[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17128-17130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF PRIME 
                          MINISTER TONY BLAIR

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 416) expressing the sense of the House of 
Representatives regarding the public service of Tony Blair, Prime 
Minister of the United Kingdom.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 416

       Whereas Tony Blair has served as the Prime Minister of the 
     United Kingdom for more than a decade, winning three general 
     elections as leader of the Labour Party;
       Whereas Mr. Blair played an instrumental role in achieving 
     peace in Northern Ireland and negotiating the Good Friday 
     Agreement which brought all communities into the political 
     and governmental process and ended centuries of division, 
     conflict, and strife;
       Whereas Mr. Blair committed himself to bringing devolved 
     government to Northern Ireland which was achieved with the 
     recent decision of the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn 
     Fein agreeing to form a power-sharing government;
       Whereas the United Kingdom and the United States have had a 
     long-standing alliance which was further strengthened during 
     Tony Blair's tenure as he and the United Kingdom stood side-
     by-side with the United States during conflicts in Bosnia, 
     Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
       Whereas Mr. Blair showed British solidarity with the United 
     States after the 9/11 terrorist attacks by being the first 
     foreign leader to visit Ground Zero and attending President 
     Bush's speech before a joint session of Congress on September 
     20, 2001;
       Whereas Mr. Blair displayed exemplary leadership as Prime 
     Minister when the United Kingdom suffered its own terrorist 
     attacks on July 7, 2005, when suicide bombers killed 52 
     people traveling on London's public transportation system;
       Whereas the United Kingdom has been a steadfast ally to the 
     United States in the Global War on Terror as it is the second 
     largest contributor of coalition forces in Iraq and 
     Afghanistan; and
       Whereas on July 17, 2003, Mr. Blair was awarded the 
     Congressional Gold Medal that declared ``Congress finds that 
     Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom has clearly 
     demonstrated, during a very trying and historic time for our 
     two countries, that he is a staunch and steadfast ally of the 
     United States of America.'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the remarkable public service of Tony Blair 
     during his tenure as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; 
     and
       (2) expresses appreciation to Mr. Blair for his steadfast 
     support for the United States and Britain's invaluable 
     alliance to our Nation.


[[Page 17129]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Watson) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of this resolution. As one of the co-Chairs 
of the bipartisan United Kingdom Caucus, I am honored to have the 
opportunity to speak in support of H. Res. 416, a resolution saluting 
the public service of Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
  I would first like to commend our distinguished colleague, Mr. Peter 
King of New York, for introducing this timely resolution that pays 
tribute to the remarkable political career of one of America's 
strongest allies.
  Two days from now, Prime Minister Tony Blair will leave 10 Downing 
Street for the last time. He will be leaving behind a legacy of 
domestic reform and international activism. His successor, Gordon 
Brown, praised his accomplishments and told him that ``Whatever we 
achieve in the future will be because we are standing on your 
shoulders.''
  Mr. Blair was first elected to Parliament in 1983 and served as Prime 
Minister for over a decade, securing a place in the record books as the 
only Labor leader to have won three successive elections.
  Mr. Blair has been a strong and steadfast ally of the United States 
throughout his time in office. No American will ever forget the 
solidarity he expressed on behalf of our British cousins in the days 
following the devastating terrorist attacks of 
9/11, when he announced, ``We were with you at the first. We will stay 
with you to the last.''
  Mr. Blair was the first foreign leader to visit Ground Zero. He 
further demonstrated his support by sitting in this Chamber during 
President Bush's speech before a joint session of Congress 2 weeks 
later.
  American hearts went out to Mr. Blair and the British people in July 
of 2005 when cheers of celebration over London's successful Olympic bid 
turned to tears of mourning following the devastating terrorist attack 
on the city's public transportation system.
  Domestically, Mr. Blair was unwavering in his commitment to securing 
a lasting peace in Northern Ireland. Blair aided the negotiations that 
led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement on April 10, 1998. This 
momentous agreement brought all communities into the governmental 
process, providing a framework in which the ballot box replaced the 
bomb as a means of political expression.
  During his final months in office, Mr. Blair witnessed the fruits of 
his labor as age-old enemies Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist 
Party and Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein took their places as first and 
deputy first ministers in the restored Northern Ireland Assembly. Mr. 
Blair welcomed the opportunity for Northern Ireland to ``escape the 
heavy chains of history'' and ``make history anew.''
  It is appropriate that this House recognizes the outstanding public 
service of Tony Blair during his decade as Britain's Prime Minister and 
thank him for his unfailing friendship during our Nation's time of 
greatest need.
  I strongly support this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do 
the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  First I would like to thank our distinguished colleague, Mr. Peter 
King from New York, for sponsoring this bill. He is the ranking member 
of the Homeland Security Committee, as you know.
  I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the service of a 
true friend of the United States, Prime Minister Tony Blair.
  Throughout his long career in office, more than a decade in total, 
Prime Minister Blair has been a strong champion of the trans-Atlantic 
alliance between the United States and Britain and the United States 
and the other states of Europe.
  The U.S.-British relationship has indeed been made stronger due to 
Tony Blair, building an Anglo American alliance that has faced some of 
the darkest threats in the history of humankind. Our relations with all 
of Europe have benefited because of Tony Blair.
  Just as Sir Winston Churchill inspired Americans in his time, the 
American people will never forget Blair's solidarity with the United 
States in visiting Ground Zero just days after the September 11 
terrorist attacks that killed so many of our citizens. We recall that 
he sat in our House gallery just a few days later when President Bush 
addressed a joint session of Congress concerning the tragic results of 
that terrorist attack.
  Prime Minister Blair has backed up his words with real commitment in 
the struggle against extremism that may well determine the future of 
our modern civilization, a civilization that has been built on the 
principles of rational thought and the liberty of men and women rather 
than on extremism.
  Indeed, British troops today stand beside our troops in the major 
conflicts of the struggle. Moreover, British law enforcement works in 
close cooperation with American law enforcement agencies, cooperation 
that has produced important results, as we saw in the successful 
prevention of terrorist plots, including the planned attack on U.S.-
bound passenger jets in 2006.
  Mr. Speaker, on a separate issue of great importance to many 
Americans, we recognize that in responding to the strife of Northern 
Ireland with the Good Friday agreement, Prime Minister Blair's 
contribution was nothing short of remarkable. He and Irish Prime 
Minister Bertie Ahern inherited a divisive, violent conflict that has 
continued for half a century and that has, unfortunately, taken over 
3,000 lives. Many had tried earlier to resolve the conflict in Northern 
Ireland, but none achieved the extent of progress that Prime Minister 
Blair has during his time in office.

