A resolution relative to the death of Lloyd Bentsen, distinguished member of the United States Senate.

Mr. President, today we mourn the loss of a great Texan and a true American hero. Lloyd Bentsen passed away this morning, and I rise to pay tribute to the life and legacy of a great statesman.

Senator Bentsen served this Nation in numerous capacities. Everyone in Texas knew who Lloyd Bentsen was during all of the time that I was in my early years of public service. Many in this body also served with him and knew him well. He put his stamp on Texas, and he put his stamp on our country.

Lloyd Bentsen was born in Mission, TX, in 1921, in the southernmost part of our State. He attended public schools and graduated from the University of Texas Law School in 1942. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He flew more than 200 bombing missions to liberate Europe from the Nazi grasp. For his heroic service, he was awarded the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, as well as the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor in combat. He retired with the rank of colonel from the Air Force Reserve.

After the war, Lloyd Bentsen returned home to his native Rio Grande Valley. There he began his career as a public servant. As everyone who worked with him will attest, Lloyd Bentsen was a natural. His first office was county judge of Hidalgo County. He was then elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1948, serving 6 years before leaving Congress to go into business. He moved to Houston and started a business that was very successful, and after some number of years in business, he decided he wanted to do what he liked doing best, and that was to have an office and serve the public. He was elected to the Senate in 1970.

I have to say that is when I really got to know Lloyd Bentsen a little bit because I was a cub news reporter at KPRC-TV in Houston, and I covered that race. It was the battle of the titans. This was a race between George H.W. Bush and Lloyd Bentsen for the U.S. Senate seat in 1970. I remember me and all the reporters saying at the time that this is what a Senate race should be. These are two high-quality individuals. They are the kind of people you would want in public service, and certainly the kind of people you would want elected to public office. Lloyd Bentsen won that race for the Senate. But George H.W. Bush also had an illustrious career to follow.

Lloyd Bentsen stayed in the Senate and became a leader. He was here for 22 years. Everyone in Texas knew him, but he was also a national figure. Lloyd Bentsen ran for President in 1976. He was the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 1988. His illustrious public career concluded with his service to our Nation as Secretary of the Treasury. He served under President Clinton from 1993 to 1994. It was then that I was able to run for and win the seat that he had held.

I have to say that when I was covering that Senate race in 1970, it would never have occurred to me that I would succeed the man who won that seat. I do remember that he came to my swearing in ceremony, which I thought was very gracious of him, and I thought it was so nice of him to wish me well. He wanted also to make sure I felt comfortable here, which, of course, I did. I have gotten to know Lloyd and B.A. Bentsen, his beautiful wife, who has been by his side all of these years--in the good days of public service when he was one of our country's great leaders, and during the time that he was so ill for so long. I saw B.A. at his side every time I saw Senator Bentsen, either in Houston or Austin or someplace in Texas.

He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 11, 1999. Later today, I will introduce a joint resolution with Senator Cornyn honoring the life and legacy of Lloyd Bentsen.

When people think of Lloyd Bentsen, if you talk to anybody on this floor who served with him, or if you talk to anybody in Texas who was one of his friends, or someone he knew, they always describe him as a gentleman, a person of the highest quality, exactly the kind of person you want in public service--someone with integrity, always there doing the right thing as he saw it, and always spending the time to do a great job for our country.

Our thoughts and prayers go out today to B.A. Bentsen and to Lloyd Bentsen III and Lan Bentsen, the two sons of this great American. We will introduce a resolution later today to pay tribute to him. I want his family to know that our thoughts and prayers in this Senate are with him and with them today.

Mr. President, I rise today to express my sadness in learning of the passing of our esteemed former colleague from Texas, Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. I am certain that I join all of our colleagues in grieving the loss of this great American, and especially those of us who had the honor to have served in this body with him.

Lloyd Bentsen was a good and a great man, and I had the opportunity to work with him closely many times over the 16 years we served here together. When I joined the Finance Committee in 1991, Senator Bentsen was the chairman. As a new member of the committee, I appreciated the way Chairman Bentsen ran Finance in a bipartisan and fair way that reflected positively on the long and distinguished history of that panel and the spirit of which continues until today.

Many of us knew Senator Bentsen as a man of his word, and as a superb communicator. He was not a man of many words, but when he spoke, people everywhere stopped to listen. He spoke slowly and with great meaning, and he connected with those who heard him, whether they were a group of schoolchildren from Texas, his colleagues from his long years of service in the House and the Senate, the financial markets that listened to his every word as chairman of the Finance Committee and as Secretary of the Treasury, or the world's financial leaders, with whom he consorted as the President's main economic spokesman.

Lloyd Bentsen was a hero, to his family, his constituents, his State, and to his country. As a young man, he served as a combat pilot in the European theater during World War II, and he flew 35 missions in B-24s. Lloyd was awarded the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. By the time he left military service, was promoted to a full colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

Lloyd Bentsen's natural leadership ability was evident early in life. As a young man he earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and he graduated from the University of Texas Law School by the time he was 21 years old. He then joined the Army Air Corps and rose from a private to the rank of major and was given command of a squadron of

600 men at the age of 23. Our friend and colleague was truly a remarkable man.

After serving our country so valiantly during the war, Lloyd returned to his native Rio Grand Valley in Texas where he became a county judge and then ran successfully for the House, where he served for three terms. In 1955, he decided to leave public service temporarily and began an impressive career in business and finance in Houston, which ended in 1970 when he decided to run for the Senate.

Mr. President, Lloyd Bentsen was one of the modern giants of the Senate. Of course, I did not always agree with him, or him me. However, I respected him. He was respected on both sides of the aisle, and by all who came to know him.

