[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H6898-H6902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE HOUSE ON THE DEATH OF DIANA, PRINCESS 
                                OF WALES

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee 
on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of 
the resolution (H. Res. 219) expressing the condolences of the House of 
Representatives on the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and 
ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolution.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 219

       Whereas the House of Representatives has heard with great 
     sadness of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in a tragic 
     automobile accident;
       Whereas Diana, Princess of Wales, touched the hearts of the 
     British and American people with her unflagging humanitarian 
     and charitable efforts, her grace, and her good humor;
       Whereas Diana, Princess of Wales, was a leader in such 
     causes as the struggles against HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and 
     homelessness, and in efforts on behalf of the innocent 
     victims of antipersonnel land mines;
       Whereas many of the more than 100 humanitarian and 
     charitable causes championed by Diana, Princess of Wales, 
     operated within the United States and involved matters 
     important to the American people; and
       Whereas the outpouring of sympathy by the American people 
     has underscored the ties between the British and American 
     peoples, who are at this moment united with people around the 
     world in their sadness at the passing of Diana, Princess of 
     Wales: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives expresses its 
     deep and heartfelt condolences to the British people and 
     government and to the family, especially the children, of 
     Diana, Princess of Wales, on their tragic loss.
       Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
     transmit copies of this resolution to the Ambassador of the 
     United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the 
     United States for transmittal to the British government and 
     to the family of Diana, Princess of Wales.

  Mr. GILMAN (during the reading). Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that the resolution be considered as read and printed in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the initial request of 
the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] is 
recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the 
customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Capps], 
pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the subject of this resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, this has been a very sad week for the people 
of the British Isles, for the American people, and for all people 
around the world. Diana, Princess of Wales, a model of grace, humor and 
charity, was tragically taken from us so terribly prematurely.
  As this resolution notes, Diana, Princess of Wales, was involved in a 
multitude of good works, both in Britain and throughout the world, and 
many of her works on behalf of worthy humanitarian causes were 
undertaken right here in the United States. Whether the cause was the 
struggle against HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, or homelessness,

[[Page H6899]]

