[Senate Document 108-28]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Doc. 108-28
TRIBUTES TO HON. DON NICKLES
Don Nickles
U.S. SENATOR FROM OKLAHOMA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T7212.001
Don Nickles
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Don Nickles
United States Senator
1981-2005
a
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
Trent Lott, Chairman
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell..............................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
22
Allard, Wayne, of Colorado.....................
33
Allen, George, of Virginia.....................
35
Burns, Conrad R., of Montana...................
7
Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia..............
3
Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia...................
10
Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
31
Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota....................
17
Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
38
Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
6
Daschle, Thomas A., of South Dakota............
42
Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
28
Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina.............
39
Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico...............
15
Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
11
Fitzgerald, Peter, of Illinois.................
26
Frist, Bill, of Tennessee......................
9, 12
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
37
Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
34
Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma..................
7, 28
Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
24
Lautenberg, Frank, of New Jersey...............
26, 27
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky
............................................
14, 30, 42
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
26
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
35
Santorum, Rick, of Pennsylvania................
36
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
19
Shelby, Richard C., of Alabama.................
8
Smith, Gordon, of Oregon.......................
32
Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine....................
40
Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................
42
Biography
Retired Oklahoma Senator Don Nickles was one of the few
Members of the U.S. Senate with a background in small
business.
He worked his way through Oklahoma State University by
starting a janitorial service. Following graduation, he
went to work for Nickles Machine Corporation in Ponca
City, OK, where he later became vice president and general
manager.
His career in public service began with his election in
1978 to the Oklahoma State Senate where he served 2 years.
In 1980--at age 31--Nickles was elected to the U.S.
Senate. And in 1998 he became the first Oklahoma
Republican ever elected to a fourth term in the U.S.
Senate. Nickles was selected by his colleagues to join the
Senate Republican leadership in 1988 as chairman of the
Republican Senatorial Committee. He was next elected to
the first of three terms as Chairman of the Republican
Policy Committee.
In 1996, 1998, and again in 2000, he was selected
unanimously to be assistant Republican leader. It is the
highest leadership position ever held by an Oklahoma
Senator. Nickles was the first Oklahoman to chair the
powerful Budget Committee where he served from 2003 to
2004.
Nickles also served on the Senate Finance Committee,
Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Rules and
Administration Committee.
Throughout his Senate career, Nickles worked toward a
more responsible and less intrusive Federal Government. He
was the principle sponsor of the 2003 economic growth
package which cut the tax on dividends, reduced the
capital gains rate, raised the child tax credit to $1,000
per child and reduced the marriage penalty. He led efforts
to reform the Internal Revenue Service; helped enact the
Nation's first balanced budget in three decades; and
passed laws to make Members of Congress accountable to the
same laws as everyone else.
Nickles and his wife Linda were born and raised in Ponca
City. They have four children.
Farewell
Friday, November 19, 2004
Mr. NICKLES. My wife and I, our families, were taking
our Christmas photo a few days ago and I was surprised to
realize that our two oldest children were actually older
than we were when we came to the Senate. They are in their
thirties and I think I was 32 when I was sworn in, just
turned 32, and now we have a couple of children who are
that age or more. It tells me we have been here a little
while. I am actually very surprised that I am concluding
24 years in the Senate.
I have absolutely loved working in the Senate. The
Senate is a great institution. It is one of the true
pillars of democracy in the world, one which people look
to with great respect and admiration. I have always been
proud to be called a Senator and I have always been proud
to represent my State and my country. To me, it represents
a shining city on a hill, and a true beacon of democracy
for the free world which has stood for more than 200
years.
My first time to visit the Senate and sit in the gallery
was in 1974 and I was coming to Congress as a businessman
to give my impressions on a bill that was pending before
Congress. The bill was called ERISA, Employment Retirement
Income Security Act. I ran a small business in Ponca City,
OK, and I thought the better title for the bill was
``Every Ridiculous Idea Since Adam.''
But that was in 1974. I happened to be here, it was a
coincidence at the time, and Senator McConnell will
appreciate this, being a political historian, it was a
time when an election was contested and it happened to be
the Senate election of Oklahoma. Henry Bellmon was
reelected by a very close margin over Congressman
Edmondson. As all of our colleagues know, the Senate is
the final arbiter in contested elections and it was being
contested on the floor of the Senate the time I was here.
Senator Domenici remembers that. It was a very
contested, spirited debate.
I was quite taken by the debate. I sat in the gallery
for hours. I remember Senator Allen, a Democrat. The
Democrats controlled the Senate at that time. Henry
Bellmon was a Republican. He won by a very narrow margin--
I can't remember what it was, a couple thousand votes.
There were disputes on election-counting machines. That
sounds kind of familiar. It was a great debate. I remember
Senator Allen spoke on Senator Bellmon's behalf, and then
they had the rollcall vote and enough Democrats voted with
Senator Bellmon, and that was the end of it.
I happened to ride back on the plane that day, and guess
what. I was riding with Senator Bellmon and Congressman
Edmondson. They were friends and they were shaking hands.
I was impressed. And I was impressed with this body. I was
impressed with the Senate. I was impressed with the
Senators. I was impressed with the conduct of the debate.
I was impressed with the fact that almost all Senators
were here during the debate.
It was such a special occasion. I was so pleased because
Henry Bellmon was reelected and affirmed by the Senate
because I also considered him a mentor and a leader in
Oklahoma. He was the first Republican Senator elected in
our State in a long time and now he was reelected. Senator
Domenici served with him on the Budget Committee. He was
the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee, on the
formation of the Budget Committee in 1974. I served with
Ed Muskie and he did a wonderful job in that capacity.
That was my first personal impression of the Senate. My
impression of the Senate was very good then and it has
been very good ever since. I have absolutely had the
greatest respect for this institution and for this body.
This body is composed of great Members.
I remember the time coming into the Senate when I was
elected. It was 1980. That was a big election year. We
have had a few big election years in my time, but I'm not
sure we have ever had one quite as big, as dramatic a
change as we did in 1980. There were 18 new Senators
elected in 1980, and 16 of the 18 were Republicans. The
majority leader became Howard Baker from Tennessee. He was
nice enough to be my mentor, and I thought the world of
him then as I still do today. He is a wonderful Ambassador
to Japan, and he and Nancy Kassebaum were wonderful
Senators. It was a great time to serve in the Senate.
I remember the highlight of my Senate career was on
Ronald Reagan's inaugural day on January 20, 1981. It was
a beautiful day, and I remember the hostages in Iran were
released that very day. They were held hostage for 444
days. They were liberated on that inaugural day. I will
never forget what a euphoric feeling it was for not just
those of us who were elected to the Senate and taking
control--the Republicans were taking control of the Senate
for the first time in decades. I think none of those
Republicans had ever been in the majority, and I don't
believe any of those Democrats had ever been in the
minority.
That was a big change. It was kind of a fun change from
my vantage point. There were so many new people. I was one
of 18 new Senators, and it was a great time. That is a big
turnover any time in this institution. To think that the
hostages were released and Ronald Reagan was elected--it
was a big exciting time, and a lot was accomplished.
I was coming to Congress as a businessman from Ponca
City, OK, with an agenda. Part of the agenda was not to be
here forever. Frankly, I told people I was running because
I thought our country had declined far too much
militarily, economically, and morally, and I wanted to do
something about it.
I came here to cut taxes and to cut regulations,
particularly in the energy industry, and to see if we
couldn't make positive changes for the country. Economic
issues aside, I wanted to defeat the Communists. This was
of particular concern to me, as I thought our country had
declined way too much militarily.
We did a lot of those things. We accomplished a lot in
the eighties under Ronald Reagan's leadership. I am
absolutely amazed when I look back at when Ronald Reagan
was elected, and when I was elected. The maximum tax rate
was 70 percent, and 8 years later it was 28 percent. I am
still amazed at that. What an unbelievable accomplishment.
I remember how it was accomplished. It took a lot of
strong leadership and work by Howard Baker and Bob Dole.
It took working with other people. I remember Bill Bradley
working on some of these tax bills. That was a big change.
I came from a business background and, oh, yes, if you
made some money, you could be taxed all the way to 70
percent on the individual side, and 80 percent on the
corporate side. You were working more for the government
than you were yourself. To me, that represented a real
loss of personal and economic freedom. I wanted to restore
economic freedom for all Americans and be part of that
change.
My father, unfortunately, died in 1961. We had a small
family-held business. The government contested, basically,
my mother and our family for 7 years over the value of
Nickles Machine Corporation. They wanted a big chunk of
that business. I always resented that. I thought
government was supposed to protect private property; not
confiscate it.
On the 1981 tax bill, I remember talking to Secretary
Don Regan when I said: We really should eliminate the
estate tax on surviving spouses--and we made sure that was
included in the 1981 tax bill. I am probably as proud of
that as any other thing. I had a little something to do
with a very profamily, very probusiness, very progrowth-
oriented bill becoming law. That success told me that we
could accomplish great things here.
Of the 18 Senators who were elected with me in 1980,
there are only 3 left. Chris Dodd is still here, Chuck
Grassley is now chairman of the Finance Committee, and
Arlen Specter will be chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Only 3 of the 18 are left.
I respect them greatly, and I compliment them for their
many years of service.
Over the years, I've had many great mentors. I mentioned
Bob Dole and Howard Baker. I'll mention one other one with
fond affection. That would be Senator Jesse Helms. I
remember one time when we were engaged in a filibuster,
and I encouraged the Senate not to have many filibusters,
but that is the first one I can remember. I believe it was
1982 or 1983. This was a little filibuster on the Nickles
gasoline tax. Some of us believed that the States should
do it rather than the Federal Government. Three of us were
opposed to that: Senator Helms, Senator East, and myself.
That was when the filibuster was a real filibuster. We
spent the night on cots outside the Senate Chamber.
I remember laying awake at night somewhat nervous. The
heart was still beating, and I remember some grumbling
amongst some of our colleagues who weren't very happy
about the fact that we were here in late December arguing
over a Nickles gasoline tax. I remember that this wasn't
quite worth falling on the sword over.
I communicated that to my friends and colleagues,
Senator Helms and Senator East. I eventually convinced
Senator Helms, and it took a little longer to convince
Senator East, and we dropped the filibuster.
What I wanted to say about Senator Helms is I remember
that we had a lot of discussions during these times. We
were actually in session two or three nights around the
clock. He told me something I will never forget, which I
will pass along to our colleagues.
He said: ``Don, when I am flying over North Carolina and
I look around and see all those lights, I am amazed at how
many people live in that State and how many people there
are, particularly in rural areas. And I wonder if those
people think they have anybody in DC who really cares
about them, and probably most of them don't think anybody
cares about them.'' He was just as genuine as he could
possibly be.
``When I am on a plane at night looking out at the
lights and see how big our cities, towns, and rural areas
are, I think about that. Do the people in those areas
really think somebody is fighting for them, working for
them?'' Jesse Helms is one of those individuals. He is
very special. He had a reputation of being kind of tough
and mean, but personally he is probably one of the nicest
Senators with whom I have had the pleasure of working. He
knew everybody who worked the elevators. He was nice to
the staff. He was a gentleman's gentleman. I understand
his health is not real good right now, so my thoughts are
with him, and I wish him all the best at this time. He was
a great Senator. He knew the rules of the Senate, and he
would fight for what he believed in, and he would fight
with tenacity. He also was a Senator's Senator, and I am
fortunate to say I have had the pleasure of serving with
many colleagues who fall into that category.
I came here with a real interest in trying to change
things in the energy field. I served on the Energy
Committee, but I wanted to make some changes. I ran and
maybe was elected in large part because of some of the
things that Congress was passing in 1978 and 1979 and 1980
with which I just totally disagreed. One of those was the
windfall profits tax. I campaigned vigorously against it.
I wanted to repeal it. I was disappointed that I couldn't
get it repealed in 1981, or in 1982. I introduced
legislation every single year. We finally got it repealed
in 1986.
As I told somebody last night, it was $77 billion too
late. But eventually it was repealed.
We did some other things that I think were very
positive--undoing some of the things that were passed in
the last couple of years of the Carter administration.
We deregulated natural gas. I did that working with
Wendell Ford and Bennett Johnston on the energy bill. That
was very positive, significant legislation that one of my
predecessors, Bob Kerr, had worked on 20 years before. We
got that done.
We repealed the fuel use tax. We eliminated the Synfuels
Corporation. The Synfuels Corporation was run by an
Oklahoman who ran against me, Ed Nobel. He ran against me
in 1980. Ronald Reagan appointed him chairman of the
Synfuels Corporation. I campaigned to eliminate it, which
we eventually did.
I have had a lot of fun in this capacity. In the mid-
eighties, I was appointed to the Appropriations Committee.
I have great, fond memories of that. The Democrat leader,
Harry Reid, was my colleague on two or three committees. I
think we both were either chairman or ranking, and we
switched back and forth a couple of times on the District
of Columbia Appropriations Committee, our penance, and the
Interior Subcommittee, which either Senator Reid or
Senator Byrd was chairman and/or ranking members. We
worked together on those committees for years.
