[Senate Document 105-33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress, 2nd Session - - - - - - - - - - Senate Document 105-33
Dirk Kempthorne
U.S. SENATOR FROM IDAHO
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
S. Doc. 105-33
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Dirk Kempthorne
United States Senator
1992-1998
---
Compiled under the direction
of the
Secretary of the Senate
by the
Office of Printing and Document Services
CONTENTS
Biography............................................. vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Abraham, Spencer, of Michigan.................. 14
Boxer, Barbara, of California.................. 21
Burns, Conrad R., of Montana................... 4
Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia.............. 20
Daschle, Thomas A., of South Dakota............ 9
Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico............... 8
Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin............. 14
Ford, Wendell H., of Kentucky.................. 6
Levin, Carl, of Michigan...................... 1, 3
Lott, Trent, of Mississippi.................... 15
Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma...................... 1
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama..................... 13
Thurmond, Strom, of South Carolina............. 2
Farewell address of Senator Dirk Kempthorne........ 22
Order for printing of individual Senate documents.. 25
Articles and Editorials:
Senator Wants To Come Home; Kempthorne Stands by
Record in Governor Quest, Spokesman-Review....... 29
Quiet Ambition; From Boise to Washington, DC, Dirk
Kempthorne's Easygoing Style Has Served Him Well
in Political Contests, Spokesman-Review.......... 30
BIOGRAPHY
Senator Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) has made his mark as a
legislator in his first term in the U.S. Senate. Singled
out by former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole as ``one of
the Senate's rising young stars,'' Kempthorne has authored
and passed two major pieces of legislation in the 104th
Congress. First elected in November 1992, the former mayor
of Boise, ID, has quickly established himself as a
thoughtful, determined and caring legislator.
In the 104th Congress, Kempthorne's bill to end unfunded
Federal mandates on State and local governments and his
revision of the Safe Drinking Water Act showed how
Kempthorne can write, negotiate and win passage of
meaningful bipartisan legislation. Both bills were
overwhelmingly passed by both Houses of Congress, and both
were signed into law.
His first bill, the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, became
Senate Bill 1 in the 104th Congress. It became law on
March 22, 1995 at a Rose Garden signing ceremony. The
success of S. 1 culminated a crusade by Kempthorne to win
relief from costly Federal burdens on States, cities,
counties, schools and businesses. Kempthorne brought
together a coalition of the Nation's Governors, mayors,
county officials, school boards, State legislators and
hundreds of private sector companies employing millions of
people. Despite their common concerns, many of those
groups had never worked together. Kempthorne involved them
in the legislative process, and the teamwork helped win
passage of S. 1 by overwhelming margins in both the Senate
and House.
Kempthorne is the most junior Senator to author, manage,
and win passage of a bill designated as Senate Bill 1
since World War II. He also is the first Idaho Senator to
ever have a bill designated as S. 1, and he not only
managed 2 weeks of 12-hours-a-day debate in the Senate,
but he chaired the Senate-House conference committee that
worked out differences between the Senate and House
versions of the bill. His involvement is unprecedented,
since he does not serve on either of the Senate committees
with jurisdiction for such a measure.
As chairman of the Drinking Water, Fisheries and
Wildlife Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works
Committee, Senator Kempthorne authored the 1996 Safe
Drinking Water Act. The bill was signed at a White House
East Room ceremony on August 6, 1996.
Kempthorne's Safe Drinking Water Act utilized many of
the coalition members brought together to pass S. 1. He
also consulted with water providers, scientists, public
health experts and environmental advocates to craft a
bipartisan bill that passed unanimously in the Senate. The
new law protects public health and safety while giving
local communities and water systems the flexibility to
meet local needs and conditions.
As chairman, Kempthorne will also be responsible for
rewriting and improving the Endangered Species Act.
Kempthorne serves on the Armed Services Committee, where
he chairs the Personnel Subcommittee, responsible for
quality of life and family issues, promotions and
personnel practices of our armed forces. Kempthorne has
also been given the responsibility to chair the Strategic
Forces Subcommittee dealing with defense-related energy
issues. The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory near
Idaho Falls is one Department of Energy facility which
falls under the subcommittee's duties. Kempthorne's
service on Armed Services also allows him to monitor and
promote defense readiness issues at Mountain Home Air
Force Base. The Senator is a member of the United States
Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, the board of trustees
which oversees the Academy.
Senator Kempthorne is also a member of the Senate Small
Business Committee. Small businesses comprise nearly 60
percent of Idaho's companies, employing almost 90 percent
of the workforce.
Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Dirk
Kempthorne served as Boise's 43rd mayor. He was elected to
his first term in 1985, and won reelection without
opposition in 1989. It marked the first time in 30 years a
Boise mayor ran unopposed in a city election. Kempthorne's
7 years as the chief executive of Idaho's capital city
were highlighted by unprecedented employment, prosperity
and construction, revitalization of both the
infrastructure and community spirit, and national
recognition for the city's renaissance.
Leadership in consensus building, encouraging citizen
involvement and participation, communication and trust
were the keystones of the Kempthorne administration. That
philosophy continues in his term in the Senate.
The Senator believes in staying close to the people of
Idaho, and he maintains eight offices around the State.
Dirk Kempthorne is a 1975 graduate of the University of
Idaho, earning a degree in political science. He was
elected Student Body President his junior year.
Dirk Kempthorne was born in 1951. He and his wife
Patricia are the parents of two teenagers, Heather and
Jeff.
TRIBUTES
to
DIRK KEMPTHORNE
Proceedings in the Senate
Thursday, May 14, 1998.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this is also the final defense
authorization bill for three other members of our
committee--Senators Glenn, Coats and Kempthorne. They will
be leaving us this year, also through their choice. We
will miss them keenly. They have all made tremendous
contributions to the work of the Armed Services Committee
and to the national security of our country. Sometimes
their ways were similar and sometimes they were different,
but we are grateful for their contributions. I wanted to
note that as we get to work on the defense authorization
bill.
Thursday, October 8, 1998.
Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, it is almost kind of sad in
a way to think that Dirk Kempthorne will be leaving the
Senate after only one term in the U.S. Senate. It has been
a pleasure to work with Dirk, to be with him, to get to
know him, to get to know his family, his wife Pat. But I
will just say Dirk Kempthorne is a Senator's Senator. He
is a person who comes from the great State of Idaho.
He brought a great deal of, I must say, refreshing
energy to the Senate. He served as mayor of Boise City for
7 years. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992 and
proved something unconventional: He could get a lot done
in his first term in the Senate. Most people have the idea
you have to be in the Senate a long time before you can
get anything accomplished, but he proved quite the
opposite.
He proved to be a very effective legislator. He proved
to be a person who could work on both sides of the aisle,
that he could work with Democrats and Republicans and make
things happen.
He was the principal sponsor of a bill that most of us
have claimed some part to, the unfunded mandates bill that
President Clinton signed and it became law. It was
strongly supported by States, Governors, mayors and
commissioners and others who said, ``Let's quit passing
unfunded mandates on to the States, cities and counties.''
He has been instrumental in leading the fight in needed
reform in the Endangered Species Act. He has been a
tireless worker on the Armed Services Committee.
He has always kept his priorities straight. His family
has always been first and foremost. His love for his State
is very evident.
Now he will return to the State of Idaho. He is running
for Governor. I am very confident he will be elected
Governor, and I am quite confident he will be one of the
outstanding Governors in the country. I appreciate his
service and his friendship. He has been an outstanding
Senator. I hate to see him leave the U.S. Senate, but I do
wish him, his wife and his family best wishes as he leaves
the Senate and returns to his State and continues his
public service in a different capacity, and that will be
as Governor of the great State of Idaho.
Friday, October 9, 1998.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, while each of us is looking
forward to adjournment so that we may go home and spend
time with our constituents and being closer to our family
and friends, the end of the 105th Congress is a somewhat
bittersweet occasion as many of our colleagues are
concluding their careers in the Senate. One Member who
will not be back with us in January is my friend, Senator
Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho.
Senator Kempthorne arrived in Washington 6 years ago and
very quickly established a reputation for not only being
dedicated to the duties and responsibilities of his
office, but for being an individual with a keen mind who
approached matters before this body in a very thoughtful
and deliberative manner. His opinion on issues was always
well regarded and void of partisan rhetoric. Though one
will never have every Member of this Body agree with their
position, everyone gave considerable weight to the remarks
and positions of the Senator from Idaho.
