Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time, and I thank my colleague from Ohio who just spoke.

One thing that excites me about this bill is it will create 1.2 million new jobs by the end of next year, including over 34,000 new jobs in the State of Ohio. The folks from Cincinnati where I come from who are unemployed want a job, and that is what this bill is all about.

I congratulate the chairman, I congratulate the President for taking us down this track. This bill addresses what ails us in our economy.

First, consumer demand is down. We provide more money in people's pockets this year. Someone just said it is not this year. It is this year. Companies will withhold less this year. They will have more money to spend, increasing consumer demand.

Second, it helps small business, very directly, and that is the engine of new economic growth and new jobs.

Third, and most importantly I believe, it gets business investment back where it ought to be. In the last 3 years, every economist, right, left or center, will tell my colleagues the same thing, business investment is down. We have got to increase that. That is what the dividends tax piece is about. That is what the capital gains piece is about. It is to get businesses back in the business of expanding plant and equipment and creating new jobs.

I would ask my colleagues on the other side, what it is their idea? I know some of my colleagues think by sending money from Washington back to the States it creates jobs, but that is government-to-government transfer. I do not see that as creating jobs to ensure that unemployment does go down. It is 6 percent now. It is too high. It is too high in Ohio, it is too high around the country.

To ensure that the stock market goes up, which this bill will do, the economists, again, regardless of their affiliation with what organization, right, left or center, say it will help bring the stock market up.

Finally, in order to get this economy on a growth path again, I strongly support this legislation. I hope my colleagues will do so on a bipartisan basis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of George C. Eyrich, a distinguished Cincinnati lawyer, public servant and friend, who passed away on April 15, 2003.

George Eyrich was part of a family legacy of public service. He led the Hamilton County, Ohio Republican party for nine years with deft skill and gentle persuasion. His father, George F. Eyrich, Jr., also served as Hamilton County Republican Chairman and as a Municipal Court judge.

George C. Eyrich was a good listener, a gentle man and a wise counselor. When someone remarked that he was ``too nice to be a politician,'' he responded that he just lived his words. George was the party chairman when I was a college student on the staff of the campaign of my predecessor in Congress, Bill Gradison, and for the later campaigns of President George H.W. Bush. He loved politics, and was a good mentor.

A lifelong resident of the Cincinnati suburb of Westwood, he graduated from Western Hills High School, Ohio Wesleyan University; the Harvard College of Business; and the University of Cincinnati College of Law. George served our nation as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Navy stationed in the Pacific during World War II. He practiced law in Cincinnati as a partner in Wesselman & Eyrich.

George served as treasurer of the Ohio State Central Committee; chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Central Committee's Policy Committee; and chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Elections. He was also very involved in civic affairs. He served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of St. Francis-St. George Hospital, and a member of the board of directors for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, the University of Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Central YMCA.

Devoted to his wonderful family, George is survived by his wife of 60 years, Gertrude (``Trudy''); a son, David; two daughters, Carole and Janet; five grandchildren; and two great grandchildren.

All of us in Cincinnati are grateful for George's leadership and public service and we feel blessed for having known him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a friend and constituent, William T. ``Bill'' Robinson III, who will receive the Cincinnati Bar Association's (CBA) prestigious Themis Award on May 2, 2003.

The Themis Award, given only three times before in the history of the Cincinnati Bar Association, is presented to an individual who

provides extraordinary service to the Bar Association, the legal profession and the general community.

Bill Robinson has been a dedicated member of the CBA for more than thirty years. He served as President of the Kentucky Bar Association; founding Chair of the Kentucky IOLTA Fund; President of the Kentucky Bar Foundation; and Co-Founder and President of the Salmon P. Chase College of Law American Inn of Court.

At the national level, Bill's service is unparalleled. He is currently Chair of the Finance Committee and Member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association (ABA). He has also served as State Delegate to the ABA Nominating Committee; President of the National Caucus of State Bar Associations; Member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of Bar Presidents; and Chairman of the ABA's Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services and the ABA's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse. He is an invited Fellow of the International Society of Barristers; a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers; and a Sustaining Member of the American Bar Foundation.

