[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 114 (Wednesday, September 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9847-S9851]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATOR STROM THURMOND CASTS HIS 15,000TH VOTE
Mr. LOTT. Madam President, I speak, I am sure, for the entire Senate
in extending congratulations to Senator Thurmond, a great Senator from
South Carolina, for having just cast his 15,000th vote in this Chamber.
An occasion like this reminds us of the continuity and the stability
which the framers of the Constitution sought to establish in the
Senate. I am sure that they had Senator Strom Thurmond in mind when
they sought that. In the person of Senator Thurmond their intent was
most notably fulfilled.
I am sure that if our distinguished President pro tempore were to ask
which of those 15,000 votes he considers his most important, he would
probably respond, even though I am sure he was proud of the vote he
just cast, that the most important one is the next vote, for Strom
always looks ahead.
Today, we join him in looking ahead, not recounting the tremendous
record that he sets with this vote and all the votes of the past but,
rather, counting on his future votes for what is good and right for the
country he has served so long.
Madam President, this is a milestone. This is a magnificent gentleman
who brings tremendous credit to his constituency, his State, to the
U.S. Senate, and to America. I am very proud to call him a colleague
and to commend him for this 15,000th vote he has just cast.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader is recognized.
Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I join my colleagues in congratulating
today the distinguished Senator from South Carolina.
With the previous vote, Senator Thurmond joins the extraordinary
Senator Robert C. Byrd, as one of only two U.S. Senators in the history
of our Nation to cast 15,000 votes in this institution.
People outside of the Senate may not understand how astounding an
achievement that is.
Let me put it this way: If this were baseball, Senator Thurmond and
Senator Byrd would be Mark McGwire and Cal Ripken rolled into one. It
is unlikely any of us will ever see their likes again.
But this is not baseball.
This is something even more fundamental to who we are as Americans.
This is the United States Senate. This is the place where we make the
laws for a nation dedicated to the rule of law.
To serve here is a great honor--and an even greater responsibility.
In his 45 years in this body, Senator Thurmond has fought
passionately to fulfill that responsibility as he has understood it.
His tenacity and dedication to the causes in which he believes are
legendary.
He fought for 20 years to require warning labels on alcohol. In 1988,
thanks to Senator Thurmond's unwavering leadership, the Senate finally
voted to do just that.
Five years later, in a tragic irony, Senator Thurmond's family
experienced the kind of agony known to too many American families.
His beloved daughter Nancy was lost, killed by a drunk driver. She
was only 22.
Nothing can heal the pain of losing someone so dear.
But I hope that this distinguished Senator takes some comfort in
knowing that, thanks to his tenacity, perhaps another father, somewhere
in America, will tuck his own little girl safely into bed tonight,
instead of mourning her too-early death at the hands of a drunk driver.
Senator Thurmond truly is an institution within an institution.
His long and distinguished career is remarkable for its many
successes--both in and out of the Senate.
In addition to being the longest-serving U.S. Senator in history, he
has also served as a senator in the South Carolina State legislature
and as Governor of that great State.
He has been a senior member of both the Democratic and Republican
parties and the Presidential candidate of a third party. How many more
people can say that in this country?
He volunteered for service in World War II and, on June 5, 1945, at
the age of 43, took part in the first drop of the D-Day invasion--the
air drop of American troops on Normandy Beach.
I am told that Senator Thurmond wanted to parachute onto Normandy
Beach. But another officer--who clearly did not know who he was dealing
with--decided Senator Thurmond was too old to jump out of an airplane.
So he piloted a glider instead, landing, with the rest of his company,
behind enemy lines.
Senator Thurmond is today a retired major general in the Army
reserves.
He is also a member of the South Carolina Hall of Fame, and a
recipient of more honors and awards than any of us can name, including
the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Years from now, when we look back on this summer, millions of
Americans will tell their grandchildren what it was like to watch Mark
McGwire and Sammy Sosa chase Roger Maris' home run record.
