[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 24832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         TRIBUTE TO BOB KERREY

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, when I first heard that Bob Kerrey had 
decided not to run again, I knew the Senate was losing a true American 
original, and a big part of what makes the Senate special.
  From my first moments in the Senate back in 1993, there was one thing 
I could tell right away--Bob Kerrey is a true leader. In an age of 
poll-driven politics, Bob Kerrey isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers 
to raise the level of debate and work for the greater good. He has 
sparked debate on the big issues: saving Social Security, controlling 
federal spending, guaranteeing the right to health insurance, and 
helping the poor, just to name a few.
  I was proud to work with him on the bipartisan deficit reduction 
package he spearheaded with former Senator Hank Brown of Colorado, and 
I'm proud to have a colleague with such a sincere commitment to fiscal 
responsibility. He fought to balance the federal budget when others 
said it could not be done. As Chair of the Bipartisan Commission on 
Entitlement and Tax Reform, Bob Kerrey directed our attention to the 
long-term challenges that we need to heed.
  Bob Kerrey is a pleasure to work with, but he is also a courageous 
public servant who is willing to stand alone when it is necessary. In 
addition to his heroic record of public service, he is a hero who 
served his country valiantly in the Vietnam War. Bob Kerrey brings 
great honor to the Senate as only the fifth Medal on Honor winner to 
serve in this body, and while he never makes a big deal about the 
honors he has received, every day he has served in the U.S. Senate, Bob 
Kerrey has exhibited the strength of character that befit those 
tributes.
  And while all those things are important, it is also essential to 
have a sense of humor, and we all know that Bob possesses that quality 
in spades. He is a pleasure to be around, and a good friend. I wish him 
all the best as he moves on to head the New School, and in everything 
he does.

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