[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 34 (Thursday, March 4, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2344-S2350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING MORRIS KING UDALL, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM ARIZONA,
AND EXTENDING CONDOLENCES OF CONGRESS ON HIS DEATH
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Con. Res. 15, submitted
earlier today by Senators McCain, Kennedy and others.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk
will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 15) honoring Morris
King Udall, former United States Representative from Arizona,
and extending the condolences of the Congress on his death.
The Senate proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Morris King Udall,
former United States Representative from Arizona, and extending the
condolences of the Congress on his death.
An anonymous poet wrote that, ``virtue is a man's monument.''
Undoubtedly, the wise poet had in mind a soul the likes of Morris King
Udall, a man of monumental virtue.
Mo Udall was an extraordinary human being who lived an extraordinary
life. Of humble beginnings, the son of St. Johns, Arizona rose to
become one of the most influential and beloved legislators in the
history of our Republic.
We are thankful for the gift of his company. We remember his brave
journey. And we celebrate a remarkable life well-lived.
For over 30 years, Mo Udall graced our national and political life
with his sweet humility, gentle kindness and legendary wit. A man of
keen vision and great heart, he exemplified all that is good and decent
about public service.
Mo Udall was what we all want our leaders to be. He was a powerful
man who cared not about power for its own sake, but saw it as an
opportunity--a sacred responsibility to do good as he saw it--to
champion noble causes. His many important successes are written in the
laws of our nation.
His legacy endures in the halls of the Congress, with men and women
whom he humbled and instructed with his example. It endures among
Native Americans whose welfare and progress he made his great purpose.
And, it endures in the American parks and wildlands he fought to
protect with his vision and his guiding ethic of environmental
stewardship.
It is fitting that the easternmost point of the United States, in the
Virgin Islands, and the westernmost point, in Guam are both named Udall
Point. The sun will never set on the legacy of Mo Udall.
Carl Albert, former speaker of the House, said that Mo had written
one of the most remarkable legislative records of all time. And he was
right.
But Mo Udall will not be remembered simply for his prolific
legislative achievements or the landmarks that bear his name. His most
extraordinary monument is the virtue with which he lived his life and
served his country.
He fought the good fight in a touch arena, while remaining a man of
unsurpassed integrity, boundless compassion and unfailing good humor.
He knew glorious victories and bitter defeats, serene contentment and
profound suffering. Through it all, he remained a humble man of
uncommon decency whose example offers a stark contrast to the meanness,
pettiness and pride that soil too much of our political culture.
Mo was never known to be moved by flattery, puffed by tribute, or
impressed by his own success. He knew that a man is only as great as
the cause he serves--a cause that should be greater than himself.
Now did we ever know Mo to be discouraged in defeat. Through injury,
illness, disappointment and, from time to time, failure, he was a
fighter.
His humble perspective was as wise as it was delightful to observe.
He leavened his wisdom with his legendary wit. Mo employed humor not
simply to entertain, which he did like no other, but as a subtle and
benevolent instrument to calm troubled waters, to instruct the
unknowing, to humble the arrogant, and to inspire us all to be better
and to do better.
Most often he was the target of his own barbs. He loved to tell the
story about his campaign visit to a local barbershop where he announced
his run for the presidency, and, as Mo told it, the barber answered.
``We know. We were just laughing about that.'' Most certainly an
apocryphal story, but typical of Mo to tell it on himself.
Mo once said, ``the best political humor, however sharp or pointed,
has a little love behind it. It's the spirit of the humor that counts *
* * over the years it has served me when nothing else could.'' It has
served us well too.
While most remembrances of Mo focus on his grace, humor, and
environmental leadership, perhaps understated is what he did for Native
Americans. When very few cared enough. Mo Udall toiled in an often
fruitless and thankless vineyard on Indian issues. Moved by their
desperate poverty and duty bound to honor the dignity of the first
Americans and the solemn commitments made to them, Mo took up their
just cause. He didn't do it for praise or recognition, he did it
because it was the right thing to do. That was all the motivation and
thanks he needed, and it characterized so aptly the benevolence of his
political life.
How proud Mo must be that a new generation of Udalls have entered
Congress. May their careers, like Mo's, light the way to more
enlightened and civil public discourse.
The Navajo say ``May you walk in beauty.'' All his days, Mo Udall
walked in beauty and he shared his beauty generously with us all. He is
gone now, and we will miss him.
May we find cheer in the echoes of Mo Udall, the little boy from St.
John's who became a giant, touching us one more time with those words
we always loved to hear, ``I'm reminded of a story * * *.''
May each of us--may our country--forever find cheer, instruction and
inspiration in his story. A story of monumental virtue. The remarkable
story of Morris K. Udall.
Mr. DASCHLE addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, today we celebrate the life of a very
special American, Congressman Morris K. Udall. Today, and every day, I
think of him for all the wit and wisdom he shared with the world, and
for the remarkable commitment he made to public service and the causes
he believed in.
Mo inspired us with his integrity, compassion, dedication and humor.
His loss is deeply felt by all who knew him.
I first got to know Mo Udall when I came to the House of
Representatives in 1978. He was a leader on issues that are still
critical to the national debate, including protecting the environment,
promoting honesty and fairness in the financing of campaigns, and
making quality health care more accessible. I had the pleasure of
working closely with him and sharing his passion on these priorities.
