Nita Lowey: “tonight we gather to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr. Hamilton Fish was one of…”

“tonight we gather to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr. Hamilton Fish was one of the kindest, elegant, finest Members with whom I have had the pleasure of working with in this House. I had the good fortune of working with Ham for 6 of the 26 years that he spent in Congress, and during that time I came to appreciate the fact that Ham was not only deeply concerned and involved with local issues, he certainly can be considered one of the most expert Members in policy. Ham served as the Ranking Republican on the Committee on the Judiciary and Immigration Subcommittee. More important, Ham was a moderate and a fair man who could work with Members on both sides of the aisle and rise above partisan politics to achieve the goals of the American people. Hamilton Fish was part of a true political dynasty in New York's Hudson Valley, a dynasty as old as the republic itself. It is from Nicholas Fish, who fought in the American Revolution and mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Congress, to Ham's great grandfather who ran as a Whig in 1842, to Hamilton Jr., who served his country honorably in the Navy during World War II and in the House of Representatives for 26 years, from 1969 to 1994. Although there were times when his congressional district was more conservative than he was, Ham never strayed from his moderate, fair ideals.”