[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 129 (Friday, August 4, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S11446]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  LANE KIRKLAND: A MODEL FOR AMERICANS

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to remember and thank Lane 
Kirkland, a South Carolina favorite son who fought for American workers 
and jobs as one of the Nation's key labor leaders.
  After more than 50 years of union service, including the last 16 
years as president of the AFL-CIO, Lane Kirkland retired Tuesday.
  Tomorrow's generation can learn much from Lane. Instead of today's 
pop morality tuned to getting a soundbite on the nightly news, Lane has 
lived a life dedicated to the principle that working people should work 
together to improve their lot in life, to fight for justice, to strive 
for dignity and to help all.
  Lane Kirkland's accomplishments as head of the AFL-CIO should serve 
as a model for public service.
  He was one of the Nation's first leaders to recognize the financial 
devastation that Reaganomics would wreak on our economy when he 
described Reagan's economic plans as a ``high-risk gamble with the 
lives of working people.''
   And when the embattled Solidarity trade union faced an uphill battle 
in Poland, Lane Kirkland recognized what was at stake and provided a 
lifeline that kept Solidarity alive. In fact, Lane's lifelong fight to 
promote democracy led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
  No one could put it better than editorialists who wrote in 
Wednesday's Detroit News:

       When the trade union Solidarity bravely emerged in the 
     early 1980's to fight the Polish communist regime, Mr. 
     Kirkland and other labor officials smuggled money, printing 
     presses and even electronic equipment to keep the fledgling 
     anti-communist movement alive. . . . When it came to 
     confronting the greatest security threat this country has 
     ever faced, Mr. Kirkland did not flinch. He fought communism 
     and supported fledgling democratic movements that contributed 
     to the demise of many totalitarian regimes. For that effort, 
     he deserves everyone's appreciation.

  Mr. President, Lane Kirkland was born and grew up in Camden, S.C. In 
1942--the same year I graduated from the Citadel--he graduated from the 
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. In World War II, he served as a deck 
officer on a merchant marine vessel that carried ammunition. After he 
graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 
1948, he joined the AFL research staff. And in 1979, after moving up 
the ranks, he became president of the AFL-CIO.
  Mr. President, Lane Kirkland's career is a striking parallel to 
America in this, the American century. He fought overseas to preserve 
our freedom. He won. He fought at home to make the American dream 
available to all of us. And he won. Finally, he fought to end the cold 
war and give others the access to the freedom that we cherish. Again, 
he won.
  All of us as Americans have reason to be proud that Lane Kirkland is 
one of us. Those of us from South Carolina, however, have the privilege 
of claiming him as one of ours.
  Mr. President, I appreciate Lane's friendship over the years and wish 
him and Irena all the best.


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