[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 27 (Wednesday, March 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H735-H736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        COMMENDING HON. WARREN CHRISTOPHER FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in 
the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 4) commending and 
thanking the Honorable Warren Christopher for his exemplary service as 
Secretary of State.
  The Clerk read 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;
       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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. GILMAN. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, my remarks will be very brief, and they 
specifically hone in on an extraordinary citizen of this country, 
Warren Christopher. Warren Christopher has held one of the most 
important jobs that any administration can offer, the Secretary of 
State. There are two words which symbolize this great man: One is 
integrity; the other is judgment.
  Mr. Speaker, Warren Christopher has done us proud.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, 
and I rise in support of the resolution.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the 
chairman of the committee, for bringing forward this resolution.
  Senate Concurrent Resolution 4 commends and thanks the honorable 
Warren Christopher for his exemplary diplomatic service. The Senate 
approved this resolution, as I understand it, by voice vote on January 
22. It was reported by the Committee on International Relations on 
February 5.
  I also want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from North 
Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy], who has worked hard on a companion resolution in 
the House, praising one of North Dakota's finest sons, and on the 
persistent efforts of the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy] to 
see that this resolution was taken up by the House. I also want to 
thank Chairman Gilman for moving the resolution through the committee 
several weeks ago and for his efforts to see that the House considers 
it.
  This is, of course, an excellent resolution. It allows us to publicly 
recognize the extraordinary public service of Warren Christopher. 
Secretary Christopher has represented the international interests of 
the United States with great dignity, grace, and ability. During his 
tenure in office, Secretary Christopher had an indefatigable commitment 
to advancing peace and justice, protecting and promoting U.S. 
interests, and preserving the U.S. leadership in international affairs. 
There have been many tough foreign policy decisions to make over the 
past 4 years.
  To my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I understand that each 
of us may have our differences with the administration and its foreign 
policy, but I think all of us have an interest in ensuring that 
individuals of the caliber, character, and integrity of Secretary 
Christopher continue to be attracted to the high calling of public 
service.
  It is altogether fitting that we commend this remarkable man and his 
extraordinary service to this country. I urge adoption of the 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from 
North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy].
  Mr. POMEROY. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to 
the service of Warren Christopher as Secretary of State. I thank the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the committee, 
and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], the ranking member, for 
bringing this resolution to the floor today.
  Not all my colleagues may be aware that Secretary Christopher hails 
from my State, the great State of North Dakota. He was born in 
Scranton, ND, a town of less than 300 people in southwestern North 
Dakota. Although his

[[Page H736]]

family moved to California when Secretary Christopher was still a young 
man, we in North Dakota like to think that we had a part in instilling 
in him the values he displayed so consistently throughout his public 
career: honesty, humility, loyalty, and hard work. He is without 
question one of our State's most distinguished sons, and it gives me 
great pride to join with my colleagues in recognizing Secretary 
Christopher's public service.
  Secretary Christopher's service to our Nation began during World War 
II as an ensign in the Naval Reserve assigned to the Pacific theater. 
Following the war, Secretary Christopher attended law school at 
Stanford University, after which he served as law clerk to Supreme 
Court Justice William O. Douglas. Warren Christopher later established 
a very successful private law career in Los Angeles from which he took 
leave to serve as Deputy Attorney General under President Johnson, then 
Deputy Secretary of State under President Carter.
  In the role of Deputy Secretary, Warren Christopher negotiated the 
release of 52 hostages from Iran. For his work, President Carter 
awarded Secretary Christopher with the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's 
highest civilian award. As the 63d Secretary of State, Warren 
Christopher provided calm and capable leadership during one of the most 
significant transition periods in American foreign policy.
  Among the Secretary's many accomplishments, I believe two deserve 
special recognition. First, Secretary Christopher helped bring an end 
to the brutal war in Bosnia. In the fall of 1995 when the parties to 
the Dayton talks were ready to call it quits and break off 
negotiations, Secretary Christopher's steely determination kept the 
sides together through an all-night session until an eventual agreement 
was reached. Only time will tell if lasting reconciliation and 
Democratic institutions will take hold in Bosnia, but the fact is that 
Bosnian children are not dying today under mortar fire and sniper fire, 
in large part due to Secretary Christopher's tireless efforts.
  History may prove that the Secretary's most enduring legacy will be 
his efforts on behalf of peace in the Middle East. During his 4 years 
in office, Secretary Christopher made at least 24 trips to the Middle 
East. He was personally very well suited to the terribly difficult task 
of brokering a peace accord. He deliberately minimized his personal 
profile while persisting with a determined, intelligent, and evenhanded 
approach at facilitating the region's leaders' courageous path to 
peace.
  While implementation of the peace process is not yet complete, 
Secretary Christopher deserves substantial credit for the extraordinary 
progress that was made during his years as our Secretary of State. 
Beneath Secretary Christopher's ever composed demeanor was an intense 
commitment to advancing peace and U.S. interests around the world. His 
tireless efforts are evidenced by the travel record he set in 
office: 758,152 miles. That is equivalent to more than 30 trips around 
the world. This selfless public servant has done his native State of 
North Dakota and his country proud.

