[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7174-S7193]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING SENATOR PAUL COVERDELL
Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, when my constituents ask me, what is the
nicest thing about being a Senator, what do you enjoy the most, I have
a ready answer: It is the people, the people we get to meet, the
opportunities we have to interact with some of the most extraordinary
individuals throughout the world.
When I say that, my constituents immediately think of the great
names: Presidents of the United States, Presidents of other countries,
famous Prime Ministers. Schoolchildren look at me and say: Have you
ever met President Clinton? They are always a little in awe when I say
yes. Then others, when I tell them of having met President Gorbachev,
President Mubarak, or Chairman Arafat or some of the other names they
read about all the time, say: Well, we can understand why you think
that the people you get to meet is the fun part of the job and the most
extraordinary benefit that comes from being a Senator. And that is
true--meeting these famous people is something of a trip and a great
opportunity.
I always explain to them that the great privilege is not only meeting
the famous names. It is meeting my fellow Senators. This is an
extraordinary body, filled with extraordinary individuals, many of
whose names never get into the headlines beyond their own States or
outside of the circle of the beltway, but who bring to this body an
incredible background of wisdom, experience, humor, perspective,
balance, and understanding that makes it a great privilege and blessing
for the rest of us to be with them.
Paul Coverdell and I came in the same class. We were sworn in on the
same day. We went through the experience of being freshman Senators who
didn't quite know our way around.
We would get together on a weekly basis, those in that class, and
swap stories about how we had foolishly gone to the wrong room, or lost
our way in a corridor, or found ourselves buried in the unexpected tide
of work, mail, phone calls, and requests. We went through all that
together as friends. We decided, in taking advantage of our situation
as freshmen and serving in the minority, we would use the time that
comes with that condition--time which more senior and majority Senators
don't have--to educate ourselves and prepare ourselves for the service
on which we were embarking.
Paul arranged a trip to Kennebunkport to see his good friends, George
and Barbara. The rest of us didn't call them George and Barbara. It was
Mr. President and Mrs. Bush. Paul knew them well enough, went back long
enough with them, that he arranged for the freshmen class of
Republicans to go up to Maine and spend a day with the Bushes. It was
about 3 or 4 months after President Bush had lost the election. He was
full of stories, reflections, and philosophic observations. It was a
wonderful time. We also went together, under the sponsorship of Senator
Dole, to New Jersey to have a similar day with President Nixon. Paul
was one of those who would use that, and any other occasion, to learn
as much as he could soak up, to prepare himself as much as he could for
whatever might come. That was one of the delightful things about it. He
was enormously curious, always searching, and always anxious to find
out how he could be of greater help.
We finally stopped meeting every week as we got busier ourselves and
as we got a little more experienced in the way the Senate works, so
that we didn't need to commiserate quite so much about our earlier
blunders. But our class remained close. We gathered together when Kay
Bailey Hutchison was under fire in Texas and gave a little party for
her before she left for her trial. We told her we would keep things
straight until she could come back fully exonerated, which, of course,
she has done. Paul was a moving force in putting together that bit of
solidarity among the members of our class.
Paul is the one who moved on to a leadership position in our class.
We were all proud of him, all happy to support him. It goes without
saying that we will miss him terribly. But it is my conviction, Mr.
President, that as we mourn, we do not mourn for Paul. I don't know the
details of what goes on, but I think it is not out of the question to
think that John Chafee may be showing Paul the ropes now, suggesting to
him that ``it will work a little better if you go this way,'' or,
``Yes, I tried that when I first got here. Paul, let me show you the
ropes.'' That may not be happening, but I don't think it is beyond the
realm of possibility.
We do not mourn for Paul; we mourn for ourselves, for the loss we
have sustained, not for the problems he faces. The problems he faced
are behind him now, as far as this life is concerned. And, knowing
Paul, he will be learning, inquiring, asking questions, trying to find
out and progressing still further, as he always did as a Member of the
Senate. It is our loss that moves us to tears--the fact that we will no
longer have his companionship and his wisdom and his friendship. But
just as I suggest John Chafee may be greeting Paul, we can be confident
that whenever the time might be for the rest of us, Paul will be there
to greet us, and that helps lift some of the gloom and sorrow we feel
on this occasion.
I extend to Nancy and other members of Paul's family my deepest
sympathy and condolences at this time. And I express gratitude, once
again, for the experiences I have had as a Senator of knowing great
people, meeting extraordinary individuals, and partaking of their
wisdom and guidance. I count Paul Coverdell in the first ranks of that
group.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). The Senator from Arizona is
recognized.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, except for those who knew Paul Coverdell and
his constituents in Georgia, I suspect it is very hard for others who
may be watching here today or who hear other tributes to Paul Coverdell
to appreciate the depth of sadness that all of us in this Senate family
feel by the loss of Senator Paul Coverdell.
Paul Coverdell was a special man. He was so active in nearly
everything going on in the Senate that it is impossible to believe he
is gone. The images of Paul smiling, gesturing, counseling, are still
so fresh. If there was an indispensable Senator, Paul Coverdell was it.
Paul was a doer, as we all know. He was successful not because of his
energy alone--though that was considerable--but because he was trusted
by all and he sought no recognition for himself. His judgment was
sound, his intelligence keen. He was always kind and cheerful, never
critical. The word ``helpful'' does not even begin to describe the aid
and assistance he was always so ready to provide.
I have lost a real friend and a confidant. Georgia and America have
lost a great leader. Paul's family's loss is incalculable, especially
for Nancy and his mother. Our sense of grief is tempered only by the
faith that the Lord has His own purposes. We take comfort in the wisdom
of Abraham Lincoln who said:
[[Page S7175]]
Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with
an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day.
No, no, man was made for immortality.
Godspeed, Senator Paul Coverdell.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Tennessee is
recognized.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, as the American Revolution drew to a close
in 1782, a Philadelphian turned to his friend, Dr. Benjamin Rush, and
remarked, ``It looks as if the battle for independence has been won.''
Dr. Rush replied, ``Sir, you are mistaken. The Revolutionary War may
be over, but the battle of independence has just begun.''
On the day before he died, as I had the opportunity to spend time
with Paul Coverdell and his family, I thought about these words, and
they have stayed in my mind over the last 48 hours because that idea--
that only constant vigilance can keep the flame of freedom from being
extinguished--is one that perhaps no one believed in more, at least
since I have been in the Senate, or acted upon more decisively than
Paul Coverdell. With his passing, America has lost one of its most
principled leaders and freedom, one of its staunchest friends.
There will be a number of comments made today by people who have
known Paul well, who have observed his commitment, his discipline, and
his willingness to do jobs that most people leave to others, jobs he
did in a way that was humble, gentle, and gave others the credit. We
will hear again and again today because they were the hallmark of Paul
Coverdell's work in this wonderful institution called the Senate.
As a Senator from the neighboring State of Tennessee, I had the
opportunity to work side by side with Paul Coverdell as we addressed
issues important to both our States. But if there is one idea, one
word, that best summarizes Paul Coverdell, his commitment to public
service, to family and community, the word is ``freedom.'' Paul
Coverdell was a relentless, tireless champion of freedom.
I first met Paul 6 years ago when I was still Bill Frist, the
physician who wanted to be a United States Senator. Paul sat down, and
talked to me about freedom. He came to help me with a campaign event in
Chattanooga, TN, and his whole talk--while saying, ``Yes, people, come
out and support this new guy on the block, Bill Frist''--was about
freedom.
And since I have been in the Senate, he continually fought for
freedom. He fought for the rights of individuals to raise, educate and
provide for their families free of government intervention and
excessive taxation. He fought to protect the privacy of individual tax
returns. He fought to free local education from too much federal
control. Believing freedom to be under genuine attack from the
corrupting influence of drugs, he fought to increase funding for law
enforcement, especially along our borders, and created a program to
coordinate resistance to drugs among parents, teachers and communities
that became a model for the nation. Understanding, as Jefferson did,
that a well-educated citizenry is the surest foundation for freedom and
happiness, Paul Coverdell fought to ensure that all children,
regardless of income, receive the very best education from kindergarten
to college.
Perhaps it was his service with the U.S. Army in Okinawa that fanned
the flames of freedom that never seemed to diminish in his heart.
Perhaps it was his parents' ability--and I got to know his mom over the
last 48 hours--to turn a small family business into a successful
nationwide enterprise that strengthened his belief in the power of the
individual to achieve the American Dream. Perhaps it was his experience
with emerging democracies as President Bush's Director of the Peace
Corp that deepened his resolve to ensure that freedom, once planted,
has everything it needs to survive. President Bush and I spoke about
that shortly after Paul was admitted to the hospital. Or perhaps it was
his beloved wife, Nancy, who is going through such a difficult time
right now, who helped him realize that love and freedom are the great
gifts God has planted in the human heart, and so we must do all we can
to preserve them.
Whatever the reasons, Paul Coverdell believed in freedom, and he
believed in America--the greatest expression of freedom next to man
himself. He fought for both America and freedom because he understood,
as Justice Brandeis once wrote, that ``liberty is the secret of
happiness, and courage, the secret of liberty.''
Over the past few years, I had the honor and the privilege of seeing
Paul Coverdell's courage up close--in the Senate Republican Working
Group on Medicare, where his commitment to our seniors was very
apparent; in the Foreign Relations Committee, where he specialized in
areas of the world not addressed by others; a commitment that obviously
grew out of his work with the Peace Corps; in Republican strategy
sessions, where his expert guidance helped us ensure that the American
people, as well as our colleagues, understood the importance of the
issues before us. It was a quiet courage, characterized not by bluster,
but by humility and respect for others.
Paul Coverdell knew what was right, and every day on this floor and
in strategy sessions behind the scenes, he worked for what was right
with all his might. Through men like him, the American Revolution is
constantly reborn, the reservoir of freedom continually replenished,
and all that is best America preserved for those who will follow.
He was a wonderful husband, a great citizen of Georgia and the United
States, an outstanding Senator--as reflected by his position of
leadership--and a great patriot. He will be sorely missed by all
Members of this body.
May the Lord God who loves us all, shine His perpetual light upon our
colleague, and comfort Nancy, his mother, and Nancy's parents in the
days ahead.
Mr. President, I thank the chair and yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from South Carolina
is recognized.
Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I rise to say a few words regarding the
death of Senator Paul Coverdell.
Winding its way to the sea, the Savannah River forms a natural
boundary between South Carolina and the State of Georgia. Yet the river
is not a barrier dividing these two states. Rather, its lakes,
tributaries, and bridges bring the people of these two states together
as neighbors and friends. As neighbors, we share many fine attributes
of southern living and culture, agriculture, and the values that
Americans hold dear. As friends, we work and play together, raising our
families and supporting our communities.
Today, I rise to pay tribute and respect to my neighbor and friend
from Georgia, Senator Paul Coverdell. Senator Coverdell was my
neighbor. He was more than just a colleague from a neighboring state.
For the past eight years we have walked together and worked in the same
corridor of the Russell Senate Office Building.
Senator Coverdell was also my friend. Everyday, each of us looked
forward to his warm smile, kind words, and expressions of care and
concern. As I worked with him on regional issues, in the Senate
Republican Leadership circle, where he served as Republican Conference
Secretary, or in more general circumstances, Senator Coverdell always
was thoughtful and considerate of others.
Senator Coverdell leaves a great legacy. His life was dedicated to
serving others and his Nation. After serving in the U.S. Army, he
returned to Georgia and built the family business into a successful
nationwide company. Elected to the Georgia State Senate, he was chosen
by his peers to serve as Senate Minority Leader, a post he held for 15
years. In 1989, President Bush named him as Director of the United
States Peace Corps, where he redefined the agency's mission to serve
the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe.
Since his election in 1992, Senator Coverdell has worked hard in the
Senate as a defender of freedom. He led the fight against international
narcotics and terrorism. Understanding that freedom is nurtured by a
well-educated citizenry, he introduced education reforms, and served as
Chairman of the Senate Republican Task Force on Education. Senator
Coverdell fought to protect the individual economic and political
liberty of individuals and families.
We mourn the loss of Paul Coverdell. We shall miss his companionship,
[[Page S7176]]
but we will not forget the bond we had with him. Though his voice is
silenced, we shall not forget the encouraging words he had for others.
Though he now rests in peace, the impact of his good deeds will be felt
for years to come.
Shortly before his death, our former colleague Senator Everett
Dirksen, responded to the question which each person faces. It is found
in the Bible, in the book of Job: ``If a man die, shall he live
again?'' (Job 14:14.) I quote Senator Dirksen's words published in U.S.
News & World Report, November 8, 1965, p. 124:
What mortal being, standing on the threshold of infinity,
has not pondered what lies beyond the veil which separates
the seen from the unseen? What mortal being, responding to
that mystical instinct that earthly dissolution is at hand,
has not contemplated what lies beyond the grave? What mortal
being, upon whom has descended that strange and serene
resignation that life's journey is about at an end, has not
thought about that eternal destination and what might be
there?
If there be a design in this universe and in this world in
which we live, there must be a Designer. Who can behold the
inexplicable mysteries of the universe without believing that
there is a design for all mankind and also a Designer? . . .
``If a man die, shall he live again?'' Surely he shall, as
surely as day follows night, as surely as the stars follow
their courses, as surely as the crest of every wave brings
its trough.
William Wordsworth, the revered poet, captured in verse a glimpse of
this glorious plan and entitled his classic ``Ode to Immortality'':
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar:
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home:
Heaven lies about us in our infancy!
Paul Coverdell was a bright star in this world. Though it is now out
of view, it is not dimmed. We take comfort that he has returned home,
to his eternal destination. This day, my thoughts and prayers are with
his wife Nancy, his family, his staff, and his constituents. I yield
the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Wisconsin is
recognized.
Mr. KOHL. Last night, as we began consideration of the Agricultural
appropriations bill, we were informed of the death of Senator
Coverdell. The bill officially is still on the floor this morning for
Senators who wish to speak on the bill but more appropriately for
Senators who wish to speak about Senator Coverdell, who we all remember
as an outstanding Senator, a good, a kind, and a decent man, a great
patriot, and a great American.
We will be officially in session on the bill but more appropriately
here to listen to remarks by fellow Senators in his behalf.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, it has been my honor, and a privilege, to
know our distinguished friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell, for a long
time. I have had, overnight, the opportunity to think about his life
and about his death.
When a man dies, especially a friend, we are inevitably struck by the
frailty of life, the speed of death, and the very painful void that is
left behind. With the passing of our friend and colleague, Paul
Coverdell, we are also struck by the promise of a truly brilliant
future left unfulfilled.
Alphonse de Lamartine once said:
Sometimes, when one person is absent, the whole world seems
less.
Today, that is exactly how I feel. The world seems less today.
