William Lipinski

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay my respects and honor a community leader and loyal democrat, Mr. Thomas Walsh. Thomas Walsh passed away last October at the age of fifty-seven. Thomas Walsh was a devoted public servant and leader in the Chicago, Illinois community of Mt. Greenwood. Thomas Walsh lent his political expertise and strong leadership to numerous democratic candidates across the city, including myself. As a political strategist, Mr. Walsh contributed a working family man's perspective to numerous elected officials. Mr. Walsh was an Army Veteran and a career law enforcement officer, serving on the Chicago Police Department from 1966-1991 and as an Assistant Chief with the Cook County Sheriff's Department from 1991- 1998. An avid athlete, Mr. Walsh also found the time to coach various sports teams, including the Mt. Greenwood Little League and the Mt. Greenwood football program. Mr. Walsh played softball himself in the Chicago Police League from 1966 to 1998. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to pay tribute to Mr. Walsh. As a valuable and revered public servant, community leader, political confidante, and coach, he will be greatly missed.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a truly remarkable public servant, Anthony (Tony) Vacco, who was recently selected to receive the village of Bedford Park, Illinois' 1998 Man of the Year award. Mr. Vacco was appointed Mayor and Village President of Evergreen Park, Illinois on October of 1968 to fill a vacancy. He was so good at his job, that he was elected in 1969 and has been re-elected for each term ever since, and will again be a candidate for that office this spring. Mr. Vacco serves his community in every aspect of his life. He supports and/or is a member of numerous local charities, civic, fraternal, service, educational and religious organizations. Among his charitable events is the Evergreen Park Cancer Society ``Love Lights A Tree'' program at Christmas. Through his efforts, the Evergreen Park Cancer Society unit is the most prosperous fundraising unit in all of Illinois. Mr. Vacco has taken on numerous leadership roles, including serving as President of the Southwest Council of Mayors since 1976. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Mr. Vacco on receiving this prestigious award, and extend to him my best wishes for continued service to the community.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 98, a bill to extend the Department of Transportation's aviation war risk insurance program. The war risk insurance program, which was created in 1951, has operated successfully to serve the foreign policy interests of the United States during the difficult times of war. Commercial insurance companies usually will not insure commercial airline flights to high-risk areas, such as countries at war or on the verge of war. The aviation war risk insurance program provides insurance to commercial airlines for such high-risk flights, which are often needed for national security reasons. For example, commercial air carriers have transported U.S. troops and supplies during the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and most recently, the deployment in Bosnia. In fact, since 1975, there have been over 5,000 flights covered by the war risk insurance program. The bill we are considering today under suspension of the rules, H.R. 98, is a bill to extend the war risk insurance program for 5 years through the year 2003. This is truly a noncontroversial bill. Congress has routinely reauthorized the war risk insurance program in the past. The Omnibus Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1999 includes a reauthorization of the war risk insurance program, and even modified the program to ensure prompt payment to the airlines in the event of a crash. Unfortunately, the omnibus bill only authorized the war risk insurance program through March 31, 1999. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this noncontroversial bill to authorize the war risk insurance program through the year 2003. We cannot afford to let this program expire. The war risk insurance program has protected U.S. national security interests by addressing the high-risk insurance needs of commercial airlines. Without the war risk insurance program in place, commercial airlines will not be able to get insurance for high-risk flights and would be reluctant to fly into high-risk areas, even though it would be in the interests of U.S. foreign policy and national security needs. H.R. 98 has the bipartisan support of the Committee on Transportation and infrastructure. As an original cosponsor of the bill, I again strongly urge my colleagues to support it. The war risk insurance program has proved its outstanding value and deserves our prompt attention. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, once again I ask everyone to support this important piece of legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Oberstar in introducing a bill that will take the remaining user financed transportation trust funds off budget. Specifically, this bill removes three transportation trust funds-- Aviation, Harbor Maintenance, and Inland Waterways--from the unified federal budget. These trust funds are user-financed, self-supporting funds which provide important federal assistance for infrastructure preservation and improvement projects. This bill would restore the integrity of the trust funds by allowing the full, prompt utilization of collected user fees for transportation improvements rather than artificially limiting their use to help mask the federal deficit. In other words, this bill puts the ``trust'' back into the trust fund. This bill also launches off what Chairman Shuster has referred to as the ``Year of Aviation.'' Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Oberstar, Chairman Duncan and I will be working hard this year to significantly increase capital investment funding for our national aviation system. More and more people are flying each day. In fact, a record 600 million people will fly this year. Yet because of a lack of capital investment, our national aviation system will not be able to meet the increased demand that is expected in the near future. The Federal Aviation Administration has not modernized our air traffic control system. Our airports do not have an adequate number of gates or runways to accommodate future growth and competition. It is obvious that something need to be done to make sure our national aviation system is ready for the 21st century. It is our belief that by lifting the artificial spending constraints on the aviation trust fund--by taking the aviation trust fund off- budget--the federal funds necessary to ensure that our national aviation systems survives well into the 21st century will finally be spent on aviation needs and aviation needs only. A strong aviation system is key to our strong economy. Aviation and aviation-related activities account for six percent of the United States' Gross Domestic Product. Businesses depend on aviation as the fastest way to move both people and goods. In addition, the tourism industry, which is one of the fastest growing, most successful industries in the world, would not survive without a strong national aviation system. I look forward to the year ahead as we work to take the aviation trust fund off budget in order to significantly increase capital investment in aviation. We do not have much time. The Airport Improvement Program, one of the most important federal aviation capital investment programs, will expire on March 31, 1999. For this reason, I am proud to again join Chairman Shuster, Chairman Duncan and Ranking Member Oberstar in introducing a bill to authorize the AIP program through Fiscal Year 1999. Although the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Aviation Subcommittee are committed to working on putting together a larger reauthorization bill before the end of March, Congress is not known for meeting tight schedules. It would be an indelible mark on the Year of Aviation if the AIP program expired at the same time Congress was working on increasing federal funding for our national aviation system. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to take the remaining three transportation trust funds off budget. the future of our national aviation system depends on it.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. I fully support the men and women of our Armed Forces who proudly serve this Nation in the Persian Gulf. I am certain that our Nation stands behind them one hundred fifty percent, and I salute them for their hard work, patriotism, and courage. Saddam Hussein has been tolerated for far too long. We have tried to talk to him, and we have tried to reason with him, but to no avail. He continues to break promises and threaten the security of the civilized world. As that old adage goes: ``Talk softly and carry a big stick.'' It's time to stop talking. He has terrorized too many innocent people for far too long, and he has thumbed his nose at the civilized world. He fancies himself a leader, but in reality, he is a ruffian and a thug who possesses a dangerous arsenal of lethal weapons and the will to use them for his own megalomaniac purposes. This time, we should not be there to teach a lesson. We should, once and for all, remove Saddam Hussein from Power. I support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend, Congressman Glenn Poshard. Congressman Poshard has aptly served the Nineteenth Congressional District of Illinois for ten years. During his tenure in the House of Representatives, Glenn has stayed true to his strong morals and has done what was best for his constituents. With working-class roots of his own, Congressman Poshard has been one of the most ardent congressional supporters of working-class men and women. From his position on the House Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Poshard has also been a guardian of the economic interests of his district. For example, Congressman Poshard opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which he knew would cost many American working men and women their jobs. However, when it became clear that this flawed trade agreement would pass in the House of Representatives despite his opposition, Congressman Poshard sponsored an amendment to protect the domestic broom industry. There are many broom factories in the Nineteenth Congressional District and they are still thriving today because of Congressman Poshard. Congressman Poshard has a strong moral center that has greatly influenced his congressional career. Glenn is opposed to abortion and has been one of the most impassioned defenders of the unborn. A pro- life Democrat like myself, Congressman Poshard has worked to protect the lives of the unborn and has worked to make the Democratic Party more open and welcoming to pro-life members. As a former teacher, Glenn has also worked to protect the needs of children. Glenn voted for welfare reform in 1996 but only after satisfying himself that the needs of children were addressed. Throughout his service in the House of Representatives, Glenn Poshard has fashioned himself as a citizen legislator. Since his first term in Congress, Glenn has shunned contributions from Political Action Committees. Instead, Glenn has relied on the support of his constituents. As he promised when he was elected in 1988, Congressman Poshard is leaving after five terms so that ``other folks have their shot at solving the problems.'' My colleagues in the House of Representatives and I will miss Glenn Poshard. He is a gentleman, a statesman, and even a poet on occasion. Most of all, however, he is a good friend. Thank you, Congressman Poshard, for all of your hard work and support throughout your ten years in Congress. Congratulations on your numerous accomplishments which are too numerous to list here. And, good luck with all your future endeavors.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in objection to the articles of impeachment. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the articles of impeachment. The President's behavior has been deplorable, reprehensible, and immoral. He has disgraced the office of the Presidency. I think it would be best for the country if he would resign and pass the office of the Presidency to Vice President Gore. Unfortunately, the Judiciary Committee's report does not convince me that his offense rise to the level of impeachment. Consequently, I will vote ``no'' on the articles.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Roman Pucinski, who represented the northwest side of the City of Chicago in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1959 to 1973. From the start of his tenure in Congress, then Representative Pucinski mounted a one-man effort to require airlines to install crash- proof cockpit voice recorders in airplanes. Despite organized opposition from the major airlines, Pucinski kept the pressure on and in 1964 the Federal Aviation Administration issued an order requiring air carriers to install crash-proof cockpit voice recorders in their aircraft. Commonly referred to as the ``black box'', cockpit voice recorders are now a critical component of aviation safety. Black boxes provide vital information about the final minutes of airline disasters to accident investigators and have helped determine the cause of several plane crashes. As a decorated Air Force pilot, Pucinski knew that a recording of last minute cockpit conversations would provide vital clues to the cause of airline tragedies. As an Air Force pilot, Pucinski led his bomber group in the first B-29 bombing raid over Tokyo during World War II. He flew 48 other combat missions over Japan and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with Clusters. From his own personal experience as a pilot, Pucinski understood that, in the last few minutes preceding an air tragedy, the cockpit crew are far too busy trying to save their passengers and aircraft to radio formal reports to a ground station. However, a crash-proof tape recorder operating automatically during flight preserves a record of everything said in the cockpit for accident investigators. Because of Roman Pucinski's dedicated and courageous leadership in the establishment of crash-proof tape recorders in commercial airliners, accident investigation and aviation safety have been significantly advanced in the public interest, and outstanding results for the national aviation system have been achieved. For this reason, on December 18, 1998, former Congressman Roman Pucinski will be honored by the Federal Aviation Administration with a Silver Medal of Distinguished Service. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Roman Pucinski. His tireless advocacy of cockpit voice recorders is one of the most important contributions to airline safety in the history of aviation. Roman Pucinski has made a lasting contribution to aviation safety and he greatly deserves this special honor from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, October 10, 1998 was the occasion of the Republic of China's National Day. Eighty seven years ago, Sun Yat Sen and his fellow revolutionaries declared independence from the authoritarian Manchu government and founded the Republic of China. Echoing the famous words of one of America's greatest leaders, Abraham Lincoln, at his Gettysburg address, article I of the constitution of the Republic of China states that Taiwan ``shall be a democratic republic of the people, to be governed by the people and for the people.'' The Republic of China is living proof that democracy works. Founded as a democracy, Taiwan has grown, matured and evolved from a single party system into a multiparty democracy with a stable economy. Free and fair elections are a reality here, not a false promise, and open and lively debate is a trademark of Taiwanese politics. Ronald Reagan, who singlehandedly brought down the Iron curtain and communism, once referred to America as the ``Shining city on the hill.'' Well, that is an apt metaphor for Taiwan too. Thanks to the leadership and vision of Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek, former President Chiang Ching Kuo and President Lee Teng Hui, Taiwan is also a shining example of freedom and democracy and a strong bulwark against communism. Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of the eighty-seventh birthday of the Republic of China, I wish to offer my most heartfelt congratulations for a nation that has done so much in such a short period of time. I am confident that we can all look forward to continuing our long and prosperous partnership with one of our strongest allies in East Asia. Finally, I would like to commend Stephen Chen, Taiwan's representative to the U.S. His hard work and patriotism is an asset to his nation.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 350. This resolution, while drafted with the best intentions, falls far too short. It completely misses the mark. Foreign nations are illegally dumping their cheap steel in our market, and with this resolution, what is the U.S. going to do? With this non-binding resolution, we're only asking the Administration to go and consult. We're not even telling them. We're asking if they could please go and consult with Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Russia, Europe, and so forth. Consult? Under this Administration, under the Republican controlled Congress, we've been consulting for years. How much longer do we have to consult? How many more reports do we have to look at? How much longer should workers in Illinois and across this nation suffer? How many more good-paying jobs in the steel industry do we have to lose? How long do we have to wait? With this resolution, we might as well wait. Let us continue to wait as American workers see their paychecks shrink. Let us continue to wait as the U.S. steel industry closes more plants and factories. Let us continue to wait for more consultations and more reports that tell us what we already know. Let us continue to wait as American workers wind up on the unemployment lines. Let us continue to wait as more and more families