[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 43 (Thursday, March 13, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S2034]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SENATOR HOWARD METZENBAUM

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, Senator Kennedy and Senator Metzenbaum were 
so often fighting for same causes and the same issues and showed the 
same courage. They both were and are heroes to many. I thank the 
majority leader for the time.
  A great son of Ohio, Senator Howard Metzenbaum, passed away last 
night in Florida. He was personally inspirational to so many. He 
changed the lives of Ohioans, as he changed the lives of so many 
Americans through his lifetime commitment to public service. I am 
honored to hold his seat in the Senate and to follow in his footsteps.
  According to Senate tradition, many Members of the Senate carve their 
names in the drawers of the desks that line the rows. Whoever has 
Senator Metzenbaum's desk can, with all of us, share in the legacy of 
his greatness.
  As different as they were, Senator Metzenbaum and Senator John Glenn, 
who served together for almost two decades, made an unparalleled team 
for Ohio.
  Senator Reid mentioned that Howard was a child of poverty. He was a 
child of prejudice growing up as a Jew on the east side of Cleveland 
and suffered both from his family's poverty and antiSemitism in all too 
many cases. He worked his way in jobs, starting as a 10-year-old, 
through Ohio State.
  Senator Reid told us that in the Senate, Senator Metzenbaum was a 
master of the rules, a constant presence in an often empty Chamber, who 
would, when leaving the Chamber, post an aide to scout for an 
unexpected amendment or hastily scheduled floor action on various 
bills. Once, when a 2-week filibuster was cut off and Metzenbaum was 
still determined to block action on lifting natural gas price controls, 
he and a partner sent the Senate into round-the-clock sessions by 
demanding rollcall votes on 500 amendments. He did not care if he 
angered his colleagues. He did not care if he was liked every day by 
his colleagues. What he cared about was to fight for economic and 
social justice for the 10 million citizens whom he represented in Ohio 
and for the 250 million or so Americans when he served in the Senate.

  The Washington Post, in 1982, said that Senator Metzenbaum 
singlehandedly saved at least $10 billion by blocking special interest 
tax breaks and pork-barrel programs.
  I remember watching Senator Metzenbaum when I served in the House, at 
the beginning of my House career and at the end of his Senate career. I 
watched him as a younger elected official in State politics. Even as he 
was getting older and he began to show his age, when he stood in front 
of an audience, the energy just burst from him. Fiery passion for 
economic justice and social justice poured forth from Howard 
Metzenbaum. He would start at the podium--he is the first politician I 
saw do this--and as he would work his way up into his speech and begin 
to inspire people, he would come away from the podium and walk out into 
the audience, and he had a strong, powerful voice even when he was no 
longer speaking into the microphone. People would always respond with 
the same kind of passion and be inspired by him. That is my clearest, 
favorite memory of him. His legislative record, of course, was so 
important too. One of the most important things he did was the plant 
closing legislation, giving 60 days' notice to workers who too often 
have seen their jobs disappear with nothing to show for it--pensions, 
health care, all that.
  Howard Metzenbaum always fought for people who had less. He always 
fought for people who had less privilege than he had. He always fought 
for opportunity for people of all races and both genders and all social 
classes. That is what he will be remembered for.
  I particularly admire his family. Howard was a great family man--a 
man who cared very much about Shirley, his wife, and his four 
daughters: Shelley, Amy, Susan, and Barbara. He will be greatly missed.
  After his service in the Senate, as Senator Reid said, he became the 
head of the Consumer Federation of America. He never gave up his 
passion for fighting for ordinary people and for being a warrior for 
social and economic justice.
  Mr. President, I yield to Senator Kennedy, who was a comrade in arms 
in so many ways with Senator Metzenbaum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader is recognized.

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