[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 23, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5027-S5029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF FORMER SENATOR LLOYD BENTSEN

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 489, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 489) relative to the death of Lloyd 
     Bentsen, distinguished member of the United States Senate.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the distinguished elder statesman, Senator 
Lloyd Bentsen, passed away today in his family home in Houston at the 
age of 85. He leaves behind his wife Beryl Ann and his three children, 
Lloyd III, Lan and Tina, and seven beloved grandchildren. He also 
leaves behind almost four decades of dedicated public service on behalf 
of Texas and the American people.
  Alternately described as elegant, courtly, smooth, and collegial, 
Lloyd Bentsen of Rio Grande Valley was the picture of a Senator. A 
shrewd legislator with finely honed negotiating skills, he was able to 
work with both sides of the aisle and gain the trust and cooperation of 
his colleagues.
  Senator Bentsen began his life in public service in 1942 when, fresh 
out of the University of Texas Law School, he enlisted in the U.S. 
Army. The war was on, and he was eager to serve his country.
  After a brief stint as a private in intelligence, the young Bentsen 
became a combat pilot. He began flying B-24 missions over an embattled 
Europe. By the time he was done, he had flown 50 missions and earned 
the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oakleaf 
clusters. He retired a colonel in the Air Force Reserves.
  Still a young man in his early twenties, he returned to his hometown, 
where he practiced law for a year. He then became a county judge at the 
age of 25, and in 1948 he ran for Congress, where he served for three 
consecutive terms. He took a 16-year hiatus from elected office to 
become a successful financier. Then, in 1970, Lloyd Bentsen ran for the 
Senate, where he rose to national prominence. In 1988, Democratic 
Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis selected the distinguished 67-
year-old as his running mate, and in 1993, President Clinton nominated 
Senator Bentsen to serve the Department of Treasury. He led that 
Department and he retired in 1994, nearly 30 years in public office.

  Over his long career, Senator Bentsen earned the respect of his 
colleagues and of the American people. He was an old-school gentleman 
who could don his partisan hat and share a respite from the day-to-day 
battles on the Senate floor. I came across a quotation of his, not as 
famous as another but one which I think sums up his lifetime in public 
service and one which is a valuable motto for us all:

       It should be clear by now that serious problems cannot be 
     solved by public relations; they can only be solved by public 
     responsibility.

  Lloyd Bentsen's words.
  On behalf of the Senate and the American people, our hearts go out to 
the Bentsen family. We join them in mourning the passing of a 
noteworthy statesman. May God bless them, and may God bless America.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, today we mourn the loss of a great 
Texan and a true American hero. Lloyd Bentsen passed away this morning, 
and I rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a great statesman.
  Senator Bentsen served this Nation in numerous capacities. Everyone 
in Texas knew who Lloyd Bentsen was during all of the time that I was 
in my early years of public service. Many in this body also served with 
him and knew him well. He put his stamp on Texas, and he put his stamp 
on our country.
  Lloyd Bentsen was born in Mission, TX, in 1921, in the southernmost 
part of our State. He attended public schools and graduated from the 
University of Texas Law School in 1942. Upon graduation, he served in 
the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He flew more than 200 
bombing missions to liberate Europe from the Nazi grasp. For his heroic 
service, he was awarded the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, as 
well as the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor in combat. He retired 
with the rank of colonel from the Air Force Reserve.

[[Page S5028]]

