[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10578-S10584]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RETIRING FROM THE SENATE


                             Paul Sarbanes

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the Chair.
  Mr. President, this is a day I hoped would never come. This is a 
speech I hoped I would never give. These are words I hoped I would 
never say. The senior Senator from Maryland, Paul Sarbanes, the longest 
serving Senator in the history of his great State, Senator Paul 
Sarbanes, is retiring. Now I must say goodbye.
  I am so sorry to say those words to my good friend, my true friend, 
and greatly esteemed colleague. More than once, in fact, I have found 
myself hoping Paul Sarbanes would change his mind. But the senior 
Senator from Maryland must do what is best for himself and his family, 
and I wish him the best.
  The retirement of Paul Sarbanes from the Senate brings to a close a 
fascinating and extraordinary Senate career. This son of Greek 
immigrant parents grew up on the Eastern Shore of

[[Page S10579]]

Maryland, where he worked his way--yes, he worked his way through 
school by waiting on tables, washing dishes, and mopping floors in the 
Mayflower Grill in downtown Salisbury. From there, it was on to 
Princeton, that great university, for an undergraduate degree, to 
Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar--as a Rhodes scholar--and then on 
to Harvard Law School.
  Paul Sarbanes began his career in public service in 1966. I had just 
begun my second term as a Member of the U.S. Senate 2 years before when 
Paul Sarbanes was elected to the Maryland State Legislature in 1966. In 
1970, Paul Sarbanes was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 
where, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, he introduced the 
first article of impeachment against President Nixon.

  That was Paul Sarbanes. After three terms in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, in 1976 he was elected to the U.S. Senate--yes, this 
body--where his career became even more fascinating and extraordinary.
  In the U.S. Senate, Paul Sarbanes has served as chairman of the 
Congressional Joint Economic Committee and chairman of the Senate 
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. And he was chairman of 
the very impressive and influential Maryland Congressional Delegation, 
which includes Senator Barbara Mikulski and the House Democratic whip, 
Steny Hoyer. Paul Sarbanes has also been a very effective member of the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Budget Committee.
  Senator Sarbanes has authored and sponsored important legislation, 
including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which has been called the most far-
reaching reforms of American business practices since the time of 
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
  I have always admired the quiet but effective way in which this 
unassuming, brilliant--I mean brilliant--and most reasonable lawmaker 
has performed the Nation's business. Paul Sarbanes. The Greeks taught 
the world to think. I don't know whether that is original or not, but 
that is the way I feel about it, in any event. The Greeks taught the 
world to think. I have always thought of Paul Sarbanes as a thinker--a 
thinker--a thinker. On the Senate committees on which we have served 
together, I have observed how he listens carefully, speaks--not often, 
but when he speaks, he speaks so softly, and then gets right to the 
crux of a matter. What a mind. What a brain. Yes, what a thinker. In 
his own subtle way, he can dissect even the most powerful and most 
arrogant witness. Let it be a Senator, he is the same.
  I will always remember and always appreciate the great support that 
Paul Sarbanes gave to me during the time I served as the Senate 
Democratic Leader. During the most troubling times, during the most 
difficult votes, during the most controversial debate on matters, I 
could always count on Paul Sarbanes being there--with his friendship, 
his assistance, and his advice. I always called on Paul Sarbanes as I 
gathered the chairmen of the committees when I was the majority leader 
of the Senate and when I was the minority leader. I would call my 
Democratic chairmen around me. They were my board of directors, the 
chairmen of the various committees when we were in the majority. I 
always called Paul Sarbanes--he and some others, like Wendell Ford--but 
I am talking about Paul Sarbanes. I cannot begin to describe how 
important his support was and how much I appreciated it.
  As I have said before, every leader would be fortunate to have a Paul 
Sarbanes, this Greek--and I say that with great pride--this Greek 
thinker. When I see the statue of ``The Thinker,'' with his fist under 
his chin, I think of Paul Sarbanes. Yes, I think of Paul Sarbanes. I 
was always so fortunate myself to have Paul Sarbanes as a colleague to 
whom I could go and seek advice and counsel.
  Senator Sarbanes was one of just 23 Members of this Chamber who was 
willing to defy popular opinion--yes, to stand up to the President of 
the United States and to throw himself against the forces of war in 
voting against the resolution to launch an unprecedented preemptive 
assault, military assault, military invasion of a country that had 
never attacked us, never attacked our country; a country that did not 
pose a preeminent threat to our national security--Iraq. If only there 
had been more Senators like Paul Sarbanes, one of the 23 immortals. I 
like to think of it in that way.
  I am in my 48th year in the Senate, and I was 6 years in the other 
body, making more than half a century in the Congress of the United 
States. I have always, since that vote, felt that was the greatest vote 
that I have ever cast. I have cast more than 17,000 rollcall votes in 
the Senate. I will always look upon that vote as the greatest vote, the 
vote in which I take the most pride, during my 54 years in the Congress 
of the United States--the greatest vote I ever cast. I cast that vote 
with 22 other Senators, one of whom is now gone. He died in a plane 
crash.
  When Senator Sarbanes announced his retirement back in March 2005, I 
remarked that he ``will be missed'' and that he ``will not be 
replaced.'' While Paul Sarbanes will be missed, I might have to qualify 
the latter portion of that statement. Just a few weeks ago his son, 
Paul Sarbanes' son John--John, what a name--won the Democratic primary 
in the 3rd district in Maryland to become a Democratic nominee for the 
U.S. House of Representatives. Therefore, come January we might have 
another Sarbanes serving with us in the Congress--praise God. If so, it 
will be fascinating to watch that son follow in his father's footsteps.
  As the old saying goes: A Sarbanes goes and a Sarbanes comes, and 
Congress, like Tennyson's brook, goes on forever. That is not really an 
old saying. I probably just made it up. But I like it; yes, I like it.
  Let me close by simply saying thank you, thank you Senator Paul 
Sarbanes. I thank you.
  I remember Paul Sarbanes years ago when we were thinking and talking 
about and debating the Panama Canal treaty. I was against that treaty 
in the beginning, and then I read ``The Path Between The Seas'' and I 
changed my mind. I studied the matter. I did what Paul Sarbanes did, I 
studied the matter. I thought about the matter. I changed my 
viewpoints.
  Paul Sarbanes, I thank you. I thank you for being a true friend. I 
thank you for being a truly esteemed colleague. I don't say these words 
lightly. I have been here a long time. I know a good man or woman, a 
good Senator when I see a good Senator. And I know this man is one of 
the finest of all Senators and a great American.
  I thank you, Paul Sarbanes, for everything that you have done for 
your State and your people and country our people. I wish you and your 
lovely wife Christine nothing but ambrosia and nectar as you enter the 
next phase of your lives.

