[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 15]
[House]
[Pages 21421-21422]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  RONALD H. BROWN UNITED STATES MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 735) to designate the Federal building under construction at 
799 First Avenue in New York, New York, as the ``Ronald H. Brown United 
States Mission to the United Nations Building''.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 735

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.

       The Federal building under construction at 799 First Avenue 
     in New York, New York, shall be known and designated as the 
     ``Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations 
     Building''.

     SEC. 2. REFERENCES.

       Any reference in a law, map, regulation, document, paper, 
     or other record of the United States to the Federal building 
     referred to in section 1 shall be deemed to be a reference to 
     the ``Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United 
     Nations Building''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 735.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Maryland?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
chairman of the committee on Ways and Means, Mr. Rangel.
  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, thank you so much for giving me this 
opportunity to share with this body the life of a great American named 
Ron Brown, and I'm asking your support to have a Federal building, a 
U.N. missions building if you will, to be named after him.
  Even though Ron Brown was an African American from Harlem, his story 
is more of an American story than one of color, because on the streets 
of Harlem you don't find too many people exposed to dreams of ever 
becoming a Secretary of Commerce, indeed an ambassador for this great 
country.
  But Ron never forgot Harlem, and it was the Urban League that drove 
him to do things in the civil rights movement. It was his dedication to 
his country that drove him to spend 4 years in the military, but 
everywhere that Ron Brown would go as Secretary of Commerce, he was 
there not just to sell businesses to the country. He was there to sell 
the American flag, the principles of that flag and the thing that we 
stand for.
  I went with him to South Africa to see him negotiating with leaders, 
political leaders there, but all the time that he was talking to them, 
it wasn't which party was right or which party was wrong or how to 
bring about solidarity. He was asking how could America help the people 
to get clean water, to get medicine, to get food and to let them know 
that our multinationals were there, not just for the shareholders of 
their firm but the shareholders of the world.
  And so when you come to New York, where you always see diversity, 
people of different color, different languages, different cultures, and 
you see the Federal mission to the United Nations, there could not be a 
sight that would be more reminiscent of Ron Brown than the 
contributions that he made to my community, my country, but indeed, the 
entire world.
  And so thank you for shepherding this wonderful bill so that his 
family and his friends and his supporters and kids to follow would know 
that out of Harlem we planted the seed, and he died for this country on 
a mission for President Clinton. His memory will never, never be 
forgotten; and I was proud to be a desk clerk at the time

[[Page 21422]]

that he was living in a hotel that his father managed in New York. And 
he will forever be in my mind and I hope in yours as you think about 
great Americans who lost their lives for this great country.

