Jim Walsh

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commend a schoolteacher in my home district who has done a quite remarkable thing. He has led a team of high school students who built a solar-powered vehicle to become national winners of the 1995 American Tour de Sol for the best student car in the open class presented by the U.S. Department of Energy. The teacher is Earl Billings, technology instructor at Cato-Meridian High School, a 340-student school in Cato, NY. The accomplishments don't start with the 1995 Tour de Sol title. I will list a few others in a moment. But I don't want the most important point to be lost here. That point is, research into the future is being done in our schools. It is being done all over America, in rural communities such as Cato as well as in larger cities where universities and foundations often support student teams in research the use of solar power in the future and other important projects. And, once again, a teacher is at the helm, is the inspiration, is the guiding force--not only by giving instruction but by leading, by communicating, by relating. By planting seeds of self-worth and pride and by literally building something tangible from something abstract-- an idea. Today is Earl Billings Day in Cayuga County, as proposed by County Legislator Ralph Stanbrook, a true civic leader with whom I have worked on several community projects. In recognizing Mr. Billings, we both hope to once again draw attention to what is good in American schools-- and to give credit where it is due. And in this instance it is most definitely due. Mr. Billings teaches a course entitled Energy, a subject which has been identified by the New York State Education Department as a highly important area of learning for high school students. Forms of energy are discussed, and their relation to our environment is presented. To get the C-M students more interested, Mr. Billings proposed the class take on the ambitious goal of designing, constructing, and testing a full-size, solar-powered electric vehicle. That was in 1990, and what began as a teaching tool quickly came to be an unusual nonclassroom success story for the students and their vehicle, Sunpacer. Sponsored by the North East Sustainable Energy Association from May 22 to May 26, the 1995 American Tour de Sol ran from Waterbury, CT, to Portland, ME, a total of 330 miles through five States. Sunpacer finished first in its division. Winning was not new for the team. Students from Cato-Meridian have been racing Sunpacer since 1991. That is when they first qualified for the Tour de Sol but had to pull out to honor an earlier commitment to show the vehicle at a New York State event. That event represented their third-place ranking out of 750 projects submitted to the Student Energy Research Competition that year. They were back in the Tour de Sol in 1992 to win the national championship; in 1993 they placed third and in 1994 they placed second before regaining the national title this year. As outlined by Mr. Billings, there were five goals, among them to ``help reduce the millions of barrels of oil we use daily''; to heighten public awareness of electric vehicles; to show that if high school kids can build a solar-powered car, business can; to develop student skills in critical thinking, problem solving, research, and engineering; and, listed No. 1 on the important goal list, ``I wanted to excite my students about energy.'' I join the Cayuga County Legislature in saluting Mr. Earl Billings today. I encourage him to continue with this project and I congratulate him on excelling in his chosen profession. I might add that I will look for Earl Billings and the students who work on the 1996 Tour de Sol next May. The planned route starts in New York City and ends right here in the Nation's capital, Washington, DC. Best of luck to all the students involved with this fascinating and productive project.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 966, the James P. Grant World Summit for Children Implementation Act. As we revise our foreign aid priorities it is critical that we not reduce spending for cost-effective programs like child survival that provide benefits to children throughout the world. Spending for kids' programs must continue to be a priority in our foreign aid budget. Minimum Federal investments in child survival, basic education, and micronutrient programs has had a dramatic impact in improving the lives and well-being of children in underdeveloped countries. In 1980, for example, over 5 million kids died from vaccine preventable diseases. Because of our investments in child survival programs such as immunization and oral rehydration therapy we are saving millions of childrens' lives each year. Nearly 13 million children worldwide die each year, 35,000 per day, due to largely preventable diseases and malnutrition. These miserable conditions create a cycle of poverty and hopelessness that can be broken through proven, cost-effective child survival strategies. Last year, we provided $280 million for child survival program activities and increased funding for these activities is desperately needed. While it is clear that overall foreign aid levels will be reduced this year, it is essential that the committees dealing with foreign affairs ensure continued U.S. participation in child survival. The World Summit for Children Implementation Act, a bill which I have sponsored with my good friend and leading hunger advocate, Tony Hall, maintains and increases our investment in child survival, basic education, micronutrient programs, and UNICEF. Congress needs to keep its commitment to these cost-effective child development assistance programs and I plan on working with my colleagues to see that these priorities are incorporated into foreign affairs legislation.