S11704 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE November 20, 2002 as we all know, how well we are served Fortunately for Missouri and for us, a difference and I will miss her very by our staff. she volunteered to serve, motivated by much. f a desire to further the work that Mel JEAN will enjoy spending time on her and she had done together to help the family farm in Rolla, Missouri, visiting TRIBUTE TO DEPARTING people of Missouri. with her children and grandchildren. SENATORS Talk about severe stress! Loss of her And I expect her to continue writing Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to beloved husband, her high school books, giving speeches and advice. She pay tribute to our colleagues who are sweetheart, lifelong companion, loss of has much to say, and we would do well leaving the Senate. What many Ameri- her son, moving to a new home, chang- to hear and read her words. cans do not realize is that the Senate is ing jobs . all with people watching MAX CLELAND a place where many of us become closely, openly questioning her abili- I also wish to pay tribute to MAX friends. It is true that the 100 men and ties and wondering if she would suc- CLELAND, Georgia’s senior senator and women who serve in this wonderful ceed. a true American hero. body arrive here with different back- Senator CARNAHAN has demonstrated While his story is familiar to those of grounds, experiences, and perspectives. remarkable composure and grace while us fortunate enough to know him and We hold different philosophies and proving that she was indeed up to the have served with him, I encourage ideas, represent states with different challenges of the Senate. She had to Americans looking for inspiration to and at times competing interests and learn the intricacies of legislation and read his book Strong at the Broken needs, and we pursue different goals. policy quickly, and I am sure she would Places, which describes his experiences But we all share a lot in common by have been even more effective if given overcoming tremendous adversity and virtue of being here, and in the course the opportunity to serve longer. reveals his remarkable character. of working together on matters of na- But she succeeded by seeking com- He is a native Georgian who is proud tional importance, we develop respect monsense solutions to complex prob- of his state and has served it so well for and admiration for our colleagues, and lems and helping to forge compromises. so long, but MAX CLELAND personifies often genuine friendships are estab- She didn’t seek attention or credit for qualities that the people of Nevada and lished. And so it is with the remark- her accomplishments but worked hard all Americans appreciate: patriotism, able group of Senators who are com- and made a difference. courage, and fortitude. pleting their service as the 107th Con- Senator CARNAHAN’s accomplish- MAX CLELAND was awarded the gress draws to a close. ments include helping protect the jobs Bronze Star and a Silver Star for meri- JEAN CARNAHAN of more than 12,000 airline employees torious service in Vietnam. I want to speak first about JEAN during the merger negotiations be- During college he joined the Army CARNAHAN, who has accomplished tween TWA and American Airlines. She ROTC program and after graduation he many firsts in her lifetime, including also worked hard to help local school took a Second Lieutenant’s commis- being the first woman to represent Mis- districts hire teaching specialists and sion in the Army. MAX CLELAND volun- souri in the United States Senate. She deal with disruptive students. Her teered for duty in Vietnam in 1967 and was also the first person in her family Quality Classrooms provisions were in- the following year he was promoted to to graduate from college, in fact the cluded in the landmark education bill the rank of Captain. first to graduate from high school. we passed last year. Just one month prior to the end of Senator CARNAHAN has served the Senator CARNAHAN supported efforts his tour of duty, he was seriously people of Missouri so well over so many to bolster our national security and wounded in a grenade explosion. As a years, including her outstanding work win the war on terrorism. She was a result he lost both legs and his right during her time here in the Senate. We member of the first bipartisan congres- arm. rightfully identify her with Missouri, sional delegation to travel to Afghani- His body broken, he spent the next but actually she grew up in Wash- stan to visit the troops and meet with year and a half recovering from his in- ington, DC, attending Anacostia High regional leaders. juries in various Army and Veterans School and then George Washington And I am especially grateful for her Administration hospitals. Despite his University. strong opposition to the Administra- enormous sacrifice, he refused to let Her return to Washington 2 years ago tion’s plan to ship nuclear waste across his injuries break his spirit. And he did should have been a happy homecoming, the country to Yucca Mountain. Many not dwell on his own experiences but but instead followed a calamity. JEAN people thought this plan would harm rather sought to help others. CARNAHAN arrived in the Senate having only Nevada, but she understood that He described the difficulties veterans suffered a seemingly unbearable trag- storing nuclear waste in Nevada would were experiencing returning home from edy, the death of her husband Mel and require tens of thousands of shipments Vietnam in testimony before the her oldest son Randy in a plane crash. of highly dangerous substances across United States Senate Veterans Affairs She not only had little time to grieve highways and railroads in Missouri and Committee in 1969. but also was immediately thrust into almost every other state. And she The next year, he was elected to the the public arena. could not accept this risk of potential Georgia State Senate, thus beginning a Mel Carnahan had a distinguished 40- harm to the children and families and career in public service that has con- year career in Missouri politics serving environment of our great country. tinued for more than 30 years. As the as a judge, state representative, state So JEAN CARNAHAN deserves our ad- youngest member of the Georgia Sen- treasurer, lieutenant governor, and for miration, respect and gratitude for all ate at the age of 28, he wrote the state 8 years as a popular and respected gov- she has done. She has occupied Harry law making public facilities in the ernor and was a strong candidate for Truman’s seat in the United States state accessible to the disabled. the United States Senate at the time of Senate and worked at his old desk. MAX was hired to work for the Sen- his death. Missouri should be proud of how she ate Veterans Affairs Committee in 1975 Just days after the funerals for her has continued Harry Truman’s legacy and two years later, President Jimmy husband and son, she was asked if she and her husband’s legacy and been an Carter appointed him to head the U.S. would serve in the Senate in Mel’s advocate for the working families of Veterans Administration. He became place. It was a difficult decision, and Missouri. the youngest VA administrator in his- one she had to make amid shock and By a narrow margin she was unable tory and the first Vietnam veteran to sorrow. JEAN CARNAHAN was not a poli- to overcome a well-funded opponent head the agency. In this position, he tician, but she was her husband’s polit- whose campaign benefitted from the instituted the revolutionary ‘‘Vets ical partner and trusted adviser for popularity of the President this year. Center program’’ which for the first many years, starting soon after their She might have come up short in this time offered psychological counseling marriage. She card-catalogued the election, but she understands that a to combat veterans in order to heal names of every potential supporter and political defeat is not the most signifi- their emotional wounds as well as their donor during her husband’s career, cant loss one can suffer. physical wounds. There are now more wrote many of his speeches and wrote Her time here has been all too brief, than 200 Vets Centers across the coun- and delivered many of her own. but Senator JEAN CARNAHAN has made try offering support to combat and VerDate 0ct 31 2002 00:39 Nov 22, 2002 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A20NO6.049 S20PT2 November 20, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S11705 non-combat veterans and their fami- I will miss BOB. Nevada will miss doubt that he believes sincerely in his lies. BOB. Our country will miss BOB. But causes, and I admire the passion with Continuing to set precedents, he be- one thing I will not miss is his friend- which he has fought for what he be- came the youngest Secretary of State ship; we have bonded, and our friend- lieves is right. in Georgia’s history when he won elec- ship is forever. As I have noted previously, the Sen- tion in 1982. He was so effective and so STROM THURMOND ate is a place where many friendships popular that he won reelection by large Mr. President, I join my colleagues are forged, even among people who margins three times. He resigned as today in recognizing the distinguished seem unlikely to get along.