Paul and I worked together for many years. We were sworn into the
Georgia State Senate on the same day, in January of 1971. In Georgia,
we sit not as partisans, across the aisle, but we sit by numbers of our
State senate districts. Fate had it that Senator Paul Coverdell sat
right in front of me. So even though he was of one party and I another,
we shared space on the floor of the State senate. We worked together in
harmony for 4 years. It was a joyous time. It was a marvelous time to
get to know this young talent.
When I came to the U.S. Senate, Paul had preceded me. Paul stood on
the floor of the Senate here with my parents watching from the balcony
as I was sworn in. After that day, he helped me, he guided me, tutored
me in the same way we had worked together so beautifully in the early
1970s in the Georgia senate. From time to time in this body, on
different sides of the aisle, we were on different sides of the issues.
But he helped me learn. He helped me because he was a good man and a
great friend, because he knew it was good for Georgia and for the
country.
I watched him work, incredulous--putting in 12- and 14- and 16-hour
days. In Georgia, we have a saying: You are either a workhorse or a
show horse. He was certainly a work horse. He fought hard for our
State, for our farmers and businesses and the average taxpaying
citizen. He used his deep breadth of knowledge in international
affairs, which he had gained as Director of the Peace Corps, to fight
what he called the most serious threat to America's freedom today--the
war on drugs.
Our colleague, Senator Moynihan, yesterday called Paul Coverdell a
man of peace. I will reiterate that observation. From his time in the
Georgia senate to his post as head of the Peace Corps under President
Bush, to his quiet and wonderful leadership in the Senate, Paul had a
peaceful and resolute efficiency about his work that I think we could
all try to emulate. He worked hard. He achieved results. And he didn't
care who got the credit. To lose a leader of this quality in this body
in this day of ``gotcha'' politics, and one-upmanship, is a loss for
this body and for our country and for Georgia.
Paul was a leader. He led in his own quiet, positive way. I never
heard him speak an ill thought or an ill phrase or a mean-tempered
comment about anyone. He was a great legislator and a dear personal
friend.
I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Nancy, whom I have known
for almost 30 years. I knew them when they first got married.
Proverbs tell us:
Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names.
I think we can all take great comfort in that. Nothing will lessen
the impact that Paul Coverdell and his legacy have had on the State of
Georgia and on this country. It is not the time for political thoughts
or words but only words to remember one of the best U.S. Senators this
body has ever known. Paul Coverdell, United States Senator from
Georgia, a peach of a guy.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Texas is
recognized.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, cheerful, fun, accessible, down to
earth, loyal, friend--those are the words you think of immediately when
describing Paul Coverdell. I am not going to make a long statement
today because I know there will be a time set aside for our memorials
to Paul Coverdell. I have seen some of our friends today--Paul's
friends, my friends--and many of them do not feel capable of talking
about him right now. It is not that he wasn't one of our greatest
friends. They are not here because they can't talk about him yet.
This is a man who served our country in so many ways, all the things
a good citizen should do: He served in the Army; he was the head of the
Peace Corps; he was a wonderful Senator, one of our leaders in the
majority--the fourth highest ranking among us.
I do want to say more about him later, but for now I think our
majority leader said it very well last night. All of our hearts are
broken for the loss of this wonderful man who will have every tribute
that we can give him in the future weeks.
I yield the floor.
Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, this is a sad day for all of us. It is a
sad time in
[[Page S7177]]
the Senate. Paul Coverdell was, first of all, our friend. He was
someone who, if we took a secret poll in this Senate, I think many
Members would say, was their best friend. That tells us something about
this man.
He was a kind, he was a gentle, he was a sweet man. This Senate will
not be the same without Paul. It will not be the same because of that
kindness, because of that spirit, because of that unbelievable energy
he brought to any task he took on, and did he take on the task.
Whatever it was, Paul would do it and do it effectively. He was one of
the key people in making this Senate run. Candidly, he was that person
not because of his leadership position, which was significant, but the
leadership position he obtained was a result of the fact that he was
one of the key players in the Senate and he got things done.
That effectiveness came because of his energy, because of his drive,
because of his determination, but it also came because he could get
along with people on both sides of the aisle. He knew people, he
understood them, he liked people and people liked him back, and that
made him effective.
He was effective because he did not have a big ego. We all have big
egos in the Senate, but Paul did not seem to have one. He did not seem
to care if he got credit; another rarity, I suppose, among politicians.
He just got the job done. He was always seeking some way to get it
done. He did not seek the limelight. He did not worry about who got the
credit.
Each one of us brings different stories or remembers different things
about Paul Coverdell. I worked with him on Central American issues,
Caribbean issues, and Latin American issues. Paul Coverdell is from
Georgia. It was not necessarily logical that he had to concentrate on
this hemisphere or worry about this hemisphere, but he did. He did
because he understood it affected the people of Georgia and it affected
the people of this country. He brought his passion to deal with the
drug problem to that concentration and work on this hemisphere.
I worked with Paul when we worked on the Caribbean initiative, when
we worked on the initial drug bill we passed several years ago on drug
interdiction in this hemisphere, and I worked with him when we were
able to pass the Colombia aid bill.
I remember on both bills going to Paul at different times and saying:
Paul, this is not going very well. What do we do?
Not only did the leadership responsibility go to Paul Coverdell to
get things done, but people who are not in leadership went to Paul to
get things done. I remember Paul would look at you, as only Paul could,
and say: Well, let's do this. And he would tick off three or four
things. Basically then I had the plan. We got it done. That is what we
are going to miss in this Senate.
The last time I talked with Paul was as we were leaving for the
weekend. I said: I am worried about what is going on in Colombia. Why
don't you and I go down there.
He said: Let's do it. So we were talking about a trip sometime in the
next few months to Colombia to look firsthand at the problem.
I know all of us at a later date will have more formal comments to
make, but I wanted to pause here for a moment with my colleagues to say
thank you for the life of Paul Coverdell. He is someone who made a
difference every single day he was in the Senate. We will miss him very
deeply.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I want to speak about my colleague,
Senator Coverdell. I know other Senators have. I absolutely have
nothing rehearsed. There are many Senators who will speak about Senator
Coverdell probably in a more profound and moving way than I can.
There is one moment I want to remember about Senator Coverdell
because this small story tells a large story. We had had a major debate
about the Colombia aid package. Senator Coverdell and I were in a
debate. We did not agree. It was a pretty good debate back and forth. I
know from time to time during the debate I would reach over and touch
his hand and say something to the effect: I just cannot believe you
said this; this is wrong--something like that.
At the end of the debate, I said, because I believed it and believe
it: Senator Coverdell is a really good Senator.
He smiled and touched my hand and said: Senator Wellstone is a really
good Senator.
I do not know if the latter part is true, but the point is that is
the way he was. That is the kind of Senator he was. We talk about
civility. He was just a beautiful person. I really enjoyed him. We need
a lot of Senators like Senator Coverdell: Paul, you are wrong on the
issues but you are a really good person.
The Senate has lost a wonderful person and a wonderful Senator, and
the United States of America has lost a wonderful person and a
wonderful Senator.
As a Senator from Minnesota, I send my love to Paul's family.
I will not forget Paul Coverdell.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Democratic leader is
recognized.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, we are all stunned and saddened by the
sudden death of our friend and colleague. Our hearts and prayers are
with Senator Coverdell's wife Nancy, with his parents, with his family
members, his many friends, and, I may say, particularly our colleagues
on the other side of the aisle who have lost not only a close friend
but a gifted leader.
The great English poet Alfred Tennyson wrote of a dear friend who
died suddenly: ``God's finger touched him, and he slept.''
Yesterday, God's hand touched our friend. Now he sleeps. And now we
mourn.
Paul Coverdell's life was too short in years, but it was long in
accomplishment: A husband, a son, a friend, a loyal ally, an honorable
opponent, an Army veteran, a business owner, a State senator, a Peace
Corps director, and a U.S. Senator.
In his 61 years, Paul Coverdell filled all of those roles--and more--
with dignity.
He spent half his life, and nearly all his adult life, in public
service. He and I didn't see eye to eye on a lot of matters. To be
honest, I can't think of too many times we found ourselves on the same
side of the debate. But I can't think of a single time that he was not
fair, that he was not decent, and that he was not honest.
Paul Coverdell, above and beyond anything else, was a gentleman. He
was a reminder to us that we can all disagree without being
disagreeable. He is also a reminder, sadly, that none of us knows how
long we will be here; how many more opportunities we will have in this
life to right a wrong or to advance a peace or to make a difference.
Last night, I was reading an interview Senator Coverdell gave a year
or so ago. He was asked why he worked so hard on so many tasks, usually
with very little public recognition. He replied, characteristically:
``If you have been given a moment here, you shouldn't let the dust grow
under you.''
Paul Coverdell felt that in the marrow of his bones. He worked hard
every day--to advance the causes he believed in and to serve the Nation
he loved--until God's finger touched him.
Now he sleeps the sleep of the just. We have lost a good and
honorable friend. I will miss him.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Texas is
recognized.
Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, at this time of shock and loss we tend to
focus on Paul's death, but it seems to me that it is really a time that
we should focus on his life. As we weigh how our lives and the life of
our Nation has been diminished by the loss of Paul Coverdell, I think
it is important that we also reflect on how our lives have been
enriched.
I first--I first met Paul Coverdell when I went to Georgia. He was
campaigning for the Senate. And he was doing an event in this dingy old
steel mill about industrial renewal. I had
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talked to him on the phone, I was--I was chairman of the Senatorial
Committee, but I had not seen him in action. So I got up and spoke, and
then Paul got up and spoke in that squeaky voice, and he sort of had a
way of jumping up and down when he was speaking and waving his hands,
so I tried to delicately whisper to him, quit jumping up and down, be
still, but little did I know at that moment that with all of his
outward appearance and the squeaky voice, that this man had the heart
of a lion.
He went on and won in that campaign. As chairman of the Senatorial
Committee I was involved in 67 Senate campaigns. And he won the
toughest race, defeated an incumbent, was in a runoff after the general
election when everybody else would have sat down, given up, gotten
tired.
Paul Coverdell did not sit down and give up or get tired. He came to
the Senate and we were immediately involved in the Clinton health care
debate, and he and John McCain and I traveled all over America. We did
147 events in this crusade to defeat the Clinton health care bill. And
in all those events and all that travel--you all know Paul Coverdell--
he never got tired or never let on he was tired or got irritable.
In the Senate where we all want glory, we all want to be out front,
we all want to see our picture in the paper, Paul was one of those
remarkable people who simply wanted to get things done. There was no
job too small for Paul Coverdell. And there is no job too big for Paul
Coverdell. Paul Coverdell managed in eight short years to become
absolutely indispensable to the United States Senate.
And I am very happy today about one thing--not much I am happy about
today, but I am happy about one thing. We often feel something about
people--we often love people, but, but we don't often tell them that.
It's especially hard for men to tell other men that they love them. But
what I am happy about--I can't quite get to it--is the following point.
I realized over a year ago that Paul Coverdell had become an
indispensable member of the Senate, that he was the greatest Senator
from Georgia since Richard Russell. And so I always went to great
lengths to say it. Here, in Georgia, and everywhere I got the
opportunity to say it.
This is a hard time for the Senate, and I just would like to conclude
on the two points I tried to open up with but didn't quite get said. In
these terrible moments when we are shocked and hurt we tend to think
about how someone died. But at these moments it is critical that we
focus on how they lived. We tend to look at how our lives and the life
of our nation have been diminished, but it is important that we focus
on how our lives were enriched by Paul Coverdell. My grandmother used
to say that as long as anyone remembers you, that you're not dead. As
long as I live, Paul Coverdell will be remembered.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hutchinson). The distinguished Senator
from California is recognized.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, yesterday this body lost one of its
finest Members. I greet this day with a very heavy heart.
Paul Coverdell was not only a good Senator, he was a good and decent
man. I found him to be a very nice man. I worked with him closely as an
original cosponsor of his Education Savings and School Excellence Act.
I found him very dedicated and very easy to work with. I found him to
be above political correctness; he strived to do what he believed would
work and would help people.
We shared a common interest. We worked together on many antinarcotics
efforts. We debated together on certification. I was his Democratic
cosponsor of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. We talked
together about what was happening. We tried to plan together. I found
him to have a deep and abiding knowledge about Mexico, Central America,
and Latin America.
He had a kind of energy, enthusiasm, and dedication well known on
both sides of the aisle here in the Senate. He was never one to seek
the spotlight, but all of us here know how hard he worked. He wasn't
the proverbial ``show horse''--he was a workhorse.
He was a man who served the people of Georgia and this Nation with
great distinction. He worked all of his adult life in public service.
Simply put, Paul Coverdell made this body a better place and a more
collegial place. All one really had to do was spend time alone with him
in an office and listen to him and his thoughts as he sought to frame
and advance an issue.
Senator Harkin was in the elevator as I came up this morning. He
said: ``It's so hard because on Friday he was alive and well in the
Senate and today he simply is not here.''
There is a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes--Chapter 5, verse
12--I will leave with the Senate: ``The sleep of a laboring man is
sweet.''
Paul Coverdell, you have labored hard. Your sleep will be sweet.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, it is with profound sadness and the
heaviest of hearts that I come to the floor today to pay tribute to the
memory of a friend, a colleague, and a man who brought honor upon the
State of Georgia, our country, and the institution of the Senate--Paul
Coverdell. My deepest sympathies go out to his wife Nancy, Paul's
family, friends and his staff at this most difficult of times.
It is tragedies like this that remind us that, beyond the policy and
the politics and the tremendous gravity of the issues we deliberate--
beyond the grandeur of this Chamber and the history we write on a daily
basis--we are at heart an institution of individuals--of people. And
when one of our own is lost to us forever, all of us are diminished by
that loss.
I first met Paul when I was a member of the House Foreign Affairs
Committee and he came before us as President Bush's Director of the
Peace Corps. I recall being struck not only by his obvious
qualifications for the job, but by his warmth and his obvious esteem
for the mission he was chosen to fulfill. To help foster the ideals of
freedom and democracy for people throughout the world was for Paul a
high and noble calling. And it was one he answered with typical energy
and enthusiasm, optimism and hope.
Indeed, when I think about all that Paul was--all that he symbolized,
all that he meant to those who cared about him and the people he
served--the single word that comes to my mind is, ``decency''. Paul
Coverdell was many things: a devoted husband, a talented legislator, a
strong and principled leader--but above all else, Paul was simply one
of the most decent human beings one could ever hope to know. And any of
us should be so fortunate to be remembered as that.
I well remember when I first came to the Senate from the House in
1995, Paul had of course been here for 2 years, and he knew how
difficult it was to get started, to get your feet firmly planted on the
ground in these foreign surroundings.
