[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10224-S10232]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RETIRING FROM THE SENATE
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, even a diehard Red Sox fan has to give
the devil his due. Probably the most moving moment in the history of
baseball was when longtime New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig
walked on the field to accept the tribute of his fans and teammates. On
Independence Day in 1939, he told the crowd at Yankee Stadium that he
considered himself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.
I consider myself pretty lucky, too. I was elected to the House of
Representatives in 1974. That was not the best year to be a Republican
candidate. Out of an enormous freshman class of 92 new Members, which
included Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin, only 17 of us were Republicans. And
as Chuck Grassley and I walked down the aisle of the House, he with
crutches and I with a neck brace, one Democrat muttered: There's two we
almost got.
Time has gotten just about all of us. With my retirement and that of
Henry Hyde in the House, Chuck Grassley next year will become the last
remaining Member of the Republican class of
[[Page S10225]]
1974, an iron horse in his own right. The silver lining for me in the
electoral losses suffered by the Republicans was a chance to land
senior positions on the Agriculture and Education Subcommittees that
would quickly throw me into the thick of things. Throughout my career
in the House, I focused on those two issues.
In 1988, with the retirement of Bob Stafford, I ran for and won a
seat in the Senate. Senator Stafford was a tough act to follow. He had
held just about every office in the State of Vermont and had an
enormous impact on the Federal policy for education, the environment,
and elsewhere. I was lucky when I got to the Senate that there were
openings on both the Education and Environment Committees.
Early on, I learned what the Senate can be at its best. In 1989,
Congress was in the midst of reauthorizing the Clean Air Act. Even
though I was a freshman, the door was open for anyone who had the time
and interest. As John Chafee, George Mitchell, and the rest of us
forged a strong renewal of the Clean Air Act, I realized these were the
moments I enjoyed most. I realized these were the moments I enjoyed
most when smart and committed people worked together to solve tough
problems and improve the lot for Americans. Every year since has
provided similar moments, from rebuilding our roads to rewriting our
food and drug laws.
Probably the biggest and the most rewarding challenge for me has been
in the area of education. From my first year in the House when we
enacted the Education of the Handicapped Act, to work that continues
today on the Higher Education Act, I have tried to do my best to ensure
that every child is given the opportunity to reach his or her
potential.
There is plenty of work left to be done to reach this goal, and
nowhere is that more true than in the District of Columbia. A decade
ago, Congress stepped in to try and help the District resolve the
problems plaguing its overall budget and its schools in particular. As
chair of the DC Appropriations Subcommittee, I helped lead that effort.
The city is to be commended for its record of fiscal responsibility in
the years since, and I hope the superintendent, the new mayor, the
council, and the school board will be able to make similar progress in
improving the city's school system.
While Vermont has always been home, I have lived in the District of
Columbia since coming to Washington. Luckily, I have never lost the
ability to be moved by the sight of the Capitol dome. Its majesty
struck me when I first came to Washington and it still does today.
Under that dome and in the buildings around it work thousands of good
people. We are all privileged to work with a whole host of people who
get too little recognition, from the person recording my words, to the
people who put them in the Congressional Record while we sleep--not
always easy tasks, in my case.
Ours, too, is not always an easy task. I know it is hard for the
public to understand the reality of life in the Congress, but the
continual travel, the campaigns, and the unpredictable hours of our
jobs can take a toll on our families. I have been blessed with two
wonderful children, Laura and Leonard, who are here with me today, and
a feisty, funny, and an incredibly strong wife, Liz. They have had to
put up with an awful lot over the years so that I could serve Vermont.
Three decades is a blink of an eye in history, but what a tremendous
period of change in our country we have been through. When I came to
Washington, we were only three decades removed from the Second World
War. My childhood heroes were heroes of that war, and it seemed as
though every family had a father or son or uncle who served and
sacrificed in that war. But when I came to Washington, an entirely
different war was being waged in Southeast Asia. Vietnam has colored
much of our thinking since. Whether Vietnam had too much or too little
influence upon the ensuing three decades is a much larger debate, but
we would be better served in world affairs today by being less haughty
and more humble.
I regret that my departure from Congress, like my arrival, finds our
country at war. Young and even not so young Americans are sacrificing
life and limb while the rest of us are making little or no sacrifice.
It seems to me the very least we should do is pay today for the fiscal
costs of our policies. Instead, we are floating IOUs written on our
children's future. This year we have no budget, and we are unwilling
even to debate most of our basic spending bills before the November
election. Thirty years from now, we could well face the biggest crisis
in government since the Civil War, if Congress and the White House do
not adopt a more honest approach to government.
The basic compact between generations is being broken. F.D.R. was
right to borrow heavily to finance World War II, but are we justified
in doing so today?
Earlier this month, I was privileged to attend the dedication of a
monument in Virginia commemorating the sacrifice of more than 1,200 men
of the Vermont Brigade during the battle of the wilderness. The tangled
thickets of the 19th century have given way to mature forests. The
individuals are largely forgotten, but our collective memory must
endure. Today, we use blocks of granite to remind us of the sacrifices
of the Civil War. In its immediate aftermath you would think no such
reminder would have been needed. But 140 years ago, so the story goes,
a northern Congressman literally waved a bloody shirt before his
colleagues to inflame them against the South for alleged misdeeds. True
patriotism is the incredible bravery of those men whose too-brief lives
ended on that wilderness battlefield. Waving the bloody shirt then or
today is anything but patriotic.
The beautiful Capitol dome above us, completed even as the Civil War
concluded, should serve to inspire us. I am an optimist and have been
every day of my life. With Lincoln, I hope that the mystic cords of
memory will stretch from every battlefield and patriot grave to the
hearts of the living, and that we will soon again be touched by the
better angels of our nature.
Mr. President, I wish you and all of my colleagues good luck and
Godspeed.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Vitter). The minority leader is
recognized.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, Senator Jeffords has been a friend and
colleague for many years. We had the opportunity to serve together in
the House of Representatives. We served together in the Senate. To say
that he has made history during his time in Congress is an
understatement. But more important, he has made a difference. I have
always been impressed by his knowledge of the issues, his dedication to
the public well-being, and the environment. I have had the good fortune
of serving with him on the Environment and Public Works Committee. He
is a stalwart. He is a true believer that the environment is in
distress and things need to be done to change our environment.
He has worked to preserve the middle class and to provide for the
safety of the American people in so many different ways. Senator
Jeffords is a man of conscience. No one can question that. He grew up
in Vermont where the Jeffords family first settled in the 18th century.
