[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 207 (Tuesday, December 8, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7283-S7284]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 797--HONORING THE LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF FORMER 
 UNITED STATES SENATOR PAUL SPYROS SARBANES AND EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES 
          TO THE FAMILY OF PAUL SPYROS SARBANES ON HIS PASSING

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Schumer, 
Mr. Alexander, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Blackburn, 
Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Booker, Mr. Boozman, Mr. Braun, Mr. 
Brown, Mr. Burr, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Carper, Mr. Casey, Mr. 
Cassidy, Ms. Collins, Mr. Coons, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. 
Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Enzi, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Mr. Gardner, 
Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley, Ms. Harris, Ms. Hassan, Mr. 
Hawley, Mr. Heinrich, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. 
Inhofe, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
King, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lankford, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Loeffler, 
Mr. Manchin, Mr. Markey, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Moran, Ms. 
Murkowski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Paul, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Peters, 
Mr. Portman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Risch, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Romney, Ms. Rosen, 
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Sasse, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Scott of 
Florida, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Shelby, Ms. 
Sinema, Ms. Smith, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Tester, Mr. Thune, 
Mr. Tillis, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Udall, Mr. Warner, Ms. Warren, Mr. 
Whitehouse, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wyden, and Mr. Young) submitted the 
following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 797

       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was born on February 3, 1933, 
     in Salisbury, Maryland, to Matina and Spyros P. Sarbanes, who 
     had emigrated from Laconia, Greece;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes graduated from Wicomico High 
     School and earned a full scholarship and a bachelor's degree 
     from the School of Public and International Affairs at 
     Princeton University in 1954;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes earned a Rhodes Scholarship 
     and graduated from Balliol College of the University of 
     Oxford with a First Class degree in 1957, and then graduated 
     from Harvard Law School in 1960;
       Whereas, in 1960, Paul Spyros Sarbanes married his wife, 
     Christine Dunbar, who was his partner in all his endeavors, 
     in addition to being a wonderful teacher of the classics, 
     Latin, Greek, and French, an avid reader, and a volunteer 
     with the Enoch Pratt Free Library, the Walters Art Museum, 
     and the Baltimore Volunteer Groups to the United States Fund 
     for UNICEF;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes and his late wife Christine 
     have--
       (1) 3 children, John, Michael, and Janet; and
       (2) 7 grandchildren;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes drew inspiration and passion 
     for public service from the ancient Greeks, who said, ``those 
     who lived only in private life were falling short'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was a member of the Greek 
     Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore, 
     Maryland, and held the highest lay office of the Church, 
     ``Order of St. Andrew, Archon of the Ecumenical 
     Patriarchate'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was elected to the Maryland 
     House of Delegates in 1966;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was elected to the United 
     States House of Representatives in 1970, and in 1974, he 
     introduced the first articles of impeachment against 
     President Richard Nixon for obstruction of justice;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was elected to the United 
     States Senate in 1976, and served on the Committees on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Foreign Relations, and 
     Budget of the Senate, and the Joint Economic Committee;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes's long-time partner in the 
     Senate, Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, jokingly 
     referred to them as ``diner Democrats'' in recognition of his 
     parents, who owned a restaurant, and hers, who owned a 
     grocery store, and their dedication to the everyday concerns 
     of Marylanders and the people of the United States;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes developed a reputation for 
     honesty, intellect, and integrity, working cooperatively with 
     his colleagues and preferring results over credit;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes had a deep understanding of 
     economic issues, honed as an aide to Walter Heller on 
     President John F. Kennedy's Council of Economic Advisors, and 
     was a leader on critical financial issues including the 
     Community Reinvestment Act, affordable housing, and anti-
     money laundering efforts;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes served as Chairman of the 
     Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the 
     Senate and wrote the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which passed 
     the Senate unanimously, to reform and strengthen oversight of 
     corporate governance and the accounting industry in the wake 
     of the Enron scandal;
       Whereas President George W. Bush said the Sarbanes-Oxley 
     Act of 2002 included ``the most far-reaching reforms of 
     American business practices since the time of Franklin Delano 
     Roosevelt'' and President Barack Obama called it ``a towering 
     achievement

[[Page S7284]]

     that will strengthen the American economy for many years to 
     come'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was a champion of the 
     Chesapeake Bay, working to improve access through the 
     Chesapeake Gateways and Watertrails Program and the Captain 
     John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and to improve 
     the health of the Bay with the Chesapeake Restoration Act, 
     oyster restoration, and the Poplar Island project;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes had a reputation as a man of 
     deep principle, which led to his inclusion in the impeachment 
     proceedings against President Richard Nixon and the 
     investigations into Iran Contra and Whitewater;
       Whereas journalist and author Elizabeth Drew, writing about 
     Watergate, wrote of Paul Spyros Sarbanes, ``History and 
     process lift people, and they have lifted this group--and 
     given the public a chance to see it. Paul Sarbanes would not 
     have looked at all bad at the Constitutional Convention; he 
     might have been one of the great ones'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was committed to the United 
     States' leadership in the world, sought peaceful engagement 
     with our allies, played a key role in the ratification of the 
     Panama Canal treaties and anti-apartheid laws, and voted 
     against the authorization of use of military force in Iraq in 
     2003;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes received numerous awards for 
     his time in service, including the Paul H. Douglas Ethics in 
     Government Award, the Rolfe Award for Extraordinary Impact on 
     Policy in Economics, Business, and Finance, and the Cox, 
     Coleman, Richardson Award for Distinguished Public Service;
       Whereas, in his farewell speech to the Senate, Paul Spyros 
     Sarbanes said, ``Throughout my years in public service, I 
     have worked to the limits of my ability to provide the people 
     of Maryland and the Nation dedicated, informed, and 
     independent representation based on the fundamental 
     principles of integrity and intelligence. I have been guided 
     in this effort by a vision of a decent and just America, 
     based on a strong sense of community and offering fairness 
     and opportunity to all its people'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes continued in his farewell 
     speech that ``Service in this body has reinforced, many times 
     over, my understanding and commitment to the institutions 
     upon which our system of democratic governance critically 
     depends'' and ``So long as the vision of America's promise 
     continues to shine brightly in this body, I have every 
     confidence that our Nation will prevail in the face of great 
     challenges and that its future will be assured'';
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was the longest-serving 
     Senator from the State of Maryland when he retired in 2006;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes served as a mentor and friend 
     to his colleagues and the dedicated staff in his offices on 
     Capitol Hill and in the State of Maryland;
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes will be remembered for--
       (1) his intellect, understanding of issues, and incisive 
     questioning of witnesses before his committees;
       (2) the trust he built and wisdom and counsel he shared 
     with his colleagues; and
       (3) his unwavering commitment to the people of the United 
     States, and especially the people he served in Maryland; and
       Whereas Paul Spyros Sarbanes was a loving husband, father, 
     grandfather, and son who passed away on December 6, 2020, at 
     the age of 87: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That--
       (1) the Senate--
       (A) has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the 
     announcement of the death of the Honorable Paul Spyros 
     Sarbanes, former member of the United States Senate;
       (B) recognizes the life and achievements of the Honorable 
     Paul Spyros Sarbanes;
       (C) expresses condolences to the family of the Honorable 
     Paul Spyros Sarbanes on his passing; and
       (D) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the 
     Senate--
       (i) communicate this resolution to the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the 
     family of the Honorable Paul Spyros Sarbanes; and
       (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a 
     further mark of respect to the memory of the Honorable Paul 
     Spyros Sarbanes.

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