or the effort to protect innocent people from antipersonnel land mines, 
Princess Diana made her presence known in an inimitable way.
  This beautiful young lady burst on the world scene in a storybook 
marriage which regrettably dissolved in unhappiness. Yet, despite this 
sad event, the Princess continued her humanitarian work while devoting 
herself to the upbringing of her two sons, upon whom so much 
responsibility will one day be thrust.
  The outpouring of emotion by the American people that we have 
witnessed is due to an identification with a woman who personified a 
fairy-tale princess whose life represented infinite possibilities. We 
are greatly diminished by this loss, and it is only fitting that 
Members of this body join together with the American people in 
expressing our condolences.
  I want to thank the Speaker of the House and the leadership on both 
sides of the aisle for agreeing to allow this timely consideration of 
this resolution. I thank in particular the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. 
Hamilton], ranking Democratic member of the committee, for his 
cooperation in agreeing to the consideration of this resolution, for 
cosponsoring it, and for agreement for the minority to manage it on his 
side of the aisle.
  The most important motivating force for this resolution, however, is 
its sponsor, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox], a key member of 
our Committee on International Relations.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox], and ask unanimous consent that he be permitted 
to yield time to other Members of this body.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] for his 
leadership on not only this issue, but all the important issues in 
international affairs that come before this House and this Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I agree with the gentleman from New York. This week the 
world anguishes over the death of a lady who was very special. A 
humanitarian, a mother, and a Princess.
  Mr. Speaker, here in our resolution, The Princess Diana Humanitarian 
Leadership Resolution, we salute Diana, Princess of Wales, who lost her 
life last week in a horrible traffic crash on the streets of Paris, 
which also took the lives of her companion and their driver, while 
critically injuring her bodyguard.
  Princess Diana brought a sense of style and elegance to the Royal 
Family and we share their grief in this difficult time. More than that, 
however, she was perhaps the best ambassador of goodwill for Great 
Britain, the Windsors, the people of the United Kingdom, and all the 
people across the world.
  During her frequent visits to the United States, Princess Diana built 
a relationship of mutual respect with the American people. She loved 
the United States and our people. She visited our Nation's capital and 
has said she would have loved to have moved here, if not for her 
devotion to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
  We all remember the shy young girl who, in 1981, married Prince 
Charles, the Prince of Wales, an heir to the throne of the United 
Kingdom, of Great Britain and Ireland. But what impressed many of us 
was the way she grew into an international symbol of courage and 
compassion. For Princess Diana, reaching out to others became for her a 
sacred trust and a connection to the people of the world.
  Princess Diana was best known for her leadership on behalf of people 
with AIDS and HIV; for patients with leprosy; senior citizens; the 
homeless; and her special campaign to prevent, detect, and treat breast 
cancer. She was the world leader in the effort to ban the manufacture 
and use of antipersonnel land mines, and she visited the children in 
Angola and Bosnia who had lost their limbs and she gave her special 
presence and her special comfort.
  Mr. Speaker, what shines through most for many of us is her love for 
children, beginning with her own children and continuing through every 
child she touched. Even a child in pain suffering through the anguish 
of leprosy or AIDS, or the torment and oppression of poverty and 
prejudice, could find comfort in her special touch.
  When those children moved her and we saw her wipe a tear from her 
face, often we had to do the same. Because of her, these were not 
faceless victims from some faraway land; they were her fellow human 
beings and their pain became our pain. She prompted us to action 
because of her humanity and her humility.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe it is fitting that the government born of that 
revolution which represents the people of the United States honors 
Diana, Princess of Wales, upon the sad occasion of her tragic and 
premature death. We will all miss her. The children will miss her 
especially. And along with the entire Royal Family, especially the 
children and their father, the people of the United Kingdom and the 
world community, we here in Congress grieve the loss. Our world has 
been diminished by her physical loss, but we thank God that we all have 
come to know her and the world is richer for her spiritual and personal 
contribution to us all.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great shock and sadness that the American 
people learned of the violent death of Princess Diana. I would like to 
commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox], and the gentleman 
from New York [Mr. Gilman], chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations, for offering this resolution.
  Early last Sunday morning a country lost its beloved Princess, two 
sons lost their devoted mother, and the world lost a human being of 
consummate compassion, beauty, and dignity.
  The Talmud teaches us we do not see the world as it is; we see the 
world as we are. Would that we saw the world the way Princess Diana 
did, for she was uniquely able to see the pain and the promise of what 
it is to be a human being.
  In an interview, the Princess once stated, ``I am not a political 
animal, but I think the biggest disease this world suffers from in this 
day and age is the disease of feeling unloved, and I know that I can 
give love.'' And, Mr. Speaker, she did.
  She was a leader in humanitarian and charitable efforts on behalf of 
society's neediest and most vulnerable. She was personally involved in 
the struggle against AIDS, the struggle against breast cancer, and the 
struggle against homelessness. She was, for example, one of the first 
celebrities to publicly hold babies infected with AIDS and to meet with 
adults in advanced stages of that disease.

                              {time}  2145

  She was also the champion of another cause that is close to my heart, 
the banning of anti-personnel land mines. Her royal, regal stature 
brought major international attention to these lethal devices which 
kill or maim approximately 26,000 people a year.
  British Prime Minister Tony Blair has deemed her ``the People's 
Princess.'' Her deep sympathy for those in distress made her the ideal 
champion of the land mine issue, where she demonstrated an ability to 
put the victims of their horror, not simply politics or military 
strategy, at the center of the debate.
  Who can forget the images of Diana on her knees as she personally 
confronted and comforted mutilated victims? Her recent visits to Angola 
and Bosnia drew more attention to this issue in a few days than 
international meetings had in years.
  To make any sense of Princess Diana's death seems impossible. Our 
only choice is to endow her passing with everlasting significance by 
carrying out the legacy of her work toward banning land mines, toward 
finding cures for disease and for ending homelessness. All of the 
energy and attention that she raised about these issues must be 
sustained and nurtured. To do anything less would dishonor her memory.
  The poet Thomas Campbell wrote, ``To live in hearts we leave behind 
is not to die.'' Princess Diana will live forever in the hearts of 
people all around the world. Heavy as our hearts may be tonight, we are 
ennobled by her presence, we are diminished by her passing.

