[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 26612]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           A SALUTE TO MEDAL OF FREEDOM RECIPIENT EVY DUBROW

 Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize my 
friend, Evelyn Dubrow, who recently received the Presidential Medal of 
Freedom. Unfortunately, a previous commitment prevented me from joining 
Evy's many friends and admirers at the ceremony, but I want to commend 
her on receiving the nation's highest civilian honor bestowed by the 
United States Government.
  President Kennedy established the Presidential Medal of Freedom award 
in 1963 to honor persons who have made especially meritorious 
contributions to the security or national interests of the United 
States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant private or 
public endeavors. There is not a more deserving recipient of this award 
than Evy Dubrow. As founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and 
Americans for Democratic Action, she tackled difficult issues from fair 
trade to civil rights. As legislative director of UNITE and its 
predecessor, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, Evy spent 
her career fighting not only for labor rights, but for individual 
rights and humanity. She is by far one of the best I have had the 
pleasure to know and to work with.
  Mr. President, I ask that President Clinton's remarks upon the 
presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Evelyn Dubrow be 
printed in the Record:

       Evy Dubrow came to Washington more than 40 years ago, ready 
     to do battle for America's garment workers--and do battle she 
     did. When it came to the well-being of workers and their 
     families, this tiny woman was larger than life. The halls of 
     Congress still echo with the sound of her voice, advocating a 
     higher minimum wage, safer work places, better education for 
     the children of working families. And in opposition, to 
     President Ford and me, she also was against NAFTA.
       No matter how divisive the issue, however, Evy always 
     seemed to find a way to bring people together, to find a 
     solution. As she put it, there are good people on both sides 
     of each issue. And she had a knack for finding those people.
       By the time she retired two years ago, at the age of 80, 
     she had won a special chair in the House Chamber, a special 
     spot at the poker table in the Filibuster Room and a special 
     place in the hearts of even the most hard-bitten politicians 
     in Washington; even more important, for decades and decades, 
     she won victory after victory for social justice.

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