When I was a struggling young Congressman, Mo went the extra mile to
lend me his support and his assistance. He was always willing to offer
a joke or a piece of advice, and he even traveled to the middle of
South Dakota on behalf of this very junior Member of Congress.
I am certainly not the only one who has benefited from the generosity
of Morris Udall. In particular, those who shared his struggle with
Parkinson's disease owe him a great debt of gratitude for his work on
raising the awareness and funding for research on this debilitating
illness. Although complications related to Parkinson's ultimately took
his life, it is my hope that a speedy discovery of better treatments
and, eventually, a cure for Parkinson's will be Mo's legacy to those at
risk of developing this deadly disease.
I join my colleagues both to celebrate the life of this remarkable
man as well as to express my deepest sympathy to Mo Udall's family,
especially his wife, Norma, and his children, Mark, Randolph, Judith,
Anne, Bradley and Katherine. They have had the pleasure of knowing him
best, and they will certainly feel his loss the most.
There will never be another man with Mo Udall's unique combination of
wit
[[Page S2345]]
and passion. We are all better for having worked with and learned from
this wonderful leader. As we honor him today, as we celebrate his life
with our words, may we also be challenged to follow in his footsteps as
a dedicated servant of the people and honor him with our actions.
I yield the floor.
Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I am honored to cosponsor the resolution
honoring Mo Udall, introduced by Senator McCain.
Mo Udall was one of those rare figures who defines description. A
great statesman, a forceful environmentalist, a civil rights champion,
a talented humorist, writer, athlete, and a wonderful family man--he
was all those things and more. Mo Udall was larger than life, and will
forever live beyond his life with a legacy that is woven into the
fabric of our nation.
On protection of our natural resources, Mo was a true pioneer. He
fought for environmental causes long before they became popular. His
first bills to protect Arizona lands came in his early days as a
Representative. He saw a need to protect the land for its intrinsic
value, and for its reflection of our own values as a society. He was a
visionary.
It took years of his tremendous dedication and his omnipresent wit
before his vision took hold, but what a vision it was. One hundred
million acres of lands in Alaska are preserved through the Alaska Lands
Act of 1980. One million acres of land in Arizona are preserved through
the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984. Against great odds and after
several Presidential vetoes, strip-mining laws were reformed in 1977.
Nuclear waste management was vastly improved in 1982. Mo Udall was the
author of each of these initiatives, which are only the highlights of
an illustrious career.
Mo Udall was a pioneer in other ways. He quit his law firm upon
joining the House in 1961, not the usual practice in those days. He was
one of the first Congressmen to disclose his personal finances, before
it was required. He organized introductory sessions for freshman
Congressmen, shedding light and humor on the arcane ways of Congress,
and fighting to reform some of those ways. He championed the rights of
Native Americans, supporting their efforts to protect their lands,
families and welfare. His integrity and honesty were untouchable. When
he was right on an issue, he was gracious about it, and when he was
wrong on an issue, he was honest about it.
Mo Udall's legacy survives in many ways. As a tribute to his 30 years
of public service, Congress created the Morris K. Udall Foundation in
1991, which provides scholarships for Native American students, and the
mediation of environmental disputes. Mo always attempted to balance the
often conflicting desires of conservationists and developers, as he did
in writing legislation for the Central Arizona Project. I could not
think of a better celebration of his career than the creation of this
Foundation.
Just last November, Mo saw a new generation of Udalls take up the
torch of civic service. His son Mark and nephew Tom each won a seat in
the House. But the torch is carried not only by his relatives. Part of
Mo Udall's legacy--the humor, wit, dedication to public service,
civility, and honesty--lives within each of us, and the greatest
tribute we can make to Mo is affirm that legacy, carry it with us
through our careers, and pass it on to the next generation.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it's an honor for me to join in this
tribute to a wonderful friend and outstanding colleague, Congressman Mo
Udall. He served the people of Arizona with extraordinary distinction
and he was a dear friend to all of us in the Kennedy family.
Mo came from a remarkable family with a long and respected history in
politics and public service. His grandfather led a wagon train of
settlers into the territory in the 1880's. His father served as chief
justice of New Mexico's State Supreme Court. His brother, Steward
Udall, served with President Kennedy in Congress, and my brother
respected his ability so much that he appointed him to serve as
secretary of Interior in the years of the New Frontier. Today, Mo's
son, Mark, and his nephew, Tom, are carrying on the great Udall
tradition of public service as newly elected member of the House of
Representatives. So the Chambers of Congress ring once again with the
respected Udall name.
Mo came to Congress a year before I did, and under similar
circumstances. He was elected in 1961 to fill the seat vacated when his
brother Stewart became Secretary of the Interior.
Every working man and woman in America owes a debt of gratitude to Mo
for his many years of distinguished public service. His brilliant
leadership on important environmental issues, campaign financing, and
reform of the House of Representatives itself endeared him to all of us
who knew him, and to millions who benefited from his extraordinary
achievements.
On many issues, he was far ahead of his time, and his courage in
tackling difficult challenges in a Congressional career of thirty
brilliant years was admired by us all. President Kennedy would have
called him a profile in courage, and so do I.
