[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 137 (Thursday, September 15, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5669-S5673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RELATIVE TO THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE MALCOLM WALLOP, FORMER SENATOR
FROM THE STATE OF WYOMING
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 268, 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. 268) relative to the death of the
Honorable Malcolm Wallop, former Senator from the State of
Wyoming.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. ENZI. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to,
the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon
the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 268) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 268
Whereas Malcolm Wallop served in the Wyoming House of
Representatives from 1969 to 1972, and in the Wyoming Senate
from 1973 to 1976;
Whereas Malcolm Wallop represented the people of the State
of Wyoming in the United States Senate with distinction for
18 years, from 1977 to 1995;
Whereas, while serving in the Senate, Malcolm Wallop
championed the development of space-based anti-missile
defense, supported legislation to reduce inheritance and gift
taxes, fought to restore fish habitats in the United States,
and opposed the control of the water resources of the State
of Wyoming by the Federal Government;
Whereas Malcolm Wallop created the Congressional Award
Program in 1979 as a challenge to young people throughout the
United States to change the world around them through
personal initiative, achievement, and service;
Whereas, in 1984, Malcolm Wallop coauthored section 1014 of
the Tax Reform Act of 1984 (Public Law 98-369; 98 Stat.
1015), commonly known as the Wallop-Breaux Amendment, which
remains today as the leading legislative initiative for sport
fish restoration in the United States;
Whereas Malcolm Wallop served as chairman of the Select
Committee on Ethics, ranking member of the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Armed
Services, chairman of the Senate Steering Committee, and was
the first nonlawyer in the history of the Senate to serve on
the Committee on the Judiciary;
Whereas, after retiring from the Senate, Malcolm Wallop
founded the Frontiers of Freedom Institute to continue
addressing the issues he championed as a Senator and to
ensure that the ideals he espoused were not forgotten; and
Whereas the hallmarks of Malcolm Wallop's public service
were conservatism, civility, and working for the western way
of life: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep
regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Malcolm
Wallop, former member of the Senate; and
(2) the Secretary of the Senate communicate this resolution
to the House of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy
[[Page S5670]]
of this resolution to the family of the deceased.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it was with a mixture of sadness for his
loss and gratitude for having known him that I received the news that
Malcolm Wallop had passed away yesterday. He was a man of strong
principles who served over the years with some truly remarkable people,
such as Dick Cheney and Al Simpson, to make up some of the most
influential and strongly united State delegations I have ever seen.
Those of us who served with him will remember him with a great deal
of fondness as one of the greatest warriors from Wyoming and the West
who have ever served in the Senate. Whether a person agreed with him or
not, he earned the respect of those he served with because it was clear
he spoke from the heart with words that reflected his commitment to his
home State of Wyoming and our Western way of life.
Malcolm was born in New York and later attended and graduated from
Yale University. He immediately felt the call to serve his country, and
he joined the Army. Then, when his days in the military were over, he
returned to his life as a rancher in Wyoming. It was a vocation he took
up with great passion as it reflected his love of the land and his
enjoyment of the great outdoors. I think those long hours spent on his
ranch gave him the time he needed to think about that which really
mattered to him and to his future. It must have been there that he
began to get his thoughts together and speak his mind on a long list of
issues that mattered to him and to all of those who shared his
political philosophy. It led him on a path over the years that would
see him writing a long list of prestigious and popular publications
that got him noticed and quoted throughout his long and productive
career.
Malcolm found his home on his ranch, but he really found his true
calling when he ran for and won a seat in the State legislature, first
in the house and later on in the Senate. It was in the State
legislature that he developed a well-earned reputation for being a
thoughtful legislator who became the voice of his constituents as he
worked to ensure their concerns were heard and heard clearly on a
number of issues that affected them and their daily lives.
