[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 134 (Tuesday, October 9, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10347-S10352]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE PASSING OF MIKE MANSFIELD

  Mr. BAUCUS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
Montanan, a great American, and a great

[[Page S10348]]

leader who passed away early Friday morning.
  In our Nation's history, we have been blessed with leaders who have 
stepped forward to lead us in moments of crisis, war, or social 
upheaval. Mike Mansfield of Montana was such a man, such a leader.
  Modest and self-effacing, Mike Mansfield, as Senate Majority Leader, 
was instrumental in the 1960s and 1970s in steering the U.S. Senate and 
America through some of the most tumultuous times in our Nation's 
history.
  He was here in this Chamber, leading the Senate through the sadness 
following the assassination of President Kennedy.
  He helped pass landmark Great Society programs, including the Civil 
Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited discrimination in public 
accommodations.
  And the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which allowed blacks in the South 
to more widely take part in Federal and State elections.
  He questioned our country's growing role in the Vietnam War when that 
might have been unpopular to do so, but when it needed to be done.
  He helped lead the Senate through Watergate, when the foundations of 
our democracy and government were shaken by scandal and the resignation 
of our President.
  And he was most proud of his role in helping Congress pass 
legislation that led to ratification of the 26th amendment. That gave 
our young people--18 year olds--the right to vote and extended 
participation in our government to even more Americans.
  Mike Mansfield was a key leader in extraordinary times. He was the 
sage, laconic captain with his hand firmly on the wheel. The captain we 
could trust in rough seas, who knew when to speak and give orders, and 
knew when to listen.
  He was a counselor and team leader who walked the bridge to consult 
with Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. And later Presidents 
tapped Mike Mansfield for even more public service--to serve as 
America's Ambassador to Japan, one of the most sensitive postings in 
the world.
  This Senator from Montana served longer than anyone else in American 
history as Senate majority leader and as U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
  And he left the Senate a better place, not only for Senators but for 
the American people. He left it a civilized institution that allowed 
all Senators an equal voice in the legislative process. He encouraged 
younger Senators to speak, breaking the tradition of a Senate dominated 
by an exclusive club of older men. Senator Mansfield democratized the 
Senate.
  When he retired at age 73, Senator Mansfield noted that in his period 
of service in Congress--from 1942 to 1976--he had witnessed: ``One-
sixth of the Nation's history since independence. The administrations 
of seven Presidents. The assassination of a President and his brother. 
Able political leadership and seamy politics and chicanery. The dawn of 
the nuclear age and men on the moon.
  ``A great war and a prelude to two more wars. A dim perception of 
world order, and an uncertain hope for international peace. There is a 
time to stay and a time to go. Thirty-four years is not a long time, 
but it's time enough.''
  That's quite a record, quite a resume, quite a life.
  But that all pales in comparison to his love for his wife Maureen, 
and his love for Montana and the people he so faithfully represented.
  Over the course of his career, Mike Mansfield went by many titles: 
Professor Mansfield, Congressman Mansfield, Senator Mansfield, Majority 
Leader Mansfield, and Ambassador Mansfield.
  Senator Mansfield was an internationally recognized leader. But in 
Montana, we simply knew him as ``Mike.'' And he was our Mike.
  Mike was the embodiment of Montana: Quiet, humble, strong, salt of 
the earth, committed to his wife, family, State and country. He was my 
mentor and he was my friend.
  Although he served six U.S. Presidents in his career as majority 
leader and ambassador to Japan, Mike once said humbly, ``I reached the 
height of my political aspirations when I was elected Senator from 
Montana.''
  That's just the kind of man he was, a quiet but firm leader, one who 
didn't like the spotlight but endured it in service to his State and 
country.
  Michael Joseph Mansfield was born in New York City on March 16, 1903. 
He moved with his family to Great Falls, MT, in 1906.
  When he was only 14 years old, Mike joined the Navy and served as a 
seaman in World War I. He then served as a private in the Army in 1919 
and 1920, and as a private first class in the Marines from 1920 to 
1922.
  After his military service, Mike moved back home to Montana, where he 
worked as a mine mucker and engineer in the copper mines of Butte for 8 
years.
  It was during this time that he met his soon-to-be wife, Maureen. 
After meeting Maureen, Mike's life was forever changed, he would say. 
They would marry in 1934. By her guidance, her faith in him, Mike said, 
Maureen pushed him to go back to school and was responsible for his 
success in life.
  So Mike went back to school. He attended the Montana School of Mines 
in Butte in 1927 and 1928, then graduated from Montana State 
University--as it was called then--in 1932. Mike earned a masters 
degree in history in 1934, and taught history and political science for 
eight years.
  Mike's 34-year career of representing Montanans in Washington began 
in 1942, when Maureen urged him to run for a seat in the U.S. House of 
Representatives. He served Montanans well in the House for over a 
decade. Then we sent him to the Senate in 1952.
  Mike's ability to bring people together and find common ground 
enabled him to succeed Lyndon Johnson as Senate majority leader in 
1961, a post he held until 1977.
  When John F. Kennedy asked him to serve as majority leader, Mike at 
first declined. Mike and Kennedy were freshmen together in the Senate, 
and Mike became a close confidant. Mike finally agreed to serve--for 
love of country--and went on to become one of the most effective 
gentlemen ever to grace this great Chamber.
  After he was elected majority leader, Mike was asked if he would act 
the same way as the legendary Lyndon Johnson, whose style as majority 
leader was blunt and heavy-handed. In typical Mansfield fashion, Mike 
said, ``I am who I am.''
  After Mike Mansfield's distinguished service here in the Senate, 
President Carter appointed him in 1977 to be our ambassador to Japan. 
Mike was reappointed to that post by President Reagan. And Mike 
continued his diplomatic service until he retired in 1988, making him 
the longest-serving Ambassador to Japan in our Nation's history.

