[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2] [Senate] [Pages 2722-2725] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]COMMENDING THE HONORABLE HOWARD HENRY BAKER, JR. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 58, which was submitted earlier today. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title. The assistant legislative clerk read as follows: A resolution (S. Res. 58) commending the Honorable Howard Henry Baker, Jr., formerly a Senator of Tennessee, for a lifetime of distinguished service. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution. Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The resolution (S. Res. 58) was agreed to. The preamble was agreed to. The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows: S. Res. 58 Whereas Howard Henry Baker, Jr., son of Howard Henry Baker and Dora Ladd Baker, was heir to a distinguished political tradition, his father serving as a Member of Congress from 1951 until his death in 1964, his stepmother Irene Baker succeeding Howard Baker, Sr. in the House of Representatives, and his grandmother Lillie Ladd Mauser having served as Sheriff of Roane County, Tennessee; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. served with distinction as an officer in the United States Navy in the closing months of World War II; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee Law School in Knoxville where, during his final year (1948-1949), he served as student body president; Whereas after graduation from law school Howard Baker, Jr. joined the law firm founded by his grandfather in Huntsville, Tennessee, where he won distinction as a trial and corporate attorney, as a businessman, and as an active member of his community; Whereas during his father's first term in Congress, Howard Baker, Jr. met and married Joy Dirksen, daughter of Everett McKinley Dirksen, a Senator of Illinois, in December 1951, which marriage produced a son, Darek, in 1953, and a daughter, Cynthia, in 1956; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. was elected to the Senate in 1966, becoming the first popularly elected Republican Senator in the history of the State of Tennessee; Whereas during three terms in the Senate, Howard Baker, Jr. played a key role in a range of legislative initiatives, from fair housing to equal voting rights, the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, revenue sharing, the Senate investigation of the Watergate scandal, the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, the enactment of the economic policies of President Ronald Reagan, national energy policy, televising the Senate, and more; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. served as both Republican Leader of the Senate (1977-1981) and Majority Leader of the Senate (1981-1985); [[Page 2723]] Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. was a candidate for the Presidency in 1980; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. served as White House Chief of Staff during the Presidency of Ronald Reagan; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. served as a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board during the Presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; Whereas following the death of Joy Dirksen Baker, Howard Baker, Jr. married Nancy Landon Kassebaum, a former Senator of Kansas; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. served with distinction as Ambassador of the United States to Japan during the Presidency of George W. Bush and during the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan; Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the Nation's highest civilian award; and Whereas Howard Baker, Jr. set a standard of civility, courage, constructive compromise, good will, and wisdom that serves as an example for all who follow him in public service: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate commends its former colleague, the Honorable Howard Henry Baker, Jr., for a lifetime of distinguished service to the country and confers upon him the thanks of a grateful Nation. Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, it gives me a great honor to comment on the resolution commending Howard Baker that we just addressed. I first met Howard Baker when I was considering the run for the U.S. Senate in 1994. It is surprising to me now, today, with our close friendship, that I had not met him other than just in passing before. At the time, unlike Senator Baker, I had absolutely no political credentials whatsoever. Nobody from my family had run for public office, served in public office. But he was kind enough to see me, a physician in Nashville, TN, and to listen very patiently. I think a lot about it now, as people make appointments and come in to talk to me, even if they had absolutely no experience in the political arena. Very quickly after that first meeting he realized that the smart politician in my family was not me but was my wife, so the very next meeting, it was me and Karyn sitting in his office. Since then, I have had the real privilege and the honor of Senator Baker's friendship and his wise counsel, both as leader currently, today, and also as a U.S. Senator and then as a candidate. It is with great admiration that I rise to speak a few moments on his retirement from public service. I use that very advisedly, because Howard Baker will never, ever retire from public service. He has distinguished himself as one of America's most trusted and valued public servants. A former U.S. Senator, minority leader, majority leader, Republican Presidential candidate, Senator Baker has, as we all know, reached the pinnacles of political life, serving most recently as America's Ambassador to Japan, a position reserved for our most highly respected political figures, our statesmen. Senator Baker turns 80 this year. He was born in 1925, on November 15, in