July 12, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 117 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H5771-H5772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING H. ROSS PEROT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2019, the Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. 
Granger) for 30 minutes.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a Texas legend, an American 
original, and a historic icon, H. Ross Perot. There is not enough time 
in the day and not enough words in the world to describe the remarkable 
life of this remarkable man.
  Born and raised in Texarkana, Texas, Perot, as a boy, delivered 
newspapers on horseback before dawn. And that same entrepreneurial 
spirit led him in the 1960s to start Electronic Data Systems, a company 
that would revolutionize the business world and make him a household 
name.
  It would be enough if Perot's life had been devoted to his business. 
But as a believer, he knew from scripture that to whom much is given, 
much is expected. So, his life became about much more than making 
money, it became about making a difference, and what a difference he 
made.
  He spent his life, and much of his fortune, on other people. He gave 
to philanthropic causes, supported countless people in need, and even 
purchased the Magna Carta, which, in true Perot fashion, he gave to the 
National Archives so all Americans could see it.
  He also worked tirelessly to help, support, and honor American 
prisoners of war in Vietnam. And when some of his own EDS employees got 
caught in the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979, he organized and 
supervised a rescue mission to get them out.
  What made Perot so unique, so successful, so enduring? Having known 
him, I can answer that question. It was his relentless devotion to 
transforming a dream into reality.

                              {time}  1445

  Whether it is freeing prisoners in Iran or building one of the 
greatest companies in history, Ross Perot would not be denied. This 
relentlessness was the lighthouse that guided him through the stiff 
winds and stormy seas of 89 years.

[[Page H5772]]

  When his long-time friend and lawyer, Tom Luce, was working for him, 
Perot once asked him to call a competitor about a business deal. The 
next day, Perot asked Luce if he had talked to the man. ``I left him a 
message,'' was Luce's unfortunate response.
  ``You are going to go broke leaving messages,'' Perot responded in 
rebuke. It was a message Luce never forgot and it is an example of the 
relentless drive that made Perot so successful for so long.
  For me, I am grateful to have known Mr. Perot. As a friend, he could 
be loyal and loving. He gave advice when he was asked for it, and 
sometimes when he wasn't asked for it, but it always came from his 
experience and his heart. If you were his friend, he was on your side 
and wanted you to succeed.
  Of course, Perot's greatest accomplishment was his family. He was 
married for more than 60 years to his wife, Margo, and he was the proud 
father of 5 and proud grandfather of 16. Each of them will continue in 
their own ways to carry on the great legacy of a great man. America has 
lost an amazing hero, and those who knew him lost an amazing friend.
  Ross Perot will be missed, but he will never be forgotten.
  I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
  Mr. CARTER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the occasion of 
the passing of a great American hero, a gentle giant, a man who spoke 
his mind when he needed to and stood for what was right. Now I am 
convinced, knowing his faith, he is among the angels.
  Ross Perot was a man who cared about Americans. He was a great 
American, and a great Texan with a heart as big as Texas. And the 
things that Ms. Granger said were absolutely the truth and a great 
story about Ross Perot.
  But an untold story, because he pretty much kept it untold, is how 
many times Ross Perot would hear about and help a wounded soldier, or 
an unfortunate American wherever they may be, who had problems with 
healthcare, or problems with medical bills.
  In my district, there was a wounded soldier who was totally 
incapacitated and had no way to get around except in a wheelchair, and 
Ross Perot, without any public acknowledgment, looking for no fame for 
his good, kind heart, provided for his needs. He would pay the hospital 
bills.
  In the case of that young man, a young soldier in Round Rock, he 
provided him with a van which was wheelchair accessible without 
disclosing who gave the gift, other than: ``I want to make sure this 
young man can get around.''
  Those stories go on and on in every State in this Union. Mr. Perot 
was a man who cared about the American citizens and our soldiers, 
sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen, wherever they may be. If 
they were in need of his help, he was there for them.
  So, today, we have lost an American hero, a great human being. He 
will be missed by many, and he will be missed by me. He left a legacy 
of a wonderful family who has the same kind of strong, productive heart 
that makes things happen in this world, and cares about America.
  Many of us wonder if what we did in our life would really matter. 
Ross Perot didn't have to worry about that. Everything he did mattered, 
not only to our country, but to a lot of individuals who were in need.
  We were blessed by the life of Ross Perot, and he will be missed.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Gohmert).
  Mr. GOHMERT. Mr. Speaker, I met Ross Perot while I was a student at 
Texas A&M. He was very much involved in activities at the Memorial 
Student Center, and he came more than once.
  I owed the Army 4 years for the scholarship I was using at the time, 
and I got to meet this guy that had gone to the Naval Academy, served 
his country, and loved this country. Nobody could rival the love he had 
for the United States of America.
  He was willing to lay down his life, if called upon to do it, for his 
country. But then, again, Ross Perot was willing to give everything he 
had for anything that he felt should be done.
  Having grown up in the town of Mount Pleasant just down the road from 
Texarkana and New Boston, I heard about him for years before I met him 
in college. He was a legend even then, even though EDS had not grown to 
nearly the heights that it would under his leadership.
  But everything that he was involved in, whether it was charitable, 
whether it was business, he demanded truth. He demanded the best that 
anyone could give, and hearing from so many people who worked for him, 
he rewarded truth, he rewarded hard work, and he has a lot to show for 
it.
  They say, we are told in scripture that where your heart is, there 
your treasure will be. It is really uplifting to see a man who has been 
able to store up treasure without a dollar value, and, yet, has done so 
well in business. His son, Ross Jr., has been a friend, has been 
helpful, and I know we all grieve for the family.
  But as a family of believers, I know that we will all get to see him 
some day. The question to me is: In heaven, will we all have the same 
accent? It would be a shame to lose his. I hope we still get to hear 
that same sound.
  But some were--and I was one of them in 1992--wondering about him 
running for President. But you ultimately realize, this man has never 
changed. Truth means everything to him. Not harming the country that he 
loved, and he served was uppermost in his mind. It never went away. 
That is why he did so much for soldiers, sailors, marines, and the 
Coast Guard. He would do anything for those serving our country, 
including invest massive amounts to try to free POWs.
  He was an extraordinary man, and if he saw somebod was not being as 
truthful as he thought they should be, then he was going to get 
involved.

  He was a man that will be sorely missed, but what a legacy, what a 
history, and what a love for God and this country that we miss already.
  Ms. GRANGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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