[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 148 (Tuesday, December 5, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S11549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SENATOR STROM THURMOND'S 98TH BIRTHDAY

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to add a few accolades 
to those that have already been expressed on the 98th birthday of our 
very distinguished and able colleague, Senator Thurmond.
  Senator Thurmond and I have worked together in this Chamber for 42 
years. I say this with a considerable amount of pleasure. I have always 
found Senator Thurmond to be straightforward, courageous--he is 
absolutely fearless--and always considerate of the viewpoints of 
others. We were here during the great civil rights debates of the 
1960s. We have seen colleagues come and go. We have shared viewpoints 
on many of the great issues that have been debated upon this stage in 
the years that have gone by: The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting 
Rights Act of 1965, the Panama Canal Treaties in the late 1970s--the 
many issues that have deeply affected our country and the people of our 
country.
  While Senator Thurmond and I belong to different political parties, I 
think we have attempted to see through the fog of political debate, and 
we have attempted to speak and act in the best interests of the country 
as a whole. We have often risen above the political fray.
  Senator Thurmond has always been very courteous to me. I can remember 
those years, now long ago, when Senator Thurmond lost his wife. He was 
a Democrat in those years, and I remember coming into the Senate 
Chamber on that morning after. Senator Thurmond sat there in the back 
row behind me that morning. I walked up to him, shook his hand, and 
told him of my sorrow at his loss.
  I can remember when Senator Thurmond lost his daughter. I went to 
South Carolina to be with him in that time of trial and tribulation and 
sorrow. I saw the great outpouring of affection and love by his 
constituents in South Carolina.
  I remember, too, the day in which there was a memorial service 
conducted for my grandson, Michael, who was tragically killed at the 
age of 17. I recall that at that memorial service there were two other 
Senators present--Senator Randolph, my colleague at that time in the 
Senate, and Senator Thurmond. My colleague today, Senator Rockefeller, 
was there, but he was at that time the Governor of the State of West 
Virginia.
  I shall never forget when Strom Thurmond came to my side at that 
moment of great sorrow when I gave up my grandson. Senator Thurmond has 
always been a Senator who sympathizes with the sorrows, the sadness, 
and the joys of his colleagues.
  I went out here some distance from the Capitol a few years ago to 
attend the funeral service of a relative of one of my staff members. 
This relative was a black man. Who came to that funeral service? Me. I 
was there because it was a relative of one of my staff members. Senator 
Thurmond was there. He came there to show his sympathy and his concern 
to those bereaved people.
  I marveled at his presence on that occasion. It made me wonder, how 
many funerals of persons of other races, of other parties, and of other 
creeds does this man attend around this city?
  Let me just say today that it has also been not just a pleasure to 
serve with Senator Thurmond but it has been an honor. I salute him on 
this his 98th birthday.
  Abraham lived to be 175. Isaac lived to be 180. Jacob lived to be 
147. Joshua lived to be 110. Joseph lived to be 110. Moses lived to be 
120. Strom Thurmond is only 98. I thank the good Lord that I can be 
here today to share with him this birthday of his.
  Let me close by remembering a few lines, if I might, that were 
written by a poet.

       Count your garden by the flowers,
       Never by the leaves that fall.
       Count your days by the sunny hours,
       Not remembering clouds at all.
       Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
       Count your life by smiles, not tears.

  On this beautiful December afternoon, Senator Thurmond:

       Count your age by friends, not years.

  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. THURMOND. Mr. President, I wish to thank the able Senator from 
West Virginia for his kind remarks. He is a man of character, a man of 
ability, a man of dedication, a man for whom all of us have high 
respect.
  He has done a fine job here in the Senate. Although we are in 
different parties, we have so much in common. I have enjoyed being here 
with him, and I thank him for his great service to his State and to our 
Nation.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I understand Senator Harkin wishes to make a 
few remarks before the Senate recesses and before the meetings of the 
two parties. I hope someone will indicate to Senator Harkin that the 
floor is now available, if he would come at this time.
  I understand he is on his way. If the Chair would just momentarily 
desist from using the gavel.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, will the Senator from West Virginia yield?
  Mr. BYRD. Yes. I yield, if I have the floor, Mr. President.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from West 
Virginia for his kind remarks in behalf of the birthday of our 
colleague from South Carolina, Senator Thurmond. Those were excellent 
remarks and tribute to a man with whom we have been proud to serve.
  I would like to note, because the Senator is such a historian, that 
someone handed me a little piece of history which might be instructive 
to us in the days ahead.
  The year was 1881, when a special session of the Senate convened on 
March 4, 1881. The session was called for the exclusive purpose of 
handling Cabinet and agency nominations for the new administration of 
President James Garfield. Republicans and Democrats were split evenly 
37-37, with 2 independent Senators. Under normal circumstances, this 
short session should have lasted about 11 days. Due to intense 
partisanship, it resulted in deadlock. It ran for 11 weeks.
  I hope that is a lesson to those of us who are trying to find a 
reasonable way to resolve our new challenge in the new Congress; that 
there are ways to do it so we can avoid that kind of deadlock and that 
kind of delay.
  I see the Senator from Iowa present.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, If the Senator will yield, the two 
independent Senators on that occasion came from the State of Illinois. 
One was David Davis, a former Member of the Supreme Court. The other 
was William Mahone who hailed from the great State of Virginia, the 
mother of Presidents.
  Mr. DURBIN. I thank the Senator. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

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