returned to the news when some senators proposed renaming the Peace Corps building after Coverdell. 1992 U.S. Senate election In 1992, Coverdell faced an uphill fight to win a U.S. Senate seat and had to campaign in four separate elections (all-candidate primary, primary runoff, all-party general, and general runoff). Coverdell was not a natural campaigner. Senator Phil Gramm, then chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he was appalled the first time he saw Coverdell speak. "Paul got up and spoke in that squeaky voice and he sort of had a way of jumping up and down when he was speaking and waving his hands," Gramm said. "But little did I know ... that this man had the heart of a lion." Facing four other candidates in the Republican primary, Coverdell failed to win 50% of the vote and was forced into a runoff against Bob Barr that he won by only 1,600 votes. The general election also proved difficult. Democratic incumbent Wyche Fowler beat Coverdell by 30,000 votes on election day, but because the Libertarian candidate, Jim Hudson, had won 3 percent of the vote another runoff election was required. On November 24, Coverdell won the runoff by slightly over 16,000 votes, aided by an endorsement from Hudson, who was no longer in the race; he became only the second Republican Georgia sent to the Senate since Reconstruction. President Bush showed his support for Coverdell and Barbara Bush campaigned for Coverdell during the Senate race. Coverdell was also aided by a memorable ad campaign, highlighted by the "Jingle" television and radio spots featuring a ditty written and sung by senior citizen Margie Lopp. United States Senator (1993–2000) Service in the Senate Coverdell served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Agriculture Committee, and Small Business Committee. After the death of Senator John Chafee on October 24, 1999, a seat opened up on the Senate Finance Committee and Coverdell relinquished his seat on the Foreign Relations Committee to fill the seat. Coverdell sponsored legislation used by millions of Americans to fund college educations for their children originally called Education IRAs but now known as Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (CESAs) or Coverdell Plans for short. Coverdell ESAs allow money to grow tax deferred and proceeds to be withdrawn tax free for qualified education expenses at a qualified institution. Coverdell sponsored the Volunteer Protection Act, a complex law that, in general, protects