[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 23966-23969]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS


                              Zell Miller

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the late Senator Paul Coverdell was a 
great Senator and dear friend of many of us in this body. His untimely 
passing left a great hole in our hearts. But it also took from Georgia 
and from America a great leader.
  At the time, none of us had any idea how we would ever manage without 
him. I remember when we were doing tributes to him after his death. 
There was great emotion on the floor of the Senate. I remember Senator 
Phil Gramm tearfully giving Senator Coverdell a farewell. We all felt 
great affection for him.
  So when the Governor of Georgia, Governor Barnes, needed someone to 
step into Paul Coverdell's place to be the voice for Georgia, he called 
upon a fellow whom I had not previously met but had heard of for some 
time, former Gov. Zell Miller.
  Happily retired and without personal ambition for further public 
office, Zell Miller responded to the call of duty. And what a 
difference he has made in this body. In a time of turmoil, a time of 
terrorist attacks, of economic challenge, of foreign war, when America 
needed somebody to lead, Providence blessed America with a great 
Senator, Zell Miller.
  During his short tenure here, this old marine has been critical to 
our efforts to obtain economic opportunity, homeland security, and 
national security for this Nation. I can say with total certainty that 
Paul Coverdell would be proud--proud--of the accomplishments of Zell 
Miller. They have been good for Georgia, and they have been good for 
America.
  A review of every major battle this administration had in the last 4 
years shows that Zell Miller was in the middle of each one and the 
linchpin to each success. Zell Miller was instrumental to the economic 
recovery our Nation now enjoys. Zell Miller was the key to the homeland 
security our Nation has attained. Zell Miller was one of the strongest 
voices to harden our Nation's resolve to fully wage the war against 
terrorism. On these, the most critical issues upon which history will 
judge this Nation, this President, and this Congress, it was Zell 
Miller whose vote and voice made the difference.
  Zell made the difference when the numbers didn't add up to victory. 
Like our mutual friend, Phil Gramm, apparently being outnumbered was 
never a cause for concern to Zell. Zell served in the proud line of 
Truman Democrats. Like Harry Truman, he called for unity during a time 
of war and, like Harry Truman, gave hell to anybody who played games 
with our national security.
  Like John Kennedy, he knew that tax cuts were not just good for the 
economy but they were good for the take-home-pay of workers and their 
families. But from Zell we didn't just hear the thoughts of old-school 
Democrats, we also rediscovered the truths of our Nation. He showed us 
that integrity still matters, that nation comes before party, and that 
thinking first of our children and grandchildren is the right and 
proper way to judge national policy. Any time Zell looked for his 
bearings, he gazed to those fixed stars of his favorite constellation: 
His wife Shirley, his children, his seven grandchildren, and two great-
grandchildren. This internal compass served him well because no one 
could ever accuse Zell of being confused about what he believed in and 
why.
  So Zell Miller heads back to the Appalachian Mountains of north 
Georgia, whence he came. He returns with his wife Shirley back to the 
base of Double Knob Mountains, where the ravines flow to the Brasstown 
Creek and then the Hiawassee River and on to the Gulf of Mexico. He 
returns to the dirt roads he walked as a lad, where he worked with his 
mother, to haul stones from a nearby field to build a rock-walled house 
with no rafter, no subfloor, and a ladder for a staircase in which he 
was raised.
  From such modest beginnings, and such a modest man, the world is 
better because of his leadership. He stands as a lesson for all and for 
all time. Because of Zell Miller, I can say, be you a Senator, a 
college graduate, a single mother, or an elementary school student, 
never, never, never doubt the impact a single person with clear vision 
and a strong heart can make for your family, your community, your 
nation, and, yes, your world--not just for now but for generations to 
come.
  So, Senator Miller, we will miss you around here.
  Mr. President, we have had the privilege over the last 4 years to 
serve with a truly great American who has made a difference in a body 
in which it is very difficult for an individual Senator to frequently 
make a difference. Farewell, Senator Miller. We look forward to seeing 
you in the coming years.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Graham of South Carolina). The Senator 
from Alabama.


