congressional_record: CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11848
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| CREC-2000-12-15-pt1-PgS11848 | 2000-12-15 | 106 | 2 | SENATOR CHARLES S. ROBB | SENATE | SENATE | ALLOTHER | S11848 | S11849 | [{"name": "Barbara Boxer", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Russell D. Feingold", "role": "speaking"}, {"name": "Kent Conrad", "role": "speaking"}] | 146 Cong. Rec. S11848 | Congressional Record, Volume 146 Issue 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000) [Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 155 (Friday, December 15, 2000)] [Senate] [Pages S11848-S11849] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [[Page S11848]] SENATOR CHARLES S. ROBB Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to my colleague from Virginia, Senator Chuck Robb, who will leave the Senate in January after 12 years of exemplary service to his state as a member of this body. As others have noted, Chuck Robb has had a long and distinguished career in public service. He served his country for 34 years in the Marine Corps and reserves, and he is a highly decorated combat veteran. He was a widely popular governor of Virginia, who increased the state's education budget by $1 billion, and appointed many women and minorities to top government jobs. And he has now served two terms as a United States Senator, where he has been praised for his leadership on national security, education, and the budget. But I would like to note several aspects of Chuck Robb's Senate tenure that may not be quite as familiar, but for which I will always remember him and be grateful to him. The fact is that he was a hero on many issues: civil rights, human rights, and a woman's right to choose. Time and time and time again, even in the most difficult and politically charged debates, Senator Robb was steadfast in his support for the precious right of women to control their own bodies without interference from government. He led the fight in the Senate to bring justice to African-American farmers throughout the nation who had been discriminated against by the Department of Agriculture. His legislation helped lead to the largest civil rights settlement in our history. And then, in February 1993, he delivered a powerful and moving speech on the floor of the Senate, the message of which was that all of God's children, regardless of sexual orientation, should be treated equally in the military. I will always remember Senator Robb's eloquent words: The issue should be not what kind of person you are but what kind of soldier, sailor, airman, or marine you are. . . . I would suggest to you, Mr. President, morale is in the heart of each service person. The threat to morale comes not from the orientation of a few but from the closed minds of many. I was deeply touched by these words of tolerance and understanding, particularly because they came from one who had served so gallantly in the Marine Corps. So I salute you and I thank you, Chuck, and send you my very best wishes as you move on to new challenges. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the full text of the statement be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the material ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (Senate--February 4, 1993) Mr. Mitchell. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Virginia. The Presiding Officer. The Senator from Virginia. Mr. Robb. Mr. President, I thank the chair. What is it that makes an excellent soldier? I submit to you that it five basic virtues: Devotion to duty; loyalty to country, commanders, and comrades; skill in military arts; personal integrity; and courage. If you have these qualities, you can be an excellent soldier, whether your name of Manursky or Jefferson, Goldberg or Nguyen, Warner, Dole, Kerrey, or McCain. A number of Americans who have these qualities, however, are being excluded from serving their country in the military for reasons beyond fitness or performance. People have told me for some time that they cannot understand how someone who thinks of himself as a gung-ho marine can march to the music of a drummer that I do not hear. Mr. President, the drummer I hear plays the Marine Corps Hymn. It still gives me a chill, and I still stand when it is played. I certainly do not want to detract in any way from the military's effectiveness or performance. Because of that, I cannot stand by and let a policy that I consider less than perfect keep our services from attracting the best and most competent people. The issue should be not what kind of person you are but what kind of soldier, sailor, airman, or marine you are. As a former marine who considers his 34-plus years in uniform and in the reserve to be the proudest affiliation of my life, I well understand those who argue the importance of maintaining morale and good discipline in the ranks. But I would suggest to you, Mr. President, morale is in the heart of each service person. The threat to morale comes not from the orientation of a few but from the closed minds of many. President Truman recognized that when he ordered the services to be integrated by race despite the racial animosity of many then in service. Do some of today's soldiers fear what they do not understand? Certainly, they do. Obviously. But should America's policy be guided by fear, or should be work to overcome prejudice by showing that merit and behavior, not orientations, are what counts in the military? I have spent a great