[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 127 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9787-S9804]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXTENSION OF MORNING BUSINESS
Mr. REID. Mr. President, we have an order for morning business until
11:30.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is correct.
Mr. REID. There appears to be a number of people who wish to speak
for Senator Helms, and we are happy about that. We also want to make
sure we have our half hour from 11 a.m. until 11:30. I think it would
be in everyone's best interest to extend morning business until 12:30--
an additional hour--and equally divided between both sides. I ask
unanimous consent that be the case.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is
so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, this is a happy day in the Senate. We are
here to talk about our buddy, Jesse Helms. It is a sad day in that we
talk about Jesse Helms leaving. Other than the Senator from Alaska,
there is no one who has served longer with Jesse Helms than I have. We
came here during the same election cycle, and we came here the same
day. We started off with a rocky start. I was a 30-year-old kid who had
only been in this Senate once before in my life. That was when I came
on the floor of the U.S. Senate while spending a weekend at Georgetown
University. Back in those days, you didn't have all the guards and all
the security. I came in Saturday morning. I was mesmerized by this
magnificent place. I walked in the back doors. They were open. I walked
right through. The Senate had been in on Saturday. I was unaware it had
been in session. By the time I got here, it had gone out of session. I
literally walked onto the floor of the Senate. I was absolutely, as
kids used to say, blown away. I stood there in awe. I literally stood
at that door. I walked up there. No one was here. I stood where the
Presiding Officer was. The next thing I knew, this guy grabbed me by
the shoulder and put me under arrest. He was a Capitol policeman. He
took me downstairs.
Most people do not know there is a Capitol police office in the
basement of the Capitol. He took me down there, and he was going to
arrest me for trespassing. He realized I was just a college kid who was
in awe. They didn't do anything. They just said do not do it again.
The next time I was on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and the first
time I really spoke spontaneously on the floor, was to my friend Jesse
Helms. I remember he was a junior Senator with immense experience. He
had been an administrative assistant to one of the leading Senators in
the U.S. Senate. He knew the place. He knew the system. He was standing
at the desk, if I recollect, in that quadrant in the back. He was on
the floor. There was another Senator from Kentucky named Marlow Cook
who was standing on the floor. He was moving what is the most thankless
job in the U.S. Senate for any Senator other than being on the D.C.
Committee; that is, he had the responsibility of moving the legislative
appropriations bill.
I walked onto the floor to see what was going on. I was literally
walking through. We had a committee meeting which had ended. I walked
over to see what the state of play was. I was aware of the junior
Senator from North Carolina. My seat used to be in the very back
corner. I walked onto the floor through that door, walked across, and
stopped where the junior Senator from North Carolina was. There was a
heated debate going on between the junior Senator from North Carolina--
Sam Ervin was the senior Senator--and Marlow Cook, the Senator from
Kentucky. It was about either staff pay or Senators' pay, or whatever
it was, and the Senator from North Carolina, as usual, was making a
very compelling case as to why we should be basically not paying
anything.
I am only kidding, Jesse. It was close to that.
I stood there on the floor, and as I have done many times in my 30-
year career in the U.S. Senate, I did not listen to the admonition I am
told you used to be given by the Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn. I
am told in his board-of-education way he used to say to new Members of
the House back in the 1950s, If you can say nothing, say nothing; if
you can nod, don't speak; if you don't have to nod, don't do anything
or something to that effect, meaning keep your mouth shut.
I have often broken that rule, unfortunately. I stood there listening
to this debate, and I spoke up. I made the mistake of taking on the
Senator from North Carolina.
He won't remember this.
The result was I ended up with a black-box editorial--literally, an
editorial on the front page of the New Hampshire Manchester Union
Leader with a big black box around it, which used to be done by Mr.
Loeb in those days, talking about the audacity of the young Senator
from Delaware taking on the point being made by the Senator from North
Carolina. That was my first encounter of debating the Senator. It
warranted me a front-page article in the Manchester Union Leader that
was not flattering at all, which taught me two things. No. 1, if you
are going to debate the Senator from North Carolina, come prepared with
the facts. No. 2, understand that his reach goes far beyond North
Carolina.
It did even then as a new U.S. Senator, a freshman U.S.
Senator, the Senator from North Carolina, walked on this floor. From
the day he arrived, he had an impact. I do not think that can be said
of anyone, I say to Senator Helms, in our class. We had a big class.
There were, I think, 13 new Members that year. Far and away, the man
who stood out was the Senator from North Carolina. He has stood out
every day since then.
It is no surprise to anyone here the Senator from North Carolina,
Senator Helms, and I have not always seen eye to eye. We come from
different political points on the spectrum. We have had some heated
debates. The Senator advocated some positions I would fight to my dying
day to defeat as he would things I proposed which he feels in principle
are not the way to go.
One of the magic things about this place I learned from Senators with
whom Senator Helms and I served when we first got here--Senators such
as Goldwater, Humphrey, and Kennedy--is you can have serious
disagreements on this floor about the direction of this Nation, but
that is no excuse to be personally disagreeable.
I can remember--as my friend from North Carolina can, as can my
friend from New Mexico, who came the same year, and as can the Senator
from Alaska, who was here before us--the day when Hubert Humphrey
walked on the floor literally dying, and we watched Barry Goldwater
walk up to him, embrace him, and put his arms around him in that well,
and both of them cried. These were men of opposite sides of the
political spectrum of the day--two leading figures in American politics
representing the left and the right, and they stood in that well and
embraced. They embraced in an emotional moment no one could
misunderstand the meaning of. It was real. It was genuine. It was deep.
It is, in my view, the unique and, I think, single most endearing
feature of this body, the U.S. Senate.
If we serve here long enough, and if we are smart enough, we
understand that it is not appropriate to question the motivation of a
Senator for what he or she is proposing. It is totally appropriate to
question their judgment. It is totally appropriate to question whether
they are right. It is totally appropriate to disagree. But it is
inappropriate to question the motivation of a Senator because the men
and women who come here are men and women of honor. They come here
because they care deeply about the fate of their Nation. They care
deeply about specific issues, and some intensely on some issues.
The thing that I think the Senator from North Carolina embodies most
is that tradition that no matter how intensely you disagree on the
issue, the
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Senator from North Carolina, speaking for myself, has never, ever
questioned my motive, never, ever questioned my desire to do good,
whether or not he thought what I was proposing would, in fact, ``do
good.''
We have not agreed on a lot of things, but we have also agreed on an
awful lot of things. I can tell you that I will miss Senator Helms.
Let me tell you, with, as they say in this body, a point of personal
privilege, a few stories about Senator Helms.
There are two figures remaining in the Senate who are, for either
political extreme, left and right--left of the Democratic Party and
right of the Republican Party--who are lightning rods. It is Senator
Helms in the Republican Party and Senator Kennedy in the Democratic
Party. They are sort of the icons of both parties. They are men who are
revered in their parties. They are both nationally known.
I can say what a lot of people don't know about the Senator from
North Carolina: For all the intensity with which he takes on issues,
for all the depth of his feelings about issues that are so socially
highly charged--left and right--this is a man who has a very, very soft
side.
I had gone to the Senator, when I was the ranking member of the
Foreign Relations Committee, and indicated to him--not even asking but
lamenting--the fact that I did not have enough staff allowance to hire
certain people. And the Senator from North Carolina said: Take my
money. The Senator from North Carolina said: Who do you need? What do
you need? OK.
He did not have to do that, by the way. Many other committees around
here fight tooth and nail over exactly who is going to get to be the
doorman to whether or not you have to sign off to get stationery. Not
the Senator from North Carolina, not the Senator from North Carolina.
When I was ill, it was the Senator from North Carolina who was on the
phone immediately checking to talk to my doctors to make sure he
thought I had the right doctors, and checking at Walter Reed regularly
to see how I was doing.
If you want to understand something about Senator Helms, you ought to
meet Mrs. Helms.
If you met Mrs. Helms, who is one of the finest, most decent women I
have ever met--she is the definition of a lady--you would understand
the depth of Jesse Helms. For a woman of her grace, a woman of her
compassion, a woman of her depth, to love and be devoted to this man as
deeply as she is, you know, you know, you know there has to be
something awfully, awfully, awfully good about Jesse Helms.
My mom has an expression. She says: If my children love somebody, I
love them, too, because I know how good they are and they could not
love unless there was something there.
Dot Helms adores Jesse Helms, as he adores her. Those of us who have
had the privilege to serve with Jesse up close and personal for a long
time have seen some of what Mrs. Helms has seen and what a lot of the
world does not see. They see the gentlemanly side of him. They see the
courtly side of him. They appreciate him. But they do not fully
understand the depth of the compassion, the depth of the friendship,
the depth of the loyalty that resides in that man Jesse Helms.
There was a guy named Bud Nance. If you knew Bud Nance, you knew
Jesse Helms. If you knew how Bud Nance adored Jesse Helms, that would
be the second piece of evidence you would know of what a fine man this
man Jesse Helms is.
Jesse, I love you. I think you are dead wrong on the issues, still. I
disagree with you completely. As you said, when I cast my 10,000th
vote, you congratulated me as the youngest man in history to have cast
10,000 votes, and lamented it would have been better had I cast some of
them the right way. And I understand. We both feel that way about each
other's voting record.
But I want you to know how I personally feel about you and how I
think the vast majority--anybody who has gotten to work with you as
closely as I have--feels about you. I am going to sincerely miss you,
Jesse. And we are going to miss your courtly manners. We are going to
miss the fact that whenever there is a crunch, one of the first guys to
step up to offer help is Jesse Helms.
But I have no doubt you will still be there for me. I have no doubt
you will still be there for the rest of us. We need you.
Some think Jesse Helms and I could not possibly see eye to eye, that
we come from opposite points on the political spectrum. There is no
denying that is true.
Senator Helms has advocated some positions I would fight to my dying
breath to defeat but he also represents the best of this institution.
He is a friend, an honorable Senator who holds boldly to his values,
and yet has always held to the civility of debate in the pursuit of
comity.
Some said he and I couldn't possibly work together on the Foreign
Relations Committee.
In fact, I think we have worked very well together and I think he
would agree.
We may not have agreed on many of the important issues that have
faced this Nation. In fact, we probably haven't agreed on most of them.
But I can say this: I will deeply miss Senator Helms. I will miss his
voice in this Chamber. I will miss his counsel. I will miss his genuine
kindness. His devotion to his duty and the dignity with which he
unfailingly performs it.
I will miss his brand of leadership. That determined, dedicated,
forceful, committed leadership, that leadership that comes from a deep
and abiding concern for this Nation and from deeply held values and
beliefs which he fights to uphold.
And, yes, I will miss his warmth. Though some might not always see
it, it is there, I can assure you.
Some of my more combative Democratic friends might be skeptical of me
for saying these things, but they don't know Jesse Helms like I do.
They don't know that even if you find yourself precariously balanced
on your side of the political spectrum, in the heat of a debate,
whether it is on foreign aid, on issues of war and peace, civil rights,
equal rights, constitutional law, whatever the issue, Senator Helms may
disagree with you and point out the holes in your argument, but you can
count on him to hold out his hand.
He holds strong views, but he is exceedingly respectful--a gentleman
committed to his position but willing to listen to yours.
He is, in the truest sense, a man of honor and considerable decency.
And, quite frankly, there are no qualifies more important to this
Chamber.
Few Senators in my tenure have played as significant a role in the
affairs of this Nation as Jesse Helms.
But the most remarkable thing about this man is that, not
withstanding his impeccable conservative credentials, when confronted
with new facts and new ideas, he has always been at least willing to
listen.
A perfect example was his leadership in reconciling and restoring the
position of the United States at the U.N.
And, while chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he directed
and accomplished the most significant reorganization of the State
Department in recent memory.
Having served with Jesse Helms for almost 30 years, I can tell you,
on a personal level, he is one of the most thoughtful, considerate, and
gracious Senators to grace this Chamber.
If you knew Mrs. Helms, his beloved Dot, you would know why he is
this way.
Senator Helms and I arrived here the same day and took the oath
together.
Before he came, he served in the Navy in World War II. As a
broadcaster and journalist, Senate staffer, editor of a banking
publication that he made the largest in the Nation, a broadcaster CEO,
editorial writer, city councilman, a Baptist deacon, a Sunday school
teacher, and a U.S. Senator, Jesse Helms has served with distinction.
These 30 years have passed all too quickly. But I am honored to have
known him. I am proud to have worked with him, especially over these
last 6 years.
I have learned much from him, and will continue to seek his counsel
and his advice.
William Penn said, ``A good friend . . . advises justly, assists
readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously,
and continues a friend unchangeably,'' Jesse Helms has been a good
friend, and I expect to continue our friendship as well as our debate
long after he leaves this Chamber. He will, indeed, be missed.
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I thank my colleagues for the extended time. I could talk for an hour
about what a good man Jesse Helms is.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, it is an honor for me to be able to come
down this morning and speak to my colleague and on his behalf, a
colleague who I have now had the privilege of serving with for 4 years
in the Senate.
I say, first, to Senator Helms, and to Dot, his wife, thank you for
the extraordinary kindness you have shown to myself, my wife, and my
family. Senator Helms knows--and Jimmy Broughton is sitting beside him,
and other members of his staff are on the floor--he also has an
extraordinary group of people working with him, not just here in
Washington but also back in North Carolina, because our folks in North
Carolina have had the privilege of working with Senator Helms' staff in
North Carolina.
As I said--and I am sure Senator Helms heard while he was off taking
care of his health--his office ran very smoothly. Sometimes I think,
Senator Helms, both of our offices run more smoothly when we are not
there. But they did a terrific job in your absence. I know you are not
surprised to hear that, but we are proud of the work they did. I know
you are proud of the work they did then and have always done on your
behalf.
I have had the privilege of going around my State for the last 4
years now, talking to people about what they need, the problems they
are faced with--whether it is farmers, whether it is textile workers
who have lost their jobs, people trying to get a relative a visa,
whatever it is--and you cannot hardly move in North Carolina without
finding people who Senator Helms has touched over the time he has been
in the Senate.