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate, once again, the Syracuse University Varsity Lacrosse Team for its victories over tenacious and skilled opponents from Virginia and Maryland on Memorial Day weekend in the 1995 NCAA Lacrosse Championships. This marks the sixth time that Coach Roy Simmons, Jr., his outstanding coaching staff, and the players from Syracuse University have brought this honor on themselves. This has been a year of ups and downs for the Syracuse team and those of us in central New York who follow their prowess. The lacrosse program has sustained a national reputation worthy of the SU sports program and of any division I academic institution. We in Syracuse are very proud. It was a poignant set of victories leading to this championship, in light of the death earlier in the season of Roy Simmons, Sr., a well- known Syracusan, the father of Coach Simmons and himself the only other lacrosse coach at SU since 1931. Additionally, Roy, Sr. was president of the city of Syracuse Common Council earlier in his career. The sign of a true championship is the ability to overcome adversity. Syracuse University's team and coaches came through a rough start of the season and finished with a great win against a strong Maryland team on their home field. In the semifinal they eliminated Virginia, a team that conquered the Orangemen earlier in the year. We salute the 16 graduating seniors and thank them and their undergraduate teammates for some wonderful memories. Good luck and congratulations, national champs.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, last year I was as proud as I could be, or thought I could be, of some very special young athletes in my home district, the Syracuse Stars Pee Wee Hockey Team. They had won the USA Nationals and all of our hometown was awash in publicity and congratulations. Today I am eager to report that the same team has once again prevailed. They are now the holders of the World Cup of Pee Wee Hockey, having won on February 19 this year the 36th Annual Tournoi De Quebec in Quebec City. The tournament hosted 115 teams from 17 countries. The Stars defeated teams from Russia, Ukraine, Detroit, and Toronto on their way to becoming the first U.S. team to ever win the World Cup. To put this tournament in perspective, more than 550 former or present NHL players have participated, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and Mario Lemieux. The players are: Daniel Bequer, goalie, of North Syracuse; Brian Balash, forward, of Auburn; Gary Baronick, forward, of North Syracuse; Drew Bucktooth, forward, of the Onondaga Indian Nation; Tim Connolly, forward, of Baldwinsville; Jeremy Downs, defense, of Syracuse; Joshua Downs, defense, of Syracuse; J.D. Forrest, defense, of Auburn; Todd Jackson, forward, of Cortland; Josh Jordan, forward, of Marathon; Tom LeRoux, forward, of Syracuse; Doug MacCormack, forward, of Cortland; Matt Magloine, defense, of North Syracuse; Freddy Meyer, defense, of New Hampshire; Anthony Pace, forward, of Cortland; Steve Pakan, defense, of Syracuse; Mike Saraceni, goalie, of North Syracuse; and Ricky Williams, forward, of McGraw. Head Coach Don Kirnan was assisted by coaches Mike Connolly and John Jackson and manager Chris Kirnan. Freddy Meyer won the Tournament MVP trophy and Drew Bucktooth won the Grand Finale Game MVP. Tim Connolly was top scorer of the tournament and along with Anthony Pace was named a single-game MVP. Dan Bequer gave up only two goals in the last three games, which proved for some exciting hockey, especially in the Stars' 6-2 final game win over the Toronto Young Nationals. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating these young athletes for their performance, and for bringing home to the United States our first World Cup of Pee Wee Hockey.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding any adjournment of the House until Monday, May 1, 1995, the Speaker and the minority leader be authorized to accept resignations and to make appointments authorized by law or by the House.