[Senate Document 104-27]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                                     S.Doc. 104-27

 
                            Ronald H. Brown

                         SECRETARY OF COMMERCE

                           MEMORIAL TRIBUTES

                                     

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF
                           THE UNITED STATES

                                     


                                     
                                                       S. Doc. 104-27
                                           
                                  Memorial Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress


                                   Ronald H. Brown

                                      1941-1996

                                Secretary of Commerce

                                          ---

                                           
                                           



                           Compiled  under the  direction

                                       of the

                              Secretary of  the  Senate

                                       by the

                            Office of  Printing  Services

                                           
                                      CONTENTS

             Biography.............................................
                                                                     xi
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Resolution of respect..............................
                                                                      1
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Abraham, Spencer, of Michigan..................
                                                                     32
                    Daschle, Thomas A., of South Dakota............
                                                                 17, 30
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                 24, 37
                       Remarks by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith....
                                                                     28
                       Newspaper article from the Irish Times......
                                                                     29
                    Dole, Robert, of Kansas........................
                                                                     24
                    Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
                                                                 17, 30
                    Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
                                                                     15
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                      2
                    Hollings, Ernest F., of South Carolina.........
                                                                      5
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     40
                    Kempthorne, Dirk, of Idaho.....................
                                                                     40
                    Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts...........
                                                                 3, 33,
                                                                     41
                       Articles from the Washington Post...........
                                                                     34
                       Tributes to Charles Meissner................
                                                                     42
                       Tribute read at the Metropolitan Baptist 
                         Church....................................
                                                                      3
                    Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut...........
                                                                      7
                    Lott, Trent, of Mississippi....................
                                                                      1
                    Mack, Connie, of Florida.......................
                                                                     23
                    Moseley-Braun, Carol, of Illinois..............
                                                                 23, 32
                    Moynihan, Daniel P., of New York...............
                                                                     57
                    Sarbanes, Paul S., of Maryland.................
                                                                     53
                       Remarks by F. Allen Harris..................
                                                                     53
                       Remarks by Harold Ickes.....................
                                                                     54
                       Remarks by Secretary of State Warren 
                         Christopher...............................
                                                                     55
                    Simpson, Alan K., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     47
                       Newspaper tributes to Charles Meissner......
                                                                     47
                    Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
                                                                     20
                       Exhibit 1, Disinvesting in diplomacy........
                                                                     21
                    Warner, John W., of Virginia...................
                                                                     19
             Proceedings in the House:
                House Resolution 406...............................
                                                                    124
                H.R. 3560..........................................
                                                                    170
                Tributes by Representatives:
                    Becerra, Xavier, of California.................
                                                                    164
                    Bereuter, Douglas, of Nebraska.................
                                                                     72
                    Bishop, Sanford D., of Georgia.................
                                                                    146
                    Clay, William (Bill), of Missouri..............
                                                                    154
                    Clayton, Eva M., of North Carolina.............
                                                                60, 66,
                                                68, 71, 73, 74, 77, 110
                    Clyburn, James E., of South Carolina...........
                                                                     73
                    Collins, Cardiss, of Illinois..................
                                                                     78
                    Conyers, John Jr., of Michigan.................
                                                                     87
                    de la Garza, E. (Kika), of Texas...............
                                                                     75
                    DeLauro, Rosa L., of Connecticut...............
                                                                    153
                    Dellums, Ronald V., of California..............
                                                                    120
                    Dingell, John D., of Michigan..................
                                                                    69,
                                                                    128
                       Tribute to David Ford.......................
                                                                    163
                    Dixon, Julian C., of California................
                                                                     85
                       Tribute to Ron Brown........................
                                                                     85
                    Dornan, Robert K., of California...............
                                                                    162
                    Dunn, Jennifer, of Washington..................
                                                                    152
                    Eshoo, Anna G., of California..................
                                                                    151
                    Farr, Sam, of California.......................
                                                                   101,
                                                                    119
                    Tribute to Adam Darling........................
                                                                    166
                    Fazio, Vic, of California......................
                                                                    150
                    Fields, Cleo, of Louisiana.....................
                                                                    148
                    Forbes, Michael P., of New York................
                                                                    130
                    Ford, Harold E., of Tennessee..................
                                                                    144
                    Fox, Jon D., of Pennsylvania...................
                                                                    134
                    Franks, Gary A., of Connecticut................
                                                                    140
                       Letter of condolence sent to the Brown 
                         family....................................
                                                                    140
                    Frazer, Victor O., of the Virgin Islands.......
                                                                     81
                    Gejdenson, Samuel, of Connecticut..............
                                                                    147
                    Gephardt, Richard A., of Missouri..............
                                                                    90,
                                                                    123
                    Gilchrest, Wayne T., of Maryland...............
                                                                   168,
                                                                    170
                    Gilman, Benjamin A., of New York...............
                                                                    158
                    Gingrich, Newt, of Georgia.....................
                                                                    126
                    Hefner, W.G. (Bill), of North Carolina.........
                                                                    147
                    Hoyer, Steny H., of Maryland...................
                                                                    140
                       Remarks by Brigadier General William J. 
                         Dedinger, Deputy Chief of Chaplains.......
                                                                    142
                       Remarks by the President....................
                                                                    142
                    Hyde, Henry J., of Illinois....................
                                                                    144
                    Jackson, Jesse, Jr., of Illinois...............
                                                                    135
                    Jackson-Lee, Sheila, of Texas..................
                                                                     94
                    Jacobs, Andrew Jr., of Indiana.................
                                                                     77
                    Johnson, Eddie Bernice, of Texas...............
                                                                     86
                    Johnson, Nancy L., of Connecticut..............
                                                                 66, 69
                    Kennedy, Joseph P., II, of Massachusetts.......
                                                                    157
                    Kennedy, Patrick J., of Rhode Island...........
                                                                     89
                    Kennelly, Barbara B., of Connecticut...........
                                                                    131
                    Lantos, Tom, of California.....................
                                                                     92
                       Tribute to P. Stuart Tholan.................
                                                                    100
                       Tribute to I. Donald Terner.................
                                                                    102
                    Lazio, Rick A., of New York....................
                                                                    161
                    Levin, Sander M., of Michigan..................
                                                                    147
                    Lewis, John, of Georgia........................
                                                                     82
                    Martinez, Matthew G., of California............
                                                                    161
                       Tribute by Dave Ross........................
                                                                    161
                    Martini, William J., of New Jersey.............
                                                                    151
                    Matsui, Robert T., of California...............
                                                                     84
                    McDade, Joseph M., of Pennsylvania.............
                                                                    157
                    McKinney, Cynthia A., of Georgia...............
                                                                    145
                    Meek, Carrie P., of Florida....................
                                                                    95,
                                                                    128
                    Millender-McDonald, Juanita, of California.....
                                                                    160
                    Morella, Constance A., of Maryland.............
                                                                     80
                    Ney, Robert W., of Ohio........................
                                                                    135
                    Norton, Eleanor Holmes, of the District of 
                     Columbia......................................
                                                                    64,
                                                                    133
                    Oberstar, James L., of Minnesota...............
                                                                    169
                    Owens, Major R., of New York...................
                                                                    98,
                                                                    155
                    Payne, Donald M., of New Jersey................
                                                                   107,
                                                               112, 137
                    Pelosi, Nancy, of California...................
                                                                    103
                    Portman, Bob, of Ohio..........................
                                                                    145
                    Poshard, Glenn, of Illinois....................
                                                                    117
                       Tribute to Gerald Aldrich II................
                                                                    165
                    Rahall, Nick J., II, of West Virginia..........
                                                                    121
                    Rangel, Charles B., of New York................
                                                                   105,
                                                                    139
                    Regula, Ralph, of Ohio.........................
                                                                     92
                    Roth, Toby, of Wisconsin.......................
                                                                    136
                    Rush, Bobby L., of Illinois....................
                                                                    155
                    Scott, Robert C., of Virginia..................
                                                                    109
                    Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr., of Wiconsin......
                                                                    118
                    Shays, Christopher, of Connecticut.............
                                                                    74,
                                                                    138
                    Slaughter, Louise McIntosh, of New York........
                                                                     90
                    Solomon, Gerald B.H., of New York..............
                                                                    132
                    Spratt, John M., of South Carolina.............
                                                                    134
                    Traficant, James A., Jr., of Ohio..............
                                                                    83,
                                                                    152
                    Watt, Melvin L., of North Carolina.............
                                                                    96,
                                                                    146
                    Watts, Julius C., Jr., of Oklahoma.............
                                                                    159
                    Wise, Robert E., of West Virginia..............
                                                                     59
             Condolences and Tributes:
                Ronald H. Brown, 30th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 
                  Business America.................................
                                                                    175
             Other Commerce Department Officials:
                Duane Christian, Security Officer..................
                                                                    177
                Adam N. Darling, Confidential Assistant, Office of 
                  the Deputy Secretary.............................
                                                                    178
                Gail E. Dobert, Deputy Director, Acting Director, 
                  Office of Business Liaison.......................
                                                                    179
                Carol L. Hamilton, Press Secretary and Acting 
                  Director of the Office of Public Affairs.........
                                                                    180
                Kathryn E. Hoffman, Special Assistant to the 
                  Secretary........................................
                                                                    181
                Stephen C. Kaminski, Senior Commercial Service 
                  Officer, U.S. Commercial Service.................
                                                                    182
                Kathryn E. Kellogg, Confidential Assistant, Office 
                  of Business Liaison..............................
                                                                    183
                Charles F. Meissner, Assistant Secretary of 
                  Commerce for International Economic Policy.......
                                                                    184
                William Morton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, 
                  International Economic Development...............
                                                                    185
                Lawrence M. Payne, Special Assistant, Office of 
                  Domestic Operations, U.S. Commercial Service.....
                                                                    186
                Naomi P. Warbasse, Deputy Director, Central and 
                  Eastern Europe Business Information Center 
                  (CEEBIC).........................................
                                                                    187
             Other Agencies:
                Lee F. Jackson, Executive Director, European Bank 
                  for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), U.S. 
                  Department of Treasury...........................
                                                                    188
                James M. Lewek, Economic Reconstruction Expert, 
                  Interagency Balkan Task Force, Central 
                  Intelligence Agency..............................
                                                                    188
             Corporate Executives:
                Barry L. Conrad, Chairman and Chief Executive of 
                  the Barrington Group, Miami......................
                                                                    189
                Paul Cushman III, Chairman and Chief Executive of 
                  Riggs International Banking Corp., Washington, DC
                                                                    189
                Robert E. Donovan, President and Chief Executive of 
                  ABB Inc., Norwalk, CT............................
                                                                    189
                Claudio Elia, Chairman and Chief Executive of Air & 
                  Water Technologies Corp., Branchburg, NJ.........
                                                                    189
                David Ford, President and Chief Executive of 
                  InterGuard Corp., the Luxembourg Subsidiary of 
                  Guardian Industries, Auburn Hills, MI............
                                                                    189
                Frank Maier, President of Enserch International 
                  Ltd., Dallas.....................................
                                                                    189
                Walter J. Murphy, Vice President of Global Sales at 
                  AT&T Submarine Systems, Morristown, NJ...........
                                                                    190
                Leonard J. Pieroni, Chairman and Chief Executive of 
                  Parsons Corp., Pasadena, CA......................
                                                                    190
                John Scoville, Chairman of Harza Engineering Co., 
                  Chicago..........................................
                                                                    190
                I. Donald Terner, President of Bridge Housing 
                  Corp., San Francisco.............................
                                                                    190
                P. Stuart Tholan, Senior Vice President of Bechtel 
                  Enterprises, San Francisco.......................
                                                                    190
                Robert A. Whittaker, Vice President of Foster 
                  Wheeler Corp., Clinton, NJ.......................
                                                                    190
             Media:
                Nathaniel C. Nash, New York Times, Frankfurt Bureau 
                  Chief............................................
                                                                    191
             Crew:
                Captain Ashley J. Davis, Pilot.....................
                                                                    191
                Captain Timothy W. Schafer, Co-Pilot...............
                                                                    191
                Staff Sgt. Gerald Aldrich, Crew Chief and Flight 
                  Mechanic.........................................
                                                                    191
                Staff Sgt. Robert Farrington Jr., Steward..........
                                                                    191
                Technical Sgt. Shelly A. Kelly, Steward............
                                                                    191
                Technical Sgt. Cheryl A. Turnage, Steward..........
                                                                    191
             Croatians:
                Niksa Antonini, Photographer.......................
                                                                    191
                Dragica Lendic Bebek, Interpreter..................
                                                                    191
                Ronald H. Brown, the Commerce Department's 
                  Powerhouse.......................................
                                                                    193
                Highlights of Secretary Brown's Business 
                  Development Missions.............................
                                                                    195
                Accomplishments of the International Trade 
                  Administration Under Secretary Brown.............
                                                                    197
                President Clinton's remarks at Commerce Secetary 
                  Ron Brown's Funeral..............................
                                                                    207
                A Moment of Sharing................................
                                                                    211
                Letter from Daniel J. McLaughlin, Deputy Assistant 
                  Secretary, the Commercial Service................
                                                                    214
             Newspaper Articles and Editorials:
                A Role as Nation's Chief Salesman Abroad, New York 
                  Times............................................
                                                                    216
                Parting Gift to Troops: A Little Taste of Home, USA 
                  Today............................................
                                                                    217
                A Lot of Us Had Friends on This Mission, Washington 
                  Post.............................................
                                                                    218
                Plane Crash in Croatia Silences a Big Player in 
                  Capital Debates, New York Times..................
                                                                    219
                Ronald H. Brown, Associated Press..................
                                                                    222
                Harlem Remembers the Heart That Never Left, New 
                  York Times.......................................
                                                                    223
                Ron Brown's Contribution, San Francisco Examiner...
                                                                    225
                It Is Sinking In Today, Washington Post............
                                                                    226
                Peace Has Its Heroes, New York Daily News..........
                                                                    228
                Ron Brown's Mission, Boston Globe..................
                                                                    229
                Ron Brown, Houston Chronicle.......................
                                                                    230
                Let Us Resolve to Continue Their Mission of Peace 
                  and Healing, Washington Post.....................
                                                                    230
                Brown Made a World of Difference in Commerce, Los 
                  Angeles Times....................................
                                                                    232
                Amid Ceremony of Tears is a Sharing of Strength, 
                  Washington Post..................................
                                                                    234
                A Man Beyond Race, Los Angeles Times...............
                                                                    236
                A Devastating Loss, Boston Globe...................
                                                                    237
                Homecoming at Dover, Washington Post...............
                                                                    239
                Mourners Flock to Pay Respects to Brown, New York 
                  Times............................................
                                                                    240
                Brown Mourned on Dreary Day, USA Today.............
                                                                    241
                This Man Loved Life and All the Things In It, 
                  Washington Post..................................
                                                                    242
                In Honor of the Late, Great Ronald Brown, 
                  Manufacturing News...............................
                                                                    244
               
                                      BIOGRAPHY
                                           
               Ronald Harmon Brown was born in Washington, DC on August 
             1, 1941. His father, William Harmon Brown, graduated from 
             Howard University where he met and married Ron's mother 
             Gloria Osborne. The family moved to New York City, where 
             William Harmon Brown managed the Hotel Theresa in Harlem. 
             Ron Brown attended Middlebury College where he integrated 
             the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He graduated in 1962 
             with an ROTC commission as a Second Lieutenant in the 
             United States Army. He married Alma Arrington in August 
             1962. They welcomed into their lives a son, Michael, in 
             1965, and a daughter, Tracey, in 1967. Brown's Army career 
             began in Germany and concluded in Korea, where he rose to 
             the rank of Captain. Returning to New York after the Army, 
             he worked as a welfare caseworker by day and attended law 
             school at night. He earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1970 
             from St. John's University School of Law.
               In the 1970s, Brown's career quickly advanced at the 
             National Urban League to the positions of Deputy Executive 
             Director and General Counsel in the New York office, and 
             Vice President of the organization's national office in 
             Washington. Emblematic of his service to the civic life of 
             Washington, he also joined the Board of Trustees of the 
             University of the District of Columbia (UDC).
               In 1979, Brown joined Senator Edward M. Kennedy's 
             campaign for President as Deputy Campaign Manager. Brown 
             was then appointed Chief Counsel of the Senate Committee 
             on the Judiciary. Following the Democrat's loss of the 
             Presidency and the Senate in the 1980 elections, Brown 
             became the first African-American partner in the 
             prestigious Washington law firm of Patton, Boggs, and Blow 
             in 1981. In 1988, Brown served as Convention Manager for 
             Reverend Jesse L. Jackson's Presidential campaign.
               Beginning in 1989, Brown acted to revive and unite a 
             dispirited and divided Democratic Party when he was 
             elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the 
             first African-American to head a major American political 
             party. As Chairman, he required State political parties to 
             sign coordinated campaign agreements before receiving 
             national party funds, he championed the effort to deliver 
             a unified Democratic message, and he broke records for 
             raising party resources. Facing a popular incumbent 
             President, Brown was probably the first Democrat to 
             believe that a Democratic challenger with a clear message 
             and an inclusionary program of support for working 
             families could prevail in the 1992 election. For 4 years, 
             he managed his Party's quest with optimism, abundant 
             energy and total commitment to victory. He presided over a 
             united 1992 Democratic National Convention in his hometown 
             of New York which paved the way for the election of 
             President Bill Clinton.
               Following the election of the President, Brown was sworn 
             into office as Secretary of Commerce, again the first 
             African-American to serve in this capacity.
               Significantly, he was also the first occupant of this 
             office to fully recognize the central role his Department 
             could play in creating jobs at home and building 
             prosperity as a bulwark of American security overseas. 
             Expanding the rights of individuals to participate fully 
             in the economic life of their country was a driving force 
             for Ron Brown.
               Brown was a hands-on practitioner of economic 
             advancement and has been credited with overseas sales of 
             American products totalling $42 billion. He understood the 
             power of private enterprise to open societies and 
             strengthen democratic governments in such disparate places 
             as South Central Los Angeles, South Africa, Northern 
             Ireland, the Middle East and around the world. As Commerce 
             Secretary Brown used exports to create American jobs, and 
             trade to reinforce peace in areas beset by war and 
             struggle.
               In advocacy of these ideas, he left for the Balkans on 
             what became his last mission of public service.
               Brown was a success in his own right and on his own 
             terms. Supported by his wife and two children, with whom 
             he shared an unparalleled bond of love and pride, he was 
             able to consistently accomplish the near impossible. He 
             elected a President. He rebuilt the Democratic Party. He 
             reinvented the Department of Commerce. He was a proud 
             African-American and a role model for all Americans. He 
             was a peer of the most successful Americans in business, 
             yet appealed to the everyday person. He loved politics and 
             believed in the dignity and power of public service. In 
             every position he held, he recruited the most talented 
             allies who stood with him and against whatever challenges 
             lay ahead. He was surrounded with some of the best when he 
             and his colleagues died on a hillside near Dubrovnik, 
             Croatia serving our country.
               He is survived by his wife Alma, his daughter Tracey, 
             his son Michael, mother Gloria Carter, daughter-in-law 
             Tami, twin grandsons Morgan and Ryan, mother-in-law 
             Dorothy Arrington and a host of family and friends.
               Ronald Harmon Brown returns to Washington for his final 
             rest. With broken hearts and eternal love, we welcome him 
             home.
                 

                                  MEMORIAL TRIBUTES

                                         to

                                   RONALD H. BROWN
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                                Monday, April 15, 1996.
              IN TRIBUTE TO SECRETARY OF COMMERCE RONALD H. BROWN AND 
                                   OTHER AMERICANS
               Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today, the Senate returns to 
             session for the first time since the tragic accident on 
             April 3 that took the lives of Secretary of Commerce Ron 
             Brown and 32 other Americans.
               The majority leader, with agreement of the Democratic 
             leader, has requested that the first action of the Senate 
             be the reading of a resolution honoring Secretary Brown 
             and those lost in the accident.
               At this time, Mr. President, I send a resolution to the 
             desk and ask that it be read for the information of the 
             Senate.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report.
               The legislative clerk read as follows:
                                     S. Res. 241
               In tribute to Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown and 
             other Americans who lost their lives on April 3, 1996, 
             while in service to their country on a mission to Bosnia.
               Whereas, Ronald H. Brown served the United States of 
             America with patriotism and skill as a soldier, a civil 
             rights leader, and an attorney;
               Whereas, Ronald H. Brown served since January 22, 1993, 
             as the United States Secretary of Commerce;
               Whereas, Ronald H. Brown devoted his life to opening 
             doors, building bridges, and helping those in need;
               Whereas, Ronald H. Brown lost his life in a tragic 
             airplane accident on April 3, 1996, while in service to 
             his country on a mission in Bosnia; and
               Whereas, thirty-two other Americans from government and 
             industry who served the Nation with great courage, 
             achievement, and dedication also lost their lives in the 
             accident; now, therefore, be it
               Resolved, That the Senate of the United States pays 
             tribute to the remarkable life and career of Ronald H. 
             Brown, and it extends condolences to his family.
               Sec. 2. The Senate also pays tribute to the 
             contributions of all those who perished, and extends 
             condolences to the families of: Staff Sergeant Gerald 
             Aldrich, Duane Christian, Barry Conrad, Paul Cushman III, 
             Adam Darling, Captain Ashley James Davis, Gail Dobert, 
             Robert Donovan, Claudio Elia, Staff Sergeant Robert 
             Farrington, Jr., David Ford, Carol Hamilton, Kathryn 
             Hoffman, Lee Jackson, Steven Kaminski, Kathryn Kellogg, 
             Technical Sergeant Shelley Kelly, James Lewek, Frank 
             Maier, Charles Meissner, William Morton, Walter Murphy, 
             Lawrence Payne, Nathaniel Nash, Leonard Pieroni, Captain 
             Timothy Schafer, John Scoville, I. Donald Terner, P. 
             Stuart Tholan, Technical Sergeant Cheryl Ann Turnage, 
             Naomi Warbasse, and Robert Whittaker.
               Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit a 
             copy of the resolution to each of the families.

               Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, it is the intention of the 
             majority leader to bring the resolution up for final 
             passage sometime after tomorrow's policy luncheons. That 
             will allow those Members who desire to come to the floor 
             and pay tribute to Secretary Brown and other public 
             servants and industry leaders who lost their lives.
               Mr. President, I yield the floor.

               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I will not say much here today 
             except that I knew Ron Brown very well. I thought he was 
             one of the finest people in this town. I knew him when he 
             was a leader on the Judiciary Committee under Senator 
             Kennedy, and we were friends ever since.
               Many times I have lamented that we did not have as 
             competent and tremendous a leader in our party as then 
             Chairman Brown was. We had good people. We can be proud of 
             them. But Chairman Brown did one of the best jobs I have 
             ever seen done in a national election.
               I also have traveled around the world and have seen some 
             of the work that he has done with regard to the Commerce 
             Department's work and opportunities, and he did a terrific 
             job. He was well recognized all over the world as somebody 
             who advanced America's business.
               I personally want to send a message to his family and to 
             those who loved Ron Brown that I did, too, and I had cared 
             for him. Had I not been in the Balkans during that time--
             we left the day after the accident--with the minority 
             leader and Senator Reid, I would have been at his funeral 
             to pay my respects to him and his family. Of course, I am 
             very grieved and hurt by this tragic accident.
               I also want to extend my sympathy to all of the families 
             of those who died in that tragic accident. Having traveled 
             over there, I can see how that could occur. I can see how 
             difficult that must have been for all of those families 
             who lost loved ones as a result of that tragic crash.
               I could not speak more highly of a person than I am 
             presently speaking of Ron Brown.
               I knew some of the others on the plane. I actually met 
             with some of the people who were friends of the crew who 
             flew the plane. We had a crew that flew us into Sarajevo 
             and into Tuzla who basically had worked day in and day out 
             with all of the members of that crew.
               I know that I speak for everybody in the Senate and 
             across this country in extending our sympathy to all those 
             folks who lost their lives. I hope Ron's wife, Alma, will 
             be comforted, and I hope that the family will be comforted 
             as well. He has my respect, and I am very happy to have 
             had this time to pay my respects this morning.

               Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I would like to read into 
             the Record a tribute to Ron Brown which I gave last 
             Tuesday evening at the Metropolitan Baptist Church here in 
             Washington. There were a number of speakers who reflected 
             on Secretary Brown's very considerable life, from early 
             beginnings to really an outstanding distinguished career, 
             and spoke with great tenderness and sensitivity and 
             thoughtfulness, not only about Ron but also about his 
             family.
               I would like to take just a few moments of the Senate's 
             time today to read those remarks into the Record:

               Alma, Tracey, Michael and Tami, Gloria Brown, friends 
             and fellow mourners:
               I speak this evening in tribute to Ron Brown, because I 
             knew him well and loved him dearly. But I join as well in 
             tribute to the 34 others we have lost, who have now given 
             the last full measure of devotion. Our hearts are breaking 
             now. Our minds can hardly conceive the loss, or compose 
             the words to express the depth of what we feel.
               The poet could have been thinking of Ron Brown when he 
             wrote of another who died too young, in words used about 
             my brothers too: ``What made us dream that he could comb 
             gray hair?''
               Ron and I were supposed to have lunch this Friday. It 
             had been too long. We wanted to catch up. The Senate would 
             be in recess, and Ron would be back from Bosnia.
               He said he wanted to show me the large fish tank in his 
             office. When he and Alma were at our home one evening, I 
             had shown them the modest tank we have. He winked at me 
             and told Vicki and our two children: ``Come on over to my 
             office--and bring Curran and Caroline too. I'll show you a 
             real fish tank. I'll even tell Ted where you can get 
             one.'' That was Ron--always the best in everything he did, 
             and wanting it for everyone else too.
               We also had a few items of business to discuss. Ron was 
             chairman of the Senior Advisory Committee of the Institute 
             of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at 
             Harvard. For him, it was a long and lasting labor of love. 
             As he had been inspired in his youth, so he always found 
             time for the next generation. While he was busy electing a 
             President in 1992, he was never too busy for those whose 
             election would come in 2012. He was there, year in and 
             year out, for every meeting at the Institute of Politics. 
             He would stay overnight in President Kennedy's room at 
             Winthrop House and eat and talk with the undergraduates. 
             He inspired students as he inspired CEOs. He was equally 
             at home in the classroom and the boardroom, in Harlem and 
             at Harvard.
               So at lunch on Friday, we were to discuss the meeting in 
             Cambridge that was coming up later this month. The 
             committee had a couple of vacancies to fill. And now there 
             is an unfillable new vacancy.
               Ron was first in so many things--his career was so 
             brilliant and conspicuous--that he was almost certainly 
             bound to be a target for some as surely as he was a role 
             model for others. He was prepared to pay that price to 
             advance his country and his beliefs. And something now 
             demands to be said. This, my friends, was a man of great 
             honor who proved anew my brother's ideal that public 
             service is a great and honorable profession.
               I first came to know Ron almost half a lifetime ago 
             during his years at the Urban League. He was in the 
             vanguard of the new generation of civil rights leaders.
               He already had then what he would later bring to the 
             highest places of power--a rare quality of double vision 
             in public life, which enabled him to see the issues 
             clearly and see the politics just as clearly too. He knew 
             how to steer by the stars, not just by the fading signals 
             of each passing ship.
               He honored me by becoming part of my campaign for 
             President in 1980. He came on board as deputy campaign 
             manager for civil rights, and soon became deputy for 
             everything else as well. He was Will Rogers in reverse. I 
             never met a person who didn't like Ron Brown.
               In 1980, I lost the nomination. But in Ron, I gained 
             another brother.
               He was irrepressible and undefeatable. For him, ``no you 
             can't'' always became ``yes you can.'' You can integrate 
             that college fraternity. You can win the California 
             primary. You can rebuild the Democratic Party and elect a 
             President in a year when almost no one else thought it 
             could happen. Then you can reinvent government and invent 
             a new commercial diplomacy for a new post-Cold War world. 
             You can make the Commerce Department work--and if you'll 
             pardon a partisan note today, don't let anyone on Capitol 
             Hill tell you you can't.
               Ron believed in government and all of you and in public 
             service. He detested cynicism and the shameful politics of 
             running for office by trashing the institutions you seek 
             to lead. He helped to write history, and not a single word 
             he wrote was petty or mean.
               I have been through other moments like this, and I know 
             how tightly we grasp the memories in order to keep the 
             man. We recall what was only yesterday, and smile through 
             our tears.
               I still see Ron, coming to play tennis on early mornings 
             before work. He'd arrive with three rackets, dressed to 
             the nines, looking like he was ready to play at Wimbledon. 
             He always won, and that's why I always made sure he was my 
             partner in doubles.
               He had a style and a soaring spirit. He had a host of 
             friends who were honored to serve with him--many of us 
             assembled here today--those who were with him on his last 
             journey--and one other I must mention who was with him on 
             that remarkable journey to victory at the DNC--his 
             sidekick, Paul Tully. Ron, of course, never had his tie 
             out of place, while Paul never had his shirt tucked in. 
             What a marvelous combination they were for their party and 
             their country. Ron saw and called on the best in Paul, and 
             in all of us.
               The great physicist Lord Rutherford was once asked how 
             he always happened to be riding the crest of the wave, and 
             he replied, ``Well, I made the wave, didn't I?'' That's 
             how I felt about Ron Brown. He was one of those few who 
             make the waves that carry us to a better distant shore.
               For his nation, Ron was more than an ambassador of 
             commerce. His missions were pilgrimages of peace, of 
             economic hope and democracy's ideals.
               For his party and his President, he was close to the 
             indispensable man.
               For his friends, he was a Cape Cod day and a cloudless 
             sky.
               For his family, he was everything--as they were for him. 
             Sometimes, I'd call during the day to see if he and Alma 
             could drop by that evening. He'd call back and ask for a 
             rain check. Michael and Tami were going out, and Ron and 
             Alma were babysitting for their twins. How he loved those 
             two young boys, Morgan and Ryan. His whole face would 
             light up when he talked about them.
               And how proud he was and how much he loved his children, 
             Michael and Tracey. Everyone who knew Ron knew how special 
             they were to him, how much pride he took in their 
             accomplishments, how close he was to them.
               And Alma, dear Alma, how he loved you. I remember 
             vividly one time when Vicki and I were talking to Ron and 
             we saw Alma across the room. I mentioned how beautiful she 
             looked, how extraordinary she was. Ron's face lit up with 
             that sparkling trademark smile, and he said, ``She's 
             pretty spectacular, isn't she?'' That said it all, and the 
             word ``spectacular'' was made for Ron Brown too.
               Now Ron's journey of grace has come to an 
             incomprehensible end. But for this generation and 
             generations to come, he is spectacular proof that America 
             can be the land of opportunity it was meant to be.
               We love you and we miss you Ron--and we always will.

               Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, now that the initial shock 
             of the horrific jet crash in Croatia has passed, we are 
             forced to accept the fact that my friend Commerce 
             Secretary Ron Brown and 34 other talented professionals 
             have perished. Today, almost 2 weeks later, it's still 
             hard to describe the echoing sense of loss and deep 
             sinking sorrow that still remains in all of us--man, 
             woman, black, white, Republican, Democrat.
               There has been much written and said about Ron Brown 
             over the last few days, and that is fitting, because there 
             is so much to say. He was many things: key strategist, 
             mesmerizing speaker, wily politician, savvy businessman, 
             superb lawyer. Most of all, he was an exemplary public 
             servant for this country. On his last day, he was on the 
             road in a faraway place aggressively promoting U.S. 
             business interests abroad. And, in this case, he was 
             trying to bring peace and economic recovery to the war-
             weary Bosnian people. He took very seriously his 
             responsibility to preserve the American dream for the next 
             generation of Americans, so that they will have economic 
             opportunity rather than a declining standard of living. To 
             him, championing the economic interests of the United 
             States was tantamount to championing the people of the 
             United States, and so, in a very literal way, he died 
             serving his country.
               Ron Brown was the most effective Secretary of Commerce I 
             have known in my years in the Senate. It is fair to say 
             that he was the most energetic and outstanding individual 
             to ever serve in that post. Throughout his distinguished 
             career in private industry, politics and the executive 
             branch, Ron Brown served as a role model for all 
             Americans. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, international 
             business has become the new realm for competition. Ron 
             Brown understood that and worked tirelessly to promote 
             U.S. exports and business overseas. It was quite typical 
             for Secretary Brown and me to meet after he had returned 
             from a long trip abroad. Lack of sleep and shifting time 
             zones never set him back. Jet lag wasn't in his 
             vocabulary. It just was not in Ron's nature to take time 
             to rest up.
               Ron Brown was an especially strong role model for 
             African-Americans. He never forgot his roots, and he took 
             special pride in his efforts to make Commerce Department 
             programs more inclusive and to provide equal opportunity 
             in the work force. He took pride in his efforts to 
             revitalize the Minority Business Development Agency and 
             the Economic Development Administration. Most of all, he 
             set an example for those who would follow in his footsteps 
             with his determination, his intelligence and his optimism.
               Secretary Brown came into the Commerce Department with a 
             tremendous task: to shake one of the Government's largest 
             and most diverse departments out of its dormancy, and turn 
             it into a forceful, focused, and effective agency. At his 
             confirmation, he expressed the following among his 
             priorities for the Department of Commerce: ``Expanding 
             exports, promoting new technologies, supporting business 
             development--these all require integrated action, crossing 
             old lines between business, labor and government.'' Ron 
             Brown was an expert in crossing old lines, whether racial 
             or bureaucratic, whether he was rejuvenating the 
             Democratic Party or reinvigorating the Department of 
             Commerce. He could see potential where others couldn't, 
             and he had that unbeatable combination of vision and 
             determination that was contagious. He inspired those 
             around him.
               In addition to his political acumen and leadership 
             abilities, Ron Brown was extremely likable. I remember 
             walking down the corridors in the Hoover Building seeing 
             signs on employees' office doors that read ``Ron Brown Fan 
             Club.'' Even those misguided few in Congress who spent the 
             last year trying to abolish the Commerce Department found 
             their efforts thwarted by the simple fact that so many 
             businessmen and Members of Congress not only believed in 
             the importance of Commerce--but also that everyone simply 
             liked Ron Brown.
               This is a tragedy that hits home for me, Peatsy, and my 
             staff. Ron Brown was a good friend. Our heartfelt 
             sympathies go out to Alma, his children, and all the 
             families of the passengers and crew of the aircraft.
               Mr. President, let's all remember Ron Brown for his 
             firebrand style of engaged public service. We'll all miss 
             him. I wish we had more like him.

               Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, as we return to session 
             today, it is spring in Washington. The blossoms are out. 
             It is a beautiful time, and yet I am sure the experience I 
             had in returning with my family yesterday was comparable 
             with others coming back to Washington; it brought home the 
             terrible tragedy that occurred while we were away, that of 
             the plane going down in Croatia carrying Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown and so many others, including two 
             corporate executives from Connecticut, Claudio Elia and 
             Bob Donovan. And coming back here to this city, where many 
             of us came to know Secretary Brown, filled me with a 
             sadness and a sense of loss yesterday and today.
               I wanted to come to the floor and share with my 
             colleagues just a few thoughts about Ron Brown. I hope 
             someday in the not too distant future to be able to offer 
             to my colleagues some comments, if they did not have the 
             opportunity to know them, about Bob Donovan and Claudio 
             Elia, whose service to our country was extraordinary.
               Today, however, I wanted to speak about Ron Brown. I am 
             proud that I had the chance to work with Ron Brown during 
             his all too short tenure at the Commerce Department. I 
             tremendously enjoyed working with Ron Brown in his various 
             capacities as a private attorney, as a leading Democratic 
             activist, as chairman of the Democratic National 
             Committee, and most closely and I think most creatively in 
             this last period of years as Secretary of Commerce. I am 
             honored that I can call him a friend. We are all going to 
             miss him--it's painful to think that my staff and I won't 
             have the sheer fun of working with him again--and the 
             country will miss him even more. I have the greatest 
             respect for him, as have so many others, as a wonderful, 
             warm human being and as a leader who had a clear-eyed 
             vision of how to make our people and our country better.
               This is a case which is so often true where you 
             interconnect with a person in a professional capacity, but 
             you never think of a man in the prime of life not being 
             here. In a way, I suppose it is death that makes you 
             appreciate even more the great skills and the enormous 
             service that this individual, Ron Brown, displayed for our 
             benefit.
               Ron Brown, it seemed to me, truly loved the job he had 
             at Commerce. He always managed to fit well, wherever he 
             was, and this job really did fit him like a glove, from 
             the moment he took it. He had an early understanding that 
             the mission of the Department of Commerce was to promote 
             economic growth, that is job creation. He understood from 
             his own experience the wide-open nature of our market 
             system and that it was the unique way America had for 
             creating opportunity for its citizens--the market, upward 
             mobility.
               Ron Brown never saw the business community as an enemy, 
             he saw it as an ally in expanding opportunity, and he 
             threw himself into this job with a single-mindedness and 
             joyous commitment to forcing the system, the economic 
             system, to deliver for all Americans.
               Against this background, I want to talk about two areas 
             of his time at Commerce that I think was so critically 
             important. I believe that they were truly extraordinary, 
             and set a new performance standard for our government's 
             relationship with the private sector.
                                       exports
               The first has been written about extensively in the last 
             days since his death, and even some over the preceding 3 
             years: The incredible export promotion operation he put 
             together at Commerce. But I do not think that enough has 
             been said about why that was so important.
               Until the mid-1970's, the U.S. economy was on top of the 
             world, dominating it. While our economic rivals, led 
             particularly by Japan, were figuring out that selling 
             advanced manufactured goods for export was the key to 
             economic growth and raising the living standards of people 
             back home, our Government in a way was coasting on our 
             success. We were not paying attention to that message.
               Other countries built export promotion machines--and 
             they were machines--through the most intimate and 
             comprehensive alliances between business and government, 
             the private sector and the public sector. But the truth is 
             that our Government paid too little attention to that need 
             to build those alliances. American businesses--and I would 
             hear this repeatedly from business executives in 
             Connecticut--would go abroad to compete, and they would 
             see what the business-government alliances of our 
             competitors were doing for export promotion.
               I remember being told a story by the executive of one of 
             the companies in Connecticut, telling me that they were 
             competing against two other companies, one from Asia and 
             one from Europe, for a very large job in a foreign 
             country. They went over there to participate in 
             simultaneous bidding among the three business competitors. 
             This company from Connecticut, a big company, had its 
             executives and lawyers in one room. But in the other two 
             rooms, the executives and representatives of the Asian 
             company and of the European company were teamed up with a 
             representative of the Asian government and of the European 
             government, respectively. In that case, the Connecticut 
             company did not get the contract. We lost some opportunity 
             and jobs.
               The State Department, I am afraid, continued to treat 
             American business as if it had to be held at arm's length. 
             Too many administrations went along with that distant 
             attitude. Preoccupied with the end of the cold war and 
             retaining the political alliances required for it, the 
             State Department embraced a traditional and outmoded 
             notion of what foreign policy was all about, what mattered 
             to people here at home. Too often they missed what was 
             happening in the world economy and the American economy 
             which has been a grave error. They made export promotion a 
             low priority, while our rivals made it the top priority. 
             The State Department treated U.S. business like pariahs, 
             it was ``Upstairs-Downstairs''--trade was beneath our 
             diplomatic priorities.
               This hasn't ended. A Business Week editorial this week 
             notes that, ``The U.S. foreign policy and security elite 
             believe security should be divorced from economic issues. 
             Some go so far as to suggest that providing security is a 
             perk of global power.'' It concludes, ``We don't. American 
             workers can't be expected to suffer economically to 
             protect [other nations] from one another.'' Ron Brown 
             shared this view, and he was the new momentum for bringing 
             our economy into foreign relations. The President was his 
             staunch ally on this effort, and helped him force change 
             in this area.
               Ron Brown, working together with President Clinton, 
             understood that they had to create a central position in 
             our foreign policy for our economic policy. Export 
             promotion had to be at the core of our international 
             outreach; that it was not a bad thing, but in fact it was 
             a very good thing, that if a President visited a foreign 
             country with the Secretary of Commerce and one of the 
             items they discussed with the leadership of that foreign 
             country was buying American goods.
               I come from a very export-oriented State. In fact, it 
             has the highest level of exports per capita of any State 
             in the country. We know that exports create jobs, high-
             paying manufacturing jobs, and that each manufacturing job 
             has an economic multiplier effect, creating a chain of 
             goods and services behind it, longer by far than most 
             other types of jobs.
               The sad fact is that we have been disinvesting in 
             manufacturing since the mid-1970's, even though we need 
             those kinds of jobs more than ever to develop a strong 
             economy and a better standard of living for our people 
             which will continue America as the land of opportunity. 
             Ron Brown, as Secretary of Commerce, understood this from 
             the beginning of his service.
               When he began his export promotion effort, within days 
             of arriving at the Commerce Department, the leaders of the 
             American business community that I spoke to--and I 
             particularly heard this from heads of firms in 
             Connecticut--were in disbelief. Someone was finally paying 
             attention to their priorities. Somebody was finally trying 
             to help them pull together an American governmental 
             countermovement to the vast efforts rival countries and 
             their businesses had been mounting for decades, to take 
             jobs and exports away from us. Finally, someone with real 
             power, the Secretary of Commerce, understood the problem. 
             The fact is, at the beginning a lot of folks in the 
             business community were skeptical that Ron Brown could 
             make this all happen.
               But he proved them wrong, to their delight. He was great 
             at this. Trained as a lawyer and always a superb advocate, 
             he used those skills on behalf of American businesses 
             throughout the world. He knew how to run campaigns, and he 
             ran this export operation like a campaign, which is 
             exactly how it was. Nobody had ever done this before in 
             the way that Secretary Brown did, and our country has 
             never benefited as much before as we did from his service.
               He even set up, in the Commerce Department, something 
             like a campaign ``war room,'' where he would get reports 
             on economic opportunities opening up to sell American 
             products and create American jobs--an early warning 
             system. Then the letters and the phone calls would start 
             flying--Ron Brown was a phone wizard, it was a technology 
             invented for him, he was forever reaching out to touch 
             some business leader or a head of state abroad. Then 
             following those calls with visits, such as the one he was 
             on when his life on Earth ended. He was so enormously 
             skilled, he was so hard working, he was absolutely and 
             irresistibly likable, he had such a great smiling charm, 
             such sharp intelligence, he was such fun, he had such 
             energy.
               The customers loved his performance. They all knew he 
             spoke directly for and to the President of the United 
             States, and that he would relay their messages back to the 
             White House. Even our friends in Japan, who have 
             systematically been denying entry for too many U.S. 
             products for too long, liked him, as Ron Brown worked very 
             hard at breaking down the barriers.
               U.S. business strongly appreciated his commitment to 
             them, an enormous accomplishment. He was a terrific 
             political operator in the very best sense of this phrase--
             he was mobilizing the political system to serve the 
             public's needs. The business community understood this and 
             respected it deeply--I've heard this again and again from 
             U.S. companies. Ron Brown was a new kind of life force to 
             them and they had great affection for him.
               Ron Brown and his team's export success was only 
             beginning when he left us, because the historical changes 
             he was starting are a long-term project. But this new 
             direction was a very important accomplishment for America. 
             A major job for Secretaries of Commerce from now on will 
             be to promote U.S. goods, not just on the offhanded, 
             random way of the past, but with all the force of Ron 
             Brown's campaigns, or they will be judged failures. From 
             now on, the Federal Government is going to have to get 
             down and get to work with business selling our economy. 
             It's about time, but it took Ron Brown to show us how to 
             do it. Ron Brown has set an entirely new standard for the 
             country by which all that come after him will be judged.
                                     innovation
               A second remarkable thing he did as Commerce Secretary 
             was to fight for innovation. This has been almost nowhere 
             mentioned in the press, and it is not well understood by 
             the public or the fourth estate or Congress. But Ron Brown 
             understood that for the American dream of opportunity to 
             be sustained for a new generation, a higher level of 
             economic growth was crucial. In addition to exports, he 
             concentrated on another ingredient of that strategy: 
             innovation. Even before he was sworn in as Commerce 
             Secretary, his friend George Fisher, then president of 
             Motorola and now of Kodak, invited him to speak to a 
             leading group of business thinkers, the Council on 
             Competitiveness. Ron Brown set out in that speech an 
             aggressive agenda of technology development and promotion. 
             He recognized that innovation has been the great American 
             competitive advantage for generations, that it is now 
             under attack as our competitors expand, and that it has to 
             be renewed if we are going to keep expanding our economy. 
             Economists estimate that technology development--coupled 
             with a technologically trained work force--has accounted 
             for 80 percent of the increase in U.S. productivity and 
             wealth for most of this century.
               Innovation is our bread and butter.
               Brown understood that since the Second World War, the 
             Federal Government has backed most of the long-term 
             research and development and applied R&D that has gone on 
             in the United States, while business focused on shorter 
             term product development. That is an economic reality--the 
             risk and cost of R&D means that the private sector must 
             focus on what it can raise capital for--shorter term 
             products. It is a classic market failure problem, and 
             until recently Congress on a bipartisan basis has 
             supported the need for governmental support of innovation. 
             Brown picked up a series of small technology and 
             technology extension programs that had been quietly 
             started at Commerce in previous administrations, and made 
             them a central focus. With an able team around him, he 
             made the Commerce Department the administration's leader 
             in civilian technology development, and supported a new 
             system of cooperative R&D development with business, 
             requiring business to match Federal funding to ensure 
             sounder Government R&D investments and leveraging Federal 
             research dollars. He also helped expand a new system of 
             manufacturing extension centers around the country, now in 
             over 30 States, to bring advanced manufacturing techniques 
             and technology to smaller and mid-sized manufacturers 
             desperately in need of it to be able to compete with 
             global competitors. In a time of budget cutting, he 
             successfully found the resources to build these programs. 
             He was also head of the administration's information 
             infrastructure task force, formulating policies on the new 
             information highway and how to expand our population's 
             access to it.
               He was a true innovation supporter, and was moving 
             quickly toward making the Commerce Department what it long 
             should have been: a department for trade and technology, 
             where each of these two sides of the department provides 
             synergy for the other. It was becoming an agency which 
             provided governmental leadership in these two areas in 
             support of the private sector, not trying to dominate it, 
             and much stronger because of this.
               Ron Brown's clear success, of course, led to the usual 
             Washington political reaction against signs of creativity. 
             Unfortunately, for too much of this past year he had to 
             spend time deftly deflecting attacks on the existence of 
             the Commerce Department. But he had helped make it into an 
             instrument for growth and job creation, and his efforts 
             had strong support among business and work force 
             constituencies. He had begun the process to put the 
             Commerce Department on the map as a unique American engine 
             to support opportunity and growth in America. He had a 
             great dream for his agency, and I respect that dream very 
             much. I, for one, pledge to him that I am not going to sit 
             here in this body and let it get dismantled.
               All around this city of Washington are statues of Union 
             Army generals. This is a good thing--they remind us of the 
             crisis the Civil War represented to our country's future, 
             of the great wave of sacrifice required thirteen decades 
             ago to keep this country intact and to advance the 
             freedoms it stands for. Now we are engaged in a different 
             kind of conflict, a global economic conflict. There are no 
             particular enemies in this conflict, at most we have 
             rivals, not enemies, although in some ways the real enemy 
             is ourselves because we have not yet been able to mobilize 
             to confront our problems. This new conflict will test 
             whether the great American dream of opportunity, of 
             economic growth that will allow all our citizens to grow, 
             will endure for future generations. Someday, if we are 
             successful in keeping our opportunity dream alive, we 
             should think about putting up some statues of the men and 
             women in the private and public sectors who are the new 
             generals, new kinds of heroes, of that conflict. Ron 
             Brown's statue should be one of the first we erect.
                                      barriers
               I have discussed his innovative role at Commerce, but I 
             want to say something about barriers, too. Occasionally, I 
             think about how Chuck Yeager felt piloting his X-1 rocket 
             plane when he was the first to break the sound barrier. 
             Ron Brown was a great barrier-breaker, too, our first 
             African-American to achieve many things. While Chuck 
             Yeager's courage enabled him to break his barrier, the 
             sound barrier remained and had to be broken again by 
             countless additional pilots. Ron Brown's barrier breaking 
             style was a little different. It also required courage, 
             but he had a way of breaking barriers that began to erase 
             them. He would get through a barrier in his wonderful, 
             excited, buoyant way, and he would make everyone who 
             watched him think, there goes another one, and why didn't 
             we do that long ago? When Ron Brown became Commerce 
             Secretary, many were expecting the President to name an 
             experienced business leader, and were appalled when he 
             named a friend and politician. Big business has long been 
             a barrier for African-Americans, but Ron Brown's 
             outstanding performance as Commerce Secretary, and the 
             depth of support he built in the business community, was 
             unlike anything any Commerce Secretary has been able to do 
             before. We watched and thought, there he goes through 
             another barrier, the biggest he had ever faced.
               In so doing, Ron Brown broke an even bigger barrier. 
             America has been blessed with a long line of outstanding 
             African-American leaders. In the past, those leaders 
             typically have been leaders of the African-American 
             community, and that has been very important for the 
             country, too, and we need many more. Ron Brown well-
             remembered and was intensely loyal to his African-American 
             roots, but, like Colin Powell, he was also a national 
             leader, who was clearly understood, in his great energetic 
             way, to be battling for the well-being of every American. 
             That is a new, promising thing in America, it is a strong 
             new step down our country's freedom road.
               Mr. President, he led this effort to take some small, 
             relatively unknown program in the Commerce Department--the 
             Advanced Technology Program is one--to build it into an 
             engine for technology growth and job creation.
               Much was said in the aftermath of Ron Brown's tragic 
             death about him being a bridge builder. I say he was also 
             a barrier breaker. I think sometimes about Chuck Yeager, 
             how he felt piloting that X-1 rocket plane when he first 
             broke the sound barrier.
               Ron Brown was a breaker, too, but the thing about 
             Yeager's accomplishment is that barrier has to be broken 
             every time someone chooses to do it. Ron Brown broke 
             barriers that erased them. When he became Commerce 
             Secretary, many were expecting the Secretary to name an 
             experienced business leader. They were disappointed when 
             he named a friend and politician.
               But Ron Brown, by his outstanding performance at 
             Commerce and the depth of support he built in the business 
             community, broke another barrier and brought with him the 
             business community and a lot of Americans.
               Ron Brown was true to and proud of his African-American 
             roots and the community from which he came, but he became 
             in his lifetime like Colin Powell: Not just an African-
             American leader, but a great American leader.
               Mr. President, finally, I say this. All around our city 
             of Washington are statues of our great military heroes. 
             Now we are engaged in a different kind of global conflict: 
             an economic global conflict. If we ever start building 
             statues for those generals who served as courageously and 
             with great success in the economic battles that affect the 
             quality of life and job opportunity for people in our 
             country, we ought to erect a statue to Ron Brown as one of 
             the greatest of those leaders.
               I yield the floor.

                                               Tuesday, April 16, 1996.

               Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I would like to comment 
             briefly on the tragic death of Secretary of Commerce Ron 
             Brown, which occurred last week in Croatia.
               I have know Ron Brown and his family for 12 years. Ron 
             was a friend of mine, and a friend of the State of 
             California. One of his first duties as Commerce Secretary 
             was to find ways to resuscitate California's economy, and 
             he helped to do just that. Ron Brown made the Department 
             of Commerce a positive force for helping the largest State 
             in the Union recover from the devastating recession of the 
             early 1990's.
               Ron had a vision of a prosperous America, where the 
             cliche that ``a rising tide lifts all boats'' could 
             actually come true. He focused his Department and this 
             administration on looking for opportunities to help the 
             American economy make the transition from the era of heavy 
             industry to an era of high technology, scientific 
             innovation, and the advancement of the current revolution 
             in communications.
               Ron helped formulate this vision, made sure that his 
             Department gave grants and other forms of assistance to 
             firms pursuing it, and at the time of his death was 
             advocating that vision to other parts of the world.
               But even more important than his career was the man 
             himself. Always upbeat, with ceaseless energy, Ron could 
             persuade the most vehement skeptic of the value of his 
             vision and efforts for our country. He served in a variety 
             of roles, and in each he excelled. His days as an 
             effective leader with the National Urban League 
             demonstrates this, where he became deputy executive 
             director, general counsel and vice president of the Urban 
             League's Washington, DC office.
               Ron Brown's boundless energy and commitment to 
             excellence did not stop at the National Urban League. It 
             continued to help him break racial boundaries and become 
             the first African-American to head a major political 
             party, helping to elect the country's first Democratic 
             President in 12 years; the first African-American to 
             become a partner in his powerful Washington, DC law firm; 
             and the first African-American to take the helm at the 
             U.S. Department of Commerce.
               I know of no chairman of the Democratic National 
             Committee who was better regarded, whose fundraising calls 
             were more frequently returned, or whose hardships and 
             public statements were more well regarded--Ron Brown was 
             tops.
               In my view, Ron Brown's stewardship as Secretary of 
             Commerce was unparalleled. He truly cared about his work 
             and those the Department serves, and the record reflects 
             accurately billions of dollars in trade and new business 
             that will, in the future, benefit this country's 
             businesses and industrial base.
               I find the circumstances of his untimely death to be 
             particularly poignant. Here he was, leading a group of 
             business people and his staff, on a mission of peace to 
             the war torn land of the former Yugoslavia.
               He did not wait for peace to be restored. He went when 
             risks of hostile action were still present. He did not 
             wait for pleasant weather before springing into action. 
             And, he did not just work on economic issues. He also 
             spent time with our troops over there, to let them know we 
             support their efforts.
               Mr. President, we have lost a great American in Ron 
             Brown. Whether it was politics, or crafting legislation 
             for the Senate, or civil rights, or military service, or 
             being a husband and a father, Ron Brown was a great 
             patriot, and a great human being. I shall always treasure 
             the relationship he and I had, and I shall miss him 
             terribly.
               To Alma Brown and Tracy, who have traveled with me in 
             the campaign, I send my heart and prayers. With all his 
             family, I share an unrelenting emptiness and sadness. I 
             will miss the phone calls, the smile, the exploits from 
             progress, and, most of all, his abiding and consummate 
             belief in all of us.

               Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to Ron Brown.
               Ron Brown had a remarkable career, marked by his 
             exceptional ability to unify people from diverse 
             backgrounds. As chairman of the Democratic National 
             Committee, he used this talent to bring the party's 
             factions together. Democrats and Republicans alike spoke 
             with admiration of his aptitude as a party leader. Ron 
             Brown's work to bridge differences helped revitalize the 
             Democratic party and played an essential role in building 
             the support that led to President Clinton's election.
               As Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown also unified 
             individuals from different walks of life to work for 
             American business. His aggressive efforts traveling the 
             world promoting American goods won him uncommon praise 
             from business leaders. It was his enthusiastic devotion to 
             this mission of championing trade and economic development 
             that took him to Bosnia earlier this month not only to try 
             to build American business, but also to aid in the 
             reconstruction of Bosnia. He made the ultimate sacrifice 
             for these goals, giving his life in service to his 
             country.
               Ron Brown's career also leaves us with an example of 
             racial leadership, having been the first African-American 
             to chair the Democratic Party and the first African-
             American Secretary of Commerce. His guidance was apparent 
             in the way he closed divisions within the Democratic Party 
             and in the way he brought together diverse individuals at 
             the Commerce Department. Ron Brown provided a real life 
             role model for aspiring young Americans as someone who 
             rose to the highest levels of government, and who was 
             admired and respected by those who knew him and knew of 
             his contributions to the well-being of his nation.
               The loss of Ron Brown is tragic to America. His 
             leadership will be sorely missed. My deepest condolences 
             go to the Brown family and the families of all the other 
             Americans who lost their lives in this terrible tragedy.

               Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, as I understand it, the 
             resolution which honors the memory of Ron Brown is still 
             pending, and I want to make a couple of remarks in regard 
             to that resolution and Secretary Brown before we close 
             tonight.
               Mr. President, it is with sadness--and tremendous 
             gratitude for the work their lives exemplified--that I add 
             my voice to those honoring Commerce Secretary Ron Brown 
             and the extraordinary men and women who died with him on 
             that plane.
               I am sure each of us will long remember just where we 
             were and what we were doing when we heard that Secretary 
             Brown's plane was missing over Croatia, and then, moments 
             later, when we learned the plane had crashed.
               In my case, I was at home--packing to leave for Bosnia, 
             Croatia and Serbia myself.
               So many thoughts raced through my mind. . . .
               I thought of the meeting I was supposed to have had the 
             following evening in Zagreb with Secretary Brown.
               I thought of how, just a few weeks earlier, Secretary 
             Brown had helped an electronics company in Rapid City work 
             out the final details of a contract with a group in South 
             Africa, and of all the people in my state who will be able 
             to work because he went the extra mile for us.
               But mostly I thought, what a loss. What a terrible loss 
             our Nation had just suffered.
               Ron Brown and the 32 brave Americans who accompanied him 
             on that noble mission to Bosnia represented what is best 
             about our Nation:
               A ``can do'' sense of optimism and determination.
               A generosity of spirit.
               And an unshakable belief in democracy.
               The men and women on that plane did not go to Bosnia 
             simply to bring contracts to America--as important as that 
             is.
               They went to bring hope and prosperity to Bosnia so that 
             the fragile peace there might take root and grow, and 
             democracy might replace tyranny.
               Hours after Secretary Brown's plane crashed into that 
             mountain, I was on another plane with Senators Hatch and 
             Reid. We spent 9 days in Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia and 
             four neighboring states, assessing progress in the 
             implementation of the Dayton peace plan.
               Every world leader with whom I met stressed the 
             importance of both promoting economic growth and building 
             democratic institutions to achieving a sustainable peace 
             in the Balkans. Those were the very goals to which Ron 
             Brown's trip to Bosnia was dedicated.
               In an article I read, a woman who had worked with 
             Secretary Brown said it wasn't just that he saw a glass 
             half-full when others saw it half-empty. His optimism was 
             bigger than that. Where others saw a half-empty glass, she 
             said, he saw a glass overflowing with possibilities.
               It would take that kind of vision to see the path to a 
             lasting peace in Bosnia.
               Ron Brown was able to see that path. And, he was able to 
             make others see it.
               He was a good salesman. What he sold was America--not 
             just American goods and services, but American ideals.
               The reason he could sell America with such confidence is 
             that he believed in America, and in the goal of making 
             America--and the world--better.
               Ron Brown spent his life transcending boundaries.
               Boundaries of race.
               Boundaries of party.
               Boundaries drawn on maps.
               And in transcending those boundaries, he made them less 
             formidable for all of us. That is part of the great legacy 
             he has left us.
               I have been reminded these last few days of a scene in 
             the Shakespearian play, Julius Caesar. It is the scene at 
             Caesar's burial. Caesar has just been falsely maligned by 
             Brutus as a traitor.
               Then Mark Antony rises to recall the Caesar he knew.
               He was, Mark Antony said, a man who loved his country so 
             much he gave his life for it.
               Then he stunned the crowd by reading them Caesar's will. 
             He had left all of his possessions to the people of Rome.
               Even more precious, he had left his fellow citizens a 
             legacy of greatness and the ability, to quote Shakespeare, 
             ``to walk abroad and recreate yourselves.''
               Ron Brown and the men and women on that plane died 
             trying to recreate the American spirit of democracy and 
             opportunity in a land torn apart by war.
               It is right that we offer these tributes to them. But, 
             in the end, the best tribute we can pay them is to keep 
             alive their determination to recreate what is best about 
             America wherever people long for freedom and justice and 
             opportunity.
               Let us today rededicate ourselves to that noble cause.

               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I, too, like the 
             distinguished minority leader, remember where I was when 
             this tragic message came. I first thought to myself that 
             not too many months prior thereto I was with our 
             distinguished colleague on a similar mission in that 
             region. Senator Bob Kerrey and I were over there, and we 
             actually landed at the same airport. This was my fifth 
             trip. I was the very first Senator to make a trip to 
             Sarajevo some more than 3\1/2\ years ago. The thought came 
             to my mind where the Secretary had given his life, 
             together with the aircrews--aircrews that all of us have 
             traveled with. I traveled with those crews and their 
             predecessors for 20-plus years formerly as Secretary of 
             the Navy and now in the U.S. Senate.
               They are a very dedicated and well trained group of 
             officers and enlisted men. The finest the Air Force has, 
             really, are dedicated to those missions. Those aircraft 
             are somewhat old, but they are well kept. They are not 
             palatial.
               Of course, with the Secretary were a very distinguished 
             group of Americans from the private sector, and 
             journalists also, who were going to examine that war-torn 
             region, to help provide for those less fortunate than 
             ourselves, who have suffered the tragedies of that 
             conflict, a conflict of which to this day, although I have 
             studied it, I cannot understand the root causes.
               But, nevertheless, I had known the Secretary. While we 
             are of opposite political persuasions, I always remember 
             him as a man of great humor. I never saw him without a 
             twinkle in his eye. Always he put forward his hand. There 
             were several stressful periods in his life and I always 
             stretched out my hand, because those of us in public 
             office know from time to time there are periods that put 
             us to the test. But he met the tests and he served his 
             Nation.
               I join the distinguished minority leader and my 
             colleagues in paying our tribute to him as a fine 
             American, to the aircrews, to all passengers who were on 
             that plane. We give our heartfelt compassion to the 
             families that must survive this tragedy and go on to lead 
             constructive and meaningful lives.
               Mr. President, I thank the Chair and distinguished 
             minority leader.

                                             Wednesday, April 17, 1996.

               Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, while in Paris, and at the 
             Embassy on the evening of April 2, I visited with 
             Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown for whom a reception was 
             held in his honor along with the Secretary of Labor Robert 
             Reich.
               As we all know, on the very next day Secretary Brown and 
             his company met their untimely deaths with the crash of 
             their plane making a landing approach into Sarajevo.
               When Secretary Brown and I spoke on the evening of April 
             2 at about 6:45 he was robust, enthusiastic, and very 
             anxious to carry out his responsibilities as Secretary of 
             Commerce. He had brought with him a group of United States 
             businessmen who could be instrumental in the rebuilding 
             and the revitalization of Bosnia.
               It is well accepted that, if the peace in Bosnia is to 
             stay and is to hold, there will have to be a buildup of 
             the infrastructure there, and Secretary Brown was there in 
             connection with those duties. He and I talked about 
             meeting in Sarajevo or Zagreb. But that meeting 
             unfortunately did not take place. The next morning I 
             departed for Serbia, was in Belgrade, and had a plane on 
             April 3 to travel to Sarajevo. That plane was canceled 
             because of weather. We did not go to Sarajevo, and the 
             same weather conditions resulted in the fatal crash of 
             Secretary Brown and his company.
               I traveled the next day to Tuzla, arrived there early in 
             the morning, was met by General Cherry, and we immediately 
             talked about Secretary Brown's visit the preceding day. 
             Secretary Brown had arrived at 6:40 a.m. on April 3 and 
             visited the United States military establishment in Tuzla, 
             and departed at 1:58 p.m. And then, as we know, shortly 
             thereafter the fatal crash occurred on the approach to the 
             landing in Dubrovnik.
               Secretary Brown was certainly a stalwart advocate of 
             U.S. interests, and his loss will be deeply felt by the 
             U.S. Government. On behalf of my wife Joan, I want to 
             convey our deepest sympathies and condolences to Ron's 
             wife, Alma, and their two children, Michael and Tracey, 
             and the rest of their family.
                                      Exhibit 1
                              disinvesting in diplomacy
               Large projected cuts in the 150 account will hamper our 
             ability to attain U.S. economic, security and political 
             objectives worldwide for many years to come.
               Among the hardest-hit will be our large embassies in 
             Western Europe. These embassies protect and promote vital 
             U.S. interests. Western Europe is home to most of our 
             biggest and most powerful trading and investment partners. 
             NATO is our most important military alliance.
               Our European allies share our democratic ideals and are 
             willing to join us in coalitions to promote global 
             stability. A few, such as France, have global military, 
             economic, technological and commercial interests which 
             parallel our own. In France, our diplomacy reaches well 
             beyond bilateral relations to include cooperation and 
             burdensharing on a broad range of global issues.
               Embassy Paris, like most other major embassies, is 
             cutting back sharply its operations while trying to 
             economize. The consulate in Lyon was closed in 1992. In 
             1996, the Bordeaux consulate also had to be closed. The 
             latter had been in operation since George Washington's 
             Presidency.
               In 1996, the Embassy was required to close its travel 
             and tourism office. Its ten person staff, which was 
             handling 100,000 requests for information annually from 
             potential foreign visitors to the U.S., was eliminated. 
             The calls will have to be absorbed or redirected with no 
             increase in staff.
               In the past 2 years, Embassy Paris has cut the operating 
             hours of its communication center by 65 percent. A hiring 
             freeze has been in place for 4 years, and the Embassy's 
             French work force has not received a pay increase in 3 
             years. Twenty-five French employee positions have been 
             marked for elimination. The list of other reductions is 
             long.
               In view of these reduced resources, Embassy Paris is 
             making a concerted effort to ``work smarter'' with fewer 
             resources. It has formed ``teams'' to pool interagency 
             assets more effectively. It has negotiated savings of 
             $3,000,000 over 5 years in local service contracts. It 
             instituted a new interactive automated telephone service 
             for visa applicants which generates $8,000 to $10,000/
             month in revenues. A consolidation of warehouses is saving 
             $400,000 per year. A new computerized pass and ID system 
             allowed the Embassy to cut 10 Marine guards.
               This kind of innovation has allowed cuts to be 
             distributed and absorbed within the Embassy without 
             drastic cutbacks in services thus far. However, this is 
             now likely to change.
               The State Department is calling for another round of 
             deep personnel cuts. For Paris, this would entail a 43 
             percent drop in core diplomatic personnel in the 1995 to 
             1998 period. Reductions this large will impact heavily on 
             core diplomatic strengths and the Embassy's effectiveness. 
             Some of the effects will be:
               Advocacy for U.S. trade and business interests will be 
             reduced in frequency and effectiveness (recent investment 
             problems handled by the Embassy included U.S. firms in the 
             food processing, pharmaceutical and information 
             industries).
               The loss of the Embassy's ability to monitor the Paris 
             Club, the organization which negotiates debt rescheduling 
             affecting billions owed the USG by developing countries.
               A 50 percent reduction in contacts with the key French 
             officials we must reach if we are to influence French 
             policy and advocate U.S. positions on questions of vital 
             interest to us.
               Closure of the Science office at a time when our 
             cooperative exchanges with France on nuclear, space and 
             health technology matters (to mention only three) should 
             be growing rapidly.
               Significant cutbacks and slowdowns in passport and 
             welfare services to U.S. citizens. Passport issuance will 
             take 3 to 5 days instead of 1. Prison visits will be cut 
             to one per year. Consuls will no longer attend trials of 
             U.S. citizens. The consulate will be open to the public 
             for only 2 hours per day.
               A 60 percent reduction in State Department reporting 
             from Paris, including the political and economic analysis 
             we need on France's activities in Europe, Africa and the 
             Middle East, and Asia.
               These trends are disturbing and merit closer attention. 
             The Administration and Congress must work together to 
             assess carefully how budgetary and personnel cutbacks 
             affect our core diplomatic capabilities in Western Europe 
             and elsewhere. This is especially true at a moment when 
             business and information is globalizing and our national 
             interests dictate that we be even more intensively engaged 
             with our key allies than in the past.

                                              Thursday, April 18, 1996.

               Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I offer my heartfelt 
             condolences and prayers to the family of Commerce 
             Secretary Ron Brown and to all of the other families who 
             have lost a loved one in this terrible tragedy.
               It is never easy to lose someone close to you. Yet I 
             believe those that Commerce Secretary Brown left behind--
             his wife Alma, his daughter Tracey, and his son Michael--
             can be comforted and given strength by the knowledge that 
             Ron Brown died doing what he loved: Representing the 
             President as Commerce Secretary and serving America by 
             promoting American economic interests abroad.
               Secretary Brown will be remembered for his commitment to 
             our democracy, his charisma, and the enthusiasm with which 
             he embraced new ideas and challenges. I will keep Alma, 
             Tracey, Michael, and all others who are mourning this 
             great loss, in my thoughts and prayers during their time 
             of grief.
               I would also like to offer my condolences at this time 
             to the family of Barry L. Conrad who was accompanying 
             Secretary Brown on his trip to the Balkans. Mr. Conrad was 
             the founder of the Barrington Group, a dynamic hotel 
             company in Miami, and had previously headed Burger King's 
             U.S. franchise operation.
               In addition to being a successful businessman, Mr. 
             Conrad was a very prominent and well-respected member of 
             the south Florida community. This is a great loss not only 
             for the family and friends of Mr. Conrad but for the 
             entire State of Florida.
               I am praying for the Conrad family, and all others who 
             are mourning as a result of this tragedy.

                                                Friday, April 19, 1996.

               Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. At this time, Mr. President, I also 
             call upon my colleagues and the American people to offer a 
             prayer in behalf of the late Secretary of Commerce, Ron 
             Brown, and the 34 others who died with him that tragic day 
             in Bosnia. They were serving our Nation. They were 
             pursuing the goals of peace, and their deaths all came too 
             soon. Because of those losses, as a country we have lost 
             so much.
               I appreciate the majority leader giving us this 
             opportunity to express our great sympathy and condolences 
             to their families and again to give us a chance to 
             reaffirm the mission; that they have all given their lives 
             in pursuit of the higher goals of our Nation.
               Thank you very much, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

               Mr. DOLE. I now ask, in response to the statement by my 
             colleague from Illinois, that we now observe a moment of 
             silence in honor of the memory of Ron Brown and others who 
             died in that tragic accident.
               [A period of silence.]