If I am lucky enough to have grandchildren, I will tell them about a
milestone that was reached this summer for a second time, another
record that people thought would remain forever unchallenged--15,000
votes in the U.S. Senate.
And I will tell them, ``I was there. I got to work with both of those
men. And they were truly amazing.''
[[Page S9848]]
So, Mr. President, on this day when Senator Thurmond enters the
record books yet again, I congratulate him on behalf of Senate
Democrats for his historic achievement. And I thank him for his many
contributions to this body and to this Nation.
I yield the floor.
Mr. BYRD addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized.
Mr. BYRD. Madam President, I join with my two illustrious leaders in
saluting Senator Thurmond--truly an outstanding Senator. None of us has
ever seen a Senator like Senator Thurmond. He has served in the U.S.
Senate 44 years. He has accumulated scores of honors, awards, and
accolades.
Today, he adds yet another accomplishment to his roster of
achievements: the casting of his 15,000th vote in the Senate.
This is a remarkable milestone for a remarkable individual.
I would suggest if anyone wants to read a truly remarkable
autobiography or biographical sketch, they read in the Senate
Congressional Record about Senator Thurmond. I have never seen anything
like the accounts of his career.
Casting fifteen thousand votes in the United States Senate represents
a record of service that few in this Chamber can hope to achieve in a
lifetime. For Senator Thurmond, it is only part of the story.
It was only after a rich and varied career that spanned more than
three decades--a career as a teacher, a decorated World War II soldier,
a governor, and a lawyer in private practice and he studied Blackstone;
Blackstone; not many lawyers can say they studied Blackstone--that
Strom Thurmond embarked on a new chapter in his life. In 1954, at the
age of 52, he became the first--and only--person to be elected to the
Senate on a write-in ballot. That is a remarkable achievement in
itself. He remains today the oldest and the longest serving Senator in
history, a true legend in this institution and in his home state of
South Carolina.
Although he has worn many different hats over the years--teacher,
soldier, lawyer, governor, Senator--the common threads that are woven
throughout his life are those of patriotism and service to his fellow
citizens. His first job out of college, after graduating from Clemson
University in 1923, was as a teacher and athletic coach in his hometown
of Edgefield, South Carolina. It wasn't long before he was named county
superintendent of education while studying law--Blackstone--in his
spare time. By 1930, he had his law degree and was serving as city and
county attorney in his hometown.
He was elected state senator in 1933 and began service as a circuit
judge in 1938. So he has been in all of the branches of Government--the
judicial branch, the executive branch, and the legislative branch. Four
years later, after 1938, he left his promising judicial career behind
to volunteer--volunteer--for service in World War II. He was soon flung
directly into the eye of the storm, landing at Normandy on D-Day with
the Army's 82nd Airborne Division. The distinction with which he served
in World War II earned him five Battle Stars and 15 decorations,
medals, and other awards. Now, who can match that?
At the end of the war, Strom Thurmond returned home and was elected
governor of South Carolina. It was only after a run for President in
1948, the completion of his term of office as governor, and a brief
period of private law practice that Senator Thurmond turned his sights
to the United States Senate. His length of service and the thousands of
votes he has cast in this institution are proof that he has never
looked back.
At a time in his life when most would have put the rigors of the
workplace long behind them, Senator Thurmond continues his public
service. He serves ably as chairman of the Senate Armed Service
Committee and as the senior member of the Judiciary and Veterans
Affairs Committees. As President pro tempore of the Senate, he is
meticulous in attending to his duties, often as I have said being the
first to arrive in this chamber in order to call the Senate into
session.
