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.
“TRIBUTE TO JIM PAXTON” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S6298 on Sept. 25, 2018.
The Department oversees energy policies and is involved in how the US handles nuclear programs. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department's misguided energy regulations have caused large losses to consumers for decades.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO JIM PAXTON
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, at the end of this month, my friend Jim Paxton will end his 32-year tenure with the Paducah Sun newspaper in western Kentucky. Through his service as the paper's editor and publisher, Jim has shown a dedication to his community and his organization, and he deserves our sincere gratitude. Looking back at his experience with the paper, Jim called it, ``the best job a person could ask for.'' It is my privilege to congratulate him on his remarkable career in journalism.
Founded more than 120 years ago as the Paducah Evening Sun, Jim's newspaper has always been a family business. Before joining the paper, Jim worked with other news organizations in Nashville and Lexington and went to law school. However, after a tragic aviation accident that claimed the life of the Sun's previous editor, Jack Paxton, Jim left his legal career behind and agreed to lead the local institution.
Jim began at the Sun in 1986 and soon after earned the title of editor. With his brothers David and Richard, who later joined the company, the family expanded their media offering to better serve their community. The story of Paducah is intertwined with the region's river system, and the Sun has the news that its readers need for their day. There is a great deal of local news to cover. Paducah is the heart of our Nation's inland waterways network, and it is home to both the National Quilt Museum and the U.S. Department of Energy's Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Further, in 2013, the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, designated Paducah as the world's seventh City of Crafts and Folk Art. The Paducah Sun, under Jim's leadership, has kept a close eye on each of these aspects of the city's life and heritage.
In recent years, Jim has taken a leading role in crafting the Sun's editorial page, a page of his paper I rarely miss. I have especially enjoyed each of my opportunities to meet with the paper's editorial board to discuss the issues most vital to Paducah's future. By presenting a fair and even-handed opinion to his audience, Jim and the Sun's staff have made themselves a central feature of the day for many western Kentuckians.
When Jim leaves his post at the end of this month, he does so after a career filled with distinction and one he can be proud of. Whatever the future may hold for Jim and his family, I send them my sincere best wishes. Families throughout Paducah and across the Commonwealth have benefited from Jim's diligence and thoughtfulness, and I would like to express my profound gratitude to him. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in congratulating Jim Paxton, the gold standard for a professional newsman, on a successful career and wishing him a happy retirement.
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