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, last year I was as proud as I could be, or thought I could be, of some very special young athletes in my home district, the Syracuse Stars Pee Wee Hockey Team. They had won the U.S.A. Nationals and all of our hometown was awash in publicity and congratulations. Today I am eager to report that the same team has once again prevailed. They are now the holders of the World Cup of Pee Wee Hockey, having won on February 19 this year the 36th Annual Tournoi De Quebec in Quebec City. The tournament hosted 115 teams from 17 countries. The Stars defeated teams from Russia, Ukraine, Detroit, and Toronto on their way to becoming the first United States team to ever win the World Cup. To put this tournament in perspective, more than 550 former or present NHL players have participated, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and Mario Lemieux. The players are: Daniel Bequer, goalie, of North Syracuse; Brain Balash, forward, of Auburn; Gary Baronick, forward, of North Syracuse; Drew Bucktooth, forward, of the Onondaga Indian Nation; Tim Connolly, forward, of Baldwinsville; Jeremy Downs, defense, of Syracuse; Joshua Downs, defense, of Syracuse; J.D. Forrest, defense, of Auburn; Todd Jackson, forward, of Cortland; Josh Jordan, forward, of Marathon; Tom LeRoux, forward, of Syracuse; Doug MacCormack, forward, of Cortland; Matt Magloine, defense, of North Syracuse; Freddy Meyer, defense, of New Hampshire; Anthony Pace, forward, of Cortland; Steve Pakan, defense, of Syracuse; Mike Saraceni, goalie, of North Syracuse; and Ricky Williams, forward, of McGraw. Head Coach Don Kirnan was assisted by coaches Mike Connolly and John Jackson and manager Chris Kirnan. Freddy Meyer won the Tournament MVP trophy and Drew Bucktooth won the Grand Finale Game MVP. Tim Connolly was top scorer of the tournament and along with Anthony Pace was named a single-game MVP. Dan Bequer gave up only two goals in the last three games, which proved for some exciting hockey, especially in the Stars' 4-0 final game win over Czechoslavakia. I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating these young athletes for their performance, and for bringing home to the United States our first World Cup of Pee Wee Hockey.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday, May 3, 1995.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. I just would like to say that it has been my great pleasure to work with the distinguished Delegate from Washington, our Nation's Capital, who serves with such grace and distinction, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton], and it has been my pleasure also to work on this bill with the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis], a freshman Member from Virginia, and the people of Northern Virginia showed great wisdom in sending this young man to us at this time. This was a bipartisan bill, passed unanimously by the House under the leadership of the committee chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Clinger], who guided all of us in this endeavor. This will bring closure to the first step in restoring our Nation's Capital City. I have enjoyed working with all the Members and with the truly responsible members of city government. Again, it is a bipartisan effort that we all can take pride in, and I urge unanimous support. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1345, the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995, as amended by the Senate last night. The amendments made by the Senate are, for the most part, clarifying in nature. The amendment on page 7 involves the relationship of the Authority with the District of Columbia courts. The amendment on page 12 clarifies the applicability of certain employment and procurement laws to the Authority's Executive Director and staff. The amendment on page 10 of the House engrossed bill modifies a provision of the legislation dealing with the required qualification for appointment to the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority. As the bill now before us reads, persons appointed to the Authority must all ``be individuals who maintain a primary residence in the District of Columbia or who have a primary place of business in the District of Columbia.'' This is a useful change because while maintaining the requirement that all appointees have clear ties to the District, it at the same time broadens the pool of persons eligible to be selected. In that regard, I think it is clear that having ``a primary place of business in the District'' is broader than having to own a business here. There are certainly many people who are not the actual owners of a business located in the District, but whose primary place of business is there. For example, an accountant who works for an accounting firm in the District of Columbia can surely be said to have the District as their primary place of business. Owning a business, and doing business are not necessarily the same thing, and not everyone who has a primary place of business is the owner of that business. Mr. Speaker, this is a good compromise with the Senate and I urge my colleagues to agree to H.R. 1345 as amended by the State.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me and I thank him for his hard work on a very vigorous project, one sorely in need. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1345. I think this is a good bill. It is the culmination of many hours and long days of discussions and negotiations. It is a nonpartisan issue. Every one on both sides of the aisle in this body as well as the other body and the White House has worked diligently with one objective in mind, to do what is best for our Nation's Capital. This bill will establish a financial responsibility and management assistance authority, a control board, consisting of five members to be appointed by the President in consultation with the Congress within 25 days of its enactment. Results of our hearings indicate that the District's financial management and information systems are inadequate to provide the data that is essential for the efficient operation of the District government. H.R. 1345 establishes a chief financial officer of the District of Columbia who will be appointed by the Mayor and subject to the approval by a majority of the vote of the authority and removed only with authority approval. The CFO will be responsible for all financial activities of the District government, from revenue estimates and cash receipts to expenditures and cash disbursements. So this is going to be a very important position, in my judgment, the most important position. Because the position is so important, this person must have as much independence to carry out the mission of getting local government back on track financially. Another position that is key to the success of the authority is an inspector general who also must be truly independent to pursue investigations that will lead to the prevention and detection of fraud and abuse. We in the Congress must continue our vigilance to ensure the independence of both of these offices. Mr. Speaker, I want to touch on what I consider to be the crucial issue of the authority. In the event that there is a stalemate, an impasse between the authority and city government, the bill allows the authority to implement its own recommendations, whether they be executive or legislative in nature. This power is absolute and it is absolutely necessary if the authority is to be effective and have the desired impact on the efficient operation of District government. This authority needs to have control. It is our intention that it have control. In my opinion, the bill before you is drafted so that the authority will have control, the control it needs to get the District government back on a sound financial footing. We felt very strongly this had to be a tough bill, tough love for our Nation's Capital. This bill meets that standard. Lastly, Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis] talked about the ability of the District to go to the Treasury to borrow. That authority continues under this new regime. And that is important because the individual, the organizations that have loaned money to the District, their interests need to be protected, along with the interests of the District. That will continue under this law and, in fact, ensure that if the District does go back to Treasury and borrow, that the money will go directly to the control board and will be disbursed under their authority. Finally, I believe, Mr. Speaker, that sufficient safeguards are in place to protect the Federal taxpayer, all Americans who send their tax dollars to support the city. This is not a partisan bill. The people who really put this together, the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis], the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton], did a marvelous job, a truly marvelous job negotiating this. The gentleman from California [Mr. Dixon], former chairman in the seat that I now sit in, lent his toughness and his wisdom to this product. I thank him and I also thank from my staff John Simmons and Migo Miconi who worked so hard to support my activities.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a sponsor of the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Act of 1995 which is being introduced today by the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Davis]. Mr. Speaker, the crafting of this bill has taken many hours and has involved a wide array of individuals. Our colleague, Tom Davis, has done yeoman's work and is to be commended for his skill in forging a strong bill that has bipartisan support in this House. That is no easy feat. This bill, Mr. Speaker, will establish a financial responsibility and management authority consisting of five members to be appointed by the President, in consultation with the Congress, within 25 days after it is enacted. The key to the success of our efforts in restoring the financial health of our Nation's Capital is the selection of individuals who are competent, capable and have a good heart with regard to the city. The bill requires that these individuals have expertise in finance and management, have no connection with the District government that could cause a conflict of interest, and during the most recent year have paid personal income or business taxes to the District. There are a few comments I would like to make regarding the powers of the authority. First, all