September 14, 1967
Page 25666
CONGRESSIONAL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS PRESENTED TO TWO OUTSTANDING CONGRESSMEN
Mr. MATSUNAGA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Oklahoma [Mr. ALBERT] may extend his remarks at this point in the RECORD and include extraneous matter.
The SPEAKER. pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Hawaii?
There was no objection.
Mr. ALBERT. Mr. Speaker, I have the pleasure and the honor of informing our colleagues that the American Political Science Association recently honored two of the most respected Members of the House, as well as two Members of the Senate, with the coveted Congressional Distinguished Service Awards, awarded every 2 years.
This year's selections were the distinguished gentleman from California, the Honorable CHET HOLIFIELD, and the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin, the Honorable MELVIN R. LAIRD. Senators EDMUND S. MUSKIE and JACOB JAVITS were also honored in the other body. The awards were presented in Chicago on September 8 at the conclusion of the 63d annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, a 16,000-member professional society devoted to the study and improvement of government.
The awards were made possible by a grant from former Senator William Benton, of Connecticut, now chairman of the board of Encyclopaedia Britannica. The selection was made by a committee of noted political scientists on the basis of nominations by journalists, political scientists, and others active in the reporting or study of Congress. The selection committee was chaired by Max Kampelman, treasurer and counsel of the American Political Science Association. No finer selections could have been made from the House or any other body.
Mr. Speaker, these awards were established to recognize individual excellence in Congress and at the same time to dramatize the role of Congress as a modern instrument of government, adapting to a constantly changing environment and striking new demands. Too often individual service in Congress goes unrecognized, since the news media tend to focus on the formal leadership of the Senate and the House for regular news coverage. Thus, it is the practice of the Political Science Association to exclude the leadership from consideration for these awards and to focus attention on those men who perhaps move more quietly, are often out of the spotlight, but are effectively wielding power and influence, and are accomplishing those tasks essential to democratic processes. In making the awards, the selection committee took into consideration the following key factors:
First. Devotion to the public welfare, joined with a firm grasp of the skills required of a lawmaker.
Second. High competence measured in terms of effectiveness and concrete accomplishment.
Third. Constructive imagination, hardheaded acumen, and a capacity to formulate an advance objective of national policy and yet be mindful of the welfare of constituents back home.
Fourth. The respect of colleagues based on the day-to-day contacts that reveal the true worth of the individual.
I place the names of all those who have won the Congressional Distinguished Service awards in the RECORD at this point
1959
Senator Hubert Humphrey, of Minnesota.
Representative Kenneth Keating, of New York.
Representative Carl Vinson, of Georgia.
Senator John Williams, of Delaware.
1961
Senator George Aiken, of Vermont.
Representative Richard Bolling, of Missouri.
Senator Paul Douglas, of Illinois.
Representative Gerald Ford, of Michigan.
1963
Senator Clinton Anderson, of New Mexico.
Representative Thomas Curtis, of Missouri.
Representative George Mahon, of Texas.
Senator Leverett Saltonstall, of Massachusetts.
1965
Senator John Sherman Cooper, of Kentucky.
Representative William M. McCulloch, of Ohio.
Representative Wilbur D. Mills, of Arkansas.
Senator John O. Pastore, of Rhode Island. ‘
1967
Senator Edmund S. Muskie, of Maine.
Senator Jacob K. Javits, of New York.
Representative Chet Holifield, of California.
Representative Melvin R. Laird, of Wisconsin.
I also place following this list of previous winners the citations for our distinguished colleagues, Representative HOLIFIELD and Representative MELVIN LAIRD, in their entirety, as they constitute concise summaries of the important contributions of these two Congressmen:
CONGRESSIONAL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD CITATION – REPRESENTATIVE CHET HOLIFIELD
Unpretentious and moderate in approach, Chet Holifield is a distinguished Statesman of the Nation's Atomic Energy Program.
Often called upon to serve as intermediary between the impatient and the complacent, he is calmly persuasive in gaining support for legislation consonant with the requirements of a changing society in a changing world. Long in the forefront of the continuing fight against institutional decay and administrative obsolescence, he skillfully managed bills creating two new Executive Departments – Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation – during the 89th Congress. Preeminent in his contribution to the orderly development of atomic energy and resolute in his commitment to responsible civilian control, he has devoted equal attention to its application in meeting both defense and domestic power needs. Technically proficient and unimpeachable in his independence and integrity, his judgment commands the highest respect of his colleagues regardless of party affiliation.
The American Political Science Association takes great pleasure in presenting this Congressional Distinguished Service Award to Chet Holifield, Democrat of California – a conscientious and dedicated Representative whose foresight and continuity of service have conjoined the benefits of accelerating technology and the welfare of all Americans.
CONGRESSIONAL DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD CITATION – REPRESENTATIVE MELVIN R. LAIRD
Resourceful and vigorous as a national party leader, Melvin R. Laird is nonetheless painstaking in attention to the necessary but often tedious details of legislative business.
Without peer as a political strategist, his energy and imagination serve to enhance the capability of the minority in the systematic development and effective presentation of alternatives to administrative proposals. As chairman of the House Republican Conference, he assumed a leading role during the 89th Congress in the establishment and operation of a research and planning committee recognized for the excellence of its staff and the clarity and cogency of its reports. Unstinting in the thought and effort he devotes to work in committee and to the needs of his district, he has argued compellingly over the years for coherent financing of federal programs. Emphatic and influential in debate, he exemplifies the best traditions of service in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The American Political Science Association takes great pleasure in presenting this Congressional Distinguished Service Award to Melvin R. Laird, Republican of Wisconsin – a forthright and persistent advocate whose intellectual courage and ability have consistently enlightened and enlivened public discussion of the important issues facing the Nation.