Pelosi Statement on the Passing of Congressman Paul Gillmor

'Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all Members of Congress, I rise to pay tribute to Paul Gillmor, who passed away suddenly today.  I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Karen, his two daughters, Linda and Julie, and his three sons, Paul Michael, Connor, and Adam.  How proud he was of his children.  That was one thing that we used to chat about quite regularly and hear about the progress of the twins and how everybody was doing.

'Congressman Gillmor was an experienced and talented legislator.  He spent much of his life serving his country.  His service began in the Air Force, where he rose to the rank of captain as an Air Force Judge Advocate.  A true Ohioan, Congressman Gillmor then served his state in public office for more than four decades - first in the Ohio State Senate, where he was elected president of that body - and later here in the House, where he also served ably and was held in high esteem by his colleagues.

'More interested in policy than in seeking the limelight, Paul Gillmor focused his time here in the House squarely on the needs his constituents.

'On the Energy and Commerce Committee, he was deeply involved in consumer issues, including protecting consumers from unfair credit report practices.  He also worked to preserve our history by supporting and improving sites honoring our nation's presidents.  As Vice President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Congressman Gillmor was the highest-ranking American in this highly esteemed international organization of parliamentary members from the 26 NATO nations.

'Congressman Gillmor's passing is a loss for this House and for our nation; of course, it is a greater loss for his family.  I hope it is a comfort to them, to Paul's family and friends, that so many people mourn their loss and are praying for them at this sad time.

'Mr. Speaker, this is a very sad day for us, as we also learned of the passing of our former colleague, Jennifer Dunn, who died suddenly today.  She was a distinguished Member of Congress from the state of Washington.  I know we will acknowledge her service and leadership in the Congress on another occasion.  Getting hit on all sides of this in one day is a great loss for the Congress.

As I yield back my time to the distinguished gentlelady, I also want to thank her for bringing to the attention of so many Members of Congress, the passing of former Congressman Charles Vanik of Ohio, who served so ably in this body and who passed away last week.  Anyone who knows about international human rights knows that Congressman Charles Vanik is part of Jackson-Vanik, which has done more probably to free people in the Soviet Union and more for Soviet Jewry than any other law. It has made a very big difference.

'Ohio has been generous to the country.  We mourn the loss of Paul Gillmor today and Charles Vanik, who lived well into his nineties, so God blessed him with a long life.  We mourn Jennifer Dunn of Washington.  God did not give Paul Gillmor a long life, but he gave him a life of great quality with a beautiful family and the opportunity to serve a state he loved and a country he was very patriotic about.  On behalf of all of our colleagues, I extend our deepest sympathy to his family.'