[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 146 (Monday, October 25, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13082-S13085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         DEATH OF THE HONORABLE JOHN H. CHAFEE, OF RHODE ISLAND

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 206, and I ask that 
the resolution be read.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 206) relative to the death of the 
     Honorable John H. Chafee, of Rhode Island:

                              S. Res. 206

       Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
     and deep regret the announcement of the death of the 
     Honorable John H. Chafee, a Senator from the State of Rhode 
     Island.
       Resolved, That Senator Chafee's record of public service 
     embodied the best traditions of the Senate: Statesmanship, 
     Comity, Tolerance, and Decency.
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate 
     these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
     transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it stand 
     adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
     deceased Senator.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution 
be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 206) was agreed to.
  Mr. LOTT. I yield the floor, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.
  Mr. BOND. Mr. President, I join with my colleagues to express our 
profound sorrow at the loss of a dear friend and an outstanding 
Senator. John Chafee was probably the finest gentleman ever to serve in 
this body. We offer our sincerest regrets, our sympathies, and our 
prayers to his family.
  I stopped by his office today and expressed my sense of loss to his 
staff. We express, collectively, our deep sorrow to the people of Rhode 
Island, but, beyond that to the people of the entire Nation who in many 
different ways, in many different areas, were served so well by John 
Chafee throughout his career.
  We have just heard very eloquent remarks from the majority leader and 
his colleague from Rhode Island, summarizing some of the many things 
that

[[Page S13083]]

John Chafee has done. It would take several volumes of the 
Congressional Record to go through his list of achievements and the 
things that he has done for the least among us to further the causes in 
which he felt so strongly.
  But I rise today to express gratitude and to celebrate the legacy 
that he left us. If you had to ask somebody: Who is the most decent 
person that you know of in politics? chances are, John Chafee would be 
at the top of that list. He was a man, as has been said, who had very 
strong feelings.
  He fought hard for principles, but he fought so with unfailing 
courtesy, with compassion and kindness and consideration for others who 
had differing views.
  I had the privilege of working with him on a health care task force 
in 1993 and 1994. I sat in a room and listened to him bring together 
people of very strongly opposing views. Always, without fail, he guided 
the discussions away from bitterness, away from harshness, into 
constructive channels.
  I was pleased to work with him on environmental and public works 
issues. And he was a great leader of a committee that has very 
contentious issues. He worked together with his leadership. We made 
progress, sometimes in areas where people thought progress could not be 
made.
  I followed his work on so many issues affecting health care and 
children from his position in the Finance Committee. He was there to 
move not just this body but the country forward in assuring that we 
would meet the needs of children. Whether it was Medicaid for poor 
children or the foster care bill that he was recently championing, he 
was always looking out for those in need; but he did so in a manner 
that is a good lesson for all of us.
  When somebody got carried away and attacked him, perhaps a little too 
strongly, he turned it away with a warm smile and understanding. When 
views got very heated and the arguments got passionate, he would calm 
it down with a kind word and steer the discussion and the debate back 
in a constructive pattern.
  When some of us had personal reverses, John Chafee was there quietly, 
as a friend, to lend support, to lend encouragement, and to let us know 
that we had a friend, somebody who cared for us. If there is one thing 
I hope this body will remember, it is that record, that unfailing, 
consistent pattern of being, first and foremost, a concerned human 
being who was a dear friend.