  After the war, Lloyd Bentsen returned home to his native Rio Grande 
Valley. There he began his career as a public servant. As everyone who 
worked with him will attest, Lloyd Bentsen was a natural. His first 
office was county judge of Hidalgo County. He was then elected to 
represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948, serving 6 
years before leaving Congress to go into business. He moved to Houston 
and started a business that was very successful, and after some number 
of years in business, he decided he wanted to do what he liked doing 
best, and that was to have an office and serve the public. He was 
elected to the Senate in 1970.
  I have to say that is when I really got to know Lloyd Bentsen a 
little bit because I was a cub news reporter at KPRC-TV in Houston, and 
I covered that race. It was the battle of the titans. This was a race 
between George H.W. Bush and Lloyd Bentsen for the U.S. Senate seat in 
1970. I remember me and all the reporters saying at the time that this 
is what a Senate race should be. These are two high-quality 
individuals. They are the kind of people you would want in public 
service, and certainly the kind of people you would want elected to 
public office. Lloyd Bentsen won that race for the Senate. But George 
H.W. Bush also had an illustrious career to follow.
  Lloyd Bentsen stayed in the Senate and became a leader. He was here 
for 22 years. Everyone in Texas knew him, but he was also a national 
figure. Lloyd Bentsen ran for President in 1976. He was the Democratic 
candidate for Vice President in 1988. His illustrious public career 
concluded with his service to our Nation as Secretary of the Treasury. 
He served under President Clinton from 1993 to 1994. It was then that I 
was able to run for and win the seat that he had held.
  I have to say that when I was covering that Senate race in 1970, it 
would never have occurred to me that I would succeed the man who won 
that seat. I do remember that he came to my swearing in ceremony, which 
I thought was very gracious of him, and I thought it was so nice of him 
to wish me well. He wanted also to make sure I felt comfortable here, 
which, of course, I did. I have gotten to know Lloyd and B.A. Bentsen, 
his beautiful wife, who has been by his side all of these years--in the 
good days of public service when he was one of our country's great 
leaders, and during the time that he was so ill for so long. I saw B.A. 
at his side every time I saw Senator Bentsen, either in Houston or 
Austin or someplace in Texas.
  He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 11, 1999. 
Later today, I will introduce a joint resolution with Senator Cornyn 
honoring the life and legacy of Lloyd Bentsen.
  When people think of Lloyd Bentsen, if you talk to anybody on this 
floor who served with him, or if you talk to anybody in Texas who was 
one of his friends, or someone he knew, they always describe him as a 
gentleman, a person of the highest quality, exactly the kind of person 
you want in public service--someone with integrity, always there doing 
the right thing as he saw it, and always spending the time to do a 
great job for our country.
  Our thoughts and prayers go out today to B.A. Bentsen and to Lloyd 
Bentsen III and Lan Bentsen, the two sons of this great American. We 
will introduce a resolution later today to pay tribute to him. I want 
his family to know that our thoughts and prayers in this Senate are 
with him and with them today.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I wish to join my voice with those of my 
colleagues in celebrating the life, and mourning the death, of one of 
the political giants of our time: Lloyd Bentsen fellow Texan, son, 
husband, father, friend, honored veteran, lawyer, county judge, 
Congressman, businessman, Senator, and at the peak of his career in 
public service, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
  It is difficult to capture in one brief statement the weight and the 
impact of one man's life. But we can all be confident that the legacy 
left by Lloyd Bentsen is one of which his family, his State, and his 
country can be remarkably proud.
  Perhaps one important way to capture the meaning of his influence is 
to listen to those who have known or served with him or those who have 
had the honor of calling him a friend. Today, the chorus of their 
voices reminds us.
  Texas State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said: ``Sen. Lloyd 
Bentsen was a true Texas icon and a friend. He put Texans above 
politics. He lifted all Texans.''
  His former aide, and State Representative Richard Raymond said: ``He 
didn't pass the buck. That's one of the things that stuck with me.''
  We should all be fortunate as to be remembered so fondly, and so 
well.
  It is clear that Lloyd Bentsen lived a life of purpose; he certainly 
wasted no time making his mark on our country. Born in Mission, TX, on 
February 11, 1921, Bentsen received his law degree from University of 
Texas Law School at Austin.
  He served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945, 
and reportedly flew 35 B-24 missions during 18 months of heavy combat. 
He was put in charge of 600 men at the young age of 23, and was 
promoted to the rank of major. For his heroic service, Bentsen was 
awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with three 
oak leaf clusters. By the end of his military service, he had reached 
the rank of colonel.
  Bentsen returned from the war to serve as county judge in Hidalgo 
from 1946 to 1948; then was elected in 1948 to the U.S. House of 
Representatives, where he served three terms. He then went on to pursue 
a career in business, which he did for 16 years in Houston before being 
elected to the U.S. Senate in 1971.
  His career, of course, also notably includes his party's nomination 
for Vice President in 1988 a remarkable achievement, to be sure, as was 
his tenure as the 69th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, where he served 
with distinction from January 1993 to December 1994.
  Mr. President, today our country both celebrates the life and mourns 
the death of this distinguished American, a great Texan, who dedicated 
his life to public service. He was a powerful voice for the people he 
served, and he will be deeply missed.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to express my sadness in 
learning of the passing of our esteemed former colleague from Texas, 
Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. I am certain that I join all of our 
colleagues in grieving the loss of this great American, and especially 
those of us who had the honor to have served in this body with him.
  Lloyd Bentsen was a good and a great man, and I had the opportunity 
to work with him closely many times over the 16 years we served here 
together. When I joined the Finance Committee in 1991, Senator Bentsen 
was the chairman. As a new member of the committee, I appreciated the 
way Chairman Bentsen ran Finance in a bipartisan and fair way that 
reflected positively on the long and distinguished history of that 
panel and the spirit of which continues until today.
  Many of us knew Senator Bentsen as a man of his word, and as a superb 
communicator. He was not a man of many words, but when he spoke, people 
everywhere stopped to listen. He spoke slowly and with great meaning, 
and he connected with those who heard him, whether they were a group of 
schoolchildren from Texas, his colleagues from his long years of 
service in the House and the Senate, the financial markets that 
listened to his every word as chairman of the Finance Committee and as 
Secretary of the Treasury, or the world's financial leaders, with whom 
he consorted as the President's main economic spokesman.
  Lloyd Bentsen was a hero, to his family, his constituents, his State, 
and to his country. As a young man, he served as a combat pilot in the 
European theater during World War II, and he flew 35 missions in B-24s. 
Lloyd was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the 
Distinguished Flying Cross. By the time he left military service, was 
promoted to a full colonel in the Air Force Reserve.
  Lloyd Bentsen's natural leadership ability was evident early in life. 
As a young man he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and he graduated from 
the University of Texas Law School by the time he was 21 years old. He 
then joined the Army Air Corps and rose from a private to the rank of 
major and was given command of a squadron of

