[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 151 (Wednesday, November 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11694-S11696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE RETIRING SENATORS OF THE 107TH CONGRESS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, one of the advantages of a lame duck 
session is it gives us a little longer before we have to say good-bye 
to departing colleagues. Quite a few members of our Senate family will 
not be with us when the 108th Congress begins in January.
  From the moment we first step foot on this floor, most of us are 
powerfully aware that we are links in an extraordinary chain of 
history. When we open our desks, we see carved or penned in them the 
names of those who served in this body before us.
  Over in the historic Old Senate Chamber, we can almost hear the 
voices Daniel Webster, Henry Clay and John Calhoun. Here in this 
Chamber, we walk in the footsteps on such leaders as leaders like 
Lyndon Johnson, Mike Mansfield and Howard Baker.
  Once you have served here, you never leave here entirely. Every 
Senator who has ever served here remains here in some form.
  That connection is not only carved in our desks. It is carried in 
those with whom we serve.
  Think about this: Senator Thurmond entered the Senate in 1954.
  He served with Walter George, who entered in 1922. Walter George 
served with Henry Cabot Lodge, who entered in 1893, who served with 
John Sherman, who entered in 1861, who served with Hannibal Hamlin, who 
entered in 1848, who served with William King, who entered in 1819, who 
served with Rufus King, who re-entered in 1813, who served with Joseph 
Anderson, who entered in 1797, who served with John Brown, who entered 
in 1792, who served with Robert Morris.
  Robert Morris entered in 1789--and signed both the United States 
Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
  Through just ten people, we are directly connected to the two 
documents that this Nation is founded upon--two documents that all of 
these departing Members have advanced and defended throughout their 
careers.
  We are able to see those linkages because of the masterful historical 
work of another of our colleagues, Senator Byrd, whose birthday, we 
have noted, is today.
  Every departing Senator has added pages to the history of this Senate 
and this Nation. Some have provided whole chapters. And, in a couple of 
cases, whole volumes of history.
  I would like to take a moment and acknowledge our departing Senators.
  Strom Thurmond is the longest serving Senator in our Nation's 
history. His career has spanned the arc of the last century, and his 
service has helped usher in this one.
  He has gone from Democrat, to Dixiecrat, to Republican. His party 
affiliation may have changed, and his position on some issues may have 
changed, but his service to the people of South Carolina has been 
unwavering. He is truly the Cal Ripken of the Senate.
  Jesse Helms began his first term in the Senate in January 1973. 
Senator Helms is a giant--not only on the Senate stage, but also on the 
world stage. And, with his budding friendship with the rock star, Bono, 
in retirement we may yet see him on a concert stage. It has been said 
that leaders face a choice between being loved or feared--Senator Helms 
is both.
  Jesse and Dot have been indispensable members of the Senate family, 
and we will miss them.
  Phil Gramm has been at the center of every major economic and 
domestic policy battle in my time here. And even though I have 
frequently disagreed with him, I have always learned from him. 
Virtually singlehandely, he has changed America's economic policy--
twice. Like all things Texan, he is larger than life, and he leaves 
some big shoes to fill.
  Frank Murkowski is departing the Senate not because the people of 
Alaska don't want him in Washington, but because they do want him 
closer to home. That makes sense, because he has been a tireless 
advocate for his State. I have no doubt that he will continue to be, 
whether it is shaping policy at home, or twisting the arms of his 
former colleagues here. Congratulations, Governor.

[[Page S11695]]

