[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E151-E152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE LEGACY OF THE LATE HONORABLE PAUL TSONGAS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 4, 1997

  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, while the House was in recess in January, a 
former congressional colleague, retired Massachusetts Senator Paul 
Tsongas died after complications from cancer. I was a long-time admirer 
of Paul Tsongas, especially for the wisdom with which he approached 
life and the value he placed on his family.
  For many in public service, it often comes down to choices between 
the job and family. Do I attend the social event or go home for my 
son's birthday party? Do I go to the reception sponsored by a special 
interest group or attend my daughter's soccer tournament? With Paul 
Tsongas, there was no choice. Family came first and foremost.
  For several years I have used the way Paul Tsongas lived his life as 
an example in my speeches about family values. One of my favorite 
quotes from him is that he ``never heard anyone on their deathbed say, 
`I wish had spent more time with my business.' ''
  What are our personal priorities? People generally serve in the 
Congress because they want to help other people. But we need to 
remember that while we serve in Congress trying to help others, we do 
not forget those who matter most to us--our families.

[[Page E152]]

  In some of my speeches I also use a quote by Dr. James Dobson from a 
book on the family. It says:

       I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I 
     could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living. When 
     I reach the end of my days, a moment or two from now, I must 
     look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit 
     of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is 
     fame of any lasting benefit. I will consider my earthly 
     existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving 
     family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and 
     an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me. Nothing else 
     makes much sense.

  That quote could very well describe the life of Paul Tsongas. 
Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas also recently highlighted Paul Tsongas' 
``Strong and Positive Legacy'' and I would like to share that article 
with our colleagues. It certainly provides some food for thought for 
setting priorities in our lives.

                      A Strong and Positive Legacy

                            (By Cal Thomas)

       When a person dies prematurely, it prompts us to stop and 
     contemplate our own lives and whether we are spending our 
     time, like cash, to indulge our wants, or investing in 
     relationships that will pay lasting dividends.
       Paul Tsongas, the former senator from Massachusetts, died 
     last weekend of complications from cancer at age 55. Although 
     we never met, and I was introduced to his wife Niki just 
     once, Mr. Tsongas made a strong and positive impression on 
     me.
       In a town where power is king, Mr. Tsongas never paid 
     homage to the sovereign. He was such an infrequent guest on 
     the Washington party circuit that socialites knew better than 
     to invite him for cocktails or dinner after work. Instead, he 
     would depart his Senate duties as early as possible in order 
     to be with Niki and his three daughters.
       In a 1984 book called ``Heading Home,'' Mr. Tsongas wrote, 
     ``Niki and I did not frequent the social circuit, and we knew 
     it cost us. But the kids were more important to us than being 
     regulars on Embassy Row or in hotel ballrooms.'' That's 
     family values in practice.
       He was equally open about his fears following the cancer 
     diagnosis: ``I felt totally alien. I was one of the select 
     few in the United States Senate--the most exclusive club in 
     the world. I did not want membership in a club of the 
     afflicted.''
       Mr. Tsongas learned quickly that Washington is a town that 
     loves you only when you're ``up''; when you're down, you're 
     out. He wrote, ``most of Washington views people through the 
     prism of title. Did my friends like me for my office? One 
     could never know. And this doubt always had a corrosive 
     effect upon our feelings.''
       Despite his upbeat demeanor following the cancer diagnosis 
     (he demonstrated to the press how healthy he was by allowing 
     cameras to show him swimming), Mr. Tsongas had been told by 
     doctors 13 years ago that his form of cancer had never been 
     cured and that the statistical average for life expectancy of 
     people in similar cases was eight years. He beat the odds by 
     five years.
       Sometimes we get so caught up in political and 
     philosophical divisions that we forget not only the humanity 
     of those with whom we disagree, but that we might actually 
     learn something from them if we take the time to listen.
       ``Heading Home'' has had such a profound impact on this 
     economic and social conservative that I have often quoted 
     from it (most recently in an address to new members of the 
     Congress from both parties), and my copy of the 166-page book 
     is well-marked and dog-eared.
       How's this for baring your soul: ``I was no longer the 
     senator from Massachusetts. I was a frightened human being 
     who loved his wife and children and desperately wanted to 
     live.'' Or this: ``In my desolation I had to reach deep into 
     my beliefs. Those beliefs had never been sorely needed 
     before--not like this. Now it would be different. God would 
     be more a part of my life, no matter what happened. This was 
     not a revelation or born-again experience. Not at all. Just a 
     realization that while I had taken myself this far in life 
     and done quite well, from here on I needed to recognize who 
     was guiding me. I had to be more aware that one does not go 
     through life without God's presence.''
       To me, the most moving part of Mr. Tsongas' book appears 
     near the end after he's given an interview to a newspaper in 
     which he speaks often of his love for Niki and his daughters. 
     He turns to her and says, ``You know, after 10 years in this 
     town, all that I will be remembered for is the fact that I 
     loved my wife.''
       ``And what's wrong with that?'' Niki replied.
       In a time when reports of infidelity, allegations of 
     ethical shortcomings and various scandals sweep Washington 
     and the nation, what's wrong with that, indeed? Can anyone 
     think of a greater legacy for his family or a better example 
     for the rest of us? Or a better epitaph for Paul Tsongas?

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