We did a lot of good things together, such as reforming
the frank so you couldn't mail out thousands and thousands
of pieces of mail, particularly prior to election time.
Harry Reid is my friend and his word is as good as gold.
He will be a good leader for the Democrats, and he will be
a good Senator for Senator Frist and Senator McConnell to
work with to get things accomplished. So I am excited
about his elevation.
I was selected by our colleagues to be campaign chairman
back in 1989 and 1990, one of the tougher jobs. I
compliment George Allen for the fine job he did this year.
I compliment Bill Frist for the fine job he did in that
position, and Mitch McConnell when he had that position.
It is probably one of the toughest elected positions we
have in leadership, but one which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The reason I enjoyed it is you work hard, and you get to
know your colleagues. We get so busy around this place we
often don't get to know our colleagues. If you are
campaigning with somebody, if you are spending the night,
as I did at Gordon Smith's home in Oregon, or campaigning
in Maine with Senator Snowe or Senator Collins, or if you
are campaigning in Minnesota, or when you campaign with
people and you are traveling with them for a day or two,
or in Montana on a bus tour with Conrad Burns and his wife
Phyllis, you get to know them.
I have gotten to know our colleagues well. I think I
have been in almost everybody's State, at least on our
side of the aisle, campaigning. I thoroughly enjoyed
getting to know my colleagues. The Senate is composed of a
great group of individuals, Democrats and Republicans, and
we need to get to know each other better. I think if we
get to know each other better, our body works better and
we will do better.
After that, I was fortunate enough to be elected policy
chairman. I had that position for 6 years, and it was
another job I absolutely loved. I succeeded Bill
Armstrong, and I was fortunate to keep some of his staff,
some of the best staff on the Hill, I might add. They
stayed with me, and I appreciate that. Eric Ueland and
Doug Badger would fit in that category, and they were
outstanding.
Bill Armstrong is another one of my mentors. I met with
Bill Armstrong and a couple of other Senators in a prayer
group once a week for 12 years. He is probably the most
articulate Senator I have had the pleasure of serving
with, an outstanding leader. I wish he would have
continued his service. He decided to return to the private
sector, and since I am doing that, I respect that greatly.
But I have always looked up to him because he was a man of
conviction, and he got things done.
Let me add that Jon Kyl, who is now the policy chairman,
and there could not be a better policy chairman, is doing
a fantastic job, a very important job. I compliment him
for his leadership.
After that position--and I thank my colleagues for
giving me that responsibility--I served 6 years as
assistant majority leader, and I guess at some point maybe
assistant minority leader. It was a great honor and a
pleasure to work with Trent Lott, which I enjoyed greatly.
Trent did a fantastic job as our Republican leader, and
I'd like to take this opportunity to commend him on his
outstanding service. Mitch McConnell has my old post now,
and he is doing a super job. Again, it is a position where
you get to know your colleagues really well. You not only
learn how to count votes, but you find out what makes
people tick and where they are coming from, what they are
trying to accomplish, and what they are trying to do. And
Mitch McConnell is doing a fantastic job in that capacity.
During my tenure in the Senate, we have had the pleasure
of passing a lot of legislation. I am fortunate to have so
many colleagues who have helped me do some things that I
think have become good laws.
The Republicans took control of the Senate in the 1994
elections, and in 1995 I think the first bill we passed
was the Congressional Accountability Act that Senator
Grassley and a lot of Democrats and Republicans passed. We
worked hard on that. I am glad to see that happened.
We passed the Congressional Review Act. Senator Reid was
my principal Democrat sponsor on that legislation, where
we could review expensive and expansive Federal
regulations. We actually used that to repeal the
ergonomics rule which the Clinton administration tried to
pass in the last couple of days of their term. Although he
supported the regulation, Senator Reid, to his credit,
defended the Congressional Review Act which is still the
law of the land. We used that to repeal what I felt was a
very intrusive, expensive, and unwarranted regulation.
Again, that is another case where Senator Reid stated--he
did not agree with repealing the regulation, but he
defended the law we repealed it with, and some people were
trying to undermine that.
Senator Lieberman and I passed the Defense of Marriage
Act, an act that became a little more noteworthy in the
last year or two. I thank Senator Lieberman for his help
and leadership on that issue. Bill Clinton signed that
bill. I am not sure he wanted to, but he did sign it in
the wee hours of 1996. That act is still the law of the
land. It basically says States do not have to recognize
other States' legalization of same sex marriage. Some
States have legalized gay marriage, which is their
prerogative, but due to our bill other States do not have
to recognize that. Some people presume that it will be
declared unconstitutional. I hope it is not. I would be
disappointed if the Supreme Court did overrule that. That
bill passed with 80-some-odd votes in the Senate and still
is the law of the land.
We passed the International Religious Freedom Act.
Again, I say ``we.'' Senator Lieberman joined me in
passing that bill. We passed that in 1998, and it is now
the law of the land. It is very important that we note
countries that are very repressive and oppressive in
stifling religious freedom. Unfortunately, we have seen
such oppression in many countries around the world. That
kind of bigotry is the genesis of a lot of the hatred and
violence and the wars we are fighting today.
We have ensured, with the passage of this act, that the
State Department will be much more proactive in not only
identifying cases of religious intolerance and
persecution, but will take proactive steps to change such
behavior as a matter of U.S. policy.
Senator Landrieu and I passed, in 2000, the Child
Citizenship Act, which basically grants citizenship to
foreign-born children who are adopted. I think 150,000
children became citizens in 1 day as a result of that act,
and I am greatly pleased to have been a part of that
success.
I have had the pleasure for the last couple of years of
being chairman of the Budget Committee. I look back at
some of our accomplishments, and I have to think maybe
those were some of the best in my career as a Senator.
The budget we passed in 2003 was a real challenge. We
probably spent more days, more hours, and had more votes
on the 2003 Budget Act than any other Budget Act in
history. I think we had 80-some-odd votes. It took more
than a week. It took about a week and a half, almost 2
weeks, on the floor.
I compliment Senator Zell Miller for his assistance in
that. We passed that budget with the Vice President
breaking the tie. That was not easily done. We defeated
numerous amendments, and were successful in passing a
budget that allowed us to have the opportunity to have an
economic growth package. President Bush was nice enough to
ask me to introduce the package and to try to carry it,
and we did. Again, Zell Miller was the principal co-
sponsor with me of the bill, the growth package. We
introduced that package in January 2003. We passed it in
June 2003.
When we first took up that legislation, the Dow Jones
was at about 7,700. Today, the Dow Jones is over 10,500.
We wanted to pass that package so we could stimulate the
economy because it was, at that time, pretty anemic.
Government receipts were still down. We wanted to get
something to grow the economy. We passed that package, and
not only did the stock market go up, receipts are up, and
we have created a couple million jobs since then.
We accelerated the tax cuts that were slowly being
phased in from the 2001 tax bill. So now we have a maximum
rate of 35 percent. Although some people say that is too
much of a giveaway, it is the same rate the corporations
pay, and I do not think individuals or self-employed
people should pay a higher rate than Exxon or General
Motors. So we passed that.
We also passed a 15-percent tax on capital gains and a
15-percent tax on corporate distributions, dividends,
which I firmly believe has greatly helped not just the
market but the economy. So I am proud of that.
I am proud of Zell Miller because he had the courage to
be a co-sponsor, to stand up and fight for those things
and make them become law. It also made a $1,000 tax credit
per child become law. It also eliminated or greatly
reduced the marriage penalty on married couples. If they
have taxable income of $58,000, that is $900 of tax
relief. Those are positive things. It would not have
happened without Zell Miller.
Zell Miller only served 4 years in the Senate. He
replaced a very dear friend of all of ours, Paul
Coverdell. I mourned Paul Coverdell's loss, and I stated
at the time he cannot be replaced; and he certainly cannot
be replaced. But Zell Miller has been one outstanding
addition to this body. He is a great patriot, not a great
Democrat or a great Republican, he is a great patriot, and
he stands for what he believes in, and he helped us enact
these measures which are vitally important.
I also read in the Washington Post today that somebody
said, well, the Budget Act is not working, and so on, and
there is no discipline in Congress. Frankly, they don't
know what they are talking about. I hate to tell them
that.
They also said we did not pass a budget this year. Well,
they don't quite know what they are talking about there
either. In the last 2 years, thanks to the collective will
of this body, we have made 82 budget points of order--in
the last 2 years--78 of which were sustained. I voted to
waive a couple of them. We defeated $1.7 trillion of
additional spending over a 10-year period on those 78
budget points of order.
The Budget Act did work. We passed a budget through the
Senate earlier this year that had domestic discretionary
spending at $821.9 billion.
I am confident that when the leader brings up an omnibus
bill this year, it is going to meet that goal of $821.9
billion. That is several billion dollars less than a lot
of people wanted.
I thank my colleague, Senator Stevens. I have wrestled
with him every day on appropriations bills. But Senator
Stevens helped us pass the 821.9 cap on the DOD
appropriations bill. I could not get the budget resolution
to pass. We passed it through the Senate and through the
House. I could not get the conference report adopted. That
was one of my disappointments.
One of our accomplishments, as most people didn't know,
was we did put in the spending cap on the DOD
appropriations bill and we are enforcing that cap and we
are abiding by that cap today. So I wanted people to know
that. I also thank people such as Thad Cochran and Senator
Specter, because they enforced the cap as chairmen of
their respective Appropriations subcommittees, probably
more than anyone. I didn't have to make the points of
order; they did it. It worked. We have non-discretionary
and non-homeland security growing at less than 1 percent
this year, compared to a 14-percent growth a few years ago
in President Clinton's last years. Yes, we are spending a
lot of money in defense and homeland security, no doubt
about it.
Are the deficits too high? You bet. Are they coming
down? You bet. The deficit this year was finalized at 400-
something, over $100 billion less than the administration
projected 9 months ago; and that is because revenues are
up and the economy is growing. The changes we passed in
2001 are working significantly.
I project, and CBO projects, they will continue to climb
by another $100 billion in the next year or so. Is the war
expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? You bet. Is the war on
terrorism worth it? Yes.
Earlier this year--I would say this was a real
highlight--I went to Iraq and Afghanistan with Senators
Sessions and Lieberman. I have done a lot of things, and I
have been to a lot of places around the world, but I
cannot tell you how proud I was to be in Iraq, basically
when there was a transition of power, when Mr. Allawi
assumed control of Iraq.
We met with the Defense Minister and he said: Yes, we
want to protect our country. When we met with our military
leadership and theirs, we were in the process of training
210,000 Iraqis, and we had a chance to meet with Iraqis
there that are hungry for freedom and thankful for our
support and eager to assume and take control.
They are talking about elections in January, and I am
hopeful and prayerful that those will be successful. I
believe they will be. Senator Sessions and I also went to
Afghanistan and met with now-President Karzai. It was
around July 4. They were scheduled to have elections in
October. They did that and he was elected overwhelmingly.
The success we have had in Afghanistan has been
absolutely phenomenal. I remember well the debates here,
with many people saying: You are going to be involved in a
quagmire; you will never be able to have democracy. You
cannot get in there. The Soviets were there 10 years and
lost tens of thousands of troops. You are going to do the
same thing.
Frankly, our military was successful, working with the
Afghan Northern Alliance and other Afghan people who
wanted freedom in Afghanistan. We basically helped them
take control of that country with a few hundred troops on
the ground and our Air Force. We have liberated
Afghanistan. They have had elections and they have proved
they can have a democracy. They will have parliamentary
elections early next year.
So the success we have had and have seen in Afghanistan
is restoring freedom to millions of people there. I
believe we are in the process of restoring freedom and
liberating the Iraqi people for the long run so the Iraqis
can control their own destiny. If you look at those
things, we have had an outburst, an outgrowth of freedom.
Abraham Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address: ``This
Nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom.''
This country is largely responsible for not only this
country having a new birth of freedom, but frankly
countries throughout the world, in our own hemisphere and
in the former Soviet bloc, and now even in places as
remote as Afghanistan and Iraq. To have been able to play
a small part in that over these last 24 years has been a
real pleasure.
I thank my constituents, the people of Oklahoma, for
giving me the opportunity and the privilege to serve them
for the last 24 years. I thank my family, and especially
my wife for her tolerance in allowing me to do this for
the last 24 years. I thank my colleagues who I have had
the pleasure of serving with and working with and the
pleasure of knowing. Frankly, my best friends are my
colleagues. I have spent a long time here and I have
absolutely loved this work. I love the Senate.
I think the Senate is in very good hands. My replacement
is Dr. Tom Coburn. I am honored that an active physician
would leave his career and serve in the Senate. We have
not seen it often. We saw it with Dr. Bill Frist, and I am
so grateful that he set aside his career as a talented
physician to serve in the Senate. I am delighted he is the
majority leader. He has done a fantastic job. I am
delighted Dr. Coburn has left his profession to serve in
the Senate. What a great addition to the Senate. I have
had the pleasure of working with Jim Inhofe, and I see Jim
and Tom Coburn doing an outstanding job in representing
our State.
