CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E499 Thanking Everybody and Grinning, and You Paign Slogan
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March 29, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E499 thanking everybody and grinning, and you paign slogan. It was a high calling, well-an- The 59-year-old St. Paul lawmaker’s an- had to admire him for his command of the swered by Bruce Vento. nouncement that he will end a 30-year public occasion. service career, which began when he was A man who is desperately ill and on his elected to the Minnesota Legislature in 1971, [From the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Feb. 3, way out of public life stages a dinner that triggered an outpouring of tributes and pray- 2000] raises money for a scholarship fund for erful concern form lawmakers on both sides teachers. Bruce Vento is a man of great A MAN OF THE PEOPLE—BRUCE VENTO’S of the aisle. President Clinton and Vice bravery and devotion and foresight who rep- LEGACY ETCHED BY SERVICE President Gore, who came to Congress the resented us nobly in Congress, whether we As U.S. Rep. Bruce Vento of St. Paul takes same year as Vento, also issued statements knew it or not. on the challenges of treatment for lung can- of praise and concern. cer caused by asbestos, the affection of the None was more poignant than that from people he has served in the East Metro area [From the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Oct. 11, his fellow Minnesota Democrat, Jim Ober- is sure to be returned. Ours included. 2000] star, who noted, ‘‘I lost my wife, Jo, to May the best of medical care and the best breast cancer, so Bruce’s disclosure that he HE WORE A BLUE COLLAR AND A WHITE HAT of wishes from the many people he has sup- too is fighting cancer hits close to home. Rep. Bruce F. Vento’s last Christmas card ported in tough times help Vento prevail in Bruce has spent the past 24 years in Congress pictures a smiling, healthy appearing grand- this campaign to regain his health. fighting for working people, and now he is in father at a baseball outing with the little Vento, who has been commuting to work a fight for his life.’’ folks. There’s no hint of his lofty position as in Washington since 1977, announced Wednes- Even though they often clashed over the a member of Congress from Minnesota’s 4th day he will retire at year’s end and is under- issue of federal control of northern Min- District. The card is an ordinary photo holi- going cancer treatment. nesota’s pristine Boundary Waters Canoe day greeting hand-signed simply with Vento has served the Fourth Congressional Area Wilderness, Oberstar called Vento ‘‘a ‘‘Bruce.’’ The image is a wonderful one for District of Minnesota, the natural world, the dear friend of mine’’ and ‘‘an exceptional remembering Vento, who died Tuesday at hard-pressed communities of the homeless, public servant.’’ age 60 of lung cancer. the young and the needy with a personal pas- Rep. Jim Leach (R–Iowa), chairman of the Vento was a straightforward man, rooted sion to improve the quality of life. He has Banking and Financial Services Committee in St. Paul from first to last. He was a talker gone about his work always with great heart on which Vento serves, praised him for his and a fighter, a partisan and a patriot, a and mastery of the arcane art of legislating. leadership on federal banking policy. He union man and sophisticated scientist. Vento Vento is an Old Democrat in a New Demo- called the former high school science teacher was the only congressman a generation of crat era. His reliable fidelity to ideals and to and union shop steward ‘‘a citizen/legislator: 4th District residents has ever known. He people who get their hands dirty at work will an educator who came to Capitol Hill and was first elected in 1976 and served 12 terms. be missed. To this day, his resume always gave Congress a civics lesson.’’ In the majority and as a powerful chair of notes that he worked as a laborer, a mail- But Vento’s greatest legislative achieve- the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Na- room clerk for this newspaper, a shop stew- ments have been those he made as chairman tional Parks, Forests and Public Lands for ard and a teacher before getting a job that and later ranking member of the Resources more than 10 years, Vento reached the peak put him in charge of more vast stewardships. Committee’s Parks and Public Lands Sub- of his national influence on the future of the Those include oversight of all America’s pub- committee. ‘‘I cannot think of another per- country’s wild places. His work there re- lic lands and helping to rescue the financial son who has done more to protect