[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10677-10687]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                RECEPTION OF FORMER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

  The Speaker pro tempore presided.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. On behalf of the House, I consider it a high 
honor and a distinct personal privilege to have the opportunity of 
welcoming so many of our former Members and colleagues as may be 
present here for this occasion. We all pause to welcome them.
  The Chair now calls on the Honorable John J. Rhodes, president of the 
association, to take the chair.
  Mr. RHODES (presiding). It is my pleasure at this point in time to 
yield the floor to the vice president of the association and my great 
friend, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Hertel, for the purpose of 
making a presentation.
  Mr. HERTEL. I thank the gentleman from Arizona.
  It is always a distinct privilege to be back in this revered Chamber, 
and we appreciate the opportunity to present today the annual report of 
the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress.
  Our association's president, Jay Rhodes of Arizona, along with some 
of our colleagues, will report on the activities and projects of our 
organization. Before we get to this report, however, it is my distinct 
honor and pleasure to present our 2010 Distinguished Service Award to 
William H. Gray of the great State of Pennsylvania.
  Bestowing our association's highest award on Bill Gray was an easy 
decision and one that was long overdue. The reward recognizes 
distinguished service, and few Members have served their community and 
country with more distinction than Bill Gray did before, during and 
after his years here on Capitol Hill.
  Majority Whip Gray embodies the spirit of our award, having spent his 
post-congressional career as an education leader, which he believes is 
his higher calling for our entire country. As president and CEO of the 
United Negro College Fund, he worked to elevate historically black 
colleges, and believes they provide vital educational bridges that need 
continued support. We are thrilled to honor him today. Bill, please 
join me here at the dais.
  You know, Bill first of all had to have the political hard sense and 
experience to become the whip to be elected by the caucus. And then 
once he was the whip, on a daily and weekly basis he had to lead us and 
be able to count those votes in such a political way. So it is not just 
education and public service, it is being one of the greatest 
politicians that we have had in the history of our House. On behalf of 
the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, it is a great 
pleasure and honor for to me to present our 2010 Distinguished Service 
Award to William H. Gray of Pennsylvania.
  The plaque is inscribed as followed:
  The 2010 Distinguished Service Award is presented by the United 
States Association of Former Members of Congress to Chairman William 
Herbert Gray, III, for his lifetime of exceptional public service. Both 
in and out of Congress, Minister Bill Gray has demonstrated his 
tremendous dedication to civil rights, fairness and equality. 
Representing the State of Pennsylvania with great distinction, he 
served as the

[[Page 10678]]

first African-American majority whip and the first African-American 
chairman of the House Budget Committee. His leadership helped young 
Americans obtain the dream of a college education, his perseverance 
contributed to the fall of apartheid, and his humanity brought relief 
to the people of Haiti. Congressman Bill Gray is an inspiration to us 
all, and his former colleagues from both sides of the political aisle 
salute him today.
  Mr. GRAY. Thank you to the president, the distinguished gentleman 
from Arizona, to my former colleague from Michigan, to all of you who 
are here, those who I had the privilege of serving with, and those that 
I have known over the years through outstanding service since or 
before.
  It is a real privilege and a pleasure to be here today and to receive 
this award because of the group that is making it, the former Members 
of Congress who gave service not only when they were elected officials, 
but continue to give service, inspiring fellow Americans to get 
involved in public service and understand that democracy must have 
participation by all of its citizens.
  Sometimes the debate can get kind of tough. But one thing we all 
learned long ago, and that is that civility is the cement that holds 
the bricks of democracy together. And so we must always keep in mind in 
our public service that although we disagree, we can never have the 
point that we reach in our society where we think of each other as evil 
because of our disagreements. We are all fellow Americans fighting for 
the best.
  I want to recognize one of our former Members, because in a way our 
partnership symbolizes that civility, that working together, even 
though we probably in the 10 or 12 years that we spent together here in 
the House of Representatives, he and I never voted alike on anything, 
not even the approval of the Journal, I don't think. He was from Texas, 
from San Antonio, and a rock-ribbed conservative, and I was from 
Philadelphia, a rock-ribbed progressive, and today we are partners in a 
firm. And that is Tom Loeffler, who came to the House about the same 
time as I did, and yet today we are working together.
  So I want to thank all of the members of the Former Members 
Association for this outstanding award. I enjoyed immensely my years on 
this floor and in this body serving with so many of you. I have enjoyed 
immensely my work in education. But above all, I have enjoyed my work 
of 45 years as a Baptist preacher.
  Today I thank you for this award, and continue to say what my father 
said to me years ago. He said, ``Service is the rent you pay in the 
house of democracy.'' Thank you, and let us continue to work together 
to pay good rent for the next generation and broaden the house of 
democracy.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. RHODES. Congressman Gray, thank you very much for being with us 
today, and for all that you have done for this institution, and this 
country, and for our God. Thanks, Bill. I appreciate it.
  I am going to yield the chair in a moment to the gentleman from 
Michigan to preside over the balance of the meeting. I want to take a 
special moment--actually, I am going to take several special moments, 
because the majority leader has entered the Chamber, and it's my hope 
that he will have some comments and remarks to make for us.
  Mr. HOYER. Good morning and welcome back.
  Many of you, of course, visit on a relatively regular basis. Others 
of you we don't get to see as often. I now have been here long enough 
to know almost all of you, and have served with almost all of you. And 
I am always pleased to join here to welcome you back to the House.
  I have my own Connie Morella from Maryland and Bev Byron. You know 
the story about Bev Byron. We met in 1962. She was wondering who this 
skinny kid was who had written to her husband, ``Dear President 
Byron.'' He was president of the Young Democrats of Maryland. And I 
signed it ``Steny Hamilton Hoyer,'' and she has not let me forget the 
officiousness of that letter.
  But I am so pleased to be with all of you. I have lamented on 
numerous occasions welcoming you here that when I first came here it 
was 1981, and clearly the partisanship was starting to elevate.
  All of you know, because I have said on so many different occasions, 
what respect and deep, deep affection I have for Bob Michel. Respect in 
the sense that I thought he brought the best of what the American 
people want and represented to the House of Representatives. He brought 
a philosophical judgment as to what policies we ought to support, 
direction the country ought to go, but he also brought a deep 
conviction that what the American public expected of us was to work 
together, respect one another, and try to do the best that we could for 
the American people.
  Unfortunately, as all of you have seen, we are a deeply polarized 
Congress. That does not mean that we don't sit down together and talk 
about issues from time to time. Leader Boehner has just walked in. He 
and I are working on a joint enterprise that we think may have some 
real positive effect. And hopefully, we can win the day on that issue. 
But for the most part, we are not working together as collegially as I 
think the American public would like us to do.
  The problems that confront our country, as all of you know, are very, 
very substantial. We have an immediate crisis, the oil crisis, which 
has given to the American public a sense of almost helplessness that 
their government is not responding in a way that can stop this oil from 
leaking. Clearly, BP and the entire oil industry has extraordinary 
incentive to do that. They have been technically unable to do it. We 
are in deep water both figuratively and literally on this issue.
  John and I were on a television program on Sunday morning together on 
which we both agreed that, A, BP ought to be held responsible, and B, 
we need to do everything we possibly could to not only stop the oil, 
but to help those who have been hurt, which nobody can contemplate 
exactly how broad that will be.
  The other issue that we are grappling with that I feel keenly about 
that has gotten cumulatively worse during the 30 years that I have been 
here, and that is the fiscal crisis that confronts our country. We are 
in deep debt. We are approaching or about at 90 percent of GDP in terms 
of our debt load. We are moving towards 100 percent. No country in the 
world can sustain that kind of debt load for very long and remain 
healthy, vibrant, and growing.
  So we need your continued wisdom and counsel. Notwithstanding the 
fact you are not voting, you are all very, very influential people in 
this country and in your States and in your districts still. And your 
voice is needed, as we try to reach some bipartisan consensus on how to 
achieve a more positive fiscal picture confronting our country.
  But notwithstanding those serious issues, as someone who just turned 
71 yesterday, and I am sending the message to my constituents that I 
have no intention of retiring; I hope they have no intention of 
retiring me. I enjoy my service here. I continue. And I enjoyed serving 
with all of you on both sides of the aisle.
  So on behalf of Speaker Pelosi, John will speak for himself, 
obviously, but I know in a very bipartisan way we welcome all of you 
back here. We enjoy seeing you. We enjoy reminiscing about the good 
times, about the challenges, and about how we got things done, and how 
we might apply those lessons of the past to the solving of the problems 
that confront us today.
  So thank you all very, very much. Enjoy this day, and make sure that 
you come back on a regular basis to give us, as I said, not only advice 
and counsel, but perhaps even encouragement. Not everybody in America, 
as you have noticed, is giving us encouragement.
  You know, the bad news for Democrats is that we are very low down in 
the polls. The good news for Democrats is Republicans are there with 
us. They don't like any of us. They don't think any of us have got it. 
So working together, perhaps we can reinstate their confidence and 
reinstate a positive, more confident America as we move forward, as you 
have done when you

