[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 202 (Friday, December 21, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1731-E1733]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         GODSPEED AND FAREWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARK SANFORD

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 21, 2018



 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  December 21, 2018, on page E1731, the following 
appeared:GODSPELL AND FAREWELLHON. MARK SANFORD OF SOUTH 
CAROLINAIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFriday, December 21, 2018
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: GODSPEED AND 
FAREWELLHON. MARK SANFORD OF SOUTH CAROLINAIN THE HOUSE OF 
REPRESENTATIVESFriday, December 21, 2018


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 

  Mr. SANFORD. Mr. Speaker, it had been my intention to do a farewell 
address on the House floor on Thursday. In fact, I had reserved half an 
hour of floor time and had intended to not only offer a farewell but to 
talk one last time about the dangers headed to our economy and country, 
based on the build-up of our national debt and the economic bubble this 
has brought about. As it turned out, the day got turned upside down, 
and so as a consequence, I include in the Record the following.

       I would have simply risen to say thank you; as it stands, I 
     write to say thank you.
       As a boy, our family would watch the movie ``It's a 
     Wonderful Life'' each Christmas. It was one of our 
     traditions, and it's a telling tale of life's real blessings 
     and the importance of remembering them. It's in that spirit 
     that I recognize how blessed I have been to have been an 
     active participant in federal and state political debates 
     over the last quarter of a century.
       It was Teddy Roosevelt who spoke much of the man in the 
     arena, but what's often times forgotten about those who apply 
     his speech to politics is the people who put folks in the 
     arena. And that's where my thanks begin. I ran for Congress 
     for the first time back in 1994 not really having much of a 
     clue on the political process but certainly being concerned, 
     revolted by, and impassioned on the dangers of our federal 
     debt--and what it could do to our economy and our republic. I 
     held flip charts in front of Rotary Club gatherings and 
     walked through rather mind-numbing sets of numbers in 
     explaining the dangers of our debt. I talked about the fall 
     of the Byzantine Empire. I talked about the debt-load in 
     Spain in the sixteen hundreds. I talked about a lot of rather 
     narrow details, and I look back now at those talks and 
     cringe. Those who sat in the back row must have thought to 
     themselves, ``I have no idea what he is talking about, but he 
     sure is passionate about it--and based on that I'll give him 
     the benefit of my vote.''
       This was the beginning of 25 years of kindness, generosity, 
     understanding, and more that me, Jenny, and the boys were the 
     recipients of over the years. I don't know how

[[Page E1732]]

