[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 21, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4849-S4851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SENATOR THURMOND'S MILESTONE

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, we are told in the Holy Bible that Abraham 
lived to be 175 years old, that Isaac lived to be 180 years old, that 
Jacob lived to be 147 years old, and that Joseph lived to be 110 years 
old. I have consulted Scripture to see if there is any account of 
record with respect to the Senator who is the senior Senator of this 
body, Strom Thurmond, and I found that nothing had yet been entered in 
regard to that venerable gentleman.
  I rise today to call attention to a very historic and significant 
happening that will occur on this coming Sunday, May 25, when the 
senior Senator from South Carolina becomes the longest serving Senator 
in the history of the U.S. Senate. On that day, Senator Strom Thurmond, 
whose service began on December 24, 1954, will surpass the record set 
by Arizona Senator Carl Hayden, who served 41 years and 10 months 
between 1927 and 1969. In the entire 208-year history of the U.S. 
Senate, only three Senators--Strom Thurmond, Carl Hayden, and John 
Stennis of Mississippi--served for more than 40 years.

  I should point out that Senator Hayden had previously spent 15 years 
in the House of Representatives, giving him a combined 56 years in 
Congress, a record matched by no one else in either the House or 
Senate.
  I stand fourth on the overall list of seniority in the Senate, with 
38 years and 5 months of service to date, which does not count the 6 
years that I spent in the House of Representatives, beginning in 
January 1953, before I came to the Senate. The rest of the ``top 10'' 
include Senators Richard Russell, Russell Long, Francis Warren, James 
Eastland, Warren Magnuson, and Claiborne Pell. It is worthy of note 
that while there have been Senators throughout our history--1,843 
Senators in our 208-year history--at the time that Senator Hayden 
retired in 1969, 9 of these top 10 Senators were then serving together 
in the Senate. That is quite a remarkable thing, I think. Longevity of 
Senate service is clearly a modern phenomenon.
  Longevity records have been set on three prior occasions in the 20th 
century. In 1905, William Allison, an Iowa Republican, broke the 
previous record of 31 years and 11 months. In 1928, Senator Francis 
Warren, a Wyoming Republican, broke Allison's record. And in 1964, 
Senator Carl Hayden, an Arizona Democrat, surpassed Warren's tenure. 
Now Senator Thurmond, a Republican from the State of South Carolina, 
will move past Senator Hayden's record.
  It is fitting for those of us in the Senate to pay tribute to Senator 
Thurmond on this occasion. I note that on February 19, 1962, the Senate 
honored Senator Hayden when he became the first person to have served 
in Congress 50 years. On June 19, 1970, we commemorated Senator Mike 
Mansfield's becoming the longest-serving Democratic leader of the 
Senate. And on December 22, 1995, we similarly celebrated Senator Bob 
Dole's breaking of his party's leadership record.
  It is also fitting for us to recall the great sweep of American 
history represented in Senator Thurmond's long political career. And it 
is indeed a remarkable political career. If one will just take the time 
to look at the Congressional Directory, he will view with astonishment 
and amazement the political record of Senator Thurmond. He won his 
first election as Edgefield County superintendent of schools in 1928, 
when he was 26 years old. Calvin Coolidge then occupied the White 
House, soon to be replaced by Herbert Hoover, who was elected President 
that year. The boom times of the Roaring

[[Page S4850]]

Twenties were soon shattered by the stock market crash of 1929 and the 
Great Depression that followed. Strom Thurmond and I remember all about 
those things.
  During the 1930's, while President Franklin D. Roosevelt promoted a 
New Deal in America, Strom Thurmond served as city and county attorney, 
a member of the South Carolina State Senate, and as a circuit judge. 
The United States entered the Second World War in 1941. And in 1942, 
Strom Thurmond volunteered for service in the Army. He was a 
paratrooper at Normandy Beach on June 6, 1944, 53 years ago. Returning 
to civilian life, he was elected Governor of South Carolina in 1946, 51 
years ago. Two years later, he ran as the ``Dixiecrat'' candidate for 
President of the United States against the incumbent Democrat, Harry S. 
Truman.
  In 1954, during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Strom 
Thurmond became the first and only person ever to be elected to the 
U.S. Senate on a write-in vote. Senator Thurmond took the oath of 
office on December 24, 1954. Fulfilling a pledge he had made during 
that first campaign, Senator Thurmond resigned from the Senate on April 
4, 1956, and ran again for his Senate seat in the Democratic primary. 
He won both the primary and the general election and returned to the 
Senate on November 7, 1956.
  During his first 10 years in the Senate, Strom Thurmond was a 
Democrat. When I came to the Senate, Strom Thurmond was a Democrat. I 
can remember looking up into the galleries and seeing the late wife of 
Strom Thurmond, who died early in her life, relatively speaking. I can 
remember coming into the Chamber that day, and seeing Strom on the back 
row of the Senate, I walked up to him and expressed my sorrow for the 
loss of his wife.
  In 1964, during the Presidential campaign between President Lyndon 
Johnson and Senator Barry Goldwater, Senator Thurmond changed his party 
affiliation to become a Republican. And he has been credited with 
devising the ``Southern Strategy'' that has so significantly reshaped 
the Republican Party.
  In 1981, when Ronald Reagan became President and the Republican Party 
gained the majority in the Senate, after 26 years in the minority, 
Senator Thurmond became President pro tempore and chairman of the 
Senate Judiciary Committee. Today with Bill Clinton in the White House, 
Senator Thurmond is again President pro tempore of the Senate and 
chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