Bill has been critically involved in our region's growth and economic development. Currently, he serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Chair of its Finance Committee. He co-founded the Metropolitan Growth Alliance of Greater Cincinnati, and serves as Vice Chair for Economic Development for the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Chair of the Partnership for Greater Cincinnati, and a Founding Board Member and Secretary/Treasurer of the Tri-County Economic Development Commission.

Bill's community involvement also includes service as Board Member, Treasurer, Co-Chair and Board Member Emeritus of the National Conference of Community and Justice; Advisory Trustee of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; and board memberships for the Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts; the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; the Dan Beard Council of the Boy Scouts; and Mount St. Joseph College.

His previous awards are impressive: the Cincinnati Jewish Committee's Judge Learned Hand Human Relations Award; the Greater Cincinnati Foundation's Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award; and the Governor's Economic Development Award for Kentucky.

Bill is Member-In-Charge of the Greater Cincinnati offices of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald PLLC. He and his wife, Joan, have two sons and one granddaughter.

All of us in Cincinnati thank Bill for his extensive service to our area, and congratulate him on receiving the CBA's prestigious Themis Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding service of Mary Lu Aft, a friend and distinguished constituent, who has enriched the lives of countless individuals in the Cincinnati area. On April 25, 2003, Mary Lu will complete an unprecedented fifth and final term as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Public Library.

Friends of the Public Library is an organization that raises funds for materials, programs and services that support the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. The Public Library system has a circulation of 12.8 million books, videos and other materials, and is the fourth busiest library system in the country.

Mary Lu is an invaluable part of the Cincinnati community. Since 1998, she has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Friends of the Public Library, and, since 1989, has also served as its Chair of Book Sales. Over the years, Mary Lu has been integral to the success of ``Friends.'' During her service, she oversaw and coordinated used book, warehouse, and branch sales, which have raised over $1.6 million for the Public Library programs and purchases. Mary Lu also planned and coordinated the recycling of over 3 million books, which were donated to ``Friends'' or retired from the Library's circulation. Her leadership and hard work have made the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County a national model for such initiatives, and, of course, have been a tremendous benefit to those in the Cincinnati area.

Mary Lu also has been active with a number of other good causes and organizations. Since 1981, she has served as a consultant to the American Red Cross, and she continues to give her time and energy to the United Way of America. Among her other activities, Mary Lu is the Co-Chair of the 2003 International Conference of Volunteer Administrators.

Mary Lu's success has not gone unnoticed. She received the Great Rivers Girl Scout Council Woman of Distinction award in 2000 and the Cincinnati Enquirer's Woman of the Year award in 1999.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing Mary Lu's many accomplishments as she steps down as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Friends of the Public Library on April 25, 2003. I know Mary Lu will continue to make a difference in our community and Nation. All of us in Southwestern Ohio wish her the very best in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, on April 7, 2003, I was unavoidably detained at a leadership meeting and missed the vote on rollcall No. 109 on H.R. 1055, the Roswell N. Beck Post Office Building Designation Act.

Had I been present, I would have voted, ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 112 I inadvertently pressed the ``yea'' button. I meant to vote ``nay.''

Appointment of Conferees

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dee and Ben Gettler, good friends and distinguished constituents, who will be honored for their community service and commitment to cancer research on April 10, 2003, by the Ohio Cancer Research Associates. Dee and Ben's devotion to community and national organizations is legion.

Dee was born in Troy, New York, and graduated from the College of William and Mary. She has served Cincinnati as Chairman of the Women's Committee for the Cincinnati Ballet; President of the Umbrella Board and the

Board of Trustees for the Seven Hills School; Business Manager for Conversation in the Arts; and Out of Town Chairman for the Cincinnati Opera; President of the Parents Organization for Anderson High School; Member of the Advisory Council for Indian Hill Schools; Board Member for the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing; and Chairman of the University of Cincinnati Presidents Ball. She has been President of the Women's Armed Forces Memorial and is a lifetime member of Hadassah.

