[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 148 (Thursday, September 6, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7903-H7908]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING RONALD V. DELLUMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) is 
recognized for the remainder of the hour as the designee of the 
minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 
legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the subject of our Special Order tonight.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to really celebrate the 
life and legacy of my mentor, my former boss, and my dear friend, 
Congressman Ronald V. Dellums.
  I had the privilege to serve as an intern in Ron's Washington office 
during the Watergate hearings of 1974 and as a senior member of his 
staff for 11 years.
  First, my deepest condolences to Ron's beloved family, friends, and 
our community, who he loved so deeply, as we continue to come to grips, 
quite frankly, with the grief in the passing of this tremendous voice, 
yet we honor and celebrate Ron's magnificent legacy.
  Mr. Speaker, let me thank Congressman Jamie Raskin for being a part 
of this Special Order tonight and for co-leading it. Congressman 
Raskin's father, Marcus Raskin, was a close and cherished friend of 
Ron's. They deeply loved and respected each other.
  Let me also thank all of my colleagues in the Congressional 
Progressive Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus for holding this 
Special Order tonight to remember a truly historic figure, the late, 
great Congressman Ron Dellums.
  Congressman Dellums was a founding member of the Congressional Black 
Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and I know this 
celebration of his life would mean so much to him.
  Ron will be remembered not only for his many accomplishments, but for 
his integrity and his brilliance. He was a courageous statesman, a 
warrior for world peace, a soldier for social justice, and a son of 
west Oakland. He served his country in both the Marines and in this 
Congress, with distinction, for 27 years and as mayor of Oakland for 4 
years.
  He was beloved by his east bay constituents, regarded by his 
colleagues from both sides of the aisle, and respected as a global 
leader.
  Above all else, Congressman Dellums was a visionary, and his 
conscience guided him in the pursuit of peace and justice and equality 
in all forms.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), one 
of Ron's very close friends, a person whom he loved dearly, who is an 
icon in his own right, someone who led the fight for our voting rights.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my beloved friend, 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, for holding this Special Order.
  You know, Ron Dellums was a special human being, special leader. He 
was one of a kind. He was born and grew up in due season.
  Those of us who worked with him and got to know him, we loved him. We 
admired him. I can see him now saying, ``Hi, bro. What is going on?''
  We must continue to stand up and speak up and fight the good fight.
  You know, Ron never gave up; he never gave in. He never became 
bitter. He was never hostile. He loved people. He worked so hard and 
tirelessly for what he believed in.
  As Congresswoman Barbara Lee has stated so well, Ron was the founding 
member of the Congressional Black Caucus. But I tell you, he was a 
peaceful warrior. He believed in peace.
  He struggled to help build what I call a true democracy in America. 
He fought to build what Dr. King called the beloved community. He 
wanted to redeem the soul of America.
  He wanted to bring people together. It didn't matter whether they 
were Black or White, Latino, Asian American, or Native American. He saw 
us as one people, one family living in the same house, not just the 
American house, but the world house.
  I tell you, as one Member who came here after winning an election in 
1986, coming here in 1987, I would talk with Ron a great deal. I 
learned a great deal from him.
  He used his leadership of the Armed Services Committee to highlight 
the senseless nature of war and to press for greater investment in the 
public good. He fought for peace at home and abroad.
  As a Member of Congress, he was the author of legislation and the 
movement for corporate divestment in South Africa.
  As a political leader, he was an inspiration to people all over the 
world. People admired him. People loved him.
  You know, he was tall. He stood up; he stood out. And he spoke with 
passion.
  In his passing, the Nation has lost a strong and powerful crusader 
for justice, for equality, and for peace.
  He was cool before it became popular to be cool. He dressed so well. 
You knew Ron Dellums was coming when you saw him before he made it to 
you.

                              {time}  1645

  For many of us, he was our hero. Activists of the 21st century, and 
all of the new Members of Congress who seek progressive change in 
America would do well to take several pages from Ron Dellums' book. It 
would make you a better Member of this body.
  His voice made him a force to be reckoned with as a committee chair, 
as a legislator, as a leader. He insisted in his call for justice for 
his cause for peace. He will be deeply missed all over America, not 
just in California, not just in Oakland, but all over America and 
around the world, for people who long for peace, for justice, for 
equality.
  Thank you, Ron Dellums, for all that you did to help make our country 
and make our world a better place. I thank the gentlewoman, Barbara 
Lee, for this Special Order.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Lewis for that very 
beautiful tribute to Ron. It was a loving tribute, and I know 
personally how much Ron loved him and, in many ways, looked up to him 
and respected him as a human being and for his tremendous leadership. 
So I thank the gentleman on behalf of Ron's family, friends, and our 
community.
  Now I would like to ask Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to come 
forward. Congresswoman Norton knew Ron very well, served with Ron, and 
Ron served as chair of the District of Columbia Committee when I was 
actually a staffer during that period. They had many, many struggles 
during that day. Ron and Eleanor remained friends, and he loved her 
dearly and always asked about her.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. 
Norton).
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my very good friend, Representative 
Barbara Lee from California, who has the great honor of serving in the 
seat that Ron held. And she has that honor because of her work with Ron 
and because those who lived in his district understood that Ron did not 
serve them alone.
  I think that for Barbara Lee to have risen from intern to chief of 
staff to Ron Dellums says everything about her service in the Congress. 
She is just the right person to be leading this special honor for our 
good friend, the dapper, the brilliant, Ron Dellums.
  Ms. Lee shows us that Ron had an eye for talent, and I thank her for 
sharing that talent now with the Nation.
  It is true that my district and I had a special relationship with Ron 
Dellums; and, therefore, a special love. Because for 14 years, he 
chaired the old District of Columbia Committee, which he helped me get 
rid of, understanding

