[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR PAUL SIMON

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, before the end of the 104th Congress, I 
wanted to take a moment to pay tribute to Senator Paul Simon of 
Illinois, who is retiring this year. Paul Simon is quite simply one of 
the most respected and honorable Members of the U.S. Senate.
  Senator Simon has been a dedicated public servant for more than 40 
years. He has served in the Illinois House and Senate, as Lieutenant 
Governor of the State of Illinois, and in the U.S. House and Senate.
  Even as he tirelessly served in public office, Paul Simon also found 
ways to pursue his second career--that of a distinguished and 
thoughtful writer. A former newspaperman, Simon has written numerous 
books on our political process and democratic values. He still types 
his manuscripts out on an old manual typewriter.
  Senator Simon's top legislative priority for years has been passage 
of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Paul Simon 
understands that the greatest threat to future generations is the 
Federal budget deficit and our enormous national debt. Eliminating our 
budget deficit is the most important thing we can do for our Nation and 
Paul Simon pursued this goal with steadfast tenacity.
  I have had the privilege of serving with Senator Simon on the Budget 
Committee since 1987. Paul Simon will be most remembered there for his 
efforts to restore equity between defense and nondefense spending. 
Senator Simon and I also joined together last year in offering an 
alternative budget reconciliation measure. I was proud of that effort.
  Paul Simon will also be remembered as a staunch supporter of 
education and an advocate for people with disabilities. While serving 
in the Illinois Legislature, he was among the first to introduce 
legislation to provide public education for children with disabilities. 
Years later he was one of the original sponsors of Public Law 94-142, 
the first Federal law to ensure that all children with disabilities 
would receive free and appropriate public education. This landmark 
legislation was signed in 1975.
  Because of Simon's devotion and perseverance, Congress passed the 
National Literacy Act, to create literacy centers and to authorize 
funding for adult education and literacy programs. Simon also 
championed the direct college loan program, originally passed in 1991 
and expanded in 1993, which made fundamental changes in our Nation's 
student loan program.
  Although some may remember Simon for his bowties, I will always 
remember his simple honesty, integrity, and character. Paul Simon not 
only remembered the bipartisanship and comity that used to be standard 
operating procedure in the Senate, but he continued to serve in that 
tradition, even as Congress changed around him.
  I know Senator Simon will be happy to return to his home in southern 
Illinois. He'll be heading up the Simon Public Policy Institute at 
southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He'll have more time for 
his grandchildren, more time to write. But he'll be missed in the U.S. 
Senate, by the people he represented and by those who knew him.

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