Norton Indebted to Rep. Augustus "Gus" Hawkins (11/16/07)

Washington, DC-Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, issued the following statement on the death of former Representative Augustus "Gus" Hawkins of California. She attended the funeral today at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation here.

"I join Americans throughout the country in commemorating the life of former Representative Augustus "Gus" Hawkins, who died this week. I am personally indebted to Gus Hawkins for his wise counsel and accountability through keen and informed oversight when I became chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Representative Hawkins was chair of the House Labor and Education Committee and the House Administration Committee when the economy and civil rights were at the center of congressional and national concerns. The period during which he served and his influence as a legislator on the seminal bills during 28 years in Congress together make Representative Hawkins one of the most remarkable members of Congress of his era. His quiet way of getting big results, such as the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978, earned enormous respect among his peers. It would be difficult to find a man who did more with the 100 years of life that were given to Representative Augustus "Gus" Hawkins. The model he set for oversight has served me well since I have been a member of Congress."