[[Page 10679]]

served America so well in this body. Thank you very much.
  I now, if I might, the distinguished gentleman from Arizona, I know 
he wants to recognize him, but I would be pleased to yield to my friend 
with whom I from time to time have the opportunity to work together, 
but always try to have a cordial and positive relationship with, the 
Republican leader, Mr. Boehner.
  Mr. RHODES. Mr. Hoyer, my wife and I own a little piece of property 
in Calvert County which happens to be in a major part of your district, 
and one of the things that we constantly notice is between Prince 
Frederick and Solomon's Island, roughly every half mile there is a post 
office. Now, I know that you and everybody else thinks that earmarks 
are not good, but you are not going to be defeated as long as you keep 
building those post offices.
  Mr. HOYER. I appreciate your confidence, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. RHODES. The Chair recognizes the Republican leader.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in my 20 years here 
that I have seen the Speaker lobbying from the podium.
  Let me welcome all of my colleagues here to the Capitol today. There 
are a good number of you. I would hope that some of you would work to 
get more of your colleagues to come back for what really is a very 
special day, and we, on a bipartisan basis, really do welcome you and 
glad to see many of you. Some of you, this is the only day of the year 
I get to see; others I get to see a little more often, like these two 
over here.
  To Bill Gray, congratulations. Bill Gray has spent a lifetime of 
service to his country, whether it was the years that he spent here, 
the years that he spent with a number of organizations where he has 
provided exemplary service, and I am very pleased that Bill is being 
honored today by all of you. He and I had a chance to serve together. I 
was a young pup, he was one of the senior leaders in the other party, 
but we still always had an opportunity to talk to one another.
  As all of you know, we continue, as Steny said, to face big 
challenges, and what is really of interest to me and I'm sure to Steny 
is the political rebellion that is going on in America today. I have 
never seen anything like this. When you look at what is happening, 
we've got people who have been driven off the couch, off their easy 
chair, away from their TV, and into the streets protesting what their 
government is doing. The result of this, we will see what happens in 
November, but it really is--there's nothing short of a political 
rebellion going on in the country, something like I have never seen in 
my lifetime. It is creating more challenges for the Members that are 
here and clearly will create challenges for candidates on both sides of 
the aisle as we get into November.
  Let me just once again say thank you for being here. Anytime that we 
can be of service to all of you, we would certainly like to do that.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Mr. Leader.
  I wasn't aware that I was lobbying, but if that's the way you take 
it, then that's fine.
  I am going to yield the chair to the gentleman from Michigan, but 
before I do, I want to pay special recognition to my Republican leader, 
Bob Michel, and to three individuals who were elected at the same time 
that I was in 1986: Jack Buechner, Ernie Konnyu and Connie Morella. I 
appreciate you being here.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
  Mr. HERTEL. I thank the gentleman from Arizona.
  I want to thank the majority leader who has always taken the time to 
participate with us and to welcome us here on the House floor but has 
always participated in our other activities, too, and encouraged us to 
continue in serving our country in the capacity of former Members. He 
reminds me of 30 years ago when he talked about Minority Leader Bob 
Michel, who we all looked to for advice, and those times of, as he 
said, really the beginning of increased partisanship.
  But just as Majority Leader Hoyer and Mr. Boehner were last year at 
our golf tournament for the wounded warriors playing golf and there 
were some press excerpts of them working together, the majority leader 
has always reached out to the other side because, while we have 
partisan differences, as I saw with him back 30 years ago with our 
esteemed Speaker Tip O'Neill and our revered minority leader, Bob 
Michel, they were able to show us how you fight for what you believe 
in, you fight for your partisan position, you fight for your party 
position, but in the end, you're elected by the people to serve this 
country and to reach the best accommodation and policy in the interest 
of the United States for the future and the people of our country.
  In that light, the president of our association, Jay Rhodes, has set 
up a bipartisan day tomorrow where we have former Speakers of the 
House, Foley and Hastert, and Dick Gephardt and others coming forward, 
a full day over at the National Archives to talk about the need for 
bipartisanship and what it has meant in the past. I know of Tip 
O'Neill's great respect for Bob Michel; I know of Tip O'Neill's great 
love for Jerry Ford, who was minority leader and then President of the 
United States; and there was never anybody who would give an inch on an 
issue that he believed in than Speaker O'Neill and neither was there 
from President Ford from my State of Michigan. And yet as partisan as 
they were in their leadership, there is no one in this country who 
doesn't know how their leadership really was embodied for the entire 
Nation and the people of this country, to serve them and to move things 
forward.
  That's the example that we see, just as we saw yesterday Minority 
Leader Boehner coming out to our golf tournament again for the wounded 
warriors and showing his leadership again today by welcoming us with 
the majority leader and the comity that they have in working together 
on policy issues for our country.
  Again, I am reminded of the foresight of our leader from Arizona, 
having this bipartisan day tomorrow, but not just a day. It's a 
yearlong program that he has established to talk about the need for 
bipartisanship and the examples of bipartisanship in our future.
  So, today, I would like to ask President Jay Rhodes to step down here 
to the dais with me, and before you deliver our association's report to 
the Congress of what has been going on this last year under your 
leadership, I want to thank you for 2 years of outstanding leadership 
as president of this organization. Our membership and board of 
directors really appreciate all that you have done for the Former 
Member Association, and we really can't capture all the time that 
you've spent, all the hours, all the leadership, all of your iconic and 
ironic wit that you've demonstrated in this last year of leadership and 
also here on the House floor, but all the hard work you've done on our 
international issues, on our national issues, on the Congress to Campus 
program, Jay, and the way that you've taken time to listen to all the 
members of our association to implement their ideas and to involve all 
the different members of our association to move things forward.
  So I would like you to come down here, Jay, because we have a special 
plaque for you.
  Mr. RHODES. I don't think it's appropriate to leave the chair 
unattended.
  Mr. HERTEL. Well, I will come up to you, then.
  Let me read this, which is presented to the Honorable John J. Rhodes, 
III:
  In recognition and appreciation of his strong leadership as President 
of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. His tremendous 
enthusiasm and effectiveness will always be remembered by his very 
grateful colleagues.
  Washington, D.C., June 15, 2010.
  Jay, we want to thank you for all that you've done in your continued 
service with us as a past president, how much we appreciate it. And we 
are anxious to hear your report of our organization.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Mr. Soon-to-be-President Hertel. I have really 
enjoyed the time that you and I have

[[Page 10680]]

