John McHugh

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4658) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 Green Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as the ``J.L. Dawkins Post Office Building.''

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think I can speak for all the Members of the Subcommittee on Postal Service and certainly the Members of the Committee on Government Reform when I say we have a great deal of pride in the bipartisan way in which we have brought up a very sizeable number of these kinds of proposals, enactments that seek to designate various postal facilities across the Nation in remembrance and commemoration of the deeds of individuals from the widest possible range of undertaking and service in our country. Today certainly is no exception to that. We have before us four pieces of legislation. This first, of course, is H.R. 4658, which has been introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) back on June 14 of this year. I want to commend the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) for his efforts and initiative in working with the entire delegation from the great State of North Carolina in getting them to cosponsor this legislation in a unanimous effort. As the Clerk has designated, this bill would name the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 Green Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as the J.L. Dawkins Post Office building. The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), the primary sponsor of the bill, is with us today, and I know will wish to make some remarks in a more extensive nature as to the contributions of Mr. Dawkins, but I can tell Members from having the opportunity to review his resume and his background, as we routinely do on these initiatives, that he indeed fits the prescription that we have with respect to only honoring those individuals who have acted in very extraordinary ways to serve their communities. Mr. Dawkins, as I said, is a fine example of that, beginning in his high school days, where he was an active football and basketball star, and ultimately found what later became a lifetime calling in politics when he was elected to his senior class as president. He then went on to Wake Forest University, where he attended for 2 years, and then returned to his hometown of Fayetteville. Mr. Dawkins' father was a State representative at that time. He passed away when his son was but 15 years old, but it is clear in looking at J.L. Dawkins' achievements that his father made an indelible impression upon him, because this fine gentleman entered public service and he set his sights on becoming mayor of his hometown in Fayetteville. Indeed, he began by serving on the city council there for some 6 terms before being elected mayor in 1987. The test of any politician, of course, is the ability to return, not so much because of what it may mean politically, but rather because of the very clear signal it sends as to that individual's abilities and dedication in serving his or her constituents. Mr. Dawkins' reelection six times as mayor I think speaks volumes as to his skills, as to his willingness to contribute. In fact, he never lost an election, even at a time when he was being treated for cancer and undergoing at that time very experimental and aggressive forms of chemotherapy for more than a year. His constituents knew that under even the most adverse of circumstances, Mr. Dawkins was the man that they wanted to continue representing them. He was known for his friendly and gracious ways, and eventually earned the unofficial but I think important title as Fayetteville's ``mayor for life.'' As I said, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) has acted in a very fitting way to extend this tribute to Mayor Dawkins as a reminder to, we hope, his family, but certainly to the citizens of Fayetteville of the great contributions and sacrifices that he made. This is a very worthy piece of legislation, and I would urge all of our colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me express my appreciation again to the gentleman from Maryland for his efforts on this bill but also for his very gracious comments and for his words of thanks; but with all due respect, I would suggest that it is all of us that owe the thanks to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his efforts in bringing to us an individual who as he so eloquently stated has done so much and contributed so many times including this very moment. We look forward to many days ahead of additional sacrifice and additional achievement on behalf of this very worthy gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our colleagues to join us in supporting this bill.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 2938.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we have before us today, as the Clerk just designated, a bill that will name the facility of the United States Post Office located at 424 South Michigan Street in South Bend, Indiana, as the John Brademas Post Office. As is the practice under the government reform procedures of this bill, I am proud to state it does carry the cosponsorship of the entire Indiana delegation. Mr. Speaker, as I do on all of these bills, I have had the opportunity to read the real life story of Mr. Brademas, and it is a remarkable one. I am very proud of the record that the House Subcommittee on the Postal Service has accrued and are working in partnership together. I want to thank certainly the ranking member, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), a very distinguished Member of that subcommittee, thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his efforts, not just on this bill, but in all of our work and, of course, for his managing the minority side of the discussion here this afternoon. The ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), and, of course, the full committee chairman, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton), for what is yet another demonstration of bipartisanship in advancing this bill. I particularly want to pay tribute to the main sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from Indiana, (Mr. Roemer) for really his tireless efforts in ensuring that we have this moment today. As I mentioned, Mr. Brademas has just a remarkable career that expands over so many years, and I do not want to take away from what I expect will be rather thorough comments by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) to whom I will yield to his side in just a moment. So