Honoring the life and work of former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Matthew J. Ryan and offering the deepest condolences of the United States House of Representatives to his wife and family on his death.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 178) honoring the life and work of former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Matthew J. Ryan and offering the deepest condolences of the United States House of Representatives to his wife and family on his death.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 178, introduced by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), honors the life and work of former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Matthew J. Ryan and offers the deepest condolences of the United States House of Representatives to his wife and family on his death.

Mr. Speaker, Matthew Ryan was one of the most influential public servants in the great State of Pennsylvania for more than 20 years. After winning his first term to the State House in 1981, he ultimately rose to the level of Speaker where he served the longest tenure as House Speaker of any Republican in Pennsylvania history.

Speaker Ryan was a well-regarded member of the Pennsylvania State House, largely due to his close relations with all representatives of both parties. Current Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell, a Democrat, kindly spoke to Speaker Ryan's effectiveness and affability, saying that he consistently provided ``strong and effective leadership without resorting to destructive partisanship.''

Governor Tom Ridge, who is now the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, often spoke in affectionate terms of the positive working relationship he had with Speaker Ryan; and similarly, Governor Mark Schweiker, who followed Governor Ridge, talked of Matt Ryan in the most endearing of terms.

Longtime Delaware County GOP Chairman Thomas Judge, Sr. has said, ``You couldn't get mad at him. He was just an individual who would say he would disagree with you, and he certainly would give his viewpoint, but when you left the room, you were friends. He never held a grudge.''

Because of this respect, Speaker Ryan's colleagues in the legislature

honored him by rededicating the Capitol Annex in Harrisburg as the Matthew J. Ryan Legislative Office Building. Luckily, they could do that before Matt Ryan passed away so he could see his name on that building.

Matt Ryan, sadly, passed away on March 29, 2003, after a long battle with stomach cancer. He is survived by his wife, Delaware County Judge Patricia H. Jenkins; five children, Matt, Jr., Maureen, Katie, Terry and Jayne, and 12 grandchildren.

As the resolution states, we offer each of them the condolences of this House and the reassurance that Matthew J. Ryan will never be forgotten. Therefore, I urge all members to support the adoption of House Resolution 178 that honors the career and life of Matthew J. Ryan; and I thank my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for introducing this important measure.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Matthew J. Ryan, is well known throughout Pennsylvania as an advocate for welfare reform, tax relief and creating jobs.

Speaker Ryan served in the House for 41 years. During that time he served as Republican policy chairman and whip and for longer than anyone else who ever held office.

Speaker Ryan was the elected Speaker for the first time in 1981, and colleagues from both sides of the aisle lauded him for the nonpartisan way in which he presided over that session. Elected Speaker again in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, Ryan is respected by his peers as a caucus unifier, feisty debater, parliamentary tactician, government expert, Pennsylvania booster, and a committed leader who plays fair and with esprit.

A member of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts since 1995, Ryan founded Arts Education Day at the State capitol, an annual event that features hundreds of young performing and visual artists from across the State. For this and other support of arts education, in 2001 he received the Champion of Arts Education Award from the Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts Education.

In his 1981 acknowledgment speech, Ryan is quoted as saying, ``We representatives of the Pennsylvania House, honored by our special heritage and enabled by our unique tradition, have sworn our pledges to serve our Commonwealth, to serve our country, and to save the dream of William Penn, and this service begins when this day's meeting ends.''

Speaker Ryan served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania well, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker I rise today in support of H. Res. 178, a resolution honoring the life and work of Matthew J. Ryan, the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

The basic facts of Speaker Ryan's career in the Pennsylvania House were that he served for over 40 years and that he was the longest serving Speaker in the chamber's history. But as is often the case, the simple facts do little to explain the man or his impact on the lives of his fellow Pennsylvanians-including my own.

Speaker Ryan was an almost legendary figure in Pennsylvania politics. He was a powerful man, to be sure. But more to the point, he was a man who had the trust and confidence of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He was universally respected for his nonpartisan style of presiding over the Pennsylvania House, his parliamentary skill and his formidable debating abilities. And, not least among his qualities, he was a tireless booster of Pennsylvania and her citizens.

I came to know Speaker Ryan when I served under him for two terms in the Pennsylvania House in the early 1990s. Speaker Ryan earned the devotion of freshmen classes session after session because he was accessible, he was genuinely interested in helping new members learn the ropes, and because he was committed to helping all members do their best to better the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Like many of my colleagues in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation, I am personally indebted to Speaker Ryan for his mentorship, his leadership and, above all, his friendship. I shall miss him greatly.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember Matthew J. Ryan, the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Speaker Ryan, who passed away on March 29, 2003, dutifully served the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for over 40 years. I am glad to see that his life and work are being honored here today in the United States House of Representatives, and I deeply share the sentiments expressed in H. Res. 178.

Speaker Ryan climbed the ranks in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and I had the distinct pleasure of working with him while he was serving as the Majority Leader and then when he was first elected as Speaker in 1981. His leadership and sense of humor will be greatly missed as will his tireless work for the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Matt Ryan had a very effective way of maintaining order in the Pennsylvania House from the Speaker's chair. When the debate became loud and tempers were flaring, Matt would gently tap the gavel on the desk rather than bang the gavel head, and his gentle persuasion always returned the House to order.

I also want to express my condolences to Speaker Ryan's wife and family on their loss. I thank them for sharing Speaker Ryan with us with the people he represented. Speaker Matthew J. Ryan will be greatly missed, and I am very grateful to him and the work he did throughout his career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 178, honoring the life and work of the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Matthew J. Ryan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wonderful family.

Matt Ryan was a legendary figure in Pennsylvania politics and a true definition of an American statesman. As we remember Matt, we speak of dignity, wisdom and fairness. We also recall his strong-willed determination and focus in serving the State that he loved so dearly. In the world of politics it is rare to find someone who was so effective on so many levels and touched so many people.

Speaker Ryan offered an extended hand to both friend and foe, and it is fitting that his legacy includes friends and admirers who sat on both sides of the aisle.

Earlier this year, the Speaker told colleagues, ``I'll be back,'' when he was forced to take leave and battle his illness. It was perhaps unnecessary because Matt Ryan has never left. He will always be with us.

The State of Pennsylvania has lost a leader, and the United States has lost one of its great citizens. I am honored to support House Resolution 178, to recognize the life and work of our distinguished and deeply missed Speaker.