As Chairman of the Interior Committee, Mo was ``Mr. Environment'' in
the Congress, urging the nation to deal more effectively with the
increasingly urgent environmental challenges we faced. He worked hard
to designate millions of acres of federal lands as wilderness, and to
enact landmark legislation to regulate the strip mining industry and
manage nuclear waste. Mo was at the forefront of efforts year after
year to protect the environment, expand the country's national parks,
promote land-use planning and restructure the energy industry. It came
as no surprise when the National Wildlife Federation named Mo as its
legislator of the year as early as 1973.
Under Mo's leadership, Congress passed the nation's first campaign
finance reform legislation in 1971. That landmark disclosure law, which
required federal candidates to file detailed public reports of their
financing, remains one of the most important aspects of election reform
as we know it today.
As a member of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, Mo led
battles to improve pay scales for federal employees, institute a system
of merit pay, and reform and strengthen the entire Post Office
Department.
Mo's leadership was equally pre-eminent on many other issues.
Somehow, for thirty years, whenever you probed to the heart of a major
battle, you always found Mo Udall championing the rights of citizens
against special interest pressure, defending the highest ideals of
America, and always doing it with the special grace and wit that were
his trademark and that endeared him to Democrats and Republicans alike.
I think particularly of his influential role in ending the Vietnam
war. Mo Udall was one of the first members of Congress in the 1960's to
break with the Administration and oppose the war. Because of Mo, we
were able to end the war more quickly.
I also think of his early battles to reform the seniority system and
to make the Congress more responsive to the people we serve. In
carrying forward these efforts today, we continue to follow the paths
he blazed so well throughout his remarkable career.
Above all, I think of the extraordinary courage he displayed in his
latter years, battling the cruel disease that finally led to his
resignation from the Congress, in 1991, thirty years almost to the very
day since he arrived in the House. in his final battle, as in so many
other battles, Mo won the respect and admiration and affection of us
all.
And through it all, Mo charmed friend and foe alike with his
extraordinary sense of humor. Mo came from a small town named St. Johns
in Arizona, and he loved to tell people that he knew something about
small towns. As he said, ``I was in fifth grade before I learned the
town's name wasn't `Resume Speed.' ''
He was also the master of the self-deprecating joke. He often told
the story of his visit to New Hampshire during the presidential
primaries in his 1976 campaign. At one stop, his advance woman urged
him to shake a few hands in a nearby barber shop. So he stuck his head
in the door and said, ``I'm Mo Udall, and I'm running for President!''
The barber replied, ``Yes, I know. We were just laughing about that
this morning.''
[[Page S2346]]
His brilliant wit could ease even the tensest moments and bring
people together. When Mo Udall laughed, Congress and the nation laughed
with him, and then went on to do the nation's business more
effectively.
I have many warm memories of the years that Mo and I served together
in Congress. In so many ways, Mo was a Congressman for all seasons. He
served the people of Arizona and America long and well. We miss his
statesmanship, and we miss his friendship too. We miss you, Mo, and we
always will.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I would like pay tribute to one of the
most widely admired and respected Members of Congress of this half of
the century, Morris `Mo' Udall.
It has been said that Mo Udall represented a time when friendships
mattered more than politics. Indeed, he was an honest and
straightforward person in a town notoriously short on such people, and
he always tried to foster cooperation, especially among representatives
from the Western states. We collaborated on many issues over the years,
and I considered him a very good friend.
During the 1980's we served as co-chairman of the Copper Caucus and
worked to help address the serious issues facing the American copper
industry at the time. Together, we championed the cause of a new dollar
coin, which, I'm pleased to say, is scheduled to go into circulation
next year. We also worked to craft a sound nuclear waste management
policy, and as Chairman of the House Committee on Interior and Insular
Affairs, his help was invaluable in designating parks, wilderness, and
other recreation areas in New Mexico.
I believe it is this area--land stewardship--where he left his most
indelible mark. He cherished the land not only for the natural
resources it can provide, but for its recreational and ecological value
as well. Under his 14 year leadership, the House Interior Committee
became one of the most efficient and effective committees in Congress,
sometimes responsible for a quarter of the legislation passed by the
House of Representatives. It is true that every person who stops to
take a picture at a national park or hikes through a wilderness area
owes a debt of gratitude to Mo Udall. His efforts in this area have
touched us all.
Perhaps the second greatest legacy Mo Udall leaves behind is his
legendary humor. In his 1988 book ``Too Funny to be President,'' he
wrote ``It's better to have a sense of humor than no sense at all.'' Mo
put this ``sense'' to good use, often employing it to make a point or
defuse a tense situation. His philosophy was that the best political
humor always ``has a little love behind it,'' and I can hardly think of
a man more loved by his peers than Mo Udall.
Today, a new generation represents the Udall name in Congress. Mo's
nephew, Tom Udall, is the newest member of the New Mexico Delegation,
and I look forward to working with him in the same manner as I worked
with his uncle. Tom and Mo's son, Mark Udall, do have big shoes to
fill, but they also have an exemplary model to follow, and I trust they
will carry on the Udall tradition of unswerving integrity and honor.
Arizona has lost a beloved native son, and New Mexico has lost a good
friend and neighbor. His wit, grace and unflagging passion for the West
will be missed by all of us who had the privilege to work with him.
Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I would like to take this moment to
remember an extraordinary and respected individual. I join the
multitude of people who noted the passing of Morris K. Udall on
December 13, 1998 with much sadness. He will be sorely missed,
especially by those of us who had the great privilege of knowing him
and benefiting from his goodwill and humanitarianism.
As a distinguished Member of the United States House of
Representatives for more than 30 years, Morris K. Udall's leadership,
diligent efforts and commitment to his duties have added a measure of
integrity to the Congress. History should record that throughout his
career, Morris K. Udall was of great intellect and a champion for those
who had little voice. He was an eloquent spokesman for the rights of
Native Americans, a leader in education and environmental protection,
and a true advocate for all Americans who suffer from Parkinson's
disease.
The people of Arizona have lost a true son and great friend. We will
miss him. I will miss him.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition today to honor
the memory of our distinguished colleague, Morris K. Udall, who
tirelessly infused into American politics his eloquent humor, grace,
and dignity during his thirty year career in the U.S. House of
Representatives. His death from Parkinson's Disease on December 12,
1998, was a great loss for the American people, and I am honored to
have served with Mo and to preserve his legacy in our continued efforts
to cure Parkinson's Disease.
I must point out that over one million Americans suffer from
Parkinson's Disease symptoms, and 60,000 more are diagnosed each year;
one every nine minutes. About forty percent of those patients are under
age 60, and advanced symptoms leave people unable to complete their
working careers. The disease is estimated to cost our nation about $25
billion annually. To help ease this suffering and remove the economic
burden of Parkinson's Disease, I was pleased to be an original
cosponsor of the Morris K. Udall Parkinson's Research and Education
Act, signed into law on November 13, 1997 and sponsored by our
distinguished colleagues Senators McCain and Wellstone. The Udall bill
authorized a comprehensive Parkinson's Disease research and education
program within the National Institutes of Health, and improved the
coordination of all Parkinson's initiatives across the Department of
Health and Human Services.
On a personal note, I agree with the conventional wisdom that Mo had
a marvelous sense of humor, as exemplified in his book, ``Too Funny to
be President.'' One of my favorite anecdotes originates during his bid
for the Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1976. Dutifully
campaigning for the New Hampshire primary, he introduced himself to a
barber as ``Mo Udall, running for President.'' The man chuckled and
proceeded to respond, ``I know. We were laughing about that just this
morning.''
Mo's accomplishments during his distinguished career are innumerable,
from his tireless promotion of environmental conservation to his
efforts to preserve the rights of our country's most vulnerable
populations. I am pleased to join my colleagues in supporting this
resolution to honor one of the most civil, respected, and effective
legislators of our time, Mr. Morris King Udall, and I extend my sincere
condolences to the Udall family for their loss.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, perhaps because of the title of his book,
``Too Funny to Be President,'' a lot of people will remember Morris
Udall chiefly for his wit and his humor. And that, in and of itself, is
not a bad way to remember Mo Udall. Because all of us need to remember
that while what we do, and the issues we deal with, are serious
matters, there is neither need nor reason to take ourselves too
seriously. Morris Udall excelled in using humor to remind us of that.
But his quick wit and often self-deprecating humor never could mask
his deeply-rooted commitment to public service, his love of the land
and people of Arizona, and the seriousness with which he took his
responsibilities to the Congress, to his state and its people, and to
this nation.
Morris Udall was a legislator in the most proud tradition of the
term. He understood that legislation is the process by which we
recognize a problem or an injustice and, as a nation, undertake to
rectify that wrong. He understood that legislation did not mean
introducing a bill and putting out a press release; that legislation
was not complete simply because we held a hearing to let everyone know
that we were aware of the problem; or that simply because a bill was
passed and signed into law our responsibilities were ended.
Mo Udall understood that until--at the instigation of the legislation
we passed and under our oversight--someone from the United States
government actually went out there and corrected the problem, ended the
injustice, or righted the wrong, the legislative process was not
complete and our job remained undone. And Mo Udall was always willing
to stay the course until we had fully met our responsibilities.
[[Page S2347]]
He is probably most remembered for his environmental initiatives; for
his belief that this land is the most sacred trust bestowed upon the
American people--and that blessed as we are by vast natural beauty and
resources, we have a moral responsibility to preserve and protect that
trust and to make wise use of those resources.
Anyone who has ever seen the natural wonder that is the Arizona
landscape understands at once the roots of Mo Udall's love for this
land. Clearly he had a vision that generations yet unborn should grow
up and enjoy nature's bounty and splendor just as he had. And my
granddaughters--and their grandchildren--will have that opportunity in
large part because of years of hard work by Mo Udall. They will have
the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate America's natural wonders and
resources not just in Arizona but across this land. And Morris Udall's
family--including a son and a nephew who have followed him here to the
Congress, as well as his brother Stewart who proceeded him to the House
of Representatives and then moved on to become Secretary of the
Interior and was a partner in many of Mo's accomplishments--can point
to so much: acres and acres of natural beauty, clean water, and
spectacular wildlife, and say, ``There, that is part of Morris Udall's
legacy.''
