[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 17819-17826]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1900
     RECOGNIZING DEPARTING MEMBERS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 5, 2011, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor two great 
Members of the Massachusetts delegation who are departing. The first, 
John Olver.
  John Olver is a public service powerhouse, a transportation titan 
inside of this institution. He has a Ph.D. in science; but as he came 
to this institution, he became a scientist who became a statesman, and 
we were honored to have him in our delegation and in this Chamber. He 
was an avid outdoorsman, but he was ahead of his time in bringing 
attention to this Chamber for our consideration of the impacts of 
climate change, the need to protect our natural environment, the need 
to raise science as it affected the planet.
  He arrived in Congress in 1991. His service on the Appropriations 
Committee helped rebuild our country's infrastructure and resulted in 
critical investments in transportation. At the same time, he was always 
an incredible advocate for his constituents, for their industries, and 
for the way of life of western Massachusetts.
  He was a very special Member of this institution. He began his career 
in the Massachusetts State Legislature. He has dedicated the largest 
portion of his life to serving the public, to serving ordinary 
citizens; and he is going to be sorely missed. He made a huge 
difference in the lives of the people of Massachusetts and our country. 
And I just want to say that from our entire delegation and from the 
entire Congress, he is definitely going to be someone who is 
irreplaceable in this institution.
  At this point, I would like to reserve the balance of my time and to 
recognize the gentleman from western Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).
  Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Markey for allowing me to 
participate in this Special Order tonight and to speak of two very 
valued Members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation and to 
speak of two Members who have had a profound influence on not just the 
politics of Massachusetts, but the important policies of Massachusetts.

[[Page 17820]]

  Some years ago, George W. Bush, President Bush, said to me at a St. 
Patrick's day luncheon with some humor, Hey, Rich, how am I doing in 
Massachusetts? And I said, Mr. President, I don't think you're doing 
that great in Massachusetts right now, with some laughter. He said to 
me in a very candid observation, I want to tell you something. I always 
liked running against you guys from Massachusetts and tangling with you 
guys from Massachusetts, he said, because I always felt I was matching 
up against the best in America.
  I thought that was pretty interesting for a conservative President to 
talk about the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and I think that 
the two members who are departing from this delegation are part of the 
high skill of two very good legislators. That's a skill that is not 
today held in the regard that it once was, the skill of the really good 
legislator, individuals who painstakingly know where the commas have to 
go, know when paragraphs have to end, and to make sure that sentences 
don't run on so that the intention of the legislation is honored. We 
all cheer on the final product, but many people dislike having to view 
the process that gets us there.
  In the case of Congressman Frank, he always had this reputation for 
being the great and universal outsider in politics, but his success 
came from the fact that he mastered the skill of the insider in this 
institution. He knew when enough was enough and it was the best deal 
you were going to get. After he made full advocacy for the plan that he 
offered and desired, he also knew that you needed 218 votes, or in his 
committee, he wanted to put the face of bipartisanship on the actual 
bill.
  So Republican legislators in this institution, members of the Banking 
Committee would always say to me, Geez, Barney Frank is one capable 
guy, because he was looking for the compromise as the path forward. You 
could talk to him about the complications of capital ratios, you could 
talk to him about the Federal Reserve Board, and you could talk to him 
about world issues; but at the same time, he unfailingly made it home 
to march in all of those parades, to attend functions for people who 
had been with him in elected office for four decades, to make those 
phone calls that you have to make. And he understood, once again, that 
in this institution the opinions of America and the emotions of America 
play out. Sometimes you get a good deal, and other days you don't quite 
get the deal that you wanted.
  Before anybody in public life was advocating for gay rights, Barney 
Frank was in the forefront. Barney Frankwas in the forefront on women's 
rights, and he was a great scholar, student, and participant in the 
civil rights struggles of our times.
  Both these legislators are, interestingly enough, in my mind, 
principled individuals, children of the New Deal who believed that 
government plays a positive role in the lives of the American family. 
Not because government draws a conclusion on where we end up 
necessarily in life, but they both believe fervently in the idea that 
government ensured that everybody could get to the starting line for 
the race.
  In the case of John Olver, Ray LaHood said to me one night at 
dinner--and Ray has been a fast friend. For those of us who are 
interested in transportation in western Massachusetts and indeed 
central Massachusetts, Ray LaHood said to me, You know, John Olver is 
one smart guy. He said, The meetings in his office can go on for a long 
time, but I've got to tell you, he really understands transportation 
theory and he understands transportation implementation.
  A couple of the great things that we were able to participate in--
because in western Massachusetts we always use the argument that people 
don't pay enough attention to our part of the State--but it was the 
small things like extending broadband access into the hill towns of 
western Massachusetts, improving rail transportation from New Haven, to 
Hartford, to Springfield, and on to Vermont. And in the case of John 
Olver, he was very helpful to me when I asked him in the transportation 
legislation to make sure that my congressional district and 
constituency were able to secure the funding that we desired. That's an 
important part of the legislator's life.
  I also think that what was interesting about John and Barney, they're 
believers. In a time when the public often says that the elected 
embrace superficial positions only to seek and curry the favor of the 
public, one of the two important things about these two guys is they 
were happy to tell you they disagreed with you. In fact, as the two of 
them got older, they were enthusiastic about telling you they disagreed 
with you. Oftentimes, when you walk into a room where the audience 
might be one that only wants you to say what they want you to say, 
these two would go into the room and say what they thought was on their 
minds, conclusions that they had drawn after long service in this 
institution and in the Massachusetts Legislature.

