Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of American Legion Post 738, on its sixtieth anniversary; and in honor of its members' outstanding service to their country and community.

American Legion Post 738 is comprised of over one hundred people, each of whom has served our country during a time of war. Recognized by Mayor Eileen Patton of Fairview Park as a ``dedicated group of true Americans that are proud to serve our country'', the members of American Legion Post 738 have played a significant role in the community for sixty years.

Every year, Post 738 organizes Fairview Park's spectacular Memorial Day Parade. Located on Lorain Road, Post 738 has served as a beacon of hospitality. After every Memorial Day Parade, they welcome all members of the community back to their post and host them for a bountiful cookout. Members of the Post also host bi-monthly dinners there.

Every year before Christmas, Post and auxiliary members of Post 738 put together care packages for fellow veterans at the Louis Stokes Veterans Administration Medical Center in Brecksville, Ohio and nurturing local children whose parents are veterans at their annual Christmas party. Always willing to participate in City events, six times a year, Post and ladies auxiliary members deliver refreshments and play bingo with veterans at the VA medical center.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the members of American Legion Post 738 for their outstanding and tireless efforts on behalf of veterans of this country, as well as for their extensive and diverse service to many individuals and families who call the Greater Cleveland area home.

[From the WestLife Newspaper, Apr. 2, 2008]

American Legion Post 738 Marking 60th Anniversary

(By Kevin Kelley)

The ladies auxiliary of American Legion Post 738 is putting

on a dinner marking the organization's 60th anniversary April

12.

Despite the celebratory nature of the event, Joanne Hulec,

president of the ladies auxiliary, has a sense of

trepidation.

``I hope this is not the last birthday dinner we have,''

she said.

Property taxes and utility costs have combined with

declining membership to put American Legion Post 738 in a

financial pinch in recent months.

Three months ago, some leaders associated with the post put

out a public appeal to help with the organization's cash flow

problems.

Ron Hulec, Joanne's husband and a former post commander and

member of its executive board, said while the organization is

currently solvent, its finances are still tight.

Hulec said that when he joined about 14 years ago, the post

had about 240 members. Today it has around 140.

There has been some discussion in recent months among post

leaders, Hulec said, of selling its property, located at

19311 Lorain Road. In the event of such a sale, the post

would seek to share facilities with another area post,

possibly American Legion Clifton Post 421, headquartered at

22001 Brookpark Road. However, members have held off on

making any decision to sell the post's hall, said Hulec, who

served in the Army in the 1950s.

``We're doing everything we can to keep functioning the way

we have been,'' he said.

The post's current commander, Jim Babitsky, noted that most

community organizations have been having financial problems

lately.

``We're hoping to stabilize the finances and keep the post

alive and keep it going,'' said Babitsky, a Marine veteran

who was stationed in Vietnam in 1968-69. ``The economic times

are just rough on everybody.''

Meanwhile, the post's members, who already served their

country during wartime, continue to serve the community and

their fellow veterans in various ways.

The post raises the American flag at Fairview High School

home football games and provides color guards at local civil

events.

``If City Hall needs the colors posted, we usually do

that,'' Babitsky said.

Mayor Eileen Patton said she appreciated their service.

``Legion Post 738 has always played an important role in

our community,'' Patton told WestLife. ``They participate in

our Summerfest every year as well as every We Do Care

ceremony each November at the high school. They also organize

our Memorial Day parade and invite the community back to the

post for a ceremony and a great cookout at no cost.

``I also have the honor of attending all the Legion

ceremonies installing their new boards and the women's

auxiliary boards as well. They are a wonderful dedicated

group of true Americans that are so proud of serving our

country. They are always willing to participate in our city

events, and I am so glad that I have gotten to know each and

every one of them.''

Post and ladies auxiliary members travel about six times a

year to the U.S. Veterans Administration Medical Center in

Brecksville to visit, deliver refreshments, and play bingo

with the veterans. ``They seem to appreciate that a lot,''

said Sue Carson, treasurer of the ladies auxiliary. Before

Christmas each year, post and auxiliary members put together

care packages containing toiletries, cards and books for the

veterans at the Brecksville hospital, she added.

The post also hosts an annual Christmas party for local

children whose fathers and grandfathers are veterans, said

Carson, whose husband, Don, is a Korean Conflict-era Army

veteran.