And so he helped us freshmen--and woman--to find our way around, to
set up offices, to figure out the basics of how things work around
here. While it is perhaps true that none of us have ever really figured
out that secret, Paul and is staff certainly did their best to give
advice and lend a helping hand. But then, knowing Paul as I do now,
that really comes as no big surprise.
Paul was always helping people, always contributing to the world
around him. From his service in the U.S. Army to the state legislature
to Director of the Peace Corps to United States Senator, Paul believed
that to serve others was a privilege, not a burden. He truly believed
that he could made a difference in people's lives. And he was right.
What a a lesson his life can teach an often cynical world. We ask
ourselves, what can one person do? What kind of a positive impact can
government truly have on the lives of others? What happened to the idea
of public service as a noble calling?
To those questions there is one simple answer--people like Paul
Coverdell exist in the world: Good, honorable, trustworthy people who
call us to
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our better nature, who exemplify what the framers of this Nation had in
mind when they created what they hoped would one day be the greatest
deliberative body on earth.
He personified another virtue that often seems in short supply in a
world where the volume of one's indignation is all too frequently the
sole measure of one's passion--and that virtue is civility. Paul let
the weight of his arguments speak for themselves, and where there were
disagreements he respected those who disagreed with him. Perhaps that
is why he engendered such deep respect in return.
It is little wonder, then, that Paul rose so rapidly through the
ranks of leadership. He had a keen grasp of policy and detail, and
nobody worked harder on behalf of his constituents and his party.
He was truly a ``legislator's legislator''--not only creative in
developing solutions, but always focused on moving the ball forward, on
producing results for the people of Georgia and America whether in the
areas of education, keeping drugs out of the hands of our children, or
allowing hardworking Americans to keep more of their hard-earned money.
In fact, I remember at one point my staff commented to me that it
seemed like everything we were considering in the Senate seemed to have
Paul's stamp on it. But that was typical of Paul. He never stood
still--and he never forgot the sacred trust that must exist between
elected officials and those they are obliged to serve.
Just as important, Paul was a man for whom his pledge was his bond--
and that only counts for everything in this institution. His words had
credibility, his ideas merit, and is actions sincerity. He made me
proud to be a member of the United States Senate. He made us all proud.
Once again, my heart goes out to Paul's wife Nancy, his family,
friends and all of his staff--whom I know are heartbroken as we all
are--and to the people of the State of Georgia, who have lost a great
leader and true friend. He will surely be missed by all of us who were
fortunate to have known him, but his legacy will just as surely live on
in all those whose lives he has touched.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, after watching my colleagues and the depth
of concern and personal passion they have at the loss of Paul
Coverdell, I want to tell them of an experience I had last night.
Something came to me when I was at a dinner and we had just heard the
news. It was the seventh Beatitude:
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the
sons of God.
It occurred to me that this was really Paul Coverdell; he was the
ultimate peacemaker. It was impossible for Paul to walk into a roomful
of people, whether Democrats, Republicans, liberals, conservatives--
hostility, anxiety, it all subsided when Paul came in.
I remember when I was first elected from the House into the Senate in
1994. Paul had just arrived here. He didn't give the first impression
as being a dynamic person, even an articulate person. You had to know
him and know him well. But after you did, he was unlike anyone else we
have been exposed to here in this body.
I thought last night about all the things we deal with here in the
Senate. It was articulated in Matthew 9, starting with verse 35. It
says:
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in
their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and
healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds,
he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and
helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
This is kind of the way we are. We are dealing with the problems of
poverty, the problems of crime--a multitude of problems. So somebody
has to be the one to take on those responsibilities.
I read the following verse:
Then he [Jesus] said to his disciples, ``The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few. Ask the Lord of the
harvest, therefore, to send out laborers into his harvest
field.''
When I, last night, thought of that verse, I thought, really, Paul
Coverdell is the laborer who was sent, was raised up to deal with these
problems, and all the problems we deal with on a daily basis, in his
own unique way. So I would just say our prayer for Paul Coverdell right
now is the last verse of the 23d Psalm:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the rest of
my days; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Amen.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I come to the floor to express my sadness
at the passing of a very kind colleague. I want to say to his family
and to his close friends, in Georgia and here in the Senate, who really
loved him and who worked with him every day, I send you my strength and
my prayers.
Paul Coverdell was never afraid to disagree because he came here with
beliefs. But he never, ever was disagreeable. I went back through the
Record this morning because I remember actually several occasions where
he and I were on different sides on issues, tough issues. Gun control,
for example, was one of them, where we disagreed on a particular piece
of legislation; Education, where we disagreed on a particular piece of
legislation. We were yielding time back and forth, and every single
time it was ``my friend from Georgia,'' ``my friend from California.''
The disagreement was deep on the issue, but it was always collegial; it
was a model for what should happen here in the Senate where we
definitely have deep, heartfelt disagreements but we can disagree in a
way that shows respect for one another and caring for one another. And
he did that.
I wanted to come to the floor to say that because it is perhaps a
quality we do not see enough of, and all of us ought to think about
that.
I do not want to repeat what has been said about his contributions to
this country. The record shows they were powerful and strong--from the
Peace Corps, to serving in the Senate, to helping his party, to helping
Governor Bush. He was his key person, as I understand it, in the
Senate. People trusted him with these responsibilities.
I wanted to say as a Member from the other side of the aisle that I
am stunned and saddened, and I see my colleagues are very impacted by
this. I feel for everyone who feels this loss in a very personal way. I
feel it in a way of someone on the other side of the aisle who really
did respect this man and enjoyed the colloquies and debates we had
because it never was with animus. It was always done with great
respect. He will be missed. Again, I send my sympathy to his family and
his friends. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania.
Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, there is a heavy cloud hanging over the
Senate Chamber today. A bouquet of flowers with a black tapestry is on
the desk of our departed colleague, Senator Paul Coverdell, whose
presence will be greatly missed.
There is a saying that in Washington, in Congress, in the Government,
a great deal could be accomplished if there was less concern--perhaps
no concern--for who gets the credit. Paul Coverdell epitomized that
concept.
He was always in the thick of the action. He was always prepared to
help. He did it with conciliation, with good will and accommodation,
and in the spirit of compromise; self-effacing and never interested in
the credit, not interested in the news reports or the television
acclaim or any of what is customarily associated with the politics, the
public relations of the Congress in Washington, DC. That kind of
effective, quiet Senator behind the scenes is a relative rarity here.
He had a very distinguished career in the Georgia Legislature, in the
Georgia State Senate, going back to 1970. He was the Republican leader.
Just this morning I talked with people who knew him in Georgia. It was
the same Paul Coverdell 30 years ago whom we saw in Washington heading
up the Peace Corps, a nonglamorous but a very important undertaking to
project America around the world with young people, and then in his
election to the Senate in 1992 and the immediate recognition of his
colleagues who knew him well, even though he was not so well known with
the television cameras but very well known by his colleagues, and
elected to a leadership position, No. 4, in the Republican caucus.
He was the point man for the Republican caucus on education. He
brought
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to that very important subject, a subject of priority second to none in
America today and in the world today, again his quiet effectiveness.
I had the opportunity to work with him on the appropriations bills on
the subcommittee which I chair which covers, among other Departments,
the Department of Education. For the last 2 years, we had a list of a
couple hundred amendments, and in the flurry of floor action, Paul
Coverdell was enormously effective in talking to Senators about their
amendments, saying which ones could be accepted, which ones could be
accommodated without coming to the floor even for a voice vote, and
then narrowing the frame of reference as to which ones had to be
debated with time agreements and which ones had to be voted upon.
The management of a Senate appropriations bill is a complicated
matter, especially when you have a $100 billion-plus budget and you
have to worry about Head Start, drug-free schools, the National
Institutes of Health, worker safety, and the myriad problems. Paul
Coverdell was an effective man to get that job done.
Senator Bill Frist--Dr. Bill Frist--gave us all a report on the
medical aspects of what happened to Senator Coverdell: that it was not
painful, an extraordinary medical incident with problems which simply
could not be contained or controlled.
I know every Senator sends sympathies to the Coverdell family, to his
wife Nancy. He will be sorely missed for the great contribution which
he has made.
There are tough days in the Senate. Last year, in October, we had the
passing of our dear friend, John Chafee, and now the passing of Paul
Coverdell. While we intend to focus on matters of Government and high
finance, international affairs and war and peace, nothing is more
sobering than to see what is really important with the loss of a very
special friend and a really great Senator.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we celebrate today the life of our
friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell. On behalf of my wife Elaine, who
succeeded Paul in the job as director of the Peace Corps, and myself, I
extend to Nancy and all of Paul's friends our sincerest condolences.
I first met Paul in 1988. I was traveling around the South during the
Republican Presidential primaries. I was a supporter of then-Vice-
President George Bush. I happened to find myself in Georgia, and ran
into a State senator in Georgia named Paul Coverdell, who was also
active in that campaign. Paul, as he often did, made an immediate good
impression. I recall the people in the Georgia meeting were all quite
deferential to him. It was clear he had achieved a level of respect at
that point in his career. Having served in the State senate in Georgia
for 18 years, having been the leader of a rather small group of
Republicans in that body, he had nevertheless achieved a level of
respect at that point.
As we all know, Vice President Bush became President Bush, and the
next time I met Paul Coverdell, he had been nominated to be director of
the Peace Corps. As many Senators have said, he did an extraordinary
job running that well-known agency.
Sometime in 1991, Paul came into my office and said: I am thinking of
running for the Senate. I am going to be running against an incumbent
Democrat in the South. I know that is rather difficult to do.
We talked about the experience I had running against an incumbent
Democrat in the South. We struck up the beginnings of a real friendship
during which we talked off and on during his extraordinary quest for
the Senate.
It was indeed an extraordinary quest. Because of the peculiarities of
Georgia law, Paul Coverdell is surely in the Guinness Book of Records
because he won four elections in 1 year. I am not certain what the law
of Georgia is today. I think it is still the same with regard to
primaries. In order to be the nominee of a party in Georgia, you have
to get 50.1 percent of the vote. Paul had a very contested primary for
the nomination. He did not get 50.1 percent of the votes, so he was in
a runoff in order to achieve the nomination. So it took our good friend
two elections to get the nomination.
Then Georgia had--I believe they have since changed this law--a
requirement that in the general election, in order to become a U.S.
Senator, you had to get 50.1 percent of the vote.
Election day came and went, and neither Paul nor his opponent, the
incumbent, had achieved 50.1 percent of the vote. So there was a runoff
for the general election--a hotly contested, spirited contest--in which
Paul came out on top, I believe, in early December of 1992.
So he had won four elections in 1 year in order to find his way to
this body. Paul was indeed tested right from the beginning in his quest
to become a Senator.
I remember in the early stages of that campaign, people did not take
Paul very seriously. As I watched his growth and development, almost
from the beginning it seemed he was consistently underestimated. But in
his extraordinarily effective and friendly manner, he managed to make
himself a force in the Senate very quickly, to the point, as many have
said already, that he was elected as one of our leaders in his first
term.
One of his staffers lives in my neighborhood. I noticed on the back
of the car the Coverdell bumper sticker, which says: ``Coverdell
Works.'' There may have been another bumper sticker somewhere in
America that said: ``Someone Works,'' but I can't think of a bumper
sticker or, for that matter, a better way to sum up our friend and
colleague Paul Coverdell than ``Coverdell Works.''
He was ubiquitous. He was everywhere. As all of us who work in the
Senate know, in order to make anything happen, you have to develop
little groups to work in an area to try to advance the ball in the
middle of these 100 substantial egos, each of which has its own goals
and aspirations. Paul was literally ubiquitous, all over the place, in
a group here, in a group there, always advancing the cause. He did it
in a friendly, effective, and intelligent manner.
No one is irreplaceable. The Senate continues to function. We are
functioning today, although probably not very effectively. But if I
have ever met somebody about whom I could say he was almost
irreplaceable in the Senate, it was Paul Coverdell.
So it is with extraordinary sadness, not only personally but in terms
of the loss in this institution, that we say goodbye to our good
friend, Paul Coverdell.
I yield the floor.
Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burns). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise to recognize and celebrate the
life of Paul Coverdell, as many of my colleagues have today, a
beautiful, warm-hearted, deep-souled man who was constantly encouraging
and engaging people. I know he is hearing these comments. I wish I
would have said them to him physically as well, but we know he is here,
as we celebrate a life well lived.
It is a very sad day for us in the Senate. I caught the comments of
Senator Gramm earlier wherein he said that instead of staring at the
death, we should stare at the life; instead of staring at our loss, we
should stare at our gain from having known Paul Coverdell. That is a
very appropriate way for us to look at and think about it.
Paul touched so many of us in the Senate in many wonderful ways. One
of the things he did for my family that I most remember was sending us
a book by a Georgian author. The title of the book was ``Lights Along
the Way.'' It was a collection of vignettes of people of faith, acts
they had performed--many of them very obscure, some of them well
known--to help people along the way. For example, one person had
adopted 10 children, and the light this person had been along the way;
some of the things Abraham Lincoln had done, a clear light along the
way. My daughter and I would frequently read one, maybe two of these
stories at night before going to bed. They were uplifting,
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happy, light, joyous stories of lives well lived, of somebody being a
light along the way.
That is exactly what Paul Coverdell was, a light along the way. If
you saw him during the day, it was never a confrontational meeting. It
was always a happy meeting. Even though you may disagree about
something, he was always trying to be helpful. He was a peacemaker. As
you would pass through your day, he was one of those lights along the
way. That is why our grief is so great. When you lose part of that
light, it makes it very difficult. He clearly was that. He was one of
those people who talked about the scripture of God working through an
individual and that it was God working in him to be that light along
the way.
I think Paul was truly that, a beautiful, deeply-caring man. He cared
for his country, cared for his friends. He cared for people who were
not his friends. I never saw him give a harsh or a cross word to
anybody. I never saw him hardly give a frown to anybody, let alone a
harsh word. It is those sorts of vignettes of Paul's life that I
remember, that stick out in my mind, his being such a light along the
way.
I hope he is a light we don't forget. I hope he is a light we learn
from. Light cleanses. Light shows us the way. Light points to where we
ought to be and where we ought to go. Many times, it is a point of
light in the distance that we seek, towards which we aim, whether it is
a lighthouse or a distant shining light.
That is what Paul is to us now, one of those lights we seek and aim
towards, hoping that in some way, at some time in our life, we will be
able to draw closer, move towards it, be purer, be a greater light;
that when we enter a room, people will react as they did when Paul
entered a room. You can enter a room and there are shadows that come
out, frowns, or you can enter a room and people start to smile and be
happy, even though they are not exactly sure why you are there. Paul
was one of those where the room started to light up rather than get
darker when he entered.
I hope his is a light we will always remember. As we mourn today, we
celebrate that light among us, a light for us to aim towards. He was a
great man.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I want to spend a few minutes today to
join in paying tribute to our former colleague, Paul Coverdell.
