Congressional Record—Senate S4460
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S4460 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 23, 2020 of Margie’s leadership for the sanctity Kentucky’s first responder whenever and thriving center for quality early child- of life. I ask unanimous consent that wherever human life is threatened, the full- hood education. Maria continued her the column by former Kentucky State throated voice for those who have no voice. fight for families as the director of Representative Bob Heleringer be She didn’t hesitate to use that voice when children services for the Illinois De- she confronted the very man who wrote the printed in the RECORD. infamous Roe decision: Justice Harry Black- partment of Human Services and then There being no objection, the mate- mun. When the University of Louisville law the senior program officer for the Chi- rial was ordered to be printed in the school favored Mr. Blackmun in 1983 with its cago Community Trust. In 2000, she be- RECORD, as follows: Brandeis Medal, Mrs. Montgomery was in at- came the president and CEO for Illinois [From the Louisville Courier-Journal, July tendance. Action for Children, which provides 14, 2020] When it was her turn in the receiving line, 150,000 children and families every year A DETERMINED MARGIE MONTGOMERY HAS as he extended his hand, she asked, ‘‘How can access to high-quality early care and BEEN DEFENDING THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN you sleep at night knowing how many lives education opportunities. LIFE FOR 50 YEARS have been lost because of your terrible deci- sion?’’ The associate justice of the United Under Maria’s leadership, Illinois Ac- (By Bob Heleringer) States Supreme Court audibly gasped and, as tion for Children expanded its scope. In 1970, a gentleman named Bob Schulman he withdrew his hand, Mrs. Montgomery She helped create the Healthy Food occasionally appeared during the late quietly said, ‘‘I will pray for you.’’ Program, which helps families stretch evening news on WHAS–TV to read on-air Thanks to those efforts, and those of thou- their dollars by reimbursing childcare editorials (‘‘One Man’s Opinion’’). Wearing sands of volunteer women and men from all providers for the cost of feeding chil- his trademark bow tie, he looked and spoke over this commonwealth, Kentucky can fair- like a college professor. One night, he said it dren with healthy food. Maria was in- ly be called America’s most pro-life state strumental in the development of Inno- was time to liberalize the abortion laws in with an overwhelmingly prolife congres- this country, to remove the legal restric- sional delegation and state legislature. vation Zones that connect critically tions that had made this medical procedure Elections have consequences, some good. important resources in some of Chi- a criminal offense. Pre-natal killings in our state have declined cago’s most underserved communities. Watching at home that evening was a 37- from a high of 11,000 a year to ‘‘only’’ 3,000. The Innovation Zones led to the year-old wife, mother, civic volunteer, Rose- Legislation Mrs. Montgomery advocated, the transformative Community Systems mont College graduate and former city edi- ‘‘Choose Life’’ license plates, finances more tor of the Irvington (New Jersey) Herald Statewide Supports Program, which than 50 crisis pregnancy centers in Kentucky newspaper, Margaret Anne ‘‘Margie’’ Mont- helps communities improve early that, if only a woman will assent to let her gomery. Alarmed, the then-president of the childhood services with training, plan- baby live, she will be sheltered, protected, League of Catholic PTA called the station ning, and collaboration. Maria also nurtured and financially supported. (As of the next morning and was cordially invited 2017, there are 2,752 of these life-affirming helped move Illinois Action for Chil- by Mr. Schulman himself to give a response. centers throughout the country.) dren into direct early childhood serv- After she gave the first of what became This, then, is Margie Montgomery’s most ices with its early learning program thousands of public, passionate addresses de- inspiring legacy: Her unwavering commit- fending the sanctity of all human life, her centers in Chicago’s South and West ment to preserve, protect and defend all telephone rang for a week—some were com- suburbs. human life has directly led to an untold and plete strangers but all agreed with Mrs. There was no one like Maria. Maria unknown number of human lives being saved Montgomery that ‘‘something had to be was tough, smart, passionate, and an by women in crisis who got a timely word of done.’’ authority on what needed to be done to encouragement and support, looked at a leaf- Right there in her kitchen, a national, best serve families in Illinois. I made it state and local Right-to-Life movement was let, spotted a billboard message, read an ad in a church bulletin, called