[[Page H7904]]

that the District deserved equality with other districts.
  Yet, I have to say how fortunate we were that Ron chose to use one of 
his committee seats for the District of Columbia. Why would Ron Dellums 
do that? There is not a vote in the District of Columbia for Ron 
Dellums--much as people would have loved to vote for him--but there 
wasn't a single vote because he didn't live in the District of 
Columbia.
  This was such an unselfish human being. He went where he thought he 
was needed. And I do need to tell you how unusual that is, because most 
Members choose their committees, and this applies to his choice of the 
Armed Services Committee, as well as the District Committee. You choose 
your committee because it allows you to bring home something to your 
constituents, and I am the perfect example.
  I have chosen committees which have helped me rebuild entire sections 
of the District of Columbia, the Wharf, or the Southwest Waterfront, 
the Southeast Waterfront, and other sections of the city. That is how 
most of us operate.
  Well, let me tell you something: It is hard to bring home peace. Yet, 
that is why Ron Dellums chose to serve on the Armed Services Committee, 
as he unselfishly served on the District Committee. I will have a word 
to say about that--it was because he could not bear to see any 
Americans treated as less than full American citizens.
  I must note, though, because I don't want to leave you with a sense, 
a parochial sense of Ron Dellums, or think I am just here because of 
what he did for my district. That would be reason enough for me to be 
here, but I am here to note the uniqueness of Ron Dellums as a Member 
of Congress, because not before, and not since, has there been a Member 
like Ron Dellums.
  As a lawyer, I am going to prove this point. I hope you will agree 
before I sit down.
  First of all, here was a Marine Corps vet--a pretty tough branch of 
the armed services--and, of course, this gave Ron special credibility 
when he became the leader of antiwar efforts in the Congress of the 
United States. Whether House or Senate, this was the leader of antiwar 
efforts when we were in Vietnam and when we were in wars since.
  Never before or since has a Member who opposed most of the mandate of 
a committee been elected to chair that committee, as Ron was elected to 
chair the Armed Services Committee. Now, remember, you don't get 
appointed to chair these committees. You have to earn the respect of 
your colleagues on the committee so that they want to elect you to 
chair them.
  I defy my colleagues to find any other Member of Congress who has 
gotten elected or could get elected chairman of a committee with a 
mission they oppose.
  Ron Dellums was the leading advocate for peace in the Congress, 
winning the votes of his colleagues to chair the Armed Services 
Committee, which has, if you will forgive me, little to do with peace. 
They have to do with preparing for war.
  I begin there to make you understand what manner of man I am talking 
about. Now, he didn't just decide when he came to Congress: Wouldn't 
this be a cute thing to do given where I stand on these issues to 
chair, to grow up as it were in Congress to chair the Armed Services 
Committee. He started right where he ended. As a freshman, Ron 
introduced a resolution calling for an investigation of war crimes, or 
what he regarded as war crimes in Indochina. Particularly as a 
freshman, that was refused.
  So instead of walking away as virtually any Member would, especially 
a freshman, he said: I am going to call some unofficial hearings on 
this very subject and he was able to lure some of his colleagues with 
him, despite many colleagues regarding the introduction of the 
resolution as an outrage to begin with.
  Here is a Member of Congress whose reputation for fairness, whose 
congeniality was such that when time came to elect a chairman, many 
Republicans as well supported him to become chairman of the Armed 
Services Committee. The defense establishment that was certainly 
rattled. What to expect from this man? Well, this is what you got. You 
got leadership from a man who managed every bill to increase defense 
funding with great equanimity and fairness, while opposing his own 
bills. That is what you got. Find yourself that kind of a Member, much 
less a chairman, today in the Congress of the United States.
  You got a man who was, in fact, very much for equal rights for gays 
in the military, but ushered through his committee a ban on gays 
serving openly in the military regardless. He understood the difference 
between Ron Dellums the man and Mr. Chairman. That is an important 
difference. And because Members tend not to understand that difference, 
they tend not to get elected chair of a committee whose mandate they 
oppose.
  I must say, because I was not a Member of Congress at the time of the 
Free South Africa movement, but, was a leader of that movement, how 
much Ron was appreciated throughout the country for his leadership as 
the chief sponsor of the bill that produced sanctions against South 
Africa for its apartheid policies, and, ultimately, the release of 
Mandella from prison.
  Finally, if I may say to my friend from California, a word of special 
thanks regarding Ron Dellums' service on the District of Columbia 
Committee. He served on it from the moment he was in Congress, and he 
chaired the committee for, as I indicated, 14 years. It is interesting, 
that this was a committee he wanted to eliminate as one of the first 
supporters for statehood for the District of Columbia when the District 
of Columbia was just trying to get the local vote, or what we call home 
rule.
  Some of his words deserve repeating. For example, he said: ``I am an 
advocate, not an overseer of District affairs.'' Now, Ron was the 
committee chairman. He clearly was the overseer. We didn't want that 
power. He had it. This is how he approached his work as chair of a 
committee that had nothing to do with his district. This is how he 
approached giving the District the respect that it deserved.
  I was not a Member of Congress at the time, but I know that my 
friend, Walter Fauntleroy, who represented the District at the time, 
deeply appreciated Ron Dellums, in particular.
  When I indicate that Ron was for D.C. statehood, you might think, 
well, you are for D.C. statehood. What do you expect? Remember, we 
didn't have good home rule then. We didn't get that until 1994, and we 
were just getting to the point where people understood the inequality 
of the residents who live in the District of Columbia. But Ron Dellums 
understood, you have got to advocate for what people deserve, not where 
they are now in getting what the Congress wants to give them.
  His service as chair of the District Committee was long ago, it meant 
everything to the District to have a chairman who loved the District of 
Columbia as he loved his own city who understood what the District 
needed and wanted, and who always consulted with the District.
  Yes, California is far away from the District of Columbia, but 
notwithstanding the distance, I stand here this evening with the 
greatest gratitude for the 700,000 people I represent now and for all 
those who at the time had the great privilege of having Ron as the 
chair of the District Committee.
  I stand here to thank Representative Ron Dellums, to let him know he 
will be forever remembered in our city, and to let him know that he has 
not been and never will be forgotten by the people of the District of 
Columbia.
  My thanks to my good friend for leading this Special Order.
  Ms. LEE. I thank Congressman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Let me say that 
Ron passed away in his home here in Washington, D.C., on July 30. She 
was his Representative.