file for bankruptcies. Mr. Speaker, we can talk all we want, but if our talk isn't backed up with action, foreign nations will see all the talk as hot air, and unfortunately, that is what has happened. Instead of hot air, let's back up our words with trade sanctions. Instead of a non-binding resolution, why not pass a law that directs the President to take a stronger stand against cheap imports and unfair competition? Since I've been a Member of this body, I have always advocated a simple philosophy. If you don't let us sell American products in your market, we won't let you sell your products in ours. But instead of fighting for American workers and American industry, this Administration and free trade advocates continue to bend over backwards to let foreign competitors flood our markets with cheap products while putting up protectionist barriers around their markets. How is that free trade? Let us not kid ourselves any longer. We do no live in a world of free trade. We live in a global economy of special interests. Our special interests should be American workers, but our trade policies don't reflect that. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to vote against this empty resolution. This resolution is watered-down, toothless, and ineffective. A yes vote for this is pure political posturing and does nothing for the U.S. steel industry. We don't need more talk. We need the force of law, and this toothless resolution isn't it.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this privileged resolution. For far too long, this Administration has turned its back on American workers. The Administration's failed trade policies has failed American workers. Free trade at any cost? I don't think so especially when American workers are the ones who suffer. The current international economic crises has hit our steel industry hard. Asian nations such as Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Japan have been illegally dumping their steel in our market. In the five months of 1998, U.S. steel imports from those Asian nations have increased by 79 percent from the same period from 1997. Compare that with the European Union which, despite being a major economy, only imported one-tenth as much finished steel products from Asia as the U.S. did. And what is the difference between the European Union and the U.S.? The difference is the European Union enforces their trade laws--the U.S. doesn't. Mr. Speaker, this body passed tough trade laws that level the playing field as we compete in the global economy, but these trade laws only work if they are enforced. And right now, under this Administration, they aren't. I strongly urge the Administration to fully utilize U.S. trade laws to protect our domestic steel industry. When foreign nations dump steel at below-market prices in the U.S., it is unfair. When the Administration, charged with enforcing out trade laws and the responsibility of protecting American jobs and American industry from inequitable, foreign competition fails to do so, it is unfair. This worsens the U.S. trade deficit, exports American jobs, and causes a contractionary effect on U.S. economic growth. It is wrong for American workers to bear the burden of this nation's failed trade policies. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 320. I would like to thank the esteemed Chairman of the House International Relations Committee, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Gilman, and the Ranking Member, the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Hamilton, for their leadership on this issue. I would also like to salute the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Shimkus, for all of the hard work he has put in in drafting this important resolution. His leadership along with his foresight and keen awareness of foreign policy has been instrumental in making this resolution become reality. As the co-chair of the Congressional Baltic Caucus, along with the other co-chair, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Kucinich, his ability to work in a bipartisan fashion for important measures such as this are certainly appreciated by this Member. Around sixty years ago, the three nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia had their freedom stripped away by the Soviet army. Under a secret, illegal and immoral agreement between Hitler and Stalin, the Nazi-Soviet Pact of Non-Aggression tore Eastern Europe apart. After the Soviet Union invaded Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in 1940, the cultural identities of those nations were ruthlessly suppressed. These invasions and occupations were not only illegal under international law, they were immoral and atrocious crimes against humanity. Thanks to the heroic efforts of Ronald Reagan, the fall of communism during his watch eventually freed the Baltic States from communist tyranny. Since their independence in 1990, each nation has been working diligently towards democratic reforms including religious freedom and movement towards free market economies. The brave efforts of the Baltic States must be supported by the U.S. H. Con. Res. 320 will do just that. It sends a message to the world that we support the Baltic States. Since their independence, Russia continues to refer to the Baltic States as former Soviet Republics despite the fact that they were illegally invaded by the former Soviet Union, and it appears that Russia continues to view the Baltic States as part of the Russian ``sphere of influence.'' We must demonstrate our support for the Baltics. These are fledgling democracies who peacefully overturned the tyrannical rule of communist aggression. This important resolution will reaffirm the U.S. policy of not recognizing the illegal occupation of the Baltics, urge Russia to renounce the illegal Nazi-Soviet Pact, reiterate our support for the U.S.-Baltic Charter signed earlier this year, and call on the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to work to ensure that Russia understands the Pact should be considered illegal. I ask my colleagues to support this important resolution. Let us support freedom, let us support peace, let us support democracy, and let us support the pursuit of justice.