Archive-Name: gov/us/fed/congress/record/1999/oct/19/1999CRE2129A
[Congressional Record: October 19, 1999 (Extensions)]
[Page E2129-E2130]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr19oc99-7]                        

   TRIBUTE TO DIETER SCHMIDT--A TIRELESS ADVOCATE FOR CLOSER GERMAN-
                           AMERICAN RELATIONS

                                 ______

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dieter A.
Schmidt, Director of the Institute for Foreign Relations of the Hanns
Seidel Foundation of Munich, Germany. Mr. Schmidt is a true friend of
the United States and a longtime force for stability and cooperation in
Europe.
  One of Mr. Schmidt's most lasting accomplishments has been his
leadership of the Franz Josef Strauss Symposium, a highly regarded
international conference on foreign and security policy. The
Symposium--which will be held for the twentieth time later this year in
Munich--has provided a platform for senior American officials and
Members of Congress to meet and discuss with their German counterparts
perspectives on critical issues relating to Germany and European
affairs.
  For the past two decades, this outstanding forum has provided an
excellent opportunity to consider and evaluate the dramatic changes
that have taken place in Central Europe--the fall of the Berlin Wall,
the end of the Cold War, the enlargement of NATO, and the changing
nature of international institutions in the post-Cold War era. Dieter
Schmidt's guidance--from helping to establish the Symposium in 1979 to
chairing its meetings and working tirelessly to bring together policy
makers on both sides of the Atlantic--has provided a critical forum for
leaders of both of our countries to meet, to build strong personal
relationships and to create greater mutual understanding and
cooperation.
  Throughout his career, Schmidt has time and time again worked to
strengthen German-American relations. In 1957, as a young officer, he
attended an exchange program at the United States Military Academy at
West Point. In 1968, Schmidt returned to the United States for CBW
warfare training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After his military career,
he became the international secretary of the Christian Social Union
Party. In that capacity, Schmidt played a key role in the founding of
the International Democratic Union (IDU), a worldwide association of
Christian Democratic and conservative political parties. For many years
now he has served as a member of the Committee for International
Affairs of the IDU, where he was instrumental in expanding the
organization to include American participation.
  In 1981, in his capacity as Director of the Institute for Foreign
Relations at the Hanns Seidel Foundation, Dieter Schmidt initiated a
series of annual conferences to educate congressional staff about the
German and European political processes. In the past eighteen years,
these extremely valuable conferences have involved the participation of
almost two hundred Congressional staff members, and they have provided
the participants with a much broader and more meaningful understanding
of Germany and of America's other key allies and partners in Europe.
  Mr. Speaker, as we mark the twentieth gathering of the Franz Josef
Strauss Symposium, I invite my colleagues to join me in paying tribute
to the remarkable contributions of Dieter Schmidt to the close ties
between Germany and the United States. His efforts merit our great
appreciation and our respect.

 RECOGNIZING MR. RAMON GONZALES AND THE ``MIRACLE ON WEST 31ST STREET''

                                 ______

                             HON. ED PASTOR

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker. I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Ramon
Gonzales, a generous man of limited means who works hard

[[Page E2130]]

