[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 26734-26740]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    IN HONOR OF SENATOR JOHN CHAFEE

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a friend, 
an athlete, a scholar, a lawyer, a Governor, a Secretary of the Navy, a 
Senator, and a marine--not necessarily in that order.
  The Senate and our country have lost a great man with the passing of 
John Chafee. He exemplified everything that is so good and decent and 
honorable about our country. A man born to privilege, he also 
recognized a duty and an obligation to serve his country. As a young 
freshman at Yale, he was moved to action by the Japanese attack on 
Pearl Harbor. He became a marine because he wanted to fight, and they 
promised him he would do just that in the Pacific.
  So many of our World War II generation, called by Tom Brokaw ``our 
greatest generation,'' did exactly what John Chafee did. They left 
their ivy league campuses and their State universities, their jobs and 
their families, and they saw it as their duty to serve.
  The Marines delivered on their promise; they gave John Chafee a 
chance to fight. Soon after his initial training, he found himself as a 
young private on the beach at one of America's bloodiest battles, at 
Guadalcanal. Several years ago, at a program at the Smithsonian, 
Senator Chafee joined a group of World War II veterans who discussed 
their memories of the war. John Chafee related that the lesson he 
carried with him was that there was no rhyme or reason to who lived and 
who died in combat. He said he learned that it didn't matter how good a 
marine you might be, the incoming artillery rounds and the enemy 
bullets did not discriminate among good and bad marines and that if one 
survived it was not though personal merit but by the grace of God. He 
came away from that experience with a commitment to live honorably and 
well because he recognized that every day was a gift and because he 
owed that to those who he left behind on those fields.
  He went on to receive a commission as a lieutenant and the Marines 
continued to provide those opportunities to fight in other bloody 
battles in the Pacific theater including Okinawa.
  When the war ended, he took off his uniform, returned home, and 
picked up where he left off. He graduated from Yale where he 
distinguished himself as a collegiate wrestler and captain of the Yale 
wrestling team. Although a supremely modest man, the one honor for 
which he was always very proud and willing to talk about was his 
induction several years ago into the Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame 
in Oklahoma.
  After Yale, he went on to Harvard and graduated in a class filled 
with many other veterans with similar war records including Senator Ted 
Stevens. But soon after graduating from law school, John Chafee learned 
the Marines weren't done with him and their promise to give him a 
chance to fight.
  In fact, John Chafee related this experience to me when we were 
driving together in a car to see the mustering out of one of my 
favorite aides, my legislative aide Dave Davis, whose wife happened to 
be John Chafee's personal assistant. We were going out together because 
this was a big day for Dave Davis. He was going to leave the Army and 
to come with me full time. I must say it was a great day for me. John 
Chafee said: You know, I left after World War II, and I thought I was 
finished. I didn't sign any papers saying I had left the service; I 
didn't think it was necessary. And all of a sudden, one day during the 
Korean war, I get a notice from the U.S. Marines saying you never left 
the marines, and we are going to send you to Korea. He said: My gosh, I 
was so surprised.
  He was no longer an 18-year-old who was looking for a place to fight. 
He had a wife and child. He had just graduated from Harvard Law School 
with a bright future ahead. John Chafee said: I still have a commitment 
and I am going to keep it.
  He said he had a responsibility to young marines to teach and tell 
them what he knew from his own combat experience because he knew that 
would be helpful. He answered the call without complaint and once again 
distinguished himself as a marine company

[[Page 26735]]

commander in battle against the Chinese in North Korea in the mountains 
of Korea.
  One of his young lieutenants in that company in Korea was the 
novelist and writer James Brady. Brady wrote a book about his 
experience in the Korea war entitled ``The Coldest War'' and John 
Chafee is the hero of that story. Brady writes.

       That's how it is in the Marine Corps. There are rules and a 
     subtle understanding some of them are to be broken. Colonels 
     broke rules, I suppose generals did, enlisted men broke them, 
     I broke them whenever I could with circumspection, but Chafee 
     never. Captain Chafee kept the rules. Not that he was prissy. 
     It simply did not occur to Chafee to cut corners.

  Brady also writes about not having a chance to tell John Chafee how 
much he meant to him in a way in which many of us in the Senate can 
identify with today.

       There was so much I wanted to say: what his confidence 
     meant to me, how I admired him, how much he'd taught all of 
     us. He was the only truly great man I'd met in my life, and 
     all I had the time to do was say thanks. Maybe he understood.

  We all know his incredible achievements after returning from battle. 
He continued to serve his native Rhode Island well as a three-term 
Governor and then Senator for 23 years. He also continued to serve his 
beloved Marine Corps as the Secretary of the Navy.
  He kept faith with all those marines who paid the supreme sacrifice 
in the Pacific and in Korea by living a good life and representing them 
well. He was always Semper Fi to the Corps.
  One story recalled by another member of the platoon years later at a 
gathering of Korean war veterans told of how John Chafee's Marine 
company was moving across snow-covered ground that was believed to be 
covered with landmines. No one in the company was eager to march 
through the area so Captain John Chafee, showing no fear, took point 
and led his men through the snow. When the marines reached the top of 
the hill, someone looked back and observed that the entire company had 
left only one set of tracks as each marine had carefully stepped 
exactly in Captain John Chafee's footprints.
  This lieutenant observed nearly 50 years later that he and the others 
were still trying to follow in John Chafee's footsteps.
  As did his marines so long ago, many of us are trying to follow in 
John Chafee's footsteps, setting a standard of decency, civility, and 
kindness, remembering how to disagree without rancor. This is something 
all of us in the Senate need to remember when we think of John Chafee. 
It is the lesson all of us could relearn as we are going into some very 
tough times in the Senate. He loved this institution. He loved what it 
meant. We have all been enriched and blessed by his presence.
  I hope his legacy will be that all of us will be better for John 
Chafee having been here because he is known as one of the kindest, most 
civil, and absolutely great Members of this body by everyone who knew 
him. I have never heard anyone say John Chafee was not a superior 
person. Whether or not you agreed with him on the merits of an issue, 
you could never say he wasn't the best of us.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the Senator from Ohio.
  Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to John Chafee. 
Although I am a new Member of the Senate, I worked with John for many 
years as Governor of Ohio and as vice chairman and chairman of the 
National Governors' Association. I worked with him to reform Medicaid 
and welfare and to reform our laws to protect the environment.
  I always found him to be a gentleman, a thoughtful man who listened 
and gave a fair hearing, whether it was in his office or before his 
committee. I also found him to be a man of profound principle with a 
deep and abiding sense of care for the less fortunate and the 
environment.
  No environmental legislation emerged from this Congress without his 
imprint. I am sure he looked at the improving environment in this 
country as part of his public service legacy. In particular, I remember 
working closely with him on the effort to reform the Safe Drinking 
Water Act. I was one of the leads for the Governors of the State and 
local government coalition, and John, of course, was chairman of the 
Environment and Public Works Committee.
  John was a visionary leader insisting on enhancing protection of 
public health and, for the first time, requiring the use of cost-
benefit analysis and risk assessment in setting environmental 
standards.
  When we in the State and local government community started out, we 
were told we wouldn't succeed; that the environmental community would 
never accept these far-reaching reforms.
  However, due to John's hard work and credibility, we did succeed and 
the enactment of the bill was celebrated at The White House. The result 
was that the bill was viewed as a model for environmental reform by 
state and local elected officials and as an advancement in the 
protection of public health by the environmental community.
  Since I arrived in the Senate earlier this year, I have been 
privileged to serve on John's Environment and Public Works Committee. 
We had many oars in the water, so to speak, bills that we were working 
on. I am saddened that I did not have more of an opportunity to work 
with John as a colleague here in the Senate, as so many others did, who 
have spoken so eloquently of their high regard and treasured friendship 
with him.
  However, it has been a privilege to work with him and serve with him. 
I have learned from him and his example. There is no one who ran a 
better or fairer hearing than John. When John chaired a hearing, you 
could count that it would start on time. In fact, I tried to get there 
before him to let him know that first, I respected his chairmanship 
and, second, to take advantage of his ``early bird'' rule. For those of 
you who are unaware of the chairman's ``early bird rule,'' it was his 
way of specially recognizing those who made the effort to show up on 
time for his hearings. The ``early bird rule'' provided that he would 
recognize Senators in the order they arrived--regardless of seniority--
although on occasion he did make exceptions if a ``late arrival'' had a 
special issue to bring before the committee.
  John reminded me of my father-in-law--if you weren't 5 minutes early 
for a scheduled meeting, he would be standing there waiting for you 
while looking at his watch.
  I have decided that in the future I will no longer refer to the 
``early bird rule,'' but will begin a new tradition honoring the 
chairman by now referring to the ``Chafee rule.''
  Others have spoken of John's military and civic service to his 
country with beautiful oratory, but I simply want to say that as a 
freshman he was my role model. John Chafee was an honest, hard working, 
decent, principled, and straight-forward man. I will miss him and the 
Senate will surely be the less for his loss.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair recognizes the Senator from New 
Hampshire.
  Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, there have been a number 
of my colleagues who have spoken about a wonderful man and a good 
friend and colleague, Senator John Chafee. I will take a few moments to 
talk about John Chafee the friend, John Chafee the legislator, and the 
man who served as a role model for all in public service, regardless of 
the partisan affiliation, ideology, or views on any particular issues.
  I happened to be in New Hampshire yesterday morning--ironically, 
discussing the possibilities of attending a function in New England 
honoring Senator Chafee--when I heard the tragic news of his passing. 
It was, indeed, a shock. I saw John in his wheelchair on the subway 
after the last vote on Friday. He was engaged in conversation with some 
constituents, visitors to the Capitol. I didn't interrupt him because I 
didn't want to interrupt that conversation. I wish I had. That would 
have been the last opportunity to say goodbye to him.
  My thoughts and prayers are with his family, with Ginny and the 
children

[[Page 26736]]

and the grandchildren, but also with Senator Chafee's very devoted 
staff, both on the Environment and Public Works Committee and in his 
personal office.
  Others on the floor have reviewed Senator Chafee's record of 
achievements. It is an inspiring record. Others have dwelled on it 
extensively. It stands in stark contrast to what many Americans today 
think about politics, politicians, and political leaders.
  I want to emphasize the qualities of public service and patriotism 
that motivated John Chafee. In the spirit of Jimmy Stewart, who 
believed that good leaders should occupy the offices here, John Chafee 
was in that tradition. As a young man of 20, John left college to 
enlist in the Marine Corps after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He fought 
at Guadalcanal, and after that he resumed his studies. After the war, 
he earned an undergraduate degree from Yale and a law degree from 
Harvard. He again served his country in the Korean conflict where he 
commanded Dog Company, a 200-man rifle unit in the first marine 
division. That is not easy duty.
  After serving his country with honor in the military, he embarked on 
what would be another honorable career for John Chafee; 6 years in the 
Rhode Island House of Representatives, including the rise to the post 
of minority leader. He ran for the Governor of Rhode Island and was 
elected by a 398-vote margin in 1962. His constituents recognized John 
Chafee's leadership, integrity, and intelligence by rewarding him with 
two more terms as Governor--in both cases by the largest margins in the 
State's history.
  In 1969, President Richard Nixon appointed John Chafee as Secretary 
of the Navy where he served with and was succeeded by our mutual 
friend, John Warner. John Chafee was elected to the Senate in the 
bicentennial year of 1976 as the first Republican to be elected Senator 
from Rhode Island in 46 years. His work as a Senator was rewarded with 
reelection in 1982, 1988, 1994, and he would have been reelected again 
in 2000 had that been in the cards.
  He was looking forward to spending more time with Ginny and the 
grandchildren. I think that is the greatest tragedy of all, that they 
will miss a wonderful husband and a wonderful father and grandfather.
  I first got to know John Chafee when I was elected to the Senate in 
1990. I served on the Environment and Public Works Committee where he 
was a ranking member and then chairman. We worked together on all of 
the environmental bills that come down the pike: Clean Air Act, Clean 
Water Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and, most importantly, on 
Superfund, where we shared the frustrations of working and fighting the 
good fight, where we had differences on the other side of the aisle. 
But John was a patient legislator in spite of the frustrations, in 
spite of the times he could have been angry--politically angry--at 
those on the other side of the aisle. He never was. One couldn't get 
him to say one cross word about anybody on that committee no matter 
what. He wouldn't do it.
  I was taking the subway and saw John talking to a person, perhaps 
posing for a picture. And sometimes the people were not sure who he 
was. One time a person asked: Do you know which Senator that was, sir? 
And I said: I do. That is Senator John Chafee. They said: What do you 
know about him? I said: He is the nicest man in the Senate, and don't 
forget it.
  He was. He looked after his colleagues.
  In 1996, when I ran for reelection, there were attacks on my 
environmental record that were not justified. He came to my aid in New 
Hampshire and spent a day up there with me deflecting those attacks. 
Although he was criticized for doing it, he did it anyway. He was glad 
to do it. I will never forget it.
  Both New Englanders, Chafee and Smith, both veterans, both committed 
to protecting the environment, John a far greater leader than I in that 
regard, we did have a lot in common. We disagreed on issues, as well. 
If there was anyone who ever lived who perfected the art of disagreeing 
without being disagreeable, it was John Chafee. Many times I marveled 
at his ability to participate in a heated debate, in close quarters, 
sometimes without losing his composure and his good humor. One of the 
qualities I will always remember about John was his demeanor and good 
humor.
  When I first came to the Senate--and Senator Warner referred to this 
yesterday--one of his favorite expressions was, ``Oh, dear.'' Senator 
Warner spoke eloquently about it yesterday. I had a personal experience 
with ``Oh, dear'' when I first came to the Senate in 1990 and we 
reorganized the Senate. I didn't know people that well. I was getting 
pressure from some Senators on one quarter to vote for one person for 
leadership and others were suggesting I vote for Senator Chafee. As I 
went into the last moments before the vote in the Republican 
conference, I still had not made up my mind.
  Finally I decided. My decision was to vote against Senator Chafee. So 
I said: I have to tell him this. My conscience would bother me too much 
if I didn't walk up and tell him before the vote because it was a 
secret ballot. I walked up and I said: John, I just want to let you 
know I decided to vote for the other guy, and he just said, ``Oh, 
dear.'' And he lost by one vote.
  It really was the beginning of a long friendship which I will always 
cherish. There will be a lot of tributes to Senator Chafee over the 
next several months. None of them will do justice to the memory of his 
legacy. I would like to propose one myself today, as one small way to 
deal with that legacy. As we all know, throughout his career John 
fought for the protection of our natural resources. One initiative many 
Americans may not appreciate that was sponsored by Senator Chafee in 
1982 was the Coastal Barrier Resources Act. I know enacting that into 
law was one of the proudest moments of Senator Chafee's tenure here.
  For the benefit of my colleagues who are not familiar with this act, 
its primarily purpose is to restrict Federal expenditures and financial 
assistance that encouraged the development of undeveloped coastal 
barriers. Development in ecologically critical coastal barriers along 
the Atlantic and Gulf coasts not only damaged fish and other natural 
resources but often resulted in the loss of human life as well.
  The act permitted Federal expenditures for energy resource 
development, military activities, channel improvements, conservation 
activities, emergencies, navigation aids, and scientific research 
projects. It permitted, but did not require, interested private 
landowners to enter the system on a voluntary basis. The Coastal 
Barrier Resources System comprises approximately 3 million acres and 
2,500 shoreline miles.
  This act was vintage Chafee. It was balanced. It was fiscally 
prudent. It was environmentally protective. I can think of no more 
fitting tribute to Senator John Chafee than to name the system created 
by that legislation the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources 
System. I intend to introduce legislation to that effect and look 
forward to its quick passage with the support of my colleagues.
  In closing, I say to Ginny and to the children and grandchildren, our 
thoughts and prayers are with you. All of us are proud to have called 
your husband, your father, and your grandfather, a friend. He was a 
decent, wonderful man. I am proud to call him a friend.
  I would like to close reading Psalm 15, which the Chafee staff read 
in an effort to comfort one another about their leader. The Psalm is as 
follows:

     Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? who may abide upon 
           your holy hill?

     Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, who 
           speaks the truth from his heart.

     There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his 
           friend; he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor.
     In his sight the wicked is rejected, but he honors those who 
           fear the Lord.
     He has sworn to do no wrong and does not take back his word.
     He does not give his money in hope of gain, nor does he take 
           a bribe against the innocent.
     Whoever does these things shall never be overthrown.


[[Page 26737]]


  It is a wonderful tribute from the Chafee staff to their friend and 
their boss. I don't think it could be said any better than that.
  We will miss you, John, but we are a lot richer because you were here 
with us.
  Mr. BAUCUS. Will the Senator yield? I want to tell the Senator what a 
gracious suggestion he has made, naming the Coastal Barrier Resources 
System after Senator John Chafee. I cannot think of a more fitting 
tribute with respect to legislation with which he has been associated. 
I hope, therefore, we can bring that bill out quickly--I do not think 
it is controversial at all--and pass it in this session of this 
Congress. I thank the Senator. I express my appreciation to the Senator 
for such a gracious thought, and I will join with him, moving as 
quickly as we can to make that become law with John's name on it.
  All of us are at a loss to find the words. We dig down deep to try to 
ascertain the meaning of John's death. It was so sudden. It happened so 
quickly, and to such a wonderful, decent, good man. I think basically 
all of us are going to be remembered to some degree by who we are as 
people, more than what legislation we passed. We all work together here 
to pass legislation, but it is really the character of the person that 
is remembered by family, friends, associates.
  I can think of no person for whom I presently do have a fonder memory 
or more respect than John Chafee. There is no man who was more of a 
good man than John Chafee. His decency, his civility--they do not come 
any better. They just don't. We are all thinking about John. Words 
don't come to us--certainly not to this Senator at this moment--but we 
all know what a good man he was. We cherish those memories very deeply.
  He was a great Senator.
  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to remember our friend John 
Chafee. The state of Rhode Island and the United States have lost a 
great man--a valiant soldier, a dedicated statesman and a gentleman of 
a breed we don't see enough of these days.
  I always felt an affinity with John because our political careers 
followed similar paths. Like me, he returned from military service 
overseas and soon began his political career in his home state of Rhode 
Island, eventually serving as Governor and then as a United States 
Senator.
  The courage and integrity that earned John accolades in the Marine 
Corps marked his tenure in the Senate, where he stood up for issues he 
believed in, no matter the opposition, and worked to break gridlock 
between Democrats and Republicans and forge partnerships amid 
partisanship. He knew when to be a leader in his party and when to be a 
loner, and most people respected him dearly for it. A former Secretary 
of the Navy, he steered his own course.
  Environmentalists will remember John Chafee as their chief Republican 
ally, a man whose vision led to the crafting of numerous pieces of key 
legislation, including the 1988 law against ocean dumping, the 1989 oil 
spill law and most notably the Clean Air Act of 1990. More recently, he 
led successful efforts to enact oil spill prevention and response 
legislation and a bill to strengthen the Safe Drinking Water Act. His 
years of commitment to the protection of the nation's wetlands and 
barrier islands are also tributes to his environmental legacy.
  John had many visions, one of which was providing all Americans with 
comprehensive health care. His hard work in drafting a Republican 
health care package and pushing for a bipartisan compromise will not be 
forgotten. Neither will his efforts to expand health care coverage for 
women and children, improve community services for persons with 
disabilities and reduce the federal budget deficit.
  Democrats and Republicans alike in John's home state of Rhode Island 
knew they had a friend in their Senator. He fought for local issues 
with the same vigor as national ones. When he announced this March that 
he would not seek a fifth Senate term in 2000, he became emotional as 
he explained, ``I want to go home.'' In many ways I think John has gone 
home, in that he took his deep love of Rhode Island and its residents 
with him as he left this earth on Sunday.
  As a Marine, John Chafee followed the motto ``Semper Fi,'' or 
``always faithful.'' He carried that motto with him throughout his 
life. He was always faithful to his state, his country and his family. 
I will miss him and his statesmanship on the Senate floor.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, even now that we've had a moment to pause 
and reflect, it's hard to believe just how quickly John Chafee was 
taken from us. His passing, without any warning, caught us all 
unawares, and it leaves a hole in our lives and our work that will not 
be easily filled.
  Like so many of my colleagues, I will always recall John's friendly, 
courteous personality--the way he listened carefully to what you had to 
say and explained any differences he had in position or philosophy. His 
interest in a vast variety of subjects and the knowledge and insight 
that he shared on them made him both a friend and a teacher to his 
colleagues in the Senate.
  I remember my first year in the United States Senate. I was working 
hard on an issue I really wanted to make some progress on. In an effort 
to encourage people to clean up environmental hazards, some States had 
provided a way where businesses could search for problems, identify 
them, begin to correct them, and then have reduced or no fines 
depending on the severity of the situation. The language of this 
regulation varied from State to State. Then the Environmental 
Protection Agency started coming into the States following these 
environmental audits and fining people. They were also threatening to 
take away the State's ability to continue to allow these audits.
  I drafted a bill to make the environmental audits federally accepted. 
I wasn't on the right committee for this legislation and I hadn't had 
an opportunity to get my bill taken up for consideration when the 
appropriations process came around. So, I submitted my bill as an 
amendment. Senator Chafee had me meet with him. He explained the 
appropriations process, and then explained the complexities of taking 
up my bill as an amendment. He said if I would withdraw my amendment he 
would hold a hearing in his committee. I withdrew my amendment certain 
there would be no further action taken on it that session.
  Shortly after my visit with Senator Chafee, and without any 
additional urging on my part, he had set a date for a hearing on 
environmental audits. During the hearing, Senator Chafee's indepth 
questions helped to bring focus and perspective to the issue at hand. 
When the hearing was gaveled to a close, everyone had a better 
understanding of the problem and what we needed to do to correct it.
  A few months later, Kyoto, Japan became the site for the Global 
Climate Change Conference. Senator Chafee and I and several others went 
to Kyoto to reaffirm our position and deliver the message included in 
the Senate resolution dealing with global climate change. While we were 
there I attended several meetings with him. I also spent some time 
outside of the meetings with him. It was a good opportunity to break 
bread with him and get to know this very fine man a little better.
  I recall our first night to Kyoto. Several members of the delegation 
checked on places to eat and they had selected a restaurant. Senator 
Chafee checked to see how expensive the restaurant was. He thought that 
was too much money to spend on any dinner. So, he had his dinner in the 
hotel lobby. I joined him and appreciated very much the evening of 
discussion that we had on Japan, global climate change, and a variety 
of environmental issues. Eating our dinner and sharing our views gave 
me a little more insight into the character of this phenomenal man who 
sat next to me.
  John had a remarkable ability to bring people together--and keep them 
together. He also had a gift for putting into words that one, deep, 
probing question that got right to the heart of the matter. And, in 
these days when it is sometime more popular to cling to

[[Page 26738]]

what is politically correct than what is right--John never wavered in 
his beliefs and he never compromised his principles. He always stood 
tall and proud for what he believed in. That's why he was always so 
deeply respected by this colleagues and his constituents.
  Something tells me that God must have had a special need for someone 
with John's unique skills, so He called him home. I wouldn't be 
surprised if right now, John is chairing a meeting with God's angels in 
heaven to help get them more organized and focused, too. That would be 
just like him.
  In the years to come, I think what I will miss most about John will 
be his warmth, his laugh, his voice, and his walk before and after the 
cane. John was both a gentleman and a gentle man and his remarkable 
persona will be greatly missed. For the moment we will each cling to 
the instant replay memories we have of him to help to fill the void his 
passing leaves behind.
  John, your service in the Senate leaves us all with a good example 
for us to follow in the way you always gave totally of yourself to your 
family, to your state, to each of us, to your country and to the world 
around us. Thanks for all the ways you've served us all. Thanks for all 
the things you've done. So much of your State, our country, and parts 
all around this great world of ours bear your mark for your having 
passed by. Thanks for the seeds that you planted that will effect the 
future. Because of them, you will never be forgotten.
  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I rise to make a few remarks concerning 
the recent passing of Mr. Chafee.
  Mr. Chafee was one of a kind. His life was a life of service. He 
served in two great wars--World War II and the Korean conflict, rising 
from private to captain. He served Rhode Island as a member of the 
Rhode Island House of Representatives and as Governor, then as its 
United States Senator.
  He has left a most positive legacy for the citizens of this land to 
emulate. But his greatest legacy was a legacy of decency. It mattered 
very little to Mr. Chafee whether a proposal was made by the Democrats 
or the Republicans. His only question was: Is this program or project 
in the best interest of this nation?
  Our nation has lost a great leader and a most dedicated public 
servant. The State of Rhode Island has lost its most brilliant star. 
But for many, many of us--we have lost a friend. I will miss him.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, we are all deeply saddened by the sudden 
loss of our colleague and friend, John Chafee. He was a very special 
Member of the Senate who embodied the noblest traditions of this 
institution. He would fight with great vigor and passion for the 
principles he believed in, trying to persuade colleagues to adopt his 
point of view. But his devotion to a cause never made him intransigent 
or unwilling to consider competing ideas.
  John Chafee had a unique ability to build consensus, and he was 
forever searching to find common ground across partisan and ideological 
battlelines. He was a student of history, and he knew that principled 
compromise was essential if the legislative process is to serve the 
public interest. He understood that a Congress mired in gridlock could 
not solve the Nation's problems.
  He cared far too deeply about the country he served to accept 
political stalemate. Because of his deep commitment to these abiding 
principles, he held the trust and respect of colleagues across the 
political spectrum, and he was often able to find that common ground 
when others could not.
  John Chafee's 23 years in the Senate have truly made a difference. 
The American people enjoy cleaner air and cleaner water because of his 
tireless and skillful efforts to protect the environment. Foster 
children are treated more humanely because he assumed the role of their 
legislative guardian. Poor families who must depend on Medicaid have 
more secure access to health care because of his concern for their 
well-being.
  While John Chafee was a skilled consensus builder, he was never 
reluctant to speak out on controversial issues. His gentle and gracious 
manner was accompanied by a very strong will. His political courage was 
evident on a broad range of issues--from his outspoken advocacy of 
banning the manufacture and sale of handguns, to his vigorous defense 
of abortion rights, to his steadfast support for nuclear weapons 
control. He was a man of principle, whose strength was evident to all 
who knew him. I will always remember his extraordinary efforts in 1993 
and 1994 to enact health insurance coverage for all Americans. Through 
that battle, John Chafee never gave up and never gave in. He showed 
great perseverance under exceptional pressure, and great commitment to 
a cause he believed in deeply.
  His ideals and patriotism was shaped as a young soldier in combat on 
Guadalcanal and Okinawa during World War II and in the Korean conflict. 
Tom Brokaw has called John Chafee's generation ``The Greatest 
Generation.'' In his well-known book by that name, Mr. Brokaw wrote:

       They came of age during the Great Depression and the Second 
     World War and went on to build modern America--men and women 
     whose everyday lives of duty, honor, achievement, and courage 
     gave us the world we have today.

  John Chafee symbolizes those eloquent words. As a state legislator, 
as Governor of Rhode Island, as Secretary of the Navy, and as a four-
term United States Senator, John Chafee devoted his entire adult life 
to public service. He gave our nation not only length of service, but 
service of the highest caliber. He believed in the capacity of 
government to improve the lives of its citizens, and he worked every 
day to make it so. His distinguished service will leave a lasting 
legacy.
  We all feel his loss today. But it will be felt even more deeply by 
the Senate as time passes. We will miss his wise counsel, we will miss 
his political courage, and we will miss his extraordinary ability to 
build bridges across partisan and ideological divides.
  I extend my deepest sympathy to John's wife, Virginia, and to his 
children and grandchildren. Our Senate family truly shares your loss.
  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, our friend and colleague John Chafee was a 
good man, a first among equals. He was a statesman and a public 
servant. He dedicated his professional life to the service of his 
country. He was a good friend to colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
  John Chafee was respected by all who knew and served with him. And he 
returned that respect in kind. He was a bridge builder, always looking 
for a way to craft consensus.
  He set aside partisanship and put his energies into working for the 
greater good. And he won high praise from a wide spectrum of admirers, 
from the ACLU to the Chamber of Commerce!
  John had an early and lifelong sense of duty to his country. He left 
college in 1942 to join the Marine Corps. He fought in the U.S. 
invasion of Guadalcanal and later on Okinawa. He returned to active 
military duty in 1951 in Korea. Between his tours of duty, John earned 
his bachelor's degree at Yale and his law degree at Harvard.
  He built a career of distinguished service to his state and his 
nation. He served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives (1957-
63), as Governor of Rhode Island (1963-69), as Secretary of the Navy 
(1969-72). And in 1977, John Chafee came to the United States Senate, 
the first Republican Senator elected in his state in 46 years.
  No matter where public service took him, his heart was always in 
Rhode Island. And it was to Rhode Island that he planned to retire next 
year.
  John Chafee wore many titles in his lifetime, and he wore them all 
with distinction: Captain, Governor, Secretary, Senator.
  But I believe that John was proudest of being a husband, father, and 
grandfather. He was devoted to his family--to Virginia, their five 
children, and twelve grandchildren. Their loss is tremendous, and I 
hope in the days and weeks ahead they take some small comfort in John's 
magnificent legacy.
  When the major achievements of the 20th Century are recounted, many 
of them will bear the mark of John Chafee: the Clean Air Act, the 
Superfund, Social Security, fair housing, civil rights.

[[Page 26739]]

  He played a major role in every major piece of environmental 
legislation that has passed during the past two decades. He fought for 
health care coverage for low income families and expanded coverage for 
uninsured children.
  He fought for the Family and Medical Leave Act. John made it his 
mission to ensure that no American fell between the cracks. And 
America's women, children, and families are the beneficiaries.
  John Chafee and I worked together long and hard to protect kids from 
tobacco addiction. In 1998, we introduced the first comprehensive 
bipartisan tobacco prevention bill--the Kids Deserve Freedom from 
Tobacco Act.
  Our bill--also known as the KIDS Act--was designed to cut tobacco use 
by kids in half over a three-year period. John took some risks in 
joining this bipartisan effort, but he did it because he was a 
passionate advocate for children.
  I also had the privilege of working with John on disability issues. 
He was a major champion for creating alternatives to institutions for 
people with disabilities.
  Senator Chafee's work to create the Medicaid home and community-based 
waivers opened the doors to independent living for tens of thousands of 
people with disabilities. His efforts in this area alone are too 
numerous to recount.
  In addition, he worked in true bipartisan manner to promote maternal 
and child health programs and to protect thousands of children with 
disabilities from losing SSI.
  John Chafee's commitment to fighting for what he believed in was 
matched by the dedication of his longtime, loyal staff. Our hearts go 
out to all of them.
  Mr. President, John Chafee was a humble giant. He had a broad, 
inclusive vision. He was principled and thoughtful. He asked and gave 
the best of himself in everything he did. He didn't seek recognition. 
He just rolled up his sleeves and got to work. His spirit and his voice 
will be sorely missed. I am privileged to call him my friend.
  Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
mourning the untimely death of our friend, John Chafee. Today, we 
celebrate the enthusiastic spirit he brought with him each day to the 
Senate, and the generous public spirit exemplified by his work.
  With John's passing, the State of Rhode Island has lost a leader, the 
Senate has lost a statesman, and the Chafee family has lost a loving, 
dedicated husband, father, and grandfather. As the Senate family, the 
prayers of John's colleagues and our staffs are with Ginny and her 
entire family.
  Many of my colleagues have recited the accomplishments of John 
Chafee. They bear repeating, however.
  Before his achievements as a legislator, John was a leader in the 
Marines. He served in the original invasion at Guadalcanal, and when he 
was recalled to active duty in 1951, he commanded a rifle company in 
Korea.
  John then turned his service to the State of Rhode Island, first as a 
member of its House of Representatives, where he eventually attained 
the rank of Minority Leader. In 1962, John ran for Governor and won--
though it was a very close race. He increased that margin of victory 
significantly in the following two elections, in 1964 and 1966, when he 
was reelected with the largest margin in the State's history.
  Following his governorship, John Chafee went on to serve as Secretary 
of the Navy for three and a half years.
  Beginning in 1976, John began his long career in the U.S. Senate. As 
the only Republican elected from Rhode Island in the past 68 years, 
John vigorously pursued the interests of his constituents, including 
environmental issues, health care concerns, and efforts to reduce the 
Federal budget deficit. Through his position on the Senate Finance 
Committee, and mine on the Foreign Relations Committee, we worked 
closely together on a number of fronts to support free trade and oppose 
unilateral sanctions. I recall at one point we were two of five 
Senators who opposed a resolution we both thought was harmful to our 
relationships with another country.
  John Chafee's contributions to this Senate, however, go much deeper 
than just those outlined within the pages of his impressive biography.
  I remember when I moved from the House to the Senate, and those 
early, confusing days working out of the cramped Dirksen basement. John 
Chafee was moving his office at the same time, and he invited me up to 
look his over. He made this new Senator feel welcome in a place where 
bonds between the ``old-timers'' are strong and newcomers can sometimes 
feel intimidated. Ultimately, I didn't take John Chafee's office, but I 
gladly accepted his friendship. When I last spoke to John, during a 
short conversation in this Chamber late last week, he talked about his 
son, Lincoln, and the possibility that son would replace father in the 
Senate. I think he took great pride in the thought of his family 
carrying on his tradition of public service.
  I was moved by the words of John Chafee's staff in a statement they 
collectively issued on Monday. It said, in part: ``His sense of public 
spirit was infectious, and we have all learned a great deal from him. 
But more important than any lesson in civics is the example he set for 
all of us about how to conduct our lives: listen to both sides; do 
what's right; always look for the good in people; and, even if you 
don't prevail, be of good cheer.''
  Mr. President, John was a tireless advocate for his constituents, a 
man who sought agreement in the often-acrimonious atmosphere of 
Washington, a man who brought meaning to the idea of giving one's word 
and standing by one's principles. And he was consistently of good 
cheer. I was proud to serve with him, and proud to consider him a 
friend.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to celebrate the life and 
legacy of a dear friend and colleague, Senator John Chafee.
  I was deeply saddened yesterday to hear of Senator Chafee's passing. 
The Chafee family lost a dear husband, father and grandfather. My 
thoughts and prayers go out to Virginia, his children, and his 
grandchildren. The Senate lost one of our most principled and reasoned 
colleagues. Senator Chafee will be greatly missed here. The people of 
Rhode Island, whose needs and concerns guided his actions on a daily 
basis, lost an admired Senator. His impact will be felt in Rhode Island 
for generations to come. Our country lost a tireless leader who 
consistently fought for what he believed in, and for that, I am deeply 
saddened.
  Senator Chafee was the kind of Senator that this country needs. In 
times of increasing partisanship, John Chafee always reached across the 
aisle to form alliances, to build compromises, to get things done. He 
let principles, not politics, be his guide. And that enabled him to be 
an unbending bridge between both sides that we have so desperately 
needed.
  Senator Chafee's politics was the kind of politics this country 
needs. He inspired voters on both sides of the party line with his 
honest, independent politics. Senator Chafee always believed that 
persistent honesty and unshakeable integrity were the cornerstones of 
public life. His was always the quiet voice of reason.
  And Senator Chafee was the kind of person this country needs. John 
Chafee devoted his life to public service--as a Marine, as a State 
legislator and minority leader in the Rhode Island House, as Governor 
of Rhode Island, as Secretary of the Navy, and as a United States 
Senator. He and his wife Virginia raised a beautiful family, and 
instilled in them the values of public service and integrity. I am 
proud to have worked with such a distinguished man.
  We will always celebrate, and never forget, the work that was born of 
his public service, his commitment to his family, and his commitment to 
his principles. Senator Chafee's work here in the Senate has had a 
tremendous impact on our nation. He leaves a remarkable legacy.
  We will always celebrate Senator Chafee's leadership on the Clean Air 
Act. We will always celebrate his fight to strengthen the Safe Drinking 
Water

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Act. We will always celebrate his hard work in authoring the Superfund 
program. The air we breathe and the water we drink is cleaner and safer 
because of his landmark efforts.
  We will always remember his unwavering advocacy for a woman's right 
to chose. We will always remember his fight to enact the Family and 
Medical Leave bill. We will always remember his important work to curb 
gun violence in America. Our families are stronger, our constitutional 
rights have been protected, and our streets are safer because of his 
steadfast devotion to these causes.
  In these ways and more, Mr. President, we will always remember and 
celebrate his quiet strength, his unwavering commitment to the people 
of his state, and to his own principles. Senator Chafee has had an 
indelible impact on our policy and our politics, on our culture and our 
country. And for that, we will always be grateful.

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