[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12157-S12158]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RETIREMENT OF SENATOR DIRK KEMPTHORNE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to a colleague and 
friend who will be leaving the Senate when the 105th Congress adjourns, 
Dirk Kempthorne, the junior senator from Idaho.
  I have served with Dirk Kempthorne on both the Armed Services and 
Small Business Committees where I have come to respect his 
thoughtfulness, dedication and hard work.
  Dirk Kempthorne has been a valuable member of the Armed Services 
Committee where he has served as the Chairman of the Personnel 
Subcommittee. As Chairman, he has demonstrated a commitment to the 
welfare of our men and women in uniform and their families.
  Senator Kempthorne joined with Senator Byrd in initiating the 
Congressional Commission on Military Training to examine issues related 
to basic training of men and women which will give its best advice to 
the Congress

[[Page S12158]]

next year on whether current practices should be changed.
  While I didn't agree with Dirk Kempthorne on many of the specifics of 
his Unfunded Mandate legislation in 1995, I, like many of my colleagues 
in the Senate, was greatly impressed with the manner in which he 
managed the bill and his command of the complex details.
  Mr. Chairman, in the United States Senate we are called upon to work 
with colleagues of many differing points of view. While Dirk Kempthorne 
and I sit on separate sides of the aisle and sometimes disagree on 
issues before the Senate, it has always been a pleasure to deal with 
him. He is always an able advocate for his position, and always a 
gracious gentleman.

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