His father was a longtime member of the Supreme Court. After Jim
Jeffords graduated from Yale, he served in the Navy on active duty for
4 years. He served then in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a captain.
Senator Jeffords studied law at Harvard--Yale and Harvard--which shows
his intellect. He returned after having finished law school to Vermont
to practice law. Shortly thereafter, he was elected to the Vermont
State Senate and then attorney general. He was elected to the House of
Representatives in 1975 and served there until he came to the Senate in
1989.
In walking in here I grabbed a book that has a lot of definitions. I
flipped to courage. Whatever definition you have of courage, you can
pick one here going back to two centuries ago:
I love the man who can smile on trouble, who can gather
strength from distress and grow brave by reflection. It is
the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is
firm and whose conscience has approved his conduct will
pursue his principles unto death.
That really is Jim Jeffords, and that, Mr. President, is a quote from
Thomas Payne. I have seen up close Jim Jeffords' courage. Everyone
knows, as it has been written about in books, the conversations that
Senator Jeffords and I had prior to Senator Jeffords deciding that he
wanted to
[[Page S10226]]
change course and become an Independent. That was not an easy decision.
It involved years of friendship, and it involved years of his being a
member of two different legislative bodies on Capitol Hill.
Most of our discussions took place on the Senate floor as people were
walking around, but we had conversations in private. I know firsthand,
I repeat, of the courage of this man. I in my now long public career
have been involved in a number of things that I will always remember,
but I will never, ever remember anything more vividly than the Senator
from Vermont, as a matter of principle and courage, changing not only
his course but the course of this country.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont is recognized.
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I have listened to my friend, Jim Jeffords,
the Senator from Vermont speak here this morning. I couldn't help but
think as I heard Senator Jeffords speak with wit and clarity, and you
might say even some emotion, that Jim Jeffords, given the opportunity
to make a speech--and many of us will do so on this Senate floor as we
leave--did it being true to himself, with his own good nature, his own
sense of history, and his own justifiable pride in what he has
accomplished.
I have known Jim Jeffords from his days as a State senator in
Rutland. I have known his wonderful wife, Liz Daley Jeffords. They are
both dear friends of mine and my wife Marcel. Mrs. Jeffords was
referred to as a great lady the other night by the anchor of our
State's largest TV station. Some of us who have known Jim for years
would say she gets that greatness for putting up with him for all these
years. But we Vermonters found no difficulties in putting up with Jim
Jeffords. He has been elected overwhelmingly to the offices he has held
and he has done it with support from Republicans, Democrats, and
Independents alike. He has gotten these votes the old-fashioned way--he
earned them.
We came here together 32 years ago. I like to talk about the Leahys
coming to Vermont in the 1850s. Jim reminds me his family came to
Vermont a century before. We both live in small towns in Vermont; we
have had that sense of Vermont. He has never lost it. He has been a
good friend.
His career highlights are legendary. Let me tell you why he is
supported so. First and foremost, Senator Jeffords is known as an
environmental champion. In Vermont, they say, If you scratch a
Vermonter you scratch an environmentalist, no matter the party.
He has done it in the great tradition of Senator Bob Stafford.
Senator Bob Stafford is also from the same county as Jim Jeffords--
actually Jim grew up near him. He mentioned Bob today.
He carved out a legend on education and the environment when he was
here. But then Jim Jeffords had done that as attorney general and as a
State senator in our State. For the past three decades he has left his
fingerprints on nearly every environmental law enacted, from the Clean
Air Act and the Clean Water Act to the Superfund program to acid rain
reduction.
In fact, when others in his position would be thinking about where
are the papers going and how will we retire, just a matter of months
ago he offered the boldest solution to combat global climate change
this body has ever considered.
He has championed legislation to strengthen our Nation's education
system and increase the opportunities for individuals with
disabilities.
In 1975, as a brandnew Member of the House of Representatives, as he
said, coming in with a neck brace--the walking wounded from an election
where both of us ran in Vermont--he coauthored what would later be
known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. It was
strongly supported by his colleagues here in the Senate and before that
in the House. It has provided equal access to education for millions of
students with disabilities, students who otherwise would have been
shunted aside and this country would not have had the value of their
achievements.
As chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, he
worked tirelessly on education, job training, and disability
legislation. Most recently, his leadership in the Senate Environment
and Public Works Committee was essential to the passage of the highway
bill. Of course, Vermont and the rest of the country will benefit from
that.
I might say there has been no greater leader for Vermont's dairy
industry than Senator Jeffords. In his work on the Northeast Dairy
Compact and the milk programs, he has fought tough battles for Vermont
dairies--and won. He actually knows as much about our dairy industry as
most dairy farmers.
It is what he has done for future generations. All of us can talk
about what we do here. It is what we leave for our children and our
grandchildren that counts. Future generations of Vermonters will honor
Jim's legacy when they see the work that he began as attorney general
and continued throughout the Senate--helping to restore Lake Champlain
to its brilliance, its magnificence; or witness the bald eagles
abounding in the wilderness areas, thanks to Jim.
I applaud him for this statement as he takes leave of the Senate--
although it seems this year we will never know when we leave. None of
us are getting our final airplane reservations yet. But he has done it
with his usual grace and good humor. I applaud him for that and I hope
all of us when we come to leave, whenever that may be, will have the
opportunity to show that same grace. He served Vermont well and, just
as importantly, he served the Senate well.
After a long career I might violate the rules somewhat, addressing my
friend and colleague directly: For a long career, Jeff, you can leave
with your head held high. You have served Vermont and your Nation
proudly.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa is recognized.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise for the purpose of telling my
colleagues that I am going to miss my colleague.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. I will interrupt the good Senator. Because the
minority controls the next 7 minutes, it is necessary to gain consent
from the minority.
Mr. DURBIN. I ask consent the Senator from Iowa be recognized.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The
Senator is recognized.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I rise to tell the Senator from Vermont
that I am going to miss him in the Senate and still consider him a
friend. I hope to have a long relationship with him, even in his
retirement. I am that Senator that Jim Jeffords, the Senator from
Vermont, referred to as the one remaining Republican of the class of
1974. There were 17 of us. I think there were about 70 Democrats. It
was a bad year for Republicans. You couldn't even put the word
Republican on your literature. It was the year Nixon resigned.