spent together, along with the members of the board and the executive 
committee. I look forward to continuing my relationship with the 
association, and I look forward to your presidency--which is not formal 
yet, so don't get too excited.
  I now yield the chair to the Honorable Dennis Hertel.
  Mr. HERTEL (presiding). The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Indiana, Mike Pence, the Republican Conference Chair. Thank you for 
coming.
  Mr. PENCE. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you all.
  Those of you that don't watch C-SPAN incessantly may not know I serve 
as the House Republican Conference Chairman now, and I am just honored 
to be here with our former leader, a man deeply admired, and to see so 
many familiar faces back on the floor, back in the people's House. To 
Congressman Rhodes, it is wonderful to see you. Congratulations on a 
great tenure in leadership.
  Thank you all for being here. We just adjourned the House Republican 
Conference, and I think you will see former colleagues and current 
Members coming over to say hello. We just appreciate your continued 
leadership. I appreciated what John Boehner said about your continued 
role in the leadership of this country. So many of you have gone on 
from Congress and played an even greater role in the life of this 
Nation in various industry and philanthropic ways, and I want to 
commend you for that.
  But let me also say I want to commend Congressman Rhodes and our new 
president for the call for bipartisanship. In the 9 years that I have 
served on Capitol Hill, I remain convinced that we could learn an awful 
lot from those who have gone before on this floor in this current time. 
As we think about the extraordinary challenges facing this country at 
home and abroad, the hard choices that we are going to have to be 
making that can only be made if we act as Americans first and not on a 
partisan basis, please know that we're going to continue to turn to the 
men and women who have served in this place before.
  We will have a competitive election, I expect, this fall. The 
American people will decide what the composition of this place looks 
like. I want to tell you as I came onto the floor and I saw a lot more 
people on this side than on that side, it's kind of how it feels for us 
Republicans right now, but whatever the American people decide. I want 
to thank you for being here today. Thank you for your involvement in 
the former Members group; some men and women that I have had the 
privilege of serving with are here.
  But I also want to challenge you, the extraordinary and intractable 
problems--rising deficits and debts, a difficult economy--we need to 
turn to the wisdom of the men and women who have been here before. We 
need to turn to you to facilitate an environment of good will where we 
can solve these problems for this and future generations of Americans, 
and I know that we will. When I see where we have come from, the part 
of this national life that you've been a part of, I know that we will 
meet these challenges and make this the next great American century.
  Thank you all for your involvement. God bless you all. It's an honor 
to speak to you this morning.
  Mr. HERTEL. Thank you very much for taking the time. We appreciate 
the gentleman from Indiana for coming today.
  I was reminded of--well, two things. I see Mike Barnes here joining 
the two gentlewomen from Maryland; I wish every State had the same 
representation as Maryland does here at our meeting today. But I am 
reminded to tell about the victory of the Democrats yesterday at the 
golf tournament for the wounded warriors. I think it's the second year 
in a row that Democrats have been successful. Marty Russo reminded me 
of that today.
  And now, I will call on our president, the gentleman from Arizona, 
for his annual report on the association's work under his leadership.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I hope that the Democrats enjoyed 
their victory yesterday, and I trust that that will be just about the 
end of it.
  We are very constrained in terms of the time that we have available 
to us; we have to vacate the floor by 11 o'clock.
  There are three of our association members who have reports to 
deliver about some of the activities of the association over the course 
of the past year.
  I would first like to recognize the gentleman from New York, Mr. 
McHugh, distinguished former president of the association and a 
tremendous asset to the association, for his report on the Congress to 
Campus program.
  Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Jay. It's a great privilege, as 
always, to report again on this outstanding program.
  As you have indicated in the past, this Congress to Campus program 
has been administered by our association now for 3 years in cooperation 
with the Stennis Center. During that time, the program has experienced 
marked growth and has expanded to include a number of community 
colleges as well as traditional universities.
  As most of you know, this is the association's flagship program. It 
sends bipartisan teams of former Members to colleges, universities, and 
high schools across the country to educate the next generation of 
leaders on the importance of civic engagement. The participating 
students benefit from the interaction with our association members, 
whose knowledge and experience clearly are a unique resource. Our 
members at the same time benefit through their continued involvement in 
public service and the ability to engage young people on issues of real 
importance to them.
  During each visit, our bipartisan team conducts classes, meets 
individually with students and faculty, speaks to campus media, 
participates in both campus and community forums, and meets with local 
citizens. The program has made both domestic and international visits 
this academic year, including two separate visits to campuses in the 
United Kingdom. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the program has 
made a total of 22 campus visits. More than 35 former Members 
participated, and I want to thank all of you who took the time from 
your busy schedules to do so. I also want to encourage those who have 
not yet had the opportunity to seriously consider doing so. It's a 
great way to continue our public service after Congress.
  I also want to thank the faculty, staff members and students who 
worked so diligently on each of these visits. Without the hard work of 
these folks, these visits would not have been possible at all.
  We have continued our relationship with the Stennis Center for Public 
Service in the administration of the program, and we owe a special debt 
of gratitude, I think, to Tracy Fine of our staff and to Brother Rogers 
of the Stennis Center for their fine work throughout the year. Our 
staffs work very closely together to make the program such a success 
and we also appreciate the continuing financial support from the 
Stennis Center. We look forward to our continuing association in the 
years ahead.
  In addition to the expansion of the program to community colleges, 
and with the help of a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the 
program has also commenced a concerted effort in partnership with the 
University of Central Florida and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics 
and Government to reach out to high school students through a series of 
webcasts. These programs focus on specific topics related to Congress 
and the legislative process and are designed as a tool for teachers to 
showcase these topics and encourage involvement in government. During 
the fall and the spring, the program was piloted to high schools in 
Florida and around the country. The broadcasts were taped and streamed 
live with an in-studio audience of high school students in Washington 
as part of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council.
  We have also continued our working relationship with the People to 
People Ambassador Program that brings

[[Page 10681]]

young people to our Nation's capital for a week of events centered on 
the concepts of character and leadership. This year, the association 
sent former Members to 30 different speaking engagements in this area 
and reached hundreds of students through these appearances. These 
students are younger than those who participate in Congress to Campus 
activities, but they have already demonstrated a commitment to the 
ideals that Congress to Campus seeks to promote. The association's 
involvement in this program allows our members living in the Washington 
area to speak to these younger students on the importance of public 
service and to answer their many questions about our country and its 
government. A number of our members continue to work full-time, and the 
People to People engagements allow them to continue their public 
service in this way. The events are typically held in the early morning 
at suburban locations. Again, I want to thank my colleagues, especially 
Orval Hansen, Jack Buechner and Martin Frost, who have participated in 
this program regularly over the past year.
  Finally, Jay, I want to say again how grateful we are to those who 
have made the Congress to Campus program such a great success, and I 
strongly encourage all of my friends and colleagues to participate in 
this program either by making a visit to a school or by recommending a 
school to host the program. As you know, a democracy can prosper only 
if its citizens are both informed and engaged. As former legislators, 
we have a particular opportunity and responsibility to encourage such 
involvement. This program gives us the chance to do so, particularly 
with our young people.
  Again, many thanks to you for your leadership. My congratulations to 
our friend and colleague, Bill Gray, on this award, and it is great to 
see all of you back again.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Matt. Your continued association and your 
continued leadership in this organization is unparalleled, and we 
appreciate it extremely much.
  Speaking of unparalleled service, I would like to recognize a former 
Member, the former president of the association, the Honorable Lou Frey 
from Florida. I am not going to ask you to make a speech because that 
would take up the rest of the time.
  Lou and I, a month or so ago, were privileged to go to China 
together, and we had a very, very fascinating trip. He has written 
eloquently in his Lou Frey reports about that trip, and I hope that you 
will have an opportunity to review those reports because he has 
encapsulated, basically, what we did and what we saw.
  I would now like to recognize my friend from Maryland, Connie 
Morella, who will discuss the activities of our various study groups.
  Ms. MORELLA. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you for your 
exemplary service as president.
  Congratulations also to Bill Gray, a great statesman of the year. It 
is nice to see Bob Michel in this great reunion. I'm Connie Morella and 
I approved this message.
  My message is to give you a little synopsis of the Congressional 
Study Groups for which the former Members are so noted. The association 
is pleased to oversee and to administer the Congressional Study Groups 
on Germany, Turkey and Japan, which create invaluable opportunities for 
current Members of Congress to engage with their counterparts in the 
legislative branches of those countries.
  The Congressional Study Group on Germany is the association's 
flagship international program, and it is the largest, most active 
parliamentary exchange program involving the U.S. Congress and the 
legislature of another country. Since its inception, which was almost 
30 years ago, the study group has offered lawmakers a unique forum to 
discuss potential avenues of cooperation on issues ranging from the 
current economic global crisis to NATO's role in Afghanistan. A group 
of current Members of Congress chair the study group in a bipartisan 
manner. In the House of Representatives, Congressman Russ Carnahan of 
Missouri serves as the chairman, and Congressman Phil Gingrey of 
Georgia serves as the vice chairman. In the Senate, Senators Evan Bayh 
(D-IN) and Jeff Sessions (R-AL) serve as co-chairs.
  The study group on Germany's programming consists of three pillars: 
the Distinguished Visitors Program, which offers monthly roundtable 
discussions on Capitol Hill for Members of Congress, featuring visiting 
dignitaries from Germany; annual seminars, which meet in Germany and in 
the United States on a rotating basis; and a senior congressional staff 
study tour to Germany. Recent Capitol Hill discussion partners include 
the German Federal Minister of Economy and Technology, the Minister-
President of Hessen, and the Minister-President of Lower Saxony.
  The highlight of each programming year is the annual Congress-
Bundestag seminar, which brings together Members of the U.S. Congress 
with their counterparts in the German Bundestag for in-depth 
discussions about issues that affect the transatlantic relationship. In 
addition to current and former lawmakers from the United States and 
Germany, representatives from the State Department, the German Foreign 
Ministry and the business and academic community also participate. 
Discussion topics are dictated by current events and issues influencing 
U.S.-German relations. The 27th Annual Congress-Bundestag took place 
the second week of May in Washington, DC and St. Louis, Missouri. 
Seminar sessions examined prospects for peace in the Middle East, 
mutual national security risks, as well as outlook on the 2010 mid term 
elections. The 2010 Senior Congressional Staff Study Tour to Germany 
took place at the end of March, bringing 10 House chiefs of staff to 
Berlin and Cologne.
  Since its inception, the Congressional Study Group on Germany has 
received generous grants from the German Marshall Fund of the United 
States. The association would like to thank the German Marshall Fund's 
president, Craig Kennedy, for his support and trust in the study group.
  Additional funding to assist with administrative expenses is received 
from a group of organizations that make up the study group's Business 
Advisory Council. This council is chaired by former Member of Congress 
Tom Coleman of Missouri, who served as the chairman of the 
Congressional Study Group on Germany in the House in 1989. Current 
Business Advisory Council Members are Airbus, Allianz, BASF, Daimler, 
Deutsche Telekom, DHL, Eli Lilly, Fresenius, Inc., Lufthansa, RGIT, and 
Volkswagen.
  The Congressional Study Group on Turkey, the second study group, was 
established in 2005, and it quickly has become a major focus for the 
Former Members Association, obviously. The study group offers lawmakers 
a unique educational forum to examine issues ranging from the current 
economic global crisis to cooperation in the Middle East peace process.
  Taking the successful and long-running Congressional Study Group on 
Germany as a model, the Congressional Study Group on Turkey has grown 
into a highly relevant and productive program for American and Turkish 
legislators. The study group is currently active in the House of 
Representatives, and is co-chaired by Congressman Steve Cohen of 
Tennessee and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North Carolina. 
Congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky remains active in the study group 
as immediate past chair.
  Similar to the study group on Germany, the Congressional Study Group 
on Turkey hosts roundtable discussions on Capitol Hill for Members of 
Congress featuring visiting dignitaries from Turkey and U.S. 
administration officials as part of its distinguished visitors program. 
The study group has recently hosted the Turkish Minister of Foreign 
Affairs and the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the 
Turkish Grand National Assembly, among others.
  The Congressional Study Group on Turkey also conducts an annual U.S.-
Turkey seminar, which brings together American and Turkish lawmakers to 
discuss current issues pertinent to the bilateral relationship. The 
fifth annual U.S.-Turkey seminar took place at the