I will not recount all of the many, many achievements of this distinguished gentleman, but let me say in relationship to the others who have received similar tributes on this House floor, that even by those very, very high standards, Mr. Brademas really excels. Mr. Speaker, of course he was a colleague and Member of this great body from 1959 to 1981, more than 2 decades, 22 years, in fact, of distinguished service to the people of his district in Indiana and, of course, to the people of this country; and he achieved so much that it is hard to define them all. Certainly, I think as we take an overview, his efforts on behalf of education particularly stand out. It is a dedication that he brought virtually to every effort that he made, and it is a dedication that predated his time here in Washington and certainly continues even past that to this moment. I want to say as someone who has the honor of representing one of the districts of New York, we are particularly pleased that we can claim a bit of a piece of Mr. Brademas. Certainly, that becomes possible through his exemplary service as the president of New York University, the largest private university in the United States, where he led that great institution for some 11 years, transforming it from what was then really a regional commuter school into a national and international residential research university. Even today, he continues to serve as the president emeritus of that great facility and a trustee of the university. As I mentioned, we have before us today a distinguished gentleman, one for whom I think we can all direct a great deal of admiration and from whom we can draw a great deal of inspiration. Again, to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), a great deal of thanks for bringing this very, very fine nominee to our attention; and I would certainly encourage all of our colleagues here to support this very, very fine bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, briefly and in closing, let me add my words to that of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and thanks to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), and, as the gentleman so graciously noted too, his colleagues within the Indiana delegation, for providing us with this opportunity. As we have certainly heard here today, this nominee, I think, demonstrates the kind of achievement, the kind of devotion and dedication that should make all of us very proud for this moment and this opportunity to extend to him a very deserving recognition. Mr. Speaker, I am proud as well of the initiative and the efforts of all of the Members of this body to take ourselves into sometimes unchartered water. However, I would note on occasion it is worthy and I think comforting to note that we follow others. I think it is significant as sort of a capstone to the very gracious things rightfully said about Mr. Brademas, that over the course of his very distinguished career and lifetime he has been awarded 50 honorary degrees by distinguished colleges and universities such as the University of Athens; Brandeis; the City College of New York; my father's alma mater, Colgate; the University of Cyprus; Fordham University; the University of Southern California; Indiana University; Notre Dame; and just on and on and on. So we follow perhaps rather well-trod, but I think very, very fine ground here today. I would urge all of our colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2938) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 424 South Michigan Street in South Bend, Indiana, as the ``John Brademas Post Office''.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, on 9 February, 2000 Chief Master Sergeant Michael R. Obleman retired as the Chief of the Munitions Element for the 174th Fighter Wing, Hancock Field, New York Air National Guard in Syracuse NY. He assumed leadership of the Munitions Element as a Master Sergeant in January of 1982. Previously he worked as a Supervisor for the Weapons Loading Section. Chief Obleman was born on 1 April, 1948 in Pulaski, New York where he still resides. He graduated from North Syracuse Central High School in June of 1967. In August 1967 he joined the United States Marine Corp where he was an Aviation Ordnance Man. He served in Vietnam from 18 June, 1969 through 9 June, 1970. He was discharged from the Marines in August of 1971. In the Marine Corp he attained the rank of E-5. In the Marines he received the following awards and decorations: National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/palm, the Vietnamese Service Medal with 1 device, the Purple heart, the Good Conduct Medal and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with device. After his discharge from the Marines he worked a civilian job at Rumsey Distributing from October 1971 to December of 1974. In April 1973 he joined the 174th Fighter Wing as a traditional guardsman. On 22 December, 1974 he became a full time technician in the Weapons Loading Section. He worked in Weapons Loading until June of 1982 when he assumed leadership of the Munitions element as a Master Sergeant. He achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant on 15 November, 1987. On 31 August, 1990 he was awarded the rank of Chief Master Sergeant. As Chief of the Munitions element he recognized that the current procedure for uploading 30-millimeter ammo onto the A-10 aircraft could be accomplished in a safer and more efficient manner. He initiated a design change to the GFU-7 loading system for use with the 30- millimeter GPU-5 gun pods. This design change allowed the GPU-5 gun pod to be loaded in the Munitions Storage Area instead of the flight line resulting in less people and aircraft being exposed to a potentially dangerous explosive operation. High levels of Command visited the 174th Fighter Wing to observe the new method he developed. The GPU-5 30- millimeter gun pod was combat tested during Operation Desert Storm. Under his leadership the Munitions Element received excellent ratings on all major inspections. Chief Obleman was instrumental in the planning of the initial setup and the successful ongoing operation of the Forward Operating Location at Wheeler-Sack Air Field for the A-10 and F-16 aircraft, part of the only live fire range in the Northeast. Chief Master Sergeant Michael R. Obleman has 32 years, 6 months and 1 day of dedicated military service. Four years of this service was with the Marines and the remainder of service was with the 174th Fighter Wing, Hancock Field. His Air Force Awards and Decorations include the Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Medal with 6 devices, the Air Force Longevity Service Award with 6 devices, the National Defense Service Medal with 1 device, the South West Asia Service Medal with 2 devices, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with 1 Device, the Kuwait Liberation Medal Saudi Arabia, the Kuwait Liberation Medal Kuwait, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with 4 devices and the Meritorious Service Medal. Chief Obleman married Nancy Condon on 10 May, 1969. He has three children Michael, Lorianne, and John. Lorianne is married to Trevor Quig, and are the parents of his granddaughter, Adrianna.