[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11725]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     IN RECOGNITION OF THE PASSING OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN BILL GRAY

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a great deal of sadness. I am 
saddened by the passing of my friend, William H. Gray, who represented 
the people of Pennsylvania's Second District in this House from 1979 to 
1991.
  Bill Gray was an historic figure. I had the honor of serving as vice 
chairman of the Democratic Caucus when he chaired the Democratic 
Caucus. He made history as the first African American Democratic whip 
from 1989 to 1991. As Budget chairman, Bill Gray played an instrumental 
role in setting the stage for the balanced budgets of the 1990s.
  He was a leading voice against apartheid. Some of us just 
participated in a birthday celebration for Nelson Mandela in 
Emancipation Hall. Bill Gray was a leading advocate of changing the 
apartheid system in South Africa, and it was because of his efforts 
that we were able to enact sanctions against South Africa.
  After retiring from Congress, Bill Gray led the United Negro College 
Fund, helping literally thousands access higher education and the 
opportunities that come with it. Throughout his tenure, Bill Gray 
continued to minister to the families of the Bright Hope Baptist Church 
as their pastor. His deep faith and enduring love for his fellow man 
was evident not only from the pulpit but from the committee rooms and 
on this floor.
  I join my colleagues in expressing my condolences to Andrea and their 
sons, William, Justin, and Andrew, and in thanking them for sharing 
Bill Gray with all of us and with our country. We were privileged to 
serve with him, to know him, and to be his friend.

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