[[Page 10682]]

end of August 2009 in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey, and the 2010 annual 
U.S.-Turkey seminar is slated to take place this summer in Washington 
and in Chicago. Discussion topics will examine current issues in 
Turkish-American relations, such as the Strategic Cooperation Framework 
on Trade, the Middle East peace process, and energy security. The study 
group will also take this opportunity to inform the visiting 
parliamentarians about the 2010 mid term elections in the United States 
via meetings with journalists, think-tank representatives, and 
policymakers.
  In the past, the Congressional Study Group on Turkey continued to 
receive a generous funding boost from the German Marshall Fund of the 
United States and a group of corporate sponsors making up its Business 
Advisory Council. The Study Group's current Business Advisory Council 
members include Eli Lilly and the Turkish-American Business Council.
  The Association also organizes and administers the Congressional 
Study Group on Japan. Founded in 1993 in cooperation with the East-West 
Center in Hawaii, the Congressional Study Group on Japan brings 
together Members of the U.S. Congress and members of the Japanese Diet 
for a series of discussions covering issues of mutual concern. A group 
of current Members of Congress chair the study group in a bipartisan 
manner. In the House of Representatives, Congressman Jim McDermott of 
Washington and Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia 
serve as co-chairs. In the Senate, Senators Jim Webb of Virginia and 
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska take an active role in study group 
programming. The Congressional Study Group on Japan is funded by the 
Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission.
  Finally, last year the association launched a new program called the 
Trilateral Renewable Energy Roundtable for legislators from Germany, 
India and the United States. Together with the Alliance for U.S. India 
Business, the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Robert Bosch Foundation and 
TERI North America, we brought together German, Indian and America 
lawmakers in Washington, DC, for a series of discussions on renewable 
energy solutions and ways of cooperation in a trilateral framework. We 
aim to replicate this successful dialogue in the near future, possibly 
involving Japanese lawmakers in the project.
  The Congressional Study Groups on Germany, Turkey, and Japan, as well 
as the Trilateral Roundtable, demonstrate the significant role that the 
U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress plays in assisting 
current Members in maintaining a strong dialogue and personal 
relationships with their counterparts around the globe. We are very 
proud of the work that is done by the association to keep these study 
groups as vital programs in the association, and I hope that all of you 
will look forward to further participation in them.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Connie.
  The Study Groups are very important and they are very enjoyable. 
Congress to Campus is a very viable program and I hope more of you will 
take advantage of it. The gentleman from Kansas and I are living proof 
that a bipartisan approach to Congress to Campus can be survived.
  Mr. Slattery is going to deliver a report on our election monitoring 
expedition to Iraq. Mr. Slattery is within 2 weeks of losing his 
exalted position as the immediate past president of this association, 
but I hope that that does not mean you're going to diminish your 
activities.
  Mr. SLATTERY. Thank you, President Rhodes, for the opportunity to 
report on the International Election Monitors Institute and its March 
mission to Iraq. I also want to thank you, Jay, for your dedicated 
service as president of this association. You have done a terrific job 
and we all appreciate it. We know the time commitment that you have 
made to making this association more vital and more actively involved 
in all the projects we're involved in.
  I also want to congratulate my chairman, Bill Gray. It was always an 
honor and a pleasure to serve with you on the Budget Committee. As I 
look back on those days, I can't help but recall with some fondness our 
intense debates around deficits at that time that we were trying to get 
under $200 billion. Chairman Gray, you did a great job and it was an 
honor to serve with you.
  I want to also join those who have already previously recognized our 
friend, former Leader Bob Michel, who is really one of the true 
patriots to have served in this body. What an honor to have known and 
worked with you during those years and to continue our friendship. Bob 
Michel, terrific. It's great to see you here today.
  It was an honor to travel to Iraq and participate in this project. As 
you have mentioned, Jay, the International Election Monitors Institute 
was created in 2005, under the leadership of our good friend, Jack 
Buechner, when he was president of the association. It is a joint 
project of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, the 
Association of Former Members of the European Parliament, and the 
Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. In addition to 
conducting annual workshops for former legislators to train them for 
election monitoring missions, the International Election Monitors 
Institute has sent delegations to places like Morocco and Ukraine. Our 
most recent mission was our most ambitious. We sent six former 
legislators to observe the March parliamentary elections in Iraq.
  Our team was invited to monitor this election by the Independent High 
Electoral Commission of Iraq. Six former legislators from the United 
States, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, including former 
Congressman Scott Klug and myself, traveled to Iraq to witness these 
elections.
  On March 7, 2010, the brave people of Iraq gave the world another 
inspirational example of their commitment to freedom and democracy. 
This was a pivotal election, with more than 300 accredited political 
entities, more than 80 having candidates competing in the election. 
There were 6,292 candidates competing for 325 seats. Nearly 300,000 
poll workers staffed 52,000 polling stations in 8,600 polling centers. 
In addition, there were 314 out-of-country voting precincts located in 
16 countries.
  To get an overall idea of what was happening during the elections, we 
met with people from all sides of the political spectrum. We spoke to 
people from several election-oriented NGOs, members of the 
international community, the Iraqi High Election Commission staff, 
political parties, and people at special needs polling stations.
  With the world's attention on Iraq for these elections, many Iraqi 
people were ready, inspired, and really excited to go to the polls. To 
me and our team's amazement, Iraqi citizens made it to the polls even 
with the explosion of nearly 50 bombs in Baghdad by noon on election 
day. I have monitored elections in other troubled countries, including 
the Nicaraguan election in 1990 and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 
2004, but I have never seen security at the level it was in Iraq. My 
two-person team was accompanied by a group of 16 armed guards in five 
armored vehicles provided by the U.S. Government.
  On election day, we visited 25 polling stations. We were welcomed by 
each person we met. They were obviously happy to see neutral officials 
monitoring their election. The Iraqis working the polls were passionate 
about the election. The staffers were well trained in voting policies 
as well as the fact that an adequate amount of supplies were provided 
for each voter at the polling stations. There was also a sense of pride 
and camaraderie among the Iraqis who voted that day. We were happy to 
see that there was no discrimination based on age, ethnicity, religion, 
or political parties at the polling stations we visited. In addition, 
both the Shia and Sunni sects were encouraged to vote by their leaders, 
rather than boycott the election as they had been instructed to do in 
previous elections.
  Let there be no mistake. Iraq has a long way to go in developing a 
western style democracy where the threat of death is not associated 
with active political participation. And while there was no conclusive 
outcome on election

[[Page 10683]]

day with no one party winning more than 40 percent of the vote, we 
believe that this election was a giant step forward. Nearly 60 percent 
of registered voters voted in a free, democratic election, in spite of 
the violence. There were, of course, some problems with this election, 
just like there are issues with every election. But in the final 
analysis, all of us who observed this election were confident that it 
mechanically went off as good as could be expected. We are confident 
that it was a great improvement over the last election, and we are 
confident that it's a giant step toward that day when America's 
incredible military personnel can withdraw from this troubled land, 
which likes to think of itself as the ``cradle of civilization,'' and 
leave the people of Iraq in the hands of a stable democracy.
  Thank you again for the opportunity to serve on this mission and to 
report on its outcome today.
  Mr. RHODES. Thank you, Jim. I appreciate that very, very much. The 
interesting thing to me about giving people the vote is that they 
hunger for it, and they are willing to take all kinds of risks to 
exercise it. My first experience with something like that was in 1970 
in Vietnam. Like Jim, I saw what happened in Nicaragua, I saw what 
happened in Ukraine, I saw what happened in Afghanistan, and when 
people are given the opportunity to express themselves, they jump at 
it, and they are excited about it.
  I would like to include my formal remarks in the Congressional Record 
at this point. I want just simply to put in a pitch for our bipartisan 
programs of tomorrow. I'm not sure I know what bipartisanship is, but I 
do know what civility is. And I do know that when we were first elected 
and when Mr. Mitchell was the leader and Mr. O'Neill was the Speaker, 
civility was the rule. I would hope that we can return to the days when 
the Members of this body are civil to each other, even if they do not 
agree. And so if bipartisanship is not a definable term, I know that we 
know what civility is.