  I urge my colleagues to support the resolution commending the good 
work of Warren Christopher during his years as our Secretary of State.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the superior service that my 
constituent, I am very proud to be able to say that, former Secretary 
of State Warren Christopher has provided this country. Mr. Christopher 
is well known to most of us as a former Secretary of State. It should 
also be pointed out that he served as the Deputy Attorney General from 
1967 to 1969, and the Deputy Secretary of State from 1977 to 1981. He 
was sworn in as the 63d Secretary of State on January 20, 1993. Under 
his leadership the State Department has worked to promote the security 
and prosperity of all Americans.
  During his tenure, U.S. diplomatic leadership moved us closer to 
forging a circle of peace in the Middle East, produced a reduction in 
the nuclear threat, worked to integrate environmental issues into the 
core of our foreign policy, made strides to adapt NATO, and 
strengthened the partnership between the United States and Japan.
  More important than these singular accomplishments is that for 4 
years Mr. Christopher worked untiringly and consistently to represent 
us with grace and skill, traveling more miles than any previous 
Secretary of State. His dedication and his professional expertise are 
unquestionable. Now he has successfully passed off the torch to a 
shining star, Secretary Madeleine Albright.
  Mr. Christopher, I am addressing you directly: Thank you for your 
dedicated service, and I want to also say welcome home. I hope to see 
you soon on beautiful Padaro Lane, or on Santa Barbara Street in the 
community that both of us love.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded that they should 
address their remarks to the Chair and not to individuals directly.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the gentleman from California for his supportive remarks, and 
I am pleased to bring this resolution before the House today pursuant 
to the direction of our Committee on International Relations.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution was adopted by unanimous vote in the 
Senate on January 22 as Secretary Christopher's distinguished tenure 
was expiring. I have had the pleasure of working with Secretary 
Christopher as ranking Republican and later as chairman of our 
Committee on International Relations during the past 4 years, and first 
knew him earlier in both our careers when he served in the Carter 
administration.
  There is no question in my mind that Warren Christopher deserves our 
commendation for his outstanding, long record of significant service to 
our Nation. As Deputy Secretary in the Carter administration and then 
later as Secretary in the Clinton administration, Warren Christopher 
served his Nation in two administrations ably and meritoriously.
  He has enormous respect for his colleagues in the State Department, 
and they returned that respect fully. A distinguished attorney, Warren 
Christopher favored a quiet approach to solving problems, keeping his 
eye on the ball, and, as one editorialist put it, he approached his job 
with ``discretion approaching squareness.''
  Over the years we had some policy differences, but this is not the 
time to dwell on any of them. Rather, we celebrate today Warren 
Christopher's many achievements and join with the Senate in applauding 
them in this formal manner.
  I appreciate the efforts of the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] 
and the gentleman from North Dakota [Mr. Pomeroy] in helping to provide 
the impetus for consideration of this resolution today.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the House suspend the rules 
and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution, Senate Concurrent 
Resolution 4.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate concurrent resolution 
was concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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