Ben is an attorney and manufacturing company executive. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with high honors in economics. In 1945, Ben received his J.D. from Harvard University and was selected as a Frankfurter Scholar. He served to the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army in 1955-56. From 1973 through 1987, Ben practiced law with Gettler, Katz and Buckley in Cincinnati, and is a member of the Ohio and U.S. Supreme Court bars. Currently, he is Chairman of the Board of Vulcan International Corporation, which is listed on the American Stock Exchange.

Ben served as Chairman of the Board of the University of Cincinnati, has been a Member of the Board of Trustees since January, 1984, and is a member of the Presidential Search Committee. He is Chairman of the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, and was Chairman of Cincinnati's Jewish Hospital for five years. Ben was National Chairman of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) from 1994-98 and is currently Chairman of its Policy Committee. He is also a Trustee of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority.

All of us congratulate Dee and Ben as they are honored by Ohio Cancer Research Associates and thank them for their commitment to our community.

Mr. Speaker, on March 19, 2003, during the House's consideration of H.R. 97, the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, I was recorded as voting ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 72, the substitute amendment offered by Mr. Nadler of New York. I should have been recorded as voting ``nay'' on the Nadler substitute amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry) and I have spoken about the fact that this budget protects our country, our national defense, and our homeland security. And nothing is more important this afternoon, as this is a very critical time in the Persian Gulf. Our troops are committed, and we are committed to them.

However, this budget meets another challenge, and that is the challenge of strengthening the American economy and creating new jobs. Promoting growth in this economy and getting people back to work is a top priority of ours, and it is reflected in this budget. That is why it provides for policies that create an economic environment for boosting both long-term and short-term growth. In particular, the budget leaves room for President Bush's jobs and economic growth plan to strengthen the economy by providing an immediate stimulus to help struggling

American workers and by laying the groundwork to promote long-term, sustainable growth in our Nation's economy.

A Member on the other side of the aisle called this growth package irresponsible. We do not think it is irresponsible to bolster household finances or encourage consumer spending. We do not think it is irresponsible to promote investment because it leads to job creation, and we do not think it is irresponsible to help the unemployed get back to work. That is what this budget does.

Mr. Chairman, 2 years ago we passed tax relief that not only put money back in people's pockets, but it slowed an advancing recession that President Bush inherited. The 2001 tax relief plan made that recession the mildest in history, and it created 1.5 million new jobs. Without the leadership this Congress showed on a bipartisan basis and this President showed, the recession and the job loss would have been far worse when America came under attack on September 11, 2001.

Now in this budget we provide for the President's economic growth package which will create new jobs and sustain growth. The plan accelerates the reductions in personal income tax rates, the marriage penalty relief in the 2001 tax cuts. It accelerates the child tax credits from 2001. It increases small business expensing, and it eliminates the unfair double taxation of dividend income.

Experts generally agree that this proposal will boost stock prices dramatically. Some say 7 percent, some say 20 percent. The fact is, we are going to add significantly to the value of our stock market, which helps all of us as Americans, including half of all American families now invested in the market. It helps the economy in general.

Economists also say it is going to lower unemployment rates for the next several years. In fact, the average of private forecasters' estimates show the President's plan will result in more than 1 million new jobs by the end of next year. It goes without saying that America is still dealing with the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks and with the continued uncertainty on the international front, including in Iraq today. Our economy is not performing as it should, and too many Americans are out of work.

This budget resolution is responsive because it helps get the economy going again; and when that happens, revenues grow. It happened in the 1960s under the leadership of President John Kennedy, and it happened in the 1980s with President Reagan's tax relief plan because it was pro-growth.

