AND HE SAID, HE'S BEEN RIGHT NEXT TO YOU THE WHOLE TIME. IT
           DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN'T DO IT YOURSELF. IT
           LOOKS LIKE HE'S DOING IT FOR YOU. HE SAID, PAUL, THE TRICK IS
           THIS. YOU WANT TO HAVE MIKE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM YOU SO THAT IT
           LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING IT YOURSELF, BUT CLOSE NIF TO YOU YOU--
           --CLOSE ENOUGH TO YOU IN CASE THEY THROW A WHIZER ON YOU, HE
           CAN BE ONE INCH AWAY FROM YOUR SIDE. THAT HAS BASICALLY BEEN MY

           METHODOLOGY AS A SENATOR. I HAVE MIKE FAR ENOUGH AWAY SO IT
           LOOKS LIKE I'M DOING IT ON MY OWN BUT MIKE CLOSE ENOUGH SO THAT
           ALWAYS WHEN I NEED THE ADVICE, I GET IT. MIKE EPSTEIN, I SPEAK
           ON THE FLOOR TODAY OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE AND OTHERS COME
           OUT TO SPEAK BECAUSE YOU ARE AN INSTITUTION. AND I WANT TO MAKE
           SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HEAR THESE WORDS LOUD AND CLEAR.

           MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT?
           
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NEVADA.
           

           MR. REID: MR. PRESIDENT, WHEN I LEARNED THAT MIKE WAS SICK AND
           THOUGHT I SHOULD COME DOWN AND SAY A FEW WORDS, I THOUGHT WHAT
           COULD I SAY?
           I DON'T WANT TO SAY ANYTHING THAT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE. SO
           I WENT TO MY PERSON THAT DOES MY FLOOR WORK HERE ON THE SENATE,
           PETER RAPUS, AND I SAID TELL ME ABOUT MIKE EPSTEIN. WHAT DO YOU
           KNOW ABOUT MIKE EPSTEIN?
           AND HE SAID -- AND I MADE SOME NOTES HERE. HE SAID HE ALWAYS
           TOLD US SOME JOKES AND IT WAS ALWAYS FUNNY, ALWAYS HAD A SMILE

           AND HE APPEARS TO BE SENATOR WELLSTONE'S BEST FRIEND. WELL,
           THOSE ARE THE SAME THINGS THAT I FELT ABOUT MIKE EPSTEIN
           EPSTEIN. SO I GUESS THE FEELINGS ABOUT MIKE ARE PRETTY WELL
           KNOWN HERE IN THE SENATE. HE HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR, ALWAYS
           HAD THAT KIND OF SLY GRIN ON HIS FACE WHEN HE WAS HERE IN THE
           SENATE, WHICH I APPRECIATED A LOT. AND, MIKE, I ALWAYS
           APPRECIATED YOUR BEING SO COURTEOUS TO ME. I HAD A LOT OF

           DEALINGS WITH YOU. BECAUSE AS WE PROCEED HERE IN THE SENATE --
           AND I SAY THIS THROUGH SENATOR WELLSTONE TO MIKE -- IT SEEMS
           THAT ONE OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES HERE IS TO TRY TO GET THE
           LEGISLATION MOVING. AND A LOT OF TIMES SENATOR WELLSTONE KIND
           OF THREW A MONKEY WRENCH INTO LEGISLATION MOVING AROUND HERE.
           AND WHO WOULD I GO TO TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY WAS HAPPENING?
           I WOULD GO TO THE BACK ROW HERE AND TALK TO MIKE AND SAY, MIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?
           AND HE WITH THAT LITTLE GRIN ON HIS FACE WOULD TELL ME WHAT WAS

           GOING ON. HE WAS ALWAYS THE PERSON I WOULD GO TO TO BREAK
           THROUGH THE WELLSTONE LOGJAM THAT WAS CREATED. I WAS LOOKING
           THIS MORNING FOR SOMETHING THAT WOULD KIND OF DESCRIBE YOU,
           MIKE. I FOUND A QUOTE BY JAMES BERRY THAT IS PRETTY GOOD. I
           THINK REALLY SIZES UP WHAT YOU APPEAR TO BE. BERRY SAID,
           "ALWAYS BE A LITTLE KINDER THAN NECESSARY." CERTAINLY OF MIKE

           EPSTEIN, THAT'S THE CASE. MIKE IS ALWAYS A LITTLE KINDER THAN
           NECESSARY TO ME. ALWAYS KIND, BUT A LOT OF TIMES YOU -- I
           THOUGHT TO MYSELF, BOY, THAT IS REALLY A NICE PERSON. I GUESS I
           THOUGHT MAYBE HE WAS A LITTLE KINDER TO ME THAN WAS NECESSARY.
           AROUND CAPITOL HILL WE FIND, THOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE MIKE
           EPSTEIN, PEOPLE THAT -- I NEVER LOOK AT MIKE'S RESUME-- --I
           NEVER LOOKED AT MIKE'S RESUME. I DID THOUGH; MY STAFF GAVE ME A

