[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20894]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JOHN BREAUX

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I rise to address a subject on which 
there is no disagreement. The President would agree, as would Senate 
Democrats and Republicans and many Members of Congress; that is, to 
congratulate the senior Senator from Louisiana, John Breaux, on 30 
years of service in the Congress.
  We celebrated that momentous anniversary this past Saturday. He 
received, of course, many well wishes from his many friends and 
supporters in Louisiana and around the Nation.
  I know his family is very proud. I want to say for a minute how proud 
I am of his service to our State of Louisiana. Thirty years ago, 
Senator John Breaux, then a Congressman, came to Washington as a young 
lawyer from a small town, the city of Crowley. He was elected to the 
House of Representatives at a very young age. In fact, when he got 
here, he was the youngest Member of Congress. He has served our State 
admirably ever since. Now he is in his third term in the U.S. Senate, 
and I have every hope he will run again and have no doubt he will be 
reelected.
  John likes to say he started campaigning in nursery school. Those of 
us who know him well would almost believe that. That is probably no 
stretch. He said he was going to city council meetings with his 
grandfather when he was 7 years old. In high school he was a popular 
athlete who played hard but was always fair to his teammates as well as 
his opponents. He learned the lessons on those athletic fields of hard 
work, teamwork, and leadership, which serve him well. Frankly, it is so 
obvious to all of us who know him and his affable manner, his very 
approachable way, always with a kind word to say, always a joke, and 
always something to lighten up a discussion at the appropriate time. 
Those traits have served him well as an outstanding Congressman and 
Senator.
  In addition, because none of us come here on our own, he has come 
here as a husband, a father, and now as a grandfather. His wife, Lois, 
has truly been a tremendous partner, at great sacrifice to herself and 
her family. John and Lois brought their Cajun roots to our Nation's 
capital, and we are proud of that. He has never lost sight of who he is 
or where he has come from. We know him at home in many ways, but in 
Washington he is known as a strong, vocal, and effective advocate for 
agriculture. His hometown sits right in the heart of rice country, in 
Crowley, LA, and in the heart of, in many ways, sugarcane country in 
south Louisiana; and he is familiar with all of our row crops, cattle, 
and other aquaculture and agricultural commodities.
  He is a strong and effective advocate of energy policy for the 
Nation, and his voice has been one that has brought us to the center, 
with a balanced approach on our energy policy. In addition, on our 
health care industry and issues, he has been particularly noted as a 
leader. As a member of the Finance Committee, there is not an important 
compromise that is developed on that committee--or outside of that 
Committee, for that matter--that he is not part and parcel of, which is 
a great strength as a Senator, particularly in these times when our 
parties seem to have a hard time coming together and finding middle 
ground and working out a compromise. Senator Breaux brings so much 
effort in that regard and so much help.
  To mention a few things--and after his 30 years, I could stay here 
all night and I could talk for hours. I will highlight a few of the 
things that would not have passed without his able help and assistance: 
the Welfare Reform Act, many health insurance reform bills, the 
balanced budget amendment, and tax cut packages that have passed here. 
He chaired the Special Committee on Aging and to that committee has 
brought a tremendous amount of passion on the issues of Social Security 
and Medicare, which have served this Nation well.
  I will conclude by saying we have all been blessed by his leadership 
and his talent. He has used it to help Louisiana to grow and expand 
economically. Mr. President, he has had a tremendous impact on the 
Nation at large. He has fought for businesses, schools, workers, 
students, and opportunities for all. He is a founder of the DLC, of the 
new Democratic Network.
  I could not have a better partner in the U.S. Senate than John 
Breaux. He is a mentor, a friend, and a partner in helping to 
strengthen our State. I wanted to spend a few moments to acknowledge 
the 30th anniversary and wish him 30 more years. He is in great health. 
He plays tennis regularly, with Democrats and Republicans alike, and 
beats us all on the court. He wins many of his battles on the Senate 
floor as well.
  Again, I congratulate Senator John Breaux.

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