[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 138 (Monday, September 30, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11948]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO SENATOR SIMON

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
distinguished lawmaker, a devoted public servant, and a good friend, 
the senior Senator from IL, Paul Simon.
  It has been nearly half a century since Paul Simon bought the Troy, 
Illinois, Tribune and began crusading against local crime and political 
corruption, a pretty gutsy thing to do for a 19-year-old who had just 
left college.
  But, as many of us have learned, courage, candor, and dedication to 
principle are fundamental components of Paul Simon's character. I am 
proud to have had the opportunity to serve with him in the U.S. Senate, 
and I will miss him greatly upon his retirement.
  Mr. President, 1996 marks Senator Simon's 40th year in public 
service. He served in the Illinois House and Senate, and as Illinois' 
Lieutenant Governor before coming to Washington in 1974 as a 
Congressman. He joined this body in 1985.
  Millions of Americans can thank Paul Simon for his important role in 
the passage of legislation to improve literacy and to support adult 
education and school-to-work programs. He fought to make student loans 
more affordable.
  He has stood by America's working families. He has worked to improve 
America's relations with the nations of Africa. His sense of social 
justice has anchored his opposition to the death penalty, and, not 
surprisingly, this former crusading journalist also has been a reliable 
defender of the first amendment.
  He has been, as columnist Jack Anderson once described him, ``a model 
of integrity.''
  He has also found time to write a weekly newspaper column, which has 
enjoyed a run of 48 years.
  Mr. President, Senator Simon and I have served together on the 
Judiciary Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee, and we have 
worked together closely on many issues, including bipartisan 
legislation to reform our system of funding political campaigns, 
legislation on which he was a cosponsor. Throughout it all, I have 
valued his opinions, his camaraderie and his ability to maintain his 
cordiality so many feel is slipping away in our public debate.
  I understand Senator Simon will be taking a post at Southern Illinois 
University, teaching journalism and politics. I expect he may also keep 
writing books. He has authored or coauthored 16 of them at last count, 
including an authoritative book on Abraham Lincoln's years in the 
Illinois Legislature and one about another crusading journalist, Elijah 
Lovejoy.
  Whatever his future pursuits, Paul Simon has already created a 
memorable legacy in his public service career.

                          ____________________