[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 130 (Thursday, September 30, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11669-S11670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO JIMMY CARTER
Mr. CLELAND. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the
immediate consideration of Senate Resolution 192 introduced earlier by
myself and the distinguished senior Senator from Georgia, Mr.
Coverdell.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative assistant read as follows:
A resolution (S.Res. 192) extending birthday greetings and
best wishes to Jimmy Carter in recognition of his 75th
birthday.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, Henry David Thoreau once said ``If one
advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to
live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success
unexpected in common hours.'' I rise before my colleagues today to
reflect on the successes of one of our nation's great leaders and to
pay tribute on the occasion of his 75th birthday, President Jimmy
Carter.
James Earl Carter, Jr. was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia.
Peanut farming, talk of politics, and devotion to the Baptist faith
were mainstays of his upbringing. Upon graduation in 1946 from the
United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, he married Rosalynn
Smith. The Carters have three sons, John William (Jack), James Earl III
(Chip), Donnel Jeffrey (Jeff), and a daughter, Amy Lynn.
After seven years' service as a naval officer, Jimmy Carter returned
to Plains. In 1962 he entered state politics, and eight years later he
was elected Governor of Georgia. Among the new young southern
governors, he attracted attention by emphasizing the environment,
efficiency in government, and the removal of racial barriers. I was
pleased to serve in the Georgia State Senate during his Governorship
and to support his reform agenda.
Jimmy Carter announced his candidacy for President in December 1974
and began a two-year campaign that quickly gained momentum. At the
Democratic National Convention, he was nominated on the first ballot.
He campaigned hard, debating President Ford three times, and won the
Presidency in 1976 by 56 electoral votes. One of the greatest honors of
my life was when President Carter chose me to lead the Veterans'
Administration. In fact, I was President Carter's first scheduled
appointment--it was not more than a couple hours after the inauguration
when he asked me to be a part of his administration. It remains one of
my proudest moments.
As President Jimmy Carter worked hard to combat the continuing
economic woes of inflation and unemployment by the end of his
administration, he could claim an increase of nearly eight million jobs
and a decrease in the budget deficit, measured as a percentage of the
gross national product. He dealt with the energy shortage by
establishing a national energy policy and by decontrolling domestic
petroleum prices to stimulate production. He prompted Government
efficiency through civil service reform and proceeded with deregulation
of the trucking and airline industries.
President Carter also sought to improve the environment in many ways.
His expansion of the National Park System included protection of 103
million acres of Alaskan wilderness. To increase human and social
services, he created the Department of Education, bolstered the Social
Security system, and appointed record numbers of women, African-
Americans, and Hispanics to jobs in the Federal Government.
In foreign affairs, Jimmy Carter set his own style. His championing
of human rights was coldly received by the Soviet Union and some other
nations. In the Middle East, through the Camp David agreement of 1978,
he helped bring amity between Egypt and Israel. He succeeded in
obtaining ratification of the Panama Canal treaties. Building upon the
work of predecessors, he established full diplomatic relations with the
People's Republic of China and completed negotiation of the SALT II
nuclear limitation treaty with the Soviet Union.
Remarkably fit and compulsively active, President Carter remains a
leading figure on the world stage. After leaving the White House, Jimmy
Carter returned to Georgia, where in 1982 he founded the nonprofit
Carter Center in Atlanta to promote human rights worldwide. The Center
has initiated projects in more than 65 countries to resolve conflicts,
prevent human rights abuses, build democracy, improve health, and
revitalize urban areas.
His invaluable service through his work at the Carter Center has
earned him a record that many regard as one of the finest among any
American ex-President in history. Jimmy Carter's high-profile, high-
stakes diplomatic missions produced a cease-fire in Bosnia and
prevented a United States invasion of Haiti. He supervised elections in
newly democratic countries and has aided in the release of political
prisoners around the world.
Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, still reside in Plains, Georgia
and enjoy their ever-growing family which now includes 10
grandchildren. I ask my colleagues today to join with Mrs. Carter,
Jack, Chip, Jeff, and Amy to honor President Carter on his 75th
birthday.
Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, I rise today to offer a few comments on
the occasion of the 75th birthday of our Nation's 39th President and
fellow Georgian, James Earl Carter.
I have known President Carter and his lovely wife Rosalynn since my
days in the Georgia State Senate, and I have always known him to be a
very gracious, forthright, and effective public official. Jimmy Carter
has dedicated his life to his country--graduate of the United States
Naval Academy, member of the Georgia State Senate, Governor of Georgia,
and of course, President of the United States.
Many former Presidents choose a slower and more relaxed lifestyle
once they leave office. But not Jimmy Carter. Since leaving office, he
has been a leading advocate for democracy, peace, and human rights
throughout the world. The Carter Center, headquartered in Atlanta, is
one of the most renowned organizations in the area of promoting health
and peace in nations around the globe.
Mr. Carter has also been a leader in our country's struggles to end
poverty. In 1991 he launched the Atlanta Project, an initiative aimed
at attacking social problems associated with poverty.
Besides the Atlanta Project, Mr. and Mrs. Carter are regular
volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, a charitable organization
dedicated to ending homelessness throughout the world. As two of
Habitat's most well-known volunteers, each year they lead the Jimmy
Carter Work Project, a week-long event that brings together volunteers
from around the world for this noble effort.
Mr. President, the resolution brought forward by my colleague Mr.
Cleland and myself will express the Senate's best wishes to President
Carter on his
[[Page S11670]]
75th birthday. I can not think of someone more deserving of this honor.
I wish Jimmy and his wife Rosalynn well on this occasion, and encourage
my colleagues to do likewise. I thank the Chair.
Mr. CLELAND. I ask unanimous consent the resolution and the preamble
be considered and agreed to en bloc, the motion to reconsider be laid
upon the table without intervening action, and any statements relating
to the resolution be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 192) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 192
Whereas October 1, 1999, is the 75th birthday of James Earl
(Jimmy) Carter;
Whereas Jimmy Carter has served his country with
distinction in the United States Navy, and as a Georgia State
Senator, the Governor of Georgia, and the President of the
United States;
Whereas Jimmy Carter has continued his service to the
people of the United States and the world since leaving the
Presidency by resolutely championing adequate housing,
democratic elections, human rights, and international peace;
Whereas in all of these endeavors, Jimmy Carter has been
fully and ably assisted by his wife, Rosalynn; and
Whereas Jimmy Carter serves as a living international
symbol of American integrity and compassion: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) extends its birthday greetings and best wishes to Jimmy
Carter; and
(2) directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an
enrolled copy of this resolution to Jimmy Carter.
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I be the next
Democratic Senator to be recognized for purposes of an amendment after
Senator Reid of Nevada.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from North Carolina is recognized.
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