               Mr. DODD. Mr. President, just 2 weeks ago, this Nation 
             was saddened and anguished by the tragic death of Commerce 
             Secretary Ron Brown and 32 other Government and business 
             leaders in Croatia. As a very close personal friend of Ron 
             Brown's, I regret deeply, Mr. President, that I could not 
             be here to console his widow, Alma, and his children, 
             Michael and Tracy, in their time of grief. My thoughts and 
             prayers today, as they have been over the last several 
             weeks, are with the Brown family and with the families of 
             all of the victims of this terrible tragedy.
               Although we have many pressing issues before us in this 
             body, Mr. President, I want to take just a few minutes, if 
             I can, to reflect and remember the extraordinary and 
             distinguished legacy of Ron Brown. As I stand before the 
             Senate here today, many thoughts come to mind, Mr. 
             President, about Ron Brown--civil rights activist, 
             Democratic Party chairman, Commerce Secretary, bridge 
             builder, and certainly a very close and dear personal 
             friend.
               Beyond my great sense of personal loss, Mr. President, 
             when I think of Ron Brown I also think of public service 
             and public servant. From all the time that I knew Ron 
             Brown, from when he was a trusted aide to our colleague, 
             Senator Kennedy, to when he was chairman of the Democratic 
             Party and his last role as Secretary of Commerce, Ron 
             Brown epitomized, in my view, what public service is all 
             about. Ron Brown labored tirelessly for what he believed 
             in. It seemed that no obstacle could prevent him from 
             attaining his goals.
               At a time when respect for public service and public 
             servants has diminished, when pundits too often cynically 
             demean those who serve America, Ron Brown presented the 
             quiet dignity that comes with superb public servants. Ron 
             believed that one person committed to a task with 
             conviction in their heart could make a difference, and he 
             certainly did. His labors were the embodiment of George 
             Bernard Shaw's timeless words, ``You see things, and you 
             say why; but I dream things that never were and say why 
             not.''
               On April 3, when Secretary Brown's plane crashed in 
             Croatia, Mr. President, I was in Ireland to fulfill a 
             long-standing commitment. Together with Ambassador Jean 
             Kennedy Smith and Prime Minister Bruton, we attended and 
             participated in a wonderful memorial service dedicate to 
             Ron Brown's memory at St. Patrick's Cathedral.
               I say as an aside, Mr. President, we anticipated 30 or 
             40 people would show up, maybe from the Embassy staff, to 
             come by and pay their respects. In fact, over 500 people 
             unannounced showed up at the cathedral that morning to 
             participate in that service. I want to thank Dean Stewart, 
             who was in charge of St. Patrick's Cathedral, along with 
             other members of the clergy from throughout Ireland who 
             participated that morning, as well as some very 
             distinguished people who sang and purchased musical pieces 
             in memory of Ron Brown, not to mention the 500 people that 
             came from across the island of Ireland to express their 
             sense of loss.
               For all of us there that morning, Mr. President, our 
             remembrances of Ron Brown hearken back to the visit he had 
             made to Ireland 2 years ago, to which I was a member, a 
             trip not unlike the one to Croatia, involving some 15 
             chief executive officers of businesses in this country, as 
             well as others from the House and the Senate that were 
             part of an economic mission to Northern Ireland.
               A visit, Ambassador Smith reminded us, which led to 
             President Clinton to dub Ron Brown an ``honorary 
             Irishman,'' and it was mentioned again by her that morning 
             at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Ron Brown, Mr. President, had 
             come to Ireland with an ambitious but challenging goal: To 
             make the dream of peace during the formal cease-fire in 
             Northern Ireland a reality. Certainly, it was no easy 
             task, as we know, even today.
               For anyone who knew Ron Brown, there were not too many 
             challenges that phased him. While I had known him for many 
             years, it was on that trip to Ireland that I had the 
             opportunity to see firsthand the enthusiasm and optimism 
             that infused him.
               Remarkably, Mr. President, I watched an African-American 
             man, born and raised in Harlem, with no ethnic or 
             religious connection to Ireland, come to that island and 
             champion the peace process and the opportunities for 
             economic development. While on that trip, Ron Brown became 
             the first U.S. Cabinet secretary to make an official visit 
             to Belfast.
               The success of Ron's trip to Ireland prompted President 
             Clinton to send Ron on many other missions across the 
             globe, including the one to the former Yugoslavia, a 
             mission which ended so tragically on that rainy and wind-
             swept mountain in Croatia. This final mission, Mr. 
             President, was one of many that Ron tirelessly made to the 
             world's troubled spots promoting American companies and 
             American workers.
               As Secretary of Commerce, on one level, Ron's job, of 
             course, was to promote U.S. business interests, which he 
             did very, very well. But for all who knew Ron Brown well, 
             his interests ran much deeper than that. Ron Brown used 
             the legitimate goal of increasing U.S. economic 
             opportunities as a means of advancing other interests as 
             well.
               Ron traveled to many places that are beginning the 
             difficult journey toward reconciliation and economic 
             revitalization because, as a public man, a public servant, 
             he believed that the dynamism of private enterprise could 
             help bring lasting peace to regions that, for years, had 
             known only violence and hatred.
               But Ron Brown understood that these trips were about 
             more than just helping business or free enterprise. As 
             Ambassador Smith noted in her eulogy in Dublin a week ago, 
             these trips were truly--to use her words--``peace and 
             democracy missions, too, missions of hope and idealism.''
               Mr. President, these trips were about promoting the 
             importance of work, and the notion that through economic 
             opportunity, the process of political reconciliation could 
             begin and, more importantly, could last.
               In the absence of it, of course, no permanent healing 
             will ever occur.
               From Ron Brown's earliest days, at his first job 
             carrying records and reading public service announcements 
             at WLIB-AM, a radio station in Harlem, he understood the 
             critical importance of work. He understood that there is 
             nothing as rewarding, for individuals or a nation, as 
             waking up in the morning, going to work, and coming home 
             in the evening knowing that you have earned a true wage.
               That is why Ron Brown went to Ireland and so many other 
             places, and it is why he was in the Balkans on that tragic 
             evening.
               Ron Brown knew that after the peace treaties were signed 
             and when the guns were finally laid to rest, the 
             possibility of a truly lasting peace anyplace around the 
             globe would depend on every person having the same 
             opportunity to realize today the dream of a far better 
             tomorrow for themselves and their families.
               When Ron Brown journeyed to the Balkans, he took with 
             him the unquenchable spirit of American optimism. He 
             sought to use American enterprise and the American can-do 
             spirit to promote economic development as a means of 
             bringing a truly lasting peace. And he sought to heal the 
             lingering anguish of ethnic violence with a promise of a 
             brighter future for all the peoples of the region.
               Ron Brown leaves this world, Mr. President, with an 
             amazing legacy. He was the first African-American to head 
             a major political party in our country. He was the first 
             African-American to be Secretary of Commerce. He rebuilt 
             the Democratic Party, and he certainly helped to elect 
             President Clinton in 1992. He used the Commerce Department 
             to create millions of jobs for American workers and spread 
             the doctrine of economic development and cooperation 
             across the globe.
               Ron Brown enjoyed a full and all-too-brief life on this 
             Earth and must be a source of inspiration to all of us, in 
             not just Government, but in our Nation as a whole.
               In Ireland, Prime Minister Bruton described Ron Brown in 
             these words, which I think bear repeating--as a role model 
             ``for those looking for inspiration as to how a life can 
             be led for the good of others.''
               Ron Brown understood, Mr. President, that our lives must 
             have purpose and direction. And we can best remember him 
             by emulating the way he lived his life. Mr. President, I 
             think the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said it well when he 
             said, ``I expect to pass through this world but once. Any 
             good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can 
             show for any fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not 
             defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way 
             again.''
               Ron Brown's life symbolized these solemn words. While he 
             passed through our world, Mr. President, he did good. He 
             showed kindness and, regrettably--so regrettably--he will 
             not pass this way again.
               Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the comments 
             of our Ambassador, Jean Kennedy Smith, along with an 
             article that appeared in the Irish Times, which captured, 
             as well, the remarks of Prime Minister Bruton, who spoke 
             at the memorial service in Dublin, be printed in the 
             Record.
               There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 
             printed in the Record, as follows:

                Remarks by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith at Memorial 
                Service for Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and His 
                                     Delegation
               Taoiseach, distinguished guests, and friends of Ron 
             Brown, of Chuck Meissner, and of the other brave pioneers 
             for peace whose lives of courage and service were so 
             tragically cut short last week.
               This has, indeed, been a sad week for America, a sad 
             week for Ireland. We have lost friends. But today, we 
             gather not only to mourn them, but to celebrate their 
             lives.
               Last night, I spoke with Alma Brown and told her of the 
             memorial service we were holding today. She was so pleased 
             that Ron was to be remembered in this way by the people of 
             Ireland, because this country was so important to him.
               I first met Ron Brown in the fall of 1979. My brother, 
             Ted, was about to begin a campaign for President of the 
             United States in 1980. My husband, Steve, was to manage 
             the campaign, as he had done for my brothers, Jack and 
             Bob. Steve needed a deputy campaign manager for civil 
             rights, and everyone said that Ron Brown was the perfect 
             choice--a new young leader in the civil rights movement, 
             and a worthy heir of the Reverend Martin Luther King.
               We all loved Ron from the start. He served far above and 
             beyond the call of duty in the campaign. He gave his heart 
             to Ted and Steve and all of us in the Kennedy family gave 
             our hearts to Ron.
               In the years since, I saw him often, most recently 
             during his frequent visits to Ireland. He once told me 
             that he felt a special welcome and sense of humanity in 
             Ireland, even for those who are not of Irish descent. In 
             fact, he enjoyed his time here so much that President 
             Clinton dubbed him an honorary Irishman.
               Ron Brown was an original. I never met a person who had 
             greater ability to go into a hornet's nest, come out with 
             the honey, and leave all the bees laughing. No tunnel was 
             too long or too dark for Ron to not see the light at the 
             end. His warmth, and wit, and optimism were inspiring and 
             infectious.
               He was a charismatic leader, who was good at every job 
             he ever took on--as a leader in the civil rights movement, 
             chairperson of the Democratic National Committee, and as 
             the Secretary of Commerce. A son of Harlem, he was a 
             remarkable American success story, and he dedicated his 
             life to helping others achieve their potential and their 
             dreams, as he had one.
               He brought that same spirit of optimism to Ireland. As 
             he said during President Clinton's historic visit, he 
             found a ``belief in self that wasn't here before.''
               ``We are on a path,'' he said, ``and we won't be 
             denied.''
               Ron was deeply committed to public service, and he 
             instilled that commitment in all who worked for him; in 
             Chuck Meissner, his tireless assistant secretary of 
             commerce, who felt very strongly the pulse for peace in 
             Northern Ireland, and in all those from the Department of 
             Commerce who are here today. The mission Ron Brown led to 
             South Africa and China, to the Middle East and Northern 
             Ireland, and, finally, to Bosnia, were more than trade 
             missions. They were peace and democracy missions too, 
             missions to hope and idealism. He understood that peace, 
             prosperity, and economic justice go hand in hand.
               As President Clinton has said, ``Ron Brown walked and 
             ran and flew through life. He was a magnificent life 
             force.''
               In the wake of that force, in the wake of that 
             remarkable life, all of us who knew Ron Brown, Chuck 
             Meissner, and the members of the delegation, all of us who 
             were fortunate to be touched by their warmth and share 
             their vision must try to carry on their work for peace, 
             for that is their legacy to us.
                                          a
                       [From the Irish Times, April 11, 1996]
               Bruton Says Brown Was a Model for All Who Want To Help 
                                       Others
                                 (By Mark Brennock)
               Politicians, business people and many others who knew 
             Ron Brown gathered in Dublin's St. Patrick's Cathedral 
             yesterday to honor an African-American whom President 
             Clinton had dubbed ``an honorary Irishman.''
               As one who had not known him the Dean of St. Patrick's 
             the Very Reverend Maurice Stewart, said he had two images 
             of the late U.S. Commerce Secretary in his mind.
               The first was of a man who had been praised after his 
             death by Northern Irish politicians of both persuasions.
               The second was that when Mr. Brown was seen on 
             television, ``he always seemed to be smiling. He was a 
             happy man, and these days, that is as good an image as any 
             politician could project.''
               Mr. Brown was among 33 people killed last week when 
             their plane crashed in Croatia. He had been on a trade and 
             aid mission to Bosnia and Croatia. He was also a key 
             figure in the U.S. Administration's involvement in the 
             Northern Ireland peace process.
               The U.S. Ambassador, Ms. Jean Kennedy Smith, told the 
             congregation Mr. Brown had once said he felt ``a special 
             welcome and sense of humanity in Ireland, even for those 
             who are not of Irish descent. In fact, he enjoyed his time 
             here so much that President Clinton dubbed him an honorary 
             Irishman.
               ``The missions Ron Brown led to South Africa and China, 
             to the Middle East and Northern Ireland and, finally, to 
             Bosnia, were more than trade missions. They were peace and 
             democracy missions too, missions of hope and idealism. He 
             understood that peace, prosperity and justice go hand in 
             hand.''
               She said everyone who had known Mr. Brown, Mr. Chuck 
             Meissner and the others who died in the plane crash ``must 
             try to carry on their work for peace, for that is their 
             legacy to us.''
               U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, who had traveled to Ireland 
             with Mr. Brown in recent years, said on one level he had 
             been in Ireland to promote U.S. business, but ``Ron Brown 
             understood that these trips were about far more than 
             promoting business.
               ``He knew that after the peace treaties were signed and 
             the guns laid to rest, the possibility of a truly lasting 
             peace depended on each person having the same opportunity 
             to realize their dreams of a better tomorrow. He sought to 
             heal the lingering anguish and ethnic violence with the 
             promise of brighter opportunities.
               ``On the trip to Ireland, I . . . watched an African-
             American born and raised in Harlem with no ties here come 
             and champion the cause of peace and economic opportunity 
             in Ireland.''
               The Taoiseach, Mr. Bruton hailed Mr. Brown as a role 
             model ``for those looking for inspiration as to how a life 
             can be led for the good of others''. He said Mr. Brown had 
             brought his experience of a Harlem upbringing and his 
             involvement in the civil rights movement to work towards 
             the creation of ``a structure of peace'' in the world.
               ``As head of the Irish Government I want to thank him 
             for the enormous interest he took in peace and prosperity 
             on this small island.''
               Ireland was not a major strategic interest for the U.S., 
             he said. The U.S. could have confined itself to expressing 
             pious words and the occasional reference to Ireland at 
             election time. But the Clinton Administration had gone far 
             beyond that.
               The President, who is in the west of Ireland, was 
             represented at the service by her aide-decamp, Col. 
             Bernard Howard. The attendance included the Lord Mayor of 
             Dublin, Mr. Sean D. Dublin Bay Loftus.
               The Government was also represented by the Minister for 
             Finance, Mr. Quinn; the Minister for Enterprise and 
             Employment, Mr. Bruton; and the Minister for Tourism and 
             Trade, Mr. Kenny. Ministers of State present included Mr. 
             Pat Rabbitte and Mr. Austin Currie.
               There was a large representation from the U.S. Embassy. 
             Among the other diplomatic missions represented were those 
             of Norway, Thailand, Nigeria and Israel.
               A large contingent from the Department of Foreign 
             Affairs included the second secretary, Mr. Sean O hUiginn, 
             the Chief of Protocol, Mr. John O. Burke and Mr. Brendan 
             Scannell of the Anglo-Irish division. The Taoiseach's 
             programme manager. Mr. Sean Donlon, and representatives of 
             a number of other departments were also present.

               Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I appreciate the unanimous 
             consent to speak for 20 minutes. Let me associate myself 
             strongly with both sets of remarks by the Senator from 
             Connecticut--first, as to our good friend and great loss 
             with regard to Secretary Brown, who we will miss greatly. 
             And, second, nothing could be more on our minds today than 
             the horror of last year in Oklahoma City. The moments of 
             silence here and across the country were a fitting 
             reminder of that tragedy, but also a time to feel some 
             real gratitude toward the employees of our Federal 
             Government, who do not always get treated with all the 
             respect and admiration they deserve. They had a very rough 
             year in 1995. I, for one, want to thank them for their 
             services and the sacrifices of their families throughout 
             the country, particularly with regard to those who 
             suffered the loss in Oklahoma City.
               I thank the Senator from Connecticut for his remarks.

                                                Monday, April 22, 1996.

               Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I want to touch on a couple 
             of matters this morning. The first relates to the 
             opportunity that I had during the recent recess to travel 
             to the former Yugoslavia. I was fortunate enough to travel 
             with two colleagues who, in the past, have indicated a 
             great deal of interest in Bosnia and other countries of 
             the former Yugoslavia, the distinguished Senator from 
             Nevada, Senator Reid, and the senior Senator from Utah, 
             Senator Hatch.
               Our purpose was really threefold: First, to assess the 
             progress of the Dayton accords; second, to examine, as 
             carefully as we could, the role of the United States 
             military and our Foreign Service personnel in the 
             implementation of those accords; and third, to assess the 
             longer term issues of democratization and privatization as 
             they are developing in the former republics of Yugoslavia.
               It was with a great deal of sadness that we left on the 
             very day that the Secretary of Commerce lost his life in a 
             plane crash near Dubrovnik. He and I were supposed to have 
             attended a reception the following evening in Zagreb, 
             Croatia.
               I was extraordinarily saddened and disturbed by the 
             early reports that we were given regarding his accident. 
             There has been no one more dedicated to the causes of 
             economic development in troubled countries than the 
             Secretary of Commerce. There has been no one who has 
             carried the message of new opportunities for U.S. business 
             all over the world more diligently than Secretary Brown.
               Last week, I addressed my thoughts with regard to the 
             many extraordinary accomplishments of Secretary Brown. I 
             will not do so again this morning except to say that his 
             loss will be mourned and his effort will, again, be 
             realized for what it was: a major achievement in peace, a 
             major achievement in creating new-found opportunities for 
             U.S. businesses abroad, and a major opportunity for 
             countries to continue to find new ways to work and to 
             conduct business with the United States.
               His peace effort, on behalf of this country and the 
             people of the former Yugoslavia, was deeply appreciated. 
             And I must say, every place we went, it was the first 
             issue to be raised with me by governmental leaders and 
             others who mourned his loss and recognized his 
             contribution. They expressed the hope that his effort 
             would continue, that through other people and in other 
             ways, the extraordinary accomplishments of the Secretary 
             of Commerce would be continued.
               So, while our trip began on a very sad and somber note, 
             our entire delegation chose to continue with it, in part, 
             to show the people of Bosnia and the entire region that 
             the United States remains committed to the peace and 
             development effort for which Ron Brown gave his life.

               Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to note the passing 
             of our Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown, in a plane crash 
             outside Dubrovnik, Bosnia. This tragic accident took with 
             it a vast amount of talent and expertise in the persons of 
             numerous American business people, and specifically in the 
             person of Secretary Brown. A dedicated member of his party 
             and this administration, Secretary Brown fought hard for 
             the ideals and programs in which he believed. His 
             commitment to the Commerce Department he led was shown by 
             his willingness to brave the dangers of Bosnia, business 
             leaders in tow, in pursuit of opportunities to help 
             rebuild that war-torn country.
               Secretary Brown also was a committed family man, and I 
             know that his death is a great loss to his wife, his 
             family, his friends, and his neighbors. I extend my 
             condolences to his family in particular and hope that they 
             can find solace in the knowledge of God's grace and in 
             memories of the life they had with Ron Brown.

               Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, it is always painful 
             when death comes too soon. It is even more so when the 
             circumstances are so overwhelmingly dramatic and tragic as 
             the airplane crash in Bosnia that took the life of our 
             Nation's Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, and 34 others.
               Ron Brown was a dear and personal friend. His loss was 
             compounded by my personal friendship with four other 
             people who died that day. The shock of it still resonates.
               His family, and the families of the others who died with 
             him in the service of their country feel the pain most 
             directly. There is no substitute for the love and the loss 
             of a husband, a father, and relative. I want to offer them 
             my sincere condolences and prayers at this sad time.
               His colleagues in the Government and in the private 
             sector will miss him and his leadership. Ron Brown not 
             only energized the Democratic Party, but the Department of 
             Commerce as well. The result of his efforts ranged from 
             the creation of jobs for hundreds of thousands of American 
             workers, to a special job for a singular American, Bill 
             Clinton, now President of the United States.
               Ron Brown's legacy of achievement is a beacon of hope to 
             all Americans, precisely because he exemplified the 
             possibilities when the higher angels of the American 
             character prevail. He overcame potential limitations, and 
             turned liabilities into assets by dint of commitment, 
             effort, and talent. His was the essential American success 
             story. But his was also a success story for all humanity. 
             Ron Brown was not a selfish person. His life was dedicated 
             to reaching out to others in pursuit of the common good. 
             That legacy is no more poignantly demonstrated than in the 
             young people to whom he gave opportunity and guidance and 
             a chance. Ron Brown did not pull the ladder of success up 
             behind him.
               I count myself among the fortunate proteges of Ron 
             Brown. He helped make my history-making election to the 
             U.S. Senate possible. I was only one of many of his 
             students. Several others died with him that day.
               Ron Brown's passing has been publicly mourned by 
             millions, and created an opportunity for a public 
             expression of gratitude for his public service. I hope the 
             families of those who perished with him will take some 
             measure of that expression as gratitude in mourning for 
             the lost ones: Ron Brown, Kathryn Hoffman; Duane 
             Christian; Carol Hamilton; Bill Morton; Chuck Meissner; 
             Gail Dobert; Lawrence Payne; Adam Darling; Steve Kaminski; 
             Naomi Warbasse; Kathy Kellogg; Jim Lewek; Lee Jackson; 
             Dragica Lendic Bebek; Niksa Antonini; Nathaniel Nash; 
             Barry Conrad; Paul Cushman III; Robert Donovan; Claudio 
             Elia; Leonard Pieroni; John Scoville; Donald Terner; P. 
             Stuart Tholan; David Ford; Frank Maier; Walter Murphy; 
             Robert Whittaker; Ashley Davis; Tim Schafer; Gerald 
             Aldrich; Robert Farrington, Jr.; Cheryl Turnage; Shelly 
             Kelly.
               We will, as a community, have to close ranks to go 
             forward without them, but with God's grace the mark they 
             made in service to us all will carry on.

               Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the tragic plane crash in 
             Croatia on April 3 that took the life of Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown also took the lives of 34 other men and 
             women of great talent, promise, and dedication, including 
             11 other employees of the Department of Commerce.
               Since that tragedy, many eloquent words have been spoken 
             and written about all of the victims. In two of the most 
             eloquent articles I have seen. Michael Wilbon wrote 
             extremely movingly in the Washington Post on April 5 about 
             his friend Kathryn Hoffman, and Cindy Loose wrote equally 
             movingly in the Post yesterday about the life of Gail 
             Dobert. Sadly, these two lives of great promise have been 
             suddenly and tragically cut short. I know that many others 
             will be interested to learn more about the lives of these 
             two dedicated employees, and I ask unanimous consent that 
             the articles be printed in the Record.
               There being no objection, the articles were ordered to 
             be printed in the Record, as follows:
                      [From the Washington Post, April 5, 1996]
                         The Death of My Friend Is Our Loss
                                 (By Michael Wilbon)
               One of my dearest friends, Kathryn Hoffman, was on that 
             plane. I have no idea of her official Commerce Department 
             title, but I do know she was Ron Brown's right hand, his 
             scheduler. When he went to Africa, she went with him. When 
             he went to Asia, she went with him. I have her postcards 
             from South America and Eastern Europe and other corners of 
             the world in a kitchen drawer.
               Kathryn was the girl you dreamed about meeting as a 
             little boy: stunningly pretty, smart, quick with a 
             comeback, and a sports enthusiast. Okay, she wasn't 
             perfect; she was a Knicks fan. But Boys Night Out often 
             was amended to Boys & Kathryn. Never Kathy. Kathryn. I 
             called her from the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul and made 
             her give me play-by-play on the fourth quarter of a Bears 
             game, and she was seamless. Another time we drove from 
             Chicago to Capital Centre in 10 hours, just in time to see 
             Tyson knock out Spinks in the first round on closed 
             circuit. She used to say I had the greatest, most 
             glamorous job--traveling the world in search of games, but 
             last week there was this late-night phone call. I was 
             going to the Final Four; she was going to France, then 
             Bosnia. I told her I couldn't believe a basketball fan 
             such as Ron Brown was leaving during the Final Four, and 
             she laughed.
               She had taken her dogs, Max and Bo, to Fredericksburg to 
             the breeder where they stay when she's traveling. She had 
             a house now and a four-wheel drive vehicle and a garden, 
             for crying out loud, and I couldn't help but ask if 
             finally, having seen the entire world and then some, if 
             she still thought this life of hopping planes was so 
             glamorous. And she said, no, not anymore, but there are 
             people who love their work and are addicted to excitement 
             in a way no desk job can satisfy. It's the truth. We made 
             the promise we always made about getting more balance in 
             our lives, about traveling less. We planned dinner for 
             Saturday--tomorrow night.
               Most of us who live our lives this way don't think about 
             dying on a plane, not when you're single and 35 has yet to 
             come and the career--in Kathryn's case, public service--
             keeps you on a high. You get on the plane and read, work, 
             go to sleep. It becomes, perversely enough, the place you 
             can relax. I never, not for one split second, thought a 
             U.S. military jet would fail to bring her back alive.
               Four of my closest friends have worked for Ron Brown at 
             Commerce, which made the moments immediately following the 
             news of the crash, well, numbing. Through them, I got to 
             know. ``The Secretary'' (as they'd call him) a little bit 
             and to admire him a lot. His death, and the recent deaths 
             of Arthur Ashe and entrepreneur Reginald Lewis, depress me 
             to the point of despair, not just because inspired and 
             productive men were snatched from earth in the primes of 
             their lives, but because they were the hedge against 
             hopelessness. They were the healers, the men who could 
             negotiate any situation--men who looked at bigots and 
             fools and laughed inside while brushing them aside. It's 
             sick, debating whether Michael Irvin or Mike Tyson is a 
             role model when Ron Brown was on TV every night, dressed 
             up, looking good, sounding even better, jetting hither and 
             yon, networking with world leaders and businessmen to do 
             work that mattered, helping save the Democratic Party from 
             itself, being a patriot. No, you couldn't find him on 
             ``SportsCenter,'' and he didn't have stats or a trading 
             card, but he was a role model. He defined it.
               I wonder, in the wake of his death, how many Division I 
             scholarship football and basketball players (outside of 
             Washington) can tell you what Ron Brown did for a living, 
             why he needed to go to Dubrovnik and why his death has 
             caused so much anguish among people who never met him. No 
             Ashe, no Lewis, no Brown. Sports, business and government. 
             Are there people in the ranks like them? Can we be certain 
             the intellect and relentless work they provided will be 
             replenished in the near future? Perhaps the worst thing 
             about the crash is that it deprived us not only of the 
             general, but of his lieutenants such as Carol Hamilton and 
             Bill Morton and Kathryn Hoffman, people who had made 
             public service their lives, their passion. We have to hope 
             there's no shortage of worthy candidates to take up their 
             missions.
               This was to be a festive weekend, and not just because 
             of Easter. For the first time since last August, just 
             about all the members of the crew are going to be off the 
             road, off the planes and out of the hotels. Many of us 
             made plans here in Washington. Age 35, which Kathryn would 
             have been in August, is about the time you start to 
             realize life isn't everlasting, when you become more 
             serious and consistent about those silent prayers for your 
             friends in flight, when it first hits you that just 
             because you planned dinner doesn't mean everybody's going 
             to be there.
               I joined a couple of my friends from Commerce late last 
             night because sleep wasn't coming, and misery needs 
             company most when nobody's got any answers. I tried to 
             think of all the safe, productive trips abroad that 
             Kathryn made with The Secretary, all the trade and 
             business their missions helped generate, all the goodwill 
             their junkets created for the country. But the head is 
             never any match for the heart, and that didn't change last 
             night. What I wanted was another postcard in the mailbox, 
             one from Singapore or Venezuela that let me know she was 
             safe, one signed, like so many others, ``Be home soon, 
             Love, Kathryn.''
                                          a
                     [From the Washington Post, April 15, 1996]
               After Funeral, a Celebration of a Rich Life--Birthday 
                       Party Becomes Tribute to Croatia Victim
                                  (By Cindy Loose)
               Gail Dobert was always up to something. She was the one 
             to organize the beach house rental at Rehoboth Beach, DE, 
             every summer, inviting so many people that you never got 
             your own room--and felt lucky if you got a bed.
               She could get tickets to anything and persuade her 
             friends to go anywhere, even a business dinner. ``I have 
             to go talk to a Bonsai tree woman,'' she once told her 
             friend Krista Pages. ``Come on, you'll have a great 
             time.'' Believe it or not, it turned out to be fun, Pages 
             said.
               If she could have been at her 35th birthday party, which 
             she organized before leaving for Bosnia with Commerce 
             Secretary Ronald H. Brown, she would have loved it.
               The barbecue and keg party took place Saturday, just as 
             she had planned, a few hours after her burial in a 
             Maryland cemetery. Dobert, the acting director of the 
             Commerce Department's Office of Business Liaison, was 
             among the 35 people who died when Brown's airplane crashed 
             into a Croatian hillside. Like her, several of the victims 
             were young and most were in the middle ranks of government 
             service.
               Her friends and family memorialized her in all the 
             traditional ways. On Friday, the anniversary of her birth, 
             a funeral was held in her home town on Long Island. On 
             Saturday morning, hundreds gathered at St. Peter's Church 
             on Capitol Hill to eulogize her, then followed the hearse 
             for a graveside service.
               It might seem strange to follow that with a party, 
             conceded her friend Chris Wilson. But if you knew Gail 
             Dobert, he said, it would not seem that extraordinary. She 
             was, he explained, a festive, life-loving person who would 
             have wanted her family and friends--well in excess of 100, 
             it turned out--to hold the party she had planned for them.
               Besides, they couldn't just all go home alone. What 
             else, then, could they do? ``This party has got to be the 
             beginning of getting better--her death has been so hard, 
             it just has to be,'' Wilson said.
               Despite working grueling hours at the Commerce 
             Department, Dobert was always the life of the party. If 
             anyone could persuade a shy person to sing along at a 
             karaoke bar, belting out, ``These boots were made for 
             walking,'' it would be Dobert.
               ``There is so much to celebrate about Gail's life and so 
             many fun things to remember,'' Pages said. ``For her to 
             live on, you have to talk about the good times.''
               So there they were, eating and drinking and sharing 
             pictures in the Alexandria home and back yard of Chip 
             Gardiner, a congressional aide.
               ``This is such a tribute these young people are paying 
             our Gail,'' said Dobert's mother, Maureen. ``When people 
             think of Washington, they think of a huge bureaucracy. I 
             wish they knew how many idealistic, hard-working young 
             people there are. The politics in the halls of Congress 
             may be the engine, but the train is run by them.''
               ``She made us very proud,'' said Dobert's father, Ken. 
             ``We always said that if parents got paid, we'd have to 
             take half pay because she and her brother made our job so 
             easy.'' Dobert's brother, Ray, turned 33 the day of his 
             sister's burial. There was a cake for him at her birthday 
             party, just as she had intended.
               Small groups at various times surrounded photo albums, 
             laughing. ``There's the famous raincoat,'' someone said, 
             pointing at a photo snapped at a wedding reception as the 
             band played ``It's Raining Men.'' No one was dancing until 
             Dobert decided to enliven things by hopping on the dance 
             floor with a tambourine and the bright pink and iridescent 
             yellow coat.
               Eileen Parise had a picture from the time she got Dobert 
             and two other friends tickets to the Baltimore reception 
             Vice President Gore gave in honor of Pope John Paul II. As 
             happened not infrequently, Dobert's battered car broke 
             down, this time on Route 50 near the Baltimore airport.
               ``The other people in the car were praying and saying 
             Hail Marys,'' Parise said. ``Gail starts schmoozing the 
             state trooper that came by. He not only had the car towed 
             but then drove everyone to the reception.''
               From inside, someone shouted, ``Here's Gail,'' and about 
             a dozen people, expecting to see a vacation videotape from 
             Rehoboth, ran inside. Instead, it turned out to be the 
             evening news, with a snippet of Dobert's memorial service 
             that day. The clip went by quickly, segueing into another 
             memorial for another crash victim. There was pained 
             silence. Then someone moved to turn off the television, 
             and another guest arrived.
               ``We brought a semi-good bottle of wine,'' the new guest 
             told Gardiner.
               ``You can drop the semi--it's full isn't it?'' Wilson 
             asked. ``Hey, it even has a cork.''
               The celebration and jocularity were real, but so were 
             the moments of pain expressed on every face at some point. 
             Maureen Dobert sang along when a birthday cake was brought 
             out for her son and another guest with an April 13 
             birthday. But she confided that she was using her public 
             face. The private one, she said, gives into grief 
             sometimes.
               ``You know, one day they go to kindergarten, and you 
             have to let them go,'' she said. ``Then they want to ride 
             their bike around the corner, and you tell them to be 
             careful and let them go. Before you know it, they're 
             adults and you say, okay, I'm going to let them go.
               ``But this is the hardest letting go you ever have to 
             do. I wanted her longer, but it's not going to work. It's 
             the hardest letting go, but somehow you have to do it.''

                                               Tuesday, April 23, 1996.

               Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I wanted to take a few moments 
             today to commemorate the life of Robert Donovan, president 
             of ABB Incorporated, who so tragically perished with 
             Commerce Secretary Ron Brown in Croatia.
               Over the past few weeks, the Nation has come together in 
             an outpouring of support and remembrance for the life of 
             Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.
               And deservedly so. Ron Brown was a great American who 
             faithfully, and with quiet dignity, served his country and 
             his party.
               But, we must not forget those in our own community who 
             were taken away from us on that wind-swept mountain in 
             Croatia.
               Robert Donovan, as well as all the others who were 
             killed, deserve our special praise and commemoration 
             because they died while on a humanitarian mission of 
             mercy.
               Robert Donovan didn't have to travel to the Balkans. He 
             certainly could have stayed in Connecticut. But, Robert 
             Donovan believed, as did everyone else on that plane, that 
             in the global economy of the 21st century, Americans have 
             a need and a responsibility to reach beyond their borders.
               And, what's more, he believed the business community had 
             a solemn obligation to do all it could to help those 
             nations that are in the midst of the difficult process of 
             rebuilding and reconciliation.
               Some may cynically suggest that Robert Donovan and the 
             other business leaders who traveled to Croatia were 
             interested only in a financial bottom line. But one 
             doesn't journey to Bosnia to make money.
               Robert Donovan went to the Balkans because he believed 
             that the dynamism of American business could help bring 
             lasting peace to regions that for years knew only violence 
             and hatred.
               And he believed that his efforts could make a real 
             difference in healing the lingering anguish of ethnic 
             violence.
               This spirit of altruism was evident in everything that 
             Robert Donovan did.
               At a time when pundits and politicians alike have made 
             corporate CEO's Public Enemy No. 1, Robert Donovan proved 
             the stereotype wrong. He was a man who remained strongly 
             committed and loyal to his workers and his company.
               He was as comfortable dealing with ABB employees, either 
             in the workplace or running in the neighborhoods around 
             this plant as he was dealing with international wheelers 
             and dealers.
               And his generosity spread beyond the workplace. He took 
             an active, personal interest in helping out at the 1995 
             Special Olympics World Games in New Haven.
               But, Robert Donovan was a man who didn't hesitate from 
             taking on difficult tasks and that was never more obvious 
             than on his last mission to the Balkans.
               And, while I know this is a difficult time for Robert 
             Donovan's friends, family and colleagues, it is important 
             to remember that last mission and all the tireless work 
             that he did on behalf of ABB, his family, and his country. 
             It's that enduring legacy that we must all remember in 
             this time of tragedy.
               My thoughts and prayers remain with his wife Margaret, 
             and his children Kevin and Kara.
                                    claudio elia
               Mr. President, I also wanted to take a few moments to 
             remember another Connecticut resident who tragically 
             perished with Commerce Secretary Brown in Croatia--Claudio 
             Elia, of Greenwich, CT, who was chairman and CEO of Air & 
             Water Technologies Corp.
               Like Ron Brown and all the others who died in Croatia, 
             Claudio Elia was on a solemn mission of mercy and he 
             deserves particular recognition from this body.
               Claudio Elia came to this country from Italy and took 
             advantage of the vast economic opportunities available to 
             all Americans. He started his business career in 1968 at 
             the Boston Consulting Group and from there he quickly 
             worked his way up the corporate ladder.
               In fact, Elia's value at Air & Water Technologies was so 
             significant that it took three top executives to replace 
             him.
               But, as Claudio Elia reveled in the economic 
             opportunities that he received in his country, he traveled 
             to Bosnia so that others would realize the same 
             opportunities.
               Claudio Elia didn't have to travel to the Balkans. There 
             are excellent business opportunities elsewhere. But, 
             Claudio Elia recognized that in the global economy of the 
             21st century, Americans must often look beyond its borders 
             for new possibilities.
               One of Claudio Elia's former classmates said at his 
             funeral that: ``His presence on that flight was vintage 
             Claudio. He was constantly pushing the envelope, looking 
             for new opportunities and business relationships.''
               And those words were most true on the final mission of 
             his life to the former Yugoslavia. He believed that 
             American businessmen have an obligation to play a role in 
             helping nations that are on the difficult journey toward 
             peace.
               There are those who have cynically insinuated that 
             Claudio Elia and the other business leaders who traveled 
             to Croatia were interested more in their financial bottom 
             line then the well-being of the Bosnian people. Well, as I 
             said before, one doesn't journey to Bosnia to make money.
               I believe that Claudio Elia and everyone else on that 
             flight ventured to the Balkans because they shared the 
             vision of Ron Brown.
               They believed that through the machinations of the free 
             market they could make a real difference in the lives of 
             the Bosnian, Serb, and Croatian people. They understood 
             that even though peace had been achieved, the chance for a 
             real and lasting peace would depend on all peoples having 
             the same opportunity for a brighter future.
               Claudio Elia took with him to the Balkers the 
             unquenchable spirit of American optimism and idealism that 
             has infused our Nation for 220 years.
               That spirit was as evident when he was in the boardroom 
             or on an overseas mission, as it was when he was sailing 
             his yacht in the Long Island Sound or dealing with his 
             employees in the same manner he dealt with everyone else.
               Claudio Elia was a man who didn't hesitate from taking 
             on difficult tasks and that was never more obvious than on 
             his last mission to the Balkans.
               And, while I know this is a difficult time for Claudio 
             Elia's friends, family and colleagues, it is important to 
             remember that last mission and all the tireless work that 
             he did on behalf of his family, and his country.
               My thoughts and prayers remain with his wife Susan and 
             his children Christine and Marc.

                                              Thursday, April 25, 1996.

                             PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
               Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the statement submitted with reference to the death 
             of Secretary Brown and other officials at the Commerce 
             Department and from the business community be compiled and 
             printed as a Senate document.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.

                                                Wednesday, May 8, 1996.

               Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I wish to reflect briefly 
             on the loss of life and tremendous talent our Nation 
             suffered when, only days before Easter Sunday, 33 
             Americans--leaders in business and Government--perished in 
             a storm off the coast of Croatia.
               Each of these individuals was strongly committed to the 
             idea that economic renewal is critical to achieving peace 
             in that desperately war-torn land. Compassion for others 
             in need drew all of them on their mission to the Balkans 
             in an effort to help heal that desperate corner of the 
             globe.
               I particularly want to remember U.S. Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown. Charismatic and energetic, he 
             inevitably devoted himself to the task at hand with all 
             his heart and mind. His enthusiasm for public service was 
             only equaled by an amazing ability to attain his goals. He 
             lived the American success story by proving that everyone, 
             through hard work and determination can achieve their 
             heart's desire.
               Ron Brown's immense personal popularity made his 
             untimely death all the more sorrowful.
               Born in Washington, DC, but raised in New York's Harlem, 
             Secretary Brown attended Middlebury College in Vermont 
             where he was the only black student in his class. After 
             graduation he joined the U.S. Army and, serving as an 
             officer, proudly represented his country abroad.
               Following his military career he worked as a welfare 
             caseworker in New York City while attending law school at 
             night. An individual of enormous charm and wit, Ron Brown 
             became the first African-American leader of a major 
             political party in the United States. Regarding this 
             historical achievement he stated, ``I did not run on the 
             basis of race, but I will not run away from it. I am proud 
             of who I am.''
               President Clinton named Ron Brown to serve as U.S. 
             Secretary of Commerce, the first African-American to 
             occupy that post. He performed its duties with wisdom, 
             dedication, and conscientious attention to detail. 
             Secretary Brown more than anyone else in Government, gave 
             business a seat at the diplomatic table. Because of his 
             friendship with and access to the President, the State 
             Department was on constant notice that if our economic 
             efforts overseas were not represented, Ron Brown stood 
             ready to serve as their advocate.
               Representing the United States around the world, he was 
             America's premier salesman for what we have to offer--
             equality, opportunity, and abundance.
               This April, bravely undertaking a mission into what had 
             recently been a war zone and still was a potentially 
             hostile region, Ron Brown proved to the world what those 
             who knew him always took for granted: that he cared less 
             for his personal safety than for the good of the people 
             who live there.
               In his own wonderful way, Ron Brown served as a 
             peacekeeper. Working to establish international trade and 
             business in the region, he offered its people the 
             opportunity to rebuild a civil society.
               Yes, the United States lost 33 lives, 33 talented 
             individuals, each with an unlimited potential to achieve.
               But we as a nation have also gained 33 luminous examples 
             of ultimate dedication and compassion. These bright stars 
             of self-sacrifice form an American constellation which 
             can, if we let it, guide us forward with generosity and 
             courage toward a better tomorrow for ourselves and all of 
             our neighbors.

                                                Thursday, May 23, 1996.

               Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the tragic plane crash in 
             Croatia last month that took the life of Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown also took the lives of other 
             outstanding officials in the Department of Commerce, 
             including Charles F. Meissner, who was Assistant Secretary 
             for International Economic Policy and who was also the 
             husband of Doris Meissner, the Commissioner of the 
             Immigration and Naturalization Service. During the 1970's, 
             he had served with great distinction for several years on 
             the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
               Our hearts go out to the Meissner family in this time of 
             their great loss. In the days following that tragedy, a 
             number of eloquent tributes to Charles Meissner described 
             his extraordinary career, his dedication to public 
             service, and his contributions to our country and to 
             people throughout the world. I believe these tributes will 
             be of interest to all of us in Congress and to many 
             others, and I ask unanimous consent that they be printed 
             in the Record.
               There being no objection, the tributes were ordered to 
             be printed in the Record, as follows:
                             Tribute to Charles Meissner
                              (By Stuart E. Eizenstat)
               Doris, Christine, Andrew, family and friends of Chuck 
             Meissner. I feel doubly blessed by my association with the 
             Meissner family. In the Carter administration it was my 
             good fortune to work closely with Doris on immigration 
             issues--to see directly her intelligence, her calm amidst 
             the pressures of policymaking, her quiet dignity, her 
             dedication to public service. It was then that I first 
             came in contact with Chuck.
               But it was during the past 2\1/2\ years, with me in 
             Brussels and Chuck in Washington, that we formed an 
             intense professional and personal bond which profoundly 
             influenced me. We worked together on every important trade 
             and commercial issue involving the European Union and its 
             member states.
               During Chuck's frequent travels to Brussels, he stayed 
             with Fran and me, and had many meals with us. Chuck and I 
             attended innumerable meetings together. When my 
             appointment to my current position at Commerce became 
             known, I spent a great deal of time talking and meeting 
             with Chuck, seeking his advice and counsel and telling him 
             of my plans to beef-up the International Economic Policy 
             unit he so ably led. Our last conversation came only a few 
             days before his trip to Bosnia and Croatia.
               During Chuck's all-too-brief tenure as Assistant 
             Secretary, there was hardly a continent that did not 
             benefit from Chuck's sterling efforts. Chuck used his 
             extensive financial experience at Chemical Bank and the 
             World Bank to encourage private sector investment in the 
             border regions in Mexico, as chair of the U.S.-Mexico 
             Border Economic Development task force. He helped to 
             expand economic contacts between the West and Central 
             Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union by his 
             work to invigorate the Economic Forum of the Organization 
             for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and by the drive 
             and leadership he gave to the West-East Economic 
             Conferences.
               Chuck was inspiring in his work with large and small 
             American companies. He had a flair for dealing with CEOs. 
             They empathized with him and understood his global vision. 
             Nowhere was this better exemplified than in the 
             Transatlantic Business Dialogue. Secretary Brown initiated 
             the idea that U.S. and European business should take the 
             lead in helping government design future transatlantic 
             commercial policy. But it was Chuck that made this idea 
             work. The success of the historic conference in Seville, 
             Spain, last November that brought a 100 leading American 
             and European CEOs together was due in large part to Chuck.
               Following on his deep conviction that trade was the best 
             force for peace, Chuck used his boundless energy to bring 
             American companies together with companies in emerging 
             democracies and in reforming countries. He was the leading 
             force behind President Clinton's White House Conference on 
             trade and investment in Eastern Europe, held in Cleveland 
             last year. That conference exposed America's top companies 
             to the genuine opportunities to build commercial bridges 
             to Central Europe.
               He poured his heart into using commercial policy to 
             support the peace process in Northern Ireland. He was 
             particularly proud, and justly so, of bringing scores of 
             companies there to support our efforts and those of the 
             British government to bring peace to that troubled land. 
             When peace finally comes to Northern Ireland, as it surely 
             will, Chuck Meissner will have played a major role in 
             being a midwife. He was just beginning to do the same in 
             Haiti.
               It was on another such venture to undergird a fragile 
             peace, that took Chuck and Ron Brown to Croatia and 
             Bosnia. He died doing what he loved, using the resources 
             of the American private sector to strengthen the forces of 
             peace and democracy abroad. The terrible conflict in 
             Bosnia has now claimed several friends, earlier Bob 
             Frasure, and now Chuck, Ron and our other colleagues at 
             the Commerce Department.
               Chuck maintained a punishing travel schedule, as he was 
             driven to extend our commercial diplomacy round the world. 
             He joked to me that he only saw Doris, with her own 
             demanding schedule, as their planes criss-crossed in the 
             sky! And Doris, his love for you and the children was 
             evident in the fond ways in which he talked about you.
               But all of this was a continuation of a life devoted to 
             public service, with a particular emphasis on expanding 
             America's economic relationships abroad, relationships 
             which are the very essence of our efforts to expand 
             democracy and prosperity around the globe. He served in 
             senior positions in the Treasury Department, on the Senate 
             Foreign Relations Committee, where he was staff director 
             of the Subcommittee on Foreign Relations, and in the State 
             Department where he was Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
             International Finance and Development and Ambassador and 
             U.S. Special Negotiator for Economic Matters. Chuck's 
             service to the United States was not limited to civilian 
             positions. He was a Vietnam veteran, decorated on several 
             occasions for his bravery in combat as a Captain in the 
             United States Army.
               But with all of these accomplishments, I will most 
             remember Chuck with genuine love and affection for 
             something more personal. Few people have touched me the 
             way Chuck did. He had a wonderful joy of life and sense of 
             humor. He made me laugh--not always easy to do! When I 
             told Doris at her home Friday about this, she said, ``You 
             know, one of the reasons I married Chuck was that he made 
             me laugh too!''
               When Chuck came into a room his radiance lit it up. That 
             beautiful smile and almost cherubic face--like a grown-up 
             version of one of Raphael's endearing child angels--never 
             failed to touch me deeply and to the core. I was drawn to 
             Chuck, as I know all of you were, by not only his obvious 
             competence but by his basic decency, his goodness, his 
             wonderful humanity. Chuck believed in causes but he never 
             forgot the people who were to benefit from them.
               Just as we all feel blessed by Chuck's friendship, and 
             by his caring, all of us also feel, in our own way, 
             cheated by his tragic death--for myself, deprived of an 
             opportunity to work even closer together on the causes he 
             so believed in, deprived of more time to nurture our 
             friendship, deprived of the chance to simply feel so good 
             in his presence.
               But all of this pales in comparison to the loss for 
             Doris and the children of a husband, a father, a 
             companion. There is an old saying, that ``men and women 
             plan, but God laughs at our plans and has his own for 
             us.'' None of us can possibly explain this tragedy. All 
             one can say is that God on High must have been 
             particularly lonely and needed Chuck's companionship and 
             laughter; as those who knew him on this imperfect earth so 
             reveled in it.
               Chuck, we loved you as you loved us. Our memories are 
             sweet as the fragrances of Spring will surely come. They 
             did not die with you. All of your friends will always be 
             the better for you having come into our lives with your 
             wonderful countenance.
               Doris, we hope that our prayers and the heartfelt 
             feelings of your colleagues in the Justice Department, the 
             Commerce Department and throughout the Administration will 
             strengthen you in these dark and difficult days, and will 
             sustain you as you continue to service the country so well 
             for which Chuck gave his life.
                                          a
                           Reflections on Charles Meissner
                                  (By Michael Ely)
               Today it is my honor briefly to talk to you about 
             Charles Meissner and the central theme of his working 
             life, service to his government and, more broadly, service 
             to his nation and to the world. Chuck might have been 
             embarrassed by this discussion. His sense of personal 
             responsibility and commitment was so deep and integrated 
             into his life that it became part of his personality. It 
             went right down to his toenails. He felt that devotion to 
             the public good was normal and natural behavior, even if 
             not widely shared in a world full of people in futile 
             pursuit of private gain and satisfaction outside of and 
             divorced from the public good.
               Indeed, his concept of the good was universal, 
             comparable to what we might think of as the inner vision 
             of a saint, but tempered by years of experience in 
             addressing complex issues of public policy where the path 
             to the good is unmarked and has to be discovered or even 
             created. Here was an area that must have drawn Doris and 
             Chuck together: their willingness, even eagerness, to 
             grapple with policy issues with difficult tradeoffs, no 
             easy solutions and multiple painful outcomes. Chuck sought 
             to reconcile commercial affairs with broader national 
             interests; Doris deals with the terrible tensions between 
             social decency and justice and conflicting economic and 
             social problems.
               Our paths first came together in the State Department 
             almost two decades ago. From a senior staff position with 
             the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he had been 
             parachuted in, as it were, as Deputy Assistant Secretary 
             in the Bureau of Economic Affairs, then a powerful and 
             aggressive organization with entirely State personnel. 
             Chuck used to joke, with some reason, that I was brought 
             in as his principal deputy to keep an eye on him. We ended 
             up mentoring each other, he with his broad Treasury and 
             Senate background, I a decade older with depth in overseas 
             diplomatic service and State bureaucratic background. Our 
             relations, warmed by Chuck's openness, honesty and obvious 
             ability, deepened into mutual trust and ripened into 
             friendship.
               It was in retrospect an exciting and creative period. In 
             the wake of the first oil shock and the world economic 
             slowdown many countries in Latin America, Africa and 
             eastern Europe could not repay to the U.S. hundreds of 
             millions in official debts contracted in better times. It 
             was Chuck's labor of Hercules to sort out the economic 
             implications and the sticky foreign and domestic politics 
             to come up with a set of U.S. Government responses. A 
             thankless business--he specialized, like Doris, in 
             thankless tasks--with infinite opportunity for offending 
             the Congress, the Treasury, the debtor countries and the 
             other creditors.
               It was in this thicket of problems that he encountered 
             Michel Camdessus, then a very senior officer of the French 
             Treasury, and like him an official of extraordinary 
             breadth and ability. Their initial adversarial relations 
             were transformed by mutual appreciation into a partnership 
             that defined the rules for handling sovereign debt, and 
             lived on through the years that followed.
               The dozen years Chuck spent sorting out the debt 
             problems of the Chemical Bank and experiencing the 
             institutional culture of the World Bank were stepping 
             stones to his policy position in Commerce; all of us 
             confidently expected his star to mount in the coming 
             years, the years that have been taken from him.
               As a negotiator he was matchless. He won, of all things, 
             by being straight! To begin with, Chuck was deeply 
             uninterested in the social luxuries of diplomatic life (I 
             finally got him to recognize the difference between red 
             and white wines) and skipped the cocktail parties unless 
             he had a diplomatic chore to do there. For another, he 
             neither bluffed nor threatened, nor did he respond to such 
             tactics; while he could sense the hidden agenda of his 
             adversary, he had none of his own; and his attention never 
             wavered nor temper flared. His physical vitality and a 
             Churchillian ability to snatch catnaps equipped him to 
             outlast the most tenacious adversary. And his patience had 
             no end.
               This perhaps gives one insight into the secret of 
             Chuck's consistent success as a public servant: a 
             unmatched combination of selflessness, honesty, self 
             control, and hunger for the public good that set him apart 
             and armored him against any accusations of personal 
             advantage. All this was matched by easy good humor, 
             modesty, natural courtesy and a radiant smile that made 
             this man, in some respects really most formidable, one of 
             the least threatening I have ever known. The biggest 
             occupational hazard of diplomacy is vanity and it 
             increases with rank. Chuck's ambassadorial title, 
             conferred to increase his negotiating prestige, never 
             impressed him; he laughingly liked to suggest he be called 
             Ambassador Chuck.
               Yet he was a true intellectual--he would not have liked 
             the term--with an original, searching mind that looked so 
             broadly and deeply as to go quite beyond the reach of most 
             of us. Because of this he was, I think, sometimes quite 
             alone--very few could stay with him at the vertiginous 
             level of conceptualization that he felt was--is--urgently 
             needed to think out tough problems. It was to help in this 
             endeavor that he asked me to join him as an adviser.
               In particular, Chuck was convinced that the age calls 
             for new and creative ways to use the dynamism and power of 
             the American private sector as an instrument for peace, 
             stability and democracy. In his 2 years at Commerce he 
             wrestled with the challenge of integrating foreign 
             commercial policy with its materially-driven bottom-line 
             goals with broader foreign policy to find how they could 
             be used to energize and reinforce each other. The 
             breakthroughs for reconciliation in Ireland, which Chuck 
             created almost single handedly, were propelled by his 
             vision of economic growth and development based on 
             cooperative measures to induce private investment by 
             American enterprises.
               Underlying all of his endeavors--his efforts in Ireland, 
             his attempts to strengthen the Organization for Security 
             and Cooperation in Europe, his approach to the problems of 
             the big emerging markets--was a great long-term vision. He 
             believed that the essential task of the post-Cold War era 
             was to structure incentives and institutions for bringing 
             all the Russias, Chinas and Bosnias--all the reforming and 
             emerging countries--into the world economic order. Chuck 
             dreamed of a world of peace, stability and democracy built 
             upon irreversible global interdependence: all nations 
             would have more to gain by cooperating, by participating 
             in an open world system based on the rule of law, than by 
             resort to traditional unilateral attempts to seek 
             advantage. He saw the vast American commercial structure 
             as a central instrument in this great scheme.
               He was working on how to articulate this broad concept 
             into a series of strategies when he was taken from us.
               A week ago Stuart Eizenstat led a gathering of Commerce 
             employees in reflection on the loss of Chuck and his 
             colleagues. In that moving ceremony one of the respondents 
             from the audience declared that the finest memorial for 
             the perished would be to continue to work toward the goals 
             they believed in. So be it with Charles Meissner, 
             visionary, public servant, man of honor--and husband, 
             father and friend. His memory will strengthen and sustain 
             us as we continue his gallant search.
                                          a
                          The Honorable Charles F. Meissner
               Charles Meissner was sworn in as the Assistant Secretary 
             for International Economic Policy at the Department of 
             Commerce on April 4, 1994 following confirmation by the 
             United States Senate. As Assistant Secretary, Mr. Meissner 
             was responsible for international commercial policy 
             development, including country and regional market access 
             strategies, multilateral and bilateral trade issues, and 
             policy support of Secretary of Commerce Ronald Brown on 
             international issues.
               Since 1992, Mr. Meissner had served at the World Bank as 
             manager of the Office of Official Co-financing and Trust 
             Fund Management. Mr. Meissner was responsible for 
             maintaining the Bank's financial relationships with 
             official co-financiers who co-finance approximately $10 
             billion in projects annually with the World Bank.
               Previously, Mr. Meissner served as vice president at 
             Chemical Bank where he coordinated sovereign debt 
             restructuring policy within the bank and represented 
             Chemical in negotiations with debtor countries.
               In 1980, Mr. Meissner was appointed Ambassador and U.S. 
             Special Negotiator for Economic Matters. Mr. Meissner has 
             also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
             International Finance and Development in the Bureau of 
             Economic and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of 
             State.
               In 1973, he accepted a professional staff appointment to 
             the Committee on Foreign Relations of the U.S. Senate 
             where he served as an economist. In his final year with 
             the committee, he also served as staff director to the 
             Subcommittee on Foreign Assistance. He began his career in 
             1971 at the U.S. Department of Treasury in the Office of 
             International Affairs where he worked as the Japan desk 
             officer and as special assistant to the Assistant 
             Secretary for International Affairs.
               A native of Wisconsin, Mr. Meissner is a three-time 
             graduate of the University of Wisconsin, including a BS in 
             1964, an MS in Economics in 1967, and a Ph.D. in 
             Agricultural Economics with a minor in Latin American 
             Studies in 1969. He served in the Vietnam War as a Captain 
             in the United States Army during 1969 and 1970 and 
             received for his service the Army Commendation Medal, the 
             Joint Service Commendation Medal and the Bronze Star.
               Doris and Chuck met during their freshman year at the 
             University of Wisconsin and were married in 1963. They 
             have two children, Christine, 31, and Andrew, 27.

               Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. President, I rise with my colleague 
             from Massachusetts to mourn the loss of Charles F. 
             Meissner, the Assistant Secretary for International 
             Economic Policy at the Commerce Department. He was a man 
             who devoted his life to furthering America's economic 
             strength; our Nation is the better for his service.
               His close friends--leaders from the public and private 
             sector--have eulogized Chuck Meissner more ably than I 
             could ever hope to do. I want to share their moving 
             statements with my colleagues and with others of our 
             Nation, so all Americans may know and understand how 
             deeply America misses his service and his leadership. I 
             ask unanimous consent that these tributes to the life and 
             accomplishments of Chuck Meissner be printed in the 
             Record.
               There being no objection, the tributes were ordered to 
             be printed in the Record, as follows:
                             Tribute to Charles Meissner
                                (By Michel Camdessus)
               Having had the privilege for 18 years to be one of the 
             innumerable colleagues and friends of Chuck Meissner in 
             the international community, let me try to tell you what 
             sort of man he was for all of us.
               Let me tell you first how we became friends, something, 
             I must say, which changed my life.
               When I first met Chuck in 1978, he was the highly 
             respected and seasoned head of the U.S. delegation to the 
             Paris Club--this group of industrialized countries dealing 
             with the payment difficulties of the debtor countries--and 
             I its newly appointed and totally unprepared Chairman. It 
             was there, as Chuck tactfully guided me through the 
             intricacies of developing country debt, that I first came 
             to know the fine qualities that we all admired so much in 
             him.
               I must say, from the first he impressed me very much. He 
             was one of those people whose mere presence transformed a 
             group's life, focusing its purposes, adding to its 
             creativity, making it congenial and enthusiastic. What was 
             the secret of this? Was it his charm, his persuasiveness, 
             his distinction and natural nobleness, sense of humor, the 
             fun he found in working, his selfishness, his own sense of 
             purpose and dedication? All of these things, and more! The 
             fact that behind the opposite member at the negotiating 
             table he saw a person, and behind the problems, people; 
             men, women, children, whose opinion had to be sought given 
             their responsibility for their own destinies, people whose 
             suffering had to be alleviated, people who had to be given 
             a new chance . . . And more again, but you had to know him 
             well to perceive this and to be prepared to read it in his 
             eyes, his smile, his jokes, or in his silences, the 
             extraordinary way in which love was the unifying factor of 
             his life. He loved his family, he loved his friends, he 
             loved his country, the values of his country and to work 
             for them, knowing pretty well since his experience in 
             Vietnam that this could imply the ultimate sacrifice. Let 
             me mention a few of these values: the sense of 
             responsibility for leading the way toward a better world, 
             confidence that it is always worthwhile to help people 
             stand again on their feet, to work with them to build 
             peace through solidarity. I said solidarity; perhaps the 
             proper word should be brotherhood throughout the world 
             ``from sea to shining seas.'' This was, I think the 
             professional secret of Chuck, the fact that in one way or 
             another, even in the most adverse situations, he was 
             always giving something of himself, putting his mind and 
             heart into achieving a better agreement, in finding a more 
             constructive solution.
               I witnessed this many, many times, as the debt crises 
             multiplied the clients of the Paris Club, making Chuck a 
             regular customer on the transatlantic flights between 
             Washington and Paris. Let me tell you that I particularly 
             admired him on the occasion of an UNCTAD meeting in Manila 
             where, leading the American delegation, his role was 
             decisive in transforming an occasion which could have been 
             confrontational and rhetorical into an opportunity for 
             solidly laying down the basic principles (the so-called 
             ``features'') which since then have governed public debt 
             rescheduling operations. This could seem somewhat esoteric 
             to you, but if I tell you that since then, on the basis of 
             these principles, more than 250 billion dollars of public 
             debt has been generously rescheduled . . . and 65 
             countries have been given a new chance, you will have some 
             idea of the contribution Chuck made in making the world a 
             better place. No more of this.
               In the days since that terrible tragedy on the hillside 
             outside Dubrovnik, Chuck's many friends, colleagues and 
             admirers around the world have recounted the many other 
             instances in which Chuck tried to make a difference--and 
             succeeded. In Belfast, where he had traveled many times to 
             assist in building economic bridges across the political 
             divide, and where, as I read in a message from the West 
             Belfast Economic Forum director: The community activists 
             working towards economic and social regeneration in West 
             Belfast came to know Charles Meissner. It was, however, to 
             Chuck Meissner's own credit as an individual, that we came 
             to also regard him as a friend. Over the past 2 years, 
             Charles Meissner returned to West Belfast on several 
             occasions. Always, he ensured that grassroots activists 
             from the disadvantaged communities were consulted and kept 
             informed. He understood that if there was to be a ``Peace 
             Dividend'' then any economic intervention from the USA 
             must be targeted specifically at those communities which 
             have suffered most from exclusion and marginalization. 
             Chuck recognized that more than straightforward economic 
             investment is required to bring about economic 
             regeneration. He valued the work of the community 
             organizations and the opinions of those with firsthand 
             experience of dealing with the problems in our community. 
             Chuck gave freely of his own time and expertise and 
             encouraged others, both within his department and among 
             the American business community to support locally based 
             economic initiatives.
               Chuck's action was similar at the U.S.-Mexican border, 
             where he worked to improve the economic and environmental 
             conditions. And most recently, in Bosnia where Chuck was 
             seeking to secure a fragile peace with the promise of a 
             better future through economic development and trade. 
             Suffice it here for me to quote his last declaration in 
             Bosnia. I quote the wire agencies:
               `` `We want to build confidence in investing and 
             reestablish the internal confidence' between the Serbs, 
             Croats and Muslims, said Charles Meissner, Assistant 
             Secretary of Commerce for international economic policy.
               ``Development `gives a common ground that you re-
             establish economically, developing the basis for 
             interdependency,' he said.''
               This was Chuck, my friends, this is Chuck: a great man, 
             a great friend, a great American, a great builder of 
             peace, one of those ``God will call his children'' (Mat. 
             5-9), one of those who can tell the Lord with a joyful 
             assurance ``your house will be my home.'' (Ps. 23).
                                          a
                      Memorial Service for Charles F. Meissner
                                   (By Ted Crabb)
               I came to know Chuck Meissner in the early '60's when I 
             was working, as I still do, at the Wisconsin Union, the 
             student-led community center at the University of 
             Wisconsin-Madison. Like his brother David, Chuck came to 
             the Union not only to take part in the social, cultural 
             and recreational activities the Union provided, but to 
             help plan, develop and promote those activities.
               It tells you something about Chuck Meissner that in 
             choosing to become active at the Union as a student, he 
             was not deterred by the fact that his older brother had 
             already made his mark there, first as a committee chair 
             and then as president of the Union's student-faculty-
             alumni governing board. Another person, less comfortable 
             with himself, might have chosen a different activity, or 
             even a different college in the first place. Not Chuck. If 
             the Union was the place to mix with students of diverse 
             backgrounds, to meet informally with professors, to debate 
             the issues of the day, to encounter new and provocative 
             ideas, to get involved, then that's where Chuck wanted to 
             be.
               It may have been at the Union that Chuck learned the 
             patience that would enable him to cope with the vagaries 
             and uncertainties of government service. Two years in a 
             row, Chuck was responsible for a lecture to be given by 
             Werner von Braun. Two years in a row, he made posters, 
             distributed notices to university classes, made 
             arrangements for a special dinner for the honored guest, 
             even produced little table tents resplendent with 
             glittering rocket ships. Two years in a row, von Braun 
             canceled his appearance at the last minute.
               Certainly, Chuck learned at the Union how to deal with 
             dashed hopes. In his senior year, he was a candidate for 
             president of the Union but lost out to his good friend, 
             Carol Skornicka. It tells you something about Chuck that 
             this defeat was no permanent setback to their lifelong 
             friendship.
               Chuck left the university after he finished his graduate 
             work in Agricultural Economics, but he retained his 
             interest in the university and in the Wisconsin Union. For 
             the last 11 years, he served in an advisory role to the 
             Union, most recently as a member of the board of trustees 
             of the building association. In that role, he was the kind 
             of board member that a president or director both loves 
             and fears.
               Chuck didn't just attend meetings. He engaged himself in 
             them totally, asking tough questions, goading everyone to 
             more effort. And when he left the annual meeting after an 
             intense day and a half session, I knew that within a few 
             days, I'd get a letter from him. It wouldn't be one of 
             those innocuous, ``Thank you very much, you're doing a 
             great job and enclosed are my expenses'' letter. No. It 
             would be two or three single-spaced, tightly packed pages 
             of ideas for the future and suggestions for 
             implementation. ``What is the Union doing to prepare for a 
             decline in funding when undergraduate enrollment is cut 
             back? What can you learn and put into practice from the 
             recent Carnegie Foundation report on higher education? 
             What is the Union doing to serve the community in 
             continuing education and to broaden the life experiences 
             of students?''
               In one letter in 1990, Chuck focused on the role and 
             image of Union South, a second Union building, located on 
             the Engineering Campus and long seen by some as a sort of 
             afterthought, or as Chuck called it, ``the second child 
             who has to share his parents' love and always perform up 
             to the older sibling's standards.'' Chuck had a dozen 
             different ideas for upgrading its image, including the 
             possible rededication of the building to honor those who 
             have promoted civil and human rights in Wisconsin as a 
             means of promoting greater campus community feeling in the 
             cause of a shared heritage among blacks, whites, 
             Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans on campus.
               At the 1991 meeting of the trustees, Chuck proposed the 
             establishment of a permanent endowment for the Union 
             trustees, to provide a stable source of funding for the 
             programming efforts of the Union and the upkeep and 
             renovation of the physical structures. He followed up his 
             suggestion with a three-page draft of a funding statement 
             that the board of trustees adopted at its next meeting, 
             with almost no changes, and which it has since 
             implemented.
               All directors of organizations should have members like 
             Chuck to prod and nudge.
               The Wisconsin Union is a tiny entity in the world that 
             Chuck occupied. It tells you a lot about Chuck Meissner 
             that he gave it the same kind of focused attention he gave 
             to the global issues that made up his work day. Just last 
             fall, he was calling to ask me to send him information 
             about the Wisconsin Union that he could take to a person 
             he'd met on a trade mission, who was trying to build a 
             campus community center at his own college in Ireland.
               The goals and the purpose of the Wisconsin Union as a 
             unifying force in a diverse community were not just words 
             to Chuck. He believed in the worth of student volunteer 
             activities. He never wavered from the view that the 
             Union's primary mission was to provide opportunities for 
             volunteering and to help students develop the skills that 
             would make them effective volunteers and contributors to 
             their communities--to become persons who were concerned 
             not just with getting something out of life but with 
             putting something into life. Chuck had great faith in 
             students. He believed there was little they could not 
             accomplish if given the opportunity. His constant question 
             was, ``What is the student role in this program or this 
             function?''
               To those of us who worked with Chuck at the Union, it 
             was no surprise that his last effort would be leading a 
             group of volunteer business leaders to Bosnia. Again, he 
             had persuaded others to apply their skills and talents to 
             doing a job that needed to be done. The scope of the job 
             was mammoth: beginning the healing of the unimaginable 
             wounds of a civil war and the rebuilding and revitalizing 
             of an entire society. But Chuck had seen that there was a 
             role to be played by volunteers who were willing to put 
             their unique talents and resources to work to help their 
             larger community. As he had done throughout his life, he 
             was putting into practice the Union ideal that the 
             foundation of democracy is the individual efforts of 
             citizens, working together to solve their common problems.
               Many people say that heroism has vanished from America. 
             We in this audience know better. We know that Chuck 
             Meissner was a hero. Not only because he gave his life for 
             his country or because he took great risks in the service 
             of his country or flew dozens of hazardous and 
             uncomfortable flights to remote places, all of which he 
             did, but also because he lived the values to which many 
             people give lip service. He honored his commitments. He 
             gave generously of himself, not for self-aggrandizement or 
             private fortune but for the worth of the undertaking. He 
             did what he did because it was the right thing to do. And 
             in the end he left the world a better place for his having 
             been here.
               We think of Chuck and we remember that broad smile, that 
             gentle spirit, the way he could walk into a room of 
             strangers and put everyone at ease, his enjoyment of the 
             rich and varied experiences his jobs offered him, and that 
             sense of irony that helped him maintain his perspective in 
             the heady and unreal world of Washington politics. We 
             think of the love and pride that were so evident whenever 
             Chuck talked about Chris and Andrew. We think of his 
             marriage to Doris: a marriage in which each partner 
             provided the ballast that allowed the other to soar. And 
             when we think of all these things we can only be grateful 
             that we knew Chuck and that he was our friend.
                                          a
                     [From the National Journal, April 13, 1996]
                              Here Was a Public Servant
                                 (By Ben Wildavsky)
               The way a friend of Charles F. Meissner's tells the 
             story, Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown was once leading 
             an American delegation to Bonn when high-profile diplomat 
             Richard C. Holbrooke joined him in the head car of the 
             U.S. motorcade. Not long after the vehicles got under way, 
             the motorcade stopped. Holbrooke walked back to find 
             Meissner in another car and told him that Brown had 
             requested that the two of them trade places. ``I 
             understand you're the guy who tells him what to say before 
             the meeting,'' Holbrooke told Meissner.
               Meissner, the Assistant Commerce Secretary for 
             international economic policy, was one of the best of that 
             unsung yet indispensable Washington class: the people who 
             tell other people what to say before the meeting. While he 
             was a distinguished international negotiator in his own 
             right, Meissner was fulfilling a key behind-the-scenes 
             role for Brown when he was killed in the April 3 plane 
             crash that took the lives of the Commerce Secretary and 
             more than 30 other Americans.
               Those who knew Meissner say the 55-year-old 
             international economics expert showed by example what it 
             means to live a life of public service. ``He was a civil 
             servant in the best tradition of the European civil 
             service, where it carries much more prestige,'' said 
             Jeffrey E. Garten, former Commerce undersecretary for 
             international trade and now dean of the Yale School of 
             Management. ``When I was nominated to go to the Commerce 
             Department, he was about the first person I went to, to 
             see if he would come with me.''
               With the new Clinton Administration eager to give the 
             Commerce Department an active role in combining commercial 
             and foreign policy, Meissner's extensive background in 
             government and in international banking was tailor-made 
             for the department's mission. ``Chuck had the ideal 
             profile in that he had worked in the State Department but 
             he had all this private-sector experience,'' Garten said. 
             ``Most importantly, he knew how to deal with the 
             bureaucracy--and in the State Department, he was known for 
             being very, very tough in pursuing his goals. It was kind 
             of a joke that when he headed toward Treasury, they all 
             left their offices because they didn't want to spend the 
             next 3 days arguing with him. He was extremely 
             tenacious.''
               Charles William Maynes, editor of Foreign Policy 
             magazine, said Meissner deserves a share of the credit for 
             the changed role of the Commerce Department under Brown. 
             In the Administration's first 3 years, ``there was more 
             foreign policy coming out of the Commerce Department than 
             any other division,'' Maynes said. ``You can quarrel with 
             it, but they had a specific strategy and certain countries 
             they targeted. That is Chuck and Garten and Brown who did 
             that--that's where that came from.''
               A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, where he 
             earned a doctorate in economics, Meissner received the 
             Bronze Star for his Army service during the Vietnam war. 
             He began his Washington career at the Treasury Department 
             in 1971. Following a 5-year stint as a Senate Foreign 
             Relations Committee economist, he joined the State 
             Department as a Deputy Assistant Secretary and later 
             gained ambassadorial rank as the lead U.S. negotiator on 
             international debt rescheduling. Meissner spent 9 years as 
             a Chemical Bank vice president, then moved to a senior 
             World Bank post in 1992 before joining the Administration 
             in April 1994. His wife, Doris, became commissioner of the 
             Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1993.
               Meissner was known among colleagues and friends for an 
             engaging sense of humor and for his basic decency. In the 
             days after Meissner's death, a colleague spoke of the 
             strong interest he took in advancing the careers of the 
             people who worked for him. Another recalled the 
             ``extraordinary''--and successful--efforts Meissner made 
             to help a Vietnamese woman escape her country just before 
             the fall of Saigon. Many remembered his personal warmth.
               ``He was splendid in every aspect of his personal and 
             professional life,'' said Richard M. Moose, undersecretary 
             of State for management, who first met Meissner around 
             1970 at the U.S. military headquarters in Vietnam. Moose 
             was then a staff member of the Foreign Relations 
             Committee, and Meissner was an Army Intelligence officer. 
             Meissner helped brief the visiting Capitol Hill aides and 
             impressed Moose right away. ``He found a way not to go 
             along with the convention of misleading congressional 
             delegations,'' Moose said. Later, when Meissner went to 
             the Foreign Relations Committee, the two became partners, 
             taking numerous trips together to Vietnam and Cambodia. 
             ``It was like a traveling seminar in macroeconomics,'' 
             Moose said. ``He was terribly good at taking his knowledge 
             of economic theory and applying it to very practical kinds 
             of situations.''
               Maynes said Meissner had a rare understanding of the 
             real-world intersection of politics and economics. ``He 
             was an out-standing economist and a devoted public 
             servant,'' Maynes said. ``But the most notable thing about 
             him was that he was an excellent negotiator.'' He observed 
             that Meissner's negotiating skills were ``so 
             extraordinary'' he was asked to stay at State in the 
             Reagan administration even though he was a Democrat.
               Other testimonials to Meissner's qualities abound. W. 
             Bowman Cutter, former Deputy Director of the National 
             Economic Council, said Meissner's high-level experience in 
             government and business made his judgment ``something you 
             could really rely on.'' Meissner ``obviously loved his 
             work, and he was good at it,'' said former Senate Majority 
             Leader George J. Mitchell (D-ME), who worked side by side 
             with Meissner in the U.S. effort to promote economic 
             development in Northern Ireland and called him ``a good 
             friend.''
               In the end, another friend said, Meissner stood out for 
             his love of substance. ``The higher you go in government, 
             the more you come in touch with sharks or political 
             animals who really aren't interested in policy but who 
             want to do favors for people on the Hill, or do what looks 
             good in tomorrow's press stories,'' said Ellen L. Frost, a 
             former trade official now with the Institute for 
             International Economics in Washington. ``And Chuck was 
             never one of those. He cared about sound policy.''

