Congressional Record, Volume 144 Issue 5 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)

[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 5 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H201-H213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE RONALD V. DELLUMS

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). Under the Speaker's announced
policy of January 7, 1997, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr.
Spratt) is recognized for 60 minutes.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I have prepared remarks, as so many do, but I
have much more in my heart that is not written down in these prepared
remarks, and so I will include them.
They talk about my sadness in hearing of Ron's decision to retire.
Not sadness for him, because for him it is the right thing to do at
this time, but sadness for his colleagues and his friends, his
brothers, as my colleague who previously spoke enunciated; sadness for
the people of California and of Berkeley and of his district; sadness
for this institution.
Ron Dellums is a tall man. He is a stately man. The Washingtonian
called him one of the best dressed men in Washington. He is indeed one
of the best dressed men in this country. But those are superficial
distinctions, because the measure of the man that we know as Ron
Dellums is not on the outside, it is on the inside. A man of great
conviction, which he couples with great courage, which he applies to
deeply held principles as he debates the issues of the day and, indeed,
of the centuries. Ron Dellums is a man of purpose, a man of humor, and
a man of serious resolution. Ron Dellums is a man who has demonstrated
the best there is in this body.
Many of us will rise and say from time to time we disagreed with Ron
Dellums and, very frankly, we could say that about any person in this
House, because never do we always agree with everybody else. But there
was never, ever a disagreement that Ron Dellums was one of the most
respected, if not the most respected person in this body. And when he
rose to speak, people listened, not because they were convinced they
would agree but because they were convinced that they would learn and
they would hear the best side of the argument.
We are all very sad, Ron, that you are leaving this body. It will be
a lesser body for your leaving. We will be less happy for your absence,
but we will be eternally grateful to God that he gave you to us to
enrich our lives, enrich our intellects, and expand our knowledge.
Ron Dellums tells a story about being a Negro when he tried to join
the Marines. And he joined the Marines and was considered to be an
officer. And because they found he was a Negro, not an African-
American, not a black, but a Negro, he was not admitted to OCS. How
ironic that he would rise to be the chairman of the Committee on Armed
Services of the House of Representatives, one of the most powerful
representatives of the defense establishment in America.
And the great thing about Ron Dellums is he looks back on that
without rancor, without anger, but with a conviction that America has
changed, and America has changed for the better. It has done so in part
because of the leadership of our friend and our colleague, a great
American, a great Member of Congress, and a great member of humankind.
Thank you, Ron, for all you have given and all you have meant to all
of us.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend
of mine, Congressman Ron Dellums of California. It is with great
sadness that I note that Ron will be retiring from the 105th Congress,
after serving in this body for 27 years.
Ron brought a tremendous amount of insight to his work in Congress.
Having once worked as a social worker he ran for the Berkeley city
council in 1967, starting his political career. In 1970, he beat a
Democratic incumbent to win a seat in Congress.
Times were turbulent when Ron entered Congress, particularly in his
home town of Berkeley, California. He immediately sought and won a seat
on the Armed Services Committee, where he became a leader in helping to
craft American military and foreign policy and advocated for an end to
the Vietnam war.
Ron used his seat on Armed Forces to push for arms reductions,
peaceful resolution of international conflict and for alternatives to
the use of military force.
Representing Berkeley and Oakland, California, Ron used his position
on Armed Forces to advocate for funding of social programs to
invigorate and renew these two cities. He pushed for money to be spend
on the poor and uneducated and gave voice to those in society who often
do not have a voice in government.
In 1993, he became chairman of the Armed Service Committee. His
chairmanship is remembered as being very even handed with a strong
respect for the input of all committee members. As chairman on the
committee, and continuing this Congress through his role as the ranking
member, Ron has consistently examined the military's role in the post
cold-war era, while advocating for stronger rules on sexual harassment
and discrimination in America's Armed Forces.

While he and I have sometimes differed on our national security
goals, Ron has always taken the views of other Members into his
consideration. This sense of fairness and respect for this institution
is what will be missed.
Along with identifying himself as a progressive expert in military
affairs, Ron has been a consistent champion of civil rights and equal
rights for all Americans. In 1971, as a freshman Member, Ron first
proposed sanctions against South Africa. Throughout a bitter battle in
the 70's and 80's these sanctions were finally passed in 1986. Through
his dedication and leadership, Congress imposed sanctions on the
apartheid government of South Africa, which led to democracy and full
party participation. The highlight of Ron Dellums work on bringing this
issue to the attention of Congress and the American people was when
South African President Nelson Mandela addressed Congress. This day
must have been one of Ron's best days and fondest memory while serving
in Congress.
I will miss my friend Ron and the work we have done together. The
institution of Congress is losing one of its finest Members, not to
mention one of its best dressed according to Washingtonian Magazine.
His tireless advocacy for the poor, and less fortunate will be missed
by myself and many Members of this body.
I wish Ron the best of luck and continuing success in all of his
endeavors.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I will now reclaim my time for a short time.
Ron, we go back 15 years. A long time. When I came here in 1983, you
had just reached the first plateau of power in the House. You had
become a subcommittee chairman. It took you 12 years to rise up the
seniority ladder, which tells us a lot about your doggedness, your
determination and diligence. Even when you reached this point, you were
not really at the pinnacle. You were the chairman of the Subcommittee
on Facilities and Installations, better known as the MilCon
subcommittee.
There was some rumbling in those days among the barons on the
committee, the upper tier, about letting this gadfly have the reins of
power, even this subcommittee, which was a subordinate subcommittee,
because you were not cut from the same bolt as the rest of the
committee. You did not always vote, rarely voted for the defense
authorization bill, much less supported it on the floor. And they
worried you might take the subcommittee chair and use it to roll the
committee.
Of course, no one dared to breathe these concerns in the open. And it
was a good thing, because in a few months time they were totally
allayed. They were allayed because you took the chair of the
subcommittee with the dignity that comes to you naturally, and you
wielded that gavel with such civility that even your opponents came to
praise you.
I was on the floor, I was on your subcommittee and on the floor when
we brought the first military construction

[[Page H202]]

bill to the floor under your chairmanship, and I remember it as clearly
as yesterday Members like Jack Edwards from Alabama and Sonny
Montgomery from Mississippi rising one after the other, not just
because they had been accommodated in the bill, but because they had
been dealt with fairly and squarely and they felt this was an effective
player, expressing their appreciation for the role you had taken.
I was always glad to go to your hearings. I was one of the loyal
attendees at those hearings, partly because of the way you conducted
them, but I found out that Ron Dellums is a lot more than just good
form. You chaired this subcommittee, which had a dull, unexciting
jurisdiction, but had once been the subcommittee with the only annual
authorizing authority in the Committee on Armed Services, because in
those days, back in the late 50s, early 50s, base structure affected
force structure. It was a critical determinant. So Members wanted to
serve on this committee, and you still grasped the significance of that
point.
You reoriented the committee away from just nickeling and diming the
MilCon budget to using the MilCon budget as a fulcrum for asking lot
bigger questions about what we were buying and why.
We have been lots of places together. We have landed in C-130s in
South America that I would not even want to drive up to in a Land
Rover. Aguacate. Why were they building this landing strip at Aguacate?

{time} 1630

We would have found out. It was a CIA headquarters supporting the
Contras.
Someone, I think it was in the Reagan administration, it might have
been outside the administration, suggested that, with enough shovels,
survival in a nuclear war would be no problem; civil defense was
feasible. And you were, in classic style, indignant. You called this
person before the committee to defend his position, and you presented a
series of witnesses, the sort of whom we seldom saw on the Committee on
Armed Services, Physicians for Social Responsibility.
The room was packed that day; and they came and gave dramatic,
graphic evidence of what would happen in the event of a nuclear attack
and how no hospital in America, even the hospitals in New York City,
would be remotely equipped well enough to handle a nuclear attack, even
a small nuclear attack.
Now others understood these arguments and they made them, but you
drove them home relentlessly. So much so that, by the end of the Reagan
years, even Ronald Reagan himself would say, nuclear war cannot be won
and must never be fought. That was your contribution to this place.
Now a lot of folks may say, well, he came from Berkeley. It was easy.
You did not have to go home in South Carolina and defend those
positions or Texas, which was, I think, originally your native home.
You went back to Berkeley, and those things were easy to defend in
Berkeley.
But they missed an essential point about Ron Dellums. I do not think
the subject matter was of your natural bend. I think you could have
spent 20 years here far more pleasantly following your own interest in
manpower training or maybe even staying on the Committee on
International Relations and pursuing questions of foreign affairs or
dealing with human rights and civil rights and things that really did
inspire you.
A lot of Members come here and serve effectively. But most of them
come here, including myself, and we carry water for our own
constituency. Those are the axes we grind.
The significance about your service and one of the examples that you
set is that you came here and took up a topic that was really not
something that was your natural bend. You stayed with it doggedly. You
pursued it, and you never let go of it, and you made an enormous
contribution by mastering the subject and being a fair and impartial
critic.
Throughout the 1980s, we had heard Ed Markey tell the story; and
everybody here who lived through that period could come and give an
anecdote about those different fights: the MX, not 1 year but 5 or 6
years; the B1; then the B2; the Persian II; SDI; Star Wars; and, of
course, apartheid in South Africa and a number of other things.
You made an enormous contribution. You saved the country money. You
swam against the stream at a time when a lot of people were criticizing
you for the course you were taking, and I guess the happy irony is that
you served long enough to see the stream actually turn in your
direction.
I remember one time in the late 1980s or the early 1990s when the
administration brought its budget to the House Armed Services Committee
and you intercepted the Chairman and said, Mr. Chairman, you have to
permit me this leeway so that I can say that this budget seeks less
than I sought in the Black Caucus budget just 4 or 5 years ago.
That is how much things changed in your direction and how much I
think you have indicated.
In the end, what you will be remembered for, what we remember you for
is not the fight over the MX or the B-2 or any individual episode about
that. I remember the trip we took to Central America. We were coming
back and you told me why you were in politics, that you had come out of
the Vietnam protest movement at Berkeley and Oakland, street fights in
the City Council, vehement politics, and you had risen among these who
were convinced there was no way to move the system, no way to change
the establishment, and insisted against all the odds that rational
discourse mattered, that if you were persistent enough and patient
enough, that if you tried hard enough and were articulate and
passionate and rational, discourse could make a difference. And you
wanted to bring that to this institution and institutionalize it in the
House of Representatives and American democracy.
That is what you will be remembered for because you succeeded. You
succeeded because you were passionate, you were indignant, you were
forceful, you could easily be raised to anger. But, in the end, you
were rational, fair-minded and civil and a classy guy, all and all.
I am one of those who say, I am sad to see you are going. We fought
some together and fought some against each other, but it has been a
great battle along the way. But I know, serving on the committee, that
more than any other Member, we will have an omnipresent reminder of Ron
Dellums.
There is a stunning portrait, almost an icon, of Ron Dellums hanging
in that room today; and it will hang there for a long time to come.
Indeed, Ron looked around the room not long after it was hung and said,
``You know, this place is filling up. They are going to have to remove
some of these portraits one of these days. But I do not think they are
going to remove mine,'' he said with a wry smile, ``because I am the
only brother hanging on the wall.''
We are not going to remove that. It is going to hang there as a
message of a kind of gravatus that we all are called to when we deal
with questions of war and peace, of the kind of high mission that we
all should be about, not the bazaar where we were swapping off interest
and brokering deals and things like this. These are questions of life
and survival of war and peace, fundamental questions that are important
that you constantly called us to the significance of.
That is the message that Ron Dellums will leave in that room. To
every witness who sits in that chair, to every Member who comes in the
room, that portrait of you will be a call to conscience.
You taught us what democracy is about. You made this great
institution, the Republic, work a lot better.
I am proud I have been your colleague, proud to have been your
friend; and I say with a heavy heart that I hate to see you leave. But
I will never forget the example that you left for me and all the rest
of us.
Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
(Mr. Gilman asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, over the past 25 years, I have had the honor of working
with Ron Dellums in a number of capacities in the Foreign Affairs
Committee, on the Postal and Civil Service Committee. I am confident
that Members on both sides of the aisle are going to miss Ron. We are
going to miss his strong

