[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17826-17829]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE LATE ROBERT E. O'CONNOR, 
                                  JR.

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 983) honoring the life and accomplishments 
of the late Robert E. O'Connor, Jr.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 983

       Whereas Robert E. O'Connor, Jr., was a life-long resident 
     of the City of Pittsburgh;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor was a dedicated husband and father, 
     who was married to Judy Levine for more than 40 years and who 
     raised three children;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor was a successful entrepreneur and 
     businessman for more than two decades;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor was actively involved in his church 
     and community service, serving on the Board of Directors of 
     Carnegie-Mellon University, Gateway Rehabilitation Institute, 
     the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, The Caring 
     Foundation, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor loved the City and his community so 
     much that he left the private sector in 1992 to serve on the 
     Pittsburgh City Council, where he served his community 
     effectively until 2003;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor served two terms as Pittsburgh City 
     Council President;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor served the City of Pittsburgh and all 
     of southwestern Pennsylvania in a high-ranking position in 
     the government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a 
     year;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor was elected the 58th Mayor of 
     Pittsburgh in 2005;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor, as the Mayor of Pittsburgh, inspired 
     the citizens of the City of Pittsburgh with his bold, clear 
     vision for a revitalized, vibrant community;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor, after being sworn in as Mayor in 
     January of 2006, began moving forward energetically with 
     plans to make that vision a reality;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor, only seven months into his first term 
     in office, was diagnosed with a primary central nervous 
     system lymphoma;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor, after a valiant struggle to fight 
     this aggressive form of cancer, passed away on September 1, 
     2006;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor was widely respected and loved for his 
     warmth, friendliness, intelligence, integrity, and his 
     dedication to the City of Pittsburgh;
       Whereas Mr. O'Connor is remembered for his common sense, 
     his many accomplishments, his long record of public service, 
     and his dedication to the City of Pittsburgh;
       Whereas the citizens of the City of Pittsburgh have 
     suffered a grievous loss in the untimely early death of this 
     popular and talented leader; and
       Whereas the example set by Mr. O'Connor in both his public 
     and private life was exemplary: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) has learned with profound sorrow of the death of Bob 
     O'Connor;
       (2) recognizes Bob O'Connor as a role model of 
     entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and public service in 
     southwestern Pennsylvania and throughout the entire Nation;
       (3) expresses its deep gratitude to Bob O'Connor for 
     working tirelessly on behalf of the citizens of Pittsburgh, 
     Pennsylvania;
       (4) extends condolences to his wife, Judy, his children, 
     Heidy, Terrence, and Corey, his extended family, and his many 
     friends; and
       (5) extends condolences to the residents of the City of 
     Pittsburgh.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. 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 the resolution under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, a lifelong resident of the city of Pittsburgh and a 
devoted husband and father of three, Robert E. O'Connor, Jr., brought 
compassion and dedication to every project that he undertook.
  His political career began in 1991 when he won a Pittsburgh City 
Council seat, and his tenure with the council set the tone for the rest 
of his career.
  Mr. O'Connor was passionate about giving the citizens of his city 
tangible results and focused on making neighborhoods safe, on cleaning 
up the streets, and giving city workers the tools they needed to do 
their job.
  Mr. O'Connor became president of the council in 1998; and after 
waiting patiently while continuing to serve his city, he won the 
mayor's election in 2005. As mayor, Mr. O'Connor devoted himself to 
fixing Pittsburgh's financial problems and fostering relationships with 
the county and State governments. His leadership and friendship were 
what defined him to the citizens that he served, and one resident spoke 
of him by calling him ``a pillar that cannot be shaken.''
  Just 185 days into his administration as mayor, Mr. O'Connor was 
admitted to the hospital and was eventually diagnosed with primary 
central nervous system lymphoma. He bravely fought the disease until he 
passed away on September 1, 2006; and he leaves behind him a legacy of 
integrity, compassion, dedication, and intelligence that the city of 
Pittsburgh will not forget.
  I urge all Members to come together to recognize the remarkable life 
and accomplishments of Mr. Robert E. O'Connor by adopting House 
Resolution 983.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such 
time as