to ensure that the Spirit of Christmas touches all of South Tucson's
children.
  Twenty-nine years ago, Mr. Gonzales held a neighborhood Christmas
party for his own children and a few of their friends. Because the
party was so successful and appreciated, he gave another one the
following year and every year since. Throughout the years, the
celebration has radiated from Mr. Gonzales' small stucco house and onto
West 31st Street. Now, on the day of the party, the street is blocked
off and there are refreshments, balloons, clowns, mariachi music,
pinatas, face painters, live radio broadcasts, and presents.
  During the festivities, Santa Claus arrives to hand presents out to
the children, sometimes in a red fire truck and other times in a
helicopter. However he arrives, children, parents and volunteers alike
thrill to the renewal of Christmas magic and the promise of a better
tomorrow. Because of the happiness the celebration generates, Tucson's
residents have come to call it the ``Miracle on 31st Street.'' This
year's event is expected to benefit approximately 4,000 local children,
who undoubtedly will have a memorable Christmas because of Mr.
Gonzales' kindness and compassion.
  Mr. Gonzales, a former sheet metal worker now on disability, works
all year to organize and develop resources for the Christmas Eve
celebration. Always modest, Mr. Gonzales insists that ``It's the
volunteers that make the party,'' and he, along with 200 other
volunteers, works tirelessly to ensure the success of the annual event.
Many of the volunteers are Mr. Gonzales' union friends, and he has been
praised by his union president, who said ``I wish we all could be as
selfless and as giving as Brother Gonzales.'' Volunteers also come from
businesses, radio stations, friends, neighbors, nonprofit groups, and
government agencies who enjoy generating positive feelings for the
children and within the volunteer corps.
  Although many of the children who come to the party are from low
income families who may not have another Christmas celebration, Mr.
Gonzales welcomes all children to join in the festivities. He
understands that childhood dreams are nurtured through a caring
community that transcends the individual's situation and emphasizes
positive concepts: sharing, love, involvement, generosity, and
kindness. The block party on West 31st Street in South Tucson has
become a beacon for those ideals.
  I commend Ramon Gonzales for his dedication and personal sacrifice
that has generated so many positive emotions and wonderful memories for
thousands of children. He is an outstanding model for our nation of one
person truly making a difference. May his energies and commitment
continue for many years to come.

     PROMOTING HEALTHY HEARTS AND HEALTHY LIVES: DEAN ORNISH, M.D.

                                 ______

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 19, 1999

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to pay tribute to Dr. Dean
Ornish, a man who has dedicated his career to building healthier lives.
Dr. Ornish is considered by many as the leading authority on the
effects of diet and lifestyle on health and well-being. His
groundbreaking research has resulted in the discovery that
comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle can reverse even severe
coronary heart disease without drugs and surgery. Dr. Ornish has
produced valuable research that can empower individuals and build
healthier communities. He is a talented, dedicated researcher whose
work must not go unappreciated or unnoticed.
  Dr. Ornish is the founder, president and director of the non-profit
Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, where
he holds the Bucksbaum Chair. He is Clinical Professor of Medicine at
the University of California, San Francisco, and a founder of the
Center for Integrative Medicine at the university. Dr. Ornish received
an M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, was a clinical fellow in
medicine at Harvard Medical School and completed his internship and
residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital in
Boston.
  Dr. Ornish is the author of five best-selling books, including New
York Times bestsellers: Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart
Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; and Love & Survival. His research and
writings have been published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, The Lancet, Circulation, The New England Journal of
Medicine, the American Journal of Cardiology, and elsewhere. A one-hour
documentary of his work was broadcast on NOVA, the PBS science series,
and was featured on Bill Moyers' PBS series, ``Healing & The Mind.''
His work has been featured in virtually all major media; he was on the
cover of the March 16, 1998, issue of Newsweek magazine.
  Dr. Ornish has received several awards, including the 1996 Beckmann
Medal from the German Society for Prevention and Rehabilitation of
Cardiovascular Diseases, the U.S. Army Surgeon General Medal, and the
1994 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award from the University of Texas,
Austin. He is listed in the Dictionary of International Biography,
Who's Who in America, and in Men of Achievement. He was recognized as
one of the most interesting people of 1995 by People magazine and by
LIFE Magazine as one of the 50 most influential members of his
generation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have great admiration for Dr. Dean Ornish. He is truly
a remarkable individual whose outstanding research and effective
programs have improved the overall quality of life for many people. His
proven research on behavior modification has the potential to
revolutionize the way modern medicine approaches heart disease. Dr.
Ornish's promotion of healthy hearts and healthy lives is an
inspiration for all Americans.

                          ____________________