About two dinners are held each month at the post's hall,

Carson said. In recent weeks, the ladies auxiliary has been

focusing on the anniversary dinner.

``We have a birthday dinner every year,'' Carson said,

``but this year we're trying to make it more special because

of the 60th anniversary.''

Joanne Hulec said it's shaping up to be one of the post's

highlights of the year. ``I like to think of it as one of our

`white table cloth' dinners,'' she joked. Because the dinner

will be catered, the ladies will be relieved of kitchen duty,

except for those making the hor'dourves, she said.

Several certificates of appreciation will be awarded to a

number of post and auxiliary members, Carson said. Just who

will be recognized is a secret; however, Carson said

recognition will be given to ``people who have put forth a

concerted effort to be active in the post.''

The post's 60th anniversary dinner April 12 is open to the

public. Cocktails and appetizers will be served from 5:45

until 6:45 p.m., with dinner following at 7 p.m. Tickets are

$12 per person. To make reservations, call Sue Carson at

(440) 331-2730 by April 7.

PRO OF THE YEAR: For nearly five decades, Post 738 hosted

its ``Pro Of the Year'' dinner honoring a member of the

Cleveland Browns. This year, quarterback Derek Anderson will

be honored at the April 22 event, which Hulec said is the

organization's biggest annual fund-raiser.

Mr. Speaker, the President's representative from the military is on Capitol Hill urging us to continue to stay in Iraq, telling us to wait, don't leave.

What are we waiting for, until the cost of the war reaches $6 trillion, so

that our American economy goes totally bust, so that we don't have any more money for education or health care or housing?

What are we waiting for, for the casualties to get to 10,000 or 20,000 deaths of our service men and women?

What are we waiting for, for America to stand alone against the world?

It is time that we take a new direction. It is time that Congress regain its rightful role as a coequal branch of government. It is not appropriate for leaders in Congress to say, well, it is the administration's fault that the war continues, when in fact we have the authority to cut off funds.

Congress must take a strong stand and say no more funding; end the war, stop the occupation, close the bases, bring the troops home, set in motion an international peacekeeping and security force that comes in as our troops leave, work for a program of reconciliation between the Shiites, the Sunnis, and the Kurds, work for a program of repatriations, and stop trying to control the oil of Iraq.

Offered By: Mr. Kucinich

Amendment No. 5: Page 3, line 3, strike ``indicators'' and

insert ``indicators. If, in carrying out such source

identification and tracking program, a source of pathogenic

contamination is identified by such State or local

government, such State or local government shall make

information on the existence of such source available to the

public on the Internet within 24 hours of the identification

of such source.''.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of the men and women who served as attorneys and judges in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County who passed away in 2007. They will be remembered for their individual and collective dedication as public servants, all focused on the public good, on the occasion of the Annual Greater Cleveland Bench- Bar Memorial Program being held on April 7, 2008, in Cleveland.

I stand with Chief Judge James G. Carr of the U.S. Federal District Court, Northern District of Ohio, and all the judges and magistrates of the Northern District, and the Bench-Bar Program organizing committee to remember and commemorate the lives and accomplishments of the lawyers and judges in our community who have recently passed. Through their work as lawyers and judges, these individuals have contributed their talent, trade and expertise within an array of roles to guide and support the citizens of the greater Cleveland community. We remember Thomas F. Allen, Robert F. Belovich, Sr., William E. Blackie, Jr., Edward J. Corrigan, Norman A. Fuerst, Michael R. Gallagher, Victor Greenslade, Jr., John Gustin, James E. Kuth, Anne M. Landefeld, Howard A. Levy, Joseph J. LoPresti, Jr., Charles S. Lynch, Stuart O.H. Merz, Ivan L. Miller, Robert Nelson, Robert S. Passov, Robert B. Preston, Jr., Ralph Rudd, Constantino M. Scudiere, Dennis H. Sherman, Richard B. Steuer, Kent N. Stone, Mark Edward Sullivan, Robert E. Sweeney, William Cronin Trier, Jr., Owen F. Walker, and Herbert R. Whiting. Their dedication to the legal profession and to the community will forever be respected and remembered.