America’s sulted in protection of hundreds of thousands system from the ruin of the savings and loan national parks,’’ said the Sierra Club’s exec- of acres of public land—ranging from the debacles. utive director, Carl Pope. ‘‘Protecting our Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to Vento’s career in Congress, and before that nation’s natural heritage is a passionate love the Minnesota National Wildlife Refuge—and in the Minnesota Legislature, represent an for him.’’ the enactment of more than 300 laws pre- old-fashioned sense of public service in a Vento’s hometown newspaper, the St. Paul serving the environment. new-fashioned and too-slick political era. He Pioneer Press-Dispatch—where he once He served as chair of the House Task Force knew what private-public partnerships were worked as a mailroom clerk—called him ‘‘an during the savings and loan crisis of the before the concept became a sound bite for Old Democrat in a New Democrat era’’ who 1980s. Vento was a champion for programs to the ambitious. And he has never been afraid exemplified ‘‘an old-fashioned sense of public shelter the homeless, for human stewardship of a fight when the issue and the people mat- service in a new-fashioned and too-slick po- in the natural world. Vento’s last major leg- ter deeply. litical era.’’ islative accomplishment was the special The Reagan and Bush administrations Noting that Vento will not be part of the Hmong citizenship law signed by President were the source of frustration for the man Democrats’ fight to regain the House, the Clinton this year. from the Fourth. When the Democrats were newspaper added a poetic tribute: ‘‘Larger When Vento announced in February that thrown into the congressional minority in things have taken over. But his mark will he was ill with mesothelioma, the bread he 1994, Vento found new rules but always kept stand fast. An afternoon with only the had cast on the waters started coming back. his eye on the prize of Democrats retaking sounds of the paddle dipping, the wind waft- The cards and prayers, the honors and affec- the reins. He noted with each election how ing, and the birds singing in the Boundary tion, Vento said, were at first surprising and much the Republican majority had nar- Waters Canoe Area is the melody Bruce overwhelming. From personal cards, much rowed. This year, Vento will not be in the Vento makes in the woods of public policy. like his simple Christmas greetings, to the equation for a Democratic House. Larger . Godspeed, Congressman Vento.’’ renaming of East Consolidated as Bruce F. things have taken over. But his mark will Vento Elementary School, the community stand fast. f Vento served hoped to express respect and An afternoon with only the sounds of the gratitude. That respect will live on through paddle dipping, the wind wafting and the CORRUPTION SCANDAL ENGULFS a scholarship fund established in Vento’s birds singing in the Boundary Waters Canoe INDIAN GOVERNMENT honor for college students who intend to be- Area is the melody Bruce Vento makes in come science teachers. It also will live on in the woods of a public policy. So is the ani- a trail named for him in recognition of his mated, personal Vento chatting with all HON. DAN BURTON enthusiasm for bicycling. comers at the Labor Day picnic. OF INDIANA He accepted the affection with grace and Godspeed, Congressman Vento. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES dignity, while never losing the trace of whimsy that accompanied Vento the Sub- Thursday, March 29, 2001 [From the Hill, Feb. 8, 2000] stantial Man. He was given to dark business Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, the GODSPEED, CONGRESSMAN VENTO suits lightened by ties that said not all of world has been shocked by the recent news life is serious. During the height of the The premature departure from Congress of stories about a corruption scandal that has en- Snoopy on Parade frenzy in St. Paul this Rep. Bruce Vento (D-Minn.) because he has summer, for instance, the congressman ap- been diagnosed with lung cancer will deprive gulfed the Indian government. Already, the peared at the Minnesota AFL–CIO Conven- the House of Representatives of one of its president of the ruling BJP and the Defense tion wearing a Snoopy tie. most dedicated, effective and popular mem- Minister have been forced to resign after they Vento’s public career began as a teacher, bers. were caught taking bribes from two internet extended into service in the Minnesota Leg- Vento, who is retiring in December after 24 news reporters posing as arms dealers in re- islature and then nearly 24 years in Con- years in Congress, stunned and saddended his gard to a fake defense contract.