[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 157 (Tuesday, November 9, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H11832-H11841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO LATE HON. GEORGE BROWN

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the consideration 
given to this special order.
  As my colleagues have heard, the legislature is coming to an end. And 
it would be a very sad end if we did not pay tribute to one of the most 
distinguished California citizens to ever serve in the United States 
Congress, our beloved George Brown, who passed away this year as a 
Member of the House.
  So tonight, surrounded by his family and friends, Members of the 
California delegation and other States have come forward and would like 
to express their feelings and sympathies for the great life of a great 
man who served longer in the United States Congress than any other 
Member in California history.
  I am very pleased to be able to share this hour of colloquy, hour of 
memorial resolutions with the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), my 
esteemed colleague and very close friend of George Brown and his 
neighbor.
  I would like to call upon the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) 
first. And then we are going to be sharing, as Members want to express 
their concerns and try to keep their remarks to several minutes. 
Because we can see there are many people here that want to speak.
  Mr. Speaker, ``I believe in human dignity as the source of national 
purpose, human liberty as the source of national action, the human 
heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as 
the source of our invention and our ideas.'' JFK quote.
  He was a great man and a distinguished public servant; 45 years of 
public service; 36 years in the House, the longest serving Congress 
member in California history.
  Won first election--as Monterey Park city councilman and became mayor 
one year later. Member of the California State Legislature. First 
elected to U.S. Congress in 1962. Unlike other politicians, he did not 
read the polls--No other member of Congress cast more ``unsafe'' 
votes--and live to tell the tale.
  Best known for his work on science and technology: ``With his 
passing, science and technology lost its most knowledgeable advocate, 
he embraced the future by articulating a vision that includes 
harnessing science and technology to achieve sustainable development.''
  George Brown quote from NY Times interview: ``From my earliest days, 
I was fascinated by science. I was fascinated by a utopian vision of 
what the world could be like. I've thought that science could be the 
basis for a better world, and that's what I've been trying to do all 
these years.''
  He had the foresight to champion the creation of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Office of Technology Assessment, and the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy. Recognized leader in forming the 
institutional framework for science and technology in the Federal 
Government. Led effort to move the National Science Foundation into 
more active roles in engineering, science, education and the 
development of advanced technologies.
  Had the vision, courage and integrity to have remained ahead of the 
mainstream: In the California Assembly authored first bill in the 
nation to ban lead in gasoline. Recognized, early on: the environmental 
hazards of burning fossil fuels; the destructive effect of freon; the 
importance of keeping space development under civilian control; and the 
necessity of monitoring global climate change. In due time, Congress 
adopted these issues as legislation.
  Style of argument: Brown cultivated a polite and courtly style of 
argument. His reliance on reason coupled with the respect he showed his 
opponents made him a very effective advocate and enabled him to form 
alliances with people of all political parties.
  Human qualities: Cigar chomping, rumpled suit, pacifist, social 
democrat, fierce idealist, a maverick. At UCLA, he helped create some 
of the first cooperative student housing and was first to integrate 
campus housing by rooming with Tom Bradley--the future Mayor of Los 
Angeles. Joined the Army despite his pacifist leanings in order to 
serve the country.
  Inspiration to California Democrats: The current California 
Democratic party is replete with individuals who worked on Brown's 
several campaigns, including Senator Boxer. Dean of the California 
Congressional Delegation. He was our hero, and our inspiration to 
continue championing good and fighting evil.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), my 
colleague and esteemed friend, the chair of the Republican delegation 
from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I am wondering, let me ask my colleague a question if I 
can by way of procedure. I know there are Members on both sides who are 
asking for time, etcetera, and I have made a list and so on. Should we 
kind of divide this time in a way that I can distribute time and ask 
the Chair for unanimous consent for that?
  Mr. FARR of California. I have no objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the procedures of this Special Order, 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) controls the time and 
distributes the time.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. If he yields half of it to me, then can I 
distribute it?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. There is an hour on the clock, which is 
reserved to designees of the Leadership; and the Chair will not 
recognize for subdivisions of that hour.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate any 
colleague yielding.
  Let me say that I intend to make the bulk of my remarks at the end of 
this session. But let us begin by indicating to the body that oft 
times, especially with the advent of C-SPAN, the public very often sees 
only the confrontation between the two sides of the aisle, debate 
swirling around very important issues that sometimes takes us to the 
extreme of expression and confrontations that is the presumed norm.
  I must say that, over the years, I have had great pleasure in the 
fact that George Brown and I found working together that we had so much 
more in common than our people who watch us on the football team of 
politics in our home district territory would ever realize.

[[Page H11833]]

  For the Members' information, our commonality for me began when as a 
young person just out of college entering the life insurance business, 
I settled in a small town outside of Los Angeles for a couple of years 
to be close to the big city.
  The local assemblyman at that point in time was one George Brown, and 
that is when I first heard of this legislator and friend to be.
  Not too long after that, George sought his seat in the U.S. House of 
Representatives and served there for a distinguished period of time 
that was a part of his distinguished career. He then sought a seat, or 
at least the nomination, in the U.S. Senate and left the Congress for a 
while.
  In the meantime, I had returned home to San Bernardino County. It was 
years after that initial contact in Monterey Park that I got to know 
George as a candidate for the Congress in our territory near his former 
home in Colton, California. He served in the Congress for a period of 
time before I arrived here. But over the years, we developed a very, 
very close personal relationship.
  Most importantly, we developed a professional relationship, as well. 
And as his wife Marta that is in the chambers with us in person but in 
spirit in many more ways, along with her family, it is my privilege to 
share with my colleagues the thoughts of some of the Members on this 
side of the aisle as we distribute time to them and we very much look 
forward to hearing a great deal about this wonderful character who was 
a wonderful diplomat as well as ambassador here in the House of 
Representatives.

