[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 65 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      TRIBUTE TO PATRICK A. TUCKER

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to an 
outstanding professional who served with distinction as a member of the 
Senate Armed Services Committee staff, Patrick A. Tucker.
  For almost a decade, members of the Armed Services Committee and, 
indeed, the Senate as a whole benefited from the invaluable knowledge 
and wise counsel of Pat Tucker. He joined the Senate in May 1983, 
serving as counsel for the majority to Chairman John Tower. In 1985, 
Pat's proven talents and can-do approach earned him a promotion to 
general counsel when our friend and former colleague, Barry Goldwater, 
became chairman of the committee. As ranking member, I was delighted to 
name Pat to the post of minority counsel in January 1987. In December 
of the following year, Pat assumed the dual position of staff director 
and counsel where he remained until January 1993. From then until he 
retired from the Hill at the end of last year, I was privileged to have 
Pat's counsel on my personal staff.
  Pat's keen knowledge and interest in military matters came to him 
first-hand. Born and raised in Beckley, WV, Pat entered Virginia 
Polytechnic Institute on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. He earned a 
bachelor of science degree in public administration in 1969 and was 
commissioned in the U.S. Air Force. While on an extended delay from 
active duty, Pat entered the National Law Center at George Washington 
University, earning his J.D. with honors in 1972. After graduation, Pat 
served on active duty as an Air Force judge advocate in 
various assignments including area defense counsel in Southeast Asia, 
staff judge advocate to a general officer command, and appellate 
defense counsel at Air Force headquarters in Washington.

  Leaving active duty in 1980, Pat accepted a position as attorney-
advisor for legislation with the Department of the Air Force. Pat is 
presently a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
  Pat's service to me, to the Senate Armed Services Committee, to the 
Senate and to the Nation has been invaluable. As the staff director of 
the Armed Services Committee, he provided extraordinary leadership for 
the Republican staff. His ability and professionalism, knowledge and 
negotiating skills earned him the admiration and respect of all those 
who were privileged to work with him. His advice and counsel, 
especially on the more technical and complex aspects of the rules of 
the Senate, were continually sought by Senators from both sides of the 
aisle.
  The roster of issues on which Pat's advice and counsel were of 
foremost assistance to me is a lengthy one: the National Missile 
Defense Act; military retirement reform and CHAMPUS reform; the 
Montgomery G.I. bill; my efforts in 1989 to amend the War Powers Act; 
and, perhaps most significantly, the resolution giving the President 
the authority to use military force in the Persian Gulf war.
  During the year that Pat served as my counsel on my personal staff, 
he provided me with sound advice, and the benefit of his extensive 
knowledge and experience on a full range of defense, national security, 
and domestic issues. He became as indispensable to my staff as he has 
always been to me.
  Mr. President, it would require pages to do justice to the many 
accomplishments of this talented, dedicated, and versatile individual. 
While the Senate Armed Services Committee is fortunate to enjoy the 
services of many outstanding, well-qualified staff professionals, Pat 
Tucker's skills and abilities are extraordinary even among these. The 
breadth and depth of his knowledge and experience are matched by 
keenness of judgment, a strong sense of personal confidence, and 
unwavering love for his country. These attributes coupled with his 
sharp wit and good humor made him an exceptional advisor and an 
extremely effective counsel.
  I know that my colleagues are pleased to join me in extending 
appreciation and best wishes to Pat as he embarks on his third career--
first the Air Force, then the Senate, and now the private sector. Pat, 
you have served your Nation well and I know you will continue to do so.
  In closing, I would like to share with my colleagues the simple but 
compelling words which Pat spoke to his fellow staffers as he was 
preparing to depart. They were uplifting in the way that only 
encouragement from a fellow in the trenches can be, ``What you do in 
the Senate is important. It really matters, and it does make a 
difference in what happens in the best interests of our country.''

                          ____________________