[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 21918]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  REPRESENTATIVE LEACH FOR PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO UNITED NATIONS

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I reflect on the gentleman from 
Iowa's almost four decades of public service, 30 of them as a 
distinguished Member of this House of Representatives. I am referring 
to my friend, Jim Leach.
  For many of the 12,000 men and women privileged to serve in the House 
of Representatives since the founding of the Republic, their careers 
are distinguished by service in this Chamber. Jim Leach is one of those 
rare individuals for whom Congress itself is distinguished by his 
service. There is no one from whom I have learned more by his words, 
his deeds and his friendship. He is one of the few among us who, when 
he speaks on the floor of the House, people who care about substance 
listen. He consistently chooses the right words, and invites people to 
be part of the process. He listens. He is never drawn into petty 
partisan politics that too often rear their ugly heads.
  For 30 years we have been privileged to watch his conscientious and 
thoughtful work on the Financial Services and International Relations 
committees. Jim predicted the savings and loan crisis, and was spot on 
in his observations about American diplomacy from the Middle East to 
North Korea.
  He was always dignified and principled, one of the few people who 
navigated the legislative halls successfully without being mired in 
partisan politics.
  Indeed, in his congressional campaigns, he refused PAC contributions, 
didn't want out-of-State donations, he wouldn't run negative ads, and 
he rejected outside groups who tried to run negative ads on his behalf. 
He may have actually won his election by playing by the rules widely 
accepted as the norm and by which most prefer to operate. He may have 
won, but it wouldn't have been Jim Leach and we all would have been the 
poorer.
  While Iowa has lost Jim's service to Congress, America need not lose 
his service, his intellect and his unique talents. Ambassador John 
Bolton's appointment to the United States Permanent Representative to 
the United Nations expires at the end of the year, and the United 
States cannot afford a gap in our representation. We desperately need a 
strong, positive direction to guide multilateral diplomacy in the 
United Nations.
  There is not another American who is better suited to advancing 
United States interests in that important forum by temperament, 
experience or intellect than Jim Leach. Remember, as a young foreign 
service officer, he actually served at the United Nations under then-
ambassador George H.W. Bush before returning to Iowa as part of his 
family's business, and then on to 30 distinguished years of service in 
this body.
  If anything, Jim may be better suited as a diplomat than at partisan 
politics. He is the most diplomatic politician I have ever met. Black 
and white was not Jim's view of the world, especially if grays and even 
colors were part of the picture.
  This week my colleague Jim Walsh and I will be circulating a ``Dear 
Colleague'' letter to Members of the House of Representatives on both 
sides of the aisle, a letter that would urge President Bush to consider 
the appointment of Jim Leach as our Permanent Representative to the 
United Nations. It is a nomination that no doubt would be greeted by 
acclaim. It would pass the United States Senate I predict unanimously, 
and we would all be the better off.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to join us in signing this letter for 
the nomination of Jim Leach.

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