[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 111 (Tuesday, July 8, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF SENATOR JESSE HELMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Senator 
Jesse Helms. Senator Helms, who passed away this past 4th of July at 
the age of 86, was renowned for his considerable personal warmth and 
his commitment to the good of his constituents. So it is no surprise 
that in the days after his passing, tales from his constituents across 
the State of North Carolina paid tribute to his decades-long track 
record of thoughtful constituent service.
  But Senator Helms was so much more than a good public servant. He was 
a man of integrity, and over the course of his 30 years of service in 
the United States Senate, you could always count on one thing: You knew 
where Jesse Helms stood on the issue. An outspoken conservative who was 
never bashful about defending the conservative principles of small 
government and individual freedom, he was a man who refused to 
compromise on his principles.
  Senator Helms knew a conservative when he saw one. This is why he 
helped propel Ronald Reagan to the national stage by orchestrating 
Reagan's North Carolina primary victory in 1976. In so doing, he helped 
prepare the groundwork for the eventual Reagan Revolution of the 1980s.
  As we remember the life of Senator Helms, we know we have lost one of 
the finest conservative statesmen of a generation. Senator Helms 
believed that America was the greatest nation in the world, and that 
belief informed his principles and the policies that he ultimately 
pursued. For instance, he knew that a strong America would be a 
signpost of hope for millions during the uncertain times of global 
communist influence in the seventies and eighties. As a strident anti-
communist, he fought to ensure America would be a bulwark against the 
forces of oppression and tyranny in the communist corners of the globe.
  Senator Helms was also an indomitable champion of life. He believed 
in the dignity of the lives of the unborn and fought with heroic energy 
to see to it that they might receive the protection they deserve. His 
pro-life legacy is still with us today. In fact, Senator Helms 
successfully amended legislation 35 years ago to include what is today 
known as the ``Helms amendment.'' This amendment, which is still in 
effect, mandates that no U.S. foreign aid money may be used to pay for 
or promote abortions.
  Yes, Senator Helms fought for the innocent unborn, he condemned 
widespread corruption in the United Nations before it was popular to do 
so, and he staked out clear conservative positions without having to 
consult a pollster. He was a one-of-a-kind leader who passed on 
conservative principles to many, including me. But his crusades were 
never just about him. Rather, he fought for his country and the ideas 
that he knew made America great.
  He said it best in his farewell address to the Senate: ``Being 
remembered isn't important. What is important is standing up for what 
you believe to be right, hoping that you have done everything you can 
to preserve the moral and spiritual principles that made America great 
in the first place.''
  Senator Helms' death last Friday was a profound loss for America and 
for the State of North Carolina. He served his country well, 
dispatching his duty to stand up for what is right with unrivaled moral 
clarity. He will be missed, and today my thoughts and my prayers are 
with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss and remember a 
life well-lived.

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