The people of North Carolina will never forget the work and the
kindness and the personal attention that he has given to them. He has
been a relentless advocate for the people of our State and all the
problems they face.
The people here in Washington and around the rest of the country see
a certain side of Senator Helms. Senator Biden just mentioned this.
Senator Helms knows well he and I do not agree about a lot of things,
but there is a side of him that most people here in Washington do not
get to see, at least not publicly--the people who work in the Senate
see it--which is the extraordinary kindness and friendship that he
shows basically to anyone who touches him.
We had a meeting of Senators a few weeks ago to talk about how we
should deal, as publicly elected officials, with people who we
represent who are faced with a tragedy of one kind or another. And I
used Senator Helms as the best example I could ever imagine for someone
who knows how to deal with those kinds of problems, having had a
personal experience with Senator Helms on that level. I say here, as I
have said to him before, myself, my wife, my family, we will never
forget--as long as I am alive--the way Senator Helms treated us during
that time.
It meant an unbelievable amount to us, Senator.
I thank him on our behalf. I thank him on behalf of all of the people
of North Carolina for whom he has done so much for so long, the many
lives that he touched, in a very positive way, below the radar screen,
in ways that people don't see or don't hear but, more importantly, they
know about. I thank him personally for being my friend during the time
I have been in the Senate.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.
Mr. BENNETT. Mr. President, I join with my colleagues rising not to
bury Jesse Helms but to praise him. We can take Shakespeare and turn
him on his head for just a moment.
I find it interesting that there are some people in the press
gallery. That is not very often the case in this situation, in this
circumstance in the Senate. I welcome the presence of reporters who
will pay attention now as Senators talk about Jesse Helms, because the
press, for Jesse's entire political career, has made a caricature of
this man, outlined him as some kind of a demon, some kind of an anti-
intellectual, some kind of a throwback to an earlier time, and that the
body politic would be best served if somehow he could be removed from
it.
He has demonstrated his appeal to the voters of his State and has
stoutly resisted the attempts of those to remove him from politics. Now
he has decided that the time for retirement has come. He is leaving at
the top of his game and on his own terms.
I listened to the stories being told by those who have served with
Jesse for a long period of time. I have not had that privilege because
I have not been here that long. I have my own story to add, which
demonstrates a side of Jesse that needs to be on the record and, once
again, people in the press need to understand about this man.
My story arose from the fact that I, too, disagree with Jesse Helms
on occasion. The issue on which I disagree with Jesse Helms has to do
with the National Endowment for the Arts. I have been dedicated to
support for the arts all of my life. I have been enriched by
association with the arts. In my home, food was a necessity, but music
lessons for the children were almost as big a necessity, at my wife's
insistence. We have supported the symphony, operas, things of that
kind, all of our lives.
So when the Gingrich revolution occurred in 1994 and the House sent
us an appropriations bill that would have eliminated the National
Endowment for the Arts, I found myself in that battle. We came to a
late night session where the fight was rising as to what would happen
in this situation. I had expressed myself on one side of that issue and
had not realized what I had done by virtue of that expression because
as we were in the Republican cloakroom that late night, someone said to
Senator Dole: What about the NEA? As he walked through these doors on
to the floor, leaving us all behind, he said: Bennett is going to
handle that.
I suddenly realized I had a responsibility I hadn't known about. I
took up what could only be called Kissingerian shuttle diplomacy
between the Republican cloakroom, between Jesse Helms and Ted Kennedy
and Pat Leahy on the other side, and back and forth. Finally, I arrived
at a deal. I thought I understood the terms of the deal and took it
back to the Democratic cloakroom: If you will allow this, Jesse will
allow that. We will get it all done.
Grumbling and complaining a little, the Democrats said: All right, we
will at least keep the NEA alive. We will give Jesse his pound of
flesh. We don't like it, but this is where we are.
I reported that to Slade Gorton, chairman of the subcommittee
handling the appropriations. He said: It is too late at night.
My memory is, this was about 10:30 or 11.
He said: It is too late tonight. We will do it first thing in the
morning.
The next morning came. I went to Slade and repeated the terms of the
deal as I had understood them. He said: Fine, let's go ahead.
Jesse was in the cloakroom, and I went to the cloakroom to tell him
we were about to implement this deal. He looked at me--a very young,
new, fresh Senator--and he said: Senator, that is not my understanding.
That is not what I agreed to.
My heart fell. I didn't know what to say. Here was this pillar of the
Senate who had staked his reputation on this particular fight, and he
said: If I agree with that, that means that I have agreed to vote
against my own amendment. I can't do that.
I looked at him in great agony, and I said: Senator, this will set
off a whole filibuster, a whole disaster on the other side. I have told
the Democrats that this is what it would be.
That is what I had understood. I didn't have any solution. I was just
there trying to figure out where I had gone wrong in going back and
forth.
Jesse Helms looked at me, and he said: Senator, that is not my
understanding of what we agreed to last night. But if that is your
understanding and you have pledged your word to the other side that
that is what you will deliver, I will honor your agreement.
There are not many around here who would do that, not many Senators
who would take a position that was contrary to that which they had
publicly espoused for decades, to keep an agreement, when the Senator
believed the
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agreement was not what he had agreed to. There are not many senior
Senators who would defend the honor of a junior Senator to make sure
that the junior Senator was not embarrassed.
I have told that story a lot. I have told that story to the
supporters in the NEA, both in my home State and in Washington. I have
said to them: You need to understand Jesse Helms. Yes, you will
disagree with him. You believe that he is a philistine when it comes to
the arts; you don't understand how he can possibly hold the position.
But you need to understand the integrity of this man, the compassion of
this man, and the willingness of this man to keep alive important
personal relationships to see to it that the Senate works.
This was an action on his part to see to it that the Senate worked. I
am grateful to have had the experience. I am grateful for the
opportunity of repeating it to those who might not understand this man.
And like those who have spoken before, I will miss him.
I pay whatever tribute I can in my humble way to the public service
and the public integrity and the example of Jesse Helms.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, in an era when courtly manners are seldom
observed or practiced, my friend Jesse Helms has embodied the spirit of
a true southern gentleman. For almost 30 years, Senator Helms has
provided a model of gentlemanly bearing for a younger generation that
is used to much more casual conduct. His old-fashioned gentility will
be sorely missed in these Halls.
The two of us have been together a great many long nights in the
Senate. Despite his gentle southern drawl, it has never been difficult
to figure out where Jesse Helms stands. He has held passionately to his
convictions and has worked hard for what he believes are the best
interests of the people of our Nation and North Carolina.
As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Jesse Helms has dealt
with international issues of deep importance which have had global
impact.
As I have worked with others here on defense matters over these long
years, there has been no greater patriot for this country on this floor
than Jesse Helms. He has always supported the men and women who wear
our uniform. He has been a true stalwart in fighting for national
defense.
Jesse Helms is a tough guy. He hasn't let aches or pains, which have
sidelined some folks, stop him from performing his responsibilities as
a Senator. When our daughter, Lily, now a senior at Stanford, was a
toddler and used to visit the Senate Halls, she could always count on
Jesse for a smile and for making her feel special and welcome. She told
me she has great memories of those days and Jesse Helms. Like Strom
Thurmond, Lily looks on Jesse Helms as one of her uncles, and we are
proud of that.
Mr. President, saying farewell to my friend that I have known for
these three decades is difficult. There aren't many of us left, Jesse.
We are going to miss you, and we are going to miss Dot. Dot's happy
smile and her energy has been a great support for Jesse, and as we wish
him Godspeed, we want to include Dot, too, because they are a team.
As they enter this new phase of their lives, we thank them for their
dedication and hard work, for the elegant manners they have brought to
the Senate, and for all that you have done to earn what we are saying
today.
You deserve every word I have heard today, Jesse. You are a great
friend, a great patriot, and I hate to see you go.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Nelson of Nebraska). The Senator from
Nebraska, Mr. Hagel, is recognized.
Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise this morning to join our colleagues
in recognizing a part of an institution that unto himself is an
institution.
Senator Helms will retire this year after five distinguished terms in
the Senate. He has had a remarkable 30 years of service in the Senate.
Senator Helms began his service to our country in the U.S. Navy
during World War II. He has always been a supporter of a strong U.S.
military and the need for a forward thinking National Security Policy.
After his military service, Senator Helms had a colorful career as an
editorial commentator in radio, television and print media. He also
served as Administrative Assistant to United States Senators Willis
Smith (D-NC) and Alton Lennon (D-NC) in the early 1950's. His interest
in serving the public continued to grow as he served on the Raleigh
City Council from 1957 to 1961 while working in the banking industry.
Beyond his extensive list of leadership positions in numerous
organizations, Senator Helms has filled his life with philanthropy. He
has been active in research on cerebral palsy and is one of the
founders and directors of Camp Willow Run for youth in Littleton, North
Carolina.
Senator Helms is a member of the Committee on Rules and
Administration; a member and past Chairman of the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; and the Ranking Minority member
and past Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. I have had the
privilege to serve with Senator Helms on the Foreign Relations
Committee for the past 6 years. We will miss his common sense and
strong perspective on foreign affairs. I am grateful for his many
courtesies to me and his constant help and support. I will miss him.
Senator Helms will celebrate his 81st birthday this month. We wish
him a happy birthday and thank him and his dear wife, Dot, for their
years of devotion to our country. I am proud to have served with him.
Mr. President, as you know, I am a very junior Senator here and so I
do not have the depth of relationship with Senator Helms as do many who
have gone before me this morning. But I have served with Jesse Helms
for 6 years, 4 of those under his tutelage as chairman of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. I don't know of a Senator with whom I have
served in my short term in this body who has been more fair, more
direct, and more complete than Jesse Helms. I think that is in itself a
great testament to the man, yes, and to the Senator.
I have not always agreed with Senator Helms, but he has always
afforded me the courtesy of not only an opportunity to explain my
position but encouraged me to explain my position, even when he
disagreed. That, too, is a measurement of the man and of the Senator.
You especially, Mr. President, know that west of the Missouri in the
land on the prairie called Nebraska, we have fallen on dark times. I
don't speak of the drought but of our football team. I never thought I
would be in a position to be envious of the football team of the senior
Senator from North Carolina, but I am this morning. I, of course,
attribute his leadership and inspiration to their great football team
this year.
His wife Dot has been mentioned this morning, and I wish also to
acknowledge Mrs. Helms, for it is Mrs. Helms, as much as any one
individual who has shaped and molded this fellow from North Carolina,
this individual who not only has given 30 years of his life to the
Senate, but has given a great majority of his almost 81 years to this
country.
Some of us who have had the honor of serving our Nation in uniform
more recently than Senator Helms occasionally get more attention for
that service. This has always struck me about the World War II
generation, of which Jesse Helms is a part. He served in the U.S. Navy
in World War II. They never talk about that service. My father was in
World War II in the South Pacific for 3 years in the Army Air Corps. I
have always admired World War II veterans for many reasons, but one in
particular; that is, they came back, never asked for recognition, never
asked for special breaks. They saw their service as only part of being
a responsible citizen--their responsibility. And it is that way to this
day in the Senate, where we have few World War II veterans left.
When we lose a World War II veteran in this body, we lose a very
significant part of America. That is a dimension of Jesse Helms that is
not often talked about.
Let me conclude, because others wish to speak about this very unique
Senator and man. I don't know of an individual who has fulfilled the
commitment of his own value system and his own standards, or lived it,
like Jesse Helms has. You either can agree with those commitments and
standards and policies and values and positions or not, but none can
deny that Senator
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Helms has indeed lived what he has said. That in itself, after almost
81 years, is rather unique.
I wish Senator Helms a happy birthday this month. I know it will be a
happy occasion. We are glad to have you back in this body, Jesse, for
these last few months, and we are also particularly pleased with your
recovery. Senator Helms will be known to many of us--certainly this
Senator from Nebraska--forever as ``Mr. Chairman.''
Mr. Chairman, I salute you and thank you for your service and your
many courtesies and kindnesses. You are an inspiration to me.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota is recognized.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I thought maybe I could jump ahead of
the Senator from New Mexico for just 2 minutes.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I thought the agreement was that we got
our time.
Mr. WELLSTONE. I will follow the Senator from New Mexico.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time is controlled by the Republican
leader.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I will yield 2 minutes to the Senator
from Minnesota.
Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I thank the Senator.
I come here to the floor to announce that I have been in agreement
with Senator Helms on just about every issue since he has been here--
not quite, but I will say this. I think one of the ways you judge a
person is just the way you watch them treat people. I don't know if
this has been said, but when I watch the way Senator Helms treats the
pages here and the elevator operators and the support staff, I don't
think there is anybody in the Senate who treats them with more grace
and is kinder and more appreciative. In fact, I think there have been
surveys that have put him at the very top.
I thank him for the way in which he has treated staff. I wish to tell
him, though we have not agreed on the issues, I have appreciated
getting to know him. I hope it is mutual.
I wish you, Senator Helms, and my wife wishes you the very best. We
wish you well.
Mr. President, there is going to be another time before the Senator
from New Hampshire, Mr. Smith, leaves when I wish to talk about him
because there is much positive to say about him from the point of view
of somebody who stood up for what he believes. I think it has to be
part of the Record. I look forward to doing that.
Senator Helms, I wish you well.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, first, I bring regards from my wife
Nancy to both you and Dot. She asked me today--it was written on my
calendar--if I would say that for her, and I do.
I do not think all Senators know that 30 years ago, a class of new
Senators numbering nine arrived in the Senate. I was one of those nine,
Senator Sam Nunn, Senator Bennett Johnston, Senator Biden, myself, and
our wonderful Jesse Helms. That group saw Senator Helms as being the
father of all of us. We thought we were youngsters, and then we met
Jesse, and we said: We do have some wisdom and some experience with us.
It has been a sheer joy to serve with him.
The whole group that came together has left of their own accord, and
that is good. It speaks well of them; it speaks mightily of the class
and the capacity they had.
Jesse, as I saw you get sick and then get well, I was truly hopeful
that whatever the good Lord had in store for you, you would leave here
on your own, saying goodbye to the Senate with your own capacity, and
that nothing would be the cause of taking you from us.
