Authorizing the Printing of Tributes and Other Related Materials in Honor of the Late Senator Paul Simon

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Nov. 18, 2004

AUTHORIZING THE PRINTING OF TRIBUTES AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS IN HONOR OF THE LATE SENATOR PAUL SIMON

Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 471, submitted earlier today by Senator Durbin.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:

A resolution (S. Res. 471) authorizing the printing of tributes and other related materials in honor of the late Senator Paul Simon.

There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, as we approach the first anniversary of the death of Senator Paul Simon, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my late friend and colleague.

At the age of 19, Paul Simon became the Nation's youngest editor-publisher when he accepted a Lion's Club challenge to save the Troy Tribune in Troy, IL. From that start, he build a chain of 13 newspapers in southern and central Illinois.

Paul Simon served the State of Illinois and the United States for decades. He is the only individual to have served in both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.

Paul highly valued education and the youth of our Nation. In addition to his work in Congress to strengthen public education in America, he started the public affairs reporting program at Sangamon State University, now the University of Illinois at Springfield. He later became the founder and director of the Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL, and taught there for more than 6 years.

Weeks before his death, Paul made the rounds to Washington and the editorial boards in Chicago. He was promoting an idea to create a new scholarship program which would send American students overseas to study and invite their foreign counterparts to come to America to learn. As Paul explained it, this opportunity to learn would help an often hostile world to understand us and help the next generation of American leaders to understand the world we live in. It was Paul Simon's long-term solution to the threat of terrorism: dialogue, education and tolerance-the hallmarks of his public life. In a modest way, we came through for him.

Earlier this year, this Congress established a commission to recommend the framework for an international study abroad program for college students. The program Senator Simon envisioned and worked so hard to create was what he called the Lincoln Fellowships. The program under development is designed to encourage and support the experience of studying abroad in developing countries-in countries whose people, culture, language, government, and religion might be very different from ours.

Shortly after Paul's death, I introduced legislation to name the Federal building located at 250 West Cherry Street in Carbondale, IL, the "Senator Paul Simon Federal Building." In May 2004, this bill was signed into law. Naming this building in Carbondale after Paul Simon will help present and future generations remember and honor a great man who lived in and worked for the people of Southern Illinois and served in our Federal Government with the greatest integrity.

From journalism to Government to education, Paul Simon set the standard for honesty and caring in public life. Paul set a standard for integrity in public life the rest of us can only aspire to. Whether you agreed with his politics or not, you always knew you could trust Paul. He didn't apologize for dedicating his public life to the less fortunate. He believed and taught those of us who worked with him that honesty and caring were the real standards for public service. He was genuine in his politics, in his life, and in his values.

I wouldn't be a Senator today if it weren't for Paul Simon. He believed in me, he inspired me, and he was a true friend.

Today I am introducing a resolution to authorize the printing of tributes and other related materials in honor of Senator Simon. This resolution will authorize the collection and printing of these materials in an official Senate document. The compilation of the tribute statements made by my Senate colleagues will serve as a lasting testament to our former colleague.

Through these small measures, Congress has paid tribute to the lasting legacy of our friend, Paul Simon. His dedication to public service serves as an example for all Americans.