[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11848-S11849]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S11848]]
                        SENATOR CHARLES S. ROBB

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to my 
colleague from Virginia, Senator Chuck Robb, who will leave the Senate 
in January after 12 years of exemplary service to his state as a member 
of this body.
  As others have noted, Chuck Robb has had a long and distinguished 
career in public service. He served his country for 34 years in the 
Marine Corps and reserves, and he is a highly decorated combat veteran. 
He was a widely popular governor of Virginia, who increased the state's 
education budget by $1 billion, and appointed many women and minorities 
to top government jobs. And he has now served two terms as a United 
States Senator, where he has been praised for his leadership on 
national security, education, and the budget.
  But I would like to note several aspects of Chuck Robb's Senate 
tenure that may not be quite as familiar, but for which I will always 
remember him and be grateful to him. The fact is that he was a hero on 
many issues: civil rights, human rights, and a woman's right to choose.
  Time and time and time again, even in the most difficult and 
politically charged debates, Senator Robb was steadfast in his support 
for the precious right of women to control their own bodies without 
interference from government.
  He led the fight in the Senate to bring justice to African-American 
farmers throughout the nation who had been discriminated against by the 
Department of Agriculture. His legislation helped lead to the largest 
civil rights settlement in our history.
  And then, in February 1993, he delivered a powerful and moving speech 
on the floor of the Senate, the message of which was that all of God's 
children, regardless of sexual orientation, should be treated equally 
in the military.
  I will always remember Senator Robb's eloquent words:

       The issue should be not what kind of person you are but 
     what kind of soldier, sailor, airman, or marine you are. . . 
     . I would suggest to you, Mr. President, morale is in the 
     heart of each service person. The threat to morale comes not 
     from the orientation of a few but from the closed minds of 
     many.

  I was deeply touched by these words of tolerance and understanding, 
particularly because they came from one who had served so gallantly in 
the Marine Corps.
  So I salute you and I thank you, Chuck, and send you my very best 
wishes as you move on to new challenges.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the 
statement be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

    Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (Senate--February 4, 1993)

       Mr. Mitchell. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the 
     Senator from Virginia.
       The Presiding Officer. The Senator from Virginia.
       Mr. Robb. Mr. President, I thank the chair.
       What is it that makes an excellent soldier? I submit to you 
     that it five basic virtues: Devotion to duty; loyalty to 
     country, commanders, and comrades; skill in military arts; 
     personal integrity; and courage. If you have these qualities, 
     you can be an excellent soldier, whether your name of 
     Manursky or Jefferson, Goldberg or Nguyen, Warner, Dole, 
     Kerrey, or McCain.
       A number of Americans who have these qualities, however, 
     are being excluded from serving their country in the military 
     for reasons beyond fitness or performance.
       People have told me for some time that they cannot 
     understand how someone who thinks of himself as a gung-ho 
     marine can march to the music of a drummer that I do not 
     hear.
       Mr. President, the drummer I hear plays the Marine Corps 
     Hymn. It still gives me a chill, and I still stand when it is 
     played. I certainly do not want to detract in any way from 
     the military's effectiveness or performance.
       Because of that, I cannot stand by and let a policy that I 
     consider less than perfect keep our services from attracting 
     the best and most competent people. The issue should be not 
     what kind of person you are but what kind of soldier, sailor, 
     airman, or marine you are.
       As a former marine who considers his 34-plus years in 
     uniform and in the reserve to be the proudest affiliation of 
     my life, I well understand those who argue the importance of 
     maintaining morale and good discipline in the ranks.
       But I would suggest to you, Mr. President, morale is in the 
     heart of each service person. The threat to morale comes not 
     from the orientation of a few but from the closed minds of 
     many. President Truman recognized that when he ordered the 
     services to be integrated by race despite the racial 
     animosity of many then in service.
       Do some of today's soldiers fear what they do not 
     understand? Certainly, they do. Obviously. But should 
     America's policy be guided by fear, or should be work to 
     overcome prejudice by showing that merit and behavior, not 
     orientations, are what counts in the military?
       I have spent a great deal of time discussing this with a 
     number of friends, including the Chairman of the Joint 
     Chiefs, Gen. Colin Powell. Some think that I am simply on the 
     wrong side of this issue, and I understand this and other 
     objections to the proposal.
       General Powell recently drew a difference between 
     discrimination based on sexuality, which he called a 
     behavior, and that based on race, which he called a benign 
     characteristic. But I submit to you that race is obvious, 
     until and unless it is expressed in conduct. And if that 
     sexuality is expressed, it is no longer benign. Then it will 
     run into the existing regulations of the Uniform Code of 
     Military Justice.
       The code offers sufficient protections against much of the 
     conduct that supporters of this amendment fear. And it can 
     certainly be expanded to prevent breaches of decorum or good 
     order.
       The specter of drill sergeants dancing together is 
     unsettling, to say the least, Mr. President. But some of the 
     amendment's supporters fail to note it is just the kind of 
     behavior already prohibited by the Uniform Code, as is almost 
     all of the conduct presented as a concern by those who are in 
     favor of this particular amendment.
       The President is the Commander in Chief of the Armed 
     Services, and he sets the goals. Just as many military men 
     were given the goal of ejecting Iraqi forces from Kuwait, and 
     led the plan and implemented that goal, I believe that the 
     military should also be cast with making the President's goal 
     a reality.
       As a former military commander, I can tell you that if a 
     goal of truly equal access to military service is to be 
     reached, I believe that the military itself will have to come 
     to terms with it.
       That will best be done if given the proper role of 
     implementing the President's directive. The hearings 
     announced actually last year by the distinguished chairman of 
     the Armed Services Committee will add information and 
     understanding to that process and will let us fulfill the 
     Congress' proper role of ensuring that readiness is 
     maintained while achieving the President's goal. But I ask we 
     not let fear govern our actions. While we may not perfectly 
     understand what motivates individual sexuality, we cannot 
     allow that lack of understanding to block deserving patriotic 
     Americans from service.
       Mr. President, I hope that my colleagues will oppose the 
     amendment offered by my distinguished and very respected 
     colleague, the Republican leader, in this particular 
     instance.
       I yield the floor.

