[Deschler-Brown Precedents, Volume 17, Chapters 34 - 40]
[Ch. 38. Death]
[Â§ 5. Announcement of Death; Accounting for Vacancies]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[Page 597-623]
 
                               CHAPTER 38
 
                                 Death
 
Sec. 5. Announcement of Death; Accounting for Vacancies

    The death of a Member (including the Speaker) and often of

[[Page 598]]

other House officers or officials, is generally, but not invariably, 
announced by the Member with the longest continuous service, also known 
as the dean, of the deceased's State delegation.(1) This may 
be done in a one-minute speech, customarily before the business of the 
day or in between recorded votes. A Member, again usually the dean of 
the State delegation, may choose to inform the House of the death of a 
Senator, in which case, it will be done in the same manner. However, 
with modern communication devices providing almost immediate 
notification of death and the varied circumstances of death, the formal 
announcement of the death on the floor may be bypassed in favor of 
consideration of a resolution of sympathy. When a Senator or a Member 
of the House dies, a copy of the resolution of sympathy informing of 
the death will be messaged to the other body.(2)
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 1. See Sec. 5.7, infra.
            See also Sec. 5.5, infra, where the death of former Speaker 
        Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (MA) was announced by the ranking 
        Republican of the Massachusetts delegation.
 2. See Sec. 6, infra.
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    Pursuant to a rule adopted in the 108th Congress, in the event of a 
vacancy in the Office of Speaker, including one as the result of death, 
a designated Member acts as Speaker pro tempore until the election of a 
Speaker or Speaker pro tempore.(3) Presumably one of this 
Speaker pro tempore's first acts would be to announce the death of the 
Speaker. Before the 108th Congress, upon the death of a Speaker, the 
Clerk would convene the House and announce the Speaker's death, and 
would preside until a new Speaker was elected.(4) The 
announcement which initiates further procedures as a mark of respect 
will still be that of a Member, traditionally the senior member of the 
State delegation of which the Speaker had been a Member.(5)
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 3. Rule I clause 8(b)(3)(A), House Rules and Manual Sec. 632 (2007).
 4. See Sec. 4.2, supra.
 5. See 6 Cannon's Precedents Sec. 265, which reads as follows: 
        ``Recently it has been the general, though not the universal 
        practice, to designate as Speaker pro tempore during eulogies 
        on a deceased Member, the dean of the State delegation 
        regardless of party affiliation.''
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    Whenever possible, the death of a Member will be announced at the 
next convening of the House after the death has occurred, or on the day 
of the death itself if the House is in session.(6)
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 6. 5 Hinds' Precedents Sec. Sec. 7123-7128.
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    Upon the death of a President or former President, the House

[[Page 599]]

will normally be informed by Presidential message,(7) 
although the House has been informed of the death of a former President 
by proclamation.(8) The Acting Chief Justice of the United 
States will inform the House by letter of the death of the Chief 
Justice.(9) A Member from the home State of an Associate 
Justice of the Supreme Court will likely be the person to announce such 
a death to the House.(10)
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 7. See Sec. 5.1, infra.
 8. See Sec. 5.2, infra.
 9. See Sec. 5.3, infra.
10. See Sec. 6.7, infra.
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    The death of a Cabinet Member may be announced by a 
Member.(11) However, notification of the death of a Cabinet 
Member or Secretary of one of the branches of the Armed Forces has also 
on occasion been conveyed by proclamation.(12) The deaths of 
officers and officials of the House are often announced by Members 
affiliated with their Home states.
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11. See, e.g., Sec. 5.13, infra.
12. See Sec. 5.15, infra.
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    The circumstances of a death and the schedule of the Congress are 
not always such that an orderly and timely announcement is possible. 
The death by assassination of President John F. Kennedy presents an 
interesting example.
    President Kennedy's death in Dallas, Texas, was announced to the 
Nation at 1:30 p.m., CST (2:31 EST) on Friday, Nov. 22, 1963. The House 
had adjourned from Thursday, Nov. 21, 1963, to Monday, Nov. 25, 1963. 
On Nov. 22, 1963, notice of the shooting having been informally 
received in the Senate, that body recessed at 1:55 p.m. (EST) ``pending 
developments'' and subject to the call of the Chair. At 2:10 p.m. (EST) 
the Senate reconvened. On the appearance of a quorum, a prayer for the 
President was offered and at 2:20 p.m. (EST),(13) the Senate 
adjourned until Monday, Nov. 25, 1963. Thus, neither body was in 
session when the death of the President was announced to the 
Nation.(14)
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13. 109 Cong. Rec. 22693, 88th Cong. 1st Sess.
14. After President Kennedy's death, President Lyndon B. Johnson (TX) 
        addressed a joint session of Congress on Nov. 27, 1963, to 
        deliver his tribute to the late President and affirm his 
        intentions to continue the policies set by his predecessor. See 
        109 Cong. Rec. 22838, 22839, 88th Cong. 1st Sess.
            When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died, Rep. Alben 
        W. Barkley (KY) unofficially announced the death to the Senate 
        on Friday, Apr. 13, 1945. The Senate proceeded to agree to a 
        resolution of sympathy, which was messaged to the House and 
        constituted the only official announcement of President 
        Roosevelt's death the House received, prior to President 
        Truman's message to the House and Senate in joint session on 
        Apr. 16, 1945. See 91 Cong. Rec. 3389, 3390, 79th Cong. 1st 
        Sess.

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[[Page 600]]

    The flying of the United States flag at half-staff represents both 
a symbolic announcement that a death has occurred and a symbolic 
tribute. By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-
staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States 
government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a 
mark of respect to their memory.(15)
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15. 4 USC Sec. 7; see, e.g., death of James Strom Thurmond (SC), former 
        Senator, Proclamation No. 7688, June 30, 2003, 68 Fed. Reg. 
        127.
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    By statute,(16) the flag is flown at half-staff 30 days 
from the death of the President or of a former President; 10 days from 
the day of death of the Vice President, the Chief Justice or a retired 
Chief Justice of the United States, or the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives; from the day of death until interment of an Associate 
Justice of the Supreme Court, a member of the Cabinet, a former Vice 
President, the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Majority Leader 
of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Majority Leader 
of the House of Representatives, or the Minority Leader of the House of 
Representatives; and on the day of death and the following day for a 
Member of Congress. By Presidential proclamation,(17) the 
flag is flown at half-staff on all buildings, grounds, and naval 
vessels of the Federal Government in the State, congressional district, 
territory, or commonwealth of such Senator, Representative, Delegate, 
or Commissioner, respectively, from the day of death until interment.
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16. 4 USC Sec. 7.
17. Proclamation No. 3044, Mar. 1, 1954, 19 Fed. Reg. 1235.
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    In the 108th Congress, clause 5 of Rule XX was changed to codify 
the long-standing practice that the whole number of the House of 
Representatives was changed whenever a vacancy by death, resignation, 
expulsion, disqualification, or removal arose.(18) The 
change provided that the Speaker announce the adjustment to the House 
and that such an announcement not be subject to appeal.(19) 
The change also provided that in the case of a death, the Speaker may 
lay before the House such documentation from Federal, State, or local 
officials as he deems pertinent.(20)
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18. See H. Res. 5 Sec. 2(l) at 149 Cong. Rec. 13, 108th Cong. 1st 
        Sess., Jan. 7, 2003.
19. Id.
20. Id.
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    The change in the rules was part of a number of recommendations 
from a bipartisan Continuity

[[Page 601]]

of Congress Working Group that was formed after the terrorist attacks 
of Sept. 11, 2001, to study ways to ensure that the legislative branch 
continued to function in the event that a terrorist attack or other 
catastrophe killed or incapacitated a large number of Members. The co-
chairmen of the Working Group submitted their recommendations for 
changes to the rules in this area to the Committee on Rules in the 
107th Congress for potential inclusion in the opening day rules package 
for the 108th Congress.(21) The rule merely codifies the way 
the House has tacitly dealt with changes in its whole number in the 
event of a death of a Member with the addition of a formal announcement 
by the Speaker. The rule also provides that such an announcement is not 
subject to appeal and that the Speaker may lay before the House 
pertinent documentation about the death of a Member. These additional 
steps were added in hopes of streamlining the process for establishing 
a quorum in the event that a large number of Members are 
killed.(22)
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21. See 148 Cong. Rec. 22676, 22677, 107th Cong. 2d Sess., Nov. 14, 
        2002 (extension of remarks of Rep. Christopher Cox [CA]).
22. Ibid.                          -------------------
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Death of President or Former President

Sec. 5.1 The Speaker laid before the House a message from the 
    President, announcing the death of former President Ronald Wilson 
    Reagan.(1)
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 1. For further details on House action in remembrance of former 
        President Reagan, see Sec. 8.3, infra.
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    On June 8, 2004,(2) the following message from President 
George W. Bush was laid before the House by the Speaker:(3)
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 2. 150 Cong. Rec. 11752, 108th Cong. 2d Sess.
 3. J. Dennis Hastert (IL).

                             To the Congress of the United States:

        By this Message, I officially inform you of the death of Ronald 
    Reagan, the fortieth President of the United States.
        Ronald Reagan was a great leader and a good man. He had the 
    confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with 
    character, the grace that comes with humility, and the humor that 
    comes with wisdom.
        Through his leadership, spirit, and abiding faith in the 
    American people, President Reagan gave our Nation a renewed 
    optimism. With his courage and moral clarity, he enhanced America's 
    security and advanced the spread of peace, liberty, and democracy 
    to millions of people who had lived in darkness and oppression. As 
    America's President, he helped change the world.

[[Page 602]]

        The sun has now set on Ronald Reagan's extraordinary American 
    life. Just as he told us that our Nation's best days are yet to 
    come, we know that the same is true for him.

                                                   George W. Bush.

                                    The White House, June 8, 2004.

Sec. 5.2 The Speaker laid before the House a message from the 
    President, announcing the death of former President Richard M. 
    Nixon.

