Date: 1982-12-18
Speaker: PHILIP M. CRANE (republican)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. our Illinois colleague. the Honorable EDWARD J. DERWINSKI. In 24 years of outstanding congressional service. has proven himself a stalwart proponent of the United States of America. Unlike most of us. he has accomplished that feat principally In the realm of foreign policy. It is an understatement that his service on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs has been with extraordinary distinction. That accolade has come from Members of both House and Senate and from both sides of the political aisle. It has come from administration after administration. from the White House. the Department of State. and the Department of Defense. And it has come from foreign governments and diplomats. I have here but a sample of the numerous letters our colleagues has received. Letters from people who daily decide on questions of import for their countries. That recognition does not accrue from frivolous activities. That recognition evolves from a developed expertise based on firsthand experience. ED DERWINSKi built that expertise on a solid understanding of global and regional history. He built it on a sound appreciation of the essence of U.S. foreign policy. Foreign policy based on the principles set forth by our Founding Fathers. ED DERwINsKIs specific contributions are too numerous to list but a brief sample here. These are some of his more recent and continuing efforts while serving his constituents. State of Illinois. and the United States. With the name DERWINSKI. it Is fair to assume that he has an interest in Eastern European affairs. He appreciates the ideological struggle which exists between the United States and the Soviet Union. Since I have known him. he has championed the cause of people in captive nations of the Soviet Empire. Latvians. Lithuanians. Estonians. Poles. Germans. Hungarians. Czechoslovakians. Romanians. and Bulgariansthe peoples of once free states who periodically rise up against their Communist masters in their elforts to be freehave gained the consistent support of Congressman DERWINSKI. He has steadfastly pointed to the deliberate and continued Soviet violations of both the spirit and the letter of the Helsinki accords. which they signed. When the Soviet Union snuffed out the free country of Afghanistan. ED DERWINSKI spoke out. He was in the vanguard of those working assiduously to remind free peoples everywhere that. once again. the Soviets were up to their old tricks. When Greece and Turkey went to war over Cyprus. ED DERwINsxI provided wellreasoned. statesmanlike advice and counsel on a truly emotional and explosive issue. When the SALT II strategic arms treaty negotfations stirred widespread national concern ED DERwINsKI responded. Congress expressed concerns about the verifiability of various proposals in the negotiations. He crafted a section to the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency bill. That addition requires the executive branch to provide regular reports on the verifiability of strategic arms provisions. Few of us have been as close to the crucial substance of U.S. relationships with our friends and aies as has our colleague. He has resolutely rallied behind such redoubtable friends of America as the Republic of Korea. the Republic of Taiwan. Israel. and Lebanon. South Korea plays a vital role la U.S. strategy in Asia. Taiwan is one of Americas oldest and most faithful antiCommunist allies. Israel is a rock of democratic tradition in a region of turmoil. Lebanon is a refugee seeking a viable central Government capable of restoring and maintaining the peace and stability that once made it the banking center of the Middle East. ED DERWINSKI has visited and talked with NOTICE Effective January 1. 1983. the subscription price of the Congressional Record will be increased to $218.00 per year. or $109.00 for six months. Individual issues may be purchased for $1.00 per copy. - This price increase is necessary to meet current production and distribution costs in order for the Record subscription program to be selfsustaining. By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. CHARLES McC. MATHIAS. JR.. Chairman. the people and the governments of these nations and Inore. ED DERWINSKI has spent incalculable hours working to gain the bipartisan support of broadbased foreign policy measures. Measures designed to realize the national security objectives of the United States. He has developed foreign policy position papers for Presidential aspirants. He has campaigned diligently for the expanded use of this countrys considerable influence. And he has done all this in a milieu that requries political prowess. diplomacy and inherent v it. ED DERwINsKI has what it takes. From his vantage point on the Foreign Affairs Committe. he has consistently worked to forge a sound foreign policy. Foreign policy designed not only to respond to crises. but to avert dangerous occurences before they can threaten peace. That can only be accomplished by maintaining real military ..trength. firm resolve. and a well defined national strategy. It is indeed fitting that a man who has dedicated his elected service to the betterment of U.S. foreign policy. should now serve the Reagan administration. His appointment as Counselor of the Department of State will provide Secretary Schultz with a special adviser and troubleshooter of proven quality and character. At this point I include the following letters