[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H6540-H6548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE PAUL
COVERDELL, SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution
(H. Res. 558) and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 558
Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of
the death of the Honorable Paul Coverdell, a Senator from the
State of Georgia.
Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to
the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the
deceased.
Resolved, That a committee be appointed on the part of the
House to join a committee appointed on the part of the Senate
to attend the funeral.
Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as
a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased
Senator.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 1 hour.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
It is with profound sadness that I rise today to offer a resolution
of condolences on the passing of Senator Paul Coverdell. Paul Coverdell
was the senior Senator from the State of Georgia and, more importantly,
he was a dear friend.
It is with deep sadness that we say good-bye to our good friend, our
colleague and our brother, Paul Coverdell. Paul Coverdell's unexpected
death is so sad and so hard. I have known him for many years, almost 30
years. As young men, we both campaigned for an open congressional seat
in 1977. Later, we both came here to Washington to represent the people
of Georgia.
Over the years, we shared many rides together back and forth to
Washington. We would often see each other here and in Georgia, and we
spent a lot of time talking about life and about what is good for the
people of Georgia and for the people of our Nation.
Paul was not just another colleague. He was like family to me and to
so many of our colleagues. His passing, his death, hurts. It is
painful. It is more than sad. We have not just lost a friend, but we
have lost a member of our family.
Paul Coverdell's intelligence, commitment, ethics and leadership
stood out. He was a friendly, peaceful man. He cared for his
colleagues, his friends, the people who elected him, and even people he
did not know. He was wonderful to work with, to be with, to travel
with. He was good to be around. A wonderful man. One of the good guys.
He was my friend, Mr. Speaker. He was my brother.
We occupied different sides of the aisle, and we did not always
agree, but always had the utmost respect and admiration for this man.
For three decades, as a Georgia lawmaker, Peace Corps director, United
States Senator, Paul Coverdell was a man who could be trusted to get
the job done. He focused on the war on drugs, worked to improve
education, and fought for the farmers and small business people of
Georgia. He was always prepared to help out and take on any task that
was required.
But Paul Coverdell never sought out the limelight. He never sought
the headline. He would never grandstand. He worked hard behind the
scenes without seeking any recognition. In today's political climate,
Paul Coverdell was an unusual and extraordinary man who will be forever
missed from among our midst.
When Paul was director of the Peace Corps, he would come in to see me
from time to time after he had just come back from a trip abroad. He
was so enthused about what he saw and what the Peace Corps was doing,
whether in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America or South
America, that his enthusiasm rubbed off on me during those meetings. I
looked forward to talking with him and working with him on those
concerns. He wanted to help people meet their basic needs, food, water,
shelter, and he wanted to stop them from having to struggle. I admired
his commitment and his work with the Peace Corps. Paul Coverdell will
be remembered not just as a citizen of Georgia, an American, but as a
citizen of the world.
Mr. Speaker, his death is a tremendous loss for the members of the
Georgia delegation, for the people of Georgia, and a personal loss for
me. We are all very sad, not just the people of Georgia, but all of his
colleagues in the Senate and in the House. He will be deeply missed.
My heart and prayers go out to Paul's wife, Nancy, to the other
members of the Coverdell family, and his staff here in Washington and
in Georgia.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Linder), a member of our delegation from the State of
Georgia.
Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time and for bringing this proposal to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, I met Paul Coverdell in 1972. He was one of 22 or 23
members of the State Senate who were Republicans, out of 56 members,
and 3 years later I was one of 19 members, I believe it was, out of 180
members in the Georgia House who were Republicans. And Paul never
stopped a moment from trying to build a party, to be competitive, not
because he thought Republicans were better than Democrats, but he
thought more Republicans would make the Democrats better.
[[Page H6541]]
Paul had an unbelievable appetite for work, and those who worked with
him understand that he had one failing in that appetite, and that was
that he always wanted to have meetings. Whatever he came up with, he
called a meeting. I recall helping him in 1977 in the race the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) referred to, a special election. I
said, Paul, how can I help you? He said, we are having a meeting at
5:30. I showed up at his office and we talked strategy for an hour; and
then I said, I have to get going and distribute some of this
literature. And he said, well, we are going to have another meeting
tomorrow at 5:30. I said, No, you, are going to have a meeting at 5:30;
I am going to be out doing work.
He did that because he did not want to go off on his own on any issue
and he wanted to talk things through. It was not uncommon to hear the
phone ring at 11:30 at night, and when I answered it, it would be,
John, Paul, I have to talk to you about something; and he would talk
for a long time.
I would play tennis, he would study politics and policy. To him they
were exactly the same. Politics and policy were not separate issues. He
cared about them both and he cared nothing about attention for his
successes. There is a reason why we did not see him on TV a lot because
he preferred to work very quietly, very much behind the scenes,
bringing people together, building coalitions as no one has in my
lifetime.
I woke up this morning and thought there is a huge hole in my life,
because Paul has been a large part of it for 25 years; and he will be
missed. I am sad that most of America will not know how much he is
missed because his work was so quiet and so behind the scenes.
I thought a little while ago, when I was talking to a reporter about
this, that I cannot think of a single former friend of Paul
Coverdell's, not a single friend, who ever left his side in anger,
because he was such a decent and gentle man. He has people working for
him today in volunteer capacities who have been with him since 1970.
They are still there because he was such a decent and gentle man, and
he included them, gave them opportunities to excel, gave them their
head and let them achieve, and then let them get the credit. They are
all there, too, to this day. His loyalty to the people around him got
that loyalty back from them.
I am sad beyond words. There is little left that we can do but to say
to Nancy and his mother and loved ones and staff that we offer
ourselves as poor substitutes for their beloved Paul, and urge upon
them the words of the Psalmist, who, feeling the pain that we here
today feel, was moved to write ``The Lord is close to the
brokenhearted, and those who are crushed in spirit, he saves.''
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) for yielding me this time. I am deeply saddened today by the
loss of our friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell. His passing is not
only a great loss for Georgia and our Nation, it is indeed a personal
loss for me.
I first met Senator Coverdell in 1974, when he came to Columbus,
Georgia, where I lived, and he did his best to recruit me to run as a
Republican for the State Senate. Senator Coverdell was not successful
in that endeavor, but he impressed upon me his commitment to integrity
in government and his commitment to our two-party system.