  I hope that legacy can guide this body, that all of us can strive to 
emulate his service, his compassion, and his caring. As our thoughts 
and prayers go out to his family, his loved ones, and to all who will 
miss him, I hope we will remember and hold high those principles which 
he not only espoused but he lived.
  I am from Missouri. One of our slogans is: Show me. John Chafee's 
life showed us every day, every hour in this body what a fine human 
being can do to move the process of government forward on a 
constructive path. I only hope we can hold dear and remember those 
lessons he taught us.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
  Ms. COLLLINS. Mr. President, with John Chafee's passing, the Senate 
has lost a great leader, Rhode Island has lost a great Senator, and I 
have lost a great friend.
  This afternoon I had the honor of presiding over the Senate and was 
able to hear firsthand the tremendous outpouring of affection and 
respect and sadness from my colleagues, as they came to the Senate 
floor one by one to pay tribute to this remarkable man. Indeed, Senator 
Chafee's legacy exceeds that for which any of us could have wished. He 
has been a leader in his commitment to children, to improving health 
care, to preserving our environment.
  I wish to talk for just a few moments about what John Chafee meant to 
me personally. From my very first day in the Senate, John Chafee took 
me under his wing. He was always there for me. He encouraged me. He 
taught me the ropes. He guided me, particularly on contentious issues. 
He was always a steady voice of reason. He taught me how important it 
was to reach across the aisle to attempt to achieve a consensus, 
compromises based on common sense. Indeed, he very quickly enrolled me 
in one of his favorite projects, and that was the Centrist Coalition, 
which he chaired, along with our colleague from Louisiana, Senator John 
Breaux. Together this group of about 20 Senators would meet 
periodically to hash out contentious issues, to try to achieve a 
compromise on budget and other important issues of the day. Always we 
were guided by John. John had a tremendous ability to pull people 
together, to bring out the best in everyone.
  I also have so many other warm, personal memories of my time with 
John and his family.
  Many of my colleagues may be unaware that John had tremendous ties to 
my home State of Maine. His family for generations had a home there in 
Sorrento. His father had lived in Portland, ME, and had owned a 
business in Saco, ME, in the southern part of the State.
  I visited John's home in Sorrento, and he very proudly took me all 
over the community, telling me of his favorite spots, taking me for a 
ride in his motorboat. He loved Maine, almost as much as he loved his 
beloved home State of Rhode Island. He was a New Englander through and 
through. He brought a sense of integrity and principles to the debates 
of the day, and he had a sense of pride in his native region of New 
England. In many ways, he was a Senator for all of New England. I know 
we always used to joke that he was the third Senator from the State of 
Maine.
  As I got to know John, his wife Ginny and their children, I became 
more and more impressed with the tremendous accomplishments of this 
remarkable individual. But these accomplishments you never heard about 
from John Chafee himself; he was far too modest to ever blow his own 
horn. Little by little, I learned from his family and his friends of 
his heroic wartime service, for example, as well as his tremendous 
legacy as a superb Governor, his service as Secretary of the Navy, and, 
of course, his service in the Senate.
  I remember once talking to his daughter, Georgia. I said: Your father 
has this tremendous background and people don't know about it because 
he never toots his own horn. He doesn't tell people of his 
accomplishments. He is too modest to do so. I remember Georgia saying 
back to me, yes, truly her father's lifetime could fill up at least one 
book, but that he would never be the one to write it.
  I hope, by our tributes to him today and in the days to come, we will 
help to write that book so all of America may know what a great man, 
what a great Senator, what a great friend John Chafee was.
  I am honored to have known him. The entire world has been enriched by 
his service.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I first met Senator Chafee in December 
of 1984. We had a small incoming Republican freshman class that year. 
It was the Senator from Texas, Senator Gramm, and myself. Senator Gramm 
was already a national figure. He had burst onto the stage in his home 
State of Texas and had served in the House of Representatives for 
awhile.
  I had been in local government. Frankly, I didn't know many people, 
and it was sort of a lonely first year in many ways.
  I met John Chafee in the Old Senate Chamber. That is where we had 
rather spirited elections for leadership in December 1984. The one most 
people noticed was Bob Dole being elected Republican leader to replace 
Howard Baker. But also on that day, Senator Chafee was elected chairman 
of the Republican conference, as I recall, by one vote. I think John 
getting elected chairman of the Republican conference by one vote kind 
of summed up the odds he was frequently up against, not only in our 
conference, where he was one of the most moderate Members and 
frequently at variance with the majority of the conference, but he was 
a survivor because people recognized his personal qualities.
  I don't know a great deal about Rhode Island, but I am told only 8 
percent of the people of Rhode Island consider themselves Republicans. 
Someone earlier today described it as the most

[[Page S13084]]

