[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11755-11765]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HONORING JACK KEMP

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 401) honoring the life and 
recognizing the far-reaching accomplishments of the Honorable Jack 
Kemp, Jr.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 401

       Whereas the Congress is greatly saddened by the passing of 
     Jack Kemp on Saturday, May 2, 2009;

[[Page 11756]]

       Whereas Jack Kemp's commitment to public service was an 
     inspiration to millions of Americans;
       Whereas Jack Kemp had an unwavering belief in the American 
     dream, saying ``There are no limits to our future if we don't 
     put limits on our people'';
       Whereas prior to his election to Congress, Jack Kemp was a 
     champion on the professional football field, leading the 
     Buffalo Bills to 2 American Football League championships in 
     1964 and 1965 and earning Most Valuable Player honors in 
     1965, and was named as one of the top 50 quarterbacks of all 
     time by the Sporting News in 2005;
       Whereas Jack Kemp was elected to Congress in 1970 and 
     honorably served the people of western New York as a 
     Congressman for 18 years, during which time he served as 
     Chairman of the House Republican Conference from 1981 through 
     1987 and was a member of the Republican Study Committee;
       Whereas during his time in Congress, Jack Kemp pioneered 
     innovative solutions for the American people, including the 
     Kemp-Roth provisions of President Ronald Reagan's Economic 
     Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which provided tax relief to the 
     American people by reducing marginal income tax rates by 25 
     percent over 3 years;
       Whereas Jack Kemp served for 4 years as Secretary of 
     Housing and Urban Development and was a champion of efforts 
     to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation in urban 
     America;
       Whereas Jack Kemp received the nomination of the Republican 
     Party for Vice President in 1996;
       Whereas at the conclusion of his service in the United 
     States Government, Jack Kemp never ceased in his efforts to 
     make the American dream a reality for everyone, including his 
     efforts to cofound Empower America, a public policy and 
     advocacy organization, and the Foundation for the Defense of 
     Democracies, a nonpartisan think tank;
       Whereas as Chairman of the National Commission on Economic 
     Growth and Tax Reform, Jack Kemp wisely advocated for reform 
     and simplification of the United States tax code that would 
     unleash the American entrepreneurial spirit, increase capital 
     growth, and expand access to capital for all people;
       Whereas Jack Kemp believed that ``real leadership is not 
     just seeing the realities of what we are temporarily faced 
     with, but seeing the possibilities and potential that can be 
     realized by lifting up people's vision of what they can be''; 
     and
       Whereas while Jack Kemp will be remembered as a honorable 
     and cherished public servant, he will more importantly be 
     remembered by his wife as a loving husband, by his children 
     as a wonderful father, and by his grandchildren as a doting 
     grandparent: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses its appreciation for the profound dedication 
     and public service of Jack Kemp;
       (2) tenders its deep sympathy to his wife, Joanne, to his 
     children, Jeffrey, Jennifer, Judith, and James, and to the 
     entire family, friends, and former staff of Jack Kemp; and
       (3) directs the Clerk of the House to transmit a copy of 
     this resolution to the family of Jack Kemp.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel 
E. Lungren) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is in honor of a former 
colleague of the House of Representatives who served the House for 18 
years, Jack Kemp. Kemp was elected to the House in 1970, serving the 
western part of New York for nine terms. He later served the public as 
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  Although he is best known for his position on tax cuts and supply 
side economics, he championed a variety of social causes supporting tax 
incentives for inner city enterprise zones to combat urban blight, 
speaking out in favor of affirmative action, expansion of home 
ownership to inner city poor, supporting D.C. voting rights and 
fighting to preserve cuts in education aid for magnet schools.

                              {time}  1245

  Kemp believed in a country where all people despite their differences 
were welcome and could succeed. He will be missed. I urge all Members 
to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, this is the definition of bittersweet. Bitter because 
Jack Kemp was one of my best friends; sweet because we are here marking 
a remarkable person, a remarkable history, and a remarkable 
contribution to this House of Representatives.
  Jack Kemp, yes, served with distinction in this House. But more than 
that, he gave this House life. As I was saying to another Member who 
served with him, as did I, when you talk about Jack Kemp, a smile comes 
to your lips, not because he walked with the swagger or arrogance of a 
former athlete, but because he walked with the grace of a former 
athlete who extended that grace to his public service.
  Jack Kemp was a remarkable man. Jack used to say that he probably 
showered with more African-Americans than most Republicans had met. 
Jack was referring to his service as a member of the AFL, American 
Football League, and then a member of the AFC, where he gained the 
respect of his teammates no matter what their color.
  As a candidate for Vice President of the United States, Jack became 
one of the very few people in the history of the United States to run 
for that office who had been the founder of a union and president of a 
union. He helped found the AFL Players' Association and worked with 
John Mackey, who was the president of the NFL Players' Association, to 
try and make more equal the bargaining position of players versus the 
owners and the league. Jack took great pride in that.
  But more than anything else, Jack Kemp was a family man. His family 
never came second to him in anything he did. He told me one time that 
he was trying to inspire his children and he would leave notes on their 
pillows at night. One of the notes he would write would say ``be a 
leader.'' I took that as an example for myself, and as my children were 
growing up, I would say to them as they went to bed ``be a leader'' or 
sometimes leave them a note that said that. That was something I got 
from Jack Kemp.
  Jack was also a man of the House. If you listened to him in various 
settings, he would repeat that phrase. I remember it very well when I 
was privileged to be among those in the crowd in the Cannon caucus room 
when Jack launched his ultimately unsuccessful but nonetheless 
inspirational race for President of the United States. As he bid the 
House good-bye, he said, ``I may be leaving the House, but I will for 
the rest of my life be a man of the House.'' And I believe he was to 
the very marrow of his bone, to his last breath.
  Jack loved this House. He understood what this House represented. He 
understood that this place is, yes, an institution for the people of 
America. But he understood that it was populated by human beings. He 
understood that politics was not only policy, but it was people. He 
understood that in order to make a compromise, you had to know the 
person across the aisle. You had to have some empathy for them and the 
lives they lived and the families they had. And in a very real sense, 
Jack elevated this House because he understood the foundations of this 
House.
  Jack, yes, became famous for his enunciation of the principles that 
underlie supply-side economics, but it was much more than that. If you 
knew Jack, you knew it wasn't about the theory, as the impact of the 
theory.
  Jack believed fundamentally that in order to help our neighbor, we 
had to respect our neighbor. In order to try and bring people up from 
their bootstraps, you had to recognize their basic humanity. He 
understood that government, yes, stands for the purpose of helping 
people, but we needed to help people help themselves.
  If you look at his ideas, his thoughts, his work on enterprise zones, 
it was rooted not in political philosophy; it was rooted in his love of 
his fellow

[[Page 11757]]

