Expressing the Sense of the House Regarding the Public Service of Prime Minister Tony Blair

Floor Speech

EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR -- (House of Representatives - June 25, 2007)

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

First I would like to thank our distinguished colleague, Mr. Peter King from New York, for sponsoring this bill. He is the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, as you know.

I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the service of a true friend of the United States, Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Throughout his long career in office, more than a decade in total, Prime Minister Blair has been a strong champion of the trans-Atlantic alliance between the United States and Britain and the United States and the other states of Europe.

The U.S.-British relationship has indeed been made stronger due to Tony Blair, building an Anglo American alliance that has faced some of the darkest threats in the history of humankind. Our relations with all of Europe have benefited because of Tony Blair.

Just as Sir Winston Churchill inspired Americans in his time, the American people will never forget Blair's solidarity with the United States in visiting Ground Zero just days after the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed so many of our citizens. We recall that he sat in our House gallery just a few days later when President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress concerning the tragic results of that terrorist attack.

Prime Minister Blair has backed up his words with real commitment in the struggle against extremism that may well determine the future of our modern civilization, a civilization that has been built on the principles of rational thought and the liberty of men and women rather than on extremism.

Indeed, British troops today stand beside our troops in the major conflicts of the struggle. Moreover, British law enforcement works in close cooperation with American law enforcement agencies, cooperation that has produced important results, as we saw in the successful prevention of terrorist plots, including the planned attack on U.S.-bound passenger jets in 2006.

Mr. Speaker, on a separate issue of great importance to many Americans, we recognize that in responding to the strife of Northern Ireland with the Good Friday agreement, Prime Minister Blair's contribution was nothing short of remarkable. He and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern inherited a divisive, violent conflict that has continued for half a century and that has, unfortunately, taken over 3,000 lives. Many had tried earlier to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland, but none achieved the extent of progress that Prime Minister Blair has during his time in office.

Rather than resigning himself to the status quo of senseless violence, Prime Minister Blair chose to commit himself fully to this endeavor, collaborating with his Irish counterparts and working towards achieving real progress toward peace in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Speaker, let us take this opportunity to reflect on Tony Blair's accomplishments and to reaffirm our gratitude.

I ask my colleagues to voice their support for this resolution.

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Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, in closing, there was nothing hesitant about Prime Minister Blair's resolve to fight back and send a message to terrorists that the United Kingdom, like the United States, would not succumb to ideology that espouses violence and death.

Like Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher before him, who stood shoulder to shoulder with President Ronald Reagan to bring down the greatest dark force of the 20th century, communist, Mr. Blair stood with President Bush even when few others would accept the challenge to eliminate the dark force of this new century.

Mr. Speaker, as all the previous speakers have suggested, this is most worthy resolution for a most worthy leader. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating Prime Minister Tony Blair for his remarkable tenure as Prime Minister of the U.K., and for his steadfast support of the United States, and our invaluable alliance with Great Britain.

We look forward to his successor, Mr. Gordon Brown, following in Mr. Blair's footsteps by maintaining and building on our transatlantic alliance so we can stand strong and together face the uncertainties of a troubled world.

I would like to thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank Ranking Member King for bringing forth this resolution. And also Ambassador WATSON, I thank you very much. Tony Blair is a true statesman, a man of principle.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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