[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 203 (Monday, December 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S18818]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING AN ESTEEMED COLLEAGUE

  Mr. DODD. Madam President, amidst a very busy, occasionally frantic 
session, as we struggle for sometimes small, perhaps fleeting 
victories, it is important that we not ignore those losses that are 
permanent and personal. A close friend and a fine legislator announced 
last month that he will be leaving us at the end of this Congress, and 
I would like to take this opportunity to pay him part of the tribute 
that he deserves.
  Madam President, I know something about following in the footsteps of 
one's own father in this Chamber. The U.S. Congress held not only a set 
of expectations for Senator Simpson, but also a legacy. It was a legacy 
that came not just from former Senator Milward Simpson, but from a long 
lineage of Simpsons dating back to the 19th century. Senator Simpson's 
ancestors were among the pioneers of the State of Wyoming, and were 
part of the effort that turned a beautiful stretch of American frontier 
into a great American State. This spirit--one of perseverance, 
integrity, and hard work--was the legacy that was left to Senator 
Simpson. It was a legacy that he embraced and nurtured, while 
simultaneously carving for himself an identity and a presence in the 
Senate all his own.
  It is easy to stand up here and honor a colleague by listing a litany 
of legislative achievements. It is much harder to try to pay tribute by 
attempting to evoke the humor and the wit that were the hallmark of 
Senator Simpson's career. I am afraid I am not up to the task, Madam 
President. But those who know the Senator remember the humor that he 
brought to a too often humorless place. Indeed, many of us were the 
victims of his good-natured joshing on numerous occasions. He was 
disarming with his charm, and his quick wit won him many small battles, 
while averting many larger ones. Suffice it to say, on the subject of 
Senator Simpson's humor, that many of us, before we came to Washington 
and encountered the acerbic tongue of the 6'7" Senator from Wyoming, 
had no idea what or where a gazoo was.
  It must have been that pioneering spirit that made Senator Simpson 
gravitate toward some of the toughest legislative assignments in this 
body. He quickly took on one of our Nation's thorniest policy areas, 
immigration reform, and, through dogged perseverance, determination, 
and a keen sense of when and how to compromise, he pushed through the 
legislation that has become the foundation of our Nation's immigration 
policy ever since.
  The bill that eventually passed was a tribute to our policymaking 
process here in Congress. It marked a strengthening of U.S. immigration 
policy, but also showed sensitivity to the serious concerns of some 
very thoughtful people. It tempered a toughening of border patrols with 
amnesty for illegal aliens who arrived in this country through the 
early 1980's. It balanced sanctions against employers who hired illegal 
aliens with provisions to protect legal aliens and citizens from unfair 
discrimination. It took him 6 years to do it, and I know that it was at 
times a frustrating march. It was an effort that other legislators 
might have given up, and left to another leader, or another time. But 
he persisted, and the bill that was passed in 1986, after 6 years of 
hard work and compromise, stands as a heartening example of how a 
political system too often accused of gridlock and obstruction can 
succeed when the right leader tempers determination with cooperation.
  He hardly slowed down from there, however, continuing to take on some 
of the most sensitive issues, impressing even his opponents with his 
honesty and courage. He spoke to a group of Vietnam veterans, and 
frankly told them of his reservations about compensation for veterans 
who claimed to have been injured due to their exposure to chemicals 
during the war. He simply had not seen adequate proof that their 
injuries were caused by their wartime experiences, he explained. The 
audience disagreed with him, but they respected his honesty and 
forthrightness in explaining his views. At the conclusion of his 
speech, he received a standing ovation.
  In announcing his retirement, Senator Simpson said that, when he 
began his work in the Senate, he promised the voters two things, and 
two things only. First, that he would work very hard, and second, that 
he would try to make them very proud. Madam President, it takes honesty 
and courage to be so frank in what one promises, and it takes hard work 
and perseverance to make good on those promises. Senator Simpson 
exhibited all of those qualities, and he will be long remembered for 
them.
  Senator Simpson also told us that he is leaving this Chamber because 
he no longer feels the same ``fire in the belly.'' I am disappointed to 
hear that, but I have very little doubt that whatever he chooses to do 
upon leaving us, the fire in his belly will soon be rekindled, and the 
flames will fuel his passion, and we will all be touched by his energy. 
I thank him, and I wish him the best of luck.

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