[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11812-S11814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR CHARLES ROBB

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I congratulate Senator Robb on his 
remarks. I thank him very much for sharing them with all of us.
  These past elections brought our caucus nine new members and we hope 
many new opportunities to address America's priorities. But they also 
handed us a great disappointment, the loss of our friend and colleague, 
Chuck Robb.
  I am appreciative of the opportunity that I had just now to listen to 
Senator Robb, maybe for the last time on this Senate floor. I had 
feared he might leave without giving us a chance to thank him for his 
remarkable service to the Senate. It would have been like him to do so; 
he is an enormously modest man.
  In an editorial the day before the election, the Washington Post 
wrote:

       Even in the final days of a nip-and-tuck campaign, Senator 
     Chuck Robb seems uncomfortable singing his own praises. While 
     some voters may find this quality refreshing, Senator Robb's 
     reluctance to tout his accomplishments hides them too 
     effectively in a tight race.

  Chuck Robb's reluctance to promote himself--his commitment to sound 
policies over sound bites--may have cost him reelection, but they have 
earned him the respect of his peers and this Nation.
  In 12 years in this Senate--and for 8 years before that as Lieutenant 
Governor and then Governor of Virginia--Chuck Robb rarely spoke about 
himself. He has always been more comfortable speaking on behalf of 
others--the people whose voices too often are not heard at all.

  Today, on what we hope could be the last day of this Senate, I want 
to say just a few things about him that he will not say about himself, 
just to remind us what a good man--what a good man--with whom it has 
been our good fortune to work.
  As we all recall, he was elected to the Senate in 1988, with the 
largest vote total for any office in Virginia's history. It was the 
first time in 22 years that Virginia had not sent a Republican to the 
Senate.
  He has spent his Senate career working for Virginia and for what he 
calls the ``long-range, big picture, important issues'': national 
security, a balanced budget, education, and civil rights--for all 
Americans.
  He is a member of the Finance Committee and the Joint Economic 
Committee. He is the only Member of the Senate ever to serve 
simultaneously on all three national security committees: Intelligence, 
Armed Services, and Foreign Relations.
  He is a former member of the Budget and Commerce Committees, as well 
as the Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, where he cochaired a task 
force that declassified and released vast quantities of information on 
missing U.S. service members.
  Quietly, with little fanfare, he has provided a steady leadership 
that has helped keep our Nation safe and move us forward.
  He is a lifelong fiscal conservative.
  In 1993, he voted for the deficit reduction plan that launched the 
strongest economic recovery in our Nation's history. He remains an 
important part of the Senate's economic conscience, always reminding us 
that our job isn't finished, that we must pay down our national debt.
  He has been a tireless fighter for education, the chief sponsor of 
our proposal to help States and local school districts build and 
renovate 6,000 schools.
  He fought to reduce class sizes by hiring 100,000 teachers and to 
make America's schools safer and stronger.
  He helped create new partnerships to connect every school in America 
to the Internet.
  He is as hard a worker as you will find in this body.
  In 12 years as a Senator, incredibly, he has missed only 10 votes.

[[Page S11813]]

  As chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1991 
and 1992, Chuck Robb shattered fundraising records and ended his term 
with the strongest majority for our party in 20 years.
  He cares deeply about the values on which our party is founded. But 
there are values he holds even more dearly than party loyalty. A 
reporter asked him recently who his political heroes are. He listed 
two. One was the late Bill Spong, another thoughtful, effective 
Virginian, who served one term in this Senate and was the first 
southern Senator from a State covered by the Voting Rights Act to vote 
for the act.
  He said his other political hero was a man we all knew, our friend, 
John Chafee, ``because he worried about women's health, poor children, 
and the environment, and reached across party lines to find 
solutions.''
  Reaching across party lines, being willing to work and look in new 
places for new solutions--that is something Senator Robb has done his 
entire life.

