[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 96 (Thursday, July 21, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
                      A SALUTE TO SENATOR SPECTER

  Mr. WOFFORD. Madam President, I rise today to salute my colleague, 
the senior Senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter.
  It is one of the paradoxes of politics that those who most 
distinguish their parties are the men and women who put principles 
above parties.
  On a number of recent occasions Senator Specter has done just that. 
His actions, I believe, provide an example for all of us.
  Earlier this week in Philadelphia, Senator Specter announced that he 
was introducing legislation to enact Mayor Ed Rendell's ambitious and 
constructive agenda to rejuvenate America's cities.
  Mayor Rendell's urban agenda includes a number of creative ideas I 
have been advocating and some that are already moving forward in 
Congress.
  But I think it is a very important and helpful step for one of our 
colleagues from the other side of the aisle to stand up for the needs 
of our cities, just as I think it was an important and helpful step for 
Senator Specter to host the Republican policy retreat this past spring 
in Philadelphia, looking first hand at the problems of cities, because 
the job of rebuilding our Nation's cities should be above party labels. 
The problems are deep and difficult and we will never solve them 
without working together.
  I also commend Senator Specter for his courage in speaking out on 
behalf of that essential American virtue: tolerance.
  Our diversity is what makes America great and strong. But our 
diversity extracts a certain price. It demands that we be tolerant of 
each other.
  Some people today say that price is too high. Instead of celebrating 
our differences, they condemn them. Instead of allaying our fears with 
real solutions, they exploit them for political gain.
  In speaking out against these corrosive, extremist forces, Senator 
Specter is following the guidance of the original Republican, Abraham 
Lincoln, who urged us to embrace ``the better angels of our nature.''
  I salute my senior Senator for embracing those better angels. And I 
look forward to working with him on these and many other issues that 
matter to the people of Pennsylvania and the people of this country.

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