[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6490-S6493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING JESSE HELMS

  Mrs. DOLE. Madam President, yesterday, hundreds of people from all 
walks of life and across the political spectrum traveled from near and 
far to Hayes Barton Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC, to pay their final 
respects to United States Senator Jesse Helms and to express 
condolences to his beloved wife, Dot, and their family.
  In the days since Jesse's July 4 passing, we have heard it said by 
many: You knew where Jesse Helms stood. As my husband, Bob Dole said, 
``You didn't have to look under the table. You always knew where Jesse 
was.''
  Even those who disagreed with Jesse on an issue could respect the 
fact that he always stood tall and firm--for his convictions, his 
faith, his family, his home State of North Carolina, and the United 
States of America.
  When I announced that I was running to succeed Senator Helms--and I 
have always said ``succeed'' him because no one could replace him--I 
pledged to continue his commitment to constituent service that was 
second-to-none. He helped thousands upon thousands of North 
Carolinians, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike. No problem 
was too small or too great for Jesse and his staff to take on during 
his 30 years of service for the people of our State and the Nation.
  I can still hear my father saying, ``Jesse Helms is our watchdog. 
He's a relentless watchdog for North Carolina and for America!'' And 
Jesse often recalled that my mother was on the front row at his very 
first rally in Rowan County. Through the years, Jesse unfailingly 
phoned my mother on her May 22 birthday, and she lived to be just 4 
months short of 103 years old. In fact, Jesse would often stay late at 
his Senate office, making thoughtful phone calls and writing personal 
letters to constituents, colleagues, and friends.
  For all his small gestures of kindness and his great acts of service, 
Jesse Helms was not driven by self-serving motives. He did not seek 
recognition for good deeds, or public acclaim for success. Jesse 
shunned the spotlight of the Sunday morning talk shows. The people he 
served from North Carolina, he said, weren't watching, they, like he 
and Dot, were in church.
  In 1997, Fred Barnes wrote a piece in the Weekly Standard that 
proclaimed: ``Next to Ronald Reagan, Jesse Helms is the most important 
conservative of the last 25 years . . . and the most inner-directed 
person in Washington.'' And Fred adds, ``No conservative save Reagan 
comes close to matching Helms' influence on American politics and 
policy in the quarter century since he won a Senate seat in North 
Carolina.'' Of course many have said that President Reagan might never 
have been elected at all without the help of Jesse Helms in the 1976 
North Carolina primary--a win most pundits credit with rejuvenating the 
Reagan campaign--and setting Ronald Reagan up to win the nomination 4 
years later.
  On the national political stage, Jesse Helms was known by both fans 
and critics as a tough-as-nails Senator who

[[Page S6491]]

