[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15715-15724]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   IN REMEMBRANCE OF J.J. JAKE PICKLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Reichert). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of January 4, 2005, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material on this subject.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise on the joyous occasion of 
celebrating the life and the public service of a great Texan and a 
great American, J.J. Jake Pickle of Austin, Texas. Congressman Pickle 
led a long life, 91 years. He led a long period of public service in 
this Congress, some 31 years.
  And tonight provides an opportunity to draw attention to that public 
service and that life and give Members of this House an opportunity to 
incorporate their remarks into the Record in honor of Congressman 
Pickle's service.
  Mr. Speaker, with the announcement just before we began tonight that 
there would be no votes tomorrow, and with our running now approaching 
8:30 here in Washington, a number of Members have asked to have their 
remarks incorporated into the Congressional Record already.
  I have those of the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson) extolling particularly her long service with Congressman 
Pickle, and his important vote for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the 
statement of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith) who, following 
redistricting, now has a portion of Travis County that he represents 
for us in Congress.
  The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
McCaul), the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), and I, along 
with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thomas), the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Rangel), and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), were among 
those who traveled to Austin, Texas, a couple of weeks ago now, for the 
memorial service at the First United Methodist Church.
  And while all of our hearts were heavy with the loss of Congressman 
Pickle, I cannot say that I have ever been to a happier memorial 
service. Because, in addition to being a father, a grandfather, a 
great-grandfather and a public servant, Jake Pickle was quite a story 
teller and there were plenty of stories told in the course of that 
beautiful memorial service, which will be made a part of our Record, 
here as a part of the Congressional Record in this tribute.
  And there were many stories told outside of that memorial service 
that added even more to the meaning of friends sharing the tremendous 
service that Jake Pickle represents.
  I am reminded of it, of course, each time that I travel back to my 
hometown, because when you land at the Austin airport, you land on the 
Pickle Runway or the Lyndon B. Johnson Runway. And when you travel into 
the City of Austin, of course you see the University of Texas tower, 
very closely identified with J.J. Jake Pickle, the research center 
there at the University of Texas, north of the main campus named for 
Congressman Pickle, not far from the J.J. Pickle Elementary School, a 
unique concept of a community center and health center and elementary 
school all in one.
  I noted among the tributes to Congressman Pickle, the words of the 
first principal of that school, Claudia Kramer Santamaria, who said, I 
was honored to open the J.J. Pickle Elementary School and have Jake 
celebrate time after time with our school community. He brightened our 
day with his visits, told unforgettable stories to our students, and 
gave endless support to our school.
  The Pickle School family will continue to cherish and live out his 
example of genuine kindness and giving never-ending pride to our 
children. Jake set an example for me, not just the school community. He 
will remain in our hearts.
  And with the new school year coming up, another generation of young 
students will benefit from his work in public education and the work 
that goes on in the St. Johns neighborhood in the Pickle Elementary 
School and the community health center that is located there.
  You know, there are these physical monuments, and of course when I 
travel into my office, along with other Federal officials there in 
Austin, that is also the J.J. Pickle Federal Office Building. There are 
those many physical tributes to Congressman Pickle. But I think those 
tributes that are most meaningful are the ones that are reflected in 
the stories of his service.
  Normally, when someone appears here in the House, they do so without 
lapel pins or labels. I chose tonight to wear my Jake green pickle 
button. And there were lots of those that were at the memorial service. 
There were many of them that were passed out through the years, along 
with the squeaky green pickle that was Jake's symbol that he would pass 
along to kind of warm up, establish a tie to someone that he was 
meeting for the first time.
  He continued passing out those pickles even after he announced his 
retirement in 1994 at a gathering that I was at, as if he had an 
endless supply of pickles and an endless supply of energy and interest 
in working with people.
  He really did set the standard for public service. Naturally, the 
Congressman could not have accomplished this without the support of a 
loving and supportive family. First and foremost his wife throughout 
this service, Beryl, there was a great photograph of her and Jake 
boarding a Braniff airplane for Washington, just after he was elected 
in 1963, coming up, I suppose, to celebrate Christmas here in 
Washington after he was elected in a special election there.
  I knew him first as Peggy's dad, because Peggy Pickle and I were in 
Austin High School the same year that he was elected to Congress. Peggy 
gave a wonderful tribute to her father at this

[[Page 15716]]

memorial service. And of course the even broader tribute that exists 
from her, in working with Jake and the many stories that are 
incorporated in a book that they wrote and presented together called 
``Jake'' in 1997.
  Peggy; her husband, Don; Dick McCarroll and his wife, Missy; Graham 
McCarroll and his wife, Marsha. Jake's brother. There was something I 
remember going to, I believe it was an 80th birthday party at the 
University of Texas Alumni Center a decade ago. And there were all of 
those people in their 80s from the Big Spring and the Roscoe area. 
There was something good in those big springs in that Howard County 
area, because many people with long lives, great stories and great 
service in their own way, and one of those who remains with us, our 
friend, the brother of Jake Pickle, Joe, his sister Judith Pickle 
Lancaster, and her husband Jonathan, six grandchildren, including my 
former neighbor Bergan Casey, four great granddaughters, including her 
son, Peyton Casey, the McCarrolls, the Caseys, the other expanded 
family of the Pickle family, sharing a special place in their hearts 
for all that this man contributed to the public, but for the family man 
that he was, and recognizing the sacrifices that they made so that he 
could continue to be in there day in day out working so hard for people 
throughout central Texas.
  He was also blessed with a tremendous staff. I can remember coming 
here to Washington for the first time as a University of Texas student 
myself and the warm feeling that one got in going into Jake's office 
over in the Cannon Building, an office that when he first came to 
Washington, with Jake Pickle, he served in a more humble way, I believe 
as a night watchman, probably at hours like this, a job he told me he 
was never very good at; but he was sure good at what was happening 
working night and day, first for Congressman Lyndon Johnson, and later 
in his own right on behalf of the thousands of people across Texas that 
he represented.
  In the Washington office, Molly Kellogg was always there at the front 
desk greeting people so warmly and giving them that Texas hospitality 
that we all relished when we came to see Jake in Washington.
  In the Austin office, a similar role was played for many years by 
Dorothy Elliott. Here in the Austin office, Paul Hilgers headed up the 
team as they passed the torch to me there in Austin. And there are so 
many others: Sandy Dochen, Joyce Arnold, my long-time friend from the 
University of Texas, Cliff Drummond, Judge Bill Schroeder and Kay 
Schroeder from down in Lockhart, Fleetwood Richards, who was at this 
memorial service who served Jake early in his career in the Congress.
  Kathy Morris, Michael Keeling, Minnie Lopez who was there working on 
behalf of veterans as Jake worked to the last day in 1994 in his office 
there in Austin.
  Missy Mandell, George Phoenix, Reg Todd who served admirably as a 
district director there in the office, Ateja Dukes who was there 
assisting Paul in the office, Joe Grant. So many others that have 
continued to serve in different ways here in Washington.
  People like Janice McCullough and Barbara Pate who served here with 
Rob Portman on the Ways and Means Committee. One person after another 
who was inspired by Jake's own level of activity to be active 
participants in the process, not only working with Jake Pickle, but 
working after they completed their official tour with Jake Pickle, as 
indicated by the large number of Pickle staffers, both at this memorial 
service and at a great celebration of Jake's birthday here about a year 
ago. Once on this Pickle team, always a part of it.