I eventually ran for the legislature 2 years later as a Democrat, and
I have served with Paul, I guess now for nearly 20 years, both as a
member of the General Assembly and as a member of our State's
delegation here in Congress. He and I worked together on a number of
issues over the years, and he was an extraordinary leader whose
flexibility, his ability and commitment, and his integrity were
recognized by anyone who knew him and had the opportunity to work with
him. He was a thoughtful and soft-spoken man, but he was a tenacious
fighter for all of the causes that he believed in.
Shakespeare wrote, ``All the world's a stage, and all the men and
women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; one
man in his time plays many parts . . .''
So it was with Paul. He was a soldier, having served in the Army in
Korea and the Republic of China. He was a legislator, and emerged as
one of the most ardent defenders of our American freedoms and our
democracy, as a real true fighter for our two-party system. He was a
Senator. He was elected by his colleagues to leadership in the U.S.
Senate where he served as adviser, counselor, supporter, confidant for
the Republican Party, and he gave an important voice to how our
government conducts its business.
As a humanitarian, Paul dedicated a segment of his life to leading
the Peace Corps, an organization that needs no accolades in its efforts
to lift the untouchables to places of respectability and to bring life
and quality of life to people all across the world.
{time} 1500
That was Paul Coverdell's commitment. He made numerous contributions
in the Peace Corps, such as redesigning the agency's mission to serve
the emerging democracies in Europe.
Paul was a family man. He loved Nancy and his family, and he always
held them dear. But Paul was also a statesman; and everything that he
did, he did it with dignity and with respect and with courtesy.
I have two personal stories or recollections and memories of Paul. I
have shared one, and that was his efforts in our conversations as he
worked to try to recruit me as a Republican candidate for the State
Senate in 1974.
But even more important than that was the kind of individual that
Paul was, the kind of integrity that he had. He was a man who was
committed to integrity, who was committed to fairness, and who was
committed to that which was right.
My colleagues may remember that former State Senator Julian Bond had
been a member of the Georgia State House of Representatives and had
made some statements regarding the Vietnam War which angered his
colleagues in the Georgia House. They got together, passed a
resolution, and expelled him from membership in the Georgia House. So
he could not take his seat.
Then Representative Bond filed a lawsuit, took it all the way to the
Supreme Court; and the Supreme Court had to order the State House to
grant him his seat to represent his constituents.
Shortly thereafter, Julian Bond ran for the State Senate and was
elected overwhelmingly and became a member of that august body. But the
hostility was so great in the Georgia House because of the resentment
for Senator Bond and what he stood for that any piece of legislation
that he offered that passed the Senate, even if it passed unanimously,
once it got to the House it was doomed to a certain death, a certain
death.
So Paul and Julian were friends. Anything that Julian felt so
strongly about that he wanted it to be passed he discussed with his
friend, Paul Coverdell. Paul would take Julian's ghost-written
legislation and he would offer it under his name; and when it got to
the House, it would secure the usual passage.
Paul did that not because he wanted the limelight, not because he
wanted the credit, but because he believed in doing that which was
right; and if it was a good piece of legislation, he felt that it did
not matter who wrote the bill. What was important was the result.
Paul Coverdell set an example for all of us in elective office to
follow. It is not important that we be concerned about the partisanship
as it is that we be concerned about the policy.
Yes, all the world is a stage and all the men and women merely
players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in his time may
play many parts.
And so to Nancy and to the Coverdell family, our prayers go out to
you; and we will wrap our arms around you, and we urge the Almighty to
grant you the peace of spirit that only he can grant at a time like
this.
Paul was our friend, Paul was a statesman, and we will miss him very
deeply.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss).
[[Page H6542]]
Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) very much as the dean of our delegation for bringing this
resolution to the floor.
Normally, we come down here to the well of the House to debate bills;
and while we are sometimes loud and in heated debate, we are always
having fun down here. This is one of those times where we are not
necessarily here having fun, although I cannot help but think about
Paul Coverdell and some of the fun times we had together and some of
his traits that have been coming back to me over the last couple of
days.
I am reminded particularly about the fact that, I do not care where
you saw Paul, he always had that same white shirt and tie on. I have
the great pleasure of representing the Okefenokee Swamp. We were down
at the Okefenokee a couple years ago, and some of my colleagues were
down there, and we were doing a press event. It was as hot as blazes.
We were out there in the middle of the swamp, and all of us were
dressed in our golf shirts and our khaki pants. Just as the news
conference starts, here comes Paul driving up with his white shirt, his
suit pants, and his tie on. What a classy guy.
Two years ago I was doing an event for him, and I remember it was a
farm event and we were over in Terrell County. And again, it was in
August. August in Georgia, my colleagues, particularly south Georgia,
is hot. We were out in the middle of a field looking at some peanuts
out there. And again I am in my golf shirt and my khakis, and Paul is
out there just as cool as he can be in that white shirt and that tie.
As we sat under the shade tree that day talking to a group of
farmers, he was just so impressive, not just in what he was saying but
in the way he looked and in the way he carried himself. That is the
Paul Coverdell that I am going to remember.
Paul and I had a habit of talking to each other about once a week
over the last couple years just about things in general. We did not
always get a chance to sit down face to face. Sometimes we missed a
phone call. But the guy had more political insight, not just partisan
political insight, but political insight about things in this country.
I will always remember the fact that if I called him and talked to
him about an ag issue, which I did on a regular basis, we talked about
whatever it was; but then Paul with get off and he would, Saxby, let me
tell you what we are doing with the Straight A's bill, this education
bill that is going to mean so much to the children that your wife
teaches and to other children all across this country.
And you would be talking to him about a defense issue, again which we
do on a regular basis; and we talk about our 130s or our F-22 problem,
whatever it was, and Paul would say, Well, let me tell you about one
other thing that I am working on, this drug issue with the Colombian
drug bill that we are working on. Let me tell you what that is going to
do for America. Let me tell you what a difference that is going to make
to people all across this country.
That is the Paul Coverdell that I am going to remember.
He was a very unique individual, a person who had the ability to take
difficult issues, to deal with difficult people with difficult issues
and bring common sense and political responsibility to the forefront.
