[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11947]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HOWELL HEFLIN

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, truth be told, I don't know which I find 
more upsetting, the idea that the Government is losing a much-valued 
judicious voice, or the idea that I might inherit the dubious honor of 
having ``the slowest drawl in the U.S. Senate.'' Either way, we'll miss 
Howell Heflin greatly.
  However, I welcome this opportunity to celebrate the career of a man 
who has built a grand reputation as both advocate and judge.
  Today, with every front page screaming about the public's 
disillusionment with politicians, Howell Heflin stands as a model of 
integrity and dedication. In this era of increasing partisanship, he is 
a Senator who would not vote along party lines against his own 
constituency. In this atmosphere of media scrutiny, he is a judge who 
could not vote along the lines of popular opinion against his own 
conscience. He leaves a legacy of what it truly means to be in 
government: to represent the interests of the voters and to govern 
according to the law.
  Whether he was working on court reforms, championing agriculture, 
advocating a balanced budget, or defending the space program, Howell 
has spent his 16 years in the Senate working hard for the people who 
put him there. He has been a tireless representative for the people of 
Alabama, and a tenacious defender of their interests. He is not a 
distant politician immersed in Washington business.
  Howell Heflin's record of public service did not just benefit his 
home State. With his distinguished service on the Senate Ethics 
Committee, the country came to know a just, pragmatic, and 
compassionate judge of character. Though he didn't like to sit in 
judgment of his peers, he steered the country through some rough and 
divisive episodes and our Nation became familiar with the man we 
already knew as the Judge.
  As you well know, Senator Heflin has a reputation for being an 
independent thinker, a master storyteller, and a strong proponent of 
issues he believes in from civil rights to family values.
  One thing that never fails to amuse me is when critics attempt to 
malign Howell Heflin, the most scathing thing they can come up with is 
to call him a fence-straddler or indecisive. This is ironic because it 
is this quality that has made him such an exemplary Member of the 
Senate. He listens to all the arguments before making his decision, and 
when he does, it is fair and just. As Thomas Jefferson pointed out in a 
letter to George Washington: ``Delay is preferable to error.''
  We will miss Senator Heflin and his charming wife Mike, but we 
couldn't expect to keep them in Washington forever. So I wish for them 
the best of luck in the future.

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