[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1277-E1278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION TO RENAME THE POST OFFICE IN ROYAL OAK, MI, 
               AFTER THE HONORABLE WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOE KNOLLENBERG

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2000

  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, today I pay a much deserved tribute to 
former Congressman William S. ``Bill'' Broomfield, who

[[Page E1278]]

ably served the people of the State of Michigan for over forty years.
  I am introducing legislation to name the post office building at 200 
West Second Street in Royal Oak, Michigan, in honor of my friend and 
predecessor. I am pleased to report to the House that the entire 
Michigan House delegation has signed on as original cosponsors of the 
measure. Mr. Speaker, Bill Broomfield is so well respected by his 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle that both Republicans and 
Democrats stand together to honor this fine man.
  Bill Broomfield was born in Royal Oak, Michigan, in 1922 and 
graduated from then-Michigan State College (now Michigan State 
University) in East Lansing before serving ably in the Michigan 
legislature. He was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1956, the 
same time as the second Eisenhower Administration and he did not stop 
serving his constituents until his retirement from this body in 1992, a 
span of thirty-six years.
  Bill Broomfield is Royal Oak's favorite son and a true man of the 
people. He is so endearing and personable that he was known to his 
constituents simply as ``Bill''. He loves the people he served for and 
they have love, admiration, and respect for him.
  During his tenure, Bill Broomfield was the hallmark of bipartisanship 
and a self-defined ``consensus builder''. He served as a member of the 
International Relations, later renamed the Foreign Affairs Committee, 
where he helped craft America's foreign policy during the critical Cold 
War Era. He served as Ranking Member of this committee from 1975 until 
his retirement in 1993.
  He also was the point-person in Congress for many of the initiatives 
championed by Presidents Reagan and Bush. From Nicaragua to the Persian 
Gulf to Eastern Europe to North Korea, he led the charge in Congress 
for the foreign policy that ultimately won the Cold War. For this 
effort, Michiganders and Americans everywhere owe him a tremendous debt 
of gratitude. The history books may credit Reagan and Bush with 
bringing down communism, but make no mistake, they should also mention 
Bill Broomfield in the same breath for his outstanding contribution to 
the effort that ended communism.
  Mr. Broomfield was also a careful keeper of Congress' prerogatives in 
foreign policy. He made sure that the legislative branch of government 
fulfilled its constitutional duty and that the president consulted with 
lawmakers. For example, Broomfield ensured that President Bush 
consulted with Congress when the chief executive ordered a massive 
troop buildup in Kuwait in 1990 in response to Iraq's aggression. When 
President Bush did come to Congress, Broomfield supported his efforts. 
He said, ``We must give the president the power he needs to convince 
Saddam that he has no other alternative . . .''
  Think about all of the changes in America he had the privilege of 
witnessing first-hand during his thirty-six year tenure. He has seen 
the rise and fall of Soviet totalitarianism. He has seen man reach the 
moon and Jim Crow fall. He helped move the U.S. Post-War era economy to 
the brink of the technological revolution. As we move into the 21st 
Century, we shouldn't forget the legacy of those who helped us get here 
and Bill Broomfield was at the forefront of that crusade.
  Just because he retired from elected office didn't mean that he 
stopped serving the public. In fact, he started a foundation that 
supports many causes and charities throughout southeast Michigan, 
including the Salvation Army and efforts for fighting cancer, 
Alzheimer's, and spina bifida.
  From the middle of the Eisenhower era to the beginning of the Clinton 
administration, Broomfield was a gentleman in every sense of the word, 
and an example of everything that is good and decent in public service 
and this institution. Naming the post office in his hometown of Royal 
Oak is just one way we can pay tribute to this fine man and I urge 
support for the bill.

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