[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 146 (Wednesday, November 13, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10877]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JESSE HELMS

  Mr. CONRAD. Madam President, I take this opportunity to recognize the 
distinguished career of one of our retiring colleagues, the senior 
Senator from North Carolina, Senator Helms.
  Senator Helms began his service in the U.S. Senate in January of 
1973. When he retires at the end of this year, at the conclusion of his 
fifth term, he will have served the public as a U.S. Senator for a full 
30 years. Those of us who have had the privilege of being a member of 
this institution understand well the commitment, hard work, dedication, 
and personal sacrifice that make such a record possible.
  Senator Helms' lengthy career in the Senate actually represented the 
continuation of an already notable and varied public life that 
included, among other things, service in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 
1945, senior staff positions under two U.S. Senators, two terms on the 
Raleigh, NC, City Council, and a host of leadership positions with 
civic, business, and educational organizations.
  During our time in the Senate, I have come to know Senator Helms best 
as a fellow member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry. While on the Committee, he proved to be an outspoken and 
vigorous defender of those commodities, such as peanuts and tobacco, 
that are important to North Carolina's vital agricultural sector. But 
he has also shown himself to be a leader for all of U.S. agriculture, 
as when he chaired the Agriculture Committee during the period when 
Congress wrote the Food Security Act of 1985, otherwise known as the 
1985 farm bill. That legislation is recognized even today for its 
groundbreaking commitment to keeping U.S. agriculture competitive in 
the international marketplace through such programs as the Export 
Enhancement Program and the Targeted Export Assistance program--now the 
Market Access Program--and for its landmark provisions in support of 
natural resource conservation, such as the Conservation Reserve 
Program.
  When I think of Senator Helms as a person, two characteristics stand 
out. First and foremost, I think of him as a gentleman always, one who 
gives current meaning to an old-fashioned term: courtly. Refined in his 
manners and respectful toward others, he brings a Southern charm and 
grace to all that he does, and a civility to political discourse that 
sadly is too often lacking today.
  Second, he has displayed even in the twilight of his career an 
openness and a tolerance toward others who hold views that he may not 
always have shared. In that respect, he has displayed a capacity for 
growth and understanding that should serve as an inspiration to the 
rest of us.
  I know that I am joined by all of my colleagues in wishing Senator 
Helms and his wife Dorothy a long restful, and fulfilling retirement 
together in North Carolina.

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