[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 110 (Monday, July 10, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9604-S9606]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           C. ABBOTT SAFFOLD

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, Walt Whitman said that man is a great thing 
upon the Earth and through eternity but that every jot of the greatness 
of man is enfolded out of woman. Shakespeare, in King Lear, tells us 
that ``Women will all turn monsters.''
  In the book of Genesis, however, we are told that God, seeing the 
incompleteness of man standing alone, wanted to find a helper for him. 
And so God created this helper--Eve--whose name means ``Life,'' and God 
created Eve from the rib of Adam himself. The symbolism of the rib is 
that it was taken from the place nearest to Adam's heart, thus 
indicating the close relationship of man and woman. The real essence of 
the story is that man and woman were made for each other, that woman is 
bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. In the Genesis account, Eve is 
elevated to Ethereal beauty and lofty dignity. Milton, in his 
``Paradise Lost,'' has called her Queen of the Universe and fairest of 
the fair.
  Throughout all the ages of mankind's existence on this Earth, some of 
the most vivid personalities have been those of women--such as Sarah, 
Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus--even with such 
women as Jezebel and Potiphar's wife. Many of the women depicted in the 
scriptures exerted great influence over their husbands, over kings, and 
over nations. Many of the women remain nameless and some appear in 
groups under such headings as daughters, wives, mothers, widows. We are 
told of Lot's wife, the woman who looked back, and 15 words in the Old 
Testament tell her story--one brief, dramatic record that placed her 
among the well known women of the world. The 15 words are, ``But his 
wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.''
  Then there is Jochebed, the mother of Moses--Hebrew lawgiver, 
statesman, and leader--and her name rises up today, some 35 centuries 
later, as one of the immortal mothers of Israel.
  Miriam is the first woman in the Bible whose interest was national 
and whose mission was patriotic. She was the brilliant, courageous 
sister of Moses, and when she led the women of Israel in that oldest of 
all national anthems, ``Sing unto the Lord,'' four centuries of bondage 
in Egypt had been lifted. It was a turning point in Israel's religious 
development, and a woman led in its recognition. Miriam is the first 
woman singer on record. The wonder of it is that she sang unto the 
Lord, using her great gift for the elevation of her people, who, with 
her, exalted over their escape from their enemies.
  The first women to declare their rights on the death of their father 
were the five daughters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, 
and Tirzah. Their father, a Manassite, had died in the wilderness, and 
the daughters explained that he was not in the company of Korah, who 
had rebelled against Moses. Because their father had not died, 
therefore, for any cause that doomed their family or their inheritance, 
they declared that they were clearly entitled to what he had left. This 
happened at a critical time with Israel. A new census had been made, 
preparatory to an entrance into the Promised Land. The new land would 
be distributed according to the census taken before Israel departed 
from Egypt for the Promised Land. The daughters of Zelophehad had been 
numbered among all those in the tribes who either were 20 years of age 
or would be 20 by the time the land actually was distributed, but they 
knew that under existing customs, they would have no property rights, 
even in the new land. What did they do? They marched before Moses and 
stated their case publicly. In order to be fair in the settling of the 
daughters' case, Moses went before God, a God of justice and right, and 
the great lawgiver came back and declared: ``The daughters of 
Zelophehad speak right; thou shalt surely give them a possession of an 
inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the 
inheritance of their father to pass unto them.'' Moses wrote a new law 
which stated: ``If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his 
inheritance to pass unto his daughter.''
  The daughters of Zelophehad had filed one of the earliest reported 
lawsuits on record. In the American Bar Association
 Journal of February, 1924, there was an article in which this decision 
of the daughters of Zelophehad is quoted. It is described as an ``early 
declaratory judgement in which the property rights of women marrying 
outside of their tribe are clearly set forth.'' The decision handed 
down in this time of Moses was a great victory for these five 
daughters. At last a woman had rights, because these five women had 
declared theirs and had had the courage to fight their case through 
with the authorities.

  The only woman in the Bible who was placed at the height of political 
power by the common consent of the people was Deborah. Though she lived 
in the time of the ``Judges,'' some thirteen centuries before Christ, 
there are few women in history who have ever attained the public 
dignity and supreme authority of Deborah. She was like Joan of Arc, who 
27 centuries later, rode in front of the French and led them to victory 
over the English.
  One of the most lovable women in the Bible is Ruth, and her abiding 
love embraces the person one might least expect it to--her mother-in-
law, Naomi. Ruth was not only an ideal daughter-in-law, but she was 
also an ideal wife and mother. Her story, which finally culminates in 
her marriage to Boaz, a man of influence, is one of the most beautiful 
romances in the Bible.
  Then there was the woman of Endor, to whom King Saul went in 
desperation, and she foretold his death. The King James version of the 
Bible, which is the only version of the Bible that I will read, calls 
her ``A woman that hath a familiar spirit.'' Some modern writers have 
dubbed her the ``Witch of Endor.'' Lord Byron has called her the 
``Phantom Seer.'' Kipling gives one of the most vivid portrayals of all 
in these lines:

       Oh, the road to Endor is the oldest road
       And the craziest road of all.
       Straight it runs to the witch's abode
       As it did in the day of Saul,
       And nothing has changed of the sorrow in store
       For such as go down the road to Endor.