For many years, the walls of Senator Thurmond's office in the Russell
Senate Office Building were lined, floor to ceiling, with hundreds of
plaques and pictures and certificates of appreciation for his service
to the people of South Carolina and to the nation. Those awards and
citations marked the moments in history that Senator Thurmond has
witnessed, and influenced, from his position as a United States
Senator. No doubt he could connect many of his 15,000 votes with the
events chronicled and memorialized on the walls of his office. Many of
those mementoes have been transferred to the Strom Thurmond Institute
of Government and Public Affairs at Senator Thurmond's alma mater,
Clemson University, but for those of us who have been privileged to see
them, it was a striking sight.
And yet, if one were to visit Senator Thurmond's office when all of
those citations were displayed there, one would find that the Senator
would not direct your attention to the case displaying his military
medals. He would not point out the photos of him with Presidents and
world leaders. He would not urge you to read the commendations from
esteemed organizations in his state or in the nation. No, Senator
Thurmond would draw your attention to the photos of his four children,
Nancy Moore, a promising college student whose life was cut short by a
tragic automobile accident; Strom Jr., a lawyer like his father--I
doubt he studied Blackstone; Julie, who works for the Red Cross; and
Paul, who works for the Senate Government Affairs Committee. Those
children are the crowning achievements of Senator Thurmond's career;
among all of his historic votes and all of his honors and awards, they
are the accomplishments of which he is most proud.
The sheer number of votes that he has cast is a wonderful achievement
for which we honor Senator Thurmond, but as a fellow Senator, a father,
and a grandfather myself, I salute Senator Thurmond not only for the
number of votes that he has cast but also for his lifelong dedication
to the Senate, to his family, his patriotism, and his service to the
people of America.
Mr. President, 1,843 Senators have served in this body since the
Senate first met on April 6, 1789. I can remember Strom Thurmond when I
first came to the Senate. As I look around me, he is the only Senator
in this body whom I recognize as a Senator who sat here when I took my
oath of office for the first time as a Senator.
I can remember his wife, his first wife, as she sat in the galleries
and looked down at the Senate, listening to Strom as he spoke. Then
when she was taken away by the Father of us all, I came to the Senate
that day and I saw Strom Thurmond, sitting right there at his desk, as
I recall. I walked up to him, held out my hand and told him I was
sorry. That same stern, strong look that we so often see on Strom
Thurmond's face was the look that he gave to me; a strong, firm
handshake; straight as an arrow, stern as an Indian, he thanked me for
my expression of condolences.
It has been said that ``the measure of a man's life is the well
spending of it, and not the length.'' By any measure, Senator Thurmond
is an example of a life both great in length and well spent. I
congratulate my esteemed and illustrious colleague on his remarkable
career and on his remarkable life.
I thank my Creator for having blessed me with the many thousands of
friendships that I have enjoyed over the years, so many scores of which
have been other Members of this Chamber, among whom only one do I look
upon as senior to myself. I congratulate myself on having lived to
serve with this man, and I hope that God's blessings will continue to
be upon Strom Thurmond.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
Mr. BIDEN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware is recognized.
Mr. BIDEN. Madam President, as we say in this body, I would like to
associate myself with the remarks of all those who have spoken and make
a slightly different point--not as well as my colleagues have spoken.
You know, I don't think a Senator can be measured merely in terms of
the number of votes he or she has cast. It is a reflection of their
sense of responsibility and the exercise of their duty. But there is
something special about that fellow sitting over there from South
Carolina. I have been here 26
[[Page S9849]]
years with the Senator from South Carolina, and for 16 of those I got
to sit as either the ranking member or chairman of the Judiciary
Committee right next to Strom.
I think it is fair to say that a lot of people thought we were
strange bedfellows because everybody could tell that we truly liked one
another. People would ask me, ``Why do you like Strom Thurmond so much?
You disagree with him on so many things.'' I would say, ``I'll tell you
why.'' There are two reasons, and it is a measure, in my view, of what
makes him a great Senator. No. 1, he is here to get things done. He is
not here to stop things. He is here to get things done. He is a
legislator.
