[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 52 (Wednesday, May 4, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: May 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
CHANGES
Mr. BOREN. Mr. President, last week was a very meaningful week for
me. It was a week of reflection about my life and what I wanted to do
with it as the regents of the University of Oklahoma announced that
they had requested that I leave the Senate to become president of the
university at the end of this congressional session, an invitation
which I have accepted--an opportunity for a new form of service.
On the day, last Wednesday, when that announcement was made and I was
on the campus of the university for that announcement I also thought,
as I was driving to Norman, OK, about events that were happening on the
other side of the world.
I thought about the election in South Africa of a new President,
Nelson Mandela. It brought back a flood of memories of my own
experience in South Africa in the late fall of 1988, after the
congressional elections had taken place.
Senator Nunn and I, and a delegation from the Congress, went to South
Africa. It was one of the most life-changing experiences that I have
ever had. We witnessed there firsthand a society in which people were
being judged by the color of their skins, their ethnic background;
being divided and separated from each other. We saw people of enormous
talent whose talents were being wasted, again because of a
classification by race. And while we saw much that distressed us, we
also saw much that inspired us because we met some of the most
remarkable people that I have ever met in my life.
We met Cyril Ramaphosa, a labor leader who was determined, in spite
of the system of apartheid, to organize his own people for effective
political action. He wanted to organize them in a way that would not
bring violence to the society and in a way that would bring about
effective peaceful change.
I met a young South African of Indian descent, classified as
``colored'' under the laws of South Africa at that time, named Azhar
Cachalia, a brilliant young lawyer. He reminded me in many ways what
Gandhi must have been like, devoting his life and taking great personal
risks to try to change the system.
I will never forget the day when we traveled to Soweto, to the small
three room house of Albertina Sisulu, wife of Walter Sisulu, deputy
chairman of the ANC, who was still in prison along with Nelson Mandela.
Albertina Sisulu had been under house arrest for over 20 years. Her
only crime was that she had fought for equal educational opportunity
for all of the children of South Africa. I will never forget, after she
recounted the lack of opportunity for the children and what it was
doing to the future of her country, she turned to us and said:
But we must never forget that we here in South Africa must
love each other and understand each other. We must never
become bitter. Because someday we are going to create a
country of our own in which all of us are no longer
classified in one way or another but we are all South
Africans, brothers and sisters together.
I thought to myself, how remarkable for a woman, an immensely
talented woman, who has been held under house arrest for 20 years; who
has been separated from her husband because he has been in prison; who
had seen her own son, a Harvard University trained scholar, not allowed
to practice his career in journalism because of his race and his
political views--to speak to us of love and reconciliation.
I will never forget that moment as long as I live. And when I think
about the remarkable people I have met, that list will include names
like Anwar Sadat, Nelson Mandela, F.W. de Klerk, and Albertina Sisulu.
We said to Mrs. Sisulu as we were sitting in the living room in her
house: ``Someday we want you to come to see us and sit in our living
room in our house in the United States.''
And she laughed and she said: ``That will never happen. President
Carter wanted to give me an award last year but our government would
not let me leave. They have kept me under house arrest.''
I said: ``Oh yes, that is going to happen someday.''
I came back from that trip and sat down with then President-elect
Bush who said: ``I want to send a signal to South Africa that we want
to become more engaged in bringing about progressive change in that
country. What shall I do?''
On the advice of our Ambassador, Ed Perkins, I said: ``Mr. President,
if you could write a handwritten letter to Albertina Sisulu and ask her
to come see you in the White House as soon as you are inaugurated, as a
personal guest, and send a message to the South African Government if
they do not allow her to come there will be repercussions in our
policy, I think it would make a tremendous difference.''
President Bush did exactly that. In July of 1989, just a few months
later, Albertina Sisulu, after a visit to the White House, was sitting
in our living room in Washington, DC.
Now to have seen all of the other things that have happened--the
release of Nelson Mandela from prison, the election of President de
Klerk and his beginning a dialog with Nelson Mandela to bring about a
new South Africa--we are reminded again that people who take a stand
with real moral courage can make a difference in terms of the course of
history.
It was a privilege for my wife and I and then Senator Terry Sanford
and his wife to host Mr. Mandela at a dinner in the Senate when he came
to the United States. And just a few months later, in September, I had
the privilege of hosting then President de Klerk for coffee in my
office with several other Senators.
Think about the contribution of these two individuals: One leaving
prison after so many years with no bitterness saying again, as Mrs.
Sisulu did, we must love each other, we must reconcile, we must all be
South Africans together; the other voluntarily relinquishing power that
had been held by the white minority and, just this last week, entering
into an election campaign that he knew he could not win in order to
give legitimacy to the political process that was creating a new
nation.
