[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 1 (Thursday, January 4, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S199-S201]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ROBERT T. STAFFORD WHITE ROCKS NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask consent that the Senate proceed to 
the consideration of S. 159 which was introduced earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 159) to redesignate the White Rocks National 
     Recreation Area in the State of Vermont as the Robert T. 
     Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, it is with great sadness that I rise 
today to bid a final goodbye to one of Vermont's most distinguished 
public servants. On Saturday, December 23, just before Christmas, 
former Senator Bob Stafford from Vermont passed away at the venerable 
age of 93. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy of which he and his 
family and fellow Vermonters and all Americans should be exceptionally 
proud. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Robert Stafford, an 
extraordinary Vermonter, and especially a very dear and close friend.
  He will be greatly missed by me, my wife Marcelle, and by so many 
other Americans all across our country. We send our condolences to his 
wife Helen and his family.
  Born in Rutland in 1913, Senator Stafford attended his hometown's 
public schools. He completed his undergraduate work at one of our 
Nation's finest undergraduate institutions, Middlebury College. He 
briefly attended the University of Michigan Law School but ultimately 
earned his law degree from Boston University School of Law in 1938.
  Bob was a remarkable person not only because of his service as a 
statesman but also for his service in the military. He is a prime 
example of what has been so aptly named the ``greatest generation.''
  Senator Stafford courageously stepped forward to serve our Nation 
during not one but two foreign wars. In 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. 
Navy and served on active duty from 1942 to 1946. Again, when the 
Korean war began, he served from 1951 to 1953 as an officer in the 
Navy. Bob later became the first commander of the Navy Reserve Center 
in Burlington, VT. The center later moved to White River Junction in 
1995, and I was pleased to recommend to the Navy that the new facility 
be named the Robert T. Stafford Naval Reserve Center. They happily 
obliged. Throughout his life, Bob remained extremely proud of his Navy 
career. I still remember that beautiful day when we opened the new 
Naval Reserve facility named in honor of his leadership.
  Indeed, the recently completed Lake Champlain Navy Memorial was 
dedicated in his honor by the unanimous recommendation of its founding 
committee, made up of Navy veterans, retirees, and reservists.
  Bob Stafford was an absolute giant in Vermont politics. He spent 
almost 30 years representing our great State, first in the U.S. House 
of Representatives, and then in the U.S. Senate. Prior to his arrival 
in Washington in the early 1960s, he served his fellow Vermonters 
closer to home, holding a number of prominent State positions.
  He served as Rutland County State's attorney and deputy State 
attorney general, and finally as our State attorney general. From 1957 
to 1959, Bob Stafford held the post of Lieutenant Governor. In 1959, he 
went on to become Governor.
  In 1960, Bob Stafford was elected to Vermont's sole seat in the U.S. 
House of Representatives. He won five successive reelections. In 
September of 1971, he resigned his House seat to accept an appointment 
to the U.S. Senate following the death of Senator Winston Prouty.
  After he won a special election in January 1972, Bob proceeded to 
represent Vermont in the Senate during the next 17 years. I had the 
distinct privilege of serving with him during all but 2 of those years. 
He also had serving with him from the time he was Governor through the 
House and the U.S. Senate a most remarkable Chief of Staff, Neal 
Houston. He and Neal Houston were like brothers. They could almost 
complete each other's sentences. When I spoke to Neal and heard the sad 
news about Senator Stafford's passing, I knew he felt that he had lost 
a member of his own family.
  When I first came to Washington as a young man in 1974, I was a 34-
year-old junior Senator from Vermont. We didn't have any kind of 
orientation for new Senators at that time. Bob Stafford was an 
indispensable mentor to me. I will never forget the leadership and 
friendship he offered me during that challenging time.
  Interestingly enough, Senator Stafford was sort of the epitome of a 
Vermont Republican in the proudest tradition. I was the only Democrat 
ever elected. He took me under his wing during those early years. He 
was enormously helpful to me, his younger, far less experienced junior 
colleague. I will never forget that he even allowed me the use of his 
office before I was assigned a space of my own, where we could 
interview people for positions in my office and where telephone calls 
could be answered. He brought me around and introduced me to both 
Republicans and Democrats and basically vouched for me.

