[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 164 (Wednesday, December 19, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8162-S8164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DANIEL K. INOUYE

  Mr. BAUCUS. Madam President, I would like to say a few words about 
our close, beloved friend, colleague, Danny Inouye. I am hard pressed 
to think of anyone in this body I respected and loved more than Danny 
Inouye. His broad smile, his desire to work with you, help you, his 
interest in finding common ground, his decency, his honesty, his 
forthrightness, and his dedication to service is unsurpassed.
  Someone pointed out to me that when Dan was first chairman of the 
House Appropriations Committee, he passed all of the measures through 
his committee virtually unanimously. We should stop and think about 
that for just a second. This place is now so polarized, it is so 
difficult to get measures passed. But Dan, as committee chairman, 
worked with his members so virtually every bill in his first year was 
passed unanimously. There was one that was 29 to 1.
  If only we would stop and reflect on that a bit, it would help us to 
work better together. Dan also worked very closely with Ted Stevens. 
One time Ted was chairman of the Appropriations Committee, another time 
the ranking member. The two of them worked very closely together to get 
measures passed through the Appropriations Committee. Other committees 
do the same; the chairman and the ranking member work well together. 
Regrettably, those measures then come out to the floor and become very 
polarized. That toxic dynamic of this echo chamber, Washington, DC, 
takes over once measures get on the floor.
  Everyone will talk about Danny as a military hero. He certainly was 
in so many respects. When Pearl Harbor was bombed, he tried to sign up, 
and he was refused because he was Japanese American. The Japanese were 
the enemy. But he and others petitioned the President and he was able 
to finally sign up.
  Danny served his country, our country, fully over in Italy, losing an 
arm. He was such a hero, storming several German machine-gunner nests. 
He was so brave because he was American. He was fighting for his 
country.
  Some may have mentioned, or some might in the future mention, Danny's 
statement to many of us who went to a Prayer Breakfast a few months 
ago. Dan did not ever go to any Prayer Breakfasts, but he went to one. 
He wanted to explain why he did something. It was one of the more 
touching moments in my memory here. It is when Danny went through a bit 
of his life, explaining how he was--in Hawaii, in a foster home or an 
orphanage, something similar to that, and a bishop would come by 
monthly to each of the young children, and say: What can I do for you, 
young lady; you, young man?
  Danny right away said: I want a home. And Danny explained how he then 
went to live in the Security home, raised by nuns. That went a long way 
to help Danny appreciate and understand decency, working together, 
community. It meant a lot to him.
  Later, at Pearl Harbor he wanted to sign up. He did and served. But 
when he explained all of this to us, he then mentioned how he stormed--
he was a very good shot. He was an excellent shot. He was a marksman. 
He was a sharpshooter. He recounted the first German he shot and killed 
in Italy.
  At that moment he was pretty proud of himself, very patriotic. I am a 
good shot. I am an American. I got that German. They were engaged with 
the enemy frequently. He shot a few more Germans. One time he stormed a 
tower. There was a machine gunner up in the tower. Danny rushed up. 
Prior to that time, one of the solders threw a grenade or shot a 
bazooka. It blew up most of the Germans there in that tower.
  Danny stormed up the stairway, got up there and there was one still 
alive. Danny's immediate reaction was to use the butt of his gun to hit 
the soldier so the soldier could not shoot him. Well, at that moment, 
the soldier then reached into his pocket and pulled out photographs, 
photographs of the soldier's family, the soldier's mother, the 
soldier's brothers and sisters and children.
  Danny, in that instant, it was like an epiphany. He then realized he 
was not shooting the enemy, he was not shooting soldiers, he was not 
racking up statistics, he was killing people, a person, a real live 
person. It hit him so hard he then decided he had to leave. He had to 
stop this. He could not go on killing people.
  He went to the chaplain and said: Chaplain, I have to leave.
  The chaplain said: Well, I understand. That is your right. But maybe 
it is best if you stay in the service.
  Danny stayed. Danny said a lot of people count sheep going to sleep 
at night. Danny stayed awake at night. He could not sleep. He was 
counting the soldiers he shot and killed, and that had a huge, profound 
effect on him.
  Years later, the Senate was debating the Iraq war resolution. Senator 
Byrd walked up to Senator Inouye. Senator Byrd, as we will recall, was 
very much opposed to the United States entering the war in Iraq. He 
stood up on the Senate floor and very eloquently explained why it was 
the wrong thing to do--the United States should not send troops over to 
Iraq.
  Well, Senator Byrd walked over to Danny and said: Danny, I have to 
ask you if you can support this resolution. I know you cannot because, 
my gosh, you are a war hero and given your military service.
  Danny right away said: Oh, no, I will vote with you because it is the 
right thing to do. It is wrong for the United States to send troops 
over to Iraq.
  Danny said it was largely because of that experience, when that 
soldier reached in his pocket and showed him photographs of his family, 
that it just changed him. It changed Danny and made Danny realize the 
importance of not going to war unless it is absolutely, totally 
necessary, and going to Iraq was not necessary.
  I was so impressed with Danny in so many different ways. When I was 
first here, Danny was assigned to defend Harrison Williams who was 
charged with ABSCAM violations. I remember,

[[Page S8163]]

right over here on the side over here, Danny set up; that was his 
responsibility as a lawyer on the floor to defend Senator Williams. I 
was stunned at Danny's presentation. It was so good. It was so 
thoughtful. He spoke with such authority. Sure, he was a lawyer doing 
what lawyers are supposed to do, but as I said, it was stunning. He was 
an amazing man. It may be kind of a small thing. It may not be 
something that is repeated terribly often on the floor of the Senate, 
but I was stunned at how good he was. Other things I have also dealt 
with him personally on, matters dealing with the Appropriations 
Committee and sometimes on matters dealing with Montana.
  I was really honored; we have this tradition around here called the 
secret Santa where we give presents secretly to one of our colleagues. 
I drew Danny Inouye's name. I was Danny's secret Santa. I thought: My 
gosh, what am I going to do to sufficiently honor Danny?
  I thought a little bit. Years ago there was something in Montana 
called the Devil's Brigade. During World War II the U.S. military 
joined with Canadians and set up secret training for rugged men, 
mountaineers, miners and loggers, and so forth to go over to Europe and 
help fight the war.
  It is interesting, this is a precursor to all of special operations: 
Navy SEALs and Rangers and all of the special operations sprung from 
this secret, joint U.S.-Canadian effort in Montana. It was called the 
Devil's Brigade.
  They went over in their first big operation to scale a cliff that was 
outside Rome, a hill held by the Germans. The Germans thought no way in 
the world would someone come up the cliff, so we will not defend the 
cliff.
  Sure enough, the Devil's Brigade climbed that cliff at night. They 
beat the Germans up on the top. I thought this was a great gift for 
Danny since World War II and Italy meant so much for him.
  But, regretfully, when I went to the little ceremony, Danny was not 
there and I could not give him my Secret Santa gift--but it is a small 
thing. As I walked over here, the secretary in my office said: Senator, 
you should see this. A letter came in today, just today, this morning. 
It is from Danny, and it was wishing me happy birthday. My birthday is 
4 days after Pearl Harbor, and it just poignantly hit me. This was 
something thoughtful Danny did. He did it himself. It wasn't an office 
letter. It was something he wrote himself.
  I will just finish. There were a lot of things about Danny, but the 
one thing I think that is so appropriate, again, Dan was such a 
statesman. He was beloved, obviously a hero, and all the things we like 
to talk about.
  I would like to read a little excerpt from a book. It is a preface 
Dan wrote. Dan wrote his own personal history. It is a ``Journey to 
Washington'' by Senator Danny Inouye.
  There is a preface, written by Senator Mike Mansfield, at the 
beginning of the book, and I would like to read this preface. It 
summarizes Danny.

       The life of Danny Inouye has carried him from the streets 
     of Honolulu into war, into law and political leadership in 
     Hawaii, and, now, into the Senate of the United States as the 
     first American Senator of Japanese ancestry. Dan Inouye's 
     life is a personal triumph, a triumph of a man's courage and 
     determination. But his triumph is, in the end, the triumph of 
     America. The recognition which has come to Dan Inouye, like 
     others before him, reveals the resilient capacity of this 
     nation for replenishment, with energy and wisdom drawn from 
     the many wellsprings of the human race. The story of Daniel 
     Ken Inouye, an American, is, in truth, an enduring chapter in 
     the story of America.

  So, Danny, aloha.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Maryland.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. I would like to compliment the Senator from Montana on 
his deeply moving and so personal reminiscences. It was both touching 
and manly. Thank you very much. It was inspirational.


                            Hurricane Sandy

  Madam President, I come to the floor--and I am so glad the Senator 
from New York is the Presiding Officer--because here we are, the 
Chamber is vacant. It looks like the Senate is not moving. The 
Presiding Officer is a Senator from New York, along with Senator 
Schumer. I am a Senator from Maryland, and we have been hit by a 
hurricane. We have been hit by Hurricane Sandy.
  I come to the floor to say, as we reflect on the life and times of 
Senator Danny Inouye, we should also reflect on his work, which is to 
move appropriations bills in a timely way--and particularly when that 
appropriations bill deals with the supplemental appropriations to meet 
the compelling human needs of our communities and our people when they 
have suffered a natural disaster.
  The clock is ticking. We have businesses that need to restart. We 
have homes that need to be rebuilt. In my own State of Maryland, we had 
a double whammy. As the hurricane came forth on our coastal areas along 
the beloved Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, we were hit by the 
hurricane. Then up in western Maryland, Garrett County, called the 
Switzerland of Maryland, we were hit by a blizzard--a blizzard.
  Where are we now? It has been days. The TV cameras have left, but the 
compelling human need has not.
  What is the Senate facing? Inertia, parliamentary roadblocks, and we 
are fussing about the budget. I believe we need to have a more frugal, 
sensible government, but these are the American people. Sometimes I am 
for helping other nations around the world, but after a natural 
disaster, while we have been busy rebuilding Afghanistan, how about if 
we rebuild New York, New Jersey. How about getting my communities up 
and running along the coast of the Chesapeake Bay and communities such 
as Crisfield. These people are not asking for a handout; they are 
asking for a hand up. These are the American citizens who pay their 
taxes on time. Then why doesn't the Senate act on time? I am deeply 
frustrated by the inertia and the parliamentary roadblocks for nothing.
  Look what this would mean. We could show hope and help. Actually, 
along the way, the very things we will do will be creating jobs in the 
local community because this is physical reconstruction--and, I might 
add, the reconstruction of human lives.
  The Senator from New York knows so well; she told me the moving 
stories of the firefighters themselves, our gallant first responders 
who suffered terrible fires in their own home communities. What a 
horrible thing. I know if the Presiding Officer came over with me to 
the Eastern Shore and went down to the community of Crisfield, she 
would be touched. This is a wonderful community, but they have had some 
hard times. They have a 94-percent unemployment rate. Our agriculture 
and our seafood industries have been hit by drought and declining 
species. Our industries have been hard hit. In these rural areas, these 
homes have been in these communities for generation after generation 
after generation.
  The western shore lobbyists who come in or appraisers who are looking 
for Gucci waterfront property might value these small, tidy, well-
maintained homes for appraisal value, but the appraisal was in the 
hearts of my people of Crisfield. Generations have lived there. 
Generations have worked there. Generations have sent their sons to 
fight the wars--and now their daughters. All they want is for their 
country to help them rebuild, get the mold out, get some assistance 
coming in so they can buy their crab pots and get back to work. They 
want their homes. They want to get their lives back, and they want to 
get their livelihoods back.
  What do we have here? Inertia.
  When all is said and done, I am very tired that more gets said than 
gets done. This is the time to act. My constituents truly need help, 
and we have been here.
  I am going to congratulate Senator Murray and Senator Landrieu, who 
chair the subcommittees in Appropriations on FEMA and THUD because it 
will be FEMA money and community development block grant money that 
will help these communities. Now we are going to need the Corps of 
Engineers for beach replenishment, public investments that will protect 
private property. It has been 2 months since Sandy, 2 months. Surely, 
we can act.

[[Page S8164]]

  The President has made a request. Yes, it is a hefty $60 billion. But 
look at who was hit, a big city that is one of the heartbeats of 
America, New York, and a little community such as Crisfield. But no 
matter whether someone lives in New York City or in Crisfield, MD, they 
deserve the help from their government.
  I say to my colleagues, let us think of the people we were sent to 
represent. We weren't sent to represent a bottom line; we were sent to 
represent people. I would hope we would put into place, that we would 
pass the President's request. We have great policies that were arrived 
at--and if you truly want to honor Senator Inouye, let us honor his own 
code of conduct, a gentle way, a civil way, a consensus builder, a 
bipartisan builder, and a worker to move this bill.
  Senator Inouye chaired the full Committee on Appropriations these 
last couple years. His own staff shared a story with me, and it is 
relevant today.
  He said: I chaired the Defense subcommittee, and that is how the 
Federal budget defends America. But my other committees, like Labor-
HHS--and I might add housing, Federal disaster assistance--is how we 
define ourselves. So those who say let us make sure we defend America, 
let us also make sure we put the money in the Federal budget on how it 
defines America.
  The way we define America is when one community is hit, all 
communities are hit. If New York is hit, Crisfield or Ocean City, all 
communities have been hit. We need to act like the United States of 
America because the disaster the Chair and I faced 2 months ago could 
be somebody else's disaster tomorrow. And the real disaster should not 
be in the Senate because we failed to act.
  I call my colleagues to the floor, and I call them forth to pass 
these appropriations. I look forward again to working on both sides of 
the aisle to have a safer country from either a defense or a disaster 
perspective, and I also look forward to moving this bill in a way that 
we will define our country, that we are a country that helps, neighbor 
helping neighbor.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I wish to praise the senior Senator from 
Maryland. I was out here listening to what she said but not just the 
words. She believes them. It is a passion. She cares.
  She and I have served on the Appropriations Committee for about 100 
or 200 years, I think. She was a child when she went there, but we have 
served there together. We both have lost one of our dearest friends, 
Senator Inouye.
  But over and over in that committee, I have heard her stand and say: 
People are involved. These are human beings, and we ought to stand up 
for them.
  As the distinguished Presiding Officer knows, because she represents 
New York State, when we have a disaster of this unbelievable amount, 
the whole Nation is supposed to come together. We are the United States 
of America. We are not the State of New York, the State of Maryland, 
the State of Vermont; we are the United States of America.
  We have come together as a country. Whether the disaster has been in 
California, on the east coast or in Southern States or in the West, we 
come together, and that is what we are trying to do. I would defy any 
Senator who has worried about coming together to help these people to 
go to one of the homes. Go to one of the homes on Long Island. Go to 
one of the homes that has been devastated. Go to one of the businesses 
where we have a couple who spent their whole life building up their 
business, hoping to have something to leave to their children, and now 
they are looking at rubble. Come on. These are real people. This is the 
United States of America.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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