Sam Brownback: “I rise to pay tribute to William Rehnquist, 16th Chief Justice of the United States. That is the title, Chief Justice of…”

“I rise to pay tribute to William Rehnquist, 16th Chief Justice of the United States. That is the title, Chief Justice of the United States. While the ceremony honoring him goes forward I think it is appropriate that we in this body recognize his incredible service to the Nation. His biography, where he came from and what he did, has been spoken of a great deal. What I wanted to speak about is not only that, but also his personal impact on me, one that he wouldn't have known or known about. As a young law student in the early 1980s at the University of Kansas, I can remember studying constitutional law and other areas where his opinions came forth. Frequently, in those days he was in the minority opinion role. Many of my law school professors would say: Can you believe what this guy wrote? I remember reading his opinions and thinking his opinion seemed very logical. It seems to me, he believed in holding with the great traditions of being a nation of the rule of law, not the rule of man. The Constitution is a textural document. Chief Justice Rehnquist had a big impact on me in his writings and what he believed we stood for as a nation. He has had a big impact on this Nation, and he will be sorely missed. He was genteel in all of his dealings. Even when he presided in the Senate over the impeachment trial for President Clinton, he did so in a very stately, gentle fashion.…”