Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions S307

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. DEWINE (for himself and Mr. VOINOVICH):

S. 307. A bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 200 West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the "Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse"; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my friend and colleague from Ohio, Senator GEORGE VOINOVICH, to introduce a bill to name the Federal building and United States courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, after Congressman Tony Hall.

This bill is a fitting tribute to Tony Hall, a tireless and dedicated public servant, who we greatly miss since his retirement from the United States Congress. He is continuing his commitment to public service as our U.S. Ambassador to the UN's food and agriculture agencies.

The people of Ohio and the American people can be proud of and thankful for the many years Tony Hall has served in the United States Congress. I've had the privilege of working closely with him since my early days in the House nearly 20 years ago. He has been a valuable legislator and a real statesman. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of Montgomery County and throughout Ohio.

Tony Hall comes from a family rich in devotion to public service and dedication to Ohio. His father, in fact, once served as Dayton's Republican Mayor. A graduate of Fairmont High School in Kettering and Denison University in Granville, where he was an all-star tailback on the football team, Tony served in the Ohio House from 1969-1972, in the Ohio Senate from 1973-1978, and as Dayton's Congressman since January 1979.

A devoted husband to his wife, Janet, and a dedicated father to Jyl and Matt, the entire Hall family struggled valiantly alongside Matt as he fought an unsuccessful battle against leukemia that ended in 1996.

My wife, Fran, and I are proud to have worked over two decades with Tony and Janet on humanitarian efforts and other causes that bridge across the political aisle. Tony, who served in the Peace Corps in 1966 and 1967, has been an unmatched advocate for the needy, the poor, the hungry, and the oppressed across Ohio, our Nation, and the world.

Tony has been singularly responsible for much of the world's continued, focused attention on the serious hunger issues worldwide. His involvement in a 22-day hunger strike in 1989, forced the Department of Agriculture and the World Bank to call conferences on hunger, which ultimately resulted in the creation of the Congressional Hunger Center. I'm proud to have worked with Tony on several humanitarian initiatives through the years from Africa Seeds of Hope to the Global Food for Education Act to the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act to the Clean Diamond Act of 2001.

We also share a commitment to the yet unborn. A staunch pro-life Democrat, Congressman Hall was responsible for language in the Democratic National Committee platform respecting the beliefs of those within his party who wished to protect the sanctity of life.

I also have had the pleasure of working with Tony Hall on several projects important to the Miami Valley area of Ohio. We share a passion for the aviation heritage of the Wright Brothers in Dayton and have worked together to protect and preserve the monuments to the Wright Brothers legacy. And, we've also worked together on issues to help build the unique resources of Wright Patterson Air Force base.

Today, it is a pleasure to take this opportunity to join Senator Voinovich to honor Tony Hall's many legislative efforts and achievements and to thank him for his commitment to the people of Ohio and this Nation. I urge my colleagues to support this bill to honor our good friend and statesman, Tony Hall.