[[Page H203]]

leadership and his presence here in the Congress on so many important
issues.
He has served his constituents in the 9th District of California and
all Americans well during his 27 years here in the Congress. It is a
long time to be in public service.
The first African Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Ron
soon became chairman during the 103rd Congress, where he stressed the
basic principle of majority rule; and his colleagues on both sides of
the aisle noted his evenhanded manner during committee meetings.
Known more for his opposition to excessive military spending, Ron
displayed a sense of fairness and integrity that not many of our
Members possess. Being a leader for quality education, Ron has helped
to aid Americans from all backgrounds, races and creeds. His vision
helped to develop the national movement known as the Rainbow Coalition.
During his years here in the Congress, I met many Members from all
walks of life. However, Ron Dellums stands in a class by himself. He is
a true gentleman, the embodiment of integrity, fairness and compassion.
Ron has been one of our most effective orators in this body, engaging
in many historic debates, in defense of B2, aircraft carriers, Bosnia,
South Africa, human rights, just to mention a few. While we may not
have always agreed with Ron's arguments, we have had the highest regard
for him and the highest amount of respect.
Ron, you have left your mark on this body. You have left your mark on
our Nation. We are going to miss you. We wish you happiness and wealth
and success in the years ahead. God bless.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oregon (Ms.
Furse).
Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I think I would like to address my remarks to the Ron Dellums who is
known outside of this body. As a former peace activist, a person who
ran a peace institute, Ron Dellums was the shining home for us that
there was somebody there who cared about peace, who stood for peace,
who worked for peace. That was so important to those of us outside this
body.
When I came to this body, the greatest honor that I have had in my
few years here is that I served while Ron Dellums was Chairman of the
Armed Services Committee. I served on that committee. And he acted so
fairly, with such honesty, that there was truly space in that committee
for a peacenik like myself and the most hawkish other Member. He
treated us all with respect and all with dignity.
But I want to tell a little thing about a personal insight that I
think I may have on the impact of Ron Dellums, an impact beyond this
place.
I think we, as Members of Congress, we all think we are pretty well
known. Well, we might be well known in our own district. Maybe some of
us are known in our own district. But I had the great honor to travel
with Ron to South Africa for the great moment when Nelson Mandella, who
he had helped free, became the president of South Africa. And I noticed
there that little children who were around us would come up to Ron.
They knew him. They knew him not as a Congressman. They knew him as a
man of peace who was a warrior for justice. And we all, all have to
thank you, Ron, for being that, the man of peace, the warrior for
justice. Thank you.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Foley).
Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I, too, join today with my colleagues in saluting a great American, a
wonderful friend, a wonderful colleague. The United States Congress and
the constituents of the 9th Congressional District in California will
sorely miss you, Ron.
One of my first days on this floor in the 104th Congress I had a
chance to witness what I believe is one of the greatest orators of this
chamber, and that was you. You inspired me that day. You delivered a
speech that was so important in my life. And I think of the fights we
have had since, not against each other but for common issue, and that
was the B-2 bomber. And I learned so much. I learned so much.
I think the greatest thing we can do in this body is share knowledge
and share opportunity with your colleagues to make this country a
better place, and you have shared more than you can ever imagine with
this young Member from Florida.
I have learned style. I have learned grace. I have learned about
equality. I have learned about patience. I have learned that there is a
time to speak and there is a time to listen.
You have taught me so much of those great lessons here. You have been
able to reach out across the audience. You have been able to reach out
across the aisle. You have been able to focus on some of America's
greatest strengths and shore up some of our great weaknesses.
I believe you brought together people of all races, all ethnicities
in the fight for a strong defense. But you also taught me that a strong
defense does not mean just throwing money at the Pentagon and hoping it
makes the right destination. When we joined together in the fight
against excess spending and waste, it was not about shortchanging our
men and women, it was about making certain that they, in fact, had
more, that we treated them better, that we took care of their housing,
that their families lived above the poverty level. But the only way to
do that was making choices, difficult choices.
I know you did not come here to argue against this defense contractor
or that or this weapon system or that. You came here to make a
difference. And you have done that. You have continued us on a course
of military strength but, more important, fiscal sanity.
I will miss deeply the debate when it arrives again for some of these
important projects. There will be not one voice that can replace you, I
can assure you. There will be no one in this Congress that can rise to
your level of eloquence in debate nor, I believe, rise to your level of
sincerity.
You have been a true patriot, a fine American, a role model for all
children. I wish you well and Godspeed in your new career, and I wish
your community its best in finding someone who will pick up the
challenges, be as good to the constituents as you have been, be a role
model that you have been and fill that big void that will be left by
your departure.
I do wish you well, Ron. You are a wonderful human being, and it has
been my distinct pleasure and high honor to serve with you in this
Congress.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr.
Stokes).

{time} 1645

Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Spratt) for taking out this special order in honor of our
colleague, Ron Dellums. For the last 27 years, the Ninth Congressional
District of California has benefitted from the leadership and
dedication of one of America's finest lawmakers. Ron's retirement will
bring to closure a distinguished record of public service for
California and for the American people.
When Ron Dellums was elected to Congress in 1970, he brought to
Capitol Hill the determination to make a difference in the Vietnam War,
in the war against poverty, in the social and economic injustice in
this country. His previous service as a member of the Berkley City
Council helped prepare him for the task at hand. His advocacy for peace
in a turbulent world caused his reputation to precede him in the
Congress. Ron Dellums came to Congress as a legend.
Ron Dellums came into the Congressional Black Caucus at the moment he
came into the Congress. We welcomed him in the Congressional Black
Caucus.
I recall the battle that we undertook during his first term in order
to secure a seat for Ron on the Committee on Armed Services. There had
never been an African American to serve on that committee, and the
committee did not want Ron Dellums. They rejected his application
because he was too militant. They felt that they did not want him on
that committee.
To the credit of the Congressional Black Caucus, we stood up for Ron
Dellums and demanded that he be

[[Page H204]]

