[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21158-21169]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE BUD CRAMER AND THE HONORABLE TERRY EVERETT ON 
                     THEIR RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bonner) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include any extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Alabama?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, as the American people are sitting home 
tonight watching the President of the United States talking about the 
state of our economy with so many uncertain questions that are out 
there about so many different issues, this is a time where the House 
has completed its work that gives us an opportunity to show the 
American people how, at least in the State of Alabama, Republicans and 
Democrats have over the years worked together hand in hand with a love 
of country at heart to try to make our State, our communities and 
certainly our great country a better place. And tonight I am privileged 
to lead this special order which will not take the entire hour but will 
give some of our colleagues an opportunity to recognize the significant 
contributions of two such Members, two men who didn't come to Congress 
at the same time, but who came within a term of each other, and who 
have, with different life backgrounds, made a substantial contribution 
to the betterment of their district,

[[Page 21159]]

the State that they grew up in and love, and certainly this wonderful 
Nation. And I'm referring to two men of different political paths and 
different political parties, but two men who have universal respect 
here in the House of Representatives, Bud Cramer of the Fifth 
Congressional District of Alabama and Terry Everett of the Second 
Congressional District.
  Earlier this year, Congressman Cramer surprised his constituents and 
really people throughout this city and our Nation's capital that he 
would be leaving Congress after 18 remarkable years of dedicated 
service to the people of Huntsville and his district, the Fifth 
Congressional District in north Alabama. And I think it was actually 
this time last year when Congressman Terry Everett surprised the people 
in the Second Congressional District that he too was going to be 
calling it quits after 16 wonderful years of dedicated service to the 
people of Alabama's Wiregrass community.
  Joining me tonight will be some colleagues who know these Members 
intimately well. And so I will be privileged to recognize them in just 
a moment and let them say a few words of thanks on behalf of the 
American people to these two giant legislative leaders and their 
dedicated service.
  I also have some statements for the Record, Mr. Speaker, that I would 
like to enter, because as the night has drawn on and Members have had 
other obligations, they have not been able to actually be here for some 
of these comments. But I would like to enter one in particular at this 
moment from my colleague, Congressman Robert Aderholt, of Alabama's 
Fourth Congressional District.
  Of Terry Everett, Robert Aderholt said, ``we value very highly 
Representative Everett's service and his work with our delegation over 
the course of his distinguished career. John Quincy Adams once said, if 
your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and 
become more, you're a leader. Terry Everett is the type of leader that 
embodies this quote. His actions have inspired many Alabamians to dream 
more and to learn more. And I am pleased for his great contribution to 
our State. As Terry leaves this institution at the conclusion of this 
110th Congress and goes on to other endeavors, we wish him the very 
best of luck and ask God's blessings on him and his wife, Barbara, for 
many years to come.''
  And Robert also serves next door to Congressman Cramer. And he asked 
me as well if I would take just a moment to mention the following about 
his friend and neighbor, Congressman Bud Cramer. ``Even though Bud and 
I are members of different political parties, we have cosponsored over 
50 bills in this congressional session alone. We've not always agreed 
on every issue that has come before the House, but I have always 
respected him and his leadership no matter what the issue has been. 
Congressman Bud Cramer has served his district and our State well. And 
it is my pleasure to have worked alongside him for 12 years. He has 
been a great partner in working on issues for north Alabama. As Bud 
leaves this institution, he leaves behind friends on both sides of the 
aisle. Regardless of the path he chooses, he leaves this institution a 
better place. And I look forward to watching his successes along the 
way.''
  And also, Robert added ``may God bless Bud in all of his endeavors, 
and we wish him all the best that he looks forward to doing.''
  Now I'm very pleased to recognize for a few minutes my distinguished 
friend from California, the former chairman of the House Armed Services 
Committee and the current ranking Republican on that committee, 
Honorable Duncan Hunter, who has known Congressman Terry Everett for 
every year that Terry has been in Congress. And I would be honored to 
yield as much time as my friend, Duncan Hunter, might choose to 
consume.
  Mr. HUNTER. I thank my good friend for yielding. And to both these 
great sons of Alabama, I want to say, thank you for your wonderful work 
and your wonderful service to our country.
  I was in Terry's house a couple of summers ago. And we walked out to 
his woodworking studio where he makes all of these great cabinetry, 
wood products and molding. In fact he built this beautiful house by 
himself almost single-handedly using all this machinery that he had in 
his woodworking place. And as we walked across the floor, I noticed a 
bunch of red stains. And I said, what is that, Terry? He said, that is 
when I cut part of my hand off. And I keep that blood to remind me so I 
won't do it again. And I immediately decided that I would not become a 
woodworker. It was too dangerous.
  But I am reminded on that trip that Terry Everett was showing me how 
to make cabinets. And he can make cabinets. And if you go in that 
house, you can see he made beautiful ones. I said, Terry, our house 
burned down in California. We're going to have to rebuild it. He said, 
well, Hunter, if you come down here for a week or two, we will make 
some cabinets.
  Terry, let me tell you, having now experienced the cost of California 
cabinets, I wish I had come down and worked with you and made those 
cabinets with you out of some of that good old cypress wood. That would 
have been great.
  And Bud, I want to thank you incidentally for your great support of 
national defense. I have always been in this Congress kind of a Johnny 
One Note focused on defense issues since I got here. You always support 
a strong national defense. That has helped us to do all the things that 
Terry and I have worked on over the years to rebuild our defense in 
such a way that we're able to bring down the Soviet Union and that we 
were able to free hundreds of millions of people, we were able to bring 
freedom to the captive nations of Eastern Europe and to keep the United 
States a shining star in this very difficult, very dangerous world. And 
your work to make sure that we kept this country strong is very, very 
much appreciated.
  And I have always thought of you as one of those great voices who 
could reach across the aisle and come together in a bipartisan way to 
make this country strong and to do the right thing. And that is so 
important in this body. In fact the ability to reconcile our 
differences and find common ground may be the best characteristic of 
this body.
  Now let me tell you about Terry. Terry and I have done a lot of 
political planning. And some people would call it conspiracy. But I 
just call it political planning. Terry Everett has either shown 
enormous loyalty to me or terrible judgment. He supported me in every 
campaign I have run in the House. And I have run for the leadership. I 
have lost some of them, and I have won some of them. And Terry would go 
out and make those vote counts and helped me. Sometimes he would sit 
and say, Hunter, I think you're going to be a little bit short here, 
but we're going to drive on. And we always drove on. And in the end, 
it's not whether you won all those contests. It's the great friends 
that you made while you were on the way, while you were competing.

                              {time}  2200

  If you think that loyalty and friendship are important components of 
the American character, then Terry Everett is just full of character. 
And also he is a character. And if you listen to him, you will see a 
great sense of humor, an ability to laugh at the world, even when the 
world has taken some dangerous turns, and go back to work in a quiet 
way and get things done.
  I have also said that Terry, behind closed doors, is one of our 
members on the Armed Services Committee and on the Intelligence 
Committee, so he ties those two committees together; one committee that 
oversees this $600 billion-plus budget and this enormous fighting force 
of the Army and the Navy and the Marine Corps and the Air Force, and 
the other committee which oversees this very important arm called the 
Intelligence Branch, which gives us the information that we need to 
keep this country safe and secure. And many times those two entities, 
the defense community and the intelligence community, have to come 
together and work together, just like

[[Page 21160]]

