H1724 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 4, 2000 called a friend back in Oregon who ary of 1961 she was sworn in as the commissions for Presidents Johnson filed the necessary papers to make third woman in U.S. history elected in and Carter. Friends say she remained Maurine Neuberger a candidate for the her own right to serve in the United interested in politics and lived an ac- Oregon legislature. States Senate. tive life up until 2 months before her Maurine won that House seat, mak- b 1630 death at age 93. Senator RON WYDEN ing the Neubergers the first husband said he talked to former Senator and wife team in U.S. history to serve In an early interview as Senator- Neuberger after he had cross-examined in the State legislature at the same elect, she demonstrated her forward- tobacco executives with tough ques- time. They were both progressive lib- thinking values, favoring medical cov- tions before a congressional panel, and erals of the day, fighting for con- erage for senior citizens, Federal aid she told him, ‘‘Stay after them.’’ sumers, the environment, and civil for more teachers and classroom con- Maureen became well known in Port- rights. Maurine never stayed in her struction, pollution controls for auto- land circles, not just for her political husband’s shadow and even got more mobiles, and a strong civil rights bill. acumen and her bridge-playing, but as votes than him when they ran for re- In her 6 years as Senator, she fought an avid gardener. In fact, she became election in 1952. for environmental protections, chal- so well known for her green thumb Maurine championed many causes as lenged the meat industry for adding that a rose was named after her, a min- a State legislator but became known as water to hams, and took the bedding iature rose called the ‘‘Maureen the champion of the housewife for one manufacturing industry to task for Neuberger.’’ The American Rose Soci- cause in particular, overturning a ban selling flammable blankets. But she ety describes it as ‘‘red, a reliable on food coloring in margarine. This will probably be best known for her bloomer.’’ may sound like a frivolous cause to early and outspoken opposition to the The seeds that this reliable bloomer take up in these days, but to a woman tobacco industry. planted in Congress have taken many in the 1950s, this was no silly battle. Mr. Speaker, 1963 was a time when forms in the 34 years since she served The Oregon dairy industry had lobbied the dangers of tobacco were just be- here, in stronger civil rights laws, pro- for a ban on yellow food coloring in coming clear. The industry, the Gov- tections for consumers, and honest rec- margarine. This required housewives to ernment and even the medical profes- ognition about the dangers of smoking. add the coloring themselves to improve sion fought controls against its sale. I am honored to share a family connec- the look of the whitish margarine for Senator Neuberger fought these inter- tion to this remarkable woman and the dinner table. This was a hard and ests in every arena and even wrote a public servant, and I applaud the spirit cumbersome task and virtually un- book on the topic, Smoke Screen: To- that she brought to this Congress and known to the all-male Oregon House. bacco and the Public Welfare. She said to her life. in the text, ‘‘I have undertaken to So in 1951, she walked into a crowded f Agriculture Committee hearing room, write this book because I believe that donned an apron and proceeded to dem- the moral and intellectual poverty that DECREASING OUR DEPENDENCE onstrate the difficult process of adding has characterized our approach to the ON FOREIGN OIL a pellet of food coloring to a pound of smoking problem must no longer be The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. margarine. The act made the statewide shrouded in the press-agentry of the to- HOBSON). Under a previous order of the papers and the ban on food coloring bacco industry, nor the fancy of bu- House, the gentleman from Washington was soon repealed. reaucratic footwork of government (Mr. METCALF) is recognized for 5 min- When her husband, Dick Neuberger, agencies charged with the responsibil- utes. was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1960, ities of guarding our Nation’s health.’’ Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, before Maurine came to Washington not just She called for major legislation to 1995, the United States banned the ex- as a spouse but as a political adviser combat what she considered a national port of oil produced on Alaska’s North and aide. She often attended hearings health risk. Her program included an Slope, feeling we should supply our on her husband’s behalf during ab- education program to convince chil- own national needs first. In 1995, Con- sences and advised him on pending leg- dren not to take up smoking, expanded gress, with the full support of the cur- islation. But even as a senatorial research into making cigarettes safer, rent administration, voted to change spouse Maurine could not hide from the reform and curtailment of cigarette ad- the law and allow companies to export limelight. vertising, and warning labels on ciga- North Slope oil. At the time, I believed She created a mini-scandal in 1953 rette packages. that lifting the ban was a bad mistake, when she participated in a charity As an early advocate for a common that it would raise gasoline prices on modeling show with other Senate sense approach to tobacco policy, she the West Coast, and I said so on this wives, wearing a bathing suit. As it was would persuasively lobby her smoking floor. Now, with regular gasoline cost- described in the articles of the day, colleagues of the Senate, often describ- ing over $2 per gallon in some places on ‘‘the somewhat leggy picture’’ caused a ing in vivid detail the results of the the West Coast, I have unfortunately stir back home in Oregon. Maurine latest medical study on the hazards of been proven correct. found the incident amusing, brushing tobacco. Refineries on the West Coast depend off criticism by saying, ‘‘Well, what do Maurine Neuberger decided not to on North Slope oil for much of their people think Senators’ wives wear run for reelection, dissuaded by the production. A single company, British when they go swimming?’’ amount of money she said she would Petroleum, controls an overwhelming Dick Neuberger’s death in 1960 on the have to raise to win the seat, a lesson share of the oil. In a recent complaint, eve of the election’s filing deadline that even this Congress could well con- the Federal Trade Commission alleges came as a shock to both his wife and sider as we ask ourselves, how many that British Petroleum manipulates oil the State. Maurine was urged to run other great Americans turn down the prices on the West Coast by exporting for the seat by columnists, State poli- responsibility of public office because to Asia at lower prices than it could ticians, and even her husband’s col- of the demands of our current cam- get for the same product from West leagues in the Senate. Minnesota Sen- paign finance system. Coast refineries. ator Hubert Humphrey, in an appeal After remarrying and leaving the When the ban on North Slope oil ex- for her to run for the seat, sent a tele- Senate, citizen Maurine Neuberger ports was lifted, Americans were told gram saying, ‘‘I cannot imagine the went back to the classroom. She that the action would benefit the oil Senate of the United States without a taught at Boston University and Rad- industry and the American consumer. Neuberger in it.’’ She decided to put cliffe College. Then she became an op- However, they did not say how it might her grief aside and filed the necessary ponent of the Vietnam War and sup- help the American consumer. North papers within hours of the deadline. ported Robert Kennedy in his 1968 pres- Slope oil exports has only benefited Maurine Neuberger easily beat the idential race. one company, British Petroleum, and ‘‘caretaker’’ replacement who had been Eventually, she moved back home to have contributed to the tremendous appointed by the governor to fill out Portland, Oregon, but stayed active in fuel price increases experienced by the term of her husband and in Janu- public affairs, serving on presidential West Coast consumers. VerDate Aug 31 2005 04:02 Jun 07, 2008 Jkt 041999 PO 00000 Frm 00048 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA15\MISCRE~1\2000\H04AP0.REC H04AP0 mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS April 4, 2000 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1725 Mr. Speaker, I have introduced H.R. REAUTHORIZATION OF THE Youth, speaks to the effects on chil- 4017, which would reinstate the ban on VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT dren of witnessing and experiencing do- North Slope oil exports. I believe we The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a mestic violence. Between 20 and 40 per- should not export any oil when the U.S. previous order of the House, the gentle- cent of chronically violent children must import oil for our own Nation’s woman from New York (Mrs. KELLY) is have witnessed extreme parental con- use. I hope that those of my colleagues recognized for 5 minutes. flict. One study has found that boys who are interested in lowering fuel Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, in the 5 who witness their fathers batter their prices, ending discriminatory pricing, years I have served in the House of mothers have a 1,000 percent higher and decreasing our dependence on for- Representatives and thinking back on battering rate themselves than those eign oil will join me in cosponsoring all of the public meetings I have held, who did not.