The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RETIREMENT OF SENATOR J. BENNETT JOHNSTON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S11965-S11966 on Sept. 30, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RETIREMENT OF SENATOR J. BENNETT JOHNSTON
Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I rise today to say farewell to a colleague who is retiring from the Senate the end of this Congress--
Senator J. Bennett Johnston of Louisiana. Senator Johnston has been a good friend to Illinois, and his decision to retire will be a loss to Louisiana, a loss to this Chamber, and a loss to the Unites States.
Senator Johnston was born in Shreveport, LA in 1932, attended Byrd High School and studied at the U.S. Military Academy and Washington and Lee University. He began his political career 32 years ago, serving eight years in the Louisiana Legislature and 24 years in the U.S. Senate.
Since his arrival to the Senate, Senator Johnston has fought hard on behalf of the people of Louisiana. He has used his seniority on the Senate Agriculture Committee to fight for the priorities of Louisiana farmers. He has worked to enhance navigation, flood control and hurricane protection in Louisiana, a State with many critical waterways. And he has fought to bring Federal dollars back to his home State, such as creating five national research centers at Louisiana universities and working to modernize Louisiana's military installations.
Today, Senator Johnston is known nationally as a leader on energy issues. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator Johnston has been one of the chief congressional architects in crafting national energy policy, including what is considered his crowning achievement, the National Energy Security Act, the most comprehensive energy bill ever to pass Congress.
I appreciate the assistance that Senator Johnston has provided to the State of Illinois over the years. Illinois is home to two major Department of Energy laboratories, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory. Senator Johnston's support has been critical to ensuring that Federal funding for these institutions, and the programs under their jurisdiction, is preserved as much as possible during these times of tight budgets. During the debate on the Integral Fast Reactor, a major Illinois research program on next-generation nuclear technology, it again was Senator Johnston whose assistance and support were crucial to our victory. And it was his support that ensured that the jobs, research and hundreds of millions of dollars invested in IFR research were not wasted once the IFR program was eventually phased out.
There are other Illinois programs and priorities that would not have been possible without the assistance of Senator Johnston, including preserving Federal funding for such critical Illinois projects as the reconstruction of the Chicago shoreline, the ongoing development the Deep Tunnel Flood Control System, and the Upper Mississippi River Feasibility Study.
I have always admired the distinguished Senator's skilled advocacy in defending his State's interests. During the Senate debate on ethanol, I found him a formidable opponent, as was demonstrated by the fact that it took a tie-breaking vote from the Vice President to reach a final decision on that issue. That tight margin exemplifies the kind of excellence and thoroughness Senator Johnston brings to his legislative efforts.
This institution will lose a great asset with the retirement of the distinguished Senator from Louisiana. I wish him, and his family, the very best in their future endeavors.
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