[[Page H6900]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Kingston].
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
for yielding time to me.
  Princess Diana lived a glamorous and, at times, a surreal life. While 
some truly envied her and surely at times she envied us, those of us 
who can go out in public without recognition, those of us who can eat 
in a restaurant without interruption, those of us who can go on a 
family outing without intrusion, and those of us who can go to a movie 
without becoming the main feature. Yet somehow, through the romance, 
the fantasy and the protocol, she connected with everyday people.
  She was a mother who loved her children and tried to raise them 
correctly, despite the distractions. She was a humanitarian helping 
those unable to help themselves. She was an institution showing us the 
best of the state with a soft, human face.
  Through the sad and melancholy pages of her biography, in the final 
analysis, her life is but a tragedy wrapped in a fairy tale. Perhaps we 
can learn by it.
  Many people have been moved by her life and the loss of her life. As 
the world's goodwill ambassador, she had fans all across the globe. But 
as a member of the International Relations Committee, I know that needs 
have no national boundary, no intervening contracts and no treaties. 
And perhaps we, as a globe, would be better served not by dividing 
ourselves by what we have, but by uniting ourselves by what we lack and 
what we can accomplish together in pursuit of a better world.
  I believe that the folks who mourn the most for the tragic death of 
Princess Diana are not doing it, Mr. Speaker, because they wish that 
maybe this Barbie-doll-type life did not get snuffed out, but maybe 
they are truly searching for some magic out there that can say and 
reach out to every one of us and say, maybe there is something better 
that we can do and maybe a little bit of kindness goes a long way.
  I think that perhaps that is what she stood for among everybody, as 
the previous speaker said, a little bit more love.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].
  Mrs. KENNELLY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues, 
my countrymen and my countrywomen and millions of people around the 
world in expressing my deep sadness at the loss of Diana, Princess of 
Wales.
  Few women have been as gifted with such beauty, elegance, dignity, 
few women have achieved such heights of fame. Diana was able to do 
something that few people who have those situations in their lives 
have; she was able to show us something that was very simple, a warm 
and human heart in a regal presence.
  Diana's obvious joy and love of her own children was so evident in 
the many pictures that were taken of her with them. We saw them grow 
from little boys to handsome young men, and we saw how much she loved 
them. She was able to take this love and translate it into compassion 
for children all around the world.
  It was no doubt that Diana had some personal sadness, that she had 
some personal suffering that so many have. But she took this suffering 
and she did something with it. What she did was respond to issues that 
she cared about, issues like AIDS, like people losing their limbs, 
things where people suffered in such a simple and direct and immediate 
way. She wanted to offer a few things to others. She wanted to offer 
comfort and love.
  So Diana transcended her wealth and her position to take sides with 
those to whom the world has offered the least, and the world returned 
her love. It is fitting today that this House honor her, that we take 
some time at the end of our busy day, as all across the world have, to 
think about Diana.
  We wrestle with such problems, we think they are so important. We 
think about the politics. We think about the economic results of what 
we are dealing with. I think what Diana has made us do is to think 
about these issues in a human way.
  Tonight we come here because our hearts and our prayers are with her 
memory, with her family, with her mother, with her sisters, with her 
