The U.S. Institute of Peace, USIP

Floor Speech

THE U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE, USIP -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 18, 2007)

SPEECH OF HON. JAY INSLEE OF WASHINGTON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007

* Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, 40 years ago, U.S. Senator Vance Hartke envisioned the creation of the U.S. Institute of Peace, USIP. Now, the realization of his dream is taking shape. We have broken ground on a new building to house the USIP on the consecrated ground of the National Mall in the Nation's capital between the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center. Senator Hartke's dream truly is a manifestation of the most ancient and ageless dream of humanity--enduring peace on earth. ``I have the unshakeable conviction,'' Senator Hartke declared when he introduced the legislation, ``that we will have it within our power and capacity not only to end the Vietnam War, but the syndrome of war itself.''

* This center is not the only mark on democracy he has left behind. His son Jan continues to help shape the country in the finest tradition of his father in many matters, including efforts to stop global warming, itself a threat to long-term peace.

* The USIP will not be a monument to an individual nor a memorial to a significant event in our Nation's past; instead, it will be a building dedicated to an idea and the future of all people. It will be a working building where scholars with different disciplines can sift through the dynamics of war and peace and gain insights that can help America and the world avoid unnecessary or accidental conflicts and wars. With its large auditorium, it will be a place where heads of state from many different lands and cultures will be able to address their own strategies for peace. Most of all, it will be a place that illuminates and advances the greatest ideal of all. For without peace, all our other cherished causes and values cannot prevail.

* The idea for the USIP arose during the Vietnam war, when Senator Hartke had just broken with his close friend, President Johnson. Even though Senator Hartke opposed the war because he believed it was morally indefensible and financially antithetical to the goals of the Great Society, President Johnson interpreted dissent as disloyalty to him and his administration. At that point, Senator Hartke realized that something was missing in the Nation's decision-making apparatus on the great issues of war and peace. Senator Hartke's son Jan remembers, ``Late at night, Dad would be sitting in his chair, reading stacks of books about the causes of past wars. He was appalled at how many wars could have been avoided, reduced in their severity or shortened. He concluded that America needed a non-partisan voice with analytical depth and institutional heft whose sold mandate was to make the case for peace, especially when the drums of war beat the loudest.'' Senator Hartke saw the USIP as a trusted, convincing and unequivocal voice for peace that could speak to the President, the Congress and the people.

* Senator Hartke knew the terrible costs of war, having served with both his brothers in WWII. He passed legislation to create the Veterans' Affairs Committee in the U.S. Senate. He wrote the law to establish the Business People's Peace Corps and the International Executive Service Corps, to address the root causes of war. Along with USIP, he also introduced legislation to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace.

* Senator Hartke's challenging and prophetic words still ring true today, ``The attainment of a just and lasting peace will be the supreme moral achievement of civilization. Yet it will not be won by the cynics or the naysayers, nor by those who are afraid of ridicule for being perceived as soft or utopian, nor by those lacking infinite patience or resolve. The victory of world peace will be won by those hearts and minds that never give up on the noblest quest of them all. For in the end, it is the dreamer who is the greatest realist.''

* Senator Hartke's dedication to peace was recognized widely. His widow, Martha, recalls, ``After Vance passed away in 2003, his friend President Clinton called my son and told him, `When I came to work in the Senate as a young man, I saw your father as a shining star because of his principled opposition to the Vietnam War.' '' Through the work of the U.S. Institute of Peace, Senator Hartke's star need not fade, but will continue to shed light on the path to peace.

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