Huntsville, TN, near the Kentucky border, right where he lives today. His grandmother, Lillie ``Mother Ladd'' Mauser, was Tennessee's first female sheriff. His father and stepmother both served in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yet despite this illustrious family history, as a young man Howard junior was not interested in a career in politics. After graduating from a military preparatory school in Chattanooga, he enrolled in the U.S. Navy, where he trained as an officer. He earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Sewanee and Tulane. He then went on to law school at the University of Tennessee law school. During his senior year, however, he saw that first glimpse, that first tantalizing taste of winning elections as he served as student body president. In 1950, Senator Baker ran his father's first successful bid for the U.S. Congress. Howard senior won a seat in the House, and Howard junior won the hand of Joy Dirksen, the daughter of Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen. For the next 16 years, he and Joy settled into life in Huntsville with their two children, Darek and Cynthia. Senator Baker practiced law and devoted his time to family, to church, and to a variety of civic groups. In 1964, Senator Baker decided to run in the special election for Senator Estes Kefauver's seat. He narrowly lost to Democrat Ross Bass but came roaring back in 1966, to be elected with 56 percent of the popular vote, making him the first popularly elected Republican Senator in Tennessee's history. He handily won reelection in 1972. That was at the height of Watergate, and Senator Baker was known on both sides of the aisle for being scrupulously fair and levelheaded. Within months, the Senator was named cochair of the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities. Initially, Senator Baker believed that President Nixon was innocent of any wrongdoing. Over the years, Senator Baker had become a friend and adviser to President Nixon. But as the investigation unfolded and the evidence mounted, he became convinced of wrongdoing within the administration, leading to his most famous questioning during the investigation: ``What did the President know, and when did the President know it?'' At Senator Baker's right hand during the investigation was our former colleague and friend Fred Thompson and my late chief of staff Howard Liebengood. It was a grueling and intense ordeal for Senator Baker and the country. But at its conclusion, Senator Baker had won the respect of millions of Americans. In 1976, Senator Baker was chosen to be the keynote speaker at the Republican Convention and was the next year voted by his colleagues to lead them in the Senate. He won a third Senate term in 1978, and 2 years later made a bid for the Republican Presidential nomination. He ran on a platform at the time of restraining Government spending, balancing the budget, increasing domestic energy production, and cutting taxes and excessive regulations--all positions that are very familiar 25 years later. In 1980, Senator Baker became Senate majority leader, a post he held until his retirement in 1985. He was a strong proponent of the citizen legislator, one who came to Washington, DC as a legislator for a period of time but returning home to be with real people and real communities all across the United States. Indeed, that concept and that counsel and those conversations of a citizen legislator have had a huge impact on my life as well. As majority leader, Senator Baker had a list of rules. He called them his Baker's Dozen. The list included: Listen more than you speak; have a genuine respect for differing points of view; tell the truth, whether you have to or not; be patient; and be civil. He expounded on his governing philosophy a few years ago during the Leader's Lecture series down the hall in the Old Senate Chamber. I would like to quote a few of his words, as they apply as much today as they did when Senator Baker led this great institution. He said that ``the Founders didn't require a nation of supermen to make this government and this country work, but only honorable men and women laboring honestly and diligently and creatively in their public and private capacities.'' Always sensible, always decent, Senator Baker was a giant in this institution and deeply admired by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. It has been my great good fortune to have his example before me as I try to apply his insights on a daily basis. Senator Baker is known and respected around the world. He has met heads of state, and advised American Presidents, but it is interesting because it is home where his heart still is. There is no place he would rather be than in Scott County, TN, surrounded by his friends, his family, his dogs, and taking in the view of what is called the New River--I would really say it is his new river--out the back of his cabin. I remember one of my first visits--it may have been my first visit-- to Scott County and to Huntsville, and to his home. Karyn and my three boys were with me. He said, Bill, you and Karyn look around. He took my three boys back to his darkroom. We all know about his passionate love for Photography. He patiently walked them [[Page 2724]] through the process. That has been burned in their minds as they remember slowly watching pictures come alive in the developing solutions. In fact, I remember one photograph that day was of his soon to be bride Senator Nancy Kassebaum. I was touched that he would take such time to spend with my boys talking about the art of photography, which is his favorite, and remains his favorite, avocation. As a husband and father, I am grateful for the warmth and the caring he has so generously shared with Karyn and me and our three boys, and as an American, I am deeply grateful for the service he has rendered in so many capacities to our country. I have that opportunity