     God, give us men.
     A time like this demands strong minds,
     Great hearts, true faith, and ready hands.
     Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
     Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
     Men who possess opinions and a will;
     Men who have honor; men who will not lie.

     Men who can stand before the demagog
     And brave his treacherous flatteries without winking.
     Tall men, Sun-crowned;
     Who live above the fog.
     In public duty and in private thinking.

     For while the rabble with its thumbworn creeds,
     Its large professions and its little deeds,
     Mingles in selfish strife,
     Lo! Freedom weeps!
     Waits, and waiting justice sleeps.
     Wrong rules the land, I say, and waiting justice sleeps.
     God, give us men!

     Men who serve not for selfish booty;
     But real men, courageous, who flinch not at duty.
     Men of dependable character;
     Men of sterling worth;
     Then wrongs will be redressed and right will rule the Earth.
     God Give us men--

  More men, yes, men like Paul Sarbanes, the Greek scholar, the Greek 
thinker, the Rhodes Scholar, a Senator of whom I am proud and will 
always speak with great pride.
  Mr. SARBANES. Will the Senator yield?
  Mr. BYRD. Yes, I yield.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I thank the very able Senator from West 
Virginia, our leader here for so many years, for his very generous and 
gracious remarks. I am deeply appreciative of his exceedingly kind 
words.
  But I want to thank him even more for the extraordinary leadership he 
has

[[Page S10580]]

provided over his service, both in the House of Representatives and, 
for the last 48 years, in the Senate. I have been here three decades 
and there is no one during that time who has spoken more eloquently, 
more perceptively about our Constitution and the role of the Senate 
within the Constitution, who has sought to strengthen the Senate as an 
institution and to have it play its role in the checks and balances 
arrangements which our Founding Fathers established in Philadelphia in 
the summer of 1787.
  Senator Byrd again and again has called us to a higher standard. He 
has urged us over and over to do the right thing, to understand what 
our roles are as Senators, and, as he said, I know of no issue, 
certainly in recent times, where he has more pointedly expressed our 
role than when we considered the issue of giving the President 
authority to go to war in Iraq. It was Senator Byrd who sounded a 
clarion call that was heard all across the country, as he raised the 
basic questions that needed to be raised with respect to an issue of 
such gravity and significance.
  I have been honored to serve with the Senator. I early recognized 
that the wisest course would be to follow his leadership. Again and 
again I have been privileged to have the opportunity to do that. I 
thank him very much for what he just said. I want him to know that as 
long as he stands on the floor of the Senate, I have confidence that 
our Constitution and this body as an institution are in good hands.
  That is a magnificent service that he renders to the Republic. I 
thank him very much.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank my dear friend. I shall always 
cherish the words thus spoken and always reflect upon this Senator, 
Paul Sarbanes, with great pride.


