[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 1, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12049]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR HANK BROWN

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, you, Senator Brown, happen to be the 
Presiding Officer as I come to the floor to make these remarks. You are 
the one Member whose decision not to return I can least understand. 
Senator Brown has been a friend, recommended to me by one of his 
closest friends in the House of Representatives as his closest friend, 
during the course of this last 6 years. You, perhaps above all of us on 
this side of the aisle, have been absolutely unafraid to take a 
position which would gain you only a tiny handful of votes. I know how 
many times I have come back to you during a rollcall to inquire whether 
or not one of your amendments could reach double digits during the 
course of a rollcall. But it has been one of your great features--a 
willingness to say, ``no,'' the conventional wisdom is not correct, the 
easy way out is not the right way to go; there is a different way, a 
way that is better for the American people, better for all of us, 
albeit more difficult.
  I know there have been occasions--a few occasions at least--in which 
those views have been expressed with such eloquence that they have 
actually prevailed in this body, and there are a number of times in 
which you can say, with I hope most of us, that, ``But for me, the 
final result would have been different, and we are better off for me 
having been here.''
  Your cheerfulness and happiness and your willingness to deal with 
adversity has, I think, been an inspiration to every single one of us 
in this body. I do have every hope that you will be successful in 
whatever lies ahead in your career. I do know that not just by this 
Senator, but I believe by all of your colleagues, you will be greatly 
and wonderfully missed.
  One last point in that connection which I found, about a year and a 
half ago, to be particularly profound was your role in the very 
difficult decision made by my other seatmate, the junior Senator from 
Colorado, to change parties, and to come over to this side. I don't 
know whether he would have been able to bring himself to do that at the 
same time or in the same way had it not been for the constant 
encouragement, friendship, thoughtfulness, and guidance that you 
provided for him. That itself will be a part of your heritage, which 
will live in this body long after you have left it yourself.
  I must say this will be a lesser place without you. I note that the 
majority leader is now on the floor. I have several other talks like 
this to make about other Members, but for the time being, I yield the 
floor.
  Mr. LOTT addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Republican leader.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Washington for 
yielding, and also for his very kind remarks.

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