                              {time}  1700

  Ron loved the District of Columbia, as Ms. Norton said. His children 
went to Alice Deal Junior High School and Woodrow Wilson High School. 
He worked with Ms. Norton, as well as Hilda Mason, who was on the city 
council and was a strong activist for statehood. So I thank Ms. Norton 
for reminding us of Ron's wonderful history in the District of 
Columbia.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), my 
friend, a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, but a prior member of

[[Page H7905]]

the House Armed Services Committee. I thank Congressman Johnson for 
being with us tonight.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I express my sincere condolences to the family and 
friends of a great patriot, Representative Ron Dellums. My sincere 
condolences for their loss.
  It is my great honor to be here tonight to pay my respects to a man 
who was a true giant of this body, the United States House of 
Representatives, as well as in American life, a man who, I think we can 
all say with assurance, was one upon whose shoulders we all stand.
  Before we had the incomparable John Lewis and the inimitable Maxine 
Waters in Congress, there was Ron Dellums, who left us his distinct 
mark, not just on this august body, but the San Francisco Bay Area, the 
Nation, and the world.
  He left an indelible impression upon me as a Congressman.
  The greatest legacy that he left us, however, was his successor, 
Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who carries on his legacy.
  For 10 years, I was honored and privileged to serve as a member of 
the House Armed Services Committee. Ron Dellums' portrait hanging in 
the committee room was a constant reminder of the type of committee 
member who I aspired to be.
  ``If being an advocate of peace, justice, and humanity toward all 
human beings is radical, then I am glad to be called radical,'' he once 
said. I will repeat that: ``If being an advocate of peace, justice, and 
humanity toward all human beings is radical, then I am glad to be 
called radical.'' That is what Ron Dellums said.
  He further stated, ``And if it is radical to oppose the use of 70 
percent of Federal moneys for destruction and war, then I am a 
radical.''
  That quote, ladies and gentlemen, has stuck with me. It has guided me 
in my public service.
  Ron Dellums would never allow the powers that be, or the corrosive 
forces of Washington, D.C., to put him in a box. He never allowed 
labels to define who he was. Rightwing critics called him a Communist. 
But Ron shot back and described himself as a ``commie pinko, Afro-
topped, bell-bottomed dude from Berkeley.'' He was a true Renaissance 
man. And he was cool before Congress knew what cool was, a bell-
bottomed cat from Berkeley.
  Who other than Ron Dellums could rise from the streets of Oakland to 
become a Congressman, a mayor, and one of the guiding forces behind a 
14-year campaign against apartheid in South Africa that helped bring 
down that racist regime? Who else but Ron Dellums could help form the 
Congressional Black Caucus, and from his seat and chairmanship on the 
powerful House Armed Services Committee propose spending not for war 
and weapons, but instead for education, jobs, housing, healthcare, 
assistance to the poor, and programs to fight drug abuse?
  Ladies and gentlemen, Ron Dellums set the ultimate example for us 
today with the powerful message and legacy of being true to one's self, 
a man who stood tall for the people, and not just for the people of 
America. Ron stood for the people of the world.
  He was a unique and authentic human being, and his presence will be 
missed.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Ron for his guidance and for his example that we 
can look to as a beacon as we make our way, moving our country forward 
during these turbulent times. The lessons we have learned from his 
example will serve us well as we continue the good fight for peace, 
justice, and humanity toward all human beings.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Johnson for that very 
beautiful tribute.
  I know one of Ron's greatest gifts was mentoring those who came after 
him, and I know he certainly appreciated Mr. Johnson's leadership on 
that Armed Services Committee and talked a lot about the great work 
that he was engaged in.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), 
our leader, who knew Ron very well, even before Ron and Nancy served 
together in Congress. I thank her so much for being here and for paying 
tribute.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Lee for bringing us together for 
this Special Order to honor a very, very special person, Congressman, 
Mr. Mayor, Ron Dellums.
  She has worked with him, so she saw close up his commitment to values 
to make the future better for everyone in our country.
  She also participated in his collaboration, that when an issue arose 
or even was anticipated, he engaged the entire community in the 
discussion, in the collaboration of what was best for the community, 
not deigning to tell them, but listening. He listened, and we all 
listened.
  When Ron Dellums came to the floor, it was an occasion. Everything 
stopped, as we wanted to hear what he had to say, because we knew it 
would be substantial. But we also knew it would be eloquent and, on 
occasion, humorous.
  He was an absolute star in the Congress of the United States, like no 
other in the galaxy of stars here that many of us have served with. He 
shined so much brighter, and the world is a duller place for his 
leaving us.
  What is important about Ron are some of the things that our colleague 
Mr. Johnson referenced about apartheid in Africa, how important he was 
in that fight, and how effective he was as a leader in that fight.

