[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S18970-S18971]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CIVILITY IN SENATE DEBATE

  Mr. MACK. Mr. President, I had initially come to participate in the 
debate on Whitewater, but there was a speech of some 45 minutes or so 
by Senator Byrd a little bit earlier that made reference to some 
comments I made in the Chamber of the Senate last Friday. The Senator 
referred to my use of the word ``guts'' and drew from that that I was 
implying that a number of Senators maybe did not have the guts to 
present an alternative proposal.

  It would be easy for me to come here with a sense of defensiveness 
and anger, but I do not. I come to the floor to speak--I am not quite 
sure how long, and I am not quite sure what about, other than it was 
clearly not my intention to impugn the integrity or the intentions of 
my colleagues in the U.S. Senate.
  I really have been, I think, driven to come to the floor this 
afternoon, as I said, not out of anger but, frankly, out of love. I 
have strived in my life to try to make civility one of my No. 1 
concerns. And when I heard civility being talked about, and I heard it 
being talked about with reference to words that I had said last Friday, 
it made me take notice, it made me think about that impassioned speech 
that I gave last Friday.
  Let me say that I feel very strongly about what I had to say about 
what was going on with respect to the budget and the failure to get a 
balanced budget and the importance of getting a balanced budget and 
what that means for this country, for America, for future generations, 
for children, for my grandchildren. I felt that very deeply.
  But since I apparently--maybe I should take out the word 
``apparently'' so there would be no question--since I have been charged 
with breaking rule IXX, I apologize to my colleagues in the U.S. 
Senate. I am driven to do this even though I know there are those who 
would say, ``Oh, you should never apologize, never engage in a defense 
of your actions because, you know, that brings too much attention to 
what you've done.'' But I come to the floor of the U.S. Senate to once 
again say to my friend and colleague, and somebody whom I respect 
tremendously, Senator Daschle, who in essence is kindness, that in no 
way did I attempt or did I mean to challenge the minority leader.
  I have no ill-feelings toward Senator Byrd. He is right to remind us 
of the rules of the U.S. Senate. But I hope that we would all take 
notice of that, Democrat and Republican alike.
  For me to stand here on the floor of the U.S. Senate and imply or 
allow others to conclude that I am the only one that might have pushed 
the envelope with respect to words used would, in fact, be a tragic 
mistake. So I hope that we would all listen to what Senator Byrd had to 
say.
  If my coming forward today to react to Senator Byrd's comments will 
help reduce the rhetoric and allow us to return to a time of greater 
civility, then my coming to the floor will have been worth it.
  I do not know how many times I thought of how we could begin the 
process of bridging the differences between us, of truly understanding 
how the other side truly believes the policies, the ideas, and the 
principles they put forward instead of always questioning the motive. 
And so I welcome those on the other side of the aisle who want to be 
engaged in discussions about how we bridge that divide, how we could 
begin the process of really truly finding out how it is that we can 
satisfy your concerns and at the same time satisfy ours, instead of 
there always having to be one winner. 

[[Page S18971]]


  If I did not mention it, again I will mention M. Scott Peck's book 
``The World Waiting To Be Born'' and some of the other books that he 
has written, ``People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil,'' 
his discussion about evil in America. His initial book, at least the 
one that most of us are familiar with is ``The Road Less Traveled.'' We 
do need more civility and more grace in our lives in America today.
  So, Mr. President, I could not allow this situation to develop 
without again responding from my heart and from my soul to say that if 
my words the other day, in fact, have heightened or have increased the 
lack of civility, I apologize to my colleagues. But I ask you as I do 
this that you be honest with yourselves, ask yourself about your 
actions and about your rhetoric. Ask yourselves the question, How, in 
fact, can we find a way to work together?
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. SIMON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. D'Amato). The Senator from Illinois.

                          ____________________