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In Support of H.R. 4608, to name the Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic located in Peoria, Illinois, as the "Bob Michel Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic"
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| July 20th, 2004 |
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Mr. Speaker, it is my great privilege to rise today as the House considers H.R. 4608, a bill to name the Peoria, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic for Bob Michel, a great statesman and former Minority Leader in this body.
Much has been said, and much more will be said today, about Bob Michel’s valiant military service, about of his service to God and country above self, and about his contributions as Minority Leader of this great body. After spending the 60th anniversary of D-Day with Leader Michel on the shores of Utah Beach, I can’t think of a better way to reflect upon this great patriot’s leadership than through his own words.
Bob Michel understands that a strong national defense, and the sacrifices necessary in order to reach and maintain it, is fundamental to this nation’s greatness. In a speech on Memorial Day in 1992 in Washington, Illinois, he said:
We cannot afford to go through that old American three-step dance of national defense. It goes like this: In time of danger, unity. In time of victory, euphoria. And in time of peace, amnesia! We just forgot what the world is like and we think that peace is just given to you. It’s not just given. It has to be won, by sacrifice, by vigilance, by courage. Each generation has to be prepared to do the job…
Words of particular value to the generation at war today.
We can find guidance in a 1993 Washington Times article, in which Leader Michel spoke of the need to have “government that is at once limited and strong.”
…government is not the enemy. Wasteful government, intrusive government, irresponsible government, corrupt government is the enemy. The people of the United States are not happy with the government when it does not work well. But make no mistake about it: Americans from the beginning have realized that the government system left to us by the Founders is the best in the world …
This statement could very well have been made by one of my constituents in the Florida Panhandle, who sent me here to represent these ideals.
Leader Michel held himself to the highest standard of integrity, and expected the same from his House colleagues. To the New York Times in 1988 he said, “In over thirty years as a member of this institution, I have kept my word. I expect others to do the same.”
There is a lesson in those words for every public servant.
As Minority Leader, Bob Michel never forgot who sent him to Washington, or what they sent him here to do. To a newspaper back home in 1987, he said, “I’ve come to learn that [leadership] doesn’t mean two hoots in hell to most folks back home, if it tends to distract you in any way from your primary concern for them.”
I think most Americans would agree.
And in a speech before the Illinois State Convention of AMVETS in June of 1956, this veteran who served with the Thirty-ninth Infantry Regiment as a combat infantryman in England, France, Belgium, and Germany for nearly three years, was wounded by machine gun fire and subsequently awarded two Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and four battle stars, said
As veterans of World War II and Korea, the awful imprint of those conflicts is still fresh in our minds, and no one appreciates more than we that we are at peace today. Just as the fate of our country and the freedom-loving nations rested on our shoulders in time of war, so are we obliged to shoulder the responsibilities of establishing and preserving a lasting peace.
Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Mr. LaHood, for introducing this measure. It is my hope that upon its passage, the Senate will act swiftly so we can get on with providing this tribute to the service and life of a man who has done so much not only for the Land of Lincoln, but for a man whose valiant military service, conservative leadership, and steadfast commitment to traditional American values have helped reshape this nation.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure, a befitting recognition of the legacy of this man, who has borne the fate of this country and of freedom-loving nations upon his shoulders. Mr. Speaker, it is richly deserved.
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There are no Floor Speechess to be displayed for this month.
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