[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 12, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW MAJORITY LEADER

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will be very brief. Let me compliment 
the distinguished majority leader on his remarks, and congratulate him 
on his election. His leadership team sits among those on the floor 
today who demonstrate, in my view, a new generation of leadership, a 
generation that has had a good deal of experience, a generation that 
represents geographical diversity, a generation that I believe 
recognizes the importance of governance. We look forward to the 
opportunity of serving together.
  As I consider the past, as I consider the record and the resume of 
the distinguished majority leader, I find many things in common. He is 
from a small State, as am I. He was a staff member, as was I. He was a 
Member of the House, and now a Member of the Senate for not that long a 
period of time. And so given those similar experiences and given what I 
know to be his desire to lead and to govern and to work together, I 
begin this day and this new period in this session of Congress with 
great expectations, with optimism, with the belief that we can, as he 
just indicated, come together, as Senator Dole suggested we do 
yesterday.
  I thought it was revealing yesterday in the remarkable speech made by 
the former majority leader that the most significant accomplishments 
that he chose to recognize as he looked back over his past were those 
accomplishments that were forged through bipartisan efforts. That 
included, of course, the legislation for the disabled, it included 
nutrition legislation, it included an array of issues dealing with 
civil rights.
  The majority leader looked back fondly at those accomplishments and 
called upon all of us to remember the great Senators who have come 
before, Senators on both sides of the aisle.
  I have no doubt that if, indeed, we are to rise again to that 
standard, that there can be no other alternative but for us to work 
together. So it is with that intent and with a sincere desire to do so 
that I congratulate the new team. And I look forward to working, 
beginning today, to forge that compromise, to strike the opportunities 
that we have while they are there, and to work to make this a better 
country.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The distinguished majority leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Democratic leader 
for his remarks, and the remarks made in other forums by my good friend 
from North Dakota, Senator Dorgan.

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