man. He actually believed every single person was in the image of God. 
He actually believed that, whether you were black or white or Hispanic, 
whatever you were, you were of equal value in the sight of God, and 
that was Jack Kemp to the core.
  So if you listened to him argue on the floor, he would implicitly and 
explicitly articulate the vision that every single person was worthy. 
And that motivated his philosophy and that motivated his debate and 
that motivated the bills that he supported on the floor.
  He was for enterprise zones because he thought that you could unleash 
the power of the individual. He thought that one way of elevating the 
downtrodden in our society was to give them opportunity. He believed in 
opportunity. He thought he was the embodiment of opportunity, and he 
wanted to extend opportunity to every single person in this society.
  Jack was an inspiration to those who knew him. He wasn't perfect; he 
would tell you that. Sometimes he acted like a quarterback and you 
would have to tell him that we weren't in a huddle. And thank God for 
his wife, Joanne, because Joanne could tell him there wasn't a huddle 
going on, and he would get that half-crooked smile on his face and he 
would chuckle and listen. And he would incorporate your ideas and he 
would always be welcoming of them; and sometimes later you would hear 
him talking and you would hear one of your ideas being expressed by 
Jack Kemp in that vibrant way.
  Mr. Speaker, you might get the idea that I thought a lot of my friend 
Jack Kemp, because I did. But it was more than just friendship; it was 
brotherhood. This place is a better place because Jack served here. 
This place would be a better place if we had more Jack Kemps here. This 
place is a greater institution because of his service here, and we will 
be an even greater institution if we don't just memorialize him, but we 
embody many of the traits that he brought forth to this floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Rangel) for 3 minutes.
  Mr. RANGEL. I did something I rarely do and that is ask to go before 
the previous speakers that were here, only because I wanted some 
continuity in the remarks of my friend from California about my friend, 
Jack Kemp. I know that other people have other things to say about 
Jack, but I think my remarks are more consistent with yours, and so I 
asked my colleagues to forgive me for asking for this courtesy.
  When the minority leader asked me to join on a resolution for Jack 
Kemp, me being for good cause suspicious, I just said yes because I 
knew that in my worst possible dreams if they wanted to distort 
something to catch me up in a political thing, that they couldn't do it 
with Jack Kemp because Jack Kemp defies the political persuasion which 
our House finds itself in today with how we treat each other, how we 
lose respect for each other, and how the party vote seems sometimes 
more important than what we are going to tell our kids what 
contribution we made to this great body.
  I was moved by what you said in terms of things that I don't normally 
think about, but when you said he really believed it was a religious, 
it was a spiritual thing, I take a look at and wonder if Jack was with 
us today, what would he really disagree with us about. Sure, we would 
have some problems in the tax system. We would have some problems 
believing that the free market system was going to remove so many of 
the problems that we face. And I get so sick and tired of people of the 
other persuasion saying that they are colorblind. Of course, when Bill 
Archer said it, I found out he really was colorblind.
  But as a political statement, I can tell you that the things that I 
was privileged to work with Jack Kemp on were for people who were the 
lesser of our brothers and sisters, period. And they come in all 
different colors. That is what the empowerment zone was all about. It 
was not looking for Republicans or conservatives or blacks and whites. 
It was in this country, everyone should have an opportunity to dream 
and achieve. And every time he had a chance, he would make it 
abundantly clear.
  What would the Republicans say today if he was running for Vice 
President and had his initial visit in Harlem U.S.A., in my 
congressional district? And who was there but me saying: he's a heck of 
a good guy. I just don't believe he and Dole are going to win.
  Jack Kemp had a constituency when he was Secretary of HUD. I don't 
care what Republicans or Democrats want to say, if you were living in 
public housing, you knew that the Secretary of HUD was your friend.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I yield the gentleman an additional 
minute.
  Mr. RANGEL. I would just like to conclude by saying that he was 
snatched away so early. When you are 79, you think 73 is early. But I 
never saw him that he didn't ask about my wife, about my kids. And of 
course if you ever saw a Christmas card from Jack Kemp and looked at 
him and Joanne and looked at his father and then read his biography, 
you would know that he was a quarterback for justice, and no matter 
what the cause, what your color, what your religion, if in this country 
you thought there was hope for you to succeed, the guy you should have 
seen was Jack Kemp.
  I hope that all of us would have a little bit of Kemp in us. During 
these difficult times, it is hard to get along; but if you can remember 
that maybe one day when you leave you will see people of all 
persuasions, of all parties saying you are a decent person, Jack Kemp 
has set an example for all of us.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I would yield the 
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) 30 seconds.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  I rise in support of the resolution and offer my condolences to 
Joanne, their children, and their families. Jack Kemp was a good man, 
somebody who I admired, followed, and tried to emulate in many, many 
areas.
  I would like to put two statements into the Record, one from the 
Weekly Standard that kind of spells out his life, and a eulogy by Chuck 
Colson who kind of sums Jack up better than anybody. Well done, our 
good and faithful servant. God bless Jack Kemp.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the 
life and accomplishments of our former colleague Jack Kemp. Like so 
many, I was deeply saddened to learn of Jack's passing this past 
weekend.
  I had the privilege and honor of serving in the House with Jack for 
eight years. He was one of the most genuinely optimistic and engaging 
persons I have ever known. He saw the best in people and believed with 
all his heart that every person on this earth deserved to be treated 
with dignity and respect. His work for human rights influenced me 
deeply.
  To his wife Joanne, his children and grandchildren, I send my 
heartfelt sympathy. In Jack's memory, I say, ``Well done, good and 
faithful servant.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that a column from the Weekly Standard by Mary 
Brunette Cannon as well as a BreakPoint commentary by Chuck Colson 
about Jack's life be inserted in the Record.

              [From BreakPoint Commentaries, May 6, 2009]

                          My Friend Jack Kemp

                           (By Chuck Colson)


                            A Man of Virtue

       My friend Jack Kemp died this past weekend at 73.
       His obituaries list many accomplishments: seven-time all-
     star quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and the American 
     Football League's most valuable player in 1965. Eight-term 
     congressman from Buffalo, New York, Secretary of Housing and 
     Urban Development, and the 1996 Republican vice-presidential 
     candidate.
       As our mutual friend Fred Barnes wrote in the Weekly 
     Standard, it's hard to think of any congressman in recent 
     memory who accomplished more, setting the stage for the 
     Reagan Revolution and economic opportunity for all Americans.
       But as remarkable as Jack's accomplishments were, Jack the 
     man was even more so. He personified all of the classic 
     virtues--temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. But 
     today I want to focus on one especially--courage.
       Jack was indomitable. ``Too small'' to play college 
     football, never mind professional ball. He was cut five times 
     before sticking

[[Page 11758]]

     with the Chargers. He became a star despite often playing 
     hurt. He suffered a dozen concussions over his career, two 
     broken ankles, and a crushed hand.
       Courage also marked his life after football. While he 
     didn't hesitate to describe himself as a conservative 
     Republican, many conservative Republicans were hesitant to 
     call him one of their own. That's because his sense of 
     justice sometimes put him at odds with his own party.
       While much of the party was winning over white Democrats in 
     the South, Jack was embracing civil rights. Whereas many 
     Republicans saw labor unions as the ``enemy,'' Jack, a co-
     founder and five-time president of the AFL Players' 
     Association, fought hard for the interests of working 
     Americans.
       Then, in 1994, when the GOP in his native California 
     appealed to fears about illegal immigration, Jack opposed 
     them. That cost him dearly with the national party. Many 
     split ways with him at that point.
       Jack might well have been President--and would have been a 
     great one--were it not for two things: He would never 
     compromise his convictions, nor would he attack his 
     opponents. Sadly, it's hard to resist those things and still 
     get to the White House.
       His courage was on display to the very end. During the 
     times I visited him over the last months of his life, I was 
     taken by how he kept his spirit up even as the cancer 
     devastated his body.
       Jack was a giant in our midst. He had a heart for the same 
     kind of people Prison Fellowship serves--the poor, the 
     oppressed, and the downtrodden. His wife, Joanne, has been a 
     board member at Prison Fellowship for many years.
       He also shared our Christian commitment to human life, 
     telling the New York Times how a personal tragedy made him 
     ``more aware of the sanctity of human life, [and] how 
     precious every child is.''
       This and more is why Jack's death is such a great loss to 
     me personally. Joanne and his four beautiful children--all 
     Christians--are in my prayers. How proud of them Jack was. 
     This family's Christian witness has touched countless lives.
       I've been humbled by being asked to give the eulogy at the 
     National Cathedral this Friday. What a privilege to celebrate 
     a life so richly lived in service to his Lord and nation. I 
     thank God for my friend, whom I and a grieving nation will 
     sorely miss.
                                  ____


                [From the Weekly Standard, May 4, 2009]

                         Jack Kemp, My Teacher

                       (By Mary Brunette Cannon)

