[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMENDING INDIVIDUALS WHO HELPED RESOLVE FREEMEN STANDOFF

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commend to the Senate some valiant individuals who demonstrated 
courage, patience, and understanding while working to end the standoff 
between the Government and the so-called Freemen.
  We in Montana are not accustomed to the national spotlight. We are 
content to mind our own business. But we have received a great deal of 
publicity the last 2\1/2\ months for the standoff of the so-called 
Freemen.
  The standoff took a long time, and was never without a serious threat 
of danger. Everyone involved with bringing these fugitives to justice 
deserves our respect.
  First off, I would like to applaud two individuals who dealt with the 
situation years before the national media took an interest in the 
Freemen. Charles Phipps, Garfield County sheriff, and Nick Murnion, 
Garfield County attorney, had to endure death threats, imminent peril 
and, finally, intense media scrutiny. Through it all, they handled 
themselves and their jobs with calm rational professionalism and great 
courage.
  I would also like to thank several Federal officials who were 
instrumental in bringing this confrontation to a peaceful resolution. 
Sherry Matteucci, U.S. attorney and Jim Seykora, assistant U.S. 
attorney. And working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation were: 
Weldon Kennedy, Robert Bryant, Robert Blitzer, Thomas Kubic, Robin 
Montgomery, James Cleaver and Thomas Canady. These people's dedicated 
service can best be seen in the final peaceful resolution of the 
conflict.
  Their work on this case is a textbook example of how to get the job 
done right. I salute these individuals who gave and risked a lot to see 
that the Freemen were brought to justice without the loss of life.
  And finally, I would like to thank the people who have been patient 
for over 2 years. They have exhibited a shining example to the rest of 
the country, and they welcomed the influx of law enforcement officials 
with open arms. These people are the residents of Jordan, MT, and the 
surrounding area. They are regular Montanans. I had the chance to visit 
with many of them. They were not particularly happy about all the fuss 
they were getting, but they knew that it would eventually pass. Without 
their patience and resolve, we could not be enjoying the results that 
we do today.
  Now that the standoff is over, life in eastern Montana will return 
pretty much to normal. Folks can go back to the lives they have come to 
miss over the past few months. But as we do so, it is important that we 
learn from this experience. And due to the efforts of the individuals I 
named, my State, our country, is a little better and a little wiser.

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