[Senate Document 105-35]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
105th Congress, 2nd Session - - - - - - - - - - Senate Document 105-35
Dan Coats
U.S. SENATOR FROM INDIANA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
S. Doc. 105-35
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Dan Coats
United States Congressman
1980-1988
United States Senator
1988-1998
---
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.................. 13
Boxer, Barbara, of California.................. 33
Burns, Conrad R., of Montana................... 15
Daschle, Thomas A., of South Dakota............ 20
Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut........... 6
Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota.............. 6
Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin............. 26
Ford, Wendell H., of Kentucky.................. 18
Gorton, Slade, of Washington................... 24
Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................ 11
Jeffords, James M., of Vermont................. 4
Kempthorne, Dirk, of Idaho..................... 17
Lautenberg, Frank R., of New Jersey............ 14
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont.................. 10
Levin, Carl, of Michigan..................... 1, 13
Lieberman, Joseph I, of Connecticut............ 1
Lott, Trent, of Mississippi................. 10, 28
Lugar, Richard D., of Indiana.................. 9
Nickles, Don, of Oklahoma...................... 7
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama..................... 26
Thurmond, Strom, of South Carolina........... 1, 12
Warner, John W., of Virginia................... 3
Farewell address of Senator Dan Coats.............. 33
Order for printing of individual Senate documents.. 39
Proceedings in the House:
Goodling, William F., of Pennsylvania.......... 41
Newspaper Articles and Editorials:
Seniority Bites, Roll Call......................... 45
An Urban Agenda, Indianapolis Star................. 46
Retiring Coats Comfortable Leaving Senate For
Sidelines, Indianapolis Star..................... 47
Coats is Hero to Man He Helped Like Brother,
Indianapolis Star................................ 48
Coats Bids Farewell to Life in the Senate,
Indianapolis Star................................ 50
Untitled article, Associated Press................. 51
Dan Coats Stuck To His Principles, Indianapolis
Star............................................. 52
Indiana's GOP Senator is Cashing Out of Political
Game, Chicago Tribune............................ 53
BIOGRAPHY
Hoosiers elected one of America's leading champions of
the family, U.S. Senator Dan Coats, to a 6-year term in
the U.S. Senate in November, 1992.
In the Senate, Coats has been committed to strengthening
families, building an effective national defense and
fighting for Indiana. Coats has received national
attention and recognition as the author and champion of
``The Project for American Renewal.'' The ``Project'' is a
major conservative social policy initiative that stresses
compassion by shifting power, money, and influence out of
Washington back to families, grassroots community
organizations, and private and religious charities.
A member of three of the Senate's most influential
Committees--Armed Services, Intelligence, and Labor and
Human Resources--Coats is active in shaping America's
defense, health care and education policies. Coats chairs
the Armed Services AirLand Subcommittee as well as the
Labor subcommittee on Children and Families, giving him an
instrumental role in policy formation.
In his duties on the Armed Services Committee, Coats
plays a key role in ensuring that in a changing world,
America stays strong and our service men and women remain
the best equipped and best trained in the world.
Through his role on the Intelligence Committee, which
oversees the Central Intelligence Agency, Coats reviews a
variety of national defense and international issues.
Coats also has leadership responsibilities by serving as
the Senate's Republic Midwest Regional Whip.
Coats, who the Washington Times has called ``a player, a
thinking man's conservative,'' is a leading advocate of
several congressional measures of importance to Hoosiers
and all Americans.
Coats was a key leader for the Presidential line-item
veto, now signed into law, which allows the President to
eliminate unnecessary pork-barrel spending from the
Federal budget.
Since 1989, Coats has fought for Indiana as the key
Senate champion to give States the right to refuse out-of-
state garbage. Thanks to Coats' persistent efforts, the
bill passed the Senate in 1995. Coats also is a strong
advocate of a constitutional amendment to require a
balanced Federal budget.
Coats' record of achievement began early. After
graduating from Wheaton College, he served for 2 years
with the U.S. Army. Coats then worked full-time as a legal
intern while attending Indiana University School of Law at
night and serving as Associate Editor of the Law Review.
Graduating Cum Laude, he then began his career as an
attorney in Fort Wayne.
Coats served as then-Congressman Dan Quayle's District
Director and was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1980,
serving Indiana's Fourth District from 1981-1988.
Following appointment to the Senate by former Governor
Robert Orr in December, 1988, Coats won election to
complete his appointed term in November 1990, by the
largest margin of any appointed Senator in Indiana
history.
Senator Coats married the former Marcia Crawford in
1965. The Coats have three children and two grandchildren.
TRIBUTES
to
DAN COATS
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.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to commend the able
Senator from Indiana. First, he has delivered a
magnificent address on the importance of the Armed
Services Committee work and defense in general.
Next, I want to commend him for the long, faithful
service he has rendered to this committee. I don't know of
any member of the committee that has worked harder and has
stood stronger for defense and has been more knowledgeable
in accomplishing what we have been able to do than the
able Senator from Indiana. He is truly an expert on armed
services matters. I wish him well in all that he does in
the future.
I regret that he has seen fit not to run again. We will
miss him here. A vacuum will be created. It will be hard
to fill. He is such a fine man, such a knowledgeable man,
and such a dedicated man. I want him to know that our
country appreciates what he has done.
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise today in support of
the fiscal year 1999 defense authorization bill.
I do want to add my own voice to those who have offered
thanks and praise to the leadership of our committee, the
distinguished chairman, the Senator from South Carolina,
the Senator from Michigan, who have worked together as
chairman and ranking member to do exactly what Senator
Coats said earlier, which is to build a strong,
bipartisan--in many ways, nonpartisan--effort to meet the
defense national security needs of our country.
We used to say, and sometimes we are still able to, that
partisanship stops at the Nation's borders, at the water's
edge, when we enter foreign policy, defense policy. It
could also be said in good measure that partisanship stops
when we enter the rooms of the Senate Armed Services
Committee. I thank the leadership of this committee for
making that possible.
I want to pay particular tribute to Senator Thurmond,
who is an American institution, a figure that looms large
in our history, who, as we all know from personal service
with him, manages to do what they used to say only about
wine, which is that he gets better as he adds years. He is
not only informed and experienced and committed; the truth
is, he is a great patriot. In so many ways that will never
be visible, his leadership has strengthened the security
of the United States of America in the world. It has been
a great honor to get to know him at this stage of his
career, to work with him, particularly on the Armed
Services Committee, to thank him on this historic occasion
as he manages the last of these armed services bills
through the Senate. The Nation is in his debt, deep debt.
I think all of us who have served with him are very proud
that we have.
This is a person who, in the hurly burly and sometimes
mean-spirited world of politics, never seems to have
anything but a positive word to say--certainly, toward his
colleagues. In addition to all of the substance that I
have talked about, that notion of spirit is one that I
deeply appreciate.
Mr. President, while we are talking about members of the
committee, I do want to thank Senator Coats, the Senator
from Indiana, for the remarkable statement he has just
made--eloquent, thoughtful, informed. He has made a
tremendous contribution on this committee. It has been a
real pleasure to work with him on a host of issues. In our
case, it almost seems that I don't have to say ``across
party lines,'' because we never thought about that; we
were focused on common interests.
We got interested in this business of the military
transformation when we were both invited, on the same day,
to a day-long seminar that a think tank in town was
holding on national security. We spoke at different times
during the day. We had not talked to each other about the
fact that we were on the same program, and we both
essentially gave the same speech about the challenges
facing our military--that in a world where we have faced a
remarkable range of challenges, post-cold war revolution,
technology, and fiscal resources constraint we had to
begin to think about how to stay with it and produce the
most cost-effective defense we could. From that
coincidence, we began to work together on some of the
elements of this authorization bill that Senator Coats has
spoken of and which I will get back to in a moment. I
wanted to thank him, while he was on the floor, for his
tremendous contributions, and in a personal way, thank him
for the partnership that we have had, which has also
become a friendship. I hate to see him leave; I am going
to miss him, and the Senate will miss him. I know that
wherever he is, by his nature, he will be involved in
public service. I wish him Godspeed in that work.
Wednesday, June 24, 1998.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute
to a colleague who serves with me on the Senate Committee
on Labor and Human Resources and on the Armed Services
Committee. This morning, at the Labor Committee's mark-up
of S. 2206, the Human Services Reauthorization Act of
1998, I offered an amendment to rename the legislation
after the author of the bill, Senator Dan Coats of
Indiana, which the Committee approved unanimously. As you
know, Senator Coats will retire at the end of this
Congress after serving in the Senate since 1988. Senator
Kennedy, Senator Dodd, and Senator Jeffords, chairman of
the committee, joined me in offering the amendment.
Senator Jeffords renamed the legislation the ``COATS''
Act--the Community Opportunities, Accountability,
Training, (and Education) Services Act. S. 2206
reauthorizes and makes improvements to the Head Start
program, the Community Services Block Grant program, the
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program, and it creates
the new Assets for Independence Act.
In the past, legislation has often been identified by
``legislative shorthand''--identifying legislation by the
author instead of by the title. This began in the late
nineteenth century with tariff bills named after either
the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or the
chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, or
whichever body would report and pass the legislation
first. One example is the 1890 McKinley Tariff
legislation, named after Congressman William McKinley,
then-chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and
later President of the United States.
In the twentieth century, naming legislation after a
Senator became more commonplace and lent legislative
standing and prestige to both the bill and to its author.