       At the heart of everything Jack Kemp did was his 
     unshakeable belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every 
     human being.
       In January 1981, at the dawn of the Reagan Revolution, I 
     left my obscure college in upstate New York to spend a 
     semester as an intern in Washington, D.C. working for the 
     congressman from the neighboring district. At the time, I 
     thought my days as a student would soon be over, but I 
     learned quickly that my education was just beginning, and my 
     teacher would be Jack Kemp.
       I spent most of the next 11 years working for Jack, in his 
     congressional office, his presidential campaign, and at the 
     Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each day was an 
     extended seminar in the liberal arts and sciences. Jack's 
     interests were broad and his appetite for knowledge 
     insatiable. Once he discovered something intriguing, his 
     generous spirit compelled him to share it with everyone he 
     met. Most congressmen pass out to their constituents a 
     picture of themselves, or a copy of one of their recent 
     speeches. Visitors to the Kemp office were more likely to 
     leave with a speech by Lech Walesa, or a picture of Winston 
     Churchill. Staffers were sent off to the theater to see Les 
     Miserables, and given books that not only had to be read, but 
     discussed.
       Jack is often called a man of ideas, and that is true. His 
     ideas helped spur the economic recovery of the 1980s and pave 
     the way for prosperity and growth. As a self-described 
     ``backbencher'' in Tip O'Neill's House of Representatives, he 
     was able to work with members of the Democratic party to 
     achieve his goals without sacrificing even the tiniest bit of 
     principle, something today's backbenchers would do well to 
     emulate. Jack's vision was a Republican party with a message 
     that speaks to the universal truths of human freedom and 
     dignity is the roadmap to rebuilding a governing majority.
       One of Jack's enduring legacies is the amendment he offered 
     along with Senator Bob Kasten of Wisconsin to deny federal 
     funding to organizations, like the U.N. Fund for Population 
     Control (UNFPA), that supported China's use of coerced 
     abortion as a method of enforcing its one-child per family 
     rule. The Chinese government was taken aback by this 
     initiative when it was first offered in the mid-1980s and 
     sent its ambassador to meet with Jack in his office on 
     Capitol Hill. The diplomat made some formal comments, and 
     Jack listened quietly, a rare response. When he began to 
     respond, he sought to engage the ambassador on a personal 
     level, talking about his own family and background, and 
     asking the ambassador about his. The ambassador seemed 
     stunned by the personal nature of the conversation, but when 
     Jack asked him, ``how many children do and your wife have?'' 
     he answered quietly that they had three, two more than the 
     number allowed by his regime's population control policy. 
     Jack said, ``I know you must love them all very much, and 
     believe they each have something unique to contribute. Could 
     you imagine life without any one of them?''
       At the heart of this exchange, and everything Jack did, was 
     his unshakeable belief in the inherent worth and dignity of 
     every human being. This is what inspired his passion for job 
     creation and economic growth; his support for freedom 
     fighters in every corner of the globe; his insistence on a 
     strong defense as a deterrent to war; his work on behalf of 
     the poor, the immigrant, the unborn, and the dispossessed. I 
     traveled with him from the union halls in his district 
     outside Buffalo, New York, to the small towns of Iowa and New 
     Hampshire; from the most blighted and desperate slums in the 
     United States to Prince Charles' private garden at his home, 
     Highgrove. In every circumstance, his message was the same--
     each and every human being is a precious resource, to be 
     nurtured and defended and given the freedom he needs to 
     fulfill his destiny as, in Kemp's words, ``a master carpenter 
     or a prima ballerina--or even a pro quarterback.''
       Jack's destiny led him to do many extraordinary things, but 
     nothing was more satisfying to him than his life at home with 
     his wife Joanne, his children, and his grandchildren. Joanne 
     once gave me a glimpse into the life they had at home, in 
     what Jack called his ``Shangri-la.'' She said that marriage 
     was an ``adventure,'' and that the most important thing 
     parents can give their children is the knowledge that their 
     mother and father love one another. Of all the lessons I 
     learned from Jack Kemp and his family, that was the most 
     important. And like the countless other students who have 
     been privileged to have Jack Kemp as their teacher, I will 
     miss him.

  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank Chairman Brady for yielding.
  I was not here when Jack Kemp was here. But of course I recall his 
football career. I recall his legislative career. But I knew him when 
he was Secretary of HUD. I represent a large area with low-income 
people and public housing.
  Then when I did come here when J.C. Watts and Jim Talent and I 
introduced the American Community Renewal Act and New Market 
Initiatives, Jack Kemp was there. One of the most pleasant calls that I 
have had from anyone was when we were working on the Second Chance Act 
to provide opportunity for individuals who had been incarcerated to get 
assistance when they returned home, to try and successfully reintegrate 
themselves back into normal society, I got a call from Jack Kemp simply 
saying: I want you to know that I support this legislation. Anything 
that I can do to help make sure that it gets passed, give us a call.

                              {time}  1300

  And so I agree that Jack Kemp was not only a quarterback on the 
football field, but he was indeed a quarterback for justice, 
quarterback for equality, and a quarterback for trying to make sure 
that each and every individual has the greatest opportunity to live a 
high quality of life.
  I salute you, Jack Kemp.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time I 
yield 1 minute to the Republican leader, the distinguished gentleman 
from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
  Mr. BOEHNER. I want to thank my colleague for yielding, and I want to 
thank Mr. Rangel for cosponsoring this resolution with me. I would like 
to offer my condolences to Joanne and the family--a great American 
family--and I think they realize that we mourn with them.
  In the 1980s, I was a State legislator, and I became this big fan of 
Jack Kemp, to the point that, in 1988, I went to Manchester, New 
Hampshire, one Saturday and knocked on doors when he was running for 
President.
  There's not many people in America that were an all-star quarterback 
on a pro football team; not many people in America who have the chance 
to serve nine terms in the Congress.
  So when you look at Jack Kemp, he was a big figure, and he did an 
awful lot for our institution and, frankly, did an awful lot for our 
country.
  But two things that I'd like to point out about Jack Kemp: his belief 
in entrepreneurial capitalism; in other words, the fact that all 
Americans ought to have a chance at the American Dream, regardless of 
their stations in life. Jack was as enthusiastic

[[Page 11759]]