I remember when I first took over as the chairman of the committee, I
went to Strom and said, ``Strom, I would like to make a deal with you.
There is a lot we disagree on and some we agree on. Let's put aside
what we disagree on and focus on the things we agree on.'' He looked at
me, and he finally said, ``OK.'' He stood up and put his hand out, and
from that point on, as much as we may disagree, there wasn't anything
we have ever had a cross word on.
One of my most memorable occasions was when he and I went down to the
White House to try to convince President Reagan to sign a crime bill.
President Reagan was in the beginning of his second term. We sat in
that Cabinet room. We were on one side of the table and William French
Smith, Ed Meese, and someone else was on the other side. The President
walked in and sat down between Strom and me. We made our pitch as to
why he should sign onto the Thurmond-Biden crime bill back then. The
President looked like he was getting convinced, like maybe he was going
to come our way. This is absolutely a true story. With that, Ed Meese
stood up and said, ``Mr. President, it's time to go.'' The President
wanted to hear what Strom had to say a little longer, but Ed Meese
said, ``Mr. President, it's time to go.''
The President was sitting down and then decided it was time to go. He
had his arms like this, and he went to get up, and Strom reached over
and put his hand on the President's arm and pulled him back down in the
seat and he said, ``Mr. President, the one thing you got to know about
Washington is that when you get as old as I am, you want to get things
done, you have to compromise.''
Who in the Lord's name could have possibly told Ronald Reagan that--
he was almost as old as Strom and had been around as long--and smile
and make the President laugh? He not only got away with it, he talked
the President into his position. That is a remarkable ability. This man
can say and do things that if any of the rest of us ever did them, we
would be long gone. But do you know why it works? It is because people
know where his heart is. People know what his objective is. People know
that he is doing what he is doing not for political purposes but
because he really believes it.
If you will allow another point of personal privilege here. I
remember a very tough time in my career. I was chairman of a committee
and there were wild accusations being made about me. I was foolish
enough to be trying to run for President of the United States. It was
before a very contentious hearing on a Supreme Court Justice. He and I
disagreed on whether the justice should be a Justice. I called a
meeting of the entire committee off of the committee room in the back
and I said, ``Gentlemen''--there were all men on the committee at the
time--I said, ``Gentlemen, if these accusations relevant to me are
getting in the way of the ability to conduct this committee, I am
willing to step down as chairman.'' Before the last syllable got out of
my mouth, Strom Thurmond stood up in that meeting and said, ``That's
ridiculous. You stay as chairman. We all have confidence in you.'' I
said, ``Don't you want me to explain?'' He said, ``There is no need to
explain. I know you.''
I will never forget that. I can't think of many other men or women
who would, having a significant political advantage at that moment, not
only not take advantage, but stand by me--stand by me.
And so I think the thing that makes his 15,000 votes matter so much
is that everybody knows they matter to him. They matter to him.
I will close by saying--and I apologize for being so personal, but I
think it is the measure of this man, at least in my view. My daughter
is 17 years old. She has, like all of us in here who have served in the
U.S. Senate for a long time, had the great honor and opportunity to
meet kings and princes and presidents and significant political
figures. She, like all of our children, pays the price for having a
father or mother who is a Senator or who holds high public office. But
they also have the advantage of meeting these people as well. She has
had scores of pictures taken.
To this day, my beautiful 17-year-old daughter has one picture of a
public figure in her bedroom on her dresser that has been there for 9
years, and it is a picture of Senator Strom Thurmond handing her a key
chain behind his desk in his office. I didn't ask her to keep that. I
kind of wish she would put a Democrat's picture in there. I didn't even
make the bureau. But Strom Thurmond is there. I think the reason is
because all the time my wife Jill was carrying her, Strom would, every
third day, ask me during a hearing what was going on and give me all
kinds of advice about what I should and should not do.