One of Senator Kempthorne's committee assignments was to
the Armed Services Committee and I quickly spotted his
leadership ability, and in a relatively short period of
time, assigned him the chairmanship of the Subcommittee on
Personnel. This was a demanding job, especially in this
era when we are not only trying to determine what the
appropriate size of the military should be, but also
because of a number of highly emotional issues related to
personnel matters. Regardless of the issue that was before
his subcommittee, Senator Kempthorne worked hard to ensure
that he discharged his responsibilities impartially, and
with the best interests of our men and women in uniform in
mind.
Beyond earning a reputation for being an intelligent
student of public policy, Senator Kempthorne also earned a
well deserved reputation for being a decent man. He was
unfailingly polite and cordial to everyone with whom he
dealt. Whether it was a witness before the Committee, a
debate opponent on the Senate floor, or one of the
thousands of support staff that work in the Senate, Dirk
Kempthorne was pleasant, respectful, and cordial.
It is truly our loss that Senator Kempthorne has decided
to leave the Senate and return to Idaho, but the citizens
of that State will indeed benefit when our friend is
elected Governor. The ability he demonstrated for
leadership and civility will serve both he and his
constituents well and I am certain that Idaho will be
regarded as one of the most efficiently run States in the
Union before the end of his first term. My counsel to the
Members of this Chamber is that Dirk Kempthorne is a man
to keep your eye on, and frankly, I would not be surprised
if he were to return to Washington 1 day, though to take
an office that is at the opposite end of Pennsylvania
Avenue. Regardless, I wish both he and his lovely wife
Patricia health, happiness, and great success in the years
to come, we shall miss them both.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a
colleague and friend who will be leaving the Senate when
the 105th Congress adjourns, Dirk Kempthorne, the junior
Senator from Idaho.
I have served with Dirk Kempthorne on both the Armed
Services and Small Business Committees where I have come
to respect his thoughtfulness, dedication and hard work.
Dirk Kempthorne has been a valuable member of the Armed
Services Committee where he has served as the Chairman of
the Personnel Subcommittee. As Chairman, he has
demonstrated a commitment to the welfare of our men and
women in uniform and their families.
Senator Kempthorne joined with Senator Byrd in
initiating the congressional Commission on Military
Training to examine issues related to basic training of
men and women which will give its best advice to the
Congress next year on whether current practices should be
changed.
While I didn't agree with Dirk Kempthorne on many of the
specifics of his unfunded mandate legislation in 1995, I,
like many of my colleagues in the Senate, was greatly
impressed with the manner in which he managed the bill and
his command of the complex details.
Mr. Chairman, in the U.S. Senate we are called upon to
work with colleagues of many differing points of view.
While Dirk Kempthorne and I sit on separate sides of the
aisle and sometimes disagree on issues before the Senate,
it has always been a pleasure to deal with him. He is
always an able advocate for his position, and always a
gracious gentleman.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, five Senators will move on at
the closing of this session of the 105th Congress. And
they are Senators that have, with the exception of one,
been here ever since I joined this body back in 1989.
Dirk Kempthorne from Idaho was elected after I was. And
now after one term he has elected to go back to his home
State of Idaho.
It seems like it becomes more and more difficult, as
time goes by, to attract men and women to public service,
and especially to public service when there are elections.
He brought a certain quality to this Senate. On his work
on the Environment and Public Works Committee, he was
sensitive to the environment and all the public
infrastructure that we enjoy across this country. It just
seemed to fit, because he had come here after being the
mayor of Boise, ID. And his very first objective was to
tackle this business of unfunded mandates. He took that
issue on and provided the leadership, and finally we
passed a law that unfunded mandates must be adhered to
whenever we tell local government, State government that
it is going to take some of your money to comply with the
laws as passed by the Federal Government.
He, like me, had come out of local government. He knew
the stresses and the pains of city councilmen and mayors
and county commissioners every time they struggle with
their budget in order to provide the services for their
people, when it comes to schools and roads and public
safety--all the demands that we enjoy down to our
neighborhoods.
We shall miss him in this body.
To my friend, John Glenn of Ohio, who has already made
his mark in history that shall live forever, he has left
his tracks in this body. And not many know--and maybe not
even him--but I was a lowly corporal in the U.S. Marine
Corps when he was flying in the Marine Corps. So my memory
of John Glenn goes back more than 40 years to El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Anna, CA.
As he goes into space again at the end of this month, we
wish him Godspeed. He gave this country pride as he lifted
off and became the first American to orbit the Earth. And
he carried with him all of the wishes of the American
people.
To Dan Coats of Indiana, a classmate, we came to this
body together in 1989. Our routes were a little different,
but yet almost the same--he coming from the House of
Representatives and me coming from local government.
He is a living example of a person dedicated to public
service. But it never affected his solid core values. He
has not changed one iota since I first met him back in
1989.
The other principal is on the floor today. It is Wendell
Ford of Kentucky. I was fortunate to serve on two of the
most fascinating and hard-working committees in the U.S.
Senate with Senator Ford: The Commerce Committee and the
Energy Committee. Those committees, folks, touch every
life in America every day.
We flip on our lights at home or in our businesses. We
pick up the telephone, listen to our radio, watch our
televisions, move ourselves from point A to point B, no
matter what the mode--whether it is auto, train or plane.
Yes, all of the great scientific advances this country has
made, and research and the improvement of everyday life
and, yes, even our venture into space comes under the
auspices of the Commerce, Science and Transportation
Committee and the Energy Committee. Those two committees
play such a major role in the everyday workings of
America.
Wendell Ford was one great champion and one of the true
principals in formulating policies that we enjoy today. He
played a major role in each and every one of them.
Again, it was my good fortune to work with Senator
Bumpers on two committees: The Small Business Committee
and the Energy Committee. There is no one in this body
that has been more true to his deeply held beliefs than
Senator Bumpers. Our views did not always mesh--and that
is true with Senator Ford. It was their wisdom and the way
they dealt with their fellow Senators that we worked our
way through difficult issues and hard times with a sense
of humor. I always say if you come from Arkansas you have
to have a pretty good sense of humor. My roots go back to
Missouri; I know we had to develop humor very early.
Nonetheless, it was the integrity and the honesty that
allowed us to settle our differences, even though we were
180 degrees off plumb.
I think I have taken from them much more than I have
given back to them. This body has gained more than it can
repay. This Nation is a better Nation for all of them
serving in the U.S. Senate.
In our country we don't say goodbye, we just say so
long. But we say so long to these Senators from our
everyday activities on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I am
sure our trails will cross many times in the future.
Should they not, I will be the most disappointed of all.
Monday, October 12, 1998.
Mr. FORD. Mr. President, as the 105th Congress comes to
a close, I want to take a moment to say thank you to my
fellow colleagues who, like me, will be retiring this
year.
I came to the Senate in 1974 with Senators Glenn and
Bumpers. It was a different time, when campaigns were
still won by going door to door, when the Senate itself
was much more open to compromise and bipartisanship.
Despite the changes in the Senate, Senator Bumpers has
continued to be a voice for his State, never giving up the
fight for something in which he believed. And when the
Senate itself began to listen, they began to respond. In
fact, after fighting 19 years to reform the National Parks
concessions operations, he finally won approval of the
legislation on last Thursday.
And while it's true the Senate long ago lost its
reputation as a place of eloquent debate, my colleague
from Arkansas has proven time and again the power of words
with his skillful oratory, whether the issue was arms
control, education or balancing the budget. In all my
years here in Washington, I was never so moved as I was by
a speech he gave on preserving the Manassas, VA, Civil War
Battlefield. He not only changed votes, but he reminded
his colleagues and the American people that our greatest
strength lies in our ability to give voice to our beliefs
and to our constituent's concerns.
Like Mark Twain who came into this world with Halley's
comet and left this world with the return, Senator Glenn
came into the public eye with his historic orbit around
the Earth and he will close out his public career with
another historic flight into space. In between, he's
demonstrated over and over that he's truly made of the
``right stuff.''
