Steny Hoyer: “Mr. Speaker, on April 3 of this year, 33 bright and shining stars of America lost their lives on a mission for their…”

“Mr. Speaker, on April 3 of this year, 33 bright and shining stars of America lost their lives on a mission for their Government. Whether they came from the private sector, the armed services, or public service as Ron Brown and his colleagues from Commerce, they were all serving America and serving as a shining example to us, all of the best that is within us. I, and a number of my colleagues, went to Dover Air Force Base to welcome back the 33 caskets containing those bodies. Their souls, of course, had gone to God. But as we paid tribute to them as human beings and expressed our sorrow along with their families at their leaving, we listened to the President's eulogy which was appropriate and, I thought, compelling. He said that these 33 lives show us the best of America, and indeed they did. And as this resolution does, the President named each and every one of those 33. Ron Brown was, as he was to so many, my friend.”