[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15349]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD P. CRONIN

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. LEACH

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 30, 2005

  Mr. LEACH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the accomplishments of 
Richard P. Cronin, a Specialist in Asian Affairs with the Foreign 
Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division of the Congressional Research 
Service. Dr. Cronin is retiring after 30 years at CRS and is beginning 
a new position at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, DC. Over 
the past three decades, the Congress, and especially the Asia Pacific 
Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, has 
benefitted from Dr. Cronin's expertise, analysis, insights, and timely 
responses on a wide variety of political, security, and economic 
issues.
  Dr. Cronin's tenure spanned 15 Congresses and a succession of events 
in Asia that held important implications for U.S. interests. He was 
invited to testify before congressional committees and, in 1995, was 
seconded to the House Committee on International Relations. While there 
he not only facilitated a close working relationship between the 
Committee and CRS, but he worked on specific legislation and hearings 
that had far-reaching effects. He helped draft legislation that 
governed U.S. policy related to the North Korean nuclear program, was 
instrumental in forming legislative initiatives that sought to adjust 
the Pressler Amendment, and was the primary staff person responsible 
for hearings on South Asian security issues, the civil war in Sri 
Lanka, U.S. relations with South Korea, and U.S.-Japan security issues.
  Dr. Cronin has diligently sought comprehensive approaches to 
international problems. His Ph.D. in history and South Asian Studies 
from Syracuse University along with his Bachelor's degree in economics 
provided the foundation for him to address issues using methods that 
were multi-disciplinary and far reaching. While at CRS, he provided 
expert advice and analysis to Congress on countries, such as India, 
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, the 
Philippines, Indonesia, China, Iraq, and Somalia, and on the regions of 
South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia. Whether the topic was 
security, intelligence, the military, economics, terrorism, or 
politics, Dr. Cronin could address it with authority.
  Dr. Cronin also served as head of the Asia Section at CRS and where 
he supervised work for Congress on U.S. policy toward Asian countries. 
His supervision, guidance, and review of research projects contributed 
to the high quality of reports authored by other CRS analysts. He 
received numerous citations and special awards. In addition to his work 
for the Congress, Dr. Cronin taught courses at local universities and 
published extensively. He wrote a book, five chapters for other books, 
and twelve professional journal articles. He has also been invited to 
speak at numerous foreign policy seminars, panels, and conferences in 
Washington and around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress has many dimensions. But no part of our body 
symbolizes professional analysis and the provision of non-partisan, 
academic perspective to public policy more than the Congressional 
Research Service. CRS enriches this institution; it adds a dimension of 
judgment that few outside the body understand. Dr. Cronin's career 
epitomizes why the Congressional Research Service has established the 
reputation it has and, on behalf of so many of my colleagues, I want to 
express my appreciation for his many contributions to the Congress and 
wish him well in his new position.

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