    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [March 4, 1996]
    [Pages 365-366]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Representative Sam Gibbons' Decision Not To Seek Reelection
    March 4, 1996

        Congress has lost a tenacious champion of America's elderly and an
    unrelenting fighter for health care reform, open markets, and free trade
    with today's decision by Representative Sam Gibbons not to seek
    reelection.
        From his days as a hero on the beaches of Normandy through his 34
    years in Congress,

    [[Page 366]]

    Sam Gibbons has served his country and fought for what he believed. As a
    Congressman, Representative Gibbons has been a leader in domestic
    policy, particularly in the defense of America's senior citizens and the
    protection of their health care. In recent years, he has worked
    tirelessly on efforts to provide health care coverage to all Americans.
        The American people are grateful for Sam Gibbons' long service. His
    deep dedication to the Congress and to the American people will be
    sorely missed.