                              {time}  2030


                             General Leave

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on the subject of my special order today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). Is there objection to 
the request of the gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Farr) for setting aside this time to give tribute and salute to 
George Brown, our House colleague who died earlier this year after 
representing his constituents in California for more than 34 years. He 
is survived, as it has been said, by his wife Marta and their six 
children. She is here with us in the Chamber and we are delighted to 
see her. Many of us are aware of Marta's strong interest in public 
service and her commitment to social change. I know that she will 
continue Mr. Brown's legacy of boundless curiosity and forging public 
policy that advances social justice.
  Representative Brown, who became one of my best friends here, 
embodied the best that the House of Representatives has to offer. He 
was committed to public service, fought for social justice and became 
the Nation's foremost policymaker when it came to science and 
technology. He was a good listener and that is one of the reasons he 
was so successful. He took the time to understand his constituents and 
their problems. He believed that lawmakers should do their own 
homework, learn the issues and know how the issues affect their 
constituents. He prided himself on doing his own research.
  I served with Mr. Brown on the House Committee on Science and the 
longer we served together, the greater my admiration for him grew. As 
chairman of the House Committee on Science during the 102nd and 103rd 
Congresses, he reached the pinnacle of his legislative career. He was 
the recognized leader in forming the institutional framework for 
science and technology in the Federal Government. He worked tirelessly 
to expand the scope of NASA as one of the Federal Government's lead 
agencies in promoting research and development.
  In the 1960s and again in the 1980s, he helped restructure the 
National Science Foundation by directing that agency into more active 
roles in engineering and the development of advanced technologies. He 
also redirected the National Science Foundation to become the Nation's 
lead Federal agency in promoting mathematics, science, engineering and 
technology. His efforts have had a lasting impact on the development of 
these disciplines for kindergarten through 12th graders and more. He 
recognized that today's students will become tomorrow's workers. To be 
successful, these students must be technologically fluent and that will 
not happen without a strong commitment from the Federal Government 
working hand in hand and in coordination with the private sector. He 
understood that fact.
  He developed legislation that established the Office of Science and 
Technology to focus the Nation's policy in these areas. In the 1970s, 
he championed the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and 
the Office of Technology Assessment. He also directed the Congress 
toward groundbreaking initiatives for energy and resource conservation, 
sustainable agriculture, wind energy, global climate change research 
and space exploration. Throughout his career, he enthusiastically 
supported both piloted space flight and nonpiloted space exploration.
  Before being elected to the Congress, he was the mayor of Monterey 
Park, California. Later he was elected to the California State Assembly 
where he worked on labor and environmental legislation. In fact, he 
introduced the first bill in the Nation to ban lead in gasoline in the 
early 1960s.
  He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1962 where he 
fought for passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and worked hard to 
stop U.S. participation in the Vietnam War. His career of public 
service spanned more than 40 years. He truly was a legislator for all 
seasons and the breadth of his interests spanned many horizons, from 
space exploration to social justice.
  Mr. Speaker, this House is a better place because George Brown served 
here. I am proud to have known him and the country has moved forward 
because of his service in this Chamber.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lewis) who will yield to other Members from California.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. I appreciate my colleague yielding. It is my 
privilege to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).
  Mr. CALVERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding. George Brown. I am a 
conservative. George was an unabashed liberal. We were opposites in 
this business. But most importantly, George was my friend. I certainly 
put forth my sympathy to the family, Marta, everyone that is here 
today.
  I have got to talk about my first memory of George Brown. I was in 
our family restaurant in Corona, California. George was our 
Congressman. I think I was probably 11 years old or so at the time. He 
was sitting there with my father having a drink and smoking a cigar, 
arguing the issues of the day, very passionately. George was a very 
passionate person, someone who believed very strongly in what he 
believed in and would advocate those issues and beliefs very ably here 
on the floor.
  As I mentioned, he was my Member of Congress since I was a young boy 
and all through high school. As a young Republican campaigning for 
people against George in the early days, I remember one time George 
giving me a call one time and we had an opponent running against him. 
He called me up and he said, ``Can you get that guy to run against me 
one more time?'' He always had a sense of humor. He always participated 
in debates.
  I have got to admit, one time we had a debate and he came up to the 
podium, and he looked over at the audience and he said, ``Look. I'm 
overweight, I probably smoke too much, I don't dress as well as I 
should.'' Everybody looked at him aghast. He looked over at his 
opponent and said, ``I just thought I'd point that out before my 
opponent did.''
  He had a great way about him. He endeared himself to all of us. 
George, most importantly, was known for the business that he conducted 
here in the House. Certainly he was a chairman of the Committee on 
Science, was known as Mr. Science. He had a deep love of

[[Page H11834]]

science and the institutional framework for science and technology in 
this government.
  In the mid 1960s and again in the 1980s, he led an effort to 
restructure and strengthen the National Science Foundation, moving the 
agency into a much more active role in engineering, science education 
and the development of advanced technologies. He developed legislation 
shaping the permanent science advisory mechanism in the Executive 
Office of the President, which was established in 1976 as the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy. He was a strong proponent of 
environmental preservation and of science and technology in the service 
of society.
  I would like to think that George would be very interested in what we 
are trying to do in technology advancement for clean air, especially as 
regards components such as sulfur and other issues that we are 
advocating today in this House.
  George championed the establishment of the EPA and the Office of 
Technology Assessment in the early 1970s. He helped advance initiatives 
for energy and resource conservation, sustainable agriculture, national 
information systems, advanced technology development, and just so much 
more in the integration of technology in education.
  He enthusiastically supported both manned and unmanned space 
exploration. What an advocate on the floor. We worked together as 
Californians for the space program and he was an excellent advocate for 
space. His reputation on the Committee on Science helped him bring NASA 
participation and support for schools and businesses throughout the 
Nation and his district.
  On a personal level, we put together a Salton Sea Advisory Committee. 
Five of us originally, myself, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis), Sonny Bono, George, and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Hunter). I remember one meeting that we had in Sonny Bono's office, 
this was in December, just before Christmas, we were all talking about 
what we were going to do to save the Salton Sea. This was something 
that was so passionate to George. He loved the sea. He was raised there 
by the sea, in Imperial County, and wanted to see something done for 
future generations for the sea and for the environment around the sea.
  Shortly thereafter, Sonny was gone, and now George. So two out of the 
five original members of the Salton Sea Advisory Committee are gone. 
But now we have new Members. Mary Bono is working hard to see the 
future of the sea and the rest of us. It is, I think, our 
responsibility in George's memory to make sure that we do the right 
thing and to make sure that the Salton Sea is something that everyone 
has a pleasant memory of in the future.
  In his memory, we are renaming the Salinity Laboratory on the UCR 
campus the George Brown Salinity Laboratory. It is just one small 
example of his work but one that really shows his devotion to science 
and his love of what we are trying to do in this country to make it a 
better country for all of us as Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, with that I would like to say I am going to miss George, 
I am going to miss seeing George right over here on the House floor on 
a daily basis and going over and having our daily chats, chitchatting 
about what is going on at home in the Inland Empire and working with 
him to make the Inland Empire a better place. But I will work hard to 
make our area a better place for our constituents. It is going to be 
more difficult without George.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, as you can see, George Brown was 
not only loved in southern California but also in other States. The 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is from Marin County. He was 
loved in the north as well as in the south.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a most wonderful person, our 
former colleague and friend George Brown. I want to reflect on a 
comment from a poem that was read at Representative Brown's memorial 
service by his son. For me, the essence of that poem, ``How Do You Live 
Your Dash,'' sums up why I so respected and admired George Brown. 
George's ``dash,'' those 79 years between his birth in 1920 and his 
passing this summer is the symbol of a person who witnessed, 
participated in and positively impacted many, many of the most 
important events of modern American life.
  Years before George formally entered political life, he was actively 
engaged in the social and political issues facing our country. As a 
student at UCLA, George helped create cooperative student housing. He 
worked to break the racial color barrier by organizing the first 
integrated campus housing in the late 1930s. He was a conscientious 
objector during World War II and worked in a Civilian Conservation 
Corps camp in Oregon. Yet later he decided to join the military and 
served as a second lieutenant in the Army.
  After the war, returning to Los Angeles, he continued his work, 
organizing city workers and calling for veterans housing.
  In 1964, George was elected to the Monterey Park city council. 
Building on his past activism, his political work and style was a true 
reflection of his values. Always the gentleman legislator, as a city 
councilman, in the State Assembly or as a Member of this body, George 
was guided by his belief that through persuasion and reason, he could 
and he would build a better society.
  As we all know, Mr. Brown cultivated a polite and courtly style of 
debate, often tinged with humor and with self-deprecation. He believed 
that public service was a noble calling and he demonstrated in his 
ensuing 45 plus years in the political arena that one individual can 
make a difference.
  In 1962, he was elected to Congress. Thirty years later, I was 
fortunate to be elected to Congress and to become a member of his 
Committee on Science when he was the chair. In recent years, as chair 
of the Committee on Science, George began to challenge the scientific 
community to reflect on the social implications of their work and the 
ethical obligations that come with their high standing.
  Every day I mourn the loss of this gentleman leader. I sometimes 
wonder how we will meet the demands of a world and a Nation challenged 
by the need for a technically educated workforce without our leader 
George Brown.

