[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 29, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4777-S4784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             HOWELL HEFLIN

  Mr. JOHNSTON. Mr. President, as most Members of this body, I received 
word of Senator Heflin's retirement just a few moments ago. As I began 
to contemplate his service here, I wondered what was the single word 
that best epitomized Senator Heflin's service. Mr. President, the word 
that came to mind first was ``wisdom.''
  Wisdom is a rare thing. It is acquired genetically, and our Creator 
has been very generous with Senator Heflin in endowing him with a huge 
amount of wisdom and a huge amount of ability.
  It also is born of experience, and having served the people of 
Alabama now, both as chief justice and as a Member of this body, for 
some 23-plus years, he has acquired both the skill and the knowledge, 
along with that genetically inspired wisdom, to be, indeed, one of the 
wisest Members of this body.
  In fact, if the Senator from Alabama rises on any issue in this 
Senate, not only do Members of the Senate listen, but as far as this 
Senator is concerned, he almost always follows, because Senator Heflin 
is seldom wrong and is someone whose wisdom is greatly to be emulated. 
Indeed, Mr. President, if I had to make a two-word speech against term 
limits, it would probably be ``Howell Heflin,'' because Howell Heflin's 
leaving this body will make it a decidedly lesser place.
  There are other words that come to mind when you think of Howell 
Heflin. Clearly integrity has to be one, because his is an integrity so 
strong that nobody would ever seek to disparage it. Indeed, no one 
would seek to defend it. I mean, you do not have to say Howell Heflin 
is a man of integrity because that would be redundant. Everyone knows 
that. It emanates from every pore in his body, from his history and 
from his lifetime of work.
  He was, indeed, the first choice of almost everyone to be a member of 
the Ethics Committee.
  Mr. President, clearly in describing Howell Heflin, you would have to 
refer to his sense of humor. It is legendary. It occasionally erupts 
here on the floor of the Senate. More commonly, in political speeches 
back in Alabama. I would hate to be the object of his wit, either in 
Alabama or anywhere else, because, while it is gentle and while it is 
funny, it can be, indeed, devastating.
  I will never forget the story of the Grey Poupon, the way that Howell 
Heflin could describe to those who thought themselves too sophisticated 
to be from Alabama, and the way he could use that humor to not only 
enlighten and to lighten the debate, but also as a tremendous political 
weapon.
  Mr. President, this Senate will not be the same when Howell Heflin 
leaves. It simply will not. It will be a much lesser place. I will be 
leaving as well. So it is not that I will miss him. I will enjoy 
service with him for the next year and 8 months. I hope he completes 
his agenda, as I hope I complete mine.
  But, Mr. President, for I think decades to come, people of Alabama 
will revere the service of one Chief Justice Howell Heflin and one 
Senator Howell Heflin, one of the most outstanding Members this body 
has ever produced.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, there is one word that comes to my mind, 
I say to the Senator from Louisiana, and that is character. Certainly, 
Howell Heflin is an individual with the highest of integrity and, yes, 
humor. But it has to be said, I am glad the Senator from Louisiana did 
not continue on about Howell's humor, because most of those stories 
could not be told on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
  We should all remember his work on the Ethics Committee and the 
outstanding job that Howell Heflin did as chairman. It is a very 
thankless task.
  The idea of any kind of farm legislation and, as the Senator 
mentioned earlier, anything concerning peanuts. 
[[Page S4778]] He will knock all of these desks to the floor to make 
sure the peanut farmers are taken care of.
  In addition, we have been blessed with his incredible expertise as a 
member of the Judiciary Committee. We know him as a former chief 
justice, the most outstanding of the State chief justices, elected so 
by his own confreres. At international conferences, he has supported 
the United States in Europe and NATO with tremendous distinction.
  But in addition to honoring his outstanding record, let me just dwell 
on two things: First, I traveled the State of Alabama during the 
Presidential race some 10 years ago. And in my travels, I found out was 
that Howell Heflin is a common man of uncommon abilities. He knows 
everybody in that State. I can tell you, he is not leaving because he 
cannot get reelected. That fellow could walk back in here. The rest of 
us have to fight our way.
  Incidentally, I am not joining you two at all. I am fighting to stay 
here. But Senator Heflin knows them all. He knows every element of that 
society. He has never outgrown--being a chief justice or U.S. Senator--
his humble beginnings in Tuscumbia. That always impressed me, because I 
met with people in every county in that particular State and every 
particular group, from the legislature to the Governor, down to the 
civic organizations and the defense organizations at Huntsville, where 
Howell has been a leader.
  But I want to emphasize his message here. I am quoting what he just 
said:

       We foster democratic principles. Throughout the world 
     scene, democracy has made great strides in many nondemocratic 
     countries. Yes, our own democracy faces its greatest threat 
     from within. Elected officials, media personalities, elements 
     of political parties, and other organizations strive to pit 
     one group of Americans against another. We must set a new 
     course in this Congress and across the land, a course of 
     moderation, tolerance, responsibility, and compassion.

  When I first got over here, we were seated on those last two seats. I 
was seated next to Bobby Kennedy. We had better seats in ``My Fair 
Lady.'' We were voting, and I got a tap on the shoulder. I looked 
around, and it was the senior Senator from Kentucky who was tapping me 
on the shoulder. He said, ``Fritz, change that vote, change that 
vote.'' I said, ``John, what do you mean?'' He said ``Well, they got a 
lot of horsemen there in South Carolina, and I know many.'' He said, 
``That would be a bad mistake. They like you, and I would hate to see 
you get in trouble with them.'' John Cooper had come all the way around 
the Chamber. He had a seat way on the back of the other side and had 
come over to this side.
  The tremendous change that Senator Heflin has emphasized here in his 
announcement of departing is certainly noteworthy. In these times, it 
seems as if we meet in ambush every Tuesday to get the other side.