How remarkable. What courage, what integrity, what character has been
demonstrated by both these two great individuals. Today I salute them,
as do people all around this world. I will always count it one of the
great privileges of my life that I have had the opportunity to get to
know them and to be inspired by them.
Mr. President, as I mentioned last week, I also made a decision that
I should take up a new challenge. I honor public service. I have served
in elective office now for 28 years. Nothing could have given me
greater pride and satisfaction than to have been able to represent the
people of Oklahoma and to work for them.
I believe that people of courage, as I have said, can make a
difference in the political arena. I continue to encourage our best and
brightest young people to enter into public service through elective
office.
But there are also other ways of serving. I have come to believe over
time that, if we are going to revitalize this country, it is going to
come mainly from the grassroots. It will come from the people
themselves, from the people who involve themselves in volunteer
activities in their communities and who work to rebuild our great
institutions, our schools, our universities and others, even more than
it will come from Washington.
I have also come to believe that, if we get everything else right but
we fail to meet the needs for education and nurturing of the next
generation, we will lose everything, our greatness as a nation and our
strength as a society.
So I believe at this point in my life I can serve best by directly
committing my life to the education of the next generation.
I also believe that some change is healthy. President Kennedy once
said we in the Senate live in an iron lung of politics and it is hard
to get outside this rarefied environment and breathe the fresh air that
our constituents breathe. I think it is time for me to do that. I think
it is healthy for new people come into our system constantly with
different life experiences and backgrounds and skills to share with the
people of this country, to invigorate the political process.
While I look forward with great anticipation to a new opportunity for
service, I also view with some alarm polls in this country which show
two things: First, the encouraging development that more and more of
our people are getting involved at the local level as community
volunteers and local officials, but a second development caught in the
polls that more and more people are disillusioned with the normal
political process because they are not sure they can make a difference
here.
Mr. President, there is an urgent need to address that problem, to
restore the vitality of this institution. The current Presiding
Officer, the distinguished President pro tempore of this institution, a
great historian of this body, has himself been a great leader year in
and year out for reform of this institution, to change the way we
finance campaigns, to end the money chase in American politics where
special interests are perceived to have too much influence. It is a
situation in which more and more of the time of our Members is having
to be spent raising money instead of dealing with the problems of the
period.
It has to change. We have to change the fact that there is too much
partisanship in this institution, too much attention to scoring points
for Democrats and Republicans and not enough attention paid to serving
the national interest.
When I first came here, it was a tradition that no Senator campaigned
against any other Senator. No Senator went to another Senator's State
and campaigned against them just because they were in the other party.
I have still never done that during my service. I hope we will get back
to that rule because it is very difficult for people to work together
here in the national interest when they have been out campaigning
against each other in their home States.
I hope we will reform this institution in a way that our time will
not be so fragmented. Again, the distinguished President pro tempore
has pointed out to us that our lives are too fractured. We have too
many committees. We are running from one place to another. We need to
be able to focus our attention, and we will be able to vote on a chance
to do that when the report of the Joint Committee on the Reform of
Congress comes before the full Senate.
So, Mr. President, when I leave here at the end of the year, I hope I
will leave having seen great progress made in the area of campaign
finance reform and reform of the procedures of this institution itself.
I appeal to my colleagues, do not wait, do not wait for reform. We are
the trustees of this institution. If we do not change it, we run the
risk that the frustration and anger and disappointment of the American
people, expressed through proposals for term limits and other kinds of
proposals, will end up unintentionally damaging the political process
of this country.
That is why we ourselves must stand up and take constructive action
to restore the vitality of this institution, to restore what the
Presiding Officer has referred to as the soul of this institution. With
the time I have left as a Senator I will be working as hard as I
possibly can with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to
help in that effort.
So, Mr. President, last week was a meaningful week for me. It was a
week filled with examples of political and moral and personal courage
on the other side of the globe and a week in which I pondered how best
to invest my own life in public service.
A reporter came up to me as I was walking to the announcement of my
possible presidency of the university, and he said, ``How could you
possibly decide to trade a position of some power and influence as a
Senator to become a university president?''
My answer to that was, ``Public service is not about power; it's
about where you can do the most good.''
I made that decision in my own life.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, in closing, to print the text
of my address to the people of Oklahoma on that occasion in the Record.
There being no objection, the speech was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
A Television Address by Senator David L. Boren to the People of
Oklahoma, April 27, 1994
My Fellow Oklahomans: For the past 28 years you have given
me the honor of serving you in elected office--first as a
State Legislator, then as Governor, and for the past 16 years
as your United States Senator.
Nothing has given me greater pride and satisfaction. I
truly believe that I have had the privilege of representing
and working for the most special people on earth--the people
of Oklahoma. Your support, encouragement, and confidence in
me mean more to me than I can possibly put into words. Thank
you from the bottom of my heart.
