Celebrate Safe Communities
Floor Speech
CELEBRATE SAFE COMMUNITIES -- (Senate - September 30, 2008)
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JOHN WARNER
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join in the tributes of my colleagues who are leaving the Senate on the Republican side. There are only three ways to leave the Senate. You can retire, you can lose, or you can die. They have chosen the best of the three options, to leave of their own will.
The first Senator to whom I wish to pay tribute is on the floor. That is Senator John Warner of Virginia. I have listened to the tributes from Senators Harry Reid and Chris Dodd and so many others and I join in the chorus. I will not recount John's illustrious career and service to our country. But he was kind enough a few weeks ago, when I called and said I do a cable show, can I drop by his office, and he agreed to it. We have captured forever, in this little cable show I do, his office. Some of the memorabilia tell the story of his life and the story of Virginia and the U.S. Navy, I might add, and he also shared so many great stories of his service to our country in so many different capacities--in the Navy, in the Marine Corps, in the President's Cabinet, and in the Senate.
I think of John Warner and his gentlemanly ways as I hope not a throwback to the Senate of the past but perhaps an inspiration of the Senate of the future because his friendship transcends party label.
There have been times in the Senate when he has proven, with his independence, that he looks at issues honestly and directly and sometimes has broken from the ranks of his fellow Republicans when he felt it was necessary. I know he thinks long and hard before he makes those decisions.
There have been times when he showed extraordinary leadership during this contentious debate over this war in Iraq. He and Senator Levin exemplified the very best in the Senate. Even when they disagreed, they were totally respectful of one another, they were deferential to one another's feelings and interest. Yet they served the national purpose by engaging in a meaningful, thoughtful debate on an extremely controversial issue.
During the course of the last several years--John Warner may not remember this, but I will never forget it--when I got into hot water on the floor of the Senate for words that were spoken, John Warner was one of the first to come to me afterward. He put an arm on my shoulder and said: Look, we all make mistakes. Carry on.
I know it is probably something he has forgotten, but I never will. I thank him for that generous spirit and compassion, which I hope will be part of my public service career in the future, as has exemplified his own. He showed courage so many times and foresight that will be part of his legacy.
As Harry Reid mentioned, the courage to step out in his own home State against all the odds and to take on a member of his own party with whom he disagreed in a very public way, that wasn't missed. We noticed all across America that you were willing to show that kind of courage.
In the Senate recently, if Senator Barbara Boxer was on the floor--if she hasn't already done it, I am sure she will when she returns--she will tell you, were it not for John Warner's leadership, the debate on the issue of global warming would not have gone forward in the Senate this year. Both Senator Warner and Senator Lieberman stepped up and found a bipartisan approach to deal with this issue. We did not pass it. I wish we had. But we certainly engaged in debate many thought was impossible. We brought it to the floor. We engaged the Senate and the American people in a thoughtful consideration of an issue that will be here for generations to come.
I consider it a great honor to have served with John. I think he is an exceptional individual. Virginia was lucky to have him as their voice in the Senate for 30 years. America was lucky to have him in service to our country in so many different capacities.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague for his very thoughtful remarks. Our relationship has been one that included both wives. I recall an event we attended, and immediately the next morning my wife received from you a book which she, being an avid reader, stayed in that book for the evenings that went on for a week or so. That is the way this great institution works. It is not all on the floor before the television cameras.
Senator Durbin is a strong leader, a tough adversary. I wish to say how much I have enjoyed working with you through these years. I wish you and my other colleagues well because you have a great challenge in the next few days or two. We have to solve--and you will be part of that leadership team dealing with it, along with colleagues on this side--we have to reach the right solution to restore America's confidence in the lifeblood of this Nation; namely, its economics.
I thank the Senator. I wish to add that my mother very proudly always claimed Illinois as her State.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we are honored being the home of your mother's birthplace. I failed to mention one other bill that I think is so important, and that is the extraordinary assistance Senator Warner gave to his colleague, Senator Webb, when it came to the new GI bill. That bill passed, and it will dramatically improve the lives of so many veterans and their families because we stepped forward in a bipartisan fashion. It was the first thing Senator Webb said to me as a new Senator was his goal, and he would be the first to add he could never have achieved it without the support of his colleague from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, how thoughtful to raise that, not in the context of this Senator but Senator Webb. I have great respect for him, particularly his military career, which is extraordinary, where mine is of far less consequence. I joined him. He was the leader on that legislation. I always said I was the sergeant in the mere ranks of his platoon. But it did, and it enabled me to add one more chapter to what I have tried to do so much: to repay to the current generation, the men and women who very bravely wear the uniform, all the wonderful things that were taught me by previous generations of men and women who wore the uniform from whom I learned so much throughout my entire career and public life.