Democratic State in America. I suspect that is true. And yet we had 
here a man with such enormous personal qualities that he was elected 
Governor multiple times and served in the Senate from 1976 until his 
death. Clearly, there was something special about John Chafee that 
people came to recognize and understand.
  Most of the causes John pursued were, shall I say, not particularly 
good for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He always thought it would be a 
good idea to raise cigarette taxes. Well, as you can imagine, the State 
has an enormous number of tobacco growers. That was rarely something I 
was enthusiastic about. Also, at least part of our State of Kentucky is 
in the Tennessee Valley Authority. John always thought the TVA was 
something that ought to be terminated, and I must say over a period of 
years, having watched TVA operate, I am more and more open to John's 
views on the matter, although I haven't gone quite that far.
  Other speakers have said it, but I think the hallmark of John Chafee 
was the fact you knew no matter what he said and did, it was based upon 
a great sense of objectiveness. He operated with enormous personal 
integrity and clearly was one of the most popular Members of the 
Senate. He always had an open mind. He was willing to revisit an issue.
  For example, just last week, in a rather contentious debate that we 
frequently have around here on campaign finance reform, John, whose 
views were fundamentally different from mine on the subject, actually 
ended up agreeing with me on one of the proposals we had before us. It 
was a tribute to his willingness to revisit an issue, or at least part 
of an issue, where he had a longstanding commitment. But he took a look 
at a particular version that we had before us and reached a different 
conclusion.

  At the beginning of this Congress--we have our desks here on the 
floor on a seniority basis--I had finally been around here long enough 
where I moved over in the area where a lot of senior Members are. John 
was right here, two desks over. I think it was really during the 
impeachment hearing, when we were all here so much of the time and I 
felt I got to know John even better. We were frequently talking, both 
in the cloakroom and out here on the floor, during that very difficult 
time.
  It is hard for me to imagine a finer human being than John Chafee, 
who was an effective Senator, an outstanding Senator, and really a fine 
human being. So we celebrate his remarkable life, which others have 
spoken about--from his courage under fire in World War II and again in 
Korea, to his exemplary service to the Nation in the U.S. Senate. So I 
say to you, Ginny, and to all the family, we share your grief. We will 
miss John more than words can express. Not only have you lost a 
husband, but the Senate has lost a great Member, and America has lost 
one of its finest statesmen.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina, Mr. Helms, is 
recognized.
  Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, this is a sad afternoon for all of us. 
Senator Chafee and I had been seatmates for nearly a decade. I can 
testify that never once during those years did he comport himself in 
the slightest manner to diminish his image--which was widely held--as a 
perfect gentlemen and a dedicated American. His whole life was such.
  He was a man whose dedication to his wife and family was demonstrable 
in everything he did and said. Often were the times that we exchanged 
tidbits of news about his family and mine; we talked a lot about those 
whom we love.
  I was one of the many Senators who, with some frequency, did not 
agree with some of John's votes. And you know, it is a funny thing, Mr. 
President, he disagreed with me the same number of times but always 
pleasantly. I never doubted that he was genuine, honest, and sincere in 
all that he did and said as a Senator and as a human being.
  I never once heard him speak a harsh word about anyone, and I never 
was aware of his losing his temper. He may have, but I never saw it.
  Mr. President, John Chafee was a thoroughly decent and unfailing 
gentlemen who was respectful of the opinions and judgments of others 
but unyielding in his own opinions. That is the way it is supposed to 
be around here.
  Did I like John Chafee? You bet. Did I respect his quiet 
independence? Of course. Like the good U.S. Marine that he was in World 
War II, he was demonstrably willing to give his life for his country 
and to serve his country in other capacities, such as Secretary of the 
Navy.
  I shall miss his sitting next to me; I shall always remember our 
agreement to nudge each other when the rhetoric in this Chamber caused 
heads to begin to nod, which frequently happens when some long-winded 
speaker takes up a lot of time, which I am not going to do at this 
time.
  John Chafee was a friend whom I shall forever miss, and Dot Helms and 
I extend our deepest sympathy to John's dear wife, Virginia, whom I 
admire greatly, to his five children, and all of his splendid family 
which he loved so dearly.
  One final personal note. I know how the staffs feel; he had two of 
them--his personal staff and the committee staff. I know exactly how 
they feel this afternoon. I extend my sympathy to them as well because 
I have been there and I have done that. I served as an administrative 
assistant to a distinguished U.S. Senator in the early '50s, and he 
died unexpectedly; he had a heart attack. I remember the helplessness 
that all of us felt. Coming here to make these remarks, I rode over on 
the underground trolley that connects the Dirksen building with the 
Capitol. In the car with me was one of Senator Chafee's staff members. 
He was sad, and I told him that I knew exactly how he felt. It is not a 
good day. But it is so good that all of us, the staff members, his 
friends and family, were able to know and be with John Chafee.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the ``Thoughts from 
Senator Chafee's Staff'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection. The material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                  Thoughts from Senator Chafee's Staff

