[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 94 (Wednesday, July 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7216-S7218]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING SENATOR PAUL COVERDELL

  Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today to join some of my fellow 
Senators in remembering the extraordinary life and service of our 
friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell.
  It is a somber day in the Senate Chamber, as we deal with this loss. 
Paul Coverdell served the people of Georgia with distinction for over 
30 years. His passing leaves a significant mark on the many lives he 
has touched over his lifetime. On behalf of myself and my wife Annette, 
I offer my condolences to Paul's wife Nancy and his family.
  Anyone who dealt with Paul Coverdell over the years came to respect 
him. He was honest, loyal, and dedicated to public service. It was 
these characteristics that Paul brought to the table every day in his 
life. Paul's vision as a legislator and commitment to the principles 
and values for which he truly believed were demonstrated time after 
time in this Chamber. His commitment to improving education in the U.S. 
sets a high standard for all public officials. His hard work in the 
Republican leadership and his vision of a prosperous future for all 
Americans deserves tremendous praise.
  Personally, it was truly my privilege to know and work with Paul over 
the years. We sat next to each other recently in the Senate, as can be 
seen.
  He will be remembered as a dedicated American who gave much of his 
life in service to his Nation. I offer my thoughts and prayers to those 
close to Paul in this difficult time, especially to his family.
  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.
  Mr. FITZGERALD. 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for the quorum call be rescinded.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. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 5 
minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I rise today to deliver some remarks 
upon the death of our beloved colleague, Paul Coverdell.
  It is no exaggeration to say that the whole Senate is in a state of 
shock that we no longer have Paul with us. Just last week, Senator 
Coverdell was among us on the Senate floor debating legislation, 
visiting with us in the Cloakroom, speaking up in our weekly Republican 
conference. And now, only a short period later, he is no longer with 
us. To my knowledge, Paul never seemed to have had any health problems. 
He certainly seemed fine last week.
  My last remembrance of him is just how happy he was when we adjourned 
on Friday afternoon after we passed that landmark legislation repealing 
the death tax. I guess the fact that Paul is no longer with us reminds 
us all that we need to keep life in perspective.
  I first met Senator Coverdell when I was first campaigning for the 
Senate 2 or 3 years ago. From that first time I met him, I came away 
with a very powerful impression that he was a most sincere and decent 
and friendly person. In all my dealings with him in my year and a half 
in the Senate, that impression never changed. Paul was always in a 
good, cheerful mood. He was always positive and upbeat. I never once 
saw him raise his voice or get angry at anybody. He was unfailingly 
polite and courteous at all times and to everyone. He was the 
quintessential southern gentleman and a delight to know.
  In the Senate, we debate issues of great moment to our country: war 
and peace, the economy, education policy. I guess it is sometimes the 
little, personal, seemingly inconsequential gestures of friendship that 
one remembers. I used to sit next to Senator Coverdell every week in 
our Wednesday Republican luncheons. I got to know Paul that way, not 
only as a colleague but as a person. Every week Paul would gently rib 
me for eating my main course before I ate my salad. Week after week he 
would comment on that. I think finally he just concluded that that was 
a peculiar habit of midwesterners.
  I will always remember the smile and the twinkle in Paul Coverdell's 
eyes, and I won't easily forget him or my friendship with him.
  Paul, I am proud to have served with you. I am going to miss you. We 
are all going to miss you. You enriched this Senate, the State of 
Georgia, and the whole country by your service. Our thoughts and 
prayers are with you and your wonderful wife Nancy and your family. May 
God bless you and keep you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 
5 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join my colleague from Illinois in 
paying tribute to our fallen colleague, Senator Paul Coverdell.
  I have been in the Senate for 4 years and have worked with many 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I agree completely with Senator 
Fitzgerald: Senator Coverdell brought to this floor a certain dignity 
and demeanor to which we all aspire. He was a person of good humor. I 
think it may be difficult for many people who follow the debates in the 
Senate to believe that a Democrat who believes very strongly in his 
party and a Republican who believes very strongly can be engaged in a 
hot debate on the floor of the Senate and then, as soon as the debate 
is over, meet each other in the corridor or the well or at another time 
and be friends. That was the case with Paul Coverdell.

[[Page S7217]]

  We disagreed on many issues, but I never found him to be lacking a 
smile and always looking for some common ground where we might come 
together. The last conversation I had with him several weeks ago, he 
walked all the way across the floor to the Democratic side of the aisle 
and came right up to me. I was wondering what this could be.
  He said: I need your help.
  I said: What is it, Paul?
  He said: I want to try to secure a gold medal for Ronald and Nancy 
Reagan; will you help me?
  I know he was from Illinois. I said: Of course, I will.
  I signed onto it. That is the kind of person he was. As different as 
we might be politically, he was always trying to reach out and find 
some common ground. I think when we get caught up so much in the 
political debate and the furor here, we  forget many times how 
important it is to have a person such as Paul Coverdell here to remind 
us time and again that after the debates are finished, we are all 
basically human beings trying to do our very best in the Senate.