  But Bob and his wife Helen's kindness extended far beyond the 
confines of the Senate office buildings. Helen was kind enough even to 
offer to babysit our children when Marcelle and I were so new in town 
that we had nowhere to turn for childcare while we were house-hunting. 
This is a remarkable couple.
  To this day, Marcelle and I hold enormous gratitude for the 
friendship the Staffords offered during our early years in Washington. 
That friendship has continued throughout the years, and we have many 
fond memories of visiting their home on Sugar Hill Road. Even after Bob 
left the Senate, we would drop by and visit. We had some most 
remarkable conversations--some political, some family, and after all of 
them I would leave with a smile on my face.
  Bob was an extremely well liked member of the Republican Party. He 
served at one time in the Republican leadership, but he also formed 
many close friendships with Senators on the Democratic side. Always 
respectful, always polite, Bob Stafford consistently recognized the 
importance of moderation and compromise. He, better than most, knew how 
to form bipartisan alliances.
  In his quiet and unassuming manner, Bob Stafford fought hard for the 
issues that mattered most to him. He believed passionately that higher 
education should be more accessible to all Americans, regardless of 
their socioeconomic status, and he was instrumental in creating the 
student loan program which today bears his name. The Stafford Student 
Loan Program has made higher education more accessible for millions of 
Americans, even for some who work in my office today. Bob was a 
champion of vocational education. Today the Stafford Technical Center, 
located in his hometown of Rutland, serves the needs of hundreds of 
students in Rutland County.
  Bob showed tremendous leadership in blocking President Reagan's 
attempts to slash health and education funding. Thanks to Bob 
Stafford's hard work, programs for disabled Americans and legal aid 
were left largely intact during much of the 1980s when other programs 
were starkly scaled back. His chairmanship made sure they were 
protected.
  Bob Stafford also played an important role in another issue of 
enormous relevance today, Federal emergency assistance. In 1988, 
President Reagan signed into law the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief 
and Emergency Assistance Act, a bill which provides the statutory 
authority for Federal disaster response activities pertaining to FEMA 
programs.
  While his achievements in the areas of education and Federal disaster 
relief were certainly superb, I believe his most enduring legacy will 
be for the work he did in protecting the environment and public health. 
He helped

[[Page S200]]

