[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                TRIBUTE TO THE LATE HONORABLE RON BROWN

                                 ______


                               speech of

                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 16, 1996

  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 advisor 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.

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