[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 151 (Wednesday, November 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11715-S11716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE

  Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, as the 107th Congress nears its conclusion, 
I rise to join my colleagues in remembering our beloved colleague, 
Senator Paul Wellstone. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Wellstone 
family, Paul's staff, and the people of Minnesota. We are all saddened 
by the tragic deaths of Paul and Sheila Wellstone, their daughter, 
Marcia Wellstone Markuson, and the Wellstone staffers and pilots.
  America will sorely miss Paul Wellstone and his passionate advocacy 
on behalf of those in our communities and our country who too often 
feel that no one in Washington hears their voice. Paul Wellstone was 
their voice, he was their champion, driven by his unwavering conviction 
that government can and should be a force for good in people's lives. 
Paul was a caring, persistent, and passionate advocate for veterans, 
children, the mentally ill, and working families. He was committed to 
ensuring that all Americans had the opportunity to make a better life 
for themselves and their families, and that wherever possible, 
government act as a positive instrument to advance opportunity and 
equality for all Americans in education, job training, access to health 
care, and the availability of quality health care. He was driven by his 
commitment to civil rights and equal justice. Whether speaking on the 
Senate floor or to a workers' rally, retracing Robert F. Kennedy's tour 
of America's poorest communities, or visiting veterans hospitalized in 
Minnesota, Paul lived his convictions and values. Whether you agreed or 
disagreed with Paul Wellstone on an issue, there was never any doubt 
about his integrity, the passion and commitment he brought to his work, 
and the deep pride he felt in serving the people of Minnesota in the 
Senate.
  Paul and I were both first elected to the Senate in November 1990. I 
had been appointed to the Senate a few months earlier, but we were both 
the new kids on the block. From the outset, with his incandescent 
personality, exacting integrity, commitment to the values he espoused 
and the ability to speak passionately and eloquently about the issues 
he cared so deeply about Paul distinguished himself as an exceptional 
Senator and an extraordinary human being.
  Over the course of his tenure in the Senate, Paul became a dear 
friend. Because of the chronic discomfort he experienced as a 
consequence of his lifetime love of the sport of wrestling, he was 
interested in my experiences with hip replacement surgery. At the start 
of the 107th Congress, our offices were next to one another. His 
boundless energy, enthusiasm, and good spirits were always welcome and 
brightened the day for everyone he greeted on his way to and from his 
office. I remember one conversation on a long bus ride back from a 
Democratic retreat in Pennsylvania. My eldest son, Danny, had joined 
Millie and me for the weekend, and he struck up a quick friendship with 
Paul and Sheila. Over the course of ride back to Washington, we 
discussed philosophy and politics, the upcoming midterm elections, 
destiny, and the power of living in consonance with your values and 
beliefs. I listened as Paul and my son agreed on the importance of 
living life to the fullest and living every day as if it is your last. 
That day stays with me because that is precisely the way Paul Wellstone 
lived his life. He celebrated life. He loved his job and his 
constituents. He adored Sheila and his children and grandchildren. He 
always made the time to greet, talk to, or offer words of encouragement 
to everyone he encountered as he went about his day. To me, this is 
Paul's greatest legacy, the lives he touched, the people he inspired, 
the spirits he lifted with his message of hope and justice.
  Paul had hoped to visit Hawaii after the November election and had 
spoken to my son Danny about bringing his entire family for some well-
deserved rest and relaxation. Paul and Sheila never had the opportunity 
to visit Hawaii with their children and grandchildren as we talked 
about, but they truly lived aloha. For aloha is love. And love is the 
spirit that brings people together in harmony. In its true sense, aloha 
has to be transmitted to others, especially to each other, and aloha 
really is in the giving, not the taking. When you give, you are sharing 
aloha. This is how Paul and Sheila Wellstone lived their lives and it 
is why we in the Senate family miss Paul and Sheila terribly. I want to 
bid Paul and Sheila Wellstone a fond aloha. May God bless them and the 
Wellstone family. Na Iehowa 'oe e ho'omaika'i mai, a e malama mai--The 
Lord bless you and keep you.
  Mrs. LINCOLN. Mr. President, I appreciate this opportunity to add my 
voice to those who have spoken in honor of our late colleague Senator 
Paul Wellstone.
  In the 4 years we served together, Paul and I didn't always vote the 
same way. But we shared the most important value of all: We wanted to 
do best for the people who sent us to the Senate to represent them. On 
a full range

[[Page S11716]]

of issues, from education to health care to veterans affairs, Paul 
fought tirelessly for what he believed was best for the people of 
Minnesota and the United States.
  I admired Paul's conviction and passion in presenting his viewpoints 
and arguing his case. I admired his honesty and conscientiousness in 
standing up for what he believed. Most of all, I admired the goodwill 
and sense of fairness that he brought to this body. I hope that even 
though we won't always agree in our debates here, we can always keep 
alive that same spirit of goodwill, fairness, and openness.
  Paul Wellstone wasn't from the South, but he possessed all the 
qualities of a Southern gentleman. He was never rude or mean-spirited 
toward those who disagreed with him, and he was unfailingly civil to 
both his allies and his adversaries. I feel fortunate to have had him 
as a colleague and blessed to have had him as a friend. He will be 
sorely missed.
  I would like to pay tribute also to the two members of Paul's 
family--his wife Sheila and his daughter Marcia--who perished with him 
on October 25. Furthermore, three members of Paul's campaign staff--
Will McLaughlin, Tom Lapic, and Mary McEvoy--and two pilots--Richard 
Conroy and Michael Guess--lost their lives in that accident. My deepest 
sympathies and my prayers go out to their families and friends in this 
time of loss.

                          ____________________