Paul Coverdell was truly a unique Member of the United States Senate.
He was a great colleague of all of ours, whether you are Republican or
Democrat; and that is evidenced by the fact that this is being done in
a bipartisan way. Yesterday, on the floor of this House, it was
evidenced in a bipartisan way that there was tremendous respect for
Paul Coverdell.
We will miss him very much. We certainly wish the best for him and
his family. His staff are just great people that my staff has had the
pleasure of working with every single day that I have been a Member of
this House.
Paul Coverdell had gotten so political in his thoughts that he
probably designed his death to take place on the day of the Georgia
primary, which happened to be yesterday. And I am betting you when he
got to the pearly gates last night, the first thing he asked St. Peter
was for a copy of the Republican election results from yesterday. That
is the kind of guy that he was.
He was a great friend, a great individual. This country will miss
Paul Coverdell.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. McKinney).
Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I guess it is not a secret, Paul Coverdell
and I were about as different as night and day. But vastly different
paths in life led us both to serve in the Georgia legislature and then
on to Congress so that we could work together on behalf of the people
of the great State of Georgia. And when it came to the interests of the
people of Georgia, we often saw eye to eye.
I want to send all of my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to
the Coverdell family and to all the people who knew and loved Paul
Coverdell.
Immediately after the 1996 election, when I had been redistricted and
had a vastly changed district and we were able to pull out a victory in
a very close race, Paul Coverdell and I got together and decided that
we needed to build bridges with each other so that we could do the work
that the people of Georgia sent us both to do.
Our first project together resulted in about $20 million being
protected on the Senate side for my constituents who live in and about
the environs of Peach Tree De Kalb Airport.
Paul Coverdell's latest project that we all were working on was a
veterans cemetery for our Georgia veterans.
But more than anything else, I have to say that I am struck by the
finality of death and the incomplete way many of us in public life lead
our lives. We are so busy, we are rushing here and rushing there and
going to meetings and going here and going there and always, always,
always in a rush and too busy to appreciate the people around us, too
busy to stop and say ``I love you,'' too busy to stop and say ``I thank
you'' to the people who make a difference in our lives.
This past weekend, I was looking at the Coverdell report on
television; and now I am standing here today sending condolences to
Paul Coverdell's family.
I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the dean of
our delegation, for providing us this resolution so that we can pay our
respects to our senior Senator. I want to thank all of the people who
are responsible for all of us being here serving our people of our
State.
I would like to thank my colleagues, who, through difficult times,
have stood beside me in particular. And perhaps I have not said thank
you appropriately enough, but I want to say thank you today. I want to
say thank you to my Georgia delegation members. Because we do not see
eye to eye on a lot of issues and we do not even meet as often as we
probably should, but I do not think there is a single issue that will
benefit the people of our State that we do not come together and work
on.
And then finally, I would like to thank the Coverdell family for
sharing their leader with the people of our State and the people of our
country for about 30 years of public service.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal).
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia
(Mr. Lewis) for bringing this resolution to the floor.
This is a sad day for all of us, and I am dearly impressed with the
eloquence of my colleagues who have already spoken.
Paul Coverdell was indeed a good friend of ours. And it is difficult
on occasions like this to say anything that lends full value to the
life that he shared with all of us. I realize that labels and slogans
themselves are often inadequate. But I will be very brief, and I have a
few labels that I would like to put on Paul Coverdell.
The first is that he was a defender of democracy. That may seem to be
a very bland statement, but he truly believed in this Republic that we
have here as a country.
He believed that one of the great things that it embodied was the
free enterprise system. And he, as a small businessman, grew his
business to a
[[Page H6543]]
successful national enterprise. So he was indeed a defender of
democracy.
And he was a proponent of peace. We have heard the statements about
his service as the Director of the United States Peace Corps. But in
all of his dealings, both politically and personally, he was indeed a
man of peace.
{time} 1515
And he was, of course, a patriot with passion. You have heard of his
service as a captain in the United States Army overseas. But he also
brought that same degree of passion and patriotism to his public
service, having been recognized by educational institutions and by
other public institutions for his service both at the State level and
here in Washington. And he was a statesman with stature.
Like many of my colleagues, we served with Paul at the State
legislative level. Paul was in the State Senate when I arrived in 1981,
and even though he was in the minority in that body, he was respected,
because he displayed the kind of dedication to public service that all
of us would like to have.
I recall that he was on the retirement committee. I want to tell you,
folks, when you get assigned to the retirement committee in the Georgia
legislature, you really do not aspire to that position. But he was one
of those individuals that everybody, regardless of political party,
would go to to ask about those intricate, detailed, often boring and
mundane issues relating to retirement, and Paul always knew what the
answer was, because he was willing to do his homework. He was willing
to work on the things that other people would want to cast aside
because there was not enough public attention given to the subject. But
Paul knew how important things like that were; and that is, of course,
what distinguished him here as well and made him a statesman with
stature.
He was also and lastly a friend without reservation. He was somebody
that you could talk with on a personal and intimate basis. You could
rely on his judgment. You could trust the fact that he would keep
confidences and he would give you the best and sound advice that he
possibly could, both politically and personally.
Lastly, I would simply like to say that Paul Coverdell was a quiet
man of courage, and he will be deeply missed.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
Mr. COLLINS. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for
yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, Paul Coverdell's passing is a great loss to the United
States, to the other Chamber, to Georgia, to his wife, Nancy, and his
family. He was a hardworking, thoughtful legislator who possessed the
rare gift of leadership and the even rarer gift of being a good man.
The news of his death hit me hard, because I saw Paul as more than a
colleague. I saw him as a true friend, and more than that as a mentor.
When I was first elected to the Georgia Senate, he and I took a walk
through his neighborhood to talk about the job that I would be facing.
That was his style, quiet and purposeful. He was a teacher who was less
concerned about who received the credit than he was of getting the job
done.
Mr. Speaker, many others in Georgia's Third Congressional District
feel the loss of Paul Coverdell. I spoke with several this morning who
worked with Paul to build the Republican Party in Georgia or who served
with him in the Georgia legislature, people like Barbara Scruggs,
chairperson of the Third Congressional District Republican Party. She
said, ``I've known Paul since the first election he ran. I always
admired how hard he worked for us. He was always quiet and unassuming
and a great leader of the State of Georgia.''
