Hoyer Congressional Record Statement on the Passing of Former Congressman Ron Dellums
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
September 6, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) submitted the following statement on the passing of former Congressman Ron Dellums into the Congressional Record:
"Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Rep. Lee and my other colleagues tonight who have gathered to pay tribute to our former colleague Rep. Ron Dellums, who passed away on July 30. I rise to join them in remembering Ron, who was my friend and with whom I served in this House for many years.
“Ron Dellums’s entire career was spent in service – to his community, his city, and his country. As a U.S. Marine, he proudly wore the uniform of our nation at a time when the peace of the world was threatened by cold war. As a city councilman in Berkeley, he drew on his family history of labor activism to fight for better conditions for working families. As a Congressman, he led the fight for sanctions against apartheid South Africa and chaired the Armed Services Committee as our military challenges were changing from a Cold War to a post-Cold War environment. He was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, which today is the conscience of the Congress. Later, as Mayor of Oakland, Ron worked hard to make neighborhoods safer, improve local schools, and bring new infrastructure funding to the city.
“Ron fought with tenacity for the causes he believed in. One of those was human rights and the equal dignity of all people. When a presidential veto threatened to block his anti-apartheid legislation, he rallied support to override it. As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he earned the respect of his Committee colleagues and military leaders, and he worked diligently to transition our military to meet the threats of the twenty-first century. It came as no surprise to those of us who served with him that when he retired in 1998, praise for his service and leadership came from both sides of the aisle.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of Ron’s passing. Our nation lost a faithful public servant and a champion for working families and those working hard to make it in America. I mourn with the people of California and my colleagues in this House who served with Ron. I mourn with his wife Cynthia and the Dellums family. I mourn the loss of a man who gave service his all and contributed so much to the nation he loved and this institution he so faithfully served.”
"Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Rep. Lee and my other colleagues tonight who have gathered to pay tribute to our former colleague Rep. Ron Dellums, who passed away on July 30. I rise to join them in remembering Ron, who was my friend and with whom I served in this House for many years.
“Ron Dellums’s entire career was spent in service – to his community, his city, and his country. As a U.S. Marine, he proudly wore the uniform of our nation at a time when the peace of the world was threatened by cold war. As a city councilman in Berkeley, he drew on his family history of labor activism to fight for better conditions for working families. As a Congressman, he led the fight for sanctions against apartheid South Africa and chaired the Armed Services Committee as our military challenges were changing from a Cold War to a post-Cold War environment. He was a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus, which today is the conscience of the Congress. Later, as Mayor of Oakland, Ron worked hard to make neighborhoods safer, improve local schools, and bring new infrastructure funding to the city.
“Ron fought with tenacity for the causes he believed in. One of those was human rights and the equal dignity of all people. When a presidential veto threatened to block his anti-apartheid legislation, he rallied support to override it. As Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, he earned the respect of his Committee colleagues and military leaders, and he worked diligently to transition our military to meet the threats of the twenty-first century. It came as no surprise to those of us who served with him that when he retired in 1998, praise for his service and leadership came from both sides of the aisle.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of Ron’s passing. Our nation lost a faithful public servant and a champion for working families and those working hard to make it in America. I mourn with the people of California and my colleagues in this House who served with Ron. I mourn with his wife Cynthia and the Dellums family. I mourn the loss of a man who gave service his all and contributed so much to the nation he loved and this institution he so faithfully served.”