[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14870]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE'S WORK OF THE REVEREND BILLY GRAHAM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. McHenry). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor the 
life's work of a man whose mission is to serve the Lord, his God.
  Last weekend, the Reverend Billy Graham held what could be his last 
crusade. The crusade in New York marked the culmination of a life 
dedicated to preaching faith, equality, and love to people the world 
over.
  As a young man growing up in rural Kansas, I remember gathering in 
front of the television set with my mom and dad to hear this man speak. 
With integrity and truth he spoke of God's love for all people and our 
need to know this love in our own hearts. Even at that young age, I 
sensed that there was something special about this man; and, as I grew 
older, his words were a source of strength to my faith.
  In times of trouble and disaster, we turn to God for strength and 
comfort. Three days after September 11, 2001, as our Nation grieved the 
loss of life, America needed to have its faith restored. Our sense of 
peace that we had felt in our neighborhoods and our towns and our 
country had been severely shaken, and our belief in the goodness of man 
had been severely challenged.
  Billy Graham, showing the effects of Parkinson's disease and age, 
slowly climbed the steps to the pulpit at the National Cathedral during 
a service to reflect upon these events. Although physically frail, the 
strength of his spirit projected confidence. With the assurance of his 
faith, he helped us understand that despite the evil that we had seen, 
God's love remains, God's love never fails and, with that love as our 
foundation, we could prevail. Reverend Graham's words gave meaning to 
the lives lost and restored faith to a mourning Nation.
  In 1957, Billy Graham held his first of seven crusades in New York 
City. Although his crusade in 1957 occurred at a time in our Nation's 
history when race divided all, Reverend Graham refused to preach in 
segregated audiences.
  To begin one night of the crusade in 1957, Reverend Graham invited 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to give an opening prayer. Another night of 
the crusade, the event was presented in Spanish. Reverend Graham and 
his team went to great lengths to ensure that the crusade meetings were 
accessible to those with disabilities. Although he had intended the 
crusade to last only 6 weeks, he stayed 16, in order to meet the needs 
of the people of New York.
  By refusing to restrict his message to one audience, Billy Graham 
affirmed the equality of all people and God's equal love for all. 
Returning last weekend to New York City, Reverend Graham continued 
sharing his message of faith, equality, and love for all people.
  Billy Graham has been a spiritual adviser to every President since my 
fellow Kansan, Dwight D. Eisenhower. He has written 24 books. His radio 
program ``Hour of Decision'' has been broadcast on Sundays around the 
world for more than 50 years. Reverend Graham has even been rated 47 
times by the American people as one of the ``Ten Most Admired Men in 
the World.'' However, it is his ability to reach people with the 
message of God's love that makes Billy Graham truly a special man.
  Throughout his ministry, Billy Graham has preached to over 210 
million people in more than 185 countries and territories. Yet, it is 
his personal impact on my life and the encouraging words that he has 
left with our Nation that I am most grateful for and will always 
cherish.
  Marking the occasion of his last crusade, I rise tonight to honor and 
thank Reverend Billy Graham for his influence on my life, on our 
Nation, and the world.

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