shape and strengthen some of our Nation's most critical environmental 
laws for over two decades.
  As chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee from 1981 
to 1986, Bob Stafford was instrumental in persuading Congress to expand 
and strengthen the Superfund toxic waste cleanup law in the mid-1980s. 
It was in large part due to Robert Stafford's unwavering commitment to 
this bill in 1980 that the Superfund Act became law at all. As many of 
us know, this law has been indispensable in forcing industry polluters 
to contribute money to finance cleanup and restoration of contaminated 
wastesites.
  Bob Stafford believed passionately in the Federal Government's 
commitment to improving the quality of our Nation's air. This was never 
more evident than in his steadfast work to uphold the Clean Air Act 
when it was under attack during the 1980s. He did not shirk from taking 
on his friend President Reagan as well as auto manufacturers and other 
industry groups in refusing to roll back this critical air pollution 
law.
  In fact, I remember talking to him once. They were so anxious to get 
him to change and let these rollbacks go through that they invited him 
down to the White House, to spend some one-on-one time with President 
Reagan. The Reagan administration amazed many of their members 
afterward that Bob didn't back off at all. He came back and kept on 
protecting the environment.
  I said to him: Bob, what happened when you went down there to talk 
with President Regan?
  He said: Well, the President had notes of what he was supposed to say 
and he said it. Then he looked at me and he said: Bob, you're probably 
not going to give in, are you? Bob said: No, no, I'm not, Mr. 
President, but I certainly appreciate the time to be with you.
  I said then: What did you talk about the rest of the time?
  Oh, we talked about our kids, we talked about sports, we talked about 
a lot of other things. He said: I had a wonderful conversation with 
President Reagan. But he did not budge on the environment, something no 
Vermonter would do.
  His concern about the contamination of our air was truly remarkable. 
The consistent and clear manner in which he spoke about the danger of 
ozone depletion, acid rain, and the release of greenhouse gases related 
to global warming, during a very difficult period, was a source of 
inspiration to so many of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. It 
certainly was an inspiration to me.
  As EPW chairman, Senator Stafford also led the fight to improve the 
quality of our water. Working closely with Senator John Chafee and 
others on both sides of the aisle, his leadership was critical in 
reauthorizing the Clean Water Act in 1987. Bob cited the passage of 
this act as the culmination of one of the greatest bipartisan efforts 
in protecting our Nation's environment. It really was. Republicans and 
Democrats came together. It gave me enormous pride to see him appear 3 
years ago before the Senate in celebrating the act's 30-year 
anniversary. Thanks to Bob's leadership during those difficult years of 
deregulation, our Nation was able to make great strides in reducing the 
levels of pollutants and contaminants in our water.
  Even after he retired from Congress, he served Vermont in many ways. 
He was a member of the University of Vermont's School of Natural 
Resources Advisory Committee and attended the day-long hearings with 
his wife Helen up to just a few years ago. He also lectured at UVM, 
Norwich University, and Castleton State College. In 2003, his old alma 
mater, Middlebury College, honored both Bob and his wife Helen, also a 
Middlebury graduate, by inaugurating the Robert and Helen Stafford 
Professorship in Public Policy. Two people who had been together almost 
all their lives are together in this professorship.
  Also in retirement, Bob continued to fight for clean air. In 1995, he 
joined forces with his friend and former colleague, Senator Edmund 
Muskie, in incorporating the Clean Air Trust, a nonprofit organization 
dedicated to upholding and enforcing clean air legislation.
  He leaves so many impressive achievements for his lifelong work in 
public service. But outside these public accomplishments, Senator 
Stafford was also a man of many personal hobbies and interests. It kind 
of reflects who he is. On weekends, he liked to slip out of Washington 
with his wife Helen and enjoy time on his boat, a full Moon, cruising 
down the Chesapeake Bay. Marcelle and I were fortunate enough to join 
them on occasion. He loved the water. He loved everything about 
sailing. You can tell why the Navy holds him in such high regard back 
home.
  He took flying lessons as a young man. He eventually got his pilot's 
license in the early sixties. In fact, he would pilot a leased Cessna 
back and forth between Washington and Vermont.
  It was a mark of this unique Senator that he welcomed and helped the 
first Senator of the other party to be elected in Vermont. I will 
always remember and cherish the walks we took down the halls and the 
times we would sit and talk at lunch. People thought we were talking so 
much about politics. We were talking about Vermont. We were talking 
about whether the foliage season was going to start early or late, and 
we would make a determined judgment when it would be. Heck, we had not 
the foggiest idea but, boy, we had fun determining when it would start.
  No Senator could have learned as much from his fellow Senator as I 
did, nor could a senior Senator be so patient and understanding with 
his junior. Throughout our time together, when I had been inclined to 
move impulsively, it would be Bob Stafford who would help me decide 
what was truly in the best interest of the country and Vermont. He was 
the most unflappable person I have ever known.
  I remember flying to Vermont with him once on a commercial airline. 
The plane hit a tremendous amount of turbulence. We suddenly dropped 
thousands of feet. At least one person was airborne in the cabin, and 
things were flying around. I know my pulse raced ever so fast. When the 
pilot finally got control of the plane with a shuddering, banging 
maneuver, I sat there stunned. I had sweat soaking through my shirt. 
Bob simply folded his paper--which he never stopped reading--turned to 
me and in a quiet voice said: Patrick, just think if this plane had 
gone down. Tomorrow morning there would have been a long line outside 
the Governor's office. Everybody would be saying what a terrible 
tragedy that we have lost our Senators, but, Governor, I am willing to 
be appointed to either one of the seats. I found that I was not so 
frightened, and I was able to laugh until it hurt, and I did laugh.
  Bob Stafford was a man who dedicated his entire adult life to public 
service because he deeply believed in the value of public service. And 
no matter where life took him, Bob stayed close to his Vermont roots. 
He never forgot the people he served. While many younger Vermonters and 
Americans may not know much about Bob Stafford, his public service and 
leadership are examples for all of us. Our country would do well to 
stop and take notice of his life and reflect on how we should all serve 
our Nation better with his bipartisan leadership style.
  It is with tremendous sadness that I say goodbye to this truly 
distinguished American, more importantly to an exceptionally dear 
friend. To honor Robert Stafford's legacy, Senator Sanders and I, along 
with Congressman Peter Welch from Vermont, introduced a bill to rename 
the White Rocks National Recreation Area. This is an area Senator 
Stafford created in 1984. We are naming it after him. White Rocks was 
among his most beloved natural areas in our State. We know that he and 
Helen could actually see the towering white cliff face of White Rocks 
Mountain from their home. This will remind generations of future 
Vermonters of Senator Stafford's towering achievements and the humanity 
of his spirits.
  I hope all my colleagues will support this legislation.
 Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, on this first day of the 110th 
Congress, I pay tribute to a former Member of this esteemed Chamber. On 
December 23, 2006, Senator Robert Stafford passed away. This was a 
tremendous loss for both Vermont and the country. There is no doubt, 
however, that his accomplishments in many areas will continue to be 
felt across this great Nation for countless years to come.