There were only 140 of us in the House of Representatives at that
time. I don't know whether Senator Jeffords felt this way, but I felt
this way, that it was probably the end of the Republican Party. Well, I
was wrong. He and I have been reelected to serve together, to serve our
respective constituents.
I remember Senator Jeffords as an outstanding member of the
Agriculture Committee in the House of Representatives the 6 years I
served on that committee. Then there was a period of time where I was a
Member of the Senate and he still stayed in the House of
Representatives. Our friendship still held. But working together--you
know how it is in Congress, the House and Senate; there is a Grand
Canyon between us sometimes, and we don't communicate as much as we
ought to. Consequently, it was like getting reacquainted with Senator
Jeffords again when he came to the Senate. I was glad then and I am
very glad now that he continued his service.
I think he is an outstanding example of probably what is an
unacknowledged principle of political science--at least it is a feeling
I have about the people of our country--that if you serve honorably
where you are at a certain time and do the best job possible, you are
going to have opportunities to enhance your position within public
service. So as a State senator, then as an attorney general, then as a
Congressman, and then as a Senator for the people of Vermont, I believe
he got to be a Senator because people in Vermont recognized him, as a
State senator, as a Congressman, and as an attorney general,
[[Page S10227]]
as a person who was not there because of political ambition, wanting to
rise to the top, but a person, in each stage of his public service
life, who did what that job required and did it well. People recognized
that and in the end of the process, he came to the Senate.
In every relationship I have had with Senator Jeffords, whether he
was Republican or an Independent, it has always been one that has been
friendly and honorable and honest, and, most importantly, to describe
him as a humanitarian as he approached public policy.
It seemed to me that as a Member of the Senate, whether as an
Independent or as a Republican, Senator Jeffords brought forth what it
takes to get things done in the Senate, and that is moderation. It
doesn't matter whether it is a bill that is representing the philosophy
of the extreme left or a bill that represents the philosophy of the
extreme right, nothing such as that is going to get through the Senate.
Eventually you have to have people come together seeking a middle
ground, a bipartisan approach to get things done. It seems to me, in
every respect, that is what Senator Jeffords did--he sought moderation
because that is how you get solutions and that is the only way the
Senate produces.
I compliment him on his dedicated public service. I congratulate him
on his long service to the people of the United States and the people
of Vermont. I will miss working with him. I will miss him, but I hope
we have opportunities to have great relationships for the rest of our
lives.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts is recognized.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, could I inquire of the Chair, do we have
a limited period of time? I see a number of our colleagues here. I am
just inquiring of the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 7 minutes 20 seconds remaining in
this block of time for the minority.
Mr. KENNEDY. Well, I see the floor leader. I will take 2 or 3
minutes, then, because I see half a dozen of our friends here.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois is recognized.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I believe there are at least four or five
Members here who would like to speak about Senator Jeffords'
retirement. I ask unanimous consent those Members currently on the
floor, Senators Rockefeller, Boxer, Harkin, Dodd and Kennedy, be
recognized for such time as they consume, and I would like to add
myself to that list, and then extend whatever time we use on the
minority side, if they would like to use it as well.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Without objection, it is
so ordered.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, it is entirely appropriate that we take
these few moments on the floor of the Senate to listen carefully and
take the measure of an extraordinary Senator, Senator Jim Jeffords. In
these next several weeks, this Nation is going to be focused in many,
many States on trying to select who is going to represent them in the
Senate. And if the people of those States just took a few moments to
listen to the eloquence of this Senator, they would know what the
standard should be in selecting someone to represent them in this body.
It is Jim Jeffords. He sets the standard. So we thank Jim Jeffords for
his service--his service to the State of Vermont and his service to all
of our States and to the country. We thank him for that service.
We also thank the people of Vermont for their wisdom in selecting
this extraordinary talent and giving him the kind of support that they
gave over a long and distinguished career, especially in those times
when he was willing to take positions and stand up on issues as a
matter of conscience. They understood their native son. They respected
him, and they supported him. So thank you to the voters of Vermont.
Thank you to his family, Elizabeth that Senator Jeffords mentioned,
Laura, and Leonard--a family that gave him great support. I think those
of us who have been fortunate enough to know that family and meet that
family understand what a strong influence it has been in terms of his
service.
And thank you, Senator Jeffords, for that simple eloquence that we
heard from you today on the floor of the Senate, going back into the
history of our country, providing inspiration as we listen to you talk
about the history of the Nation, mentioning with great pride the role
of Vermonters in the time of the Civil War--and his understanding of
history, talking about the Greatest Generation, which were inspiring
figures to him and many of us continuing to the present.
He typically understated his own achievements and accomplishments. I
think many of us on this floor are well familiar with them. I certainly
am as someone who has had the good opportunity to serve with him on the
Education Committee. I know the difference that he has made in the
education of children in this country, particularly those with special
needs, accomplishments which are memorable and historical. He mentioned
just causally his interest in the education of the children here in the
District of Columbia. A number of us who are here on the floor now
remember Jim Jeffords speaking in our caucus not many years ago how
that we, as members of the Senate who happen to either live here in the
District or work here, even though we are working in this body, have a
responsibility for the education of the children here. He was the
inspiration of a program, a literacy program called ``Everybody Wins!''
And Jim Jeffords led a number of us to Brent School here near the
Capitol to read with the second and third graders each week to ensure
that those children were going to have an opportunity to learn to read.
It was just a simple illustration, once again, that Jim Jeffords does
not just talk the talk, he walks the walk. And on so many different
times, he has been there doing just that.
So, Jim, we admire your service. You have demonstrated here--and we
do not understand perhaps well enough--that you can speak with a quiet
and soft voice, but you speak with a great passion and a compelling
argument, and with a simplicity and effectiveness that has enriched and
enhanced the quality of life and opportunity, particularly for children
but also for all Americans. It is a distinguished career, and it is one
I know that you should be--and are--proud of. All of us have had our
own lives enriched and inspired because of our friendship with you and
the type of Senator you have been.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut is recognized.
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I add my voice to my colleagues who have
spoken and those who will speak in thanking our wonderful friend from
Vermont for his remarkable service to our country.
I begin as well by thanking his family, Elizabeth and the children,
as well as the people of Vermont, as Senator Kennedy has said so
eloquently.
Let me also include in enumeration his wonderful staff people, over
the years, who have been very much a part of Jim's family. In fact, I
note from the interns to senior staff people, everyone refers to him
not as ``Senator'' or ``Mr. Chairman''--but just ``Jim.'' That is
certainly a symbol of the kind of relationship he has had with his
constituents and with his family over the years.