                              {time}  2045

  It really is an humbling experience to try to capture just a little 
of the essence of this great American because while his focus was on 
his home folks, the folks of central Texas that he represented, he was 
also a great American leader. He played a pivotal role in the eighties 
in what was a very bitter and divisive debate over the future of Social 
Security. And by making some changes in the Social Security system 
then, he was able to bring it that additional solvency from which we 
continue to benefit today.
  He was a person who knew a time in America when there was no Social 
Security system. He recognized how really important it is to provide 
that basic safety net for all of our seniors. His work for Social 
Security, for Medicare on the House Committee on Ways and Means, was 
extremely important to preserving that for another generation of 
Americans.
  There is a great deal for us to learn from the work that he did at 
that time to try to bring people together to address Social Security 
problems, but to do it in a constructive way so that Social Security, 
the same Social Security Franklin Roosevelt signed into law could be 
there for generations of Americans to come. His work in oversight on 
the Committee on Ways and Means, investigating organized crime and its 
involvement with the pension fund, seeking to assure that nonprofits 
were complying with the law and not abusing the public trust and the 
public treasury are the kind of things that fill the footnotes but are 
extremely important to the operation of our government.
  As I talk, though, with people on the Committee on Ways and Means, 
almost all of whom will have remarks to be inserted in the Record, they 
are mainly telling me the stories of Jake Pickle and how he could take 
a moment of divisiveness, perhaps of acrimony, and turn it around into 
a moment of humor. That is why a delegation of both Republicans and 
Democrats join together to bring honor to him at this memorial service 
and will be joining together as a part of this special order to reflect 
on their experiences with Jake Pickle.
  One of Jake's longtime friends, Eric Stumberg, summarized him as a 
man with a heart for children and the underdog, a vision for 
possibilities, a great storyteller, and a wit and simple wisdom to 
humble the arrogant. And he always left a smile and an ideal to ponder 
along with that plastic Pickle.
  Jake was a man of ideas and he was far ahead of his times. In 
addition to some of the other areas that he worked in over 20 years 
ago, he was named the Solar Power Congressman of the Year. He seemed to 
have energy from many sources, but he recognized the importance to our 
energy future of alternative energy sources. His attention to the need 
for research and development was unfaltering as he doggedly pursued one 
funding project after another for the University of Texas.
  I think that it is noteworthy that when Jake was elected to Congress, 
his district stretched from the Johnson ranch out in Blanco County all 
the way to the Harris County line. He went from the hill country to the 
Texas Gulf. He went through dozens of small rural Texas communities, 
farming and ranching communities. And when he left office some 31 years 
later, he represented basically the City of Austin, Travis County, 
because it had grown to such a significant town. A city which would 
soon have, in 1 year, two $1 billion semi-conductor fabricators going 
up. And this man's ability to adapt over that period of time to those 
changing conditions and to be a force for change in helping get the 
research dollars, the government support, realizing that government 
certainly has to be restrained at times but that it can be a force for 
positive good in the lives of communities and in the lives of 
individuals. He recognized that.
  He transformed, played a transforming role in our community in 
helping Austin become a really world class center for technology. And I 
think at the same time was able to preserve those values and those 
relationships which served him well from the first day that he got to 
Austin, Texas, from out in Big Spring. Indeed, I think everyone who was 
with us recently at the First Methodist Church there in Austin took 
note of the fact that Lady Bird Johnson, First Lady of America, and her 
daughters, Luci and Linda, were there at the service as they have been 
at every Pickle public event that I believe I have ever been to, as a 
tribute of the close relationship between the Johnson family and the 
Pickle family that served them well in politics but

[[Page 15717]]

also served them well as individuals who respected each other, learned 
from each other and contributed to make a better central Texas and a 
better America and I believe a better world.
  I am pleased to be joined by one of our colleagues who I see has 
Jake's book, as we all do, the book that Jake and Peggy put together 
here a few years ago. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) served 
with Jake. He represents the Houston area. And the gentleman may want 
to add a few stories. I have not really gotten into the storytelling 
part. I have just talked about the storyteller himself. I really 
appreciate the gentleman coming out, as I know the family and staff of 
the Congressman do, to add words at a time here when we are officially 
in recess and with so many of our colleagues heading off to the shuttle 
launching tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague who served 
many years in the State Senate and in the Supreme Court of Texas and 
now in Congress.
  Since it is replacing Jake Pickle, although nobody can replace Jake 
Pickle, I served only one term with Jake, but knowing him and when I 
served in the legislature with him for 20 years in Austin before I was 
elected to Congress, Jake for my whole career was the definition of 
Texas gentleman. He loved Texas and loved Austin and the hill country.
  I guess my first experience knowing Jake was in 1974. I just 
completed my first term as a young 25-year-old member of State 
legislature. And another member that served one term, Larry Bails, 
Larry decided that Jake might be vulnerable in 1974. So Larry Bails, 
who had a good one term in the legislature and was the owner at that 
time of the landmark in Austin, the Schultz Beer Hall, where a lot of 
legislature folks decided to go after the session, Larry decided to run 
against Jake and ran a fairly aggressive campaign. But Larry was one of 
the many who made that wrong decision.
  Larry was a good member of the State legislature but decided he would 
move up too quick. I watched Jake campaign, because we were at the 
Constitutional Convention during that primary of that year. I was in 
Austin at that time and still going home on weekends like we do now, 
and watched that campaign unfold and how Jake literally, he being a 
long-term member, at that time a little over 10 years, literally took 
this young fellow apart so to speak.
  Jake was such a great person. We have so many good stories. The 
reason I brought his book over is that, in 1997, Jake gave me this book 
and wrote an inscription that I was so proud to come from someone of 
Jake Pickle's stature: To my distinguished colleague Gene Green, 
experienced, effective and trusted, and I know this Gene Green was for 
the people. And having that statement from Jake Pickle was more than 
anyone could ever expect.
  I would just suggest that if someone wants to have some great stories 
of how government works and how, in our process, if you do not have a 
sense of humor, you will surely go crazy; Jake did this in his book and 
I assume it is still in print, the University of Texas print. For my 
colleagues, I know the Library of Congress has them. My colleagues will 
love to read it. You will stay up all night because I did that. When I 
first got the book, I stayed up and read all the great stories about 
LBJ when Jake was a staff member for President Johnson.
  I served with a lot of great people in my time and great Texans, and 
Jake was one of them. I compare Jake to Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock 
in one way; they both loved Texas and loved the job they did.
  I have to admit, Bullock would wake up in the morning and give 
everybody a good cussing and, thank goodness, forget about it in the 
afternoon. You did not have to worry about that with Jake Pickle 
because he was a gentleman. But he also had a sense of humor I do not 
think any of us can express too much.
  In the introduction to his book, I believe his daughter wrote the 
introduction, and briefly some of Jake's rules are: In a parade, do not 
get behind the horses but do ride in a convertible with your name on 
the sides. Always be available to constituents. Do not assume they will 
not find out about it because they will.
  These are some good tests for all elected officials whether you are 
in Congress or not.
  If it does not pass the smell test, do not do it. A politician who 
expects financial privacy is in the wrong line of work. Do not arrive 
at events too early because they do not know what to do with you. 
Listen for the bell.
  Those of us in Congress understand that. We have to listen for the 
bell so we can go vote.
  Answer every constituent's letter within 3 days of its receipt. We 
have that goal in our office still, 3 business days anyway.
  If you do not know where the money came from, give it back. Holding a 
drink gets in the way of shaking hands.
  That is a good saying for elected officials also.
  In your home district, you cannot say no. Jake understood that.
  In a restaurant, face the door so people can see and talk to you. 
Always carry a pen and paper. Introduce yourself first. At barbecues, 
which is something we do a lot of in Texas, stand at the head of the 
food line. Everybody has to pass by and you get to shake their hand. 
Never take it all for granted.
  Those are some of Jake's sayings that I think any elected official 
can live by. Jake will be missed.
  I will close by telling a personal experience. When my daughter went 
to the University of Texas, she had a project one time, and this was 
after Jake had left Congress. And she went down to his office, and Jake 
literally opened up for an hour or more helping her do her project at 
the University of Texas. Of course, this is a young lady who grew up in 
politics and was actually born while I was in the legislature.
  After she met Jake Pickle, and she did not call me to say she had to 
go do it; she did call me and say, Dad, I just met one of the greatest 
folks I ever talked to. Jake Pickle, Congressman Pickle was so good to 
talk to me. He was so down to Earth, so easy to understand.
  I think that is Jake's legacy. I guess the last thing I would say is 
his legacy goes on because, at the University of Texas, the J.J. Pickle 
Fellowship Program supports internships within the executive, 
legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal government. It is 
fitting that, after passing, J.J. Pickle will be helping the future 
public servants just like he has helped so many of us in the past.
  Jake will be missed. I know his family will miss him, but we will 
also miss the feeling of his love for Texas, his love for Austin, the 
communities of central Texas, but also our country.
  I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) for allowing for this 
special order this evening.
  Former Congressman J.J. Pickle was a standout in the great tradition 
of Texas legislators. He was deeply loved and respected throughout 
Central Texas and the entire state.
  My sincere condolences go out to his family and friends throughout 
Texas and the Nation for their loss of this great man.
  From Big Spring, Texas J.J. Pickle went on to win Former President 
Lyndon Baines Johnson's 10th District Congressional seat and became a 
senior member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
  His accomplishments here were numerous. One example when he chaired 
the Social Security subcommittee was the bipartisan, consensus changes 
to save Social Security back in 1983.
  I served with him in this House from 1993 to 1995, and he was an 
inspiration to all of us.
  He was a dedicated public servant, whose legacy shows he did what was 
best for his constituents, not politics. As proof of his dedication to 
public service, the J.J. Pickle Fellowship program at the University of 
Texas supports internships within the executive, legislative, or 
judicial branches of the Federal government.
  It is fitting that even after his passing, J.J. Pickle will be 
helping future public servants, just like he helped so many in the 
past.
  His passing should give us all an opportunity to reflect on his 
ideals of constituent service and hard, honest work.

