[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          SENATOR DAVID BOREN

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, seldom do Members of opposite political 
parties work better together than the senior Senator from Oklahoma and 
myself. It is in the tradition of this enviable working relationship 
with David Boren that I rise to pay tribute to my colleague as he 
leaves this body to become the president of the University of Oklahoma.
  Mr. President, this occasion comes with mixed emotions for me. On the 
one hand, I am pleased to have this opportunity to express my sincere 
appreciation for all the things Senator Boren has done for his Nation, 
his State and for me, personally. But I must also tell you that I do 
not look forward to when David Boren leaves this floor for the last 
time as a Member of the U.S. Senate.
  Senator Boren's splendid record as a U.S. Senator for 16 years was 
the product of many years of careful preparation. He graduated summa 
cum laude from Yale, was selected a Rhodes scholar and graduated from 
Oxford with honors. David took his law degree from the University of 
Oklahoma to which he now returns and where he was class president of 
the College of Law.
  Senator Boren later taught political science at Oklahoma Baptist 
University and served as an officer in the Oklahoma National Guard.
  David began a political career in many ways unmatched in the history 
of Oklahoma when he was elected to the Oklahoma House of 
Representatives where he served for 8 years, running unopposed for his 
last three terms. The next step up the political ladder was the 
Oklahoma Governor's mansion, where he served as the Nation's youngest 
Governor. While Oklahoma's Governor, David began building his 
reputation as a reformer, a reputation that continued to grow after his 
election to this body in 1978.
  Mr. President, at a time when many public officials, especially 
Members of Congress, are not held in high regard by the public, Senator 
Boren stands out as a model of what a public servant should be. His 
performance in a number of key roles has been exemplary.
  Even though we have not seen eye to eye on specifics, David has led 
the fight to reform the way Federal political campaigns are financed. 
And, complimenting that effort, he served as chairman of the Joint 
Committee on the Organization of Congress, whose charge was conducting 
a comprehensive study of all congressional operations in order to make 
Congress more efficient and responsive.
  Senator Boren's devotion to our democratic process was shaped, in 
large part, by his father, Lyle Boren. My colleague recalls from time 
to time the positive influence his father had on him. David lives by 
the principle that all people are created equal and has the wisdom to 
know that no person is better than, or above, another. He does not 
divide people. He brings them together. It is perhaps this trait, more 
than any other, that defines David Boren.
  Mr. President, David Boren's father, himself a Member of Congress, 
was no stranger to the political process. David inherited and 
heightened his father's unique blend of personal integrity and 
political acumen.
  David's tenure as the longest serving chairman of the Senate Select 
Committee on Intelligence was marked by his emphasis on bipartisan 
cooperation in foreign policy.
  David can also take great pride in his creation of the Oklahoma 
Foundation for Excellence which gives financial awards to outstanding 
educators, recognizes Oklahoma's top high school seniors, and assists 
communities throughout the State in their efforts to form foundations 
to support their local public schools.
  Mr. President, throughout his career, Senator Boren has not been 
intimidated in taking unpopular stands on high profile public issues. 
And, he has been ready to pay the political price that goes with taking 
a leadership role on those issues.
  Although Senator Boren and I belong to different political parties, I 
am proud of the fact that we have always worked together very well, 
perhaps because there are many more things we agree on than on which we 
differ. I am proud that, despite the efforts of those who would like to 
drive a wedge between us, we have always worked together closely and 
effectively and never allowed partisanship to hamper our work.
  I will always remember our joint efforts to push through a realistic 
national energy program. That battle is not yet over, and the 
bipartisan nature of our proposal gives it added strength.
  And when we found ourselves on opposite sides of the fence on an 
issue, there was always respect for the other's position. I recall the 
debate on the Senate floor on certain provisions of his campaign reform 
bill with which I strenuously disagreed. We debated the issue at some 
length but never with anything but full respect for the other's 
position.
  Mr. President, I earlier made mention of David Boren's unmatched 
record as a political candidate. We all wish to be remembered for what 
we accomplish legislatively, but I must believe there is some 
correlation between David Boren's enormous popularity with Oklahoma 
voters and what he has been able to do legislatively for his State and 
his Nation. In 1990, when David was reelected for a third term, he 
piled up 83.4 percent of the vote, and carried all but 2 of the State's 
2,354 precincts. That percentage was higher than any other Senate 
candidate up for reelection and a performance which only we, his Senate 
colleagues, can properly appreciate.
  Mr. President, I know that you join me and all of our colleagues in 
our admiration and sincere appreciation for the outstanding work that 
Senator Boren has contributed in his 16 years as a Member of the U.S. 
Senate. We wish him Godspeed and good luck in meeting the challenges 
and opportunities that face him in his new role as President of the 
University of Oklahoma.
  Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Iowa for yielding to me.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho is seeking the floor.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, I ask if my colleague would yield to 
me?
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I yield, without losing my right to the 
floor, to the Senator from Idaho.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Thank you, Mr. President, and I thank the Senator 
from Iowa for his courtesy.

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