a crisis hotline, a point to meet with her. She made born. (The ‘‘right to Life’’ is one of the ‘‘self- partnerships that mattered. Maria evident’’ unalienable rights proclaimed by saw their unborn baby move on a sonogram the Declaration of Independence.) This or ultrasound and blessed God’s creation by helped them launch the Lunch Bus Thursday evening, about 700 socially giving humanity one more life to marvel at, with the Greater Chicago Food Deposi- distanced people will gather at the Crowne appreciate, love and cherish. Those saved tory to provide free summer meals to Plaza hotel for the 47th annual ‘‘Celebration people walk among us every single day. As children. of Life’’ dinner that will also honor Margie the Talmud says (paraphrasing): ‘‘(S)he who Maria enjoyed reading, classical saves a life, saves the entire world.’’ Montgomery’s remarkable 50 years of service music, and spending time with her fam- on behalf of the greatest civil rights cause in f ily in Vermont. And she always loved a our beloved country since the abolition of REMEMBERING MARIA WHELAN good laugh. We will miss her smile, her slavery. wit, and her heart. She is survived by When the movement she began outgrew her Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on June house, in 1973, Mrs. Montgomery opened a her husband Jack; her three daughters, full-time operation in St. Matthews, where 10, we lost an extraordinary advocate Catherine Mary, Ellen Rose, and Maeve she still today, from a tiny and cramped cor- for children and families in Illinois. Margaret; her three grandchildren, ner office in a nondescript office building, For more than four decades, Maria Teddy, Archie, and Evie; and her nine oversees the state’s lobbying efforts in Whelan fought to ensure equal access brothers and sisters. Frankfort and Washington, D.C., runs an an- to quality and affordable childcare. f nual statewide convention, organizes the an- Today, we pay tribute to her hard work nual pro-life rallies in Frankfort and down- and life. REMEMBERNG JOHN ‘‘JACK’’ town Louisville on the anniversary of Roe v. Maria was born on December 4, 1950, DUNFEY Wade, the pernicious Supreme Court decision that legalized the killing of our preborn sis- in East Hampton, NY. She was the Mr. LEAHY. Mr. Presient, the global ters and brothers, coordinates a double full- third of 12 children. Ten cousins lived community has lost one of our most page ad in this newspaper on that anniver- just down the road. Maria went to active advocates for peace. On June 22, sary with thousands of names of Clarke College and completed her mas- John Philip Dunfey passed away. Louisvillians, organizes the yearly dinner ter’s at the University of Chicago. She Known as Jack to his many friends with a national figure giving a keynote ad- supported herself working as a waitress around the world, he was a World War dress, presides over the annual Walk for Life and a janitor. It was in Chicago that II veteran, founder and CEO of Omni up and down Shelbyville Road, quarterbacks she met Jack Wuest. They married and Hotels International, and the owner of a political action committee that strives to elect pro-life candidates to public office (peo- raised three daughters in Chicago’s Parker House. His impact, however, ple like her that will ‘‘do something’’), and North Side neighborhood of Rogers was far wider. Jack was an ardent sup- still appears at every school and civic group Park. porter of social justice issues through- that will have her to give one of her ‘‘talks,’’ In 1976, Maria was working with edu- out his life. the central theme of which is ‘‘abortion cators and advocates to help families Jack lead human rights missions to stops a beating heart.’’ when the local afterschool program’s many corners of the world, helping to Now into the sixth decade of her vocation, sponsoring agency closed. Maria and free prisoners in Cuba, remove land- this soft-spoken but determined woman has some of these folks formed what would been the Gold Star Mother who won’t let mines in Angola and monitor the elec- America ever forget the staggering human later become the Carole Robertson tion in South Africa won by Nelson toll of this heretofore unknown constitu- Center for Learning. She served as the Mandela. tional ‘‘right:’’ the 61,628,584 babies’ lives center’s first executive director until Jack was the founder and chairman ‘‘terminated’’ (through 2017). She is still 1989. Maria helped the center become a of the Global Citizens Circle, fostering VerDate Sep 11 2014 09:37 Jul 24, 2020 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23JY6.026 S23JYPT1 SSpencer on DSK126QN23PROD with SENATE July 23, 2020 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4461 cross-cultural and intergenerational For many years, he led human rights mis- ignated as emergencies by Congress dialogue about important social sions into neglected corners of the world and are not subject to budgetary en- change.