Here is a chart which indicates the Reagan-era revenues. Look at this, from 1982 until 1989, the dramatic increase in revenues. Again 1960s, 1980s. That is what we are trying to replicate now.

Mr. Chairman, with the growth package, we are also going to be able to be sure we can afford these tax cuts. I have heard Members say we cannot afford them; it is good to have growth tax packages, but we cannot afford it. This is an interesting chart. This is a static analysis, meaning it shows absolutely no impact of the tax relief, which has countered everything we have seen in history.

When we provide that incentive for job creation, it increases revenue. It helps the budget, but this assumes none of that happens. Just to have the tax relief in place, this is the difference. The red on the chart shows what the budget would be like with the tax relief taken out altogether. No tax relief at all. The green shows the impact of all this pro-growth tax policy, again on a static analysis. As Members can see, it is a very small difference. The tax relief is not crowding out additional spending, it is growing the economy so we can get people back to work and grow our revenues.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to encourage Members on the other side of the aisle to listen to one of their former colleagues, currently a Governor in the State of New Mexico. Bill Richardson, who was also a member of the Clinton cabinet, has a plan for his State that restrains spending; and, yes, it reduces tax. Why? Because he knows it is going to help his State's economy and in the end help in terms of revenues. He has said and he offers this as free advice to his fellow Democrats. He said, ``We Democrats need to stop talking about class warfare and distribution of wealth. We need to start talking about economic growth, and reducing taxes puts us on the road to economic growth.'' I think he is right. I always liked Bill Richardson, and now I know why. Well put.

Mr. Chairman, this is a responsible budget because it protects our country and because it grows the economy, gets the economy back on track and creates jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Honorable Corwin M. Nixon, a dear friend and distinguished constituent, who will celebrate his 90th birthday on March 9, 2003.

Corwin has served Warren County, Ohio, and the State of Ohio with great distinction. From 1948 to 1960, he served as a Warren County Commissioner. Shortly thereafter, Corwin was elected to the Ohio General Assembly as a State Representative, where he served for 30 years from 1962 to 1992. He had the distinction of being minority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives during his last 14 years in office.

Throughout his successful public service career, Corwin Nixon was always a true gentleman who worked well with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Corwin also cared deeply about his constituents. He has told me he ``used to mail get-well cards to everyone who got sick.'' Corwin once was shown four get-well cards that were kept on a constituent's mantel, one for each time this person had been in the hospital. He has also told me of his habit of sending a congratulatory note with a $1 bill enclosed to newborns, and how to this day these lucky recipients of his thoughtfulness come up to him to thank him.

Corwin has been extremely active in a number of good causes and organizations locally, statewide, and nationally. He is President of the U.S. Trotting Association, where he has been a member for 16 years. For 34 years, he has been an original member of the American Horse Council. Corwin also serves on a number of boards, including the Grandview Hospital, Bethesda Hospital, and Big Brothers and Sisters. Among other activities, Corwin has managed the well-known Lebanon Raceway for 50 years.

Family has always been important to Corwin. He and his wife, Eleanor, were married for 45 years before she passed away. They have two children, Keith and Karen (twins), and three grandchildren, Melissa (Missy), Tina, and Keith Jr. They also have four great grandchildren, Corwin Keith III, Eleanor, Preston, and Austin.

Mr. Speaker, Corwin Nixon is a remarkable person who has touched so many lives and has given so much to our community, our state, and our nation over many years. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing his

many accomplishments as he celebrates his 90th birthday on March 9, 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor William McClain, a retired judge and former Cincinnati solicitor, who will be formally honored on February 26, 2003 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce as a Great Living Cincinnatian. The recipients of this

prestigious award are selected on the basis of special professional achievement; an awareness of the needs of others; civic service; leadership; and distinctive accomplishments.