Former Congressman Bo Callaway said this morning, ``This is such a
shock to have Paul in his prime of life so suddenly taken from us. I
really think the people of Georgia and America will never know how much
we have lost, for Paul Coverdell was really on the way to becoming one
of our great leaders. It will be hard to imagine going on without
him.''
Ted Land, who served in Georgia's Senate with Paul, said, ``Paul
Coverdell was a man of highest integrity. I never in my 10 years with
Paul ever heard him speak a mean-spirited word about anyone on either
side of the aisle. A man of boundless energy, he was totally dedicated
to serving his State and his party. The void created by his death will
be extremely difficult to fill.''
Former State Senator Arthur ``Skin'' Edge summed up Paul in one word:
patriot. He said that as he heard of the death of Paul last night, the
one thing that kept coming back to his mind is that Paul Coverdell is a
21st-century patriot. He stood for the principles that this country was
founded on and fought for them all of his life.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Georgia's Third District, we mourn Paul
Coverdell's death, and we cherish the memories of his friendship.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).
Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) as dean of our delegation for bringing this resolution today.
Mr. Speaker, Paul Coverdell was a sterling example of what a United
States Senator should be all about. He provided the kind of leadership
for Georgia, America, and the world that will be sorely missed. Paul
Coverdell was unshakeable in his resolve to support the right policies
for Georgia and America. Yet in 6 years of serving with him in
Congress, I never heard him utter an unkind word toward any opponent.
He was a man of reason, of principle, and provided a shining example of
civility in action in the arena of public debate. That is unusual to
find a man such as that.
He never to my knowledge backed down on principle; yet he held his
ground with dignity and respect for the position of those who
disagreed. And he never gave up.
Since coming to Washington in 1993, Senator Coverdell fought to
improve the education of America's children. That fight continues
today. But because of his effort, I believe that fight will eventually
be won because of his enthusiasm and his sincere belief that we could
make it better. When it is, the final product will have the
fingerprints of Paul Coverdell on every page.
Senator Coverdell was likewise a champion of those who served this
country in our Armed Forces. When Congress forgot the promises made to
our veterans, Paul Coverdell reminded us all of those commitments. His
legislation to restore those promises is still pending in both
Chambers, and the finest tribute I think we could all pay to this true
statesman would be to pass that measure into law before this session
ends. Today, I recommit myself to helping make that happen.
There are far too many issues to mention in which Senator Coverdell
played a decisive role. But we need to reflect on Paul Coverdell's
public service before he became a Senator, I think, because it reflects
a lifetime of public service.
He began adult life, of course, by serving America in the U.S. Army
in Korea and the Republic of China. He served his State in the Georgia
Senate for nearly 2 decades. He served America and the world as the
director of the Peace Corps, as we have heard, where his leadership in
building democracy was vital in reclaiming much of Eastern Europe from
the dictatorship of Communism.
Our hearts go out to Nancy Coverdell and the entire Coverdell family.
They should be and are remembered in the prayers of this Nation in
their hour of loss. And we should remember the loyal staff of Senator
Coverdell. Perhaps the strongest confirmation of the basic decency of a
Member of Congress can be found in the affection of those who work with
him every day, many times under the most trying circumstances. From the
true grief that I personally know his staff to be feeling today, the
decency of this great American is affirmed in full measure.
That slender thread of life by which we were tied to Paul Coverdell
is now broken. But the wisdom, the generosity, the civility, the
patriotism, and the dedication which he brought to this Congress will
never die. The leadership of Paul Coverdell will continue to live in
the legislation he has enacted and has sponsored. We can best
[[Page H6544]]
honor his memory by seeing the mission through, from giving our
children a choice in education to restoring the health care of the
defenders of America.
Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to a great leader by picking up the
fallen banner of Senator Paul Coverdell and carrying it through to
victory. I personally feel a great loss for a dear friend; indeed, we
all do, a man that we have all become very close to and loved, a quiet,
gentle giant in the Government of America.
Today we pray for Paul's soul and pray God will give comfort to Nancy
and the Coverdell family.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr).
Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support
of the resolution authored by the dean of the Georgia delegation, the
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
Let me first say to Paul's lovely bride, Nancy, you have the love,
the affection, and the prayers of this entire body on both sides of the
aisle, on both sides of the Rotunda. We pay tribute today to the
hardest-working man in the U.S. Senate. Although his venue has changed,
the job description has not. Paul Coverdell is now the hardest-working
man in heaven. I can hear him already, sleeves rolled up, white
sleeves, of course, tie impeccable, saying, There must be some
unfinished work up here in heaven, Lord. Point me in the right
direction. I'm ready to work.
While Paul Coverdell never spoke from this well, but rather from the
well on the other side of the Rotunda in the United States Senate, you
could often hear his voice here, in front of this American flag that he
loved and the country that it represents that he loved so deeply and so
passionately. You could hear Paul Coverdell whenever we debated such
issues of fundamental importance to the American people as those he had
championed and loved: education, national defense, and always the
needs, wishes, hopes, and desires of our citizens of his and our
beloved State of Georgia. You could hear the passion, the conviction,
and the patriotism always of Paul D. Coverdell. Those words, that
passion, that commitment will echo out now forever across the ages as
part of what former President Ronald Reagan called in his second
inaugural address, the American sound. Paul Coverdell is now part of
that American sound that President Reagan identified as the sound of
love, decency and compassion that has always echoed out across America
and through the halls of its leadership and around the world,
representing the very best of mankind.
Paul Coverdell is a friend. Though we briefly found ourselves, he and
I, in a competitive race in the primary, in the primary runoff in 1992,
we were friends before that race. Indeed, Paul was my very first
political friend when I moved to Georgia in the 1970s.
{time} 1530
I was referred to him by our mutual friend and my former boss at the
CIA, George Bush. We remained friends throughout those two races in
1992, and we remained ever closer friends both immediately after and in
the years since Paul was elected with honor and dignity to the United
States Senate in 1992.
I am reminded today in closing, as a man of God, I know the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is, too, of Matthew who tells us in chapter 5
in those words that are so familiar to all that there Beatitudes,
blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of
God.