  When he assumed the chairmanship of the Armed Services Committee, a 
progressive from Berkeley, he understood that our country had to be 
strong, but he measured our strength not only in our military might, 
but the health, education, and well-being of the American people. He 
saw them go together. Without that piece of it, we could never really 
reach the potential of strength that America is about.
  We will have a number of occasions, one in Oakland on Sunday, to 
share some stories, then at a later date here in Washington, D.C., 
again, and many times in between, about Ron Dellums. But I know, for 
anyone who served with him--and he was in Congress long before I came, 
but I had the privilege of serving for a while--anyone who served with 
him considered it a tremendous honor to call him colleague. For those 
of us who had the privilege to call him friend, that was a joy in our 
lives.
  As Californians, though, we took special pride in Ron Dellums. One 
story that I love about him, there are many, but one that I love about 
him is--this is a prince. You see how elegant he is, dressed 
meticulously, so beautifully.
  But one story that he told is that, the first time he went to Africa, 
a person who was proud of his skin color and proud of the community he 
represented and sprang from, but to be on a continent and visit 
countries where the leaders of the country were African, to see people 
who shared his ethnicity lead their countries and be respected, it was 
something he brought home to us with great emotion and great pride.
  With great emotion and great pride, I am grateful that I had the 
opportunity to serve with him.
  I know time is limited, so I will save some stories for Oakland on 
Sunday, but I thank Ms. Lee again for not only bringing us together 
here, but for honoring the legacy of Ron Dellums and his long career as 
a Member of Congress, honoring the values they shared, making her own 
mark in the Congress, and now keeper of the flame of Ron Dellums.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Leader Pelosi for those remarks.
  Let me just say one thing to Ms. Pelosi in terms of Ron's sensitivity 
and an example of his humanness. He was so happy she reached out to him 
during his last few days on this Earth. I was with him, and after he 
spoke with Ms. Pelosi, he had tears in his eyes. He talked about how 
much he missed her and how much he loved her. He was so grateful that 
she gave him that call, so I thank her very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay). 
Congressman Lacy Clay, of course, is the son of a great hero, 
Congressman Bill Clay, with whom Ron served. Also, he was so proud of 
Lacy, because he knew Congressman Clay as a teenager. He may want to 
share some of his stories about that period of time also.
  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Lee for teeing that up, our good 
friend Congresswoman Barbara Lee who succeeded my friend Ron Dellums. 
Ron was a giant, and I truly admired him.