     to best express my deep appreciation to the people of the 1st 
     District, and to the people of the State of South Carolina, 
     for the trust they placed in me and the grace they offered me 
     and the family. It's well-known that on same days I exceeded 
     their expectations on duties performed. It is equally well-
     known that on other days I fell short. But having seen both 
     the highs and the lows of politics, and in falling at both 
     ends of the ``expectation-fulfillment-spectrum,'' I can say 
     with certainty that I have been blessed to serve a most 
     grace-filled lot. For that, I am indeed Jimmy Stewart's 
     character in ``It's a Wonderful Life''--a person only now 
     beginning to recognize the ways in which I have been blessed 
     over the years, and for this, I am most thankful.
       In short, public trust represents an awesome and sacred 
     responsibility. It's one that I took most seriously, and 
     regardless of the days when I got it right or wrong, I have 
     earnestly tried to do my best. That meant representing the 
     views, hopes, and dreams of folks at home as I carried their 
     views to both Columbia and Washington. It also meant keeping 
     my word on the things I promised in running, and it is for 
     this reason I think my voting record stands out as it does. 
     On both counts, I will remain forever grateful for the honor 
     of the chance to be in the arena.
       Politics is made special not only by the ideas that mark 
     its debates but by the people who give their different 
     vantage points on those ideas and debates. Over these years, 
     I have learned a lot from the many that I talked to . . . 
     whether across the state or on the coast of South Carolina. I 
     don't even know where to begin in thanking people along the 
     journey. Linda Riney over in Berkeley County has always made 
     me laugh with her dry humor. People like Bill and Barbara 
     Bates, Ray Nash, Joan Peters, or Peggy Bangle have been 
     remarkable for the ways in which they have helped me remember 
     that iron sharpens iron. There were another thousand like 
     them who would gently but clearly express their conviction. 
     Their voices helped me to better understand my own thinking 
     on a subject, and I will miss their wisdom. Other friends 
     like Jerry Scheer, Mark Cumins, or Chad Walldorf were never 
     particularly loud about their political views, but they were 
     unbelievably consistent in their friendship. There were also 
     another thousand just like them, and they were vital to my 
     surviving the scrapes and bruises that go with political 
     life. They are friends for life and I look forward to seeing 
     more of them now that I will be able to spend more time at 
     home.
       Sustaining this thought of the ways in which no one does 
     anything of significance alone, I also want to single out my 
     family. Political life was never a spectator sport for any of 
     them. I begin first with my former wife, Jenny. The wear and 
     tear of political life certainly took its toll on our 
     marriage, but in fairness, I never could have begun my time 
     in politics without her. Along with being a spectacular mom 
     to our boys and juggling a whole host of other balls that we 
     kept up in the air given our busy life together, she was a 
     great campaign manager. When I first ran for Congress, we ran 
     a phone line into the kitchen to begin the campaign because 
     she was trapped there most of the time with two babies. She 
     put in long hours and made a vital difference in my ability 
     to pursue political life.
       And what worked in one campaign applied to the next 
     campaign. And the next one after that. And three more after 
     that. And three more after that. When we moved from 
     congressional campaigns to state-wide gubernatorial 
     campaigns, all the experts said that there was no way you can 
     have your wife managing campaigns of that scale. But we 
     figured ``if it's not broke, don't fix it'' and moved ahead 
     with our most unconventional campaign format. Again, there 
     was wear and tear on the personal front with those many 
     campaign battles, but she did her part and did it ably and I 
     want to circle back to publicly thank her again for all of 
     her time and energy devoted to my time in politics.
       The same applies to our sons. They grew up in a very 
     strange way. When I was first elected governor, I remember 
     Jenny and I telling the boys of the details of dad's new work 
     requirements and the move to Columbia. Marshall, our oldest, 
     was curious and couldn't figure out how early he and his 
     brothers would have to get up every morning to be able to 
     make it to school on time in Columbia from Charleston. They 
     grew up so rooted in the Lowcountry that they couldn't 
     imagine moving away. Yet they did that and a whole lot more 
     at a very pivotal point in their lives.
       They grew up thinking it was normal to get in the back of a 
     Suburban every weekend and to go off to a different parade, 
     festival, or social event across the state. They would come 
     back each week to live in what Jenny light-heartedly called 
     ``a gated community of one.'' There were certainly privileges 
     that came with living in the governor's mansion, but there 
     was also isolation, given you didn't have neighbourhood kids 
     down the street just dropping by. There were armed guards out 
     front at the end of the driveway. They had to deal with being 
     viewed as the ``governor's sons'' as opposed to simply the 
     great young men that they were as Marshall, Landon, Bolton, 
     and Blake. They grew up standing in receiving lines with mom 
     and dad before thousands; they grew up greeting each new crop 
     of guests to the governor's mansion before they could go up 
     and do their homework.
       The list is endless, but the point here is simple. No one 
     gets anywhere alone in their lives. It takes collective 
     effort, and it was as a consequence of not only friends and 
     political allies that got me to where I am in life--but the 
     work of my former wife and my sons on the journey.
       Let me quickly mention three last thank you's that are 
     important to me as I close this chapter of life.
       One, over the years I have been blessed with an incredible 
     array of talent that came through staff and team positions in 
     the governorship. Let me begin with Marie Dupree. We have 
     worked together for about 30 years. She has been a remarkable 
     help and steady hand over my different offices and 
     professional pursuits. It is funny how time flies by with 
     some people, as over the years, I've watched her and Scott 
     raise children and now come to be called grandparents. But as 
     she did all that goes with life, she also was an 
     incredibly steady hand in helping me organize my life, and 
     for that, I am most grateful.
       The same would apply to people like April Derr who has 
     worked with me for about 25 years. She, like Marie, was never 
     political in focus but just cared about politics as a means 
     toward helping other people. They have both done it very well 
     and need to be singled out in this regard.
       There is an equally long list of folks who have been with 
     me for chapters of my life in politics, but people with whom 
     I could not have done what I did without their help, care, 
     and focus. Scott English and I argued over policy and ideas 
     for about 20 years. That's a frightening prospect, but we 
     both love policy and would delve into the details of all 
     sorts of ideas. Tom Davis is now a state senator, but we went 
     to college together and he really got his start in politics 
     in a place called Jurassic Park. In my first run for 
     governor, we had a slew of people staying at the house. There 
     was a fraternity-like element to the strangeness of random 
     people coming up into the kitchen in the morning who may have 
     arrived the day before or a month before as they took up 
     residence to help with the campaign. The anchor of that 
     effort was Tom Davis, who slept downstairs in the boys' 
     bedroom that had been converted to a dormitory of sorts. It 
     was filled with bunk beds ladened with the boys' old 
     dinosaur-covered sheets, pillowcases, and comforters . . . 
     and accordingly named ``Jurassic Park.''
       Martha Morris was another one of those early volunteers 
     that you never forget. When I began my improbable race to 
     return to the House in 2013, it began with me, Martha, and 
     Jon Kohan. It certainly grew from there, but you never forget 
     the people who were there with you when you are down and who 
     are there to enthusiastically kick off a new enterprise in 
     life, however improbable its outcome. Jon certainly fits this 
     bill as well, and I miss longtime friends like Martha and Jon 
     today.
       I better stop with the naming of names because it is a list 
     of hundreds over the years, and my mind is right now jumping 
     back to the great work of people like Catherine Kellahan and 
     Mary Neil Stroud or Jessica Gonzales and Brent Gibadlo. It is 
     crazy how many competent professionals I was blessed to work 
     with over my years in politics.
       Speaking of which, I have to mention just two more: Bob 
     Faith and Joe Taylor. The people of South Carolina are the 
     beneficiaries of their remarkable work as successive 
     Secretaries of Commerce. I would argue that they were the two 
     best Secretaries of Commerce in South Carolina history, given 
     the businesses that they helped grow and the others that they 
     brought to our state. This was in the headwind of the largest 
     economic downturn since the Great Depression, and when you 
     look at the numbers behind their efforts, they really do 
     stand out as extraordinary. I know for instance that Boeing, 
     and the thousands of jobs that have come with it, would not 
     be in South Carolina were it not for their collective 
     efforts.
       It's also a reminder of how from tiny acorns, mighty oaks 
     grow. It feels like yesterday that Bob walked in to my office 
     with an article he had found in Fortune magazine about the 
     new use of composites in commercial aircraft. It was hardly 
     yesterday and there is much water under the bridge over the 
     years that have followed, but I am most appreciative of all 
     their work.
       This is dangerous because each new idea that jumps into my 
     head connects to yet another one. On this subject of cabinet 
     members, I had a great conversation just a few weeks ago with 
     Jim Schweitzer. He had been my Director of Public Safety when 
     I was governor until I had to fire him as a consequence of 
     bad actions by a highway patrol officer. It had been most 
     unpleasant, as there is no way to put a red ribbon on these 
     kinds of actions--but I had felt I really didn't have a 
     choice, given my belief in the military model of holding 
     people at the top of the conmmand structure responsible for 
     actions taken within the unit. The long story short here is 
     that I am thankful to people like Jim as well. He, and others 
     like him, served ably for their chapter of service--and it 
     was so nice to catch up and talk about the days gone by--and 
     even tough moments in them.
       The point in all of this is that time is a great healer and 
     brings with it a level of humility in one's actions and 
     attempts at service. We all do as best we can. Some days are 
     glorious, others not . . . but it is the melding of all of 
     them that temper us and give us wisdom as the years roll by. 
     I am most thankful for the different people that God has 
     placed in my life and for the wisdom and

[[Page E1733]]

     perspective that I have gained in our interactions.
       Two, I am thankful to my God above. Over the years, I have 
     grown to hold tightly to what's talked about in Romans 8:28. 
     It says that God works not some, but all things, toward a 
     bigger plan. That's a notion that we will all question at 
     different points in our lives, but I am thankful for a God 
     that knows how many hairs there are on my head and whether or 
     not a sparrow falls to the ground. I respect friends who are 
     reticent about the notion of God and faith but couldn't live 
     my life without that belief that things are moving toward a 
     divine end regardless of the daily ups and downs. 
     Accordingly, I should thank not only the people who have been 
     brought in to my life over politics but as well the people 
     who helped raise and define me as a boy. Mom was ever-giving, 
     creative, loved people, and always there; Dad never gave up. 
     His big life lesson was on pushing through the inevitable 
     obstacles that would come in life, and I am most thankful for 
     all they did that helped wire me for the politics I have seen 
     over the last 25 years.
       Three, and finally, I ask you to remember the power of 
     ideas--and how they can change the world. We are living in a 
     weird time on this front right now. It's important that we go 
     back to our roots as a reason-based republic. We seem to 
     flirt with populism about every hundred years in this 
     country, and it seems we are in our latest courtship given 
     the era of Trump. But a cult of personality is never what our 
     Founding Fathers intended. We in fact were to be a nation of 
     laws and not men. Over my 25 years, I have come to revere 
     what the Founding Fathers created here--along with the 
     traditions and institutions that they established in support 
     of this simple but sacred idea of being about laws and ideas 
     rather than a nation subject to the whims of men.
       It's part of the reason I have come to believe so 
     passionately in limited government. I have seen first hand 
     government's many inefficiencies, and any look at history 
     screams the dangers of walking away from the Founding 
     Fathers' inherent distrust in systems built on men rather 
     than ideas and the institutions built to protect those ideas.
       So, along with the many things that I have enumerated 
     above, my simple parting wisdom is that we remember what 
     Benjamin Franklin said as he left the Constitutional 
     Convention--that we had been given a republic, if we could 
     keep it.
       This will require vigilance on all of our parts.
       It will mean not spending what we don't have. Math always 
     works. Professors Reinhart and Rogoff spoke eloquently to 
     this theme in their book ``This Time Is Different.'' Over the 
     800 years of financial history that they studied, it never 
     was different. In every instance, the civilization in 
     question found itself confronting the same math that our 
     country now faces, and the politicians inevitably answered 
     ``this time is different'' when talking about the math behind 
     their debt burden. The political answer brought with it the 
     seeds of destruction, and if we simply accept the political 
     answer of more spending--that this administration and past 
     administrations have proffered, we will face the same fate of 
     those now extinct civilizations.
       I believe that we are marching our way toward the most 
     predictable financial and economic crisis in the history of 
     our republic. If we don't change course soon, markets will do 
     it for us, and the consequences will be damning with regard 
     to future inflation, the value of the dollar, the worth of 
     our savings, and ultimately our way of life. More than 
     anything, these last 25 years have been about trying in some 
     small way to affect the trajectory of government spending. It 
     has at times been a most lonely battle, but I am thankful 
     that people like Justin Amash will still be here in Congress 
     to carry the flag forward in this eternal battle between 
     government's growth and liberty, between freedom and 
     security, and between the soothing promises of populism and 
     real math.
       Hayek warned us of the moment we are now living in America. 
     In his book ``The Road to Serfdom,'' he talks about how open 
     political systems become more and more difficult and 
     cumbersome with the passage of time. This we all know. It's 
     again part of what makes me believe so strongly in 
     conservative philosophy and the importance of limiting 
     government. Part of making government more efficient simply 
     means reducing its size. Open political systems are never 
     designed for efficiency, they are designed to give each one 
     of us a voice--and that process of democracy is hard. It 
     means we all have to roll up our sleeves and give just a 
     little to find the compromises necessary to move things 
     forward.
       What's valuable about Hayek's writing is the other half of 
     the story. Because as open political systems become 
     cumbersome and inefficient, inevitably a strong man comes 
     along and offers easy promises. He says that he can take care 
     of it for us. People desperate for a change accept his offer. 
     They have to give up a few freedoms in the equation to get 
     more security. It doesn't work out so well, as Hayek's book 
     in this instance is about the rise of Hitler in post-WWI 
     German history.
       I want to be clear and explicit that I am not likening 
     Trump to Hitler, but the forces at play could lead to a 
     future Hitler-like character if we don't watch out. It must 
     be remembered that another thing that Benjamin Franklin said 
     was that he who trades his freedom for security, deserves 
     neither. Indeed, how true.
       So my parting wisdom again is this:
       As a country, we have to get back to math that works. We 
     are riding on the Titanic as it now stands. This will end 
     tragically for all of us, if we don't turn our spending 
     habits around. Paul Kennedy wrote an interesting book a few 
     years ago titled ``The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers,'' 
     and again the dynamics that he talked about were once again 
     simply tied to math.
       We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater with regard 
     to institutions and traditions that have served our country 
     well for more than 200 years. If we have no faith in our 
     institutions and the people that populate them, our system 
     breaks down.
       We must embrace the truth, and it will set us free. Open 
     political systems cannot survive in a post-truth world. While 
     none of us are perfect, and there will always be grey around 
     some areas of truth, we cannot accept chronic streams of 
     distruth. If everything is subjective, there is nothing to 
     debate. If, on the other hand, there is objective truth, and 
     I can approach it from the right while you approach it from a 
     perspective more to the left, then we can join in debate. 
     Without truth out in the middle, there is no starting point 
     and the reasoned debate that an open political system relies 
     on for its survival is strangled and dissipates.
       A corollary to this is that we can't accept the idea of 
     ``fake news.'' I have certainly had more than my share of bad 
     stories of my time in politics. Some of them were indeed not 
     designed to bring forward the truth but were rather attempts 
     discovering the most sensational nugget or line regardless of 
     its context. And context is key to understanding any new bit 
     of information before us. But this does not make all news 
     fake. In the former Soviet Union, they have truly fake news, 
     and attempts to equate what's happening here with what 
     happened there is most dangerous. There is a reason that the 
     Founding Fathers enshrined the idea of a free and open press 
     in the First Amendment. We should watch this carefully as the 
     populist waves of today now come ashore.
       Lest I turn what would have been my talk here into a book, 
     I will mercifully call it quits to my thoughts for the day. 
     In doing so, I want to again express my thanks to all who 
     have helped me on this journey and to once again encourage 
     your embrace of free markets, limited government, and the 
     institutional forces so vital to perpetuating this remarkably 
     fragile gift of individual liberty. As you consider my 
     charge, I would ask that you have the courage to walk humbly 
     in advancing the ideas that we might share. Indeed, Micah 6:8 
     said it best in suggesting that we are to do justice, love 
     mercy, and walk humbly. Godspeed in the journey.

                          ____________________