But there is another aspect to Morris Udall's legacy that I hope will
be remembered equally, and that is his understanding of both the role
and the limits of politics. He was an enormously talented politician,
winning re-election year after year through changing times and shifting
constituencies, and building a national following through his work on
issues whose scope reached far beyond the boundaries of his
congressional district. And he understood that politics is important,
because the political process is the way in which a democracy defines
its priorities and allocates its resources.
But Morris Udall understood that politics has its limits as well.
That whatever our internal debate, partisan politics must end at the
water's edge and the nation's borders and that Americans will speak
with one voice when it comes to dealing with the world, and ensuring
our national interests. He also said that when it came to the people of
Arizona, they had not elected Morris Udall to be a Democratic
Congressman just as they had not elected Barry Goldwater to be a
Republican Senator. They had elected an Arizona congressman and an
Arizona senator to look out for their interests and the interests of
their state. And whether Carl Hayden or Barry Goldwater or John Rhodes
or Dennis DeConcini shared his party label or not, he joined with them
to look out for the interests of the people of Arizona here in the
Halls of Congress.
And there was somewhere else that Mo Udall believed politics had its
limits, and that was off the House floor or the campaign trail, away
from the harsh debate, where friendships can develop regardless or
partisan political stripe or ideology. He could count among his friends
liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans; simply because
of his decency, his character, his interest in so many things both
within and outside the political arena, and yes, his humor.
And perhaps most of all--at least in terms of his relationships with
those of us here in the Congress--because Morris Udall could look
beyond all of our differences and see that which I believe all of us
have in common: the desire to make life better for our children, our
neighbors, our states, and out nation.
That, I hope, will be as much a lasting part of Morris Udall's legacy
as the natural wonders that will be there for our grandchildren because
Mo Udall recognized a need and saw it's resolution through.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, today I join my friend and colleague
from Arizona, Senator McCain, as an original cosponsor of his
resolution to recognize the life and achievements of a remarkable man,
the late Congressman from Arizona, Morris K. ``Mo'' Udall.
Congressman Udall served with distinction in the House of
Representatives from 1961 to 1991. Until the advanced stages of
Parkinson's disease forced him into early retirement, Mo was an active
and vital member of Congress. I came to know him well during my years
in the House when Congressman Udall chaired the House Committee on
Interior and Insular Affairs.
Congressman Udall's death this past December marked the end of his
courageous battle against Parkinson's disease and of a life-long
dedication to public service. His commitment and devotion to the
environment, government reform, health care and civil rights advanced
these causes and established a legacy that will not soon be forgotten.
However, as a former athlete myself, I will forever remember Mo as the
6-foot, 5-inch former professional basketball player, with a heart of
gold and wonderful sense of humor.
It is impossible to fully recognize the impact that Congressman
Udall's tireless efforts have had on this Congress, the State of
Arizona, and our Nation.
Mere words cannot express the respect, gratitude and sense of loss
that we feel for this extraordinary man. I can only say, ``Thank you,
Mo.'' We will all miss you.
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
honoring a distinguished public servant and a highly respected Member
of the United States Congress, Morris K. Udall, who died on December
12, 1998.
Mo Udall was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a
special election held on May 2, 1961, succeeding his brother, Stewart,
who had resigned from the House to serve as Secretary of the Interior
in the Kennedy Administration. He served the citizens of Arizona and
his nation with great distinction until his resignation on May 4, 1991.
I was elected to the House of Representatives on November 3, 1970 and
am proud to have served in the House with Mo Udall during the 92nd,
93rd and 94th Congresses.
Mr. President, Mo Udall was one of the most productive and creative
legislators of his time. He chaired the House Committee on Interior and
Insular Affairs from 1977 to 1991 and used this position very
effectively to move numerous important environmental measures through
the Congress. The National Wildlife Federation named Mo Udall its
Legislator of the Year in 1974 and in 1980 Congress passed his Alaska
Lands Act, which doubled the size of our national park system and
tripled the size of the national wilderness sytem. His accomplishments
in this critical area reflect a Westerner's deep love and respect for
the land.
Mo Udall's intelligence, sense of humor and civility endeared him to
his colleagues and to the citizens of Arizona's District 2 whom he
served so well. He was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National
Convention in 1980 and was paid a special tribute by the Democratic
Party during the 1992 national convention.
When Mo Udall retired in 1991, Washington Post reporter, David
Broder, had this to say:
The legacy he left is imposing and enduring, it ranges from
strip mining and Alaska wilderness legislation to the reform
of archaic committee and floor procedures that congressional
barons had used to conceal their arbitrary power. For a whole
generation of congressmen, Udall became a mentor and a model,
he was special and precious to many of us.
Mr. President, Mo Udall was special. He provided a positive and
unifying force in the U.S. Congress which has been sorely missed. He
was a good friend and respected colleague in the public service, and I
would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to him and to extend
my deepest and heartfelt sympathies to his family.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, with the passing of Morris K. Udall on
December 12, 1998, there is a little less humor, and humanity in the
world.
On that day, the nation lost a remarkable man of unyielding warmth
and uncompromising ethics--and an individual who increased the stock of
public service by adhering to the very highest principles of
leadership. Mo Udall exemplified all that is noble about our field of
endeavor, and I was honored to serve with him in the House of
Representatives. He was a man of stature in every sense in the world,
and his legacy still looms large on America's political landscape. I
admired him as a colleague and a person.