Encouraged by what he had been able to do, Malcolm ran for Governor,
but God needed a legislator, so he lost the primary. Malcolm then set
his sites on serving in the U.S. Senate. He ran against a three-term
incumbent. He knew running for the Senate would not be easy, but he was
always one willing to do whatever was needed to ensure he achieved his
objectives. The Senate race proved to be no exception.
OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, had come
into being and drafted its first regulations. Malcolm noted the
requirements for extensive port-a-potties and built an ad that made the
point. Of course, we can't show videos on the floor, but I have to
describe this ad because it is still considered one of the classics of
running for office.
The camera first shows a cowboy in a blue work shirt and a tattered
straw hat saddling and mounting his horse while the announcer says:
Everywhere you look these days, the Federal Government is
there, telling you what they think, telling you what they
think you ought to think, telling you how you ought to do
things, setting up rules you can't follow. I think the
Federal Government is going too far. Now they say if you
don't take that portable facility on a roundup, you can't go.
At that point, you see the cowboy shake his head in disgust, and then
cut back to a donkey tied behind the cowboy's horse, and strapped on
the donkey's back is a portable toilet. The cowboy rides off.
That ad got him noticed and elected, along with his great ability to
explain things.
After a spirited campaign, Malcolm proudly took his oath of office
and prepared for the challenges that would lie ahead as Wyoming's
newest Senator. Some may have thought it wise to start slowly and
eventually gain momentum but not Malcolm. He got here and started right
to work on what he came here to do. Over the years, he served on a long
list of committees, and he had an impact on each and every one of them.
They included the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Finance
Committee, the Small Business Committee, the Armed Services Committee,
and the Select Committee on Intelligence. He will also be remembered as
the first nonlawyer to serve on the Judiciary Committee.
Malcolm served for 18 years in the Senate, and the record reflects
that he used his time wisely and well. Although it would be impossible
to list everything he was able to accomplish during his service, quite
a few milestones stand out that had a great impact not only on his
constituents but on people across the whole country.
His legislation to cut inheritance and gift taxes was passed by
Congress, an achievement that was hailed as one of the major
legislative accomplishments at that time on tax reform. He also fought
to stop the Federal Government's effort to control Wyoming's water
resources and the taking of private property.
Although Malcolm's career had begun right in his own backyard, it
wasn't long before he had expanded his sights and soon began to work on
energy and foreign trade issues which took him to conferences and
meetings all over the world. He had a great deal of success in those
efforts as he worked to strengthen our relationships with our foreign
trade partners. Because of his concern about our national defense,
Malcolm was heavily involved in the work that was being done
internationally on arms control. He was an active participant in a
number of those talks. Ultimately, the human rights issues and Western
pressure on them helped to bring about deliberations on the Baltics and
Eastern Europe.
Still, no matter where he was or what he was doing, he never lost his
focus on his constituents back home and how they were being affected by
what the Federal Government was doing or proposing. That is why so many
in Wyoming will always remember him as a warrior who fought with all
his might to put an end to the battle that was going on back then to
increase Federal regulations and reduce State and local control over
many facets of life in Wyoming and the West. He knew it had to be
stopped, and he did not rest until he made it happen.
Malcolm was a true conservative, and the principles and values that
meant so much to him helped to set his inner compass and guide and
direct him in everything he did. His commitment to conservative values
was so strong that it led him to create the Republican steering
committee, which now includes just about all the Republicans in the
Senate. He knew how important it was to create a working group that
would serve as a sounding board that would provide guidance and
direction for the ideas and proposals he and other conservatives wanted
to offer to control spending, to limit the growth of government, and to
ensure freedoms we have all come to cherish as Americans, to see that
they would forever be protected and preserved.
His love of outdoor sports led him to champion a tax on hunting and
fishing equipment that could only be used for habitat and facilities.
Supported by the sportsmen, that provision is still in place, and we
protect its use, to be used for what it was intended.
