[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11570-11574]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO FORMER CONGRESSMAN RALPH REGULA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Gibbs) for 30 minutes.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a good friend who 
passed away last week: the former Congressman from Ohio, Ralph Regula.
  Ralph Regula served in this body for 36 years, from 1973 to 2009. He 
ran in 1972 to replace former Congressman Frank Bow. He got on the 
Appropriations Committee in 1975, and I remember him telling the story 
of how that happened. When Gerald Ford was in the leadership here in 
the House, he praised former President Gerald Ford for getting him on 
the Appropriations Committee, in which he became a cardinal, in all the 
many years he was on the Appropriations Committee.
  Some major things that he helped do in his time here in Congress 
were: he found funding for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park; he formed 
the Ohio and Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor; and he worked with 
his wife to create the National First Ladies' Library in Canton.
  Having had many conversations with him over the years, I know all the 
work he did to support the National Institutes of Health, medical 
research, and also National Parks around the country that he so 
treasured.
  Last week, when Congressman Regula passed away, he left his wife, 
Mary, and three grown children: Martha, Richard, and David.
  Congressman Regula was born December 3, 1924, in Beach City, Ohio.
  From 1944 to 1946, he served in the United States Navy. He earned his 
undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Union in 1948, where 
The Ralph and Mary Regula Center of Public Service and Civic Engagement 
is housed.
  He earned his law degree in 1952, and went to law school at night 
while working as a teacher.

                              {time}  1930

  He also served on the Ohio State Board of Education from 1960 to 
1964. He served in the Ohio senate. He was elected in 1966, and he 
served in the Ohio house one term when he was elected in 1964.
  During his time in the State house, he created the Northeast Ohio 
Medical University complex and Stark State College, which is paying 
many dividends to the residents of northeast Ohio.
  Ralph was a good friend, and he always made sure that the staff knew 
that constituents came first. He even had a lapel pin button made up to 
remind his staff. He truly did. So my little memento that I remember 
was when I came here in the early 1980s, representing as a farmer in 
the Ohio Farm Bureau, we had an appointment at that time, and Ralph was 
my Congressman. Ralph was a farmer, too, and loved his beef cattle. He 
was an early riser. We had an early meeting well before 8 a.m. Another 
county Farm Bureau president from Wayne County and I got there in his 
office, Steve Grimes, and Ralph Regula said to us: Did you guys eat 
breakfast yet?
  We said: No.
  He said: Come with me.
  I guess he took us down to the Members' dining room. I remember this 
because I brought this picture. How I got this picture was one of the 
agricultural media reporters tagged along and took this picture. It was 
in one of the local agricultural papers back in Ohio. My parents were 
so proud of the fact that our Congressman--my Congressman--would meet 
with us and take us to breakfast in the Capitol that they called the 
paper and got the print, and they framed it.
  A few years ago, I had the privilege to speak at the McKinley Day 
Dinner in Stark County when I was redistricted in that area. Ralph and 
Mary were there. I brought this picture and passed it around to show 
them. Of course, this picture is 33 years old. What is really neat 
about it is we both had brown hair. I remember Ralph and Mary got a big 
kick out of that.
  Another time that I remember that was really a treasure is he had 
Senator Thad Cochran come to his house one weekend, and he invited all 
the agricultural leaders from the district to have breakfast there one 
Saturday morning. I remember that quite well as a great experience.
  A lot people said that Ralph Regula cared. He really did care. He 
really cared about the constituents he represented. He was a true 
public servant.
  Another issue is he had a relationship at the time with President 
Reagan. They hit it off really good because they got talking about 
their farms. Of course, Ralph Regula had a beef cattle farm outside of 
Navarre, Ohio, in Stark County. They were talking about how to build 
fence. Ralph used to tell that story, and you can tell that he held 
that dear to him.

