Honoring the Life and Legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT -- (House of Representatives - March 16, 2004)
Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 87) honoring the life and legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and recognizing his contributions on the anniversary of the date of his birth.
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Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I will reserve my remarks for the RECORD and yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), my colleague and cousin.
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Ms. SLAUGHTER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to rise in support of H.J. Res. 87, a timely resolution that expresses Congress's admiration and respect for the 20th century's greatest American leader.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt started his political career in New York State by working vigorously for reform movements that would redefine the role of government, and he never stopped. The programs that epitomized the New Deal, had their genesis in Albany. As governor, Roosevelt implemented many of the innovative, progressive policies he would later introduce to the Nation as President. He expanded state assistance to social services and state agencies and eased the hardships on New York's agricultural industry by encouraging tax cuts for small farmers. Upon the onset of the Great Depression, he authorized the New York State Unemployment Relief Act and the Temporary Emergency Relief Administration.
In 1928, Roosevelt won the Democratic nomination for Governor at the Naval Armory in my home city of Rochester, New York. While serving as Governor, his successes elevated him to national prominence, and in 1932, he was elected President of the United States for the first of an unprecedented-and never to be repeated-four terms in office.
In 1932, the Nation was plunged into the Great Depression that affected every American. Businesses failed; soup kitchens were set up to feed the longer and longer lines of the unemployed. Banks failed, mortgages were foreclosed and the Nation was filled with fear and despair. Roosevelt began the most comprehensive and innovative programs to put Americans back to work in our history. The Public Works Administration alone funded over 34,000 projects that put people to work building airports, highways, hospitals, schools, and universities.
His Works Progress Administration (WPA) hired artists to enhance the projects and many of our most beautiful public buildings today were the work of the WPA. These publicly funded arts initiatives put famous artists such as Jackson Pollack, Milton Avery, and Stuart Davis to work. As an interesting side note, the red, white, and blue WPA logo remained on theater playbills and its initials were said to mean "Work Pays America." We cannot forget the Civilian Conservation Corps which built national forests and did remedial work to restore and protect the land.
Banking legislation protected deposits, and Social Security ensured that the elderly would not be destitute. The Tennessee Valley Authority brought electricity to parts of the country for the first time. Veterans returning home were given free education under the GI bill and bought homes with the VA low-rate mortgages. The middle class that emerged as a result of the policies of the Roosevelt administration has been the key to American economic stability, success, and innovation.
He understood the desire of able bodied and able minded Americans to work and created jobs. He led America out of an economic depression not merely by giving government handouts, but by creating jobs.
President Roosevelt showed his natural and inspiring leadership throughout World War II. When the nations of Europe began falling to the Nazis, one by one, the United States was hardly a military superpower. If anything, we were poorly prepared and equipped. In 1939, the U.S. Army had barely entered the new century; we still had cavalry troops. In record time, the innovative partnership Franklin Roosevelt established between government and private enterprise enabled American industry to provide the U.S. military with a fleet of 300,000 planes, 100,000 tanks, and 87,000 warships to contribute in record time to the Allied cause. When the war effort outgrew all available space in Washington, Roosevelt's Department of Defense built the Pentagon in a scant 16 months. Roosevelt's creative, visionary leadership enabled the Allies to marshal the resources, troops and equipment to defeat the Nazis and free most of Europe from their domination.
Franklin Roosevelt embraced the unique capabilities of very individual and worked tirelessly to ensure that all Americans would be able to earn a living and build this great Nation. As a result of initiatives like the PWA, the WPA, and the CCC, the unemployed got jobs, people were able to support their families, and this Nation was able to grow and prosper. I hope that, as public servants, my colleagues will join me in following in his example by supporting honest policies that work to better the lives of American people.
Franklin Roosevelt had great regard for public service, and served with a sense of responsibility and honor. His respect for the American people and the value he placed on their well-being and security drove everything he did. President Roosevelt came to embody strength, hope and resolve during some of the most difficult days in our Nation's history. From the economic distress of the Great Depression to the horrifying attack on Pearl Harbor that caused the Nation to enter World War II, Roosevelt's steadfast leadership ignited an economic engine and calmed a frightened nation.
The legacy of his policies will certainly outlast my lifetime and will continue to benefit my children and grandchildren for years to come. We owe home an unpayable debt of gratitude.
Only those closest to him realized that he couldn't walk unaided. As former Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo said "Franklin Roosevelt lifted himself from his wheelchair to lift this nation from its knees."
Franklin Delano Roosevelt left us with some of the most memorable quotations of the century. He told us that, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself." He offered "a new deal" to the Nation, and so perfectly encapsulated the American spirit by saying we would rather "die on our feet than live on our knees." Of all his many wise and eloquent pronouncements, however, I would leave you with this one:
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
I am honored to rise today to celebrate the extraordinary life and contributions of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
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Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
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