  I agree with my colleague from Illinois: It is hard to imagine that 
only a few days ago he was standing in the well and smiling and walking 
around as he always did as a member of the Republican leadership team 
and then stricken on Sunday, operated on on Monday and passed away. It 
is a sad day for the Senate.
  I have noted, interestingly enough, today, as many of my colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle have come to the microphone, some have known 
Paul Coverdell for a long time. Some have known him in many different 
roles in life, some for a very short time. Everyone from both sides has 
a very positive take on what Paul Coverdell meant to each of us and 
meant to this institution.
  It is a great loss, not only for the Senate but for the State of 
Georgia and for the Nation which he served in so many different ways so 
well.
  I extend my sympathies to his wife Nancy and all his family and 
friends in this moment of grief. The Senate has lost a fine Senator. I 
am honored to have called him a friend.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I join with my colleagues to pay tribute 
to Paul Coverdell. I have listened to a lot of tributes today. There 
have been so many themes, including cheerfulness, optimism, a welcome 
hand, no rancor, no bitterness. We all know that to be Paul Coverdell. 
I want that to mention one incident which, for me, encapsulates it all. 
It is going to be the incident that is defining for me. Whenever I 
think of Paul, I will always think of this incident, and I always will.
  This outfit--the Senate--tends to be a little partisan. Over the 
years, it has become too partisan, almost as two armed camps, one over 
there and one over here. It is regrettable, but that is something that 
has occurred and evolved up here in the Senate.
  Not too many years ago, I was in Atlanta, GA, speaking at an event. I 
neglected, as is a common courtesy, to tell Senator Coverdell I was 
there. Sam Nunn was a Senator at the time. I didn't tell Paul I was 
having an event in Georgia, his home State. I felt kind of bad about 
it. But like a lot of us, I kind of pushed it to the side and 
rationalized that it was not that important.
  Lo and behold, at that same hotel, Paul was speaking about three or 
four rooms away, and I heard about it. I said to myself: Oh, my gosh, 
Max, how stupid you are; why didn't you tell him? How guilty I felt. 
Oh, my gosh, here I am in Paul's home State and he doesn't even know I 
am here. I am in his State and he is just down the hall. I thought: You 
blew it, Max.
  When I finished, I was walking out in the hall and Paul happened to 
be coming up. He bounced up to me and said, ``Hey, Max, how are you? 
Welcome to Georgia. I hope you're having a good time.''
  That was Paul--positive, upbeat, cheerful, with a smile and a good 
attitude and a gleam in his eye. That made me feel even smaller and 
more guilty, but it made me feel even better about Paul. That is the 
Paul Coverdell I will always remember.
  Mr. President, Wanda and I send our deepest sympathies to Nancy and 
the family. Life is fickle, unpredictable. There but for the grace of 
God go any of us. People with the personal qualities of Paul Coverdell 
are the ones we will treasure here. I know the people of Georgia will 
treasure the same qualities in Paul Coverdell. He was a great man.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan is recognized.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 
to proceed as in morning business for 4 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I join with all of my colleagues today in 
praising the life and celebrating the life and grieving the loss of 
Paul Coverdell. He was a friend and someone whom I trusted. I think we 
all trust each other here because we are family. But I had a special 
fondness and a special trust for Paul Coverdell. He was a man of 
tremendous integrity, directness, and modesty.
  There are many instances over our time period together that come to 
mind. But one in particular is perhaps the most recent one. I had a 
matter that was of great personal concern to me. It was an issue where 
he and I differed philosophically but where I needed his help in order 
to get my position heard. He agreed it should be heard, even though he 
disagreed with it. I went to him and asked him whether or not he might 
assist me in that process, and he said, ``Carl, I don't agree with you 
on this issue, but this is a matter of great import for this country 
and your views clearly should be considered by the decisionmaker here. 
I am going to do everything I can to make sure that in fact those views 
are considered.''
  That said a lot about this man and about this place. Although we 
disagreed on an issue, he believed that the principle of having both 
sides heard was more important than the specifics of the issue. His 
integrity was indisputable and undoubted. We came to rely on him in so 
many ways. His background made him particularly able to make a special 
contribution to this Senate. He had great skills as a legislative 
craftsman and tactician. He, of course, had a wonderful background in 
the Peace Corps, and there were so many other ways he was able to 
contribute as a very special force in the deliberations on this floor.
  Paul Coverdell rose to leadership in a very short period of time, 
which reflected the deep respect and regard that he had among his 
Republican colleagues. That special affection and regard was matched on 
this side of the aisle. The death of this very fine and gentle man is a 
terrible loss to the people of Georgia. I consider it to be a great 
loss to the people of Michigan and all of America, and a great personal 
loss to me as well.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma is recognized.
  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I appreciate the comments by my friend 
and colleague from Michigan regarding the death of our friend and 
colleague, Paul Coverdell.
  Yesterday was a very, very sad day for the Senate. I was at this desk 
when the majority leader announced that Paul Coverdell passed away at 
6:10 yesterday. Majority Leader Trent Lott was a very close friend of 
Paul, as was I and many other Senators. This is a tough, trying time 
because we lost a very good friend and an outstanding Senator. It is 
sad to see the vacant chair right behind me that Paul Coverdell sat in. 
It demonstrates an enormous void his death leaves behind here in our 
body.
  I had the pleasure of getting to know Paul Coverdell for the last 8 
years. He did an outstanding job. Paul Coverdell was the type of 
Senator who would do any work assigned, and often times, work not 
assigned. He was the type of Senator who could enlighten the room, the 
type who could work with all Members and make things happen. He was the 
type of person who would be willing to take on tough tasks and always 
say yes, and