about this as any person alive. Regardless of where you were in life, 
what your station in life was, whether you're rich or you're poor, that 
everyone ought to have a real opportunity. He believed this to the core 
of who he was, especially when it came to visiting poor neighborhoods. 
Whether it was enterprise zones, community renewal projects, Jack Kemp 
understood that if, given a chance, anyone in America could succeed.
  The other big point about Jack Kemp that often is not noticed was the 
fact that he was a great defender of human life. His defense of life 
went on during his 18 years here in Congress, but long after that as 
well.
  And so I rise today, along with my colleagues, to honor our friend 
and former colleague, Jack Kemp. He will not be forgotten.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).
  Mr. POLIS. I want to share with my colleagues part of Mr. Kemp's life 
that they might not have been fully aware of. Jack Kemp loved Vail, 
Colorado, which I have the opportunity to represent, and also he loved 
to give back to Vail. He owned a home in the Cascade neighborhood of 
Vail for many years and served on the board of directors of the Vail 
Valley Foundation since 1995.
  Kemp pushed towards getting the foundation more involved with 
educational programs and youth. He was a leading proponent of the 
foundation's Success by 6 program, which helped hundreds of children in 
Eagle County under age 6.
  Jack Kemp was always an advocate for innovation and entrepreneurship, 
and he loved to spend time in Vail with his family, including his 
grandchildren, in both the summer and winter. One year, Kemp recited a 
speech by Abraham Lincoln at the annual Bravo! Fourth of July concert 
at Ford Amphitheater. And, most of all, Jack Kemp loved to ski.
  My story about Jack Kemp is, growing up, every year around the 
holiday season my family would spend a week or two--we, the kids, had 
off from school--in Vail, and, every year, Jack Kemp would have a 
session at the local Vail library for free, for anybody who wanted to 
come, a breakfast session right before skiing. And it took a lot to get 
out of bed, but, even at that age, I was really interested in what he 
had to say.
  He didn't have to do that. This is when he was a private citizen, 
living in Vail, skiing. Yet, every year, 7 to 9 in the morning, the 
last week of the year, he would take a morning and give back and make 
himself available to people in Vail to talk to him, to listen to them, 
to learn from him.
  I attended those breakfast sessions 5 or 6 years and was inspired by 
the example that Jack Kemp set, not only of public service but of 
making himself available and mentoring the next generation.
  After his days of political office, Kemp remained active as a 
political advocate and commentator and served on corporate and 
nonprofit organization boards. He also authored, coauthored, and edited 
several books. He was a benefactor of Pepperdine University's Jack F. 
Kemp School of Political Economy.
  Jack Kemp cared deeply about urban poverty issues. He championed 
enterprise zones, civil rights, and housing reform. Jack Kemp not only 
lived the American Dream, but he helped empower other people to live 
that dream as he did.
  The loss of Jack Kemp is a loss not only to his family and friends, 
but to our country and our world. I extend my sincere condolences to 
his family. We are all thankful for the life that Jack Kemp has lived.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, at this time I 
yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner).
  Mr. TURNER. I speak today in favor of H. Resolution 401, honoring the 
life of the honorable Jack Kemp. Jack Kemp was a friend of mine. His 
love of urban issues and love of those who government could help to 
achieve the American Dream was both admirable and something that many 
of us have attempted to follow.
  With his recent passing, we have to remember his work not only here 
in this body, but as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
  Jack Kemp is a guy who brought forth many concepts of how to 
appropriately size government, look to ways to lower tax burdens, and 
for economic development and moving the country forward. More 
importantly, he was also a guy who understood that the work of 
government was important, that it played an active role and held 
opportunity for people seeking the American Dream.
  His work and efforts to advance some of those programs really made a 
difference in the lives of many and is something today that we can look 
to as a model.
  He believed that tax cuts and economic growth would create benefits 
for everyone in the community, but also believed in trying to amass 
capital, bringing them to urban areas, assisting in redevelopment, 
assisting in enhancing educational programs, and looking to those 
neighborhoods where there were needs and ways which we can enhance 
their economic opportunity and the opportunity of those who live there.
  Jack Kemp's legacy is a model that we should continue to strive for 
as we look to ways to take our government into our neighborhoods to 
assist those who are in need.
  Thank you.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. May I inquire how much time is left on 
both sides?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 10\1/2\ 
minutes. The gentleman from California has 9 minutes.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I 
yield 2\1/2\ minutes to someone who had the privilege of serving with 
Jack Kemp on his staff, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).
  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to pay tribute to a 
great American, my friend and my personal mentor, Jack Kemp.
  As a 23-year-old kid, Jack Kemp took a chance on me and had me come 
and serve as his personal economic policy analyst in a new thing he was 
starting called Empower America. As his aid and his speechwriter, I 
learned not only how he articulated his vision, but, more importantly, 
the philosophical underpinnings of this vision and the universal power 
of Jack Kemp's vision.
  You see, Jack is the reason I ran for Congress. He saw something in 
me that I didn't even know was in me. He taught me how to approach 
people with that sort of infectious optimism that I strive for, and he 
reminds us that there is nothing more than uplifting the idea of 
America that we champion. I would consider myself blessed to have a 
mere thimbleful of his abilities and vision.
  Jack Kemp had a transforming impact on the economic landscape of 
America. And, as true as that is, his impact on our Nation's political 
landscape may be even greater, though not in a partisan or a very 
narrow political sense. I mean in the way that America understands 
itself, in the way that we understood the great purpose of our system 
of self-government.
  Jack Kemp was a self-taught man. He read the economic classics, 
beginning with Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations. He also read and studied 
the Declaration of Independence. Both, as it happens, were published in 
1776, year 1 of our country's independence.
  He mastered and spelled out for us the great insight that economic 
freedom and political freedom are intertwined in integrated parts of 
the order of human freedom. He reminded us that families, faith, and 
education, not government, are the true sources of the qualities of 
character without which there can be neither economic nor political 
freedom.
  Jack wasn't interested in the details and the fine print or even the 
micromanaging policies that he promoted, nor were his policies merely 
short-term tinkering. Whether he was advancing his 30 percent across-
the-board income tax or his enterprise zones, he was

[[Page 11760]]

never looking for just ways to add up points to gross domestic product.
  What he promoted was America itself, the American idea, which, in the 
1970s, had fallen on hard times. The American idea needed an American 
renaissance, and he was just the man to inspire that rebirth.
  Two great leaders that Jack always talked about were Thomas Jefferson 
and Abraham Lincoln. He was a fine student of those two men.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I yield the gentleman 20 
additional seconds.
  Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin. I simply want to close by saying that the life 
of Jack Kemp is a life where they broke the mold. Ronald Reagan 
motivated me; Jack Kemp inspired me.
  May God bless Jack Kemp and the memory and the works of this fine 
man, and may He bless his family.
  I'd like to pay tribute a great American--my friend and my personal 
mentor--Jack Kemp. As a 23-year-old kid, Jack took a chance on me, 
asking me to serve as his staff economic analyst at a new think tank, 
Empower America. As his aide and speechwriter, I learned not only how 
he articulated his vision, but more fundamentally the philosophical 
underpinnings and universal power of this vision.
  Jack is the reason I ran for Congress. I was motivated by Ronald 
Reagan, but inspired by Jack Kemp. He saw something in me that I didn't 
even know existed. He taught me how to approach people with an 
infectious optimism, and reminds us all that there is nothing more 
uplifting than the idea of America. I would consider myself blessed to 
have a mere thimble full of his abilities and vision.
  Jack Kemp had a transforming impact on the economic landscape of 
America. True as that is, his impact on our nation's political 
landscape may be greater, though not in a partisan or narrowly 
political sense. I mean in the way America understands itself and in 
the way we understand the great purposes of our system of self-
government.
  Kemp taught himself by reading the economic classics beginning with 
Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, but he also read and studied the 
Declaration of Independence, both as it happens, were, published in 
1776, year one of America's independence. Kemp mastered . . . and 
spelled out for us . . . the great insight that economic freedom and 
political freedom are intertwined and integrated parts of the order of 
human freedom. He reminded us that families, faith, and education--not 
government--are the true sources of the qualities of character without 
which there can be neither economic nor political freedom.
  Jack was not that interested in details and fine print, even of the 
policies he promoted. Nor were his proposals mere short-term tinkering. 
Whether he was advancing his 30 percent across the board income tax 
strategy, or his enterprise zones, or lowering regulatory barriers to 
growth and homeownership, he was never just looking for ways to add a 
point or two to the GDP. What Jack promoted was America itself . . . 
the ``American idea'' which in the 1970s had fallen on hard times. The 
``American idea'' needed an ``American Renaissance'' and he was just 
the man to inspire that rebirth.
  The driving passion of Jack's life was to bring every person to full 
participation in a society of opportunity and freedom, especially the 
poor and minorities who could not quite reach up to the first rung on 
that opportunity ladder. You might say that Jack's greatest indignation 
was reserved for programs and policies, intended or not, that cut away 
the bottom rungs on the ladder and left the poor in despair of 
improving their lives.
  Jack's way to the boundless opportunities of the future led him 
through the past, to the American Revolution and the Civil War. The 
American statesmen who inspired him most were Thomas Jefferson and 
Abraham Lincoln.
  He loved Mr. Jefferson particularly for the immortal words he carved 
into the Declaration of Independence--that by the Laws of Nature and of 
Nature's God, all men are created equal in their inalienable rights to 
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. ``All men'' meant all human 
beings, Jack used to say, not just males or whites or Anglo-Saxons or 
people from some specific background. The American idea, in other 
words, is freedom for all human beings everywhere in the world for all 
time to come.
  The more Kemp studied Lincoln's statecraft, the more he embraced 
Lincoln's vision. The Great Emancipator's titanic struggle against the 
abomination of race-based slavery, of course, was tethered to the 
golden words of Jefferson's Declaration. ``All honor to Jefferson,'' 
wrote Lincoln, ``to the man who, in the concrete pressure of a struggle 
for national independence by a single people, had the coolness, 
forecast, and capacity to introduce into a merely revolutionary 
document, an abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times, and 
so embalm it there, that to-day, and in all coming days, it shall be a 
rebuke and a stumbling-block to the very harbingers of re-appearing 
tyranny and oppression.''
  Lincoln's statecraft was intended to open the doors to citizenship, 
voting rights, work and ownership opportunities to the enslaved blacks 
just as much as anyone else. Kemp saw that Lincoln's struggle against 
black slavery was part and parcel of Lincoln's project to extend the 
benefits of self-government and free markets to all.
  Jack could quote passage after passage from Lincoln's speeches and 
writings to illustrate that the opposite of slavery--where one person 
owns another person--is freedom and equal opportunity--where every 
human being has the right to own and acquire property. One of the most 
succinct Lincoln quotes that epitomized Kemp's perspective was from a 
speech Lincoln gave on his way to the White House:

       I don't believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich 
     [Lincoln said]; it would do more harm than good. So while we 
     do not propose any war upon capital, we do wish to allow the 
     humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else. 
     When one starts poor, as most do in the race of life, free 
     society is such that he knows he can better his condition; he 
     knows that there is no fixed condition of labor . . . I want 
     every man to have the chance . . . and I believe a black man 
     is entitled to it--in which he can better his condition, [and 
     look forward with hope].