I look at the leadership in the Senate today with Bill
Frist, Mitch McConnell, John Kyl, and the rest of the team
on this side, and with Harry Reid and others on the
Democrat side, and I see good things ahead for the Senate,
positive things.
I have been so fortunate also to have what I have often
said are the best staff on the Hill. I have truly been
blessed. I have many staff members who have been with me
for a long time.
Looking to my left is Bret Bernhardt, my chief of staff,
who has worked with me for over 20 years. Hazen Marshall
came in as an intern many, many years ago, and he is now
chief of staff on the Budget Committee. Nobody knows the
budget or taxes any better than Hazen Marshall. Both of
these men are true professionals.
I have so many people to thank. I cannot go down the
whole list. I will recognize some who have been with me
for over 20 years. In my Oklahoma City office, there is
Joey Bradford, who worked for me going back to Nickles
Machine Corporation in 1978-1979. She is still with me.
She will be the last person to turn out the lights. She is
a wonderful person. Jo Stansberry goes way back. She was
my secretary when I was a State senator in 1978, bless her
heart. She is the sweetest person you will ever know. She
is still with me today. Also, in my Oklahoma City office,
Judy Albro and Maurie Cole have been with me almost the
entire time. Sharon Keasler has been running my Tulsa
office for over 20 years.
In my DC office, Zev Teichman and Cynthia Singleton have
been with me the entire time.
They are wonderful people and true public servants, all
of whom could have done much better financially on the
private side, but they have stayed with us on the public
side, as well as many others.
I look at our staff and we have most of the staff still
with us. I am grateful for that. They are all anxious
about new careers, and they have been generous with their
time and very loyal in their support, not just to me but
to the people of Oklahoma and to this institution called
the Senate. The Senate is a very special place.
I also would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge two or
three other people who have had a profound and positive
impact on my life. One is Doug Coe. Some of our colleagues
know him very well. Doug Coe was a friend, brother, and
mentor whom I respect and love greatly. He is also a
golfer, and that is my favorite vice, I guess. Most
golfers play for a little money. Doug would say, ``I will
play you for a Bible verse.'' We would do it and, of
course, I would lose--predestined from on high. I will
never forget when Doug said here is a verse for you to
memorize. It was, I think, John 13:34: ``A new commandment
I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved
you, that you also love one another.'' He made me learn
that. I learned it in, I think, about 1981 or something.
He has been a very positive guiding light. I have tried to
keep that commandment in my heart when I am on this floor
and conducting my business, and it is good advice. I
wanted to thank him.
Also, I will mention a couple of other people. One is
Dick Halverson, the first Senate Chaplain with whom I had
the pleasure working. He was maybe one of the most
Christlike persons I have ever known. Lloyd Ogilvie, who
succeeded him, was a great mentor. He led many of us in
our Bible studies for years. He is a wonderful, wonderful
brother and friend. And now Barry Black. Barry Black, when
he was giving the prayer today, said we may seek to
accomplish causes beyond our lifetime. And he is so right.
That is what the Senate is about. It is about causes. It
is about things that can have consequences, that can have
real meaning beyond our lifetime eternally.
So I thank God for the opportunity and the privilege and
the pleasure to serve in this great body.
?
TRIBUTES
TO
DON NICKLES
Proceedings in the Senate
Monday, October 11, 2004
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, the motto of the great State of
Oklahoma is ``Labor Conquers All.''
How perfect this is for the senior Senator from
Oklahoma, Senator Don Nickles, who has accomplished so
much, and gone so far because of his willingness to work.
As a young man, after the death of his father, Don
Nickles worked his way through college as a janitor making
minimum wage. After graduation, he returned to his
hometown of Ponca City to help run the family business,
the Nickles Machine Corporation, of which he became vice
president, and then general manager.
In 1978, he was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate.
Two years later, in 1980, he was elected to the U.S.
Senate as part of the ``Reagan revolution.'' When he took
office in 1981, he was just 31 years of age, the youngest
Senator in the 97th Congress. Seventeen years later, in
1998, he became the only Oklahoma Republican ever elected
to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
During his 24 years in the Senate, for better and for
worse, Senator Nickles has remained consistently true to
his basic conservative principles. Congress Daily has
justly referred to him as, ``the keeper of the
conservative flame.''
Being true to his conservative principles has sometimes
led him into taking some lonely stands. And his
unflinching commitment to his conservative principles has
led him to take positions that have angered constituents
of his own State. His principles have even led him into
positions on issues that have annoyed me. In addition to
his views on tax cuts, I could mention his efforts to
block the Patients' Bill of Rights, his efforts to defeat
increases in the minimum wage, and his effort to scuttle a
Democratic initiative to help unemployed workers to be
able to afford medical insurance coverage. Still, I have
always admired and respected him for the firmness of his
convictions and his beliefs, and his willingness to stay
with them despite the consequences.
Even with the firmness of his convictions, he has never
allowed himself to be trapped or bound by dogmatic
partisan stands. Time and again I have watched and admired
his willingness to reach across the aisle and work with
Democratic Senators in bipartisan efforts to extend
unemployment benefits, to win passage of a regulatory
reform bill, and to secure passage of other measures that,
otherwise, may well have gone down in defeat.
During his 24 years in this Chamber, Senator Nickles has
served on the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee, Labor and Human Resources
Committee, Small Business, and Joint Committee on
Taxation.
For 14 of his 24 years in the Senate, he has served in
Republican Senate leadership, first as chairman of the
Senate Republican Senatorial Committee, and then as
chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, which he
transformed from a lunch club into a ``conservative think
tank.'' In 1996 and again in 1998, he was elected
assistant Republican leader, Republican whip.
In January 2003, Senator Nickles left the Senate
Republican leadership to become chairman of the Senate
Budget Committee, and this is where I really came to know
and appreciate what an outstanding legislator he is.
As I attended Budget Committee hearings and markups held
by Chairman Nickles, I came to realize his appreciation
for the Senate as an institution, and his determination to
make this institution work. I saw, first-hand, his efforts
to accommodate differences and to restore bipartisanship
to the Senate Budget Committee. While he staunchly
advocated his beliefs, Budget Chairman Nickles emphasized
politeness, courtesy, cordiality, and amiability. These
qualities endeared him to Democratic and Republican
members of the Budget Committee.
It was here in the work of the Budget Committee that I
really saw his personal side. I remember Senator Nickles's
first Budget Committee markup as chairman. Senator Nickles
arrived at the markup and announced that his daughter had
given birth to his first grandchild, Nicholas Fenton
Rossiter. I had seen many times the look of pride on a new
grandfather's face, and it inspired me to recite a poem
for his grandson. ``Dear Nicholas, first, in thy
grandfather's arms, a newborn child, thou didst weep,
while those around thee smiled, so live, that in thy
lasting sleep, thou mayst smile while those around thee
weep.''
But at the same announcement of the birth of his
grandson, I could not help myself in reminding Budget
Chairman Nickles that, given his support for a budget that
embraces record deficits, his sweet grandchild was born
owing $24,000 on the national debt.
Although I failed to disabuse him of his egregious
interpretation of the budget reconciliation process,
Senator Nickles, I am convinced, has come to understand
the importance of debate in the Senate. Earlier this year,
he devoted many hours to studying the budget rules for
ways to eliminate the so-called ``vote-a-ramas'' that
usually accompany the Senate's budget debates. To his
great credit, Senator Nickles demonstrated that rule
changes are not necessary. Together with Senator Conrad,
he orchestrated this year's budget debate in a manner that
allowed adequate time for all Senators to offer and debate
their amendments. For the first time in many years, there
was no ``vote-a-rama,'' thanks to Senator Nickles.
It has been reported in the media that Senator Nickles
was discouraged and disappointed that, in his final year
as chairman of the Budget Committee, the Senate was not
able to reach a consensus with the House of
Representatives on a budget resolution. I hope Senator
Nickles realizes that the model of civility he created as
chairman of the Budget Committee will be remembered and
emulated, and that this accomplishment will survive in the
annals of the Senate longer than any budget document.
While I must admit that I will not miss some of the
values that he so eloquently advocated, and for which he
so effectively fought, I do regret any time the Senate
loses a good person, and Senator Nickles is a very good
person. During his 24 years, this outstanding Senator,
through his hard work, his friendliness and his dedication
and determination, has helped make the Senate a better
place, and for that, I am grateful and thankful. Time and
again he has demonstrated that ``labor'' certainly does
``conquer all.''
I wish him and his wife, Linda, happiness, health, and
prosperity as they enter the next phase in their lives.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I want to take this
opportunity to pay tribute to and acknowledge how much I
will miss Senator Don Nickles in the U.S. Senate.
Since joining the Senate in 1980, Senator Nickles has
been a forceful advocate for smaller and smarter
government, while at the same time tenaciously fighting
for the interests of the people of Oklahoma. In a body
filled largely with lawyers and career politicians,
Senator Nickles brought a small businessman's perspective
to the legislative table. Throughout his career he spoke
from personal experience about the need to relieve
unnecessary burdens on our Nation's small businesses.
Personally, I have come to know Senator Nickles well
from our joint service on the Budget and Finance
Committees. Although we were often on the opposite sides
of policy debates, he was always a straight shooter, a
gentleman, and a pleasure to work with. In areas where we
disagreed, he was a formidable and articulate advocate for
his position. In areas where we agreed, he was a powerful
and determined ally. I am proud to say that, despite this
era of too much partisan division, I consider Senator
Nickles a good friend. His ability to maintain a civil and
respectful tone and demeanor in even the toughest policy
disputes has exemplified the finest traditions of the
Senate.
In his role as Budget Chairman, I am particularly
grateful for the graciousness and respect with which he
treated me and my staff. His efforts to strengthen the
Budget Committee and the budget process will be an
important part of his legacy in this body.
I have been honored to serve with Senator Don Nickles. I
join my colleagues in wishing the Senator and his family
all the best in the future and in paying tribute to his
tremendous contributions to the Senate and our Nation. We
will miss him.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Mr. BURNS. * * * Don Nickles will leave this Senate in
this year, having arrived in 1980 with President Ronald
Reagan. The real voice of conservatism, a fiscal
conservative, who stood in this Senate and fought wasteful
spending and did it with grace, did it with knowledge, a
leader among all.
There again, he being 8 years ahead of me, he was a
mentor and someone I could look to, study and learn from.
* * *
As to all of these men, I want to say you do form
relationships here, and there is a certain bond that
attracts us all, as we learn that even though you may be
on the same side of the aisle or the opposite side of the
aisle, one could always agree or disagree without being
disagreeable. That is what makes the Senate a special
place.
We will miss all of these men, but I am looking forward
to those who take their place as, there again, new
relationships will be developed, a new bond dealing with
the old challenges of a free society, with those who love
the Constitution and love this country who were prepared
to die for it and would if asked to do so today. No one
doubts the depth of their patriotism nor their service to
their country. We welcome them as we say goodbye to old
friends, old relationships that will never be forgotten.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I am so pleased that I have a
chance a say a few good words about my colleague, Don
Nickles. It is hard to talk about Don Nickles. I remember
him when he was in the State senate. I believe Don Nickles
at that time was the president of the College Republicans
in Oklahoma. I remember going to Ponca City and giving a
speech at his invitation. Afterward, he showed just an
incredible interest in politics. This was back in the
seventies. He ran for State senate. I believe it was in
1978. And he won.
Midway through that term, in 1980, a seat opened and he
decided he was going to run for the U.S. Senate. Everybody
laughed. Who is this kid, anyway? He was about 30 years
old. He still looks like he is about 35 years old. At that
time he looked like he was about 18 years old.
He ran and defeated some of the real heavyweights in the
State. Then he came and served in the Senate.
I understand that in those early years they wouldn't let
him ride the Members' elevators because they didn't
believe he was a Member. They thought he was a page.
Nonetheless, Don Nickles started proving himself. I
watched him mature in this job. As the years went by,
every time a 6-year period ended, he would talk about
dropping out. But we talked him into running.
Finally, he decided he needed to do something else with
his life and do what is in the best interests of his
family.
But he grew with the ability to offer expertise that I
haven't seen in the Senate since I have been here, and I
have been here for 10 years. I have watched Don Nickles as
he matured, as he gained knowledge in areas and expertise
in not just one isolated area but in all areas. When he
stands up to talk, everybody is quiet. They want to listen
to him because they know he knows what he is talking
about.
I can recall when Elizabeth Dole was first elected. We
were making a tribute to Don Nickles about 3 months after
she was here. She said: I have watched him talk about the
budget. I have watched him talk about how you finance
government. I have watched him go through all these very
difficult things, and I have been here 3 months and I have
to confess I don't even know what he is talking about. I
said: Elizabeth, don't feel bad. I have been here 10 years
and I still don't know what he is talking about.