brother, but most particularly tonight I think we are thinking about 
her two sons. I think we only can hope tonight that some day that they 
will understand that the love that they had so deep for their mother 
was returned by the world.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very 
much for yielding time to me. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
[Mr. Fox] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman]. I am very 
pleased to be able to join my colleagues this evening.
  It is interesting, as the late hours of Saturday evening into Sunday 
morning unveiled and for many of us who were preparing to call it an 
evening, as the news items began to unfold, first one responded in 
complete and total disbelief. Then there were probably prayers offered 
that it certainly could not be true. But as the morning hours 
proceeded, there was the striking and terrible news that someone who we 
had watched from afar had suddenly had the beautiful light 
extinguished.
  I thought, as I rose to my feet, what one would say? I am not a 
British citizen. I am not a child of the queen or the king. And 
certainly, as an American, we waged a very vigorous war to ensure that 
that did not happen. So many would wonder why we would have this moment 
to pay tribute.
  I began to reflect on many of the comments of individuals of which I 
heard as they spoke, individuals who had no title, maybe no prestige, 
maybe not even enough money to find their way to this ceremony and 
funeral this coming Saturday. But I heard them say this was the 
people's princess. In particular, as an African-American, I watched the 
flow of crowds, Japan, Houston, TX, London, England and other parts 
around the world. I watched as President Mandela of South Africa took 
to the microphone to talk about his friendship with Princess Diana, and 
it began to sink in that what she symbolized was someone who was above 
and was not a respecter of race or color or creed or ethnicity or 
difference. What she seemed to symbolize to those new immigrants in 
England, as more and more of them poured out of their homes and hamlets 
to come and acknowledge this princess of whom they probably had not 
met, is that she was someone like them. And I think it is important, as 
we pay tribute to her tonight, that we ourselves should reflect upon 
what this whole thing of government is all about, that aside from being 
President or First Lady or Congressperson or governor or mayor or city 
councilperson or chairman of Apple or chairman of IBM or corporate 
barons around the world, that we should simply be people. And Diana was 
someone who gave to us the privilege of being people, whether we 
suffered from HIV, whether or not we were exploded upon by land mines, 
we were simply people.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me simply say to you that this tribute 
is to pay homage to someone who did understand that title and prestige 
is not the call of the day but it is that she respected people and we 
loved her for it.
  I rise today to pay my respects to Princess Diana, a woman the world 
will greatly miss. As a woman and a mother, I have been moved by her 
caring and her commitment to her sons and to those less fortunate then 
herself. This woman was not a Queen of Men, but she was certainly a 
Queen of Hearts.
  She was the Mother of a King and a Prince and a modern woman who owed 
her fame and fortune to the old traditional monarchy. By the time of 
death she had reformed the image of the role of women in the British 
monarchy. She was stylish, cosmopolitan, and she comported herself with 
elegance and grace.
  Throughout the unremitting scrutiny of Princess Diana's life one 
thing has shone clearly--her love for her two children. It seems clear 
that she was devoted to her boys, as they were to her. She gave them 
her affection, loving attention, and her maternal love and support. My 
heart aches for those two young men today. I wish them strength and 
peace.
  Princess Diana was clearly a person of great caring and compassion. 
She chose to use the tremendous prestige afforded her by

