[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 166 (Thursday, September 24, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4890-H4891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING LIFE OF FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR BRENT SCOWCROFT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Mrs. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor an American 
patriot, a great and good man, and a hero of mine, Brent Scowcroft, who 
passed away recently.
  From humble roots, Brent rose to become an Air Force general, the 
National Security Advisor to two Presidents, and a statesman whose 
counsel was sought by policymakers of all political stripes.
  After his passing, Brent's family and friends held a ceremony to 
celebrate his life. They described Brent as an exceptional public 
servant who left an indelible stamp on U.S. foreign policy and on the 
National Security Council as an institution.
  Brent's contributions as National Security Advisor may be his primary 
legacy, but what I find most striking about the tributes to Brent are 
not what they say about him as a professional, but what they say about 
him as a person.
  As Stephen Hadley put it: ``There are few people in Washington who 
were as respected and revered as Brent Scowcroft. It was not just 
because of what he did. . . . It was because of who he was. A true 
gentleman . . . much loved by all who had the privilege of working with 
him.''
  Bob Gates noted that Brent was ``tough as nails on matters he cared 
about,'' but also ``the most decent, kindest, and humble person I have 
ever known.''

[[Page H4891]]

  These words resonate with me because I was one of the many people who 
had the honor to call Brent a role model and a friend. Brent served as 
a mentor to multiple generations of men and women who valued his wisdom 
and sought to emulate his example.
  I met Brent between my sophomore and junior year of college when I 
interned at The Scowcroft Group, a firm Brent founded after leaving 
government.
  I was assigned to write a piece on the prospect of Russia selling 
missiles to Cyprus. I remember gingerly asking Brent for guidance in 
the way a young nobody approaches a distinguished somebody, expecting 
to be brushed off. He couldn't have been kinder, patiently walking me 
through the intricacies of the issue, telling me stories about his 
experience negotiating with the Soviets, and making me feel at ease.
  It was these small acts of grace, repeated so many times, for so many 
people, when nobody else was watching, that made Brent so special.
  Our first meeting was the start of a lifelong friendship that I 
cherished. Brent took more joy in the success of others than in his own 
success, and he genuinely cared about me, my family, and my career.
  I know how happy he was when his former intern became the first 
Vietnamese-American woman ever elected to Congress. It made me proud to 
make him proud.
  In fact, it was Brent Scowcroft who is partially responsible for my 
decision to enter public service. As luck would have it, Brent gave the 
commencement speech at my college graduation. His message was about the 
importance of a strong but humble American leadership around the world. 
It was also about the value of public service, especially government 
service.
  Brent's words stirred something in me. I was a refugee from Vietnam 
whose family's life had been saved by the U.S. Navy. Brent's speech 
made me realize that public service might be the best way for me to 
chisel away at the debt of gratitude I owed this country.
  I recalled that speech after 9/11, when I left my private-sector job, 
went to grad school, and on to work at the Department of Defense. I 
also recalled that speech a decade later when I made what some might 
call a foolhardy decision to run for Congress.
  After Brent's passing, I tracked down that speech. It wasn't easy 
because Brent often wrote things by himself and then tended to throw 
them away, which was consistent with his unpretentious character.
  Reading it again made me emotional, and it made me miss Brent. It 
still inspires me all these years later. In the speech, Brent asked me 
and my young classmates, our futures before us, to reflect on what we 
would like our epitaph to say after we drew our last breath.
  Then he offered this gentle advice: ``I would hope that many of you 
would consider turning to public service. There is something enormously 
fulfilling about being engaged in something bigger than you yourself. 
It imparts a satisfying sense of purpose which, in my experience, is 
not attained in any other way. And there is a desperate need in this 
country for good people to man our government structures. I know it is 
getting more and more difficult to be a public servant. We have driven 
many of our best people away. But I ask you to consider public service, 
not because it is easy, but because it is hard, rewarding, and oh-so-
necessary. How well the wonderful things this great Nation stands for 
will be preserved and projected will depend on the quality of people 
whose hands are on the helm of state.''
  This Nation was blessed to have Brent's steady hands on the helm of 
state.
  Ginny Mulberger, one of Brent's closest friends and colleagues, said 
the word that best described Brent was ``devotion.'' He was devoted to 
his country, his family, and his friends.
  His legacy will be carried forward by men and women he taught, 
mentored, and inspired to pursue public service. What better epitaph 
could there be?
  Rest in peace, General.

                          ____________________