Don Nickles developed that level of expertise that other
people do not. It is because he studies. He works.
He is going to be sorely missed by a lot of people
around here because of what he had to offer and because of
the contributions he has made.
I am 15 years older than Don Nickles. I have been his
junior Senator. I guess it is now time I become senior
Senator.
I will miss his expertise, his charm, his humor, and
most of all I will miss him because he is my brother. I
will miss him dearly. Don, it is going to be goodbye to
you but hang around. We look forward to working with you
and accepting your advice because I know it will be there
when we need it.
Mr. SHELBY. One of my colleagues we all care about and
work with is Don Nickles of Oklahoma. He came here as a
very young man in 1980. He has been here 24 years. He was
the whip, assistant majority leader. He was right here on
this floor. He spent many days, many hours trying to herd
us together as one of our leaders. He is now at the moment
the chairman of the Budget Committee, and that is a feat
in itself. He is a senior member of the Finance Committee.
We wish you had stayed around, but you chose to leave
the Senate on your own volition. Don, we will see you, we
will miss you, and I commend you for your service to the
Nation and to your great State of Oklahoma.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, Senators follow many different
paths on their way to this Chamber. Some come from the
professions, others from a life in public service.
Few have lived the American dream the way Don Nickles
has.
At age 20, Don Nickles was paying his way at Oklahoma
State University, living in a trailer home, working as a
janitor, and raising his growing family.
A few years later, he returned to his hometown. There he
pulled his family business from the verge of bankruptcy.
Pretty soon his neighbors elected him to the Oklahoma
Senate.
Then, in 1980, at the age of 31, when few expected it,
he became a U.S. Senator.
Don did not let his early success go to his head. He
worked hard to keep our country a place where men and
women can dream big and live those dreams.
In the Senate he has been a friend to taxpayers, an
opponent of overbearing regulation, a voice for
traditional values, and an ardent advocate for Oklahoma.
Don Nickles has worked to keep America a land of
opportunity--a place where everyone has a valued place and
nobody lacks the opportunities to succeed.
Through all of his hard work, through all of his toil,
he has always put family first. He and Linda have been
married for 36 years. And they have raised four wonderful
children.
In Don's favorite Bible chapter, Galatians 5, the
Apostle Paul lists a godly man's attributes. A godly man,
says Paul, works hard and lives a life of ``love, joy,
peace . . . kindness, goodness, faithfulness.''
I could not think of a better description of Don
Nickles. He has had an amazing career--and I take comfort
in that he is just hitting his stride.
We all wish Don and his family the best in what will
certainly be a bright future.
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I rise tonight to make a
quick comment about a dear friend. The greatest thing
about serving in the House of Representatives and the
Senate is meeting the colleagues we have the opportunity
to serve with on both sides of the aisle. As a Member of
the House of Representatives, I had the opportunity to get
to know a number of the Members of the Senate, one of whom
is retiring at the end of this session.
Don Nickles was elected to the Senate when he was too
young to serve in the Senate. He actually had a few months
after his election before he was old enough, but he was
old enough before he was sworn in. That was back in 1980.
He has now served with great distinction in this body for
24 years. He leaves with a record that not many Senators
are able to claim after serving in this Senate for
whatever period of time they may be here.
Don Nickles has been a leader in the Republican Party,
but most significantly he has been a leader in the Senate.
He is a man who has provided strong leadership on any
number of issues, whether they are fiscal issues as
chairman of the Budget Committee and a long-time member of
the Budget Committee, which is where I first got to know
him in our conferences between the House and the Senate,
or whether it is on energy or social issues, Don Nickles
possesses all the assets that America holds dear.
He is a strong family man. He is a hard-working
individual. He is a man of faith. He is a man who when he
looks you in the eye and tells you something, you can go
to the bank with it.
I am going to miss Don Nickles. I will miss his quick
wit. I am going to miss his being able to stand up in the
Senate and quickly take on anybody on either side of the
aisle with respect to whatever the issue may be or
whatever the rule may be that applies to the issue that
comes up.
I marveled at his ability to, off the top of his head,
take on folks on the other side of the aisle relative to a
particular issue and to point out issue by issue and point
by point what must be done. That is a unique capability
and something that must be studied and learned.
My predecessor, one of the folks who held my seat many
years before I got here, was the master of that. That is
Richard Russell. Don Nickles knows the rules just as well
as Richard Russell did.
I will miss Don in a number of respects off of this
Senate floor. He is a close personal friend. He and his
wife Linda are dear friends of Julianne and me. I will
have to find somebody else to get money off of on the golf
course because I have known Don so long now that I have
come to spend the money before I play golf.
He is a terrific guy both in the Senate as well as
outside the Senate. He is a man of great integrity. He is
the kind of Senator who every citizen of Oklahoma should
and has been proud of for his 24 years of service to the
Senate.
I went back to his hometown a couple of months ago, his
hometown of Ponca City, OK, a very small town in America.
Don was a football hero. As in my home State of Georgia
and my hometown, football is huge in Ponca City. They
still remember Don as a high school fullback and
linebacker.
His old coach was there that night to talk about Don and
some of the things he did during his high school career.
It is those foundations that people all across America
build upon to come to the Senate.
The things that were said about Don back then could
still be said about him today; that is, what a dedicated
person he was, what a hard-working person he was, and what
a student of the game he was, just like he has been a
student of the Senate.
No one there was surprised at what a great job Don had
done as a Member of the Senate and what a success he was,
what a success he will be once he leaves. Don had the
right kind of foundation and the right kind of instincts
and the right kind of family stability, support, and love
to make sure he did the right kind of job in the Senate,
and he will continue to be successful when he leaves here.
To Don and to Linda, we say thanks for the service to
our country. My children and my grandchildren are going to
benefit from the service of the Senate of Don Nickles.
That is something for which I will forever be grateful.
Just as important, I have been a better Senator than I
would have been otherwise because of Don Nickles. In
future years, because of what I have learned from Don
Nickles, I will be a much better Senator.
Don, we appreciate your service to our country. Thank
you. God bless you and Linda.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Mr. FEINGOLD. * * * I look forward to hearing the
remarks of my colleague, the Senator from Oklahoma, whom I
have enjoyed serving with very much, especially on the
Budget Committee * * *.
Again, I commend the Senator on his wonderful service to
this body.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, on leader time, I want to make
a few comments in tribute, not in response, to the great
man we just heard on the floor of this institution [Mr.
Nickles]. Over the last several days, all of us have taken
that opportunity for three of our colleagues on this side
of the aisle and others on the other side of the aisle, to
reflect on the past and how people have affected us
directly.
All of us have prepared remarks, and we have taken the
opportunity to read them into the Record or enter them
into the Record. What we just heard does reflect in many
ways why so many of us have such strong feelings about Don
Nickles and his family--Linda and their children.
For me, it boils down to two general areas. One is the
tremendous respect he has and continues to have and will
always have for this institution. He literally reveres
this institution. We heard it in his words today, the way
he closed referring back to Chaplain Barry Black's opening
this morning where causes beyond our lifetime is the
essence of this institution, and he has captured that in
his 24 years in the Senate--respect for the institution,
for its traditions, for its values, for its rules, for its
precedents, all of which he has manifested.
The second general area when I think of Don is his wise
counseling that he has been able to reflect in different
ways to each and every one of us. For me, it is the
National Republican Senatorial Committee. When I was first
thinking about running, I went directly to Don Nickles
because in the early nineties he developed a model that
was revolutionary at that time. The model really did go to
what happens at the grassroots, and it applied both in
terms of politics and fundraising. That model is one that
has come full cycle.
One thing he did not mention directly but touched me in
a very special way is what he did 2 weeks ago, and that is
run, whether it is marathons or short races or out for a
daily jog--I call it a jog; he actually runs. But for
about a year, at least once a week, sometimes several
times a week, we ran together with a few Senators--I think
there were more than 2--a few Senators, but more than
that, about 8, 9, 10, it got up to about 14 other people
who every morning at 6 o'clock would take off and go
initially for 30 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half, 2
hours, 3 hours, and Don kept going. But those are my
memories.
What is interesting is that, of the people running with
us, there were some new people. Then there were also
people who had done this for years and years, and those
rich relationships were played out on the floor of the
Senate or with his golf, which everybody knows about, or
the running, which is touching me.
A few weeks ago, he ran in the New York City marathon.
He ran it by himself. He probably ran it in 3 hours. I
would go much longer than that. I was back here, but I was
really with him, thinking of him when he was going to be
taking off and at each of those miles, as you run through
those boroughs. I was really with him because it brought
back memories of us spending time together.
That was for, again, a cause that goes beyond our
lifetime because our running and the group that he put
together was for an effort that Linda, his wife, I think
introduced him to, the Lombardi Cancer Center. Again, it
shows how everything comes together, in ways beyond going
out to have a good run and working for this greater cause.
He mentioned getting to know each other. In terms of
counseling to me, directly or indirectly, you cannot go
anywhere in this town without Don Nickles being
recognized, without him having touched or having a
relationship in some special way over the last 24 years,
and counseling in terms of the prayer breakfast. Don
Nickles was there every single week, and the Bible studies
again touch me directly in that those few moments every
week we have the opportunity to come together and share.
He mentioned the positive and guiding light of Doug Coe
in the same way he has touched us in those prayer
breakfast meetings.
He mentioned the budget, again the wise counsel that he
set in place that we will be using over the next several
years as we look at tax relief, but also the impact it has
had on the jobs and growth in this country.
I have to mention his overall optimism because there is
nobody more optimistic in the Senate, even in very tough
times, trying times. There were times dealing with the
budget over the last 4 years that were tough, difficult,
hard, challenging, especially in 2003. Even through all
that, he was optimistic, upbeat, reaching out. He always
knew there was some way to get the best out of people
working together.
I will close by mentioning--and we had this conversation
2 nights ago--his overall commitment to family. Everything
comes back to Linda and their four children--Don Nickles,
Jr., Jenny Rossiter, Kim Nickles, and Robyn Nickles.
Everything he does comes back through that unit, to Linda
who has--he used the word ``tolerance,'' and it does take
a lot of tolerance to put up with Don Nickles, I am sure.
Linda was there, I should also add, with support through
every one of his endeavors.
It has been a real privilege for Karyn and me to get to
know them and their entire family.
He used a Bible verse, his favorite Bible chapter,
Galatians 5. The Apostle Paul lists a godly man's
attributes. A godly man works hard, says Paul, lives a
life of--the words that are key--love, joy, peace,
kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. As we look at that
string of words, those nouns, I cannot think of a better
description of Don Nickles.
So, Don, we will miss you. I say that recognizing all
our relationships will continue to grow. We will clearly
miss you on the floor of the Senate.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, most Americans probably do
not know the Senate is a continuous body. From the day the
Founding Fathers established this marvelous institution up
until today, it has never had a termination point. It goes
on and on. Senator Byrd can tell us exactly how many
Members of the Senate there have been. The last figure I
heard was something over 1,500.
Candidly, a significant number of those probably did not
make much difference. They filled the seats. They made
sure the continuous body continued. But very few left any
footprints on the sands of time. We have honored a handful
out here off the Senate floor, people such as Henry Clay,
Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, and just a couple of
others.
I have been here now a couple of decades, a little bit
less than my friend from Oklahoma. I can say without fear
of contradiction, from the moment I got here until today,
the Senator from Oklahoma has been a leader in this body.
He has been involved in virtually every issue of
consequence in the 20 years I have been here in some kind
of leadership capacity or providing his inspiration or, as
the majority leader indicated, his enthusiasm for getting
a solution to the problems confronting America at that
particular moment.
So I say to my friend from Oklahoma, he has left
footprints in this body.
He is one of the great Senators in the history of our
country. We will always remember his service, and we wish
him Godspeed in the coming years and look forward to
seeing him again in his new capacity whatever it may be.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I have not been coming to
the floor for a lot of speeches about our fellow Senators,
nor have I given very many as they are departing. I do
intend to do that in the next few months for all of them,
but I would not dare let this Record go today without my
having an opportunity to share some remarks with the
Senate about the Senator from Oklahoma.
There is nobody here who has served on as many
committees together as Senator Nickles and Senator
Domenici. We have been thrilled to work on the Energy
Committee. He has told us the facts about energy. He has
told us the impact that was made by that committee, and
nobody can doubt that to have the Senator from Oklahoma
come to that committee, having lived with the
ridiculousness of the rules on natural gas, having him
there was a great stimulus to change, once and for all--we
did a little bit and we opened the floodgates--to give the
country a great supply of energy called natural gas.
More important than that, he is one who takes an
opportunity to come forth with an idea, with a cause, and
set it forth when people do not even think it has a
chance. All of a sudden it gathers some more momentum, and
then it is a big issue, and nobody believes it but pretty
soon it passes and becomes law. There are so many that we
cannot talk about them. The Senator has talked about some
of them.