  When he served as Ambassador to Japan, Mike said, ``I try to put 
myself in the shoes of the Japanese, but I have never forgotten that 
the shoes I wear are American, and that my country's interests come 
first.''
  That's Mike. He never forgot where he came from.
  Although he came from the mines in Butte, Mike understood the 
importance of our relationships with other countries and the world.
  I remember about 5 years ago, I wanted to ask Mike about his thoughts 
on Most Favored Nation status for China. So, I called him up. We talked 
briefly and then he said, ``Max, do you have a few minutes?'' I said, 
``Of course.'' Then he proceeded to read to me an in-depth analysis he 
had written on the U.S.-China relationship and China's role in the 
world.
  Mr. President, that was the most cogent, trenchant analysis I had 
ever encountered or have ever seen to date. But that was Mike. In a 
matter-of-fact tone, he just read it to me over the phone.
  Mike's legacy includes, among many others, the Mansfield Center for 
Pacific Affairs in Washington, D.C., and the Maureen and Mike Mansfield 
Center at the University of Montana in Missoula.
  These institutions live on. They teach us and our children the 
importance of looking out across our borders, the importance of 
understanding different cultures. And that is more important now than 
ever.
  That's a distinguished record. But Mike never lost touch with his 
roots. Mike was so humble. I told him once that I was looking forward 
to reading his memoirs one day. He simply said: ``Nope.''

[[Page S10349]]

