[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 64 (Thursday, April 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2314-S2315]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO DAVID MOATS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in this week when new Pulitzer Prizes were 
awarded to outstanding reporters and courageous news organizations, I 
want to take a moment, on behalf of all Vermonters, to recognize and 
thank an earlier Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Vermont's own David 
Moats. Until earlier this year, David has been the editorial page 
editor and the editorial page voice of the Rutland Herald.
  David Moats is a Green Mountain treasure. John Walters of the 
newspaper Seven Days called David ``a beacon of quality'' in Vermont 
journalism. He represents and gave voice to ideals, the aspirations, 
and the decency that characterize Vermont's vibrant, outward-looking, 
and engaged citizens.
  On July 1, 2000, our brave, small State again stepped up to tackle a 
difficult and momentous issue. That is when Vermont became the first 
State to offer to same-sex couples the same legal rights and 
responsibilities of traditional marriage. Vermont's law was written, 
debated, and approved by the Vermont Legislature.
  David Moats documented and illuminated the debate that led to that 
breakthrough. He won a Pulitzer Prize for his series of 20 editorials 
that were published throughout that difficult and groundbreaking 
debate.
  The Pulitzer Committee honored David Moats, in their words, ``For his 
even-handed and influential series of editorials commenting on the 
divisive issues arising from civil unions for same-sex couples.''
  In 2004, he wrote a book about this debate, ``Civil Wars: A Battle 
For Gay Marriage.'' Ted Widmer, writing in the New York Times Book 
Review, said this in his review: ``Near the end of `Mr. Deeds Goes to 
Town,' the Vermonter played by Gary Cooper dishes out a series of 
homespun metaphors for how government is supposed to treat people, from 
helping to push a car up a hill to saving a swimmer who's drowning. 
Obviously, life isn't quite that simple. This will take time. But in 
the long run, the question will be answered in the vast middle where 
most Americans live, and where they privately decide what is right and 
wrong.''
  David Moats served as editorial page editor of the Rutland Herald 
since 1992. Previously, he had worked as the newspaper's wire editor, 
State editor, assistant managing editor, and city editor. Earlier in 
life, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Afghanistan.
  He is also the author of 11 plays, has made his home in Middlebury, 
VT, and is the father of three children, Jared, Thatcher, and Nina 
Moats.
  David, we thank you, and we wish you and your family all the best as 
you write your next chapter.
  I ask unanimous consent that these excerpts from an editorial titled, 
``Legacy,'' in the Rutland Herald last month, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

  [From ``Legacy,'' an editorial in The Rutland Herald, March 3, 2018]

       A consistently reasoned voice is difficult to find. It's 
     challenging to hear in these polarizing times, and it's even 
     harder to find it on the everyday occasion of an editorial 
     page. The distillation of issues into comprehensible, 
     authentic points is a skill few writers can pull off, 
     certainly not with any regularity.
       We all know a man who has come to make the blend of opinion 
     and language an art form.
       Vermont has been blessed for decades by David Moats' 
     compassionate approach to measured debate and thoughtful 
     provocation. In this very space, David has wrestled to 
     submission some of the most gut-

[[Page S2315]]

     wrenching issues of our times, insisting upon a more 
     controlled, solution-based dialogue. He has celebrated our 
     triumphs. He has challenged the parties in power (much to 
     their chagrin), and he has endeavored to teach us--as readers 
     and participants in our communities--a bit about ourselves by 
     shining truths on flawed thinking or highlighting the 
     arrogance made against a public trust. He has broken our 
     hearts in tribute, and he has--time and again--called us to 
     action, whether it was spurring us to vote, raise our own 
     voices, or simply by being engaged and showing up.
       David has won scores of accolades for swinging his mighty 
     pen, including the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 2001 for his 
     body of work on civil unions. In that case, David not only 
     informed, he shaped policy and rewrote history.
       For Vermont, he has been advocate, champion, instigator--
     and friend. His editorials (and commentaries on Vermont 
     Public Radio) have generated a loyal following. Liberals and 
     moderates have come to quote from his editorials, while 
     conservatives regularly condemn his words as out of step. But 
     David has more friends then enemies, conservatives among 
     them. That's how the deepest respect works.
       (The editorial continues:)
       David Moats has graced these pages with deliberate 
     conscience, pouring his heart into the collective of Vermont. 
     His insights and opinions have--and will--continue to 
     underscore what defines us as Vermonters, and what passions 
     and principles drive us to stand up for that better life for 
     our best selves.
       We are all indebted to David Moats for being our mentor, 
     our leader, and our voice. We have needed him, probably more 
     than we even know.
       Vermont is a better place because of the man and his words.

                          ____________________