[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 26, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S4430]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO SENATOR DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise with sadness on the word we heard 
this evening with regard to the death of one of our most notable former 
Members this afternoon.
  Daniel Patrick Moynihan served in the Senate over a period from 1977 
to 2001. But he served our country in so many different roles over the 
past half century, as we have heard through other tributes tonight. 
Rising from the depths of Hell's Kitchen in New York, he became one of 
America's true leading intellectuals whose foresight and whose ability 
brought to public attention a mass of critical issues long before 
others even realized these issues existed. From identifying the 
stresses and challenges of urban America to spearheading the 
reformation of Pennsylvania Avenue, from President Nixon's welfare 
reform plan to Y2K, from Soviet spying to bringing our national 
security state into the sunshine, Pat Moynihan was at the center of 
most of our public policy challenges in the last half of the 20th 
century.
  Pat Moynihan, a confidant and essential aide to Presidents of both 
parties, came to Washington's attention in the early 1960s as a steward 
of President Kennedy's effort to bring Pennsylvania Avenue back to 
life. His ability brought him to President Nixon's Cabinet as head of 
the Domestic Policy Council, and he later became Ambassador to India 
and Gerald Ford's Ambassador to the United Nations, where he served so 
well defending the West against totalitarian regimes.
  Elected to the Senate in a notable class, he quickly became a leading 
voice on an extensive range of public policy. While the Senate 
recognized his ability as chairman of both the Finance Committee and 
the Environment and Public Works Committee, his contributions to our 
work were broad and deep.
  For example, at a time when Social Security was reeling and near 
insolvency, Pat Moynihan stepped forward and, with Senator Dole, Alan 
Greenspan, and President Reagan, rescued the system for the benefit of 
millions of Americans. In that role, he bridged partisan differences 
and rose above petty politics to forge a successful solution that 
brought stability and security to that system. He did that conscious of 
the need to be responsible not only to the current recipients but to 
the future beneficiaries who at the time were not even born.
  This spirit animated his observations and animated his work, not just 
on Social Security but other great domestic programs, such as Medicaid, 
Medicare, and welfare.
  Daniel Patrick Moynihan served not only as a Senator from New York, 
he was one of our leading lights and innovative thinkers. He never 
hesitated to offer a timely observation, a useful insight, or a 
historical analogy that not only demonstrated his vast knowledge but 
was truly useful in analyzing the challenges ahead. His contributions 
to public policy and his influence in this Chamber will echo for 
decades to come.
  Indeed, our condolences go out to his family and to loved ones, as 
well as to his many friends and former staff members. We are a better 
institution, and we are all better public servants for having known Pat 
Moynihan.

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