[Senate Document 109-26]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. GEORGE ALLEN
George Allen
U.S. SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
George Allen
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
George Allen
United States Congressman
1991-1993
United States Senator
2001-2007
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell to the Senate................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
4
Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
15
Clinton, Hillary Rodham, of New York...........
11
DeWine, Mike, of Ohio..........................
12
Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
12
Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina.............
18
Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
6
Frist, William H., of Tennessee................
17
Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska......................
3
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
13
Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
16
Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
12
Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
11
Martinez, Mel, of Florida......................
15
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
5
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
4
Salazar, Ken, of Colorado......................
6
Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................
17
Warner, John, of Virginia......................
7
Biography
Senator George Allen worked tirelessly in the U.S.
Senate to make Virginia and America a better place to
live, learn, work, and raise a family. A self-described
``common sense Jeffersonian Conservative,'' Senator Allen
trusts free people and free enterprise.
Senator Allen set clear priorities during his term in
the U.S. Senate. He strengthened and supported America's
national defense and homeland security, increased the
competitiveness of Virginia and the United States for
investment and quality, good-paying jobs, advocated and
embraced policies to make America a leader in the
advancement of technology, and reduced the tax burden on
families and small business owners.
As a member of the influential Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee, as well as the Small Business
and Entrepreneurship Committee, Senator Allen made the
creation of quality, good paying jobs in the Commonwealth
his focus. Because of his experience and work with the
tremendous high-tech presence in Virginia, Senator Allen
was appointed in 2001 to serve as chairman of the Senate
High Tech Task Force where he continued to advocate
policies to make America a leader in innovation from
nanotechnology to broadband to the education of future
engineers and scientists. In 2004, the Senate passed
Allen's Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, legislation
which extends the ban on multiple and discriminatory
taxation on the Internet until October 31, 2007. The bill
specifically bans three types of taxes that unfairly
single out the Internet, including regressive taxes on
Internet access, multiple taxation (for example, by two or
more States) of a product or service bought over the
Internet, and discriminatory taxes that treat Internet
purchases differently from other types of sales.
Senator Allen also worked hard to secure America from
foreign threats. Given the global security challenges of a
post 9/11 world, Senator Allen brought his knowledge of
Virginia's defense industry and key military assets to
bear as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee--the Senate committee charged with the
consideration of treaties and the declaration of war.
Senator Allen also served as the chairman of the Foreign
Relations Committee's Subcommittee on European Affairs. As
a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senator
consistently stood strong with the brave men and women who
served in our Armed Forces as they fought to protect our
freedoms around the world. Senator Allen introduced a bill
in Congress in 2005 to do more for the families of
soldiers killed in service of their country by raising the
death benefit for ``next of kin'' from $12,000 to
$100,000.
In 2005, Senator Allen was also appointed to serve on
the Energy and Natural Resources Committee where he worked
to reduce America's over-dependence on foreign oil and
shape a national energy plan that strikes a careful
balance between our environmental and energy security
needs for families and communities in Virginia and all of
America.
Prior to his election to the Senate, Senator Allen
served as the 67th Governor of Virginia from 1994 to 1998.
As Governor, he won wide recognition for educational
improvements such as the implementation of rigorous
academic standards and accountability. Several other
hallmarks of Senator Allen's tenure as Governor include
the overhaul of an outdated juvenile justice system, work-
oriented welfare reform, and the abolition of parole for
felons. Senator Allen is also widely credited with
bringing a record $14 billion of private sector investment
along with hundreds of thousands of jobs to Virginia
through the expansion and relocation of technology and
manufacturing companies.
Bringing the same innovative, constructive leadership to
Washington, Senator Allen was unanimously elected a member
of the Senate Republican leadership as Chairman of the
National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002. In the
2004 election, under Senator Allen's leadership,
Republicans picked up four seats in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Allen holds a B.A. in history with distinction
as well as a law degree from the University of Virginia.
He and his wife, Susan, reside near Mt. Vernon in Fairfax
County with their three children: Tyler, Forrest, and
Brooke.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. President, as the time for my departure
from the Senate draws near, on behalf of the greatest
blessings in my life, my wife Susan, and my children,
Tyler, Forrest, and Brooke, I wish to thank my colleagues
for their many courtesies and friendships forged during
these past 6 years. I offer a few concluding reflections
on our time here together, and the future of our Republic.