It is noteworthy that the program on April 7, 2008 is being held at the recently restored Howard M. Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse at Cleveland's Public Square. Senator Metzenbaum himself was a public citizen, lawyer and legislator whose service to the people of Ohio and the Nation is legendary. He was a consummate consumer advocate, labor rights advocate, accomplished legislator and an important figure in Ohio's political history whose passing last month we also mourn.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of the members of the legal profession who dedicated their professional lives to the law and to working among the people in the Greater Cleveland community to uphold and improve our justice system. Let their accomplishments and commitment to their profession serve as an example to be followed by all who follow in their footsteps.

Madam Speaker. I rise today in honor and remembrance of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today is the eve of the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination in 1968.

Dr. King is without question one of the greatest voices and most successful activists of our time. He spoke out against racial injustice, social inequality and economic prejudice on the domestic front. He promoted non-violence as the means with which to overcome the intolerance of society both at home and abroad.

His was a voice that radiated humility in the face of great adversity and true danger. Dr. King believed silence to be a supreme betrayal and lead his life accordingly. It is not surprising that a man so great would then have a message so powerful that it still rings true today.

His speeches and writings have held a timeless message over the forty years since his passing. They help to guide us as the complexities and struggles of modern society still infringe upon our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness the world over. Madam Speaker, I would like to offer the following quote of Dr. King's as an example:

``We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history there is such a thing as being too late. Procrastination is still the thief of time. Life often leaves us standing bare, naked and dejected with a lost opportunity. The `tide in the affairs of men' does not remain at the flood; it ebbs. We may cry out desperately for time to pause in her passage, but time is deaf to every plea and rushes on. Over the bleached bones and jumbled residue of numerous civilizations are written the pathetic words: `Too late'. There is an invisible book of life that faithfully records our vigilance or our neglect. `The moving finger writes, and having writ moves on . . .' We still have a choice today; nonviolent coexistence or violent co-annihilation.''

Dr. King acknowledged the interconnectedness of peace, equality and justice. Dr. King understood the personal responsibility that each of us must live up to so that we overcome, once and for all, the ills that plague and seek to separate us.

The Reverend understood the urgency of time as we work to overcome our struggles. Dr. King left us his teachings so that all around the world we may one day engage in what he termed the ``beloved community.''

I urge my colleagues to join me as we walk these halls of Congress as protectors of the American dream, to think about Dr. King's words as they apply to the business of today. Let us work for peace, let us put an end to racism, let us stop all social injustice and let us realize that today is the day, for tomorrow may he too late.

Madam Speaker, I fully support Representative Baca's legislation to encourage the establishment of a national holiday in honor of Cesar Chavez and wish to thank him for introducing this important bill.

During the Great Depression, Cesar's family lost their own farm. As such, Cesar and his family joined the migrant farming community. Cesar was only 10 years old when he began to work in the fields and vineyards of the southwest. He learned first hand about the injustices and indignities experienced by migrant farm workers.

Founder of the National Farm Workers Association and its successor the United Farm Workers of America, Cesar led the Nation's first triumphant farm workers union.

Cesar E. Chavez was a champion of workers' rights. He showed incredible dedication to social justice through his efforts on behalf of farm workers to garner improved wages, medical coverage, pension benefits, safer working conditions, humane living conditions and an end to child labor in the fields.

His remarkable achievements were realized through non-violent protest, through fasts, strikes and boycotts. This makes his accomplishments all the more meaningful and sets an example that is to be held in the highest regard.

Cesar was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times by the American Friends Service Committee. He received the distinguished Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace Prize and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Because Cesar Chavez embodies so completely both the spirit and values of our Nation I believe it is only right to establish a national holiday in his honor. ``Si se puede.''

Again. I wish to thank Congressman Baca for introducing this important legislation and calling attention to one of our Nation's greatest heroes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Harrison Hightower's victory at the Ohio High School Athletic Association's 2008 Division II Wrestling Championships.

Harrison Hightower is a star senior at Hunting Valley University School in Strongsville, Ohio, and bested his 130 lb. weight class with a 7-2 decision. Hunting Valley University School has a strong wrestling program and a history of cultivating champions. Hightower, loved by his friends and family for his sense of humor, is now a local hero and an example of what perseverance and dedication to your sport, school and teamwork can do.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the accomplishments of Harrison Hightower, an outstanding team member and now a State wrestling champion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Robert E. Doggett, and to honor a life spent in service to his country, his community, and his family.