       Working for Senator Chafee was not a job, it was an honor, 
     and a great one at that. Each and every one of us--on the 
     personal staff in Washington . . . the Environment Committee 
     staff . . . and in the Senator's Rhode Island office--felt 
     privileged to be advancing his legislative priorities, his 
     values, his vision of government and public service.
       In the many wonderful tributes that have been paid to 
     Senator Chafee, his concern over issues such as the 
     environment, health care, civil rights, and gun violence have 
     been highlighted. He also cared deeply about our nation's 
     economic future, and its impact on generations to come. 
     Senator Chafee cared about these issues because of their 
     implications for people generally, but, more specifically, 
     for the most vulnerable members of our society--children, the 
     disabled, the frail elderly, and the low-income. His guiding 
     motivation was the importance of human dignity, and the 
     belief that government could make a positive difference in 
     people's lives.
       His sense of public spirit was infectious, and we have all 
     learned a great deal from him. But more important than any 
     lesson in civics is the example he set for all of us about 
     how to conduct our lives: listen to both sides; do what's 
     right; and even if you don't prevail, be of good cheer; and 
     always look for the good in people.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Kerry, is 
recognized.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in expressing our 
great sorrow for the loss of John Chafee. He was a really remarkable, 
special soul, a very gentle person, who nevertheless had a will of 
steel. He was, in many ways, sort of an archetypal New Englander, for 
those of us who come from that part of the country. There was a great 
quality of independence, a great ability to march to the beat of his 
own drummer. He did that. I think that in very special ways he was one 
of the bridges in the U.S. Senate.
  I first crossed paths with John Chafee back during the Vietnam war. I 
am proud that his signature is on my medals. We talked a lot about that 
after I came back. He had the great capacity to reach out across the 
aisle. I recall this summer, as a matter of fact, how he came up to me 
one evening and said, ``I am a bachelor; Virginia is not here.'' My 
wife, Teresa, wasn't here at the time. He said, ``Let's go to dinner.'' 
So we went down to the Metropolitan Club, where I heard some other 
colleagues say he often went to dinner. We just sat and talked a lot 
about life,

[[Page S13085]]

