[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 24, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S7009]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES, ACCOUNTABILITY, TRAINING, (AND EDUCATION) 
                          SERVICES (COATS) ACT

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a colleague 
who serves with me on the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources 
and on the Armed Services Committee. This morning, at the Labor 
Committee's mark-up of S. 2206, the Human Services Reauthorization Act 
of 1998, I offered an Amendment to rename the legislation after the 
author of the bill, Senator Dan Coats of Indiana, which the Committee 
approved unanimously. As you know, Senator Coats will retire at the end 
of this Congress after serving in the Senate since 1988. Senator 
Kennedy, Senator Dodd, and Senator Jeffords, Chairman of the Committee, 
joined me in offering the Amendment.
  Senator Jeffords renamed the legislation the ``COATS'' Act--the 
Community Opportunities, Accountability, Training, (and Education) 
Services Act. S. 2206 reauthorizes and makes improvements to the Head 
Start program, the Community Services Block Grant program, the Low-
Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and it creates the new Assets 
for Independence Act.
  In the past, legislation has often been identified by ``legislative 
shorthand''--identifying legislation by the author instead of by the 
title. This began in the late nineteenth century with tariff bills 
named after either the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee or the 
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, or whichever body would 
report and pass the legislation first. One example is the 1890 McKinley 
Tariff legislation, named after Congressman William McKinley, then 
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and later President of 
the United States.
  In the twentieth century, naming legislation after a Senator became 
more commonplace and lent legislative standing and prestige to both the 
bill and to its author. For instance, in 1935, the Wagner Labor Act was 
named after Senator Robert Wagner from New York. Another Labor bill in 
1947, the Taft-Hartley Act, was named after Senator Robert Taft from 
Ohio.
  Today, however, it is not as easy or as common to have a Senator's 
name formally placed on a bill. Only in cases of special recognition 
for service, or to honor an accomplishment is this done. Throughout his 
Senate career, Senator Coats has been recognized and identified as a 
leader on issues dealing with children and families. It is an honor for 
me along with Senator Kennedy, Senator Jeffords, and Senator Dodd to 
suggest renaming S. 2206 the COATS Act, and I am pleased the Labor 
Committee unanimously agreed. I cannot think of a finer Senator to name 
this legislation after than Dan Coats of Indiana who has worked so 
tirelessly on these issues.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, as Chairman of the Senate Labor and 
Human Resources Committee, it is my pleasure to come to the floor of 
the Senate today to inform my colleagues of something very special that 
happened this morning during the committee's mark-up of S. 2206, the 
Human Services Reauthorization Act.
  The Human Services Act, as many of my colleagues know, authorizes a 
number of important programs, such as Head Start and the various 
activities under the Community Services Block Grant that provide 
services to families and communities in need. For the past 30 years, 
the State, local and federal governments have worked jointly under this 
program to help lift our most vulnerable citizens out of poverty and 
into self-sufficiency--one of the most noble goals of a responsible 
government. Moreover, the programs in the Human Services Act has done 
this effectively, and with widespread community involvement.
  In the Labor and Human Resources Committee, the Subcommittee on 
Children and Families--which is chaired by our colleague, Senator Dan 
Coats of Indiana--has been responsible for much of the heavy lifting 
that has to be done as these programs make their way through our 
committee for the fifth time in the last twenty years. The Human 
Services Act is a large and very important act, so its reauthorization 
is never an easy process, especially in a committee as diverse as ours. 
While broad bipartisan support for the reauthorization bill is always a 
desirable goal, it is never a given. And this year, Senator Coats 
worked overtime to make sure that his bill would not only responsibly 
reauthorize the Human Services Act, but would also do so in a way which 
accommodated the concerns and requests of members on both sides of the 
aisle. Consequently, the Labor and Human Resources Committee approved 
the reauthorization of the Human Services Act by a unanimous vote of 18 
to 0.
  But Mr. President, I am not here today to make my pitch for the 
reauthorization of the Human Services Act--that will come soon enough. 
Rather, I want to highlight Senator Coats' hard work on this 
legislation. It is yet another illustrative example of the years of 
service that Senator Dan Coats has committed to strengthening families, 
strengthening children, and strengthening communities. It is typical of 
Senator Coats that he does so in a manner that is always tenacious, but 
never brash. While he is always accommodating, he never loses sight of 
the ultimate goal of helping families and communities. And with his 
quiet demeanor and a wit that I think sometimes surprises even him, 
Senator Coats is always a pleasure to work with, especially when it is 
for a common goal, as it was in this morning's mark-up.
  As we all know, Senator Coats has announced he will not be returning 
to this body when his term expires at the end of the 105th Congress. 
However, his departure does not mean his voice on behalf of children 
and families will be any quieter. Senator Coats will move into a new 
leadership role as President of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the USA. 
This is a program that I know is very near to Senator Coats' heart, and 
the Senate's loss is clearly Big Brothers/Big Sisters' gain.
  In the Labor Committee, and in the Senate as a whole, we will miss 
Dan Coats. We will miss his leadership, and we will miss his 
friendship. When someone who is such a good friend leaves, it is 
sometimes difficult to know just what to give that friend of yours as a 
token of your affection. Well, Mr. President, at this morning's mark-up 
of the Human Services reauthorization, we gave it a try.
  It is with real pleasure that I inform the Senate that this morning 
the Labor and Human Resources Committee unanimously agreed to name the 
1998 reauthorization of the Human Services Act as the ``Community 
Opportunities, Accountability, Training and Educational Services Act,'' 
or, as we prefer to call it, the COATS Act. We did this in recognition 
of all that Senator Coats has done not only on this bill, but for 
children and families throughout his career.
  Mr. President, I know there will be more time later to honor Senator 
Coats for all that he has done here in the Senate. But sometimes time 
gets away from us and we never let some of our colleagues know how much 
they mean to us. The action by the Labor Committee this morning is a 
modest gesture, but a sincere one. I think Senator Coats knows that it 
is from all of our hearts. We shall miss you, Senator.

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