[[Page 15718]]

  Politics sometimes distracts us from why we got into this public 
service in the first place--which is the honest reward you feel when 
you help the community.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in deep regret at the passing of a great Texas 
leader, J.J. Pickle. May God bless him and his family during this 
difficult time.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for being here and 
for participating and sharing those thoughts.
  Our colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) already spoke 
earlier this evening before we formally began this special order, but 
his remarks, the various written remarks of our colleagues of both 
parties will be made a part of this Record.
  We talked about the stories of Jake Pickle and what a storyteller he 
was. I liked the one, in the aftermath of his passing away, that came 
from a local Austinite and admirer of Jake Pickle, John Kelso, in the 
Austin American Statesman. He said, ``Jake Pickle was like your barber. 
You knew his name, and you knew what he did.''
  But the story amongst several that John tells that I think really 
captures the essence of what Jake was all about was, could you pick 
your representative from Washington out of a line up? Maybe not, but 
you could not say that about Jake Pickle. You could have had seven Jake 
Pickle clones in an eight-man line up with Jake Pickle and you could 
tell which one was Pickle. He would be the one shaking the other seven 
guys hands and telling funny stories. And there was one after another 
out of the Pickle barrel that he would tell around here and to our 
colleagues.

                              {time}  2100

  He also could be very eloquent in discussing the needs of the people 
of central Texas and of our country. During one very lengthy debate 
here in 1983 here over Social Security, he pointed to Daniel Webster's 
quotation at the Speaker's podium and read the words: ``Let us go forth 
to build up and protect our national resources that we too in our time 
may do something worthy to be remembered.''
  Certainly, from his first major vote on the Civil Rights Act to his 
hard-fought preservation of Social Security, there is no doubt among 
those who know of his deeds, his constituents, his colleagues and 
friends, that his contribution will be remembered long after in the 
very words that Webster spoke.
  I believe that of all the votes that Jake cast here and the speeches 
he gave at this very spot that the one that he talked about the most, 
that was the most significant, was among his first votes on the 1964 
Civil Rights Act. That vote took place in the aftermath of the 
assassination of President Kennedy at a time of great strife in our 
country over civil rights and our future. It was a critical vote to the 
rebirth of our country and to trying to cope with some of the wrongs, 
many wrongs of the past.
  Congressman Pickle, representing a southern State, was a new Member, 
faced a difficult decision, and he describes that at some length in the 
book that we have referred to and will incorporate portions of as a 
part of this Record. But I have heard him personally tell, as so many 
have here, about casting that vote and about calling the White House to 
talk to the President, it being so late, and then getting the 
opportunity to hear from the President of how very proud he was of the 
fact that Congressman Pickle cast one of the only votes from the 
southern States in support of this very critical piece of legislation.
  From there he went on to add a road here, a project there, assist a 
constituent with a veterans health care problem here, and someone who 
had a Social Security problem there. For each of those people that he 
assisted directly, and for those that he encouraged by the example of 
public service that he provided, his hard work, his integrity, his 
commitment, his gentle nature, I think he will long be remembered in 
our community.
  I was just noting another of the comments that I saw in the aftermath 
of his passing away where one of our neighbors there in central Texas, 
who identified herself as a Republican, Marcia Manor, said, ``When I 
would take my mom to vote, she always said, `I only care about voting 
for Jake.' She would of course vote for some other candidates, but Jake 
Pickle was the important vote. And when I asked her why, she said, 
`Because he always kisses me when he sees me.''' Well, Jake kissed and 
hugged a lot of folks across central Texas because he had that genuine 
warmth, that genuine Texas hospitality for which our community is 
known.
  I think that it was that individual touch and contact with people 
more than the detail of a piece of legislation that had the most 
meaning to people in our community. We will, through this Special 
Order, have an opportunity to add more extended remarks honoring Jake. 
I have been contacted by a number of our colleagues who will, over the 
course of the next several days, want to add their remarks to the 
Record and make it a part of the history of this body, reflecting on 31 
years of faithful service here in this House.
  I would just say that, Jake, I feel we owe you a tremendous debt in 
setting such a high standard for what it really means to be a public 
servant; for someone who worked the hardest for those who had the 
least; for someone whose sense of duty kept him and his loyal staff 
working long hours; and for making it all look so very easy. Thank you 
for reminding us how much one person can accomplish; what a difference 
one person can make in his or her community, world, country, State; and 
reminding us how much one person can accomplish when you devote your 
life to the service of others.
  Texas and a grateful Nation salute you and say, ``J.J. Jake Pickle, a 
job well done for America.''
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, on June 18, this nation lost a true 
patriot when James Jarrell ``Jake'' Pickle passed away. Congressman 
Jake Pickle was truly dedicated to his country, the state of Texas he 
loved so much, and to the constituents he served so dutifully. In 1942, 
young Jake Pickle began his public service by enlisting in the U.S. 
Navy and serving as a gunnery officer in World War II. After surviving 
three torpedo attacks he returned to Texas and with some fellow 
veterans established radio station KVET in Austin, Texas. As a protege 
of President Johnson, he came to the U.S. House of Representatives in 
the early 1960s looking to make a difference. He got his chance almost 
immediately.
  Bucking the trend of the times, and breaking with many from the 
Southern delegation, Congressman Pickle voted for the Civil Rights Act 
of 1964, and continued to remain a staunch advocate for civil rights 
and protections for minorities. He always said that this vote was the 
proudest moment of his career. In the early 1980s, as chairman of the 
Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, he worked to protect 
and strengthen Social Security from financial ruin. Recognizing the 
need to maintain America's technological edge and always mindful of the 
need to increase job opportunities for his constituents, he helped 
bring high-tech industries to Austin and worked to make the University 
of Texas, my alma mater and his, a cutting edge research institution.
  As I have traveled throughout my newly reconfigured district, I have 
heard numerous stories about Jake and the plastic pickles he used to 
hand out on the campaign trail. He loved the people of Texas, and was 
happiest when he was sitting at a local diner telling stories and 
listening to his constituents. I was very honored to represent my 
colleagues as part of the official Congressional delegation that was 
sent to Congressman Pickle's funeral. It is my hope that as the 
Representative for some of the communities Congressman Pickle proudly 
represented for 31 years I can continue advocating for the issues he 
cared for the most, and represent the people of the 15th Congressional 
District with the same honor, grace and dedication. I extend my sincere 
sympathy to Congressman Pickle's wife Beryl, his children, 
grandchildren, family and friends on their loss, but know that his 
memory will live on in the halls of Congress and in the communities of 
Texas.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of our former 
colleague and friend, the late Representative J.J. ``Jake'' Pickle.
  As many of you know, Jake and I served together on the Committee on 
Ways and Means for eight years. In fact, when I first began to serve on 
the Committee in 1983, I was assigned to the Subcommittee on Social 
Security, which he chaired. Jake's hard work and skill helped develop 
the legislation enacted in 1983 to enhance Social Security. Jake is 
also

[[Page 15719]]