contracts, leases and agreements entered into by the District government will be subject to approval by the authority to ensure they are in compliance with the financial plan. If they are not in compliance, they will be sent back until they are. This is important if the District is going to get to a balanced budget anytime soon. Second, there is no question that the District's financial management and information systems are inadequate. To deal with this problem the bill establishes a chief financial officer of the District of Columbia who will be appointed by the Mayor and, during the control period, subject to approval by a majority vote of the authority. The chief financial officer can be removed only with the approval of the authority and will be responsible for all financial activities of the District government from revenue estimates and cash receipts to expenditures and cash disbursements. This is the most important position in the District government from the standpoint of the District finances. And the person in this position must have as much independence as possible if the District government is to get back on track financially. Third, it has become glaringly apparent that the District needs a truly independent inspector general. During the control period the inspector general will be appointed by the mayor subject to approval by a majority vote of the authority, and like the chief financial officer, can be removed only with the approval of the authority. The inspector general will have subpoena powers and a budget that will be subject to change by the mayor or council. This has been a problem in the past. Mr. Speaker, the next point I want to discuss is crucial to the effectiveness of the authority. In the event there is a stalemate between what the authority recommends and what the District recommends, the bill allows the authority to implement its own recommendations whether they are executive or legislative in nature. This power is essential if the authority is to be effective and have any impact on the efficient operation of the District government. The authority created by this legislation, Mr. Speaker, needs to have control; and it is our intention that it have control; and this bill is drafted so that it will have control over the operations of the District government. My final comment relates to the concern that has been expressed by several members about the mayor's access to the Federal Treasury. The mayor is authorized by a statute approved in 1937 to requisition funds from the Federal Treasury. This borrowing authority was used primarily for cash flow purposes bond market in the early 1980's. It has not been used since; however, the bond market has looked to this Treasury window as the ultimate guarantor of securities issued by the District. Therefore, it is necessary to continue this access to the Treasury to maintain the marketability of the District's $3.3 billion in outstanding long-term securities. The Federal Government in essence serves as the District's ``State government'' and therefore provides the necessary assurance required by the investment community. Any funds borrowed from the Federal Treasury under this bill will be deposited into an account controlled by the authority and repaid by the District government at the going interest rate plus one-eighth of 1 percent. In addition, the authority will remain in existence until all of the amounts borrowed under the auspices of the authority, whether from the Federal Treasury or from the bond market, are repaid in full. After the control period ends, The District will continue to have access to the Treasury window. However, under section 209 of the bill, the authority will be reactivated immediately if certain events occur, and one of the events that will trigger the reactivation is the mayor's requisitioning of advances from the Federal Treasury. If that should occur, the borrowed funds will once again be deposited into an account controlled by the authority. So I feel comfortable that sufficient safeguards are in place to protect the Federal taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good bill and deserves the support of this House.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, the most recent edition of the Empire State Report, January 1995, contains an excellent article about the Washington based correspondent for the Watertown Daily Times known to those of us in the New York delegation as the Dean. Alan Emory has served his newspaper and the people of the north country for 43 years with distinction, style, and grace. Recognition from our peers is always a treasured commodity. Last December, Alan was elected president of the Gridiron Club, an association of Washington journalists, because of his long-time service and professional dedication to his chosen field of endeavor. He is respected and admired within the fraternity of journalism as this honor clearly indicates. Among those in Congress who respond to his inquiries, Alan is known for his fairness and integrity. This in itself is the mark of a true professional. I am enclosing