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 221, I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, this bill is, as we have heard, the product of literally months and months of study and negotiations and also, as we have heard, at times more than just a little patience. But the positive outcome has been and is today that really the product before us represents a balance, a very delicate balance, but I think a very important one, between the critical objective of ensuring that our borders are secure against all kinds of illegal activities regardless of their design, with the inescapable reality that, in today's world, as we have heard so many say here today, the free flow of tourism and trade and commerce of all descriptions and people of good will, is not just something that is positive; it is, frankly, something that is absolutely essential. A lot of good folks, many of whom have spoken here directly, my friend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton); the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers); my good colleagues, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Quinn) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton); and, of course, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce); and so many others have had the opportunity to come together on this. But I certainly want to pay particular attention to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the subcommittee chairman. No Member anywhere in this House on either side of the aisle has been a more valiant fighter for our secure borders. But, at the same time, his sensitivity and understanding in this issue has been exemplary. He took the time to travel from his home to the 1,000 Islands in the border crossing there at Alexandria Bay to help himself better understand the challenges and the need that we have. Thanks to his leadership, we have this afternoon what I think is a very fair, a very effective product that can take another important step in technology aspects to making our borders even more secure, while at the same time ensuring that that free flow of tourism and trade continues in a way that enures to the benefit of every citizen of this country.

Mr. McHUGH

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, my thanks to our Speaker pro tempore and to all of my colleagues for being with us this morning. We are, of course, especially grateful to the Speaker, Dennis Hastert, for taking time from his very busy schedule to be with us, and to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) for his warm welcome as well. It is always a privilege for us to return to this great institution which we revere and where we shared so many memorable experiences. Service in Congress, as we know, is both a joy and a heavy responsibility, and whatever our party affiliation, we have great admiration for those who continue to serve in this place for the country. We thank them all once again for giving us this opportunity to report on the activities of our Association of Former Members of Congress. This is our 30th annual report to Congress. Our association is nonpartisan, or bipartisan. It has been chartered but not funded by the Congress. We have a wide variety of domestic and international programs which I and others this morning will briefly summarize in our report. Our membership now is approximately 600 men and women, the purpose of which is to continue in some small measure the service to the country that we began during our terms of service here in the House or in the Senate. I think our most significant domestic activities are our Congress to Campus program. As most know, this is a bipartisan effort to share with college students throughout the country our insights on the work of Congress and on the political process more generally. A team of former Members, one Democrat and one Republican, spend up to 2\1/2\ days on college campuses throughout the United States meeting formally and informally with students, but also with Members of the faculty and the local communities. It is a great experience for all Members, and those who have participated have always enjoyed it. But our primary goal is to generate a deeper appreciation for our democratic form of government and the need for young people in particular to participate actively in the political process. Since the program's inception in 1976, 119 former Members of Congress have reached more than 150,000 students through 267 visits to 183 campuses in 49 States and the District of Columbia. In recent years we have conducted the program jointly with the Stennis Center for Public Service at Mississippi State University. The former Members donate their time to the program, the Stennis Center pays transportation costs, and the host institution provides room and board. At this point, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to Rod Chandler, the gentleman from the State of Washington, to discuss his participation in this Congress to Campus program.

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you, Dennis. Because of the success of our internship program in Ukraine, as has been mentioned, the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, with funding from the Agency for International Development, asked the association to replicate this program in Macedonia. In September of last year, we sent John Hart, who was given leave from his responsibility as press Secretary to Representative Tom Coburn, to Macedonia for 6 months to establish a program for 65 interns to the Macedonian parliament, to initiate a research and analysis program, and to conduct public outreach. Funds were also included to permit several former Members of Congress to travel to Macedonia to assist with this effort. One of those, as Dennis mentioned, was John Erlenborn. At this point, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Illinois to tell us about his participation in that program.

