On the recordJune 23, 2010
as we search for solutions to our twin challenges in the housing and energy sectors, we should pause to celebrate, remember, and learn from the life of a legislator who brokered solutions to these very same problems more than 30 years ago ``Lud'' Ashley, the distinguished gentlemen who represented the 9th Congressional District of Ohio. Thomas Ludlow Ashley represented the Toledo area from 1955 until 1981. He was a pragmatic progressive who knew how to broker a deal to move the Nation forward. He was tapped by the late Speaker Tip O'Neill to lead the effort to develop a bipartisan set of proposals to address the Nation's energy crisis. His work laid the foundation for the passage of a series of bills that aimed to reduce our dependence on oil and spur the research and development of new, clean energy sources. We could use his advice and counsel today. Congressman Ashley made a profound difference in the well-being of everyday Americans. He was known as ``Mr. Housing'' for his leadership of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development. In this role, he authored landmark pieces of legislation in the Housing and Community Development Acts of 1974 and 1977. ``Americans sleep in better homes today because of Lud Ashley,'' Senator Ted Kennedy once said of Congressman Ashley. As a legislator, Congressman Ashley continued the family legacy of fighting for equality.