Paul Coverdell was a peacemaker. Paul Coverdell is a child of God,
now and for the ages. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis)
and God bless Paul D. Coverdell and his family.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) for bringing this resolution to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I
thank each of my colleagues from Georgia for paying tribute today to
our dear friend, and I hope everyone in this room and I hope everyone
listening recognizes that 11 Georgians, Democrat and Republican alike,
sit today under this symbol and in this room and pay tribute to a man
who transcends politics and who in our State, as we have heard from
each speaker, through example after example, changed lives and made
them better.
Mr. Speaker, rather than repeat everything that has been said, I
would just say this to those of us who are not from Georgia; if you
have ever flown through Hartsfield International Airport, Paul
Coverdell touched your life. If you ever came into Atlanta and rode on
its rapid transit, Paul Coverdell touched your life. If you are a
Georgia citizen whose life or the life of a loved one was saved because
of a seat belt, Paul Coverdell touched your life.
While so many politicians talk a good game, Paul Coverdell lived one;
but, you know, at a time like this when a contemporary of all of ours
dies, it puts life into perspective.
It makes us think for just a minute what if I die. But for those of
you who did not know him, let me just tell you this, Paul did it all.
He did it with dignity and with grace. He did it with passion and with
understanding, and he did it with not a single evil touch to anything
he ever did. He did it for the best of the United States of America and
for the people of Georgia.
In my Sunday school class, in Marietta, Georgia in the Methodist
church, we have a little book called Leaves of Gold, and in it there is
a poem, and I cannot remember, but twice before that poem has been
recalled to me in paying tribute to an individual, but it just seems to
fit the life and the legacy and the lasting memory of Paul Coverdell.
I hope I can get through it, but it goes a little bit like this: I
would rather see a good person than hear about one any day. And I would
rather have a good person walk with me than merely point the way. For
my eyes are better pupils and more willing than my ear, and fine
counsel is confusing but examples crystal clear. And the best of all
the people are the ones that live their creeds, for to see the good in
action is what everybody needs. Oh, I will be very glad to do it if you
let me see it done, but your tongue too fast sometimes may run. And the
lectures you deliver may be very wise and very true, but I would rather
get my lecture by observing what you do. For I may misunderstand you
and the high advice you give, but I will never misunderstand the way
you act and the way you live.
Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with all of my colleagues to pay
tribute to a man who acted and lived a life exemplary of the finest in
public service, the finest in commitment to his wife and to his family
and in the finest tradition of public service.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the
time.
Nancy Coverdell has lost a great husband, as has the Coverdell family
lost a great member. The United States of America has lost a great
Senator. Georgia has lost a great leader and the Republican party in
Georgia has lost the father of our party.
Paul Coverdell was the minority leader in the State Senate. He was
the State Republican party chairman. He was the official Georgia
connection to the Bush White House. He was the director of the Peace
Corps. He was the United States Senator, and then also in the great
Bush-Coverdell legacy, the official contact for the George W. Bush
campaign.
He put our party on the map, and the reason I underscore that is, I
believe the State and its citizens are better for it. I believe that
having two parties gives our voters every day a choice, and I believe I
am a better Republican because of Democrat opposition. I hope that our
Democrat counterparts, and I am sure they will agree, they would say
they are better Democrats because of Republican opposition.
The State, indeed, is the winner. Paul Coverdell was a great
strategist. I remember in 1974 my mother, who is a great newspaper
clipper, sent me an article called the Gospel According to Paul. And it
was talking about
[[Page H6545]]
this young guy running for the State Senate in Atlanta, who was doing
strange things, like going door to door and having living room coffees
and roadside sign wavings. And he was struggling in an uphill battle in
a Democrat-controlled State to win, but he did win. I believe, as the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder) has already said, there were only
three Republican Members in the Senate at the time. I know by the time
I got to the State House, there were a whopping nine Senators.
Coverdell was the minority leader. But while he did not have
numerical superiority, he did not let that keep him out of the ideas
arena. And he was very competitive on ideas. At that time, Governor Joe
Frank Harris was introducing a number of DUI laws.
The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) will remember Coverdell
passed and sponsored a bill in the Senate that said, you know, it is
not just enough to give somebody a heftier DUI penalty, what we have
found through research is a lot of these people are addicted to
alcohol. We need to put in a component of mandatory assessment to see
if they are addicted, and then we cannot just leave them addicted to
alcohol, we need to have mandatory or at least optional treatment. This
was a solid idea.
Mr. Speaker, I remember being on the Motor Vehicles Committee as he
pushed that. Paul Coverdell was an ideas man. He also had a great world
view. As director of the Peace Corps, he did not just use this, okay,
this is my political plumb for helping President Bush along the
campaign trail. He used it to promote farming in Third World countries,
economic growth and development, medical help. Indeed, he saw the
formula for world prosperity meant world peace, and it was great and
important for the United States of America to be there leading the way.
Paul Coverdell was a sobby-eyed patriot in many ways. I remember when
he was running for the U.S. Senate and I had him in my living room for
a coffee, and at that time all of these people came, and they were
asking very lofty intellectual questions about the world situation.
Paul was hanging in there with the best of them. In the middle of this,
my small daughter, Ann, 4 years old at the time, had left the
playground where all of these kids were, came running into the living
room, crashed through the circle of adults to the middle of where this
dignified U.S. senatorial candidate was speaking, and said, Daddy, it
was my turn in line to go down the slide and they pushed me down the
slide and I fell down and hurt my heinie to which the whole audience
starting laughing.
Senator Coverdell was there, acknowledged the little girl and her
plight and went on with his speech. And I thought it was so cute
because he did not lose control, he kept that Coverdell dignity through
the whole thing. And, indeed, he carried that dignity and that
gentleman manner with him everywhere he went.
As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss) has already said, he
was a great organizer and a communicator. I remember in the 1992
campaign during the runoff one day, he was at Georgia Southern
University, all kinds of people there, and he had done a TV and a radio
interview, and he turned on his watch and he said, Jack, we have to go
to this event. I said, Paul, the game has not started. He said, well,
we have got a schedule. I said but, Paul, all of these people are here.
He said, well, we really need to get to Savannah and keep our schedule.
Indeed, we did leave and go to Savannah.
