[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 45 (Thursday, April 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 21, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                     FORMER PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON

  Mr. DOMENICI. Madam President, I understand former President Richard 
Nixon's condition is deteriorating. I thought I might just share with 
the Senate something that happened in the Energy and Natural Resources 
Committee this afternoon.
  There was a subcommittee hearing, and the subject matter was clearly 
something very parochial to New Mexico. There is an Indian tribe, 
Indian pueblo, the Taos Indians. Some know it as a ski resort in a 
community called Taos. Present were about five Indian leaders of Taos.
  1970 was the culminating year, after maybe 25 years of arguing with 
the Federal Government, that the U.S. Government, under the leadership 
of Richard Nixon, recognized a 48,000-acre claim of the Taos Indians 
called the Blue Lake area, which they used for their own religious 
undertakings and as their own kind of wilderness.
  Today we were talking about whether we left out 767 acres, or 670 
acres. Sitting at the table were three Indian leaders from Taos. The 
oldest and most senior was a man named Paul Bernard, between 80 and 83 
years of age. He was the lead proponent for all those years prior to 
1970 of trying to get this historic land returned.
  It is most befitting that while Richard Nixon is in the hospital, 
this elder statesmen of the Indian people of Taos, sitting in his 
chair, said to Senator Bingaman, who was chairing, and myself, ``Before 
I talk about the Taos Indian claim, I think it would be fitting, if it 
is permitted, for me to pray.''
  And, of course, we looked around, wondering, of course, we will let 
him do it, but what is he going to pray about?
  And he said, ``I would like everyone, including you, if you would, 
Senators, to stand up with me and I want to pray for Richard Nixon.''
  And he proceeded in a Tewa dialect of the Taos Indians to deliver--he 
did not interpret it for us--maybe a 4-minute prayer for Richard Nixon 
preceding his testimony.
  And then, typical of him, he did not seek to make a case for Richard 
Nixon. He merely said, ``The joy of our Taos people culminated in 1970, 
when Richard Nixon signed a bill giving us back what we had owned for 
hundreds of years. That is why I prayed for him today.''
  I thought, because of the condition of Richard Nixon and because it 
was something I never would have expected, and certainly something we 
should remember that occurred in that subcommittee room today, I might 
just share it with the Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who seeks recognition?
  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The absence of a quorum has been suggested. 
The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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