  Bob Smith once said, ``I hope that they'll put in my obituary that I 
was a good legislator--that I did my job for the people of New 
Hampshire. I hope they put that whole picture in.''
  Well, we don't have time to capture the whole picture--and I know 
that there are more chapters to be written in Bob Smith's political 
life--but for nearly 20 years in the Congress, he has been a good 
legislator, and he has certainly done his job for the people of New 
Hampshire.
  We may not be seeing Fred Thompson on C-SPAN anymore, but we will 
certainly be seeing him on TV. And should he ever take a role that 
involves combating government fraud, waste, and mismanagement, it will 
be a case of life imitating art--because that is just one of them many 
things he has done so well here in the Senate.
  From the Arkansas State house, to the House, to the Senate, Tim 
Hutchinson has brought his keen understanding of both education and 
small business to bear for the people of Arkansas--and that is 
something I am certain he will continue to do in the days and years 
ahead.
  Let me also say a word to Senator Barkley. I recently saw an 
interview in which Senator Barkely said he would bring some bottled 
water from Minnesota so as not to catch Potomac Fever. I think you 
probably need a slightly longer exposure to catch it--but we thank him 
for his service at this time of transition for Minnesota and for the 
Senate.
  I also want to say a few words about the departing members of the 
Democratic Caucus:
  There is no tougher fighter for this party or its values than Bob 
Torricelli. There is no more loyal ally, there is no more passionate 
Senator. He has lived a life devoted to public service.
  I have often heard Senator Torricelli talk about how, growing up in 
his house, ``a person's value was measured by what they did for other 
people.'' By that measure--or by any measure--Bob Torricelli has been 
an invaluable member of the Senate.
  Bob Torricelli has always put others first. He helped recruit and 
elect the Senators who would ultimately put Democrats in the majority--
embracing a thankless task, and excelling beyond all expectations. In 
an act of political courage, he stepped down when he felt his own 
candidacy would threaten that majority he worked so hard to build.
  In the legislative arena, he has worked to protect Americans from gun 
violence--to protect women's rights--and workers' rights--and civil 
rights--and he has sought to provide tax relief for working families.
  And in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11, Bob Torricelli took on 
the cause of rebuilding--helping New York rebuild--helping the region 
rebuild--and helping the victims and the survivors begin the process of 
rebuilding their lives.
  I will miss Bob Torricelli's eloquent, passionate, articulate voice--
and I thank him for his service.
  I am sure these last few weeks have been bittersweet for Max Cleland. 
He lost an election--but he did get engaged the next day.
  It shows he has his priorities straight.
  But then, he always has had his priorities right. After Vietnam, just 
about anyone else would have said: I've given enough for this country. 
Not Max Cleland. When some of the people whose job it was to care for 
him lost hope, saying that the very act of putting on a shirt would 
tire him for the whole day--Max willed himself to health. And then he 
set out to help others.
  In 1970, at age 28, he became Georgia's youngest State Senator ever. 
In 1977, he became President Carter's outspoken chief of Veterans 
Affairs. After that, he served for 13 years as Georgia's Secretary of 
State.
  In every job, he worked to make life better for Georgians, for 
veterans, and for those who needed the government to work for them.
  And then--as if he hadn't given enough of his time and energy to 
others--he volunteered for another tour of duty--this time as a U.S. 
Senator.
  In the Senate, Max's personal experience gave him a voice in the 
issues of war and peace, the preparedness of our armed forces, and the 
way in which we treat those whose service is done.
  Though Max knows the sacrifices service sometimes demands, he didn't 
limit his focus to those who have sacrificed. He dedicated himself to 
the creation of an America worthy of that sacrifice: a society of 
justice, freedom, compassion and strength.
  In the wake of September 11, and the anthrax attacks here on my 
office, Max was instrumental in passing the legislation that better 
secures our ports and airports, better prepares our armed forces, and 
better equips the CDC to confront the new challenges of bioterrorism.
  The things he has done may have been important for Georgia, but they 
were vital for America--and history will bear that out.
  From his service in Vietnam, to the VA, to the U.S. Senate, Max has 
exhibited a rare, almost singular kind of patriotism. He has taken his 
service seriously, but--as anyone who has been a subject of one of his 
jokes, or has witnessed him telling jokes about himself can tell you--
he has never taken himself too seriously.
  It has been reported that nearly every day, someone calls Max's 
office, just to thank him for being Max--for overcoming what he has 
overcome to become a leader.
  Today, I want to thank Max Cleland for being Max--for being a great 
Senator, a personal inspiration, and a dear friend, one who I will miss 
tremendously here in the Senate.
  Tragedy carried Jean Carnahan into the Senate, but she refused to let 
it define her once she arrived here.
  I saw that most vividly last October 16, the first anniversary of the 
plane crash that killed her husband, her son Randy, and their aid Chris 
Sifford.
  Jean had visited their graves over the weekend--and then returned to 
Washington so she could debate and vote on a foreign operations bill 
that strengthened our efforts to track terrorists, to strengthen the 
coalition against terrorism, and to feed and shelter Afghanistan's 
refugees.
  That was the same day a letter containing anthrax was opened in my 
office, forcing her to continue her work--as a freshman Senator--
without an office.
  Compared to the adversity she has overcome, that was nothing. From 
the day she arrived, Jean Carnahan brought with her to the Senate the 
hopes and concerns of millions of Missouri's families. She has a unique 
ability to find compromise, but there was one thing she never 
compromised--she never compromised the interests of hardworking 
Missourians.
  Whether it was working for tax relief, prescription drug coverage, a 
National Patients' Bill of Rights that would be as strong as 
Missouri's, or help for laid-off workers--her elegant words and depth 
of understanding commanded attention, and more often than not, got 
something done.
  Jean sits in Harry Truman's seat--and I think that is fitting, 
because she occupied it with strength, dignity, plain-spoken 
independence.
  She may not have served long, but she served this Nation and the 
people of Missouri well, and she served at one of the most turbulent 
and historic times in the life of our Nation.
  I remember once hearing Government Carnahan say, ``Most of the time, 
you just get to sit in the boat, but every now and then you get to row 
the boat and direct it.''
  In a short time, Jean Carnahan demonstrated that she belongs at the 
helm, and I, for one, am going to miss having her there.
  I sometime think Max Cleland and Jean Carnahan possess as much 
internal strength and grace as the rest of the Senate combined. They 
are extraordinary people, exceptional public servants. Each in his or 
her way, is an inspiration.
  They served their Nation faithfully, and at great personal cost.
  I must say, it was disturbing and disheartening to see how their 
records and characters were misrepresented in this campaign. They 
deserved far better. Voters in Georgia and Missouri deserved far 
better.
  I hope that through the clarity of history, the people of their 
States see these two great patriots for what they are, and how well 
they served.
  Finally, let me mention a colleague who left us too soon--Paul 
Wellstone. It was a joy and an honor to have him in the Senate.
  Paul said that he came here to rattle some cages--and sometimes he 
rattled