For instance, in 1935, the Wagner Labor Act was named
after Senator Robert Wagner from New York. Another Labor
bill in 1947, the Taft-Hartley Act, was named after
Senator Robert Taft from Ohio.
Today, however, it is not as easy or as common to have a
Senator's name formally placed on a bill. Only in cases of
special recognition for service, or to honor an
accomplishment is this done. Throughout his Senate career,
Senator Coats has been recognized and identified as a
leader on issues dealing with children and families. It is
an honor for me along with Senator Kennedy, Senator
Jeffords, and Senator Dodd to suggest renaming S. 2206 the
COATS Act, and I am pleased the Labor Committee
unanimously agreed. I cannot think of a finer Senator to
name this legislation after than Dan Coats of Indiana who
has worked so tirelessly on these issues.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, as chairman of the Senate
Labor and Human Resources Committee, it is my pleasure to
come to the floor of the Senate today to inform my
colleagues of something very special that happened this
morning during the committee's mark-up of S. 2206, the
Human Services Reauthorization Act.
The Human Services Act, as many of my colleagues know,
authorizes a number of important programs, such as Head
Start and the various activities under the Community
Services Block Grant that provide services to families and
communities in need. For the past 30 years, the State,
local, and Federal Governments have worked jointly under
this program to help lift our most vulnerable citizens out
of poverty and into self-sufficiency--one of the most
noble goals of a responsible government. Moreover, the
programs in the Human Services Act has done this
effectively, and with widespread community involvement.
In the Labor and Human Resources Committee, the
Subcommittee on Children and Families--which is chaired by
our colleague, Senator Dan Coats of Indiana--has been
responsible for much of the heavy lifting that has to be
done as these programs make their way through our
committee for the fifth time in the last 20 years. The
Human Services Act is a large and very important Act, so
its reauthorization is never an easy process, especially
in a committee as diverse as ours. While broad bipartisan
support for the reauthorization bill is always a desirable
goal, it is never a given. And this year, Senator Coats
worked overtime to make sure that his bill would not only
responsibly reauthorize the Human Services Act, but would
also do so in a way which accommodated the concerns and
requests of Members on both sides of the aisle.
Consequently, the Labor and Human Resources Committee
approved the reauthorization of the Human Services Act by
a unanimous vote of 18 to 0.
But Mr. President, I am not here today to make my pitch
for the reauthorization of the Human Services Act--that
will come soon enough. Rather, I want to highlight Senator
Coats' hard work on this legislation. It is yet another
illustrative example of the years of service that Senator
Dan Coats has committed to strengthening families,
strengthening children, and strengthening communities. It
is typical of Senator Coats that he does so in a manner
that is always tenacious, but never brash. While he is
always accommodating, he never loses sight of the ultimate
goal of helping families and communities. And with his
quiet demeanor and a wit that I think sometimes surprises
even him, Senator Coats is always a pleasure to work with,
especially when it is for a common goal, as it was in this
morning's mark-up.
As we all know, Senator Coats has announced he will not
be returning to this body when his term expires at the end
of the 105th Congress. However, his departure does not
mean his voice on behalf of children and families will be
any quieter. Senator Coats will move into a new leadership
role as President of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the USA.
This is a program that I know is very near to Senator
Coats' heart, and the Senate's loss is clearly Big
Brothers/Big Sisters' gain.
In the Labor Committee, and in the Senate as a whole, we
will miss Dan Coats. We will miss his leadership, and we
will miss his friendship. When someone who is such a good
friend leaves, it is sometimes difficult to know just what
to give that friend of yours as a token of your affection.
Well, Mr. President, at this morning's mark-up of the
Human Services reauthorization, we gave it a try.
It is with real pleasure that I inform the Senate that
this morning the Labor and Human Resources Committee
unanimously agreed to name the 1998 reauthorization of the
Human Services Act as the ``Community Opportunities,
Accountability, Training and Educational Services Act,''
or, as we prefer to call it, the COATS Act. We did this in
recognition of all that Senator Coats has done not only on
this bill, but for children and families throughout his
career.
Mr. President, I know there will be more time later to
honor Senator Coats for all that he has done here in the
Senate. But sometimes time gets away from us and we never
let some of our colleagues know how much they mean to us.
The action by the Labor Committee this morning is a modest
gesture, but a sincere one. I think Senator Coats knows
that it is from all of our hearts. We shall miss you,
Senator.
Wednesday, October 7, 1998.
Mr. DODD. I commend my colleague from Indiana who is in
his closing days in this body, having made the decision
not to seek reelection. A lot of Members, as they wind
down, spend their last few days winding up work and not
being actively involved in the legislative process. It is
a tribute to Senator Coats that in his remaining days in
this body, he is still very active and involved in issues
he has cared deeply about. This is one such issue. I
commend him for this amendment. I think it is a very
creative way to advance this issue and provide some safety
for young people who are being exposed today to an
alarming amount of pornography on the Internet.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I will take 1 minute. I want
to use this unique opportunity to add my comments about
the Senator from Indiana. I have told people that I am
enormously proud to serve in this body. One of the major
reasons for that is the men and women with whom I serve,
both Republicans and Democrats, liberals and
conservatives, I think are the best men and women I have
been associated with in my entire life.
One of those is the Senator from Indiana. We became
acquainted in 1981 when we both were elected to the House
of Representatives in the same election, and although we
perhaps have agreed and disagreed many times on many
issues throughout the years, I have deep admiration for
Senator Coats and his family.
When he leaves the Senate, as is the case with so many
of our colleagues, the Senate will have lost a very
important contributor on a good many issues, this one most
notable. He has been persistent on this issue and, as the
Senator from Arizona just described, we have had hearings
in the Commerce Committee about this issue. It desperately
needs attention, desperately needs a solution, and the
Senator from Indiana has been a significant contributor in
that effort. I did not want to let this moment pass
without sharing my respect for Senator Coats.
Thursday, October 8, 1998.
Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I also wish to pay my
compliments and accolades to Senator Dan Coats of Indiana.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Dan Coats. He actually
was elected to the House of Representatives in 1980, the
same year I was elected to serve in the U.S. Senate. He
had something unusual happen.
When Dan Quayle was selected as Vice President and
elected in 1988, Dan Coats was appointed to take his place
in 1988.
That almost sounds like it was easy, but it turned out
he had to run for reelection in 1990; and he won. But that
was only for a partial term, and so he also had to run for
reelection in 1992. So he had the unenviable task of
having really challenging races both in 1990 and in 1992
for the U.S. Senate. He won both, and deservedly so,
because he has been an outstanding U.S. Senator.
I remember Dan Quayle telling me, ``You're really going
to like Dan Coats.'' Dan Quayle and I were good friends.
And Dan Coats and I have become very good friends. And he
was exactly right. Dan Coats and his wife, Marcia, his
family, are not only good friends of our family, but I
would say anybody serving in this body--anybody--whether
they be on the House side or the Senate side, cannot help
but like Dan and Marcia Coats. They are a couple--they are
a couple--in the greatest tradition of the Senate.
His wife Marcia has been active in the Senate wives'
groups and active with the prayer groups that many of our
wives are involved with. They go to functions together.
They are athletically involved. They both play tennis.
They both play golf. They both have a good time. They keep
their priorities straight. They both have a very strong
belief in God and in their families, and work comes down
somewhere below that.
He has done an outstanding job as a Senator for the
great State of Indiana. I would say he has done an
outstanding job as a Senator for all of us in America,
whether it be his work on the Armed Services Committee,
whether it be his tireless efforts on welfare reform in
the Labor Committee, his efforts to try to reduce poverty,
his efforts to alleviate suffering amongst kids.
Many of our colleagues are not aware of it, but he is
national president of the Big Brothers program, which
could probably be a full-time job for anybody, but he is
able to do that. He has been a Big Brother. He actually
was a Big Brother in a town for a youngster who did not
have a dad, did not have a mentor. Dan Coats became his
mentor--as a matter of fact, became his best man at his
wedding.
What a great compliment for an individual who, of
course, had unlimited demands on his time, was willing to
take time out and serve as a Big Brother to a youngster
who did not have a dad, and he did it for years.
Ultimately this young man became quite a success, a
success in his own right, and I think in large part
because of the time and attention and love that Dan Coats
gave to him. He selected Dan Coats as his best man at his
wedding, which is quite a compliment.
Dan Coats was recently selected as Christian Statesman
of the Year by a national organization. They had a big
banquet honoring him, and it was well deserved. I have the
pleasure of knowing Dan Coats in many respects. His belief
in God, it is sincere, it is real. He is the embodiment of
a Christian statesman. And so that award was well
deserved.
He has been leader, as many of us know, of the Senate
Prayer Breakfast that we have ongoing in the Senate that
goes back for years and years. He has been chairman or
president of that group for us for the last year or so and
has done a good job--done an outstanding job in every
respect.
So he is absolutely a dear friend, and I hate to see him
leave the Senate. He has served now in the Senate since
1988, so only for 10 years. But he also served 8 years in
the House, and before that he served a couple years in the
Army. So he has given a lot of years in public service,
and he deserves, I guess, a chance to do something else.
But I am confident--absolutely confident--that whatever
he does will be a great service to this country. He has
been a real blessing to this body. He and his wife have
been a real blessing to this country. And it is with great
regret that I see Dan Coats join the group of retiring
Senators. But I do wish every best wish to him and his
family, and I compliment them for their outstanding
service to their State, to their country, to God, and to
their family.
Friday, October 9, 1998.
Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I would like to take this
opportunity before the 105th Congress adjourns to honor
our distinguished colleague and my friend, Dan Coats, who
will be returning to private life at the end of this
Congress.
For the past 10 years it has been my privilege to join
with Senator Coats in serving the people of Indiana.
During that time, he has epitomized strong character and
devotion to public service.
Senator Coats has been a determined advocate for his
point of view, but also a good listener who has often
forged compromises that benefited our Nation. He has been
a work horse able to shoulder the daily burdens of a
thousand details, but also a thoughtful observer who sees
beyond the politics of the moment to provide perspective
on the direction of our country. And he has been an
effective defender of the interests of Indiana, while
always upholding his national responsibilities.
Dan Coats has applied his expertise and commitment to
many of the most critical areas of public policy. He has
become one of our foremost advocates for protecting
America's children and strengthening American families.
His knowledge of military issues and his leadership on the
Armed Forces Committee will be difficult to replace.
Of particular note is his Project for American Renewal,
because it speaks to both Dan's personal convictions and
his legislative innovation. With this project--a set of 19
legislative proposals--he has succeeded in articulating a
coherent philosophy of compassionate conservatism.
Senator Coats understands that the limits of government
do not limit our responsibilities to each other as
citizens of a great Nation. His project promotes
volunteerism, charitable giving, personal responsibility,
and the cohesiveness of communities. His proposal embodies
both Senator Coats' insightful reading of modern American
social conditions and his optimism for our future. I know
that Senator Coats will continue to be an eloquent
spokesman for the Project for American Renewal as he
returns to private life.
I am especially sad to see Senator Coats leave because
he has been an outstanding partner. Ever since he arrived
in the Senate in 1989, he and I have operated a unique
joint office arrangement in Indiana designed to maximize
our efforts on behalf of Hoosiers. By combining our
resources, we have been able to provide better service at
less expense to the citizens of Indiana.
Many Senate colleagues over the years have been
surprised when they learn that we share office space and
staffs in Indiana. They understand the daunting challenges
of combining the staffs of two independent-minded Senators
with distinct responsibilities and committee assignments.
But our Hoosier partnership has been strong and
supportive, for which I am deeply appreciative.
Senator Coats leaves the Senate after 10 years having
established a legion of friendships and a legacy of
achievement and integrity. The Senate will miss his
expertise, his hard work, his thoughtful reflection, and
his talent for innovation. I am confident that Dan will
continue to serve the public in the many challenges that
lie ahead of him. I wish Dan and Marcia Coats all the best
as they move on to these new adventures.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I wish to compliment the
distinguished senior Senator from Indiana for his parting
words about our colleague. I agree with him. It will come
as no surprise that there are those on this side of the
aisle, like myself, who also will miss Dan Coats and who
are most impressed by the way that he and his
distinguished colleague work together.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, while our colleagues express
their appreciation to our good friend from Indiana, I
would like to just say a few words about him and spread
those on the Record of the U.S. Senate.
We are all losing some good friends in the Senate
Chamber this year on both sides of the aisle, and we will
have a chance over the next few hours to talk about each
one of them. I want to say a few special words about my
good friend, Dan Coats.
Senator Dan Coats succeeded Senator Dan Quayle in the
Senate. He was a Member of the House, and he worked as a
staff member before that. I have actually known this
distinguished Senator from Indiana going back about 20
years now, as a staff member, which I was, as a
Congressman, and as a Senator. I have to say that I truly
believe that no man or woman who serves in the Senate
today has had a greater influence on my own life and on my
own career than Dan Coats from Indiana. He was always
there for me when I sought advice in the House. And every
time I have sought elective office in the Senate, he was
one of the nominators. I referred to him as my ``rabbit's
foot'' because he always said just the right things.
Whenever the going is the toughest, I know I can go to Dan
and seek good advice, and it will come from him. He is a
man that has his priorities in order--honesty, integrity,
family, and also those special things a lot of people
don't know about, such as his involvement in the Big
Brothers Program. One of the things he enjoyed the most,
which he didn't mention today, is that he served in the
House for quite some time as the ranking member on the
Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families. He
enjoyed that assignment. I always wanted to eliminate all
of the select committees. But for Dan and that committee,
they did a great service for the families and the children
of this country.
Dan is the kind of guy also who will run late to a
meeting with the archbishop and will stop and visit with a
homeless man on the street to try to talk to him about his
needs, and try to help him, try to get him to go to a
shelter. He is really a good human being.
He has been a valuable asset to the Senate when it came
to our services, when it came to working with any of us
who have problems here in the Senate.
So I am going to dearly miss him as a personal friend,
as a great Senator, a great family man. He and Marcia are
great people. In fact, I was sitting on my patio a couple
of weeks ago on Saturday, and I got to thinking about Dan
Coats. I got melancholy, and I got tears in my eyes. I
called him on a Saturday afternoon and said, ``You can't
leave. I can't go forward in the Senate without you.'' I
found out that he and Marcia had been playing tennis on a
nice clay tennis court instead of being out campaigning in
the backwoods somewhere. And, somehow or other, it seemed
OK.
He is leaving the Senate, but he is not leaving us. I
have a feeling that he is going to have a real influence
in many ways for the rest of his life, and he is going to
stay close to all of us.
So on a very personal basis on behalf of the Senate, I
wish you God's grace in everything you do, Dan Coats.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to add to the
wonderful words that were said about Senator Dan Coats by
our distinguished majority header. He has affected many of
us. I think by his example we have all been enriched in
this body, and in the U.S. Congress. We thank him very
much.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, there is perhaps no other
legislative body in the world that attracts a more
competent group of public servants than the U.S. Senate.
In the almost 45 years I have spent in this institution, I
have had the good fortune to serve with a number of very
capable, dedicated, and selfless individuals who have
worked hard to represent their constituents and do what is
best for the Nation. One person who is an excellent
example of the high caliber of person who is drawn to
public service is my good friend and colleague, Dan Coats.
The Midwest has the uncanny way of producing men and
women of imminent sense and decency, individuals who have
the ability to see to the heart of a matter and find a way
to resolve a problem. Such skill is extremely valuable in
the U.S. Senate, a body by its very design that is
supposed to foster compromise between legislators on
issues before the Nation. Without question, Dan Coats is a
Senator who worked hard to bring parties together, find
common ground, and to get legislation passed. That is
certainly a fine legacy with which to leave this
institution.
More than being an able legislator, Senator Coats
developed a strong expertise on defense matters,
particularly those related to his responsibilities as
Chairman of the Airland Subcommittee of the Committee on
the Armed Services. In this role, Senator Coats was
responsible for providing advice and helping shape policy
on matters related to how to describe what the threat and
future threats to our Nation are, how our military should
be structured in order to guarantee our security, and what
sort of ground and aviation assets our troops need in
order to do our jobs. Senator Coats had to be well versed
in everything from the GoreTex booties that go into the
boots of our soldiers to the advanced aerodynamical
concepts that are being used in the helicopters and jets
being developed for our forces. Few other individuals
could have mastered these disparate topics so well, and
that Senator Coats was able to do so, and make it look so
easy, is a testament to this man's intellect, dedication,
and ability.
Without question, we are going to miss the many
contributions of Senator Coats, both to the Committee and
to the full Senate. He had a wry sense of humor, a civil
demeanor, and a desire to serve our Nation. His departure
from the Senate is truly a loss, but I am confident that
he will continue to find a way to serve and to make a
difference. I will miss him, both as a friend and a
colleague, and I would like to take this opportunity to
wish both he and his lovely wife Marcia great success and
happiness in all his future endeavors.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the Congress ends,
Senator Dan Coats of Indiana will retire from the Senate.
Dan Coats and I have served together on the Armed Services
Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
On the Armed Services Committee, Dan Coats has served
ably as the Chairman of the Airland Forces Subcommittee.
He is a forceful proponent of a strong national defense
and has consistently supported efforts to assure that our
men and women in the military remain the best trained and
equipped in the world.
Although Dan Coats was one of the leading proponents in
the Senate of the version of the line-item veto which was
passed and signed into law, and I joined with Senators
Byrd and Moynihan in arguing in an amicus curiae brief to
the Supreme Court that that legislation was
unconstitutional, I greatly respected the diligence and
integrity with which he fought that battle.
My friend from Indiana and I have worked together for
several years to prevent our States and communities from
becoming dumping grounds for solid waste from other areas
of the country and outside the country. He has been a
persistent advocate of giving States and local governments
the power to stem the flow of garbage flooding into their
jurisdictions. I would like to thank him for all he has
done on this matter, hopefully paving the way to a
resolution which will give more power to the people whose
quality of life is being harmed by a free interstate flow
of trash.
Mr. President, Dan Coats' outstanding service as a U.S.
Senator came as no surprise to me or my constituents. He
was born and raised in Jackson, MI, and naturally this has
prepared him, like most Michiganders, to excel in life.
However, even though he has wandered off to Indiana, and
wandered even further into the GOP, I have enjoyed the
opportunities which I have had to work with Dan Coats and
will miss his friendship next year.
Mr. ABRAHAM. Before he leaves the floor, I would like to
pay tribute, as several of our colleagues have, to our
distinguished friend, the Senator from the State of
Indiana, Dan Coats.
Obviously, his career in the Senate is coming nearly to
the end here, but those of us who have had the chance to
serve with him and who are friends of his will miss him
greatly in this body.
When I came to the Senate 4 years ago, I thought about
the kinds of people whose advice and counsel I wanted to
have. And the first name on the list as I was planning my
first trip to the Senate after the election was Dan Coats.
