[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12048]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR NANCY KASSEBAUM

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, this gives me an opportunity to speak 
briefly at least about those of my colleagues, particularly my 
colleagues on this side of the aisle, who are voluntarily retiring from 
the U.S. Senate this year. I know of no such occasion during my career 
here in which so many Members whom I regard as my close friends and 
whom I regard as wonderful contributors to the deliberations in this 
body, have chosen to move on to another phase in their lives at exactly 
the same time.
  In one sense, of course, first among those must be my seatmate in the 
very next desk to me on my left here, the wonderful, charming and 
distinguished Senator from Kansas [Mrs. Kassebaum]. Senator Kassebaum, 
to the best of my knowledge, during my time with her here has never 
once raised her voice, but at the same time I have often been able to 
describe her as having a will of iron. I cannot tell you, Mr. 
President, how often, even though we are closely allied 
philosophically, I have had a particular matter on which some other 
Senator has told me Mrs. Kassebaum has made a decision and I have 
attempted to talk to her about, perhaps, reconsidering that decision. I 
cannot count the number of occasions on which that has happened, but I 
can easily count the number of occasions on which I have been 
successful, because it is none.
  When the Senator from Kansas has thought out an issue and has 
determined a course of action, that is the course of action she is 
going to take. It didn't matter whether it was her seatmate here or the 
Republican leadership or the President of the United States who 
attempted to change that course of action. It would not change.

  For that reason, I found it particularly flattering to have at least 
a few occasions on which she has asked me for my own views on a subject 
before she has made up her mind. On occasion, at least, it seems to 
have given my arguments or my position some weight. But it is that 
strength of character coming from her family and the place in which she 
lives, and her unerring sense of right and wrong, what is proper and 
improper, that has caused her to make such a profound contribution to 
this body. She has made better each of the Senators with whom she has 
come in contact. I believe I can say that she has influenced us all and 
influenced us all toward our better natures.
  During these final 2 years of her career here in the U.S. Senate, she 
has, of course, been the chairman on the Committee on Labor and Human 
Resources, and I have had the privilege of serving on that third major 
committee as a junior member. I have observed her patience in dealing 
with a large number of members on that committee who are quite willing 
to speak out on almost every issue, and to do so at length, and I have 
seen, almost without exception, how the patience of Senator Kassebaum 
has ultimately triumphed, together with her willingness to listen to 
the views of others and to accommodate them in building a majority for 
important pieces of legislation originating in that committee.
  Her success in the Kassebaum-Kennedy health care bill is perhaps the 
single finest example of that form of cooperation and will remain a 
very real tribute to a person such as the Senator, but is only one of a 
legion of such accomplishments during the period of her three terms in 
this body.

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