[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10] [Senate] [Pages 14176-14177] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JESSE HELMS Mr. REID. Mr. President, on Friday, the Fourth of July--in fact the Fourth of July had just broken; it was an hour and a half after midnight--the Senate lost a Member of our Senate family: Jesse Helms of North Carolina. I can't but think of Jesse Helms and the first name that enters my mind is Senator Paul Wellstone. Paul Wellstone, as we all remember, was a Senator from Minnesota. I am sure it seems odd to most people-- recognizing their political proclivities; that is, those of Senator Wellstone and those of Senator Helms--why my mind picks up Paul Wellstone upon mentioning the name of Jesse Helms. It is hard to imagine two Senators more divergent in their views. Senator Wellstone was clearly a liberal. Senator Helms was clearly a very conservative man. Their views were very divergent, very different. It is no secret because he told everyone when he came to Washington-- Paul Wellstone made it clear he didn't like his rightwing colleague from North Carolina, Jesse Helms. He said that openly. But it was not long before Paul Wellstone publicly changed his view of Senator Helms. Senator Wellstone continued to fiercely disagree with Jesse Helms on most issues, but he quickly came to respect him for his sincerity. When I came to the Senate, I, similar to all new Senators, was excited to be here and understood what a great honor it was to represent the people of the State of Nevada in the Senate. But one of the last people whom I was going to try to befriend was Jesse Helms. As a moderate Democrat, I found his views extreme. We found little common ground in points of policy, it appeared. As a freshman Senator, I enjoyed presiding, as does the Presiding Officer now presiding over the Senate. I spent my share of time in the seat the Presiding Officer now has. I enjoyed that very much. During my time, that first 2 years I was in the Senate, I watched Jesse Helms right over here to my right, stand and talk often--and a lot. I can remember one time he was here--I was the Presiding Officer, he was over there--there was not another person in this Chamber. Jesse Helms said to me, as sincerely as anyone could say anything--and he had a distinct speaking voice--he said to me as sincerely as anyone could say anything, he said: Mr. President, I don't want to be here on this issue but no one else will come and talk on it. It was an issue dealing with pornography. The speech Jesse Helms gave was often on issues that other people would not speak out about. But I became so impressed with his sincerity, that he wasn't doing what he said for political reasons; he was doing it because that is what he believed. We all have to admire someone such as that, even though we may disagree with what they speak. I came to understand what Paul Wellstone had come to realize. I came to it before Paul Wellstone did because I got here before he did. Whether you agreed with the Senator from North Carolina, his sincerity and his views and the forthright way in which he stood by them were remarkable. So I believe it is fitting that Jesse Helms' last day on Earth was the Fourth of July. He loved his country. He spent [[Page 14177]] every day doing what he believed was necessary to make it stronger. His wife Dorothy and children, Jane, Nancy, and Charles, along with seven Helms grandchildren and one great grandchild are in our thoughts. Rest well, Jesse Helms. I have some other things to say, but perhaps my colleague wants to say something about Senator Helms? If that is the case, I will save my remarks until he finishes. ____________________