                                              Wednesday, June 12, 1996.

               Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, on Friday, May 3, I had the 
             honor of joining with Secretary of State Christopher and 
             the American Foreign Service Association [AFSA] in paying 
             tribute to Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 32 other 
             Americans who were tragically killed in Croatia while in 
             service to our country. A plaque was also dedicated to 
             three diplomats who died seeking peace in Bosnia less than 
             a year ago. On the occasion we were reminded not just of 
             the individuals who lost their lives in these terrible 
             tragedies, but of the risks and sacrifices that members of 
             our Foreign Service undertake on a daily basis in an 
             effort to support peace, democracy and freedom around the 
             globe.
               During the ceremony, held on the 31st annual Foreign 
             Service Day, very moving speeches were delivered by Harold 
             Ickes on behalf of President Clinton, by Secretary of 
             State Christopher, and by F. Allen ``Tex'' Harris, 
             president of AFSA. I believe their remarks bear repeating 
             to a broader audience and thus ask that they be printed in 
             the Record.
               The remarks follow:
                    Remarks by F. Allen Harris, President of AFSA
               Dear family members, distinguished guests, ladies and 
             gentlemen and colleagues:
               The American Foreign Service Association has the sorrow-
             filled responsibility of honoring those members of the 
             Foreign Service and our colleagues serving abroad who lost 
             their lives under heroic or other inspirational 
             circumstances.
               Today, we have the very sad duty of adding six names to 
             the traditional Memorial Plaque:
               Samuel Nelson Drew, Robert C. Frasure, Joseph J. Kruzel, 
             Ronald H. Brown, Lee F. Jackson and Stephen C. Kaminski.
               We have the deep sorrow of honoring all those who died 
             with Secretary Ronald H. Brown:
               Gerald V. Aldrich, Niksa Antonini, Dragica Lendic Bedek, 
             Duane R. Christian, Barry L. Conrad, Paul Cushman, III, 
             Adam N. Darling, Ashley J. Davis, Gail E. Dobert, Robert 
             E. Donovan, Claudio Elia, Robert Farrington, Jr., David 
             Ford, Carol L. Hamilton, Kathryn E. Hoffman, Lee F. 
             Jackson, Stephen C. Kaminski, Kathryn E. Kellogg, Shelly 
             A. Kelly, James M. Lewek, Frank Maier, Charles F. 
             Meissner, William E. Morton, Walter J. Murphy, Lawrence M. 
             Payne, Nathaniel C. Nash, Leonard J. Pieroni, Timothy W. 
             Shafer, John A. Scoville, Jr., I. Donald Terner, P. Stuart 
             Tholan, Cheryl A. Turnage, Naomi P. Warbasse and Robert A. 
             Whittaker.
               I now have the honor of introducing the personal 
             representative of the President of the United States of 
             America, Mr. Harold Ickes, Assistant to the President and 
             Deputy Chief of Staff.
                                          a
              Remarks of Harold Ickes, Assistant to the President and 
                                Deputy Chief of Staff
               Secretary Christopher, Secretary Perry, Secretary 
             Kantor, members of Congress, men and women of the Foreign 
             Service, ladies and gentlemen.
               President Clinton asked me to be with you today as we 
             honor an extraordinary group of Americans who gave their 
             lives in service of their country and in the service of 
             humanity.
               Before reading the President's dedication, let me say to 
             the families and loved ones of Bob Frasure, Joe Kruzel, 
             Nelson Drew, and to those of Ron Brown and his entire 
             delegation, I know that this is a day of very, very mixed 
             emotions.
               You've lost a father, a mother, a husband or a wife, a 
             son or a daughter, a friend. The American people have lost 
             some of their finest.
               On a very personal note, with the death of Secretary Ron 
             Brown, I lost one of my closest friends and wisest 
             advisers. Ron Brown was in his service and in his life a 
             spring day. He let himself and all of us to believe that 
             making a difference was a joy as well as a duty. He was an 
             achiever of potential. His grace, his intelligence, his 
             self-confidence without a trace of arrogance, and his 
             abilities to motivate, to lead and to bridge were a rare 
             combination of qualities.
               I am very proud and very fortunate to have had him as my 
             friend. To Alma, Michael, Tracy, we will all miss him 
             greatly. Let me now read the President's dedication.
               Each year on Foreign Service Day, hundreds of active and 
             retired Foreign Service employees come together to discuss 
             foreign policy initiatives. It is also a day of 
             remembrance when the foreign affairs community honors its 
             many colleagues who have given their lives in service of 
             our country.
               ``As we pay tribute to the memory of those who we have 
             lost, let us rededicate ourselves to the goal for which 
             they lived: maintaining America's leadership in the fight 
             for peace and freedom throughout the world.
               ``In today's increasingly interdependent world, our 
             Nation's future is linked more than ever to events that 
             take place beyond our borders, to strengthen our security, 
             promote our prosperity and advance our interests. As we 
             move towards the 21st century, America must stay engaged.
               ``Whether supporting peace, freedom and democracy and 
             other transnations threats, combating environmental 
             degradation, opening markets and expanding of trade, the 
             American Foreign Services has a critical role to play.
               ``Our Foreign Affairs men and women serve on the front 
             lines, often in demanding and sometimes dangerous 
             surroundings. I'm committed to do all I can to insure that 
             Congress provides the funding we need to support your 
             essential work.
               ``This year, our Nation has lost some of its best and 
             brightest public servants, and I have lost a very dear 
             friend. The American people will not forget the 
             contributions made by Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 
             the 34 members of his delegation who died in a plane crash 
             on a fog-shrouded mountainside in Croatia.
               ``They were on an important mission to bring development 
             and economic stability to a war-torn region far from home. 
             Unfortunately, theirs is not the only recent tragedy in 
             that part of the world. We finally and respectfully 
             remember our colleagues, Robert Frasure, Joseph Kruzel and 
             Samuel Nelson Drew who lost their lives in Bosnia.
               ``These men, who represented the Department of State, 
             the Department of Defense and the National Security 
             Council and the United States Air Force, embodied the 
             spirit of service that sets our Nation apart. Their heroic 
             efforts helped bring an end to 4 years of bloodshed and 
             gave the children of Bosnia a chance to grow up in peace.
               ``To all Foreign Service professionals, active and 
             retired, and their family members in the United States and 
             abroad who support America's values worldwide, I send my 
             deepest thanks and appreciation.'' Bill Clinton.
               Mr. Harris. Thank you very much. We appreciate that. I 
             now have the great honor of introducing a distinguished 
             American with a long, long successful record of service to 
             this Nation and to his community. Family members, 
             distinguished guests, ladies, gentlemen, colleagues, the 
             Secretary of State, Warren Christopher.
                                          a
                  Remarks by Secretary of State Warren Christopher
               Thank you, Tex, Harold, Senator Kassenbaum, Senator 
             Sarbanes, Secretary Perry, Secretary Kanter, and other 
             distinguished guests here today.
               Let me extend a special welcome to the families of the 
             men and women we are honoring today. You will always be a 
             close part of the State Department family.
               As the President has said, we come together every year 
             on this day to celebrate the dedication and the 
             accomplishments of the Foreign Service. But this is often 
             a sad day as well because it is the day we add names to 
             the memorial plaques in remembrance of our colleagues who 
             gave their lives in service to their country.
               Thirty years ago there were 72 names on this wall, 
             covering all of American history since 1780. Now the list 
             has grown to 188. And in the last year, two terrible 
             tragedies have reminded us again that in this dangerous 
             world, duty and sacrifice often go hand in hand.
               We often say that we must take risks for peace. Today we 
             see that the risks are all too real. To our sorrow, we 
             learn that peace cannot be made through telephone or fax. 
             It usually can't be made in Washington or in Geneva. It 
             can only be made by people who are willing to fly where 
             the bullets fly, to go where roads are treacherous and 
             where safety and security are often missing in action.
               Sadly, we can't take the danger out of diplomacy. But we 
             can and must honor the peacemakers and their deeds. And we 
             can make sure the American people know of the sacrifices 
             the peacemakers make for our sake.
               Last August in Bosnia three American diplomats were on 
             their way to the besieged city of Sarajevo when they lost 
             their lives on a muddy mountain road. Bob Frasure, Joe 
             Kruzel, and Nelson Drew believed that peace was possible 
             in Bosnia. And they were certainly right. Indeed, they 
             were the path-finders who made peace possible.
               Just a month ago, Ron Brown and a team of government 
             officials and business leaders were on a journey to 
             Croatia. They lost their lives trying to make sure that 
             the peace our diplomats had forged would endure. They were 
             convinced that American capital and American know-how 
             could help rebuild that shattered land, that it could give 
             the people of that country a reason to resist the 
             temptations of war. And they, too, were right.
               As I have travelled the world in the weeks since these 
             two tragic events, I have received a chorus of condolences 
             from leaders all around the world who understand the 
             sacrifices made by the families of the men and women who 
             died in those tragic events.
               A short time ago, when I was in Sarajevo and in the 
             compound of our Embassy, I planted two dogwood trees in 
             honor of Bob Frasure. But by far the most eloquent tribute 
             to his work, and to Joe's and to Nelson's and to Ron's and 
             all those we honor today, has been the return of normal 
             life that I could see all around me in Sarajevo. Every 
             school reopened, every family reunited, every road and 
             factory rebuilt is a monument to the service of these 
             brave Americans.
               That monument, of course, is a work in progress. It is 
             being shaped by countless hands--by our diplomats, our 
             soldiers, by our civil servants, and by the people of the 
             region. The memory of our fallen colleagues impels us not 
             to rest--not to rest at all--until this work is completed.
               The men and women we honor today, as the President said, 
             will always represent what is best about America. They 
             were generous enough to share their talent and spirits 
             with others. They were dedicated enough to make sacrifices 
             in the cause of public service. They were realistic enough 
             to know that America's fate is inseparable from the fate 
             of the world. And they were optimistic enough to believe 
             that the difficult problems can be solved but only solved 
             when America is determined to overcome them.
               Thinking of them, I was reminded of something that one 
             of our visitors this week, Shimon Peres, once said: 
             ``Nobody will ever really understand the United States . . 
             . You have so much power, and [yet] you didn't dominate 
             another people; you have problems of your own, and [yet] 
             you have never turned your back on the problems of 
             others.''
               Anyone who knew these wonderful friends and colleagues 
             understands something very important about America. 
             Anybody who passes through this hall and who pauses to 
             think about the lives behind the names of the people on 
             these plaques will understand something about the American 
             ideal. Here, in the presence of these names, there is not 
             an ounce of cynicism about the country or about the people 
             who represent it.
               So even as we mourn, let us keep alive the spirit that 
             gave these lives such meaning. And let these names be a 
             reminder to us all--a reminder of the risks and hardships 
             that dedicated Americans endure for their country, and let 
             it be a reminder of the constant need to carry on their 
             work, our work, until it is finally finished.
               Thank you very much.

                                              Wednesday, July 10, 1996.

               Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I introduce a bill to honor 
             and remember a truly exceptional American, Ronald H. 
             Brown. The bill would designate the Federal building 
             located at 290 Broadway in New York, NY, as the ``Ronald 
             H. Brown Federal Building''.
               It is a grand gesture to recognize the passing of this 
             remarkable American and special friend, and I would ask 
             for the support of all Senators of this legislation to 
             place one more marker in history on Ron Brown's behalf.
               Ron Brown had a great love for enterprise and industry 
             as reflected in his achievements as the first African-
             American to hold the office of U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
               His was a life of outstanding achievement and service to 
             his country: Army captain; general counsel, deputy 
             executive officer, and vice president of the National 
             Urban League; partner in a prestigious law firm; chief 
             counsel, and chairman of the National Democratic 
             Committee; husband and father. And these are but a few of 
             the achievements that demonstrated Ron's spirited pursuit 
             of life.
               To have held any one of these posts in the Government, 
             and in the private sector, is extraordinary. To have held 
             all of the positions he did and prevail as he did, is 
             unique. Indeed, Ron Brown was unfairly taken from us; 
             however, while with us, he lived a sweeping and 
             comprehensive life. And we are all diminished by his loss.
               Therefore, I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to 
             this uncommon man.
                              Proceedings in the House
                                               Tuesday, April 16, 1996.
               REMEMBERING SECRETARY RON BROWN AND THOSE WHO PERISHED 
                                      WITH HIM
               Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember still, 
             as we are all still feeling, those who were on the plane 
             with Secretary Ron Brown. It was a loss that this country 
             feels now and is going to feel for quite a long time.
               In West Virginia we feel this deeply, the lose of the 
             Government personnel, the military personnel, the private 
             sector personnel. In addition to Secretary Brown we lost 
             William Morton of Huntington who was buried Saturday in 
             Huntington, who was long time involved in so many things 
             that made this country great: political campaigns and 
             working with Secretary Brown in a number of capacities.
               He grew up and graduated, went to Huntington High School 
             and went on to make his mark in so many different areas. I 
             give thanks for his life and that of Ron Brown's. With 
             Secretary Brown he was a man of composure, a man of 
             pragmatism, a man of obvious intelligence, and a 
             compassionate man.
               So many stories that each of us has about Secretary Ron 
             Brown. I remember one. He visited Martinsburg, WV, at my 
             request somewhere around 2 years ago. We had a 
             celebration, he was kicking off a compressed natural gas 
             vehicle caravan. We had bands out there, and there were 
             two little children that were making presentations.
               I still remember that Secretary Brown was there 
             surrounded, by Members of Congress and the State 
             leadership and the city leadership and the county 
             leadership, and everybody's in a suit looking very 
             official, and these two little girls. One of the little 
             girls was making a presentation in the microphone, and of 
             course she was dressed in her Sunday best, and she was a 
             little awed by all of this and she had trouble with a 
             couple of her words. Secretary Brown nodded very 
             patiently, went over and leaned over and said take your 
             time. Just take your time. She smiled and finished like a 
             champ.
               Secretary Brown was, we liked to kid him, he was a 
             property owner in West Virginia owning property in the 
             Canaan Valley. But I think what he will be remembered for, 
             so much he will be remembered because more people are 
             working today in this country because of Ron Brown. There 
             are more opportunities for people today in this country 
             because of Ron Brown. There are more jobs that have been 
             created in this country today because of Ron Brown. There 
             are more trade opportunities here and abroad because of 
             Ron Brown.
               The Commerce Department, which has been a traditional 
             backwater for many years, is a thriving vibrant department 
             today because of Ron Brown. In so many areas we see his 
             hand and we are going to miss that guiding hand.
               The testimony of Ron Brown, well, there are so many 
             testimonies, but I know one. As well as being a member of 
             the Democratic Party, he is the one who put us back on 
             track. He took a demoralized party and turned it, in just 
             a few short years, to one that won the Presidency for the 
             first time in 12 years. A tribute to Ron Brown is how many 
             of us, how many people who came in contact with him called 
             him friend.
               I was at a meeting in Missouri this week, Republicans 
             and Democrats alike, as well as foreign parliamentarians, 
             and Ron Brown's name came up. And all of us stopped and 
             every one of us had a story to tell about Ron Brown. Every 
             one of us wanted to tell that story. Every one of us knew 
             him as friends. Ron Brown was our friend. He was a friend 
             of America's and we miss him. We miss him, very, very 
             much.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, on a hillside over Bosnia, 
             this Nation lost 33 dedicated and committed Americans.
               Among those lost was the man we pay tribute to today, 
             Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown.
               We pay tribute to Secretary Brown because, in the finest 
             tradition of America, he gave his life, in service to his 
             country, while promoting peace in a region torn by war.
               This tribute has been organized by those of us who serve 
             on and who have participated with the President's Export 
             Council [PEC].
               Secretary Brown was a public sector member of PEC, and 
             the driving force behind a notable private-public 
             partnership, whose mission is to expand U.S. exports 
             abroad.
               At the very first meeting of PEC, on February 13, 1995, 
             President Clinton attended, and Secretary Brown welcomed 
             and swore in the appointees.
               Secretary Brown emphasized that he would regard PEC 
             members as the board of directors of America's National 
             Export Strategy, first implemented in September 1993.
               And so, Mr. Speaker, we think it only fitting that the 
             PEC ``Board of Directors'' lead a tribute to the person 
             who, in our minds, was the chairman and chief executive 
             officer of America's effort to achieve free and fair trade 
             and to give a chance to U.S. businesses of all sizes to 
             market their goods and services abroad.
               Ronald Harmon Brown was born in Washington, DC, on 
             August 1, 1941.
               He was raised in Harlem by his parents, attended 
             Middlebury College in Vermont, was commissioned an officer 
             in the Army and spent time in West Germany and Korea--
             surely the seed of foreign trade was planted at this time.
               When he left the Army, he joined the National Urban 
             League as a welfare caseworker, evidencing early in his 
             career a dedication to public service. At night, he 
             attended law school.
               Shortly after law school came his first foray into 
             politics, when he was elected district leader of the 
             Democratic Party in Mount Vernon. Immediately, he became 
             known as one who could build bridges and close divides.
               In 1973, he moved back to Washington, DC and, following 
             a series of public and private-sector positions, on 
             February 10, 1989, he was elected by acclamation as the 
             first African American chair of the Democratic National 
             Committee.
               The rest is history, as Ron went on to help elect 
             President Clinton and to be asked to serve as Secretary of 
             Commerce.
               In a relatively short period of time, he made giant 
             strides, distinguishing himself, making his mark in many 
             places, leaving his permanent imprint on the sands of 
             time.
               Neither race, nor color, nor religion, nor background, 
             or any of those false barriers stood in his way. We could 
             always count on him to fight another fight, to write 
             another chapter, to run another race. Secretary Ron Brown 
             will be sorely missed.
               He will be especially missed for his work with PEC in 
             behalf of U.S. exports and his efforts as Secretary of 
             Commerce. One of his last appearances in the United States 
             was at the most recent meeting of PEC. At that meeting, he 
             shared his thoughts and plans on the Bosnia/Croatia trip, 
             as well as uncommon insights he had gathered about trade 
             around the world.
               From that meeting came the proposed PEC ``Statement of 
             Principles'' concerning export administration. Those 
             principles reflected Ron's vision and wisdom--declaring 
             exporting as a right of every American citizen, not a 
             privilege, as early versions of the Export Administration 
             Act had stated.
               And, those principles outlined what America's position 
             should be on export restrictions, seeking to make sure, as 
             Ron always did, that there is a level playing field 
             throughout the world and that no one nation could assume 
             an unfair competitive advantage in an increasingly 
             competitive marketplace.
               While those proposed principles reflected Ron's views, 
             they were shaped and will be reshaped by all members of 
             PEC, public and private, and certainly included the view 
             of those business and corporation representatives who 
             served.
               Indeed, Ron's work and the work of PEC made certain that 
             businesses of all types, politics aside, could benefit 
             from the renewed trade efforts, and they did.
               During his tenure, important groundwork was laid, major 
             breakthroughs were experienced, and future prospects for 
             peace and prosperity were cemented. And, while Ron was a 
             deeply committed Democrat, on the matter of free and fair 
             trade, he was first an American. Party took a second seat 
             to the goal of expanding exports.
               Ron knew what many of us have now come to know. For 
             every $1 million we make a available to finance exports, 
             we generate a $7 million return, and, more importantly, we 
             create new jobs.
               In the First Congressional District of North Carolina 
             alone, there are more than 450 companies that manufacture 
             goods of foreign markets--and nearly two-thirds are small- 
             and medium-sized businesses, employing less than 100 
             people.
               All in all, eastern North Carolina ships more than $1.3 
             billion of goods overseas each year. Indeed, in 1994, 
             270,000 new jobs were attributed to North Carolina, 
             exports, generating some $13.7 billion in revenue, a 21.7 
             percent increase. In 1994, North Carolina ranked 10th in 
             the Nation in exports.
               More and more, the economic well-being of our region and 
             our State depends on our ability to sell our products to 
             other countries.
               Clearly, our ability to generate good jobs in the future 
             is tied to exports and the ability of local companies, 
             small and large, to exploit opportunities in other 
             countries.
               As a member of the Subcommittee on Procurement, Exports, 
             and Business Opportunities of the House Small Business 
             Committee and an appointee of PEC, I have learned a great 
             deal about the relationship between exports and better 
             jobs.
               I have come to appreciate eastern North Carolina's 
             unique combination of harbors at Wilmington and Morehead 
             City, a strong interstate system, and a state-or-the-art 
             air shipping facility at the proposed Global Transpark in 
             Kingston which makes our area particularly well-suited to 
             be involved in the export boom.
               I've been working with community leaders to have the 
             proposed Global Transpark designated a free-trade zone, 
             which would make it a hub for international shipping. If 
             we are successful, the seafood caught off our shores in 
             the morning could be someone's dinner in Japan the next 
             day.
               According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, for every 
             $1 billion in exports, 20,000 jobs are created.
               U.S. exports of goods and services can reach $1 trillion 
             by the beginning of the next decade and can produce over 6 
             million new jobs. This could mean, by the year 2000, more 
             than 13 million Americans who will be earning their living 
             as a direct consequences of exports.
               But businesses, large and small, usually face three 
             challenges when they begin to look to other lands, gaining 
             access to the capital needed to open new product lines or 
             modify existing ones for overseas consumers, attaining 
             technical training vital to dealing with other 
             governments, and finding the information about 
             regulations, American and foreign, and trade practices in 
             other countries.
               Secretary Ron Brown, through the Department of Commerce 
             and the President's Export Council had undertaken, like 
             never before, to remove those barriers to exporting, to 
             overcome the challenges.
               Mr. Speaker, the greatest tribute we can give to Ron 
             Brown and those 32 other Americans who perished in Bosnia, 
             is to keep their work going and make their dreams come 
             true. That is a tribute in which Democrats and 
             Republicans, small, medium, and large businesses, and 
             Americans of all stripes can join.
               Growth in real incomes and living standards depends 
             heavily on trade.
               Secretary of Commerce designate Mickey Kantor recently 
             noted that expanding trade is critical to creating good, 
             high-wage jobs.
               The 11 million Americans who owe their jobs to exports 
             are earning 13 to 17 percent more than those in nontrade 
             jobs. Ron Brown had the right idea.
               I invite my colleagues to join me in keeping that idea 
             burning and in creating a living legacy for a man who 
             lived his life in sacrifice so that millions of his fellow 
             citizens could live their lives in pride.

               Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
             North Carolina for her leadership in organizing this 
             special order and much deserved tribute.
               Ron Brown was my constituent and my friend, so that last 
             week I had one of the saddest weeks of my tenure as the 
             Congresswoman from the District of Columbia. I was, of 
             course, at Dover where the bodies of 33 Americans came 
             home, and then on another evening at the Metropolitan 
             Baptist Church to speak in tribute to Ron Brown, and 
             finally at the funeral at the National Cathedral, where 
             there was an outpouring of people from all over the world.
               May I first read the names of all seven of my 
             constituents who perished on that flight. Ronald H. Brown, 
             Secretary of Commerce; Adam M. Darling, confidential 
             assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce; Gail E. 
             Dobert, acting director of the Office of Business Liaison; 
             Carol L. Hamilton, whose parents I know very well, press 
             secretary to Secretary Brown; Catherine E. Hoffman, 
             special assistant to Secretary Brown; William Morton, 
             Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Trade; and 
             Lawrence M. Payne, special assistant, Office of Domestic 
             Operations. For all of my seven constituents there is 
             still great grief and feeling in the District of Columbia.
               Ron Brown had been a friend for 30 years. When he and I 
             were both young and his wife Alma and I were in a club in 
             New York called Liaison, and Michael and Tracy were born 
             to them, and Johnny and Catherine were born to my husband 
             and me, Michael now has a wife, Tammy, and one of the 
             saddest things to see is Ron with these two babies, these 
             twin sons who were his grandsons. Ron was a wonderful 
             family man. His son, as was said at the funeral, was his 
             best friend.
               Ron was a man of extraordinary determination, energy, 
             and ability. Seldom has one American put together so many 
             of the traits necessary for success in public life. As 
             both policy spokesman and politician, Ron Brown excelled, 
             bringing his party back to life again and helping 
             Democrats win; without whom the President said we would 
             not have won the Presidency in 1992.
               Yet he was a fund raiser extraordinaire on the one hand, 
             a coalition builder on the other. Any one of those would 
             have been much.
               I thank the New Yorker magazine for its comment on Ron 
             in an article called ``The Fixer as Statesman.'' Somehow, 
             this article tries to put together the two parts of this 
             man that so often are seen as not going together.
               The statesman, of course, is the commercial diplomat 
             that Ron Brown became, and the fixer is the man who fixed 
             the Commerce Department and the man who fixed the 
             Democratic Party.
               The comment by Sean Willents calls Ron silky, shrewd, 
             and supremely self-confident. I do think, Madam Leader, 
             that they capture this man we knew so well. They say he 
             was not a plaster saint. Would he abhor being remembered 
             in that way?
               And they call him wordly and capable. They remember that 
             Ron began in the civil rights movement. So many who have 
             achieved in this country today never would have gotten the 
             chance to showcase their talents were it not for the civil 
             rights movement. Having seen what he could do, because of 
             the opportunity the movement afforded him as the vice 
             president of the Urban League, ultimately Ron then went on 
             to become a top staffer in the committee on the Judiciary 
             of the Senate and leader of his party, where he was 
             essentially its titular head for between 1988 and 1992, 
             articulating policies, bringing people together, preparing 
             the way.
               He took the job at the Commerce Department, which was 
             regarded as nothing so much as a bureaucracy, and 
             reinvented it into the kind of department European and 
             Asian countries have long had, a Department that is 
             aggressive in going out and selling the country and the 
             country's business.
               Finally, let me say of Ron Brown what is so important to 
             many. Ron simply saw and understood himself to have no 
             limits. I am not sure all of us understand what an 
             achievement that is in this country where so many still 
             feel bound by race, even if in fact if they would fly they 
             are not bound by race. Ron said let me try to fly, and 
             then he soared. The great tragedy is that had Ron not been 
             killed, there is no limit to where he might have flown.
               He simply refused to have an assigned place as a black 
             man. He looked around him, saw other places, and went 
             wherever his talent and energy could go, and they took him 
             very far. I said at the Metropolitan Baptist Church that 
             to many, race is what they believe holds them back. To 
             Ron, race was a contest that you ran and won. With that 
             spirit, so many youngsters caught in ghetto environments 
             today might find the role model for the 1990's.
               For my city, the city where Ron was born, the city where 
             he lived when he died, I have asked my constituents not to 
             mourn for Ron. Remember Ron was the happy warrior. I have 
             said to my constituents living in this troubled city, this 
             seriously troubled city because of its financial crisis, 
             to remember Ron as the man who looked to impossible 
             missions and made them possible. It is possible for Ron's 
             birthplace, for the place where Ron lived, to bloom again, 
             as Ron always looked to see what was possible and then 
             went forward. I have said to those I represent: Don't 
             mourn for Ron, try to be like Ron. Ron came, Ron saw, Ron 
             conquered. So can we.
               I appreciate the time that has been offered me.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. I thank the gentlewoman for her very 
             poignant and personal remarks about Ron.
               We have been joined also by one who serves on the PEC, 
             this is the President's Export Council, and what we want 
             to do, indeed, is to remember him in a personal way but 
             also remember him as forging new opportunities for trade, 
             and those of us who had the unique pleasure of serving on 
             that feel that certainly there is a particular loss.
               I am going to ask if the gentlewoman from Connecticut, 
             Mrs. Nancy Johnson, who is here, if she would make 
             comments. And I understand that on her side--I want to say 
             that this is a bipartisan approach that we were doing, and 
             I am pleased that the gentlewoman from Connecticut wanted 
             to join in this effort, which I think is an appropriate 
             effort.
               Our tribute is that Ron served American industries which 
             gave American jobs, and we as Americans first rather than 
             you as a Republican and I as a Democrat, we are Americans 
             trying to foster the interests of that. So I am pleased 
             that she has come to join us.

               Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Thank you. I thank my 
             colleague for yielding to me. The President and the 
             members of the Cabinet are the President and the members 
             of the Cabinet for all Americans, and I am privileged to 
             be here tonight to help you celebrate the life of Ron 
             Brown and honor him as our former Secretary of Commerce 
             and recognize the leadership he provided and the quality 
             of the job he did.
               When I was first elected in 1982, I came here from a 
             district that had been devastated by what we called in 
             those days unfair foreign competition. Some of it was just 
             a very strong dollar combined with an American industry 
             that was not efficient and was not strong. I watched Mac 
             Baldrige try to develop the Commerce Department into a 
             fighting partner with American business in a developing 
             international market. I saw him struggling through, trying 
             to help us see the importance of developing a department 
             of trade.
               I saw Mac Baldridge and some of his successors build the 
             capability of the Department of Commerce to help American 
             business get into the export market, sell abroad, be 
             present in other markets in the same way foreign producers 
             were present in our market, provide the same challenge in 
             the world market that foreign producers were providing in 
             our market. And that opening of vision that started with 
             Mac Baldridge culminated in some really remarkable 
             successes under the leadership of Secretary Brown. He 
             understood and developed that in a way none of his 
             predecessors had. Each of them made unique and remarkable 
             and very valuable contributions to beginning to look 
             forward to how the American economy could be strong in the 
             decades ahead and serve our children in the same way it 
             served us and our grandparents and our great grandparents.
               But Ron Brown understood, in a sense, in a more 
             practical vigorous way than any of the rest of us the need 
             for the American Government to back, to partner, to 
             encourage, to lead, to pressure, to force, to incite, to 
             get American business to understand their own power in the 
             international market, the quality of their product, the 
             possibilities for them, and he got right out there with 
             them. He got right out there with them in China at a time 
             when, frankly, the State Department was having a little 
             trouble with China. But he understood if you learn to 
             produce and you learn to trade, if you force ideas, if you 
             award intellectual property, if you reward personal 
             energy, we as a Nation will be OK. We will be economically 
             strong and we will be peaceful.
               I remember him talking about that connection between 
             prosperity, peace and trade, and in his own way he was as 
             dynamic and as vigorous and as committed an individual as 
             the world has ever produced in support of business, trade, 
             and the economic strength and prosperity that flows from a 
             dynamic business community in an international market.
               He got out there with big companies and small. He got 
             out there in countries like China. He got out there all 
             over the world. And it is tragic but, in a sense, not 
             surprising that he lost his life taking business into what 
             was a devastated, war-torn area, because that was his idea 
             of giving hope to a people torn, devastated; their goods, 
             their economy, their hearts, their minds destroyed by 
             years and years of war.
               He understood that the only real bond; that healing 
             would only truly take place when there were jobs, when 
             there was an economy, when there was competitiveness, when 
             there was strength, and that America could not only offer 
             goods but we could offer hope through example. We could 
             offer leadership through guidance.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Would the gentlewoman yield?

               Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. I would be happy to yield.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. I wanted to respond to her very, I think, 
             appropriate analogy of his going to both big and large 
             companies. He also, conversely, understood that small and 
             big companies here in America could also experience the 
             value of exports and what that meant to the smaller 
             communities as well as what it meant to the big companies.
               As you know, on the export council there are big 
             businesses there, but there are also smaller businesses. 
             Maidenform, for example, is small. It is not a big 
             company, it started small. So it means in my district, its 
             small subsidiary also expands as their products are sold 
             abroad, giving jobs to Americans in their communities.
               I think Ron Brown knew what the rest of us have come to 
             understand: that for every $1 million of export we already 
             create here $9 million of industry. And some of us do not 
             understand that. I for one, initially, did not have that 
             same appreciation until I was on the Small Business Export 
             Subcommittee and had an opportunity to work with you and 
             others, as well as under the leadership of Ron Brown, who 
             opened, as you say, the hope, the opportunity. And it was 
             about vision and excitement, but also it was about the 
             possibility if people worked together.
               And that is why, I think, if we are going to have this 
             expansion and tribute to Ron Brown, it should be about us 
             keeping that going. The greatest legacy to any of us as we 
             leave is for someone to pick up our work and build on it 
             and see the value of it and continue. I just wanted to 
             thank the gentlewoman for her pushing that thought in my 
             mind.

               Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. One of the things that I 
             think is wise to remember from the death of a man like Ron 
             Brown is that he was extraordinarily capable in many ways, 
             and one of them was that he was an extraordinary mentor.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Yes.

               Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. I had the privilege to 
             travel recently over the recess, and I ran into some of 
             the young people that had worked with Ron. And it was 
             really interesting to me because you do not see this all 
             the time. Cabinet members are not necessarily either warm 
             and fuzzy or mentors. They are important and they do a 
             great job for America. They serve an important need. But 
             Ron has inspired many young minds, and they are there and 
             they will serve us. And they are both parties. Some of 
             them are lifelong, quote, ``bureaucrats.'' And so he has 
             passed on and was able to pass on a belief and a faith in 
             America, in us as a free people, and in us as a governing 
             democracy, and felt strongly the need for us to be a part 
             of the international community both as an economic force 
             and as a force for democracy.
               I thought it was so interesting to listen to the 
             gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton] 
             talk about how he never saw himself as a black man. He saw 
             himself as an American, as a man, as a power, as an 
             individual, and as a proud black citizen. But he never 
             felt anything stood in his way. If he wanted to do it, he 
             had the intellect and resources to do it. And it is that 
             legacy that inspired those he traveled with, that made a 
             difference in the countries he went to. And it is that 
             attitude that he leaves to those whose lives he touched.
               I thank my colleague for organizing this recognition of 
             former Secretary Ron Brown tonight. It is well deserved, 
             and I appreciate having had the opportunity to join you.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Thank you for your comments. I appreciate 
             that.

               Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished 
             gentlewoman for yielding to me. I want to commend her for 
             having this special order to celebrate the life and the 
             contributions of a great and patriotic American, our now 
             deceased Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, who in a tragic 
             event about 2 weeks ago lost his life with more than 30 
             others in a tragic air crash in Bosnia.
               In the days that followed it became very clear to our 
             citizens how much Ron Brown had accomplished in a very 
             short time at the helm of the Commerce Department. To 
             those of us who serve in the Federal Government, Ron Brown 
             is a well-known figure, a symbol of what is best in our 
             Nation. When you work hard and strive for excellence, you 
             attain it.
               I had the privilege of serving with him in matters of 
             concern when he was at the Commerce Department and when 
             his agency was answerable to the Committee on Commerce of 
             which I was at that time chairman and then more recently 
             ranking member.
               He had a distinguished career that included military 
             service, served at the Urban League, served at the 
             Democratic National Committee. He was successful in the 
             practice of law and advising heads of state. And he proved 
             time and time again that skill, adroitness, energy, 
             dedication can be an enormous asset in getting the job 
             done.
               I will be inserting into the Record a number of quotes 
             of distinguished Americans and American businesses about 
             his contribution to our Government. I also want to make 
             the observation that he was one who understood what the 
             Department of Commerce should do. It was his function, as 
             he saw it, not only to provide extraordinary leadership to 
             that agency but also to see to it that it functioned to 
             the fullest and that it dealt with the promotion of trade, 
             jobs, market openings and expansion of opportunity for 
             Americans through the business of exports, because that is 
             where economic success for this country lies.
               He was a great human being, a dear friend, and his wife 
             Alma and he were dear friends of my wife Deborah and I. We 
             shall miss him. We shall pray for the repose of his soul, 
             and we shall understand that he brought excellence to the 
             Department in the great tradition of others who had 
             preceded him, first the distinguished Secretary Malcolm 
             Baldrige, who was a great friend of mine and also a 
             distinguished public servant, as also was Secretary 
             Mosbacher, who was a leader of great quality in that 
             agency.
               We shall miss Ron. We can dedicate ourselves to carrying 
             forward the practices and principles in which he believed, 
             that market opening and trade, that opportunity for 
             Americans lies in the success of that Department.
               I want to thank the distinguished gentlewoman for 
             yielding to me and for holding this special order.
               Over the past year, many working Americans wrote to me 
             about Ron Brown's work at the Commerce Department to 
             promote exports, combat unfair trade practices by our 
             international trade competitors, speed the dissemination 
             of advanced technologies, and conduct research vital to 
             understanding our climate, our weather, and the 
             environment.
               Bissell, Inc. in Grand Rapids, MI wrote that his company 
             frequently used the Commerce Department's export programs, 
             and that, ``they have proven to increase export sales and 
             thus help the economy of our country.''
               Viatec, Inc. in Hastings, MI said that, ``This 
             invaluable program is an investment that produces returns 
             to the American taxpayers with more high-paying jobs, 
             taxpaying citizens, and USA-purchased materials.''
               A research group in Ann Arbor said the Advanced 
             Technology Program is, ``important in transferring the 
             results of fundamental research into practical products.'' 
             Monroe Auto Equipment in Monroe, MI, said that Ron Brown's 
             ``aggressive trade promotion policies of our government 
             add value to my company's efforts to compete in worldwide 
             markets.'' Perhaps Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer said it 
             best: ``The Department of Commerce has been a job-creation 
             machine for the State of Michigan and our cities.''
               The last time that Secretary Brown appeared before the 
             Commerce Committee, he said the following about his 
             Department: ``I am anxious to work very closely with 
             Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to make 
             sure we do what is best for the country, to make sure we 
             do what is best to assure long term economic growth and 
             creation of high wage, high quality jobs for our people. I 
             think that no department in government does that more 
             effectively than the Department of Commerce.'' Mr. 
             Speaker, today Ron Brown is gone. But his life was one 
             which touched many people, both here and abroad, and his 
             work has left a legacy of accomplishment about the 
             strength of a government that serves its people well. We 
             will miss Ron Brown greatly. But his was a life that 
             mattered, and his legacy lives on.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
             Michigan [Mr. Dingell] also for getting comments from the 
             business community, because I think that is extremely 
             important, because sometimes we think only of politicians 
             or public servants, but Ron Brown also was essential for 
             the ongoing expansion of business opportunity. For 
             business persons to make that tribute I think is 
             appropriate.

               Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, as mentioned already with 
             some examples here, Ron Brown was an extraordinarily 
             multitalented man who brought great intensity and scope to 
             his interests and his activities. You heard about his 
             mentoring activities here and how much he stimulated so 
             many Americans, especially young Americans, to take an 
             active role in Government. But I did want to focus my 
             remarks on the tremendous achievements that Secretary 
             Brown brought during his tenure at the Commerce Department 
             to the expansion of our trade and investment opportunities 
             abroad.
               On August 4 of last year, when we held hearings in the 
             committee on International Relations about the future of 
             the Department of Commerce, I said during the course of 
             that debate that I was proud to enthusiastically and 
             sincerely commend our late Secretary for his hard work and 
             promotion of American commercial interests. Secretary 
             Brown correctly realized that if the United States economy 
             is to remain strong and vibrant in the 21st century, the 
             U.S. Government must maintain and fund a comprehensive 
             national export strategy. And he served as a very 
             competent innovative chairman of the trade promotion 
             coordinating committee. In that capacity he recognized, of 
             course, and made it clear to many Americans that the 
             United States economy is already very dependent on 
             exports. He clearly understood that during this decade 
             exports have to account for a much larger part of our 
             economic growth.
               Secretary Brown fought tirelessly for American 
             commercial interests, both within the cabinet and abroad. 
             Since taking office, Secretary Brown hit the ground 
             running and immediately received the wrath of the 
             Europeans for an important United States commercial 
             airplane deal with Saudi Arabia, 15 high-level trade and 
             investment missions. And billions of dollars of U.S. 
             export and investment later, we bid the honorable Ron 
             Brown, the former Secretary of Commerce, a fond farewell 
             and thank him for his unmatched advocacy and dedication to 
             American commercial interests. I think he set an important 
             precedent for the Commerce Department and for our Cabinet 
             members generally in his focus on international trade and 
             expanding our export base.
               As I said, he was a man of multitalented background, a 
             wonderful man, sincere in his working with Members of 
             Congress on both sides of the aisle. I look back with 
             great fondness at the relationship we had in working for 
             expanding the export base.
               I thank the gentlewoman for taking this special order 
             and for allowing me to say a few words about one aspect of 
             Secretary Brown's life.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. I do appreciate that. I think the 
             gentleman has experienced a working relationship and 
             particularly in that area about which he spoke. I want to 
             note again for the Record that is an effort, the 
             President's Export Council, to have a bipartisan effort. 
             Both Republicans and Democrats should be honoring a great 
             man and that is as it appropriately should be.

               Mr. CLYBURN. Mr. Speaker, I first met Ron Brown in the 
             late 1960's, when all of us were all about trying to find 
             a way to get ourselves and those people that we 
             represented into the mainstream of American activity. I 
             grew to admire and respect him, and there was something 
             about Ron that compelled him to bring along with him all 
             of the young talent that he could muster in order to 
             demonstrate to our great Nation the talent that was there 
             for those who, given the opportunity, could make 
             significant contribution. That to me is the real legacy of 
             Ron Brown.
               One of these young talents was the granddaughter of my 
             doctor when I lived in Charleston, Jerry Irving Hoffman, 
             in the late 1960's and early 1970's. And I want to join 
             today with everybody in paying homage to that great spirit 
             that Ron Brown gave to all with whom he came in contact.
               Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday before last, as I sat in the 
             home of Mr. Brown sharing with his wife Alma, his son 
             Michael and his daughter Tracey, other family members and 
             friends, hoping against hope that something, some good 
             news would come of this event, as we sat there, watching 
             the television, something occurred that stays with me to 
             this day. And it is what I would like to share with all 
             Americans today. There came to the camera a gentleman, I 
             think he was from northern Virginia, who did not make the 
             trip, a CEO who spoke to the world on the fact that for 
             some reason, though he was scheduled to be on the trip, he 
             did not make the trip. And he asked a very cogent 
             question, and I think all of us ought to ask ourselves 
             today, he said that he must now find out why the good Lord 
             saw fit to keep him here. It is his job now to find out 
             exactly what it is that the good Lord would have him do.
               I think that is something that all of us who call 
             ourselves public servants ought to be thinking about 
             today. We are left here; we can speak of Ron Brown's 
             legacy. We can pay homage to all that his life meant. But 
             I think throughout it all we ought to ask ourselves the 
             question now, what it is that the good master would have 
             us do.
               I would hope that as we go about trying to fulfill the 
             dreams and aspirations of Ron Brown and others like him 
             that we will keep in mind the hope and the aspirations 
             that he gave to so many and the hope and aspirations that 
             so many are still left looking to us to help fulfill for 
             their futures.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I remember seeing that same 
             executive. He said he was not sure what God had in store 
             for him. So part of our hope is what God has in store for 
             him to help push what Ron Brown started. We are also 
             pleased to have Congressman Shays from the Great State of 
             Connecticut join us, and he wants to be a part of this 
             tribute and we are delighted to have him.

               Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I definitely want to be a part 
             of this tribute and join with my colleagues from both 
             sides of the aisle who are here to express their love and 
             admiration for a truly great American, a truly fine, 
             outstanding Secretary of the Cabinet, the Secretary of 
             Commerce.
               I would first want to express my love and admiration for 
             his wife Alma and for his very distinguished son Michael 
             and distinguished daughter Tracey. I was not able to be at 
             the funeral for Mr. Brown because I had two constituents 
             who also died on that plane. And if I could I would like 
             to just express my love and admiration for Claudio Elia, 
             who died on that plane, and for his two magnificent 
             children, Kristin and Marc, who just were real soldiers 
             during their dealing with their grief, and for his 
             magnificent wife Susan, and also for Robert Donovan, who 
             also died, and for his truly outstanding two children, 
             Kara and Kevin, who just seem to deal with this agony and 
             grief in a way that I could not help admire, and for his 
             precious wife Peg, two people from the 4th Congressional 
             District who died on that plane because they wanted to be 
             with Ron Brown on this very important and, in fact, 
             dangerous mission to bring trade and economic growth and 
             some sense of hope to people in Yugoslavia, to give them a 
             sense that maybe their day would be a little brighter.
               I have admiration for Ron Brown for leading this. I did 
             not have direct contact with him in my capacity on the 
             Committee on the Budget or the Committee on Government 
             Reform and Oversight, but he came to my office twice to 
             talk about the importance of the Department or Commerce, 
             and I was just struck by his incredible energy, highly 
             intelligent man, and just an admiration for realizing that 
             I was sitting in the same room with an individual who at 
             the depth, I think, of a party challenge, taking on being 
             the chairman of a great party, the Democrat Party, taking 
             on the role of trying to select a Democrat President, a 
             President, electing a very distinguished Governor and 
             thinking that the immense task that must have been as he 
             was talking with me and the incredible talent it must have 
             taken to bring all the different people he had to bring 
             together to accomplish that task.
               I am here to salute him as a very capable Secretary of 
             the Department of Commerce, a very capable individual, 
             someone who I respect as being a joyous warrior, someone 
             who I felt instantly I could tell him very candidly what I 
             thought and that he would respect me as another individual 
             in the same environment he was, a political environment.
               I think the real tragedy is that not just one segment of 
             our society, not just the Democrat Party, not just the 
             black community, but all of America has the right to truly 
             grieve that we have lost a young man who in the last 5 to 
             10 years was a dynamic force in this country, who maybe 
             one day would have been in fact President of this United 
             States, who would have been clearly a force in the next 
             decade or two.
               So I thank you for giving me this opportunity to express 
             my admiration for him and for being part of this very 
             important tribute. Again, I would close by expressing my 
             love and affection for the family and say that, while I 
             was not in Washington to listen to the tribute the night 
             before, since I was at a funeral service when his service 
             was taking place, but for hours I watched the tribute and 
             wished that I could have been there in person to actually 
             enjoy it even the more. I thank you for this time.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. Indeed it was a celebration of his life 
             that we watched, rather than a tragedy.

               Mr. SHAYS. It was a celebration of life, period, and of 
             this great country.

               Mr. de la GARZA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman 
             for giving me this time and to join my other colleagues in 
             expressing our sense of loss individually, collectively as 
             a Nation, and even the world, due to the loss of our 
             friend, Ron Brown.
               Let me say first that I am mourning his loss because he 
             was my friend. But we as a Nation lost a great American. I 
             cannot add to the adjectives that have been mentioned or 
             will be mentioned about Ron Brown, but I only would like 
             to mention a couple or three of my personal remembrance of 
             him.
               One was that he was a man that no task was too small, no 
             challenge was too large. He did what he had to do. He did 
             it in a gracious, eloquent manner also, always without 
             fault, and I would like to remember also that the most 
             minute things and the way that he handled items as a 
             person, all we know as Secretary of Commerce, what he did 
             and how he did it, and throughout the world and here, but 
             before the last Democratic Convention, I called over to 
             the Democratic Committee, and this is when he was chairman 
             of that committee, that I wanted to be sure that some 
             mention was made of agriculture in the speeches and at the 
             convention, and I left it at that.
               The next afternoon I had a call from Ron Brown, which I 
             never expected. I was just speaking with the people that 
             were organizing the program, and he says, ``Mr. Chairman, 
             would you think that I would leave agriculture out of this 
             convention?'' I say, ``No, I wouldn't have thought so, 
             Ron, but I just wanted to be sure to remind whoever it was 
             organizing the program.'' He says, ``Well, agriculture 
             will be addressed, and you will be a speaker.'' And so it 
             was. And so it was.
               How it got from the person I spoke to and much lower 
             levels to Ron Brown I do not know, but the only 
             explanation is that he was looking at everything that was 
             going on. And so I had the great honor of speaking at the 
             national convention because of the request of Ron Brown.
               Again, also when we were working so hard on NAFTA, most 
             of you, not all of you, remember how he worked on the 
             Hill, how he worked throughout the United States. But I 
             wanted to have a joint meeting with our friends from 
             Mexico, and I appealed to him, if he could be of 
             assistance. His answer to me was, ``When do you want me?'' 
             So we set a date. We invited his counterpart from Mexico, 
             and they met in McAllen and Hidalgo, TX, and we had a 
             great meeting, and there I saw him working, the people 
             from Mexico and the people from south Texas.
               But one of the most interesting things, and it has been 
             mentioned before, he had a way with young people, 
             children. At the meeting that we had, open meeting with 
             several hundred people, it was a young person that walked 
             up to him and visited with him, and he visited back as if 
             that young man or that young woman was the most important 
             person at that event that day. And there we had Secretary 
             of Commerce from Mexico, the Secretary of Commerce from 
             the United States, assistants, needless to say, the local 
             Congressman, but to him at that point was, and I recall 
             this very vividly, that young lady that was asking him 
             questions about the Department of Commerce and, I think in 
             the end, how she could get a job at the Department of 
             Commerce.
               He never flinched or missed a beat, and he says come see 
             me, I will be happy to talk to you.
               That is the kind of individual we personally will miss.
               Certainly the country has lost a tremendous American, 
             the world has lost a tremendous individual, and I think it 
             has been mentioned before, but the legacy of Ron Brown 
             should be what we continue doing that he did not have time 
             to do. And I hope that would be our dedication.
               I extend on behalf of my district and myself my 
             condolences to the family, to all his family, and we share 
             because it was our loss and we will mourn him. But more 
             so, we should dedicate ourselves to that which he tried to 
             do. To him there was no black, no brown, no white, no red. 
             Everyone was a creature of God from his beginning to the 
             very end, and that he died on a mission trying to enhance 
             U.S. commerce, but yet trying to help downtrodden people 
             was probably the major culmination, the major thing, of 
             what Ron Brown was.
               There was no small, there was no large, there was no one 
             but the individual before him, and I saw him do that, and 
             we will forever remember him in that manner. I thank the 
             gentlewoman.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. I thank the gentleman for those very 
             appropriate and sincere remarks, and I want to insert that 
             he was indeed a friend of agriculture because North 
             Carolina understands that very well, in making 
             opportunities in Russia for turkeys and poultry and other 
             places that we could have in that area.

               Mr. JACOBS. Mr. Speaker, he was no longer a warrior, but 
             he died in a war torn country.
               He died not that others might live, but that others, 
             many others, including Bosnians and Americans as well, 
             might live better.
               He was and, in the inspirational sense, remains an 
             authentic American hero. ``We shall miss his bright eyes 
             and sweet smile.'' May God forgive those who were so ready 
             to bear false witness against him.

               Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 
             special tribute to Secretary Ron Brown and to express my 
             sincere condolences to his wife, Alma, and to their 
             family. My heart goes out to them because I understand 
             full well what they have gone through, having gone through 
             something like this myself.
               Ron was a great man, and we have heard about his 
             strength, his vision, and his compassion for people. 
             Tributes have come from the broadest possible range of 
             people, including the President of the United States and 
             foreign dignitaries, to the lowest ranking workers of the 
             Commerce Department. I believe that these statements best 
             serve as testimonials. They are the very best testimonials 
             to a man many of us had the honor to know and to admire. 
             But let me add just a few observations.
               Secretary Ron Brown might best be remembered as a man 
             who saw opportunity where others saw none. He will be 
             missed as a crucial bridge between the privileged and the 
             underserved in our society. For Ron Brown believed, above 
             all else, that the greatest asset America has is the 
             diversity of its population. Secretary Brown understood 
             that America's prosperity depends on our ability to become 
             more competitive in emerging economic markets around the 
             world.
               American exports equal American jobs, and he knew this, 
             and that is why he was on the mission that he was on. He 
             knew that developing countries needed real economic 
             investments and not handouts, economic investment with 
             which to demonstrate that a market economy works; economic 
             development, in turn, can lead to real democracy.
               And that is what he was all about. He was about building 
             America, about creating jobs, about making sure that 
             democracy is all over this world because we all know that 
             it is a system that has worked and works well, better than 
             any other in the world.
               It seems to me that those of us who knew him well and 
             have known him for so many years understood that. We 
             understood that when he smiled, it was a smile of 
             friendship, when he extended his hand, it was a hand of 
             welcome from those across the shores to those of the 
             shores of the United States of America.
               When we saw him in office all throughout his many 
             achievements throughout his short lifespan, we knew that 
             here was a man of great thought, of great compassion, of 
             great wisdom.
               I stand here because I know that Ron Brown was my 
             friend, and I know in my heart that this country will miss 
             him, a man of his dedication and a man of his strength.
               While many in the United States are willing to use this 
             approach in Eastern Europe and Asia, there is a 
             conspicuous absence of American investment in Africa. 
             Secretary Brown was especially concerned about the 
             willingness of many in the United States to concede the 
             markets of Africa to its former colonizers in Europe. 
             Unbelievably only 7 percent of exports to Africa come from 
             the United States while 40 percent come from Europe. This 
             makes no sense when the return on investment in Africa is 
             25 percent, outstripping any other region in the world. 
             Ron Brown was helping American companies change this 
             equation.
               Secretary Brown was also a tenacious fighter and 
             advocate. As the ranking minority member of the Committee 
             on Government Reform and Oversight, I worked with 
             Secretary Brown in opposing efforts to dismantle the 
             Commerce Department. When many political pundits on 
             Capitol Hill were predicting the imminent demise of the 
             Commerce Department because it had become a favorite 
             target of the new majority, Ron Brown never wavered in his 
             eloquent defense of the Department and its employees.
               Secretary Brown used his considerable skills to clearly 
             and forcefully articulate the folly of eliminating the 
             Commerce Department at a time of economic globalization. 
             When the central governments of countries like France and 
             Japan are promoting their businesses, the U.S. Government 
             cannot afford to abandon its efforts to identify and win 
             export opportunities abroad.
               Under Ron Brown's leadership, our Government developed a 
             national export strategy to help small, minority, women-
             owned, and large companies, win export sales abroad. His 
             efforts paid off in more than $80 billion of foreign sales 
             for American firms that supported thousands of high-paying 
             jobs for American workers.
               While Secretary Brown was always open to exploring new 
             export opportunities abroad, he was also never afraid to 
             stand up for the rights of U.S. business in foreign 
             markets. When foreign steel producers dumped steel in the 
             U.S. at below fair market prices, it was the Commerce 
             Department under Secretary Brown that took the action 
             which led to the imposition of duties on foreign steel.
               Secretary Brown was also one of the strongest defenders 
             of the United States movie, computer software, and 
             recording industries rights against intellectual property 
             rights violation in China. Secretary Brown firmly believed 
             America's economic strength greatly depends on our ability 
             to safely and freely market intellectual property in 
             foreign markets.
               Secretary Brown's efforts were not focused on foreign 
             markets alone. He played an instrumental role in directing 
             funds so that small town throughout our country could gain 
             access to the information superhighway. He insisted that 
             the new telecommunications law, ensure universal service 
             and open access for all communities in our country, 
             including inner city areas. For Ron Brown, the information 
             superhighway represented future social and economic 
             growth. He was determined that all Americans would benefit 
             from these historic changes.
               Finally, for African-Americans Ron Brown served as an 
             important role model. His life demonstrated to many young 
             African-Americans that they can thrive in non-traditional 
             roles. As the first African-American chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee he was the one person most 
             responsible for the election of President Clinton. As the 
             first African-American Secretary of Commerce in our 
             Nation's history, Ron Brown was by any objective standard 
             the most effective Secretary of Commerce I have ever 
             witnessed in my 23 years in the Congress. Ron Brown was a 
             shining example that African-Americans can lead this 
             Nation and the world into the 21st century.
               His life was also a caution to African-Americans that 
             your efforts to move beyond traditional roles may be met 
             with resistance. The rules for you will be different than 
             the rules for anyone else. Therefore, if you are to 
             succeed, you must be willing to out perform others. You 
             will need to work harder, and smarter in order to be 
             successful. But if you stay focused and keep your eyes on 
             the prize, and are given the opportunity, Ron Brown's 
             legacy demonstrates that there is nothing that African-
             Americans cannot accomplish.

               Mrs. MORELLA. Thank you. I do want to thank 
             Congresswoman Clayton for doing this. I think it is very 
             important that we pay tribute to a man who has died too 
             young, who served his country so well, and I know others 
             will join by memorializing Secretary Ron Brown by virtue 
             of submitting statements.
               I just want to say that there is a vacuum in the world, 
             there is a vacuum in the country, there is a vacuum in the 
             hearts of country men and country women because of the 
             untimely loss of Ron Brown. He is a man who is dedicated 
             to his country, to his community, to his profession to a 
             ``T'', to his family especially, and certainly to his 
             friends.
               I became acquainted with Ron Brown because as somebody 
             who is involved with the technology subcommittees, as 
             chair of it, under our jurisdiction is the National 
             Institutes of Standards and Technology and the Technology 
             Administration, and obviously all of this is part of the 
             Department of Commerce. I have never found anybody who 
             would work so perseveringly, indefatigably, and with a 
             tremendous sense of humor and with a tremendous ability 
             for what he believed.
               As a matter of fact, today we were originally to have 
             had a groundbreaking of a chemistry building on the campus 
             in Gaithersburg of the National Institute of Standards and 
             Technology and a field hearing at the same time because of 
             the passing of Secretary Ron Brown and the high esteem in 
             which he is held by all of those people who are employed 
             not only in all of the facets of commerce and especially 
             the National Institute of Standards and Technology. This 
             has now been postponed for a later date. People were 
             grieving so, that they really felt that they could not go 
             on with another undertaking of that nature. Certainly 
             there will probably be a dedication in a time when it does 
             indeed take place.
               I found him to be a man who did have a sense of humor 
             and a sense of commitment, defended his Department very 
             well and could work on both sides of the aisle. There was 
             no real aisle when it came to performing what he truly 
             believed in, and I had the opportunity a week and a half 
             ago to go to India, and I spoke to Americans who were 
             engaged in enterprises in India as well as the Indian 
             nationals who were involved in industry and business.
               They mourned, they mourned greatly the passing of Ron 
             Brown. It occurred at that time, because they had a very 
             successful trade mission just last year which opened all 
             kinds of avenues and markets for America to participate in 
             the great world market.
               Mr. Speaker, I simply feel that, as Shakespeare said, 
             the force of his own merit led his way, and indeed it did. 
             He will be missed. He will, however, go on, live on in 
             love, and I hope he will be an inspiration to us. I offer 
             my condolences, obviously, to his beloved wife Alma, and 
             to his two children, Michael and Tracy.

               Mr. FRAZER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the 
             distinguished gentlelady from North Carolina for holding 
             this special order for the late Secretary of Commerce 
             Ronald H. Brown.
               Secretary Brown served our Nation with distinction, 
             service, and honor. He provided the vision, and the 
             leadership to promote American business abroad. He 
             understood that in order for American business to succeed 
             abroad they needed to have the full support of the U.S. 
             Government. He used his office to open doors and provide 
             opportunities for large and small businesses. This support 
             is characteristic of how Secretary Brown served this 
             Nation and American business with distinction.
               Secretary Brown was accessible and available to the 
             people of the Virgin Islands. He sent his Assistant 
             Secretary for Economic Development to assess the rural 
             economic development needs of the Virgin Islands and to 
             map out a strategy. It was Secretary Brown who understood 
             how vital the U.S. tourism business was to the Virgin 
             Islands and was working with us to help promote tourism 
             through the international trade administration.
               Secretary Brown elevated the Commerce Department to a 
             new standard of honor--where business and government can 
             work together for the good of the Nation. Today, the 
             Commerce Department is at the international vanguard for 
             American business. This stature is due to Secretary Ronald 
             H. Brown's vision, leadership, and astute business 
             intellect.

               Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
             honor and tribute to our late Secretary of Commerce, 
             Ronald H. Brown. No words I can utter on this House floor 
             today can do justice to this great man, patriot, and 
             public servant. I want to personally express my great 
             sense of loss at the passing of this good and decent man 
             and extend my condolences to his family: to his wife Alma, 
             his son Michael, and his daughter Tracy. Their loss, Mr. 
             Speaker, is our loss, our party's loss, and our Nation's 
             loss.
               I first met Ron Brown more than 30 years ago while 
             vacationing on Martha's Vineyard. I was immediately struck 
             by his boundless energy, charisma, sophistication, and 
             style. Even back then, one only had to spend a little time 
             with Ron to know that he was a rising star. And so I was 
             never surprised as I followed Ron's career and watched 
             this man grow and develop, first as a young lawyer, then 
             as a leader in the National Urban League in New York and 
             later here in Washington, as the chief counsel for the 
             Senate Judiciary Committee and later as a partner in a 
             prestigious Washington law firm and as the chairman of the 
             Democratic Party.
               Ron Brown was born in Washington, DC, and raised in 
             Harlem, NY, and though he worked his way to the heights of 
             the business and political worlds in our Nation, he never 
             forgot where he came from. He never forgot how to speak 
             with people. He never forgot who it was that needed help 
             and hope and opportunity. Ron spent his life and gave his 
             life creating opportunity for those less fortunate, for 
             those who had not yet climbed up the economic ladder.
               Ron Brown was a bridge-builder. Through his actions and 
             his words he was working to build what Dr. Martin Luther 
             King, Jr. called the beloved community, a community at 
             peace with itself, where people are not judged by the 
             color of their skin but by the content of their character. 
             Ron believed in creating opportunity for all Americans and 
             he used his position as Secretary of Commerce to promote 
             American business abroad and economic development in 
             communities where it was desperately needed.
               Robert Kennedy was fond of quoting George Bernard Shaw: 
             ``Some men see things as they are and ask why,'' Shaw 
             wrote, ``I dream of things that never were and ask why 
             not.'' Ron Brown did dream of things that never were and 
             ask why not. He dedicated his life and gave his life to 
             promote the country that he loved and to better the lives 
             of the people of this country.
               Ron Brown will live in the annals of American history, 
             not just as the first African-American Secretary of 
             Commerce, but as perhaps the best, most effective, and 
             most accomplished Secretary of Commerce in the history of 
             our Nation.
               Mr. Speaker, I, like so many others will miss Ron Brown. 
             His energy could light up a room. His enthusiasm could 
             inspire people to reach their greatest God-given 
             potential. His vision and foresight returned the 
             Presidency to his party. His counsel and guidance and 
             wisdom will be sorely missed as we tackle the problems 
             that face our Nation. One of what President John F. 
             Kennedy called our best and our brightest has been taken 
             from our midst.
               Those of us who knew Ron Brown were more than lucky, we 
             were blessed.
               Again, I want to extend my condolences to the Brown 
             family and thank you, Mrs. Clayton, for arranging for this 
             special order.

               Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor 
             the memory of the late Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. 
             Brown. A true leader. A successful, fearless man who loved 
             the big things: his family, his friends, his country, his 
             work, his African-American heritage. And those are the 
             important things. He was passionate and devoted to each. 
             To his wife, Alma and his children, Michael and Tracey, 
             please know that no man could have lived a more blessed 
             and successful life. God be with you.

               Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late 
             Ron Brown. Secretary Brown's tragic death on April 3 
             robbed our Nation of a highly distinguished and talented 
             leader. Throughout his career, Ron Brown made the most of 
             every challenge that confronted him. As Secretary of 
             Commerce and in his other work, he dedicated himself to 
             creating opportunities for others.
               I first met Ron when he ran Senator Edward Kennedy's 
             1980 Presidential campaign. But I didn't begin to fully 
             appreciate Ron's talents until 1991, when, as chairman of 
             the Democratic National Committee, he asked me to join him 
             as treasurer of the DNC.
               In that capacity, I witnessed first hand Ron's vision 
             and leadership. He had an uncanny ability to bring 
             disparate factions together and a capacity of persuasion 
             that was literally unparalleled. I believe it was Ron's 
             early work on the Presidential campaign of 1992 that 
             enabled then-candidate Bill Clinton to emerge from the 
             Democratic Convention with the momentum and resources that 
             ultimately resulted in his victory.
               Another of the many distinguished legacies that Ron 
             Brown leaves is the dramatic results of his tireless 
             advocacy on behalf of American businesses in his 3 years 
             as Secretary of Commerce. Ron worked closely with 
             businesses large and small to identify new opportunities 
             and to promote American products. He recognized the 
             tremendous potential that foreign markets held and knew 
             that American firms must seize this opportunity if our 
             Nation was to thrive as it entered the 21st century.
               He worked effectively as a peer with the most powerful 
             business leaders in our Nation, yet Ron Brown never lost 
             his ability to identify with and related to average 
             Americans. He was greatly beloved in his boyhood home of 
             Harlem and left strongly positive impressions among the 
             people he came into contact with while traveling 
             throughout the country.
               Ron's leadership, keen intelligence, and passion will be 
             greatly missed by all those who knew him personally and 
             his loss will continue to be felt by many more whom he 
             impacted through his work. I am a better person for having 
             known Ron Brown, and I deeply mourn his passing.

               Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, we are all horrified by the 
             untimely death of the Honorable Ronald Harmon Brown, a man 
             of incredible ability who was loved and respected across 
             the globe. In searching for words to appropriately honor 
             him, I recalled the following tribute, which I had the 
             privilege of inserting into the Congressional Record on 
             August 4, 1995.
                  Tribute to Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown
               Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to return to our districts 
             where many of us will be meeting with community and 
             business leaders concerned about economic development 
             opportunities in our neighborhoods, I want to use this 
             occasion to salute the outstanding accomplishments of a 
             gentleman who has worked tirelessly to promote the cause 
             of business and economic opportunity throughout the United 
             States and abroad. The Honorable Ronald H. Brown, our 
             distinguished Commerce Secretary, is to be applauded and 
             commended for the outstanding job that he has done in 
             serving as the administration's enormously adept ``Pied 
             Piper'' of economic opportunity and empowerment.
               Ron Brown is the 30th United States Secretary of 
             Commerce. In nominating him to this auspicious post, 
             President Bill Clinton noted that ``American business will 
             know that the Department of Commerce has a strong and 
             independent leader and a forceful advocate.'' Those of us 
             who have been privileged to know Ron can attest to his 
             outstanding leadership acumen and his tenacity and 
             considerable powers of persuasion. He is a skillful 
             negotiator and an indefatigable advocate on behalf of 
             America's economic interests abroad as he seeks to expand 
             and open markets for American-made products around the 
             globe.
               Ron's career has been structured around public service 
             and helping to make America a better place for all of her 
             citizens. A native Washingtonian, he grew up in New York 
             where his parents managed Harlem's famous Hotel Theresa. 
             He attended Middlebury College in Vermont and received his 
             law degree from St. John's University. He is a member of 
             the New York Bar, the District of Columbia Bar, and is 
             admitted to practice before the United States Supreme 
             Court.
               A veteran of the United States Army, Ron saw tours of 
             duty in Germany and Korea.
               Secretary Brown has had an eclectic career. He spent 12 
             years with the National Urban League, serving as Deputy 
             Executive Director, and General Counsel and Vice President 
             for the organization's Washington operations. He also 
             served as Chief Counsel for the Senate Judiciary 
             Committee. He is a former partner in the Washington, DC, 
             law firm of Patton, Boggs, and Blow. And who among us does 
             not remember the brilliant job that he did as the chairman 
             of the Democratic National Committee and 1993 Inaugural 
             Committee.
               As Secretary of Commerce, Ron has traveled extensively, 
             promoting the administration's trade policies and forging 
             sound private/public sector partnerships. Following the 
             Los Angeles, Northridge earthquake in January 1994, Ron 
             was one of the first Cabinet officials on the scene, 
             working with local, State, and Federal officials to 
             identify and earmark funding sources for businesses 
             severely damaged and/or destroyed in the quake. He has 
             since returned to the quake damaged areas on several 
             occasions to survey the progress made by programs 
             implemented under this aegis.
               Ron maintains a schedule that would tire men half of his 
             age. Yet he is always prepared to go wherever he is 
             needed, and he always does it with aplomb and with a 
             spirit of unyielding optimism that inspires all around him 
             to achieve the same level of commitment.
               In addition to his weighty responsibilities as Commerce 
             Secretary, Ron served on several Presidential boards and 
             councils. He is a member of the President's National 
             Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, and the 
             Task Force on National Health Care Reform. He serves a Co-
             Chair of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and 
             Trade, the U.S.-Russia Business Development Committee, and 
             the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission.
               Secretary Brown is also a member of the Board of 
             Trustees for Middlebury College and is chair of the Senior 
             Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics at the 
             John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard 
             University.
               Mr. Speaker, I am proud and honored to have this 
             opportunity to commend my good friend, Secretary Ronald H. 
             Brown, on the fine job that he is doing as our Secretary 
             of Commerce. He has led an exemplary career, and I have no 
             doubt that he will continue to lead and inspire. Please 
             join me in applauding him on an outstanding career, and in 
             extending to him, his wife Alma, and their two children, 
             attorneys Michael and Tracy, continued success in the 
             future.

               Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise 
             today to note with appreciation the many achievements and 
             inspirational life of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. With 
             his constant good will and hard work, he was able to build 
             bridges where there once were valleys and hope where there 
             was once despair. Secretary Brown used the power of the 
             Commerce Department to find ways to give opportunity to 
             ordinary Americans, to generate jobs for the American 
             economy, and to build futures for American citizens.
               One could look at Ron's life as a series of firsts. That 
             would be a disservice, for in fact, his life was a series 
             of first place and solid accomplishments. Ron Brown always 
             believed that we would succeed. Whether as a student at 
             Middlebury, staff person to Senator Kennedy, or top 
             campaign aide to the Senator, Ron was a success. As 
             chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ron was a 
             success. A lawyer, a skillful negotiator, a pragmatic 
             bridge builder, and past highly successful chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee, Secretary Brown strongly 
             believed in the promise of America and aggressively 
             advanced policies and programs to accelerate the Nation's 
             economic growth and create new jobs and opportunities for 
             all American people.
               Under his leadership, the Commerce Department became the 
             powerhouse envisioned by President Clinton. Secretary 
             Brown promoted U.S. exports, U.S. technologies, 
             entrepreneurship, and the economic development of 
             distressed communities throughout the Nation.
               He led trade development missions to five continents, 
             touting the competitiveness of U.S. goods and services. 
             During his tenure, U.S. exports reached a record high, 
             America regained its title as the world's most productive 
             economy, and exports and technology were key contributors 
             to the millions of new jobs created during the first 3 
             years of President Clinton's administration.
               Mr. Speaker, my prayers go out to his wife Alma, son 
             Michael, and daughter Tracy. Their strength and courage 
             were displayed during Secretary Brown's funeral service 
             and they should be forever proud of their husband and 
             father.

               Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor 
             the memory of former Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. 
             Brown, an American pioneer, patriot, and hero. Secretary 
             Brown was also a dear friend. I am sure that my sense of 
             loss is shared by many who work, or have worked, on 
             Capitol Hill. In 1979, Secretary Brown became the first 
             African-American to serve as a chief counsel for a 
             standing Senate committee when he took over the Senate 
             Judiciary Committee. As was the case throughout his 
             career, his service on the Hill helped to chart a new 
             course of participation for African-Americans within the 
             corridors of political and public policy decisionmaking.
               Being the first, being the only, being a pioneer, was 
             the former Secretary's calling card. He was the first 
             African-American to join a social fraternity during his 
             undergraduate days at Middlebury College. An Army officer, 
             he was the only African-American officer in his unit 
             during his tour of duty in Germany. He was the first 
             African-American partner in the law firm of Patton, Boggs 
             & Blow. He was the first African-American to head a major 
             political party. Finally, he was the first African-
             American to head the Department of Commerce.
               Upon nominating Ron Brown to be the 30th U.S. Secretary 
             of Commerce, then-President-elect Clinton declared, 
             ``American business will know that the Department of 
             Commerce has a strong and independent leader and a 
             forceful advocate.'' The President could not have been 
             more prescient, nor could have made a more brilliant 
             appointment.
               Under the leadership of Secretary Brown, the Commerce 
             Department became one of the major success stories of the 
             Clinton Administration. He launched a national export 
             strategy predicated on the very basic idea that American 
             exports translate into jobs and opportunities for American 
             business and working people. In the pursuit of this 
             strategy, Secretary Brown conducted trade mission after 
             trade mission abroad. He traveled most often to what he 
             liked to call the big emerging markets of Asia, Latin 
             America, and Africa.
               The trip on which Secretary Brown and his 34 colleagues 
             lost their lives was typical of his missions. It was 
             visionary in the most practical sense of the word. It was 
             practical in the most visionary sense of the word. He had 
             the vision to see that beyond the horrors of war wracking 
             Bosnia and Croatia, lay opportunities for American 
             business to be of service, as well as to engage in 
             commerce. He was grounded enough in the realities of that 
             conflict to understand that the road to peace lay in the 
             rebuilding of those shattered communities.
               When Secretary Brown's plane crashed into that mountain 
             on the way to Dubrovnik, an American patriot became an 
             American hero. He is no less a hero because he died in an 
             accident. He is no less a hero because some persons 
             serving in this Congress have spent an inordinate amount 
             of time besieging him and undermining the Department he 
             led so brilliantly. He is a hero because he died in the 
             service of this Nation, pursuing its interests at the 
             cutting edge of diplomacy and peacemaking.
               I would be remiss if I did not comment on Secretary 
             Brown's meaning to me as an African-American public 
             servant. Secretary Brown could not be mistaken for 
             anything else than what he was, an African-American. He 
             did not deny that fact, nor did he allow that fact to 
             limit his personal or professional horizons. To be sure, 
             Secretary Brown did everything within his power to help 
             African-Americans. Beyond that, he did everything he could 
             to find points of convergence between the interests of 
             America, African-Americans, and Africa. But he never 
             allowed himself to be the black Secretary of Commerce, 
             nor, for that matter, the black head of the Democratic 
             National Committee, or the black anything else. Ron Brown 
             was the Secretary of Commerce, in the service of each and 
             every American, hyphenated and unhyphenated.
               It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand 
             words. I agree, a thousand and sometimes more. The picture 
             that I have in mind is that of President William Jefferson 
             Clinton presenting an American flag to Mrs. Alma Brown at 
             Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday, April 10, 1996. 
             That picture says it all. Secretary Brown's life was a 
             life of service in the public arena in the pursuit of 
             justice and opportunity. It was the life of an American 
             pioneer, patriot, and hero.

               Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I would like 
             to take this opportunity to pause with my fellow 
             colleagues to remember our friend Ron Brown. As many have 
             already said, Ron Brown was an exceptional person with a 
             deep love for his family, friends, and country. Today, I 
             would like to honor his memory by celebrating some of his 
             achievements as Secretary of Commerce.
               Our record in international trade will ultimately define 
             the future prosperity of our Nation. The ability of our 
             work force to meet the new challenges of the global 
             economy and compete for high-skill high-wage jobs of 
             tomorrow will be critical. No one understood these 
             principles more than Ron Brown.
               As Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown expanded our 
             international role by reaching out to countries all over 
             the globe, and by strengthening the foundations of our 
             domestic economy. His work to improve our trade balance, 
             increase overseas opportunities, and create domestic jobs 
             helped to prepare the United States for the next century. 
             In my State of Rhode Island he genuinely made a 
             difference.
               Last summer, Secretary Brown visited with me in my 
             office to discuss the many programs at Bryant College that 
             focused on improving our State's economy by investing our 
             resources in international business. We talked about 
             Bryant's existing initiatives like the Rhode Island Export 
             Assistance Center and their innovative International Trade 
             Data Network [ITDN]. The purpose of ITDN was to help 
             create and distribute practical information and data that 
             will enable businesses to effectively and realistically 
             target their export efforts to actual opportunities. For 
             Rhode Island, the programs at Bryant were a way to reduce 
             the effects of defense downsizing and struggling economy.
               Secretary Brown saw the impacts that international trade 
             could have on local economies and later visited Rhode 
             Island twice to see Bryant College and various other 
             initiatives first hand. He took the time to investigate 
             our latest ideas and offer the support of this Department. 
             Truly, Ron Brown led by example.
               In the end, Ron Brown died as he lived: a dedicated 
             patriot who selflessly give his all for friends and 
             country. As a nation we are forced to continue without 
             him, but his time with us all will be remembered as a time 
             of progress, learning, and achievement.

               Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, today I join with my fellow 
             colleagues to pay tribute to a truly great American, the 
             late Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown. To many of us, Ron 
             Brown was not only a Cabinet member with an impressive 
             record of accomplishment, but he was also a dynamic party 
             leader, a trailblazer in the business world, a ferocious 
             advocate for the business community as well as those in 
             need, a role-model for blacks and whites alike, and a dear 
             friend.
               I will remember Ron for his charming and captivating 
             persona, for his astute mind, and for his love of country. 
             Ron Brown was full of energy and enthusiasm in each 
             endeavor that he undertook. As chair of the Democratic 
             National Committee, Ron utilized his skills in bringing 
             people together and motivating them to work toward a 
             common goal, and that propelled the Democratic Party to 
             victory in 1992.
               In his capacity as Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown was 
             masterful in seeking out and opening up new markets to 
             U.S. businesses. I know firsthand of his tremendous talent 
             in bringing together the public and private sectors in 
             partnerships. A perfect example of this is in my home 
             district of Rochester in which Ron displayed his immense 
             support of Eastman Kodak Corporation's efforts to halt 
             unfair trade practices that were detrimental to Kodak. 
             Upon Ron Brown's insistence, the International Trade 
             Commission concurred and steps were taken to address the 
             inequities.
               Ron was such a wonderful and unique leader because he 
             recognized his role as Commerce Secretary was broader than 
             simply promoting American business and trade in foreign 
             lands. He also used his position to help ensure the peace 
             and stability that would provide the foundation for a 
             stable economic base in tormented nations such as Bosnia 
             and Croatia.
               Ron died in the midst of an important mission. And he 
             died doing what he did best: building bridges between 
             people and building bridges between nations.
               Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in 
             extending my deepest sympathies to Alma Brown, Ron's 
             children, and all of the family and friends of this 
             extraordinary man. His presence will be sadly missed by 
             the entire Nation.

               Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, in the few days since Ron 
             Brown's death, it has already become a cliche to speak of 
             his brilliant political career--of his pioneering role as 
             party leader, and his efforts to almost single-handedly 
             redefine the Commerce Department and its influence on the 
             American economy. For those of us who considered Ron a 
             friend, it is reassuring to know that the country 
             remembers him as fondly we do. But when there are so many 
             tangible achievements to celebrate in a man's life, it 
             becomes harder to recognize what is less tangible, but 
             perhaps more important.
               To me, there is a reason that Ron Brown broke down so 
             many barriers in so many aspects of his life, and 
             shattered so many preconceptions about politics, race, and 
             America's place in the world. For all his practical and 
             political talents, Ron Brown was an idealist, pure and 
             simple. His goals for himself, his party, and his country 
             were always based on what should be, and not on what 
             others thought could be. That is a rare quality in a 
             politician, and a rare quality in a human being. But it is 
             why people loved and respected Ron Brown, and were so 
             often willing to abandon their own goals and egos to work 
             with him for that higher purpose.
               I first began to work closely with Ron when he became 
             chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 1989, 
             around the same time that I became House majority leader. 
             It may be hard to remember just how bad prospects seemed 
             for the Democratic Party at that point, and how few people 
             believed that our party could ever again capture the 
             hearts and minds of the American people. Ron Brown was not 
             only an unfailing optimist--often the only voice of 
             optimism at those early meetings and strategy sessions--
             but a man who believed so strongly in the bedrock 
             principles of the Democratic Party, he refused to accept 
             any reason why America would not rally around Democratic 
             ideals and candidates.
               There is no question in my mind that Ron Brown was the 
             driving force behind Democratic victories in both the 1990 
             midterm elections and the 1992 Presidential election--and 
             that he worked and sweated for those victories not out of 
             some desire for narrow political gain, but because of his 
             unshakable faith in the Democratic Party as the party of 
             progress for average, working Americans. He never forgot 
             where he had come from, and who he wanted to help.
               Much has been said in recent days about Ron Brown's 
             ability to heal divisions, to reconcile warring factions, 
             to focus on what united people as Democrats, or business 
             leaders, or Americans. He truly believed that you could 
             always accomplish more by working together--by bringing 
             others along with you. That may be why he established a 
             unique precedent in working so closely with congressional 
             leaders as party chairman. He really did bring the 
             Democratic Party together--sometimes almost one person at 
             a time. To see the depth of his empathy and 
             understanding--to see how far he would go to understand 
             divergent people and opinions, and then to find the common 
             ground between them--was to see the very essence of 
             leadership.
               As Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown dramatically expanded 
             his mandate, reinvigorating the Foreign Commercial 
             Service, and becoming a booster of U.S. exports on a scale 
             that had never before been seen. He poured his energy and 
             passion into his work at Commerce, much the way he had 
             done so at the DNC. I admired the aggressive manner in 
             which he led that department, even in the face of partisan 
             political pressures to play a lower profile.
               Our country could use another Ron Brown. For he pushed 
             boundaries and broke down barriers almost instinctively, 
             intuitively, as if he simply refused to acknowledge they 
             were there in the first place. Perhaps, in that sense, we 
             can find some shred of meaning in Ron's terrible death--
             because no risks and no naysayers could ever have kept him 
             from exploring new terrain, reaching for new challenges, 
             and trying to redefine the world in which we live. That he 
             managed to do all those things in so few years is a 
             powerful legacy indeed.

               Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join members of 
             the President's Export Council today in paying tribute to 
             Secretary Ron Brown. Ron Brown was a personable individual 
             and a master of the art of politics. He served his country 
             and his party with distinction. I worked with the 
             Secretary during his tenure as Secretary of Commerce and 
             was always impressed with his dedication to economic 
             growth and jobs. We shared the goal of promoting U.S. 
             exports, as Ohio has become a leader in the export of 
             goods to other countries. The objective of his final 
             mission was again to facilitate the movement of U.S. goods 
             into overseas markets, thereby working to keep good jobs 
             here in the U.S. I extend my sympathies to Secretary 
             Brown's family and friends.

               Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in both sadness 
             and mourning to extend the condolences of myself and my 
             family to Mrs. Alma Brown, their two children Michael and 
             Tracey, and to the entire Brown family. Your husband, 
             father, and mentor was indeed a unique man who graced the 
             institutions which he diligently served.
               He was a man committed to the service of his country and 
             to the fulfillment of a promise he had made to himself and 
             the community that surrounded him in his youth. It was a 
             promise that compelled him to demonstrate time and time 
             again that America's diversity was a strength and not a 
             weakness. It was a promise that elevated him from his 
             beginnings in Harlem to the position of Secretary of 
             Commerce where he served with distinction and ultimately 
             died in that service. And above all, it was a promise that 
             drove Secretary Brown to tirelessly break down the 
             barriers that divided people.
               Ron Brown was a lawyer and skillful negotiator who 
             became the first African-American chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee. Secretary Brown strongly 
             believed in the promise of America and aggressively 
             advanced policies and programs to accelerate the Nation's 
             economic growth. He also became the first African-American 
             to hold the office of U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and 
             through his outstanding inspiration, vision and force of 
             will, left an indelible stamp upon the Department of 
             Commerce.
               His list of achievements reads longer than the endless 
             accolades that have adorned his passage from this world 
             into the next.
               Secretary Brown worked endlessly to champion the role of 
             civilian technology and technological innovation as the 
             means to ensure American job creation, economic 
             prosperity, and a higher standard of living. Under his 
             tenure, he worked to establish a nationwide network to 
             help small businesses. He led trade development missions 
             to five continents, touting the competitiveness of U.S. 
             goods and services. Under his leadership, U.S. exports 
             reached a record high.
               Ron Brown worked vigorously to remove outdated 
             government-imposed obstacles that hindered U.S. exports, 
             and he strongly believed in the competitiveness of 
             American business. His dream was to make America stronger, 
             and he remained steadfast to this commitment. Under 
             Secretary Brown, United States exports to Japan increased 
             by one-third. He advocated for $80 billion in projects and 
             supported hundreds of thousands of U.S. jobs. His vision 
             and leadership included his understanding of the vital 
             link between our economy and the integrity of our 
             environment. He furthermore understood the critical 
             importance of protecting intellectual property worldwide, 
             and to this purpose he negotiated with countries around 
             the world.
               There was a purpose to Secretary Brown's commitment that 
             found fruition in his constant struggle to transcend all 
             barriers. It is indeed befitting that this dedication will 
             serve as his legacy; a befitting legacy that will outlive 
             the demise of its creator. His passing will not detract 
             from the quality of his achievement, but will rather 
             inspire us all to achieve more from ourselves.
               His premature departure not only leaves a void, it also 
             leaves a tradition that has taught America how to face and 
             overcome adversity. His passing compels all of us to take 
             note of his outstanding determination and pay respects to 
             his commendable achievements. On this day, I ask my 
             colleagues to join me in remembering a man who served his 
             country faithfully in both life and in death.

               Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there is much 
             that many of us can say about our good friend and public 
             servant for this Nation, Secretary Ron Brown. I simply 
             want to say to Alma, Michael, and Tracy and the family, we 
             loved and respected him; but to America, he was a leader 
             beyond leaders. He realized that American business meant 
             American jobs.
               As a member of the Committee on Science, I saw his 
             dynamic leadership in support of advanced technology, 
             recognizing that was the future of America. So it is my 
             commitment to his family and to his legacy that I will 
             continue to work toward creating jobs, and I leave this 
             tribute to Secretary Ron Brown:

               Isn't it strange that kings and queens and clowns that 
             caper in sawdust rings and common people like you and me 
             are builders for eternity? For unto each of us is given a 
             bag of rules and a shapeless mass and each must give or 
             life is flown as a stumbling block or stepping stone.

               It is my belief and the belief of the American people 
             that Ron Brown was a stepping stone for America, American 
             business, American jobs. Long live the legacy of the 
             honorable Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown.
               Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great privilege and honor 
             to participate in this special order in tribute to Ronald 
             H. Brown, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He had an 
             outstanding career as a lawyer, National Urban League 
             executive, Democratic Party chairman, Cabinet Secretary 
             and close Presidential adviser. I am proud that the city 
             of Houston paid tribute to Secretary Brown and the others 
             that perished on April 3, on Friday, April 12, 1996, at 
             Antioch M.B. Church.
               Ron Brown used his many talents to create a better 
             quality of life for all Americans. This special order's 
             focus on his impact on the expansion of American-owned 
             companies into foreign markets is very appropriate. During 
             his tenure at the Commerce Department, he redefined the 
             Department's mission to provide economic opportunity for 
             every American. Moreover, he believed that peace and 
             prosperity could be strengthened and promoted through 
             international trade.
               Over the past 3 years, he helped develop a national 
             export strategy to assist American companies in increasing 
             their exports to foreign nations. Since 1993, American-
             owned companies entered into commercial deals with foreign 
             businesses in the amount of $80 billion.
               Most of this expansion was as a result of his tireless 
             efforts in leading numerous trade missions around the 
             world. He supported the creation of strong ties with new 
             markets in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. 
             Brown also helped to streamline regulations that 
             unnecessarily hindered the exports of our goods and 
             products.
               Brown served on President Clinton's National Economic 
             Council and the Council on Sustainable Development. He was 
             also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He 
             chaired the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, which 
             was comprised of 19 Government agencies, to strengthen the 
             American economy through trade.
               Ron Brown was a man of great vision and understood the 
             importance of technology in our growth and development. He 
             was a strong supporter of the Commerce Department's 
             advanced technology program, which helped create thousands 
             of businesses that will lead us into the 21st century.
               All of us in public service owe a great debt to Ron 
             Brown. He inspired us to always remain optimistic, to be 
             committed to achieving our objectives and work to ensure 
             that no American is left behind. This is his great legacy. 
             Let us renew our commitment to public service.

               Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult 
             for me to discuss my feelings, my personal feelings, about 
             Ron Brown. I have known Ron Brown since he was a very 
             young man. I have seen him come up through the ranks. He 
             did it the hard way. He worked for it.
               I appreciate the kind of commendation that we are giving 
             Ron Brown today. I want to send my condolences to the 
             family, especially to my baby, Michael, his son, and to 
             say to Alma and to her daughter, Tracy, that God will go 
             with them, as we all know, and that Ron will always be 
             remembered, and that we will keep his legacy going. He 
             will not be a forgotten man. I also want to say to Mrs. 
             Meissner, who lost her husband, to send my condolences to 
             her.
               People were magnetized by Ron Brown. He lived in such a 
             way that people would gravitate toward him because they 
             knew he was good. I will tell you one thing, Mr. Speaker, 
             every youngster in this country who is from a poor or 
             disadvantaged community, or even more, all over this 
             country and all over this world, not due to ethnicity, 
             race, or creed, will pattern themselves after Ron Brown, 
             because they see an opportunity in him, in what he did, to 
             make the American dream work. That is going to be his 
             legacy.
               He walked through the streets of Liberty City with me, a 
             very poor community, and he reached out to every one of 
             them, yet he got to be a counselor to the President of the 
             United States. He sat on the Cabinet.
               When I think of Ron, I think of a poem which we call, 
             and I am going to paraphrase it, The Builder:

               There was an old man at evening tide who was building a 
             bridge on the countryside. A young man came to him and 
             said, ``Old man, why do you try to build this bridge? When 
             the tide comes in you will be long gone. You won't be 
             here.'' And the old man lifted his head and said, ``Young 
             man, let me tell you something. The reason I build this 
             bridge at evening tide is there will be a young man such 
             as you who will come after me. Young man, I build this 
             bridge for thee.''

               That is why Ron did what he did, to build bridges for 
             all of us. I thank the gentleman for sharing his time with 
             me.

               Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the 
             gentlewoman for sharing in this special order tribute to 
             Ron Brown. Mr. Speaker, I want to spend a minute or two in 
             this final part of the 5-minute period just saying a 
             couple of things, more from the heart.
               First, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my condolences to 
             Alma Brown and to the entire Brown family, and to the 
             families of those others who perished so tragically in 
             this crash. This was a devastating loss for our country 
             and for me personally.
               Second, I cannot help but recall the very last time that 
             I saw Ron Brown, which was in the hall in the Rayburn 
             Building. I had been involved in a hearing and was rushing 
             in one direction. Ron had been called before a committee 
             of the House to testify at another hearing. He was coming 
             out of that and was rushing off to another place.
               Despite the fact that both of us were in a hurry and 
             headed in different directions, the characteristic that 
             always came through from Ron Brown surfaced. That was the 
             ability, for whatever small period of time he had, to look 
             at you in the eye and make you feel that you were the most 
             important person in life at that moment. We spent a few 
             moments together, and that came through to me. That is the 
             memory that I will always have of Ron Brown.
               Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my condolences to 
             Alma and the rest of the Brown family and to the families 
             of those who perished tragically in the plane crash in 
             Croatia.
               The outpouring of support that we have seen since Ron's 
             passing is a testament to the life he led and the impact 
             that he had on people. Since his passing there have been 
             two things that have been said about Ron most frequently. 
             They are that Ron Brown had a lot of friends and that he 
             had a tremendous amount of political acumen. I knew both 
             of those things were true.
               Almost 2 weeks after Secretary Brown's passing I think 
             it is necessary for us to continue to honor his life and 
             celebrate his legacy. Ron Brown taught us about the 
             importance of providing jobs for our citizens through 
             economic expansion and ensuring equality of opportunity so 
             that all could share in the fruits of economic expansion.
                           expanding economic opportunity
               Ron Brown knew that the success of the American economy 
             in the 21st century would depend upon expanding economic 
             opportunity for all of our people. In a time where the gap 
             between the rich and the poor is ever-widening, we must 
             see to it that our economy creates jobs which provide 
             living wages. We must also see to it that the good which 
             flows from economic prosperity is shared among all of our 
             people.
                               equality of opportunity
               Ron Brown knew that our schools and our workplaces 
             should be a reflection of America and should ensure 
             equality of opportunity. He saw to it that his Commerce 
             Department reflected the racial, ethnic and gender 
             differences of the taxpayers on whose behalf his 
             department worked. Ron worked to provide opportunities for 
             others who might not have been given the chance. Ron Brown 
             knew that there were many more Ron Browns with 
             intelligence, ambition and the will to succeed. Ron Brown 
             gave them an opportunity to shine. They were African-
             American, white, Latino, Asian-American, they were among 
             those who accompanied him on the mission to Bosnia. We 
             must continue to work to see to it that America fulfills 
             this promise of equality which Ron Brown exemplified.
               As we honor our late Secretary of Commerce we must not 
             forget these things which his life has taught us so well 
             and we must work to continue his legacy.
               Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for 
             providing this opportunity to do this special order before 
             his special order comes forward.

               Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my voice to 
             the numerous voices that have been raised to pay tribute 
             to Ron Brown. Ron Brown, the mentor for all public 
             servants, he could teach us all a great deal.
               I will enter my statement in its entirety into the 
             Record, but I would like to read the statement and comment 
             on it.
               Ron Brown was a renaissance politician. He was a jack-
             of-all-trades who mastered all the trades in politics. He 
             was a mentor for seasoned professional politicians, and he 
             was qualified to tutor most of us.
               Ron used his considerable influence and charm to become 
             an extraordinary fund raiser for the Democratic Party. 
             From the complex job of raising money to the details of 
             election day engineering, Ron performed with great 
             enthusiasm.
               Ron Brown was the kind of person who could raise funds, 
             and I admire him most for that. He probably had a problem 
             like everybody else but he plunged into the process of 
             raising funds and did a great job of that.
               There are some people who do fundraising very well, but 
             they are not good at strategy. They are not good at 
             tactics. They do not have certain other qualities. But in 
             addition to being able to raise funds, which we all 
             admired him for, Ron Brown had the talents that went 
             across the entire spectrum in terms of skills that are 
             needed in public life.
               I first met Ron Brown in Chicago while campaigning for 
             Harold Washington for mayor of Chicago. Former majority 
             whip Bill Gray, Ron, and I were in a car on a tour through 
             the public housing projects on Chicago's south side. We 
             had been assigned that area to campaign. At that time Ron 
             was working with a well-known, prestigious, and powerful 
             law firm in Washington.
               However, on that day it was simply Ron, the lawyer, 
             friend, campaigning for a fellow democrat. We went into 
             huge, tall, cold, concrete buildings and walked on floors 
             which seemed to be completely out of this world. The 
             deterioration and the garbage inside the halls were 
             unbelievable, even to a poor boy like me, whose father has 
             never earned more than the minimum wage. I had lived in 
             some of the poorest neighborhoods in Memphis, TN, and I 
             had worked in some of the poorest neighborhoods in New 
             York. but never had I seen such despair. The only glimmer 
             of light I saw in those high-rise urban tunnels that day 
             were the Harold Washington posters that the residents 
             waved at us when they saw our familiar signs.
               We had connected at that point with the most depressed 
             among us.
               As my eyes met Ron's eyes, he broke into his signature 
             smile. This is what politics has got to be all about, he 
             said, as we plunged into the crowd of outstretched hands 
             and marched through the halls reminding folks that 
             tomorrow was the day to go out and elect the first 
             African-American mayor of Chicago.
               Ron Brown was the unifying driving force behind the most 
             successful and conflict-free convention the Democrats have 
             had in nearly two decades. Ron was a star who kept his 
             poise. He kept peace among the many party factions and 
             made the Democratic National Committee an effective force 
             to be reckoned with in politics.
               Ron Brown was a masterful strategist who began his 
             tenure as party chairman with several special election 
             victories despite great obstacles. He was a great 
             communicator, and he was a great cheerleader who also 
             understood the nuts and bolts of winning campaigns.
               Seldom in America does one man so gracefully transcend 
             the racial chasm as Ron Brown did, and in his journey he 
             deeply touched the heart and soul of a Nation.
               As our Secretary of Commerce, he was our corporate 
             Ambassador to the world. As the chairman of the 
             splintered, fractured Democratic Party, he was the glue 
             that held it together, and in so doing he delivered the 
             White House and became the most beloved chairman in 
             history.
               Ron Brown was undaunted and unfazed by challenges. Being 
             a first was not unusual for him. He was the first African-
             American in his college fraternity, the first African-
             American counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 
             the list goes on and on.
               Ron was a trailblazer and an eternal optimist. He saw no 
             mountain that could not be climbed or moved or conquered.
               The Nation has lost a great leader and statesman. I join 
             Ron's many colleagues and friends, not in mourning his 
             death, but in celebrating his life, his accomplishments, 
             his style and spirit. Ron Brown will be missed, but Ron 
             Brown will never be forgotten.
               Ron Brown was an ambassador for corporate America. Ron 
             Brown was about the business of expanding the markets of 
             America across the globe. Ron Brown understood that a 
             prosperous America was an America that would generate the 
             revenues needed to do the things that had to be done in 
             our country for all Americans.

               Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. P. Stuart Tholan was one of 
             the 32 Americans accompanying Secretary Ron Brown on his 
             mission to contribute to the rebuilding of Bosnia. He was 
             aboard the military transport plane which crashed, killing 
             all abroad. My most sincere condolences go out to his 
             wife, Marilyn, his children, Scott and Carolyn, and all 
             his family, as well as to all those whose lives P. Stuart 
             Tholan touched.
               Mr. Tholan had been invited on the humanitarian mission 
             by Commerce Secretary Ron Brown because of his 
             distinguished record of overcoming seemingly 
             insurmountable obstacles and succeeding again and again. 
             The reconstruction and revival of Bosnia's devastated 
             economy would have been Mr. Tholan's most significant 
             challenge. I have the utmost confidence, as did Secretary 
             Brown, that he would have succeeded at this ultimate 
             challenge.
               Mr. Tholan's outstanding work for the Bechtel group of 
             companies, based in San Francisco, CA, earned him a 
             reputation as a demanding project director who tackled the 
             most daunting tasks with eternal optimism and a can-do 
             attitude. While his focus on the successful completion of 
             a project could not be swayed, he never lost sight of the 
             importance of the people on the project. Mr. Tholan would 
             always take the time to help a co-worker when they had 
             personal or family difficulties or to devote his spare 
             time to coaching little league and girl's softball.
               The mission that P. Stuart Tholan was participating in 
             was perfectly suited to his strengths. Throughout his 
             career, he had shown an ability to bring together people 
             and motivate them to accomplish the most difficult tasks. 
             The strengths of his personality and character shone 
             through the overwhelming nature of jobs he took on. His 
             leadership propelled an international work force of 16,000 
             to put out the Kuwaiti oil fires in a fraction of the time 
             experts thought possible.
               These are the reasons why Secretary Brown chose P. 
             Stuart Tholan as the perfect candidate to help rebuild the 
             devastated economy of Bosnia. Mr. Speaker, P. Stuart 
             Tholan and the others who perished on that plane deserve 
             our gratitude for their commitment and dedication to bring 
             peace and stability to Bosnia and for their service to our 
             Nation.

               Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, for any parent, the 
             death of a child is surely life's greatest tragedy. I can 
             personally remember the profound grief and gloom that 
             swept over my own father and family when my youngest 
             sister Nancy was tragically killed following a horseback 
             riding accident in Colombia, where I served in the Peace 
             Corps more than 30 years ago. Even now, not a day goes by 
             that my family does not sorely miss Nancy and regret the 
             fact that she did not live longer, though we all know she 
             led a magnificent life while she was with us.
               The same sentiment, I am sure, will be true for the 
             family of Santa Cruz resident Adam Darling, who left this 
             world last week with Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 32 
             other brave Americans in an ill-fated flight over Bosnia. 
             Adam died doing precisely what he wanted: Serving his 
             country, while working to make the world a better place. 
             The eternal optimist, Adam had once offered to ride his 
             bike cross-country from his home in Santa Cruz to 
             Washington, DC for then Governor Bill Clinton because he 
             felt he could make a difference in the 1992 Presidential 
             race. After the election, he ended up in Washington 
             working in the Commerce Department. When I arrived to be 
             sworn in as a Member of Congress, Adam was there to meet 
             me. He brought his father, the Reverend Darrell Darling 
             from Santa Cruz with him to all of our Washington 
             activities. According to Darrell, ``Adam Darling was a 
             leader among his peers, his friends, his family and in his 
             work. His leadership grew from a keen and uncluttered 
             mind, a character free of shame, given or received, and a 
             thoroughly generous spirit. He was very realistic about 
             both public policy and public service, and the limitations 
             and temptations of both. Adam's realism never became 
             cynical. When you decide to make a difference where there 
             is risk, you can't calculate the cost or be guaranteed 
             delivery from pain or loss. Bosnia is a land of grief and 
             turmoil and none of us is immune.''
               At the Commerce Department, Adam served as staff in the 
             press office for several months before becoming a personal 
             assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Commerce for 2 years. 
             Adam was also instrumental in bringing state-of-the-art 
             science to Central Coast and the country. Just 1 year ago, 
             he helped organize the first-ever link between classrooms 
             across America and marine biologists working in the 
             Monterey Bay. Ron Brown had recently asked Adam to handle 
             press relations and advance planning for the economic 
             development mission in Bosnia. According to his family, 
             ``Adam saw it as an opportunity to make a significant 
             contribution to a peace effort where it is severely 
             needed.''
               Rather than working hard to gain personal attention, 
             Adam worked hard for the sheer pleasure of doing a job 
             well and the satisfaction of knowing he had helped make 
             someone else's life a little more livable. He was one of 
             the many invisible government hands working in Bosnia to 
             ensure the survival of a nation. Amazing acts of heroism, 
             dedication, and humanitarianism exemplify the work done by 
             those invisible hands. Without people like those who 
             served, continue to serve and will serve their country by 
             helping others, the world would be hard pressed to survive 
             tragedies such as the Bosnia conflict.
               Adam too saw life as an opportunity to serve the world. 
             Telling his family at the age of five that he would be 
             President of the United States some day, a young boy made 
             his commitment to bettering his country at any cost. 
             During the few years he was afforded, Adam worked with the 
             dedication and commitment of a President, and accomplished 
             more for the good of humankind during his lifetime than 
             many even attempt in 100 years.
               The loss of Adam Darling and the 34 others in Bosnia 
             will be sorely felt by all and will remain in our hearts 
             as a memorial to all who pay the highest cost possible in 
             order to help the world by serving their country.

               Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, Mr. I. Donald Terner was one of 
             the 32 Americans accompanying Secretary Ron Brown on his 
             mission to contribute to the rebuilding of Bosnia. He was 
             aboard the military transport plane which crashed, killing 
             all aboard. My most sincere condolences go out to his 
             wife, Deirdre English, his children, and to all those 
             whose lives Donald Terner improved with his many good 
             works.
               Donald Terner was a man of truly extraordinary energy 
             and commitment, and we are extremely fortunate that he 
             chose to devote his talents to improving the lives of low-
             income families throughout California. As founder and 
             president of Bridge Housing Corp., Donald Terner created a 
             low-income housing enterprise which constructed nearly 
             6,000 homes in the 13 years the organization has been in 
             business. Both the continuing success of the solid 
             organization Donald Terner built and the thousands of 
             families who will have a roof over their heads for years 
             to come will serve as a lasting testament to the life of 
             Donald Terner.
               Commerce Secretary Ron Brown was so impressed with the 
             remarkable achievements of Donald Terner that he invited 
             Mr. Terner to accompany him on a humanitarian mission to 
             restore the housing resources destroyed by years of all-
             out war in Bosnia. Donald Terner was not deterred by the 
             overwhelming difficulty of rebuilding this devastated 
             region. Secretary Brown recognized in Donald Terner the 
             same qualities that those who have worked with him have 
             appreciated for decades. His humanitarian spirit combined 
             with his unrelenting commitment to success in the face of 
             adversity has allowed him to succeed in California and it 
             would have propelled him to success in Bosnia.
               Donald Terner was known as a relentless promoter of low-
             income housing in California and throughout the world. 
             Building affordable housing entails not only raising the 
             necessary funds, but also the often more difficult task of 
             convincing homeowners to allow the housing to be built in 
             their neighborhoods. It was impossible, however, to say 
             ``no'' to Donald Terner. He was able to convince lenders 
             and neighbors to support to projects because he believed 
             that what he was doing would help people, and that made 
             his persuasive powers all but irresistible.
               Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in 
             tribute to Donald Terner for his commitment to making the 
             world more livable for low-income people. His efforts in 
             behalf of the community should serve as a model for all 
             Americans. While we cannot all devote the time and energy 
             that Donald Terner did, we can invoke his memory when our 
             communities ask something of us.

                                             Wednesday, April 17, 1996.

               Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, last evening our colleague, the 
             gentlewoman from North Carolina, Representative Eva 
             Clayton, called a special order to honor the memory of and 
             celebrate the life of Secretary of Commerce Secretary Ron 
             Brown. There were so many of us who wanted to participate 
             that we have some overflow this evening. I am among those. 
             I want to acknowledge the leadership of the gentlewoman in 
             calling that special order. She asked us to focus not only 
             on our personal, but our professional relationships with 
             Ron Brown in remembering him.
               First, I would like to say, Mr. Speaker, that our 
             country suffered a staggering tragedy with the loss of our 
             distinguished Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown. How he would 
             enjoy seeing some of the tributes to him that were written 
             in the past week. The Washington Post says ``Best in the 
             Business.'' Another headline, ``Brown, a Pioneer at Home 
             In Black and White America. Ex-Party Chief Had Key Role in 
             Clinton Win.'' Indeed he did.
               Another headline, ``Builder of Bridges.'' How he would 
             like to have seen this headline, ``Devoted To Mission 
             Until the End.'' ``Ron Brown's contribution to his 
             people,'' ``Changing the face of America's executive 
             suites, still lily white, is a tribute worthy of Brown.''
               And the list goes on and on of Ron Brown's 
             contributions. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown showed 
             endearing enthusiasm for whatever task he undertook. How 
             true that is.
               I call these to your attention, Mr. Speaker, and to the 
             attention of our colleagues, because I know that Ron Brown 
             would have enjoyed them. I hope that they are a source of 
             comfort to the Brown family.
               Our colleague the gentlewoman from the District of 
             Columbia, Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton, when she made her 
             presentation last evening mentioned some of the other 
             people who, unfortunately, also lost their lives in the 
             tragedy, and I would like to call attention to three 
             others who I am familiar with. The First Lady attended the 
             funeral of Adam Darling, an optimistic and interested 
             person in politics who went on to work at the Commerce 
             Department under Ron Brown's leadership. I note with 
             particular sadness the death of Bill Morton, a dynamic and 
             brilliant young man who devoted his life to advancing 
             minorities in public service. And in our community in San 
             Francisco, we are particularly grief stricken by the death 
             of Don Terner, the Bridge Housing Corporation executive, 
             who was a member of the delegation.
               Don Terner is a great lost to the San Francisco Bay Area 
             and the affordable housing community nationwide. In his 
             life, he gave dignity and hope to American families by 
             providing shelter. Don Terner died as he had lived, 
             bringing hope to people in need.
               Now I would like to return my focus to Secretary Ron 
             Brown. I had the privilege of working with Ron Brown since 
             the early eighties, when we worked together putting 
             together the 1984 Democratic Convention in San Francisco, 
             but also working on the delegate selection process. In the 
             convention in 1992, I served as co-chair with Governor 
             Romer of the Platform Committee. I mention those two 
             relationships with Ron because in both of those instances, 
             whether it was participation in the party, in the delegate 
             selection process, or whether it was policy formation in 
             putting together a platform, Ron Brown gave no tolerance 
             to discrimination. Our party would be open and our policy 
             would be open to all people in our society. Indeed, I 
             believe that is a hallmark of the Clinton Administration, 
             and Ron Brown's influence was surely felt there.
               I hope it is a comfort to all of the families of all of 
             the people in the delegation, I hope it is a comfort to 
             their loved ones that they are mourned by an entire 
             Nation, that they died in a mission of peace, bringing 
             humanitarian and economic assistance to the Balkans, and 
             that their sacrifice will never be forgotten.
               I want to particularly commend Alma Brown and extend 
             sympathy to her and to Michael and to Tracy, Ron and 
             Alma's children. Across the world, people saw Alma Brown 
             as dignified in her sadness. I happened to be in Indonesia 
             when we got the news, and even at that distance, the press 
             was one of great admiration and, of course, sympathy for 
             Alma. But she led us through this tragic time, through 
             this sadness, in a way that I know would have made Ron 
             Brown very, very proud. But, of course, he knew that about 
             Alma.
               So I would say that as we mourn, the leaders of the 
             delegation, we must also remember the patriotic members of 
             the military on the flight and the members of the Commerce 
             Department staff. The prayers of my family I know will 
             always be with the Brown family, as well as with the 
             families of this mission of peace.

               Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, later on this evening, the 
             gentleman from New Jersey, Don Payne, and other Members of 
             Congress will continue to pay tribute to my fallen buddy, 
             Ron Brown, but I just want to share some views as I saw 
             Ron and 33 other coffins arrive in Dover, these flag-
             draped coffins covering the bodies of people that were in 
             the business of selling the United States of America, and 
             then heard the tributes that were paid to all of them, as 
             well as attending at Arlington cemetery.
               As the bands were playing and the flags were unfurled 
             and the cannons were blasting, I could only think what a 
             great country we live in and how many things we just take 
             for granted; that here a young American who comes from one 
             of the poorest communities can, in such a short period of 
             time, capture the love and gain the respect of not only 
             the President of the United States but so many Americans 
             from seashore to seashore, and, at the same time, to know 
             that in so many foreign countries, some not as friendly as 
             we wish that they would be, that they lowered their flags 
             at half mast for this great American, Ron Brown.
               I think that when we start thinking about loving 
             America, we have to think about what kind of person could 
             love his country so much that he would try to climb 
             mountains that other people would not even attempt, not 
             only to show how great America was and what products we 
             wanted to sell, and not how superior we were, but to 
             actually talk with trade ministers and prime ministers and 
             presidents in terms of the needs of their country. The 
             poverty, the disease, the sickness, the hunger, the 
             unemployment, the joblessness, and to be able to say to 
             that country that America was there as a friend that 
             wanted to help.
               This was a part of the world that we never spent that 
             much time in. This was the part of the world that we had 
             to develop markets in. This was the part of the world that 
             we had to increase their ability to have disposable income 
             so that as we had once done in Europe under the Marshall 
             plan, that we could regain the leadership that we have 
             possessed since World War II. And how they loved him, 
             because it was not just selling America, it was the 
             interest he had in them.
               I saw at the funeral Ambassadors that had flown in from 
             Mexico, India, South Africa. They spoke, they talked, they 
             loved, they cared. And I said what a wonderful country it 
             is that we have in the United States of America, people 
             that come from every country in the world.
               Unlike other countries where you just look at the 
             country and you can feel just the narrow culture interest 
             that they have, there is no country in the world that we 
             cannot reach and show that Americans come from all over. 
             To see what investing in the education of a Ron Brown, or 
             Ron Gonzalez, or Ron Lee, or the women that have been 
             denied the opportunity to show, to be given the 
             opportunity to show that they are Americans, this is a 
             great country, and go abroad and find out that they are 
             making friends for us, as well as creating trade.
               Mr. Speaker, I have received notices, as well as 
             telephone calls, from Senator Dole and from Haley Barbor, 
             who is the chair of the Republican Party, to say to me, as 
             they have said to others, this issue is too big to look at 
             party labels. It is too big to look at the color of 
             American skins. It is American to be able to say that we 
             can make our country a greater place, create more jobs if 
             only we cared enough to train our people for these type of 
             opportunities and to share our talents with so many other 
             countries in the world.

               Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the 
             Congressional Black Caucus, I wanted to take some time 
             this evening to pay tribute to a man so many of us knew as 
             a great friend and a real true patriot. Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown was a person we all knew and loved. So 
             many people across this Nation have been inspired by Ron 
             Brown, it is fitting that we celebrated his remarkable 
             life and legacy.
               Even in the midst of our grief over his untimely 
             passing, we recognize that Ron was the kind of person who 
             would want to be remembered for how he lived his life 
             rather than how he died. It has been said that a man's 
             reach should exceed his grasp. Throughout Ron Brown's 
             wonderful life he kept reaching, seizing each challenge 
             with boundless confidence, with enthusiasm, with energy, 
             with vision. Both in the private sector and in the public 
             life he displayed that all-American can-do attitude, 
             refusing even to entertain the thought that any obstacles 
             would be insurmountable.
               It was this spirit that won him so many firsts. First 
             black fraternity member at Middlebury College. First black 
             to hold the position of Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate. 
             First black partner at Patton, Boggs & Blow, and then on 
             to becoming the first black chairman of the Democratic 
             Party before being appointed by President Clinton as the 
             first black Secretary of Commerce.
               Yet it was typical of Ron Brown that even as he built 
             racial coalitions, he downplayed the significance of race 
             as he sought to take on new challenges in his life. He 
             said that race was not important as an obstacle. He simply 
             said he can continue to move on up a little higher.
               I remember back in 1988, when I was a member of the 
             Newark City Council and seeking election to the House of 
             Representatives, Ron Brown was campaigning at that time to 
             become chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I 
             traveled to Washington with the New Jersey Chamber of 
             Commerce early in February 1988 to their annual 
             legislative visit, when we talked to legislators here and 
             talked about policies for our State. During my stay I 
             introduced our State Democratic chairman, Ray Durkin, to 
             Ron Brown, knowing that Ron was seeking the office of 
             chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
               After hearing Ron's ideas and observing his enthusiasm 
             and his approach to problem solving and his enthusiasm and 
             his approach to problem solving and his vision, the State 
             Democratic chairman, Ray Durkin, made a decision right on 
             the spot to support Ron Brown. He said this is the man we 
             need to lead our party.
               I was pleased when our New Jersey U.S. Senator, Bill 
             Bradley, immediately came on board to join in for the 
             backing of Ron Brown to become the chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee. In fact, New Jersey was the 
             first State to endorse Secretary Brown when he made his 
             run for the chairmanship of the Democratic National 
             Committee.
               Ron Brown did not run a narrow campaign based on race, 
             he reached out to a wide range of Americans, as he always 
             did in his life, ultimately convincing the electorate to 
             return the White House to the Democratic Party for the 
             first time in over a decade. As a matter of fact, our 
             State of New Jersey went overwhelmingly for President 
             Clinton for the first time in almost three decades. It was 
             because of Ron Brown and his vision, his imagination, his 
             creativity, his gumption, his stick-to-itiveness. He 
             embodied the power of positive thinking, always looking 
             ahead, assuredness, and optimistic.
               Secretary Brown became involved in politics in 1971, 
             when he was a district leader in Mount Vernon, NY, in the 
             Democrat Party there. He made a name for himself in the 
             Urban League with his innovative ideas and creative 
             approaches. He loved both public service and politics. 
             Before working for Senator Kennedy on the Committee on the 
             Judiciary, he served as director of the California for 
             Kennedy committee and later organized for Jesse Jackson's 
             run for President.
               Another point that needs to be made, in this era when it 
             is popular in some quarters to bash those who work for the 
             Federal Government, that Ron Brown and those who perished 
             with him out there, risking their lives under very 
             dangerous conditions on a mission to improve the lives of 
             people in Bosnia and to promote American products, 
             American business opportunities in order to create 
             American jobs.
               Secretary Brown and his staff worked tirelessly over the 
             years bringing in billions and billions of dollars of 
             contracts to Americans. Let us hope that out of respect 
             for the victims and their families this unfair debasing of 
             Federal employees for cheap political mileage will cease.
               Let me take a moment to pay tribute to the victims of 
             the tragedy who were connected to my home State of New 
             Jersey who were on that ill-fated trip that day. We are 
             proud of their service and extend deepest sympathies to 
             their families.
               Lee Jackson, who was born in Montclair, NJ, part of my 
             district, was executive director of the European Bank for 
             Reconstruction and Development at the Treasury Department. 
             He was a young, bright African-American fellow whose 
             father was a former newspaper person, who, as a matter of 
             fact, was a very close friend of my Newark district office 
             manager. We sat, Rick Thigpen and myself, watching the 
             television, very saddened, awaiting the news from over in 
             Croatia.
               Another person on that flight from New Jersey, Claudio 
             Elia, was chairman and chief executive of Air and Water 
             Technologies Corp. in Branchburg, NJ.
               Walter Murphy was vice president of global sales at AT&T 
             Submarine Systems in Morristown, NJ.
               Our State also lost two young people who were serving 
             our country in the military, as Secretary Ron Brown had 
             done as a young U.S. Army captain early in his life. S. 
             Sgt. Robert Farrington, Jr., was from Brierfield, NJ; and 
             T. Sgt. Cheryl Turnage lived in Lakehurst before she 
             joined the Air Force.
               Ron Brown left us too soon. He had so many gifts and yet 
             he was not to have the gift of long life. We do not 
             understand how life is given out, it is beyond us. Yet we 
             can take comfort in the fact that his spirit, his zest for 
             living, and his monumental achievements will definitely 
             live on.
               Our heartfelt condolences go out to his loving family, 
             his wife, Alma, his son, Michael, his daughter Tracey, and 
             his grandchildren. We will keep them in our thoughts and 
             in our prayers.

               Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman 
             from New Jersey for having this special order. I rise to 
             add my voice to the multitude of voices singing the 
             praises of Ron Brown. With all that has been said about 
             him in the last 12 days, some may feel that all that needs 
             to be said has already been said; but as we frequently 
             say, all that need to say it have not already said it.
               The fact is that we have all been affected by Ron 
             Brown's life in general and in unique ways, and feel the 
             need to ensure that the record of his life and his good 
             works reflects some of those unique contributions.
               For example, Mr. Speaker, the Newport News Shipyard in 
             the Third Congressional District of Virginia, which I 
             represent, was a beneficiary of his good works. Even 
             before the collapse of the cold war, the shipyard knew it 
             needed to diversify its business portfolio beyond just 
             military shipbuilding, so it began to revive its 
             commercial shipbuilding program.
               Ron Brown stood ready when called upon to help the 
             Newport News Shipyard, just as he had helped so many other 
             businesses before. For the Newport News Shipyard, he took 
             Pat Phillips, the former president of the shipyard, to the 
             Middle East to meet with business and government leaders 
             in Israel, Egypt, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates to 
             market the frigate ship program, and they were very 
             successful. Bill Fricks, the current president of the 
             shipyard, stated upon the news of Ron's death that, and I 
             quote:

               Ron Brown was a great advocate of our yard and voiced 
             his support for Newport News Shipyard and other Tenneco 
             subsidiaries during numerous trade missions overseas. Not 
             only an advocate of stronger international ties, Brown was 
             also a friend of Newport News Shipyard. He will truly be 
             missed.

               Mr. Speaker, there have been a lot of words used to 
             describe Ron Brown and his life: trailblazer, 
             bridgebuilder, fence mender, power broker, coalition 
             builder, energizer, visionary, humanitarian, public 
             servant, crusader, lawyer, businessman, politician, 
             husband, father, friend; all extraordinaire. And to this 
             descriptive list I have to add shipbuilder and a friend of 
             the Third Congressional District of Virginia. We are all 
             grateful for his life and his contributions and for the 
             lives and contributions of those who were with him on that 
             fateful trade mission.
               Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown will truly be missed.

               Mrs. CLAYTON. I am indeed grateful to Mr. Payne for 
             organizing this special order. I wanted to participate in 
             this special order under the guidance of the Black Caucus, 
             because I think it is appropriate in this leadership that 
             we also have an opportunity to have a special order.
               Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown was a bridgebuilder, a 
             peacemaker, a soldier for souls, a fisher for young men 
             and young women.
               Out of the ashes and wreckage of that faraway mountain 
             in Bosnia--something remains--a blade of grass, an idea.
               The idea--Ron Brown's living legacy--is that you can 
             grow up in Harlem, and progress in Washington.
               He left with us a prototype to follow, a style, a 
             design, a mold, a model that we may never duplicate, but 
             we can certainly replicate.
               Under the careful counsel of his father and mother, he 
             learned that it is far better to build bridges than to 
             burn them. He knew that a bridge could arch a flood.
               And so, he built bridges between the rich and poor, 
             between people of every hue, between cherished views and 
             fresh beliefs. Perhaps that is why his motorcade journey 
             to his resting place in Arlington was as appropriate on U 
             Street as it was on Constitution Avenue.
               Ron Brown was a bridgebuilder.
               His time spent in service to America, as an officer of 
             the U.S. Army, apparently taught him that the best way to 
             preserve world peace and avoid war is by doing business.
               That is why he traveled to China, journeyed to India, 
             took a trip to Turkey, and voyaged to Africa. And, that is 
             why he risked a rainstorm to get to Tuzla.
               He was opening doors, cementing relationships, serving 
             his country, and promoting peace, even in a region torn by 
             war.
               Ron Brown was a peacemaker.
               His rapid rise to the top was by measured steps from the 
             bottom.
               He worked by day and attended law school by night. He 
             was a welfare social worker, a leader with the Urban 
             League, a brilliant political strategist, a lawyer, the 
             pilot of the Democratic Party and the architect of one of 
             the greatest Presidential campaign victories in history.
               Through it all, he never lost the common touch.
               He was as comfortable playing pick-up basketball in the 
             Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC as he was conversing 
             with Kings and Queens and Prime Ministers.
               Ron Brown was a soldier of souls.
               But, perhaps the mark that he made that is most worthy 
             of note is his mentoring, wherever he went, he took others 
             with him, especially young men and women.
               Ron knew how tough it was for an African-American to 
             move from 125th Street in the heart of Harlem to the 
             Commerce Building at the center of power in Washington.
               With each career step he took, he embraced young people, 
             forming and fashioning the Ron Brown's of the future.
               They are there, at the Department of Commerce, at 
             Democratic National Headquarters, in the public sector and 
             in the private sector--the next Ron Browns.
               He was a fisher of young men and young women.
               Whether he was building bridges or closing divides, 
             fighting the good fight or making peace, reaching with a 
             helping hand or bringing others along--he always did his 
             duty with dignity, pride, graciousness, vision and 
             boundless energy. He filled each unforgiving minute with 
             60 seconds of long distance run.
               Our thoughts and prayers go out to his lovely wife Alma, 
             his loyal son Michael and his darling daughter Tracey. 
             They have every reason to be proud.
               Ron was a trailblazer, a tireless champion for all, a 
             role model for role models. He has left his permanent 
             imprint on the sands of time. God's finger has touched 
             him, and he now sleeps.

               Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Thank you for those remarks.
               As you know, we are talking about the life of Ron Brown, 
             but there were a number of people. I mentioned several of 
             those who lived in my great State of New Jersey who lost 
             their lives on that mountainside in Croatia and return 
             flight from Bosnia. There were other people who worked for 
             the government.
               As we talked about the fact that all too often it is 
             made trite about working for the government, we hear 
             people saying that Americans should not have to pay taxes. 
             Why should we be involved in such things? What right do we 
             have to take their money? We heard some of that dialog 
             earlier here tonight.
               Well, because we live in a country that is great. We 
             live in a country where you can get on a road and the road 
             will take you where you need to go, with pavement, with 
             utilities, with lights. We live in a place where you can 
             drink clear water and not worry about having bacteria in 
             it. We live in a place that you can call the authorities 
             or go to a courtroom and find that you can have your cases 
             heard. And that is why it is a responsibility of Americans 
             to have a responsibility.
               As a matter of fact, at some other time we will get on 
             to this subject, but people make it seem that here in 
             America we are overtaxed. We pay about 29 percent. Japan 
             used to pay 19 percent; they paid 29 percent. In the 
             Western Europe countries, most pay 38 to 39 percent. We 
             should take a look at the global situation, and I say that 
             to say that Ron Brown was a person who had to take this 
             unnecessary bashing. People in government took unnecessary 
             bashing. We heard people criticize the Department of 
             Commerce, but billions of dollars worth of business have 
             been brought back to this country.
               There were other people who gave their life for this 
             country.
               Bill Morton was a fellow who was always at Ron Brown's 
             side. Bill was a deputy assistant secretary for 
             international trade. He was a long time aide of Ron Brown. 
             He graduated from Georgetown University, a native of 
             Colorado, was always there when Ron Brown had to go. Did 
             not like to fly at all, did not like travel at all, but he 
             felt that it was his responsibility to his boss, Ron 
             Brown. It was the responsibility to his country, and he 
             went when called and did not want to go on that trip to 
             Bosnia, but he was there.
               These are the types of Americans who are the unsung 
             heroes, people who dedicate their time, their life, their 
             energy, time away from their family. The Bill Mortons of 
             the world are the type that makes this country run, that 
             make it as great as it is.
               There were a number of people on that flight. Duane 
             Christian, who was Ron Brown's chief security officer, a 
             person who had been in this government for many years, 
             used to work for the Office of Personnel Management, a 
             former school teacher.
               On that trip was Adam Darling, just a 29-year-old 
             person, a confidential assistant for the Deputy Secretary 
             of Commerce. He worked in international trade, wanted to 
             make America strong, wanted to increase our balance of 
             trade, wanted to reduce the balance of trade deficit, a 
             young 29-year-old person was there serving our country.
               Gail Dobert, acting director of the office of business 
             liaison, a person who had worked many years on the Hill, 
             who was there serving our country.
               Carol Hamilton, the press secretary for Ron Brown, who 
             was a person who had worked in business and industry, 
             worked for Chase Manhattan Bank, but decided to give her 
             time, her talents to the United States Government and came 
             to work in the Commerce Department so that the work that 
             great department was doing could be better told.
               We have Kathryn Hoffman, a special assistant to Ron 
             Brown who was a person who was interested in politics, 
             worked in the Clinton campaign during 1992, and actually 
             was the person that produced the first African-American 
             inaugural gala and leadership forum at the inauguration of 
             the inaugural committee for President Clinton, a person 
             who worked for Sony Pictures and in the past for Senator 
             Biden and Julian Bond. A person with tremendous amount of 
             ability, also lost her life.
               We have Stephen Kaminski, who was a senior commercial 
             officer who traveled a great deal, who tried to see that 
             the market access of American companies could be enlarged 
             in places like Japan, and worked in capitals of Hamburg 
             and Dusseldorf and Vienna, and was a person, a real world 
             leader.
               Kathryn Kellogg, a confidential assistant, office of 
             business liaison, who came to that office from a 
             background with the Jay Rockefeller office and did a 
             tremendous amount.
               And we had a very senior person with us on that trip 
             with Ron Brown, Charles F. Meissner who was the Assistant 
             Secretary of Commerce for International Affairs, has been 
             very active in government, and his wife was the 
             Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner, Mrs. 
             Doris Meissner, and certainly our heart goes out to her, a 
             person who is still contributing to our Government.
               Also a part of our Government team was Lawrence Payne, a 
             special assistant, office of domestic operations. He was a 
             person who added a great deal to the mission.
               Naomi P. Warbasse, who was a deputy director of Central 
             and East Europe Business Information Center.
               We had James M. Lewek, who was an intelligence analyst 
             who worked on European economic issues. He was a person 
             who was an analyst, a very bright individual who served 
             very well.
               So these were people who worked for our government who 
             felt it was important, who felt they had a contribution to 
             make, who felt that this great Nation of ours could do 
             better. They never accepted enough was enough. They went 
             on to move to higher heights.
               Ron Brown had gone on a mission to India. No one ever 
             looked at India as a place where we should take trade 
             missions. It was never on the radar screen. But Ron Brown 
             looked at the population, a population of over 900 million 
             people, a country that in the next 20 years will have a 
             population in excess of the population of the People's 
             Republic of China.
               It is estimated by the year 2020 the population of India 
             will exceed 1 billion 250 million people--1 billion 300 
             million people. This is awesome.
               The People's Republic of China currently has 1 billion 
             100 million people. The population of the United States is 
             250 million.
               Ron Brown looked at India and said, after analysis, that 
             India has as many middle-income people as the entire 
             population of the United States of America. He was one 
             that looked around and saw the poverty and saw the 
             problems, but he also looked at the aggregate number, 900 
             million people, and found out that 250 million were 
             middle-income people in India. And so he took a trade 
             mission and, in less than a week, did over $7 billion 
             worth of business on that trip. It was Ron Brown 
             conceiving that there is opportunity in that great country 
             of India.
               He took trade missions to South Africa, worked with Mr. 
             Mandela. As a matter of fact, Ron Brown was one of 
             President Nelson Mandela's favorite persons. Mr. Mandela, 
             who, as you know, is probably one of the greatest leaders 
             in this world, has tremendous insight, and he was a person 
             that opened his doors to his personal home to Ron Brown 
             because of the camaraderie between the two. Of course, 
             President Mandela, being much older than Ron Brown, Ron 
             just looked up to him and went to South Africa, and 
             through Ron Brown's creativity the Mbeke-Gore Bilateral 
             Commission for Trade, directly the deputy president, Tabo 
             Mbeke, Vice President Al Gore cochaired this trade 
             development that will increase imports and exports from 
             these two great countries.
               Ron Brown went to Asia and was very popular.
               The Japanese trade officials enjoyed working with Ron 
             Brown. They felt that he was very astute, and he did 
             outstanding business in Japan. He was one, and we heard of 
             Mickey Kantor and his debates in Geneva with the auto 
             parts, but Ron Brown would go over to Japan, and it was, 
             they call it, the ``bad cop, good cop,'' Mickey Kantor 
             being the bad cop, tough guy, mean guy, never smiled, and 
             Ron Brown would come with his smile. He was a good cop. 
             But Ron would always get the signature on the dotted line. 
             So, as we have recently heard, the tremendous increase in 
             the amount of autos and auto parts being sold to Japan, a 
             record for this country. Part of that success for our big 
             three auto makers is because of Ron Brown and the work 
             that he has done.
               He went to the People's Republic of China and was ready 
             to do business all over the place. It was just that it was 
             so large, Ron just took a little piece of it, but billions 
             of dollars' worth of People's Republic of China.
               And so I mentioned these various missions that he took. 
             He was interested in the whole relationship between Mexico 
             and the United States. He felt that Mexico has tremendous 
             potential, but that the human rights of people in Mexico 
             must be observed better. He talked about changing over the 
             type of government, making it more people oriented, and he 
             was a person that saw that one way that we could stop 
             illegal immigration is that Mexico itself becomes a place 
             that people feel they should stay, their country. Most 
             people prefer living in their own country. They do not 
             like traveling to other countries. They do not want to 
             learn a foreign language. They do not want to be put in 
             substandard jobs. They do not want to be pointed out as 
             the problem. So most people, wherever they live in the 
             world, prefer to stay where their home country is.
               Ron Brown felt that, with Mexico developing, with 
             opportunities in Mexico for Mexicans, that would be the 
             biggest way to slow down and eventually stop illegal 
             immigration and actually have people emigrate back to 
             Mexico once opportunities developed there. But he also 
             said that, as Mexico developed, that there would be 
             markets for the United States, there would be trade 
             opportunities, that it would not be a one-way street, but 
             we would be able to solve a tremendous social problem in 
             our country of illegal immigration.
               So Ron Brown's policies really affected the world, 
             whether it was in the Far East, the Pacific rim, whether 
             it was in the new independent States, or in Africa. He was 
             a person who felt that we could do things best in this 
             country, we make the best products, once we put our minds 
             to it. He felt that all we had to do was to get an 
             opportunity to introduce our business people to foreign 
             markets, and that they would really jump on board on 
             getting our products.
               So as we wind down on our commemoration of Ron Brown, 
             the man, Ron Brown, the leader, Ron Brown, the father, Ron 
             Brown was a person that even when he was under attack, and 
             I sat at a hearing of the committee on International 
             Relations where there was the move to abolish and 
             eliminate the Department of Commerce. Some mean-spirited 
             questions were asked, and the manner in which some of the 
             questioners on the other side of the aisle were lashing 
             out at the Secretary of Commerce. He answered every 
             question. He answered the questions well. He had the 
             facts.
               As a matter of fact, when the hearing ended, most of the 
             Members who started out with this mean-spirited slash and 
             burn type of philosophy had to admit that the Department 
             of Commerce had done an outstanding job; had to admit 
             that, truly, this is the first Department of Commerce 
             Secretary that the American people can say the name of the 
             person. This is a Commerce Department person that people 
             felt was doing the job. But in their fallacy, their 
             preconceived notion was to eliminate the Department of 
             Commerce. I think that that started to sort of slow down 
             once Ron Brown really gave the facts to people.
               We are here to say, Mr. Speaker, that we hope that we 
             will remember Ron. We will once again say that he was a 
             great American. We will once again say that he is the type 
             of person that we can have young men and women, African-
             American, Caucasian, native American, whatever, point to 
             and say that he is the measure of a man. Anyone can 
             succeed if you try hard enough, that all you have to do is 
             to have a vision, have creativity, and be ready to step up 
             to the plate.
               Once again, I would like to thank the Speaker for this 
             time, and to express to my colleagues who came out tonight 
             that I appreciate their participation this evening. I also 
             appreciate the participation of many, many Members who 
             have expressed their views during the past week that we 
             have been back here, Monday, Tuesday, and today.
               As a matter of fact, concluding, it was going to be on a 
             week from today that he was going to visit the 
             Congressional Black Caucus' weekly meeting. We talked 
             before his trip, and April 24 was the date that he was 
             scheduled to come to talk about women's opportunities, 
             small business, the census. So we will certainly even more 
             remember him next week when we meet in our weekly 
             Wednesday meeting. He is a true American, a real American 
             hero.

               Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the American 
             chorus of praise for Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and to 
             join my colleagues in expressing our profound sorrow at 
             the loss of his life in the plan crash in Croatia. And I 
             also take this time to let the Nation know that a 
             constituent of mine, Air Force Staff Sgt. Gerald V. 
             Aldrich, of Louisville, IL, was a member of the crew and 
             also perished in that terrible crash.
               Because of that, the 19th District of Illinois was 
             touched as much as any other in the Nation by the news 
             from that rugged mountainside in a nation torn apart by 
             civil war and cultural strife.
               Unexplainable tragedies inevitably take with them 
             outstanding people who are a credit to their families, 
             friends, and communities. Certainly that is true with 
             Sergeant Aldrich and Secretary Brown.
               I have talked with the Aldrich family at length, and 
             know that they are extraordinarily proud of their fine 
             son. He entered the military shortly after graduating from 
             high school and fashioned a career that was clearly taking 
             him to leadership positions in the Air Force. On behalf of 
             everyone in the 19th district, I send my deepest 
             sympathies to his entire family.
               As I comprehended Secretary Brown's death, I knew that 
             most people would remember him for his efforts in the 
             Democratic Party and for his global approach to supporting 
             American economic interests. And while he must certainly 
             be commended for those things, I knew that I would 
             remember him much more for two very simple, relatively 
             small projects which were extremely important to me and 
             the people in my district. There are two major 
             construction projects underway in my district right now 
             because the communities made their case to the Commerce 
             Department, and Secretary Brown made sure their needs were 
             addressed. He was personally interested in how these 
             projects would create jobs and improve the lives of 
             working people, and I will always be thankful for that.
               Mr. Speaker, two fine Americans were taken from us on 
             that mountain in Croatia. I thank the Aldrich and Brown 
             families for sharing their precious gifts with us for as 
             long as they did, and commend their careers of public 
             service to the rest of us to emulate and admire.

               Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
             tribute to the late Secretary Ron Brown, an American who 
             distinguished himself as a leader in the Democratic Party 
             and an outspoken supporter of free trade while serving as 
             Commerce Secretary.
               During his youth, Mr. Brown excelled in school. His 
             success led him to Middlebury College in Vermont, which he 
             attended on a ROTC scholarship. After graduating in 1962, 
             Mr. Brown entered the Army and rose to the rank of 
             captain.
               Throughout his life he held many important positions in 
             both the private and public sectors. Secretary Brown ably 
             assisted Senator Kennedy on his staff and with the 
             Judiciary Committee. In addition, he was a highly sought 
             lobbyist with Patton, Boggs & Blow.
               Mr. Brown impressively unified the Jesse Jackson and 
             Michael Dukakis supporters at the 1988 Democratic National 
             Convention. His efforts propelled him to chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee, where he ably served for 4 
             years, culminating in Bill Clinton's 1992 election. Ron 
             Brown deservedly received much of the credit for his work 
             with the Clinton campaign.
               Over the past 3 years, Mr. Brown had directed his 
             efforts toward improving trade and commerce for the United 
             States. He served as a proud emissary for American 
             interests.
               Mr. Brown was a talented and tireless adversary on the 
             campaign trail as well as a distinguished member of the 
             Clinton Administration serving on behalf of the American 
             people. I offer my condolences to the family and friends 
             of Secretary Ron Brown.

               Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 
             sadness that I rise today to salute a man who did more to 
             advance U.S. economic interests at home and abroad than 
             any other in our nation's distinguished history. Ron 
             Brown, whose other accomplishments include revitalizing 
             the Democratic party and advancing race relations in 
             America, died tragically 2 weeks ago on a trade mission in 
             Bosnia.
               As Commerce Secretary, Brown was accompanied by 34 other 
             brave Americans, one of whom was my constituent. Adam 
             Darling, a 29-year Commerce Department assistant who 
             offered to bike cross-country from his Santa Cruz, 
             California home to promote Bill Clinton's 1992 
             presidential campaign, also lost his life on that terrible 
             flight. I had the honor of saluting Adam's life last 
             Friday, along with the First Lady, his family and friends 
             at a touching memorial service. He will be sorely missed 
             by all.
               Adam was on board, because as President Clinton put it, 
             Ron Brown could see in him and the others ``the promise of 
             a new tomorrow and he knew they needed someone to reach 
             down and give them the opportunity to serve.'' Ron Brown 
             was truly one of a kind.
               The son of a hotel manager, Ron Brown grew up in black 
             America but bridged the gap between white and black from 
             the earliest years of his life. Attending white private 
             schools, Brown went on to be the only African-American in 
             his class at Middlebury College, where he forged the 
             desegregation of his fraternity. He later attended St. 
             John's University Law School and subsequently worked as a 
             prominent attorney in the largely white world of law. 
             After that, Ron Brown became the first African-American 
             chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As former 
             National Urban League chief John Jacob said, ``Ron could 
             accomplish anything, because he didn't believe he couldn't 
             do it.
               As Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown worked tirelessly to 
             promote our economic interests both here an around the 
             globe. He firmly believed that free, but fair trade was 
             one of the best ways of advancing our country's national 
             interests as we move into the 21st century. It was for 
             this reason that Ron Brown enthusiastically led his 
             mission to Bosnia. He believed that the untapped 
             possibilities of the war-torn region held untold 
             possibilities for the United States.
               I personally have had the pleasure of working with Ron 
             Brown on a number of occasions. Before his untimely death, 
             he and I had been developing a unique initiative of 
             sustainable development for my congressional district. We 
             both eagerly looked forward to harnessing the creative 
             energy of public and private enterprise to forget this new 
             national model.
               I don't believe a day has gone by since the tragic 
             accident that I have not mourned what this country will 
             miss without Ron Brown, and the others aboard his plane. 
             While the important work of the Commerce Department will 
             surely continue, America will never recapture the 
             potential that traveled aboard that flight. We can never 
             replace the enormous possibilities that traveled with Ron 
             Brown.

               Mr. DELLUMS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a 
             dear friend, a visionary, a dream-maker, and trailblazer; 
             the Honorable Ronald H. Brown. Although I am deeply 
             saddened by his sudden passing, I am inspired and 
             encouraged by the legacy Ron has left for all citizens of 
             the United States. Ron Brown was not only a personal 
             friend, but a friend of our country.
               Elected the first African American Chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee, he utilized his experience 
             and successes, in reuniting the Democratic Party and 
             ensuring a victory for President Clinton.
               As the first African American Secretary of Commerce, Ron 
             not only pursued the expansion of American trade 
             opportunities, but also sought to extend the American 
             Dream to improve the quality of life for all people 
             throughout the world. His vision for the Department of 
             Commerce included providing economic opportunities for all 
             Americans, opening and expanding markets globally, and 
             generating jobs through his national export strategy which 
             allows U.S. companies--big and small--to maximize their 
             export potential. In addition, he wanted to ensure an 
             enhanced technology base and infrastructure and 
             utilization and growth for the Information Superhighway. 
             In doing so, he transformed America into an export 
             superpower, creating over $80 billion in foreign 
             agreements for U.S. businesses. A champion of civil 
             rights, he fought for diversity within the Department, as 
             well as increased opportunities for minority-owned 
             businesses.
               Ron was a trailblazer. The list of accomplishments which 
             inspires not only African Americans, but all working men, 
             women, and minorities is commendable. He, as Dr. Martin 
             Luther King, Jr., was an effective communicator, a 
             passionate civil rights advocate, keen political 
             strategist, skilled negotiator, and compassionate bridge 
             builder. A man of action, Ron Brown not only dreamt, but 
             more importantly, realized his dreams for himself and 
             others.
               I will personally miss our heart to heart conversations 
             and political discussions, Ron's enthusiasm for life, and 
             most of all, his infectious smile.
               As my friend, the Reverend Jesse Jackson so eloquently 
             described him, ``We must remember Ron Brown--freedom 
             fighter, social servant, patriot, dream-maker. . . . A 
             monument to his success is opening the door for coming 
             generations.'' We must always hold a special place in our 
             hearts for Ron Brown. Ron was truly a man for all seasons 
             who we will sorely miss. Thank you, Ron, for all you've 
             done. We love you, brother.

               Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, people from all walks of life, 
             professional, personal, religious--friends, colleagues and 
             strangers alike--found themselves binding together over 
             the past 2 weeks in mourning the loss of Ron Brown, U.S. 
             Secretary of Commerce, who died tragically in a plane 
             crash in Bosnia. As could be expected, Ron was lost to us 
             while on a mission of peace as he sought to repair the 
             fabric of war-torn Bosnia.
               Today, in honor of his memory, I would like to add my 
             voice to those of hundreds of thousands--perhaps 
             millions--of others who spoke of Ron Brown the man, the 
             husband, the father, the friend of Democrats, the beloved 
             adviser to President Clinton.
               I begin by extending my personal condolences to his 
             wife, Alma and their children, and to the families and 
             friends of all others who gave their lives as well, and to 
             assure them that they are in my thoughts and my prayers; 
             may they be comforted by God's love and the outpouring of 
             grief, love, and the many tributes coming from people 
             throughout the world.
               I also convey condolences to the family and friends of 
             William Morton, a native of Huntington, WV, located in the 
             district I represent, who was also aboard the doomed plane 
             over Croatia. To them I extend my deepest sympathies and 
             offer my prayers on their behalf that will always be 
             comforted knowing that William died on a mission of peace, 
             as a patriot of his country, doing the job he was 
             committed to doing and doing well, at the side of his 
             mentor, Secretary Brown.
               I pay particular tribute to Ron Brown, Secretary of 
             Commerce, for while he excelled in all aspects of every 
             endeavor or job or position he ever held in public life, 
             it was as Secretary of Commerce that he won my everlasting 
             admiration and esteem.
               As the Representative in the House of the people of the 
             third district in West Virginia, one of my major goals is 
             to do all that is possible to increase economic 
             development opportunities and the job creation that 
             follows such incentives, for my people. We live in the 
             heart of Appalachia where unemployment in some areas still 
             remains in double-digits, and where economic development 
             is integral to our effort to create a stronger, stable 
             economic base for all West Virginians.
               Ron Brown won my heart by requiring his entire 
             department staff to memorize a one-sentence mission 
             statement that ought to be the mission statement of every 
             person in government, and that sentence was: ``Our mission 
             is to ensure economic opportunity for every American.''
               Ron Brown, having achieved the American dream for 
             himself, spent the rest of his life seeking to make it a 
             reality for those bound over by poverty and despair. His 
             life stands as a testament to the power of educating our 
             people, to a sound work ethic meaning a willingness to 
             work hard, and a dedication of ourselves to work for the 
             common good of all.
               In West Virginia, Ron will be remembered more for local 
             economic development projects through the Economic 
             Development Administration [EDA], and the Office of 
             Economic Adjustment perhaps, then for his global view on 
             trade initiatives between the United States and the rest 
             of the world. He was a friend of towns and cities large 
             and small throughout the Nation, and became the catalyst 
             for change in social and economic circles that were long 
             overdue, by reminding American capitalists that their 
             prosperity was inextricably linked to the prosperity of 
             all Americans.
               Whether Ron was in an American city, the Middle East, or 
             Bosnia, he believed that participation in economic success 
             would go a long way in healing racial, ethnic, and 
             religious differences.
               Secretary Brown ran the Commerce Committee like no other 
             Secretary before him--by actively involving businesses in 
             securing jobs for Americans. He took a page from the 
             investment strategy book of the Japanese Government whose 
             economic growth excelled for many years because of the 
             direct involvement of government in the Japanese business 
             community, issuing a challenge to America's economic 
             thinking.
               Ron Brown learned from that, and he acknowledged the 
             power and importance of businesses great and small in the 
             United States, and encouraged greater investment in 
             business and industry, rather than ignoring them as his 
             predecessors had done. Under his stewardship, the American 
             economy rebounded over the past 3 years, largely due to 
             his personal involvement and the involvement of his 
             department staff who had memorized the one-sentence 
             mission statement: ``Our mission is to ensure economic 
             opportunity for every American.''
               Ron Brown was many things to many people, and he was 
             remembered as having great charisma, of being able to walk 
             into a room and energize it, drawing people to his side. 
             He was known for his sense of compassion, his willingness 
             to listen to both sides. He was also known for his sense 
             of humor and, needless to say, for his outstanding 
             political acumen, and his ability to make friends anywhere 
             and everywhere he went, working on behalf of the America 
             he loved.
               That is Secretary Brown's legacy to us all, and we must 
             not forget.

                                              THURSDAY, April 18, 1996.

               Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for 
             the immediate consideration in the House of the resolution 
             (H. Res. 406) in tribute to Secretary of Commerce Ronald 
             H. Brown and other Americans who lost their lives on April 
             3, 1996, while in service to their country on a mission to 
             Bosnia.
               The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
               The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Quinn). Is there objection 
             to the request of the gentleman from Missouri?
               There was no objection.
               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The clerk will report the 
             resolution.
               The Clerk read as follows:
                                     H. Res. 406
               Whereas Ronald H. Brown served the United States of 
             America with patriotism and skill as a soldier, a civil 
             rights leader, and attorney;
               Whereas Ronald H. Brown devoted his life to opening 
             doors, building bridges, and helping those in need;
               Whereas Ronald H. Brown lost his life in a tragic 
             airplane accident on April 3, 1996, while in service to 
             his country on a mission in Bosnia; and
               Whereas thirty-two other Americans from government and 
             industry who served the Nation with great courage, 
             achievement, and dedication also lost their lives in the 
             accident: Now, therefore, be it
               Resolved, That the House of Representatives pays tribute 
             to the remarkable life and career of Ronald H. Brown, and 
             it extends condolences to his family.
               Be it further resolved, That the House of 
             Representatives also pays tribute to the contributions of 
             all those who perished, and that we extend our condolences 
             to the families of: Staff Sergeant Gerald Aldrich, Duane 
             Christian, Barry Conrad, Paul Cushman III, Adam Darling, 
             Captain Ashley James Davis, Gail Dobert, Robert Donovan, 
             Claudio Elia, Staff Sergeant Robert Farrington, Jr., David 
             Ford, Carol Hamilton, Kathryn Hoffman, Lee Jackson, Steven 
             Kaminiski, Kathryn Kellogg, Technical Sergeant Shelley 
             Kelly, James Lewek, Frank Maier, Charles Meissner, William 
             Morton, Walter Murphy, Nathaniel Nash, Lawrence Payne, 
             Leonard Pieroni, Captain Timothy Shafer, John Scoville, I. 
             Donald Terner, P. Stuart Tholan, Technical Sergeant Cheryl 
             Ann Turnage, Naomi Warbasse, and Robert Whittaker.
               Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House shall transmit a copy of 
             the resolution to each of the families.

               Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning with great sadness to 
             offer a resolution in tribute to Commerce Secretary Ron 
             Brown and all of the Americans who lost their lives in 
             that awful tragedy on April 3 while they were all serving 
             their country on a mission to Bosnia. I am pleased that we 
             are able to make this a bipartisan resolution, in fact, a 
             resolution of all the Members of the House. For when a 
             highly and distinguished member of the U.S. Cabinet is 
             killed overseas for the first time in American history, 
             when we lose an individual, and individuals of such 
             extraordinary ability and achievement, when we lose so 
             many other dedicated business leaders and public servants, 
             members of the Commerce Department, members of the U.S. 
             Air Force, it is not a partisan tragedy, it is truly a 
             tragedy for all of our citizens and all of our country.
               In the week since Ron Brown's death, it has already 
             become a cliche to speak of his brilliant political and 
             public service career. Of his pioneering role as chairman 
             of the Democratic Party and his efforts to almost single-
             handedly redefine the Commerce Department and its mandate. 
             For those of us who considered Ron a friend, as I did, it 
             is reassuring to know that the country remembers him as 
             fondly as we do. But when there are so many tangible 
             achievements to celebrate in a man's life, it becomes 
             harder to recognize what is less tangible but perhaps as 
             more important.
               To me, there is a simple reason why Ron Brown broke down 
             so many barriers in so many areas and shattered so many 
             preconceptions, about politics, race, and America's place 
             in the world. For all of his practical and political 
             talents, Ron Brown was an idealist, pure and simple. His 
             goals for himself, his party and his country were always 
             based on what should be and not on what others thought 
             could be. This is a rare quality in any of us, in a 
             politician, a rate quality in a human being. But it is why 
             so many people loved and respected Ron Brown and were so 
             often willing to abandon their own goals and egos to work 
             with him for a higher purpose.
               Mr. Speaker, much has been said in recent days about Ron 
             Brown's ability to heal divisions, to reconcile views, to 
             focus on what unite people rather than on what divide 
             them. He truly believed that you could always accomplish 
             more by working together, by bringing others along with 
             you. That is one reason why he nurtured so much talent in 
             so many other people throughout his career. As party 
             chairman, he really did bring the Democratic Party 
             together, something that is hard to do, sometimes almost 
             one person at a time.
               To see the depth of his empathy and understanding, to 
             see how far he would go to understand people who disagreed 
             with him and opinions and then to find the common ground 
             between them was to see the very essence of leadership. 
             Commerce Secretary Ron Brown dramatically expanded his 
             mandate, reinvigorating the foreign commercial service and 
             becoming a real booster of U.S. exports on a scale that we 
             have never seen before. He poured all of his passion and 
             energy in his work at Commerce, as he had at the 
             Democratic Committee, and I always admired the aggressive 
             way in which he led that department, even in the face of 
             criticism.
               Mr. Speaker, our country could use more Ron Browns, for 
             he pushed boundaries, broke down barriers almost 
             instinctively, intuitively as if he simply refused to 
             acknowledge that they were there in the first place. 
             Perhaps in that sense, we can find a shred of meaning in 
             Ron Brown's death, because no risk, no naysayers could 
             ever have kept him from exploring new terrain, for 
             reaching new challenges, and from trying to redefine the 
             world in which we live.
               That he managed to do all of these things in so few 
             years is a powerful legacy indeed. I also want to reach 
             out on behalf of all of us to the families not only of Ron 
             Brown but all of the Americans who died in this terrible 
             tragedy. All of them together, in their own way, were 
             trying to do something very important for the United 
             States and for the world. The business people who were out 
             there were out there to help rebuild an economy torn by 
             war and strife.
               Mr. Speaker, the truth is there was no real profit to be 
             made by these companies. They were there on a mission of 
             the United States to help the people of Bosnia. Unlike 
             maybe many of the other trade missions that Ron Brown 
             asked them to be on, this one was truly a mission of help. 
             This was a mission of altruism in the highest sense of the 
             business community and the people of this country.
               So to the families of all of these people, whether it 
             was business leaders, whether it is Ron Brown, whether it 
             was the Air Force people who were trying to take them 
             there, whether it was the staff people at Commerce, I want 
             to reach out and deliver in as heartfelt a way as we can 
             the deep sympathy and the feeling of gratitude and 
             appreciation that all of us have for all of these people 
             and their families.
               There is no way that any of us can bring these lives 
             back, but we can at least stand here today and on behalf 
             of the American people give a heartfelt condolence of 
             sympathy and heartfelt thanks and appreciation for the 
             sacrifice of all of the people who died in this terrible 
             tragedy.
               Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
             distinguished Speaker of the House, the gentleman from 
             Georgia [Mr. Gingrich].

               Mr. GINGRICH. Let me thank my colleague for yielding and 
             let me thank the minority leader for proposing this 
             resolution which I think every Member of the House will 
             support and which I think every Member of the House wishes 
             to reach each family touched by this tragedy.
               The House, I believe, will want to extend condolences to 
             every member of every family to realize that there were a 
             number of Americans serving their country, serving the 
             cause of freedom, seeking to help a war-torn region who 
             found themselves willing to take real risks. This tragedy 
             is a reminder that service in our armed services and at 
             times service to our country is potentially dangerous and 
             requires of our citizens a willingness to put duty above 
             pleasure and to put country above self.
               Mr. Speaker, Secretary Ron Brown is the first Cabinet 
             Secretary killed on duty in over 150 years. I think it was 
             an enormous shock to all of us to be reminded of the 
             dangers traveling around the world that can affect those 
             who serve even in civilian posts. I knew Ron Brown as a 
             competitor. We did not meet in the same planning meetings. 
             We were not involved in the same things when he was 
             chairman of the Democratic National Committee, but I got 
             to know him as somebody who was brilliant, who was 
             charming, who was energetic and, maybe more important, who 
             had a kind of creativity with a remarkable resilience. 
             Whatever angle you came at Ron from, he came back with a 
             new idea, a new approach, new intensity. He was a great 
             competitor. I think that both Lee Atwater before his death 
             and Haley Barbour since have found in Ron Brown a personal 
             friend and somebody who shared their passion for democracy 
             and shared their zest for partisan competition.
               It is true that Ron Brown was at times very 
             controversial and a lot of questions were raised, a lot of 
             charges were made. Certainly, of all the Members of the 
             House, I may be the most able to identify with being at 
             the center of controversy at times. And I can say that 
             every time we would meet and we would talk, there was a 
             positiveness to his approach. There was an intensity and a 
             willingness to live out whatever happened and whatever 
             fights he was in, a willingness to move forward, to focus 
             on getting things done that was quite remarkable.
               At the Commerce Department, he traveled across the 
             world, worked with senior executives, did, I thought, 
             remarkably creative things to create American jobs through 
             world sales. And again and again he would put together a 
             team, they would go to a country and he would achieve 
             breakthroughs for American workers and for American sales 
             that had not occurred before. In his last mission, as my 
             good friend from Missouri was pointing out, Ron Brown was 
             on a selfless venture to help those who needed help, to 
             help those who sought peace, recognizing that as Commerce 
             Secretary, if he could help them begin to rebuild their 
             economies, he might be able to begin to rebuild their 
             cultures, and they might be able to find a way to seek 
             prosperity together rather than to destroy their region in 
             war.
               I think we in the House want Ron Brown's family and the 
             families of all of those who died in this accident to know 
             that we are deeply grateful for the commitment they made 
             to freedom, to the willingness they had to serve their 
             country, and that our offices and our doors are open, both 
             to Secretary Brown's family, but equally important, to the 
             family of every American who was on that airplane, to the 
             family of every person who died in service to their 
             country.
               Again, I thank my friend for offering this resolution 
             which I so strongly support and which I would hope the 
             House will pass unanimously in just a few minutes.

               Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for that 
             fine statement and urge all the Members to vote for this 
             resolution.

               Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I first want to commend our 
             distinguished minority leader and the Speaker for 
             introducing this important resolution and for bringing it 
             to the floor in this expeditious manner.
               I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this resolution, which 
             pays tribute to Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and the 
             other 33 Americans who lost their lives in the tragic 
             airplane crash on April 3.
               In the past 2 weeks, we all have heard the tremendous 
             accolades paid to Secretary Brown for his numerous 
             contributions to this Nation. He was a great public 
             servant, a loving husband and father, and a man who 
             brought tremendous enthusiasm, vision, humor, and 
             intelligence to every challenge he accepted.
               The country is much better off because of Ron Brown. We 
             have all heard the many tributes from American business 
             leaders who have called him the best Secretary of Commerce 
             in our Nation's history. These statements were made well 
             before his tragic death. As Secretary of Commerce, Ron 
             worked tirelessly and aggressively to create and protect 
             American jobs. Under his leadership, the Department 
             delivered more for less by making sensible investments in 
             our communities, protecting intellectual property rights, 
             stimulating advances in technology and telecommunications, 
             increasing our competitiveness and exports, and providing 
             essential weather forecasting, research, and environmental 
             services.
               I know many other Members with to speak this morning, so 
             I will end by simply saying farewell and thank you to my 
             dear friend Ron Brown and by extending my deepest 
             condolences to his wife Alma, to his wonderful children, 
             and to the families and friends of the other Americans who 
             lost their lives in service to their country on April 3. 
             The loss of their collective talents will be felt for 
             years to come.

               Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first of all I would 
             like to thank, as a representative of the Congressional 
             Black Caucus, to thank the leader, the gentleman from 
             Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], to thank our Speaker, and to say 
             to our Speaker we thank him for bringing in the bipartisan 
             part of this resolution, and I thank him very much, 
             Speaker Gingrich, for adding this dimension to this 
             resolution.
               Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and the other Americans 
             who lost their lives on April 3 while in service to our 
             country, they were true patriots, and they deserve the 
             honor which patriots should receive.
               The Congressional Black Caucus thanks all of this House 
             for representing and paying a tribute to Secretary Brown. 
             We also want to thank Senator Bob Dole, who cosponsored 
             the resolution in the Senate, and 98 of his colleagues 
             properly and officially honored, just as we are doing, 
             Secretary Brown and the other great Americans who died in 
             the service of their country.
               We pay tribute to Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and the 
             others. He was the 30th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He had 
             been a strong and forceful advocate for not only American 
             business, but Ron Brown stretched all out to the byways 
             and the ghettos of this country, and they all had a model 
             to follow, regardless of race, color, or creed. He was a 
             beacon of hope for the divergent messages that make up 
             this country.
               Under Secretary Brown's leadership, the Commerce 
             Department became one of the major success stories in the 
             Clinton administration. He launched a national export 
             strategy predicated on the very basic idea that American 
             exports translate into jobs and opportunities for American 
             business and working people. In the pursuit of this 
             strategy, Secretary Brown conducted trade mission after 
             trade mission.
               He was a tireless worker or soldier in the American 
             Army. He had the vision to see that beyond the horrors of 
             war, behind the horrors of war-torn Bosnia lay 
             opportunities, not only for American business, but for the 
             Bosnian people. To be of service, he wanted to be, and he 
             did it as well as to engage in commerce.
               Ron Brown was a common man with an uncommon touch who, 
             while fighting against this Nation's injustices, also 
             believed he could be bettering this Nation and that all 
             people could be lifted up to reach their highest 
             potential. Because of Ron Brown, doors have been opened 
             for many Americans that were never even cracked before.
               The Congressional Black Caucus is grateful for Secretary 
             Ron Brown's legacy, which he left to all of us. He came 
             from humble roots, but he did not internalize his race or 
             his color or his creed. He did not internalize his humble 
             beginnings. He made something out of each one. He did not 
             relate himself to the roles which society had defined for 
             him and others like him.
               He was an unifying and driving force to indicate to all 
             of us what a public servant should be like. He knew what 
             it meant to be one. He put the needs of the American 
             people ahead of his own. He lived for America, and 
             ultimately, Mr. Speaker, he gave his life for America.
               So I want to thank this House for bestowing this tribute 
             on Ron Brown, and on behalf of the Congressional Black 
             Caucus I would like to say, ``Thank you to all of you.''

               Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
             resolution, and most importantly I rise in support to 
             celebrate the life of the man that we knew as Ron Brown.
               I am a new Member of this body, going on my 15th month, 
             and early in my tenure Ron Brown reached out to me as one 
             of those new freshmen Members, those Republican freshmen 
             Members of the Congress, because Ron Brown, above all 
             else, was the kind of man that built bridges, and, yes, we 
             know his service as a great politician, and I say that in 
             the most reverent and decent sense because he understood 
             good politics, he understood the art of compromise and 
             building bridges.
               Ron Brown was a people person, he was a good and decent 
             man, and I am so very honored to stand in this well with 
             so many others who have come to revere and respect Ron 
             Brown and to have called him my friend.
               Mr. Speaker, over the last 15 months we spent many 
             moments together, some of his more difficult personal 
             moments. I was honored to have spent some time over in his 
             office with him, and, Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown, as I said, 
             was a tremendous individual, and he was a tremendous 
             public servant. He built the Commerce Department in a way 
             that I think few on either side of the aisle would 
             dispute. It said that the work of Ron Brown has sowed the 
             seeds for about $44 billion in new economic opportunity 
             for American businesses as a result of his travels around 
             the globe to build partnerships with other nations.
               As I said, he was a good and decent man, and we shared 
             something else in common: our love for a place on eastern 
             Long Island called Sag Harbor, and he spent many wonderful 
             private moments there with his dear wife, Alma, and with 
             his children.
               Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown, as I say, will be sorely missed. 
             He was a man of good humor, good decency, and we reached 
             out and spoke with each other many, many times over the 
             last 15 months.
               I disagree with some who think that, for example, we 
             should change the way the Commerce Department is set up. I 
             disagree with that, and Ron understood that, and we talked 
             at great length about that.
               I shared his interest in the National Marine Fishery 
             Service, which was one of the many agencies under his 
             charge at the Department of Commerce, and they did 
             tremendous things, the National Marine Fishery Service, 
             something again that we had in common with my eastern Long 
             Island district, and, as I have acknowledge, he has built 
             tremendous bridges across the world on behalf of all 
             Americans in the area of international trade particularly, 
             and during my last 15 months in this body I have heard 
             repeatedly, long before the tragedy, of the tremendous 
             accomplishments of the Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, 
             in the area of exporting.
               So I rise today in support of the resolution. I extend 
             to the family of Ron Brown, to his dear wife, Alma, and 
             his children, Tracy and Michael, and to all of the 
             families of the 33 others whom we lost in the tragedy 
             earlier this month, I extend our condolences, our 
             heartfelt sympathies, and our prayers and thoughts are 
             with all of you.
               I stood in this well several evenings ago and made note 
             of another individual whom we lost in this tragedy from my 
             district, young Gail Dobert, who served with Ron Brown in 
             his chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee, and 
             with excitement and great promise went with him over to 
             the Department of Commerce and served so ably to help 
             build this international presence that Ron made possible.
               So I rise in support of this resolution, and I 
             appreciate the House taking this time today to celebrate 
             the life of Ron Brown. He was a good and decent man.

               Mrs. KENNELLY. Mr. Speaker, today we honor a dear friend 
             and a great leader, the late Commerce Secretary, Ron 
             Brown.
               Every so often, fortunately, our country produces 
             someone who reminds us of the hope, energy, and optimism 
             that are the very essence of being an American. Ron Brown 
             was such a person. He was a vital man--vital in his love 
             of life, and vital in the energy that he brought to his 
             work.
               Those of us who had the joy of working with Ron Brown 
             know the total dedication he brought to any job. Verve, 
             style, and sheer energy were his hallmarks.
               But beyond that dazzling surface lay an intellect of 
             great depth in understanding the forces at work in the 
             world today. He knew that in an increasingly complex and 
             competitive world, Government officials must fight to gain 
             a fair share of foreign projects and markets for U.S. 
             goods. So Ron Brown pioneered commercial diplomacy. From 
             his first day at the Commerce Department to his last 
             tragic flight, Ron Brown proved himself to be the best 
             advocate American business ever had. Against the world's 
             toughest competition, he championed our country's 
             industries, workers, and products. He pioneered commercial 
             diplomacy from his first day at Commerce to his last, 
             tragic flight.
               Ron Brown proved himself to be a strong voice for 
             American business and for all Americans. Against the 
             world's toughest competition, he championed our country. 
             His knowledge, his good will, and his commitment to this 
             country will all be missed deeply. With my colleagues, I 
             send my deepest sympathy to his family.
               But, Mr. Speaker, on a personal note, I just want to 
             speak about Ron Brown as I knew him. He had something that 
             always had me in awe. When Ron Brown talked to you, you 
             thought he cared about you.
               The last time I talked to Ron Brown was a week before he 
             went on his trip. My colleagues would have thought this 
             terribly busy man was waiting for my call. And my call was 
             a request, another request of so many requests, to take up 
             part of his very important time.
               My sympathy to his family, my sympathy to the United 
             States of America, because he is gone.
               Ron, your thousands of friends are going to miss you.

               Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise as a 
             conservative to pay tribute and give my sympathy to the 
             family of Ron Brown.
               Ron Brown was a liberal. We rarely shared the same 
             philosophical views. But let me say to my colleagues there 
             was no more trusted man in politics, in my opinion, than 
             Ron Brown because he really believed what he said. He was 
             truly genuine. I think we really need to learn from Ron 
             Brown's spirit. Even though he was a partisan Democrat and 
             I am a partisan Republican, we all could meet with him, 
             and when that meeting was finished and when I was walking 
             out of the room, it felt like walking out after having met 
             with a friend even though we might have disagreed.
               That is the kind of man that Ron Brown was. We need more 
             people like that in Government, we need more people like 
             that in this House of Representatives. We all, those of us 
             who show emotion from time to time, could take a lesson 
             from Ron Brown because he was truly a decent human being, 
             liked by so many people, including me.
               Our condolences also go out to all of the families of 
             those who lost their lives in the terrible tragedy 
             including the families from Glens Falls, NY, my hometown, 
             Claudio Elia, the husband of Susan Day, who grew up next 
             door, and to Walter J. Murphy, who also grew up in Glens 
             Falls.
               They and Ron Brown were just 2 of the 33 decent human 
             beings who were doing their part in trying to bring peace 
             and stability to that troubled part of the world.
               May God Bless them all.

               Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             yielding this time to me, and I thank him for his 
             leadership and his tribute to Ron Brown.
               Seven Americans, seven public servants, went down on 
             that fated plane in Bosnia. One of them was Ronald H. 
             Brown. He was my friend of 30 years and my constituent. 
             This was the city in which he was born, it is the city 
             where he lived out his life, it was the city where he 
             became known as both a public man and a public servant.
               Many of us will remember him also as a family man. The 
             most poignant photograph of Ron is the one with his twin 
             grandsons.
               What Ron meant to his son Michael and his daughter Tracy 
             is itself a model for how to be a parent in these days 
             when so many have lost that art. Yet, this most busy of 
             men was a wonderful parent to his children.
               Ron will be remembered as a breaker of barriers on one 
             hand, and as an extraordinary innovator on the other. He 
             broke barriers that no man or woman before him had even 
             attempted. This was, I have to say, my colleagues, a black 
             man who simply did not know his place and refused to 
             accept the notion that there was one for him. So when it 
             came time to resurrect the Democratic Party, it was Ron 
             Brown who stepped forward and said not ``Not me,'' but 
             ``It must be me.'' When he went to the Commerce Department 
             he said not ``How do you do this job?'' but ``I will do 
             this job in a way it has never been done before.'' So 
             after he broke the barriers, he did something much more 
             important. He was a pioneer in turning around each of 
             those institutions.
               It was Ron Brown who engineered the comeback of the 
             Democratic Party in 1992, and it was Ron Brown who 
             perfected the art of diplomacy, of commercial diplomacy at 
             the Commerce Department. Either one of these 
             breakthroughs, either one of these pioneering efforts, 
             would have left Ron's name written in the book of American 
             history. He wrote new pages wherever he went. He wrote 
             them in part because he had it all. He was an 
             extraordinarily talented man, and because he understood 
             the expanse of his talents, he gave it all.
               Ron exemplified the best of our country, the American 
             spirit of optimism, the refusal to recognize any limits. 
             May our country also make that same refusal.

               Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise in tribute 
             today to a great America, Ron Brown, who was an 
             outstanding father to Tracy and Michael, a loving husband 
             to Alma, a fine Cabinet secretary, a trusted adviser to 
             President Clinton, a champion of business. He helped 
             increase the growth of this country's companies and, as 
             well, increased jobs; a goodwill Ambassador for the United 
             States; a positive spirit; a modern-day Will Rogers. He 
             never lost his cool.
               The world gave him lemons and he made lemonade; a role 
             model for our young people; for those who want to get 
             involved in government, work for a good candidate, work 
             for a good cause, and work for your country, just like Ron 
             Brown did, a great American who we tribute today, and who 
             will be greatly missed.

               Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I proudly sponsor this 
             resolution because Ron Brown was a friend and a rare 
             American. He was African-American, but he transcended race 
             and color. He was a party leader, and one of the best 
             because he resurrected our party, but there was nothing 
             ever small or petty or partisan about him. He had this 
             enormous affinity for people, and he led by bringing 
             people together, not by splitting us apart.
               When he came before our committee to defend his 
             embattled Commerce Department, he was a forceful advocate 
             with the facts at his command, but he made his case 
             without a trace of rancor or resentment. He could do that 
             because he sat there as the single best argument for that 
             embattled department.
               Ron Brown was a bridge-builder at a time when so many of 
             our differences seem unbridgeable. His goodness and his 
             decency and his energy and charm are assets we sorely need 
             in the public life of this country. We can ill afford to 
             lose leaders like him, before his time, still in his 
             prime.
               But in the broadest sense, we have not lost Ron Brown, 
             for he remains a lasting symbol of what America at its 
             best can be. I extend to his family, and to the families 
             of all those who perished in this tragic accident, my 
             sympathy and our gratitude for the selfless service 
             rendered our country in the cause of peace in a forlorn 
             place.

               Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
             time to me.
                Mr. Speaker, I also wanted to extend on behalf of my 
             district and, obviously, all the Members of the House, 
             condolences to the family of Ron Brown and all those who 
             were aboard the airplane that crashed in Bosnia.
               Also, Mr. Speaker, I wanted to point out that one of my 
             constituents who was originally from Zanesville, OH, 
             Shelly McPeck Kelly, was aboard that plane. She leaves 
             behind a loving family in Zanesville, OH. That would be 
             her mother, Shirley Clark, and also her stepfather, Sam 
             Clark, and several siblings. She also leaves behind a 
             loving husband, Dennis, and two children, Sean and 
             Courtney.
               Shelly McPeck Kelly was to retire in 2 years from the 
             Air Force. She achieved the rank of technical sergeant. 
             She was a loyal and devoted wife and a loving mother. She 
             served faithfully her Government aboard a U.S. Air Force 
             plane, and also had previously served for the President 
             aboard Air Force One during the Bush administration.
               I recognize her service to the country, and rise on 
             behalf of the residents of eastern Ohio to say that we 
             want to commend Shelly McPeck Kelly for her service to the 
             United States of America during the Bosnia peacekeeping 
             mission, and just also say that the residents of eastern 
             Ohio join me in honoring the memory of Shelly McPeck Kelly 
             and send condolences to her family, as we also send to the 
             family of Ron Brown and the other devoted and loyal 
             Americans aboard that plane.

               Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the 
             distinguished gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell] for 
             yielding this time to me, and for his forthright vision in 
             honoring the late Secretary of Commerce.
               Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to join my colleagues 
             in sponsoring this resolution in honor of Secretary Ron 
             Brown and the others who lost their lives on Wednesday, 
             April 3. The tragic plane crash and death of Secretary of 
             Commerce Ron Brown is a personal loss, as well as a 
             national loss of a great public servant. In addition to 
             being a professional colleague, I was a close personal 
             friend, not only of Ron Brown, but of his entire family, 
             his wife Alma, his two children, Tracey and Michael, and 
             his brother Chip Brown.
               Our prayers are with Ron Brown's family and with all of 
             the families who lost loved ones in this terrible 
             tragedy--Bill Morton, Carol Hamilton, Duane Christian, 
             Kathryn Hoffman, and the others. It is a reminder to all 
             of us to be good stewards of the time and talent that God 
             has given us on this Earth, and to use it to serve others 
             to the best of our abilities.
               I was with Secretary Ron Brown just a couple of weeks 
             ago at a breakfast meeting. He came up to me and 
             congratulated me on my election to Congress. He said, ``I 
             am so proud of you.'' The feeling was mutual, I was also 
             proud of him.
               I was appointed to the Democratic National Committee 
             [DNC] by Paul Kirk, largely at the behest of Ron Brown, 
             who shortly thereafter was chosen as the chairman of the 
             DNC. As Chair of the DNC, he is credited with running a 
             coordinated campaign, which not only elected Democrats to 
             the Senate and House, but helped to elect Bill Clinton 
             President of the United States. Shortly, thereafter, he 
             was appointed Secretary of Commerce, where he did a 
             splendid job for the President and for the country.
               Ron Brown was the convention manager for my father's 
             Presidential campaign in 1988, where he used his bridge-
             building skills to close the gap between progressives and 
             the more conservative members of our party. In many ways, 
             even more than business development, that is Ron Brown's 
             legacy. He was a gifted bridge builder--bridging the gaps 
             of human misunderstanding and fear; and building human 
             trust and understanding.

               Mr. ROTH. Mr. Speaker, I got to know Ron Brown because I 
             serve on the International Relations Committee, and 
             because I also serve as Chairman of the Congressional 
             Travel and Tourism Caucus. Ron Brown had a great sense of 
             humor. He was also a fellow that helped Republicans. I 
             hold an exports conference every year, and over 1,000 
             people come to that conference each year. Ron Brown was 
             one of the keynote speakers at the conference 2 years ago.
               As I said, he had a great sense of humor. When I spoke 
             with him at the White House Conference on Travel and 
             Tourism, he said to me, ``You know, you are my favorite 
             Republican.'' I was really proud of that until someone 
             told me, Ron tells all the Republicans they are his 
             `Favorite Republican'.'' We have a travel and tourism bill 
             developed from the recommendations of the White House 
             conference. The success of that bill is a testimonial to 
             Ron Brown, because we have 225 cosponsors of that 
             legislation.
               Ron and I also worked together on another bill, the 
             Export Administration Act. For 17 years, Congress was 
             unable to put together an export administration act. Then, 
             I want to Ron Brown and said, ``I have to talk to the 
             President about this.'' Thanks to Ron Brown, I did have a 
             chance to talk to President Clinton three times on the 
             legislation. That bill has been reported out of our full 
             committee, and it is waiting for a full House vote in May.
               Ron Brown was a great Democrat, and he worked hard for 
             the party. I think the loss of Ron Brown to Clinton is 
             comparable to the loss of Lee Atwater to President Bush. 
             That is my opinion. That is how much I thought of Ron 
             Brown.
               Yes, he was the loyal opposition, but he knew when to 
             put aside partisan politics. He went out of his way to 
             help make my Exports Conference a success, and I happen to 
             be a Republican. His help with the Export Administration 
             Act was invaluable. That bill will increase our exports by 
             $30 billion.
               Mr. Speaker, I just want the people of this body to know 
             that when Ron Brown went overseas, he worked hard. When he 
             went down with a number of CEO's to Brazil, Chile, and 
             Argentina, he worked as many as 35 hours in a row briefing 
             people, talking to people, and trying to create jobs. Ron 
             Brown did a lot for the economy of this country, and we 
             are going to miss him. I thank the gentleman for yielding 
             me the time.

               Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the 
             gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Dingell] for handling this 
             resolution.
               Mr. Speaker, last night we held a special orders session 
             to honor our friend and a great American hero, Ron Brown. 
             I rise now to join my colleagues in supporting this 
             resolution paying tribute to this remarkable public 
             servant.
               As Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown was known around the 
             world as a tireless crusader for fair and free trade. A 
             skilled negotiator, he kept America's interests in the 
             forefront while winning the respect of our foreign 
             competitors. Although Ron Brown's life was cut short, it 
             was filled with extraordinary achievements: U.S. Army 
             captain, vice president of the National Urban League, 
             chief counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee, partner in the 
             law firm Patton, Boggs & Blow; chairman of the Democratic 
             National Committee, and his crowning achievement, 
             Secretary of Commerce.
               His dynamic energy was the force that propelled the 
             Commerce Department forward. He and his energetic young 
             staff brought billions of dollars of business home to the 
             United States, transforming a lackluster Federal agency 
             into a whirlwind of productive activity. We take a moment 
             now to say thank you, Secretary Brown, for being both a 
             dreamer and a doer. Your candle has not been extinguished; 
             its light continues to burn.
               Our deepest sympathy goes to his loving family--his 
             wife, Alma and children Michael and Tracey and to the 
             families of all of those dedicated Americans who died on 
             that fateful mission.
               We will miss Ron. He was a true American. He was an 
             American who said that we can do it. He opened the eyes of 
             this world to what can be done with dedication. Thank you 
             very much for your service.

               Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I want to pay my solemn and deep 
             respects for Mr. Brown, who was an outstanding chairman of 
             a major political party, the Democrat Party, and an 
             outstanding Secretary of Commerce. He was someone who was 
             extraordinarily energetic. I never met with him when he 
             was not upbeat and excited and very dynamic. I wish to 
             express my condolences to his wife, Alma, and to his two 
             magnificent children, Michael and Tracy.
               This resolution also honors the others who died in this 
             tragic plane crash in the former Yugoslavia, and I want to 
             pay particular respect to Robert Donovan, who was the 
             president and chairman of ABB, and, a resident of 
             Fairfield, CT. I also want to pay respect to his 
             magnificent wife Peg, and his two children, Kara and 
             Kevin. I learned a lot from meeting with them after the 
             death of their husband and father about the resilience of 
             a great American family and how proud he could be of his 
             family. I want to pay respect for his service to West 
             Point and to his country. He was a true great American 
             patriot.
               At this time I also want to pay my respect to Claudio 
             Elia, who was president and chairman of Air and Water 
             Technology. He was a recent citizen of the United States, 
             and I am told by his wife Susan and his children Mark and 
             Christine that their father would have taken extraordinary 
             joy, pleasure, and admiration--they would have been so 
             proud to have heard the President of the United States 
             call him and the others who went on this dangerous mission 
             great American patriots. I was in awe of this family, the 
             Elia family, in terms of my conversation and dialog with 
             them, on how they dealt with the death of their husband 
             and father.
               My respects to Mr. Brown and to these two great 
             families.

               Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my friend from 
             Michigan for managing this bill for my dear friend Ron 
             Brown.
               One of the questions that I have found most difficult to 
             answer was what made Ron Brown so different. I have to 
             admit that I do not really have the answer, but one of the 
             things that I think that made him different was the depth 
             of which he loved this country and the fact that the 
             country gave him an opportunity to show just how good he 
             was.
               When you think about that, you have to take a look at 
             the history of our country, where we were and where we are 
             going, and was Ron Brown not the right guy at the right 
             time.
               Everything that we have been taught in this country in 
             our history deals with our relationship with England and 
             with Europe. But now that they have their Common Market, 
             we have to find other places to sell our goods: Central 
             America, South America, Africa, China, all of these 
             markets. And we have to do it in a way that we are not so 
             hung up with our European connection as much as we are 
             with our human being connection, and that was what Ron 
             Brown was all about.
               Ron Brown saw despair. He saw the need for economic 
             development. He knew what a job would do for a person in 
             terms of family values and dignity and planning a family 
             and having a place to live. When he went to these 
             countries, he did not just see a place to sell airplanes. 
             He saw the pain and the misery and the opportunity to help 
             build their economy, build friendships and, of course, 
             while doing that, to create the jobs and the dignity and 
             the disposable income that would be necessary for trade.
               That is why when I have had the opportunity and the 
             honor to travel with him, that he never just stayed with 
             the big shots. He always went out there with the 
             beneficiaries, the poor, those that sometimes seemed to be 
             without hope. Even in South Africa, where he went to 
             Soweto and spent more time than I would normally spend to 
             see the people in Soweto, to sing their national anthem in 
             his honor and his presence, meant that he did more than 
             just sell goods to these people. He was selling the United 
             States of America.
               I hope those that have targeted the Commerce Department 
             would realize that Ron Brown electrified everybody in 
             Commerce. They love their country and they love what they 
             are going. Whenever Ron Brown went overseas, our embassies 
             turned overnight into being satellites of the Commerce 
             Department, and our business people, instead of seeing 
             staid diplomats and Ambassadors, they saw those people 
             that were there making deals for them.
               I hope as this Congress moves forward and we have to go 
             to the North American free trade countries and we have to 
             go to China and Japan, that we really give other Americans 
             the opportunities and change the complexion literally of 
             the State Department, as Commerce has changed, and give 
             America a better chance to show how good we really are.

               Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I would like to 
             read a letter that I sent to Alma Brown, Michael, and 
             Tracy and the other members of the Brown family:

               It is with great sorrow that I write this letter of 
             condolence to all the members of your extended family. 
             Losing a family member is always difficult, particularly 
             when it is someone who has been so vibrant and been so 
             wonderful to this country, as well as one who would have 
             such a great future that was taken away from him so 
             abruptly.
               Secretary Brown dedicated his life to his country and, 
             ultimately, died in service of it. There is no greater 
             love that one can have for one's country than to die for 
             it.
               Even though he died at a relatively young age, Secretary 
             Brown's accomplishments were far greater than most people 
             ever achieve at any age.
               I realize the feelings of grief that you must feel at 
             this tragic time. However, the love of your family and the 
             warmth and sincerity of neighbors, friends and the many 
             people of our great country who are mourning the loss of 
             Secretary Brown, will help sustain you in the days to 
             come.
               I know that Secretary Brown's memory will be cherished 
             by the many people whose lives he touched and affected.

               My prayers are also being sent, Mr. Speaker, to the 
             other passengers who died in the crash, including the two 
             families from my State of Connecticut.

               Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, on April 3 of this year, 33 
             bright and shining stars of America lost their lives on a 
             mission for their Government. Whether they came from the 
             private sector, the armed services, or public service as 
             Ron Brown and his colleagues from Commerce, they were all 
             serving America and serving as a shining example to us, 
             all of the best that is within us.
               I, and a number of my colleagues, went to Dover Air 
             Force Base to welcome back the 33 caskets containing those 
             bodies. Their souls, of course, had gone to God. But as we 
             paid tribute to them as human beings and expressed our 
             sorrow along with their families at their leaving, we 
             listened to the President's eulogy which was appropriate 
             and, I thought, compelling. He said that these 33 lives 
             show us the best of America, and indeed they did. And as 
             this resolution does, the President named each and every 
             one of those 33.
               Ron Brown was, as he was to so many, my friend. I 
             particularly remember an incident where we were going to 
             Los Angeles to speak, and he had arrived at Dulles on an 
             airplane, and I had gone there from here, and he had a 
             very short connection. We got on the plane and we were 
             flying to Los Angeles, and he had to speak that night at 5 
             o'clock and, lo and behold, his bags had not followed him 
             and he was in casual clothes.
               Now, Ron Brown was not one to speak in casual clothes, 
             as we will recall. Luckily, I had two suits in my bag, so 
             we went in the men's room at the Denver Airport, and there 
             we were, a black man and white man exchanging suits and 
             dressing to speak that night. I am sure a lot of people 
             said, ``What's going on here?'' Ron Brown spoke that 
             night, and he said, ``I'm Ron Brown, but this is Steny 
             Hoyer's suit.'' He was so elegant, I am sure that he 
             thought my suit was not quite up to his standards.
               Ron Brown contributed greatly to this country in so many 
             different ways. Yes, he was as shining an example of what 
             a Secretary of Commerce ought to be as any in history, but 
             he was much more than that. He was, as so many of my 
             colleagues have indicated, a representation of what 
             America is all about and what its best instincts produce.
               Ron Brown was indeed a happy warrior. He was the 
             embodiment of the joy of politics. Ron Brown, for all the 
             young people of America, ought to be an example that there 
             are no barriers too high, no mountains too hard to climb 
             that should preclude you from accomplishing all that your 
             character and your energy and your commitment will allow 
             you to accomplish.
               The President of the United States, as he closed the 
             eulogy in Dover on April 6, said this:

               Today we bring their bodies back home to America, but 
             their souls are surely at home with God. We welcome them 
             home. We miss them. We ask God to be with them and their 
             families.

               The President said that we ought to pray that God bless 
             America. And God did bless America. He did so through the 
             lives of these 33 shining examples of the best of America.
               Mr. Speaker, I include the remarks of the President on 
             April 6 at this point in the Record.
             Remarks by the President and Brigadier General William J. 
             Dedinger, Deputy Chief of Chaplains, at Ceremony Honoring 
              the Americans Who Accompanied Secretary of Commerce Ron 
                                        Brown
                             brigadier general dedinger
               Let us pray. Almighty God, source of all comfort and 
             consolation, we ask your blessing as we receive the 
             victims of this tragic accident. Though we walk through 
             the valley of death and grief, we fear no evil, for you 
             are with us with your comfort and consolation. You always 
             prepare a table of refreshment for us, and surely your 
             goodness and mercy will uphold us in our grief and sorrow 
             in these days.
               Help us always to remember these public servants, ever 
             mindful of their willingness to share their talents and 
             wisdom, not only with their own nation, but also with 
             people seeking to recover from the ravages of war. May 
             their example renew our personal vision of public service. 
             Lord, give us this day a new hope, as we feel despair; new 
             light, as we sense darkness; deeper compassion, as we 
             experience loss. May this hope, this light, this 
             compassion heal the brokenness of our hearts and minds.
               This we ask in you holy name. Amen.
                                    the president
               My fellow Americans, today we come to a place that has 
             seen too many sad, silent homecomings. For this is where 
             we in America bring home our own--those who have given 
             their lives in the service of their country.
               The 33 fine Americans we meet today, on their last 
             journey home, ended their lives on a hard mountain a long 
             way from home. But in a way they never left America. On 
             their mission of peace and hope, they carried with them 
             America's spirit, what our greatest martyr. Abraham 
             Lincoln, called ``the last, best hope of earth.'' Our 
             loved ones and friends loved their country and they loved 
             serving their country. They believed that America, through 
             their efforts, could help to restore a broken land, help 
             to heal a people of their hatreds, help to bring a better 
             tomorrow through honest work and shared enterprise. They 
             know what their country had given them and they gave it 
             back with a force, an energy, an optimism that every one 
             of us can be proud of.
               They were outstanding business leaders who gave their 
             employees and their customers their very best. They were 
             brave members of our military, dedicated to preserving our 
             freedom and advancing America's cause.
               There was a brilliant correspondent, committed to 
             helping Americans better understand this complicated new 
             world we live in. And there were public servants, some of 
             them still in the fresh springtime of their years, who 
             gave nothing less than everything they had, because they 
             believed in the nobility of public service.
               And there was a noble Secretary of Commerce who never 
             saw a mountain he couldn't climb or a river he couldn't 
             build a bridge across.
               All of them were so full of possibility. Even as we 
             grieve for what their lives might have been, let us 
             celebrate what their lives were, for their public 
             achievements and their private victories of love and 
             kindness and devotion are things that no one--no one--
             could do anything but treasure.
               These 33 lives show us the best of America. They are a 
             stern rebuke to the cynicism that is all too familiar 
             today. For as family after family after family told the 
             Vice President and Hillary and me today, their loved ones 
             were proud of what they were doing, they believed in what 
             they were doing, they believed in this country, they 
             believed we could make a difference. How silly they make 
             cynicism seem. And, more important, they were a glowing 
             testimonial to the power of individuals who improved their 
             own lives and elevate the lives of others and make a 
             better future for others. These 33 people loved America 
             enough to use what is best about it in their own lives, to 
             try to help solve a problem a long, long way from home.
               At the first of this interminable week, Ron Brown came 
             to the White House to visit with me and the Vice President 
             and a few others. And at the end of the visit he was 
             bubbling with enthusiasm about this mission. And he went 
             through all the people from the Commerce Department who 
             were going. And then he went through every single business 
             leader that was going. And he said, you know, I've taken 
             so many of these missions to advance America's economic 
             interest and to generate jobs for Americans; these 
             business people are going on this mission because they 
             want to use the power of the American economy to save the 
             peace in the Balkans.
               That is a noble thing. Nearly 5,000 miles from home, 
             they went to help people build their own homes and roads, 
             to turn on the lights in cities darkened by war, to 
             restore the everyday interchange of people working and 
             living together with something to Look forward to and a 
             dream to raise their own children by. You know, we can say 
             a lot of things, because these people were many things to 
             those who loved them. But I say to all of you, to every 
             American, they were all patriots, whether soldiers or 
             civil servants or committed citizens, they were patriots.
               In their memory and in their honor, let us rededicate 
             our lives to our country and to our fellow citizens; in 
             their memory and in their honor, let us resolve to 
             continue their mission of peace and healing and progress. 
             We must not let their mission fail. And we will not let 
             their mission fail.
               The sun is going down on this day. The next time it 
             rises it will be Easter morning, a day that marks the 
             passage from loss and despair to hope and redemption, a 
             day that more than any other reminds us that life is more 
             than what we know, life is more than what we can 
             understand, life is more than, sometimes, even we can 
             bear. But life is also eternal. For each of these 33 of 
             our fellow Americans and the two fine Croatians that fell 
             with them, their day on Earth was too short, but for our 
             country men and women we must remember that what they did 
             while the sun was out will last with us forever.
               If I may now, I would like to read the names of all of 
             them, in honor of their lives, their service and their 
             families: Staff Sergeant Gerald Aldrich, Ronald Brown, 
             Duane Christian, Barry Conrad, Paul Cushman III, Adam 
             Darling, Captain Ashley James Davis, Gail Dobert, Robert 
             Donovan, Claudio Elia, Staff Sergeant Robert Farrington, 
             Jr., David Ford, Carol Hamilton, Kathryn Hoffman, Lee 
             Jackson, Stephen Kaminski, Kathryn Kellogg, Technical 
             Sergeant Shelly Kelly, James Lewek, Frank Maier, Charles 
             Meissner, William Morton, Walter Murphy, Lawrence Payne, 
             Nathaniel Nash, Leonard Pieroni, Captain Timothy Schafer, 
             John Scoville, I. Donald Terner, P. Stuart Tholan, 
             Technical Sergeant Cheryl Ann Turnage, Naomi Warbasse, 
             Robert Al Whittaker.
               Today we bring their bodies back home to America, but 
             their souls are surely at home with God. We welcome them 
             home. We miss them. We ask God to be with them and their 
             families.
               God bless you all, and God bless our beloved nation. 
             Amen.

               Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I did not have the honor of 
             personally knowing Ron Brown, but I knew him by reputation 
             and by watching him work with flair and gusto in a very 
             important job. He was a great role model for everybody. He 
             was indeed a marvel.
               One searches tragedies for some meaning or for some 
             glimmer of good. Out of Ron Brown's tragic end and out of 
             the deaths of his passengers, it seems to me we can take 
             comfort in the fact that he died as a public servant and 
             elevated the category of public service through his 
             sacrifice and through his example. And those of us who are 
             very concerned about the low estate and esteem that public 
             service has in people's minds, it seems to me can take 
             some consolation.
               God bless Ron Brown and his family and all of those on 
             the plane.

               Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to support the 
             resolution that is before the House today in tribute to 
             Secretary Ron Brown and other Americans who met their 
             untimely death.
               Ron Brown, and I really associate myself first with all 
             of the remarks that have been made so far on this 
             resolution before the House, and we all were saddened with 
             the death of Ron Brown and others, for this Nation to know 
             that Ron Brown was a good public servant, that Ron Brown 
             not only served his Nation well, but I was a neighbor of 
             Ron Brown's. That is true for Alma and Tracy, along with 
             Mike and the two grandchildren.
               Being a neighbor, I guess for the past 15 years here in 
             the D.C. area, to know Ron Brown and his family, and to 
             see and to watch how he was able to develop such a great 
             family and a good support system for that family, and he 
             was a good neighbor. Ron kept the neighborhood upbeat. He 
             was one who was always available and had time for young 
             people.
               I can say that, because I have three sons myself, and my 
             three sons have been somewhat raised in the presence of 
             Ron Brown, and to know of his leadership and to know of 
             his character and to know of his smartness. He was 
             extremely bright while he was there at the law firm here 
             in the District.
               He went on to become the chairman of the Democratic 
             National Committee. Then I was on the plane with him going 
             to my hometown in Memphis back in 1992, the end of 1992, 
             when he was called by the President-elect Clinton to be 
             offered a Cabinet slot in the administration. We had that 
             2-hour flight. He left Memphis and went to the Little Rock 
             area.
               But to hear him and listen to him, and to know he was 
             about serving this Nation, and to see Ron Brown as a 
             corporate giant, leading corporate American into other 
             ventures throughout the world, and to create jobs and to 
             bring huge dollar amounts into this country, as a neighbor 
             and as a friend and as a Member of this body, I would say 
             that he made a great contribution to mankind, he made a 
             great contribution to America, and Ron Brown will be 
             missed.We are certainly praying for the family and other 
             family members of the other deceased persons.

               Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             giving me the opportunity to speak.
               I was over at my office and I heard this, and I wanted 
             to be here. Twelve years ago, fresh out of law school, I 
             worked with Ron Brown as an international trade lawyer. At 
             the time I was doing volunteer work for then Vice 
             President Bush. So clearly we were on opposite sides of 
             the political aisle. Yet Ron reached out to me and 
             befriended me, and for the past 12 years that friendship 
             continued.
               Most recently at home on a Sunday he called me to talk 
             about preserving the international trade functions at the 
             Department of Commerce, a function that he exercised as 
             well as any Secretary of Commerce in history, I think 
             better than any Secretary of Commerce in history.
               As Ron was so good at doing, he reached out to me again 
             and found common ground, in this case our mutual back 
             problems we were experiencing. Unfortunately, my back 
             surgery kept me away from his funeral last week.
               Toby Roth said he called him his favorite Republican, 
             and apparently he called some other Republicans that. He 
             never called me that, but he did call me his friend, and I 
             cherish that, and will cherish that forever.

               Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
             this resolution, and I would like to thank the Democratic 
             leader and the Speaker for bringing this measure to the 
             floor today.
               First, I wish to extend my condolences to the Brown 
             family and to the families of all those who went down on 
             that fateful flight. Their loss is our loss, and America 
             mourns the passing of some of our best and brightest.
               Mr. Speaker, I personally admired Ron Brown as a role 
             model and as a public servant. Moreover, his work touched 
             the lives of my constituents who benefited from his vision 
             of improving the lives of working families through 
             investments and exports.
               Ron Brown exemplified everything we as Democrats believe 
             in and stand for. His belief in the human spirit and the 
             American dream permeated every aspect of his life. His 
             unwavering compassion and concern for the less fortunate 
             was the moral compass by which he guided his work. As 
             Democrats, we have lost one of our party's finest.
               Mr. Speaker, it is not often that I get to meet the 
             likes of a Ron Brown. Moreover, I am proud to have known 
             him and appreciate what he has done for my constituents, 
             for my party, and for my country.
               A young woman from Atlanta was also on that plane, 
             Kathryn Hoffman. My condolences are extended to her family 
             and to her friends.
               I was recently asked by a journalist about the loss of 
             Ron Brown, a black leader. I corrected that journalist. 
             Ron Brown was an American leader.

               Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, all of those of 
             us who were friends of Ron Brown certainly have their own 
             personal stories, and I have mine, but I will not take the 
             time to dwell in personal stories.
               I simply wanted to be one of the Members who rose in 
             support of this resolution and to express my condolences 
             to the Brown family and the families of all the other 
             brave Americans who lost their lives in this tragic 
             accident.

               Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, history will remember Ron Brown 
             as one of the most dynamic, creative and brilliant leaders 
             to ever serve in a Presidential Cabinet.
               These characteristics stand out strong and clear in the 
             many articles reviewing his career that were published 
             after the plane crash that took his life and the lives of 
             the staff Members and business leaders accompanying him on 
             that fatal trip to the former Yugoslavia.
               One national magazine, Jet, featured a number of 
             photographs of Ron Brown at work. They showed Ron Brown in 
             China, in Japan, in South Africa, in Egypt, in Saudi 
             Arabia, in Israel, in Gaza, in Russia, in Germany, in 
             Chile, in Indonesia, and in Bosnia, just hours before the 
             crash on the mountain top.
               He seemed to be everywhere during those few busy years 
             he served as Secretary of Commerce, the first African-
             American to hold that office, even coming to the Second 
             District of Georgia to deliver the commencement address at 
             Albany State College.
               In a span of less than 3 years, he made 15 trade 
             missions to more than 25 countries. These trips produced a 
             record 80 billion dollars' worth of new business contracts 
             for U.S. made goods and services. His work in foreign 
             trade led to a 26-percent increase in U.S. exports. But he 
             also worked to enhance minority business enterprise in 
             America and abroad.
               Vice President Gore called him the greatest Commerce 
             Secretary in history. But it was not just political allies 
             who recognized his extraordinary ability. Senator Dole 
             described him as a tireless advocate for American business 
             and a gifted leader.
               Born in Washington, DC, and raised in Harlem, Ron Brown 
             was gifted at everything he did, as a student at 
             Middlebury College and St. John's University, as an Army 
             officer in Germany and Korea, as an official and social 
             worker with the National Urban League, as a senatorial 
             aide and chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, 
             as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, as an 
             attorney in a leading law firm, and as Secretary of 
             Commerce, and as a friend.
               Many of the articles about Ron Brown's career referred 
             to him as a trailblazer. This was certainly true, and the 
             trails he blazed brought jobs and a more secure economy 
             for all Americans. He will be sorely missed.

               Mr. HEFNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
             resolution and thank the gentleman for bringing it forth. 
             We have lost a dear friend.

               Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the outpouring of feeling after 
             Ron Brown's death was unique. It was a tribute to Ron, to 
             his capacity for friendship, to his verve, his zest for 
             life, his intelligence, his caring. It was also a tribute 
             to Ron Brown's America.
               Ron Brown's life showed that there are almost no limits 
             to opportunity in America. You have to work for it. But we 
             often talk about the limitlessness of opportunity, It is 
             not always quite true. Ron tried so hard to make it true.
               Like so many other dear friends of Ron Brown, I have 
             mourned his death. I miss of him every day.

               Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown, who was a good 
             friend of many years, and I appeared on a program about 3 
             weeks into his position as Secretary of Commerce, and I 
             was somewhat nervous for my friend, because the breadth 
             and depth of areas covered by the Commerce Department are 
             so vast. Within 3 weeks he had mastered the area of high-
             technology licensing and exports to a degree which most 
             secretaries had not at the completion of their term, his 
             interest length was such and his intensity and commitment 
             to the areas he was in charge of. He knew his job, he 
             executed it with dignity and grace and with an energy that 
             ought to inspire everyone in both the public and private 
             sector.
               He fought for the economic strength of this country from 
             every working man and woman's point of view. He wanted to 
             make sure there were jobs so that each American would have 
             the kind of opportunity he had made for himself.
               He was a friend, he was incredibly capable. I cannot 
             imagine that there is anyone who will serve in that 
             capacity who will have the energy and intellect that Ron 
             Brown had.

               Mr. FIELDS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank 
             the gentleman for yielding me time.
               Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown was a very personal friend of 
             mine. I had an opportunity to meet him on a Presidential 
             campaign in 1988, where he and I shared many platforms 
             together. There is not another American that I have ever 
             met in my lifetime who has worked as hard, who has had 
             such a strong commitment to country, than Ron Brown.
               Mr. Speaker, I stand before the House today to say that 
             Ron Brown was indeed a scholar, a leader, and a role 
             model, for people all across this country.
               The last time Ron Brown and I had an opportunity to sit 
             down and talk was actually in the Fourth Congressional 
             District. I called him at the Department of Commerce and 
             said, Mr. Secretary, I want you to come to Louisiana and 
             talk about economic development. And right off the cuff he 
             just said, I will be there. And in about 30 minutes, he 
             called back and said, I will be there in about 3 weeks.
               So I want to thank the Ron Brown family. I also want to 
             give a special tribute to a family from Louisiana. The 
             pilot of that plane was from my home State of Louisiana, 
             Ashley Davis. To his wife and to his two little children, 
             we want to say that we offer our condolences to them and 
             to all of the families of those who lost their lives in 
             this tragic accident. To them we say God bless you, and we 
             will pray for you.
               Mr. Speaker, I do not think it is possible for everyone 
             to fully comprehend what a loss the Nation will suffer 
             without the late Commerce Secretary Ron H. Brown. Not only 
             was he a champion for the domestic and international 
             development of American business, but also, and more 
             importantly, his extraordinary character was an invaluable 
             asset to the U.S. Government. Every project he touched was 
             approached with a tireless devotion and a profound 
             understanding of the initiative's impact on the Nation's 
             economy. He led by example, urging others to work as 
             partners instead of competitors to maximize opportunities.
               Truly, this man was in the business of building bridges 
             and reinforcing existing relationships to ensure 
             opportunities for advancement of large and small business 
             interests alike. Under his leadership, all facets of the 
             Commerce Department flourished and enjoyed the benefits of 
             innovative policies. He was instrumental in developing a 
             comprehensive and coordinated plan for bringing together 
             the many elements of the U.S. Travel and Tourism 
             Administration; he sought to improve patent and trademark 
             protection of U.S. interests in intellectual property; he 
             worked diligently for telecommunications reform to create 
             a competitive marketplace and to illuminate how technology 
             can alleviate geographic barriers and enhance education; 
             he instituted a long-term plan to assist the New England 
             fishing industry--the list goes on and on.
               A man of firsts, Ron Brown was the first African-
             American chairman of the Democratic National Committee and 
             the first African-American to hold the office of U.S. 
             Secretary of Commerce. He worked tirelessly to promote the 
             Commerce Department's mission of long-term economic 
             growth--to him we owe a debt of gratitude for our Nation's 
             prosperity. At a time when diversity seems to be a 
             dividing force in this country, Ron Brown demonstrated 
             that diversity is our Nation's greatest asset. It is in 
             this spirit that I offer these words of tribute.
               During this time of remembrance, I would like to pay 
             tribute to an Air Force pilot who lost his life serving 
             our country, Capt. Ashley J. Davis. Captain Davis was from 
             my hometown, Baton Rouge, LA. A victim of the tragic plane 
             crash which ended the lives of 33 Americans who were 
             serving their country, Captain Davis' mission was to pilot 
             the dignitaries who visited Europe. He was chosen for the 
             job just 18 months ago, over 38 other pilots. I offer my 
             condolences to Captain Davis' family. He is survived by 
             his wife Debra, and two children. A man of great spirit 
             and patriotism, I know his family and friends will miss 
             him. The Air Force has also suffered a great loss in his 
             untimely death during his dedicated service to our 
             country. Today, I extend my prayers to this family as well 
             as the families of all the persons who lost their lives in 
             Croatia.

               Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 
             commemorate former Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown.
               Throughout the past several days I have heard the 
             accomplishments of Ron Brown extolled by my colleagues. 
             Americans everywhere, and especially those who were close 
             to Ron are deeply affected by this tragedy. Ron was much 
             more than a great chairman of the Democratic Party and 
             Secretary of Commerce, he was a true pioneer and an 
             inspirational human being.
               I feel extremely fortunate to have known Ron as a 
             personal friend. Ron began to serve as chair of the 
             Democratic Party around the time I became chair of the 
             Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Ron exhibited 
             unwavering optimism in the face of adversity and inspired 
             others to do the same. Through his tireless efforts, Ron 
             Brown restored the Democratic Party to greatness and 
             brought a Democrat back to the White House.
               Ron was the type of person who consistently exceeded 
             people's expectations. As Commerce Secretary, Ron single-
             handedly defined his role. He succeeded in promoting 
             American business and boosting exports to new heights.
               Ron Brown was a pioneer in every sense of the word. He 
             spent his life overcoming obstacles and opening up new 
             doors for others to follow. His death occurred while he 
             was cultivating the seeds of economic growth and creating 
             greater opportunities for a country ravaged by war.
               Ron Brown will be long remembered for the tremendous 
             service he provided to his country. However, I will miss 
             him as a close friend.
               Adam Darling, a 29-year-old Commerce Department employee 
             was also among those who perished in the crash. Darling 
             had worked at the Department since 1993 and had helped 
             plan the trip to the region. A former Davis, CA resident 
             and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Darling 
             had a promising future ahead of him. My deepest sympathy 
             goes out to Adam's family.
               Tim Schaefer, a Sacramento native, was among the six Air 
             Force crew members who perished in the accident. Schaefer, 
             the plane's copilot, had earned a degree in mechanical 
             engineering from California State University, Sacramento. 
             Also among the crew was Capt. Ashley J. Davis. Both men 
             had been stationed at Beale AFB. I salute these members of 
             the armed services who paid the ultimate price to serve 
             their country.

               Mr. MARTINI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ron 
             Brown, the United States Secretary of Commerce who was 
             killed in a tragic accident on April 3, 1996. He and 35 
             other victims died when their plane went down on a stormy 
             evening in Croatia. He was serving as a diplomat in the 
             war-torn area, analyzing the economy and what actions 
             needed to be taken in the former Yugoslavia in order to 
             spur economic growth to secure the peace.
               Ron Brown was indeed an asset to the United States. He 
             was one of the ambitious, special people who is capable of 
             performing multiple roles in their lives while at the same 
             time succeeding in all arenas and remaining true to their 
             ideology.
               Ron Brown was a vocal and successful civil rights 
             advocate, political strategist, corporate lawyer, and 
             propagator of American business interests.
               He tirelessly campaigned to make the interests of 
             American businesses a foreign policy goal. He certainly 
             deserves credit and thanks for market expansion.
               It is because of his success in multiple arenas and in 
             the international community that the United States and the 
             world mourn together. Today we should all take a moment to 
             remember the career and the man we lost.

               Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, on April 3, 1996 the United 
             States lost a leader. Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. 
             Brown inspired us all with his ability to bring together 
             people from different backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures 
             to find and achieve a goal for the common good.
               He inspired us by his commitment to finding 
             opportunities for U.S. businesses overseas, recognizing 
             that our country's trade deficit is harmful to our 
             domestic economy and the jobs Americans want and need.
               Because of his leadership, many California technology 
             firms have increased their sales to foreign countries, 
             which has increased employment and a rebounding California 
             economy. According to the Joint Venture's Index of Silicon 
             Valley, 46,000 jobs have been added to our region since 
             1992. The semiconductor industry, which has endured years 
             of job loss due to a trade deficit with Japan, showed a 
             gain of 4,300 jobs between 1994 and 1995. Business 
             confidence of Santa Clara County companies reached an all-
             time high of 73 percent in 1995.
               Secretary Brown advocated effectively for economic and 
             employment improvements in Silicon Valley, and this is 
             just part of his legacy. Members of Congress, the 
             administration, business leaders, and citizens must work 
             to preserve this legacy of proactive work on behalf of the 
             people of our country.
               America will miss his leadership. I will miss his 
             friendship of almost two decades. Secretary Brown gave his 
             life while serving his country. God rest his good soul.

               Ms. DUNN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to pay 
             tribute to Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and the 32 
             other Americans who lost their lives when their plane 
             crash near Dubrovnik, Croatia, on April 3, 1996.
               Throughout his tenure as Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown 
             successfully worked on behalf of American companies and 
             their workers in opening doors to the global market. For 
             many companies in my home State of Washington, Secretary 
             Brown was instrumental in promoting our products and 
             cultivating new and/or improved business relationships 
             with our international neighbors.
               The most important role of any Commerce Secretary is the 
             promotion of American companies and the workers they 
             employ. Ron Brown will forever be remembered as being a 
             success at this task.
               The people who died aboard that plane gave the ultimate 
             sacrifice in the name of democracy and a global free 
             market. Prosperity and economic hope are essential in 
             bringing long-term peace and security to that region of 
             the world. Ron Brown and the other individuals on that 
             plane knew this and recognized their role in spreading our 
             Nation's democratic and free-market beliefs around the 
             globe.
               My heart goes out to each and every family member of 
             those who died in that tragic crash. In this time of great 
             sadness, these families should know that as Americans 
             their loved ones will be missed, as patriots they will 
             never be forgotten.

               Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, ``Fanfare to the Common 
             Man'' was played triumphantly at the funeral of the late 
             Commerce Secretary, Ronald H. Brown. His family could have 
             played some horn tooting type music, in view of the facts 
             that Mr. Brown was truly a successful, high stakes 
             Washington player and an overachiever in many respects. 
             However, they know Ron would not have wanted it any other 
             way.
               Ron Brown did not see himself as a Democratic power 
             broker or jet setter or trailblazer like we did. He saw 
             himself as a middle-class kid who grew up in Harlem that 
             loved the basic things in life: family, friends, work, and 
             country. He was passionate about each. He was also 
             passionately devoted to ensuring that everyone got an 
             opportunity, a chance to do better. He believed in 
             opportunity so much that he insisted that his Commerce 
             Department staff memorize a one-sentence mission 
             statement. It reads: ``The mission of the Department of 
             Commerce is to ensure economic opportunity for every 
             American.'' We should all agree that this is still a noble 
             cause.
               Mr. Brown set several honorable examples for people from 
             different walks in life. He encouraged young people to 
             strive and reach for the gold. And indeed, he practiced 
             what he preached, he had several raising stars on that 
             ill-fated plane with him. He encouraged CEO's and business 
             leaders to lend their expertise for the improvement of 
             cities in our country and in foreign lands. On that plane 
             were business leaders from across the country. Ron Brown 
             always did what he could to provide an opportunity for 
             everyone, everywhere.
               We each will remember Ronald Brown, in our own way, but 
             collectively we will remember him as a great, inspiring 
             American.

               Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ron 
             Brown and to express my deep sorrow and sincerest 
             condolences to his wonderful family. Ron Brown was my 
             friend, and he was a great American.
               As Secretary of the Commerce Department, Ron Brown 
             played an instrument role in implementing the 
             administration's economic plan that has created 8.4 
             million jobs nationwide since taking office. He was a 
             major force behind job creation efforts and the chief 
             architect of high-technology initiatives to provide 
             greater employment opportunities for working Americans.
               Previously, Ron Brown served as chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee. He was the first African-
             American in history to head a major national political 
             party. At the DNC, Ron Brown rebuilt the party and laid 
             the groundwork for the Democrats to win back the White 
             House after losing three straight national elections.
               Last summer, Ron Brown traveled to my congressional 
             district to attend the closing ceremony of the Special 
             Olympics in New Haven. We spent the glorious Connecticut 
             morning touring events and had a great time with those 
             wonderful Special Olympians who shared Ron's never-give-up 
             spirit.
               Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown lived the American dream and 
             served as an inspirational role model for America's youth. 
             Our country has lost a great leader.
               I also want to convey my condolences to the friends and 
             families of Robert Donovan, the chief executive officer of 
             ABB, Inc., headquartered in Norwalk, CT, and Claudio Elia, 
             the chairman and chief executive officer of Air and Water 
             Technologies Corp. in Branchburg, NJ, who lived in 
             Greenwich, CT. In addition, the Nation lost many fine, 
             dedicated people in this tragedy who gave their lives in 
             an attempt to heal a nation and a world ravaged by war. 
             Connecticut and the Nation mourn the loss.

               Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join my 
             colleagues in tribute to a truly remarkable man, the late 
             Honorable Ron Brown. Ron Brown was a prominent black 
             American who dedicated his life to building a better world 
             for all people. Blessed with many talents and 
             opportunities, Ron used them wisely and he shared his 
             gifts generously.
               Ron Brown was a compassionate man who thrived on 
             challenge. He blazed new trails and often was the first 
             black American in his field. Ron was the first black 
             member of his college fraternity, the first black counsel 
             for the Senate Judiciary Committee, the first black 
             chairman of the Democratic Party, and the first black 
             Secretary of the Department of Commerce.
               Ron had a charming manner and a graceful style. He 
             showed a deftness for overcoming the odds and doing some 
             impossible things. When many experts and political pundits 
             said it could not be done, Ron rejuvenated the Democratic 
             Party and spearheaded the campaign that elected Bill 
             Clinton President, and when Ron did these things he made 
             it look easy.
               Ron Brown had the courage of convictions that inspired 
             others to join in his crusades. He shared his vision and 
             his faith in a brighter future. He was a force for 
             unification of diverse groups and the resolution of 
             conflict among them. His last mission was dedicated to 
             rebuilding a war torn land and I am sure he would have 
             made a great contribution to the rebuilding of Bosnia if 
             only he had lived a little longer.
               Ron lived his life sowing the seeds of peace and hope. 
             He left this world way too soon, but he left it better 
             than he found it. We will long feel the force of Ron 
             Brown's smiling spirit and long celebrate the legacy of 
             good will he left behind.

               Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory 
             of a very special man, Ronald H. Brown. Most Americans 
             will remember him as the Secretary of Commerce. However, 
             he was much more. He was the personification of the 
             concept of a bridgebuilder.
               In his role as the Secretary of Commerce, Ron constantly 
             promoted American trade. His zeal was premised upon the 
             notion that if the commerce of the United States thrived 
             it would directly translate to increased economic vitality 
             for our Nation. Ron, who never forgot where he came from, 
             knew that his efforts would result in jobs for the common 
             man.
               As chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Ron 
             Brown set the stage for a resurgence of the Democratic 
             Party. This is a resounding testament to his ability, for 
             it was under his leadership that the Democratic Party was 
             able to elect Bill Clinton as President. Ron accomplished 
             this task on the heels of three consecutive Presidential 
             defeats of Democratic candidates.
               His memory deserves more than the mere recognition of 
             his official position. For his title was but a small 
             reflection of what he was. Drive, tenacity, compassion, 
             and loyalty were his trademarks. Most of us hope to attain 
             all of these attributes. Few of us attain them with the 
             proper balance. And even fewer attain these attributes and 
             are able to parlay them into avenues for even greater 
             achievement. Ronald H. Brown was one of these rare 
             individuals.
               Whitney Young once said, ``We can't * * * sit and wait 
             for somebody else. We must go ahead--alone if necessary.'' 
             Ron Brown was a trailblazer and a visionary. He never 
             waited for opportunities, he created them. Because of 
             this, all American people have benefited.

               Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, Ron Brown was a renaissance 
             politician, a jack of all trades who mastered them all. He 
             was a mentor for seasoned professional politicians and he 
             was qualified to tutor most of us. Ron used his 
             considerable influence and charm to become an 
             extraordinary fundraiser for the Democratic Party. From 
             the complex job of raising money to the details of 
             election day engineering, Ron performed with great 
             enthusiasm.
               I first met Ron Brown in Chicago while campaigning for 
             Harold Washington for mayor of Chicago. Former Majority 
             Whip Bill Gray, Ron, and I were on a campaign swing 
             through the public housing projects on Chicago's 
             Southside. At that time, Ron was working with a well-
             known, prestigious, and powerful law firm in Washington. 
             However, on that day, he was simply Ron the loyal friend, 
             campaigning for a fellow Democrat. We went into huge, 
             tall, cold concrete buildings and walked on floors which 
             seemed to be completely out of this world.
               The deterioration and garbage inside the halls were 
             unbelievable even to a poor boy like me whose father had 
             never earned more than the minimum wage. I had lived in 
             some of the poorest neighborhoods of Memphis and worked in 
             some of the poorest neighborhoods in New York, but never 
             had I seen such despair. The only glimmer of light we saw 
             in those highrise urban tunnels were the Harold Washington 
             posters that the residents waved at us when they saw our 
             familiar signs. We had connected with the most oppressed 
             among us. As my eyes met Ron's he broke into his signature 
             smile: ``This is what politics has got to be all about,'' 
             he said as we plunged into the crowd of outstretched hands 
             and marched through the halls reminding folks that 
             tomorrow was the day to go out and elect the first 
             African-American mayor of Chicago.
               Ron Brown was the unifying force behind the most 
             successful and conflict-free convention the Democrats have 
             had in nearly two decades. Ron was a star who kept his 
             poise, kept peace among the many party factions, and made 
             the Democratic National Committee an effective force to be 
             reckoned with in politics. Ron Brown was a masterful 
             strategist who began his tenure as party chairman with 
             several special election victories despite great 
             obstacles. He was a great communicator and a great 
             cheerleader who also understood the nuts and bolts of 
             winning campaigns.
               Seldom in America does one man so gracefully transcend 
             the racial chasm. Ronald H. Brown did, and in his journey, 
             he deeply touched the heart and soul of a nation. As our 
             Secretary of Commerce, he was our corporate Ambassador to 
             the world. As the chairman of the splintered, fractious 
             Democratic Party, he was the glue that held it together, 
             and in so doing, delivered the White House and became the 
             most beloved chairman in history.
               Ron Brown was undaunted and unfazed by challenges. Being 
             a first was not unusual for him. He was the first African-
             American in his college fraternity, the first African-
             American counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 
             the list goes on. Ron was a trailblazer and an eternal 
             optimist. He saw no mountain that couldn't be climbed or 
             moved or conquered.
               The Nation has lost a great leader and statesman. I join 
             Ron's many colleagues and friends not in mourning his 
             death, but in celebrating his life, his accomplishments, 
             his style, and his spirit. Ronald H. Brown will be missed, 
             but never forgotten.

               Mr. McDADE. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues 
             from both sides of the aisle today in paying tribute to 
             former Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and the 34 
             others who lost their lives in the tragic plane crash on 
             April 3 in Croatia.
               I had the privilege of personally knowing Ron Brown. I 
             respected and liked him as a dedicated public servant, an 
             individual of the highest caliber, and a man of great 
             intellectual ability. A man of his abilities and 
             experience, who possessed such tremendous personal 
             characteristics, will be greatly missed.
               Ron Brown leaves behind a legacy of achievement in the 
             military, political, government, and business arenas that 
             few people can match. He led an extraordinary life and we 
             are all saddened by the loss of this talented, 
             exceptional, and energetic man.
               My sympathy and condolences go to his wife and two 
             children and to all of the families of those who died in 
             this tragic accident. As Americans, we all mourn the loss 
             of life and note the sacrifice of these individuals who 
             died in the service to their country.

               Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, I wish to 
             join my colleagues, Mr. Gephardt and Ms. Meek, in support 
             of the resolution in tribute to Secretary of Commerce Ron 
             Brown and the 32 other patriotic Americans, including 
             several from my State of Massachusetts, who lost their 
             lives on St. John's Hill outside of Dubrovnik, Croatia.
               Ron Brown was truly a living American hero, and his loss 
             will be sorely missed--and my heart goes out to his lovely 
             wife Alma and his loving children, Michael and Tracy. I 
             will miss Ron dearly. He was a colleague and a friend of 
             more than 20 years, and his loss is a personal one.
               In an era where cynicism too often wins out over 
             optimism, where fear too often conquers hope, and where 
             the art of politics is seen by most in a less-than-
             admirable light, Ron Brown showed that public service is 
             indeed an honorable profession.
               Whether in his service to his country in the U.S. Army, 
             as a leader in the civil rights movement, as a public and 
             private sector lawyer, as a political party professional, 
             or as an advocate of business and job creation for all 
             Americans, Ron Brown was a leader, a visionary, and a 
             dreamer of what America could and should be. But most 
             importantly, was a passionate advocate for expanding equal 
             opportunity to all Americans.
               In a world with too few heroes, we have lost a true 
             American hero.
               Ron Brown was truly a man who viewed politics as the art 
             of the possible. Ron Brown's legacy will far outlast most 
             of us--his unique and enviable ability to bring people 
             together to find a common goal.
               You had to know Ron Brown on a personal level to 
             understand his unique ability--his intelligence, his 
             boundless energy, his strong will, his resilience, his 
             ability to grasp complex ideas and to advocate them in a 
             way that always brought people together.
               But you also had to appreciate how Ron Brown took on 
             each and every opportunity with a spring in his step, a 
             twinkle in his eye, and a smile on his face. It's been 
             said before, but Ron Brown was Will Rogers in reverse: you 
             never met anyone who didn't like Ron Brown.
               Ron Brown had a passion for achievement that you rarely 
             see in individuals, and he was an extraordinarily gifted 
             man. I will always consider myself fortunate to have known 
             Ron Brown as a friend.
               He will indeed be remembered as a patriot and a friend, 
             and we will miss him dearly.

               Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is a sad responsibility to 
             rise to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to an 
             outstanding public servant who has been lost to us all too 
             prematurely and in support of House Resolution 406.
               Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown, throughout his many 
             years of public service--and let there be no mistake that 
             he did indeed contribute many years of public service--was 
             well known for his outstanding personality, his determined 
             professionalism, and perhaps, most importantly of all, his 
             charming sense of humor which won him the admiration of 
             political allies and adversaries alike.
               Ron Brown, before entering the public limelight, was 
             well known as political mover and shaker behind the scenes 
             here on Capitol Hill. While serving on the staff of 
             Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, he learned the 
             importance of compassion in legislation, the importance of 
             compromise, and the importance of consensus.
               As Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown was an inspiration 
             to us all. He genuinely cared about the business community 
             of this Nation, and understood that a strong economy is 
             the cornerstone of national strength.
               It was in pursuit of expanding trade opportunities in 
             that part of the world which used to be called Yugoslavia 
             that Ron gave his life. The tragic and untimely death of 
             Ron Brown is a reminder that those who devote their lives 
             to public service are in just as much jeopardy as are 
             those who volunteer for the battlefield.
               The fact that 33 young public servants also gave their 
             lives with Ron Brown only underscores his ability to 
             inspire others, especially young people, to public 
             service. These devoted young people deserve our 
             admiration.
               It is with deep regret that I learned that one of those 
             33 victims was a constituent in my 20th Congressional 
             District of New York. Lee Jackson, a 37-year-old native of 
             the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, was the son 
             of Luther Jackson, Jr., a highly respected journalism 
             professor at Columbia University, and Mrs. Nettie Lee 
             Jackson, a long time community activist.
               Lee was inspired to go into public service by Secretary 
             Brown, under whom he served in the Department of Commerce. 
             As we extend our condolences to the Jackson family--and to 
             the families of the other victims--the bereaved families 
             should be assured that many Americans share their loss.
               Ron Brown, and his courageous coworkers, will long be 
             remembered and will long be missed.

               Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, it was with great 
             sadness that I learned of the tragic accident that took 
             the life of Ron Brown and 34 dynamic young Americans who 
             were on a journey of hope to a dangerous part of the 
             world.
               I had never had the pleasure to meet Ron Brown until I 
             came to Washington last year, but I knew long before that, 
             that he was a crusader, an energetic advocate, and a 
             dedicated public servant. In politics he was a more than 
             worthy opponent to his Republican counterparts, and in 
             Government he was clearly a most valued member of the 
             President's Cabinet and an effective Ambassador for 
             America around the world.
               Our country was well served by Ron Brown's enthusiasm, 
             competence, and determination. His work as a member of the 
             Cabinet earned him well-deserved praise, especially from 
             the Nation's business community.
               My heart and prayers go out to Ron Brown's family at 
             this difficult time, and also to the families of all those 
             who lost their lives on this mission of hope. They all 
             shared in that great American gift of optimism and that 
             great American belief that we can make the future better 
             than today. They went to the Balkans to share that great 
             American gift with a people whose history has stolen their 
             hope and their optimism and their dreams for their 
             children.
               Our greatest tribute to these dedicated Americans would 
             be to renew their journey of hope and to share their great 
             dream of a better future with those who suffer around the 
             world.

               Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay 
             tribute to a great American, the late Secretary of 
             Commerce, Ron Brown. I am pleased to be a part of this 
             resolution for tributes to distinguished leaders of our 
             great Nation. Ron Brown's life work is a true American 
             success story. It is that American agenda opportunity that 
             I alluded to when I was sworn in; that gives an 
             opportunity to every American, that hope that is embodied 
             in our creed. They will soar to high of this Cosmos.
               The loss of the Secretary of Commerce is tragic which is 
             underscored by his commitment to jobs, social justice, and 
             economic security. During the times that we met at several 
             official occasions, I found him to be a charming, warm, 
             intelligent, and always a gentleman. I have fond memories 
             of my discussions with Ron Brown.
               I remember watching the news in the immediate aftermath 
             of the civil unrest in Los Angeles in 1992 following the 
             Rodney King beating trial verdict, when he met with the 
             angry and frustrated youth of south central Los Angeles. 
             He and the President played basketball, demonstrating his 
             ability to relate intergenerationally and across the 
             socio-economic spectrum. That was perhaps his greatest 
             attribute. He understood that we must work to help others, 
             and he did that.
               Ron Brown perished in Bosnia trying to acquaint a 
             delegation of business people with the market conditions 
             there and to bring peace to a war-torn region. Speaks to 
             his humanitarian efforts and as a parallel--he also worked 
             to bring jobs to south central Los Angeles and improve the 
             lives of the people, and finally bring peace to people who 
             have desired it for so long. Ron Brown knew the value of a 
             job to people and to a community. He worked to improve 
             people's lives by bringing jobs to those who wanted to 
             work.
               I want to offer my condolences to Alma Brown, a woman of 
             courage and strength, the Brown family and the families of 
             the people whose lives were lost that day.
               I am pleased to participate in this tribute to a 
             wonderful American.

               Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 
             sadness that I rise today to pay tribute to the late 
             Commerce Secretary, Ron Brown, and his colleagues who lost 
             their lives while serving our country in Bosnia. Secretary 
             Ron Brown, through his eloquence and determination, 
             contributed greatly to our Nation. Even before his days at 
             the Commerce Department, Ron Brown's capability and many 
             successes advanced racial equality in America. His 
             commitment to fostering relations between foreign 
             governments and U.S. business is evident in America 
             recovering its leadership role in world trade.
               Mr. Speaker, one can never be prepared for such a sad 
             and unexpected event. Secretary Brown and his colleagues 
             brought hopes of prosperity to a war-torn region. Those of 
             us from Long Island were especially saddened to find that 
             Gail Dobert of the Commerce Department was among those who 
             lost their lives in this tragic end to a mission of peace. 
             We have witnessed a great loss, not only to friends and 
             family, but to the Nation. I join with my colleagues today 
             in offering my deepest sympathy.

               Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, earlier today there was a 
             resolution that was passed by this Congress honoring 
             former Secretary Ron Brown. I was unable to attend that 
             because I was in a hearing of a subcommittee on which I am 
             the ranking member, but I did want to do this then, and I 
             take the time now to do it.
               Mr. Speaker, one or 2 days after the tragic death of Ron 
             Brown, I was traveling to an event in my district and 
             listening to KNX news station. Dave Ross, reporting for 
             CBS news radio, came on the air and gave what I consider 
             to be a tremendous eulogy for Ron Brown.
               I would like to share it with the Members of the House.
               Mr. Ross entitled his tribute, ``death of a salesman.''

               A tragedy freezes time. Events you would otherwise 
             ignore become significant.
               Pictures of a Cabinet official eating breakfast in a 
             tent end up on the front page. And the story of a trade 
             mission which otherwise couldn't compete with the FBI's 
             latest unabomber suspect or the standoff in Montana 
             becomes the center of attention.
               Before now the only time you heard of Ron Brown was when 
             some new piece of evidence surfaced in his Justice 
             Department investigation.
               He was suspected of spending too much on travel and 
             using international junkets to reward campaign 
             contributors.
               Some junket. Breakfast in a tent and travel in a plane 
             so poorly equipped no passenger airline could legally fly 
             it. But a salesman can't stop to wonder whether the plane 
             is safe or what his critics are saying--there's a product 
             to move.
               Instead of gun boat diplomacy, Brown's philosophy was 
             MacDonalds diplomacy. If you want to spread democracy, 
             sell American products. Sell a way of life where people 
             spend their time making money instead of making enemies.
               The old Yugoslavia, which had a healthy economy, then 
             killed it, seemed to defy that philosophy. But a good 
             salesman keeps trying.
               My boss used to have a plaque on his desk which said, 
             nothing happens until something is sold. It was there to 
             remind us that those people in the sales department, the 
             one's who got their hands dirty closing deals, were the 
             people who kept our paychecks from bouncing.
               Trade missions, and I've attended a few, are pretty 
             boring. Business executives talk about exchange rates, 
             ownership rights, local taxes. It's nothing newsworthy. It 
             just creates thousands of jobs.
               A toast then, to the salesman. Traveling on a shoe shine 
             and a smile. Sometimes, on a wing and a prayer.

               Thank you, Mr. Ross. I know that the family of Mr. Brown 
             thanks you as well.

               Mr. DORNAN. I want to take care of three housekeeping 
             things here. One is the crash of Ron Brown's Air Force 
             aircraft on my birthday, April 3. We had a unanimous vote 
             for Mr. Brown, Secretary Brown, expressing our deep sorrow 
             at losing for the first time in the line of duty a Cabinet 
             officer in over almost a century and a half.
               I said yesterday that I thought the majority of the crew 
             was the crew that had flown me and five other Members, led 
             by Sonny Callahan of Alabama, to Tuzla and Sarajevo and 
             Hungary, two of the bases in Hungary and to Zagreb, 
             Croatia, and to our major air base, Aviano, in Italy. I 
             was mercifully wrong, not for the four other crewmen that 
             died, but of the six crewmen on that airplane, the pilot 
             was the same as our pilot, Ashley J. Davis; that is a 
             man's Ashley as in Ashley Wilkes. Ashley was the co-
             commander on our flight, on that C-43, used to be called a 
             T-43, a civilian 737, and I was correct that T. Sgt. 
             Shelly A. Kelly, who was the principal cabin steward for 
             all of us in the congressional section up front and got to 
             know her at Aviano, going through the PX to get some 
             shaving gear. She told me a story about how on each trip 
             she buys two bottles of wine, her husband is also assigned 
             to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and that he would do the 
             same when he was on a cross-country, they would drink one 
             in celebration of reuniting with their two children, and 
             then they would save one. And she said, ``We have quite a 
             collection of wine from around the world''.
               Well, Shelly Kelly died serving her country, as did 
             Capt. Ashley Davis, and I am going to fly flags on the 
             Capitol next week for them, get every one of the 
             Congressmen who were on CODEL Callahan, and fly flags for 
             the other four crew members who were on the ill-fated 
             Secretary Ron Brown delegation.
               I will just briefly give their names now. On our 
             aircraft on March 1, 2, 3, and again on my birthday, April 
             3, when 35 people were killed: 35-year-old Capt. Ashley J. 
             Davis of Baton Rouge, LA, also married with two children; 
             again, T. Sgt. Kelly, Shelly A. Kelly, 36, Zanesville, OH, 
             husband, two children; and the other four crew members, 
             Timothy Schafer, captain, 33 years of age, just outside my 
             own district, Costa Mesa, CA, 33 I said. T.Sgt. Cheryl 
             Turnage 37, Lakehurst, NJ; Sgt. Robert Farrington, 34, 
             Briarfield, AL; and the youngest, 29-year-old S. Sgt. 
             Gerald B. Adlrich, from Louisiana--excuse me, Louisville, 
             IL; all six of them assigned to Ramstein.
               Much has been talked about across the country, 
             justifiably so, about Mr. Brown's service to country, 
             captain in Europe and in Korea, and all of the CEO's who 
             will be so grievously missed by their families and their 
             children.

                                                Friday, April 19, 1996.

               Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, 33 Americans were taken from 
             us far too early in the plane that crashed April 3 near 
             Dubrovnik. This morning, we paid tribute to our good 
             friend, Secretary Ron Brown. At this time, I want to 
             commemorate one of those brave souls traveling with the 
             Secretary, Mr. David L. Ford.
               David Ford was one of 12 American business executives 
             accompanying Secretary Brown on a mission with the most 
             noble goal of helping the people of Bosnia and Croatia to 
             rebuild their war-ravaged countries. An executive with 
             Guardian Industries, headquartered in Michigan, David was 
             to donate 23 metric tons of flat glass to Sarajevo, enough 
             to produce about 8,000 windows for use in rebuilding the 
             Bosnia capital. After the trade mission ended in tragedy, 
             the glass was delivered to Sarajevo as planned and donated 
             to the people by the U.S. Embassy.
               David Ford's career at Guardian began in 1971, and he 
             spent time at its facilities around the country, including 
             several years at the Guardian plant in Carleton, MI, in my 
             congressional district. He helped lead his company's 
             expansion into the European market, and at the time he was 
             taken from us he headed Guardian's European operations.
               We will remember David Ford as a successful businessman, 
             but more importantly, his wife and two children will 
             remember him as a loving husband and devoted father. He 
             was a deeply religious man, who before his passing was 
             able to provide some desperately needed relief to the 
             people of Sarajevo. There, his final effort will be 
             honored by a plaque.
               I know that my colleagues join me in sending our 
             thoughts and prayers to his family.

                                              Thursday, April 25, 1996.

               Mr. BECERRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer some 
             thoughts on the tragic passing of Commerce Secretary Ron 
             Brown. I would first like to convey my sincere condolences 
             to his family: his wife Alma, and his children Tracey and 
             Michael.
               As I survey his life it is difficult not to be impressed 
             by the richness and breadth of Ron Brown's 
             accomplishments. It is the quintessential American story. 
             He rose from modest beginnings in Harlem to the pinnacles 
             of law, politics and government. Secretary Brown's life 
             was an affirmation that in America a man of imagination, 
             talent and determination could succeed.
               His joy in serving as Secretary of Commerce was 
             infectious. His dedication to helping young Americans 
             aspire and succeed was genuine. And his commitment to 
             serve his country was a constant throughout his life.
               His smile, hopefulness and generosity will be missed.

                                                Thursday, June 6, 1996.

               Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, tragedy never occurs softly. 
             It has not been 2 months since that CT-43 airplane crashed 
             on the outskirts of Dubrovnik, Croatia, simultaneously 
             reintroducing us to all that is painful in this world, and 
             all of its greatest promise. This was a national calamity, 
             touching our highest leaders, reaching into every 
             industry, every community, leaving an indelible imprint on 
             the parchment that is our collective soul. Youth lost is 
             painful. Youth lost in the service of a noble cause, while 
             no less a shame, is at the same time liberating. By 
             remembering those that are never to return is to give 
             their lives meaning beyond their death. To hold their 
             standard in front of us is the only fitting way to mourn 
             their loss. It is the least we can do.
               While rarely as dramatic as death, life occurs with 
             equal regularity. March 10, 1967 was no exception, 
             bringing Gerald ``Jerry'' Aldrich II into this world. A 
             large baby at 10 pounds, he had an equal appetite for 
             knowledge. Jerry was reading by kindergarten and, auguring 
             the future, was already disassembling and reassembling his 
             train engines, just to see how they worked. A quiet yet 
             thoughtful young man, he knew the sting of loss 
             intimately. His father succumbed to cancer in the spring 
             of 1983 while Jerry was still at North Clay High School. 
             Two years later he graduated in the top 10 of his class, 
             and bypassed a science scholarship to enlist in the U.S. 
             Air Force where he was trained as an aircraft mechanic.
               ``Jake,'' as his military friends knew him, enjoyed his 
             new career. He completed his initial training at Lackland 
             Air Force Base near San Antonio, TX, and soon moved to 
             Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas. His next 
             assignment took him to England. The year was 1991, and 
             Jake served as the crew chief aboard an MC130E Combat 
             Talon I aircraft out of Royal Air Force Base Alconbury. In 
             July, Jake was promoted to staff sergeant. Germany was his 
             next destination, first to Rhein-Main Base in Frankfort, 
             and finally joining the 76th at Ramstein Base. While 
             abroad, he courageously served in Operation Desert Storm.
               It was in Germany that Jake met his wife, Petra 
             Shoemaker. They were married on January 11, 1991, in 
             Germany, and also celebrated with an American ceremony 
             that summer. This loving union was blessed with two sons, 
             Timothy, three and Joshua, almost two. Jake was a devoted 
             family man who spent every possible moment with his wife 
             and children. They are joined in their grief by Jerry's 
             mother, Hazel Wattles, of Louisville, brother, Mike 
             Aldrich of Oak Harbor, WA, and sisters, Carolyn McKnelly 
             and Sherry Roley of Effingham, IL, as well as the rest of 
             his extended family.
               Mr. Speaker, words often sound hollow in the face of 
             such gravity, but those of his sister, Sherry, resonate. 
             She remembers that Jerry was able to lead a life full of 
             opportunity and new experiences. He saw both good and bad, 
             and met many influential people in the many countries he 
             visited. Yet he remained a down to earth person who lived 
             for his family, work, and country. As she reminds us, let 
             us never forget the six Air Force crew members who gave 
             their lives on this seemingly uneventful flight. Let us 
             never forget any other service person who has fought for 
             our country and the freedom it represents. S. Sgt. Gerald 
             Aldrich was laid to rest on April 19, 1996. He had an 
             Honor Guard military funeral with family members and 
             friends present in Frankfurt, Germany. I charge us all to 
             raise his standard high, so that we may remember not only 
             the circumstances of his death, but a life valiantly 
             lived.

                                                Tuesday, June 18, 1996.

               Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise on 
             the third anniversary of the day on which I took the oath 
             of office 3 years ago in this Chamber to replace then-
             Congressman Leon Panetta, who had gone to work in the 
             White House as head of OMB.
               Standing in the well before me, I thanked the California 
             State legislature, which I had left the night before, for 
             the good work they were doing in guiding the State of 
             California. At the same time I paid tribute to my mother, 
             who had died of cancer while I was in the Peace Corps; and 
             to my sister, who was killed while visiting me in the 
             Peace Corps.
               In the gallery at the time was my father, Fred Farr, and 
             my sister, Francesca Farr. Also in the gallery from my 
             district was Rev. Darrell Darling and his son Adam 
             Darling, who grew up in Santa Cruz, part of the district I 
             now represent.
               Tonight, on the third anniversary, I want to pay tribute 
             to that beautiful young man, Adam Darling, who lost his 
             life in the plane crash with Secretary Ron Brown in 
             Bosnia.
               Adam Darling died doing precisely what he wanted: 
             serving his country while working to make the world a 
             better place. He was an eternal optimist. Adam had once 
             offered to ride his bike across this country from his home 
             State of California to Washington, DC for then-Governor 
             Bill Clinton because he felt that he could make a 
             difference in the 1992 presidential race just by riding a 
             bicycle across the Nation. After the election he ended up 
             in Washington working for the Commerce Department.
               When I arrived to be sworn into Congress, Adam was there 
             to meet me. He brought his father, Rev. Darrell Darling, 
             with him from Santa Cruz all the way here to Washington, 
             DC. According to his father, Adam Darling was a leader 
             among his peers, his friends, his family and in his work. 
             His leadership grew from a keen and uncluttered mind, a 
             character free of shame, given or received, and thoroughly 
             generous in spirit.
               He was very realistic about both public policy and 
             public service and the limitations and temptations of 
             both. Adam's realism never was cynical. ``When you decide 
             to make a difference where there is risk, you cannot 
             calculate the cost or be guaranteed delivery from pain or 
             loss. Bosnia is a land of grief and turmoil and none of us 
             are immune from it.'' Those were the words of his father 
             upon learning of his son's death.
               Adam was working for the Commerce Department when I 
             arrived. He served on the staff of the press office for 
             several months before becoming a personal assistant to the 
             Deputy Secretary for 2 years. Adam was also instrumental 
             in bringing state-of-the-art science to the central coast 
             and to the country. Just 1 year ago he helped organize the 
             first-ever link between the classrooms across America and 
             marine biologists working in the Monterey Bay.
               Ron Brown had asked Adam to handle press relations and 
             advance planning for the economic development mission in 
             Bosnia. According to Adam's family, Adam saw it as an 
             opportunity to make a significant contribution to the 
             peace effort where it was severely needed.
               Rather than working hard to gain personal attention, 
             Adam worked hard for the sheer pleasure of doing well and 
             the satisfaction of knowing he had helped make someone 
             else's life a little more livable.
               Adam saw life as an opportunity to serve the world, 
             telling his family at the age of 5 that he would be 
             President of the United States someday; a young boy made 
             his commitment to bettering the country at any cost. 
             During the few years that he was afforded, Adam worked 
             with the dedication and commitment of a President and 
             accomplished more for the good of humankind during his 
             lifetime than many even attempt in 100 years.
               The loss of Adam Darling and 34 others in Bosnia will be 
             sorely felt by all and will remain in our hearts as a 
             memorial to all who pay the highest cost possible in order 
             to keep the world by serving their country. I want to 
             thank the Darlings for being here on this day of my 
             anniversary of being sworn into Congress, and I want to 
             pay tribute to Adam Darling who was here to greet me when 
             I first arrived, and wish that he was still here today.
               Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me this time to pay 
             tribute to this great young American.

                                                Friday, August 2, 1996.

               Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be 
             discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 
             3560) to designate the Federal building located at 290 
             Broadway in New York, NY, as the ``Ronald H. Brown Federal 
             Building,'' and ask for its immediate consideration in the 
             House.
               The Clerk read the title of the bill.
               The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hastert). Is there 
             objection to the request of the gentleman from Maryland?

               Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to 
             object, I will not object, and I yield to the 
             distinguished gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest] for 
             an explanation.

               Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, the bill designates the 
             Federal building located at 290 Broadway in New York City 
             as the Ronald H. Brown Federal Building.
               Ronald H. Brown was the first African-American Secretary 
             of Commerce where he was influential in promoting U.S. 
             trade abroad. He was a champion for expanded markets for 
             U.S. goods and services abroad and opportunities at home.
               Ronald H. Brown was a civil rights advocate with a 
             distinguished record of service and commitment to his 
             country. It is unfortunate that he lost his life in the 
             Balkans on April 3, 1996.
               I urge my colleagues to support this fitting tribute to 
             this distinguished American. We all here hope today that 
             even though this tragic loss has denied the family of Mr. 
             Brown's presence, as they walk past the courthouse and see 
             his name there, some of the friendly presence that he left 
             with us will be felt by them.
               The gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Shuster] could not 
             be here for this, but he concurs strongly with the naming 
             of this Federal building after the distinguished life and 
             service of Mr. Brown.
               I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

               Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, continuing my reservation of 
             objection, I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. 
             Oberstar].

               Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
             yielding to me, and I thank the gentleman from Maryland 
             for bringing this resolution to the House floor.
               I think it is very appropriate and fitting for us to 
             name a building in New York in Secretary Brown's hometown 
             for him to carry on the name and the memory of the very 
             distinguished service that he provided to this country in 
             so many arenas, but particularly as a most distinguished 
             Secretary of Commerce whose focus was jobs, tourism, 
             economic growth, expansion of trade, protecting American 
             interests at home and abroad. He was a truly great 
             American, and naming of this building is a modest way in 
             which we can perpetuate his memory.

               Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the 
             gentleman from New York [Mr. Rangel], the sponsor of this 
             bill, for the work that he has done to bring it up in such 
             a timely fashion. I want to thank Mr. Gilchrest and the 
             majority for being considerate of Mr. Rangel and our 
             concerns.
               I also have great concerns that Mr. Brown's legacy 
             should be reflected here with a presence in Washington and 
             would like to place on notice to our committee that we 
             will look into those regards.
               I would also like to say that Ron Brown did something 
             else that was quite unusual. He helped to put the Democrat 
             party together and to elect a Democrat President. And I 
             believe without Ron Brown, the Democrats in the White 
             House would not quite be there.
               In addition to that, I echo the words of our 
             distinguished ranking member, Mr. Oberstar. I think Ron 
             Brown was a fighter. He was concerned with people. He was 
             always willing to take our calls and work with us on 
             projects.
               Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand today to designate 
             the Federal building on Broadway in New York City, as does 
             its sponsor, Mr. Rangel, and designate that building as 
             the Ronald H. Brown Federal Building. It is absolutely 
             deserving.
               Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection and 
             I urge support of H.R. 3560.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             request of the gentleman from Maryland?
               There was no objection.
               The Clerk read the bill, as follows:
                                      H.R. 3560
               Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
             of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
               SECTION 1. FINDINGS.
               Congress finds the following:
               (1) Ronald H. Brown, the first African-American 
             Secretary of Commerce, was an extraordinary statesman and 
             an effective and influential force in promoting United 
             States trade abroad;
               (2) Ronald H. Brown efficaciously championed expanded 
             markets for United States goods and services abroad, and 
             jobs and opportunities at home;
               (3) Ronald H. Brown was a passionate civil rights 
             advocate with a distinguished record of service and 
             commitment to his country and community; and
               (4) Ronald H. Brown lost his life in exceptional service 
             to his country on April 3, 1996, in the Balkans.
               SEC. 2. DESIGNATION.
               The Federal building located at 290 Broadway in New 
             York, New York, shall be known and designated as the 
             ``Ronald H. Brown Federal Building''.
               SEC. 3. REFERENCES.
               Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
             paper, or other record of the United States to the Federal 
             building referred to in section 2 shall be deemed to be a 
             reference to the ``Ronald H. Brown Federal Building''.
               amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by mr. 
                                      gilchrest
               Mr. GILCHREST. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the 
             nature of a substitute.
               The Clerk read as follows:

               Amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by Mr. 
             Gilchrest:
               Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
             following:
               SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
               The Federal building located at 290 Broadway in New 
             York, New York, shall be known and designated as the 
             ``Ronald H. Brown Federal Building''.
               SEC. 2. REFERENCES.
               Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, 
             paper, or other record of the United States to the Federal 
             building referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a 
             reference to the ``Ronald H. Brown Federal Building''.

               Mr. GILCHREST (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask 
             unanimous consent that the amendment in the nature of a 
             substitute be considered as read and printed in the 
             Record.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the 
             request of the gentleman from Maryland?
               There was no objection.

               Mr. GILCHREST. This amendment, Mr. Speaker, simply 
             strikes the finding from the bill. This is to conform the 
             bill to the style used by the committee.

               The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the 
             amendment in the nature of a substitute offered by the 
             gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Gilchrest].
               The amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed 
             to.
               The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third 
             time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to 
             reconsider was laid on the table.
                 

                              Condolences and Tributes
                        Ronald H. Brown, 30th U.S. Secretary
                                     of Commerce

                         [From Business America, April 1996]
               Ron Brown used the power of the Commerce Department to 
             find ways to give opportunity to ordinary Americans, to 
             generate jobs for the American economy and to build better 
             futures for American citizens. With those words, President 
             Clinton eulogized Ronald H. Brown, his longtime friend and 
             confidant, a passionate civil rights advocate, a keen 
             political strategist, and one of America's most effective 
             Secretaries of Commerce.
               Nominated by President-elect Clinton on December 12, 
             1992, Secretary Brown was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 
             January 21, 1993, and sworn into office as the 30th U.S. 
             Secretary of Commerce on January 22.
               A lawyer, a skillful negotiator, a pragmatic bridge 
             builder, and past highly successful chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee, Secretary Brown strongly 
             believed in the promise of America and aggressively 
             advanced policies and programs to accelerate the Nation's 
             economic growth and create new jobs and opportunities for 
             all the American people.
               Under his leadership, the Commerce Department became the 
             powerhouse envisioned by President Clinton. Secretary 
             Brown promoted U.S. exports, U.S. technologies, 
             entrepreneurship, and the economic development of 
             distressed communities throughout the Nation.
               He led trade development missions to five continents, 
             touting the competitiveness of U.S. goods and services. 
             During his tenure, U.S. exports reached a record high, 
             America regained its title as the world's most productive 
             economy, and exports and technology were key contributors 
             to the millions of new jobs created during the first 3 
             years of President Clinton's administration.
               ``I have the great honor of serving my Nation and 
             President at a time of profound change and growing hope--a 
             moment when my position as U.S. Secretary of Commerce 
             allows me to serve America's families and industries by 
             serving the cause of peace and prosperity around the 
             world,'' said Secretary Brown on his business development 
             missions to South Africa, the Middle East, Northern 
             Ireland, and other areas seeking to rebuild economies and 
             create a stable foundation for peace.
               Brown was a forceful advocate for the Commerce 
             Department, its mission to ensure economic opportunity for 
             all Americans and provide a voice for business in the 
             Cabinet, and its dedicated staff.
               Secretary Brown served on President Clinton's National 
             Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, Task Force on 
             National Health Care Reform and Council on Sustainable 
             Development. He chaired the 19-agency Trade Promotion 
             Coordinating Committee and the National Information 
             Infrastructure Task Force, President Clinton's initiative 
             to build a national information superhighway.
               Secretary Brown also co-chaired the U.S.-China Joint 
             Commission on Commerce and Trade, the U.S.-Russia Business 
             Development Committee and the U.S.-Israel Science and 
             Technology Commission.
               Formerly a partner in the Washington, DC law firm 
             Patton, Boggs, and Blow, Secretary Brown was a member of 
             the New York Bar, the District of Columbia Bar and the 
             United States Supreme Court Bar. He served as chief 
             counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee under the 
             chairmanship of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. For 12 years he 
             championed civil rights as deputy executive director, 
             general counsel, and vice president for Washington 
             operations for the National Urban League. Secretary Brown 
             was the first chairman of the board for the University of 
             the District of Columbia and legislative chairman of the 
             Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.
               The first African-American Secretary of Commerce, Brown 
             was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in New York City. 
             He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont. After 
             serving for 4 years in the Army in both Germany and Korea, 
             he earned a law degree from St. John's University, which 
             he attended at night, while working as a welfare 
             caseworker for the city of New York.
               Secretary Brown served on the board of trustees for 
             Middlebury College and was chairman of the Senior Advisory 
             Committee at Harvard's John F. Kennedy Institute of 
             Politics. He also was an elected member of the Council on 
             Foreign Relations.
               Secretary Brown resided in Washington, DC, with his wife 
             Alma, a media executive. Their son Michael and daughter 
             Tracy are lawyers.
                         Other Commerce Department Officials

                          Duane Christian, Security Officer
             
             
               Duane was Secretary Brown's chief security officer, who 
             traveled with him on many of the Secretary's overseas and 
             domestic trips. Duane was solidly prepared for this 
             position of trust, after spending a decade on the 
             Department's security force, carrying out his vital 
             mandate of protecting the physical well-being of Commerce 
             secretaries and their staffs. Before coming to the 
             Commerce Department in 1985, he worked as a background 
             investigator in the career civil service at the Office of 
             Personnel Management. Duane attended DeMatha Catholic High 
             School in Maryland, and graduated from Howard University. 
             He loved sports, especially football, and had been a 
             teacher and coach at Ballou High School before coming to 
             Commerce. He leaves behind his wife, Sheila, and their 
             three children.
                      Adam N. Darling, Confidential Assistant,
                           Office of the Deputy Secretary
             
             
               President Clinton, in his comments at the Commerce 
             Department, said that among those Commerce employees on 
             the plane, was a young man who wanted to ride his bicycle 
             across the country handing out campaign literature to 
             elect the Clinton/Gore ticket in 1992. That young man was 
             Adam Darling, hardworking, loyal, and dedicated special 
             assistant to Commerce's Deputy Secretary. Before working 
             for Deputy Secretary David Barram, Adam served as Deputy 
             Public Affairs Director for Commerce's International Trade 
             Administration. Though young, his political 
             accomplishments were many. Adam worked on many facets of 
             the 1992 Clinton for President campaign. A proud graduate 
             of the University of Pennsylvania, he lived and worked in 
             England and Germany, and traveled extensively throughout 
             Asia during his career.
                  Gail E. Dobert, Deputy Director, Acting Director,
                             Office of Business Liaison
             
             
               Gail tirelessly worked as an advocate for U.S. 
             businesses, and their expanding role in the global 
             economy. Prior to her post at the Commerce Department, she 
             served as an integral member of Ron Brown's advance and 
             fundraising team at the Democratic National Committee. 
             Before that, Gail worked for 5 years as a senior 
             legislative assistant for former Pennsylvania Democratic 
             Representative Gus Yatron. A native Long Islander, Gail 
             participated in a summer jobs program in which she 
             designed programs to aid economically disadvantaged youth 
             seeking employment opportunities in New York City. 
             Throughout her career she supported the cause of women's 
             equality and opportunity. She graduated in 1984 from 
             Bucknell University and studied at the London Polytechnic 
             Institute in England.
             Carol L. Hamilton, Press Secretary and Acting Director of 
                            the Office of Public Affairs
             
             
               Carol Hamilton was one of Secretary Brown's closest 
             advisers. As his press secretary, she traveled at his 
             side, ensuring that the important work of the Department 
             was featured prominently in the media. Before serving 
             Commerce, she was the press secretary for the Clinton/Gore 
             statewide effort in New York, where years before she also 
             worked for New Yorkers for Jesse Jackson in 1988. Prior to 
             these efforts, she held the post of vice president for 
             Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood of New York City and 
             founded and managed her own full service communications 
             agency. Carol and her staff of five developed and executed 
             several key public affairs campaigns for national and 
             social policy issues. She worked in a variety of private 
             sector companies, including the Chase Manhattan Bank, 
             Howard J. Rubenstein Associates, Inc., and Kekst and Co. 
             An advocate for African-American issues, most notably she 
             was a special correspondent for Black News We Speak at the 
             1988 Democratic National Convention. A graduate of Boston 
             College and native of New York City, in her spare time, 
             she pursued diverse interests, such as competitive 
             swimming, silver smithing, and auto restoration.
               Kathryn E. Hoffman, Special Assistant to the Secretary
             
             
               Kathryn Hoffman was a trusted aide to Secretary Ron 
             Brown and member of the Management Team of the Department 
             of Commerce. Kathryn was instrumental in helping the 
             Secretary to effect his vision for the Department--its 
             mission of promoting international trade, civilian 
             technology, and economic development. Prior to serving 
             Commerce, Kathryn was the Assistant Director of the Office 
             of Public Liaison for the Presidential Inaugural 
             Committee, producing the first African-American Inaugural 
             Gala and Leadership Forum. During the Clinton/Gore 
             Campaign, she served as Deputy Political Director in 
             California. Her professional career included jobs with 
             Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. in Los Angeles, Time in 
             New York, and the staffs of U.S. Senator Joseph Biden from 
             Delaware and State Senator Julian Bond from Georgia. A 
             Wellesley College honors graduate who had also spent a 
             year studying at Spelman College in Atlanta as a visiting 
             student, Kathryn was a valued colleague.
               Stephen C. Kaminski, Senior Commercial Service Officer,
                               U.S. Commercial Service
             
             
               Stephen was a valued civil servant with a long and 
             distinguished career in Commerce's Commercial Service, 
             serving in overseas posts in Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Tokyo, 
             and Vienna, as well as in Washington, DC. During his time 
             in Tokyo, Stephen received the Department's Gold Medal 
             Award for his work in ensuring U.S. companies' access to 
             Japanese major projects markets. Most recently, as the 
             senior commercial officer in Austria, Stephen was accorded 
             the increased responsibility of developing the 
             Department's strategy for Croatia and Bosnia. He first 
             joined the Department of Commerce in 1975 with the 
             Maritime Administration, serving as an international 
             economist. A native of Baltimore, MD, Stephen was a 
             graduate of Georgetown University's prestigious School of 
             Foreign Service. He leaves his wife, Kathleen, and their 
             12-year-old daughter, Christina.
               Kathryn E. Kellogg, Confidential Assistant, Office of 
                                  Business Liaison
             
             
               ``Kathy'' Kellogg became an advocate for the U.S. 
             business community in markets abroad when she joined the 
             Commerce Department at the start of the Clinton 
             Administration in 1993. She participated in numerous 
             overseas trade missions championing U.S. economic 
             interests abroad. Kathy worked on the Clinton/Gore 
             campaign, as well as the Presidential Inaugural Committee. 
             She served on the staff of Senator John D. Rockefeller for 
             3 years, and held several positions in the government of 
             her home state of California. In 1988, she worked to ``get 
             out the vote'' for Dukakis/Bentsen for President. A 
             graduate of Biola University in La Mirada, CA, Kathy gave 
             100 percent always to all of her pursuits.
              Charles F. Meissner, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 
                            International Economic Policy
             
             
               ``Chuck'' Meissner was responsible for international 
             commercial policy development in the Department's 
             International Trade Administration. Chuck's effectiveness 
             ranged from his chairmanship of the Commerce Department's 
             U.S./Mexico Border Economic Task Force to his leadership 
             for the Secretary of Economic Development Initiatives in 
             Northern Ireland and its border counties. As the key 
             policy adviser to the Secretary on this mission, Chuck 
             concentrated the Department's efforts and resources to 
             promote economic stability to this war-torn region. He 
             spent the 20 years prior to his appointment to the 
             Commerce Department in the fields of international 
             financial, monetary, and trade policy, in both the private 
             and public sectors. He began his government career in 
             1971, at the Treasury Department's Office of International 
             Affairs as the Japan Desk Officer and Special Assistant to 
             the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs. Next, 
             he spent many years working on the Senate Committee on 
             Foreign Relations, as an economist and as the staff 
             director for its Foreign Assistance Subcommittee. From 
             1977 to 1983, Chuck held several senior positions at the 
             U.S. Department of State, including Deputy Assistant 
             Secretary for International Finance and Development in the 
             Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs, and Ambassador/
             U.S. Special Negotiator for Economic Matters, in which he 
             negotiated all U.S. Government international debt 
             rescheduling with the Paris Club. He represented the 
             United States on the Economic Committee of NATO and served 
             as the U.S. negotiator on North-South issues in the United 
             Nations. Chuck had many distinguished accomplishments in 
             the banking industry as well, first at Chemical Bank and 
             then during a most impressive tenure at the World Bank. A 
             native of Wisconsin, Chuck was a three-time graduate of 
             the University of Wisconsin. He served in the Vietnam War 
             as a Captain in the U.S. Army in 1969 and 1970, and 
             received a number of decorations. A resident of Maryland, 
             he leaves his wife, Doris, the Commissioner of the 
             Immigration and Naturalization Service, and two children.
             William Morton, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International 
                                Economic Development
             
             
               ``Bill'' Morton served as one of Secretary Brown's most 
             trusted aides for more than 7 years, most recently at the 
             Department of Commerce, and before that, at the Democratic 
             National Committee. He was responsible for coordinating 
             all aspects of the Secretary's extensive domestic and 
             international travel, helping develop, manage, and 
             implement Secretary Brown's trade missions and 
             conferences. In his earlier position in the Department as 
             Assistant Director for Operations and Regional Management 
             at the Minority Business Development Agency, he was 
             responsible for the oversight and operations of five 
             regional offices and four district offices, as well as the 
             MBDA staff in Washington, DC. Before serving at Commerce, 
             Bill served as executive assistant to then-chairman Ron 
             Brown of the Democratic National Committee for 4 years and 
             worked in the Presidential campaigns of Jesse Jackson and 
             Gary Hart. A graduate in International Politics from 
             Georgetown University, Bill was a Colorado native. He 
             consistently helped to shape the purpose, tone, message, 
             and logistics for much of Ron Brown's public career and 
             was a constant and recognized presence at his side.
              Lawrence M. Payne, Special Assistant, Office of Domestic 
                         Operations, U.S. Commercial Service
             
             
               Just before serving with Secretary Brown at the Commerce 
             Department, ``Lawry'' Payne was the owner and operator of 
             an independent chain of homemade gourmet ice cream and 
             yogurt shops in his home state of Massachusetts and its 
             neighbor, New Hampshire. Lawry came to the Department with 
             an extensive background in both the public and private 
             sectors. He spent 6 years on the staff of former Senator 
             Paul Tsongas, first as a legislative assistant working on 
             a variety of trade and foreign policy issues, then helping 
             to advance Tsongas' bid for the Presidency in 1992, as he 
             had for former Governor Michael Dukakis during his run for 
             President in 1988. Preceding this, Lawry spent several 
             years on Wall Street, where he focused on public finance, 
             and mergers and acquisitions, while working for two 
             investment firms, Shearson Lehman Brothers Inc. and 
             Quadrex Securities. He earned his bachelor's degree from 
             the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and masters in 
             Business Administration from the Harvard Business School. 
             An avid bicyclist and budding photographer, Lawry also 
             enjoyed squash, and relished collecting artifacts during 
             his frequent travels around the globe.
              Naomi P. Warbasse, Deputy Director, Central and Eastern 
                     Europe Business Information Center (CEEBIC)
             
             
               Naomi Warbasse served as the deputy director of the 
             Central and Eastern Europe Business Information Center 
             (CEEBIC), managing domestic staff and contractors located 
             in 11 countries, as well as overseeing CEEBIC's two 
             publications, its Internet Home Page, automated fax 
             document retrieval system, Small Business Support 
             Facility, and specialized in Poland and Bosnia programs. 
             CEEBIC is a clearinghouse for information on U.S. 
             Government programs and market information, and a provider 
             of business counseling to U.S. companies interested in 
             exporting to or investing in Central and Eastern European 
             countries. Naomi also served the International Trade 
             Administration as desk officer for Croatia, Bosnia-
             Herzegovina, and the former Yugoslav Republic of 
             Macedonia. She worked on numerous special projects at 
             Commerce, including the creation of an automated fax 
             retrieval service for the Uruguay Round, White House 
             conferences for trade and investment in Central and 
             Eastern Europe and in Ireland, and the Fourth West-East 
             Conference of Ministers of Economy, Industry and Trade of 
             the G-7 and Reforming Countries. Honing expertise in 
             international relations, she received her master's degree 
             from George Washington University and her bachelor's 
             degree from Johns Hopkins University. She received a 
             Department of Education Foreign Language Area Studies 
             Fellowship to study Czech. In addition to her proficiency 
             in Czech, Naomi was fluent in German.
                 