well-remembered for his courageous vote in support of the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964 and the superior service he provided to his constituents.
  I admired Jake's ability and work ethic and appreciated his 
friendship. I will miss him and extend my deepest condolences to his 
wife Beryl and the rest of his family.
  Mr. HALL. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in paying tribute 
to a truly great former Member of the House, the late Jake Pickle of 
Austin. Jake served his district and the people of Austin for more than 
30 years and was one of the most effective and formidable 
Representatives this body has ever known.
  Jake was my colleague in the House for about half of his tenure. He 
loved this institution and was one of its leading Members throughout 
his service. Time and again, Jake convinced a majority of us to support 
appropriations and programs that benefited the citizens of his district 
around Austin--and at the same time he managed to convince us that it 
was somehow good for our districts, too.
  Jake had the intellect, personality, and drive to accomplish 
countless legislative victories for his district and our country. As a 
senior Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee, he was 
instrumental in passing major Social Security reform legislation in 
1983. This legislation helped ensure the viability of this great 
program for senior citizens for the past two decades.
  Jake managed to be both respected and beloved. He will be long 
remembered not only for his accomplishments but also for his engaging 
and flamboyant personality. His influence will be felt for generations 
to come, and he will forever be remembered in Austin as one of the 
great statesmen of the State of Texas.
  May God bless his family, and may he rest in peace.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, many great Americans have served in 
this House; men and women of conviction who represented their 
constituents with integrity, energy and devotion to assuring the 
American dream becomes a reality for all.
  Few Members of Congress have served with such unbridled enthusiasm, 
such untiring good humor and such true pleasure in the task as did my 
late colleague from Texas, Jake Pickle.
  Jake's passing last month at the age of 91 was, in many ways, the end 
of an era in Texas history. A longtime confidant of President Lyndon 
Johnson, Jake represented the 10th District of Texas for 31 years. 
During that long tenure, he set an enviable record for constituent 
service and responsiveness. No constituent concern or problem was too 
small for Jake's attention.
  Jake loved this House and took seriously his responsibility to uphold 
the integrity of the institution and the responsibilities of 
representative government.
  Sometimes his enthusiasm was expressed in his tireless work for 
legislation. At other times, it was expressed in his support for his 
beloved University of Texas Longhorns. And at other times, it was 
expressed in a quiet talk with a troubled constituent he encountered on 
Congress Avenue in downtown Austin.
  It is most fitting that Jake's funeral service was conducted in his 
church that stands in the shadow of the dome of the Texas State 
Capitol. And it is fitting that he rests now in the Texas State 
Cemetery with other leaders of the Lone Star State.
  It was both a tremendous honor and a great learning experience to 
have served in this House with Jake Pickle.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join 
my distinguished colleagues and pay tribute to my good friend, J.J. 
Pickle. Those of us who have the tremendous honor of serving in this 
great institution sometimes fail to see the giants that serve among us. 
Certainly J.J. Pickle was one of those giants.
  He was a man who gave his heart, literally, to this country. He 
poured hours after hours into trying to grapple with the important 
issues we faced as a Nation, and he did it because he loved this 
country. He was truly a public servant who cared about the people in 
the State of Texas, and cared about the people in this great country.
  It is rare that we see people in this institution who worked as hard 
as J.J. Pickle. However, in doing so, he was always able to retain his 
touch of the common man. As much as he accomplished academically and 
through the higher ranks of government in this country, he never lost 
the ability to relate to people on a day-to-day level. To me he will 
always be Jake, the fellow who would put his arm around you, smile and 
joke, and ask how things were going. He was a man who cared about you 
as an individual and I cared about people.
  He loved high-powered debates with intellectuals, but he never put on 
airs. He was one of only seven southern representatives to vote for the 
1964 Civil Rights Act legislation. He believed that his most 
significant accomplishment as a lawmaker was the 1983 Social Security 
reform bill, which he helped pass as chairman of the Social Security 
subcommittee. That legislation eased Social Security's financial 
problems by raising the age for full benefits from 65 to 67 in the year 
2000. He could talk to farmers and mechanics as easily as Presidents 
such as from his mentor, President Johnson and other leaders. It is no 
wonder the voters of Central Texas kept Jake in Congress for 31 years. 
They knew a good man when they saw him. They, and all Americans, have 
lost someone very special.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me to recognize J.J. Pickle, a 
man whose spirit and involvement has made a lasting mark on Texas and 
this Nation.
  Mr. GONZALEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to one of 
the giants of this institution and the State of Texas, a man who 
recently passed away, former Congressman J.J. ``Jake'' Pickle. Cancer 
finally beat him on June 18, 2005 and anyone who knew Congressman 
Pickle knew he did not quit on anything and fought until the end. His 
relentless approach to politics and life earned him the respect and 
admiration of the 10th Congressional District he served so well and his 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle. First elected in a special 
election in 1963, Congressman Pickle served 16 terms until stepping 
down in 1995. During his service in Washington, he chaired the House 
Subcommittee on Social Security and was instrumental in implementing 
improvements that ensured the trust fund's long term solvency for 
decades to come.
  Too often, the term public servant is casually used for any person 
who worked in the public sector, but Congressman Pickle personified 
every facet of the phrase. Congressman Pickle distinguished himself in 
a variety of service positions, beginning as the University of Texas 
student body president, as a member of the National Youth 
Administration, and as organizational secretary for the State 
Democratic Executive Committee. After being elected to Congress, he 
relished returning to his district whenever possible and upon boarding 
the plane would walk up and down the aisles as if he were working a 
campaign rally and shake everyone's hand and talk to them. Learned at 
the knee of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Congressman Pickle's 
politics hailed from an era still shaped by the Great Depression and 
small-town America, a time in which connecting with constituents was a 
must.
  Campaigning was a full contact sport in the best sense of the phrase, 
and every 2 years, he would outwork much younger campaign aides and 
sought to meet every voter in his district. For Congressman Pickle, 
politics was a person-to-person enterprise, and he would talk to his 
constituents and find out their cares and concerns. Full of stories and 
a smile for everyone, he would engage every person in his path no 
matter if he happened upon them in the halls of the Capitol or in the 
streets of Austin.
  Of course, his influence here in Washington greatly benefited Austin 
and Central Texas as he was crucial in ensuring funding for the 
University of Texas, his alma mater, and helped it become the world 
class facility it is today. Congressman Pickle fought to make sure his 
district and his state received their fair share. The university 
benefited in the millions of dollars he steered into its research, 
technological, and educational programs, and this was pivotal in making 
Austin one of our Nation's centers for high-tech enterprises such as 
Dell computers.
  However, the vote Congressman Pickle was proudest of was the one he 
cast in favor of the 1964 Civil Rights Bill, which he thought would end 
his career. As one of six southern Representatives who voted for that 
landmark piece of legislation, he thought voting his conscience and his 
principles would make him a one term Congressman. Thankfully that was 
not the case as he was given the opportunity to work tirelessly and use 
his unique set of skills in service of his district and Nation. We have 
truly lost a great American, and we are the poorer for it. Tonight, my 
prayers and thoughts are with the thousands of lives he touched and his 
family.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, my dear friend, Jake Pickle, has left us but 
he will be remembered for both his accomplishments as a great 
Congressman and his ability to make everyone laugh.
  He was a special man--a man who prided himself in his sense of 
justice and a man who could tell a ``hell of a good story.''
  Jake Pickle and I joined the Ways and Means Committee together in the 
94th Congress. It was after Rep. Helstoski was defeated in the next 
election, that I got the privilege of sitting next to Jake for the 
remainder of his career in the House of Representatives. What an 
experience it was.

[[Page 15720]]

