John Heinz: In Memory Of A Civil Senator by Jeffrey R. Lewis (NAPSA)—On April 4, 1991, FI Pennsylvania lost a favorite son, voters lost a U.S. senator who put their interests first before the politics of the day, and the nation lost a moderate Republican who understood, valued and cared about rebuilding this nation’s human and physical infrastructure. John Heinz understood that bipartisanship, civility and integrity were the roots of legislative success and political longevity. During the passage of the national health care legislation, the bitterness, unpleasantness and animosity displayed by members of Congress was in some ways reminiscent of the Congressional battle over passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. In an April 1978 speech to the American Association of University Women, Sen. Heinz shared his concerns over why the ERA was not moving forward. His comments reflect the mind set of a passionate, caring and thinking Republican legislator who clearly understood the pulse of the American people, and today his words still echo the issues Congress cannot overcome. Said Sen. Heinz, “Weare losing our tolerance of diversity, our understandingof different circumstances and points of view, and goodwill toward those who reflect those differences.” During Sen. Heinz’s era, respect for the legislative process was paramount. Those legislative colleagues certainly disagreed on many issues before them, but neither their race nor their religion ever entered the public debate. It was always about the substance, the strategy AN |- Sen. Heinz believed that real leadership involved persuading people to do something now that will bear fruit in the future. and your ability as a legislator to convince yourcolleagues. In a speech to the graduates of Wilkes University in May 1979, Sen. Heinz shared his definition of leadership: “Real leadership, whetherit is political, economic or moral, involves persuading people to do something now that will bear fruit in the future. But too many people live only in the short term.” Sen. John Heinz understood that bipartisanship wasnot a oneway street. He cared deeply about the average Pennsylvanian, about this country and about his own family. John Heinz was never afraid to walk across the aisle to support a Democratic initiative. And when he did, Pennsylvania and America were always that muchbetteroff. Jeffrey R. Lewis was the Republican staff director for Sen. Heinz and now serves as chiefof stafffor Teresa Heinz (jlewis@heinzoffice.org).