                              {time}  1910

  I also will tell you, based upon the point that I raised at the 
beginning of my comments, that we need to return in this institution to 
the skill of the legislator. It's the same skill that the jeweler looks 
at a diamond with. It's the same ambition that takes people to Pulitzer 
Prizes. It's the athlete in the gym who spends his time preparing for 
the Olympics. We need to honor that skill because it's often outside of 
the glare of the public, and when those in the public do see it, 
they're uncomfortable with it. It's the give and take of legislative 
life that made these two very good to work with.
  I'll say this about the two of them as well--and they might not like 
it--that there were times when we needed something that they might not 
quite have been in agreement with; and after you got a little bit of 
their irritation, they generally included what it was that you wanted.
  So it was an honor to serve with them, and I hope that we haven't 
heard the last of either John Olver or Barney Frank. They've been very 
important to this institution and to America.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman so much.
  I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mike 
Capuano.
  Mr. CAPUANO. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  I generally don't do a whole lot of work on this stuff, but I've 
known these two gentlemen a long time. I met them both in 1976 when I 
was in law school and had the good fortune of getting a work study job 
at the statehouse. They were both there already. They were both already 
well recognized and influential at the statehouse; and I will tell you, 
from the day I met them, I started learning from both of them.
  I want to be very clear. I want to echo everything Richard Neal said. 
I hold public service up in high regard, and I know that everybody in 
the Mass delegation does as well. These two gentlemen not only have 
served in Congress; they've served at the State level, and they were 
both educators. They didn't do this because that's what they could do. 
One has a Ph.D. from MIT. The other has a law degree from Harvard. 
Either one of them could have done anything he wanted to do and been 
well compensated in doing it, and they could have had much more 
comfortable lives in never having read their names in the newspapers as 
bad people on different occasions. The fact is that they gave of 
themselves right from the beginning as young men. They didn't go out 
and make $1 million and then come in.
  I think it's an amazing thing because, for those of us who have 
followed a similar path, the first several years of doing public 
service, no matter what you're doing, are not lucrative--they're 
usually a difficult struggle--and then to stick to it for as long as 
they did. Between the two of them, if you add up not just the years 
they served in elective office--because elective office is only one way 
to give back to the public--but if you add to that the years they 
served as staff members or teachers and if you add that together, 
combined, we're talking 100 years, guys.

[[Page 17821]]

  I'm sorry, between the two of you, it's 100 years of public service 
to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. That's something that's amazing.
  As I said, I started learning from them both at the statehouse. It 
didn't stop. I moved beyond the statehouse. John was still there. 
Barney had moved to Congress. I kept learning from them. I'll be 
honest, in my job at the statehouse, I went on to become a full-time 
employee.
  You know it, but most people listening don't know it.
  In Massachusetts, most of the committees are joint committees--house 
and senate. I was on a joint committee payroll, but everybody knew that 
I worked for the house. John happened to be the senate chairman of the 
committee I worked for, and since Massachusetts is such an 
overwhelmingly Democratic State, my job was, really, to do everything I 
could to stick it to John Olver on behalf of the house and get 
everything we wanted and not what the senate wanted. It was kind of 
funny because, now that I'm in Congress, it's amazing in that those 
fights were really nothing more than just the epitome of family fights. 
They were nothing compared to the fights we have here that are based on 
deep philosophical differences of opinion.
  Even then, I loved working with John because, as Richie said, I 
remember once we were at 2\1/2\ and we traveled in the State, arguing 
against the limitations of local rights. John went on for about 20, 30 
minutes at some hearing about the evils of this particular proposition. 
Everybody was kind of getting tired and moving on.
  John broke and said, I'm awfully sorry that I'm kind of running on 
about this issue, but you have to understand that I'm a college 
professor. I think in50-minute blocks.
  Then he went right back in and did the other 20 minutes. I don't know 
if he convinced anybody, but he made me laugh the whole time because he 
knew who he was; he knew what he was; and he knew the subject better.
  When I got to Congress, my first assignment, per one of my many 
friends and mentors, Joe Moakley, was Financial Services. Barney was 
already there. I can't tell you how much I learned from him. We share a 
philosophical view, as I think most of the delegation does, 
particularly in the matters of financial services. Housing is a passion 
of mine. It has been for a long time, as it was for Barney. The truth 
is that it really became incredibly easy for me. I was able to cut a 
step back on the details of a lot of the major housing policy because 
Barney was such a champion, and I was able to focus on some of the 
holes that I saw in some of the policies that maybe some of the other 
Members of this Congress didn't see.
  That's true about many, many things--of the financial services bill. 
Barney just carried that bill like you can't believe. It allowed me the 
opportunity to not worry about the big stuff because Barney was going 
to take care of it. I got to focus on some of the smaller details that 
we got engaged in. I learned so much from him as a member of the 
Financial Services Committee.
  I hope I can be one-tenth as successful as you have been, Barney, in 
bringing people together but in not forgetting who and what we are and 
who and what we believe in.
  Then I got on the Transportation Committee. John, by that time, was 
already the cardinal of the Transportation Subcommittee and 
Appropriations. It's true. I thought I knew a fair amount about 
transportation. I'm kind of one of those guys who thinks, Don't tell me 
about my district. Nobody knows my district better than I do. I know 
the needs. I work with them. That's one of the reasons I'm such a vocal 
and public proponent of earmarks, because no one knows my congressional 
district better than I do except John Olver when it came to 
transportation matters.
  I've got to tell you, John, it made me angry a couple of times when 
you came up and you told me things about my district's transportation 
needs. You were right and I hadn't realized. I was like, Oh, geez. He 
got me again.
  I can't tell you how many times I've worked with him to try to 
improve transportation policy for my district but, in turn, for the 
Commonwealth and, in turn, for the country. So I just wanted to come up 
tonight to thank both of them for their service on behalf of the 
general public, but also on a personal matter.
  Both of you have been guiding lights for me. I have learned a lot 
from both of you--different approaches, similar philosophies, different 
personalities, different attitudes. I'm a little different than both of 
you on some things, but I'm alike on some things as well. I will tell 
you that, as a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I am proud that you 
served us. I am proud that I've had the opportunity to work with you 
before Congress and in Congress; and I will tell you that I am proud to 
call you both colleagues and friends. Thank you very much.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman for his comments, and I turn to 
recognize the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Keating).
  Mr. KEATING. I thank my colleague for yielding.
  I had the privilege of serving with these two gentlemen, not only in 
Congress but in the Massachusetts Legislature. I remember being elected 
and serving at the age of 24, and my seat was right in front of Barney 
Frank's seat in the legislature at the time. Now, at that time, we had 
240 legislators. Very few people had legislative aides. Truly, you were 
on your own: you were your own speechwriter; you were your own 
researcher; you did your own negotiations. So to have Barney Frank 
behind me in the give and take of everything when there were issues on 
the floor and when we were talking was amazing. I can't even tell you 
what I learned about being a lawmaker and a legislator, of putting 
deals together and negotiating.
  We also worked in the legislative study group at the time, and I 
learned an important lesson that is, sadly, not utilized at the State 
or Federal level these days, that of how to work in coalitions 
effectively, because a lot of us were real progressives, and the 
legislature at the time wasn't particularly noted for that. I learned 
from people like Barney that, if you work together, they're going to 
need your vote sometime, and we could work together as a group and be 
effective. I learned at that stage that you can be effective at any 
level of the legislature if you become skilled and if you become 
tenacious. He inherited this.
  I had the good fortune of also getting to know his mother, Elsie. 
Now, she was very active with the Mass Association of Older Americans, 
and she was terrific. She was passionate, knowledgeable, effective, and 
I can see where he got a lot of his skills.

