[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23865-23869]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


               TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on the subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, as we come to the final days of this 
session of Congress, I want to recognize the service of our colleague 
and dear friend, Congressman Bill Lipinski from Chicago.
  Bill decided not to seek reelection in this past general election 
after serving the people of his district for 22 years. Bill Lipinski 
has been a tireless advocate for the people of his district and the 
people of the Chicago area. Bill has been the go-to person to get 
things done for the City of Chicago.
  As a senior member of the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, he has delivered for Chicago and for the State of 
Illinois. Bill has secured funding for every major transportation 
project in the Chicago area for the past several years. From the 
southwest transit line to the Central Avenue bypass to the expansion of 
Midway and O'Hare airports, it was Bill Lipinski who was there to move 
the projects forward.

                              {time}  1945

  Bill has been an effective leader for his district, his city, and his 
State because he studies the issues and he rolls up his sleeves to get 
the job done. Bill always worked in a bipartisan manner, and in fact 
has as many friends on the Republican side of the aisle as he does on 
his own side of the aisle.
  I have been privileged to serve on the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure with Bill Lipinski for the last 16 years. He was 
always there to help me and to help any other member of the committee 
seeking his advice and his wisdom.
  I have always admired Bill's ability to get things done for his 
district and the City of Chicago. I appreciate his service not only to 
the people of his district and the State of Illinois but the people of 
this great Nation. And, more importantly, I appreciate his friendship.
  I wish Bill, his wife, Rose Marie, and their family the very best and 
know that his successor, his son Dan Lipinski, will serve the people of 
his district very well.
  Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to my colleague from the City 
of Chicago, the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Rush).
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to concur with the remarks of 
my friend from the southern part of Illinois (Mr. Costello), and I want 
to stand here and really speak a few words about a gentleman who comes 
from a different part of town, of Chicago, but someone who I identify 
with immeasurably, and someone who has been both a friend and someone 
who has been a mentor to me since I arrived here in this Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, a familiar phrase that sometimes we speak about or we 
discuss in the city of Chicago, a phrase coined by the first Mayor 
Richard Daley, Mayor Daley I, Richard J. Daley, went something like: 
``Don't send me nobody, nobody's sent.'' And I think that that really 
kind of captures the attitude, the political attitude of Bill Lipinski.
  Bill Lipinski was a person who cared about people, cared about people 
not only in his district but about people across this Nation. Even 
though he rose to heights here in Washington, D.C., in this Congress, 
he never forgot his role as a Democratic ward committeeman, a ward 
committeeman who handled the political affairs of the 23rd ward in the 
City of Chicago. And to a great extent his remarkable career here in 
this Congress, and the many things he was able to accomplish here not 
only for his district but for the people of the State of Illinois and 
also for the City of Chicago, was really a reflection of his true 
calling as a Democratic ward committeeman there in the City of Chicago. 
He was an old-time politician who understood how to work

[[Page 23866]]

