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“TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN EDWARD J. DERWINSKI” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E83 on Jan. 27, 2012.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO CONGRESSMAN EDWARD J. DERWINSKI
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HON. JIM JORDAN
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Friday, January 27, 2012
Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored today to recognize the accomplishments of former Congressman Edward J. Derwinski, who passed away on Sunday, January 15, 2012, after a long and distinguished career of service to our country.
Ed Derwinski led a fascinating and extraordinary life. An Army veteran, he served in the Pacific during World War II and the postwar occupation. He returned home following his Army service to earn a degree at Loyola University in 1951. After a single term in the Illinois House of Representatives, he was elected to Congress, where he represented Illinois's Fourth District for 24 years.
The congressman's fearlessness was a hallmark of his career, as was most clearly evident in his policy toward the USSR. He was of Polish descent and sympathized strongly with Poland's plight under Soviet rule. To this end, President Reagan appointed him to the State Department, ultimately tapping him as Under Secretary for Security Assistance in 1987. The capstone of his long career of public service was his appointment as the first Cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, I am proud to note that Ed Derwinski was one of our founding members. Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner has written that Congressman Derwinski was ``the only senior member who was willing to have the group meet in his office in those early days,'' as other members ``did not want to be viewed as party mavericks by the Republican leadership in the House.'' I am grateful for the solid foundation he and his colleagues built nearly four decades ago.
Mr. Speaker, Ed Derwinski is now fittingly buried in Arlington National Cemetery. On behalf of the Republican Study Committee, I offer his family my condolences as we all continue to celebrate the life of such a tireless defender of freedom both at home and abroad.
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