[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17241-17242]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DANIEL K. INOUYE

  Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I rise for a few moments to share a few 
thoughts about our friend and colleague who passed away yesterday, 
Senator Dan Inouye. It was a shock to me here on the floor yesterday 
when his passing was announced and it is still a shock today to see 
that it is indeed real--the beautiful bowl of white roses on his desk.
  I want to share a remembrance or two. When I was 19 I was struggling 
with what direction to take in life and thought public policy might be 
something worth pursuing. I asked my father. My father read the 
newspaper every day and watched the evening news and would run a 
commentary on the world. I asked him, if I were to try to get a summer 
internship in Washington, DC, to see how government really works, who 
should I apply to. Of course he noted I should apply to my home State 
Senators, Senator Packwood and Senator Hatfield. I asked him if there 
were any national Senators who stood out. He said there are four I 
think you should try to talk to: Senator Kennedy, Senator Humphrey, 
Senator Church, and Senator Inouye.
  I proceeded to write letters to see if I could get an internship with 
any of my home State Senators or any of those four. I did not succeed 
outside my State. I did get an internship with Senator Hatfield, which 
changed the course of my life. But when I was elected to the Senate, 
Senator Hatfield asked me to bring greetings to his old colleagues, 
those who served with him, particularly Senator Inouye, because Senator 
Hatfield had chaired Appropriations and Senator Inouye was chairing 
Appropriations. That was a tremendous introduction because it led to 
one of my first conversations with Senator Dan Inouye when I came to 
the Senate. He showed me his spectacular view down The Mall, looking 
toward the Washington Monument, and said anytime you want to come and 
use the balcony you should come and use it. It is one of the best 
places in Washington.
  We shared the joy he took in just the beauty of that space. We shared 
stories about the old days, the days when Senator Hatfield and Senator 
Inouye worked together on appropriations. We also had a chance to talk 
about some of the challenges that have occurred in the committee. In 
recent times, we discussed how much harder it is to get appropriations 
bills to the floor and have them considered in a bipartisan nature.
  I indicated to Senator Inouye at that time how interested I was in 
serving on the Appropriations Committee and how important it would be 
to Oregon. This began a series of dialog over the last 4 years. It was 
a tremendous honor to have a chance to share these last 4 years with 
Senator Dan Inouye. I think all who have spoken about him have 
recognized he did an extraordinary job of commanding folks.
  He took on the difficult tasks in World War II and received the 
highest recognition for doing so. He did so in a context that was 
extraordinary. Japanese Americans had been relegated to a second-tier 
status during the war, and he chose a path that led to first-tier 
recognition for the leadership and bravery he exemplified.
  He did no less of a spectacular job in the U.S. Senate, just days 
away from completing 50 years of being on the floor of the Senate, 
advocating for working people, advocating for his home State, and 
working for a vision of America where all families can prosper. His 
life was extraordinarily well lived.
  It has been an honor to know him, and we will miss him. This Senate 
will not be the same without Senator Dan Inouye.
  I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. 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. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I wish to speak about our 
friend Danny Inouye. It has been a week of emotion. When we look at 
that black-draped desk with the white flowers, it is hard to believe 
that such a big part of this institution is gone, not just a living, 
breathing part of the institution is gone but a part of its history, 
its memory, its institutions, and its values. Dan epitomized all that.
  He was a gentleman first. Actually, we would have to say he was a 
patriot first. All we need do to see how much of a patriot he was is 
consider the fact that he had one arm missing because, as an Army 
lieutenant, he singlehandedly charged a German machine gun nest. He 
took them out, lost his arm, and ended up in the hospital for 20 
months. Of course, we all know he was deservedly recognized with the 
Medal of Honor years later.
  He was a patriot, not only because he served as a young lieutenant 
but also by being a public servant for well over a half century. He was 
elected as the first territorial legislator of Hawaii in 1954 and then 
elected as its first Congressmen when it became a State in 1959. Since 
1962, he has been a public servant serving his State.
  He was the first Japanese-American Senator. His name is synonymous 
with Hawaii, and so it is fitting, as told by his staff, that his last 
word was ``aloha.'' Patriot first but second he was a gentleman. That 
is a value which

[[Page 17242]]

all of us in the Congress ought to remember.
  This all emanates from some of the greatest moral teachings on planet 
Earth. It is what those of us refer to in the New Testament as the 
Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated. To say it in Old 
English, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That is a 
moral principle which runs throughout every major faith on the face of 
the planet.
  Danny Inouye exemplified that uniquely American value, and somewhere 
along the way we seem to have gone astray. We go astray from what we 
have learned in Newtown, CT, and we go astray when we see how some of 
us treat each other in this Chamber. The old adage is not just to go 
along but to get along. We would get along a lot better if we get along 
or to say it in the context of old country boy wisdom: We can attract a 
lot more flies with honey than we can with vinegar. That is the life 
our colleague led.
  Some people call it a throwback to the gentlemanly days of the 
Senate, when there was courtliness and deference. I hope it is not a 
throwback. I hope we are not throwing back anything.
  I hope we will remember the life of Danny Inouye. He felt so strongly 
about this that when he was the chairman of a committee, he didn't 
refer to the ranking Republican as the ranking member, he called the 
ranking member the vice chairman. Of course, that was uniquely Senator 
Inouye, but it was also practical because he could get more done if he 
was sitting there as chairman and his vice chairman was sitting right 
next to him.
  We have a lot to learn from these emotional times of losing a valued 
friend and colleague, but his life exemplified the best part of the 
Senate. We can sure get a lot more done if we start coming together 
just like Danny Inouye taught us.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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