                              {time}  2045

  Mr. Speaker, it was truly an honor to have known and served with 
George. His years spent on Earth, his dash, as his son reminded us, is 
the story and legacy of a wonderful person.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Houghton), a member of the Committee on Science.
  Mr. HOUGHTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen from California, Mr. 
Farr and Mr. Lewis, for organizing this tribute to George Brown.
  Mr. Speaker, I am tempted to speak for the Record, as we all do here, 
and go over the distinguished points of George's life as he was a 
Member here in terms of his support for NASA and the Space Station 
before it was even a priority with him, what he did in setting up the 
Office of Science and Technology in the White House, and of a whole 
variety of things; the environment, and a series of things like this.
  But I would really like to, and I am not sure whether that is 
appropriate, but I would really like to speak to Marta and the family, 
because I felt that George was sort of one of my family when I was 
here.
  I am a Republican. I did not go to the Democratic Caucuses. I many 
times voted differently from George, but I always felt I was on the 
same wave length.
  I will mention, what specifically keyed this to me was our fight for 
the Office of Technology Assessment. We both believed in science, 
George coming from a more academic and political atmosphere, and I 
coming from more of a business atmosphere. But we believed that it was 
important that this body have a scientific group that interpreted new 
science as it was coming along, new technology that was being applied 
in the workplace, so we could gear our legislation more to those things 
which are important for our future, rather than becoming just a 
commodity producer, which we would rapidly regret. So we fought the 
good fight and we lost, but in the losing of it, we forged a tremendous 
bond of respect.
  First of all, about his appreciation of science, I am a big believer 
of this. I

[[Page H11835]]

think all of us here feel this way, that the reason our country is what 
it is is obviously because of the human endeavor and the enterprise, 
but the ability to take chances and to reach out.
  Marta, you and your family come from the State that is doing it all 
now. What is happening in Silicon Valley is the thing that is going to 
determine the next century, and maybe even beyond that. He believed in 
that. He thought it was endemic, he thought it was important for the 
very lives we were leading every single day, not just scientists, not 
just politicians, but schoolchildren.
  But also, it gave me an opportunity to know George as a human being. 
There are a lot of people we meet around here that are sort of 
different. They have their own ideas. They are all bright, they are all 
motivated, they are all decent, they have high integrity, but there is 
always something special about the chemistry between people. I always 
felt I had this with George.
  I really do not have a lot more to say, other than thank you for 
letting us share the life of your husband with us.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those 
very dear and personal remarks.
  I yield to another colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Eshoo).
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my California colleague 
and the chairman of the Democratic delegation of the State of 
California for yielding.
  I think for the American people that are tuned in this evening and 
listening to us after hours, that this is a little different than what 
they are exposed to during the day in our very heated debates that 
sometimes generate more heat than cast light. But this is a very worthy 
program to tune into. This is when I think Members of the House really 
rise and exhibit the best of what America is about, when we recognize 
the humanity that is here in this Chamber.
  So tonight we not only mourn the passing of our colleague, our 
beautiful colleague, that beautiful human being, George Brown, but it 
is an evening for remembering him, as well. So I join with not only my 
California colleagues, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), 
who has so ably chaired the Republican delegation from California, a 
very dear friend of George Brown's, but the rest of our colleagues in 
remembering him and what he brought not only to this institution but to 
the country that we have all come here to serve.
  All of the States are memorialized here in our Chamber, and we from 
California are so proud of this son of California, and what he did 
here.
  I do not think that there are really any words that do justice to 
George Brown, because he was a very full figure, not only physically, 
but he had so many dimensions to him. Every time I look at this desk, I 
picture him leaning there. No matter how full this Chamber ever was, I 
knew exactly where to find George Brown, to either ask him how he was, 
what was happening in the committee, what he thought about a vote, or 
just in general, how everything was. You would find him leaning right 
there.

  I always thought, a penny for your thoughts, George. What do you 
think as you look out at us? Because he was a very knowing individual.
  I have the privilege of coming onto the Committee on Science as a 
freshman, and before I was sworn in we had something in California, and 
I am trying to remember, was it the California Institute that had put 
it together, and it was the day after the elections.
  I went to George Brown because he was there at this, where all of the 
Californians were gathered, and said, I would like to serve on your 
committee. And he put that wonderful arm around me, he was like a big 
California bear with a big heart, and said, I would love to have you on 
my committee, Anna. And that was my welcome. It is not that easy to get 
on a committee in the Congress, and what a welcome that was.
  You could find George Brown. Unlike any other person in this House, 
if you wanted to find him at his office, you could. When you walked in 
the door, he was not returning other people's phone calls. Do Members 
know what he was doing? He was reading the journals, the technical 
journals, the scientific journals that had been published, that 
masterful intellect applied to the good of our Nation.
  In 1961 President John Kennedy challenged America to put a human 
being on the moon before the end of 1969. That was a huge challenge. We 
take for granted what happened, and thousands of individuals throughout 
our country listened to this call and took him up on his seriousness, 
and what that meant not only for our Nation but what it meant for us as 
a Nation, as a global leader. Many worked in their own significant way 
to accomplish that feat. One of them was George Brown.
  How indebted we are to him as a Nation for his leadership and his 
courage. Many of us, as I said, take these decisions for granted and 
these accomplishments for granted once they take place, but it always 
takes individuals of courage and vision to make them happen.
  I think George Brown always made sure that we were looking toward the 
stars. I think that just as we had Americans that walked on the moon 
that were launched, that he today is walking among the stars and in 
heaven. He certainly has earned it. We are, indeed, a grateful body, 
and we are grateful to his constituents for sending him to us. He was a 
gentle man, he was a refined legislator, he was a proud Californian, he 
was a compassionate human being, and I thought that when God called 
him, that he could really answer and say, you didn't call me to be 
successful, you called me to be faithful. And that he was, to what he 
believed in and what was best in humanity. He never left anyone behind.
  I think for that reason, Marta, he walks now not only among the stars 
but among the saints. Thank you for sharing George Brown with us. God 
bless you, George. I will always picture you standing there at that 
bench, and I do not think that there is anyone that could ever come 
into the Congress to take your place. You will always, always be a 
Member here and part of our delegation.
  Mr. FARR of California. I thank the gentlewoman very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Bono), George Brown's colleague in concern about the 
Salton Sea and many other things.
  Mrs. BONO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, inscribed in an office building in California's capital 
Elipse is the quote, ``Give me men to match my mountains.'' My late 
friend and colleague, George Brown, was such a man. No one knows this 
better than his wife, Marta, his family, friends, and his loyal staff 
members.
  Today our thoughts and prayers are with George and those who loved 
him. A great man of modest origins, George was neither pretentious nor 
physically imposing, but the strength of his convictions and the depth 
of his intellect combined with an unwavering belief in the ideals that 
he held dear made him a welcome ally and formidable foe.
  Although I do not share his liberal philosophy, I share the 
commitment he had to fighting for what he believed was right. George 
Brown recalled a more gentle era of politics and, indeed, society. With 
his rumpled trappings and self-effacing style, always courteous in 
debate, George could charm his opponents while subtly skewering them 
with the scientific precision of his arguments.
  Although he was the physical embodiment of the old cigar-smoking pol, 
he always talked straight and let the public know where he stood on the 
issues. He never hid his politics within smoke-filled back rooms, nor 
did he waiver from his liberal beliefs that defined his political 
philosophy.

