[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                               TRADITION

  Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I would, as usual, like to salute my 
leader, the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Byrd, as 
he spoke to what tradition used to be. I am reminded that in my first 
very inconsequential speech before the Senate--but my maiden speech 
before the Senate--I recall coming on the floor--and at the time we 
still had our temporary assignments. That was in the good old days when 
there were 64 Democrats in the U.S. Senate--good old days from my 
partisan perspective. And I remember not having my permanent seat. I 
was number 100 in seniority. My permanent seat ended up being the one 
nearest the rolltop desk at the back row, but at the time, my temporary 
seat was, I believe, the second or third seat in the back row, in the 
main section.
  And I recall coming over to speak and being told by a person in the 
Cloakroom that I should wait a few moments. I initially thought that I 
had already breached protocol in some way unknown to me, because a 
staff person in the Cloakroom asked me to wait. And to my great 
surprise--and I might add to my not little, not embarrassment, but I 
guess the best way to say it is it made me a little nervous--a 
distinguished U.S. Senator, one of the finest men whom I have ever 
served around--I expect Senator Byrd would share my view--Senator John 
Stennis, came over. He had called the Cloakroom to tell the Cloakroom 
that he wanted to hear my speech.
  And he sat in, if I am not mistaken, this row, and he turned his 
chair so that his back was not quite to the Presiding Officer, but 
looked intently at me throughout my speech. And I must say, it was one 
of the few times when I stood to speak--maybe I would be better off if 
it occurred more often--but it was one of the few times I stood to 
speak that I was actually nervous about what I was going to say. 
Because at the moment I stood up, I can recall, and I hope the Senate 
will excuse my personal references here, forgive me for reminiscing, 
but I stood up and I thought to myself, ``My gosh, I am 30 years old, 
and ``I am standing.'' And at the time I was standing next to Senator 
McIntyre's desk.
  Senator McIntyre had the desk that the senior Senator from the State 
of New Hampshire was always given the honor of having, one of the 
great, great, famous Senators and speakers in the history of the United 
States. I stood there and I thought to myself, my Lord, I am standing 
in the spot that men like Daniel Webster stood to speak, and looking at 
John Stennis watching me, and I froze. I could not remember how to 
begin my inconsequential speech.
  But I remember one other thing. I received a letter from one of the 
most powerful Members of the Senate then and now congratulating me on 
how I comported myself in my maiden speech. That letter was from Robert 
C. Byrd of West Virginia, who was the whip of the Senate when I 
arrived, and a letter that I appreciated then and treasure now.
  So I wish to make the point that not only did the tradition exist, 
that we used to come over and listen, that those of us who were newly 
elected waited a moment before we spoke, but once we spoke senior 
Members who were considerably more busy than we were took the time and 
the courtesy and the interest in listening to what we had to say and 
responded.
  My friend from West Virginia is not only a man of the Senate and a 
man who knows more about the Senate than I suspect any man or woman who 
has ever served in the Senate, but he is also a man who honored those 
traditions and spent time with a 30-year-old kid from Delaware making 
his first speech, and making me feel as though the speech I made really 
made a difference, when in reflection I know it was of little or no 
consequence other than that I was able to muster the courage to stand 
in the spot where women and men--men, in that case at that time in our 
lives--stood, of much greater significance than me, then and now.
  It was a great honor to have heard my colleague this morning paying 
tribute to Robert Dole, as I did a moment earlier, but also an honor to 
have been treated with the respect and decorum that I was, almost 22 
years ago this month, by the distinguished senior Senator from West 
Virginia.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The absence of a quorum having been suggested, 
the clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

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