[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 22897-22899]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE MICHAEL G. OXLEY UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE 
                     U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. REGULA. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to pay 
tribute to my friend and colleague of the Ohio delegation, Mike Oxley, 
as he concludes 25 years of service to the constituents of Ohio's 
Fourth Congressional District, this House and the people of this 
Nation. Many of Mike's colleagues will be submitting statements today 
or tomorrow to pay tribute to Mike, or during the week. So I will limit 
my remarks in order to allow each of them the opportunity to speak if 
they should so desire.
  Mike has been a member of our Ohio delegation in this House since 
1981. He has served with distinction for these past 25 years. He has 
put in the hard work required to learn the issues that have come before 
him within the committee jurisdictions of both the House Energy and 
Commerce Committee and, most recently, the House Financial Services 
Committee. As chairman of the Financial Services Committee, he is the 
author of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a historic corporate accountability 
bill.
  In addition to his commitment to the serious work of this body, 
Mike's friendly, outgoing personality and his love of sports, 
particularly baseball, helped to bring a positive atmosphere both in 
his committee and here in the House. We will miss Mike very much and 
wish him and his wonderful wife, Pat, well in their future pursuits.

       Mike Oxley is completing a twenty-five-year career in the 
     U.S. Congress and a career in public life of over thirty 
     years.
       Mike was born in Findlay, Ohio, on February 11, 1944, to 
     Maxine and Garver Oxley. He attended public schools there 
     through his graduation from Findlay High School. Mike earned 
     his B.A. from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) in 1966, where 
     he was student body president, and his law degree from The 
     Ohio State University College of Law in 1969. He worked on 
     the staffs of U.S. Representative Jackson Betts, Attorney 
     General William B. Saxbe, Lieutenant Governor John W. Brown, 
     and Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk. After law school graduation, 
     he became a special agent of the Federal Bureau of 
     Investigation based in Boston and New York, where he met 
     Patricia Pluguez. Mike and Pat were married in November 1971, 
     and are the parents of a son, Chadd. The Oxleys moved to 
     Findlay, where Mike joined his father's law firm: Oxley, 
     Malone, Fitzgerald, and Hollister. He was elected to the Ohio 
     General Assembly in 1972. He represented the 82nd Ohio 
     District until he won a special election in July of 1981 that 
     sent him to Washington to serve in the U.S. House of 
     Representatives.
       In a lifetime of representing his districts in rural and 
     small-town Ohio, Oxley has dedicated himself to promoting the 
     values and policy goals he shares with his constituents: 
     economic prosperity, family, lean government, low taxes, a 
     strong defense and intelligence capability, free trade, 
     competition, and the U.S. as the leader of the free world.
       District Accomplishments:
       Transportation and Economic Development
       Joint Systems Manufacturing Center-Lima
       Ohio Air National Guard 179th Airlift Wing
       Marathon Oil
       University of Findlay Center for Terrorism Preparedness
       River Valley Schools
       Public Safety
       Agriculture
       Health and Environment
       Housing
       Reagan-Bush I Era:
       Economic Recovery Tax Act (1981)
       Tax Reform Act (1986)
       Rebuilding the U.S. Military
       MX Missiles and the Nuclear Freeze
       A Strong Foreign Policy
       Gulf War Resolution (1990)
       Improving Economic Competitiveness
       Curbing Entitlements and Wasteful Government Spending
       Energy and Environment
       Social Security Reform (1983)
       The Republican Majority Era:
       Contract with America
       Protecting America's National Security
       Restoring the National Defense
       Tax Relief and Economic Growth
       Fiscal Responsibility
       Regulatory and Tort Reform
       Open Markets and International Trade
       Welfare Reform
       Health Care
       Moral Values
       Personal Legislative Achievements:
       Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002)
       PATRIOT Act (2001)
       Financial Services Modernization
       Telecommunications Reform
       Trade and Economic Opportunity
       Energy and Environment
       Decency in the Internet Age
       Muhammad Ali Boxing Safety Act
       Public Safety
       Defending American Values
       A Legacy of Leadership Financial Services:
       Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002)
       The Common Cents Stock Pricing Act (1999)
       The Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief Act (2001)
       PATRIOT Act (2001)
       Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (2002)
       Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (1999)
       Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (2003)
       Check 21 Act (2002)
       Deposit Insurance Modernization (2006)
       American Dream Downpayment Act (2003)
       Mike Oxley's credo has always been ``play hard, but play 
     fair.'' He was guided by that philosophy both in the halls of 
     Congress and on the athletic field. Oxley played in the 
     Congressional Baseball Game for Charity for 16 years, manning 
     every position except pitcher and catcher. He managed the 
     Republican team for the last eight years, compiling a 7-1 
     managerial record and raising more than a half million 
     dollars for charitable causes.