As the ``Almanac of American Politics'' wrote, he is
``the embodiment of the small town virtues of family, God-
fearing religion, duty, patriotism and hard work * * *''.
And over the years, he has brought the same fight and
determination that made him a brilliant fighter pilot to
his efforts to expand educational opportunities, increase
funding for scientific research, to clean up nuclear waste
sites, promote civil rights and to make our government
more efficient.
Despite their long list of contributions in the Senate,
perhaps their greatest contributions to this Nation are
still to come. Senator Bumpers has talked about going back
to Arkansas to teach and Senator Glenn has said once he
gets back down to Earth, he'll work to steer young people
toward public service. I can't think of a greater honor
than to say I've served alongside these two men and shared
their vision of a better America.
I also want to thank my two retiring colleagues on the
other side of the aisle. We may not have always agreed on
which road to take, but I believe we always shared a deep
commitment to our country and its betterment. Whether you
agree or not with Senator Coats' position on the issues,
everyone in this Chamber will agree he's willing to roll
up his sleeves and do the hard work necessary to
accomplish his goals. He's brought the same tenacity to
the Senate that found him at 3 percent in the polls when
he began his first congressional bid and had him winning
by 58 percent on election day. He got that win the old-
fashioned way, organizing block by block and pressing his
case one-on-one.
Senator Kempthorne has only been a part of this
institution for just one term, but he has already proven
that he can work with his colleagues to pass laws, like
the unfunded mandates bill, in a place where it's often
easier to move mountains than a piece of legislation. The
Safe Drinking Water Act of 1996 was a perfect example of
his ability to bring together scientists, activists on
both sides of the issue, and public health experts to
craft legislation that each one had a stake in seeing
succeed. So while he may have spent just a short while in
these Halls, he demonstrated that it is only through
compromise that we can achieve solutions in the best
interest of the Nation.
So Mr. President, let me tell my fellow retirees what a
privilege it has been to serve with you over the years and
how grateful I am for your commitment to public service
and the American people.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, it is with great pride and
honor that I rise today to pay tribute to my retiring
colleague from Idaho, Senator Dirk Kempthorne. In his 6
years of service to the U.S. Senate, he has proven himself
to be a very thoughtful and determined leader and I am
honored to have the opportunity to rise and speak on his
accomplishments.
It was a pleasure to work with Senator Kempthorne as he
crafted one of the most important bills we have passed in
the U.S. Senate, the unfunded mandates bill. I was
particularly pleased that the private sector was included
in the assessment of unfunded mandates and Dirk was
generous and extraordinarily helpful to me and my staff
throughout the legislative process as we developed and
negotiated this legislation. Not only did the junior
Senator from Idaho manage 2 weeks of debate on the Senate
floor which sometimes lasted 12 hours a day, but his
skillful leadership and influence brought affected parties
to the table to negotiate and produce legislation which
passed both the House and Senate by overwhelming margins.
Clearly, without his strong commitment to American small
businesses, this objective would not have been achieved.
In addition to his service on the Small Business
Committee and Armed Forces Committee, Senator Kempthorne
was given the responsibility of chairing the Drinking
Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife Subcommittee of the
Environment and Public Works Committee. He wrote an update
of the Safe Drinking Water Act which won bipartisan
praise. He worked many long and arduous hours crafting
legislation to reauthorize and reform the Endangered
Species Act, an issue extremely important New Mexico and
other Western States. Dirk's perseverance and hard work
was instrumental in laying the groundwork for long overdue
reform of this law and I am hopeful that we can be as
diligent and compromising as he has been in crafting and
passing ESA reform legislation in the future.
The State of Idaho is fortunate to have a statesman of
his caliber. During his tenure, he has earned the respect
and admiration of his colleagues on both sides of the
aisle because of his unique ability to negotiate,
compromise, and foster positive working relationships not
only with his colleagues, but between Federal, State, and
local governments. These skills will serve him well as he
faces new challenges in the future. Although we will miss
his presence in this body, I know that he will continue to
be a valuable asset not only to the State of Idaho but to
this Nation.
Finally, I understand the challenges and difficulties
associated with raising a family while serving in Congress
and I respect and admire his decision to do what is right
for his family and their future. Nancy and I wish Dirk,
Patricia, and their children all the best.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, on Saturday, I had a chance
to talk about our good friend, Dale Bumpers. I'd like to
take a few minutes to talk about four other friends who
will be leaving us at the end of this Congress.
Shortly after he left the White House, Calvin Coolidge
was called on to fill out a standard form. After filling
in his name and address, he came to a line marked
``occupation.'' He wrote ``retired.'' When he came to the
next line, labeled ``remarks,'' he wrote ``Glad of it.'' I
suspect that our colleagues who are retiring at the end of
this Congress are also ``glad of it''--at least in some
small measure. But, in addition to relief, I hope they
also feel a sense of pride--both for what they have
accomplished here, and the dignity with which they have
served.
In a short time here, Dirk Kempthorne has made all of
our lives a little better. Thanks in large part to him,
the Safe Drinking Water Act is now the law. Senator
Kempthorne has also reminded us of the importance of State
and local involvement in our decisions. We will all miss
him.
I had the good fortune to travel with Senator Kempthorne
to the Far East. As most of our colleagues know, as we
travel we get to know one another even better. I know him
and I admire him and I wish him well in his life after the
Senate. I also applaud him for the nature with which he
has continued to work with all of us. He has a very
conciliatory, very thoughtful, a very civil way with which
to deal with colleagues on issues. If we would all follow
Dirk Kempthorne's example, in my view, we would be a lot
better off in this body. His manner, his leadership, his
character, his personality is one that we are going to
miss greatly here in the U.S. Senate.
We will also miss Dan Coats. With his thoughtful
approach and uncompromising principles, Senator Coats has
followed his heart above all else. And, as a result of his
support of the Family and Medical Leave Act, millions of
Americans are able to follow their hearts, too, and spend
more time with their families when they need them most.
When Senator Coats announced his retirement in 1996, he
said, ``I want to leave (politics) when I am young enough
to contribute somewhere else * * * I want to leave when
there is still a chance to follow God's leading to
something new.'' Wherever Senator Coats and Senator
Kempthorne are led, we wish them both the best. I am
confident that they will continue to contribute much to
their country and to their fellow citizens.
And we will surely miss our own three departing
Senators.
Dale Bumpers, Wendell Ford and John Glenn are three of
the sturdiest pillars in this institution. They have much
in common. They came here--all three of them--in 1974. For
nearly a quarter-century, they have worked to restore
Americans' faith in their government.
Their names have been called with the roll of every
important question of our time. And they have answered
that call with integrity and dignity.
They are sons of small town America who still believe in
the values they learned back in Charlestown, AR;
Owensboro, KY; and New Concord, OH. They are also modest
men.
Perhaps because they had already accomplished so much
before they came to the Senate, they have never worried
about grabbing headlines here. Instead, they have been
content to work quietly, but diligently--often with
colleagues from across the aisle--to solve problems as
comprehensively as they can. They have been willing to
take on the ``nuts and bolts'' work of the Senate--what
John Glenn once called ``the grunt work'' of making the
Government run more efficiently.
They were all elected to the Senate by wide margins, and
reelected by even wider margins. And they all would have
been reelected this year, I have no doubt, had they chosen
to run again.
What I will remember most about each of them, though, is
not how much like each other they are, but how unlike
anyone else they are. Each of them is an American
original.
As I said, I've already shared my thoughts about Dale
Bumpers. No Senator has ever had more courage than Dale
Bumpers.
And no Senate leader has ever had the benefit of a
better teacher than Wendell Ford.
No leader has ever enjoyed such a loyal partnership as I
have. No leader has ever had a better friend and
counselor.
For the past 4 years, Senator Ford has been my right
hand and much more. He is as skilled a political mind, and
as warm a human being, as this Senate has ever known.
Carved inside the drawer of the desk in which Wendell
sits is the name of another Kentucky Senator, ``the Great
Compromisor,'' Henry Clay. It is a fitting match.
Like Henry Clay, Wendell Ford believes that compromise
is honorable and necessary in a democracy. But he also
understands that compromise is, as Clay said, ``negotiated
hurt.''
I suspect that is why he has always preferred to try to
work out disagreements behind the scenes. It allows both
sides to bend, and still keep their dignity.
