Editing Strom Thurmond (section)

=== 1990s and 2000s ===
Thurmond launched his campaign for an eighth term on February 12, 1990, citing that he had never before felt "a stronger obligation to continue my work for the future of our state and our nation."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/02/12/Thurmond-announces-bid-for-seventh-term/1082634798800/|title=Thurmond announces bid for seventh term|date=February 12, 1990|publisher=UPI}}</ref> Thurmond, then age 87, billed himself as having the health of a man in his fifties. The South Carolina Democratic Party faced difficulty recruiting a candidate which they believed had a chance of defeating Thurmond.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1990/02/11/Fiddle-fit-Thurmond-going-after-another-term/9968634712400/|title=Fiddle-fit Thurmond going after another term|publisher=UPI}}</ref> In the general election, Thurmond defeated retired intelligence officer Bob Cunningham, who had been his Republican primary opponent in 1984. (Cunningham had switched parties in 1990.)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/07/us/the-1990-elections-state-by-state-south.html|title=The 1990 Elections: State By State; South|date=November 7, 1990|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In early 1990, Thurmond sponsored a crime bill concurrent with another measure of the same intent, his version receiving the support of President Bush.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/24/us/senate-backs-curb-on-assault-rifles-by-a-vote-of-50-49.html|title=Senate Backs Curb on Assault Rifles by a Vote of 50-49|date=May 24, 1990|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Thurmond charged the Democratic proposal with aiding criminals and furthering the loss of rights on the part of victims.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/05/22/us/senate-begins-debate-on-anti-crime-bill.html|title=Senate Begins Debate on Anti-Crime Bill|date=May 22, 1990|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In June, the bill was nearly doomed following a procedural vote that forced Senate leaders to work toward modifying its provisions. Thurmond proposed that his fellow senators accept portions of the bill that the Senate had already passed including provisions expanding the number of federal crimes for which the death penalty could apply from 23 to 30 and restrictions on the number of appeals a condemned inmate may file in Federal courts, and the ban on the sale and manufacture of nine types of semiautomatic weapons.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/08/us/senate-s-leaders-move-to-salvage-crime-measure.html|title=Senate's Leaders Move to Salvage Crime Measure|date=June 8, 1990|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In 1992, the Senate voted on an anti-crime bill, Thurmond predicting that it would not pass due to what he considered its lack of strength: "This weak bill expands the rights of criminals. It is a fraud. It is a sham." He stated that President Bush had told him in advance of his intent to veto the bill if it passed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/03/19/Senate-refuses-to-kill-anti-crime-bill-filibuster/1767700981200/|title=Senate refuses to kill anti-crime bill filibuster|first=Steve|last=Gerstel|date=March 19, 1992|publisher=UPI}}</ref>

After President Bush nominated [[Clarence Thomas]] for Associate Justice, Thomas visited Thurmond and stated that he had been fortunate as a result of the Civil Rights Movement assisting him in getting out of poverty, a departure from his previous position of African-Americans achieving success through hard work and individual initiative. ''The New York Times'' observed, "Judge Thomas's remarks in Mr. Thurmond's office were not in response to reporters' specific questions and were clearly intended to rebut critics, including some by members of civil rights organizations, who say he should not be confirmed because of his vociferous opposition to affirmative action and racial quotas in hiring."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/10/us/court-nominee-gives-credit-to-civil-rights-movement.html|title=Court Nominee Gives Credit To Civil Rights Movement|date=July 10, 1991|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In September, as Thomas appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Thurmond interrupted a line of questioning by [[Howard Metzenbaum]] to defend Thomas against a complaint that Thomas had answered questions about cases except for abortion.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/12/us/the-thomas-hearings-thomas-undergoes-tough-questioning-on-past-remarks.html?mtrref=www.nytimes.com&gwh=DEA24C7A03E5803D59F8E76F62688902&gwt=pay|title=Thomas Undergoes Tough Questioning on Past Remarks|date=September 11, 1991|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Thurmond voted for Thomas's confirmation, and the latter was confirmed by the Senate in October 1991.

Thurmond became the head of the Armed Services Committee following the 1994 [[Republican Revolution]], in which the Republican Party gained eight seats in the Senate and gained a majority in both chambers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/10/us/1994-elections-congress-overview-gop-celebrates-its-sweep-power-clinton-vows.html|title=The 1994 Elections: Congress the Overview; G.O.P. CELEBRATES ITS SWEEP TO POWER; CLINTON VOWS TO FIND COMMON GROUND|date=November 10, 1994|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> According to Thurmond, he had survived "a little power play" orchestrated by fellow Republicans to continue serving as Chairman.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/08/us/power-play-failed-thurmond-says.html|title='Power Play' Failed, Thurmond Says|date=February 8, 1995|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In December, after President Clinton's announcement that he would seek a $25 billion increase in defense spending over the following six years, Thurmond called it a correct move but one which validated claims that the president had hastily cut the Pentagon budget.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/12/01/Thurmond-praises-criticizes-Clinton/6339786258000/ph|title=Thurmond praises, criticizes Clinton|date=December 1, 1994|publisher=UPI}}</ref> In late 1995, Thurmond joined a bipartisan coalition of politicians in supporting a petition intending "to loosen the rules governing the prescription drug methylphenidate". [[Methylphenidate|The drug]] is commonly known by the brand name Ritalin.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/10/21/opinion/reading-writing-and-ritalin.html|first=John|last=Merrow|title=Reading, Writing and Ritalin|date=October 21, 1995|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In his [[1996 United States Senate election in South Carolina|1996 re-election campaign]], Thurmond received primary opposition from Harold G. Worley and Charlie Thompson, and the question of age appeared again, given that he was 93 years old at the time. Thurmond remarked that the issue was the only one expressed by members of the press,<ref name="Grove">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1996/04/08/the-100-year-old-senator/d35cb667-e382-4097-9c81-402a6a469d40/|title=The 100-year-old Senator?|first=Lloyd|last=Grove|date=April 8, 1996|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> even as polls showed "that the vast majority of South Carolinians believe it is far past time for him to retire."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/24/us/thurmond-s-robust-legend-shields-him-at-93.html|title=Thurmond's Robust Legend Shields Him at 93|date=October 24, 1996|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Worley stated that the issue of age should be dealt with in the primary as opposed to the general election, encouraging Thurmond to be dropped as the seat's continuous nominee.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1996/news/9605/09/thurmond/index.shtml|title=South Carolina's Thurmond Still Running At 93|first=Bruce|last=Morton|work=CNN}}</ref> In the general election, Thurmond received 53.4 percent of the vote to the 44 percent of Democrat Elliott Springs Close.