Memories of Paul consistently paint a picture of a hard-working, even-
tempered consensus-builder. He sought results, not headlines. He was
not one who basked in a national spotlight, but his quiet influence
within this body has made a profound impact on public policy affecting
all Americans.
My last opportunity to work with Paul was during consideration of the
Educational Opportunities Act this spring. It is fitting that our final
work together addressed the subject of education, as this is an area
where we had many dealings over the years. We did not always agree on
the specifics, but the one thing about which we wholeheartedly agreed
is the importance of education.
During the S. 2 debate, Paul made a compelling case for the need to
assure a good education for all of our citizens. He said:
From our very founding, we have understood that a core
component of maintaining a free society is that the
population is educated. To the extent that any among us who
are citizens do not have the fundamental skills, the basic
education, they are truly not free. They cannot enjoy the
full benefits of American citizenship because they are denied
the ability to think for themselves, for their families, for
their communities, for the Nation.
In all my work with Paul, I found him to be fair and accommodating.
He was always one to search for the areas of consensus, and he was
enormously successful in finding ways to reach accommodation to move
things forward. His persistence and his commitment to making things
happen--no matter how many obstacles were placed in the path--earned
him the respect of all who had the privilege to work with him.
I join in extending my deepest sympathy to his wife Nancy. I also
offer my condolences to members of his staff, who have lost not just an
employer but an inspiring example of the work and rewards of a life
devoted to public service.
We will miss Paul, but his inspiration to me and to all the others of
this body will continue until we are gone from here also. I join all my
colleagues in the deep sympathy that we feel at this moment.
I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
expressing our condolences to Paul Coverdell's wife Nancy and all the
members of his family.
I think that anybody who has watched the expressions and condolences
that have already been offered would recognize immediately the extent
to which Senator Coverdell touched all of us in the Senate and the
extent to which he was a beloved colleague and friend.
Paul's life achievement, in so many different ways, obviously
deserves the tributes we are paying today. I wish to comment on some of
those achievements. First, Paul Coverdell was one of the really
remarkable leaders of our time. He began his political career in the
Georgia Legislature and rose up to the leadership position in the
Republican Party in the Georgia State Senate. He then came to
Washington and made his mark as the Director of the Peace Corps. He was
very instrumental in expanding and successfully helping the Peace Corps
to transition into a new era.
Paul was a leader in his party. He served as chairman of the Georgia
Republican Party at a time when there weren't a lot of Republicans in
Georgia. But thanks to him, the party grew in strength. That is when I
actually first became acquainted with him, because I chaired the
Republican Party in Michigan at that time and we met in the context of
national party meetings. Then, of course, Paul was elected to this body
in 1992. I think everybody here is aware of how effective and how
competent and able he was. He moved into the leadership of this Chamber
fairly quickly--in, I think, his first term in the Senate. That doesn't
happen too often in a place where seniority counts so much. But his
observable abilities, talents, and incredible work ethic brought him to
the attention of all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. On
our side of the aisle, it resulted in him being put in a leadership
role early in his career.
More than being an effective leader, Paul was a tremendous colleague
when it came time to needing some assistance on a project. I can't
think of one important piece of legislation that I have worked on in
the time I have been in the Senate when Paul Coverdell wasn't helping
me in some fashion to get it through. I remember coming here in my very
first couple of legislative efforts, on amendments and bills, as a
freshman Member who did not know how this place worked and looking to
him, who was a slightly more senior Member, for guidance and help; he
was always there. He has been there for all of us. That is why I think
today is such a tough day. It would not really matter what the issue
was, he was somebody who would try to help you. His staff was built by
him to be of similar assistance.
Of course, for all of us, probably the principal thing we would
acknowledge in terms of Paul's attributes was the tremendous friendship
he offered to all of us who were his friends. I had a unique
relationship with him in the sense that he served as a mentor and
friend to me in my first couple of years. When he sought a leadership
position, I was proud of the fact that he asked me to place his name in
nomination for that. I did so on the second occasion he sought to be in
the leadership of our party. When you are asked to nominate somebody
for one of these
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jobs, it obviously means a lot to you and tells you that you are
well regarded by that person. I have to say it means an unbelievable
amount to me to think that Senator Paul Coverdell thought of me as
someone who he would want to play that role in his political career.
As I said earlier, the reaction of his colleagues today demonstrates
that others share my high opinion of Paul. So many have given
statements already, and I know more will follow that will move us all.
We have seen people express themselves in ways we never thought we
would see. People who are known to come to the Senate floor and wage
verbal debates back and forth on serious topics have already come here
today and demonstrated, in the most human way, that they were so close
to and touched by Paul Coverdell, and that all of the partisanship and
the political debate is really second to them in importance to
describing the friendship he provided all of us.
So as I close we pray for the best for Paul's wife and family. We
give thanks for having been able to share his friendship. On a personal
level, I say: Goodbye, Paul, we will never forget you. You were a key
part of all we have done here, and you will continue to play a role as
our memories of you continue.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah is recognized.
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, many years ago William Wordsworth wrote a
wonderful poem entitled ``Ode On Intimations of Immortality,'' in which
he said:
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting;
The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,
Hath had elsewhere its setting,
And cometh from afar;
Not in entire forgetfulness,
And not in utter nakedness,
But trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God, who is our home. . . .
I feel particularly bereft today because of the loss of Paul
Coverdell.
I have served here for 24 years and I have seen great people come and
go. There are people in this body who are just as great as the Founding
Fathers were. There may not be many, but there are people here who by
any measure qualify as great leaders.
These great people, who are able to cross party lines and bring
people together, make this body the greatest legislative body in the
world. Paul was one of those people.
He was kind, he was considerate, a good listener; he was wise and he
was a person with whom you would want to counsel if you had any
concerns.
But Paul was more than that. He was politically astute. He knew when
to get tough about matters and stand up for what he believed. But there
was also a kindness, a softness, a decency about him that is going to
live long after today.
I know that ``our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting,'' and that
we came ``from God, who is our home.''
I know that Paul was one of God's chosen people. He was given the
privilege of coming here to be with us in the Senate. We had the
privilege of knowing him.
William Cullen Bryant once said:
So live that when thy summons comes to join
The innumerable caravan that moves
To that mysterious realm, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death,
Thou go not, like a quarry-slave at night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave
Like on who wraps the drapery of his couch
About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.
Paul was like that. We are all going to miss him. The fact that he
died such a quick and unfathomable death has made a mournful impression
on all of us.
Paul was one of those people who could move mountains because of his
personality, because of his intelligence, because of his background,
because of his experience, because of his kindness, because of his
love, because of his fairness, and because of his leadership.
I could go through all of his leadership qualities, all of the things
he was working on and the accomplishments he made. Right now, I am
thinking more of the mourning and the sense of loss we feel in losing
Paul Coverdell.
Tennyson wrote this wonderful poem called ``Crossing the Bar.''
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me,
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea.
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark,
For tho' from out our bourne of time and place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
I have no doubt that Paul is going to see his pilot face to face. I
have no doubt that he doesn't want any moaning of the bar as he put out
to sea. I know he doesn't want any sadness or farewell now that he has
embarked on this next phase of eternity.
Let us today concentrate on all the good that Paul stood for on all
his amazing accomplishments, not only as a Senator, but also as a man.
We all know about Paul's love for education--he led our caucus on
that issue--and all the work he did as chairman of the Senate
Republican Task Force on Education to encourage learning opportunities
for America's schoolchildren.
Paul worked hard to make sure that every parent, every child, and
every teacher could devote enough time throughout each year to
educational matters. He made encouraging a love of reading his special
priority for students, pupils, and teachers alike. He was a leader in
formulating ``A+'' tax free accounts for education. His landmark Safe
and Affordable Schools Act has been widely regarded as a model program
to improve our country's education policies. Paul authored bills to
make sure we appreciate the hard work of our Nation's teachers,
something we tend to forget so easily when formulating education
policy.
Paul must also be memorialized for his steadfast work to lower taxes
and make our tax policies more fair. Many times Paul reminded us of his
belief that the freedom and means to raise, educate and care for our
families are threatened by a government that takes more than 50 percent
of an average family's income in taxes and cost of government. Paul was
very proud of his work on tax issues and in particular, of the law he
authored to stop unscrupulous IRS workers from rummaging through the
tax files of private citizens. It is many ways so ironic that the last
vote he cast was on repealing the death tax, an important policy change
he had worked so hard to advocate.
I worked closely with Paul on his antidrug efforts, on his work to
stop narcotics trafficking, and on his efforts to make the workplace
drug free. All of these things Paul did, and he did them well.
Paul never forgot the needs of his home state, whether it were
through his work as chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on
Marketing, Inspection and Product Promotion, or through his work as a
member of the Finance Committee and the Small Business Committee. His
record is replete with accomplishments that benefited his constituents
back home.
Of course, there were so many other legislative things I would like
to mention, but let me leave it at that.
Another side of Paul was his love for baseball. He was as excited as
anybody I have ever seen when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's Major League
home run record as a beloved Atlanta Brave.
I am deeply saddened by his passing. I am going to miss him very
much.
One of my favorite poets is a poet named Sara Teasdale who wrote an
interesting poem. Although this was surely a love poem, I think it
applies to our memories of Paul as this poem is called ``The Beloved.''
It is enough of honor for one lifetime
To have known you better than the rest have known,
The shadows and the colors of your voice,
Your will, immutable and still as stone.
The shy heart,
Which Paul had--
so lonely and so gay,
The sad laughter and the pride of pride,
The tenderness, the depth of tenderness
Rich as the earth, and wide as heaven is wide.
I like that. Even though it was meant for someone else, I think it
applies to a large degree to Paul Coverdell.
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Paul was a good man. He did the right things. He set a good example.
He was a good colleague here. He was one of the most respected Senators
in this body for all of these qualities, qualities that very few people
can come close to matching.
I wish Paul the best in his afterlife.
My sympathy and heartfelt feelings to Nancy, his wife, and to the
rest of his family who are mourning him.
I thank God for the privilege of knowing Paul, working with Paul,
accomplishing things with Paul, laughing with Paul.
I am grateful for our colleagues in this body on both sides of the
floor. We do learn that these people are here for a very important
reason. They have been selected by their respective constituents to do
good things. I can say as one who has been here long enough to know
that Paul Coverdell did good things while he was here and that his
legacy will be that all of us need to do better in the things we have
been and are doing. All of us need to follow and emulate his example so
that we can hopefully be as good as he was.
My sympathy and my best to Nancy and other members of his family, and
to my fellow colleagues who are mourning Paul Coverdell this day.
Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I join with all of my fellow Senators today
to express our feeling and mourn the death of our colleague, Senator
Paul Coverdell.
I always find these kinds of circumstances difficult to speak to, to
find the appropriate words to reflect my emotions or to in some way
express my love for a man such as Paul Coverdell and the way he worked
for all of us and for his country.
I grew up in a ranching environment in the State of Idaho. Oftentimes
I think back to those experiences when I am caught in emotion or when I
cause myself to sit down and contemplate how to deal with an issue or a
situation. My experience with Paul was largely a part of our time in
the Senate, a leadership time.
I was one of four Senators elected by the Republican majority to lead
them in the 106th Congress; Paul Coverdell was a part of that
leadership team. He was secretary of what we call our Republican
conference, or all Members on the Republican side. It was through that
relationship that I grew to know Paul and to appreciate the tremendous
talents that he had. We all know he was an activist on the floor on
many occasions, in pursuit of what the leadership team and ultimately
the Republican conference decided was a direction we ought to head in
or an issue we ought to debate. He did it with phenomenal energy and
talent.
When I think of that relationship, I can only come to this analysis;
I think it so well fits Paul: A team approach, as in a western ranching
environment. We all remember the great cattle drives that used to come
out of the Southwest into the plains of the West to graze, thousands of
head of renegade cattle moving all in one direction. The reason they
were moving in one direction was because there was a trail boss who
headed up this drive. There were a group of wranglers on horseback who
were out there working day to day to keep that drive shaped and headed
in the direction in which the trail boss wanted them to head.
There is no question that in the Senate Trent Lott is our trail boss.
He decides the direction with the consent of the herd, if you will, and
head Members. There is a group who are the wranglers, who work with
that herd, to help shape it and keep it moving. Paul Coverdell was one
of those wranglers and probably the best among us. He was constantly
out there from daylight until dark and, if it were on the range, we
would say in all kinds of weather because he was doing what he was
asked to do but more importantly because he believed in what he was
doing and he was very passionate about it.
All of us are here for a reason; some of us for larger reasons than
others. Clearly, to be here with the kind of passion and energy that
Paul Coverdell from the State of Georgia came here with is unique. As a
result, he was selected to be one of those wranglers, to follow the
leadership, to follow the directions of the trail boss, to make sure
that we all stayed headed in the right direction.
I will miss him. I will miss his talents as a wrangler. He was a
great American and history will record that. He has made his mark. But
never once in the business of making that mark, or leading, shaping the
herd, or wrangling the herd, did he ever do it for Paul. He did it for
his country and for what he believed was the right cause and the right
belief.
Paul, I think God has called you to a different trail herd. He
obviously needed a hell of a good wrangler, and He's got one. We will
miss you. We love you.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in rising to
offer my sympathies and condolences to Nancy and the Coverdell family.
Today, we all grieve Paul's passing, but we also celebrate his life.
What a life it was; a life of achievement, a life of incredible service
and accomplishment.
I did not know Paul Coverdell until I came to the Senate in 1996. I
followed his career, as many Americans did. I followed with interest
and admiration his campaign for the Senate and his election to the
Senate from Georgia. It was only when I arrived at this institution
that I got to know Paul Coverdell, the man.
Much has already been said this morning and yesterday and has been
said well. He was ubiquitous. It seemed Paul was everywhere. The
breadth and number of issues he was involved in takes your breath away.
It was amazing how much he knew and how much he was willing to invest
his time and energy. He was incredibly hard working and willing to do
what others didn't want to do, didn't have time to do. He made time and
he was willing to take on the nonglamorous jobs. He didn't seek glory
and he didn't seek adulation. He gave credit away freely because he
didn't seek it for himself. He was a consensus builder; he was a doer.
If you wanted it accomplished, you gave the task to Paul Coverdell.
One quality which I as a junior Member of the Senate especially
appreciated and admired was his deep respect for his fellow man and his
deep respect for his colleagues, regardless of their rank or status. I
served on the education task force with Paul. We had a lot of strategy
meetings. We had meetings in Senator Lott's office in which we would
talk over the education issue and discuss not only how we would
communicate our message but how we would pass legislation. There were a
lot of senior Members on the task force. They were always quick and
bold to speak out and give their opinion. What I noticed about Paul
Coverdell was that he was always observing who had spoken and who
hadn't, who had expressed their opinion and who hadn't. At every
meeting he said: Tim, you haven't said anything yet. What are your
thoughts? Do you have an opinion?
