[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DANIEL K. INOUYE

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I wish to express my sadness over the 
passing of Senator Dan Inouye.
  Dan Inouye came to this government, started his government service, 
at least, 60 years ago in the territorial legislature of Hawaii. He 
came to Congress when Hawaii became a State in 1959, to the Senate in 
1963, and was second only, I guess, in service to Robert Byrd. He was a 
serious man, a solid man, a patriot, and one who always had a good 
spirit about how he conducted his affairs and how he related to other 
Members of the Senate, to his constituents, and to the American people.
  Dan had served in the most violent combat and was grievously wounded 
himself. He was part of the 442d Regimental Combat Team, a 4,000-man 
unit that served in brutal combat. They were replaced 3\1/2\ times in 
personnel to maintain their strength, with 14,000 having served in that 
combat team during the brutal combat in Italy. There were 9,500 who 
received Purple Hearts and 21 Medal of Honors, including Senator 
Inouye's Medal of Honor.
  It was a remarkable time and a remarkable commitment Dan Inouye 
demonstrated to the country he loved.
  I know we will talk about his record, and I may do that later myself, 
but I want to say what I think about Dan Inouye at his core. He shared 
with us a few weeks ago at the prayer breakfast--and we don't quote 
what people say at that meeting--his feelings about war and his 
participation in it. It was one of the most moving presentations I 
think any of us had heard, and it was so well received by the people 
there. The truth is, Senator Inouye did not like war. He hated war. He 
knew the destructive power of war and how people suffered as a result 
of it, and he voted against a number of resolutions that would commit 
the United States to military action.
  But at the same time, there was no doubt, based on his ranking and 
chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Defense of the Appropriations 
Committee over a period of years--decades--he was the person who 
always, at bottom, could be counted on to ensure this Nation was well 
defended; that we did not make mistakes.
  He and Senator Ted Stevens had a unique relationship. When something 
developed that was important for the Defense Department, and it 
involved a danger to our government or could do damage to the 
Department or they seriously needed something--and oftentimes in this 
government, we can't respond and we don't respond effectively--Dan 
Inouye and Ted Stevens would go in and it would be fixed. They 
understood that peace through strength was the best way to avoid war, 
and they felt a sense of great responsibility to ensure the Defense 
Department was not damaged on their watch. Their experience and their 
judgment was such they could tell the difference between whines and 
complaints and real danger to America's defense capability.
  I would say that Dan Inouye has established a record that places him 
among the finest Senators ever to serve here, one of the finest human 
beings to serve here, and I want to say, as a member of the Armed 
Services Committee, how much I appreciated his particular commitment to 
ensuring that America's defense capability remains second to none and 
his willingness to take the steps necessary to maintain our defense at 
the level we would want it to be.
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah.

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