[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S669-S670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[[Page S669]]
COMMENDING AND THANKING THE HONORABLE WARREN CHRISTOPHER
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution
4, submitted earlier today by Senators Conrad, Dorgan, Dodd, Biden,
Moseley-Braun and Daschle.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) commending and
thanking the Honorable Warren Christopher for his exemplary
service as Secretary of State.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate
consideration of the concurrent resolution?
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
concurrent resolution.
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a great American
on the occasion of his retirement from Government service, the Hon.
Warren Christopher.
Anyone who has been reading the headlines for the past 4 years is
well familiar with Secretary Christopher's many accomplishments.
Through negotiations on ending the war in Bosnia, restoring elected
government in Haiti, and advancing the peace process in the Middle
East, Secretary Christopher has kept a steady, reliable hand on the
ship of state. His calm demeanor, good humor, and sharp intelligence
will be missed by all who knew him. America has benefitted from his
able leadership, and it is my hope that he will continue to be active
in the affairs of our Nation in his retirement.
Less widely known than Secretary Christopher's negotiating acumen is
the fact that he hails from my home State, the Great State of North
Dakota. Born in Scranton, Secretary Christopher has made proud a State
which prides itself on hard work, quiet strength, and doing the right
thing. Secretary Christopher is one of my State's most distinguished
natives sons, and will always have a home in North Dakota.
In light of his many important achievements, today I am introducing a
resolution which commends and thanks Secretary Christopher for his
excellent service to the Nation. The resolution highlights his
``indefatigable commitment to advancing peace and justice, protecting
and promoting United States interests, and preserving United States
leadership in international affairs.'' I trust that all of my
colleagues will agree that Secretary Christopher deserves to be so
honored, and will support my resolution.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, earlier today on the third day of the 105th
Congress, we cast a historic ballot--on behalf of the first woman to be
confirmed as Secretary of State in our Nation's proud history.
But, as we prepare to usher in Madeleine Albright as America's new
Secretary of State, I wanted to take this opportunity to voice my
strong support for the pending resolution that honors the man whose
shoes she will soon be filling--Warren Christopher.
Over the past 4 years, Warren Christopher provided the steadying hand
and reservoir of experience that helped President Clinton successfully
weave his way through the minefield of international diplomacy.
Through these efforts, he earned a revered statute--as the elder
statesman of the President's Cabinet.
In the more than 200-year history of our Republic, no Secretary of
State traveled more miles in the pursuit of democracy, open markets,
and the promotion of American international interests than Warren
Christopher. From Beijing to Buenos Aires, Johannesburg to Jakarta, and
Mali to Moscow, no journey was too far and no effort unworthy of his
personal diplomacy.
In the Middle East, his diplomatic endeavors paved the way for the
first steps toward reconciliation and cooperation in the age-old
conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Generations from now, Bosnians, Serbs, and Croats will look back with
fondness and appreciation at his tireless efforts to bring the warring
parties together at Dayton. In fact, at Dayton, after the bags were
packed and the participants had all but given up, it was Warren
Christopher who convinced all sides that a peaceful resolution was the
only true hope for the Balkans.
Under his watch, the Haitian people were able to finally cast off the
evils of dictatorship for the fruits of democracy. The Korean Peninsula
took its first tentative steps toward limiting the development of
nuclear weapons and curbing tensions in one of the cold war's last
hotspots.
What's more, over the past 4 years--with the strong support of Warren
Christopher and the Clinton administration, democracy spread its wings
across every corner of the globe.
Today in Latin America every nation but one is a full-fledged
democracy. In Russia, 70 years of totalitarian rule are giving way to
free elections and open markets. And in Africa, a region scarred for so
long by war, famine, and political instability, the seeds of democracy
are beginning to take root.
However, for all the accomplishments that Warren Christopher achieved
overseas, we must not forget the impact of his impressive contributions
here at home. Besides helping to make America more secure and
protecting our vital national interests, Warren Christopher presided
over a period of great economic liberalization--a period that brought
greater prosperity and limitless economic opportunity to millions of
Americans.
Secretary Christopher built on the passage of NAFTA and GATT by
working to create a framework for regional-wide trading blocs in all of
Latin America and the Pacific rim. The result is increased
opportunities for export, and new developing markets for American
commerce.
But, most of all, Warren Christopher brought a quiet dignity, grace,
and gentle demeanor to his role as Secretary of State.
At a time when public debate in our Nation is becoming coarser and
more partisan, when style seems to take precedent over substance and
when shrill voices garner more attention than quiet deliberation,
Warren Christopher proved that you can still speak softly, yet carry a
big stick.
A recent editorial in his hometown Los Angeles Times by Tom Plate
describes the traits that define Warren Christopher best:
Extreme loyalty to friends and colleagues; a faith in the
institutions of government and the Constitution; respect for
careerists in the State Department as well as on his personal
staff; discretion approaching squareness.
These are the attributes that inspired him through four Democratic
administrations and years of public service. What's more, they are
virtues that every American should expect from their leaders.
As he prepares to return to his beloved California with his wife,
Marie, to spend more time with his children and grandchildren, I join
all my colleagues in wishing him the best.
What's more, I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this
resolution honoring a man who in all his travels--from the Great Plains
of Scranton, ND, to the corridors of power in Foggy Bottom--never lost
his sense of dignity, grace, and conviction to principle.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
concurrent resolution and preamble be agreed to, en bloc, and the
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The concurrent resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:
S. Con. Res. 4
Whereas Secretary Warren Christopher served as Secretary of
State from 1993 until 1997, and maintained the tradition of
that Office by representing the international interests of
the United States with great dignity, grace, and ability;
Whereas Secretary Christopher, during his tenure as
Secretary of State, engaged in more international travel than
any other Secretary of State in United States history,
reflecting his indefatigable commitment to advancing peace
and justice, protecting and promoting United States
interests, and preserving United States leadership in
international affairs;
Whereas Secretary Christopher has played a key leadership
role in United States foreign policy achievements, including
ending the war in Bosnia, restoring an elected government in
Haiti, and advancing peace in the Middle East;
Whereas Secretary Christopher served with distinction as
Deputy Secretary of State from 1977 until 1981 and, among his
accomplishments as Deputy Secretary, is credited with
skillfully negotiating the release of American hostages in
Iran;
[[Page S670]]
Whereas Secretary Christopher has had a distinguished
career in law and public service in California;
Whereas Secretary Christopher, born in Scranton, North
Dakota, is one of North Dakota's most distinguished native
sons and has always displayed the quiet strength and work
ethic associated with the people of the Great Plains;
Whereas in 1997 Secretary Christopher leaves his position
as the 63d Secretary of State; and
Whereas Secretary Christopher has earned the respect and
admiration of Congress and the American people: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That Congress commends and thanks the Honorable
Warren Christopher for his exemplary diplomatic service, and
for his skillful and indefatigable efforts to advance peace
and justice around the world.
____________________