As a young man, Mr. Doggett served our country bravely during World War II, earning a Purple Heart of Honor for his service in the first African-American army combat unit in the South Pacific Theatre. After returning stateside from his service, he followed his parents to Cleveland to put down roots in Northeast Ohio in the late 1940's. An artist at heart and by trade, he first utilized his artistic talents by designing calendars for local businesses. He later began work with the City planning commission as a draftsman in 1951, work which would mark the beginning of a career-long commitment to the City of Cleveland and the residents of Northeast Ohio. During his twenty years at the City planning commission, he became the city's first African-American senior planner. His integrity and work ethic carried him up the ranks quickly when in 1972, Mayor Ralph Perk appointed Mr. Doggett as the Cleveland director of the federal community redevelopment Model Cities Initiative, a program dedicated to rebuild Cleveland's East Side. To top off his career of civic service, Robert is responsible for the architectural designs of more than thirty churches, office buildings and restaurants.

Recognized for his talents as a great abstract and landscape artist by his friends and family, he was also a known jazz aficionado and has met Jazz greats Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton who both performed regularly in the Cleveland area. Mr. Doggett is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Georgia; his children Lisa, Enid and Steven; and one granddaughter. He will be affectionately remembered by his family and friends for his compassion, humor, intelligence and artistic talents.

Madam speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembering Robert E. Doggett, and to honor his commitment to his country, community, and family. May his exemplary life serve as an example for us all to follow.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Honorable Thomas P. Perciak, the Mayor of the City of Strongsville, Ohio. A profoundly respected and influential member of Cleveland's Polish community and a leader of greater Cleveland's civic culture, Mayor Perciak is the recipient of the Forty-Fifth annual ``Good Joe'' Polish Heritage Award.

Mayor Perciak, a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area, carries with him a rich history of public service and advocacy for northeast Ohio, especially in the Polish community. A graduate of the David M. Myers University, he has served and continues to serve in many leadership roles. Prior to becoming Mayor of Strongsville, he held various senior positions within Fifth Third Bank, including Executive Vice President of the Northeastern Ohio region. In addition, Mayor Perciak leads the charitable gift and fundraising arm of Southwest General Hospital as Chairman of the Southwest General Community Health Foundation, a position he has held since 1996.

From his time as a student at St. Andrews Abbey--founded Benedictine High School--located in Cleveland--to his volunteer service on their Board of Trustees, Mayor Perciak has represented the Benedictine Order of Cleveland with pride and distinction. His religious faith also compels him to dedicate his time and talent toward serving on the Board of Financial Advisors for the Diocese of Cleveland, as well as on the Finance Committee of St. John Neumann Catholic Church.

Mayor Perciak has been the recipient of many honors and awards, including induction into the Benedictine High School Hall of Honors and Companions on the Journey Awards of outstanding service and generosity. In addition, in the summer of 2007, the Southwest General Residential Hospice was renamed the Thomas P. Perciak Family Residential Hospice.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Mayor Thomas Perciak for his outstanding and tireless efforts as a supporter and advocate for Polish causes, as well as for his extensive and diverse service to many individuals and families who call the Cleveland area home.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Chinese Spectacular Show, a world-class troupe that showcases Chinese Classical performance to audiences worldwide and serves as a bridge between cultures.

In 2006, the Chinese Spectacular was ranked number seven on Billboard Magazine's top shows and has played in the finest theaters around the country. This year, as men and women of Asian descent celebrate the Year of the Rat together with their friends, family and neighbors in Cleveland, the Oriental Cultural Association, OCA, is bringing this great show to the State Theatre. In keeping with its mission as an organization that promotes a cultural exchange and understanding, the OCA is proud to bring this spectacular show to Cleveland. The show is a unique opportunity to showcase and bring together Cleveland's rich multicultural society and appreciation of the various rich cultures that constitute the greater Cleveland community.

