[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RETIREMENT OF SENATOR DAN COATS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, when the Congress ends, Senator Dan Coats 
of Indiana will retire from the Senate. Dan Coats and I have served 
together on the Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select 
Committee on Intelligence.
  On the Armed Services Committee, Dan Coats has served ably as the 
Chairman of the Airland Forces Subcommittee. He is a forceful proponent 
of a strong national defense and has consistently supported efforts to 
assure that our men and women in the military remain the best trained 
and equipped in the world.
  Although Dan Coats was one of the leading proponents in the Senate of 
the version of the line-item veto which was passed and signed into law, 
and I joined with Senators Byrd and Moynihan in arguing in an amicus 
curiae brief to the Supreme Court that that legislation was 
unconstitutional, I greatly respected the diligence and integrity with 
which he fought that battle.
  My friend from Indiana and I have worked together for several years 
to prevent our states and communities from becoming dumping grounds for 
solid waste from other areas of the country and outside the country. He 
has been a persistent advocate of giving states and local governments 
the power to stem the flow of garbage flooding into their 
jurisdictions. I would like to thank him for all he has done on this 
matter, hopefully paving the way to a resolution which will give more 
power to the people whose quality of life is being harmed by a free 
interstate flow of trash.
  Mr. President, Dan Coats' outstanding service as a United States 
Senator came as no surprise to me or my constituents. He was born and 
raised in Jackson, Michigan and naturally this has prepared him, like 
most Michiganders, to excel in life. However, even though he has 
wandered off to Indiana, and wandered even further into the GOP, I have 
enjoyed the opportunities which I have had to work with Dan Coats and 
will miss his friendship next year.

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