[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 4, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7259-S7265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING GEORGE H.W. BUSH

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. President, today I want to talk about the loss of a 
great American. I want to talk about George H.W. Bush. On C-SPAN, I was 
watching the coverage of what is going on in the Rotunda now, and there 
are hundreds of people crowded around his casket, paying tribute to 
this great man. They have been there all day. They will be there all 
night. Friends of mine from Ohio are in town who never met him but knew 
of him and were inspired by him. We were all inspired by him.
  George Bush did it all. He was a war hero--youngest naval pilot at 
age 18, shot down over the Pacific. He was the last President, by the 
way, to serve in combat. He was also a Member of the U.S. Congress and 
proud of that. Prior to that, he was a successful business leader in 
Texas. He was an ambassador to the United Nations. He was CIA Director. 
He was Envoy to China--the first one. He was Vice President of the 
United States, and he was President, of course, during one of the most 
momentous times in our Nation's history. What a life.
  In his absence, our country is losing a lifelong patriot, a guiding 
voice, and the embodiment of the very best of America. For me, 
President Bush was also my mentor. I was very blessed early in my 
career to have been able to work for him. He brought me into his White 
House when I was a young man trying to figure out my way in life. I 
would not be in this crazy business of politics but for him--not just 
because he gave me opportunities to work for him but because he showed 
me you could do this work of public service and politics with honor and 
dignity and respect.
  He showed that nice guys can finish first. He showed that his 
approach--kinder and gentler, as he would call it in 1988--was 
something that indeed you could achieve here, even in the Halls of 
Congress.
  I have a special reason to be so grateful; also, so sad about his 
departure because I relied on him for advice and counsel. He rarely 
gave it proactively, but when asked, he always had the wisdom of years 
and the judgment that so many of us will miss so badly.
  He took a chance on me as a young lawyer from Cincinnati, OH, to come 
into his White House as his Associate Counsel to the President. He then 
took a chance on me to join his legislative affairs team, to be 
Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs.
  To be frank, I was not particularly qualified for either job. I had 
only worked on the Hill briefly as an intern. I was not nearly as 
distinguished as the other members of the legal team who had been 
mostly Supreme Court clerks, but it made me work all the harder to try 
to earn his trust and his respect.

[[Page S7260]]