  A perfect example of what I am talking about can be seen by focusing 
on what happened with the line-item veto. I have sponsored line-item 
veto legislation for some 10 years. I have a bill, S. 238, that was 
referred to the Rules Committee just this year. The Republicans had an 
intramural between themselves over two different rescission bills, and 
when they worked out a compromise, they had basically settled on my 
bill. It is in the Rules Committee, a separate enrollment line-item 
veto. But I never claimed that on the floor of the Senate. I was afraid 
that the partisanship was so violent that some would vote against it if 
they heard that my name was even connected with the blooming thing. It 
has gotten that bad.
  I think in this distinguished statesman's departure, he is 
emphasizing an awfully important thing--American industry and catching 
up with the global competition. We have learned, in quality production, 
that the best way to compete is to have the lowest elements involved in 
production and working in teams. I have seen the Japanese, and have 
come to see that teamwork in individual industries in my own State of 
South Carolina. Industry now has learned how to get quality production.
  The political body has gone totally in the other direction, with no 
idea of working together. Who can get whom? Who can get on the 7 
o'clock news? Who can catch the other fellow? And whatever else it is. 
The legislation that we spew out shows it. It is not quality. It is not 
production.
  Howell Heflin has left us a most important message. I will not read 
all of it. I know others here are waiting. But our distinguished 
colleague was president of the Alabama State Bar Association. He was 
selected the Most Outstanding Appellate Judge in the United States in 
1976. He served his chairman of the National Conference of Chief 
Justices; was a member of the college faculty at William & Mary, the 
University of Alabama, and the University of North Alabama. He received 
the Outstanding Service to Science Award from the National Association 
of Biomedical Research; National Veterans Award; the Henry Jackson 
Senate Leadership Award; the Justice Award and Harley Award, American 
Judicature Society; the Wernher von Braun Space Award; the James 
Madison Award of the National Broadcast Editorial Association; 12 
honorary degrees.
  The Senator from Louisiana is exactly right. If I had to answer this 
nonsense of term limitations--which incidentally is included in the 
U.S. Constitution, but seems like a new idea--I would answer it with 
two words. ``Howell Heflin.''
  I thank you for that expression. That is exactly what I have in mind.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am sorry to get the news of the 
retirement of my good friend and distinguished Senator from Alabama. I 
hope on this side of the aisle that I can claim the right to miss him 
more than any other Republican might miss him, because for 15 years, I 
have had the chance of working with him on a subcommittee of Judiciary. 
At various times, the committee has been entitled Administrative 
Practice and Procedure; at another time, Courts, and this time, 
Oversight and Courts, I guess. I was chairman of it from 1980 to 1986. 
He was chairman for the last 8 years, and when the Republicans gained 
control of the Senate, I became chairman again.
  So I have either been ranking member or chairman with the 
distinguished Senator for now going on my 15th year.
  I can say that it has been a pleasure working with him. It has been a 
pleasure because there has not been any friction. It has been a 
pleasure because he does not think in a partisan way. It has been a 
pleasure because he knows a great deal about the law and, for a 
nonlawyer like me, it gives me an opportunity to have a great deal of 
confidence that the product that comes out of that committee, whether I 
am chairman or whether he is chairman, is going to be a good product. I 
think an example of that good product is the bankruptcy reform 
legislation that was passed over in the last Congress.
  Not too many people in this body pay too much attention to bankruptcy 
legislation. It is not the sort of legislation that keeps you awake 
when you are reading and considering some of its aspects. But he worked 
real hard on that, and I hope I worked helping him as the ranking 
member to get a bill that would be passed.
  That is one example of the hard work that he has done where there is 
not public attention given to it. But he does not do his work because 
he cares about the public attention. He does his work because he wants 
to do the job right and according to the Constitution and what is good 
public policy. I have known that to be his characteristic in these 
years that I have worked with him on this committee. But most 
importantly through the work on the committee, I have been able to 
develop a friendship with him. It is the sort of friendship that is 
going to have a crack in it when he is not here in succeeding 
Congresses. He knows there is a lot of legislation he is going to be 
working on with me over the next 20 months. I look forward to working 
with him. But I was also looking forward to working with him much 
beyond that. So I am going to miss him but I wish him well.
  Mr. EXON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mr. EXON. I thank the Chair.
  Just let me add a few brief words in salute to Howell Heflin--truly a 
son of the Old South who I think is of as much distinction as all of 
the other great southerners who have served in the U.S. Senate. He is 
far more than just a southern Senator. He is a U.S. Senator.
   [[Page S4779]] Certainly I wish to say to Mike and Howell Heflin 
from both myself and my wife, Pat, we came here together and we will be 
leaving together. When I think about things like that, Mr. President, I 
cannot tell you about anyone in this body that I think more exemplifies 
the term a true workhorse and not a show horse of the Senate.
  Mike and Howell Heflin have been close friends and associates of the 
Exons lo these many years. However, it is far more than just our 
personal relationship I have treasured. I have treasured also the 
professional working relationships we have had in the Senate. And I 
think when the rollcall of votes are summarized you will likely see 
that Howell Heflin and Jim Exon probably voted as close alike as any 
other Members of this body, which I know we have been very proud in 
serving.
  I wish to cite something personal about Howell Heflin that not very 
many people know. A few years ago I had an opportunity to lead a 
delegation to the Pacific area. Howell Heflin went along. We stopped in 
Guam for refueling en route to Manila, and there was to be a brief 
ceremony for Howell Heflin that I knew nothing about when we landed 
there.