The Chinese Spectacular show is the largest overseas Chinese cultural production and exemplifies the very best of classical Chinese music and dance through its lavish costumes and choreography. They have toured over 65 cities around the world just this year and are able to show a side of Chinese culture that is often not seen in the United States.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing this year's Chinese Spectacular show and celebrating Cleveland's rich multicultural community.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 185. I commend this body for recognizing the rights of Jewish refugees displaced from Arab countries. I agree that a resolution that addresses the legitimate rights of all refugees is inherent to establishing enduring peace in the Middle East.

The resolution draws its strength by including all refugees in the Middle East, including Jews, Christians, minority communities, Iraqis, and Palestinians. A lasting peace in the Middle East must abate feelings of hostility throughout all refugee populations. As the resolution suggests, this includes recognition of Jewish, Palestinian, and Christian refugee populations but must also encompass all Middle East refugee populations ``numbering in the hundreds of thousands and comprised of peoples from many ethnic, religious, and national backgrounds.''

As such, I urge this body to continue to be mindful of and work toward peaceful, enduring solutions for all refugee populations in the Middle East. Currently the two largest refugee populations in the world are Iraqi and Palestinian refugees. The United Nations has estimated that there are approximately 2,000,000 Iraqi refugees currently displaced from their homes (and another 2,200,000 internally displaced). These Iraqi refugees endure deprivation of food, shelter, and medical care. The United States must be mindful of the role of our foreign policy in the creation of this refugee population and our continuing role in addressing this humanitarian crisis.

United Nations-recognized Palestinian refugees currently constitute an approximate 3,700,000-person population. According to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency, UNRWA, of these refugees, approximately 1,300,000 Palestinian refugees continue to live in 58 recognized refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Moreover, ongoing Israeli policies like settlement expansion, which contravene the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as the basis of Palestinian-Israeli peace agreements, create new refugee populations today.

I support H. Res. 185 for recognizing the displacement, human rights, suffering and loss of all refugees. I encourage this body to do so in a way that brings us closer to establishing a just and long-lasting Arab- Israeli peace. To make this dream a reality we must truly rise to become the ``honest broker'' of peace in the Middle East.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 310: Expressing support for a national day of remembrance for Harriet Ross Tubman. I wish to thank Representative Cummings for sponsoring this important legislation.

Harriet Tubman was a remarkable woman, whose courage, struggle and dedication inspires respect and awe. It is appropriate that the Episcopal Church honors her as a saint.

Born into slavery, Harriet Ross did not know her exact date of birth. At the age of 12 years she refused to help a white overseer bind a recaptured slave. For her refusal she was hit in the head with a heavy rock; this injury was severe and its effects would plague her for the rest of her life. At the age of 30 Harriet Tubman would make her escape from slavery to

Canada by way of Philadelphia where she met William Stills and learned about the workings of the Underground Railroad. Tubman would go on to free hundreds from slavery and became known as ``Moses'' for her incredible bravery and sacrifice as she led the way to freedom as a ``conductor'' on the Underground Railroad. Harriet was a dedicated and outspoken member of the abolitionist movement.

During the Civil War she provided services as a nurse, cook, scout and spy for the Union Army, but was refused payment for her wartime service. She became an active member of the women's suffrage movement and went on to establish the Harriet Tubman Home for the Sick and Aged in Auburn, NY, in 1908. She worked to maintain this home, the only one of its kind outside of New York City, dedicated to the care and sanctuary of African-Americans in New York.

Harriet Tubman was a true heroine. I encourage the designation of a national day of remembrance to celebrate her life. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Con. Res. 310.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Al Stern, a person who has dedicated his life to free speech and cultivating the seeds of Middle East peace and understanding in the Cleveland community. On March 27, 2008, Americans for Peace Now is honoring Al Stern for his lifelong commitment to peace in the Middle East and his dedication to ``Tikkun Olam,'' the healing of the world.

After graduating from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Al Stern founded Stern and Company, a manufacturers' representative firm in 1962. During his 3 decades with the company, Mr. Stern became actively involved in the Middle East peace issues starting in 1974. He helped found the Cleveland chapter and serves as a national board member of Americans for Peace Now, the solidarity organization aligned with the Shalom Achshav movement in Israel. Shalom Achshav, founded in 1978 by Israeli citizens, was formed out of the conviction that Israel's democratic character and future security were intertwined with achieving a just and peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

For over twenty years, Mr. Stern has engaged and educated the Cleveland community about the costs of the current conflict and the opportunities for peaceful solutions. Through organizing and discussion, he has led people to challenge their assumptions about how to humanize the opposition. In his many visits to the region, most recently in 2005, he has gotten to know the people and the leaders in Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Gaza. He has led by example, through his own commitment to educating himself, reaching out to concerned members of the community and traveling to the region.