I have had the privilege of serving my entire time in the Senate--in
the Congress--with this remarkable person from Vermont. We arrived in
the House of Representatives on the very same day, 32 years ago. As Jim
pointed out, he had that neck brace on, and I had a head of black hair.
We have aged over those 3 decades. But my respect for Jim Jeffords has
only grown.
He has taught us America will listen to you even if your voice is
soft. His achievements in the Senate and the House are the envy of all
who wish to improve a quality of life in this great country of ours.
Jim's body of work is truly admirable.
But it looks even more admirable when you remind yourself that it was
all the doing of a man unpretentious enough to be fond of mismatched
socks, frugal enough to spend his earliest days in Washington sleeping
in a parked van, and humble enough to be universally known, as I've
said, as just ``Jim.'' The people of Vermont returned him to office
over and over again on the strength of his plainspoken integrity and
his indefatigable Yankeeness. That's what Jim brought to this body of
discussion; and that was more than enough.
[[Page S10228]]
Jim came to Washington knowing what he wanted to accomplish, and his
success is clear to us today. No one has worked with more dedication
for a clean environment. Jim was an environmentalist practically before
we had a word for it. In fact, he got his start in the Vermont State
Senate in the 1960s, fighting the efforts of the paper mills to pour
sludge right into Lake Champlain. He was a long-time nuclear watchdog
and among six Congressmen to found the Congressional Solar Coalition
years ago. It is telling that when he had his pick of chairmanships,
Senator Jim Jeffords chose the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Perhaps most importantly, he helped clean up the air we breathe. He
mentioned it briefly. But the work of John Chafee, George Mitchell, and
Jim Jeffords truly created the great Clean Air Act of 1990, a huge
accomplishment. I want to thank Jim immensely for the tremendous effort
he made years ago in improving the quality of air in this country. If
he had done nothing else in 32 years, that alone would have been a
significant achievement. Of course, his body of work is far more than
that.
Like Jim's dedication to the environment, his work for children who
come from special education needs is decades long. In 1976, he was
essential to the passage of legislation guaranteeing local school
districts that the Federal Goverment would pay 40 percent of the costs
of educating the disabled. And if that guarantee remains unfunded
today, never let it be said that it was for lack of Jim's passionate
work.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention of Tom Harkin, another fellow
classmate of 1974, working with Jim and many others who cared about
this issue over the years. No one contributed more to the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act than Jim Jeffords. Few Senators are as
tied to special education, and that is a title to be very proud of. It
has been my honor to work along with him in the House and the Senate on
the issues that meant the most to him--on afterschool programs, on
higher education, and, most especially, to secure funding for IDEA.
It Vermont, commitment to education is a longstanding tradition.
Right in the middle of the Civil War, we building the dome on the
Capitol to show our determination to keep this Union together; but we
showed it in another way, too. A Senator from Vermont by the name of
Justin Smith Morrill created the land grant colleges--the University of
Connecticut is one; there are many all across the country--and his work
was one more demonstration of the remarkable people who come from that
State of Vermont to help build this country, defend this country, and
secure this country for our children. Senator Stafford and Morrill
passed on that proud tradition, and Senator Jeffords stands in its
forefront today.
Jim has taught at every opportunity the difference between education
as a privilege and education as a right. It is a right, and its worth
is measured in our willingness to educate even--especially--where it is
inconvenient.
There weren't many Senators shyer than Jim Jeffords, but there wasn't
a single one fuller of quiet purpose and courage. Politics was always a
means to Jim's purpose--never the other way around. And the way Jim
practiced politics, the way he spent his power, was never calculated to
bring him money, or fame, or even particularly glamour. It was only the
quiet satisfaction of a job very well done.
That is what I think of when I recall the more than three decades of
our service together. But, to tell the truth, through all those 30
years I had a privileged seat right here with him. Those without that
vantage point are probably going to remember, first of all, something
very different. We all know how Jim crossed this aisle for good 5 years
ago, and how he has served as an an Independent ever since. Jim entered
the national spotlight full of honest regret, and fully aware of how
difficult his choice was for colleagues, his staff, and his supporters.
I saw Jim upclose as he struggled with a decision as few men or women
ever have to. But whatever one thinks of it, there is a fact beyond
dispute, which all of us appreciate in this body: Jim Jeffords has
never followed anyone but his conscience.
If we insist, 5 years later, on reasoning out the need in votes or
dollars or any other measure of practicality, we only reveal our
failure to understand what that man did on the day he made his choice.
Sometimes what goes on in this Chamber cannot be reasoned away. Jim
taught us that, too.
So, I would like to close with a happy thought. Two years before the
American Revolution, Edmund Burke gave a speech on the relationship
between a representative and those whom he tries to represent.
``It is his duty,'' said Burke, ``to sacrifice his repose, his
pleasures, his satisfactions, to theirs; and above all, ever, and in
all cases, to prefer their interests to his own. But his unbiased
opinion, his mature judgment, his enlightened conscience, he ought not
to sacrifice to you, to any man, or to any set of men living. These he
does not derive from your pleasure; no, nor from the law and the
constitution. They are a trust from Providence.''
Jim, you have kept your trust over these many years, in both the
Senate and public life, in your State and in the Congress. We send you
back to Vermont with your work in the Senate accomplished, with your
conscience still clean, and with our best wishes to you and your lovely
family. God bless you.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it took an act of courage for Jim Jeffords
to declare himself an Independent. It took an act of courage for a
lifelong Red Sox fan to quote a New York Yankee in his farewell address
to the Senate.
Jim Jeffords is an extraordinary public servant. Fewer than 2,000 men
and women in the history of the United States of America have served in
the Senate. We all understand the great privilege of being in this body
representing our great States. But people are not noted in the history
of the Senate for longevity alone. People are noted for singular acts
of courage. And when it comes to Jim Jeffords, his public career has
been a singular act of courage.
I hail from the State of Abraham Lincoln, where he lived most of his
adult life, and where we claimed him as part of our national heritage.
When I think of Jim Jeffords and the political party he identifies with
more than any other name, I will say he identifies with the party of
that great leader Abraham Lincoln who stood up for principles often
against public and popular will.
This last week, Time Magazine noted they were going to designate
Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont as ``Person of the Week.'' They said in
his one principled decision to become an Independent, ``He demonstrated
to the White House and the United States Senate that revolutionaries
often come in surprising packages.''
