[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23297-23298]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    TENDERING THE THANKS OF THE SENATE TO THE PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 362, submitted earlier 
today by the majority and Republican leaders.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 362) tendering the thanks of the 
     Senate to the President pro tempore for the courteous, 
     dignified, and impartial manner in which he has presided over 
     the deliberations of the Senate.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, and that the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, without intervening action.

[[Page 23298]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 362) was agreed to.
  The resolution reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 362

       Resolved, That the thanks of the Senate are hereby tendered 
     to the Honorable Robert C. Byrd, President pro tempore of the 
     Senate, for the courteous, dignified, and impartial manner in 
     which he has presided over its deliberations during the 
     second session of the One Hundred Seventh Congress.

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I will have more to say about this later 
on. But I think it is important to note we had two President pro 
tempores of the Senate in the 107th Congress--Senator Strom Thurmond, 
who will be retiring, and Senator Robert C. Byrd, who will certainly 
not be retiring.
  I want to acknowledge the deep affection this body holds for both 
men. Last night, Senator Thurmond made his final comments on the floor, 
and, spontaneously, Senators broke out in applause.
  This morning as I read the New York Times, on the front page was a 
colored picture of the current President pro tempore and a very 
laudatory article about his contributions to the debate on homeland 
defense.
  In their own way, both Senators have left indelible marks on this 
body. Their leadership, their stature, and their extraordinary 
contributions are not only appreciated, but I would say revered.
  I personally want to express my heartfelt thanks to both leaders for 
all they have done and for all they have meant to the Members of this 
body, especially during the 107th Congress.

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