[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21981]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING PRESTON M. ``PETE'' GEREN, III

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EDWARDS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
dedicated public service of our friend and former colleague, Preston M. 
``Pete'' Geren, III. Tomorrow, September 18, will be the last day of 
Mr. Geren's service as Secretary of the United States Army, but I am 
confident it will not be his last day of service to the country he has 
served so well.
  Pete Geren's service to country began 26 years ago as an aid to the 
distinguished Senator from Texas, Lloyd Bentsen. The depth and breadth 
of Pete's public service since then has been rarely matched in American 
history.
  For 8 years, this native son of Fort Worth served the 12th District 
of Texas here in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a member of the 
Armed Services, Science and Technology, and Public Works and 
Transportation Committees, Congressman Geren earned the respect of 
Democrats and Republicans alike as an intelligent, hardworking, and 
effective Member of Congress. He championed, among many others, the 
causes of a strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, and 
bipartisanship.
  Pete Geren earned the respect of his constituents in Texas and his 
colleagues here in Washington because he always treated others with 
respect. He personified the Golden Rule each and every day, and in 
doing so, set a standard of public service that we would all be well 
served to follow.
  I will never forget a December day in the late 1990s, standing right 
on the back row here, when House votes were unexpectedly added for a 
Friday afternoon. Pete was torn between going back to Texas, where his 
family was, and seeing his daughter in her school Christmas play or 
staying in Washington for the unscheduled vote.
  This devoted father agonized over that decision and ultimately 
decided that he had an obligation to cast a vote on behalf of his 
constituents. It was not long after that that Pete made the decision to 
retire from Congress. And I will always believe that his love of family 
and the missed Christmas play that day strongly impacted his decision 
to retire.
  Four years later, his country called on Pete Geren once again. A 
lifetime Democrat, Pete was called by the George W. Bush administration 
to serve in the Pentagon. 2001 began a remarkable chapter of service to 
our Nation's defense.
  From 2001 to 2009, during a time of war and a critical time in our 
Nation's history, Pete Geren served as Special Assistant to the 
Secretary of Defense in the areas of interagency initiatives, 
legislative affairs, and special projects. He then was appointed to 
serve as the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, and later as Acting 
Secretary of the Army.
  In March of 2007, Pete Geren was confirmed as United States Secretary 
of the Army. In that position, he championed the cause of improving the 
quality of life for every Army soldier and every Army family. For years 
to come, because of the dedicated leadership of Secretary Geren, 
soldiers will live in better housing. They and their families will 
receive better health care, and they can know that their children will 
attend quality schools. Pete Geren, as Secretary of the Army, set up 
covenants between communities and the military installations in which 
they existed.
  Pete Geren's accomplishments are too numerous, Mr. Speaker, to list 
them all today, but I think one of his greatest legacies will be that 
he proved that in the rough-and-tumble world of politics in Washington, 
D.C., one can succeed at the highest levels of public service through 
hard work, respect for others, solid integrity, and genuine humility.
  Pete Geren is living proof that public service can and should be a 
noble calling. I wish him, his wife, Becky, and their family all the 
best in the years ahead.

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