Mr. McHUGH. On behalf of all of us, Jim, we thank you again for your friendship and your warmth and your great service to this institution and to us. We also welcome and wish our best to the new chaplain, who I am sure will serve with equal distinction. Mr. Speaker, the Members of the association were honored and proud to serve in the U.S. Congress and in a way we are continuing our service to the Nation in other ways now, but hopefully ones that are equally as effective. Again, we thank you for letting us make this annual report, and this concludes our session for today, and we again invite all of the Members to the next panel at 10:30 on the China-U.S. relations. Thank you very much.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Rod. One outgrowth of the Congress to Campus program was an interest in producing a book that would take an inside look at Congress from differing viewpoints. There are many fine books written by individual Members of Congress, but to our knowledge, there was no compendium that goes behind the scenes in a very personal way. So, our immediate past president, Lou Frey, recruited more than 30 Members of Congress, former Members, and their spouses to write chapters for a book on Congress. It is being coedited by Lou and by the head of the political science department at Colgate University, Professor Michael Hayes. The book is scheduled to go to press later this year, and we hope that all of you will find it interesting reading. Mr. Speaker, as you know, although many of our former Members live in the Washington area, there are quite a few who reside in other parts of the country. Therefore, in an effort to broaden participation in the association's work, we have had some meetings outside of Washington. In recent years, for example, we have held meetings in the western region, and California in particular. In November of last year, the meeting was in San Diego. In addition to enjoying many of the attractions of that beautiful area, our Members met with students and faculty at San Diego State University as well as the University of California at San Diego. Also former Members Lynn Schenk and Paul Rogers, who serve on the board of directors of Scripps Research Institute, arranged a briefing and a reception for us at the institute. This year the regional meeting will be held in Austin, Texas, from October 21 to 25. Our former colleagues, Jake Pickle and Jack Hightower, are planning an interesting schedule that will include visits to the LBJ Library and ranch, tours of the State Capitol building and other local attractions, as well as meetings with students at the University of Texas. Joel Wyatt last night also volunteered to help with our program in Austin as well. We certainly hope that many of you will be able to join us for what promises to be a very worthwhile and enjoyable time. After the November elections, the association will again sponsor what we have called the Life After Congress Seminar, a program we have traditionally organized for the benefit of Members who are leaving the Congress. During the seminar, former Members now working in the public and private sectors will share insights with retiring Members about career opportunities and the personal adjustments involved in this transition. In addition, congressional support staff will outline the services available to former Members of Congress. As in the past, the seminar will be followed by a reception sponsored by the auxiliary to the association which will afford more time for informal exchanges. Mr. Speaker, beyond the events we organize here, the association is very active in sponsoring programs that are international in scope. Over the years, we have gained experience in fostering interaction between the leaders of other nations and the United States. We have arranged 410 special events at the U.S. Capitol for international delegations from 85 countries and the European Parliament, programmed short-term visits for individual Members of parliaments, and long-term visits for parliamentary staff. We have hosted 46 foreign policy seminars in nine countries involving more than 1,500 former and current parliamentarians, and we have conducted 18 study tours abroad for Members of Congress. The association also serves as a secretariat for the Congressional Study Group on Germany. As many know, this is the largest and most active exchange program between the U.S. Congress and the parliament of another country. Founded in 1987 in the House and 1988 in the Senate, it is a bipartisan group of 171 representatives and senators. They are afforded the opportunity to meet with their counterparts in the German Bundestag to enhance understanding and greater cooperation. Ongoing Study Group activities include conducting a distinguished visitors program at the U.S. Capitol for guests from Germany, sponsoring annual seminars involving Members of Congress and the Bundestag, providing information about participants in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program to appropriate Members of Congress, and arranging for Members of the Bundestag to visit congressional districts with Members of Congress. New activities are being explored to enhance these opportunities. The Congressional Study Group on Germany is funded primarily by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Additional funding, with the help of Tom Coleman, our former colleague, has also been obtained from eight corporations and they are represented now on the Business Advisory Council to the Study Group. I would like at this point to yield to our friend and colleague from Missouri, Jack Buechner, to report on the 17th annual Congress- Bundestag Seminar, which was held recently in Niagara Falls, and other activities.

