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“TRIBUTE TO SECRETARY OF COMMERCE RON BROWN” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Commerce was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H3455-H3456 on April 16, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO SECRETARY OF COMMERCE RON BROWN
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. White). Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Watt] is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there is much that many of us can say about our good friend and public servant for this Nation, Secretary Ron Brown. I simply want to say to Alma, Michael, and Tracy and the family, we loved and respected him; but to America, he was a leader beyond leaders. He realized that American business meant American jobs.
As a member of the Committee on Science, I saw his dynamic leadership in support of advanced technology, recognizing that was the future of America. So it is my commitment to his family and to his legacy that I will continue to work toward creating jobs, and I leave this tribute to Secretary Ron Brown:
Isn't it strange that kings and queens and clowns that caper in sawdust rings and common people like you and me are builders for eternity? For unto each of us is given a bag of rules and a shapeless mass and each must give or life is flown as a stumbling block or stepping stone.
It is my belief and the belief of the American people that Ron Brown was a stepping stone for America, American business, American jobs. Long live the legacy of the honorable Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown.
Mr. Speaker, I consider it a great privilege and honor to participate in this special order in tribute to Ronald H. Brown, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce. He had an outstanding career as a lawyer, National Urban League executive, Democratic Party chairman, Cabinet Secretary and close Presidential adviser. I am proud that the city of Houston paid tribute to Secretary Brown and the others that perished on April 3, on Friday, April 12, 1996, at Antioch M.B. Church.
Ron Brown used his many talents to create a better quality of life for all Americans. This special order's focus on his impact on the expansion of American-owned companies into foreign markets is very appropriate. During his tenure at the Commerce Department, he redefined the Department's mission to provide economic opportunity for every American. Moreover, he believed that peace and prosperity could be strengthened and promoted through international trade.
Over the past 3 years, he helped develop a national export strategy to assist American companies in increasing their exports to foreign nations. Since 1993, American-owned companies entered into commercial deals with foreign businesses in the amount of $80 billion.
Most of this expansion was as a result of his tireless efforts in leading numerous trade missions around the world. He supported the creation of strong ties with new markets in Africa. Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Brown also helped to streamline regulations that unnecessarily hindered the exports of our goods and products.
Brown served on President Clinton's National Economic Council and the Council on Sustainable Development. He was also a member of the council on Foreign Relations. He chaired the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee, which was comprised of 19 Government agencies, to strengthen the American economy through trade.
Ron Brown was a man of great vision and understood the importance of technology in our growth and development. He was a strong supporter of the Commerce Department's advanced technology program, which helped create thousands of businesses that will lead us into the 21st century.
All of us in public service owe a great debt to Ron Brown. He inspired us to always remain optimistic, to be committed to achieving our objectives and work to ensure that no American is left behind. This is his great legacy. Let us renew our commitment to public service.
Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida, Mrs. Carrie Meek.
Mrs. MEEK of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, it is very difficult for me to discuss my feelings, my personal feelings, about Ron Brown. I have known Ron Brown since he was a very young man. I have seen him come up through the ranks. He did it the hard way. He worked for it.
I appreciate the kind of commendation that we are giving Ron Brown today. I want to send my condolences to the family, especially to my baby, Michael, his son, and to say to Alma and to her daughter, Tracy, that God will go with them, as we all know, and that Ron will always be remembered, and that we will keep his legacy going. He will not be a forgotten man. I also want to say to Mrs. Meissner, who lost her husband, to send my condolences to her.
People were magnetized by Ron Brown. He lived in such a way that people would gravitate towards him because they knew he was good. I will tell you one thing, Mr. Speaker, every youngster in this country who is from a poor or disadvantaged community, or even more, all over this country and all over this world, not due to ethnicity, race, or creed, will pattern themselves after Ron Brown, because they see an opportunity in him, in what he did, to make the American dream work. That is going to be his legacy.
He walked through the streets of Liberty City with me, a very poor community, and he reached out to every one of them, yet he got to be a counselor to the President of the United States. He sat on the Cabinet.
When I think of Ron, I think of a poem which we call, and I am going to paraphrase it, The Builder:
There was an old man at evening tide who was building a bridge on the countryside. A young man came to him and said,
``Old man, why do you try to build this bridge? When the tide comes in you will be long gone. You won't be here.'' And the old man lifted his head and said, ``Young man, let me tell you something. The reason I build this bridge at evening tide is there will be a young man such as you who will come after me. Young man, I build this bridge for thee.''
That is why Ron did what he did, to build bridges for all of us. I thank the gentleman for sharing his time with me.
Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for sharing in this special order tribute to Ron Brown. Mr. Speaker, I want to spend a minute or two in this final part of the 5-minute period just saying a couple of things, more from the heart.
First, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my condolences to Alma Brown and to the entire Brown family, and to the families of those others who perished so tragically in this crash. This was a devastating loss for our country and for me personally.
Second, I cannot help but recall the very last time that I saw Ron Brown, which was in the hall in the Rayburn Building. I had been involved in a hearing and was rushing in one direction. Ron had been called before a committee of the House to testify at another hearing. He was coming out of that and was rushing off to another place.
Despite the fact that both of us were in a hurry and headed in different directions, the characteristic that always came through from Ron Brown surfaced. That was the ability, for whatever small period of time he had, to look at you in the eye and make you feel that you were the most important person in life at that moment. We spent a few moments together, and that came through to me. That is the memory that I will always have of Ron Brown.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my condolences to Alma and the rest of the Brown family and to the families of those who perished tragically in the plane crash in Croatia.
The outpouring of support that we have seen since Ron's passing is a testament to the life he led and the impact that he had on people. Since his passing there have been two things that have been said about Ron most frequently. They are that Ron Brown had a lot of friends and that he had a tremendous amount of political acumen. I knew both of those things were true.
Almost 2 weeks after Secretary Brown's passing I think it is necessary for us to continue to honor his life and celebrate his legacy. Ron Brown taught us about the importance of providing jobs for our citizens through economic expansion and ensuring equality of opportunity so that all could share in the fruits of economic expansion.
Expanding Economic Opportunity
Ron Brown knew that the success of the American economy in the 21st century would depend upon expanding economic opportunity for all of our people. In a time where the gap between the rich and the poor is ever-
widening, we must see to it that our economy creates jobs which provide living wages. We must also see to it that the good which flows from economic prosperity is shared among all of our people.
Equality of Opportunity
Ron Brown knew that our schools and our workplaces should be a reflection of America and should ensure equality of opportunity. He saw to it that his Commerce Department reflected the racial, ethnic and gender differences of the taxpayers on whose behalf his Department worked. Ron worked to provide opportunities for others who might not have been given the chance. Ron Brown knew that there were many more Ron Browns with intelligence, ambition and the will to succeed. Ron Brown gave them an opportunity to shine. They were African-American, white, Latino, Asian-American, they were among those who accompanied him on the mission to Bosnia. We must continue to work to see to it that America fulfills this promise of equality which Ron Brown exemplified.
As we honor our late Secretary of Commerce we must not forget these things which his life has taught us so well and we must work to continue his legacy.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for providing this opportunity to do this special order before his special order comes forward.
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