September 16, 1976
Page 30733
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, with the retirement of MIKE MANSFIELD, we will end a distinguished chapter in the history of this body.
He has served as majority leader for nearly 16 years — longer than any other man — and I can think of nobody whose imprint on the Senate has been more profound.
He has presided over the restoration of this body to a constitutional Senate — a Senate which is again asserting the role contemplated by the Founding Fathers.
He accomplished that restoration during some of the most turbulent years of our history — with a brand of quiet leadership that seemed ill-suited for those trying times, but now is deeply appreciated.
We must never forget that the legislative accomplishments of these years were also his accomplishments.
His wise counsel and constant presence helped enact the civil rights measures of the 1960's — when we took apart the legal barriers to equal opportunities in education, jobs, housing, and public accommodations.
MIKE MANSFIELD presided over the enactment of major drives against poverty, decaying cities, inadequate schools, and health care — when this Nation saw the other side of America, and determined to lift it up.
MIKE MANSFIELD guided the Senate through the terrible years of a war in Vietnam that nobody wanted. He called for peace with a quiet voice of unmistakable moral force. And when peace came, he worked to heal the scars.
MIKE MANSFIELD presided over a reform Senate. During his years, we have democratized many of our procedures, opened up our deliberations, and made accessible the inner workings.
And when the challenge came to reassert our role against the executive branch, he led the way.
But we will remember MIKE MANSFIELD for more than legislative accomplishments.
During the agony of Watergate, when the raw abuse of power was defended by the allegation that everyone does it, MIKE MANSFIELD provided through his character the rebuttal to that monumental lie.
The American people could see in him that morality, conscience, and decency could be practiced in high office.
He knew that we must trust in the people. He knew that, in the end, people will accept only leadership that has a solid moral base, that is committed to democracy and participation.
MIKE MANSFIELD never presided with a heavy hand. He resisted the attraction of power, the easy way that many wanted him to take.
Instead, he sought an atmosphere in which no Senator was afraid to speak his mind or voice the concerns of his fellow citizens.
To him, there were no junior Senators or senior Senators, only Senators. Each was duly elected to represent his constituents, and each deserved an equal chance.
He recognized that the Senate can be great only if each Senator can rise to his or her own potential.
He wanted the Senate to be more than simply the sum of each part, to make this more than just a body of 100 Senators. He would make this the constitutional Senate envisioned more than nearly two centuries ago.
When I came to the Senate in 1959, I had been Governor of a State for 4 years. Suddenly I was a freshman Senator, overwhelmed by my relative insignificance.
But MIKE MANSFIELD was there. And he was one of the first to help me chart a course that would best use my concerns and abilities. I will never forget his help.
All of us in this Chamber have benefited from his leadership and guidance.
No, MIKE, we do not think that the Senate will be any less when you leave. The Senate is much more than it was when your leadership began.
But, above all, we will miss two treasured friends in you and Maureen.