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.
“MORRIS K. UDALL” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Senate section on pages S2391 on March 8, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
MORRIS K. UDALL
Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, yesterday this body paid tribute to one of the greatest men to serve in Congress in the twentieth century, Morris ``Mo'' Udall from Arizona. Yesterday, I was proud to sign the resolution honoring him, and I would like to pay tribute to him now.
Mo Udall was a giant. For thirty years, he straddled politics in Arizona and America. He was a statesman as well as a legislator, and an intellectual as well as a politician. Although Mo believed passionately in many causes and was a Democrat through and through, his wit and warmth helped him forge many productive, bipartisan relationships with his colleagues across the aisle. Mo's intelligence, commitment, and personal touch helped him create a legislative legacy that still shines bright today, almost forty years since he entered the House of Representatives.
As everyone who follows public affairs knows, Mo Udall hailed from a family with a rich tradition in politics and public service. His ancestors were pioneers who helped transform the Arizona Territory into a great state. Mo entered Congress after winning a special election in 1961 to replace his brother, Stewart, whom President Kennedy had tapped to head the Department of the Interior.
Today, the Udall name continues to resonate in Congress. Mo's son, Mark, and his nephew, Tom, both were elected to the House in 1998. I know they will carry on the great tradition of public service and Congressional achievement set by their fathers.
Mo was such a modest and easy-going man that one sometimes overlooks the enormity of his legislative record. After rising to the chairmanship of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, a position he held until his retirement in 1991, Mo wrote much of the nation's most important environmental legislation. He pushed through important regulations concerning land, water, mineral, and timber use. Mo also helped reform America's postal system and our campaign finance laws, and he was instrumental in reforming the seniority system in Congress.
In addition to being a great legislator, Mo Udall was a great man. He bridged divisions and always sought to bring people together to work for the good of the country.
Like many of my colleagues, I believe Mo's wit and self-deprecating manner were largely responsible for his successes. Perhaps the best way to illustrate his humor is to relate a joke he loved to tell about one of his campaign visits to New Hampshire during his 1996 Presidential race. At one stop, Mo approached a group of men to tell them he was running for President, only to be told, ``Yes, we were just laughing about that.''
Mr. President, if ever a public servant deserved to be taken seriously, it was Mo Udall. It is a sign of his stature as a man that despite his many accomplishments, he never took himself too seriously.
Today I am honored to pay my respects to my friend Mo Udall, whose legacy of public service and bipartisan achievement will be remembered for many lifetimes.
____________________