  He grew up in a Republican family. He is a founder and past chairman 
of the centrist Democratic Leadership Committee, and one of the 
original architects for what we now know and call ``the third way'' in 
politics.
  His ground-breaking ideas on the changing economy, new models of 
governing, and other ideas helped transform political thinking--not 
only in this country but in England and in nations all over the world.
  Quietly, modestly, throughout his career, he has tried to reach 
honest, bipartisan compromise on an array of issues.
  Here in the Senate, he has worked closely with his colleague, Senator 
Warner, on issues of importance to Virginia and our national security.
  As a member of our caucus' Centrist Coalition, he has helped us all 
try to find a middle ground.
  I would be sorry to see Chuck Robb leave the Senate at any time. The 
fact that he is leaving now--when we so desperately need people who are 
able to see beyond the usual party divisions--makes his leaving doubly 
sad.
  Chuck Robb only lost one other political contest in his life, when he 
ran for senior class president at the University of Wisconsin at 
Madison. Speaking about that loss later to a reporter, he said it gave 
him something important. As he put it: ``I needed a little taking down. 
Anybody who goes too long without some setback in life tends to lose an 
important perspective.''
  One of the things Chuck Robb came to understand about himself back 
then was how much he loved this Nation and how much he felt he owed it.
  It was that sense of patriotism that compelled him to enter the 
Marines after graduating from college. It was that sense of patriotism, 
too, that made him volunteer to go to Vietnam. He didn't have to go; he 
could have served stateside. In fact, the Pentagon brass would have 
preferred it. They worried about what might happen if a President's 
son-in-law were taken captive and used to extract concessions from the 
United States. But Chuck Robb insisted.
  In April of 1968, 2 months after the Tet offensive, he landed in 
Vietnam, commander of an infantry company. Two weeks later, he was in 
combat.
  In Vietnam, he earned the Bronze Star with the Combat V, the 
Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with the Silver Star, and the rank of 
major.
  Most people who knew him, including his extraordinary wife Lynda, 
expected Major Robb to make a career of the military. And he did remain 
in the Marine Reserves for a long period of time, all the way until 
1991, serving a total of 34 years in uniform.
  But he also found another way to serve his Nation.
  In 1977, the people of Virginia chose Chuck Robb as their Lieutenant 
Governor--the only Democrat elected that year to statewide office. Four 
years later, they made him Virginia's 64th Governor--the first 
Virginian Democrat elected Governor in 16 years.
  As Governor, he championed many of the same causes he would later 
fight for in this Chamber. He invested $1 billion in Virginia's 
schools--without raising taxes.
  He fought for civil rights.
  As President, his father-in-law, Lyndon Johnson, appointed the first 
African American to the U.S. Supreme Court--Thurgood Marshall.
  As Governor, Chuck Robb appointed the first African American to the 
Virginia Supreme Court, as well.
  He signed the legislation adding Martin Luther King's name to a State 
holiday that had formerly honored only Confederate Civil War heroes.
  His fellow Governors recognized his exceptional talents. He served as 
chairman of the Southern Governors' Association and the Democratic 
Governors' Association.
  He chaired the Education Commission of the States and the Council of 
State Governments.
  Even during the toughest political fights of his life, Chuck Robb did 
not like to tell people these things about himself.
  When others praised him for his accomplishments, he was always quick 
to say that it was ``we'' who deserved the praise, not ``he.''
  His genuine modesty is one of the things that makes Chuck Robb a 
Senator's Senator.
  Another is his courage to fight for principle, even when he knows it 
will cost him politically. Chuck Robb has done that over and over and 
over again in this Chamber.
  One instance I will always remember came last March when he stood on 
this floor and explained--in a deeply personal, eloquent way--why he 
opposed amending our Constitution to make flag burning a crime.
  As someone who saw too many good men die for what our flag 
represents, he said he felt a sense of revulsion when he saw the flag 
treated disrespectfully.
  But--in Senator Robb's words--``they died for liberty and tolerance, 
for Justice and equality. They died for that which can never burn. They 
died for ideals that can only be desecrated by our failure to defend 
them.''
  Someone once asked Senator Robb why he took such politically risky 
stands--especially in an election year.
  He said that--because he had been in combat--``I thought that I could 
speak out on some issues with less concern about the downside than some 
other Senators might have to think about.''
  I don't know if he was right in that calculation.
  I do know this: On this day in 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified 
when Virginia approved it.
  One reason it has never once been weakened--in all these years--is 
the brave and principled stand of Virginia's Senator, Chuck Robb.
  There are many things about the next Senate which I look forward to.
  I deeply regret, however, that Chuck Robb will not be with us. His 
departure is a loss not only for our caucus but for this entire Senate 
and for our Nation.
  Our Senate family will also deeply miss Lynda Johnson Robb, who is 
here today.
  She has given so much to our Nation throughout her life. And she 
continues to serve America as the National Chair of Reading is 
FUNdamental, and as Vice Chairman of America's Promise, the national 
service partnership.
  Last week, Chuck and Lynda celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary. 
I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we wish them belated 
congratulations--and best wishes on their future endeavors.
  In that same interview in which Senator Robb listed his political 
heroes, he was also asked: What is your most inspirational quotation?
  He cited the words of Teddy Roosevelt:

       The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the 
     arena--whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood . . . 
     who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions--and 
     spends himself on a worthy cause--who at best, if he wins, 
     knows the thrill of high achievement--and if he fails, at 
     least he fails while daring greatly--so that his place will 
     never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither 
     victory, nor defeat.

  Throughout his career, Chuck Robb has lived up to those words.
  He has been in the arena.
  He has fought for worthy causes.
  And he has inspired us all to be better Senators.
  I am proud to call him a friend. We will all miss him.
  Let me also take this opportunity to say thank you, and best wishes, 
to our other fellow Senators who will not be rejoining us next year: On 
our side of the aisle: Senator Dick Bryan, Senator Bob Kerrey, Senator 
Frank Lautenberg, and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

[[Page S11814]]

  And our friends across the aisle. . . . Senators Abraham, Ashcroft, 
Gorton, Grams, Mack, and Roth.
  It's an honor to have served with all of them. I wish them well in 
all of their future pursuits.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, on behalf of all the Democratic Senators, I 
express our appreciation for the kind words about our friend Chuck 
Robb. I sent him a note after the election, and he, of course, in his 
typical fashion responded. But I so much appreciate the Democratic 
leader covering his extraordinary life. One thing the leader didn't 
mention is that he is really a son of the West. He was born in Arizona. 
Of course, he went to high school in Fairfax and did a great job there.
  One reason I so admire Chuck Robb--and the leader touched upon that--
is his military record. I have not served in the U.S. military. I look 
at Chuck Robb with so much admiration. He went to the jungles of 
Vietnam. He didn't have to go, but he did. Not only did he go there, 
but he served in combat and was given a medal for valor. That says it 
all about Chuck Robb.
  Chuck Robb's service for the 12 years he has been in the Senate has 
been one of valor. We have asked him to take credit for things he did, 
and he would not take credit. We have asked him to come forward on 
issues in which maybe he just had some tangential involvement. He said: 
No, that is not my legislation; I am not going to do it.
  He is a man of great integrity. As the leader indicated, he doesn't 
promote himself. Of course, he doesn't do that.
  But the thing I admire about Chuck Robb more than any other--more 
than his public service and more than his military record--is how he 
treats and talks to his family. He has three daughters and a wonderful 
wife.
  With a heavy heart, I look at Chuck Robb here on the Senate floor for 
one of the last times. My life is better because of Chuck Robb. He has 
made me look better personally. He is a man of great integrity and a 
man of character. I will never forget the things he has done for me 
personally.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I would like to thank Senator Robb. He 
is truly one of the most honorable individuals I have ever met in my 
life. I thank him.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I will just take one minute to thank my 
friends and colleagues for their eloquent and very greatly appreciated 
words. I have never been very good at showing emotion. I am not very 
good at saying thank you. But I want you to know that your words, your 
friendship, your leadership and your example have always been 
appreciated well beyond my ability to express it.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

                          ____________________