[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21644]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING BILL GATES, SR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 23, 2008

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, from those to whom much has been given, 
much will be expected. Bill Gates Sr. knows it, and has spent his life 
ascribing this principle and instilling it in his children. I stand 
here today to honor this extraordinary civic leader, champion for 
education, and lion of the causes of the powerless. His commitment to 
improving the lives of not only the children of our state, but all 
children no matter the circumstances of their birth, is deserving of 
our highest recognition. Therefore, I have joined with my colleagues in 
nominating Bill Gates, Sr. for the Presidential Medal of Freedom--our 
Nation's highest civilian honor.
  As the co-founder and CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 
one of our Nation's leading charities, Bill Gates Sr. has shown 
dedication to improving the lives of people he has never met. As our 
Speaker recently quoted, ``It is the mark of a truly intelligent person 
to be moved by statistics.'' Bill Gates Sr. shows his compassion 
increasingly, as he works to bring vaccines to suffering peoples, 
education and access to underserved communities, medical relief to the 
sick, and opportunities to the optionless every day. The impact of the 
Gates Foundation is immense, but its guiding philosophy is simple, and 
one that Bill Gates, Sr. has always espoused: every life has equal 
value, and all people deserve the chance to live a healthy, productive 
life.
  As a Seattleite and a Washingtonian I have had the opportunity to see 
his work in my own backyard. Bill Gates Sr. might have the most 
visibility as co-chair of the Gates Foundation to the rest of the 
world, but he also has a long record of leadership in our community. He 
once remarked, ``Your wealth is a function of being an American'', 
insisting that businesses and individuals have an obligation to give 
back to the society that enabled them to prosper. Most recently he led 
the University of Washington's exceptionally successful Creating 
Futures capital campaign, which will breathe life into ``The Husky 
Promise'', ensuring that academically deserving low- and middle-income 
Washington state students will have their tuition costs covered at the 
University of Washington. Whether as a lawyer in the 1970's leading the 
Seattle school levy campaign, in his role as founder of the Technology 
Alliance, or now as a as regent for the UW, Mr. Gates has a 
demonstrated record of commitment and passion for giving back to his 
community.
  I am very proud to honor Bill Gates, Sr. for his unstinting 
commitment to service in communities all across the world. A low-income 
student from Washington State can attend college because of his 
dedication to ensuring academic opportunities are available to all; a 
child in Africa received lifesaving drugs and with them, a life touched 
by kindness. Libraries in rural towns are connected to the world 
through information technology donated under Mr. Gates' care, while 
young students in my own district have the incentive to reach higher 
and grasp the promised fruit of a college scholarship. He has changed 
many lives and communities for the better. With my gratitude and great 
esteem, I commend Bill Gates, Sr. for his lifetime of service.

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