[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 151 (Wednesday, October 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SENATOR DALE BUMPERS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I know we are all going to greatly miss our 
friend Senator Bumpers. He is certainly one of the finest orators this 
body has enjoyed since Daniel Webster. But I want to take a moment to 
personally thank Senator Bumpers.
  Senator Bumpers and I came to the Senate as part of the class of 
1974. So I had very mixed feelings last year when I heard that my good 
friend would be leaving this Chamber. He and I have shared many battles 
over the twenty-four years that we have spent in these halls and on 
this floor. And, as my good friend pointed out just a few days ago, I 
am not even half as entertaining as him, so his shoes will be hard to 
fill.
  However, as Senator Bumpers has often remarked, he has probably 
fought more losing battles in this Chamber than any other Member. He is 
leaving those battles for the rest of us to fight. He has laid down a 
marker for where our country must go in the next century. His challenge 
to us who remain in this Chamber is to frame laws that show respect to 
our country's founders and to our country's future.
  He has fought tirelessly to defend our Bill of Rights and only 
yesterday warned this Chamber against of the temptation of amending 
what he has often called ``our sacred document.'' Senator Bumpers has 
shown great courage over the years in his steadfast protection of our 
Constitution.
  As he has pointed out many times, he has taken a lot of political 
heat for voting against popular issues like school prayer, flag burning 
and the balanced budget amendment. But even though he has voted against 
all of these things and voted for our Constitution, he is walking out 
of this Chamber by his own choice. His courage should guide us all in 
our choices between Popular issues of the day and protecting our 
Constitution.
  His legacy will also be marked by an intense desire to pass on to his 
grandchildren and to all of our grandchildren a world where you can 
still find places of solitude and beauty, streams where you can still 
catch trout and salmon and forests where you can still find trees older 
than your grandparents.
  That is why it is only fitting that in the last few days of this 
Congress we are able to honor Senator Bumpers by dedicating wilderness 
areas within the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests to his long, and 
often lonely, fight to protect our nation's most precious natural 
resources.
  His marker also represents a world where children are free from 
disease and free from debt. Dale and his wife Betty have not only made 
a professional commitment to protecting the health of our children, but 
they have made this a personal commitment.
  Even if Dale was still a Main Street merchant or a jackleg merchant, 
as he described himself, Betty would still be dragging him into these 
fights to protect our children's health. Although I know that she has 
never had to pull very hard, because his commitment comes from the 
heart.
  Many of us will remember the Senator Bumpers not only for a keeper of 
our national treasures, but also as a chaser of boondoggles. Whether it 
be reining in government subsidies for mining companies or chemical 
companies, he is never one to pull punches or mince words.
  In fact, one of the only reasons I can come up with for Congress 
still not passing mining reform is that we all so love to see Dale take 
over the aisles of this Chamber and entertain us with his now re-known 
``Bumperisms.'' Who else would think to compare the attraction between 
our mining companies and government subsidies to a ``duck on a June 
bug.''
  Of course, Dale certainly would not be one to limit his battles to 
planet Earth. He has also taken on the black holes we've tried build in 
outer space. I will not be surprised at all if we start receiving 
Bumper-Grams from Arkansas each week telling us how many millions we 
have spent in the last seven days on the International Space Station. 
Although this fight is not over, Senator Bumpers can leave here knowing 
he helped stop the ill-conceived ``Star Wars'' to make our heavens a 
battlefield.
  Although we will certainly miss Senator Bumpers for all his one-
liners, impassioned speeches, and frank critiques, we will also miss 
his wonderful wife, Betty. As we leave here this week, I will look 
fondly on Senator Bumpers future--spending his days with Betty, his 
three children, Brent, Bill, and Brooke and their five grandchildren.
  Finally, Mr. President, let me help send our dear friend by quoting 
from another highly-esteemed Arkansan, Johnny Cash, ``ask that engineer 
if he will blow his whistle please, `Cause I smell frost on cotton 
leaves. . . . And I smell that Southern breeze. Hey, Porter! Hey, 
Porter! Please get my bags for me, I need nobody to tell me now that 
we're in Tennessee. . . . Hey Porter! Hey Porter! Please open up my 
door. When they stop this train I'm gonna get off first `Cause I can't 
wait no more. Tell that engineer I say, ``Thanks a lot. I didn't mind 
the fare. I'm gonna set my feet on Southern soil. . . . And breathe 
that Southern air.''
  We all hope that Southern air treats you and Betty well.

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