S10706 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 20, 2008 

near future to provide a legislative approach if—and it is a big ‘‘if’’—the auto 

manufacturers can come forward with 

a hard statement of facts as to where 

they are, a hard statement of facts of 

what they could do with these funds to 

show their viability. 

So we will await those hearings, and 

we will await what they do. But I 

would emphasize they will have to persuade the Congress to vote for the plan. 

But in order to persuade the Congress, 

they are going to have to persuade the 

American people over the course of the 

next 2 weeks with something a lot 

more specific than they came to town 

with over the course of the past several 

days and a lot more responsive than 

two of the companies not even responding to my request for a statement as to 

their case, as to how they propose to 

remain viable with the economic aid. 

I thank the Chair, and, in the absence of any other Senator on the 

floor, I suggest the absence of a 

quorum. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will call the roll. 

The legislative clerk proceeded to 

call the roll. 

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the order 

for the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia is recognized. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO SENATORS 

GORDON SMITH

Mr. WARNER. Madam President, 

today may mark the last day of this 

session, although I shall not try to 

make that prediction. However, I 

would not want this day to pass without availing myself of the opportunity 

and the privilege to come to this floor 

and say a few words on behalf of the 

very dear and valued friends whom I 

have served with in this Chamber as 

they depart and go on the road of life 

to, I expect, in each case great challenges. 

GORDON SMITH and I have become 

friends for ever so many reasons. One, 

we both love the outdoors. He and his 

devoted wife Sharon and my wife, we 

have all been close friends through 

these years. As I look back, I will always remember GORDON. I remember 

when I was chairman of the Armed 

Services Committee and entrusted with 

the extraordinary responsibilities— 

along with other committee members, 

as well as, indeed, every Member of 

this Chamber—entrusted with those decisions relating to this Nation’s Armed 

Forces who were fighting so valiantly 

then, today, and for the foreseeable future—I hope the short future—in Iraq. 

GORDON and I had many very quiet 

and private conversations about his 

deep concerns and convictions. His convictions emanated from the depths of 

his heart. Politics played no role in his 

approach to the conflict in Iraq. He was 

gravely concerned about the loss of life 

and limb, the image of this Nation, 

and, indeed, the families of the loved 

ones who are fighting in that conflict. 

So I say: GORDON, we had our differences, but I respected your stance. I 

can see him standing back there as 

erect as he always was, standing and 

voting against me and voting against 

others, but again, drawing on his own 

deeply held personal convictions. Time 

will tell and history will tell if I was 

right or if I was wrong, but I found his 

counsel, his willingness to listen, his 

willingness to share with me his most 

inner thoughts about that conflict a 

very valuable asset as I and others in 

leadership positions carried the heavy 

burden of that conflict. So I am grateful to him. He is a very sensitive man, 

and he showed that sensitivity every so 

often as he plunged into the complex 

issues with regard to health care, the 

almost insoluble problems—problems 

that he recognized have to be solved, 

particularly so that people of lesser 

means can achieve a measure of health 

care equivalent to those who have the 

means can receive for themselves. It is 

a hallmark of how this man proudly 

walked his way through life, with a 

loving wife by his side and the family 

whom he loves so dearly, and always 

thinking about those who perhaps have 

not had the opportunities that he and I 

and others have had, particularly as it 

relates to health care. 

He also loves the outdoors. A great 

golfer, we played together from time to 

time. His skill is far superior to mine 

in every way. He is a lover of art. We 

shared our interest in paintings, particularly paintings that had come from 

Scotland. To have had the friendship of 

GORDON SMITH is to have shared the life 

of a wonderful human being, and I 

thank GORDON for all that he has done 

for me and for this great Nation, and 

for his beloved State. I wish him well 

in his next venture, and I look forward 

to meeting him along the way. 

ELIZABETH DOLE

I have known her for quite a few 

years. We had a wonderful evening last 

night where the leadership of the Republican Party—indeed, almost all of 

the Members of the Republican caucus—came to say not farewell, but to 

listen to the words of those of us who 

are moving on and will not be a part of 

the next Congress. ELIZABETH got up, 

and she is such a very forceful speaker. 

She truly speaks from the heart. She 

has a remarkable memory. She recalled how when both of us were bachelor and spinster, we danced together. 

My lovely wife, who is a dear friend of 

hers, kind of looked at me and I winked 

and said, She was the best. It is just 

one of her marvelous traits. Talk about 

glass ceilings: She shattered her share. 