                              Zell Miller

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I thank the assistant majority leader 
for his fine words. I certainly agree with those about Zell Miller. 
Democracies in general, America in particular, seem blessed that in 
times of turmoil, leaders do step forward and give us the

[[Page 23967]]

guidance we need. During a time of war and economic challenge, America 
got such a leader in Zell Miller. It is not too much to say that he was 
the key, the very hinge upon which much of the fate of the agenda of 
the last several years swung. For the goals of President Bush, from 
homeland security to economic growth to the war on terrorism, Zell 
Miller has been the difference between victory and defeat, the gap 
between almost and barely.
  I think part of the willingness of Senator Miller to step forward, 
break ranks, and support President Bush came because he is a man of 
experience and judgment and integrity. He got to know President Bush. 
He looked into his heart, he examined his policies, and he believed 
him. He had a particular belief in this man at this point in history, 
based on his study of history, his writing, and his experience, and he 
was willing to step forward in an unusual degree and take a lot of 
grief for it, to stand up for what he believed was right.
  When President Bush proposed a tax cut to get the economy moving in 
2001, and things were not going well, Zell Miller was the first 
Democrat to support that plan. He cosponsored the bill with Phil Gramm 
of Texas, a great Senator. When they teamed up I thought of that slogan 
in the Alabama football network. Bear Bryant would have a TV show every 
week to talk about the game. He promoted Coca-Cola from Georgia, I 
guess, and Golden Flake potato chips, and the slogan was: ``Great Pair 
Says the Bear.'' So when Zell Miller and Phil Gramm joined forces, it 
was indeed a great pair. When it came time to protect the homeland 
against terrorist attacks, it was Zell Miller who stood with the 
President in 2002 to make sure we had a Department that functioned more 
like the Pentagon than the post office in protecting the lives of 
American citizens. After 4 months and 11 votes and a national election, 
finally it took. We passed the Homeland Security bill that has 
succeeded in keeping us safe, since 9/11, at least--a feat not many 
would have predicted possible at the time.
  I would just say this: Senator Miller understood the importance of 
that issue. I believe he called three press conferences. He urged those 
who were blocking the Homeland Security bill for some sort of internal 
governmental union-type politics, not on the real merits--he warned 
them that this was bad. It was bad for America, and it was bad 
politically for those who blocked it.
  They didn't listen. I think they wished they had. Certainly, after 
the election they were quite willing to pass the bill they had been 
blocking before the election.
  When the economy slowed down due to the attacks and the corporate 
scandal, and it came time to accelerate the tax cuts in 2003, once 
again it was Zell Miller who made the economic incentive plan the law 
of the land.
  On the question of judges for America, Zell Miller had the classical 
view of the role of a judge consistent with his good friend, the 
wonderful Judge Griffin Bell, who was a court of appeals judge and also 
Attorney General of the United States under President Jimmy Carter. He 
follows that philosophy. As a matter of fact, he analyzed each nominee 
who came forward and I believe saw fit to support the nominees, 
consistently, that President Bush sent forward--not because of politics 
but because he believed those judges would follow the law, not make 
law. They would be constructionists, not activists.
  Oftentimes, on each one of these issues it came down to this one man 
making the difference, either taking the lead or casting the key vote 
on those issues. He taught us once again that nation, family, faith, 
heritage, and principle are more important than politics and party. In 
this he reaffirmed the belief that government for, of, and by the 
people can work.
  When he spoke, people listened. I will tell you why people listened. 
I asked him how he found time, how he did his speeches. He personally 
writes his speeches. It is not written by staff. It is not generated by 
some computer. It is not regurgitated from some document or some 
memorandum or some summary somewhere. It comes from his heart, his 
experience, his head, and his understanding of this great Republic of 
which we are blessed to be a part. That is why people listen to his 
speeches.
  Most of us recall his speech in New York at the convention, where he, 
in Trumanesque fashion, blasted those who play games with our national 
defense. They squalled and thought it was hell. He was just telling the 
truth, I suggest.
  It was clear, passionate, and powerful and helped change the course 
of the national debate. It changed the course of the national debate 
because it was true. What he said was important. It had to do with 
whether this Nation would have leadership committed to a strong 
America. He also had some very fine words right here on the floor of 
the Senate.
  On the Energy bill, he rose in ``defense of that great American 
workhorse,'' in his words, the pickup truck. He told a story of meeting 
a guy who was a PHD--that is a post hole digger--who said:

       If you really want to know when times are bad, take notice 
     of the number of people having to sell their pickups. Look at 
     the ads in the paper and the ``for sale'' signs in the yards. 
     The more you see, the worse it is because pickups are the 
     very symbol of the working man. As the pickup goes, so does 
     the working man and the very heart of this country.

  He added:

       Pickups are as essential to the carpenter as his hammer; as 
     essential to the painter as his paintbrush. So we must leave 
     this American workhorse, the pickup truck, alone. Don't pick 
     on the pickup.

  Then he shared with us a tune called ``Talking Pickup Truck Blues.'' 
He spared us the agony of singing it, but he did share one verse.

       Sure, an SUV is classy travel, but it ain't much good for 
     hauling gravel, or hay or bovine feces. So please do not make 
     my pickup truck an endangered species.

  That is not often heard on the floor of this Senate--words of 
eloquence that bring a smile to us all but more than that drives home a 
truth about real people who serve America day after day in pickup 
trucks.
  So this man knows America. Given all the good he has done in so 
little time--he has given so much to it--he leaves much too soon. He 
has done a great job for this Nation and for Georgia in replacing the 
departed Paul Coverdell who we all loved and admired. He has been a 
great leader and a great Senator, and the Senate will miss the presence 
of this old Marine sergeant.
  I can say without contradiction I believe that few Senators in the 
history of this Republic have in one short term contributed so much to 
the health and welfare of our Nation and made such a tremendous impact 
on it.
  It is because he put his Nation first; he stood for what we believe 
in. He was true to his raising.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
  Mr. MILLER. Mr. President, I have listened with a grateful heart to 
the generous words of my colleagues, the Senator from Kentucky and 
earlier this morning the Senator from Alabama. I will remember and 
cherish those words as long as I am on this Earth. I thank each of them 
for their friendship.
  I see my good friend from Montana on the floor. I thank him, a fellow 
marine, for his friendship.
  This means more to me than I have words to express. I did not come to 
this Senate expecting events to unfold as they have. I guess I am 
living proof that politics is not an exact science.
  In Shakespeare's ``Hamlet,'' his friend Laertes is going off to 
college and his father Polonius is giving him the usual advise that you 
give when your sons go off to college. After all the words of caution 
that I hope fathers still give their sons, Polonius ended with these 
words:

       This above all: to thine ownself be true,
       And it must follow, as the night the day,
       Thou canst not then be false to any man.

  I have always believed that and I have tried to live that.
  I have had a most blessed personal life--personal and political. 
Since 1959, voters in Georgia have been putting me