From that point on, he has been a friend, a mentor,
somebody whose judgment and advice I have respected as
highly as anyone's in this Chamber.
He has served his State with great distinction, but
those of us who live in Michigan have a special fondness
for him because, of course, he is a native of our State.
He grew up in Jackson, MI, so although he represents
Indiana in the Senate, to many Michiganites and many of my
constituents when I am in the southern portion of my
State, they look at Dan Coats as their third Senator.
So he has not only been a great friend to Michigan as a
native but also as a Senator who has worked closely with
us. I wish to say to him before he leaves the floor how
much I value his friendship, how much I look forward to
working with him in the future on other causes, and how
much I hope that, at whatever point I bring my career in
the Senate to an end, I will be thought of even half as
fondly and with half as much respect as he has, because I
think all of us who serve here hold him in the very
highest of esteem.
Saturday, October 10, 1998.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to pay
tribute to the distinguished Senator from Indiana, Dan
Coats. While he has only been in the Senate 10 years, he
has made an important contribution. One example is the
work he put into developing the historic, bipartisan
Family and Medical Leave Act.
Mr. President, believe it or not, even though I am a
Democrat from the Northeast and Senator Coats is a
Republican from the Midwest, we have worked together on
legislation. Senator Coats has consistently fought to
improve the lives of our Nation's children. This
commitment led him to join me in support of the Juvenile
Mentoring Program--otherwise know as JUMP. This program
supports mentoring programs across the country, including
Big Brothers and Big Sisters. We have fought together for
funding and reauthorizing the program because we share the
belief that all children can succeed if we lend a helping
hand.
Senator Coats also became a leading expert in the Senate
on military issues as a member of the Armed Services
Committee. He also worked hard on education and poverty
legislation as a member of the Senate Labor and Human
Resources Committee.
Mr. President, during Senator Coats' tenure in the
Senate, we did have disagreements over policy issues. One
environmental issue consistently put the State of Indiana
at odds with the State of New Jersey. We always had a
vigorous debate when this issue came to the floor. Despite
our differences, he showed me great respect and courtesy
during these deliberations. I left these debates with a
great respect for his energy and determination to help his
State.
Mr. President, I wish Senator Coats, his wife Marcia,
and their children and grandchildren the very best for the
future.
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.
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 on
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.
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. 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
re-elected by even wider margins. And they all would have
been re-elected 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 re-elected 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.
Tuesday, October 13, 1998.
Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, at this desk on the floor of
the Senate, I am surrounded by Indiana--the senior Senator
from Indiana on my left, the junior Senator from Indiana
on my right. Together, they have come to reflect the
character of their sober, peaceful, and productive section
of middle America. So close are the two Senators to one
another, almost alone among Members of this body, they
share offices in the State of Indiana, they share a strong
and calm temperament, and they share a commitment to the
people they represent and to the people of the United
States.
When this Congress adjourns in a few short hours,
however, we will be losing one of those Senators, Dan
Coats. Dan Coats has grown in wisdom and in the respect
that his fellow Senators have for him in each of the 10
years during which he has served in the Senate--10 years
that seem to me, in retrospect, to be all too short. With
Dan Coats, what you see is what you get, a man who lives
and defends and projects solid American values, a love of
family, a love of country, a love of God, a man who works
hard, a man whose convictions are strong and unshakeable
but who combines with those convictions a willingness to
listen to views different from his own and to reach
accommodations on matters of policy when those
accommodations do not shake his solid philosophical
foundation.
During the course of his 10 years in the Senate, Dan
Coats has become a good friend. I do not believe I can say
that he is my closest friend in the Senate, nor I his. I
can say, however, that I will greatly miss his calm good
humor, his ability to get to the central point of any
debate over policy or political philosophy, his rich
dedication to the Constitution of the United States, to
this body, and to the friends he has made in this body.
We are only 100 men and women in the Senate, Mr.
President. We see a great deal of one another, and we see
ourselves and our colleagues under great stress and under
high pressures. As a consequence, it is very difficult for
any of us to hide the vital features of our character or
our personality from one another. Dan Coats, I must say,
has never attempted to hide anything about his character
or about his personality, and with me and with all of us
it has worn well. He is the kind of individual whom you
like and respect more and more with each passing day, and
it is for just that reason that even if this Congress ends
up by accomplishing many of the purposes that each of us
as individuals set out to accomplish at the beginning of
this Congress, we will still go home with an empty heart,
knowing that those of us who return in January will return
without the daily advice, counsel, and friendship of a
magnificent U.S. Senator, Dan Coats of Indiana.
Wednesday, October 14, 1998.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I want to offer my best
wishes to Senator Coats as he retires from the Senate this
year. I have enjoyed working with him in areas where we
agree, and I have always respected his viewpoint when we
have differed. He is a gentleman in the best tradition of
the Senate.
I have appreciated Senator Coats leadership in several
areas, including his commitment to the line-item veto,
which I agree can be a powerful tool against wasteful
spending. Senator Coats has also taken on the issue of
solid waste disposal, calling for more State discretion
over what types of waste are disposed of within individual
States. In Wisconsin, where we have a strong recycling
program and create less solid waste than many States, we
share Senator Coats' belief that States deserve to be
heard on this issue, and not be forced to accept unwelcome
garbage.
Senator Coats has also been a leader among the ``donor
States'' in ISTEA funding for a more equitable
distribution of highway funds, another issue of great
importance to Wisconsin, where we again appreciate his
commitment to fairness.
Senator Coats now voluntarily walks away from the
Senate, still a young man, with humility and dignity, sure
to find success in private life. As he leaves the Senate,
I thank him for his years of service in this body and in
the House of Representatives, and I wish him all the best
in his new endeavors.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, many have spoken more
eloquently than I of the contributions made to this body
and to this Nation by Dan Coats. I will not try to
describe his distinguished career or to list his
legislative achievements, but I will, once again, attempt
to review the qualities that have made Dan Coats special
to me and to so many others.
First, he is a man of faith who lives that faith and
allows it, shockingly to some, to actually affect how he
votes and how he does his job. He is fully apprised of all
the technical data and the Senate procedures required for
effective service in the Senate on the Armed Services
Committee and the Labor and Human Resources Committee. But
the strength of his service goes beyond technical skills--
Dan brings honesty, strong principle, and faith to every
issue he faces. He does not approach these issues in a
shallow or parochial fashion, but instead brings
perspective to these matters that only comes from faith.
Faith shapes what he does. It inspires others. It has
inspired me, an event for which I am most grateful. Dan
Coats is generous, kind, loving, and courteous. He is also
courageous. He cares about our Nation and he wants it to
achieve its highest and best goals. He knows that
coarseness, selfishness, dishonesty, and meanness must not
be our norm. So, while Dan tended to the daily duties of
the Senate, he always kept his eye on the permanent
things. Whether he was working quietly behind the scenes,
or passionately on the floor, Dan has sought to ensure
that our Nation's policies result not only in making us
stronger and richer, but also better. Dan knows, to the
depth of his being, that God desires goodness, humility,
honesty, and justice more than power, fame, and wealth.
Indeed, Dan has steadfastly and in a winsome manner,
worked, perhaps more than any other Senator, to cause the
Members of this body to think on these things. He has
encouraged us, as the prophet Habakkuk says, ``to walk on
my high places''. He has shown that one person can improve
the lives of others by articulating and living a message
of faith. That Dan is national president of the Big
Brothers organization is not surprising. He knows that
profound change comes one life at a time, not through the
expenditure of a few more governmental dollars. And,
though he has served in the most exemplary fashion as a
U.S. Senator, still, to paraphrase, nothing has so become
him as his manner of leaving. He, with grace and dignity,
has just walked away. Dan knows, he really knows, that
this great Senate, this earthy pit, too often leads us to
believe, by our own pride and self deception, that we
control our own destinies, the destinies of others, and
the destiny of the world. And, most importantly, he knows
that such pride is false. Dan knows that another power
controls this world, a power far beyond our imaginings.
While we have governmental duties to fulfill, we must also
listen to that still, small voice. It is not only
important to listen, but to obey. Dan does both. He has
just walked away from this Senate, and the wise think this
decision is foolish. But, as he leaves this body and
begins a new period in his life of obedience, none can
know precisely what the future will hold anymore than
Abraham did when he was called. But when he was called, he
went. As Dan Coats leaves this Senate, we are all saddened
because we love him, admire him, and because we will miss
his guidance. Certainly, he has loved us first and
uplifted this Senator and others with his example. With
grace and strength he has dropped the trappings of power
to serve in another way. His example, Mr. President, is
bright and pure. We watch with love and awe. Godspeed Dan
Coats.
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
forceful a 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.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I take this opportunity, on
our last day of session, to say farewell to my colleague,
Senator Dan Coats of Indiana. While we have disagreed on
many issues, I note that he was a supporter of one of the
most important legislative accomplishments of the past few
years--the Family and Medical Leave Act. He has also long
been a champion of government support for adoption, and
is, as am I, a strong advocate for after school, tutoring
and mentoring programs. Recently, he helped move through
the Congress the reauthorizing bill for ``Head Start'',
one of our most effective programs for disadvantaged
children.
Dan Coats is a long time member of the Big Brothers/Big
Sisters of America, and was recently elected president of
the organization. I know that he is looking forward to
devoting more time to his Big Brother responsibilities,
and I wish him all the best.