    On Apr. 25, 1994,(1) the following message from 
President William J. Clinton was laid before the House by the Speaker 
pro tempore:(2)

 1. 140 Cong. Rec. 8451, 103d Cong. 2d Sess.
 2. G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery (MS).

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                             To the Congress of the United States:

        It is my sad duty to inform you officially of the death of 
    Richard Milhous Nixon, the thirty-seventh President of the United 
    States.
        Born in 1913, he was first elected to the Congress in 1946, a 
    member of that historic freshman class of World War II veterans 
    that also included John F. Kennedy. He was elected to the Senate in 
    1950, and served two terms as Vice President of the United States 
    between 1953 and 1961. His career in the Congress coincided with 
    the great expansion of the American middle class, when men and 
    women from backgrounds as humble as his own secured the triumph of 
    freedom abroad and the promise of economic growth at home.
        He remained a visible presence in American public life for over 
    half a century. Yet through all those years of service to his 
    country, in the military, in the Congress, in the Presidency, and 
    beyond, he cherished his life as a private man, a family man. He 
    was lovingly devoted to his wife, Pat, to their daughters Patricia 
    Cox and Julie Eisenhower, and to his four grandchildren.
        His lifetime and public career were intertwined with America's 
    rise as a world power. His faith in America never wavered, from his 
    famous `kitchen debate' with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev 
    through all of the debates that followed. We Americans and our 
    neighbors abroad will always owe him a special debt for opening 
    diplomatic doors to Beijing and Moscow during his Presidency, and 
    his influence in world affairs will be felt for years to come.
        Richard Milhous Nixon lived the ``American Dream.'' Now, he 
    rests in peace.

                                               William J. Clinton.

                    The White House, April 22, 1994.(3)
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 3. See 119 Cong. Rec. 1838, 1839, 93d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 23, 1973, 
        where the Speaker laid before the House a message from 
        President Richard M. Nixon announcing the death of former 
        President Lyndon B. Johnson; 115 Cong. Rec. 8099, 91st Cong. 
        1st Sess., Mar. 31, 1969, where the Speaker laid before the 
        House a message from President Nixon announcing the death of 
        former President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and 119 Cong. Rec. 28, 
        93d Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 3, 1973, where the Speaker laid 
        before the House a communication from the Acting Secretary of 
        State, transmitting a Proclamation of the President announcing 
        the death of former President Harry S Truman during the sine 
        die adjournment of the preceding Congress.

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[[Page 603]]

Supreme Court Justice

Sec. 5.3 The Chair laid before the House a communication from an 
    Associate Justice of the Supreme Court informing the House of the 
    death of William H. Rehnquist, Chief Justice of the United 
    States.(1) A resolution of sympathy was adopted by the 
    House.
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 1. See also 92 Cong. Rec. 4262, 79th Cong. 2d Sess., Apr. 30, 1946, 
        where Speaker Sam Rayburn (TX) laid before the House a 
        communication from the Honorable Hugo L. Black, Senior 
        Associate Justice and Acting Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme 
        Court regarding the death of Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone; 
        and 100 Cong. Rec. 10, 83d Cong. 2d Sess., regarding the death 
        of Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. See also Ch. 36, supra.
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    On Sept. 6, 2005,(2) the House adopted a resolution of 
sympathy in recognition of the death of the Chief Justice of the United 
States Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist:
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 2. 151 Cong. Rec. 19568, 19569, 109th Cong. 1st Sess. See also Ch. 36, 
        Sec. 11, supra.
            There was no funeral committee appointed for Chief Justice 
        Rehnquist. His body lie in state in the Great Hall of the 
        Supreme Court from Sept. 6, 2005, until his funeral on Sept. 7, 
        2005, conducted at the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Matthew 
        the Apostle in Washington, D.C.
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        Mr. [Tom] DeLAY [of Texas]. Madam Speaker, I offer a privileged 
    resolution (H. Res. 422) and ask for its immediate consideration.
        The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                                  H. Res. 422

            Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
        the death of the Honorable William H. Rehnquist; Chief Justice 
        of the United States.
            Resolved, That the House tenders its deep sympathy to the 
        members of the family of the late Chief Justice in their 
        bereavement.
            Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
        the Senate and to the Supreme Court and transmit a copy of the 
        same to the family of the late Chief Justice.
            Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as 
        a further mark of respect to the memory of the late Chief 
        Justice.

        The resolution was agreed to.
        A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Speaker

Sec. 5.4 Pursuant to a rule adopted in the 108th Congress, in the event 
    of a vacancy in the Office of the Speaker, including one as a 
    result of death,(1)

[[Page 604]]

     a designated Member acts as Speaker pro tempore until the election 
    of a Speaker or Speaker pro tempore.(2) The Speaker pro 
    tempore announces the death of the Speaker.
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 1. Speakers of the House who have died while in Office: Michael C. 
        Kerr (IN), Speaker from Dec. 6, 1875 until his death on Aug. 
        19, 1876; Henry T. Rainey (IL), Speaker from Mar. 9, 1933 until 
        his death on Aug. 19, 1934; Joseph W. Byrns (TN), Speaker from 
        Jan. 3, 1935 until his death on June 4, 1936; William B. 
        Bankhead (AL), Speaker from Jan. 4, 1936 until his death on 
        Sept. 15, 1940; and Sam Rayburn (TX), from Sept. 16, 1940 
        through Jan. 3, 1947 and again elected on Jan. 5, 1955 until 
        his death on Nov. 16, 1961.
 2. Rule I clause 8, House Rules and Manual Sec. 632 (2007).
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Sec. 5.5 Prior to the 108th Congress, when a Speaker died during his 
    term of office, a Member from the Speaker's home State sometimes 
    informed the House officially of the death, following the Clerk's 
    announcement of a vacancy in the Office of Speaker and the election 
    of a successor.

    A Speaker's term ceases with the end of a Congress, while the 
Clerk, by tradition, continues in office until the election of new 
officers. Thus, the function of presiding over a new session of 
Congress falls to the Clerk until a Speaker is elected.(1)
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 1. See Deschler's Precedents Ch. 1 Sec. 5; 1 Hinds' Precedents 
        Sec. Sec. 187, 188, 235, 244.
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    Only after the election of Speaker, swearing-in of Members, and 
attendance to other initial procedures, was the death of Speaker Henry 
T. Rainey, of Illinois, announced to the House. The Dean of the House, 
Adolph J. Sabath, of Illinois, made the announcement and the following 
resolution was offered and agreed to:(2)
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 2. See 79 Cong. Rec. 38, 74th Cong. 1st Sess., Jan. 3, 1935.
            Speaker Rainey died in St. Louis, Missouri, on Aug. 19, 
        1934, following the adjournment of the first session of the 73d 
        Congress on June 18, 1934.
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                              House Resolution 23

            Resolved, That the House has learned with profound 
        sensibility and sorrow of the death of Henry T. Rainey, Speaker 
        of the House of Representatives of the Seventy-third Congress.
            Resolved, That in the death of the Hon. Henry T. Rainey the 
        United States has sustained an irreparable loss.
            Resolved, That this House, of which he was a distinguished 
        Member and leader, unite in honoring his sterling character, 
        and ability, probity, and patriotic motives which illustrated 
        his public career and the grace and dignity which marked his 
        intercourse with his fellow citizens.
            Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
        the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the 
        deceased.

[[Page 605]]

        The resolution was agreed to.

 Former Speaker

Sec. 5.6 The death of former Speaker John W. McCormack was announced to 
    the House by the ranking Democrat of the Massachusetts delegation.

    On Dec. 1, 1980,(1) the ranking Democrat of the 
Massachusetts delegation, Mr. Edward P. Boland, announced the death of 
former Speaker McCormack:
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 1. 126 Cong. Rec. 31202, 96th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        Mr. BOLAND. Mr. Speaker, may I . . . call to the attention of 
    the House the passing of one of our most distinguished Americans, 
    the late Speaker of the House, John W. McCormack.(2)
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 2. See also 114 Cong. Rec. 5728-42, 90th Cong. 2d Sess., Mar. 7, 1968, 
        where the death of former Speaker Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (MA) 
        was announced to the House by the ranking Republican of the 
        Massachusetts delegation, William H. Bates; and 113 Cong. Rec. 
        31393-95, 90th Cong. 1st Sess., Nov. 7, 1967, where the death 
        of former Speaker and former Vice President John Nance Garner 
        (TX), was announced to the House by O. Clark Fisher (TX) the 
        Representative of the district where he resided at the time of 
        his death.
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 Member

Sec. 5.7 The announcement of the death of a sitting Member is normally 
    the prerogative of the senior member of the deceased's party in his 
    State delegation in the House.

    On Oct. 1, 2002,(1) Rep. Neil Abercrombie, the only 
other Member than the deceased from Hawaii, was recognized to announce 
the death of Rep. Patsy T. Mink.
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 1. 148 Cong. Rec. 18775, 107th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        (Mr. ABERCROMBIE asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute.)
        Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult for me to 
    grasp that I would be standing here this evening to announce to the 
    House, with the most profound regret, that our dear friend and 
    colleague Patsy Mink has passed away.
        I know there are many Members who wish to express their 
    respects to John Mink and Wendy Mink, Patsy's husband and daughter, 
    and to share with other Members and perhaps those who are observing 
    our proceedings the measure of their feelings for Patsy and about 
    her.
        So at the proper time, Mr. Speaker, which I believe is after 
    the votes which will be called, I will call up a resolution 
    expressing the sorrow of the House of Representatives upon her 
    death and offer the opportunity for such Members as would like to 
    speak to indicate to the House their feelings on this most sad, 
    profoundly sad, occasion.