That is why it is a good day, because you have lived through it all,
and you have been, from what outsiders know, the absolute opposite of
what people say you are. They judge you by your record, and if they do
not like the record, they have things to say that are totally without
the character of Jesse Helms.
My friend who just spoke clearly put it right when it comes to
kindness. Senator Helms truly believes that everybody, no matter how
little, how poor, how vintaged, what seat they occupy, deserves a
kindness from him. He does not walk by anyone to whom he does not say
hello. If he knows they have been sick, he will stop and talk with them
and ask them about their relatives. In a way, for some of us, we are
amazed at how he can do that. For that, I say I am glad I shared that
experience with Senator Helms.
What really made me come down here today, I say to Senator Helms, is
that he has been very decent and nice to me. I think now, looking back
on occasions on the floor when I had a budget to handle that was
particularly difficult or I had to make a speech that was particularly
difficult--he did not sit very far from me--almost invariably, Senator
Helms would call me to his desk and congratulate me. He even told me
how I was changing as a Senator: You are getting better; you are
getting to be as good as there is; you are responding; that was a great
speech.
I do not know how many of those remarks Senator Helms passed on to
me. I believed it, so it helped me. I do not know if it was true, but
it was true as he saw it, and that was enough for me to leave with just
a little more hop in my step because somebody I really wanted to note
what I was doing apparently had.
For that, I wish to tell Senator Helms, that means an awful lot to a
Senator, especially as he is getting started. I was thrilled with it,
even in the last 4 or 5 years when he continued to do that. I thank him
for that.
The Senate will miss this man. The truth is, there are many people
from the outside who criticize Jesse Helms, but nobody questions
whether he believes what he says. Nobody questions that he says what he
believes. I do not think one can have either a better friend, a better
servant, or a better patriot than one who knows what he believes and
believes what he knows. That is what our friend is. That is the essence
of him. One does not have to second-guess Senator Helms. For that class
of Senators of 30 years ago, there are now three of us left. When
Senator Helms leaves, there will be two. I will be running, and so will
Senator Biden. If we come back, the marvelous class will be getting
smaller, and Senator Helms will have left us this year. I am sorry to
see him leave. I thank him very much.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, I rise to join with my colleagues in
saying thank you to Senator Helms for his 30 years of service to the
Senate and to the country.
I have had the pleasure of serving with Senator Helms for 22 years,
and the last several years I had the pleasure of sitting right in front
of him or, conversely, having him at my back. I like that. I moved over
to Senator Thurmond's desk so I can look at Senator Helms when I make
these remarks.
I pointed out to Senator Wellstone when he was complimenting you on
your demeanor, politeness, kindness to our fellow employees, that was
my first recollection of Jesse Helms. The character of Senator Helms
was one of this pretty tough Senator. In my career of 22 years, I have
never known a kinder, gentler, more polite Senator than Senator Jesse
Helms.
I say that because he has been kind to me. Obviously, he was kind to
Senator Domenici. He has been kind to every Senator, Democrat and
Republican--Senator Wellstone mentioned it--but also to every single
staff member, to every single elevator operator and security officer. I
am amazed at the number of people he calls by their first name. I have
tried to emulate that and have not done it very well. I have tried to
emulate Senator Helms in many ways. Senator Helms will never know how
many people he has inspired in the Senate.
I say that because of his kindness. I say that because of his
politeness. I say that because he says grace before meals and he does
it today. I say that because he has shown such courage and conviction
on so many issues. His ability to be courageous and kind at the same
time is a very unusual special talent that very few have been able to
do, and Senator Helms has done it well for so many years.
The word ``patriot'' was used. If anybody ever defines ``patriot,''
Senator Helms' name comes to mind. Standing at Strom Thurmond's desk,
patriot comes to mind when I think of Strom Thurmond, and it comes to
mind when
[[Page S9792]]
I think of Jesse Helms. We are losing two patriots in the Senate in
this retirement, and I hate to see that happen, but I am so grateful to
have had the privilege of having Senator Helms as a mentor, as a
colleague, as a confidant, as a teacher.
I remember in my early career, we had battles. I served in the Senate
for 22 years, and he served in the Senate for 30 years. Prior to his
service in the Senate, Senator Helms served as administrative assistant
to a couple of Senators.
During that time, he learned the Senate rules. I remember some of our
earlier battles having Senator Helms help me learn the Senate rules. I
was amazed that someone would go to that trouble. But he used the
Senate rules both politely and correctly, and in the process made the
Senate a better institution.
I realize this goes all the way back to Richard Russell. It goes back
to some of the greats in the Senate, and how this tradition is passed
on is truly amazing--and with a whole lot of fond memories.
I remember, Senator Helms, when you taught me some of the rules, I
believe it was in 1983, when we had the little battle on the 5-cent-
per-gallon gasoline tax, that most of the Senate was for, including the
majority leader at the time, our very good friend Senator Baker.
President Reagan, I believe, was in favor at the time, but we were sort
of opposed to it, thinking it should be left to the prerogative of the
States. It was rather a difficult time because it was right before
Christmas. It was a pretty protracted and extended debate, one that
required cots in the back. Our colleagues' tempers were short because
we were getting closer to the holiday season and most everybody wanted
to vote and get out of here.
I remember going into your office one night when things were kind of
difficult, and we talked about it. You said: I have an idea. We will
just pray about it. Let's call Rev. Billy Graham. Well, I was awestruck
that we were calling Rev. Billy Graham, and impressed. I will not
forget that conversation.
I also will not forget another thing that you said. If it was not
that night, it was the next night--we had two or three nights of this
little battle--and I remember you telling me a story which I have never
forgotten. In fact, I think about it all the time when I fly at night.
I do not even know if you will remember it but I bet you do. You
relayed to me how you were flying over North Carolina at night. And if
any of my colleagues have been with Senator Helms for any period of
time, they know he has a great love for his State of North Carolina,
and vice versa. It is a mutual love, respect, and admiration.
You relayed to me, Senator Helms, that while flying over North
Carolina at night you see all these lights, and you realize how big
Raleigh is and you realize how remote small towns and some rural areas
are, a light here and there. I remember you told me you were flying
over there somewhat in awe but also thinking about individuals who live
in those areas, and every one of those homesteads represent some of
your constituents. You wondered if they really thought anybody in
Washington, DC, cares about them living in that little rural area or
maybe living in the city.
There you are, flying over their State and you are thinking about
them. I think that was one of the guiding principles of your public
service and career. I will never forget that. You were thinking about
them when we were fighting over that nickel-a-gallon gasoline tax. You
have been fighting for them. Whether talking about a strong national
defense or about giving them some tax relief, you were thinking about
your constituents, those people in the rural areas that probably never
gave two thoughts about who their Senator was. Maybe they do not know,
maybe they do not vote, but you cared about them.
I can tell you cared about them because of the way you have served
this Senate and the way you have served your State, the way you have
talked to individuals on the floor, the way you talk to employees,
whether they are the lower level employees or people just starting out,
or whether it is my daughter who was working as an intern one summer.
You were so kind to her. She loves Senator Helms. I saw her last night
and she wanted me to say thank you, Senator Helms.
You have inspired more people than you will ever know. I see some of
your employees are in the Chamber and you are sitting with one of the
best, Mr. Broughton, but I wonder how many of those employees, who have
launched their career under your tutelage, have very bright futures.
They are going to make outstanding contributions. Some of them are in
the State Department. Some of them are working in very high level
positions. Some of them are on the Federal bench because you got them
started. They are some of the best people in the country. I think of
them as expanding good government, and you have made that contribution.
I wanted to say thank you on behalf of Oklahomans, and on behalf of
all Americans for your 30 years of service in the Senate. I have had
the privilege of working with you for 22 years, getting to know you and
Dot Helms. I think the world of both of you. God has truly blessed all
of us for your service to our country and we thank you for it.
Mr. HELMS. Thank you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, it is an honor to pay tribute today to
the senior Senator from North Carolina, Jesse Helms.
The son of a police chief from Monroe, NC, Jesse Helms has been part
of the fabric of the United States Senate for nearly three decades.
Upon his retirement after five terms of service, it is fitting that we
pay tribute to his leadership and commitment to the people of North
Carolina and this country.
Senator Helms has served in the Senate during the administrations of
seven Presidents, from the Vietnam War, through the launch of the war
on terrorism.
His views have enlivened the debate on the editorial pages of
newspapers in his home State and throughout the country. He defines the
term ``sticking to your guns.''
From 1960 until he ran for the Senate in 1972, Senator Helms
delivered some 2,700 editorials on WRAL-TV in Raleigh, NC. Those
opinions also appeared in more than 200 papers across the Nation and on
70 radio stations, making Jesse Helms a household name.
He built that name on the principles of free enterprise,
representative democracy and conservative values--ideals he holds true
today.
He has always stood on principle. He does not waiver or falter, and
is not easily persuaded, a fact to which many of my colleagues can
attest.
Senator Helms has never forgotten the people he represents while in
Washington. An editorial about his retirement in the Charlotte Observer
observed, ``People who can't stand his views go to the voting booth
every 6 years and push the button next to his name. Maybe he helped
their mama get Social Security. Maybe he kept their farm alive. Maybe
they just like the idea of a North Carolina boy going to Washington and
raising hell.''
He's always had a place in his heart for the youth of our Nation. In
his retirement speech, he calculated that he has met with more than
100,000 young people during his tenure in the Senate. He always took
the time to talk with them about what an honor it was to serve America.
The issues that have driven his Senate career have varied from the
minute to the global. He has left an indelible mark on American foreign
policy from his service on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and
his tenure as chairman. From favoring the lifting of the arms embrago
on Bosnia to his opposition of U.S. military intervention in Haiti, he
has consistently fought to keep our Nation focused on U.S. interests
abroad.
On February 24, 1996, when Cuban Mig-29 fighter jets shot down two
Cessna 337s in the Florida Straits, killing four members of the
humanitarian group ``Brothers to the Rescue,'' Jesse Helms demanded
that the U.S. call Fidel Castro to account for his actions.
His time as a Navy recruiter during World War II gave him insight
into the importance of supporting our military troops. He has
vigorously fought to strengthen the U.S. armed forces and ensure that
our men and women in uniform are deployed only when clear U.S.
interests are at stake.
On behalf of the American taxpayer, he demanded and received greater
accountability at the United Nations for
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the funds America pays as part of our dues. He was one of the chief
architects responsible for dramatically reshaping and reorganizing the
Department of State.
Indeed, no matter what the cause, whether it affects a North Carolina
farmer or textile worker, or the U.S. relationship with the U.N., Jesse
Helms has stood his ground.
He has always done so without rancor and has always been a gentleman
when the fight was over. He is stubborn, he is committed to his cause,
and he fights vigorously, but he is also one of the most gentle and
kind men in the Senate.
For years he sat next to the late Senator John Chafee on the Senate
floor. They were two Republican colleagues who didn't agree on a great
deal, yet were best of friends and spoke affectionately of each other.
When John died, Jesse made it his first order of business to visit his
office and personally comfort the Senator's grieving staff. There are
hundreds of similar stories of Jesse's graciousness and caring nature.
Each of us has been touched at one time or another by his kindness.
His conviction, his determination and his passion will be missed. As
Jesse leaves Washington to join his beloved wife, ``Miss Dot,'' at home
in North Carolina, we wish him well.
The 108th Congress will be a different place without Jesse Helms. The
set from North Carolina will be filled, but it will never be the same.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, over the course of our
lives, many of us have role models. Role models mold and shape us as
human beings. Who we choose for role models can leave an indelible mark
on our character.
As a young boy, I had several role models. When I was 3 years old, I
had a dad who lost his life at the end of the Second World War. He was
certainly a role model for me. My mother worked very hard to try to
keep the family together; she never remarried. She was a Navy widow who
kept my brother and me and the family together all of those years. I
had a granddad who worked hard to try to keep us on the straight and
narrow, helping my mother. They were all my heroes and role models.
Politically, Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan come to mind as role
models, as well as former Gov. Mel Thomson of New Hampshire, who once
told me you stand for something or you stand for nothing, which brings
me to Jesse Helms. He is a man who has been a treasured friend, a
confidant, a great Senator, and my role model for all the years I have
been in the Senate. His steadfast example has helped shape who I am as
a Senator and as a person.
I remember talking to Senator Gordon Humphrey of New Hampshire, your
former colleague. I asked him one time: What is Jesse Helms like? And
he said: Jesse Helms is the nicest person in the Senate. He was right;
you are. Others have said that about you as well, including the
elevator operators and pages and so many people you are nice to. I have
seen you on so many occasions talking to students and posing for
pictures with people who were not always from North Carolina. You would
stop and say, Where are you guys from? And then you would talk to them.
And I would hear them after you walked away and the things that they
said. It really is a shame that all Americans do not know you
personally, Senator Helms, because you are one fine man. You have a
long, distinguished record of service to your country and service in so
many areas before you came to the Senate, and you did a lot of
charitable work after you came to the Senate.
Since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate by the people of North
Carolina nearly 30 years ago, Senator Helms has tirelessly served the
people of North Carolina and this nation.
Before that, the Senator's tenure of service to the United States of
America began in the 1940's. Serving in the U.S. Navy during the second
world war, Senator Helms pledged his loyalty and love to the United
States. I lost my own father in WWII and understand and respect the
passion that the men and women of the Greatest Generation has and still
have for the United States. No one embodies these ideals better than
the senior Senator from North Carolina.
Upon returning from battle in WWII, Senator Helms got his first taste
of Washington politics by serving as an administrative assistant to
both Senator Willis Smith and Senator Alton Lennon. Senator Helms took
his experience in the Senate and began his own historical career in his
home State of North Carolina.
