Norman Borlaug
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution this afternoon honoring Iowa native Norman Borlaug “for helping reduce world hunger.”
Borlaug, a native of Cresco, Iowa, won the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in plant genetics. He died earlier this month at the age of 95. Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, said Borlaug was one of the greatest Americans who ever lived.
“Norman Borlaug was responsible for saving more lives than any human being in history. Think about that,” Braley said. “Why isn’t it that every school child in America knows who Norman Borlaug was? Why is it that we live in a culture that celebrates celebrity more than achievement?”
Congressman Tom Latham, a Republican from Ames, said Borlaug was pressing on with his life’s work right up to his death.
“His innovative leadership in plant breeding and agriculture production gave birth to what we know today as the ‘Green Revolution’ and he’s credited with saving over a billion — that’s with a ‘b’ — a billion lives from starvation,” Latham said. “…It’ll be several billion as time goes on.”
Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, said Borlaug was a true American hero.
“Dr. Borlaug was one of the most unusual people I’ve met in my life,” Boswell said. “He was so impressive in so many ways.”
Congressman Steve King, a Republican from Kiron, said Borlaug had a “global reach” that cannot be over-emphasized.
“This is one of these privileges in serving in the United States Congress, to come to the floor and join together as a state delegation — the entire Iowa delegation — to celebrate a life so well lived,” King said.
The four Iowa congressmen made their remarks early this afternoon on the House floor, just before the House passed the resolution honoring Borlaug on a voice vote. Members of congress from Texas also joined in today’s Borlaug salute, as Borlaug was a long-time professor at Texas A-&-M University.
Click this link:Borlaug to listen to an MP3 featuring all the remarks in the U.S. House on the Borlaug resolution.