I was totally amazed and a little bit irritated by this, and only
later did I realize the importance of him in terms of strategy; it
meant everything, and that is why he could accomplish all of the things
that he did accomplish. In our area, he fought as, the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Norwood) said, for the veterans, the active soldiers at
Fort Stewart, but the veterans in our area.
Agriculture, we all know in south Georgia good old ``Senator
Cloverdale.'' That is what the farmers would always call him. Well, let
us just go ask Cloverdale. And they loved Mr. Cloverdale.
Education, if I go to talk to the teachers about educational savings
acts, they like that idea. If I talk to seniors about Social Security
and lockbox ideas, they like that idea.
Paul Coverdell had the uncanny ability, not just to have an opinion
on every issue, but have a thought on every issue and a consequential
action. He was a man of action.
His civility, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) knows, he
worked with him very closely on passing the C.B. King Courthouse in
Albany, Georgia. I remember, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis)
knows, he was friends of Mr. Bond. When Mr. Bond left the State Senate
to run for the congressional seat, which the gentleman was successful
in obtaining, Paul Coverdell was one of the men in the Georgia Senate
who stood up and gave a great farewell speech for Julian Bond.
I remember watching that and saying here is a liberal Democrat and
the conservative Republican leader of the State. What is he doing? I
said there is a lesson here. Bipartisanship and civility is important,
and you should never let politics rule over policy.
A week ago, he called me at my home on Sunday. We had an issue in our
area with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and we kind of
got off path. He said, Jack, I think we are a little out of sync here.
I just want to make sure that you and I are okay on this.
It was typical of Coverdell, because I think so many of us, including
me, and especially me, would have said, all right, you are way off
base, I am right and you are wrong; not Paul, he made it so that it was
just so easy to get along.
He also told me a couple of weeks ago in a private conversation about
committing to the team, when you are a Member of Congress, when you are
a Member of an issue and you are associated with that issue, commit to
your team and be proud to be on that team, even if the vote is an
uncomfortable one.
He talked to me about Nancy. He said, you know, we are doing a little
bit with real estate. I have to tell you Nancy is better at real estate
than I am. She is real good at it. I will tell you what, you men know.
It is a rare man who really privately one on one takes time to brag
about his wife to another man, and that is a sign of a great marriage
and a great husband and true love.
Paul Coverdell was a good Republican, a great strategist, a great
ideas man, had a world view, had civility and integrity, a great
organizer. He was energetic. He was a great communicator and a
loyalist.
In short, Paul Coverdell was a statesman. Years ago, there was
another Paul on this earth, and he tells us in a scripture that it is
better to wear out than rust out. I would not submit to you that Paul
Coverdell wore out, but I would also say he certainly did not wear out,
and maybe in this institution which he loves so dearly we could say,
and he would agree, the gentleman's time expired. But while the
gentleman's time has expired, I also think we could evoke the words of
St. Paul, one more time and say, well done, that good and faithful
servant.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Florida, (Mrs. Fowler), formerly from
the State of Georgia.
Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I did grow up in the State of Georgia, and
it was with a really heavy heart yesterday when I learned of the loss
of Paul Coverdell. Paul and my dad served together in the Georgia State
legislature, and though they were in different parties, they became
good friends, and shared many funny stories together as they served.
When I came to the U.S. Congress 8 years ago, Paul sort of took me
under his wing and was such a dear friend to me and a mentor, and I
could always go to him for advice and know I could always rely on it.
He was such an outstanding man. We have been hearing people talk today
about all the wonderful qualities that Paul had, and when I think of
Paul, I think of someone who lived life with zest and enthusiasm, who
loved his family, who loved his country, who loved serving the people.
He was the finest example of a public servant that I have ever known,
a decent, honorable man, such deep integrity, who loved people so much
and loved doing for them. I look back when
[[Page H6546]]
he was director of the Peace Corps and all he did to guide and mentor
those young people that were serving all around the world.
{time} 1545
So really today, as we all have very heavy hearts because we will all
miss Paul deeply, miss his friendship, miss his service, miss his
strength that he brought to the representation of the State of Georgia
in the United States Senate but most of all, Paul, we are going to
really miss you.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
(Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Lewis) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis)
for bringing this resolution to the floor at this time. It is with deep
regret that I rise to join my colleagues in mourning the loss of the
remarkable public servant, Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia. As
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere
Subcommittee, Senator Paul Coverdell was dedicated to fostering good
relations with our neighbors in the Americas.
Among his many contributions, Paul actively and ably cochaired our
interparliamentary meeting with the Mexican Congress, and I was pleased
to have had a personal relationship with Paul in relation to his work
on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Last year, Senator Coverdell was extremely proud to be able to host
our Mexican colleagues in Savannah, Georgia. Paul went to great lengths
to make all of us feel welcome, including delivering a substantial
portion of his opening address in Spanish, and I recall Paul and Nancy
guiding Georgia and I through his hometown and pointing out where they
lived and pointing out his offices. He had a great deal of pride in his
city. It was certainly one of the most productive and pleasant
interparliamentary meetings we held in Savannah.
Fortunately, Paul was able to see the Mexican people secure full
democracy for themselves through their recent elections on July 2,
something that Paul was strongly supportive of.
It was my privilege to work with Senator Coverdell on a number of
important regional issues. He was dedicated to defining and defending
American interests abroad, and when it came time to stand up to support
our efforts in our fight against illicit drugs, Paul Coverdell never
failed the American people; always taking the lead in galvanizing
support in the Senate for moving a substantial, meaningful aid package
to help our troubled neighborhoods in the Andean region of South
America and more recently particularly in Colombia.
Just last week, President Clinton signed into law a bipartisan
emergency supplemental aid package for Colombia, and it was gratifying
that Paul was able to see the consummation of his extraordinary efforts
to help our neighbors to the south.
Senator Coverdell was a principled man. He was a leading voice in the
Congress, calling for a firm response to the undermining of democratic
institutions through the illegitimate elections in Peru; and we should
honor Senator Coverdell's leadership by strongly supporting his respect
for democracy in Peru.
My spouse, Georgia, joins with me in extending our deepest
condolences to Paul's widow, Nancy. Paul and Nancy were loved by many.
We extend our sympathy, too, to the many people in Georgia and
elsewhere who admired and followed this remarkable public leader.
Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
(Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the dean of the Georgia delegation
for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here with my colleagues from Georgia
and other parts of the country to talk about our friend Paul Coverdell.
No one could ask for a better friend than Paul Coverdell. I first met
him when he was appointed director of the Peace Corps in the late
1980s, and at that time the attention in this House and around the
world was focused on the emerging democracies of Eastern and Central
Europe. In several meetings that we had in my office, Paul Coverdell
was talking with such enthusiasm about creative ways in which we could
help the people of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and other
countries that were starting to get that first taste of freedom.
I was so struck with the dedication that this man showed that I made
a decision early on that I wanted to do anything that I possibly could
to help him. So he took me up on that. He took me up on it when in 1992
he called me and told me that he was going to run for the United States
Senate. I thought, what a great idea. He asked me to help him, so I
did; and I will never forget the day that I was flying to Atlanta from
what is now, and I see Mr. Barr here, affectionately referred to as
Ronald Reagan National Airport; and I was standing in the terminal with
a former colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle, and he
said, Well, why are you flying to Atlanta?
I said I am flying down to help Paul Coverdell win his election to
the United States Senate.
Well, this former colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle
laughed hysterically because he did not believe that Paul had much of a
chance to win, and there were a lot of people who did not think Paul
had a great chance to win. In fact, I suspected that this former
colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle kind of thought that
Paul had about as much chance of winning as he did of losing.
So the fact of the matter is, we saw in Paul Coverdell a stick-to-
itiveness that was very, very impressive. He was dedicated to his work.
I spent time traveling in Georgia with him, and he had a couple of
events. There were a few people who attended a number of those events.
I assumed it was because they had announced that I was going to be
there. But the fact of the matter was, this guy never gave up. He was a
real fighter.
One of the things that we have so often found in these Members who
worked with him closely in Georgia for decades know that whenever
someone wanted a job to be done, the person to whom they would look was
Paul Coverdell because when this guy said that he was going to take on
a job and do it, he did it.
We so often hear the juxtaposition between work horses and show
horses in this place, and we all know that Paul Coverdell epitomized
the work horse. He was a guy who was extremely dedicated.
I am so happy that the chairman of the Committee on International
Relations reminded us of his having hosted the Mexican
Interparliamentary Conference along with, I remember the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Kingston) was there with us when we held that meeting and
Paul was so proud of the opportunity to host that very important
meeting.
I served with him as a cochairman of the Republican House-Senate
Dinner. Boy, that guy was absolutely relentless when it came to our
goal of building a strong Republican Party, and as has been said by our
colleagues from the other side of the aisle, he, working for a strong
Republican Party, knew that ultimately working in a bipartisan way was
the only way that we could actually get things accomplished.
My thoughts and prayers go to Nancy and other members of the family,
and I cannot say what a shocking and devastating loss this is, not only
for this great institution of ours but for the Nation as a whole.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The Chair advises
that the time of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) has expired.
Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XVII, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston) is recognized for 1 hour on the resolution.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).
Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston) for yielding me this time.
[[Page H6547]]
Mr. Speaker, I believe for the ages Senator Paul Coverdell will be
remembered as one of the most thoughtful, diligent, and detail-oriented
Members in the history of the United States Senate. Who would have ever
thought this time last week that we would be here today paying tribute
to the memory of Senator Coverdell?
There are times here where everything seems to stand still, and this
is one of those days where we come together at the water's edge, as
people, as God's children, no differences, to pay the proper tribute to
a truly great public servant. A lot of political people skim the
surface, stay on the surface from fear of the details, from fear of the
slip of the tongue, from fear of incompetency on very complicated
matters of the day, but not Senator Coverdell.
My experience with him was a fearless master of details and
complexity, never worrying about how far deep he would swim into
issues, about whether he could comprehend them or always carry a host
of things going on at the same time. Unbelievable, really, in his
capacity to carry all of the different issues with him and stay that
intricately involved. It really bodes well for public service in
America that people like Paul would dedicate his life to others through
public service.
As a Tennessean who was born in Georgia when my dad was on active
duty at Fort Benning, my dad always said that it cost $12 for me to be
born at Fort Benning, and he still wonders if he got his money's worth;
but that is my Georgia roots, and I am a Southerner. Georgia mourns the
loss today of a truly great United States Senator, but the South has
lost one of its greatest leaders as well.
I come as a Southerner today to say, Nancy, we are sorry; to the
Georgia delegation, we are sorry that they have lost their friend and
lifetime companion in the flesh.
Last October I was coming to the Chattanooga Airport to leave right
after Payne Stewart had died tragically at the height of his career,
and you think about Paul at 61 years old, he is really politically at
the height of his career and he is gone in the flesh, right at the
height of his ability to effectively carry out the responsibilities as
a United States Senator and he is gone.
I said to R.V. Brown, a pastor who I know who I ran into at the
airport, Reverend R.V. Brown is that not unbelievable that Payne
Stewart just vanished like that in the flesh? And here is what he said,
and it was a great comfort to me, and I hope it is great comfort to
Nancy and others who mourn the loss of Paul Coverdell. He said
sometimes the Lord picks the ripest fruit to have the greatest impact
on everyone around that individual.
I believe that the United States Senate, the United States House, the
State of Georgia, the South, the United States of America, mankind at
large can come closer together and truly appreciate each other more
because of this moment when we forever and ever memorialize a fine
person and a great public servant, Senator Paul Coverdell. Good-bye,
sir.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
Wamp), the chairman of the Morning Prayer Breakfast each Thursday, for
his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the deputy whip.
Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr.
Kingston) for yielding the floor to me.
Mr. Speaker, just yesterday some of us took the floor in an
unanticipated moment to wish the very best and to extend our thoughts
and our prayers to Senator Coverdell, his wife, Nancy, and to their
family, as they struggled with this unanticipated challenge. Today,
just a few hours beyond, almost exactly 24 hours beyond, the time that
we were so hopeful in those last moments of Paul Coverdell's life that
he would continue to be with us, beyond the time when we thought that
if anybody could come back from any challenge it would be Paul
Coverdell, beyond the time when we thought that if anybody else could
do this, could be back in a year, he could be back in a few months, we
are here today with a person who has been so important in this building
to both the House and the Senate and so important to the country, gone
from us.
