[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 29414]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            IN HONOR OF THE LIFE OF SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Saturday, December 17, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of 
Senator William Proxmire. For over three decades, Senator Proxmire 
served the people of Wisconsin with a tenacious devotion to the 
principles of civic responsibility and ethical leadership. The effects 
of his determination to uphold these values reach beyond the Badger 
State and the halls of the Senate, as his legacy of fighting for 
integrity and accountability in governance has benefited all people of 
the United States.
  Public service shaped Senator Proxmire's life at an early age. After 
graduating from Yale University in 1938, he served our country in World 
War II as an officer in the Army Counterintelligence Corps. His desire 
to continue fighting for the American people brought him to Wisconsin, 
where he served in the state Assembly from 1950-1956. In 1958 he won 
his first victory for the United States Senate where he went on to 
serve for over 30 years.
  Senator Proxmire was most well known for his Golden Fleece awards, 
which he used to single out ``wasteful, ridiculous or ironic use of the 
taxpayers'' money. `` Senator Proxmire brought many important issues to 
the people's attention and because of these awards he was able to halt 
numerous science and academic projects that were of no real value. He 
will forever be remembered for his contributions to this end and for 
making wasteful government spending a real issue.
  Senator Proxmire's 32 years in the Senate were distinguished by 
innumerable accomplishments. He was the driving force behind the 1968 
``Truth in Lending'' act, critically improving the transparency and 
fairness of loans. He fought racial discrimination in real estate. As 
chairman of the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, he 
authored the 1980 Banking Deregulation Act. However, his most 
significant contribution was his tireless determination for the 
ratification of an international treaty outlawing genocide. Nearly 
every day for 19 years, Senator Proxmire spoke of the importance of the 
treaty from the Senate floor until it was finally adopted in 1986.

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