Mike Levin: “let me join Senator Thurmond, our chairman, in thanking a number of people, the members of our committee. Let me not…”

“let me join Senator Thurmond, our chairman, in thanking a number of people, the members of our committee. Let me not single out anybody, but I do want to pay a special tribute to Senator Warner, Senator Thurmond's loyal lieutenant, who really worked along with Senator Thurmond and made it possible. We have great members of this Armed Services Committee who worked with us on a bipartisan basis--David Lyles on our side and staff on our side, Les Brownlee and staff on the Republican side, working together, all the time, to try to fashion a bill on which all of us at the end can come together. We want to thank our leaders, Senator Lott, Senator Daschle who worked so hard to make this kind of effort happen in just a few days. It seemed like a long period of time this was on the floor, but as complicated a bill as this is, and involving as many issues and as much money as this bill does, we really, I think, disposed of this bill with great dispatch as well as bipartisanship. This bill is a tribute to Senator Thurmond. Many have paid tribute to him tonight, and I won't repeat that except to say I will always remember this evening, naming a bill that strengthens our national security after Senator Strom Thurmond, who has meant so much to the national security of this country. It has been a real pleasure and an honor to work with Senator Thurmond.”