[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]

 
                         TRIBUTE TO RON DE LUGO

                                 ______


                       HON. ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA

                           of american samoa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 7, 1994

  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, Congressman Ron de 
Lugo, chairman of Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, 
announced his retirement from the House of Representatives. I have 
known Ron for 20 years, and have worked closely with him for 6 years 
now as a Member of Congress.
  I want to give my highest praise to this Member for his work in 
support of the U.S. Virgin Islands, all U.S. territories, and in fact, 
for all of the United States as well.
  Chairman de Lugo's career in public service spans 40 years. Among the 
highlights of his career are:
  In 1956, he was elected as the youngest member of the Virgin Islands 
Legislature.
  He was elected to be the first seated delegate from the Virgin 
Islands to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972, and has held that 
position in every Congress since then, except one.
  He was elected by his Democratic colleagues as a subcommittee 
chairman in 1987, and has been reelected to that position in every 
Congress since that time.
  Mr. Speaker, Ron often mentions the difference in the consideration 
he is afforded now as opposed to when he first came to this Chamber in 
1968. He rightfully attributes the acknowledgement he now receives to 
the other Members of this body, for unlike the Representatives from the 
States, whose rights and obligations are defined by the U.S. 
Constitution, we delegates exist by authority of Federal law, and the 
privileges to which we are entitled are determined by the Rules of the 
House. What Ron is too modest to say, but I will say for him, is that 
if the Members of this body did not find the delegates worthy of the 
responsibilities they have afforded us, we would not be where we are 
today. As the senior delegate from the territories, he is the only 
delegate who has been here to fight for the rights and privileges we 
currently enjoy, and a great deal of the credit for the successes the 
delegates and the territories have achieved over the past 20 years 
should be given to Ron de Lugo.
  Mr. Speaker, much has happened to the benefit of the U.S. territories 
since the time Ron de Lugo began his tenure in Congress. He has played 
an active role in all those changes, and I want to take this 
opportunity to publicly thank and commend his for his lifetime of 
service to the United States and the U.S. territories.

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