Or he would see Susan Collins and say: Susan, how do you feel about
this issue?
He always included junior Members. He included everyone because he
respected not only their opinion, but he respected them as human
beings.
He epitomized what service is all about. I think that Paul Coverdell
provides the lasting role model of what a U.S. Senator should be, what
a public servant should be.
Many of my colleagues have struggled to find words and to find
scripture and verses to express what they felt about Paul Coverdell. I
have found a verse that I think applies most appropriately to Paul. It
is Mark 10:31. Jesus said:
But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.
Paul was a leader. But he was a leader among us because he was
servant of all of us.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
paying tribute to the life and legacy of a man I considered a friend
first, a Senator second, and a great American above all.
Senator Coverdell was everything that those of us who were blessed to
serve with him strive to be:
effective, committed, compassionate, and tenacious when it
meant doing right by the
[[Page S7184]]
people of Georgia and the American taxpayers he revered.
Paul was a voice for families, for children, for the nation's
workers, and every individual seeking to build a better life for
themselves, their family, and generations to come.
Of all my colleagues, I think I spent more of my working hours with
Paul Coverdell, in meetings, strategy sessions, and casual
conversations.
I considered him to be the ``sparkplug of the Senate'' because of the
life and energy he brought to this body.
As others have said, very little went on here that Paul wasn't
somehow involved in, and he was the man I went to when I needed a
friendly ear. I didn't always hear what I wanted to hear, or get the
sympathy I thought I needed, of course, but I always received the
counsel of a man who spoke from the heart.
He leaves behind a remarkable legacy of service, and not just here in
the Senate. Other colleagues have spoken of his leadership of the Peace
Corps, his 16 years in the Georgia State Senate, his military service,
his real-world experience in business.
In this Chamber, he will be especially remembered for his unyielding
dedication to working Americans, whether through his work on education,
and in particular his education savings accounts, leading the fight
against illegal drugs, promoting volunteerism, and lifting up America's
farmers.
I think, though, that Paul will be remembered foremost as an ardent
defender of freedom.
The highest tribute one can pay to a colleague is to say that, day in
and day out, they got the job done. Senator Paul Coverdell got the job
done, with humility, with enthusiasm, and always with good humor.
With Paul's passing, the State of Georgia has lost a leader, the
Senate has lost its sparkplug, many of us have lost our best friend,
and the Coverdell family has lost a truly exceptional man. My prayers,
and the prayers of our colleagues and our staffs, are with Nancy and
her entire family during this difficult, difficult time.
Mr. President, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I join my many colleagues here in the
Senate today expressing my sympathies to the Coverdell family and
telling them our thoughts and prayers are with them during this
difficult time. A poet once said:
There is no joy life gives like that it takes away.
I expect the Coverdell family and all who loved Paul and understand
the hurt and anguish at his passing, today know well what that verse
means.
This is an unusual place, this Senate. There are 100 of us, men and
women from all parts of the country. We have days where we have pretty
aggressive debates and fights about public policy. Paul Coverdell was
in the middle of many of those. I never heard Paul Coverdell say a mean
word to anyone in the Senate. I told him one day at the end of a rather
lengthy debate in which I was on the other side and the vote was called
and we were standing in the well:
You and I don't agree on this issue, but you are a very
good Senator.
We served in different political parties. We, in many cases, believed
differently about issues. But Paul Coverdell was a very good Senator
and served this country well.
The important part about Paul was, though he felt great passion about
public policy and the issues he brought to the floor of the Senate,
again, he never uttered a mean word about anyone in debate. You can
always disagree in this country without being disagreeable. Paul
Coverdell demonstrated that every day in his pursuit of the public
policy he believed was important for this country.
We are so busy and our schedules have us on our way here and there
and everywhere all week, and then often to our respective homes in the
50 States on weekends, so it is hard to get to know each other very
well. But each day, as we move around in this Capitol, all of us in the
Senate exchange greetings and words, occasionally a story or two. Last
week, I was in the elevator with Senator Coverdell. We laughed a bit
about his being compared, from time to time, in his presentation, to
George Bush. I always used to kid him about that, that sometimes he had
a cadence that reminded me of the ex-President.
He sort of kidded me and said someone told him he was doing Dana
Carvey who was doing George Bush, so he was two steps away from the
impression. We laughed about that.
Last Friday, as we were having a long series of votes, towards the
end of the votes I visited with Senator Coverdell because Georgia has
been a State hardest hit by drought. I told him we had been hit so
severely with respect to floods. On behalf of our farmers, I was trying
to see if we could put together a piece of legislation that would deal
with crops that had been flooded out, destroyed by flood, and crops in
Georgia and elsewhere that were being destroyed by drought. On Friday
morning, Paul indicated he wanted to join me in an amendment to this
bill, the Agriculture appropriations bill that is being considered in
the Senate, to provide some assistance for family farmers who were
victims of the drought that was occurring in his State and throughout
the South.
He was always available to talk about public policy and what was
happening; always especially available and concerned to talk about the
people of his State of Georgia. I wanted to come today to say the
Senate will miss Paul Coverdell. He was not only a good Senator, but he
served this country very well. He was a friend to all of us. My
thoughts and prayers go to his wife and his family. We say thank you to
his memory.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, in the 211-year history of the Senate, the
State of Georgia has one of the richest and most storied legacies.
Since the formation of the Senate, and that was in 1789, Georgia has
sent to the Senate 62 individuals as Senators. I have had the distinct
privilege of serving with 6 of them, including our beloved Paul
Coverdell. When the people of Georgia elected Paul Coverdell to
represent them here in the Senate 8 years ago, they sent to Washington
a unique, especially talented, and gracious gentleman; a gentleman of
the South, I say to those of us who are privileged to come from that
region.
Paul began his service to the Nation nearly 30 years ago when he
served his Nation in the U.S. Army, stationed in Okinawa, Taiwan, and
Korea, and he never stopped in his quest to serve the people. He was
truly a public servant.
He gave almost half his life to serving the Nation and the State of
Georgia. It is no overstatement to say that his presence in public life
has made this Nation more prosperous and more secure. He was a leader
in the fight against drugs and the fight for better education and the
struggle to keep this Nation strong, both economically and militarily.
We have a saying around the Senate: There are show horses and
workhorses. We know for sure Paul was no show horse; He was a
workhorse. He worked hard and often he worked behind the scenes. He did
not seek the headlines. Paul Coverdell did not seek the headlines. He
would seek results--he wanted to get the job done, let others take the
credit--and always results that were in the best interests of our
Nation. That was his guide; that was his compass.
All of us here, before we cast the first vote, before we discharge
the first responsibility, take the oath of office. We solemnly commit
``to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies.'' We
commit ``to bear true faith and allegiance.'' We undertake ``to
faithfully discharge'' our duties.
Paul Coverdell fulfilled each of those constitutional obligations
under the oath of office. He was a man of his word and he has lived his
life in the Senate true to his principles and true to that oath.
He was a quiet man. His office was right across the hall from mine in
the old Russell Building. How often we would meet walking to and from
the votes. Those are the moments when
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Senators do not have staffs around them, constituents are waiting
somewhere, and you share those private thoughts, comments, and ideas.
How often I shared them with this giant of a Senator.
The Nation lost a true patriot, a true gentleman, a true statesman.
But his memory and his legacy will remain with us forever.
May God bless his family. God blessed America with this man's
service.
Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle who have come today to express sorrow and deep regret over the
loss of a treasured friend and colleague. I have watched many of the
tributes that have been made to Paul Coverdell this morning. There is
very little I can say to add to some of the wonderful comments that
have been made about this truly remarkable American.
I want to talk for a minute about my personal relationship with Paul
Coverdell.
When he was running for the Senate for the first time, he was running
against an incumbent Senator who was popular in his State. I came to
the State of Georgia and campaigned for him. Before I arrived, I
thought I was doing what a lot of us in politics do, and that is doing
what is necessary for a losing cause. But after spending a few days
with Paul Coverdell, I could see this man was going to win his election
because he was a man of integrity; he was a man who knew the issues, a
man who was dedicated to the concept and belief of public service, a
man who had served his country in other capacities and had prepared
himself over many years of public life to serve the Nation as a Senator
from the State of Georgia.
As we all know, he won a very close race, perhaps one of the closest
races in the history of certainly the State of Georgia, if not the
entire Senate, which required a runoff election. Then he was reelected
rather handily.
Again I went down to Georgia to help him in his reelection, and I saw
that during his first term, Paul Coverdell had established a unique
relationship with his constituents. Everyplace I went with him, they
recognized him, they showed their appreciation for him, and whether
they were Republican or Democrat, they respected him for his strongly
held values and views.
As I talked to his citizenry around the State of Georgia, it was
clear, whether they were going to support his candidacy for reelection
or not, they held him in the highest regard because they knew, as we
who have had the privilege and honor of working with him and serving
with him in the Senate know, that he was a man who worked incredibly
hard, a man of firmly established values and ideals, and one who
believed and acted in the public interest.
As all of us experience deep emotion and sorrow over the loss of a
dear friend, I am sometimes reminded that we should also celebrate the
fact that we were blessed to have the opportunity to know and
appreciate a man of such enormous and wonderful qualities, and the
people of his State and the people of this Nation, including my own
State of Arizona, were honored to be in the presence of and have the
service of this dedicated, wonderful American.
As our best wishes and condolences go out to the Coverdell family and
friends, we also offer our hardiest celebration for a life well lived
and one which is written in the pages of America's history, in the
history of the Senate, bright pages filled with the Coverdell name in
the State of Georgia with glory.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith of New Hampshire). Without
objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, as I enter the Chamber and look to the
rear to the seat occupied by our dear friend, the late Senator Paul
Coverdell, it reminds me of the reality of the fragility of the lives
we lead. The message is one of taking stock of what our real priorities
are. Life is so short, so fragile, and our period on Earth is so
temporary.
At this time we join together in grieving with the family of our
beloved colleague who passed away Tuesday evening. Our thoughts and
prayers are certainly with his wife Nancy and the family during their
time of extraordinary grief.
We all share in the reality that this was a tragic and unexpected
loss. We all feel it in this Chamber, in the halls of the Senate office
buildings and, of course, in Paul's beloved State of Georgia. But we
cannot be blinded by grief to the point that we fail to recognize and
celebrate the life of this outstanding public servant.
He was an extraordinary public servant. I listened to some of the
comments made last night after we learned of his passing. The Senator
from New York said he was a man of peace. Reflecting on Paul's public
service, he served his country in the Army, with deployments in
Okinawa, Korea, and the Republic of China, came home to Georgia, joined
the family business, helped it thrive and grow and then, beginning in
1970, served his State in the legislature, serving as minority leader
for a period of 15 years. In 1989, he continued his commitment to peace
as Director of the Peace Corps. In this capacity, Paul saw the fall of
the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War. He seized the opportunity to
place Peace Corps volunteers in former Eastern Bloc nations in an
effort to speed their transition to democracy and peace.
The wise people of Georgia, in 1992, elected Paul to the U.S. Senate.
I vividly recall that this genuine, quiet man made an immediate
impression upon all of us. As we got to know Paul, we found him to be
deeply thoughtful, hard-working, and utterly unconcerned about the
limelight. His Republican colleagues recognized his efforts and
selected him to the leadership post of Republican Conference Secretary.
As a U.S. Senator, Paul did superb work in the issues of education,
food safety, protecting our children from drugs, promoting
volunteerism, lowering the tax burden on working families and small
business, and protecting the rights of citizens in their dealings with
the Internal Revenue Service.
We were all privileged to know Paul. He enriched our lives. My
prayers and thoughts are with Paul's family, especially his wife Nancy.
The Senate will miss his work ethic and thoughtfulness. The Nation will
miss his ideas and his example.
Mr. President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I rise, as have some of our colleagues
today, to express my deepest sympathy to Senator Paul Coverdell's
friends, family, and to his wife Nancy, as others throughout the State
of Georgia as well as throughout this country mourn the passing of one
of our colleagues who, indeed, was a very special person.
I think when we reflect on the times we had and the opportunity we
had to spend with Paul Coverdell, we will certainly remember him as a
Senator's Senator; by that I mean a person who was really interested
not so much in the message of the day but, rather, in actually working
together to bring to this floor and to the American people legislative
products that were appropriate to get the job done.
I think all of us, when we see our legislative branches becoming more
and more partisan and more and more separated by imaginary aisles that
separate us, can think back and remember Paul Coverdell as a person who
was willing to work with anyone who was willing to work with him in
order to accomplish legislation that was in the interest of this whole
country.
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I had the opportunity, as so many of our colleagues did, to work with
him on education. I think his approach to that major legislative effort
was one from which we can all learn a great deal--how he handled the
product he was trying to get passed into law.
What I mean by that was he was willing to sit and talk with Democrats
as well as his Republican colleagues to try to fashion a compromise
that could accomplish the reform of our legislative system. Far too
often, that is sort of unique and different in the way things are
done--both in this body and in the other body across the Capitol.
I think as we remember the experiences and good times we had with
him, we can take with us the admiration and respect all of us have
expressed of him, but also, at the same time, the lesson he taught us
by his actions. That lesson, in my mind, was how we work together to
accomplish good things for the American people. He did that. We can
remember and we can learn from his actions. That is how I want to
remember the good times I had and the privilege of experiencing it with
him during the legislative process.
He will be missed, of course, by his family and close friends back
home. He will be missed by the people of Georgia. He will, indeed, be
missed by the people of America--those Americans who think that the
function of this body and our Congress in general is to do whatever we
can, working together, to make lives better for all American citizens.
That is what Paul Coverdell attempted to do as he was able to
accomplish so many things in that fashion.
He will be particularly missed by this institution and by everyone
who wants to make government work better for the American people. Paul
Coverdell represented that type of Senator. He, indeed, was a Senator's
Senator. He will be sorely missed but very fondly remembered.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent
that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, as have so many of my
colleagues, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend, Paul Coverdell.
It is very difficult to look at those flowers, which are silent. As
my colleagues do, I find it difficult to deal with. It is something
that is very hard for all of us to understand.
We are here to pay tribute to Paul Coverdell and to express our
sincerest condolences to Nancy and his entire family.
They say true friends are there when you need them most. We know Paul
Coverdell was there when we needed counsel. I remember about a year ago
I went through some rather difficult times on the floor of the Senate.
Paul was there to counsel me and to give me a lot of advice through all
that--for which I will always be grateful--in a political world often
poisoned by partisanship. Paul was always there for counsel and
friendship. He was there for all. He was not a partisan person. He
could be partisan when he had to be. There is a difference between
being partisan and being mean.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution said it best when they said: There
is a lot of meanness in politics. But he wasn't one of the mean people.
