Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
INTRODUCING SENATOR LUGAR POST OFFICE BILL
______
HON. ANDRE CARSON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill to
name a U.S. Post Office in Indianapolis in honor of Senator Richard
Lugar. Senator Lugar, who served as mayor of Indianapolis from 1968 to
1975, also represented Indiana honorably in the U.S. Senate from 1977
to 2013. He was a brilliant scholar, a brave member of our armed
forces, and a dedicated public servant who championed people and
principle over party.
His distinguished life demonstrates the type of leader that Indiana
cultivates, and his public service is an unquestionable example of his
deep commitment to our country. He was not only a pillar of strength in
his local community, but he was also a trusted, unfailing
personification of excellence in national leadership.
That excellence pervaded everything that Senator Lugar achieved in
life, beginning early in his youth. He participated in youth
organizations, reaching the highest achievement attainable in the Boy
Scouts of America--the rank of Eagle Scout.
After completing his studies at Denison University, he studied at
Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Following graduation, he served in the
United States Navy as an intelligence officer.
His political career began shortly thereafter, upon his return to
Indianapolis. He promptly began contributing to the well-being of the
community in Indianapolis, serving on the local school board and then
becoming mayor in 1968.
Following his mayoral service, Lugar ran for the United State Senate,
and he was elected in 1976. It was in the Senate where Richard Lugar
truly became the resilient and formidable political leader that we have
come to recognize. He served as the Chairman of the Senate Agricultural
Committee, where he garnered bipartisan support for farm program
reforms, initiated the biofuels research program, reformed the food
stamp program, and preserved the federal school lunch program. He also
served 34 years on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, including
two terms as chair. In this capacity, he was a leader in reducing the
threat of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons through the passage
and implementation of the Nunn-Lugar program. He also played an
essential role in enactment of sanctions against the Apartheid
government of South Africa and the U.S. recognition of democratic
government in the Philippines. He contributed to the expansion of the
NATO Alliance, the implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency
Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to end the global AIDS epidemic, and the
ratification of anti-terrorist treaties. For all he accomplished, he
was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013. He was awarded
47 honorary degrees and received numerous other awards. When he passed
away, he was the President of the Lugar Center, a non-profit
organization focusing on global food security, Weapons of Mass
Destruction proliferation, aid effectiveness, and bipartisan
governance.
His commitment to good governance and diplomacy, particularly his
tireless efforts on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made our
world a better, safer place. He won the respect of people across the
political spectrum and earned that Presidential Medal of Freedom in
2013 from President Obama--our nation's highest civilian honor.
In our increasingly divided society, everyone can help his legacy
live on by pledging to advance the Hoosier values of bipartisanship and
cooperation that defined Senator Richard Lugar's life.
This bill is supported by the entire Indiana delegation, and I urge
all my colleagues to join me in supporting this effort.
