[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 140 (Wednesday, October 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S12165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 TRIBUTE TO SENATOR J. BENNETT JOHNSTON

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to one of 
the South's great men and one of the Nation's great legislators, 
Senator J. Bennett Johnston. Back in January 1995, when Senator 
Johnston announced he would not seek a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, 
I thought then that we were about to lose a master of the legislative 
process and a true gentleman.
  Whether working on the Naiton's energy policy or working to address 
the nagging problem of nuclear waste storage, you could count on 
Senator Johnston, a master negotiator, to solve all but the most 
contentious problems before they reached the public eye. You could bet 
your boots that Bennett Johnston would not take an issue to the floor 
until he had those problems solved or knew the issue so well that no 
Senator could challenge him on the facts. As my colleagues know, he 
knows more than all of us combined about the intricacies and complex 
details of every energy issue, even the most complex and technical.
  As chairman or ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee and the Energy and Water Appropriations 
Subcommittee, Senator Johnston has placed his stamp on Louisiana and 
the Nation. I remember his dogged determination in passing the National 
Energy Security Act, a major revamping of the Nation's energy policy. 
Time and time again, he defeated attempts to kill the legislation and 
shepherded the bill into law. I also remember his work on an issue 
which is of great importance to my State--that of nuclear waste 
disposal. Bennett Johnston has carried this program almost single 
handedly, and, although we still have a ways to travel before putting 
this problem to bed, without Senator Johnston's work, we would be light 
years away from a solution. For all this, the people of Louisiana and 
the Nation are grateful.
  I think the thing which the Senate will miss most is Senator 
Johnston's ability to solve the most contentious problems in a 
congenial manner. In that sense, he reflects the best of the South--
that of being a gentleman. No matter how heated the debate or 
controversial the issue, Senator Johnston had a smile on his face and 
treated his opponent with respect. In today's political climate, it is 
this attitude which we will miss most.
  As I mentioned earlier, Senator Johnston amassed a long list of 
accomplishments during his career in the Senate. A career which began 
24 years ago, and, if he had chosen to pursue reelection, could have 
continued indefinitely.
  When Senator Johnston announced to the Senate that he was leaving, he 
quoted the great Senator Russell M. Long of Louisiana who said, ``It is 
important to retire as a champ, and to leave the stage when the crowd 
still likes your singing.''
  Mr. President, the Senate still likes Senator Johnston's singing, and 
I hate to see him exit the stage. As Senator Johnston leaves, I 
congratultate him for all his successes and wish him and his charming 
wife Mary the best. We will miss them.

                          ____________________