           LITTLE BACKGROUND RESUME OF MIKE TODAY. HERE IS A MAN WHO
           GRADUATED FROM BROWN UNIVERSITY. BROWN IS AN IVY LEAGUE SCHOOL,
           A WONDERFUL SCHOOL, SOME SAY THE BEST SCHOOL IN AMERICA. IT IS
           VERY HARD TO GET IN. IT IS A SMALL SCHOOL, AND THEY ONLY TAKE
           THE BEST PEOPLE WHO THEY THINK COULD ACADEMICALLY BE A SUCCESS.
           THEN, OF COURSE, HE WENT TO BOSTON UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL, WHICH
           IS ONE OF THE TOP LAW SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY. HE HAD A RESUME;
           COULD HAVE GONE ANYPLACE IN THE WORLD TO WORK IN THE LEGAL

           FIELD, ANYPLACE IN THE LEGAL WORLD TO WORK. BUT HE DECIDED VERY
           EARLY ON THAT HE WANTED A LIFE IN PUBLIC SERVICE, AND THAT'S
           WHAT HE'S DONE. HE SERVED AS SOON AS HE GOT OUT OF LAW SCHOOL
           IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, AS STAFF COUNSEL, PROSECUTING
           ATTORNEY, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, WORKED IN
           THE CRIMINAL DIVISION. IN 1970 OR 1971 MIKE MOVED TO CAPITOL
           HILL WHERE HE SPENT THE REST OF HIS CAREER. AND WHAT OCCURRED

           IS I AGAIN REPEAT IT. ANY JUNCTURE OF MIKE'S CAREER, HE COULD
           HAVE GONE ANYPLACE IN WASHINGTON TO MAKE THE BIG BUCKS AS A
           LOBBYIST, AS AN ATTORNEY, IN ONE OF THE BIG LAW FIRMS, BUT HE
           DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT. HE DECIDED TO BE A SPECIAL -- COUNSEL
           OF THE SPECIAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE INTELLIGENCE
           ACTIVITIES, SENATE COUNSEL ON THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE
           ITSELF. HE WAS COUNSEL TO ONE OF THE SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADERS.

           HE WAS COUNSEL TO THE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE, CHIEF
           COUNSEL. AND OF COURSE THE LAST TEN YEARS OR SO THE LEGISLATIVE
           DIRECTOR FOR SENATOR WELLSTONE. AT ANY JUNCTURE OF HIS CAREER,
           INCLUDING ANY TIME THAT HE WORKED FOR SENATOR WELLSTONE, HE
           COULD HAVE GONE ANYPLACE IN TOWN TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY. HE HAD
           A GREAT ACADEMIC BACKGROUND. AND, OF COURSE, HIS EXPERIENCE IS
           TREMENDOUS. SO I FEEL VERY MOVED TO SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT MIKE

           EPSTEIN, THINGS THAT I WISH I SAID EARLIER ON. SO, MIKE, I
           CERTAINLY WISH YOU THE BEST. I KNOW THAT YOUR HEALTH ISN'T AS
           GOOD AS WE'D LIKE IT. BUT I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU HAVE SOME
           PEACE AND REST IN THE NEXT LITTLE BIT, THAT YOU RECOGNIZE HOW
           MUCH THOSE OF US WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IN THIS BACK ROW
           HELPING SENATOR WELLSTONE, KIND OF A MINI "ME" OF THE WELLSTONE

           OPERATION. I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT JONATHAN AND BOB,
           YOUR TWO CHILDREN, SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS
           YOU'VE MADE TO GOVERNMENT IN AMERICA. THINGS ARE BETTER BECAUSE
           OF YOU. AND CERTAINLY I KNOW THAT THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS
           SENATOR WELLSTONE HAS MADE DURING HIS CAREER HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY
           RELATED TO YOUR EXPERTISE. I YIELD THE FLOOR.
           

           MR. WELLSTONE: MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE SENATOR
           FROM NEVADA.
           