about war, about his experiences; and all the divisions of the Senate 
sort of melted away because of his gesture. But it was not strange for 
John to do that. Those of us who worked with him over the years here 
know that he was always reaching across the aisle trying to build a 
bridge, trying to pull people together.
  I remember when we were in the throes of a fight over the clean air 
amendment in 1990. There were great meetings in the room back here with 
George Mitchell. John Chafee, Senator Mitchell, and a few others with 
great calming voices, were reaching out trying to pull people together 
and find a path of common sense. That is really one of the great 
legacies, the commitment that produced that amendment and also produced 
a whole host of advances with respect to the environment.
  I traveled with John to Rio. We were part of the delegation for the 
Rio conference when we had that huge summit.
  I traveled with him again to Kyoto. I remember one very peaceful 
moment when we snuck away to a beautiful Japanese garden. He was busy 
looking at the architecture, experiencing the remarkable peace of that 
place, and laughing at the fact that he had stolen away from a 
conference for a few moments to do so.
  John was one of the great calming influences in this body, a man of 
extraordinary common sense, a person who always tried to stand for 
principle--not for party, not for ideology, but for what was best for 
the State, best for the country, and best, in his judgment, for 
families and for the future.
  He was passionate about Rhode Island, and passionate about the 
country. And in the end, I think his legacy will be measured not only 
by the legislation that he worked on, not only by his remarkable 
efforts to help us get a health care bill in 1993 and 1994, but 
meetings which I will forever remember in his hideaway where he brought 
people together trying to forge a centrist plan, which, ultimately, I 
might add, helped pave the way for Kennedy-Kassebaum and for other 
things that we have contemplated.
  But he understood what his course was. He had a great sense of who he 
was, of what this place meant to him, and what all of us could achieve. 
He always placed those aspirations on the table as directly and as 
honestly as anybody I know in the Senate.
  John was also a warrior--a great warrior. Underneath the remarkable, 
docile, and temperamental person that we grew to know, there was really 
this other person who knew how to fight for country and for things that 
were bigger than him. He did so at Guadalcanal, he did so in Korea, and 
he did so in a remarkable way.
  I will always remember Col. Terry Ball--he became a general, and he 
is now retired, just recently, about a week or two ago--telling me of 
the remarkable journey he took with John, a journey he talked to John 
about before he took it, to go back and visit in the South Pacific 
those great places that he was part of with the Marine Corps.
  I remember reading William Manchester's book, ``Return to Darkness.'' 
In many ways, that was the journey John went on when he went back there 
to revisit those places where he had served with such distinction but 
where he also knew such a profound loss.
  This past summer, we shared another great moment together. We had the 
privilege of joining the Secretary of the Navy on the USS Constitution 
at Boston Harbor for a dinner. He was there with his family--the 
greater part of his family. It was a dinner in honor of John and his 
service. A number of us went up there to share that evening.
  I must say the sparkle in his eye at being aboard the ship with the 
flags raised, the colors presented, with his presentation of a walking 
cane from the Constitution itself, the sparkle in his eye that evening 
is something I will always remember.
  I will never forget his passion for the Armed Forces, and 
particularly, of course, for his beloved Marines.
  The Marines have their motto semper fi, ``forever faithful.'' It is 
clear that motto was the guiding light of John's life--forever faithful 
to his family, to his love, Virginia, to his children, his 
grandchildren, to the Senate, to his State, and to the principles which 
guided them.
  He is really Mr. President, with all respect for all of our 
colleagues, the kind of person in this great institution who is worth 
emulating. I hope there will be others such as him in the future.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, while traveling to Washington today from 
my home in Colorado, I learned the sad news that our colleague, Senator 
John Chafee, passed away last evening from heart failure. It is with 
deep sadness that I pay tribute today to this statesman, a great 
American, and my friend.
  John Chafee was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated from 
Yale University and Harvard Law School. He left Yale to enlist in the 
Marine Corps when the United States entered World War II, and then 
served in the original invasion forces at Guadalcanal. He was recalled 
to active duty in 1951, and commanded a rifle company in Korea.
  John served for six years in the Rhode Island House of 
Representatives, was elected as Rhode Island's governor in 1962, and 
was reelected in 1964 and 1966.
  In January 1969, John Chafee was appointed Secretary of the Navy, and 
he began his career in the United States Senate in 1976. He was 
reelected to a fourth term in 1994, with 65 percent of the vote, and 
was the only Republican to be elected to the U.S. Senate from Rhode 
Island in the past 68 years.
  John Chafee has been a leader in the Senate and indeed the nation to 
improve the quality of our environment. As an effective Chairman of the 
Environment and Public Works Committee, John built a strong legislative 
record for clean air, clean water, conservation of wetlands, and 
preservation of open space.
  He also will be long remembered for his tireless efforts as a senior 
member of the Finance Committee to expand health care coverage for 
women and children and to improve community services for persons with 
disabilities.
  I extend my condolences to John's wife Virginia, their five children 
and twelve grandchildren.
  I will miss my friend and colleague, Senator John Chafee of Rhode 
Island.
  Mr. SHELBY. Mr President, I join my colleagues today in mourning the 
loss of our colleague, John Chafee. John was a good and honorable man 
who served his state and his country with distinction. A devoted public 
servant and Member of this body for 23 years, Senator Chafee's 
influence extended beyond the aisles and transcended partisan rhetoric. 
His accomplishments as a lawmaker and his unquestionable influence 
among his peers stand as a testament to his ability.
  Senator Chafee will long be admired and remembered for his devotion 
to this country both as a soldier and public servant. His distinguished 
service in the military, including serving in the Marines at 
Guadalcanal and commanding a rifle company in Korea, were indicative of 
the man who would never shy away from duty or responsibility. His 
record as a legislator, governor, and senator in Rhode Island indicate 
the amount of trust the people of Rhode Island put in John.
  Although political views may vary from person to person, it is easy 
to put these differences aside and to recognize men of strong character 
and integrity. These are qualities which were abundant in John, and his 
steadying influence in the United States Senate will be truly missed. 
My thoughts and prayers extend to his family and all those whose lives 
Senator Chafee touched.

                          ____________________