[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HANK BROWN

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to salute the senior 
Senator from Colorado, Senator Hank Brown, for his 16 years of service 
in Congress. He has worked for the citizens of Colorado as a Member of 
the House of Representatives, and was elected president of the 97th 
Congress Republican freshman class. He also has served his State for 
one term as a U.S. Senator.
  Everyone was surprised when Senator Brown was the first Republican to 
announce in late December 1994 that he would not seek reelection in 
1996. At that time, Senator Brown said he had tired of his life inside 
the beltway and had always thought of his time in Washington as a 
``period of temporary service.'' As a result, at the end of this 
Congress, Hank Brown will leave the Senate and return to Colorado with 
his wife, Nan, and their family.
  During the last 6 years, I have seen Senator Brown work diligently on 
the budget, support environmental and agriculture issues affecting his 
State of Colorado, and deal with foreign policy matters that affect our 
Nation as a whole.
  Hank Brown and I have worked side-by-side on the Budget Committee 
and, while we did not see eye-to-eye all the time, his dedication to 
Republican spending priorities was tireless and unsurpassed. I know 
that members of his party will miss his ideas and input when we begin 
the arduous budget process next year.
  Senator Brown has also work for the people of Colorado on 
environmental and agriculture issues. He introduced legislation to 
protect the Cache La Poudre River flood plain and worked diligently to 
establish national trails along Colorado's western slope. He also came 
down to the Senate floor to fight for the rights of Colorado ranchers 
when we debated the controversial topic of grazing fees.
  As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Hank Brown has 
supported military aid and training to Eastern European countries. And, 
I am pleased to say, after studying the ins and outs of the General 
Agreement on Trade and Tariffs, Senator Brown joined me and several 
other Senators by voting against that abomination of a trade agreement. 
Even today, I regret that the Senate in the 103d Congress saw fit to 
pass that treaty and that the President supported its passage. But, 
I'll save that talk for another time.
  The long and short of it, Mr. President, is that Hank Brown will be 
missed in the Halls of the Capitol. I bid the good Senator, his wife 
Nan, and their three children farewell as they leave Washington, DC, 
and wish Hank many happy years of retirement. May it hold new 
challenges and exciting opportunities.

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