           MR. DASCHLE: MR. PRESIDENT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TIME
           ALLOCATION IS, BUT I'LL USE MY LEADER TIME TO MAKE A FEW
           REMARKS IF I COULD. EVERY DAY UNTIL RECENTLY IF YOU LOOKED
           TOWARD THE WEST ENTRANCE OF THE SENATE FLOOR, AS MY COLLEAGUE
           FROM NEVADA HAS JUST NOTED, CHANCES RE YOU WOULD SEE MIKE
           EPSTEIN; THAT WONDERFUL, WARM SMILE. SENATOR WELLSTONE'S
           LEARNED AND MUCH LOVED LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR. TODAY, AS SO MANY
           OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY NOTED, HE'S NOT WITH US. HE'S AT

           HOME RESTING BECAUSE HE'S VERY, VERY SICK. BUT HIS ABSENCE FROM
           THIS FLOOR, FROM THIS SENATE HE LOVES SO WELL IS CONSPICUOUS.
           IT IS BEING FELT IN THE HEARTS OF EVERY MEMBER OF THE SENATE
           COMMUNITY. INDEED IT IS BEING FELT IN THE VERY HEART OF THIS
           INSTITUTION ITSELF. FOR MIKE EPSTEIN IS ACTUALLY AN INSTITUTION
           WITHIN AN INSTITUTION. HE IS A SENATE STAFFER OF THE OLD
           SCHOOL. HE CAME TO THE SENATE IN 1971, BEFORE VIRTUALLY EVERY

           MEMBER OF THE SENATE STAFF AND BEFORE ALL BUT SEVEN SITTING
           SENATORS. THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF THING MIKE WOULD EVER TELL
           YOU. AS A STAFFER OF THE OLD SCHOOL, HE ISN'T GIVEN TO BOASTING
           OR SELF-PROMOTION. THEN AGAIN, HE DOESN'T HAVE TO. HIS
           EXPERIENCE, HIS ABILITY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. DURING HIS TENURE
           HERE, HE HAS SERVED ON THE STAFFS, AS I'M SURE MY COLLEAGUES
           HAVE ALREADY NOTED, OF SOME OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED SENATORS
           TO
           

           SERVE IN MY LIFETIME: SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD, SENATOR TED
           KENNEDY, SENATOR PAUL SARBANES, AND NOW FOR THE LAST NINE YEARS
           OUR DEAR, DEAR SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA, SENATOR PAUL WELLSTONE.
           HE HAS ALSO SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE STAFFS OF THE COMMITTEES
           ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, ETHICS, LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES AND
           JUDICIARY. HE FIRST CAME TO WASHINGTON IN 1962 AS A YOUNG
           ATTORNEY WORKING AT THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR ATTORNEY
           GENERAL ROBERT KENNEDY. ALONG THE WAY HE PICKED UP A LIBRARY

           FULL OF KNOWLEDGE AND A MIND FULL OF WISDOM. HE BECAME AT THE
           ELBOW OF THE MASTER, SENATOR ROBERT C. BYRD, AEXPERT IN THE
           SENATE HISTORY RULES AND PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. HE ALSO
           BECAME A FRIEND, A TEACHER, A MENTOR TO GENERATIONS OF SENATE
           STAFF. AND HE BECAME A VALUED AND TRUSTED COUNSELOR TO THE
           SENATORS FOR WHOM HE WORKED AND FOR MANY OTHERS, THIS SENATOR
           INCLUDED. WHAT A CAREER. WHAT A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT. BUT

           THEN AGAIN, WHAT A REMARKABLE MAN. WHAT IS PERHAPS MOST
           REMARKABLE ABOUT MIKE IS HIS PASSION. EVEN THOUGH ALL THOSE
           YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE TENDS TO WEAR SOMEONE DOWN, HE IS STILL
           FIERCELY, PROUDLY COMMITTED TO THE IDEALS OF AN AGGRESSIVE
           AGENDA, MUCH LIKE HIS BOSS, PAUL WELLSTONE. BUT "BOSS" IS THE
           WRONG TERM TO USE IN DESCRIBING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MIKE
           AND PAUL. THEY ARE MORE LIKE FAMILY. IN FACT, MIKE SAYS PAUL IS
           LIKE A BROTHER TO HIM. I KNOW PAUL FEELS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY

           ABOUT MIKE. BEFORE JOINING PAUL'S STAFF IN 1991, MIKE TOLD A
           FRIEND THAT HIS DREAM JOB WOULD BE TO WORK AS SENATOR PAUL
           WELLSTONE'S LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR. THAT DREAM CAME TRUE FOR
           MIKE, AND HE AND PAUL HAVE BEEN INSEPARABLE EVER SINCE. SO, MR.
           PRESIDENT, ON BEHALF OF THE DEMOCRATIC CONFERENCE, THE
           DEMOCRATIC STAFF AND, FRANKLY, THE ENTIRE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, NOT
           TO MENTION OUR SENATE COMMUNITY, I WANT TO THANK MY FRIEND PAUL

           WELLSTONE FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND FOR TELLING THE SENATE HOW
           MUCH MIKE EPSTEIN MEANS TO THIS INSTITUTION AND TO ALL OF US.
           BUT MOST OF ALL, I WANT TO EXPRESS OUR HEARTFELT GRATITUDE TO
           OUR GALLANT, COURAGEOUS COLLEAGUE, MIKE EPSTEIN FOR HIS
           FRIENDSHIP AND FOR HIS INSPIRED SERVICE TO THE UNITED STATES
           AND TO THE NATION. MIKE, WE ARE KEEPING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
           VERY MUCH IN OUR THOUGHTS AND IN OUR PRAYERS. I YIELD THE
           FLOOR.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE SENATOR FROM NORTH DAKOTA.
           

