[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 146 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2175-E2176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. DAVID PLATT RALL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 25, 1999

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about some distressing 
recent developments in the wake of the tragic death on September 28 of 
environmental medicine pioneer Dr. David Platt Rall.
  Dr. Rall tragically died late last month from injuries sustained in a 
car accident while vacationing in France. His wife, Gloria Monteiro 
Rall, was badly injured in the accident, but is recovering. I know the 
thoughts and prayers of many of us go out to her and Dr. Rall's entire 
family.
  Mr. Speaker, Dr. Rall was a giant in the world of science. His 
credentials are long, but the highlights include running the federal 
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the 
National Toxicology Program (NTP) simultaneously, Assistant Surgeon 
General in the U.S. Public Health Services, scientific counselor to the 
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, chair of the 
World Health Organization's Program on Chemical Safety, foreign 
secretary of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, 
board member of the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning and the 
Environmental Defense Fund. He had conducted breakthrough cancer 
research early in his career at the National Cancer Institute and he 
was husband, father and a grandfather.
  Kenneth Olden, the current director of both NIEHS and NTP, calls Dr. 
Rall, ``a pioneer, who established the credibility of our two federal 
environmental health organizations and set the paces. We are standing 
on his broad shoulders.''
  This man accomplished far more than many of us will manage to do in 
our lives. And, all of this work was devoted to advancing the cause of 
human health--and millions of people are the better for it.
  It is a sad sign of our times, Mr. Speaker, when the death of such an 
individual becomes an invitation for cheap political attack to those 
who found his brilliance and accomplishments threatening.
  One such person is chemical industry lobbyist and Cato Institute 
Adjunct Scholar Steven Milloy, who turned Dr. Rall's tragic death into 
what can only be seen as a callous, self-promotional opportunity.

[[Page E2176]]

  Mr. Milloy runs a web site that features a cartoon of himself in 
devil costume, complete with horns, and tail. He calls himself the 
``Junkman,'' and junk certainly seems to be his main product. His self-
appointed job is to denigrate the research of public interest groups 
and serious, accomplished academics.
  But the Junkman reached a new low when on October 2, he posted a 
mocking ``Obituary of the Day,'' on Dr. Rall's death, saying, and I 
quote, ``Scratch one junk scientist''.
  The Cato Institute was alerted to this language by an outraged public 
interest group. President Edward H. Crane responded with--what seemed 
at the time--class and dignity, saying Milloy had an ``inexcusable 
lapse in judgment and civility'' with his ``appallingly offensive 
comments.''
  In the face of that unequivocal rebuke, what did Mr. Milloy do? He 
refused to apologize, then posted even more vitriol the following day. 
His web site on October 12 said, ``As far as David Rall is concerned, 
he was a bad guy when he was alive . . .'' and that, ``Death did not 
improve his track record.''
  Mr. Speaker, if this language isn't outrageous enough, the response 
of the Cato Institute to this second round of remarks was worse. When 
11 heads of public health, consumer and environmental groups wrote Mr. 
Crane to sever his ties to Mr. Milloy, Mr. Crane chose not to respond. 
When Dr. Rall's surviving brother and two environmental group heads 
wanted to meet with Mr. Crane, Mr. Crane flatly refused. His rationale? 
The offensive web material had come down and he thought the matter was 
``closed.''
  The matter, Mr. Speaker, is far from closed. There are still no 
apologies to the Rall family, and Cato has taken no position on this 
second round of highly offensive comments. Never mind that the 
``junkman's'' junk is out in the press now, posted on the Internet for 
friends and loved ones of Dr. Rall to read--along with the rest of the 
world.
  The Cato Institute, with its silence and inaction tells media, the 
public and this Congress that Cato accepts this behavior and will 
reward the ``Junkman'' with a continued institutional home--no matter 
how badly it denigrates someone else, no matter how great the person 
who is being denigrated.
  I call on the Cato Institute to show the same class and dignity they 
showed when first alerted to this situation and take additional, 
stronger action. Doing so would send an important message that while 
someone is free to say what he or she wants--however offensive--there 
are consequences for such actions. This is an especially libertarian 
view that I am sure the Cato Institute can understand.

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