Oklahoma is a special place because there is still a real
sense of community in our state which is so badly needed in
other parts of our country. We care about each other. We look
out for each other. We encourage each other and take pride in
seeing our young people succeed. We are truly like a family.
During our time in public life, Molly and I have never
thought of you simply as voters or as constituents and we
have never felt that you have regarded us purely as public
officials or political figures. We have indeed felt with you
a close bond of friendship and family.
Tonight, as members of our family, I would like to share
with you a decision which I have made and ask once again for
your help and support. The regents of the University of
Oklahoma, acting on behalf of the University community, have
asked me to become the President of the University and I have
accepted their invitation.
After 16 years in Washington, Molly and I are happy and
excited to be coming home. While I have come back to Oklahoma
an average of 40 times each year, I have missed living in
Oklahoma year round.
It is healthy for all of us as individuals to take on new
challenges. It's also good for the political system to have a
wide range of people with different life experiences coming
into the system. They bring with them their perspectives to
help solve the problems which we face. John Kennedy once
observed ``all of us in the Senate live in an iron lung--an
iron lung of politics. It is no easy task to emerge from that
rarified atmosphere in order to breathe the same fresh air as
our constituents breathe.''
I agree with President Kennedy's assessment. Service to our
nation and to our communities should be a life-long
committment for all of us. However, that does not mean that
we should serve exactly in the same way throughout our lives.
Because there are so many important issues now before the
Senate, the Regents have agreed that I should not leave the
Senate until it has adjourned for the year and its business
has been completed. Under Oklahoma law, the Governor does not
fill this vacancy by appointment. A special election must be
called. By staying in the Senate until the session is over, I
will make sure that Oklahoma is fully represented this year.
In addition, by returning to Oklahoma in November, my
departure will give the state time to elect a new Senator
before the major work of congress begins next year.
I believe strongly that public service is an honorable
calling. Early in life, I learned from watching my father,
who was a Congressman, that public officials who truly care
about people and have the courage of their convictions can
make a difference. That is why I do not regret a single day
that I have spent in public office. This is why I continue to
encourage our best young people, including over 400 interns
and staff members who have worked in my own office, to enter
the political arena.
I look back with pride on the things that we have done
together. I say ``together'' because your encouragement and
help, and sometimes public pressure, made it possible for us
to bring about meaningful changes.
Some of you carried brooms in the 1974 campaign. Others
have written letters to the editor and spoken out in public
meetings. You have made a difference in the public life of
our state because you cared enough to get involved. Don't
ever quit. Don't ever stop caring. I don't intend to stop
working for what is best for our state and nation.
Citizenship is a life-long responsibility for each and every
one of us, to serve where we can do the most good.
Looking back, I recall that together we changed both the
state and federal tax laws to end the unfair inheritance
taxes between husband and wife. We began landmark educational
programs in Oklahoma like The Oklahoma Foundation for
Excellence, over 120 local private foundations to help public
schools, the Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program, The
Oklahoma Arts Institute, state funding for special classes
for gifted and talented students, a system of area
vocational-technical schools and programs to provide
scholarships for medical personnel in rural areas. We passed
The National Security Education Act which will allow our
college students to study overseas and gain the skills they
need to compete internationally.
Together we have worked for Oklahoma's legitimate economic
interests, to repeal the windfall profits tax, to stop the
unfair BTU tax and to establish a new export enhancement
program for agriculture to help our farmers compete
against the unfair trade practices of other governments.
I look back with satisfaction on reforms we have helped to
bring to state government, including stronger open meetings
laws, conflict of interest laws and more disclosure of
campaign contributions.
I also thank you for understanding that as a Senator, I
should also work for the broader national interest. As
Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I worked to
make sure that our intelligence operations would be more
effective and more accountable to the American people. I have
worked hard for bipartisanship in foreign policy with
Presidents of both parties.
Some people have expressed surprise that I would want to
leave what they view as a position of power as a Senator to
become a university president. But I believe that a decision
about public service is not about power or notoriety. It is
solely about where one can do the most good.
While I believe political involvement is of great value,
after 28 years in public office, I believe that at this point
in my life, I can render the greatest public service by
committing myself to the education of the next generation.
While the national government has an important role to
play, I believe that the revitalization of our country will
come not from Washington, but from the grassroots. It will
come from all of you who are active in your own communities.
It will come from those who volunteer their time to help
others. It will come from those who work to rebuild our great
institutions like our schools and universities.
A recent survey by the Kettering Foundation reached two
very interesting conclusions. First, it found a growing
disillusionment with traditional political involvement as a
way to make a difference. Second, it found a real
determination on the part of our people to get involved where
they thought they could make a difference--as community
volunteers. A new book called ``The Quickening of America''
reaches the same conclusion. The authors discovered thousands
of average Americans who have dramatically improved their
workplaces, schools and communities through volunteer
activity.
