Martin Frost

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Democratic Caucus, I have been directed to report to the House that the Democratic Members have selected as minority leader the gentleman from Missouri, the Honorable Richard A. Gephardt.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution which honors the life and service of Henry B. Gonzalez who died on November 28 of this year. As Members know, Henry B. as he was affectionately known, served in this body for 37 years and during that time earned a well-deserved reputation as a champion of the little people. Henry B. Gonzalez dedicated his life to lifting the least among us out of poverty and ensuring that the poor had decent housing, good education, and access to health care. He was a man of strength and integrity and championed the cause of civil rights for all people, but most especially for those Americans who face discrimination because of their race, gender, or ethnicity. He was one of the last of a generation of legislators, but in his honor and in his memory, none of us should ever forget the valuable lessons he taught us. Mr. Speaker, I have offered this resolution as a token of respect for a man who was the embodiment of character and political courage, a man who was proud to serve as a servant of the people. The concurrent resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the outstanding efforts of the Fort Worth Alumni (Beta Tau Lambda) Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, which marked its 60th anniversary on this past Monday, December 4th. Throughout its 94-year existence, the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity has been an exemplary organization, with a mission committed to public service. The Fort Worth Alumni Chapter has done a tremendous job of furthering Alpha Phi Alpha's mission and has worked to make a real difference in our North Texas community. The Fort Worth Alumni Chapter has taken action in our community to curb juvenile delinquency, foster job training skills and community safety programs, and combat teen pregnancy by educating young men. Through the years, the members of Alpha Phi Alpha and the Beta Tau Lambda chapter have become leaders of their community, a testimony to the strength of their education as members of this fine organization. Congratulations again to the Beta Tau Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity on your 60th anniversary. I know you will continue serving our Fort Worth community throughout the next 60 years.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the passing of Mr. James L. Hair. Jim Hair was a Navy veteran of the Korean War and faithfully served his country as a civil servant for over 30 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was recognized throughout the Corps for his depth of knowledge of the organization, his caring disposition, and his wise counsel. During his career he accomplished a number of firsts for the Corps. On the Sam Rayburn/Town Bluff hydropower project, he developed the agreements with the local sponsors whereby the sponsors paid 100 percent of the total project costs up front, the first of its kind in the Corps. After the passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, he worked on one of the first cost sharing agreements with the city of Austin, Texas. He was the first executive assistant in the Southwestern Division of the Corps of Engineers, a very demanding position that provides a valuable liaison between the Corps and this august body. This is a position he retired from in 1989. There are several members here today who have benefited from his assistance in developing authorization and appropriation legislation for much needed civil works projects and programs throughout our great nation. For his outstanding service, he was recognized with the Superior Civilian Service Award from the Secretary of the Army, and most recently, he was selected to the Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees of the Southwestern Division Corps of Engineers. He was the epitome of the invaluable civil servant. Additionally, he was a pillar of his community; the first mayor of the city of Briaroaks Texas; Chairman of the Board of Directors for a mutimillion-dollar credit union; and an active participant on the board of many other civic and private organizations. He was devoted to his wife, Wanda, his family, the Corps, and his country. He passed away on November 26, 2000, in Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of 68. Jim Hair, a truly great American, will be sorely missed by his family, friends and the nation.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to honor Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind and its sister organizations across the country. Founded 100 years ago, the Columbia Lighthouse is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing education, training, and rehabilitation services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Seventy percent of blind adults are unemployed. The Lighthouse organizations are fighting to change that statistic. Since 1931, the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind has been serving my home district employing blind individuals. Operating for the first several years in borrowed buildings, the organization employed the blind in weaving, sewing, and broom manufacturing. The Dallas Lighthouse has come a long way, now employing over 100 individuals in manufacturing various products, and offering rehabilitation programs for those with vision disabilities. Today, the Lighthouses are evolving to meet today's changing business environment, emerging in the world of technology and e-commerce. The Columbia Lighthouse recently launched ReelBooks.com, a Web site that retails more than 16,000 audio books, while providing the visually impaired with valuable training in an industry sorely lacking trained employees. The work of the Lighthouses is changing the face of blind America. Those with vision disabilities have the right to be active, assimilated and contributing members of society. I am proud of the services provided by the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind and its sister organizations throughout America. The opportunities these organizations can provide for people with vision disabilities are immeasurable. I salute the Lighthouses and the people they serve today.