[[Page 17827]]

he might consume to the sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle).
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer this resolution 
honoring the life and accomplishments of the late Robert E. O'Connor, 
Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, as you know, the city of Pittsburgh recently lost its 
mayor, Bob O'Connor, to a rare but deadly form of cancer. He checked 
into the hospital with what we all thought was flu in early July, and 
he passed away after a valiant fight against cancer on September 1.
  Mr. Speaker, every cancer death is a tragedy, of course. What makes 
this death so significant is the impact that it has had on the city of 
Pittsburgh.
  Bob O'Connor was a true son of Pittsburgh. He was born and raised 
there. He went to church there. He went to school there. He worked in 
the steel mills in his youth. He went on to great success as a 
businessman and entrepreneur. And, finally, more than 20 years ago, he 
began a distinguished career in public service.
  Now, a record of public service like his deserves recognition in its 
own right, but Bob O'Connor was not your typical public servant. He was 
an intelligent, outgoing, charismatic man, widely respected for his 
ability to bring people together and for his commitment to the city of 
Pittsburgh. Everybody knew Bob, and I daresay everybody loved him.
  Our community was excited and enthusiastic about the good things that 
he and his administration were going to do for the city. That is why 
his death has been such a blow to the citizens of Pittsburgh. I would 
like to take some time this afternoon to share a little more about this 
remarkable man with my colleagues.
  Bob O'Connor was born December 9, 1944, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 
the son of Robert E. O'Connor, Sr., a truck mechanic and combat 
veteran, and Mary Anne Dever O'Connor, a full-time homemaker. He grew 
up in Pittsburgh and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School in 
1962. For the next 5 years, Bob worked in the Jones & Laughlin steel 
mill. During that same period of time, he courted his future wife, Judy 
Levine, who was also a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School.
  The two eloped to West Virginia and were married there in 1964, and 
they enjoyed 41 wonderful years of marriage together. They subsequently 
had three children, Heidy, Terrence and Corey, of whom they were both 
very proud.
  Throughout his adult life, Bob was actively involved in his church 
and his community. He was active first in St. Philomena's Roman 
Catholic Church and then St. Rosalia's, and he served on the Board of 
Directors of Carnegie-Mellon University, Gateway Rehabilitation 
Institute, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, The Caring 
Foundation, and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall.
  In 1967, Bob entered the restaurant business with several of his in-
laws, and over the next two decades he achieved great success in these 
endeavors, eventually becoming executive vice president of a regional 
restaurant chain.
  In 1990, Bob left his successful career in the private sector to run 
for public office. He sought and won a seat on Pittsburgh's city 
council and served on that council with distinction for the next 12 
years, serving as council president for four of those years.
  Bob had a strong, clear vision for revitalizing the city of 
Pittsburgh, a vision that sometimes was at odds with the agenda of 
then-Mayor Tom Murphy. Consequently, during his years on city council, 
Bob ran twice unsuccessfully for mayor in 1997 and again in 2001. He 
ran strong, competitive races and came very close to winning, losing to 
Mr. Murphy in 2001 by only 699 votes.
  In 2003, Bob left city council to serve his community running the 
Governor of Pennsylvania's regional office covering the southwestern 
section of the Commonwealth. But he felt so strongly about his vision 
for renewing Pittsburgh that he left that position after a year and ran 
for mayor for a third time last year. He won in a landslide, and he was 
sworn into office as the 58th mayor of the city of Pittsburgh last 
January.
  This new administration was welcomed enthusiastically by all of 
Pittsburgh, and the mayor began to implement his plans for revitalizing 
our downtown, solving the city's budget woes and stemming the city's 
ongoing population loss. Even his political opponents wished him well 
and bore him no ill will.
  Sadly, earlier this summer, just as Bob's efforts were picking up 
steam, he was diagnosed with primary central nervous system lymphoma, 
an extremely rare form of cancer. True to form, Bob opted for an 
aggressive treatment regimen that his doctors believed offered the best 
hope for a cure. The initial results of his treatment were promising, 
but in late August his health took a turn for the worse; and he passed 
away, surrounded by his family, on September 1.
  Bob is survived by his wife, Judy, his daughter Heidy, his son Corey, 
and his son Father Terrence, and three granddaughters, Kennedy, 
McKenzie and Delaney.
  I am pleased to note that Judy O'Connor, Heidy Garth, Corey O'Connor, 
Father Terrence O'Connor, Bob's granddaughters Kennedy, McKenzie and 
Delaney Garth, his sister-in-law DeeDee Pelled, his niece Maya Beck, 
and Judy's brothers, Larry Levine and Buddy Klemp, along with close 
family friends Mike Corey and Bob Jabonowski, are here in the House 
gallery today to witness consideration of this legislation, which I 
believe will be approved overwhelmingly.
  I would like to recognize them and ask them to stand. I would ask 
that the House give its greeting. Thank you so much for being here. I 
am pleased that they could all be here in person to see the House honor 
a man they all loved so deeply.
  I would like to ask all of the House to vote for this overwhelmingly 
because Bob O'Connor was not just another elected official. He was a 
man of great worth, generosity, vision and integrity. He was a 
successful businessman and a widely respected public servant with a 
distinguished record of service and a potential for even greater 
accomplishments.
  His untimely death at the age of 61, so soon after beginning his 
first term as mayor, has deeply saddened the residents of Pittsburgh as 
well as his family and friends. I am proud to claim him as a good 
friend of mine, and I will miss him deeply. Pittsburgh has lost a 
promising leader.
  I have introduced this resolution with my colleague from Pittsburgh, 
Congressman Tim Murphy, to honor Bob O'Connor's life, mourn his loss, 
and extend the House of Representatives' condolences to his family, 
friends and constituents. We felt that it was fitting that the Nation 
officially recognize his passing in this manner.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in paying our respects 
to this quintessential American, family man, businessman, man of faith, 
philanthropist and public servant, and in celebrating his remarkable 
life.
  I would like to close by thanking Majority Leader Boehner for his 
help in scheduling consideration of this resolution in such short 
order.
  I would also like to thank Chairman Davis and Ranking Member Waxman 
for moving this legislation quickly through the Government Reform 
Committee.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Weller). The Chair would remind Members 
not to draw attention to visitors in the gallery.