These are just a few of the items you could find on a list of
Malcolm's accomplishments in the Senate. There are many, many more that
would be part of the legacy of his service. But there is one more at
the top of the list which I know was closest to his heart and which I
have to mention before I close.
Throughout his life, Malcolm was a strong believer in the importance
of the volunteer spirit. That is why he proposed the Congressional
Awards program. First of all, it did not cost anything, which he
appreciated as a fiscal conservative. Secondly, it was best described
as a challenge issued to young people all across the Nation to get up,
get active, and get involved down the street, down the block, or across
town. It helped young people to realize that no matter the problem,
there was something they could do to help solve it.
Malcolm proposed the idea, and Congress soon passed it. No other
award program is quite like it, and no other award like it is issued by
Congress. It is not an easy award to earn. I am certain that is how
Malcolm intended for
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it to be. Any young American who has a dream they wish to pursue can
earn one of these important awards. Whether it is a bronze, silver, or
gold award, each participant sets his own goal and works with an
adviser to get there, step by step. They set their own standards in
four program areas: volunteer public service, personal development,
physical fitness, and exploration. How well they do in each of these
categories determines which award they will earn.
It may be because of Malcolm's status as the founder of the program
that it always seems to me that when the gold award winners come to
Washington, DC, for the presentation ceremony, there are more Wyoming
winners than those from any other State. Just like Malcolm, I am very
proud of the spirit of my State's young people and the way they answer
this and every challenge--with enthusiasm and determination to do
whatever it takes to succeed.
In the years to come, the Congressional Awards will continue to be
one of the best parts of Malcolm Wallop's legacy of service to the
Nation, and it will inspire and encourage countless more young people
to do whatever they can to change the world around them, beginning like
Malcolm did, right in their own backyard. It already has a great record
of successes, and I cannot think of a better way to remember Malcolm
Wallop. In fact, it is probably how he would most want to be
remembered.
After Malcolm had served three terms in the State senate and given 18
more years of his life to the people of Wyoming, he took another long
walk on his ranch, gave it some thought, and decided it was time for
him not to retire--for someone like Malcolm never slowed down--he just
felt it was time for him to change direction. So he announced he was
stepping down from the Senate to give someone else a chance to continue
the work that must be done to make Wyoming and our Nation a better
place to live for us all.
It was not long after leaving the Senate that Malcolm founded an
organization called the Frontiers of Freedom to enable him to continue
his work to address the issues of personal freedom and the need to keep
our government from growing too large and too powerful. I have always
felt, like Will Rogers said so many years before him, that he opened
his office just a short distance from Washington so he would be better
able to keep an eye on us.
In the years he served at the helm of the Frontiers of Freedom, it
was clear that it reflected the true north of Malcolm Wallop's inner
compass. Just like he had done for so many years, the organization was
completely focused on many of the issues he had worked on in the
Senate, and, like him, it was a much valued and important presence in
the ongoing conversation and debate about the direction in which our
country was headed and whether that needed to change.
Now Malcolm is taken from us all too soon. He will be greatly missed,
and he will never be forgotten. When I learned of his passing, my
thoughts turned to those Wyoming Senators we have lost over the last
few years: Craig Thomas, Cliff Hansen, and now Malcolm Wallop. They may
be gone, but their memories will live on and serve to remind us that
each and every one of us--Americans all across this country of ours--
has something to offer to make a difference in the world. If we do not
do what God has sent us here to do, no one else will be able to do it
for us.
Diana and I join in sending our heartfelt sympathy to Malcolm's
family and to everyone who knew him personally or politically or who
followed his public life. He was a remarkable individual who fulfilled
his life's dream by working hard, always giving the best he had to
offer, and constantly looking ahead to the problems that were looming
on the horizon so they could be addressed before they became too
difficult to handle.
At moments such as these, I have always believed there is no greater
gift we can give to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one
than to keep them in our thoughts and hold them gently in our prayers.