My wife and I were in the delivery room and were just handed our
beautiful baby girl, and a doctor walked around the corner with a cell
phone and said, ``There's a call for you, Senator.'' We were literally
in the delivery room. I thought, my God, war must have been declared. I
grabbed the phone, thinking it was the most incredible and unusual
thing to hand me a phone in the delivery room. I say to my friend from
West Virginia that he is not going to be surprised to hear this. ``Joe,
Strom. Congratulations.'' How in the Lord's name he knew at that moment
is beyond me. But everything with him is personal. It is personal in
that he gives. It is personal in that he gives. It is not personal that
he holds a grudge. It is not personal that he takes advantage. It is
personal. Politics is personal.
Those votes meant something, and the way he has conducted himself in
this body makes me very, very, very proud to say I serve with him and
very proud to think that he likes me.
It has been a pleasure serving with you. I just hope you do what you
did for me on your 90th birthday. I had the great honor to be one of
the four speakers at your 90th birthday. But, you old devil, you never
told me Richard Nixon was going to be the other speaker when I showed
up. It was me, President Nixon, Bob Dole, and a Presbyterian minister,
whom I don't remember; he used to work in the Nixon White House.
I just ask for one favor. On your 100th birthday, as you are running
for your next term of office, I volunteer to be one of the 500 people,
assuming I am still around, who will be happy to stand up and speak for
you on your 100th birthday, because I want to be around on your 110th
after you finish your next term and a half. I congratulate you,
Senator, not on the 15,000 votes, but it is the way you cast them, the
way you talked about them, the way you dared about them that makes you
unique among all of us in this Chamber.
I yield the floor.
Mr. CONRAD addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Faircloth). The Chair recognizes
distinguished Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I want to say that when I came to this
Chamber I was 100th in seniority. I sat up here at the end of the line.
When I came to this Chamber, I had not served in the House of
Representatives before this. So I didn't know many of the Members. But
there was one Senator who was always unfailingly courteous, polite, and
warm. And that is the Senator from South Carolina. Whenever he saw me,
there was a cheery word, a note of encouragement, and a willingness to
be helpful. I have never forgotten his courtesy and his kindness.
Once again, this week, when my chief of staff died suddenly, among
the very first Senators to call me with condolences was the senior
Senator from South Carolina. He called my office. When he saw me in the
hall, he took me aside and said how he felt about the loss of my top
aide.
Mr. President, we are here to celebrate a record of a remarkable
stream of votes by the Senator from South Carolina. But, more than
that, I think we want to celebrate the kind of man
[[Page S9850]]
that he is and the contribution that he makes to this Chamber and to
this country.
I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
Mr. WELLSTONE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Minnesota.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I will be very brief.
Let me also congratulate Senator Thurmond for this remarkable record.
I just have two things to say. One is, I think one of the ways that
we should evaluate Senators is just how they treat people. I say to the
pages, I don't know over the years how many times I have seen Senator
Thurmond have ice cream with the pages. I don't know how many times I
have seen him constantly being so gracious and having a good time and
talking with and treating people really well--support staff, whether
they be elevator operators or you name it.
I just would like to thank Senator Thurmond, not always for the
position he takes on issues, but for the way he treats people, which I
think might matter more than anything else.
Then finally, Strom, since I am being so nice here on the floor and
saying exactly what I believe, I would like to ask you a favor. Since I
came out here to congratulate you, next time when you shake my hand or
grab my shoulder, could you do it just a little more gently?
I yield the floor. (Laughter.)
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, today marks a milestone in the history
of my state, in the history of the Senate, and in the history of the
United States. Today Senator Strom Thurmond, the longest-serving
Senator in United States history, cast his 15,000th vote. This is a
proud moment for not only Senator Thurmond but for the great state he
serves and for the venerable history of this institution.
What is perhaps even more remarkable than the number of votes Senator
Thurmond has cast is the thought he put into each of those votes and
the conviction with which he has voted. I have not always voted with
the Senior Senator from South Carolina, but I have never doubted he
cast each vote with no consideration other than the good of our state
and nation in mind.