    On Oct. 10, 2000,(2) Rep. James L. Oberstar, the senior 
Democrat

[[Page 606]]

of Minnesota, announced the death of Rep. Bruce Vento, of Minnesota.
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 2. 146 Cong. Rec. 21902, 21903, 106th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute.)
        Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, with great sadness, a sense of 
    personal loss and loss to this House, I take the well to announce 
    that at 11:20 this morning, our colleague, Congressman Bruce Vento, 
    succumbed to mesothelioma, asbestos-induced cancer of the lung and 
    peritoneal cavity.
        Bruce, in his 12th term, served the people of his district 
    nobly, with dignity, with passion, with purpose. He championed the 
    needs of the homeless, the voiceless, the voteless, those who could 
    not do for themselves. He was an advocate for working people. He 
    voted consistently and worked vigorously and strenuously, to 
    champion the cause of organized labor in this body. He brought a 
    balance to all that he undertook, and with a science teacher-like 
    care for fact and detail, he pursued his causes with only the 
    greatest of dignity and of skill.
        My prayers go out to his wife Sue, to his children, to his 
    constituents. I thank the Reverend Chaplain for the prayer for 
    Bruce and for his family. I ask all of our colleagues to join their 
    prayers with those of the Vento family.

    On Apr. 12, 1994,(3) Rep. Romano L. Mazzoli, the senior 
Democrat from Kentucky, was recognized to announce the death of Rep. 
William H. Natcher, of Kentucky.
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 3. 140 Cong. Rec. 7148, 7149, 103d Cong. 2d Sess.
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        (Mr. MAZZOLI asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
        Mr. MAZZOLI. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty to officially 
    report to the House the passing of our dear friend and esteemed 
    former colleague, Congressman William H. Natcher, the chairman of 
    our Committee on Appropriations.
        Bill died during the recess period, on March 29, in his 84th 
    year. We who served with him, in my case for 24 years, in the 
    delegation, we knew him to be what everyone knew him to be, an 
    esteemed gentleman, a courtly man, a master of the legislative 
    process of the House, and a devoted American and devoted father/
    husband/grandfather.
        When we had the memorial service at the Eastwood Baptist Church 
    in Bowling Green on the 6th of April and when we who were in the 
    congregation--and I thank my colleagues who could attend with us--
    when we heard the statements rendered by the pastor of the church, 
    Dr. Bridges, by our esteemed Speaker, Mr. Foley, by the President 
    of the United States and by a longtime family friend and boyhood 
    pal of Bill's, only then did even I, who had known him for a long 
    time, realize the full dimension of this human being, the full 
    breadth and the full depth of him as a human being.
        It is because of that giant reach of this man that his death 
    and his passing leave a tremendous void here in this House and, of 
    course for us in the Kentucky delegation, a particular void.
        So, in order to help fill that void, we will have a special 
    order, which will be promulgated and noticed to all the Members who 
    wish to take part in

[[Page 607]]

    order that we, each of us, might be able to put in the Record our 
    feelings about this great individual. But suffice it today to say 
    that his like will not soon pass our way again.

Sec. 5.8 The death of a Member was announced to the House by a leader 
    of the Member's party.

    On July 16, 1999,(1) Richard A. Gephardt, Democrat of 
Missouri, the Minority Leader, announced the death of Rep. George E. 
Brown Jr., Democrat of California.
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 1. 145 Cong. Rec. 16483, 16484, 106th Cong. 1st Sess.
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        (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
        Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, it is my sad duty to inform the 
    Members that we have lost this morning our dear friend from 
    California, George Brown, who died in Washington, D.C.
        Our prayers and our thoughts are with his family and his 
    friends and neighbors and constituents. He has been a constant 
    friend to all of us on both sides of the aisle. He has been a 
    dedicated public servant and he gave a great, great deal of his 
    life to this body and to his constituents.
        I would like to ask us now to rise and have a moment of silence 
    in his memory.

    On Aug. 2, 1993,(2) Robert H. Michel, Republican of 
Illinois, the Minority Leader, announced the death of Paul B. Henry, 
Republican of Michigan.
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 2. 139 Cong. Rec. 18159, 103d Cong. 1st Sess.
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        (Mr. MICHEL asked and was given permission to address the House 
    for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
        Mr. MICHEL. Mr. Speaker, I will shortly be offering a 
    resolution with respect to our departed friend, Paul Henry. May I 
    simply, in the Chaplain's presence, thank him for the subject of 
    his prayer as we began today's session.

    On Sept. 6, 1989,(3) Richard A. Gephardt, the Majority 
Leader, and Newt Gingrich, of Georgia, the Minority Whip, announced the 
death of two Members, Rep. Mickey Leland, of Texas, and Rep. Larkin 
Smith, of Mississippi, each having died during the August recess.
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 3. 135 Cong. Rec. 19507, 101st Cong. 1st Sess.
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        (Mr. GEPHARDT asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute.)
        Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield such time as 
    he may consume to the minority whip, the gentleman from Georgia 
    [Mr. Gingrich].
        Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleague for 
    yielding, and just say that I rise for our side of the aisle to say 
    that during the break we lost two colleagues, both in the pursuit 
    of their duty, both seeking to serve mankind, and that all Members 
    will remember the gentleman from Texas

[[Page 608]]

    [Mr. Leland] and the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Smith] and 
    that we appreciate very much the leadership taking this moment to 
    begin the session by recognizing these two very fine colleagues and 
    Members whose memories will live on for a very long time in this 
    body.
        Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, and I ask 
    that all Members, with heavy hearts and bowed heads, let Members 
    remember the service and contributions of the gentleman from Texas 
    [Mr. Leland] and the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Smith] with a 
    moment of silence, and ask on behalf of both parties and all 
    Americans, that we stand and have this moment of silence.
        (A moment of silence was had.)

Sec. 5.9 The death of a Member was announced to the House by a Member 
    other than a Member of the State delegation.

    On Dec. 8, 2000,(1) Rep. James E. Clyburn, of South 
Carolina, was recognized to announce the death of Rep. Julian C. Dixon, 
of California.
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 1. 146 Cong. Rec. 26545, 106th Cong. 2d Sess.
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        (Mr. CLYBURN asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute.)
        Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I wish at this time to make an 
    announcement that is very tough for me to make. We just received 
    word that our colleague Julian Dixon of California has passed. I 
    wish at this time for the House to stand at ease and for all of us 
    to stand in silence and in our own way pray for him and his family 
    and this body.

    Parliamentarian's Note: Rep. Clyburn and Rep. Dixon were long-time 
friends and members of the Congressional Black Caucus.(2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. See also 142 Cong. Rec. 14955, 104th Cong. 2d Sess., June 24, 1966, 
        where the death of Rep. Bill Emerson (MO) was announced to the 
        House by Rep. G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery (MS), on a pro forma 
        day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Former Member

Sec. 5.10 The Speaker recognized a Member from Massachusetts for one 
    minute to announce the death of a former Member of the House from 
    that State.

    On Nov. 6, 2001,(1) Rep. Richard Neal, of Massachusetts, 
was recognized to announce the death of former Member Edward P. Boland, 
of Massachusetts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 147 Cong. Rec. 21731, 107th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts asked and was given permission to 
    address the House for 1 minute.)
        Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I have the sad 
    responsibility this evening of reporting to this Chamber that a 
    very distinguished former Member of this institution, Edward P. 
    Boland, died on Sunday evening.
        Ed Boland served in this House for 36 years with distinction as 
    a member

[[Page 609]]

    of the Committee on Appropriations and as a chairman of the House 
    Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He served in an 
    institution that he revered. He represented the people of western 
    and central Massachusetts with distinction. He was a patriot of the 
    highest order and an individual who loved the notion that politics 
    had meaning in American life.

    On Oct. 6, 2000,(2) Rep. Janice D. Schakowsky, of 
Illinois, announced the death of former Member Sidney R. Yates, of 
Illinois.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. 145 Cong. Rec. 21313, 106th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute.)
        Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a very sad 
    announcement. Congressman Sidney Yates died last night.
        Those who loved the arts, who cherish the environment, who 
    struggle for human freedom and dignity lost a hero. Many of us, 
    many of you lost a very dear friend, a true gentleman in this body 
    for 48 years.
        There will be an opportunity at a later time for those who are 
    moved to pay tribute to Sid to speak on this floor, and details 
    about arrangements will be provided to all Members as soon as they 
    are available.

Senator

Sec. 5.11 The death of Senator John H. Chafee, of Rhode Island, was 
    announced to the House by the Majority Leader.

    On Oct. 25, 1999,(1) Richard K. Armey, of Texas, the 
Majority Leader, announced the death of Senator John H. Chafee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 146 Cong. Rec. 26679, 106th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House 
    for 1 minute.)
        Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, today is a sad day for a great many 
    people, not the least of whom are our colleagues in the other body 
    for their loss of their colleague, Senator John Chafee, and I would 
    like to take a moment and just express the sympathies of the House 
    of Representatives to our colleagues in the other body and to 
    Senator Chafee's family and his constituents for that loss.

Sec. 5.12 The death of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, of New York, was 
    announced to the House by the dean of the New York delegation in a 
    one-minute speech before the business of the day.

    On June 6, 1968,(1) Mr. Emanuel Celler, of New York, 
received unanimous consent to address the House for one minute. He 
officially informed the House of Senator Kennedy's death. The Senator 
died early that morning of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 114 Cong. Rec. 16226, 90th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. CELLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to address the

[[Page 610]]

    House for 1 minute and to revise and extend my remarks.
        The SPEAKER.(2) Is there objection to the request of 
    the gentleman from New York?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. John W. McCormack (MA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        There was no objection.
        Mr. CELLER. Mr. Speaker and ladies and gentleman of the House, 
    it is with a sense of profound shock that I rise to announce the 
    death of Robert Francis Kennedy from the State of New York. Senator 
    Kennedy died at 4:44 a.m. this morning.
        Mr. Speaker, this young man, this concerned man, this man of 
    profound peace, this man of grace, of gift, and wisdom was foully 
    murdered.

 Cabinet Officer

Sec. 5.13 The death of the Secretary of Labor was announced by a Member 
    of the House.

