[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 140 (Thursday, October 8, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR DALE BUMPERS

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I would like to pay a brief tribute to my 
friend and colleague and neighbor from the State of Arkansas for his 24 
years of service in the Senate.
  I have had the pleasure of working with Senator Dale Bumpers since I 
was elected to the Senate 18 years ago. So I am completing three terms. 
He is just completing four terms. Twenty-four years in the Senate is a 
long time. But I think the Senate has been blessed by his humor, his 
levity. The camaraderie that Senator Bumpers has brought to the Senate 
floor and to the Senate group has been enjoyable, educational, and 
humorous, to say the least.
  I have had the pleasure of serving with Senator Bumpers on the Energy 
Committee where he has been ranking member for the last several years. 
We have worked together on a lot of legislation. We passed some good 
legislation, I might add, as well. So I compliment him for his years of 
service.
  He served 4 years as Governor of Arkansas; I think he was elected in 
1970; and elected to the U.S. Senate in 1974. It seems like he has been 
in the same chair for years. He has been the same Senator who will 
still get excited on a speech and pull his microphone cord to the 
limit. Maybe he might test the limit of the cord as much as anybody I 
know in the Senate--a very good speaker, a very good friend who has 
served his State very well.
  We worked together on several pieces of legislation, including 
legislation that dealt with the exchange of lands, both for the Forest 
Service and for protecting lands in both Arkansas and Oklahoma, that 
would not have happened if it had not been for his good work and 
leadership. And frankly, he was a pleasure to work with on that bill, 
and many other pieces of legislation throughout our careers.
  So I certainly wish Dale Bumpers and his wife Betty every best wish 
in their days ahead. He has made a valuable contribution as a Member of 
the U.S. Senate and as a Member of our Senate family.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. JEFFORDS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. Let me first join my good friend from Oklahoma in his 
accolades for Senator Bumpers. I expect that I, as a Republican, 
probably supported some of Senator Bumpers' pieces of legislation more 
than any other Republican. And I had an opportunity to work with him on 
many that were not popular with some of the people, especially in the 
far West. But I point out that I have enjoyed so much working with him, 
especially on things which most all of us agreed on, as the 
preservation of Civil War sites and other of our historical aspects 
which are so important to this Nation.
  I am going to be so sorry to see him leave. We had many wonderful 
times together. And I expect we will have some more out in his great 
State.

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