[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 27140-27141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 27140]]

                         SERVING IN THE SENATE

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, one of the things I wanted to do, as I 
tried to plan my Senate objectives, was to make sure the children of 
our country were as protected as they could be by legislation that we 
developed in the Congress.
  Under Republican leadership, when President Reagan was the President 
in 1984--Elizabeth Dole was the Secretary of Transportation--we were 
able to write a bill and create a law that made the 21-year-old 
drinking age the minimum drinking age for serving liquor across the 
country. Since that time, 17,000 families have been spared the need to 
mourn the loss of a child.
  Mr. President, 17,000 youngsters, that is enough to fill a large 
arena. If one looked at the number of young people who would fill that 
arena, you would say: My Lord, are we lucky that these children have 
lived and will survive to their adulthood and through their full life 
because we were able to restrict their access to alcohol.
  Therefore, it was appropriate, toward the later days of my career, 
that we were able to add another item of protection by lowering the 
blood-alcohol level to .08, a standard which will save an additional 
500 to 700 lives a year. President Clinton recently signed that into 
law, as well. So I am pleased with the fact we were able to get that 
done. My team and I worked very hard to make that happen. It took 
several years for it to be accomplished, but accomplished it was.
  A large part of that accomplishment, I must say, was because of our 
distinguished friend and leader--I think they would have a reference in 
totalitarian governments, but I mean it in the kindest way--as a leader 
for life, that Senator Byrd has brought to us, not only with his 
knowledge, his understanding of the process, but he is virtually the 
historian of the Senate. The thing that has always amazed me is he can 
do it virtually from memory, and bring us all to our senses about how 
we conduct ourselves and how we process legislation. I am not only so 
delighted and honored to have been able to serve with him as a mentor 
but as a friend as well.
  We learn on a continuing basis in this place that Senator Byrd is 
someone to whom we can always turn, not only to understand his thinking 
on issues, and the decisions that he provides, but also his leadership.
  We saw it manifest again this day because he wanted to help us out of 
the dilemma with which we were struggling, to find a way to get Amtrak 
the strength and resources that it needs, but reminding us at this 
moment there were so many things in front of us that it was not the 
time, but nevertheless was helpful in his reassurance that he, too, 
would help process this early in the next Congress. I just am sorry I 
will not be here to see the day when that takes place.
  But I am grateful for the friendship and guidance that the 
distinguished senior Senator from West Virginia has given me, and all 
of us, over these many years.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, will the distinguished Senator yield?
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. I am happy to yield to the Senator from West 
Virginia.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator for his 
remarks. I shall miss him. We shall all miss him. He has served on the 
Appropriations Committee, and served well, served as chairman of the 
Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee, and served well.
  He has the highest interests of the Nation always at heart. He has 
been a very capable Senator. He is never one to forget his obligations, 
his responsibilities, his duties to the people who have sent him here. 
I have considered it to be a great honor and high privilege to serve 
with the Senator. I shall miss him. I am sure he will continue to serve 
his country in some way.
  But I do hope the Senator will come back and visit with us from time 
to time. May the Creator of the universe, Father of all of us, watch 
over and guide Frank Lautenberg and his family. He is so proud of his 
family. He often speaks of his children, his grandchildren. I know they 
love him. He will always be in our recollection. May heavenly angels 
always attend him in whatever he endeavors.
  I thank the Senator.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from West 
Virginia. All of us look to him for his guidance and wisdom.
  I have said about Senator Byrd in the past that he is a model for 
what a computer might do, and he does it without all of the transistors 
and switches and chips, and all of that. If anyone doubts Senator 
Byrd's capacity, let them attend one of his lectures on the kings of 
England or the development of government in the Roman Empire. One will 
be astounded. I have always felt a little bit like a student when I 
listened to Senator Byrd. I thank him for his warm comments.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, will the Senator from New Jersey yield to 
me for a question of him?
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. I am happy to yield to our colleague from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. First of all, I thank the Senator from New Jersey for his 
advocacy and his strong and heartfelt support about the need for a 
viable railway system in the Northeast and around America. There has 
been no one in this body who has been more committed to that 
proposition than the Senator from New Jersey. I congratulate him. As I 
said before, we will miss him very much in this body.
  I would like to make one additional comment, if I may, to the Senator 
from New Jersey.
  We will go through a regular process next year to bring up an 
authorization bill for Amtrak which would then be followed by 
appropriations.
  I objected to an appropriation this year because it was $10 billion 
over 10 years stuck into an appropriations bill for which there had 
never been a hearing. I hope the Senator from New Jersey can understand 
that.
  The second point is, I urge the Senator from New Jersey to consider 
that we have to make a fundamental choice about the national rail 
system in America--not just an east coast rail system but a national 
rail system.
  There are many countries in the world, including European countries, 
that regularly subsidize their railway systems. I understand that. I 
don't dispute it. Perhaps that decision has to be made in the United 
States of America and in the Congress of the United States with the 
cooperation of the administration.
  I remind the Senator from New Jersey that a few short years ago the 
decision was made to make Amtrak completely independent. Maybe that was 
not a wise decision.
  Last year, Amtrak lost, I think, 900 million and some dollars, and 
will lose another $900 million, or so.
  I think we need to make a fundamental decision: Is it a high enough 
national priority?
  I am not prepared to make a decision yet that the taxpayers of 
America should subsidize a rail system for America. I think the Senator 
from New Jersey would agree with me that the west coast needs one 
probably almost as much as the east coast does.
  We need to make a fundamental decision about what the Government's 
role will be in a national railway system, and then we need to decide 
to what degree it is subsidized.
  I think a strong argument can be made by anyone who has tried to fly 
to Newark, or to LaGuardia, or Kennedy lately that they recognize the 
difficulties in relying simply on air transportation. I think an 
argument can be made. But I think it deserves full debate and 
discussion.
  I thank the Senator from New Jersey. I understand his disappointment 
on this issue. But I would like to make a personal commitment that his 
spirit will live on, and we will fully examine and fully ventilate this 
issue and try to come up with a proposal that will satisfy the needs of 
his constituents and Americans all over this country. Again, I say that 
with profound admiration and respect for the Senator from New Jersey.
  Could I make one final comment? I hope to get a recorded vote on this 
bill. I will be recorded as voting against it for the usual reasons, 
and will have a statement included in the Record.