The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, 2010 Annual Report 
                       to Congress, June 15, 2010


                            I. Introduction

       This report outlines the activities of the U.S. Association 
     of Former Members of Congress for the period June 2009 
     through June 2010. Pursuant to the Association's 
     Congressional charter requirement, the Association's 
     President, former Member of Congress John J. Rhodes, III, 
     delivered this report to the Congress on June 15, 2010. The 
     report was preceded by the presentation of the Association's 
     2010 Distinguished Service Award to former Member of Congress 
     William H. Gray. The inscription read:
       The 2010 Distinguished Service Award is presented by the 
     United States Association of Former Members of Congress to 
     Chairman William Herbert Gray, III for his lifetime of 
     exceptional public service. Both in and out of Congress, 
     Minister Bill Gray has demonstrated his tremendous dedication 
     to civil rights, fairness and equality. Representing the 
     State of Pennsylvania with great distinction, he served as 
     the first African-American Majority Whip and the first 
     African-American Chairman of the House Budget Committee. His 
     leadership helped young Americans obtain the dream of a 
     college education, his perseverance contributed to the fall 
     of Apartheid, and his humanity brought relief to the people 
     of Haiti. Congressman Bill Gray is an inspiration to us all 
     and his former colleagues from both sides of the political 
     aisle salute him.--Washington, DC June 15, 2010.
       The Association also presented to its outgoing President 
     the following plaque in appreciation for his 2 years of 
     service: Presented to The Honorable John J. Rhodes, III in 
     recognition and appreciation of his strong leadership as 
     President of the U.S. Association of Former Members of 
     Congress. His tremendous enthusiasm and effectiveness will 
     always be remembered by his grateful colleagues.--Washington 
     DC, June 15, 2010.


                 II. General Overview about Association

       Mr. Rhodes: Let me take this opportunity to also 
     congratulate Bill Gray on this well-deserved honor. You are 
     an inspiration to us all and we thank you for your many years 
     of distinguished public service.
       As President of this organization, it is now my duty to 
     report to the Congress about the activities of the U.S. 
     Association of Former Members of Congress since our last 
     annual meeting in June of 2009.
       Our Association is nonpartisan. It was chartered by 
     Congress in 1983. The purpose of the U.S. Association of 
     Former Members of Congress is to promote public service and 
     strengthen democracy, abroad and in the United States. About 
     600 former Senators and Representatives belong to the 
     Association. Republicans, Democrats and Independents are 
     united in this organization in their desire to teach about 
     Congress and the importance of representative democracy. We 
     receive no funding from the Congress. All the activities 
     which we are about to describe are financed either via 
     membership dues, program-specific grants and sponsors, or via 
     our fundraising dinner. Our finances are sound, our projects 
     fully funded, and our 2009 audit by an outside accountant 
     came back with a clean bill of financial health.
       We again have had a very successful, active, and rewarding 
     year. We have continued our work serving as a liaison between 
     the current Congress and legislatures overseas; we have 
     created partnerships with highly respected institutions in 
     the area of democracy building and election monitoring; we 
     have developed new projects, which we are in the process of 
     expanding, including our webcasting civics education program, 
     and we again sent dozens of bipartisan teams of former 
     Members of Congress to university campuses here in the United 
     States and abroad as part of our Congress to Campus Program.


                   III. Association Domestic Programs

     a. Conference on Bipartisanship
       We were incorporated on June 18th, 1970, almost 40 years 
     ago to the day. Let me quote from our original by-laws as 
     they describe the purpose for which the Association was 
     created: purposes include the promotion of the cause of good 
     government at the national and international level by 
     strengthening and improving representative government, by 
     teaching about our system of government, and by sending 
     delegations to help countries as they develop democratic 
     systems of government.
       You will find that all the programs we have initiated meet 
     one or more of the goals outlined in our bylaws. For example, 
     tomorrow we will host a one-day conference focused on the 
     issue of bipartisanship. The conference is a joint project 
     with the National Archives and the Bipartisan Policy Center. 
     Three different panels will examine our current political 
     discourse, how bipartisanship--or the lack thereof--has 
     influenced our political decision making, the way our media 
     influences this nation's political climate, and what concrete 
     steps we might be able to take to foster a more civil 
     relationship across the aisle. Panelists and speakers include 
     current Members such as Senator Ron Wyden, and former Members 
     such as Speaker Tom Foley. The media is represented, for 
     example by Judy Woodruff and Jackie Calmes. This will be an 
     outstanding conference and it is a good example of the type 
     of contribution former Members can make to the issues that 
     affect us all.
       Our founders 40 years ago envisioned former Members 
     teaching about Congress and encouraging public service. They 
     were hoping that former Members could inspire the next 
     generation of America's leaders. No program of ours does a 
     better job implementing that vision than the Congress to 
     Campus Program. Established many years ago as a way to reach 
     college students, it has since grown to also bring former 
     Members into the high school civic education classroom as 
     well as connecting with students as young as middle school 
     age.
       We continue to work with the Stennis Center for Public 
     Service, but all administration of this great program is now 
     done in-house by Association staff. I will now yield to a 
     former President of our Association, Matt McHugh of New York, 
     who co-chairs the Congress to Campus Program.
     b. Congress to Campus Program
       Mr. McHugh: Thank you, Jay, for the opportunity to report 
     on this outstanding program. As you indicated, the Congress 
     to Campus Program has been administered entirely by the 
     Association in cooperation with the Stennis Center for three 
     years now. During that time, the program has experienced 
     marked growth and has expanded to include community colleges. 
     As most of you know, this is the Association's flagship 
     program for its members. It sends bipartisan teams of former 
     Members to colleges, universities and high schools across the 
     country to educate the next generation of leaders on the 
     importance of civic engagement. The participating students 
     benefit from the interaction with our Association members, 
     whose knowledge and experience are a unique resource. Our 
     members also benefit through their continued involvement in 
     public service, and the ability to engage young people on 
     issues that are important to them.
       During each visit, our bipartisan team conducts classes, 
     meets individually with students and faculty, speaks to 
     campus media, participates in both campus and community 
     forums, and meets with local citizens. Institutions are 
     encouraged to market the visit to the entire campus 
     community, not just to those students majoring in political 
     science, history or government. Over the course of two and a 
     half days, hundreds of students are exposed to the former 
     Members' message regarding the significance of public 
     service.
       The program has made both domestic and international visits 
     this academic year, including two separate visits to campuses 
     in the United Kingdom. During the 2009-2010 academic year, 
     the program has made 22 campus visits, including visits to 
     the United

[[Page 10684]]

