Samuel Nunn

Mr. NUNN

Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I, too, want to say a few words about this man we all think so much of, the Senator from Louisiana, Senator Johnston. Until a time I can reflect on it at length and really go over some of the historical accomplishments he has been so involved in, I remember very well when he got elected to the U.S. Senate because I got elected the same time. With one exception, we have seen eye to eye on virtually everything since we have been here, and that one exception was the first day he arrived, he had a news conference saying he was the senior Member of the class of 1972. That was not only erroneous but it was to the detriment of the Senator from Georgia. The next day we had a chance to meet personally. The first thing I informed him was he had to retract that statement because it was not correct. He did that graciously when he found out the accuracy of my remark. Ever since then, he has been on target. I must say, my colleagues have already enumerated some of his accomplishments. He has been an expert in his own field of energy. He has been an expert in the field of environment. He has also been an expert in the field of foreign policy and national security. He has traveled all over the globe. He knows people all over the globe. He is respected all over the globe. He has a following all over, not only in this country but throughout the world. On the Appropriations Committee, he has been a stalwart in that area. He has been one of few people, few of us who have been willing to take on the tough subject of entitlements over the years, and if some of those votes he and I and some others made together back in the eighties and even before had passed at that time, we would not have some of the entitlement problems we have today. So he has had an outstanding legislative record. I will enumerate that at a later date. But the most important thing he has done is what so many people have difficulty doing here in Washington, and that is, while he has done all of this for his State and for his constituents and for the people of this Nation, he has held his family together. That is the toughy. Anyone who works 60, 70 hours a week, travels on weekends, and makes speeches all over is always under pressure, that can maintain the love and relationship with his wonderful wife, Mary, the children, Sally, Mary, Bennett, Hunter, and all of his family, that is truly the exception rather than the rule in this very busy, stressful place. So he has a family that loves him. He has a wonderful set of children that are doing their own things in their own professions, and he has a son-in-law, as we have already heard, from Indiana who is here on the floor with him as a Member of Congress. So I list, Bennett, your accomplishments as keeping your family together and raising a wonderful group of children with, of course, the tremendous help of Mary who is as outstanding as [[Page S613]] any individual I know, and also maintaining a wonderful relationship with your staff. You can tell a lot about a Senator by his staff. Bennett Johnston has an outstanding staff. Some of them are here today. I worked with many of them over a period of time, and I know others of them on the floor have worked with them. You can tell an awful lot. So I say to my friend, for his own future, I am sure he has reflected long and hard on this decision and, from that point of view, I congratulate him. From the point of view of the Senate, I am remorseful. I think we are going to be a lesser body when he leaves here in 2 years, although for the next 2 years, he will be, I am sure, as energetic, productive, and effective as he has ever been. But I do understand the decision. I understand it. All of us have to go through this kind of thought process. He made the decision quicker than I thought he would. If I had predicted 2 weeks ago, I would have predicted the other way around. But I know he made it after a great deal of thought, a great deal of prayerful consideration with his family and his staff. So it is not an announcement that I take lightly, or with any kind of feeling of celebration, because I understand the deficit that is going to be left when this outstanding U.S. Senator does retire in 2 years. So I congratulate him on his service. I do not congratulate him, necessarily, on the decision because I do want to talk to him a little bit about it. But I do commend him on his splendid record of service for the State of Louisiana and the Nation. I thank the Chair.