S7232 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE May 23, 1995 and how it made it very clear to them: that our neighbors also are taking part So it is my hope that when the con- You do not live beyond your means. in the sacrifice. As long as all of us are ference takes place, that the message, You just do not do that. sharing in this, this is absolutely the by a strong vote from the U.S. Senate, The interest payments on the na- right thing to do for this Nation. to concentrate on deficit reduction and tional debt are the third largest part of Mr. President, I want to commend wait until we have really accomplished the budget. And the interest payments Senator PETE DOMENICI and all the that before declaring a dividend I hope do not buy a single school lunch, and members of the Budget Committee sinks in. they do not buy a single road and they that has brought us this budget resolu- do not make a single payment on a tion which is going to put us on that f Medicare bill. course so that we will have financial IN MEMORY OF LES ASPIN The national debt rises $355,000 every stability, so that the greatest nation in minute. In 1 second, $6,000—just now. the world can look with pride to know Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I am deep- That is how fast this is growing. that its future will be bright, that we ly saddened by the death of my close All of this talk about budget cuts, a will avoid that financial collapse we friend and colleague, Les Aspin. Many budget cut in Washington means some- have been headed toward and, again, of us in this body have known Les for thing very different than a budget cut that all Members of this 104th Congress many, many, many years and worked in Idaho. In the Nation’s Capital, when will know that some day we will be very closely with him. a Government program asks for a 5 per- judged as that Congress that did the Les Aspin devoted his life to public cent budget increase, and it is only right thing by action and not rhetoric. service. In his younger years, he served granted a 3 percent budget increase, we Mr. President, I yield the floor. in the Senate on the staff of our former do not call that a cut. That is an in- Mr. NUNN addressed the Chair. colleague, Senator William Proxmire. crease. But that is not how Wash- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- He also served as staff assistant to ington, DC, deals with it. We are sim- ator from Georgia. Walter Heller, the former Chairman of President Kennedy’s Council of Eco- ply slowing the growth. The budget f package that I am backing will bring nomic Advisers and on the staff of Sec- GETTING THE BUDGET UNDER us a balanced budget over the next 7 retary of Defense Robert McNamara. CONTROL years by holding the growth of Govern- Les Aspin was elected to the House of ment spending to around 3 percent a Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, I would Representatives in 1970, and he imme- year. just like to say to my friend from diately sought and was granted mem- What about Social Security and Idaho, I appreciate his remarks on the bership on the House Armed Services Medicare? Well, we do not touch the reasons for getting the budget under Committee on which he later served as Social Security pension trust fund, and control and the historic nature of this chairman from 1985 through 1992. we should not because it is not the undertaking. I, too, although I cer- I had the great honor and privilege of problem. Medicare, on the other hand, tainly do not agree with everything in working with Les since I came to the must be fixed. The trustees say that it the budget resolution and I have sup- Senate in 1973. From 1987 through 1992, will be bankrupt in 7 years if the esca- ported a number of amendments and we served respectively as chairmen of lating growth is not stopped. will support others tomorrow, I, too, the House and Senate Armed Services When you think about that, if you want to add my thanks and congratula- Committees. During that time, when are now 55 years old after spending a tions to Senator DOMENICI, the chair- our chairmanships overlapped, we de- lifetime paying Medicare taxes, there man of the Budget Committee, and veloped a close personal and profes- is no assurance that there will be others on the Budget Committee, Sen- sional relationship, and we forged six enough money to pay doctor bills when ator EXON and all who worked so long National Defense Authorization Acts you become eligible. That is unaccept- and hard, disagreeing often, but com- during that period. able, and that is why we are going to ing out with this budget resolution Mr. President, these years were deal with that in this budget. that at least is a beginning point in the marked by national defense challenges The next tough issue is taxes. I op- debate for the road we must travel. of great difficulty and complexity. In pose tax increases, but what about tax It is my hope that I will be able to 1987, the cold war had begun to thaw, cuts? I will support tax cuts that meet support this resolution in the final but barely so. There were many divi- these tests. First, they must not slow analysis. It will depend on what sions in Congress on national defense the effort to balance the budget. And amendments are adopted or not adopt- issues, ranging from the size of the de- second, they must encourage invest- ed tomorrow. But I certainly hope that fense budget to the procurement of par- ment, help families with children, help I will be able to support it. It is my ticular weapons systems to the appro- small business, encourage savings that hope that when it goes to conference, priate course of national