[[Page S201]]

  A native of Rutland, VT, Senator Stafford was born in 1913. Before 
representing Vermont in Washington, Bob Stafford spent years serving 
the people of our State, including as Attorney General. In 1960 he 
began service as Vermont's single voice in the U.S. House of 
Representatives, where he remained until 1971, when he became a Member 
of this hallowed body. During his 17 years in the United States Senate, 
Senator Stafford was known for his commitment to bipartisanship and 
congeniality.
  Senator Stafford left his mark on our country in more ways than can 
be mentioned here today. He had an unwavering dedication to making 
education within reach of all our country's citizens and today, 
countless Americans--maybe even some of the younger members in this 
Chamber--have benefited from the Stafford Student Loan program. 
Additionally, his commitment to the environment and public health was 
unshakable. Bob Stafford, from his position as Chairman of the 
Environment and Public Works Committee from 1981 until 1986, worked 
tirelessly to address both air and water quality issues, even when it 
meant doing so against the wishes of his own leadership, at the highest 
levels. His courage on all of these issues, and so many others, will 
never be forgotten.
  Leaving the Senate did not stop Robert Stafford from contributing to 
the common good. In fact, he remained active at the state level and 
continued to fight for protection of the environment. I can only hope 
that I will be as engaged for as long as he was.
  To honor Senator Stafford, Senator Leahy and I, along with 
Representative Welch, introduced a bill today to re-designate the White 
Rocks National Recreation Area in our fine state as the ``Robert T. 
Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area.'' This is a small, but 
fitting, tribute to his memory.
  Bob Stafford was a true public servant. I am humbled to be serving 
the State of Vermont in the seat he once held. He dedicated his life to 
serving others and to creating a better world. My thoughts are with his 
family as they mourn his passing. And may the example he set during his 
many years be emulated for many to come.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask consent that the bill be read the 
third time, passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, 
and any statements related to the bill be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 159) was ordered to a third reading, was read the third 
time, and passed, as follows:

                                 S. 159

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. ROBERT T. STAFFORD WHITE ROCKS NATIONAL RECREATION 
                   AREA .

       (a) Redesignation.--The White Rocks National Recreation 
     Area in the State of Vermont, as established by section 202 
     of the Vermont Wilderness Act of 1984 (16 U.S.C. 460nn-1), is 
     redesignated as the ``Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National 
     Recreation Area''.
       (b) References.--Any reference in a law, map, regulation, 
     document, paper, or other record of the United States to the 
     recreation area referred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed 
     to be a reference to the Robert T. Stafford White Rocks 
     National Recreation Area.

                          ____________________