  He didn't just give me a job. He taught me about being a leader, a 
public servant, being a better husband and father. He showed me what 
servant leadership meant, what it looked like in practice, and I try to 
work every day to live up to that example. He was one of the most 
decent and honorable people I have ever met--in politics or otherwise. 
He saw himself as a servant. That is what motivated him. He saw himself 
as a public servant when he signed up to become a young Navy pilot, 
flying dangerous bombing missions. That sense of service, duty, and 
patriotism was why, years later, after a successful business career, he 
decided to put it on the line, run for the U.S. Congress.
  By the way, I have noticed this week there has been a lot of 
discussion about all of his successes, and there are so many. One thing 
people might forget is that he was also resilient. He had setbacks in 
his life--certainly the death of his beloved daughter Robin at a young 
age of 3--but he ran for the Senate twice in the State of Texas and 
lost. He didn't give up. He bounced back. He was resilient. He was 
tough.
  When he was asked to serve as U.N. Ambassador, he took up that task 
because of his devotion to service. When he was asked to chair the 
Republican National Committee--during a particularly tough time for the 
Republican Party, not a task most people wanted to take--he took it on. 
When he was asked to become the first envoy to China--again, a big 
challenge--he knew it was the right thing to do for the country.
  Of course, at the CIA, he stepped into a difficult situation. The 
morale was low, and he turned things around. When he was appointed as 
CIA Director in 1976, there had been a lot of hearings on Capitol Hill. 
They were called the Church hearings, named after Senator Church, and 
the CIA was under fire, big time. Morale was low. It was a difficult 
period. He stepped in precisely because of that.
  During his tenure at the Central Intelligence Agency, he made the CIA 
stronger. He built a special bond with the employees. He put some 
reforms in place that were important. He was widely credited by 
everyone as having restored a sense of pride in that important Agency. 
I heard that repeatedly.
  When I got elected to Congress in 1994, by the way, with the help of 
President George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, both of whom came to speak 
and helped out on the campaign by lending their good names. Barbara 
Bush even did a radio ad for me that I think is probably the reason I 
won. She was probably the most popular person in America at the time. 
When I got elected, I looked at the CIA complex in Northern Virginia--
then called Langley, still in Langley, VA. It was not named after 
anyone. I heard so much from people at the Agency about their respect 
for him--career people, people who worked there for years. I proposed 
the idea of naming the CIA after him and proposed legislation to do 
that in 1999. Today, that headquarters has been renamed under that 
legislation the George Bush Center for Intelligence.
  I remember being at the ceremony with him when the name was changed 
and just the love and respect he had from the people at that Agency. I 
remember him telling stories, including stories about why he took the 
job and how much he respected the people there and the work they did 
and how, in many respects, they were on the frontlines for all of us.
  I remember stories being told about him, including one I will never 
forget, which is that Directors for years had gone into the CIA and 
then taken their own private elevator up to their office, which makes 
sense. It is a big job. George Bush wouldn't take that private 
elevator. He insisted on going on the employee elevator every morning. 
Why? As he said to me later: Because I wanted to hear what was going 
on, hear from the employees, hear from the officers.
  I think it was more than that. I think it was because he wanted them 
to know he was part of the team. That was his approach to everything he 
did--vintage George Bush. He did it with grace and dignity, bringing 
people together, working in a bipartisan manner, and stood for what he 
thought was right but understood that other people had different points 
of view and respected that. He carved out an interesting role as Vice 
President of the United States--unprecedented in terms of his ability 
to work with the President, work with the Cabinet, work with foreign 
leaders.
  Ronald Reagan was there, of course, during the time of intense 
international politics when the Cold War was coming to an end. As 
President Bush said during President Reagan's funeral, he learned more 
from Ronald Reagan than anyone he encountered in all of his years of 
public service--but he also served Ronald Reagan well.
  As President then, George Bush was responsible for taking the end of 
the Cold War and being sure it worked well, not just for us but for so 
many millions of people around the world. He led our country through 
some great change there, not just the end of the Cold War but the 
Berlin Wall came down.
  I was working for him at the time, and I remember the excitement 
about it and the sense that he should give a boastful speech and talk 
about how America had finally prevailed. He was hesitant to do that. He 
didn't want to spike the football in the end zone. Instead, what he 
wanted to do was ensure that transition was handled properly.
  The reunification of Germany was a very controversial issue. He knew, 
ultimately, it would be in the interest of the world to reunify East 
and West Germany, but he did it carefully, diplomatically, with 
respect. He knew Mikhail Gorbachev was in a tough position, so he 
handled the fall of the wall and, more importantly, the transition in 
Eastern Europe and Central Europe, again, with diplomacy and with 
respect for Gorbachev and the people--the millions of people who were 
affected.
  Of all the major events in which he played a role as Commander in 
Chief, I think that, in some respects, was the most important one. If 
you go to Eastern Europe or Western Europe today or Central Europe, all 
of them have a positive view of George Bush in the role he played and 
America played during that time period.
  Maybe the most well-known role he played as Commander in Chief was 
Desert Storm. There, he showcased his abilities not just as a President 
but as a President who had served in combat himself. He understood the 
need to bring people together--in this case, other countries--to ensure 
a successful result. Think about this. Over 40 countries were involved 
in Desert Storm--and hundreds of thousands of troops--all to stop the 
aggression of Saddam Hussein in the Middle East. He knew Saddam Hussein 
had to be stopped. It was within his moral fiber that he couldn't sit 
back and watch one country move into a smaller country and take over--
in this case, the country of Kuwait. So he knew there had to be a 
decision by America to lead this incredible coalition of countries all 
around the Middle East and the world. He also knew that he had to get 
the American people behind him.

  I remember that at that point I was Director of the White House 
Office of Legislative Affairs. Our job was to ensure that we could 
support the President up here on the Hill, and a lot of people were 
giving the President advice not to seek approval from Congress for that 
conflict. The fear was that Congress would say no. There was a lot of 
pushback, and the consensus was that it had to be done.
  But George Bush believed it was important to involve Congress for two 
reasons. One, he believed in the institutions of our democracy. He 
believed Congress played an important role. Second, and maybe even more 
important to him as a World War II vet, he wanted to get the American 
people behind this. He didn't want to repeat what he viewed as some of 
the mistakes in previous conflicts--Vietnam, in particular--when the 
American people were not with our troops. So he wanted to go to 
Congress to seek approval, and it was a fight.
  I was up here on this very floor of the Senate, trying to persuade 
people to do the right thing, to ensure that Saddam Hussein could be 
removed from Kuwait so people could have a chance in that country to 
find their own destiny. That vote was won by three votes--three votes. 
If three Members of the Senate had voted the other way, we would not 
have received that approval. It was close, but as I look back on it, I 
must say that George H.W. Bush did the right thing. Of course, we won 
the vote,