  George was also ahead of his time. Long before it was politically 
correct, he was a champion of civil rights. Decades before the Vietnam 
War, he was a conscientious objector to wars, although he later served 
his country as a second lieutenant in the Army.
  Before the term ``environmentalist'' became fashionable, he worked in 
the Civilian Conservation Corps in Oregon, and, of course, as a 
scientist he advocated the use of science to improve not only the lives 
of everyday Americans, but also to lay the foundation for a better 
world.
  As the distinguished chairman of the House Committee on Science, he 
never

[[Page H11836]]

allowed partisanship to interfere with the integrity of his scientific 
principles. Really, that is the greatest lesson I learned from this 
wonderful man. Regardless of the issue, George believed that you could 
work together to find common ground, that rancor and political attacks 
had no place in a civilized institution. He may have disagreed with 
your politics, but he would never treat you as less of a person because 
of your political differences.
  I had the privilege and pleasure of working closely with George on an 
issue that was close to both of our hearts, saving California's Salton 
Sea. George probably knew more about the problems facing the sea and 
the relevant science than any other Member of Congress. As a scientist, 
he probably knew more than many of the experts who are currently 
working to find a solution to this looming environmental crisis.
  He was born and raised near the sea, and spent years studying its 
decline. He was passionate in his belief that he could restore it. That 
is what I will always remember about George Brown, his quiet certitude 
that our democratic system can be made to work if we are only willing 
to work together. George proved time and time again that you could find 
common ground to advance a common good. I will try to honor his memory 
by following his example.
  I want to say also to his widow, Marta, I remember sharing many, many 
a plane ride with George and Marta Brown between the Capitol here and 
Southern California. Every time we flew together George and Marta had a 
wonderful embrace for me after I lost my husband, Sonny.
  I have spoken with Marta on a couple of occasions about her beliefs 
and her dedication to public service and her dedication to also 
restoring the Salton Sea. I just want to wish Marta Brown the greatest 
of strength and God speed in the years ahead.
  Mr. FARR of California. I thank the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Bono) for those beautiful remarks. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey), a person on whose shoulders the 
last few days of this session are dependent, the ranking member of the 
Committee on Appropriations, the former chair, a good friend of George 
Brown.
  Mr. OBEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding, Mr. Speaker.
  I remember the first time I ever met George Brown. I came in that 
door on the side of the Chamber. I was elected on April Fools Day of 
1969. George came up to me right after Easter when we got back, he came 
up to me, and I had not met him before. He said, my friend, Bob 
Kastenmeier, tells me you are to be trusted. And I did not know what 
that meant, I did not know who he was. But that was his way of 
introducing himself to me.
  I asked Bob Kastenmeier the next time I saw Bob, I said, tell me 
about this George Brown fellow. Well, he said, he is a gutsy antiwar 
hero.

                              {time}  2100

  He is a staunch defender of civil liberties, he is an absolute 
believer in civil rights and, he said, he is the ultimate rational man. 
And I think that really does describe George.
  He did yeoman's service here as a Member of the Committee on 
Agriculture and as chairman of the Committee on Science. But I think 
his greatest service to the House was simply his uncompromising 
political integrity and his uncompromising disdain for hypocrisy, which 
we often find a lot of in this town.
  I often kidded George. I told him that he reminded me of that 
wonderful character on British television, ``Rumpold of the Bailey,'' 
the British barrister who constantly defended unpopular causes, much to 
the chagrin of his law firm and his wife. And I told George that I 
thought not only did he have a slight resemblance to Leo McKern, the 
actor who played the part, but that also his style was the same, 
because he really did stand up for causes and people who had very few 
defenders, and that is what this institution often needs.
  Mr. Speaker, I think this place will miss him greatly. He was a 
superb public servant. He served California well. He served the country 
well, and I am grateful that after he ran for the Senate, he returned 
to this body and graced us with his many years of service, teaching us 
every day that public interest comes before private interest.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), a member of the Committee on Science.
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis) for yielding me this time. It is a pleasure to speak here about 
George Brown, even though it is also tinged with a good deal of 
sadness.
  I knew about George Brown a long time before I met him. In fact, my 
first acquaintance with him dates back to the mid-1970s when, as a 
nuclear physicist and a county commissioner, I was appointed by the 
American Physical Society to the committee to select science fellows 
for Members of Congress. One of those we selected ended up working for 
Mr. Brown. I got to know him quite well and talked to him regularly and 
he has described Congressman Brown in very glowing terms. And after 
that, for some 20 years, I watched the progress of Mr. Brown and the 
wisdom of his work through the science media.
  It was a pleasure when I first arrived in the Congress in early 1994 
to make his personal acquaintance and to serve on the Committee on 
Science at the time, he was chairman. Also, I worked with him after the 
time when he became the ranking member and the Republicans were 
chairing that committee.
  He was a striking person in many ways, and I found him to be a many-
dimensioned person. He was a gracious gentleman. At the same time, he 
was a great scholar. He was also a wise leader. In spite of that, he 
was self-deprecating and self-effacing. A marvelous person in so many 
different ways.
  Mr. Speaker, what particularly struck me was that in a very partisan 
institution, he was willing to ignore partisanship to help a new Member 
to discuss the history of specific issues and also acquaint me with the 
history of previous actions of the Congress.
  He was also very willing and freely gave of his advice to me as a 
newcomer and I found his advice very helpful. He was a great person in 
so many ways and so many senses of that phrase. We rarely meet great 
people throughout our lives, but when we do we immediately know that we 
are in the presence of greatness and we also appreciate it. That is the 
way it was with George Brown.
  As I said, he was a great man. I knew it when I first met him. I 
appreciated it even more as I continued to work with him on science 
issues and we had a great kinship on that score.
  I certainly appreciated him, the work he did, and particularly his 
friendship with me and his attitude towards the Congress and towards 
advancement of science. We will all miss him greatly, and I will 
especially miss him. I just wanted to take this opportunity to express 
my condolences to the members of the family and to thank them for their 
willingness to share George with us.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) very much, and I appreciate the remarks and I 
know the family does as well.
  Mr. Speaker, the great State of Texas may be a big State, but it is 
not as big as the heart of George Brown. To speak for that State is the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson).
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, unlike so many of our colleagues who have 
spoken, I did not know George Brown before I came to Congress. And when 
I learned that I would have the opportunity to work alongside the 
late George Brown, who served for 32 years on the Committee on Science, 
32\1/2\ years of his 18 terms, I was quite pleased and thrilled, having 
been a high school science teacher for the time during the 1960s and 
watching and knowing of what his work consisted.

