[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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