                 

                                   Other Agencies
               Lee F. Jackson, Executive Director, European Bank for 
             Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), U.S. Department of 
                                      Treasury
               Lee was recently appointed to serve the Treasury 
             Department's European Bank for Reconstruction and 
             Development as its Executive Director, a position in which 
             he represented the U.S. Government, EBRD's largest 
             shareholder, on the board of directors, and successfully 
             advocated significant institutional change at EBRD. During 
             his tenure, the Bank significantly increased investment 
             activity while reducing administrative costs, at the same 
             time broadening program implementation to reach small- and 
             medium-sized businesses and increase investments that 
             support environmental infrastructure and energy efficiency 
             in various parts of the world, most notably, throughout 
             the former Soviet Union. Prior to joining the EBRD, he 
             served as treasurer of the City of Boston, where he was 
             responsible for collecting and investing $1.3 billion of 
             annual revenue and financing a $1.1 billion capital plan. 
             Before government service, he worked in a number of 
             investment firms in San Francisco and in his home state of 
             New York, including First Boston, Salomon Brothers, and 
             Kidder, Peabody. After earning a bachelor's degree cum 
             laude in economics from Williams College and a masters in 
             Business Administration from Stanford University, he began 
             his career as an economist at the U.S. Department of 
             Energy.
                                          a
                  James M. Lewek, Economic Reconstruction Expert, 
             Interagency Balkan Task Force, Central Intelligence Agency
               ``Jim'' Lewek was born in Buffalo, NY. He received a 
             Ph.D. in economics from Vanderbilt University. An analyst 
             in the CIA's Office of European Analysis, he was assigned 
             to the Interagency Balkan Task Force as an economic 
             reconstruction expert. He worked for more than 20 years at 
             the CIA, analyzing international economic issues and 
             providing analytic support to U.S. policy makers. For 5 
             years, he was the team chief of the overnight production 
             staff of the daily intelligence publication that the CIA 
             produces for the President. Jim was married, with one son 
             and one daughter.
                                Corporate Executives
                Barry L. Conrad, Chairman and Chief Executive of the 
                               Barrington Group, Miami
               Mr. Conrad was president of worldwide operations and 
             sales for Burger King before leaving in October 1994 to 
             start his own hotel and restaurant firm, the Barrington 
             Group. He had been chief executive for Trusthouse Forte 
             Hotels for 5 years. He also led Quality Inns from 1982 to 
             1986. He had a degree from the University of Maryland. He 
             was married and had three children.
              Paul Cushman III, Chairman and Chief Executive of Riggs 
                     International Banking Corp., Washington, DC
               Mr. Cushman joined Riggs in 1983 as a commercial loan 
             trainee. He became a senior vice president in 1989 and was 
             appointed chairman of the bank's international and embassy 
             banking operations in 1993. He was single and lived in the 
             District.
              Robert E. Donovan, President and Chief Executive of ABB 
                                  Inc., Norwalk, CT
               Mr. Donovan headed the U.S. arm of the Zurich-based ABB 
             Asea Brown Boveri Ltd., a global manufacturer of power-
             generating equipment. A 1963 graduate of the U.S. Military 
             Academy and a Vietnam veteran with the Army Corps of 
             Engineers, Donovan earned advanced degrees from the 
             Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Fairleigh-
             Dickinson University. He was married and had two children.
             Claudio Elia, Chairman and Chief Executive of Air & Water 
                         Technologies Corp., Branchburg, NJ
               Mr. Elia was tapped in 1994 to run the company, which 
             builds and manages air and water pollution control 
             equipment. Born in Italy, he started his business career 
             in 1968 at the Boston Consulting Group and also worked at 
             General Electric Co. He was married and had two children.
              David Ford, President and Chief Executive of InterGuard 
              Corp., the Luxembourg Subsidiary of Guardian Industries, 
                                  Auburn Hills, MI
               Mr. Ford was born in Washington and had worked at 
             Guardian, a flat glass manufacturer, for more than 25 
             years, the last 15 in its Luxembourg office. He was to 
             donate 23 metric tons of glass to a Sarajevo hospital. The 
             glass has been delivered and a plaque commemorating Mr. 
             Ford will be displayed in the hospital. He was married and 
             had two children.
               Frank Maier, President of Enserch International Ltd., 
                                       Dallas
               Mr. Maier was tapped this year to head the international 
             arm of Enserch Corp., a natural gas company, and was 
             responsible for developing international power projects. 
             Originally from New York, Mr. Maier graduated from 
             Manhattan College and received a master's degree in 
             business from Loyola. He was married and had two children.
              Walter J. Murphy, Vice President of Global Sales at AT&T 
                          Submarine Systems, Morristown, NJ
               Mr. Murphy joined AT&T in 1970 and had just begun 
             selling undersea fiber optic connections abroad. Born in 
             Glens Falls, NY, he received a bachelor's degree from the 
             State University of New York at Plattsburgh and a master's 
             degree from Pace University. He lived in Fanwood, NJ, was 
             married, and had three sons.
                Leonard J. Pieroni, Chairman and Chief Executive of 
                             Parsons Corp., Pasadena, CA
               Mr. Pieroni joined the international engineering firm 
             Parsons in 1972, and was named to the top job in 1990. His 
             firm worked on reconstruction in Kuwait after the Persian 
             Gulf War. He was married and had two grown children.
              John Scoville, Chairman of Harza Engineering Co., Chicago
               Mr. Scoville, an engineer by training who had worked on 
             projects in 17 countries, headed the international 
             consulting engineering firm Harza, which specializes in 
             building dams and hydroelectric plants. It has 700 
             employees worldwide. He was married, with four children 
             and four grandchildren.
              I. Donald Terner, President of Bridge Housing Corp., San 
                                      Francisco
               Mr. Terner was well known as a successful builder of 
             low-income housing. A Harvard University graduate with a 
             doctorate in urban and regional economics, he worked as a 
             California housing official under then-Governor Jerry 
             Brown and taught at Harvard University and the University 
             of California's architecture school. He launched Bridge 
             Housing in 1981. Mr. Terner was married and had four 
             children.
                 P. Stuart Tholan, Senior Vice President of Bechtel 
                             Enterprises, San Francisco
               Mr. Tholan was based in London and headed the Bechtel 
             unit overseeing Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and 
             Southwest Asia. He had spent 33 years at Bechtel. He 
             oversaw Bechtel's work in reconstructing Kuwait's oil 
             production facilities after the Persian Gulf War. A 
             Philadelphia native, Mr. Tholan graduated from Penn State 
             University. He was married and had two grown children.
               Robert A. Whittaker, Vice President of Foster Wheeler 
                                 Corp., Clinton, NJ
               Mr. Whittaker also served as chairman and chief 
             executive of Foster Wheeler Energy International Inc. He 
             joined the company in December 1992 and worked to expand 
             Foster Wheeler's operations abroad, particularly in China 
             and Pacific Rim countries. Before joining Foster Wheeler, 
             Mr. Whittaker had held numerous managerial positions with 
             General Electric. He held a bachelor's degree in nuclear 
             engineering from the State University of New York Maritime 
             College and earned his MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic 
             Institute. He was also a U.S. merchant marine licensed 
             engineering officer and had served as a lieutenant in the 
             U.S. Navy. He was married with two grown children.
                                          a
                                        MEDIA
              Nathaniel C. Nash, New York Times Frankfurt Bureau Chief
               Before moving to Frankfurt to cover European economies 
             in 1994, Mr. Nash was chief of the Times' Buenos Aires 
             bureau for 3 years. He reported on Capitol Hill in 1990 
             and before that worked in the paper's financial section. 
             He joined the Times in 1973 as a copy aide. A native of 
             Lawrence, MA, Mr. Nash received a bachelor's degree from 
             Harvard in 1973. He was the first Times reporter to be 
             killed while covering a story since Word War II. He was 
             married and had three children.
                                          a
                                        CREW
                           Captain Ashley J. Davis, Pilot
               Captain Davis joined the Air Force in 1986 and had been 
             assigned to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany since 
             August 1994. Captain Davis, of Baton Rouge, was a graduate 
             of Southeastern Louisiana University. He was married and 
             had two children.
                        Captain Timothy W. Schafer, Co-Pilot
               Captain Schafer was a graduate of California State 
             University at Sacramento who joined the Air Force in 1988. 
             He had been assigned to Ramstein since November 1995. 
             Captain Schafer, of Costa Mesa, CA, was married.
              Staff Sgt. Gerald Aldrich, Crew Chief and Flight Mechanic
               He joined the Air Force in 1985 and had been at Ramstein 
             since 1994. Sgt. Aldrich, of Louisville, KY, was married 
             and had two children.
                      Staff Sgt. Robert Farrington Jr., Steward
               Sgt. Farrington, of Brierfield, NJ, was single. He 
             joined the Air Force in 1986.
                       Technical Sgt. Shelly A. Kelly, Steward
               Sgt. Kelly, of Zanesville, OH, was married and had two 
             children. She joined the Air Force in 1983 and had been at 
             Ramstein since 1994.
                      Technical Sgt. Cheryl A. Turnage, Steward
               Sgt. Turnage, of Lakehurst, NJ, was single. She joined 
             the Air Force in 1979 and had been at Ramstein since 1989.
                                          a
                                      CROATIANS
               Niksa Antonini, Photographer.
               Dragica Lendic Bebek, Interpreter.
                Ronald H. Brown, the Commerce Department's Powerhouse

               Ronald Brown made the Commerce Department what it was 
             meant to be--an instrument for realizing the potential of 
             every American by generating good jobs for the American 
             economy. As Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown fulfilled 
             President Clinton's promise, giving Commerce a powerful 
             role in revitalizing the American economy. But he went 
             beyond that, to forge public-private partnerships, helping 
             create millions of American jobs. Since January 1993, Ron 
             Brown worked tirelessly, shoulder-to-shoulder with 
             American business, to eliminate barriers and open new 
             markets for American businesses around the world.
               During his 3 years as Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown:
               Led the transformation of America into an export 
             superpower, leading the creation of the first-ever 
             National Export Strategy to help U.S. companies--small, 
             medium, and large--realize their export potential; 
             translating that strategy into results by winning over $80 
             billion of foreign deals for U.S. business, supporting 
             hundreds of thousands of high-paying American jobs; and 
             leading trade missions with small and large American 
             businesses to the world's big emerging markets, to our 
             traditional economic allies, as well as to new markets 
             across the globe that need commercial development to 
             overcome years of conflict;
               As the Nation's first African-American Secretary of 
             Commerce, demonstrated again and again that America's 
             diversity is America's strength, by fighting for resources 
             to help minority businesses expand, by promoting diversity 
             at the Department of Commerce, and by solidifying the 
             trade ties between a diverse America and new, emerging 
             markets in South Africa, the Middle East, Ireland, Latin 
             America, Asia, and Central Europe;
               Championed the role of civilian technology as a critical 
             ingredient of U.S. success in the global marketplace by 
             entering into more than 220 public-private partnerships 
             through the Advanced Technology Program, joining more than 
             $1.5 billion of federal and private funds in the 
             development of new, high-risk civilian technologies to 
             ensure that America remains the world's technology leader; 
             by expanding the Nation's network of manufacturing 
             extension centers from 7 to 60; and by streamlining export 
             controls, freeing over $32 billion in exports from 
             unnecessary regulation;
               Spurred the growth of the emerging information 
             superhighway, while ensuring that it reaches schools and 
             hospitals, cities and farms, haves and have-nots alike, by 
             leading the Administration's Information Infrastructure 
             Task Force, and by joining with more than 200 communities 
             to provide more than $160 million of Federal, State, 
             local, and private funds through the new 
             Telecommunications Information Infrastructure Assistance 
             Program (TIIAP);
               Promoted sustainable development, encouraging both 
             economic growth and environmental protection by rebuilding 
             depleted fisheries, boosting the export of environmental 
             technologies and modernizing our Nation's weather service.
               Ron Brown, through his inspiration, action, and vision, 
             underscored again and again that the mission of the 
             Department of Commerce is to ensure and enhance economic 
             opportunity for all Americans. That was the goal he set 
             for himself and his Department and--as the President has 
             said--the goal he never stopped working to achieve.
                Highlights of Secretary Brown's Business Development 
                                      Missions

               Saudi Arabia--June 1993--Secretary Brown visited Saudi 
             Arabia, where he advocated for $10 billion in contracts. 
             He was the first Commerce Department Secretary to visit 
             Saudi Arabia since 1982.
               South Africa--December 1993--Secretary Brown led an 
             historic trade and investment mission to South Africa with 
             31 U.S. businesses, laying the groundwork for economic 
             ties with post-apartheid South Africa.
               Mexico--December 1993--Secretary Brown led 39 minority 
             firms in a matchmaker trade mission to Mexico City, where 
             $14.4 million in sales resulted from contacts made during 
             the trip.
               Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, Israel, West Bank, and 
             Gaza--January 1994--Secretary Brown led an interagency 
             delegation and advocated for $13.8 billion in projects, 
             about $10 billion of which were signed. Secretary Brown 
             was the first Commerce Department Secretary to visit 
             Jordan, and the only one to visit Israel and Egypt in 15 
             years.
               Russia--March 1994--Secretary Brown led a delegation of 
             29 CEOs of U.S. firms and government officials from 12 
             agencies, by request of President Clinton. The Secretary 
             witnessed the signing of numerous contracts in excess of 
             $400 million.
               Germany--June 1994--Secretary Brown officially reopened 
             the American Consulate office in Dusseldorf.
               Poland--May 1994--Secretary Brown opened the Commerce 
             Department's Foreign Commercial Office in Warsaw, Poland.
               Brazil, Argentina, and Chile--June 1994--Secretary Brown 
             led a mission with 22 U.S. CEOs, resulting in the signing 
             of $1.4 billion in contracts, while advocating for an 
             additional $9.8 billion in projects.
               China--August 1994--Secretary Brown led a Presidential 
             Trade Mission, including 25 U.S. CEOs, and U.S. Government 
             officials from many agencies. Agreements totaling $6 
             billion were signed, with an additional $1.6 billion 
             signed afterwards. Secretary Brown advocated for an 
             additional $23.7 billion in projects.
               Indonesia and Malaysia--August 1994--Secretary Brown led 
             a mission and witnessed signings of agreements totaling $6 
             billion. He advocated for an additional $9.2 billion.
               Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland--December 
             1994--Secretary Brown led a Presidential Development 
             Mission to Ireland, with 10 U.S. CEOs, two Members of 
             Congress, and representatives from the White House and 
             other agencies. The mission encouraged the peace process 
             through commercial engagement.
               Russia and Belgium--January 1995--Secretary Brown signed 
             a joint statement on taxes with Russia, and formed a group 
             to expand cooperation between the United States and 
             Russia. In Belgium, he initiated the Trans-Atlantic 
             Business Dialogue, a major initiative to introduce 
             business priorities into government policy.
               India--January 1995--Secretary Brown led a mission with 
             25 U.S. CEOs and witnessed agreements totaling $7 billion. 
             He advocated for an additional $7.3 billion in projects.
               Israel, West Bank, Gaza, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, 
             and UAE--February 1995--Secretary Brown led a trade and 
             investment mission, witnessing $200 million in agreements, 
             and advocating for an additional $23.9 billion. He was the 
             first Clinton administration trade official to visit 
             Kuwait, and the first Commerce Secretary to visit Qatar 
             and the United Arab Emirates.
               Belgium and Spain--February 1995--Secretary Brown led a 
             business development mission and the U.S. private and 
             public delegation to the first G-7 Telecom Ministerial 
             meeting.
               Brazil, Argentina, and Chile--March 1995--Secretary 
             Brown led a mission with U.S. CEOs to South America, 
             witnessing agreements totaling $180 million, and 
             advocating for an additional $15 billion.
               Senegal--May 1995--Secretary Brown witnessed the signing 
             of an MOU for an irrigation project, valued at $5 million.
               China--October 1995--Secretary Brown advocated for $20 
             billion in projects during the trip.
               Spain--November 1995--Secretary Brown led U.S. 
             businesses on a dialogue between business and government, 
             making recommendations to reduce trade barriers and 
             increase business with Europe.
               Northern Ireland--November 1995--Secretary Brown signed 
             several initiatives to promote the peace through economic 
             development and cooperation.
               Japan--November 1995--Secretary Brown attended an APEC 
             Ministerial meeting with three other Clinton Cabinet 
             members--Christopher, Pena, and Kantor.
               Africa--February 1996--Secretary Brown led a mission to 
             five Sub-Sahara African countries with American CEOs, 
             witnessed $500 million in agreements, and advocated for an 
             additional $6.2 billion. He was the first Commerce 
             Secretary to visit Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, and Botswana.
               Colombia, Panama, and Nicaragua--March 1996--Secretary 
             Brown furthered economic integration, and laid the 
             groundwork for the Free Trade Area.
               These successful transactions reflect significant 
             progress achieved by Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, working 
             in partnership with other U.S. Government agencies and 
             companies in the private sector. These transactions 
             included contracts, business agreements, joint-venture 
             arrangements, Memoranda of Understanding, financing 
             agreements, etc.
                        Accomplishments of the International
                             Trade Administration Under
                                   Secretary Brown

               Secretary Brown advocated for $80 billion in projects 
             during his tenure, supporting hundreds of thousands of 
             U.S. jobs. Some of his successes include:
               Westinghouse participated in a Presidential Business 
             Development and Trade Mission in China, led by Secretary 
             Brown in August 1994. While there, Westinghouse signed a 
             contract to provide two 350-megawatt steam turbine 
             generators, valued at $140 million. Secretary Brown stated 
             ``[This] proves we can overcome any obstacles that stand 
             in the way of progress and partnership. A partnership in 
             peace, in power, and in a future that is bright with the 
             prospects of cooperation and commitment.''
               During his visit to Korea in September 1994, Secretary 
             Brown met with Kim Chulsu, Korea's Minister of Trade, 
             Industry and Energy. During the meeting, he hand-delivered 
             his own letter in support of the two American firms 
             bidding for a $100 million satellite project. Three days 
             after the Secretary's meeting, the South Korean Government 
             announced that it had awarded the contract to TRW. The TRW 
             spokesperson commented that, ``The Secretary played an 
             important role in this win.''
               Hughes Network Systems accompanied Secretary Brown to 
             India in January 1995. While there, Hughes signed an 
             agreement for a new $700 million satellite project, and 
             also won a $5 million contract with the Indian Ministry of 
             Telecommunications, to build and operate a 
             telecommunications system to provide communication 
             services to dispersed locales. Jack Shaw of Hughes 
             commented ``For the first time in my 30-year career, the 
             U.S. Government and business are working as a partnership 
             to make American business the most competitive in the 
             world.''
               Ellicott Machine Corp. International, a small Maryland 
             firm, accompanied Secretary Brown to Indonesia in November 
             1994. While there, Ellicott won a $21.5 million agreement 
             to supply dredging equipment to Indonesia, and the 
             Secretary witnessed the signing of the deal.
               Enron accompanied Secretary Brown to India in January 
             1995. Immediately prior to the Secretary's visit, Enron 
             signed a $1.1 billion contract for offshore oil and gas 
             production.
               Pitney Bowes participated in a Presidential Business 
             Development and Trade Mission in China, led by Secretary 
             Brown in August 1994. While there, Pitney Bowes signed a 
             $20 million agreement to provide postal meters and related 
             equipment to the Zhongyu Postal Code.
               In November 1995, Black & Veatch International was 
             awarded a $21.9 million contract to provide engineering 
             and consulting services for the Rio Reconquista sanitation 
             and flood control project in Argentina. Visits to 
             Argentina by Secretary Brown helped secure the project, 
             worth $300 million.
              promoting u.s. exports through secretarial trade missions
               Under the leadership of Secretary Brown, who worked 
             tirelessly on behalf of American firms, U.S. merchandise 
             exports increased 26 percent from 1993 to 1995.
               While serving as Secretary of Commerce, Secretary Brown 
             did more than any other Commerce Secretary to promote U.S. 
             business interests abroad. He participated in 19 trade 
             missions to more than 25 countries. These missions 
             involved officials representing more than 200 U.S. 
             companies of all sizes who either traveled with the 
             Secretary as part of a delegation or met with him in the 
             host countries.
                          south africa/africa achievements
               Secretary Brown was a pivotal player in the development 
             and articulation of the Clinton administration's policy 
             toward South Africa. Even as South Africa was courageously 
             entering the final delicate stages of its negotiated 
             transition, President Clinton asked Ron Brown to lead a 
             trade and investment mission to that country in November 
             1993. With the goals of a multiracial democracy and 
             market-driven economy, Brown fashioned a high profile 
             South Africa initiative that continues to guide the 
             Department's activities--an initiative that has seen 
             nearly 130 U.S. firms invest in that market and two-way 
             trade rapidly recover.
               The Secretary this year played a key role in giving 
             substance to the President's trade and development policy 
             toward Africa with the historic 5-country commercial 
             development mission to Africa that concluded on February 
             25. Both his presence and his message were historic--only 
             one other Commerce Secretary had ever visited Africa, but 
             Brown was the first to visit four of the countries on this 
             trip. Emblematic of the Administration's commitment to 
             Africa, the Secretary was the highest U.S. Government 
             official to visit that continent since the 1950's. The 
             follow-up to that trip--the implementation of that 
             commitment--will continue as part of Brown's historic and 
             committed legacy.
                  secretary brown and the national export strategy
               In 1992, President Clinton asked Secretary Brown to 
             chair the interagency Trade Promotion Coordinating 
             Committee, tasking him to develop a long-term strategic 
             plan to ensure that the Federal Government was using its 
             resources to help U.S. firms compete in the global 
             marketplace. In response, Secretary Brown created the 
             National Export Strategy--our Nation's first blueprint to 
             increase jobs for American workers through exports. 
             Working closely with his colleagues at the Departments of 
             State, Treasury, Energy, Transportation, the Export-Import 
             Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the 
             Trade and Development Agency, and others, Brown headed the 
             Administration's trade promotion team.
               As a result of his leadership, America is well on its 
             way toward achieving President Clinton's goal of 
             increasing U.S. exports to $1.2 trillion by the year 2000. 
             He worked to establish a nationwide network to help small 
             businesses, and a governmentwide network to advocate on 
             behalf of American companies competing overseas. He worked 
             vigorously to remove outdated government-imposed obstacles 
             to exporting and he was deeply committed to the success of 
             small- and medium-sized firms--ensuring that the 
             Government was doing all that it could to help them 
             compete and win in the global economy. He strongly 
             believed in the competitiveness of American businesses, 
             and his vision was to address their key concerns, such as 
             questionable foreign competitive practices.
                                 japan achievements
               During Secretary Brown's tenure, U.S. exports to Japan 
             increased by one-third. Last year alone, U.S. exports rose 
             by 20 percent, while the U.S. trade deficit with Japan 
             declined by 10 percent. Much of this success can be 
             attributed to a series of market access agreements 
             concluded with Japan in which Secretary Brown played a 
             major role, including:
               The U.S.-Japan Auto Agreement helped sales of U.S. cars 
             in Japan grow by 30 percent in 1995, increased the number 
             of Big Three dealerships in Japan, and resulted in 
             expanded sales of American auto parts.
               Major U.S. success in sales of medical products, 
             including a 60 percent increase in exports in the past 3 
             years, and the signing by Secretary Brown of a Medical 
             Technologies Framework Arrangement. Since the agreement 
             was signed in 1994, U.S. exports of medical instruments 
             have grown about 25 percent, exceeding $1.5 billion in 
             1995.
               Secretary Brown signed the 1994 U.S.-Japan Public Works 
             Agreement, resulting in millions of dollars in contracts 
             to U.S. architectural, construction, design, and 
             engineering firms.
               accomplishments of the technology administration under 
                                   secretary brown
               Secretary Brown worked tirelessly to champion the role 
             of civilian technology and technological innovation as the 
             means to ensure American job creation, economic prosperity 
             and a higher standard of living for all Americans through 
             technological innovation.
               The same philosophy of bringing the peacetime tools of 
             economic development to a war zone that took Secretary 
             Brown to Bosnia was not the first time he demonstrated 
             that leadership. The same blueprint was already underway 
             in the Middle East with the 1993 formation of the U.S.-
             Israel Science and Technology Commission. As the U.S. 
             chairman, the Secretary challenged the American private 
             sector to work with Israel, Palestine and Egypt to achieve 
             the goals of economic growth and regional peace. The 
             Commission is a unique bi-national program seeking to 
             promote economic and technological collaboration between 
             the two countries to create technology-based jobs for the 
             21st century.
               Secretary Brown also led the transformation of the 
             Advanced Technology Program (ATP) from a pilot effort to 
             the centerpiece of the Clinton administration's civilian 
             technology strategy. Under Secretary Brown, 220 awards 
             were made to support industry-proposed and industry-led, 
             cost-shared projects to develop high-risk civilian 
             technologies that promise significant commercial payoffs 
             and widespread benefits for the American economy. The 
             awards involved 579 firms, 196 of which are small 
             businesses. The total Federal investment in these projects 
             is $783 million; another $802 million has been committed 
             by the private sector.
               Secretary Brown also dramatically expanded manufacturing 
             extension services available to small- and medium-sized 
             firms through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a 
             nationwide network of locally operated and NIST co-funded 
             extension centers offering hands-on technology and 
             business assistance to the Nation's 381,000 smaller 
             manufacturers. Through Secretary Brown's leadership, the 
             number of centers in the network increased from 7 to 60, 
             with over 200 offices nationwide.
               Under Secretary Brown's leadership, funding for NIST's 
             laboratories were given a major boost, enabling NIST to 
             provide the often invisible, but absolutely essential 
             measurement infrastructure needed for modern society to 
             flourish economically. NIST's laboratory programs have 
             increased the number of productive partnerships with U.S. 
             industry. Through the Secretary's leadership, NIST has 
             begun construction of a new world-class advanced chemical 
             science laboratory and designed a new advanced technology 
             laboratory to replace existing decaying, outdated labs.
               Under Secretary Brown's leadership, NTIS has been 
             transformed from an old-fashioned seller of paper reports 
             to a modern provider of electronic products and services. 
             The Secretary instinctively understood that technology is 
             bringing about dramatic changes in the way people acquire 
             and use information and he urged NTIS to be innovative.
               accomplishments of the bureau of export administration 
                                under secretary brown
               When Secretary Ron Brown arrived at the Commerce 
             Department in 1993, he inherited an export control system 
             designed to counter the threats posed by the cold war. 
             Through his leadership and understanding of the new 
             security and economic threats facing the country, he 
             transformed an outdated export control system, which 
             merely frustrated U.S. businesses and future U.S. exports, 
             into an efficient and effective system which balanced the 
             need to promote U.S. exports with the growing threat of 
             the spread of weapons of mass destruction. His personal 
             commitment to numerous reforms increased U.S. jobs and 
             returned the United States to the position of being the 
             world's No. 1 exporting country. These better-focused 
             export controls also enable the Nation to better counter 
             the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
               Some of the highlights of Secretary Brown's tenure 
             during the past 3 years include:
               Increased U.S. exports and U.S. jobs by releasing 
             approximately $42 billion worth of computer and 
             telecommunications equipment from outdated export 
             licensing requirements.
               Decreased burdens on U.S. businesses by implementing 
             major reductions in licensing loads--from 50,000 per year 
             when Ron Brown began his role as the Secretary of 
             Commerce, to less than 10,000 licenses per year today. In 
             order for U.S. businesses to compete effectively and 
             efficiently in this global economy, he reformed the 
             interagency license review process, and concurrently 
             strengthened this same review process to reflect new 
             concerns in the proliferation areas.
               Championed the small- and medium-sized U.S. exporter by 
             reforming the Export Administration Regulations to make 
             them easy to use by first-time exporters and by 
             simplifying their provision. He was the first Secretary to 
             be able to accomplish this feat in over 40 years.
               Assisted U.S. defense firms in both converting to 
             commercial products and in exporting their products 
             overseas.
               Strengthened enforcement of export controls to prevent 
             the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological 
             weaponry; in working to dismantle the Arab boycott, Ron 
             Brown contributed greatly to the Middle East peace 
             process.
               In encouraging, and vigorously working for U.S. exports 
             and balancing U.S. national security, Ron Brown has made 
             this world safer for all our people and one in which U.S. 
             exporters and the U.S. workers can better compete.
             accomplishments of the economic development administration 
                                under secretary brown
               Under the direction of Secretary Brown the Economic 
             Development Administration (EDA) worked to enhance local 
             communities' ability to achieve their long-term 
             competitive economic potential through the strategic 
             investment of economic development assistance, bringing 
             local leadership together with community and business 
             leadership to create jobs and build a strong economic 
             foundation for the future. Particular focus has been on 
             revitalizing those communities impacted by defense 
             downsizing, industrial and economic distress, or the 
             depletion of natural resources.
               It is through the programs of the Economic Development 
             Administration that Secretary Brown's goal of making 
             change an ally of America's distressed communities, 
             bringing local leadership together with community and 
             business leadership for the good of the community, was 
             effectively realized.
                  accomplishments of the economics and statistics 
                        administration under secretary brown
               Secretary Brown saw the nation's statistical system as a 
             vital component of a larger partnership between government 
             and business, an aspect of the nation's commercial 
             infrastructure, and a service provided by Government to 
             aid in sound business decisionmaking as part of the 
             process of economic growth and job creation.
               Secretary Brown oversaw a fundamental redirection of the 
             nation's leading statistical agencies, by setting new 
             priorities, establishing redefined and clearer missions, 
             and championing the effort to secure adequate resources.
               He presided over the re-engineering of the decennial 
             Census. The planning for the Census in the year 2000 is 
             for a national Census that is faster, cheaper, and more 
             accurate. New technology will speed processing of the 
             Census while reducing human error. The most modern 
             statistical techniques will ensure the most accurate 
             Census ever. At the same time, the design of the Census 
             will mean savings of a billion dollars over taking the 
             Census the same way as in the past.
               He led the first comprehensive review of the quality of 
             our economic statistics in 40 years. Secretary Brown 
             defended at every instance the integrity, independence, 
             and objectivity of the statistical agencies, establishing 
             these as their first priority. Secretary Brown 
             consistently approved new programs that would improve the 
             quality of economic measurements regardless of their 
             short-term effects.
               He brought the statistical agencies into the Information 
             Age, introducing them to the Internet, providing 
             independent capitalization for STAT-USA, introducing 
             cutting-edge technology into CPS and other Census surveys. 
             Under his leadership, Commerce statistical agencies are 
             now an active player in the information superhighway, 
             pioneering in the use of the Internet to distribute 
             statistical data far faster than in printed reports. The 
             Bureau's Internet site, designed for easy access by a wide 
             range of data users, now averages 70,000 contacts a day.
               Under Secretary Brown's leadership, ESA has made major 
             strides in reducing the amount of paperwork--and hence, 
             time--asked of its respondents in the gathering of data. 
             The important monthly Current Population Survey has moved 
             to electronic data gathering, doing away with paper forms 
             entirely. Telephone- and computer-assisted surveys have 
             become increasingly important tools in gathering 
             information from people and businesses across the Nation.
                accomplishments of the minority business development 
                            agency under secretary brown
               As the nation's first African American Secretary of 
             Commerce, Ron Brown demonstrated again and again that 
             diversity is America's advantage in the world economy. 
             Under his tenure, minority businesses grew in quantity, 
             size and sophistication and increased the quality of their 
             contribution to our nation's economy.
               Under Ron Brown's leadership, the Minority Business 
             Development Agency (MBDA) reinvented the way it does 
             business--improving the technical and management 
             assistance services traditionally provided to startup 
             companies by the Agency while better serving a new 
             generation of existing ``ready-to-grow'' companies.
               Secretary Brown also directed the Agency to help assure 
             that minority Americans have the tools to participate in 
             the American economy, not just as workers but as 
             entrepreneurs. The Agency developed the following major 
             national initiatives to create these tools:
               1. International Trade--The Agency has co-sponsored 12 
             international trade missions that introduced 194 minority 
             businesses to existing and emerging markets in 16 
             countries and regions including South Africa, Mexico, 
             Canada, the Caribbean Islands, and South America. In 1995 
             alone, participants project that their export sales from 
             these missions exceeded $100 million;
               2. Capital Formation--The Agency has entered into 
             numerous agreements with financial institutions including 
             NationsBank, the Money Store, AMWEST, Chemical Bank, and 
             Bank of America to provide increased access to capital for 
             minority businesses. The Agency is also pioneering pilot 
             programs in equity and venture capital which are sorely 
             lacking among minority businesses;
               3. Minority Advocacy--The Agency has taken a leadership 
             role with the Affirmative Action debate, especially with 
             its impact on minority business initiatives. Secretary 
             Brown's leadership on behalf of the Administration proved 
             to be the key factor for the ``mend not end'' solution 
             proposed by the Clinton administration and for the 
             increased understanding of the vital role minority 
             business can and will play in our economy.
               The legacy left by Secretary Ron Brown for minority 
             business is the importance of preparing to become a 
             competitive participant in domestic and international 
             markets. The assurance of participation in the economic 
             mainstream of this Nation represented for Secretary Brown 
             the attainment of true social equity for all Americans. 
             Secretary Brown profoundly understood that if America is 
             to retain its competitive position in the global economy 
             it must fully utilize all of its entrepreneurial talent. 
             His vision brought minority businesses to the economic 
             table of American business as true and full partners.
              accomplishments of the national oceanic and atmospheric 
                        administration under secretary brown
               Secretary Brown's vision and leadership included his 
             understanding that economic growth must be accompanied by 
             a healthy and protected environment. His vision helped 
             people understand the vital link between our economy and 
             our environment, and the important role the Department of 
             Commerce--and NOAA--play in making that connection.
               As a member of the President's Council on Sustainable 
             Development, the Secretary took a visible and public role 
             in crafting far-reaching policy recommendations to ensure 
             that future economic growth does not occur at the expense 
             of environmental stewardship and social justice.
               The Secretary acted boldly and decisively to help 
             rebuild depleted fish stocks--as when NOAA's National 
             Marine Fisheries Service found it necessary to close New 
             England groundfish fisheries. Secretary Brown recognized 
             the impact such closures would have on fishing families in 
             these communities and developed a first of its kind 
             assistance package for fishing families.
               The Secretary also had the vision to realize that the 
             longterm health of New England's fisheries depended on 
             reducing the number of boats fishing there. He instituted 
             a pilot boat buyback program to reduce fishing capacity, 
             to be followed by a full-scale buyout initiative designed 
             to reduce capacity by nearly 25 percent.
               Additionally, the Secretary recognized the need to 
             provide assistance for salmon fishers in the Pacific 
             Northwest. He successfully implemented a fishing permit 
             buyback and jobs programs to provide environment-related 
             employment to fishers displaced by the decline in salmon 
             stocks.
               In total, these programs initiated by Secretary Brown 
             provided nearly $100 million in assistance to fishing 
             families from coast to coast.
               Secretary Brown championed NOAA's National Weather 
             Service modernization that has resulted in a significant 
             increase in warning lead times for severe weather. He 
             listened carefully to the concerns of Members of Congress 
             and requested an independent study to examine the adequacy 
             of NEXRAD radar coverage and associated weather services.
               Based upon the experts' recommendations, the Secretary 
             decided that a ``mid-course correction'' in the National 
             Weather Service modernization was needed. These 
             adjustments include the addition of several NEXRAD radars 
             and another Weather Forecast Office in order to provide 
             vital weather and flood warnings, forecasts, and 
             advisories for the protection of life and property.
               Secretary Brown was an untiring advocate for the 
             incorporation of environmental technology into mainstream 
             business. He was the first Secretary of Commerce to 
             inaugurate a series of roundtable meetings with CEOs of 
             major corporations to discuss the role of these 
             technologies. He was particularly interested in ensuring 
             that vital environmental information, such as climate 
             change data, was available to the insurance industry for 
             incorporation in their business practices. He also 
             encouraged science-based solutions for the many challenges 
             faced by the Commerce Department and NOAA, and encouraged 
             NOAA's many preeminent scientists to contribute their 
             knowledge and skills toward achieving these solutions.
               Ron Brown was one of the first to recognize the need for 
             right-sizing Government. He was a leader in the Clinton 
             administration effort to ensure that streamlining 
             accomplished the goals of efficiency without sacrificing 
             effectiveness. An excellent example of his leadership in 
             this arena is the convergence of the nation's civilian and 
             military polar satellites, operated by NOAA's National 
             Environmental Satellite Data Information Service. The 
             combination of these systems is estimated to save up to $1 
             billion over the lifetime of the program.
               The Secretary's personal interest in NOAA and its 
             employees was evident in the visits he made to NOAA 
             facilities and the constant line of communication he 
             established with employees. His enthusiasm and vigor were 
             evident in all his undertakings.
               accomplishments of the national telecommunications and 
                  information administration under secretary brown
               Commerce Secretary Brown was a champion for the work and 
             programs of the National Telecommunications and 
             Information Administration (NTIA). Under his leadership, 
             NTIA worked to empower communities and help all people 
             realize their fullest potential through the use of 
             telecommunications and information technologies.
               Secretary Brown led the Administration's vision for a 
             National Information Infrastructure (NII), serving as the 
             chair of the interagency Information Infrastructure Task 
             Force. He worked diligently to achieve the NII vision--
             ensuring that all Americans would have access to the 
             benefits of the Information Age. He also worked diligently 
             for telecommunications reform, to create a truly 
             competitive telecommunications marketplace.
               While pursuing the NII vision, Secretary Brown never 
             lost sight of the importance of getting telecommunications 
             technologies into underserved rural and low-income urban 
             areas. Just last year, Secretary Brown launched the first 
             public education campaign to encourage all Americans to 
             ``Get Connected'' to the Information Age.
               Secretary Brown was committed to the goals and continued 
             existence of the Administration's NII grant program, which 
             is administered by the Commerce Department's NTIA. He took 
             several occasions to underscore this commitment to 
             ensuring that we don't create a nation divided among 
             information haves and have-nots. He personally awarded the 
             209 NII grants at two press conferences during which he 
             expressed his sincere admiration for those endeavoring to 
             demonstrate the power of telecommunications technology to 
             improve lives.
               Secretary Brown took a particular interest in projects 
             involving children. On several occasions, Secretary Brown 
             visited schools that have received NII grant funds from 
             NTIA. During visits to the Ralph Bunche Elementary School 
             in Harlem, Roper Middle School in northeast Washington, 
             DC, and Mt. Vernon Community School in Alexandria, VA, he 
             touched the lives of hundreds of children--urging them to 
             use computers to learn and to improve their lives.
               Secretary Brown realized that the NII initiative was 
             part of the emerging Global Information Infrastructure. 
             During his domestic and international travels, he often 
             took time to demonstrate how telecommunications and 
             information technologies can dramatically change and 
             improve lives. In Santiago, Chile last year, he 
             participated in a tele-medicine demonstration that 
             involved linking doctors in Chile with a patient in 
             Texas--showing how technology can bridge geographic 
             barriers and make it possible for all people to benefit 
             from the best medical care available.
              accomplishments of the patent and trademark office under 
                                   secretary brown
               Secretary Brown understood the critical importance of 
             protecting intellectual property worldwide--and led the 
             charge to seek improvements that expanded and strengthened 
             the protection of U.S. interests in intellectual property 
             domestically and internationally.
               Secretary Brown enhanced the recognition and importance 
             of the American inventor with the establishment of the 
             American Innovator Award.
               Under his leadership, the Patent and Trademark Office 
             played a lead role in the negotiations of the Agreement on 
             the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (the 
             Trips Agreement), a fundamental agreement that will raise 
             the standards of protection given copyrights, trademarks, 
             patents, industrial designs, semiconductor chip layout 
             designs, and trade secrets in all of the countries that 
             become members of the World Trade Organization.
               Secretary Brown saw to it that the Japanese market 
             became more accessible to American inventors. Under 
             Secretary Brown's leadership, the Commerce Department 
             signed an agreement with Japan ensuring that the Japanese 
             Patent Office grants exclusive patent rights to U.S. 
             applicants in a timely manner. The PTO plays a key role in 
             monitoring the implementation of this agreement.
               The Secretary saw the importance of developing standards 
             for intellectual property on the Internet. ``Rules for the 
             road'' for intellectual property and the National 
             Information Infrastructure (NII) were established with the 
             release of the Lehman Report by the Secretary in September 
             1995.
               A streamlined and customer-responsive government was one 
             of the Secretary's key goals. As part of his strategy, the 
             PTO was selected as one of the government's first 
             performance-based agencies, and was restructured and 
             reorganized to reduce patent and trademark dependency and 
             become a more customer-focused agency.
                   accomplishments of the u.s. travel and tourism 
                        administration under secretary brown
               Ron Brown's contributions to the U.S. travel and tourism 
             industry were innumerable. His interest in travel and 
             tourism was as personal as it was professional. Reared at 
             the Hotel Theresa, Secretary Brown understood firsthand 
             the power and potential of travel and tourism . . . and 
             significantly raised the awareness of the considerable 
             job-creating influence the industry affords.
               The Secretary helped the industry develop a 
             comprehensive and coordinated plan that is bringing 
             together all of its diverse elements--hotel chains, travel 
             agents, airlines, rental car companies, and the rest. He 
             established the industry as an economic priority within 
             the Clinton administration and was the force that 
             delivered the first-ever White House Conference on Travel 
             and Tourism in October 1995.
               In July 1995, Brown released the first coordinated 
             strategy for U.S. tourism development to harness 
             government resources to meet tourism's economic potential. 
             Under his direction, the Tourism Policy Council brings 
             together 13 Federal agencies and Amtrak in a concerted 
             effort to grow jobs and increase exports, not government.
               Secretary Ron Brown made multicultural tourism a top 
             priority and saw it as a way to build new tourism products 
             for our country and to expand opportunities within the 
             industry for all Americans.
               As a prelude to the Summit of the Americas in 1994, 
             Secretary Brown hosted tourism ministers from 30 countries 
             in the Western Hemisphere at a meeting in Orlando, FL to 
             stress the important role travel and tourism will play in 
             the integration of regional economies. He urged the 
             ministers to work not as competitors but as partners to 
             maximize emerging opportunities.
               Secretary Brown also fought hard to create a specific 
             data collection classification to more accurately account 
             for travel and tourism's significant contributions to the 
             American economy.
               Ron Brown's tireless devotion to travel-related issues 
             brought the industry the respect it never before enjoyed.
                 President Clinton's Remarks at Ron Brown's Funeral

               Ladies and gentlemen, my fellow Americans, citizens of 
             the world who have come here, to Alma and Tracey and 
             Monica and Tammy, to Chip and to Ron's mother and the 
             other members of the family who are here, this has been a 
             long week for all of us who loved Ron Brown, cared for his 
             work, cherished the brilliant young people who worked with 
             him, honored the business executives who took the mission 
             of peace to Bosnia and the members of our United States 
             military who were taking them on that mission.
               But this has been the longest week for the Brown family. 
             You have grieved and wept. You have comforted others whose 
             loved ones were lost. You have remembered and smiled, and 
             last evening you got to celebrate and laugh at the life 
             that you shared each in your own way with Ron.
               I begin by saying to all of you on behalf of all of us, 
             we thank you for the strength you have given to others, 
             even as you have borne your own grief. For we can see Ron 
             in your eyes and hear him in your voices and feel his 
             strength in yours. Indeed, I was confident as I heard 
             Michael speak that from heaven Ron had written the words.
               So today and in all of our tomorrows as we remember and 
             love him, we will remember and love you. We hope on this 
             day amidst all the grief you will also feel gratitude for 
             his magnificent life, determination to carry on his legacy 
             and keep it alive, and the peace of God which takes us to 
             a place beyond all our understanding.
               The Bible tells us though we weep through the night, joy 
             will come in the morning. Ron Brown's incredible life 
             force brought us all joy in the morning. No dark night 
             could ever defeat him. And as we remember him, may we 
             always be able to recover his joy. For this man loved life 
             and all the things in it. He loved the big things--his 
             family, his friends, his country, his work, his African-
             American heritage. He loved the difference he was making 
             in the world, this new and exciting world after the Cold 
             War. And he loved life's little things--the Redskins, and 
             basketball, and golf even when it was bad, and McDonald's, 
             and clothes.
               And I'm telling you, folks, he would have loved this 
             deal today.
               I mean, here we are for Ron Brown in the National 
             Cathedral with full military honors, filled with the 
             distinguished citizenry of this country and leaders from 
             around the world, in a tribute to him. And as I look 
             around, I see that all of us are dressed almost as well as 
             he would be today.
               But let us remember also that he loved success, but not 
             so much he wanted to succeed at the wrong things or in the 
             wrong way. And he always remembered that worldly success 
             doesn't take us too very far from all the rest of our 
             fellow human beings who don't enjoy as much of it. That 
             accounts for why he was always so kind to people without 
             regard to their station in life. Ron Brown enjoyed a lot 
             of success. He proved you could do well and do good. He 
             also proved you could do good and have a good time. And he 
             also proved that you could do all that and at the same 
             time still take time to help other people.
               With his passion and determination, his loves and his 
             joys, his going beyond the stereotypes of his time, he 
             lived a truly American life.
               He lived his life for America, and when the time came, 
             he was found laying down his life for America.
               What a life it was, with his remarkable enthusiasm that 
             infected everything it did. As long as I live, I will 
             remember the time Ron Brown and I were walking the streets 
             of the neighborhood in Los Angeles, and we went to this 
             sporting goods store that had been owned by people who 
             were trying to help young folks stay out of gangs.
               And in the back of the sporting goods store there was a 
             basketball court. And all these little kids had gathered 
             around and they asked Ron and they asked me if we'd like 
             to play basketball. So we divided up sides; he took a few 
             kids, I took a few kids. All of sudden he forgot who was 
             President and how he got his day job.
               He was totally caught up in the drama of the game. This 
             was an important trip we took. But afterward, whenever 
             anyone asked him about that trip, all he could remember to 
             say was, ``The President was in my face from 20 feet out, 
             but when I shot, nothing but net.''
               Ron Brown was very clever. Even as a young boy, at the 
             Hotel Theresa, `Little Brown,' as Joe Lewis called him, 
             was always trying to think of what else could be done. He 
             met all kinds of celebrities, as has been widely 
             chronicled--men like Louis Armstrong and Sugar Ray 
             Robinson and women like Lena Horne and Dinah Washington. 
             And he did what most kids do, even today--he got their 
             autographs. But unlike most kids, he sold them to his 
             friends. According to Michael, he sold two to a page, 5 
             bucks a pop until Joe Lewis found out and shut down his 
             act. But it was too late, he was well on his way to 
             becoming the Secretary of Commerce.
               He was daring. We all know that. He was daring when he 
             announced he wanted to be the chairman of the Democratic 
             Party after we had lost three Presidential elections. And 
             no one thought he had a chance to win. Then when he won, 
             he announced that in 1992, the world's oldest political 
             party would win the White House again--and nobody thought 
             he was right, including the Governor of a small southern 
             State.
               But as with so many other things, he was right, and the 
             rest of us were wrong.
               On a personal note, I want to say to my friend, just one 
             last time, thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be 
             here.
               Ron Brown was a true leader, and he knew that in his 
             mind that meant you could never show doubt, even if you 
             had to kind of make it up as you went along.
               I later learned this story about his acceptance of the 
             job I offered him. I sent for Ron, he came to see me, and 
             I said, ``You know, this is a big new world out there, and 
             you ought to be Secretary of Commerce. You could change 
             the future of America and millions of other people around 
             the world. You can make a real difference.'' And he said, 
             '`That sounds good. I want to think about it.''
               I later learned that he walked out and went to see our 
             mutual friend Harold Ickes and said, ``Harold, what does 
             the Secretary of Commerce do?'' By the time he arrived, he 
             knew. He knew better than anyone else. He came on like a 
             force of nature.
               Yesterday I received a letter from one of the many 
             business executives that Ron Brown helped to open new 
             markets around the world. He's on our Export Council, and 
             he said in this letter, ``You know, Mr. President, Ron 
             Brown really is the finest Secretary of Commerce the 
             United States ever had.''
               He also remembered what it was he was leading toward. 
             Ron Brown made his staff memorize a one-sentence mission 
             statement about their job at Commerce. Here it is: ``The 
             mission of the Department of Commerce is to ensure 
             economic opportunity for every American.'' That was Ron. 
             He wanted to give other people a chance to live a good 
             life and live the American dream. He wanted to do it in a 
             way that helped people around the world to lift their 
             aspirations. He went after it with everything he had.
               He used to say to me if what we have to do means getting 
             the Government out of the way, let's lead the charge; and 
             if what we have to do means working together to find some 
             new solution, let's lead the charge--but let's get it 
             done, let's fulfill the mission.
               He also never forgot that there are always some people 
             who are left behind. I want to tell you this story because 
             to me it captures so much the essence of what made him 
             very special.
               When we first came into office, we only had about a 
             month to put our first budget together. And we knew we had 
             to do some pretty tough things to get the deficit way 
             down. Day after day, the Cabinet would gather in the 
             Roosevelt Room and Ron was always there. And on one of 
             those days we talked about the need not only to cut the 
             budget but to do some really symbolic things that would 
             show the American people we were different and we stood 
             for the right things. And we were all, frankly, being just 
             a little sanctimonious and looking for symbolic gestures.
               And so we were talking about the need to cut the perks 
             that had previously been provided to top officials--things 
             like chefs and the Secretary's dining room and chauffeurs 
             for a lot of high-ranking officials. And we talked about 
             them, frankly, all of us--nonchalantly and fairly 
             sanctimoniously. Until Ron turned to me and said, ``You 
             know, these cuts are the right thing to do Mr. President. 
             It is the right thing to do. But I'd just like to remind 
             people that there are really human beings in those jobs as 
             chefs and chauffeurs. A lot of those folks are my age. 
             Many are black men. Most of them never had the 
             opportunities you and I did. So let's go on and do the 
             right things and make the cuts, but let's not forget about 
             those people and let's try to help them go on with their 
             lives in dignity.''
               No one else said that but Ron Brown. He could see where 
             we had to go, he knew it was the right thing to do, but he 
             had enough peripheral vision to know how other people were 
             being affected.
               The last thing I'd like to say about his remarkable 
             public life is that while he was often determined to be 
             first, he was equally determined that he would never be 
             the last. And so he exerted more extraordinary effort than 
             virtually anybody I've ever known to develop the talents 
             of other people, to reach out to the young, to give them a 
             chance to serve. How much of the weeping we have done this 
             last week because there were so many brilliant, young 
             people on that plane with him, from different backgrounds 
             and different racial groups.
               Why? Because Ron Brown could see in them the promise of 
             a new tomorrow. And he knew they needed someone to reach 
             down and give them the opportunity to serve. And I hope 
             that is something that none of us will ever forget, for 
             his legacy burns brightly not only in the lives of his 
             wife and children and other family members, but also all 
             of those brilliant young men and women, many of whom are 
             with us today, who walked through the doors that he opened 
             and crossed over the bridges that he built.
               I received a lot of letters and calls, like many of you 
             have, since Ron died. I got this letter from Michael 
             Armstrong, the chairman of Hughes Electronics, who was one 
             of the people Ron worked with, and I wanted to read this 
             to you because so often we think government operates in a 
             vacuum.
               Listen to this:
               ``While the demands of business and pressures of the 
             Commerce Department and the politics of Washington can 
             often mask the spirit and character of the dedicated 
             people who try so hard to make a difference for America, 
             the business at hand, the pressures on the department and 
             the politics of the moment never dimmed the smile, the 
             energy, the commitment and the leadership of the man who 
             made such a big difference in the direction and destiny of 
             our country.
               ``He led his party to the Presidency. He led the 
             Commerce Department with imagination and distinction. He 
             led American business to new global opportunity. He led 
             his race as an unassuming but forceful role model. He led 
             us all in being what he believed in. He was truly a 
             leader.
               ``Ron Brown--a trailblazer, a builder, a patriot; a 
             husband, a father; a wonderful friend; and a great 
             American.''
               Let us remember these things about Ron. Let us always 
             have our joy in the morning. Let us be determined to carry 
             on his legacy. Let us always be vigilant, as he was, in 
             fighting against any shred of racism and prejudice. Let us 
             always be vigilant, as he was, in remembering that we 
             cannot lift ourselves up by tearing other people down, 
             that we have to go forward together.
               Let us always remember, as he did, that Alexis de 
             Tocqueville was right when he said so many years ago, 
             ``America is great because America is good.'' He knew we 
             had to keep working and striving to be better.
               In his last sermon from the pulpit, Martin Luther King 
             asked God to grant us all a chance to be participants in 
             the newness and magnificent development of America. That 
             is the cause for which Ron Brown gave his life and the 
             cause for which he gave up his life.
               In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul said, ``Let us 
             not grow weary in doing good. Or, in due season, we shall 
             reap if we do not lose heart.''
               Our friend never grew weary; he never lost heart. He did 
             so much good, and he is now reaping his reward. He left us 
             sooner than we wanted him to leave, but what a legacy of 
             love and life he left behind.
               Now, he's in a place where he doesn't even have to worry 
             about how good he looks; he always will look good. He's in 
             a place where there's always joy in the morning. He's in a 
             place where every good quality he ever had has been 
             rendered perfect. He's in a place he deserves to be, 
             because of the way he lived and what he left to those of 
             us who loved him.
               Let there always be joy in the morning for Ron Brown.
               Amen.
                                 A Moment of Sharing
             Remarks by Jim Desler, Director, Office of Public Affairs, 
                                         ITA
               How does one start discussing and sharing the impact my 
             friends' lives had on me personally, on this Department as 
             a whole and on this country.
               It has to start with the man we all knew. I worked for 
             Ron Brown for the past 6 years, and his qualities, vision 
             and personality have been well documented. What amazed me 
             about him was his ability to create a world of hope and 
             optimism wherever he went. I was privileged to see it in 
             the Middle East when he met with Yasser Arafat, the late 
             Yitzak Rabin, Egyptian President Mubarek, and the Saudi 
             King. I saw it in China in meetings with President Jiang 
             Zemin and other top officials, and how he captivated his 
             counterpart, the normally tough and humorless Madam Wu Yi.
               His was a charisma and drive that transcended language 
             and cultural barriers. He was able to control these 
             meetings with his characteristic grace, elegance and focus 
             that filled the room with optimism--that made all 
             participants, even adversaries, open to all possibilities. 
             This was Ron Brown's world.
               One of my most poignant memories of the Secretary was in 
             Ireland. We had just completed 2 grueling days with 
             President Clinton and after a morning of speeches, 
             interviews and events, the Secretary had 5 hours of 
             downtime before he was off to South Africa for another 
             important mission. As we stood in the hotel lobby, the 
             Secretary asked the group assembled what was next on the 
             schedule. After being given several less than appealing 
             options, he turned to me and asked, ``Jimmy, what are we 
             going to do?'' I replied, ``Mr. Secretary, we're going to 
             an Irish pub.''
               And there, in the heart of white, Catholic Dublin City, 
             Ireland, in a dingy Irish tavern named Kitty O'Shea's, 
             this neat, immaculately dressed black man transformed the 
             bar into Ron Brown's world. I swear, after the second 
             Guinness, the Secretary was speaking with an Irish brogue 
             and conversed with the locals like a regular patron.
               We are all part of Ron Brown's world--a world of hope 
             and optimism, a world of possibilities. And those who lost 
             their lives were not only part of this world, but helped 
             create it.
               There was the communicator.
               With an infectious laugh and a focused determination, 
             Carol Hamilton understood how the media worked and how to 
             convey our activities and achievements into strategically 
             placed stories that not only helped the Department, but 
             enabled the American public to understand the importance 
             of our mission. Also working full-time keeping the wolves 
             (the press) at bay, Carol did not move through life, she 
             dominated it.
               There was the adviser.
               With good sense and political savvy, Kathryn Hoffman was 
             able to transform a shared vision into a practical course 
             that fit in with the needs and capabilities of the 
             organization. No easy task, but Kathryn accomplished it 
             with thorough professionalism and an admirable style.
               There was the planner.
               All the details, the logistics, the nuts and bolts that 
             created this world were made possible by Bill Morton. With 
             a determination tempered by kindness and cooperation, Bill 
             was the most selfless person I have ever worked with. If 
             he was carrying six bags in the airport, and you were only 
             carrying two, he would always offer to give you a hand. I 
             will sorely miss his loyalty and friendship.
               There was the implementor.
               Whether it be for the White House or for the Secretary, 
             Lawry Payne would suspend his busy schedule and be ready, 
             at a moment's notice, to help out. This is planning in 
             Washington, and there is the effort to make sure those 
             plans are implemented on the ground. That's what Lawry 
             brought--an ability to bring substantive initiatives 
             together with a workable and productive schedule. Lawry 
             was masterful at bringing the different elements of a trip 
             together, with his affable personality and friendly 
             demeanor. He was the man who got things done.
               There was the idealist.
               From a cynical and detached generation came Adam 
             Darling. A man who, with steady determination, would 
             participate in any cause that provided hope. Dedicated to 
             improving lives, particularly in America's cities, Adam's 
             kindness and generosity were not confined to our borders, 
             as is evident in his participation in this mission.
               There was the protector.
               Duane Christian was so much more than a security 
             officer. Just one look at him and you knew that all 
             arrangements had been taken care of--that we were all 
             secure. But unlike the stereotype of a security officer, 
             Duane was flexible and could work around obstacles and 
             solve problems. Blessed with a pleasant demeanor and 
             engaging personality, Duane was a joy to be around.
               There was the facilitator.
               These trips were made possible by the miraculous work of 
             the Office of Business Liaison, and nobody worked harder 
             or was more productive than Gail Dobert. Gail would stride 
             into meetings, carrying briefing binders and numerous 
             folders, and be the only one with all the answers. 
             Thoroughly professional and focused, Gail never let the 
             pressure of deadlines or demands get to her--she was 
             reliably consistent and a real team player who always made 
             things happen.
               There was the happy pragmatist.
               While planning at this Department often seemed to exist 
             in a dream world, Kathy Kellogg always brought reason and 
             practicality to the table. For someone so young, she was a 
             forceful and effective advocate for the interest of the 
             business delegation--and a key to the success of these 
             trips. But with this stridency came a smile and sparkle in 
             her eyes that filled a room with joy.
               There was the upstart.
               Young but talented and assured, Naomi Warbasse was a 
             flower in the process of full bloom. She was just hitting 
             her stride--no longer a silent observer, but an active and 
             productive participant who earned her seat at the table--
             who was to be a force to be reckoned with.
               The careerist.
               But so much more can be said of Steve Kaminski. The 
             person on the ground who knew the players, understood the 
             issues and was able to transform this practical knowledge 
             into the world of hope and possibility. A dedicated public 
             servant, Steve represented all the career people whose 
             life work is the foundation upon which we succeed.
               And there was the overseer.
               To Chuck Meissner, these trips were so much more than 
             commercial missions--they were missions of hope. In the 
             Balkans and in Northern Ireland, Chuck was the central 
             figure in developing practical programs that would create 
             peace and prosperity through economic growth. The missions 
             never ended once the trip was complete; Chuck would always 
             be there for follow-up visits to make certain that success 
             and progress would take root.
               All of these talented, creative and giving people were 
             contributors to Ron Brown's world. All dedicated their 
             lives to this shared vision--to this shared world.
               And what is Ron Brown's world? It is a world where hope 
             springs eternal, where possibilities are endless, where 
             progress is made and where things get done.
               It is a world where the dream of Martin Luther King is 
             fulfilled, where the promise of John and Robert Kennedy is 
             met, where racial barriers are shattered and where we all 
             stride with a bounce in our step and a smile on our face 
             that says not only are we fighting the good fight, but we 
             are winning.
               Ron Brown's world did not end on that mountainside 
             outside of Dubrovnik. It lives in each and every one of 
             us. We must keep this world alive in our hearts, in our 
             memories, in our work and in our accomplishments. Not 
             because it is what each of these twelve would have wanted, 
             but because it is what they would have demanded.
                          United States Department of Commerce,
                                 International Trade Administration,
                                               Washington, DC 20230,
                                                       April 9, 1996.
               Dear District Export Council Member:
               We have lost the most effective Commerce Secretary this 
             country has ever seen. His legacy is a rich and varied 
             one. I do not need to tell you that Secretary Brown 
             believed creating jobs through exporting was key to our 
             national economic security. The Secretary knew that 
             District Export Councils (DECs) were on the front line of 
             this fight. The Secretary maintained that the U.S. 
             Government should be aggressive on behalf of U.S. business 
             interests overseas. A small consolation is that Ron Brown 
             and his traveling colleagues died doing what he thoroughly 
             enjoyed and believed in.
               No other Commerce Secretary had a closer relationship to 
             his DECs. Ron Brown praised the individual commitment and 
             collective contribution you make as DEC members. I know he 
             was looking forward to participating in the upcoming 
             National DEC Conference in Cleveland--as he has with all 
             of your annual conferences since becoming Secretary. Under 
             Ron Brown's leadership, the 51 DECs nationwide have earned 
             a reputation of excellence in support of the U.S. exporter 
             and the Commerce Department mission. As Secretary Brown 
             stated, ``Working together, we [Commerce and the DECs] 
             have expanded the value and breadth of the export programs 
             available to American business, and I look forward to 
             continuing that productive relationship for many years to 
             come.'' To honor his passing, I ask you to continue 
             realizing the visible legacy left by Secretary Brown.
               Many of you also worked with two members of the 
             Commercial Service family we lost in this tragedy: 
             Lawrence Payne and Stephen C. Kaminski. My Special 
             Assistant Lawrence ``Lawry'' Payne, was participating in 
             the Secretary's economic reconstruction mission to Bosnia 
             to help realize a vision for peace through economic 
             development. Since 1993, Lawry carried out key program 
             priorities of the Administration--translating vision into 
             day-to-day operations. Stephen C. Kaminski, Senior 
             Commercial Service Officer in Vienna, Austria, had a long 
             and distinguished career in the Commercial Service. During 
             his tour in Tokyo, Stephen received the Department's Gold 
             Medal Award for his work in ensuring U.S. companies' 
             access to Japanese markets. Most recently, Stephen worked 
             to develop the Department's strategy for trade with 
             Croatia and Bosnia.
               Along with all of the dedicated men and women lost in 
             this mission, Lawry and Stephen are missed. As we continue 
             healing the wounds of this tragedy, we must look to the 
             future and work to ensure what Secretary Brown started is 
             finished. I ask you, as one of the 1,600 DEC members 
             nationwide, to reflect on your accomplishments over the 
             past 3 years, and to dedicate your continued hard work to 
             the memory of the victims of the April 3rd crash.
                  Sincerely,
                                           Daniel J. McLaughlin,    
                                      Deputy Assistant Secretary,    
                                              The Commercial Service.
                 