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Jack. The association also serves as the secretariat for the Congressional Study Group on Japan. This was founded in 1993 in cooperation with the East-West Center in Hawaii. It is a bipartisan group of 80 Members in the House and Senate with an additional 55 Members who have asked to be kept informed of the Study Group activities. In addition to providing substantive opportunities for Members of Congress to meet with their counterparts in the Japanese Diet, the Study Group arranges monthly briefings when Congress is in session for Members to hear from American and Japanese experts about various aspects of the U.S.-Japanese relationship. The Congressional Study Group on Japan is funded primarily by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission. Last year, Mr. Speaker, the association began a parliamentary exchange program with the People's Republic of China. In October, with funding from the U.S. Information Agency, the association hosted a delegate of nine Members of the National People's Congress here in Washington. This visit marked the inauguration of the U.S.-China Interparliamentary Exchange Group, whose members have been appointed by the Speaker. The association has been asked by the Department of State to submit a proposal to fund a visit to China by members of this exchange group next year. We are also seeking funding to initiate a Congressional Study Group on China, which would hold monthly meetings at the Capitol for current Members to discuss with American and Chinese experts topics of particular concern. Obviously, this would follow the same pattern as these other study groups that we have been coordinating for Germany and Japan. I would like now, Mr. Speaker, to yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland, Beverly Byron, to discuss the October visit and future plans for the exchange program with China.

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you, Bev. Before we leave the subject of China, let me just remind everybody that immediately after our proceedings here on the floor, we are going to have a panel, very distinguished panel, including Dave Bonior who mentioned it when he was here, on the subject of China-U.S. relations and, of course, particularly on this pending issue of trade relations with China. So we encourage all of you to come to that panel presentation immediately after this at about 10:30. The U.S. Congress and the Congress of Mexico have been conducting annual seminars for about 39 years under the auspices of the Interparliamentary Group; however, there is still little interaction between the legislators from our two countries during the rest of the year. The association hopes to initiate a Congressional Study Group on Mexico with funding from the Tinker Foundation, so that Members of Congress can meet on a regular basis with visiting Mexican dignitaries and other experts on our mutual relationship. In the aftermath of the political changes in Europe, the association began a series of programs in 1989 to assist the emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe. With funding from the U.S. Information Agency, the association sent bipartisan teams of former Members, accompanied by either a congressional or country expert, to the Czech Republic to, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland for up to 2 weeks. They conducted workshops and provided instruction on legislative issues for new members of parliament in those countries as well as their staffs and other persons involved in the legislative process. They also made public appearances to discuss the American political process. In addition, the association brought delegations of members of parliament from all of these countries to the U.S. for 2-week visits. Also with funds from this USIA, the association sent a technical advisor to the Hungarian parliament from 1991 to 1993. With financial support from the Pew Charitable Trust in 1994, the association assigned technical advisors to the Slovak and Ukrainian parliaments. This initial support was supplemented by other grants to enable Congressional Fellows to extend their stays. Since 1995, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Eurasia Foundation, the association has managed a very highly successful program to place outstanding Ukrainian students in internships with committees in the Ukrainian parliament. This program meets not only the parliament's short-term need for having a well-educated motivated and professionally trained staff, but also the longer term need to develop a cadre of trained professionals. At this point, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Michigan, Dennis Hertel, to report on our program in Ukraine.

