July 18, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7833 That this small guy from a small not as close and did not enjoy that COVERDELL EDUCATION SAVINGS town in Missouri, and a Georgian who wonderful proximity in friendship, we ACCOUNTS served in the Army, then wound up certainly had a great deal of admira- Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unan- with a world vision was quite an tion for the Senator from Georgia. It imous consent that the Senate now achievement. was 1 year ago that we were stunned proceed to the immediate consider- Paul had fundamental beliefs in and saddened by the sudden death of ation of S. 1190 introduced earlier America, the great Republic. He be- our colleague. On that day, we lost not today by myself. lieved in free trade, free markets, and only a friend but, as Senator LOTT The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- freedom for all the citizens—not only noted, a gifted leader. pore. The clerk will report the bill by for the people of his State but people A while back, I came across the story title. around the world. He worked at mak- of a hot Saturday he spent at a county The legislative clerk read as follows: ing it available and accessible to every- fair in north Georgia. Despite the cas- A bill (S. 1190) to amend the Internal Rev- body every day. ual setting, he was wearing a coat and enue Code of 1986 to rename the Educational He spent a lot of time in the Senate Individual Retirement Accounts as the tie. When a long-time aide asked him ‘‘Coverdell Education Savings Accounts’’. working on education. He was innova- why, Senator Coverdell responded, tive from the beginning. He was one of There being no objection, the Senate ‘‘Well, I’ve noticed that if there’s ever proceeded to consider the bill. the early ones talking about the need any kind of emergency and people are for some flexibility in how funds are Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask trying to figure out what to do, they the distinguished Republican leader if I used in education. He worked across always go to the guy with the tie on.’’ the aisle to help solve that problem. may be added as a cosponsor. He was really committed to allowing A year after his death, we still miss Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I would be honored. I should have suggested that parents of children in elementary and being able to go to Paul Coverdell. in the first place. That certainly secondary education to have some way Although Paul and I didn’t see eye to should be done. I support that. to be able to help their children. That eye on a lot of matters, I can’t think of a single time that he was not fair, that Mr. DASCHLE. I thank the Repub- is what I like to call the Coverdell sav- lican leader. he was not decent, that he was not hon- ings accounts. He had a broad base of Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unan- support for that. est. He was a reminder to all that we imous consent that the bill be read a He was very aggressive in seeking can disagree without being disagree- third time and passed and the motion safe and drug-free havens for learning able. to reconsider be laid upon the table. in our schools. While I may not have agreed with The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- I met him way back in the 1970s when him on every detail, I never questioned pore. Without objection, it is so or- I made trips into Georgia, and I always his deep commitment to the people of dered. appreciated his tenacity and the work Georgia and the principles that he and The bill (S. 1190) was read the third he did there. But I really will miss him we hold dear. time and passed, as follows: the most in our leadership because I One of the principles in which Paul S. 1190 came to rely on him so much. Coverdell believed most deeply, of Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- Some people have written about, yes, course, was the right of every child to resentatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, one of the majority leader’s key play- go to a good school. So it is fitting that SECTION 1. RENAMING EDUCATION INDIVIDUAL ers and that he misses him. I don’t we are creating a living tribute to him deny it for a minute. In life, you lose RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS AS COVER- by seeing to it that the educational ac- DELL EDUCATION SAVINGS AC- friends and you see good men and good counts for which he fought so hard will COUNTS. women pass on. You mourn. You learn now bear his name. (a) IN GENERAL.— lessons from working with those peo- (1) Section 530 of the Internal Revenue ple, and then you find others who try There is another way in which Paul Code of 1986 is amended by striking ‘‘an edu- to fill the void. But in some respects, Coverdell’s spirit of kindness, fairness, cation individual retirement account’’ each you never fill the void left by a person and bipartisanship live on today in the place it appears and inserting ‘‘a Coverdell Senate. That is the work of his fellow education savings account’’. such as Paul Coverdell. He was loyal. (2) Section 530(a) of such Code is amended— Georgians, ZELL MILLER and MAX He was sensitive. He really cared. He (A) by striking ‘‘An education individual made a difference in his State, in our CLELAND. retirement account’’ and inserting ‘‘A Cover- party, in the Senate, and in our coun- In the final years of his life, I am told dell education savings account’’, and try. that Senator Coverdell developed a (B) by striking ‘‘the education individual So I think it is appropriate today passion for gardening as well. I think retirement account’’ and inserting ‘‘the that we honor his memory, after hav- that is entirely fitting because so much Coverdell education savings account’’. of his work in public life was about (3) Section 530(b)(1) of such Code is amend- ing lost him 1 year ago, and to cele- ed— brate the things he did to make it a nurturing and about helping things (A) by striking ‘‘education individual re- better place for all of us to live and grow. That was evident in his leader- tirement account’’ in the text and inserting learn. ship of the Peace Corps and in his com- ‘‘Coverdell education savings account’’, and I yield the floor. mitment to educational opportunity. (B) by striking ‘‘EDUCATION INDIVIDUAL RE- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- These educational savings accounts, TIREMENT ACCOUNT’’ in the heading and in- pore. The majority leader. which now will bear his name, will help serting ‘‘COVERDELL EDUCATION SAVINGS AC- Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I com- ensure that the seeds he planted con- COUNT’’. pliment the distinguished Republican tinue to take root and his work con- (4) Sections 530(d)(5) and 530(e) of such Code are amended by striking ‘‘education indi- leader for his eloquence and for his tinues to blossom. vidual retirement account’’ each place it ap- heartfelt expressions of fond remem- We miss him, and we thank him for pears and inserting ‘‘Coverdell education brances of a very special U.S. Senator. his public service. savings account’’. Those of us who watched the relation- (5) The heading for section 530 of such Code I yield the floor. ship flourish over the years as we is amended to read as follows: served in the Senate are reminded The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- ‘‘SEC. 530. COVERDELL EDUCATION SAVINGS AC- again today of the friendship and joy pore. The Republican leader. COUNTS.’’. (6) The item in the table of contents for Senator LOTT and Senator Coverdell Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, if I may part VII of subchapter F of chapter 1 of such had. It was a rare friendship, a special ask the Senator from Georgia and oth- Code relating to section 530 is amended to friendship, one that was evident to all ers to allow 1 minute to follow up on read as follows: of us as we watched and as they what Senator DASCHLE mentioned, we have an agreement on this initiative. I ‘‘Sec. 530. Coverdell education savings ac- worked. counts.’’. ASCHLE So it comes as no surprise that Sen- thank Senator D for his com- (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— ator LOTT would be the first on the ments and for doing this. This is the (1) The following provisions of the Internal floor today to talk about a man about kind of thing that brings us together in Revenue Code of 1986 are amended by strik- whom he cared deeply. While we were many possible ways. ing ‘‘an education individual retirement’’ VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:35 Dec 20, 2013 Jkt 081600 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA425\1997-2008-FILES-4-SS-PROJECT\2001-SENATE-REC-FILES\RECFILES-NEW\S mmaher on DSKCGSP4G1 with SOCIALSECURITY S7834 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 18, 2001 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘a Cover- mained loyal to George III and pro- anniversary of his being taken from us, dell education savings’’: vided troops to fight against the rebels recognize and honor. (A) Section 72(e)(9). from Georgia who were supporting the Thank you, Mr. President. (B) Section 135(c)(2)(C). new revolutionary government that The PRESIDING OFFICER.