E30 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks January 7, 2009 

Voting Rights Act. My special thanks to Tom 

Davis, my good friend and strong partner on 

this bill, who retired at the end of last session. 

It was Tom’s idea to pair the District with Utah 

after Utah narrowly missed getting a seat following the last census. I will always be grateful to Tom for the unfailing bipartisan spirit that 

characterized all his work as chair of the Oversight and Government Reform committee, especially his consistent respect for home rule 

and for affording me every opportunity to fashion this bill when he was in the Republican 

majority and I was a minority member. I must 

also thank the two important coalitions of organizations that have led this fight, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, whose 

leader, Wade Henderson also has been a 

close advisor throughout the many years of 

this struggle, and D.C. Vote, and its leader Ilir 

Zherka, who gave our bill indispensable 

strength through a superior grassroots organization that led the successful lobbying strategy 

here and nationwide and singlehandedly 

raised the funds necessary to take D.C.’s 

struggle national. 

There is every reason to believe that the 

D.C. bill will finally prevail this year. The bill 

easily passed in the House in 2007, and now 

has an estimated 64 votes in the Senate, considerably more than the 60 needed. The addition of seven Democratic senators, who replaced seven Republican opponents of the bill, 

together with the eight remaining Republicans 

who supported the bill, should assure that the 

bill will have significantly more than the 57 

Senate votes it received in 2007. We are 

equally encouraged that President-elect 

Barack Obama, who was a co-sponsor of the 

bill in the Senate, will sign the D.C. House 

Voting Rights Act when it reaches his desk. 

My service in Congress has been defined 

by the search for a way to get full representation for the city where my family has lived 

since before the Civil War. That search has 

been guided by the pursuit of the maximum 

possible, including the two-day debate followed by a vote on statehood more than 10 

years ago, the vote I won in the Committee of 

the Whole during my second term, and the 

‘‘No Taxation Without Representation’’ Act for 

votes both in the House and Senate. The 

struggle has been driven always by what was 

required but also by what was possible, as 

with the Committee of the Whole vote on 

some but not all matters on the House floor 

and the Home Rule Act, the path-breaking enacted before I came to Congress that gave the 

city partial self-government. 

The Congress which has always been divided by regional and parochial concerns, 

never does what is clearly right, even granting 

a vote to American citizens who are second 

per capita in federal income taxes paid to support their government and have served in 

every war, including the war that created our 

country driven by the slogan of ‘‘No Taxation 

without Representation.’’ However, the people 

of the District of Columbia have never ceased 

demanding the full measure of their rights, 

while insisting on all that is possible for each 

generation. The people of the nation’s proud 

capital will never give up on our full rights as 

American citizens. 

TRIBUTE TO ROBERT ‘‘RED’’ 

McKEON 

HON. JOE COURTNEY OF CONNECTICUT

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 

Mr. COURTNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to congratulate Robert ‘‘Red’’ McKeon 

on being inducted into the Connecticut Firefighters Hall of Fame. There is perhaps no 

one more worthy of such an honor than Red. 

Red has been a leader in his community for 

over 60 years. In 1944, Red joined the 

Occum, Connecticut Volunteer Fire Department. Red served in various roles within the 

department before becoming fire chief in 1960, 

a position he held for 34 years. Red was not 

only an active and committed fireman, but he 

was also a pioneer. During Red’s tenure, he 

ensured that Occum’s department led the way 

in improving the life saving services which 

they provide to the people of eastern Connecticut. Occum was the first department in 

the state of Connecticut to employ two-way 

radio communication in fire trucks and other 

emergency service vehicles. Occum was also 

the first department that employed a computer 

to develop the skills of its first responders. 

In 1970, Red founded the Occum volunteer 

ambulance service to provide the residents of 

Occum access to state-of-the-art emergency 

services. Red has also been a pioneer in taking care of his fellow first responders. Red led 

the charge for establishing a pension system 

for volunteer firefighters. Despite putting their 

lives in on the line every day, volunteer firefighters do not receive a pension in recognition of their service. Red worked with State 

and local leaders in Connecticut to establish a 

program that allows local communities like 

Occum to establish retirement programs for 

volunteer firefighters. 