  The first reigning Queen on record who pitted her wits and wealth 
against those of a king was the Queen of Sheba. She came to Jerusalem 
from her kingdom in Southwestern Arabia to investigate all that she had 
heard about Solomon, Israel's wisest and wealthiest king. She worked 
out a trade zone demarcation and alliance with Solomon, and Solomon's 
commercial expansion followed after her visit. She was one of many 
rulers from far and wide who sought to learn about Solomon's wisdom. 
Others sent Ambassadors, but she 

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was the only one to go herself, traveling a 1,200-mile journey by camel 
caravan. She was a courageous, resourceful woman. The Queen of Sheba 
lives on now, nearly 30 centuries since her visit, as a woman whose 
spirit of adventure and whose resourcefulness, courage, and curiosity 
have not been surpassed by any queen in history. She certainly had a 
sense of good public and international relations which is unparalleled 
among many of the national leaders of today.
  Esther is the central figure in what is one of the most controversial 
books in the Old Testament, because not once does the name of God 
appear in that book. But its significance and importance to Jewish 
history stems from the fact that it has become a patriotic symbol to a 
persecuted people of the ultimate triumph of truth and justice. And the 
courage of Esther becomes the dominating factor in the salvation of her 
people. Though the author of the book of Esther is not known, 
historians confirm the fact that he showed an amazingly accurate 
knowledge of Persian policies and customs, and critics place his work 
among the masterpieces of literature. Like many great characters in 
history, Esther makes her first appearance as one of the humblest of 
figures, an orphan Jewess. But 4 years later, she rises to the position 
of a queen of amazing power--a power which she manages to use wisely. 
The ancient writer's estimate of Esther's importance to the story 
becomes apparent, for in this short Bible book, Esther's name appears 
55 times. The name of no other woman in the Bible is recorded so often.
  The setting is placed in the sumptuous palace of the Persian Empire 
during the time of Artaxerxes II, who reigned 404-358 B.C. I shall not 
relate this fascinating story here today, but Esther had a strong 
belief in prayer, and she went before the king to intercede on behalf 
of her people. As she made ready to appear before the king, one of the 
most courageous assertions made by a woman in the Bible is credited to 
Esther. She said: ``So I will go in unto the king, which is not 
according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.'' Here is a woman who 
had not only high courage but also sincere faith and devotion to the 
cause of her people. She had received a message from her cousin 
Mordecai, placing upon her this great responsibility. He said: ``Who 
knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?''
  Mr. President, challenging words these were for a young, 
inexperienced queen, and they have come down to us through the 
centuries, and may be considered applicable to us in the face of the 
challenges of our own time.
  It was Mary Magdalene who was the first to see Christ's empty tomb, 
and she was the first to report to the disciples the miracle of the 
resurrection, the greatest event the Christian world has ever known. 
Certain of Christ's disciples followed Mary Magdalene to the sepulcher. 
John went in first and gazed in silent wonder at the open grave, and 
then Peter came and saw that the grave was empty and that the linen 
cerements were lying neatly folded in the empty sepulcher. Mary 
Magdalene, possessing a woman's sensitivity and able to believe even 
what eyes cannot behold, returned to the tomb and looked inside, where 
she saw two angels in white sitting there, the one at the head and the 
other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Strange it was 
that the first word spoken inside the empty tomb should be ``Woman.'' 
And then there followed the angel's question: ``Why weepest thou?'' 
Mary Magdalene answered, ``Because they have taken away my Lord, and I 
know not where they have laid him''. Then she turned, and Jesus stood 
before her. Not until he spoke her name, ``Mary,'' did she recognize 
that he was Jesus. Her lonely watch by the grave in the early morning 
had been an evidence of her faith. Because of her faith, she became the 
first witness to the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
  Lydia was a business woman, a ``seller of purple,'' and probably one 
of the most successful and influential women of Philippi, but more than 
that, she was a seeker after truth, and thus she became Europe's first 
convert to Christianity. Her house became the first meeting place of 
Christians in Europe. Lydia will ever stand among the immortal women of 
the Bible, for she picked up that first torch from Paul at Philippi and 
carried it steadfastly. She was one of many to spread the Gospel of 
Jesus Christ through Europe and then farther and farther Westward, and 
it became brighter as the centuries unfolded.
  One of the most influential women in the New Testament Church was 
Priscilla, a Jewess who had come out of Italy with her husband Aquila, 
who lived first at Corinth and later at Ephesus. They had left Rome at 
the time when Claudius, in his cruel and unjust edict, had expelled all 
Jews. It is recorded that she and her husband were tent makers. The 
Apostle Paul stayed with them at Corinth. She became a great leader in 
the church at Corinth and at Ephesus and later at Rome. In the latter 
two
 places, she had a church in her home. Christians honor her today 
because she served God ``acceptably with reverence and godly fear'', 
and because she was not ``forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby 
some have entertained angels unawares.'' Priscilla, let us not forget, 
had entertained a stranger, Paul, and from him had learned to strive to 
be ``perfect in every good work . . . working in you that which is 
wellpleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus.''