---
FAREWELL ADDRESS OF SENATOR DAN COATS
Mr. COATS. Mr. President, the end of the 105th Congress
marks the beginning of my transition from Senator to
citizen. This ends 24 years for me of public service: 2 in
the U.S. Army, 4 as a legislative assistant and district
director for then-Congressman Dan Quayle, and 18 in the
Congress. While I look forward to life after politics, I
know how much I will miss this place and its people, and
so I want to acknowledge some debts.
I want to acknowledge the privilege of serving under two
remarkable Republican leaders and one Democratic majority
leader, all of whom I hold a great deal of respect.
Senator Mitchell was majority leader when I arrived. He
gave me nothing but the utmost courtesy, fairness and
respect. I have a great deal of respect for him in the way
he conducted this Senate. Senator Dole became my friend
and mentor. His life is a tribute to a true patriot and to
someone whose commitment to public service, I think, is
nearly unequal. Our current leader, Senator Lott, is
someone who is a dear friend, someone who I greatly
respect, and I think certainly has a great future as
majority leader.
There are many others that have made a deep impression
on me and provided friendship and support in ways that I
will never be able to adequately acknowledge: The senior
Senator from Indiana, whose lifetime of public service
serves as a model to many; my staff, who have faithfully
and tirelessly served. I have always said good staff makes
for good Senators. I don't know if I fit the quality of a
good Senator, but I know I had a good staff. Any failings
on my part are not due to my staff, they are due to me.
They have been exceptional. I think they are the best
Senate staff assembled. I say that for the very few who
are left that have not secured employment. Some of you are
passing up great opportunities if you don't grab them.
I have had three very, very able administrative
assistants, chiefs of staff: David Hoppe, who now serves
as the floor's chief of staff and served with me for my
first 4 years; David Gribbin, who many of you know,
assistant secretary of staff for Dick Cheney for many,
many years in the House; and now Sharon Soderstrom. All
have been exceptional chiefs of staff. They have assembled
a wonderful staff.
The Senate support team: All those who man the desks and
work the cloakroom and make sure we vote on time; the
guards who protect us and make sure we are safe in our
jobs; the staff who serve us, and the people who make this
place work, they are a family. They have treated me like
part of the family. I have tried to treat them as part of
the family. They make it possible for us to do so many
things and they certainly deserve our acknowledgment.
Our Chaplain, who has meant so much to me from a
spiritual perspective, and my colleagues, my friends, who
I can't begin to thank; those who share my ideals and have
voted with me and those who don't but who have engaged in
respectful, meaningful dialog in debate, and who, at the
end of the debate, we have been able to meet at the center
aisle, shake hands, acknowledge, ``Well done, we will get
you next time,'' or ``See you at the next debate?''--all
of those mean a great deal to me. I come from here with
many, many memories.
I want to thank my wife for her love and support and
sacrifice. She is the best mother that any three children
could ever have had. She has been a father many times when
I haven't been there to do the job as a father. My
children have been patient and had stolen moments which I
will never be able to recover. I thank my colleagues, as I
said, those who have shared ideals and those who we had
honorable and honest disagreement. Finally, the people of
Indiana who have seen fit to elect me many times to the
Congress and twice to the Senate, thank you for giving me
a privilege beyond my ability to earn the privilege of
their trust, the honor of their votes.
In times of change you become reflective, and it is nice
to think about your accomplishments. It is also a time to
reflect on unfinished business, business that I hope will
help shape the direction of this Congress that some have
indicated an interest in, and hopefully others will pick
up that interest.
By constitutional design, the measure of success in the
Senate, I think, is different from other parts of
government. We are employed to take a longer view,
insulated from the rush of hours to see the needs of
future years. This is the theory. In practice, the pace of
politics makes this very different, very difficult. This
has been the greatest source of personal frustration
during my years in this institution, that we have not
spent nearly enough time dealing with the larger issues
that face us, things that will matter down the road,
topics that will be chapters in American history, not
footnotes in the congressional Record.
If you allow me the privilege, I will briefly mention
three of those matters that I trust will remain central to
the questions of our time.
All of you know of my interest in the issue of life. I
believe there is no higher call of government than to
protect the most defenseless among us. There is no greater
honor in this Senate than to use our voice to speak for
those who cannot speak for themselves. Perhaps uniquely
among our deliberations, the cause of life is informed and
ennobled by a simple truth: Humanity is not an
achievement. It is an endowment, and that that endowment
is made by a Creator who gives inalienable rights, first
among them the right to life. This is a founding principle
of our political tradition. It is the teaching of our
moral heritage. And it is the demand of our conscience.
Abraham Lincoln wrote of our Founders:
This was their majestic interpretation of the economy of
the universe. This was their lofty, and wise, and noble
understanding of the justice of the Creator to his
creatures. * * * In their enlightened belief, nothing
stamped with the divine image and likeness was sent into
the world to be trodden on. * * * They grasped not only
the whole race of man then living, but they reached
forward and seized upon the farthest posterity. They
erected a beacon to guide their children, and their
children's children, and the countless myriads who should
inhabit the Earth in other ages.
My question is: Will that beacon shine for all our
children, those born and yet to be born? Or will we, in
the name of personal liberty, stamp out the divine image
and likeness of the most defenseless of all? I believe it
is one of the central questions of our time.
I know we are divided on that issue. I hope, though,
that we would all put aside some of the harsh rhetoric and
continue to engage in the discussion about the meaning and
the value of life and what our duties and responsibilities
are to protect that life, to expand the ever-widening
circle of inclusion that our great democracy is known for:
bringing women, the defenseless, the handicapped, African-
Americans, and minorities within this circle of protection
in our democracy. And I believe--my personal view, and I
hope one we would certainly debate and discuss--that
extends to the unborn.
Second, another great issue that I believe demands our
continued attention is the long-term strength of our
Nation, the resource and planning that we devote to the
defense of liberty. Here we are, not weak as a Nation, but
I fear that we are on a trajectory toward weakness--that
our power and authority are being spent and not
accumulated.
It has been one of the highest callings and privileges
for this Senator to serve on the Senate Armed Services
Committee and to use that position to advance the cause of
our men and women in uniform. I deeply respect and honor
those who have served our Nation in war and peace as
watchmen on the wall of freedom, but the test of our
appreciation is measurable by the firmness of our
determination that their lives will not be needlessly
sacrificed because we have allowed the deterrent power of
America's military to decay. The history of this country
is a history of military victories, but it is also a
history of how our Nation often invited future conflict
and unnecessary loss of American life by too swiftly
disarming after our victories and squandering the
opportunities of peace.
In 1939, Army Chief of Staff, Malin Craig said:
What transpires on prospective battlefields is
influenced vitally years before in the councils of the
staff and in the legislative halls of Congress. Time is
the only thing that may be irrevocably lost, and it is the
first thing lost sight of in the seductive false security
of peaceful times.
Mr. President, I believe we have been living in peaceful
times. We have enjoyed prosperity and peace that is almost
unprecedented in America these past several years. I fear
that storm clouds are gathering, however, on America's
horizon, that the ``seductive false security of our
peaceful times'' is fast fading. We see a frightening
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We see
worldwide terrorism, much of it directed at Americans and
American interests. We see political instability and human
suffering, social disorder resulting from ethnic hatred,
power-hungry dictators, and the very real prospect of
global financial distress with all of its attendant
consequences. All of this, I believe, calls for eternal
vigilance, a national defense second to none, a military
equal to the threats of a new century.
We have a unique opportunity, I believe, and a strategic
pause that is fast fading to build a new military equal to
the new challenges and the new threats of the future.
Closer to home, it is my hope that the Senate, in every
future debate on social policy, will focus on the role of
families, churches and community institutions in meeting
human needs and touching human souls. This is a world of
heroic commitment and high standards and true compassion
that must be respected and fostered and protected, not
harassed or undermined by government or Hollywood. It is a
world of promise that I urge all of you to take the time
to discover.
I believe our Nation needs a bold, new definition of
compassion. We need compassion that shows good outcomes,
not just good intentions. We need to get rid of the
destructive welfare culture. We have taken a great step in
that direction, but we still need to fulfill our
responsibilities to the less fortunate and disadvantaged,
the children and the helpless. We need to abandon our
illusions about government bureaucracies, but we still
need to keep our human decency.
How is this possible? I am convinced there is a way--a
hopeful new direction for change, because there are people
and institutions in our society that can reach and change
these things. Families and neighborhoods, churches,
charities, and volunteer associations have the tools to
transform people's lives. They can demand individual
responsibility. They can practice tough love. They can
offer moral values and spiritual renewal--things that
government can't do, and we should not want government to
do.
I believe a bold, new definition of compassion will
adopt this bold dream: to break the monopoly of government
as a provider of compassion and return its resources to
individuals, churches, synagogues, charities, volunteer
associations, community organizations, and others. This, I
believe, is the next step of the welfare debate and the
next stage of reform, the next frontier of compassion in
America.
Before I close, let me add a personal note, and it is
difficult for me to say this. I have deliberated long on
whether I should say this. But I believe, since I am not
going to be here next year, this is something I would want
to have said. So allow me to briefly do that.