[[Page H6901]]

her station in life to touch the everyday world around her--not the 
world of wealth and power, but the world of poverty, war, and 
injustice. She was an advocate for the victims of violence and of 
poverty.
  Her commitment to the hungry, the sick, and the poor in England and 
around the world should serve as a model to us all. She has lent not 
just her name, but the strength and warmth of her spirit to a number of 
causes. She has reached out to extend comfort and an empathetic hand to 
people whom she felt had been ``rejected by society'' including AIDS 
and leprosy patients, battered women, and drug addicts. She shook hands 
with AIDS patients when many people were still afraid to touch them. 
She penned personal notes to families of hospitalized children she had 
met. She learned sign language to address an association of deaf 
persons. She hugged the dying in hospices and exchanged stories with 
women, like herself, who suffered from eating disorders.
  Most recently, Princess Diana turned her attentions to the land mines 
which have claimed the lives and limbs of so many. In particular, she 
waged a campaign against land mines in Bosnia and last month was in 
Sarajevo, mourning the victims of war in private talks with families of 
people maimed or killed by exploding mines. Her leadership on this 
issue has helped in moving it to the forefront of England's agenda and 
in moving even this Nation to a point of compromise.
  There is a lot that I could say, but a day or a week, not even a 
month would allow me enough time to express all that Princess Diana was 
to her children, to her family, to the victims of landmines, to victims 
of breast cancer and those suffering from AIDS.
  Princess Diana was a very special woman and the world deeply mourns 
her loss. She was a princess in more than just name, but in her grace 
and character. She should be long remembered by people the world over. 
She will be remembered with deep respect and affection. She truly was 
the People's Princess.
  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Indiana [Ms. Carson].
  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to 
me, and I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] and the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox].
  I am happy and saddened to join in grieving the tragic and untimely 
accidental death of Princess Diana, the Princess of the world, the 
Queen of Hearts, an appropriate characterization of a beautiful human 
being.
  Princess Diana, by virtue of her status, had power. She chose to use 
her power to empower human lives abound. She knew that power was a gift 
to be used on behalf of humankind. She never elevated herself above the 
powerless. Rather, she shook the hands of the AIDS victims and embraced 
those who were both hopeless and helpless. What a positive role model 
for the Congress, the power of Congress and how our power must be used 
instrumentally to uplift the lives of other human beings.
  As we mourn the loss and celebrate her life, we are reminded of her 
work in eliminating land mines everywhere. An Angolan, Guerra Freitas, 
who now works for CARE made the following points: that Angola, for 
example, has a population of 10 million and that there are an estimated 
10 to 20 million land mines in Angola, two for each person. There are 
approximately 70,000 amputees, the largest number of any country in the 
world.
  Another gentleman of Greenfield Consultants, a humanitarian deminer, 
made the following points: that every province in Angola has been 
mined; the number one donor nations for demining are the UK, the USA, 
Canada and the European Union. The United States currently supports 
land mine removal programs around the world through the DOD Department 
of Humanitarian Affairs, the State Department, as well as the U.N. and 
other nongovernmental organizations.
  For every mine the international community clears, 20 new mines are 
deployed. While millions of dollars are spent each year on assistance 
to anti-personnel mine victims, there are some 70 new victims every 
day.
  In June, Princess Diana joined the American Red Cross, Elizabeth 
Dole, in a new bid to raise the alarm about the threat of land mines 
and to raise money to help the victims of ``these dreadful weapons,'' 
she said.
  Mr. Speaker, what better way can we celebrate Princess Diana than to 
ensure the universal ban on land mines. Starting, of course, with 
America, the beautiful, the poor, and certainly for Diana, even though 
she did not know at that time, O beautiful for heroes proved in 
liberating strife, who more than self their country loved and mercy 
more than life.
  America, America, God shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with 
brotherhood from sea to shining sea.
  I beseech my distinguished colleagues to offer a lasting 
commemoration to a wonderful Queen of Hearts, Princess Diana, and 
certainly I join in the countless prayers that pore out around the 
world in support of the biological family of Princess Diana and 
especially her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in the premature 
loss of their mother.