the above-mentioned article for the Record. It is a well deserved tribute for one of the true gentlemen in journalism today. The Dean [By Jonathan D. Salant] At one of U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan's infrequent gatherings for the Washington press corps from New York newspapers, a New York Times reporter attempted to sit in the front row. ``No, no, no,'' Moynihan sputters. ``That's the dean's seat.'' The ``dean'' in this case refers to Alan Emory, the 72- year-old correspondent for the Watertown Daily Times. Most of the reporters who join Emory weren't born when he came to Washington 43 years ago, the result of an effort by his publisher to give the readers something more in exchange for a price hike. The rest of the New York press corps watches Emory take his seat in front and pour a cup of coffee for the senator. They sit silent deferentially to allow Emory to ask the first question, much as the senior wire service reporter opens presidential news conferences. Emory began covering Washington before Moynihan, who later served in the administration of four presidents, began his career in public service as an aide to then-Gov. Averell Harriman. Emory has covered Govs. Thomas Dewey, Harriman, Nelson Rockefeller, Malcolm Wilson, Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo. He has covered Sens. Irving [[Page E134]] Ives, Kenneth Keating, Jacob Javits, Robert Kennedy, Charles Goodell, James Buckley, Alfonse D'Amato and Moynihan. Emory has reported on the administrations of Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Come March, he'll be dining with Bill Clinton. ``It's a very exciting prospect,'' Emory says. In December, Emory was elected president of the Gridiron Club, an association of powerful Washington journalists. Some of his predecessors include David Broder, Helen Thomas, Carl Rowan and Jack Germond. Emory says he can't remember another reporter from a small newspaper being elected club president. Each March, the Gridiron Club holds an ultra-exclusive white-tie dinner featuring the president, his cabinet, and most of Washington's top public officials and politicians. Like the Legislative Correspondents Association's annual show in Albany, the Washington reporters write parodies poking fun at Republicans and Democrats alike. As club president, Emory gets to dine with Clinton and must keep an eye on him throughout the show, the better to report back to the membership on how he reacted to the skits. Clinton gets to deliver a rebuttal following the show. Next year's speakers also include Moynihan and former Education Secretary Bill Bennett. It's been a long journey between dinner with the president and Watertown, where Emory first was hired in 1947 after graduating from Columbia University with a master's degree in journalism. (He attended Harvard University as a undergraduate.) Emory was covering the Dewey administration in Albany when his publisher, John Johnson, called him in August 1951. ``We're going to raise the price of the paper. We owe the readers something,'' Emory recalls Johnson telling him, ``How would you like to go to Washington?'' Emory jumped at the chance. He and his wife, Nancy, packed up and moved south. Shortly after arriving in Washington, they found a house on a lake in a Virginia suburb. They've been there ever since, raising three children. They now have four grandchildren as well. He's traveled with presidents, covered the White House, and written on foreign affairs. But his bread-and-butter is the local, day-to-day coverage of New York affairs in Washington. The congressional delegation. The St. Lawrence Seaway. The state lobbying office. Politics. Federal decisions as they affect the Empire State. The New York connection has served Emory well. At the 1960 Republican National Convention, Emory got there a few days early and hung out with aides to then-New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller. They told him that Rockefeller was not going to be nominated for president against Richard Nixon. A national scoop. ``I got the story long, long before anyone else even came close to it,'' Emory says. Likewise, at the 1968 Republican convention, while waiting to interview with William Miller, the former upstate New York congressman who was Barry Goldwater's running mate four years earlier, Emory found a poll that showed Nixon being more popular than Rockefeller in New York. The two men were competing for the 1968 Republican presidential nomination. Emory gave his story to the Nixon folks with the stipulation that they agree to credit his newspaper if they used the information. Sure enough, there was Nixon a few days later, quoting the Watertown Daily Times. Emory spends much of his time chronicling the Watertown- area congressman, John McHugh (R-Pierrepont Manor). McHugh was three years old when Emory first went to Washington. ``I took my first lessons about politics from Alan Emory's column,'' McHugh says. ``I've read about his experiences and his observations. I finally had a chance to meet with him face-to-face and work with him. It was a thrill