That is landmark legislation, I say to my good friend from Illinois. It is something that is well-deserved for the men and women and their families. I commend you for bringing up that about our good friend and colleague, Senator Webb.
I yield the floor.
CHUCK HAGEL
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, 12 years ago when I came to the Senate, I was joined by a new Senator from Nebraska, Chuck Hagel. Chuck became a friend, and we have worked together on a number of issues over the years. He also, in a weak moment, agreed to do my cable show. I went to his office. We talked about his background; first, his service in Vietnam, something I particularly admire, the courage he showed in volunteering to serve in our Army, and then coming together with his brother in the same unit and both of them under fire. Both of them served our country in combat. He came back and was a successful businessman. He went on to serve the people of Nebraska and eventually to serve in the Senate.
We have worked over the years together. I have always found him to be a gentleman. His word is good, and he has the courage to step up and take a position once in a while that may not be popular, even in Nebraska.
I know his leadership on the issue of the war in Iraq will be remembered because, during the last 2 years when we struggled to find a way to bring this war to a close, he is one who would cross the aisle and join us in an effort to find a reasonable way to end this conflict in an honorable manner. I respect him so much for that.
I have one special little measure of gratitude for Chuck Hagel. There is a bill I introduced which is as near and dear to me as any I considered. It is called the DREAM Act, to give literally tens of thousands of children across America who came to this country, were brought here by undocumented parents, grew up as Americans, never knowing any other life, any other culture, maybe not knowing any other language but English, and now find themselves graduating high school with no country. They are told officially by American law they are not wanted or needed and asked to leave. They have nowhere to go. This is home. They want a chance, just a chance to be part of America's future in a legal way.
This DREAM Act has been controversial because it relates to immigration, and that is not an easy issue. Chuck Hagel stepped up and cosponsored that legislation with me, and I will never forget it. It meant a lot for him to show that kind of courage.
Even though we did not prevail, someday we will, and when that day comes, I will honor him on the floor for his exceptional courage on this matter that means so much to so many young people across our country.
PETE DOMENICI
Pete Domenici of New Mexico has been an institution in the Senate for many years. It has been a pleasure to serve with him for 12. I once visited New Mexico and went to a roadside stand where they sell these Christmas wreaths made out of chili peppers. There was a Mexican-American lady. I started to buy the Christmas wreath to take home to my family, and I said to her: So I understand you have a Senator in this State named Domenici. Oh, I love Pete Domenici, she said, and went on and on about what a great man he was, how much she liked him. She said: You know, I am a Democrat, but I am a Domenici Democrat. I always voted for Pete. I think he is a good man.
He is a good man. He and his wife Nancy have raised a good family. He has done so many things. He feels passionate about so many issues, but the one I wish to particularly credit him for leadership on is the issue of mental health parity.
He and Paul Wellstone stood up on that issue when nobody else would. Paul passed away 6 years ago in a plane crash. We have continued to find a way to pass that bill. We still have a chance in the closing hours of this session, and I hope we do.
In a magnanimous gesture, Pete came forward and said this should be known as the Wellstone-Domenici bill; Paul Wellstone deserves top billing on it. I am glad he did that. It showed character and the kind of man he is. We need to pass that bill before we go home, not just for Pete Domenici and the memory of Paul Wellstone but for the millions of people across America counting on us to make sure victims of mental illness are given fair treatment under hospitalization policies across this Nation. He certainly deserves it.
WAYNE ALLARD
The last is Wayne Allard. Wayne Allard is a colleague of mine who made a promise to the people of Colorado that he would not run for reelection, and he kept his word. He did not stand for reelection this year. Wayne and I had an interesting responsibility, assignment, to deal with the legislative appropriations bill. It does not get a lot of attention because it just deals with Capitol Hill and the people who work here. But this Nation's Capitol is a great American treasure. Wayne took it so seriously. He held more thoughtful hearings about this Capitol and the new Capitol Visitor Center. He asked the hard questions and did it in a respectful, gentlemanly way. I was honored to sit next to him and to participate in those hearings.
I came to know him and his family and respect him. We get to see one another in the Senate gym in the morning. I go there in the morning for no obvious reason, but I get to at least socialize with Wayne and a number of other colleagues. I am going to miss him and wish him the very best.
Those Senators leaving our ranks leave positive memories for this Senator from Illinois. The fact that I have been able to serve with them, know them, and count them as friends, I count as one of the real blessings of my service in the Senate.
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