[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               MIKE SYNAR

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, it is with sadness today that I note the 
passing of an Oklahoman, former Congressman Mike Synar, who died 
yesterday, Tuesday.
  He lost a courageous battle to cancer, which he had been fighting for 
several months. If anyone knew Mike Synar well, they knew that he was a 
courageous person and they knew that he was a fighter. Mike Synar was 
an active Oklahoman. He was very active in 4-H as a young man. He was a 
student leader at the University of Oklahoma. He attained a masters at 
Northwestern University, and a law degree at the University of Oklahoma 
in 1977.
  A year later at the age of 28 he was elected to Congress. He defeated 
an incumbent Congressman, something at that time that was seldom done. 
It showed that he was a very tenacious campaigner, a very energetic 
individual to be elected at such a young age and to defeat an incumbent 
at the same time.
  Mike Synar served in Congress for 16 years between 1978 and 1994. To 
say the least, he was energetic, he was outgoing, and he was passionate 
about many things. He had very strong convictions. And I greatly 
respected him because he did show the courage of his conviction on a 
lot of issues--a lot of issues maybe that were not the most popular in 
our State and in his district.
  But he was outgoing. He was willing to take on special interests at 
various times--sometimes at risk and jeopardy to his political career.
  Mike Synar passed away yesterday, Tuesday, January 9, and I wish to 
extend my condolences and sympathies to his family, to his friends in 
Muskogee and his friends from throughout the country.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, will the Senator from Oklahoma yield?
  Mr. NICKLES. Yes.
  Mr. DORGAN. I appreciate the Senator from Oklahoma yielding.

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