I have found that God has a way of hearing and healing us in our
darkest hours. May His presence now be a source of peace and comfort to
all those who mourn Malcolm's loss. The knowledge that there are so
many who will never forget him may, in time, help to soften the pain
his passing leaves behind for all who knew him, loved him, and called
him their friend.
To heal the empty spot in our hearts, I encourage all who knew
Malcolm to write down their memories and share them. I know with full
confidence this will not be the last time Malcolm Wallop's name will be
heard on the Senate floor. In the years to come, we will often think of
him and the example he provided at so many times. But for now, let us
say goodbye to our friend. He will be missed, but he will never be
forgotten.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to honor one
of our former colleagues and a dear friend. U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop
died yesterday, September 14, 2011, at his Wyoming home overlooking the
majestic Big Horn Mountains.
Senator Wallop will be remembered as a unique and enduring figure in
the history of Wyoming and in the history of the United States. Malcolm
was a stalwart defender of freedom and democracy around the world and a
determined advocate for limited government and opportunity for every
person. Like that iconic range in northern Wyoming that he loved,
Malcolm stood very tall--as a citizen, as a State and Federal
legislator, and as a loyal guardian for Wyoming people and our way of
life.
I want to send my deepest condolences to Malcolm's family back in
Wyoming and around the country: to Isabel, his wife; to his beloved
children, Malcolm, Matthew, Amy, and Paul; to his dear sisters, Jeannie
and Carolyn.
I also want to offer my condolences to all of those folks who worked
for Senator Wallop during his years of extraordinary public service. I
have met most and have known many over the years. My wife Bobbi served
on his very first staff in Washington, and last night she shared with
me again what we have all come to know: Malcolm was a kind, caring, and
extraordinary gentleman. Malcolm's staff served him ably and honorably.
I know there are also some in this body today who served alongside
Malcolm Wallop. You no doubt remember him well. It was just 4 years ago
that Senator Wallop returned here to this Chamber and attended my own
swearing-in on June 25, 2007. On that day, as is tradition, Senator
Wallop walked with me up to the President's desk to take the oath. He
stood with me during the ceremony and offered private words of
encouragement and advice. I was honored that day to have him there next
to me, and it saddens me greatly to join Senator Enzi to announce his
death.
Malcolm Wallop was someone I followed throughout his career. I
admired him greatly. He was a man whom many of us looked up to, as he
grew into one of the most influential legislators of his time.
``Hello, my friend''--that was his classic western rancher's drawl,
and it was what you heard if Malcolm Wallop was on the other end of the
phone line or came through the door. Malcolm was a real-life version of
anyone's image of a western gentleman.
Today, I remember him as a brilliant servant-leader. He possessed a
special western wisdom, which often found those around him racing just
to catch up. He found great contentment in all of the many facets of
his life. Even during recent years, when numerous medical challenges
conquered his physical body, his spirit and his intellect were never
diminished.
Public service was his heritage and his calling. His grandfather,
Oliver Henry ``Noll'' Wallop, founded the Canyon Ranch in the Big Horn
Mountains of Wyoming in 1888. That is before Wyoming even became a
State. Noll had the distinction of serving first in the Wyoming State
Legislature and then, later in life, in the House of Lords in Great
Britain. Noll was the youngest son of Lord Isaac Newton Wallop, the
fifth Earl of Portsmouth. When Noll's older brothers died, he
reluctantly returned to England to fulfill the family duty. However,
his own son Oliver, who was Malcolm's father, had been grown up and he
remained in Wyoming.
Malcolm was born in 1933, and Big Horn was always his home. His
children and his grandchildren are the fourth and fifth generations of
his family to make their lives in the beautiful
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Big Horn Mountain area of north central Wyoming. They ranch, they own
businesses, they teach, they raise their children, they serve their
community--all those things we do to make this Nation strong.
Malcolm was a pilot. He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S.
Army. He was a cattle rancher elected to the Wyoming State Legislature,
serving both in the house as well as in the senate from 1969 through
1976.