     States Naval Academy, Boise State University in Idaho, 
     Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois, Cabrini 
     College in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and Miami University 
     Hamilton in Ohio.
       More than 35 former Members participated, and I want to 
     thank all of you who took time from your busy schedules to do 
     so. I also want to encourage those who have not yet had the 
     opportunity to seriously consider doing so. It is truly a 
     great way to continue your public service after Congress.
       I would also like to extend our thanks to the faculty, 
     staff members and students who worked so diligently on each 
     visit. Without their hard work, these visits would not have 
     been possible. We rely heavily on the universities to take 
     the lead in coordinating logistics related to each visit, and 
     appreciate the time they devote to ensuring that their 
     students receive the full benefit of the program.
       We have continued our relationship with the Stennis Center 
     for Public Service in the administration of the program, and 
     we owe a special debt of gratitude to Tracy Fine of our staff 
     and to Brother Rogers of the Stennis Center for their fine 
     work. Our staffs work very closely together to make the 
     program such a success and we also appreciate the continuing 
     financial support we receive from the Stennis Center. We look 
     forward to our continuing association in the years ahead.
       In addition to the expansion of the program to community 
     colleges, and with the help of a grant from the U.S. 
     Department of Education, the program has also commenced a 
     concerted effort in partnership with the University of 
     Central Florida and the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and 
     Government, to reach out to high school students via a series 
     of webcasts. These programs focus on specific topics related 
     to Congress and the legislative process, and are designed as 
     a tool for teachers to showcase these topics and encourage 
     involvement in government. During the fall and spring, the 
     program was piloted to high schools in Florida and around the 
     country. The broadcasts were taped and streamed live with an 
     in-studio audience of high schools students in Washington as 
     part of the Congressional Youth Leadership Council. We want 
     to thank the U.S. Department of Education, the University of 
     Central Florida, the Lou Frey Institute of Politics and 
     Government, George Washington University School of Media and 
     Public Affairs, and the Congressional Youth Leadership 
     Council for their support of this great program. In the 2010-
     2011 academic year, the project will continue to reach out to 
     high school students. While these ``virtual'' visits cannot 
     replace the person-to-person experience of a traditional 
     Congress to Campus visit, they can play an important 
     supplemental role in teaching about representative democracy 
     at the high school level.
       We have also continued our working relationship with the 
     People to People Ambassador Program that brings young people 
     to our nation's capital for a week of events centered on the 
     concepts of character and leadership. This year the 
     Association sent Former Members to 30 different speaking 
     engagements in this area and reached hundreds of students via 
     these appearances. These students are younger than those who 
     participate in Congress to Campus activities, but they have 
     already demonstrated a commitment to the ideals that Congress 
     to Campus seeks to promote. The Association's involvement in 
     this program allows our members living in the Washington area 
     to speak to these younger students on the importance of 
     public service and to answer their many questions about our 
     country and its government. A number of our members continue 
     to work full time, and the People to People engagements allow 
     them to continue their public service in this way. The events 
     are typically held in the early morning at suburban 
     locations, and I want to thank my colleagues, especially 
     Orval Hansen, Jack Buechner, and Martin Frost who have 
     participated in this program regularly over the past year.
       Finally, I want to say again how grateful we are to all of 
     those who have made the Congress to Campus Program such a 
     success and to strongly encourage all of my friends and 
     colleagues to participate in the program, either by making a 
     visit to a school, or by recommending a school to host the 
     program. As you know, a democracy can prosper only if its 
     citizens are both informed and engaged, and as former 
     legislators we have a particular opportunity and 
     responsibility to encourage such involvement. This program 
     gives us the chance to do so, particularly with our young 
     people. Thank you.
     c. Political Rules of the Road
       Mr. Rhodes: One of the lessons we have learned from 
     interacting with America's college students, is that there is 
     a void of real-life experience and advice when it comes to 
     civic education textbooks. To fill that void former Member of 
     Congress Lou Frey of Florida collected the words of wisdom 
     our membership had to offer and edited two books we have 
     since published. The first, Inside the House--Former Members 
     reveal how Congress really works--was published several years 
     ago and is being used by political science professors across 
     the country. This past summer, we published a follow-up 
     volume entitled Political Rules of the Road. This book 
     focuses on some of the rules of the road we all have learned 
     during our political lives, and I thank the many former 
     Members who took the time and submitted contributions for 
     this terrific collection. We have over 500 rules by almost 
     200 former and current Members as well as several U.S. 
     Presidents! The book has received quite some attention; as a 
     matter of fact Lou Frey did a call-in show on C-Span late 
     last year. Please visit our website at wwww.usafmc.org for 
     more information about ordering either one of these 
     publications.
     d. Statesmanship Award Dinner
       None of these projects would be possible without funding. 
     We do not receive a single taxpayer dollar from the Congress 
     for our organization. All programs are self-financed via 
     membership dues, grants, contributions and our annual 
     fundraising dinner. We have taken the occasion of the 
     fundraiser to recognize former or current Members of Congress 
     who have inspired others through their leadership or 
     statesmanship. Our 2010 Statesmanship Award Honoree was 
     Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. Early on we decided 
     to dedicate our 40th anniversary year to the theme of 
     bipartisanship. It was therefore a very easy decision to 
     recognize Secretary LaHood for his many years in the Congress 
     and in the current administration as a public servant who 
     strives to reach across the aisle, create dialogue, and work 
     with others regardless of their political persuasion. The 
     dinner was a rousing success and we are so pleased that we 
     had a chance to recognize Secretary LaHood for the good work 
     he did in the Congress and the good work he is doing as 
     Secretary of Transportation.
     e. Charitable Golf Tournament
       Two years ago we took a 35-year-old tradition--our annual 
     golf tournament which pits Republicans against Democrats--and 
     gave it a new and much bigger mission: we converted it into a 
     charitable golf tournament to aid severely wounded vets 
     returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Our beneficiary, the 
     Wounded Warrior Project of Disabled Sports USA, is as 
     impressive and remarkable an organization as you are likely 
     to find anywhere in this country. They use sports to help our 
     wounded veterans readjust to life after a severe injury, they 
     involve the entire family in the sport, and they take care of 
     all the equipment and training. We held the third golf 
     tournament yesterday and between the three tournaments we 
     have raised almost $200,000 for this outstanding 
     organization. We are very proud of this new focus for our 
     organization and hope to be able to support our wounded 
     heroes for many years to come.


                 IV. Association International Programs

     a. China Delegation
       According to our bylaws and articles of incorporation, we 
     are tasked with promoting representative democracy at home 
     and abroad. We therefore have created a number of programs 
     with an international outreach.
       For example, earlier this year I was privileged to lead a 
     delegation of former Members of Congress to China. Our 
     bipartisan group had a number of meetings in Beijing as well 
     as in Shanghai. The purpose of the trip was to learn about 
     China firsthand, engage Chinese officials in a frank 
     dialogue, shed some light on current U.S. politics and 
     foreign policy, and gain knowledge about U.S.-Chinese trade 
     relations from U.S. corporate representatives in Asia. To 
     conduct this mission we partnered with the China Association 
     For International Friendly Contact and the China U.S. 
     Exchange Foundation. Our discussion partners included the 
     Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, the Assistant 
     Minister of Commerce, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign 
     Affairs. In addition, we met with a number of Chinese 
     university students, Chinese cultural representatives, and 
     the Deputy Governor of China's central bank. Our talks were 
     frank and productive, we learned an awful lot and were able 
     to dispel some myths. Most importantly, we established an 
     avenue for an exchange of views and ideas. This was a very 
     successful trip and we are planning a followup in the fall.
       Another example of our international outreach is the work 
     we do via the International Election Monitors Institute. 
     Created in 2005 under the leadership of our then-President 
     Jack Buechner, the IEMI is a collaborative effort 
     administered in conjunction with our Canadian and European 
     Union sister organizations. IEMI takes former legislators 
     from the United States, Canada and Europe and trains them in 
     proper election monitoring techniques and a code of conduct. 
     To this end we have been able to put together a two-day 
     training course which we've now administered numerous times 
     in Ottawa. The course, as well as a host of other 
     achievements for the Institute, was made possible via a 
     three-year grant from the Canadian International Development 
     Agency. Dozens of U.S., Canadian, and European former 
     legislators have gone through the training and are now well 
     versed in the actual set of responsibilities and challenges 
     that come with election observation. Our most recent mission 
     was also our most ambitious undertaking: we were one of only 
     two organizations with U.S. election monitors in Iraq for 
     that country's March parliamentary elections. Former Member 
     of Congress Jim Slattery was in Baghdad as an IEMI election 
     observer and will report on this project.

[[Page 10685]]