When you came here, your senior Senator was kind of the
opposite of you. He was a great hulk of a man. He was
older than you by far. If he ever bragged, it was about
being a marine lieutenant tank commander. He used to look
at me and tell me: Well, I do not know. This Nickles is
just too young. I am not sure he can do this job.
Well, I am sure he told you some of those things when
you were running or preparing to run, but your youth had
nothing to do with your success. You were going to get it
done because you have a great capacity to lead and to work
with people. It has been my privilege to have you as my
teammate.
There is one thing for sure, this place does not succeed
without people who have talent. We can all look that over
and say it is not so, but it is so. You are a very
talented man, but talent is not enough. You have to be
loyal.
Senator Nickles is the second most senior serving
Senator on the Budget Committee, 20 years. I am the one
who was goofy enough to serve more, but he was there
during most of my time. Many times, Senator Don Nickles
did not get exactly what he wanted, but when it came to
the time of getting something for this Senate that would
permit us to follow that Budget Act, you never worried
about Don Nickles. He may have pushed and shoved and maybe
held out to the end, but when the time came that you said,
We have to do this, Don, he understood. That is because of
what he just said here today. He really loves this place.
He learned how to love it. He did not love it when he came
here. He might have told his colleagues that he started
liking it, but he did not love it the first few years like
he does now.
I had the privilege once of nominating him for a
leadership job. He will not ever forget that introduction
because he was thinking I was not going to be speaking on
behalf of him, but I surely was. I said something like,
Don Nickles came here and he was just too young. Then I
proceeded to say, however, I have never seen a Senator
mature as much and as fast as he has in terms of acquiring
the skills and the capacity and understanding to be a
Senator, after which time I suggested that he should win
that particular job he was seeking. He did, obviously. I
did not have anything to do with it, but nonetheless that
is sort of the way I saw him for the first 8, 10, or 12
years.
Senator, you never stopped. You never stopped growing,
and I think to grow in this place, besides the qualities I
have just described, you have to end up understanding what
the Senate is.
I have heard you many times in the last part of your
career talk about what a great place this is, and I really
believe you understand it. I think you understand that it
is not just some legislative body. You have many times
cast your vote, done your work, chastised and begged,
cajoled people to do things because you would tell them
sometimes when it was urgent that this is the Senate and
we cannot be all on our own. We have to be a part of this
place, and sometimes you have to do things to make it
work.
I commend you for all of that and the policies and
philosophies that you brought here. We did not agree on
some of them. We have not agreed on everything, but I say
the Senate was better off for every single day that you
were here, and it will not be quite as good until somebody
comes along and fills your seat. As our distinguished whip
said, it is a continuing place, and we will go on. But I
honestly think there will be sort of a place here for you,
and we will remember how you used to do things, and, yes,
Senator, you will know how you grew in terms of working
with the other side. I mean, all of a sudden you would
have something and we would wonder what is going on, and
you would announce your co-sponsor and we would say, well,
he started with something that was not going to work, but
he has been working at it and it is going to work. I
commend you for that. That is the end product of real
growth and a real ability to get done what you thought was
good.
So I will miss you and your wonderful family and your
wife. You have been through some tough problems with the
family just like many of us. You have come through it
strong and robust, and your children are beautiful and
successful.
As far as the prayer breakfast is concerned, you have
stated this morning in beautiful terms, just as a matter
of fact, with Doug Coe and other names, but I can remember
talking to you many times about that, how it made you
mature also in terms of your faith, in terms of how we
prayed and how we did other things. For that relationship,
I thank you. It has little to do with the Senate, but if
it were not for the Senate, we would not have had that
experience together.
So this is a good day because we get to say something
about a great Senator, but on the other hand not so good a
day because we say goodbye. He is young enough to honestly
spend another 24 years here. I am 72 and I have been here
33 years, so I clearly could have left a while ago. Then I
would be out there doing whatever you are going to be
doing; I am sure you will have a lot more leisure time.
You can hit the ball. Me, maybe I could play with my 11
grandchildren now, and growing.
Thank you, Don. It has been great to be your friend.
Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise after listening to
the words of our distinguished whip, who has been here
more than a couple of decades, and the distinguished
Senator from New Mexico, who has been here more than three
decades. I have only been in the Senate a couple of years,
but I do want to let the distinguished Senator from
Oklahoma know and say very publicly what an impact he has
had on me and what deep respect I have for him.
When he came here, he talked about having respect for
the Senate, and I certainly understand that. It is
somewhat overwhelming to me. As he kind of recapped the 24
years, talking about the love that he has for this
institution, I want to let him know what that means to
somebody like me who comes here certainly with that
respect--that love is something that grows. Love is
something that is in the heart.
As I reflect upon a colleague who has been here, who has
had some tough things he has had to do, I say to my
friend--truly my friend from Oklahoma, the chairman of the
Budget Committee--he is in an institution, surrounded by
folks who like to say yes, who like to spend money. We
like to take care of those around us who have needs. That
is a good thing. But we also have to have a fundamental
understanding. As in any family, you have to know what you
earn and you have to know what you can spend. You have to
have some discipline and you have to have some values and
you have to do the right thing. It is hard, because
naturally we want to say yes to those who come and say, We
need help.
Because of the integrity of the Senator from Oklahoma,
because of and help us understand what it meant to hold
the line, to do the right thing, in the end, to build a
stronger America.
His philosophical foundation, framework, ``restoring
economic freedom for America,'' is something he said he
started thinking about early, and that he always believed
in it when he got here. Certainly in each and every thing
I have seen him do here, it has been part of his core
value, restoring economic freedom for America, so in fact
we produce hope and opportunity and greater times for moms
and dads. He has done it.
I cannot say I always thought it was the right thing to
do. I can't say that every time we voted the same way. But
I do want to let the Senator from Oklahoma know how
important his words and his values and his integrity were,
what they meant to me.
I have been going to the prayer breakfasts since I came
to the Senate. I have listened to some of his helpful
suggestions for strengthening faith. They have made a
difference. They have made an impact.
You are going to be gone, physically gone, and the
Senate will be different. But I have no doubt, and I feel
part of that, that your faith and your love and your
strength and what you have been about has had a profound
impact on so many of us here. It has had a profound impact
on me. Although you will not be here, know that as I go
about making the decisions I make, I have no doubt I will
reflect upon your words, reflect upon what you might think
is the right thing to do, and then make the decisions I
have to make.
You may be gone. You may move from this body. You are
still a relatively young man with a great family, a
magnificent wife. You are a person who can look back on
all you have accomplished and still have the opportunity
to accomplish so much more. But I do want to thank the
Senator from Oklahoma for his service. I thank him for the
opportunity he has given me to serve with him. I thank him
for the impact he has had on my life, hopefully making me
a better Senator, a better humble servant, a person better
able to contribute with a deeper appreciation of how
important faith is to the service we give. I want him to
know what he is about certainly will live with me in the
time I have to stay. I simply want to say for all of that:
Thank you and God bless you.
Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, Don Nickles has been
truly one of our great Senators for almost a quarter of a
century. I join with the remarks of others who came before
me, and particularly Mitch McConnell's belief that Don
Nickles is one of the best of all times in this body.
He rode into Washington at the age of 30, determined to
fight for a heartland vision of America with all his
strength and energy. As he leaves here, still a young man,
limping a little bit from that New York marathon he just
ran a few days ago, every one of us can say he was true to
those ideals and extraordinarily effective in advocating
them. This Senate and this Nation is losing a tremendous
champion. We are losing one of our most valuable Members.
Don was a small businessman who had seen personally the
oppression of mindless regulation and taxes and rules that
make creating a business and creating jobs difficult and
frustrating. He knows taxes stifle growth and human
creativity and taxes mean a transfer of power and wealth
from the people who have earned it by the fruit of their
labor, sending it to Washington for governmental
politicians to dispense.
He knows government spends too much and is too wasteful.
And he knows as a true man of faith that ultimately it is
the families, the hearts, and the faith of America in
which our strength resides.
Those values he holds and he holds them very strongly.
For those values he has worked ably and courageously to
his last day in the Senate. As his service here comes to
an end, he can know that in each of these areas where he
has committed himself, to a remarkable degree our country
has made real progress. We have. He can and should take
great pride in knowing he was a key player in effecting
the historic transformation of this country from an era of
big government to an era in which even President Clinton
would say: Big government is over.
The battle hasn't totally ended. The roaches will come
back. No doubt we will have to continue to spray. But
tremendous progress has been made. Don's critical role in
this historic reversal of the liberal big government
vision as the answer to all our problems can be seen, in
part, by examining the key positions he has held. He
chaired the Budget Committee, the Republican Policy
Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee,
the Republican Platform Committee for the Republican
National Convention, and he held a critical position of
assistant Republican leader, the second person in charge
here in the Senate.
During his career he has been involved in many key
battles. One of the most crucial was the lead he took in
opposing the Clinton administration one-size-fits-all
health care plan in 1993. He offered a countervision of
consumer choice and for Americans he won that battle by
blocking what I think to be ill-advised legislation. I
know he took great pride when Congress passed the Medicare
prescription drug bill last year that included his vision
for medical savings accounts and for more competition in
the health care industry. I didn't agree with everything
in that bill, but the good parts he and I battled for are
going to be important for years to come in health care in
America.
Two years later, in 1995, he secured passage of the
Congressional Accountability Act, which made Congress
abide by the same health and safety standards that
employers around America did. That was an important
psychological victory for those who suffered under
government regulation, that those of us who write the
regulations have to abide by them, too. In 1995 he
authored the bill for families to receive $500 per child
tax credit. Now it is $1,000 per child tax credit. When I
campaigned in 1996, it was one of the primary emphases of
my campaign. I strongly believed, and believe to this day,
that nothing has been done to strengthen families more
than allowing the working families trying to raise
children today to have an extra $1,000 in their pockets to
take care of their children and their families. Don
Nickles was the one who drove that home.
In 1998 the International Religious Freedom Act that he
referred to in his remarks became law. He has been a
champion of religious freedom and rights. He worked to
establish this commission to develop appropriate responses
to violations of religious liberty worldwide. Since the
bill's passage, the commission has issued four annual
reports on religious freedom and persecution around the
world. This act will become more and more important as the
years go by, as we are now seeing a rise in religious
intolerance and persecution around the world. Now we have
an authoritative source so the world can know how serious
this problem is, and that knowledge can help us lead to
positive change.
The next year, the Senate passed the Patients' Bill of
Rights legislation.
Throughout 1998, Senator Nickles chaired a task force of
Republican Senators, on which I served, working to better
understand and respond to the concerns about managed
health plans. His group wrote and introduced the Patients'
Bill of Rights-Plus, a responsible alternative to the plan
that would have dramatically increased health care costs.
It was a terrific battle. Don called us together daily to
prepare on how to carry out the debate. The opposition
said a massive intervention into the American private
insurance market by the Federal Government was necessary,
and anybody who dared oppose this huge Federal mandate
would just be run over by them. But Don proposed
legislation that targeted the real abuses, with minimum
cost increases and limited Federal regulation.
His bill would have, in fact, impacted the cost of
premiums only a fraction of what was proposed by the
opposition.
It may now seem a small matter. At the time of that
debate it was a central issue before the Congress for
months, and pressure from the liberal news media to pass
an expansive bill was great. There could be no doubt that
his personal leadership on behalf of individual citizens
and small businesses was a key factor in the successful
effort to avoid a fundamental takeover of private
insurance in America.
In 2003 he became chairman of the Budget Committee, and
I had the honor of serving as a member. During his
chairmanship he made great strides to protect the fiscal
sanity of our country. He led the Budget Committee during
the time of war when our homeland was attacked and when we
had a serious economic slowdown. He faced a surging
national debt, and it was a time of heated partisanship in
an evenly divided Senate. I was doubtful that anything
could be accomplished because of the partisan atmosphere,
and I told Don of my doubts.
I said: I am not sure we can produce a budget. He
understood the difficulty he was facing but was convinced
that a responsible budget was essential for America. He
set to work with his usual skill and determination and
commitment to principle and courtesy. He knew his budget
depended on many. There was, indeed, much political
posturing on all sides as all maneuvered to promote their
interests. But Don never wavered. He was confident, funny,
gracious, and determined.
The result was a very responsible 2004 budget with good
spending limitations and caps. Wisely, he managed to make
sure there would be a cap for fiscal year 2005, which we
are in now, in case the budget would have failed this
year. Without doubt, this was a good plan. It was critical
that the Senate at that time pass a budget in a time of
national insecurity and great deficits. It impacted
positively, I believe, the economic situation of our
country.
We didn't produce a fiscal year 2005 budget, although
Don gave it his all. I have never seen him work so hard.
He tried everything that could be done to achieve a budget
for this year. That effort failed, but his fiscal year
2004 cap still made sure that we could maintain spending
control.
I could say more, but I will just close with the remarks
that were shared by Phil Gramm as I talked about Don one
time. I said something good about him. And Phil Gramm, an
astute observer and great Senator, shook his head and
said: I am always amazed that this machine shop operator
from Oklahoma is so consistently right on every issue that
comes up.
