[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 466 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 466

              Honoring the life of William F. Buckley, Jr.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 29, 2008

  Mr. Cornyn (for himself, Mr. DeMint, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Vitter, Mr. 
   McConnell, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Martinez, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Ensign, Mrs. 
 Hutchison, and Mr. McCain) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
              Honoring the life of William F. Buckley, Jr.

Whereas William F. Buckley, Jr. was born on November 24, 1925, in New York City, 
        the 6th of 10 children in a devoutly Catholic family;
Whereas William Buckley studied at the University of Mexico before serving his 
        country in the Army and then later graduating with a B.A. with honors 
        (in political science, economics, and history) from Yale University in 
        1950;
Whereas William Buckley worked briefly for the Central Intelligence Agency;
Whereas, at the young age of 25, William Buckley published his first popular 
        book entitled ``God and Man at Yale'';
Whereas William Buckley has since gone on to write more than 55 books and edit 5 
        more, which include ``Let Us Talk of Many Things: the Collected 
        Speeches'', the novel ``Elvis in the Morning'', and his literary 
        autobiography, ``Miles Gone By'';
Whereas he has written more than 4,500,000 words across over 5,600 biweekly 
        newspaper columns, ``On the Right'';
Whereas William Buckley founded the popular and influential National Review 
        magazine in 1955, a respected journal of conservative thought and 
        opinion;
Whereas William Buckley wrote in the first issue of National Review that in 
        founding the magazine, it ``stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a 
        time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with 
        those who so urge it'';
Whereas William Buckley served as editor of National Review for 35 years from 
        its founding in 1955 until his announced retirement in 1990 and as 
        editor-at-large until his death on February 27, 2008;
Whereas, in 1965, William Buckley ran for Mayor of New York City and received 
        13.4 percent of the vote on the Conservative Party ticket;
Whereas William Buckley was host of the Emmy-award winning and long-running 
        ``Firing Line'', a weekly television debate program with such notable 
        guests as Barry Goldwater, Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, Ronald 
        Reagan, and George H.W. Bush;
Whereas the New York Times noted that ``Mr. Buckley's greatest achievement was 
        making conservatism--not just electoral Republicanism, but conservatism 
        as a system of ideas--respectable in liberal post-World War II America. 
        He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Barry Goldwater 
        in 1964, and saw his dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the Bushes 
        captured the Oval Office'';
Whereas as well-known columnist George Will once said, ``before there was Ronald 
        Reagan there was Barry Goldwater, before there was Goldwater there was 
        National Review, and before there was National Review there was William 
        F. Buckley'';
Whereas William Buckley received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991;
Whereas William Buckley has received numerous other diverse awards, including 
        Best Columnist of the Year, 1967, Television Emmy for Outstanding 
        Achievement, 1969, the American Book Award for Best Mystery (paperback) 
        for ``Stained Glass'', 1980; the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award, 
        1989, the Adam Smith Award, Hillsdale College, 1996, and the Heritage 
        Foundation's Clare Booth Luce Award, 1999;
Whereas William Buckley spent over 56 years married to the former Patricia Alden 
        Austin Taylor, a devoted homemaker, mother, wife, and philanthropist, 
        before her passing in April 2007;
Whereas William Buckley passed away on February 27, 2008, and is survived by his 
        son, Christopher, of Washington, D.C., his sisters Priscilla L. Buckley, 
        of Sharon, Connecticut, Patricia Buckley Bozell, of Washington, D.C., 
        and Carol Buckley, of Columbia, South Carolina, his brothers James L., 
        of Sharon, and F. Reid, of Camden, South Carolina, a granddaughter, and 
        a grandson;
Whereas William Buckley is recognized as a towering intellect, a man who, in the 
        words of Ronald Reagan, ``gave the world something different,'' and, 
        most of all, a true gentleman who encountered everything he did with 
        grace, dignity, optimism, and good humor: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the life of William F. Buckley, Jr. for his 
        lifetime commitment to balanced journalism, his devotion to the 
        free exchange of ideas, his gentlemanly and well-respected 
        contributions to political discourse, and his extraordinary 
        positive impact on world history;
            (2) mourns the loss of William F. Buckley, Jr. and 
        expresses its condolences to his family, his friends, and his 
        colleagues; and
            (3) respectfully requests the Secretary of the Senate to 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of 
        William F. Buckley, Jr.
                                 <all>