                              Mark Dayton

  Mr. President, I say farewell to Senator Dayton. Seldom has a 
freshman Senator made more of an impression on me than has Senator Mark 
Dayton of Minnesota who has announced that he will be leaving us at the 
end of this session of the Congress.
  From the start of his service in this Chamber, I have been struck by 
Senator Dayton's determination to learn the rules, to learn the 
traditions, to learn the customs of the Senate.
  When Senator Dayton presided over the Senate, which is one of the 
responsibilities of freshman Senators, he always did so with attention 
and dignity. His demeanor was inspiring. It reassured my belief in the 
future of this great institution.
  When I meet with new Senators, as I often do, about the duties of the 
Presiding Officer, I urge them to use that gavel on that desk 
vigorously to bring the U.S. Senate to order.
  I recall one instance when Senator Dayton banged the gavel so hard 
that he nearly fell out of his chair. That is the way it should be. I 
thought to myself: Bang that gavel, bring the Senate to order so that 
the Senate can conduct the Nation's business.
  I am also impressed about the reverence that Senator Dayton shows for 
our Nation's most basic, most important document, the Constitution of 
the United States.
  Many people who have served in this Chamber will have to answer to 
history for the way they have ignored and trampled upon our 
Constitution. As President Lincoln once reminded the Members of 
Congress: ``We cannot escape history.''
  I am confident that history will hold Senator Dayton in high regard.
  Time after time, this freshman Senator has stood with me and the 
Constitution of the United States on the important issues before us. 
Senator Dayton was one of the lonely 23 Senators who voted not to go to 
war with Iraq. I have been, as I say, 48 years in this body, and it is 
the greatest vote I ever cast, the vote of which I am most proud of all 
the 17,000 and more votes that I have cast.
  Senator Dayton was willing to defy public opinion and the forces of 
war because he, Senator Dayton, was determined not to hand over to 
President Bush, or any President, Democrat or Republican, any 
President, the power to declare war. No. Why? Because the Constitution 
says Congress shall have the power to declare war.
  With firm belief in our constitutional doctrines of the separation of 
powers and checks and balances, Senator Dayton was the only person on 
the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee who voted against the flawed 
Department of Homeland Security bill that this White House pushed.
  How I have admired the courage and the fortitude of this man, Senator 
Dayton, this Senator and his firm belief in our constitutional system.
  How I have wished that he would change his mind. I have spoken to him 
numerous times about that. I wish we had more like him, more who would 
say: Come one, come all, this rock shall fly from its firm base as I.
  I thank Senator Dayton for standing shoulder to shoulder and toe to 
toe with me on so many constitutional issues, and I thank him for the 
reverence he has shown this institution, the U.S. Senate.
  Senator Dayton is a descendent--get this--Senator Dayton is a 
descendent of Jonathan Dayton, who was a delegate to the Constitutional 
Convention of 1787 from the State of New Jersey. I know that Jonathan 
Dayton is up there somewhere today looking down and smiling upon his 
kinsman who has worked so hard to preserve and to protect the 
Constitution, the sacred document that he, Jonathan Dayton, helped to 
create along with George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James 
Madison.
  Senator Dayton has brought to the Senate a vigor and a vision of 
public policies that is both refreshing and needed; yes, needed.
  Mark Dayton has devoted his life to public service. And why he ever 
decided to leave the Senate is beyond me. I have done the best I could 
talking with him time and time again, but he remains firm.
  His public service included teaching school in the lower east side of 
New York City, also known as the Bowery, and serving as a social worker 
in Boston, the great city of Boston. Senator Dayton's social and 
political activism landed him on President Richard Nixon's infamous 
``enemies list''--which he, Senator Mark Dayton, probably considered a 
badge of honor--and on the staff of Senator Walter Mondale, one of our 
fine Vice Presidents.
  Senator Dayton brought his concerns for the less fortunate and the 
powerless with him to the Senate. As a freshman Senator, he proposed a 
new farm bill to help struggling family farms. He proposed a 
prescription tax credit plan to help Medicare beneficiaries offset the 
costs of their medications. He established a health care help line to 
assist working families in his State in getting health coverage from 
their insurance companies that they had paid for. He proposed a global 
trade agreement to limit the President's ability to negotiate trade 
deals by giving the Congress the power to reject parts of negotiated 
trade deals if they violated existing laws.