given an opportunity to serve on that committee. Nothing could have
made me prouder and other Members of the Congressional Black Caucus who
were here at that time than the day we saw you become chairman of the
committee on which they wanted to deny you a seat. As others have said
here today, there is the pride all of us take for the great service you
gave, with your picture hanging with dignity and distinction in that
Committee on Armed Services room.
It was on this committee that the Nation began to take notice of this
young, articulate legislator. It was Ron Dellums who challenged the
Congress to cut defense spending and invest in our children's future.
He challenged the Nation to put families first, reminding us of the
human needs that he saw in his congressional district and cities across
America. He was a fearless advocate in opposition to what he often
referred to as our insane military policy.
Mr. Speaker, others have mentioned Ron Dellums' opportunity to
sponsor legislation in this body that helped change the world. In 1971,
he introduced legislation calling for the economic sanctions against
South Africa in an effort to end that country's racist apartheid
regime. Ron Dellums utilized the halls of Congress to call our Nation
to conscience. He led protests at the South African Embassy. He was
vocal, and, most importantly, he never wavered. Fifteen years it took
before the Congress passed his antiapartheid legislation over President
Reagan's veto. When we welcomed Nelson Mandela to Capitol Hill upon his
release from the South African prison, the first person he asked to see
was Ron Dellums.
All of us were proud when we went to South Africa and our delegation
stood there in celebration of the inauguration of Nelson Mandela,
whereas the speaker before me, the gentlewoman from the State of Oregon
(Ms. Furse), mentioned that Ron Dellums was known by even little school
children. Ron Dellums' name until South Africa, to all of our pride, is
a household word.
Ron Dellums' service on the Committee on Armed Services, the
Permanent Select Committee and the Post Office and Civil Service
Committee earned him the respect and admiration of his colleagues on
both sides of the aisle. I am also proud of Ron's leadership as the
past chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Mr. Speaker, as he departs this chamber, many of us can say that we
shared a special relationship with Ron Dellums. As I reflect upon our
time in the United States Congress, I will always remember the very
special personal friendship that Ron and I shared in this body.
I will also remember, Ron, your advocacy for health legislation, the
Ron Dellums comprehensive health legislation that you fought for for
such a long period in this body. I will remember also you were the
architect for many years of the Congressional Black Caucus budget. You
saw that as a means of setting priorities for the Nation and for the
Congress.
I will always remember your eloquence, how all of us took pride any
time you walked in the well of the House, the eloquent way in which you
debated anyone who was willing to take you on.
We will also always remember the Dellums amendments to military
bills. You did not always win, but you always fought.
Mr. Speaker, we salute Ron Dellums today for his tenacity, his
courage, and his commitment. Few individuals leave this chamber with
the type of legislative accomplishments which can be credited to Ron
Dellums. His leadership will be missed. I will miss him as a good
friend, a treasured colleague, someone who has been a credit to his
race, to his Nation, and in particular to the United States Congress in
which he served with great distinction.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut
(Mr. Shays).
Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, as I was listening to my colleagues, I
thought what a special moment this is that we get to share with each
other and how grateful I am to have this opportunity to share this
moment with all of you.
Ron, I think of you as a very beautiful man inside and out. I think
of you as a great legislator, and I do not use that word advisedly, a
great legislator, an outstanding chairman, and a true friend to so
many. I think you have more friends in this place than any other Member
of Congress.
I think of you as very gracious, highly intelligent, gentle, but very
strong, and an absolute wonderful articulate spokesman for the causes
you had every reason to believe so passionately in.
As I was listening, I realized I had never seen you fulfill a
partisan role. When you spoke, I never thought you were speaking as a
partisan.
Ron, you helped bring out the very best in all of us, you help bring
out the very best in this institution, and you don't even ever have to
wonder if you have left your mark. You have left your mark with
everyone here, with so many people around this country. You left a mark
that cannot be replaced.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend and
colleague, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt), for calling
this special order. I join him and all of my colleagues in paying
tribute to an extraordinary Member of this House, the gentleman from
California, Ron Dellums.
He is my friend, he is my colleague, and he is my brother. I knew Ron
Dellums long before I came to Congress. I knew him as a progressive
thinker and a rare, gifted political leader.
When I came to Congress in 1987, I sought out Ron Dellums because of
his steadfast commitment to principles. On all the big global issues,
he is always leading the pack, serving as a compass for the right thing
to do. As a supporter of disarmament, a crusader for social justice,
and a defender of human rights, Ron Dellums has been a sure and steady
voice for investing in human needs, rather than the B-2 bomber.
As the chairman and the ranking member of the Committee on National
Security, Ron Dellums fought hard for a rational military policy, a
policy that calls for reduction in the use of arms and the downsizing
of military manpower and in the budget.
Through his hard work, he sought peace rather than war. Although he
came to this body as a former marine, he must be looked upon today as a
peaceful warrior, not only here in America, but around the world.
His record in Congress has followed a very old Biblical teaching:
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into
pruning knives; nation shall not lift swords against nation, or even
again be trained for war; and each man shall dwell under his own vine,
under his own fig tree, undisturbed.
Some of the great lovers of peace are those who have known war. Ron
Dellums has known war and has courageously sought peace. He has sought
to build a world community, a community at peace with itself.
Ron Dellums, as I said before, is my colleague, our colleague, our
friend, and my brother. We are more than lucky; we are truly blessed
that he has brought honor to our country as a champion of peace.
Ron, we are going to miss you. We are going to miss your clear and
distinct voice. We are going to miss your ability and your capacity to
speak about building a world community based on peace, rather than
division. We are going to miss your warm and abiding spirit.
I told you this before. I must tell you again. I hate to see you go.
You know, if I was out on the street, I would say it another way. I
probably would say, brother, maybe I would say, you are one that I hate
to see go.
Your contribution has been so great that your absence will leave us
weakened and less determined. We need you and people like you in public
service now more than ever before.
You have told this Congress, you have told the American people and
nations around the world to lay down the tools and instruments of
violence. Time and time again you have stood in this well and told us
to redirect our resources toward human beings, those who need food to
eat, those who need

[[Page H205]]

to learn, and those who need to have a livable wage.
I hope one day as a Nation and as a people we heed your call, and I
hope that day is soon. God knows, your call for peace is the right
thing to do.
As you leave us this week, I know you will go on with your life's
work, and I know you will be welcomed home by your family and the
people of California's Ninth District. And, as you leave, may your
journey continue to be blessed. And I want to thank you for your gift
of public service to this Nation and to this world. Thank you, Ron
Dellums. Thank you, Ron Dellums, for being you. We respect you, we love
you, and we will always admire you.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan
(Ms. Kilpatrick).
(Ms. Kilpatrick asked and was given permission to revise and extend
her remarks.)

{time} 1700

Ms. KILPATRICK. As I sat here this afternoon, Mr. Speaker, and
listened to my colleagues talk about Mr. Ronald Dellums, there really
was not much I could add that has not already been said, but I thought
I better come anyway, Ron.
Over 20 years ago I was elected to the Michigan House of
Representatives and it was during that time 20 years ago that I started
watching Ron Dellums from this well. Your integrity, your strength,
your confidence, that you showed Americans around the world, when we
are public servants and believe that this is the land of the free and
the brave, that we can do anything and, inspired by God, that we are,
and we must, represent.
So as I sat here today and listened to my colleagues talk about you
and your strength and your dignity, what comes to mind, as I finally
got here 20 years later to actually serve with you, I am honored to
have had the opportunity. You really do not know how many people around
this country know and feel that when you are on this floor and take
this mike, we know it is going to be all right.
I want you to know that as you leave here this week, this
Congressperson, as well as many of us in this Congress, as well as
State legislatures, know that you are our role model, that in spite of
the many difficulties that many of us feel and witness on a day-to-bay
basis as elected officials that we truly can rise above the fray. Since
I have been here you told me one day that your will, in addition to
speaking out and representing, is so that men, particularly African-
American men, can know that we have the strength and the integrity to
build America, to offer hope for our families and our communities.
So as you leave here this week, my brother, your spirit lives in this
House of Representatives, and as men and women who serve in this body,
if we can have the strength and the determination that Mr. Ron Dellums
has shown by his actions, the world will be a better place. Your family
is waiting for you and I know you will serve them well. As elected
officials, we sometimes shorten our families. So you have to be there
when you have to be there, but we are going to miss you.
I want you to know from the bottom of my heart as I serve in this
Congress and as I served in the State legislature, your spirit, your
integrity, and your strength has certainly made me a better woman. God
bless you, my brother.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island
(Mr. Kennedy).
Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored today to
be able to rise and speak about my good friend, Ron Dellums. I am
pleased to be able to rise on behalf of my family who, if every member
of my family who has ever worked with Ron could be here standing in my
place today, they would be doing so and a lot more eloquently than I am
about to do. But nonetheless, if my eloquence has anything to do with
it, it has definitely been because I have been listening to you, Ron,
for the last 3 years as my ranking member of the Committee on National
Security. I think if anybody in this House thinks about you and how
articulate you are, how educated and intellectual you are, and how
principled you are; moreover, how principled you are, Ron, they know
that they have heard the best debates about where this country should
go and where it has not gone the way it should be going from you over
your many years in public service.
I have been fortunate to be able to come to know you in the 3 years I
have been in the Congress and to be able to really consider one of the
great opportunities I have had in this Congress to serve with the likes
of yourself. A good friend of mine is a daughter of the late Al
Lowenstein, and in the book about Al Lowenstein I saw that you were
there campaigning for him as you were for the causes that he believed
in stopping the Vietnam War and really fighting for peace and justice
for all.
I think today I could go on and on as so many have about the many
accomplishments you have had in this Congress, but I wanted to talk
about one accomplishment that you had that I know will go down in the
history of this country and of this Congress and which I think
epitomizes your service in this legislature, in this body, and that is
the singular effort that you made in Congress to change the course of
this country's relationship to the government of South Africa, such
that you could bring about the independence and apartheid by using your
position in the United States Congress to raise the level of awareness
in this country towards the racism and the dictatorial regime in South
Africa and helped marshal support in this Congress to eventually see
victory in the sanctions legislation. I think it epitomizes you as a
man of courage, first for standing up for what was right and for what
needed to be done. Despite a lack of popular support at the time, when
you first came to the Congress, and in 1971 first introduced this
legislation, you only did so with one other original cosponsor of the
bill. Your strength is embodied in this effort, because you stuck with
it. You knew the moral conviction that you had was right. Despite all
the political pundits all aside, you stayed on this fight because it
was the right fight, as you have done on every fight of conscience that
you have faced in this Congress.
Finally, this fight showed you as a man of patience. We all know of
your marathon quote of how it takes time to get legislation passed in
this Congress, and once again, your fight very early on for the United
States sanctions for apartheid was emblematic of your long struggle to
see something through from beginning to end. Despite President Reagan's
veto, you got the Congress to override his veto, and I know from my
father, speaking to my father, he said you were the singular leader on
that fight and has always spoken about your great leadership there.
I think that there is nothing that can make you feel more proud than
to have seen Nelson Mandela come to be President of that great country
and to know that you have had a hand in changing the lives of so many
people in the world, not only as a Member of this United States
Congress, but as a leader for the right principles, no matter where
they are. Whether they are in your district, whether they are in my
district, whether they are in the confines of the continental United
States, or whether they are around the world, you have stood for the
kinds of principles that we should all measure ourselves by, no matter
what legislative body, because you stand for humanity, and humanity is
the most basic principle of all. No matter who we are, where we come
from, we all share the same humanity, and you have helped bring that
back into perspective on every issue that you have ever tackled. Ron,
it has been a great honor for me to serve with you. I love you, and I
wish you the best for your future.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California
(Ms. Waters).
Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I almost feel guilty taking this time to say
something about my friend, Ron Dellums. Just a night or so ago, I had
the opportunity to introduce him, and I took 17 minutes in the
introduction, and enjoyed every minute of it. I could not let this
moment pass, despite the fact I took 17 minutes to introduce him and
say a lot of things that I wanted to say about him. I want my friends
out there in America, however, to know how I feel about Ron Dellums.
Ron Dellums is my friend, he is my colleague, and he is a man that I
have admired for many, many years. I do not know exactly when I first
came to know Ron Dellums. It seems as if I

