[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 54 (Thursday, April 26, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S3986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JENNINGS RANDOLPH AND HIS FIGHT FOR THE 26TH 
                               AMENDMENT

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
Senator Jennings Randolph on the anniversary of the passage of the 26th 
Amendment. In 1971, a young West Virginian named Debbie Phillips 
skipped a day of high school. Skipping school is usually frowned upon 
by parents and teachers, but Debbie, then 18, was anything but another 
student trying to ditch chemistry, algebra, and history. In fact, 
Debbie was missing school in order to make history: that day, she 
registered to vote under the newly-ratified 26th Amendment to the 
Constitution at the Kanawha County Court House in Charleston, WV. A 
year later, the 26th Amendment also allowed Debbie to seek an 
appointment as a delegate at a national convention, making her the 
first West Virginian under 21 years of age to file for public office.
  I was the Secretary of State in West Virginia at the time, so Debbie 
came to my office to register. Her actions, and those of millions of 
other young Americans who have accepted the 26th Amendment's invitation 
to participate in the political process, show how critical young people 
are to our democracy.
  These extraordinary developments were made possible by a great man 
and a friend of mine--Senator Jennings Randolph, my predecessor as 
Senator form West Virginia and the ``Father of the 26th Amendment.'' 
Senator Randolph drafted the amendment and worked tirelessly for its 
passage, based on his belief that America's youth had a right to be 
part of our political process. The ratification of the amendment marked 
a great moment in our country's history. It has allowed young adults to 
speak for themselves and have their voices heard in the greatest 
democratic society in the world.
  Thirty years ago Saturday, the State of West Virginia ratified the 
26th Amendment. This action came in the midst of the Vietnam War, in 
which nearly half of all the soldiers that America lost were younger 
than 21. Despite making the ultimate sacrifice for their country, those 
young soldiers had been unable to vote for the President that was 
sending them to war. In addition, they were paying taxes and 
participating in society in every other way; yet they were unable to 
vote. Senator Randolph changed that forever.
  Tomorrow, West Virginia Secretary of State Joe Manchin is holding an 
event at our State Capitol encouraging schools to register voters under 
his West Virginia SHARES program--Saving History and Reaching Every 
Student. It is so important that young people realize what an awesome 
power Senator Randolph's crusade brought them. Young Americans were 
excited to have the right to vote in the early 1970s, but today many 
18- to 21-year-olds do not even bother to register. With the exception 
of 1996, voter participation among citizens between the ages of 18 and 
24 has decreased in each Presidential election. Secretary of State 
Manchin's project is therefore of utmost importance. It is essential 
that we let young people know of their right, and indeed their 
responsibility, to vote, and help them register to do so.
  Again, I salute Senator Randolph for his tireless efforts to allow 
Debbie Phillips and countless other young people to improve our 
democracy.

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