  It was anything but a brief ceremony. It was obviously one of the 
most important ceremonies that the Island of Guam had had, I suppose, 
since the American forces drove out the Japanese from that island 
during the war in the Pacific. There was a big entourage of cars. I 
could not imagine what was going on. Finally, I began to get the feel 
of things. They wanted to take us out to the beach where the American 
marines landed when the United States of America started taking back 
that very important and strategic island.
  We went out to the beach, and we saw where they landed, the 
difficulty they had in landing there with the coral reefs that had not 
been researched very well obviously from a landing standpoint. We went 
to the museum out on the beach. This was all about Howell Heflin. When 
we went over to the beach itself, there was a small Navy band. There 
was a small tent with people from the Island of Guam who were there 
when the Americans landed.
  A very touching sight. There was a big sign out there that I shall 
never forget. It said, ``Welcome Back Our Liberating Hero, Lt. Howell 
Heflin.'' The mayor was there; the Governor was there; a little Navy 
band was there. They gave us a flag. And, of course, the big man of the 
moment was Howell Heflin.
  Because of all his other accomplishments, Howell Heflin, without very 
much fanfare--and I suspect maybe most of his colleagues in the Senate 
do not even know about it--early on he was one of those marines, Lt. 
Howell Heflin, who was part of the assault force of the Americans 
landing to take Guam from the Japanese. He was wounded in the initial 
assault and kept on fighting. He pointed out the hill to me where he 
took his second hit. He spent relatively little time there because he 
was evacuated to the United States where he spent considerable time in 
the hospital.
  This is a side of the proud Howell Heflin that I know. That is a side 
that I want his colleagues to know about and Americans to know about in 
addition to all his other outstanding accomplishments. He is one of 
those who serves his country in time of need, and we must never forget 
that.
  So to you, Howell, and to Mike, the best from Pat and I for our close 
association. And I point to people like you, Howell, as I have talked 
about before. One of the most wonderful things about being involved in 
politics--and I have been involved in it about the same amount of time 
as you--were it not for my involvement in politics there is not one 
chance in 2 trillion that I would have ever met Howell and Mike Heflin. 
Having met them, having known them, known of their stature, their 
character, having had them as friends, means a lot to one as you look 
back on your life and see what really has been important.
  I am not going to cite all of your accomplishments, Howell, because 
that has been done so very, very well by your friends and colleagues 
who have spoken before me in this Chamber in this regard today.
  I simply say that one of the great treasures of my life has been 
knowing you, seeing you serve with such distinction, knowing of the 
great gratitude of your fellow Senators on both sides of the aisle for 
the important role that you have played in the Senate, representing 
your great State so very, very well, but even more so by an excellent, 
outstanding individual who responded to duty early in life when you 
served in the Marines; saw and discharged your duties as well here in 
the Senate as you did in Guam. God bless and God keep you.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I rise as well to express my 
disappointment but as well my very best wishes to our dear colleague, 
Howell Heflin, with his announcement this afternoon. I have known him 
as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee for a long period of 
time, and all of us have had the good opportunity to work with him in 
so many different capacities over the last 18 years.
  We come to this Chamber as Republicans and Democrats, R's and D's, 
but I think once we are here we become known not as R's and D's 
necessarily but C's or D's, constructives or destructives.
  There are some who for whatever short-term political gain may be 
inclined to be destructive to the political or legislative process. 
Unfortunately, there are all too many cases that come to mind as we 
think about destructive efforts that have gone on sometimes with no 
good reason.
  But then there are those constructive leaders who come to this 
Chamber with a true belief that they can do good for others, with an 
understanding of the importance of Government, and with the belief that 
we can really look forward to making the next generation and the 
generation after that one better than the one that is currently 
occupying this great land. I think that was what Howell Heflin came to 
do 18 years ago.
  As I look over all of our colleagues in the Senate, I must say I 
cannot think of anyone who has been more constructive in his approach. 
The tributes that have already been made here on the Senate floor to 
the character of Senator Heflin, I believe, are illustrative of that 
fact.
  Democrats and Republicans understand the contribution that Howell 
Heflin has made. They understand his constructive approach. They 
understand why it is he came here in the first place. They understand 
the tremendous reputation that he has established as a result of that 
approach. And they are fond of calling him their friend.
  We look forward to at least 18 more months of that kind of 
constructive participation, that kind of leadership, the kind of 
dedication to his job that he brings to work each and every day. And we 
have that realization that we have the good fortune to work with him 
for at least 18 more months in this capacity and perhaps in other 
capacities in public life, as well.
  But I want to share my best wishes and hope that he and his family, 
as wonderful as they are, have many, many years to enjoy the wonderful 
life that Howell has dedicated not only to this Senate but to them as 
they go forth with their new future.
  Someone once said that life has no blessing like that of a good 
friend. Howell Heflin has been a good friend to the people of Alabama, 
to the people of this Chamber, to the people who have had the good 
fortune to know him now for some time. I wish him well.
  Several Senators addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, I was in my office when my press secretary 
called and said, ``Howell Heflin is announcing he is not going to run 
again.'' I turned on that TV set to hear at least part of what he had 
to say.
  Howell Heflin has made a real contribution to this body and to the 
Nation. One of the ways he has made a contribution is that he has taken 
his job as Senator seriously, but he has not taken himself too 
seriously. And I think that is very important.
  He has a great sense of humor. Well, there may be some disagreement 
on that here, whether he has a great sense of humor or not. But, you 
know, you get talking with him about an issue and all of a sudden he 
will say, ``Well, 
[[Page S4780]] that reminds me of the Methodist minister,'' and you are 
on a story. And all of a sudden, the tension in the situation has been 
deflated. That sense of humor and ability to laugh at yourself and 
still take your job seriously, I think, is important.
  Both Senator Grassley and Senator Hollings mentioned something else 
that I think is important, and that is he is partisan but not 
excessively partisan. We have too much partisanship today in this body. 