    On June 10, 1948,(1) Mr. Henry M. Jackson, of 
Washington, announced the death of the Secretary of Labor, the 
Honorable Lewis B. Schwellenbach.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 94 Cong. Rec. 7723, 80th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. JACKSON of Washington. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy 
    heart that I announce the death of the Secretary of Labor, Hon. 
    Lewis B. Schwellenbach. He passed away this morning at 4:40 at 
    Walter Reed Hospital.

 Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Sec. 5.14 The Majority Leader announced to the House the death of the 
    Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, J. Edgar Hoover.

    On May 2, 1972,(1) Mr. Hale Boggs, of Louisiana, 
requested and received permission to address the House for one minute 
and to revise and extend his remarks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 118 Cong. Rec. 15314, 92d Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. BOGGS. Mr. Speaker, the Nation is saddened today upon 
    learning of the passing last evening of a great American, J. Edgar 
    Hoover, for over half a century the Director of the Federal Bureau 
    of Investigation. . . .
        In behalf of all the Members I extend to all who were 
    associated with him, and to his family, the sympathy which we all 
    feel at this sad moment.

 Military Officials

Sec. 5.15 The death of Admiral Jeremy M. Boorda, Chief of Naval 
    Operations, was announced by a Member of the House.

    On May 16, 1996,(1) Rep. John P. Murtha, of 
Pennsylvania, was recognized to speak out of order in

[[Page 611]]

the Committee of the Whole and announced the death of Admiral Jeremy M. 
Boorda.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 142 Cong. Rec. 11536, 104th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (By unanimous consent, Mr. Murtha was allowed to speak out of 
    order.)

          moment of silent prayer for chief of naval operations, adm. 
                                jeremy m. boorda

        Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the House to rise and 
    join me in a moment of silent prayer for Admiral Boorda, who 
    apparently either shot himself accidentally or intentionally.
        Admiral Boorda was one of the finest naval officers that I have 
    ever known; a person who came up through the ranks, and all of us 
    had so much admiration for, and who has done so much for this great 
    country over the years. The Navy and the country is a better place 
    because of his fine service, and I would ask that we would bow our 
    heads for a moment of prayer.
        Amen.
        The CHAIRMAN.(2) A final period of general debate is 
    now in order. The gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hobson] and the 
    gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Sabo] each will control 20 minutes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Dave Camp (MI).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sec. 5.16 The death of the Secretary of the Navy was announced by 
    proclamation of the Secretary of State.

    On July 10, 1939,(1) Mr. Alben W. Barkley, of Kentucky, 
asked unanimous consent to have printed in the Congressional Record the 
proclamation issued by the Secretary of State on July 7, 1939, 
announcing the death of the Secretary of the Navy, Claude Swanson. The 
proceedings were as follows:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 84 Cong. Rec. 8768, 76th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        There being no objection, the proclamation was ordered to be 
    printed in the Record as follows:

                                 To the people of the United States:

        Claude Augustus Swanson, Secretary of the Navy, died at his 
    camp on the Rapidan River, in the Shenandoah National Forest, on 
    the morning of Friday, July 7, 1939, at 6 minutes after 8 o'clock.
        Greatly loved by those who were privileged to know him, and 
    widely honored for his many years of faithful public service, this 
    distinguished member of the President's Cabinet will be mourned 
    throughout the Nation. . . .
        As an expression of national mourning, the President directs 
    that the flag of the United States be displayed at half mast until 
    sunset of the day of interment on all public buildings and at all 
    military posts and naval stations and on all vessels of the United 
    States.
        By direction of the President.

                                                     Cordell Hull,

                                               Secretary of State.

        Department of State.

                                         Washington, July 7, 1939.

 House Officers

Sec. 5.17 In the absence of the senior member of the delegation from 
    the State of the deceased, another Member of

[[Page 612]]

    that State announced the death of the Sergeant at Arms.

    On July 8, 1953,(1) Rep. Louis E. Graham, of 
Pennsylvania, announced the death of the Sergeant at Arms, William F. 
Russell.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 112 Cong. Rec. 3759, 89th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        The SPEAKER.(2) The Chair recognizes the gentleman 
    from Pennsylvania.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Joseph W. Martin, Jr. (MA).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, in the absence of the dean of the 
    Pennsylvania delegation, Hon. Richard M. Simpson, it becomes my sad 
    duty to announce the death of our Sergeant-at-Arms, William F. 
    Russell. Mr. Russell entered on his duties here as a member of our 
    official force at the beginning of the 76th Congress. He came here 
    with the late James Wolfenden first as minority Sergeant at Arms 
    and then in the 80th Congress, he was appointed Sergeant at Arms. 
    At the beginning of this Congress, again he was appointed Sergeant 
    at Arms of the House. It so happens one of our colleagues, Hon. 
    Benjamin F. James served with him a number of years. I only want to 
    say this, no more kindly, courteous and efficient man ever served 
    in these Halls than William F. Russell. He was solicitous of the 
    Members -- of all the Members irrespective of party affiliation. I 
    sometimes wonder if we who are so busily engrossed in our duties 
    and responsibilities here realize and appreciate the fine courtesy 
    and unqualified service that men such as William Russell give to 
    us. He was always willing and anxious to be of service to Members 
    on both sides of the aisle.
        In the passing of this good man, we extend our sympathy to his 
    family, his wife, and his children. May his soul rest in peace.

Sec. 5.18 The death of the Chaplain of the House was announced to the 
    House by the Member representing the district where the Chaplain 
    was born.

    On Feb. 23, 1966,(1) Mr. Stanley L. Greigg, of Iowa, was 
recognized by special order to announce the death of Reverend Bernard 
Braskamp, Chaplain of the House.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 112 Cong. Rec. 3759, 3760, 89th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. GREIGG. Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, it was with a 
    great deal of sadness that I am called upon today to announce to 
    you the sudden death of our beloved Chaplain, the Reverend Bernard 
    Braskamp. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Braskamp was born in Alton, Iowa, a 
    small farm community in my district of northwest Iowa. . . .
        I join with all of the Members of the House of Representatives 
    extending to the immediate family our deepest sympathies.

 Former House Officers and Officials

Sec. 5.19 The death of a former Clerk of the House was announced to the 
    House by the Minority Leader.(1)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. See Ch. 3, Sec. 21.17, supra.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 613]]

Sec. 5.20 The death of the former Chaplain of the House was announced 
    to the House by the Speaker.

    On Sept. 5, 2001,(1) the Speaker,(2) in a 
one-minute speech, announced the death of the former Chaplain, James 
David Ford.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 147 Cong. Rec. 16381, 107th Cong. 1st Sess.
 2. J. Dennis Hastert (IL).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (Mr. HASTERT asked and was given permission to address the 
    House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
        Mr. HASTERT. . . .
        It is . . . my very sad duty to announce to the House the death 
    of our Chaplain Emeritus, James David Ford on August 27, 2001. Jim 
    Ford had been the beloved Chaplain of the House for 21 years, from 
    1979 until his retirement in the year 2000. A memorial ceremony 
    honoring Chaplain Ford's life and his service to this House will be 
    held on Tuesday, September 11, at 1 p.m. in the Cannon Caucus Room. 
    I extend my personal condolences to Chaplain Ford's family and his 
    many friends during this time of bereavement.(3)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 3. The memorial service for Rev. Ford was postponed because of the 
        terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    On July 29, 2002,(4) the remarks in tribute to Dr. Ford, 
including a transcript of remarks at a memorial service in his honor, 
were carried in the Congressional Record:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 4. 148 Cong. Rec. 15215-19, 107th Cong. 2d Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

           A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF DR. JAMES DAVID FORD

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. STEPHEN HORN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2002

  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, Chaplain Jim Ford had a positive influence on 
every member of the House of Representatives, and I was privileged to 
know him and grateful to have his friendship for nine years. As 
Chaplain, Jim had the rare quality of being able to relate to everyone 
regardless of religious affiliation or background. As a friend, he was 
there for anyone needing help through life's inevitable ups or downs. 
As a family man, his loving and accomplished wife and children are a 
testament. As a human being, he had an exuberant zest for living and 
caring, for adventure, for knowledge, and for jokes.
  When I had surgery for prostate cancer, Jim visited me in the 
hospital. He was a survivor himself, and his humor and his 
irrepressible positive attitude filled the room. My wife and I were 
fortunate to have traveled with Jim and Marcy in the Middle East and in 
Europe, where we had the benefit of Jim's companionship and his vast 
store of historical anecdotes. He had an impressive understanding of 
the world's three great religions centered in Jerusalem. Although Jim 
was modest about his eloquent daily prayers in the House of 
Representatives, it is the wish of his many colleagues and friends that 
they should be published. Chaplain Ford's prayers covering 21 years are 
a powerful commentary on the spirit of the people's House through times 
of tranquility and turmoil. They are prayers for all people in all 
seasons and form a rich legacy for generations to come.

PRELUDE:

    Mrs. Judy Snopek, Pianist.

INVOCATION:

    The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, Chaplain, United States House of 
Representatives.
    REVEREND COUGHLIN: Members and staff and friends, today we gather 
to remember, memorialize and celebrate the life and service of Dr. 
James David Ford as Chaplain to the House of Representatives for over 
21 years. I wish also to acknowledge the Parliamentarian, Charlie 
Johnson, and Reverend Ron Christian, both very close friends to Dr.

