[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15325-15333]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   EXPRESSING SORROW OF THE HOUSE AT THE DEATH OF THE HONORABLE PAUL 
              COVERDELL, SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution 
(H. Res. 558) and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

                              H. Res. 558

       Resolved, That the House has heard with profound sorrow of 
     the death of the Honorable Paul Coverdell, a Senator from the 
     State of Georgia.
       Resolved, That the Clerk communicate these resolutions to 
     the Senate and transmit a copy thereof to the family of the 
     deceased.
       Resolved, That a committee be appointed on the part of the 
     House to join a committee appointed on the part of the Senate 
     to attend the funeral.
       Resolved, That when the House adjourns today, it adjourn as 
     a further mark of respect to the memory of the deceased 
     Senator.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is recognized for 1 hour.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  It is with profound sadness that I rise today to offer a resolution 
of condolences on the passing of Senator Paul Coverdell. Paul Coverdell 
was the senior Senator from the State of Georgia and, more importantly, 
he was a dear friend.
  It is with deep sadness that we say good-bye to our good friend, our 
colleague and our brother, Paul Coverdell. Paul Coverdell's unexpected 
death is so sad and so hard. I have known him for many years, almost 30 
years. As young men, we both campaigned for an open congressional seat 
in 1977. Later, we both came here to Washington to represent the people 
of Georgia.
  Over the years, we shared many rides together back and forth to 
Washington. We would often see each other here and in Georgia, and we 
spent a lot of time talking about life and about what is good for the 
people of Georgia and for the people of our Nation.
  Paul was not just another colleague. He was like family to me and to 
so many of our colleagues. His passing, his death, hurts. It is 
painful. It is more than sad. We have not just lost a friend, but we 
have lost a member of our family.
  Paul Coverdell's intelligence, commitment, ethics and leadership 
stood out. He was a friendly, peaceful man. He cared for his 
colleagues, his friends, the people who elected him, and even people he 
did not know. He was wonderful to work with, to be with, to travel 
with. He was good to be around. A wonderful man. One of the good guys. 
He was my friend, Mr. Speaker. He was my brother.
  We occupied different sides of the aisle, and we did not always 
agree, but always had the utmost respect and admiration for this man. 
For three decades, as a Georgia lawmaker, Peace Corps director, United 
States Senator, Paul Coverdell was a man who could be trusted to get 
the job done. He focused on the war on drugs, worked to improve 
education, and fought for the farmers and small business people of 
Georgia. He was always prepared to help out and take on any task that 
was required.
  But Paul Coverdell never sought out the limelight. He never sought 
the headline. He would never grandstand. He worked hard behind the 
scenes without seeking any recognition. In today's political climate, 
Paul Coverdell was an unusual and extraordinary

[[Page 15326]]

man who will be forever missed from among our midst.
  When Paul was director of the Peace Corps, he would come in to see me 
from time to time after he had just come back from a trip abroad. He 
was so enthused about what he saw and what the Peace Corps was doing, 
whether in Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia, Central America or South 
America, that his enthusiasm rubbed off on me during those meetings. I 
looked forward to talking with him and working with him on those 
concerns. He wanted to help people meet their basic needs, food, water, 
shelter, and he wanted to stop them from having to struggle. I admired 
his commitment and his work with the Peace Corps. Paul Coverdell will 
be remembered not just as a citizen of Georgia, an American, but as a 
citizen of the world.
  Mr. Speaker, his death is a tremendous loss for the members of the 
Georgia delegation, for the people of Georgia, and a personal loss for 
me. We are all very sad, not just the people of Georgia, but all of his 
colleagues in the Senate and in the House. He will be deeply missed.
  My heart and prayers go out to Paul's wife, Nancy, to the other 
members of the Coverdell family, and his staff here in Washington and 
in Georgia.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Linder), a member of our delegation from the State of 
Georgia.
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time and for bringing this proposal to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I met Paul Coverdell in 1972. He was one of 22 or 23 
members of the State Senate who were Republicans, out of 56 members, 
and 3 years later I was one of 19 members, I believe it was, out of 180 
members in the Georgia House who were Republicans. And Paul never 
stopped a moment from trying to build a party, to be competitive, not 
because he thought Republicans were better than Democrats, but he 
thought more Republicans would make the Democrats better.
  Paul had an unbelievable appetite for work, and those who worked with 
him understand that he had one failing in that appetite, and that was 
that he always wanted to have meetings. Whatever he came up with, he 
called a meeting. I recall helping him in 1977 in the race the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) referred to, a special election. I 
said, Paul, how can I help you? He said, we are having a meeting at 
5:30. I showed up at his office and we talked strategy for an hour; and 
then I said, I have to get going and distribute some of this 
literature. And he said, well, we are going to have another meeting 
tomorrow at 5:30. I said, No, you, are going to have a meeting at 5:30; 
I am going to be out doing work.
  He did that because he did not want to go off on his own on any issue 
and he wanted to talk things through. It was not uncommon to hear the 
phone ring at 11:30 at night, and when I answered it, it would be, 
John, Paul, I have to talk to you about something; and he would talk 
for a long time.
  I would play tennis, he would study politics and policy. To him they 
were exactly the same. Politics and policy were not separate issues. He 
cared about them both and he cared nothing about attention for his 
successes. There is a reason why we did not see him on TV a lot because 
he preferred to work very quietly, very much behind the scenes, 
bringing people together, building coalitions as no one has in my 
lifetime.
  I woke up this morning and thought there is a huge hole in my life, 
because Paul has been a large part of it for 25 years; and he will be 
missed. I am sad that most of America will not know how much he is 
missed because his work was so quiet and so behind the scenes.
  I thought a little while ago, when I was talking to a reporter about 
this, that I cannot think of a single former friend of Paul 
Coverdell's, not a single friend, who ever left his side in anger, 
because he was such a decent and gentle man. He has people working for 
him today in volunteer capacities who have been with him since 1970. 
They are still there because he was such a decent and gentle man, and 
he included them, gave them opportunities to excel, gave them their 
head and let them achieve, and then let them get the credit. They are 
all there, too, to this day. His loyalty to the people around him got 
that loyalty back from them.
  I am sad beyond words. There is little left that we can do but to say 
to Nancy and his mother and loved ones and staff that we offer 
ourselves as poor substitutes for their beloved Paul, and urge upon 
them the words of the Psalmist, who, feeling the pain that we here 
today feel, was moved to write ``The Lord is close to the 
brokenhearted, and those who are crushed in spirit, he saves.''
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).
  Mr. BISHOP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Lewis) for yielding me this time. I am deeply saddened today by the 
loss of our friend and colleague, Paul Coverdell. His passing is not 
only a great loss for Georgia and our Nation, it is indeed a personal 
loss for me.
  I first met Senator Coverdell in 1974, when he came to Columbus, 
Georgia, where I lived, and he did his best to recruit me to run as a 
Republican for the State Senate. Senator Coverdell was not successful 
in that endeavor, but he impressed upon me his commitment to integrity 
in government and his commitment to our two-party system.
  I eventually ran for the legislature 2 years later as a Democrat, and 
I have served with Paul, I guess now for nearly 20 years, both as a 
member of the General Assembly and as a member of our State's 
delegation here in Congress. He and I worked together on a number of 
issues over the years, and he was an extraordinary leader whose 
flexibility, his ability and commitment, and his integrity were 
recognized by anyone who knew him and had the opportunity to work with 
him. He was a thoughtful and soft-spoken man, but he was a tenacious 
fighter for all of the causes that he believed in.
  Shakespeare wrote, ``All the world's a stage, and all the men and 
women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; one 
man in his time plays many parts . . .''
  So it was with Paul. He was a soldier, having served in the Army in 
Korea and the Republic of China. He was a legislator, and emerged as 
one of the most ardent defenders of our American freedoms and our 
democracy, as a real true fighter for our two-party system. He was a 
Senator. He was elected by his colleagues to leadership in the U.S. 
Senate where he served as adviser, counselor, supporter, confidant for 
the Republican Party, and he gave an important voice to how our 
government conducts its business.
  As a humanitarian, Paul dedicated a segment of his life to leading 
the Peace Corps, an organization that needs no accolades in its efforts 
to lift the untouchables to places of respectability and to bring life 
and quality of life to people all across the world.

                              {time}  1500

  That was Paul Coverdell's commitment. He made numerous contributions 
in the Peace Corps, such as redesigning the agency's mission to serve 
the emerging democracies in Europe.
  Paul was a family man. He loved Nancy and his family, and he always 
held them dear. But Paul was also a statesman; and everything that he 
did, he did it with dignity and with respect and with courtesy.
  I have two personal stories or recollections and memories of Paul. I 
have shared one, and that was his efforts in our conversations as he 
worked to try to recruit me as a Republican candidate for the State 
Senate in 1974.
  But even more important than that was the kind of individual that 
Paul was, the kind of integrity that he had. He was a man who was 
committed to integrity, who was committed to fairness, and who was 
committed to that which was right.
  My colleagues may remember that former State Senator Julian Bond had 
been a member of the Georgia State

[[Page 15327]]

House of Representatives and had made some statements regarding the 
Vietnam War which angered his colleagues in the Georgia House. They got 
together, passed a resolution, and expelled him from membership in the 
Georgia House. So he could not take his seat.
  Then Representative Bond filed a lawsuit, took it all the way to the 
Supreme Court; and the Supreme Court had to order the State House to 
grant him his seat to represent his constituents.
  Shortly thereafter, Julian Bond ran for the State Senate and was 
elected overwhelmingly and became a member of that august body. But the 
hostility was so great in the Georgia House because of the resentment 
for Senator Bond and what he stood for that any piece of legislation 
that he offered that passed the Senate, even if it passed unanimously, 
once it got to the House it was doomed to a certain death, a certain 
death.
  So Paul and Julian were friends. Anything that Julian felt so 
strongly about that he wanted it to be passed he discussed with his 
friend, Paul Coverdell. Paul would take Julian's ghost-written 
legislation and he would offer it under his name; and when it got to 
the House, it would secure the usual passage.
  Paul did that not because he wanted the limelight, not because he 
wanted the credit, but because he believed in doing that which was 
right; and if it was a good piece of legislation, he felt that it did 
not matter who wrote the bill. What was important was the result.
  Paul Coverdell set an example for all of us in elective office to 
follow. It is not important that we be concerned about the partisanship 
as it is that we be concerned about the policy.
  Yes, all the world is a stage and all the men and women merely 
players. Each has his entrance and his exit. One man in his time may 
play many parts.
  And so to Nancy and to the Coverdell family, our prayers go out to 
you; and we will wrap our arms around you, and we urge the Almighty to 
grant you the peace of spirit that only he can grant at a time like 
this.
  Paul was our friend, Paul was a statesman, and we will miss him very 
deeply.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss).
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Lewis) very much as the dean of our delegation for bringing this 
resolution to the floor.
  Normally, we come down here to the well of the House to debate bills; 
and while we are sometimes loud and in heated debate, we are always 
having fun down here. This is one of those times where we are not 
necessarily here having fun, although I cannot help but think about 
Paul Coverdell and some of the fun times we had together and some of 
his traits that have been coming back to me over the last couple of 
days.
  I am reminded particularly about the fact that, I do not care where 
you saw Paul, he always had that same white shirt and tie on. I have 
the great pleasure of representing the Okefenokee Swamp. We were down 
at the Okefenokee a couple years ago, and some of my colleagues were 
down there, and we were doing a press event. It was as hot as blazes. 
We were out there in the middle of the swamp, and all of us were 
dressed in our golf shirts and our khaki pants. Just as the news 
conference starts, here comes Paul driving up with his white shirt, his 
suit pants, and his tie on. What a classy guy.
  Two years ago I was doing an event for him, and I remember it was a 
farm event and we were over in Terrell County. And again, it was in 
August. August in Georgia, my colleagues, particularly south Georgia, 
is hot. We were out in the middle of a field looking at some peanuts 
out there. And again I am in my golf shirt and my khakis, and Paul is 
out there just as cool as he can be in that white shirt and that tie.
  As we sat under the shade tree that day talking to a group of 
farmers, he was just so impressive, not just in what he was saying but 
in the way he looked and in the way he carried himself. That is the 
Paul Coverdell that I am going to remember.
  Paul and I had a habit of talking to each other about once a week 
over the last couple years just about things in general. We did not 
always get a chance to sit down face to face. Sometimes we missed a 
phone call. But the guy had more political insight, not just partisan 
political insight, but political insight about things in this country.
  I will always remember the fact that if I called him and talked to 
him about an ag issue, which I did on a regular basis, we talked about 
whatever it was; but then Paul with get off and he would, Saxby, let me 
tell you what we are doing with the Straight A's bill, this education 
bill that is going to mean so much to the children that your wife 
teaches and to other children all across this country.
  And you would be talking to him about a defense issue, again which we 
do on a regular basis; and we talk about our 130s or our F-22 problem, 
whatever it was, and Paul would say, Well, let me tell you about one 
other thing that I am working on, this drug issue with the Colombian 
drug bill that we are working on. Let me tell you what that is going to 
do for America. Let me tell you what a difference that is going to make 
to people all across this country.
  That is the Paul Coverdell that I am going to remember.
  He was a very unique individual, a person who had the ability to take 
difficult issues, to deal with difficult people with difficult issues 
and bring common sense and political responsibility to the forefront.
  Paul Coverdell was truly a unique Member of the United States Senate. 
He was a great colleague of all of ours, whether you are Republican or 
Democrat; and that is evidenced by the fact that this is being done in 
a bipartisan way. Yesterday, on the floor of this House, it was 
evidenced in a bipartisan way that there was tremendous respect for 
Paul Coverdell.
  We will miss him very much. We certainly wish the best for him and 
his family. His staff are just great people that my staff has had the 
pleasure of working with every single day that I have been a Member of 
this House.
  Paul Coverdell had gotten so political in his thoughts that he 
probably designed his death to take place on the day of the Georgia 
primary, which happened to be yesterday. And I am betting you when he 
got to the pearly gates last night, the first thing he asked St. Peter 
was for a copy of the Republican election results from yesterday. That 
is the kind of guy that he was.
  He was a great friend, a great individual. This country will miss 
Paul Coverdell.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. McKinney).
  Ms. McKINNEY. Mr. Speaker, I guess it is not a secret, Paul Coverdell 
and I were about as different as night and day. But vastly different 
paths in life led us both to serve in the Georgia legislature and then 
on to Congress so that we could work together on behalf of the people 
of the great State of Georgia. And when it came to the interests of the 
people of Georgia, we often saw eye to eye.
  I want to send all of my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to 
the Coverdell family and to all the people who knew and loved Paul 
Coverdell.
  Immediately after the 1996 election, when I had been redistricted and 
had a vastly changed district and we were able to pull out a victory in 
a very close race, Paul Coverdell and I got together and decided that 
we needed to build bridges with each other so that we could do the work 
that the people of Georgia sent us both to do.
  Our first project together resulted in about $20 million being 
protected on the Senate side for my constituents who live in and about 
the environs of Peach Tree De Kalb Airport.
  Paul Coverdell's latest project that we all were working on was a 
veterans cemetery for our Georgia veterans.
  But more than anything else, I have to say that I am struck by the 
finality

[[Page 15328]]

of death and the incomplete way many of us in public life lead our 
lives. We are so busy, we are rushing here and rushing there and going 
to meetings and going here and going there and always, always, always 
in a rush and too busy to appreciate the people around us, too busy to 
stop and say ``I love you,'' too busy to stop and say ``I thank you'' 
to the people who make a difference in our lives.
  This past weekend, I was looking at the Coverdell report on 
television; and now I am standing here today sending condolences to 
Paul Coverdell's family.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), the dean of 
our delegation, for providing us this resolution so that we can pay our 
respects to our senior Senator. I want to thank all of the people who 
are responsible for all of us being here serving our people of our 
State.
  I would like to thank my colleagues, who, through difficult times, 
have stood beside me in particular. And perhaps I have not said thank 
you appropriately enough, but I want to say thank you today. I want to 
say thank you to my Georgia delegation members. Because we do not see 
eye to eye on a lot of issues and we do not even meet as often as we 
probably should, but I do not think there is a single issue that will 
benefit the people of our State that we do not come together and work 
on.
  And then finally, I would like to thank the Coverdell family for 
sharing their leader with the people of our State and the people of our 
country for about 30 years of public service.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal).
  Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Lewis) for bringing this resolution to the floor.
  This is a sad day for all of us, and I am dearly impressed with the 
eloquence of my colleagues who have already spoken.
  Paul Coverdell was indeed a good friend of ours. And it is difficult 
on occasions like this to say anything that lends full value to the 
life that he shared with all of us. I realize that labels and slogans 
themselves are often inadequate. But I will be very brief, and I have a 
few labels that I would like to put on Paul Coverdell.
  The first is that he was a defender of democracy. That may seem to be 
a very bland statement, but he truly believed in this Republic that we 
have here as a country.
  He believed that one of the great things that it embodied was the 
free enterprise system. And he, as a small businessman, grew his 
business to a successful national enterprise. So he was indeed a 
defender of democracy.
  And he was a proponent of peace. We have heard the statements about 
his service as the Director of the United States Peace Corps. But in 
all of his dealings, both politically and personally, he was indeed a 
man of peace.

                              {time}  1515

  And he was, of course, a patriot with passion. You have heard of his 
service as a captain in the United States Army overseas. But he also 
brought that same degree of passion and patriotism to his public 
service, having been recognized by educational institutions and by 
other public institutions for his service both at the State level and 
here in Washington. And he was a statesman with stature.
  Like many of my colleagues, we served with Paul at the State 
legislative level. Paul was in the State Senate when I arrived in 1981, 
and even though he was in the minority in that body, he was respected, 
because he displayed the kind of dedication to public service that all 
of us would like to have.
  I recall that he was on the retirement committee. I want to tell you, 
folks, when you get assigned to the retirement committee in the Georgia 
legislature, you really do not aspire to that position. But he was one 
of those individuals that everybody, regardless of political party, 
would go to to ask about those intricate, detailed, often boring and 
mundane issues relating to retirement, and Paul always knew what the 
answer was, because he was willing to do his homework. He was willing 
to work on the things that other people would want to cast aside 
because there was not enough public attention given to the subject. But 
Paul knew how important things like that were; and that is, of course, 
what distinguished him here as well and made him a statesman with 
stature.
  He was also and lastly a friend without reservation. He was somebody 
that you could talk with on a personal and intimate basis. You could 
rely on his judgment. You could trust the fact that he would keep 
confidences and he would give you the best and sound advice that he 
possibly could, both politically and personally.
  Lastly, I would simply like to say that Paul Coverdell was a quiet 
man of courage, and he will be deeply missed.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
  Mr. COLLINS. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for 
yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, Paul Coverdell's passing is a great loss to the United 
States, to the other Chamber, to Georgia, to his wife, Nancy, and his 
family. He was a hardworking, thoughtful legislator who possessed the 
rare gift of leadership and the even rarer gift of being a good man. 
The news of his death hit me hard, because I saw Paul as more than a 
colleague. I saw him as a true friend, and more than that as a mentor.
  When I was first elected to the Georgia Senate, he and I took a walk 
through his neighborhood to talk about the job that I would be facing. 
That was his style, quiet and purposeful. He was a teacher who was less 
concerned about who received the credit than he was of getting the job 
done.
  Mr. Speaker, many others in Georgia's Third Congressional District 
feel the loss of Paul Coverdell. I spoke with several this morning who 
worked with Paul to build the Republican Party in Georgia or who served 
with him in the Georgia legislature, people like Barbara Scruggs, 
chairperson of the Third Congressional District Republican Party. She 
said, ``I've known Paul since the first election he ran. I always 
admired how hard he worked for us. He was always quiet and unassuming 
and a great leader of the State of Georgia.''
  Former Congressman Bo Callaway said this morning, ``This is such a 
shock to have Paul in his prime of life so suddenly taken from us. I 
really think the people of Georgia and America will never know how much 
we have lost, for Paul Coverdell was really on the way to becoming one 
of our great leaders. It will be hard to imagine going on without 
him.''
  Ted Land, who served in Georgia's Senate with Paul, said, ``Paul 
Coverdell was a man of highest integrity. I never in my 10 years with 
Paul ever heard him speak a mean-spirited word about anyone on either 
side of the aisle. A man of boundless energy, he was totally dedicated 
to serving his State and his party. The void created by his death will 
be extremely difficult to fill.''
  Former State Senator Arthur ``Skin'' Edge summed up Paul in one word: 
patriot. He said that as he heard of the death of Paul last night, the 
one thing that kept coming back to his mind is that Paul Coverdell is a 
21st-century patriot. He stood for the principles that this country was 
founded on and fought for them all of his life.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Georgia's Third District, we mourn Paul 
Coverdell's death, and we cherish the memories of his friendship.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Lewis) as dean of our delegation for bringing this resolution today.
  Mr. Speaker, Paul Coverdell was a sterling example of what a United 
States Senator should be all about. He provided the kind of leadership 
for Georgia, America, and the world that

[[Page 15329]]

will be sorely missed. Paul Coverdell was unshakeable in his resolve to 
support the right policies for Georgia and America. Yet in 6 years of 
serving with him in Congress, I never heard him utter an unkind word 
toward any opponent. He was a man of reason, of principle, and provided 
a shining example of civility in action in the arena of public debate. 
That is unusual to find a man such as that.
  He never to my knowledge backed down on principle; yet he held his 
ground with dignity and respect for the position of those who 
disagreed. And he never gave up.
  Since coming to Washington in 1993, Senator Coverdell fought to 
improve the education of America's children. That fight continues 
today. But because of his effort, I believe that fight will eventually 
be won because of his enthusiasm and his sincere belief that we could 
make it better. When it is, the final product will have the 
fingerprints of Paul Coverdell on every page.
  Senator Coverdell was likewise a champion of those who served this 
country in our Armed Forces. When Congress forgot the promises made to 
our veterans, Paul Coverdell reminded us all of those commitments. His 
legislation to restore those promises is still pending in both 
Chambers, and the finest tribute I think we could all pay to this true 
statesman would be to pass that measure into law before this session 
ends. Today, I recommit myself to helping make that happen.
  There are far too many issues to mention in which Senator Coverdell 
played a decisive role. But we need to reflect on Paul Coverdell's 
public service before he became a Senator, I think, because it reflects 
a lifetime of public service.
  He began adult life, of course, by serving America in the U.S. Army 
in Korea and the Republic of China. He served his State in the Georgia 
Senate for nearly 2 decades. He served America and the world as the 
director of the Peace Corps, as we have heard, where his leadership in 
building democracy was vital in reclaiming much of Eastern Europe from 
the dictatorship of Communism.
  Our hearts go out to Nancy Coverdell and the entire Coverdell family. 
They should be and are remembered in the prayers of this Nation in 
their hour of loss. And we should remember the loyal staff of Senator 
Coverdell. Perhaps the strongest confirmation of the basic decency of a 
Member of Congress can be found in the affection of those who work with 
him every day, many times under the most trying circumstances. From the 
true grief that I personally know his staff to be feeling today, the 
decency of this great American is affirmed in full measure.
  That slender thread of life by which we were tied to Paul Coverdell 
is now broken. But the wisdom, the generosity, the civility, the 
patriotism, and the dedication which he brought to this Congress will 
never die. The leadership of Paul Coverdell will continue to live in 
the legislation he has enacted and has sponsored. We can best honor his 
memory by seeing the mission through, from giving our children a choice 
in education to restoring the health care of the defenders of America.
  Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to a great leader by picking up the 
fallen banner of Senator Paul Coverdell and carrying it through to 
victory. I personally feel a great loss for a dear friend; indeed, we 
all do, a man that we have all become very close to and loved, a quiet, 
gentle giant in the Government of America.
  Today we pray for Paul's soul and pray God will give comfort to Nancy 
and the Coverdell family.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr).
  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today in support 
of the resolution authored by the dean of the Georgia delegation, the 
distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).
  Let me first say to Paul's lovely bride, Nancy, you have the love, 
the affection, and the prayers of this entire body on both sides of the 
aisle, on both sides of the Rotunda. We pay tribute today to the 
hardest-working man in the U.S. Senate. Although his venue has changed, 
the job description has not. Paul Coverdell is now the hardest-working 
man in heaven. I can hear him already, sleeves rolled up, white 
sleeves, of course, tie impeccable, saying, There must be some 
unfinished work up here in heaven, Lord. Point me in the right 
direction. I'm ready to work.
  While Paul Coverdell never spoke from this well, but rather from the 
well on the other side of the Rotunda in the United States Senate, you 
could often hear his voice here, in front of this American flag that he 
loved and the country that it represents that he loved so deeply and so 
passionately. You could hear Paul Coverdell whenever we debated such 
issues of fundamental importance to the American people as those he had 
championed and loved: education, national defense, and always the 
needs, wishes, hopes, and desires of our citizens of his and our 
beloved State of Georgia. You could hear the passion, the conviction, 
and the patriotism always of Paul D. Coverdell. Those words, that 
passion, that commitment will echo out now forever across the ages as 
part of what former President Ronald Reagan called in his second 
inaugural address, the American sound. Paul Coverdell is now part of 
that American sound that President Reagan identified as the sound of 
love, decency and compassion that has always echoed out across America 
and through the halls of its leadership and around the world, 
representing the very best of mankind.
  Paul Coverdell is a friend. Though we briefly found ourselves, he and 
I, in a competitive race in the primary, in the primary runoff in 1992, 
we were friends before that race. Indeed, Paul was my very first 
political friend when I moved to Georgia in the 1970s.

                              {time}  1530

  I was referred to him by our mutual friend and my former boss at the 
CIA, George Bush. We remained friends throughout those two races in 
1992, and we remained ever closer friends both immediately after and in 
the years since Paul was elected with honor and dignity to the United 
States Senate in 1992.
  I am reminded today in closing, as a man of God, I know the gentleman 
from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) is, too, of Matthew who tells us in chapter 5 
in those words that are so familiar to all that there Beatitudes, 
blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of 
God.
  Paul Coverdell was a peacemaker. Paul Coverdell is a child of God, 
now and for the ages. I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) 
and God bless Paul D. Coverdell and his family.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Lewis) for bringing this resolution to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I 
thank each of my colleagues from Georgia for paying tribute today to 
our dear friend, and I hope everyone in this room and I hope everyone 
listening recognizes that 11 Georgians, Democrat and Republican alike, 
sit today under this symbol and in this room and pay tribute to a man 
who transcends politics and who in our State, as we have heard from 
each speaker, through example after example, changed lives and made 
them better.
  Mr. Speaker, rather than repeat everything that has been said, I 
would just say this to those of us who are not from Georgia; if you 
have ever flown through Hartsfield International Airport, Paul 
Coverdell touched your life. If you ever came into Atlanta and rode on 
its rapid transit, Paul Coverdell touched your life. If you are a 
Georgia citizen whose life or the life of a loved one was saved because 
of a seat belt, Paul Coverdell touched your life.
  While so many politicians talk a good game, Paul Coverdell lived one; 
but, you know, at a time like this when a contemporary of all of ours 
dies, it puts life into perspective.

[[Page 15330]]

  It makes us think for just a minute what if I die. But for those of 
you who did not know him, let me just tell you this, Paul did it all. 
He did it with dignity and with grace. He did it with passion and with 
understanding, and he did it with not a single evil touch to anything 
he ever did. He did it for the best of the United States of America and 
for the people of Georgia.
  In my Sunday school class, in Marietta, Georgia in the Methodist 
church, we have a little book called Leaves of Gold, and in it there is 
a poem, and I cannot remember, but twice before that poem has been 
recalled to me in paying tribute to an individual, but it just seems to 
fit the life and the legacy and the lasting memory of Paul Coverdell.
  I hope I can get through it, but it goes a little bit like this: I 
would rather see a good person than hear about one any day. And I would 
rather have a good person walk with me than merely point the way. For 
my eyes are better pupils and more willing than my ear, and fine 
counsel is confusing but examples crystal clear. And the best of all 
the people are the ones that live their creeds, for to see the good in 
action is what everybody needs. Oh, I will be very glad to do it if you 
let me see it done, but your tongue too fast sometimes may run. And the 
lectures you deliver may be very wise and very true, but I would rather 
get my lecture by observing what you do. For I may misunderstand you 
and the high advice you give, but I will never misunderstand the way 
you act and the way you live.
  Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with all of my colleagues to pay 
tribute to a man who acted and lived a life exemplary of the finest in 
public service, the finest in commitment to his wife and to his family 
and in the finest tradition of public service.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 
time.
  Nancy Coverdell has lost a great husband, as has the Coverdell family 
lost a great member. The United States of America has lost a great 
Senator. Georgia has lost a great leader and the Republican party in 
Georgia has lost the father of our party.
  Paul Coverdell was the minority leader in the State Senate. He was 
the State Republican party chairman. He was the official Georgia 
connection to the Bush White House. He was the director of the Peace 
Corps. He was the United States Senator, and then also in the great 
Bush-Coverdell legacy, the official contact for the George W. Bush 
campaign.
  He put our party on the map, and the reason I underscore that is, I 
believe the State and its citizens are better for it. I believe that 
having two parties gives our voters every day a choice, and I believe I 
am a better Republican because of Democrat opposition. I hope that our 
Democrat counterparts, and I am sure they will agree, they would say 
they are better Democrats because of Republican opposition.
  The State, indeed, is the winner. Paul Coverdell was a great 
strategist. I remember in 1974 my mother, who is a great newspaper 
clipper, sent me an article called the Gospel According to Paul. And it 
was talking about this young guy running for the State Senate in 
Atlanta, who was doing strange things, like going door to door and 
having living room coffees and roadside sign wavings. And he was 
struggling in an uphill battle in a Democrat-controlled State to win, 
but he did win. I believe, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder) 
has already said, there were only three Republican Members in the 
Senate at the time. I know by the time I got to the State House, there 
were a whopping nine Senators.
  Coverdell was the minority leader. But while he did not have 
numerical superiority, he did not let that keep him out of the ideas 
arena. And he was very competitive on ideas. At that time, Governor Joe 
Frank Harris was introducing a number of DUI laws.
  The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) will remember Coverdell 
passed and sponsored a bill in the Senate that said, you know, it is 
not just enough to give somebody a heftier DUI penalty, what we have 
found through research is a lot of these people are addicted to 
alcohol. We need to put in a component of mandatory assessment to see 
if they are addicted, and then we cannot just leave them addicted to 
alcohol, we need to have mandatory or at least optional treatment. This 
was a solid idea.
  Mr. Speaker, I remember being on the Motor Vehicles Committee as he 
pushed that. Paul Coverdell was an ideas man. He also had a great world 
view. As director of the Peace Corps, he did not just use this, okay, 
this is my political plumb for helping President Bush along the 
campaign trail. He used it to promote farming in Third World countries, 
economic growth and development, medical help. Indeed, he saw the 
formula for world prosperity meant world peace, and it was great and 
important for the United States of America to be there leading the way.
  Paul Coverdell was a sobby-eyed patriot in many ways. I remember when 
he was running for the U.S. Senate and I had him in my living room for 
a coffee, and at that time all of these people came, and they were 
asking very lofty intellectual questions about the world situation. 
Paul was hanging in there with the best of them. In the middle of this, 
my small daughter, Ann, 4 years old at the time, had left the 
playground where all of these kids were, came running into the living 
room, crashed through the circle of adults to the middle of where this 
dignified U.S. senatorial candidate was speaking, and said, Daddy, it 
was my turn in line to go down the slide and they pushed me down the 
slide and I fell down and hurt my heinie to which the whole audience 
starting laughing.
  Senator Coverdell was there, acknowledged the little girl and her 
plight and went on with his speech. And I thought it was so cute 
because he did not lose control, he kept that Coverdell dignity through 
the whole thing. And, indeed, he carried that dignity and that 
gentleman manner with him everywhere he went.
  As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss) has already said, he 
was a great organizer and a communicator. I remember in the 1992 
campaign during the runoff one day, he was at Georgia Southern 
University, all kinds of people there, and he had done a TV and a radio 
interview, and he turned on his watch and he said, Jack, we have to go 
to this event. I said, Paul, the game has not started. He said, well, 
we have got a schedule. I said but, Paul, all of these people are here. 
He said, well, we really need to get to Savannah and keep our schedule. 
Indeed, we did leave and go to Savannah.
  I was totally amazed and a little bit irritated by this, and only 
later did I realize the importance of him in terms of strategy; it 
meant everything, and that is why he could accomplish all of the things 
that he did accomplish. In our area, he fought as, the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Norwood) said, for the veterans, the active soldiers at 
Fort Stewart, but the veterans in our area.
  Agriculture, we all know in south Georgia good old ``Senator 
Cloverdale.'' That is what the farmers would always call him. Well, let 
us just go ask Cloverdale. And they loved Mr. Cloverdale.
  Education, if I go to talk to the teachers about educational savings 
acts, they like that idea. If I talk to seniors about Social Security 
and lockbox ideas, they like that idea.
  Paul Coverdell had the uncanny ability, not just to have an opinion 
on every issue, but have a thought on every issue and a consequential 
action. He was a man of action.
  His civility, as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) knows, he 
worked with him very closely on passing the C.B. King Courthouse in 
Albany, Georgia. I remember, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) 
knows, he was friends of Mr. Bond. When Mr. Bond left the State Senate 
to run for the congressional seat, which the gentleman was successful 
in obtaining, Paul Coverdell was one of the men in the Georgia Senate 
who stood up and

[[Page 15331]]

gave a great farewell speech for Julian Bond.
  I remember watching that and saying here is a liberal Democrat and 
the conservative Republican leader of the State. What is he doing? I 
said there is a lesson here. Bipartisanship and civility is important, 
and you should never let politics rule over policy.
  A week ago, he called me at my home on Sunday. We had an issue in our 
area with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and we kind of 
got off path. He said, Jack, I think we are a little out of sync here. 
I just want to make sure that you and I are okay on this.
  It was typical of Coverdell, because I think so many of us, including 
me, and especially me, would have said, all right, you are way off 
base, I am right and you are wrong; not Paul, he made it so that it was 
just so easy to get along.
  He also told me a couple of weeks ago in a private conversation about 
committing to the team, when you are a Member of Congress, when you are 
a Member of an issue and you are associated with that issue, commit to 
your team and be proud to be on that team, even if the vote is an 
uncomfortable one.
  He talked to me about Nancy. He said, you know, we are doing a little 
bit with real estate. I have to tell you Nancy is better at real estate 
than I am. She is real good at it. I will tell you what, you men know. 
It is a rare man who really privately one on one takes time to brag 
about his wife to another man, and that is a sign of a great marriage 
and a great husband and true love.
  Paul Coverdell was a good Republican, a great strategist, a great 
ideas man, had a world view, had civility and integrity, a great 
organizer. He was energetic. He was a great communicator and a 
loyalist.
  In short, Paul Coverdell was a statesman. Years ago, there was 
another Paul on this earth, and he tells us in a scripture that it is 
better to wear out than rust out. I would not submit to you that Paul 
Coverdell wore out, but I would also say he certainly did not wear out, 
and maybe in this institution which he loves so dearly we could say, 
and he would agree, the gentleman's time expired. But while the 
gentleman's time has expired, I also think we could evoke the words of 
St. Paul, one more time and say, well done, that good and faithful 
servant.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Florida, (Mrs. Fowler), formerly from 
the State of Georgia.
  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I did grow up in the State of Georgia, and 
it was with a really heavy heart yesterday when I learned of the loss 
of Paul Coverdell. Paul and my dad served together in the Georgia State 
legislature, and though they were in different parties, they became 
good friends, and shared many funny stories together as they served.
  When I came to the U.S. Congress 8 years ago, Paul sort of took me 
under his wing and was such a dear friend to me and a mentor, and I 
could always go to him for advice and know I could always rely on it. 
He was such an outstanding man. We have been hearing people talk today 
about all the wonderful qualities that Paul had, and when I think of 
Paul, I think of someone who lived life with zest and enthusiasm, who 
loved his family, who loved his country, who loved serving the people.
  He was the finest example of a public servant that I have ever known, 
a decent, honorable man, such deep integrity, who loved people so much 
and loved doing for them. I look back when he was director of the Peace 
Corps and all he did to guide and mentor those young people that were 
serving all around the world.

                              {time}  1545

  So really today, as we all have very heavy hearts because we will all 
miss Paul deeply, miss his friendship, miss his service, miss his 
strength that he brought to the representation of the State of Georgia 
in the United States Senate but most of all, Paul, we are going to 
really miss you.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Lewis) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) 
for bringing this resolution to the floor at this time. It is with deep 
regret that I rise to join my colleagues in mourning the loss of the 
remarkable public servant, Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia. As 
chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Western Hemisphere 
Subcommittee, Senator Paul Coverdell was dedicated to fostering good 
relations with our neighbors in the Americas.
  Among his many contributions, Paul actively and ably cochaired our 
interparliamentary meeting with the Mexican Congress, and I was pleased 
to have had a personal relationship with Paul in relation to his work 
on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
  Last year, Senator Coverdell was extremely proud to be able to host 
our Mexican colleagues in Savannah, Georgia. Paul went to great lengths 
to make all of us feel welcome, including delivering a substantial 
portion of his opening address in Spanish, and I recall Paul and Nancy 
guiding Georgia and I through his hometown and pointing out where they 
lived and pointing out his offices. He had a great deal of pride in his 
city. It was certainly one of the most productive and pleasant 
interparliamentary meetings we held in Savannah.
  Fortunately, Paul was able to see the Mexican people secure full 
democracy for themselves through their recent elections on July 2, 
something that Paul was strongly supportive of.
  It was my privilege to work with Senator Coverdell on a number of 
important regional issues. He was dedicated to defining and defending 
American interests abroad, and when it came time to stand up to support 
our efforts in our fight against illicit drugs, Paul Coverdell never 
failed the American people; always taking the lead in galvanizing 
support in the Senate for moving a substantial, meaningful aid package 
to help our troubled neighborhoods in the Andean region of South 
America and more recently particularly in Colombia.
  Just last week, President Clinton signed into law a bipartisan 
emergency supplemental aid package for Colombia, and it was gratifying 
that Paul was able to see the consummation of his extraordinary efforts 
to help our neighbors to the south.
  Senator Coverdell was a principled man. He was a leading voice in the 
Congress, calling for a firm response to the undermining of democratic 
institutions through the illegitimate elections in Peru; and we should 
honor Senator Coverdell's leadership by strongly supporting his respect 
for democracy in Peru.
  My spouse, Georgia, joins with me in extending our deepest 
condolences to Paul's widow, Nancy. Paul and Nancy were loved by many. 
We extend our sympathy, too, to the many people in Georgia and 
elsewhere who admired and followed this remarkable public leader.
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier).
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the dean of the Georgia delegation 
for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here with my colleagues from Georgia 
and other parts of the country to talk about our friend Paul Coverdell. 
No one could ask for a better friend than Paul Coverdell. I first met 
him when he was appointed director of the Peace Corps in the late 
1980s, and at that time the attention in this House and around the 
world was focused on the emerging democracies of Eastern and Central 
Europe. In several meetings that we had in my office, Paul Coverdell 
was talking with such enthusiasm about creative ways in which we could 
help the people of Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and other 
countries that were starting to get that first taste of freedom.

[[Page 15332]]

  I was so struck with the dedication that this man showed that I made 
a decision early on that I wanted to do anything that I possibly could 
to help him. So he took me up on that. He took me up on it when in 1992 
he called me and told me that he was going to run for the United States 
Senate. I thought, what a great idea. He asked me to help him, so I 
did; and I will never forget the day that I was flying to Atlanta from 
what is now, and I see Mr. Barr here, affectionately referred to as 
Ronald Reagan National Airport; and I was standing in the terminal with 
a former colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle, and he 
said, Well, why are you flying to Atlanta?
  I said I am flying down to help Paul Coverdell win his election to 
the United States Senate.
  Well, this former colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle 
laughed hysterically because he did not believe that Paul had much of a 
chance to win, and there were a lot of people who did not think Paul 
had a great chance to win. In fact, I suspected that this former 
colleague of ours from the other side of the aisle kind of thought that 
Paul had about as much chance of winning as he did of losing.
  So the fact of the matter is, we saw in Paul Coverdell a stick-to-
itiveness that was very, very impressive. He was dedicated to his work.
  I spent time traveling in Georgia with him, and he had a couple of 
events. There were a few people who attended a number of those events. 
I assumed it was because they had announced that I was going to be 
there. But the fact of the matter was, this guy never gave up. He was a 
real fighter.
  One of the things that we have so often found in these Members who 
worked with him closely in Georgia for decades know that whenever 
someone wanted a job to be done, the person to whom they would look was 
Paul Coverdell because when this guy said that he was going to take on 
a job and do it, he did it.
  We so often hear the juxtaposition between work horses and show 
horses in this place, and we all know that Paul Coverdell epitomized 
the work horse. He was a guy who was extremely dedicated.
  I am so happy that the chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations reminded us of his having hosted the Mexican 
Interparliamentary Conference along with, I remember the gentleman from 
Georgia (Mr. Kingston) was there with us when we held that meeting and 
Paul was so proud of the opportunity to host that very important 
meeting.
  I served with him as a cochairman of the Republican House-Senate 
Dinner. Boy, that guy was absolutely relentless when it came to our 
goal of building a strong Republican Party, and as has been said by our 
colleagues from the other side of the aisle, he, working for a strong 
Republican Party, knew that ultimately working in a bipartisan way was 
the only way that we could actually get things accomplished.
  My thoughts and prayers go to Nancy and other members of the family, 
and I cannot say what a shocking and devastating loss this is, not only 
for this great institution of ours but for the Nation as a whole.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Barrett of Nebraska). The Chair advises 
that the time of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) has expired.
  Pursuant to clause 2 of rule XVII, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Kingston) is recognized for 1 hour on the resolution.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).
  Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Kingston) for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I believe for the ages Senator Paul Coverdell will be 
remembered as one of the most thoughtful, diligent, and detail-oriented 
Members in the history of the United States Senate. Who would have ever 
thought this time last week that we would be here today paying tribute 
to the memory of Senator Coverdell?
  There are times here where everything seems to stand still, and this 
is one of those days where we come together at the water's edge, as 
people, as God's children, no differences, to pay the proper tribute to 
a truly great public servant. A lot of political people skim the 
surface, stay on the surface from fear of the details, from fear of the 
slip of the tongue, from fear of incompetency on very complicated 
matters of the day, but not Senator Coverdell.
  My experience with him was a fearless master of details and 
complexity, never worrying about how far deep he would swim into 
issues, about whether he could comprehend them or always carry a host 
of things going on at the same time. Unbelievable, really, in his 
capacity to carry all of the different issues with him and stay that 
intricately involved. It really bodes well for public service in 
America that people like Paul would dedicate his life to others through 
public service.
  As a Tennessean who was born in Georgia when my dad was on active 
duty at Fort Benning, my dad always said that it cost $12 for me to be 
born at Fort Benning, and he still wonders if he got his money's worth; 
but that is my Georgia roots, and I am a Southerner. Georgia mourns the 
loss today of a truly great United States Senator, but the South has 
lost one of its greatest leaders as well.
  I come as a Southerner today to say, Nancy, we are sorry; to the 
Georgia delegation, we are sorry that they have lost their friend and 
lifetime companion in the flesh.
  Last October I was coming to the Chattanooga Airport to leave right 
after Payne Stewart had died tragically at the height of his career, 
and you think about Paul at 61 years old, he is really politically at 
the height of his career and he is gone in the flesh, right at the 
height of his ability to effectively carry out the responsibilities as 
a United States Senator and he is gone.
  I said to R.V. Brown, a pastor who I know who I ran into at the 
airport, Reverend R.V. Brown is that not unbelievable that Payne 
Stewart just vanished like that in the flesh? And here is what he said, 
and it was a great comfort to me, and I hope it is great comfort to 
Nancy and others who mourn the loss of Paul Coverdell. He said 
sometimes the Lord picks the ripest fruit to have the greatest impact 
on everyone around that individual.
  I believe that the United States Senate, the United States House, the 
State of Georgia, the South, the United States of America, mankind at 
large can come closer together and truly appreciate each other more 
because of this moment when we forever and ever memorialize a fine 
person and a great public servant, Senator Paul Coverdell. Good-bye, 
sir.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Wamp), the chairman of the Morning Prayer Breakfast each Thursday, for 
his remarks.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman 
from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the deputy whip.
  Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. 
Kingston) for yielding the floor to me.
  Mr. Speaker, just yesterday some of us took the floor in an 
unanticipated moment to wish the very best and to extend our thoughts 
and our prayers to Senator Coverdell, his wife, Nancy, and to their 
family, as they struggled with this unanticipated challenge. Today, 
just a few hours beyond, almost exactly 24 hours beyond, the time that 
we were so hopeful in those last moments of Paul Coverdell's life that 
he would continue to be with us, beyond the time when we thought that 
if anybody could come back from any challenge it would be Paul 
Coverdell, beyond the time when we thought that if anybody else could 
do this, could be back in a year, he could be back in a few months, we 
are here today with a person who has been so important in this building 
to both the House and the Senate and so important to the country, gone 
from us.
  I was moved by the observation that our friend, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), just made about how the Lord may take someone at 
such an inopportune time in their life to challenge the rest of us to 
meet a

[[Page 15333]]

new standard in our life, a new standard with each other, a new 
standard of public service, a new standard of being able to reach out 
as Paul was famous for to others and say, gee, you have got a lot to do 
here, can I help you? At the same time, we know that Paul every time he 
was saying that it seemed that when you would think about it that he 
surely had more to do than the person he was offering to reach out and 
help, but his predisposition in life was to help other people.
  I did not know Paul Coverdell when I came to Congress 3\1/2\ years 
ago. In fact, I did not really know him except to speak to him in the 
hallways of the House and the Senate where he was always friendly to me 
until about a year and a half ago when he and I were both asked to be 
on the exploratory committee for Governor Bush. That was a 10-person 
committee. Our jobs were to represent the governor with the House and 
the Senate in that year and a half. There was not a week that we did 
not talk on the phone, and many weeks that we saw each other, just to 
compare notes, just to talk about what was happening.

                              {time}  1600

  Even in that relationship, he would often say, well, you have 200 
people over there that you are talking to and dealing with and I only 
have about 55 over here. Can I help you do anything to make your job in 
the House easier? I usually observed that probably it was easier to 
deal with a couple of hundred House Members than 55 people from the 
other body. He would always smile.
  Mr. Speaker, I told somebody not too long ago that there were many 
good reasons to do that particular job, as the liaison for the Bush 
Committee, but I would have done it knowing what I knew then, and this 
was 2 or 3 months ago with no anticipation of this moment, certainly. I 
would have done it all just to have the chance to work with Paul 
Coverdell. He was that kind of person. He was the kind of person that 
all of us who got a chance to work with him I am sure were looking 
forward to a couple more decades of that relationship, not thinking 
that each time we saw him might be the last time we saw him; but 
thinking, now, I wonder what it is that we can next do that allows us 
to work together, because it was such a joy and a privilege to work 
together with him.
  I told someone earlier today that one of the things that one really 
noticed when one dealt with our friends on the other side of the 
Capitol was the interesting oil that Paul Coverdell added to the 
process just to make things work that otherwise you did not quite know 
during a meeting how they might have worked if Senator Coverdell had 
not been there. Of course now we are challenged to know how they would 
work, but we do know the example he set of making things work, the 
example he set of being willing to reach out to other people, the 
example he set of always trying his best to appear to be the most 
humble guy in the room, the person who would be the most likely to take 
the most difficult assignment, the person who would never show any 
sense that there was any job that needed to be done that was below or 
beneath him as an individual. It is a standard that is hard to achieve, 
frankly, in politics and government, and even hard to achieve in this 
building; but it is one that he established so well that he made 
serving others and doing the most menial job seem like that, somehow, 
that was the most important thing to do.
  Mr. Speaker, we will miss him in this building. We will miss him in 
our relationships between this House and our friends on the other side 
of the Capitol. We will miss his willingness to work, his capacity, his 
insight. But as the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp) observed 
earlier, maybe there is a challenge here. There is a purpose in most 
things in life; and if we search for the purpose of this, one of the 
purposes might be to emulate some of the things that are so easy to say 
about Paul Coverdell.
  Mr. Speaker, it is written somewhere, we will miss him tomorrow and 
tomorrow and tomorrow.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri. Mr. 
Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Goss), the chairman of the House Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence.
  Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate very much the distinguished 
gentleman from Georgia, the honorable John Lewis, the dean of the 
delegation, and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) and the other 
members of the Georgia delegation, affording us this time to speak 
about Senator Paul Coverdell. The Rules of the House do not permit us 
to refer to the other body or Members of the other body, and we seldom 
do speak about them. This is exceptional, because Paul Coverdell was 
really an exceptional person. I think he did touch our lives. Certainly 
those of us who live in Florida who have to fly through Atlanta 
understand very well the meaning of having the Atlanta airport there.
  What I wanted to talk a little bit about today is the loss to Nancy 
and his family, to the State of Georgia, and to our country. I think it 
is pretty much of an incalculable loss, and it is obviously very 
painful if we have listened to the speakers who have gone before.
  We are going to miss Paul Coverdell deeply, and we are going to miss 
him for a very long time to come, not only as a person, but for the 
skills he brought to the art and science of crafting legislation and 
people persuasion here in these hallowed halls of the United States 
Congress.
  To me, he had several distinctive hallmarks. They were honor and 
decency, things that count for a lot here. And effectiveness and 
accomplishment, of course, the way we are measured. Those of us who 
were privileged to work with him knew of this literally unrelenting 
energy. He was a man who could tire out the most hard working of us. He 
certainly had the intellect to challenge us as well. We all admired his 
ability, as we have heard testimony to, to find common sense solutions 
that seemed to work for all sides in a given debate. Those are 
wonderful people skills. As the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop) 
said in his testimony on the floor, that unquestioning integrity was 
also another Paul Coverdell trademark. That is very high praise.
  I well recall his commitment to fighting the war on drugs, just one 
of the many things he did here, and to his finding a way to get the 
money to pay for fighting the war on drugs, which is the harder part. 
His contribution to that was characteristically second to none; and 
more importantly, he was successful. And that success is now being 
employed on the front lines in Colombia and in other meaningful ways, 
and that will affect America as well and those who are concerned about 
the scourge of drugs on our youth and on our quality of life in this 
country.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say for my wife and myself and other 
neighbors in the neighboring State of Florida, we send our condolences, 
our keen sympathy, and our love to Nancy and the people of Georgia. 
Paul Coverdell was a man who gave so much. He was taken too soon.
  Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my condolences to 
the family and staff of Senator Paul Coverdell.
  I admired and appreciated Senator Coverdell's commitment to stopping 
the flow of illegal drugs across our borders and his tireless efforts 
to expand educational opportunity in America. Senator Coverdell 
demonstrated the effectiveness of quiet, but persistent, leadership. He 
has been hailed as a workhorse and, indeed, his dedication to public 
service is an example to every official at every level of Government 
who works for the public good.
  My former chief of staff, Ziad Ojakli, is the chief of staff in the 
Senator's leadership office. On behalf of all of us who are friends of 
Z and have worked with him over the years, I wish to convey our deepest 
sympathy to the family, friends and staff of Senator Paul Coverdell. 
They are in our prayers.
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues in the Georgia delegation, 
Mr. Lewis, Mr. Norwood, Mr. Isakson, Ms. McKinney, Mr. Linder, Mr. 
Bishop, Mr. Barr, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Deal and Mr. Collins, I move the 
previous question on the resolution.


  The previous question was ordered.
  The resolution was agree to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________