Honoring the life, achievements, and contributions of Charlton Heston and extending its deepest sympathies to the family of Charlton Heston for the loss of such a great generous man, husband, and father.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the former chairman of the Rules Committee, now its ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).

(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time we have left.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) such time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the life of one of the great American personalities in the century, the late Charlton Heston.

Truly, a man of legends, whether from his epic contributions as an actor, to his passionate and momentous involvement in our politics and society, Mr. Heston touched us all.

Born in 1923 in Evanston, Illinois, John Charles Carter spent his childhood in Michigan. Following his parents' divorce in the 1930s, his mother remarried to Chester Heston, and the family moved to the Chicago suburb of Winnetka. It was here that his acting career took flight.

After enrolling in the theater program at his new high school, he earned a drama scholarship to attend Northwestern University. It was here that he met another aspiring thespian, future wife, and ``the queen of his heart,'' Lydia Clarke.

Enlisting in the Army Air Forces in 1942, he spent 2 years serving as a radio gunner in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.

After experiencing limited success on Broadway after the war, Heston emerged on the big screen in 1950. He captivated audiences with his statuesque appearance and his historic epic roles. He scaled Mt. Sinai as Moses in the 10 Commandments, rebelled against the Romans in his Oscar winning performance in Ben Hur, remained loyal to his king at all costs in El Cid, and masterfully decorated the Sistine Chapel as Michelangelo.

Who can forget his gritty performance in such noir classics as Touch of Evil, and groundbreaking science fiction classics like Planet of the Apes?

Though he spent more than 60 years on camera and appeared in over 100 movies, he is also known by many for his passion for politics and commitment to a life outside of Hollywood.

A staunch supporter of civil rights in the early 1960s, Heston called Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the ``20th century Moses for his people.''

A vocal participant in a number of marches and protests, he demonstrated his support long before Hollywood found it fashionable.

Like his friend, Ronald Reagan, Heston's political views gradually began to align more with the Republican Party, and by the late 1980s, he had become a prominent orator on behalf of conservative politicians and against the debasement of American culture.

In 1998, the passionate Heston, well in his 70s, was elected president and spokesman of the NRA, a position he held until his resignation in 2003.

After a bout with prostate cancer, Heston announced in August 2002 he had been diagnosed with symptoms

consistent with Alzheimer's. On April 5, 2008, at the age of 84, Charlton Heston passed away.

He once joked, ``I have played three presidents, three saints, and two geniuses. If that does not create an ego problem, nothing does.'' But arrogance does not describe this humble man, who pursued life as he did each of his roles, a constant pursuit of unattainable perfection.

Despite numerous accolades, including an Oscar, a Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the loving husband, devoted father of two and grandfather of three, believed that his family was his proudest achievement.

In his August 2002 announcement regarding his declining health, he emotionally stated that, ``For an actor there is no greater loss than his audience. I can part the Red Sea, but I can't part with you.''

Though he may have left us in body, his spirit and legacy live on, a lifetime of passionate commitment to freedom in the truest sense.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution honoring a man who was as much a hero on the big screen as he was a hero in life.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my appreciation to Messrs. Clay and Shays for their leadership on this and, most important, to our good friend, Don Young, for having stepped forward to author this resolution.

And I want to say that as I listened to our friend, Don Young, talk about Charlton Heston, I was struck by a story. Don began by taking the acting career, which, since I represent Los Angeles, I'm particularly proud of people who have great acting careers, and Mr. Heston was certainly one of those. I was struck by the fact that Don Young drew from that to the fact that he focused on reality.

And as he was saying that, Mr. Speaker, I'm reminded of a story that Mr. Heston used to enjoy telling with regularity. When he was in the midst of rehearsals for that famous movie, Ben Hur, he would regularly say to people around him, I really want to make sure that I do this right because I want to make sure that I win this race. And he was constantly assured that he was going to win the race because the outcome was clearly predetermined.

But he understood full well that there was a great disparity between the roles that he played, as a great actor, and the fact that the reality of life is something that is much different, and it does take a great deal of vigilance and hard work.

Now, all of my colleagues have spoken about the role that he played as a civil rights leader. Mr. Young has talked about the fact that he played such an important role in preservation of second amendment rights, which was very important.

He was always involved, Mr. Speaker, in public policy issues. Again, as a Representative from Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to regularly discuss with him issues, and he exercised his first amendment rights with me with great regularity. He would call. And I will say that even though he was ill, I had the privilege of talking with him about, I think it was a year and a half, 2 years ago. And I knew that he had been ill, but he still was asking me questions about things that were going on here in this institution, making sure that we were staying on the right path.