  I expected great things from this Senator. He had been serving in 
this Chamber for only 2 years, when on March 13, 2003, I predicted that 
Senator Dayton would have a ``long career, if he wishes to make it a 
long one.''
  I was surprised, I was disappointed, I was saddened to learn that he 
has chosen instead to make a short career in the Senate. I hope he does 
not retire from public life because our country--especially our less 
fortunate--will always need public servants like Mark Dayton. 
  But whatever he chooses to do, I wish him happiness and success. And 
I will always be grateful for my friendship with Mark Dayton and the 
work--yes, the work--that we have done together.
  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, will the Senator yield briefly?
  Mr. BYRD. I do yield.
  Mr. President, how much time do I have remaining?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has 8\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. BYRD. I yield to the Senator 2 minutes. Is that sufficient?
  Mr. DAYTON. I will be very brief.
  I thank the Senator from West Virginia for those gracious words. I am 
deeply honored because they come from the mouth of one of the greatest 
Senators in the history of this country. And whatever I have learned to 
apply with my understanding of the traditions of the Senate, the 
integrity of the Senate, the dignity of the Senate, I heard first and 
foremost from the great Senator from West Virginia, who has been a 
mentor, a guide, a leader, for whom I have the utmost respect. And

[[Page S10581]]

when I did preside and listen to the Senator speak about such subjects 
as the United States Constitution, I learned more from his wisdom than 
I have learned in the previous 55 years of my life.
  I was honored to stand with him, really behind him, when he led the 
public outcry against the war resolution. And I was honored to be 1 of 
those 23 Senators, and history has proven us also correct. For his 
incredible service to his State for which he was cited as the Greatest 
West Virginian of the last century, and I expect will be cited as the 
Greatest West Virginian of this century as well, and for that same 
quality of devotion to our country and incredible leadership to our 
entire Nation, we are all--all of the country men and women--in great 
debt to him. I am, again, deeply honored by his words.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator, and I 
will always cherish, as long as I live, his words.


                              Jim Jeffords

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, unfortunately, when Congress meets again in 
January of 2007, this Chamber and our Nation will be without the 
services of our esteemed colleague, Senator Jim Jeffords.
  Senator Jeffords has announced that he is retiring so he may spend 
more time with his lovely wife Elizabeth. May I make clear that 
Elizabeth's gain is the Senate's loss.
  For 32 years, Jim Jeffords has proudly and superbly represented his 
beautiful State of Vermont and our great country in the U.S. Congress.
  From 1975 to 1988, he was Vermont's lone Member in the United States 
House of Representatives. Now having served three terms in the Senate, 
he has decided to retire. I regret his departure. He is a Senator I 
have admired. He is a Senator I respected since he first came to this 
Chamber.
  Through his hard work and his dedication to this institution, he has 
helped to make the Senate a better place. For that I have been grateful 
and thankful. He is a polite, friendly, mild-mannered man whom it is 
always pleasant to be around. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who has never 
failed to demonstrate his love for our great country.
  This Senator is a great American who possesses a passion to do the 
right thing no matter what the consequence. He is a U.S. Senator who 
has always displayed a reverence for this institution, the Senate of 
the United States.
  While he has a natural, easy-going manner, he is a Senator who will 
work feverishly, who will work tirelessly for the causes in which he 
believes. Seldom has the Senate seen a stronger or more avid defender 
of the environment. He was one of the founders of the Congressional 
Solar Coalition. He has chaired the House Environment Study Conference 
and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. In Congress, he 
has constantly sought to broaden and to strengthen the power of the 
Environmental Protection Agency, and he has worked to ensure that 
important agency does its job.
  His efforts to protect our environment have earned him recognition 
and awards from a number of environmental organizations, including the 
prestigious Sierra Club.
  Senator Jeffords has been one of the Senate's foremost promoters of 
the rights of disabled Americans. Senator Jeffords has worked to open 
opportunities for them. He is coauthor of the Individuals With 
Disabilities Education Act, IDEA. For his efforts on behalf of disabled 
Americans, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, NMSS, honored him 
as its ``Senator of the year.''
  Senator Jeffords has been a promoter of the arts. He was a cofounder 
of the Congressional Arts Caucus, and not long ago as head of the 
Senate committee that oversees the National Endowment for the Arts, 
Senator Jeffords--yes, Senator Jeffords--was able to block a House 
effort to abolish the NEA.
  Senator Jeffords has been one of the Senate's biggest and best 
promoters of education. I have read some criticisms of Senator Jeffords 
for his continuous efforts to seek more and more funding for 
educational programs for America's youth, America's young people, 
especially special educational programs. He has even been accused of 
``bartering his vote'' on legislation for his own pet educational 
projects. I think this was probably meant as a criticism. If it were, I 
am sure that it is a criticism that Senator Jeffords wears with pride.
  I don't think there is anything more important to Senator Jeffords 
than seeing that all of America's children have every opportunity to 
fulfill their educational pursuits. For this, he certainly has my 
respect and my admiration. I applaud him. Yes, I applaud Senator 
Jeffords.
  Throughout his congressional career, Senator Jeffords, son of a Chief 
Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court and graduate of Yale University 
and Harvard Law School, has always displayed an independence of spirit, 
an independence of spirit for which he has been labeled a loose cannon. 
Knowing Senator Jeffords as I do, I know that his independence stems 
from an unrelenting determination to place doing the right thing above 
political or personal interest.
  While in the House of Representatives, Senator Jeffords was the only 
Republican to vote against President Reagan's tax cut bill because he 
charged it would increase the national deficit. And it did. In the 
Senate, he was one of two Republicans who voted against President 
Bush's first round of tax cuts because those cuts were irresponsible 
and favored the wealthy. Senator Jeffords was the only Republican 
Senator to cosponsor President Clinton's effort to overhaul our 
national health care system.
  I remember Senator Jeffords for being one of only 23 Senators who 
voted against going to war in Iraq. I have been in this Senate 48 years 
this year. I have cast 17,752 rollcall votes. I will say it again, 
17,752 rollcall votes. And of all these votes--I have said it before--I 
am most proud of that particular vote, the vote against that arrogant 
and reckless charge to war in Iraq.
  The Constitution says Congress shall have the power to declare war. 
It does not say that ``one person,'' it does not say that the President 
of the United States, be he Republican or Democrat, shall have the 
power to declare war.
  So, 23 Senators, including Robert Byrd and Jim Jeffords, voted to 
uphold the Constitution of the United States. That was the greatest 
vote ever cast in my 48 years in the Senate. If we only had more 
Senators with the courage, the determination and the character of Jim 
Jeffords, we might have avoided becoming involved in the bloody mess in 
which we now find ourselves in Iraq--with no end in sight. The Senate 
needs more Jim Jeffords.