On December 5, 1996, Thurmond became the oldest serving member of the U.S. Senate, and on May 25, 1997, the longest-serving member (41 years and 10 months), casting his 15,000th vote in September 1998.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-03-mn-19126-story.html|title=Senate Honors Thurmond, 95, for Casting His 15,000th Vote|date=September 3, 1998|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> In the following month, when astronaut and fellow Senator [[John Glenn]] was to embark on the [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] at age 77, Thurmond, who was his senior by 19 years, reportedly sent him a message saying; "I want to go too."<ref>''National Geographic,'' June 1999 edition, p.80</ref> On October 17, 1998, President [[Bill Clinton]] signed the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999 into law, an authorization of "appropriations for military activities of the Department of Defense, military construction, and defense activities of the Department of Energy." Clinton stated that the bill being named after Thurmond was a "well-deserved and appropriate tribute" due to his thirty-six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and his primary focus in the Senate being on U.S. national defense.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=55105|title=Statement on Signing the Strom Thurmond National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999|date=October 17, 1998|first=Bill|last=Clinton|author-link=Bill Clinton|publisher=American Presidency Project}}</ref>
[[File:Senator Thurmond 100th Birthday.jpg|thumb|310px|Army Chief of Staff [[Eric Shinseki]] meeting with<br/>Senator Thurmond on his 100th birthday.]]
In February 1999, Thurmond introduced legislation barring health messages on wine bottles, the measure intended to reverse what he called "erroneous and irresponsible" action of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The legislation transferred authority over labeling to the Department of Health and Human Services from the Treasury Department and increased taxes on wine.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stout |first=David |date=February 23, 1999 |title=Bill Would Bar Health Referral On Wine Label |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/23/us/bill-would-bar-health-referral-on-wine-label.html}}</ref> On May 26, 1999, the Senate voted on an amendment to a spending bill exonerating Husband E. Kimmel and Walter C. Short of charges of failing to anticipate the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] that led to American involvement in World War II. Thurmond was noted as one of five Senate members to have been a World War II veteran and back the measure and called Kimmel and Short "the last victims" of Pearl Harbor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shenon |first=Philip |date=May 26, 1999 |title=Senate Clears 2 Pearl Harbor 'Scapegoats' |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/26/us/senate-clears-2-pearl-harbor-scapegoats.html |access-date=May 1, 2018}}</ref> In January 2001, Thurmond endorsed his son Strom Thurmond Jr. for federal prosecutor in South Carolina in a recommendation to the Senate.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 24, 2001 |title=National News Briefs; Thurmond Recommends Son for U.S. Attorney |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/24/us/national-news-briefs-thurmond-recommends-son-for-us-attorney.html}}</ref>
In March, Thurmond voted for an amendment to the campaign finance reform bill of [[John McCain]] and [[Russ Feingold]]. Thurmond had initially opposed the measure and changed his vote at the last minute.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitchell |first=Alison |date=March 27, 2001 |title=Senate Extends Restrictions on Advertising |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/27/us/senate-extends-restrictions-on-advertising.html}}</ref>

Thurmond's 100th birthday was celebrated on December 5, 2002. Some remarks made by Mississippi Senator [[Trent Lott]] during the event were considered racially insensitive: "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we [<nowiki/>[[Mississippi]]] [[1948 United States presidential election in Mississippi|voted for him]]. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years, either." Fifteen days later, on December 20, [[Trent Lott#Resignation from Senate leadership|Lott resigned as the Senate Republican leader]] effective on January 3, 2003, the beginning of the next congressional session.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bartlett |first=Bruce |title=Wrong on Race: The Democratic Party's Buried Past |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2008 |isbn=978-0230600621 |page=182}}</ref> Thurmond left the Senate in January 2003 as the United States' longest-serving senator, a record later surpassed by Senator [[Robert Byrd]].<ref>{{cite news |date=December 5, 2002 |title=Thurmond marks 100th birthday |work=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/ALLPOLITICS/12/05/thurmond.birthday/index.html}}</ref> Thurmond was succeeded by then-Representative and fellow Republican [[Lindsey Graham]].