Our foremost senior statesman in Virginia, one who
served with particular distinction in this body--Harry
Byrd, Jr.--has observed that, with the exception of the
Presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt, no
time in our Nation's history has been witness to more
problems and challenges of great magnitude than these past
6 years.
When I arrived here in January 2001, America was at
peace--or so we thought. And then on the bright, blue sky
morning of September 11, the skies suddenly darkened with
clouds of smoke from the Pentagon, and the horrific
collapse of the World Trade Center Towers. And our world
changed forever.
When I arrived in this body, accompanying a change of
Presidential administrations, our challenges were mostly
economic--or so we thought. Our prosperity was already
slipping, but most forecasts were for a mild downturn in
the economy. That changed on September 11 as well.
A cascade of other great challenges soon followed in
rapid succession--issues foreign and domestic, challenges
locally and nationally, threats manmade and disasters
decreed by nature.
Through all of these unprecedented storms, it was our
responsibility to make careful, prayerful decisions for
the safety, security and prosperity of the people of our
country.
I am particularly grateful to the people of the
Commonwealth of Virginia for the opportunity to serve
here--to give voice to their values and to fight for their
future in this, the world's most distinguished body.
We all understand and respect the will of the people--
the owners of the government--in our representative
democracy that brings us here and that may, at some point,
take us away.
Sometimes winds, political and otherwise, can blow the
leaves off branches and break branches off trees. But a
deep-rooted tree will stand and grow again in the next
season.
And, if Providence accords it the right climate and
nourishment, that tree will bear fruit for generations to
come, and give life to other trees.
I have been honored, first as Governor and now as
Senator, to be a part of important initiatives that have
borne fruit for the people of Virginia and America.
As Governor, we worked across party lines to accomplish
the honest change that Virginians had desired and
deserved. We abolished the deceitful, lenient parole laws,
brought truth to sentencing, brought violent criminals to
justice, and reformed our juvenile justice laws.
Today, the crime rate is down, and thousands of good
people are not victims of crime, have not lost loved ones,
have not had their lives shattered, because we stood
strong for truth and justice, and our reforms bore fruit.
We also brought high academic standards, accountability,
and new resources to Virginia's education system. We
stopped skyrocketing college tuition rates.
Our education reform initiatives quickly became models
for other States, and even for this body in enacting
education reform legislation for the Nation.
These reforms, too, are bearing fruit today. Virginia
students are learning more and performing markedly better
on both State and national tests. Our schools are no
longer engaging in social promotion.
And with investments in higher education from the
coalfields with Appalachian School of Law and School of
Pharmacy, to the Institute in Danville, to southwest
Virginia and Roanoke HEC's, to the Engineering School of
VCU, to new leading-edge research at Virginia Tech, George
Mason, Hampton and other universities we are equipping
young men and women to succeed in the ever more
competitive global marketplace.
And we replaced dependency with dignity by reforming
Virginia's welfare laws. Now, 11 years later, our welfare
rolls are still less than half of what they were when I
became Governor. Not only has that saved the taxpayers of
Virginia hundreds of millions of dollars--the far more
important impact is seen in the eyes of children who watch
with admiration and respect as their parents go off to
productive, rewarding jobs rather than sit at home,
collecting a check.
Nothing was more rewarding for me as Governor than to
help ignite Virginia's economic renaissance. We sent a
message to the world that Virginia was ``open for
business''--we lowered taxes, reduced regulations,
implemented prompt permitting, and recruited high-
technology companies like IBM and Toshiba, Micron and
Infineon--now Qimonda--Oracle's east coast campus, and
secured billions of dollars in investment in semiconductor
fabrication plants for world-class companies.
Before we recruited those companies 10 years ago, there
were no computer memory chips manufactured in Virginia.
Today, computer memory chips have replaced cigarettes as
Virginia's No. 1 manufactured export. We're not just the
``Old Dominion'' anymore; now we're the ``Silicon
Dominion!''
When I came to the Senate, my goal was to use this
perspective and experience to continue and build on this
work. I wanted to bring to our national policies the same
emphasis on education and innovation--the same emphasis on
economic opportunity--the same emphasis on protecting the
safety and security of law-abiding people--the same time-
tested values--that had guided my governorship.
I have been able to do that, and I am grateful to many
of you for working in partnership with me on so many
issues that are vitally important for the lives and safety
and prosperity of our citizens.
