Braley: Expand Norman Borlaug's vision

Congressman Bruce Braley was one of the speakers Tuesday at the unveiling of the statue of Norman Borlaug inside the U.S. Capitol building.

Braley praised the humanitarian and scientist, saying, "Norman Borlaug's legacy will not be determined by what he did during his brief time on earth, it will be determined by what we do together to expand his vision and stewardship towards this planet and the people who live on it."  Added Braley, "As Norman reminds us: our reward for our labor is not what we take from this planet—it's what we give back."

Borlaug is one of only five people to have been honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Medal of Honor.  A Cresco native, Borlaug is often recognized for eradicating famine in Mexico, India and Pakistan during the mid-20th century with his development of a disease-resistant, high-yielding wheat.  He is known as the Father of the Green Revolution and credited with saving more than 1 billion people from starvation in developing countries.