[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12590]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         COMPLIMENTING SENATORS

  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, let me just say this before I make my 
final comments. Senator Kennedy is on the floor and I want to 
acknowledge, as I did just now upstairs and as I did a couple of weeks 
ago as we completed our work on the education bill, a historic and 
landmark piece of legislation, how grateful I am, once again, to the 
senior Senator from Massachusetts, the chairman of the Health, 
Education, and Labor Committee.
  I have said privately and publicly that I believe he is one of the 
most historic figures our Chamber has ever had the pleasure of 
witnessing. We saw, again, the leadership and the remarkable ability 
that he has to legislate over the course of the last couple of weeks. I 
didn't think that what he had to endure in the education bill could 
have been any harder. In many respects, I think the last 2 weeks were 
harder. It was harder reaching a consensus. We had very difficult and 
contentious issues to confront, amendments to consider. In all of it, 
he, once again, took his responsibilities as we would expect of him--
with fairness, with courtesy, and with a display of empathy for all 
Members, the likes of which you just do not see on the Senate floor.
  So on behalf of all of our caucus, I daresay on behalf of the Senate, 
I thank Senator Kennedy, our chairman, for the work he has done.
  I also acknowledge and thank our colleague from North Carolina, 
Senator John Edwards. Senator Edwards has done a remarkable job. In a 
very short period of time, he has demonstrated his capabilities for 
senatorial leadership. He came to the Senate without the experience of 
public service, but in a very brief period of time he has demonstrated 
his enormous ability to adjust and adapt to Senate ways. He has become 
a true leader. I am grateful to him for his extraordinary contribution 
to this bill.
  Let me also thank Senator John McCain. This bill is truly bipartisan 
in many ways, but it is personified in that bipartisanship with the 
role played by Senator McCain, not unlike other bills in which he has 
participated. I will mention especially the campaign finance reform 
bill.
  Senator McCain has been the key in bringing about the bipartisan 
consensus that we reached again today. On a vote of 59-36, we showed 
the bipartisanship that can be displayed even as we take on these 
contentious and difficult issues. That would not have been possible 
were it not for his effort.
  Let me thank, as well, Senator Judd Gregg and many of our colleagues 
on the Republican side for their participation. They fought a hard 
fight; they made a good case; they argued their amendments extremely 
well; and they were prepared to bring this debate to closure tonight. I 
am grateful to them for their willingness to do so.
  Finally, I thank Senator Harry Reid. He wasn't officially a part of 
the committee, but Senator Reid has made a contribution once again to 
this bill, as he has on so many other bills, that cannot be replicated. 
This would not have happened were it not for his remarkable--and I 
would say incredible--efforts on the Senate floor each and every day. 
He is a dear friend. He is someone unlike anyone I think we have seen 
in recent times. He cares deeply for this body and has worked 
diligently to bring about a successful conclusion to this bill. We 
thank him.
  Having thanked our colleagues, let me also thank our staff--our floor 
staff, my personal staff, the leadership staff, the staff of the 
committee. Were it not for them, we simply could not have done our 
work. I am extraordinarily grateful to them as well.

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