  In September 2000, Congressional Quarterly included a nice profile of 
Senator Jeffords. That article discussed his willingness to take 
independent positions even on the most partisan issues. It also 
discussed his black belt in the martial arts and how he had joined with 
other esteemed colleagues--Senators Lott, Craig, and Ashcroft--to form 
that magnificent vocal group ``The Singing Senators.'' Congressional 
Quarterly pointed out that Senator Jeffords ``calls his own tunes,'' 
and I say he does. He calls his own tunes.
  Eight months later, CQ proved prophetic. In May 2001 came an event 
for which Senator Jeffords will often be remembered in his 32 years in 
Congress, the event that he has called his own personal ``declaration 
of independence.'' He followed his conscience and followed the path 
best for him. As I said before, we need more Senators like Jim 
Jeffords.
  I am sorry to have to say goodbye to this unassuming, fiercely 
independent man. As much as I would prefer that he stay, I understand 
and I respect his wishes.
  I wish Senator Jeffords and his lovely wife Elizabeth the blessing of 
Almighty God as they begin the next chapter of their lives.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.


                              Mark Dayton

  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I see my colleague from Minnesota, 
Senator Dayton. He will not be here in January, and I come to the 
Senate to associate myself with the praise of my distinguished 
colleague from West Virginia for Senator Dayton.
  We live in very partisan times. We live in times where there is great 
cynicism about politics. We come from opposite sides of the political 
aisle, and there are moments we are butting

[[Page S10582]]

heads on issues and press releases, but I have to say my colleague's 
heart is pure. On issue after issue, when Mark Dayton, the Senator from 
Minnesota, says something, he says it because he believes it and he is 
passionate about it.
  We worked together to try to make sure our troops, when they were on 
leave from Iraq, came home at no cost. We came together.
  Earlier today, we were in the Senate talking about agricultural 
disaster assistance for Minnesota farmers. The public does not see all 
the times we work together. They do not look into a man's heart. I have 
been here 4 years, and what I call the pureness of the heart, the 
commitment to public service, a lifelong commitment to public service, 
again and again at level after level on the State and now in the U.S. 
Congress is something to be celebrated.
  I express to my colleague and my friend--and we use that word rather 
loosely on occasion here, but he is my colleague and my friend--thanks 
for your service. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with 
you on behalf of the people of Minnesota and the people of this 
country.
  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent I might have 1 
minute to respond.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DAYTON. Mr. President, I thank my friend, and I mean that 
sincerely, and my very distinguished colleague from Minnesota for those 
very kind words.
  The Senator said we don't agree on everything, but we are not meant 
to agree on everything. That is part of the wisdom of the process here.
  I have endless respect for the Senator from Minnesota. He was elected 
to the Senate by the people of our State under very difficult 
circumstances in the immediate aftermath of the tragic death of his 
predecessor. He handled that situation with great dignity and class, 
and he has continued to do so.
  He represents our State with effectiveness, success beyond his young 
years. That is demonstrated by the high regard he is held in by most of 
the citizens in our State.
  I thank him for his friendship. I thank him for the opportunity to 
work with him. I wish him continued success after I leave the Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
  Mr. ENZI. Parliamentary inquiry: I think I have the next 45 minutes 
under the unanimous consent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is authorized to proceed.