  While Congressman Brown served as chairman of the Committee on 
Science during from 1991 to 1994 and ranking member from 1995 to 1999, 
he worked diligently to create the institutional framework necessary to 
bring science and technology into the Federal Government. And from the 
mid-1960s on, he led an effort to restructure and strengthen the 
National Science Foundation, moving the agency into much more active 
roles in engineering, science education, and the development of 
advanced technologies.
  I guess I came to Congress expecting more camaraderie and less 
partisanship

[[Page H11837]]

than what I have seen so far, but for me it was George Brown who I will 
remember as the statesman and the consensus builder on the Committee on 
Science. And in addition to that, he developed legislation that created 
what later became the President's Office of Science and Technology 
Policy and pushed for the development of the Environmental Protection 
Agency and the Office of Technology Assessment.
  Throughout his impeccable congressional career, George Brown pushed 
the envelope not only for NASA and the human space exploration program, 
but also, as we have already heard, for civil rights, the environment, 
even family farmers throughout the Nation.
  While I was only able to spend 2\1/2\ years getting to know George, 
the stories that I have heard continue to make me smile and will keep 
him in my memory for an awful long time. Chairman George Brown cannot 
be replaced and he will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him. 
Thank you and God bless the family.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lewis).
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield in turn to our 
colleague from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) who served several years 
with George Brown on the Committee on Science.
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I have to say, everybody has got a 
hushed tone tonight remembering George. I do not remember him in hushed 
tones. This guy was a fellow. He just had so much life about him and 
there was so much goodness about George Brown and he was right out 
front on everything.
  He was certainly my chairman, he was my colleague, and he was a 
friend. He was chairman of the Committee on Science, and I was on the 
committee. I am still on that committee. I am now the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, and every time he would come 
over once he lost that spot, we would always be happy because he was a 
treasure house of information. He was an institutional treasure to our 
committee and we have already felt his loss.
  Let me note this: that as chairman of the Committee on Science, when 
he was chairman of the Committee on Science, he exercised his authority 
as fairly as anyone who has ever served in this body. So although we 
had some disagreements, he always, always was fair. I do not even 
remember one incident where I was angry at him because he did not give 
a Member the right amount of time or tried to cut off debate or short-
circuit someone else.
  Now, we disagreed about things, but he was always right up front. In 
fact, one of the great things we know about George is that he never 
apologized about being a liberal. This man was unabashedly, no, he was 
bashed around for being a liberal I am sure, but he was unapologetic 
about being someone who believed that government should help people. 
That was his basic philosophy. Government should help people. It was as 
simple as that, because George Brown loved people.
  Mr. Speaker, I am a conservative. I have a little bit more suspicion 
about government, and that is my philosophy. George respected that. 
There was no situation where he thought he was above me because he 
wanted to help people through government and I am suspicious of 
government. No, he was an honest Democrat as well. He believed in 
democracy and believed in this system.
  Again, he treated differences, as we have heard today, with a great 
sense of humor. With his sense of humor he made this a really nice 
place and a good decent place to work and added a great deal to the 
cooperation we have had in this body.
  Let me just say that being someone of a different philosophy, we ran 
people against George Brown. Here we are commemorating George Brown. 
Let us remember those of us on this side of the body ran good 
candidates against George Brown every time. Marta will certainly, I 
know, confirm that he had some tough races out there. But guess what? 
George Brown won every single race. Every time we put somebody up 
against him, his constituents returned him because as we found out, 
George Brown was much beloved by his constituents, Republicans and 
Democrats alike. We had trouble getting the Republicans not to vote for 
George Brown, they loved him so much.

  The reason they loved him out there is because he loved them. There 
was a great deal of goodness and love in George Brown's heart. He was a 
man of integrity and that could be seen for sure early on in his life. 
We could see it here. But if one studies George Brown's history early 
on in his life, he took a stand against the war in Vietnam. He was one 
of the first ones to recognize what a great threat that was to the 
body. He did not wait for it to become trendy. He did not wait for it 
to become some issue where it was going to do him some good. George 
Brown was out fighting the war in Vietnam long before some of us 
realized.
  Some of us on the conservative end of the spectrum say to ourselves 
perhaps that war went on too long before we realized where it was going 
and where it was taking America. Perhaps George Brown, who had the 
goodness and intent of trying to help his country, maybe he had some 
realizations in his heart. Plus, he was a champion of civil rights 
early on.
  And, Mr. Speaker, I will say this as a conservative. Some of us who 
are suspicious of government have to look at people like George Brown 
and his early struggles in the civil rights movement and we have to 
feel a little bit embarrassed that it was an unabashed liberal who was 
taking care of protecting people's human and civil rights in this 
country. Some of us should have learned a lot from George Brown in that 
regard.
  Finally, let me just say that George Brown, even though we ran 
candidates against him, never held a grudge. I remember him telling me 
right down there standing with me, ``Well, you fellows always run 
somebody against me. And even though Dave Dreier likes me a lot, I know 
that we are friends, but don't worry. We are going to work all of these 
things out and we have all of these things we have accomplish 
together.'' And sure enough, he never held a grudge and we worked so 
well together.
  Mr. Speaker, he is going to be missed. I am going to miss him. 
Everybody else here is going to miss him. He loved us. He loved his 
constituents. He loved his country. He had a good heart and we loved 
him. I loved George Brown very much and I am going to miss him very 
much. My heart goes out to Marta and just condolences to the whole 
family. And I guess I cannot say much more except all of the great 
things that he did in the Committee on Science, they are going to go on 
helping America for a long, long time. A lot of people are going to 
benefit from those things. They are not going to remember George's 
name, because in 50 years none of our names are going to be remembered. 
But he has done a lot of good for this country and certainly those of 
us who served with him will never forget George Brown.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to now call on the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Capps). She and the other gentlewoman from California 
(Mrs. Bono) share something in common with Marta Brown. They have all 
lost their husbands while serving in Congress.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, with a sad heart and also a smile of 
remembrance, I rise to pay tribute to our beloved colleague, George 
Brown. I am very proud and honored to join my friends on the floor this 
evening to honor George's memory and to celebrate his life.
  Let me first express my condolences to Marta, who joins us in the 
Chamber tonight, and to everyone else in George's large and wonderful 
family.
  Mr. Speaker, I would say to her, ``Marta, I have been in your shoes. 
It is not easy. But your spirit and your strength in this difficult 
time have inspired all of us.''
  I also want to send a special word of condolence to George's staff. I 
know from my own experience, and that of my staff who were Walter's 
staff, that they are doubly burdened. For 3 months they have been 
grieving for their leader, while at the same time working hard to 
continue to serve the people of the 42nd District in California, and my 
heart is with them.

                              {time}  2115

  Mr. Speaker, this House has many national leaders. This House has 
many warm and decent people. George Brown was both. He was first 
elected during

[[Page H11838]]

