E2212 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 2, 2008 

heard older lawyers in Selma describe even 

the youthful J.L. Chestnut’s brilliance in the 

courtroom and the cool, relentless way he 

navigated through a segregated justice system 

in those early years. Not surprisingly, the organizers of the Selma marches in 1965 turned 

to him when they needed a legal strategy to 

spring demonstrators out of jail before they 

could be mauled or before they lost hope. It 

goes without saying that his visibility made 

him a marked man in a county where civil 

rights demonstrators occasionally wound up 

dead. 

When the drama of the voting rights campaign ended, Chestnut’s prestige as black Selma’s attorney of record continued to rise. 

Chestnut litigated dozens of cases in federal 

court that reminded Alabama and Dallas 

County that the Constitution applied there—his 

work integrated juries, and the administrative 

ranks of the school system, as well as every 

sector of the workplace. Over the last decades 

of his life, he was the principal voting rights litigator in Alabama. The lawyer who was renowned for keeping innocent young men out 

of jail emerged as the lawyer to call if some 

municipality or county was scheming to dilute 

the black voter share, or to put some new encumbrance on black voter registration. The 

testament to his craftsmanship: I heard a federal judge say once that he looked more skeptically at voting rights cases in Alabama that 

didn’t have Chestnut’s names on the pleadings. 

Chestnut, to my knowledge, never entertained the idea of running for office. He 

memorably told an audience once that you 

could lean on politicians more effectively if you 

weren’t one of them. Thankfully, he leaned on 

more than a few and helped prop up a good 

number of others. He helped found the Alabama New South Coalition to support progressive candidates. One of the last ones he 

backed was Barack Obama, and J.L. went to 

his grave heartened that this miracle might be 

coming true. 

Since I have entered office, I have seen 

Rosa Parks, Coretta King, John Hulett, 

Johnnie Carr, and now J.L. Chestnut called 

back home. Like them, Chestnut’s contribution 

was moral authority at a time when both were 

in short supply. Chestnut and his class of heroes reminded us that we have obligations to 

each other—white and black people owe each 

other civility; talented people owe their community the service of their abilities; a decent 

society owes legal protections to every citizen; 

a privileged people owe the marginal among 

us security against the worst economic 

storms. 

Finally, J.L. Chestnut reminded me that this 

new generation of leaders must challenge ourselves even more to forge lasting change—if 

J.L. could do it in a more hateful, more oppressive time, how dare we settle for a lesser 

standard of courage, and wit, and perseverance. 

Madam Speaker, may God bless the family 

of J.L. Chestnut. 

TRIBUTE TO LIEUTENANT JOE 

ROSS 

HON. JOHN P. SARBANES OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to acknowledge Lieutenant Joe Ross of 

the Howard County Department of Fire & Rescue Services, who has recently received two 

distinct honors. Lieutenant Ross has been 

named Howard County’s 2008 Employee of 

the Year as well as Career Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Provider of the Year by 

the American Legion—Department of Maryland. It is right to take time in the Congress to 

thank someone for a job well done. Today we 

pause to recognize a man who goes above 

and beyond the call of duty. 

Lieutenant Ross has worked as a medical 

professional with Howard County Fire and 

Rescue for almost 10 years. Before that time 

he worked for the Anne Arundel County Fire 

Department and served in the United States 

Navy. Ross currently serves as an instructor 

of advanced cardiac life support and pediatric 

advanced life support at the James N. Robey 

Public Safety Training Center, training not only 

his peers, but also nurses and doctors from 

area hospitals. His fellow citizens have recognized the value of his work to Howard County 

and the quality, skill and dedication that he 

brings to his work every day. Madam Speaker, 

Lieutenant Ross’s contributions to our community deserve our recognition and we in Maryland thank him for his service. 

f 

EMERGENCY ECONOMIC 

STABILIZATION ACT OF 2008 

HON. PATRICK J. MURPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. 

Madam Speaker, I rise today to join thousands 

of families in my district who are struggling in 

this economy and frustrated at how this Congress is handling this rescue package. 

A few days ago I stood shoulder to shoulder 

with Democrats and Republicans in this chamber and the families and businesses in my 

community to try and prevent an economic 

disaster. 

While the bill we considered on Monday and 

the one we are voting on again is neither perfect nor popular, we have to do something on 

behalf of our Nation and its citizens. We have 

to fight for the families now at risk of losing 

their homes, the seniors who could lose their 

pensions and the students who are losing their 

shot at a college education. 

Madam Speaker, I hope that our chamber 

can change the Senate’s bill so that it does 

not include extraneous provisions that are unrelated to rescuing our economy. 

We worked through the weekend last week 

and I am willing to do it again. We have the 

opportunity to do this right. 

I believe this bill will ultimately protect middle class families, seniors on fixed incomes 

and students who want to go to college. I believe it also provides property tax relief, incentives for alternative energy and help for small 

businesses to create jobs. 

These are provisions that will help families 

back at home and put our economy back on 

track. 

On Monday we were derailed by too much 

bitter partisanship and the Senate’s decision 

to tack on tax cuts for things like wood arrows, 

rum and race tracks will only make it harder 

to achieve the unity we need to help this great 

country. 

I am for tax cuts—and have cosponsored 

more than two dozen in the last 22 months, 

but as I have said before, unrelated spending 

has no place in emergency legislation. 

Madam Speaker, I urge the leadership of 

this House to strip the unnecessary provisions, 

pass this bill and send it back to the Senate 

with a message: we cannot afford to wait to 

do what’s right. 

f 

HONORING THE SERVICE OF U.S. 

CONGRESSMAN DAVE WELDON, 

M.D. 

HON. JOHN L. MICA OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

honor and pay tribute to U.S. Congressman 

DAVE WELDON, M.D. who I have had the privilege to serve with over the last 14 years in the 

House of Representatives. 

Congressman WELDON, Florida’s doctor, will 

be retiring at the end of the 110th Congress 

after being first elected to the House in 1994. 

He has been a great example of a citizen legislator—giving up successful professional careers in the U.S. Army and in medicine and in 

sacrificing time with family to serve our nation. 

Not only is Rep. WELDON a brilliant physician, but throughout his tenure in Congress, 

he has been a provider of leadership in representing Florida’s Space Coast. When DAVE

spoke on the floor, he spoke with knowledge, 

insight and understanding. Not only did he 

contribute to the legislative process, but he 

also improved the legislative product. 

I am pleased to have this opportunity to salute Rep. WELDON and his wife Nancy for their 

public service. Madam Speaker, I ask all 

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Congressman 

WELDON’s service to our nation through all aspects of his life. To DAVE and his family, we 

extend our sincere thanks and well wishes for 

the future. 

f 

A TRIBUTE TO ARCHBISHOP 

WILBERT S. MCKINLEY 

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, October 2, 2008 

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to pay tribute and honor to the work and 

achievements of Archbishop Wilbert S. McKinley, founding patriarch of the Elim International 

Fellowship. 

Archbishop McKinley established Elim International Fellowship on July 26, 1964 at 9 

Chauncey Street in Brooklyn. He began with a 

bold new vision: to create a dynamic spiritual 

center in the heart of Brooklyn that generates 


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