[[Page H206]]

have known him all my life. I do know that over 20 years ago, I was so
moved by his courage and his commitment, so moved by what he stood for,
I called his office and said, I want to do a fund-raiser for Ron
Dellums, because I heard that someone is going to attempt to oppose
him. And so I remember the joy that I experienced putting that fund-
raiser together. I did not go simply to our friends in the African-
American community or in the civil rights community; I went to my
friends in Beverly Hills and other places who were involved in the
peace movement, and we had a wonderful venue and a wonderful home, and
that gathering was like much of what I am seeing here today. It was a
real rainbow gathering of the rich and the not-so-rich, of whites and
blacks, Latinos, Asians, it was a mixture of people who represented
America, people who too were attracted to Ron Dellums, because of his
commitment and his courage and what he had done for all of us. We were
able to raise some money for Ron Dellums, but my life came in contact
with his after that time in so many different ways.
Ron Dellums defended me on the floor of one of our State conventions
where we were fighting to keep Mr. Ziggy Arrowitz off the delegation
because of what he had done on the question of affirmative action and
some other kinds of things.
Ron Dellums and I have worked together in many ways. I was inspired
by his 15 years of work trying to dismantle apartheid. I carried the
counter bill in the State legislature, and we were able to prevail
after Ronald Dellums was able to lead this country and this Nation to
dismantle apartheid by way of sanctions. I sat with Ron Dellums in
South Africa at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela, and I watched his
face as the leaders of the world paraded past us, and I watched his
face when the military did the great formations in the airplanes that
went above us, and I watched his face when Nelson Mandela took the
podium. I know that Ron Dellums could not help but feel proud of his
contributions of the work that he had done on behalf of his
constituents and this Nation.
I come today, along with people like the gentleman from California
(Mr. Cunningham), who is sitting here on the floor, waiting to speak
about Ron Dellums. Maxine Waters on the left, Mr. Cunningham on the
right, and those in the middle. What a testament to a man's work; what
a testament to what he has been able to contribute.
This speaks more than any initiative the President could have about
race and race relations. This speaks more than the President can ever
talk about when he talks about his vision for peace, or any President,
for that matter. This man has done it.
I would like to close with a quote from Ron Dellums when he was asked
in 1984 in a response to an invitation from Harper's to draft an
acceptance speech as though he were the Democratic presidential nominee
that year. He said a lot of things, but this is what I will always
remember and what moves me. Ron Dellums said,

I offer a new agenda: An agenda for world peace and for a
just and compassionate society here at home. It is an agenda
that proposes a foreign policy of nonintervention and
international cooperation, an agenda that redefines our
legitimate national security interests as the defense of the
United States, an agenda that rejects any attempts to control
the internal affairs of other sovereign nations through
economic extortion, political intimidation, or overt or
covert force. True peace entails more than the absence of
war. It requires an unceasing effort to eliminate militarism,
racism, and social and economic injustice and to promote
personal freedom and human dignity.

That really says it all.
Let me wrap it up by saying to those who used to say to Ron Dellums:
We want you to be President; we want you to be the Secretary of
Defense. Ron Dellums would simply say, I do not want to be the
President, I do not want to be the Secretary of Defense; I want to be
the Secretary of Peace, and I guess that says it all.
Ron, we love you, we will never forget you. Most of us will always
aspire to be like you, to have the integrity that you have shown, that
you have demonstrated. Most of us would always want to be what you have
shown us we could be and what we should be. We love you today and we
will love you forever.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to explain to everyone on the
floor the situation we find ourselves in. We are down now to 5 minutes
about, before 5:20, at which time the time belongs to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. DeLay). He has already delayed an hour. He will be here
to claim the time at 5:20 for an hour. If he is not here, other Members
can ask for recognition for 5 minutes until he arrives here, as I
understand the procedure, but once he arrives, the procedure for today
is over, and those who would like to make a statement will have to come
tomorrow.
I have a list that I am not going to be able to accommodate in that
period of time, but I would ask everybody whom we can reach in the next
few minutes to speak as succinctly as possible.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pease). The gentleman is correct with
respect to the procedure in the absence of the gentleman from Texas.
That is by of course unanimous consent.
The Chair also reminds all Members that for those who are unable to
make their comments presently to the gentleman from California, there
is general leave insertion where comments may be included in the
Record.

{time} 1715

Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Campbell).
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. Speaker, ``His life was gentle and the elements so
conspired in him as to cause all nature to stand up and say this was a
man.'' Those are the words Shakespeare puts in his play to be spoken of
Julius Caesar.
I was thinking of those words, and then our remarkably eloquent
colleague spoke. I cannot match the gentlewoman from California (Ms.
Waters) in eloquence, but we know where the eloquence comes from: the
combination of mind and heart. When those two come together, there is
an eloquence that inspires even those less gifted, of whom I am one.
So, without apology, Mr. Speaker, I offer to all the House this
tribute to Ron:
You stood up to a President of the United States because you believed
in the Constitution. You believed that the United States should not put
men and women in harm's way without the approval of Congress. You had
the courage to bring that lawsuit, Ron. You stood up to Presidents of
the United States more than once because you believed in the
Constitution and you believed particularly in the war-making powers
given by that Constitution to the people of this body.
Secondly and lastly, when I was out of office, Ron remembered me. I
ran for office in 1992 for another office. I lost. My wife works for
the University of California at Berkeley. She needed some assistance.
Ron, you did not forget who I was.
That is the person as to whom all the elements shall stand up and say
this is a man. You are that man. On my wife's behalf, I am grateful. On
behalf of people of Oakland and Alameda and Berkeley, we are grateful.
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. CAMPBELL. I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. SOLOMON. Mr. Speaker, excuse me. I am out of breath. I just ran
down from a meeting of the Committee on Rules, but I was afraid that I
would not be here to pay my respects to someone that I would say is the
man that I respect the most in this entire Chamber of 435 Members.
Ron Dellums and I, 20 years ago, had many, many fights on this floor.
We went at each other with every strength that we each had. But, over
the years, this man has taught me a lesson; and that is if you are
sincere, if you believe in your principles, that the other side would
respect you.
Ron, I am going to tell you something. On this side of the aisle, you
are a man of integrity. You are a man of more sincerity than anyone
else I know, and we are going to sorely miss you. You are a great
Member and a great American, and I hope that you will always come back
to visit us because you belong in this House. You are a great man; and
I salute you, sir.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Fazio).
Mr. FAZIO of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
South

[[Page H207]]

Carolina (Mr. Spratt) very much for yielding. I do not think we have 3
minutes, so I will speak briefly and put the rest of my remarks in the
Record.
The so-called Berkeley radical who became a Statesman, Ron Dellums,
deserves the time he has had on the floor and far many more hours that
may be accorded before too long. But we are going to miss him, and we
are going to miss him largely because he was a unique Member of this
institution, a man of great complexity, a man of great contrast who
grew in this job in a way that few can.
He started out as a social worker and became conversant with the
complexities of SDI and all of the other issues and weapons systems
that were the meat and potatoes of the Armed Services Committee. Here
he is, a Marine Corps veteran who became, as the gentlewoman from
Oregon (Ms. Furse) said earlier, the symbol of the Peaceniks, the
people who came here because they wanted to make a difference in the
broadest sense of that term.
Here he is, a guy who is most proud of his race, but who never failed
to reach out to anybody who differed from him; a man who is a proud
African-American, but who studied his personal history and was proud of
every element of his ancestry. Maybe, in that sense, the beginning of a
new kind of multi-racial American who made a real impact on Members
across the political spectrum and certainly across all those other
lines that sometimes divide us: race, ethnicity, religion.
I had the great privilege to travel with Ron Dellums to Africa, to
Zambia, to South Africa, to Namibia, not at a time when we could enjoy
Nelson Mandela being sworn in but at a very difficult time when the
Nationalist Party was moving toward accommodating the reality of the
black majority in that nation.
Ron Dellums was the right American to lead that delegation, just as
he tried to lead the Congress to an overwhelming margin, enough to
override a veto to bring together a consensus on this floor for a
policy on South Africa.
Mr. Speaker, I simply have a lot more to say that I will say in the
Record, but I want to indicate personally how much I appreciated the
contribution he made and also how much I wish him and his family well.
He is leaving now most appropriately not for us but for himself and for
the people he loves the most and who need him; and for that we
understand and offer you, in the knowledge that it is appropriate and
timely, Godspeed.
It is with reservation that I rise today to try to put into words
what the service of my friend Ron Dellums has meant to this
institution, this country and nation on behalf of his constituents, I
say I have reservation only because of the difficult task inherent in
speaking about one of the most eloquent speakers this chamber has ever
known. It is his eloquence combined with his passion that has made Ron
Dellums the effective leader he has been.
Many, if not the majority, in the Chamber have disagreed at one time
or another with Ron Dellums. But who in this chamber could ever
disagree with the way Ron Dellums made his point? At its best, this is
a house of civility and courtesy, and while many have forgotten this,
Ron Dellums constantly reminded us of this each and every time he was
recognized on this floor. He truly perfected the art of disagreeing
without being disagreeable.
Ron Dellums had the pleasure of representing an East Bay constituency
that demanded to be heard. They could not have found a better
spokesman. And over time Ron Dellums has become not only their
spokesman, an advocate, but a statesman.
Like it or not, Ron Dellums tells you how he feels. With this in
mind, I will tell you how I feel. Thankful. Thankful for your
passionate commitment, it is unparalleled. I can only hope that someone
in this body can carry on your legacy, but they will never replace you
because you're an original in your time. It is often said, you only
take with you what you leave behind. Well Ron, your legacy has never
been in doubt. We are all better off because you chose to serve here.
Thank you Ron for all of your hard work and tireless effort on behalf
of your colleagues, constituents, the State of California and your
country and indeed the world.
Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the District
of Columbia (Ms. Norton).
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina
for yielding. Had he not taken out this special order, there would have
been 100 Members to come to the floor who would not have allowed Ronald
Dellums to leave this Chamber without expressing their views.
Mr. Speaker, we have heard about the gentleman's extraordinary record
of services on the Armed Services Committee, the Committee on National
Security, about South Africa, about the Vietnam war, about civil
rights, about helping people get out of poverty. But I am here to talk
about a committee that Ron Dellums chaired for 17 years, the Committee
on the District of Columbia. I am here to speak for the people I
represent in thanks and in great gratitude to Ronald Dellums.
His attitude toward the city and toward the Minority during the time
he chaired the Committee on the District of Columbia was a virtual
model for this body. Toward the minority, the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Bliley) will tell you there was collegial disputatiousness, always
willing to join an issue, always as an officer and a gentleman joining
an issue.
Let me tell my colleagues as toward this city, I look at it now as
what surely must be its low point as it rises; and I remember that Ron
Dellums chaired the committee at its high point, perhaps second only to
when the city got home rule. It was when he was chairman that we got a
40 percent increase of Federal payment to make up for years of no
increase.
Ron Dellums was no pushover. He believed in appropriate oversight. He
had impeccable judgment about exactly what that meant, because Ron
Dellums was the ultimate democrat with a small D. Ron was called to
preside over people who had not elected him. He did so with grace in
principle and with elegance.
Mr. Speaker, in the name of the 600,000 residents of the District of
Columbia, Representative Ronald V. Dellums, I am here to thank you this
afternoon.
Mrs. MINK. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor for me to join my
colleagues in this tribute to Ronald V. Dellums--an advocate for peace,
justice and equity for all in this nation and throughout the entire
world.
From humble beginnings, with a strong belief in equity and
opportunity, Ron built a life of helping others. Ron often tells a
story about a time when he was given a choice--a job or an education--
and he choose an education, because of his strong belief that education
was the equalizing factor in this country, and that with a good
education one could advance not only themselves, but their ideas, their
principles and their causes.
This is precisely what Ron has accomplished throughout his life--
advancing the causes of justice, equity, peace, of equal education and
employment opportunities for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable in
this nation. I have no doubt that as he leaves this House he will move
his crusade forward and continue to do everything in his power to make
this world a better place.
Ron was not one to take the House Floor often, but when he did we all
remembered it. We can all remember at least one occasion, when this
body so embroiled by heated debate, with both sides raising their
voices to make their points, was quieted by the impassioned and calm
voice of Ron Dellums. When Ron spoke people listened--if they agreed,
or disagreed with what he said--they listened. Throughout the entire
history of this House there are few who can match the oratory skills of
Ron Dellums.
It was 27 years ago when Ron came to the House. I remember that class
of 1970 and the passionate voice of reason that he brought to the House
in those troubled times. It was war, not only in Vietnam, but in the
rhetorical battlefield at home. I have fought beside Ron in many wars,
not with weapons of destruction, but with the might of justice and
peace on our side.
In those days it wasn't unusual for just 10 or a dozen Members to
stand together on uncompromising principle, and make an unpopular vote.
Often I'd look at the voting board knowing my name would be one of the
few, and knowing I was in good company because Ron Dellums' name was
there too.
When I returned to the Congress, after a 14 year-break, one of the
first key votes I had to take was on the authorization of the Persian
Gulf War in 1991. So many things about that situation reminded me of
our debates over Vietnam--one of which was the reasoned leadership of
Ron Dellums.
His efforts related to the Gulf War, including a lawsuit to preserve
Congressional authority over the declaration of war, was born of the
many struggles we faced in those tumultuous years of the early 1970s.
Over the years of his service, Ron has marked a number of firsts. The
first African-American to serve on the House National Security
Committee (formerly Armed Forces

