Sample Speeches

Tribute to Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Remarks Of C. Edwin Vilade
Director

New Jersey State Society
Rayburn House Office Building

June 14, 2000

Ladies and Gentlemen, New Jerseyans and guests, welcome to the annual New Jersey State Society's annual Congressional Reception.

Before we start on the main event of the evening, let me acknowledge some of New Jersey 's distinguished legislators, and some other honored guests (acknowledge Congresspeople and guests).

This is a very special occasion, and certainly the overflow crowd in attendance today attests to the popularity of the man we're honoring, Senator Frank Lautenberg. At the same time, we can't help feeling a twinge of regret, because the Senator is bringing to a close this chapter in his magnificent career of public service - a chapter that has brought great honor to the state he has served with such distinction.

Sen. John C. Calhoun once said, "The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party."

Few who have held his office have had a more intrinsic understanding of public office as a public trust, and few have tried so hard and succeeded so well as Senator Lautenberg in living up to the trust conferred upon them by the people of New Jersey .

The phrase "only in America " has a special meaning for Sen. Frank Lautenberg. He is the son of poor, hard-working immigrant parents who settled in Paterson , New Jersey , where he was born. He has known struggle, deprivation and loss - especially the loss of his father when he was 18.

Sen. Lautenberg's career of public service essentially began right after high school, when he joined so many other members of what TV newsman Tom Brokaw recently termed "the Greatest Generation" in helping to secure our liberty.as a soldier in Europe during World War II.

After the War, The G.I. Bill gave him an education at Columbia University , and acquainted him with the positive role the government could and should play in the lives of Americans.

After college, he joined with two boyhood friends to found a payroll services company, Automatic Data Processing. It is now one of the largest computing services companies in the world, employing nearly 33,000 people. He rose to Chairman and CEO of ADP.

Sen. Lautenberg's story is a uniquely American one, and he has topped it off in a uniquely American way - by giving back to the nation and state that fostered his success.

When he turned his attention to public service, he was successful as quickly as he had been in business. His first political effort was his run for the Senate in 1982. He won, of course, and has been returned to the Senate by the people of New Jersey twice more.

I can't do justice to his accomplishments during 18 years in the Senate in these few minutes. Let me just say that he has done New Jersey proud, concerning himself especially with issues that protect the health, safety and security of our families.

He authored laws that established 21 as the national legal drinking age, banned smoking on planes and made it illegal for anyone convicted of domestic violence to own a gun