[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO LATE SENATOR ALAN CRANSTON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DAVID DREIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 6, 2001

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to join my colleagues in paying 
my respects to one of California's longtime, dedicated public servants, 
the late Senator Alan Cranston, who passed away last New Year's Eve.
  Alan Cranston's career of public service spanned almost half of the 
20th century. He was first elected State controller of California in 
1958, and was sent to the Senate by California voters in 1968. He 
served there through 1993. Throughout his career, Cranston dedicated 
himself to a range of important causes--seeking to strengthen federal 
environmental laws, to expand assistance to the disadvantaged in 
society and to bolster civil rights. His commitment to arms control led 
him to work closely with President Reagan for the Intermediate Range 
Nuclear Force Treaty, even though the two agreed on little else. 
Senator Cranston was also respected for his advocacy of the interests 
of his State--for farmers, film makers, aerospace companies, financial 
institutions and independent oil producers.
  Throughout his career and throughout his life, Alan Cranston 
distinguished himself with his hard work, his tenacity and his self-
discipline. He was an Olympic-class runner who kept himself in shape 
through the end of his life. He took the time to make himself an expert 
in whatever issue he was working on. Whether it was arms control, 
housing, or the views and concerns of his Senate colleagues, Alan 
Cranston took the time to master the subject. It was this discipline 
that made him an extremely effective party-builder, coalition builder, 
advocate and legislator. That dedication and that commitment deserve 
our respect.

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