[[Page 11571]]

  I first met Congressman Regula in 1974. He was the commencement 
speaker at the first graduating class which I was in at the Ohio State 
University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, and Ralph was a 
fairly new Congressman at the time. But he came and spoke. I remember 
that. That was my first chance to get to know Congressman Regula at the 
time.
  I do have here some notes from his former staff. I just want to read 
them because I think words say a lot. Ralph left an impression not just 
on his constituents but also on his staff.
  Susan Ross, who worked for Congressman Regula, offered some insight 
and stories about Ralph.
  Ralph's motto was ``Constituents First,'' according to Susan. One 
day, Ralph got a frantic call from a woman whose daughter was gravely 
ill in Mexico. She needed help immediately, as she didn't have a 
passport and couldn't find her birth certificate. By the next day, she 
was on her way to Mexico to help her daughter return to the U.S. Ralph 
made sure that his constituent could get a copy of her birth 
certificate and called the State Department to get her a passport 
within just a few hours. Considering the bureaucracy of government, 
this is a minor miracle. That is how committed he was to the people of 
Ohio.
  Ralph would go out of his way to help people. Ralph had a red pickup 
truck, and after the September 11 attack in 2001, he drove it home with 
the luggage of several constituents who were stranded here because of 
the attacks and no way to rent a car and obviously the planes were not 
flying.
  A former schoolteacher himself, he would say to the teachers: The 
lower the grade, the more you should be paid; and when you look out at 
your class, you have 30 little mirrors looking back at you.
  Susan wrote: We are so grateful for the chance to work alongside and 
learn from this giant of a man. His accomplishments are legendary, and 
his legacy can be seen across all of Ohio. It was an honor and 
privilege to call him our boss.
  When former staff members say those kinds of things about their 
former boss, that says a lot.
  I had the privilege to know Ralph for three decades. Two of those 
decades he was my Congressman, and then the last decade he wasn't 
because of redistricting. I had a different Congressman and a different 
congressional district. Then 4 or 5 years ago now, redistricting, they 
moved me into the Stark County, Ohio, area, and Ralph became a 
constituent of mine. There were a few times here a few years ago that 
Ralph came in and visited me in the office, and we had some great 
conversations.
  It seemed a little strange because I can remember, in the 1980s and 
the 1990s, I would be visiting Ralph here in the Rayburn Building for 
pork producers in the Farm Bureau talking about agricultural policy and 
talking to another farmer who is also a Congressman, too. Those are 
fond memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
  I think that we are so glad that so many are standing out here 
tonight to pay tribute to Congressman Ralph Regula because he was a 
true public servant and loved his constituents, loved Stark County, 
Ohio, and loved his farm. So it is a privilege to make a few remarks 
tonight to pay tribute to him for his 36 years of service in this 
Chamber and this body and all the service he did throughout his life to 
help the people of Stark County, Ohio, the 16th Congressional District 
in the State of Ohio, and the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi) who is 
from the Columbia area and who served some of the time here when 
Congressman Regula was here.
  Mr. TIBERI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Gibbs for yielding.
  The Akron Beacon Journal, a few days ago, wrote an extraordinary 
editorial about Ralph Regula. The last paragraph sums Congressman 
Regula up best: ``What would benefit Congress and the country today are 
more lawmakers like Ralph Regula, devoted to their districts without 
losing sight of the larger picture. He wasn't just superb at 
legislating. He delivered what governing requires.'' I couldn't say it 
any better.
  We in Ohio lost a truly wonderful person, a great American. Ohio has 
lost three of them in the last year who I served with here in the 
United States Congress who made this body a better place and who made 
this country a better place: nearly a year ago, Steve LaTourette from 
northeastern Ohio; earlier this year, Mike Oxley; and now Ralph Regula.
  Ralph Regula was the dean of the delegation even before I got here, 
and he was the dean of the delegation when I came here in 2001. One of 
the great things that Ralph Regula did on our side of the aisle when we 
were in the minority and then when we were in the majority is he 
strategically placed members of our team from Ohio throughout all the 
committees. So you had people on the Appropriations Committee, you had 
people on the Ways and Means Committee, on the Energy and Commerce 
Committee, and on the Armed Services Committee. Ralph was so thoughtful 
that way trying to make sure that we represented our State in all sorts 
of ways.
  I got to know Ralph mostly sitting in that corner with Dave Hobson, 
Ralph Regula, and Steve LaTourette. The dean of the delegation didn't 
speak loudly. He often spoke softly, but his words were meaningful--and 
usually right. He was a thoughtful guy who cared about our State, who 
cared about our country, and who taught so many of us how to legislate 
not just on the Appropriations Committee, but actually how to get 
things done. I have fond memories of the lessons that he gave us on an 
ongoing basis.
  I only got to serve with Ralph for 8 years. There are others in the 
room who got to serve with him a lot longer. But it is safe to say what 
the Akron Beacon Journal said is right: He knew how to get things done.
  He did it in a bipartisan way, he did it with his constituents in 
mind, and he did it because it was the right thing to do.
  There is a long list of things that he accomplished and that got 
done. He didn't brag about it. He just did it in his soft-spoken, nice, 
gentlemanly way. The gentleman from Navarre contributed and gave more 
than he ever got. His former staff knows, the former Members on both 
sides know it, and he will always be remembered for that great spirit 
that he had around this place--a true gentleman describes the gentleman 
from Navarre. It was an honor and a privilege to serve with him.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Stivers).
  Mr. STIVERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of an incredible 
leader from my home State of Ohio but also for the United States: 
Congressman Ralph Regula. He was a teacher, a patriot, and a veteran. 
He served during World War II in the United States Navy. He had been a 
schoolteacher and a school principal, and he devoted his life to public 
service.
  His career in government began with service in the Ohio house of 
representatives and the Ohio senate before he came to Congress in 1972. 
For nearly four decades in Congress, Congressman Regula became known as 
a leader who was willing to reach across the aisle to get things done--
to compromise--both on Capitol Hill and with the White House. He worked 
to pass legislation that helped his district and the American people.
  His spirit of bipartisanship carried throughout his career when he 
remained an outspoken advocate, even in his retirement, for 
bipartisanship. He was truly an example of how to get things done.
  Through his role on the House Appropriations Committee, he served as 
an important advocate for Ohio, including funding for the Cleveland 
Clinic and support for the Great Lakes. He was the quintessential 
example of what it means to be a public servant.
  Mr. Speaker, my thoughts go out to his wife, Mary, and the rest of 
his family.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. 
Latta) who is from Bowling Green, Ohio.

