[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 9, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4716-S4717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Remembering Jim Taricani

  Mr. REED. Madam President, I rise today to salute a hometown hero, a 
dedicated journalist, and a trusted newsman, Jim Taricani, who sadly 
passed away last month after decades of contributions to Rhode Island 
and the field of journalism throughout this country.
  This is just an example of the tributes that he won by a very, very 
enthusiastic population of Rhode Island. This is the front page of the 
Providence Journal on the day of his funeral service.
  He was a gentleman. He was a man of integrity, a man of fairness--the 
qualities that define a great journalist. In fact, the words ``great 
journalist'' and ``Jim Taricani'' are synonymous.
  He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. He was an award-winning 
investigative journalist who earned multiple Emmys and the coveted 
Edward R. Murrow Award, and he was a true champion of the First 
Amendment.
  Jim grew up in Connecticut and served the U.S. Air Force, where he 
was stationed in Europe as a military police officer. But he made his 
mark when he moved to Rhode Island and embarked on a career in 
broadcast journalism, first in radio, and then over a 30-year career at 
WJAR that spanned from the late 1970s through 2014.
  Jim began his stint for NBC 10--WJAR--as a general assignment 
reporter but gained notoriety for covering big stories and uncovering 
the truth. He went on to found the station's investigative team in 
1979.
  He earned a reputation for taking on tough stories about organized 
crime and political corruption. In reporting on these difficult topics, 
Jim's own integrity, selflessness, and fairness shone through every day 
and every moment.
  Indeed, Jim didn't just talk about principles; he lived them. In 
February 2001, Jim obtained an FBI surveillance video from a 
confidential source. It showed a public employee accepting a bribe in 
the famed Operation Plunder Dome case, which transfixed Rhode Island 
and Providence, its capital, for many, many months. It marked a 
significant moment when people could see and hear what corruption 
looked like. Rather than following a court order to reveal the source 
of the tape, Jim stood up for the First Amendment, and he was sentenced 
to 6 months of home confinement.
  Several of Jim's friends and colleagues wrote letters to the judge on 
Jim's behalf, including Christiane Amanpour, who interned for Jim in 
the early 1980s, when she was a student at URI.
  She noted that Jim Taricani taught her ``that journalism when done 
right is a noble profession, that America's unique commitment to 
freedom of the press is vital to a functioning democracy, [and] that 
holding public officials to account is the imperative of a corruption-
free society.''
  Indeed, that is what Jim set out to do through his reporting.
  He became a strong advocate for other journalists, testifying before 
Congress about freedom of the press and the challenges journalists face 
in trying to keep the public informed about their government. His help, 
his actions, and his activity spurred action. The Senate Judiciary 
Committee advanced Senator Schumer's bipartisan media shield bill. But 
the work to protect journalists, and to ensure that they can 
responsibly do their job and inform the public, continues. We must find 
a bipartisan way forward that balances freedom of the press and public 
safety.
  Jim was also a tremendous advocate for the American Heart 
Association. A survivor of cardiovascular disease and multiple heart 
attacks, Jim documented his own process of undergoing a heart 
transplant, from uncertainty to recovery. Here is how the Providence 
Journal's television critic described it:

       Listed--the title refers to the word from doctors that 
     every heart transplant candidate longs to hear--is the most 
     powerful human interest story I have ever seen on local 
     television. It is courageous first-person journalism, a story 
     that you may never forget.

  Taricani, who kept a diary throughout his hospital stay, wanted to 
have his experience videotaped in order to produce a donor awareness 
video for the American Heart Association. It was never his intention to 
broadcast the account, but when the news director, Dan Salamone, 
suggested it would reach a broader audience if televised, Taricani 
agreed.
  That was Jim. He was not looking to be the story but was willing to 
share his story if it could help others. Thoughtful, tenacious, and 
tough--that was Jim Taricani. By the way, 32 days after receiving his 
new heart, Jim was back at work, which tells you everything you need to 
know about how passionate he was about journalism and how much he loved 
his job.
  Undoubtedly, the love of his life was his wife, Laurie White, who is 
a force in her own right and has taken up Jim's cause of freedom of the 
press and encouraging the next generation of aspiring young journalists 
to go out and make a difference. She has endowed a lecture series on 
First Amendment rights at the University of Rhode Island in Jim's 
honor, which is a fitting tribute.
  She said:

       Journalists bring sunlight to the stories that otherwise 
     may stay hidden in the shadows. It is my hope that this 
     lecture series will continue his legacy of inspiring the next 
     generation of ethical and responsible journalists.

  I expect the series will help increase public understanding of the 
importance of a free press and the First Amendment for decades to come.
  As a journalist and as a person, nothing stopped Jim from following 
the facts, uncovering the truth, sharing important stories, and 
enlightening his audience. We are all, in Rhode Island and across the 
country, deeply saddened by the loss of Jim Taricani, but his example 
and legacy endure. That legacy will sustain us and inspire us to 
continue working together to build a just and decent country, and for 
that we are all grateful to Jim.
  Madam President, I yield the floor to my distinguished colleague from 
Rhode Island, Senator Whitehouse.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Madam President, it is a great honor to join my 
senior colleague, Senator Reed, on the Senate floor to remember someone 
we both knew very well, Jim Taricani, a

[[Page S4717]]

legendary investigative reporter, whom not only we knew well but so 
many Rhode Islanders knew well.
  There was a rule in Rhode Island: When Jim called, you answered. He 
was also tough. He was always fair. He was the founder of WJAR's I-
Team, a storied investigative unit for the NBC affiliate in Rhode 
Island.
  Jim started working as a reporter in the 1970s, when the New England 
mafia was still active on the streets of Providence. He became known 
for segments exposing organized crime and for sniffing out public 
corruption, and, at times, a bit of a combination of both. Jim's news 
sense and his doggedness were legendary.
  Jim was a Rhode Island icon. In a small State, with more than its 
share of stories to tell and plenty of larger-than-life characters, 
investigative journalists have always had a particular prominence. For 
more than three decades, Jim was among the best of them all.
  He was brave. When a Federal judge ordered Jim to divulge who had 
provided him with a tape of a bribe being accepted at Providence City 
Hall, he opted for a prison sentence rather than give up his source. 
The courage of Jim Taricani made national headlines. He ended up 
serving 4 months of home confinement and testified before Congress in 
2007 in support of a Federal shield law to protect the freedom of the 
press.
  Rhode Islanders felt a personal connection to Jim for another reason. 
Jim needed a new heart in the 1990s. After having suffered two heart 
attacks in his thirties, he shared this health saga on the air, 
allowing WJAR cameras to follow along as he underwent a heart 
transplant and navigated his recovery.
  From living rooms and kitchen tables across Rhode Island, Rhode 
Islanders rooted for Jim. As his health improved, he ultimately 
returned to the newsroom. The transplant would give him 23 more years, 
which he called his bonus.
  Jim passed away last month at the age of 69. With the free press 
under more strain than almost any other point in our Nation's history, 
Jim's funeral became a really important moment. The photo Senator Reed 
just showed on the front page of the Providence Journal the next day 
was a sight to behold. More than 50 journalists showed up to serve as 
Jim Taricani's honor guard. The honor guard had dozens of reporters 
from across Rhode Island--not just from WJAR but from all of its 
competitors too. Journalists came from other parts of the country who 
had crossed paths with Jim at channel 10 during time they spent in 
Rhode Island. They had come back to see off a friend, a hero, and a 
staunch defender of the First Amendment.
  I join Senator Reed today in thinking of Jim's beloved wife, Laurie 
White, and the many friends of theirs who mourn Jim's passing. He will 
be missed.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. YOUNG. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Blackburn). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. Young pertaining to the introduction of S. 2063 
are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills 
and Joint Resolutions.'')
  Mr. YOUNG. I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURPHY. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.