for me. To most people in the North Country, Alan Emory is our window on the Capitol.'' Many regional reporters in Washington move onto greener pastures. They land jobs at larger papers or enter the government. Emory says he has never tired of his job or the Watertown paper. He once had a shot at a bigger paper, but it fell through. Otherwise, he says, he's never wanted to leave. ``Watertown treats me like a member of the family,'' he says. He goes on vacation when he wants. He has the time to do projects like Gridiron. The paper was very supportive when he underwent cancer treatment a few years back. One of Emory's friends, Allan Cromley of the Daily Oklahoman, walks by. ``Don't believe a word he says,'' Cromley says. Emory smiles and goes on. ``When people play up to the big metropolitan papers, there's that frustration,'' Emory says. ``But there's a counterweight that comes if you luck into somebody from your neck of the woods who gets way up there.'' Eisenhower's press secretary, Jim Haggerty, used to work for Dewey. Nixon's secretary of state, William Rogers, was a native of St. Lawrence County. Former Central Intelligence Agency chief Allan Dulles was a Watertown native. All became sources for Emory. Others from the North Country have passed through. Former state Sen. Douglas Barclay of Pulaski chaired President Bush's upstate campaign in 1988 and was named to the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Former North Country Rep. Robert McEwen was appointed by President Reagan to one of the joint U.S.-Canadian commissions. Former Assistant Education Secretary Donald Laidlaw was an Ogdensburg native. Another official, former Republican National Committee Executive Director Albert (Ab) Herman, had played professional baseball in Watertown. Emory wrote a story about him, and Herman began hearing from old friends long forgotten. ``He was a fabulous political source from then on,'' Emory recalls. In the 1950s, the federal government used to publish a book listing the home congressional district of numerous federal workers. Anyone hailing from the North Country's congressional district could expect a call from Emory. ``I would leaf through that book, call them up and do interviews,'' Emory says. ``These were people nobody had ever been in touch with before. They started getting mail from old neighbors who saw their write-ups in the Watertown Daily Times. Also, it gave me all kinds of contacts. If the individual didn't have the answer, he could lead me to someone who did.'' A U.S. senator named Hubert Horatio Humphrey became a source as well. Humphrey and Emory's mother, Ethel Epstein, served together on the board of the liberal Americans for Democratic Action. Emory lists Humphrey and former Michigan U.S. Sen. Philip Hart as his two favorite politicians. He came to know Hart after an aide to New York U.S. Sen. Herbert Lehman joined the Michigan senator's staff. Among contemporary politicians, it is Cuomo, who Emory landed as the speaker for the 1988 Gridiron show, who is his favorite. Cuomo sent him a note a couple of years back for his 70th birthday. Had Cuomo run for president, he might have been the chief executive accompanying Emory to the Gridiron dinner next March. But Emory says he's not surprised Cuomo never went for the White House. ``I was never totally convinced that he wanted to undergo the battle,'' Emory says. ``He would have loved to be president but he would have hated to be a candidate.''

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to commend the League of Women Voters for their recently celebrated 75th anniversary, which we recognized in Syracuse last month with a ceremony and exhibit at our beloved Erie Canal Museum. The league has steadfastly dedicated itself to informing voters about the choices they have and the process they are most certainly a part of. It is fitting that our celebration in Syracuse was held at the Canal Museum, inside a symbol of our regional--and in fact our national-- history and our local heritage. Decisions by elected government are by their nature best made after consultation with an informed citizenry. Just as the Erie Canal was the work of governmental leaders enlightened by a populace requiring economic salvation, so too is democracy exercised best when groups such as the League of Women Voters have done their work. My personal experience with the Syracuse Metro League has been positive. I believe I have benefited by their efforts. They have provided forums for discussion, most recently on health care. And more generally, but perhaps most important, they have been willing partners in the push to keep people interested and involved in the responsibilities of democracy. I want to encourage the league, and to cooperate. I would ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the League of Women Voters for their hard work and in wishing them well for many years to come.