We all know what happened after Jim made his decision to become an
Independent. He told me about walking home to his apartment at night
down Pennsylvania Avenue. And people who were outside restaurants and
cafes would stop and stand and start to applaud, and Jim would be
startled by it at first. But he received more recognition then he, I am
sure, expected. A lot of it came in positive terms; some in negative
terms. People wanted to name their babies after him.
In Burlington, VT--I think this is probably the greatest tribute a
politician could ever expect--they named a beer after him--``Jeezum
Jim'' they called it. I hope it was a popular brew because he has been
a popular Senator.
When they asked him why he changed his affiliation to become an
Independent, he replied very simply: ``It is all about education.'' I
remember it well, because I know that was the deciding factor.
Your commitment to particularly those students who struggled with
disabilities, students who have these difficulties, your commitment to
those kids led you to this decision. Many of us make these decisions on
votes on the floor. But as has been said, for Jim Jeffords education
went way beyond a vote or a speech. Several years ago, he established
this tutoring program in Washington, DC, encouraging us, as Members of
Congress, the House and the Senate, to walk just a few blocks from
here, as he did so many times, to tutor the inner-city youth of
Washington, DC.
He is a true Vermonter and a true Independent. When we look at his
record, he was the only House Republican who voted against the Reagan
tax
[[Page S10229]]
cut because he was afraid it would lead to dangerous deficits. How
right he was. In 1993, he was the only Republican Senator to cosponsor
President Clinton's health care plan. He worked for years for
regulation of tobacco by the Food and Drug Administration, a goal which
I share with the Senator. And he sponsored the Employment
Nondiscrimination Act, banning employment discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation.
Some politicians in their career find ways to divide us. Jim Jeffords
always looked for ways to bring us together. A strong supporter of
Federal funding for AIDS research and the arts, justifiably proud of
the role he played in passing the Work Incentives Improvement Act, and,
of course, his record on the environment is without parallel.
I know historians will also record all these accomplishments and
courageous battles when they write about Jim Jeffords. On July 4, 2001,
several weeks after he made his decision to become an Independent, he
sat down at his home in Vermont and wrote these words:
I hope my decision will move the two parties to the center,
where the American people are. The American people want an
active, responsible, Federal Government.
He went on to say:
There seems to be a hunger in country for heroes,
especially for the political variety.
Not only with this one historic act of conscience but throughout his
career in the House and the Senate, in public life Jim Jeffords has
been a living example of these hopes and beliefs. I am proud to have
been able to serve with him. I am proud to count him as one of my
colleagues, even prouder to count him as a friend.
I thank his family for giving him this opportunity to serve and
giving this wonderful man to public life.
I thank you, Jim Jeffords, for all you have meant.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa is recognized.
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, it is, indeed, a privilege to be here this
morning to personally hear the words of our good friend, Senator
Jeffords, and to hear other Senators get up and talk about Jim in such
glowing terms.
However, I must say that all the years I have known Jim Jeffords, he
is an old-fashioned New Englander, which means he is very modest. That
means he is embarrassed to receive this kind of praise and adulation.
Senator Jeffords will just have to endure it because we love you, we
respect you, we admire you, and you are one of the most beloved Members
of the Senate.
Thirty-two years ago, we came together in the House. You talked about
that. Our colleague, Chris Dodd, was in that class, and also my
colleague from Iowa, Senator Grassley. I didn't know Senator Jeffords
at that time, obviously. We had just come in as freshmen Members. I
found myself on the Committee on Agriculture with Senator Jeffords. We
both sat down at the end. He was on one side and I was on the other
side because we were just freshmen.
We had a farm bill coming up. After a few weeks on the Agriculture
Committee, we dubbed Senator Jeffords ``the Senator from Dairy.'' He
was tenacious in fighting for his dairy farmers of Vermont and, of
course, New England. Those from Iowa and Minnesota and Wisconsin--we
had dairy farmers, too, and there was, shall I say, a little bit of a
conflict in how we viewed the world of milk and dairy. That was my
first experience with Senator Jeffords because we had to work things
out. And we did. That was the first time I got to see the kind of
person Jim Jeffords is and always has been. He was tenacious in
fighting for his dairy farmers but willing to understand that we all
have to live together; somehow we have to seek our compromises. And we
did. We reached a compromise and we moved the legislation forward. That
was the first time I came to really know and respect Jim Jeffords.
As we moved ahead in agriculture, I found another area in which I
respected and admired Senator Jeffords. That was the area of
environment and conservation. In those days, people were thinking
mostly about all the commodity programs, how much money we could get in
the commodity programs. We were all protecting our interests. I was
protecting my Iowa interests and Senator Jeffords was protecting his
Vermont interests.
However, conservation transcended everything. That began back in the
late 1970s, in the House Agriculture Committee. We began the move
toward more conservation in our farm bills, which led to more of a
``greening'' of America. He did that work also on Environment and
Public Works. When I think about the environment, cleaning up the
environment--clean water, clean lakes, clean streams--I have to think
of Jim Jeffords. He was there at the beginning.
Then in 1975, on the Committee on Education, Jim Jeffords coauthored
what later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. I
was not on the Committee on Education, but because of my family and
because of my intense interest in disability rights, especially as it
pertained to the hard-of-hearing and the deaf, I learned about this
bill with Jim Jeffords and with Paul Simon--at that time, Senator
Simon--and sort of stuck my nose in their business, if you don't mind
my saying that, because I was not on the committee. I talked about how
we had to help do some of these things. My focus was narrow at that
time, just in hard-of-hearing and deafness at that time. My great
respect for Senator Jeffords, or Jim, at that time grew because he was
focused on how we make sure every kid in America gets an education,
make sure kids with disabilities were mainstream, make sure they got
the support in our schools.
It was Senator Jeffords who made sure that in the bill we passed, the
Federal Government committed itself to providing at least 40 percent of
the additional costs to States and local communities in educating kids
with disabilities. Forty percent was the goal we set in the bill
Senator Jeffords coauthored in 1975.
That moves me up to the year 2001. In the year 2001, the budget came
from the White House, President Bush's budget, which severely
underfunded our commitment to increasing funding. We have never reached
40 percent. I think the highest we have been is 18 percent. We have
never gotten the 40 percent. Senator Jeffords wanted to move that up.
