[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 149 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: December 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          SALUTE TO JIM SASSER

  Mr. MATHEWS. Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues this evening 
in paying tribute and offering a salute to my close colleague, Jim 
Sasser. I want to say to his wife, Mary, who is in the gallery, and his 
daughter Elizabeth, that the people of Tennessee are much better off 
for Jim Sasser's service in this assembly. The people in the Nation are 
better today because of what Jim Sasser has done.
  If you look at the history of our State, you will find that Tennessee 
has a tradition of sending men and women of distinction to the Congress 
and to Washington to play their important role of setting the course of 
action for our Nation. If we look back, we see that our State has 
furnished three Presidents: Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew 
Johnson, all men of distinction who came from Tennessee to DC and left 
there imprimatur on this Nation.
  We have furnished the Secretary of State, Cordell Hull, and more 
recently such leaders as Estes Kefauver and Howard Baker and Albert 
Gore, Sr., and Jr. And Albert Gore, Jr., sits in the White House as 
Vice President today, and because of that, I was privileged to be 
appointed to serve in his place and I have served with Jim for 2 years.
  So I am sure it was no surprise to anyone here that a person of Jim 
Sasser's ability and distinction and compassion was elected from our 
State to serve this Nation.
  Jim came from a family of modest means, like many of us who are here. 
As was said by someone a couple of years ago, he was not born with 
either a silver spoon or a silver foot in his mouth. He was born with a 
heart as big as this Nation, and he has tried to share that heart in 
making life easier for Tennesseans, to be sure, but to make life easier 
for the people of this Nation by having the foresight through the 
Budget Committee and through the Banking Committee, and others, to 
stand firm on those actions that he felt were needed in order to make 
life better for America.
  Jim, I say to you on behalf of Tennesseans, what happened is as 
unexplainable as the flood last year that devastated the midsection of 
our country. You led with distinction, and the love that we Tennesseans 
have for you remains today. Because of you, as everyone here has 
mentioned, this is a better Nation, ours is a better State, and we want 
you to know that we look forward to your being a moving force in 
Tennessee government and Tennessee politics, and we will be there when 
you need us. We will be there to help in any way that we can.
  On behalf of the people of Tennessee, thanks for the good job that 
you have done.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut [Mr. Dodd] is 
recognized for 10 minutes.

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