I resolved when I came here, like many of you, from the
moment I took the oath, that I would do my best not to do
anything to bring this body into disrepute, that I would
try not to tarnish it by word or action, that whatever I
did in public policy, I would try my best not to
contribute to public cynicism or a diminishing of the
office. I think all of us feel this burden. It is one of
the reasons that I believe this impeachment process, which
we are contemplating, which looms large on the horizon of
this Senate, has to be taken seriously. I don't presume
that any of us should draw a conclusion at this point. But
I believe it is a serious thing to consider. I don't
believe that moral deregulation of public office is
ratified by public apathy. It will be a terrible thing if
the ethical expectations of public office are allowed to
wither. The Nation could double its wealth, but we could
have a shrunken legacy. I believe each of you who will be
here have a high duty and moral responsibility to address
this with the utmost seriousness and the absolute smallest
amount of partisanship that is possible, and I speak to my
colleagues on the Republican side, as well as the Democrat
side.
It is my hope that when the time comes, the Senate will
give evidence to the ideals that I have seen displayed so
many times in this body. I believe these things strongly,
but I don't want to end on this point. I make the points
because I have learned from so many here in the Senate and
from so many great Americans who served before me how
honorable public service can be. I am not leaving the
Senate disillusioned in any way. I leave having seen how
important and how sometimes noble elective office can be,
after nearly two decades of service. I believe in this job
and in its goals, and I am confident that the country is
well served by my many friends and colleagues who will
continue to serve and lead this institution.
Again, I thank my great State of Indiana and the people
and friends who made it possible for me to serve here. I
thank my God for the privilege of service in this place,
and I thank each of you for being my friends and my
colleagues and leaving me with memories that I will never,
ever forget. I will leave here extolling this institution
as the greatest deliberative body in the greatest country
in the history of the world, and I have been privileged to
be a part of it. Thank you very much.
---
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.
Proceedings in the House
Thursday, October 8, 1998.
Mr. GOODLING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report
on S. 2206, the COATS Human Services Reauthorization Act
of 1998 named after the retiring Senator from Indiana.
I would like to take this opportunity to recognize
Senator Dan Coats, not only for his remarkable efforts on
what will be known as the COATS Human Services Act of
1998, but for his years of service and dedication to
education and human services issues. He has been a staunch
and compassionate advocate for children. We will miss his
insight and wisdom that are reflected in dozens of laws
that have and will continue to have positive impact on the
lives of millions of American families.
ARTICLES AND EDITORIALS
[From Roll Call, January 26, 1998]
Seniority Bites
members with collective 437 years of service in the house
and senate are leaving political office, taking with them
some colorful memories, major legislative achievements,
and political lessons
(By Francesca Contiguglia)
When Representative Lee Hamilton (D-IN) first came to
Congress in 1965, septuagenarian House Speaker John
McCormack (D-MA) had trouble remembering the freshman's
name.
All that changed on the eve of a Caucus vote for
Speaker, when McCormack called for Hamilton's vote.
Hamilton said he would not be supporting the Speaker.
``From that day on, McCormack remembered my name,'' said
Hamilton.
That's just one of the dozens of lessons learned over
the years by Hamilton and the 17 other Members retiring at
the end of this year. But even after a collective 390
years of service, 437 including resigning Members, some of
these Members have regrets about not mastering those
lessons sooner.
``I only wish I had known in 1975 what I know now,''
said Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR), who is retiring after
four terms in the Senate. ``I would have been a more
effective Senator.''
``You must live through the battles and develop an
institutional memory,'' said Bumpers. He counsels
newcomers to remember that ``you only have so many battles
in you,'' so pick them carefully.
Bumpers has picked plenty of battles, having been known
as an unabashed liberal who is an adamant supporter of
arms control. He once accused Reagan of not wanting ``to
spend money on anything that does not explode.'' Bumpers,
who is also known as a passionate orator, tells newcomers
to remember that the life of a legislator can be
frustrating.
``My goal from the time I was 12 years old was to come
to Congress,'' he said.
``But it's not long till you realize you're just one of
the hundred,'' a sobering realization, he said.
Other Senate retirees include Glenn and Senators Wendell
Ford (D-KY) and Dan Coats (R-IN). ``There's never been
three finer men serve in the U.S. Senate than those
three,'' said Bumpers.
Although Glenn is a national hero, he has had his share
of disappointments.
He dropped out of the 1984 presidential race after a
surprisingly weak showing.
He later was dragged through the mud during the Keating
Five affair, even though the Senate Ethics Committee
cleared him of any wrongdoing.
``One of the greatest miscarriages of justice was Glenn
being brought into the Keating Five hearings,'' said
Bumpers. ``You couldn't hold a gun on me and make me think
John had done anything wrong, ever in his whole life.''
Glenn's clean-cut image was also scarred a bit by his role
as ranking member in the Senate Governmental Affairs
campaign finance investigation last year.
Republicans accused Glenn of being a defense attorney
for the Clinton administration and said he muffed a golden
opportunity to make a bipartisan case for reform on the
eve of his retirement--a charge that Glenn vociferously
denied.
Ford, who came to the Senate in 1974 along with Bumpers
and Glenn, has distinguished himself as a fierce defender
of the institution both as chairman of the Rules and
Administration Committee and as Democratic Whip for 7
years.
Known as a plain-spoken man from Kentucky, Ford has
looked out for one of his State's top industries: tobacco.
With an ever-present cigarette in his mouth--either during
congressional hearings or in the hallways of power--Ford
has made sure that Senate rules allow individuals to smoke
on his side of the Capitol.
Now 73, Ford is not slowing down. He gave a speech in
September 1996 for a departing colleague, Senator James
Exon (D-NE), and said, ``I hope you live to be 105 and I'm
one of your pallbearers.'' Coats has spent less time in
the Senate than his retiring colleagues, but he has made
his mark for being upbeat and humorous, making his staff
``more like a family,'' according to his press secretary
of 9 years, Tim Goeglein.
Goeglein recalled Coats's first day in the Senate. The
staff was unpacking the office when a squirrel snuck in
through an open window and ran about wreaking havoc. Coats
ran off a list of puns and jokes about having a small
rodent running around a Senate office.
One of Coats's larger causes was the line-item veto,
which passed in the 104th Congress. But he has also been
devoted to family causes. Among other things, he supported
the Family Leave Act and sponsored a law allowing parents
to block dial-a-porn numbers.
Outside of politics, Coats is an enormous Chicago Cubs
fan and has said if he weren't a Senator, he'd want to be
the shortstop for the team. His wish almost came true on
his 50th birthday, when he was called from the stands at
Wrigley Field to throw out the first pitch, a surprise
arranged by his staff.
---
[From the Indianapolis Star, April 13, 1998]
An Urban Agenda
With time running out to promote his ideas as a U.S.
Senator, Indiana's Dan Coats is trying one last time to
move through Congress an agenda for urban renewal.
Along with 12 other Senators and 16 House members who
have come together as the ``Renewal Alliance,'' Coats is
pushing a package of bills to strengthen the non-profit
and religious sector through tax credits and protection of
charitable donations, empower depressed urban
neighborhoods through tax relief and wage credits and
expand educational choice for families trapped in sub-
standard public schools.
The legislation is a sequel to the Project for American
Renewal that Coats introduced last year. The idea behind
both packages is to move the conservative revolution
forward to shape America in the post-welfare era. As Coats
has often said, ending the welfare state is just the
beginning of what needs to be done to address the social
and cultural problems associated with poverty, things such
as single parenthood, chemical addiction, and neighborhood
decay.
``For more than three decades, the Federal Government
has tried to rebuild urban areas from the top down.
Liberals declared war on poverty, and poverty won,'' say
the alliance members. ``The Renewal Alliance has rejected
the failed model of the past that combined too much money
with too little wisdom and wreaked devastation in inner-
city communities. We have also rejected the hands-off
approach that believes the best Federal urban policy is no
policy at all.
``Our initiative acknowledges a Federal role, but makes
the Government a junior partner to local leaders and
institutions.''
The alliance is absolutely right that conservatives need
an aggressive agenda to restore inner-city neighborhoods
and replace failed government programs with grass-roots
programs that work. Yes, government has a role to play in
making the transition to the post-welfare state.
While it's unlikely an election-year Congress will make
much progress toward that goal, Coats has brought needed
visibility to an important issue. Just as important, he
has attracted new converts to the cause who can continue
to fight for his ideas in Congress after his retirement.
---
[From the Indianapolis Star, May 5, 1998]
Retiring Coats Comfortable Leaving Senate For Sidelines
(By David L. Haase)
WASHINGTON--U.S. Senator Dan Coats has seen his name on
Indiana ballots 14 times during the past 18 years.
Today, as a scattering of Hoosiers trickle to schools
and town halls to vote in the primary election, three
other Republican names will appear under the Senate
section of the ballot instead.
The conservative Christian Republican, whose current
term expires in January, announced December 16, 1996, that
he would not run for re-election.
``There was a time when I very much wanted my name on
the ballot,'' he said. ``The time has come when I am able
to fully accept that my name is not on the ballot.''
Talking to the intensely competitive 54-year-old Senator,
one gets the sense that he really wanted to endorse
someone to take his place. But he won't say who. ``I
backed off from a lot of pressure to select a candidate
and anoint a successor,'' he said. ``Why should I go out
and try to deny someone the same chance that I had?
``Let them take their case to the people and let the
people decide.''
Three lawyers are vying to take a shot at halting the
Evan Bayh express to the Senate seat Bayh's father once
held. They are Fort Wayne Mayor Paul Helmke, Christian
conservative John Price and former presidential speech
writer Peter Rusthoven.
With no incumbent in the contest, most observers believe
the Senate race is Bayh's to lose, particularly given his
popularity after 8 years as Governor and a campaign chest
of more than $3.2 million.
At best, the winner of the Republican primary can expect
to start his general election campaign with nothing in the
bank.
