[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING SENATOR J. BENNETT JOHNSTON

  Mr. EXON. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I rise today 
to salute my departing colleague and dear friend from Louisiana, 
Senator Bennett Johnston.
  It has been a sheer pleasure to serve for the past 18 years with 
Bennett Johnston. Since the time I came to the U.S. Senate in 1979, I 
have always admired Bennett's determination and rugged individualism. 
Bennett Johnston possesses many of the qualities that make this 
institution great, not the least of which is his ability to compromise.
  Some have called him the master of compromise. I, for one, have 
always admired his ability to work both sides of the aisle. And as we 
all know too well, a willingness to look past partisan differences is 
something of precious commodity in the Senate these days.
  Whether it was oil and gas price deregulation, the Supercollider, the 
Tongass National Forest, or nuclear waste disposal, Bennett always 
delved deep into the heart of the matter regardless of how complex or 
controversial. While we may not have always agreed on the issues, I 
have always known I could rely on him, time and again, for his wise and 
fair counsel. And, I did.
  For over two decades Bennett Johnston has been a dedicated public 
servant to the great State of Louisiana. As the Nation moves toward the 
new millennium, his service to this body and this country will not be 
forgotten.
  I salute Bennett Johnston, and Pat and I wish him all the best for 
the future.

                          ____________________