[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11553-S11555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    REASSIGNING THE HENRY CLAY DESK

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, 6\1/2\ years ago the Senate acted to 
ensure that the desk of Henry Clay would forever stay in the family of 
Kentucky Senators.
  Henry Clay, the greatest statesman that my home State ever produced, 
served the people as speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, 
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Secretary of State under

[[Page S11554]]

President John Quincy Adams, and of course as one of the greatest 
Senators to ever walk through the Capitol.
  He was also honored to receive his party's nomination for President 
three times, in 1824, 1832 and 1844.
  The essence of legislating in the Senate, as 100 viewpoints are 
brought together to create one law, is compromise. Henry Clay became 
known as the Great Compromiser by forging the compromise that would 
keep his precious Union together.
  Clay did not compromise in the sense of forsaking his principles. 
Rather, his skill was to bring together disparate ideas and forge a 
consensus among his colleagues. That is a skill we could certainly use 
more of now.
  We recognize his dedication and service to our Nation by displaying 
his portrait just off the Senate floor as one of history's most 
outstanding Senators.
  In the 106th Congress, the Senate unanimously resolved that the 
Senate desk once used by Henry Clay would be assigned to the senior 
Senator from Kentucky, to maintain the Clay legacy.
  Only two other desks are so honored. In the 94th Congress, the Senate 
assigned the desk of Daniel Webster to the senior Senator from New 
Hampshire. And in the 104th Congress, the Senate assigned the desk of 
Jefferson Davis to the senior Senator from Mississippi.
  Since 1999 I have been honored to use the Clay desk, and would have 
been honored to do so for the remainder of my Senate career. However, 
in January I will begin service as the 15th Republican leader.
  With the Republican leader's position comes the Republican leader's 
desk--a desk equally steeped in tradition. First used by Republican 
Leader Charles McNary of Oregon in 1937, it has been passed to nearly 
every Republican leader since.
  Leaders such as Robert Taft, William Knowland, and Everett Dirksen 
have sat behind it. So have leaders I have been fortunate to know and 
work with, men like Howard Baker, Bob Dole, Trent Lott and, currently, 
Bill Frist.
  In fact, Senator Lott spoke on the floor on behalf of my resolution 
of 1999, and he also had some very kind words for me that I have not 
forgotten. I want to thank my good friend, the Senator from 
Mississippi, for that kindness.
  So I was faced with a decision, the same decision that faced Senator 
Styles Bridges of New Hampshire when he was elected Republican leader 
in 1952.
  At that time, Senator Bridges was using the famed Daniel Webster 
desk. Rather than give up that desk, he chose to have it moved to the 
front row of the Chamber, and he became the only Republican leader 
since Senator McNary to not use the Republican leader's desk. In fact, 
the Congressional Directory lists the desk as unassigned during 1952.
  I can understand Senator Bridges's decision to keep the Webster desk 
in the family of New Hampshire Senators.
  And yet it would be a shame not to follow the custom set by the 
Republican leaders I have just named, as well. So today, I come to the 
floor to offer a resolution to keep both of these venerable traditions 
alive.
  This resolution will amend the resolution of 1999 by adding that, if 
the senior Senator from Kentucky is also a floor leader, then the Henry 
Clay desk will go to the junior Senator from Kentucky. That way, we can 
ensure the Bluegrass State will maintain its link to a tradition 
symbolized by this mahogany desk.
  I am sure my colleague and friend Senator Bunning will honor and keep 
the legacy of the Henry Clay desk--a legacy I have been proud to help 
continue. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a list of every 
Republican leader to have used the Republican leader's desk be printed 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

List of Senate Republican Leaders Who Have Used the Republican Leader's 
                                  Desk

       The first Senate Republican Leader to use the Leader's desk 
     was Senator Charles L. McNary of Oregon, who began serving as 
     Leader in 1933 and began using the Leader's desk in 1937. 
     Since 1937, 11 Republican Leaders have been assigned the 
     desk:

     Charles L. McNary (Oregon), 1937-1944
     Wallace H. White Jr. (Maine), 1945-1949
     Kenneth S. Wherry (Nebraska), 1949-1951
       (Note: Sen. Wherry died on November 29, 1951. During 1952 
     the Congressional Directory lists the Republican Leader's 
     desk as unassigned.)
     Robert A. Taft (Ohio), 1953
     William F. Knowland (California), 1953-1959
     Everett M. Dirksen (Illinois), 1959-1969
     Hugh D. Scott Jr. (Pennsylvania), 1969-1977
     Howard H. Baker Jr. (Tennessee), 1977-1985
     Robert J. Dole (Kansas), 1985-1996
     Trent Lott (Mississippi), 1996-2003
     William H. Frist (Tennessee), 2003-2007

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 630 which was submitted earlier 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 630) allowing the senior Senator from 
     Kentucky to reassign the Henry Clay desk when serving as 
     party leader.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 630) was agreed to, as follows:

                              S. Res. 630

       Resolved, That S. Res. 89 (106th Congress) is amended by--
       (1) inserting ``(a)'' after ``That''; and
       (2) adding at the end the following:
       ``(b) If, in any Congress, the senior Senator from the 
     State of Kentucky is serving as party leader, the desk 
     referred to in subsection (a) may be assigned to the junior 
     Senator from Kentucky upon the request of the senior 
     Senator.''.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I have passed the baton, if you will, 
of the Henry Clay desk to my colleague from Kentucky, Senator Bunning, 
who is also here.
  I yield the floor and look forward to hearing his remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, first, I thank my senior colleague--not 
senior colleague but senior Senator from Kentucky for this wonderful 
gesture.
  Every young student in Kentucky knows the legend of Henry Clay. My 
wife Mary and our children all learned about Henry Clay in Kentucky 
schools. Many of my grandchildren in Kentucky have also heard the 
stories of Henry Clay's time spent as a member of the Kentucky House of 
Representatives where he became speaker, Speaker of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, Secretary of State in the United States, and U.S. 
Senator.
  Henry Clay served the people of Kentucky for nearly one-half a 
century. He also is called and should be called one of the greatest 
Senators in the history of the Senate for the compromises he brokered 
during the divisive war years before the Civil War.
  Henry Clay's legends remains with all Kentuckians today. His home in 
Lexington is a revered site in Kentucky. A statue and portrait of Henry 
Clay stands just off the Senate floor, and the desk of Henry Clay used 
when he served in this great body remains with us today, as well. As my 
colleague Senator McConnell said, he has used that desk since it was 
assigned to the senior Senator from Kentucky.
  Senator McConnell is a student of Kentucky history and a student also 
of the history of the Senate. Like Henry Clay, Senator McConnell has 
become a respected leader in this Senate. Now with Senator McConnell's 
new role as the Republican leader in the 110th Congress comes a new 
desk and with it, its own special history. He has been gracious to 
introduce and pass a resolution to allow Henry Clay's desk to remain 
forever in the family of Kentucky Senators.
  As the junior Senator from Kentucky, it would be an honor to serve in 
this Senate with the same desk that Henry Clay once called his own. It 
is with deep gratitude and thanks to my senior Senator from Kentucky 
for his work on this resolution that I have cosponsored, and I hope my 
colleagues are as excited as I am about what has just happened, the 
fact that my time in the Senate will at least be spent, partially, at 
the desk of Henry Clay, the great compromiser from Kentucky.
  I thank my senior Senator for all the work he has done in his entire 
Senate career and particularly today on passing Henry Clay's desk on to 
the junior Senator.

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  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.

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