[[Page 11572]]


  Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I, too, 
would like to express my sympathies to Mary and all the Regula family 
on Ralph's passing.
  I got to know Ralph a long time ago because my dad served here for 30 
years. Dad was elected in 1958, Ralph was elected in 1972, and toward 
the end of their terms that they were here together--of course, Ralph 
served on for 36 years--their offices were very close to one another. I 
know that in those days sometimes you had a little more time than we 
seem to have today, but folks could actually go to one another's office 
and sit down and chat. I know that Dad and Ralph were very good 
friends.
  What has been said by my other colleagues is true; Ralph worked hard. 
He served his district well, he worked hard, he did his job, he served 
the people of his district, and he served the people of this country.
  At all times, though, he always was a gentleman. I know that for a 
fact because I know that when I was younger, I always liked to be able 
to come here with my dad, I was able to sit in a lot of meetings, and 
Ralph was an incredible individual.
  One of the things that my dad always said was that there was always a 
difference in life between people who wanted to be politicians and 
public servants. Dad said that it was very simple: A politician is a 
person who sees how much they can take from the people they represent 
for their own benefit, while public servants see how much they can give 
of themselves to the people they represent. Ralph did this over and 
over and over again, giving of himself.
  Marcia and I do want to express our regret to Mary and all of Ralph's 
family on his passing because, again, we have lost a great friend, a 
great colleague, and it is tough to say goodbye.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I am sure the gentleman shares a lot of 
childhood memories running around here with his dad being a Congressman 
and Congressman Regula for all those years.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) who is 
from the Cincinnati area.
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Gibbs for organizing 
this Special Order here this evening in which we are honoring Ralph 
Regula, our former colleague.
  I had the pleasure of serving with Congressman Regula for 14 years 
here in this great institution.
  Ralph Regula was truly a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. 
He served Ohio and our Nation with a dignity and grace that few will 
ever match. When I think of the phrase ``disagreeing without being 
disagreeable,'' I think of Ralph Regula.