[[Page S7261]]

which makes that comment easier, but the point is that he insisted that 
we get the American people behind that conflict, and it ended up being 
not just a relatively popular military fight, which was successful, but 
one that the American people understood because of the debate that 
happened here on the floor of the Congress, in the House and Senate, of 
what the stakes were.
  He never chose to do things just because they were easy. The easy 
thing would have been to go ahead without seeking approval from 
Congress. He made his decisions on what he thought was the right thing 
to do, and that was the kind of man he was.
  There has been a lot of talk this week about his ``thousand points of 
light'' proposal. The Points of Light foundation continues today doing 
incredibly good work all around the country with people volunteering to 
help other citizens. He believed everybody had a responsibility and an 
opportunity to be a part of the change that moves our country forward 
to a better and brighter future, and that is what Points of Light is 
about. It resonated with so many Americans and continues to spur action 
and encourage cooperation where people give up their time and service. 
I do think it is just as important to have some bright guiding lights 
as it is to have the ``thousand points of light,'' and that is what he 
provided. He was the guiding light as an example for all the rest of 
us.
  Throughout his incredible life he didn't just tell us what it meant 
to lead, to serve others, or to be guided by what was right. In fact, 
that was not his style. He was not the lecturer. He didn't consider 
himself a great philosopher. He led by example. He showed us. Again, I 
will be forever grateful for that.
  He was also a person who put a lot of value on people and on 
relationships. He believed quite simply that building and strengthening 
relationships was incredibly important to building trust, which meant 
that people could come together to solve problems and which meant that 
you could achieve consensus, more importantly. He put that to work in 
the Congress. Being a liaison to Congress was relatively easy because 
he had so many friends. Even though he had only been here for a couple 
terms, he had so many friends--Republicans and Democrats. Relationship 
building was important to him.
  It was also important for him to deepen the ties among nations to 
create a stronger, safer, and more prosperous world--whether it was 
Mikhail Gorbachev, whom I talked about earlier, who was his friend to 
the end, or whether it was Brian Mulroney, from Canada. I know that 
tomorrow there will be a number of heads of state who will be here for 
the funeral. This helped us as a country by having those relationships 
and building those relationships of trust to be able to build a safer 
and less volatile world.
  He is known for writing these handwritten notes, and a lot of 
attention has been paid recently to the class and humility he displayed 
with the note he left for incoming President Bill Clinton on the day he 
assumed office, where he wished him well, but it goes beyond that.
  He was personable and respected everywhere. A lot of his friends were 
Democrats. One example I thought was striking was a Congressman from 
Ohio. I am from Ohio, and I knew of this Congressman, who was a liberal 
guy. He was a Democrat named Lud Ashley, from Toledo. His relationship 
with Lud Ashley transcended politics. They were good friends.
  I am told that just before his term as President ended, he and 
Barbara Bush invited two couples to the White House--Lud Ashley, the 
Democrat from Toledo, and his wife were at that dinner. It is just 
another example of George Bush's reaching out, being a people person 
first. That aspect earned him a lot of goodwill on Capitol Hill, across 
both parties.
  I have been in the habit since the 1990s of going up to Maine, to 
Kennebunkport, in the summer to visit President Bush, sometimes with 
members of my family, sometimes alone, or sometimes with friends. It is 
always a great visit. It is always an opportunity to talk about 
people--again, focusing on people. His questions to me were sometimes 
about policy and what was going on, but often it was about this: What 
do you think of that Senator or that U.S. representative? What is he 
like? What is she like? Tell me about them.
  Until the end he was curious. I was with him in September of this 
year for our last visit, and although he wasn't speaking as much, he 
was as curious as ever and asking questions and, of course, willing to 
give me a little advice, all of which I treasure. A few years ago, back 
in 2015, you may remember that President Bush had a health scare. He 
had fallen and broken a bone in his neck, and he was in tough shape. I 
was up there for a visit. I had made plans to visit him before his 
injury occurred, but once it happened I thought I had better do 
something different, a little special. So I got a baseball, and I 
wrote: George H.W. Bush, America's first baseman. I asked if a couple 
of my colleagues would be willing to sign it. Folks, when people found 
out this baseball was going to George H.W. Bush, everybody wanted to 
sign it.
  I got a get-well card about this big--the biggest one I could find--
and asked a couple colleagues who would be willing to sign it. Folks, 
everybody wanted to sign it. By the end of the process we had about 95 
signatures on that baseball and on that get-well card. Why? Because 
everybody wanted to be a part of sending this message to the beloved 
former President.
  He loved it, when I handed him the baseball, and, of course, he was 
very curious to see who had signed it. One of his questions to me, 
which was typical George Bush, was this: Did so-and-so sign it?
  The names he recited were some of the more partisan Democrats on the 
floor. One, as I recall, was whether Harry Reid had signed it, and, 
sure enough, he had, proudly. That made George Bush so happy. His eyes 
shown, and he smiled. He knew that those messages of encouragement to 
him were heartfelt--and they were.
  Finally, it is impossible to talk about George H. W. Bush without 
talking about Barbara Pierce Bush. They were a partnership, and what an 
example for all of us. Seventy-three years together--they were a true 
team. They put family first, always. That has been a great lesson to my 
wife Jane and me and our family--to watch how they navigated this crazy 
political world we were in, and yet they kept their family strong and 
together to this day.
  We saw the family yesterday. Every one of those children and 
grandchildren and now great-grandchildren were coming with love and 
respect for their grandparents and great grandparents.
  That unconditional support and love that Barbara Bush and George had 
for one another formed a very equal relationship. Barbara Bush was 
feisty and opinionated, and George Bush respected that, and he 
respected and loved her. Those relationships in the family are what 
gave him so much strength, in my view. As much as anything, for him it 
was always about family as the foundation.
  He was also a man of deep faith. He didn't wear it on his sleeve, but 
he believed that he was going to rejoin Barbara. To him that was a 
blessing. He also believed that he was going to see his daughter Robin, 
whom they lost way too soon. That was a blessing.
  As we mourn the death of President George H.W. Bush, we can find 
comfort in knowing that he has been returned to those beloved family 
members.
  Jane and I send our condolences to the entire Bush family and to his 
many, many close friends. At the close of this truly great American 
life and this guiding light, let us honor his legacy by following his 
example of patriotism, public service, and civility. Godspeed, George 
Bush.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize former 
President George H.W. Bush, and I want to thank my colleague Senator 
Portman from Ohio for those personal memories. I now will always 
remember that baseball story. It is an example of what he stood for, 
and that is that he actually cared that there were people of both 
parties who would sign that baseball. I want to thank Senator Portman 
for carrying on that torch of working across the aisle.
  President Bush dedicated his entire life to the United States. His 
first service was as a decorated Navy pilot, as we know, who risked his 
life during World War II and in 1944 was shot down

