WASHINGTON, D.C., Hon. W. PAT JENNINGS, DEAR MR. JENNINGS: When the 93rd Congress convenes on January 3, 1973, the House will be confronted with a situation which is unprecedented in our history. I refer, of course, to the probability that the Representativeselect from the Second Congressional District of Louisiana and from the at-large seat in Alaska will not appear to take the oath of office at noon on that day. While it is common knowledge that Representatives-elect Hale Boggs and NICK BEGICH, together with Russell L. Brown and Don Jonz of the State of Alaska, departed by plane from Anchorage, Alaska, on October 16, 1972 on a flight bound for Juneau, Alaska, and have been missing since that date, any action which the House might take to declare their seats vacant, or otherwise pertaining to their status as Representatives-elect, should, I believe, be based upon the most reliable and official documentary evidence available as of January 3, 1973. I therefore request that you obtain, for transmittal to the House when it convenes on January 3, 1973, certified copies of any judicial determination and other relevant information then available with respect to the status of the persons in question. Such documentary evidence will then enable the House to more properly discharge its constitutional responsibility in this matter. Sincerely, CARL ALBERT. The CLERK. Pursuant to the Speaker's instructions the Clerk has forwarded to the Speaker a certified copy of the certificate of presumptive death of the Honorable NICK BEGICH, of Alaska. Also contained in the certified information which the Clerk has forwarded to the Speaker is documentary evidence that the Honorable Hale Boggs, a Representative-elect from the State of Louisiana, was a passenger on a plane which disappeared on a flight from Anchorage, Alaska, to Juneau, Alaska, on October 16, 1972. Mr. O'NEILL. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 9) and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution as follows: HOUSE RESOLUTION 9 Resolved, That there shall be paid out of the contingent fund of the House a sum equal to the annual compensation of a Representative in Congress as a gratuity to Margaret J. Begich, widow of NICK BEGICH, late a Representative-elect from the State of Alaska. Resolved, That there shall be paid out of the contingent fund of the House, until otherwise provided by law, such sums as may be necessary to compensate the clerical assistants designated by the late NICK BEGICH and borne upon the clerk hire payrolls of the House of Representatives at the close of the 92d Congress at the rates of compensation then payable to said clerical assistants, until a successor is elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the said NICK BEGICH; Provided, That the Clerk of the House is hereby authorized to employ two additional employees, to fill the vacancy on the staff of the late NICK BEGICH caused by the death of Russell L. Brown of Alaska and to fill the other vacancy on that staff which has occurred since the death of the late NICK BEGICH, and there shall be paid from the contingent fund such additional sums as may be required to compensate the employees so designated at a rate to be determined by the Clerk: Provided further, that the Clerk is authorized to make, from time to time, such salary adjustments as he deems advisable with respect to all of the aforementioned employees. Resolved, That there shall be paid from the contingent fund of the House until a successor is elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative-elect NICK BEGICH, Such sums as may be required for the Clerk of the House to: (1) pay all necessary expenses required to maintain in operation the three offices in the State of Alaska, and the one office in the District of Columbia, operated by the late Representative NICK BEGICH at the close of the 92d Congress; (2) provide such office expenses, including telephone allowance, equipment rental, stationery, and postage, as the Clerk deems essential to the proper operation of these aforementioned offices; (3) pay the expenses of travel between Washington, D.C., and the State of Alaska, and within the State of Alaska, for such personnel as the Clerk may specifically designate and authorize to travel in connection with their official duties as clerical assistants in the aforementioned offices. The resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. Mr. O'NEILL. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 15) and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution as follows: HOUSE RESOLUTION 15 Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of the death of the Honorable NICK BEGICH, a Representative-elect from the State of Alaska. Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the deceased. The resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. SATURDAY, January 6, 1973. Mr. O'NEILL. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 94) and ask for its immediate consideration. The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: HOUSE RESOLUTION 94 Resolved, That the Speaker be authorized to appoint a committee of the House, together with such Members of the Senate as may be joined, to attend memorial services to be held for the Honorable NICK BEGICH in Anchorage, Alaska, on January 7, 1973. Resolved, That the Sergeant at Arms of the House be authorized and directed to take such steps as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of these resolutions and that the necessary expenses in connection therewith be paid out of the contingent fund of the House. The resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. The SPEAKER. The Chair appoints as members of the committee to attend the memorial services for the Honorable NICK BEGICH the following Members on the part of the House: Hon. John A. Blatnik, Hon. John N. Camp, Hon. James J. Howard, and Hon. Teno Roncalio. Mr. BURKE of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the tragic loss of two Members of the 92d Congress in an Alaskan storm that enveloped their airplane, and in all probability took them forever from us, gives me cause to rise now and point to the footprints they left for us in the sands of time. NICK BEGICH was a young man of 40 with a zest for living and with maturity that belied his years. Although he served only one term in the U.S. Congress, he left his mark with his efforts for the passage of the Alaskan Native land claims legislation and his appeal for the construction of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. He was a tireless, dedicated worker, and answered 99 percent of all the House rollcalls during his first year in office. The future years that death deprived him of is a loss to all mankind. He was not a native of Alaska but certainly he earned the right to be acclaimed one of Alaska's most distinguished sons. Mrs. Burke and I had the pleasure and the excitement of his company with his wife not too long ago in New York. His loss seems personal to me as I am sure it does to so many of us all. I mourn with his wife Pegge, and with his children, the passing of our friend who had such great potential. MONDAY, January 15, 1973. Mr. RAILSBACK. Mr. Speaker, the 93d Congress has opened without several familiar persons. All of us are particularly saddened by the loss of three distinguished Members. In October, Congressmen NICK BEGICH of Alaska and Hale Boggs of Louisiana disappeared during the course of an air flight over Alaska, while Mr. Boggs was campaigning for the reelection of Mr. BEGICH. To date, no trace of them, their pilot, or their aircraft has been found. In December, Representative George Collins of Illinois was one of many people killed in the tragic crash of a commercial airliner in Chicago. These three men, from different districts and States, held a common respect for the national legislature and for the good of the people of their home district. George Collins traveled to his district on Chicago's West Side almost every weekend as his way of keeping in close touch with those he represented. He was a tireless champion of the rights of all Americans, and the Seventh District of Illinois has indeed lost a good friend and public servant. When Hale Boggs came to the House of Representatives in 1941, he was just 26 years of age, the youngest man in Congress. In the long and eventful years since he first came to Washington, he has risen to positions of authority in the various committees and forums of the House. As majority leader, Hale Boggs provided the leadership for his party, and he served the people of Louisiana well. NICK BEGICH came to the House 2 years ago as Alaska's Representative-at-Large. He quickly moved to take on many issues confronting the Congress, and served ably on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. His knowledge of Indian affairs, national parks, and public lands has been of great value to his colleagues. These men are certainly going to be missed by the 93d Congress. I know I speak for all my colleagues in extending our deepest sympathies to their families. THURSDAY, June 21, 1973. Mr. ROYBAL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to add my voice to those paying tribute to our friend and former colleague, NICK BEGICH. His disappearance and untimely death was indeed a shock. Originally from Eveleth, Minn., his election first as State senator and then Representative in Congress for Alaska gives testament to the very high esteem in which he is held by our fellow Americans in that area. During his short but distinguished career in the House, he proved their regard to be well founded. The premature loss of this young, capable and dedicated legislator is deeply felt by us all. I extend to his wife and family my sincere sympathy and condolences. Mr. MAZZOLI. Mr. Speaker, during his brief term of service in the U.S. House of Representatives, my close friend and classmate NICK BEGICH left his enduring mark on this body. His enthusiasm for his work and dedication to his constituents were notable. He quickly showed leadership among his peers and was elected as an officer of the 92d Congress Democratic Club. I did not have the privilege of a long friendship with NICK BEGICH. The divine plan was written otherwise. But the associations which we shared, though briefly, were proof to me of his qualities as a husband, a father, and a thoughtful legislator. His tragic and untimely death is a loss to all of us-classmate and colleagues alike—and a grievous tragedy to his wife, Pegge and their children. On this sad and sorrowful occasion, as we bid a fond farewell to our friend, NICK BEGICH, I ask God's eternal blessings on his soul. Mr. DRINAN. Mr. Speaker, I admired my friend NICK BEGICH, who came to Congress with me, for many personal and professional reasons. |