Sept. 29, 1998 sees Congressional Record publish “TRIBUTE TO PAUL A. DRAZEK”

Sept. 29, 1998 sees Congressional Record publish “TRIBUTE TO PAUL A. DRAZEK”

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Volume 144, No. 133 covering the 2nd Session of the 105th Congress (1997 - 1998) was published by the Congressional Record.

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

“TRIBUTE TO PAUL A. DRAZEK” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Senate section on pages S11133 on Sept. 29, 1998.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

TRIBUTE TO PAUL A. DRAZEK

Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Paul Drazek, a distinguished public servant, who is retiring from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Paul has served as the Special Assistant for International Affairs to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman for the past three and one-half years. Spending the past twenty-five years in international trade, both in government and the private sector, Paul has advanced agricultural trade policy and opened important and essential new markets to America's farmers and ranchers.

Paul Drazek came by his love for agriculture naturally, with both of his grandparents running farms in upstate New York. At an early age he chose to use his intellect and energies to help one of our most export dependant industries find and expand market opportunities. To prepare him for his life's mission, Paul furthered his knowledge in agriculture by receiving a degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of Maryland.

Mr. Drazek began his career with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, serving fourteen years as a trade policy and marketing specialist. During that time he served four years as an agricultural negotiator for the U.S. delegation to the Tokyo Round of multilateral trade negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, and as the Agricultural Attache in our Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico.

Prior to joining the Department of Agriculture as Special Assistant to the Secretary, Mr. Drazek served as Director of Government Relations for the American Farm Bureau Federation for ten years. He specialized in international affairs and legislative issues affecting U.S. agricultural trade. In that capacity, Mr. Drazek gained a familiarity with the political and economic sensitivities that shape farm and trade policies around the world. He also provided essential private sector input to the Uruguay Round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Paul has spent the last three years at the U.S. Department of Agriculture representing American agricultural interests overseas opening and expanding new markets for our farmers and ranchers. Making progress in international trade policy is a formidable challenge in this dynamic global economy. Paul's unwavering dedication and commitment to bringing prosperity to the world through trade and economic interdependence will pay dividends for our nation well into the future.

Mr. President, it is my great pleasure to pay tribute and say thank you to Paul Drazek, and I wish him, his wife Sue and their two sons, Keith and Greg, the best in all of their future endeavors.

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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 144, No. 133

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