                              {time}  1945

  Ralph was a lot of things. He was an attorney, a teacher, a school 
principal, a veteran, a farmer, and a loving husband, father, and 
grandfather. But perhaps most of all, he was dedicated to serving the 
people of the 16th Congressional District and his country.
  He was born in Beach City, Ohio, in 1924--the same year my mom was 
born, by the way. Ralph first served his country, as my father did, in 
World War II. My dad was in the Army and served in Europe. Ralph was in 
the Navy from 1942 to 1946 during World War II.
  Ralph then graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, 
where he met his wife, Mary, and later obtained his law degree from 
William McKinley School of Law in Canton.
  Ralph had a passion for education. Before getting into politics, he 
served his community as a schoolteacher, as I also did. He was then a 
principal and even ran for the Ohio Board of Education.
  As a former teacher myself, as I mentioned, I know the time you spend 
with students helps shape the way you view the world. Ralph was no 
different. He brought those experiences with him here to Washington, 
D.C., and put his passion to work on the Appropriations Committee.
  Prior to being elected to Congress, Ralph got his start in politics 
as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and, later, the Ohio 
Senate. In 1972, he ran for Congress and won, beginning a long and 
impressive congressional tenure.
  Ralph served 18 terms, 36 years, and he was a leader on the 
Appropriations Committee. In that role, he helped to shape the country, 
but he never forgot where he came from: Stark County, Ohio.
  Back in 1998, Ralph and his wife, Mary, were instrumental in the 
establishment of the National First Ladies' Library in Canton, and they 
both remained very involved in the library's operations over the years.
  Many Ohioans and Cantonians remember him for his staunch support of 
Stark County's park system, the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and the 
Towpath Trail.
  While many around the Nation will remember Ralph Regula as an 
important figure on the Appropriations Committee, a role he served in 
for many, many years, I will remember him as a respected colleague and 
someone I was proud to call a friend.
  Ralph was a soft-spoken, old-school gentleman. By the time I was 
elected to Congress back in 1994, Ralph Regula was the dean of the Ohio 
delegation. A few years after Congressman Regula retired, I became the 
dean of the Ohio Republican delegation, and I tried to model my 
approach to the role that he set. He set a great example for all of us 
who serve here in the House because he truly was a gentleman.
  Tonight, as we remember our former dean, I hope that we also remember 
his ability to work across the aisle. Ralph always treated everyone 
with respect and genuinely listened to the viewpoints of others. He 
believed that bipartisanship was a virtue and would work tirelessly to 
find common ground. I think we can all learn from his example.
  I would note that Marcy Kaptur, who is one of our more respected 
Democratic colleagues in the House, is here this evening. I think it is 
a tribute to the bipartisanship that Ralph Regula showed over the 
years. I know that she worked not only with him, but with many of us in 
a bipartisan manner. That is just the way that Ralph Regula operated.
  Mr. Speaker, Ralph Regula was a decent, hardworking family man who 
was dedicated to Ohio, and particularly the 16th Congressional District 
and the people of Stark County. He was a public servant and a role 
model. He will be deeply missed.
  To Ralph's wife, Mary; his daughter, Martha; his sons, David and 
Richard; and the entire Regula family, please know that we are saddened 
by your loss. We share that loss. We appreciate the time that you 
allowed Ralph to serve our Nation. You are in our thoughts and our 
prayers. God bless you all.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Toledo (Ms. 
Kaptur), who serves on the Appropriations Committee and who, I am sure, 
has some interesting tales to tell about Congressman Regula.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the kind gentleman for yielding, and 
I thank him for arranging this Special Order this evening. I thank 
Congressman Chabot for his kind words and all the Members who have come 
to pay tribute to our beloved colleague, Ralph Regula.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor my late friend and respected 
colleague who served 18 terms and was a gentleman farmer, the very 
Honorable Congressman Ralph Regula of Ohio. Ralph passed away earlier 
this month in Bethlehem Township, Ohio. He was 92.
  To his beloved wife, Mary, for whom we all hold deep affection, and 
their family--Martha, Richard, David, and their children--please let me 
extend heartfelt sympathy and deepest affection.
  I had the privilege of serving with Ralph for 26 years, many of those 
on the Appropriations Committee.
  As others have mentioned, Ralph Straus Regula was born in Beach City, 
Ohio, on December 3, 1924, right before the Great Depression.
  In 1948, he graduated from Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, and 
went on to receive a degree in law as a night student from William 
McKinley School of Law in Canton, and then went on to serve in the 
United States Navy during World War II.