the Kennedy administration when Americans heard our young President 
promise that we would put a man on the moon.
  Throughout his illustrious career, few Members in this body 
contributed as much to our successful space program as did George 
Brown. With his leadership on the Committee on Science, George kept our 
space policy on track. He knew that unlocking the secrets of the 
heaven's would benefit our quality of life here on earth.
  As a fellow Californian who once served on his committee, I was awed 
by and so grateful for George's visionary work on the space program. He 
made such a mark on science education which will be felt for 
generations to come in every elementary science class and secondary 
science class throughout this country.
  He made such a mark on the space exploration of this country which I 
think of each time I watch a launch at Vandenberg Air Force base in my 
district. Each time, I think of George Brown. That legacy will continue 
as long as there is space exploration in this country and even in this 
world.
  But, Mr. Speaker, as effective a Member as George was, he was an even 
better person. I will never forget the kindness and generosity that 
George extended to Walter and me when we first came to Washington in 
1997. I will surely never forget George's warmth and comfort when 
Walter passed away.
  After George died, many of us flew together to his memorial service 
in his district. Democrats, Republicans, Members from around the 
Nation, senior and junior Members alike, we spent many hours 
reminiscing about George.
  We remembered his legislative victories. We again admired his 
dedication to the people of his district. We laughed about his sense of 
humor. We recalled his warmth and decency.
  Being in his district for this memorial service gave me such a sense 
of the high esteem with which he was held and is held by the people he 
represented for so many years. This group that came together to 
memorialize him was such a diverse group that he held together 
throughout the decades that he served the 42nd District. This is a 
legacy also which is a model for our country and for the leaders in 
this House.
  All of us in Congress join with George's family and staff and his 
constituents to mourn his passing. We will all miss him. But we are 
also thankful to God for the precious time we had with him. We ask 
God's continued blessing upon his family, his precious family, his 
district, and the legacy which he leaves to us all.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from San Francisco, California (Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Farr) for calling this special order. It gives us an opportunity to say 
a good-bye to George Brown, which is heartfelt, nonetheless very sad.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we mark the passing of our 
dear friend. But this is a very special special order because it brings 
some closure. I do not think a day goes by that most of us do not come 
to this floor to vote when we expect to see George sitting in his 
regular seat.
  As we are accustomed to saying here in the House, I wish to associate 
myself with the remarks of my colleagues who have spoken before, 
because I think they have spoken very, very eloquently, and it is a 
compliment to be associated with their remarks because this man was 
very special. But I think that our colleagues have captured him.
  As I associate myself with the remarks of my colleagues, I will just 
say a few personal remarks. George was an inspiration. We all know 
that. He was a leader, as has been acknowledged. He was an 
intellectual, and we all benefit from that. He was also a politician, a 
political leader. In California, he is a legend and has been, really, 
for a very long time.
  When he, representing the district that he did, took the stands that 
he did, it was with great courage. It would be easy for someone from my 
district to speak out against the Vietnam War and to vote against the 
military spending at the time. It was not easy for George Brown. But he 
did it anyway.
  We all benefited from the fact that he was a student of nuclear 
engineering. When I say ``we all'', I mean every person in this 
country, because we had the benefit of his thinking. We continue to 
have the benefit of his thinking because of the legacy that he has 
left.
  Not a day, again, goes by when we do not miss him, do not think we 
are going to see him in the Chamber, but we do have the benefit of the 
ideas that he has put forth and the leadership that he has provided and 
the way he has translated all of the ideas that he has in his knowledge 
of science and engineering into public policy, into a better future for 
our country.

  He was genuinely interested and curious about all complex issues and 
the debates that swirled around the development of modern science and 
technology. So he was a very fascinating man.
  I want to say that we will miss his sense of humor, his civility, his 
deep commitment to public service. I, and the constituents of my 
district join me, extend our deepest sympathy to Marta, to the Brown 
family, to his constituents, to his staff, to his friends, all of whose 
lives he touched, enriched, and changed for the better.
  With that and with great love, George Brown, we will miss you every 
single day we serve here, and we will always be grateful for the memory 
you have provided for us.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that we mark the passing of a 
dear friend and a long-time Member of this Chamber, George E. Brown, 
Jr.
  George was an inspiration. I know the constituents of his San 
Bernardino district remember him with great fondness and respect. He 
was a distinguished and dedicated public servant who served in this 
House with great dignity for 35 years. In my opinion, George should be 
remembered, above all, as a man of high principle. He was first elected 
in 1962 and frequently spoke out against excessive military spending 
and America's involvement in the Vietnam War. He maintained his 
principles and, during the tumult and shouting of the 1960s, routinely 
voted against military spending for a war that was, in his careful and 
considered analysis, an unjust intervention.
  Since his days as a student of nuclear engineering and, later, as a 
working physicist, George took a strong and focused interest in modern 
technology, the advancement of the sciences, and, of course, space 
exploration. As Chairman and ranking Democrat of the House Science 
Committee, he helped shape and define the evolution of the National 
Science Foundation, NASA's International Space Station, and other 
significant endeavors that engaged the best minds in American science 
and technology.
  George was genuinely interested in, and curious about, all of the 
complex issues and debates that have swirled around the development of 
modern science and technology. His palpable excitement belied his 
position as the oldest Member of the House in the 106th Congress. For 
many years, he served ably as Dean of the California Congressional 
delegation, and George leaves us with the distinction of representing 
California longer than any other member of Congress. His influence and 
legacy will continue to define the work of this body.
  We will miss George, his principled ways, his sense of humor, his 
civility, and his deep commitment to public service.
  I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to his widow, Marta Macias 
Brown, to the Brown family, his constituents, and his friends and 
colleagues, all of whose lives he touched, enriched, and changed.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Pelosi) very much for those beautiful words.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) for 
a moment.
  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield to the 
gentleman from Long Beach, California (Mr. Horn).
  Mr. HORN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lewis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) for this very 
moving ceremony. So many people have said so many wonderful things. 
They are all true.
  I first met George Brown in January of 1963 when he came here as a 
new, fresh, young congressman. I was then the legislative assistant to 
Senator Thomas H. Kuchel, the senior Senator and Republican whip from 
California. He called me and said, ``Steve, I hear a lot of good things 
about this fine young man. Go over and give him my best.'' And I did. 
George Brown was, from the very beginning, noted by people in the House 
as well as some in the Senate that he was a very decent person.

[[Page H11839]]