was a relentless fighter for the causes he believed in. A master of the 
Senate rules, he would use them to call up votes that required his 
colleagues to go on the record on difficult issues. He believed the 
American people were entitled to know their representatives' positions. 
But it was Jesse's kindness to Senate employees, his pride in his staff 
and his love for helping youngsters that made him absolutely legendary. 
He would ask the Senate pages, ``Would you like to go down and have 
some ice cream in the Senate Dining Room?'' Imagine the thrill for 
these young people when the renowned chairman of the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee took time out to sit down and talk with them over 
ice cream.
  A gentleman always, Jesse was known for his civility, among his 
colleagues, the elevator operators, the Capitol Hill police, and all 
who worked throughout the Capitol.
  This past Monday evening, the Senate approved a resolution--
cosponsored by all 100 Senators--honoring the life, career and great 
achievements of Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. His public career certainly 
yielded many notable accomplishments as a leader in the fight against 
communism, as a staunch protector of U.S. sovereignty, as a reformer of 
the United Nations, and as the first legislator of any nation to 
address the United Nations Security Council.
  That said, in keeping with Jesse's character and his own commitment 
to himself not to become a ``big-shot senator,'' he would probably like 
for us to consider that his greatest accomplishments were in his roles 
as husband, father, grandfather, and friend.
  My husband Bob and I are forever grateful that we were able to call 
Jesse Helms a friend and colleague for so many years, and we extend our 
deepest sympathies to the Helms family in this difficult time.
  Mr. BURR. Madam President, I rise to honor a friend, a mentor, and a 
colleague I thought was a true statesman. I mourn the passing of one of 
North Carolina's greatest sons, Senator Jesse Helms. Senator Helms 
passed away last Friday, the Fourth of July, a very fitting day for 
Senator Helms to leave because of his deep belief in the independence 
of this country, in the liberties and freedoms we have.
  It says a lot when you can simply mention a man's first name in his 
home State and everyone knows exactly who you are talking about. Jesse, 
as most North Carolinians referred to him, was a true gentleman. He was 
a good man who fought hard for what he believed in. Some core 
principles--free enterprise, traditional values, and a strong national 
defense--guided his 30 years of service in this institution, the 
Senate. He never relented in his pursuit to defend his beliefs or to 
stand up for his constituents, and he wouldn't shy away from an 
unpopular idea. Jesse Helms was a fearless, honest man who was 
considered by all who actually knew him as a true patriot. Those he 
served with on both sides of the aisle considered him one of the most 
influential Members to enter service in this body. You may not have 
agreed with him on every issue or any issue, and you may have been 
disappointed by some of the positions he took, but he was respectful, a 
soft-spoken man with an impeccable character and a professional and 
personal integrity that could never, ever be challenged.
  It speaks volumes that one of his closest friends among his 
colleagues was the late Paul Wellstone of Minnesota. Both men were, to 
borrow from Senator Helms' description of Senator Wellstone, 
``courageous defenders of what they believed.''
  Senator Helms harbored honored qualities that today too often are 
taken for granted. If Jesse Helms looked you in the eye and gave you 
his word, you could count on him to deliver. Jesse's word was better 
than any written agreement or signed contract. He was a man you could 
trust when you shook his hand.
  Certainly, a contributor to these qualities was his humble origins in 
the small town of Monroe, NC. I can speak for days attempting to 
describe the full impact that Senator Helms had on my home State of 
North Carolina and the impact he had on this great Nation. But Jesse 
Helms was more than a champion of one State or one nation. He was a 
global force and was always willing to stand up to oppressive 
governments, dictatorships, and ineffective international 
organizations. Some of the more controversial positions he voiced 
during the course of his career might have clouded the mammoth change 
his service to our Nation brought to the entire world.
  As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, he wasn't afraid to 
boldly speak his mind in the interest of defeating international 
tyranny, promoting U.S. sovereignty, and solidifying our Nation's place 
as the leader of the free world. His global influence is still 
noticeable in many ways within the international arena.
  Among his historic accomplishments were his tireless efforts toward 
the much needed reforms of the United Nations. For a legislator, Jesse 
wielded a unique international prominence that was proven when he was 
invited to be the first legislator from any nation to address the 
United Nations Security Council. Through his service, Jesse made our 
country safer. But his passion for protecting our national security, 
assuring our global distinction, and preserving our valuable individual 
democratic freedoms ran much deeper than his broad foreign policy work 
might suggest.
  One of Jesse's most impressive qualities was that he never lost sight 
of his role in Washington. He knew that as Senators, we are sent here 
to serve the constituents of our home States, not with the power of the 
position. Jesse Helms focused his most unwavering efforts toward seeing 
every single one of the constituents who contacted his office. It is a 
path I have endeavored to follow, and I am grateful to him for having 
provided that model. If you were from North Carolina and you had a 
question you wanted answered by the Federal Government, Jesse would get 
you the answer. It didn't matter what your political affiliation 
happened to be or who you supported in an election. Jesse Helms 
mastered the art of constituent service. It wasn't unusual for him to 
pick up the phone himself, call a civil servant at a Federal agency 
working on a particular piece of case work that was lingering 
unresolved, and directly ask for an answer himself. That is the kind of 
man Senator Helms was. He wasn't interested in the rank-and-file 
bureaucratic hierarchy of the Federal Government. He wanted answers to 
questions, questions that his hard- working, Federal taxpaying 
constituents had. So in his gentle and respectful tone, he would simply 
ask for an answer.
  Constituents knew they could turn to their home State Senator to 
solve their problems. Even if they disagreed with Jesse's politics, 
they knew he would help them. It will surprise no one who reads his 
memoirs that he dedicates an entire chapter to constituent service. I 
read it as a tribute to those who worked for Senator Helms on behalf of 
North Carolina for so many years. The stories about his focus on 
constituent service sound almost legendary. I am sure many of my 
colleagues, and no doubt a number of North Carolinians, have heard the 
one about two liberals chatting about the problem one of them was 
having in getting a Federal agency to respond to a question of one kind 
or another. It could have been about a problem with a Social Security 
check or a disability payment or any of the hundred other things that 
congressional offices deal with on behalf of their constituents on a 
daily basis.
  One was complaining to the other that they were at the end of their 
rope. They are tired of everything, including their congressional 
representative. The other one listened intently, nodding in sympathy 
with the plight of their friend. When the friend was done talking, the 
other thought for a moment and finally said: I hate to say it, but it 
is time for you to call Jesse.
  When it came to constituent service, ``Senator No,'' as he was often 
referred to by his critics, was more often than not actually ``Senator 
Yes.''
  John Wooden, the great basketball coach, once said:

       You can't live a perfect day without doing something for 
     someone who will never be able to repay you.

