from 1965 to 1973 and Vice 
President from 1973 through 1974. He was sworn in as President on 
August 9, 1974, and served in this great capacity for 2 years.
  The thing which I think we can best remember about Gerry Ford is not 
all of the distinguished actions which he took or the high offices 
which he held but, rather, the fact that in a very difficult time he 
brought this country together out of a period of ill will and 
misfortune, which I think is almost unique in the history of this 
country. With that healing leadership, he will be long remembered for 
what he has done for us. The University of Michigan School of Public 
Policy is named after him, and he is much loved also in our State.
  I want to commend and thank my colleagues who have joined in the 
cosponsorship of this legislation: the gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Bono), who is at this time his Congresswoman; the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra); the 
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick); the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Levin); the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller); the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Smith); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton); the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Ehlers); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee); the gentleman from 
Michigan

[[Page 15106]]

(Mr. Knollenberg); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter); the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers); and the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Stupak).
  We from the Michigan delegation have unanimously suggested that this 
is a good resolution for this body to adopt. We celebrate the 
accomplishments, the great humanity and decency of a wonderful citizen 
of our State and of the United States who served with distinction in 
the Presidency and in many other offices, and we do at this time wish 
him, through this resolution and in other ways, the best wishes of this 
body, of the House of Representatives and of all of us individually, 
and those many other American citizens who have had fine reason to love 
a great American who still serves his country with distinction.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge all Members to support the adoption of 
House Resolution 772, that extends 91st birthday wishes to President 
Gerald Ford.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleagues today to pay 
tribute to former President Gerald Ford on the occasion of his 91st 
birthday and to thank him for his service to our Nation. President Ford 
assumed the office of President under difficult circumstances and 
guided us with strength and steadiness that helped us to regain 
confidence that we had lost in our Nation's most important office.
  Looking back on President Ford's life, it is easy to see that he 
would distinguish himself as a leader. At the University of Michigan, 
he excelled both at his studies and at football. He received a law 
degree from Yale University. When duty called, he enlisted in the Navy, 
where he earned the rank of lieutenant commander during World War II.
  Following the war, President Ford returned to his home State of 
Michigan and was elected to the House of Representatives for his first 
of 13 terms. An innate ability to lead helped President Ford rise 
quickly through the ranks of Congress. He was soon assigned to the 
influential Committee on Appropriations and rose to became the ranking 
Republican on the Subcommittee on Defense of the Committee on 
Appropriations.
  In 1972, Gerald Ford was nominated as Vice President. He became 
President in 1974, following the resignation of President Richard 
Nixon. Faced with many challenges when he took office, President Ford 
worked to repair the damaged relationship between the American people 
and its government and the image of America with the rest of the world.
  Two of his historic accomplishments were bringing an end to the 
Vietnam War and facilitating improved relations between Egypt and 
Israel. Improved relations between Israel and Egypt would lead to a 
peace pact between the two rival nations, an unprecedented step towards 
peace in the region.
  On his inauguration day President Jimmy Carter began his speech by 
saying, ``For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor 
for all he has done to heal our land.''
  While we all may not agree with all of the decisions President Ford 
made during his political career, we can all concur that he carried 
himself with dignity at a time when our Nation needed it most.
  Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank President Ford for his service. I 
commend the gentleman from Michigan for introducing this resolution.
  Mrs. BONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a man who holds a 
distinguished record of life-long public service to the United States. 
President Gerald R. Ford, the 38th President of the United States, 
celebrates his 91st birthday today. Since 1913, President Ford has been 
a diligent, humble steward of public service to our great country. He 
is a role model for all of us involved with public office, and I am 
fortunate to also call him a dear friend and constituent. It is with 
great pleasure that I congratulate President Ford, and extend best 
wishes to his family on this day of celebration.
  President Ford's public service began in high school, where he 
achieved the honor of Eagle Scout. He later earned ten battle stars as 
lieutenant commander in the Navy, served the State of Michigan in 
Congress for 12 terms, eventually served as House Minority Leader in 
1965, and finally, he served our country as the 38th President. As 
President, he lead America through the weakest economy of the post-
World War II period, confronting tough issues as rising levels of both 
inflation and unemployment.
  After completing his term as President, he returned to Rancho 
Mirage--a region of southern California that I have the privilege of 
representing. Now, even at the age of 91, he continues to invest time, 
energy, and experience into improving our community. His investments in 
the Rancho Mirage region helped to spark unprecedented levels of 
economic growth that began in 1983 and continue today. His commitments 
include support for the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, the Living 
Desert and Desert Museum, and the Eisenhower Medical Center and the 
Betty Ford Center.
  In 1997, Ford joined Gen. Colin Powell in Philadelphia for the 
formation of America's Promise. In my district, he brought the goals of 
helping young people to fruition by chairing an America's Promise 
chapter in the Coachella Valley.
  President Bill Clinton presented Ford with the Medal of Freedom in 
1999, recognizing his role in guiding the nation through the turbulent 
times of Watergate, the Nixon resignation and the end of the Vietnam 
war. Also in 1999, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor for, 
``dedicated public service and outstanding humanitarian 
contributions.''
  In my district, President Ford is heralded as a man who consistently 
puts country over political party. He is a respected and honored 
leader, who tirelessly and passionately fights for principles of 
freedom, hope, and justice. On a personal note, President Ford has 
provided me with advice and inspiration to better serve the people of 
the 45th District of California.
  Ford and his wife, Betty, continue to support numerous local and 
national charities and service projects. Despite Ford's long list of 
honors, his humble spirit remains as a shining example to us all. When 
asked about his and Betty's unrelenting investment of public service, 
he simply responded: ``We're trying to do our full share.'' After 
decades of compassionate leadership, President Ford remains a trusted, 
proven leader, who views giving back to the community as a civic 
responsibility of all Americans, not just the task of elected 
officials.
  On behalf of my constituents, the people of California, and the 
people of America, I am pleased to honor a man who has dedicated a 
lifetime to public service on this very special day. Happy 91st 
Birthday, President Gerald Ford. You are a continuous inspiration, 
admired leader, and valued friend.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, happy birthday to a great 
American, President Gerald R. Ford.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Terry). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Miller) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 702.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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