She has taken on many challenges in 

the private and public sector, some of 

which only men have ever had, and performed her duties with great distinction, and always with a quiet sense of 

what we call southern humility. She is 

very proud of her roots and her family. 

How often she has referred to her 

mother. 

She is a Phi Beta Kappa from Duke 

University and went on to Harvard for 

a master’s degree and a law degree. 

Secretary of Transportation, Secretary 

of Labor. Few women have had that 

much stamina, conviction, self-confidence to achieve those goals; and 

then, of course, to have become a U.S. 

Senator. That was a special challenge 

because she was fortunate to have as a 

husband Robert Dole, the Republican 

leader of the U.S. Senate, if I can say 

with a deep sense of humility, one of 

the best friends I ever had in this institution. 

I remember talking to him one time, 

of course, concerning the events of that 

particular period, and I said he ought 

to think about running for leader of 

the Senate. Oh, no, no. No, I don’t 

think they will ever elect me. Well, 

this conversation went on for some period of weeks, months, it may have 

been, I don’t recall. Finally, I said: I 

have so much faith that you can win 

that election that I would be happy to 

appoint myself as one of your managers of the campaign to get it. So I 

took that, along with several other 

very fine colleagues, both of whom 

moved on years ago from this Chamber. 

And he won. He was amazed that he 

had won. I wasn’t. I always recognized 

the leadership in him. He did a wonderful job as our Republican leader. His 

portrait proudly hangs right here in 

the corridor off of our Chamber. I never 

walk by that I don’t just quietly give 

him a hand salute, because I was a part 

of the World War II generation, but a 

very small part, serving only in the 

final year of the war and always in a 

training command, ready as a 17-, 18- 

year-old kid to become a replacement 

for those serving abroad. Bob Dole was 

truly one of those who earned the accolade of the ‘‘greatest generation.’’ He 

fought in Europe. He was a young lieutenant and in leading his men in the 

toughest of battles in Italy, he received 

what for others I think would have 

been mortal and fatal wounds. 

Because he had such an internal 

strength and constitution, he survived 

those wounds and came on to have a 

distinguished career. As I look back on 

his Senate days—and they pass so 

quickly, as did my 30 years—I remember taking trips with him. We went to 

Russia together, which was the Soviet 

Union at that time. He was a staunch 

believer that one day Russia would become just Russia once again and those 

people would have some measure of a 

voice in their Government. That did 

come to pass, and that was an extraordinary trip. 

What I best remember is the time of 

the D-day anniversary. He was asked to 

speak in Italy, where he had fought. 

And then, together, we traveled to the 

Normandy beaches to join the President and others. In the course of that 

trip, we went back to the very ground 

on which he was wounded. He walked 

over to the stone wall that is still 

there—he remembers it ever so well— 

where he dragged his badly wounded 

body to give him a measure of protection until help could come, after which 


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November 20, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S10707 

he began that very long, arduous, challenging period of his life. It took years 

to rebuild that body, but the mind was 

always there fully intact. But he would 

once again have an important role 

serving America as a public servant in 

the Senate. 

I don’t know of a husband and wife 

team who any admire with a greater 

level of affection than we do Bob and 

ELIZABETH Dole. So I wish them both 

very well. She was on our Armed Services Committee. She was a strong advocate for the men and women in the 

Armed Forces. She had a place in her 

heart for all who served at Fort Bragg 

and the Marines’ Camp Lejeune, and 

Pope Air Force Base. But that is further evidence of the deep affection she 

has for her husband Bob. 

JOHN SUNUNU

Lastly, I turn to JOHN SUNUNU. I confess not to have known him very well. 

I had met him when he came from the 

House of Representatives to the Senate. I suppose all of us who have been 

here for a period of time, having been 

given that marvelous accolade of an 

old bull, presume we can judge others 

quickly. I saw in JOHN SUNUNU a man 

who would take charge from the day he 

came, and that he did. From the very 

moment he walked on the floor of the 

Senate, he was possessed of his own 

self-confidence, his own driving, almost 

a fierce desire to be a leader—a leader 

in the sense of advocating as a true 

fighter, advocating for those issues in 

which he had a belief in the principles 

that were dear to his heart. 

The field of economics is quite a 

challenge, and with little provocation 

he would give you a tutorial on the 

most complex issues as they relate to 

economics. Indeed, in the weeks before 

the election, as this body was coming 

to a close and we voted on such measures as the rescue package and so 

forth, he frequently stood. When he 

spoke, our caucus and those around 

him listened very carefully. I mention 

this because he exhibited real academic 

strength at both MIT and Harvard. He 

did a lot of interesting things in his 

short life before he came to the Senate, 

not the least of which was being in the 

House of Representatives. 