deal of time discussing this with a number of friends, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Colin Powell. Some think that I am simply on the wrong side of this issue, and I understand this and other objections to the proposal. General Powell recently drew a difference between discrimination based on sexuality, which he called a behavior, and that based on race, which he called a benign characteristic. But I submit to you that race is obvious, until and unless it is expressed in conduct. And if that sexuality is expressed, it is no longer benign. Then it will run into the existing regulations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The code offers sufficient protections against much of the conduct that supporters of this amendment fear. And it can certainly be expanded to prevent breaches of decorum or good order. The specter of drill sergeants dancing together is unsettling, to say the least, Mr. President. But some of the amendment's supporters fail to note it is just the kind of behavior already prohibited by the Uniform Code, as is almost all of the conduct presented as a concern by those who are in favor of this particular amendment. The President is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Services, and he sets the goals. Just as many military men were given the goal of ejecting Iraqi forces from Kuwait, and led the plan and implemented that goal, I believe that the military should also be cast with making the President's goal a reality. As a former military commander, I can tell you that if a goal of truly equal access to military service is to be reached, I believe that the military itself will have to come to terms with it. That will best be done if given the proper role of implementing the President's directive. The hearings announced actually last year by the distinguished chairman of the Armed Services Committee will add information and understanding to that process and will let us fulfill the Congress' proper role of ensuring that readiness is maintained while achieving the President's goal. But I ask we not let fear govern our actions. While we may not perfectly understand what motivates individual sexuality, we cannot allow that lack of understanding to block deserving patriotic Americans from service. Mr. President, I hope that my colleagues will oppose the amendment offered by my distinguished and very respected colleague, the Republican leader, in this particular instance. I yield the floor. Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Chuck Robb, a friend and colleague whom I deeply admire. Throughout our service together in the U.S. Senate, I have observed Senator Robb's unfailing commitment to principle. Chuck Robb served his country courageously in Vietnam, and he served the Commonwealth of Virginia just as courageously in the U.S. Senate. Time and again, he voted his conscience, despite pressures to the contrary. Senator Robb let principle, not politics, be his guide during his service in the body. His conduct should give every American faith that legislators can conduct themselves in a way that does honor to our democracy. Senator Robb opposed the flag desecration constitutional amendment, opposed the Defense of Marriage Act, and supported spending cuts while opposing the politically popular tax cuts. He did what he thought was in the best interest of Virginians and the nation, and I thank him for that. The Senate is a better place for Senator Robb's service, and I join my colleagues in wishing him and his family all the best as he moves on to new endeavors. Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I would like to recognize the leadership and accomplishments of a respected colleague who will be departing at the end of this term. Senator Chuck Robb has served in the Senate as a representative of Virginia for more than a decade. During his tenure, he has been a strong advocate for a wide range of important legislative reform activities. During his time in the Senate, Senator Robb has fought to strengthen national security, maintain fiscal responsibility, and protect the environment. He has also been widely recognized for his longstanding commitment to improving education. As a former Governor of Virginia, Senator Robb was instrumental in increasing resources for schools. Building on these efforts, he spearheaded efforts to help states and localities build and [[Page S11849]] renovate schools, promoted legislation to put 100,000 new teachers in the classroom, fought for school safety initiatives, and championed measures to wire schools to the Internet. These are important efforts that have benefited children and teachers across the nation. As colleagues on the Finance Committee, we have fought to address the challenges facing Social Security and Medicare. Just this year, we worked closely to develop a proposal to provide prescription drug coverage for all Medicare beneficiaries. I am proud to say that this proposal would provide much needed drug coverage to millions of seniors citizens and disabled individuals. I would also like to note that I am proud to have worked with a colleague with such a distinguished military background. Senator Robb served our nation for more than 34 years, during which time he received national honors for his leadership and commitment to serving our nation. For these and many other reasons, I have been honored to serve with Chuck Robb. I would like to join my colleagues in wishing him and his family all the best in the future. ____________________ |