[[Page 11573]]

  Some of my memories of Ralph include him pulling into the 
congressional garage on so many occasions in his spiffy red pickup 
truck, always thinking about what was happening back in Ohio on his 
farm. That truck had many purposes.
  So many evenings we were in the same building and I could see him 
walking down the hall with Mary, his wife, well after 9 p.m. in the 
evening after having put in a very long day here in Congress.
  The press never reports about the Members who are dutiful and do 
their work. They generally focus on those who run into a little bit of 
trouble or get into a fracas, but Ralph Regula was the type of citizen 
who holds this Republic together.
  He was first elected in 1972 and was a longstanding, prominent figure 
in our body, serving 36 years in the House by the time of his 
retirement. At the time he retired, he was dean of the Ohio delegation 
and number three in seniority on the Republican side of the powerful 
Appropriations Committee. His service embraced the tenure of seven U.S. 
Presidents.
  As a lawmaker, Ralph was a champion of cross-party collaboration, as 
others have referenced, and he was a moral compass in an era of 
personal enrichment. Ralph is remembered as a hardworking, 
constructive, affable, intelligent, and effective Member. He set a very 
high standard.
  I tried to write words that remind me of Ralph--certainly 
``talented,'' ``honest,'' ``hardworking,'' ``sensible,'' 
``understated,'' ``straightforward,'' and ``even-tempered.''
  If you never met him, he was sort of a cross between Andy Griffith 
and Robert Redford. He was even-tempered and not vindictive--and he had 
reason to be vindictive. He described himself as a conservative in 
spending but a progressive in programs.
  A proud Canton resident, he worked tirelessly to honor the legacy of 
his hometown hero, President William McKinley. Regula sought to 
preserve the fellow Ohioan's memory by fighting to keep the name Mount 
McKinley for the summit in Alaska, homage to the man who represented 
his same district.
  During my time in the House, I have had the pleasure of serving 
alongside Ralph on the Appropriations Committee, where he was 
distinguished for sensible solutions that worked for Americans and for 
Ohioans.
  When he served on the Labor, Health, and Human Services Subcommittee, 
he instructed me, when I got to Congress: This is where you really help 
people.
  Ralph was dedicated to that. He had such a heart, but he didn't wear 
it on his sleeve. He supported working people. There are many votes he 
cast in favor of the minimum wage. His father was a coal miner. He 
understood what it was to do that kind of work for a living.
  On the centennial of the Metro Parks' creation, we remember his 
adoration and commitment to our public lands, founding one of northeast 
Ohio's proudest landmarks, the Cuyahoga National Valley Park. He 
dedicated so many of his years to creating that park, the Ohio and Erie 
Canal system, and expanding that park to among the top 10 most visited 
in the United States of America.
  He attended to Ohio while he attended to the Nation. He had the guts 
to pass new user fees for all national parks to raise money to improve 
them, so he was thinking of the future.
  He was the founder and leader of the Steel Caucus in this House--that 
was one of the first places that I met him--and an early and effective 
voice about foreign dumping and about the importance of manufacturing 
in America, the importance of that steel industry and having fair trade 
among nations.
  With his wife, Mary, he was instrumental in creating the National 
First Ladies' Library in Canton, Ohio, a most amazing place, with 
important untold stories about valorous women in our country that, for 
years, had been largely hidden from the public.
  I recommend that the public go to the website of that library and 
just read about the First Ladies of this country--not just who they 
were, but what they endured. I learned so much that I didn't know.
  Ralph brought phenomenal experience to his public service. Others 
talked about how he had practiced law, serving in the Navy, held a 