JOHN also had a special niche for his 

interest in education. He wanted to 

make sure people less fortunate than 

we would have an opportunity to get an 

education and that those in the system 

and struggling are given any help possible to succeed in their own goals of 

educating themselves. He also held— 

very unusual—a special regard for the 

families of law enforcement officers, 

men or women in uniform, and particularly those families who lost a spouse 

or loved one in the line of duty. 

He is an extraordinary man, JOHN

SUNUNU—very sensitive, very thoughtful, a man who loves his State, particularly the rivers of his State. He commended me for leading the charge in 

my State to remove an old dam that, 

for 80 years, blocked the migration of a 

fish from the Atlantic Ocean to the 

Blue Ridge Mountains. He was challenged to try to remedy a similar situation that existed in his State. I will 

miss JOHN, his wife Kitty, and his lovely family. Kitty and my wife shared a 

few words on our departure last night 

from the dinner. 

I am not one who makes many predictions, but I predict this man continues to not walk but run down that 

road of life, one who makes those 

twists and turns, climbs those mountains, and crosses those rivers. He will 

leave his mark on many successful ventures. We will hear from this man not 

once, not twice but many times again. 

I wish him well. 

Lastly, I simply say to my State two 

words: Thank you. I thank all those 

Virginians who have supported me 

these 30 years. It was a humble challenge for me. I accepted it and I look 

back on it with the deepest of respect 

for the trust and confidence you gave 

me—all Virginians—over these 30 

years. 

I yield the floor and 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. LEVIN. Madam President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The Senator from Michigan is recognized. 

Mr. LEVIN. I thank the Chair. 

(The remarks of Mr. LEVIN pertaining 

to the introduction of S. 3715 are printed in today’s RECORD under ‘‘Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint 

Resolutions.’’) 

Mr. LEVIN. I 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. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. 

WHITEHOUSE). Without objection, it is 

so ordered. 

f 

AUTHORITY TO SIGN DULY 

ENROLLED BILLS 

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the majority 

leader be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills today, November 20. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I 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. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the order for 

the quorum call be rescinded. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

THE ECONOMY 

Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today 

there has been much discussion once 

again here on the floor of the Senate 

and certainly in the news and in various other venues, I am sure at the Secretary of the Treasury’s office, about 

the economy and what is happening in 

this country. 

One only has to look at the stock 

market—today it moved down very 

quickly and very aggressively once 

again; it has happened many times in 

recent days. There are very serious 

problems. But it is not just the stock 

market that reflects those problems. It 

is perhaps if you were sitting in a home 

tonight or last night or last week or 

last month to hear someone come 

home from work to stay to the spouse: 

Honey, I have lost my job. And 1.2 million people did that in the last 10 

months, half of them in the last quarter. There were 240,000 last month who 

came home and said: I have lost my 

job. 

No, not because they are bad workers; because people are being laid off. 

This economy is in a recession. It appears to be a very deep recession, with 

a great deal of trouble coming from a 

range of activities that went way beyond the pale. 

The subprime loan scandal, an almost unbelievable economy that was 

providing substantial additional benefits and salaries and bonuses to people 

at the top of the economic ladder. It is 

almost unbelievable what has happened 

with the reckless behavior with respect 

to some of the financial firms in this 

country. The result is that the amount 

of leverage and the development of a 

house of cards built on an illusion of 

assets has caused a collapse, and it is 

affecting virtually every corner of this 

country. 

Tonight there are people who will 

ask the question: What has happened 

to my retirement account? What about 

my 401(k) account? What about my individual retirement account? How far 

has it gone down? How much have I 

lost? What will it mean to my retirement? How much longer will I have to 

work? 

I have been on this floor plenty of 

times talking about what has caused 

all of this. If you do not think about it 

and talk about it and take steps to correct it, it will happen again. 

The only way the American people 

will have confidence about the future is 

if they believe we are taking steps to 

correct that which caused this problem. I have talked about the companies 

that started this mess, the brokers, the 

mortgage companies, the folks who buy 

and sell securities, the hedge funds, 

those who trade in derivatives such as 

credit default swaps. I have talked 

about all of them. All of them made 

massive amounts of money. Do you 

know the highest income earner in the 

country last year earned $3.7 billion? 

One person. That is $10 million a day. If 

the spouse said: How did it go today? 

That person had to say, pretty well, I 


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