                              {time}  1920

  But one of the things that impressed me also was the fact that in his 
time working as the chief executive for the late mayor Kevin White in 
Boston, he had the opportunity to really be there at the executive 
level. And I could see that reflect in his legislating, and I could see 
it today because he knew from the legislative side how important it was 
to do things to empower people on the executive side and how they could 
work in tandem. I know he took from that experience the fact that there 
are no sacred cows. When you're in that position in a big city and 
you're doing things you have to do, you're not always taking the most 
popular stands, but you're taking tough stands against different 
groups. And he had no sacred cows and he was willing to speak up when 
necessary.
  I think people in this Chamber know as well that when he took the 
floor then, just like when he takes the floor now, you don't want to be 
the other person on the other side of that debating. But even in the 
din of a noisy House, something that's similar to both branches, when 
he would get up, everyone would get quiet. They wanted to listen. They 
were really interested in the intellectual and the humorous sides of 
the debate that they were about to see.
  During that time as well, we would have our votes up on the board. I 
can tell you this: at a time when you were in the distinct minority on 
the issue of

[[Page 17822]]

gender rights, discrimination, discrimination against some sexual 
orientation, on issues of basic fairness and progressive, those lights 
were always on the right side, whether in the majority, the winning 
side or the losing side. Times have changed things. Decades have 
changed how the public feels about many of these positions, and now 
they're popular. But at that time they weren't, but he was resolute.
  You know, I also look back at some of the differences during that 
period of time. Back then Barney would have no time to shine his shoes. 
Or he would have holes in his shoes, and maybe his suit looked like it 
hadn't seen the cleaners--ever. But I remember his campaign slogans at 
the time. They said: Neatness isn't everything, vote for Barney Frank.
  And I've seen an amazing transformation now that I'm going to have 
the privilege, as he has had, to represent the city of New Bedford, of 
Barney around in Joseph Abboud suits, tailor-made, American-made, by 
the way, and I've seen that transformation as well.
  But I've got some big shoes to fill down there. He is beloved in that 
area. As much as he is dealing with the intricacies of something like 
Dodd-Frank, many of the other things he's done representing city 
issues, he is by far the most popular elected official that the 
fishermen in the New Bedford area in the southeastern Massachusetts 
area have ever seen. His loyalty to them is probably only eclipsed by 
their loyalty to him. He knows so much about fish that I don't know if 
I'll ever catch up or ever have the opportunity, but it's amazing how 
complex that issue is as well.
  But I will say this. Of all of the actions he's taken during his time 
in public life, I might dare to say what I think one of his most 
proudest actions would be, not just what people would think, working 
with fishing or Dodd-Frank, but I think it was really his marriage to 
Jim. He has told me how important that was to do while he was a Member 
of Congress, again showing leadership by action on an issue. And I was 
just so happy to be at that wedding and to see that union, that 
marriage, and I was very pleased to see the happiness and the love that 
was there at that time. My only regret is that his mother wasn't there 
to see it as well because she would have been so proud.
  One thing you'll never say about Barney Frank or John Olver, I don't 
think there was ever a TV ad, an attack ad, that had one of those 
weather vane issues. You know, where you changed your position on this 
and you changed your position on something else, on an important issue. 
They were both resolute. And I had the opportunity to serve with John 
briefly in the Senate in Massachusetts. Interestingly enough, when he 
was chairman of taxation in the Senate, I was his successor as chairman 
of taxation in the Massachusetts Senate. When I had that position, I 
started going through the reports and the research documents, and I 
knew that they just weren't done by researchers, that they had his 
thumb prints and his intellectual abilities all over them. I must tell 
you, if I started going back through those things a few decades ago, I 
probably wouldn't be through them now.
  I remember on the floor of the House when John would be carrying a 
bill to the floor, how people didn't really question anything he had to 
say. But it's interesting enough, when you go for questions, I seldom 
saw people go up to John with questions on that legislation because all 
of us didn't want to know that much about whatever he was talking 
about. But John had that same sense, strong sense of fairness, a 
protector of civil rights, a protector of equality, and one of the 
leaders of our time in understanding about the importance of the 
environment and the way we treat it.
  He was a champion for western Massachusetts, not just with the 
infrastructure that's there, but when you thought of our colleges out 
there and the kind of infrastructure that gives people the opportunity 