  He squeaked green plastic pickles at me (from deep in his pocket) and 
taught me how to de-shell two pecans with one hand and a single squeeze 
(and then eat them and throw the hulls under our desks with no one 
knowing). Over time, we became a team and sent juicy pecans to Members 
sitting down the row from us. Jake always thought that ``everyone 
should have a little something in their tummies to do good work.''
  Jake Pickle and I became close personal friends over the years (as 
did our wives, Beryl and Alma). We could not have come from more 
different backgrounds--the inner-city of New York and the rolling hills 
of Texas. Yet, he became one of the Members I respected most for his 
sheer determination, unending zeal, and ability to truly develop 
bipartisan relationships.
  J.J. Pickle served in the Congress for 31 years representing the 
Texas 10th Congressional District--from December 1963-January 1995. All 
agree that Jake was a class act, a star, and someone to love because he 
loved back.
  I am one of the special few who signed his red pump organ--a treasure 
of his that he took home with him to Austin upon retirement and kept in 
his house. Signing the organ meant that you meant something to him.
  J.J. Pickle was very, very proud of his Congressional record. He 
would be the first to tell you that he did not seek to be famous, to be 
a Senator, to be Governor, or to be President. What Jake Pickle wanted 
to be was ``The Darn Best Congressman'' for his Congressional District 
and even a better one for his country. That he was, and more.
  Jake became Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee's Social 
Security Subcommittee in the early 1980s and led the charge for solving 
the system's financial problems. (It is too bad he is not with us now 
to do it again--on a bipartisan basis and in a prudent way.) The 
picture of Pickle standing next to President Reagan signing the 
``Social Security Amendments of 1983'' is a classic of the decade.
  Jake moved on and became Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee's 
Oversight Subcommittee for 10 years. One of his proudest 
accomplishments was reforming the tax code penalties so that they were 
fair to taxpayers. His face adorned the cover of a major tax 
publication titled, ``Congress At Its Best.''
  Pickle was relentless in many ways. Once he drafted a ``Taxpayer Bill 
of Rights;'' it was his personal goal to see it enacted into law--and 
it was.
  Once he learned that some TV evangelists were stealing from the 
public, it was his personal goal that they visit the Committee and 
change--and they did.
  Once he learned that tax-exempt organizations were being used as 
fronts for illegal activities; it was his goal that the Justice 
Department intervene--and they did.
  Once he learned that workers' pension plans were not funded properly; 
it was his goal to change the law to protect retirees--and he 
succeeded.
  Even to the end, he was counseling us (Members and staff) about the 
issues Congress needed to ``get a rope around and move it.''
  So I will close with the following: I missed Jake when he retired 
from Congress in 1995. But now I miss him more. He was a good man and 
he will not be forgotten.
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, I did not just like Jake Pickle; I loved 
Jake Pickle. Congressman Pickle was one of the finest public servants 
to have ever served in this House, and he was a true Texas treasure. He 
was a kind, decent, caring human being who spent his entire life making 
life better for others. Whether it was helping a veteran receive health 
care, bringing research dollars, and he brought many of them, to his 
beloved University of Texas or saving the Social Security system in 
1983, Jake was always dedicated to helping others.
  Jake Pickle's faith was shown time and time again as he lived the 
commandment to love thy neighbor. Jake Pickle lived every day with 
another biblical verse, ``This is the day the Lord hath made. Let us 
rejoice and be glad in it.'' Jake lived every day joyfully. He lit up a 
room when he walked into it because of his joyful, positive approach to 
life. His positive approach has enlightened the lives of all of us 
blessed to have known him.
  Jake Pickle exemplified courage when he voted as a freshman 
Congressman from I Texas to pass the Civil Rights Act which brought to 
reality the promise of equal opportunity to millions of African-
Americans. He did it because it was the right thing to do, even though 
it could have ended his political career.
  I want to tell one story about my friend Jake Pickle. In June of 
1994, he and I were part of a U.S. congressional delegation on the 50th 
anniversary of D-Day. After the ceremony on June 4 of 1994, our bus was 
about to leave to go back to a hotel an hour to 2 hours away. I noticed 
Jake getting off the bus by himself. I stopped, walked up to him and 
said, ``Jake, what are you doing? And he said, Why don't you come with 
me, Chet?''
  So I followed Jake Pickle off that bus. We walked several hundred 
yards. We went to Point du Hoc, that monument to American GI courage on 
D-Day when Colonel Earl Rudder led Rudder's Army Rangers up that stiff 
cliff against murderous fire by the Germans above them. It turned out 
that Jake Pickle and Earl Rudder roomed together after the death of 
Jake's first wife when then General Rudder was serving as land 
commissioner in Austin, Texas.
  So that June day in 1994, Jake Pickle got off the bus, not knowing 
how he would get back to his hotel in France, to go pay his respects to 
his personal friend and fellow Texan and American, Earl Rudder, the 
hero along with America's Rangers at Point du Hoc. That was the 
character of Jake Pickle. Our Nation will miss Jake Pickle, but the 
world is a better place today because of his life of dedicated public 
service.
  Mr. Speaker, Winston Churchill once said that we make a living by 
what we get, we make a life by what we give. By that high standard, 
Jake Pickle led a rich life, a life that enriched everyone of us 
blessed to have known him.
  Goodbye, my friend, until we meet another day. Thank you for the 
memories. Thank you for your friendship. Thank you for making America 
and the world a better place.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Texas and our Nation has lost one 
of its most genuine and gracious public servants. Last Saturday 
morning, James Jarell Pickle, ``Jake,'' passed away on Saturday, with 
his wife by his side. For 31 years, Congressman Jake Pickle represented 
my hometown in this esteemed body as a Representative to the 10th 
Congressional District of Texas. And he did so with integrity, 
humility, honor, and a sense of humor that we should all attempt to 
mirror.
  As a current holder of Congressman Pickle's seat, I work hard every 
day to provide the same kind of service to my constituents that Jake 
Pickle did to those he served. He was not just good at what he did, he 
was the best.
  His family talks about the proudest vote he ever cast was in 1964 
when he voted for the Civil Rights Act. He was one of only six southern 
Representatives to vote for that important piece of legislation. In the 
1980s, he worked hours on end to protect Social Security and keep it 
solvent. He worked even harder in the 1990s to turn Austin into the 
high-tech society that it is today.
  It is because of Jake Pickle that Austin continues to see new high-
tech businesses locate to Texas's capital city. The University of Texas 
has also benefited greatly because of Jake Pickle. UT would not be 
churning out the latest in technology and new patents, as it now does 
every year, without the help that Congressman Pickle provided. It is 
also my honor to represent the research arm of the University of Texas 
which bears the name J.J. Pickle Research Campus.
  But even as good and as smart a politician as he was, he is known 
today not for his ability to influence legislation or to help bring new 
business to his district, but rather for being a good and decent man. 
It is for this reason his nickname was Gentleman Jake. This gentleman 
served in the Navy during World War II, and worked his way through 
college by delivering milk to Austin homeowners. During his first 
congressional campaign and every time after when he was out in public, 
he was shaking the hands of those he served. He enjoyed hearing about 
their lives and telling stories about his. He listened to their 
problems and sometimes used his own money to fix whatever problems they 
were having.
  Representative Jake Pickle was a good man who will be terribly missed 
by all who knew him.
  So tonight as I stand in the well of this esteemed body, a place so 
loved and respected by Jake, I am comforted in the thought that the 
Lord above is thankful to have this great servant back home in heaven 
where I am sure he is telling stories and shaking the hands of everyone 
that he meets.
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I submit this statement for the 
Record.

                         Eulogy for J.J. Pickle

                     (By Dr. William H. Cunningham)

       Jake Pickle always referred to The University of Texas at 
     Austin as ``my University,'' and no one ever had a greater 
     right to that claim. When Jake said that, it was an 
     expression not of what The University owed to him, but of his 
     abiding love for it and all that he wanted to do to benefit 
     it.
       And benefit The University he did. Across all the 
     generations, since The University was only a dream in the 
     heart of Dr. Ashbel

[[Page 15721]]