[[Page 614]]

Ford, for their efforts to assure this event would happen after the 
cancellation of the memorial service first planned for September 11. 
That tragic event affected all of us and only deepened the pain of our 
loss of Jim Ford when terrorism robbed us even of the freedom to 
assemble and grieve as well as thank God for this gifted pastor, 
counselor and friend of so many here in the House which he loved so 
much and which was honored by his years of faith-filled service. We are 
indebted also to the Honorable Jeff Trandahl and the Clerk's office for 
their detailed arrangements for today.
    As the first Lutheran pastor to serve in the House as Chaplain, Dr. 
Ford was rooted in the Word, and so I thought it only fitting to begin 
with a short reading from Saint Paul:
    If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his 
own Son, but handed him over for us all, will he not also give us 
everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's 
chosen ones? It is God who acquits us who will condemn. It is Christ 
Jesus who died, rather was raised, who also is at the right hand of God 
and indeed intercedes for us all. What will separate us from the love 
of Christ? Languish or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness 
or peril or the sword? No, in all these things we conquer 
overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that 
neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor present 
things nor future things, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any 
creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ 
Jesus our Lord.
    So as we begin, let us call to memory first impressions, wisdom 
sayings, poignant moments and compassion and joyful laughter which he 
usually left with us.
    Let us pray for Jim Ford.
    Lord God, you chose our brother James to serve your people as a 
minister and so share the joys and burdens of their lives. Look with 
mercy on him and give him the just reward of his labors. Continue to 
console his family and all those he loved. Grant him now the fullness 
of life promised to those who preach your good news, your holy gospel. 
We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen. We would like now to hear 
from a good friend.

REMARKS:

    The Honorable Charles W. Johnson III, Parliamentarian, United 
States House of Representatives
    CHARLIE JOHNSON: Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here today as 
Jim's friend representing the staff. As Jim used to say, ``Johnson, you 
never were invited to be a public speaker because you couldn't if you 
were.'' He said, ``All you can do is this.'' ``This'' means whisper and 
``this'' means hit the mute button at the same time.
    Last year around this time, my beloved predecessor, Bill Brown, 
passed away. There was a Quaker gathering for Bill in Lincoln, 
Virginia. It was a beautiful service. Jim used to commend Quaker prayer 
hour to the House on occasion, not publicly, but there were long 
periods of silence and then I felt so inspired to talk about Bill's 
public service and I said, Bill never lobbied for anything, except for 
one resolution, and that was on January 15, 1979, the opening of the 
96th Congress, when the new Chaplain had just been elected and the new 
Chaplain was going to be the first full-time Chaplain and he had five 
children and the word came down, although Bill didn't know and had not 
met the new Chaplain, that he needed a pay raise. So the 
Parliamentarian took it upon himself to make sure the floor was clear 
of all potential objectors and at the appropriate time H. Res. 7 came 
up, called up by Jim Wright on January 15 and, boom, the Chaplain's 
salary was tripled. I mentioned that at Bill's Quaker meeting. And some 
further period of quiet intervened and Chaplain Ford, retired, was in 
the congregation. He stood up and said, ``I was the recipient.'' It was 
the spontaneity of it. It was not orchestrated. I don't think he can 
orchestrate Quaker meetings, at least for that event, but there he was 
Chaplain in 1979 and befriending people left and right.
    He had his own separate chaplaincy right at the rostrum of the 
House. I will allude to certain little anecdotes as I go along here. 
But come 1985, 6 years into his chaplaincy, it was his 53rd birthday. 
Tip O'Neill was proud to sponsor a resolution, we called it House Res. 
53, and he handed it to him from the rostrum. The resolution would have 
amended rule VII to read as follows. Rule VII is now somewhere else as 
a result of recodification, but don't ask me where. The resolution 
would have said, ``The Chaplain shall attend at the commencement of 
each day's sitting of the House and shall open the same with prayer, 
and shall personally attend, without benefit of guest Chaplain, at the 
adjournment of each day's sitting of the House, including all special 
orders, and close the same with a benediction.''
    Here is a photograph of two people a lot younger. Jim Ford, this is 
H. Res. 53, there is a preamble, a series of ``whereas'' clauses 
explaining why it was necessary to require the first full-time Chaplain 
to stick around full-time. His predecessors, Bernard Braskamp and Ed 
Latch, were part-time, lovely, wonderful ministers to the House but 
they weren't full-time. But here was Jim Ford full-time. Tip was 
lobbying for this. And so this picture was taken. On it, it says, 
``Charlie, would you buy a used prayer from this man?'' Addressed, 
``Best Wishes, Jim Ford, July 25, 1985.''
    Jim Ford never wanted his prayers printed as his predecessors' 
prayers had been in a little document because he felt some of them were 
used. He would grab a psalm or a hymn, he did hundreds of prayers and 
so they

[[Page 615]]

weren't always original, but they were always meaningful. That was why 
he never had his prayers printed.
    But then that ministry at the rostrum as I talked about it, we 
started to lobby for support of House Resolution 53 and that lobbying, 
and I think some Members past and present, Mr. Speaker, got wind of 
this, so would Members support this resolution, and it was almost 
unanimous. Everyone felt that a full-time Chaplain should be there to 
do a personal benediction. You can't rely on guest chaplains for that, 
with one exception, and I will never forget when I asked Henry Gonzalez 
whether he would support it, the champion of special orders, he said, 
``No, that is my definition of cruel and unusual punishment.'' I won't 
forget that.
    That banter at the rostrum was not just for the fun of it but it 
was a ministry in and of itself, and there are folks here today, and I 
am here as a spokesperson for the people at the rostrum and other 
employees in the Capitol whose lives were enriched every day by Jim's 
presence. He was a larger-than-life person in a lot of ways. But the 
great thing about it, he had this self-deprecating humor about this 
adventurous part of him and he could laugh at himself. By doing that he 
would make everyone else's life richer. The power to laugh at yourself 
was embodied in Jim Ford.
    For example, he had this proclivity to jump off ski lifts 
backwards. There was a Parade, one of those Sunday Parade insertions in 
the Washington Post that Tip O'Neill happened to notice. The next day 
the Chaplain offered the prayer. No sooner was that prayer over but the 
Chaplain was walking off, ``Hey, Monsignor, come over here.'' 
``Monsignor'' was Chaplain Ford. He said, ``I never knew you were such 
a wacko.'' Direct quote from Tip O'Neill. The microphone was on. So 
from that day on, he was Wacko to some of us.
    And then his trans-Atlantic sail. You have all heard about his 
adventures to sail the Atlantic. He said, ``Johnson, are you a 
sailor?'' I said, ``No.'' He said, ``Well, let me take you out on the 
Chesapeake and I'll show you how to sail.'' So he and Bill Brown and 
myself went out. It was a windy day. He got on his boat. He put on this 
engineer's cap. Peter, you remember, who he sailed the Atlantic with. 
Suddenly this gust of wind comes up, boom, the hat is gone forever and 
the sail is ripped. It was in our first half-hour. He spent the rest of 
the day getting his sail sewn up. It could have been very humiliating 
for him, but he saw the humor in it. It just was the way he could laugh 
at himself during this adventurous part of his life.
    Then in his later years, he flew ultralight airplanes, as some of 
you know. He would always brag, ``I'm the only one in our group who 
hasn't crashed yet.'' And one day 2 years ago, Bill Brown and I and our 
wives would celebrate New Year's Eve at Bill's log cabin. I said, 
``Jim, why don't you fly over, and I'll just kind of tell people that 
you're going to do a flyover of Bill's farm on New Year's Day.'' He 
said, ``All right.'' So we went out. I said, ``Let's go out for a 
walk.'' It's New Year's morning, we are out there, I don't hear 
anything. It's a beautiful 1st of January. Someone said, ``Charlie, 
forget it. He's not coming. The dream is over.'' Just then this sound 
of an ultralight. He had to come across Dulles airspace to get to 
Bill's farm. He had said he didn't want to land because it would 
disturb the neighbors. Bill had 300 acres. He didn't know how to land. 
But he showed up. He showed up and he dipped his wings as a token of 
friendship.
    And then there were these civility retreats to which some of you 
Members, Ray and others, have attended. He would come in on a 
motorcycle or on horseback, and there was this one video that he showed 
of himself emerging from the statuary in Statuary Hall, as if he were 
one of the statues, intoning the history of the House of 
Representatives. He showed me this video. He knew I was just going to 
laugh and laugh at it, that he would subject himself to this kind of 
thing. And I said, ``What would Will Rogers have said to you, Jim, in 
Statuary Hall?'' He thought that was very funny.
    In a more serious way, he was a listener. He used to say, ``Text 
without context is pretext.'' He would come up and sit on the floor of 
the House during 1-minutes and guest chaplains by the hundreds would 
come and he would be with them. Then he would spend a lot of time with 
them after they had preached. And then he would come back after 
listening to some very provocative 1-minutes and he would come back and 
sit on the rostrum with me day in and day out, and we would just kind 
of try to pull together the thoughts that these guest chaplains might 
have had, what their impressions were of the House, and then the theme 
of the day and the personalities involved in the 1-minutes. He could 
bring to me a context of the humanity of the House viewed from his own 
eyes and from the eyes of visiting clergy. It was a tremendous sense of 
inspiration when he did that for me.
    But what I really want to honor today, and I think we all do, is 
really the way Jim brought a modern chaplaincy to the House. As the 
first full-time Chaplain, he was available. He may not have always been 
here for a benediction, but he was here into the evenings, and he would 
come onto the floor and he would be available to Members. He always 
said, ``You know, Johnson, you'll never get that resolution through on 
the benediction.'' I said, ``Why?'' ``Because I have 218 votes.'' I 
said, ``Well, how do you know that?'' And he pulled out a red book and 
that book had the names of his appointments, past, present and future. 
There were a lot of Members' names

[[Page 616]]

in that book. He said, ``I've got names. I've got enough on these 
various names in this book that they will never support this 
resolution.''
    Chaplain, you saw that red book. Every time he held it up, I got 
the message. But his pastoral, his being a pastor to Members and staff 
was the modern chaplaincy, full-time, in confidence, a priest-penitent 
relationship, the full confidentiality of it where he could say things 
to me that wouldn't reveal a confidence but would give me a better 
perspective.
    His notion of inclusiveness. He loved to have people from other 
faiths or from no particular faith be part of a dialogue with himself. 
Not many people know this. I see a couple. He did pretty well on the 
honorarium circuit. Every one of those honorarium checks as far as I 
know went to the Luther Place homeless shelter. Thousands of dollars. 
Thousands of dollars. Very generous. He never mentioned it.
    In a very personal way, obviously you can tell we were friends, but 
he at my behest went to a place called Camp Dudley in Westport, New 
York, 13 summers to preach. It is the oldest boys camp in the country. 
He would go up and do a great sermon for young boys on the shores of 
Lake Champlain in an outdoor chapel. His recurring theme, he would talk 
about adventure and all this, was the attitude of gratitude. I remember 
that little saying that he would use, and when he used it with young 
people it was especially impressive, but the fact that he went 13 
years, and one time he came in on a motorcycle cross-country with Peter 
just to be there. He knew he had to be there. He started in Washington 
State, came across country, but he was there, bearded and all. Just 
wonderful.
    And so let me just close by remembering his final days, days of 
obvious distress for him, but there was a tree planting on the Capitol 
grounds in August of last year.
    Speaker Hastert arranged it. It was a hot day. It was about 98 
degrees. His whole family was there. It was wonderful.
    There was a little reception afterwards. Then I went away for a 
couple of weeks, and while we were away, we learned that he passed 
away. I got back, and on my desk was the most beautiful letter of 
thanks from Jim.
    And so on behalf of all the employees, rostrum, police force, the 
folks whom he counseled during that terrible shooting, I am here as a 
staffer to honor Jim and the way he brought a true chaplaincy which 
lives to this day to the House of Representatives.

