[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 16171-16172]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  THANKING AND CONGRATULATING GEORGE A. DALLEY, CHIEF OF STAFF TO MY 
                OFFICE, ON HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE HILL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2009

  Mr. RANGEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend a dear friend and 
colleague, George Albert Dalley, on an illustrious public service 
career spanning 30 years in federal government, private practice, 
international affairs, and presidential politics. With a razor-sharp 
intellect, unmatched mettle and grit, and an undeniable warmth and 
grace that has made him a beloved figure on the Hill, George returned 
as my Chief of Staff and Counsel in 2001--his third stint in that 
capacity--and will this month retire after a successful tenure.
  But George is more than just a co-worker to me. We have maintained a 
personal and working relationship for the larger part of my political 
life that has proved abundantly edifying and rewarding. The many who 
have met and been touched by George and his life's work can attest that 
he is equal parts strong mind and ample heart, a kind soul who cares 
deeply about the issues of the day and their impact on everyday 
people--in America and across the globe.
  Born in Havana, Cuba, to Jamaican parents in 1941, George immigrated 
to New York City and became a naturalized citizen, attending the 
prestigious Columbia University where he earned three degrees: an 
undergraduate degree, a master's in business administration, and a 
juris doctorate. He is a member of the Bars of the District of 
Columbia, New York, and the U.S. Supreme Court, serves as a member of 
the Council on Foreign Relations, and is on the Board of Directors for 
the Apollo Theatre Foundation and for Africare as Chair.
  Between 1989 and up until he rejoined my staff in 2001, he practiced 
in the areas of legislative, administrative, and international law. As 
a former partner at Holland and Knight, he represented the interests of 
foreign governments--from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El 
Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua to Senegal, the Cote d'Ivoire, Kenya, 
Mali, and Botswana--before the federal government, Congress, and 
multilateral financial institutions.
  He sought to bring economic development to Africa and the Caribbean, 
working tirelessly to spur private investment in the two regions and 
working closely with me in securing passage of the African Growth and 
Opportunity Act and the enhancement of the Caribbean Basin Initiative. 
As a founding member of the Corporate Council on Africa and as a former 
U.S. counsel to the African Business Round Table, he promoted greater 
understanding of the opportunities for successful investment in the 
private sectors of African nations.

[[Page 16172]]

  George played an integral, central role in getting Congress to deny 
tax preferences to companies doing business in apartheid South Africa--
a move that hugely undermined that government and was reportedly one of 
the most influential sanctions in bringing that system down.
  Aside from his loyal and dedicated service with me in the early 
1970s, mid-1980s, and 2000s, George has served in senior-level posts in 
our government: as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for 
International Organizations Affairs, responsible for U.S. policy on 
human rights and social issues in the United Nations; as an appointed 
member of the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board, advancing the deregulation 
of the airline industry in the administration of President Jimmy 
Carter; as Deputy Director of the Mondale for President campaign.
  He is an unabashed lover of people; of politics, policy and law; and 
of course, of his beloved New York Yankees. He and his late wife, Pearl 
Elizabeth Love, were a remarkable and loving couple, having raised two 
great sons, Jason and Benjamin, who have in turn given George two young 
and vivacious grandchildren, Lilah Pearl and Reid. George has served 
this country superbly well over the course of his career, and America 
is the better for it. His insight and guidance will be missed in my 
office and in offices throughout the Hill, but his dynamic spirit and 
sense of purpose we take with us as our motivation and driving force.
  We thank him for his incredible service, his devoted friendship, and 
wish him many blessings going forward.

                          ____________________