I agree. He has been consistently right for every year
he has been here. He has been the leader in the values
that the American people share. He has played a critical
role in the development of a new vision for government in
America. He has produced regulations; he reduced taxes; he
has empowered people around the globe. It has been an
honor and a pleasure for me to call him a friend and serve
with him. I admire him greatly.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, I came here primarily to
listen this afternoon and show my respect for the Senator
from Oklahoma.
My remarks will be very brief.
I want to begin with a story that I told the Senator
from Oklahoma before. My mentor in politics is the former
majority leader of this body, Howard Baker. I got involved
in politics because of him in the sixties, when we were
building a two-party system in Tennessee. I remember the
campaign of 1980. Senator Baker was the Republican leader.
He changed the name on the door from ``Minority Leader''
to ``Republican Leader'' because he didn't want the
Republican Party thinking of itself as a permanent
minority. Many people thought he was just whistling
``Dixie,'' so to speak.
At that time, there were 37, 38, or 39 Republican
Members, and no one saw much prospect of getting much
further ahead of that.
Then came a tidal wave in 1980 with the election of
President Reagan and 13 or 14 new Republican Senators. It
went from fewer than 40 to more than 50. Senator Baker had
predicted that. I had learned to pay attention to him.
I saw him after the election. I said: Well, you were
right about that. You were about the only person who was.
He said: I will tell you one thing.
I said: What is that?
He said: Pay attention to Nickles.
I said: Who is Nickles?
He said: He is this young, 32- or 33-year-old new
Senator from Oklahoma, and he is going to be a real force
to deal with.
I have paid attention to Senator Nickles ever since
then. I have served in the Senate with the Senator from
Oklahoma, and during that time I have seen him a lot. We
have known each other. I think Senator Baker was correct.
A lot of people have paid attention to Don Nickles ever
since 1980. I am delighted to have had the privilege of
serving 2 years with him in the Senate.
In my experience, I have found him highly intelligent.
He has been a big help with the complex issues that we
have here. He is principled. That is important. And he has
been easy to work with from the point of view of a
colleague.
I heard his remarks to the new Senators that he was
meeting with; he and the Senator from Louisiana spoke to
them as they were stepping down. He was suggesting that
even though he is known as a principled, effective, and
conservative Senator, he reminded them that in order to
get things done in the Senate there has to be a consensus.
And that usually means finding ways of dealing across the
aisle with colleagues we respect.
I am simply here today to show respect, not to make a
speech.
I am glad to have that opportunity and finally to say
something that may be a little different from what some of
your other colleagues have said.
I admire your decision, and from my perspective I think
it is the right one. Life is big. It is more than
politics. It is more than government.
This is a big wonderful world in which we live. We live
in a magnificent country. There is a lot to savor.
For example, when I have been in and out of public life
at different times and leaving the governorship, going
into the private sector was liberating. I found that my
focus had been narrow and that there were a great many
things about my personal life, about my family's life,
about my country's life, and about the private sector that
I could get involved in and found very interesting. Over
time I found I could come back to the public sector with a
new energy, a broader experience and a different
perspective.
I don't know what the future may hold for you.
I think it is wise to make such an enormous contribution
here, and at the peak of that, to step out and take that
to other places. For one, I hope the future will include,
in some way, a contribution in the public arena. But you
certainly deserve a chance to explore the private arena.
It has been my privilege to know you and to serve with
you, and to know, once again, that Howard Baker was right
in 1981 when he said, ``Pay attention to Nickles.''
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, obviously, in the brief time
here I am not going to be able to say everything that
comes to mind about the Senators who are retiring but to
summarize a little bit of the information for the benefit
of those who might be watching.
When you have long, distinguished careers of Senators
and they decide not to run for reelection but leave the
body, there is a lot that comes to mind about their
service. I think it is good to remind ourselves of just a
few of these things because of the service they have
provided, both to the people of their own States and to
the United States.
Starting, for example, with our colleague from Oklahoma,
Don Nickles, he served both in the leadership of the
Senate Republican Conference as well as chairman of the
Budget Committee. The last 2 years of his time, during his
chairmanship of that committee, he was deeply involved on
behalf of taxpayers in saving literally hundreds of
billions of dollars in taxpayer money that might otherwise
have been spent but for his hard work in ensuring that we
had the procedural mechanisms in place to object to excess
spending.
Second, ensuring that taxpayers could keep more of their
money. Helping to get passed significant tax reform,
especially during the first term of President Bush, the
2001 and 2003 tax cuts in particular, coupled with the tax
cuts of this past year, has meant substantial savings for
all American taxpayers.
The marginal rate reductions accelerated in 2003, and
the reduction in capital gains and dividend tax rates,
have been a substantial reason that the economy has moved
forward as quickly as it has.
Senator Don Nickles was significantly involved in every
one of those, and his leadership in tax policy is going to
be sorely missed when he leaves the Senate.
He got his start in Nickles Machinery back in Ponca
City, OK, and he understood early on the lessons of how
government involvement in business could make it much more
difficult to not only grow a business but to employ people
and to contribute to the economy. It is one of the
reasons, when his father passed away, that he began to
understand how the estate tax can act in a pernicious way
on American families when his business had to actually
sell off part of its equity in order to pay the estate
tax, to make it more difficult for them to stay in
business, to employ the people they did, and do the work
they did. He understood, therefore, from practical
experience why we needed to reform the Tax Code, and he
was instrumental in the reformation of the estate tax as
well with the spouses' deduction, which was largely his
work.
There is so much more one could say about the efforts of
Senator Don Nickles. He is a great friend of all of us. In
addition to being very focused on getting the work done,
he always managed to do so with a smile on his face and a
slap on the back in a way that made it hard for people to
disagree with him even when they didn't particularly
follow his legislative agenda.
Don Nickles will be very much missed in the Senate. He
leaves, even after 24 years, at such a young age that he
will be in Washington and around this country in a way to
continue to have interaction with us. We all cherish that
because of our friendship with Don Nickles.
It is bittersweet that Don will be leaving the Senate,
but we know after his significant contributions to this
country he certainly deserves an opportunity to move on. *
* *
These are only four of the colleagues who are going to
be leaving us at the end of this session. These are
Senators whom I became particularly close to. I wanted to
say a word about each one of them, to wish them all the
very best, bid them farewell, also to know they have too
many friends around here to ignore. And we are going to be
staying in touch with every one of them.
We thank them for their service to the people of their
States, to the Senate, and to the people of the United
States of America.
Mr. FITZGERALD. Our whips on the Republican side, Don
Nickles and Mitch McConnell--Don Nickles has done such a
good job for the taxpayers of this country. It has been an
absolute pleasure to watch him fighting excessive spending
and confiscatory taxation. I have been pleased to join him
over and over again to hold the line on spending and to
vote against tax increases and for tax relief, something
that I view as very important.
I am retiring at the same time as Senator Nickles. I
will miss him greatly as part of this body, but I hope to
see him often in life outside of the Senate.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, * * * I am going to yield
the floor, but I do want to talk about our other
colleagues who are retiring in a few minutes. There are a
lot of good people here on both sides of the aisle.
We are going to miss all of our friends over here, but I
am going to miss Don Nickles. I have had a lot of fights
with him, but I know he always knew where he wanted to go.
I respected that.
Peter Fitzgerald, newer among us, but a gentleman to be
noted, and Ben Nighthorse Campbell comes from a State I
love. I have two grandchildren there. He is a decent
fellow. We are going to miss all of them. I will talk
about them later.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, while the Senate
is holding in abeyance for the final omnibus
appropriations bill that the House is getting ready to
file sometime tonight, I want to take the opportunity to
pay tribute to our retiring Senators: Tom Daschle, Fritz
Hollings, Don Nickles, John Breaux, Ben Nighthorse
Campbell, John Edwards, Peter Fitzgerald, Zell Miller, and
Bob Graham.
I wish to make a speech about each one of these Senators
who has become a dear friend, in some cases, over the
years, such as Fritz and Peatsy Hollings, who took special
interest in me as I came to the Senate and made sure I got
on his Commerce Committee, which has been just an
extraordinary experience with him as chairman, as well as
with the present chairman, John McCain.
Don Nickles, whom I have known over the 24 years he has
been in the Senate, for I was in the House at the time,
has been a regular in our Wednesday morning Senate prayer
breakfast. He is a good friend. * * *
So for all of these names I have mentioned, in the great
poem ``Ulysses,'' he says, ``I am a part of all that I
have met,'' and I am a part of all these great Senators. I
am much richer for it and for having been their friend.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. I talked before about Tom Daschle. I
also will discuss the rest of our colleagues who are
leaving the Senate.
When the 109th Congress convenes in January, nine of our
current colleagues will not be here. I take a few moments
to pay tribute to them. Collectively, our colleagues have
served in the Senate for 144 years. We will miss them. * *
*
Mr. President, I will talk about a couple of my friends
on the Republican side.
I have had my differences with Don Nickles. We both have
served on the Budget Committee, and it is hard to believe
that he, at his tender age, has been here for 24 years. He
is still so youthful looking. As a matter of fact, the two
Senators from Oklahoma at one point in time did not equal
the age of one of the Senators from South Carolina. They
are both very young. But he was so young when he came here
in 1981. He was barely 32.
On the subject of age, if I might digress, after 30
years of business I never dreamed I was going to be here
24 years, Lord willing. And for my friends on the
Republican side, don't count me out at the end of 24
years.
I worked with Don Nickles for many years on the Budget
Committee. He has been a passionate, articulate spokesman
for conservative causes, but he has always been a good
opponent, a gracious opponent. The Senate is going to miss
his energy and his knowledge. * * *
I close my remarks by noting that these men have made
remarkable contributions to our society, and all Americans
should be grateful. I would tell those who are retiring, I
retired 4 years ago, and I did not like it. So here I am.
Perhaps there is hope for any of them who want to rejoin.
If you want to come back, I am here to tell you it can be
done. Just make sure that you get to keep your seniority.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and thank my colleagues
for their indulgence while I made my remarks.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, let me say--this is probably
the first and only time I have ever said this--I have been
listening carefully to my friend from New Jersey, and I
agree with everything he said.
I have had a chance to talk a little bit about some of
these people who are retiring, and at some length about
Senator Nickles, and I certainly appreciate the Senator's
remarks about him.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I know the hour is getting late
and others want to be heard, but I briefly want to express
some thoughts about our colleagues who are leaving this
wonderful body. Today we have heard some very compelling
speeches, particularly the one given by my good friend,
Tom Daschle of South Dakota, our Democratic leader.
I was pleased to see so many of our colleagues remain on
the floor to listen to the departing Democratic leader.
The words he expressed about his State, his staff, his
colleagues, his feelings about the country, and the
future, are instructive. I know it can sound repetitive
when people hear us talk about our colleagues this way,
but I think it is important for the public to note that
while they might hear only about the bickering, the part
that you do not often see is the deep respect, affection,
and caring that goes on among the Members of this body.
This affection comes despite the differences that exist in
red States and blue States, or being strongly conservative
or strongly liberal.
There is this weaving of a common denominator through
each and every one of us, particularly after years of
common service in this remarkable institution we call the
Senate. There is a deep and abiding respect for those who
have come here, those who have served here, those who have
tried to make a difference for our country.
It may seem like it is inside discussion, but I hope the
public understands how deeply felt these comments are
about colleagues who will no longer have the pleasure of
spending each and every day in this Chamber, but whose
friendship and collegiality will continue in the years
ahead as we encounter each other in different walks of
life. * * *
Mr. President, Don Nickles and I arrived here on the
same day in January 1981. There were 16 Republicans and 2
Democrats. If you think we had a sweep one way or the
other a week or two ago, in 1981 there was truly a sweep.
There were 16 Republicans and 2 Democrats. The other
Democrat was Alan Dixon of Illinois, my good friend. Of
the 16 Republicans who were elected, there will now only
be 2 left in the 109th Congress. Today there are 3 of the
16 Republicans elected in 1980. Don Nickles is the third,
and he is leaving. I always say 50 percent of the
Democrats are still here after 24 years.
It was an interesting class. Don Nickles certainly was a
remarkable public servant. Here he is after 24 years. I
think Don is barely over 50. He was one of the youngest
people ever elected to the Senate. He looks even younger.
I think he ran the marathon just a few weeks ago, and is
certainly in great health. He is truly a remarkable
person.
We have disagreed on issues and have different points of
view on many questions facing our country. But there has
been no tougher, tenacious fighter for policies which he
holds so dear, particularly in budgetary matters.
He has been a staunch supporter of lower taxes on
business, of free markets, of limited government
regulation. He is as tough a competitor as you are ever
going to find.
I will tell you that when the battle is over--again,
this is my advice to the new Members coming in, if you
want a real role model to look to on how to serve--you
could have one of the most fierce debates in your life out
here on the floor with Don, but the minute that debate was
over, you wouldn't have a better friend when you walked
off the floor. He knew how to separate differences on
public policy and not have it contaminate personal
relationships.