In 1974, Wallop ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Wyoming. But it
was during that summer campaign that Malcolm began to distinguish
himself as a principled and energetic future force in Republican
politics. He did not shy from the tough issues; instead, he seemed to
gather strength from the challenges.
Only 2 years later, he unseated incumbent U.S. Senator Gale McGee and
became Wyoming's 19th Senator, serving from 1977 to 1995.
When Malcolm was elected to this body in 1976, it was really
something. You heard about the commercials from Senator Enzi. Well, a
group of young people had gathered around to support his very unlikely
bid to serve Wyoming in the U.S. Senate. The national press called it
the Children's Crusade. Many of those young people came to Washington
with him, and my wife Bobbi Brown was among those, who began her own
public service career as part of his first-term staff.
It is an indication of the affection and the loyalty felt by those
who were part of his team that more than 60 people gathered with
Malcolm in Wyoming in 2006 for a 30-year reunion.
He served three terms in the Senate, and his work here was very broad
in scope. His presence was lasting, and it touched on the mercurial
issues of the late 1970s and 1980s, from energy policy to the
environment, from national security to tax reform.
One of our own colleagues, Senator Carl Levin, said of Malcolm:
While we disagreed, again, probably as often as we agreed,
that did not stand in the way of my admiration for the
quality, the characteristic that he had of letting you know
precisely where he stood and why.
He went on to say:
And his patriotism is second to none in this body.
Malcolm Wallop was the first elected official to propose a space-
based missile system, which eventually became part of our Strategic
Defense Initiative. He was highly regarded for his knowledge and
understanding of defense issues and surely helped bring the Berlin Wall
down. Later in his Senate service, he was a member of the Helsinki
Commission, and he traveled in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet
Union as an arms control negotiator.
Speaking of their strategic partnership, President Reagan said:
``Leadership, hard work, experience, loyalty to Wyoming--that's what
Malcolm Wallop is all about.'' Malcolm was fiercely protective of
States rights, property rights, the rights to privacy, and he was a
champion of the rights of the individual.
He was remembered for the Wallop amendment to the Surface Mining
Control Act, a property rights issue which forced the Federal
Government to compensate property owners whose ability to mine was
undercut by regulation. He worked successfully to protect State
interest in the Clean Water Act. He brought significant wilderness to
Wyoming through the 1984 Wilderness Act.
He was a key force behind the passage of the far-reaching 1982 Energy
Policy Act. Senator Wallop, on more than one occasion, commented that
he ``was not burdened with a law degree.'' Yet he was selected in his
very first term to serve on the Judiciary Committee, the first
nonlawyer ever so chosen.
Perhaps his greatest contribution was his landmark legislation to
address the heartbreaking issue of parental kidnapping. He was one of a
long and distinguished line of Wyoming Senators who served with
distinction on the Senate Finance Committee. His 1981 bill to cut
inheritance and gift taxes is remembered as one of the most substantive
changes to tax policy that decade.
He appreciated opportunities which allowed for private/public sector
partnerships. Early in his Senate career, there was talk of
establishing a national service requirement for young people. But
Malcolm felt that if we were going to require young people to serve the
Nation, the Nation should recognize them for the service so many were
already providing through their daily lives.
This resulted in his leadership to establish the Congressional Award.
He joined with colleagues in both Houses of Congress in a bipartisan
effort and a unique program available to all interested young people in
the country was created.
It is a program of Congress which operates with private sector funds.
It is an earned honor and is the highest honor which we bestow on our
Nation's young people. The many young people in my State who
participate in the Close Up program do so because Malcolm thought it
was an important opportunity for his young constituents. At the time,
Close Up only offered their program in the cities. Malcolm worked to
convince the Close Up Foundation that a statewide program would work. I
believe Close Up today counts their Wyoming program as one of its most
successful.
Malcolm Wallop reached across Capitol Hill. He reached across party
lines in the creation of the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, commonly
known as the Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund, which has resulted in billions
of dollars generated by users for support of fisheries and wetlands
around the country.
But it was not all serious. He was an enthusiastic supporter of his
staff's efforts to deal with their homesickness in July. In July of
1977, he held the first Frontier East, an east coast celebration of
Cheyenne's Frontier Days, which is known simply as COWPIE. COWPIE
stands for the Committee of Wyoming People in the East. It is still
today one of the Washington area's most celebrated summer events.
My wife Bobbi reminds me how absolutely joyful Malcolm was each year
on his birthday. His birthday was February 27. As Bobbi reminds me,
that is when his staff organized the Wally Awards, making great fun of
themselves and their boss. I am told the best was the impersonation of
him by his chief of staff, Bill Hill. That is the same chief of staff
who then went on to serve as Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme
Court.
Malcolm remained forever steadfast against the growth and the power
of centralized government. He warned: ``As we remain the sheep, the
government happily remains our shepherd.''
He talked often as a Senator of our shrinking freedom and the battle
to lay claim to our fragile liberty. That was Malcolm Wallop. When he
announced his retirement in 1993, after 18 years in the Senate, Senator
Wallop told the Casper Star Tribune simply: ``I don't think the only
place to fight for freedom is in the halls of Congress.''
His life after the Senate was filled with his continuing work on
issues focusing on constitutionally limited government, a strong
national defense, and the rights of the individual. To address these
issues, he founded the Frontiers of Freedom.
He spoke with power and eloquence about the issues which he found to
be the core of our great country. In a 2003 interview with Peter Evans,
he said:
You'll find in the American people an enormous sense of
pride and self assurance that only comes from people living
free. It's unbelievably invigorating, and very reassuring, to
know the great experiment is in the hands of people who don't
even know it, and isn't in the hands of the people who think
they hold it.
Malcolm Wallop was so many things. But what Malcolm Wallop was not
was sentimental. The new phase of his life was the full phase of his
life. He did not dwell on past things. His energy was always spent
looking forward.
I wish to conclude by repeating Senator Wallop's own words. Speaking
in 2005 before the Ronald Reagan Gala sponsored by the Frontiers of
Freedom, Senator Wallop spoke about his own beliefs.
Government was not meant to possess us, rule us, encompass
us, judge for us, substitute for us. It was meant to serve
us. We were founded as a noble self-governing tribe of free
people respecting each other as Americans under God--not
under Washington. Americans know this even if their
government does not.
The biggest difference between the principle of government
in America, and anywhere else is that here the rulers must
stick to clearly defined tasks, while ordinary people may do
whatever they wish. We must make up our minds to put this
principle into practice again, lest we lose the spirit that
made us the envy of the world.
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Most important, the American model is based on a certain
kind of people--defined not by race but by virtue and by the
willingness to take responsibility for our own lives. People
fit to be Americans ask for blessings only from God. Because
being Americans is not a matter of birth, we must practice it
every day--lest we become something else.
The size of our continent, its fabulous wealth, its
indescribable beauty, the ships, tanks and airplanes in our
arsenal, are no treasure compared to the moral character of
the American people. I pray to God that he will graciously
help us preserve and protect that splendid moral base.
To Isabel and his beloved children, Malcolm, Matthew, Amy, and Paul,
to his dear sisters, Jeannie and Carolyn, we thank you for letting him
share so much of his life with us all. There is no question our world
is better for the time he spent addressing the great issues of the day
and we are grateful.
We can cherish our memories and stories of Malcolm knowing he would
cast a wry glance and wonder why we were not spending our thoughts and
our energy on a challenge that needed our attention. It is what he
would expect of all of us. It is the example he left for us. It is his
legacy.
So, today, godspeed, Malcolm. The Senate, Wyoming, the United States
of America, has lost one of its most steadfast defenders.
I yield the floor and 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. BENNET. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________