they are working together in Iraq and Afghanistan right now.
  Let me tell you, a lot of the coordination that is taking place right 
now in Iraq and Afghanistan between people that are working in very 
difficult, inconvenient places and risking a lot, their effectiveness 
and their coordination to a large degree is a result of the work of the 
guy sitting right in front of me, Mr. Terry Everett.
  So, Terry, you are a life-long friend, a great, great American, and I 
have got to tell you, working on the Armed Services Committee with you 
for so many years has been a real joy. It has been a great thing for 
this Nation to have you in the traces there pulling that plow, doing 
that hard work every day. You are going to be tough to replace.
  Bud, I know you are going to be tough to replace too. You have done 
wonderful work.
  Terry, you are one of two guys retiring from political life from the 
Armed Services Committee. Jimmy Saxton is the other one, and I gave him 
his parting gift from the Hunter family. I have got one for you. I am 
going to give it to you now, Terry. I am going to present it to you 
about five times this week so I can get a lot of mileage out of it.
  I want to tell you just a little story about this picture. This 
picture was painted, this is a signed and numbered lithograph by Olaf 
Wieghorst, who at the time he passed away in San Diego, California, and 
he was a great friend, he was the highest-priced Western artist in the 
world. He was a grand old guy who had been part of the American cavalry 
in the early 1900s and became a great artist, without ever taking a 
lesson.
  In fact, if you go rent the movie ``El Dorado'' with John Wayne and 
Robert Mitchum and James Caan, you will see that Olaf Wieghorst is the 
Swedish gunsmith in the movie. He was in that movie because John Wayne 
had a number of his pictures, as did Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, 
and Wayne told him to come down to the movie set one time, and he did 
that, and they put him in this movie ``El Dorado.''
  So I want you to check out ``El Dorado,'' and you will see my old 
friend Olaf Wieghorst, who painted your picture. And I believe your 
picture is rolled on the screen during the credits as they sing the 
opening ballad in this great Western movie. So I want you to go down 
and look at that.
  But one reason I am giving you this Olaf Wieghorst picture of the 
American West is this: The quintessential American Westerner is 
straight ahead, looked you right in the eye, his word was his bond, 
loyalty was his trademark, and that is Terry Everett.
  So, Terry, I want you to look at this picture and remember that the 
Hunter Rancho has lots of rooms in it since we have rebuilt after the 
fire, and we look forward to you coming up and bringing some of your 
cabinet making tools. Maybe you can show Mrs. Hunter and I how to make 
a couple of extras.
  But thank you for your great service to this country. That flag over 
this Capitol waves proudly and waves more securely because you served.
  Thank you very much for your service.
  And Bud Cramer, thank you, my great friend, for your service to our 
country also.
  I am going to take this picture back, Terry, because I am going to 
present it to you about five more times.
  Mr. EVERETT. Duncan, before you leave, thank you very for those kind 
words, and, obviously, thank you for that beautiful picture. You are 
still welcome to come to my home down outside of Dothan, Alabama, and 
we will do the cabinet work there. Those cabinet saws are a little bit 
hard to move around. I am not sure I could get it all the way to San 
Diego.
  I want to thank you for allowing me to be the first chairman of the 
Strategic Forces Subcommittee. I think it is some of the most 
interesting work that we do. I am really proud of that committee, of 
the staff that supports that committee and the other members who are on 
it. We have all the missile defense, we have all the overhead stuff, 
satellites, and we have nuclear weapons. So it has been a really 
interesting committee, and I have you to thank when this committee was 
first formed that you allowed me to be the first chairman of that 
committee. So thank you very much.
  I would be amiss if I didn't say that you have made great 
contributions to this country. You have always been straight up for the 
military. You have never let anybody push over our military and not 
provide them with what they needed.
  I remember being in your office when we were having those tragic 
explosions on the roadsides that were killing and maiming our troops, 
and you had somebody from Lawrence Livermore there and you told them to 
get this problem solved and get it solved right now. If we have to go 
over there with welders and put this sheeting, steel sheeting on those 
Humvees, then we would do it. So I appreciate your dedication to the 
military.
  You say you have been a one-note person. That is not true. We both 
know that. We have had a number of issues, for instance NAFTA, that we 
fought. We lost, but we fought that I thought very well.
  I appreciate the dedication and all the years you have been 
contributed to this country and to the State of California. Thank you 
very much.
  Mr. HUNTER. Well, Terry, thank you. You know, we did lose on NAFTA, 
but we were right.
  Mr. EVERETT. We were right.
  Mr. HUNTER. In your work on the Strategic Subcommittee on Armed 
Services, what a critical position at a critical time for this country. 
Because being able to renew our strategic capabilities, these systems 
age, being able to match what other people are doing in space now. I 
think when the Chinese knocked that satellite out of space, they 
initiated and heralded a new era of competition in space. Whether we 
like it or not we are in this fight, we are in this competition. And 
being able to maintain that capability that, as you so articulately 
stated, supports American military movements and operations and the 
economy of the United States, what a crucial responsibility, and you 
did a great job at it.
  But always with that great--you know, you are an Alabama guy, and 
Alabama is a wonderful State, but you have all those great qualities 
that represent the best of the American West.
  Mr. EVERETT. Thank you very much. And I do love that committee. I 
love what it has done. We are the leading users of space in the world. 
We have great assets not only for our military, but for our economy 
also. The global economy for space is some $220 billion, and growing 
about 18 percent a year.
  I have problems though, and I know one of the things you have 
championed over the years is getting young people interested in 
engineering, math, science and things that we need in the space 
industry. I just point out that China last year graduated 500,000 new 
engineers. The United States graduated 70,000. So we certainly have to 
interest young people in this marvelous thing that we call space.
  Thank you again for your kind words.
  Mr. BONNER. Duncan, thank you so much for being with us.
  Mr. HUNTER. Terry, I want to give you this picture, but you have to 
give it back so I can present it to you on five more occasions.
  Mr. BONNER. As this evening continues to unfold, we have heard from 
so many colleagues from all over the country who are paying homage 
tonight to Congressman Bud Cramer and Congressman Terry Everett.
  Congressman John Tanner, one of Bud's closest friends and colleague 
and one of the leaders in the Blue Dog Coalition asked me, because of a 
last minute conflict, to enter the following statement.
  ``Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join our colleagues tonight in paying 
tribute to my friend Congressman Bud Cramer, who, as you know, will 
retire later this year after representing Alabama in this body for 18 
years. During this time, he has been an important leader in Congress 
and an excellent public servant for the American people.
  ``Several years ago, Bud and I, along with a handful of our other 
Democratic

[[Page 21161]]

colleagues, formed a small group to fill what we saw as a void within 
the body at the time, a solution-oriented coalition of moderate Members 
who could help forge a bipartisan bridge between our colleagues on 
either side of the partisan aisle. That group was named the Blue Dog 
Coalition, to which we both still belong.
  ``I appreciate Bud's leadership on working on bipartisan solutions to 
the challenges facing our country. A military veteran, grandfather and 
children's advocate, Bud has dedicated much of his life to his country 
and helping others.
  ``Mr. Speaker, Bud Cramer's dedication and commitment have served our 
country well, and his presence in this Chamber will be sorely missed.''
  That comment and so many others from our colleagues in Alabama, 
Congressman Artur Davis, Congressman Spencer Bachus, Congressman Mike 
Rogers. I have already mentioned Congressman Aderholt could not be here 
because of a last minute conflict, but asked his statement to be 
entered into the record.
  Friends of Terry Everett and Bud Cramer, Lincoln Davis of Tennessee, 
Bart Gordon, the distinguished chairman of the Science Committee, Gene 
Taylor, my neighbor along America's Gulf Coast, so many people from 
both sides of the aisle and all political stripes who are opening up 
their heart tonight saying thank you for the leadership that these two 
outstanding gentleman have provided.
  Mr. Speaker, without objection, I would like to enter an article on 
each of these two gentlemen in the Congressional Record.
  On July 27th, shortly after Congressman Cramer announced his 
intentions to resign at the end of this session of Congress, The 
Huntsville Times, Congressman Cramer's hometown newspaper, ran a series 
of articles about the outstanding, dedicated leadership and service 
that Bud Cramer has provided.
  So without objection, I would like to enter this into the 
Congressional Record.
  Likewise, on October 1, 2007, and then a few months later in the 
Dothan Magazine, the first being the Montgomery Advertiser, the capital 
city newspaper, there were editorials and articles alike praising Terry 
Everett for his solid performance as an outstanding leader of Congress 
and an outstanding leader for Alabama.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to enter both of these as well.

             [From the Montgomery Advertiser, Oct. 1, 2007]

                    Everett Has Been Solid Performer

       Residents of Alabama's Second Congressional District--which 
     includes all of Autauga and Elmore counties and a portion of 
     Montgomery County--aren't prone to frequent changes in the 
     representative they send to Washington. A new representative 
     has been elected just twice in 44 years.
       Bill Dickinson won the seat in 1964, the year of the fabled 
     ``Goldwater sweep'' that saw five Republicans elected to 
     Congress from Alabama, something that would have been 
     unimaginable only a few years before. He held the seat until 
     1992, usually with ease, fending off only a handful of 
     significant challenges over the years.
       Dickinson retired from Congress that year and the Second 
     District, to the surprise of many observers, turned to Terry 
     Everett over two better-known candidates. Its voters have 
     elected him every two years since and likely would continue 
     doing so for some time to come.
       But they won't have the chance. Everett announced last week 
     that he would not seek another term in the House in 2008. At 
     70, he said he was looking forward to returning to his farm 
     in Rehobeth.
       The announcement set off a flurry of speculation and 
     exploration. Chances to run for an open congressional seat 
     are rare, so there surely will be no shortage of candidates 
     next year in a district that covers the Wiregrass area of 
     southeast Alabama, then curls upward to reach into Montgomery 
     County.
       There will be ample opportunity to consider those 
     candidacies in next year's campaigns. For now, Everett's 
     tenure in office deserves some reflection by those he has 
     represented since 1992.
       Everett, who previously owned a string of small newspapers, 
     was not exactly a household name when he began his bid for 
     the seat. Nor was he--nor did he ever become--a scintillating 
     campaigner. For those looking for a candidate to ignite an 
     audience or light up a room, Everett was never the guy.
       Yet Second District voters liked Everett from the start. 
     Something in his low-key, receptive manner and steadfast 
     common-sense conservatism resonated with them. He defeated 
     state Sen. Larry Dixon of Montgomery, long considered a 
     likely successor to Dickinson, in the Republican primary and 
     state Treasurer George Wallace Jr., then a Democrat, in the 
     general election.
       He would have opposition in future races, but never any 
     opponent of similar stature.
       Everett understood well the concerns of his district, where 
     military and agricultural issues are especially important. He 
     was a consistent supporter of the major military 
     installations in the district, Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base 
     in Montgomery and Fort Rucker near Ozark. Farmers had a 
     reliable advocate in Washington as well.
       A subcommittee Everett chaired uncovered and addressed 
     serious abuses in health care facilities for veterans. He 
     served for years on the House Intelligence Committee and is 
     now the ranking minority member. He observed wryly in an 
     interview with The Associated Press that ``some of the most 
     important work I've done I can't talk about because it was on 
     the Intelligence Committee.''
       Everett has served the district and the nation well. It 
     should be noted that he's not leaving office right away. 
     Indeed, he'll be there for more than a year. We are confident 
     that he will continue his steady, conscientious 
     representation during that time before entering an honorable 
     and well-earned retirement from public life.
                                  ____


               [From the Huntsville Times, July 27, 2008]