[[Page H7906]]

  Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in honored memory of a great American who 
served with distinction in this House for 27 years, the late gentleman 
from California, former Congressman Ron Dellums.
  Like my father, former Congressman Bill Clay, Congressman Dellums 
will forever be revered as one of the founding members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, and he was also a founding member of the 
Congressional Progressive Caucus.
  Ron was a legendary figure. Whatever task he took on, he excelled in 
it. I first met Congressman Dellums when I was a very young man in 
college and I was assigned to this Chamber as an assistant door keeper. 
My door was what is known as the west door, and I had to know Ron.
  I remember two instances where one time Ron Dellums portrayed the 
iconic figure of Frederick Douglass in a play, and I was so impressed 
with that.
  He was also a member of the congressional baseball team and played 
first base.
  Whatever he did, he did it well.
  Our families became close, and when I came back to this body as a 
Member, our professional relationship continued. When I first met him, 
I was immediately impressed, not just with his powerful intellect, but 
with his fearless advocacy to end the war in Vietnam, protect the right 
to vote, speak truth to power in defense of our most vulnerable 
citizens, and his unyielding demand that America must be a beacon for 
human rights around the world.
  During his first run for Congress in 1970, former Vice President 
Spiro Agnew branded Ron Dellums as a ``dangerous radical'' for his 
vigorous opposition to the Vietnam war. In response to that, Ron 
Dellums said, ``If it's radical to oppose the insanity and cruelty of 
the Vietnam war; if it's radical to oppose racism and sexism and all 
other forms of oppression; if it's radical to want to alleviate 
poverty, hunger, disease, homelessness, and other forms of human 
misery, then I'm proud to be called a radical.''

                              {time}  1715

  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand on the shoulders of Ronald Dellums 
as we continue the unfinished struggle to make America live up to all 
that we promise as a great nation, and I hope all Members will join me 
as we send our deepest condolences to the family and give thanks for 
his courageous leadership.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Clay for some of the 
stories he shared that many of us as a former staffer remember.
  Yes, I remember Ron playing the role of Frederick Douglass, and it 
was unbelievable because it didn't take much for the transformation. 
Sometimes we would say: Who is this, Ron or Frederick?
  So I thank the gentleman for reminding us of that tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, Ron's family hailed from Texas. Congresswoman Jackson 
Lee was a friend of Congressman Dellums. She currently serves on the 
Judiciary Committee, Homeland Security Committee, and the Budget 
Committee. Also, Ron was very proud of Sheila, and he loved hearing the 
gentlewoman speak and listening to her insights about criminal justice 
reform in our judiciary.
  So I thank the gentlewoman again for being here tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Texas 
(Ms. Jackson Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to stand here with our 
good friend just leaving the podium, the Honorable Lacy Clay.
  It is good to see the kind of family attitude that we are all 
expressing. Each person has gone to hug the Honorable Barbara Lee 
because she is the closest to Congressman Ron Dellums, and we want his 
family to know of the intensity of our love and respect.
  Congressman Lacy opened up the gate for me and the door for me 
because I think Congressman Ron Dellums understood, as Frederick 
Douglass did, that, where there is no struggle, there is no power. 
Without struggle, there is no power. For all that he stood for, even in 
his early years, he had no fear of struggle.
  So I stand today on the floor of the House to be able to pay tribute 
to our friend and, might I say, our brother, to be able to thank the 
gentlewoman from California for her wisdom in allowing us to share this 
time with him. I thank the gentlewoman so very much for giving us this 
beautiful portrait for us to stand next to and for America to be 
reintroduced to the Honorable Ron Dellums.
  Ron Dellums was a Member of Congress, former bay area Congressman and 
Oakland mayor, first African American elected to Congress from northern 
California, tireless champion of racial and social justice, Marine 
Corps veteran and peace warrior, and Congressional Black Caucus and 
Congressional Progressive Caucus cofounder. That is a long litany of 
brilliance, but, as well, a pioneer--legendary, brilliant--and a 
dynamic former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. And the 
fact that he represented constituents so ably.
  I am glad, as I came here as a newbie, as a new Member of the United 
States Congress, wasn't I fortunate to get the last years of service of 
the Honorable Ron Dellums? I saw him as the lead Democrat on the Armed 
Services Committee, just missed his service as a chair of the Armed 
Services Committee.
  I listened to Leader Pelosi, and she will be able to tell her stories 
going forward as they celebrate in Oakland. Might I pay tribute to his 
family members who will celebrate in Oakland.
  Let me say to the family members, my deepest sympathy, but joy for 
his life, and thank you for sharing him with us.
  I must start with the story that I heard, which was of the 
appointment of Ron Dellums and Pat Schroeder to, I believe, the Armed 
Services Committee, as the committee was convened then by individuals 
who held themselves high and mighty, including the chairman. There was 
only one chair, and that chair had to be shared by the first woman and 
the first African American to be on that committee.
  Yes. Can you imagine? They were told to sit in one chair.
  But I am grateful that through that struggle--power in his birth in 
1935; power to his parents, Verney and Willa Dellums, and all of his 
relatives; and, as well, power in what he did in life--his engagement 
and his passionate commitment were traits of the Dellums family.
  His father was a longshoreman. There lays the foundation for his love 
of labor. I understand Cottrell Laurence Dellums helped Asa Philip 
Randolph organize the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, of which my 
grandfather was a member.
  He graduated from high school. He enlisted in the Marine Corps during 
the Cold War, but he also came back to his community and used the GI 
Bill. He developed a pathway for education, an associate of arts degree 
out of Oakland City College, then on to get a bachelor of science 
degree from San Francisco State. What I want most of all to say is that 
he then carved his pathway.
  And Barbara Lee continues to remind us that she is a social worker. 
Well, Ron Dellums got his MSW from the University of California at 
Berkeley in 1962.
  Yes, this manly man, this man of men, was a social worker who 
understood the needs of people who were vulnerable, a psychiatric 
social worker where he worked in the department of mental health and 
mental hygiene and taught at San Francisco State.
  Interestingly enough, he became a council member, of which I was one 
as well, at a young age, served only for a short time. And then, in his 
thirties, he went to the United States Congress and never looked back. 
He never lost. He ran against an incumbent as an antiwar, anti-Vietnam 
candidate, and he won overwhelmingly.
  Again, there is no power without struggle. That was not a friendly 
place to be, against the war. It was well known to follow you 
throughout your career. It was viewed as unpatriotic, maybe even as NFL 
players today are viewed as they take a knee for issues that they 
believe in.
  But Ron Dellums was a dignified patriot. He loved his country. He 
loved his flag. And he came to this Congress with a love of the 
institution as he served on so many committees, Foreign Affairs.