                              {time}  1445

  Rather than resigning himself to the status quo of senseless 
violence, Prime Minister Blair chose to commit himself fully to this 
endeavor, collaborating with his Irish counterparts and working towards 
achieving real progress toward peace in Northern Ireland.
  Mr. Speaker, let us take this opportunity to reflect on Tony Blair's 
accomplishments and to reaffirm our gratitude.
  I ask my colleagues to voice their support for this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as he 
may consume to the distinguished gentleman from New York, Peter King, 
the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. KING of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida 
for yielding, and thank him for the service he has rendered to this 
body in the 6 brief months he's been here. He is certainly following 
well in the tradition of his father, who is a long-time friend of mine.
  Let me also say how gratifying it is to be on the floor and have the 
manager of this bill which pertains to Tony Blair being managed by the 
distinguished Ambassador Watson, who does such an outstanding job as 
cochair of the United States-United Kingdom Congressional Caucus.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support of this resolution. 
I was especially privileged to introduce it because as Tony Blair exits 
from the Office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, he takes with 
him the admiration and the best wishes of all freedom-loving people 
throughout the world.

[[Page 17130]]

  No one certainly has been a closer ally to the United States than 
Prime Minister Tony Blair. No one personifies the close links between 
the United States and Great Britain than Tony Blair; certainly follows 
in the tradition of Winston Churchill, who did more than anyone until 
his time to cement that relationship, and Tony Blair has even advanced 
it more. Whether it was President Clinton or President Bush, Tony Blair 
always stood as our strongest ally in Bosnia, in Kosovo, in Iraq, 
Afghanistan, and the international war against terrorism, and standing 
up for democratic principles and values.
  And certainly as a New Yorker, I will always remember the fact that 
he was the first foreign leader to come to New York, to come to Ground 
Zero to meet with the firefighters and meet with the police officers 
and express the solidarity of the British people toward the people of 
New York, and of course, to the people of the United States, and to all 
peoples who were opposed to international terrorism. And then, as 
Ambassador Watson mentioned, the fact that he was here in the House 
Chamber on September 20, 2001 when President Bush addressed the 
American people also showed his absolute commitment to the United 
States and to the war against terrorism.
  As an Irish American, I have been involved for many years in the 
quest for a peaceful solution to the struggle in Northern Ireland. And 
depending on which historian you're talking to or which analyst you're 
talking to, this is a struggle that went back 800 years, 300 years, 80 
years, 35 years. It really doesn't matter what timeline we're using, 
the reality is it was a seemingly unending struggle which was going to 
go on and on and on. And then the stars were properly aligned and Tony 
Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Bertie Ahern 
became the Prime Minister of Ireland, and President Clinton committed 
himself to using the good offices of the United States as an honest 
broker to try to bring about a peaceful resolution in the north of 
Ireland. And through incredible hard work and perseverance and 
dedication, it worked. And not only did Tony Blair deal with Prime 
Minister Ahern and President Clinton, what he did even took more 
courage, and that was to reach out to historic enemies, if you will, of 
the British Government. He reached out to people such as Gerry Adams 
and Martin McGuiness and Sinn Fein, and he brought them to the 
negotiating table and sat down with them and worked with them. And he 
had them to 10 Downing Street and he broke down centuries of division 
and hatred. And at the same time, he worked with those on the other 
side, strongly on the other side, not just David Trimble of the Ulster 
Unionist Party, but also Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party.
  And the Good Friday Agreement would not have been possible in April 
of 1998 without Tony Blair, but also the Good Friday Agreement went on 
for almost 9 years afterwards until it was finally brought to its 
ultimate fruition earlier this month. And it was done because Tony 
Blair never yielded. There were so many times between April of 1998 and 
May or June of this year that that agreement could have fallen apart, 
