[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 96 (Thursday, June 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S7724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LEE HAMILTON

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, on June 5, I had the privilege of 
introducing my longtime friend and fellow Hoosier, Representative Lee 
Hamilton, at a gala where he received the George C. Marshall Foundation 
Award honoring statesmen of courage and integrity.
  I appreciate this opportunity to share with my fellow Senators my 
speech honoring the distinguished career of this outstanding public 
servant. I ask unanimous consent that my speech be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record.

       Thank you for inviting me to attend this remarkable event, 
     which honors two close friends and colleagues, Lee Hamilton 
     and John Warner.
       I have the special honor this evening to pay tribute to Lee 
     Hamilton, with whom I served in the Indiana congressional 
     delegation for more than two decades. Though born in Florida, 
     Lee moved with his family to Indiana where he distinguished 
     himself as a scholar and an athlete at Evansville Central 
     High School and DePauw University. At DePauw, Lee graduated 
     with honors, led the basketball team in scoring and 
     rebounding, and received the Walker Cup, given to the senior 
     judged to have contributed the most to the University during 
     a 4-year career. Lee went on to earn a law degree from 
     Indiana University. He practiced law before Indiana's Ninth 
     Congressional District elected him to the House of 
     Representatives in 1964.
       Though our home state was not typically associated with 
     international affairs, both Lee and I sought a seat on the 
     foreign policy committees of our respective chambers, and 
     both of us eventually became chairman. Over the years, we 
     have shared a passionate interest in international affairs, 
     and we have had the opportunity to work together on 
     legislation and projects that we hope will stand the test of 
     time.
       The award that Lee Hamilton receives this evening honors 
     the spirit of General George C. Marshall and the Marshall 
     Plan. It is fitting that the George Marshall Foundation would 
     honor the statesmanship and vision of my friend. As an 
     exchange student in 1951 at Goethe University, Lee had the 
     opportunity to study in Europe when the wounds of World War 
     II were still fresh. I have heard him speak of his amazement 
     that even 6 years after the end of the war, he could witness 
     omnipresent bomb damage and encounter rationing that allowed 
     students just one egg per week.
       Lee saw firsthand the hope and goodwill that was fostered 
     by the Marshall Plan, and he saw its tangible effects as our 
     assistance began to take hold in many European nations. This 
     success made a lasting impression on Lee that would influence 
     his work in the U.S. House of Representatives.
       During Lee Hamilton 34-year congressional career, he 
     promoted the importance of the U.S.-European relationship as 
     one of the pillars of American foreign policy. He was the 
     Founding Chairman of the Congressional Study Group on 
     Germany, which has facilitated a close working relationship 
     between the U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag. For more 
     than two decades, Members of the U.S. Congress and Members of 
     the German Bundestag have traveled to each others nations to 
     heighten appreciation for trans-Atlantic cooperation and 
     communication. The deep cultural affinity the United States 
     shares with Europe is rooted in our immigrant past and a 
     century of common struggle for the values of democracy, human 
     rights, and political freedom. Lee has always nurtured this 
     relationship and recognized that whatever disagreements might 
     exist, the fundamental interests of both sides of the 
     Atlantic are best served by a resolute European-American 
     partnership.
       Having seen the transformational effects of U.S. foreign 
     assistance first-hand, Lee Hamilton has been a stalwart 
     advocate of diplomatic and economic engagement. Lee has 
     always understood that effective diplomacy depends on 
     personal relationships and developing respect for foreign 
     perspectives and cultures. These are principles epitomized by 
     General Marshall, and they are more vital today than ever. 
     They are principles that are at the core of the 
     recommendations of the September 11 Commission and the Iraq 
     Study Group--both of which Lee Hamilton co-chaired with skill 
     and dignity.
       In the United States, Lee Hamilton is committed to making 
     sure that the American citizenry knows how Congress works and 
     why engagement with the world is important. His latest 
     project, through the Center on Congress at Indiana 
     University, will create a ``virtual Congress'' in which 
     students from across the county can assume the role of a 
     Member of Congress attending committee meetings, holding town 
     hall conversations, and offering their own ideas to our 
     current challenges. In this endeavor, Lee is elevating the 
     process of learning about Congress and national issues to a 
     new level. It will result in a better informed citizenry, 
     and, in the end, better government--which is what Lee 
     Hamilton's service to our Nation has always been about.
       George Marshall once said that, ``Military power wins 
     battles, but spiritual power wins wars.'' Lee Hamilton's 
     service has epitomized this concept. And that is why European 
     leaders, both current and past, follow a steady path to the 
     doors of the Wilson Center for International Scholars. They 
     know that, in Lee Hamilton, they have an extraordinarily 
     experienced and trusted public servant who can offer sage 
     advice and who continues to devote himself to strengthening 
     the bonds that the Marshall Plan forged more than 60 years 
     ago.
       On behalf of the Marshall Foundation, I am pleased to 
     present the 2007 George C. Marshall Foundation Award to the 
     Honorable Lee Hamilton.

                          ____________________