degree in business administration, served as a school administrator, a 
teacher, a principal, State legislator, and served on the Ohio Board of 
Education. He was so level-headed.
  An article in the The Washington Post reported that he introduced 
language in appropriations bills and procedural maneuvers to fight 
efforts to change Alaska's Mount McKinley name. Obviously, he held the 
seat that was once occupied by President McKinley, the 25th President, 
who, sadly, was assassinated in 1901.
  As a graduate of the old William McKinley School of Law in Canton, 
Mr. Regula did not want to see the name of his fellow Buckeye erased 
from the tallest peak in North America. Ralph said: The law says it is 
Mount McKinley, and no President can change the law by the flick of a 
pen.
  When he set his mind to it, he prevailed. His vast experience on the 
legislative front led him and drove his successful efforts to invest 
millions and millions of dollars in the improvement of healthcare for 
the American people, as well as Ohio institutions such as the Cleveland 
Clinic, University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University, and 
MetroHealth.
  He championed the Great Lakes and fought mightily to find a way to 
clean up coal. I can remember being on the Republican side of the 
aisle. He said: Congresswoman Kaptur, you have got to help me clean up 
coal.
  He was always looking for a way to try to make life better. He 
advocated for the National Endowment for the Arts. He worked to clean 
up Florida's Everglades and led the construction of the popular 
children's farm here in Washington at the National Zoo.
  When people come to public service at the national level, they learn 
that it is very hard to accomplish things over a brief period of time. 
It takes a long time. It takes decades to do something of merit. Ralph 
certainly achieved that.
  In 2010, the Cleveland Plain Dealer quoted him. I will end my tribute 
to him this evening with a quote that he gave to the Plain Dealer. He 
said: ``Inflammatory rhetoric may satisfy the partisans, but it does 
little or nothing to move the legislative ball to the goal line.'' He 
was talking about the necessity of breaking legislative gridlock and 
advocating bipartisan compromise.
  I think by Congressman Bob Gibbs being on floor tonight, by my being 
on the floor tonight, in a bipartisan spirit, giving tribute to Ralph 
Regula, this is a life that Members of Congress can learn from: real 
achievement, real merit, real honor. He brought real meaning to the 
word the ``Honorable'' Ralph Straus Regula.
  May God let him rest in peace and bless his spirit.
  Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, we heard tonight that we will 
miss Ralph Regula. He was a dedicated public servant. He didn't 
grandstand. He worked hard, and he got the job done for the people of 
Ohio and the people of this country. We will sorely miss him.
  Best regards to his beloved wife, Mary, and three children and the 
rest of the Regula family. It was an honor and privilege to know Ralph 
Regula.
  Mr. RENACCI. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today to offer my 
tribute on behalf of my predecessor, mentor, and most importantly my 
friend, the late Congressman Ralph Regula. We not only had the chance 
to share the same district but we celebrated the same birthday, 
something that always made our connection feel stronger.
  Congressman Regula represented the 16th District of Ohio in the 
United States House of Representatives from 1973 until his retirement 
in 2009. For thirty-six years and eighteen terms, Ralph Regula brought 
common-sense, Ohio values to Washington each and every day.
  Ralph came to Washington, often in his ubiquitous red pickup truck, 
to do a job for the American People. His was an office held in trust 
for a time and then relinquished with grace when that season of his 
life was over.
  Ralph Regula began his career as a teacher and grade school 
principal. Throughout his long career in public service he always 
encouraged students who approached him to

[[Page 11574]]