Before going to Washington Senator Helms served the people of his
community and home State in many ways. He served his community for two
2-year terms on the Raleigh city council, as well as being the
president of both the Raleigh Rotary Club and the Raleigh Executives
Club. As a man full of compassion for his fellow man, Senator Helms
further served his State as the director of the North Carolina Cerebral
Palsy Hospital in Durham, the Director of the United Cerebral Palsy of
North Carolina, and the Director of the Wake County Cerebral Palsy and
Rehabilitation Center in Raleigh. As a man who cares deeply for the
future generations of this country, Mr. Helms has served as a deacon
and a Sunday School teacher, sat on the Board of Trustees of Meredith
College, John F. Kennedy College, Campbell University and Wingate
College.
The thing I am going to remember is that you used your life
experiences and your faith, and they were your guiding principles in
the Senate. The kind of person you are is the kind of Senator you are.
You were a veteran and you used that in your capacity as the chairman
and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You have
been an unflinching proponent of a principled foreign policy throughout
the world for so many years. There is no greater supporter of human
rights, no more steadfast defender of American sovereignty, no stronger
advocate for our national interest than you, Senator Helms.
I have been in so many meetings--and I see the assistant leader in
the Chamber as well, Senator Nickles, who can vouch for this. So many
times in meetings we have said: Senator Helms, do you think maybe we
could have your support to let this nominee go through, and Senator
Helms would never raise his voice but he would say, no, can't do it. It
was always disagreeing without being disagreeable. That is why you have
so much respect, and that is why there are so many people here to honor
you.
When faced with a policy that you feel is counter to your values, you
are like a rock. Even your opponents marvel at your fortitude. You are
the irresistible force for justice and human liberty. You are an
immovable object against big spending and immorality. You are not
afraid to stand up on the floor time after time--and I am proud to have
stood with you on many occasions, Senator Helms. You are a man of great
personal faith. This has led you to be a crusader for the lives of the
unborn. Not too many people come down to talk about that issue these
days, but you inspired me to weigh in on this. This, I believe, will be
the defining moral issue. This will be the slavery issue of the 20th
century and perhaps even the 21st century. You were right to defend the
unborn. History will judge you as being right, and I am proud to follow
in those big shoes of yours, Senator Helms.
Being a conservative Republican has led Senator Helms to fight for
the rights of taxpayers, small businessmen, and the constitutional
rights of all Americans.
Most importantly, Senator Helms has used his experience as a husband,
a father, and a grandfather, to promote strong family values and to
guide this country over the last 30 years.
You have never shied away from controversy. You always do what is
right, never even considering the political consequences to yourself.
Whether you are fighting for the right of students to pray in school,
the right of the Boy Scouts of America to organize and inspire young
boys to join, or the right of the taxpayers not to have their hard-
earned money wasted, you do not worry about the opponents or distorted
reports by the news media. You follow your heart.
I have always admired Senator Helms' dedication to his conservative
values. The example that Senator Helms sets is something that we all as
conservatives need to follow. There has been no senator as outspoken on
the
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conservative agenda over the past three decades. Jesse was recognized
in 1980, 1981, and 1983 as the ``Most Admired Conservative in
Congress''. He also received the ``Conservative Caucus 97th Congress
Statesman Award'' in 1983.
It will be one of the fondest memories in life to know I sat here and
served with you in this body.
The news media used to call him ``Senator No,'' because he never
compromised his values or beliefs, and that is something for him to be
proud of and the rest of us to admire. While Senator Helms, always full
of humor, embraced the reputation, I think those of us who know him
understand that the media did not tell the whole story.
I believe they should have called him ``Senator Yes.'' Because when
Congress was trying to waste the taxpayers' money, Jesse Helms stood up
and said ``yes'' to the taxpayers.
When the unborn were being threatened, he said ``yes'' to human life.
While some were saying ``no'' to human rights, to personal freedom,
to limited Government, to morality, to family values, Jesse Helms
always stood up with a resounding ``yes.''
And even when his more ardent opponents in the Senate will vouch for
the fact that there is not a more decent human being in the entire
Senate. Always a smile on his face, always time for schoolchildren,
always courteous, always a friend.
As an American, I am truly grateful for Jesse Helms' patriotic
service to his country. But, personally, what I will most treasure is
12 years of friendship.
Jesse, you were always there for me, and while I bid you a fond
farewell as we both part from our Senate service, I will always stay in
touch. I will always consider you one of my best friends.
Senator Helms has pledged a lifetime of loyalty, love and service to
the United States. The senator is a patriot in every sense of the word.
Thank you, Senator Helms, for serving this country as you have over the
past three decades.
May God bless you and your family.
I want to close on a couple of points. The news media gave you a
name, and I know you had some fun with it. For those of you who have
not been in Senator Helms' office, it is just plastered with all these
cartoons. Some of them are pretty rough. But they always called him
``Senator No.'' There are two ways to look at that because you never
compromised on your values or your beliefs. So oftentimes you were down
here voting no when others were compromising those values and beliefs.
That is something of which I am going to be proud. The thing I am most
proud of remembering about you--always full of humor, always embracing
the reputation--but those of us who really know you understand that the
media had it wrong. You were not Mr. No. You were Senator Yes because
you were right. It was ``yes,'' to try to stop wasting taxpayers' money
and stand up for them. It was ``yes,'' the right thing to do, to stand
up for the unborn. It was ``yes,'' to stand up for human rights,
personal freedom, limited Government, morality, family values. It was
not Mr. No, it was Senator Yes.
Each of your most ardent political opponents in the Senate--you heard
Senator Wellstone--will vouch for the fact that there is not a more
decent human being who ever lived in the United States of America, or
ever served here.
I am standing now at the desk of Daniel Webster. There are going to
be a lot of people following the Senator from North Carolina, from
North Carolina, who are going to be standing at the desk of Senator
Helms.
I am proud to serve with you, my friend. You are a great American, a
great patriot, and I wish you the best in the years to come.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HELMS. God bless you. Thank you, Bob.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in
morning business for as long as I might consume regarding the tribute
to Senator Helms, and ask for that privilege as well for the Senator
from Wyoming, Mr. Enzi.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in
offering tribute to my friend and fellow Senator, Jesse Helms. As my
dear friend so loved to say, even a blind hog finds an acorn sometimes.
So I hope my poor words may be able to rise and find the acorn here in
a proper tribute to Senator Helms for the years of service and
contribution he has made to this great country and what he has given to
the world.
I know today many of my colleagues are lauding him for his grit and
determination, his principled stands, and his ability to always fight
the good fight even if it was a lonely and sometimes frustrating fight.
Senator Helms has always done so. He has always stood firm despite the
opposition and the disapproval.
We have had a number of colleagues already speak about these traits
and speak of them in laudatory terms. In fact, he was known for telling
his staff and his allies that it did not matter, if they stuck to
principle, if they lost. What mattered was they stuck to principle. All
the other things would fall by the wayside, but you have to stand by
your principle and you have to fight for it regardless of whether you
win or lose. That was a great lesson to me, coming to this body, of the
service that we have here for the world. You fight for your principles.
There is so much to say about Jesse Helms, my dear friend. There is
much to say that is obvious. There are some things to say that are not
known very well publicly. I know from personal experience about his
traits and his attributes that so many people are talking about--his
determination, standing by principle. I served with the Senator when I
first came to the Senate. I haven't been in this body a long time, but
I served with him the entire time on the Foreign Relations Committee. I
know he always treated new Members in a manner unlike most people treat
new Members. He treated new Members with a great deal of respect, with
a great deal of courtesy, which is the way he treats everybody--it is a
true Biblical principle. You don't treat the great and the lesser any
different. He always did that for new Members.
I came into the Foreign Relations Committee, the first meeting I had
there, sitting way at the end of the bench. There was not a seat
further away from the chairman where I could sit. They had to actually
build another seat there to give me a space to sit. And then he calls
on me first at the committee, which had me quaking in my boots at the
time. I was ready and prepared to sit for a couple of hours and wait my
turn and build up some knowledge. But it was his trait and his standard
that each year when he had a new Member come in, he recognized him
first at the first meeting. It was very kind of him to do that, to
welcome people. That was just his nature and his characteristic, and it
was always done.
It is no surprise that he has always been voted by the Washingtonian
magazine as the nicest Senator, which I think is quite a tribute when
we look back. I have on my wall a picture of Mother Teresa and a quote
from her. She says: At the end of life we are not going to be measured
by the positions that we achieved or the things we accomplished or the
wealth we had. What we will be measured by is the amount of love with
which we did the work we had. We will be measured that way.
It doesn't matter if you are a Senator presiding in the Senate, the
President of the United States, if you work at any job anywhere--it is
not the accomplishment of the physical that you do, it is not the
accumulation of money you accomplish, it is not the wealth, it is the
love you express in the job that you have.
Senator Helms has expressed a great deal of love to everybody and has
had a high degree of success and will be very rich in rewards.
These are the examples he has given to so many of us so constantly.
It is such a beautiful tribute.
He has a robust sense of humor that many have not had the pleasure of
being able to experience, although I have. One of my favorite facts
about the Senator--Senator Smith just mentioned it--is when you go into
Senator Helms' office, he has on the walls every cartoon that has ever
been done about him. There are quite a few of them. They are scattered
around the walls. A number of them Senator
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Smith said are not glowing in their comments, but he puts them up. I
think it is quite a tribute there as well that he would show both
sides, so anybody who comes into his office can see the caricature that
is made by anybody. I think that is a good trait of humility. Humility
is the first grace. We need much humility.
In addition, one of his prize possessions is a big rubber stamp that
says ``No'' on it. Needless to say, he has wielded it often and with
passion. But in reality it was not just saying no or being Senator No,
though those working on treaties and nominees over the years may have
believed so, he was actually one of the most effective compromisers in
the Senate.
Yes, it is true. That is what happens when everyone knows exactly
where you stand and that your word is your bond. For Senator Helms, his
word was definitely his bond. One of the facts to know about Senator
Helms, though, is what a true gentleman he always was. Several people
have spoken about that. No matter how bitter a foe or how fierce a
disagreement, he was always kind to his opponent. You are to love your
friend and you are to love your enemy. He practiced that Biblical
admonition as well if not better than anybody I have ever seen.
A foe who might be fierce in disagreement, in most cases would,
afterwards, and even during the debate, admire and like his opponent.
For example, he has always truly liked Madeleine Albright, Secretary of
State, though most on the outside saw them as no more than simple
enemies. He and Madeleine Albright had a marvelous relationship, even
though they would disagree on probably the complete course of the meal,
soup to nuts. But they had a wonderful personal relationship--although
even that, too, is too simplistic an analysis. Clearly, not enough to
really say about his character, it is a true sign of character to
understand the best results come from fighting worthy opponents and to
be willing to graciously acknowledge and admire these opponents. It was
a lesson I took to heart, seeing how he fiercely defended his
principles, yet how much he cared for and always took time to honor
those he fought against and with whom even disagreed. He honored them.
He did love his opponents.
He took almost as much care in those cases as he did with his own
staff--many of whom are here, as was noted. Senator Helms is also known
for being deeply devoted to his staff, considering them his family and
treating them as such, practicing an open-door policy and complete
loyalty and always ensuring that he knew what was going on in each
staffer's life.
As in so many areas, he did not just preach family values, he
practiced them. This has been a great lesson to me as well. So many
times you get busy and you feel you are just trying to suck things out
of your staff--I need this information; I need that--when our true role
is as a shepherd, to feed them, to care for them, to tend them, and to
nourish them. These are people with whom we have an unusually positive
relationship. Senator Helms does that well.
One of the reasons he and I bonded was something that we share--the
adoptive children we have. He has unmeasurable effort he has made for
adoptive children and for adoptive parents across the country, and even
around the world. He has always cared incredibly deeply about children
and those less fortunate. That is just one area of many where he has
truly put his energy and where his beliefs are.
There is a personal story that is just too personal to tell. But it
is about his adoptive child in a red cap that Senator Helms told me
about. It is too personal to say here, but it is such a touching story,
a tribute to a man adopting a child, the gift that child was to him,
and the gift he was to that child.
But I think the most important things to consider when contemplating
the Senator's great and illustrious career are some of the things he
would probably say are his proud achievements--his long and true
marriage to his beloved Dot, volunteering for the Navy right after
Pearl Harbor, the Jesse Helms Foundation, his solitary action as a lone
Republican stumping for a gentleman by the name of Ronald Reagan back
in 1976, and his unlimited love for children. Throughout his lifetime,
but especially during his career in Congress, he has never forgotten
the children, including them and introducing them to worlds they may
never experience; for example, inviting the pages, who are so often
overlooked by all of us despite their hard and dedicated work, to his
Jesse Helms Foundation dinner, assuring that all of them will be
introduced to everyone attending the dinner.
Senator Helms has often been seen as the Rock of Gibraltar, an
oftentimes lonely role, yet always a steadfast defender of American and
Republican principles. He is so much more than that. He is a kind and
gentle soul who has brought humor, compassion, and character to this
august body. He has been and always will be a role model of the true
gentleman.
In his Second Epistle to Timothy, St. Paul writes: ``I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.''
Senator Helms has certainly done so.
You have fought the good fight, you finished the course, you kept the
faith. God bless you.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for a short quorum
call, followed by Senator Byrd for a brief moment on the floor,
followed by me, and followed by Senator Sessions.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. ENZI. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I come to the floor today not entirely with
sadness in my heart but, rather, a sadness that is commingled with joy,
as I look back across the 30 years I have known Jesse Helms as we have
worked in this body.
I can remember him when he came to this Senate Chamber 30 years ago:
tall, strong, black hair. Some things have changed about him; some
things have changed about me. But there are some things that have not
changed. One of those things is my respect for him.
He comes from a State which is the State in which I was born, North
Carolina. I have a brother living in North Wilkesboro today. He became
89 or 90--I forget which--in August, last month.
My dear mother is buried there in an unmarked grave. She died during
the great influenza epidemic. She died on the night before the
armistice was signed. I have a little pillow that she made. And I know
that I have been guided by my mother's prayers over these soon to be 85
years, although I do not remember ever seeing her face or ever feeling
the joy of a mother's kiss. But those North Carolina hills keep her in
their bosom today, as they keep my father.
The motto of the State of North Carolina is: ``To be rather than to
seem.'' What a motto: ``To be rather than to seem.''
