[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15825]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE DAN GLICKMAN PAYS TRIBUTE TO DEPARTMENT OF 
  AGRICULTURE INSPECTORS TOM QUADROS, JEANNIE HILLERY AND BILL SHALINE

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 20, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my deepest condolences 
to the families of Tom Quadros, Jeannie Hillery, and Bill Shaline--the 
three United States Department of Agriculture inspectors who were 
brutally and senselessly murdered during an inspection visit to a 
sausage factory in Oakland, California, in June.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to condemn publicly their brutal murder. 
What has our nation come to, when unarmed USDA compliance officers are 
brutally shot while inspecting the food we eat? Anyone familiar with 
the novel the ``The Jungle'' by Upton Sinclair is aware of the 
potential for hazards that come with unsanitary meat packaging or 
processing plants. The USDA, with the help of loyal and diligent 
inspectors like Tom Quadros, Jeannie Hillery, and Bill Shaline, has 
worked hard to ensure that our nation's meat plants provide clean and 
sanitary food for the American public.
  Mr. Speaker, these three individuals represent the finest example of 
public service. The men and women who serve their fellow Americans in 
government positions assure safe food, safe travel, public safety and 
security, and a better life for all of us. All Americans owe a huge 
debt of gratitude to the federal employees who serve us. Sometimes this 
service is performed at great personal risk, as was the case in this 
tragedy in Oakland. I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute 
to these fallen federal employees and to all federal employees who 
serve our nation.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to place in the Record the heartfelt words 
of condolence that Secretary of Agriculture Glickman delivered at the 
memorial service for Jean Hillery, Tom Quadros, and Bill Shaline on 
June 30th of this year in Oakland, California.

           Statement of Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman

       On behalf of the entire U.S. Department of Agriculture, I 
     want to offer my condolences to the families, friends and 
     colleagues of Jean Hillery, Tom Quadros and Bill Shaline. 
     USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture 
     are better off for the time that they gave to us. Many people 
     have come up to me and expressed their sadness at this loss. 
     Just the other day, I received a letter from the members of 
     the Safe Food Coalition asking that we pass along their 
     condolences as well.
       Food safety compliance officers perform one of the most 
     important functions in public service, protecting the 
     American people where they are largely powerless to protect 
     themselves. Jean Hillery, Tom Quadros and Bill Shaline did 
     the people's work. And over this holiday weekend, as we grill 
     our steaks, chicken and burgers, I hope we'll all remember 
     that it's the efforts of these three people and the thousands 
     of others like them that ensures the safety of the food we 
     serve to our families. And while their work is absolutely 
     critical, rarely do we think of it as dangerous and life-
     threatening. Which makes last week's tragedy all the more 
     shocking and unsettling. It's cruelly ironic that, in the 
     process of protecting the lives of the American people, their 
     own lives were taken from them violently and needlessly.
       All of them led lives of purpose and dedication, not just 
     at their jobs but within their families and their 
     communities. Whether it was Jean Hillery going to college and 
     beginning a new career after raising three daughters, or Tom 
     Quadros' work with the Special Olympics, it's clear that 
     these were more than distinguished public servants . . . they 
     were extraordinary people as well. Yesterday, back at USDA 
     headquarters, I gave a speech about civil rights at our 
     Department. And although I talked some about programs and 
     procedures, the message I really tried to convey was that 
     civil rights and human rights begin with people simply 
     treating each other with respect and common courtesy. This 
     tragedy is not about race or civil rights in any way, but I 
     think it can still teach a lesson about civility and decency, 
     about open communication and the importance of resolving 
     disputes peacefully and sensibly. Jean Hillery, Tom Quadros 
     and Bill Shaline lived those values, but they died because 
     some people still do not.
       I want to close with a message to their children. Last 
     December, I lost both of my parents, within just a few weeks 
     of each other. They were old, and they were sick. But I'm 
     immensely grateful that they lived into their 80's and that I 
     was able to enjoy them for 55 years of my life. I can't 
     imagine the pain you must feel at losing parents in the prime 
     of their lives. But I hope that you measure their time in 
     terms of quality rather than quantity . . . always 
     remembering that their lives, though short, were ones of both 
     accomplishment and integrity. Thank you.

     

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