REMARKS:

    The Honorable Martin Olav Sabo, United States House of 
Representatives
    MR. SABO. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Leader, family and friends of Chaplain 
Ford, wasn't that beautiful?
    The rest of us, I think, should really sit down, because that 
really captured Jim Ford.
    I came here as a freshman in 1979. I immediately read someplace 
that there was a new Chaplain being appointed. He was from Minneapolis. 
I didn't recognize the name. I wondered, who knows? It's great. I've 
never heard of him, I don't know anything about him, but pretty soon I 
got to meet this wonderful person.
    He had some flaws. He was a Swede. I'm Norwegian. He went to 
college with his Swedish background. I went to college with a Norwegian 
background. But everything that Charlie said about him, that ski jump 
really does exist. The park is still there. I discovered he grew up in 
Northeast Minneapolis. His name, family name, originally was Anderson 
and sometime along the way it changed to Ford. He always told me if his 
ancestors would have kept Anderson, he would have been a Member of 
Congress, not I. He came from Northeast. I always reminded him he came 
from up on the hill, not down in the valley where the real Democrats 
were.
    But I got to know just this wonderful person. Charlie really 
captured that zest of life that he had. It was unique. I think that is 
what caught the attention of all of us. He was clergy but he most 
certainly wasn't pompous or self-righteous. He related to all of us. I 
suppose in some ways for me, despite the fact that he was a Swede, we 
were both still Midwestern Lutherans, and it was rather easy and simple 
to do. On the other hand, I watched in amazement his relationship with 
the totality and the diversity of the House. He was there. From the 
minute he walked in he was probably the most beloved member around the 
House, and I think that is accurate. I think the membership just had 
tremendous respect for him as an individual, but also as a clergy and 
knowing that they could visit and talk to him about whatever might be 
bothering them in life and they knew that with this exuberant, zesty 
person, that whatever that relationship was, it was very professional. 
He was a pro who really enjoyed life. I suppose for most of us when it 
simply came down to it, he was most fundamentally a friend.
    So today, to the family, to everyone, I would simply say we 
remember Jim Ford as somebody who was the ultimate pro, somebody who 
had a life of public service, who thoroughly enjoyed life but 
ultimately, most important, was simply a friend to all of us.

REMARKS:

    The Honorable Lois Capps, United States House of Representatives
    Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Leader, Peter, Sarah, family and 
friends, today as we celebrate the life of Chaplain Jim Ford, we are 
thankful to God and to his family for sharing him with us, with our 
beloved House, with a grateful Nation. There are many family 
connections that have made Chaplain

[[Page 617]]

Jim Ford a very special person to the Capps family and these 
connections go back to 1959.
    Reverend Sodergren, Marcy Ford's father, was the pastor of a 
Lutheran church in Portland, Oregon. One September morning over 40 
years ago, Walter and I arrived at his doorstep. The good reverend was 
exasperated because we were late even though the hour was very early. 
We were tardy in picking up his son, Marcy's brother Jack. He and 
Walter were to drive together across the country to Augustana Lutheran 
Seminary in Rock Island, Illinois. Only when we explained that we had 
just that very morning, only a few minutes earlier, become engaged did 
Reverend Sodergren's countenance soften into a congratulatory smile. 
And when my husband came to Washington with the 105th Congress and met 
Marcy's husband, the two became fast friends.
    Walter loved Jim, as I did and do, as one does a brother or a 
lifelong friend. And when Sarah called me with the sad news of Jim's 
death, I confessed that my first thought was that he and Walter are now 
having a fine time telling Lars and Oley jokes. They are livening the 
proceedings in heaven just as they did on the House floor. In fact, Jim 
told several of those corny jokes when he spoke at Walter's memorial 
service in 1997. And so it goes without saying that following the death 
of my husband and then my daughter, Chaplain Ford ministered to me and 
to my family, to Walter's and my staff with utmost compassion, strength 
and sensitivity. I learned in a very personal way the importance of the 
Chaplain to the House of Representatives, and thus I was honored to 
serve on the Speaker's search committee with my colleagues who are here 
to find a new Chaplain and was reminded time and time again during that 
process of the incredible skills that Jim Ford brought to his job.
    On November 10, 1999, it was my privilege to help manage H.Res. 373 
to appoint Reverend James David Ford as Chaplain Emeritus of the House 
of Representatives. I described him with these words: ``He has infused 
this House with spiritual strength in times of triumph and in times of 
tragedy. He has spent countless thousands of hours providing pastoral 
care to Members and staff who desperately need his guidance. He has 
taught us to respect and to nurture the diversity of our own religious 
faiths and in doing so has reminded us that one of our Nation's 
greatest strengths is our religious pluralism.''
    Looking back, it is somewhat unsettling to realize that I intended 
to use this quotation on September 11, the original date of that 
service. Oh, well. I know how we all wished that we had Jim Ford to 
shepherd us through that horrible day and its aftermath. He would have 
calmed our fears, he would have made us strong so that we could 
confront our Nation's challenges, and he would have ensured that our 
justifiable rage did not turn into hatred and intolerance.
    I will also never forget what Jim said at Walter's memorial 
service. He quoted Martin Luther who said, ``Send your good men into 
the ministry but send your best men into politics.'' Our Chaplain was 
both. He was a good man. He was the best of men. He walked the delicate 
and yet vital line between faith and public life, between religion and 
politics. He did this with unparalleled skill and devotion.
    I have wanted to reach out to Marcy as one widow to another to 
share with her some of Jim's words of remembrance and prayer which he 
shared at Walter's memorial service. He wrote them about Walter, and so 
I am going to give them back with a heart full of sadness and respect 
and love, and I will insert Jim's name where he put Walter's. I very 
vividly remember the Chaplain saying these words on that day at the Old 
Mission in Santa Barbara:
    ``Ceremonies such as we have today are for the living and the 
lessons we can learn from our friends. God has already given to James 
David all of the good gifts of everlasting life. He is in good hands. 
There is a Bible verse from Psalm 90, verse 12: 'So teach us to number 
our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.'Jim did so much with his 
days, his time here on Earth and in this Congress. He was so at home 
here in the House, so enthusiastic about doing the work of being a 
Chaplain. No one knows how many days or years we will be given but we 
can heed the words of scripture and make the best use of our time. `So 
teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' James 
David Ford gained a heart of wisdom and we all benefited from his great 
and wise and loving heart.''
    And then Jim prayed this prayer, so I will now pray it for him:
    ``We commend our friend and colleague to you, O gracious God, and 
we do so in thanksgiving. We are grateful for his presence in our lives 
and for the light that he gave us as a father, a husband, a 
grandfather, as a teacher, and as our beloved Chaplain. We saw the 
light of his spirit and we were drawn to him in such a special way. How 
blessed we have been and how grateful we are. Amen.''
    Thank you.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE:

    Mrs. Judy Snopek, Pianist

REMARKS:

    The Honorable Richard A Gephardt, Democratic Leader United States 
House of Representatives
    Mr. GEPHARDT: On behalf of all the Members, we want to say to the 
Ford family how sorry we are that Reverend Ford has died and passed 
from our presence and that you have lost him. We also want to celebrate 
his life, because we think that is what today is really about. I 
enjoyed all of the speeches;