                              {time}  1445

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the distinguished gentleman from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Murphy).
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.
  Now, you have to imagine what it was like to meet Mayor Bob O'Connor. 
He was not a man of great physical stature and height, but he made up 
for it with what one reporter, Rich Lord, referred to him as a large 
tuft of whipped cream white hair that stood high upon his head, and he 
loved to get out throughout the City of Pittsburgh. He was one that was 
very much hands

[[Page 17828]]

on. Whether it was a set of stairs in the city that was falling into 
disrepair or checking out potholes or just walking down the street, 
there was Bob O'Connor. In fact, one of his last public acts was to be 
on top of a cherry picker where he personally installed the first 
wireless system for the city because he wanted the Nation to see a 
wireless downtown Pittsburgh for the Major League Baseball All-Star 
game.
  Now, he also had a plan going at that time to ``redd up'' the city. 
Now, for the purpose of the Record and for the Nation, it is important 
to know that in Pittsburgh this type of ``redd'' is spelled r-e-d-d, 
and it does not mean you paint the town red, but it is a term that 
means to make ready, much like, as we would say in the Burg, ``yinz 
going to get redd up for this event,'' meaning make things look good in 
the city. And that is, indeed, what the mayor was about to do, when 
suddenly he and his family were hit with a diagnosis that he had 
cancer, a very rare cancer of which there is really only a handful of 
cases that had been diagnosed in this Nation, and as rare as the cancer 
was itself so was the knowledge of the treatment for it.
  Now, I worked with Mayor O'Connor over the last decade not only when 
he was on city council but also when he represented Governor Rendell 
for southwestern Pennsylvania and then finally as mayor of the City of 
Pittsburgh. I am pleased to have called him friend, although I found, 
attending his funeral that was packed at the cathedral, that so many 
called him friend, and, indeed, that only seemed natural because you 
could not help be around Bob O'Connor and not leave the room feeling 
that you had made a new friend forever. Indeed, this man's compassion 
for love and affection is one that I would see, that he and Judy's 
wedding would be measured as lasting an eternity and not just a few 
decades.
  What struck me most about this wonderful, kind, and gentle man is he 
was a person who personified the best in what a public servant can be. 
He certainly was a gracious, affable man, a tireless worker, and a 
leader who sincerely wanted to improve the lives of Pittsburgh. I know 
whenever I talked to him about issues, although I do not personally 
represent the City of Pittsburgh itself, whenever we spoke about issues 
in the remainder of southwestern Pennsylvania, he would say that what 
was good for the city was good for the region and what was good for the 
region was good for the city. And because he took down those barriers, 
it made him all the more pleasant to work with. But in addition, he 
took down political barriers perhaps because, as a professional 
businessman, he worked for a couple of decades managing a chain of 
restaurants and he learned about the importance of putting the customer 
first. His people-oriented personal policy helped him set aside the 
politics in discussions.
  He was perhaps most admired for being a man of his word. A handshake 
was a true contract. And all of us, unfortunately, live in an era of 
extreme partisanship at all government levels. When we sit here in this 
Chamber and we watch debate, too often what should be discussed as 
policy turns into rancor. Accusations fly back and forth, and as such, 
the Nation who may sit and watch C-SPAN or be in the gallery watching 
this proceeding sometimes wonder if we can get along at all. Indeed, we 
do recognize that we do get some things done in this Chamber, but it is 
unfortunate, actually tragic, that sometimes the issues of politics 
stand so far above policy that the public, indeed, just continues to 
wonder what is it that comes first. But that was not my experience with 
Bob O'Connor.
  It is important to know that he was the kind of guy that perhaps the 
best compliment you could say about him is you never had to look over 