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, the biggest news in Marathon, NY, recently was the celebration surrounding the victorious Girls Field Hockey team, winners of the Class D New York State Championship. I ask my colleagues to join me today in adding our congratulations to the lady Olympians of Marathon High School who played on the team, the coaching staff and school staff, the fans who supported them so energetically throughout the season, and especially to the families and friends who traveled with the team to all the road games--notably, the 3-to-2 win in the State Championship game against North Warren at the State University of New York at Oneonta. In the 21 years field hockey has been played in Marathon, a small and idyllic community in my upstate New York district, this is the first State Championship. We are all very proud. The local celebrations have given residents a chance to display that pride, from the first night when the team returned home and fire sirens blared to the official ceremony at Lovell Field when each player and coach had time in the spotlight. The girls have displayed the best competitive spirit as well as the best athletic performance. They have achieved much more than a series of victories, they have attained the satisfaction of personal best. While I salute their thrilling winning season, I applaud their outstanding individual drive. The team is: Alissa Altmann, Annette Ando, Jenna Brown, Diana Contri, Carrie Ensign, Arlene Hallock, Jennie Lavens, Lela Leyburn, Hilary Matson, Bobbie McAllister, Gina Moyers, Tina Owen, Jen Potter, Kelli Reid, Joanna Ryan, Rachel Smith, Carla Tagliente, Tessa Warner, and Coach Karen Funk--who is responsible for the program's existence and its origin. Mr. Speaker, I do not intend to overstate this accomplishment for it is in a field of sport--and not anything that directly relates to our business here today. But, when we honor the attainment of goals by these young people, we share their joy and their sense of community, a motivator for them which has been in abundance this season.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, my tribute to Ed Madigan is on behalf of myself, because I lost a friend, and my father, who had the pleasure of serving with Ed Madigan in this House a little over a decade ago, and who indeed, also, has lost a friend. Because it is true that if you ever served with Ed, you probably ended up his friend. In the tradition of Irish stock who emigrated to America to fill positions in civic duty, some of Ed Madigan's ancestors were in law enforcement. His father was a sheriff, of which Ed was very proud. A strapping man, handsome and smiling, Ed Madigan was a powerful figure who could tell a good story, who had a sense of humor. After I was first elected to the House, before I got down here, my father told me about Ed Madigan, suggested I look him up. When I did, the man took me under his wing as if a self-appointed mentor. I had requested a seat on the Agriculture Committee and of course Ed was the ranking member in those days when we were in the minority. At the same time, by the way, he was ranking member of Energy and Commerce, just to give you an idea of what he could accomplish. What I learned from him on the Agriculture Committee was invaluable. I learned about some things from him about farming, for sure, and about politics. But mostly I learned that a thoughtful, sincere approach in a distinguished and respectable manner can accomplish as much, if not more, than bluster. Soon after I was here, he got involved in the race for whip, and I was happy to work for him. He lost the race, a very close race to a brilliant and rising star in Republican House politics, our current Speaker Newt Gingrich. Ed showed strength and character in defeat as he did in victory. Ed Madigan impressed me as a man who had real class. He was gracious and fair-minded, and I gained respect for him on my own, with fresh realization of what my father's earlier praise really meant. In public service, if we are lucky, we form many friendships with colleagues, and when it comes to remembering them under these circumstances we may tend to recall personal traits over actual accomplishment. So I want to end my tribute to Ed Madigan today by relating what people who know agriculture saw as a true labor of love by Ed and a victory by anyone's standards. When the 1985 farm bill was being written, of vital importance to farm families and related businesses and their employees, a tangle of legislation banded together for full House consideration made its way to the floor but for all intents and purposes was doomed. The effort to mold a planning document, on which so many people and so much commerce would depend, was in disarray. It was headed for defeat, but Ed Madigan's amendments saved it. Ed Madigan, who honored the memory of Abraham Lincoln and modeled himself in some ways after his fellow Illinois Representative, virtually rewrote the farm bill on the floor in a way that not only accomplished the short-term goal--but, amazingly, was so cohesive and comprehensive that it served as a blueprint for the farms bills to follow. I said I lost a friend, and for that I am sad. But I am happy now to recall his work and honor his memory. Thank you.