216 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 160, Pt. 1 January 8, 2014 passed overwhelmingly by a bipartisan Ultimately, the pay-for issue, the off- ment’s activities in the region. His ef- majority in this body. set question, should be resolved, and I forts eventually contributed to his It was an agreement that advanced believe it will be, if not in this act then electoral loss at the end of his term, and enhanced economic certainty. It in the Omnibus appropriations bill we but that did not keep him from pursing had many advantages, but it also was will address next and then make sure his goals. I am pleased that during this far from perfect. Its flaws included a we keep faith. We must assure that we important period of reflection, Dick cut in military retiree benefits. These will keep faith with these retirees who Clark’s contributions continue to be benefits were cut by provisions to that have given and served so much. recognized. agreement that was approved by this As Senator SHAHEEN has said, most I ask unanimous consent that a copy body, with many reservations and re- Americans would agree this kind of tax of the recent POLITICO article, A Nel- grets, and now we ought to seize this avoidance is unfair, and we ought to son Mandela backstory: Iowa’s Dick opportunity to correct that defect as close this tax loophole rather than re- Clark, be printed in the RECORD. this measure offers us through an ducing military retiree benefits. What There being no objection, the mate- amendment. all Americans would agree with is that rial was ordered to be printed in the We can pay for it. It can be budget we should keep faith and leave no vet- RECORD as follows: neutral, if we simply close a certain eran behind, making sure this amend- [POLITICO, Dec. 26, 2013] egregious corporate tax loophole as ment is voted on and approved and A NELSON MANDELA BACKSTORY: IOWA’S DICK Senator SHAHEEN has suggested. I want given legal force and effect so we cor- CLARK to emphasize again what Senator SHA- rect and fix the flaw in the budget (By David Rogers) HEEN said so well. We can think of a lot agreement that has disallowed and dis- Dick Clark was Mandela when Mandela of different ways to pay for the $6.5 bil- honored the obligation we owe these wasn’t cool. lion that is necessary to correct these retirees. A one-term Democratic senator from Iowa cuts in military retiree benefits. What I thank the Presiding Officer, and I and for years afterward a leader of congres- is beyond question is the need to fix yield the floor. sional discussions on apartheid, Clark is now this flaw. It is a flaw that not only di- 85 and long gone from the public scene. But f the ups and downs of his career are an in- minishes in monetary terms the bene- REMEMBERING DICK CLARK triguing back story—and counterpoint—to fits these retirees need and deserve, it the outpouring of praise for Nelson Mandela, also dishonors the service and sacrifice Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, on De- the black liberation leader and former presi- they have made. What better oppor- cember 5, the world lost one of the dent of South Africa who died Dec. 5. tunity than now, as we deal with the greatest leaders of our era, and of any It wasn’t always that way in Washington. extension of unemployment benefits in era, when Nelson Mandela died at the Indeed, Mandela turned 60 in South Afri- a measure that deserves overwhelming age of 95. His capacity for forgiveness ca’s Robben Island prison in the summer of was rivaled only by his courage. His ac- 1978 even as Clark—chairman of the African support just as the budget deal re- Affairs panel on the Senate Foreign Rela- ceived, to correct this flaw. tions serve as an example for the entire tions Committee—was fighting for his own There has been a lot of misinforma- world. Having led South Africa out of re-election in Iowa. tion and confusion about exactly what its darkest period of history, Mandela It was a time when Republican challenger the Murray-Ryan agreement did to focused on achieving national rec- Roger Jepsen felt free to taunt the Democrat military retirement benefits, and there onciliation to transition his govern- as ‘‘the senator from Africa.’’ Tensions were is a need to address in the longer term ment from minority rule and apart- such that the State Department called in a the system that provides for retiree heid, to a multicultural democracy. He South African Embassy official in May for making disparaging remarks about Clark in benefits, to make it serve better the in- was successful in this endeavor because Iowa. And after Clark lost, South Africa’s terests of our retirees, our veterans, he believed in the importance of bring- ousted information secretary, Eschel our patriots who have given so much to ing people together, breaking down the Rhoodie, said his government invested our Nation. But right now, in these barriers that defined, and imprisoned, $250,000 to defeat Clark, who had become a next few days, beyond any kind of many South Africans. For Nelson thorn in the side of the white regime. question or doubt, is the need to cor- Mandela, the opportunity to lead Jepsen denied any knowledge of South Af- rect this defect and to follow through meant the possibility of painting South rica’s alleged role. Nor does Clark accuse African society on a blank canvas. It him of such. But 35 years after, Clark has no on the understanding that many of us doubt that the apartheid government led by had, including myself, that in fact we meant the possibility of creating a uni- Prime Minister B. J. Vorster wanted him would correct this defect. fied and free South Africa, rather than out—and had a hand in his defeat. I supported the budget agreement perpetuating a fractured mosaic de- Clark’s liberal record and support of the with the understanding, as Chairman fined by inequality. Panama Canal Treaty, which narrowly LEVIN of Michigan made clear, the Sen- We are fortunate to have leaders cleared the Senate in the spring of 1978, also ate would work this year, as soon as among us who share many of Nelson hurt his chances in Iowa. But the fatal blow possible, to stop the 1-percent reduc- Mandela’s qualities of leadership and a was a fierce wave of late-breaking ground at- focus on human rights. Having served tacks from anti-abortion forces—something tion in the cost of living adjustments even conservative writers like Robert Novak for military retirees until the age of 62 for nearly four decades in the Senate, I had not anticipated in a published column that would take effect in December of have had the privilege to serve with weeks before. 2015. December, 2015 of that year is a some of them. Dick Clark, a Senator ‘‘Abortion was the issue, and how much ef- long way off. There may be other op- from Iowa who was in the Senate when fect this apparent $250,000 had to do with pro- portunities to correct this flaw—the re- I was first elected, is one such indi- moting it more, I have no way of evaluating duction in retiree benefits—but let’s do vidual, and his story is connected to it,’’ Clark said in a recent interview at his it now. Let’s not delay in restoring the Nelson Mandela’s legacy. I not only home in Washington. ‘‘No question that they did it. They said they did, and I think they benefits that these retirees need and served with Senator Clark but I trav- did.’’ deserve. elled with him to Vermont and else- Clark had made himself a target for South So I urge my colleagues to join in where. His sense of commitment and Africa with his high-profile chairmanship of this effort, paying for this change by his conscience set a Senate standard the Africa subcommittee. In Washington as making sure companies managed and that is rarely matched. well, he was not without critics who accused controlled in the United States can’t He was a fierce opponent of apart- him of being too puritanical, too quick to avoid U.S. taxes simply by claiming heid, and a recent POLITICO article re- fault U.S. policy. But like no senator before foreign status. Many of us have long calls Dick Clark’s efforts to raise him, Clark used the panel to raise the visi- bility of human rights issues in the southern advocated closing this loophole. It awareness in Congress on the impor- regions of the continent. The roster of prior seems to me a reasonable approach, far tance of the issue, and to push legisla- Africa subcommittee chairs reads like a better than taking away the child tax tion that would distance the United Who’s Who of national Democrats: John Ken- credit for poor migrant families. States from the South African govern- nedy in the late 1950s; Tennessee Sen. Albert VerDate Sep 11 2014 10:46 Apr 05, 2018 Jkt 039102 PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 0686 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR14\S08JA4.001 S08JA4 rmajette on DSKBCKNHB2PROD with BOUND RECORD January 8, 2014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—SENATE, Vol. 160, Pt. 1 217 Gore, father of the future vice president; fu- ‘‘Fulbright’s attitude was the subcommit- the senator on his past public comments— ture Senate Majority Leader Mike Mans- tees couldn’t do anything.