I was moved by the observation that our friend, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), just made about how the Lord may take someone at
such an inopportune time in their life to challenge the rest of us to
meet a new standard in our life, a new standard with each other, a new
standard of public service, a new standard of being able to reach out
as Paul was famous for to others and say, gee, you have got a lot to do
here, can I help you? At the same time, we know that Paul every time he
was saying that it seemed that when you would think about it that he
surely had more to do than the person he was offering to reach out and
help, but his predisposition in life was to help other people.
I did not know Paul Coverdell when I came to Congress 3\1/2\ years
ago. In fact, I did not really know him except to speak to him in the
hallways of the House and the Senate where he was always friendly to me
until about a year and a half ago when he and I were both asked to be
on the exploratory committee for Governor Bush. That was a 10-person
committee. Our jobs were to represent the governor with the House and
the Senate in that year and a half. There was not a week that we did
not talk on the phone, and many weeks that we saw each other, just to
compare notes, just to talk about what was happening.
{time} 1600
Even in that relationship, he would often say, well, you have 200
people over there that you are talking to and dealing with and I only
have about 55 over here. Can I help you do anything to make your job in
the House easier? I usually observed that probably it was easier to
deal with a couple of hundred House Members than 55 people from the
other body. He would always smile.
Mr. Speaker, I told somebody not too long ago that there were many
good reasons to do that particular job, as the liaison for the Bush
Committee, but I would have done it knowing what I knew then, and this
was 2 or 3 months ago with no anticipation of this moment, certainly. I
would have done it all just to have the chance to work with Paul
Coverdell. He was that kind of person. He was the kind of person that
all of us who got a chance to work with him I am sure were looking
forward to a couple more decades of that relationship, not thinking
that each time we saw him might be the last time we saw him; but
thinking, now, I wonder what it is that we can next do that allows us
to work together, because it was such a joy and a privilege to work
together with him.
I told someone earlier today that one of the things that one really
noticed when one dealt with our friends on the other side of the
Capitol was the interesting oil that Paul Coverdell added to the
process just to make things work that otherwise you did not quite know
during a meeting how they might have worked if Senator Coverdell had
not been there. Of course now we are challenged to know how they would
work, but we do know the example he set of making things work, the
example he set of being willing to reach out to other people, the
example he set of always trying his best to appear to be the most
humble guy in the room, the person who would be the most likely to take
the most difficult assignment, the person who would never show any
sense that there was any job that needed to be done that was below or
beneath him as an individual. It is a standard that is hard to achieve,
frankly, in politics and government, and even hard to achieve in this
building; but it is one that he established so well that he made
serving others and doing the most menial job seem like that, somehow,
that was the most important thing to do.
Mr. Speaker, we will miss him in this building. We will miss him in
our relationships between this House and our friends on the other side
of the Capitol. We will miss his willingness to work, his capacity, his
insight. But as the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp) observed
earlier, maybe there is a challenge here. There is a purpose in most
things in life; and if we search for the purpose of this, one of the
purposes might be to emulate some of the things that are so easy to say
about Paul Coverdell.
Mr. Speaker, it is written somewhere, we will miss him tomorrow and
tomorrow and tomorrow.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri.
[[Page H6548]]
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman of the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence.
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the distinguished
gentleman from Georgia, the honorable John Lewis, the dean of the
delegation, and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the other
members of the Georgia delegation, affording us this time to speak
about Senator Paul Coverdell. The Rules of the House do not permit us
to refer to the other body or Members of the other body, and we seldom
do speak about them. This is exceptional, because Paul Coverdell was
really an exceptional person. I think he did touch our lives. Certainly
those of us who live in Florida who have to fly through Atlanta
understand very well the meaning of having the Atlanta airport there.
What I wanted to talk a little bit about today is the loss to Nancy
and his family, to the State of Georgia, and to our country. I think it
is pretty much of an incalculable loss, and it is obviously very
painful if we have listened to the speakers who have gone before.
We are going to miss Paul Coverdell deeply, and we are going to miss
him for a very long time to come, not only as a person, but for the
skills he brought to the art and science of crafting legislation and
people persuasion here in these hallowed halls of the United States
Congress.
To me, he had several distinctive hallmarks. They were honor and
decency, things that count for a lot here. And effectiveness and
accomplishment, of course, the way we are measured. Those of us who
were privileged to work with him knew of this literally unrelenting
energy. He was a man who could tire out the most hard working of us. He
certainly had the intellect to challenge us as well. We all admired his
ability, as we have heard testimony to, to find common sense solutions
that seemed to work for all sides in a given debate. Those are
wonderful people skills. As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop)
said in his testimony on the floor, that unquestioning integrity was
also another Paul Coverdell trademark. That is very high praise.
I well recall his commitment to fighting the war on drugs, just one
of the many things he did here, and to his finding a way to get the
money to pay for fighting the war on drugs, which is the harder part.
His contribution to that was characteristically second to none; and
more importantly, he was successful. And that success is now being
employed on the front lines in Colombia and in other meaningful ways,
and that will affect America as well and those who are concerned about
the scourge of drugs on our youth and on our quality of life in this
country.
So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say for my wife and myself and other
neighbors in the neighboring State of Florida, we send our condolences,
our keen sympathy, and our love to Nancy and the people of Georgia.
Paul Coverdell was a man who gave so much. He was taken too soon.
Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my condolences to
the family and staff of Senator Paul Coverdell.
I admired and appreciated Senator Coverdell's commitment to stopping
the flow of illegal drugs across our borders and his tireless efforts
to expand educational opportunity in America. Senator Coverdell
demonstrated the effectiveness of quiet, but persistent, leadership. He
has been hailed as a workhorse and, indeed, his dedication to public
service is an example to every official at every level of Government
who works for the public good.
My former chief of staff, Ziad Ojakli, is the chief of staff in the
Senator's leadership office. On behalf of all of us who are friends of
Z and have worked with him over the years, I wish to convey our deepest
sympathy to the family, friends and staff of Senator Paul Coverdell.
They are in our prayers.
Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues in the Georgia delegation,
Mr. Lewis, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Isakson, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Linder, Mr.
Bishop, Mr. Barr, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Deal and Mr. Collins, I move the
previous question on the resolution.
The previous question was ordered.
The resolution was agree to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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