We have to be looking at issues and making judgments on issues. I am 
not suggesting either party is more guilty of this than the other. We 
both have our problems here.
  I can remember very distinctly when I first met Howell Heflin. I was 
asked to go down to speak in the State of Alabama. Hubert Humphrey, 
some of you will remember, got cancer. For speaking engagements, they 
would reach around to others. When they really got desperate, I was 
over there in the House, and I went down to Alabama.
  They said, ``We have this really fine chief justice down here who is 
thinking about running for the Senate.'' I met Howell Heflin at that 
dinner. He has probably forgotten that day, but I remember it very, 
very well.
  I learned, in just a brief conversation with him that evening, one 
other factor about Howell Heflin, and that is he a genuine 
humanitarian. He wants to help people. That is what this business is 
all about.
  Robert Byrd gets criticized periodically for helping the people of 
West Virginia. He has never had a critic in Paul Simon for helping the 
people of West Virginia. I applaud him for doing it.
  Howell Heflin has helped the people of Alabama, but he has helped the 
people of our whole Nation.
  Then, finally, he is both a scholar and a good judge of humanity. I 
remember when we had a well-publicized nominee before the Judiciary 
Committee. I sit next to Howell Heflin on the Judiciary Committee. I 
remember he was asking this nominee a question. As the nominee answered 
the question, Howell Heflin leaned over to me and said, ``He's lying.'' 
I knew right then how Howell Heflin was going to vote on that nominee. 
Howell Heflin knows the human character.
  But he also looks at the details of legislation. He gets that 
pencil--he usually works with a pencil, not a pen--he gets a pencil 
out, and on his finger, he has a little knob on it. It is a little red 
on the end of that finger. It looks like he took a Band-Aid off of it. 
He gets that pencil out and he starts scribbling things down. Then, all 
of sudden he will say, ``Mr. Chairman, what about section 3 on page 18? 
What does this mean?'' And all of a sudden he has shifted the whole 
discourse.
  He has made a tremendous contribution. I am proud to be his friend. 
It is an honor to serve in the U.S. Senate with Howell Heflin. The 
people of Alabama ought to be very, very proud of their decision to 
send Howell Heflin to the U.S. Senate.
  Mr. LEAHY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I will speak later in greater detail about 
Senator Heflin, but I would like to say a couple of words about my good 
friend Howell Heflin.
  When I became chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I went to 
Howell Heflin and said, ``I'm going to need your help and advice 
regarding commodities from your area. As we write farm bills, I'm going 
to need to know how they will affect Alabama.'' I knew, even after a 
short while, I could always call on him for such help.
  I sit next to him on the other side from Paul Simon in the Senate 
Judiciary Committee. I have had the advantage sometimes of a running 
commentary from Judge Heflin. I have often thought that some of the 
things he is whispering in my ears in the Judiciary Committee would 
make far better reading than what was in the official transcript, and 
it sometimes influenced me a heck of lot more than what was in the 
official transcript.
  I also had an advantage on the Senate Agriculture Committee where I 
looked at him and Senator Pryor as the voices of Southern agriculture 
on our side of the aisle.
  Senator Heflin invited me down to Alabama. He vouched for me. He even 
offered to do a simultaneous translation for me while I was speaking. 
He told me I could give a 10-minute speech while he translated it into 
Southern. He said it would take 30 minutes to repeat it, so I should 
not talk too long.
  Mr. President, it was amazing. We went out into small towns. We did a 
hearing in someone's barn, as I recall. Now, this was a Senate hearing. 
I brought Republicans and Democrats with me.
  We knew where the barn was, because all the signs were not ``Welcome, 
Senate Agriculture Committee,'' not ``Welcome, Chairman,'' or anything 
else. It was, ``Welcome, Howell,'' or ``Welcome, Senator Heflin,'' or 
``The farmers of'' whatever county it was--I still remember that barn; 
I cannot remember the name of the county--``welcome Senator Heflin.''
  We went there, and then went on to what understood would be a small 
dinner. Well, we went into this school and the place was a mob scene.
  They were asking the tall bald guy to get out of the way because they 
wanted to see the real--the real--Senate agriculture expert, Howell 
Heflin. We went in there, and, Mr. President, I heard Senator Heflin 
speak about going back to his hometown, and he said, ``It's a wonderful 
little town to be from; it is the best little town in America to go 
home to.''
  Having seen him in Alabama, and having seen the way he feels the 
roots of his State, I truly believe that.
  In fact, I listened to that with some understanding, because as he 
knows from traveling with me, I feel the same roots in my own State of 
Vermont. We are blessed because we both know we have a hometown to go 
home to. He will get there a little bit ahead of me, but I think how 
fortunate he is to have that. How fortunate his own State of Alabama 
has been to have him, a voice of sanity, of reason, of moderation, in 
the best sense of the word, on the Senate Judiciary Committee; a voice 
where he is a strong advocate for his State but still looking to be an 
advocate in a way that can help reach consensus with other Senators. 
His goal was not to win for the sake of winning, but to win because it 
was the right thing.
  I admire that as I admire both he and Mike have been good friends of 
Marcelle and myself.
  We have had great times, from him asking me how I justified smoking a 
Cuban cigar--I told him I was burning Castro's crops and treating that 
Communist the way we should--to him coming to me and saying on a couple 
of occasions, ``You know, you may not be able to get exactly this bill 
that you want, but I wouldn't be surprised if you modified it a little 
bit here, if you spoke to this Senator, this Republican and this 
Democrat, we can work it out,'' and we always did.