                              {time}  2200

  Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I first want to thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Capps] for 
his leadership on this issue and for all those on his side of the aisle 
who contributed in this bipartisan salute to the queen of hearts, as 
the gentlewoman from Indiana [Ms. Carson] just said. The gentleman from 
California is to be commended for his leadership on this and other 
issues dealing with the United States and international affairs.
  I look to others who have made a contribution this week in trying to 
salute a very special person. Claude Lewis from Philadelphia from the 
Philadelphia Inquirer, someone who is admired greatly, said in one of 
his articles something worth repeating. He said the death this past 
weekend of Princess Diana in Paris has rocked the world in a way that 
almost no other celebrity's death has.
  Four days after her life ended from injuries sustained in a 
spectacular car crash along the Seine, she is mourned not for her 
perfection, Mr. Speaker, but for her courage and tenacity in trying to 
achieve it. It was she who captured the imagination of people 
everywhere. She shared her velvet strength, her quiet dignity, and her 
grace wherever she traveled. Here in the States, rich and poor, young 
and old, sick and healthy, she transcended national color and ethnic 
lines in everything she did.
  The gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro], who had hoped to be 
here with us tonight in her remarks that are being submitted, she 
speaks of the fact that there will never be another public figure like 
Diana. Her greatest triumph was being a mom and her spirit will live on 
in her sons, Princes William and Harry. Diana brought her sons along 
with her outside the palace walls to experience life in the real world. 
She brought them to meet homeless people and AIDS patients. I am sure 
the princes will grow up to exemplify the values of which Diana led her 
life, and in the end that may be Diana's most enduring legacy.
  The gentleman from New York [Mr. Quinn] who makes a special salute to 
her when it comes to the bipartisan project that she has led, and that 
is to eliminate the antipersonnel landmines which have devastated 
children and innocent victims around the world. It is next week that 
the Evans-Quinn legislation will go forward that will put a ban on such 
landmines. It is through her leadership, Princess Diana, that this 
successful effort has every reason to hopefully be a reality in this 
105th Congress.
  I also wish to remind my colleagues that tomorrow the gentlewoman 
from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro] has invited, along with the gentleman 
from Connecticut [Mr. Franks] and myself and others, all those who 
would join us here tonight in this special salute to a bipartisan 
delegation to the British Embassy tomorrow following our last votes to 
express our condolences on the loss of Princess Diana. The Embassy will 
have a special book for Members of Congress to sign, and I hope they 
will please join us because Princess Diana is someone who will never be 
replaced.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank those who have been participating in 
this, especially the gentleman from California [Mr. Capps] and the 
gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], for their efforts and for this 
bipartisan effort to certainly make sure that the queen of hearts, 
Princess Diana, will be someone who we will try to emulate, who will 
continue to be a role model in her spirit, for all of the outreaching 
she has done in going places that others have

[[Page H6902]]