In 1991, Wendell's quiet, bipartisan style convinced a
Senator from across the aisle, Mark Hatfield, to join him
in sponsoring the ``Motor Voter'' bill. Working together,
they convinced the Senate to pass that legislation. To
this day, it remains the most ambitious effort Congress
has made since the Voting Rights Act to open up the voting
booth to more Americans.
Wendell Ford has served the Bluegrass State as a State
senator, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and U.S. Senator.
His love for his fellow Kentuckians is obvious, and it is
reciprocated.
In his 1980 Senate race, Wendell Ford became the first
opposed candidate in Kentucky history to carry all 120
counties. In 1992, he received the highest number of votes
ever cast for any candidate in his State.
Throughout his years in the Senate, Senator Ford has
also been a tenacious fighter for the people of Kentucky.
He has also been a leader on aviation issues, a determined
foe of government waste and duplication, a champion of
campaign finance reform, and--something we are especially
grateful for on this side of the aisle--a tireless leader
for the Democratic Party.
He chaired the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee for
three Congresses, from 1976 through 1982. And, in 1990,
Democratic Senators elected him unanimously to be our
party whip, our second-in-command, in the Senate--a
position he still holds today.
We will miss his raspy and unmistakable voice, his good
humor and wise counsel.
Finally, there is John Glenn. What can one say about
John Glenn that has not already been said?
In all these 24 years, as hard as he tried to blend in
with the rest of us, as hard as he tried to be just a
colleague among colleagues, it never quite worked, did it?
I used to think that maybe I was the only one here who
still felt awed in his presence. Two years ago, on a
flight from China with John and a handful of other
Senators and our spouses, I learned that wasn't so.
During the flight, we were able to persuade John to
recollect that incredible mission aboard Friendship 7,
when he became the first American to orbit the Earth. He
told us about losing all radio communication during re-
entry, about having to guide his spacecraft manually
during the most critical point in re-entry, about seeing
pieces of his fiberglass heat panel bursting into flames
and flying off his space capsule, knowing that at any
moment, he could be incinerated.
We all huddled around him with our eyes wide open. No
one moved. No one said a word.
Listening to him, I felt the same awe I had felt when I
was 14 years old, sitting in a classroom in Aberdeen, SD,
watching TV accounts of that flight. Then I looked around
me, and realized everyone else there was feeling the same
thing.
I saw that same sense of awe in other Senators' faces in
June, when we had a dinner for John at the National Air
and Space Museum. Before dinner, we were invited to have
our photographs taken with John in front of the Friendship
7 capsule. I don't think I've ever seen so many Senators
waiting so patiently for anything as we did for that one
picture.
A lot of people tend to think of two John Glenns:
Colonel John Glenn, the astronaut-hero; and Senator John
Glenn. The truth is, there is only John Glenn--the
patriot.
Love for his country is what sent John into space. It's
what brought him to Washington, and compelled him to work
so diligently all these years in the Senate.
People who have been there say you see the world
differently from space. You see the ``big picture.'' You
see how small and interconnected our planet is.
Perhaps it's because he came to the Senate with that
perspective that John has fought so hard against nuclear
proliferation and other weapons of mass destruction.
Maybe because he'd had enough glamour and tickertape
parades by the time he came here, John chose to immerse
himself in some decidedly unglamorous causes.
He immersed himself in the scientific and the technical.
He looked at government with the eyes of an engineer, and
tried to imagine ways it could work better and more
efficiently.
As early as 1978, he called for Congress to live by the
same workplace rules it sets for everyone else. More
recently, he spearheaded the overhaul of the Federal
Government procurement system, enabling the Government to
buy products faster, and save money at the same time.
In 1974, the year he was elected to the Senate, John
Glenn carried all 88 counties in Ohio. In 1980, he was re-
elected with the largest margin in his State's history.
The last time he ran, in 1992, he became the first Ohio
Senator ever to win four terms.
As I said, I'm sure he would have been reelected had he
chosen to run again. But, as we all know, he has other
plans.
For 36 years, John Glenn has wanted to go back into
space. On October 29, he will finally get his chance. At
77 years old, he will become the oldest human being ever
to orbit the Earth--by 16 years.
Many of us will be in Houston to see John and his
Discovery crew mates blast off. If history is any
indication, I suspect we will be wide-eyed once again.
In closing, let me say, Godspeed, John Glenn and Dale
Bumpers, Wendell Ford, Dirk Kempthorne and Dan Coats. You
have served this Senate well. You are all ``Senators'
Senators,'' and we will miss you dearly.
Wednesday, October 14, 1998.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, 6 years seems too short a
time for a man of Dirk Kempthorne's character to serve in
the U.S. Senate. In the 2 years that I have been
privileged to work with the Senator from Idaho, I have
been impressed by both his considerable integrity and also
his unwavering dedication to the citizens of Idaho and to
his fellow countrymen. When I reflect upon Senator
Kempthorne's tenure in the Senate, I will remember the
traits that made him such a successful legislator. I will
especially remember the thoughtful approach the Senator
used when addressing the pressing issues of the day. When
Senator Kempthorne chose a course of action, every Senator
could be certain that his decisions were guided by careful
deliberation, broad consultation, and sincere prayer. Now,
Senator Kempthorne has decided to return to his people of
Idaho, offering to serve their interests closer to home.
Selfishly, I and others will miss his quiet strength, his
leadership in a pinch, his good judgment, and his deep
faith. It has enriched all who have had the privilege of
serving with him and, I must say, it has been a special
source of strength to me. Dirk not only talks the talk, he
walks the walk. His concern is for the least among us and
his insights are superior. Whether he is in a small group
meeting, a committee hearing, a leadership conference, a
Bible study, or on the floor of the U.S. Senate, Dirk
Kempthorne always reveals himself to be a man of
integrity. This is so because he is one solid whole. He
does not compartmentalize. What you see is what you get,
from the surface to the center.
Dirk has called us to higher things than mere public
policy. He wants our government to make us better, not
just richer and more powerful. His service in the Senate
has been to that goal. He is both a humble servant of a
higher calling, and an effective leader. We will miss that
leadership and strength on issue after issue. We will miss
even more his good example, his living proof that one can
serve in public life and posses the richest qualities of a
Christian gentleman. Dirk, we will miss you. You have made
us better by your word, your manner, and your life. Our
best wishes go with you. Godspeed Dirk Kempthorne.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I want to wish all the best
to Senator Kempthorne as he leaves the Senate. Senator
Kempthorne and I both joined the Senate in 1992, and both,
as very junior Senators, initially found ourselves with
offices in the basement of the Dirksen building.
Senator Kempthorne has always demonstrated a strong
grasp of policy issues, including his work on unfunded
mandates, and has always conducted himself with the
highest degree of professionalism in the Senate. I thank
him for his service, and wish him well in his new
endeavors.
Now he returns to Idaho to seek the office of Governor.
Whatever happens in that race, the people of Idaho will
know that he is a thoughtful man of grace and civility.
Tuesday, October 20, 1998.
Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the
Junior Senator from Idaho, Mr. Kempthorne. My wife, Jane,
and I got to know Dirk and his wife, Pat, soon after I
came to Washington, and they have been good friends. Pat
and Dirk are simply wonderful people, whose warmth and
civility make the Senate a better place.
Dirk Kempthorne has brought his energy and goodwill with
him to the Senate every day, making it a better place in
which to work and, I am sure, improving our ability to
work together to pass constructive legislation. In
addition, he has brought tremendous insight and common
sense to the legislative process. I am proud to have
worked with him in passing unfunded mandates legislation
in 1995. This bill, which Senator Kempthorne managed on
the floor, is an important step forward for American small
business and its passage could not have been secured
without his able leadership.
Whether as a key member of the Small Business Committee,
as Chairman of the Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife
Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works
Committee, or as Chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee of
the Armed Services Committee, Dirk has brought strong
leadership and reasoned argument to our public policy
debates. He was instrumental in initiating the
congressional Commission on Military Training. He laid the
groundwork for long overdue reforms to the Endangered
Species Act; reforms that will protect our wildlife
without unduly tampering with America's traditional
commitment to private property rights.
