Mr. President, over the weekend, our friends and allies suffered yet another tragic loss as terrorists struck in London, claiming several innocent lives and injuring dozens more. Our steadfast allies, the British, have confronted terrorism…
Mr. President, over the weekend, our friends and allies suffered yet another tragic loss as terrorists struck in London, claiming several innocent lives and injuring dozens more. Our steadfast allies, the British, have confronted terrorism for decades, and our friends have endured so much these past several months at the hands of terrorists. Our hearts go out to them.
The Senate holds the victims of the attack and their families in our thoughts, and we once again express our gratitude to all of the first responders, medical professionals, and citizens who bravely stepped in to help.
Our fight against terrorism will go on, and together we will target terrorist networks and propagandists. We will continue to stand by the British people, especially in this time of great difficulty.
Mr. President, this week marks the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Six-Day War. Confronted by the massing Arab armies and the closing of the Tiran Straits, Israel responded, and in a fight for survival, ultimately prevailed. As a result, the city of Jerusalem was finally reunified after years of division. The reunification of the city allowed for people of all faiths to worship and to access the respective holy sites throughout Jerusalem.
In honor of this significant anniversary for our close ally, many Senators from both sides of the aisle--including the Democratic leader and myself--are joining together in a resolution to mark the occasion today.
While we know Israel continues to face a number of threats, bipartisan adoption of this resolution will serve as yet another indication of the commitment of the United States of standing by our friends in Israel. I look forward to supporting it later this afternoon and working to strengthen our relationship with that nation in the years to come.
Remembering Jim Bunning
Mr. President, on May 26, the Commonwealth of Kentucky lost a legendary figure with the passing of Senator Jim Bunning. For more than two decades, Jim was my colleague here in Congress. Before that, he was a storied Major League Baseball pitcher, earning him a spot in Cooperstown. Today, I remember Jim Bunning, a Hall of Famer in life.
Jim's career in the majors spanned 17 seasons, where he pitched primarily for the Tigers and the Phillies. In that time, he earned 224 career wins and struck out 2,855 batters. Of his many impressive accomplishments on the diamond, Jim's two greatest pitching achievements were his no-hitter in 1958 and the perfect game he threw in 1964, a feat that has only been accomplished 23 times in all of baseball history.
In recognition of his career with the Phillies, the team retired Jim's No. 14 jersey, and his baseball career was finally capped off by his election to the Hall of Fame in 1996 by the Veterans Committee.
Anyone would be proud with such a resume, but for Jim it was only the first act. Jim moved back to Fort Thomas in northern Kentucky. Over the next three decades, he served at all levels of government, from the Fort Thomas City Council to the Kentucky State Senate, to both Chambers of the U.S. Congress, including 12 years in the House and 12 in the Senate. Jim dedicated his life to serving the people of Kentucky, and Kentuckians are truly grateful for his work.
He was a man of principle from start to finish. He stayed true to himself. As Congressional Quarterly once wrote, ``All agree . . . that [Bunning] is unafraid to go his own way.'' Throughout his career, Jim took many principled stands, even if it meant standing alone. In his farewell address to the Senate, he said: ``I have been booed by 60,000 fans in Yankee Stadium, standing alone on the mound, so I never cared if I stood alone in Congress, as long as I stood by my beliefs and my values.''
That summed up Jim Bunning, but in his life, Jim really never did stand alone. Through trials and hardships, he always had his loving wife Mary by his side. Jim would have been the first to tell you that his success in life would not have been possible without Mary. She stood with him through both the glory and the hardships of his baseball career, and was, in Jim's words, his ``rock,'' his ``best fan,'' and his ``best friend.'' Together, they helped raise the nine children Jim is survived by today. He is also survived by 35 grandchildren--one of whom, by the way, once worked in my office--and 21 great-grandchildren. It is clear the two most important things to Jim were always his family and his deeply held Catholic faith.
Jim was a man of strong beliefs and good character. Never one to make excuses, he worked hard at whatever he put his mind to; first, in baseball as a legendary pitcher and then as a voice for the people of Kentucky for over 30 years. With an unshakeable commitment to his family and the firm principles guiding him, Jim was truly a ``hall of famer'' in life.
On behalf of the entire Senate family, I would like to offer heartfelt condolences to Mary, their family, friends, and all who knew and loved Senator Jim Bunning.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.