[[Page S7262]]

in the Pacific. That selfless sacrifice was not enough. He went on to 
spend 40 years in public service as a Congressman from Texas, as an 
Ambassador to the United Nations, as U.S. Envoy to China, as Director 
of the CIA, and then, of course, as Vice President and then as 
President.
  He wore so many hats during his time in service, but through it all 
he was a true statesman who treated both his friends and his rivals 
with grace and dignity.
  He also viewed the world through the lens of history, which was often 
the guiding force in his approach to diplomacy in dealing with the rest 
of the world.
  As President, he helped to bring an end to four decades of the Cold 
War and the threat of nuclear engagement as democracy spread throughout 
Eastern Europe, and he signed the bipartisan Americans with 
Disabilities Act, which has had a lasting impact in expanding the 
rights of Americans with disabilities.
  His commitment to his country was unshakable, and he instilled this 
value in his own children.
  For George H.W. Bush, patriotism was bigger than political rivalries. 
In 1993, as he departed the White House, he left a note, which many of 
us saw for the first time this week. It was a note that he left for 
President Clinton, who had defeated President Bush in the Presidential 
election just two months before he signed that letter. President Bush 
said:

       You will be our President when you read this note. I wish 
     you well. I wish your family well. Your success is now our 
     country's success. I am rooting hard for you.

  He wrote that note just as he was turning over the keys to the Oval 
Office to someone who had just defeated him in an election campaign. 
President Bush was someone who fought hard on the campaign trail, but 
once the votes were cast, he understood the underlying truth of 
America--that people with different political views are not enemies, 
and when all is said and done, we can come together to advance the 
cause of America, not tear it down.
  As Senator Portman noted, President Bush's death comes less than 8 
months after the passing of former First Lady Barbara Bush, his wife of 
over 73 years. Never one to be a shrinking violet, she was fiercely 
loyal to her family and an outspoken advocate for causes she believed 
in. I always respected her directness. She was her own person. She 
loved her family and her country. And we remember her this week as 
well.
  I was reading a story in our local Minneapolis paper. I did not know 
that President Bush actually trained in Minnesota in the middle of 
winter for a few months before he went over to serve in the Pacific. 
During that time, he wrote a number of letters to his own mother about 
his service. OK, maybe he complained about the Minnesota weather a 
little bit, but one of the more amusing parts of those letters was that 
he told her that Barbara was sending him some socks that she had knit 
for him down in Texas. He said in the letter that she said they don't 
even look like socks, but when he received the socks, he said: They are 
actually not bad. They are pretty good socks.
  You literally could follow that part of his life in the letters he 
was writing back then to his mother. You could see the patriotism shine 
through. You could see what it was like for him to be away from his 
family and how much he loved his family. That carried on to the very 
end of his life. He was still so kind in these notes and so sweet to 
his family members and to those who had been his friends for so very 
long.
  As we pay tribute to President Bush's tremendous record of service, 
we also must stay grounded in his respect for all public servants--not 
just the ones he agreed with--and his unwavering belief, in his own 
words, that ``no definition of a successful life can do anything but 
include serving others.'' Of course, that service can come in many 
forms, as he showed in his own life. Some people may serve in the 
military. Some people may take on causes outside of government service 
and volunteer. Others may work in law enforcement. Others may, of 
course, get elected or have the privilege to work in this Capitol for 
the people. President Bush lived that life, and America has lost a true 
leader.
  My prayers are with the entire Bush family.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Portman). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, on Ocean Avenue in Kennebunkport, ME, 
stands a simple yet powerful monument, a gift from the people of that 
small community to a friend and neighbor. The monument is a U.S. Navy 
anchor, and the friend and neighbor was President George Herbert Walker 
Bush. It is a fitting tribute. President Bush often called the family 
home at Walker's Point his ``anchor to the windward,'' a special place 
of unsurpassed beauty in a caring community. Through the years, it has 
been the place that gave him the strength to face the many challenges 
he took on in dedicated service to our country. Indeed, every summer of 
his life George Herbert Walker Bush spent at Walker's Point, except 
when he was defending our country during World War II.
  It is a fitting tribute in another way. As a Navy aviator in World 
War II, as a Member of Congress, as a Special Envoy to China, as 
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, as Vice President and 
President, George H.W. Bush consistently and vigorously demonstrated 
the values that are the anchor of American society. Courage, duty, 
honor, and compassion defined his life. As he encouraged Americans to 
be ``a thousand points of light'' through service to others, he himself 
shone the brightest. He always answered the call to serve our country.
  I had the pleasure of visiting President and Mrs. Bush at Walker's 
Point many times over the years, and how I looked forward to those 
annual visits in Kennebunkport. I remember the very first time so well. 
It was in 1994, and I had just won the Republican primary for Governor 
of Maine. I received a call from President Bush's staff inviting me to 
have lunch with him and Mrs. Bush at Walker's Point.
  The last time I saw the President was on September 7, just months 
after President Bush had lost his beloved Barbara and as his own health 
was rapidly declining. Yet, as the Presiding Officer well knows, the 
President remained incredibly positive and warm. The qualities that 
made him such an inspiring leader were undiminished.
  Throughout our long friendship, President Bush, by his example and by 
his words, was always so encouraging, kind, and thoughtful. He taught 
me that you must always do what your heart tells you is right 
regardless of the consequences. He demonstrated that every difficulty 
must be met with strength and determination.
  George Herbert Walker Bush was so kind to others. I remember one year 
when I visited him, he had completely shaved his head in solidarity 
with a young boy who was the son of a Secret Service agent who was part 
of his detail. This young boy was undergoing cancer treatments and had 
lost all of his hair, so President Bush shaved off all of his hair too. 
That is the kind of individual he was--caring, compassionate, and 
committed.
  The end of a life so devoted to the highest ideals of the human 
spirit brings to mind the parable of the talents in the Bible. The 
master, leaving on a journey, entrusts a servant with a portion of his 
treasure. Upon his return, the master is delighted to find that his 
wealth was wisely invested and multiplied. George Herbert Walker Bush 
was entrusted with the great treasure of principles, determination, and 
courage. He invested that treasure wisely and multiplied it to the 
benefit of all--not just here in America but throughout the world.
  Like the master in the New Testament, to him we say: Well done, good 
and faithful servant.
  May God bless him, and may his memory always be anchored in our 
hearts.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. President, 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. CRUZ. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

[[Page S7263]]

  

  Mr. CRUZ. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of 
President George Herbert Walker Bush.
  This week, American hearts are heavy as we bid farewell to our 41st 
President. Since we heard the news of his passing just a few days ago, 
there has been a ceaseless stream of communications and commemorations 
and testimonies to President Bush's character from every corner of our 
Nation--from the worlds of politics, philanthropy, entertainment, 
business, the Armed Forces--and from our living ex-Presidents. Even 
those who were his rivals and critics during his public life have 
returned to praise that life so well and honorably lived.

  He will be remembered as a good and faithful servant to his country, 
whose great legacy of leadership and love of homeland became a family 
tradition. It earned him the admiration of countless Americans and 
secured him a special place in the memory of every Texan.
  Over his storied career, President Bush was a war hero and a 
businessman, a legislator and an Ambassador. His 8 years as Vice 
President prepared him well for the heavy burdens of the Nation's 
highest office in his steering our Nation with a steady and strong hand 
at the helm through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf war. 
Indeed, of his legacy as President, that calm, steady, strong 
leadership as America won the Cold War will, no doubt, be his enduring 
legacy.
  A great many of us in this body were blessed to know President Bush 
personally and to have had experiences in which he and Barbara touched 
our lives. For me, my favorite experience with President George Herbert 
Walker Bush occurred in 2009.
  In 2009, I was beginning a campaign for attorney general in the State 
of Texas. It appeared that the job would be vacant, and I was 
campaigning to fill it. I had never run for office before. President 
Bush invited me to go to the family home up in Kennebunkport, ME. So I 
got on a plane, and I flew up to Maine. I remember sitting on that 
plane, wondering what to say to him, what to ask of him. I didn't know 
President Bush; I didn't know Barbara.
  I remember, at the end of the day, resolving that I wasn't going to 
ask for anything other than, simply, his advice, to say: Mr. President, 
you are an elder statesman who has spent decades in public service. 
What advice would you give to someone running his very first campaign 
for public office? What path should I endeavor to follow? I had assumed 
that the meeting would be a 10-, 20-minute meeting, a perfunctory 
meeting. It was very kind of him to take it, but I didn't expect much 
from the meeting.
  When I sat down, I was amazed, first of all, that he knew everything 
about the race--all of the potential players who might be running for 
that position. He knew a great deal about my background, which had me 
utterly flabbergasted because we didn't know each other. It was obvious 
he was briefed and prepared before the meeting. He had put in that 
time.
  After about 20 minutes, he asked me: Ted, when is your flight back?
  I said: Well, it is in a couple of hours. I am flying out of Boston.
  He said: Can you, maybe, stay and go out on the boat with Barbara and 
me?
  I laughed. I said: Mr. President, plane reservations can be easily 
changed. I will stay here as long as you would like me to.
  He looked at me--I was wearing a suit--and he said: Well, that is, 
clearly, not going to do.
  We had been meeting in an office, which was in a separate building. 
So he took me to a golf cart, and we drove in the golf cart to the 
residence. He took me back to his and Barbara's bedroom. He opened his 
closet. He pulled out a pair of jeans; he pulled out a shirt; he pulled 
out a belt with a buckle that read ``President of the United States.'' 
It was his buckle.
  He said: Here, Ted. Put this on.
  So I dressed in the President's clothes, and we went out on the boat.
  Now, it is worth remembering that President Bush was a former naval 
aviator. He drove the boat and drove it full speed--with the throttle 
pushed as far as it would go. It was a beautiful, cool summer's day 
along the Maine shore, with waves splashing in the air. There was a 
light rain in the mist. Barbara sat at the front of the boat, with rain 
pelting her face, and she was smiling and glowing.
  At the time, we were in the midst of the so-called Green Revolution 
in Iran. So I remember asking ``Mr. President, what do you think about 
what is happening in Iran? What do you think about the changes?'' and 
just marveling, What on Earth am I doing on this boat, crashing through 
the waves, listening to President George Herbert Walker Bush give me 
his thoughts on national security and the interests of the United 
States? We had, by the way, Secret Service agents in Zodiac boats who 
were following as fast as they could and were having trouble keeping up 
with the President.
  So I ended up having lunch with President Bush and Barbara. We went 
to a little restaurant where we had some Maine lobster. I ended up 
spending 4\1/2\ hours with them. When I was getting ready to leave, I 
was walking to the door, and I was thanking him for spending so much 
time. He reached in his pocket, and he pulled out a check--a check for 
$1,000 to my attorney general campaign. You could have knocked me over 
with a stick. I am not someone who is known for being at a loss for 
words, and I, simply, stared at him and stammered. I think I barely got 
out the words ``thank you,'' but I was so astonished. The check, 
simply, read ``from George and Barbara Bush.''
  I got in the rental car and began driving back to the airport. I 
called Heidi, and I said: Heidi, I just had the most magical, 
unbelievable day.
  He didn't have to do any of that. He didn't have to give me the time 
of day. Yet he poured his heart into the people around him, into his 
family, into his public service, and into his Nation.
  That was just one, small illustration of the graciousness, the 
generosity, the humility of spirit that characterized his entire 94 
years on this planet. President Bush was the last of the ``greatest 
generation'' to sit in the Oval Office, but his resolve will not be 
lost to the past; it will triumph onward.
  In his words:

       The old ideas are new again because they are not old; they 
     are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism 
     that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in.

  The 91st Psalm is sometimes called the soldier's or the warrior's 
psalm because it asks the Lord for protection against a litany of foes, 
and it promises a refuge and a fortress in Him. It ends with the two 
most important gifts that can be bestowed on the faithful warrior: ``I 
shall satisfy him with a long life and grant him to see my salvation.''
  In having enjoyed that first gift, an incredible life of 94 years of 
making a difference, may President Bush now enjoy the second, bestowed 
upon a good and faithful servant. Now George and his beloved Barbara 
are together at last, with their daughter Robin, and they are enjoying 
a well-deserved rest from their labors. Now his spirit has joined a 
thousand points of light with his Creator, by whose brilliance may all 
our works be illuminated and inspired.
  President George Herbert Walker Bush leaves behind 6 children, 17 
grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren. He and Barbara were married 
for 73 years--the longest Presidential marriage in the history of the 
United States.
  God bless the memory of President George Herbert Walker Bush. God 
bless the legacy of service that he and Barbara instilled in generation 
after generation of the Bush family. Texas and America are far better 
for having known and loved him.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, several years ago, after his 3-year-old 
daughter Robin passed away from leukemia, George Herbert Walker Bush 
wrote to his mother about how much he loved and missed his little girl. 
It is a beautiful, almost heartbreaking letter. Near the end, he wrote 
about his daughter's continued presence in his life and the life of his 
family. He said: ``We cannot touch her and yet we feel her.''
  President Bush himself has now passed beyond our reach. Yet, 
knowingly or not, we all feel the difference he made in the Nation and 
in the world. Many of us feel that deep longing for a ``kinder, 
gentler'' Nation that President Bush promised in his inaugural address 
30 years ago.

[[Page S7264]]

  George Herbert Walker Bush was an American patriot who devoted his 
life to his family and to his country. On his 18th birthday--6 months 
after Pearl Harbor--he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became one of the 
youngest aviators in the history of the Navy. He was discharged 1 month 
after Japan's surrender, but he never stopped serving America.
  There is a book entitled ``Flyboys'' that tells the story of the 
squadron George Herbert Walker Bush was a part of and the deadly 
mission they were given in the South Pacific. He flew some 58 missions 
as a Navy pilot. On his last assignment, he was shot down, and two of 
his crew were killed in that confrontation. Fortunately for us and for 
him, he was rescued by a submarine. There is a grainy, black-and-white 
film of his being fished out of the ocean by the American submarine 
that is still an inspiration to this day.
  As the 41st President of the United States and the father of the 43rd 
President, he was the linchpin of a political dynasty that spanned four 
generations. He already had a lifetime of public service before he 
became President--as a Texas Congressman, Ambassador to the United 
Nations, Envoy to China, Director of the CIA, and Vice President to 
Ronald Reagan.
  Despite his extraordinary achievements, he was a man of remarkable 
humility. If his syntax sounded a little choppy at times--and Dana 
Carvey made a fortune imitating him--it was partly due to the fact that 
George Herbert Walker Bush had difficulty using the words ``I'' and 
``me.'' When he was a young boy, his mother taught him that those were 
the words of braggarts. Riding in the Presidential limousine through 
streets lined with cheering crowds, he once told a fellow passenger: 
``They're not clapping for me; they're clapping for the office of the 
President.'' That was exactly how he thought it should be.
  I was still a rather new Congressman when George Herbert Walker Bush 
was President. I sure didn't agree with all of his policies, as my 
voting record demonstrates, but that is a discussion for another time. 
As President Bush's own life shows us, there is a time for politics, 
and there is a time to put politics aside and to recall the exceptional 
lifetime of service he gave to our Nation.
  President Reagan helped hurry the end of the Cold War, but it fell to 
President George Herbert Walker Bush to successfully navigate the 
aftermath.
  When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, he insisted there would be no 
gloating or triumphalism from his administration.
  His low-key approach helped set the tone for our NATO allies, and it 
helped make possible the peaceful end of the Soviet Union. Never before 
had such a heavily armed empire ended with so little turmoil or 
bloodshed in its final days. In the 2 years before the collapse of the 
Soviet Union, President Bush and then-Soviet President Mikhail 
Gorbachev successfully negotiated the START nuclear arms treaty. Under 
President George Herbert Walker Bush, we saw the largest reduction in 
nuclear weapons in history, and America and the world are safer today 
because of it.
  If you want to see the world's enduring respect for President Bush, 
look at the statesmen and stateswomen expected to attend his memorial 
service tomorrow at the National Cathedral. Among them are Mikhail 
Gorbachev, his partner in historic change, and German Chancellor Angela 
Merkel, who grew up in Communist East Germany.
  It is said that the Germans today credit George Herbert Walker Bush 
more than any person for their successful reunification. He knew that 
America is stronger when we work with partners than when we imagine we 
can somehow go it alone. When Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait in 1990, 
George Herbert Walker Bush methodically assembled an international 
coalition to push them back.
  He left his mark on domestic policy as well. He fought for and in 
1990 signed the Americans with Disabilities Act--one of the greatest 
civil rights laws in our Nation's modern history.
  President Bush was a committed conservative and a Texan by choice. He 
had close ties to the oil industry, but he believed in science. What a 
welcome change it would be in Washington today if his party felt the 
same. President George Herbert Walker Bush understood that poisoning 
our planet is not just unfair to future generations, it is bad for 
business, and it is bad for our economy. He helped build bipartisan 
support--this Republican President helped build bipartisan support--and 
signed the Clean Air Act of 1990, strengthening the Federal 
Government's role and protecting the very air we breathe. He signed the 
Global Change Research Act of 1990, establishing an interagency Federal 
council to improve understanding of global change and to devise a plan 
to reduce the risks of climate catastrophe. What a sharp contrast to 
the current administration. George Herbert Walker Bush's work was the 
work of a leader.
  Between 1980 and 1990, America's budget deficit tripled to $220 
billion, driven largely by the Reagan-era tax cuts. In 1990, with a lot 
of criticism, President Bush had the courage to sign a tax increase--as 
President Reagan had before him--to help pay down the deficit for 
future generations. He put the interests of future generations ahead of 
his own short-term political advantage, and he paid a heavy price in 
the next election. He may have even lost because of it. Years later, he 
received a Profile in Courage Award for that leadership.
  In his inaugural address, President Bush said that the real strength 
and greatness of America came from ``a thousand points of light''--the 
countless acts of decency and compassion we show to each other and to 
those in need. In his post-Presidential years, he remained a committed 
advocate for volunteerism, community, and national service. He was 
active in domestic and global humanitarian activities, often alongside 
former President Bill Clinton, an old political opponent turned ally.
  In 1995, after a domestic terrorist bombed the Murrah Federal 
Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people and injuring 680 more, 
the National Rifle Association sent out a fundraising letter denouncing 
the Federal agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms as 
``jack-booted thugs.'' Former President George Herbert Walker Bush 
reacted with anger. He denounced that vitriol by the NRA as ``a vicious 
slander on good people.'' He publicly resigned his NRA lifetime 
membership, placing conscience ahead of political calculation.
  Like John McCain and others who have personally experienced the 
terror of war, George Herbert Walker Bush did not confuse politics with 
war. He did not mistake political opponents for enemies. He understood 
that people can have differences of opinion and both still love the 
country.
  Our sadness at losing him seems partly a reflection for our own deep, 
deep yearning as a nation today for the kind of leadership and 
character and integrity and honesty and courage that he brought to the 
Office of Presidency.
  In his first inaugural address, President Lincoln pleaded with a 
nation on the knife's edge of war. He said:

       We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies.

  Lincoln urged us to be guided ``by the better angels of our nature.''
  In his own inaugural address, President George Herbert Walker Bush 
also spoke of all Americans as friends. Let me read two short sections 
of his remarks.

       My friends, we are not the sum of our possessions. They are 
     not the measure of our lives. In our hearts, we know what 
     matters. We cannot hope only to leave our children a bigger 
     car, a bigger bank account. We must hope to give them a sense 
     of what it means to be a loyal friend, a loving parent, a 
     citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better 
     than he found it. And what do we want the men and women who 
     work with us to say when we're no longer there? That we were 
     more driven to succeed than anyone around us? Or that we 
     stopped to ask if a sick child had gotten better and stayed a 
     moment there to trade a word of friendship?

  President George Bush went on to say:

       America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in 
     high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose 
     today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and 
     gentler the face of the world. . . . My friends, we have work 
     to do.

  As a tribute to George Herbert Walker Bush, who lies in state in the 
Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol--the 32nd person to be so honored in our 
history--let us try to remember we are not enemies but friends, and may 
we summon the courage, the wisdom, and the humility to put the 
interests of our Nation and our world ahead of self-interest.

[[Page S7265]]

  In closing, my wife Loretta and I send our deepest condolences to 
President Bush, his family, and all who knew and loved him.

                          ____________________