[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 136 (Friday, September 27, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11493-S11494]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SENATOR EXON'S RETIREMENT

  Mr. DASCHLE. The Senate and the American people will greatly regret 
the absence of Senator Exon from this Chamber upon his retirement at 
the end of Congress. I cannot think of anyone in this body who reflects 
the concerns of America's heartland and the commonsense approach to 
problems so prevalent in that part of the country better than the 
senior Senator from Nebraska. I am very pleased to have been able to 
call him a friend now for a long, long time.
  I have always felt a special bond with Senator Exon because he, too, 
was born and raised in South Dakota. His parents were active in the 
South Dakota Democratic Party. I do not know if that accounts for his 
outstanding career in the Senate, but I know it did not hurt.
  Senator Exon has given a lifetime of public service. He served in the 
Army in World War II and afterward became a successful businessman and 
proud father of three. In the 1970's, he was elected twice as Governor 
of Nebraska, serving longer than any other person in the State's 
history. He was elected three times to the U.S. Senate, and through his 
hard work and dedication, he has earned the affection and the trust of 
the people of Nebraska who know him best.
  Reflecting his rural upbringing, Jim Exon, without a doubt, is one of 
the most knowledgeable Members of this body on agricultural issues. As 
a Governor and certainly as a Senator, he has always had his hand on 
the pulse of rural America. I have turned to him on numerous occasions 
for advice and counsel, and will not hesitate to pick up the phone in 
the future on these same issues.
  Jim Exon is also well-known for his command of budgetary issues. By 
the time he came to the Senate, Senator Exon had already established a 
proven record of fiscal responsibility. As Governor of Nebraska, he 
balanced that State's books time and again. Therefore, when he assumed 
his Senate duties and a seat on the Budget Committee, he did not enter 
the Nation's budget battles unprepared or unarmed.
  After observing him closely in my time in the Senate, I can 
confidently say that Senator Exon stands second to none in his 
knowledge of the Federal budget and its impact on working Americans 
everywhere. As Senate Democratic leader, I have repeatedly drawn on his 
experience and wisdom for guidance in the many fiscal battles that have 
come to define this Congress.
  As ranking member of the Budget Committee, Senator Exon has been my

[[Page S11494]]

most valuable ally and adviser as we developed a plan to balance the 
budget without compromising the priorities we stand for. He has never 
wavered in his commitment to balance the budget fairly.
  Most of all, Senator Jim Exon will be remembered as having served the 
people of Nebraska and all Americans with dignity, diligence, and 
integrity. As a soldier, Governor, as a Senator and as a friend, he has 
exemplified all these virtues and many more.

  His love for the Senate is exceeded only by his love for his family 
and the beautiful State of Nebraska, and I might add the not-so-
successful team in the last weeks, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I know 
that troubled him, and he has lost a great deal of sleep over that 
during the last week, and I am sure his fortunes will turn.
  Both he and I have had the good fortune now to serve in this 
wonderful body for some time. I can say in all sincerity I will miss 
him a great deal. I wish Senator Jim Exon, his wife, Pat, and their 
family the very best in the years ahead.
  Mr. President, at times like this you wish you could find other ways 
with which to express gratitude and friendship and the best of health 
to those who are retiring. Oftentimes, we wait too long to come to the 
floor to make these expressions of great affection and admiration for 
the public servants who come here every day. I could talk at some 
length about Senator Exon, as I now will about Senator Sam Nunn. They 
are men from whom I have learned a great deal, men of remarkable 
decency, men respected on both sides of the aisle, men with a sense of 
humor and a sense of devotion to country.

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