Mr. McHUGH. Mr. Speaker, in December of 1996, the association sent a delegation of current and former Members to Cuba on a study mission to assess the situation there and analyze the effectiveness of U.S. policies toward Cuba. Upon its return, the delegation wrote a report of its findings, which were widely disseminated through the media and were made available to Members of Congress as well as to personnel in the executive branch. A follow-up to this initial study mission was conducted in January of 1999. Again, the delegation wrote a detailed report of its findings and shared it through media and briefings with congressional leaders and representatives of the executive branch. A final study mission to Cuba is scheduled to take place from May 29 this year to June 3. A delegation led by John Brademas of Indiana, and including Jack Buechner of Missouri, Larry LaRocco of Idaho and Fred Grandy of Iowa will meet with representatives of the Cuban government, dissidents and others to assess the current State of U.S.-Cuba relations. When they return, they will write a report of their findings and again share their conclusions with Members of the Congress, the media, the executive branch and others. Needless to say, it is a very timely mission with all that is going on these days in that relationship. The association also organizes study tours for its Members and their spouses who, at their own expense, have participated in educational and cultural experiences in a wide variety of places, including Canada, China, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, the former Soviet Union, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America. The most recent study tour took place in March of this year when association and auxiliary members, spouses, and friends visited Italy. As most of my colleagues know, we have three former Members of Congress who now serve as ambassadors in Italy: Tom Foglietta, our Ambassador to Italy, Lindy Boggs, our Ambassador to the Holy See, and George McGovern, our Ambassador to the Food and Agriculture Organization. The trip, as I understand it, was very successful, and at this point I would like to yield to the gentleman from New York, Gerry Solomon, to tell us about that study tour and the plans for next year. (Mr. SOLOMON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you, Gerry. Those of us who put this program together sometimes worry that the annual report will be overly long and dry, and we apologize if it is. But I think it is important that get a sense of the wide variety of programs that we run as an association so that you can participate in those and so that others will be aware of what we are trying to do to help. All of this, of course, requires financial support. And at the present time, we get our financial support primarily from three sources. Our membership dues, and we thank all of you for paying those this year; also from our program grants from foundations and others that support the individual programs that we have described; and from an annual fund-raising dinner that has become a very important part of our financial base. As many of you know, on February 22 of this year, we held our Third Annual Statesmanship Award Dinner, at which our friend and colleague, Lynn Martin, was honored. We presented Lynn with the Statesmanship Award in recognition of her service as a Member of Congress, as Secretary of Labor, and as a leader in many other community activities. I want to acknowledge and thank at this point Lou Frey, our friend and colleague from Florida, who, once again, chaired the dinner. He had a great deal of help, but he led the effort and we are grateful to him and we thank him again for agreeing to do that next year as well. I would also like to recognize at this point Larry LaRocco from Idaho who, among other things, was one of our entertaining and talented auctioneers at the auction which we hold in conjunction this annual dinner.

Mr. McHUGH. Thank you very much, Larry. Mr. Speaker, in addition to the financial support which we have referred to, the association benefits tremendously from the effort and leadership of many people. I want to just expressly thank the officers of the association with whom I have had the privilege to serve: John Erlenborn, Larry LaRocco, Jack Buechner, Lou Frey and others, the members of our board of directors and our counselors, for providing the excellent guidance and support necessary to make all of these activities we have described possible. In addition, we are assisted by the auxiliary of the association which is now led by Nancy Beuchner, Jack's wife. It goes without saying, I am sure, that none of these programs could be effectively run without the staff of our association: Linda Reed, our executive director; Peter Weichlein, our program director, who has special responsibility for the Congressional Study Group on Germany; Katrinka Stringfield, our administrative assistant; Victor Kytasty, who runs our Congressional Fellow program in Ukraine; and Walt Raymond, a senior advisor for our international programs. We are really very grateful to each and every one of them for the help that they give us on a day-to- day basis. The association also maintains close relations with counterpart associations of former Members of parliament in other countries. And we are very pleased that we have two representatives of those other parliament's former Members associations with us here today. I am pleased to recognize and welcome Barry Turner, the President of the Canadian Association of Former Members of Parliament, and George Ehrnrooth from the Association of Former Members of Parliament in Finland, who are with us today and who have been with us on many occasions in the past as well. I also want to mention an invitation we have received from the Association of Former Members of Parliament of Australia for our members and their partners to be guests at a reception being held in Sydney on Tuesday, September 26, 2000, which is during the 21st Olympiad, which is being held in Australia this year. Unfortunately, we