Our time together has been full of challenge. But
despite the broken branches and shattered limbs and lives
of 9/11, America has stood strong like a live oak. We have
relied on our roots as a freedom-loving Nation. Out of
these stormy times has grown a new national sense of
urgency, resolve and mission. And this new spirit is
bearing fruit today, and will for many years to come.
Yes, the people of America have grown impatient with the
pace of this progress. It is not easy during prolonged
periods of national trial to sustain an attitude of
optimism and a sense of purpose. Our foes know this about
democracies, and they seek to exploit it. But they will
not succeed.
We Americans, of so many faiths and so many backgrounds,
share this spirit above all else: We believe in the
positive impact that each of us can achieve during our
time here on Earth. But our opponents have no such belief.
They fear human freedom, and glorify the extinguishing of
human life more than the fruitful living of it. They will
not succeed in this great struggle because they are only
destroyers, and the world belongs to those who create.
The God who gave us life, and who presides over the
affairs of all nature and all nations, endowed mankind
with a powerful spirit of creation, regeneration, and
renewal.
The attackers of 9/11 thought they would kill our
spirit, but they only rekindled it. And, despite one of
the most unsettled and challenging times in our Nation's
history, look at what we have to show for it.
Our economy is displaying unprecedented strength.
Unemployment is the lowest it has been in decades. Home
values are significantly higher than just a few years ago,
and the stock market is at a record high level. The tax
burden on our people is at a 20-year low, while Federal
tax revenues are at all-time highs, and inflation is under
control.
There has not been a single terrorist attack on American
soil since 9/11, and numerous major plots have been
foiled. The al-Qaida leadership has been decimated, and
instead of meeting the enemy here at home, we have taken
the fight to them in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq and
in locales that will never be known. Even with the world
at war against a lethal enemy of radical terrorist
organizations, Americans are safer today than on 9/11.
We must respectfully work with other countries in
intercepting finances, creatively collaborating in
counterterrorism efforts to thwart and defeat terrorist
activity throughout the world.
This war on terror has many fronts. And all of us are
deeply concerned about the lack of progress of the war on
the Iraqi front. Although our principles and strategic
goals have not changed, mistakes have been made and
progress has been too slow. We cannot continue to do the
same things and expect different results; we must adapt
our operations and change our tactics to meet the evolving
terrorist threat. And the Iraqi people and their leaders
must take control of their destiny.
Let us never forget, however, that our American troops
are liberators who have freed a people from a brutal
dictator and regime. In so doing, they and their families
have made great sacrifices not only for the freedom of
Iraqis, but for the security of Americans. They, more than
anyone, understand the consequences of failure in Iraq are
far too high. Leaving Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists
to launch new attacks will put America in mortal danger.
Our troops should come home as soon as possible, but they
should come home in victory--not defeat.
This global war on terror is still a work in progress,
and much of the work is difficult. But I will leave here
in the coming days with satisfaction that so many of the
crucial steps we took to meet the challenges of the post-
9/11 world have worked, and worked well.
The PATRIOT Act and other new and technologically
sophisticated counter-terrorism measures designed to
protect our homeland are working, and working well.
Our courageous men and women in uniform, an all-
volunteer military that is the most powerful fighting
force in the history of the world, is hard at work for us,
and working well.
We have also worked well on the domestic front. And I
take great personal satisfaction from progress achieved on
some major initiatives designed to make this a land of
opportunity for all--measures that will help secure a
future of expanding opportunity for our children by making
America the world capital of innovation.
One area of focus for me has been preserving the
Internet as a tax-free individualized opportunity zone.
The Internet is the greatest invention since the Gutenberg
Press for the dissemination of information and ideas, and
one of America's greatest innovations for economic growth
and jobs.
So far the Federal Government has taken the right
approach when it comes to the Internet--by basically
leaving it alone.
The American private sector is the best steward of the
Internet. We just need to leave it alone and let it
prosper as an engine for economic progress--and with your
help, that is what we have done. But the need for action
will return next year, and I hope you will extend Internet
tax freedom so that avaricious State and local tax
commissars are blocked from imposing an average 18-percent
tax on monthly Internet access bills.
We also made major progress in a realm few Americans
understand, but one that will transform their lives--
nanotechnology. Teaming up with my hard-working friend
across the aisle, Senator Wyden, we sponsored and you
approved legislation launching the National Nanotechnology
Initiative. This is the single largest federally funded,
multiagency scientific research initiative since the space
program in the 1960s, and the revolutionary technology it
yields may well rival the space program in its impact on
our society and economy.