Dirk has decided, in the interests of his family, to
leave Washington and return to Idaho. While I am certain
all of us here will miss him, he leaves a weighty record
of achievement and will continue to serve as a model of
Senatorial conduct for years to come. I know the people of
Idaho will benefit greatly from his coming service as
Governor and wish him, his wife and children, all the best
in their return home.
Wednesday, October 21, 1998.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in this last day of the 105th
Congress, I think it is appropriate that we take a little
more time to express our appreciation and our admiration
for our retiring Senators. I look down the list: Senator
Bumpers of Arkansas; Senator Coats of Indiana; Senator
Ford, the Democratic whip, of Kentucky; Senator Glenn, who
will soon be taking another historic flight into space;
and Senator Kempthorne, who I believe is also going to be
taking flight into a new position of leadership and honor.
This is a distinguished group of men who have been
outstanding Senators, who have left their mark on this
institution. I believe you could say in each case they
have left the Senate a better place than it was when they
came.
Have we had our disagreements along the way? Sure,
within parties and across party aisles. I have to take a
moment to express my appreciation to each of these
Senators. I especially want to thank Senator Ford for his
cooperation in his position as whip. We worked together
for a year and a half as the whip on our respective side
of the aisle and we always had a very good relationship.
Of course, I have already expressed my very close
relationship for Senator Coats and for Senator Kempthorne.
To all of these Senators, I want to extend my fondest
farewell.
As majority leader, I feel a responsibility to speak for
all of us in bidding an official farewell to our five
colleagues who are retiring this year.
It was 1974 when Dale Bumpers left the Governorship of
Arkansas to take the Senate seat that had long been held
by Senator Fulbright. There are several Senators in this
Chamber today who, in 1974, were still in high school.
Four terms in the Senate of the United States can be a
very long time--but that span of nearly a quarter-century
has not in the least diminished Senator Bumpers'
enthusiasm for his issues and energy in advancing them.
He has been a formidable debater, fighting for his
causes with a tenacity and vigor that deserves the title
of Razorback.
It is a memorable experience to be on the receiving end
of his opposition--whether the subject was the space
station or, year after year, mining on public lands.
Arkansas and Mississippi are neighbors, sharing many of
the same problems. From personal experience, I know how
Senator Bumpers has been an assiduous and effective
advocate for his State and region.
No one expects retirement from the Senate to mean
inactivity for Senator Bumpers, whose convictions run too
deep to be set aside with his formal legislative duties.
All of us who know the sacrifices an entire family makes
when a spouse or parent is in the Congress can rejoice for
him, for Betty, and for their family, in the prospect of
more time together in a well earned future.
Senator Dan Coats and I have a bond in common which most
Members of the Senate do not share. We both began our
careers on Capitol Hill, not as Members, but as staffers.
I worked for the venerable William Colmer of
Mississippi, chairman of the House Rules Committee, who
left office in 1972 at the age of 82. Senator Coats worked
for Dan Quayle, who came to Congress at the age of 27.
Despite the differences in our situations back then, we
both learned the congressional ropes from the bottom up.
Which may be why we both have such respect for the
twists and turns of the legislative process, not to
mention an attentive ear to the views and concerns of our
constituents.
Now and then, a Senator becomes nationally known for his
leadership on a major issue. Senator Coats has had several
such issues.
One was the constitutional amendment for a balanced
budget. Another was New Jersey's garbage, and whether it
would be dumped along the banks of the Wabash.
The garbage issue is still unresolved, but on other
matters, his success has been the Nation's profit.
He has championed the American family, improved Head
Start, kept child care free of government control, and
helped prevent a Federal takeover of health care.
His crusade to give low-income families school choice
has made him the most important education reformer since
Horace Mann. His passionate defense of children before
birth has been, to use an overworked phrase, a profile in
courage.
Senator Coats does have a secret vice. He is a baseball
addict. On their honeymoon, he took Marcia to a Cubs game.
And when he was a Member of the House, he missed the vote
on flag-burning to keep a promise to his son to see the
Cubs in the playoffs.
To Dan, a commitment is a commitment. That is why he is
national president of Big Brothers. And why, a few years
ago, he kept a very important audience waiting for his
arrival at a meeting here on the Hill.
He had, en route, come across a homeless man, and spent
a half-hour urging him to come with him to the Gospel
Rescue Mission.
Here in the Congress, we must always be in a hurry. But
Senator Coats and his wife, Marcia, have known what is
worth waiting for.
They have been a blessing to our Senate family, and they
will always remain a part of it.
Senator Wendell Ford stands twelfth in seniority in the
Senate, with the resignation of his predecessor, Senator
Marlow Cook, giving him a 6-day advantage over his
departing colleague, Senator Bumpers.
He came to Washington with a full decade of hands-on
governmental experience in his native Kentucky. He had
been a State senator, Lieutenant Governor, and Governor.
With that background, he needed little time to make his
mark in the Senate.
In that regard, he reminds me of another Kentuckian who
make a lasting mark on the Senate.
Last month, I traveled to Ashland, the home of Henry
Clay, to receive a medallion named after the man once
known as Harry of the West. Senator Ford was a prior
recipient of that award, and appropriately so.
Henry Clay was a shrewd legislator, a tough bargainer,
who did not suffer fools lightly. That description sounds
familiar to anyone who has worked with Senator Ford.
He can be a remarkably effective partisan. I can attest
to that. There is a good reason why he has long been his
party's second-in-command in the Senate.
At the same time, he has maintained a personal autonomy
that is the mark of a true Senator. He has been outspoken
about his wish that his party follow the more moderate
path to which he has long adhered.
Senator Ford's influence has been enormous in areas like
energy policy and commerce. Contemporary politics may be
dependent upon quotable sound-bites and telegenic
posturing, but he has held to an older and, in my opinion,
a higher standard.
One of the least sought-after responsibilities in the
Senate is service on the Rules Committee.
It can be a real headache. But it is crucial to the
stature of the Senate. We all owe Senator Ford our
personal gratitude for his long years of work on that
Committee.
His decisions there would not always have been my
decisions; that is the nature of our system. But his work
there has set a standard for meticulousness and gravity.
All of us who treasure the traditions, the decorum, and
the comity of the Senate will miss him.
We wish him and Jean the happiness of finally being able
to set their own hours, enjoy their grandchildren, and
never again missing dinner at home because of a late-night
session on the Senate floor.
There are many ways to depart the Senate. Our colleague
from Ohio, Senator John Glenn, will be leaving us in a
unique fashion, renewing the mission to space which he
helped to begin in 1962.
In the weeks ahead, he will probably be the focus of
more publicity, here and around the world, than the entire
Senate has been all year long.
It will be well deserved attention, and I know he
accepts it, not for himself, but for America's space
program.
For decades now, he has been, not only its champion, but
in a way, its embodiment.
That is understandable, but to a certain extent, unfair.
For his astronaut image tends to overshadow the
accomplishments of a long legislative career.
In particular, his work on the Armed Services Committee,
the Commerce Committee, and our Special Committee on Aging
has been a more far-reaching achievement than orbiting the
Earth.
With the proper support and training, others might have
done that, but Senator Glenn's accomplishments here in the
Senate are not so easily replicated.
This year's hit film, ``Saving Private Ryan,'' has had a
tremendous impact on young audiences by bringing home to
them the sacrifice and the suffering of those who fought
America's wars.
I think Senator Glenn has another lesson to teach them.
For the man who will soon blast off from Cape Canaveral,
as part of America's peaceful conquest of space--is the
same Marine who, more than a half century ago, saw combat
in World War II, and again in Korea.
His mission may have changed, but courage and idealism
endure.
In a few days, along with Annie and the rest of his
family, we will be cheering him again, as he again makes
us proud of our country, proud of our space program, and
proud to call him our friend and colleague.
Senator Dirk Kempthorne came to us from Idaho only 6
years ago. He now returns amid the nearly universal
expectation that he will be his State's next Governor. It
will be a wise choice.
None of us are surprised by his enormous popularity back
home. We have come to know him, not just as a consummate
politician, but as a thoughtful, decent, and caring man.
This is a man who took the time to learn the names of
the men and women who work here in the Capitol and in the
Senate office buildings.
In fact, his staff allots extra time for him to get to
the Senate floor to vote because they know he will stop
and talk to people on the way.
