[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13451]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF FORMER CONGRESSMAN VERN EHLERS

  (Mr. AMASH asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. AMASH. Mr. Speaker, with great sadness, the people of west 
Michigan learned of the recent passing of former Congressman Vern 
Ehlers.
  Vern was a humble man who served our community with honor. Early in 
his life, Vern moved to Grand Rapids to attend Calvin College. After 
earning his Ph.D. at Berkeley, he returned to help launch, and later 
chair, Calvin's Physics Department. His passion for science, 
technology, and the environment came to define his time at Calvin and 
tenure in Congress.
  In 1993, Vern was elected to Congress and served until his retirement 
in 2010. Vern was the first research physicist in Congress, and his 
impressive background contributed to his many achievements.
  Vern was a member of the Committees on Education and the Workforce; 
Science, Space, and Technology; and Transportation and Infrastructure. 
He served as chairman of the Committee on House Administration, and his 
portrait now hangs in the committee's main hearing room.
  I have staff who worked for Vern, and they all admired his 
compassion, independent thinking, and nonpartisan record. Colleagues 
often referred to him as ``the smartest man in Congress.''
  Vern lived as commanded in Micah 6:8: ``To act justly and to love 
mercy and to walk humbly with Your God.'' He placed his hands on this 
verse each time he was sworn in.
  Our community will endeavor always to honor his legacy.
  My deepest condolences go out to Vern's wife, Johanna, his children 
and grandchildren, and to everyone whose lives he touched. May his 
memory be eternal.

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