Extensions of Remarks 26357 Extensions of Remarks
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October 14, 1998 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 26357 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS DANTE B. F ASCELL-NORTH-SOUTH gressman announced in Washington that he However, because of their wide constituent in CENTER ACT OF 1991 won't seek a 20th term on Capitol Hill. Nei terest, the following Members of Congress ther will he convert to his personal use, would like to be shown as supporters of H.R. though legally he could, the $500,000 or so in SPEECH OF his campaign treasury. That's fully con 4519. HON. CARRIE P. MEEK sistent with his integrity, public and private. 1. JIM MCGOVERN Representative Fascell is a close second in 2. BOB LIVINGSTON OF FLORIDA seniority, but a clear first in esteem, among 3. WILLIAM JEFFERSON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the members of Florida's congressional dele 4. ALLEN BOYD Monday, October 12, 1998 gation. He has served with distinction as 5. GENE GREEN chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Com 6. JOHN OLVER Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, 1·rise in mittee. 7. CARLOS ROMERO-BARCELO strong support of H.R. 4757, which would des Never was his wisdom on better display 8. VIRGIL GOODE ignate the North/South Center at the Univer than during 1990's congressional debate of America's role in the Persian Gulf. His rea 9. BOB STUMP sity of Miami as the Dante B. Fascell North! 10. PHIL ENGLISH South Center. soned support for deploying multinational forces against Saddam Hussein was pivotal 11. GERALD SOLOMON I thank Chairman GILMAN for his initiative in to winning House approval of President 12. LINDA SMITH this matter, for it is a fitting honor for a truly Bush's policies. 13. JIM GIBBONS great man. Yet Mr. Fascell, 75, also knows full well 14. SUE KELLY For 36 years, Dante Fascell served on the that violence rarely resolves international 15. JOHN TIERNEY House Foreign Affairs Committee, eight years disputes. Long before Iraq's invasion of Ku 16. LYNN RIVERS as full Committee Chairman. He devoted his wait, for instance, he had built a solid record 17. NANCY PELOSI of support for negotiations to bring peace to whole lifetime to the service of this nation and the Mideast while ensuring Israel's security. 18. TOM PETRI the nations of the world. A man with great in He also played a key role in congressional ef 19. MICHAEL PAPPAS sight, judgment, and knowledge, he was an forts to end violence and injustice in Central 20. DAVID HOBSON advisor to Presidents who was also sought out America and to restore democracy and 21. DAVID OBEY by foreign leaders and dignitaries. human rights in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, El 22. RICHARD BURR Throughout his decades of service, Mr. Fas Salvador, and Chile. 23. CLAY SHAW Less visible but arguably as important was cell became more and more convinced of the 24. JAY. JOHNSON Mr. Fascell's work in concert with leading 25. MARCY KAPTUR need for an American foreign policy based on European parliamentarians on behalf of cultural, educational, trade and person-to-per human rights behind the Iron Curtain. Their 26. BUD CRAMER son exchanges between nations, in addition to efforts to free dissidents and goad the East ern bloc to honor the Helsinki accords may normal government-to-government contacts. A DIFFICULT TASK His vision became reality at his alma mater, well have helped hasten tyranny's demise and the Cold War's end .... the University of Miami. Dante Fascell is rec Among Mr. Fascell's endearing traits is HON. MARSHAl! "MARK" SANFORD ognized as the father of the North/South Cen one all too rare among elected officials: can ter, which today is Congressionally-authorized dor. He still has a way of cutting through ba OF SOUTH CAROLINA and one of the nation's leading institutions fo loney to get to the point. You can believe IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cusing on improving relations between the what he says. Wednesday, October 14, 1998 countries of North and South America and the You can also believe, however, that Mr. Fascell might leave some things unsaid in Mr. SANFORD. Mr. Speaker, over the past Caribbean. deference to his longtime colleagues and to few months, I have heard from literally thou Despite his great achievements, however, an institution that he loves. Some retiring sands of folks back home on the President's Dante Fascell never forgot his roots. He was congressmen have spoken bitterly of their matter. On Thursday, I had to digest all that I always friendly, open and approachable to his disillusionment with politics and of the 'poi had heard, read and thought about this, and constituents in South Florida. He committed sonous atmosphere' pervading Capitol Hill. simply vote yes, or no, on whether or not to his efforts to solving little problems, as well as Mr. Fascell said that it was simply time to go after nearly 38 years of service. authorize the Judiciary Committee to proceed big ones. His common sense and common Even so, there's cause for concern over Mr. with an inquiry of impeachment. I voted yes touch endeared him to-literally-generations Fascell's departure. Granted, many term and owe you an explanation of how I got of voters. It is not an exaggeration to say that, limits advocates would argue that he had al there. by the end of his service in Congress he was, ready stayed on too long. It ought to be wor I agree with opponents of the process who as he is today, truly a legend in Florida. risome, though, when able public servants no longer feel that serving in Congress is re have suggested there has been far too much Mr. Fascell retired from the Congress the grandstanding and moralizing on this issue. year that I was elected, in 1992, and so I warding enough or enjoyable enough to make them want to stick around. Frustration with politicians grandstanding, never had the honor of serving with him. But For the nation and for Florida, then, Mr. however, never moved me into the camp that I have known him for many years. He set a Fascell's retirement is a loss. Beyond that, believed we needed to quickly move on to very high standard for public service which all though, the obvious erosion in public serv "the nation's business." In fact, since this of us who follow him try daily to meet. And I ice's attractiveness to candidates of his stat story broke in January, I have tried to listen ure is an even greater loss. am completely confident that those of you carefully and in no way have forgotten about here today who served with Dante Fascell will issues like Social Security or national security. agree with me that he is one of the finest men H .R. 4519 However, I have come to believe that in the to serve in this body. long-run, the current debate is probably just as I would like to share with my colleagues a relevant to the lives of Americans. Here is the few comments on Dante Fascell which ap HON. RALPH M. HAl! reasoning that brought me to this conclusion. peared in a Miami Herald editorial on his re OF TEXAS At the core, representative government is tirement. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES built on trust. Thus, maintaining trust in the [From the Miami Herald, May 28 , 1992] Wednesday , October 14, 1998 leaders who run the many components of gov Dante Fascell retiring? Say it isn't so! But Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, under the ernment is every bit as important as the indi it is: Yesterday the veteran South Dade con- rules, H.R. 4519 is considered a private bill. vidual functions of government. In other e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 26358 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 14, 1998 words, "national security", or "moving onto the ished values-the idea that we are a nation of Georgia Appalachian Trail runs north and nation's business," without trust in the people laws, not men. south through the length of the park and is running it is an oxymoron. intersected by a system of nine park trails In our system of representative government, varying in length from one-half to four miles. every free citizen has ceded over to our 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIGH school board member, our county council POINT STATE PARK High Point State Park is treasured by all member, our Senator and our President a little who have hiked its mountains, swum or fished bit of our authority. We place our trust in them. HON. MARGE ROUKEMA in its lakes or simply taken in its majestic If the President raised his right hand and lied OF NEW JERSEY views. The people of New Jersey owe their to a grand jury, we have a major problem be IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES undying gratitude to the Kuser family for shar cause he is the chief law enforcement officer Wednesday , October 14, 1998 ing this natural wonder with the public and, in of this land. If people felt free to lie in our mu Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call doing so, keeping it in its natural state. I ask nicipal, state or district court system after rais attention to the 75th anniversary of the open my colleagues in the House of Representa ing their hand and swearing to tell the truth, ing of High Point State Park, one of the most tives to join me in thanking the Kuser family, our criminal justice system would not work.