Mo Udall was truly an American original, a son of the great Southwest
who seemed at home wherever he was. He had a natural way with people--
maybe because he had a way of making everyone feel important, feel like
they had something to contribute. His faith
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in people was genuine and unwavering, as was his belief in the power of
government to be a positive force in the lives of those he served.
I always had a sense that Mo was someone who truly enjoyed what he
did, and felt privileged to be doing it. It saddened me deeply when I
last saw Mo, in the grips of a cruel and unforgiving disease. But that
disease, while it deprived Mo of so much of the life he'd always known,
never managed to wrest from him his dignity. And my sadness was
tempered by the notion that this was a man who could look back on his
life's work and feel that it stood for something. That it had truly
made a difference. And I think that all of us in public service would
like to be able to say that when all our votes have been cast and our
tenure in this great institution has passed into history, in that
regard, we should all be as fortunate as Morris K. Udall.
Similarly, we can all take lessons from his extraordinary life. He
brought good cheer and laughter to a process that needs humor like an
engine needs oil--without it, the wheels of government seize up;
political discourse overheats. Indeed, as Mo himself once wrote, ``In
times of national strife, humor can bring a diverse society closer
together * * * In times of national tragedy, disappointment, or defeat,
political humor can assuage the nation's grief, sadness or anger, and
thus make bearable that which must be borne.''
Of course, while Mo never took himself too seriously, he understood
full well the gravity of his work. Again, to use Mo's own words, ``* *
* the business of government is serious business, and in politics, as
in any other endeavor, wisecracks are no substitute for substance.''
Certainly, there was no lack of substance in Mo Udall's record, as
even a cursory review of his accomplishments would reveal. Deeply
committed to environmental issues, he worked toward a healthier world
for future generations. Determined to erase the divisions among us, he
helped champion civil rights. Weary of abuse in our nation's elections,
he fought for campaign finance reform. Respectful of the natural beauty
with which we've been blessed, he introduced legislation to protect our
nation's most precious resources.
And mindful of the solemn responsibility we have to those who first
occupied these lands, he was a trusted friend to native Americans. In
fact, Mo was chairman of the House Committee on Interior and Insular
Affairs when I fought for federal recognition of the Aroostook Band of
Micmac Indians in northern Maine--and I will forever appreciate all of
his wise guidance, input, and assistance.
Throughout it all, and despite his deeply held beliefs, Mo Udall
never viewed ``bipartisanship'' as a four letter word. He knew that
reaching out will always be more effective than digging in. That's not
to say Mo Udall wasn't proud to be a Democrat--indeed, he was fiercely
proud of his political affiliation--but at the end of the day, he
always favored progress over party, civility over shrillness, and
solutions over sound bites. He was more interested in fixing problems
than scoring political points, and that made him a winner in the eyes
of his constituents as well as a hero to all those who see public
service as a worthy pursuit.
In closing, let me just say that, for all of Mo's accomplishments,
perhaps time will prove this last one to be his greatest. For Mo Udall
was living proof that there are good people in politics. At a time when
cynicism about government is considered intellectually chic, Mo Udall
reminds us all that integrity and hard work never go out of style. If
the reputation of an institution is like the balance in a bank
account--the sum of its credits and debits--then Mo Udall made more
than his share of deposits over his 30 years in Congress. And he never
withdrew a dime.
Today, Congress is the richer for it, public service is the richer
for it, and the American people are the richer for it.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to one of the
greatest Americans to serve our Nation in this Capitol in this century.
Mo Udall was a man of grace, humor and dignity. In this time in
Washington when we have all suffered under the burden of too much
partisanship and too much personal vitriol in our political life, it
would serve us well to contemplate the life of Mo Udall. This is a man
who fought hard for what he believed. This is a man who entered more
than his share of bruising political battles and yet used his enormous
wit to soften the edges and to civilize the struggle. More often than
not, the butt of the humor was Mo Udall, himself. When we who work here
in Washington take ourselves too seriously, we might remember Mo's
explanation that he was ending his 1976 campaign for the Presidency
after six second-place finishes in Democratic primaries ``because of
illness. The voters got sick of me.'' He loved to quote Israeli Prime
Minister Golda Meir's warning, ``Don't be humble, you're not that
great.''
Mo Udall was both humble and great. Mo Udall's sense of humor was so
much a part of his legacy that we sometimes forget his towering
accomplishments as an environmentalist and reformer. I worked with Mo
on one of his signal accomplishments the passage in 1980 of the Alaska
Lands Act which more than doubled the size of the national park system
and which President Jimmy Carter called ``the most important
conservation legislation of the century''. Among his many successful
efforts to protect our nation's environment was his decade-long battle
in the 1970's to pass tough strip mining reclamation legislation. As
Chairman of the House Interior Committee he repeatedly led efforts to
expand the national park system and to protect the nation's wildlife,
rivers, forests and wilderness areas.
Throughout his career, Mo Udall was in the front ranks of those who
fought for accountability and reform in public office. He battled for
campaign finance reforms, and reforms in the Congress itself, including
financial disclosure, reform of the seniority system, and lobby reform.
He was among the leaders of the fight in 1971 for the Federal Election
Campaign Act, the first substantial revision of campaign financing laws
since 1925.
