Floor Statement on the Death of Senator Moynihan
Senate Floor Statement of Senator Sessions
On the Death of Senator Moynihan
Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Mr. President, I wish to share a few thoughts on the passing of the remarkable Daniel Patrick Moynihan, one of America's most brilliant people. He graced this Senate and served this country in innumerable ways.
He, of course, was a great scientist, a person able to study complex data and make serious judgments. I remember being in the subway at a point not too long before he left the Senate. Some numbers had come out that indicated we were doing a little better in marriage, a little less number of children were being born out of wedlock. We were standing there and somebody said something about that point. With great intensity and passion, he said: That's nothing. In the history of the world, no Nation has ever seen a collapse of marriage like we are seeing in this country.
It just hit me he was giving us a scientific analysis of a very serious social problem with which we needed to deal, and he took it very seriously.
Another incident I recall was being in this small dining room. We were working late one night and voting. I went in with the majority leader, Trent Lott, and was talking to Trent about Colombia, the revolutionaries there, the Marxist group, the drug dealing group and wanted to do some things better for Colombia. We sat down and Senator Moynihan was there. Trent said:
Pat, tell me about Colombia; what's going on in Colombia. We just sat in rapt attention as he described the last 50 years in Colombia in detailhow this country had developed a history of violence, how they were having revolutionary problems, and how it was going to be very difficult to eliminate those problems. I was stunned at the encyclopedic knowledge he displayed.
As we left, Trent said: I love to ask him those questions. He always knows those kinds of things. He said: I do it frequently just to see what he will share with us.
I remember asking about serving as Ambassador to India. He told a story, a complex story, that gave such great insight into the good people of India.
Pat Moynihan was an extraordinary person. He operated on a higher level. He benefited this country in many ways. He served Republican Presidents and Democratic Presidents, and he served in this body. He helped point out the problems with welfare and helped us move toward reform. He served on the commission that courageously gave insight into how we may improve Social Security. He, in many ways, on those two issues with Nixon going to China had the ability and the credibility to move the country in a way that some lesser Senator may not have been able to do.
I wanted to take a moment before we adjourned to express my thoughts about Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, one of the most brilliant people to ever grace this body.