     Smith, no one has ever loved The University of Texas more 
     than Jake Pickle.
       No one ever stood by The University with greater loyalty in 
     its time of need.
       No one has ever worked harder to help it realize its vision 
     of greatness.
       No one has ever given it wiser counsel or embraced it with 
     greater love.
       And The University never had a greater friend.
       So today we remember and celebrate a man in whose heart The 
     University held a central place. And we remember and 
     celebrate also the fact that Jake Pickle was central to the 
     rise of The University as an internationally prominent 
     institution.
       The story of The University's development and flourishing 
     since the mid-20th century is a complex one, with many 
     chapters and versus and many personalities. But no one should 
     ever underestimate the crucial importance of the fact that 
     during much of that time The University was represented in 
     Congress by Jake Pickle.
       I had the good fortune to talk with Jake on many occasions 
     about his experiences at The University, and he often said 
     that his decision to enroll at U. T. was one of the most 
     important decisions he ever made.
       To a large extent, we can thank the Great Depression for 
     that decision. Jake's older brother and sisters had gone to 
     Baylor, and everybody was assuming that Jake would follow 
     them, but the Depression intervened and changed his plans 
     dramatically.
       By the time Jake graduated from high school in his home 
     town of Big Spring in 1932, the family could no longer afford 
     to send him to Baylor, so Jake decided to enroll at The 
     University.
       Jake's father had saved a grand total of $65 to get Jake 
     started as a freshman in September of 1932. Tuition was $25 a 
     semester, and Jake's room at the Little Campus Dormitory was 
     another $25, so that left him with $15 for books and 
     everything else.
       He soon got a job delivering milk to the other residents of 
     the dormitory and made as much as twenty five cents a day--
     enough to buy a full meal.
       But even more important than the money, Jake told me that 
     his milk route enabled him to get to know the other 140 
     students in the dormitory, and those friendships later became 
     the foundation of his success in campus politics--which, in 
     turn, laid the groundwork for his success in politics in the 
     wider world.
       Like Jake, those boys were from relatively poor families, 
     drawn to the university from all over Texas by the 
     opportunity it offered for an affordable education, which in 
     turn provided a lifetime of additional social, economic, and 
     political opportunities.
       With those 140 friends from Little Campus spread out across 
     the university, Jake found that he had a strong base of 
     support when he ran for the Student Assembly and the Texas 
     Union Board.
       He later combined that base with the growing circle of 
     campus friends and supporters that he and fellow student John 
     Connally attracted when each of them ran for president of the 
     Student Government. By the way, each of them served as the 
     other's campaign manager in those elections.
       Jake served as president of the student body after he 
     entered law school in 1937, and Connally was elected the next 
     year. They both ran as ``independents,'' rather than as 
     representatives of the powerful fraternity and sorority 
     cliques, but they also had a lot of support through the Delta 
     Theta Phi fraternity--a group that Jake said went by the 
     nickname of the ``Dollar Thirty-Fives.''
       Campus politics was a serious contact sport in those days, 
     and more than one political rival learned that Jake Pickle 
     and John Connally were formidable politicians.
       As Jake told me: ``At first Connally and I went in with the 
     fraternities and sororities and other groups in what we 
     called the People's Political Party, but the fraternities 
     decided that the Little Campus men were becoming too powerful 
     so they kicked us out. So then John and I joined together and 
     organized all the independents, all the dorms and boarding 
     houses, and everything else on the campus. We divided the 
     campus into precincts and had a chairman for every one. We 
     found that there were more have-nots than haves.''
       Jake called the experience ``the best political training 
     anybody could have.''
       He told me another great story about his campaign for 
     student body president. There were three candidates--Bob 
     Eckhardt, who was another independent like Jake, and Ramsey 
     Moore, who was the candidate put forward by the fraternities 
     and sororities. Jake and John Connally were worried that the 
     independent vote would be split, thus giving the election to 
     the Greek candidate.
       First they tried to persuade Bob Eckhardt to drop out, but 
     when that didn't work Connally came up with the idea of 
     having a runoff election if no one won a majority. They 
     researched the matter and found that it was permitted by the 
     student constitution although, apparently, student body 
     presidents had always been elected with just a plurality of 
     the votes. Whether to have a runoff became a major issue 
     across the campus, and Jake and John stirred up student 
     opinion and circulated a runoff petition, so the Greeks 
     finally had to accept the idea or appear to be undemocratic.
       Well, the runoff plan backfired, because, to everyone's 
     surprise, Jake came out on top in the first round of voting! 
     If they hadn't sold everybody on the runoff, Jake would have 
     been elected that night.
       Jake told me he went to see Dean Shorty Nowotny to ask him 
     what he should do--have a runoff or not--and Shorty told Jake 
     it was up to him. Jake wrestled with the idea of ignoring his 
     own runoff petition, but he finally decided that going ahead 
     with the runoff was the right thing to do.
       Jake went on to win the runoff election and take office as 
     president!
       That campaign was also notable for Jake's use of his now 
     famous ``Pickle Pins.'' He got the idea from the H.J. Heinz 
     Co., which had given away the green pickle-shaped pins at a 
     World's Fair. Jake said he wrote to Heinz and asked to have 
     any of their old pins, and they sent him five thousand of 
     them. He and his volunteers covered up the Heinz name and 
     wrote ``Jake'' across every one of them!
       Jake never forgot the way The University brought together 
     people from all walks of life, from every station in society 
     and from all economic backgrounds, and gave them all a chance 
     to achieve and excel.
       He never forgot the friends that he made during his student 
     days and the hardships and triumphs that they shared. And, of 
     course, he never forgot The University itself.
       When Jake first ran for Congress he campaigned on the idea 
     of strengthening the Balcones Research Center and developing 
     it into a truly world-class research and development 
     facility. Building on the work of Lyndon Johnson and others 
     through the years, Jake helped The University finally gain 
     title to the Balcones site in 1971, and he contributed in 
     many ways to advancing the status of research facilities at 
     the site. Much of this work was accomplished through Jake's 
     chairmanship of the House Science, Space, and Technology 
     Committee.
       In 1994, The University of Texas System Board of Regents 
     renamed the Balcones Research Center as the J. J. Pickle 
     Research Campus in honor of Jake's noble work in support of 
     this outstanding educational enterprise.
       Jake's tireless labors on behalf of The University 
     frequently encompassed the arcane nuts and bolts of federal 
     tax policy, and he got things done that nobody else could 
     have. For example, he helped get University oil revenues 
     excluded from the windfall profits tax of the 1970s. And 
     another time, he was instrumental in passing a tax credit 
     that helped direct private-sector resources into university 
     research and development--not just at U.T. but at 
     universities across the nation.
       And he was a genius at finding ways to get the federal 
     budget to come to The University's rescue in a time of 
     crisis.
       I know that Provost Gerry Fonken, Vice Provost Steve Monti, 
     and Dean of Engineering Herb Woodson will never forget the 
     day back in 1991 when we met with Jake at the Willard Hotel 
     in Washington to try to save our microelectronics building 
     from disaster. Somehow, The University had ``value 
     engineered'' enough money out of the project so that upon its 
     completion it was nothing more than a shell of a building. 
     This $10 million problem was presented to the Board of 
     Regents by U.T. System Chancellor Hans Mark and Executive 
     Vice Chancellor Jim Duncan. I was called in to explain how I 
     was going to solve the problem. I turned to the Regents and 
     said I have a plan. Fortunately for me, they accepted my 
     brash confidence and proceeded to the next item of business. 
     Unfortunately for me, I had no plan.
       However, I did know how to call my Congressman, our 
     Congressman, the Congressman Jake Pickle.
       Within two weeks of the Regent's meeting, Gerry, Steve, 
     Herb and I were nervously waiting in the dining room of the 
     Willard Hotel to meet with Jake. He and Beryl came charging 
     into the dining room.
       Jake was running his hands through his hair, and he 
     announced before he even sat down, ``I don't know what the 
     problem is, but I will solve it!'' Within one hour he laid 
     out a strategy that involved Jim Wright, Lloyd Bentsen, and 
     Phil Gramm. With a little luck and lots of hard work, in less 
     than two years Congress implemented the Pickle plan and The 
     University was able to successfully ``compete'' for a special 
     $10 million package to support microelectronics and material 
     science.
       Now that's the kind of Congressman everybody ought to have!
       When I think back across the years and recall all those 
     times that I had the good fortune to meet with Jake, two 
     over-riding impressions stand out.
       First, it was clear that he was a man who combined the 
     qualities of uncommon vision, boundless energy, and enviable 
     political skill--and that he was always instantly ready and 
     will to bring those talents to bear for the benefit of his 
     University and its succeeding generations of students.
       And second, it was always clear that underlying everything 
     Jake did was his great love of people, the immense joy that 
     he felt just by being in the company of other people--
     listening to them, caring about them, sharing stories and 
     memories, and, yes, sharing with them the dream for a better 
     future.
       In all these ways, Jake embodied the spirit of American 
     democracy at its best--a spirit

[[Page 15722]]

     of optimism and hope and good cheer; a spirit of 
     inclusiveness and opportunity; and a spirit of public service 
     that embraced honesty, hard work, practical problem solving, 
     and faithfulness to the fundamental values and principles of 
     representative government.
       We all loved Jake, and we will always treasure his memory--
     a memory that will last for as long as the lights on the U.T. 
     tower orange and for as long as young Texans continue to come 
     to Austin seeking education and opportunity at Their 
     University.
       Jake, we love you, and HookEm' Horns!

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following eulogies honoring, 
J.J. Jake Pickle the Doggett Special Order.

                           (By Peggy Pickle)