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Chuck Robb, a friend and colleague whom I deeply admire. Throughout our 
service together in the U.S. Senate, I have observed Senator Robb's 
unfailing commitment to principle. Chuck Robb served his country 
courageously in Vietnam, and he served the Commonwealth of Virginia 
just as courageously in the U.S. Senate. Time and again, he voted his 
conscience, despite pressures to the contrary. Senator Robb let 
principle, not politics, be his guide during his service in the body. 
His conduct should give every American faith that legislators can 
conduct themselves in a way that does honor to our democracy.
  Senator Robb opposed the flag desecration constitutional amendment, 
opposed the Defense of Marriage Act, and supported spending cuts while 
opposing the politically popular tax cuts. He did what he thought was 
in the best interest of Virginians and the nation, and I thank him for 
that. The Senate is a better place for Senator Robb's service, and I 
join my colleagues in wishing him and his family all the best as he 
moves on to new endeavors.
  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the leadership 
and accomplishments of a respected colleague who will be departing at 
the end of this term. Senator Chuck Robb has served in the Senate as a 
representative of Virginia for more than a decade. During his tenure, 
he has been a strong advocate for a wide range of important legislative 
reform activities.
  During his time in the Senate, Senator Robb has fought to strengthen 
national security, maintain fiscal responsibility, and protect the 
environment. He has also been widely recognized for his longstanding 
commitment to improving education.
  As a former Governor of Virginia, Senator Robb was instrumental in 
increasing resources for schools. Building on these efforts, he 
spearheaded efforts to help states and localities build and

[[Page S11849]]

renovate schools, promoted legislation to put 100,000 new teachers in 
the classroom, fought for school safety initiatives, and championed 
measures to wire schools to the Internet. These are important efforts 
that have benefited children and teachers across the nation.
  As colleagues on the Finance Committee, we have fought to address the 
challenges facing Social Security and Medicare. Just this year, we 
worked closely to develop a proposal to provide prescription drug 
coverage for all Medicare beneficiaries. I am proud to say that this 
proposal would provide much needed drug coverage to millions of seniors 
citizens and disabled individuals.
  I would also like to note that I am proud to have worked with a 
colleague with such a distinguished military background. Senator Robb 
served our nation for more than 34 years, during which time he received 
national honors for his leadership and commitment to serving our 
nation.
  For these and many other reasons, I have been honored to serve with 
Chuck Robb. I would like to join my colleagues in wishing him and his 
family all the best in the future.

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