  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration that I rise 
today to recognize the 25 years of public service that Chairman Oxley 
has bestowed upon this body. He is a dedicated and hard-working public 
servant whose leadership as Chairman of the Financial Services 
Committee has been exemplary. Under Chairman Oxley's leadership, the 
Financial Services Committee enjoyed an unprecedented level of 
collegiality and comity that permitted us all to work together and get 
things done.
  Chairman Oxley has a series of legislative successes few others can 
rival. When investor confidence was at a low, Chairman Oxley restored 
confidence in our financial markets by authoring the landmark Sarbanes-
Oxley Act. This legislation established tough new standards to ensure 
corporate accountability to all American shareholders. In addition 
Chairman Oxley was responsible for the passage of The Fair and Accurate 
Credit Transactions Act, or FACT Act, which gave consumers new identity 
theft protections and also improved credit report accuracy. Chairman 
Oxley also spearheaded efforts to reform our nation's deposit insurance 
system and modernize our check clearing process which brought our 
antiquated systems into the 21st century. These achievements will have 
a positive impact on our financial services system for generations to 
come.
  Aside from his leadership in the House, Mike Oxley has been a true 
mentor and friend. Fortunately, this is not a retirement for Mike Oxley 
but a beginning of a new chapter in his career. I look forward to 
working with him in whatever his future endeavors may be. Although I am 
losing a colleague and fellow Member, Linda and I look forward to many 
years of continued friendship with Mike and his wife Pat.
  Mr. HOBSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
paying tribute to our friend and colleague, Congressman Mike Oxley.
  When I was first elected to Congress, I really didn't know Mike, but 
I had heard about his prowess on the basketball court and on the golf 
course. But, one of the things that I have come to appreciate over the 
years has been the depth of knowledge and experience he has in the 
business and financial services sector. It is because of this that Mike 
has earned the respect of financial leaders in the United States and 
worldwide.
  Mike is leaving us with a legacy that includes his work on the 
landmark Sarbanes-Oxley bill to bring more accountability and 
responsibility to the corporate world. In the

[[Page 22898]]

weeks following the 9/11 attacks, he led the swift response to target 
terrorist financing by working to pass a new money laundering statute.
  I think it's also important to mention that Mike's leadership in 
shaping policy over the years has reached beyond the corporate world. 
He has also made a significant difference in promoting personal savings 
and investments at the individual level.
  Prior to redistricting, I used to represent two counties that are now 
in Mike's district. While I was disappointed to lose Champaign and 
Logan Counties, it has given us an opportunity to work together on 
issues important to communities in those counties. We also worked 
together during the most recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) 
round on behalf of the Ohio National Guard bases located in Mansfield 
and Springfield.
  Mike and I have also had some fun over the years. In a previous 
campaign, he has been kidding me about my campaign radio ads. He says 
they made him gag because they were a bit too warm and fuzzy for his 
taste, but I tell him that they worked because he remembered them 
verbatim.
  But seriously, we are going to miss Mike as a friend and as a leader 
on business and financial issues. He and his team, including his Chief 
of Staff Jim Conzelman, and his long-time scheduler, Debbi Deimling, 
will also be greatly missed.
  Mike, I wish you and your wife, Pat, and Elvis all of the best as you 
begin this new chapter in your lives. And maybe someday, I will be good 
enough to play golf with you.
  Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our 
colleagues who will be sorely missed next year in the United States 
House of Representatives, the gentleman from the Buckeye State, Mr. 
Oxley.
  Mike Oxley has been a good friend, and we will miss his leadership in 
this House and in Ohio. For the last 25 years, Mike has represented the 
Fourth District of Ohio with honor and integrity.
  In 1981, when he arrived, he brought with him a belief in the hope 
offered by Ronald Reagan--a hope of economic prosperity guided by the 
expansion of free enterprise and open markets. Mike Oxley has spent 
every day of his Congressional career spreading that hope.
  As Chairman of the Financial Services Committee for the last 6 years, 
Mike saw our economy through some of its toughest tests. It is a 
testament not only to the resilience of our economy, but to the 
leadership provided by Chairman Oxley that our economy and our 
financial sector have not only endured, but prospered.
  Ox has been our captain and our coach. He stuck firm to his core 
beliefs, while never sacrificing civility. We can all learn from Mike 
Oxley's leadership: When it comes to the well-being of our country, 
bipartisanship can carry the day. And if and when we do disagree, we 
should openly and honestly discuss our differences, like statesmen.
  We have not seen the last of Mike Oxley. Be it in a boardroom or at a 
Buckeye game, his presence will surely be known.
  It is an honor to call Mike Oxley a friend, and we wish him Godspeed.
  Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mike Oxley, a man 
who will be greatly missed in this House. Not only does he have more 
friends in this chamber than nearly anyone else, he has compiled one of 
the most distinguished legislative records in this body.

