[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.

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