for a good life and to advance in life, John Olver's fingerprints were 
all over that. He took that same attention to detail he had in the 
Massachusetts legislature and used it in Appropriations to great 
effect.
  So with John and Barney, I wish them both well. They deserve it, and 
they will continue to be productive, helping our State and helping the 
people in our State in other capacities.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman, and I now yield to the gentleman 
from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney).
  Mr. TIERNEY. I thank Mr. Markey for recognizing me at this point in 
time for the Special Order. You know, we did a little research so I 
wouldn't just stand up here, because I know John and Barney are 
sticklers for detail. So we did a little research. We found a Special 
Order of some time ago when Barney Frank, Congressman Frank, came down 
to the floor basically to chastise one of the colleagues who had made a 
false claim during their Special Order. What Barney had to say at that 
point:
  Special Orders are a time when Members can fairly freely say things 
without fear of contradiction because there's generally no one there. 
And as you listen to many of the Special Orders, there is a very good 
reason why no one is here: no one ought to pay a lot of attention to 
them.
  Well, Barney and John, today people ought to pay attention to what we 
are saying during this particular Special Order because you have both 
served the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States for a 
long period of time, ably, and in a way that nobody should forget and 
everybody should want to talk about and recount. There's a lot of years 
between the two of you.
  John, 40 years in total, over 20 of them here in the United States 
House of Representatives. But I remember knowing you well before you 
knew me. Back when John Olver was a senator in the State of 
Massachusetts, as a young student at the time, I had the responsibility 
of janitorial services and cleaning up that State house. And I can 
remember going into his office. He was always busy, always had people 
in there, still working late into the night. But we were going around 
emptying barrels and vacuuming rugs, and he was always generous and 
kind to us at that point in time, but I noted how busy he was getting 
detail, and that never changed.
  When I later had the opportunity to come here to the House of 
Representatives and be a colleague of John's, just as others have 
recounted before me, he is meticulous in his detail, knowledgeable 
about every subject matter upon which he spoke or upon which he acted, 
and he added so much. It would be unfair, after over 20 years, to say 
that John Olver had a specialty in just one area because like every 
Member, you have to know a lot about a lot of different subjects and 
work very well with your staff to make sure that you have all of the 
information that you need. And John was a leader and knowledgeable in a 
number of different areas. What he did for his part of the State will 
not be forgotten anytime soon by people there, whether it's getting 
designated an actual heritage area for his region, and so much more, 
but we will remember him for the work he did, particularly with 
appropriations on transportation matters.

                              {time}  1930

  And my district will remember John for the work he did because, as 
Richie noted, and Bill before me, he oftentimes knew exactly what your 
district needed and knew how to help you get it. And so I can go to 
various parts of my district now, John, and see projects that are there 
because of your help, because of your knowledge of what went on and 
your focus and persistence in making sure that they were funded.
  Most recently was the city of Amesbury, which opened up a 
transportation center, which also houses its veterans office and its 
Council on Aging. And I mentioned to those folks who were there the 
work that you had done in helping us do that. They are all incredibly 
grateful, as are so many other people throughout my district and the 
districts of all of our colleagues here, for the work that you did and 
the time you spent on our districts' needs, as well as taking care of

[[Page 17823]]

your district's needs. So I want to thank you for that and share the 
appreciation of all the people in my district.
  Now, up until a couple of weeks ago, Barney's office was around the 
corner from mine, and so oftentimes we would have a steady stream of 
Barney visitors who found their way in there. If Barney could see them 
in the district, he wondered why they were taking up his time down here 
when he was busy doing things like the Dodd-Frank bill, fishing bills 
and other things of that nature, so they'd all come over and wander 
into my office.
  But the fact of the matter is that Barney always was intensely 
involved with the matters that he was dealing with here. It reminded me 
of something else he said on the floor one time. He said that, when he 
was talking about one of our beloved former colleagues, Joe Moakley, he 
said that--what was true about Joe was, I think, also true about him. 
He said Joe Moakley was a great stereotype breaker. And Barney, you've 
been a great stereotype breaker as well in so many different areas it's 
countless on that.
  But you said:

       One of the things that we suffer from in this country is 
     the assumption that if we are A, we cannot be B; if we are X, 
     we cannot be Y.

