[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23578]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             IN MEMORY OF THE LATE HONORABLE CHARLES VANIK

  (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I rise to inform the House that in 
addition to the loss of Ohio's beloved colleague Paul Gillmor today and 
former Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, we have lost a beloved friend and 
indefatigable colleague when Ohio Congressman Charles Vanik passed away 
last week at the age of 94.
  I know that Congressman Regula and I, along with all of our 
delegation, feel this loss as deeply as we feel the others. I wanted to 
just mention to our colleagues that Congressman Vanik served from 1955 
until 1981 and was affectionately known as Ohio's third Senator.
  He is probably most remembered for his landmark legislation, the 
Jackson-Vanik amendment, that continues to connect U.S. trade policy to 
human rights. We in Ohio will always remember him as a true champion 
and leader on Medicare, Social Security and the plight of the poorest 
Americans.
  I would like to yield to my colleague, my beloved friend, Ralph 
Regula, now for some words.
  Mr. REGULA. I thank the gentlelady for yielding, and I also would 
like to mention the loss of Charlie Vanik. I think for the people of 
Ohio, his greatest legacy is he joined John Seiberling and myself in 
creating the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and it was his leadership 
that was vital in getting that legislation passed. Millions of Ohioans 
and others enjoy the great outdoors in this 33,000-acre park that 
serves our State so well, and that was a wonderful legacy that Charlie 
Vanik left as part of his service in this Congress.
  Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the gentleman. We will never forget his good 
humor.
  I would just ask for 10 seconds to say to my colleagues in terms of 
my neighbor, Paul Gillmor, with whom I served over 20 years in this 
body, we just happened to be flying over Ohio this past week to assess 
the flood damage in his district. My last memory of him is actually 
climbing out of the Apache helicopter we were both in. There were just 
the two of us with the Ohio National Guard, and he extended his hand to 
me to help me get out of the helicopter after a very long day in many 
communities, including Bucyrus and Findlay. I have many memories, but I 
shall never forget that. He was a gentleman of this House.
  I thank my colleagues very much.

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