  I have had the privilege of knowing Mike for more than thirty years 
going back to when we served together in the Ohio Legislature and he 
has been a good friend to have over that entire period of time.

  In Congress, Mike has not only been involved in the issues of the 
day, he has been a good athlete and has led his colleagues in pursuing 
healthful activities. He was Chairman of the Gym Committee. In College, 
we used to think that anyone who became a three letter man was 
something special. Mike has been a three letter man here and much more. 
He was the manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball, Basketball 
and Golf teams and compiled a great record of victories.

  His record of legislative accomplishments is a long one. With a great 
ability to reach across the aisle, Mike Oxley helped calm the financial 
markets during a period of great turmoil. Sarbanes-Oxley was the most 
sweeping reform to our securities laws in 70 years and helped bring an 
era of corporate scandal to an end. Other successes during Mike's 
tenure at the helm of the Financial Services Committee include deposit 
insurance reform, regulatory relief for banks and thrifts, tireless 
work on reforms for the government sponsored enterprises, and 
tremendous work on providing opportunities for increased homeownership.
  As Mike Oxley leaves to enter another phase of his life, we wish both 
he and his wonderful wife Pat the very best.
  Mr. TURNER. Madam Speaker, I have the honor to recognize a fellow 
colleague from the Great State of Ohio, Chairman Michael Oxley. 
Chairman Oxley has served with distinction in this House for 25 years 
and is retiring at the end of the 109th Congress.
  Many people know Chairman Oxley either from his work on the Financial 
Services Committee, his tireless work for the constituents of the 
Fourth District of Ohio, or his years of participation as a player and 
manager of the Republican Baseball Team. Chairman Oxley is also a 
tireless advocate of the military and especially the Joint Systems 
Manufacturing Center--Lima, formerly known as the Lima Army Tank Plant.
  The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center--Lima traces its history back 
to WWII when it prepared and processed more than 100,000 combat 
vehicles. The plant today is the sole producer of the M-1 Abrams tank.
  Chairman Oxley worked with the Department of Defense over the years 
to encourage the utilization of the workforce and available space at 
the facility. Through his efforts, the plant has grown beyond its 
original mission, providing a wide variety of cutting-edge military 
vehicles for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
  Most recently, Rep. Oxley was successful in working with Task Force 
LIMA during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure to ensure the Joint 
Systems Manufacturing Center remained a strong and continued asset for 
the Nation, the State of Ohio and the greater Lima community. Chairman 
Oxley was also able to restore funding for the modernization of the M-1 
tank, further ensuring our men and women in uniform remain the best 
equipped fighting force in the world.
  Chairman Oxley is a distinguished member of the Ohio Delegation and 
of this House. He has made his mark on this Nation not only through his 
ardent support of the financial service industry, but also his 
unwavering support of the military. His tireless support of the Joint 
Systems Manufacturing Center--Lima has placed it in a strong position 
for the future. As Chairman Oxley sometimes quotes former President 
Reagan's farewell address, ``My friends, we did it. We weren't just 
marking time. We made a difference.'' For 25 years, Chairman Oxley has 
made a difference not only for Ohioans but for all Americans. The House 
of Representatives has benefited from his ideas and leadership.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise to add my voice in tribute to 
retiring Chairman Mike Oxley.
  Today is a sad day for me. Though I haven't known him nearly as long 
as my fellow colleagues from Ohio, I, too, will miss our Coach.
  I use that word not just as a tribute to his years of Congressional 
baseball and basketball dominance. I call Chairman Oxley my Coach 
because that is what he has been to so many of us. Chairman Oxley has 
been a model of public service since graduating from the Ohio State 
University School of Law in 1969. Coach Oxley has been legislating for 
over 30 years and he has always been kind enough to help others learn 
the ropes. He has taken me and literally hundreds like me by the hand 
and guided us through the legislative process.
  A kindness that I will never be able to repay.
  Coach Oxley, we will miss you in the halls of this great institution. 
I will miss your counsel and will be forever disappointed that you 
retired before the long hotly debated issue over which Member from Ohio 
has the lowest handicap was completely resolved. However, I trust that 
future coaching sessions will be available by phone.
  Congratulations, Mr. Chairman, to you and your family.
  Mr. McHENRY. Madam Speaker, Congressman Mike Oxley served the 4th 
district of Ohio for 25 years with great distinction. Much can be said 
about a man who dedicates himself to the People's House for a quarter-
century. Perhaps the most telling example of his magnetism and 
leadership can be seen in the number of staff members who dedicated 
themselves to serving Mr. Oxley during his distinguished tenure.
  The longstanding members of Mr. Oxley's staff--Jim Conzelman, Debi 
Deimling, Bonnie Dunbar, Bob Foster, Phil Holloway, Tim Johnson, Kelly 
Kirk and Peggy Peterson--have served the chairman a combined 250 years 
among them. This is an amazing feat, given the fact that Capitol Hill 
is synonymous with high turnover rates and the frequent shuffling of 
staff members. I believe this speaks to the statesmanship Mike Oxley 
exhibited over his congressional career. His colleagues--just like his 
staffers--recognize his character, which inspires loyalty and 
perseverance.