  You said Joe Moakley showed us that that could be and what it could 
be, and you have done the same.
  Barney's been about one of the most fierce debaters down here. Used 
to be before I got to Congress, whenever I saw something going on in 
the House, I would always be anxious if Barney was up there, and I 
would watch other colleagues who might be in a colloquy with him sort 
of wince because they knew if they had misspoken or spoken out of line 
or out of turn they were going to get a comeuppance on that that they 
deserved, but done in a way that always had either good biting sarcasm 
or wit to drive it home on that basis.
  You've been one of the most intense Members, and I say that in a good 
way, when you believe on the issues that were there, but always 
pragmatic enough to know the art of the deal. And Richie spoke to that, 
Richie Neal when he discussed things on the floor here.
  It's important in this legislative body to not be so ideologically 
extreme that you cannot, at some point, make a compromise, not on your 
principles, but on other matters so that we can get the business of 
this House done. Barney Frank and John Olver always had that in mind, 
always knew how to treat their colleagues with respect, and always knew 
how to drive to a bargain that would represent all of their values, 
make sure that they weren't compromising their principles, but make 
sure that the business of this country and the things that were 
important in their district and their State got done. Both of you 
deserve a great deal of credit, and we can only hope that this House 
finds its way back to those days, when the majority of this body finds 
all of that necessary and possible to do.
  On a personal note, as Bill mentioned, Patrice and I were thrilled 
when Barney and Jim got married; another way of showing that you can be 
a leader at times.
  I just recently saw a program on Cheryl Wright, a country western 
singer; and if anybody got a chance to see it, she went through how 
difficult it was for her to come out. And I was moved by that show 
because it reminded of what it must have been for Barney and for 
anybody else in public life to have to come out--not knowing what the 
reaction of your own family or your friends or their colleagues or 
anybody in public is going to think about that--and take the risk to do 
it. And that is certainly one thing that this body and this country 
will always remember.
  Whether it was our fishermen, the gay, lesbian and transgender 
community, so many Massachusetts residents are going to remember Barney 
Frank for all that he did, as they are going to remember John Olver on 
that. We're going to miss both of you fellows down here.
  And John, we wish you and Rose only the best in your future. I know 
you're going to keep busy in so many ways that you can.
  And Barney, you and Jim are going to be busy, but not too busy, I 
hope, to come and share some dinners with Patrice and me.
  The one nice part about that is Barney was never bashful about 
telling Patrice she could make what she made last time, that was just 
fine, but he and Jim weren't going to be doing the cooking.
  So good luck to both of you, and thank you for letting us share your 
comradeship and be colleagues of yours. Thanks for all that you've done 
for the country and the Commonwealth and your districts.
  Mr. MARKEY. We thank the gentleman from Salem.
  I recognize the gentlewoman from Lowell, Ms. Tsongas.
  Ms. TSONGAS. Thank you, Mr. Markey.
  It's great to be here, although a sad moment as well because we are 
losing--not truly losing, but no longer serving on a daily basis with--
two remarkable colleagues with whom it has been my privilege to serve 
for 5 years. They are distinguished legislators, as we're hearing, but 
they're also great friends.
  Barney Frank has been a family friend for many years. In fact, my 
sister-in-law, Thaleia Tsongas Schlesinger, was Barney's press 
secretary in his first race for Congress.
  And I was so proud to receive his support when I first got the seat 5 
years ago. He commented at the time that he was responsible for 
defeating the last woman who had served from Massachusetts, and he 
wanted to help elect the next woman who was seeking to serve for 
Massachusetts. It had been 25 years.
  And Barney, as we've heard, really has been a legend in everything 
he's done. I watched him from afar. I was quite young when he was 
working with Kevin White. We knew who he was because, even at that 
young age, he was very colorful and very able and recognized as being 
so extraordinarily bright and always witty, as a State legislator as 
well. In here we see it and have heard about it over and over again.
  Soon after getting here 5 years ago, maybe a year into it, you know, 
we struggled with the collapse of Wall Street. And I remember thinking 
that we were so fortunate to have Barney Frank in a place where his 
expertise, his commitment to learning, brought such great value to what 
we sought to do in order to stop the free fall, while protecting 
American citizens and the American economy. And it really was a moment 
where one was reminded that as much as we talk about term limits and 
the need to be reinvigorated and bring new people in, there is 
tremendous value in people who have been here a while, who have 
mastered the material and who know quickly how to respond in an 
emergency, which that moment most certainly was. And it's something I 
take with me, that we need to have a balance. But we were fortunate to 
have Barney Frank in the position as chairman of Financial Services, as 
he was at that moment.
  And we've heard and will never forget the tremendous work he has done 
on civil rights and gender equality. I often think that, as we come to 
Washington and we seek to make a difference, we're really like a little 
feather in a stream. We can make a little difference here and there, 
but Barney Frank has improved the lives of millions of Americans across 
this country with his work on gender equality.
  And, again, I will never forget, as the Employment Nondiscrimination 
Act passed this House for the first time, did not go anywhere in the 
Senate, but, again, a remarkable testament to Barney's commitment and 
extraordinary personal courage as he has fought for these issues for so 
many years.
  And I have to congratulate him on falling in love with and marrying a 
gentleman from my district, Jim Ready. It's been a wonderful thing. But 
I think the best thing of all was that he came from Tewksbury, 
Massachusetts, now John's district.
  John Olver, I think of John as a gentleman of the House. He's so 
thoughtful, so knowledgeable, so quiet, but so committed. And I've been 
happy to inherit a certain part of his district; although, I know that 
his constituents there will miss him forever. And I