                               Bill Frist

  Mr. ENZI. Mr President, soon the last remaining items of business on 
the legislative calendar for the 10gth Congress will be taken up and 
the current session of Congress will end. When it does, several of our 
colleagues will be returning home and leaving public service. We will 
miss them and we will especially miss the good ideas and creative 
spirit they brought with them to add to our work here in the Senate.
  One of our colleagues we will all miss is Bill Frist, our good friend 
from Tennessee. In his two terms of service he has compiled quite a 
remarkable record of accomplishments as one of Tennessee's Senators and 
as majority leader here in the Senate.
  Bill's interest in serving in the Senate began while he was attending 
Princeton as an undergraduate. He was an intern in the House when 
Representative Evins of his home State encouraged him to run. But, 
before you do, he said, do something else for 20 years or so. Then you 
will be ready to run for office.
  He knew that was good advice so he began a career that interested him 
and challenged him as much as politics did. Bill Frist became a surgeon 
and established a reputation as one of the best transplant surgeons in 
the Nation.
  We were fortunate that he chose that path in life, because his in 
depth knowledge of the practice of medicine and our Nation's health 
care system has been an invaluable addition to the debates we have had 
on those issues. His familiarity with health care from the perspective 
of the physician and his concern about rising costs as a member of the 
Senate helped to guide our efforts as we took up these and other 
matters in committee and on the Senate floor.
  In the years he has served in the Senate, he has put his medical 
skills to practical use several times. When a gun battle had taken the 
lives of two Capitol Police officers, he went to the scene to help. 
Although he was unable to save the lives of either officer, he was 
ultimately successful in saving the life of their assailant. On another 
occasion, we were fortunate to have him with us when Strom Thurmond 
collapsed on the Senate floor and needed assistance. Finally, he was 
able to revive and save the life of one of his own constituents who had 
been the victim of a heart attack.

  Many of our constituents remember Bill Frist the days in 2001, when 
the Senate was attacked with anthrax. Once again, Bill Frist was there 
to provide support and encouragement, and in that calm, reassuring 
manner of his, let the Nation know that we were doing everything we 
could to minimize the present danger and return the Senate to our 
normal pattern of work as soon as possible. The anthrax attack was a 
challenge that had never been faced before in the Congress, and Bill 
Frist showed his credentials as a leader during that difficult time for 
us all.
  During his service in the Senate, Bill has taken an active role in 
the consideration of a great many thorny and complicated issues that 
regularly come before the Senate. We were fortunate to have a doctor as 
our leader because, on many occasions, it was only Bill's bedside 
manner that helped him to forge agreements and develop bipartisan 
agreements on the Senate floor.
  Looking back, the record will show that one of Bill's greatest 
successes was the Medicare drug benefit. This new addition to the 
Medicare program is helping seniors to pay for their prescription drugs 
and it is having a great impact on the quality of the health care we 
provide our Nation's seniors. Although it is still going through its 
initial stages as it is introduced to the public, and we are working to 
ensure people understand the benefits it provides them, there is no 
doubt that we wouldn't have had a prescription drug benefit program 
enacted into law at all--if not for the role Bill Frist played in the 
effort. Working with program opponents and organizations in the public 
sector that opposed the new program, Bill was able to resolve many of 
the doubts and uncertainties that surrounded it, and ultimately, get it 
enacted by the Congress and signed into law.
  In addition, and in what was perhaps his biggest achievement, Bill 
led a successful effort to pass an initiative to fight AIDS in Africa 
and the Caribbean. He had a heartfelt interest in the legislation and 
firsthand knowledge of the problem it was designed to address because 
he had done volunteer medical work for many years in Africa. His 
witness of the impact of the disease on the population of that 
country inspired him to do everything he could to address and try to 
put an end to the suffering it caused. Bill can be very proud of the 
great result he achieved in that effort. That initiative is his legacy 
and it will save more lives over the years than we will ever be able to 
count.