strategy. At a will pay for college, care for the elderly the conference will look carefully at time when many sought substantial re- and the purchase of first homes. what the Senate did today in turning ductions in national defense commit- I will just conclude by saying that down the very large tax cuts that were ments and programs, Les Aspin pro- after all of this discussion, I think we proposed by the Senator from Texas. vided a voice for a strong national se- need to realize that what we are talk- All of us would like tax cuts, all of us curity and a sensible American foreign ing about is the money of the Amer- would like to return that money to the policy. ican citizen. Again, not the Govern- American people because it is their As the former Soviet Union col- ment’s money. It is time that we start money, but I think the public over- lapsed, many sought to rapidly dis- leaving more of the American citizen’s whelmingly that I represent wants us mantle our military establishment. Les money with the citizen and not the to get the budget under control and Aspin recognized the continuing dan- Government. does not want us to take steps that will gers facing the United States and suc- This 104th Congress, I think, will go make that more and more difficult. cessfully led the House of Representa- down in history as that session of Con- We all know that there is going to be tives in support of a measured defense gress that finally stopped the financial group after group coming here this builddown, which was designed to decline which would lead to the ruin of summer that are going to be com- maintain our military capacity in an this country and will return it to a fi- plaining about budget cuts, many of era of defense reductions. Les was a nancial stability that we will look them with justification because they particularly forceful advocate for de- back to with a great deal of pride some are going to be impacted. We all know fense conversion and retraining pro- day. that after that process starts, it is grams designed to assist military per- Yes, we have some real tough votes more likely there is going to be fall- sonnel, civilian workers, and the de- that are facing us. But what Idahoans back in this regard. We all know that fense industry in adjusting to a new tell me is that we absolutely must bal- we need a reserve fund because we are era with new challenges. ance the Nation’s budget and we must going to have difficulties in implemen- Les was also both an originator and do it by making it an evenhanded ap- tation based on any historical exam- strong supporter in the House, and as proach so that we can look and see ination. Secretary of Defense, of the program

VerDate Aug 31 2005 05:08 May 28, 2008 Jkt 041999 PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 J:\ODA15\1995_F~1\S23MY5.REC S23MY5 mmaher on MIKETEMP with SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS May 23, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7233 that is known as the Nunn-Lugar pro- ure as Secretary of Defense. Lacking a deadlock in the conferences. The big gram that works for nuclear and chem- cold war enemy and a national con- four would sort of get off together, and ical dismantlement in the former So- sensus on defense issues, Les was faced the other members, I think they were viet Union that has been so effective in with the extraordinary challenges of slightly envious in some respects, but helping denuclearize three former nu- managing a defense builddown while in other respects, they were glad they clear states and also helped in disman- retaining essential military capabili- did not have to make the decisions the tling both chemical and nuclear weap- ties. The complex and new inter- big four had to crank out. ons. We have a long way to go in that national circumstances surrounding Mr. NUNN. I think many times it was regard, but Les Aspin was on board events in places such as the former like we were the ‘‘little four’’ rather when that ship was launched, which is Yugoslavia, Somalia, and Haiti added than the big four. probably our most important national to the complexity of his task. Through- Mr. WARNER. That is correct. But security challenge—that is, non- out this period, he continued to work my friend from Georgia is a man of proliferation in the breakup of the So- diligently toward building a new foun- great patience. Chairman Aspin would viet empire. dation for our defense needs in the 21st always be late, almost invariably late, During this entire period, I developed century. And as Secretary of Defense, and he would come in with a great tremendous respect for the breadth of he laid a foundation for the defense swath of papers under his arm, down Les Aspin’s knowledge and his devotion drawdown that hopefully will avoid the the hall with two or three staff people, to the cause of national defense. Les mistakes of the past. At least he did and he would literally flop in the chair. was a brilliant analyst, but he was his part. He would consume the entire chair, and more than a scholar; he was an out- During his years of service as a Mem- the papers would be scattered all over standing legislator and a master at ber of the House Armed Services Com- the floor. And, finally, the Senator putting together coalitions in the mittee and as Secretary of Defense, Les from Georgia, who at that time was House of Representatives during a very continually fought for a strong, well- chairman of the Armed Services Com- tough period of time for national secu- equipped, and affordable national secu- mittee, would regain his composure rity. rity. He was always on the cutting edge and we would start