       Austin, TX, June 22.--Good afternoon! Hot tamale!!! This is 
     not going to be a sad funeral. This is a celebration of a 
     remarkable life. I'm Jake and Beryl's daughter, Peggy. My 
     father asked me to speak on behalf of our family at his 
     memorial service.
       Everyone in this sanctuary knows what kind of man Jake 
     Pickle was. Most of you are familiar with his life and 
     career: born in West Texas in 1913, attended the University 
     of Texas, served in the Navy during World War II, had a 
     lifetime love affair with politics which included 31 years 
     representing the 10th Congressional District of Texas in the 
     United States House of Representatives. He had two wives, 
     three children, six grandchildren, and four great-
     grandchildren.
       He was a tolerant and demanding man. Tolerant because he 
     didn't believe in forcing his opinions on others. Demanding 
     because he had high standards for himself and those close to 
     him.
       It is trite to say that a person left this world a better 
     place, but in his case it is true. Hardly a day goes by 
     without my being stopped and told, ``Your father helped me 
     when my Social Security benefits dried up,'' or ``When my son 
     was injured in Vietnam, Jake Pickle cut through the red tape 
     and got him home.'' What Daddy loved about serving in 
     Congress was the clout he used to get things done. He 
     considered his staff family. Together they accomplished great 
     things.
       But my assignment today is to talk about Jake Pickle from 
     the standpoint of his family. He was the fourth child in a 
     tight-knit family of seven whose values and work ethic 
     defined the rest of his life. Jake's sister Judith and 
     brother Joe and their families are in this audience, along 
     with the families of deceased sisters Janice and Jeanette. 
     The familial bonds which sustained Jake as a child taught him 
     to treat people and relationships with respect.
       Jake and Beryl both endured the loss of their first 
     spouse--my mother, Sugar, in 1952, and Beryl's husband, 
     Graham McCarroll, in 1948. In 1960, Beryl and Jake married 
     and began their own family: Jake, Beryl, Dick, Peggy, Graham 
     and a goofy collie dog named Ike. It was a semi-normal life 
     for two years--and then Jake up and announced he was running 
     for the U.S. Congress!
       Having Jake Pickle for a husband and father was an 
     interesting experience. He was gone a lot. Except in cases of 
     family emergency, work came first. He was ``On Duty'' every 
     day except Christmas, and even then if a constituent had 
     trouble. He believed that public officials are answerable to 
     The People 24-hours-a-day, so our telephone number was listed 
     in the phone book. The phone rang all the time, sometimes at 
     3 a.m., when the constituent was drunk or had an ax to grind.
       Jake loved to work the crowd. One of his favorite places to 
     eat was Luby's Cafeteria because there was that long line of 
     people whose hands he could shake. We all know Jake was tight 
     with a buck. Once he said to me, ``If you've got some money, 
     I'll take you to Luby's.''
       Sometimes Daddy worked the crowd when I least expected it. 
     One morning 20 years ago, I drove out to Dillards in Barton 
     Creek Mall to buy, of all things, a Weed Whacker. I got there 
     early so I could cut my grass before it got hot, so I was 
     there when the doors opened. I rode the escalator up to the 
     second floor, picked out a Weed Whacker, and took it to the 
     register.
       By now it was maybe 10:05 a.m., there were few people in 
     the store, and nobody but me in the appliance department. 
     When I wrote the check and gave it to the clerk, he looked at 
     my name on the check and said, ``Pickle? Are you related to 
     Jake Pickle?'' I said I was.
       ``Well by golly,'' the guy said. ``Mr. Pickle was here this 
     morning, you just missed him.''
       ``But how?'' I stammered. ``The store just opened!''
       ``Oh, he addressed our employee meeting at 8 a.m.,'' the 
     clerk said. ``Everybody ate in the lounge. That man sure 
     seems to like his job!''
       So I paid for my Weed Whacker and left. It was funny, but 
     it also gave me an eerie feeling that Daddy could be 
     anywhere, and probably was. He was always ten steps ahead, 
     with the rest of us scrambling to catch up.
       Jake was quick to make friends and quick to forgive. It was 
     a wonderful trait for a politician because he made few 
     enemies and nursed no grudges. Both Democrats and Republicans 
     voted for him and worked with him; Jake wasn't partisan, he 
     just wanted to get things done. If at times it was hard to 
     have a legend in the family, it also made us proud. We knew 
     that he was the Gold Standard. The usual temptations like 
     money, women, alcohol and power were no match for Jake's 
     addiction: work. Growing up surrounded by politics, I cannot 
     describe the comfort of knowing that no matter what nastiness 
     was abroad, I would not open the newspaper and read my 
     father's name tainted by scandal.
       Daddy was a great motivator, and not only about 
     Congressional business, but about Jake Pickle business: his 
     bees, his garden, his pear relish, his longhorns, his stumps 
     that needed rooting at Niederwald. He rallied people with 
     such enthusiasm that it was only later, when you went home, 
     that you realized your aching back and calloused hands were 
     all you had to show for his project.
       Two of Daddy's other projects concerned Christmas. For 
     years our family had a ``Hats Off to Christmas'' tradition on 
     Christmas morning, as Jake and Beryl distributed hats they 
     had gathered during the year while on junkets--oops!, I mean 
     ``fact finding tours.'' During the 1990s, Daddy, dressed as 
     Santa, arrived in increasingly outrageous ways: in Don Cook's 
     Model A Ford, in a fire truck, on a donkey, in a sidecar 
     motorcycle. He always claimed he wanted to arrive by climbing 
     down a rope ladder from a hovering helicopter, but thank God, 
     he never tried it.
       Jake didn't care much about stuff--life's fancy trappings--
     and looking ridiculous never occurred to him. In 1961, when 
     Jake had just been appointed Texas Employment Commissioner, 
     he often drove Dick's used car to work at the fine new TEC 
     office in the Capitol Complex. Dick's '52 Ford was rusty 
     gold, with a '55 front grill, '53 headlights and two bent 
     antennas, but to the new TEC commissioner, it was damn fine 
     transportation.
       Years ago in Washington, Daddy had a vivid dream in which 
     he was being chased by a bear. In his sleep, he hollered and 
     flew out of bed, cracking his head on the bedside table. 
     Beryl woke to find him holding his bleeding nose, but happy 
     he had outrun the bear. For weeks, my father went to work on 
     Capitol Hill with black eyes that faded to green and yellow. 
     Cheerfully, he told everybody about his dream--and his narrow 
     escape. I always wondered what people thought. Probably oh, 
     that's just Jake!
       He was a stickler for details, always carrying around a 
     piece of paper and a pen in his coat pocket so he could make 
     notes. It will surprise no one that he helped plan this 
     funeral. He was habitually late because he was always coming 
     from another event--and on his way to the next one. His 
     memory was phenomenal. When he ran into a constituent, he 
     remembered their name, their spouse or where they worked.
       He loved his family and friends, ice cream, a good story, 
     playing the harmonica, Christmas, the University of Texas, 
     this church, the principles of Democracy, banging on the 
     piano, the hymns of his childhood, dominoes. . . . and a 
     thousand other things. He was innately curious and asked 
     questions constantly. He was a very tough old bird. He 
     endured treatment for cancer which at his age should have 
     killed him, but he hunkered down and got through it. He won 
     remission from cancer an incredible five times. Being 
     weakened irritated him; it cut into his schedule! Right up to 
     the end, he found life interesting. Mom and Pop Pickle 
     whispered in his ear: he always tried to do the right thing.
       After my father retired from Congress, and during the years 
     of his decline, many of the people in this Sanctuary--and 
     others not present today--came to visit Jake and Beryl. If he 
     worried that once out of the public eye, he would be 
     forgotten, he needn't have. On behalf of our family, we thank 
     you. Your visits, laughter, advice and friendship meant the 
     world to them.
       My father's legacy is considerable. There are buildings, 
     schools, research facilities, an airport runway and children 
     named after him. Legislation he helped pass changed this 
     country for the better. He counted the mighty among his 
     friends, but treated no person better than another.
       But of all his legacies, the one I'm most grateful for is 
     his allowing me to be my own person. He raised me with easy 
     affection instead of a preconceived idea of how a little girl 
     should act. As an adult I have come to understand that the 
     worst thing you can do to any person, especially a child, is 
     to stifle their spirit. Jake Pickle made you want to do your 
     best. I can think of no greater accolade for any person.
       I enjoyed a 59-year relationship with my father. Because he 
     was ill for a long time and I witnessed his suffering, I've 
     already grieved for him. I do not grieve for him today. 
     Instead, I am proud of the person that he was and the life he 
     tried to live, right up to the end.
       We have other speakers today. As Daddy would say, ``Keep it 
     short. People need to get back to work!''
       Thank you for being here to help us say goodbye.

                   Eulogy for Congressman J.J. Pickle

                           (By Paul Hilgers)

       Austin, TX, June 22.--Surely you would all know that it is 
     a great honor to be asked to represent the people who worked 
     on Mr. Pickle's staff.
       Once you were on the staff, it was a lifetime appointment. 
     Whether you were on the

[[Page 15723]]