your shoulder because what you said to him would be held in confidence, 
would not end up in a newspaper or show up in a campaign ad. That was 
not how he did things. You knew that he was honest, congenial, and 
pragmatic. And even when Mayor O'Connor or President of Council 
O'Connor had conflicts, I don't recall his ever turning it into a 
public session of whining or political smearing. Rather, he handled it 
in a professional manner.
  One of the ways that we can mark the hope that his death brought was 
comments made by his son the Reverend Terry O'Connor, when he said that 
``This is a day marked with much sadness. It is also a day filled with 
a tremendous amount of hope,'' he said at his father's funeral, ``hope 
in God's loving and mysterious plan for my dad and for us all.'' He 
recalled a time when in the 1990s there was a big blizzard in 
Pittsburgh, and Bob O'Connor, being the sort of man he was, made sure 
all the kids got in their car, slipping and sliding and fishtailing a 
bit down the street to get to mass, saying there were about five or so 
other people in attendance, and he said, ``I guarantee you they all 
walked.''
  Bob O'Connor lived the Golden Rule, believing to do unto others as 
you would have them do unto you. Indeed, that was his motivation for 
getting into politics. He wanted to help people. He helped start the 
Caring Place in Pittsburgh, a facility used to help children who lost 
loved ones, a place that is remembered by so many other people.
  I will miss Bob O'Connor, as will so many people of Pittsburgh; of 
St. Rosalia Parish; of Greenfield; of everybody from the Giant Eagle, 
where he shopped, to the coffee places he got his coffee every day. We 
will miss him because of his generosity, his friendship, his kind Irish 
smile. But we are so very grateful for what he left behind, a wonderful 
caring family who carry on his legacy and, above all that, a 
Pittsburgh, which is a grateful, grateful town of Pennsylvania, which 
is a grateful State for not just what he left but for what he left all 
of us, inspiration and hope for the future.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 
such time as she may consume to the Democratic leader and the 
distinguished gentlewoman from California, Representative Nancy Pelosi.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) for yielding.
  I am honored to join our colleagues Mr. Murphy and Mr. Doyle to pay 
tribute to a great American. I thank Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen also 
for her work for bringing this important legislation to the floor, 
important because we are honoring a person who made a contribution to 
every aspect of American life, who served as mayor for a very short 
time, a matter of months, not a full year, but although the time was 
short, the mark was a deep and a great one.
  I had the privilege of meeting the mayor at the invitation of 
Congressman Doyle in Pittsburgh earlier this year, really the beginning 
of the summer, and at that time we had no knowledge of the diagnosis. 
In fact, the opportunity to be welcomed to Pittsburgh was one that I 
appreciated enormously. And the mayor made an impression from the 
start. As a mother of five children myself, I started to talk about my 
children; he started talking about his. He told me how proud he was of 
all of his children, of Heidy and of Father Terrence and of Corey, and 
he said, My son is a priest, my wife is Jewish. We have a mixed 
marriage, and you figure that out. But it showed the building of 
bridges, the love and warmth of a family and the support that they gave 
this very special man.
  Bob O'Connor, Mr. Mayor, understood the private sector. He understood 
the public sector, and he understood everything in between. Community 
service, the nonprofit sector, where he was so active. So as the House 
Democratic leader, I want to rise and join Mr. Murphy and Mr. Doyle in 
a bipartisan way and associate myself with the wonderful remarks they 
both made about their mayor, the mayor of their city, and to extend 
condolences to Judy, whom obviously he had enormous respect, affection, 
and love for. He talked about her the entire lunch when he wasn't 
talking about Heidy, Father Terrence, and Corey, and about the great 
City of Pittsburgh, which he loved. He was so excited about the All-
Star game, just talked about the All-Star game and, as Congressman 
Murphy said, how the city was ``redding up'' for the All-Star game. How 
I