You have heard me say many times on this floor that the
key to innovation is education, and that we need to
educate more scientists and engineers because they are the
ones who will design and develop the groundbreaking and
life-changing inventions, innovations, and intellectual
property of the future.
But today America is not tapping its full potential in
math, science, research and innovation. Only 15 percent of
those graduating from our engineering schools today are
women; only about 6 percent are African-Americans, and
about 6 percent are Latinos. That is simply not enough,
especially when we are competing with countries that have
literally six or seven times our population.
That is why I have worked with Senators in both parties,
Senators Alexander, Ensign, Bingaman, and others, as well
as the independent-minded Senator Lieberman--for the
National Innovation and PACE Acts, which will invest in
wide-ranging scientific education and research, induce
capable students with scholarships, provide incentives for
teachers and researchers, and take other steps to keep
America on the leading edge of science and technology.
That is why I have been the lead Republican co-sponsor
of the Partnership Access to Laboratory Science Act with
Senator Menendez, which will provide science education and
laboratory grants for students in rural and low-income
schools.
And that is why I have led the charge for legislation to
help remedy the opportunity divide at America's minority-
serving institutions--the HBCUs, Hispanic-serving
institutions, and tribal colleges. I am grateful for the
Senate's support for this initiative and hope it will very
soon become a reality.
All these initiatives I respectfully urge you all to
pass and stay with them until they become law. For my
part, I will continue to advocate for these incentives and
this major national commitment to make sure that the
United States is indeed the world capital of innovation.
Investing in education and innovation is vital for our
global competitiveness, and so is achieving energy
independence. In fact, not only is energy independence an
economic necessity; it's also a national security
imperative. Our dependence on Middle Eastern oil limits
our foreign policy options for addressing terrorism,
tyranny and related geopolitical issues.
We have made some important strides in accelerating the
exploration and development of American energy supplies,
including American oil, natural gas, clean coal and
nuclear power. And we have made notable progress in
hastening the research, development and deployment of
economically viable alternative and renewable sources of
energy. But here we must all agree that there is far more
to be done.
The bottom line is we need more energy explored,
produced, and grown in America, so that hundreds of
billions of energy dollars stay in America and are
reinvested in America's economy for American jobs,
American competitiveness, and American national security,
instead of having to worry about the whims of some
dictator in the Middle East, or some other hostile part of
the world.
There are so many ways that what we have done here
during the last 6 years has made a positive impact on the
opportunities facing citizens all across our country.
In Virginia, whether it is the major port expansion at
Craney Island, or funding for the Advanced and Applied
Polymer Processing Institute in Danville, or the effort to
assure that new development opportunities at Fort Belvoir
are matched by adequate transportation facilities; whether
it is educational research funding, or new resources for
roads and mass transit, or grants to make our communities
safer, in hundreds of ways we have been able to have a
major, positive impact on people's lives all across the
Commonwealth of Virginia.
We have also broken down barriers to opportunity. My
very first speech on the Senate floor was on behalf of
Roger Gregory's appointment as a Federal judge on the
esteemed Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals that sits in
Richmond.
Judge Gregory had been nominated at the end of President
Clinton's term, but he did not get a vote, and to become a
judge he had to be re-nominated by President Bush. So my
first speech was to call on my Senate colleagues to rise
above partisanship, rise above process, judge Roger
Gregory as a person, and give him the fairness of a vote.
You did so, and as a result, Judge Gregory is serving
with distinction on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals,
the first African American to serve on that esteemed
appellate court.
For the good of our country, the Judiciary, and this
Senate, I urge you--regardless of the party in power here
and at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue--to end the
obstructionist practices that deny judicial nominees, or
other nominees, the fairness of an up or down vote, and
that deny the American people the accountability that the
advice-and-consent process should afford.
Miguel Estrada was a victim of this unfair
obstructionism, although a majority of Senators supported
his confirmation. Let John Bolton be the last victim of
these unfair, obstructionist practices.
Our Constitution provides a better way; let's follow it.
Finally, during these times of war, we are all keenly
aware of the sacrifice made by the men and women serving
in our Armed Forces and their families. Virginia is home
to more people serving in uniform than all but a handful
of States, and so when a loved one is lost, we feel the
pain very directly, very personally. A grateful Nation
must support the families of those who have fallen in
defense of our liberty. That is why I introduced a bill in
the first hours of the first days of this 109th Session to
increase the military death benefit from the paltry amount
of $12,420 to $100,000. I thank you for passing it, and I
thank the President for signing it.