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, today, I will vote to start the formal inquiry into whether President Clinton should be impeached. The President's relationship with Monica Lewinsky was shameful, humiliating, and immoral, and his lying to the American people was deplorable and reprehensible. His dishonesty created a breach of trust between the President and the American people, which I believe calls into question his ability to be an effective leader. The President's alleged actions in trying to conceal the Monica Lewinsky affair may constitute an obstruction of justice. In addition, his deposition in the Paula Jones case, along with his testimony before the federal grand jury, may be construed as perjury. There is enough evidence before us now that cannot be ignored. As Americans, we owe it to our constitutional government to move ahead with a full scale investigation that will ultimately be judged by the American people. We may be weary of this entire affair, but we have a responsibility to do our job as the Founding Fathers would have wanted us to. Laws may be broken and to ignore such possible transgressions is a crime against our constitution. This matter should be fully investigated by Congress and the American people. There is no doubt this is a serious matter and a very difficult decision that should not be based on politics. This rises above partisan politics. This is about doing the right thing for our Republic. For these reasons, I believe a thorough and complete investigation not limited by time and scope should be entered into by the House of Representatives.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman. I would just like to say, in concluding this special order honoring Sid Yates, that there has not been a finer Member of the House of Representatives in its history than Sidney R. Yates of Illinois.

Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman very much for those outstanding words about Sid Yates. I was just thinking the other day that people have never talked about the Ninth Congressional District in the State of Illinois as anything other than the Yates district. Even when people were campaigning in the primary to succeed Congressman Yates, they never talked about running for the Ninth Congressional District, they talked about running for Sid Yates' seat. And I believe that it will be thought of as Sid Yates' seat for a long, long time into the future. As I mentioned earlier, Sid Yates is a man of the highest quality of character, the greatest integrity. He is a gentleman in the finest sense of the word. He never has a bad word to say about anyone. He has led many, many causes on this floor. He led them very strongly. He led them with a great deal of intellectual persuasion behind these causes. He never became upset with what other people had to say, even though, as time has gone on, some of the causes, some of the things that he championed may have had less and less support here in the House of Representatives. As the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jesse Jackson) just mentioned, and as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) has mentioned, he never changed his position. He never changed his principles. You knew when you met Sid Yates where he stood. We knew that when he spoke, he spoke directly, accurately, forcefully, and with the highest degree of integrity behind it. There are many, many things that Sid Yates has done for this country by being a Member of this body. He is retiring at the end of this term, but the accomplishments that he has had for this country will not only be remembered for many, many years in this body but will be remembered by many people in this Nation. Because many of the things that he has done in the arts, in the humanities field, and in the environmental field are things that people know about, people appreciate, and people will always be happy that Sid Yates was here for almost 50 years. I would now like to conclude this special order by recognizing the Congressman from Indiana (Mr. Peter Visclosky).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jesse Jackson).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am here tonight to pay tribute to one of the most outstanding Members that the United States House of Representatives has ever had; that is Sidney R. Yates of the 9th Congressional District in the State of Illinois. Sid Yates is retiring this year after 48 years in the House of Representatives, 24 terms. It would be an even 50 years if he had not been selected by the Democratic Party of Illinois in 1962 to run against the then Republican leader of the United States Senate Everett McKinley Dirksen. In 1962, he ran against Dirksen in a very spirited hard-fought race, which he unfortunately, from our perspective, lost 53 to 47. For the 2 years he was gone from the House of Representatives, he served as the United States representative to the United Nations. He returned in 1964 to resume his influential position here in Congress. Sid Yates is the product of immigrant parents. His parents were born in Lithuania, and Sid was born here in this country shortly after his parents arrived. He also has 3 brothers that were born here in this country. Sid Yates has served on the Committee on Appropriations just about his entire career here in the House of Representatives. He also served on the Committee on Foreign Operations for many, many years. He has a law degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. But besides pursuing those academic credits at the University of Chicago, Sid Yates was an outstanding college basketball player. He was placed on the All Big 10 Team in his senior year, 1933, and he also was mentioned as an honorable all American candidate. He did not shoot jump shots. He did not shoot set shots, but, believe it or not, he played center for the University of Chicago and had an excellent left-handed hook shot and an