             Staunch Support for Defense, Space a Hallmark

       Over his 18 years in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer 
     says his connection to defense, NASA and the Space Station 
     has been huge.
       ``In the early years, I had constant battles in defending 
     the Space Station and with protecting NASA,'' Cramer says. 
     ``We won those battles, but it took going member to member 
     asking for votes. It meant building support to preserve the 
     station. One of those victories was won by one vote.''
       In defense, early issues with the Redstone Arsenal arose 
     with the base military realignment--or BRAC-rounds. The 
     congressman says he immediately sought to tell the ``Redstone 
     story,'' often by showing its cooperatives with BRAC.
       Cramer also says there were a host of other developments, 
     like a weather station with NexRad radar. When the National 
     Weather Service intended to close its Huntsville office, the 
     congressman sought legislation to keep it open. After a 
     decade of uncertainty, Cramer helped secure $3 million in 
     startup money for a full service weather forecast office to 
     be located in the National Space Science and Technology 
     Center building on the University of Alabama campus in 
     Huntsville to serve an 11-county area.
       After a four-year battle, the congressman got the National 
     Weather Service to drop its plan to eliminate radar in 
     Huntsville. The radar was kept and Doppler radar was added.
       Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer says, ``Without question, 
     Congressman Cramer has been a stalwart in assisting the 
     growth of the Army and NASA in Huntsville. By be- ginning and 
     continuing the National Children's Advocacy Center in 
     Huntsville, Bud continues to bring positive recognition for 
     our city.''
       Cramer was elected to Congress in 1990 after serving 10 
     years as Madison County's district attorney. He was re-
     elected to Congress eight times and is a strong children's 
     advocate, having founded the National Children's Advocacy 
     Center. In North Alabama, the congressman's support for 
     defense and aerospace industries is well-known. Part of his 
     economic development efforts is the Boeing Company rocket 
     plant.
       In the House of Representatives, Cramer is known as a 
     tireless supporter of the Space Station and a leading 
     advocate for spending increases in missile defense, 
     particularly with Huntsville long being a center for research 
     and development for both. Redstone Arsenal is located in the 
     Fifth District, as well as the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile 
     Command and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.
       In 2002, when Cramer joined officials in breaking ground 
     for the world-class Propulsion Research Laboratory at 
     Marshall Space Flight Center, he commented on it representing 
     fortitude.
       ``The groundbreaking today represents years of hard work by 
     many people who are dedicated to making sure Marshall 
     continues to be the leading center for propulsion research in 
     the country. Securing funding for this world-class research 
     lab was one of my top priorities, and I was pleased to help 
     lead our Alabama delegation's efforts to make it a reality. 
     With this new facility, Marshall Space Flight Center will be 
     well-positioned to play a significant role in the future of 
     NASA.''
       Cramer worked to secure funding for the laboratory, 
     including $10 million for design and research equipment, and 
     another $20 million for construction. The facility's research 
     will aid advanced nuclear technology, alternate- and 
     combined-cycle engines, high-energy plasma engines, beamed-
     energy sails and antimatter propulsion systems.
       Building on the Huntsville area's high-tech growth, the 
     congressman called the area ``a natural place'' for the 
     laboratory and a fundamental move toward maintaining North 
     Alabama's excellence in propulsion.

[[Page 21162]]

       Two years later, when Cramer helped NASA officials cut the 
     ribbon at the laboratory, he also praised Sen. Richard Shelby 
     for his support for the lab.
       ``Since our space program's earliest days, North Alabama 
     has been a center of space propulsion expertise,'' he said. 
     ``With this new lab, the world-class propulsion experts right 
     here in North Alabama will be better prepared to tackle the 
     propulsion challenges facing NASA and the new Vision for 
     Space Exploration.''
       In June, Cramer continued his support of NASA with the 
     House of Representatives passage of the NASA Authorization 
     for fiscal year 2009. It authorizes $1.2 billion for programs 
     and an additional $1 billion for research and development of 
     space exploration vehicles, including the Orion Crew 
     Exploration Vehicle and the Ares 1 Crew Launch Vehicle, which 
     are being designed to replace the space shuttle.
       ``I am proud to support NASA and all of its field centers, 
     including North Alabama's Marshall Space Flight Center,'' 
     Cramer said. ``The authorization bill passed by the House 
     today gives NASA the resources it needs to sustain programs 
     and research initiatives that are critical to keeping America 
     at the forefront of space exploration. In North Alabama, our 
     space community is poised to continue its major role in 
     NASA's vision.''
       Cramer serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the 
     House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The 
     Appropriations Committee is in charge of spending for all 
     aspects of the federal government, including the U.S. 
     Department of Defense and NASA. Many of the critical jobs 
     performed by these two agencies are based in North Alabama. 
     Cramer was appointed to the House Intelligence Committee in 
     2002, which oversees defense and national security 
     intelligence issues.
       The congressman has been a strong, active supporter of the 
     space program. As one of NASA's top allies in Congress, he 
     fought for Huntsville's NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and 
     programs like the U.S. Space Station. For his outstanding 
     record of support for space exploration, Cramer received the 
     National Space Club's 2002 Von Braun Memorial Award for Space 
     Exploration.

  Mr. BONNER. Now, while I know others would like to speak, I think it 
is appropriate to pause and dedicate the balance of our time to 
recognizing these two outstanding individuals, outstanding public 
servants, sons of Alabama.
  Interestingly enough, they both serve on the Intelligence Committee. 
Bud had become a leader in the defense world on the appropriations 
side. Terry has been a leader in the defense world on the authorization 
side.
  Ironically, but probably not coincidentally, they both came to 
Congress having served their communities as Sunday school teachers and 
long-time community advocates.
  So for the balance of this time, I would like to yield first to my 
friend Congressman Bud Cramer, the dean of our delegation, and then to 
Congressman Everett.
  Mr. CRAMER. Joe Bonner, thank you. On behalf of this Alabama 
delegation, I appreciate your team membership with us. Even when you 
worked in Sonny Callahan's office, you were part of our delegation 
there, because, of course, Sonny was our team leader for a while there 
as well.
  As you and maybe the rest of the country doesn't know, there are only 
seven of us from the State of Alabama. When I came here in the year 
1990, I was broken into, introduced to the Alabama team, and understood 
pretty quickly that regardless of party label, we were one for the 
State of Alabama, and hopefully for the country as well.
  So it has been a pleasure to work with you, and I thank you for you 
taking the time tonight to allow folks to express these words of 
kindness for my service here, but particularly for my colleague Terry 
Everett.
  Terry Everett, this gives me the opportunity to say to you that I can 
think of no one I have enjoyed serving with more than you here, and I 
have many friends on both sides of the aisle. You and I are bookends in 
our State, you from the southeastern part of the State, I am from the 
north-central part of the State.
  But your service on the Armed Services Committee, and then eventually 
on the Intelligence Committee, I joined you there on the Intelligence 
Committee. The Congress may not know, but I am currently the chairman 
of a subcommittee on the Intelligence Committee called the Oversight 
and Investigations Subcommittee, a new subcommittee that was formed two 
Congresses ago. I was ranking member until this term of Congress, and 
now I am the chairman. You are the ranking member of that subcommittee. 
So it is interesting and ironic that Alabama has had kind of service on 
that committee, that we can't talk much more about, but it has been 
particularly important to the rest of the country as well.

                              {time}  2215

  I will miss you. I will miss Barbara as well--your wife, Barbara--
whom I came to know because I got to know you, and we're like family. 
That speaks well of the entire Alabama delegation.
  When we presented our Intel authorization bill on the floor earlier 
in the year, I was able to get a little more specific as Chairman 
Duncan Hunter was able to do tonight about your commitment to defending 
space and to making sure that this country's investment in space is 
preserved. I hope, in your next life, whatever that might be, that you 
continue your expertise in that area because you still have a lot to 
offer to the space intel community and to the defense community as well 
from your service right here in this remarkable arena.
  So I will miss you. I will miss this Alabama delegation. I will still 
be active with you, and will make sure that we, together, continue to 
look after the State of Alabama.
  I will yield back my time, but thank you, Jo Bonner.
  Mr. BONNER. Thank you, Bud.
  Terry, would you like to say a few words?
  Mr. EVERETT. Yes. Thank you very much, Jo.
  First of all, thank you for arranging for this to happen.
  Two of my favorite people and two of the nicest people I think I know 
in the House who I've never heard say an unkind word about anybody are 
Jo Bonner and Duncan Hunter. They're absolutely some of the top people 
who you could have leading this Nation and in this Congress.
  As for my friend Bud Cramer, I appreciate those kind remarks that 
you've given.
  Bud came here one term before I did. I've served with him now for 16 
years, and we have an awful lot of things in common. The Alabama 
delegation, as he referred to it, is a small delegation, but it's large 
in its dedication to the State and to getting things done. A great deal 
of that, being able to operate from a small delegation that does a lot 
of very good things for their State and for the district, is because of 
Bud Cramer's ability to reach across the aisle and work with people.
  Bud is correct. We have worked together. He is an appropriator and 
I'm an authorizer. Some of our key issues have been missile defense as 
well as space. We've worked together an awful lot to make sure that 
that's represented well--and it is--up in Huntsville. In my 
estimation--and I've told Bud this before--in Huntsville, there should 
be one of our national labs. I mean what they do in Huntsville, Alabama 
for our missile defense and for our space activities is just 
outstanding. A great deal of that is because of Bud Cramer and his work 
on the Appropriations Committee and on the Intelligence Committee.
  He is the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee 
on Intelligence, and he has done an outstanding job of moving things 
forward that have to be moved forward in that committee. It is just a 
real honor for me to be able to be his ranking member on that. I, too, 
think that it's good that Alabama has two Members who are in leadership 
positions on that particular committee.
  So, Bud, I want to thank you and I'll miss you. I've appreciated your 
friendship. I've appreciated your loyalty to this country, to the State 
and to your district, and I hope you stay connected. I know that you're 
one of the leading experts in a lot of these areas, and I really hope 
that you will stay connected to space. I certainly intend to stay 
connected to it.
  Thank you very much, Jo.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I just want to say thank you for allowing us 
to have this opportunity on behalf of the 433 other Members of Congress 
who are not here in person but who tonight,