This is one of many records the senior Senator from South Carolina
has achieved. I well recall rising last year to pay tribute to the
Senator on the occasion of his setting a new longevity mark in the
Senate. In fact, Mr. President, Strom Thurmond's entire life is
remarkable for his ability to blaze a trail for others and set new
marks.
Many of my colleagues today have spoken of Senator Thurmond's
gracious manner, his compassion for others, and his profound respect
for the traditions and the history of the United States Senate. Indeed,
no one possesses these qualities to a greater degree than Strom
Thurmond.
Senator Joseph Biden said today, ``politics is personal.'' And as he
pointed out, Strom Thurmond understands this better than anyone. No one
knows better than Senator Thurmond that the Senate's success is
directly related to its members' decorum and the warmth of their
personal relations. Senator Byrd spoke movingly of Senator Thurmond's
presence at a memorial service after the death of his grandson. I have
no doubt that many other Senators could tell similar stories. Strom
Thurmond is as devoted to his colleagues as anyone I have ever known.
For him, friendships transcend party lines.
Of course, Senator Thurmond's loyalty and dedication extend beyond
the confines of this room. An ardent patriot, he left his life as a
father and judge behind to volunteer for combat duty in World War II
and participated in numerous campaigns. Senator Thurmond is one of
those rare people who we can say with certainty loves America even more
than he cherishes his own life.
If it is possible for one person to embody the traditions and
personality of an institution, Strom Thurmond personifies the United
States Senate. He is a man of respect, good will, humor, energy,
principle, integrity, and loyalty. It is no exaggeration to say that
serving the people of South Carolina and the United States is Senator
Thurmond's life. Today we have the great fortune to repay his
dedication in a small way by making the sort of personal gestures for
which Senator Thurmond is famous. Mr. President, it is my great
pleasure to congratulate my colleague and old friend on the occasion of
his 15,000th vote.
Mr. COATS. Mr. President, I know the pending business is the
Hutchison amendment and my modification to that. I know that the
managers are anxious to move forward.
Just before I do that, I would like to add briefly my thoughts to
those that have already been expressed for perhaps the most remarkable
individual I have ever met.
I too am privileged, like the rest of us, to have served in this body
as an associate and colleague of Strom Thurmond. I was 5 years old when
Strom Thurmond ran for President. I learned about him in studying
history and government in school. I never dreamed that I would have the
opportunity to know the man personally and to be a colleague of his and
serve with him.
Much has been said that I heartily agree with about the stature of
this man, the remarkable career that he has had and is having, and his
remarkable service to the people of South Carolina and to our Nation.
I am one of those who share with the Senator from Delaware the
pleasure and surprise of a phone call from Strom Thurmond on the day of
my daughter's wedding apologizing for not being there, congratulating
me and congratulating her. I, like Senator Biden, hadn't a clue as to
how he found out my daughter was being married. I never mentioned it to
him. But there he was.
I had the pleasure of coaching young Paul Thurmond in youth league
basketball on Saturday mornings as our boys, my son and Strom's son,
would run up and down the floor. We won the championship, by the way,
thanks to the great athletic ability and talent of Paul. As they would
run up and down the floor, I only had to turn around just a little bit,
because two rows behind the coaching bench was Paul's father, Strom
Thurmond, cheering on his son.
Each of us could stand here and tell stories, I think, until deep in
the night about the impact that this individual has had on each of us
and the impact that he has had on this Senate.
Strom is an inspiration.
Bob Dole has said over and over, ``I just order whatever Strom
orders. Whatever he is eating must be the right thing.''
Strom has detailed for me his physical exercise regimen, which is
something that I can't keep up with. I don't know how he does it, but
he does. I have been the recipient of his handshake, as Senator
Wellstone has, and I walk away rubbing my hand in awe and respect for
the strength of this individual.
