January 24, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE 641 Kennedy Murkowski Smith (OR) devoted so much of that life to public outsiders scratching their heads—for Kerry Murray Snowe service. I, for one, will miss Alan’s wise example, teaming with STROM THUR- Kohl Nelson (FL) Specter Kyl Nelson (NE) Stabenow counsel and his passionate commit- MOND to improve veterans’ programs, Landrieu Nickles Stevens ment to making the world a better with Alfonse D’Amato on public hous- Leahy Reed Thomas place. ing measures, with Barry Goldwater to Levin Reid Thompson Mr. President, I yield the floor. protect first amendment press free- Lieberman Roberts Thurmond Lincoln Rockefeller Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today doms. Outsiders wondered whether he Torricelli Lott Santorum Voinovich to talk about a subject that brings me had sold out his old liberal beliefs, but Lugar Sarbanes Warner great sorrow—the passing of my old the truth was that he was just finding McCain Schumer McConnell Sessions Wellstone friend and colleague, former California ways to get things done with as little Mikulski Shelby Wyden Senator Alan Cranston. fuss as possible. Miller Smith (NH) Senator Cranston passed away sud- During his 24 years in the Senate, no The nomination was confirmed. denly last New Year’s Eve, at the age legislation that touched on his pas- sions—veterans’ benefits, disar- f of 86. His sudden death came as a shock to all of us who remember him for his mament, environmental protection, LEGISLATIVE SESSION abundant energy and enthusiasm. human rights, or civil rights—passed The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Alan was elected to this body for the this body without his fingerprints on CORZINE). Under the previous order, the first of four terms in 1968. He was al- it, although more often than not, only Senate will now return to legislative ready a legend in the Senate when I ar- those closest to him realized the extent session. rived here for the first time almost of his contribution. Mr. BINGAMAN addressed the Chair. eighteen years after him, and I con- During his long and colorful career, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- sider myself very fortunate to have had he crossed paths with some of the most ator from New Mexico. the opportunity to serve alongside him. famous men in history and was present Mr. BINGAMAN. I want to say a few I will always remember him fondly, many times while history was being words about our former colleague, Sen- both for the kind of person he was, and made. He was a track star at Stanford ator Alan Cranston. I ask unanimous the kind of Senator he was. and member of a record-setting relay consent that following my statement, Alan was elected Democratic whip an sprint team. As a young journalist, he Senator DORGAN be recognized to speak unprecedented seven straight times, reported on the rise of Nazism in Ger- as in morning business. and served in that role in both the ma- many, and was sued by Adolph Hitler The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without jority and minority. Having now served for publishing an unsanitized version of objection, it is so ordered. as my party’s whip for two years, I can ‘‘Mein Kampf’’ and revealing Hitler’s true ambitions to the world. His life- f say that nobody who holds that office can possibly ignore the long shadow long commitment to halting the use of TRIBUTE TO FORMER SENATOR that he still casts over it. nuclear weapons began after he was in- ALAN CRANSTON Recently, the Senate approved an troduced to Albert Einstein in 1946. Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, Alan historic power-sharing agreement After retiring from the Senate, he es- Cranston was here in the Senate when under which both parties would have tablished a think tank with Mikhail I first arrived in 1983. He was a staunch an equal number of seats in each com- Gorbachev to promote world peace, advocate not only for California but mittee. It remains to be seen how this where he worked until his death. He also for a host of progressive policies at arrangement will work in practice, and counted Groucho Marx among his sup- the national level. He was dedicated to whether the split will create more co- porters. Yet despite these brushes with fame protecting the environment, to expand- operation, or more gridlock. and the long list of bills that bear his ing voter opportunities for all Ameri- But I think that if we in the Senate name, he will always be best remem- cans, to closing the gap in our society are to make it work, we would do well bered in this body for the things that between the rich and the poor. He was to follow the model set by Senator newspapers don’t report—for his grace, a champion of equal rights for all. He Cranston. Those of my colleagues who was a foe of bigotry in all its forms. his humility, his leadership, and his de- did not know him personally, would do votion to his son Kim and his grand- Perhaps his greatest passion during well to study the lessons of his life and daughter. He will be missed. the years he served in the Senate was his career. Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise reducing the threat of nuclear war. He The press called him ‘‘Colorless Cran- today to join my colleagues in hon- led the fight for arms control. Even ston,’’ a nickname he wore with pride, oring our friend and former colleague, after he left the Senate, he continued because it reflected his fundamental Senator Alan Cranston, who died on his work and spoke out for arms con- belief that legislative accomplishment December 31, 2000 at the age of 86 in his trol and for the de-alerting of nuclear was far more important than crafting native California. weapons. sound bites or scoring political points. While Alan Cranston was elected to I remember meeting with Alan last When you needed to find Alan, you the United States Senate in 1968, his year at Ricky’s Hyatt House in didn’t look in the press gallery or the public service began years before when Mountainview, CA. I was in the Bay recording studio—you looked for him he served in the Executive Offices of area, and I called ahead to see if he was in the cloakroom, where he was always the President in 1942 as Chief of the available for breakfast. He said it was busy negotiating a compromise or find- Foreign Language Division of the Of- near his home and that he would meet ing ways to move legislation over ob- fice of War Information. Declining a me there. stacles. deferment, he enlisted as a private in He was a little less vigorous during Although he was known as one of the the United States Army in 1944. First that breakfast than he had been in ear- last true liberals, he never let his ide- assigned to an infantry unit, he became lier visits, but his commitment to arms ology get in the way of getting things editor of ‘‘Army Talk’’ and was a Ser- reduction was undiminished. I remem- done. He regularly reached out across geant by V-J Day. He went on to serve ber thinking at the time how impres- the aisle and his close friends included two terms as State Controller of Cali- sive it was to see someone who felt some of his most vigorous and out- fornia before being elected to the strongly enough about his views to find spoken political opponents. He was a United States Senate. a way to continue advocacy of those workhorse who lived by the maxim Alan Cranston served the people of views after leaving public office. It was that a leader can accomplish great California with distinction in the U.S. clear that although he had left public things if he doesn’t mind who gets the Senate for 24 years. He chaired the office, he had not left public service. credit. Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, pro- Alan Cranston lived a remarkable Some of his greatest accomplish- viding invaluable assistance to our Na- life, and we are all fortunate that he ments found him in alliances that left tion’s servicemen and women. He was

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