7654 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 154, Pt. 6 May 1, 2008 Boys and Girls club, for example, donated and HONORING MR. MICHAEL J. QUINN prehend the editors, contributors, and distribu- planted trees at the park. tors of these two dozen or so typewritten sheets of onionskin paper. Possession, and Thanks to this type of effort, the Metro-East, HON. ROBERT E. ANDREWS OF NEW JERSEY especially distribution, of the ‘‘Chronicle’’ could located across the Mississippi River from St. result in lengthy labor camp sentences and in- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Louis, Missouri, boasts the largest percentage ternal exile. As might be expected, the list of of green spaces among the top 10 metropoli- Thursday, May 1, 2008 persons involved in producing the ‘‘Chronicle’’ tan areas in the State of Illinois. Mr. ANDREWS. Madam Speaker, I rise is a ‘‘Who’s Who’’ of former Soviet Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join today to honor Michael J. Quinn, senior news and political prisoners. Despite the hardships me in commending the efforts of Mayor Steve writer for CBS News Philadelphia, who retired and dangers involved, these brave individuals Bryant and the village officials from Bethalto, on April 24, 2008. Mr. Quinn began working in managed to compile and distribute over 60 Illinois for their dedication to environmental TV news in 1961 at Channel 10, a CBS affil- issues of the publication. Besides supplying otherwise unavailable in- conservation. iate. During his tenure with Channel 10, Mr. Quinn served as a news writer, newscast pro- formation on human rights issues, the ‘‘Chron- icle’’ inspired the establishment of similar pub- f ducer, reporter and news anchor. In 1984, Mr. Quinn began working at CBS 3 Eyewitness lications devoted to specific themes and geo- graphic regions. These would include the fate RECOGNIZING ATTORNEY JOHN News, serving as a senior news writer and as of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, the abuse TUCKER a producer for the ‘‘Newsmakers’’ program. Mr. Quinn has covered many major events of psychiatry for political purposes, and the over the past decades, including numerous fate of national minorities, such as the Cri- presidential elections. In 1988, he was the as- mean Tatars, under the Soviet system. HON. TED POE Madam Speaker, I would also mention that sociate producer for coverage of the presi- through the tireless efforts of Mr. Edward OF TEXAS dential caucuses in Iowa. Mr. Quinn was the Kline, Professor Peter Reddaway, and exiled producer of the 2000 Republican National IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Valery Chalidze and Pavel Convention CBS coverage in Philadelphia. Mr. Thursday, May 1, 2008 Litvinov, an English version of the ‘‘Chronicle’’ Quinn also was the producer of the inaugura- became available in the West, allowing many tion coverage of President George W. Bush in Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, today I come to non-specialists to become familiar with the de- both 2001 and 2005. recognize the many achievements of the man plorable human rights situation in the Soviet Madam Speaker, Mr. Quinn spent his long known as ‘‘the wizard of trial law,’’ John G. Union. career providing the people of Philadelphia Eventually, with former KGB head Yuri Tucker, who passed away at the age of 100 with compelling news coverage. Mr. Quinn’s in January 2008. With his signature bow tie Andropov in command in the Kremlin, the au- hard work and dedication to his chosen field thorities managed to imprison, exile, or neu- and flat top hair cut, Tucker was a fixture of has touched the lives of millions of Americans. the legal profession in Southeast Texas for tralize so many contributors to the ‘‘Chronicle’’ I commend Mr. Quinn for his commitment to that it ceased publication in 1982. However, over 75 years. broadcast journalism and wish him the best for the folly of insulating the Soviet system from Tucker’s father was an Army officer serving his retirement. the free flow of information that was encircling in Cuba as part of a peacekeeping force f the globe while trying to maintain a decent where officers were allowed to have their fami- FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE economy, let alone super-power status, was lies live with them. His wife was 8 months ‘‘CHRONICLE OF CURRENT becoming by this time obvious to the more pregnant when they found out that if born on EVENTS’’ perceptive apparatchiks in the Kremlin’s cor- Cuban soil, their son could never run for ridors of power. Three years later, Mr. Mikhail President of the United States. Knowing her HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS Gorbachev was selected to lead the Com- son was destined for greatness, Tucker’s munist Party, and 6 years later the hammer OF FLORIDA mother set sail for New York City and eventu- and sickle banner of Soviet communism was IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ally landed in Kansas City, Kansas, where replaced by the tri-color of the Russian Fed- John was born. Thursday, May 1, 2008 eration. Today, Russia and the nations that com- Though he never ascended to the highest Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, prised the are now independent office in the United States, Tucker was rather this week marks the 40th anniversary of the and sovereign states. However, the free flow successful in all of his endeavors. He attended initial publication of the ‘‘Chronicle of Current of information and media pluralism, though in college in Pennsylvania and went on to grad- Events,’’ the ‘‘underground newspaper of immeasurably better condition than during the uate from Harvard Law School. John moved to record,’’ if you will, of the Soviet human rights Soviet period, is still problematic. As Freedom movement in the years before the collapse of Southeast Texas in the middle of the Great House points out in its recently issued annual the Soviet Union. Depression of the 1930s, determined to take survey of press freedom throughout the world, The ‘‘Chronicle’’ was a , or ‘‘self- Russia is among several nations of the former advantage of the boom created by the oil re- published,’’ journal created to break through fineries. He joined the law firm created by Wil- Soviet bloc that have suffered setbacks in the the government’s monopoly on the flow of in- area of press freedom. There seems to be a liam Orgain in 1933. The name was changed formation and report to its readers the truth to Orgain, Bell, and Tucker in 1945 and con- rush by the government to characterize, with about human rights in the ‘‘workers’ paradise.’’ little serious justification, as ‘‘extremist’’ certain tinues to set the bar for legal excellence to Described recently by the Russian human books and articles, opposition journalists and this very day. rights organization ‘‘’’ as the ‘‘fullest newspapers have been harassed, and new John Tucker tried over 90 cases in state and most precise compilation of historical in- legislation recently introduced in the Duma and federal court and has argued cases be- formation about activity and political would make it easier for the government to fore the Texas Supreme Court. He was persecutions in the USSR between 1968 and close down media outlets for allegedly pub- deemed a Southeast Texas Legend by the 1982,’’ it was distributed via underground lishing libel and slander. Beaumont Foundation of America scholarship channels to readers in the Soviet Union and to Madam Speaker, let us hope that President- board in February 2007, becoming only the foreign journalists and diplomats. In short time, elect Medvedev recognizes that if Russia is to second person at the time to earn such honor. the ‘‘Chronicle’’ gained a reputation for verac- prosper in the global community, the free flow ity and straight-forward reporting, and when of information must be a vital component of On behalf of the Second Congressional Dis- copies reached the West, the contents were the nation’s commercial, social, and political trict of Texas, I want to honor John G. Tucker broadcast back to the Soviet Union by inter- infrastructure, and that if Russian citizens wish for his lifetime of accomplishments. Through national radio stations such as Radio Liberty, to view underground publications such as the his diligent efforts and dedication he has made BBC, Deutschewelle and others. ‘‘Chronicle of Current Events,’’ they might bet- Southeast Texas a better place to live for gen- Meanwhile, the KGB expended a huge ter find them freely available in museums and erations to come. amount of effort and time to expose and ap- libraries.

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