every morning bright and early, indeed, walking back and forth down this hall behind me every day, to enter the Howard H. Baker Suites, which is the Republican leader's office, and to walk through those doors, seeing his portrait at the end of the first room in those suites. We feel his influence every day, and we think about it in everything we do. Senator Baker understood that the Senate is like a family, not unlike his hometown of Huntsville in Scott County. As he reminded us a few years ago, ``What really makes the Senate work is an understanding of human nature, an appreciation of the hearts as well as the minds, the frailties as well as the strengths, of one's colleagues and constituents.'' Winner of the Medal of Freedom, our country's highest civilian award, he set a standard of civility, courage, of goodwill and wisdom that continues to serve as an example for all to follow. On behalf of the entire Senate and a grateful nation, I commend our former colleague the Honorable Howard Henry Baker, Jr., for a lifetime of distinguished service to the country, and I wish him and Nancy Kassebaum all the best in this new chapter of their life. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska. Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I feel honored to be here today to support this resolution recognizing the lifetime achievements of my good friend Howard Baker. Howard and I have been friends for a very long time. We arrived in the Senate at about the same time. Howard was elected in 1966, and I was appointed in 1968. In 1977, Howard became minority leader. I was elected minority whip. We became leaders of the majority in the Senate in 1981. Being part of the Senate leadership was a new chapter in my life, and I was privileged to start out on that path with Howard Baker. After the 1980 elections, we traveled together to the White House almost every couple of weeks to meet with President Reagan. I cherish those trips to the White House to this day. They remain some of my favorite memories of the time I have spent here in the Senate. Howard Baker is a great leader. He understands how to bring people together to accomplish great things. Those who were here during Howard's tenure, I am sure, remember his commitment to collegiality and fairness. It earned him tremendous respect among his colleagues in the Senate. He was a great choice for majority leader. All of us were honored to serve with him. In early 1984, I went to his office to discuss the future. Howard convinced me I should plan to stay in the Senate. Later that year, however, Howard announced his own retirement. And, as we know, he later became President Reagan's Chief of Staff. Catherine and I were sad when Howard lost his first wife, Joy. She was a wonderful woman. We were glad when he and Nancy found each other. Nancy, who is also a friend, served as a distinguished Senator here in her own right. She has been a great friend and partner for our friend Howard. In 1989, the day before Catherine and I were married, Howard called to tell me he needed to go to China, but Joy was ill--she was in the hospital--and Howard could not leave. Deng Xiaoping had called, as leader of China, and wanted to understand what ``Reaganism'' meant. When Howard could not go on the trip which Ronald Reagan asked him to take to answer that question, Howard dispatched me on that mission. Again, it was a wonderful memory for me, and I appreciated that honor. Catherine and I were married on December 30 and left for China on December 31. There was no time for a honeymoon. But we got on that plane to China at Howard's request, and we haven't stopped since. I am reminded of that every year now, and it has finally caught up with me. Catherine and I are scheduled to take that honeymoon this spring. So I am not allowed to call Howard to congratulate him because we cannot risk being dispatched again to some foreign country. Howard's time as Ambassador to Japan is only one chapter in the long and distinguished career the leader just talked about, a career that he spent serving the American people so well. Few men are more deserving of the honor of such a resolution, and Catherine and I wish our good friend and his good lady great luck in their pursuits. Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I am pleased and proud to cosponsor today's Senate resolution that honors my good friend and former colleague, Senator Howard Baker, for his lifetime of public service. As the Senate Democratic leader from 1977 to 1980, I had the pleasure to work with Senator Baker, first when he served as the Senate minority leader. From the start, I found my leadership relations with Senator Baker to be excellent, and that never changed. Make no mistake, he was a tough competitor, but he always remained amiable and friendly to work with, in short, a gentleman in the true sense of the word. He was necessarily partisan, but not overly so. I will never forget his extraordinary cooperation in obtaining consent for ratification of the Panama Canal Treaties. The legislative accomplishments of the 94th and 95th Congresses were a testament to our cooperation. My admiration for Senator Baker increased even more when he became majority leader in 1981. He remained co-operative, friendly, and easy to work with. When I paid tribute to Senator Baker on the occasion of his birthday in 1983, I stated that Senator Baker was ``the most congenial and likable of all the majority leaders in my time here.'' ``He is accommodating,'' I pointed out, and I marvel at his equanimity. He takes everything in stride. He does not appear to be overwhelmed by the power of his office. I recall quite clearly how all Senators, on both sides of the aisle, liked Howard Baker and had a genuine fondness for him. One of my saddest days in the Senate came that same year when I learned of Senator Baker's decision not to seek reelection. I expressed my deep