[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 137 (Wednesday, September 6, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S12677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING THE LEADERSHIP

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wonder if we could all join in thanking 
the distinguished majority leader for his assistance on getting this 
very important bill through. There were times just before the recess 
when the list of amendments was as long as your arm. Together with our 
distinguished chairman and the ranking member, and, indeed, the 
Democratic leader, we were able to condense an almost impossible list 
of amendments and proceed to this bill and set a time certain for a 
vote. I think there is a great value in the Senate when we can 
establish a time when Senators can expect to have a vote on a major 
piece of legislation like this.
  I congratulate the distinguished chairman, Chairman Thurmond, of 
South Carolina. I think the people of his State can take great pride.
  This is your first bill--although having served on the committee 
these many, many years--this is the first bill on which your name is on 
it as chairman of the committee. It was your leadership that enabled 
this bill to be passed right on time. That leadership started in the 
very early days of the hearings--first at the subcommittee level, then 
at the full committee, through markup, with the able assistance of the 
distinguished ranking member, Mr. Nunn of Georgia.
  So, I congratulate our leadership. We are fortunate, and I think I 
may say to both, that they carried it on in the finest traditions 
established many years ago by your predecessors, both as chairman and 
ranking member, in a bipartisan way.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I would like to add my congratulations 
to the committee chairman and the ranking member of our committee for 
the superb job they did in this authorization bill. Many people came 
together to make this bill happen. I think the chairman provided 
leadership. He stood for a strong national defense. It was a bipartisan 
effort on behalf of the full committee to try to make sure that when 
our young men and women sign up to protect our freedom, they will have 
the training and the backing of our country to do the job. That is what 
the chairman decided we were going to do. There was not a week that 
went by that the chairman did not talk to his fellow members and 
colleagues about the importance of keeping our strong national defense.
  So I want to commend him for the great job that he did. I am proud to 
be a member of the Armed Services Committee. I also want to commend the 
leadership of Senator Warner, the No. 2 person on the committee, who 
was deputized by the chairman to meet with people on the very important 
issue of theater missile defense, because this is an important long-
term issue for our country. Senator Warner led the effort, along with 
Senator Cohen, Senator Nunn, and Senator Levin, to make sure that we 
did have a strong commitment to our own defenses so that no matter what 
might happen in the field of technology in the next 10 years, we are 
going to protect our country and our shores.
  So I commend Senator Thurmond, Senator Nunn, Senator Warner, and all 
of those who made this very important bill happen, and I will look 
forward to working with them in the conference committee to maintain 
the freedom and the protection and security of our country in the fine 
tradition that we have had.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to thank the able Senator from 
Texas for her kind remarks. She is a very prominent and able member of 
the Senate Armed Services Committee and does a great job. We appreciate 
all that she has done in connection with this particular bill.
  Again, I wish to thank Senator Warner for the fine job he has done, 
and Senator Nunn for his fine cooperation and assistance.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wish to associate myself with the 
remarks of the chairman with respect to our distinguished colleague, 
the Senator from Texas. I am privileged to have her as a member of my 
subcommittee. She certainly looks out for the interests of not only the 
United States, but certainly the people of Texas.
  I wish to recognize the occupant of the chair, the Presiding Officer, 
who was very helpful throughout this piece of legislation, although not 
a member of our committee, primarily because the senior Senator is a 
member and, therefore, he cannot be. But we look forward to working 
with him in the course of the conference on a number of issues, 
primarily the issue of missile defense on which he is an acknowledged 
expert.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Senator Pryor is recognized.
  Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I thank the Chair for recognizing me.
  

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