Date: 1997-11-07
Speaker: TED KENNEDY (democrat)
Chamber: S

would have been in the forefront of those who were advocating the Judiciary Act. and I have no doubt that he would have left his imprint upon that legislation. Had he been living at the time of the Civil War. serving in the U.S. Senate. again. he would have been recognized as a forceful leader. In the days of reconstruction. again. Senator KENNEDY would have made his mark in the U.S. Senate. Had he been a Senator during the years of the New Deal. he would have allied himself with Franklin D. Roosevelt and would have been a strong supporter of the landmark legislation that was enacted in those difficult years. I think that if TED KENNEDY had been living prior to the Revolution. he would have joined men like Samuel Adams and John Adams and John Hancock. from his State of Massachusetts. in resisting the edicts of George III. the .King of England. So. in summation. I say that TED KENNEDY would have been a leader. an outstanding Senator. at any period of the Nations history. TED KENNEDY and I have not always been the best of friends. There was a time when we were not. That time has long been relegated to the ashes of the past. When I was majority leader of the Senate. and also when I was minority leader of. the Senate. and when I was majority leader again. as I have already indicated. in the 100th Congress. I leaned much on TED KENNEDYS knowledge. his expertise. his support. He was one of my strongest suppprters in the Senate. In caucuses or on the Senate floor. I could always count on TED KENNEDY to be there when I needed him. So. TED KENNEDY and I formed a friendship in the finest sense of that word. We share a liking for history. a fondness for poetry. and a love for the U.S. Senate. TED KENNEDY does his work well in the committee. When he comes to the floor. he comes with a batch of papers in his hands and with a head full of knowledge in respect to the legislation which he is promoting. I count him as one of the most effective Members of the Senate. I admire TEDs steadfast purpose. his tireless work. his easy humor. and his kind nature. But. most of all. I admire his courage. He has experienced more personal tragedy and deep sorrow than most of us could bear and still retain our sanity. Yet. he goes on. He contributes. He endures. He laughs. He leads. He inspires. He triumphs. I have watched him weather and work and grow in wisdom for 35 years. He has an excellent staff. One would have to have an excellent staff to be able to turn out the massive amount of work and to provide the leadership that he has so many times provided in enacting landmark legislation. He is ever on an upward track. Herman Melville put it this way: ... and there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges. and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he forever flies within the gorge. that gorge is in the mountains. so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain. even though they soar. So here is to my friend and colleague as he celebrates his 35th anniversary. May he ever soar. I close with a verse by one of my favorite poets. Edwin Markham. a verse that I think typifies Senator. KENNEDY: Give thanks. Oheart. for the high souls That point us to the deathless goalsFor all the courage of their cry That echoes down from sky to sky. Thanksgiving for the armed seers And heroes called to mortal yearsSouls that have built our faith in man. And lit the ages as they ran. I again thank my true friend. and he is my friend. has been for all the years that he has been in the Senate. JESSE HELMS. for his kindness in arranging for me to proceed at this moment. I thank him very much.