  Kemp and Lincoln had the same principal concern: to open up a path 
for those at the bottom to rise as high as their abilities and 
imagination could take them. Jack never lost a night's sleep worrying 
about taxing the rich too much. He lost sleep over programs that 
foreclose opportunity by weakening incentives for the poor to become 
rich.
  With due respect, no statesman of the last generation has made the 
spirit of Lincoln so much his own as Jack Kemp. Rare was the Kemp 
speech or essay that did not sooner or later recur to Lincoln for 
insights on democracy, whether in domestic or foreign policy.
  In his effort to grow in his understanding of Lincoln, Jack met and 
corresponded with the best Lincoln scholars in America; occasionally he 
challenged them. He was pleased by the invitations to join Lincoln 
historical associations and was professionally recognized for his 
knowledge and interest. So vital was Lincoln's vision of equality and 
opportunity that Jack would debate and respond to those who saw Lincoln 
as a proponent of ever growing federal programs--for example, former 
New York Governor Mario Cuomo who co-edited a book of Lincoln speeches. 
Even so, Kemp had a good word for anyone, left or right, who recognized 
Lincoln's greatness, importance to the meaning of America, and 
relevance for the economic and political issues of our time. It was 
altogether fitting and proper that Jack's last syndicated column 
published in February was titled ``Honoring Lincoln,'' in celebrating 
the bicentennial of the birth of our greatest President.
  It is true that Jack was a fighter for his vision of the American 
idea, but Lincoln deepened Jack's natural inclination to rise above 
party to the love of country. Last November, across the political 
divide, Kemp wrote a touching letter to his 17 grandchildren rejoicing 
in the transformation of America that allowed an African-American to 
win the Presidency. But that wasn't all. Jack noted that Barack Obama, 
like himself, often referred to his Illinois predecessor, Abraham 
Lincoln. It was quintessential Kemp to praise Obama generously even as 
he reiterated his personal vision of America:

       When President-elect Obama quoted Abraham Lincoln on the 
     night of his election [Kemp wrote], he was acknowledging the 
     transcendent qualities of vision and leadership that are 
     always present, but often overlooked and neglected by 
     pettiness, partisanship and petulance. . . . President-elect 
     Obama's honoring of Lincoln in many of his speeches reminds 
     us of how vital it is to elevate these ideas and ideals to 
     our nation's consciousness and inculcate his principles at a 
     time of such great challenges and even greater opportunities.

  Kemp himself contested for the Presidency and like a number of other 
excellent statesmen in the past who were driven by ideas, he did not 
reach that goal. But I believe with all my heart that through his ideas 
and his passion, his unconventional thinking and dedication to the 
principles of equality, freedom, and opportunity, Kemp made us a better 
people and our country a nobler place.

[[Page 11761]]


  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I yield an additional 2 minutes 
to that, please.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, when I was a kid, I grew up a rabid Kansas 
City Chiefs football fan. At that time, Jack Kemp was quarterback for 
the Buffalo Bills, and there was raging competition that existed then.
  I admired Jack Kemp, and I also was very pleased when our 
quarterback, Len Dawson, successfully defeated the Buffalo Bills.
  Shortly after that, when I saw Jack Kemp come to the Congress, I was 
on his team all the time. I was inspired by him, just as our friend Mr. 
Ryan had said, and I was inspired by Ronald Reagan. While Mr. Ryan 
mentioned Thomas Jefferson, who was an inspiration for Jack Kemp, I 
can't help but think about the fact that JFK, John F. Kennedy, was 
another inspiring figure for Jack Kemp.
  One of the things that Jack Kemp did was regularly focus on the 
economic policies that John F. Kennedy implemented. And it's an 
interesting irony they share the same monogram, JFK.
  Jack Kemp said that utilizing that vision that was put forward by 
John F. Kennedy was what we needed to do. And that's why I have been 
consistently arguing over the past few months, as we're dealing with 
the challenge of getting our economy back on track, what we need to do 
is use bipartisanship, the best of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. 
Obviously, Jack Kemp was the great implementer of so much of that 
policy.
  Jack Kemp taught me that if you tax something, you get less of it. If 
you subsidize something, you get more of it. In America, we tax work, 
growth, savings, investment, productivity. We subsidize nonwork, 
welfare, consumption, debt, and leisure. And he was so right. That's 
why I believe that, in the name of Jack Kemp, we should be implementing 
pro-growth economic policies.
  Just as I was coming upstairs, my California colleague, Mr. Lungren, 
said we need more Jack Kemps. What we need, Mr. Speaker, is more 
Members who will take the same kind of passion that Jack Kemp showed 
for people of every walk of life and that same passion for a commitment 
to pro-growth policies.
  Everyone from both political parties likes to talk about pro-growth 
economic policies, but the empirical evidence that we have of the tax 
cuts of John F. Kennedy and the tax cuts of Ronald Reagan and the 
eloquence of Jack Kemp in putting that forward is so important for all 
of us to remember, especially today.
  The American people are hurting, regardless of what their station in 
life is economically.