that it could have splintered, that it could have shattered if Tony 
Blair was not willing to take that extra step, and he did that.
  And during this entire time that he was bringing peace to Northern 
Ireland and standing with us as our strongest ally, also Britain itself 
was under attack. And as Mr. Bilirakis and Ambassador Watson mentioned, 
on July 7, 2005, when the London underground was attacked by terrorists 
causing large scale carnage and loss of life, and Tony Blair again 
stood strong and stood firm.
  So, this is a moment where it's seldom that we see giants in history, 
and it's important, I think, that we not wait 50 years or 100 years or 
several centuries to acknowledge them, but to acknowledge them in their 
own time as being prophets with honor.
  So I, again, say I've had the privilege a number of times of being 
with Tony Blair. I was with him with President Clinton in Washington 
and in Belfast and Armagh City in Northern Ireland, and just last 
month, again, at the British Embassy. He certainly is a man of stature, 
he's a man of achievement and he's a man of courage.
  I am proud to support this resolution, and I urge its adoption.
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, there was nothing hesitant 
about Prime Minister Blair's resolve to fight back and send a message 
to terrorists that the United Kingdom, like the United States, would 
not succumb to ideology that espouses violence and death.
  Like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher before him, who stood shoulder 
to shoulder with President Ronald Reagan to bring down the greatest 
dark force of the 20th century, communist, Mr. Blair stood with 
President Bush even when few others would accept the challenge to 
eliminate the dark force of this new century.
  Mr. Speaker, as all the previous speakers have suggested, this is 
most worthy resolution for a most worthy leader. I urge all of my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating Prime Minister Tony Blair for 
his remarkable tenure as Prime Minister of the U.K., and for his 
steadfast support of the United States, and our invaluable alliance 
with Great Britain.
  We look forward to his successor, Mr. Gordon Brown, following in Mr. 
Blair's footsteps by maintaining and building on our transatlantic 
alliance so we can stand strong and together face the uncertainties of 
a troubled world.
  I would like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank Ranking Member King 
for bringing forth this resolution. And also Ambassador Watson, I thank 
you very much. Tony Blair is a true statesman, a man of principle.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague Mr. 
Peter King for introducing this important resolution, which I was proud 
to cosponsor. I can think of no one more deserving of being honored by 
this body than Prime Minister Blair. For over a decade, he has proven 
to be a tremendous friend and ally of the United States, and we simply 
cannot say anything today that would adequately honor the contribution 
he has made to his country, to our country and to the cause of freedom 
throughout the globe.
  And we know he has not made this great contribution without 
significant sacrifice. We have watched him at times endure an enormous 
amount of criticism and personal attack for the principled positions he 
has taken. But Tony Blair has steadfastly demonstrated what true 
leadership is. It does not always entail easy or popular choices. It 
does not always elicit cheers of support. Leadership in the 21st 
century, as we have come to realize, will often mean taking a very 
difficult stand against the enemies of freedom.
  I believe that history will regard this principled leadership very 
highly. And as Mr. King's resolution highlights, this leadership has 
been exemplified throughout Tony Blair's entire tenure as Prime 
Minister. By brokering the Good Friday Agreement, he has ushered in a 
new, peaceful era in Northern Ireland, bringing together all parties 
and giving them a critical role in their own government. He has been 
our close ally in every major conflict that we have faced together--
Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.
  He was the first foreign leader to visit Ground Zero after September 
11, 2001, and attended President Bush's address to the joint session of 
Congress 9 days after those tragic attacks. And no other ally has 
contributed more forces to the global war on terror. The United States 
owes a great debt of gratitude to Prime Minister Blair and to the great 
people of his nation. We honor their sacrifices and their deep 
friendship.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 416.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________