III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 888 

Honoring the life of James Ralph Sasser, former Senator for the State 

of Tennessee. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself, Mr. HAGERTY, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. MCCONNELL, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Mr. BOOKER, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BRAUN, Mrs. BRITT, Mr. BROWN, Mr. 

BUDD, Ms. BUTLER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

CARPER, Mr. CASEY, Mr. CASSIDY, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORNYN, Ms. CORTEZ MASTO, Mr. COTTON, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. 

CRUZ, Mr. DAINES, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. ERNST, Mr. 

FETTERMAN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. 

GRASSLEY, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. HAWLEY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. HELMY, Mr. 

HICKENLOOPER, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. HOEVEN, Mrs. HYDE-SMITH, Mr. 

JOHNSON, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KELLY, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KING, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. LANKFORD, Mr. LEE, Mr. LUJA ́N, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. 

MANCHIN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. MORAN, 

Mr. MULLIN, Ms. MURKOWSKI, Mr. MURPHY, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. 

OSSOFF, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PETERS, Mr. REED, Mr. 

RICKETTS, Mr. RISCH, Mr. ROMNEY, Ms. ROSEN, Mr. ROUNDS, Mr. 

RUBIO, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. SCHATZ, Mr. SCHMITT, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, 

Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. SMITH, 

Ms. STABENOW, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TESTER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. TILLIS, 

Mr. TUBERVILLE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. VANCE, Mr. WARNER, Mr. 

WARNOCK, Ms. WARREN, Mr. WELCH, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. WICKER, 

Mr. WYDEN, and Mr. YOUNG) submitted the following resolution; which 

was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of James Ralph Sasser, former Senator 

for the State of Tennessee. 


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•SRES 888 ATS 

Whereas James Ralph Sasser (referred to in this preamble as 

‘‘Senator Sasser’’)— 

(1) was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1936; 

(2) attended the University of Tennessee from 1954 

to 1955; 

(3) graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1958; 

and 

(4) received a law degree from Vanderbilt University 

Law School in 1961; 

Whereas, as a student at Vanderbilt University, Senator Sasser met Mary Gorman, to whom he was married for over 

60 years; 

Whereas, after graduating from law school, Senator Sasser 

was admitted to the Tennessee Bar and began practicing 

law in Nashville, Tennessee; 

Whereas Senator Sasser began his lifetime of service to the 

United States by serving in the United States Marine 

Corps Reserve from 1957 to 1963; 

Whereas Senator Sasser was first elected to the Senate in 

1976, where he served with honor and distinction for 3 

terms; 

Whereas, from 1989 to 1995, Senator Sasser was chairman 

of the Committee on the Budget of the Senate, where he 

helped negotiate and pass budget deals under Presidents 

George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton; 

Whereas, from 1996 to 1999, Senator Sasser adeptly served 

as the Ambassador to China under President Clinton; 

Whereas, during his tenure as Ambassador to China, Senator 

Sasser and his staff— 


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•SRES 888 ATS 

(1) worked to improve relations between the United 

States and China, which included arranging mutual state 

visits such as— 

(A) Chinese President Jiang Zemin visiting the 

United States in 1997; and 

(B) President Clinton visiting China in 1998; 

and 

(2) bravely withstood days of violent protests against 

the United States Embassy in Beijing, China; 

Whereas, following his retirement as Ambassador to China, 

Senator Sasser served as a visiting professor at George 

Washington University and later as a professor at the 

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 

Whereas Senator Sasser served the State of Tennessee proudly and leaves behind a legacy of distinguished service 

to— 

(1) the State of Tennessee; and 

(2) the citizens of the State of Tennessee; 

Whereas the State of Tennessee and the United States are 

immensely grateful for the lifelong commitment of Senator Sasser to public service; and 

Whereas Senator Sasser is survived by— 

(1) his wife, Mary Gorman Sasser; 

(2) his son, James Gray Sasser; 

(3) his daughter, Elizabeth Sasser; 

(4) his 2 sisters, Jo Marilyn O’Brien and Phyllis 

Donnally; and 

(5) 4 grandchildren: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That— 

2 (1) the Senate— 


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•SRES 888 ATS 

1 (A) has heard with profound sorrow and 

2 deep regret the announcement of the death of 

3 James Ralph Sasser, former Senator for the 

4 State of Tennessee; and 

5 (B) respectfully requests that the Sec6 retary of the Senate— 

7 (i) communicate this resolution to the 

8 House of Representatives; and 

9 (ii) transmit an enrolled copy of this 

10 resolution to the family of James Ralph 

11 Sasser; and 

12 (2) when the Senate adjourns today, it stands 

13 adjourned as a further mark of respect to the mem14 ory of the late James Ralph Sasser. 

Æ 


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