Yet the budget came down and had a severe cut in the funding for the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. That is when Senator
Jeffords said no, he wanted to make sure that money was in there. That
happened, mostly, on the Republican side of the aisle. I was not privy
to all of that. That is when Senator Jeffords made his declaration of
independence. A matter of conscience--he could not turn his back on all
these years of moving our society forward to educating kids with
disabilities in our schools and then all of a sudden say: No, we are
going to turn the clock back; we are not going to do it. He wanted to
keep moving forward. The budget would not allow it; he fought hard for
it. Based upon the fact that the administration would not move on that,
he declared his independence and became an Independent and left his
party. We can all imagine how wrenching that must be, to leave the
party that nurtured us, that we grew up with, that supported us all our
adult life. It is a matter of conscience. You can read about it in his
book, ``My Declaration of Independence.''
After that, I invited Senator Jeffords to come out to speak at the
steak fry I have in Iowa every year. It was after the book came out. I
will never forget the scene. We had thousands of people. It was a
beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. Thousands of people came to meet this
person, to hear him and to hear his message. They had all these little
books they were waiving, ``My Declaration of Independence.''
He had a wonderful message. His message was: don't ever turn our back
on making sure every child in America has a decent education. It was a
simple, straightforward message. But you should read his book.
Senator Kennedy mentioned another thing about Senator Jeffords that
not too many people know about; that is, his support for a program
called ``Everybody Wins.'' He brought it here to Washington in the late
1990s and then began badgering us to participate in it in his usual
tenacious manner. So he got a lot of us hooked on it.
It is every Tuesday. I see Senator Kennedy goes about every Tuesday;
Jim, of course, goes all the time; I go
[[Page S10230]]
every Tuesday we are here, and a lot of staff members. We go to Brent
Elementary School. We read to a child for 1 hour every Tuesday. It has
been a wonderful experience for me and I know for everyone who
participates in it. In fact, we now talk about Jim as being sort of the
Johnny Appleseed of this movement because now it is starting in other
States. We took the idea to Iowa, and now it is sprouting in Iowa.
Other States and businesses are involved. ``Everybody Wins'' is now
moving around the country. Senator Kennedy said: Senator Jeffords
doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walk. When he brought it here,
he was there every week reading to kids and getting us to go down and
read to them, also.
I have in my office a big picture that is my favorite picture. It is
a big picture taken at Tiananmen Square, a picture we all will remember
of the young man holding a little briefcase, a young student holding a
briefcase. There is a line of tanks. He is standing in front of the
tanks, and the tanks have all stopped. To those of us who have seen the
video of this, the tanks were coming down the street, the student went
out in the street, he stopped, the tanks turned to go one direction and
he moved over a few steps, then the tanks moved another direction to
get around, and he moved over and stood there. Finally, the tanks
stopped right in front of him. A hatch popped open, and a military guy
got out and looked at him and stood there for a few minutes. The tanks
all stopped, and then the young man turned and walked off the street.
A lot of people I talk to about that picture--did they ever know who
he was? No, they never did find out his name. But I gave them the name.
I call him Jim Jeffords. To me, that young man who did that represents
the Jim Jeffords of the world, willing to stand on principle no matter
what the odds are. No matter what is coming at them, they are willing
to stand on principle.
So after 32 years, we will miss this soft-spoken and self-effacing
New Englander who has a spine of steel. After 32 years, Senator
Jeffords, you have left your mark: education, job training, disability
rights, the environment and, lest we forget, the dairy farmers of New
England, who will never forget Jim Jeffords.
Jim, we are going to miss you, your kindness, your leadership, your
courage, your generosity of spirit, and your example. Know that our
love, our admiration, our respect, and our best wishes go with you and
with Elizabeth and your family. Know that you have left on our Nation
and the world a mark for all of us to follow in how to make our Nation
and our world a better place.
Senator Jeffords, Jim, Godspeed. Come back now and then. Come back on
the floor. Retired Senators have the privilege of coming to the floor.
Come back on the floor and remind us why we are here.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California is recognized.
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, this is a very poignant morning for so
many. I am so glad I have been able to arrange my schedule to be here
to listen to my colleagues and friends, whom I deeply respect, and to
listen to the great Senator from Vermont, Jim Jeffords.
If I might say how blessed I have been, I got here in 1993 and went
right to the Environment and Public Works Committee. I met Jim there,
and now I get to sit next to him in the Senate. I got to know his
staff.
We are going to miss you. But, Jim, I must say, you made a beautiful
speech today. And in listening to Tom Harkin talk about you and explain
that you have always been motivated by what is right for the people, if
ever you could take an opportunity to tout your accomplishments, it is
when you say goodbye. People would say that is fair. But you did not do
that. You did not say: This year I passed this legislation and this
bill. The rest of us have been lauding your accomplishments, but it is
just like you, instead, to talk about this country you love so much.
And you cite to us what our challenges are. And, of course, they
continue to be the challenges you have taken up: education, the
environment, fiscal responsibility, war and peace. You have left a
roadmap for us, and for that we are very grateful.
I mentioned that I was sworn in in 1993. That was the so-called year
of the women, where we tripled the number of women in the Senate. That
sounds great, but it was from two to six. We were still a very strong
minority. Our leader, Barbara Mikulski, the dean of the women here,
always taught us, from day one--she said: You are going to have to work
with the men because they control things here, and you are going to
find that among these many men there are many Sir Galahads.
Jim, you are Sir Galahad. You have been a wonderful friend to us,
treating us, from the minute we walked in, as equals and colleagues. We
are very grateful to you for that.
I am not going to talk a long time at all. But I want to talk about
three things quickly. One is, I went to your State of Vermont this last
weekend. I had been there before and always marveled at how beautiful
it is, but I was taken with it again.
Now, coming from California, we have our beautiful places, believe
me. So I have come to appreciate beautiful places. We overlooked Lake
Champlain when we were there. Knowing that you worked so hard to make
that lake clean and beautiful, thank you for that. There is so much
history there, Jim, that you have also helped to preserve--you and
Patrick Leahy, and so many others who came before.
But what struck me about Vermont as much as the beauty is the
incredible people in your State, how involved they are. It is that old
New England townhall type of quality. They get it. They are involved.
They love you, Jim. They love you. When I mentioned your name, oh, my
goodness, the roars came up. You could hear it blocks away.
People love you here and they love you in Vermont. And your family
loves you. As you said, you are blessed, as we are blessed in your
presence.
The second point is your family and how much they care about you.
They are so proud of you. I know how hard it was for them when you
declared your independence. It rocked their world, just as it rocked
your world, and just as it rocked the country. But when you do
something for the right reasons, it all works out. And you did
something for the right reasons, for the people of this country.
