[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 48 (Tuesday, April 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H3455-H3456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO SECRETARY OF COMMERCE RON BROWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. White). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Watt] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  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

[[Page H3456]]

     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.
  Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman 
from Florida, Mrs. Carrie Meek.
  Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding 
to me.
  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 towards 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.

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