  Mr. President, I feel, as others who have spoken, that we have been 
blessed and benefited by serving with Senator Heflin. I have enjoyed 
that service. I have looked forward to the times we have been in 
committee meetings sitting beside each other. I admire him as a 
Senator. I respect him as an intellectual giant in this body, and 
especially I have so much affection for him as a good friend.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. PRYOR addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I was in the office of Senator Daschle a 
few moments ago visiting with Senator Daschle and some of our 
colleagues about issues coming before the Senate this week and down the 
line, and one of our trusted staff members came in and made the 
announcement that Senator Howell Heflin, of Alabama, was on the floor 
of the U.S. Senate announcing that he would not run for reelection.
  There was, I must say, shock and sadness and dismay in that room at 
that time. As we came to the floor of the Chamber to hear the last part 
of the remarks of our friend from Alabama, I could not help but be 
reminded of a part of the creed of the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce 
that we used to recite at our noonday luncheons, and I quote:

       We believe that service to humanity is the best work of 
     life.

  I think that service to humanity is something that will be the 
hallmark of this great son of Alabama. It was my pleasure and my 
privilege to come to 
[[Page S4781]] the Senate with Senator Howell Heflin and his wonderful 
wife, Mike, in 1979. I will never forget that we had a class structure; 
that our Senators in that particular class from time to time would have 
meetings, we would go to each other's homes for perhaps a potluck 
supper. We would have speakers, and they would come and give us what 
they thought were the great issues of the day. It seems almost like the 
blink of an eye, when I had the privilege of beginning to get to know 
this fine man, this fine gentleman from Alabama.
  I remember, too, Mr. President, that when Judge Heflin, as we have 
affectionately called him over these some 16 or 17 years, I remember 
the day that he was stricken ill. I will never forget the stillness 
that overcame this building, the Senate office buildings as Senators 
and staff members and elevator operators and policemen stopped to pause 
and to reflect and perhaps even to pray about their friend, Howell 
Heflin.
  I have had the privilege of serving on the Agriculture Committee with 
Senator Heflin for these 16 years, and I can tell you that the farmers 
in Alabama, the farmers in Arkansas, the farmers in Michigan or West 
Virginia, Hawaii, or wherever it might be, have never had a better 
friend nor a stronger advocate than Howell Heflin, of Alabama.
  Mr. President, finally, I had the high honor of serving as a member 
of the Senate Ethics Committee--not an easy responsibility--with the 
very great chairman of many years of that committee, Senator Howell 
Heflin. And many, many times during the deliberations, most of the 
times behind closed doors, in trying to deal with some of the extremely 
sensitive issues that faced individuals in this body or that faced this 
body as a whole, it was always Judge Heflin who brought us back to the 
center of the argument and the center of the issue as he said time and 
time and time again, ``Ladies and gentleman, we must do what is good 
for this institution.''
  This institution--this institution--Mr. President, I think, has been 
so much better because he has graced this institution with his 
presence. He has made us laugh, he has made us cry but, above all, he 
has made us think. He is truly, I think, one of the greatest Members 
this body has ever had. And it has been a high privilege and honor for 
me to have had the privilege of serving with him.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. INOUYE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Abraham). The Senator from Hawaii.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, my distinguished colleagues of the Senate 
have spent much time this afternoon sharing their words of gratitude, 
their words of affection, their words of admiration for that gentleman 
from Alabama, Howell Heflin. Everything that has been said is fully 
justified.
  He is a man of distinction, one of the great jurists of our Nation. 
He is a great legislator, successful and effective.
  But whenever I see my dear friend, Howell, I think of another 
occasion when another great American gave his farewell address.
  This happened about 30 years ago and his name was Douglas MacArthur. 
General MacArthur in his farewell address to the cadet corps of West 
Point uttered three words that have become part of America's bright 
pages: Duty, honor, country.
  Whenever I think of Howell Heflin, I think of that moment 50 years 
and 9 months ago when, as a captain of the Marine Corps, he lead the 
first wave of marines on the island of Guam. He will never be forgotten 
for that. On that first attack, he was wounded. And at that point, most 
men would have said, ``I have done my part.'' But, no, Captain Heflin, 
though seriously wounded, continued to lead his men up the steep hill 
until he was once again wounded. This time he had to be evacuated. For 
Captain Heflin, duty was an important word. Honor was part of his 
character. And country was his first love. For that, he received two 
Purple Hearts and the Silver Star for bravery. And so on this day, I 
would like to remember him as one old soldier of World War II to 
another old soldier. Godspeed, sir.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I join the ranks of those who are 
saddened to hear the announcement of our good friend from Alabama, and 
most of the things that any one of us would have wanted to say have 
already been said. But Howell and Mike Heflin have been close personal 
friends and will be close personal friends to me and Catherine for a 
long time to come.
  I think most of us now today are thinking of the times that we have 
sat with Howell in the Ethics Committee, and I, too, served with him 
there, or traveled with him, along with my good friend from West 
Virginia, to deal with foreign parliamentarians or to NATO.
  Senator Heflin has a special spot in Alaska, too, because he has, 
from time to time, played hooky with me and dropped a line in a few 
rivers of Alaska. That is how I am going to cherish the memory of my 
friend. As a matter of fact, Mike caught most of the fish, but Howell 
and I did most of the fishing. We have had a wonderful time together in 
terms of just learning to know one another.
  This is a strange body to many people. We are 100 different 
individuals. As the Senator from West Virginia says, ``our friends go 
one by one.'' But the friendships that we are able to form here, 
despite the tensions and the conflicts, and despite the politics, and 
despite the fighting that goes on from one side of this aisle to the 
other, those friendships are really what the Senate is all about, in my 
opinion. From a personal point of view, it has really been a great 
privilege to all of us to have served with Judge Heflin. We are going 
to be here for another 18 months or so, so we are not saying goodbye, 
Howell.