[[Page 23968]]

in one office or another, and I am deeply grateful to them.
  God has richly blessed my personal life. My wife Shirley has been the 
perfect partner for over 50 years. She has been my companion, my 
critic, my crutch. We have two wonderful sons, Murphy and Matthew, and 
our daughters-in-law and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. 
We are very blessed.
  If he had lived, Paul Coverdell would be ending his second 6-year 
term. As I told some of my colleagues last night, not a day has gone by 
since I have been here that I have not thought of this good man who 
left us so suddenly and so tragically.
  My most fervent hope during these 4\1/2\ years has been that Paul 
would be pleased with the way I have served and finished out his term. 
I know Paul is pleased, as I am, that our mutual friend Johnny Isakson, 
one of the finest public servants I have ever known, will soon be our 
successor in this great body.
  I also wish to say what an honor it has been to serve the last 2 
years with my colleague from Georgia, Senator Saxby Chambliss.
  Now as this page turns on the final chapter of my career as a public 
servant, I cannot help but remember how it was in that first chapter of 
my life. Growing up in a remote Appalachian valley, we lived in a house 
made of rocks my mother gathered from a nearby creek with only an open 
fireplace for heat, no indoor plumbing, no car, no phone, and no 
father.
  On summer nights before the TVA dammed up the Hiawassee River and 
brought electricity to that Appalachian valley, after the Moon had come 
up over the mountain, the lightning bugs were blinking, while the frogs 
croaked down at the creek and the katydids sang, every once in a while 
a whippoorwill's lonesome cry could be heard.
  I remember after my mother had finally quit working and was getting 
us quiet and ready to go to bed, we would play a game. The game would 
start when the headlights of that rare car would penetrate the 
darkness, maybe once every half hour or so on that narrow strip of 
asphalt across a big ditch in front of our house. We would stare at the 
headlights of the car as it made its way around the steep curves and 
finally over Brasstown Mountain. We would count and see how long it 
took from the time it went by our house until its taillights would 
disappear through that distant gap and was no longer a part of that one 
and only world I knew.
  It was often at this time my mother would laugh and say, ``You know 
what's so great about this place? You can get anywhere in the world 
from here.''
  That world has turned many times since I first traveled that narrow 
road through that gap and out of that valley. It has been a long road 
with many twists and turns, ups and downs, bumps, and, yes, a few 
wrecks, a road that twice carried me to the highest office of the ninth 
largest State in this Nation, to all the continents and famous cities 
of the world and, finally, to the Senate.
  So I leave this Senate, knowing that once again my mother has been 
proved right. One could get anywhere in the world from that little 
mountain valley and back again. Everywhere I have ever been really was 
on my way back home.
  I thank all of you. I thank my family. I thank my very special staff 
who has stayed with me through thick and thin. I thank my friends and 
especially my God. It has been one heck of a ride.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Montana.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words about my friend 
from Georgia, Senator Miller, who preceded my remarks.
  I was raised in the Midwest. We both come out of an era of rural 
America. It was a different life. I remember when we did not have 
electricity. We did not live on a gravel road. We did not have running 
water in the house. In fact, the water bucket froze on cold winter 
nights. We didn't have the best clothes in the world. But they were 
clean. And I have never gone to bed hungry.
  I have an idea my mother was kind of like Mrs. Miller. A home full of 
love on a badlands farm made up of two rocks and one dirt, trying to 
hang on to it, coming out of tough times called the Depression of the 
dirty 1930s. It shaped a lot of character. It put a lot of fiber in a 
lot of people who went on to love this country and would serve her and 
our States at any cost.
  The highest compliment one could pay to any person we meet in this 
body, comes from the West in an expression that says: We'll not say 
goodbye; we'll just say so long because you are welcome to sit at my 
fire anytime.
  That is my feeling toward this old marine. I only have one 
disappointment, that we never did get a trip to the Pacific to visit 
Iwo Jima. I have been there but he never got to go. We tried every way 
in the world. We had a couple trips scrubbed because of business in the 
Senate. We never did make it, but we are not going to give up.
  So we say so long to Zell Miller, a good friend, a good Senator, a 
great representative of Georgia, and a great representative of this 
country.
  I came down here today to talk about other men who will be leaving 
this Senate, including Senator Hollings from South Carolina. He was 
chairman of the Commerce Committee when I first came here in 1988 and 
1989. I was up to my eyes in confusion, trying to drink out of a fire 
hydrant to take it all in. My former chairman of the Commerce Committee 
was part of my education, a very important part of it, in understanding 
the work done in the committees and this business of setting policy 
that conforms to the wants and desires of our States and what is good 
for the country.
  One time I offered a little amendment that had a far-reaching effect 
in the debate of regulating the cable industry. I didn't want to do 
that but I wanted to give him a little competition to make them better. 
I offered an amendment without telling anybody on the committee, 
without telling a soul.
  I will tell the Presiding Officer I know what it is like to sit way 
down at the end of the committee because when I came here my seniority 
was S100.
  I remember the chairman, Mr. Hollings, saying, I've never heard of 
anything like that. It was pretty obvious we were going to have to go 
to a vote. He didn't know if he had enough votes to defeat it and I 
didn't know if I had enough votes to pass it. An instance such as that 
calls for a little backroom sit-down, talk about this, and see what it 
does to the issue.
  I was right there with him. Senator Inouye from Hawaii was also in 
the meeting. One can start to learn the ways of the Senate especially 
in the areas of committee work.
  I will miss Ernest Hollings because he has been an institution here 
serving from the 89th through the 108th Congress. That is a great 
tradition.
  The Presiding Officer knows and understands Ernest Hollings. We may 
disagree on philosophy but we did not disagree on America.
  Don Nickles will leave this Senate in this year, having arrived in 
1980 with President Ronald Reagan. The real voice of conservatism, a 
fiscal conservative, who stood in this Senate and fought wasteful 
spending and did it with grace, did it with knowledge, a leader among 
all.
  There again, he being 8 years ahead of me, he was a mentor and 
someone I could look to, study and learn from.
  In 1987 or 1986, Tom Daschle came to the Senate. A neighbor from 
South Dakota from Aberdeen, SD, we both learned a little bit here. He 
was much more successful than I, reaching into leadership of his party. 
We had a lot of common friends in South Dakota. I will be sorry to see 
Tom Daschle leave the Senate. But he has left big tracks here. There 
are fond memories on issues that we agreed on and issues that we did 
not agree, but we did not do it being disagreeable.
  Bob Graham from Florida I learned was in the Angus business and he 
leaves this year.
  John Breaux from Louisiana. I worked with him on the Commerce 
Committee regarding energy issues. His wisdom will be missed.
  I am afraid I took much more from these men than I could ever return 
to them.