Again, the new Members arriving here, as you get
involved in debates, if you have disagreements with your
colleagues on matters, don't let it become personal. That
very colleague you are having the fight of your life with
today, tomorrow may be your most significant ally on
another issue. Don Nickles is a wonderful example of that
kind of stewardship in the Senate.
So to Don, Linda, and their family and children, we wish
them the very best in the coming years. I am confident one
way or the other that Don Nickles is going to be directly
and deeply involved in the public debate and discourse in
our country in the coming years. * * *
I apologize for taking this extra time. It is important
that the public hear Members talk about each other, even
those who disagreed on matters, that they understand why
this institution works more than 230 years after the
Founders created it.
I, as a Senator from Connecticut, take unique pride in
the Senate because it was Roger Sherman and Oliver
Ellsworth, both of Connecticut, who offered at the
Constitutional Convention the idea of the Senate
representing small and large States. Arguing over a
unicameral system, Sherman and Ellsworth said, how about
having a second body with equal representation, regardless
of the size or the population of the State. As a result,
this institution was created. It has been a great place
that has served our Nation for so long and I am confident
it will in the future.
We have been blessed by the participation of those who
are leaving. All of us wish each and every one of them the
very best in the years to come.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the year was 1980.
Inflation was 13 percent, mortgage rates were hitting 15
percent, unemployment was 7.1 percent, and the economy was
suffering its 4th year of recession in 10 years.
The Soviet Union was on the march in Afghanistan, its
puppets were leading insurgents in Central America and
South Africa, and U.S. Embassy officials were being held
as hostages in Iran.
``Stagflation'' and ``malaise'' were the new words of
the American lexicon.
Then the Reagan revolution swept across this Nation and
into this town. And while Ronald Reagan was the leader, he
was not alone. Across this broad Nation, ordinary people
came to this city with similar vision and they helped
President Reagan accomplish extraordinary things.
One of these ordinary people was a young businessman
from Ponca City, OK. At the tender age of 31, Don Nickles
was the youngest Republican ever elected to the U.S.
Senate.
But while he might have been young, it didn't take long
for the Senate to discover that this young man--a former
janitor who worked his way through college--was wise
beyond his years and as solid as the Rock of Gibraltar.
Freedom has had no greater defender than Don Nickles. He
has been a strong proponent of the free enterprise system.
On budget, tax, debt matters--in fact on almost every
conceivable question of fiscal policy, Don Nickles was
dead on target.
He was absolutely committed to the bedrock Republican
principles of cutting taxes, reducing the size of the
government, and slaying the budget deficit leviathan.
And to these seemingly insurmountable goals, he brought
a relentless yet cheerful determination.
He has served this Nation and the people of Oklahoma so
very well, with distinction and unwavering courage.
Too often, public servants come to Washington to drain
the swamp until they see it as a hot tub. Not Don Nickles.
He changed Washington rather than letting Washington
change him.
When he came to the Senate, he wanted to rein in
government so people could keep their hard-earned dollars,
and when he leaves now, his belief is the same today as it
was when he placed his hand on the Bible.
That is the way it was then and now, and every day of
his almost quarter of a century of Senate service. And he
still looks like he is 31.
Back then, he fought to eliminate the inheritance tax on
spouses and now he works to eliminate the inheritance tax
altogether.
Back then he fought natural gas price controls which
contributed to our energy crisis and now he fights price
controls on prescription drugs.
Back then he fought the windfall profits tax and now he
fights to ease the tax on profits and wages of businesses
and families alike.
Mr. President, there isn't a Member of this body who
doesn't respect Don Nickles as a man of strong conviction,
character, and deep faith.
I think there is good reason why he is seen that way.
When the Founding Fathers designed the Senate to be one of
the central pillars of American democracy, I think Don
Nickles is exactly the sort of citizen legislator they
envisioned.
He has been a strong but happy warrior, and used the
rules of this body to bring honor to the Senate and good
service to our country. He loves the Senate and it showed
every time he spoke. And we grew to love him in that
process.
Through it all, he has never forgotten where he came
from, or the people who put him here 24 years ago, or
those who supported him, especially his wonderful wife
Linda and his four children.
He will be remembered as the ``keeper of the
conservative flame,'' and like Ronald Reagan, should enjoy
the legacy of freedom and economic prosperity he has
created for all Americans in the years to come.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, the decision of the
distinguished Senator from Oklahoma, Mr. Nickles, to
retire from the Senate will deprive this body of one of
our most trusted and insightful leaders. I will miss very
much the pleasure of serving with such an honest,
forthright, and diligent colleague.
He brought to the Senate the valuable experience of
running a family business which was translated through the
use of his legislative skills into public policies that
strengthened our economy by improving our tax and labor
relations laws.
As chairman of the Budget Committee he was successful in
his efforts to curb unnecessary spending. He was
fairminded in his dealings with Senators on both sides of
the aisle.
He was a true friend to me in the Senate and a great
help as a coach on the golf course. I wish him and his
wife, Linda, much happiness and success in the years
ahead.
Mr. SMITH. Mr. President, I am reminded of the words of
Will Rogers, that great Oklahoman whose statue is a few
steps removed from the old Senate Chamber, who once said,
``The income tax system is the only thing that has made a
liar out of more of the American people than golf has.''
Coincidentally, the tax system and golf are passions of
another great Oklahoman whom I am proud to honor at the
end of this Congress--our friend and colleague Don
Nickles.
Don has accomplished a great deal during his 24 years in
the Senate. Chief among them is the fact that he somehow
has managed to look almost exactly like he did when he
first entered the Senate at the ripe old age of 32 in
1981.
But the accomplishment of Don that I admire the most is
the remarkable record of success he has achieved in
putting more money in the pockets of America's families by
reducing their taxes and by restoring some fairness to the
system.
To paraphrase Will Rogers, Don never met a tax he liked.
And from reducing and then repealing the death tax to
equalizing the tax system for the self-employed to being
the guiding force behind the child tax credit, lowering
the capital gains tax, and reducing tax rates for all
Americans, no Senator has done more in the past 20 years
to earn the enduring respect of our hard-working taxpayers
than Don Nickles.
Don will be greatly missed as a legislator, but he will
also be greatly missed as a friend. I have long believed
that you can learn a lot about someone by playing golf
with them, and I've been privileged during my 8 years in
the Senate to play a little bit of golf with Don.
And it should come as no surprise that his actions on
the golf course are very much like his actions in the
Senate.
He is good, very good, at both.
And yes, there are times on the golf course like here in
the Senate where he can be found on the right, the far
right, but for the most part he plays it straight down the
middle.
It is on the golf course where Don and I became more
than colleagues, we became friends. And I know I am not
alone in saying that I will miss Don's friendship, and the
friendship of his wife Linda, on a day-to-day basis. When
tragedy befell my family last year, Don was at my house
within the hour. Don and Linda have been incredibly kind
and supportive to Sharon and me.
Don, as a taxpayer I thank you for your service, as a
golfer I thank you for more good memories than I can
count, and as a friend, I thank you for being there when I
needed you most.
I know your contributions to your State and your country
are far from complete, and all your colleagues join with
me in wishing you and Linda Godspeed as you begin this new
chapter in your life.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Mr. ALLARD. Madam President, I take a moment to talk
about four colleagues whom I have had an opportunity to
serve with in the Senate. * * *
Madam President, I also want to take a moment to talk
about another colleague, Don Nickles, who has had a long
and distinguished career as we move into the waning days
of the 108th Congress.
He brought to this Congress a perspective from the
private sector. I am a small businessman. I grew up in the
private sector. In my view, too few of us have had to meet
the challenges and meet a payroll. I think it affects how
you view rules and regulations and taxes.
Senator Nickles from Oklahoma became a strong advocate
of small business issues and worked hard to hold down the
tax burden and regulatory burden.
I had an opportunity to serve with him when he was
chairman of the Budget Committee, and I very much
appreciated his leadership on that committee.
I also appreciated the opportunity to be able to work
with him in holding down and actually eliminating the
death tax which has such devastating effects on small
business.
During his many years here in the Congress, he has been
an individual who maintained integrity in the process.
I view these four individuals as four individuals who
have distinguished themselves in my mind and whom I have
appreciated having the opportunity to serve with in the
Senate and whom I hold in great esteem. I wish them the
very best as they pursue life's journey, having served in
a distinguished way in the Senate. I wish them the very
best and Godspeed.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I rise to say goodbye
to several of my colleagues, dear friends with whom I have
had the pleasure to work in the Senate.
I start with Senator Don Nickles. We say goodbye to Don
Nickles of Oklahoma who leaves after spending 24 years in
the Senate, but not spending much else. As chairman of the
Budget Committee, his philosophy of smaller government and
fiscal prudence often reminded this Chamber of our duty to
be good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. Don did not back
down but always held his ground, demonstrating his
perseverance and conviction.
He was first chosen by his colleagues for a leadership
position in 1988 as the chairman of the National
Republican Senatorial Committee. He was next elected to
the first of three terms as chairman of the Republican
Policy Committee, and in 1996, 1998, and 2000, he was
elected unanimously to be assistant Republican leader.
He was the principal sponsor of the 2003 economic growth
package which cut the tax on dividends, reduced the
capital gains rate, raised the child tax credit to $1,000
per child, and reduced the marriage penalty. My friend
also led efforts to reform the Internal Revenue Service.
He helped enact the Nation's first balanced budget in
three decades and passed laws to make Members of Congress
accountable to the same laws as everyone else.
On a personal note, he worked with me on the marriage
penalty. I could not have passed my bill to reduce the
marriage penalty on married couples in our country without
Don Nickles's strong backing and leadership.
I will never forget the first time I met Don. It was at
the Republican National Convention in Dallas, TX. Don was
a young man and he had just been elected to the Senate,
and everyone was referring to him as Senator. I assumed,
because he was so young, that he must be a State senator.
As I left, I said to him, you must have a long and great
career ahead of you. I am sure you will run for higher
office some day, thinking he was a State senator. But, in
fact, he was a U.S. Senator already and was the youngest
Member at the time.
He is the gold standard for principled conservatives who
stand tall for their beliefs and work hard for their
constituents.
As a Texan I may say there are times I am not fond of
certain Oklahoma college football teams. I have always
been proud of Oklahoma's Don Nickles and honored to call
him a neighbor. * * *
Madam President, I will miss all of my colleagues. As we
take the opportunity to go forward in a new Congress, we
will make new friends, but we will never forget the old
ones.
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, I want to share my views, as
did Senator Hutchison and others, about our colleagues who
are leaving for new adventures in life.
I wish all the best to Senator Hollings. We will miss
his booming voice. We will miss Senator Edwards, Senator
Graham of Florida, and Senator Daschle. We will also miss
John Breaux, a man we know will enjoy life with his good
common sense and sense of humor. He is a good friend.
I want to speak about four others, though. * * *
Don Nickles--Gosh, what a smart, principled leader. He
will be missed. He is a taxpayer's hero. Last night, my
wife and I enjoyed the Allen Jackson concert in DC. And
that makes me think of country music. Don Nickles is one
of the reasons God made Oklahoma. We will miss Don
Nickles.
Mr. REID. Don Nickles and I have done some things
together in the Senate that I will always remember. There
are laws on the statute books of this country. One of the
things we did, and people said we could not do, resulted
because we were concerned about regulations and how
burdensome and overbearing they can become. So we
introduced legislation that basically said if the
administration promulgates a regulation that we do not
think helps the country, then we can overturn that
regulation. That is the law.
We have overturned regulations that have been burdensome
to this country. I have not always liked the result of the
legislation that has been overturned, but it is my law
along with Senator Nickles's. He is a great legislator.
We worked together on the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Legislative Branch. We really did some things that have
changed what goes on. We have changed things a great deal,
such as how Members of the House and Senate do their
franking. We changed that.
Senator Nickles and I were the first to talk about how
bad the East Front of the Capitol looked, and we did a
number of things. We got the automobiles removed from the
East Front of the Capitol. This was what first got me
interested in doing something about having a visitor
center on the East Front of the Capitol, which is now in
the process of being completed.
I have so much respect for Senator Nickles. He and I
have a different political philosophy, no question about
that, but I think the work we have done together sets an
example of how Democrats and Republicans of totally
different political philosophy can work together for the
betterment of this country.
Don Nickles is a good man. He is a young man. He has a
great future in the private sector. I personally will miss
him a lot. I care a great deal about Don Nickles and wish
him the very best.
Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute
to departing Senators for their service and devotion to
the U.S. Senate. They are not only my colleagues but my
friends.
The reality of elections for the Senate is that every 2
years we experience change--current Members depart and new
Members are welcomed. At every transition I am reminded by
the reality that life is more than just politics. I am
certain the departing Senators are experiencing a
tremendous feeling of sorrow, yet anticipation of things
to come, as they leave their friends, colleagues, and this
great nurturing institution.