[[Page H208]]

Committee) and first African American to Chair the Committee.
A progressive member in support of reduced military spending, many
had their doubts when Ron became chair. But his integrity and character
proved true. He accomplished the work of the Committee, in a fair
manner, allowing the will of the Members to prevail. Of course it never
stopped him from advocating his progressive agenda--offering amendments
to reduce the B-2 or other weapons systems on the floor--but never
using his position to an unfair way to push his agenda.
Ron has done many great things during his tenure in the House many
that have been mentioned today. One of the things I will always
remember is the annual Black Caucus Budget. The establishment of this
alternative budget which focused on the basic human needs of our
country--health, nutrition, education, housing, etc. * * *--served as a
document of conscience for our nation. Today we are closer to the goals
of that budget than we have been in decades. Ron and his effort to
craft those budgets each year, even in times of enormous deficits or
when military might was more in vogue, always served to remind us of
what was truly important in this country--the lives of our children and
families, their health and education.
With all his responsibilities in the Armed Services Committee, with
his many causes and crusades, Ron was a man who listened. I appreciate
Ron because he listened to the people of Hawaii. When we sought to
obtain $400 million from the Navy to clean-up the island of Kahoolawe,
Rep. Abercrombie and I went to Ron Dellums and asked for his help. He
understood the unique situation in which this island which had been
used for bombing by the Navy for decades was not being returned to the
Hawaiian people. He listened and understood as we explained the
significance this island held for the Native Hawaiian people. It is a
fact that without his help, the clean-up initiative now underway on
Kahoolawe would not have happened. Hawaii owes a great debt of
gratitude to Ron, for helping us bring to resolution one of Hawaii's
greatest dilemmas in recent years.
Ron we will miss your passion, or level-headedness, your
understanding and compassion. But we know that you move on to take
those genuine qualities and continue working on behalf of the people of
this country. Mahalo and Aloha for your service to this House and to
this country.
Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative
Skelton and Representative Spratt for giving us the opportunity to
honor and bid farewell to our friend and colleague, Representative Ron
Dellums.
Ron Dellums has set a tremendous example for all of us. Throughout
his 27 years in Congress, he has always been a gentleman, something
that requires true strength today. In the midst of all the battles
here, he has always treated every person with the same high level of
respect. For this he will always be honored.
In the more than a quarter of a century that Ron Dellums has
represented the 9th District of California, he has also remained true
to himself and to his principles. This is sometimes even more difficult
than always remaining a gentleman. Trained as a social worker, he has
dedicated his life to serving others. He understands that our national
security must rest on a solid domestic foundation. When our citizens
are well fed, well housed, well educated, and there is justice for all,
our Nation is secure.
His passion for ensuring security and justice for all Americans has
formed the foundation of his leadership on so many fronts. As chair of
the House Armed Services Committee and the ranking member of the House
National Security Committee, which I had the honor to sit on with him,
he worked to keep Congress focused on halting the nuclear arms race,
and combating racial discrimination and sexual harassment in our
military. He has led the fight to protect the civil rights of all
Americans, and to achieve comprehensive healthcare throughout the
country.
The House is losing a great leader. He leaves behind a high standard
of respect and commitment that all of us should strive to reach. Only
then might we begin to fill his shoes.
Mr. SPENCE. Mr. Speaker, the National Security Committee will meet
tomorrow to officially honor and pay tribute to our friend and
colleague Ron Dellums. As public officials, we always honor somebody,
somewhere, for heroic deeds. It is a sad statement on this job,
however, that we tend not to honor our own frequently enough or well
enough. So it is entirely appropriate that so many of our colleagues
have come down to the floor to participate in this special order.
It is appropriate that we honor and thank our friend and colleague,
Ron Dellums, for his outstanding service during a long and
distinguished career as a member of the Armed Services and National
Security Committees and of the House.
I took special note of Ron's eloquent words last week during the
farewell ceremony in his honor hosted by Secretary of Defense Cohen--
words I wish everyone could have heard. Ron spoke to the inadequacy, at
times like this, of words such as ``thank you.'' I could not agree
more. Simply saying thank you seems small and inadequate. Yet most of
us know of no other way to recognize our feelings after more than 25
years, for us old-timers, of working with him.
Members who serve on the National Security Committee represent all
regions of the country and cover the political and ideological
spectrum. Yet, I believe that the committee consistently functions on a
more bipartisan basis than any other committee in the House, and
possibly the entire Congress. And there is no one I have served with
over the many years who has done more to protect and promote the
bipartisan nature of this committee's deliberations than Ron Dellums.
As I observed during the ceremony to unveil his portrait last
September, regardless of the issue at hand, Ron has always tried to
ensure that the ``idea'' never got lost in the ``politics.'' I believe
that this is the truest testament to Ron's integrity and his
leadership.
Anyone who has worked with Ron is aware of his talents and his
accomplishments. I think it is also safe to say that anyone who has
worked with or against Ron, whichever the case might be, has come away
from that experience having had to dig a little deeper and think a
little harder. Of course, if you happen to be on the other side of the
issue from Ron, you also come away hoping next time you will be on the
same side. While we are here to honor Ron for the many years of
dedicated service to his constituents and the nation, many of us are
here, I suspect, on a more personal level, in recognition of the
influence he has had on our lives. I know he has had a great influence
on mine.
Although Ron's memory will be a strong presence in the National
Security Committee for years to come, a presence which is also
guaranteed by his impressive portrait that hangs over my shoulder, his
day-to-day presence will be missed. I wish Ron and his family the best
in what I hope is a long, healthy, and productive retirement from
public service.
Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to our distinguished
colleague, Congressman Dellums. The unwavering determination and
fighting spirit of this political hero will be sorely missed when he
leaves this body.
First elected to Congress in 1970 as an advocate for peace, Mr.
Dellums remains as passionate and dedicated to his ideals today as he
was almost three decades ago. Never one to shy away from the tough
issues, Ron has gained the respect of all those he has encountered
because of the strength of his convictions, his commitment to
democracy, and his ability to disengage from partisanship.
Congressman Dellums carries the distinguished honor of being the only
Member to chair two standing committees. For seven Congresses he
chaired the District of Columbia Committee and recently served as
chairman of the Armed Services Committee, since renamed the National
Security Committee. Currently, Mr. Dellums is the ranking Democratic
Member to the National Security Committee.
Through his tenure on the National Security Committee, Ron has become
an expert on defense issues, an important resource for all those
committed to peace. Ron's contribution was fittingly recognized last
week when Secretary of Defense William Cohen presented him with the
Distinguished Public Service Medal, the military's highest civilian
award. I was fortunate to attend that ceremony, an event made more
momentous when you consider that when Congressman Dellums was first
elected to this body he was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam war.
Congressman Dellums' contributions to this House are legion. We will
miss particularly his humble spirit, his tenacity, his eloquence and
humor, and his unbending commitment to improving our country. I join
with all of my colleagues in wishing our friend well as he moves on to
his new challenge.
Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the truly
great Members of this body and to regretfully wish him farewell--the
Honorable Ronald V. Dellums of the 9th Congressional District of
California.
When Ron Dellums spoke on the floor of the House, people listened. He
was always eloquent. Always well-reasoned. Always a passionate
intellect.
When Ron Dellums spoke out about the evils of apartheid in South
Africa, at first it seemed his words fell on deaf ears. But no one can
remain deaf to the power of his words and his reason. Over time, the
nation listened to Ron Dellums and the Congress acted to impose
sanctions against the apartheid government of South Africa. It would
not have happened without Ron Dellums.
He was among the first to hear the cries of the people from Central
America, from Haiti, from Bosnia. He was often the voice of the