And so it's difficult to imagine a greater patriot than Charlton Heston. And I have to say, Mr. Speaker, that still, to this day, our thoughts and prayers are with Lydia and the wonderful Heston family. And I know that at this moment he's probably up there playing tennis, which was one of his great loves, and looking down and working to make sure that we, as Members of the United States Congress, and as leaders in our great Nation, do everything that we can to preserve these very, very precious liberties that he loved so dearly.

I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my chairman of the subcommittee and Mr. Shays and the chairman of the full committee.

It is indeed an honor that I will speak on Charlton Heston today. We have already heard some of the roles that he played in ``Planet of the Apes,'' ``Julius Caesar,'' ``Antony and Cleopatra,'' ``Omega Man,'' and I can go on down the line. His famous roles, of course, were Moses, Michelangelo, Andrew Jackson, John the Baptist, Mark Antony, El Cid, and Ben Hur.

Some people may not remember his role in politics. He became very active as president of the Screen Actors Guild. Before every actor in the world got involved politically, he was involved in the Screen Actors Guild. He was also very active and involved, as mentioned by the chairman, in civil rights. He marched with Martin Luther King. And one of my interests was that he enlisted in the Army Air Force in World War II and served 2 years as a B-25 gunner in the Aleutian chain, a God- awful place it was, but part of my great State of Alaska, and defended against the enemy at that time with great honor.

He had two children. He married the love of his life, Lydia Clarke, in 1944, and was married to her for the rest of his life.

He was the president of the NRA from June 1998 until April 2003, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bush.

I have to say I knew him personally. I never called him Chuck or Charles, it was always Mr. Heston or Mr. President because he was president of an organization which I am very proud of, and that is the NRA, the National Rifle Association. He probably did more to protect the freedoms of America in his actions as president of that organization than any other individual. And that may not be proper with certain people in this body, but he did guarantee us, through the second amendment, the right to protect ourselves, the right to protect the castle which we live in, the right to be able to protect those that we love against those who would do us harm. He believed in it, as I believe in it. It is very, very important.

If America were to recognize one individual who probably contributed most to our individual freedoms, it would be Charlton Heston.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1091) honoring the life,

achievements, and contributions of Charlton Heston and extending its deepest sympathies to the family of Charlton Heston for the loss of such a great generous man, husband, and father, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I present for consideration H. Res. 1091, which seeks to recognize the life of Charlton Heston for his accomplishments both and off the big screen. Not only did Heston command an overwhelming presence in theaters, but his actions in support of the civil rights movement during the 1960s and on behalf of other social causes throughout his life deserve recognition. For example, Charlton Heston joined Martin Luther King, Jr., in the march on Washington, D.C. in 1963, and was an early civil rights activist long before Hollywood found it fashionable.

H. Res. 1091 was introduced by Representative Don Young of Alaska on April 8, 2008, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight Committee on April 16, 2008, by voice vote after being amended by the panel.

The measure has the support of well over 100 Members of Congress and is evidence of a wide, national appreciation for the enduring legacy that this great American citizen left behind.

Heston was born on October 4, 1923, in No Man's Land, Illinois. In 1944, Heston enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, spending 2 years of his life as a B-25 radio operator and gunner in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.

In August of 2002, after a long and illustrious acting career, Heston publicly announced that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In 2003, Mr. Heston was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in commemoration of the positive impact he has had on our culture and country.

In memory of his life of greatness and activism, I urge swift passage of H. Res. 1091.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in supporting H. Con. Res. 1091 and honoring the life and contributions of the late Charlton Heston.

A larger than life figure, Charlton Heston was a World War II veteran, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and chairman of the American Film Institute. He was celebrated--as an Academy Award-winning actor and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Throughout his life, when he saw injustice, Charlton Heston did not hesitate to take action. It did not matter to him whether his position was popular. He protested segregation, marching alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during his campaign for civil rights, and described Dr. King as a ``20th century Moses for his people.''

Never shy to take a stand, Charlton Heston picketed a segregated movie theater premiering one of his own movies. All of us should commend his principled commitment to civil rights.

His support for our Nation's Bill of Rights extended to the second amendment. Indeed, for many of us, Charlton Heston's most memorable contribution may have been his fierce advocacy for our right to keep and bear arms. As president of the National Rifle Association, NRA, Mr. Heston famously rallied millions of Americans by holding a rifle over his head and declaring that the Government would take it only ``from my cold, dead hands.''

When our rights were threatened by the Federal Government, Charlton Heston--the face of the NRA--inspired millions of us. This legacy is lasting. And it never mattered to him that his stance wasn't fashionable with Hollywood elites.

Not until the onset of Alzheimer's disease did Charlton Heston begin to withdraw from public life.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the Heston family, especially Lydia, his wife of 64 years. They must be proud of Charlton Heston's life, legacy, and contributions. We all are here.