[[Page 17824]]

think, as an example of how generous a man he is, how hard he worked as 
we made our way into these new communities, how hard he worked for me 
and Congressman McGovern to make sure that we were introduced in a way 
that positioned us well to move on and become representatives of those 
communities.
  So I'm happy to inherit them, but again, I know I have such big shoes 
to fill, and I see it in particular in all his work. He has been the 
cardinal on the transportation side of the Appropriations Committee, 
the tremendous work he's done to bring resources to some communities 
that really will benefit from them.
  But it is not just about the resources. The Fitchburg rail lane is 
not just about a rail line. It is about the future of a community 
connecting the central part of Massachusetts into the Boston area, 
improving the lives, the economic opportunities of the people who live 
and work there. So again, a remarkable legislator who I know I will 
miss.
  I went to an event that was hosted by his many, many staff members. 
He was beloved by his staff. And also attending were a number of people 
who, over the years, had made their way into John's office to talk 
about some particular funding that they were seeking. And across the 
board, everyone said how well prepared they had to be because, 
invariably, he knew more than they knew and would have a question for 
them that they could not answer.

                              {time}  1940

  I have to say I had the very same experience with him as I made my 
way into his office.
  So, remarkable legislators, people who have done so much good for our 
country, so much good for our Commonwealth, and who do so much. For 
those who wonder about the quality of those of us who serve here, I 
think we can only be proud. They have only elevated the stature of this 
most remarkable institution and that which we all seek, which is to be 
a Member of Congress, and do so in a way that is intelligent, with 
great integrity. None of us will have the wit, though, of Barney Frank.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentlelady, and I yield to the gentleman from 
Worcester, Mr. McGovern.
  Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the dean of our delegation for yielding me the 
time.
  Let me just say that it is a real privilege to serve in the 
Massachusetts delegation. I think some of the most colorful and 
effective political personalities have come from Massachusetts. And I'm 
proud to be part of this delegation. But I'm particularly proud to be 
part of a delegation that includes John Olver and Barney Frank. My new 
district includes many of the towns and cities that John Olver has 
represented over the years. As I've gotten to know these communities, 
I've gotten to realize how much love the people of these cities and 
towns have for John Olver, how much they appreciate his incredible 
work. And I have also come to appreciate all that he has done: 
transportation and infrastructure projects; new quality, affordable 
housing; protection of open space; daycare centers; support for 
colleges and universities. And I can go on and on and on.
  As Niki Tsongas pointed out, his intellect is unequaled. Sometimes 
it's a little bit intimidating. I'm afraid to ask John Olver a question 
because I don't want to know that much. Nonetheless, there is nobody 
who knows more detail about every single project in every single 
community in his district than John Olver.
  John's a quiet man, but he's a determined man. He's someone with 
deep, strong convictions and someone who has a spine of steel. He cares 
about people halfway down the block and he cares about people halfway 
around the world. I had the unique experience of engaging in civil 
disobedience with John not once but twice, protesting the genocide in 
Darfur. And we shared time in a cell together on two different 
occasions. A lot of people wouldn't expect John to be involved in that 
type of protest. But he was there. He was there because he thought it 
was important. And he thought it was important that the world know that 
people are watching what was happening in Darfur and in the Sudan. He's 
taught me a lot, and I value his friendship very much. I'm going to be 
his new Congressman, so I expect I will hear from him on a regular 
basis.
  As for Barney, I will miss him, like everyone here, very, very much. 
When I was an aide to Joe Moakley in the early 1980s, no matter who Joe 
Moakley was meeting with, he had the TV on, watching the proceedings on 
C-SPAN. But when Barney came to the floor, he'd tell everybody to be 
quiet, shut up, and listen. This is going to be good. And he would 
increase the volume and everybody would sit there and watch Barney 
Frank in action.
  There is no one I enjoy and there is no one I think most of my 
colleagues enjoy seeing debate on the floor than Barney Frank. And I 
would say that there is probably no one the Republicans fear more 
during debate than Barney Frank. He has the ability to be able to make 
the most important points but also maintain a sense of humor. It has 
been one of the reasons why he's been so effective.
  I have had the good fortune of sharing communities with Barney over 
the years. We represented the city of Fall River together. And I think 
it's important for people to know that in addition to being this 
national leader, Barney Frank is also a very effective bread-and-
butter, nuts-and-bolts politician who cared very, very deeply about 
every single issue that occurred in his district, whether it was an 
economic development initiative, whether it was a bridge or a road, 
whether it was helping a veteran get his medals from World War II or 
helping Mrs. O'Leary find her lost Social Security check, or becoming 
the champion of fishermen on the east coast. He immersed himself in 
these issues, and he was an unbelievably powerful spokesperson for all 
these issues.
  But Barney is not only, in my opinion, a great Member of Congress. 
He's also a very, very good man. Look at the causes that he has 
championed. We've heard about his efforts on behalf of LGBT rights, 
civil rights, human rights, affordable housing, a voice for working 
families, reining in the excesses of these financial institutions on 
Wall Street. But for me, what I have admired about him is that he has 
been a steadfast and unequal voice on behalf of poor people in this 
country. I regret very much that so much of what goes on here in 
Washington neglects paying attention to the very least among us. And 
Barney has been out there, even though it's unfashionable, talking 
about the need for affordable housing for people who are poor, making 
sure that people have enough to eat, making sure that people get what 
they need so they can have ladders of opportunity to succeed. And I'm 
going to miss his voice on those issues in particular. Because, to me, 
they're so important. I happen to believe if government stands for 
anything, it ought to stand for the most vulnerable in this country.
  So, Barney, thank you. One other thing. My mother wants you to run 
for Senate. She told you that at the airport. She wanted me to tell you 
that again. But I will close by saying that it is with great affection 
and love and friendship and so much respect that I stand here tonight 
to pay tribute to two people who I think are giants in this 
institution: John Olver and Barney Frank.
  I thank the dean for yielding me the time.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentleman.
  I yield such time as she may consume to the leader of the Democratic 
Party, the gentlelady from San Francisco, Ms. Pelosi.
  Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Tonight, we come to the floor to pay tribute to two people--Barney 
Frank and John Olver--who, in many ways, could not be more different. 
They are the same in this respect: they have made important marks on 
the Congress of the United States. What is special about them is that 
they are so different. But in their shared values, in their 
effectiveness, their knowledge of the issues and their ability to 
persuade our colleagues to join them in a vote,

