Editor's Note: Sadly, this week the DLC lost a long-time member, Stan Kimmitt. Stan had a distinguished career in the U.S. military and on Capitol Hill, and was a stalwart New Democrat. What follows are remarks made on the Senate floor remembering Stan. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and colleagues. He will be missed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. BREAUX. Mr. President, I rise to inform our Senate colleagues of the very unfortunate, untimely, and unexpected death of a person last evening who was truly a part of the family of the Senate. Although he was never elected to this body, he served this body with great distinction over a very long period of time and truly was part of the family of this distinguished body. I speak of Joseph Stanley Kimmitt, Stan Kimmitt, who served this body as Secretary of the Senate with great distinction from 1977 to 1981. Members who served during that period of time know how much he meant to the family of the Senate through his services, through his respect for this institution, for his understanding of the history of how important this institution is to our Nation and to the world.
Prior to that, Stan Kimmitt served as Secretary for the majority, as principal floor assistant to Majority Leader Senator Mike Mansfield from the State of Montana from 1966 to 1977. Prior to that, he was the administrative assistant or chief of staff to Senator Mike Mansfield.
Before he served the Senate, he served his country with great distinction in the U.S. Army during World War II. As a captain in the U.S. Army, he was selected to receive the Silver Star medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star medal and a number of other awards recognizing his service to our great Nation.
It was unfortunate that this man, who had seven wonderful children and a beautiful wife, passed away in a very untimely fashion, and I would just share it with the Senate family this afternoon. He was at a function where I happened to be receiving an acknowledgment of my service to the Senate, and Stan wanted to be there. He wanted to participate. After the principal person who was responsible for the function, the chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, Al From, made his remarks, Stan stood up and said: May I say something? Of course, the answer was: Absolutely.
He said some very kind things about me, and he said some very kind things about the Senate and this institution and how important it had been in his life. He quoted my predecessor in this body, Russell Long, as saying: When I have a friend, I have a friend, and I will fight for him or her until hell freezes over, and then I will fight on the ice.
That was the kind of friend that Stan Kimmitt was. He pointed out that he had to correct Russell Long because Russell Long, when he originally made that quote, I say to my colleagues, did not have the words ``or her.'' It was just ``I will fight for him until hell freezes over,'' and Stan had the duty of saying to Senator Long, You should say him or her, and Russell Long certainly followed his advice.
What I will mention in closing is that last night he spent almost a half hour talking to a young staff person who worked for me, a young lady by the name of Jodi Bannerman, and he sat there and talked about his days in the Senate and what this institution had meant to him and some of the things he has seen in this institution and how it has changed over the years.
He said last night that when he was here, the Senate was truly one big family. It was not segregated. When I say segregated, he was referring to the interaction between the two parties, that it was not two armed camps he was talking about last night, that it was one big family. We had our differences. We fought hard. We stood up for the principles of the party, but it was one big family that he was honored to have been able to serve in the capacity of Secretary of the Senate.
He was telling my young staff person he was very concerned about how he has seen things change, and that was unfortunate, in his mind. He told her there were three principles, three truths he knew to be true, and she wrote this down after she spoke to him: Never sacrifice your principles, never ask for more than you deserve, and never quit one thing until you have something better.
He said that twice in her conversation with him last night. Stan quoted to her the Hamlet quote, ``To thine own self be true,'' as advice that he was giving this young person about her own life.
He did not mention any regrets, only great memories of this great institution, and I think anyone who has had the privilege of either working here or serving here and working as a Member, as I have and as we all have, understands what a great honor this has been. Stan Kimmitt personalized that last night.
After he made those remarks, he sat down and never got up. We know that he is happy where he is, and I think part of that happiness is the knowledge that he had the great honor and privilege of serving his country and this great institution.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of former Secretary of the Senate Stan Kimmitt.
It was just a few weeks ago when I was with him on a trip to Montana and enjoyed swapping stories about his early days as a staff member in the Senate. He was a protege of Senator Mike Mansfield and served for 11 years as Secretary for the majority. Even though he was employed by the Democratic majority at the time, he enjoyed the friendship of Republican Senators, including this Senator.
Stan Kimmitt loved the Senate, and he respected its traditions and its role in our government. He was totally trustworthy.
I extend to his fine family my sincere condolences. His son Jay served for several years as a member of the staff of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and I enjoyed working with him in that capacity. It was also my good fortune to get to be with another son, Bob, when he was our Ambassador to Germany. His other son, Mark, was recently served as the spokesman for our Armed Forces in Iraq.
Stan was very proud of his family, and he had every right to be.
Stan Kimmitt was a wonderful person who reflected credit on the Senate by his dependable, conscientious devotion to his duties and his warm affection for those who served in this body.
Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to this resolution be printed in the record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 486) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 486
Whereas Stan Kimmitt served with distinction in the United States Army for 25 years, served in combat during World War II in Europe and later in Korea, received the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star for Valor with Three Oak Leaf Clusters, and retired with the rank of Colonel;
Whereas Stan Kimmitt began his service to the United States Senate in 1965 as administrative assistant to Majority Leader Mike Mansfield;
Whereas Stan Kimmitt served as Secretary for the Majority of the Senate from 1966 until 1977;
Whereas Stan Kimmitt served as Secretary of the Senate from 1977 until 1981;
Whereas after a distinguished career in the United States Army, Stan Kimmitt served as an employee of the Senate of the United States and ably and faithfully upheld the high standards and traditions of the staff of the Senate from 1965 until 1981;
Whereas Stan Kimmitt faithfully discharged the difficult duties and responsibilities of a wide variety of important and demanding positions in public life with honesty, integrity, loyalty and humility; and
Whereas Stan Kimmitt's clear understanding and appreciation of the challenges facing the Nation has left his mark on those many areas of public life: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of Stan Kimmitt .
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate communicate these resolutions to the House of Representatives and transmit an enrolled copy thereof to the family of the deceased.
Resolved, That when the Senate adjourns today, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Stan Kimmitt .
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I just want to say one thing before we get into debate. I think it is appropriate today to mention the death of Stan Kimmitt . Stan died last night. We have had a lot of familiarity with him here. He was in the cloakroom yesterday. Some may not recognize him by name, some of the new people here, but he was a fixture on the Democratic side of the Senate.
He served for 11 years as Secretary of the majority under Senator Mansfield when he was the majority leader. He was also elected Secretary of the Senate from 1977 to 1981. He was well known.
He was a World War II combat veteran, and he spent 25 years in the Army. He served in combat in both Korea and the European theater. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit.
I am not going to dwell on this other than to say it is people like him who have such a love for this institution they have worked in, that even though they leave, they are back. He had a very good business downtown but came here all the time.
As the Chaplain in his prayers talks about the Senate family, Stan Kimmitt was truly a part of the Senate family. I express my condolences on behalf of the entire Senate to his wife and his family.