  Mr. President, I shall close my brief comments on the women of the 
Bible, by referring to the time when Christ sat at the house of Simon 
the leper, and there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment 
of spikenard. She broke the box and poured the precious ointment on the 
head of our Lord. Some of those persons who observed this were very 
indignant and asked the question, ``Why was this waste of the ointment 
made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, 
and have been given to the poor.'' And so they murmured against the 
woman, but Jesus said, ``Let her alone. Why trouble ye her? Ye shall 
have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them 
good; but me, ye have not always.'' Jesus said, ``She hath done what 
she could; she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying''. 
Jesus went on to say that weresoever his gospel would be preached 
throughout the whole world, this act of kindness which the woman had 
done, ``shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.'' And so it is, that 
I am here today, twenty centuries later, speaking on the Senate floor 
about this nameless woman who gave of her treasured possession to honor 
Him who was about to die. And, as Jesus foretold, this display of 
reverence and adoration by this nameless woman, shall be told and 
retold through all of the centuries to come.
  Mr. President, one could speak volumes about the women of the Bible 
or the great Roman matrons or the women of ancient history or the women 
of the middle ages, and women of our own times. There is much to be 
said, for example, through words of praise concerning the women who 
have been associated with our own institution, the United States 
Senate--Members, as well as workers who have labored faithfully, day 
after day, year after year, in the service of the Senate. And it is 
such women, many of whom will always remain nameless, who, through the 
years, and throughout all the parts of the globe, have been the real 
pillars of civilization.
  I rise today to pay tribute to just such a worthy person--a true 
professional, a staffer of such talent, energy, and engaging 
personality that she is known throughout the Senate community simply by 
her first name--Abby. Abby Saffold has been a school teacher, a case 
worker, a legislative correspondent, a legislative secretary, chief 
clerk of a Senate subcommittee, a legislative assistant, a Floor Staff 
Manager, Secretary for the Majority (a post to which I appointed her in 
1987), and now Secretary for the Minority. She is the first female to 
ever hold the post of Secretary for the Majority.
  In short, Abby has done it all, and done it all very, very well. Few 
staffers, indeed, few members, possess her grasp and understanding of 
the workings and the purpose of the institution of the United States 
Senate. Her knowledge of legislative strategy, her managerial ability, 
and her negotiating prowess are all well known and greatly appreciated 
by everyone who has ever had the pleasure of working with Abby. 

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  She is really unexcelled when it comes to an intuitive sense of this 
Senate and its machinations. Abby is the literal personification of the 
wonderful ability to maintain great grace under extraordinary 
pressure--the true mark of the professional.
  Few individuals understand the great personal sacrifice routinely 
made by the legislative floor staff here in the Senate, on both sides 
of the aisle. Unpredictable schedules, long hours, intense pressures, 
time away from loved ones at important moments, broken engagements with 
friends and family--all are experienced to some degree by senior Senate 
staffers, but no one group experiences these demanding and trying 
disruptions with more frequency than the Senate floor staff.
  These positions, in particular, demand extreme dedication, steady 
nerves, alert and facile minds, hearty constitutions, patience, and a 
deep and abiding love for, and dedication to, this institution and the 
important work it must perform. Never was there a better example of 
that dedication than C. Abbott Saffold. She is in every way a marvel, 
with the ability to perform difficult and demanding duties, always with 
a pleasant demeanor and unequaled coolness under fire.
  I would be less than honest if I did not admit that Abby's decision 
to leave us causes me considerable sadness, because she is so much a 
part of the Senate family. In many ways, I cannot imagine the Senate 
without her. I know that for many months after her departure, I shall 
search in vain for her familiar cropped head and her friendly grin in 
the Chamber, only to have to remind myself once again that she has 
gone.
  I offer her my heartfelt congratulations on an outstanding Senate 
career, and on her service to her country. Certainly I wish her blue 
skies and happy days as she begins her well-earned retirement time. 
But, I cannot deny that I regret her leaving. I shall miss her 
friendship and her always sage advice. As Paul said of two women 
Euodias and Syntyche--both eminent in the church at Philippi--``They 
labored with me in the gospel,'' so I say to Abby: ``You labored with 
me in service to the Nation.'' For me, there will never be another 
Abby.


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