The last thing I want to say to you is, we do not know how things
will work out this November, but either way, I will be taking a larger
role on the committee you love, the Environment and Public Works
Committee, where you have been an extraordinary leader. You have given
us a roadmap on how to fight global warming--a huge challenge we face.
We cannot turn away from it because if we do, we are neglecting our
responsibility. You, thank goodness, have written a bill that will show
us the way.
So I am here today not only to wish you well in your retirement, and
joy with your family, but to tell you that I am going to follow your
leadership on global warming. I am excited about the challenge. And
because of the love your colleagues feel for you, I hope you will come
back here, as Tom Harkin said, to help me with that because we are
going to have to move and get going on it.
Mr. President, thank you very much. And thanks to our colleagues for
giving us this time we need to pay tribute to an extraordinary Senator,
one who will be missed but never forgotten.
Thank you very much. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia is recognized.
Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I have to start off anything I say--
and I will be short--about Jim Jeffords with the word ``friendship,''
based upon his unbelievable qualities of kindness, of goodness, of
steadfastness, being the same person every day under any circumstance.
We sit together. We have sat together for quite a long time on the
floor of the Senate. And we talk a lot. I have the honor of talking
with his staff, too, a superb staff, who adores him.
The business of friendship in the Senate is underpracticed. If you
know Jim Jeffords, then you know why you should take more time to know
your colleagues better. Because the fact is--although it has been more
so recently--it is not your politics or your party that determines how
you vote, but your conscience and your sense of a moral compass that
guides you. In that practice, you have to think of Jim Jeffords.
[[Page S10231]]
He is an extraordinarily wonderful human being. He has got a
ferocious sense of humor, which is always delivered very quietly. And
yet he is deep, he is profound, he sort of looks like Vermont:
chiseled; his nose is just the right shape. And, of course, he talks
that way. But he is humble, not because he wants to be, just because he
is. Nothing about his record is humble. But his nature is humble. He is
gentle; and he really is. He listens, does not interrupt, does not
insist on his point of view--except when it counts, and then he is
unmovable.
All of the subjects he has concentrated on--children, the
environment, many other things that have been mentioned--there is also
the matter of post-traumatic stress disorder. On the Veterans
Committee, which is the one committee where I do get to--not the only
committee, but I get to sit with him on that committee--he has been a
champion of something which Americans still do not really understand;
and that is, the ferocious nature of being wounded in war these days--
an Iraqi improvised explosive device that implants shards of metal into
people that will remain there for the rest of their lives; the whole
question of How does somebody rehabilitate a life? and What is the VA
doing about that? Jim is all over that subject.
When he switched parties to be an Independent, woe be the person who
said: Switch parties from Republican to Democrat--no--Republican to
Independent. And, yes, he got an enormous amount of cheering and praise
based upon his moral compass. He also got a lot of death threats. Life
was very hard for him for a period of time. So he understood that was
going to happen. But with Jim Jeffords, the moral compass always
prevails. I think it is one of the reasons all of us here respect him
so, admire him so, look to him as to what the Senate ought to be.
I had never heard the word ``ANWR'' until it was explained to me by
Senator Jeffords. He was there early because he was thinking, as
always, of our children and grandchildren, and, as they say, their
children too. We always take it one generation too far, but it is true.
Alternative fuels. Will the history books write about Jim Jeffords on
alternative fuels? Yes, they will. Do people generally in the Senate or
elsewhere know that he has spent a career working on that? Probably
not.
Our air; they know about that. The groundwater; they probably know
about that. But his work on alternative fuels is one of the most
important things he's done.
The Title I, Head Start, improving the lives of children, all of that
that has been talked about--Senator Harkin talked about, in 1975, the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act--he has always been looking
ahead. Does that make him a Good Samaritan? Does that mean he is a do-
gooder or does it mean that he does good? It is the second. He does
what is comfortable to him and what he feels is just for the people he
serves, not only in Vermont but across the United States of America.
The work he has done with post-traumatic stress disorder is awesome
in terms of those of us on the Veterans Committee. He is justifiably
proud of the research and work done by Vermont's White River Junction
Veterans' Administration Hospital to help veterans who are struggling,
as they truly are, not just with the postwar physical problems of being
wounded, but the psychological problems of that, as well.
He has never sought the limelight, and he does not care about the
limelight. He has been elected time after time probably partly because
of that. Because he is not like so many other people who run for public
office who want to tick off everything they have done. He is Jim
Jeffords. And with Jim Jeffords comes a certain set of principles, a
certain set of commitments to people. The people of Vermont have
understood that over the years. So he has not had to promote himself in
ways that others have to do.
He has always done his work, in the words of Shakespeare, with the
``modest stillness and humility'' that becomes any human being. When
you look back at his record, you can see this man from Shrewsbury, VT,
has left his mark on virtually every single piece of legislation on
education, job training, disability legislation, and on and on and on.
Jim has always had extraordinarily deep passions and convictions,
but, at the same time, he has been a paragon of civility and
humbleness. Jim has a gentle voice, but his resolve and commitment to
stand up for vulnerable children, veterans in need, and our environment
is assertive and strong.
Throughout his career, Jim has made some very tough personal
decisions. Take his decision to switch parties to be an independent in
the summer of 2001. Regardless which party you are a member of, I think
all of us would agree that given the fact that his move fundamentally
changed the governing structure of the Senate, it truly was a profile
in courage. Time and time again, Jim has been willing to take risks for
his beliefs, and he deserves our respect and admiration for such
independence.
In terms of public service, Jim Jeffords has lived a life that many
aspire to. He has spent nearly every day of his life working to make
the lives of people better. In the 1950s, he served in the U.S. Navy,
and until 1990 he was in the Naval Reserve, where he retired as a
captain. In the 1960s, he began his political service, first as a
Vermont State Senator, then as Vermont's Attorney General, and then, in
the wake of the Watergate scandal, he became one of the very few
Republicans elected to Congress in 1974.
Jim has been a true steward of the environment. Long before many of
us knew what ANWR was, he was fighting to preserve the environment for
our grandchildren and their grandchildren. He has been at the forefront
of fighting to make sure our air and ground water are safe for our
citizens, and he has fought for the use of alternative fuels. His
efforts have truly cut a trailblazing path for many generations to
come.