  Mr. President, it is one of the rare privileges that some of us have 
in this democracy to be able to come together with distinguished 
citizens of other States and get to know them, get to know their State 
and their ways--the ways of the people of their State through them. I 
know of no State that has sent a better representative to the Senate in 
the time I have been here than Alabama when they sent Howell Heflin 
here. And, as I said, we are going to be saddened to see him leave.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, let me join those who have expressed 
their good wishes to Senator Heflin on this occasion. One of the 
coincidences of my service with him here in the Senate is that when we 
were first elected in 1978 and came to the Senate that following 
January, we were assigned to the same committees--he on the Democratic 
side, of course, and I on the Republican side. We were assigned to the 
Ethics Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Agriculture 
Committee. So on all three assignments we served together. It did not 
take long to come to know him as a person of much intelligence and 
great commitment, with a conscientious sense of duty to the people who 
sent him here to represent their interests as effectively as he 
possibly could. And effective he was during debates on agriculture 
legislation, where I can remember his taking on one of the more 
experienced, able and articulate Members on our side, Senator Dick 
Lugar of Indiana, in a tough debate on the peanut program. It was one 
of the finest discussions of a legislative issue that I have ever 
heard, before or since. Each argued very persuasively from different 
points of view about this issue that was before the committee. Howell 
Heflin did an exceptionally good job, and he won. It was a close vote. 
He may get to do that again this year. So he ought to dust off his 
yellow legal pad. He had written out the remarks he was going to make, 
in his own handwriting, page after page after page, on a yellow legal 
pad. I hope you can find it if you need it.
  Mr. President, in the Ethics Committee, some very difficult decisions 
came before that committee, and he was our chairman. He was a freshman 
member but was selected to be the chairman. As a brandnew Member of the 
Senate, that is quite an interesting honor and an indication of the 
esteem in which he was quickly held by those who had the responsibility 
for making those decisions.
  On the Judiciary Committee, his wisdom and his experience were 
brought to bear very quickly on all of the matters that came before 
that committee. But above all, I came to respect him and appreciate him 
as a friend, someone who is congenial, courteous, very much a 
gentleman, and someone who appreciated the Senate and its role.
   [[Page S4782]] As you know, he had an uncle, Thomas Heflin, who 
served in the U.S. Senate. I heard him one day on the floor--or maybe 
it was in committee--say that his uncle had been called ``Cotton Tom 
Heflin'' because he was such a strong proponent of the cotton interests 
in agriculture legislation. He started calling me ``Cotton Thad'' 
because I was taking up for cotton farmers, too.
  We are going to miss Howell Heflin very much. The Senate is going to 
miss Howell Heflin very much. We are going to, I think, appreciate more 
as time goes on, the mark he has made here. I join others in wishing 
him well and expressing my affection for him on this occasion.
  We truly regret his decision not to seek reelection next year.
  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I have to join in terms of expressing my 
sorrow at the announcement of the Senator from Alabama, Howell Heflin, 
on his intended retirement. It seems like this is a virus that is 
catchy here on the floor of the Senate. I have to face that question 
myself in the same timeframe. I have not quite reached that conclusion. 
But Senator Heflin has been referred to as an effective member of the 
Judiciary Committee, Ethics Committee, and any committee he serves on. 
I have seen him in action here on the floor of the Senate.
  As a nonlawyer, I have been able to understand some of these legal 
questions that are debated with greater clarity when Howell Heflin has 
explained them. So I am grateful for his role as a mentor for us laymen 
on high and sometimes elusive legal points.
  I want to talk a few moments about Howell Heflin in another role. We 
have, on Wednesday morning, a Senate prayer breakfast.
  It is usually presided over by someone selected by acclamation and/or 
by the person who is absent that day, that he is selected as the year-
ahead chair of this group.
  Senator Heflin and Senator Stevens started a tradition of cochairing 
the Senate prayer breakfast. Now, there is one place in the Senate 
where we leave our masks, our labels--moderate, liberal, conservative, 
our party identification--at the door. Probably there is no other part 
of the Senate institution in which people feel so comfortable in being 
themselves. It is never published. It is not open to the public. It is 
a very private session of spiritual reflection.
  Senator Heflin comes from the South. I have come to the conclusion 
that the people who are the best storytellers, their geographic origins 
are Southerners and New Englanders--the dry humor of Vermont and the 
marvelous storytelling capability of Southerners.
  I remember Howard Baker, who was our majority leader and minority 
leader at one time. He could make a point so effectively by telling a 
story. That is true with Senator Heflin as it relates to some biblical 
truths that we like to discuss. We get into some--not heated 
discussions--but we get into some repartee in terms of Scripture and of 
biblical truths.
  Howell Heflin has that great capability of going to the heart of a 
matter and making a point with a marvelous sense of humor, at the same 
time with a very profound conclusion or analysis.
  Let me illustrate: One day we were talking about a subject I do not 
even remember. Senator Heflin says, ``Well, that reminds me,'' and he 
starts out slowly, as we know, in his speech. ``That reminds me of the 
Sunday school teacher'' down in his southern part of the country who 
was teaching the children one day at Sunday school about the evils of 
alcohol and the evils of drink. Whereupon one little student raised his 
hand and said, ``But, Teacher, Christ turned the water into wine.'' And 
the teacher said, ``Yes, and I would have thought a lot more of him if 
he hadn't done it.''
  It made a very major impact upon the discussion of that moment. I 
remember the illustration without remembering the subject.
  I want to say this is a side of Howell Heflin that I wanted to, at 
least, thank him and pay tribute to him for having contributed to the 
spiritual life of this body in the informal sessions that meet.
  If anyone thinks Senator Heflin and Senator Ted Stevens make an odd 
couple in leading a spiritual group, that gave it more authenticity. It 
was not just bipartisan, but we had certainly an interesting 
combination of personalities and dedication.