``Learn something new every day''. It was more than advice: it was a 
heartfelt wish that every young person he met would embrace a lifetime 
of learning and go on to become the very best versions of themselves.
  As a public servant, Ralph Regula was a thoughtful, conscientious man 
of the people. From humble beginnings as village solicitor in Navarre, 
Ohio, Ralph brought his experience as an educator to the Ohio Board of 
Education, and from there, to the Ohio state house where he served in 
the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate. In 1972, Ralph 
Regula was elected to Congress to represent the 16th District of Ohio, 
an office he always said he held in trust for the people he represented 
back home in Ohio. His constituents sent him back to Washington 
eighteen times, asking for and receiving his best service and judgment 
on their behalf in the People's House.
  In Congress, Ralph Regula served most of his tenure in the Committee 
on Appropriations. Ralph would say he was one of the keepers of 
America's checkbook. In that role, Ralph brought his own brand of 
fiscal conservatism to bear on the great issues facing the United 
States. As chairman of the Committee on Appropriations Interior 
subcommittee, Ralph was instrumental in securing the future of Cuyahoga 
Valley National Park.
  I have no doubt that Ralph Regula will be remembered for many things 
during his time in Congress. I think his sense of fairness and his bi-
partisan approach to lawmaking will, no doubt, be among the best 
attributes recalled by his friends and colleagues. Debate ended at the 
doors to the House, but the friendship always endured.
  Ralph was foremost, though, a family man. The great love of his life, 
Mary, was his partner through thick and thin. Partners in all things, 
Ralph and Mary built a life together and raised three wonderful 
children: David, Richard and Martha.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker let me just say this: It truly was the honor 
of a lifetime to know Congressman Ralph Regula and call him my 
predecessor, mentor, and my friend. He will be dearly missed by all.
  Mr. RYAN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, it was my distinct honor and privilege 
to have served in the House of Representatives with Ralph Regula, who 
passed away on Wednesday, July 19, 2017.
  In 2007, I became a member of the Committee on Appropriations where 
Ralph had served for many years. He was Chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Interior and later as Chairman of the Labor and Health & Human Services 
Subcommittee. Ralph taught me a lot about how to achieve success in the 
Committee by working together cooperatively with Republicans and 
Democrats alike.
  Ralph was the Dean of the Ohio Delegation and I often heard him tell 
the story of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Park was 
established in 1974 with Ralph's leadership and his partners John 
Seiberling and Charles Vanik. I particularly recall his story of how 
the law was signed. Ralph understood that Secretary of the Interior 
Rogers Morton opposed the Park and was recommending that President 
Gerald Ford veto the bill. Ralph called former National Republican 
Committee Chairman Ray Bliss of Akron and asked him to call the 
President to explain the importance of the Park in Ohio and to point 
out that the Park could be a political issue in the Presidential 
campaign. President Ford saw the wisdom in the advice and signed the 
bill into law.
  Ralph was born on December 3, 1924 in Beach City, Ohio. Ralph served 
in the Navy during World War II and graduated in 1948 from what is now 
known as the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio. Originally, a 
teacher and principal who attended law school at night, Ralph served in 
the Ohio House and Senate before his election to an open Congressional 
seat in 1972. Ralph was married to his wife Mary for 66 years, and 
together they shared three adoring children.
  Ralph was an important voice in protecting important education 
programs including Pell Grants and health care programs including 
investment in medical research. Ralph helped to establish the Ohio & 
Erie Canalway, which include towpaths and historic sites. He also 
secured funding to help establish the National. First Ladies' Library, 
which was founded by his wife Mary and located in Canton, Ohio.
  Many friends and family members of the Congressman will be gathering 
to ride the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Cleveland to Zoar 
this Friday. Ralph's son Richard Regula will be leading this fitting 
commemoration in celebration of Congressman Regula's legacy.
  Ralph was always a champion of bipartisanship, oftentimes stating, 
``Listening to the points of view of others, finding common ground to 
cooperate and making friends on the `other side of the aisle' helps to 
achieve ultimate success.''
  I extend my deepest condolences to Ralph's family and friends. He was 
a true patriot who leaves behind a positive legacy in both Washington 
and Ohio. He will be deeply missed.

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