[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 32286-32287]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO SENATOR PAUL SIMON

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I think it is fitting that the 
distinguished Senator from Illinois is in the chair. I know Senator 
Frist either has or intends to say something about the tragic news we 
just received this afternoon.
  I had the privilege, the honor, of working with Paul Simon for 12 
years. He brought a decency, a sense of humor, to his life and to his 
work that I think has never been matched. True to his roots as an 
investigative journalist, he had a clear eye for injustice and an 
untiring devotion to using power to improve the lives of Americans.
  At the same time, he recognized that in order to maintain citizens' 
support for Government, we needed to preserve their faith in the 
political process.
  Paul Simon was among the more vocal and effective advocates of 
campaign finance reform, and his leadership helped clear the way for 
the McCain-Feingold bill, passed 5 years after his departure.
  Even after his retirement, Paul Simon remained committed to raising 
citizens' understanding of and faith in Government and politics through 
his writings and his work to begin Southern Illinois University's 
Public Policy Institute.
  Anyone who knew or worked with Paul will miss his probing intellect, 
his self-deprecating wit, his integrity, and his leadership. I will 
never forget one of the last days that Senator Simon served, all of us 
surprised him during a vote by coming to the floor wearing bow ties. I 
will never forget the look on his face. We tried to replicate Paul 
Simon's look, but we could never replicate his soul, his character, his 
personality, his drive, his intellect, his prodigious writing as the 
author of, I know, more than a dozen books.
  Paul Simon was a friend. Paul Simon was a giant on whom we depended 
for the guidance, the leadership, and the courage that this Senate has 
come to expect of people as capable as he was when he served. We will 
miss him dearly.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute and respect to 
Senator Paul Simon who, as we know, died earlier today following 
surgery at the age of 75. On behalf of the Senate, I do extend my 
deepest condolences to the Simon family. He was a wonderful man, a 
wonderful Senator, always thoughtful, always plain spoken, and a man of 
impeccable integrity.
  Among his many accomplishments, Senator Simon was the chief 
Democratic sponsor of the balanced budget amendment. In 1990, his 
margin of victory over the challenger was the highest of any contested 
candidate in the Nation for Senator or Governor.
  He authored 15 books. He received 39 honorary degrees. It was just a 
few weeks ago that he came by my office, as he went by many Senators' 
offices, not stopping, not resting at all, but arguing for, making the 
case for a wonderfully innovative program that helps

[[Page 32287]]

expand and express the understanding of Americans, of college students, 
of people just out of college for events around the world, to give 
people the opportunity to serve overseas for a period of time and then 
to come back and share that knowledge and experience.
  The fact that he came by the office--and it seems like yesterday; it 
was several weeks ago now--and he had his flip charts. One by one, in 
that sort of scholarly, serious, academic way, expressing the truth, 
what he knew would work in a creative and innovative way impressed me. 
Indeed, it should be the goal of all of us, once we leave this body, to 
continue the process, participating as actively as he demonstrated 
several weeks ago.
  He was a champion of the people and, indeed, a credit to the United 
States of America. To his family, to his friends, to his loved ones, 
our condolences go out to them over the coming days.

                          ____________________