[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 215 (Tuesday, December 14, 2021)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RETIREMENT OF DIANE RANDALL, GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE FRIENDS COMMITTEE 
                        ON NATIONAL LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 14, 2021

  Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my 
appreciation for the powerful, persistent, and prophetic service of 
Diane Randall, who is stepping down from her role as General Secretary 
of the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) at the end of 
this year.
  FCNL is the 78-year-old Quaker lobby working to end war and the 
threat of war, advance social justice, and protect the Earth. In 
addition to its team of advocates in Washington, FCNL has built a 
network of thousands of people in all 50 states who advocate for those 
same values day-in and day-out.
  I have deeply valued working with Diane and her team as allies in my 
own work to end the forever wars, fight poverty and ensure a better 
life for all people at home and abroad. As a Quaker leader and a person 
of faith, Diane has brought a strong moral voice and the power of her 
Quaker community to policy discussions here in Washington. Her deep 
faith and belief in the inherent value of all people have allowed her 
to work across partisan and ideological lines to achieve major, 
positive change.
  During her decade-long tenure, Diane vastly expanded FCNL's advocacy 
staff in Washington and energized Quaker activists across the country. 
She built enduring coalitions with many different faith communities, 
joining with the heads of Washington offices of faith-based 
organizations, the Circle of Protection, and the Washington Interfaith 
Staff Community.
  In fact, I recall a dinner with faith leaders that Diane hosted a few 
years ago at FCNL's Quaker Welcome Center. We discussed the 
intersection of poverty and racism, and from that dinner-discussion 
emerged a powerful statement: a Unity Declaration on Racism and Poverty 
signed by more than 80 prominent Christian leaders.
  I have seen first-hand how Diane has nurtured and challenged all of 
us to work toward her vision of the world we seek. FCNL's wonderful 
mission statement is something that I believe we should all champion:

     We seek a world free of war and the threat of war.
     We seek a society with equity and justice for all.
     We seek a community where every person's potential may be 
           fulfilled.
     We seek an earth restored.

  FCNL has been and continues to be a principled, effective and 
steadfast partner in advancing that mission. They have been an integral 
part of our efforts to repeal the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use 
of Military Force. FCNL is one of the few organizations that has been 
with me since September 2001, supporting my lone vote against the war 
authorization, and continuing to campaign against the endless wars that 
resulted from one 60-word sentence that was enacted into law over our 
objections.
  Under Diane's leadership starting in 2011, FCNL staff have been 
steadfast allies, advocating to support my legislation to repeal these 
war authorizations. Their professional lobbyists as well as their 
citizen advocates tirelessly visited Hill offices, telling their own 
personal stories as well as making a logical case for why endless wars 
and endless Pentagon spending make all of us less secure.
  We work together on so many issues, from promoting racial justice at 
home to ending the drone wars to supporting the United Nations. Whether 
it is protecting the right to vote, protecting refugees and migrants, 
or protecting vulnerable people in developing countries, FCNL has been 
right there alongside me.
  Although FCNL is a Quaker-led organization, its network includes many 
people of other faiths and non-religious people who are drawn to their 
priorities and their vision for a better future. Diane has particularly 
strengthened FCNL's work on poverty and economic justice issues, 
focusing a huge amount of energy and lobbying power on passing 
legislation to expand and extend the Child Tax Credit and the Earned 
Income Tax Credit. This November, FCNL organized more than 600 people 
in 45 states plus the District of Columbia to lobby Congress in support 
of these priorities.
  Diane is truly one who speaks truth to power, and I am deeply 
grateful for that. She leaves a legacy not only of moral leadership, 
but also a vision for a more peaceful and equitable future, and an 
organization that is energized and equipped to pursue it.

                          ____________________