Red has demonstrated his commitment to 

our first responders at the State, national and 

even international levels. After serving in the 

Connecticut State Firemen’s Association since 

1944, he was elected State President by his 

fellow firemen in 1977 and 1978. 

In 1991, Red became the national chairman 

of the National Volunteer Fire Council, the 

largest volunteer firefighter organization in the 

country, and served in the post until 1994. His 

leadership within that organization and at 

home in Connecticut received further recognition when the Council chose him as the National Firefighter of the Year in October 1999. 

Along with this award, Red was presented 

with a certificate for $2000 from Scott Health 

and Safety. In keeping with his unselfish nature, Red announced that he would donate the 

proceeds to the North Carolina Relief Fund to 

help fire departments that were devastated by 

Hurricane Floyd. 

Red has also been generous enough to 

share his talents and expertise with the world. 

Red served as a representative for the United 

States at the World Federation of Firefighters 

meetings in Argentina, Denmark, Indonesia 

and Japan and is an active member of the 

International Society of Fire Service Instructors. 

After a lifetime of service to his community 

and his fellow first responders it should come 

as no surprise that Red would be chosen as 

an inductee to the Connecticut Firefighters’ 

Hall of Fame. This latest recognition is one 

that is well deserved, and I applaud my friend 

Red for receiving this prestigious award. We in 

eastern Connecticut are lucky to have such a 

fine public servant. 

f 

IN HONOR OF CATHERINE ‘‘LENA’’ 

ZABARA DICHELE 

HON. CHRISTOPHER S. MURPHY OF CONNECTICUT

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 

Mr. MURPHY of Connecticut. Madam 

Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th birthday of Lena Dichele, a living example of the 

hard work and spirit that we cherish as Americans. Born on January 1, 1909, Lena immigrated to the United States at age 7. Her story 

began at Ellis Island, where so many other 

American stories began. Although Lena 

stopped her formal education in the 8th grade 

to help her family in trying economic times, 

she went on to become a life-long educator. 

At the age of 14, Lena learned to sew at the 

Waterbury Connecticut Girls’ Club, where she 

transformed this skill into her life’s passion. 

Lena went on to become a sewing instructor 

at the Girls Club and an informal authority on 

all things sewing at Tops Department Store in 

Waterbury. She was also familiar enough with 

electric sewing machines to assist customers 

and perform repairs. Lena began sharing her 

love of sewing with seniors throughout Waterbury by teaching at the Pearl Street Neighborhood Center, the Palladino Center and the 

Mattatuck Senior Center, where she ended 

her 83 year career in 2006 at the age of 97. 

On New Year’s Day, Lena’s family gathered 

to celebrate her 100th birthday. But more appropriately, they celebrated the impact that 

she has had on her family, her friends, and 

her community, during those 100 years. 

Lena’s story is a truly American story, and I 

am honored to represent her in Congress, and 

be able to congratulate her today, here on the 

floor of the United States House of Representatives, on this milestone. 

f 

HONORING HOSTELLING INTERNATIONAL-USA ON THEIR 75TH 

ANNIVERSARY 

HON. DAVID WU OF OREGON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 7, 2009 

Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

congratulate Hostelling International-USA on 

their 75th anniversary. Since 1934, Hostelling 

International-USA has encouraged cultural 

interaction among its guests by providing affordable overnight accommodations for domestic and international travelers. 

In my home state of Oregon, Hostelling 

International-USA operates three facilities, 

which together welcome more than 35,000 

visitors each year. 

J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote: ‘‘Not all those 

who wander are lost.’’ Travel reminds us of 

the unity in our diverse world, and I believe 

that the more we interact with others, the 

more we can understand of ourselves. 

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Hostelling International-USA on this important occasion. 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with REMARKS