  Jesse Helms lived his days in the Senate by that creed.
  Senator Helms proved that you do not need to win by a landslide to 
make policy or to make a difference. As he might put it, he campaigned 
and legislated based upon his principles rather than his preferences. 
Those principles

[[Page S6492]]

and his constituents guided his public service. He was successful in 
his work, however, because of his willingness to take a stand.
  Much has been made, of course, about Jesse Helms's stands against 
programs and spending that he felt were misguided or were not a proper 
responsibility of the Federal Government. Those stands had a tendency 
to be misunderstood. If you did not know where Senator Helms stood on 
an issue, it was probably because you did not ask.
  Madam President, today I thank Jesse Helms. I thank Senator Helms for 
his service, for his leadership, for the fact that he was willing to 
take a stand, a stand that was not popular every time, a stand that he 
believed was right, not because of any political influence but because 
of what he understood this job to be about.
  Jesse Helms today enters a house that I think he looked forward to 
being in. It is not the House of Congress. But truly, Jesse Helms was 
greeted with the sound of angels and the words ``good job.''
  Today, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Dot and their 
entire family. His Senate colleagues miss him. But the Senate is a much 
better institution today for the 30 years of service of Senator Jesse 
Alexander Helms, Jr.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. BYRD. Madam President, back in the 1960s, Jesse Helms was the 
commentator for WRAL radio in North Carolina, and on his radio program, 
he offered me support and comfort for some controversial views which I 
held at the time.
  Although Helms had worked as a staffer for two different Senators, as 
far as I knew, Jesse Helms and I had never met. But there he was, in 
Raleigh, NC, in a series of radio commentaries, defending my right to 
take positions based on my personal convictions and values. He said I 
was a Senator whose ``greatest strength'' was my ``dedicated 
independence of thought and action.'' I was a Senator who was ``neither 
easily frightened nor intimidated.'' A Senator who always stood ``up 
for what he regards as important.''
  I appreciated his support during those trying times. I never forgot 
it.
  Therefore, when Jesse Helms was elected to the Senate in 1972, it 
seemed that we were already well acquainted. We became friends as we 
came to know each other, and to respect each other.
  Jesse Helms was a courtly Southern gentleman of the first order, a 
product of the South and his beloved North Carolina, which happens to 
be my native State. Jesse Helms was also a deeply religious man of 
integrity, honesty, and patriotism.
  He believed in the Constitution. He believed in the Senate as an 
institution and in its premier place in our government. Senator Helms 
was one of those rare Senators who was never looking for another 
office. He wanted to be a Senator. He was grateful to be able to serve 
the people of North Carolina and the United States in this Chamber.
  And he certainly made his presence felt here in the U.S. Senate. 
During his years in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Senate 
Agricultural Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  More than once, Senator Helms was the singular ``no'' vote on a 
particular matter, i.e, the Frank Carlucci nomination as Secretary of 
Defense, November 20, 1987, 91-1: Elementary and Secondary Education 
Improvement Act of 1987, December 1, 1987, 97-1, S. 373. He proudly 
wore his well earned title of ``Senator No.''
  No matter what the press said, no matter what the pundits were 
saying, no matter what even his colleagues were saying, he never 
wavered in his convictions. The ``paramount thing'' for political 
leaders, Senator Helms once explained, ``is whether a man believes in 
[his] principles . . . and whether he is willing to stand up for them, 
win or lose.''
  Consequently, we always knew where Senator Helms stood. Take an 
issue--abortion, prayer in school, presidential nominations, reducing 
the deficit, taxes, government waste, the future of this country--if 
you did not already know where he stood, he was always ready to tell 
you.
  Some of his positions were unpopular. Some of them seemed extreme and 
doomed from the start.
  But, his differences with his Senate colleagues were always 
political, not personal. They were differences of opinions, not of 
heart.
  Madam President, I express my most heartfelt condolences to the 
family and friends of this extraordinary Senator.
  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to the memory 
of our former colleague, Senator Jesse Helms, who passed away, 
fittingly on Independence Day, a day which meant so much to him.
  A great deal has been written and said about Senator Helms. He was a 