a precinct and how to get others to work a precinct and how to deliver 
a vote in the City of Chicago. And as a result of that, he achieved 
remarkable success.
  Mr. Speaker, Bill Lipinski was somebody that was sent. He was sent 
and he represented the true nature of the people of his district, the 
Third Congressional District in Illinois. His nickname, which some of 
us tease him with, was ``Bungalow Bill,'' because he represented the 
bungalow folks, people who lived in the bungalows in his district. The 
true grit, or the common, ordinary person. And Bill Lipinski never 
forgot who sent him. So he indeed was somebody who was sent not only to 
Washington, D.C., but prior to that, he was sent to the Chicago City 
Council, and prior to that he was sent to work at the Chicago Park 
District.
  When I arrived here in Washington, he befriended me. I did not know 
what to expect. He and I did not share or come from the same political 
sector. We competed quite often in terms of local politics. But when I 
arrived here in Washington, he befriended me, he advised me, he helped 
me out, he gave me real true counsel, and we shared many stories about 
our similar activities there in the City of Chicago.
  He is somebody who I really call a friend and someone who will always 
be my friend. Mr. Speaker, I will miss him so much when he retires from 
this Congress. I will miss him. I will miss his counsel, his 
friendship, and his advice. I will miss sitting on this floor just 
reminiscing about some of the good political battles that we engaged in 
in the inner city of Chicago.
  And to Bill: Bill you were sent. You were somebody that was sent, and 
you made everybody proud. And I am sure your family is proud and Dan is 
proud and Rose Marie is proud. And I really will miss you and look 
forward to working with you as a fellow ward committeeman within the 
City of Chicago.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back to my colleague.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from the City of Chicago, Illinois (Mr. 
Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my 
colleagues as we all come to pay tribute to our good friend, Bill 
Lipinski.
  Bill has served as a Member of Congress for over 20 years and is the 
senior Democratic member of the Illinois delegation. Of course, I first 
met him when we were both members of the Chicago City Council, although 
he found that a good place to be away from, and he got away just as 
quickly as he could and came to Congress.
  Bill Lipinski has earned the well-deserved reputation for fairness 
among his colleagues in the Illinois delegation and in the House as a 
whole. He never hesitates to reach out to his colleagues across the 
aisle to help serve our Nation's interests. He has done much for 
Illinois' Third Congressional District, the City of Chicago, and our 
country as a whole.
  As a member of the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure, he has ensured that Chicago's area transportation 
system has gotten the funding it needs to continue to serve the 
residents of the region. He has also enabled the upgrade of the Chicago 
Transit Authority's rail lines, as well as the extension and upgrade of 
a number of metro rail lines.
  Mr. Lipinski's service on the House Subcommittee on Aviation has been 
especially important to the residents of Chicago and the area. He has 
helped to improve the region's currently overburdened airport 
facilities. He was instrumental in reducing delays at O'Hare 
International Airport through the elimination of the unnecessary slot 
rule. Additionally, he has ensured that Chicago's airport facilities 
remain state-of-the-art.
  It is impossible for me to walk through the vastly and beautifully 
improved terminals at Midway Airport without thinking of Bill 
Lipinski's great contribution to our city.
  Bill understands the art and relevance of political organizing and 
local base-building. As Democrat committeeman of the 23rd ward in 
Chicago, he leads and commands one of the most loyal and effective 
political groups in the State. He is a great family man and 
neighborhood person. He is loyal to both his community and to his 
family.
  Bill, you have been a great friend, and best wishes to you and your 
wife as you get an opportunity to spend more time together in your 
beloved southwest side of Chicago. And I also want to take this 
opportunity to wish your son Dan well as he joins us. And as you go, in 
the words of an old Irish proverb, let me just say to you: ``May the 
road rise up to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, may the 
sun shine warmly upon your face, and the rains fall softly upon your 
fields. And, until we meet again, may the good Lord hold you in the 
hollow of his hand.''
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back to my colleague.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois 
(Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for organizing 
this tribute to our friend, Bill Lipinski; and I am pleased to join 
with other members of the Illinois delegation to celebrate the 
outstanding career of Bill Lipinski and to wish him well on his 
retirement after 22 years in this body.
  When I was elected to Congress in 1998, I was fortunate to become 
part of a delegation that works together in a bipartisan and effective 
way to meet the needs of our State. Bill Lipinski has been the leader 
and a guiding force in bringing us together in that effort. He has 
helped us devise ways to make sure that Illinois' interests are 
protected and that Illinois gets its fair share of Federal dollars.
  Over the years, I have attended many meetings where Bill Lipinski has 
kept us focused and shown us opportunities. He has built friendships 
and coalitions inside the Congress on both sides of the aisle and 
outside of Congress. He has worked day after day, year after year to 
make sure that his constituents got the best representation possible.
  Bill Lipinski has helped me learn about Congress, learn about the 
government process, and learn how to get things done. He has always 
been there to give me advice, to give me support, and to answer my 
questions. And for that, I will always be appreciative.
  In particular, Bill has helped me and so many others in this body and 
around the country learn more about transportation. Whether it is 
planes, trains, or trucks, Bill Lipinski knows transportation. Everyone 
wants to go somewhere, and Bill Lipinski has spent his career making 
sure that we can get there.
  The Chicago Tribune called Bill Lipinski the Transit King because of 
his knowledge and ability to deliver for his district. As a senior 
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Bill 
Lipinski has worked hard to improve infrastructure, expand the highway 
system, and modernize the freight rail system. He has helped meet the 
needs of travelers, commuters, and shippers, creating good jobs at the 
same time.
  Chicago, a transportation hub for the Nation, has benefited 
tremendously from Bill Lipinski's national transportation reputation 
and experience. He is not just a national expert; he consistently 
tackles the transportation problems faced by Chicago and surrounding 
communities. Bill Lipinski is the living example of Tip O'Neill's axiom 
that ``all politics are local.''
  Whether it is the reconstruction of the Stevenson Expressway, airport 
renovation, the CTA's orange line, or helping communities cope with 
train whistles, Bill Lipinski has a hands-on approach to dealing with 
local issues. He understands the problems his constituents face, 
whether it is losing a job because of unfair trade policies, struggling 
to pay for enormous drug bills, or protecting overtime pay.
  A life-long Chicagoan, Bill worked for 17 years at the Chicago Park 
District and served as a Chicago alderman, which in the eyes of many 
Chicagoans is believed to be the highest of political achievements. And 
Bill Lipinski continued to serve his community as a local ward 
committeeman, in addition to his work here in Congress. And on