Since his retirement in 1993, Al Stern became a full time volunteer with the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio as its Legislative Coordinator. Since coming to Congress, I have been privileged to hear frequently from Al Stern on the many free speech and civil liberties issues about which I have had to make decisions. He has also worked closely with me in helping to build bridges across the gaps which divide people both in the Middle East and in Greater Cleveland.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Al Stern, who has been a leader in Cleveland, a peace-maker, and an inspiration for engaged, global citizenship.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the city of Middleburg Heights, Ohio on the occasion of the twentieth Anniversary Salute to the City event at the award-winning Middleburg Heights community center. Evolving from the Inaugural Ball, the Salute to the City event has paid tribute to individuals, groups, and organizations that collectively work to make Middleburg Heights the pride of Ohio and its residents.

Since years before even the Salute to the City began, Middleburg Heights would not have been the incredible city that it is today without the leadership, service, and vision of Mayor Gary Starr. In his work as mayor since 1981 and councilman for several years prior, Gary has paved the way for present and future community and economic enhancements to the City of Middleburg Heights. I applaud his dedication and strong commitment of the people of Middleburg Heights.

I stand with the Salute to the City committee, including founding committee members Darlene Kobask and Lona Gruber, to honor Mayor Gary Starr, all members of the Middleburg Heights City Council--including Council President Alan C. Budney, Councilman at Large James F. Sheppard, Councilman at Large Tim Ali, Ward 1 Councilman David Bortolotto, and Ward 4 Councilman Raymond G. Guttman--and the employees of all city departments.

Together with the Salute to the City committee, I also honor the contributions of other groups and organizations serving residents of Middleburg Heights, including the American Association of Retired Persons, the Berea City School District, the Middleburg Heights Women's Club, the Friends of the Library, the Middleburg Heights Kiwanis Club, the Middleburg Heights Community Council, the Tri-City Senior Center, Southwest Adult Day Care, the Middleburg Heights Chamber of Commerce, the Middleburg Heights Historical Society, the Middleburg Heights Veterans Memorial Committee, the Rotary Club of Middleburg Heights,

the Southwest General Health System and Foundation, and The Optimist Club.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing all of those who make the City of Middleburg Heights, Ohio, the wonderful place it is to live and work and a city known for its rich, community- driven history.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Howard Metzenbaum, former U.S. Senator from Ohio. He was a close friend to me and a great asset to this country. I valued greatly my relationship with him; I turned to him frequently for advice and inspiration. He was a consummate consumer advocate, labor rights advocate, accomplished legislator and an important figure in Ohio's political history.

Senator Metzenbaum's steadfast support for consumer rights and worker protections, as well as his commitment to protecting the working class in this country, still serves as a constant motivation for me in my service to my constituents.

During his years in the Senate, Mr. Metzenbaum introduced and passed several important pieces of legislation such as The Nutrition Information and Labeling Act of 1990 and the Cable Act of 1992, which re-regulated cable TV rates. Following his retirement from the Senate, Mr. Metzenbaum served as the Chairman for the Consumer Federation of America for ten years, a demonstration of his dedication to consumer interest.

Senator Metzenbaum will be remembered as a savvy businessman and staunch advocate for Ohio's working men and women. From parking lots to newspapers and airports his investments secured his legacy in Ohio as both an iron-willed businessman and politician. He was a fearless opponent of all things related to special interests--if a bill did not have the best interest of workers and consumers in mind, it would not budge in the Senate. He was one of the greatest senators to serve this country. Ohio was fortunate to be the beneficiaries of his service, and I was very fortunate to be the recipient of his wisdom and guidance. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

Madam Speaker and colleagues please join me in honoring the life of Howard Metzenbaum, a dedicated citizen and politician of Ohio, whose forceful legislative, economic and personal contributions to this country will live on long into the future.