cannot pay your way to go to that, but if by chance you are going to the Olympics in Australia, I know that you would enjoy the camaraderie of that reception, which is hosted by the Former Members of Parliament in Australia. If you need more details on that, please talk with Linda about that. Mr. Speaker, it is now my sad obligation to inform the House of those persons who have served in Congress and have passed away since our last report last year. The deceased Members of Congress are the following: Carl B. Albert of Oklahoma; Laurie C. Battle of Alabama; Gary Brown of Michigan; George E. Brown, Jr. of California; John H. Chafee of Rhode Island; Carl Thomas Curtis of Nebraska; David W. Dennis of Indiana; Bernard J. Dwyer of New Jersey; Floyd K. Haskell of Colorado; Henry Helstoski of New Jersey; Byron L. Johnson of Colorado; Ed Jones of Tennessee; Robert H. Mollohan of West Virginia; James C. Murray of Illinois; Richard B. Ray of Georgia; Hardie Scott of Pennsylvania; Abner W. Sibal of Connecticut; Fred Wampler of Indiana; Charles Wiggens of California; Bob Wilson of California. I would respectfully ask all of you at this point to stand for just a moment of silence in memory of our colleagues. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, as you know, we now reach what I think is one of the real highlights of our festivities during the annual meeting, and that is the presentation of our Distinguished Service Award. We present this each year to a distinguished and outstanding public servant. The award normally rotates between the two parties, as do the officers of the association. Last year, the award was presented to a Democrat, our distinguished former Speaker, Jim Wright, who as others have mentioned, is here with us again today and we are deeply grateful that he is able to be with us, along with his wife, Betty. This year, we are being totally nonpartisan and we are extremely pleased to be honoring a man who has been a very special friend and counselor to many of us, former House Chaplain, James David Ford. Before serving as House chaplain, Jim had a very distinguished career with which many of you are quite familiar. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, receiving a Master of Divinity from Augustana Seminary in Illinois, and attending graduate school at Heidelberg University in Germany, Jim served 1958 from 1961 as pastor of the Lutheran Church in Ivanhoe, Minnesota. From 1961 to 1965, he was the assistant chaplain at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. And at the tender age of 33, he was appointed by President Johnson as the senior chaplain at the Military Academy, where he was appointed three times more and served in that position from 1965 until 1979, during which he counseled the corps of cadets not only at West Point, but also our active duty personnel in Vietnam. On January 17, 1979, Jim was elected chaplain of the House of Representatives and was reelected to that post every 2 years until his retirement this year. As you know, he has received countless awards and honorary degrees in recognition of his outstanding service to this institution. Jim Ford's devotion, exceptional counseling skills, and marvelous sense of humor have sustained many of us throughout the years. However, in addition to these qualities, Jim has many other talents, some rather unusual and extraordinary. In the spring of 1976, for example, he was captain of a 31-foot sailboat called the Yankee Doodle, which, with two crewmen, sailed from Plymouth, England, to West Point, New York. This Bicentennial adventure lasted 52 days at sea and covered 5,920 miles. Jim has appeared on the NBC ``Today'' Show, giving exhibitions of trick skiing and ski jumping. He also appeared on the CBS show ``I've Got a Secret,'' and some of us old-timers can remember that show. His secret was: ``Can perform a backwards ski jump.'' Not many of us can do that. Maybe some of you have seen the picture of him actually doing it. Jim also pilots an ultralight airplane in the Virginia foothills and is currently planning to sail across the Atlantic alone. So his talents are numerous. Jim, why don't you come up, if you would, please. He asked, does he get to talk. He cannot wait. Jim, there are two gifts that we present to you as a symbolic gesture of our great affection and one of them is a plaque. I do not know how many plaques you have, but this is a very nice attractive one. I hope you like it. Let me read to you what the plaque says, and I quote: His parishioners were politicians all. His parish was the gilded hall where the soul of freedom dwells. To the Reverend James David Ford, Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1979 to 2000. The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress thanks you for your dedicated pastoral services to the People's House and its men and women. You have provided counsel and comfort to our cadets at West Point, our soldiers in Vietnam, and our Representatives in the United States Congress. You will be missed. Sail on. Washington, D.C., May 17, 2000. We also have a scrapbook, Jim, of letters from your many friends here, and colleagues, extending congratulations and affection to you for this award and, of course, for your great service. And so we want to present this to you now as well. And now it is my great privilege to present to you Reverend Jim Ford. Dr. FORD. Thank you very much for this award. I am honored and delighted to be here. My family are here too. There are some who say that I get this award as an attempt to keep me quiet and not write my book, which I of course will never do. I follow Martin Luther's remarks in the 16th century when he said, ``There are just too many books being written.'' I would like to introduce my successor over here Chaplain Coughlin. Stand up, Chaplain. The new chaplain. Matt mentioned the things that I have done. One of the things you probably will not believe is he said I went off a ski jump backwards. In Minnesota, that is what we did. In Minnesota, we had nine months of winter and three months