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voiceless on the floor of this House. And what a voice he brought to
their struggles. The voice and acts of Ron Dellums have saved lives
around the world. And thousands are grateful for his advocacy, both
here and abroad.
And when Ron Dellums--whether in the National Security Committee or
on the floor of the House--spoke about the need to examine truly the
priorities and purpose of our military budget, everyone listened. It
didn't matter where you stood on this debate. You listened. Because no
one has researched, reflected upon, or debated alternatives to our
current military planning more than Ron Dellums. And his voice and
influence on these matters will be sorely missed.
Ron Dellums set a standard that I hope I and all my colleagues will
try to emulate. A standard for intellectual integrity. For democratic
debate and dialogue. For respect and honesty in all his dealings with
friends and foes. For passionate engagement in the challenges that
confront our nation and our people. And for oratory that moved debate
on issues forward with its eloquence, reason and compassion.
I had thought I would have more time to learn from this great Member
of Congress. I will miss his presence deeply in the halls of this
Congress. I wish him well in his new endeavors. And I hope that he will
continue to remain engaged in the domestic and foreign policy-setting
of this country he has served so well.
Mr. MURTHA. Mr. Speaker, it's been a great honor for me to work with
Congressman Dellums over the past twenty three years since I came to
Congress. By the time I arrived, in 1974, Congressman Dellums was
already an experienced Member of Congress and a member of the House
Armed Services Committee, staking out his reputation as a scholarly,
well-informed and thoughtful debater of military policy. People often
asked how Ron and I could work so well together--we start from
different philosophical bases, we represent very different areas of the
country--but the answer is simple. We share a deep concern for the
individual American soldier, we share a deep concern for the nation's
defense being strong, and we share a goal of finding the common ground
that will keep America's domestic and military policy in balance. But
it is also because I highly respect him. Ron Dellums is a man who has
always been true to his convictions, but still fair and open-minded; a
man who has deep and abiding respect for our legislative traditions
built on the foundations of free speech and open debate; a man who has
studied and has had a clear grasp of the major national security issues
of the day; a man who could be a formidable legislative opponent but a
fast personal friend at the same time; an honorable man whose legendary
statesmanship in the House of Representatives retained a needed measure
of grace in an increasingly belligerent forum. He will be missed, and
will certainly leave behind a hole in the fabric of this Chamber that
will not easily be filled. I wish him the best of luck and happiness in
his future endeavors.
Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in
paying tribute to our friend and respected colleague, Congressman Ron
Dellums, on his retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives.
As I stand here today to pay tribute to Congressman Dellums, I am
reminded of the often repeated story about Vice President Hubert
Humphrey. Legend has it that on the day that Humphrey was celebrating
his 60th birthday, he was playing with one of his grandchildren. They
were having a good time, and at one point the child looked up at
Humphrey and said, ``Grandpa . . . how long have you been fighting for
working people?'' Humphrey thought for a moment and said ``I've been
fighting for working people for 65 years.'' The boy said, ``But Grandpa
. . . how can you have been fighting for working people for 65 years if
you're only 60 years old today?'' Without missing a beat, Humphrey
answered ``Easy--I put in a lot of overtime.''
Well, in his twenty six years in the U.S. House of Representatives,
Ron Dellums has put in a lot of overtime--working for freedom in South
Africa and around the globe, fighting for the interests of working men
and women, striving to complete the agenda of the civil rights movement
and to secure equal rights for women, and acting as a respected voice
in the field of military policy and the defense budget. In that time,
Congressman Dellums has earned a reputation as one of the hardest
working, straightest talking and most respect people ever to serve in
the United States Congress. He has rightly been called one of the
finest orators to ever serve here, and ``The conscience of Congress.''
Ron Dellums was elected to Congress in 1970 during our great national
debate over the Vietnam war. Congressman Dellums passionately advocated
for an end to U.S. involvement in that conflict, and for a more
rational foreign policy for our nation. During his time in Congress,
Congressman Dellums worked tirelessly for civil rights for women and
other minorities, for measures to protect our environment and for
increased investment in our communities and our citizens. Perhaps more
than any other single person in this country, Congressman Dellums years
of work helped to bring about an end to Apartheid and a peaceful
transfer to power in South Africa. He introduced the first bill calling
for economic sanctions against that country in 1971. That legislation
passed fifteen years later over President Ronald Reagan's veto.
Congressman Dellums has been a respected leader in efforts to curb
military spending and to reverse the nuclear arms race. His leadership
has been crucial in defeating needless weapons systems like the MX and
Pershing II Missiles, and the B-2 Stealth Bomber and to fundamentally
change the way we think about the defense budget.
Congressman Dellums was the first African American member of Congress
to serve on the House Armed Services Committee. He later served as the
Chairman, and as Ranking Member of that Committee. Ron also served as
the Chairman of the House Committee on the District of Columbia--the
first Member ever to chair two different standing full committees of
the House of Representatives. He also served as the Chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus and on the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence.
As a freshman Member of the House, I have only had the opportunity to
serve with Ron for a brief time. But I can honestly say that working
with Congressman Dellums has made a lasting impression on me and on
what I view as the model of a Member of this House. Ron's hard work,
his sense of values and unwavering commitment to his beliefs and the
interests of the men and women who sent him here are an inspiration and
a model for anyone who wants to know what a public servant ought to be.
I am proud to have serve with Ron Dellums and to have had the
opportunity to call him a colleague and a friend. And while this House
will be losing a tremendous asset, I know that Congressman Dellums will
bring the same dedication, passion and drive to his future endeavors as
he has to his career here. Ron, thank you for your help and good luck
to you.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration
and heavy sadness that I rise tonight to pay tribute to one of the
greatest Members of Congress this Country has known.
This Friday, our colleague, Ronald V. Dellums, will officially resign
the seat he has held since 1970.
My colleagues and many in the public that watch Congress are familiar
with Ron--with his style, his passion, his eloquence, his issues, and
his brilliant mind.
He's always been known as the best dressed Member of Congress. He's
always been known as one of Congress's great orators, colorfully and
articulately dancing in the well of the House to draw support for his
positions. And he's always been known as one of the greatest advocates
for peace and human rights.
It will not be easy for me or my colleagues to adjust to a Congress
without Ron Dellums. Many a good team has gone on to win without one
their star players. But it isn't easy.
Ron Dellums changed Congress and he helped to change America. I have
enjoyed every year we have spent together fighting for peace, justice,
and dignity.
It has been said that Ron Dellums is the conscience of Congress. We
will miss him for that. But we will also expect him to let his
conscience be felt from wherever he may be. And knowing Ron, he will
not shy away from that responsibility.
Ron has been our modern day ``drum major for peace.'' He saved us
from many weapons systems that we didn't need, couldn't afford, and
probably couldn't control.
He stopped the MX missile years ago. And he should be credited with
helping to drive the final nail into the coffin of the senseless B-2
bomber.
Ron Dellums brought the titans of apartheid to their knees, dragging
a reluctant American government along the way.
He fought for civil rights for all Americans.
More than nearly any other Member of Congress he helped to clearly
draw the connection between a bloated military budget and the many
starving communities throughout our country.
Whether it was the war in Vietnam or the Cold War against the
Russians, Ron Dellums brought the facts and the passion to the table
every time to argue against further gorging the giant while ignoring
the children.
He has been here to serve the people of America and to fight for
human rights around the world. He was never here to fight for the
monied special interests that only seek to use Congress to further
their already privileged positions in society.
And Ron Dellums always helped his friends. When it came time to close
down the military establishment in the Bay Area and other communities,
Ron fought to ensure that

[[Page H210]]

