[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RETIREMENT OF SENATOR CONNIE MACK

  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a friend and 
an outstanding public servant who is retiring from the United States 
Senate this year after 18 years in public service, Senator Connie Mack 
of Florida.
  I have had the privilege of serving with Senator Mack in both houses 
of Congress. And I know him as a man deeply committed to the finest 
ideals of public service, as well as the beliefs he so passionately 
holds.
  Perhaps no one believes more fervently in the inherent potential of 
each and every individual than Senator Mack. For him, it is not 
government that creates wealth or success or personal fulfillment. It 
is the American people. To give people opportunity--to give them the 
skills they need to compete and reach their greatest potential--is for 
Senator Mack perhaps the greatest end that government can serve.
  I have also known Senator Mack as a staunch proponent of fiscal 
responsibility, back to the days when it often seemed that talk of 
balanced budgets was only slightly more fashionable than actually 
balancing the budget. I have to believe he must share my sense of 
wonder as to how far we've come, and it is thanks in no small part to 
the efforts of Senator Mack and those like him who have fought for 
years to make the current surpluses a reality.
  Senator Mack has been a strong voice for the Sunshine State in the 
United States Senate. Most recently, his tireless efforts in helping to 
shepherd through the Senate the historic Everglades restoration plan, 
the Restoring the Everglades, an American Legacy Act, leaves a positive 
and lasting mark on Florida and one of our nation's true natural 
treasures that will be appreciated for generations to come.
  One could argue, however, that Senator Mack has pursued no other goal 
with a higher degree of dogged determination than increasing our 
federal investment in medical research. He rightly sees this issue as a 
matter of national importance, knowing no political, social, financial, 
or racial boundaries.
  He recognizes that disease touches every American family. Certainly, 
it has had a profound impact on his own family, including his wife, 
daughter, brother, and both parents--as well as affecting his own life.
  Characteristically, Senator Mack and his wife, Priscilla, who is a 
courageous breast cancer survivor, met these challenges first with 
courage and dignity, and then with an unyielding determination to do 
something about them.
  Both have been extremely active in spreading the word on the 
importance of early detection. As co-Chair of the bipartisan Senate 
Cancer Coalition, Senator Mack has provided outstanding leadership on 
matters relating to our fight against cancer, and in particular I have 
been honored to work with Senator Mack on providing greater funding for 
breast cancer research.
  The depth of Senator Mack's concern when it comes to this dread 
disease cannot truly be measured. Certainly, having worked on this 
issue throughout my tenure in Congress, I was honored and thankful for 
Senator Mack's participation in a breast cancer hearing, or ``breast 
cancer summit'', we convened in 1996, but I was not surprised that he 
would be there to contribute his wisdom and his support.
  From that summit came legislation to establish a national data bank 
of information on clinical trials involving experimental treatments for 
serious or life-threatening diseases. It also mandated that a toll-free 
number be instituted for patients, doctors and others to access this 
information.
  Senator Mack has literally been instrumental in securing increased 
funding for medical research in general, and indeed for the fiscal year 
2000 fought for the inclusion of a $2.3 billion increase for the 
National Institutes of Health. And he has rightfully called for funding 
to NIH to be doubled from $12.75 billion to over $25 billion over the 
next five years.
  Finally, Mr. President, to quote a piece from the St. Petersburg 
Times from last year, ``the Senate will lose one of its nicest 
members.'' And that is absolutely true. Senator Mack has strongly held 
beliefs on the issues, let there be no doubt.
  But he has always understood the fine but certain distinction between 
disagreeing and being disagreeable. He has been a credit to the Senate, 
to Florida, to the nation, and to his family. I wish him well as he 
returns to his beloved state and embarks on a new chapter in his life--
one that I hope will be filled with happiness and good health for him 
and his wife, Priscilla. He will be missed by all those fortunate 
enough to have worked with him.

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