I don't think it can be said much better than that. He was a fierce
partisan on the battlefield of ideas but not among friends. We are 100
people here who are friends. Even though we have our partisan
differences from time to time, we don't take it off the floor. Paul was
certainly a stalwart in leading the way in that. He knew what
friendship was and what it meant. Friendship to Paul couldn't be
obscured by any party label or disagreement or an argument.
That is why so many of our colleagues have been here today to make
tributes. It is also one of the reasons why history will record Paul
Coverdell as a great Senator. I remember vividly the first time I came
to the well and signed the book, being joined with a very distinguished
few individuals, a little over 2,000 people throughout the course of
our country who have become U.S. Senators. Senator Robert Byrd came
over to me and said: Don't ever forget that. That is something that
they can never take away from you.
When you think through the years of all those people, Paul will be
remembered in that way as one of the best in terms of friendship, in
terms of his own issues he felt so passionately about--drugs, what
drugs were doing to our society, especially to our young people, and
education for which he fought so hard.
He was a passionate man, a caring man. I don't believe anyone who has
ever served here who wasn't compassionate and didn't care could ever be
considered an outstanding Senator. Paul was the best when it came to
that.
He had the disarming personality, the humor, the quick mind. He had
rock solid philosophical groundings. These are traits that made for a
great and potent legislator. Most importantly, if he gave you his word,
that was it. You could trust his judgment. You could trust his
instincts. Most of all, you could trust his motivations were right.
They were heart felt; they were sincere; they were honorable. I think
that is the most important.
There is a campaign slogan that Senator Coverdell had: Coverdell
works. Those who worked with him every day knew he was tireless. He was
working on the day that he was stricken. He was a hard worker. He
worked hard for his State and he worked hard for his country and the
people in whom he believed.
In 1732, when the colonists came to Paul's great State of Georgia,
they came on shore, touched the shore, they kneeled down and said: Our
end in leaving our native country is not to gain riches and honor but
singlely this--to live in the glory of God.
I think Paul Coverdell has lived up to that about as well as any
human being could, certainly as well as any Georgian could. You can
certainly be proud of this Georgian.
Abraham Lincoln, on the passing of Henry Clay, said about the ardent
patriot and profound statesman: He had a quality possessed by few of
the gifted on Earth. His eloquence has not been surpassed in the
effective power to move the heart of man. Paul Coverdell was without an
equal. I think I agree with Abraham Lincoln on that.
We all have vivid memories of the last time we spoke to Paul
Coverdell. I remember on the Senate floor, with all the confusion of
the votes on Friday, all the things going on, and although I can't
recall a specific conversation, you can always remember Paul engaging
somebody in a conversation.
The worst part for me, when I reflect on a sudden death, is if I had
the chance to say goodbye, what would I have said? I also find myself
wishing I had known so I could take the time to say goodbye. I didn't
get that opportunity to say goodbye to a friend that I loved and
respected, but if I had the chance, I would have thanked him for his
friendship because it means more than anything else here. I would have
said: Thanks, Paul, for being there for me.
In his letter to Mrs. Fairbanks, Mark Twain wrote about friendship:
. . . I remember you and recall you without effort, without
exercise of will; that is, by natural impulse, undictated by
a sense of duty or of obligation. And that, I take it, is the
only sort of remembering worth having. When we think of
friends, and call their faces out of the shadows, and their
voices out of the echoes that faint along the corridors of
memory, and do it without knowing why save that we love to do
it, we can content ourselves that that friendship is a
Reality, and not a Fancy, that it is built upon a rock and
not upon the sands that dissolve away with the ebbing tides
and carry their monuments with them.
That is how I feel about Paul Coverdell today.
The second thing I would have thanked Paul for, if I had had the
chance to say goodbye, was his sense of humor. He had a great sense of
humor. Lord knows, one needs a sense of humor serving in this place. It
gets intense from time to time. I remember two cases, one recent and
one a long time ago, which I will recall. I will take the long time ago
first.
Some of my colleagues will remember Paul had a very interesting
election. Georgia, at that time, had a law that candidates had to get
50 percent of
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the vote to win. Paul got a little less than that. His opponent got a
little bit more than Paul but less than 50 percent. So Paul was here
and he was talking to Members, saying: I want to join you guys, but I
need a little help, a few contributions. We need to have another
election and I have to face this guy again with the third guy out.
I said: I will help you, but I am not sure that law is right. Maybe
the other guy should have won; he got more votes than you the first
time.
Paul said: Well, it is all right to change but not yet.
I remember that. Paul said that in his gregarious way, not meaning
anything malicious.
The second memory I have of his humor was more recent, about 2 or 3
weeks ago. Paul, who is the conference secretary, came out with this
little card. He held the card up proudly. He wanted people to have this
for the Fourth of July recess. It proudly boasted ``The Republican
Priorities for the Surplus,'' and he want down through the list. We all
looked at them and after he finished, Senator after Senator stood up
and said: I don't know where you got that, that is not my priority. Who
gave you this. And on and on and on for 10 minutes. Paul took it well.
After it was over, I walked up to him and I said: Do you regret you
printed the card?
He said: Were those guys drinking something; what was going on here?
It was a fond memory, but so typical. There was no animosity, no
anger, just rolling with the punches.
He said: Next time, I will check with a few people before I print the
card.
If I had the chance to say goodbye, I would have thanked Paul for
that.
Let me close by referring to comments that were made several years
ago on this floor by our distinguished colleague, Robert Byrd, who was
talking about the death of William Fulbright. He quoted Longfellow. In
quoting Longfellow, Senator Byrd said:
There is no death! What seems so is transition;
The life of mortal breath
Is but a suburb of the life Elysian,
Whose portal we call death.
Then he went on to say about William Fulbright the same thing I would
say right now about Paul Coverdell:
Life is only a narrow isthmus between the boundless oceans
of two eternities. All of us who travel that narrow isthmus
today, must one day board our little frail barque and hoist
its white sails for the journey on that vast unknown sea
where we shall sail alone into the boundless ocean of
eternity, there to meet our Creator face to face in a land
where the rose never withers and the rainbow never fades. To
that bourne, from which no traveler ever returns, [Paul
Coverdell] has now gone to be reunited with others who once
trod these marble halls, and whose voices once rang in this
Chamber--voices in this earthly life that have now been
stilled forever. Peace be to his ashes!
Paul Coverdell loved his God; he loved his country; he loved his
native Georgia; he loved Nancy and his family. He served them all, and
he did it well. I am proud to be called a friend of Senator Paul
Coverdell.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. ROTH. Mr. President, often the most difficult moments we have on
this floor are not when we're trying to advocate a political
philosophy, or debate a legislative initiative, but when we pause to
remember friends and colleagues who have left us. Words, which come
easily on most occasions, seem suddenly inadequate to express the
feelings we have stirring in our hearts--the fond recollections, the
abiding respect, and the sudden, overwhelming feelings of loss.
Paul Coverdell was a friend to each of us, a leader with a spirit
that was as buoyant as it was inspiring. His vision and ability to get
things done elevated him quickly into increasingly more important roles
in this distinguished body. As a leader, he was unwavering in this
dedication to freedom, his support for the bedrock of liberty--family,
community, education, and personal responsibility.
I fondly remember the many occasions we worked together, the
discussions we had, and the ever-increasing sentiment that in Paul I
had found something of a kindred political spirit. In fact, I was in
Atlanta on Monday, at an event he sponsored on my behalf. As always, it
was tremendously successful, indicative of how well Paul is regarded by
those he serves.
It is easy to understand why. From efforts to make education more
affordable, to reforming the Internal Revenue Service, to working to
roll back the tax burden, Paul has been a leader, as articulate and
convincing as he was constant and unwavering.
He intuitively understood the values that bless America. His
background and upbringing groomed him to understand the importance of
family, the concerns of small business owners, the value of learning,
and the ability of government to promote an environment that supports
these areas. Just as important, Paul understood the necessity of
service and the blessings that come through service.
Not only was he a distinguished soldier, but after the Army--as Paul
succeeded in business--he gave back through his service in the Georgia
State Senate, where he served for many years as the minority leader.
His service continued as he led the Peace Corps under President Bush
and focused that important organization on building and sustaining the
fundamentals of freedom in the emerging democracies of Central and
Eastern Europe.
Because of his service, Paul was well prepared when he came to the
Senate in 1993. He knew what he would do here, and I can think of no
one with whom I have served who accomplished more than he did in the
time he spent among us. His work will remain his legacy. His memory
will continue to inspire. And the successes he achieved here will bless
the lives and brighten the futures of families and children for years
to come.
At this time I express my appreciation for Paul and his leadership,
and I want to express my condolences to Nancy and the family, along
with my gratitude for their willingness to share a great man with all
of us.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues in paying
tribute to our departed friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell.
The Senate today is a very sad place, it is a shaken place, because
of the suddenness of Paul's death. It is also a day on which I think
we, by this tragic event, are reminded that underneath the headlines
and the great debates and the partisan divides and all the rest of the
sound and the fury, ultimately this institution, as so many others
across America, is 100 people coming to work every day, trying to get a
job done. It is the hundreds and hundreds of others who work with us
here, our staffs and support personnel, who constitute what to me has
always seemed to be a small town.
Today we are saddened and we are shaken by the loss of one of the
prominent people in this small town of ours on Capitol Hill,
Washington, DC, United States of America, Senator Paul Coverdell.
My wife said to me once: Remember that being a Senator is just your
job; it's not you. It's a great job. It's an honor to hold it. It is an
extraordinary opportunity. But ultimately there is a ``you'' there.
That personal side of all of us comes home today as we confront, and
try to absorb and deal with, the death of our friend, our colleague,
our coworker, Paul Coverdell.
It reminds us, of course, of the limits of human understanding and
human capacities. As great as we are as a species, as high as we have
gone, as exciting as the reaches of technology are today, ultimately we
reach a point of human limitation. It is the point where we meet up
with faith in God that, hopefully, transcends those limits, capacities,
and doubts and moves us forward.
Thinking about Paul Coverdell's death and his life, there are two
quite disparate thoughts that came to my mind--but both of them, I
think, fit him. I remember when I first came to Washington--this is an
old expression--somebody said to me: Remember that there is no limit to
what you can accomplish in Washington if you are not looking for
credit. In so many ways that have been testified to here on the Senate
floor today, that wisdom fits the career of Paul Coverdell. He was a
quiet and gentlemanly person, not looking for headlines but committed
and anxious to be part of making this place work.
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The second sentiment is something I heard from my own beloved mother,
and I will bet everybody heard it from their mother, which is, when I
was growing up, she always said to my sisters and me: You know, it
never hurts to be kind to people. You gain nothing by being harsh.
That, too, is a very apt description of Paul Coverdell: a very fine
human being, a very kind human being. In the normal interactions of
this extraordinary place where we work together trying to get things
done, Paul always had a smile, always a kind word. Even in the partisan
moments we all are involved in on the floor, they never seemed to
become personal with him. That, in both senses, is the way it should
be.
It is, of course, sad but always true: We tend to appreciate people
more when they are gone and speak more openly of them when they are
gone. I think that is the case of this quiet, strong, decent,
productive man. I have a sense, in listening to the comments made, of
the critical role he played in this Chamber within the Republican
caucus, to transcend the divisions that exist in any group of people,
particularly any group of political people, and the critical role he
played helping the Senate majority leader in trying to keep the place
moving and getting some things done.
I can testify, of course, to the fact that Paul was clearly a proud
Republican loyal to his party. He was not hesitant to reach across
party lines to look for support for something in which he believed or
to offer support to someone on our side of the aisle for something in
which he believed and felt was right and necessary.
I had the greatest opportunity to work side by side with Paul
Coverdell as a cosponsor of the pioneering, progressive, very important
education savings account proposal he made which would have taken the
basic idea of higher education savings accounts and expanded them to
cover K-12 education to help parents support the improvement of their
children's education. There is nothing we can do in this Chamber that
is much more important than facilitating a better education for all of
our children.
It was easy to work with Paul. He was obviously very bright, he was
understanding, and he was energetic and steadfast. It is an idea I hope
those of us on both sides who support it will carry on because it is a
good idea, but it is also a tribute to him.
I was thinking, earlier this year on a proposal that became
associated with the Clinton administration; namely, the aid package to
Colombia to deter and diminish the problem of drugs coming in from that
country, Paul stepped forward and gave sturdy, steadfast, effective
support which ultimately resulted in its adoption with bipartisan
backing of a problem that is obviously complex and indeed cannot but
help us as we go forward.
We all think of Nancy today and Paul's family. We extend to them our
condolences, and we hope, of course, that they are strengthened and, in
some measure, comforted at this difficult time by good personal
memories of their time too short with Paul, and I am sure they are
strengthened and comforted by the pride they should feel and the
extraordinary record of public service that was Paul Coverdell's life,
and hopefully given ultimate strength by their faith in God. The Lord
giveth and the Lord taketh. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I thank
the Chair. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, the State of Georgia and the United States
of America lost a great, decent leader yesterday. Paul Coverdell was
one of the quiet heroes of this Senate Chamber. He was not showy; he
was not proud; he was not here for the credit or the prestige or the
power. He was a gentle man in every sense of the word and in every
aspect of his being.
He was here because he loved his State and loved his Nation. He was
here because he wanted to improve education. It was a profound concern
of his. He was here because he wanted to end drug abuse and the scourge
of drugs among young people. He was here because he wanted to protect
our national security and secure our children's future and open
America's promise to all of those he served. He fought for all these
things with a humble dignity and a quiet passion that touched each one
of us.
In a way, Paul was the Senate peacemaker. We get a lot of contentious
issues around here. We are all human beings. Tempers flare. Voices
rise. It seems as if you are never going to get together with people
again across the aisles. Paul Coverdell could step in and work his way
back and forth and calm things down.
Recently, we had the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education bill
up. I am the ranking member on that subcommittee. The chairman is
Senator Specter from Pennsylvania. It seems that every year when that
bill comes up the debate gets hotter. The decibel level goes up a
little bit. We seemed to be locked in a week-long struggle on that
bill, and I had a chance, once again, to watch Paul Coverdell at work
in soothing the tensions on both sides, of reaching across to Democrats
and his own Republicans to find that common ground and just calm things
down. He was really good at that. I watched him work. I said once to
Senator Specter: I am sure glad we have Paul Coverdell around here
because he was able to keep things calm.
He helped us reach the compromises, as we must do around here, and to
find a common ground between people.
I also served with Paul on the Agriculture Committee. We shared a
common love of farmers and rural people. Again, in his own quiet way, I
saw the determination and the grit of Paul Coverdell in fighting for
his farmers in Georgia during many deliberations on the Ag Committee
and especially in the passage of the last farm bill.