  I want to say to Senator Heflin not only will we miss you, sir, but 
most especially, too, we will miss Mike.
  Mr. CONRAD. I was just downstairs, Mr. President, doing a satellite 
feed to a group back home. The group was a group of REA members. I 
heard that Judge Heflin had decided not to run for reelection. My first 
thought was, ``What an incredible loss for this Senate. What an 
incredible loss for the country, and what an incredible loss for the 
rural electrics.''
  I thought this is really appropriate that I am talking to a rural 
electric group when I find out that Judge Heflin has decided not to run 
again, because Howell Heflin has been a champion for rural electric. He 
has been a champion for the little guy. He has been a champion for the 
farmers. He has been a champion for rural people.
  All of that has flowed from a real commitment to the people that he 
represents. I was thinking of the remarkable career of Howell Heflin, 
chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court for 6 years; somebody who 
was selected in 1975 as the finest appellate judge in the entire United 
States; somebody who came to the U.S. Senate and became known as the 
spokesman for southern agriculture.
  Let me just say that was deserved because I serve on the Agriculture 
Committee with Howell Heflin. Nobody is a more determined spokesman, a 
more effective spokesman, or someone for whom his colleagues have more 
respect than the man I always call Judge Heflin.
  When he spoke about a matter that was important to his constituency, 
we all listened. And we listened because he presented his case in terms 
of substance but also with a sense of humor. I think of so many times 
he brought a smile to my face on that committee. I can remember the 
time we were talking about drought aid. Different commodities were 
being considered. After we had pretty well completed the package, 
Howell Heflin raised his hand and said, ``Mr. Chairman, what about 
peaches?"
  Well, no one had thought about peaches. We were not going to include 
peaches in that package, but after Howell finished, we included 
peaches, and we did it because Howell Heflin convinced members it was 
the right thing to do. How many times he convinced members that what he 
was advocating was the right thing to do.
  Mr. President, to me it is a real sense of loss that brings me to the 
floor, because Howell Heflin has not only been somebody I teamed up 
with on things that I thought were important to the people I represent, 
but I also believe that Howell Heflin is really the best kind of 
elected representative. He cares deeply about doing a good job of 
representing the people that sent him here. He always has that great 
air of integrity and fairness.
  I remember when he was chairman of the Ethics Committee and handled 
some of the most difficult cases that have ever come before this body. 
I do not think there was a Member in this Chamber who did not know that 
Howell Heflin was going to treat people fairly. Whether they were on 
the other side of the aisle or on this side of the aisle, Howell Heflin 
would treat them fairly. He would treat them equally.
  We are going to miss Howell Heflin, a real champion for the people of 
Alabama and a real champion for the people of America. Howell, I do not 
know anybody in this body who deserves a good retirement more than you 
and Mike do. But I must say you will be missed in the U.S. Senate. I 
thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  Mr. SHELBY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I was in a committee when I learned that 
my colleague from Alabama, Senator Heflin, had made a statement that he 
was not going to seek reelection for a fourth term in the U.S. Senate.
  As his junior Senator--which he used to remind me he wanted me to 
remain the junior Senator for a long time, and I acquiesced. I said, 
``I want you to remain the senior Senator for a long time.''
  I want to remind Members that he is not leaving today. He has nearly 
2 years that he will be with the Senate, 
[[Page S4783]] and his presence will be known, his presence will be 
felt.
  I will, as his colleague from Alabama, appreciate every day his 
counsel, his maturity, and his, at times, recommendations of what to do 
and not to do and how to do it.
  In 1970--it seems just a few years ago--Howell Heflin was elected to 
the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. On that 
same day, I was elected to my first term in the State senate. I had the 
opportunity to get to know Judge Heflin better, to work with him, to 
work with him on modernization of the courts of Alabama, for which he 
won a national award for his leadership and was greatly recognized for 
that.
  In 1976 he chose not to run for reelection as chief justice of the 
Supreme Court of Alabama. Somebody said, ``Well, he is retired.'' We 
knew, Judge, you had not retired. You were just going into some other 
things--maybe the practice of law, maybe teaching, which he did for 
awhile. But, in 1978, he ran and was elected to the U.S. Senate from 
Alabama, the first time. Again, our paths crossed. I was elected to the 
U.S. House of Representatives on the same day that he was elected to 
the Senate. He was sworn in to the U.S. Senate. I was sworn in across 
the road here, to the U.S. House of Representatives. So we continued to 
work together. With his leadership here, he was the senior Senator, I 
worked with him the 8 years I was in the House. Then, when I was able 
to join him in 1986, I continued to work with him.
  He has served not only Alabama, our State, but the Nation with 
distinction. We are not going to miss him for awhile because he is 
going to be with us. But I will miss him after the 2 years. And I want 
to say to his family--his wife Mike, his son, Tom, and his 
grandchildren in Tuscumbia, he is not going to retire. He is just going 
to do something else.
  Thank you, Judge.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I want to add my comments to those of 
my colleagues we have heard today on both sides of the aisle. I think 
it is very clear from the things we have been hearing for the last hour 
on the floor that Judge Heflin, Senator Heflin, has the deep respect of 
people from both sides of the aisle.
  I was not sure what Senator Heflin would do because I knew he had 
health problems. But I had hoped he would continue to serve because he 
is such a good person and because I have enjoyed getting to know him. I 
have gotten to know him through the Senate prayer breakfasts that have 
been mentioned here earlier, which are a very important time for us to 
come together on a bipartisan basis and talk about the things that are 
bringing us together and the things that we ought to remember about 
doing what is right rather than what is expedient, or rather than 
something that is of a partisan nature.
  I have really enjoyed the Wednesday morning prayer breakfasts because 
it is a time when we can come together in that spirit. Sometimes it 
seems that is the only time during the week that we have that sense of 
closeness and bonding here in the Senate.