regrets, stating: ``Having worked with Howard Baker in the leadership in one fashion or another for a long period of time, I have a real and a very deep admiration for him, and I have a warm glow of friendship that has never ceased to burn brightly.'' I finished that tribute by reciting a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson, ``A Nation's Strength,'' as testament to my high regard for Senator Baker. Since leaving the Senate, Senator Baker has gone on to serve our country in a number of other, important capacities, including Chief of Staff to President Ronald Reagan, a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Board, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Therefore, on this special occasion, when the Senate is honoring this great man for his service to our country, I wish once again to recognize his service to our Nation. God give us men! A time like this demands strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands. Men whom the lust of office does not kill; Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; Men who possess opinions and a will; Men who have honor; men who will not lie. Men who can stand before a demagogue And brave his treacherous flatteries without winking. Tall men, sun--crowned; Who live above the fog, In public duty and in private thinking. For while the rabble with its thumbworn creeds, It's large professions and its little deeds, mingles in selfish strife, Lo! Freedom weeps! Wrong rules the land and waiting justice sleeps. God give us men! [[Page 2725]] Men who serve not for selfish booty; But real men, courageous, who flinch not at duty. Men of dependable character; Men of sterling worth; Then wrongs will be redressed, and right will rule the earth. God Give us Men! 6I 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 PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Tennessee is recognized. Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I thank the Senator for giving me this opportunity. I am glad to join with the President pro tempore and the majority leader in cosponsoring this resolution. I would like to add a few words about Howard Baker. When Howard Baker left for Japan, there was an enormous ceremony hosted by the President of the United States in the East Room. It was a signal of the importance of our country's relationship with Japan. It was a demonstration of the long list of distinguished United States Ambassadors to the country of Japan. It was a reminder of the importance of the job Ambassador Baker would have at this listening post and action post in Asia. Howard Baker's coming home deserves a little bit of fanfare, too. The relationship between Japan and the United States has never been better. A good bit of that credit goes to President Bush and Prime Minister Koizumi for their close relationship, but Howard Baker had a lot to do with it, too. His homecoming helps to bring to a close, as Senator Stevens and Senator Frist have said, another chapter in one of the most distinguished public careers in our country. Howard Baker was a very successful Senator. There would not have been a Reagan Presidency, as we know it, without Howard Baker. I remember Howard Baker told me that when the tax cuts passed in the early 1980s, after the Republican majority was elected, he, Senator Baker, the majority leader, took the tax cuts and walked them over to the House of Representatives and handed them to Tip O'Neill. Then, of course, Senator Baker put his own Presidential aspirations aside a few years later and served as Chief of Staff for President Reagan. I was living in Australia at the time, and I remember the relief the Australians had in 1987 hearing on the radio that Howard Baker was going to the White House to help straighten out some problems. I saw him up close, and I have seen him up close for a long time. I came here to this body in 1967, as his legislative assistant, 1 year before the President pro tempore became a Member of this Senate. Howard Baker was not a shy first-termer. We sat around in staff seats in the back of the Chamber and waited until he and Ted Kennedy, then another young Senator, took on Everett Dirksen and Sam Ervin on ``one man, one vote.'' The youngsters beat the oldsters on that vote. He ran for leader twice, I think, in the first 6 years. In 1977, he changed the name ``Minority Leader'' to ``Republican Leader'' on the wall out here. He began to talk about the second-best view in Washington being in the leader's office. And we knew he was thinking about trying for the first-best view in Washington, which is from the White House. When he accepted this post in Japan, at President Bush's request, some people said to me: Why in the world would Howard Baker do that, with all he has already done in his life? I was not one bit surprised that he did. Howard Baker has always had the bit in his teeth. He has done everything he has ever done with consummate skill. He is the reason I am in public service today. We once said there was a whole generation of us--former Senator Thompson, the late Howard Liebengood--a number of us who were a generation of people inspired by Howard Baker. Now there is a second generation, including our majority leader. There really would not be a two-party system in Tennessee without Howard Baker. We used to say the best thing about Howard was that when people saw him on TV, he always made Tennesseans look good. We can now say that about the country. When people see Howard Baker around the world, he makes us Americans look even better. He represents the best of us. We welcome him home just in time for his 80th birthday on November 15, and just in time, I am quite confident, to prepare for another sparkling chapter in one of our country's most distinguished public careers. Mr. President, I yield the floor. The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Democratic leader. ____________________