A lot of people do not know this--but Paul and I talked about it
often--he was born in Des Moines, IA, not more than 10 miles from where
I was born and raised.
It is an honor that I represent a State that produced someone as good
and as decent as Paul Coverdell. He was one of the finest leaders this
body has ever seen.
Standing here and looking over at his desk and looking at the black
cloth and the flowers on the desk cannot help but remind each of us of
the transitory nature of human life. Just last week--it seems like
yesterday--I was on the floor talking with Paul Coverdell about an
issue, asking for some help and seeing if he could work some things
out. He was as alive and as vibrant and as engaged and committed to the
smooth functioning of this institution as anyone else. Four days later,
he passed on.
Looking at his desk, and thinking about seeing him just a few days
ago, being alive and vibrant and full of health, and looking forward,
not only makes us think about the transitory nature of human life but
it also should serve to remind us we should make every day count--make
every day count in emulating the kindness and the gentleness and the
caring nature of a Paul Coverdell.
One of my political heroes, Hubert Humphrey, once said: ``To be a
leader means a willingness to risk--and a willingness to love. One must
ask: Has the leader given you something from the heart?''
Paul Coverdell had the guts and the courage to take risks. He had a
great will to love. And to that question by Hubert Humphrey, I can say
yes about Paul Coverdell. He gave us all something from that wonderful
heart of his.
So I join with my friends and colleagues in extending to Nancy and to
his family our profound sorrow. We share your sorrow. But we hope you
take comfort, as we do, in knowing that the kind and gentle and caring
life of Paul Coverdell is now rewarded by the kind and gentle and
caring hand of Almighty God.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I, like most of my colleagues today, have
listened carefully to the remarks made about our colleague, Paul
Coverdell. What it has been is a weaving together of a magnificent
tapestry representing the life of a unique and complete human being--
Paul Coverdell.
Paul Coverdell was a complete human being. We are all judged by many
facets of our lives. In the end, what is really most important is: Did
you leave the world better than you
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found it? That question has been answered rather assuredly today in the
case of our friend Paul Coverdell.
I found part of a speech that President Ronald Reagan gave. As a
matter of fact, it was his last speech that he gave before the United
Nations in September of 1988, before he left office. I think it
captures, rather well, Paul Coverdell--a man who served his country in
uniform, a man who served his country as head of the Peace Corps, who
truly touched the world and made the world better, who served his
country as a Senator, who helped all of us as a friend, and who was a
faithful and wonderful and loving husband.
These words--that I would like to recite in closing my remarks about
Paul Coverdell--truly capture the essence of this remarkable colleague
and friend of ours. As President Reagan ended his speech to the United
Nations on September 26, 1988, he said--and we hear the echo of Paul
Coverdell in these words--
. . . when we grow weary of the world and its troubles,
when our faith in humanity falters, it is then that we must
seek comfort and refreshment of spirit, in a deeper source of
wisdom, one greater than ourselves.
And so if future generations do say of us that, in our
time, peace came closer, that we did bring about new seasons
of truth and justice, it will be cause for great pride. But
it shall be a cause of greater pride still, if it is also
said that we were wise enough to know the deliberations of
great leaders and great bodies are but overture; that the
truly majestic music--the music of freedom, of justice, of
peace--is the music made in forgetting self and seeking in
silence the will of Him who made us.
Thank you for your hospitality over the years. I bid you
now farewell. And God bless you.
We bid farewell to Paul Coverdell. And God bless Paul Coverdell.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order
for me to deliver my remarks seated.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. HELMS. Mr. President, none of us knows precisely when the
hereafter begins, when the life of one of the Lord's servants ends. I
myself have lost an unusually large number of good friends during the
past few weeks. But I find it helpful to imagine that I can visualize
each of them sitting on some sort of Cloud Nine up there, listening to
those of us who are mourning the loss of good friends.
Yes, I do have a hunch that Paul Coverdell is up there, cheerfully
and busily lending a hand to Saint Peter. For me, it serves the purpose
of reassuring that Paul is all right--in fact, better off than he has
ever been before.
We all remember a hundred different personal vignettes at times like
this. In Paul's case, my first acquaintance with him was very early in
the morning the day after he was first elected to the Senate in 1992.
I had gone quietly into the den of our Raleigh home and turned on the
television set--the volume very low, so as not to awaken Mrs. Helms. I
wanted to catch up on the late returns from the election the day
before.
I heard a voice; and I was intrigued and impressed by that voice.
Then I looked carefully. I did not recognize the young man who was
speaking. It was Paul Coverdell. I saw the picture of him that appeared
on the screen. It was a live interview. Paul had not yet gone to bed.
He had been up for about 36 or 40 hours.
There he was fielding questions politely, intelligently, and with
that inevitable smile on his face.
That was the moment my respect and admiration--and affection--for
Senator Coverdell began.
Now fast forward: Like most, if not all, other Senators, I realize
today that I will forever have special memories of Paul Coverdell. He
was a good man, an honorable man, a dedicated man with whom I shared a
great affection for today's young people--the responsible ones, the
ones who understand their good fortune of living in this country--those
who, as Paul Coverdell once put it, understand that the strength and
the goodness and the very future of America will shortly be in their
hands.
I have sat and listened to other who have spoken so eloquently today
of the Senator's rapid rise in the leadership of the Republican Party
in the Senate. That happened because Paul believed in the Senate. He
believed in the meaning of the U.S. Senate, and he believed that we
have a duty to endeavor to achieve a spirit of cooperation and
understanding--including the realization that we have the duty to make
the tripartite system work.
So, Paul, if that's you whom I think I'm looking at on Cloud Nine,
you know that we are missing you and that we are so dearly grateful for
the years that we enjoyed working with you. I have a notion that the
Lord will be blessing you for being His good and faithful servant while
you were amongst us.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I thank Senator Helms. He asked if he
could speak before me. I said, of course, and that permitted me to hear
what he had to say. It was beautiful, and I was privileged to hear it.
Most of us are privileged to believe in a hereafter. Frankly, it is
difficult for me to conceive of an adult human being with a mind and a
heart, difficult for me to see how they do not all believe there is a
hereafter. But there is no doubt in my mind that what I believe by
faith is true, and there is no doubt in my mind that Paul Coverdell is
in the hereafter.
I didn't come to the floor today to speak about matters of great
depth or of religion or faith or hope. I came to talk about the Paul
Coverdell I knew day by day.
Let me first say, it is very difficult to put the flowers and the
cloth where they actually belong, because Paul Coverdell is not known
as much for being at that desk as he is being in this aisle and taking
somebody's place in this chair. For most of his time in the Senate, he
was either putting together a group of Senators to address an issue or
he was trying to get the Senate's work done, because he was asked
either by a chairman or by the leader to do it. The more difficult the
task, the more it was given to him.
When you had an education bill with 200 amendments or a Labor-Health
and Human Services appropriations bill with, at one point, 270
amendments, somebody quietly asked that one of our Senators help. It
was almost always Paul Coverdell who was asked. He was so good at it
and so friendly and could bring people together so well that the
chairman willingly accepted his help. I can see the last time he pulled
up his coat and was given, after he accepted the assignment, a list
with hundreds of amendments on it. The task was: Narrow them down. By
the end of the day, they were talking optimistically about finishing.
And by the next day, Paul Coverdell, not at that desk but walking these
aisles and sitting with Senators everywhere, was getting the work done,
always being considerate, kind, and understanding.
Sometimes we herald Senators because they have been here a long time.
I suggest that Paul Coverdell and his wife Nancy and those who knew
him, those who elected him, and those who supported him must know by
now that he was a wonderful Senator. That was not measured by his
having four or five terms as Senator, as I have been lucky to do, or my
friend, Thad Cochran, who sits here, from the State of Mississippi. But
he, in a few years, captured all of our hearts and all of our hopes for
success. We would transplant them over to him.
I came with no speech but with a letter. Two days, 3 days before he
died, I arrived at my desk and found a letter. My staff had taken it
out of the mail and put it on my desk. Frankly, I left it there not
knowing he would die. I was going to read it in due course. Surely, the
day that he died, I sat down at my desk and read his letter.
The letter is not profound. The letter is Paul Coverdell. It is the
Paul Coverdell who is so considerate that after coming to my office and
spending an hour and a half of his time with a staffer of his and two
of mine, where he had asked me if I would be of help, he willingly
said: I will come to your office. We talked with a couple of my staff
who were assigned to him. He did a job for the Republicans in preparing
something we needed, and then he wrote a letter on top of all that
where he was doing the labor, the work. He wrote this letter:
Dear Pete: Thanks again for meeting to discuss our recess
communication efforts. As always, your insight has been quite
helpful in determining how to craft a credible short term
message on the surplus. Bill Hoagland
[[Page S7190]]
and Jim Capretta of your staff were of invaluable assistance
to us as well. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Paul D. Coverdell.
I submit there are not too many of us who would be so considerate
that when we wrote a Senator to say it was good to be with you, would
mention the staff people who really got the work done because they knew
more about it than we did. But here is Paul Coverdell, the last
sentence of his letter, thanking Bill Hoagland and Jim Capretta by
name. He puts it in here. How many Senators are that considerate as to
what the names of staffers are who they meet in another Senator's
office? Some of us are not considerate enough to say: Would you please
repeat your name because I would actually like to know your name.
I believe this is typical of Paul Coverdell. I surmise that for his
whole life, certainly while he was in the Peace Corps, and the public
service part of his life, he was always considerate.
Let me suggest that being considerate does not mean being weak. Being
considerate does not mean you don't get something done. Being
considerate does not mean you cave in. Being considerate is being like
Paul Coverdell.
As I indicated, I will never remember him in that seat that we honor
him by today because that is his assigned seat. I will remember him as
more the epitome of a Senator who worked on the floor of the Senate.
That is a very special kind of Senator. First of all, most of us don't
know how to do it. Secondly, most of us are not asked to do it. He was
asked. He knew how to do it in terms of helping people bring difficult
matters to a head, to solutions, and helping his party with great
insights on strategy.
Mr. President, I say to his wife Nancy and his beloved: We don't know
how to explain this to any of you. We are incapable of doing that. But,
clearly, if you don't know it now, in very short order you will
understand that he lived a very great life as a Senator, and the
respect and admiration that has been shown, and will be shown, is
probably an indication that he was as close to all of us as any Senator
around.
With that, I say good-bye, Paul; God bless you and your family.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, our colleagues have spoken so well about
Paul Coverdell as a gentleman, as a person who was thoughtful and
persuasive. As Senator Domenici said, he worked the aisles
indefatigably with the ideals that he held.
First of all, it is fundamental that Paul Coverdell was elected to
the Senate. It was a very difficult contest--one not decided on
election day, the day of his first election. He was an extraordinarily
experienced politician and statesman in the State of Georgia, with
remarkable legislative experience as a leader throughout much of his
tenure. But those from our party in Georgia have a very difficult time
with that, and that was the case for Paul. It was a very close contest.
He won graciously, came to the Senate, and had a difficult reelection
contest for which he began to prepare early and in which he asked many
of us to participate. But he did it all so gracefully, so thoughtfully,
so constructively, that we rarely think of Paul Coverdell as a very
tough political competitor and someone who was in a difficult arena. It
took great courage to make those races to begin with and remarkable
tenacity to follow through to success.
My own first impressions of Paul Coverdell came during the often
commented period in which he served as head of the Peace Corps. Paul
Coverdell was in Latin America and various other places where some of
us tried to work for democracy in those days. They were remarkable
days--the 1980s--in which all of the countries of our hemisphere
finally landed on their feet with democratic institutions. That was
true of countries in Asia and countries elsewhere around the world.
Paul Coverdell's tenure in the Peace Corps is distinguished by the fact
that the Peace Corps had matured, literally.
Many members of the Corps were now very mature individuals, not young
persons out of college, or in some type of transition before they went
into another professional career. As a matter of fact, under Paul's
tenure, the Peace Corps evolved into a group of teachers,
environmentalists, and farm experts, in addition to, still, a very
strong component of young idealistic people. It was this combination of
people that gave sustenance to democracy, helped the economy, helped
the pushing forward of intellectual pursuits, and likewise forged an
increasing friendship and reverence for the United States and for our
traditions.
Therefore, it was with great excitement that I welcomed Paul
Coverdell to the Foreign Relations Committee. That is a committee on
which he belonged. He made huge contributions on that committee. We
focused frequently on Latin America, Central America, South America,
and the Caribbean--areas with which he was well acquainted from
previous times when he had really been there in the beginning of the
evolution of many democratic propositions. I sat next to him in the
committee through the markups, through the hearings. He was always
cheerful. He was always thoughtful in exchanging views in a very
forthright way. I admired and I listened to Paul. He made a very strong
contribution day by day in the work of the committee.
But my close association with Paul came in the Agriculture Committee.
I will mention that Paul was chairman of the Senate Agriculture
Committee, Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection, and Product
Promotion. He did a great job. We have just four subcommittees in the
Agriculture Committee. These are committees that have opportunities to
hold hearings independently, or to contribute to the body as a whole as
they may wish. Paul Coverdell had a broad philosophical view of
agriculture that included freedom--freedom for the farmers whom he
represented to make decisions with regard to management of their land
and their crops and their livestock, and the prospects for their
communities. He championed that idea without apology. But he also was
very much in tune with the very specific problems of Georgia farmers.
They included an interest in peanuts. Paul and I had disagreements
about the peanut program. In fact, it has either been my fate or
privilege for many years to suggest reform. Paul always feared that
those reforms would come during his time, and he tried to dissuade me
and, having failed in that respect, to at least bring me up to date on
what the actual problems of peanut farmers were, how they could be
helped, and how the legislation I was suggesting could be brought
before the committee and modified, and ways to be helpful to the
overall policy and to the constituents whom he saw very much in need of
his support.
Mr. President, he prevailed in that area. We made reforms. But I
think they were reforms that were very heavily influenced by the hand
of Paul Coverdell. Due to the fact that he did his homework, he was
persuasive, and he knew the farmers. He spoke for them.
In addition to the peanut situation, which was always with him, in
recent years, severe drought--and this is one of those years in
Georgia--occupied much of Paul Coverdell's time, working with specific
landowners and communities, with much of his State in the throes of a
very difficult predicament. As I looked at the weather map just last
week, I saw how the drought problem has shifted just in a very few
weeks in our country from patches that covered much of the area of the
United States to very isolated situations. Unfortunately, Georgia is
one of those situations. It is especially cruel because the rains have
come to the Midwest and to many of the plains States with isolated
problems still--in some parts of Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakotas.
But Paul, in his own way, always made certain we knew about Georgia
and the very specific problems there. So when we had the large debates
that we were privileged to have on the floor, dealing with risk
management, dealing with payments to farmers to supplement their income
in a very difficult year, and with specific emergencies, Paul was very
active in that debate. He was successful in that debate.