man who provoked strong feelings--both pro and con--and he enjoyed 
being the subject of spirited discussions.
  It is well known and well told that Senator Helms could be, and often 
was, a tough opponent but also could be and often was an invaluable 
ally.
  He was a man of strongly held, deeply held views and was never 
hesitant to share those views with the rest of the Senate.
  But it is less well known that Jesse Helms was a kind and considerate 
colleague. Fifteen years ago, he welcomed a new Member from Texas into 
the Senate. I always appreciated his advice and his love of the Senate 
as an institution.
  Jesse Helms began as an editor at a newspaper in North Carolina and 
then went to a television station in Raleigh. It was the notoriety 
which he gained from being a TV commentator which led him to the U.S. 
Senate.
  Today we have many former colleagues who started in the U.S. Senate 
and are now TV commentators. It was typical of Jesse to do it the 
opposite way.
  He once said of his career in the Senate, ``I would like to be 
remembered as a fella who did the best he could and didn't back down 
when he thought he was right.''
  Jesse Helms was a man who had the courage to stand against the often 
transient winds of political convenience. He wasn't always right. He 
was right a good part of the time, but he was always Jesse.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, everyone in this Chamber is saddened by 
the loss of our former colleague from North Carolina, Jesse Helms. Many 
of us served with him, and know how dedicated a public servant he was. 
I didn't always agree with him; in fact, we disagreed much of the time. 
But one of the many wonderful things about working in the Senate is 
finding ways to work together with colleagues who have very different 
beliefs and goals for the good of the country.
  Senator Helms and I shared a commitment to ensuring that the U.S. 
only entered into trade agreements that are fair to the hard-working 
men and women of this country. I appreciated his commitment to that 
issue, and I was pleased to work with him to support fair trade.
  I also served with Senator Helms as a member of the Senate's Foreign 
Relations Committee. He served as chairman for many years, and during 
that time we also found common ground on the issue of most favored 
nation, MFN, status for China. Senator Helms and I worked together in 
opposition to granting MFN status to a country with such gross human 
rights violations. Together, we led the fight against MFN because it 
ignored the appalling human rights abuses in China, and abdicated the 
Senate's responsibility to exert pressure on the Chinese government to 
improve its record on human rights.
  In the wake of Senator Helms' passing, people will remember him for 
the many different things he accomplished in his lifetime. I add these 
memories to those remembrances of Senator Helms, who led such a full 
life inside and outside of public service. My thoughts are with his 
family, and the people of North Carolina he served with such dedication 
for 30 years.
  Mr. BUNNING. Madam President, I would like to pay tribute to a friend 
and great American Senator who, fittingly, left us on the Fourth of 
July--the same day as two of our Nation's Founders: Thomas Jefferson 
and John Adams--at the age of 86.
  In terms of a U.S. Senator, Jesse Helms was a heavyweight. Jesse 
Helms was relentless in his fight to defend the ideals that embody 
America. And no matter what policy Jesse Helms was defending during a 
debate, everyone could agree on one thing: you always knew where he 
stood and that he was a man of his word. A devoted and outspoken 
conservative, his principles of

[[Page S6493]]

small government and individual freedom served as an international 
microphone for American creed during the Cold War and beyond.
  While Jesse's political life was open to everyone, I had the distinct 
honor of knowing him on a personal level. In 1998, after serving in the 
U.S. House of Representatives for over a decade, I came to the Senate 
and was quickly greeted by Senator Helms--apparently Senator Helms knew 
a conservative when he saw one. As someone who shared many of the same 
philosophical views as Jesse Helms, we would often discuss contentious 
issues that arose before the Senate. During these moments I realized 
that, behind his hard public image, Jesse Helms was one of the most 
compassionate and sincere men I had ever met. This affectionate and 
friendly attitude brought out the southern gentleman whom we all loved.
  I will miss Senator Helms's political leadership, but I am happy his 
impact on our country lives on. Mary and I send our thoughts and 
prayers to his wife Dot and their family as they mourn for their loss 
and remember an extraordinary life.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Schumer). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

                          ____________________