[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR WENDELL FORD

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, since taking my oath of office in January 
of 1963, I have had the high privilege of serving with 323 senators. 
Among them were some of the giants we read about in history books, 
Richard Russell of Georgia, Everett Dirksen of Illinois, Mike Mansfield 
of Montana, and John Stennis of Mississippi.
  I have served with men and women of great moral strength and high 
intellect, but, of the 323 senators, I shall always look upon one 
person as my ``best friend''--Senator Wendell Ford.
  How does one become a best friend of a stranger? I had some knowledge 
of Wendell before he was elected, because I was then a member of the 
Senate Campaign Committee and serving as the Secretary of the 
Democratic Caucus. I knew that he was a former State Senator, 
Lieutenant Governor, and the 49th Governor of the Commonwealth of 
Kentucky before he was elected to the Senate. I also knew that he was 
one of the most popular Presidents of the U.S. Junior Chamber of 
Commerce.
  When I first met Wendell in early 1974, I immediately liked what I 
saw.
  I could see that he was ``truth in packaging'' personified. There 
were no fancy frills, or bells, or ribbons around him. He was down to 
earth. He obviously loved his constituents and without question, 
understood them. Immediately, I concluded that he was a ``man of the 
people.'' Soon, I found myself serving with him on two important 
Committees--the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Rules and Administration.
  Whenever he stood and raised his voice to defend, advocate, oppose, 
or support a measure, you knew that it related to people.
  Therefore, I was not surprised when he became the prime mover of the 
National Voter Registration Act which would ensure that every American 
who was of age, qualified and wanted to vote was given the opportunity 
to do so. He took away all of the obstacles that stood in their path.
  He also made certain that when a worker's spouse was ill at home, he 
or she was given the right to be with their loved ones in their time of 
great need. He knew what it was to be a husband and a father. And he 
knew what it meant to comfort wives and children in time of need. When 
Wendell became the Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, first and 
foremost on his agenda was passenger safety.
  He was always ready to carry the banner for the working man and 
woman. And during the recent tobacco legislation debates, Wendell's 
voice was one of the very few that spoke out for the tobacco farmer. 
His concern was not for the wealthy Chief Executive Officers. His 
concern was for the poor farmer who had to struggle, day in and day 
out, to eke out a livelihood.
  Wendell also spoke out for the miners who worked in the deep coal 
mines, and for those who had been discriminated against in employment 
because of their age. He was a ``work horse,'' never a ``show horse.'' 
When others would give eloquent speeches on cutting the cost of 
government, he did something about it. He led the movement to adopt a 
two-year budget, thereby saving millions of dollars by streamlining our 
budgetary process.
  He introduced the measure that is responsible now for using recycled 
printing paper by the federal government, thus saving millions of 
dollars. After all, the paperwork of the federal government today, with 
all the technological advances, still uses more than 480,000 tons of 
paper annually. However, before Wendell Ford got into the act, it was 
nearly double that amount.
  As a politician, he wanted to make certian that campains were carried 
out without corruption and without impediments. He streamlined voter 
registration procedures, and did everything to increase voter 
participation in federal elections.
  Wendell Ford's departure from the Senate will leave a huge void in 
the committee rooms and in the Senate Chamber. It is difficult for me 
to imagine that next year we will not hear his voice rising to defend 
the working man and woman.
  We will not hear his voice to insist upon safety for our traveling 
public. And we will not hear his voice for good and clean government. I 
hope that the people of Kentucky will someday come to the realization 
that they and the people of this nation were blessed with the service 
of Wendell Ford.
  Winston Churchill just prior to his retirement from active government 
service said, ``Service to the community is the rent we pay for living 
on this earth.'' Wendell Ford has been paying his rent throughout his 
life.
  It will be difficult for me to say goodbye to my good friend. It will 
be difficult no matter how good a person his successor may be, to fill 
his ``huge boots.''
  But most importantly, I agree with my wife, Maggie, that what makes 
Wendell a good husband, a good father, and decent human being is the 
fact that he had the good sense to marry his beloved Jean. Without 
Jean, Kentucky and our nation would have been denied the great service 
of Wendell H. Ford.
  Wendell and Jean, you have my best wishes for continued happiness and 
fulfillment in the bright years ahead. We shall miss you immensely.

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