                              {time}  1315

  That is why I think that today, as we remember Jack Kemp, we should 
do all that we can to pursue what works, and that is the Kemp-inspired 
pro-growth economic policies.
  My thoughts and prayers go to Joanne Kemp and all of the family 
members. I have to say that Jack inspired me to run for Congress in the 
late 1970s, as he did Dan Lungren and many others, and we are very 
proud to continue carrying forth the great tradition of the passion, 
commitment, spirit and hard work that Jack Kemp taught all of us.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1 
minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
  Mr. COHEN. I want to thank Representative Brady for the minute.
  I was a freshman last year, and I got the opportunity to meet Jack 
Kemp on several occasions. He obviously was of a different party, but 
there wasn't a nicer person to meet and to welcome me into Congress and 
spend time with.
  Congressman Dreier talked about being a Kansas City Chiefs fan. Well, 
I was the real deal. I was a Los Angeles Chargers and a San Diego 
Chargers fan, which is where Jack Kemp started his career, and we 
talked at length about different players with the Chargers and the 
Bills, Paul Lowe, Keith Lincoln, Elbert Dubenion, and on and on, and he 
was as nice a person as there was.
  I went to his Web site, which if you do you will see letters he 
wrote. He wrote a letter in November to his grandchildren, and the 
letter is beautiful. It talks about segregation when he was with the 
Chargers playing the Houston Oilers and one of his teammate's father 
could not sit in the stands where his father did; he had to sit in the 
end zone. Jack Kemp was totally against segregation. He wanted a just 
society. He was for civil rights. He didn't see color. And he was a man 
who should be emulated by both sides of the aisle. We will miss him.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. At this time, Mr. Speaker, I 
would like to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman, Mr. Smith from New 
Jersey, who served with Jack Kemp.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to also yield 1 
minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman is recognized for 3\1/2\ 
minutes.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, the country lost a great and 
extraordinary American on Saturday. Jack Kemp was a man of deep faith 
in Christ, husband to the equally remarkable Joanne, father of four, 
and grandfather of seventeen. And he was, for those of us who knew him 
so well, above all, a family man. He was also a former star 
quarterback, HUD Secretary and Congressman, and will be deeply missed 
by all of us who knew, respected, admired, and loved this special 
person.
  I first met Jack when he campaigned for me in Trenton back in 1978 in 
my first bid for Congress. A decade later, as HUD Secretary, he 
actually helped us get the first demonstration project for Trenton's 
Weed and Seed program, one of only four in the country. Twenty years 
later, Weed and Seed continues to help disadvantaged youth in Trenton.
  By his contagious enthusiasm, balanced energy, personal integrity, 
dedication to high moral principles and sheer determination, Jack Kemp 
changed America and, in the process, changed the world.
  Jack Kemp believed in the politics of inclusion and worked tirelessly 
to extend hope and opportunity to all, regardless of age, gender, 
creed, disability or dependence, including and especially unborn 
children.
  In a 1993 speech, Jack Kemp said, ``Every single year, there's a 
tragic silence of a million newborn cries that will never be heard. 
Talents that will never be developed. Potential we will never see. 
Books never authored. Inventions never made. The right to life is a 
gift of God, not a gift of the state.'' Jack Kemp was always proudly 
pro-life.
  In the early 1980s, Jack Kemp wrote the Kemp-Kasten anti-coercion law 
to protect women everywhere, especially in China, from the horrific 
crime of coerced abortion and involuntary sterilization. He always 
cared for the weak disenfranchised and the vulnerable.
  Jack Kemp's speech on the Martin Luther King holiday in 1983 was 
among his most remarkable and enduring. He eloquently spoke of Dr. 
King's courage and legacy and the necessity of healing and 
reconciliation, and that the King holiday, like the civil rights 
struggle itself, was a necessary continuation of the American 
Revolution.
  Jack Kemp not only wrote landmark laws but was the quintessential 
ideas man as well, and his often outside-the-box thinking became the 
inspiration for innovative reforms, including urban enterprise zones, 
the Reagan tax cuts, and the realization of homeownership that had been 
denied to so many. Jack Kemp was truly one of a kind, one of the all-
time greats.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to 
extend the debate for 10 minutes on each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ 
minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from California was

[[Page 11762]]

right when he said we needed more Jack Kemps.
  When I was a child growing up in Montgomery, Alabama, as a shy young 
man who loved politics, I admired Jack Kemp because he was young, 
vigorous and looked a little like Jack Kennedy. For a shy kid from 
Alabama, that was enough to win me over.
  I got to know him as a Member of this body several years ago when he 
came to Selma, Alabama, as part of a civil rights pilgrimage. He and I 
partnered to do a fundraiser together in New York to renovate 16th 
Street Baptist Church, where four young black girls were murdered by a 
bombing in 1963. I still remember Jack standing against a window 
opening up to the New York skyline and talking about how much he 
regretted not having said enough in the mid 1960s when the civil rights 
movement was generating its strongest energies.
  And, finally, as someone who is a political practitioner, I admired 
Jack Kemp because he believed in the theory of politics, where all of 
us competed for the same votes. He wanted his Republican Party to 
compete for African American votes. He wanted my Democratic Party to 
compete for people of faith. He wanted one political ground in this 
country where everyone who wanted to hold power had to come and speak 
and share their values. Jack Kemp was right. I extend my condolences to 
Joanne Kemp and his wonderful family.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, could you tell me 
the balance of time on each side?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from California has 12\1/4\ 
minutes. The gentleman from Pennsylvania has 15\1/2\ minutes.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the 
gentleman for extending the time on this. This is a valuable person, a 
valuable time, and I thank you.
  At this time, I would extend 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana 
(Mr. Souder).
  Mr. SOUDER. I thank the gentleman from California.
  I think probably the most extraordinary thing we are hearing here is 
not only the kind of intellectual inspiration and things you normally 
hear, but a very deep-felt personal kind of inspiration.
  I remember years ago Governor Boehm of Indiana, I asked him when I 
was a college student with a political group, why he came up and spoke 
to us. He said, ``Because we can only do so much. It's who we reach and 
who we inspire that really extends our influence.'' You're hearing all 
sorts of different stories today.
  My own story is that in 1965 when I was 15 years old, I read in Sport 
Magazine something that suggested to me that he was a conservative. I 
was trying to form the third High School YAF, Young Americans for 
Freedom, chapter in America, and I wrote him a letter. This is a kid 
from small-town Indiana and he was a big star football quarterback. I 
said, ``Would you be an honorary adviser to my Leo High School YAF 
chapter?''
  Now, my high school, I had 68 kids in my class. And he wrote back and 
said, ``I would be honored to be an adviser to your Young Americans for 
Freedom chapter, but I won't be able to attend any meetings.'' I 
appreciated that. Then he became an inspiration and a close friend to 
my former boss, Dan Coats. His daughter Judith worked with me in 
Senator Coats' office, and we visited many urban areas, and there I saw 
another side.
  Many of the things that my friend from California and others have 
said are true: He wasn't always totally realistic; he was very 
emotional, sometimes a little naive, was not perfect, but he had a 
commitment to opportunity and a commitment to economics. But somewhere 
along the line he also developed a deep personal passion for helping 
the underdog. He did this when he was a quarterback. He was offended by 
certain ways minorities were treated at the time. It clearly stuck with 
him. He battled this coming out of Occidental College and had to fight 
his way up, and something deep and visceral sided with the underdog, 
and he stood up in ways that we do not usually see in the Republican 
Party for minorities. And when Judith his daughter and I would visit 
different cities, you could see the love that Jack Kemp had for 
minorities coming back from the minorities. Of all Republicans, they 
knew Jack Kemp. They loved Jack Kemp. They didn't always understand 
exactly what he saying and certainly didn't understand the gold 
standard, but they knew that he cared about them; that if his 
philosophy didn't reach to everybody, there was a problem with his 
philosophy. And that inspiration and passion he sent through and 
rippled through the system in both parties, and I hope that we in his 
memory continue to do that, continue to defend the underdog, and, in 
the Republican Party, understand that a rising tide needs to lift all 
boats, and we need to make sure that we continue to address those 
minority issues, and that will be part of his legacy to us.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega).
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I could not help but be quite moved by 
the earlier comments made by our colleagues in this Chamber on both 
sides of the aisle. I was very touched.
  I did not know Jack Kemp personally, but I did have the privilege of 
meeting him at the airport a couple of years ago. I offered him my hand 
to say hello, and I felt his genuineness truly, truly extending his 
hand in friendship; and, knowing that, felt a close warmth in knowing 
that this was a real human being.
  Mr. Speaker, I know that Jack Kemp was one of the great quarterbacks 
in the memory of the NFL. I just felt I wanted to share with my 
colleagues that in this NFL draft alone, we have 9 Polynesians making 
the NFL draft this year, the greatest number among my people that were 
drafted by the National Football League to play this great professional 
game called football in America.
  Now, our first love actually, Mr. Speaker, was rugby. But now I tell 
my young people to play football because it pays more money.
  I do want to say that in remembering that Jack Kemp was a quarterback 
and he became an economist, to the extent that a self-taught person 
that really understood the basics of economics, and I was very 
impressed with that. I do want to say that in line with what my 
colleagues have said, the gentleman from California and my good friend 
from New York (Mr. Rangel), I could not help but say, yes, this was 
truly a man of character, and we ought to follow his example.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, do you see what I 
say? When you talk about Jack Kemp, you start smiling.
  At this time, I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Mica) who also served with Jack.
  Mr. MICA. I have known Jack Kemp for more than three decades.
  First of all, I want to join the House and my colleagues and every 
Member of Congress in supporting this resolution to honor both Jack 
Kemp's life and accomplishments. We all have our stories about Jack 
Kemp. Anyone who met Jack Kemp cannot be left without the memory of the 
special sparkle in his eye.