excellent right-handed hook shot. Sid has been the subcommittee chairman on the Subcommittee on Interior for over 20 years. He is now the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Interior. He is an individual that has fought for the environment his entire career here in the House of Representatives. He is a man who has been the chief supporter of the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities. He has also been the chief supporter of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. But he has also been very, very practical. He is a man that has always seen to it that money has come back into the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois for very significant and important projects: The Illinois Deep Tunnel system, Chicago Wilderness Project, the Chicago Green Streets program, the Chicago Shoreline project, the Indiana Dune center, and Navy Pier. It is only fitting and proper that a few days ago the United States House of Representatives renamed the auditors main building located at 2101 14th Street, S.W. in Washington, D.C. in honor of Sidney R. Yates. Back in 1944, when Sid was 35 years of age, he joined the United States Navy and served from 1944 to 1946. When he came out of the Navy, he got himself involved in politics and, as I mentioned earlier, he was elected to the House of Representatives in the Harry Truman year of 1948. Through all those years, Sid has had very, very few difficult primary or general elections. But in 1990, he did have what some people thought was going to be a strong challenge. He ran up against a young alderman in the City of Chicago who was independently wealthy, who was extremely well funded. And the newspapers in Chicago and some of the political pundits had great concern that Sid Yates, after all these years in Congress, might go out a loser. But to the astonishment of many people who were not really that well informed, Sid Yates won that primary with 70 percent of the vote. His opponent received only 27 percent of the vote. I have a few other things to say here about Sid Yates, but there is a gentleman who has now joined me on the floor, a colleague of Sid Yates and a colleague of mine, Congressman Danny Davis. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of this special order.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. We appreciate the words the gentleman had to say about Sid Yates, and I want to say to the gentleman that when he talked about Sid Yates being a gentleman, he certainly is a gentleman. We could not find a finer gentleman in this body or, I believe, anyplace in this country. I think his character has always been beyond reproach and his integrity has been of the highest possible degree. And in this day and age, that is something we really have to salute and admire. General Leave

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those words about Congressman Yates. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those fine words about Sid Yates. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fox).

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to a world-renowed seascape artist and outstanding member of my district, Mr. Charles Vickery, who passed away in La Grange, Illinois, on September 22, 1998. Charles Vickery was widely known as a local legend in Chicago's Western Suburbs were he lived and painted for over sixty years. He began his career, by studying the techniques of such artists as Frederick Waugh, Winslow Homer, and Anton Fisher at The Art Institute of Chicago and at Chicago's American Academy of Art. After he learned the mechanics, he received what he called his greatest instruction and source of inspiration, from Lake Michigan. From Lake Michigan, Charles Vickery learned the light effects and sea anatomy that later led him to be known and remembered for his ability to paint the many moods of water, making it come alive on the canvas. In 1937, at the age of twenty-four, Charles Vickery opened his first art studio in Western Springs, Illinois. However, his first big break was in 1951 when Eleanor Jewitt, a respected Chicago Tribune art critic, discovered one of his paintings in a Michigan Avenue art gallery, and acclaimed him as ``one of the great painters of this age * * * a bright Winslow Homer.'' The Clipper Ship Gallery in La Grange, Illinois, has been dedicated exclusively to Vickery's work since 1981, displaying his original oil paintings and publishing his collection of nearly 100 limited edition prints. Charles Vickery has received the Waters of the World Prize, the Pallette and Chisel Diamond Medal, awards from the North Shore Art Association in Gloucester, Mass., and the Union League Club Prize. Although, despite his many awards, the two things that satisfied Charles Vickery the most were bringing pleasure to the collectors of his work and urging other artists to further advance their abilities. Therefore, he was a charter member of the American Society of Marine Artists and a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America. Mr. Speaker, Charles Vickery was revered and respected by almost everyone who knew his work. I offer my heartfelt sympathy and prayers to his family and friends. Charles Vickery will most certainly be missed by many close friends, collectors of his art, and innumerable admirers.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute to the fine gentleman from California, Mr. Vic Fazio. We have been extremely blessed to have such a hardworking, fair leader in the Democratic Caucus and the House of Representatives. He has always tried to assist all Members, no matter what side of the aisle they are on. Vic Fazio has consistently possessed a keen understanding of what it truly means to be a public servant. Through his dedication to listening to the needs of the American people and unfaltering leadership, Vic Fazio has served as a strong role model for all current and future Members of the House of Representatives. Vic, I congratulate you on your retirement, and thank you for setting such a high standard of excellence and integrity.