[[Page 23867]]

election day, his political organization is something to behold, an 
operation most elected officials would only dream of.
  What some of my colleagues may not know is his expertise goes beyond 
transportation and government to include an exhaustive knowledge of the 
White Sox and baseball. Bill Lipinski has served the people of the 
Third Congressional District of Illinois with dedication and skill for 
11 terms. Now as Bill prepares to leave the House after 22 years of 
service, those of us in the Illinois delegation wish him only the very, 
very best and look forward to welcoming his son Dan as part of our 
delegation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back to my colleague from Illinois.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another Illinois colleague, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to thank my colleague, 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), for organizing this. I 
think we will see tonight as other Members speak and those who preceded 
that we will be bipartisan in our praise. Mo Udall used to say, 
``Everything that has ever needed to be said on the subject has been 
said; it just has not been said by everybody that needs to say it.'' So 
this is my opportunity.
  I want to shed a little light, if I could, on the fact that Bill 
Lipinski has held a series of political and public offices, ward 
committeeman, alderman, and Congressman. But like all great traditions 
in Chicago, he also worked at the Chicago Park District, that training 
ground of great political leaders that has literally been all over our 
political system in Chicago. Whether it is the county board, whether in 
the aldermatic or city council, the mayoral office, congressional 
office, or the U.S. Senate, the Chicago Park District has trained more 
political leaders than any other position or forum that I know of.
  Bill started his career working up from the Park District to where he 
served as alderman, and also, to this day, as committeeman of the 23rd 
ward. He also is, obviously, a Congressman for over 20 years. My 
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), mentioned he is 
known as Bungalow Bill. A little over half of the housing stock in 
Chicago is in bungalows. It is a frame, or an architectural style, that 
Chicago is known for.