                              {time}  2100

  Mr. LaTOURETTE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  H.R. 735 designates a Federal building under construction at 799 
First Avenue, New York, New York, as the Ronald H. Brown United States 
Mission to the United Nations Building. Ron Brown was born in 
Washington DC, grew up in New York City, and had a distinguished career 
and exemplary life. This is a good piece of legislation.
  Ron Brown was born in Washington, DC and grew up in New York city. 
After attending Middlebury College, he commanded several units in the 
United States Army and served with distinction. Following his service 
in the Army, Ron Brown attended St. John's Law School.
  After finishing law school, Ron Brown began a career as a lawyer and 
a lobbyist. He served as chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary 
Committee under the chairmanship of Senator Ted Kennedy. In addition, 
he chaired the Senior Advisory Committee of the Institute of Politics 
at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and was 
an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
  Ron Brown's career culminated in his appointment as Secretary of 
Commerce by President Bill Clinton. Tragically, his life ended abruptly 
while on a trade mission to Croatia in 1996. Secretary Brown was an 
accomplished politician and diplomat.
  I would like to note that after the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure marked up this bill, the State Department raised 
concerns about setting the precedent of naming a U.S. Embassy. I hope 
the chairman could work with the State Department to resolve this issue 
before this bill is signed into law.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I merely want to associate myself with the words of the chairman of 
the Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Rangel. I urge all Members to vote in 
favor of the bill.
  Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 735, a 
bill to designate the United States Mission to the United Nations 
Building located at 799 First Avenue, New York, NY, as the ``Ronald H. 
Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building.''
  Consideration of this bill on the House floor is long overdue. I 
commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for his steadfastness 
in supporting this bill. Congressman Rangel introduced similar bills to 
designate the United States Mission to the United Nations in honor of 
Ron Brown in the 108th and 109th Congresses. I am pleased that today we 
will finally pass this bill and pay a fitting tribute to the life and 
achievements of this extraordinary American.
  Ron Brown was a man who served his country in many capacities: 
lawyer, pragmatic bridge builder, statesman, mentor, and trusted 
friend.
  He may be best known for his service as the first African-American 
Secretary of Commerce. In that position, he became a powerful and 
influential voice for promoting American products and trade abroad. He 
championed expanding markets for U.S. goods and services, in order to 
increase job opportunities and foster job creation here at home.
  He also served on President Clinton's National Economic Council, 
Domestic Policy Council, and Task Force on National Health Care Reform. 
He served President Clinton on the Trade Promotion Coordinating 
Committee and was Co- Chair of the U.S.-Russia Business Development 
Committee.
  Secretary Brown served on the Board of Trustees for Middlebury 
College and received his law degree from St. John's University in New 
York City. Prior to entering public service, he worked as a welfare 
caseworker in New York City.
  In addition to his many talents and strengths, Secretary Brown was a 
passionate civil rights activist with a distinguished record of service 
to his community. His commitment to this Nation and its citizens 
provides a model for us all.
  Secretary Brown's life was tragically ended in April 1996 when he was 
killed in a place crash in Croatia while on an official Department of 
Commerce trade mission.
  The Department of State had requested that Secretary Brown personally 
undertake the trade mission to highlight and find opportunities for 
U.S. businesses to boost economic reconstruction of the war torn region 
of former Yugoslavia.
  Congress has previously designated Federal buildings that serve as 
Department of State facilities on four separate occasions. In 2000, 
Congress designated the Department of State headquarters as the ``Harry 
S Truman Federal Building'' (P.L. 106-218). In 2004, Congress 
designated the Foreign Service Institute as the ``George P. Schultz 
National Foreign Affairs Training Center'' (P.L. 108-136). In 2005, 
Congress designated the United States Embassy Annex in Rome, Italy, as 
the ``Mel Sembler Building'' (P.L. 108-447) and designated the Federal 
building in Kingston, Jamaica, as the ``Colin L. Powell Residential 
Plaza'' (P.L. 109-89).
  Secretary Brown died in service to his country on a mission 
undertaken at the request of the Department of State. It is fitting and 
proper to honor this Federal building as the ``Ronald H. Brown United 
States Mission to the United Nations Building.''
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 735.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I would like to 
take this opportunity to express my strong, support for H.R. 735, a 
bill designating the U.S. Mission to the United Nations for my good 
friend and former Secretary of Commerce, the late Ronald Herman Brown.
  Ron Brown's legacy is one that will forever be synonymous with the 
term trailblazer. Ron Brown was the first African American to achieve 
partner at Patton, Boggs, and Blow in 1981.
  In 1989, he became the first African-American to head the Democratic 
National Committee, marking the first time in U.S. history, a African-
American had ever lead a major political party.
  History was made again in 1993, when President William Jefferson 
Clinton nominated, and the Senate confirmed, Ron Brown as the first 
African-American to serve as Secretary of Commerce.
  As alluded to previously, Ron Brown was an astute, bright, and 
compassionate individual. He was a brilliant lawyer, an effective 
Secretary of Commerce, but most importantly he was a devoted family man 
to his wife Alma and their two children, Michael and Tracy.
  Sadly, death cheated them and this country at a most unexpected hour; 
however, we all can take great pride in knowing that Ron Brown's legacy 
shall endure.
  In closing Madam Speaker, I would like to commend Transportation and 
Infrastructure Chairman, Mr. Oberstar, Subcommittee Chairwoman, Ms. 
Norton, and my dear friend Representative Rangel for their collective 
leadership in advancing this long overdue piece of legislation.
  This fine measure is a fitting tribute to one of this country's 
greatest public servants.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 735.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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