  Now, to that record of endurance we should add one further statistic. 
In 1957 Senator Thurmond set the record, as yet unbroken, and I imagine 
it will be unbroken for a long, long time, for the longest individual 
speech delivered in the Senate, for 24 hours and 18 minutes. From 
August 28 to August 29, 1957, Senator Thurmond held the floor, speaking 
against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
  As a Senator who once held the floor for 14 hours and 13 minutes, and 
I could have held it much longer and probably would have held it much 
longer had I not honored a promise that I made to the then majority 
leader Mike Mansfield that I would give up the floor in order to let a 
vote occur, I held the floor for 14 hours and 13 minutes, I can attest 
that Senator Thurmond's exceptional stamina is quite remarkable.
  Finally, I shall not allow the occasion to pass without calling 
attention to a historical milestone that would be set on December 31, 
1997, by Senator Thurmond's colleague from South Carolina Ernest 
Hollings--we all know him as Fritz--who has now served 30 years and 5 
months as the junior Senator from his State. Senator Hollings will then 
surpass the ``juniority'' record of 31 years and 52 days previously 
held by Senator John Stennis of Mississippi.
  So we have two Senators from South Carolina who are breaking records 
these days. I salute both of these distinguished Senators.
  I am proud to serve on the Armed Services Committee now chaired by 
Senator Strom Thurmond, and I am proud to sit on the Appropriations 
Committee, where for these many years I have worked at the side of 
Senator Hollings, a very fine Senator, a very active and able Senator. 
Both of these Senators have contributed greatly to the service of their 
country. I salute these distinguished Senators and their historical 
records, and I commend Strom Thurmond for his lifetime of public 
service to his State, to his Nation and to the U.S. Senate.

       The hours are like a string of pearls,
       The days like diamonds rare,
       The moments are the threads of gold,
       That bind them for our wear,
       So may the years that come to you, Strom,
       Such health and good contain,
       That every moment, hour, and day,
       Be like a golden chain.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the junior Senator from 
South Carolina.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I understand the agreement has been 
made.
  Mr. BYRD. I may have some time and I will be happy to yield to 
Senator Hollings.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. I thank the distinguished Senator from West Virginia 
and the distinguished Chair.
  No one is more qualified to comment upon the distinguished service of 
the senior Senator from South Carolina than Robert Byrd of West 
Virginia, and certainly no one is more eloquent in this U.S. Senate. I 
thank him for his very generous remarks relative to me, but more 
particularly the comments relative to Senator Thurmond, because he 
deserves them.
  I like work, Mr. President, and no one works harder than Strom 
Thurmond. I love the State of South Carolina, and no one loves South 
Carolina more than Strom Thurmond. I love this country, and of course 
no one loves the United States more than Strom Thurmond.
  My senior Senator is the epitome of Robert E. Lee's comment that the 
most sublime word in the English language is duty. He is the living 
example of that particular admonition. The fact is that he has done his 
duty here for the people of the State of South Carolina and this 
country over the many, many years because he is the greatest 
disciplinarian I have ever met. He is totally disciplined with respect, 
not just to his physical being, which has gotten him 94 years, but more 
particularly his disciplined service and loyalty to his State and 
country.
  I, too, want to recognize on Sunday he will have most deservedly 
broken the all-time record for length of service in this U.S. Senate. 
It will not be the first time the Senator has broken an all time Senate 
record. We all know he holds the record for the longest extended 
debate.
  I know others are waiting. They have very generously yielded to me, 
so I will not attempt to break that record now. However, I will have 
more to say about Senator Thurmond's record at another time, but I know 
everyone is interested in hearing from our senior Senator. Let me just 
say, the greatest privilege for this junior Senator has been to serve 
under this senior Senator for 30-some years.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order the Senator from 
South Carolina has the time.
  Mr. SPECTER. I ask unanimous consent I might speak for up to 5 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Chair recognizes the Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SPECTER. I wish to add my voice and tribute to our distinguished 
President pro tempore on his magnificent record, and comment about how 
much I have admired his work as chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
  When I joined this body after the 1980 elections, a few days after 
the November election, in 1980, I was sitting in my bed in Philadelphia 
and the telephone rang and that distinguished southern voice said, 
``This is Strom Thurmond calling. I wonder if you would be willing to 
vote for me for President pro tempore.'' I was really amazed since 
Senator Thurmond did not need my vote that he would call and ask for my 
vote.

