[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 20]
[Senate]
[Page 29484]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    PUBLIC SERVICE OF JIMMIE POWELL

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to a member of 
our Senate family who has dedicated himself for many years to serving 
the Senate and the Committee on Environment and Public Works--Jimmie 
Powell.
  I know that our distinguished former chairman, Senator Chafee, would 
not have let pass the opportunity for the Senate to recognize Jimmie 
Powell's years of service to the Committee and his contributions to the 
protection of our environment.
  Now, as he prepares to open a new chapter in his professional career 
and leave the Senate after some twenty years of service, I want to 
extend my appreciation and thanks to Jimmie on behalf of myself and the 
other Republican members of the Committee--Chairman Smith, and Senators 
Inhofe, Thomas, Bond, Voinovich, Crapo, Bennett, and Hutchison. The 
hallmark of his career has been his command of the issues, hard work 
and dedication to protecting public health and our environment.
  As the staff director for the chairman and the Republican members of 
the committee, I know that Senator Chafee respected Jimmie and was 
grateful for his counsel and the service he provided. To staff, and to 
some members, Jimmie was an adversary, as well as a motivator and 
educator.
  He began his Senate career with former Senator David Durenberger in 
1978, serving as his staff director of the Government Affairs 
Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations and later as legislative 
director. In 1985, Jimmie began his long service as a professional 
staff member and staff director for the Committee on Environment and 
Public Works. While his service primarily focused on legislative 
priorities for Senator Durenberger, Chairman Stafford and Chairman 
Chafee, he worked tirelessly for all Republican members of the 
Committee.
  When one examines the environmental laws enacted in the past 20 
years, those of us on the committee know of Jimmie's leadership and 
accomplishments. This lengthy list includes the Leaking Underground 
Storage Tank program as part of the Hazardous and Solid Waste 
Amendments of 1984, Superfund, the 1987 Clean Water Act with 
groundwater protections and nonpoint source programs, the 1986 and the 
1996 Safe Drinking Water Act, the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, 
particularly provisions on air toxics and alternative fuels, the 1991 
Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act and the 1998 
Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century.
  In every legislative challenge that came before the committee, Jimmie 
effectively worked to forge consensus, to find common ground, to 
develop solutions that represented the views of the members of the 
committee. While we may not have agreed on every issue, he is a person 
of great integrity. He effectively executed the views of the Senators 
he served. A Senator could ask for no more. He was tough, but fair.
  All of us owe Jimmie Powell a debt of gratitude for the many years he 
has served the Senate and this country. We wish him every success and 
thank him for a job well done.

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