[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 5, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR GEORGE MITCHELL

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, this evening there is going to be one 
of many tributes being paid to the majority leader, George Mitchell, 
which I intend to attend. I know there is going to be very many nice 
things said about the majority leader tonight.
  Mr. President, as we near the end of the 103d Congress and the end of 
my term in the Senate, I would like to pay tribute to one of the most 
admired individuals ever to serve in this body, our esteemed Majority 
Leader Senator George Mitchell. The citizens of Maine, the Nation and, 
most especially, the Members of the U.S. Senate are losing the services 
of a remarkable individual and dedicated public servant.
  When Senator Mitchell was elected to the Senate in 1982, I doubt that 
he or many of his colleagues knew that he would rise to the position of 
majority leader in such a short period of time. Through his hard work, 
deep dedication to the institution and the traditions of the Senate and 
his unquestioned personal integrity, Senator Mitchell quickly won the 
profound respect of his Democratic colleagues who elected him as 
majority leader in 1989.
  I can only stand in awe of the way George Mitchell has carried out 
his responsibilities as majority leader. He has been eminently fair 
with both Democrats and Republicans alike. With Herculean patience, he 
has tried to accommodate the requests of 99 other Senators with diverse 
and often conflicting demands, and has always honored his commitments 
to individual Members. He has steadfastly defended the rights of the 
minority. He has tried his best to improve the quality of life for 
those of us who serve with him by giving us as much advance notice as 
possible about the Senate schedule. In my judgment, there has been no 
finer majority leader in the history of the Senate, and I want to thank 
him sincerely for his service and for the many courtesies he has 
extended to me and my staff over the years, and his staff has extended 
to me.
  During his service in the Senate, Senator Mitchell has witnessed 
great changes in both the institution and the Nation it serves. He had 
the vision to recognize these changes for what they are--precursors of 
the new era, full of challenge, hazard, and opportunity. He is a man of 
ideas who has faced the complex challenges of the Nation and translated 
those challenges into constructive solutions for the future.
  George Mitchell's concern for the future was most evident through his 
work on the Environment and Public Works Committee, where he led the 
fight to reauthorize the 1990 Clean Air Act over a Presidential veto. 
Among other things, this legislation included controls on acid rain and 
air toxins in order to protect the environmental future of the 
generations to follow. Senator Mitchell was also in the forefront of 
the fight to clean up toxic sites throughout the country with the 
enactment of the Superfund. And he led the effort to protect Americans 
against radon and other indoor air pollutants through the enactment of 
the Indoor Air Pollution Act in 1987. He also led the effort to enact 
oilspill legislation and worked with his colleagues to improve the 
safety of our nuclear plants. I have scarcely scratched the surface on 
his environmental accomplishments. Suffice it to say that Senator 
Mitchell has left an indelible mark on the environmental quality of 
this Nation, a legacy of which he can be extremely proud.
  Senator Mitchell has never forgotten his humble roots as the son of 
immigrant parents. Those roots have led him to champion the rights of 
and to provide opportunities for the less fortunate in society. He 
fought for the passage of landmark civil rights legislation. He was 
instrumental in the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. He 
played a leading role in enacting child care legislation and 
legislation to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for families to 
care for a newborn, a sick child, or ill parents. He has fought for 
enhanced educational opportunities for low-income Americans through the 
expansion of Pell grants. To improve the lives of working Americans, he 
has been a leading proponent of enhanced training for unskilled and 
unemployed workers. He was a leader in efforts to increase the minimum 
wage, to provide workers sufficient notice before the closing of 
plants, and to extend benefits for the long-term unemployed.

  Before assuming the post of majority leader, I came to know Senator 
Mitchell best through his service on the Senate Committee on Veterans' 
Affairs, a committee on which I also sit. Senator Mitchell was dogged 
in trying to protect and enhance benefits for the veterans of his State 
and the Nation. His leadership on national health care issues carried 
over to his work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee where he has worked 
tirelessly to increase veterans' access to high quality medical care. 
He can be extremely proud of his accomplishments for Maine veterans in 
this area. During his tenure in the Senate, a clinical addition was 
added to the VA Medical Center at Togus, an outpatient clinic was 
established in northern Maine, a mobile clinic was made available for 
coastal Maine, and substance abuse outpatient units are established in 
both Bangor and Portland. In addition to these expansions, five vet 
centers were established around the State and a post-traumatic stress 
disorder unit was installed at Togus. When legislation was introduced 
to elevate the Veterans' Administration to cabinet level status, 
Senator Mitchell was the only Member to serve on both committees having 
jurisdiction over the bill. He used his powers of persuasion on both 
committees to ensure that this long-sought dream of American veterans 
became a reality.
  Senator Mitchell's decision to continue his service on the Committee 
on Veterans' Affairs, even after assuming his responsibilities as 
majority leader, is a reflection of his deep dedication to Maine 
veterans and to all those who risked their lives in the service of 
their country. From his first day on the committee to his last, he 
continued his advocacy and hard work in behalf of the Nation's 
veterans. His service on that committee will be greatly missed by 
veterans around the Nation, but especially by those in Maine.
  But Senator Mitchell will undoubtedly be best remembered for his 
leadership on health care reform. Despite the failure of comprehensive 
reform during this session of Congress, Senator Mitchell can be proud 
of his many successes in improving both the quality and delivery of 
health care services during his career. His work led to the enactment 
of nursing home standards in 1987 and to the evaluation of medical care 
outcomes in 1989. From his seat on the Senate Finance Committee, he was 
always in the vanguard of efforts to protect Medicare and Medicaid from 
huge reductions. While I know that George Mitchell is disappointed that 
comprehensive health care reform was not enacted this year, I am 
certain that the seeds that he sowed will ultimately bear fruit.
  Senator Mitchell epitomizes the very best in public service. He has 
raised public service to a level against which all who follow will be 
measured. He will be sorely missed by the people of Maine and, 
particularly, by the Members of this body.
  I appreciate the majority leader so much. I happened to have been 
foolish enough not to support him when he ran for the majority leader 
position. He told me he was going to win. I said, ``George, you haven't 
been here long enough.'' I did not think that was going to happen, and 
I was committed to somebody else. He responded, ``Dennis, you are my 
friend, and after I am elected, you will still be my friend just like 
you are today.''
  That is exactly how I feel toward the majority leader today. He is a 
friend and I am grateful for the service that he has given to this 
body. He has always been there for this Senator. And I think everybody 
in this body has found George Mitchell to be available, to consult, to 
be considerate, and attempt to assist.
  As Senator Mitchell leaves the Senate to pursue a new career, I want 
to sincerely thank him for his service and to wish him every success 
and godspeed. May all the goodwill he has engendered everywhere come 
back to him a hundredfold. In closing, I would like to extend to 
Senator George Mitchell an old Irish blessing.

     May the roads rise up to meet you,
     May the wind be ever at your back,
     May the good Lord keep you in the
     hollow of His hand.

  Senator Mitchell, you are and outstanding servant of the people.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. President, I thank my colleague and my friend for 
his very kind remarks. I am deeply grateful to him. I will miss the 
Senate very much and I will especially miss the daily interaction with 
so many friends and colleagues. And among those who are and have been 
good friends is my colleague from Arizona, Senator DeConcini. I thank 
him very much for his thoughtful words.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, I thank Senator Mitchell. I will join 
later tonight in one of many tributes to him.
  Mr. MITCHELL. Will the Senator yield to permit me to get one 
unanimous consent agreement?
  Mr. DeCONCINI. Of course.

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