E2140 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks November 24, 2004 TRIBUTE TO BOB PALMER, DEMO- These are just a few specific examples of I worked closely with my colleagues in CRATIC STAFF DIRECTOR OF Bob’s role in the work of the Committee. But the other body in crafting that legislation and THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE he has helped draft numerous pieces of legis- shepherding it through the legislative process. lation, worked to investigate misconduct, The Act was aimed at compensating for the HON. served in many conferences with the Senate loss of the fur seal industry and for the delays OF as the lead Democratic staffer and worked in implementation of two other key objectives IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES with Administration figures—regardless of of the transition plan: construction of usable party-to try to insure that policies and pro- harbors and transfer of lands from NOAA to Wednesday, November 24, 2004 grams reflected the intent of Congress. His in- Island entities. The Transition Act authorized Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to telligence, energy, experience and humor $28 million for economic development over a express my deep appreciation for the distin- have allowed him to accomplish much. period of five years. This is the first year that guished and colorful career of Dr. Robert E. When Dr. Radford Byerly moved to Colo- funds have been appropriated for this pur- Palmer. At the end of this Congress, Bob will rado in 1993, then Science Committee Chair- pose, and it comes at a crucial time. retire, having served on the Committee on man George Brown choose Dr. Palmer as the It is my hope that additional funding for Science for 25 years. He is retiring as the natural person to replace Byerly as the staff Pribilof Island economic development will be Democratic Staff Director of the Committee on director of the full Committee on Science, forthcoming in the years ahead. Science—having served in that position for Space and Technology. Bob has continued as longer than any other person in the history of the Democratic staff director of the committee f the Committee. for over a decade, serving under three senior THERE IS NO THERE THERE Bob began his career with the Committee in Democratic Members from across the political the late 1970s as a Congressional Fellow of spectrum. Bob has served each with talent the American Association for the Advance- and professionalism and all the Members of HON. BARNEY FRANK ment of Science. Rather than return to aca- the Committee hold him in the highest regard. OF MASSACHUSETTS demia as a research marine biologist—his Unfortunately for the Committee and the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES field of training—Bob elected to stay on the Congress, Bob’s wife Mary, an accomplished Wednesday, November 24, 2004 Science Committee staff. For a quarter cen- researcher and teacher, has received an aca- tury, Bob has been a central participant in demic appointment from the University of Flor- Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, science and technology policy. Though he has ida. So she is leaving the University of Mary- the recent resignation—apparently encouraged worked largely in the background, he has land for Gainesville and Bob will follow her by the President—of Secretary of State Powell made significant contributions to our Nation’s there. In his typically good-natured way, he has stripped one of the important facades be- well-being. says that she followed him to Washington 25 hind which the reality of the Bush foreign pol- Bob was not a typical scientist. As an un- years ago and has stayed here for his career icy has been hidden. It is deeply regrettable dergraduate, he studied psychology at Har- advantage; it is his turn to relocate to support that the President and the Secretary of State vard and served as a Vista Volunteer. He sup- her career. We wish you both well in the fu- worked together to keep this fac¸ade in place ported himself in such varied ways as moving ture. You have served the Committee, the until now, because the fact that the Secretary furniture, playing music and even working as Congress and the country with great distinc- of State would be leaving is the sort of infor- a private detective. He left Massachusetts for tion. mation that would have been relevant to the voters on Election Day. There is no clear evi- the University of Delaware, where he earned f a Ph.D. in marine biology. It was after he had dence that Secretary Powell had any great in- completed his graduate work that he started CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4818, fluence on the Administration’s foreign policy, on the Committee as a National Oceanic and CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIA- but his having been around did I think help the Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expert. TIONS ACT, 2005 Administration in its effort to appear more rea- Among his first critical assignments was to sonable in its foreign policy than it has been. help negotiate the transition of LANDSAT from SPEECH OF But Secretary Powell’s leaving is not the a government program to an operational sat- HON. DON YOUNG only recent example we have of a facade ellite system in the private sector. This was OF ALASKA being lifted from this Administration’s record in international affairs. In followed by a leadership role on the Global IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Change Research Act. That initiative has led Monday, November 15, Fred Hiatt points out to the research that underpins much of our Saturday, November 20, 2004 another great gap between the reality of the knowledge of global climate change today. He Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise President’s foreign policy and the way in also set up a key hearing on the Search and to commend the conferees for including eco- which the Administration has described it—the Rescue Satellite Program that prevented that nomic development funding for the Pribilof Is- issue of the promotion of democracy as a goal important international program from being lands. The economies of these Island commu- of American foreign policy. canceled. nities have been struggling in the face of the As Mr. Hiatt notes, when JOHN KERRY In the mid-1980s Dr. Palmer was promoted ban on the fur seal harvest and the collapse ‘‘made clear that promoting democracy abroad to Committee management. He first served as of the crab and other fisheries in the area. The would not be a priority of his presidency,’’ this the staff Director of the Subcommittee on funding in this appropriations bill is a key step quote ‘‘allowed George W. Bush to claim the International Scientific Cooperation and then in helping the Aleut population of the Islands high moral ground of foreign policy.’’ As Mr. the Subcommittee on Investigations and Over- to develop a diversified, sustainable economy. Hiatt notes, the President asserted at his sight. He played a major role in the staff in- For over 100 years, the Federal Govern- nominating convention in 2004, ‘‘I believe in vestigation of the Challenger accident, includ- ment controlled the Natives’ fur seal harvest the transformational power of liberty . . . the ing studying issues around the fatal decision on the Islands, as well as their social and mu- wisest use of American strength is to advance to launch. nicipal services. In the 1980s the National freedom.’’ On the I & O Subcommittee he led the in- Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and But as he points out, this high-minded state- vestigation into problems with the NOAA– the Congress embarked on a plan for transi- ment of purpose bears very little relation to the NASA weather satellite program. Without his tion of the Islands to independence and eco- Bush foreign policy in reality. work, it is likely that the country would have nomic self-sufficiency. One of the most impor- Mr. Hiatt clearly documents the President’s suffered some break in the gathering of real- tant aspects of the plan was that the Federal high tolerance for wholly undemocratic actions time, high-quality data regarding emerging Government would transfer control of the fur by foreign nations as long as they are compli- dangerous weather patterns. Such a break in seal harvests to the Natives and permit the ant with American foreign policy in other re- coverage would have meant lost lives and in- Natives to keep the income from the harvests. gards. Indeed, as he notes, the only two ex- creased property damage. Subsequent inves- Unfortunately, one year after the plan was de- amples that can be cited by the President’s tigative work by Bob led to the resignation and veloped, the Government banned fur seal har- defenders in which the goal of promoting de- later indictment and conviction of an Inspector vesting on environmental grounds and re- mocracy has played a role are Afghanistan General at an agency in the Committee’s juris- moved a critical source of regular income from and Iraq. And these examples in no way bear diction. His early work as a private detective the community. out the claim that the President has made the ended up serving him well in his role on the Four years ago, the Congress enacted the advancement of democracy a central part of Committee. Pribilof Island Transition Act, which I authored. his foreign policy—or even a peripheral one.

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