[[Page S7218]]

take them across the finish line. He was the kind of person you would 
want to have on your team at all times.
  Paul was the kind of person who really added a lot to this 
institution. It makes me proud to say he was my colleague. He 
contributed so much in so many ways. His death is an almost unspeakable 
loss for us, for the State of Georgia, and for the country.
  He showed great leadership on a lot of issues, with a hallmark brand 
of analysis and execution that identified a challenge for our 
conference, pulled out all the views among our colleagues, and built 
consensus and success to the betterment of not just our party, but our 
country. For example, take primary and secondary education--something 
overlooked for many years. He focused on that in the last few years, 
and headed up a task force that cut across committee lines, seniority 
lines, and philosophical lines, to bring us together. He wanted us to 
do positive things to improve education across the nation. He 
successfully blended our different viewpoints together, and together we 
painted a vision on education that not only do many Americans support, 
but holds out real hope for change and improvement when it comes to 
educating our kids for the challenges of the 21st century. Further, 
many elements of his efforts brought along our colleagues across the 
aisle.
  Or, take our war on drugs. Senator Coverdell has worked hard with 
colleagues to address this challenge, here in the United States, and 
with the House and the administration to carry the fight overseas. In 
waging those battles, we came to realize that he was intense, he was 
serious, dedicated, and sincere. He was also successful, and many 
families today and in the future should be gratified in his success.
  And these are just a few examples of the many areas where Paul placed 
his tremendous energies. He was so involved in so many different 
issues, I even teased him last year. I said, ``We are enacting all 
Coverdell legislation, all the time'' because he had his name and 
fingerprints all over so many things were doing, because he was so 
proactive in trying to come up with positive solutions to challenging 
problems in education, or fighting the war on drugs here and overseas, 
or spending the country's money wisely, or returning the tax surplus to 
the people.
  Paul also didn't hesitate to join us in standing up on behalf of the 
Constitution, our system of checks and balances, of keeping the order 
we stand to defend. From the beginning to the end of his time in the 
Senate, rarely a day went by when he did not cast a thoughtful eye on 
the activism and activities of the executive, cognizant of the vision 
of our Founders who believed in a limited central government.
  When you got to know him, you would discover that he had a real 
intensity, a keen curiosity to learn, understand, grapple with issues 
great and small. And he had such a great, congenial working spirit that 
made all of us better, that built us all up. His personality was 
infectious, his energy was admirable, his thoughtfulness was 
considerable, and his friendship was valuable.
  We want to let Paul's wife Nancy know that she is very much in our 
thoughts and prayers. We are comforted by the fact and have great 
confidence in the fact that Paul Coverdell now resides in a wonderful 
mansion, eternally. Our sympathies and prayers go with Nancy, and to 
the Coverdell family.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Oklahoma for 
his comments. We celebrate the wonderful life of Paul Coverdell. I have 
a heavy heart, and I miss him. He was a great Senator. He contributed 
to this Nation in extraordinary ways.
  He was a good friend to me, and a good friend to many others.
  Yes, he was modest, self-effacing, encouraging, positive, and 
unifying--all of those things. But he was a courageous and positive 
leader for values that this Nation holds dear. He advocated them with 
such a winsome and effective way. We will miss him. I will miss him.
  I say to the family and to Nancy particularly how sorry we are, and I 
express my sympathy. Maybe next week I will be better able to express 
my admiration and feelings for Paul Coverdell. I feel his loss deeply. 
So many of us do. I wanted to share those thoughts at this time.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  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.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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