[[Page 27141]]

  I thank the Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from Arizona for 
his laudatory comments. It is nice to hear that one will be missed. We 
haven't discussed the degree, but nevertheless being missed counts.
  I wish to say one thing in response to the thoughtful statement of 
the Senator from Arizona about Amtrak and a national railroad. I am 
glad that he did it because I misunderstood. Frankly, perhaps it is 
something I thought I heard the Senator from Arizona say in times past 
about the fact that he would resist advancing resources to Amtrak. I 
think it was described in terms of a ``cash guzzler,'' if I am correct 
in that recognition. But I am glad to hear the Senator from Arizona.
  Let it not ever be mistaken that Senator John McCain and I have had 
some differences on the floor and off the floor, but the fact is that I 
believe there is mutual respect. Certainly, I respect him for his 
contributions to America and for his contributions to this body.
  If anyone has any doubts about John McCain's capacity to deliver a 
message, one only need to look at the recent election to see that with 
very limited resources John McCain was able to influence the direction 
of policy that we are going to be witnessing in the next 
administration.
  But I also hope that Senator John McCain, the Senator from Arizona, 
and the Senator from Wisconsin, Mr. Feingold, will be able to 
accomplish something that has been lingering over this place. It is 
overdue. It has been talked about forever, and it has never been 
accomplished. The reason I made a decision to leave this body that I 
love dearly was because I didn't want to go out and raise that money.
  The Senator from Arizona and the Senator from Wisconsin, Mr. 
Feingold, have done a masterful job in working inch by inch to get to 
the place where we examine as a proposal for the near future, I hope, 
how we ought to finance Senate races. I think the moment is near at 
hand. I hope that examination, frankly, obviously without my 
participation, will be taken. I will be encouraging you from the 
sidelines.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, will the Senator yield again?
  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Boy, I could really carve out a few chips if I were 
going to remain here. I am happy to yield, provided I recover the 
floor.
  Mr. LOTT. I thank the Senator.

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