  He said many of those conversations were confidential. No kiss and 
tell for Mike. He was such a classy, deep, dignified, thoughtful, and 
wonderful person.
  When I first considered running for Congress in 1974, I went to Mike 
and asked whether or not he thought I should run. ``Yep,'' he said. 
That's how he used to respond to questions: Yep, nope, and maybe. Very 
straight forward, he told it as it was.
  He told me running for Congress took a lot of hard work, a lot of 
shoe leather, and a little bit of luck. That was enough for me.
  That wasn't the last time I sought out Mike's counsel. Right up until 
his death last Friday, I went to Mike for his advice on a variety of 
issues. I saw him just a few weeks ago, not long after the September 11 
terrorist attacks. Even though he was laid up in a hospital bed, he 
immediately said, ``Hi, Max,'' and invited me to take off my coat and 
have a seat. At age 98, he was still sharp as a tack and just as 
gracious as ever.
  We talked for some time before our conversation turned to 
Afghanistan. This was a man who knew so much. He talked about the 
history of Afghanistan--how the Russians and every would-be conqueror 
attempting to occupy that country ran into trouble. His history lesson 
on Afghanistan was rich with such figures as Genghis Kahn and Alexander 
the Great.
  When a Japanese reporter once asked Mike about his secret of 
longevity and health, Mike smiled and said, ``A good wife and good 
Montana people.'' Mike was always quick to point out that all the 
success he had in life he owed to his beloved wife Maureen. Maureen 
Hayes took him out of the mines of Butte and into greatness.
  Her quiet encouragement gave Mike the strength to lead our nation 
during some very difficult times: civil rights, the Vietnam War, 
Watergate. Maureen cashed in her life insurance policy to help pay for 
Mike's education. And in Washington, she worked in his office without 
compensation so she could spend more time with him.
  What they did, they did together. Mr. President, Mike and Maureen 
were a team, a great team. When Maureen passed away last year, we all 
mourned the loss. Today, we mourn the loss of Mike. But today we also 
find comfort in knowing that the love affair that started so long ago 
has come full circle. Now, Mike and Maureen are together.
  Now, we as Montanans and Americans pay tribute to their lives and 
their contributions. Now, especially now, we look to their example of 
leadership through humility, integrity, and dignity.
  Mike was the embodiment of family, saying so eloquently in Maureen's 
eulogy, that what he did and accomplished, they did together. That 
recognition of her greatness, strength and vision was Mike's greatness, 
strength and vision.
  I am proud and honored to have known Mike and Maureen Mansfield. They 
were common people who led uncommon lives. They were great Montanans, 
they were great Americans, and they were our friends.
  Mike used to say he had three loves in this world: His wife, Montana 
and the U.S. Senate.
  When I saw him just over two weeks ago in the hospital, we talked 
about Montana, we talked about the Senate, and we talked world events. 
Then we talked about Maureen.
  And right before I left him, he leaned back in his bed, looked off in 
the distance, closed his eyes, smiled, and said, ``Maureen--what a girl 
she was, what a girl.''
  And Mike, what a great man you were. You were both great--together.
  This is not goodbye, Mike. Rather, as our many Indian friends say, 
``See you later.'' And as you would say and said so many times to your 
many Montana friends, Tap 'er light, Mike.
  Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I compliment the distinguished Senator 
from Montana for his comments about our former majority leader. I was 
one of those who was fortunate enough, as he was, to know Senator 
Mansfield--not nearly as well, of course, as Senator Baucus did, but 
well enough to seek his counsel, to enjoy his friendship, to be 
provided with his guidance on so many occasions over the years that I 
have had the good fortune to serve as leader.
  Mike Mansfield, in every way, shape, and form, was a Senator whom all 
could admire, a Senator who understood that in this body of 
loquaciousness there is an eloquence to simplicity, that in this place 
of debate there is always an opportunity for decency, that in this 
location, as we consider those who are more prominently seen throughout 
the country in positions of leadership, there is that quiet strength 
that came from a Mike Mansfield.
  Mike Mansfield once said, ``when I am gone, I want to be forgotten.''
  With all due respect to my dear friend and teacher, he will never be 
forgotten.
  Mike Mansfield began his service to America as Senator Baucus noted, 
when he was 14, when he managed to enlist in the Navy in World War I. 
Eventually, he would serve in both the Army and the Marine Corps as 
well.
  He served 34 years in Congress, 24 of them in the Senate.
  He said he achieved the height of his ambition when he was elected 
Senator from Montana. But it was certainly not the height of his 
achievement.
  He served as majority leader longer than any other leader has in our 
Nation's history--16 years.
  Following that, for 12 years, under two Presidents--one Republican 
and one Democratic--he represented America as our Ambassador to Japan.
  He said he had three great loves in his life. The first was obvious.
  The first was his wife, Maureen--his partner for more than 65 years. 
She was the one who forced an eighth grade dropout to leave the coal 
mines of Montana, go to college, and make something of himself.
  The second was his beloved State of Montana.
  The third was this institution, the U.S. Senate.
  The Senate majority leader has been called ``the first among 
equals.'' No one deserved that title more than Mike Mansfield. He was 
wise. He was decent. He was endlessly patient. He was a man who deeply 
believed in the ability of free people to govern themselves wisely. It 
is no coincidence that the Mansfield years remain the most civil and 
the most productive in our Senate's history.
  He was a steady hand during turbulent times. In the sad and anxious 
days that followed President Kennedy's death, Senator Mansfield's words 
and poise helped calm this Nation.
  In the years that followed he led the Senate to the passage of the 
Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. During his 
tenure, he led the Senate through a war in Vietnam and the resignation 
of a President.
  The last time Mike Mansfield spoke to a group of Senators was 3\1/2\ 
years ago when he returned to the Capitol to inaugurate the leaders' 
lecture series begun by my colleague and friend Senator Lott. On that 
night, Senator Mansfield delivered a speech that he had written many 
years earlier. He wrote the speech to answer critics who said he was 
not forceful enough as majority leader. He said he had intended to give 
the speech on a quiet afternoon when there would be no news to compete 
with. The date he had chosen was Friday, November 22, 1963.
  A week later, as the Nation grieved, Senator Mansfield simply 
inserted his remarks in the Congressional Record. Thirty-five years 
later, he returned to the Capitol and delivered them for the first 
time. I want to read a section of those remarks.

