[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 147 (Thursday, December 4, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6343-S6345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTES TO JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Scripture tells us that to those whom much 
is given, much is required. My friend, Senator Jay Rockefeller, can 
rest well knowing that he has passed that biblical test.
  John Davison Rockefeller, IV, is the eldest son of the eldest son of 
the eldest son of the founder of Standard Oil--America's first 
billionaire. Senator Rockefeller grew up amid wealth in Manhattan and 
Westchester County, NY. He prepped at Exeter and graduated from 
Harvard. He was destined for a life of comfort and privilege far 
removed from the struggle of the poor. But this man, this Rockefeller, 
consciously chose a different path in life. And he has spent 50 years--
two-thirds of his life--working to try to make life better for people 
who too often have precious little.
  He has been a Member of this Senate for 30 years. You can see his 
legacy throughout West Virginia and across America. You can see it in 
children who have better schools, miners who have safer working 
conditions and seniors who have retired with greater dignity. You can 
see his legacy in the 8 million American children who receive health 
care through CHIP, the Children's Health Insurance Program, which Jay 
Rockefeller authored.
  You can see his formidable legacy in the additional millions of 
Americans who--because of the Affordable Care Act--now have reliable 
health insurance, many of them for the first time in their lives. No 
one--no one--in this Senate has worked longer than he for affordable 
health care for all Americans.
  Unlike some Senators, Jay Rockefeller did not grow up dreaming of 
being a Senator. As a young man at Harvard, he had planned a career in 
diplomacy, focusing on Asia. He even took time off from college to live 
for a while in Japan. But something momentous happened when he 
graduated from college in 1961. America had just elected a hopeful, 
young President who made Americans believe, as Senator Rockefeller 
would later say, ``that America could achieve anything.''
  Senator Rockefeller called his father and his Uncle Nelson, then the 
Governor of New York, to let them know he had switched from Rockefeller 
Republican to Kennedy Democrat. The family took the news surprisingly 
well.
  Soon after, Senator Rockefeller was asked by Robert Kennedy to help 
establish the Peace Corps; he worked for 2 years as a chief assistant 
to Sargent Shriver, the first Peace Corps director.
  In 1964 a friend told him that he did not need to travel halfway 
around the world to help people in need. There were people here in 
America, in his friend's home State of West Virginia, living on the 
outskirts of hope. So Jay Rockefeller asked Bobby Kennedy to send him 
to West Virginia as a volunteer for VISTA, the precursor to Americorps.
  He planned to spend a year in West Virginia. He has never left.
  At age 27, in the tiny Appalachian coal-mining town of Emmons, WV--
population 346--Jay Rockefeller discovered his defining purpose. He saw 
that people working together and a caring government could transform 
lives and communities for the better.
  In 1966, he was elected to West Virginia's House of Delegates.
  In 1968 he was running for West Virginia secretary of state when his 
last great hero, Bobby Kennedy, was murdered. His Uncle Nelson, 
Governor of New York, offered repeatedly to appoint his nephew to fill 
out Senator Kennedy's term in the U.S. Senate--but Jay Rockefeller 
refused. He told his uncle that if he were going to serve in this 
Senate, he wanted to earn his seat.
  He won that race for secretary of state and went on to serve two 
terms as West Virginia's Governor.
  In 30 years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Rockefeller has been a 
passionate advocate for his State, for America's children, for seniors, 
coal

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miners and others. He not only earned his seat in this body, he 
distinguished it with his thoughtful, compassionate, dedicated service.
  Five years ago, during a late-night Senate Finance Committee markup 
of the bill that would become the Affordable Care Act, Senator 
Rockefeller recalled some of the people from that little mining town of 
Emmons, WV, who he met 50 years ago. It was close to midnight on a 
Friday night. His voice broke with emotion as he spoke about the 
hardships and unfairness that pervaded the lives of many of the people 
in Emmons. He also spoke about the hope that good government programs, 
like Medicare and Medicaid, had brought to their lives.
  He said that he had kept a journal during his VISTA years in Emmons 
and written detailed notes in it each night. He said that, in 43 years, 
he had never been able to bring himself to open that book. It was too 
painful to look back.
  When Senator Rockefeller looks back on his years in the Senate, I 
hope that he will feel a deserved sense of pride in the great and 
positive changes he helped make possible during his time here. I wish 
him, his wonderful and accomplished wife Sharon--the daughter of former 
Illinois Senator Charles Percy--and their family all the best in their 
future endeavors.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, in his three decades in the Senate, Jay 
Rockefeller established a strong reputation as a leader who offered 
innovative, common-sense solutions. He has served the people of West 
Virginia and of America with distinction. To me, he has been an admired 
colleague. He will always be a good friend.
  To fully understand Senator Rockefeller's dedication during his 30 
years of service in the Senate, it is necessary to go back 50 years, to 
1964, when he travelled to West Virginia as a VISTA volunteer. Like 
Maine, West Virginia is a large rural state with many low-income 
residents and an aging population. From strengthening our rural 
hospitals to fighting the scourge of prescription drug abuse, I have 
been fortunate to work with a leader who sees access to affordable, 
quality health care not as just a series of issues to address but as 
his life's work.
  One of our greatest achievements together was the inclusion of our 
language in the 2003 tax bill to provide temporary, targeted fiscal 
relief to the States--which, at the time, were awash in red ink due to 
a severe economic downturn driven in large part by the terrorist 
attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Senator Rockefeller and I worked with then-
Senator Ben Nelson on legislation to provide $20 billion in short-term 
fiscal relief to States, half of which was used to provide health 
insurance to low-income citizens through the Medicaid program. In 
Senator Rockefeller's words, ``No government program more fully 
embodies our nation's tradition of community and mutual obligation than 
Medicaid,'' and he has consistently demonstrated national leadership to 
provide essential health care services to the most vulnerable among us.
  As co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease, I 
have greatly appreciated Senator Rockefeller's leadership on 
legislative initiatives to combat Alzheimer's, as well as the 
contributions the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute makes 
to our understanding and eventual conquest of this devastating illness.
  From VISTA volunteer to governor and senator, Senator Rockefeller has 
devoted a half-century of intellect, energy, and compassion to others. 
There is no better way to sum up his contributions than the words the 
Senator himself chose when he announced his retirement: ``Public 
service demands and very much deserves nothing less than every single 
thing that you have to bring to bear.'' That is precisely what Senator 
Jay Rockefeller has given his State and our country, and I thank him 
for his commitment, integrity, and friendship.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, It is one of the Senate's great traditions 
that each retiring Senator is given some time on the floor to share 
with us what they have learned during their service in the Senate and 
their thoughts about our future as a Nation as the chapter of this 
great adventure in their life comes to a close. Then, we, their 
colleagues, take a moment to share with them what we have learned from 
them from their service in the Senate and what lessons we will take 
with us in the days and months to come from our work together here in 
the Capitol.
  That is why I greatly appreciate having the opportunity to be here 
for Jay's final speech on the Senate floor. It is one of those moments 
that I will long remember, another moment in which Jay has not only 
been a witness to our Nation's history, but in this case, it's another 
time when he has written it with his well-chosen words.
  This moment is one of those I call an instant replay memory. It means 
so much to me because I have known Jay Rockefeller for a longer time 
than I have known any other member of the Senate. In fact, when we 
first met, serving in Washington, DC, here in the Senate, was the 
furthest thing from our minds.
  When I first had the chance to get to know Jay he was the governor of 
West Virginia and I was the mayor of Gillette. Coal was a great part of 
the day-to-day life of my hometown and his home State and together we 
were serving on the Energy Council. I remember when Jay came to 
Gillette for a visit. I had the chance to give him a tour of the mines 
of the Gillette area. As we were traveling around the site Jay said to 
me, ``You don't mine coal. You just back up the trains and load them 
up!'' I knew immediately what point he was making about the difference 
between the mines of Gillette and the mines of West Virginia. While the 
people of my State were working to keep up coal production by removing 
the surface coal facing one set of hazards, West Virginia miners were 
heading deep into the earth to face a different kind of challenge.
  Make no mistake, mining is both a difficult and a dangerous 
occupation for all who have dedicated their lives to working the mines. 
It is labor intensive and every miner who makes it down the shafts to 
begin work knows there is always a chance they might not be coming home 
again.
  It was a lesson we were reminded of in 2006 when the mine tragedies 
occurred at the Alma and Sago mines in West Virginia. Those were 
difficult days for his State. Jay's leadership came to the front as we 
went as a delegation to console the families of those miners from the 
Sago mines who had lost their lives and listened to their concerns. 
They shared their great loss with us, but as they did there was another 
message that seemed to come to us from all those with whom we spoke--
``Don't let this happen to another family.'' It was clear. Something 
needed to be done to bring mine safety up to more modern standards. 
After meeting with the families we returned to Washington committed to 
get something done to honor the memory of those lost miners and make 
mining a safer occupation. As I thought about the beginnings of a 
legislative response to this issue, I remembered Jay's remarks to me 
that day in Gillette as he pointed out the different mining standards 
and the need for different approaches to mining safety. It was clear 
that a safety policy for our Nation's mines would have to address every 
facet of the industry and bring more modern technologies to accident 
prevention and rescue efforts.
  Soon after we returned from West Virginia the entire delegation 
joined together to begin the work that needed to be done to minimize 
the danger and increase our ability to respond whenever a problem or 
hazard threatened the miners. The result was the Mine Improvement and 
New Emergency Response (MINER) Act. It was the first major advance in 
mining safety that had been legislated in 30 years. That law will 
always be remembered as a part of Jay's legacy of service to the people 
of West Virginia. It was a change in our mining communities and 
businesses that will continue to have an impact in the years to come in 
our ability to protect the lives of miners all over this Nation. It is 
also a warning--as use of coal plunges, there is less incentive for 
safety inventors.
  That is just one moment in which Jay made a difference in the present 
and future of our nation. If you look at Jay's impressive legislative 
record throughout his career you will note that he has been productive 
and effective in promoting his legislative agenda no matter which party 
was in control of the Congress. That is because

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Jay has always been willing to work with members from both sides of the 
aisle and all sides of an issue. That is why he has been able to 
accomplish so very much for West Virginia and the Nation.
  As we have heard, Jay has quite a remarkable story to tell. It truly 
began years ago when a younger--but equally committed--Jay Rockefeller 
came to work in a small town in West Virginia as a part of the VISTA 
program. The plan was for him to work with the people of the area for 
about a year. As the old adage says so well, ``God had other plans.'' 
That experience changed his life and his goals for the future. It led 
him to run for office and then progress in opportunity and service to 
the people of West Virginia as he worked his way to the United States 
Senate and this moment on the Senate Floor.
  So, that is what I have learned from you, Jay. As I mentioned, there 
are times when we are sure what we want to do with our lives, but ``God 
has other plans'' which often leads to something better for us and the 
world around us than what we were planning on. If Jay hadn't made that 
decision back when he first arrived in West Virginia to do whatever he 
could to make life better for the people of that State it might never 
have been accomplished quite the way he has been able to do it. I have 
always suspected that God gives us all a mission in life, a chance to 
respond to a higher calling and make that inspired moment the beginning 
of our life's work. Jay Rockefeller did that and that is the lesson I 
have learned from him.
  Thanks for your service in the Senate, Jay, and for all you have done 
for West Virginia and our Nation. Thanks, too, for your friendship. 
Fortunately, you will never be more than a phone call away. Keep in 
touch. Your comments, suggestions and West Virginia common sense ideas 
will always be welcome. Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you. 
We will look forward to seeing you in the days and months to come.
  Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today we honor the distinguished career 
of my dear friend and colleague, Senator Jay Rockefeller of West 
Virginia.
  As a young man, with all his talents--and coming from a prominent 
family--there were many things Jay Rockefeller could have done with his 
life.
  His choice says more about him than any speech in the Senate ever 
could: He chose to devote himself to serving others.
  So he volunteered for the Peace Corps, and then the AmeriCorps VISTA 
program, which brought him to the small mining town of Emmons, WV.
  That is where he discovered the purpose that would define his 
career--and his life.
  From that day forward, he took a personal stake in the issues that 
affected West Virginians.
  That passion became stronger as he climbed the ranks of government, 
from Secretary of State, to Governor, and finally to U.S. Senator. 
Through it all, he remained grounded by a sensibility of what was best 
for the people he met in Emmons--and throughout the Mountain State.
  He met West Virginians who could not afford basic health care--and so 
Senator Rockefeller became a champion for reform that made health care 
a right, not a privilege.
  He met West Virginians who were hurt in mining accidents, or made ill 
from the air they breathed, and he fought for reforms that improved 
their safety.
  He has always understood that our Nation is best when we have jobs 
that make the middle class strong, like manufacturing. The coal, steel 
and chemical industries in West Virginia have all relied on his 
support.
  He believed that government should fight for those who were least 
able to fight for themselves.
  This compelled him to go to work on behalf of children whose families 
did not qualify for Medicaid--and yet could not afford private 
insurance. In 1997, he was a leader in creating the Children's Health 
Insurance Program, known as CHIP, and ever since, those children would 
not be allowed to slip through the cracks in our health care system.
  Senator Rockefeller's impulse to speak up for those who did not have 
a voice led him to seek improvements for the care of foster children, 
working to expand incentives for parents to adopt so that foster 
children could have a permanent home.
  On the other end of the spectrum, he was compelled to fight to keep 
Medicare strong, so that it had the funding it needed to make good on 
its promise to our Nation's seniors. He was committed to making sure 
that all safety net programs stayed true to their founding principles, 
which is why he has resisted efforts to privatize Social Security and 
promoted programs that increase seniors' access to affordable 
prescription drugs.
  Even as he tackled the tough issues, Senator Rockefeller's charm and 
sincerity were key to bridging partisan gaps and building consensus 
necessary to get bills passed.
  Senator Rockefeller leaves the Senate, after a distinguished career. 
Fortunately for us, his legacy of compassionate and conscientious 
service will endure long into the future.
  I know how hard it is for Senator Rockefeller to leave this Chamber. 
I hope he knows that it is hard for us to watch him go.
  I thank Senator Rockefeller, for his tireless service to this 
country, and for his faithful service to the people of West Virginia.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, Senator Rockefeller's nearly 50 years of 
public service has left West Virginia and our country a better place. 
Whether it is promoting health care, education, economic growth, or 
veterans, Senator Rockefeller has led the way, acting to improve the 
lives of hardworking Americans.
  When it comes to protecting consumers and children, Senator 
Rockefeller has been a legislative partner and a national leader. I 
want to especially point out his tireless efforts to increase 
educational opportunities for children around the country.
  The E-Rate has proved essential and exceptional in linking up schools 
and libraries to the Internet. The E-Rate has democratized access to 
brighter futures and better technology. The E-Rate is the only 
technology that has been deployed as fast in poor neighborhoods as it 
has in rich ones.
  Chairman Rockefeller, your legacy will live on for decades to come. 
Whether in rural areas, or urban ones, affluent, or low-income 
communities, all corners of our great Nation will continue to feel your 
impact.
  Finally, I want to personally thank you for your friendship 
throughout my tenure in Congress.
  These walls will feel emptier without you next year.
  I wish you, your wife Sharon, and the rest of your family many more 
years of fulfillment in your next endeavors.

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