[[Page 21163]]

in some form or fashion, have expressed their love, their appreciation 
and their respect for the dedicated service of Bud Cramer and of Terry 
Everett.
  In closing, I just want to tell the people who might be listening in 
Kansas or in Wisconsin or in Florida or in California that this is an 
example of the best of America, of the best of two men who grew up in 
different times but in the same State, who came to Congress 2 years 
apart and who worked their hearts out to make their country a better 
place.
  As the son of an Alabama sharecropper and railroad foreman, Terry 
Everett knew hard times from the day he was born, never leaving his 
home area of Dothan and Midland City until he joined the Army following 
high school. He learned Russian. He served as an intelligence analyst 
in Europe. After his military service, he came back to his beloved 
Dothan and worked as a sports reporter. He then covered the police beat 
for the Dothan Eagle, eventually becoming a newspaper editor and 
publisher and eventually becoming an owner of several newspapers in 
southwest Alabama.
  Terry, on behalf of the people in Autauga, Barbour, Bullock, Butler, 
Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, 
Houston, Lowndes, Montgomery, and Pike Counties--635,000 people who 
have benefited from your 16 years of dedicated service--a heartfelt 
thanks for what you have done and for what you continue to do.
  Certainly, without equal, Bud Cramer was named just a few years ago 
by Money Magazine as one of America's best Congressmen. What a tribute 
and what a true statement at that.
  For a remarkable career, the people of Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, 
Limestone, Madison, Lawrence, and Morgan Counties owe a debt of 
gratitude for your outstanding 18 years of service, Bud.
  As the editorial staff of the Huntsville Times said it best, your 
record has been nothing short of remarkable.
  The Times Daily went on to say that he has shown that he can 
represent the people of his district while always considering the best 
interest of his Nation.
  These are two outstanding men who will leave Congress at the end of 
this session, but they will leave a lifetime of service.
  Bud, especially for you, in the area of child advocacy, you certainly 
are the national leader in that area.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request the 
attention of the House to pay recognition to a dear friend across the 
aisle. My collegue, Representative Bud Cramer will retire after 
eighteen years of service to the people of Alabama's 5th District when 
this session adjourns.
  Congressman Cramer has been a pleasure to work with during my time in 
the House, and has contributed a great deal to the Alabama 
Congressional Delegation. His willingness to discuss issues across 
party lines speaks to his genuine concern for the well-being of his 
constituents. Congressman Cramer has been a strong, advocate for 
sensible legislation and has used his positions on the House 
Appropriations and Permanent Select Intelligence Committees to champion 
fiscally responsible programs.
  I would like to thank Congressman Cramer once more for his dedicated 
service. I have been honored to work with him over the past 6 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request the attention of the House to pay 
recognition to a dear friend and exemplary member of this body. My 
colleague, Representative Terry Everett will retire after 16 years of 
service to the people of Alabama's 2nd District when this session 
adjourns.
  Congressman Everett has been an invaluable resource for the Alabama 
Congressional Delegation. His experience and insight were a great help 
to me when I first came to Washington in 2002. As a member of the 
Agriculture, Armed Services, and Permanent Select Intelligence 
Committees, he has furthered the interests of the people of Alabama and 
the security of the United States.
  I would like to thank Congressman Everett once more for his dedicated 
service. He is a gentleman with the highest regard for duty and 
principle, and he will be dearly missed.
  Mr. DAVIS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Congressman Terry 
Everett on his retirement after 16 years of service in the House. 
Everett has been a reliable supporter of the two sectors that drive the 
economics of the 2nd Congressional District-agriculture and national 
security--and his successor will have much to do to match Everett's 
influence.
  What I have always admired about Terry Everett is the fact that he is 
the rare civic leader who comes to politics as a mid-life career. 
Everett ran a newspaper in the Wiregrass and learned from that how to 
run a business and how to measure community sentiment. His path is not 
the conventional route in an institution full of strivers who 
fantasized their Congressional career in grade school. But if you know 
Terry Everett, his path leaves him a happier, more decent man than a 
sizable chunk of his colleagues who stress about the offices they never 
held and the publicity they never received.
  I remember Everett's election in 1992 well because I lived in his 
district when I was home from law school. He was not his party's early 
favorite in the primary. Nor was he given good odds in the general: his 
opponent was none other than the son of Alabama's political prodigy 
George Wallace. But odds don't determine elections and Everett managed 
to beat a lot of money and establishment clout on the other side. To 
his credit, he never saw another tough race.
  I think the way Everett won made him a little freer to be his own 
man. I never sensed he took a path for the sole reason that his party 
took it, or because he thought an opinion would elevate him with his 
party leaders. I sensed that Terry Everett always felt that he knew his 
district and his people better than Washington could ever know them. He 
is a tried and true conservative--most of his voters wouldn't have it 
any other way--but his roots shaped his conservatism in a good way. It 
is the conservatism of someone who has seen certain values thrive in 
his own life and believes that they will work for others. I respect 
that, and agreed with him more times than a few.
  I wish we had more citizen politicians like Terry Everett, and I wish 
him well.
  In addition, I congratulate Congressman Bud Cramer on eighteen years 
of service to the 5th District of Alabama. Mr. Cramer is the latest 
descendant in a long line of North Alabama Democrats who have served 
their district's interests well while garnering significant national 
clout, and Alabama will miss him.
  When I think of Bud Cramer, I am reminded of a sage-sounding 
prediction by a longtime Southern political observer. In the aftermath 
of Newt Gingrich's ``revolution'' in 1994, this individual was 
predicting that the John Sparkman/Tom Bevill model was becoming 
obsolete due to the increased partisanship and ideological polarization 
in states like Alabama. His premise was that conservative Democrats 
were imperiled because of their party label: Cramer's exceedingly 
narrow victory in 1994 was even cited as an example of the uncertain 
status of ``blue dogs'' like Cramer.
  His district should be thankful that Bud Cramer disproved this 
prophecy by winning again in 1996, and then by becoming unassailable. 
He has not faced meaningful opposition in the last twelve years, even 
though every Republican presidential candidate has won the 5th District 
easily. The ultimate testament to his popularity: in a hotly contested 
race to succeed him, both the Democratic and Republican nominees are 
promising to ``be another Bud Cramer.''
  Cramer leaves North Alabama's economy stronger than he found it. The 
missile research program in Huntsville is now one of the largest, most 
vital components of the US military budget, partly because of Cramer--
his skilled support has helped sustain missile defense against a 
variety of political foes. He has also nurtured a series of economic 
development projects in a region that has wide pockets of unemployment; 
one of the last projects he worked on creates a new opportunity zone in 
Colbert County, which will lead to at least one major new industry 
locating there.
  In Washington, Cramer's legacy is his thoughtful leadership on 
national security issues. Cramer's influence actually rose as the 
Intelligence Committee on which he served grew more partisan--the 
congressman's refusal to either rubber stamp or reflexively oppose the 
Administration's agenda underscored the value of more moderate voices.
  I wish Bud well. He's earned the right to weeks that don't begin with 
the 7 a.m., Monday morning direct flight from Huntsville to Washington.
  I would also like to submit the following articles from the 
Huntsville Times for the Record.

               [From the Huntsville Times, July 27, 2008]

          BRAC Success a Result of Team Approach, Says Cramer

       As U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer reflects on retiring after nine 
     terms in Washington, he says his proudest achievement has 
     been his team approach to getting the job done.

[[Page 21164]]

       ``Whenever we saw what needed to be accomplished, we 
     planned and then worked as a team to reach the goal, from 
     regional economics to the Space Station,'' Cramer says. ``The 
     team approach applies to each success. I was a team member 
     and leader in identifying what we needed to do to help 
     ourselves.''
       Cramer's approach was no more apparent than when he worked 
     on presenting the area for the U.S. Army's plan to 
     consolidate commands or base realignment, better known as the 
     Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). When BRAC 
     emerged, the congressman says he immediately recognized he 
     had to be in the forefront of this plan. In 1994-95, he 
     proactively gained jobs and then prepared for the next BRAC 
     round for more jobs. He worked in unison with the Alabama 
     congressional delegation to demonstrate to the Army what 
     Redstone's capabilities are.
       ``It meant understanding the issues,'' Cramer says. By 
     serving on the House Appropriations Committee and teaming 
     with with Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, Democrat Cramer 
     says the pair got money to modernize Army facilities in 
     Huntsville to make them more efficient and appealing as a 
     workplace. Redstone impressed the Army and the Pentagon, and 
     won the ``mother of all BRAC rounds'' and thousands of jobs 
     for Huntsville. It was teamwork, he says, that paid off.
       Huntsville Mayor Loretta Spencer credits Cramer for his 
     accomplishments with BRAC. ``When the opportunity came again 
     to win a favorable BRAC ruling, elected officials and 
     business groups from the Tennessee Valley region formed a 
     task force for cohesion in pooling resources,'' she says. 
     ``However, as strong as our region's presentation was, we 
     could not have had the results without the support of Bud and 
     our congressional delegation.''
       Since coming to Congress in 1990, Rep. Cramer has been a 
     leading advocate for missile defense.
       As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Cramer, 
     with Shelby and the other members of the Alabama delegation, 
     secured more than $211 million for the construction of the 
     Von Braun Complex. Cramer's District 5, which includes 
     Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison 
     counties and portions of Morgan County in North Alabama, also 
     includes the Army's Redstone Arsenal and NASA's Marshall 
     Space Flight Center in Huntsville.
       In 2005, Cramer called it a ``good day for North Alabama'' 
     when the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) announced it would 
     recommend to the BRAC Commission that 3,000 jobs be relocated 
     to the Redstone Arsenal. Comprising this relocation were 
     components of U.S. Army Materiel Commands, the U.S. Army 
     Space and Missile Defense Command and a significant part of 
     the Missile Defense Agency.
       Soon after, the U.S Army Security Assistance Command and 
     Aviation Technical Test Center were also relocated to 
     Redstone. It made North Alabama one of the nation's largest 
     gainers with BRAC.
       ``Today marks a proud and historic day for Redstone and for 
     all of us in North Alabama,'' Cramer said then. ``I am 
     pleased that the hard work by our community has paid off. 
     North Alabama presented an excellent proposal highlighting 
     Redstone's strengths, and the daily contributions people 
     working there make to our national security.''
       Cramer emphasized teamwork involving BRAC committee 
     chairman Joe Ritch and the entire Tennessee Valley BRAC team, 
     spanning several years, to help bring the commands to North 
     Alabama.
       In October 2005, Cramer announced that BRAC supporters 
     defeated a resolution in the House of Representatives that 
     would have disapproved BRAC recommendations. By law, Congress 
     had 45 legislative days to reject the BRAC report entirely, 
     or it became law.
       Following the decision, Cramer discussed the move with 
     senior Army officials to ensure it came about.
       Given today's budget environment, I wanted to make 
     absolutely sure that even if we encounter potential 
     challenges, North Alabama's gains will be completed,'' said 
     Cramer after the hearing.
       Keith Eastin, assistant secretary of the Army for 
     installations and environment, confirmed to Cramer that the 
     DOD was legally obligated to comply with each of the 103 BRAC 
     recommendations by Sept. 15, 2011.
       At the time Cramer said, ``BRAC is a congressionally 
     authorized process that the Department of Defense has used to 
     reorganize its base structure to more efficiently support our 
     forces. BRAC is critical to U.S. national security and cannot 
     be undermined. It balances national defense priorities, 
     supports our military modernization objectives and creates 
     opportunities for private economic development.''
                                  ____