Many words come to my mind when I think of Senator Bentsen. He was bright. He was fair. He was serious. He was dedicated. He was dignified. The State of Texas and all America have lost a great son.

My heart goes out to Lloyd's wife, Beryl, and to their children, grandchildren and other family members. May they find peace and joy in their memories and in knowing of the great contribution Lloyd gave to his country.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 489, which was submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, the distinguished elder statesman, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, passed away today in his family home in Houston at the age of 85. He leaves behind his wife Beryl Ann and his three children, Lloyd III, Lan and Tina, and seven beloved grandchildren. He also leaves behind almost four decades of dedicated public service on behalf of Texas and the American people.

Alternately described as elegant, courtly, smooth, and collegial, Lloyd Bentsen of Rio Grande Valley was the picture of a Senator. A shrewd legislator with finely honed negotiating skills, he was able to work with both sides of the aisle and gain the trust and cooperation of his colleagues.

Senator Bentsen began his life in public service in 1942 when, fresh out of the University of Texas Law School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. The war was on, and he was eager to serve his country.

After a brief stint as a private in intelligence, the young Bentsen became a combat pilot. He began flying B-24 missions over an embattled Europe. By the time he was done, he had flown 50 missions and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with three oakleaf clusters. He retired a colonel in the Air Force Reserves.

Still a young man in his early twenties, he returned to his hometown, where he practiced law for a year. He then became a county judge at the age of 25, and in 1948 he ran for Congress, where he served for three consecutive terms. He took a 16-year hiatus from elected office to become a successful financier. Then, in 1970, Lloyd Bentsen ran for the Senate, where he rose to national prominence. In 1988, Democratic Presidential nominee Michael Dukakis selected the distinguished 67- year-old as his running mate, and in 1993, President Clinton nominated Senator Bentsen to serve the Department of Treasury. He led that Department and he retired in 1994, nearly 30 years in public office.

Over his long career, Senator Bentsen earned the respect of his colleagues and of the American people. He was an old-school gentleman who could don his partisan hat and share a respite from the day-to-day battles on the Senate floor. I came across a quotation of his, not as famous as another but one which I think sums up his lifetime in public service and one which is a valuable motto for us all:

It should be clear by now that serious problems cannot be

solved by public relations; they can only be solved by public

responsibility.

Lloyd Bentsen's words.

On behalf of the Senate and the American people, our hearts go out to the Bentsen family. We join them in mourning the passing of a noteworthy statesman. May God bless them, and may God bless America.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I wish to join my voice with those of my colleagues in celebrating the life, and mourning the death, of one of the political giants of our time: Lloyd Bentsen fellow Texan, son, husband, father, friend, honored veteran, lawyer, county judge, Congressman, businessman, Senator, and at the peak of his career in public service, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

It is difficult to capture in one brief statement the weight and the impact of one man's life. But we can all be confident that the legacy left by Lloyd Bentsen is one of which his family, his State, and his country can be remarkably proud.

Perhaps one important way to capture the meaning of his influence is to listen to those who have known or served with him or those who have had the honor of calling him a friend. Today, the chorus of their voices reminds us.

Texas State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said: ``Sen. Lloyd Bentsen was a true Texas icon and a friend. He put Texans above politics. He lifted all Texans.''

His former aide, and State Representative Richard Raymond said: ``He didn't pass the buck. That's one of the things that stuck with me.''

We should all be fortunate as to be remembered so fondly, and so well.

It is clear that Lloyd Bentsen lived a life of purpose; he certainly wasted no time making his mark on our country. Born in Mission, TX, on February 11, 1921, Bentsen received his law degree from University of Texas Law School at Austin.

He served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces from 1942 to 1945, and reportedly flew 35 B-24 missions during 18 months of heavy combat. He was put in charge of 600 men at the young age of 23, and was promoted to the rank of major. For his heroic service, Bentsen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters. By the end of his military service, he had reached the rank of colonel.

Bentsen returned from the war to serve as county judge in Hidalgo from 1946 to 1948; then was elected in 1948 to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served three terms. He then went on to pursue a career in business, which he did for 16 years in Houston before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1971.

His career, of course, also notably includes his party's nomination for Vice President in 1988 a remarkable achievement, to be sure, as was his tenure as the 69th U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, where he served with distinction from January 1993 to December 1994.

Mr. President, today our country both celebrates the life and mourns the death of this distinguished American, a great Texan, who dedicated his life to public service. He was a powerful voice for the people he served, and he will be deeply missed.

I join my colleagues in tribute to my dear friend and tremendous public servant, Congressman, Senator, and Secretary Lloyd Bentsen, on his recent passing. His tenure in Federal service is notable and well documented three terms in the House of Representatives and four terms in the Senate representing the people of Texas and 2 years as Secretary of the Treasury under former President Bill Clinton.

I remember Lloyd as a giant in the Senate leadership when I first came to this body in 1990. He wielded the gavel at the Finance Committee and had already ascended to national recognition as a formidable Vice Presidential nominee in 1988. He was a Senator who worked hard every day to benefit the people of Texas and of this country.

As a distinguished World War II veteran, Lloyd was always supportive of our veterans and fulfilling their urgent needs. He fought to preserve and protect women's rights, including the Equal Rights Amendment. He understood the needs of America's entrepreneurs and business owners and carried his acumen in economic policy from the Senate into the Clinton administration.

Millie and I remember Lloyd and his wife B.A., from our years in the Senate together, with fondness. We join others in extending to his family our warmest wishes in this difficult time. We say farewell to a true statesman. This Nation is richer for his life and poorer for his loss.