[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 19]
[Senate]
[Pages 26642-26643]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                IN HONOR OF THE MEMORY OF PAUL WELLSTONE

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to 
remember our friend Paul Wellstone, who died a year ago this month. All 
of us feel his loss so acutely here in this body. But his voice still 
echoes in this Chamber, and his spirit and fierce dedication to justice 
live on. What so many of us loved about Paul was that unparalleled 
passion he had for doing what was right. That still inspires me today, 
as it inspires so many others. And it is just one more reason to be 
thankful to Paul, and to honor his memory.
  I think of Paul often as issues come before the Senate about which he 
cared so deeply. Earlier this month, as we observed Mental Illness 
Awareness Week, I thought of all Paul did to advocate for mental health 
parity throughout his time here, and what a vital contribution he made 
to getting affordable medical treatment to people suffering from mental 
illnesses. I have been proud to support this issue when it has come to 
the floor, and last week I joined the entire Democratic caucus in 
urging the majority leader to take up and pass the Senator Paul 
Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act of 2003. We must ensure 
that mental illnesses are treated the same way as other physical 
illnesses by insurers.
  Paul also fought to stop U.S. companies that move their headquarters 
to ``tax haven'' countries to avoid paying U.S. taxes from getting 
Federal procurement contracts. I am proud to be a part of the effort to 
move that forward. I also am proud to help carry on Paul's work in the 
fight for a good public education for every child. Paul believed, as I 
do, that every child is entitled to a good education no matter his or 
her circumstances in life. He called this ``equality of opportunity.'' 
I was proud to work with him on the issue of standardized testing. He 
and I agreed that over-testing of our public school students is not the 
cure-all for public education. I hope that my efforts to return 
authority for decisions about how often to test students to the States 
and local school districts will, in some small way, build upon Paul's 
legacy of fighting for a level playing field for all students.
  These are just a few of the causes Paul worked on, and just a few of 
the ways that he lives on in this body, and in the lives of the 
countless Americans he touched through his lifetime. We can still hear 
his voice echo in this chamber, urging all of us on to build a more 
just world. Let us honor Paul's memory by heeding his words, and 
carrying on the great work of our dear friend.

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