Volume 149, No. 34 covering the 1st Session of the 108th Congress (2003 - 2004) was published by the Congressional Record.
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“THE HEINZ AWARDS 2003” mentioning the Environmental Protection Agency was published in the Senate section on pages S3080 on March 4, 2003.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE HEINZ AWARDS 2003
Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, after the sudden and untimely death of our colleague--and my friend--Senator John Heinz, in 1991, his wife, Teresa Heinz, set about devising a suitable and characteristic memorial to his memory. As she has said, such a task is especially difficult when the goal is to honor someone as complex and multi-faceted as Senator Heinz was. She realized that no static monument or self-serving exercise in sentimentality would do, and that the only tribute befitting Senator Heinz would be one that celebrated his spirit by honoring those who live and work in the same ways he did.
Those of us who had the privilege of knowing Senator Heinz remember, with respect and affection, his tremendous energy and intellectual curiosity; his commitment to improving the lives of people; and his impatience with procedural roadblocks when they stood in the way of necessary progress. For Senator Heinz, excellence was not enough; excellence was taken as a given. What made the difference was the practical--and, yes, pragmatic--application of excellence to the goal of making America a better nation and the world a better place. Although John Heinz thought and worked on a grand scale, he understood that progress is more often made in small increments: one policy, one program, even one person, at a time. We also remember the contagious enthusiasm and palpable joy with which he pursued his goals and lived his life.
Teresa Heinz created the Heinz Awards to celebrate and carry on these qualities and characteristics--five awards in each of five categories in which John was especially interested and active during his legislative and public career: Arts and Humanities; the Environment; the Human Condition; Public Policy; and Technology and the Economy. In each of these areas, the Heinz Awards recognize outstanding achievements. In fact, the annual Heinz Awards are among the largest individual achievement prizes in the world.
The six men and women who are being honored with this year's Heinz Awards--the ninth annual Awards--have just been named and were honored last night. They are a distinguished and accomplished group of men and women whose lives and work have truly made a difference.
This year the Arts and Humanities Heinz Award is being presented to Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon. Dr. Reagon's deep commitment to civil rights and song has led her down the path of activism, the arts, and academics. Dr. Reagon's experiences in Albany, Georgia during times of segregation led to her founding the women's vocal ensemble, Sweet Honey in the Rock, which is celebrating 30 years of struggle, action, and triumph. As a curator at the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Reagon has worked tirelessly to ensure that the tradition and story of African-
Americans in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries are not forgotten. In addition, Dr. Reagon spearheaded the museum's efforts to preserve the oral history of the Civil Rights Movement culture and African-American sacred music and worship traditions.
This year the Heinz Award in the Environment is being shared by Dr. Mario, J. Molina and Dr. John D. Spengler. Dr. Molina, an expert on ozone depletion at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, shared the 1995 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the effects of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and was one of the most vocal scientists that led the charge to have CFCs banned in 1979. He is currently one of the most influential and respected voices in environmental policy.
Dr. Spengler of Harvard University's School of Public Health is being commended for his efforts in understanding the consequences of indoor and outdoor air pollution on public health. His findings that indoor air quality had a tremendous impact on overall health guided the focus of air quality standards toward a holistic approach, as opposed to a singular focus on outdoor air pollution. As the vice chairman of a National Research Committee that ultimately recommended the 1986 airliner smoking ban, Dr. Spengler solidified his reputation as an expert in his field as well as a dedicated advocate for public health. Dr. Spengler currently serves as an adviser to the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.
Dr. Paul Farmer receives the Heinz Award for the Human Condition. As a physician and medical anthropologist, Dr. Farmer, of Harvard Medical School, has unfailingly committed himself to the study of HIV and tuberculosis treatment around the world. Dr. Farmer has spent the better part of his career opening the world's eyes to the abject inequalities in public health as well as developing practical programs that deliver life-saving services. His efforts in public health have led the World Health Organization to reconsider its position on treating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
The Heinz Award for Public Policy is being awarded to Ms. Geraldine Jensen of Toledo, Ohio. Ms. Jensen founded the Association for Children for Enforcement of Support (ACES), the largest child support enforcement organization in the United States with over 50,000 members nationwide. After a divorce that left her and her children with very few opportunities, Ms. Jensen rallied single parents experiencing the same hardships to stand up for themselves and their children and demand justice. A committed advocate for children and families, Ms. Jensen's work has resulted in the passage of three federal laws on child support and safeguards to ensure that fewer children will become victims of poverty.
Dr. Paul MacCready receives the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment. Named the ``Engineer of the Century'' in 1980 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Dr. MacCready invented and built the first flying machine powered solely by a human, the Gossamer Condor. Dr. MacCready, however, did not stop there. He also helped to create non-fossil fuel automobiles, the first solar powered car, and the first viable mass-market electric car, among his many other inventions. A generation later, Dr. MacCready's ideas on the relationship between advancing technology and preserving the earth's resources continue to impact the field of engineering and will not doubt continue to do so for years to come.
I know that every Member of this body joins me in saluting Teresa Heinz for creating such an apt and appropriate way of honoring the memory of our late colleague; and also in congratulating these distinguished Americans, recipients of the ninth annual Heinz Awards, for the way their lives and contributions have--and continue to--carry on the spirit and the work of Senator John Heinz.
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