As Senator Domenici pointed out in his beautiful statement, Paul
Coverdell was always one who thanked everybody involved and made
certain
[[Page S7191]]
that they knew of his care and attention and appreciation. It was my
privilege to receive one of those notes after the debate which we had
here. It is very difficult to try to think about the representation of
that State without thinking of Paul Coverdell. He was so good, so
faithful and, really, so effective and articulate. He was such a good
friend. We will miss him. Our thoughts are with him and with Nancy.
I yield the floor.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I join my colleagues today in expressing
my sadness over the loss of a valued colleague. I think we have lost a
great friend.
I was looking over some of the correspondence I had with Senator
Coverdell. He sent me some Vidalia onions and told me they had a punch.
He had a way of writing that was very interesting, in fact.
I think Senator Coverdell grew in stature every year he was here.
I remember so well when he came to us. We had known him as part of
the Peace Corps group. I believe his wife was a Delta stewardess at the
time. He came around to visit each one of us. He came around to visit
me and told me a little bit about some of his background. I knew then
that we had a person who was going to be outgoing because not many
Senators do that. He took time to visit with each one of us as he came
to the Senate.
I think the skills he developed as a mediator will be missed in this
Senate. I remember some of the bills he worked on even just this year--
the Health and Human Services bill, for instance--bills with so many
amendments, and it took committed work on the floor of the Senate.
Paul Coverdell was a volunteer. He volunteered himself for the task;
he worked with Senator Reid from Nevada. I think he assisted members of
our committee on an enormous number of disputes. Without his help and
without his skills, I think we would still be involved in some of those
bills.
He also came to us with some educational background from his life in
Georgia. He brought us some educational concepts that are going to
last, I hope, for years to come. His education savings account program,
for instance, is one.
He also helped us in the field of general education because of his
approach. He prodded us, I think Senator Specter would agree, to not
only meet but to exceed the President's request this year on
educational funding.
He was a very interesting and complex man. He was an advocate for
keeping drugs out of the hands of children. He saw the appropriations
process--as Senator Cochran and others who work with me on
appropriations know--as a means to try to solve problems through the
proper use of public funds.
As chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of our Appropriations
Committee, I met with him often on problems of military families in his
State. I know of no person who was a more vigorous advocate for
production from a State than Paul Coverdell. When it came to the C-130
aircraft, he was a workhorse and not a show horse. I don't remember
seeing Paul Coverdell's name in the paper in terms of some who sought
publicity, but I saw in him a great deal as a man who sought results.
I say to the Senate that we lost a great friend and a valued
colleague. I join in expressing my sadness over his loss.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. REED. Thank you, Mr. President. I would like to join my
colleagues in expressing my sadness and my condolences in behalf of the
family of Paul Coverdell.
In the more than 3 years that I have had the privilege of serving in
the Senate, he was someone who was respected for his work, for his
effort, and for his sincere commitment to ensuring that all the
viewpoints were heard, and that we moved forward and acted for the
people of this country.
He was particularly protective, obviously, of his State of Georgia
and his constituents because he felt deeply for their needs. He worked
hard to achieve benefits for his constituents. He had talent,
personality, and character. You could disagree with him, but he was not
a disagreeable person. He was a consummate gentleman. He was polite. He
was civil. He was approachable. He had those personal qualities that
endeared him to all who serve in this body. He was someone respected by
all of us. We all admired him.
Other colleagues have talked about his many efforts in educational
policy, such as his efforts to ensure appropriate response for our
military posture around the world.
I had the occasion just briefly in the last debate about Colombia to
work with him and speak with him. He was committed to ensuring that our
policy in that part of the world was not only consistent with our
ideals as a democratic nation but also helped decisively stem the tide
of drugs that has weakened this country. He did it in his typical
fashion--quietly, diligently, without a lot of fanfare but with great
success and great results.
We shall miss his temperament. We shall miss his commitment to this
process. We shall miss his character and his contribution to the
country.
To his family I offer my sincerest condolences.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise with my colleagues to express my
deepest sympathy for Nancy and Paul's family.
I had the great good fortune to come to the Senate with Paul
Coverdell, as did the Senator from North Dakota, who I see sitting
across the aisle.
Paul was a special individual. He brought to this Senate an
infectious enthusiasm and gracious energy which dominated the
institution and those of us who worked with him. He always had a smile.
He always had an idea. He always had a purpose. The purpose was tied to
making this country a better place to live--for all of us and for our
children.
He used to wander around this institution with a styrofoam cup that
had ``Waffle House'' on it. That was one of the great mysteries to me
in this institution--how Paul Coverdell managed to get Waffle House
coffee sent all the way from Georgia.
It was a great promotor of Georgia. He never missed an opportunity to
promote Georgia. That was only one of the minor ways he did it.
He was a great friend, also. I had lots of discussions with him. We
worked on lots of issues--our concerns about the original health care
proposal put forward by this administration, to when we set up the
first aggressive, active task force that I got involved in and that he
was also involved in. Even at the time we were both new to this
institution, he had an incredible amount of ideas and initiatives on
ways to address the issues. He was always tactically two or three steps
ahead of the rest of us. He understood the way the institution worked
long before some of us--I put myself in that category--who didn't fully
understand the institution. He had an intuitive sense about the
Senate--a feel for it and a love of it. He knew how to work an issue,
to address an issue in order to produce better policy and better
government for our country. I worked with him on that.
It seemed almost all of the time we were working on an answer with
Paul Coverdell because he was involved in about every issue that came
through the institution that had significance. The last major issue I
worked with him on, of course, was education. We had a task force on
our side to put forward what I thought was an extremely positive
educational agenda, much of which came from his thought processes,
which I was proud to support.
We worked a lot, of course, on Governor Bush's campaign. I had a
discussion last Friday with him about that. He was working hard on an
issue having to do with that campaign, and we was very hopeful that
Governor Bush would become the next President.
He also had, as I mentioned, a deep regard for this body.
I think one of the discussions I will remember fondly occurred last
week when we were sitting in my office. Some of the offices in the
Russell Building have unique marble fireplaces. Many offices have
unique desks. He was very concerned that we didn't really have a
historical database of where these desks came from, who had these
desks, and we didn't have a historical database of where the marble,
for example, of the fireplaces came from; We had not, as a Senate, done
our job of maintaining our own traditions and our own history as well
we
[[Page S7192]]
might. We got to talking about that and the history of the Senate. His
love of the institution was exuberant.
What a huge impact he had in such a short time. We only came 8 years
ago--the two of us. At that time, I think there were 11 after the class
finally got settled in. He took a while to get here because he
confronted a number of races, but with his perseverance he was totally
committed and won them all. In that time, he left a huge mark.
One of the true strengths of our democracy is that it totally exceeds
any individual. This institution includes Daniel Webster, Calhoun,
Clay; people in our century who had a huge impact, including Taft, Bob
Dole. When they leave, the institution goes on; it functions. It
functions extraordinarily well for a democratic body--as well as a
democratic body can function. It produces governance for our people
which is fair and honest and committed to a better life.
Recognizing that the institution goes on, there are still people who
leave a mark. There are still people whose memory will be there, and
will be there for a considerable amount of time. Paul certainly falls
in that category. It will be hard for me to turn and look at that door
and not see Paul standing by it, working on some issue. That is where
he usually worked from, the pillar back there, addressing some concern,
planning some initiative, all of which was directed at one single
purpose: Preserving and keeping our democracy.
We will miss him.
I yield the floor.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to the life and
legacy of Senator Paul Coverdell. His passing has shocked and saddened
us all. It has left a void in the Senate and in our nation.
For Senator Coverdell, public service was his profession and his
passion. After serving in the Army, he began his public life as a
member of the Georgia State Senate where he served as Minority Leader.
After working in the private sector, he was appointed Director of the
Peace Corps. In this important position he worked to spread American
values around the world. This experience helped him when he later
served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he was a leader
in our international effort to strengthen our anti-drug efforts.
In the Senate, Senator Coverdell was known as a hard worker who often
reached across the aisle to build coalitions. Senator Coverdell fought
hard for his principles. We didn't always agree on policy--but he
always treated those on the other side with dignity and respect. He
knew that despite our different views, we all shared a common goal. We
all want to do what's best for our constituents and our nation. He
understood that we can get more done with civility than with
contention.
Senator Coverdell will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are
with his family.
Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I would like to address the terrible
loss the Senate suffered yesterday, when Paul Coverdell left this
Earth. I was truly shocked by the news. Just last week, Paul was on the
floor of the Senate, working in his quiet and non-assuming way.
Yesterday, I was writing him a get-well card. Today, he is gone.
Paul was a dedicated public servant. He served the state of Georgia
and this nation in the Army, the legislature, as a businessman, as the
head of the Peace Corps and in the U.S. Senate. The respect he had
earned from his colleagues here is evident in his appointment to
numerous task forces and his election to a leadership position. His
passing is a major loss to this body and this great country.
Since I am also from a state where agriculture is an important part
of the economy, Paul was a valuable ally in ensuring the family farms
do not disappear. I also admired his work to keep our children safe
from drugs and crime, a priority he and I shared. Paul represented the
best of America: a belief that people flourish when they have the
freedom to work and make their own decisions.
Paul will truly be missed. He stood out in the Senate for the simple
reason that he never drew attention to himself. In a business where
egos can run rampant, Paul did not display one. He preferred to get
things done.
My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and their family.
They have some tough days ahead of them. I hope they can look back, as
I do, at the impressive record of Paul's work with a sense of pride. I
am thankful for the chance to know such a man.
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
mourning the sudden and untimely death of our colleague from Georgia,
Paul Coverdell.
Senator Coverdell had a long and distinguished career of public
service, capped by his dedicated service in the United States Senate.
Senator Coverdell served his country in the United States Army in
Japan, Taiwan and Korea. In 1970, he embarked on a career in politics
in his native Georgia, serving as a state Senator and chairman of the
state Republican party. In 1989 he was selected by President Bush to
lead the Peace Corps.
We here in the Senate, though, knew Paul Coverdell as a friend and as
a real gentleman. We did not always agree on the issues, but Paul
Coverdell never took policy disagreements personally and never let them
affect his relationships with other Senators. Senator Coverdell was
always very positive, very upbeat. On every issue, even when we
disagreed, I found Paul to be fair, decent, and, above all, honest.
In this body, some Senators are known as ``work horses.'' Others are
known as ``show horses.'' There is no question that Paul Coverdell was
a work horse. He was not flashy. He did not seek the media spotlight.
Paul Coverdell worked tirelessly with the leadership on his side of the
aisle on some of the toughest issues facing the Senate. He was
interested in getting results, not credit. His focus, his
determination, and his willingness to bring other Senators together to
get things done served the Senate well, served Georgia well, and served
our country well. His spirit and energy will be sorely missed in this
body.
Put simply, I liked and respected Paul Coverdell. We will miss him.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Nancy, his family and
friends, and his staff.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I join all of my colleagues, the staff
of the Senate, the people of Georgia, citizens across America and
around the world in morning the death of Paul Coverdell.
A thoroughly decent human being, he worked long and hard for what he
thought was right. His career reflected the combination of principle
and effective leadership that were characteristic of the way he did
business. In his quite way, he managed to navigate some very difficult
waters, keeping his equanimity and dignity intact, while gaining not
only his goal, but the respect of all who associated with him.
Many in the Senate can claim friendships with him that extend to
several decades. I met him only after he was elected to the Senate in
1992, but from the first, I was impressed by the same things his
friends loved and admired in him--his kindness, his sense of humor, and
his work ethic. A skilled legislator, he was often asked by the
leadership to help move matters along. He did this in concert with
colleagues on both sides of the aisle, always managing to ``disagree
without being disagreeable.'' He was a public servant of the highest
order.
His family, friends, staff, constituents, and colleagues certainly
know what has been lost for we know what he was and what he did with
his life. He will be missed in so many circles, but his influence and
his good works will continue.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I want to join with my colleagues in
expressing my deep sorrow at the loss of our friend and colleague, Paul
Coverdell. During this difficult time, I want to extend my thoughts and
prayers to Nancy and all of his family.
Paul and I both came to Washington, D.C. in January of 1993. In the
years that I've know Paul, I've always been impressed by his
thoughtfulness and his work ethic.
I always had the upmost respect for him because of his quiet
demeanor. He did not seek headlines, and he did not seek credit.
Whether it was fighting illegal drugs or working on education or tax
policy, he simply did his work with a quiet determination, an open
heart,
[[Page S7193]]
and a kind word for anyone who crossed his path.
My predecessor in the Senate, Warren Magnuson, had a phrase for
someone like that-- ``a workhorse not a showhorse.''
Paul Coverdell was a workhorse in the finest sense.
Paul earned the respect of everyone here because he treated everyone
else with respect and dignity.
Paul's work here in the United States Senate was really just an
extension of a lifetime of service. Whether it was serving his country
in the U.S. Army, serving the people of Georgia as a state senator, or
helping people around the world through his work as director of the
United States Peace Corps, Paul brought his generous spirit and his
determination to everything he undertook.
Mr. President, the people of Georgia are fortunate to have been
served by a person of Paul's character and skills.
Those of us who worked with him here in the U.S. Senate were
fortunate to have him as a friend and colleague. His passing is a loss
to our Senate, to Georgia and to the Nation. I will miss him as a
friend and colleague.
Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
honoring a distinguished public servant and a valued Member of the
United States Senate, Senator Paul Coverdell, who died Tuesday evening
at the Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
Senator Coverdell was elected to the United States Senate in 1992 and
served as the Republican Conference Secretary since December, 1996. He
was a member of the Senate Finance, Foreign Relations, and Small
Business Committees and chaired the Agriculture Committee's
Subcommittee on Marketing, Inspection and Product Promotion.
Before entering public life, Senator Coverdell served in the U.S.
Army in Okinawa, Taiwan and Korea. He earned a Bachelor's degree in
journalism from the University of Missouri before returning to Georgia
to work in his family's business.
Paul Coverdell's political career began in 1970 when he was elected
to the Georgia State Senate serving as Minority Leader for 14 years. In
1989, he accepted President Bush's appointment as Director of the Peace
Corps, where he refined the agency's mission to serve the emerging
democracies of Eastern Europe.
While Senator Coverdell and I rarely agreed on the many issues that
came before the Senate for consideration, I greatly respected his hard
work and his unfailing courtesy and civility. He was a modest man who
valued results more than he valued headlines. Indeed, Paul Coverdell
was well-respected by every member of this body, engendering the
affection of all those with whom he served.
Senator Coverdell served the citizens of Georgia and the Nation well
and we are all deeply saddened by his untimely death. I would like to
take this opportunity to pay tribute to him and to extend my deepest
and heartfelt sympathies to his family.
____________________