[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   HONORING REPRESENTATIVE DON EDWARDS

                                 ______


                               speech of

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 1994

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
honoring Don Edwards on his retirement from the House of 
Representatives. Don has been a colleague, a mentor, a constitutional 
scholar, a voice for greater civil rights, the dean of my State's 
delegation, and above all, a friend. Don Edwards is a great patriot--no 
one loves our Constitution more and fights harder to protect it.
  Mr. Speaker, Don's career has spanned eight Presidents and has seen 
many historic changes in our country. His legislative accomplishments 
over that period of time are vast and reflect Don's underlying belief 
that our Government has a moral obligation to work for peace and to end 
discrimination in all forms.
  From the earliest days of his tenure as a Member of this House, Don 
has worked steadfastly to achieve peace and reduce military spending. 
He was one of the first opponents of the Vietnam war and has been a 
staunch advocate of a sensible, realistic and down-sized defense 
budget.
  The true hallmark of Don's legislative career has been the struggle 
to remove discrimination from all levels of American society and to 
preserve our constitutional rights. Don has played a critical role in 
every piece of civil rights legislation since the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. As the chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and 
Constitutional Rights and as a leader on the full committee, Don has 
worked to enact legislation like the Voting Rights Act extension of 
1982, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, the Americans With 
Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. Don also 
led the House passage of the equal rights amendment of 1971. For this 
body of legislation, every American is indebted to Don Edwards.
  Mr. Speaker, Don also deserves our thanks for protecting our privacy 
from an increasingly intrusive Government. He has been a resolute foe 
of domestic surveillance operations and of all inhibitions on the free 
expression of political vies. In fact, Don has passed up opportunities 
to chair other committees so that he could keep his position as monitor 
of the FBI and CIA.
  As the dean of California's 52-member House delegation, Don Edwards 
unified us in the face of partisan division. He has worked with Members 
who span the political spectrum to forge a California agenda and he has 
never let his ideology undermine his commitment to California.
  Mr. Speaker, as this House enters an era where we seem more divided 
than ever, Don will be missed not only for his vast institutional 
knowledge, but also for his courtly manner and kind words. This House 
is losing a giant, Mr. Speaker and we already miss him.

                          ____________________