Donald M. Payne: “Mr. Speaker, last night we held a special orders session to honor our friend and a great American hero, Ron Brown. I…”

“Mr. Speaker, last night we held a special orders session to honor our friend and a great American hero, Ron Brown. I rise now to join my colleagues in supporting this resolution paying tribute to this remarkable public servant. As Secretary of Commerce, Ron Brown was known around the world as a tireless crusader for fair and free trade. A skilled negotiator, he kept America's interests in the forefront while winning the respect of our foreign competitors. Although Ron Brown's life was cut short, it was filled with extraordinary achievements: U.S. Army captain, vice president of the National Urban League, chief counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee, partner in the law firm Patton, Boggs & Blow; chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and his crowning achievement, Secretary of Commerce. His dynamic energy was the force that propelled the Commerce Department forward. He and his energetic young staff brought billions of dollars of business home to the United States, transforming a lackluster Federal agency into a whirlwind of productive activity. We take a moment now to say thank you, Secretary Brown, for being both a dreamer and a doer. Your candle has not been extinguished; its light continues to burn.”