[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 83 (Tuesday, June 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6905-S6906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JIM EXON

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, it's an honor to pay tribute to a great 
man, a distinguished Senator, and a dear friend who passed away on June 
10, Senator Jim Exon of Nebraska.
  Last week, I joined several of my colleagues in attending his funeral 
in Lincoln, NE. It was inspiring to be with the people who knew him 
best and loved him most. Jim was a giant in Nebraska politics not 
because of the power he wielded but because of the respect and 
affection he had earned.
  Jim Exon was a decent man, without pretension or prejudice. He spoke 
plainly. He called it like he saw it. He did what he thought was right, 
regardless of the pressure that might have been put on him. Jim laughed 
the same wonderful, booming laugh with Presidents as he did with the 
people back home. He was a large man, and he had a heart to match.

[[Page S6906]]

  That is why he was beloved in Nebraska and never lost an election, 
serving two terms as Governor and then three terms as Senator. That is 
why he was popular even as the father of the Democratic Party in an 
overwhelmingly Republican State. And that is why his friendship and 
kindness meant the world to me.
  Jim and I were both members of the class of 1978, and we--and our 
wives--quickly became close friends. We served together on the Armed 
Services Committee; in fact, we sat next to each other for 18 years. We 
had honest, substantive debates about our defense policy, and I will 
always cherish the memories of that time. His only interest was the 
security and prosperity of our country and his beloved Nebraska.
  Jim worked for a strong national defense. He supported responsible 
budget policies. And he was ahead of his time in warning against 
terrorism and arguing for a Department of Homeland Security. For so 
many of us, he was a source of wise counsel and trusted advice. With 
Jim, you could always be certain he was telling you what he thought was 
right, and he usually was right.
  We will miss him terribly, but we are fortunate to have had him for 
so long. My thoughts and prayers, and those of my wife Barbara, are 
with his loving wife Pat and his entire family.

                          ____________________