[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12241-S12242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RETIREMENT OF SENATOR CLAIBORNE PELL

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, as we approach the end of this Congress, I 
wanted to take a moment to say a few words about one colleague in 
particular, and I will add to these comments later and say a few words 
about a number of our other retiring colleagues. I will lead off my 
tribute to those who retire saying a few words about one of the U.S. 
Senate's finest members, and that is the senior Senator from Rhode 
Island, Mr. Pell.
  I have had the honor of serving with Senator Pell on the Foreign 
Relations Committee more than 12 years that I have been here, and I 
have been impressed by his extraordinary breadth of knowledge about 
international affairs, but more than that by the special demeanor of 
this colleague of ours. He is a man who is deeply committed to the 
development of a bipartisan foreign policy, one which promotes not only 
America's needs and interests but also Democratic values and 
humanitarian traditions. He has been both chairman and ranking minority 
member, and Senator Pell has always been courteous, solicitous of views 
of other members, determined to work toward a policy that we all could 
support even when the differences were extremely deep. He never 
abandoned his gentlemanly manner and often he succeeded in following 
the dictum that he used to give his staff throughout the years, which 
was, ``The best way is to let the other fellow have your way.''
  Senator Pell's accomplishments in the areas of foreign policy are 
many and far-reaching. I will highlight just a couple of them. He was 
present at the creation of the United Nations, having served on the 
International Secretariat at the San Francisco conference which drew up 
the U.N. Charter. His commitment to the United Nations was really 
symbolized by the fact that he always carried the U.N. Charter in his 
pocket, though he really did not need to because he could tell anybody 
what it said.
  Senator Pell's belief in the United Nations reflects his long-held 
belief, part of which came from his exposure in the Foreign Service, 
both through his father as well as his own service in the Foreign 
Service, that problems

[[Page S12242]]

ought to be resolved through diplomacy and negotiation rather than 
through the barrel of a gun.
  When I came before the Foreign Relations Committee 25 years ago this 
year to testify against our involvement in Vietnam, he gave me much 
welcomed support at that time and even then invited me to join him in 
the Senate. It was my first invitation and probably the best I ever 
received. I will always appreciate the fact that he was on the dais 
that day and that he understood and shared our views about the war.
  In view of Senator Pell's steadfast opposition to armed conflict as a 
means of achieving our national interests, it is not surprising that he 
has always been one the Senate's foremost arms control advocates. He 
has been instrumental in negotiating several arms control agreements, 
including the Environmental Modification Treaty and the Seabed Arms 
Control Treaty. He was at the forefront of the effort to create the 
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and in 1994 he authored 
legislation to strengthen and revitalize that agency to meet the 
growing challenges in arms control and nonproliferation. He led the 
fight in the Senate's passage of treaties such as the Intermediate 
Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Threshold Test Ban Treaty, the 
Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty, and START I and II. He shepherded 
these treaties successfully through the Senate and today the United 
States is party to all of them.
  Senator Pell's achievements in the realm of foreign affairs are 
paralleled by numerous accomplishments in the domestic area. He left 
his mark on the arts, particularly through his sponsorship of 
legislation to establish the National Endowment for the Arts and the 
National Endowment for the Humanities, on the area of high-speed 
transportation and on the environment. Besides his many years of work 
on the law of the sea, he was also the Senate author of the National 
Seagrant College and Land Act, legislation which brought much needed 
money not only to the University of Rhode Island but also to 
universities in other coastal States such as my own. He was the driving 
force behind the Federal legislation to help crack down on drunk 
driving.
  Thanks to Claiborne Pell, thousands of young Americans today go to 
college on Pell grants. His love of education and of those seeking to 
be educated are epitomized by the annual picnic that he holds at his 
home for all the students from Rhode Island who are here at college, 
and come rain or shine or votes on the Senate floor, Senator Pell and 
his wife, Nuala, are always there to greet the students and show them a 
little bit of the friendly hometown side of Washington. Senator Pell 
has always had his personal and committee staffs present so that 
students could learn from them.
  Throughout his years in the Senate, Mr. President, Claiborne Pell has 
served the people of Rhode Island ably and diligently, and I think all 
of our colleagues have been deeply impressed by the personal affection 
that so many Rhode Islanders have shown to Senator Pell. That is not 
only reciprocation for the affection he has clearly shown for them but 
it reflects his longstanding tradition of never closing his door to any 
Rhode Islander who wished to meet with him.
  Senator Pell has now decided that the time has come to leave the 
Senate and undertake new challenges. I for one will miss him, as I know 
many of my colleagues will. He brought great grace and charm to 
whatever he did here, and I know that everyone believes we have lost a 
true gentleman whose accomplishments are in the highest tradition of 
the Senate.
  I yield back whatever time I have.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

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