[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 20 (Monday, February 24, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1430-S1431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SENATOR JOHN GLENN'S ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT

  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate a very 
important milestone in the history of the State of Ohio and in the 
history of this body on this, the first day the Senate has met since my 
colleague Senator John Glenn announced that he was retiring from this 
body. On behalf of the people of Ohio and on behalf of the U.S. Senate, 
I have the privilege of paying respects to Senator Glenn, to pay 
respects to my senior Senator, our friend and our colleague, on the 
occasion of the announcement of his retirement from the U.S. Senate. 
Senator Glenn has served Ohio and the Senate for a longer consecutive 
period than any other individual in the history of our State. When he 
leaves office 2 years from now, he will have served in this body for 24 
consecutive years. Over this almost quarter of a century of service, 
Senator Glenn has established a reputation as a man who knows the 
importance of details. Senator Glenn realizes that the most important 
work done in this Chamber is not the sound bites, not the press 
conferences, but the nitty-gritty of making this complicated 
legislative process work for the people who sent us here.
  Despite the fact that I have only been in the Senate for a little 
over 2 years, in many ways I feel I know Senator Glenn better than many 
who have served with him for a lot longer period of time. This is true, 
in part at least, I suspect, because he and I fought a very tough 
campaign against each other in 1992. It was a tough, hard-fought 
campaign. Let no one doubt--I can say this from personal experience--
let no one doubt that behind John Glenn's kind, grandfatherly exterior 
beats the heart of a true marine, a man who is willing to fight very 
hard for what he believes is right. That has been something that has 
really been the hallmark of John Glenn's life of service to this 
country, from his service in World War II and Korea to his service in 
the military to his work in the space program to this very day, as he 
continues his service to this country in the U.S. Senate.
  Two years after that campaign, I was elected to the Senate, and it 
became important, then, for Senator Glenn and me to build a 
relationship, to build a relationship to benefit all Ohioans. I think 
we have done that. In the 2 years since then, I have found that Senator 
Glenn's attitude to the work of the Senate really should serve as a 
model for all the rest of us. In a campaign, you fight hard, but when 
you are in the Senate, when you are one of the 100 Members of the U.S. 
Senate drawn from all over this country, there is a different kind of 
work to be done. I have worked with Senator Glenn on the floor, worked 
with him on different issues, and he has unfailingly put the interests 
of Ohio and the interests of this country first.
  I am sure we will continue to disagree on some issues, but our 
disagreements are buried whenever we have a chance to accomplish 
something for Ohioans by working together. Some may say that Senator 
Glenn's style of leadership is too bipartisan for modern politics, too 
bipartisan for this day and age, too bipartisan for this town. If that 
is true, it is a shame, because the dedication to bipartisanship 
exemplified by John Glenn, through his service in the Senate, I think 
should serve as an example for all of us.
  It was significant that Senator Glenn chose the 35th anniversary of 
his three orbits around the Earth to make his announcement that he was 
leaving the Senate.
  I think as an Ohioan, it was also significant to see where he made 
that announcement. He went back home to Muskingum College, New Concord, 
OH, a town where he had been raised, where he grew up, a town where 
there is now a high school named after him, the John Glenn High School. 
He went home to make this announcement to the people of the State of 
Ohio.
  I think it was also significant that he made the announcement in 
front of an audience of primarily young people. John Glenn has always 
been someone who has thought about the future. How many times have we 
heard him come to the floor and talk about young people, talk about 
investment in young people, talk about what we have to do to prepare 
them and us for the next century? So it was significant that he went 
home to make this speech and significant that he was talking to young 
people when he did it.
  I was reminded, as I think many Americans were, when I heard the 
official news that John Glenn was going to retire, where I was 35 years 
ago--at least those of us who are old enough to remember--when he made 
that historic flight. My future wife and I were freshmen at Yellow 
Springs High School, Yellow Springs, OH. On the particular moment that 
he took off, I happened to be in Ed Wingard's science class and 
remember listening on the radio, and watching on TV later in the day, 
as we followed his progress for the next few hours. John Glenn, on that 
date, captured the hearts of Americans, and he guaranteed his place in 
the history of this country and the history of this world.
  We took a great deal of pride, those of us from Ohio, in what our 
native son was doing on that date. It was clear that NASA had selected 
the right person to make the trip, not just because of his nerves of 
steel, not just because of his technical ability, but it was also clear 
why they picked John Glenn when he came back. It was clear that this 
was a person who young people across the country could look up to, that 
this was someone who should be considered a national hero and a 
national treasure.
  We should not talk today as if John Glenn will not be with us. John 
Glenn is going to be with us for 2 more years in this body. We are 
going to argue

[[Page S1431]]

about some things, agree on some things, but John Glenn will continue 
for the next 2 years to do what he has done throughout his lifetime, 
and that is serve the people of the State of Ohio and serve this great 
country that he loves so very much.
  So let me, on behalf of the people of the State of Ohio, again say 
thank you to John Glenn for his service to his country, for his service 
to the State of Ohio, and thank him for being a role model for all of 
us 35 years ago and for continuing to be a role model today.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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