[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 6, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E272-E273]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO FATHER ROBERT F. DRINAN, SJ

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 5, 2007

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to memorialize the recent 
passing and pay tribute to a great and former Member of this House, 
Father Robert Drinan. Many Members of this House have already praised 
his advocacy of human rights and women's rights, his efforts to uphold 
government morality, his role as an educator, and his commitment to his 
Catholic faith. I rise today to highlight and honor Father Drinan for a 
particular element of his human and civil rights advocacy work.
  In 1981, as a former Congressman and noted advocate for social 
justice, Father Drinan was named to the Commission on Wartime 
Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC). This commission was 
formed to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding Executive 
Order (EO) 9066 and the

[[Page E273]]

impact of this order and the ensuing exclusion, relocation, and 
internment on American citizens and permanent resident aliens of 
Japanese ancestry.
  The CWRIC found that EO 9066 and the decisions that followed were not 
justified by military necessity, but shaped by racial prejudice, 
wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership. As a member of 
the commission, Father Drinan was among the most outspoken about the 
need to remedy the injustices done to these loyal Americans and 
permanent residents. Based on the CWRIC's findings and recommendations, 
Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, which provided a 
national apology and redress to all surviving individuals who were 
excluded from their place of residence due to EO 9066.
  The CWRIC and its findings are cited as historic and remarkable due 
to their impeccable credentials, solid research, and far-reaching 
influence, As such, we cannot understate the role of Father Robert 
Drinan in the proceedings and findings of this commission. He spoke for 
redress to former internees in his Congressional testimony on behalf of 
the commission. His testimony was truly instrumental in the passage of 
the Civil Liberties Act and sent a message to the Nation and the world 
that the U.S. Government is able to admit its mistakes and take 
responsibility in making reparations. In a speech before Congress in 
1987, Father Drinan profoundly stated, ``No U.S. Government may take 
away the liberty of its citizens, even in wartime, unless there is some 
clear and provable reason. Lacking any such reason, the deprivation of 
liberty of any U.S. citizen is a clear violation of the Constitution, 
which states in the 14th Amendment that no person may be deprived of 
`life, liberty, or property without due process of law.' ''
  Father Drinan maintained his commitment to the causes of human 
rights, education, and promoting awareness of the triumphs and follies 
of U.S. history throughout his life and well after his tenure on the 
CWRIC. On the matter of Japanese American Internment, Father Drinan was 
among the founding board members of the Civil Liberties Public 
Education Fund which was created by the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 to 
fund educational and humanitarian purposes related to the wartime 
internment of Japanese Americans. As part of this board, Father Drinan 
ensured that we as a Nation never forget the mistakes in our history 
and are reminded to uphold the virtues of equality and justice for all.

  Mr. Speaker, Father Robert Drinan has certainly impacted this Nation 
in innumerable ways, but I have been personally touched by Father 
Drinan's work and advocacy on behalf of the Japanese American community 
towards redress. Our Nation owes Father Drinan much honor, respect, and 
gratitude for his work to address the wrongs done to Japanese Americans 
during World War II and his tireless effort to ensure this Nation lives 
up to its own standards. He will be sorely missed.

                          ____________________