PRESS RELEASES

Senator McConnell Congratulates Craig Williams For Winning The Goldman Environmental Prize
from the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks today during a press conference honoring Kentuckian Craig Williams for winning the Goldman Environmental Prize:

"Thank you for that introduction. And thank you all for having me at this prestigious ceremony. I understand that Richard Goldman got the inspiration for the Goldman Environmental Prize after reading about the winners of the Nobel Prize, and wondering why there was no equivalent for extraordinary efforts to conserve our natural environment.

"Now, less than two decades since its inception, the Goldman Environmental Prize has risen to rival the Nobel as a marker of achievement. Every one of this year’s winners fought to protect the environment in a way that affected the lives of thousands, if not millions, of others, often alone and at great personal cost. All of you have my admiration. And I’m grateful the Goldman Environmental Prize will continue to recognize and reward conservationists who protect the land, and promote the well-being of the people who use it.

"All of that said, I’m here today for one reason. Craig Williams has been a friend for over 20 years, and an inspiration. Craig won this award because he dared to speak out against an immovable, hidebound bureaucracy—the Department of Defense—and he won. He is proof that sometimes, David really can slay Goliath.

"For 20 years, Craig’s vigilance has proven invaluable in ongoing efforts to ensure the Department of Defense destroys its hundreds of tons of chemical weapons as safely and efficiently as possible. These deadly materials are stored at Blue Grass Army Depot, which is near Craig’s home in Berea, Kentucky, and at several other locations across the United States. Thanks to his activism, we are closer than we ever have been to taking tangible steps towards removing these heinous weapons from the face of the earth once and for all.

"As much as those of us here are all grateful to Craig for his work, some of his biggest fans are his neighbors, the people of Madison County, Kentucky. To them, Craig is an absolute hero. Imagine if you lived just a short distance away from over 500 tons of the deadliest materials ever conceived by man, VX nerve agent. As little as 10 milligrams of VX will kill a human being. That’s about the mass of 10 grains of sand. If inhaled, death is immediate.

"Too many people have lived for too long with that mortal threat hanging over them. Thanks to Craig, they can see light at the end of the tunnel.

"By now you know that Craig is very effective. But let me explain why he is so effective. First of all, he is tenacious. After 20 years of commitment to this cause—with little or no pay or recognition—he and the nationwide group of concerned citizens he founded, the Chemical Weapons Working Group, are more active than ever.

"A lot of people come to Congress every day with dire warnings about this or that issue. And a lot of them turn out to be Chicken Littles, warning about a sky that never falls. Craig is no Chicken Little. He is credible, because he knows what he’s talking about. I listen to Craig, as do my Senate colleagues, because he is so often right.

"The work Craig and I have done together is a perfect model for how government can and ought to work with the people it serves. Too often, collaboration between lawmakers and informed citizens—also known as lobbyists, please excuse my language, I know that’s a dirty word—is portrayed as unethical or sleazy.

"The truth is that the vast majority of people who come to Congress for help are people like Craig Williams. They have a lot of passion, a lot of knowledge, and want to persuade the government to use its power for their cause.

"Craig’s cause is just, and his advocacy is persuasive. When Craig tells me something, I know it’s worthy of consideration, and I’ll be inclined to move the levers of government to get the results he and I want. For 20 years I’ve been happy to do just that. Government works because of people like Craig Williams.

"Craig, congratulations on this well-deserved achievement. Thank you."