In 1937, Judge McClain arrived in Cincinnati. A product of Wittenberg University and the University of Michigan Law School, he had determination and the good fortune to practice law with the late Theodore Berry. Among the great many firsts he established for African Americans in Cincinnati, Judge McClain became Cincinnati's first African American assistant solicitor (1942); member of the Cincinnati Bar Association (1950); city solicitor (1963); and Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge (1975). He also served as Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge (1977); Hamilton County Municipal Court trial referee (1979). He has taught at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Even today, at age 89, Judge McClain spends time at his office in a major downtown Cincinnati law firm.

The numerous awards he has received include: the Ellis Island Gold Medal of Honor for contributions to culture, diversity and the American way of life; the Race Relations Award from the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission; the National Bar Association Hall of Fame; and a certificate of honor from the NAACP board for outstanding civic contributions to Cincinnati in race relations,

Judge McClain is married to Roberta White McClain, a retired supervisor for the Hamilton County Welfare Department.

All of us in Cincinnati thank Judge McClain for his service to our community, and congratulate him for being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Charles Scripps, who will be formally honored on February 26, 2003 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce as a Great Living Cincinnatian. The recipients of this prestigious award are selected on the basis of special professional achievement; an awareness of the needs of others; civic service; leadership; and distinctive accomplishments.

Mr. Scripps is a grandson of E.W. Scripps, who founded the newspapers that began the Cincinnati-based media group that now includes the Cincinnati Post and Kentucky Post newspapers, broadcast television stations, and national cable television networks. Although he retired as the company's Chairman in 1994, Mr. Scripps remains on the Board of Directors and also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the E.W. Scripps Trust.

After attending the College of William & Mary and later Pomona College in California, Mr. Scripps began his career with his father's newspaper, the Cleveland Press, as a police reporter before World War II. After service with the Coast Guard during the war, he returned to the family's business.

During the 1980s, Mr. Scripps became an advocate for literacy. The Scripps Howard Foundation created an annual award, named for him, to encourage literacy outreach by the media. His civic associations do not end there. He serves on advisory boards for the Greater Cincinnati Salvation Army and the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. He is past president of the Inter-American Press Association, and he received an honorary degree in 1983 from Ohio University for his ``championship of press freedom worldwide.''

Mr. Scripps and his late wife, Lois Anne McKay, have four children. He married Mary Elizabeth Breslin in 1993.

All of us in Cincinnati thank Mr. Scripps for his service to our community, and congratulate him for being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Phyllis Shapiro Sewell, who will be formally honored on February 26, 2003 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce as a Great Living Cincinnatian. The recipients of this prestigious award are selected on the basis of special professional achievement; an awareness of the needs of others; leadership; and distinctive accomplishments.

Bright and well educated, Phyllis graduated from Wellesley College with honors in economics in 1952. She often says she found her first job by perusing the newspaper classified advertisements under ``Help Wanted--Female.'' She could not have imagined then her impact as a pioneer in women's rights in the workplace. As a junior analyst with Federated Department Stores, Phyllis' hard work and dedication set her apart as she began her ascent up the corporate ladder. By the time she was 28, she had been promoted to research director. She spent her entire career at Federated, an $11 billion corporation operating department stores, discount stores and supermarkets. Phyllis' responsibilities centered on corporate and divisional strategic plans; studies of consumer attitudes and buying habits; and development of effective and information systems.

After retiring from Federated as a senior vice president, Phyllis had a second career serving on several major corporate boards, including Pitney Bowes Inc.; U.S. Shoe Corporation; Lee Enterprises, Inc.; Sysco Corporation; and Huffy Corporation.

Phyllis was named to Business Week's list of top 100 corporate women and to Industry Week's list of top 85 executives. She received Wellesley College's Alumnae Achievement Award in 1979 and was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame in 1982.

Devoted to her family, Phyllis is married to Martin Sewell, and they have a son, Charles. Phyllis has also given her talents to the boards of the Cincinnati Jewish Federation; Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati; and United Way.

