[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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
____________________