[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 149 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)] [Senate] [Page S] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: December 1, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] TRIBUTE TO SENATOR RIEGLE Mr. JOHNSTON. For his 27 years in Congress, including 18 years in this body, Senator Don Riegle has believed--to paraphrase another famous man from Michigan--that what was good for Detroit and the automobile industry was good for the country. As chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and as a senior member of the Finance and Budget Committee, he has been in a position to make his views known, and often, to see them enacted into law. While he supports free trade and open markets, Senator Riegle has consistently insisted that free trade must be fair trade, and that foreign markets must be open to American products. Section 301 of the trade bill, which he authored, protects American workers by addressing the issue of trade barriers which harmed American exports. Senator Riegle's commitment to rebuilding American cities, especially the rust-belt communities of the Middle West which were devastated in the economic dislocation of the 80's, is well known. He fought for urban development grants and was an early advocate of enterprise zones. The landmark legislation coming out of the Banking Committee during his term as chairman strengthened communities by stabilizing financial and real estate markets thrown into chaos by the S&L collapse. But his principal concern has always been for workers and their families affected by the structural changes in the Nation's economy. Over a Presidential veto, he led the fight to extend unemployment coverage. He put a human face on the health care crisis in his weekly floor statements featuring Michigan citizens and their problems with the health care system. His legislation setting uniform standards for ``Medigap'' policies protected vulnerable senior citizens from exploitation. Don Riegle leaves the Senate with the economies of Michigan and the United States healthier than they have been for many years. Much of the robust growth they are currently enjoying is due to the understanding of the economics of industrialized societies, his stubborn insistence that the Nation prospers only when its citizens prosper and his political skills which allowed him to incorporate his insights into legislation. His accomplishments in the Senate served his constituents and his country well, and represent an enduring legacy. ____________________