               [From the Huntsville Times, July 27, 2008]

       Economic Development Has ``No Barriers'' in Cramer's View

       When U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer was first elected to Congress in 
     1990, he recognized a need to take a regional economic 
     approach for North Alabama, and it has paid off with hundreds 
     of new jobs.
       ``In the early years, I saw the district's need for a 
     regional economic development agenda,'' Cramer says. Issues 
     like countering unemployment or building an airport were 
     identified, and he went to work. With this agenda, he was 
     ``committed to tell our story better by working with 
     necessary parties like the Alabama Development Office and 
     other North Alabama economic development professionals.''
       As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, he also 
     set out to provide the resources to help make North Alabama 
     conducive to, and attractive for, economic development. His 
     efforts manifested in securing funding for transportation and 
     infrastructure development, including water and sewer 
     projects. He also got money for workforce training 
     initiatives across North Alabama, which earned him 
     recognition for systematically setting the stage to invite 
     growth in the Fifth District and surrounding areas.
       In the years that followed, the successes have included 
     U.S. Gypsum, Toyota's $20 million production expansion at its 
     Huntsville plant, National Rail Car, North American Lighting, 
     Steelcase, the Boeing rocket plant in Decatur and the 
     HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology.
       At the Toyota announcement in 2003, Cramer reinforced his 
     goal of telling Alabama's story.
       ``They have discovered what a good area North Alabama is to 
     do business, and this expansion is great news for both Toyota 
     and the people of North Alabama,'' he told the crowd about a 
     project that brought 350 to 500 new jobs. ``We need these new 
     good jobs, and I'm proud to stand here with Toyota today to 
     make this announcement.''
       From the start, Cramer says he sought to represent Alabama 
     as a ``can-do state'' and to tell its story better, but he 
     also recognized regional economic growth would require 
     teamwork throughout his nine terms in Congress.
       By fortifying the state's image, infrastructure and 
     teamwork on all levels, Alabama became more competitive and 
     more attractive to prospects.
       HudsonAlpha President Jim Hudson praised Cramer's energy 
     and devotion to bringing about development.
       ``When HudsonAlpha was in its very formative stages, 
     Congressman Cramer took the initiative,'' Hudson says. ``In 
     order to understand the potential of biotechnology in North 
     Alabama, he traveled to leading biotechnology centers in 
     Arizona and New York. Convinced that biotechnology would be 
     an ideal engine of economic growth and human progress, 
     Congressman Cramer became a tireless advocate. His role in 
     the founding of HudsonAlpha was critical. Congressman 
     Cramer's willingness to work hard, to listen to all sides, to 
     investigate the issues and to build the key relationships 
     needed have enhanced the quality of life for everyone in 
     North Alabama.''
       In 2005 Cramer joined Hudson and Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to 
     announce the creation of the HudsonAlpha Institute for 
     Biotechnology in Huntsville. Cramer heralded a vital new 
     direction for Alabama, saying, ``With the creation of the 
     HudsonAlpha Institute, we have an opportunity to lead our 
     nation's biotechnology effort.''
       HudsonAlpha would turn out to be a crown jewel in setting 
     the state on the biotech path. But Cramer has been involved 
     in the recruitment and expansion of many North Alabama 
     companies.
       Just a year earlier, Cramer's regional economic approach 
     had paid off with U.S. Gypsum Co.'s $20 million expansion to 
     the building material manufacturer's Bridgeport, Ala., 
     facility. Of the development, the congressman said at the 
     time, ``When a strong well-established company like U.S. 
     Gypsum decides to expand, it reaffirms the fact that Jackson 
     County is a great place to do business.''
       The location was completed in 1999 and provided 180 jobs.
       In 2005, Cramer joined several state officials in 
     announcing North American Lighting, a subsidiary of Tokyo-
     based Koito Manufacturing Co., was going to build its $21 
     million, state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at the 
     Northwest Alabama Airport Industrial Park in Muscle Shoals. 
     The 200,000-square-foot facility, which is producing tail 
     lamps for automakers like Toyota, Nissan and Honda, created 
     320 jobs. Cramer commended the Shoals region for working 
     together on the project and attributed the success to the 
     area's cooperative efforts.
       ``All of our area's economic development leaders were 
     determined to do what it took to land this company, and today 
     is a direct result of our efforts,'' Cramer told the group. 
     ``It is further proof that if we work together as one 
     community, we will be much stronger and better prepared to 
     promote the benefits of Northwest Alabama.''
       In 2006, which would turn out to be a banner year in the 
     congressman's regional economic development efforts, he 
     joined Gov. Bob Riley in breaking ground for the North 
     American Lighting plant, and again hailed regional 
     cooperation for winning the project.
       ``The successful recruitment of North American Lighting was 
     the culmination of a partnership within the entire Shoals 
     area,'' he said. ``The county and municipal leaders here 
     clearly showed that they no longer view the Tennessee River 
     or city and county lines as barriers to economic progress, 
     and they fully understand that a new facility anywhere in 
     this region will reap economic benefits for the entire area. 
     All of them should be commended for their leadership.''

[[Page 21165]]

       Cramer, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, 
     secured $600,000 in 2006 to help install water and wastewater 
     infrastructure at the Muscle Shoals Industrial Park.
       Again in 2006, Cramer in his annual economic recruitment 
     trip with the North Alabama Industrial Development 
     Association (NAIDA) to Chicago, Ill., promoted Alabama's 
     capabilities and strengths to biotech leaders in an effort to 
     expand its biotech base, showcasing HudsonAlpha as the 
     state's opportunity to lead the nation's biotech efforts.
       Cramer also led an economic development trip to New York 
     City, again with NAIDA and area development officials, 
     reinforcing their ``economic development team'' in recruiting 
     new industry and maintaining relationships with existing 
     businesses. He also reinforced a central theme to his 
     economic development success. ``Each year, this trip sends a 
     strong message to business leaders and site consultants that 
     our region is united and committed to doing what it takes to 
     bring new industry to North Alabama.''
       At an economic development summit held by Cramer and U.S. 
     Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.) with business and government 
     leaders in North Alabama and Southern Tennessee, both 
     congressmen strongly emphasized the value of regional efforts 
     to grow and recruit business in areas on both sides of the 
     Alabama-Tennessee border.
       Collectively, their districts include Arnold Engineering 
     Development Center, the Marshall Space Flight Center, 
     Redstone Arsenal, automobile assembly and supplier plants, 
     and many other manufacturing facilities and small businesses. 
     Also, as a result, many individuals in both Alabama and 
     Tennessee have chosen to live in one state and work in 
     another. The Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) 
     recommendations were discussed, in which 4,700 jobs were 
     directed to the Redstone Arsenal.
       Cramer and Davis also met with officials throughout the 
     Tennessee Valley to learn more about how both communities 
     could further compliment each other.
       ``This team effort made all the difference in the world,'' 
     Cramer says of his industrial recruitment efforts in his nine 
     terms in Congress. It took many meetings to generate 
     consensus among the counties and a new view on how to get it 
     done. ``I worked without barriers, without county lines.''