the base closure process was fair and expeditious.
We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Like many of you here, I
will miss him in the Halls of Congress. And like you, I will be calling
out his name when we need a helping hand.
We have a job to do in America. Ron Dellums did not fight in Congress
all these years so we could go on vacation. Wages are too low, defense
budgets are too high, and wars are still to frequent.
So the challenge remains for us all. Maybe if we all learn to dress
as well as Ron does, to dance on the House floor as he does, and to
carry the convictions of a more just society with us to work every day
as he does, just maybe we will be able to make America even better and
the world a little bit safer.
Ron, if it is not too late to ask, please, don't go. But if you must
go, go in peace, and go with the satisfaction of a man who did all he
could to achieve his goals on behalf of this great Nation.
Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, February 6, 1998 will mark the retirement
from the House of Representatives of one of the most respected Members
of Congress, our friend and colleague Ron Dellums.
Ron was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1970, a
tumultuous time in our nation's history when we were being pulled apart
by the War in Vietnam. Since that time he has been a tireless and
impassioned critic of war's human toll. He has never wavered in his
belief that the strength of our nation rests in the care with which we
invest in our people and their communities and not in the accumulation
of weapons.
As a champion of the Congressional Black Caucus' alternative budget,
Ron expanded the terms of the debate on the federal budget to include
the kitchen-table interests of the American people--jobs, access to
health care, affordable housing, and education. Ron has made an
immeasurable contribution to the debate on our national priorities and
his departure will leave a large void for us to fill. We are fortunate
to have his tremendous legacy to serve as a guiding example of
principled and committed public service.
In his work on some of the most contentious issues before Congress,
Ron has been eloquent and gracious, always acting out of principle and
never out of personal or political gain. His liberal values have never
weakened and he has been one of Congress' most distinguished
spokespersons for the powerless in our society. Ron has raised the
level of discourse in every debate he has participated in. No Member
has done more to preserve the decorum and dignity of the House and he
retires with the respect and admiration of Members of both parties.
I wish Ron all the best as he begins this new phase in his life.
Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, our colleague, Congressman Ron
Dellums of California, is not only a fine and distinguished Member of
this body. He is also a fine American, a man whom all of our children
should study as a role model . . . not because of his impeccable dress,
especially today, in an era when kids are content to run around with
baseball caps turned backwards and inside out . . . but for his example
of what leadership and statesmanship is all about.
Congressman Ron Dellums has paid some serious dues over the course of
his life to get to where he is today. He is a man who decided early on,
at age 18, to enlist in the United States Marine Corps and risk his
life for this country's prosperity. After many years as an activist,
working to give a voice to the voiceless in the San Francisco Bay Area,
Ron Dellums decided to serve his country once again, as a Member of the
United States Congress.
As a member of the House National Security Committee for over 26
years, Ron Dellums has worked tirelessly to advance the interests of
America's military men and women. Even in instances when Members on the
Committee have disagreed with his views, Congressman Ron Dellums has
been fair, deliberate and open-minded.
In my dealings with him, I have noticed that Ron Dellums has always
worked tirelessly to resolve disputes within the National Security
Committee and move along the business of building the best American
military possible. He was truly a positive force in United States House
of Representatives, an honest leader, a true statesman.
Mr. Chairman, it has really been a pleasure to work with my
colleague, Congressman Ron Dellums. It has also been, for me, a
learning experience. His grace under fire, his poise and his confidence
in his work are qualities that all of us should emulate.
Every Member of this institution, regardless of party affiliation,
should respect and honor the contributions that Congressman Ron Dellums
has made to the United States Congress, and indeed, to the United
States of America. Ron, Godspeed and God bless.
Mr. PICKETT. Mr. Speaker, our friend and colleague Ron Dellums is a
man of high principle and integrity who has undertaken his duties and
responsibilities in the House of Representatives with vigor and
determination. I knew him best as chairman of the House Armed Services
Committee where he was recognized by all for his fair, even handed, and
collegial way of leading the Committee to the conclusion of its annual
work of producing a Defense Department Authorization Bill.
This is no easy task. Partisan and personal agendas often derail
progress. Keen perception and mature understanding were essential to
bring together the competing interests.
Ron Dellums had the patience and willingly devoted the time needed
for full and thorough debate and consideration. No one was ever denied
the opportunity to participate.
But his performance as an accomplished and proud chairman of the
Armed Services Committee is only part of the story.
He is a respected and admired member of this body who has worked
tirelessly and diligently to establish a record of solid achievement.
He understands better than most the corrosive effect of unmet social
needs in American society today. And he hasn't been bashful or reticent
about forcefully and eloquently voicing his views about what is needed
to bring about a more just society in our nation.
Perhaps more than anything else Ron Dellums has established himself
as a role model. He has shown that in America today you can still rise
from modest beginnings, overcome adversity, and make a positive and
beneficial contribution in the government of our nation.
Ron Dellums is destined for even greater things. Ron, I join my
colleagues in congratulating you on your long, honorable and
distinguished service in the House of Representatives and wish you
every measure of happiness and success in your new endeavors. May God
bless you.
Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in paying a
special tribute to the distinguished gentleman from California.
Congressman Ron Dellums was a leader in the quest for a rational
military policy that included forcing the armed forces to cease abusive
excesses in spending in the mid 1980's. At the same time, he led the
way towards creating a more robust and responsible military.
Congressman Dellums' sense of fair play and integrity was transparent
throughout every aspect of his long career. He campaigned tirelessly to
rid our military of racial discrimination and sexual harassment. He
demonstrated to our military leaders, in clear and insightful diction,
that there is a way to institute fiscal austerity that respects and
maintains the dignity of dismissed civilian employees by providing re-
training and early retirement incentive packages.
Mr. Dellums' commitment to the National Security Committee, has
constituents, and his friends is unparalleled in the history of this
institution. From my own experience, has concern and compassion to
reach out and help members of the National Security Committee feel
included in the legislative process brought only more laurels on an
already well respected leader. His deep concern to stop and listen to
members with lesser known but no less critical issues was comforting
and appreciated. Mr. Dellums never criticized a reasonable request and
welcomed creative solutions to complex problems no matter where they
came from.
Mr. Dellums was the kind of man who could put forth his own agenda,
question the accepted truth and raise his skepticism towards a poor
idea without being a spoiler to the process. His genius was in his
ability to educate and shape ideas. He could raise awareness on an
esoteric issue and present his case in logic so clear that one would
come away with greater understanding of the issues that truly mattered.
It will be a very long time before this institution will see the
likes of a Ron Dellums again. His presence as a leader, a colleague and
a friend will be sorely missed by myself, the National Security
Committee, and this Nation. From the bottom of my heart, Mr. Dellums, I
bid you a heartfelt Si Yu'os Ma'ase for your service to your country
and your dedication to your friends.
Mr. ORTIZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend who
is a brilliant legislator, and a patriot whose passion is peace.
I have been honored to serve with Ron Dellums on the House Armed
Services Committee, where we worked together as Members and which Ron
later chaired. Since 1995, Ron leads the Democratic Members on the
National Security Committee in the creation of defense policy in an
incredibly fair and democratic fashion. There are a host of things that
people can say about our friend Ron Dellums, but the thing that will
most often be associated with him, by those who worked closely with him
day in and day out, is his dedication to basic fairness.
I told someone once that Ron Dellums had more integrity in his little
finger than most men will ever have. But there is no doubt at all that
Ron's legacy here in the House of Representatives, and in the House
Armed Services or

[[Page H211]]

National Security Committee, will be his innate fairness in all the
things that he did. I imagine that most of you know this already, but
Ron has a most decided opinion about nearly everything that has to do
with U.S. defense policy. During our service together, we agreed almost
as much as we disagreed.
But there was never, ever any question about how Ron would approach
policy questions--he bent over backwards to make sure everyone was able
to express an opinion and make their argument. He never exclusively
favored his side of the opinion while he was Chairman--or anytime--he
heard arguments, took the vote, and cherished the democratic principals
that bind us all together. He believes very strongly in the concept of
reduced Pentagon spending, and has strongly advocated his concerns via
amendments to the Budget Resolution and Defense Authorization Bill. But
that philosophy never conflicted with how he conducted the business of
the committee that wrote defense policy.
He is a man who personifies the dignity of public service. He is also
a student of the human condition and an avid student of U.S. Defense
policy. His study of the former has led him to develop deep friendships
that surpass party and politics; and his study of the latter makes him
one of the most knowledgeable Members of the National Security
Committee. His depth of knowledge of the issues makes him a formidable
advocate for U.S. taxpayers in the budget wars we fight in Congress
each year.
Ron, I will miss you very much, on many levels. Most of all, I will
miss your personal presence and your friendship on the Floor of the
House each day and in the National Security Committee. I also will miss
your intelligence and your wit as a colleague in the realm of making
public policy. Your presence will be sorely missed, mi amigo. Adelante
. . .
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the
achievements of my colleague and our distinguished United States
Representative of the 9th Congressional District of California, Ron
Dellums. Congressman Dellums will retire from Congress on Friday,
February 6, 1998.
Congressman Dellums, currently in his 13th term, has remained a
vigorous advocate for arms reductions, peaceful resolutions of
international conflict, and for alternatives to the use of military
force and covert intervention as a principle investment of U.S. foreign
policy.
During Congressman Dellums' first campaign, he embraced the agenda of
the Civil Rights movement, for the Equal Rights Amendment for Women,
along with other elements of the social justice and human rights
agenda. He remains a staunch advocate for these causes having noted:

I did not join the Armed Services Committee to learn about
missiles, planes, and ships; I joined because I knew that I
would need to become an expert in this field in order to
argue successfully for military spending reductions that
would free-up resources for the human needs that I see in my
everyday community.

