[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 83 (Friday, May 28, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING WILLIAM (LARRY) LUCAS, VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, 
     PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (PhRMA)

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. DONNA M. CHRISTENSEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 27, 2010

  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and honor Mr. 
Larry Lucas--who is retiring from his position as vice president, 
Government Affairs, of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers 
Association, PhRMA--for his dedication and illustrious career which, 
over many decades, has always championed the improved health and 
wellness of all people, but particularly of the underserved.
  During his tenure at PhRMA, Larry honed his expertise and energy 
around coalition building and grassroots development, and developed 
strong and strategic partnerships with African-American and Latino 
state legislators throughout the country. But Larry also worked with a 
diversity of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle on issues 
that were and remain critically important to expanding access not only 
to medicines, but also to quality health care information, services and 
treatments. He launched numerous efforts to work with a broad coalition 
of key stakeholders--from patients, to healthcare providers and 
administrators, to for-profit and not-for-profit health organizations--
to raise greater awareness about the factors that exacerbate the racial 
and ethnic differences in access to quality health care, as well as in 
health preferences and health outcomes. Ever the communicator--Larry 
did a stint in radio as a young man--he also wrote a nationally 
syndicated monthly column about new developments in the pharmaceutical 
industry.
  Larry's incredible accomplishments, however, began long before he 
joined PhRMA. Not only did he receive a bachelor of science degree in 
education from Jackson State University in Mississippi and honorably 
serve the Nation in the United States Air Force, but he conceptualized 
and launched a landmark outreach campaign at the Bureau of Census for 
the 1980 census program that involved over 86,000 government 
jurisdictions. One testament to the success of this effort--which is 
but one of many during his 16 years with the Bureau--is that the 
program was replicated in the 1990 and 2000 censuses.
  Recently appointed to the Africa Diaspora North Initiative Strategic 
Planning Committee Board, as well as to the board of trustees for the 
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP--
where he is involved in their contribution fund and health committee--
Larry holds numerous leadership positions on the boards of directors, 
as well as advisory boards and councils of some of the Nations' most 
influential and prominent organizations. Among them are the following: 
the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., the National Black 
Caucus of State Legislators, the National Hispanic Medical Foundation 
and The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Larry Lucas 
also serves on the boards of directors for the Congressional Black 
Caucus Political Education and Leadership Institute, the Providence 
Health Foundation Providence Hospital, Yale University's School of 
Nursing External Advisory Board, and is a founding member of the 
National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators' Business Board of 
Advisors.
  Through his commitment to excellence and unwillingness to accept 
mediocrity, Larry is highly regarded as a respectful, trustworthy, 
prepared and savvy federal and state legislative affairs expert. 
Through his perseverance and unrelenting focus on and dedication to 
reducing racial and ethnic, gender and geographic health disparities, 
Larry is widely known as one of the Nation's most passionate health 
equity champions. And, through his continued support of the efforts of 
not only the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, but of the 
Congressional TriCaucus, Larry is not only a brilliant mind, but a 
great mentor and friend who will be missed, but who also will serve as 
an inspiration to so many others for many decades to come.
  On behalf of all those who have been touched and informed by Larry 
Lucas's efforts, and whose health, health care, wellness and thus life 
opportunities have been improved by his myriad professional and 
personal successes, I thank, honor and congratulate Mr. Lucas today, 
and wish him health and happiness during a long retirement with his 
loving wife Camille, family and friends.

                          ____________________