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Congressman 
Terry Everett, for his extraordinary service to the people of Alabama 
and the United States House of Representatives. Terry Everett has 
represented the 2nd Congressional District of the state of Alabama with 
distinction and honor for the past 16 years.
  Born in Dothan and raised in Midland City, Terry joined the U.S. Air 
Force following high school. He learned Russian and served as an 
intelligence analyst in Europe. After his military service, Terry 
returned to Dothan and entered the field of journalism. He worked as a 
sports reporter and covered the police beat for the Dothan Eagle. In 
his nearly 30 years in the newspaper business, Terry wore many hats--
from reporter, to editor and publisher, to eventual owner of five small 
papers in southwest Alabama.
  Terry sold his newspapers in the late 1980s and used the profits to 
start his own construction business, a business which also found great 
success. When Congressman Bill Dickinson announced his retirement in 
1992 after 28 years of service, Terry, due in large part to his love 
for country, chose to run for Congress.
  Using the slogan, ``Send a message not a politician!'' the people of 
Alabama's 2nd Congressional District elected Terry to Congress. He has 
been their voice in this body for eight terms and become one of the 
most respected congressmen on Capitol Hill.
  Terry is perhaps best known as an ardent supporter of military 
modernization initiatives as well as his work to protect America's 
space-based technology. As the first chairman, and current ranking 
member, of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, 
Terry has worked tirelessly to bring major defense industry to Alabama. 
This post has also enabled Terry to watch over the needs at 
Montgomery's Maxwell-Gunter Air Force base, home of Air University, and 
Fort Rucker, home of the Army's Aviation Warfighting Center. Terry has 
also led the debate on protecting our nation's valuable space assets--
assets on which our national defense depends.
  Mr. Speaker, agriculture remains Alabama's number one industry, and 
Terry, a former peanut farmer, has been a champion for farmers. As the 
second-ranking Republican on the House Agriculture Committee, Terry has 
sponsored a vast array of agricultural programs and legislation that 
has helped ensure the stability of Alabama farmers.
  Following the September 11th terrorists attacks on our nation, the 
central front in the war against terrorism became our ability to 
accurately gather, process, and understand intelligence. After careful 
consideration of many other qualified individuals, House Speaker Dennis 
J. Hastert appointed Terry to the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence in January 2002. Accurately describing his work in this 
capacity, Terry was once quoted as saying ``some of the most important 
work I've done I can't talk about because it was on the Intelligence 
Committee.''
  Terry has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. 
While a local newspaper publisher, the Association of the U.S. Army at 
Fort Rucker twice nominated him for ``Army Civilian of the Year.'' 
Terry served as president and chairman of the board of the Alabama 
Press Association and chairman of the board of directors of the former 
Dothan Federal Savings Bank.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a 
dedicated leader and friend to many in this body. I know his family-- 
his wife, Barbara--as well as his many friends and colleagues join me 
in praising his accomplishments and extending thanks for his service 
over the years on behalf of the state of Alabama and the United States 
of America.
  Terry will surely enjoy the well-deserved time he now has to spend 
with Barbara and his beloved constituents. I wish him the best of luck 
in all his future endeavors.
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good 
friend Terry Everett, whom I have had the distinct pleasure of serving 
with in this House for nearly 2 decades. After 16 years of diligently 
representing the people of the second district of Alabama, he will be 
retiring when the 110th Congress adjourns. I want to take this 
opportunity to wish him well and thank him for his friendship and 
dedication to the American people.
  Terry is a man who knows the meaning of hard work. His father was a 
sharecropper and worked on the railroad, instilling a strong work ethic 
with Terry and his siblings at an early age. Terry never forgot those 
lessons, and served his country with honor as an Air Force intelligence 
specialist in Europe before returning home to Dothan, Alabama, in 1959. 
He joined the staff of the Dothan Eagle as a beat reporter, and for 30 
years climbed the corporate ladder with determination, working his way 
up to editor and publisher, and finally as the owner of his own 
newspaper chain. He has brought the same dedication and work-horse 
attitude to the House of Representatives.
  In his service in the House, Terry has devoted himself to ensuring 
that the United States remains safe and secure for our children and 
grandchildren from the growing threat of international terrorists and 
rogue states. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, he has 
led the way for the United States to be on the cutting edge of military 
technology by pressing for advances in our Missile Defense System and 
in space technology, which is vital not only to our security at home, 
but also for our brave soldiers serving on the battlefields of Iraq and 
Afghanistan. His efforts have helped keep our Nation safe and strong in 
a time when threats to our security are quickly changing and adapting.
  Mr. Speaker, it has been an honor to have served with Terry Everett 
in this great body. I want to wish him and his family well as he 
embarks on the next chapter of his life. I know the people of Alabama, 
like me, are proud to know him.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding career 
of my friend, the Honorable Robert ``Bud'' Cramer, for his service to 
the people of Alabama and the United States House of Representatives. 
Congressman Cramer has represented the 5th Congressional District of 
the State of Alabama for the past 17 years ably and with distinction.
  Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Bud earned a bachelor's 
degree and a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama. Bud is also a 
military veteran, where he served our country as an Army tank officer 
at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
  Of all of his many achievements, Bud's work on behalf of abused 
children is perhaps his greatest legacy. Before his election to 
Congress, Bud served for 10 years as Madison County district attorney. 
It was during this time that Bud founded the National Children's 
Advocacy Center. The Center provides complete services and support for 
abused children, a fundamentally different approach to these types of 
cases, and now serves as the national model for over 600 programs in 50 
States and the District of Columbia.
  Following his election to Congress, Bud continued to be a leading 
voice for children. He authored the landmark law, the National 
Children's Advocacy Program Act, which provided funds to expand and 
enhance the children's advocacy program into new communities. He is 
also a member of the Advisory Board for the National Center for Missing 
and Exploited Children.

[[Page 21166]]

  As a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the powerful 
Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Bud has been an ardent supporter 
of NASA and missile defense. With Redstone arsenal and NASA's Marshall 
Space Flight Center both located in the 5th District, Bud has led the 
fight for many of NASA's programs including the international space 
station. In 2002, Bud was awarded the National Space Club's Von Braun 
Memorial Award for Space Exploration.
  Bud has also overseen defense and national security intelligence 
issues as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on 
Intelligence. He was recently appointed to the newly created Select 
Intelligence Oversight Panel of the Appropriations Committee.
  In Congress, Bud is perhaps most known for his independence. He is a 
founding member of the Blue Dogs, a coalition of more than 40 
conservative House Democrats.
  Bud has also worked hard to bring jobs to north Alabama. In fact, he 
has played a key role in bringing thousands of jobs to Alabama's 5th 
District, most notably, International Truck & Engine, Skyhook, Target, 
HiSan, West Teleservices, and Toyota as well as helping persuade Boeing 
to build a $450 million rocket booster plant in Decatur in the 1990s. 
Bud was instrumental in the decision to restart Browns Ferry Nuclear 
Plant Unit 1.
  Make no mistake; his work has not gone unnoticed. He was named ``one 
of America's best Congressmen,'' by Money Magazine.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a devoted 
leader and friend to many in this body. I know his family, his 
daughter, Hollan; his three grandchildren, Dylan, Mason, and Patricia; 
and his many colleagues and friends join me in commending his 
accomplishments and extending thanks for his service over the years on 
behalf of the State of Alabama and the United States of America.
  Bud will surely enjoy the well deserved time he now has to spend with 
his family and his beloved constituents. I wish him the best of luck in 
all his future endeavors.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request to include 
the accompanying article in the Congressional Record to supplement my 
remarks which were entered during the Special Order in honor of two 
Members of the Alabama delegation who are retiring.

              [From the Dothan Magazine, March/April 2008]

Man of the House--Congressman Terry Everett, Dothan's voice in the US. 
House of Representatives, Earned Respect from all Sides as an Honorable 
Legislator During his Sixteen years in Washington, DC. Now He's Coming 
                                  Home

                            (By Ann Varnum)

       Congressman Terry Everett recently shared a laugh with the 
     audience at a luncheon for the Dothan Area Chamber of 
     Commerce. Back in 1992 when he started his campaign for 
     Congress, the polls indicated that he only had four-percent 
     name recognition throughout Southeast Alabama. That fact was 
     made no less comforting by his lovely wife, Barbara, who was 
     quick to point out that the poll had a plus or minus accuracy 
     rating of four percent, so Terry's true name recognition 
     actually fell within the margin of error.
       Of course, that was sixteen years ago, and all of that has 
     radically changed. Terry Everett has become one of the most 
     respected congressmen on Capitol Hill. One of the reasons for 
     this is his innate ability to reach across the aisle and make 
     friends even though the opposite side most certainly had 
     completely different viewpoints from his own. He has earned 
     the greatest respect from Republicans and Democrats alike.
       During his almost sixteen years in Congress to date, 
     Representative Everett has been known as an honest legislator 
     and true gentleman. Reading through transcripts of the House 
     Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing from 
     May of 2007, it is quite evident how much Congressman Everett 
     is respected by his colleagues.
       California Democrat Representative Ellen Tauscher, the 
     chairwoman of the subcommittee, opened the legislative 
     hearing by referring to Everett's prior service: ``I'd like 
     to begin by saying it has been an absolute pleasure crafting 
     this mark with my friend, Mr. Everett . . . He has been both 
     cooperative and straightforward. Thank you very sincerely, 
     Mr. Everett.''
       In 2001, when Representative Joseph Moakley, a Democrat 
     from Massachusetts, died, a special memorial was held in the 
     House Chambers. Democrat Representative Richard Neal, also 
     from Massachusetts, remarked that Moakley was ``. . . an old 
     school Democrat. But do you know who he liked to have dinner 
     with? This is going to kill them in Alabama when they find 
     this out, the voters down there--Sonny Callahan, Terry 
     Everett--that was the group he assembled with after hours. He 
     enjoyed their company socially and loved their stories about 
     Alabama and how they had come to Washington.''
       There is no doubt that Everett had a gift of making friends 
     out of even total political opponents. He never wavered from 
     his ideals and conservative viewpoint, but it never 
     interfered with making friends.
       Perhaps his outstanding record in Congress had been forged 
     earlier by the many roles Everett played in other areas of 
     achievement before launching his political career.
       Terry Everett was born February 15, 1937, in Dothan but 
     grew up in Midland City. After high school, Terry served in 
     the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence analyst in Europe in 
     1955. After serving his country in the military, Everett 
     returned to Dothan in 1959 to embark on the career that would 
     dominate more than half of his life--journalism.
       He began as a farm and police beat reporter and sports 
     writer for The Dothan Eagle. He would later achieve success 
     as editor, publisher and finally owner of a chain of hometown 
     newspapers, which he sold in the late 1980's. Terry Everett's 
     first elected position was not in public office, but rather 
     as President and Chairman of the Board of the Alabama Press 
     Association. While a local newspaper publisher, the 
     Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) at Fort Rucker twice 
     nominated him for ``Army Civilian of the Year.'' Yet many 
     would say the greatest milestone was not related to 
     journalism or politics.
       On December 16, 1965, Terry Everett's life was about to 
     take on a brand new dimension. A mutual friend, Jeanette 
     Comstock, introduced Terry to a bright, energetic young woman 
     named Barbara.
       After the couple started dating, Barbara and her parents 
     were surprised to learn that Terry had decided to leave his 
     job at The Dothan Eagle and start his own newspaper business. 
     Convinced he was making a huge mistake, Barbara admits that 
     she was a little upset about his plans. ``At that time,'' she 
     says, ``I didn't know Terry well enough to know that when he 
     said he was going to do something, he already knew how he 
     would do it.'' On October 18, 1969, the Everetts were married 
     at Cloverdale Baptist Church in Dothan.
       ``Over the years, Terry has shocked me with several other 
     total-change-of-life declarations, and for some reason, it 
     has always been a surprise to me. I, at least, eventually 
     learned to expect that he would be successful. He started the 
     newspaper and I worked beside him, learning the newspaper 
     business from scratch. During the long hours of work, I 
     learned to trust, respect and eventually love this shy man of 
     few words,'' says Barbara.
       The two continued to work side by side until there was 
     another event that again radically changed the direction of 
     their lives.
       Barbara explains, ``One evening in early 1992, Terry and I 
     were watching the six o'clock news when Congressman Bill 
     Dickinson made the announcement that after holding Alabama's 
     Second Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of 
     Representatives for twenty-eight years, he was retiring. 
     Afterwards, Terry turned the television off and looked at me 
     and said, ``I am going to run for Congress.'' Although I knew 
     Terry was very knowledgeable about government, the history of 
     politics, and current events from his years of newspaper 
     experience, I had never heard him say he had any desire to 
     run for office himself. Unfortunately, my first comment was, 
     `Who will vote for you?'
       Since both Terry and Barbara really were committed, first 
     to each other, and second, to a deep love for our country, 
     the first ``Everett for Congress'' campaign was begun. 
     Terry's first political slogan was ``Send a message not a 
     politician!'' Barbara believes it is still what he believes 
     after all these years. It was late in the evening when 
     Everett answered a phone call telling him all the votes were 
     in and counted. Terry Everett was declared the new 
     Congressman for Congressional District Two.
       Both Everetts admit that there are challenges and rewards 
     every day for people involved in holding a public office. 
     Barbara says with all the peaks and valleys, the rewards far 
     outweigh the difficulties. Having the support of people from 
     southeast Alabama who say they love and respect Terry Everett 
     and that they are praying for him every day is truly 
     appreciated.
       In early 2000, Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer. 
     Because Terry wanted to be with her during her treatment, the 
     couple decided to have her surgery at Johns Hopkins in 
     Baltimore, Maryland, which was only forty-five minutes away 
     from the Everett's home in Washington. In March of 2000, 
     while undergoing all of her procedures, hundreds of cards, 
     phone calls, letters and gifts poured in to support 
     Congressman and Mrs. Everett. One obvious fact was that so 
     much of the concern was expressed from the liberal side of 
     the political spectrum, showing the positive impact the 
     Everett's had on their colleagues in Congress.
       When asked about her life with Terry Everett, Barbara 
     confides, ``From the day we met until today I don't think 
     Terry has changed one bit. If he tells you something, he will 
     keep his word. If you believe in something, he respects you 
     for it whether he agrees or not. He is the personification of 
     a true public servant and statesman. I hope that, more than 
     anything else, this will be the legacy for which he will be 
     remembered.''