[[Page 618]]

they were wonderful. I expected good speeches from Members of Congress; 
I didn't quite expect what we got from the Parliamentarian. When he did 
it, I realized I had never heard him speak in public, other than ``say 
this, do that.'' It has been a while since I have been able to get that 
from him, but we are working on it. But I thought he caught the essence 
of Reverend Ford as well as it can be done. I would note, Charlie, that 
that speech is well over 5 minutes; but nobody stood up, and there was 
no Parliamentarian to call you into order.
    We are here today as the family of the House of Representatives. We 
have not only the present Speaker of the House, but two illustrious 
former Speakers of the House who are here, and lots of others who have 
a myriad of connections with this place. I have been here a quarter of 
a century now. Time flies when you are having fun. And I must tell you, 
I am more in awe of the institution every day than the first day I got 
here, and I know every Member here feels the same way. This is a place 
where the hopes and dreams, expectations, grievances of 260 million-or-
so people get channeled on a daily basis, for us to sort all of that 
out and make decisions on their behalf.
    I am often saying that politics is a substitute for violence. I 
used to get snickers at that and even some laughing; and in recent 
days, as we see suicide bombers blowing themselves up, people being 
assassinated around the world, we know better, that that really is what 
it is. That is the magic ingredient of this place. It takes a lot of 
human effort to allow this institution to do what it is supposed to do.
    Jim Ford was an important part of that mix that allows the House to 
do its work and to do it as successfully as it is done. First of all, 
he obviously had this wonderful sense of humor. It was kind of what I 
always recognized was the sparkle in his eyes when he would come up to 
you on the floor and tell you some kind of silly joke that he had that 
he thought was pretty funny. Sometimes it was, usually it wasn't, but 
what the heck. It was the glistening in his eyes and the way he got 
tickled himself about what he was saying that made it fun. And humor 
can lubricate and get you over any tough place that you are in, and he 
used it as well as I have ever seen it done.
    He also understood that we all got elected by half a million or so 
people, but that we are just people, the same kind of people you would 
find anywhere in the United States; the same problems, the same 
difficulties, the same failures, the same high moments that anybody 
else has; and that we need spiritual help and guidance and counseling 
and to have a friend as much as anybody else. He provided that 
friendship, that advice, that council, that help, that human caring 
that Members often desperately need. He may have had a book, Charlie, 
and he may have even had names in it; but he did this for 21 years, and 
I don't know of a time ever that any of the information that he was 
entrusted with got out anywhere. He was totally in your confidence. He 
was there to help you, not to do anything else.
    Finally, he, in every day of his life, I think exuded what I have 
come to believe day by day as the most important power in life, and 
that is simple human love. He really cared about other people and, in 
truth, loved people, all people. He exuded that and demonstrated that 
every day.
    Probably the most important thing any of us leave behind are our 
children, and probably there is no greater reflection of who we are and 
how we live our lives than the way our children live their lives. In 
the last years, we in the House, a lot of us, got to know Peter Ford 
because as part of the diplomatic security service, he wound up on some 
of our trips to foreign countries providing security as we went into 
sometimes some difficult places. He was there on a number of trips that 
Speaker Gingrich and I got to take together, and we both got to know 
him pretty well. And if our children are a guide to how we lived our 
lives, Jim Ford lived his life as well as it can be done, because Peter 
Ford, in my view, exemplifies all of the values that Jim Ford was 
really about.
    We were going to do this on September 11. I am glad we got to do 
it. If we face grave difficulties since September 11, and we do, then 
it is right for us to remember Jim Ford, because it is going to take 
the kind of behavior and the kind of values that he represented for us 
to meet the challenges for America that are represented by September 
11. We are sorry. We celebrate his life with you, and we thank God that 
we were given Jim Ford for such a long time.

REMARKS:

    The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker, United States House of 
Representatives
    Mr. HASTERT: Well, you learn a lot of things sometimes at these 
memorials. As a matter of fact, I didn't know that the Parliamentarian 
and the Chaplain assessed people's 1-minutes every day. Mr. Leader, I 
think it is probably--what were they saying about the leadership's 
antics on both sides of the aisle? So I am sure that they had a great 
deal of enjoyment with that.
    You know, Reverend Ford opened the House every day with a prayer. 
He was a man that you would find in the hallways telling a story, 
commiserating with Members and staff, more staff than I thought. But 
anyway, every day you would see him on the House floor at all hours of 
the day and night when we were there, and you saw him every Thursday 
morning in the prayer breakfast that the Congress has. He was a 
participant. That is where I probably got to know him best, because he 
would tell me stories about being in

[[Page 619]]

the Fox Valley and being in Illinois in my district, and he knew the 
places and some of the people; and he even knew my old uncle who was a 
Norwegian Lutheran minister in Illinois. But he was always telling 
those stories too, stories about Norwegians and Swedes, and the 
Norwegians never won. I am not sure why.
    He would also love to talk about Minnesota; and he talked about 
West Point, a place that he loved and the men and women that served 
there and the people that he got to know, and the young chaplains that 
came up underneath him and who he brought along the way and now have 
churches and ministries of their own.
    But I remember his prayers on the House floor. His prayers were 
like poetry. They were lyrical. They touched the soul. And they made 
all of us think about what our duties were and responsibilities as 
citizens and as leaders.
    When Jim told me that he was going to retire, I knew that the 
opening of each session wouldn't be quite the same. Jim Ford was an 
institution in an institution. He was part of the family, and he was an 
important part of that family.
    We all know about Jim Ford's sense of adventure, of sailing and 
flying and motorcycling and all of these things that, as a matter of 
fact, he entranced a lot of Members in his stories about these things; 
and he actually did them. We know about his love of sailing and 
motorcycle riding, and we also know that Jim was also a compassionate 
soul who worked hard to minister to the Capitol Hill family. Really, 
when it comes down to it, his friendship and his antics and the things 
that he did and the stories he told endeared himself to Members of this 
Congress, to people that he worked with every day. He broke down those 
barriers that sometimes you find in these political places, sometimes 
the things that stop us from really talking about how we really feel 
about things and our real appreciation for people.
    Through his many years of service, he touched many lives, providing 
spiritual guidance to Members and staff of all religions and political 
persuasions. I remember first as a Speaker and in leadership, one thing 
that happens, you get to go to a lot of funerals; and Jim was always 
there, and he always had a kind word and a special story. He knew every 
Member of this Congress. He knew their strengths, and he knew their 
weaknesses.
    Jim Ford was a Lutheran minister, and he had an amazing gift of 
delivering a positive message that resonated with people of all faiths. 
He often told me the story over and over again of how Tip O'Neill used 
to call him Monsignor just because he wore the collar, and he thought 
that maybe Tip really didn't know. I think maybe Tip really did know.
    We will always remember Jim Ford as a charming and an honest man 
who dedicated himself to God, and he dedicated himself to this Congress 
and its work with people. He served this body with the utmost 
distinction. His loving spirit will live in the hearts of all of our 
lives that he touched.
    I think it is fitting and, Peter, I would like to ask you to come 
up here for a second; and I would like to present to you a flag that 
was flown over this Capitol in honor of your father and a letter to 
your mother.


         Words of Appreciation From the Family and Benediction

    REVEREND CHRISTIAN: Mr. Speaker and Mr. Leader, first, on behalf of 
the family, I too wish to thank you and certainly Charlie, as has been 
mentioned, for providing this opportunity. I think it is the case that 
all of you, all of us, needed a time where we could just be together, 
think here, repeat here. I suspect that each one of you could tell a 
story or two; and the biggest, hardest task of this whole event 
probably for you, Charlie, as well as some of the rest of us who had 
time for conversation, Jeff, to be sure as well, was how many speeches 
of course to make.
    You have heard the stories, and there are many more that could be 
said. But I am here as a representative, which I surely cannot do and I 
understand that, but I am here as a representative of the family just 
to bring a few closing remarks on behalf of them to all of you.
    Mr. Leader, you did speak very kindly and strongly about Peter as 
the son of Jim Ford, and I only wanted to add to that that each one of 
the members of the family is an equal to Peter. I have had the great 
opportunity to be a friend of the family for 25 years and indeed have 
had a chance to share frequently with Jim Ford, even on the House 
floor, as I have participated with the opening prayers periodically.
    So on behalf of the Ford family, let me say that I know they 
appreciate and offer to all of you their deep and abiding thanks for 
your love and for your concern which you have shown during these last 
months in many different ways, each one appropriate and each one 
received gratefully. But also, they want to thank you, and I know that 
is certainly true from Mrs. Ford, Marcy, one and all, to thank you for 
the joy and the happiness and the laughter and the fun that you all and 
so many others provided Jim through the years, and through Jim and, 
therefore, to the family.
    Speaking of the family, isn't it wonderful to have Hannah here, 
sitting on the floor who will, one day, undoubtedly in the great oral 
tradition of our own family lives, bring forth the stories of the man 
we gather here to remember and to honor and to give thanks.

[[Page 620]]

    The family was all here on September 11, and you need to know that. 
They came from all over the country and all over really from many parts 
of the world; and of course many, almost all, of course, are not here 
today for many obvious reasons. But two of the family, direct family 
members, are Peter and Sarah; and I know you carry with you the 
thoughts, the spirit in your hearts of your sisters, spouses, 
grandchildren, and certainly your mother who is visiting one of those 
children and grandchildren this very day in Brussels.
    So they thank you; and on behalf of them, I wish to bring those 
thanks to you. Peter is here and Peter did receive the honor of the 
flag and the letter; but maybe, is there anything you would like to add 
or just say to the group?
    MR. PETER FORD: Yes. I do want to say thank you all for coming. You 
loved my father, and he loved you all. My father was a giver. He loved 
a couple of things about this place. He loved religion, of course. You 
were his flock. He didn't have a church. He always talked to Pastor 
Steinbrook, because he had a church. He said he was always down there 
for churches. He felt like he was in a command post here. You were his 
flock, and also the fact that he loved democracy. When he would go out 
and speak, I would try to come along with him as often as possible, 
because he was gone a lot at night. I loved to hear him when he talked 
about religion, and then afterward he would talk about democracy and 
talk about the rancor of this place and the debate, and he would talk 
about loudness. And he thought this was a very honorable profession to 
be up here.
    If you are ever up at West Point, Rear Admiral Carrigan up at West 
Point, and he is buried 30 feet, 30 yards--the many people he buried in 
the 1960s during the Vietnam War. So it was sort of interesting to see 
that. If you see the 2-hour special on West Point, they interviewed him 
and he talks about MacArthur coming up; and at the beginning, they show 
my father's face, and they go into the West Point cemetery, and he is 
buried in plot 34. So if you are ever up there, that is interesting.
    He loved you all. Thank you for being very nice to him. This is 
closure, and we do appreciate it as a family. After September 11, we 
didn't feel that it was appropriate, so we are glad this happened. I 
did learn something myself today. My father always told me he didn't 
want to print his prayers because he wanted to save taxpayer money. But 
I wish he would have printed them, because right now they are going 
through the whole house, and my mother saved every prayer. Every day he 
would bring home the Congressional Record and she would tear it out, 
and she would put them all in one place. I wish he would have printed 
them.
    I want to say thank you very much. You were his flock. If my father 
came back right now, my family, we are a totally loving family, and we 
wouldn't have one question for him. We would just be happy that he was 
back, but we will see him some day. So thank you from him.
    MRS. SARAH FORD STRIKE: I am Sarah Ford Strike, and I just got 
married just 4 weeks ago, so I am still getting used to my last name. 
But I am the youngest of the five kids, and again I want to say thank 
you very much for putting this together. You have all been so honorable 
to us and to our family, because after September 11, we thought since 
there are so many other tragedies in this world, let us not do this, we 
will honor our dad in our own special way; and you all are very nice to 
continue this, and we appreciate that.
    My mom is in Brussels visiting our sister Marie and her family, so 
she is not here today. But I want to say that we are his family; but 
you are also his family, because you made his past 21 years here so 
happy. He didn't tell us about his counseling and his times of need 
with people, but he did tell us about the friendships; and that is what 
made us happy. He would come home, and it was just great.
    Being five kids, almost all of us working in the District, we were 
able to come and visit Dad from time to time, and we would just laugh 
because you could not get five feet in the hallway without him stopping 
and talking to somebody. It didn't matter who you were or what you did. 
He knew everybody by name, and that is what I just hope that I have 
that gift, because he would just say, just remember something about 
that person; and it just was so special and such an intimate 
conversation, and then we would walk five more feet and we would get 
stopped again. So we cherish that.
    We miss his bad jokes and we miss his humor, and we love him very 
much; but we are very happy because who we are is because of our dad. 
And we are happy that he is healthy and happy. I know he is up there. I 
got married, and at our wedding his spirit was with us. If you ever saw 
him at the White House balls or somewhere, he danced very badly, and he 
would do this; and I know he was up there doing the same thing, and I 
know he is doing it now; and I know he is happy as can be. So thank you 
from our family.
    REVEREND CHRISTENSEN: Just to bring this then to a close, Mr. 
Speaker, you did talk about the fact that you remember Jim Ford's 
prayers. I would like to ask us now to stand, and I am going to read 
the last prayer that Jim Ford gave at the House of Representatives. 
These are those words of his final prayer, and then I will conclude 
with the benediction. Let us pray:
    ``We are grateful, O merciful God, that you are with us wherever we 
are and whatever we do. We know that Your spirit gives us forgiveness 
for the ways of our past, direction