  I remember the Post Office Committee because Mickey Leland was on the 
Post Office Committee, and they

[[Page H7907]]

served together. They became good friends. It is important to 
acknowledge them together as good friends.
  I met Ron, maybe for the first time, as an unelected official when 
Mickey brought the Congressional Black Caucus to Houston, Texas. It was 
a day we will never forget. It was a day of happening. It was a day of 
celebration. We couldn't believe it. The Congressional Black Caucus was 
coming to Houston, Texas, to the Shamrock Hotel that used to be a 
segregated hotel, and all of us came to pay homage, tribute, and honor 
to these Congresspersons who had come to celebrate.
  He was of grand stature, being a member of the Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence, and then, of course, going on to be a 
founder of the Congressional Black Caucus. I stand here as the chair of 
the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to express my deepest 
appreciation for that service.
  In the Progressive Caucus, Ron Dellums again became a soldier on the 
battlefield for so many issues, in particular, ending and breaking the 
shackles of apartheid in South Africa.
  Remember, when I started out, there is no power without struggle. He 
participated in that struggle, and I remember that fight, that 
magnificent day when he brought forward this bill in 1986 to overturn 
Reagan's veto, the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986. He had a 
congressional override where the President of the United States was 
vetoing the sanctions that Congress was attempting to put forward. That 
was a legacy, or that was the pathway, the struggle, that helped to 
propel the end of apartheid, the vicious cycle of apartheid in South 
Africa.
  He continued to champion Africa even after he retired. He continued 
to mentor and to stay around to give us inspiration, to tell us that we 
could do it, that we could be strong.
  Of course, how I remember when this Congresswoman, the Honorable 
Barbara Lee, came and touched all of us and came with that inspiration 
and that idea and vision that Ron Dellums had about ending the horrors 
of HIV/AIDS in Africa, the whole idea of PEPFAR, the whole idea of the 
Millennium Fund. All of these were visionary ideas that came about for 
him to help save lives.
  So as I said, in my early years, he retired in 1998, but he then 
continued on to be the man that he is, being the mayor of Oakland, and 
being a striking mayor, a truth-telling mayor, somebody who was loved 
and beloved by all those whom he had the privilege of serving.
  Then, of course, to his family, he was that giant, that husband, that 
father and brother and just someone whom they could look up to.
  So I thank the gentlewoman for organizing this Special Order, and I 
thank this giant of a man in stature but, as well, in purpose and in 
heart. I thank him so very much for serving his nation and showing us 
what patriotism is, what the flag really means. It is the opportunity 
to protest, petition, and to speak to your government, and also to 
protest to make your government a better place.
  This is a great, great nation. Ron Dellums understood that. Marine 
Corps Ron Dellums understood that. Social worker Ron Dellums understood 
that. Husband, father, and relative understood that. And, of course, 
United States Congressperson Ron Dellums understood that.
  But never would he yield his values, his heart, his passion, and his 
sense of justice just because he had a title. He believed that 
America's greatness was one based upon her people's willingness to 
challenge her and to make her the very best that she can be.
  My heart goes out to his family and I continue to mourn, but I 
celebrate his life with joy.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Jackson Lee for reminding 
us what a visionary and a leader Ron was.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember when we came to Houston, Texas, Ron was 
determined to put together a coalition between African Americans and 
Latinos to look at our common issues. He and Mickey Leland were very 
close, and he worked very closely with the Latino community to really 
put together the agenda that spoke to both of our communities. So I 
thank the gentlewoman very much for being here and reminding us of 
that.
  He was a coalition builder. I called him the father of coalition 
politics, and the gentlewoman laid that out tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Higgins of Louisiana). The gentlewoman 
from California has 6 minutes remaining.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, we have heard quite a bit tonight of the life 
and legacy of a great human being and a great warrior for peace and 
justice, Congressman Ron Dellums. Let me highlight a couple of stories 
that weren't highlighted tonight that I would like to share.