[[Page 21167]]

       Four years ago this August, Terry Everett had a bad case of 
     shingles. Because of this, the nerves in his foot have been 
     severely damaged so that he has suffered difficulty in 
     walking. Even though Everett admits he is in good health, 
     traveling back and forth from D.C. is becoming more difficult 
     for him since he has the problem with walking. After 
     discussing it with his wife, Barbara, and his chief of staff 
     Wade Heck, Everett made the decision not to seek re-election 
     after his present term is completed.
       Mrs. Everett insists that she did not persuade her husband 
     one way or the other in his decision. She adds, ``The last 
     sixteen years have literally been a journey of joy, and we 
     are so honored and humbled to have been given this 
     opportunity. But Terry is wise enough to know that life is 
     made up of change and the time has come for our lives to 
     change once again on a new journey. I can't wait to see what 
     comes next. The only thing I can say with certainty is life 
     with Terry has never been boring.''
       The Everetts have lived in a beautiful new Southern farm 
     home on 400 acres of farmland near Rehobeth since 2001. 
     According to Barbara, there are still so many things that 
     need to be done around the house. Now, maybe they will have 
     more time to actually do all their special projects. Barbara 
     Everett herself stays busy working as Chairman of Governor 
     Bob Riley's Task Force to Strengthen Alabama Families. It has 
     the goal of restructuring the present Health and Human 
     Service System in Alabama in order to do the best possible 
     job of providing real help to Alabama's families.
       Joe Williams, Congressman Everett's staff member in the 
     Dothan office, says, ``Mrs. Everett is the Congressman's best 
     kept secret, though her dedicated work on so many community 
     issues over the years is hardly a secret anymore. Not only is 
     Mrs. Everett a capable leader in many causes, but she is 
     driven by a passion for those initiatives.''
       Both of the Everetts have genuine compassion, strength of 
     character, willingness to give of themselves in the service 
     of others and the ability to get things done in a timely 
     fashion. For all of that, Alabama's citizens of District Two 
     will be forever grateful.
       Here are some of Congressman Everett's key accomplishments 
     in office:
       First Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on 
     Strategic Forces (currently the Ranking Republican member)
       Authored the current federal peanut title in 2002 Farm Bill
       Secured $250 million for new Fort Rucker construction since 
     1993, including the landmark new Soldier Service Center, 
     Soldier Barracks, Post Headquarters, Base Family Housing 
     Renovation, and Warrior Hall Flight Simulator Facility
       Advocated Creation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Center 
     of Excellence at Ft. Rucker and the funding for the U.S. Army 
     Flight School XXI
       Secured over $40 million since 1993 for Dothan I-10 
     Connector project
       Secured $2.5 million in 2001 to modernize Dothan Regional 
     Airport runway, taxiway, remove old terminal
       Secured $202,000 in federal funds in 2003 for Multi-Purpose 
     Arena at National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds
       Secured $19.2 million in federal funding to rebuild the 
     Elba and Geneva levees
       Secured ``Free Trade Zone'' designations to reduce import-
     export costs for Dothan industrial areas, including the Sony 
     plant.

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request to include the 
accompanying article in the Congressional Record to supplement my 
remarks which were entered during the Special Order in honor of two 
Members of the Alabama Delegation who are retiring.

            [From The Montgomery Advertiser, August 5, 2008]

              Congressman Garners Praise for Local Support

                          (By Cosby Woodruff)

       Congressman Terry Everett's support for Maxwell Air Force 
     Base during his 16 years in Washington is one reason the 
     River Region benefits from the base's $1.6 billion annual 
     impact, said the head of the Montgomery Area Chamber of 
     Commerce.
       Chamber President Randy George said Everett's impact on the 
     area goes far beyond Maxwell, but any discussion of the 
     congressman's legacy must start with the military.
       ``You can't take that away from him,'' George said. ``He 
     has been a major player on Maxwell.''
       George said Maxwell is one of Montgomery's biggest economic 
     engines, but the base contributes to the region in ways that 
     can't be measured in dollars and cents.
       ``The societal impact to our area is at least as 
     important,'' George said. ``It makes us cosmopolitan.''
       Everett, who is retiring after eight terms in Congress, 
     spoke to the chamber for the last time as a congressman 
     Monday at its Eggs & Issues breakfast series.
       His speech focused more on national politics than on local 
     economics, but he did say sectors of Alabama's economy are 
     poised for growth--and he pointed to the space industry as 
     one area that could have an impact in years to come.
       ``We have never had a national discussion about what space 
     means to our economy,'' he said. ``Space is a $19 billion 
     global industry growing at 22 percent a year.''
       He suggested the industry's impact on Alabama is limited 
     only by the workers the state can supply.
       ``We need more young people interested in space, 
     engineering and math,'' he said.
       George pointed out Everett's contributions to the area that 
     go beyond his commitment to the military.
       ``Downtown, he helped us get the money,'' George said, of 
     the construction boom and renovations going on in Montgomery. 
     ``Much of that money came from federal grants that he has 
     been very supportive of. He has been an advocate for the 
     expansion of the airport.''
       Everett said he has supported the state's agriculture 
     industry, what he called its biggest economic factor, in 
     Congress.
       He said he made sure those interests were protected in the 
     recent farm bill.
       George said the congressman has been a friend to the 
     chamber and area businesses.
       ``Terry has been very responsive to the business 
     community,'' he said. ``We think he has done a great job.''

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, let me take this means to add my tribute to 
two fine Alabama Congressmen, Bud Cramer and Terry Everett. Through the 
years, I have had the pleasure of working with these outstanding 
lawmakers. They have been friends to me both personally and 
professionally. They have exhibited the best of this institution--
looking after the interests of the people they represent and ensuring 
our Nation has a strong economy, strong foreign policy, and strong 
national security.
  They, like I, represent rural areas of our country. There are few of 
us serving in Congress who have the privilege of representing 
predominantly small town America, Typically, we rural Congressmen and 
women bond together on rural matters, working across party lines to 
ensure the interests of rural America are best represented in the laws 
we make in Washington. Both Bud and Terry have worked on behalf of 
rural people, not only in Alabama but across our country.
  Bud and Terry have also worked for a strong national defense. I have 
worked with Terry on the Armed Services Committee, and I have always 
been honored by his commitment to our men and women in uniform. Bud, 
too, has been a stalwart supporter of our troops and of the NASA 
community in Northern Alabama.
  While I am sad to see Bud and Terry leave the House, the institution 
has been strengthened by their service. I hope they enjoy the next 
chapter in their lives.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, as I was thinking about what to 
say about my good friend Bud Cramer, it occurred to me that the many 
things I could say would soon be forgotten.
  But what I will remember is his friendship and the experiences we 
shared together.
  A former constituent of mine, Johnny Cash, summed it up best in when 
he sang ``Jim Wore a Tie Today.'' The lyrics of the song follow:

     ``Jim, I did everything that I could,
     But your fever just wouldn't die down,
     So I tied your horse to the wagon bed,
     And last night I brought you to town.

     ``But when I got there you were gone Jim,
     And there was nothin' nobody could do,
     I bought you a suit and a tie Jim,
     And today I wore one too.

     ``Jim I wore a tie today,
     The first one that I ever wore,
     And you'd have said I looked like a dummy,
     Out of a dry goods store.

     ``Jim they said a lot of things,
     But I don't know a thing they said,
     My mind kept wanderin' off down the trail,
     Back to the times that we've had.

     ``And for gold on the cuff,
     We've done everything in the book I guess,
     And a lot they'd never thought up.

