[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 134 (Thursday, September 22, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 STATEMENT OF SENATE MAJORITY LEADER GEORGE J. MITCHELL AT THE SENATE 
                  SPOUSES AND RETIRING MEMBERS DINNER

  Mr. GLENN. Mr. President, it has been my honor and my pleasure on 
three occasions, following the election in 1988, the election in 1990, 
and the election in 1992, to nominate Senator George Mitchell to be our 
majority leader. And I have never for 1 minute regretted those 
nominations.
  To my mind, George has been an exemplary majority leader and the 
Senate is going to be the loser when he leaves at the end of this term, 
with, of course, his decision not to run again.
  He has served with courage and legislative skill, with tenacity, with 
judgment, with fairness, and with a really true concern for the people 
of this country. That has been his guiding motive.
  I will have more to say later in the session about this, because I 
know I, along with all of my colleagues, regret that George is going to 
be leaving the Senate.
  Last evening, there was a dinner that was held here on Capitol Hill 
for the retiring Senators. George made some remarks at that dinner that 
I thought were particularly apropos. He briefly addressed the fact that 
we have a lot of cynicism in this country today--some deserved, of 
course; but much of it not--but this Government goes on--and we have 
had our trials and tribulations in the past--because of the people who 
are willing to come here and serve, at some sacrifice. And their reward 
is normally in the satisfaction they get for seeing that this country 
moves ahead and that our people have more opportunities in the future 
than the previous generations had.
  I thought that our majority leader spoke very eloquently last 
evening. I asked, although he spoke mainly from notes, that there be a 
transcript of his remarks prepared, which was done today. I wanted to 
make certain that his remarks got a wider audience than just the group 
of Senators and Senators' spouses who were at the function last 
evening. So that transcript has been prepared.
  As I say, I will have a lot more to say about George later on before 
the end of this session, but I ask unanimous consent that the statement 
of Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell at the Senate spouses and 
retiring Members dinner of last evening be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the statement was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

 Statement of Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell at the Senate 
        Spouses and Retiring Members Dinner, September 22, 1994

       I am one of the Senators who will not be returning in 
     January. I will miss the retiring Senators and all of our 
     colleagues. Each is leaving for different reasons.
       I will leave because of my personal concept of public 
     service. Unfortunately, some have speculated that I'm leaving 
     because of the difficulties of serving in Congress.
       That speculation is not accurate. Of course there are 
     difficulties and frustrations. We all know that. But I'm 
     proud to be a member of the United States Senate. It's a 
     great honor, the greatest of my life.
       Criticism of the Congress is frequent today. But that's not 
     new.
       Most Americans cherish the view that during World War II--a 
     time when the nation was unified in the fight against 
     fascism--all of us pulled together, and cheerfully shared 
     sacrifice and hardship.
       But history tell us otherwise. In reality, throughout the 
     War, the Congress was under intense attack for the wartime 
     hardships.
       Members of Congress were touchy and defensive. Speaker 
     Rayburn said he was ``damned tired of having Congress made 
     the goat for everything.'' Senator Walter George said he was 
     tired of ``indiscriminate sniping and yowling.''
       It's still fashionable to criticize Congress. The criticism 
     so resonates with the American people that some members of 
     Congress are themselves among the leading voices in 
     disparaging this institution.
       But it's important to keep it in perspective. There never 
     was a time when the Congress was a loved institution. 
     Americans, members of the first truly egalitarian society, 
     have always been skeptical of those who are set apart, 
     whether by wealth, by election, or for any other reason.
       That's a good thing; a healthy thing. It keeps our feet on 
     the ground.
       But when skepticism turns to cynicism, as it lately has, we 
     risk undermining democracy.
       Every system of government, by definition, has an 
     executive. Throughout most of human history, that's all most 
     governments have had: A dominant executive, usually in the 
     form of an elected monarch.
       Individual freedom, the liberty that we Americans have come 
     to take for granted, largely came about when independent 
     legislatures came into existence.
       Across the sweep of human history, the institution most 
     responsible for the preservation of individual liberty has 
     been the independent legislature.
       The men who wrote the Constitution had as their central 
     objective the prevention of tyranny in America.
       They had lived under a British King. They did not want 
     there ever to be an American King.
       They were brilliantly successful. In two centuries, we've 
     had 42 presidents and no kings.
       Because power is so widely dispersed in our system, the 
     Congress, like parliaments in other democracies, often looks 
     chaotic, and disorganized. We often earn the criticism we 
     get.
       Every society includes inpatient people who want to see 
     rapid change, swift progress, sometimes even revolution. 
     Every society also includes people secure with things as they 
     are, who resist change.
       The tensions created by such competing pressures are what 
     drive us. How much change does a society need to stay 
     vibrant? How much must a society conserve to remain orderly?
       The critics think we get the answers wrong. And they 
     question our motives and our values.
       But what the critics miss is that public service gives work 
     a value and meaning greater than mere personal ambition and 
     private goals.
       I've been in the private sector, then in public office, and 
     I'm returning to the private sector. I take nothing away from 
     private life when I say that I don't think anything can ever 
     give the deep and meaningful satisfaction that comes from 
     public service.
       Public service must be and is its own reward, for it 
     guarantees neither wealth nor popularity. And, to paraphrase 
     Rodney Dangerfield, you don't get no respect, either.
       It's often frustrating. But when you do something that will 
     change the lives of people for the better, then it's worth 
     all the frustrations.
       Ours is virtually the only government in history dedicated 
     to opening doors, not closing them.
       In America today, I believe anyone can go as far and reach 
     as high as work, talent, and education allow. We can't 
     equalize effort or talent. But we can equalize opportunity--
     the promise of a fair chance to succeed.
       It's because of the promise of America that I, the son of 
     an uneducated, immigrant factory worker from a small town in 
     Maine, was able to become the Majority Leader of the United 
     States Senate.
       It's why Robert Byrd, our friend and mentor, could rise 
     from the hard coal fields of West Virginia to serve as Leader 
     in his time.
       It's why my friend and colleague, Bob Dole, could come out 
     of Russell, Kansas and be Leader in his time.
       Whatever new problems arise, whatever unforeseeable 
     challenges come, if we can keep that promise alive for our 
     children and theirs, America will never lose her way. For me, 
     that's the purpose of public service, its inspiration and 
     finally, its reward. We are among a very fortunate few to 
     have been able to reap that reward.
       Thank you for the privilege of serving with you.

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