In his 1988 book, ``Too Funny To Be President'', Mo Udall revealed
that his ``guiding light'' came from Will Rogers: ``We are here for
just a spell and then pass on. So get a few laughs and do the best you
can. Live your life so that whatever you lose, you are ahead.''
Mr. President, Morris ``Mo'' Udall is way, way ahead.
Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, Morris King Udall is my cousin.
But he is more than a kinsman to me. He is a political exemplar and a
source of wisdom and humor still. I lament his passing but I rejoice in
his legacy.
I was but a boy of 8 years when Morris was elected to Congress from
Arizona to replace his brother Stewart. It was 1960 and Stewart Udall
became the Interior Secretary for John F. Kennedy. It was then that I
realized more fully my maternal heritage to public service. My mother,
Jessica Udall Smith, often held up the service of Morris and Stewart
Udall as public examples worthy to follow in order to make the world a
better place and to lighten the burdens of human kind.
I grew up as best I could in the tall shadows of Udall giants. I
choose to follow their path to pubic service. The way is sometimes hard
and the storms many. But it is a way made easier by the humor of Morris
Udall. He taught me that humor directed at oneself is usually best and
often funniest. He wrote to me that the only cure for political
ambition is embalming fluid. He told me to use any of his jokes `cause
he'd ``stole `em all fair `n square.''
I learned from him that the greatest thing about the United States of
America is not that any boy or girl can grow up to be President, but
that any boy or girl can grow up making fun of the President. I learned
all of this from cousin Mo and so, so much more.
May God bless the memory of Morris K. Udall and may we all fondly
remember him too.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I join today with my colleagues the
Senior Senator from Arizona (Mr. McCain) and the Senior Senator from
Massachusetts (Mr. Kennedy) to pay tribute to Morris K. Udall. While my
friends from Arizona and Massachusetts enjoyed direct personal and
working relationships with Mo Udall, I never knew him. But, I believe
that those members of this body who worked with Mo Udall were infected
by his unwavering commitment to his colleagues and share Udall's desire
to work in a bipartisan
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fashion. I feel that I am a part of this legacy, and that is why I am
joining in paying tribute to Udall's life.
Central parts of Udall's legislative agenda were his commitment to
the reform of campaign financing and his commitment to environmental
protection. In 1967, Udall wrote in a constituent newsletter about the
perilous position in which the drive to raise money places young
aspiring legislators. He argued, setting the stage for the reform of
the 1970s, that ``drastic changes'' were ``needed to breathe new life
into American politics and recapture our political system from the
money changers.'' I am inspired by Udall's remarks, in my own work on
campaign finance reform with the Senior Senator from Arizona (Mr.
McCain), especially when I reflect on the fact that these are neither
new nor resolved problems.
I also share Mo Udall's great respect for America's public lands. I
have been a co-sponsor of the bill to protect the coastal plain of the
Arctic National Wildlife refuge for three Congresses, and I have joined
in the fight to protect the public lands of Southern Utah. Both of
these campaigns date back to unfinished business that Udall began with
the Alaska Lands Act and with his commitment to designating and
protecting our country's special wild places.
In addition to conveying my own admiration for Mo Udall, I am also
here to share the reflections of my own home state. Wisconsinites have
a special fondness for Mo Udall for several reasons. Udall, who began
his presidential quest as a long shot, a relatively unknown Arizona
congressman, turned out to be a serious contender for the presidency.
With his special brand of humor, Udall was a reformer who didn't come
across as self-important. He outlasted bigger-name contenders and
became Jimmy Carter's major rival for the nomination.
As a presidential candidate, Udall was unafraid to describe himself
as part of a political tradition near and dear to the heart of the
Badger State--progressivism. ``Liberal,'' Udall said, was just a
buzzword. He didn't mind answering to it but by his standards he felt
that he should more accurately be described as a ``progressive,'' in
the tradition of Wisconsin's Fighting Bob LaFollette and in line with
the presidencies of Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and John
Kennedy. During the 1976 campaign, a commitment to progressivism nearly
handed him Wisconsin's nod. Udall's biggest disappointment was in
Wisconsin, where two networks declared him the winner and the April 7,
1976 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's front page declared: ``Carter Upset
by Udall.'' After going to bed as the winner of Wisconsin, Udall woke
up as the runner-up when Carter pulled it out by less than 1% of the
vote. Those premature reports turned out to be as close to victory as
Udall got in the Democratic primaries that year.
It is my understanding that following his unsuccessful campaign for
President, Udall framed that Milwaukee Journal Sentinel cover and it
remained hanging on the wall within arm's length of his desk in his
Capitol Hill office.
Second, Wisconsinites truly appreciated an accomplished national
legislator who could laugh at himself. That's a rarity in politics.
It's also why Udall is being remembered with such respect and affection
from both sides of the political aisle. It is my understanding that
Udall always had a one-liner. When Udall wrote a book about his '76
campaign, he called it ``Too Funny to Be President.'' A few of
Washington's more somber commentators had suggested in '76 that Udall
was too witty to be taken seriously. Udall disagreed: ``I've had a lot
of letters about it. People found it a very appealing characteristic.
They don't like pomposity. I took problems seriously--but not myself.
The humor was directed at me, at other politicians, at the political
process. I thought it was a big asset. It showed some stability and
sensitivity.''