At each step of the way, on this measure and so many
others, I have never worked alone. Always at my side, as a
partner--but even more as a gracious mentor, wise counsel,
constant encourager, occasional corrector, and unwavering
friend--has been our State's senior Senator, John Warner.
He has been the epitome of the Virginia gentleman, the
model of an honest, hard-working Senator, and most of all,
a true and loyal friend. I will leave here enriched
immeasurably by this latest and best chapter in our
partnership of several decades.
My friends and colleagues, as I prepare to take my
leave, I am humbled and so grateful for the tremendous
honor and privilege that has been accorded to me by the
people of Virginia. I am also full of gratitude for the
opportunity to serve with you and for the many courtesies
you have extended to Susan and me along the way.
I leave with many new and enduring friendships, with
some valuable lessons learned, with unrestrained optimism
about the potential of America, about our Nation's future,
and with pride in our accomplishments together.
My friends, don't let these challenging times along our
national journey divert your focus from what truly
matters.
The tree of American liberty is as strong as ever. Our
roots run deep to a wellspring of values as old as our
Republic, indeed much older still.
Four hundred years after our Nation's beginning at
Jamestown, we are still in the springtime of our life as a
Nation. Still planting seeds and bearing fruit. Still
growing and creating. Still inspiring and innovating.
Still providing light and hope for people around the world
seeking to escape the chains of tyranny, and embrace the
blessings of liberty.
Indeed, the sun is still rising on a bright American
morning!
And if we will keep the faith, no matter the challenges
or choices, generations to come will remember and think
well of us, for this: We never gave up. We never backed
down, and, we always stood strong for freedom.
?
TRIBUTES
TO
GEORGE ALLEN
Proceedings in the Senate
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President . . . As we recognize, it is a
distinct privilege and high honor to serve our country in
any capacity, and certainly none higher than in uniform.
But it is especially important that we recognize those who
have given years of their lives, sacrificing their
families, their own time, to help make a better world for
all of us. I know of no capacity in which we serve our
country that has given those who have had this rare
opportunity to serve in the Senate anything more noble
than trying to shape a better world from this Senate.
These individuals who will leave the Senate, some on
their own terms, some on the terms of the election, but,
nonetheless, in their own specific way have contributed a
great deal to this country.
I take a few minutes to recognize each. . . .
Senator George Allen. We will miss footballs. Many of my
colleagues received footballs. He was a quarterback for
the Cavaliers at the University of Virginia and he could
throw almost as well as even a Nebraska quarterback.
Senator Allen, for a very young man, has a very
distinguished record of public service, serving as the
Governor of the great State of Virginia, serving in the
House of Representatives, serving in the U.S. Senate. I
served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with
Senator Allen for many years, and I will miss his ability
to say it clearly and plainly. And his leadership position
within the Republican majority, which he served so ably,
will be missed. . . .
Mr. President, in conclusion, it is not easy to put
one's self on the firing line and offer one's self as a
candidate for any office. It takes a certain amount of
courage and, I suspect, a little dose of insanity. But
nonetheless individuals who believe deeply enough to
commit themselves to a cause greater than their own self-
interests need to be recognized. Having nothing to do with
me or you or any one individual, but it is the essence of
our country, it is the very fabric of our democracy that
makes it all work and probably gives rise to, more than
any one reason, why we have been such a successful nation
for over 200 years--because people from all walks of life,
in every community, in every State, offer themselves for
office. Whether it is a mayor, a Governor, city
councilman, county official, a sheriff, these individuals
deserve recognition.
We all make mistakes. That is who we are. But in the
end, it is not unlike what Teddy Roosevelt once referred
to in his magnificent quote about the man in the arena.
And it is the man and the woman in the arena who change
our lives. It makes a better world that shapes history,
that defines our destiny. And for these individuals who
will no longer have that opportunity to serve our country
in the Senate, we wish them well, we thank them, and we
tell them we are proud of them and their families and wish
them Godspeed.
Mr. President, I thank you for the time and yield the
floor.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Mr. REED. Mr. President, this is an opportunity to
recognize the service of several of our colleagues who are
departing from the Senate. To Senator Jeffords, Senator
Frist, Senator DeWine, Senator Talent, Senator Santorum,
Senator Burns, and Senator Allen, let me express my
appreciation for their service to their States and their
service to the Nation and wish them well. . . .
