[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 17, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10681-S10682]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HANK BROWN

  Mr. HEFLIN. Mr. President, our friend and colleague from Colorado, 
Senator Hank Brown, will be leaving at the end of the 104th Congress 
after only one term in the Senate. But, he will nevertheless leave a 
lasting legacy of accomplishment that matches that of others who have 
served here for far longer periods. I have had the pleasure of serving 
with Hank on the Judiciary Committee during the last few years. His 
leadership on that committee and his contributions to our sometimes 
controversial debates were always thoughtful, analytical, fair, and 
respectful. He has been firm in his beliefs

[[Page S10682]]

and opinions, but never failed to listen and consider those of the 
other members of the committee.
  Senator Brown has also been an outstanding leader on military, 
foreign policy, trade, budgetary, and a host of other issues. I was 
especially impressed with his efforts to resolve the dispute with 
Pakistan over certain weapons transfers. He was able to forge a 
compromise between the administration and Congress which serves our 
national interests as well as those of India and Pakistan. He has 
covered a great deal of public policy territory during his relatively 
short tenure in the Senate.
  Hank Brown was born in Denver, CO, on February 12, 1940. He received 
his bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado in 1961 and his 
law degree from there in 1969. He began his career as an accountant. He 
received a master of tax law degree from the George Washington 
University here in Washington in 1986, while serving in the House of 
Representatives.
  The future Senator from Colorado served as a lieutenant in the U.S. 
Navy from 1962 to 1966, including service as a forward air controller 
in Vietnam. He was awarded the Air Medal with two gold stars, the 
Vietnam Service Medal, Naval Unit Citation, and National Defense Medal. 
He served in the Colorado State Senate from 1972 to 1976, where he was 
the assistant majority leader for 2 years. In 1973, he was named 
``Outstanding Young Man of Colorado.''
  In 1980, he was elected to the House of Representatives, serving 
there until his election to the Senate in 1990. While he was in the 
House, he sponsored the first wild and scenic river designation for the 
Cache La Poudre River, and worked to expand the Rocky Mountain National 
Park. He also sought tougher child support enforcement mechanisms and 
specialized in ethics issues as a member of the House Ethics Committee. 
Likewise, he has been an outspoken leader in urging Congress to be 
covered by the civil rights and labor laws it imposed on others. The 
Congressional Accountability Act, which passed the Congress and was 
signed into law in early 1995, was due in large measure to his efforts 
on this issue.
  Senator Hank Brown has been a true friend to the people of Colorado 
and an outstanding legislator who consistently strived to do what was 
best for the Nation. His presence will be sorely missed when the next 
Congress convenes early next year, but I join my colleagues in 
congratulating and commending him for his public service and in wishing 
him and his family well as he moves on to the next phase of his life.

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