[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Page 27243]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               HONORING REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE SANGMEISTER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a great man, 
Representative George Sangmeister, a great servant of Illinois who 
passed away on October 9.
  George served Illinois in more ways than anyone I know; his was a 
lifetime of dedicated public work, and honesty. I had the good fortune 
to work as a staff lawyer in the Illinois State Senate when George was 
serving there. He was kind and determined, and these traits have shown 
through his work, his family life, and his long battle with leukemia.
  Not surprisingly, George came from a family of dedicated Illinoisans. 
His father was mayor of Frankfort from 1923 to 1955 and a great 
political influence on his son. George attended Joliet Junior College 
before entering the military to serve in the Korean war. He was always 
proud of his service, and it informed many of his initiatives. He 
always took time to pay tribute to our warriors and veterans.
  After serving in the Korean war, George attended Elmhurst College and 
earned a law degree from John Marshall Law School. He spent some time 
in private practice, but was always active in the public realm. He was 
a volunteer for President Kennedy's 1960 election and eventually 
returned fulltime to his public service origins.
  George started as a magistrate for Will County and then served as the 
county's district attorney. In 1972, he was elected to the Illinois 
House of Representatives and then to the Illinois Senate in 1976.
  George was a natural. One of his peers recently noted that ``George 
was one of those individuals who had an unbelievable capability of 
bringing parties together.'' He was direct yet pleasant; he would stick 
to his position but never alienated those who disagreed. George was 
widely known as a man of his word, and a true statesman--traits that 
are in short supply in too many places.
  His integrity and talent led him to become a powerful leader in the 
State senate, and a respected Member of the House of Representatives. 
He served three terms in the House from 1988 to 1994, and I was again 
privileged to work with him during those historical years.
  As the cold war wound down, his attentions turned increasingly to our 
environment, our children, and our ability to adjust to a new world 
order. He joined me in pushing to ensure that newly independent nations 
such as Lithuania would be guaranteed an opportunity to prosper. George 
was keenly aware of our Nation's freedom, independence and our history. 
He regularly addressed his colleagues on Independence Day, rising to 
remind us all of our political origins and the things we must be 
grateful for.
  He spoke often on veterans' affairs, the environment, education, and 
on issues that directly impacted his constituents in Illinois. He was 
unmovable when it came to fiercely fighting for the constituents that 
he had served for so many years and in so many ways. Frustrated with 
national politics, George returned to private practice in 1995, after 
more than 30 years in public service.
  George is survived by his wife Doris, their children George and 
Kimberly, and four grandchildren. I have expressed my condolences to 
them in person and assure them now that George's unblemished reputation 
and service will be long remembered.
  George was a great man and a great friend, and I feel that nothing is 
more fitting than to conclude his presence in the Congressional Record 
with his own words. They are indicative of a man who maintained his 
idealism and values throughout life's trials--a man unafraid to speak 
boldly during dramatic times.

       We should begin to worry about educating brilliant children 
     so that America can face the next challenge. Having served in 
     the U.S. Army myself, I strongly believe that national 
     security should be a top priority for the Federal Government. 
     But national security includes having a strong economy and a 
     healthy, well-educated work force . . . What is more 
     important than educating our kids and preserving our 
     environment? . . . As a people, we were not defeated by Pearl 
     Harbor or Watergate or Irangate, and we will survive. But, we 
     must be ever vigilant against the abuse and arrogance of 
     power, whether it be on Wall Street or on Main Street--
     whether it be by big business or by big government. To fail 
     in our vigilance would mean the death of ``power people.'' 
     And so, let us, as a united people, ``highly resolve that 
     this Nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and 
     that government of the people, by the people, and for the 
     people shall not perish from the earth.''

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