I believe, based on my relationship with Jesse Helms, that he
typifies that motto: ``To be rather than to seem.''
I have always found him to be a gentleman. During the years in which
I was majority leader, minority leader, and majority whip, I always
found Jesse Helms to be someone with whom I could work. There were
differences and there were difficulties at times--for instance,
difficulties in breaking through a filibuster--but this man was always
what he was, not what he seemed. He was what he was. He was not a man
to be intimidated. He took a stand. He was willing to take a stand even
though he might stand alone. And I have seen times when he stood alone,
but it was without a tremor, without any indication that he would cut
his sail.
He had that sterling character that so many of the people of his
generation displayed throughout their lifetimes. And the people of
North Carolina are a naturally warm and gracious people, just like
Jesse Helms.
As I say, no matter what his position on an issue, no matter what his
political feelings might be, he was always
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one with whom I could approach and sit down and talk. And he was a man
with whom I could reason when I was the leader of this body. It is not
an easy job. But being the man that Jesse Helms is, and standing for
what he believes, standing against the odds--no matter what the press
said, no matter what the pundits were saying, no matter, should I say,
even what his colleagues were saying--he took his position and he never
wavered, never wavered.
I shall always treasure my work here with Jesse Helms. I think when
Jesse Helms goes, something goes out of this Senate that we will not
see again.
I saw a lot of men like Jesse Helms when I came to this body 44 years
ago--a lot of men and one woman like Jesse Helms. They were strong in
their beliefs. They believed in the Constitution. They believed in this
institution. They weren't looking for another political office. They
wanted to be Senators. They were Senators. And they served their people
the institution, and the Constitution well.
In all these situations--and I remember Members like Jesse Helms--
there has been a wife who sacrificed, who stood there shoulder to
shoulder with that Senator and who, like him, was always a gracious
person, one who loved the Senate, one who served the Senate, just as
the elected entity served it.
I have great respect for Jesse Helms and his wife Dorothy. My wife
and I today join in saying we will always remember their friendship. I
will always remember this man from the mountains of North Carolina.
I remember Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Here was a true
gentleman of the Old South. A true gentleman of the Old South will
leave this Senate. He won't leave my memory. He won't leave my
affections. They will follow him. As Tennyson said, ``I am a part of
all that I have been.'' And wherever I go, Jesse Helms will always be a
part of me. He will go with my fondest affections.
I thank Mr. Enzi for yielding to me at this moment. I am about to
yield the floor.
Let me, if I may, repeat the words of a short verse that are very
appropriate in talking about Jesse Helms:
Reputation--he raised its shaft
In the crowded market place;
He built it out of his glorious deeds,
And carved them upon its face;
He crowned its towering top with bays
That a worshiping world supplied;
Then he passed--his monument decayed,
And his laurels drooped and died.
Character--he built its shaft
With no thought of the pillar to be;
He wrought intangible things like love
And truth and humanity.
Inseparable things like sacrifice
And sympathy and trust;
Yet, steadfast as the eternal hills
It stood when he was dust
North Carolina sent to the Senate one of its favorite sons, and this
son of North Carolina will never forget Jesse Helms and will never
cease to respect him. Even when I differed with him perhaps on an issue
now and then, there was always great respect, knowing that here was a
man who believed in serving his people and standing for what his people
expected him to stand for.
May God always be with you, Senator Helms, and with your charming
wife Dorothy. May God always bless her.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Carnahan). Under the previous order, the
Senator from Wyoming is recognized.
Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I thank my colleagues for allowing us to
extend this period. It is not every day we get the opportunity to pay
tribute to one of our heroes. I am sure Senator Helms would object to
that wording, of being a hero, but if the definition is ordinary people
doing extraordinary things, he might agree with it. But he goes well
beyond that.
For most of my life, I had read about Jesse Helms. And then I got
elected to this body and got the awesome opportunity to meet him and to
talk to him and to learn from him. It has been a delightful journey,
one I will always remember and appreciate.
In reading a little of his background, I learned that the Senator
grew up 15 miles from the birthplace of Andrew Jackson, which is a
breeding ground for true believers. With Jacksonian tenacity, he stuck
to his early convictions--respect for elders and law and order,
traditional religious faith, moral principles, and patriotism. He is
here today with a lapel pin on that he has explained to me before. We
are a part of the same organization. It is a Masonic pin he has been
wearing since his first election. That is part of the great tradition
and background of the Senator, an organization of individuals for self-
improvement, and it is something he has worked on all his life and is
still working on and is passing on to others.
As Senator Helms was coming to this body, the Senator from Wyoming
who had been another role model of mine, Senator Hansen, was here
briefly and then left. From my mother and from Senator Hansen and
Senator Helms, I have fashioned a mission statement that is in all of
the rooms of my offices where my staff and I work. It says: Do what is
right. Do your best. And treat others as you want to be treated.
That is a motto Senator Helms exemplifies in great detail. He is one
of those people who never gives the impression that a Senator is
special. He knows that we really are people who had special
opportunities and special responsibilities. He epitomizes that.
He has had a considerable effect on events over the years. While he
hasn't gotten to restore America to the state of the Monroe of his
youth, he has made great strides at it, probably ones he never
envisioned.
I like a quote by Fred Barnes written in the Weekly Standard: He
can't be buffaloed or ignored. Helms has gained strange new respect,
not as many conservatives have--by moving to the left. Helms has earned
it the hard way--by not moving at all.
He is a man of principle who knows where he is coming from and what
needs to be done and has made dramatic improvements in America while he
has followed that principle.
This year, I had the opportunity to join Senator Helms on the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee and hold a position on the International
Operations and Terrorism Subcommittee. In this role I have seen and
heard much of Senator Helms' work with the United Nations. Americans
and all those involved with the United Nations look at Senator Helms as
one of the strongest supporters for reform of that organization. Many
still talk about the wonderful pictures of Senator Helms sitting in the
United Nations Security Council during a historic visit by the Foreign
Relations Committee in 2000.
Because of his efforts, the United States remains an active member,
and the United Nations has become a more efficient organization. There
is, however, still more work to do. I know Senator Helms will be sorely
missed in those discussions. He has had a tremendous effect.
I conclude by mentioning that as an Eagle Scout, I am proud of
Senator Helms' efforts to protect the organization of the Boy Scouts of
America. The organization makes a strong difference in the lives of
many of our Nation's young men. It teaches them leadership and values.
Senator Helms should be commended for his actions and for all of the
efforts he has put forth on behalf of youth, North Carolina, the
country, and the education of people like me. I thank the Senator for
all of his efforts at mentoring and teaching, and his long service.
This past year I had the opportunity to join Senator Helms on the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee and hold a position on the
International Operations and Terrorism subcommittee. In this role I
have seen and heard much about Senator Helms' work with the United
Nations. Americans and all those involved with the United Nations look
at Senator Helms as one of the strongest supporters for reform of the
organization. Many still talk about the wonderful pictures of Senator
Helms sitting in the United Nations Security Council during a historic
visit by the Foreign Relations Committee in 2000. Because of his
efforts, the United States remains an active member and the United
Nations has become a more efficient organization. There is, however,
still work to do and I know Senator Helms will be sorely missed in
discussions on the next steps for reform.
I was also pleased this last year to support Senator Helms' efforts
to expand the NATO Alliance. I agree that NATO enlargement should
continue to be a focus and a priority of the United States. Senator
Helms championed the effort in the Senate on the Freedom
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Consolidation Act and made a meaningful statement that the Congress of
the United States supports the President and supports NATO enlargement.
As the NATO Ministerial meets to discuss the expansion of the alliance,
I am confident Senator Helms' work will be appreciated.
Senator Helms has been able to balance supporting international
organizations with strongly criticizing their actions when they go too
far. He has fought fiercely against treaties that are not in the best
interests of the United States, such as the International Criminal
Court. Senator Helms has been the lead objector to treaty that would
put our American Servicemembers on trial for simply doing their work to
protect Americans. His efforts have encouraged this Administration to
be an active voice against the prosecution of American citizens with
disregard for our protected rights.
Senator Helms has been a leading proponent for conservative values
and beliefs. He has lead floor debate to protect the lives and the
future of all Americans. He has made it his personal duty to protect
our rights from over-reaching laws and values not in line with the
beliefs of most Americans.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina is recognized.
Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I want to say a word or two, and ask
unanimous consent that it be in order for me to make my remarks from my
seat, following the remarks of Senator Sessions.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Alabama is recognized.
Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, I believe that under the UC I am to be
recognized next. I understand other matters are to come before the body
soon.
I want to say how much I admire Senator Helms. He is and has been a
great Senator. He came here with beliefs and concerns about America and
he stood up for them. He also came here with courage and convictions.
He stood for those throughout his career. He has shown us all what one
man can do when he stands up for his beliefs. He is a man I admire, as
so many others do.
I yield the floor.
Mr. BOND. Madam President, for the youngster who is retiring from the
greater Carolina delegation, I bid a fond farewell. I am delighted for
him and his wife Dot, who after three decades in the Senate will get to
spend some time for themselves and with their seven grandchildren.
The bad news is that there are a great number of others who will be
delighted with Senator Helms' departure. Foreign Communist officials,
Fidel Castro, and others will be delighted that he will not be on the
Senate floor standing tall on behalf of U.S. values, U.S. security, and
human rights. Over his many years of service, his strict observation to
U.S. security interests never wavered. On matters of foreign policy and
national security, he never rested. He never allowed officials at the
Department of State or the United Nations to rest either. When it came
to the security of free people, his philosophy has always been, keep
your powder dry and keep lots of powder.
Despite his rigid reluctance to compromise, his legislative record
has been extraordinary. Understanding the rules of the Senate, being
willing to use the rules of the Senate, and being willing to wait as
long as it takes proved to be a formula for much legislative success.
To reorganize the State Department, Senator Helms had to hold up 18
nominations for ambassadors, halted almost all committee business for
six months as well as approval of two international treaties, and
overcome a Presidential veto.
A big supporter of President Reagan and his conservative agenda,
Senator Helms was one of two Senators to vote against the nomination of
Secretary Weinberg to be Secretary of Defense. Again, a protector of
the conservative agenda, he felt the nominee was not adequately
committed to the President's agenda; always brave, seldom subtle.
Over his long career, Senator Helms has won praise and scorn for
doing what he came to Washington to do, which is speak his mind and
vote his convictions. He didn't mind being the only one to vote against
a spending bill. He paid his constituents the courtesy of being candid.
He did not need to do a poll to have an opinion. It is not his habit to
``flip-flop'' on political issues because with Jesse, he means what he
says and says what he means.
One political commentator described the senior Senator as follows:
``Helms follows a simple formula; Implacability equals strength, It
works. He can't be buffaloed--or ignored. . . . The point here is Helms
has gained strange, new respect not as many conservatives have--by
moving left. Helms has earned it the hard way--by not moving at all.''
To ``official Washington,'' Senator Helms was referred to as
``Senator No.'' But to his beloved constituents asking for help, he
was: ``Senator Yes.'' His first floor statement on January 11, 1973,
was on behalf of ``more than 182,000 families in my State [who] earn
their living from the production of tobacco.''
In the Senate, we will miss this true gentleman with his gentle
smile, his great sense of humor, and his tireless commitment to our
Nation. We wish you, your wife Dot and your family well and thank you
and the good citizens of North Carolina for your service.
Mr. FRIST. Madam President. Nearly 1,900 men and women have served in
this body since its inception in 1789. Yet only a couple dozen stand
out in history as leaders who not only defined the times in which they
lived, but changed the course of the future. I would include the man we
honor today--Senator Jesse Helms--in those select ranks. He will be
missed as a friend to us all and a leader for all America.
Although one might find it hard to believe, Senator Helms began his
career in the media. After World War II, Jesse worked as city editor of
the Raleigh Times. Later he became director of news and programs for
the Tobacco Radio Network and radio station WRAL in Raleigh.
The media also provided Senator Helms' transition into politics and
public affairs. In 1952, he directed radio and television for the
presidential campaign of Senator Richard Russell of Georgia. One year
later, Jesse became executive director of the North Carolina Bankers
Association and editor of the Tarheel Banker, which he grew into the
largest state banking publication in America.
As a journalist, Senator Helms earned the respect of his readers and
his peers. From 1960 to 1972, Jesse delivered daily editorials on WRAL-
TV, wrote columns that appeared regularly in more than 200 newspapers
nationwide, and broadcast on more than 70 radio stations in North
Carolina. Jesse received the Freedoms Foundation Award for the best
television editorial in America. He won the same award for the best
newspaper article.
Jesse Helms' arrival in this chamber nearly 30 years ago made
history. He was the first Republican elected to the Senate from North
Carolina. His star immediately began to rise. At the 1976 Republican
National Convention, he was the only Senator to endorse Ronald Reagan
for President. And though he asked for his name to be removed from the
ballot, he won the support of 99 delegates for the nomination of Vice
President of the United States.
While in the Senate, Jesse Helms has become one of those unique
leaders who combine fierce conservatism with fierce populism. His love
for the principles upon which this country was founded is matched only
by his love for the people he represents. He has always stood up for
the people of North Carolina--for the values they hold dear, for the
beauty of their land, and for the work that is their lifeblood.
Jesse has also stood up for those of the world who don't enjoy the
freedoms and rights that Americans are guaranteed. He stood side-by-
side with President Reagan in the battle to win the Cold War. He
believed in peace through strength and still does. He also believes in
the value and dignity of every human life. I know this first-hand.
Jesse and I have worked hard as members of the Foreign Relations
Committee to secure hundreds of millions of dollars to save young
Africans from the plague of HIV/AIDS.
Always one to practice what he preaches, Jesse Helms has served as a
deacon and Sunday School teacher and a director of Camp Willow--a
Christian
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youth camp he helped found. He has generously given his time to combat
cerebral palsy. And he has spent countless hours with the nearly
100,000 children and young adults who have stopped by his office to
shake his hand. Jesse has inspired them all to be better citizens; many
have even gone on to serve in public office.