           MR. DORGAN: MR. PRESIDENT, YESTERDAY SENATOR WELLSTONE TOLD OUR
           CAUCUS OF THE HEALTH CHALLENGES THAT MIKE EPSTEIN HAS BEEN
           FACING, AND I'M SOMEONE WHO KNOWS MIKE. AM I HIS CLOSEST FRIEND?
           NO. BUT SENATOR WELLSTONE HAD HIS OFFICE NEXT TO MINE IN THE
           HART BUILDING, AND I WOULD EVERY DAY DURING VOTES AND COMING
           AND GOING IN THE SENATE SEE MIKE EPSTEIN AND SEE MY COLLEAGUE,
           SENATOR WELLSTONE, MOVING BACK AND FORTH. AND I WATCHED WITH

           SOME WONDER AT THE WORK THAT HE DID FOR SENATOR WELLSTONE. I
           KNOW HE'S NOW FACING A HEALTH CHALLENGE. THOSE ARE DIFFICULT.
           AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE TIMES IN THIS FAST-PACED WORLD OF
           OURS, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE WITH THE
           TRAVEL AND THE HEARINGS AND THE MOVING ABOUT QUICKLY THAT IT'S
           EASY TO FORGET WHAT MAKES THIS WORK AND WHAT HAS REAL VALUE IN
           OUR LIVES. AND THIS, I THINK, IS A MOMENT AS MIKE FACES THIS
           CHALLENGE TO SAY TO MIKE, OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU

           TODAY AS YOU FACE THIS SERIOUS HEALTH CHALLENGE. BUT WE ALSO
           WANT TODAY, AS WE THINK OF YOU, TO SAY THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO
           HERE. THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE HERE, ESPECIALLY MY COLLEAGUE,
           SENATOR WELLSTONE, KNOW HOW IMPORTANT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
           ARE. THE ONLY THING WE REALLY HAVE AS WE TRY TO DEAL WITH
           PUBLIC POLICY IS OUR WORD. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS ARE
           EVERYTHING. BUT IT'S NOT JUST PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN
           SENATORS. IT'S ALSO THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT EXIST AROUND HERE
           BETWEEN SENATORS AND SOME TALENTED, DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO HELP

           MAKE THIS INSTITUTION WORK. AND ONE OF THOSE IS MIKE EPSTEIN.
           EACH OF US ASPIRE TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND
           THAT IS WHAT PERSUADES US HERE IN THE SENATE TO SEEK PUBLIC
           OFFICE. IT'S WHAT ASPIRES SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED, DEDICATED
           MEN AND WOMEN IN OUR COUNTRY TO WANT TO COME AND SERVE AND WORK
           IN THESE SENATE OFFICES. NOW, MIKE EPSTEIN HAS WORKED WITH
           SENATOR WELLSTONE FOR MANY YEARS. I KNOW SENATOR REID JUST

           TALKED ABOUT AT THE END OF PIECES OF LEGISLATION -- I WOULD SAY
           TO SENATOR WELLSTONE WELLSTONE, AT THE END OF THE PIECES OF
           LEGISLATION THAT ARE LONG, TORTURED TRIALS TO GET ALL THE
           AMENDMENTS IN, SENATOR REID AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE
           OUT HOW DO WE GET THESE AMENDMENTS COMPRESSED. IN ALMOST EVERY
           CASE AT THE END OF THE PROCESS IT WAS ALWAYS SENATOR WELLSTONE
           WITH THREE OR FOUR AMENDMENTS. AND THE REASON WAS I KNOW THAT
           MIKE EPSTEIN WAS SITTING BEHIND HIM AND SENATOR WELLSTONE WAS
           EXHIBITING THIS PASSION SAYING, NO, WE'VE GOT TO DO THESE. THIS
           IS IMPORTANT. AND IT WAS BECAUSE HE SHARES MIKE'S COMMITMENT TO

           GIVE VOICE TO THE VOICELESS AND HOPE TO THE HOPELESS AND TO NOT
           LET THE BIG THINGS OBSCURE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO
{END: 2000/05/03 TIME: 10-00 , Wed.  106TH SENATE, SECOND SESSION}