During the memorial ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda for
our two officers who lost their lives protecting this
building, Senator Kempthorne noticed that the son of one
of the officers, overwhelmed by emotion, suddenly left the
room.
Dirk followed him, and spent a half-hour alone with him,
away from the cameras. The public doesn't see those
things, but that's the kind of concern we expect from him.
His willingness to share credit gave us our Unfunded
Mandates Act and reauthorization of the Safe Drinking
Water Law. And his eye for detail and pride in his own
home State led to the transformation of that long, sterile
corridor between the Capitol and the Dirksen and Hart
office buildings.
Now, as tourists ride the space-age mechanized subway,
they enjoy the display of State flags and seals that form
a patriotic parade. It delights the eye and lifts the
spirit.
If you've ever visited Idaho, known its people, and seen
its scenic wonders, you don't have to wonder why he's
leaving us early.
You wonder, instead, why he ever left.
Years ago, he explained his future this way: That he
would know when it was time to leave the Senate when he
stopped asking ``why'' and started saying ``because.''
We're going to miss him and Patricia, and no one needs
to ask ``why.'' Even so, we know the Governor will be a
forceful spokesman on the Hill for all the Governors.
They could not have a better representative. The Senate
could not have a better exemplar. We could not have a
better friend.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, when one speaks of the State of
Idaho, we think of her glorious and rugged landscape, her
fertile valleys, her waters ideal for fishing, her world-
class ski resorts, her national parks and forests, with
land fit for hiking, or biking, and, of course, her
reputation as the potato capital of the world. Following
the end of the 105th Congress, I daresay that our
associations to the State of Idaho will also include the
name of Dirk Kempthorne, the State's junior Senator and
one of this body's most respected Members. Although our
friend from the West is leaving the Senate after only one
6-year term, I, for one, will remember him fondly for
years to come.
Senator Kempthorne and I formerly served together as
chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the
Personnel Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee. We
worked together to introduce legislation requiring the
study of gender integrated training in the military. That
association has been pleasant, and, I believe, productive.
To be sure, I have not always agreed with his policy
proposals, or he with mine. On many issues, including the
balanced budget constitutional amendment and the unfunded
mandates legislation, we have held opposing views.
Throughout the lengthy debate on the unfunded mandates
bill in early 1995, the Senator was conscientious,
thorough, and fair. His grace and courtesy in managing
that bill were impressive, particularly for someone so new
to the Senate. And, as we all know, his efforts paid off
after deliberate consideration and compromise. Moreover,
with passage of the unfunded mandates bill, Senator
Kempthorne holds the honor of being the most junior Member
of the Senate since World War II to author, manage, and
win passage of a bill numbered Senate Bill 1.
When he leaves these hallowed halls, Senator Kempthorne
will return to his home State. Boise, of course, is
familiar ground for Senator Kempthorne, serving as that
city's 43rd mayor, from 1985 until 1992, when the people
of Idaho elected him to his present seat in the Senate.
Incidentally, he became so popular during his first term
as mayor that he faced no opposition in his bid for a
second term! How many of our colleagues would like to be
in that situation? How many of us would like to be so
universally popular, and be held in such high respect by
our constituents, that such popularity and respect would
foreclose potential challengers?
I congratulate Senator Kempthorne on his fine service
here, and I wish him and his nice family happiness in
future years.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, as the Senate completes its
work and the 105th Congress comes to a close, I want to
take this opportunity to say farewell to one of my
colleagues who has decided to leave this body and pursue
other activities.
The junior Senator from Idaho, Dirk Kempthorne, and I
were both elected to the Senate in 1992. We have served
together for the past 6 years on the Environment and
Public Works Committee. While we have disagreed on many
environmental issues, I have always enjoyed working with
him and appreciated his personal kindness. He is a
gentleman of impeccable manners and good humor. And he is
known to all his colleagues as one of the ``workhorses''
of the Senate: a Senator who does his work quietly and
responsibly, and does not insist on getting all the credit
for the results.
My very best wishes to Senator Kempthorne as he leaves
Washington to return to his home in Idaho, and the best of
luck in all that he does in the years to come.
---
FAREWELL ADDRESS OF SENATOR DIRK KEMPTHORNE
Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I appreciate you
presiding as you do in such a class fashion. I would like
to make a few comments here. I have been touched and
impressed by the fact of colleagues coming to the floor
and paying tribute to those Members who are departing. I
have listened because, as one of those Members who are
departing, I know personally how much it means to hear
those kind comments that are made.
Senator Ford, who just spoke, is leaving after a very
illustrious career. I remember when the Republican Party
took over the majority 4 years ago and I was new to the
position of Presiding Officer, it was not unusual for
Wendell Ford, who knows many of the ropes around here, to
come and pull me aside and give me a few of the tips of
how I could be effective as a Presiding Officer. I think
probably one of the highest tributes you can pay to an
individual is the fact that you see their family and the
success they have had. I remember when Wendell Ford's
grandson, Clay, was a page here. I think Clay is probably
one of the greatest tributes paid to a grandfather.
Dale Bumpers, often mentioned here on the floor about
his great sense of humor, is an outstanding gentlemen. He
is someone whom I remember before I ever became involved
in politics. I watched him as a Governor of Arkansas and
thought, there is a man who has great integrity, someone
you can look up to. And then to have the opportunity to
serve with him has been a great honor.
John Glenn. Whenever any of the astronauts--the original
seven--would blast off into space, my mother would get all
the boys up so we could watch them. I remember when John
Glenn blasted off into space. Again, the idea that somehow
a kid would end up here and would serve with John Glenn is
just something I never could dream of at the time. In
fact, John Glenn became a partner in our efforts to stop
unfunded Federal mandates. You could not ask for a better
partner.
Speaking of partners, he could not have a better partner
than Annie. I had the great joy of traveling with them
approximately a year ago when we went to Asia. That is
when you get to know these people as couples. I remember
that we happened to be flying over an ocean when it was
the Marine Corps' birthday. On the airplane we had a cake
and brought it out, to the surprise of John Glenn. But you
could see the emotion in his eyes. I know the Presiding
Officer is a former U.S. Marine, so he knows what we are
talking about.
Dan Coats. There is no more genuine a person than Dan--
not only in the Senate but on the face of the Earth. He is
a man of great sincerity, a man who can articulate his
position so extremely well. He is a man who, when you look
into his eyes, you know he is listening to you and he is
going to do right by you and by the people of his State of
Indiana, and he has done right by the people of the United
States. He is a man who has great faith, a man to whom I
think a number of us have looked for guidance.
When you look at the Senate through the eyes of a
camera, you see just one dimension. But on the floor of
the Senate we are just people. A lot of times we don't get
home to our wives and kids and sometimes to the ball games
or back-to-school nights. There are times when some of the
issues don't go as we would like, and it gets tough. At
these times, we hurt. There are people like Dan Coats to
whom you can turn, who has said, ``Buddy, I have been
there and I am with you now.'' So, again, he is an
outstanding individual.
Also, Mr. President, I have been really fortunate with
the quality of the staff I have had here in the U.S.
Senate during the 6 years I have been here. As I have
listened so many times to the Senate clerk call the roll
of those Senators, they have answered that roll. I would
like to just acknowledge this roll of those staff members
whom I have had. This is probably the first and only time
their names will be called in this august Chamber:
Cindy Agidius, Marcia Bain, Jeremy Chou, Camy Mills Cox,
Laurette Davies, Michelle Dunn, Becky English, Gretchen
Estess, Ryan Fitzgerald, Lance Giles.
Charles Grant, Ernie Guerra, Julie Harwood, Laura
Hyneman, Meg Hunt, Catherine Josling, Ann Klee, Amy
Manwaring, John McGee, Liz Mitchell.
Heather Muchow, Jay Parkinson, Phil Reberger, Rachel
Riggs, Shawna Seiber Ward, Orrie Sinclair, Mark Snider,
Glen Tait, Jim Tate, Kelly Teske.
Salle Uberuaga, Jennifer Wallace, Brian Whitlock,
Suzanne Bacon, Becky Bale, Stan Clark, Tom Dayley, Tyler
Dougherty, Carolyn Durant, George Enneking.
Buzz Fawcett, Margo Gaetz, Erin Givens, Jim Grant, Wendy
Guisto, Jennifer Hayes, Al Henderson, Heather Irby, Steve
Judy, Jeff Loveng.
Brian McCormack, Darrell McRoberts, Peter Moloney, Scott
Muchow, Dan Ramirez, Dixie Richardson, Stephanie Schisler,
Carrie Stach, Gary Smith, Michael Stinson, Sally
Taniguchi, Julie Tensen, Mitchell Toryanski, Brian
Waidmann, Vaughn Ward.
That is a lot of staff. But over 6 years, some of those
have come and gone.
I have also received valuable assistance from interns
who have worked in my State and Washington offices. I ask
unanimous consent that the following list of interns for
the past 6 years be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the list was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
interns
Angie Adams, Tara Anderson, Jennifer Beck, Matthew
Blackburn, Emily Burton, Emilie Caron, Michelle Crapo,
Matt Freeman, Amy Hall, Rick Hansen.
Michelle Hyde, Paul Jackson, Beth Ann Kerrick, Heather
Lauer, Jennifer Ludders, Karen Marchant, Kendal McDevitt,
Jan Nielsen, Bryan James Palmer, Tracy Pellechi.
Tyler Prout, James Rolig, Dallas Scholes, Robin Staker,
Meghan Sullivan, Omar Valverde, Franciose Whitlock, James
Williams, Curt Wozniak, Tim Young.
Kim Albers, Chris Bailey, Kevin Belew, David Booth, Matt
Campbell, Stephen Cataldo, Pandi Ellison, Andrew
Grutkowski, Chad Hansen, Sarah Heckel.
Laura Hyneman, Michael Jordan, Lisa Lance, Keith
Lonergan, Lori Manzaneres, Wade Miller, Kate Montgomery,
Rocky Owens, Kurt Pipal, Alan Poff.
Nichole Reinke, Don Schanz, Nathan Sierra, Jacob Steele,
David Thomas, Curtis Wheeler, Brian Williams, Angie
Willie, Darryl Wrights.
Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, this will probably be the
last time officially on this floor as a U.S. Senator that
I look at the faces of these people that you and I have
worked with--the clerks, and Parliamentarians, the staff.
It is family. The young pages that we see here with that
sparkle in their eye and the enthusiasm that they have for
this process--it is fun to talk to you and to see your
sense of enthusiasm for this. As I said, you are going to
have a sense of the U.S. Senate like few citizens, because
you have been here, you have experienced it, and you have
been up close in person.
But to those of you that I see now as I look to the
desk, those who have sat in your places that I have worked
with through these years, I thank you. America is well
served by you, by your professionalism and your
dedication.
So I thank you. I thank the Cloakroom again; all of the
family; the staff, from the police officers and the
waiters and waitresses, and the folks who make this place
work; the Senate Chaplain; and, Mr. President, again I
thank you for your courtesy, and I bid you farewell.
---
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF INDIVIDUAL SENATE DOCUMENTS
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as individual Senate documents a
compilation of materials from the Congressional Record in
tribute to Senators Dan Coats of Indiana, Dirk Kempthorne
of Idaho, Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, Wendell Ford of
Kentucky, and John Glenn of Ohio.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Craig). Without objection, it
is so ordered.
Mr. LOTT. These clearly are five great Senators who have
served their States and their country so well. And I am
sure they will continue to do so, albeit in a different
arena. Of course, I have said here, Dan Coats has been one
of my closest friends for the past 20 years. I will miss
him here but I will be with him in other areas.
And, of course, John Glenn makes history once again
flying off into space. And many Senators and their spouses
will be there to see that event.
ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS
[From the Spokesman-Review, May 22, 1998]
Senator Wants To Come Home; Kempthorne Stands by Record in
Governor Quest
(By Betsy Z. Russell)
Dirk Kempthorne bristles a little when he's criticized
as too careful, too cautious to take a stand.
``What's most important are the results,'' he said,
ticking off his successes in the U.S. Senate on unfunded
mandates, safe drinking water, and highway funding. ``I
think both as mayor of Boise and as a U.S. Senator, I have
provided Idahoans with the results they have hoped for.
``I think they will appreciate someone who will take the
job seriously enough to carefully examine the issue.''
Kempthorne was such a popular mayor in Idaho's capital
city that when he ran for a second term, no one ran
against him--unheard of in Boise city politics. With quiet
consensus-building, he had melted away the lines dividing
angry factions that had clashed over how to redevelop the
city's downtown and attract new retailers.
While in the Senate, he tried that approach to come up
with compromise legislation to reform the Endangered
Species Act, but hasn't found an answer that works for all
sides. He's also expressed frustration with the glacial
pace of progress in Washington, DC. It was much different
from the rollicking change of course he presided over in
Boise.
Now Kempthorne has given up an easy shot at a second
term in the Senate to run for Governor of Idaho. He faces
Lewiston property manager David Shepherd in Tuesday's
Republican primary election.
Kempthorne said if he's elected, he'll be a ``hands-on''
Governor. He'd be ``very visible in the conduct of the
affairs of State government, and not just in Boise.''
The chance to get out around the State and really be
involved in making things happen is exciting to
Kempthorne, particularly after the plodding decorum of the
Senate.
``I'll be very inclusive, by asking citizens to be
involved like they've never been involved before,'' he
said. ``I am convinced of the significant talent of the
people of Idaho.''
Kempthorne was born in San Diego, but grew up in
Spokane. He has happy memories of sledding and ice skating
in winter, and watching the seasons change. But when he
was in the fourth grade, his family moved to San
Bernardino, CA, where Kempthorne said he never felt at
home.
Nevertheless, he won his first political office: Ninth
grade president. By his senior year of high school, he was
student body president. He also started his own business,
selling produce in city neighborhoods from a green-painted
converted mail truck.
As soon as he could, Kempthorne returned to the Inland
Northwest, enrolling at the University of Idaho with the
hope of becoming a doctor. But that transformed into a
political science major. After college, Kempthorne went to
work at the Idaho Department of Lands.
A few years later, he was lobbying as head of the Idaho
Homebuilders and, later, on behalf of FMC Corp. He also
took on his first formal political role: campaign manager
for Phil Batt's unsuccessful 1982 run for Governor.
Now, Batt is the retiring Governor, and he's made no
secret of his pleasure that the polished, blue-eyed, 46-
year-old Kempthorne is among those vying to succeed him.
``We all have different management styles and
personalities,'' Kempthorne said, ''but there's a great
deal I can draw on, initiatives he's started that I think
ought to continue.''
He's pledging to continue Batt's Hispanic Initiative,
which works toward improving economic opportunities for
Idaho's largest minority, and Batt's regular meetings with
Idaho's Indian tribes. Batt has been praised by tribal
leaders for bringing a new high to State-tribal relations.
``If I have the honor of being elected, I would fully
intend to continue that,'' Kempthorne said.
Kempthorne has taken a few baby steps out onto a limb
this year by proposing to lower the supermajority
requirement for school bond elections from two-thirds to
60 percent. He wants that change only for votes in
statewide elections.
The idea hasn't been welcomed by some leading
Republicans, who like the stricter safeguard against
property tax increases. Kempthorne said he thinks it would
be an important step toward dealing with Idaho's
difficulties in providing adequate school buildings for
children.
But Kempthorne isn't signing on to any of the proposals
made in recent years to commit the State to sharing in the
costs of building schools.
``The responsibility must be at the local level for the
funding of the bricks and mortar for our schools. It goes
hand in hand with the opportunity for them to determine
how the children in those communities are raised, the
responsibility of the local school board, the involvement
of the parents.''
Kempthorne doesn't want any new ``State entitlement'' or
expectation that the State will come up with funds for any
new school building. But he leaves the door open for some
kind of program to help economically disadvantaged
districts that are having trouble getting schools built.
Kempthorne also said he'd like to follow Batt's welfare
reform model--which involved a citizen task force and
hearings around the State on recommended changes--to come
up with ways to make sure Idahoans can afford health care.
``That's a very important issue,'' he said.
He also hopes to work with anti-abortion groups to
develop legislation requiring parental consent for minors'
abortions. ``From this last session, the unfinished
business would be the parental consent, which I do believe
and support,'' he said.
Kempthorne said he thinks ``we can coolly and calmly
determine the right language'' to do that.
``This is an important issue, I think we can resolve it,
but it is not the only issue. There are a variety of
things that are going to be requiring vigorous effort by
everyone involved in government and citizen input.''
---
[From the Spokesman-Review, October 20, 1998]
Quiet Ambition; From Boise to Washington, DC, Dirk
Kempthorne's Easygoing Style Has Served Him Well in
Political Contests
(By Betsy Z. Russell)
Two young men from Idaho stood in front of the White
House, gawked at the sights and imagined themselves making
things happen there.
``You know how kids dream?'' said Greg Casey. ``We were
young men, posing for a picture in front of the White
House, talking about how someday we'd like to be in the
business of helping to make good government.''
Nearly two decades later, Casey is sergeant-at-arms of
the U.S. Senate. The other man, Dirk Kempthorne, is
leaving the Senate to run for Governor of Idaho. As a
Senator, Kempthorne was considered a possible vice
presidential candidate, and some of his fans think he'll
run for president someday.
Kempthorne doesn't talk so big. He's made a mark as a
politician whose quiet ambition, patient listening, and
strong personal appeal have propelled him to success at
everything from ninth grade president to University of
Idaho student body president, Boise mayor to U.S. Senate.
If Kempthorne is elected Governor, and he's strongly
favored, he could serve two terms and still be just 54
years old. He'd be in prime position to continue his
political career.
He says only that he ``could take a look at any variety
of options,'' from private-sector work to teaching.
It was as a college student that Kempthorne came to
Idaho. Born in San Diego, he'd spent much of his childhood
in Spokane.
He was a politically aware third-grader who backed
Richard Nixon for President in 1960, and liked to take the
bus to meet his mom when she got off work at her
secretarial job.
When Kempthorne was in the fourth grade, his father
bought a hospital-supply and home-care business in San
Bernardino, CA. Kempthorne missed the Inland Northwest,
and returned for college at the University of Idaho.
He already had two political victories under his belt.
There was the ninth grade class presidency. And he won his
high school student body presidency, even though he wasn't
part of the group at the top of the school's social
hierarchy.
That kind of personal persuasion was Kempthorne's style.
He even used it when he worked his way up, as a teenager,
from hospital janitor to surgical orderly to scrub-tech,
which was the height of achievement for teens working at
his local hospital.
He figured on being a doctor when he headed to college,
but politics beckoned instead.
Although he wasn't well-known on campus, Kempthorne
campaigned persistently and won a four-way race to become
UI student body president his senior year.
``I knew that he was politically ambitious from the very
beginning, because he told me he wanted to be the Governor
that summer, right after graduation,'' recalled John
Andreason. Andreason, the State's legislative budget
director, first met Kempthorne when he was a student
lobbyist.
Kempthorne met blond, popular Patricia Merrill at the
University, but the two didn't start dating until after
both had graduated and moved to Boise. They returned to
Moscow to be married atop Moscow Mountain at sunrise.
``I don't know, I don't think there's a more beautiful
cathedral than the outdoors, under that canopy,''
Kempthorne said.
At his Senate office, behind his desk, hangs a large oil
painting of the Palouse, showing the view from the
mountaintop wedding site.
Kempthorne's first job out of college was for the State
Department of Lands, where he was impressed by the late
director, Gordon Trombley.
Kempthorne called Trombley ``as fine a public servant as
you would find.''
Particularly impressive to him was the surprising
discovery that behind closed doors with the agency's top
brass, Trombley sounded just the same as he did when
talking to the public. ``His tone was always one of a
gentleman and a servant--a great role model.''
Kempthorne moved next into the private sector, serving
as executive director and lobbyist for a homebuilders
association.
The reputation he polished as a lobbyist, supplemented
by volunteer work on the campaigns of such Republican
politicians as Steve Symms and Larry Craig, got around.
When then-Lieutenant Governor Phil Batt was looking for a
campaign manager for his run for Governor in 1982, several
people recommended Kempthorne.
``I said I'd be honored,'' Kempthorne said. ``I didn't
want to let Phil Batt down.''
That turned out to be the only election Batt ever lost,
but Batt, who now is Idaho's retiring Governor, has no
regrets.
``Dirk Kempthorne was obviously a highly intelligent and
well-organized person,'' Batt recalled. ``He worked night
and day, and we did our best to win--almost did.''
After the campaign, Kempthorne went back into lobbying,
signing on with FMC Corp. to start a new government
affairs office in Boise.
From his downtown office in the old Hotel Boise,
Kempthorne regularly had to walk through the wreckage of
what once had been Boise's thriving downtown.
``We had a wonderful community, but * * * for too many
years it wasn't reaching its potential.''
Whole blocks of downtown had been leveled nearly two
decades earlier for a planned shopping mall that never
materialized. City officials who clung to the plan forbade
any large mall from being built unless it was downtown,
and the city ended up with neither downtown nor mall.
The job of Boise mayor was seen as a political dead end,
but Casey and then-Congressman Larry Craig thought that
was about to change.
``Larry and I had sort of thought about what a mayoral
campaign could be run like in the new era,'' Casey said.
``We thought, hey, Dirk!''
At the annual Western Idaho Fair, Casey and Craig got a
few buttons made up saying ``Kempthorne for Mayor,'' and
then wore them to visit Kempthorne.
``Boise needed a real uplift, really needed a mayor with
some vision and charisma,'' said Casey, who then was
Craig's chief of staff.
Kempthorne ran and won, and presided over the end of the
downtown deadlock. Boise now has a large shopping mall at
the end of a new cross-town freeway, and downtown is
filled with office buildings, shops, restaurants, and a
convention center.
Said Kempthorne, ``The first key was building
relationships, not bricks and mortar, because that town
was divided.''
Kempthorne became one of Boise's most popular mayors,
running unopposed for his second term. Then he took on a
tough contest for U.S. Senate, facing sitting Congressman
Richard Stallings. The young, polished Kempthorne defeated
the older politician and went to Washington.
There, he pushed his ``crazy idea of stopping unfunded
mandates''--a chief complaint of mayors across the
country. The idea is that the Federal Government shouldn't
require local governments to do something unless it
provides the money to do it.
The bill not only passed, it became a celebrated cause.
Bob Dole, then Senate majority leader, made the bill
Senate Bill No. 1, and it was passed and signed into law.
Kempthorne was particularly proud that at the Rose
Garden signing ceremony, his wife and two children sat in
the front row. ``I could tell * * * that they were proud
of what we'd done.''
Boise State University political scientist Jim Weatherby
said Kempthorne's record of successfully enacting major
legislation is unusual for a first-term Senator. In
addition to the unfunded mandates law, he pushed through
amendments to safe drinking water laws and worked for a
compromise on reform of the Endangered Species Act.
Kempthorne is popular in the Senate, largely because of
the way he deals with people.
Casey recalls a time when a tourist suffered a sudden
heart problem. Kempthorne took off his coat and folded it
into a pillow, helped the man lie down and took his pulse
while waiting for doctors to arrive.
``My elevator operators say, `Ya' know, Greg, he is the
nicest Senator we ever had here.' He knows their names.''
Kempthorne's critics say he relies on personal charm and
vague generalities to win political success. The Lewiston
Tribune recently accused him of running for ``student body
president of Idaho,'' and former longtime Coeur d'Alene
Senator Mary Lou Reed said, ``Voters don't know what
they're getting.''
Weatherby said Kempthorne's advocacy of lowering the
school bond supermajority last spring upset some
Republican party faithful, ``and we haven't heard much of
his specific stands on issues since.''
``Kempthorne is in a position to state general
principles and not offend or alienate any of his
supporters,'' Weatherby said. The risk is that he'll end
up with ``little to say about why he was elected, or that
he has a mandate to govern in certain areas.''
Political observers say Kempthorne has a knack for
conversing one-on-one with people, making them feel as if
they matter. His preference for listening to people's
views before he makes his decisions sometimes makes him
appear indecisive or overly careful.
Kempthorne said he doesn't think Idahoans see him that
way. ``I think they will appreciate someone who will take
the job seriously enough to carefully examine the issue,''
he said. ``What's most important are the results.''
Casey said Kempthorne's style is sincere. ``The reason
people say they think he's listening is because he is.''
``I don't think he could have done anything else in
life, he's always going to be a leader,'' Casey said.
``And in our society, leaders hold public office.''