[[Page 17825]]

they share that talent, especially those values representing 
Massachusetts in the Congress.
  I had the privilege of serving with John Olver on the Appropriations 
Committee. So I saw firsthand and very close up his extraordinary 
mastery of the facts and the substance before us and his political 
astuteness to find a way to get the job done as a chairman and ranking 
member of an important subcommittee of Appropriations, Transportation, 
better known as THUD. He's a cardinal on that committee. That's what 
they call them. So as a cardinal, he commanded a great deal of respect 
from our colleagues, though that came easy to us because, as I say, we 
knew him well, his values and his judgment.
  I want to point out one thing in particular, and that is he always 
had an interest in promoting or empowering women, whether it was in the 
Congress or in the country or in the world. There were some early 
conversations I had with him about human rights violations against 
women--against anyone--but his concern was deep and knowledgeable. In 
Congress, he was supportive of advancing women into positions of power 
here. I can speak of that firsthand. And also for women in the country. 
His wife is an academic, as he is. Having served in this Congress all 
this time, you can still be considered that--an intellectual. Again, he 
always knew of what he spoke. He brought great passion, judgment, and 
deliberativeness. He was very deliberative in getting a job done.

                              {time}  1950

  So it was an honor to call him ``colleague.'' He brought a special 
contribution to the Congress. Thank you, Congressman John Olver, for 
your leadership, for your friendship.
  Again, sitting there next to Barney Frank, who is a phenomenon, a 
force of nature, somebody very special to all of us; unique in terms of 
his incredible intellect and, in some people's opinion, great humor--
his and mine, for two. To serve with him is really an experience. We 
learned from him not only every time he spoke, because he spoke with 
such wisdom and knowledge of the subject, but also we learned from him 
how to get his attention, hold it--but not too long--and move on with 
whatever idea we had in mind.
  I had the occasion when I came to Congress the first time to call 
Barney and say, I'm so offended by what is going on on the floor. 
They're saying terrible things about people there who are in need, and 
the rhetoric went on and on and on and on.
  When I got to the end of it, he said, Why are you calling me?
  I said, Well, I want to know, what are we going to do about it?
  He said, What are you going to do about it? And next time you call 
me, just get right to the point right from the start.
  Well, that was very good advice. Now when I speak, I say, Barney, 
subject, problem, action needed, timing. And now we've gotten along 
great for decades. As one of my friends, John Burton, would say, he 
just wanted to know if you enjoyed the movie; he didn't want to know if 
you had butter on your popcorn. Just spare me the extra information 
that was not needed by him.
  So I first basked in his aura at the Banking Committee, where he was 
a leader on the Housing Subcommittee. We had that in common, 
representing Boston and San Francisco, two cities with the high cost of 
housing and knowing that we had to meet the needs of people who could 
not afford that high cost. So that respect for people's need to have 
the dignity of a home, no matter what their economic situation was, 
was, again, his commitment, as others have mentioned, to those at the 
lower place on the economic scale. So housing, affordability of it, the 
stock of it, the housing opportunities for people with HIV and AIDS, 
all of those kinds of issues. As you can imagine, he had the full view 
of it all in a way to get the job done.
  Discrimination--everybody has talked about it this evening, but it's 
a very transformative thing to see Barney talk about discrimination, 
how it affected him, could have affected him in his life, and how he 
didn't want that risk to be taken by other young people who might have 
had some questions about their sexuality and the rest.
  I remember when we were doing the hate crimes bill, fully inclusive 
hate crimes bill. It was really a very important bill that some people 
would have to take a political risk to vote for in their districts. 
When Barney came to the Caucus and spoke about it, he said, I'm the 
chairman of the Financial Services Committee. Important leaders of the 
financial community beat a path to my door. They want to hear what I 
think on subjects and tell me what they think. But I wasn't always the 
chairman of the Financial Services Committee. I was once a 16-year-old 
boy who had questions. I identify with those little boys now, those 
young people now, and that's why this was important. It was following 
the Matthew Shepard murder and all that that implied.
  But for him to have the generosity of spirit to share his innermost 
thoughts about his own life and how that instructed him to act, it was 
almost a moral imperative for him to act. He had a special 
responsibility, because of his own personal experience, to act. And 
Members just responded to him. He spoke to them in a very personal way. 
They responded to him in a very personal way, and we passed something 
very, very important for our country and discrimination.
  I remember the first time we passed the amendment to repeal Don't 
Ask, Don't Tell. Oh, my gosh, it was so exciting. It was so exciting. 
So I went up to Barney after the vote and I said, Barney, you're making 