                          Newspaper Articles and Editorials
                      [From the New York Times, April 3, 1996]
                      A Role as Nation's Chief Salesman Abroad
                              (By Richard W. Stevenson)
               WASHINGTON, April 3--Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown 
             was in the Balkans in his self-assigned role as the 
             nation's salesman in chief, seeking profitable 
             opportunities for American businesses abroad and making 
             the case that economic power should be a cornerstone of 
             American foreign policy.
               It was a generally successful strategy that allowed Mr. 
             Brown to portray himself as a champion of American 
             business interests the world over, and provided him a 
             potent defense against Republicans in Congress who sought 
             to eliminate his department on the grounds that it cost 
             too much and gave Government too active a role in the 
             economy.
               But at times, the strategy also put Mr. Brown in 
             conflict with the State Department, which sometimes took a 
             dim view of his faith in economic power as a lever on 
             other issues, especially in China.
               His trip to Bosnia and Croatia was intended to introduce 
             a dozen big American companies to opportunities likely to 
             grow out of the $5 billion international plan being drawn 
             up to repair power plants, water treatment facilities, oil 
             and gas pipelines, buildings, roads and bridges in the 
             Balkans.
               With an eye to protecting American jobs, Mr. Brown also 
             planned to press the Croatian Government to reconsider its 
             decision last month to buy 18 jetliners from the European 
             Airbus consortium, and to buy the planes instead from the 
             Boeing Company of Seattle.
               The head of Boeing's aircraft group, Ronald Woodward, 
             was among those accompanying Mr. Brown on part of his 
             trip, although he was not on the Boeing-built plane that 
             crashed with Mr. Brown and 32 other people on board.
               Acting as a door-opener for corporations and using 
             American clout to their benefit became Mr. Brown's 
             hallmark.
               Within the Administration, he was the prime supporter of 
             adopting a role long played by other big industrial 
             nations on behalf of their companies, that of using 
             political influence to help corporations win public 
             contracts or the right to invest, especially in fast-
             growing emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.
               But Mr. Brown's vision of his job went beyond helping 
             American business. In China Mr. Brown championed the much-
             debated idea that ``commercial engagement'' would 
             influence Beijing on human rights and nuclear 
             proliferation, among other issues.
               From South Africa to Northern Ireland and the Middle 
             East, Mr. Brown asserted that helping American business 
             contribute to economic reform and growth would help foster 
             peace, social stability and democracy.
               Speaking about Bosnia on Tuesday in Paris, Mr. Brown 
             said, ``Peace and stability will only be assured through 
             economic development.''
               C. Fred Bergsten, the director of the Institute for 
             International Economics, a research group in Washington, 
             said Mr. Brown had given the Commerce Department a more 
             influential role in foreign policy than any time except 
             perhaps during the Nixon administration, when the United 
             States adopted a policy of increasing its trade with the 
             Soviet Union.
               ``Under the policies that Ron Brown pursued, no one felt 
             that the economic payoff would come immediately or would 
             keep anyone from shooting at each other this year,'' Mr. 
             Bergsten said. ``But it was seen as an important factor in 
             the long run in keeping these troubled spots from 
             festering and coming back to haunt you again and again 
             while at the same time having a payoff for American 
             business.''
               Mr. Brown's policies won him widespread support in the 
             business community, which traditionally viewed Democratic 
             administrations with suspicion. A few critics accused Mr. 
             Brown of giving preference to companies that supported the 
             Democratic Party when he put together delegations to visit 
             foreign countries, a suggestion he denied.
               The business community applauded Mr. Brown's focus on 
             helping provide entree for American companies to fast-
             growing developing markets, where the competition among 
             industrial nations and their industries is particularly 
             intense but where permission to invest and conduct trade 
             requires political backing as well as business acumen.
               ``He appreciated the need for the Federal Government to 
             play a very aggressive role in breaking down formal and 
             informal trade barriers abroad,'' said Rob Liberatore, the 
             vice president for Washington affairs at the Chrysler 
             Corporation, whose chief executive, Robert Eaton, has 
             traveled with Mr. Brown to China in an attempt to 
             establish a foothold in that market. ``It's a refreshing 
             change in the U.S. Government because everyone else in the 
             world does it, and it makes a difference.''
               Business executives said Mr. Brown worked hard to put 
             them in contact with high-level officials in foreign 
             governments, to clear away red tape, and to impress 
             foreign governments that the United States was putting its 
             political influence to work on behalf of its business 
             interests.
               ``This Administration, mostly driven by the initiatives 
             of Ron Brown, has been focused on making American industry 
             a more successful source of high-technology business to 
             the world than in the past,'' said Bernard Schwartz, the 
             chairman of the Loral Corporation, a military electronics 
             and telecommunications company.
               ``I'm sure the President will continue the policy,'' 
             said Mr. Schwartz, who is a big financial supporter of the 
             Democratic Party. ``But a large part of the success of the 
             policy has been attributable to Brown, and I hope the 
             President will be able to find a replacement who will be 
             as forceful and effective as Brown was.
                                          a
                           [From USA Today, April 4, 1996]
                   Parting Gift to Troops: A Little Taste of Home
                               (By Richard Benedetto)
               Ron Brown was a guy known for his love of hardball 
             politics and skill in closing a tough business deal.
               But his last act on behalf of his government was to 
             bring a little bit of home Wednesday to U.S. troops at 
             Camp Alicia, near Tuzla, in northeastern Bosnia.
               He surprised soldiers with hundreds of McDonald's 
             hamburgers and videos of pro and college basketball and 
             football games.
               ``We know how tough it is being away from home,'' he 
             said after lunching with the troops. ``Being a former Army 
             man myself, I know what being away from home is like.''
               Grainy film aired on TV showed Brown, an Army captain in 
             Korea and Germany in the 1960s, sipping coffee and posing 
             for pictures with camouflage-clad soldiers serving with 
             NATO peacekeeping forces.
               He seemed to be having a grand old time. So did the GIs.
               The merriment captured by the camera made it that much 
             more difficult to believe that only an hour or so later 
             the globe-trotting Commerce Secretary's plane would slam 
             into a rocky hillside near Dubrovnik, Croatia. All 33 
             aboard were believed killed.
               Brown had gone to the former Yugoslavia on a trade 
             mission. He brought along top executives from nearly a 
             dozen U.S. companies to lay the groundwork for American 
             firms to participate in the war-torn region's 
             reconstruction.
               Earlier in the day, Brown and U.S. business leaders 
             discussed infrastructure projects with mayors of Tuzla and 
             Zvornik. Brown, wearing a plaid shirt rather than his 
             trademark French cuffs, stressed the need for regional 
             cooperation.
               ``I'm really exhilarated by what we've seen,'' he said 
             afterward. ``This is really a historic visit, moving from 
             peacekeeping . . . to being in the vanguard of the effort 
             to reconstruct and to develop Bosnia-Herzegovina.
               ``We know that as peace takes hold, ordinary citizens 
             expect significant change in their lives. They want their 
             standard of living improved. They want economic 
             opportunity for themselves and their children.''
               He and his party then trudged across snow-covered mud 
             and headed for their fateful plane ride.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, April 4, 1996]
                       A Lot of Us Had Friends on This Mission
                                  (By Judith Evans)
              commerce employees react with shock, grief to deaths of 
                           secretary brown and colleagues
               Shocked and grieving employees at the Commerce 
             Department yesterday described Secretary Ron Brown as an 
             inspirational leader who motivated them to promote 
             business opportunities even when congressional pressure 
             mounted to abolish the Department.
               Nearly 500 employees crammed into the agency's 
             auditorium in mid-afternoon to listen as President Clinton 
             paid tribute to Brown, whose plane crashed outside 
             Dubrovnik, Croatia.
               Clinton, who arrived at the Department after a visit to 
             Brown's family in upper Northwest, said: ``Ron Brown 
             walked and ran and flew through life. And he was a 
             magnificent life force. And those of us who love him will 
             always be grateful for his friendship and warmth.''
               Clinton also brought a message from Brown's wife, Alma: 
             ``She said, `Tell them Ron was proud of them, fought for 
             them and believed in them. And tell them that you're going 
             to do that now.' ''
               Some employees cried or buried their heads in their 
             hands as the President spoke. Several employees hugged 
             each other in an effort to ease the pain that lingered the 
             rest of the day.
               ``Everybody is in a daze,'' said Mary Jenkins, who has 
             worked at the department for 33 years and is an 
             international trade specialist. ``He was such a people 
             person, always offering support to employees.''
               Richard Brace, an economist for the department's 
             Economic Statistical Administration, said employees 
             shocked by the news couldn't work and the offices ``were 
             quiet and solemn.''
               Erran F. Persley, an international trade specialist, 
             said he was asked to go on the Bosnian mission, but 
             instead decided to wait for a trip to Japan. ``The whole 
             tone of the building has changed . . .'' he said. ``A lot 
             of us had friends on this mission.''
               Persley and other employees also mourned the loss of 
             their colleagues. Charles F. Meissner, assistant secretary 
             for international trade, William Morton, deputy assistant 
             secretary for international trade, and press secretary 
             Carol Hamilton were reportedly on the plane with Brown, 
             among other department staffers.
               ``We called them our friends. They were young and bright 
             with their whole future ahead of them,'' said Mike Myron, 
             a trade specialist in the department's Advocacy Center.
               Minyon Moore, national political director for the 
             Democratic National Committee, said Morton and Hamilton 
             were members of a new generation of African American 
             political activists born from the marriage of the 
             Democratic Party and Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition.
               A solemn gathering of a different kind was taking place 
             at the red-brick town home of the Browns on Unicorn Lane 
             NW near Rock Creek Park. By early afternoon, neighbors, 
             family, personal and political friends had begun the 
             grieving process by remembering Brown. Many of his friends 
             stayed several hours. Some wiped away tears or carried 
             crumpled white tissues as they came and went.
               ``There is a lot of reminiscing going on,'' said Roscoe 
             Dellums, a neighbor and wife of Representative Ronald V. 
             Dellums (D-CA). ``People are piecing together the legacy 
             of the man.''
               ``People were remembering Ron and laughing about Ron,'' 
             said Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). ``They were 
             full of memories,'' said Norton, who has been friends with 
             the Browns since they were young parents living in New 
             York.
               Norton said Alma Brown was ``holding up very well'' 
             given the circumstances. The people who came by to console 
             Alma Brown and their children included everybody from 
             Brown's ``basketball buddies to the President of the 
             United States,'' Norton said.
               Mayor Marion Barry and his wife Cora, also visited for 
             about half an hour. Barry emerged in a somber state and 
             briefly talked about his 25 year friendship with Brown.
               ``Ron was not just the Commerce Secretary to me. He was 
             a close friend. He was a good friend,'' Barry said.
               The department will be led by acting Commerce Secretary 
             Mary Good, who was undersecretary for technology.
                                          a
                      [From the New York Times, April 4, 1996]
              Plane Crash in Croatia Silences A Big Player in Capital 
                                       Debates
                                (By David E. Sanger)
               WASHINGTON, April 4--When Ronald H. Brown died on a 
             hillside near Dubrovnik, Croatia, on Wednesday, he was in 
             the thick of three battles here that touched the divergent 
             roles he played in Washington.
               The first was a continuing struggle within the 
             Administration--sometimes still heated 3 years after it 
             began--over the degree to which the nation's commercial 
             interests should drive its foreign policy agenda.
               As Commerce Secretary Mr. Brown often argued fiercely 
             for what he called ``commercial diplomacy,'' the use of 
             America's clout abroad to create jobs at home, a stark 
             counterpoint to the ``high diplomacy'' of the cold war. 
             But there was always resistance, and many wonder whether, 
             without Mr. Brown's high-profile circuiting of the globe, 
             that approach will prove a permanent legacy of the Clinton 
             administration, or whether it could slowly dissolve.
               The second battle was to save the Commerce Department 
             itself from a Republican-dominated Congress that viewed it 
             as a ripe target for disassembly or outright abolition. 
             With his trademark passion, Mr. Brown called this 
             ``unilateral disarmament'' in the face of Japanese and 
             European competition, and was winning the argument. But 
             without him, many in the Administration said today, the 
             battle will be harder.
               And the third battle centered on Mr. Brown's true 
             passion in life: politics. His death deprives the Clinton 
             administration of its most visible black Cabinet member 
             and its bridge to black voters, even though some prominent 
             blacks were concerned that Mr. Brown was a bit too much of 
             an insider too interested in compromise. And at the weekly 
             strategy sessions in the White House, Mr. Brown was just 
             beginning to try again to work the magic that he performed 
             as chairman of the Democratic National Committee: To 
             energize both the left wing of the party, which has often 
             been disillusioned by the Clinton administration, and the 
             conservative, largely white middle class that has its own, 
             very different reservations.
               ``You just don't find people who have feet planted so 
             firmly in different camps the way Ron did, and who can 
             bridge such yawning chasms,'' said Mickey Kantor, who 
             worked side-by-side with Mr. Brown managing the 1992 
             campaign, and then again negotiating the intricacies of a 
             new world of international trade as the United States 
             trade representative. ``There are some things in this 
             world you just can't replace,'' he said.
               In the weeks before his death, Mr. Brown was playing 
             down his behind-the-scenes role in preparations for the 
             coming campaign, in part because the financial dealings 
             that were under investigation until his death effectively 
             precluded him from any formal role in the campaign. But it 
             was hardly a secret that he had begun showing up at the 
             small, weekly meetings at the White House of the 
             President's closest political advisers.
               ``I'm really not a political strategist these days,'' 
             the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, 
             said a few weeks ago, with the broad smile he used to 
             suggest that he didn't believe a word of what he just 
             uttered, and didn't expect anyone else to, either.
               ``This is a man who had the campaign in his blood,'' 
             Carl R. Wagner, a Washington consultant and one of Mr. 
             Brown's closest confidantes, said today. ``And just as he 
             knew that the problem in 1992 was how to focus entirely on 
             the economy, this year he knew that the question was how 
             to energize a re-election campaign and how to get people 
             out of the stands. That's what he was worrying about.''
               But for Mr. Brown, the campaign and his job at the 
             Commerce Department merged into one. And that was 
             particularly evident in the symbolism of his 15 trips 
             abroad with corporate executives, many of whom would never 
             think of voting for a Democrat for President.
               For Mr. Brown, the trade mission was the message, and 
             the message was that the United States would no longer 
             divorce its relationships around the world from the 
             creation of jobs for Americans.
               ``We are the bridge between domestic and foreign 
             policy,'' he said of the Commerce Department in December. 
             ``And what that means is that commercial interests are now 
             on an equal par with security in the world of foreign 
             policy.''
               But it was never quite that simple, as Mr. Brown 
             acknowledged in his more candid moments. While Secretary 
             of State Warren Christopher, Defense Secretary William J. 
             Perry and Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin all uttered 
             similar sentiments when the discussion was abstract, their 
             institutions often fought back when the issue boiled down 
             to hard cases.
               During last year's face-off with Japan over automobile 
             trade, the Pentagon and some in the State Department 
             feared that threatening trade sanctions against an ally 
             was an invitation to disaster.
               And when President Clinton goes to Tokyo later this 
             month, it will be to emphasize the security relationship 
             between the two countries and the common threats they 
             face. Of course there will be the usual menu of trade 
             complaints--restrictions on American air routes across the 
             Pacific and on the distribution of Kodak film--but they 
             are being carefully managed so that they do not overwhelm 
             the message of alliance.
               And on China, Mr. Brown would readily acknowledge that 
             the United States had far broader interests than simply 
             selling airplanes or telephone systems.
               But often he argued for toning down or delaying 
             criticism of Beijing that might be likely to result in 
             nothing but retaliation against American business 
             interest.
               It was a pragmatic, jobs-in-America-first attitude. In 
             the mid-levels of the State Department and the Pentagon, 
             Mr. Brown's position was frequently characterized as 
             mercantilist and some feared it would undercut America's 
             moral authority around the world. Mr. Brown and his 
             defenders portrayed themselves as realists in the ongoing 
             argument.
               ``There are a thousand issues that can arise in a post-
             cold war world--human rights, the environment, corruption, 
             overseas military bases--that if they are handled wrong 
             will create great handicaps for the American economy,'' 
             said Jeffrey Garten, his undersecretary for nearly 3 
             years. ``And I think that if the result of his death is 
             that the scales tip back to the way it was when the 
             Clinton administration came into office, that would be a 
             setback.''
               Both Mr. Kantor and Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the head of 
             the National Economic Council, said today that would not 
             happen. ``There are larger forces at work here and the 
             reality is that no nation can back away from making these 
             kinds of concerns as important as `high diplomacy,' '' Ms. 
             Tyson said today. ``But I'm sure it won't be a smooth path 
             in that direction, and I don't know of anyone who can 
             articulate the need for this kind of change in public the 
             way Ron could.''
               Congress discovered that power of articulation this 
             fall, as the Republicans heated up their campaign to slice 
             the Commerce Department to shreds, spreading its vital 
             functions all over the Government and eliminating anything 
             that was left. Mr. Brown, colleagues recall, did not at 
             first consider their threat to be serious. He later 
             decided he was wrong, and began a full-force campaign in 
             which he enlisted corporate executives he knew from his 
             travels to press their Republican friends to back off.
               ``There wasn't much support for his position,'' one 
             colleague recalled today. ``So he created the ground swell 
             himself.''
               Surprised at the reach of Mr. Brown's Rolodex and the 
             success of his gentle arm-twisting, the Republicans backed 
             off. But without him in charge, they have another chance 
             as the 1997 budget is debated.
               Meanwhile, even the White House was a bit stunned today 
             by the outpouring of condolences and cables from foreign 
             leaders. Many of them had been on the receiving end of 
             that mix of smooth charm and stiff persuasion he used to 
             close a deal for American goods.
               ``They had seen American diplomats before,'' one of Mr. 
             Clinton's economic advisers said today. ``They had seen 
             canny politicians, and African-Americans with power. They 
             had seen businessmen with order books in their hands. But 
             they had never seen all of that in one package.''
                                          a
                     [From the Associated Press, April 4, 1996]
                                   Ronald H. Brown
                                     (Editorial)
               Wednesday's remarks by President Clinton about Commerce 
             Secretary Ron Brown, whose Air Force jetliner crashed near 
             Dubrovnik, Croatia: Ladies and gentlemen, the Vice 
             President and the First Lady and the members of the 
             Cabinet and I wanted to come here to be with the employees 
             of the Commerce Department at this very difficult hour.
               Hillary and I have just come from Ron Brown's home, 
             visiting with Alma and Michael and their family and 
             friends who are there, and we wanted to come and spend a 
             few moments with you.
               As all of you know, the plane carrying Secretary Brown 
             and his delegation, including a number of your colleagues, 
             business leaders and members of the United States 
             military, went down today near Dubrovnik in Croatia. We do 
             not know for sure what happened there.
               But I wanted to come here today--it is almost Passover 
             for American Jews, I know a lot of you will want to be 
             leaving soon--just to have the chance to say a few words 
             to you.
               The first thing I want to say is, before I left I asked 
             Alma, I said, Alma, what do you want me to say when I go 
             to the Commerce Department? She said, tell them Ron was 
             proud of them, that he liked them, that he believed in 
             them and that he fought for the Commerce Department, and 
             tell them that you're going to do that now.
               I've known Ron Brown a long time. I was always amazed at 
             the way he was continually reaching out trying to bridge 
             the differences between people, always trying to get the 
             best out of people, always believing that we could do more 
             than we have done. In a way this job was sort of ready-
             made for him at this moment in history. And he loved it 
             very much.
               Most of the time Ron Brown spent using the power of the 
             Commerce Department to find ways to give opportunity to 
             ordinary Americans, to generate jobs for the American 
             economy and build better futures for American citizens.
               But when we met earlier this week right before he left 
             for the Balkans he was so excited because he thought that 
             along with these business leaders and the other very able 
             people from the Commerce Department on this mission that 
             they would be able to use the power of the American 
             economy to help the peace take hold in the Balkans, to 
             help people in that troubled place have the kind of 
             decent, honorable and wonderfully ordinary lives that we 
             Americans too often take for granted.
               And he was so excited by it. If you saw any of the clips 
             the television had been showing--showing today, about his 
             meetings yesterday, you could--you could see that.
               And I just want to say, on a very personal note, that I 
             hope all Americans today will be grateful for what all the 
             people who were on that plane did, for the military 
             personnel, for the business leaders, who didn't have to go 
             on that mission, who did it not out of a sense of their 
             own profit, but out of a sense of what they could do to 
             help America bring peace.
               To all the wonderful people in the Commerce Department 
             that were on that plane, some of them very young, one of 
             them who came to our campaign in 1992, thinking the most 
             important thing he could do was to ride a bicycle across 
             the country, asking people to vote for the Vice President 
             and me, wound up a trusted employee at the Commerce 
             Department; and to all of their loved ones and their 
             families and their friends, I want to say I am very 
             grateful for their lives and their service.
               I also want to say just one last thing about Ron Brown. 
             He was one of the best advisers and ablest people I ever 
             knew. And he was very, very good at everything he ever 
             did.
               Whether he was the Commerce Secretary or a civil rights 
             leader or something else, he was always out there just 
             giving it his all. And he always believed that his mission 
             in life was to put people's dreams within their reach if 
             they were willing to work for it and believe in 
             themselves.
               When we were over at his home a few moments ago, Alexis 
             Herman, who, as you know, used to work with Ron at the 
             Democratic Committee, and they've been friends a long 
             time, told me that his favorite scripture verse was that 
             wonderful verse from Isaiah: ``They who wait upon the Lord 
             shall have their strength renewed. They shall mount up 
             with wings as eagles. They will run and not grow weary. 
             They will walk and faint not.''
               Well, Ron Brown walked and ran and flew through life, 
             and he was a magnificent life force. And those of us who 
             loved him will always be grateful for his friendship and 
             his warmth, but every American should be grateful that at 
             a very difficult moment in our nation's history, he made 
             this Commerce Department what it was meant to be, an 
             instrument for realizing the potential of every American.
               For all of you who played a role in that, I ask for your 
             prayers for Secretary Brown and his family, for your 
             colleagues and their families, for the business leaders 
             and their families, and for our beloved military officers 
             and their families. And I ask you always, always to be 
             fiercely proud for what you have done, and very grateful 
             for the opportunity to have done it.
               I'd like to ask now that we bow for a moment of silence. 
             (Period of silence.) Amen.
                                          a
                      [From the New York Times, April 5, 1996]
                     Harlem Remembers the Heart That Never Left
                                (By Rachel L. Swarns)
               In Washington, Ron Brown will be mourned as the master 
             politician who helped propel Bill Clinton to the 
             Presidency, as the savvy salesman who hawked American 
             goods abroad and as the barrier bounder who soared to 
             national prominence as the first black chairman of the 
             Democratic National Committee and as the nation's first 
             black Secretary of Commerce.
               But in Harlem, he will be remembered as the skinny 
             little boy who grew up in an apartment atop the Hotel 
             Theresa, New York's premier black hotel in the 1950's, and 
             begged autographs from New York's black glitterati. He 
             will be remembered as the young lawyer who ran an Urban 
             League youth program in the 1970's, counseling poor 
             children in classrooms and on the basketball court. And he 
             will be remembered as the Washington bigwig who schmoozed 
             with foreign ministers and chief executives but still 
             managed to slip home for salmon cakes and fried chicken at 
             Sylvia's restaurant.
               Ron Brown may have made his mark in Washington, but his 
             old friends say his heart never left Harlem.
               ``We have a saying in the black community: `Don't ever 
             get so big that you forget where home is,' '' said Percy 
             Sutton, a former Manhattan borough president and chairman 
             of the Queens Cable Television System who has known Mr. 
             Brown since he was a boy. ``Ron Brown never forgot. And we 
             loved him for that.''
               Mr. Brown was killed along with 32 others when the 
             military plane carrying them to a business conference in 
             Croatia crashed into a mountain during a violent storm on 
             Wednesday.
               While acknowledging the ethical questions that 
             periodically dogged Mr. Brown's efforts to straddle the 
             line between public service and private enterprise, those 
             who knew him from his early days had nothing but praise 
             for him yesterday, eulogizing him as a man who soared to 
             great heights without ever losing touch with his roots.
               Mr. Brown was born in Washington, DC, but he grew up in 
             Harlem, where his father worked as the manager of the 
             Theresa Hotel. It was in New York that he quickly learned 
             to straddle two worlds.
               At home he lived in the heart of black New York. The 
             singer Dinah Washington lived in the apartment across the 
             hall and a dizzying array of stars stayed in the hotel 
             rooms below, bringing with them their furs, their fame and 
             their luxury cars.
               At school, he studied in overwhelmingly white 
             classrooms, in a series of exclusive academies including 
             Hunter College Elementary School and the Rhodes and Walden 
             prep schools. At Middlebury College in Vermont, he became 
             the first black to join a white fraternity.
               But after earning his law degree at St. John's 
             University in Queens in 1970, Mr. Brown returned to 
             Harlem, where he ran an Urban League program for 
             underprivileged young people.
               ``He could communicate with those kids,'' said Andrew 
             Adair, an attorney who worked with Mr. Brown at the Urban 
             League in the 1970's. ``He was one of the guys. He wore 
             the afro. He had a pick in his pocket, but he knew the 
             dictionary, too. He told them: `You can get out of this 
             mess. I'm going to help you.' ''
               By the 1990's, after he had moved to Washington and 
             established himself there, working for a time as the head 
             of the local Urban League, as an aide to Senator Edward M. 
             Kennedy, as a political strategist for the Jesse Jackson 
             campaign and the first black partner at Patton, Boggs & 
             Blow, Mr. Brown's list of friends and colleagues read like 
             a Who's Who of prominent Americans, both black and white.
               Among the New Yorkers was Hal Jackson, the Harlem disc 
             jockey who gave Mr. Brown his first job carrying records 
             and reading public service announcements at the radio 
             station WLIB-AM. ``This little devil was so neat,'' Mr. 
             Jackson recalled. ``Even as young as he was then, he would 
             always wear his little shirt and tie and jacket in the 
             studio.''
               The list also included Mario M. Cuomo, the former 
             Governor of New York, who was also one of Mr. Brown's law 
             professors at St. John's, who said, ``I remember telling 
             him, `You have the capacity to persuade people you're 
             right, even when you're wrong, which means you'll be a 
             terrific lawyer.' ''
               And it also included David N. Dinkins, the long-time 
             friend Mr. Brown supported during Mr. Dinkin's successful 
             attempt to become the first black mayor of New York City.
               ``If there was ever a guy who had the capability to walk 
             with kings and queens and not lose the common touch, Ron 
             was the guy,'' Mr. Dinkins said.
               When Mr. Brown became chairman of the Democratic 
             National Committee, he persuaded the then Presidential 
             candidate Bill Clinton to go to Harlem to meet with the 
             editorial board of the Armsterdam News. And he convinced 
             Hillary Rodham Clinton to appear on WLIB.
               ``He was instrumental in getting them to go where most 
             white politicians would not go,'' said Wilbert Tatum, 
             publisher of the Amsterdam News. ``He helped them 
             understand that the black media was important if they were 
             to win the election.''
               While Mr. Brown will be remembered by some as a power 
             broker and globe trotter, Mr. Dinkins said he believes his 
             friend would like most to be recognized for his commitment 
             to his community.
               ``My guess, knowing Ron, is that he would like to be 
             remembered as a kid from Harlem who went on to excel and 
             never forgot where he came from, who didn't forget his 
             roots,'' Mr. Dinkins said.
                                          a
                  [From the San Francisco Examiner, April 5, 1996]
                              Ron Brown's Contribution
                                     (Editorial)
               Commerce Secretary Ron Brown showed endearing enthusiasm 
             for whatever task he undertook, and his campaign to 
             advance U.S. trade and investment around the world was one 
             of them. He thought this contributed to peace. That is why 
             he led a business delegation to the Balkans looking into 
             reconstruction needs in the aftermath of the Bosnian war.
               He visited with American peacekeeping troops in Tuzla 
             hours before he and 34 others were killed in the crash of 
             a military plane near Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was the first 
             death of a Cabinet member on an overseas mission. Other 
             victims included Donald Terner of San Francisco, 
             innovative president of Bridge Housing Corp.
               Brown's career was crowded with other distinctions. He 
             was the most prominent African-American in President 
             Clinton's administration. When he won the contested 
             chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee in 1989, 
             he became the first black to head one of the major 
             political parties. His 4-year tenure in that post was a 
             demonstrable success: It led to Clinton's victory in 1992, 
             after the Democrats had lost five of the six previous 
             Presidential elections.
               Brown had the charm to rebound from daunting situations. 
             His work as the Reverend Jesse Jackson's convention 
             manager in 1988 did not, as some friends feared, blight 
             Brown's mainstream future, partly because he advised 
             Jackson to stay in the Democratic tent for the Dukakis 
             fall campaign. As Commerce Secretary, Brown did not take 
             cover as congressional Republicans sought to dismantle the 
             department, or as he faced investigation for alleged 
             conflict of interest in his personal finances. He pushed 
             hard his policy of ``commercial engagement'' with other 
             countries--hard enough to step on State Department toes.
               The Balkans weren't the only quasi war zone where Brown 
             tried to promote peace and the nation's business. He was 
             the first Cabinet member to visit Northern Ireland on such 
             a mission in 1994, and did similar work in the Middle East 
             and South Africa.
               Clinton spoke movingly about how he will miss Brown's 
             ``life force.'' So will we.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, April 5, 1996]
                               It Is Sinking In Today
                          (By Kevin Merida and Ann Devroy)
             a sorrowful city grieves for comrades lost in plane crash 
                                     in croatia
               The men and women of official Washington paused from the 
             business of government yesterday to pray and hug and cry 
             and comfort one another in an anguished day of mourning.
               From the White House to the Commerce Department, from 
             Capitol Hill to Democratic National Committee 
             headquarters, people joined together to reminisce and pay 
             tribute to Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown and at least 
             32 others whose plane crashed into a Croatian hillside 
             Wednesday.
               The sense of grief seemed especially overwhelming in 
             Washington's power corridors, where Brown and many of the 
             others were familiar figures, if not good friends, to the 
             political players here.
               Throughout the day, tearful scenes were replayed over 
             and over again, all across this usually stiff town.
               ``It is sinking in today,'' said Presidential adviser 
             George Stephanopoulos, emerging from a morning prayer 
             service at St. John's Church for those killed in the 
             crash. ``And these young people [on the flight], they were 
             all our friends.
               He meant the unheralded of the Clinton-Gore political 
             family--people like Adam Darling, a Commerce aide who 
             worked in the infamous 1992 campaign War Room. And Carol 
             Hamilton, the Commerce press secretary who had been the 
             chief campaign spokesman in New York in 1992.
               Stephanopoulos just broke down and cried.
               The day began sadly at 9 a.m., when President Clinton 
             telephoned Alma Brown and told her that U.S. Army Gen. 
             Michael Canavan, commander of a special military 
             operations team in Croatia, had identified the body of her 
             husband. The identification removed the last, irrational 
             hope among some inside--and outside--the White House that 
             Brown has escaped death.
               Within an hour of the call, sorrowful colleagues and 
             friends of Brown watched silently from their windows in 
             the White House and Old Executive Office Building as the 
             American flag that flies from the roof of the White House 
             was lowered to half staff. Clinton, in a proclamation 
             honoring Brown and his fallen colleagues, ordered the 
             flags lowered for 5 days at all government buildings and 
             military facilities and aboard naval vessels.
               The grieving will likely reach an emotional climax next 
             week after the bodies of the crash victims are returned to 
             the United States. White House officials and family 
             friends are anticipating a large Washington funeral for 
             Brown on Tuesday or Wednesday.
               White House press secretary Michael McCurry said Clinton 
             spent much of yesterday and the night before on the 
             telephone talking to friends and colleagues of Brown and 
             reflecting about his life. And then he worked his way 
             ``one by one'' aides said, talking to wives, husbands, 
             mothers, fathers and children of the victims. McCurry said 
             the experience seemed to be ``very therapeutic'' for the 
             President.
               Much of the same sort of reminiscing and consoling went 
             on throughout the White House. The several hundred people 
             who worked in the complex got an e-mail message yesterday 
             inviting them to the prayer service at St. John's. During 
             that hour, the usually frenetic White House effectively 
             stood in quiet.
               President and Mrs. Clinton arrived at the Episcopal 
             church by motorcade at 11:22 a.m., long after most of the 
             somber mourners had walked past rows of blossoming cherry 
             trees to enter the sanctuary. H Street NW was blocked by 
             police and passersby gathered around the fringes of 
             Lafayette Square.
               Inside, a choir from Lane College in Jackson, TN, belted 
             out spirituals. And when Clinton spoke, recalling that 28 
             years ago to the day, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., 
             had been assassinated in Memphis, his voice cracked.
               Like those who died on that hillside, he said, King was 
             working for a cause.
               ``Dr. King said the ultimate measure of a person comes 
             not during moments of comfort and convenience,'' Clinton 
             said, ``but where he or she stands during a time of 
             challenge.''
               Those who died serving their country and their world, he 
             continued, were ``answering a very important challenge of 
             our time. . . . As we grieve for them, we should also 
             thank God for their lives.''
               As the church bells tolled, the dignitaries filed out--
             Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), Housing and Urban 
             Development Secretary Henry Cisneros, attorney Vernon 
             Jordan, U.S. Trade Representative Mickey Kantor and on and 
             on. The Clintons and Vice President Gore formed a line to 
             greet attendees, hugging and kissing most, exchanging warm 
             words. When it was over, the Presidential party ditched 
             the motorcade, going by foot across the park back to the 
             White House. But some of those who had been in the church 
             lingered on the sidewalks outside. They just couldn't pull 
             themselves together to return to work right away.
               ``Sometimes, this is a city you think of only in terms 
             of politics,'' said Shirley Watkins, a deputy assistant 
             secretary of agriculture and one of those lingerers. 
             ``Sometimes, you don't think about the heart and soul of 
             things, you're so wrapped up in the daily business. But 
             when something like this happens, you realize how short 
             life is and that you really better get busy and do some 
             things quickly.''
               Not much got done quickly, if at all, in official 
             Washington yesterday. The White House had planned to make 
             a big deal out of the President's signing of the line-item 
             veto legislation, but decided that was inappropriate. 
             McCurry said Clinton had canceled virtually all of his 
             appointments until next week, leaving priority time open 
             for memorial services for Brown and the others killed.
               In one nod to politics, however, Clinton did attend a 
             private dinner last night for majority Democratic campaign 
             contributors, deciding after some hand-wringing, according 
             to one aide, that ``Ron Brown [a voracious fund-raiser for 
             Democrats] would have kicked our butts if we hadn't 
             gone.''
               At Patton Boggs, the high-powered lobbying law firm at 
             which Brown became the first black partner in 1981, there 
             was a spontaneous tribute. Someone, maybe a secretary, 
             said managing partner Timothy May, put up in the lobby a 
             large framed picture of Brown wreathed in black. 
             Accompanying the photo were the words: ``We mourn the loss 
             of our friend and colleague. Ron Brown, we will miss you 
             very much.''
               At DNC headquarters, another stop on Brown's rise, 
             national party chairman Donald L. Fowler called a staff 
             meeting yesterday morning of various Democratic committees 
             and organizations to recall Brown's contributions and 
             gather in prayer.
               At the Commerce Department, the mood was particularly 
             gloomy--as hundreds gathered for a memorial service under 
             a warming noon sun.
               For these people, it wasn't just a well-liked Cabinet 
             secretary who had died, but 11 other friends and 
             colleagues.
               It was young Naomi Warbasse, who would have been 25 next 
             week, who people said looked like Princess Grace. It was 
             Duane Christian, a security officer, and Chuck Meissner, 
             who as assistant secretary for international economic 
             policy was the highest ranking Commerce official after 
             Brown on the trip.
               Mary Simon, who works in the U.S. Customs Service, met 
             Christian in 1987. ``He did my background check,'' she 
             said. ``We just hit it off. He knew my family, and I knew 
             his. I spoke to him just last Friday--we said we should 
             get together at Red Lobster and have some dinner. Guess we 
             won't be doing that.''
               Her eyes filled with tears.
               The crowd that gathered at noon was large and diverse, 
             not organized with any official Commerce sponsorship but 
             through e-mail messages and bulletin board fliers put up 
             by Graham Whately and friend Errin Persley.
               ``We're coming together here as a family,'' said 
             Whately, adding later: ``This was for the average working 
             person.''
               The Reverend Beecher Hicks led the mourners in prayer. 
             ``We come together . . . in the dark midnight of the 
             soul,'' he said. ``With tears more rapid than any flowing 
             stream.'' After Good Friday, there is Easter, he reminded 
             the mourners, and they will one day ``meet in a better 
             place.''
                                          a
                    [From the New York Daily News, April 5, 1996]
                                Peace Has Its Heroes
                                     (Editorial)
               Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, a son of Harlem and the 
             most prominent African-American in the Clinton 
             administration, gave his life trying to bring peace to the 
             war-torn Balkans. In that, he and the other Americans who 
             went down with him over Croatia, died as heroes.
               Brown's mission was thoroughly American: To bring about 
             peace through trade and economic development. A shaken 
             President Clinton put it best:
               ``Our colleagues in the Commerce Department and the 
             other federal agencies, United States military and the 
             business leaders who died outside Dubrovnik were answering 
             a very important challenge. . . . And as we grieve for 
             them we should thank God for their lives, and that there 
             are still people like them willing to answer the 
             challenge.''
               Brown was the nation's chief salesman abroad, a champion 
             of economic power as the cornerstone of American policy. 
             Helping American business contribute to growth overseas 
             was his way of fostering democracy.
               He had planned to spend 3 days in Bosnia and Croatia, 
             meeting with American troops, government figures and local 
             business leaders. The purpose: To whet American business 
             appetites for the opportunities likely to spring from a $5 
             billion international plan to rebuild the shell-shocked 
             region.
               A one-time U.S. soldier, Brown took deserved pride in 
             his nonmilitary role in trade missions to some of the 
             world's most troubled spots: Northern Ireland, South 
             Africa, the Palestinian territories. He knew that the 
             Balkans mission was fraught with risk. But, as he said the 
             day before the tragedy, ``Peace and stability will only be 
             insured through economic development.''
               Thirty-four others were with Brown when the plane went 
             down; a mix of government officials, business executives, 
             a New York Times reporter, six crew, one Bosnian and one 
             Croat. All perished. But their mission must not die with 
             them.
               Economic development is America's most potent tool for 
             peace. And the only hope for stability in the former 
             Yugoslavia. Achieving it would be a lasting memorial to 
             these fallen heroes.
                                          a
                       [From the Boston Globe, April 5, 1996]
                                 Ron Brown's Mission
                                     (Editorial)
               Ron Brown carried the Democratic Party flag to Wall 
             Street and planted it among the Republican banners there 
             with unmistakable assurance.
               An entrepreneur himself, Brown succeeded where other 
             Democrats had failed because he never saw corporate 
             America as alien territory. In his view, thriving business 
             investments were not only a key path to personal success, 
             which he enjoyed in healthy measure, but also to a strong 
             national economy, political power and even an aggressive 
             foreign policy.
               Brown described his many overseas trade missions as 
             Secretary of Commerce in terms far beyond mere economics. 
             When a plane bearing the words ``The United States of 
             America'' lands in a foreign city and unloads a Cabinet 
             secretary and a group of corporate CEO's, Brown said 
             recently, ``it conveys the power of this Nation to turn 
             commerce into the infrastructure of democracy.''
               This was exactly Brown's mission when his plane went 
             down short of Dubrovnik on Wednesday, a mission made 
             especially critical because of the fragility of the peace 
             process there. The loss of Brown and of so many business 
             leaders interested in helping to restore a vibrant economy 
             to that war-ravaged land is a serious setback.
               Brown's loss is also a reversal for U.S. trade policy 
             around the world; for instance, with Chinese officials, 
             who rely heavily on personal relationships. Brown had 
             developed communication links and a level of trust that 
             will not be easily restored.
               That a Democrat should have achieved so much in the way 
             of corporate boosterism in so short a period from such a 
             vulnerable position--congressional Republicans once 
             targeted his office for elimination--would have been 
             remarkable in any event. That it was done by a black man 
             from Harlem gives an indication of Brown's extraordinary 
             life.
               He was an insurgent and a breaker of barriers: He worked 
             for Senator Edward Kennedy's challenge against President 
             Carter in 1980 and for Jesse Jackson in 1988; he was the 
             first black chief counsel of a Senate committee, one of 
             the first blacks to be a leading lobbyist and the first 
             black chairman of a national party.
               But more than this he was a builder of bridges, one who 
             wanted to get beyond the divisions and move on. He was the 
             chief negotiator of the Jackson-Michael Dukakis coming-
             together in 1988. He rebuilt the national party to give 
             candidate Bill Clinton a strong sendoff in 1992. And as 
             Commerce Secretary he traveled to a thousand corporate 
             boardrooms to reclaim at least a part of the nation's 
             economic engine for his political party. This left some 
             Republicans in the odd position of suggesting that the 
             Democrat was too cozy with big business.
               Brown enjoyed the irony. He was ``a magnificent life 
             force,'' as Clinton said, a man who will be missed by all 
             who knew him, and a great many who didn't.
                                          a
                     [From the Houston Chronicle, April 5, 1996]
                                      Ron Brown
                                     (Editorial)
                 tragic news in deaths of cabinet officer, his party
               It is certainly with a shared sense of shock and sadness 
             that Americans greet the deaths of U.S. Commerce Secretary 
             Ron Brown, the other members of his party and the Air 
             Force crew of the plane that crashed killing all aboard 
             near Dubrovnik, Croatia.
               The group was on a high-level trade trip that quite 
             correctly was called a mission of hope and opportunity for 
             American business to participate in the economic 
             reconstruction of the war-ravaged former Yugoslavia. 
             President Clinton said they were attempting to ``use the 
             power of the American economy to help the peace take hold 
             in the Balkans.''
               It is indeed tragic that these Americans have lost their 
             lives, but it is noble that they did so in pursuit of such 
             a goal.
               Brown, 54, has been remembered as a tireless, 
             hardworking, dedicated public servant, and that is 
             certainly true. In the rough-and-tumble world of national 
             politics, his prowess as a bridge-builder was renowned. 
             And regardless of political controversy that sometimes 
             surrounded him or of the ideological lenses through which 
             many may have viewed him, Brown engendered respect across 
             the spectrum.
               His many travels abroad on behalf of U.S. business also 
             earned respect around the globe both for him and his 
             country.
               He rose admirably from humble beginnings to serve with 
             the National Urban League, to become chief counsel with 
             the Senate Judiciary Committee, to be named chairman of 
             the National Democratic Committee and to be appointed to 
             the Cabinet. In his Democratic Party role, he had a great 
             deal to do with the election of Clinton to the White 
             House.
               Americans' heartfelt thanks and soul-felt prayers should 
             go to Brown's family and those of the 34 others who lost 
             their lives with him.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, April 7, 1996]
               Let Us Resolve to Continue Their Mission of Peace and 
                                       Healing
                     (From the Federal Document Clearing House)
               Following are remarks by President Clinton yesterday at 
             a ceremony at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, to honor 
             those killed in a plane crash in Croatia last Wednesday.

               My fellow Americans, today we come to a place that has 
             seen too many sad, silent homecomings, for this is where 
             we in America bring home our own--those who have given 
             their lives in the service of their country.
               The 33 fine Americans we meet today, on their last 
             journey home, ended their lives on a hard mountain a long 
             way from home, but in a way they never left America.
               On their mission of peace and hope, they carried with 
             them America's spirit--what our greatest martyr, Abraham 
             Lincoln, called the `last best hope of Earth.'
               Our loved ones and friends loved their country, and they 
             loved serving their country. They believed that America, 
             through their efforts, could help to restore a broken 
             land, help to heal a people of their hatreds, honest work 
             and shared enterprise.
               They knew what their country had given them, and they 
             gave it back with a force, an energy, an optimism that 
             every one of us can be proud of.
               They were outstanding business leaders who gave their 
             employees and their customers their very best. They were 
             brave members of our military, dedicated to preserving our 
             freedom and advancing America's cause.
               There was a brilliant correspondent committed to helping 
             Americans better understand this complicated new world we 
             live in. And there were public servants, some of them 
             still in the fresh springtime of their years, who gave 
             nothing less than everything they had because they 
             believed in the nobility of public service.
               And there was a noble Secretary of Commerce who never 
             saw a mountain he couldn't climb or a river he couldn't 
             build a bridge across. All of them were so full of 
             possibility, even as we grieve for what their lives might 
             have been, let us celebrate what their lives were.
               For their public achievements and their private 
             victories of love and kindness and devotion are things 
             that no one--no one could do anything but treasure.
               These 33 lives show us the best of America. They are a 
             stern rebuke to the cynicism that is all too familiar 
             today.
               For as family after family told the Vice President and 
             Hillary and me today, their loved ones were proud of what 
             they were doing. They believed in what they were doing. 
             They believed in this country. They believed we could make 
             a difference. How silly they make cynicism seem.
               And more important, they were a glowing testimonial to 
             the power of individuals to improve their own lives and 
             elevate the lives of others and make a better future for 
             others.
               These 33 people loved America enough to use what is best 
             about it in their own lives to try to help solve a problem 
             a long, long way from home.
               At the first of this interminable week, [Commerce 
             Secretary] Ron Brown came to the White House to visit with 
             me and the Vice President and a few others, and at the end 
             of the visit, he was bubbling with enthusiasm about this 
             mission.
               And he went through all the people from the Commerce 
             Department who were going, and then he went through every 
             single business leader that was going. And he said, ``You 
             know, I've taken so many of these missions to advance 
             America's economic interest and to generate jobs for 
             Americans, these business people are going on this mission 
             because they want to use the power of the American economy 
             to save the peace in the Balkans.
               That is a noble thing. Nearly 5,000 miles from home, 
             they went to help people build their own homes and roads, 
             to turn on the lights in cities darkened by war, to 
             restore the everyday interchange of people working and 
             living together with something to look forward to and a 
             dream to raise their own children by.
               You know, we can say a lot of things because these 
             people were many things to those who love them. But I say 
             to all of you, to every American, they were all patriots. 
             Whether soldiers or civil servants or committed citizens, 
             they were patriots.
               In their memory and in their honor, let us rededicate 
             our lives to our country and to our fellow citizens. In 
             their memory and in their honor, let us resolve to 
             continue their mission of peace and healing and progress.
               We must not let their mission fail, and we will not let 
             their mission fail. The sun is going down on this day. The 
             next time it rises, it will be Easter morning--a morning 
             that marks the passage from loss and despair to hope and 
             redemption.
               A day that more than any other reminds us that life is 
             more than what we know, life is more than what we can 
             understand, life is more than sometimes even we can bear. 
             But life is also eternal.
               For each of these 33 of our fellow Americans and the 2 
             fine Croatians that fell with them, their day on Earth was 
             too short. But for our countrymen and women, we must 
             remember that what they did while the sun was out will 
             last with us forever.
               If I may now, I would like to read the names of all of 
             them in honor of their lives, their service, and their 
             families.
               Staff Sergeant Gerald Aldrich, Ronald Brown, Duane 
             Christian, Barry Conrad, Paul Cushman III, Adam Darling, 
             Captain Ashley James Davis, Gail Dobert, Robert Donovan, 
             Claudio Elia, Staff Sergeant Robert Farrington Jr., David 
             Ford, Carol Hamilton, Kathryn Hoffman, Lee Jackson, Steven 
             Kaminski, Kathryn Kellogg, Technical Sergeant Shelly 
             Kelly, James Lewek, Frank Maier, Charles Meissner, William 
             Morton, Walter Murphy, Lawrence Payne, Nathaniel Nash, 
             Leonard Pieroni, Captain Timothy Schafer, John Scoville, I 
             Donald Terner, P. Stuart Tholan, Technical Sergeant Cheryl 
             Ann Turnage, Naomi Warbasse, Robert Al Whittaker.
               Today we bring their bodies back home to America, but 
             their souls are surely at home with God. We welcome them 
             home. We miss them. We ask God to be with them and their 
             families.
               God bless you all, and God bless our beloved Nation. 
             Amen.
                                          a
                     [From the Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1996]
                    Brown Made a World of Difference in Commerce
                                 (By James Flanigan)
               ``I've been with him on trips to China and India. I've 
             seen him tell government officials point blank: `Here's an 
             American company offering you the best possible deal. If 
             they don't get the contract, it's because the playing 
             field isn't level.' ''
               Thus did a U.S. businessman recall Ron Brown, the 
             Secretary of Commerce who died last week in a plane crash 
             in Croatia.
               Brown's toughness was recalled not only as an epitaph 
             but as an object lesson for what the next Commerce 
             Secretary and any future holder of the office must do to 
             be effective in a complex and competitive world.
               Brown made a difference because he understood that 
             government officials must fight to get U.S. companies a 
             fair share of projects and markets in foreign lands. Those 
             increasingly are the source of jobs and investments in the 
             United States. And it's important that Americans feel the 
             global system is working fairly.
               Official figures stating that exports directly support 
             13 million U.S. workers or account for one-third of U.S. 
             economic growth understate the reality. International 
             business today is a matrix of contacts in which work 
             overseas begets work at home and vice versa.
               Yet until Brown's time and that of Secretary of State 
             Warren Christopher, the U.S. Government often adopted a 
             stance of indifference to business abroad. Either it 
             didn't fight or didn't have to. During 45 years of the 
             Cold War, a lot of business came to American firms simply 
             because the U.S. armed forces were protecting other 
             countries.
               But that advantage receded in recent years. Not only did 
             military prowess offer less leverage, but the world's 
             economies began a historic shift.
               Newly industrializing countries became the growth 
             markets, especially as they installed electricity and 
             telephone systems and built factories and office 
             buildings. The countries of Asia, which already account 
             for more U.S. trade than Western Europe, will spend $2 
             trillion in infrastructure before 2000; Latin America will 
             spend $500 billion.
               In such economies--particularly on matters of 
             infrastructure--governments make decisions. And U.S. 
             companies depend more than ever on backing from their own 
             government. ``The commercial diplomacy begun by Ron Brown 
             must be accelerated. We cannot afford to backslide in this 
             changing world,'' says Jeffrey Garten, dean of Yale School 
             of Management, who served with Brown as Undersecretary of 
             Commerce from 1993 to late 1995.
               Many of the companies represented on Brown's fateful 
             flight last week are in engineering and construction of 
             infrastructure projects--Parsons, Bechtel, Foster Wheeler, 
             ABB, Harza Engineering.
               Those companies are good examples of the value of 
             services--really of brainpower as a valuable commodity 
             with tremendous ripple effects in the world economy. The 
             engineering contractor can specify suppliers and call 
             forth support systems from computer analysis to 
             transportation and communications.
               The big contractors do half or more of their business 
             overseas, competing against government-backed firms from 
             other countries.
               To be sure, the focus is on business, not nationalism, 
             Joseph Jacobs, founder of Jacobs Engineering in Pasadena, 
             recalls receiving help from the British Embassy in Amman, 
             Jordan--after being cold-shouldered by the U.S. Embassy--
             on a project in which Jacobs had a British partner.
               Such indifference has changed, thanks to Brown and 
             Christopher. ``Every U.S. Embassy now has skilled people 
             who really want to help,'' says Edward Muller, president 
             of Edison Mission Energy, which builds power plants 
             overseas.
               Support work in Washington is better, too, since Brown 
             created a war room at the Commerce Department to track 
             competition for worldwide projects--including the 
             widespread bribes that characterize the shadier side of 
             global competition. U.S. companies are prohibited by law 
             from paying bribes, and that can sometimes be a 
             disadvantage.
               Brown's counter to bribery was typical. He'd do his 
             homework, have his facts and confront the other 
             government's officials. He learned early about business 
             and confronting the unexpected. His parents owned Harlem's 
             famed Hotel Theresa, where Fidel Castro's aides lit open 
             fires in the rooms to cook chickens during an early 1960s 
             visit to the United Nations.
               ``He had tremendous energy,'' Muller said. Brown's 
             successor will have to be energetic, too, and tenacious.
               Paradoxically, given the demands of the times, there 
             continues to be support in Congress for eliminating the 
             Commerce Department as a budget-cutting move and because 
             Brown's ideas of helping U.S. companies run counter to 
             beliefs of some members of Congress that government 
             shouldn't help business. The controversy is part of an 
             underlying division of opinion as to whether the global 
             economy benefits or threatens U.S. living standards.
               But the threat to Commerce ignores the facts of a 
             rapidly changing world--and fears of the global economy 
             are beside the point. A new study by the Australian 
             Department of Foreign Affairs predicts that trade between 
             China and Japan alone will account for 28 percent of world 
             commerce in 2015, compared with 13 percent today.
               That's not a threat, it's a reality to be dealt with. 
             ``Our fastest-growing customers and competitors are the 
             same people,'' Yale's Garten explains. ``The Brazils and 
             Chinas and Indias compete now in low- and medium-
             technology areas. Ultimately they'll compete and exchange 
             high-tech goods and services with us.
               ``I'm confident we can do well if we concentrate on 
             educating and helping our work force at home and on 
             commercial diplomacy abroad.''
               Ron Brown understood that competition is fine with 
             Americans as long as they're convinced we're getting a 
             fair shake in world trade. That's what he worked for. And 
             that's what all his successors at Commerce and other 
             departments will have to understand and work for from now 
             on.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, April 7, 1996]
                   Amid Ceremony of Tears Is a Sharing of Strength
                               (By Marianne Kyriakos)
                 families come together for mourning and celebration
               DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware--``So many hearses.''
               Between the sobs, the hugs, the tears, the same words 
             came out, over and over again.
               ``So many hearses.''
               Even those too young to count the 33 hearses on the 
             airport tarmac understood that a profound tragedy had 
             brought so many people, with so many stories, to this 
             place, this place that was so silent. The birds that flew 
             overhead, in formation, were silent, too, not even the 
             flapping of their wings was heard.
               Then the silence was pierced by the sharp wails of 8-
             year-old Nathaniel Nash, who wore his Boy Scout uniform 
             and wire-rimmed glasses: ``I want my daddy! I need my 
             daddy now!''
               He didn't know which flag-draped casket held his 
             father--New York Times reporter Nathaniel Nash. No one in 
             the audience of friends and family knew, because many 
             remains have yet to be identified. It didn't matter. They 
             tried to watch, though it was hard at first, as the giant 
             C-17 cargo plane brought its dead.
               One by one, silver caskets containing the remains of the 
             Americans killed in Croatia were carried out by somber 
             honor guards.
               It was a ceremony in which sadness and strength were 
             shared, mixed really, transfused from one person to 
             another in the long, long hugs between family members, 
             between friends, between strangers, even.
               For Karen Darling, whose son, Adam, perished in the 
             crash, all it took was one glance at the Nash family.
               ``It's something no child should go through, to lose his 
             daddy,'' she said after the ceremony. ``But watching their 
             mom standing there, it gave me special strength.''
               She paused; someone else came up to hug her, to tell her 
             what a special person her son was. She was thinking of the 
             Nash children, still, and of her own loss: ``We're not 
             going to see them anymore.''
               Maureen Dobert, mother of Gail, who also died in the 
             crash, drew special strength from a stuffed rabbit with 
             long, floppy ears.
               She held the rabbit tightly as the caskets were 
             unloaded, and she asked, ``Where's my daughter, is she 
             here yet?''
               The Long Island schoolteacher buried her father 1 month 
             ago and her mother 3 months ago.
               Now her daughter.
               Yesterday, the rabbit seemed to help. It was a reminder 
             of her only daughter's favorite children's book, ``Guess 
             How Much I Love You?'' And this was Gail's favorite 
             passage: ``The little nut-brown hare told the big nut-
             brown hare, `I love you all the way to the moon.' '' 
             Gail's brother, Ray, recited the passage out loud, to 
             explain just how much he loved his sister, ``all the way 
             to the moon.''
               Right next to the pain, there was an another 
             unmistakable visitor at the ceremony--a sense of 
             celebration.
               It was as obvious as the fluffy blue blankets passed 
             around to keep everyone warm in the chilly airplane 
             hangar.
               There is mourning, said Michael Payne, brother of crash 
             victim Lawry Payne. ``On the other hand, it's an 
             absolutely wonderful feeling. We are just overcome with 
             the outpouring of love. . . . I mean, literally, I want to 
             thank the Nation.''
               The outpouring came from so many directions--not just 
             from friends, but from the President and First Lady, too, 
             who met privately with each family before the event.
               ``It was wonderful to have them there, to have them put 
             their arms around us,'' said Darrell Darling, the father 
             of Adam. ``We felt their love.''
               And they felt a form of happiness, being reminded at 
             every turn of what their lost ones had done, and what 
             others thought of them. There were not just shared tears 
             during the private Presidential meetings. Said Darling, 
             whose son worked on the Clinton Presidential campaign 
             before joining the Commerce Department: ``We laughed, too. 
             That's part of our loving.''
               In the end, as the hearses disappeared into the 
             gathering darkness, and as a few drops of rain began to 
             fall, everyone headed off to come to terms, in their own 
             way, with what had happened.
               The Dobert family, along with a number of their 
             daughter's best friends, were going to Rehoboth, DE, where 
             Gail loved to spend summer weekends with friends. Her 
             friends were reminiscing about those weekends, about Gail, 
             how she would lounge in the sun, getting a good tan--and 
             read papers from the Congressional Research Service. After 
             the ceremony, they were planning to go for a walk on the 
             beach, Gail's beach.
               The Darling family--Kareen, Darrell and their daughter, 
             Denise--would be surrounded by their son's many comrades 
             who came out here, who wouldn't have thought of not 
             coming. ``It's like being with Adam and his friends, with 
             Adam not yet arrived,'' Darrell said.
               During his speech, President Clinton reminded the 
             audience that when the sun dawned again, it would be 
             Easter. The Darling family heard the President--and was a 
             step ahead of him.
               ``Adam believed in the Resurrection,'' Darrell said. ``I 
             believe in the Resurrection. The man is alive.''
                                          a
                     [From the Los Angeles Times, April 7, 1996]
                                  A Man Beyond Race
                                 (By Susan Estrich)
               Among the tributes that poured in to Commerce Secretary 
             Ronald H. Brown last week, few mentioned race relations as 
             the area where his loss would be most greatly felt. Asian 
             leaders wondered where they would next find such a strong 
             ally to balance his friend U.S. Trade Representative 
             Mickey Kantor's hard line on trade. Corporate America 
             mourned the most vigorous advocate for U.S. business ever 
             to serve as Commerce Secretary. In Bosnia, there was 
             concern that his loss might doom prospects for economic 
             development to secure peace.
               By the time of his death, Brown had moved well beyond 
             the issues of black politics that defined his early 
             career. But he never left them behind. In his life, Brown 
             did what our country must do: He bridged the racial 
             divide.
               Brown spent 12 years at the Urban League before joining 
             Senator Edward M. Kennedy's Presidential campaign in 1979, 
             as a deputy campaign manager. There was also a deputy 
             campaign manager who happened to be a woman, and one who 
             happened to be Latino. If they looked like tokens, it 
             should be said that three tokens were three more than many 
             campaigns had, then or now. Still, there were the deputy 
             campaign managers, and there were the guys who ran the 
             campaign--initially known as the ``little white boys.'' 
             Brown began as a member of one group, and ended as a 
             member of both. He integrated the white boys. He started 
             out running black politics, and ended up running 
             California and the Democratic National Convention--and 
             still ran black politics, but with more clout. That's how 
             he did it.
               He succeeded because he was so good he could not be 
             denied. When he ran for party chairman in 1989, the 
             conventional wisdom was that the last thing the Democratic 
             Party needed was a liberal, black, Kennedy-Jackson 
             loyalist as chair. He would have had a far easier time 
             winning if, like most of his predecessors, he were a 
             white, Washington lawyer.
               Some of Brown's own supporters sold his candidacy to 
             concerned Southerners with one of those ``Nixon goes to 
             China'' approaches--as if Brown would someday repudiate 
             his friends on the left or in the black community. Absurd. 
             What he did do was find a way to put a coalition together 
             that included them--and that could elect a President. 
             After he was elected party chairman, Brown told Democratic 
             National Committee members, ``The story of my chairmanship 
             will not be about race, it will be about the races we 
             win.'' It was. Brown set out to be the party chairman who 
             recaptured the White House--and was. He was also the first 
             and only black to chair a major party.
               After Bill Clinton was elected President, Brown had 
             choices. ``I had a couple of options in the 
             Administration,'' he told a reporter, ``and the one I 
             chose to pursue was the one that I thought would make the 
             most difference as far as removing old ceilings and 
             barriers and stereotypes and obstacles.'' He went to head 
             the Commerce Department. Liberalism can't win, and can't 
             work, if it's perceived as anti-business. In Brown's 
             version, liberals are the ones who help provide more and 
             better jobs for ordinary Americans, and international 
             trade and exports were his answer. In the man from the 
             Urban League, American business found its most powerful 
             advocate.
               To succeed on others terms without losing yourself, 
             without beginning to think you're different from the rest, 
             is no small accomplishment. In a speech last January, 
             Brown attacked Republicans who were trying to use 
             affirmative action as a wedge issue. ``We know the 
             truth,'' he said, ``that discrimination is alive and well 
             in America. What makes me angriest of all is the right 
             wing's sanctimonious embrace of colorblindness and 
             meritocracy to defend the rights of white men. About three 
             decades too late, they've discovered fairness and equal 
             opportunity. Where were these people during our struggle? 
             Do any of you remember Phil Gramm coming along on the 
             Freedom Rides? Was Newt Gingrich going door-to-door to 
             register black voters in Mississippi?'' It was how Brown 
             used his anger, not its absence, that made him different.
               Ron and I got to be friends in that 1980 Kennedy 
             campaign. We traveled together, went to endless meetings 
             together. I, often the only woman in the room, would watch 
             him, often the only black, looking for clues as to how to 
             maintain balance, how to cross bridges, how to do it with 
             dignity and integrity.
               In 1988, Jesse Jackson found out from a reporter, not 
             Governor Michael S. Dukakis, that he had not been chosen 
             as Dukakis' running mate. I was off arranging Senator 
             Lloyd Bentsen's arrival in town when an emergency call 
             came in from Ron, who was Jackson's campaign manager. He 
             was furious. Jackson felt he'd been insulted, and that was 
             all he needed to do what many of us feared he wanted to 
             do; tear the convention apart, producing a picture for the 
             Nation of a party that couldn't govern--the sort of 
             convention we'd had in 1980, with race tossed in to make 
             it even worse. I couldn't explain to Ron how it was that 
             the phone number he'd given me--and that I'd given the 
             secretary to make sure something like this didn't happen--
             somehow hadn't gotten dialed. They had called a different 
             number. All I could do was ask for his help. That was it. 
             Don't let it get torn apart. ``All right, sweetie,'' he 
             said to me, ``let's see how we can put this back together.
               It will be harder without him.
                                          a
                       [From the Boston Globe, April 7, 1996]
                                 A Devastating Loss
                                (By Thomas Oliphant)
               One of the first, devastated mourners to emerge from 
             Thursday's memorial service at St. John's Church was a 
             spectacular, brilliant woman named Melissa Moss.
               She made it to where President and Hillary Rodham 
             Clinton were standing near the church steps before she 
             almost literally fell into the President's arms.
               Clinton held her a very long time, as did his sobbing 
             wife--a fitting as well as indescribably painful metaphor 
             for the horrifying tragedy of last week's plane crash on a 
             hill outside Dubrovnik in Croatia.
               Sometimes an event is so unrelievedly hideous that its 
             dimensions can only be glimpsed from the outside via 
             vignette.
               Melissa Moss was a close adviser to Ron Brown. She was 
             at the core of his intricate relations with America's 
             corporate community, helping implement strategies not just 
             to weave a new, cooperative relationship between 
             government and business, but to run a post-Cold War, 
             economics-based foreign policy as well.
               Last Friday was her final day on the job. But for the 
             accident of a career change's timing, she would have been 
             on that airplane.
               But there's more. When I met her several years ago, she 
             was a senior staff member of the Democratic Leadership 
             Council, the organization formed in the wake of the 1984 
             Reagan reelection landslide to nudge (and sometimes push) 
             the party more to the center. Then-Governor Bill Clinton 
             had just finished a stretch as its chairman when he 
             launched his Presidential candidacy.
               Moss would then move over to the Democratic National 
             Committee under Brown's chairmanship. She was an integral 
             part of the fund-raising that helped give Clinton the 
             extra support after his success in the primaries without 
             which he could not have been elected.
               This mixture of shared experience, shared grief and 
             immediate irony made the moment at the church too 
             heartbreaking for words, which would at any rate have been 
             superfluous.
               This moderate, New Ideas Democrat, moreover, worked with 
             Secretary Brown in a microcosm of the Clinton coalition. 
             Moss' office was just down a hall from Brown's press 
             secretary, Carol Hamilton. She had been the campaign's 
             spokesman in New York, but she had known Brown since he 
             spotted her talent back when she worked for the Reverend 
             Jesse Jackson in the 1988 Presidential campaign. Today, 
             Carol Hamilton is dead.
               Brown and his senior staff also enjoyed the company of a 
             promising, 29-year-old named Adam Darling, who was pure 
             Clinton, having toiled in the famous War Room in Little 
             Rock. Darling's great promise was also cruelly denied on 
             that Croatian hillside.
               The Brown party, though, was not killed on a campaign 
             trip. In addition to the military crew, two Croatians and 
             a highly regarded journalist from The New York Times, the 
             crash also cost the lives of a dozen business executives 
             from highly specialized firms that had been assembled to 
             meet the needs of the war-torn economies of Bosnia and 
             Croatia for infrastructure construction--a huge loss.
               One reason Brown loved his job was that it gave him a 
             chance to apply the stunning skill he developed as a 
             politician to high-stack governance.
               Above all, he was an organizer and coalition-builder 
             without equal. In many surface-scratching reactions to his 
             death, Ron Brown was simplistically placed at the places 
             where the often competing forces and institutions of 
             American life meet.
               That, however, would make him simply a power-broker and 
             deal-maker; they exist by the dozen around this town.
               What set Brown apart was his commitment and unique 
             ability to put political skills to work for a larger 
             purpose than mere political victory and power. In Bosnia, 
             diplomacy and even peace-keeping troops will not produce a 
             lasting peace; that will only have a chance if a renewed 
             economy is providing reasonable hope for the future.
               To help jump-start the development process with risky, 
             outside private investment, financed multilaterally, is a 
             Herculean task. At the time he died, Brown had assembled 
             nascent operations not only in the Balkans, but also in 
             South Africa, the West Bank and Northern Ireland.
               His death, compounded by the loss of those with him, 
             causes pain beyond description for those of us who were 
             his friends. That is personal.
               But the shining example of his life--mocking bigotry, 
             giving progressivism a fresh chance to govern effectively 
             and showing how new ideas can make a difference in a new 
             world--commands, as only he can, that the work go on--
             which it will.
                                          a
                      [From the Washington Post, April 9, 1996]
                                 Homecoming at Dover
                                     (Editorial)
               There are moments when only the President of the United 
             States can speak for the Nation. Last Saturday afternoon 
             at Dover Air Force Base--when 33 flag-draped caskets 
             returned home to a grieving Nation--was just such an 
             occasion. In the presence of family members, friends and 
             Washington officials gathered in the makeshift hangar 
             memorial site to welcome the return of Commerce Secretary 
             Ronald Brown and his ill-fated trade delegation, Bill 
             Clinton gave perhaps the best speech of his Presidency and 
             one of the finest commemorative remarks by a chief 
             executive in memory.
               The men and women who left Washington several days ago 
             for the Balkans spanned the spectrum in rank, experience, 
             occupations and age. They consisted of a Cabinet officer, 
             a senior government official, civil servants, business 
             executives, members of the armed forces and a journalist. 
             They returned home on Saturday, however, side-by-side, 
             departing the aircraft in no special order, 
             indistinguishable from one another, and were received with 
             great dignity by a military honor guard and the President 
             who paid tribute to each with identical care and grace.
               The salute bestowed upon them was deserving. ``They were 
             a glowing testimonial to the power of individuals to 
             improve their own lives and elevate the lives of others 
             and make a better future for others,'' President Clinton 
             said. ``For each of these 33 of our fellow Americans'' who 
             died on the Croatian mountainside, Mr. Clinton observed 
             ``their day on Earth was too short.'' ``But,'' he observed 
             ``for our countrymen and women, we must remember that what 
             they did while the sun was out will last with us 
             forever.''
               In the President's brief but moving eulogy, the tragic 
             and stunning loss was transformed into a celebration of 
             both the lives of the men and women killed in the place 
             crash and their mission. What they were seeking to do--
             that is, advance American interests by reconstructing and 
             bringing peace to a badly fractured nation--was not 
             unique. There have been many other such American missions 
             on other occasions to many other parts of the world. The 
             business of solving problems, or at least attempting to 
             find answers to great and complex questions in distant 
             lands, is an American tradition and obligation, if not a 
             special gift. That these 33 Americans died, however, while 
             trying to deliver American hope and enterprise makes their 
             return home to shiny black hearses all the more poignant.
               It fell to the President to put into words what many in 
             the Nation might have been feeling about the victims, 
             their grief-stricken families and friends, and the purpose 
             of their mission. Speaking to the Nation, Bill Clinton 
             said, ``I say to all of you, to every American, they were 
             all patriots. Whether soldiers or civil servants or 
             committed citizens, they were patriots.'' Well said.
                      [From the New York Times, April 9, 1996]
                       Mourners Flock to Pay Respects to Brown
                                (By David E. Sanger)
               WASHINGTON, April 9--Ronald H. Brown came back to the 
             Commerce Department today in a flag-draped coffin with 
             military honors, and thousands of mourners stood for hours 
             in a driving rain to pay their respects to a man who in 
             the last decade had stood at the center of American 
             politics, trade and diplomacy.
               Mr. Brown, who was killed last Wednesday in a plane 
             crash in Croatia that took the lives of 32 other 
             Americans--including Commerce Department employees, 
             business executives and a correspondent for The New York 
             Times--was the first Cabinet member in more than 150 years 
             to die while carrying out his duties.
               But what caught this usually hard-edged city by surprise 
             today was the outpouring of public emotion from Government 
             employees, residents of the city and visitors who flocked 
             to the headquarters of the Commerce Department for the 
             first of two days of public remembrances.
               ``He was an incredible role model for blacks and for 
             anyone in public service,'' said Dwayne Reevey, a 
             corrections officer from Red Bank, NJ, who waited with his 
             family of six this afternoon for a glimpse of Mr. Brown's 
             coffin, which rested on the catafalque constructed in 
             April 1865 for President Abraham Lincoln's coffin. 
             ``Standing here for 2 hours doesn't seem like much when 
             you think of what he did for all of us.''
               Tonight, Mr. Brown's family is holding a memorial 
             service, to be led by the Reverend Jesse Jackson, whose 
             campaign for President Mr. Brown once managed. Senator 
             Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, and the 
             United States Trade Representative, Mickey Kantor, were 
             also scheduled to speak at the service.
               On Wednesday, President Clinton will deliver a eulogy at 
             the National Cathedral, and Mr. Brown will be buried later 
             in the day in Arlington National Cemetery.
               For many in the Commerce Department, which Mr. Brown had 
             in the last year fought to save from dismantlement, work 
             has been carried out from habit since the plane carrying 
             the Secretary's delegation was first reported missing last 
             Wednesday morning. Now, even though the initial shock is 
             over, the hallways are still filled with workers who are 
             embracing each other and recalling the lives and hopes of 
             the eleven other Commerce officials who died during the 
             mission.
               ``She had just fallen in love,'' one worker said today, 
             shaking her head as she looked at the photograph of Carol 
             Hamilton, Mr. Brown's press secretary. Ms. Hamilton's 
             picture was displayed along with those of her colleagues 
             on a table inside the Commerce Department's ornate foyer 
             today where Mr. Brown's body was watched by a six-man 
             honor guard.
               The use of the Lincoln catafalque was a measure of the 
             Administration's decision to turn the services for Mr. 
             Brown into something just short of a state funeral. The 
             Commerce Department said that the antique platform had 
             never before been used for a Cabinet secretary who died in 
             office, though it served as the platform for the coffins 
             of President John F. Kennedy, General Douglas MacArthur 
             and Chief Justice Earl Warren.
               There is, in fact, little precedent for how to honor a 
             Cabinet member who died performing his duties. The last 
             instance was in February 1844, when the world's largest 
             naval gun at the time, called The Peacemaker, was 
             demonstrated for President John Tyler and his Cabinet on 
             the U.S.S. Princeton. The gun exploded, killing Secretary 
             of State Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. 
             Gilmer and four others. Their coffins lay in state in the 
             East Room of the White House, where the funeral services 
             were also conducted.
               Many of those who came to the Commerce Department today 
             had no particular connection to Mr. Brown or even to the 
             Government. They came, they said, because Mr. Brown was a 
             rare example of a black American who rose to the top of 
             the Washington power structure while retaining deep ties 
             to his roots.
               ``He was a good man and he made the African-American 
             community proud,'' said Lisa Caraway, a systems engineer 
             from Atlanta who was visiting family members here and took 
             the better part of the day to pay her respects. ``He came 
             from Harlem and really rose through the ranks.''
               Many in the line were among the 38,000 employees of the 
             Commerce Department, most of whom knew Mr. Brown only 
             distantly, as the endlessly ebullient political operator 
             who turned the Department from a sleepy backwater into a 
             central player in international trade issues and who saved 
             their jobs from Congressional budget-cutters.
               ``I only saw him twice, but he had this vibrant 
             personality that made you feel good about coming to work 
             every day,'' said Tony Perry, a 40-year-old official at 
             the Census Bureau, which falls under the Commerce 
             Department's broad purview. ``That makes such a huge 
             difference.''
                                          a
                          [From USA Today, April 10, 1996]
                             Brown Mourned on Dreary Day
                                 (By Carol Comegno)
                              public pays last respects
               Pat Rodriguez stood in a bone-chilling rain for 4 hours 
             Tuesday, the first of hundreds in line to say a final 
             farewell to Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.
               Like so many who waited to walk silently past the coffin 
             in the stone and marble lobby of the building where Brown 
             worked for 3 years, she had never met him.
               ``I watched Secretary Brown's rise for many years,'' 
             said Rodriguez, 49, a telecommunications consultant from 
             Lanham, MD, who had seen Brown at conferences when he was 
             a lawyer.
               ``We in the African-American community are proud of him. 
             He was trying to do good things and bring things together 
             in a country that had been torn by war.''
               Since Brown and 34 others died on a trade mission when 
             their plane crashed in Croatia last Wednesday, Rodriguez 
             had been thinking of Brown's family. So she did what she 
             could do to offer comfort. She made a gift for Brown's 
             wife, Alma--a quilt of red, white and blue with the 
             Presidential seal.
               ``I thought the seal would be appropriate because he was 
             one of the architects of the Clinton election,'' she said.
               Inside the Commerce building Tuesday, Brown's family was 
             joined by Vice President Gore for private time before the 
             public entered.
               Rodriguez gave the quilt to a Commerce staffer and then, 
             unable to wait any longer, left the line without going 
             inside.
               ``I did what I came to do,'' she said.
               The Commerce Department lobby remained open through the 
             night for the public to view the flag-covered casket, 
             which lay closed on a velvet-draped bier that has held the 
             remains of President Lincoln and others, but never before 
             a Cabinet secretary. A military honor guard representing 
             each of the five services stood watch.
               Cabinet members and other dignitaries, including Bosnian 
             ambassador Sven Alkalaj, added their signatures to the 
             lesser-known names in the guest books.
               Nearly 60 children and adults from Elizabethtown, NC, 
             skipped a White House tour for the visitation.
               ``I thought it would be an experience for us all, and I 
             thought his work as chairman of the Democratic Party was 
             quite remarkable,'' said Margaret Lawrence, 51, director 
             of the pre-college Outward Bound program in Elizabethtown.
               Other tourists such as Arnold Sanderson of Sanford, MI 
             and his family took time out to honor Brown. He called 
             Brown a ``patriotic fellow doing good things for our 
             country.''
               Among the local residents was Annie Hart, a retired 
             hospital worker. ``I'm here today for what he stood for--
             peace and unity. And he was for everyone, black and 
             white.''
               Dennis Williams, a sales contractor from Upper Marlboro, 
             MD, said Brown was his role model. ``They talk about 
             athletes being role models, but he was a decent person who 
             was in touch with people.''
               As rain alternated with snow, Williams stood for hours 
             in the line around the Commerce building.
               ``I don't mind waiting,'' Williams said. ``He perished 
             in conditions 10 times worse than this. You see, it's all 
             about sacrifice.''
                                          a
                     [From the Washington Post, April 11, 1996]
                    This Man Loved Life and All the Things in It
                                  (By Cindy Loose)
                           a fond farewell from the people
               They were ordinary people. More than a thousand of them. 
             Without the connections needed to get advance tickets, 
             they stood shivering in line for as long as 6 hours to say 
             goodbye to a man most had never met.
               A retired tool and die maker from Baltimore--a white 
             man--chatted with a retired black maid from Washington as 
             he waited outside Washington National Cathedral for the 
             funeral of Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown.
               Behind them two ministers--one black, the other white--
             discovered that they shared not only a profession but also 
             similar families, including children almost the same ages.
               ``It's like we're long-lost soul mates,'' said the 
             Reverend Robert Hundley, referring to his new friend, the 
             Reverend Leslie Taylor.
               In short, Ron Brown continued to do, even in death, what 
             he'd done best in life--bring people together.
               People gathered not only around the cathedral, where 
             Brown's funeral drew 4,700 mourners, but also along the 
             streets, standing in a cold rain to catch a glimpse of his 
             hearse passing by.
               Cesar Navas took cover under the awning of a Dupont 
             Circle strip joint, taking ``a few minutes out of my 
             workday to pay my respects.'' On U Street NW, a restaurant 
             owner Virginia Ali remembered how Brown liked heaps of 
             chili on his hot dogs. At Arlington National Cemetery, in 
             a section a quarter-mile from the dignitaries, people 
             wept.
               They came, some said, because of his accomplishments--
             what he had done for the Democratic Party, or the Urban 
             League, or the Commerce Department. But most quite simply 
             were responding to a person they perceived as a kind man 
             who cared about people.
               ``I came because he was a decent human being trying to 
             show all people of all nationalities to show love,'' said 
             Abbrial Seagle, a financial assistant at the Dumbarton 
             Oaks museum. ``Although he was a wealthy and successful 
             man, he tried reaching back to bring others along the 
             way.''
               Asked if she came because Brown meant something to her, 
             Selestine Jeter answered: ``I hope he meant something to 
             everybody. He was a positive black man, and it's a 
             terrible loss for a lot of people, not just blacks.''
               Jeter and Hannah Lewis didn't have time to attend the 
             funeral, but they came by during their break as aides at a 
             nearby nursing home, hoping to get a program.
               ``We also wanted, in a funny kind of way, I suppose, to 
             pay our respects,'' Jeter said.
               Two blocks down Wisconsin Avenue NW, where limousines 
             were parked three deep, chauffeurs talked about Brown and 
             wished they could be inside the cathedral for his funeral.
               ``From a chauffeur's viewpoint, Ron Brown is the best 
             customer in the world,'' said Rodney R. Ross, who had 
             Brown in his car a number of times. ``He's the type of guy 
             who goes to dinner, and he makes sure you have something 
             to eat as well.''
               The first person in line at the cathedral was Shirley 
             Pitts, who left her home in Harlem the night before to 
             catch Greyhound's red-eye to Washington, arriving at the 
             cathedral at 6 a.m. When tickets were finally passed out, 
             she took two.
               She had met Ron Brown in Harlem back in 1992, and he got 
             her and an 89-year-old friend VIP tickets to the 
             Democratic National Convention. Her friend was too frail 
             to make the trip yesterday, but she would want a ticket as 
             a souvenir of the important man who took the time to know 
             them.
               Behind her, Shannon Freshour marveled at the line.
               ``Just look at it,'' Freshour said. ``There are people 
             of all races and ages and economic status, and we are all 
             talking. It's the greatest tribute to his life.''
               For hours, she said, those around her ``talked about 
             what Ron Brown meant to them, about how cold they are, 
             about what the loss is like.''
               Gerald Brown got the idea to drive from Steelton, PA, to 
             Washington during the middle of his 13-hour shift as a 
             computer programmer. At 2 a.m., he called his sister to 
             invite her along. ``It's my 39th birthday today,'' she 
             told her brother sleepily, then agreed to make the trip.
               A few had personal favors to return. Nancy Hatamiya, 
             from Southern California, recalled when her husband, Lon 
             Hatamiya needed a boost for his campaign for the State 
             legislature--an unsuccessful run as it turned out. Brown 
             flew into Los Angeles to organize a campaign event.
               ``He didn't know us before. We've never forgotten 
             that,'' she said.
               Donald Becker, of New Jersey, happened to be in Harlem 
             on business, he said, the day news arrived that Brown, 54, 
             and 34 others died in a plane crash in the mountains of 
             Croatia.
               ``It was amazing to see everyone, white and black, show 
             the same feelings of loss,'' Becker said. ``Women were 
             openly crying.''
               Becker, who brought his two children and wife to the 
             funeral, was a young congressional aide in the 1970s. It 
             was there he saw Brown in action.
               ``He's one of those guys the media calls a crossover 
             politician. To me, he was just a great man,'' Becker said. 
             ``He had a way of bringing all types together to make them 
             understand we had more in common than we had 
             differences.''
               Brown's body was taken from the cathedral to the hearse, 
             which then circled around a large part of the city--south 
             on Massachusetts Avenue NW, east on Florida, then onto U 
             Street, once the black Broadway of Washington, before 
             circling the Commerce Department on the way to Arlington 
             National Cemetery.
               Thirty-two adults and one toddler lined up in front of 
             Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street NW, to watch as the hearse 
             and three black limousines with darkened windows rolled 
             rapidly through the Shaw neighborhood.
               Richard Swales removed his stained blue baseball cap as 
             the hearse passed, then picked up his squeegee and bucket 
             of water and went back to work washing the restaurant 
             windows. His boss, Virginia Ali, said she flew back early 
             from a vacation in Nevada because of Brown's death. ``I 
             had to do something,'' she said. ``It was such a nice 
             gesture for the family to come to Shaw today.''
               Brown ``was a great symbol of what we could be,'' said 
             Roscoe Ellis, an independent researcher who was standing 
             in front of the historic Lincoln Theatre on U Street. ``. 
             . . When he got into the mainstream, he never forgot about 
             the side stream.''
               Stanley Mayes, a contractor, walked from his house a few 
             blocks away, carrying his 2-year-old son, Justin, to see 
             the cortege.
               Mayes said he often saw Brown at Wilson's restaurant a 
             few block away. ``He'd wave and I'd wave. . . . I always 
             felt he would be available to talk,'' Mayes said. ``He was 
             a person with that comfort level. He was one of us.''
                                          a
                      [From Manufacturing News, April 15, 1996]
                      In Honor of the Late, Great Ronald Brown
                               (By Richard McCormack)
               I remember the day when Ron Brown was selected by Bill 
             Clinton to be his Commerce Secretary. Sitting at my desk 
             overlooking the newsroom, the appointment took me by 
             surprise. Having covered the Commerce Department closely 
             for the previous 6 years, I was once again seeing the old 
             system of political patronage taking hold in the 
             backwater, but potentially powerful, agency. Commerce was 
             a dumping ground for those who donated a lot of money or 
             volunteered to get their men elected.
               Having known some of the people who had successfully put 
             together Clinton's strategy to win the high-tech business 
             vote, Ron Brown's selection didn't seem right. Clinton 
             said repeatedly during the campaign that he was going to 
             spend most of his energy turning around the business 
             environment in the country. The Commerce Department was 
             going to play a central role in the Clinton strategy.
               But with Ron Brown at the helm?
               It was Ken Kay, executive director of the Computer 
             Systems Policy Project, who presented the first argument 
             to me in favor of the appointment. He said Brown had the 
             ear of the President, that he was a quick study, that he 
             was articulate, that he would raise the stature of the 
             Commerce Department and that as a consummate fundraiser he 
             had worked extremely well with business.
               As time went on, I began to get to know Ron Brown, not 
             personally, but from news conferences and roundtables and 
             speeches that I covered. I soon realized that Ken Kay was 
             right.
               One of the striking things about living in the 
             Washington area that people elsewhere in the country may 
             not appreciate is the sense of patriotism that pervades 
             much of the federal workforce. No doubt, there are many 
             thousands of bureaucrats who treat their jobs solely as a 
             means to achieve a wonderful retirement, but there are 
             many thousands more who truly feel they are servants of 
             the public and who wear American flags underneath their 
             suits.
               Ron Brown was like that. But more important, he made the 
             people working for him, many of whom he never met or knew 
             remotely, feel the same way. Ron Brown and his entourage 
             who died near the Adriatic Sea were American casualties of 
             the Balkan war.
               When Brown's body was lying in repose in the Herbert 
             Hoover building in which he worked, the 100-year-old 
             Department had never experienced such grief. Grief seemed 
             to be funneling into the cavernous building. It was Easter 
             week and the weather was cold, gray and wet. There was not 
             a hint of spring. How could it be possible for a man who 
             brought so much life and vigor into the building to be 
             there lying in state?
               There are horror stories about previous Commerce 
             Department secretaries who installed security systems and 
             special entrances for themselves and never ate lunch in 
             the building's cafeteria or walked the halls.
               Ron Brown was far different, and he will be sorely 
             missed on a number of different levels.
               Most importantly, the United States lost its most 
             important African-American leader. Where most other black 
             leaders lead from the grass roots, Ron Brown was a leader 
             of the leaders. He died in a plane of employers not 
             employees.
               I have interviewed a lot of Cabinet secretaries. I've 
             heard them tell lies. I've seen them try to use the press 
             and others to their political advantage in a way that was 
             spurious and disingenuous.
               Not Ron Brown. He was refreshingly honest and sincere.
               It has been great to see that after his death, people 
             have not had to try to make him look better than he was. 
             Not a bad word was said--or felt. This is the ultimate 
             compliment.
                 
                                           

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