  When I came back here 30 years later we renewed our acquaintanceship. 
I used to kid George ``One of these days, George, the Legislature is 
going to redistrict you into some suburb of Las Vegas''. That was 
because he had kept moving east from his first election in Los Angeles 
County. When George came to the House, he served on the Committee on 
Agriculture. In those days, Los Angeles County was the No. 1 
Agricultural County in the Nation in the value of its crops.
  Over 18 terms in the House, George moved from Monterey Park, then 
Colton, then Riverside, then Colton, then Riverside, then San 
Bernardino, then Riverside, then San Bernardino again. No other Member 
of the House has had that many different residences moving in one 
direction as George was able to do.
  As the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) said, the 
Republicans always sought to defeat him, but they never could because 
he loved his constituency, and they loved him.
  Then in 1993, George was in a key role to help pull the California 
delegation together. His ally in this was Carlos Morehead on the 
Republican side. In 1993, when Jane Harman and I came here as two 
freshmen, we were designated to work with George and Carlos on the 
executive committee of the Democratic and Republican delegations. Our 
aim was to work for economic development in southern California.
  From March 1988, 400,000 people had been let go in the aerospace 
industry. We had a major crisis as a result of the end of the Cold War 
and the economic recession. Carlos and George pulled the delegation 
together. The delegation had not met for 8 years and it was a disgrace. 
The two Senators would come over at all our meetings. Ron Packard, 
Carlos, and George led the delegation to work together.
  George always had a great sense of humor. When I saw him on the 
floor, I once asked him what he thought of some of the Democratic 
Presidential candidates in the 1960s. George's sense of humor was 
terrific, which I cannot repeat here, but it gets down to a one word 
description for each one, and it was not the same word for each one. He 
had suitably captured the personality, values, and interests that 
seemed to be encompassed in that word. I would smile through the rest 
of the day.
  We have heard every Member practically talk about his decency and his 
scholarship. That was true. He was a real human being. He is the kind 
of person we do not forget, and he is the kind of person we ought to 
have in the House of Representatives, one who stands up for his 
principles yet can work with everybody else who might have different 
principles.
  Nini and I extend condolences to the family. We worked with a great 
legend. We all respected him.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of my good friend 
and colleague, George E. Brown, Jr. George was a man of many 
accomplishments, who led by work and example. He was the leader of the 
California delegation and led our state on many issues of importance. 
George came to the U.S. Congress after an illustrious career in 
California where he had served as a city councilman and mayor of 
Monterey Park. Subsequently, he was elected to the California State 
Assembly where he authored legislation providing public employees the 
right to bargain collectively and foreshadowing his many environmental 
efforts in the House; he also introduced the first ban of lead in 
gasoline in the nation.
  George was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1962. He was in the 
forefront of fighting for passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and many 
of us remember that picture of him with President Johnson, Martin, 
Robert Kennedy and Rosa Parks hanging in his office. He protested the 
Vietnam war when it was not popular to do so. To give leadership to the 
anti-Vietnam war movement and the Civil Rights movement, George made a 
brave but unsuccessful run for the Senate in 1970. As a result of the 
census reapportionment, a new House seat was created and in 1972, 
George returned to his beloved Congress to serve the people in 
communities where he was raised, the Inland Empire.
  In the 1960's and again in the 80's George guided the National 
Science Foundation into a more progressive position, refocusing it on 
engineering, science education, and the development of advanced 
technologies. George Brown became Chairman of the House Science 
Committee in 1991. While Chair, he was an innovator in both Science and 
Technology, always looking to the future and to our nation's progress 
as the path to follow. He brought creativity and innovation to the 
House Science Committee and he was instrumental in creating what we now 
think of as the framework for science and technology in the federal 
government.
  Ahead of the mainstream, he shaped our nation's science for good by 
bringing its oversight into the Executive Office and establishing the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy. By doing so, he made science 
and technology truly a national priority which provided the impetus to 
the research initiatives so important to the great research and 
technology enterprises in our country and especially in California.
  I was fortunate to have developed a friendship with George when we 
worked closely together on California base conversions, an issue of the 
utmost importance to my district, the 9th Congressional District of 
California. George was a tenacious fighter for the public good; many of 
us could learn from his great example. Even when the Democrats lost 
their majority in 1994, George remained influential.
  Earlier, I mentioned George's leadership in the California Assembly 
on environmental protections issues. In the House, he also recognized 
the importance of protecting the ozone layer and other elements of 
environmental health as well as championing the creation of the 
Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Technology 
Assessment.
  His courtly style and hard work made him a favorite in his district; 
he respected all points of view and all parties respected him in turn, 
making him a formidable advocate and effective negotiator on the side 
of the liberal and moderate. I will truly miss my friend George Brown.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, as Chair of the Congressional 
Hispanic Caucus and former Chair of the California Democratic 
Congressional Delegation, I want to express my deepest sympathies for 
the passing of my colleague, friend, and mentor, George Brown.
  It has been a true honor to serve with George in the House of 
Representatives. I have had the privilege of knowing George for years, 
since he served with my father, Congressman Edward R. Roybal, for over 
two decades.
  George was the oldest current House member and the longest serving 
member of the House or Senate in the history of the state of 
California, as well as the top Democratic Member on the House Science 
Committee and a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee.
  George served as Chairman of the House Science Committee during the 
102nd and 103rd Congresses and was probably best known in Congress for 
his work on the science and technology issues under his committee's 
jurisdiction. As an energetic proponent of the environment, Brown 
championed the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency and 
the Office of Technology Assessment in the early 1970s.
  George was a person of integrity, intelligence, and respect, who 
never failed to stand up for what he believed. George worked to bring 
down the color barrier at the University of California, Los Angeles by 
organizing the first integrated campus housing in the late 1930's. In 
the 1940's he helped organize Los Angeles city workers. Later, in 
Congress, Brown fought for passage of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights 
Act. He was one of the first outspoken critics of the Vietnam War and 
stood his ground by voting against every defense spending bill during 
the Vietnam era.
  George was also friend and role model to me and countless other 
members of Congress and staff. George paved the way for me to become 
the first woman to chair the California Democratic Congressional 
Delegation. Not confined to the dictates of seniority or protocol, 
George encouraged me to run for the chairmanship, recognizing the value 
of inclusion and promoting new leadership.
  George was an outstanding legislator, individual, and friend and he 
will be dearly missed.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, George Brown, Jr., who passed away last 
summer, was not only a colleague but a personal friend. I had the 
privilege of working with George for many years, here in the House of 
Representatives and in the City of Monterey Park. During this time, I 
grew to respect him as a man of great integrity, commitment, and 
kindness.
  I first met George in the mid-1950s when he was the head of the 
Democratic Club and a City Councilman in Monterey Park. At that time, I 
did not know that I would someday have the opportunity to represent 
many of the same people. Because of his tremendous knowledge and 
enthusiasm for public service, he developed a bond with the residents 
of Monterey Park that lasts to this day. George was a leader who 
inspired people to community service. He had the ability to fill 
meeting halls to capacity. His unwavering commitment to public service 
earned him the respect and loyalty of the people of his district and 
the surrounding communities.

[[Page H11840]]