not gone and in making a sustained effort to make sure the world is 
better and leaving no one out and leaving no one behind.
  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution 
expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on the 
tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
  The Princess was someone with whom we all were not only familiar, but 
held in deep admiration. Her position of royalty brought her into our 
lives, but her work on behalf of the less fortunate brought her into 
our hearts.
  Princess Diana has been an inspiration to me in one area in 
particular: her crusade on behalf of the innocent victims of 
antipersonnel landmines. Her efforts to eliminate landmines brought the 
issue global prominence.
  This year the United States has the opportunity to join over 100 
nations around the globe in signing an international treaty to ban 
landmines. That treaty is being negotiated in Oslo, Norway as we speak.
  Next week, Congressman Evans and I will introduce legislation that 
commits the United States to a ban on landmines. Our bipartisan 
legislation already has the backing of the Catholic Church's Conference 
of Bishops, the Vietnam Veterans Foundation, and numerous retired 
generals, including Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no stronger proponent of the U.S. military and 
its personnel in the U.S. House of Representatives than myself. The 
United States has the most sophisticated military in the world. 
Princess Diana was right, we do not need these weapons.
  I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives and in the 
Senate to pick up where Princess Diana left off and join the effort to 
ban landmines now by supporting the Evans/Quinn bill when it is 
introduced next week. Let's give a fitting remembrance to Diana by 
completing the work in which she believed so passionately.
  Ms. DeLauro. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, it is with heavy heart 
that I rise this evening to pay tribute to a woman who touched the 
lives of people throughout the world--Diana, Princess of Wales. Her 
tragic death last weekend left all of us in shock at the sudden and 
incomprehensible loss of a woman in the prime of her life.
  Although she lived the life of a fairy tale princess, she somehow 
seemed as real as our next-door neighbor. Rich and poor, black and 
white, young and old, sick and healthy, Diana opened her heart to one 
and all and in doing so, made herself a part of all of our lives.
  She persevered through difficulties endured by so many women--
including divorce and single motherhood--and did it all under the ever-
critical eye of the press.
  It would have been so easy for her to live a quite life behind the 
palace walls and out of the public's eye. But Diana was determined to 
make life better for those not so lucky. She wanted to make a 
difference in people's lives--and she did. The tremendous outpouring of 
grief, both in Britain and here in the United States, shows how 
successful she was in her work.
  Diana dedicated herself to helping those who might otherwise have 
been forgotten. On one of her visits to Washington, she visited 
Grandma's House, a home for children stricken with AIDS--long before 
most public figures ever had. She scooped one 3-year-old into her arms 
for a hug, and happily filled the child's wish by giving her a ride 
around the block in her Rolls-Royce.
  Most recently, Diana had given herself wholeheartedly to a cause that 
many of us here also feel deeply about--the campaign to rid the world 
of anti-personnel landmines. Because of Diana, millions of people 
learned that anti-personnel landmines claim over 25,000 innocent 
victims ever year. Now I hope we will carry on her work by committing 
to rid the world of these deadly weapons that threaten the lives of 
men, women and children all over the world.
  There will never be another public figure like Diana. But Diana's 
greatest triumph was being a mom. And her spirit will live on in her 
sons, the Princes William and Harry. Diana brought her sons along with 
her, outside of the palace walls, to experience life in the real world. 
She brought them to meet homeless people and AIDS patients. I am sure 
that the Princes will grow up to exemplify the values by which Diana 
led her life, and in the end that may be Diana's most enduring legacy.
  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support this 
resolution and to express my deep sorrow over the tragic death of 
Diana, Princess of Wales, a special humanitarian who improved the lives 
of people throughout the world. Her devotion to others less fortunate, 
and her willingness to embrace them, hold them, and comfort them, 
should forever serve as a reminder to all public servants of their 
responsibility to care for those who are unable to help themselves.
  The outpouring of grief from all corners of the globe during vigils 
such as those held in my district reaffirm that she is the people's 
princess. Through her energy and dedication she inspired worldwide 
efforts to solve problems such as AIDS, homelessness, leprosy, and the 
indiscriminate devastation caused by land mines. She had a genuine 
understanding of the struggles which the people have with daily life, 
and did not hesitate to demonstrate her empathy for those suffering by 
discussing her own personal battles.
  Princess Diana did not use her position for personal gain; she used 
her celebrity to bring attention to the plight of those whom the world 
might otherwise ignore. The ability to bring attention to the charities 
and causes she supported and her devotion to them was one of the 
reasons that she continued to operate even under the challenging 
conditions that apparently contributed to her death. We must take this 
opportunity to reflect on her gracious and giving spirit and hope that 
we can somehow learn from this tragedy and carry on her efforts to 
bring attention to the plight of the poor and bring relief to those in 
need of assistance. Her overriding concern for the condition of others 
and her dedication to the causes she committed herself to are the 
greatest examples of what public service should be, giving back to 
one's community, and thus leaving the world a better place.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my voice to those 
supporting this condolence resolution. I held a special order in May to 
raise awareness on the dangers of driving while intoxicated. I told my 
colleagues that ``drunk driving knows no social or economic 
boundaries.''
  Never could I have imagined how prophetic that statement would be.
  It will probably be impossible to pinpoint why Princess Diana died, 
however, one point can be raised without dispute. We have all borne 
witness that drunk driving kills--and it played a significant role in 
the death of Princess Diana.
  Last Saturday's tragedy proved once again that the rise in drunk 
driving fatalities is about more than statistics. It's about people. 
It's about broken families. It's about destroyed lives and lost love. 
It's about two young princes, one a future king, who are now without a 
mother.
  That's why people like Tom Carey and the members of Remove 
Intoxicated Drivers [RID] play such an important role in combating what 
can truly be called a scourge on our society. RID will be holding a 
vigil for Princess Diana on Friday in my congressional district.
  I commend their work and hope that if anything good can come from 
this terrible tragedy--if any lesson can be learned--it is that we must 
all think twice before taking a drink and then getting behind the 
wheel. We owe it to Princess Diana, and all those who have been killed 
or maimed by drunk drivers, to heed this simple yet powerful lesson.
  I support this resolution and want to personally express my deepest 
sympathies to Princess Diana's family, the British people and their 
government.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Dickey). Without objection, the previous 
question is ordered on the resolution.
  There was no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
  The resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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