Coats ran back-to-back Senate campaigns in 1990--a
special election to complete the term of then-Vice
President Dan Quayle--and 1992. He does not discount the
advantage that Bayh's money will give him.
But the Senator thinks Bayh can be beaten.
He said Republicans must show the differences in
philosophy of government and point out that this is not
just a vote for a candidate but a referendum on a larger
issue, ``the morality and integrity of this President. The
only chance they have to vote for or against Bill
Clinton's conduct is in the voting booth this fall.''
Coats might believe a Republican can win the Senate race
because he and another notable underdog from northeast
Indiana--Quayle--beat the odds themselves.
Coats did it when he ran for the 4th Congressional
District seat Quayle was vacating in 1980. He started the
race at 3 percent in the polls and went on to beat two
better-known Republicans, including Helmke.
Quayle, then a second-term Congressman from Huntington,
IN, beat the odds that year by making what was considered
an ill-advised run for Senate against Birch Bayh, a
Democratic incumbent so entrenched that he had run for
President in 1976.
Coats and crew won that first House campaign because
they worked from the bottom up, having coffees from
morning until night, organizing block by block, and
bypassing the party organization, which was committed to
Helmke.
When the votes were counted, Coats won with 58 percent.
Helmke came in second with 24 percent.
``It was a surprise, a big surprise, because Paul Helmke
had tremendous name recognition,'' said Michael C. Downs,
chairman of the political science department at Indiana
University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne.
Downs thinks Coats found the key to his win among the
relatively affluent, religiously conservative Republican
voters just outside Fort Wayne.
``They shared a religious conservatism that Helmke did
not try to tap into, (and) I think took for granted,''
Downs said. Coats did court them, and reaped their votes.
In the largely Republican 4th District, Coats then
skated to an easy win in the fall and has avoided primary
opponents ever since.
Downs said that's because Coats has broadened his base
since that first run.
With his retirement from Congress just 8 months off,
Coats says he has not made a decision about his next move.
That will come after Congress adjourns, probably in early
October.
He says he will never run for office again, but he
expects to keep his hand in, advising his many candidate
friends and keeping a close eye on the presidential
politics of 2000.
``Frankly, so many of my close friends are running for
higher office, it's probably going to be impossible not to
be involved to some extent,'' he said.
---
[From the Indianapolis Star, June 20, 1998]
Coats is Hero to Man He Helped Like Brother
senator will be installed today as president of the
national organization of big borthers/big sisters
(By George Stuteville)
WASHINGTON--In 1973, an angry little boy--headed for
trouble--met a gentle man who changed his life. In each
other, they found a friend for the rest of their lives.
They were newcomers to the Big Brothers and Big Sisters
program that had just started in Fort Wayne.
Dan Coats, a young lawyer in the city, thought it was
something he should do. The mother of young Jason Bundy,
known as CJ, thought it was the last hope for a son she
could hardly control. A relationship begun on exciting
weekend trips but cemented in the quiet and frank moments
in between, bonded them as close as father and son.
That's why today both are prepared to shed tears for the
other when Coats is installed as the national president of
Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America.
``He is my hero,'' said Coats, speaking of Bundy. ``He's
had to overcome so much more than I ever had to. It shaped
his character and priorities. I find that inspirational.''
``He is my hero,'' said Bundy, speaking of Coats. ``By
his example, he has shown me his capacity for love. He
believes that people with good intentions must always step
forward.''
Through the years, Coats said his friendship with Bundy
has deepened even though the demands on his free time
increased when he entered Washington politics--rising from
a congressional aide to Representative to Senator.
At the same time, Coats' commitment to the program also
increased. In 1993, he was appointed to the national Big
Brothers/Big Sisters program.
The same was true for Bundy as he grew older--leaving
northern Indiana to join the Navy. He was stationed at
Charleston, SC, and now lives there. At 36, he is
president of the Charleston Big Brothers/Big Sisters
association.
After nearly three decades together, their relationship
sometimes blurs between who is counseled and who is
counselor.
Coats, 55, said when he was considering his 1999
retirement from the Senate, he asked Bundy's opinion.
Bundy recalled the scene: ``I told him I was
disappointed. I told him that I had always felt that as
long as he was in Congress, I knew there was at least
someone there ready to do the right thing.''
As Coats prepares to leave Washington, the unpaid
volunteer position as Big Brothers/Big Sisters president
is the only commitment he has made thus far.
Tom McKenna, executive director of Big Brothers and Big
Sisters of America, said that a defining moment occurred a
couple of years ago when Coats was in a board meeting in
Philadelphia and had to chose between rushing to
Washington and casting a Senate vote or helping Bundy who
had a problem at the time.
Coats chose Bundy and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters
program.
Bundy said he was not aware of the occasion.
``It wouldn't surprise me. It was at about the same time
my first marriage ended. Dan came to the wedding. I
remarried a month ago, and Dan came to that wedding. He
was my best man,'' Bundy said.
McKenna, who will help install the Hoosier Republican
during the ceremony in Denver, said Coats' actions spoke
much louder than any words.
``We have seen Coats' commitment to this organization
first hand. We are very, very glad that he wants this
position,'' McKenna said.
Coats said his main efforts as president will be
increasing the number of adult mentors to 200,000 during
the next 3 years. To accomplish that, the organization
must raise as much as $150 million.
Though the program is all voluntary, most of the funds
go into paying for background checks of prospective
mentors and administrative costs of the 500 chapters
across the country, Coats said.
``If we can achieve those goals, think of how many
youngsters can be helped; think what an impact that can
have on the country.''
Bundy knows.
---
[From the Indianapolis Star, October 10, 1998]
Coats Bids Farewell to Life in the Senate
retiring republican's last week is crowned by passage of
several bills he fought for during his tenure
(By George Stuteville)
WASHINGTON--These are the final days of the political
career of U.S. Senator Dan Coats. And they might have been
his finest days.
As the Senate raced to complete its legislative
schedule, several amendments and bills that Coats has
fought for through the years--from the elimination of
Internet pornography to reforms in the Central
Intelligence Agency--have been sent to President Clinton's
desk for his signature.
And on Friday night, the Indiana Republican took to the
Senate floor to bid goodbye to the chamber where he has
served since 1989. In a short speech, Coats reflected on
his 22-year career in Congress, which started in 1981 as a
staff member to Dan Quayle, who was then a U.S.
Representative from Indiana.
Coats especially thanked his wife, Marcia. He said she
was a mother and often a father to their three children
during the long hours he spent working for Quayle, and
later as the Congressman who succeeded Quayle.
``I have stolen moments that I will never be able to
recover,'' Coats said.
The 55-year-old Coats used his time to also outline his
three greatest concerns: right-to-life issues, the
readiness of the U.S. military and the need for churches
and individuals to assert stronger roles in social issues.
``I believe there is no higher calling than to protect
the most defenseless. The first among human rights is the
right to life,'' Coats said.
Coats said he also was troubled by what he sees as a
trend toward a weakening of the U.S. military. ``I fear
that storm clouds are gathering on America's horizon,''
Coats said.
He also challenged Senators to move toward a new
definition of compassion by pushing for legislation to
give greater power to churches, charities, and individuals
to provide greater involvement in social welfare.
His speech crowned a week in which at least eight pieces
of legislation he had long advocated passed the Senate.
Those included:
The Coats Human Services Reauthorization Act to
reauthorize Head Start and other programs for 5 years.
The Coats-Lieberman Charter Schools Expansion
Act of 1998.
Criminal and tax penalties for those who
promote on-line pornography.
Tax-sheltered savings accounts that low income
citizens can use toward education, business startups, or
home purchases.
With humor, Coats said he believed his pending
retirement speeded the passage of much of the legislation.
``It was me going to some of my colleagues who didn't
quite agree with me and saying I worked a long time and
would like to have their support because I wouldn't be
back,'' he said.
``I guess it is because of some goodwill I built up, but
it gave us a strong finish and that that's the benefit of
announcing your retirement. ``
He is committed to working only as the national
president of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization
after he officially leaves the Senate. But he said that
despite his frustrations at times in the Senate, he would
leave the chamber with no disillusionment.
Noting Coats extraordinary final week, his Hoosier GOP
colleague, Senator Richard Lugar, especially called
attention to Coats' work in blending traditional
conservative values with social compassion.
Lugar said Coats had always been a determined advocate.
``But he's also (been) a thoughtful observer who sees
beyond the politics of the moment to provide perspective
on the direction of our country.''
After Coats joined the Senate, he and Lugar worked out a
shared office arrangement--believed to have been unique in
Congress--that resulted in hundreds of thousands of
dollars of savings.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-MS, also praised
Coats.
``I want to say a few words about my good friend Dan
Quayle,'' Lott began, then broke into laughter after
realizing he had misspoken.
Lott and Coats, however, have been friends for more than
20 years.
``I have to say that I truly believe that no man or
woman in the Senate has had a greater influence on my life
than Coats. Whenever the going is the toughest, I know I
can go to Dan,'' Lott said, ``He's leaving the Senate, but
not leaving us. ``
Immediately after making his speech, Coats met with
Senator Edward Kennedy, D-MA, with whom he has frequently
clashed in legislative matters.
Friday, however, they shook hands vigorously, while
Coats took the gavel and presided over the Senate as it
prepared for a long night of voting.
---
[From the Associated Press, October 10, 1998]
WASHINGTON (AP)--With his staff standing behind him,
Senator Dan Coats wrapped up 18 years in Congress by
encouraging lawmakers to eliminate abortion, beef up
America's military, and tread carefully on the issue of
President Clinton's impeachment inquiry.
Coats made his final comments Friday. The Indiana
Republican is one of five Senators retiring this year.
Coats said he struggled with whether to talk about the
possibility of Clinton's impeachment and Senate trial
during his farewell speech.
``I feel like since I am not going to be here next year,
this is something I would want to have said,'' he
explained.
Coats asked the lawmakers who remain to deal with
President Clinton's impeachment ``with the absolute
smallest amount of partisanship possible.''
After the last vote of the day Friday, Senators remained
in the ornate, blue-carpeted chamber to pay tribute to the
retirees and listen to their last speech.
Coats asked his Senate colleagues to continue to work on
``topics that will be chapters in American history, not
footnotes.''
He also thanked his wife, Marcia, for being a mother and
often a father to their three children during the long
hours he spent building his political career.
``I have stolen moments * * * that I will never be able
to recover,'' Coats said.
The 55-year-old Senator listed eliminating abortion,
shoring up the military, and putting more compassion in
social policy as his primary concerns.
``I believe there is no higher calling that to protect
the most defenseless,'' he said. ``The first among human
rights is the right to life.''
Coats also encouraged the lawmakers to spend more money
on the military.
``I fear storm clouds are gathering on America's
horizon,'' he said. ``I fear that we are on a trajectory
to weakness, and our power and authority (are) being spent
and not accumulated.''
Coats said America ``needs a bold new definition of
compassion'' that should be part of every debate on social
issues.
``We need to get rid of the destructive welfare
culture--and we've taken a great step in that direction--
but we still need to fulfill our responsibilities to the
less fortunate and disadvantaged, the children and the
helpless,'' he said.
His speech capped a week in which several pieces of
legislation he had long fought for passed the Senate.
Those included: The Coats Human Services Reauthorization
Act to reauthorize Head Start and other programs for 5
years, criminal and tax penalties for those who promote
on-line pornography, and tax-sheltered savings account
that low-income citizens can use toward education,
business startups, or home purchases.
Coats has been Indiana's junior Senator since 1989, when
he was appointed to the Senate seat vacated when Quayle
became Vice President. He won a special election to serve
the remaining 2 years of the term in 1990 and won re-
election to a 6-year term in 1992.
Coats, a former aide to Quayle, was elected to Quayle's
former U.S. House seat representing northeast Indiana in
1980 before following Quayle to the Senate 8 years later.
He has committed to working as the national president of
the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization after he
officially leaves the Senate.
---
[From the Indianapolis Star, October 14, 1998]
Dan Coats Stuck To His Principles
(By Larry Macintyre)
Two of the retiring members of the 105th Congress hail
from Indiana, and one is enjoying a shower of tributes in
the national media.
I don't begrudge Democrat Lee Hamilton the praise being
heaped upon him as he ends a distinguished 34-year career
in the House. He earned it.
Washington Post columnist David Broder paid Hamilton the
ultimate tribute by saying he ``consistently placed
principle above partisanship and worked comfortably with
like-minded Republicans.'' But I would point out that
Indiana's other retiring lawmaker, Dan Coats, also
compiled a strong record of placing principle above
partisanship in the 18 years he served in the House and
Senate.
Coats deserves national recognition, too, but I doubt
he'll get it. Beltway pundits tend to shy away from
politicians, especially Republicans, who take un-hip
positions on today's hot-button social issues, such as
abortion and gay rights.
That's too bad because Coats' career would serve as an
uplifting antidote to the deep cynicism many Americans
hold about the character and conduct of their elected
officials.
I will remember him as a beacon of consistent,
principled, and at times even courageous behavior.
This was very apparent in 1992 when Coats, facing a
tough re-election challenge, voted for a package of
military base closings that included two in Indiana--Fort
Benjamin Harrison and Grissom Air Force Base. He did so
knowing full well it would be used against him.
Democrats did just that, claiming Coats didn't care
about the loss of 12,000 jobs. Coats' response was that he
couldn't ask other States to suffer base closings while
fighting them in Indiana.
In 1993 when President Clinton pushed for gays in the
military, many Republican Senators were opposed, but they
didn't want to publicly confront the issue because they
feared negative publicity from a press corps enraptured
with the new President and his activist wife. Coats, who
served in the Army from 1966-68, was not unnerved. He was
the first in the Senate to speak up against the plan, and
it was his principled opposition that helped turn the tide
against it.
Coats did not condemn gays on moral grounds, but rather
focused the debate on the practical issue of the
difficulty of providing a degree of privacy to soldiers
and sailors living in close quarters.
Coats also braved a hostile press in his long battle to
put controls on Internet pornography. Sophisticates in the
Nation's media elite viewed that effort as yet another
irksome attempt to legislate morality.
They applauded last year when the Supreme Court struck
down Coats' Communications Decency Act. But their disdain
never fazed Coats, who managed to pass another version of
it this year.
Coats has been anything but predictable. He angered
members of his own party when he voted for President
Clinton's family leave bill. It was simply that Coats saw
family leave as being just as important to families as
helping parents prevent 12-year-olds from accessing
Internet porn.
Like most Republicans, Coats supported cuts in
federally-funded welfare programs, but he confounded
conservatives and liberals alike by arguing that private
sector programs needed strengthening. His idea was to
allow families to donate up to $1,000 of their Federal
income taxes to charities that fight poverty rather than
turn it over to the IRS.
Coats truly believes that community and faith-based
organizations are better able to provide a safety net than
government programs.
This belief carries through to his personal life. He
makes no mention of it publicly, but Coats tithes 10
percent of his income to charitable causes. And he gives
his time, too. He recently was elected national president
of Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
Those of us who believe character does count will miss
Dan Coats.
---
[From the Chicago Tribune, November 1, 1998]
Indiana's GOP Senator is Cashing Out of Political Game
(By James Warren)
U.S. Senator Dan Coats was somewhere in southern Indiana
on Friday, on the car phone, and telling me why he felt
terrific.
``The sun is shining, the trees are in full color, and I
don't have to ask anybody for money,'' he said. Indeed.
Coats, 55, is leaving the Senate, having decided 2 years
ago that 18 years of service in Congress, first as a
Member of the House, then as Dan Quayle's Senate
successor, is more than enough.
He will not have left huge legislative footprints. But
he will also not leave as the initial caricature would
have had it, namely as a Quayle-coatholder who was an
accidental Senator when appointed in 1989 after Quayle
became Vice President. In fact, he may stand as an example
of someone who actually grew in office, gained a fair bit
of stature, and proved his own man, a sort of bleeding-
heart conservative.
The Army veteran and attorney was a sophisticated voice
on defense issues and thoughtful in suggesting
alternatives to government involvement in our lives. To
that end, he was a founding member of the Project for
American Renewal and the Renewal Alliance, groups seeking
to underscore the role of community, volunteer, and faith-
based organizations.
The purpose was to offer alternatives to ``the liberal,
money-solves-all-problems methods,'' as well as the
bedrock conservative notion of virtually no role for
government. For sure, he's a conservative who's voted
against abortion, raising the minimum wage, the Endangered
Species Act, and gay employment rights, while supporting a
constitutional amendment on flag burning, a Star Wars-like
anti-missile defense, the embargo on Cuba, and cutting aid
to Vietnam.
But he supported the Family Medical and Leave Act,
reserving a portion of public housing for intact families,
a tax credit for adoptions, residential academies for at-
risk kids, and reducing various forms of ``corporate
welfare.''
``I will miss raising money the least,'' he said. ``It
had become an all-consuming effort. The escalation of
costs and campaigns seems to almost double every time you
run. You spend an inordinate amount of time doing that.''
For many people Washington is seductive. Coats, who has
yet to decide whether he'll settle here or back home in
Indiana, knows that to be the case. ``But if you keep your
eyes open, and some balance in your life, it's not quite
as difficult to leave,'' said Coats, who is national
chairman of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.
Over 18 years here he saw what he finds positive change,
namely a growing recognition, even among liberal
Democrats, that government can't do everything. When asked
about negative changes, he returns to campaign finance
though he believes first amendment considerations raise
doubts about limiting the amount of money coming into the
system.
``What really surprised me is that even at the Senate
level, it has become a year-round endeavor. California,
Florida, and New York are one thing but even in smaller
States like Indiana, you can't simply wait until your
election cycle. You have to hop on planes everywhere, go
to endless fundraisers in your State, wear out your
supporters (for money), and then go over to (Republican
Party) headquarters (here) to make hours of phone calls to
people for money.''
``It detracts from the real purpose for which we're
here,'' he said.
I noted to Coats my surprise at how many House races
Tuesday are uncontested (nearly 100, or close to 25
percent). Is it because those incumbents are doing such a
stellar job?
``The apathy, the low voter turnout, the cynicism that
exists toward elected officials. In the long run, it's
dangerous to democracy,'' he said.
``What's missing is the real public dialog, the public
debate on issues that is important for the future of the
country,'' he said. ``The whole focus is who can raise so
much money that the opposition is deterred from running.''
Coats is not sure what he will be doing. He might
practice law, possessing what he suggested are attractive
offers. Maybe it will be something else. Regardless, he
does not appear to be one of those--and there are many--
who stick around here and never really cut the cord.
``I was never real sure how I would feel near the end,''
he said Friday. ``But now, in all honesty, I am looking
forward to life beyond politics. I had 18 good years.
``But I have always believed you ought to give part of
your life to public service, but not necessarily a
lifetime.''