[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 105 (Monday, June 26, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S9032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO WARREN BURGER

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, a century-and-a-half ago, the great Daniel 
Webster said,

       We may be tossed upon an ocean where we can see no land--
     nor, perhaps, the sun or stars. But there is a chart and a 
     compass for us to study, to consult, and to obey. That chart 
     is the Constitution.

  Today, Mr. President, the Senate joins with the rest of the country 
in mourning the passing of former Chief Justice of the United States, 
Warren Burger, a man who devoted his life to studying, consulting, and 
obeying the Constitution.
  Chief Justice Burger's public life began in 1953, when he came to 
Washington to serve as an Assistant Attorney General in the Eisenhowewr 
administration.
  Prior to that time, he was a respected attorney and civic leader in 
his home State of Minnesota. And when he arrived in Washington, he 
brought with him a great deal of midwestern common sense, practical 
experience, and an understanding of the importance of communities, 
neighborhoods, and families.
  In 1956, President Eisenhower appointed Chief Justice Burger to the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. He served 
there with distinction until 1969, when President Nixon selected him as 
Chief Justice of the United States.
  During his 17 years as Chief Justice of the United States--a tenure 
which made him the longest serving Chief Justice in this century--
Warren Burger authored over 244 majority opinions and assigned over 
1,000 others.
  Like most Americans, I agreed with some of those opinions, especially 
those that restored a sense of balance to our criminal justice system--
and disagreed with others. But I never doubted Warren Burger's devotion 
to his country.
  And I never doubted his devotion to making our judicial system and 
our courts run more efficently. Chief Justice Burger is due the credit 
he has received for the leadership he provided in improving education 
and training of judges and court personnel, and in the implementation 
of technological advances.

  He created the National Center for State Courts, the Institute for 
Court Management, and the National Institute for Corrections, 
institutions which will continue to serve as his legacy for years to 
come.
  Chief Justice Burger also spoke bluntly about the need of the members 
of the legal profession to always maintain the highest degree of ethics 
and professionalism.
  When Chief Justice Burger left the court, he assumed the chairmanship 
of the commission honoring the Bicentennial of the Constitution. And he 
presided over that celebration's activities with great dignity and 
ability.
  Warren Burger's devotion to increasing awareness of the Constitution 
continued until this year, when he published a book recounting 14 major 
Supreme Court cases.
  Mr. President, I know all Senators join with me in extending our 
sympathies to Chief Justice Burger's son, Wade, his daughter, Margaret, 
and his two grandchildren.

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