     payroll or not, it did not matter. We work for him because we 
     love and respect him.
       Like all Pickle staffers, I never knew how hard I could 
     work in one day, or how many people I could help in one day 
     until I started working with Jake Pickle.
       We are a proud bunch, those of us who worked in the 
     ``Pickle Factory'' as we called it. I would like to ask all 
     of you who served on Mr. Pickle's staff to stand. There are 
     many more who could not be here today and a few were already 
     doing advance work in heaven.
       Those who worked in his office understood the importance of 
     their job. Whether it was the District Director, the 
     Administrative Assistant who ran the office in Washington, 
     the legislative assistant, the caseworker, or the person who 
     was on the real front line answering the phone and greeting 
     people, he made you feel that what you were doing was 
     critical. He knew that it all had to work together to 
     properly serve the public. He valued the role we each played.
       We have a bond that will never be broken, built upon his 
     singular dedication to public service. It is a bond built 
     upon the common experience of knowing this very uncommon man 
     who was so proud of the service we provided together.
       We are also bound together by the great Pickle stories. 
     Now, Dr. Cunningham, I need to mention just a couple that 
     escaped your remarks about his time at the University. Like 
     the time he got caught stealing turnips from one of his 
     professor's garden. And, while he did love being in Little 
     Campus, there were stories about nailing their roommates 
     furniture upside down to the ceiling. There are so many 
     stories, way too many stories to tell.
       So, when the staffers get together, only a word or a phrase 
     is needed to spark memories of the experiences we shared: 
     squeaky pickles, the county black books, 1000 acres of 
     beautiful topsoil, the Pickle Float, full tank of gas and an 
     empty bladder, retrieving that Stetson, the dry run, the 
     Virgil Conn story, playing the harmonica and the piano, the 
     pump organ.
       There were the annual episodes of serving Venison Chili to 
     the entire House of Representatives every Texas Independence 
     Day, or feeding catfish from the Inks Lake Fish Hatchery to 
     the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
       And stories about parades! Parades with and without squeaky 
     pickles, cars that worked, and cars that did not. Once, there 
     was a car with a stick shift that Ms. Pickle had to drive.
       Always a convertible so he could be seen and so he could 
     throw his pickles. Parades where he was the Grand Marshall 
     and the first car in the parade, and the one where he 
     followed the horses, after his third parade of the day.
       At the end of the parade route--Mr. Pickle would stop the 
     car, get out and walk both sides of the route personally 
     shaking every hand and handing out more squeaky pickles.
       Most of all he was fun--he was fun to be with.
       Our stories are his lasting legacy to us--which is fitting 
     because he was the master storyteller. He knew how to use 
     humor to communicate his message. He would make people laugh, 
     just before he would make them think about a serious issue 
     facing our Nation or our community.
       Staffers who took Mr. Pickle to an event were asked two 
     questions just as we arrived: (1) ``what is my key message'', 
     and (2) ``tell me something funny to say.'' We had the old 
     regulars--the Claude Pepper story, the Round Rock story, 
     Dollars for Democrats, but not a Nickel for Pickle story. 
     Many times he would turn to Mrs. Pickle for some of his best 
     material.
       We worked hard but his sense of humor made the job 
     enjoyable. But, no one worked harder than he did.
       He would start the week with a 6:20 a.m. flight to 
     Washington on Monday mornings. He would put in 15 hour days 
     in Committee hearings, holding meetings with people from the 
     District or from associations and businesses, casting 
     countless votes on the floor of the House, working the 
     phones, signing the mail, reviewing legislation, and then 
     attending 2-4 receptions before going home to Ms. Beryl.
       He would keep that schedule everyday until Friday about 
     12:00 noon when he would fly back to Austin at 5:00 p.m. We 
     would go immediately to the office where he would sign all 
     the mail that had been prepared by the District staff that 
     week. He signed virtually every piece of mail that went out 
     of his Office. This is how he kept up with what was happening 
     to his constituents.
       We would often sign the mail on Friday and see one of those 
     constituents at an event that weekend. He would tell them how 
     their case was going, or that we had just sent off the 
     letter. That made an impression on people--they knew that he 
     cared.
       He would go to Church on Sunday and we would have some 
     event that evening before I had to get him back to the 
     Airport on Monday mornings. No matter how tired I would get, 
     spending the weekend with Mr. Pickle would re-energize you. 
     His love of public service and his energy was contagious.
       He campaigned even harder! He was relentless. On weekends, 
     we would have to have three shifts of staff just to keep up!
       So many times people would say . . . he is the only 
     Democrat I ever voted for . . . or, I don't always agree with 
     him, but I always voted for him. He wanted every vote. He 
     earned every vote.
       Just one example: a person came to him and asked for help 
     in finding a job--just one of thousands who asked for help. 
     Mr. Pickle sent out the man's resume a number of times who 
     always seemed to be a finalist for the job, but without 
     success. After several months of writing letters and 
     requesting interviews, I asked Mr. Pickle one day while I was 
     driving him home if he had not done enough and why he was 
     trying so hard to help this man?
       He looked at me and said simply, ``Paul, the man asked me 
     for help. Is there any other reason that I need to try and 
     help him?'' He loved helping people.
       Mr. Pickle represented the people of Central Texas to the 
     Federal government, but he was also a representative of the 
     Federal government to the people of Central Texas. He loved 
     welcoming people from the District to Washington. No one gave 
     a tour of the Capital like a Jake Pickle tour of the Capital. 
     He took people in places where you just are not supposed to 
     go. He made the Capital come alive with its history.
       He had a vision and a love for Central Texas that no one 
     could match. He was our strongest lobbyist and he lobbied for 
     so many things in addition to UT and SEMATECH. Boggy Creek, a 
     Wildlife Refuge, airports (big ones and small ones), the 
     right of way for MoKan. He worked on behalf of the Austin 
     Housing Authority, the Boy Scouts, Veterans Outpatient 
     Clinic, IRS Service Center, the LCRA, Bergstrom Air Force 
     Base, Flood Control on the Upper San Marcos Watershed, the 
     Visitors Center at the LBJ National Park, the Gary Job Corps, 
     and literally a thousand other things for Central Texans.
       Yes, Mr. Pickle worked hard for Central Texas, but he was 
     one of Washington's most respected members of Congress. He 
     believed in having personal relationships with other members 
     of Congress . . . on both sides of the aisle. This is evident 
     by those in attendance today.
       Integrity, Honesty, Loyalty, Courage, Determination, 
     Tenacity--these are the qualities that he relied upon to 
     become a trusted legislator. These are the qualities that 
     defined Jake Pickle.
       Of all of the legislative work and votes over 31 years, he 
     took the greatest pride in one of his first: the Civil Rights 
     Act. He would get tears in his eyes every time he told the 
     story when President Johnson called him the night the Civil 
     Rights Act passed. The President demanded that Mr. Pickle 
     call him no matter what time of night so he could tell him 
     how proud he was of his vote.
       He was also proud of his work as Chairman of the Ways and 
     Means Subcommittees of Social Security and Oversight. His 
     most important legislative accomplishment was in maintaining 
     solvency of the Social Security system in 1983. He worked 
     closely with Senator Bob Dole on legislation that represented 
     a bi-partisan approach to the problem. He told me many times 
     that providing a sense of security to tens of millions of 
     Americans gave him a deep sense of pride and meaning.
       Third, was his work in the area of pensions and pension 
     reform. He could see problems in the system long before they 
     became the crisis they are today. In fact, if not for some of 
     the reforms he put into place, the crisis would be much 
     greater today. He would say pensions are not a very 
     newsworthy subject, but it was damned important to families 
     counting on them.
       The J. J. Pickle formula for success in government was 
     really very simple: a dedication to public service plus a 
     love of helping people, multiplied by a deep faith in our 
     system of government.
       He placed the highest priority on constituent service 
     because he thought the highest calling of government was to 
     help people with their problems. He was committed to being 
     responsive and accessible.
       Mr. Pickle often referred to the Congressional Office as 
     ``the big buffer'' between the individual and ``big 
     government.'' It was the place where any citizen, rich or 
     poor, democrat or republican, could come for help when there 
     was nowhere else to turn.
       Finally, Mr. Pickle had a truly unique ability to balance a 
     short-term immediate focus with his long-term vision. He 
     taught us that the best public policy always made the best 
     politics.
       Social Security legislation was to be based upon solvency 
     of the system, pension policy based on protecting the pension 
     holders not big business, civil rights legislation based on 
     justice and equal protection.
       Locally, his long-term vision included the need for inter-
     modal transportation systems, two runways at Bergstrom 
     Airport, flood control systems, public power, solar energy, 
     habitat for endangered species and protection of water 
     quality, a first class research facility at UT's Balcones 
     Research Center that bears his name.
       There is a phrase he used in some of his later speeches, 
     ``In the Shadows of Greatness''. Referring to the portion of 
     MoPac north of U.S. Hwy 183 that runs between MCC and the 
     J.J. Pickle Research Campus--

[[Page 15724]]

     he talked about how people would drive through that corridor 
     not realizing that they were actually traveling ``in the 
     shadows of greatness'' because of the world class research 
     being conducted in the buildings they were passing by.
       Those of us on the Pickle staff understand a different 
     meaning for this phrase. We worked in the Shadows of 
     Greatness every day we were with him. He had an impact on 
     this world and particularly on this community that is--as he 
     predicted--already being forgotten by most.
       But, his fingerprints are everywhere. His legacy of public 
     service, of loyalty to his University, of his commitment to 
     good and responsive government has been recognized through 
     the naming of the Federal Building, the Research Center, the 
     Elementary School, the Pickle Runway at Bergstrom Airport, 
     and even a peach orchard on Town Lake.
       So, on behalf of your eternal staff . . . we will never 
     forget what you taught us. We will always celebrate and 
     treasure our time with you. My prayer is that you are 
     already--cheating at dominoes with all of your friends--
     friends who have been waiting so long for you. I am confident 
     that the quality of life in heaven just got better.
       God Bless You, Great Leader, for your service, for your 
     legacy, for giving us the opportunity work in your great 
     shadow!
       We had a great ride!!

  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________