     ``Well Jim, you're ridin' on ahead,
     I guess that's how it has be,
     But when you reach those streets paved with gold Jim,
     Stake a claim out for me . . .''

  Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend and 
colleague Congressman Bud Cramer, who is retiring from Congress after 
spending the past 18 years representing the Fifth District of Alabama.
  I have had the immense privilege of serving with Bud on the 
Appropriations Select Intelligence Oversight Panel and on the 
Intelligence Committee, where he acts as the Chairman of the Oversight 
and Investigations Subcommittee. Bud has demonstrated true leadership 
in his role as Chairman and has created a legacy that will outlast us 
all. He has pursued all oversight matters vigorously, always in a 
bipartisan fashion and always in the interest of national security. His 
input has been thoughtful, even-handed, and precise. And I can say that 
I have always appreciated his well-timed sense of humor, which often 
lightens the load when we all start to take ourselves too seriously. In 
short, Bud has set an

[[Page 21168]]

amazingly high standard on the Committee, and I will miss him greatly.
  Bud never does anything half-heartedly, and I would like to tell the 
people in North Alabama that it's going to be difficult to replace him. 
A true son of Alabama, Bud has been a relentless champion of the 
Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal. He guided a 
community through the base realignment and closure process twice and 
has been a vocal advocate for North Alabama's growing defense and 
aerospace industries. In fact, Bud's leadership and efforts are 
responsible for bringing jobs and further economic development to his 
district.
  Finally, I would do Bud a great disservice if I failed to mention his 
big heart and his work on behalf of abused and neglected children. 
During his tenure as the Madison County District Attorney, he 
endeavored to create a cooperative relationship between the social 
service and criminal justice systems and an effective, secure 
environment for children who were suffering. Bud's initiative has 
developed into Huntsville's National Children's Advocacy Center, a 
nationally-renowned child advocacy group that trains communities to 
successfully and compassionately integrate the services essential to 
child abuse victims.
  I wish Bud all the best as he moves from one remarkable phase of his 
life to another. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve 
with such a committed, passionate, and just man. His presence and 
leadership will be greatly missed by the House and on the Committee.
  Thank you for your service, Bud.
  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two of my fellow 
colleagues from the great state of Alabama, Congressman Bud Cramer and 
Congressman Terry Everett, who are set to retire at the end of the 
110th Congress. Both of these Members have a passion for and deep 
respect for serving the American people that led them to serve the 
constituents of the 5th and the 2nd Congressional Districts, 
respectively.
  Bud Cramer has served the people of the 5th District of Alabama in 
the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991, where he faithfully 
served on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence. Terry Everett came to the House of 
Representatives 16 years ago and ever since he has spent his time 
helping the people of the 2nd Congressional District and serving on the 
Agriculture Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
and as Ranking Member on the House Armed Services Committee.
  As military veterans, they have both answered the call to serve their 
country time and again, and I know that as they start this new chapter 
in their lives, they will continue to find new ways to serve their 
community.
  Although it seems that we as a Congress can't find ourselves in 
agreement on many things, one thing that is beyond dispute is that both 
Congressmen Cramer and Everett have embodied the ideal of civil 
servants who tirelessly have served the interests of the American 
People.
  Mr. BOYD of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate 
Congressman Bud Cramer on his many years of service to our Nation and 
to the people of Alabama's Fifth District.
  Since I first came to Congress in 1997, Bud has been a respected 
colleague, a good friend, and a personal mentor. Over the years, I 
often have looked to him for guidance on different issues before 
Congress, and he has always given me wise and thoughtful advice. Bud's 
work on the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee 
has served as a model for me. I have seen firsthand his ability to work 
across the aisle to advance good policy to the benefit of our national 
defense efforts, our military community, and the American people.
  As a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition, Bud has dedicated his 
time in Congress to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars and 
creating a more fiscally responsible government. The Blue Dogs have 
been able to grow and continue our message of fiscal responsibility 
because of the groundwork that Bud and other founding members laid over 
13 years ago.
  Bud, as your friend and colleague, I will truly miss your leadership 
in Congress. I wish you the best of luck in all of your future 
endeavors and hope you enjoy your much deserved retirement.
  Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, the people of Alabama will be losing two 
outstanding public servants at the end of this session with the 
retirements of Congressman Bud Cramer and Congressman Terry Everett.
  During the time that I have served in the House, I have been honored 
to call them both colleagues and friends. They have served the 
constituents in their own districts extraordinarily well, and have been 
a key part of securing the reputation of the Alabama delegation as a 
group that works together on a bipartisan basis for the good of our 
State.
  Congressman Cramer has had a long and distinguished record of 
service. One great legacy is his stalwart support of our space and 
missile defense programs. Whenever questions on those programs came up 
in the House, we looked to Bud Cramer for his knowledge and guidance. 
As a result of his efforts, facilities in the Fifth District like 
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile 
Command, and the Redstone Arsenal have become not just important 
employers in Alabama but true national assets.
  We admire and respect Bud Cramer for another reason: his great 
compassion for children and deep concern about the tragedy of child 
abuse. Each year, the National Children's Advocacy Center in Huntsville 
that he founded teaches thousands of people how to recognize and help 
at-risk children.
  For years, it has been my pleasure to work with Congressman Terry 
Everett of the Second District. He has always been the type of 
representative who makes this House work. He holds firm to his 
principles, but works across the aisle to find solutions.
  With his duties on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, 
Congressman Everett developed a well-earned reputation for expertise in 
defense and intelligence issues. Whenever my staff or I had a question 
about these matters, our response was: ``Ask Terry what he thinks.'' 
His support of the excellent work being done at Fort Rucker and the 
Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base has benefited both the constituents in 
his district and the people of our country by strengthening the 
national defense.
  All of us in the Alabama delegation have been privileged to work with 
Bud Cramer and Terry Everett. While we'll no longer be congressional 
colleagues, we will always remain friends. Both of these leaders, I 
know, will continue to have much to share with their communities and 
our State of Alabama in the years ahead.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, Terry came to the U.S. House of 
Representatives a successful businessman and is now heading back to 
Alabama as a successful congressman. No one doubts that Terry knows the 
values of a hard day's work. He's been a farmer, an Air Force 
specialist, a small business owner and newsman. He served the people of 
Alabama's second district, stretching from Autauga down to Dothan, for 
the last 16 years with that same work ethic, and they have benefited 
from his service.
  Terry came to Congress as an intelligence expert from his days in the 
Air Force and an agriculture expert from his days on the farm--skills 
he put to good use sitting on the Agriculture, Armed Services and 
Select Intelligence committees.
  I'm going to miss Terry when Congress reconvenes next year. The whole 
House will miss his work ethic, keen insight and ability to get things 
done. His retirement is a blow to those in Washington that know and 
rely on him, but if anyone deserves our thanks for a job well done it 
is certainly my friend and longtime colleague Terry Everett.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of 
Congressman Terry Everett, who has proudly represented ``Alabama's 
Second Congressional District for eight terms. His work on the Armed 
Services Committee, where he is the Ranking Republican of the 
Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, has been integral to our national 
security. Over the last 5 years, Mr. Everett has had oversight 
responsibility for $150 billion in defense funds for our country's 
missile defense, military space and our critical nuclear energy 
programs. He has led efforts to make Congress and the American people 
aware of our reliance on space for both military and civilian 
satellites for our national defense, communications and even financial 
transactions. He has been on the front lines of warning us about our 
vulnerabilities and the need for constant improvement in our ability to 
defend and protect ourselves.
  Congressman Everett has been a tremendous friend to our Nation's 
veterans, who selflessly served to protect our freedoms. Among the 
honor afforded our veterans is the choice to be buried in the hallowed 
ground of Arlington National Cemetery. In 1997, Mr. Everett was given 
the prestigious ``Excellence in Programmatic Oversight'' by House 
Republicans for investigating Arlington National Cemetery burial 
waivers that were being given to people who had not served in our 
military.
  Mr. Everett has been a watchdog on behalf of those who have served 
our Nation, holding the Veterans' Administration accountable for timely 
and quality delivery of benefits

[[Page 21169]]

and health care for our veterans', including investigating concerns 
about the care quality and administrative problems within the Central 
Alabama Veterans Health Care System with hospitals in Montgomery and 
Tuskegee, AL. Thanks to his efforts, those hospitals implemented much-
needed health care and safety improvements.
  Congressman Everett has also been a friend to American farmers, 
having served on the Committee on Agriculture and fought for the 
interests of American agriculture, which has a $1 billion impact on the 
region he represents.
  Congressman Everett served as an intelligence specialist in Europe 
with the Air Force, which served him well later in life when he was 
appointed to the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He 
also worked as a newspaper reporter, writing at first about agriculture 
and public safety. He spent three decades in journalism, moving from 
reporter to editor to publisher to the top of the top of the ladder as 
owner of a chain of newspapers in the Southeast.
  I thank Congressman Everett not just for his service to the people of 
Alabama's Second Congressional District, but for his commitment to 
ensuring the safety and protection of our Nation. He has been a 
forceful voice for reform to improve the care for our veterans and has 
worked hard for our farmers.
  Mr. Everett's retirement is a great loss for this House. I wish him 
the very best of luck as he begins the next chapter in what has been a 
lifetime of service to his community and his country.
  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, for 18 years, Members of Congress have had 
the pleasure of working with an exemplary representative. And for 18 
years, the constituents of northern Alabama have been represented by an 
extraordinary man. Today, I would like to honor the service of my 
friend and colleague, Bud Cramer.
  Over his time here in Congress, Bud has generated a noteworthy list 
of accomplishments: co-founder of the Blue Dog Coalition, one of the 
strongest allies for NASA, and a tireless advocate for children, 
authoring the monumental National Children's Advocacy Program Act. He 
managed to balance national needs while staying true to his Huntsville 
roots. Bud, your absence will be a loss not just for the Blue Dog 
Coalition, not just for Congress, but for the Nation as a whole. I wish 
you the best in your years to come.
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the time to the Chair.

                          ____________________