  First of all, Ron really worked in a bipartisan fashion on many, many 
issues. I remember that Ron and former Speaker Newt Gingrich were 
talking about collaborating on a book together. This was really a time 
of true bipartisanship.
  Also, Ron called himself a feminist, and he believed in equality for 
women. This just wasn't lip service. He followed his convictions in his 
hiring practices. Ron hired women and women of color in the early 1970s 
and took pride in employing a diverse staff.
  When I worked for Ron in the seventies, I was one of a very few 
African Americans and only a couple African American women in key 
senior staff positions on Capitol Hill, but he made certain that I was 
treated fairly and empowered me to manage his office.
  Ron had remarkable female role models, including his mother, Mrs. 
Willa Dellums. She was a major influence on Ron and taught him to be 
proud that he was an American of African descent. She taught him that 
his culture and his heritage was an important part of who he was as a 
human being and as an elected official.
  Ron was really the big brother that I never had. He gave me personal 
advice and support as a single mom raising two boys here in Washington, 
D.C. He loved children.
  When my son, Craig, graduated from Brent Elementary School around the 
corner from the Capitol, he asked Ron to be his graduation speaker. 
Mind you, this was, I believe, in the sixth grade.
  Ron left the Hill, spoke at the graduation, took pictures, and talked 
to the children afterwards. Mind you, these were young children. They 
didn't have political clout and they couldn't vote, but Ron didn't 
mind. He did this out of the goodness of his heart because he loved 
children and cared about their future.
  When Ron retired, I announced my candidacy for his seat. He 
introduced me at my campaign kickoff, and he literally passed a blue 
baton to me at that kickoff, which I will cherish forever. But that 
baton reminds me of his impact on the world both in the policies that 
he championed and in all of those he inspired to follow in his 
footsteps.

                              {time}  1730

  Ron didn't serve in public office for the glory. He served to make 
life better for other people. He used to tell his staff: ``Don't 
measure decisions by what is politically expedient. Just ask yourself: 
Is this the right thing to do? And if it is, then go ahead and do it. 
You don't need to ask me about that.''
  In his final weeks on this Earth, I had the privilege to visit Ron 
several times. I spent my birthday, July 16, with him in the evening. 
He was in rare form, telling stories, toasting our friendship, and 
singing happy birthday to me. Yet he was frail, in pain, but all along 
he demonstrated a sense of hope and courage, even as he knew he would 
meet his Maker soon.
  As Ron lived with dignity and respect, doing it all ``his way,'' he 
left this Earth exhibiting courage and a sense of peace, reminding me 
of the Scripture 2 Timothy 4:7, ``I have fought the good fight, I have 
finished the race, and I have kept the faith.''
  There is no more fitting way to honor the memory of Congressman 
Dellums than for us to lift his legacy in the spirit of respect for 
different points of views, sticking to one's values and principles, and 
fighting to make this a better world for all.
  It is an honor of a lifetime to carry the baton which Ron passed on 
to me in our shared fight for justice, peace,

[[Page H7908]]

