Congressional Record—Senate S10753
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September 13, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10753 —and we hold the record—we dedicated yard line of UNLV. Rather than take Andre has made his place in tennis 18 new schools in Clark County. We their four-point victory, they wanted history. When he won the French Open, have to build one new elementary to run the score up a little bit and go he joined Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, school every month to keep up with for a touchdown. In the end zone there Don Budge, and Fred Perry as the only the growth in Clark County. We need was a fumble picked up by a UNLV de- men to win all four major tournaments some help to do that. The Democratic fensive back who ran 101 yards for the in their career. tax plan would give us some of that touchdown and beat Baylor with no Andre not only won the French and needed help. time left on the clock. This was tre- the U.S. Opens this year, he was also in Also, one of the things we have mendous. the finals at Wimbledon, making him talked about, which is so important, is People are going to be very happy the first man since Ivan Lendl in 1986 a tax credit for research and develop- with their new football couch, John to have gone to three grand slam finals ment for high-tech companies. That is Robinson, who had a great career be- in the same year. part of the Democratic tax plan—some- fore coming to UNLV from the Univer- No man had fought back to win the thing we hope the majority leader and sity of Southern California and, of U.S. Open from a 2–1 deficit in sets others will take a look at and be will- course, coaching the Los Angeles since John Newcombe did it 26 years ing to compromise on. Democrats have Rams. ago. But that is exactly what Agassi been out in front on the issue for a long We offer our congratulations to John did in a 3-hour and 23-minute match time. We pushed hard for a permanent Robinson and UNLV for two victories, yesterday. R & D tax credit. The majority talked which is two more than they had dur- The match was only the fifth all- about how they were in favor of a per- ing all of last year. American men’s final at the U.S. Open manent credit as well, until it came f in 32 years. The matchup of these two time to actually do it. In the end, the CONGRATULATIONS TO ANDRE men who are almost 30-years-old, was minority, myself included, were push- AGASSI the oldest since 39-year-old Ken ing for a ten year R & D tax credit. The Rosewall lost to 22-year-old Jimmy Mr. REID. Mr. President, the main majority ended up only committing to Connors in 1974. Even though these two reason I wanted to talk about athletics a five year tax credit in their package. men had not reached the age of 30, they in Nevada is not because of the team Due in large part to initiatives like the played great tennis. They will be victories that we have had over the talked about as being old men at ten- R & D tax credit, the high-tech indus- years in Nevada but because of a great nis, I repeat, even though they were try exists and has flourished. Without young man who was born and raised in not even 30 years old yet. They set a knowing whether or not that tax credit Nevada who has been part of the Ne- great example for tennis generally and will be around next year or the year vada athletic scene for some 25 years, for American tennis in particular. after or the year after that, hinders even though he is only 29 years old. these companies’ long term planning. Andre Agassi and his family have I have to agree with Andre when f been great for the State of Nevada. after the match he said, ‘‘I’ll tell you what. How can you ask for anything ATHLETICS IN NEVADA Andre, when he was a little boy still in elementary school, it was said by Pon- more than two Americans in the final Mr. REID. Mr. President, in Nevada cho Gonzales, who was a tennis great. of the U.S. Open playing a great five- we are very proud of a number of ‘‘He will be better than I someday.’’ set match?’’ things. We have a beautiful State. We This is when he was a little, tiny boy. Andre turned pro when he was 16 are the most mountainous State in the Poncho Gonzales was right. years old. We can all remember—I Union, except for Alaska, with over 300 Andre Agassi has already proven shouldn’t say ‘‘we can all’’ because separate mountain ranges, with 32 himself to be even greater than the that was 13 or 14 years ago—a lot of us mountains over 11,000 feet high. Las great Poncho Gonzales. This was cer- can remember when he turned pro. In Vegas, of course, is the entertainment tainly the case as proven yesterday those 13 or 14 years, he has changed. He capital of the world. when he won the U.S. Open Tennis won Wimbledon in 1992, the U.S. Open We are very proud of our universities Championship. in 1994, and was the No. 1 player in the for a number of reasons. We have a I want to, on the Senate floor, con- world by 1995. great engineering program at the Uni- gratulate Andre Agassi on this remark- But by 1997, Andre had, as I have in- versity of Nevada, Reno. The Mackay able comeback yesterday in the U.S. dicated, come across some tough times. School of Mines is there, and we are Open and, of course, his comeback vic- But he has fought back remarkably proud of that as well. We have a great tory in the French Open. well. He finished sixth in the world last school for biological sciences, which Andre, as I have indicated, is a native year. Earlier this year, he was ranked has a national reputation. At UNLV, of Las Vegas and dominated this sum- No. 1. He is now No. 1 again. we have the finest hotel administration mer with 35 victories in 39 matches. In a period of 4 months, he won the program in the entire country. The That is almost unheard of. French Open—coming back from two universities in Nevada are very proud Andre Agassi is the No. 1 ranked ten- sets down in the final—reached the of the football teams that we had in nis player in the United States. Not Wimbledon final, and won the U.S. the forties and fifties. Since the too long ago, because of an injury and Open, a truly phenomenal comeback. schools have been divided, UNR has other problems, Andre Agassi was Andre deserves to be congratulated been a power in division II football, and ranked 141. He is now ranked the best not only for his tremendous tennis, but they have played for the national tennis player in the world, as he should for all the great work he does for at- championship. They are now a division be. risk youth in Las Vegas. He truly has I team. UNLV has won national cham- I was watching the tennis matches put his money where his mouth is. pionships in basketball. The UNLV over the weekend. John McEnroe, one The Agassi Foundation has helped football team has had some bad years, of the great tennis players of all time, poor kids in Nevada. That is an under- losing dozens of games. Last year they commenting about Andre Agassi, said statement. He personally raises mil- didn’t win a single game, but this year his ability to return service is the best lions of dollars. He is going to have an they were able to beat North Texas there has ever been in the entire his- event this month. He has gotten some State in their first away game. tory of tennis. His reputation and his of his friends to come from Las Vegas. A week ago last Thursday and then abilities are still being proven. He is He will raise $3 million at that event, this past Saturday, they played Baylor. getting better with every match he all of which will go into his foundation Even though Baylor was favored by a plays. to help the youth of Las Vegas. couple of touchdowns, one of the most But yesterday he closed out one of His exhibition against Todd Martin miraculous wins in the history of foot- the greatest summers in tennis his- yesterday was exciting. Todd Martin is ball at the professional or college level tory. He came up with some of the a great champion in his own right. His occurred when Baylor was ahead by most impressive shots ever seen in ten- towering stature of 6-foot-6 was as tow- four points with less than 10 seconds nis in a dominating fifth set to capture ering on the tennis court. These two left. They had the ball inside the 10- his second U.S. Open. men were interviewed after the tennis VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:58 Nov 01, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\1999SENATE\S13SE9.REC S13SE9 mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY.