[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 28, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1258-S1260]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE OF WILLIAM ``BILLY'' F. GRAHAM, JR.

  Mr. BURR. Madam President, I rise with my colleague from North 
Carolina, my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, and the American people to 
honor the life of a North Carolinian, Billy Graham--a man whose life 
has literally reached millions around the globe.
  Reverend Graham's grace marker will be inscribed this way: ``Preacher 
of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.''
  As the son of a minister myself, I am uniquely aware of the 
sacrifices and the responsibility that come with this calling. Indeed, 
this is a calling that Reverend Graham fulfilled honorably and nobly, 
bringing hope and comfort to millions around the globe. Reverend Graham 
was someone who was shaped by his roots on a North Carolina dairy farm, 
who committed his life to Jesus Christ at the age of 15, and who lived 
the commitment with faithfulness for the next 84 years.
  He was married for 64 years to Ruth Bell Graham and was the father of 
3 daughters, 2 sons, and now 19 grandchildren. As his casket was laid 
in honor in the Rotunda, all of a sudden, I realized that one of those 
grandchildren was a graduate of West Point, one of my nominees, and a 
soon-to-be lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. It was certainly good 
to see him.
  Reverend Graham preached to almost 215 million people in more than 
185 countries and territories on 6 continents. He prayed with soldiers 
on the battlefields of South Korea and Vietnam. He preached in poor 
villages and at Britain's Windsor Castle, and he provided counsel to 
every President from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. He also stood up for 
what was right--denouncing segregation and oppression and preaching 
jointly with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., in the 1950s. He 
lived a life of integrity and of honor.
  He spoke words of comfort and hope at the National Cathedral 
following the September 11 terrorist attacks, reminding America: ``God 
is our refuge

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and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.''
  Reverend Graham will be deeply missed. I send my condolences to his 
children, his grandchildren, and his numerous great-grandchildren. Yet 
Graham himself said: ``My Home is in heaven, I am just passing through 
this World.'' Today, we honor the life that he lived, his faithfulness 
to the calling, and his impact on millions of individuals around the 
globe.
  If I may take just another moment before my colleague from North 
Carolina speaks, I will read some remarks that were made by individuals 
who played important roles in American history.
  President Bill Clinton said: ``Some were pressuring Graham to 
segregate his audiences by race but he refused.'' Clinton remarked: 
``Graham would cancel the crusade rather than preach to a segregated 
audience'' because everyone deserved the chance to hear God's Word.
  President Obama said this in his condolences: ``Billy Graham was a 
humble servant who prayed for so many--and who, with wisdom and grace, 
gave hope and guidance to generations of Americans'' and, I would say, 
Americans to come.
  Lastly, Martin Luther King, Jr., said: ``Had it not been for the 
ministry of my good friend Dr. Billy Graham, my work in the civil 
rights movement would not have been as successful as it has been.''
  The country mourns the loss of Dr. Graham, but the country 
understands the impact of his life--that life as a servant of God, to 
preach His Word to everyone he could find, and a career of 84 years. He 
exhausted the opportunities that were given to him and will proudly 
affect generations that have yet to be born by the work that he did as 
a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. TILLIS. Madam President, I thank my friend and colleague, the 
senior Senator from North Carolina, for his words about Reverend Billy 
Graham. I will only add a few comments.
  At one level, mine are very personal. I was telling someone just 
yesterday that I have two very distinct memories of times with my 
father. One of them was of watching Walter Cronkite, and the other one 
was of watching Billy Graham. I was talking to my mother earlier this 
week, and she talked about how much my father loved Billy Graham. I 
remember, vividly, sitting in front of that console TV with my father, 
watching him as he preached the Word of God.
  This week is amazing because I find, when one loses somebody so 
precious like Reverend Graham, it is a very sad time, but in his case, 
America's pastor had brought so much joy to everyone's lives that it 
really is a celebration.
  Earlier, Senator Burr and I had had an opportunity to offer our 
condolences to the Graham family. What was remarkable was that in the 
face of every one of them was, maybe, a hint of sorrow but, really, 
just a fullness of joy in knowing what their father did when he was on 
this Earth and now what he will do in the Kingdom of Heaven.
  I think that today is a day we should all look back and ask 
ourselves: Could we actually come anywhere close to living the kind of 
life that this man lived? With his ministering in some 180 countries, 
with over 200 million people actually attending some of his 
unbelievable celebrations of the Gospel, and then his touching the 
lives of hundreds of millions of people--and billions of people like me 
who were watching on TV--the Graham legacy is something that is going 
to live on for generations.
  I am happy to be a proud Senator from the State in which he was born. 
In fact, I live only about 20, 30 minutes from where he lived his early 
years. I look forward to going to the funeral on Friday to celebrate 
his life, to celebrate his legacy, and to celebrate the many lives that 
were changed because he had brought the Word of God to them wherever 
they may have been on this planet.
  I thank the Presiding Officer for the opportunity to speak about 
America's pastor.
  To the Graham family, all of them--the sons, the daughters, the 
children, the grandchildren--God bless you all. Thank you for sharing 
the gift of your family member with so many people across this great 
Nation and across this world.
  I thank Senator Burr for his kind words. I thank him for his 
leadership and for moving forward with the resolution that honors 
Reverend Billy Graham's life and legacy.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. BURR. Madam President, on behalf of Senator Tillis and me, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S.J. 
Res. 53, introduced earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the joint resolution by 
title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A joint resolution (S.J. Res. 53) honoring the life of 
     William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the joint 
resolution.
  Mr. BURR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the joint 
resolution be considered read a third time and passed, the preamble be 
passed, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon 
the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The joint resolution (S.J. Res. 53) was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
  The preamble was passed.
  The joint resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S.J. Res. 53