  But, as I have heard my colleagues talk who have known Senator Heflin 
and served with him for years, he and his wife, Mike, who is very much 
a part of his team, are so well loved. I just want to say to him: 
Godspeed. I hope he will not be gone after he does retire, but will 
come back and visit with us on Wednesday mornings, or any other time he 
is able to do it.
  I think all of us should respect someone who leaves on their own 
time, who follows their own compass, and who does what is right for 
them in their lives rather than staying too long or in any way having 
someone else decide for them what is right for their lives.
  So I wish him well. I would like to add for the record my deep 
respect for this man who has served his country in so many different 
areas--two branches out of the three of Government. That is very 
unusual.
  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, I rise to add my voice to those paying 
tribute to our colleague, Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama who earlier 
today announced his intention to retire from the Senate at the end of 
this Congress. I must say that his announcement today has taken me 
somewhat by surprise as I had not thought that he had resolved in his 
mind whether or not to seek another term. Having done so, I wish him 
well and note that he will be sorely missed in the Senate. His wit, his 
wisdom, and his unshakable demeanor have endeared him to all of us.
  Senator Heflin has served his home State of Alabama well and with 
distinction over the last 18 years. I have often relied on his 
experience and reason in the areas of his work on the Judiciary and 
Ethics Committee. He always brings to the topic at hand the level head 
he acquired through years of sitting on the bench. His integrity has 
never been challenged and my respect for him has only grown since he 
joined the Senate. When I think of his tenure in the Senate I 
affectionately remember the finer traditions of the Senate marked by 
comity and discourse rather then rancor and partisanship. The Senate 
needs more people like Howell Heflin and I regret, but understand, the 
decision he has made. I wish him and his wonderful wife well as they 
anticipate their return to Alabama and commend him for a particularly 
honorable and distinguished career in the Senate.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues in expressing 
sincere regret that the Senator from Alabama has decided not to stand 
for reelection next year.
  It has been my privilege to serve with him on the Judiciary 
Committee. The majority has shifted four times since we have served 
together. But, I have to say that regardless of whether Howell was in 
the majority or the minority, he was always fair, always astute in his 
analysis, and always courteous.
  Like the judge he was before coming to the Senate, Senator Heflin has 
been a keen student of the law. I will surely miss his legal ability on 
the Judiciary Committee, not to mention his sense of humor and 
comraderie.
  But, as the junior Senator from Alabama noted, Senator Heflin is not 
leaving today. I have appreciated working with him on several key 
initiatives over the last few months including the balanced budget 
amendment, an amendment to the Constitution to protect our flag from 
desecration, and regulatory reform, to name just a few. I will 
appreciate working with him still during the next year and a half on 
the many pressing issues we face during the 104th Congress.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask my colleague from West Virginia 
whether I am in fact interrupting? I was going to take about 5 minutes, 
but if I am in the Senator's way--would it be all right, if I had 5 
minutes?
  Mr. BYRD. It certainly will be.
  Mr. President, if I may be recognized?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I share the expressions, the words of 
adulation, encomiums of praise, and the warm felicitations of 
friendship that have been made by so many of our colleagues this 
afternoon.
  I shall speak at another time. So, for now I just want to say to my 
friend, Senator Heflin, who was one of my strongest supporters when I 
was the leader, both in the majority and in the minority here, he 
always had my great confidence with respect to his integrity, his 
fairness, and his judicious demeanor. I appointed him to the Ethics 
Committee, an assignment for which he has never paused to thank me 
profusely. But I want him to know I share these expressions of 
sentiment, and on another day I will try to do my own feelings greater 
justice than I would at this moment.
  I do have an amendment and I ask unanimous consent I may yield to the 
distinguished Senator from Minnesota without losing my right to the 
floor so that I may then call up my amendment.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I thank the Chair and I thank the Senator from West 
Virginia.
  Mr. President, I actually do not know what I am going to say. I just 
heard about Judge Heflin's announcement. I do not have any prepared 
text. Maybe later on I can come out on the floor of 
[[Page S4784]] the Senate with a more polished speech that the Judge 
deserves. But I would like to just say a couple of things from the 
heart and from the head.
  First of all, I knew about Judge Heflin before I came to the U.S. 
Senate, but I did not know him personally. That is the second part I 
want to get into in a moment, the personal part. But as to what I knew 
about Judge Heflin, I am Jewish but I would identify my baptism to 
politics being the civil rights movement. There were certain heroes and 
heroines in the South who had the courage to take on what was a system 
of apartheid. It was apartheid. There were some great, great, great men 
and women who had the courage to speak up for civil rights for all 
people.
  By the way, I think that what happened in the civil rights movement 
enriched our country. It made the United States of America a better 
country for all people; not just black people, but white people, people 
of all colors.
  Mr. President, Judge Heflin, Senator Howell Heflin, was one of those 
great heroes. He used his skills and has always used his skills as a 
lawyer to serve people and he served justice in the South and in our 
country. He lit a candle and he had the courage to speak out.
  The prophetic tradition of my faith is that to love God is to love 
justice. If that is the case, Judge Howell Heflin is truly a Senator, a 
judge, and an American who loves God.
  Mr. President, at a personal level, I just want to stand on the floor 
of the Senate and try to say: ``No. No. No. You cannot do this. I am 
opposed.''
  I wish it was in my power, or I was able to have the persuasion to 
say to Judge Heflin: ``You cannot do this.'' I am going to miss him. He 
is somebody I look up to--not just because I am 5 foot 5\1/2\. He is 
somebody I look up to; somebody I believe in. He is the alternative to 
cynicism. He is hope. And he is honor.
  Judge, I am going to really miss you. Thank you for everything you 
have done for this country.
  I might cry, so I am leaving.
  

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