While all of us should be heartened by this new committment
to voluntary activity, we must continue to work to change the
reasons for disillusionment with politics.
These studies and public opinion polls showing
growing disillusionment with our political institutions,
should serve as a wake up call to all those now in public
office.
This year there will be a vote in Congress on my bill to
limit campaign spending and to reduce the influence of
special interests in elections. There will be an opportunity
for Congress to accept the recommendation of a special reform
committee which I helped to chair, to reduce unnecessary
committees and bureaucracy in Congress to make Congress live
under the laws which it passes as do all other Americans. It
is high time these reforms are adopted. Sitting members of
Congress are the trustees of our great constitutional
institutions. These institutions are far more important than
the political careers of any of us.
At the same time, at all levels of government, we must put
aside partisan bickering and pull together as Americans. To
be frank about it, there are too many people in Congress
today who seem more concerned about scoring points for the
Republican or Democratic parties than they are about what is
good for America. Political parties have a legitimate role
but the national interest must come first. I hope that those
who will serve us in Congress in the future will put America
first.
While we continue the effort to reform our policitcal
system, all of us must begin the renewal of America where we
live, with our families and our neighbors.
One thing is certain: if we get everything else right but
fail to provide for the education and nurturing of the next
generation we will lose everything. We will lose our place as
a great nation and our strength as a society.
Last year in the ten largest cities in our country, over
80% of children born were to single parents, 15% were born to
no parent families--into situations in which both parents had
deserted the child before it was 2 weeks old.
We know all too well what happens to children with little
family support and no role models. They drop out of school
and often become criminal statistics. In our nation, the drop
out rate exceeds 25%. In Japan it is only 1%. We can't waste
the talent of one fourth of our people and lead the world.
Wasted talent often leads to frustration and to crime. Last
year the United States was number one in the world in the
percentage of our population in prison.
We desperately need the largest volunteer effort in our
history to mobilize our citizens to act as role models and
mentors for young people who have no real family
encouragement.
We must also vow that every level of education in this
country must meet the highest possible standards from
kindergarten to graduate school.
Molly and I look forward to the opportunity to continue to
serve our state at the University of Oklahoma. I hope that I
will have many years to give to it.
The University of Oklahoma and the other fine colleges and
universities in our state, are critical to our future. I look
forward to working with my colleagues who lead these other
institutions to help strengthen our entire system of higher
education in Oklahoma.
Sometimes, what is going on at the university campus, like
the campus at Norman, seems far removed from us. In fact,
every single Oklahoman has a stake in what is happening in
higher education in our state. While a great university is
not all that it takes to build a great state, it is certainly
one of those building blocks that we cannot do without.
Martin Luther was right when he said, ``The prosperity of a
country depends not on the abundance of its revenues or the
strengths of its fortifications but in the number of its
educated citizens.'' The University helps train our future
leaders--political leaders, business leaders, education,
religious and community leaders. Their vision and wisdom are
greatly impacted by the quality of their university
education.
Institutions like the University of Oklahoma create
economic growth by carrying out research and by training our
workforce. Above all, the University enriches our lives
through stimulating lectures that keep us growing, through
athletic events which excite us and through artistic
experiences that feed us spiritually.
Sometimes I believe that our greatest failing as Oklahomans
is that we don't have enough confidence in ourselves. Time
and time again, outside observers remind us about the talent
and energy of our people but we shrink from believing in
ourselves.
The University of Oklahoma is a good example. We do not
tell others often enough about its excellence. The University
has one of the brightest student bodies in the country and
ranks in the top ten of all universities in the United States
in Merit Scholars enrolled. It has a committed faculty which
includes many scholars of national and international stature.
It has a dedicated alumni who have increased their
contributions to the University by one third in the last 5
years. It has a growing presence in research with a 40%
increase in research grants in the last 4 years. It has a
nationally renowned health sciences center ranked in the top
twenty by the U.S. News and World Report Survey. I could list
scores of other achievements. In short, The University of
Oklahoma is ready to become a pace-setter and a national
model. It is time for us to believe in ourselves and go to
work to accomplish this task.
Many outstanding men and women have come before us and
built a strong foundation in our state. We owe much to them.
Above all, we owe it to them to use that foundation to launch
this state to real greatness--not only for ourselves but to
help lead the rest of our country to achieve a true sense of
community based upon real standards of excellence.
Let us determine that the ``Quickening of America,'' the
rebuilding of our national strength and spirit, will begin
with us in Oklahoma.
That you and goodnight.
Mr. BOREN. I thank the Chair and I relinquish the floor.
____________________