and equality. But most importantly, as Ron said, we must secure the 
future for generations yet unborn. That is what this blue baton reminds 
me of.
  I thank all of those who have been here tonight to share the memory 
and celebrate the life and mourn the loss of my friend, my former boss, 
the great Congressman Ronald Dellums.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Rep. Lee and my 
other colleagues tonight who have gathered to pay tribute to our former 
colleague Rep. Ron Dellums, who passed away on July 30. I rise to join 
them in remembering Ron, who was my friend and with whom I served in 
this House for many years.
  Ron Dellums's entire career was spent in service--to his community, 
his city, and his country. As a U.S. Marine, he proudly wore the 
uniform of our nation at a time when the peace of the world was 
threatened by cold war. As a city councilman in Berkeley, he drew on 
his family history of labor activism to fight for better conditions for 
working families. As a Congressman, he led the fight for sanctions 
against apartheid South Africa and chaired the Armed Services Committee 
as our military challenges were changing from a Cold War to a post-Cold 
War environment. He was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, 
which today is the conscience of the Congress. Later, as Mayor of 
Oakland, Ron worked hard to make neighborhoods safer, improve local 
schools, and bring new infrastructure funding to the city.
  Ron fought with tenacity for the causes he believed in. One of those 
was human rights and the equal dignity of all people. When a 
presidential veto threatened to block his anti-apartheid legislation, 
he rallied support to override it. As Chairman of the Armed Services 
Committee, he earned the respect of his Committee colleagues and 
military leaders, and he worked diligently to transition our military 
to meet the threats of the twenty-first century. It came as no surprise 
to those of us who served with him that when he retired in 1998, praise 
for his service and leadership came from both sides of the aisle.
  I was deeply saddened to learn of Ron's passing. Our nation lost a 
faithful public servant and a champion for working families and those 
working hard to make it in America. I mourn with the people of 
California and my colleagues in this House who served with Ron. I mourn 
with his wife Cynthia and the Dellums family. I mourn the loss of a man 
who gave service his all and contributed so much to the nation he loved 
and this institution he so faithfully served.
  Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California. I would like to thank Congresswoman 
Barbara Lee and Congressman Jamie Raskin for organizing a Special Order 
Hour to honor the memory of our dear friend and former colleague, 
Congressman Ron Dellums.
  Ron Dellums was an unabashed, progressive icon, and a strong and 
outspoken advocate for his constituents, veterans, people of color, and 
other vulnerable communities during his 13-term tenure in the U.S. 
Congress.
  Understanding the unique problems facing the African American 
community, Ron Dellums joined with 12 fellow civil rights giants, 
including Louis Stokes, Bill Clay, Sr., and Shirley Chisholm, to create 
the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. True to its creed, the CBC 
remains the `Conscience of the Congress' today, and has grown to a 
historic 48 members.
  As a former U.S. Marine, Ron Dellums was one of the most outspoken 
opponents of the Vietnam War. In Congress, he led an effort to educate 
the American public of war crimes that were committed during the 
Vietnam War. In 1993, he also made history as the first African 
American Chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
  However, one of Ron Dellum's greatest achievements is one that is 
also dear to my heart: ending apartheid in South Africa. As a member of 
the California State Assembly and a national board member of 
TransAfrica, I had the privilege of working with Ron Dellums to pass 
legislation at the state and federal level that forced the United 
States to divest from the apartheid regime in South Africa.
  While I authored, and fought to enact California Assembly Bill 134, 
which passed in August 1986 and made California the first state to 
divest its $12 billion in state pension funds tied to the apartheid 
regime in South Africa, Ron Dellums was simultaneously championing 
similar legislation in the U.S. Congress. His historic bill, the 
Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, gained enough support to not 
only pass in both chambers of Congress, but to also override President 
Ronald Reagan's veto in 1986.
  Though he retired from Congress after 27 years of service, Ron 
Dellums maintained his dedication to his community and was elected 
mayor of his hometown, Oakland, California, in 2007.
  The incomparable Ron Dellums--a passionate drum major for peace, 
inspiring community leader, effective politician, and lifelong public 
servant--left an indelible mark on the City of Oakland and in the 
hearts of so many people across this country who also love him.
  Though our hearts are heavy, I join the Congressional Black Caucus 
and the entire U.S. Congress in celebrating his service to our nation.
  Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
man who I was honored to call a mentor, colleague, and dear friend, 
former Representative Ron Dellums.
  Ron was an extraordinary man who wore many hats. He was a determined 
public servant who was dedicated to improving the conditions of 
humankind. He was also a marine, a social worker, a titan for civil 
rights here and across the world, a chairman of the House Armed 
Services Committee, and a founding member and past chair of the 
Congressional Black Caucus. Representative Dellums was a true advocate 
for fairness, human rights, and justice.
  Congressman Ron Dellums was an icon. I served with him early during 
my career in Congress. He demonstrated courage, compassion, fairness, 
character, and dignity as a Member of Congress and as a man. He was a 
great role model for people of conscience to emulate. I will be forever 
grateful for his wise counsel, friendship, and his legacy of service to 
humankind.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay 
tribute and to honor the legacy of my dear colleague, the Honorable 
Ronald V. Dellums. Although it saddens my heart to see that we have 
lost another great trailblazer, I would be remiss if I didn't take the 
time to honor his life and the change he brought to this great country.
  Dellums was not only a patriarch for the Congressional Black Caucus, 
but he was trailblazer for change all around the world. With a 
political career of over forty years, he was determined to help those 
around him and provide hope for his community. As a former member of 
the Berkeley City Council, United States House of Representatives, and 
mayor of Oakland, Dellums always inspired to pave the way for the next 
generation to be advocates and a voice.
  During his 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives he became 
the first African American to chair the Armed Services Committee. 
Dellums used this platform not for his own benefit, but to create an 
agenda to ensure civil rights and programs for people ahead of weapons 
systems and warfare. He was also the antiwar activist to hold that 
post. As a Congresswoman who proudly stands in the gap for my 
constituents, I always admired how Congressman Dellums fought hard and 
served his constituents with distinction and treated his colleagues 
with the utmost respect. He was determined to share his light with the 
world.
  As a dedicated leader in human rights and civil rights in America and 
around the world, Congressman Dellums worked tirelessly to pass anti-
apartheid legislation against South Africa. After a 14-year campaign 
against apartheid in South Africa, he wrote the 1986 legislation that 
mandated trade embargoes and divestment by American companies and 
citizens of holdings in South Africa.
  Congressman Dellums was not only a leader; he was a person of 
incredible intellect who possessed the ability to build alliances with 
people and groups from diverse backgrounds and varying interests. He 
was a co-founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, which he chaired 
from 1989-1991, and a co-founder of the Congressional Progressive 
Caucus in 1991. After retiring from Congress he remained involved and 
determined to be a light for his people. He worked in the private 
sector on global aids, healthcare and transportation. He returned then 
to his native Oakland, in 2006, and was elected Mayor, serving one term 
and retiring from elective office in 2011.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Congressman 
Dellums for his outstanding and dedicated service.

                          ____________________