  While I served with him on the Judiciary Committee I found him to be 
very wise. One of the comments he made soon after I joined the 
committee, when a judge was up for confirmation, was asking the nominee 
if the nominee promised to be courteous. I thought that was sort of a 
meaningless question until Senator Thurmond followed up after the 
nominee said yes by saying, ``The more power a person has the more 
courteous that person should be.'' There is a lot of wisdom in that

[[Page S4851]]

short statement. Whenever Senator Thurmond is not present and I am, I 
make that statement to the nominees.
  During the first 4 years of my term here, Senator Howard Baker, the 
majority leader, used to keep us all night, and on many occasions I 
would join Strom for a bowl of soup for about an hour, and I have 
listened to some of the most fabulous stories because Senator Thurmond 
is a legend, having been here when John Kennedy was a Senator, when 
Lyndon Johnson was a Senator.
  I shall tell one very brief story. After Senator Thurmond ran on the 
Dixiecrat ticket in 1948, in the Presidential motorcade Inauguration 
Day in 1949 Senator Thurmond rode in an open car with his wife. Senator 
Thurmond tells a story of when he passed by the reviewing stand of 
President Truman and Vice President Barkley. Senator Thurmond stood up, 
took his hat off and bowed. And Vice President Barkley started to wave 
to Governor Thurmond. And I shall not tell the whole story, but 
President Truman pulled down Vice President Barkley's hand with a 
comment, which is a remarkable story.
  I asked Strom on a number of occasions if I could be his biographer. 
He should have a biographer, if he does not take the time to write his 
own. It is too bad, on this very busy occasion of the Senate, that 
there are not more Senators on the floor to hear the remarkable 
accolades presented by our noted historian and conscience of the 
Senate, Senator Byrd, and by the senior junior Senator, Senator 
Hollings, but I wanted to have my words of admiration for Senator 
Thurmond on this very auspicious occasion.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order the Chair recognizes 
the distinguished Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. THURMOND. I planned to speak about 10 minutes on defense, but I 
did not know that these wonderful accolades were going to come up at 
this time. I wish to express my deep appreciation to the able Senator 
from West Virginia, who has been minority leader, majority leader, and 
every position the Senate had to offer. I guess no man in the history 
of this country has filled more important positions in the U.S. Senate 
than Senator Byrd of West Virginia, and he has filled them well. 
Everything he has undertaken he has done it well. I deeply appreciate 
the kind words he said today.
  I wish to thank my able colleague, Senator Hollings. Senator Hollings 
and I are different parties but we have been here a long time together. 
We respect each other. And I have had the opportunity to work with him 
on many matters of various kinds and it has been a pleasure to do that. 
We have never had an argument that I recall. Although we do not always 
vote alike, we hold each other in respect. I wish to thank him for his 
kind remarks. He is, as someone stated, the longest-serving junior 
Senator in the United States, but after this term, if he is still here, 
maybe he will get to be the senior Senator. Again, I wish to express to 
Senator Hollings my appreciation for serving with him and working with 
him. It has been a pleasure to do so, Fritz, and I thank you.
  I wish to thank the able Senator from Pennsylvania, Senator Specter. 
When I came to the Senate I watched different Senators come and go. 
When Senator Specter came I soon recognized that here was a man of 
unusual talent, a man of great ability. It has been a pleasure to serve 
with him. He is a great historian. He can tell many stories about 
different people on different things and amuse you to the fullest. I 
deeply appreciate his fine friendship and thank him for his kind 
remarks here today.

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