I, and all of us in this chamber, will miss having Jesse Helms in the
Senate. And America will miss an impassioned leader. But our loss is
the gain of his family and the great state of North Carolina to which
he will return. I think we all know that Jesse Helms won't just fade
away. He'll continue spending time doing what he loves, and we'll
continue loving him for it.
God bless you, Jesse.
Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I am pleased to join with other Senators
in honoring our distinguished colleague, Jesse Helms, who will be
returning to private life at the end of the 107th Congress.
For the past 26 years it has been my privilege to serve in the United
States Senate with Jesse Helms. During that time, we have shared
committee assignments on the Foreign Relations and Agriculture
Committees. We have worked together on innumerable issues, and I have
witnessed with admiration his strong character and devotion to public
service.
Senator Helms has played an important role in the primary U.S.
foreign policy accomplishment of the second half of the 20th Century--
the collapse of Soviet Communism and transition of most of the world's
Communist nations to democracy and market economics. In the Senate,
Senator Helms was a steadfast supporter of policies that opposed the
evils of the Soviet bloc. He looked forward with confidence to a future
in which Russian foreign policy would not be predicated on empire, in
which Russia would practice democracy, and in which Eastern Europe and
other Soviet-dominated nations would be free.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Senator Helms was an
important advocate for embracing the new democracies of Eastern Europe.
He was and continues to be a vocal supporter of NATO enlargement within
the Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate as a whole. It is
fitting that as we celebrate Senator Helms' career, we anticipate the
entry of a new group of nations into the NATO fold that were once
denied their liberty.
Throughout his career in the Senate, Senator Helms' foreign policy
initiatives were grounded in a fundamental faith in the power of
freedom and democracy. Senator Helms' philosophy has been devoid of the
cynicism that occasionally afflicts the practice of U.S. foreign
policy. Our friend never forgot that the achievement of freedom must
stand as the basis for American actions in the world. He remained
devoted to core American values that have undergirded our Republic,
including free and fair elections, freedom of religion, the rule of
law, and market economic opportunities.
Senator Helms has had an equally large impact on domestic policy. He
will be remembered as a determined advocate for limited government. But
no matter how passionately he advocated limits on government, he always
understood that those limits should not reduce our human
responsibilities to each other as citizens and leaders of a great
nation.
In my experience, few Senators have been as quick with a smile or as
certain to ask about a family member as Senator Helms. In fact, few
Senators ever had a greater appreciation for the strength and love of
family.
No remarks honoring Senator Helms would be complete without
mentioning his beloved wife, Dot. A couple of years ago, I recall
Senator Helms responding to a reporter's question about whether he
intended to stay in the Senate. He said ``she has a vote; I have a
vote; and if there is a tie, we will work it out together.'' All
Senators know how important Dot has been to Jesse over the years. Even
as we will miss seeing our friend every day, we know that Jesse will be
blessed by the opportunity to spend more time with Dot and his family.
Senator Helms leaves the Senate after 30 years, having established a
legion of friendships and a memorable legacy. I am confident that he
will continue to serve the public, and I join the Senate in wishing
Jesse and Dot all the best as they move on to new adventures.
Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, as I indicated earlier, Senator Helms
is a great Senator because he came to the Senate with beliefs and
principles. He has personal integrity and a strong work ethic. He
mastered the rules of the Senate, and fundamentally his greatness came
from the fact he had the courage to act on those convictions and see
them through, even in the face of criticism. He stood for traditional
American values, for faith, for institutions important to our country,
such as the Boy Scouts. I was an Eagle Scout, and I appreciate so much
his leadership for them.
He ran for the Senate because of his beliefs and concerns about
America. That is what made him choose to offer himself. He believed
America was a great bastion of freedom. He defended her without
apology. He was not a part of the ``blame America'' crowd. He would
never go to a foreign country which had demonstrated a history of bad
behavior throughout the world and blamed America. He would stand and
say, for all our faults, America has stood for right in the world, and
we ought to be proud of what we do.
He understood the history of America, its uniqueness as a Nation of
freedom. He understood the importance of the United States to the world
as a whole, and he clearly saw, throughout his tenure, godless
communism was incompatible with the faith and freedom that made America
great. So he stood against it, without apology.
He had the great joy, I am sure, when his good friend Ronald Reagan
was President, to see the collapse of the Soviet Union, the fall of the
evil empire, and see freedom begin to spread around the world. What a
wonderful feeling it must have been for this patriot, who stood so long
for strong national defense, who stood so long for the values of
America, and contrasted them with the totalitarian governments in the
communist world. And it was a battle. It was a long struggle. There
were good times and bad times. People who stood with firmness, like
Senator Helms, were often attacked most aggressively in the liberal
media, but he put his beliefs and his love for America first. He was
prepared to take the heat, and I believe history will record he stood
on the right side of that issue with consistency, integrity, and
courage, and played a major role in the victory of freedom over
communism.
Senator Helms understood the necessity of American leadership in the
world. He understood our unique history. He therefore defended our
sovereignty. He defended the ability of the United States to stand
alone, if need be, as he had to do at various times politically, to
defend the interests we have. He was willing to work with the United
Nations, NATO, and other groups, but he was not prepared to cede our
sovereignty to that group.
Some time ago, I made the reference to the treaties and agreements so
many would like to have us sign. They are much like, in my mind, the
scene of Gulliver in the land of Lilliputians, being tied down by
hundreds and hundreds of strings. Pretty soon the giant is not able to
act and defend himself. We do not need to allow ourselves, through a
rush to agreements and multilateral organizations, to be tied down from
our freedom.
He provided a critical check against these trends through some
difficult times, and I think he sees today the world is better off for
it.
As a matter of fact, with regard to the U.N., he was exceedingly
critical of the waste, fraud, and even corruption in the United
Nations. He knew there was a problem; so did almost everyone
sophisticated in the world today. They knew money was being wasted and
spent unwisely. They knew there was corruption in programs and within
the institution itself. Senator Helms simply said, and was unmovable on
the view, until there were reforms in the United Nations, he would
oppose American back payments, and he got that.
Oddly, this Senator, who was not emotionally invested in the United
Nations, probably has played as big a role as anyone in making that
organization a better institution today. He had bipartisan support for
that position before it was over.
He helped form the steering committee of the Republican caucus in the
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Senate, beginning as a small group of conservatives and has grown now
to over 49 members of the Republican caucus. Of Members of that
steering committee I am honored to be a vice chairman and one of the
leaders of it. Senator Gramm is here today and served as chairman.
Senator Helms served as a chairman in the early days, 1981 to 1985. Now
that institution does have a great voice in the affairs of this Senate.
He is a great church man, a Baptist deacon, a Sunday school teacher.
He graduated from the Wake Forest University, a superb Baptist school,
with a superb Baptist heritage. He is a man of faith and belief for
which he never apologized. There is in the tradition of the Baptist
Church a tremendous belief in the sanctity of individual human beings,
a sense of democracy that is unique. Senator Helms says that every
individual human being had the same creator and the same value in the
overall scheme of life.
He is a man of graciousness. He is a southern gentleman and kind and
wonderful to his friends. But he was strong and courageous and firm
when he believed his principles called for that. He could be unmovable,
but he was also kind.
He told the story to me of his friendship with former Senator Jim
Allen from Alabama. Like Senator Helms, he was an independent man who
knew the rules of the Senate and had the courage to utilize and fight
for these values and use those rules effectively. He told the story
about coming to Alabama for Jim Allen's funeral. They got off the
airplane. Senator Allen was extraordinarily well respected in the
State, loved throughout the State. He recalled to me seeing a sign that
said ``a giant has fallen,'' and tears came to his eyes as he told that
story to me.
That shows the extent of his affection for his fellow Senators, his
deep feelings of companionship. At the same time, our Senator Helms has
been a giant for American values, for American principles, and for this
country. I have been honored to know him. I have been honored to know
his wonderful wife, Dot, as has my wife, who so much admires her. We
give them our best wishes in their future endeavors. We wish them
health and vitality and many years of service and enjoyment with their
family and friends. They have been served with great distinction.
Senator Helms has been a giant in this body. It has been an honor to
serve with him.
I yield the floor.
Mr. KYL. Madam President, it is with mixed emotions that I rise today
to pay tribute to my colleague, mentor and friend, Senator Jesse Helms,
who is leaving this body after 30 years of extraordinary service to our
country. I want to honor him and convey to people around America who do
not know him, what a great person he is. Yet, I hate to see him go.
Many words come to mind when I think of Jesse Helms: principled,
stalwart, kind, patriot, American. But, when I mull his retiring from
the Senate, one word keeps coming to mind: irreplaceable.
Jesse Helms will not be, he cannot be, replaced, and that is a sad
thing. His presence here has been a constant for three decades. Like
few others in this body, Senator Helms' career has achieved near-
mythical proportions; it is the stuff of legend.
Why is that? I believe it's because few, if any, others can match
Jesse Helms' deep and unshakable commitment to principle. Jesse's not
much of a deal maker. His vote has never been up for grabs. You always,
always knew where he stood. Some agreed, others disagreed. But you
didn't have to guess.
You get a glimpse of this simple yet profound approach when you walk
into Jesse's office and see the large yes and no stamps on his desk.
That is what it has been like to deal with Jesse Helms. If your idea
met his high standards, you got an immediate and enthusiastic ``yes.''
If it did not, you got an amiable but unmistakable ``no.'' And if it
was ``yes,'' he'd stick with you no matter what. Popularity was not a
factor. The best interests of this country were what mattered.
It has been a great honor for me to work with Senator Helms during my
8 years in this body. We have endeavored together to promote
conservative ideas, in particular the idea that America's security is
best preserved through the maintenance of our strength and the
promotion of our values. But I was just following the trail that Jesse
Helms blazed. In the 1970s and 1980s, Jesse Helms led the fight to put
morality and strength back into American foreign policy. People the
world over, from Louisiana to Lithuania, from Texas to Taiwan, are
better off because of that.
Mark Twain said: ``Always do right. This will gratify some people,
and astonish the rest.'' I was always among those gratified by Senator
Helms' courageous stands on matters of high principle. He did right.
And watching other people's astonishment at this was one of the great
things about the Helms era in American politics.
We will miss you, Senator.
Mr. THOMPSON. Madam President, I rise to pay tribute to the senior
Senator from North Carolina, Senator Jesse Helms. Born in Monroe, NC on
October 18, 1921, Senator Helms has served our country over several
decades and in many capacities. From 1942 through 1945, Sen. Helms
proudly wore our country's military uniform as a member of the United
States Navy. After World War II, he helped generate public debate as
both journalist and editor.
Senator Helms took up the mantle of public service in 1957 when he
was elected to the Raleigh City Council. During his four years on the
council, he served as the chairman of the Council's Law and Finance
Committee. In 1961, Senator Helms returned to journalism, serving as
the executive vice president of the Capitol Broadcasting Company. He
also wrote daily editorials for television and radio on the most
pressing issues of the day. His writings were so popular that they were
printed in more than 200 newspapers throughout the United States.
Senator Helms was elected to his first term in the Senate in January
1973. He has been reelected to the Senate five times and has served
this body for nearly thirty years. During that time, Senator Helms
always stood firm in his beliefs. Like a rock in the midst of a raging
storm, his commitment to principle has never wavered. He has been a
fierce advocate for less government, reduced taxes, and greater
individual freedom. For the last decade, he has served as either
chairman or ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
where he has worked to secure our country from foreign threats, protect
American sovereignty in international institutions, and spread
democracy to those oppressed by tyranny and injustice.
Margaret Thatcher once described the essence of accomplishment. She
said, ``Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's
not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had
everything to do, and you've done it.''
Senator Helms has certainly had everything to do, and he has done it.
He has accomplished much and finished well. His decades of service to
his country and his beloved State of North Carolina have been an
example to us all. He is a man who deserves our tribute and our
gratitude.
Mr. HOLLINGS. Madam President, I join the chorus of Senators who
today are saluting our good friend of 30 years, the distinguished
Senior Senator from North Carolina, Senator Helms.
For all 30 years the two of us, representing both Carolinas, have
shared the fight to keep jobs in our respective states. If I can say
one thing about this man, it is that he has always, always looked out
for the interests of the little guy.
Too many in this town want to forget about the people who get up
every day, give an honest day's work at a textile plant, play by the
rules, but lose out because of the unfair trade policies of this
country. Senator Helms always looked out for the people Washington
could care less about; the people who Washington thinks we can re-train
into high-tech, high-tech, but who wants a 55-year old first time
computer operator? For his voice on trade issues is how this Senator
will remember my friend, and it is for this voice that he has been such
a great asset to this institution.
Obviously, on many issues we disagreed; but he and I would cross any
and every party line to help the people of our states. In the future,
no trade
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debate in this body will ever be the same without the man who served as
Senator from North Carolina longer than any other from that state.
My wife, Peatsy, and I congratulate Dot and Jesse, and we wish them
only health and happiness in the future.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mr. GRAMM. Madam President, I begin by talking about our dear
colleague, Jesse Helms. It is hard to decide what to say about this
good man that virtually everybody in America knows. As expected with
someone who has strong views as Jesse Helms, they either like him or
they don't like him. I like him. In fact, I am proud to say that I love
the senior Senator from North Carolina.
So much has been said about him, I don't want to be repetitive, but
there are a few points I want to make. It is important to look back at
America and what America was like and what the Senate was like and what
debate was being conducted when Jesse Helms came to the Senate. It is
fair to say Jesse Helms was conservative before conservative was cool.
When Jesse Helms came to the Senate it was conventional wisdom in the
Senate to begin every foreign policy statement with a long list of
indictments, not against our would-be adversaries, but against our own
country. There was a guilt about America, this doubt about our purpose
and our policy.
Jesse Helms, as a young member of the Foreign Relations Committee,
started the process of changing that debate. Jesse Helms may have had
doubts about many things, but he didn't have any doubts about America.
He did not have any doubts about what we stood for and stand for. He
did not have any doubts about the fact there was an evil empire, that
there was a cold war. He was very actively involved in the fighting and
winning of that cold war.
Today, we just had a lesson on a bipartisan basis from our colleagues
that rejects all of this baloney that somehow we should turn over the
protection of Americans to the U.N., that unilateralism was the wave of
the future. On a bipartisan basis, our colleagues said when you come
down to American interests and American lives, those decisions have to
be made by the American President.