Though we may fight hard during campaigns, we return to
the Senate after the election to realize that we are not
just losing Senators--we are losing friends. There is a
bond--a collegiality and friendship in the Senate that
crosses party lines. We face long hard battles on the
campaign trail and sometimes things can get ugly. But
after all is said and done, after election day, we must
all come back to Washington and work together to do what
is best for our country.
I will certainly miss my colleagues with whom I have
worked for several years. I have had the honor to serve on
the Finance Committee with four of my distinguished
retiring colleagues, including Senator John Breaux and
Senator Don Nickles. Both of these men were instrumental
in leading the fight to reform Medicare.
Senator Don Nickles has been a valuable comrade in
protecting intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical
companies and reforming health care, specifically working
hard to pass the Patients' Bill of Rights. He also
sponsored commendable legislation to create the Office of
International Religious Freedom at the Department of
State, which I co-sponsored. Senator Nickles as whip and
chairman of the Budget Committee has done more to advocate
fiscal conservatism than any other Senator during my
tenure. He has true expertise in these issues, and I thank
him for his guidance and leadership.
More important, Senator Nickles befriended me when I
first came to the Senate and encouraged me to get involved
in the National Prayer Breakfast and the Senate bible
study. If it were not for his friendship, my time in the
Senate would have been drastically different.
Our departing Senators have been lights of inspiration
and men who went above the call of duty to serve our
country in their congressional capacities. They each have
their own unique political perspective that has served the
Senate well. Although my philosophies may differ from some
Senators, we do not disagree on the greatness of America.
We can all agree that we live in the greatest nation in
the world, and we all believe that without democracy,
life, liberty, and justice cannot flourish.
My departing colleagues are great men and great
Americans. They have contributed immensely to our
country--making their States and our country significantly
better than when they first stepped foot on the Senate
floor.
We are all going to miss their presence and wisdom here
in the Senate. Their departures will surely leave a hole
in expertise and leadership that will be hard to fill. I
wish them health and happiness in their future endeavors--
wherever the road may take them. May God continue to bless
them and their families.
Come January, as we face another transition, I welcome
in the new Members and look forward to forging new
relationships as we continue to work toward making
Americans safer, healthier, and more financially secure.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to express my
sincere gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve
with Senator Don Nickles, and to wish him the very best as
he retires from the Senate.
A lot of descriptive words come to my mind when I think
of Don Nickles. Among the most prominent are courageous,
knowledgeable, and engaging. All three of these, as well
as many other of Don Nickles's qualities, will be sorely
missed in the U.S. Senate.
I can think of no other Member of the Senate who has
been a more rock solid beacon for conservatism than Don
Nickles. His is the kind of courage that leads him to
speak up alone against the whole world, if necessary, for
what he believes. No matter what the issue or whether it
is brought up on the floor of the Senate, in one of his
committees, or in some other forum, Don Nickles is willing
to speak up in his earnest yet friendly manner to ask
questions, raise concerns, and stand up for conservative
principles. Senator Nickles has been one of the most
articulate Senators I have seen in my 28 years of service
in the Senate. His voice, in defense for what he and many
of us believe to be right, will be noticeably absent in
the months and years to come.
Senator Nickles is also one of the most knowledgeable
Members of this body. I have long been impressed with his
grasp of minute details of economic, tax, and budget
issues. His major committee assignments, Budget, Finance,
and Energy, all cover complex issues that can take a huge
amount of effort to master. Yet Don clearly does his
homework and seems totally at ease in discussing details
of the budget or a comprehensive tax bill. As chairman of
the Budget Committee, Senator Nickles has served with
distinction. With all the challenges facing the budget in
the recent past, Don has presided over that committee in
particularly trying times. Yet he has exhibited patience
and perseverance in the midst of a number of very
difficult problems. Every citizen of this country owes him
a debt of gratitude for his service on our behalf.
Don Nickles is also one of the most engaging individuals
I have had the privilege of knowing. His quick smile and
friendliness to not only other Senators, but also to
Senate staff and to everyone he meets marks him as a
genuinely fine individual. I know Don has a deep faith in
God and strives to do his best to live according to his
convictions.
As Senator Nickles moves on toward the next stage in his
impressive career, I wish him the very best and hope that
we have the opportunity to see him regularly and to have
the benefit of his wisdom and knowledge for many years to
come.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, Don Nickles first came to
the Senate in 1980 as a young man of 31 with a vision. He
now leaves us, 24 years later, with a record we all can
envy and a reputation we all should emulate. There are a
lot of words that can be used to describe this man.
Perhaps these five describe him best: ``As good as his
word.''
In his eloquent eulogy to Ronald Reagan this summer, Don
said that those who came to Washington after the watershed
election of 1980, ``considered ourselves part of the
soldiers in the field trying to get an agenda done to
expand freedom.''
There is no more noble an agenda than the expansion of
freedom, and he has been a devoted soldier to that cause.
He has been a strong advocate for our Armed Forces,
dedicated to the defense of our Nation and to the
expansion of liberty around the world.
He has been equally devoted to the freedom that comes
from responsible, less intrusive and more accountable
government. He is a champion of effective economic-growth
policies, and of tax reform that encourages investment and
helps build strong families and communities. Don Nickles
has always been on the side of the American people. His
tenure as chairman of the Budget Committee will long be
held up as a model of effective leadership, a cooperative
spirit wedded to rock-solid principles.
Don comes from a small State and from a background in
small business. That we have not always agreed on every
issue is insignificant. What does matter is the values we
share and the friendship that is the result.
Don is much more than just an especially effective
legislator and a very good friend. When Oklahoma City was
struck by a heinous act of terrorism in 1995, he was there
for the people of his State, offering comfort and support.
The rebuilding, both material and spiritual, would not
have been so quickly and thoroughly accomplished without
the strength of Don Nickles.
He came here as a young man and, despite the passage of
24 years, leaves as a young man. And, I might add, as a
pretty fast man. In the New York Marathon last weekend,
Oklahoma's senior Senator finished in the top half of a
field of more than 36,000 runners. If there was a caucus
for Senators able to run more than 26 miles in less than
4\1/2\ hours, I believe it would be the smallest in the
history of the republic.
Thank you, Senator Don Nickles, for your service to this
institution and to this country. Whatever path the future
sets before you, I know you will be at the front of the
pack.
Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, it is an honor to pay tribute
to a good friend and colleague who has had such a stellar
and effective career in the U.S. Senate. I am so proud to
have worked alongside a man of such character and
knowledge, and I am certain that I speak for all my
colleagues when I say his leadership in Congress will be
sorely missed.
Don Nickles's career is the classic American success
story. After working his way through Oklahoma State
University by starting a janitorial service, he was
elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980 at the age of 31. While
serving in Congress, his peers have consistently shown
their confidence in his abilities, electing him to several
leadership posts including senatorial committee chair,
chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, assistant
majority leader and Budget Committee chairman.
The day after Don announced he would not seek a fifth
U.S. Senate term, the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman stated
that his retirement ``will leave Oklahoma without its most
powerful Washington advocate.'' How true that is. Over his
two-decades-long career, the good that Don has done for
his constituency is immeasurable.
As a Senator, Don has amassed a tremendous record as an
advocate for taxpayers. When our economy was in need of
recovery because of a recession compounded by the events
of September 11, Don was a leader in pushing the economic
growth and tax relief package through Congress. Thanks to
his efforts, today our economy is on the upswing with jobs
being added, homes being built and small businesses
expanding. Don gets great credit for his role in making
that happen.
I will always remember Don coming down to eastern North
Carolina to campaign with me at a tobacco warehouse. Asked
to speak on stage in favor of the tobacco quota buyout,
which of course he did not support, he graciously spoke
about how hard I would work to get this done for the
State. Don demonstrated his character that day, as he did
on so many other days during his many outstanding years as
a servant of the public.
Don has always used the power of his office for good. I
admire the way that he has stood for what he believes, no
matter the challenge. He has brilliantly served the people
of Oklahoma and all Americans with courage and conviction,
a stellar example for those who follow in his footsteps.
May God bless Senator Don Nickles and his family for many
years to come.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues
today in paying tribute to a man whom, in the President's
words, ``has left his mark on virtually every major
issue'' during his service in this body, the senior
Senator from Oklahoma, the Budget Committee chairman, our
colleague Don Nickles.
For more than two decades, Senator Nickles has served
the people of Oklahoma and America with strength of
conviction, wisdom, and hard work, every day. I have had
the good fortune of serving with the Senator from Oklahoma
for a decade, particularly closely on the Budget and
Finance Committees, and for 6 years as his counsel while
he was majority whip. I have gotten to know well Senator
Nickles's passion and insight, his firm understanding of
policy matched with ability to plainly articulate it, and
his generous sense of humor and warm personality that have
made him a colleague no one will soon forget.
Oklahoma sent Don Nickles to the Senate in the year of
the Reagan revolution--1980. In many ways--and I know the
Senator has said so himself--his start in public service
was molded and defined by President Reagan's inspiring
vision and love of freedom. Our new 69-year-old President
projected a contagious, even youthful optimism. So did the
new Senator from Oklahoma, but in Don Nickles's case, it
was the optimism of youth. At 31, he was the youngest
Republican elected to this Chamber in American history.
Senator Nickles's contributions shepherding the Reagan
agenda through Congress were immediate and his rise was
meteoric. After 6 years he had served as NRSC chairman and
was at the helm of the Republican Policy Council.
I must say that as chair of the Small Business
Committee, I think it is an invaluable asset to the Senate
to have a colleague such as Senator Nickles who has been
there on the front lines of job creation as an
entrepreneur--starting his own janitorial service to work
his way through Oklahoma State. Before Senator Nickles
came to Washington, he was a small businessman from Ponca
City, OK. He was already allergic to needless redtape and
gridlock. So when Senator Nickles sees a problem, he sets
out to solve it--guided by his deeply held principles and
informed by a firm grasp of the legislative process.
Like the leader he counts as his mentor, President
Reagan, the Senator from Oklahoma brings to public life
his firmly rooted beliefs, a can-do Heartland optimism,
and that rare ability to disagree without being
disagreeable. Senator Nickles is a colleague I will miss,
and I wish him, his wife Linda, and his family much
happiness in the new endeavors that lie ahead.
I am pleased to join my colleagues in thanking and
honoring Senator Nickles for over two decades of
distinguished service to the country he loves and the
State he has made proud.
Mr. DASCHLE. Today, I would like to say a few words
about eight Senators with whom I have served these last
historic 6 years, all of whom will be leaving when this
Congress ends.
Senator Nickles, Senator Campbell, Senator Fitzgerald,
and Senator Miller, it has been a privilege to work with
each of you. You have each sacrificed much to serve our
Nation and I am sure you will continue to serve America
well in the years to come. * * *
I have to be honest, Mr. President, it was not my wish
to depart with these fine Senators. But it has been my
honor and a joy to serve with them, and one that I will
remember all the days of my life.
Mr. McCONNELL. We cannot conclude the 108th Congress
without a sense of sadness. There are many--in fact there
are too many--great Senators who are leaving this
institution. I have already had an opportunity to express
my goodbyes to Senator Nickles, Senator Campbell, and
Senator Fitzgerald.
I also wish a happy and healthy future to our colleagues
across the aisle, Senator Daschle, Senator Breaux, Senator
Hollings, Senator Bob Graham, Senator John Edwards, and
Senator Zell Miller. Each of these men has made a lasting
contribution to this marvelous institution.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I have served here long
enough now that I have witnessed a lot of the comings and
goings of many fine public servants whom I have known on
the floor of the Senate.
Today, I would like to comment about those who are
leaving us. * * *
Mr. President, another Senator who is leaving us is
Senator Don Nickles. Senator Nickles is a man I first met
when I was traveling through Oklahoma with my friend,
Senator Bellmon, who served here as a Senator and as
Governor of his State.
Senator Nickles, obviously, is a man of great
capability, too. As a matter of fact, he is the first
Oklahoma Republican Senator to be elected for four terms.
He has had a commitment to his constituents and to his
colleagues. He, as I, served as assistant Republican
leader. That is the highest leadership position ever held
by a Member of the Senate from Oklahoma.
I particularly remember his role as chairman of the
Budget Committee and his role in the Finance Committee
because no one has been more strenuous in expressing his
views concerning the level of spending in the United
States and the necessity to have firm budget control over
the processes of the Senate, particularly the
appropriations process where I have served a great many
years.
I do believe his commitment to making Federal Government
more responsible and less intrusive, his commitment to the
basic Republican principles that government nearest the
people is best, has been demonstrated by his service in
the Senate. We are going to have a tough time without his
guidance. He, I am sure, will be somewhere near us--at
least that is indicated.
But having met him even before he ran for the Senate, I
felt really a great warmth of friendship for him because I
know how hard he worked to become a Member of the Senate,
and I know his commitment, having left his business and
coming here to make a new life.
Linda and their four children have been known to all of
us in one way or the other. I think he has a wonderful
family, a wonderful wife, and we wish them well.