     b. IEMI Iraq Election Monitoring Mission
       Mr. Slattery: Thank you, Jay, for the opportunity to report 
     on the International Election Monitors Institute and its 
     March mission to Iraq. It was an honor to be able to travel 
     to Iraq and participate in this endeavor and to be part of 
     such an important moment for democracies around the world.
       As you mentioned, the IEMI was created in 2005 under the 
     leadership of our good friend Jack Buechner, when he was 
     President of our Association. It is a joint project of the 
     U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, the 
     Association of Former Members of the European Parliament, and 
     the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. In 
     addition to conducting multiple annual workshops for former 
     legislators to train them for election monitoring missions, 
     IEMI has sent delegations to places such as Morocco and 
     Ukraine. Our most recent mission was arguable our most 
     ambitious, when we sent six former legislators to observe the 
     March parliamentary elections in Iraq.
       A team from the IEMI was invited to visit Iraq and monitor 
     the 2010 elections by the Independent High Electoral 
     Commission of Iraq. Six former legislators from the United 
     States, Canada, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, including 
     myself, traveled to Iraq to witness the elections.
       On March 7, 2010, I had the opportunity to observe the 
     elections in Iraq and see how the brave people of that 
     country gave the world another inspirational example of their 
     commitment to democracy. This year was a pivotal election 
     year with over 300 accredited political entities, more than 
     80 having candidates competing in this election. There were 
     6,292 candidates competing for 325 seats. Nearly 300,000 poll 
     workers staffed 52,000 polling stations in 8,600 polling 
     centers. In addition, there were 314 out-of-country voting 
     precincts located in 16 countries.
       In order to get an overall idea of what exactly was 
     happening during the elections, we met with people from all 
     sides of the spectrum. We spoke to people from several 
     election-oriented NGOs, members of the international 
     community, IHEC staff, political parties, and people at 
     special needs polling stations.
       With the world's attention on Iraq for these elections, 
     many Iraqi people were ready, inspired and excited to go to 
     the polls. To me and my team's amazement, Iraqi citizens 
     still made it to the polls even with the explosion of nearly 
     50 bombs in Baghdad by noon on Election Day. I have monitored 
     elections in other troubled countries, including the 
     Nicaraguan election in 1990 and the Ukrainian election in 
     2004, but I have never seen security at the level it was in 
     Iraq. My two-person team was accompanied by a group of 16 
     armed guards in 5 armored vehicles, provided by the U.S. 
     Government.
       On Election Day, we visited 25 polling stations. We were 
     welcomed by each person we met. They were happy to know that 
     there were neutral officials coming to monitor the elections. 
     The Iraqis working the polls were passionate about these 
     elections. All of the staffers were well trained in voting 
     policies and procedures. Instructions on the voting process 
     as well as an adequate amount of supplies were provided for 
     each voter at the polling stations. There was also a sense of 
     pride and camaraderie amongst the Iraqis who voted that day. 
     People sat in voting centers sharing food and drink, 
     celebrating this noteworthy day. We were happy to see that 
     there was no discrimination between age, ethnicity, religion, 
     or political parties at the polling stations we visited. In 
     addition, both the Shia and Sunni sects were encouraged to 
     vote by their leaders, rather than boycott the election as 
     they had been instructed to do in previous elections.
       Let there be no mistake. Iraq has a long way to go in 
     developing a Western style democracy where the threat of 
     death is not associated with active political participation. 
     And while there was no conclusive outcome on Election Day 
     with no one party winning more than 40 percent of the vote, 
     we believe that this election was a big step forward. Nearly 
     60 percent of registered voters voted in a legitimate, 
     democratic election. There were, of course, some problems 
     with this election--just like there are issues with every 
     other election that takes place in any country on this 
     planet. For example, we found that there is a need for a 
     definite voter list. The lack thereof continues to adversely 
     affect citizens' attitudes toward democracy and their belief 
     in the legitimacy of the process. Another issue was that the 
     Council of Representatives did not complete the revisions to 
     the electoral law until December 6, 2009, barely three months 
     before election day. However, domestic monitoring 
     organizations and nearly all Iraqi officials with whom we met 
     believed the March election was a major improvement on the 
     2005 election.
       We hope this election is another giant step toward that day 
     when America's incredible military personnel can withdraw 
     from this troubled land, which likes to think of itself as 
     the ``Cradle of Civilization'', and leave the people of Iraq 
     in the hands of a stable democracy. Thank you for giving me 
     the opportunity to serve on this mission and to report on its 
     outcome today.
     c. House Democracy Partnership project
       Mr. Rhodes: For the past year, we have been working in 
     conjunction with current Members on democracy building and 
     legislative strengthening projects abroad. Specifically, the 
     U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress has had the 
     privilege to support the important work of the House 
     Democracy Partnership.
       HDP is an undertaking by the House of Representatives to 
     strengthen democratic institutions by assisting parliaments 
     in emerging democracies. One of the objectives of HDP is to 
     provide expert advice to members and staff of the parliaments 
     of partner countries. HDP is chaired by David Price of North 
     Carolina and David Dreier of California. It is an extension 
     of the great work begun by Martin Frost and Gerry Solomon as 
     part of the Frost-Solomon Task Force. We are very pleased to 
     be able to play an important role in this outstanding 
     project.
       Via a grant by the U.S. Agency for International 
     Development, bipartisan teams of former Members have 
     travelled to Kenya, Georgia, and Poland. In addition, we have 
     assisted with the work of a team of former Congressional 
     Staff in Haiti. The missions are issue-specific, have an 
     intense and active program, and give former Members the 
     opportunity to share some of their experiences with current 
     legislators in parliaments overseas. The Georgia mission, for 
     example, had the very specific focus of talking about 
     effective civilian control of the military and an appropriate 
     role for Parliament in the setting, funding and oversight of 
     defense policy. This mission was led by former Member Martin 
     Lancaster and included former Members Heather Wilson, Joel 
     Hefley and Pete Geren. The Kenya mission was led by former 
     Member Martin Frost and included former Members Barbara 
     Kennelly, Connie Morella and Phil English. The delegation had 
     meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, 
     Agriculture, and Water; the Speaker of Parliament; the 
     Parliamentary Reform Caucus; Former Members of Parliament; 
     and leaders of the major political parties. They discussed 
     challenges and coalition building with Civil Society leaders, 
     including Transparency International, the Law Society of 
     Kenya, SUNY, and Youth movement organizations. The mission to 
     Poland included former Member Martin Frost and coincided with 
     the 20th anniversary commemoration of the Frost-Solomon Task 
     Force working with the Polish legislature. During this 
     mission, the delegation focused on organizing a training 
     program for legislative staff. Clearly former Members can 
     play an important and productive role in this type of 
     legislative strengthening project. We thank David Price and 
     David Dreier for including us in their work and we hope that 
     we will be allowed to contribute further in the future.
       In addition to the international work which I just 
     highlighted, our Association also focuses on creating a 
     dialogue involving current Members of Congress and their 
     colleagues in legislatures abroad. Mainly we achieve this 
     objective via several Congressional Study Groups involving 
     Germany, Turkey, and Japan. We have arranged over 500 special 
     events at the U.S. Capitol for international delegations from 
     over 80 countries and the European Parliament, hosted 
     meetings for individual legislators and for parliamentary 
     staff, and organized over 50 foreign policy seminars in about 
     a dozen countries involving more than 1,500 former and 
     current legislators. Former Member of Congress Connie Morella 
     will report on the activities of our Congressional Study 
     Groups.
     d. Congressional Study Groups
       Ms. Morella: Thank you, Jay. The U.S. Association of Former 
     Members of Congress is pleased to oversee and administer the 
     Congressional Study Groups on Germany, Turkey and Japan, 
     which create invaluable opportunities for current Members of 
     Congress to engage with their counterparts in the legislative 
     branches of those countries.
       The Congressional Study Group on Germany is the 
     Association's flagship international program, and is the 
     largest and most active parliamentary exchange program 
     involving the U.S. Congress and the legislature of another 
     country. Since its inception almost 30 years ago, the Study 
     Group has offered lawmakers a unique forum to discuss 
     potential avenues of cooperation on issues ranging from the 
     current economic global crisis to NATO's role in Afghanistan. 
     A group of current Members of Congress chair the Study Group 
     in a bipartisan manner. In the House of Representatives, 
     Congressman Russ Carnahan of Missouri serves as the Chairman 
     and Congressman Phil Gingrey of Georgia serves as the Vice 
     Chairman. In the Senate, Senators Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Jeff 
     Sessions (R-AL) serve as Co-Chairs.
       The Study Group on Germany's programming consists of three 
     pillars: the Distinguished Visitors Program, which offers 
     monthly roundtable discussions on Capitol Hill for Members of 
     Congress featuring visiting dignitaries from Germany; Annual 
     Seminars which meet in Germany and the United States on a 
     rotating basis; and a senior Congressional Staff Study Tour 
     to Germany. Recent Capitol Hill discussion partners include: 
     the German Federal Minister of Economy and Technology, Rainer 
     Bruederle; Minister-President of Hessen, Roland Koch; and 
     Minister-President of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff.

[[Page 10686]]