       I have always felt that the President of the United 
     States--whoever he may be--is worthy of the respect of the 
     Senate. I have always felt that he bears a greater burden of 
     responsibility than any individual Senator for the welfare of 
     the nation, for he, alone, can speak for the nation abroad; 
     and he, alone, at home, stands with the Congress as a whole, 
     as constituted representatives of the American people. In the 
     exercise of his grave responsibilities, I believe we have a 
     profound responsibility to give him whatever understanding 
     and support we can, in good conscience and in conformity with 
     our independent duties.
       I believe we owe it to the nation of which all our states 
     are a part--particularly in matters of foreign relations--to 
     give to him not only responsible opposition, but responsible 
     cooperation.
       And finally, within this body, I believe that every member 
     ought to be equal in fact, no less than in theory, that they 
     have a primary responsibility to the people whom they

[[Page S10350]]

     represent to face the legislative issues of the nation. . . .
       And to the extent that the Senate may be inadequate in this 
     connection, the remedy lies not in the seeking of shortcuts, 
     not in the cracking of nonexistent whips, not in wheeling and 
     dealing, but in an honest facing of the situation and a 
     resolution by the Senate itself, by accommodation, by respect 
     for one another, by mutual restraint and, as necessary, 
     adjustments in the procedures of this body.
       The constitutional authority and responsibility does not 
     lie with the leadership. It lies with all of us individually, 
     collectively and equally. And in the last analysis, 
     deviations from that principle must in the end act to the 
     detriment of the institution. And, in the end, that principle 
     cannot be made to prevail by the rules. It can prevail only 
     when there is a high degree of accommodation, mutual 
     restraint and a measure of courage--in spite of our 
     weaknesses--in all of us.
       It can prevail only if we recognize that, in the end, it is 
     not the Senators as individuals who are of fundamental 
     performance. In the end, it is the institution of the Senate. 
     It is the Senate itself as one of the foundations of the 
     Constitution. It is the Senate as one of the rocks of the 
     Republic.
  So said Senator Mansfield and so it is advice to all of us. We are in 
the Senate today considering matters of the gravest national 
importance. I can think of no better advice than the sage guidance Mike 
Mansfield left for all of us. His words are at least as important today 
as they were when he delivered them 3\1/2\ years ago and when he wrote 
them 38 years ago.
  We were lucky to have Mike Mansfield for as long as we did. Now we 
have his remarkable example. That itself is a considerable gift. We 
should treasure it. We should live by it.
  Our thoughts and prayers go to his daughter Anne.
  Contrary to Mike Mansfield's wishes, Mike Mansfield will never be 
forgotten.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about Mike 
Mansfield, not from the standpoint of the eloquent eulogy given by the 
Senator from Montana, who knew Mike Mansfield so well, or the majority 
leader, who knew him and served with him. I didn't serve with Mike 
Mansfield, but I did have a wonderful relationship with him in a very 
different way.
  The first time I ever saw the stature of Mike Mansfield was through 
his picture that is in the Mansfield Room. For anyone who has been in 
the Mansfield Room, which is one of the major meeting rooms in the 
Capitol, the picture of Mike Mansfield says so much about him because 
it is a very long, narrow picture with Mike Mansfield standing there 
alone, nothing behind him, just that solitary figure that is so very 
powerful.
  That is exactly the kind of man I came to know. I go to the Senate 
prayer breakfast every Wednesday morning, where Senators and former 
Senators meet to talk about our feelings about religion. We have Jewish 
members. We have Catholic members. We have Protestant members. We have 
even had a member come and talk about agnosticism.
  It is something we all keep very personal and private. It has been 
one of the highlights of my service in the Senate to meet every 
Wednesday morning and talk about religion and the importance of 