[[Page S5029]]

600 men at the age of 23. Our friend and colleague was truly a 
remarkable man.
  After serving our country so valiantly during the war, Lloyd returned 
to his native Rio Grand Valley in Texas where he became a county judge 
and then ran successfully for the House, where he served for three 
terms. In 1955, he decided to leave public service temporarily and 
began an impressive career in business and finance in Houston, which 
ended in 1970 when he decided to run for the Senate.
  Mr. President, Lloyd Bentsen was one of the modern giants of the 
Senate. Of course, I did not always agree with him, or him me. However, 
I respected him. He was respected on both sides of the aisle, and by 
all who came to know him.
  Many words come to my mind when I think of Senator Bentsen. He was 
bright. He was fair. He was serious. He was dedicated. He was 
dignified. The State of Texas and all America have lost a great son.
  My heart goes out to Lloyd's wife, Beryl, and to their children, 
grandchildren and other family members. May they find peace and joy in 
their memories and in knowing of the great contribution Lloyd gave to 
his country.
  Mr. AKAKA. I join my colleagues in tribute to my dear friend and 
tremendous public servant, Congressman, Senator, and Secretary Lloyd 
Bentsen, on his recent passing. His tenure in Federal service is 
notable and well documented three terms in the House of Representatives 
and four terms in the Senate representing the people of Texas and 2 
years as Secretary of the Treasury under former President Bill Clinton.
  I remember Lloyd as a giant in the Senate leadership when I first 
came to this body in 1990. He wielded the gavel at the Finance 
Committee and had already ascended to national recognition as a 
formidable Vice Presidential nominee in 1988. He was a Senator who 
worked hard every day to benefit the people of Texas and of this 
country.
  As a distinguished World War II veteran, Lloyd was always supportive 
of our veterans and fulfilling their urgent needs. He fought to 
preserve and protect women's rights, including the Equal Rights 
Amendment. He understood the needs of America's entrepreneurs and 
business owners and carried his acumen in economic policy from the 
Senate into the Clinton administration.
  Millie and I remember Lloyd and his wife B.A., from our years in the 
Senate together, with fondness. We join others in extending to his 
family our warmest wishes in this difficult time. We say farewell to a 
true statesman. This Nation is richer for his life and poorer for his 
loss.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  The resolution (S. Res. 489) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 489

       Whereas Lloyd Bentsen was born in Mission, Texas, on 
     February 11, 1921, to the children of first generation 
     citizens of the United States;
       Whereas Lloyd Bentsen began his service to the United 
     States as a pilot in the Army Air Forces during World War II;
       Whereas, at the age of 23, Lloyd Bentsen was promoted to 
     the rank of Major and given command of a squadron of 600 men;
       Whereas, because of his heroic efforts during World War II, 
     Lloyd Bentsen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the 
     highest commendation of the Air Force for valor in combat, 
     and the Air Medal with 3 Oak Clusters;
       Whereas, after his service in the military, Lloyd Bentsen 
     returned to Texas to serve as a judge for Hidalgo County and 
     was then elected to 3 consecutive terms in the House of 
     Representatives;
       Whereas, after a successful business career, Lloyd Bentsen 
     desired to return to public life;
       Whereas, in 1970, Lloyd Bentsen was elected to serve as a 
     Senator from Texas, and did so with distinction for 22 years;
       Whereas the illustrious career of Lloyd Bentsen also 
     included a Vice Presidential nomination in 1988;
       Whereas Lloyd Bentsen retired from the Senate in 1993 to 
     serve as the 69th Secretary of the Treasury;
       Whereas Lloyd Bentsen was awarded the Presidential Medal of 
     Freedom in 1999 for his meritorious contributions to the 
     United States;
       Whereas the record of Lloyd Bentsen demonstrates his 
     outstanding leadership and his dedication to public service; 
     and
       Whereas Lloyd Bentsen will be remembered for his faithful 
     service to Texas and the United States; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, that the Senate honors the life and legacy of 
     Lloyd Bentsen;
       Resolved, that the Senate extends its warmest sympathies to 
     the family members and friends of Lloyd Bentsen;
       Resolved, that when the Senate adjourns today, it stand 
     adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of the 
     Honorable Lloyd Bentsen.

                          ____________________