                              {time}  1330

  All you had to do was see Jack Kemp and see that special sparkle.
  There was also a special warmth in his greeting. When you met Jack 
Kemp, you met someone special. And he greeted you warmly whether you 
were just an average person on the street or held the highest office in 
this land.
  We will all remember Jack Kemp for his sharp mind, and always with 
his new ideas. Jack Kemp was a man of his time and a man ahead of his 
time.
  We have lost, Mr. Speaker, a great American. He cared about people. 
The quote in this resolution, as Jack Kemp said, and I quote from Jack, 
``There are no limits to our future''--
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman's time has expired.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I yield 30 additional seconds to 
the gentleman from Florida.

[[Page 11763]]


  Mr. MICA. In conclusion, again, Jack Kemp's own words about people, 
``There are no limits to our future if we don't put limits on our 
people.'' He believed in people. He believed in this country. He will 
be missed by all of us.
  It is fitting, again, that we celebrate and recognize the 
accomplishments of a great American's life. To Joanne and his family, 
we send our sympathies and condolences.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes 
to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence).
  Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to come to the floor in 
support of House Resolution 401, honoring the life and recognizing the 
far-reaching accomplishments of the Honorable Jack Kemp, Jr.
  Mr. Speaker, I have a real fancy speech here, and I would like to 
have it included in the Record in its entirety because I am just going 
to wing it.
  Jack Kemp was my hero who became my friend. I had the great privilege 
of serving as House Republican Conference chairman in the role he held 
when he left this body to run for President of the United States of 
America. Some people have accused me from time to time of actually 
dying my hair to look more like Jack Kemp, and he liked that line.
  He was a great man. He stood for all the things that I believe in. In 
keeping with Congressman Artur Davis's sentiments expressed, I just 
thought I might rise and tell you a story about Jack, about who he 
really was.
  He came to Indianapolis for me about a year and a half ago, Mr. 
Speaker. And I knew that when you bring Jack in for an event, you don't 
just meet with the local political people, you have got to go into the 
inner city, you have got to meet with the underserved community. So I 
took him down to a place called The Lord's Pantry, a soup kitchen in 
inner-city Indianapolis run by a now-deceased black pastor by the name 
of Lucius Newson.
  And there we were, we walked into this little food pantry, and there 
was Jack Kemp, former quarterback, former candidate for President, 
former Secretary of HUD, whips off his jacket, rolls his sleeves up, 
and he regaled the poorest of the poor with his vision for 
entrepreneurial capitalism and the American Dream. And they loved him.
  And then at the very end of that, Pastor Newson looks at him--this 
wonderful, inner-city black pastor, and he said, Mr. Kemp, I know 
you're a wealthy man, so I am not going to let you leave without asking 
you for money for a women's shelter we are trying to build down the 
street. I didn't know how Jack would respond to that because I didn't 
know him as well as people like Dan Lungren. Not only did Jack pledge 
help right there on the spot, got a check out--they have a copy of it 
now up on the wall--Jack Kemp said to him, not only am I going to give 
money to that cause, but I am going to grab my friend, Mike Pence here, 
and I am going to grab Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning and Archie 
Manning, and we are going to come back here next summer and we are 
going to have a fundraiser and raise all the money you need to build 
that women's shelter. And doggone it if Jack Kemp didn't call me every 
2 weeks for the next 3 months to make sure we set up that banquet. And 
that black pastor would die a month after that banquet took place, but 
it raised every penny they needed to build that shelter and Jack Kemp 
was there and Tony Dungy was there and hundreds of Hoosiers gathered 
and saw this good and decent man stand with people at the point of a 
need, which is where his heart was.
  He called himself a ``bleeding heart'' conservative, and that is that 
to which I aspire as well. You know, I told Jack one time I could never 
imagine a future in America where Jack Kemp wasn't eventually President 
of the United States. And he looked at me and smiled and said he 
appreciated it. But you know, Mr. Speaker, I think maybe I was aiming 
too low. You know, sometimes there are giants among us, names like 
Benjamin Franklin; Booker T. Washington; in England, William 
Wilberforce. They are men who never held the highest office in the 
land, but they shaped their times by moral persuasion and political 
activism. Jack Kemp was such a man.
  Our hearts are broken, but our gratitude is boundless. Our prayers go 
out to Joanne and his entire family--which really extends to the 
millions if you knew the man. The depth this Nation owes Jack Kemp can 
only be repaid by imitation of his example.
  I will always be proud to have known this good and great man. And I 
will always, first and foremost, refer to myself as a ``Jack Kemp 
Republican.''
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 401, honoring the life and 
recognizing the farreaching accomplishments of the Honorable Jack Kemp, 
Jr. Along with millions of Americans, my family and I were deeply 
saddened to learn of the passing of Jack Kemp. Jack Kemp was a hero who 
became my friend and I will miss him dearly.
  Jack Kemp was a great man whose character, optimism and compassion 
will shape his party and his nation for generations.
  As a legislator and a thought leader, Jack Kemp shaped a rising 
generation of leaders in both parties with his ideas about 
entrepreneurial capitalism, enterprise zones and equality. Those ideals 
were the driving force behind the economies policies of President 
Ronald Reagan and the welfare reform of the Republican Congress.
  His optimistic belief in American dream--in the power of free markets 
and entrepreneurial capitalism--was a lodestar to millions of 
Americans. His devotion to ensuring equality of opportunity for every 
American regardless of race, creed or color helped ground the 
Republican Party in the true ideals of Lincoln. His integrity and 
personal Christian faith showed his colleagues how to build a career in 
public service without compromising the people and the values that 
matter most.
  Speaking to the Concerned Women for America in 1993--a time when 
Republicans were running scared and some spoke of deserting the 
``social issues'' platform--Jack Kemp said: ``Every single year, there 
is a tragic silence of a million newborn cries that will never be 
heard. Talents that will never be developed. Potential that we will 
never see. Books never authorized. Inventions never made . . . The 
right to life is a gift of God, not a gift of the state. Abortion must 
never rest easy on the conscience of our nation.'' And Jack Kemp stood 
for the sanctity of life. Jack was a passionate advocate for life and 
the unborn of all races. His life and work had an enormous impact on 
U.S. foreign aid policy.
  The Kemp-Kasten provision, which was in effect for more than two 
decades (first enacted in 1984 for the 1985 fiscal year), prohibits 
U.S. funding of any organization that ``supports or participates in the 
management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntarily 
sterilization.'' Under this law, the United States cut off funding for 
the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) starting in 2002 because, in 
the words of Colin Powell, ``UNFPA's support of, and involvement in, 
China's population-planning activities allows the Chinese government to 
implement more effectively its program of coercive abortion. Therefore, 
it is not permissible to continue funding UNFPA at this time.'' In 
2008, the State Department again determined that UNFPA continued to 
support the Chinese population control program through financial 
support for the very Chinese agencies that enforce the policy.
  Tragically, Kemp-Kasten was gutted in the recently passed Omnibus to 
allow funding to again flow to the UNFPA which can resume using 
taxpayer dollars to assist the Chinese government with their coercive 
population control program.
  On occasion, there are giants among us--men like Benjamin Franklin 
and Booker T. Washinton--who never held the highest elective office in 
the land but shaped their times by strong moral persuasion and 
political activism. Jack Kemp was such a man.
  Our hearts are broken but our gratitude is boundless. Our prayers go 
out to his beloved Joanne and his entire family. The debt this nation 
owes Jack Kemp can only be repaid by imitation of his example.
  I will always be proud to have known this good and great man and I 
will always say that I am, first and foremost, a `Jack Kemp 
Republican.'
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time. I only have one more speaker, if the gentleman would like to 
close.
  Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California. I would like to close. Thank you 
very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.