religion in our lives and in the life of our Nation.
  The special place Mike Mansfield held was in the Senate prayer 
breakfast. He was coming to the Senate prayer breakfast all the way up 
until he died. He never missed a week except in the unusual 
circumstance when Maureen had taken a turn for the worse or immediately 
following Maureen's death, and then only when he was sick. And I would 
call him if he missed one or two times and I was concerned about him. I 
would find there was a reason, but he was going to be OK. Getting to 
know him was wonderful.

  It was kind of interesting because no one has assigned seats and it 
is a small room. Probably 30 of us come in any 1 week. But there are no 
assigned seats. You just take the seat that is empty--except for Mike 
Mansfield's seat. He did have a regular seat. No one would sit in Mike 
Mansfield's seat unless it was clear that he wasn't coming. He was 
always there on time. So if we started and he wasn't there, someone 
might sit in his seat, but never before because we revered having him 
there. He was such a wonderful presence, and his countenance was always 
so positive.
  I had the opportunity to talk to him because I generally sat next to 
him. I started getting to know him when I joked with him. Here was Mike 
Mansfield when he was 95, 96, 97, and he had a breakfast that was eggs, 
bacon, biscuits, and if they had gravy, it would have been on there, 
too. Do you know what. I have to sit by a guy who still eats like a guy 
because so many people are now into rabbit food, as we call it. This 
was a guy who still ate like a guy. It gave me great hope that someone 
who was 97 years old was eating like that. And so we started a 
friendship that has lasted throughout my 8 years in the Senate.
  I talked to Mike Mansfield about Japan. As many people know, he was 
our wonderful Ambassador to Japan immediately--not immediately 
following his Senate leadership position, but he was appointed by a 
Democrat, as well as a Republican President, because he was so 
effective in Japan and he understood that part of the world so well. I 
would talk to him about the economic situation in Japan. As things 
would look bad, I would ask him about it. He always had absolutely 
great insights. I remember a time when Mike Mansfield was telling me 
that he worked for Goldman Sachs. He worked for Goldman Sachs all the 
way up until he died.
  I said: ``Well, tell me what you do.''
  He said: ``I advise them on the Far East and Japan.''
  That is very important for the economy, of course, and for them.
  I said: ``When did you start working for them?''
  He said: ``Actually, they started calling me, and I thought there 
must be a mistake, so I didn't return their calls.''
  This was years ago.
  So he said: ``They kept calling,'' and I said, ``I'm 88 years old; 
are you really serious about wanting me to go to work for you?'' He 
said only after they said: ``We know how old you are; we think you have 
very valuable advice.''
  So he agreed to go to work for Goldman Sachs and worked for them up 
until he died at the age of 98. He was so pleased that he could still 
be helpful. We all knew that his mind never left him. He was so precise 
and up on issues that it would astound anyone. He read the London 
Economist and the newspapers in Japan. He was very up to date.
  I talked to Mike Mansfield once about Maureen, and I told him that I 
knew of the great love story; it is legendary around here, how 
committed he was to Maureen. She was bedridden for a long time. He 
would go to see her regularly. He kept her in their apartment until he 
just could not take care of her, and then he would visit her daily when 
she was being taken care of in another place.
  I asked him about her, and he never forgot that it was Maureen who 
made him what he was. That is what he said. Just as Senator Baucus 
related earlier, it was Maureen who saw this miner and saw that he 
could be something more than a miner. So she encouraged him to get his 
high school education and then his college education. She saw in him 
someone who could make a great contribution, and he never forgot that, 
no matter how high he went. He went to the very highest level as the 
distinguished majority leader and then as Ambassador to Japan. He never 
forgot that it was Maureen who made him what he was, and his love for 
her was so touching and so poignant. I enjoyed having that conversation 
with him.