[[Page S11696]]

mine. But he always told the truth. And he always remembered who he was 
speaking for. As I have said before, he was the soul of the Senate. He 
had that rarest and most difficult kind of bravery: moral courage. He 
always stood for what he believed in, even if it meant standing alone. 
And he fought in a way that ennobled his causes and inspired us all. 
And I will miss him dearly.
  To hear each of these leaders call me ``leader'' has been one of the 
greatest honors of my life--and I will be forever grateful to you.
  In 1998, Senator Lott inaugurated the ``Leader's Lecture Series,'' 
featuring speakers who had ``enrich[ed] the memory of the Senate by 
sharing with us the wisdom and insights that can be gained only by a 
lifetime of service.''
  Without exception, every speaker--including those who went on to 
serve as Vice President, even President of the United States--has 
recalled his years in the Senate as the best and happiest of his 
career.
  Given the historic events that shaped this Congress, I don't know 
that any of us will look back on these 2 years as the happiest of our 
careers--although there have been moments of great joy for all of us.
  But I hope we will look back on these 2 years and remember times when 
we were able to work together to help lead America through one of our 
Nation's darkest chapters.
  The private times we have all shared together over those months have 
forged bonds that make us more than just colleagues. In keeping with 
the Senate's best traditions, we have become friends, and family.
  I regret that we weren't always able to maintain that unity--
especially this year--that I had hoped we might have. I hope we can 
recapture it in the days ahead.
  To all of my departing colleagues, it is an honor to be connected to 
history--that short thread that ties us to the Founders of this great 
Nation. But as a much of an honor as it is to be connected to history, 
it has been a privilege to be connected to each of you.


                             thanking staff

  Senators may be the most visible people here, but there are also many 
people who make the Senate work.
  I want to thank all of those who make the Senate run: our staff here 
on the floor, the reporters, the doorkeepers, the police officers, the 
pages, the tour guides, the librarians, the employees of the Architect 
of the Capitol, our Chaplain and his staff--and the list goes on.
  Our clerks, those who are with us today, our Parliamentarian--to all 
of them, to each of them, let me express my heartfelt thank you.
  They deserve our thanks, but there are two people in particular who I 
also want to thank: Jeri Thomson, the Secretary of the Senate, and Al 
Lenhardt, our Sergeant at Arms--both of whom I had the privilege, as 
majority leader, to nominate.
  I have heard them called our 101st and 102nd Senators, and they truly 
have been indispensable to me, and to the Senate family.
  For Al Lenhardt, the fact that he was in place in this job 6 days 
before September 11 is further proof for me that God watches over this 
body. Through 9/11, anthrax, he helped the Senate to handle 
unprecedented challenges, and prepare for a new generation of threats.
  For Jeri Thomson, no challenge was too big, no detail too small, the 
consummate professional, unflappable. She kept the Senate functioning 
in the aftermath of anthrax. Without her, we would not have broken 
ground on the Visitors Center. She made the Senate work better--not 
only for the Senators, but for the people we serve.
  She has been by my side my entire time as leader. She has become a 
dear personal friend. And I will miss her, as we all will.
  This has been an historic Congress. Between September 11 and anthrax, 
we have lived through two of the greatest crises the Capitol has not 
seen since Civil War soldiers were camped out in this Chamber 140 years 
ago.
  The dedication and professionalism of Jeri Thomson, Al Lenhardt, and 
all of those who work here helped us not only survive those who work 
here helped us not only survive those crises, but to work through them, 
and to continue to serve the American people.
  I thank them, the Senate thanks them, and I feel confident that 
history will record them as able servants who deserve our thanks for 
generations to come. And that, too, is a part of the recognition they 
deserve.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Baucus). The Senator from Pennsylvania.

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