To all my colleagues who served and conclude their
service, let me once again express deep appreciation for
their friendship and for their service to the Nation.
I yield the floor.
Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, we are coming to the end
of the session and 10 of our colleagues are retiring. I
want to say a word about them . . .
Or George Allen. I remember vividly the first time I met
him, I campaigned for him in Virginia. He was 40 points
behind. I went back to Tennessee and I said, I believe he
will win, he is such a good candidate. We haven't heard
the last of him in public life. . . .
When the most recent class of Senators was sworn into
office nearly 2 years ago, in the gallery were three
women. One was the grandmother of Barack Obama. She was
from Kenya. One was the mother of Senator Salazar, a 10th
generation American. One was the mother of Mel Martinez,
the new Republican National Committee chairman, who, with
her husband, put her son on an airplane when he was 14
years old and sent him from Cuba to the United States, not
knowing if she would ever see him again.
In a way, each one of us who is here is an accident.
None of us knew we would be here. Each of us is privileged
to serve, and one of the greatest privileges is to serve
with our colleagues. We will miss them and we are grateful
for their service.
I yield the floor.
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I see others who
wish to speak, and I will make a couple of brief comments.
In the comments of the Senator from Virginia [Mr.
Allen], his final couple of comments recalled for me a
statement made in the closing of the Constitutional
Convention in Philadelphia, when on the back of the chair
of the presiding officer was a sunburst. Someone opined in
that Constitutional Convention: Dr. Franklin, is that a
rising sun or is it a setting sun? And Franklin ventured
to say that with the birth of the new Nation, with the
creation of the new Constitution, that he thought it was a
rising sun.
Indeed, it is that hope of which the Senator from
Virginia has just spoken that motivates this Senator from
Florida to get up and go to work every day, and to look at
this Nation's challenges, not as a Democratic problem or a
Republican problem, but as an American problem, that needs
to be solved in an American way instead of a partisan way.
We have had far too much partisanship over the last
several years across this land, and, indeed, in this
Chamber itself. And of the Senators who are leaving this
Chamber, I think they represent the very best of America,
and on occasion have risen in a bipartisan way. It has
been this Senator's great privilege to work with these
Senators: Allen of Virginia, Burns of Montana, Chafee of
Rhode Island, Dayton of Minnesota, DeWine of Ohio, Frist
of Tennessee, Jeffords of Vermont, Santorum of
Pennsylvania, Sarbanes of Maryland, Talent of Missouri.
As the Good Book in Ecclesiastes says: There is a time
to be born and a time to die. There is a time to get up,
and a time to go to bed. There is a time for a beginning,
and there is a time of ending.
For these Senators who are leaving, it is clearly not an
ending. It is an ending of this chapter in their lives,
but this Senator from Florida wanted to come and express
his appreciation for their public service, to admonish
those where admonishment is needed when this Chamber,
indeed, this Government, has gotten too partisan, but to
express this Senator's appreciation for the quiet moments
of friendship and reflection and respect in working
together, which is the glue that makes this Government
run.
Whether you call it bipartisanship, whether you call it
friendship, whether you call it mutual respect, whatever
you call it, the way you govern a nation as large and as
complicated and as diverse as our Nation is--as the Good
Book says: Come, let us reason together--that is what this
Senator tries to be about. And that is what this Senator
will try to continue to do in the new dawn of a new
Congress. So I wanted to come and express my appreciation
for those Senators who will not be here, for the great
public service they have rendered.
Mr. President, I am truly grateful for their personal
friendship and for their public service.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DURBIN. . . . Senator George Allen of Virginia and I
have worked on a few measures together, including some
help for veterans who returned from the war in Iraq with
traumatic brain injury. . . .
I wish all of my colleagues who are retiring well as
they begin the next chapters of their careers.
Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell
to several of my friends here in Washington. Too often we
get caught up here in the back-and-forth of politics and
lose sight of the contributions of those with whom we work
every day. It is only at moments such as these, at the end
of a cycle, that we have a moment to reflect on the
contributions of our colleagues. And while we may not
always see eye to eye, this Senate is losing several
admirable contributors who have made many sacrifices to
serve our democracy. . . .
A number of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle
will be departing in January, as well. There is our
colleague from Virginia, Senator Allen, who wears, in my
opinion, the second best pair of boots in the Senate.
