[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15912]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          DAVID DREIER RECEIVES ORDER OF THE AZTEC EAGLE AWARD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2017

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
friend, former colleague, and leader in promoting international 
cooperation and understanding, who was recently recognized by a key 
U.S. ally for his outstanding work. Last month, David Dreier received 
the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor bestowed to a foreign 
national by the Government of Mexico.
  Those of us who served with Representative Dreier know him as the 
former chairman of the House Rules Committee, as a faithful 
representative of his Southern California district for more than three 
decades, and as a forceful champion of democracy, free trade, and the 
rule of law. An avowed ``Reagan Republican,'' Dreier was instrumental 
in crafting many of our nation's trade policies, including the North 
American Free Trade Agreement.
  What some may not realize is that Representative Dreier was also a 
leader in cultivating closer ties and cooperation between the United 
States Congress and its partner legislatures around the world. Through 
our work on the House Democracy Partnership (HDP)--which he served as 
the founding chairman and I as chairman during the years of Democratic 
leadership--we had the opportunity to work together to advance the 
cause of parliamentary democracy, traveling widely and memorably to 
parliaments from Peru to Pakistan and hosting dozens of delegations of 
visiting legislators and staff in Washington. During these engagements, 
Representative Dreier was a consummate diplomat and a skilled mentor, 
navigating sometimes-difficult bilateral issues but also the practical 
questions of how parliamentary institutions could be more effective. 
Our work together epitomized the maxim that partisanship should end at 
the water's edge--a spirit that persists today under the leadership of 
current HDP chairman Peter Roskam.
  While our work with HDP focused on less developed democracies, 
Representative Dreier always had a special interest in--and fondness 
for--the parliamentary democracy on our southern border, Mexico. He was 
an active member of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission, a leader of 
the U.S.-Mexico Inter-parliamentary Group, a co-chair of the U.S.-
Mexico Congressional Caucus, and a frequent participant in 
congressional delegations to Mexico. During our work with HDP, he often 
invoked Mexico as an example of democratic development and spoke fondly 
of his work as an election observer in the country.
  It is fitting that Representative Dreier has been acknowledged for 
this work by receiving the Order of the Aztec Eagle, joining leaders 
such as President Eisenhower, Nelson Mandela, and Queen Elizabeth II as 
well as cultural icons such as Walt Disney, Placido Domingo, and Bono. 
I know I speak for many in extending him my warmest congratulation, and 
in wishing him well in his continued post-congressional service.

                          ____________________