[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HARLAN MATHEWS

  Mr. DeCONCINI. Mr. President, the poet Oliver Wendell Holmes once 
described the importance of acting on a commitment or an ideal: ``I 
find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in 
what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind and 
sometimes against it--but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at 
anchor.'' When Harlan Mathews we appointed 2 years ago to fill the 
unexpired term of Vice President Gore, he came to the Senate with a 
determination to act on his convictions. At the beginning of his 
tenure, he stated three primary goals he wished to pursue during his 
term in office: reduce the deficit, address the nation's health care 
crisis, and look after the needs of his fellow Tennesseans. He has 
followed that course with distinction.
  Harlen came to the Senate with an outstanding background in economic 
policy. He served his State of Tennessee as Commissioner of Finance for 
10 years, a position he held longer than any commissioner of that 
department to date. He was subsequently elected state treasurer. His 13 
years in that position made him the longest holder of that office in 
Tennessee history. In his home state he made his mark as a sound fiscal 
conservative and continued his commitment to fiscal responsibility when 
he came to the U.S. Senate.
  Harlan Mathews has been a strong voice for economic accountability, 
cosponsoring a balanced budget amendment and calling on this nation to 
square its accounts. From his seat on the Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Mathews has fought to improve America's economy by improving 
our trade performance. He sponsored a Senate Resolution emphasizing the 
importance of trade relations between the United States and the Asia 
Pacific countries, a critical ingredient for the U.S. to remain 
competitive in the 21st century. As a member of the Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee, Harlan Mathews championed legislation to promote a 
working partnership among the Department of Energy, American industry, 
and our educational institutions, thereby allowing our nation's 
research labs to spearhead economic growth and keep us economically 
strong in the global marketplace.
  Harlan Mathews has served his constituents in Tennessee with 
distinction. He has worked tirelessly on issues of vital concern to his 
home State, including coal production, research and development at the 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, revitalization of the Lower Mississippi 
Delta region, improvement of our rural health care system, and 
preservation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  It has been a pleasure to serve with my colleague from Tennessee over 
the past 2 years. He leaves behind a proud and distinguished record of 
service. I wish him and his family every happiness and success in the 
years to come.

                          ____________________