[[Page 17829]]

wished he could have attended it in the glory of the new mayor of the 
city. Instead, God decided that his mark would be a short one but, 
again, a great one.
  And I am so pleased that the House of Representatives brings honor to 
this House in honoring Mayor Bob O'Connor. And I thank my colleagues 
for giving us this opportunity to pay tribute to him, to extend our 
condolences to Judy, Corey, Father Terrence, and Heidy, and to all who 
love and respected Mayor Bob O'Connor.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mayor Robert 
O'Connor, Jr. and to support House Resolution 983.
  As has been indicated, Bob O'Connor's decade-long goal to become the 
mayor of Pittsburgh came to fruition this past January. Humbled by his 
political success, O'Connor stood at his inauguration ceremony before a 
crowd of supporters who braved subfreezing temperatures, and he spoke 
of economic renewal and of bridging divides that existed between 
various communities in Pittsburgh. His message of unification and 
revitalization was well received.
  Sadly, Mr. O'Connor would have only a short time to implement his 
dream for the City of Pittsburgh. Six months into office, he was 
diagnosed with T cell lymphoma, a rare cancer of the brain and spinal 
cord. Mayor O'Connor's case was advanced, and his fight would last only 
2 months. On September 1, 2006, Mayor O'Connor succumbed to cancer, and 
Pittsburgh lost a leader of business, politics, and philanthropy.
  Like so many of Pittsburgh's native sons and daughters, Mayor 
O'Connor began his career in the steel mills. Hard work later led him 
to become a leader in business as the head of the Pappan chain of 
restaurants.
  Mayor O'Connor's interests reflected his commitment to the city. By 
sitting on the boards of the Carnegie-Mellon University, the Gateway 
Rehabilitation Institute, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, 
the Caring Foundation, and the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, 
Mayor O'Connor supported some of the finest organizations in 
Pittsburgh. All of the organizations gave to the community and 
reflected O'Connor's commitment to the public good and the welfare of 
others.
  Mayor O'Connor's desire to give something back to Pittsburgh led him 
into public service in 1992, when he first was elected to the 
Pittsburgh City Council. He served on the council for the next decade, 
all the while attaining leadership roles that included two terms as the 
council's president. When he left the council, he continued to work for 
the public by working for Governor Ed Rendell. Those who knew O'Connor 
well said that O'Connor achieved his dream when he was elected mayor of 
Pittsburgh and that the victory represented O'Connor's sound philosophy 
of revitalization for the city, his kind demeanor, and a sharp 
intellect.
  Mayor O'Connor is survived by his wife, Judy; daughter, Heidy; and 
sons, Corey and Terrence. As a true demonstration of his commitment to 
the public good, Mayor O'Connor's family requested that mourners who 
wish to express their condolences make donations to either the Sudden 
Infant Death Syndrome Alliance or the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, two 
organizations he and his family cared deeply about.
  Pittsburgh mourns the loss of Mayor Bob O'Connor and we join them 
today. I send my deepest condolences to the O'Connor family and to the 
City of Pittsburgh, and I urge passage of House Resolution 983.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the 
adoption of House Resolution 983 honoring the life of Mr. Robert E. 
O'Connor, Jr.
  Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 983, which 
honors the life of Mayor Robert E. O'Connor.
  Throughout his life, Mayor O'Connor was an active member of our 
community. He was a successful businessman and public servant who had 
an energetic and hopeful vision for Pittsburgh.
  More importantly, he was a loving husband for more than 40 years and 
raised three children--an accomplishment I am sure he held very close 
to his heart.
  I will remember Mayor O'Connor fondly and I hope his family can find 
some comfort in the many accomplishments he had throughout his life.
  I want to thank my fellow Pennsylvania colleagues for introducing and 
cosponsoring this measure to honor the life of Mayor O'Connor and I 
want to thank the House of Representatives for considering it in a 
timely manner.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, as part of the debate on House Resolution 
983, I ask unanimous consent that the following statement from Mayor 
Luke Ravenstahl of Pittsburgh be included in the Record:

       Bob O'Connor was more than just the Mayor of Pittsburgh. He 
     was our friend, and will be dearly missed. He left behind a 
     dynamic and exciting agenda for Pittsburgh's renewal. His 
     words and actions will serve as a model to my tenure as mayor 
     of the City of Pittsburgh.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Murphy). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 983.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________