       Whereas William ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr., was born on 
     November 7, 1918, in Charlotte, North Carolina;
       Whereas, in 1939, Reverend Graham was ordained by Peniel 
     Baptist Church in Florida;
       Whereas Reverend Graham studied at Florida Bible Institute 
     and graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, in 
     1943;
       Whereas Reverend Graham married his wife of nearly 64 
     years, Ruth McCue Bell, in 1943;
       Whereas Reverend Graham had 3 daughters, 2 sons, 19 
     grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren;
       Whereas, in 1950, Reverend Graham founded the Billy Graham 
     Evangelistic Association, which is based in Charlotte, North 
     Carolina;
       Whereas Reverend Graham preached to nearly 215,000,000 
     individuals in more than 185 countries and territories on 6 
     continents;
       Whereas Reverend Graham provided spiritual counsel for 
     every President since Harry Truman;
       Whereas Reverend Graham prayed with members of the Armed 
     Forces in combat zones in South Korea and Vietnam;
       Whereas Reverend Graham spoke against the communist Soviet 
     Union, saying, ``Communism has decided against God, against 
     Christ, against the Bible, and against all religion.'';
       Whereas Reverend Graham--
       (1) fought for racial integration;
       (2) invited Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to preach with him 
     in New York City in 1957; and
       (3) bailed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., out of jail when 
     Dr. King was arrested for protesting segregation;
       Whereas, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 
     2001, Reverend Graham spoke words of hope and comfort to the 
     people of the United States at the Washington National 
     Cathedral;
       Whereas Reverend Graham authored 34 books, including the 
     bestselling autobiography, ``Just as I Am'', which began by 
     discussing his early days on a dairy farm in North Carolina 
     and continued through his career as a preacher and 
     evangelist; and
       Whereas Reverend Graham received numerous honors, 
     including--
       (1) the North Carolina Award for Public Service;
       (2) the Presidential Medal of Freedom;
       (3) the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award; and
       (4) the Congressional Gold Medal: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
     United States of America in Congress assembled, That 
     Congress--
       (1) extends its sympathies to the family of William 
     ``Billy'' F. Graham, Jr.; and
       (2) honors--
       (A) the life and ministry of Reverend Graham; and
       (B) the contributions of Reverend Graham to--
       (i) the State of North Carolina;
       (ii) the United States of America; and
       (iii) the moral and religious lives of millions of 
     individuals.

  Mr. BURR. I thank the Presiding Officer.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.

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  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Tillis). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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