  The record is clear. During Bill Frist's service in the Senate, 
especially his years as majority leader, the Senate and the Nation have 
faced challenges and addressed issues we had never had to deal with 
before. The war on terror. the detention of terrorists, the quality and 
definition of life, the future of our Nation's school system, partial 
birth abortion, stem cell research and so many more controversial 
issues have found their way onto the Senate floor for our 
consideration.
  Through it all, Bill Frist's knowledge, deep understanding of the 
issues involved, and determination to develop a consensus on them, so 
typical of his leadership style, enabled the Senate to be a pro-active 
and fully involved deliberative body. The results he achieved during 
his years of service in the Senate will be his legacy and help 
provide the foundation for the work we will do together during the 
110th Session of Congress.

  Now Bill and his wife Karyn will have the time they have always 
wanted to spend with their children as Bill considers his next 
opportunity for public service. Bill Frist has been a major part of our 
day to day routine in the Senate for 12 years and we will miss his 
presence, his influence on our legislative routine, and his expertise 
on the issues we have considered on the floor.

[[Page S10583]]

                             paul sarbanes

  Mr. President, there is always an element of sadness that touches us 
all when we come to the end of a session of Congress. As the clock 
winds down on the final hours of our legislative activities, it also 
signals the time when several of our colleagues will be retiring and 
ending their years of service in the U.S. Senate. One of our colleagues 
who will be leaving at the end of this session is my good friend Paul 
Sarbanes of Maryland.
  I remember when I first came to Washington years ago. I wanted my 
staff and I to hit the ground running, so I was reading up on the 
people who would be my colleagues in the Senate. One name caught my 
eye--Paul Sarbanes. It was noted that Paul was a brilliant man who was 
one of the Senate's most noted authorities on the detached nuances of 
finance.
  As the Senate's only accountant I found that comment to be a badge of 
honor. I knew Paul must be wearing it with great pride. I knew I would. 
I took an instant liking to him.
  Through the years Paul and I served on the Banking Committee 
together. Our 8 years of service there gave me an opportunity to come 
to know him and appreciate his skills as a legislator. He has a great 
ability to solve complicated problems by piecing together workable 
solutions and then reaching out to his colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to forge an agreement that could be passed and signed into law.
  As I came to know him, I came to greatly respect him, the hard work 
he puts into his job every day of the year, and his commitment to serve 
his constituents which directed his every effort on the Senate floor.
  A few years ago I had the chance to work with him one on one as we 
crafted the provisions of what came to be known as the Sarbanes-Oxley 
legislation. We became good friends during the process and developed a 
mutual respect for each other's positions on the issues.
  That was back during the days when several scandals had rocked the 
accounting and financial industries of our country. Determined to find 
a solution, Paul rolled up his sleeves and went to work. I don't think 
anyone gave him much of a chance to succeed, but those were people who 
didn't know him or his determination to find a way to solve a problem 
once it had captured his attention.
  As he began to work on his bill, he knew he wouldn't be able to pass 
it without the help of some Senate Republicans. On the other side of 
the aisle, we knew we couldn't get anything through the Senate without 
the support of several Senate Democrats. So Paul reached across the 
aisle and got us all to work together to bring his bill to the Senate 
floor where it was ultimately passed and signed into law.
  As he worked for the people of Maryland and I worked for the people 
of my State, we found, despite our political and philosophical 
differences, we were always able to find common ground on the 80 
percent of every issue that unites us. That is why Paul has a well 
earned reputation here in the Senate for his willingness to work out 
problems for the greater good. He is known for his ability to navigate 
through partisan waters and arrive at solutions which are appreciated 
by the thoughtful majorities of both sides of the Senate. If you ask 
me, those are the abilities that have proven to be the secret of his 
success.

  Back home, his constituents appreciate his workhorse style. He has 
served Maryland in the Senate for almost three decades and through it 
all he has earned the support of the people back home for his hard work 
and determined effort to make their lives better. The issues that were 
important to the people who sent him here always led Paul to the Senate 
floor to take up the cause and do everything he possibly could to 
protect and promote the interests of those who were counting on him to 
get results. Needless to say--more often than not--he did.
  Now three decades of service in the Senate have come to an end and 
Paul is returning home to Maryland. I know we will all miss his 
ingenuity, his creativity, and his ability to focus our efforts and 
lead on both local and national issues. It is a well known adage that 
all politics is local and that is a lesson that Paul learned and 
practiced as a master craftsman.

  Now he and Christine will have time to enjoy their families together, 
and be a part of all that Maryland has to offer. I have a hunch he will 
not be slowing down so much as changing direction. I also expect I will 
continue to hear from him from time to time on matters that will still 
draw his interest.
  It is a phone call expect and look forward to receiving in the years 
to come.