Finally, I have sat with him shoulder to shoulder on the Senate Armed
Services Committee, and a deeper patriot, a more committed American,
someone with a more remarkable story of a lifetime of service to the
military of this Nation I don't think has ever lived. Someone who flew
in a glider in the invasion of Normandy, served as a distinguished
officer in the military, and then served as chairman of the Armed
Services Committee, as he now does--that is a story that is not going
to be repeated. That is a story that is not going to be duplicated. God
only makes one of each of us. But he made Strom Thurmond a very, very,
very special human being.
It has been a deep honor and a deep privilege of mine to have known
him, to be counted as his friend, to have served with him. It is a
memory that I will cherish for as long as I live.
Mr. President, unless there are others who seek to add to these
statements in honor and recognition of Senator Thurmond, I will proffer
my modification. However, I will yield to the Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the distinguished Senator
from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, just before the Senator's modification
of my amendment, I want to add that as people in America today are
going to the movie theaters and seeing for the first time the horrors
of war, if every person who sees ``Saving Private Ryan'' will think
about this great leader, Strom Thurmond, whom we are talking about
today, and realize that
[[Page S9851]]
this was a man who, in his forties, volunteered to go into World War
II, and went into Normandy--the sights of which most of us could not
have imagined unless we saw this movie--and was there in his forties,
volunteered to be there to serve his country--as Senator Coats so well
said, they will never make another Strom Thurmond.
I just want to add my accolades for this great man and what he has
given for our country besides voting 15,000 times. He has done so much
more.
Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, if the distinguished Senator from Indiana
will allow me, there have been other references made here of a personal
nature involving Senator Thurmond. I would not want to let this
occasion pass without my making one such reference.
It was on April 12 of 1982 that I lost my grandson in a truck
accident. Memorial services were held 2 days later. My colleague,
Senator Randolph, came to that memorial service--my then colleague. My
present colleague, Senator Rockefeller, was Governor of the State of
West Virginia at that time. He came. There was one other Senator who
attended that memorial service for my grandson. And that Senator was
Strom Thurmond. I can never forget that, and I would have been remiss
in letting this opportunity pass without my having publicly expressed
my gratitude to Strom Thurmond for his having attended that service on
that day, a day that I can never, never forget. I thank him from the
bottom of my heart.
I think Senator Thurmond wishes to say something and so I shall take
my seat.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The very honorable and distinguished Senator
from South Carolina is recognized.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I am speechless. I can't thank enough
the Members of the Senate for their kind words--Senator Lott, the
majority leader; Senator Daschle, the minority leader, Senator Byrd,
Senator Biden, Senator Conrad, Senator Wellstone, Senator Hollings,
Senator Coats, and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. I will not take time
now to say much. I just want to express my appreciation to all of them
for their kind words.
I have been in the Senate now for 44 years, and I have never known or
served with finer people than we have here. I have cast my 15,000th
vote. The quality of the people in this body is just outstanding, and I
wish all of them to stay here until they could cast 15,000 votes. It is
an experience to be in this body that one will never forget. As time
goes by I think we appreciate more and more the Members of this body,
what they stand for, and their outstanding service.
Again, I thank all of them for their kind words. I thank all of you
for listening, and I deeply appreciate everything that you have done
for me and to help me. After all, inspiration is one of the finest
qualities, and you people here have inspired me, and I hope I have been
able to be of some inspiration to you. Good luck and God bless all of
you.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
Mr. McCONNELL addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The chair recognizes the distinguished Senator
from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, before returning to the bill, many of
us were at Senator Thurmond's 90th birthday, and I remember he said to
all of us, ``If you eat right and don't drink whiskey and exercise, you
will be here for my 100th birthday.''
We thank you for being an inspiration to us all, and we look forward
to being at your 100th birthday party.
Thank you, Senator Thurmond, for your contributions.
____________________