[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 126 (Thursday, July 28, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H7262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING DAVID TRIMBLE
(Mr. NEAL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. NEAL. Madam Speaker, I stand today to pay tribute to David
Trimble, an important contributor to the formation and the success of
the Good Friday Agreement and the original First Minister for Northern
Ireland. I got to know David very well, and it is unfortunate that he
has left us too early.
All of the political parties in the North put aside longstanding
animosities and came together to make the Good Friday Agreement
possible. David Trimble showed uncommon courage to ignore dissenting
voices in the Unionist community to achieve that historic accord.
For all of us, sometimes it is difficult to say no to our own side.
It was not an easy process. There were many months of negotiations, and
not everybody got what they wanted, but the Nobel Prize that he and
John Hume received in 1998 was a reflection of those tough decisions.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the agreement, it endures
because of his patient approach, coupled with a keen focus on dialogue.
My deepest condolences to his wife, Daphne, and family. Today, we
know that on the island of Ireland, peace is within our sight because
of the work that David Trimble contributed.
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