                              {time}  2000

  No other city has so much housing in that type of style. Bill 
Lipinski and his wife live in a bungalow. In fact, one piece of 
legislation I got was making the bungalow an historic site. Bill wanted 
to make sure that I got the architectural type of the bungalow correct, 
it was not just any type of architecture, and he was committed to 
understanding and respecting not only that architecture, but what he 
understood was the values of those people that lived in those 
bungalows.
  Those people, when you asked them where they lived, they did not tell 
you Chicago. They told you what parish they went to. That is where they 
lived. What park their kids played in, what team they were on in the 
park district.
  No matter where Bill went and however many miles he traveled, he 
never went very far, but he had a world view. Whenever we were going on 
a plane back home, Bill would pull out one of these 700, 800-pound 
books on history. I have a common interest in history, especially World 
War II history, and we usually swapped reading lists. He always read 
his history.
  What I am trying to get at is the quality of an individual. Because 
this is a passing in many ways of a generation of a political leader 
that our city does not produce as it used to. For instance, last year, 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) organized a Congressional 
Award and recognition for Sammy Sosa. This was at the time Sammy Sosa 
was, and still is, a hot property. Wrigley Field is in my district. 
Bill Lipinski traveled up for the event. It was the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez), 
myself, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski). Bill said, 
``This is the first time in my life I have even been to Wrigley 
Field.''
  If you know anything about Chicago, Bill was from the Southwest Side, 
Comiskey Park, and would never set foot, if not for Sammy Sosa. I would 
say Bill still would never have been in Wrigley Field, and he has lived 
his whole life in Chicago. That was the type of individual he was. He 
knew where he was from and who he was.
  If I could make one note, it is his son who is going to replace him 
as a congressman. As I know the 23rd Ward, the 11th Ward, the 19th Ward 
that make up that congressional district, Dan on his first run got a 
unique and quite impressive 74 percent. In the great tradition of the 
19th Ward, 11th Ward, 10th Ward and 13th Ward and 23rd Ward, I am sure 
they are looking for those people on the 26 percent and who they are 
and why they voted the other way, and good luck in getting their 
garbage picked up for the next 2 years.
  I know Bill is probably in his office having a cup of coffee or Diet 
Coke, his cigarette, pizza, and making sure what we say is correct. 
Because tomorrow he will be down on the floor to correct us if we make 
a mistake. If I have, Bill, I apologize.
  Bill is truly a person who, when you say ``Bungalow Bill'' it is a 
compliment, because he represents the people, values and interests of 
the people from the Southwest Side and all its strength because it is 
that period of time that is our greatest generation and our greatest 
building blocks.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) for 
organizing this Special Order.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Evans).
  Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, I join in the salute to Bill Lipinski and his 
retirement. We are going to miss him tremendously. Many people do not 
understand how a progressive member of the Democratic Caucus would have 
anything to do with a very conservative member of our caucus, but I 
came to know Bill because he worked incredibly hard for our fellow 
citizens. He always could be counted on to live up to the highest 
ideals of the Democratic Party on the issues that count, and we know 
that he will continue to be involved on these issues in the future.
  I enjoyed serving these last 22 years with Bill. I salute the whole 
Lipinski family. They are a great Democratic family. I think we will 
find out how good his son is after he is sworn in and gets involved in 
this committee, because his son is a college professor by background. 
We need a few more Members from academics and other people who have 
insights to things that we lawyers do not always have.
  I am pleased to have worked with him and salute him for his work with 
us. He has been a strong advocate for veterans issues. I will 
tremendously miss Bill in the future.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Manzullo).
  Mr. MANZULLO. Mr. Speaker, I first had the opportunity to meet my 
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), when I became a 
Member of Congress in 1993. What impressed me is the fact that I could 
live only 100 miles from the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) and 
he would have an accent and I do not. Some people call that a Chicago 
accent.
  You often wonder why would somebody who lives near Egan, Illinois, a 
population of 39, very small county, and who raises beef cattle, 
obviously lives on a farm, what would he have in common with somebody 
who lives in a big city like Chicago.
  I took a look at Bill Lipinski when I first came, knew his reputation 
as somebody very much interested in roads and highways and 
transportation. Bill and I had a lot of interesting talks, most of them 
about roads, the significance of highways. In the historical context, 
Bill would wax eloquent about the significance of commerce, why 
airports are necessary, why roads are necessary.
  In fact, we talked one time that when the convention was called in 
1787, it was on adjournment from the Baltimore meeting a year earlier 
where delegates from the 13 States had met

[[Page 23868]]

under the Articles of Confederation and in vain could not come up with 
some kind of a system whereby to standardize the width, length and 
depth of the locks of the navigable waters. When the delegates met the 
next year in Philadelphia, the original purpose of the new 
Constitution, because the Articles of Confederation simply were not 
strong enough, was to promote commerce by making sure that this Nation 
had this fluid system of transportation. Bill has always understood 
that.
  Roads do run from Egan, Illinois, to downtown Chicago. Bill always 
supported whatever road projects we had. I always supported his 
requests for buses in downtown Chicago because people go from Egan, 
Illinois, to Chicago.
  But most important was the fact that, in the whole area of air 
transportation, Bill worked with us to help put Rockford, Illinois, on 
the map with the Greater Rockford Airport, recognizing the fact that 
here is an airport that needed business and so why not, to the extent 
possible, use it for transportation to alleviate the congestion in 
Chicagoland.
  He chaired, back when his party was in the majority, several 
hearings, and I had an opportunity to testify before him. And when the 
majority changed and he was still on the same subcommittee, I still had 
an opportunity to testify before him. It really did not make any 
difference who was in the majority or the minority. Bill was still 
interested in the fact that roads connect people, they connect towns 
and, more importantly, they connect lives.
  I have never met a person as unusual as Bill Lipinski. A Chicago 
accent? You have to be from rural Illinois to recognize that there is 
such a thing as a Chicago accent. He in his bungalow in the big city 
and I in my farmhouse in outside of Egan in the suburbs know this: That 
the dedication of this man to the people not just in his district but 
in the entire State, his wisdom in placing emphasis upon infrastructure 
and transportation as a means to better everybody because of commerce, 
made him rise above political labels. It was never Bill Lipinski, the 
Democrat. It was always Bill Lipinski, my friend.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and neighbor, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus).
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Costello) for arranging this. He does a lot of work for us throughout 
the State on transportation issues, but the gentleman's job is about to 
get a little harder with the departure of the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Lipinski) as the senior ranking member on a subcommittee and one 
whom we relied upon a lot in Illinois for advice and counsel and to 
help us fight the fights.
  I can speak for the Speaker to thank Bill for his help on those major 
infrastructure projects in Illinois. To have such a strong ally on the 
Committee on Transportation and the Infrastructure on the other side of 
the aisle was critical to us in being able to have the success that we 
have.
  As many people know, we speak from microphones arranged by Democrats 
on that side and Republicans on this side. Many times, as chairman of 
the Page Board, I go on the Democrat side as I am talking to the pages 
and addressing them. But I did not think anything could get the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) over on the Democratic side, and 
that is certainly a first, but Bill Lipinski did. So if there is ever a 
credit to Bill Lipinski, I think I just saw it tonight.
  A lot of stuff has been said about Bill's election to Congress in 
1983, serving as a City of Chicago alderman for 8 years and currently 
the longest-serving Democrat member of the Illinois delegation and has 
been a leader for Chicago but also for a branch of the Democratic 
Party, a conservative branch on ideologies and values that I have come 
to appreciate.
  During Bill's 21 years in Congress, he worked tirelessly to rebuild 
the Nation's transportation infrastructure. He has fought hard to 
maintain Illinois' status as a transportation hub. He has worked across 
party lines, an old Illinois tradition, to pass legislation that would 
be beneficial for the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. He was 
willing to go against his party leaders on issues that were important 
to him, and when push came to shove, Members always knew they could 
count on Bill to come through for Illinois.
  His way of leadership is a dying breed, and he will be sorely missed 
by this body. It has been an honor to serve with him. In fact, one of 
the great benefits of coming to Washington is to meet the great leaders 
of our time and actually call them colleagues and friends and try to 
work to solve issues that are important to this Nation. I thank him for 
the friendship he has shown. He has teased and harassed me a lot, but I 
take that in the spirit given.