That is a dramatic change from what the Senate, America, and the
world were like when Jesse Helms came to the Senate. Probably no one
has done more to change that than he has.
Before Jesse Helms came to the Senate, social conservative was a
synonym for Neanderthal. People in the political arena were a little
bit ashamed to talk about the role of religion in American history.
Talking about religious values and God were so out of fashion that no
up-and-coming Senator with big ambitions would do it. Jesse Helms was a
catalyst in changing all of that.
Whether you agree or disagree with Jesse Helms on the role of
religion in American life, whether you agree or disagree about the
importance of values in our schools, in our families, in our country,
whether you consider yourself in the worn political cliches of the era
to be pro-life or pro-choice, there was no spokesman for traditional
American values when Jesse Helms came to the Senate. They may have been
old-fashioned to everyone else, but Jesse Helms was comfortable
espousing those values as he has always been comfortable in his own
skin.
There are many stories I could relate about Jesse Helms. I am kind of
sorry that many of my young colleagues did not know Jesse Helms in the
old days. But knowing him now is a pretty good substitute for it. I
will relate one story which I think brings, in one encapsulated form,
Jesse Helms.
There was a debate in the Senate--I was in the House--about a
gasoline tax, and there was a broad bipartisan consensus that we ought
to raise taxes on gasoline. After all, people were riding up and down
the road in these pickup trucks--we didn't have SUVs to any significant
degree then--but Congress, knowing that people really needed smaller
cars and needed to learn to live on less, and that we were going to
have to accept smaller ambitions and smaller dreams, they had it all
figured out, and so Congress was going to impose a new tax on gasoline.
Jesse Helms almost alone stood up against it. As we all know, they do
not call this the greatest deliberative body in history because those
of us who are in it are such great deliberators. They call this the
greatest deliberative body in history because any individual Member has
tremendous power. Any individual Member who feels very strongly about
something can have a profound effect on it. So Jesse Helms, almost
singlehandedly, was holding up this gasoline tax. They wanted to
adjourn, and everybody was unhappy.
We all are familiar with peer group pressure. It is something you are
born subject to, and it never goes away until they lower you in the
grave. We all want to be loved, we all want to be accepted, which is
why so many of us bend with the wind.
But Helms was not doing any bending that day. So on the debate went
on. Finally, the Senate adjourned. No gasoline tax.
So, Jesse is feeling kind of down and unloved as he is driving back
to North Carolina, and he goes into a restaurant and orders a sandwich,
and he is sitting there, and this guy over in the corner says: That's
Jesse Helms.
And everybody in the restaurant stood up and applauded.
So his views were out of fashion in the Senate. However, he was a
positive impediment. He was a throwback to the era when people did not
understand that the Senate and the Government had all the wisdom. They
knew what Americans needed, and he was just standing in the way; a man
from another age, another era. But in that truck stop restaurant where
real people were eating, where people were there who were going to be
affected, Jesse Helms was a hero.
What a great blessing it has been to the country that Jesse Helms
came to serve here. I am proud to call him my friend. I am proud of his
great service. I will always remember serving with him.
Mr. WARNER. Madam President, there are many traditions in the
southland, where I am proud to have my roots. I represent the
Commonwealth of Virginia. We have the saying ``a Virginia gentleman.''
Time will tell as to whether I will ever be able to earn that title.
But the great Senator to my right in this Chamber, Jesse Helms, has
earned many times over the title ``a gentleman from North Carolina''
and a ``gentleman of the Senate.''
I have had the privilege of working with him throughout my 24 years
in this Chamber. He has been a leader and an inspiration. He has helped
me and other Senators as we have joined in this magnificent Chamber
time and time again to work our will, to represent our constituents,
and he always reminds us that we are here for the whole Nation as
United States Senators.
Jesse Helms is a man of unquestioned integrity, honesty, character,
wit, and wisdom. And now with his lovely wife Dorothy, they seek other
challenges in life. I never think of my colleague as retiring. He is
going on to other challenges, where he will apply the same passion, the
same vigor, the same energy, and the same insight into those issues
about which he feels so strongly.
We were never in doubt as to where the senior Senator from North
Carolina stood on an issue. To his everlasting credit, he learned every
day he was in the Senate. I have seen him on two major issues learn
more and then have the willingness and the courage to stand here and
look us in the eye and say, ``I am going to change my position.''
For years, he was concerned--and rightfully so--about the United
Nations. But then he decided that he would lead the effort in the
Senate, with his Democrat colleagues on the Foreign Relations
Committee, to see that this Nation lived up to its financial
obligations and in other ways gave support to the United Nations. I
never thought I would witness Jesse Helms going to the United Nations.
He asked me to go with him. I said to myself this will be a moment in
history, and off we went with several other colleagues. We had a series
of meetings in which we freely discussed the issues and, step by step,
some of those financial problems have been resolved because of the
leadership of this fine man.
On the subject of Africa, there was no prejudice in his heart. There
was concern about whether we could expend funds for that very troubled
continent, that troubled population, afflicted by
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disproportionate levels of disease and poverty and AIDS. Senator Helms
decided he was going to do what he could to help those people, and that
he did, particularly with regard to AIDS. It takes a big man, a giant
in the Senate, to do the things he has done.
I will close with this recollection. I remember one year being in
session up to the eve of Christmas. I cannot remember the exact day,
but Christmas was coming. Tempers in this Chamber were flaring. There
was Alan Simpson, a marvelous Senator from Wyoming. Suddenly, he and
Jesse Helms had a bit of a disagreement. As a younger Senator, I was
way back there. The disagreement occurred somewhere right in here. I
watched Helms and I watched Simpson. Simpson was noted for his humor.
But those two went at it. But the bounds of dignity were always
maintained when those two Senators--this time of the same party--had
such a strong disagreement. And many times I followed this great
Senator as we were leaving the Chamber to go back to our offices, and I
watched him stop and talk to the pages, those who provide the
infrastructure in this institution, who work with their hands, who do
other jobs. He would always find time for those to share with him a
thought and he would share with them kind words and kind gestures. My
dear friend and his lovely wife and family have many wonderful years
ahead of them.
I yield the floor.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I wish to express, as have many of my
colleagues today who joined the tribute to Senator Jesse Helms, my
appreciation of working with Senator Helms. Particularly, I have
enjoyed working with him, and the people of Louisiana have truly
benefitted and have been truly grateful for this man's work, in the
area of child welfare and adoption.
As you might know, when Senator Helms chaired the Foreign Relations
Committee several years ago, he had many grave matters under his
jurisdiction including several important treaties. Many people asked
for his support to call up a number of issues, but, of course, he could
not champion them all.
Again, so many things competed for his attention, yet he managed to
put the treaty for the international adoption of children on the table
and to a vote. This is the first treaty of its kind in the world. Every
treaty is important, and everybody who is interested, particularly the
groups affected, thinks theirs is the most important. I would be
pressed to find a group more vulnerable in the world than orphans.
Consider this--orphans really have no one. They do not have any
parents. They do not have immediate relatives to look after them to
protect, feed, clothe, and educate them. Orphaned minors are a class
with no vote. They might live in countries where, even if they are
adults, they have no voice or vote. They are often just lost wanderers
trying to raise themselves.
Senator Helms, with all he could have done, took the time of his
committee to push forward a resolution that was not without
controversy. The treaty said something profoundly beautiful: That we
believe a child deserves at least one caring, responsible, and loving
parent; that the governments of the world should break down barriers,
should do more to see that children are attached to grownups, that
children should not raise themselves on the street or should not have
to sell themselves into prostitution; that kids should not be abused by
adults, and they should be protected by parents.
Mr. President, there are too many orphans in this world. One is too
many. Unfortunately, the number is growing astronomically every day,
and these children face an AIDS epidemic, war, and famine. In our own
country, we have thousands of orphans. People do not believe we have
orphans in the United States of America, but we do. We have
approximately 500,000 children in foster care, and about 100,000 of
them, enough to fill up the Super Dome--every seat and the aisles in
the Super Dome stadium--have no parents at all. They think no one wants
them. They are all ages, shapes, colors, and creeds. They are all
loveable kids. They just do not have anybody to love them and to call
their own.
This Senator worked hard with many other Senators to pass this
treaty. We did. It is a big deal to a lot of people in the world. It is
helping pave the way for the possibility that we could establish laws
and rules that would help connect orphans to parents.
If you have ever seen a child who has been adopted--I know hundreds
of people who have been affected positively by adoption, including my
own family, who have had wonderful outcomes. It is not what we read
about in the press, the one or two adoptions that go wrong. But
throughout the world, there are parents grateful for the blessing to
raise children and children grateful that they have been attached to a
family. As you know, that is the building block of our society. Our
society cannot be strong if our families are not strong, and families
can be built to be strong physically, emotionally, and spiritually
through adoption. Senator Helms knows that.
I wanted to say on this special day that we honor him, he can be
honored for a lot of his work, but I think that his contributions to
children and his consistent belief in children with special needs
deserve to be recognized. I join my colleagues honoring him, and I am
glad he is back with us in the Senate to end his long career.
Mr. ALLEN. Madam President, I join my colleagues in honoring the
senior Senator from North Carolina, Mr. Helms, who will be retiring at
the end of this Congress. In his five terms in the U.S. Senate, Senator
Helms has been a distinguished leader on behalf of his home State of
North Carolina and freedom-loving people throughout the world.
When I arrived in the Senate at the beginning of this Congress,
Senator Helms had already served a remarkable 28 years. It has been an
honor to serve under the strong leadership of this gentleman on the
Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator Helms has been a strong advocate for those rights that Thomas
Jefferson proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence are
``inalienable''--life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
He has led the initiative to promote a peaceful transition to
democracy and respect for human rights in Cuba. Fidel Castro oppresses
his people, violates workers' rights, falsely imprisons them, and
denies them the freedom of religion. Castro intentionally violates
internationally accepted standards of basic human rights to maintain
power over the Cuban people.
In response, Senator Helms sponsored a bill to help the people of
Cuba regain their freedom and prepare themselves for the transition to
democracy. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of that bill.
Senator Helms has been a leader in reminding us to put the needs of
the Cuban people before the tyrannical agenda of the dictator, Fidel
Castro. Castro seeks to retain his monopoly on political power by any
means possible. Under his rule, Cuba is one of seven states designated
by the State Department as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Senator
Helms has not been fooled into propping up this regime with U.S.
taxpayer money.
Not just with respect to Cuba, but around the world, Senator Helms
has been a champion of freedom and democracy. Senator Helms and I have
also worked together to support the people of Taiwan through the Senate
Taiwan Caucus.
All the while Senator Helms has been tackling international abuses
and supporting democracy around the world, never once has he forgotten
the people of North Carolina and the sovereignty of the United States.
The Senator has been a strong, dedicated advocate for farmers and
people who live and work in small towns, especially when he was
chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.
Senator Helms and I are working together to lift the Japanese ban on
U.S. poultry. We have also worked together on the Farm Bill, ensuring
that peanut farmers get the highest target price possible for their
peanuts. With Senator Helms' key help, the IRS has just announced that
it will treat peanut quota buyouts as capital gains, not ordinary
income. This is good news for devastated peanut farmers in southeast
Virginia and northeast North Carolina.
Regrettably, I have had only a couple of years to work with Senator
Helms. But it has been a true honor and wonderful pleasure. On behalf
of all the good people of Virginia, I offer my best wishes to Senator
Helms and his family. And, I especially thank him for his
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guidance, encouragement and friendship that I shall cherish forever.
Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, for nearly 30 years now, my good friend
and fellow colleague Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina has been a
stalwart of conservative thinking and values for this legislative body.
He has represented the very best of what the Republican party has to
offer and I would personally like to thank Senator Helms for his vigor
and grit. Now more than ever, it is important that this Senate and this
nation realize and appreciate the work Senator Helms has done for the
people of North Carolina and the citizens of the United States of
America.
Throughout his tenure in the United States Senate, Senator Helms has
been a true fighter, a heavy weight champion for America's values. He
fought against communism throughout the entirety of the Cold War. He
fought for and still fights for the protection of the American people
against foreign and domestic threats. For 30 years, he has battled and
fought against liberalism in an attempt to bring conservative values
and ideas back to this nation and to this congress.
``Senator No,'' as he has come to be known, has developed a long list
of enemies on the other side of the aisle and in certain media outlets.
But let's not forget what Winston Churchill said about having enemies.
``You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something,
sometime in your life.'' Whether or not you have agreed with one word
or action Senator Helms has said or taken in his 30 years as a Senator
in the United States Congress, you have to agree with and admire his
determination and strength. Once again, I thank Senator Helms for being
a guiding light in a sometimes dark world.
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I rise today to honor my colleague,
Senator Jesse Helms, and to thank him for his service to his country
and the U.S. Senate. Senator Helms is retiring after 30 years in the
Senate and I wish him and his wife, Dot, all the best.
Senator Helms and I have not always agreed on the issues. But any
disagreements we may have had has never gotten in the way of a
constructive and cordial working relationship. We served together on
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for several years and currently
serve together on the Rules and Administration Committee.
I have admired his dedication to his views, though I may strongly
disagree with them, and his commitment to his constituents in North
Carolina. There were certainly several occasions when I wished I had
Senator Helms fighting on my side.
When the battle was done, there were no hard feelings. As several of
my colleagues here today have mentioned, you would be hard pressed to
find a nicer man in the U.S. Senate. Whether you are a page,
maintenance worker, staffer, Senator, President, Republican or
Democrat, Senator Helms treats you with the same amount of respect and
courtesy. That is a fitting tribute to a man who has dedicated himself
to a life of public service.
Again, I thank Senator Helms for his time in the Senate. This body
will certainly not be the same without him.
Mr. CRAIG. Madam President, allow me to add my voice to the chorus of
regard for the distinguished senior Senator from North Carolina, Jesse
Helms.
There is a word we use a lot around here the word ``gentleman.''
