Tony Hall Courthouse Resolution
Tony Hall Courthouse Resolution
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution to name the federal building in Dayton, Ohio after my friend and former colleague, Tony Hall.
Tony Hall took great pride in representing his hometown of Dayton in Congress for nearly 24 years. His father had served as Mayor of Dayton, and the strong values he learned growing up in that community were reflected in everything that he did. Tony fought hard for the people of Dayton.
But Tony Hall is also a citizen of the world. His first job out of college was as Peace Corps volunteer, teaching English in Thailand from 1966 to 1968. He has visited more than 100 countries in his effort to see, understand, and improve the lives of the world’s least fortunate. He has fought to end the importation of conflict-diamonds from Africa. And he was a leader in Congress in asking that the U.S. pay its dues to the United Nations.
Perhaps the issue we most associate with Tony Hall is his heroic and tireless work to end hunger. Tony understands that it is by virtue of our humanity - not our citizenship in one country or another - that we have certain inalienable rights. And Tony knows in his heart that it is wrong, in this age of abundance, to let anyone go hungry â€" whether they live across town in Dayton or across the world in North Korea. In 1993, when the Select Committee on Hunger, which he chaired, was eliminated, Tony fasted for 22 days in protest.
I was honored to work with Tony Hall on a number of human rights issues in Congress, particularly on issues involving the repressive regime in China. He brought to these causes a seriousness of purpose and a generosity of spirit that were a constant source of inspiration, on issues where inspiration is in short supply.
Since he left the Congress, we have followed his work with pride as he has served with distinction as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture.
Throughout his career, Tony has never shied away from suffering, but he has refused to accept it as inevitable. As Tony says over and over â€" â€Å"Hunger has a cure.†As a member of Congress, and now as an Ambassador, Tony Hall has always been part of that cure.
I urge my colleagues to support this fitting tribute to a good and great man who has lifted the lives of so many here and around the world.