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, at this time it is my intention to yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the co-chair of our Steering Committee. And then it is my intention to yield to members of the Texas delegation. And then to the extent that we have other Members who want to speak, I will be yielding to them. But I want to give our colleagues from Texas the opportunity to speak. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of my friend and colleague, the late Henry B. Gonzalez. I remember the day in January of 1979 that, as a new freshman Congressman from Dallas, I walked across the floor of the House and first introduced myself to Henry B. Gonzalez. I, of course, knew who he was and what he had stood for; but I am not sure he knew anything about me. I mentioned to Congressman Gonzalez that my father was from San Antonio, that I had a lot of family in his district; and I said something about my 88-year-old grandmother, Pearl Frost, living in San Antonio. His eyes brightened, and he replied that of course he knew my grandmother. Well, after all, he knew everybody in San Antonio. From that moment on, Henry B. took a special interest in my career. He was very kind and very helpful as I started learning how to be a Congressman. For 20 years, I had the chance to observe Henry B. up close. Several things struck me during that time. First, he was always true to his core beliefs. He never varied from his support for the downtrodden and in his support for equal justice for all people, regardless of race, color, or creed. Some Members of Congress will follow a zigzag path in their voting pattern from time to time, casting a conservative vote here and there so that opponents cannot call them a liberal in the next election. Henry B. never worried about that kind of thing. He was always on the side of the people, no matter what the issue. He did not try to trim his sails. He was who he was. Second, Henry B. was well read, smart and very able. When he first became chairman of the House Committee on Banking, some Members questioned whether he had the temperament to chair a major committee. Some good-naturedly commented to him about how he had changed his wardrobe now that he chaired the Committee on Banking. He no longer wore brightly colored suits all the time, but could often be seen in dark pinstripes. They told him that he was even dressing like a banker. The concerns about Henry B.'s ability to handle the Committee on Banking quickly disappeared. He was a steady chairman, fair to all sides, and he guided the committee through some very tough legislative balances. Early on, he correctly predicted problems faced by deregulating Texas savings and loans and, as chairman, crafted a fair, tough plan to correct these problems. Finally, no one could ever say that he benefitted financially from his position, or that he was in any way influenced by special interest contributions. He simply did not need the contributions and probably would not have taken them even if he ever did have a campaign, which he usually did not. Most of us spent hours putting together our annual financial disclosure statements we had to file with the House. Henry B. filed the same statement every year. He had his congressional salary, and that was it. During his final years as a Member of Congress, age finally had started to slow him down. He was challenged in the Democratic caucus in 1996 by two younger Members who wanted his position as ranking Democratic Member on the Committee on Banking. Henry B. rose in a hushed meeting of the caucus to ask his colleagues for one more term as the ranking member. He eloquently recounted his career, how he had fought for the people his entire life and what he had done as chairman of the committee. It was no contest. The caucus rallied behind this champion of the common man and the challenge disappeared. As Molly Ivins said in a recent column, ``Henry B. was not a saint, but he was a fighter. He was the genuine article, the real thing. He was an extraordinary figure in Texas political history who advanced the cause of Hispanics and all minorities in our State. Texas is a better place today because Henry B. Gonzalez spent 84 years on the face of the Earth. He will be remembered long after most of his contemporaries have been forgotten. And that's the way it should be. We love you, Henry, and we are better because you walked our way.'' Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen), who served on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services with Mr. Gonzalez.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), the current chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm). (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), Chairman of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal-Allard.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner).

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my Special Order be extended by 15 minutes.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this rule is the standard rule for consideration of a conference report in the House and is of no controversy. This conference report for the Water Resources Development Act of 2000 has been a matter of little controversy over the past few days, as the Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has sought assurances from his leadership that funding for additional environmental infrastructure spending would be included in the Labor, HHS appropriations conference report. I am supposing, Mr. Speaker, given the fact that we are now considering this rule, that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) has received these assurances and whenever the Congress actually considers the Labor, HHS conference report, next week, Thanksgiving, Christmas, whenever that might be, the funding he has sought will be provided for in it. Mr. Speaker, this is a very good bill in large part because of the funding in it for the restoration of the Florida Everglades. This project is one that has long been sought by environmentalists and Floridians of all stripes, Republicans and Democrats alike. This project is not a partisan project and no one should assume that it has come about because of the influence of any one Member of Congress. Rather, this is a project that has been a long time in the making on a bipartisan basis and should receive bipartisan support here today. Mr. Speaker, I support this conference report; and I support the efforts of the Chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I only hope he enjoys the same kind of support from the Republican leadership and the assurances he has received will be fulfilled when we return after the election. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind).