[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 21872]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 21872]]

                   A TRIBUTE TO SENATOR RICHARD BRYAN

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, we have all heard the phrase that in this 
world--especially in this body--there are workhorses and there are show 
horses. That is very true. I would like to reflect on one of the 
workhorses of the Senate who will be retiring at the end of this 
Congress, someone who has served his State, served his country, and 
served in this body with distinction.
  Theodore Roosevelt once said, ``Far and away the best prize that life 
offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.'' Senator Bryan, 
one of the workhorses of the Senate, has made the most of his chance to 
work hard at work worth doing.
  In addition to serving his constituents well, Senator Bryan also has 
served the Senate well. He was asked to serve on the ad hoc committee 
that took testimony in the impeachment trial of U.S. District Judge 
Alcee L. Hastings in 1989. In 1991, in the aftermath of the Keating 
Five scandal, Senate leaders named Senator Bryan to a new task force to 
decide where to draw the line of propriety in such situations. His 
steady service helped to restore public confidence in the Senate, 
shaken by that troubling incident.
  During the 103rd Congress, he was chairman of the Ethics Committee 
when the committee began an investigation into charges of sexual 
harassment leveled against former Senator Bob Packwood. Serving on the 
Ethics Committee is a thankless task. No Senator ever asks to serve on 
that committee. It does not generate the appreciation of constituents, 
nor does it particularly endear a Senator to his colleagues. This is 
important work, however--work that protects the integrity of this body. 
And as one who has great respect for this institution, I appreciate the 
exemplary job that Senator Bryan did in steering the Senate through 
some tumultuous times.
  Senator Bryan has used his position in the U.S. Senate not only to 
advocate for his constituents in the great State of Nevada but also to 
protect consumers across the Nation. Ten years ago, as the chairman of 
the Commerce Committee's Consumer Subcommittee, Senator Bryan oversaw 
the first stand-alone reauthorization of the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission since 1981. This was a hard-earned victory for consumers 
nationwide. Senator Bryan was also successful in securing passage of 
legislation that he authored requiring the installation of passenger-
side airbags in all automobiles sold in this country, a safety feature 
responsible for saving hundreds of lives.
  Senator Richard Bryan's career has been one of true and diligent 
public service. I am told that his experience in elected office began 
when he was chosen to be president of his eighth grade class at John S. 
Park Elementary School. He served in the U.S. Army, completing his 
military service in the Army Reserves as a captain. Upon completion of 
law school, Richard Bryan returned to Nevada and began a career in 
public service that has spanned more than three decades. In 1964, Mr. 
Bryan became a deputy district attorney in the Clark County District 
Attorney's Office. Two years later, he was appointed Clark County's 
first public defender. His legislative service to Nevada began in 1968 
when he was elected to the Nevada State Assembly. Following a second 
term in the State Assembly, he was elected to the Nevada State Senate 
in 1972 and was reelected in 1976.
  Senator Bryan won his first statewide election to become Nevada's 
attorney general in 1978. He served as the State's chief law 
enforcement officer until 1982, when he was elected to the first of two 
terms as Nevada's 26th Governor. In 1988, Senator Bryan ran for the 
U.S. Senate, defeating the incumbent Senator, and went on to be 
reelected to the Senate in 1994. That is a very respected and 
impressive record, Mr. President--a life devoted to public service at 
virtually every level of our government.
  Senator Bryan leaves the Senate as a young man--youth being relative. 
As I look back on his many years of public service, I am confident that 
in whatever endeavor he chooses next, we can expect more fine work--
work worth doing--from Senator Bryan. He is a man who can always be 
proud to look at himself in the mirror each morning. He will see a 
reflection of fine work in the past, as well as the great opportunity 
to do well each day.
  Mr. President, I wish Richard Bryan and his lovely wife every good 
thing in the years ahead. I hope he will come back to see us often.
  Mr. President, before I was recognized, I saw another Senator on the 
floor and I think he was about to seek recognition. I suggested that he 
go ahead and get recognition. But he suggested that I get recognition. 
So I did. If my friend, the Senator from Wyoming, wishes to be 
recognized, I will be very glad to yield the floor. I have a couple of 
other speeches, but I will be happy to listen to him before I continue.
  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from West Virginia. I 
have a few articles on U.S. policy that I would like to have printed in 
the Record and make a couple of comments on them.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I will be glad to yield the floor with the 
understanding that I retain the floor when the distinguished Senator 
has completed his remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The 
distinguished Senator from Wyoming is recognized.
  Mr. ENZI. Thank you, Mr. President.

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