[[Page 23969]]

  I served only one term with John Edwards and Peter Fitzgerald. They, 
too, will be missed in the Senate. Their contribution was huge.
  Ben Nighthorse Campbell served from the 103rd to the 108th Congress. 
But my, the knowledge he has had and the experiences he has had.
  It seems as if he has always ridden dangerous things, including old 
broncs and horses, which are unpredictable, and, you might say, not the 
safest things. What a great thrill being the cover Senator for Harley 
Davidson. He, too, has lived a great life. He, too, understands the 
West. He is also a member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. The 
reservation is in my State of Montana.
  We campaigned together, learned from each other. Now he will be 
returning back to his Colorado, back to the High Country. He is looking 
forward to that.
  Peter Fitzgerald comes from Illinois. As to all of these men, I want 
to say you do form relationships here, and there is a certain bond that 
attracts us all, as we learn that even though you may be on the same 
side of the aisle or the opposite side of the aisle, one could always 
agree or disagree without being disagreeable. That is what makes the 
Senate a special place.
  We will miss all of these men, but I am looking forward to those who 
take their place as, there again, new relationships will be developed, 
a new bond dealing with the old challenges of a free society, with 
those who love the Constitution and love this country who were prepared 
to die for it and would if asked to do so today. No one doubts the 
depth of their patriotism nor their service to their country. We 
welcome them as we say goodbye to old friends, old relationships that 
will never be forgotten.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. 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. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be 
allowed to speak for up to ten minutes in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senate is in morning business. The Senator 
from Tennessee is recognized.

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