Throughout his tenure in the United States Congress, Mr. Dellums has
provided critical leadership in the effort to curb military spending
and in effect, reverse the nuclear arms race. He has often been the
first to articulate the danger, waste, or redundancy of weapon
programs. In addition, he has vigorously examined the state of our
military establishment including its purposes, its budget and other
issues including sexual harassment and racial discrimination in the
armed forces.
After serving two years with the U.S. Marine Corp, Congressman
Dellums received his A.A. degree at Oakland City College, a B.A. from
San Francisco State University, and a M.S.W. from the University of
California at Berkeley.
This distinguished gentleman, born in Oakland, California began his
career as a psychiatric social worker, a job training and development
program manager, and a nationally prominent consultant on community
job-development programs.
Being a United States Representative who served in the armed forces
and provided expertise in the field of social work, Mr. Dellums has
often used the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with
regards to the social effects of our military spending, which states:
``The bombs that are being dropped in Vietnam are exploding in the
ghettos and the barrios of America.'' Mr. Dellums, like the Reverend
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. saw the burden that the Cold War placed on
the economy as it robbed our communities of its vital resources.
During 24 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives,
Congressman Ron Dellums has served in many capacities, including:
Foreign Affairs Committee; Select Committee to Investigate the
Intelligence Community; Post Office and Civil Service Committee;
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; chair of the Congressional
Black Caucus in the 101st Congress; and as the representative and
military panel member of the North Atlantic Assembly.
We have been most fortunate to have Mr. Dellums in our United States
Congress for he has been a leader for rational military policy and has
remained committed to the belief that world peace leads to social
justice.
Today, we not only recognize our U.S. Representative, Ron Dellums,
but we salute him as a great American hero.
Thank you Congressman Dellums for your dedication and commitment to
serve our Nation. You will be missed.
Mr. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today
to pay tribute to our colleague Congressman Ronald Dellums. As you know
Congressman Dellums' 27 year career in the House will soon end as he
retires from public service on Friday, February 6, 1998.
A former Marine and graduate of San Francisco State University and
the University of California, Mr. Dellums has spent the better part of
three decades advocating the progressive social policies endemic to the
Ninth District of California. Compromising the cities of Oakland and
Berkeley, the Ninth District has long served as a stage for the healthy
exchange of political dialogue.
Upon arrival to the capital in 1971, Mr. Dellums won a seat on the
Armed Services Committee as an opponent to the Vietnam War. He is quick
to point out that our former preoccupation with the Cold War and the
Soviet Union adversely impacted our public policy decisions. His
contention that this preoccupation led to large federal debts and
underfunded social programs inspired his fight for social
responsibility. Mr. Dellums lent his voice to those who called for cuts
in defense spending and pleaded for the redirection of those funds to
social programs.
Mr. Dellums has demonstrated time and again that social justice
fosters peace amongst us all. He has been a strong proponent of
policies such as the 1991 Civil Rights Restoration Act, the Americans
with Disabilities Acts and the reauthorization of the 1967 Voting
Rights Act. He also has been one of the most vocal advocates for
reproductive choice and public funding for women dependent on
government supported health care.
Mr. Speaker, I have had the honor and privilege of working with Mr.
Dellums to secure redress for World War II Japanese-American internment
camp internees. As battles raged overseas, many Americans incurred
wounds of injustice on our own soil. Mr. Dellums recognized this breach
of civil liberties and fought for the reparations due those wrongly
imprisoned in their own country.
Few could replicate Mr. Dellums' noble sense of justice. In 1971 he
introduced a bill which would enforce economic sanctions on the
apartheid regime of South Africa. Patience and persistence prevailed
when, in 1986, Mr. Dellums finally won the fight with passage of the
bill. His determination paid off, democracy reigns in South Africa and
apartheid is no longer.
Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Mr. Dellums' years of dedicated
service to the people of the Ninth District, his commitment to the
advancement of progressive social policies and the leadership he has
given the Armed Services and House District of Columbia Committees, I
ask my colleagues to join me in saluting him and wishing him a very
happy and active retirement.
Ms. HARMAN. Mr. Speaker, it is with mixed emotions that I join my
colleagues in bidding adieu to Ron Dellums, and wishing him fair winds
as he starts the next chapter in his admirable life.
It has been a honor to serve with him, both as a member of the
California Delegation and as a member of the House National Security
Committee. In all my dealings with him, Ron has extended to me, and
others, a degree of fairness and sincerity rarely found in this body.
He has also afforded me opportunities that, if strict seniority were
followed, I would not otherwise have bad.
For example, as a freshman member of the then-Armed Services
Committee, which Ron chaired, he turned the gavel over to me one day.
it was a long day's hearing to receive testimony from the newly
appointed Secretary of Defense, and our former colleague, Les Aspin. I
was at the very bottom tier of seats, and, much to Secretary Aspin's
credit, the hearing had already lasted for hours. Suddenly, one of the
Committee's aides came up to me to say that Chairman Dellums wanted to
speak to me. What horror! What had I done to draw attention from the
Chairman? What protocol had I violated? But, in fact, Ron invited me--
one of the most junior members--to chair the hearing while I asked my
questions of the witness. To others, an inconsequential act. To me, a
very generous gesture.
Such examples of Ron's largess are not uncommon. Indeed, his entire
public career has been devoted to giving voice to the aspirations of
individuals at the bottom rungs of our society, or in my case, the
committee. Individuals disadvantaged or facing discrimination from any
source came under Ron's caring wings.

[[Page H212]]

Undoubtedly, this caring attitude was shaped by early events in his
life. One story Ron has told, in particular, stands out in my mind.
As a new Marine recruit, Ron scored the highest possible on a test
the Marines used to select potential candidates for officer training.
Called into the office of a superior responsible for reviewing such
candidates, Ron stood at attention, saying with Marine precision
``Private Ron Dellums reporting, sir.''
To his surprise, Ron was asked what his race was. ``Negro,'' he said
clearly and distinctly. ``Dismissed,'' replied the officer.
Such institutional bias has always been a source of great concern to
Ron. His, for example, was one of the earliest voices calling for
strong U.S. policies to break the much-hated, but institutionally-
rooted, policy of apartheid in South Africa.
Similarly, as a member and chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
Ron has fought for the average soldier and has fought to change the
military's policies toward women and gays. At a ceremony last week when
Secretary Cohen awarded him the Defense Department's distinguished
service award, Ron pointed out that his disagreement with policies
deploying forces never translated into anything other than the greatest
of respect for the soldiers who were the instrument of those policies.
This respect was also showered on his colleagues in this body.
Indeed, if for noting else, Ron will be remembered for his ultimate
decency and his admonitions to others to avoid personality and
invectiveness in the course of heated debate on the House floor. As he
has often said, debate over ideas need not be blackened by harsh and
unnecessary attacks on the motives of the individuals debating. Ideas,
in their own right, will rise or fall on the arguments and evidence
supporting them, not on the character or failings of their proponents.
Mr. Speaker, fortunately, the record is replete with the many
successes of Ron Dellums. Though often in the minority, Ron has caused
this body--both collectively and as members individually--to think
before moving forward on a policy. In exercising his conscience, he has
shaped many policies and he has influenced and touched many members,
including this one.
I wish my friend, his family and staff, a fond adieu.
Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, Ron Dellums started his political career as
an ``outsider''--working to change the establishment and speaking out
against the Vietnam War.
Twenty-eight years later, he has risen to the top of the
establishment and is a distinguished authority on military policy.
When contemplating his progress, two points stand out:
One--He has advanced in stature while holding fast to the values and
ideals that first brought him to Congress, and
Two--In a very unique manner, he has earned enormous respect for his
ideas and his leadership, even from those who vehemently disagree with
him.
I'm sure that many in the military thought that the ascension of Ron
Dellums the Chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee was
Armaggedon itself.
Instead, they found a careful and intellectual examination of the
military establishment that won Ron Dellums the regard of many of its
staunch defenders, as well as those who thought that most military
dollars would be better spent elsewhere.
Ron Dellums has been a champion for peace, for social justice, for
human rights, for the environment, for arms control, for equality and
for the working men and women of America. --and all this while
maintaining his position as one of the best dressed Members in
Congress...
It is impossible to overstate the range and depth of his influence.
We will greatly miss his leadership.
Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor our colleague Ron
Dellums of California, who is departing the Congress after serving here
for 27 years.
Whether coordinating community activism in the Bay area in the 1960s;
deliberating on policy issues as a member of the Berkeley City Council,
to which he was elected in 1967; or posing critical questions about
defense, civil rights, and human rights policies while serving in the
United States Congress, where he has been a continuous presence since
1971, Ron Dellums has stayed true to his principles. He has always been
guided by a passion for what he believes in, and has never been afraid
to speak his mind--even if that meant he has sometimes stood alone in
doing so.
I first got to know Ron Dellums when I joined the then-House Armed
Services Committee as a freshman member in 1993. Ron served as the
committee's chairman during the 103rd Congress, replacing our former
colleague Les Aspin, who was appointed Secretary of Defense.
Though I often found myself in disagreement with Ron on matters of
policy, I consistently found myself drawn to him on other grounds. He
was an eminently fair chairman, who gave even the lowest-ranking
members of his committee, majority and minority alike, the opportunity
to speak their piece. As a freshman member, I was especially grateful
for this.
But I soon realized that Ron's open and welcoming style of leadership
was emblematic not just of a fundamental sense of fairness, but of much
more. Just as important, it stemmed from Ron's respect for the rights
of others and his recognition that, above all, we are each elected to
this great House to do the people's work. He has always understood that
free and open debate in service of the people we serve is what brings
the greatest value to that which is accomplished here. While Ron enters
every important debate prepared to articulate his own views with
characteristically sincere passion, he has always respected and given
his fullest attention to the views of his colleagues. Most of all, he
has always been determined to facilitate a level of debate that would
do service to even the weightiest issue being examined. In my mind,
these are qualities that have often set him apart.
Though Ron now leaves our company to pursue new challenges, the quest
for justice and human dignity remains his lodestar. I have learned much
about character and leadership from my association with him, and though
I am sorry to see him leave this body, I am confident and pleased that
his pursuits will both challenge his own intellect and further his
noble goals. Mr. Speaker, I offer him, most sincerely, my very best
wishes for the future, and look forward to our paths crossing again
soon.
Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, it was with great regret that I learned of
the retirement of my friend, Congressman Ron Dellums. One of our most
esteemed Members, and the second longest serving Member in the
California Delegation, Ron Dellums has decided to retire after spending
27 years working on behalf of America's families.
As a young man, Ron Dellums has worked to end conflicts around the
world and find alternatives to military force. He has also campaigned
hard for stronger civil rights in this country, for equal rights for
women and for greater environmental protections.
I'm also proud to say that Congressman Dellums' father was from
Corsicana, Texas which is in my district. Corsicana can be truly proud
of all the Dellums and their contribution to American society.
During his tenure in Congress, Ron Dellums was the first African-
American Member ever appointed to the House Armed Services (now
National Security) Committee. As Chairman of that Committee in the
103rd Congress, Congressman Dellums provided critical leadership during
a difficult time of cuts and reductions in our military capacity.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve in the House with
Representative Dellums. Clearly, Ron's hard work and dedication to
public service have improved the lives of all Americans, and he will be
sorely missed. I wish him well in his retirement.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a
dedicated public servant. For more than two decades, Ron Dellums has
provided an example of tireless service to his constituents. The House
of Representatives has been a fortunate beneficiary of Ron Dellums'
experience and talents, and among both his constituents and colleagues,
his contributions will be greatly missed.
Mr. Dellums made his mark as a staunch defender of human and civil
rights. He never failed to remember the social concerns of the people
who entrusted him with his office. Yet, Mr. Dellums also displayed a
commitment to fiscal responsibility, devoting much of his career to
reducing military spending.
Mr. Dellums was elected to the House of Representatives in 1970. He
served a term as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee
beginning in 1993, allowing him to more effectively pursue his goal of
a leaner post-Cold War military. He developed a reputation as a
thoughtful legislator who advocated collegial debate on even the most
divisive issues.
Although we have differed on many policy matters, I believe Ron
Dellums to be an honorable legislator and a valuable colleague. He

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has served this body with integrity and dedication. I join my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle today in bidding him farewell.

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