  Many may remember when George was arrested on the steps of the 
Capitol for joining with a group of Quakers in a protest against the 
war in Vietnam. I have often thought about this as an example of his 
commitment to his beliefs. Even on points where there was disagreement, 
George's integrity was never in question. He was firm in his 
convictions and willing to stand up for his beliefs.
  I have no doubt that George Brown will be remembered as one of 
California's greatest statesmen. His presence in this Chamber is 
missed.
  Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
pay tribute to both a colleague and friend, George Brown.
  I had the privilege of serving on the Science Committee during 
George's tenure as Chairman, and valued the opportunity to learn from 
his leadership. George and I worked together on many occasions in 
support of interests important to our native southern California. 
George may forever be remembered for his ability to bring together all 
Californians serving in Congress.
  George believed in the power of persuasion to settle differences. He 
was polite and courteous in his treatment of everyone on both sides of 
the aisle. George prided himself on working hard for his district. He 
was dedicated to the people of southern California and he will be 
greatly missed.
  In George Brown, this institution has lost a distinguished Member of 
Congress, a faithful public servant, and a good man. George will be 
greatly missed, not only as a tireless advocate for the people of 
California's 42nd Congressional District, but as a close friend to 
those so fortunate to have known him.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representatives Lewis 
and Farr for reserving this time to allow Members an opportunity to pay 
tribute and to honor the memory of our dear friend, the gentleman from 
California, George Brown. I am moved by their reserving this special 
order. In a genuine expression of bipartisanship, their efforts serve 
to highlight one of George Browns' greatest strengths. Throughout his 
long and distinguished career, George Brown worked diligently to build 
bonds with other Members from across the aisle. More often than not, he 
succeeded in these efforts. His constituents were wise to re-elect him 
to 18 terms of service in this House. George represented the 42nd 
District of California with distinction and honor. Serving the needs of 
his constituents, and making certain that their interests were 
protected were the basis of his long, distinguished commitment to 
public service.
  Throughout my tenure in the House as well as my service on the Rules 
Committee--as Chairman and Ranking Member, I had the opportunity to 
work with George on a number of issues. His interest and leadership on 
issues as science and technology was strong. He had a wonderful ability 
to explain new technologies in ways that even those of us less aware of 
these technologies could understand their potential impacts. He was 
especially proud of his work to ensure that our schools would benefit 
from new advances in the area of educational technology. George Brown 
understood the importance of public education, he worked tirelessly to 
make certain that our young people would have access to the exciting 
worlds of science and technology.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I am thankful that we have had this 
opportunity to honor George Brown. We will surely miss his presence and 
his civility here in the People's House. While he is no longer with us, 
his commitment to his constituents and to his nation will ensure that 
he is remembered for generations to come.
  Farewell my friend.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, like the other Members who have 
spoken here before me, I have a special affection for our dearest 
friend George Brown. But unlike these other Members, I also have a 
special privilege--the privilege of attempting to carry on Congressman 
Brown's work as Ranking Democrat on the Science Committee.
  This is no easy task. More than anyone I could ever imagine, George 
Brown was born to be the Chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology 
Committee.
  Two fires burned within George. On the one hand, he devoted his 
mediations and tailored his actions toward achieving justice and 
equality for all those in our society. In his 35th year in Congress, he 
continued to take the time to read the works of the ancients--Greek, 
Roman, Eastern and Middle Eastern--as well as the works of modern 
philosophers. He, like them, was obsessed with the concept of social 
justice and how its pursuit would contribute to an ideal society.
  But even more so, George loved science, space, and technology. George 
came from humble beginnings in Holtville--in the heart of the hot and 
arid farmlands of the Imperial Valley. From the beginning George was an 
extraordinary student. He graduated from high school at the age of 
sixteen and, in the year or two between high school and UCLA, read 
nearly every book in the Holtville library. Science moved him even 
then. He studied the stars, read technical journals, and devoured 
science fiction. One can imagine, perhaps as H.G. Wells ``War of the 
Worlds'' played on the radio, a seventeen-year-old scholar with the 
body of a linebacker, looking up at the crystal-clear desert starlight 
and imagining the wonders of human and robotic space exploration.
  George would speak about two Members of Congress who taught him 
valuable lessons about the institution. In his freshman term, George 
served on the Education Committee. The Chairman, Adam Clayton Powell, 
quickly learned of George's interest in post-secondary education and 
training and gave the freshman Member from California the lead on re-
authorization of many of those programs. It was a lesson George never 
forgot and one he often repeated with young, inexperienced Members of 
the Science Committee from both sides of the aisle. There are many 
current and former Members of the Science Committee who can point to 
significant legislative accomplishments that they are able to claim 
because of Chairman Brown's modesty and support.
  He also talked frequently about my fellow Texan Olin ``Tiger'' 
Teague, who chaired the Science Committee in the 1970s. There were no 
two Members of the Democratic Caucus further apart politically than 
George and Tiger. But each had a deep respect for the other's fairness 
and honesty. Tiger developed the habit, when confronted with a thorny 
political problem on the Committee, of calling George into his office 
and asking for George's advice on how to solve the problem most justly. 
George himself adopted this practice. Any Member--conservative or 
liberal, Republican or Democrat--who was sincere and had done his or 
her homework would get a fair hearing from Chairman Brown. In my ten 
Congresses, I have not seen a Chairman who was more fair to his 
Committee Members than George Brown was.
  George leaves a large and important legacy in this institution and 
particularly in the Science Committee. I am honored both to be part of 
these remembrances this evening and to have a small role in trying to 
continue that legacy.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I only served with George for a few years 
from January 1995 until his passing just a short time ago. But while I 
served with George just these few years, I will never forget this man 
whose influence on our country and its future is so profound.
  In truth, I first became aware of George Brown while working for my 
predecessor in office, Congressman Don Edwards. At the time the nation 
faced the challenge of war in Southeast Asia. Early on, American 
opinion was not divided as it would later be. There were few who were 
willing to question. Don Edwards was one of them. So was George Brown. 
Whatever your view of America's role in that conflict, the courage to 
do one's job as a legislator--to ask the tough questions and to stand 
for what one believed in does command respect. George Brown was always 
a person who would stand up for what he believed in.
  When I was elected to the 104th Congress, I asked to be assigned to 
the Science Committee where George Brown was serving as ranking Member. 
At the time all of the former Chairmen of Committees were adjusting to 
new roles in the minority. Some former Chairmen, quite frankly, had a 
hard time coping with this new role. George Brown rose to the occasion. 
Who wouldn't rather be in charge? But he understood the important role 
he could play by using his knowledge as a resource for the whole 
Congress--both Democrats and Republicans. I came to understand that if 
George Brown gave advice on Science Policy it was a good bet that it 
was exactly what our country should do. And while the 104th Congress 
definitely had its rocky moments, as the months wore on it became clear 
that George Brown was commanding respect on both sides of the aisle.
  I doubt that all of the scientists in America understand how much is 
owed to George for his vision and understanding about science. Can all 
the American citizens fully appreciate how much poorer would be our 
economy and our quality of life--how much more limited our future--
without the years of advocacy for sound science policies that George 
led? But George did his work not for the glory, but for the 
satisfaction that he was making a difference. He was never afraid to do 
what was right and he was smart enough to figure out, in the complex 
field of science, what was the correct course.
  George was widely rumored over the years to be contemplating 
retirement. When I first heard that rumor, I wrote him an impassioned 
multi-page letter asking him to stay and letting him know how much his 
leadership on science would not only be missed in this House, but in 
the world. He listened to those of us who begged him to stay and we 
were grateful.
  Shortly before George left us, he told the Democratic Members of the 
California Delegation that we could count on him: He would run for 
reelection and would do his best to win. While he didn't get that 
chance, I will always

[[Page H11841]]

remember that he was willing to go full measure for America. Whether as 
a soldier in World War II or a soldier in the effort to support 
science, he served his country with valor, with intelligence and with 
distinction. I am grateful to him for his many kindnesses to me, his 
wit and his wisdom, for the example he made for younger Members of his 
House about integrity and commitment as well as for his love and 
dedication to his family.
  I miss George a great deal. Despite all of the talented people 
working on Science Issues in this House, none of us can claim the 
experience, expertise and wise leadership that George gave the country 
in this arena. We will try to fill in the gaps his parting left. I, for 
one, feel grateful to have known him to have served with him. I feel 
lucky that I had the change to tell him how much I admired him while he 
was still living. I miss him and join with my colleague tonight in 
honoring his life and his contributions.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, America lost its foremost science 
advocate, a statesman, and a tremendous human being when my colleague 
and friend, George Brown, passed away. As a Member and later Chairman 
and Ranking Member of the Science Committee, George was a forceful and 
tireless advocate for science. Whether it was protecting a science 
account from attack or pushing the newest area of research, George was 
a true friend to the science community. I feel both sadness and 
inspiration when I look up to see George's likeness watching over the 
proceedings in the Science Committee's hearing room. Sadness at our 
loss but inspired to continue building upon the successes George made 
possible. I am hopeful that his portrait will serve as a constant 
reminder of George's commitment to our nation's science programs, his 
leadership, his friendship, his humor, and his compassion throughout 
his many years of service.
  George's integrity and the strength of his word were never in doubt. 
He could be a forceful advocate when needed and a bipartisan friend 
when deserved. Perhaps what was most remarkable about George was that 
even after sitting through hundreds and hundreds of presentations by 
researchers around the nation, George never lost a genuine delight in 
hearing of new science breakthroughs that would revolutionize 
tomorrow's world. When tomorrow's scientists find their next 
breakthrough discovery, I know in my heart that George will delight in 
their achievement.
  Although George served for eighteen terms in the House, a remarkable 
achievement in itself, I don't think he ever enjoyed looking back as 
much as he cherished looking ahead. Earlier this year, George remarked, 
``I've thought that science could be the basis for a better world, and 
that's what I've been trying to do all these years.'' Certainly George 
made his own strong contribution to making this a better world.
  I ask all Members, to keep George's spirit alive as we proceed with 
our responsibilities during this Congress--with his respect for this 
institution foremost in our minds and his joy of public service and his 
friendship in our hearts.

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