David Skaggs: “when the gentleman from Indiana retires at the end of this session of Congress, this body will be losing one of its most…”

“when the gentleman from Indiana retires at the end of this session of Congress, this body will be losing one of its most thoughtful leaders. Lee Hamilton will be rightly lionized as an expert and a statesman in foreign policy matters; a Member whose thinking is consistently sought out to illuminate foreign policy debates. During his tenure on the International Relations Committee, he has brought a reasoned and careful approach to foreign policy. He's been irrepressibly constructive, keeping in mind the longer-range goal of leading Congress and the country along the path of international engagement where he knew we needed to go. He's never shrunk from being one of the few to stand up against popular but wrong-headed policies, even if that meant being on the losing end of a very lop-sided vote. He has been even-handed in the hard cases in foreign policy, such as U.S. policy toward the Middle East, or Cuba. This body will also be losing a Member who cares deeply about the institutions of government, particularly Congress and its role under the Constitution. He played a leading role in one of Congress' best hours in recent years--the 1991 debate about whether to go to war with Iraq. He led the inquiry into the Iran-Contra scandal--an abuse that threatened our Constitutional order more than any in recent years.”