history today.
  He said, Yes, because we repealed Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
  I said, No.
  Because we did this amendment on the Defense authorization bill?
  I said, No, not because of that. That's history, yes, but we're 
making history because today you're going to vote for your first 
Defense authorization bill which has funding for the war in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.
  So, in any event, knowing that we had a greater good, a separate 
issue to deal with and people were waiting to see how Congress would 
act, he of course made history by not only voting for an amendment to 
repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell, but for the Defense authorization bill. 
Many like-minded and thinking and voting people who follow Barney's 
lead followed him down that path so that a bill would pass.
  But it just goes over and over again. It's the consumer, protecting 
the taxpayer, protecting the consumer; the bill, Dodd-Frank, of such 
magnitude and scope, having such important implications for, again, 
protecting Main Street. He was masterful, not just because he was 
protecting the consumer, but because he understood the balance that was 
necessary in the legislation. That was really a mark of his leadership 
all along. He always respected the views of all stakeholders and any 
initiative that was put forward.
  I see by the walking around of the dean of the Massachusetts 
delegation that time may be short, so I will reduce my remarks. But I 
did want to make sure people knew what an important force he was in 
providing affordable housing in our country, ending discrimination in 
every possible way--I just named two--in the fight against HIV and 
AIDS, in protecting the consumer and the taxpayer, and Dodd-Frank.
  I know that any of us who were at his wedding and any of us who 
danced with him at his wedding know that that was a special privilege 
indeed not shared by many, but a compliment indeed.
  He will be very missed. He will be missed for his intellect. Every 
time he spoke, we learned. He will be missed for his intellect. He will 
be missed for his parliamentary prowess. He was a master of 
parliamentary procedure and, I think, revelled in playing that role on 
the floor of the House.
  Again, always values based, loved his district, proud of the State of 
Massachusetts, and, really, a national figure that will go down in 
history as one of the greats to have ever served in the House of 
Representatives.
  Flamboyant--he's given me fashion advice, which is interesting 
getting

[[Page 17826]]

fashion advice from Barney Frank. But I valued that. If he took the 
trouble or had the thought to make the point that I should give away a 
particular article of clothing because--not known for his sartorial 
splendor, nonetheless, if he made a point about it, he knew that there 
was some truth to whatever view he was expounding.
  So with that, I'm honored to join the Massachusetts delegation to 
sing the praises of two great leaders as they're different in terms of 
style, but significant, both of them, in their contribution to our 
country: Congressman--otherwise known as Chairman--John Olver, the 
cardinal from the Appropriations Committee, and Chairman Barney Frank, 
it's an honor to serve with you, a privilege to call you friend. Thank 
you for your service to our country.
  Mr. MARKEY. I thank the gentlelady.
  I yield myself such time as may remain in the hour. Since my time is 
about to expire, I would ask if it were possible for the gentleman from 
Indiana to be able to yield 5 minutes to me as the opening part of his 
Special Order.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, the gentleman, the old man, or 
the dean, as they call him, of the Massachusetts delegation, has asked 
if we would give him some of our 1-hour time, and I would like to ask 
unanimous consent that we give him--how much time do you need? Five 
minutes? An additional 5 minutes.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Hayworth). The gentleman's request 
cannot be entertained. The gentleman has 1 minute remaining. Then the 
gentleman from Indiana will be recognized, at which point he could 
yield time.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
  Mr. MARKEY. If Barney Frank were down here, none of this would have 
happened in terms of the understanding of the parliamentary procedure. 
He was up there trying to grab the imaginary microphone so he could 
clarify the parliamentary situation.

                              {time}  2000

  I will conclude this part just by saying, again, that John Olver has 
been for us just an invaluable colleague. He taught all of us so much 
about our own districts. The other Members have mentioned it, but when 
he sat down with us talking about transportation, he explained our own 
districts to us in terms of what was possible and what was needed.
  On climate change, I've talked to him over 20 years about the issue. 
He was on this issue in the early 1990s and probably understood it even 
before then. He is that smart. He is that visionary in terms of the 
issues that are central not just to Massachusetts but to our planet. 
And it has been my great honor to have served with you, John, and to 
have called you my friend and my colleague over all of these years. We 
all thank you so much for what you have done for us and done for the 
country.
  Thank you. Thank you so much.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

                          ____________________