[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.

                          ____________________