[[Page 11764]]

  Mr. Speaker, let's make one thing clear, Jack is becoming a greater 
and greater quarterback the more we speak. He threw a lot of 
interceptions, and he would be the first to admit it here.
  As I said before, he is my friend. He was my great friend. He was my 
mentor. I used to kid him and say he was one of my childhood heroes, 
which would kind of drive him crazy, but it was true that I first got 
to know of Jack Kemp when he was a young quarterback with the then Los 
Angeles Chargers.
  But I really got to know him in this place and thereafter. I got to 
know his family; Joanne--no better person you could meet; his children, 
Judith, Jennifer, Jeff--and in the resolution it says James, I know him 
by Jimmy. When Jimmy joined the Canadian Football League team that was 
actually located in Sacramento, Jack and Joanne called and said, we 
don't know anybody else in Sacramento, would you take Jimmy in? So 
Jimmy stayed with us for a number of weeks while he started his 
professional football career.
  Jack was the ever-vigilant father. He had his ideas. Jimmy said not 
too long ago, as Jack was in some of his toughest times and was unable 
to talk, he said, ``We've established a new relationship with dad; he 
has to listen to us now.''
  On the last chance I had to talk with Jack shortly before Christmas, 
we had a great discussion. And we talked a little bit about Christmas 
and about where we were going. And Jack said that we were family, but 
there are so many people that could say that. I say that Jack is one of 
my best friends, but I met a large group that could say that because 
once you met Jack, you were his friend forever.
  I said before and I will say it again; there may be somebody out 
there who didn't like Jack Kemp, but there is no one in this world Jack 
Kemp did not like. That makes all the difference in the world, 
particularly when you're in this tough business called politics. When 
you understand someone who loves you because you are another son or 
daughter of God, you understand what it is like to be a true American. 
Jack was a true American.
  Jack was someone who inspired, who led, at times infuriated, but all 
the time loved. He is someone who will always remain in the memory of 
those who knew him. He is someone who believed in those words inscribed 
above your head, Mr. Speaker, ``In God We Trust.'' He did trust in his 
God. He trusted in his family. He trusted in his country. We will miss 
him. I know that God is embracing him now as Jack looks down on the 
work we do.
  God bless you, Jack. And God bless this country.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remaining time to 
the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
  Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honor and a personal privilege to join 
our colleagues on the floor of the House today to pay tribute to the 
life and celebrate all that we all knew and loved about Jack Kemp.
  Our Members have spoken with great eloquence, with great emotion, 
with great knowledge of the contribution that Jack Kemp made to our 
country. He was a formidable Member of Congress. I, fortunately, came 
to Congress just in time to overlap with his leadership and service 
here, so I saw firsthand the leadership and skill and intellect that he 
brought to his work.
  He was a gentleman. He was civil at all times. He commanded respect 
on both sides of the aisle by virtue of his character, his personality, 
and his commitment to what he believed in. And he was an articulate 
spokesperson for what he believed in and a respectful opponent of other 
views.
  The story of his exploits on the football field are just incredible, 
and his first game with the Buffalo Bills is just historic and 
remarkable. In reading about that, it was said that what he lacked in 
size and weight on the field he made up for in intellect. He was a 
smart player and was able to pull off great victories right from the 
start as a Buffalo Bill.
  I hear the emotion in Mr. Lungren's voice. And when I went over to 
thank our colleague yesterday for the moment of silence that Peter King 
requested and that Mr. Rangel spoke to, I went over to thank him and 
Mr. Lungren said, ``Don't forget, he's a Californian.'' And I said, ``I 
know, born in Los Angeles.'' We take great pride in that.
  On both the gridiron and in the Halls of Congress, he was the voice 
for social equity--anybody that knew him knew that--from demanding that 
the American Football League integrate its All-Star game to insisting 
that his party remain true to the roots of the party of Lincoln.
  We all know his commitment to supply side and his accomplishment of 
Kemp-Roth--imagine having his name on that. He was a very respected 
Secretary of HUD, Housing and Urban Development. When he was appointed, 
people across America knew that they had a friend at the Cabinet table, 
that they had a friend in the Secretary's office.
  He leaves behind a legacy in the football record books, of course, 
and the history of our Nation. Any one of us who served with him--and I 
do believe that we all did because his legacy lives on here, and so 
that we all can have the privilege of calling him colleague--those of 
us who did have the privilege of serving with him know what a great 
honor that was.
  And so I hope that is a comfort to his family, his wife Joanne, whom 
he adored--everybody who knew him knew that--his four children, Jeff, 
Jimmy, Jennifer and Judith--we had some J's going there--and his 17 
grandchildren. Seventeen grandchildren. He had enough enthusiasm and 
love and personality to have raised 17 grandchildren. Not many people 
can make that claim. I hope it is a comfort to his entire family that 
so many people deeply, deeply, sincerely mourn their loss and are 
praying for him at this sad time.
  Mr. Rangel, at the request of Mr. Boehner, will have a bipartisan 
delegation attending the services on Friday to celebrate the life of 
Jack Kemp. He was a patriot. He loved America. And in his service and 
leadership to our country, God truly did bless America.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I support H. Res. 401, which honors the legacy 
of former Representative Jack Kemp. I became friends with Jack when we 
served together in the House of Representatives from 1976 to 1985. Our 
friendship was based on our shared conviction that low taxes and sound 
monetary policy are essential to liberty and prosperity.
  Jack is probably best known for the key role he played in the 
``supply side revolution'' that led to the tax rate reductions of the 
early eighties. However, what I most remember about Jack was that he 
was one of the few politicians I have met who understood how fiat money 
harms Americans. Jack was passionate about reforming monetary policy so 
America would again have, as Jack memorably put it, a ``dollar as good 
as gold.'' It was largely due to Jack's efforts that the Republican 
Party platform of 1980 endorsed a return to the gold standard. Jack's 
support was instrumental in me being named to the U.S. Gold Commission 
in 1982. While I was not always in total agreement with Jack's views on 
monetary policy, I always appreciated his interest in the issue.
  In his later years, Jack was critical of the idea that the best way 
to promote human liberty was through an aggressively militaristic 
foreign policy. In his 1996 campaign for Vice President, Jack attacked 
the Clinton Administration's aggressive foreign policy, famously 
quipping that the United States government should not ``bomb before 
breakfast.'' In my last conversation with Jack, he shared with me his 
opposition to the Iraq war.
  In conclusion, I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 401 and honor 
the best of Jack Kemp's legacy by working for low taxes, sound money, 
and a sensible foreign policy.
  Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
friend, Jack Kemp.
  I had the honor and privilege of meeting Jack Kemp when he was a 
member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the mid-80s during the 
Iran-Contra Affair. I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing on 
Sunday, May 2, 2009.
  He and I traveled with U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha, then-U.S. Rep. Jim 
Wright, then-U.S. Rep. Bill Richardson and Alberto Bustamante to 
Central America during the Contra War.

[[Page 11765]]

  I can say that Jack was a very decent man, who was committed and 
dedicated to representing not only the people in his district of New 
York, but all the people in this country.
  In the late-80s, when Jack was named Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development under President George H.W. Bush's administration, I had an 
opportunity to visit with him as we discussed policy and the 
development of housing in this nation, including South Texas. He was 
very receptive to what I had to say and took the time from his very 
busy schedule to hear me out, which made him one of a kind.
  I clearly recall a very special moment in my life, when I, along with 
my staff, was flying on a commercial flight from Houston to Corpus 
Christi, Texas. We met Jack at the Houston airport and he noticed we 
were flying on a commercial plane. I remember him telling me, ``You 
don't have to fly commercial--I have a chartered jet--come with me.''
  Jack was on his way to speak at a Republican Convention in Corpus 
Christi, and when we arrived there, other members of the Republican 
Party saw he was accompanied by a member of the Democratic Party and 
joked, ``What are you doing with this guy?''
  That was the type of person he was--a considerate individual. And 
although we were from opposite parties, he was very respectful of my 
views of the governmental system as I was respectful of his.
  Long before Jack was ever elected to public office, I knew of him 
from Robert ``Bobby'' Smith, a former football player of the Buffalo 
Bills who was born in Corpus Christi. Jack, who also played for the 
Buffalo Bills, and Bobby were good friends.
  I want to offer my sincere condolences to Jack's wife, Joanne, and 
his children, Jeff Jennifer, Judith, and Jimmy. You remain in my 
prayers as your husband and father goes on to be with the Lord.
  Jack's passing leaves us all in mourning; however, I, as well as 
those who loved him, know he will forever remain in our hearts and 
spirit.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Jack.
  Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I urge the adoption of the resolution, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 401.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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