                              jim jeffords

  Mr. President, as the session draws to a close and we complete the 
consideration of the bills before us by casting our final votes of the 
session, I rise to express my gratitude and best wishes to one of our 
colleagues who will be retiring when the final gavel brings to a close 
the current session of Congress.
  Jim Jeffords, my good friend from Vermont, has decided to return home 
so that he can spend more time with his family. Although I will miss 
him, as will we all, I understand the reasons for his departure. There 
is nothing more important than family and the bonds between us and our 
children--and grandchildren--are stronger than any other in our life.
  As the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions 
Committee, I will miss Jim's 'good ideas, his commitment to making a 
difference, and his strong determination to make our education and 
health care systems operate more effectively and efficiently. He was 
an important presence on the Committee and he and his staff were always 
willing to work long and hard on the initiatives they proposed to help 
make our Nation a better place for us all to live.

  Looking back, 1974 was a good year for both Jim and me. I was elected 
to my first term as Mayor of Gillette, WY, and Jim was elected to his 
first term in the House of Representatives. We both took office full of 
great hopes and dreams as we looked forward to doing everything we 
could to make a difference in the lives of the people we were elected 
to serve.
  From the beginning, Jim was very clear on his mission in Congress. He 
had come here to make sure that our most precious resource--our 
children--were well taken care of. For Jim, the issue of education was 
not something he took lightly. It was a commitment that came from his 
heart. He took the problems of our schools personally and he was 
determined to do something about them. He wanted everyone to have the 
same advantages in life that he had. That was his goal and it inspired 
him and drove his active involvement in the consideration of the 
education issues that would come before the House and the Senate.

  Jim's passion for education not only drove his work on the subject in 
Congress, but it also led him in the years to come to serve as a tutor 
at a public school on Capitol Hill each week as part of a literacy 
program he created. That program reaches out to involve us all in 
supporting our public schools. Its philosophy is simple. Anyone can 
make a difference in our schools. All it takes is a little investment 
of our time and a willingness to share our talents with the students of 
a local school.
  Not long after Jim had taken his oath of office in the House, he 
began working on what was to be one of his greatest successes, the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA as it has come to 
be known. Over the years IDEA has ensured that students with 
disabilities have equal access to a good education--and a promising 
future. Thanks to this landmark legislation those living with 
disabilities will receive the education, support and encouragement we 
all need to help us become all we can be and reach our full potential 
in our lives.
  As he served in the House, Jim's commitment to working today to make 
things better for us all tomorrow led him to fight for meaningful 
environmental protections, a more effective and responsive health care 
system, and a sound fiscal budget that didn't overspend our present 
resources and leave a bill behind for future generations to pay.
  That is the philosophy that directed and guided Jim when he ran for 
and won a seat in the Senate in 1988. It wasn't long after he had taken 
the oath of office for his new position that he began working on the 
reauthorization of the Clean Air Act--another part of his legislative 
passion that will continue to be a key part of his legacy in the 
Senate. Even though he had just

[[Page S10584]]

begun his service in the Senate at the time, his good ideas and 
commitment to the protection and preservation of our natural resources 
made him an important part of the team that would write and promote 
this important bill.
  No one was surprised that Jim was a key Member who was involved in so 
many difficult and important projects as soon as he arrived in the 
Senate. He preceded me as Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and 
Pensions Committee and, under his leadership the committee took a close 
look at our schools and the quality of the education we provide our 
children. It considered how we might improve the training we provide 
our Nation's workers so that they might find and keep better and better 
jobs. And, it continued to look for ways that we might provide support 
and empower those living with disabilities so that all Americans are 
able to maximize their potential and live their own version of the 
American dream.

  Back home, Jim has deep roots in his State that date back for 
generations. His father was a Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme 
Court and I am sure he learned a great deal about politics, life and 
the law from his Dad.
  In addition, coming from Vermont, Jim has a great understanding of 
the challenges faced by small and rural States and the local industries 
they depend on to keep local and State economies healthy and strong. It 
has been said that Jim knows as much about the dairy industry as anyone 
directly involved in it in his State. He knows firsthand that one size 
fits all solutions that work well for the big States, all too often 
penalize the smaller ones and leave them without the support they need 
to address the same problems the large states face.

  In the years to come, when I think of Jim I will remember how he 
shared his dream of a better America with us. By daring us to dream, 
too, he encouraged us to work together so that the future would be a 
brighter one for us, our children and our grandchildren.
  There is an old saying the Native Americans in Wyoming know well. We 
have not inherited the earth from our ancestors, we are borrowing it 
from our children. It's a philosophy that Jim took to heart and put 
into practice every day during his many years of public service.
  Mr. ENZI. I ask unanimous consent following my remarks and Senator 
Dayton for 20 minutes, Senator Hatch be recognized to speak for up to 
15 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________