of poor sledding, and many of us were ski jumpers. I did go out one day and they bet me I could not go off. We did single jumps, double jumps, triple jumps. They bet me that I could not go off backwards and I did. I was on the show, ``I've Got a Secret,'' and that was my secret and they could not guess it. And when it was announced that I had gone off the ski jump backwards, Henry Morgan raised his hand and said, ``Chaplain, I want to ask you a question. Is this when you first began to believe in God?'' And, Chaplain Coughlin, I want you to know something. When you hear that story about the chaplain praying, it is a Senate joke. The Senate Chaplain went out to pray for the Members, took one look at them and decided to pray for America. That is a Senate story, Chaplain, not our side. You know, I started out in Lake Wobegon country, Minnesota. Garrison Keillor country. A town of 700. I was a country pastor, started out where my father and grandfather had started as pastors, within 50 miles. And I never thought I would inherit the title of chaplain. I went to West Point in 1961, in my 20s, and met General Eisenhower who came to church one Sunday. Omar Bradley, I discussed D-Day with him. I knew MacArthur. In fact, I was there when MacArthur gave a famous speech. He gave one here, but he gave a more famous one called ``Duty, Honor, Country'' at West Point in the early 1960s. All he had on the podium was a crumpled piece of paper. He said he worked on that speech for 40 years, and his little piece of paper only said the word, ``doorman.'' He began his speech this way. He said, ``As I left the Waldorf this morning, the doorman said to me, `General, where are you going today?' And MacArthur replied, `I'm going to West Point.' And the doorman said, `Nice place. Have you been there before?' '' But over the years, I got to know these men, Schwarzkopf, whom you know as a general, I remember as a captain and the meanest player in the noontime basketball league. Wes Clark, who just retired as NATO Commander, was one of my cadets. Barry McCaffrey, that you are going to hear at lunch, was one of my cadets. I am particularly proud that Senator Jack Reed, used to serve in the House, now in the Senate, was one of my cadets at West Point, Class of 1971. And presently John Shimkus from Illinois who serves in this body was also one of my cadets. I must tell you, even though it is late, of an important dream that I had last night. Of course, a chaplain is ecumenical and bipartisan. But I had a dream last night that Army was playing Navy in Philadelphia in football. And the two teams were going back and forth and neither team could score. And just before the end of the first half, a jet airplane flew over the stadium and let out a sonic boom, which the Army team took to be the gun ending the first half, so the Army team ran off the field. Three plays later, Navy scored. On a field goal. I came here after that 18 years going through the war as chaplain in 1979. As you know, I always wore the clerical collar. Tip O'Neill called me ``Monsignor.'' He thought I was an Irish priest from South Boston. He had a committee. I mentioned their names, George Mahon, the Chairman; John Rhodes, the Republican Leader, and Jim Wright, who is with us today on the Democratic side. The committee, we met in that office right over there. Now I know how important it is to have an office right off the floor. They asked me this question: What do you think about religion and politics? And leaping into my mind was a quote that the Governor of Minnesota had used in a chapel talk many years before, quoting Martin Luther, and I gave in answer to them, I said, ``As Martin Luther said in 1530, quote: Send your good men into the ministry, but send your best into politics. Because in the ministry it all depends on the spirit, but in politics you have shades of gray, ambiguities, and you need the finest people.'' Of course, after that self-serving comment, they hired me on the spot. But I also believe it. I grew up that way, and I believe it. When I left this place, I wrote a letter to the Members and I said that my feelings about Congress were strong when I came, and they are strengthened now that I leave. Religion points to the goals of life, politics tells us how to get there. We can agree on justice and peace, or faith, hope, and love. Call it what you will. But in politics, we have the give and take of argument and debate as to the how of achieving our goals. I remember as a young man in the 1950s, I went to the Soviet Union and I visited the legislature and it was quiet. And in the 1960s, I went to the East German legislature and it was quiet. Democracy is noisy. I like the noise. I have been with the noise here for 21 years. It is a part of the gift of democracy. Concluding, in my 21 years here, I counted up I have been here for about 35 joint meetings. And as you know, it is a joint session when the President comes; it is a joint meeting when the Heads of State come. And during this time, in these 35 speeches that I heard, I do not think one of them has lived under one constitution for 200 years. We are a young Nation with a very old and mature Constitution. I heard Vaclav Havel speak here from Czechoslovakia. Remember, he got up and said ``I am just a playwright. What do I know? There is no school to be President.'' And we celebrated democracy with him. Lech Walesa of Poland got up, and he said, ``I am an electrician. If the lights go out tonight, I can fix them. But now I am leading a country.'' Or Nelson Mandela, 27 years in prison who stood up here and spoke about reconciliation. It has been a pride to serve as your chaplain for these many years, for politics is a noble vocation, a noble opportunity and calling. I have observed your debates. I have listened to your private concerns. I have encouraged you in your service. I have celebrated with you the joys of democracy. When you think of your service as former Members in this Congress, I say to you stand tall and be proud, because your politics has been a noble vocation. Thank you.