[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11134-S11135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR DAVID PRYOR

  Mr. BUMPERS. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this morning to 
pay tribute to my distinguished retiring colleague, David Pryor.
  When I think about Congress suffering--and I use the term 
``suffering'' advisedly--the largest number of retirees in 100 years, I 
have a tendency to wax eloquent about my own personal beliefs as to why 
that is happening. There are 13 Senators who have chosen to leave 
voluntarily this year. Among them are some of the very best.
  I have confessed on occasion when I didn't think it would hurt me 
politically to the fact that I am not a terribly effective legislator 
because I have a very difficult time compromising. I have strong 
beliefs, and sometimes compromise is just out of the question for me. 
And, yet, we all know that 535 Members of the Congress cannot each have 
his or her own way on every issue.
  But the people who are retiring are essentially people who are very 
good legislators because they understand the art of politics; the 
necessity for compromise. And I call them ``bridge builders''--because 
they don't let stand between them differences in philosophies and 
personalities. As the U.S. Senate has become more ideological and more 
entrenched in hard core ideas, where name calling somehow or other has 
become the substitute for ideas, we need bridge builders.
  David Pryor was born in Camden, Ouachita County, AR, in 1934 to very 
devoted parents. All of David's life manifest in his personality and 
character is the unexcelled upbringing he enjoyed.
  He graduated from the University of Arkansas Law School in 1964 with 
an LLB degree, went home to his native Camden and established a 
newspaper called the Ouachita Citizen that he operated for 4 years. 
During that period of time he was also elected to the Arkansas State 
legislature, to the House of Representatives, for three terms--1960, 
1962, and 1964.
  I remember--I guess it was 1966--when David was elected to the U.S. 
House of Representatives. It was in 1968 that I met him for the first 
time, and that was just one of those typical political handshakes. The 
Democratic Party was having a forum in Little Rock. I had the itch to 
run for Governor in 1968. Luckily for me I chose not to do it that 
year. But David Pryor spoke at this meeting in Little Rock in 1968. And 
I was absolutely awe-stricken--he was good looking, articulate, and had 
some very good ideas. And I thought how wonderful it must be to serve 
in the House of Representatives and be able to come here and say these 
things for this giant crowd here this evening. And it only piqued my 
interest in running for office that much more.
  So besides my father, who actually encouraged me to go into politics 
when I was a child, David was my next inspiration because of that 
evening in Little Rock in 1968.
  After losing a race for the Senate in 1972, he came back in 1974 and 
ran for Governor and won handily, and served

[[Page S11135]]

our State for 4 years. That was two terms, then, 2-year terms. He 
served our State admirably.
  He became then, and has remained ever since, the most popular 
politician in Arkansas by far. I said the other evening, and I have 
said it many times, it pains me to say that. The thing that makes it 
bearable is I know it is true. Everybody in our State, virtually 
everybody, loves David Pryor, as does virtually every Member of the 
U.S. Senate.
  In all of the years that David has been in politics, and certainly 
all the years he has been in Congress, I have never heard anybody 
accuse him of having Potomac fever, and the reason he is easily the 
most popular politician in Arkansas is because he has never lost that 
common touch of letting people know that he is concerned about them. He 
never looks past you to see who is next in line. You get his undivided 
attention, no matter how crazy the idea might be. David Pryor has 
always been a listener.
  I read a book one time called, ``Lee, The Last Years.'' It is the 
story of Robert E. Lee after the war, written by a man named Charles 
Bracelen Flood. And the most poignant part of the book was a 
description of Lee after he surrendered to Grant at Appomattox. He then 
got on his horse Traveler and, with a small entourage of Confederate 
officers and men, started on roughly a 5-day trek from Appomattox 
Courthouse to Richmond, where a home had been prepared for him.
  As they went through various southern villages and communities, huge 
crowds lined the streets awaiting for hours the arrival of Lee and his 
entourage--rebel yells, unbelievable cheers, of people for this losing 
General.
  About the third day of this trek toward Richmond, Lee stopped at a 
point where a battle had been fought and there were still rotting 
corpses on the battlefield. He got off his horse and he waved his arm 
toward the battlefield and he said, ``This could have been avoided.'' 
And the rest of what he said I paraphrase, but it was essentially this: 
At the time when this Nation needed men of courage and vision and 
restraint, we had politicians who saw that it was to their advantage to 
foment the flames of war. And this is the result.
  James Fallows has written a book called ``Breaking the News: How the 
Media Undermines American Democracy.'' It is a very interesting and 
almost unassailable hypothesis, in this book. But I can tell you, 
democracy always hangs by a thread. And here we have a man like David 
Pryor, who has all the qualities that Robert E. Lee described, and 
more: tenacious, determined on what he believes, intellect, the 
character to stick with his ideas in a totally honest way, and vision 
about where the country ought to be heading. These are remarkable 
traits to be wrapped up in one man, and rare and unusual in the U.S. 
Congress. So, at a time when democracy perhaps hangs by a more slender 
thread than ever, losing a man like David Pryor, who possesses those 
qualities, is just short of disastrous for the country and certainly, 
to me, as a friend and colleague.
  In the years I have served with David, almost 18 years, now, I have 
never seen him duck a tough vote, though there have been plenty of 
opportunities. He has always been able and willing to take the heat in 
order to cast those votes.
  When David came to the Senate he had been Governor 4 years, but we 
really did not know each other. We knew each other politically, and we 
would see each other at political events, and we were friends. But it 
was only after he came to the Senate that we developed a friendship in 
the truest meaning of the word. So, I have been close to him in a lot 
of his travail. I can tell you, I do not know of very many people who 
have suffered in their personal life as much as David--really, terribly 
traumatic things. Despite all of that, including the current trauma, I 
have never seen him down. I have never seen him look for sympathy or 
indicate that he was looking for sympathy.
  I remember when my wife, Betty--and I do not mind saying this now, 
because it was about 15 years ago--was diagnosed with cancer. It was a 
dicey situation. She was going to be operated on at Georgetown at 8:30 
in the morning. I got there at 8, and David was already there. I guess 
that morning was the sealing of this, what will now be a lifelong 
friendship.
  During his entire adult life since he graduated law school, he and 
Barbara have undergone these traumatic experiences together. She has 
been by his side. I have watched her. I have watched her strength. I 
have watched her values sustain her and David both. And in all 
fairness, she has never been shy about expressing her thoughts and 
ideas with her beloved husband, David.
  Then, of course, it has been a love affair. I know that David never 
loved anybody else from the day he set eyes on Barbara Lunsford and 
they have both been tremendous parents to three very fine sons--they 
are so proud of them, and justifiably.
  While I am senior by 4 years to David Pryor in the U.S. Senate, he 
has been my mentor, my consultant, and my best friend. I will miss him 
and I wish him Godspeed and good luck.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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