That book describes a 1976 campaign discussion in Wisconsin that
Udall had with a 70-year old farmer in the northern part of my state.
According to Udall, the farmer asked: ``Where are you from son?''
``Washington, DC,'' Udall replied. ``You've got some pretty smart
fellas back there ain't ya?,'' said the farmer. ``Yes sir, I guess we
do.'' ``Got some that ain't so smart too, ain't ya?,'' the farmer
continued.'' ``Well,'' Udall replied, ``I guess that's true too.''
``Hard to tell the difference, ain't it,'' the farmer concluded with a
laugh. Having traveled to every one of Wisconsin's 72 counties every
year as part of my commitment to hold an annual town meeting, I share
Udall's delight in this anecdote and his characterization of this truly
Wisconsin exchange ``In a democracy, you see,'' Udall said, ``the
people always have the last laugh.''
Udall will be long remembered for his character and fundamental
decency. Without him, we must all strive to put issues before party and
to complete the people's business. On behalf of myself and the citizens
of my state, I wish to convey our greatest sympathy to Mo Udall's
family. We are a greater country for his service. I yield the floor.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, this Nation lost one of its great leaders
when Morris K. Udall passed away on December 12, 1998. I was lucky
enough to serve with Mo for ten years in the House of Representatives.
He was an inspiration to me when I first came to Congress, an able
representative of the people of Arizona, and an accomplished leader for
our nation.
Mo Udall served the people of the Second District of Arizona for 30
years. I want to thank the citizens of Arizona's Second District for
blessing our entire nation with a Congressman whose dedication and
service represented the voices of millions of Americans throughout our
nation. I want to thank them for electing Mo Udall in 1961, and for
continuing to do so in each of the 15 elections that followed. The
Second District of Arizona shared with the entire nation a leader who
truly improved our cultural and natural heritage.
Mo Udall was a visionary. He came to Congress in 1961 and put that
vision into action. As Chairman of the House Interior and Insular
Affairs Committee from 1977 to 1991, Mo was responsible for some of our
most progressive environmental accomplishments--designating millions of
acres of federal lands as wilderness, banning development on millions
of acres in Alaska, and reforming strip mining and nuclear waste
management.
His conservation ethic is what I, and so many others, respected about
him most. But there was more to him than that. He was widely regarded
for his sharp wit and keen intellect. For so many reasons, he was
respected by his Congressional colleagues, as well as the press and the
public.
When Mo retired from Congress, David Broder wrote, ``The legacy he
left is imposing and enduring. It ranges from strip mining and Alaskan
wilderness legislation to the reform of archaic committee and floor
procedures that congressional barons had used to conceal their
arbitrary power. For a whole generation of congressmen, Udall became a
mentor and a model--and they will miss him as much as the press
galleries do.''
Just last week, I joined Congressman George Miller in introducing a
piece of legislation that I hope would make Mo Udall proud. It is up to
those of us still in Congress to carry on his legacy of environmental
responsibility. Lucky for us, there are two new Udalls in town. Mo's
son, Mark Udall, was just elected to Congress from Colorado, and his
nephew, Tom Udall, was elected to Congress from New Mexico. I look
forward to working with them both. With their help, maybe we will be
able to sustain the Udall environmental vision.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; that the
motion to reconsider be laid upon the table; and that any statements
relating to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 15) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:
S. Con. Res. 15
Whereas Morris King Udall served his Nation and his State
of Arizona with honor and distinction in his 30 years as a
Member of the United States House of Representatives;
Whereas Morris King Udall became an internationally
recognized leader in the field of conservation, personally
sponsoring legislation that more than doubled the National
Park and National Wildlife Refuge systems,
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and added thousands of acres to America's National Wilderness
Preservation System;
Whereas Morris King Udall was also instrumental in
reorganizing the United States Postal Service, in helping
enact legislation to restore lands left in the wake of
surface mining, enhancing and protecting the civil service,
and fighting long and consistently to safeguard the rights
and legacies of Native Americans;
Whereas in his lifetime, Morris King Udall became known as
a model Member of Congress and was among the most effective
and admired legislators of his generation;
Whereas this very decent and good man from Arizona also
left us with one of the most precious gifts of all -- a
special brand of wonderful and endearing humor that was
distinctly his;
Whereas Morris King Udall set a standard for all facing
adversity as he struggled against the onslaught of
Parkinson's disease with the same optimism and humor that
were the hallmarks of his life; and
Whereas Morris King Udall in so many ways will continue to
stand as a symbol of all that is best about public service,
for all that is civil in political discourse, for all that is
kind and gentle, and will remain an inspiration to others:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) has learned with profound sorrow of the death of the
Honorable Morris King Udall on December 12, 1998, and extends
condolences to the Udall family, and especially to his wife
Norma;
(2) expresses its profound gratitude to the Honorable
Morris King Udall and his family for the service that he
rendered to his country; and
(3) recognizes with appreciation and respect the Honorable
Morris K. Udall's commitment to and example of bipartisanship
and collegial interaction in the legislative process.
SEC. 2. TRANSMISSION OF ENROLLED RESOLUTION.
The Secretary of the Senate shall transmit an enrolled copy
of this concurrent resolution to the family of the Honorable
Morris King Udall.
____________________