                              {time}  2015

  I want to take this time to thank Bill and his wife Rose Marie for 
their years of service to this Congress and to the State of Illinois. 
What I like most about Bill, and it was mentioned earlier, was his 
allegiance to support any baseball team that was playing the Cubs, even 
rooting for my St. Louis Cardinals at times. That is a true believer. 
He is a true White Sox fan. Too bad, I understand, that his son will 
not be carrying on that same tradition when he succeeds his father in 
the Third Congressional District.
  The people of Chicago's south side should be proud to have had a man 
like Bill serving as their representative here in Congress, and we in 
Congress were proud to have him here. Thank you, Bill.
  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity to recognize and honor my colleague from Illinois 
Congressman William Lipinski who is retiring from Congress after 21 
years of service.
  Mr. Lipinski--the congressman from the 3d District--grew up on the 
southwest side of Chicago and he has remained there as a lifelong 
resident. He began his political career with the Chicago Parks 
District, was elected 23rd Ward alderman and ward committeeman in 1975. 
First elected to Congress in 1983, Mr. Lipinski is currently the 
longest serving Democrat in the Illinois delegation.
  Since the beginning of his career as a congressman, Mr. Lipinski has 
been a member of the House Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure--formerly the House Committee on Public Works and 
Transportation. As a member of this committee, he has served as Ranking 
Member on the Railroads Subcommittee, Ranking Member on Aviation, and 
is currently Ranking Member on the powerful Highways, Transit and 
Pipeline Subcommittee.
  I'm glad he's on this side of the aisle. It's easier to go to war 
with Mr. Lipinski on your side than on the other side.
  Bill Lipinski has worked devotedly and passionately on behalf of his 
constituents. He has made many important contributions to the City of 
Chicago and the state of Illinois. I'm thankful for his service to our 
city, state and nation.
  And I'm proud to call him my friend.
  Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues and thank Mr. Lipinski for his 
service and wish him and his family the best in the years to come.
  Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I want to join in this tribute to the many 
years of public service and the more than 20 years of service here in 
the House of our colleague Bill Lipinski.
  I have had the privilege of serving with Bill on the Transportation 
and Infrastructure Committee for many years. During this Congress, he 
has served as the ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Highways, 
Transit and Pipelines. Together, we had to navigate through the often 
frustrating, confusing and twisting course of the transportation bill 
reauthorization effort this year and last. Bill has always been a 
steady partner and a strong defender of the program. He certainly 
hasn't been reluctant to voice his strong support for increased 
investment in transportation. He is a great fighter, and we have been 
lucky to have him on our side during this particular fight. I have 
valued his advice and counsel these past two years as together we have 
worked to produce a transportation program that moves our country 
forward.
  Beyond our work together on the Subcommittee, we have worked together 
on other issues, such as the expansion of O'Hare and many years 
fighting the whistle ban to protect our towns that had developed around 
the railroad tracks crisscrossing through our districts.
  Apart from the Committee activities, Bill has been a tireless 
advocate for his constituents. He was born on the southwest side of 
Chicago, and he truly knows and understands his district. Prior to 
coming to Washington, Bill was a Chicago City alderman and he still

[[Page 23869]]

is a Ward committeeman--a good education for any member of this House!
  So I want to acknowledge Bill's courage, his strength in standing by 
his convictions, and his love for the City of Chicago. He has had a 
real impact, and his successes can be seen all over the city--whether 
riding the ``el'' or landing on a plane at Midway.
  I wish him and his wife, Rose Marie, all the best on his retirement. 
He has been a valuable member of the House, and we will miss him.

                          ____________________