  So my experience with Mike Mansfield was not during his active 
service, as it was with so many of my colleagues here. My experience 
with him was in a different way, but it was so rewarding. He would 
bring me clips from foreign newspapers that he thought would be of 
interest to me. So I thought he was a great man in a different time of 
his life.
  It shows how much you can contribute if you stay active and keep on 
top of world affairs, and that is what Mike Mansfield did. It was hard 
to believe that he was 96, 97, 98 years old if you were around him 
because he was so absolutely vivacious and clear. He wasn't a talkative 
person, as has been mentioned. He was the strong, silent type--the 
epitome of what you would think of as the Marlboro Man who didn't feel 
as if he had to talk a lot. But certainly when he did speak, he had a 
lot to say, and it was clear and

[[Page S10351]]

focused; there was no excess. But you knew it was the wisdom of all 
those years coming through.
  I pay tribute to Mike Mansfield as a man who was a symbol of decency 
and humility in the Senate and throughout his public service career. 
Honesty and integrity will always be words that will be associated with 
this great man. We have lost a friend and one of the great Members of 
the Senate. I know that Republicans and Democrats will feel this loss 
for a long time to come. I know his words and the speeches that were 
read by the majority leader will be here for us to remember a great 
leader and give us guidance as we go through the trying times we are 
facing in our country today.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, it is an honor for me to pay tribute to 
my former Senate leader, Mike Mansfield. The State of Montana and the 
United States have lost a great man, a valiant soldier, a dedicated 
statesman, and a gentleman of a breed we don't see enough of these 
days.
  Mike Mansfield was a revered figure whose distaste of partisanship 
led the Senate to accomplish great deeds for civil rights, voting 
rights, and foreign relations during Vietnam, the cold war, and the 
Watergate scandal. His leadership emphasized equality, cooperation, and 
fairness which were marked by his personal style of leadership. He was 
considered a quiet man who did not care for self-promotion, often 
answering questions with a ``Yep,'' ``Nope,'' ``Maybe,'' or ``Can't 
say.'' Although he was not known as an orator, his simple statements 
and words were extremely effective. He said in eulogy for John F. 
Kennedy, ``There was a sound of laughter; in a moment, it was no more. 
And so she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands.'' In 
his quiet manner, he managed to guide a exceptionally productive Senate 
during a turbulent political era which could have become bogged down 
had he not been able to work with both Republicans and Democrats alike.
  Mike was a Representative and Senator from Montana who came to 
Congress after dutifully serving his country in the military during 
WWII. At 14, he stretched the truth about his age in order to enlist in 
the Navy. He then went on to serve in both the Army and the Marine 
Corps. Having returned from duty in 1922, he worked as a ``mucker'' in 
the copper mines of Butte, Montana where he met Maureen Hayes. In 1932, 
he married Maureen who is said to have played an essential role in his 
remarkable career. She was the person who convinced him to go back to 
school, run for Congress, and become U.S. Ambassador to Japan under 
President Carter and President Reagan.
  He was elected as the Senate Majority Leader in 1961, 5 years before 
I was elected to the Senate from South Carolina. I remember in 1971 
when I was in Canada on my honeymoon with Peatsy, Mike's office called 
and asked us to come to Europe. Peatsy and I left Canada immediately 
and spent our honeymoon traveling around Europe with Mile and Muareen.
  Mike served as Senate Majority Leader for 16 years-longer than anyone 
in Senate history. He was extremely involved in the civil rights 
movement, a critic of the Vietnam conflict, and an advocate of health 
care legislation. He was a man who was convinced that the true strength 
of the Senate lay in the center and not on the right of the left. 
Partisan politics was not his style, and his success lay in the fact 
that he was an honest, straight shooting individual who cooperated and 
worked with both sides of the aisle.
  We have lost a great statesman and a fine man who served his country 
well.
  The distinguished Senator from Montana was my role model. He believed 
in getting things done. In order to get things done, you have to listen 
and let everyone be heard. But once done, then move on.
  He was particularly kind to me because I was just a freshman Senator 
in 1966. He had me immediately on what we call the policy committee. I 
then, in 1971-1972, chaired the campaign committee for the Democrats on 
this side of the aisle.
  It so happened that I was off on a trip just after my wedding in 
1971. Senator Mansfield was asked by President Nixon to coordinate and 
communicate the 10-percent surcharge on imports with about 10 country 
heads in Europe and in Africa and Morocco. He called me. I was in 
Canada. He called and I came immediately back down to the Andrews air 
base. We boarded the plane, and we went to Helsinki, Norway, Denmark, 
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Morocco, of course, London, several, a 
couple other countries, he and his wife Maureen and my wife Peatsy and 
myself.
  Watching him, how he responded and acted and more or less chaired 
those meetings with the heads of state was really an inspiration to me. 
He was so direct, so much to the point. We have so much in the field of 
political correctness now. Mike Mansfield was always politically 
correct, but he didn't bother around with all those nuances.
  He was the finest of Senators and leaders in the history of this 
body.
  The best of Mike Mansfield was more or less said by himself in a 
eulogy to his wife at the time of her funeral just last year. I 
included that eulogy. He permitted me to put it in the Record because I 
knew he had friends all over the country and the world. They wanted to 
be with him in that trying moment. I knew that they would, more than 
any, appreciate the real Mansfield flavor if they could just hear him.
  The most eloquent of all tributes to be paid to Mike Mansfield was 
sort of paid to himself when he made the eulogy to his charming wife 
Maureen, and I ask unanimous consent that that be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the eulogy was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

   Eulogy for Maureen Mansfield Delivered by Senator Mike Mansfield, 
                           September 26, 2000