Perhaps as a result of the demands of Senate protocol, our colleagues
frequently use the word in addressing one another. It is thrown around
so regularly that it has almost become as meaningless as ``mister'' in
modern Congressional parlance.
However, ``gentleman'' is more than a meaningless title in the case
of Jesse Helms. I am not alone in referring to him as ``the
conservative gentleman of the Senate'' because that is precisely what
he is: an unfailingly gentle, kind, and courteous man. Even in the heat
of battle, slicing through the opposition as he so often does, he
maintains not just the integrity of his principles, but the integrity
of his performance. Even when he establishes himself as the immovable
object to block bad policy, as he also has done so often, he does it
graciously.
Senator Helms' restraint is all the more significant in view of the
turbulence of the debates he has waded into. This is a man who does not
back away from challenges but confronts them. His dedication to
principle is unshakeable, and he is an invaluable ally in stormy
political passages. As fellow skeptics of the United Nations and
particularly, of the International Criminal Court, I appreciated having
his support last year in preventing the United States' endorsement of
that institution. Surely one of Jesse Helms' lasting legacies will be
his mark on our country's foreign policy. But that is only one small
part of the profound impact he has had on our laws and our culture.
Senator Helms' leadership and articulate championship of conservative
ideals have inspired countless admirers of many generations. I can
attest to the fact that the ``Jesse Helms fan club'' extends to my own
Senate staff, who proudly display the photos they have had taken with
Senator Helms, and talk about his generosity in taking time to visit
with them--visits they will remember for the rest of their lives. For
my part, I consider it a privilege to have served with, and learned
from, a man of his caliber.
Senator Helms has been an extraordinary advocate for the people of
North Carolina and, indeed, this Nation. His clear vision and steady
guidance will be sorely missed when he leaves the Senate in the coming
months. I join my colleagues today in congratulating Jesse Helms on his
distinguished career, thanking him for the contributions he has made to
the Senate and the United States, and wishing him all the best in the
next chapter of his remarkable life.
Mr. HATCH. Madam President, It is always a sad day in the U.S. Senate
when we prepare to bid good-bye to a dear friend and fellow Senator.
But when you have been here as long as I have, and you are saying good-
bye to a gentleman who was here when I arrived, and whom I first
considered a senior Senator and now can also call a friend, it is
particularly bittersweet.
Many of my colleagues have spoken eloquently already about the senior
senator from North Carolina, my friend Jesse Helms. I would like to
associate myself with these remarks of tribute and respect. If we spent
the rest of the year praising Jesse, we would still not do justice to
this man.
So I would like to take a moment here to comment on the leadership
Jesse Helms assumed in his pivotal role as ranking member and chairman
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Oh, the wags worried, Mr. President, when the Republicans retook the
Senate in 1994. What would this mean for the country that Jesse Helms
would chair the committee that conducts the oversight over this
nation's foreign policies and institutions of diplomacy? There was one
cartoon I found particularly amusing: There was Jesse, scowling at his
desk, on which sat a globe cut in half, with only the United States
showing. The Jesse they portrayed was an isolationist, but the Jesse we
know is merely an unabashed defender of the U.S. national interest.
In this very chamber, Jesse has often argued that the State
Department has lost the perspective of advancing our interests. Foreign
aid, the good senator from North Carolina is famous for saying, ``went
down rat holes.''
Jesse sees foreign policy from the perspective of preserving and
advancing the national interest. Call it ``parochial,'' if you will,
but Jesse is a traditional conservative: the sovereignty of the nation
state was at the core of the international system, and if order is to
prevail, it would remain at the core. And no sovereignty was more
jealously protected than the sovereign of this country under our
Constitution.
Of course, you can't be a traditional conservative without
recognizing the virtues of freedom and the threats of tyranny. You
can't believe in the United States and ignore that the world presents--
and continues to present threats to these freedoms emanating from all
forms of tyranny. And Jesse has fought against them all.
There is no stauncher anti-communist than Jesse Helms, and I admire
him for this. Whether it is Latin American communism under the Castro
dictatorship or Sandinista state, or the Soviet managers of the Gulags
internal and external, Jesse has stood up to them and has outlived most
of them.
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No man stands for freedom against communism more steadfastly than Jesse
Helms. To do so was the fundamental attribute, in my opinion, of a
conscientious internationalist.
The foes of Jesse Helms know that he is relentless. His friends know
that he devoted. Small democracies around the world and I think of
Israel and Taiwan have in Jesse Helms a stalwart defender.
Jesse's internationalism, doubted by many, has transformed the world.
Let me give you but a few brief examples:
After years of frustration in Washington, Jesse could no longer
tolerate the waste and ideological neglect emanating from the United
Nations. Building on policies of restricting funding to that body that
began in this Senate in the 1980s, Jesse drafted legislation setting
targets of reform and reduced U.S. contributions that most people
believed the U.N. would never comply with. Jesse was anti-U.N., many
charged, and wanted the U.S. to withdraw from that body into further
isolationism.
This was nonsense, of course, Jesse, who was parodied as an
anachronistic reactionary, is in fact an internationalist visionary. He
knew that the American public would soon cease to tolerate inequitable
funding requests for a broken international bureaucracy. He knew that
the way to irrelevancy for the U.N. was the path it was on. Jesse cut
another path, in landmark legislation that gained, ultimately the vast
majority of the support of members on both sides of this aisle, to
demand that the U.N. reform its bureaucracy and reinvigorate its
relationship with the U.S. and the U.S. Congress.
The U.N. heard the message and responded. And it is a better
organization for it. The fact that President Bush was able to address
that body two weeks ago from a position of mutual respect, and that we
will be able to work constructively with that body in the coming
difficult months ahead, has a great deal to do with the foresight of
Jesse Helms.
In recent years, Jesse has promoted the American Servicemembers
Protection Act, which I have been proud to cosponsor, to defend U.S.
military from prosecution of an ill-focused United Nations
International Criminal Court. Not a popular cause among the
multilateralists, abroad and in our own government, but Jesse Helms has
always been about doing what's right for America, not what's popular.
This legislation was recently signed into law. And guess what, Mr.
President. The European Union, the professional advocate of all things
multilateral, is coming around to recognizing that the U.S. must have
as a component of bilateral relations formally exclusions our
servicemen who sacrifice so much for their country and should be
accountable only to their country's laws and commander-in-chief. Once
again, Jesse Helms eschewed the conventional wisdom, saw over the
horizon, and strengthened America's position in the world.
And my friend Jesse Helms knows that, when America's position in the
world is strengthened, the security of the world is advanced. This is
the kind of internationalism that I admire.
Most people are not focusing now, among the debate over Iraq, on the
fact that NATO is engaging in another expansion, bringing in seven
nations of central and eastern Europe into this military organization
of democracies. The alliance will be stronger for this, and U.S.
national security will be more secure.
This is the second enlargement after the end of the Cold War. The
first was completed in 1999, when Poland, Hungary and the Czech
Republic became members. In 1998, this body, where we must ratify any
North Atlantic Treaty amendments, had a historic debate on whether to
allow these members. Jesse Helms shepherded that debate, and U.S.
national security interests were advanced.
All of us know that there is so much to Jesse Helms that we cannot do
him justice in our remarks of appreciation. Constituents, colleagues,
foreign friends--all of these know this of this man.
A few years ago, I had a meeting with an impressive songwriter named
Bono, who came to my office seeking support for debt reduction in the
poorest countries of the world. I was impressed with Bono and his work,
and I was impressed that he wanted to work within the system,
respecting economics while advocating compassion. He had my support. As
he left his office, I asked where he was going. Bono told me, ``I'm
going to meet Senator Helms.'' That will be interesting, I thought to
myself.
As is now well-known, Bono and Jesse hit it off. And today Jesse
Helms is a leader in supporting the U.S. contribution to fighting that
terrible pandemic in Africa.
Many have tried to define Jesse Helms by what he opposed. I will
remember him for what he supported: Freedom, human rights, and strong
and independent America, free to spread its good in the world.
I thank my good friend for his years of service, for his friendship
to me, for his impeccable courtesy in debates whether we agreed or not.
We will never see the likes of a Senator Helms again.
Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, it was good today to hear the many
heartfelt sentiments and compliments being expressed in the Senate
about our distinguished colleague from North Carolina. I want to be
counted among those who respect Jesse Helms for his conscientious and
diligent service in the Senate and for the generosity of spirit he
displays and the affection he has for his fellow Senators and the staff
and employees of the Senate.
If you could ask all of the Senate pages who have served here during
the time Senator Helms has been in the Senate who their favorite
Senator was, I am sure they would tell you it was Jesse Helms. He takes
time to get to know them all and to greet them each day. He really
cares about them and he wants them to know they are appreciated. That
is the way Senator Helms has treated everyone in the Senate. He has a
heart of gold.
When Senator Helms was Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, I
appreciated the fairness and respect he showed to all of the members of
our committee. He was especially helpful to me and I will always be
grateful to him for his friendship.
I wish for him much happiness and satisfaction in the years ahead.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina is recognized.
Mr. HELMS. Madam President, I thank all Senators who have been so
kind this morning.
I have been sitting here at this desk wondering who on Earth is this
Helms fellow whom my colleagues keep talking about. To be sure, there
are newspaper editors in North Carolina who will tell you that any kind
words uttered about Jesse Helms are, at best, exaggerations.
So it goes without saying that I am grateful for the generosity of my
colleagues. It reminds me of the first time I came to Washington, DC to
work in this Capitol Building, back in 1950. I had come to Washington
with a remarkable Senator, Willis Smith, who had the highest and finest
credentials as one of the Nation's leading and most respected
attorneys.
Senator Smith deserves a tribute all his own. He was, among other
distinctions, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Duke University, and
former president of the American Bar Association. I was honored that he
had shown the faith in me that led him to bring me with him to
Washington as his administrative assistant.
The Senate was a far less hectic place during the 2\1/2\ years I
worked for Senator Willis Smith, before his tragic and untimely death
in 1952. All of us who worked in the Senate at that time had the
privilege to know some of the true pillars of the Senate, men who were
the cornerstone of America in the 20th century, among them, a special
friend of mine, Richard Russell of Georgia. Senator Russell was so kind
to have taken an interest in me in those years, and I vividly remember
many conversations with this remarkable American. Once, he told me
something, for example, that I never have forgotten. He commented:
``Jesse, a Senator who goes onto the Senate floor without knowing the
rules is only half prepared. And a man who walks onto the Senate floor
with command of the rules can cut Senators lacking such knowledge to
ribbons.''
I never imagined that more than 20 years later, in 1972, the turn of
events would lead me to be persuaded to become the Republican candidate
for U.S.
[[Page S9804]]
Senate from North Carolina. Nor did I ever expect to have the good
fortune to win. But on election night 1972, at 9:17 p.m., Walter
Cronkite came on the television and said, ``Down in North Carolina, a
fellow named Jesse Helms has got himself elected to the Senate.''
So, I went off by myself and prayed for guidance. Then, after
spending some time with my family, I remembered that comment by Senator
Russell. I determined that I would do the best I could to learn
something about rules of the Senate.
It developed as soon as I was sworn into the Senate in January 1973
that I had the great fortune to have a teacher like Senator Jim Allen
of Alabama. Once a week, I would go to Senator Allen's office, and he
would conduct an impromptu classroom in Senate procedure. Then, as
often as I could, I would come to this Chamber and preside over the
Senate.
So as a freshman Senator, I had a wonderful opportunity to preside
over the Senate. That enabled me, working with that great man Dr. Floyd
Riddick, Chief Parliamentarian of the Senate, to learn the rules
backwards and forwards. True to Senator Russell's words, those rules
came in handy during some spirited battles around here. And as the
years went by, I won some and lost some, but I always had the comfort
of knowing I had done what I thought was right in the best way I knew
how.
I recall the time that I mentioned the late Senator Dick Russell in
debate one afternoon. Later that evening, Majority Leader Mike
Mansfield thanked me for my reference to Senator Russell. Senator
Mansfield mentioned that former Senators who departed by reason of
death or expiration of their tenures here were often quickly forgotten.
Senator Mansfield was right about this. As will be true in my case,
most Senators who have completed their service will be forgotten, just
as surely as others have faded into history.
As I approach the end of my five terms in the Senate, I realize that
being remembered isn't important. What is important is standing up for
what you believe to be right, hoping that you have done everything you
can to preserve the moral and spiritual principles that made America
great in the first place.
My father, rest his soul, was a good man who taught me many things.
In my office, there is an inscription of something he told me many
years ago. ``Son,'' he said, ``The Lord doesn't expect you to win. He
just expects you to try.''
With the remarkable Dot Helms at my side, we have done our best to
live up to my father's admonition. And while we are certainly not
perfect, and we certainly haven't always had all the answers, we have
the comfort of feeling that we have done the best we can. Nobody can
claim to have had a better life, or to be more blessed and honored by
the people of North Carolina than Dot Helms and me.
Every so often, a reporter will ask me what I consider to be my
legacy after 30 years in the Senate. Now ``legacy'' is a fancy word for
the son of a small town police and fire chief, so I never know how to
answer such a question.
But there is one thing I should mention that has given me particular
satisfaction during my Senate career. When I was first elected, it was,
as I have mentioned, a genuine surprise. I never expected to win. And
one of the things I promised myself on that November night was that I
would never, ever, fail to see a young person, or a group of young
people, who wanted to see me.
Now the young lady who keeps track of such things in my office
recently told me that I have had the chance to visit with more than
100,000 young people during my nearly 30 years in the Senate. I have
been the beneficiary of the time I have spent with these young folks.
It is in them that I have seen the promise of what I regard as the
``Miracle of America.'' They are bright, curious, throughly decent
young folks who are committed to preserving the ideals of America as a
country devoted to freedom and opportunity.
As Dot Helms and I prepare to go home--this time for good--we are
grateful to young people who have visited us. Dot and I are convinced
that America's future is in fine hands.
They are not my legacy; they are America's legacy, and I thank the
Lord for them every day.
I thank the Chair, I thank my colleagues, and I thank the people of
North Carolina for allowing me the honor of serving in the U.S. Senate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.
____________________