THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release October 6,
2000
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
Hillary and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Congressman
Sidney Yates.
From his two years in the Navy during World War II to his more than
four decades representing the people of Chicago and the North Shore in
Congress, Sid Yates was always a fighter - for his district, for the
environment, and most notably, for the arts. He once said, ``I've always
wanted Washington to be the artistic capital of the country as well as the
political capital." To that end he succeeded in getting Congress time and
time again to finance the National Endowment for the Arts. In
appreciation, Congressman Yates was honored in 1998 by the National
Symphony Orchestra at a performance at the Kennedy Center. No public
official battled harder or more successfully to support our nation?s
cultural and artistic life than Sid Yates. In recognition of that effort,
I had the pleasure of presenting him in 1993 with the Presidential Citizens
Medal. After retiring from the House, he continued serving the public as a
member of the council of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Everyone who
knew Sid will miss his warmth, urbanity, and dedication to his country.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Addie, and to his family
and friends.
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