Over the years, Jim and I have worked on many issues together, and I
am particularly proud of what we have done for our students and for our
veterans. He understands how important it is to make sure that our
citizens get started on the right foot. He believes that the first
years of a child's life are absolutely critical in the life and future
of that person, and that is why he has worked so hard to push for
greater funding for Head Start and other early education programs. And
that is why he has worked on Title I--to help low-performing students,
who disproportionately live in the rural areas that make up much of
West Virginia and Vermont, achieve the standards they must meet.
That sort of Good Samaritan principle has always guided Jim's life
and career. He has been extraordinary in advocating for those whose
needs are often forgotten. In fact, perhaps no American living today
and certainly no American legislator--I want to echo here what Senator
Harkin has said--has done more to advance the educational success of
those with disabilities. Almost from his arrival in Congress. Jim took
extraordinary steps because he believed that the needs of others simply
could not wait. In 1975, as a House freshman, Jim co-authored what
would later be known as the Individual with Disabilities Education Act,
IDEA. IDEA serves as a Federal commitment to give students with
disabilities a better education.
It was an extraordinary legislative achievement, one that had even
greater implications in terms of setting a moral baseline imperative
that we must meet the needs of those who live difficult lives. Jim has
worked, not for the well-heeled or the heavy-hitting lobbysist--he has
tirelessly worked for the people who truly need help.
I have also been proud to serve with Jim on the Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committee. He has been an important voice in calling for
compassionate care for our veterans, especially those veterans
returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.
We both have States with a very high number of soldiers and veterans,
and we both know how important it is for our soldiers and veterans to
have the health care they have earned and deserve. The two of us have
been allies in pushing for greater funding and resources to help our
soldiers with PTSD, and I know that Jim is justifiably proud of the
research and work by Vermont's White River Junction to help veterans
struggling with PTSD.
Jim Jeffords has never sought the limelight--he has sought results.
He
[[Page S10232]]
has always done his work in the words of Shakespeare, with the modest
stillness and humility that becomes any human. But when one looks back
at his record, you can see that the modest man from Shrewsbury, VT, has
left his mark on virtually every piece of education, job training, and
disability legislation over the past quarter century. It is difficult
to determine how many people Jim's efforts have helped, but if it were
possible to quantify his efforts, I know we would find that hundreds of
thousands of lives have been improved because of his actions in Vermont
and across the country.
The Senate this year is losing a treasure, a man who in the best
tradition of the Senate has never been afraid of taking heroic,
principled stand without having to make a lot of noise. Sharon and I
are personally losing good friends in Jim and his wife Liz. And
Americans all over the country are losing one of the most dedicated
fighters for the basic rights that too many disadvantaged people are
shortchanged on. I wish my friend well in his retirement.
I close with the sadness of losing in our body somebody such as
Senator Jeffords. People go to him. People are comforted by his
presence. People are emboldened by his nature. They see what it is he
does not say to promote himself or his ideas, and somehow they are
attracted to those ideas because they understand if it comes out of Jim
Jeffords, it is good for the public.
So I think of his family too, I say to Senator Boxer, and I think of
how proud they must be. I also think of just myself, to be honest, how
sad I am going to be not being able to sit next to Jim Jeffords and
share his humor and to look upon his greatness--not just his nose, but
his greatness: the classic Vermonter, the classic New Englander. He has
been so incredibly good for the Senate.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to acknowledge the
extraordinary career of Senator Jim Jeffords.
For the past 32 years, Jim Jeffords has served the citizens of
Vermont and the American people with integrity, intellectual honesty,
and diligence. When faced with the choice between political convenience
or protecting the interests of his constituents, Jim Jeffords always
stood for Vermont and the concerns of hard-working Americans. When
others decided to do what was popular in Washington or among the
chattering classes, Jim remained true to his values. He has been a
model of principled leadership, often ahead of his time.
Long before protecting our environment and precious natural resources
occupied America's consciousness, Jim was leading on these issues.
Working across party lines throughout his career, including as chairman
of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Jim Jeffords
urged the President to strengthen antipollution measures, investigated
the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, and promoted increased fuel
efficiency. During his time in the U.S. Senate he introduced the Global
Warming Pollution Reduction Act, the High-Performance Green Buildings
Act, and the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Investment Act.
Jim Jeffords has never lost sight of his constituents and their
needs. He loyally stood by farmers in Vermont and all over the Nation
when he fought President Bush's dairy tax, extended the Milk Income
Loss Contracts--MILC--program, and supported the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act.
Jim Jeffords has also committed his career to improving education,
which he has treated as one of the great callings of our time. Speaking
at a Rally for Education in 2002, Jim Jeffords said of education
funding that ``it is not an option, it is a necessity, for our
children, for our schools and for the future of our great Nation.'' Jim
Jeffords championed the Head Start Program, increased funding for
elementary, secondary, and higher education, and sponsored the Better
Education for Students and Teachers Act. He has also provided
unwavering support to American children with disabilities that face a
unique set of challenges in navigating our education system. Even as a
freshman Congressman some 30 years ago, Jim Jeffords managed to marshal
his colleagues in order to pass the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act.
As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I have had
the opportunity to work closely with Senator Jeffords and his capable
staff. His office and his standards of professionalism inspire great
respect.
On a personal level, I continue to admire a public servant that has
so consistently followed his conscience. Time magazine recognized Jim
Jeffords as the ``Person of the Week'' for his ``revolutionary'' party
switch in 2001. I do not believe that Jim necessarily set out to start
a revolution; rather he invoked what might be considered a
revolutionary idea to some in Washington: government ought to serve the
concerns and interests of ordinary Americans instead of catering to
fringe groups or election year antics. In hindsight, most will hail Jim
Jeffords' principled decision to switch parties, though I know the
decision was a difficult one for him and strained his relationship with
many in this body. But Jim Jeffords did what he thought was right, and
I applaud his courage and his example of leadership.
So I thank Senator Jeffords not only for his lifetime of service and
accomplishments but for having raised the bar for all of us.
I wish Jim Jeffords and his family many happy years ahead.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont is recognized.
Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for their very
generous and kind comments. Their remarks remind me--all of us--the
Senate is a family. I also thank my colleagues for their friendship. I
am honored to be able to serve with you, especially you, I say to
Senator Rockefeller.
You have been very kind to me over the years. I have followed your
guidance, and it has been good. I thank all of my colleagues for their
friendship and am honored to serve with you. And as I go forward--I
don't know--I am going to wonder why I am going forward and not just
staying with you.
Mr. President, now I guess we should proceed with the process that is
normal. I thank the leader.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi is recognized.
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