[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 161 (Thursday, December 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13683-S13684]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF FORMER SENATOR WILLIAM PROXMIRE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 334, submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 334) relative to the death of William 
     Proxmire, former United States Senator from the State of 
     Wisconsin.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. It is with deep sadness that I note the passing of the 
distinguished public servant, Wisconsin's own William Proxmire.
  William Proxmire was a man of fierce iconoclasm, robust physical 
energy, and strong moral fiber. During his 32 years of service in the 
Senate, he proved himself a friend to consumers everywhere and a 
steadfast enemy of Government wastefulness.
  Born in Lake Forest, IL, as Edward William Proxmire, Senator Proxmire 
dropped his given first name as a youth to emulate his childhood hero, 
the cowboy William Hart.
  Following an education at Yale and Harvard Universities, he returned 
to the Midwest where he worked as a newspaper reporter, a farm 
implement dealer, a printer, and a radio announcer. He won a seat in 
the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1950, followed by three unsuccessful 
attempts to become Governor. Finally, in a special election, he won a 
seat in the U.S. Senate.
  Senator Proxmire was an arch opponent of profligate spending. Every 
month, he would name his Golden Fleece Award to the latest boondoggle 
on the Government books. He uncovered Government efforts to subsidize 
surfing, study the body shapes of female airline flight attendants, and 
investigate the mechanics of why people fall in love.
  In 22 years, he never missed a single vote, setting the record which 
stands to this day for having cast the most consecutive rollcall votes 
in the Senate.
  Between 1967 and 1986, the Senator came to the floor each day to call 
upon his colleagues to ratify the Convention for the Prevention and 
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Finally, in 1986, after years of 
tenacious advocacy, the Senate acted and approved the convention.
  Senator Proxmire became so popular with the people of Wisconsin that 
the last two times he stood for elections, he refused to accept any 
campaign contributions. Aside from filing fees, his main campaign 
expenses, the Washington Post reported, ended up being envelopes--for 
returning contributions that citizens sent in anyway.
  Even as he aged, he stood by a sturdy regime of clean living: 100 
pushups after waking up, long daily runs, a healthy diet, and early 
bedtimes.
  Senator Proxmire was proud of the liberal, progressive politics he 
learned growing up in Wisconsin. But he also clung to a steadfast 
desire to protect the American taxpayer. His chaperone eagle eye on the 
Government budget earned him the admiration of many on the political 
right. Even today, he remains a hero to many in the tax reform 
movement.
  William Proxmire proved himself an able public servant to the people 
of Wisconsin, the American taxpayer, and, indeed, the American public 
at large.
  On behalf of my colleagues, I extend my deepest sympathies to the 
Senator's wife Ellen and the entire Proxmire family.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements related 
thereto be printed in the Record, without intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 334) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.

[[Page S13684]]

  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 334

       Whereas William Proxmire served in the Military 
     Intelligence Service of the United States Army from 1941 to 
     1946;
       Whereas William Proxmire served the people of Wisconsin 
     with distinction from 1957 to 1989 in the United States 
     Senate;
       Whereas William Proxmire served the Senate as Chairman of 
     the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in the 
     ninety-fourth to ninety-sixth and one hundredth Congresses;
       Whereas William Proxmire held the longest unbroken record 
     for roll call votes in the Senate;
       Whereas William Proxmire tirelessly fought government 
     waste, issuing monthly ``Golden Fleece'' awards beginning in 
     1975 for the ``biggest or most ridiculous or most ironic 
     example of government waste;''
       Whereas William Proxmire worked endlessly to eradicate the 
     world of genocide, culminating in the ratification by the 
     Senate of an international treaty outlawing genocide;
       Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow 
     and deep regret the announcement of the death of the 
     Honorable William Proxmire, former member of the United 
     States Senate.
       Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate 
     these resolutions to the House of Representatives and 
     transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it stand 
     adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
     Honorable William Proxmire.

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