[[Page 621]]

for the path ahead, and the comforting assurance that we are never 
alone. We gain strength from the words of the Psalmist: be still and 
know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the 
earth, the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. 
May Your good word, O God, be with all Your people and give them the 
peace and confidence that You alone can give. In Your name we pray. 
Amen.''
    The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon 
you and be gracious unto you. The Lord give up His countenance upon you 
and give you peace.
    Amen.


                            A WONDERFUL MAN

(By Stephen Horn)

Thursday, May 9, 2002

    Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we honored a Celebration of 
the Life of Dr. James D. Ford, the Chaplain Emeritus of the House of 
Representatives.
    When we traveled to meeting with the delegations of the European 
Parliament, we found that Jim was a very fine companion. Jim Ford was a 
great teacher. When we met diplomats and officers, Jim was able to 
lighten up some of us who were stressed from negotiations and 
differences among various factions.
    Jim was a fine scholar of the Bible. When we were in Israel, Jim 
was well versed in three of the great religions which are in Jerusalem. 
Before Chaplain Ford came to the House, he had been for 18 years as the 
Chaplain of the United States Military Academy at West Point. As a 
result of his experiences at West Point, he knew about youth and how 
they grow to be leaders for our country. When a delegation of the House 
met with General Wesley Clark, the Supreme Commander of the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]. When the General met the Chaplain 
there was a warm hug. We saw a four star General, but, Dr. Ford 
remembered him as the very bright senior who was President of the Bible 
Society during Clark's senior year at West Point.
    Dr. Ford was an effective counselor of members that work hard and 
often needed to be working with people under stress.
    One of Jim's great adventures was when he and three volunteer 
cadets from West Point navigated a boat with sails, guided by the 
stars. The waves tossed the small boat in the North Atlantic Ocean. It 
was a great experience.
    Jim was a people-person. When colleagues had medical operations at 
the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Jim would come out to see us. He 
brought us cheer. His humor was delightful.
    He will not be forgotten. Our condolences to Marcie, his wife, and 
Peter his eldest son, and the Ford family.

Sec. 5.21 The death of the former Parliamentarian of the House was 
    announced to the House by the Member who represented the district 
    of the deceased.

    On June 5, 2001,(1) Rep. Frank R. Wolf, of Virginia, 
announced the death of William H. Brown, former Parliamentarian, a 
resident of his district.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 147 Cong. Rec. 9893, 107th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House 
    for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks and include 
    extraneous material.)
        Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I am saddened today to announce to our 
    colleagues the passing on May 27 of William Holmes Brown, who 
    served as parliamentarian of the House from 1974 to 1994. He was 71 
    years of age. Not only did I have the pleasure of working with Bill 
    Brown in the House, but I was also privileged to be his 
    Congressman. He lived at Oakland Green Farm in Lincoln in Loudoun 
    County, Virginia, property which had been in the family for more 
    than eight generations.
        Bill began his service in the Parliamentarian's Office in 1958 
    when he was appointed Assistant Parliamentarian by Speaker Sam 
    Rayburn. In 1974, he was named to the position of Parliamentarian 
    by Speaker Carl Albert. He succeeded the legendary Lewis Deschler, 
    with whom he had collaborated in volumes of ``Precedents of

[[Page 622]]

    the House of Representatives,'' referred to in the House as the 
    Deschler-Brown Precedents. During his years in the House, he served 
    under six Speakers. Besides Speaker Sam Rayburn and Carl Albert, he 
    served under John McCormack, Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright, and Tom 
    Foley. He retired from the House in 1994.
        During his service in the House, he worked to develop 
    parliamentary projects in newly emerging democratic republics in 
    Eastern Europe, participating in seminars and training programs for 
    representatives of other national legislative bodies. After he 
    retired as Parliamentarian in 1994, he worked for the Agency of 
    International Development on a parliamentary development project in 
    the Ukraine.
        Members today can thank Bill Brown and thank his staff, many 
    here today, for organizing the Office of the Parliamentarian, 
    moving it into the Computer Age and making the House precedents 
    available online for all to access.
        Bill was the ultimate professional and dedicated public 
    servant. He was held in the highest regard by Members on both sides 
    of the aisle because his work reflected his dedication to the 
    proposition that the rules of the House should be applied and 
    enforced without political considerations.
        Bill was born in Huntington, West Virginia. He was a 1951 
    graduate of Swarthmore College and received his law degree from the 
    University of Chicago. He served on active duty in the Navy from 
    1954 to 1957 and then served in the Naval Reserve from 1954 to 
    1974, retiring as a lieutenant commander.
        He was director of the Conversations at Oatlands organization 
    and the Loudoun Museum and a member of the Catoctin Farmers Club 
    and Goose Creek Friends Meeting.
        On behalf of the House, and on behalf of Members on both sides 
    of the aisle, and on behalf of Members who served here many, many 
    years ago, Madam Speaker, we send our deepest sympathies to Bill's 
    wife of 30 years, Jean Smith Brown, and their daughter, Sara Holmes 
    Brown.(2)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 2. Rep. Wolf also inserted letters in the Congressional Record 
        regarding Mr. Brown's retirement from former Minority Leader 
        Robert H. Michel (IL) and Speaker Thomas S. Foley (WA). Id. at 
        pp. 9894, 9895.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Foreign Dignitaries

Sec. 5.22 The death of Mother Teresa was announced to the House by the 
    Majority Whip.

    On Sept. 5, 1997,(1) Tom DeLay, of Texas, the Majority 
Whip, was yielded the floor to announce the death of Mother Teresa, 
humanitarian and Nobel Prize winner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1. 143 Cong. Rec. 17919, 105th Cong. 1st Sess.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Mr. [Vic] FAZIO of California. Reclaiming my time, I yield to 
    the gentleman from Texas, the majority whip, [Mr. DeLay].

                  announcement of the passing of mother teresa

        Mr. DeLAY. I was just informed that Mother Teresa passed away. 
    I would ask that we suspend for a moment of silence in the memory 
    of Mother Teresa, who has done so much for so many people around 
    the world.

[[Page 623]]

        The SPEAKER pro tempore.(2) Members will rise. The 
    House will recognize the passing of Mother Teresa with a moment of 
    silence.
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 2. Edward A. Pease (IN).
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Sec. 5.23 The Chairman of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of 
    the Committee on Foreign Affairs addressed the Committee of the 
    Whole out of order to announce to the House the assassination of 
    Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India.

    On May 21, 1991,(1) Stephen J. Solarz, of New York, 
chairman of the Asian and Pacific Affairs Subcommittee of the Committee 
on Foreign Affairs, by unanimous consent received permission to speak 
out of order and announced the death of former Prime Minister Rajiv 
Gandhi of India.
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 1. 137 Cong. Rec. 11632, 102d Cong. 1st Sess.
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        (By unanimous consent Mr. Solarz was allowed to speak out of 
    order.)
        Mr. SOLARZ. Mr. Chairman, I regret to report to the House that 
    Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, was just 
    assassinated in a bomb explosion that went off as he was emerging 
    from his car at a campaign rally about 25 miles south of Madras.
        We do not know at the present time how many other people were 
    killed or who was behind this dastardly deed.
        But I did want to say, as someone who has gotten to know Mr. 
    Gandhi well over the years and who considered him a personal 
    friend, that this is a truly tragic development. . . .
        Mr. [Newt] GINGRICH [of Georgia]. Mr. Chairman, I just want to 
    ask, if it is possible, if we might have a moment of silence on 
    behalf of all Members, for Rajiv Gandhi's family, and for the 
    principles of democracy, which have been so sadly shattered this 
    afternoon.
        I ask for a moment of silence, if this is possible.
        (Moment of silence observed.)