[[Page 22899]]

  Mr. CROWLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise to salute my friend and colleague 
from Findlay, Ohio, Mike Oxley. I think I can honestly say Mike Oxley 
is the most famous name to come out of Findlay since the original 
square hamburger, And Mike is so well liked around here, even the 
square hamburger could well fall behind Mike in popularity.
  I got to know Mike Oxley from our days playing basketball when he 
brought the Congressional team to New York to play the New York State 
Assembly where I served at the time. Although we beat him twice, he 
never let me forget it!
  He was always a good friend of my predecessor, Tom Manton. Tom, who 
recently passed away, developed a strong and lasting friendship with 
Mike Oxley; and as I came to Congress, Tom--my friend and mentor--told 
me to seek out Mike. He told me Mike was a straight shooter and someone 
who I should get to know. Tom was right.
  And then, I had the pleasure of working with Chairman Oxley during 
the 6 years I served as a member of the House Financial Services 
Committee, which he has chaired since its creation. Our Committee has 
had a long record of accomplishment, but he will be best known for the 
act that bears his name, Sarbanes-Oxley.
  Created during the corporate scandals of Enron, Worldcom, Waste 
Management Inc. and others, this law helped restore confidence to our 
nation's investors, who were questioning the safety of their funds in 
our country's capital markets. But he has had a hand in so many other 
laws as well, including tough new identity theft and anti-money 
laundering laws, as well as guiding our capital markets during a time 
of mergers, globalization and modernization. While these are the things 
he will be remembered for in the newspapers, and in the history books, 
it may not be the exactly what we all--those who know him remember him 
for.
  We know him for his friendship, his great stories and his good 
nature. And of course, his great record on the baseball diamond--the 
only place I think he should have tried to be more bipartisan. But he 
was a great coach, and possibly the one area where a lot of us on this 
side won't miss him. But in an era of politics of personal destruction 
and ``take no prisoners'', Mike succeeded here both professionally and 
personally as someone who worked with and listened to everybody. 
Friends were friends, not Democrats or Republicans.
  Mike is a solid conservative and a good Republican, but that never 
stopped him from working with Democrats to pass legislation, or to work 
to find common ground. If more members were like Mike Oxley, we 
wouldn't all be lamenting the partisan gridlock and meanness in 
Washington. Mike, we will miss seeing you every day in the chamber but 
I know that this is not the last time we will see you. So as your 
career in Congress ends, and you start new adventures, I look forward 
to working with you again, albeit in your new capacity. So tonight, I 
wish you and Pat my best as you end one chapter and open another.
  Mr. REGULA. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________