       The highlight of each programming year is the Annual 
     Congress-Bundestag Seminar, which brings together Members of 
     the U.S. Congress with their counterparts in the German 
     Bundestag for in-depth discussions about issues that affect 
     the transatlantic relationship. In addition to current and 
     former lawmakers from the United States and Germany, 
     representatives from the U.S. State Department, the German 
     Foreign Ministry, and the business and academic community 
     also participate. Discussion topics are dictated by current 
     events and issues influencing U.S.-German relations. The 27th 
     Annual Congress-Bundestag took place the second week of May 
     in Washington, DC and St. Louis, MO. Seminar sessions 
     examined prospects for peace in the Middle East, mutual 
     national security risks as well as outlook on the 2010 Mid-
     term elections. The 2010 Senior Congressional Staff Study 
     Tour to Germany took place at the end of March bringing ten 
     House Chiefs of Staff to Berlin and Cologne.
       Since its creation, the Congressional Study Group on 
     Germany has received generous grants from the German Marshall 
     Fund of the United States. The Association would like to 
     thank GMF's President, Craig Kennedy, for his support and 
     trust in the Study Group. Additional funding to assist with 
     administrative expenses is received from a group of 
     organizations that make up the Study Group's Business 
     Advisory Council. This council is chaired by former Member of 
     Congress Tom Coleman of Missouri, who served as the Chairman 
     of the Congressional Study Group on Germany in the House in 
     1989. Current Business Advisory Council Members are: Airbus, 
     Allianz, BASF, Daimler, Deutsche Telekom, DHL, Eli Lilly, 
     Fresenius Inc., Lufthansa, RGIT and Volkswagen.
       The Congressional Study Group on Turkey was established in 
     2005, and it has quickly become a major focus for the Former 
     Members Association. The Study Group offers lawmakers a 
     unique educational forum to examine issues ranging from the 
     current economic global crisis to cooperation in the Middle 
     East peace process. Taking the successful and long-running 
     Congressional Study Group on Germany as a model, the 
     Congressional Study Group on Turkey has grown into a highly 
     relevant and productive program for American and Turkish 
     legislators. The Study Group is currently active in the House 
     of Representatives, and is co-chaired by Congressman Steve 
     Cohen of Tennessee and Congresswoman Virginia Foxx of North 
     Carolina. Congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky remains active 
     in the Study Group as Immediate Past Chair.
       Similar to the Study Group on Germany, the Congressional 
     Study Group on Turkey hosts roundtable discussions on Capitol 
     Hill for Members of Congress featuring visiting dignitaries 
     from Turkey and U.S. Administration officials as part of its 
     Distinguished Visitors Program. The Study Group has recently 
     hosted: the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador 
     Ahmet Davutoglu; and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
     Committee of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, MP Murat 
     Mercan.
       The Congressional Study Group on Turkey also conducts an 
     annual U.S.-Turkey Seminar, which brings together American 
     and Turkish lawmakers to discuss current issues pertinent to 
     the bilateral relationship. The 5th Annual U.S.-Turkey 
     Seminar took place at the end of August 2009 in Ankara and 
     Istanbul, Turkey, and the 2010 Annual U.S.-Turkey Seminar is 
     slated to take place this summer in Washington, DC and 
     Chicago, IL. Discussion topics will examine current issues in 
     Turkish-American relations, such as the Strategic Cooperation 
     Framework on Trade, the Middle East peace process and energy 
     security. The Study Group will also take this opportunity to 
     inform the visiting parliamentarians about the 2010 mid-term 
     elections in the United States via meetings with journalists, 
     think-tank representatives and policy makers. In the past 
     year, the Congressional Study Group on Turkey continued to 
     receive a generous funding from the German Marshall Fund of 
     the United States, and a group of corporate sponsors making 
     up its Business Advisory Council. The Study Group's current 
     Business Advisory Council members include Eli Lilly and the 
     Turkish-American Business Council.
       The Association also organizes and administers the 
     Congressional Study Group on Japan. Founded in 1993 in 
     cooperation with the East-West Center in Hawaii, the 
     Congressional Study Group on Japan brings together Members of 
     the U.S. Congress and Members of the Japanese Diet for a 
     series of discussions covering issues of mutual concern. A 
     group of current Members of Congress chair the Study Group in 
     a bipartisan manner. In the House of Representatives, 
     Congressman Jim McDermott of Washington and Congresswoman 
     Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia serve as co-Chairs. In 
     the Senate, Senators Jim Webb of Virginia and Lisa Murkowski 
     of Alaska take an active role in Study Group programming. The 
     Congressional Study Group on Japan is funded by the Japan-
     U.S. Friendship Commission.
       Last year, the Association launched a new program called 
     the Trilateral Renewable Energy Roundtable for legislators 
     from Germany, India and the United States. Together with the 
     Alliance for U.S. India Business, the Bertelsmann Foundation, 
     the Robert Bosch Foundation and TERI North America, we 
     brought together German, Indian and American lawmakers in 
     Washington, DC for a series of discussions on renewable 
     energy solutions and ways of cooperation in a trilateral 
     framework. We aim to replicate this highly successful 
     dialogue in the near future, possibly involving Japanese 
     lawmakers in the project.
       The Congressional Study Groups on Germany, Turkey and 
     Japan, as well as the Trilateral Roundtable demonstrate the 
     significant role that the U.S. Association of Former Members 
     of Congress plays in assisting current Members in maintaining 
     a strong dialogue and personal relationships with their 
     counterparts around the globe. We are very proud of the work 
     we do to keep these Study Groups as vital programs in the 
     Association, and I look forward to being an active 
     participant in Study Group activities for many more years to 
     come. Thank you.
     e. Middle East Fellows Program
       Mr. Rhodes: The Study Groups do important work and are 
     another example of how former Members can assist current 
     Members in their international outreach.
       I wish to highlight one more international project which we 
     initiated this year and hope to replicate in the future. Just 
     last month our Association hosted six Legislative Fellows 
     from the Middle East here in DC. In partnership with an 
     organization called Legacy International, we implemented a 
     small grant from the U.S. Department of State. Via this 
     program we brought a group of young professionals from the 
     Middle East to Washington for one month. The group came from 
     Kuwait and Oman and included lawyers, journalists and 
     government employees. Each fellow--and I should highlight 
     that there were two female fellows--was paired up with a 
     former Member of Congress to serve as a mentor. I thank our 
     six colleagues who went above and beyond in terms of taking 
     their visitor under their wings. In addition to the time 
     spent with the former Members, each fellow spent three weeks 
     on Capitol Hill as a visiting fellow in Congressional 
     offices. Let me also thank the six current Members of 
     Congress who participated in this project. We are hoping to 
     bring a second and larger group of Middle East Fellows to DC 
     in the fall, and then possibly send a former Members 
     delegation to the Middle East as a follow up visit. This 
     program clearly falls within our goal of strengthening ties 
     via people-to-people interaction and dialogue.


                             V. Conclusion

     a. In Memoriam
       It is now my sad duty to inform the House of those former 
     and current Members who passed away since our last report. We 
     honored them via a memorial breakfast for which Speaker 
     Pelosi joined us earlier today. It was a fitting 
     commemoration of the service these Members gave to our 
     country. They are:
       Ike Andrews of North Carolina
       William Avery of Kansas
       Henry Bellmon of Oklahoma
       James Bromwell of Iowa
       Frank Coffin of Maine
       Bob Davis of Michigan
       Paul Fino of New York
       Robert Franks of New Jersey
       Thomas Gill of Hawaii
       Clifford Hansen of Wyoming
       Cecil Heftel of Hawaii
       Bill Hefner of North Carolina
       Jay Johnson of Wisconsin
       Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts
       Don Lukens of Ohio
       Charles ``Mac'' Mathias of Maryland
       John Murtha of Pennsylvania
       Stanford Parris of Virginia
       John Rarick of Louisiana
       David Treen of Louisiana
       Stewart Udall of Arizona
       Charlie Wilson of Texas
       I ask all of you, including the visitors in the gallery, to 
     rise for a moment of silence as we pay our respects to their 
     memory.
       Before we conclude, let me welcome to Washington several 
     former Members of the Canadian Parliament who have joined us 
     as our guests. Leo Duguay is my counterpart in the Canadian 
     Association of Former Parliamentarians and is leading a 
     delegation of his colleagues as part of our continued 
     excellent relations with our neighbors from the north. Also 
     with us are four former Members of the Ontario legislature, 
     led by Steven Gilchrist. To you also a warm welcome and our 
     thanks for joining us again this year. Last, but certainly 
     not least, we are so pleased that an old friend of this 
     Association has again made the long trip from the UK to join 
     us. Richard Balfe serves in the Executive of the European 
     Union Former Members Association and it is always wonderful 
     to see you! We are honored that you have joined us for our 
     annual meeting.
       I would be remiss if I did not thank the other members of 
     our Association's Executive Committee: our Vice President, 
     Dennis Hertel; our Treasurer, Connie Morella; our Secretary, 
     Barbara Kennelly, and our Immediate Past President, Jim 
     Slattery. You all have made this Association a stronger and 
     better organization than it has ever been and I thank you for 
     all your time and energy. Your counsel was invaluable to me 
     during these two years as President.
       Former Member Dennis Hertel will succeed me as President 
     starting July 1st. He will

[[Page 10687]]

     have a great group of former Members to work with on the 
     Executive Committee level and we are pleased to announce that 
     former Member of Congress Jim Kolbe will become a new officer 
     with the Former Members Association. In addition, I wish to 
     thank our Board of Directors and our counselors for their 
     commitment to our Association. Your service is valued and 
     appreciated! As of July 1st our newest board member will be 
     former Member of Congress Scott Klug.
       To administer all these programs takes a staff of dedicated 
     and enthusiastic professionals. We have five full-time 
     employees and we appreciate their hard work. They are:
       Esra Alemdar, Program Officer
       Bryan Corder, Member Services Manager
       Tracy Fine, Democracy Officer
       Sudha David-Wilp, International Programs Director
       Pete Weichlein, Executive Director
       Closing Remarks. That concludes the 40th Report to Congress 
     by the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. We 
     thank the Congress, Majority Leader Hoyer, and Minority 
     Leader Boehner for giving us the opportunity to report again 
     this year on the activities of our organization and we look 
     forward to another active and productive year. Thank you.

  Mr. HERTEL. I thank the gentleman from Arizona and the president of 
our association for all his service. I think it could be summarized 
best by Speaker Pelosi, coming this morning to our memorial service for 
those Members who have died in this last year in talking about Jay 
Rhodes and how much she respected him and how she hopes he will 
continue in service of this organization and in service of our country. 
Those were the remarks of Speaker Pelosi this morning.
  I want to thank Lorraine Miller, the Clerk of the House, for being 
with us again and for hosting us and for spending all this time with 
us. We are honored to have you here. Thank you very much, Madam Clerk. 
I want to thank all of the guests of our whip and Budget chairman, Bill 
Gray, who received our Distinguished Service Award. We are very honored 
that you all took the time to come. You are just as proud of him as we 
are. You know how much time it took from his community but especially 
his family.
  I want to recognize his wife, Andrea; their three sons, Bill, Justin 
and Andrew, up in the gallery; their daughter-in-law, Jennifer; and two 
grandchildren, Sabrina and Aidan, here today. Thank you very much for 
coming. We are so proud of him and for all the time he gave on behalf 
of us taken from you.
  Finally, I want to thank Richard Balfe from the European Union 
Association of Former Members; Steven Gilchrist who is leading a 
delegation of the Ontario legislature; and lastly Leo Duguay, my 
counterpart and the president of the Canadian Association of Former 
Parliamentarians, and Don Boudria and Francis LeBlanc for taking the 
time to join with us. All of the public service that all of you are 
accomplishing for us on the international level, we very much 
appreciate; and I want to thank all of our Members here for all their 
service.
  We are adjourned.
  Accordingly (at 11 o'clock and 3 minutes a.m.), the House continued 
in recess.

                          ____________________