[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 25295-25296]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       THANKING SENATOR MOYNIHAN

  Mr. DOMENICI. Senator Moynihan, I was listening to your speech on the 
television set before I arrived on the floor. First, I thank you for 
what you said this morning. It is something we ought to hear, something 
that ought to be placed permanently in our Record. And that is what 
happened.
  I personally want to say to you, over the years in my work as Budget 
Committee chairman and other legislation, I have found you to be a real 
friend. I think that is more important than talking about what you did 
here in terms of this Senator. I can remember, believe it or not, when 
we produced a most difficult budget, and it looked like a pretty good 
budget. I was wondering whether it would pass. I had the votes counted. 
All of a sudden, I won by one more vote than I thought. As he walked 
out, he put his hand on my shoulder and said: You did a great job. I 
voted for you.
  Now, we have talked a lot about other things, including you have 
asked me regularly about my wonderful family and my beautiful wife 
Nancy. I thank you for that concern.
  I guess in the remaining time I want to say to you, there are many 
ways to be a great Senator. Sometimes you become a great Senator 
because you get a lot of big headlines. Sometimes you become a great 
Senator when you promote yourself, which is permitted around here, and 
there is nothing wrong with it. But I can say, I think you are a great 
Senator. I don't think you did either of those. I think you just 
worked. And when people had to hear something that was vitally 
important, that had some history to it, I don't think we have had 
anyone around here in my 28 years--maybe there are Senators who have 
been here longer who might have experienced it, but I don't think I 
have ever had a Senator who had so much impact because he knows a lot 
and he remembers history and he always calls matters to our attention 
when we ought to have them there. You have served on an important 
committee. Your knowledge of the world and trade and what it means to 
us in the world has been a tremendous asset for the Senate. I thank you 
for that.
  I am certain that many are not going to have time to commend the 
distinguished Senator from New York because we are in some kind of a 
strange, 1-day-at-a-time funding resolution. We are just adding to the 
appropriations by 1 day at a time, which I have never heard of before. 
I have never had it happen to me in 28 years. I don't think it has 
happened. Nonetheless, we are here, and that is going to make it 
difficult for Senators to find the time that they want to commend you 
in this Record. But I am sure many Senators are thinking today that 
they would love to get down here and say thanks to you.
  I thank Senator Moynihan very much. I yield the floor.
  Mr. MOYNIHAN. May I simply thank my revered friend. We have been 
together, even across the aisle, for a near quarter century. There is 
no one whose regard I greater value and whose remarks I could not be 
more moved by.
  Mr. DOMENICI. I thank the Senator.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be allowed 2 
minutes to respond to the Senator from New Mexico and the Senator from 
New York.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. The Senator from Indiana, Mr. Bayh, and I were here as you 
were getting ready to speak. We talked, shared some of our thoughts 
about you.

[[Page 25296]]

The Senator from Indiana and I agreed on everything, but the one thing 
that sticks out in my mind is we agreed that you have been a visionary. 
You have been able to look out and find out what is going to happen and 
try to alert us. Frankly, we haven't followed a lot of the vision that 
you have had as quickly as we should.
  I always loved going to school from the time I was a little boy until 
the time I finished my professional schooling. But the one thing that 
always worried me was taking tests. So for me personally to be able to 
serve my entire time in the Senate on the same committee as you, during 
the short period of time when you were chairman of the Environment and 
Public Works Committee, before you moved to chairman of the Finance 
Committee, that it has been like going to school.
  In fact, in the back of the Chamber today, I recited to the Senator 
some of the things he taught me about transportation and some of the 
things that need to be done. The good part of being educated by Senator 
Daniel Patrick Moynihan is that I haven't had to take any tests. As a 
result of that, I feel I am a much better Senator and certainly a much 
better person for having had the good fortune to serve in the Senate 
and on the Environment and Public Works Committee with someone who the 
history books will write was one of the great Senators to serve in the 
history of our Republic.
  Mr. MOYNIHAN. I do so very much thank my friend. This is a very 
special moment for me.
  Mr. REID. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in 
morning business for 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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