     1929
       We met--She was 24 and I was 26.
       She was a high school teacher; I was a miner in the Copper 
     mines of Butte.
       She was a college graduate; I had not finished the 8th 
     grade.
       She urged me to achieve a better education. I followed her 
     advice and with her help, in every way, we succeeded.
       She took me out of the mines and brought me to the surface.
     1932
       We were married in Missoula during the great depression.
       She gave up her teaching job.
       She cashed in on her insurance.
       She brought what little savings she had and, she did it all 
     for me.
     1940
       Maureen was very politically oriented--I was not.
       She urged me to run for Congress.
       We campaigned together.
       We finished next to last.
       The day after the election she put us on the campaign trail 
     for the next election and we won.
     1942
       Maureen was largely responsible for our election to the 
     House of Representatives.
       Almost every summer she drove herself and our daughter, 
     Anne, to Missoula--5 days and 3,000 miles.
       Why? To campaign for us and in
     1952
       She got us elected to the U.S. Senate.
     1977
       We decided--after talking it over, to retire.
       We did not owe anything to anybody--except the people of 
     Montana--nor did anyone owe anything to us.
     1977
       President Carter asked me if we would be interested in 
     becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Maureen thought we 
     should accept and we did and when President Reagan called and 
     asked us to stay, we did for almost 12 years.
     1988
       Around Xmas Maureen almost literally forced me to go to the 
     Naval Hospital at Yokosuka, which sent me to the Army 
     Hospital at Honolulu, which sent me directly to Walter Reed 
     Army Hospital where I had heart bypass and prostate 
     operations. Again it was Maureen.
     1989
       We came home.
     1998
       Illness began to take its toll on Maureen.
       On September 13, 2000, less than 2 weeks ago, we observed--
     silently--our 68th Wedding Anniversary.
       Maureen and I owe so much to so many that I cannot name 
     them all but my family owes special thanks to Dr. William 
     Gilliland, and his associates, who down through the last 
     decade did so much to alleviate Maureen's pain and suffering 
     at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital--one of the truly great 
     medical centers in our country.
       We also owe special thanks to Gloria Zapata, Ana Zorilla 
     and Mathilde Kelly Boyes and Ramona the ``round the 
     clockers'' who took such loving care of Maureen for the last 
     two years on a 24 hour day, seven day week basis.

[[Page S10352]]

                           maureen mansfield

       She sat in the shadow--I stood in the limelight.
       She gave all of herself to me.
       I failed in recognition of that fact until too late--
     because of my obstinacy, self centeredness and the like.
       She sacrificed much almost always in my favor--I sacrificed 
     nothing.
       She literally remade me in her own mold, her own outlook, 
     her own honest beliefs. What she was, I became. Without her--
     I would have been little or nothing. With her--she gave 
     everything of herself. No sacrifice was too little to ignore 
     nor too big to overcome.
       She was responsible for my life, my education, my teaching 
     career, our elections to the House and Senate and our 
     selection to the Embassy to Japan.
       She gave of herself that I could thrive, I could learn, I 
     could love, I could be secure, I could be understanding.
       She gave of her time to my time so that together we could 
     achieve our goals.
       I will not say goodby to Maureen, my love, but only ``so 
     long'' because I hope the Good Lord will make it possible 
     that we will meet at another place in another time and we 
     will then be together again forever.

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I go from the debate, along 
with my good chairman and leader, Senator Hollings, that tends to get 
one's blood pressure up over the fact we are having to spend 30 hours 
debating the airline security bill, to now go to the subject of great 
sadness over the passing of one of the greatest leaders that the Senate 
has ever produced: Senator Mike Mansfield.
  Growing up in my political adult lifetime, of course, he has always 
been someone to whom I have looked up. He was someone I looked up to 
while I was in college because he was already an established leader. He 
was an assistant to the majority leader, Lyndon Johnson. He reigned 
because he was loved and respected as majority leader for an 
unprecedented 16 years. One of the greatest compliments I have read in 
the commentary since his death was made by one who was on the other 
side of the aisle, Senator Scott, who paid him an extraordinary 
compliment that he was one of the finest men he had ever met.

  The fact that Senator Mansfield was selected by administrations of 
both parties to represent this Nation in the nation of Japan as our 
Ambassador for an unprecedented long time also speaks volumes.
  But the reason I felt compelled to come to the floor today was to 
share with the Senate my observations of Senator Mansfield in the last 
few months, for I had never really known Senator Mansfield except when 
I saw him faithfully every Wednesday as he attended the Senate prayer 
breakfast. It is a private meeting completely off the record where 
Senators can come and share what is on their hearts. Who was the first 
one there every Wednesday? None other than Senator Mansfield at age 98, 
as much a participant in that activity every week as anybody else in 
the room, often with many of us deferring to him for his political, 
professional, and spiritual guidance.
  That spoke volumes to this freshman Senator. It said something else 
to me about a man who has had so many accolades. But I saw a man that 
was truly walking humbly with his God.
  That is what I wanted to come to the floor of the Senate to share.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri is recognized.

                          ____________________