to resolve the prob- I will always treasure the memories of national defense policy during both lems. But it was a marvelous chapter of working with Les on the House-Sen- the cold war and during the post-cold- in the relationship between the Senate ate conferences on the National De- war builddown. His creative approaches and House Armed Services Committee, fense Authorization Act that were en- to national strategy, acquisition poli- and Les Aspin was instrumental in see- acted during the period in which we cies, and defense budget matters have ing that we arrived at the proper deci- chaired our respective committees. The made a lasting and indelible contribu- sion which, almost without exception, challenge of crafting a conference tion to this Nation’s security. was in the best security interest of this agreement was always daunting in the After his service as Secretary of De- country. In those days, we had almost contentious atmosphere of the cold war fense, he continued to serve our Nation no politics that entered into the deci- and post-cold-war eras. Each year, hun- as chairman of the President’s Foreign sion—occasionally, a ship here or a dreds of language and funding dif- Intelligence Advisory Board, as chair- tank there, but other than that, it was ferences divided the two Houses—and man to the Commission on Intel- straightforward, tough decisions on be- we were continually faced with the ligence, and as a member of the Com- half of the country. threat of a veto over controversial mission on Roles and Missions of the I join my friend from Georgia in say- issues such as the ABM Treaty, abor- Armed Forces. It was in this capacity ing how much we will miss our friend. tion, and prerogatives of the executive that I last talked to him on the tele- I was with him just 2 weeks ago. I am branch. phone at length about some of the aspi- privileged to serve on the Intelligence Les and I talked on the telephone and rations he had for changing our intel- Commission, and Les Aspin was the met very frequently, not just during ligence community. Les never lost his chairman. We went down to one of the conference but also in the months be- ardor or his commitment to public Central Intelligence facilities to spend fore we passed either the House or Sen- service. a day. And I wish to add, Mr. President, ate bill. These meetings were quiet and Mr. President, the Nation has lost a that Zoe Baird is a member of that unpublicized, but they enabled us to devoted public servant who contributed commission, and she called me just shape bills in both the House and the much and who had so much more to yesterday and expressed her great ad- Senate which could be reconciled in contribute to our national security. miration. I would like to include that conference and also signed into law by I have lost a valued friend and a real in my comments for Chairman Aspin of a Republican President. colleague, a friendship that I will cher- the commission. That commission will Much as I appreciated and admired ish forever, and a man that I will miss carry on and do its work, but he laid Les Aspin’s policy and legislative very much. the foundation. I join my distinguished skills, what I enjoyed most about Les I thank the Chair. colleague in paying this brief tribute to was his sense of humor. Frequently, f our fallen friend. when a conference point reached its Mr. NUNN. I thank my friend from most critical point, we could count on TRIBUTE TO LES ASPIN Virginia. I remember those days very a story from Les to break the tension Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I would well, and I will always cherish the and produce a bipartisan compromise. like to associate myself with the com- memories. I have to say that while Les Nobody loved a joke more than Les ments of our distinguished colleague Aspin would consume that chair, my Aspin, and I can still see that big grin from Georgia. Before he departs the friend from Virginia was usually con- on his face laughing heartily in the floor, I thought we might put in one suming the sofa. middle of a conference right at a cru- additional chapter in reminiscing Mr. WARNER. That is quite true. cial moment, which gave us the kind of about our dearly beloved friend, Les Mr. NUNN. For health reasons, balance, the kind of sense of priorities Aspin. It was a period when the two though. to understand that it was our job to Armed Services Committees met, and I Mr. WARNER. In those days I had a reconcile our differences and to come was privileged at that time for some 6 bum leg. I think we should end this to conclusions in the interest of na- years to serve as ranking member, to- brief set of comments on behalf of the tional security. He never lost sight of gether with Senator NUNN as chairman, late Congressman Aspin with a smile the serious policy issues that con- and Les Aspin as chairman of the on our face, because that is the way he fronted us, but he never got personal in House. I remember when we would act would want it. I am glad that my dis- his fervent support for one position or as the ‘‘big four.’’ If the Senator from tinguished colleague from Georgia another. Georgia will remember that—— mentioned the Bottom-Up Review. Les Aspin served as Secretary of De- Mr. NUNN. Along with Congressman That was a document that was created fense during a particularly difficult Bill Dickinson. and is still used as a benchmark for time. I enjoyed working very closely Mr. WARNER. Yes, Congressman Bill many of our discussions here. He had with him and his staff during his ten- Dickinson. There would be absolute that foresight and courage.

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