All of us in Cincinnati thank Phyllis for her service to our commnunity, and congratulate her for being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time, and I commend him for the legislation before us today which extends and builds on the very successful welfare legislation that this House passed back in 1996, truly one of the best pieces of legislation we have enacted during my time in Congress.

Amazing success. We have lifted 2.7 million children out of poverty through this welfare legislation over the last 7 years. We have reduced welfare caseloads by 60 percent. In my own State of Ohio, 267,000 people have left welfare and instead started working; and they are enjoying now the dignity and the self-respect that comes with work.

It is hard to argue with that success. I commend the gentleman from Maryland, the ranking member on the subcommittee, for his work with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and now with the gentleman from California on this legislation. I know he shares our same goals, but I would have to dispute what his colleague from Maryland just said about this being a hard-hearted reauthorization of welfare reform. Hardly hard-hearted.

The gentleman just made a very good point that there is no unfunded mandate, which was one of his points; and having been the author of the unfunded mandate act, I am glad we have gone through that process and determined there is flexibility here and it is not an unfunded mandate on States.

More importantly, there is $2 billion in additional funding in this legislation for child care, a huge commitment over the next 2 years to provide significant new resources even at a time when our

budgets are tight for something that is very important, which is transitional child care.

There are more taxpayer resources obviously going to these families who need help. Back in 1996, we were giving roughly $7,000 on average per family for welfare. Now, under this program that we will hopefully pass today, it would be $16,000 per family. That is a substantial increase.

The point was made that we are cutting the funds to the States. We are not. Despite a 60 percent reduction in caseloads, we are not reducing the funding to the States. We are keeping the same commitment on the block grant, plus we are adding, as I said, another $2 billion on child care.

These are the statistics, and it is hard to argue with them; and there has been a lot of success.

I want to talk about the personal stories just for a second. All of us have gone back home and talked to welfare moms who have taken advantage of the opportunities we have provided them over the last 6 years with this legislation.

I have had the opportunity to visit with a lot of those families but also some of our good agencies back home. One is called the Accountability and Credibility Together Center in Cincinnati, Ohio; it is called ACT. They have had remarkable success. They have worked with over 5,000 families in the greater Cincinnati area to move them from welfare to work; and guess what, only 200 of those families have gone back to public assistance. Incredible success story.

When I was there at the center recently, I have been there a couple of times, but a family was there. They had come in. Both the mom and dad were out of work. They were about to apply for public assistance and welfare. Instead, the center got them plugged into some educational opportunities, some job opportunities. Now this woman has gone back, she has gotten her GED. She is now in college, and her family is supporting her in that. The husband is working. Again, the dignity and the self-respect that comes from that having worked, being able to provide for a family is something that the statistics cannot tell. That is the great success story of welfare reform that this Congress passed back in 1996.

This is an important extension of that. It is a necessary reauthorization, but will encourage more work, will encourage healthier families, encourage more marriage. I think this is a good bill, and I hope we will pass it with bipartisan support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Congressman Frank Cremeans, former Representative of Ohio's 6th Congressional District, a District neighboring mine. Frank, a friend to many of us in the Chamber, passed away at his home on January 2, 2003.

Frank was born in Cheshire, Gallia County, Ohio on April 5, 1945. He graduated from Kyger Creek Local in Gallipolis; received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rio Grande; and Master of Arts from Ohio University. He was an entrepreneur, a teacher, a school administrator, and a public servant.

Frank ran for Congress in 1994 and was elected to the 104th Congress, where he served the citizens of the 6th Congressional District with principle and vigor. He sought to restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected Representatives by signing the Contract with America. Frank was a fiscal conservative, and cared deeply about constituent service.

Mr. Speaker, throughout the strenuous campaign and term in Congress, Frank Cremeans had the strong support of his loving wife, Carol, and children, John, Cari, and Leigh Ane. Family was always of great importance to him. Frank leaves a legacy of achievement in the arenas of business, education, and government. Through his successes, he touched many lives. We remember him today and offer our sincere condolences to his family.