There is Senator Santorum of Pennsylvania, whose passion
is admirable and whose energy is always enviable. Also
leaving us is my colleague in the centrist Gang of 14 that
helped bring this Senate back from the abyss; Senator
DeWine of Ohio, who will head back to the Buckeye State
with my respect and admiration; and my friend Senator
Talent from Missouri, with whom I spent many hours in the
Agriculture Committee working to level the playing field
for America's farmers and ranchers. We will miss Senator
Chafee of Rhode Island's independence and his clear voice
for fiscal discipline in Washington. And we will miss
Senator Burns of Montana, who shares my passion for rural
America and who is headed home to Big Sky Country, back to
the Rockies that I know we both miss so much. . . .
America, when held to its finest ideals, is more than a
place on the globe or a work in progress. It is the
inspiration to those around the world and here at home to
seek out excellence within themselves and their beliefs.
It has been a pleasure to work alongside each of these
gentlemen, who have helped me as I have found my way,
sometimes literally, through the halls of the Senate, in
the pursuit of these greater ideals that we all share:
security, prosperity, and an America that we leave better
than when we arrived. These ideals will resonate here long
after we all are gone and another generation stands in our
place making the decisions of its day.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I have had the privilege of
being here for the 28th year beginning shortly. I
calculated not long ago that I have served with 261
individuals. I am not about to try and review all of the
many magnificent friendships I am privileged to have
through these years. Indeed, if one looks at the rewards,
of which there are many serving in this historic
institution, the Senate, it is the personal bonds, the
friendships that we so firmly cement and that will last a
lifetime as a consequence of our duties of serving the
United States of America and in our respective States.
We are called ``United States'' Senators. I often
believe it is the first obligation, our Nation, the
Republic for which it stands.
For my colleague now of 6 years, George Allen, this will
be his last service as a Senator as this brief session
closes. I have said it before, I will say it again and
again, I rank him at the very top of the 261 Senators I
have been privileged to serve with these many years.
In fact, I have looked back at the history of Virginia
and would like to note for the record that my colleague,
George Allen, is one of only five Virginians to have
served in the Virginia General Assembly, as Governor, as a
Member of the House of Representatives; and as a U.S.
Senator--the first in more than 150 years of our State's
history.
Together, we have shared a long history of serving the
people of Virginia--I as a Senator and he as a Member of
the Virginia House of Delegates, House of Representatives,
Governor, and U.S. Senator. I remember participating in
his first campaign and all the successive campaigns.
George Allen served the Commonwealth of Virginia in public
office for 25 years. How well I know. I campaigned for him
when he ran for the State legislature, then for the
Congress, then for Governor, and he won those elections
handily. Then he ran for the Senate. It was a tough race.
Tough because he was up against a very able opponent, a
man whom I admire, a man with whom I have served with in
this Chamber. But the voters of Virginia--and therein
rests the final decision--sent George Allen to the Senate
where I believe he has served with great distinction.
I have been privileged to share the warmth and vigor of
this magnificent man with his lovely wife Susan and their
children, Tyler, Forest, and Brooke. What a privilege, a
joy for me to see them as they have grown nourished by the
love of two strong parents.
In 1981 he was elected to the Virginia House of
Delegates to the seat once held by his philosophical
inspiration, Thomas Jefferson. Throughout his career in
public office, George Allen has consistently been guided
by that same inspiration of smaller government and
individual freedom. He has also been driven by the
thoughts of two other leaders important to him; Ronald
Reagan who said ``If not us who, if not now when?'' and
his father who always told him ``The future is now.''
Throughout his career in public service George has
worked as an advocate of economic development, recruiting
companies to Virginia and espousing policies to create
jobs. As Governor, he oversaw the creation of 312,000 new
jobs in Virginia by making the Commonwealth a better place
to do business. He reformed the parole system to keep
repeat offenders off our streets and out of our
neighborhoods. His welfare reform set the stage for the
Congress to act to help people get back on their feet and
get back to work. He implemented the Standards of Learning
in our schools to make sure all of our children receive
the same quality education.
I remember well our first effort together when he came
to the Senate in 2001. As is often the case here in the
Senate, there had been some problems confirming a Federal
judge who was ultimately recess appointed in late 2000. We
came together and worked with the President to bring his
nomination back to the Senate and as a result, Judge Roger
Gregory was confirmed by the Senate to become the first
African American seated on the Fourth Circuit of the U.S.
Court of Appeals.
We were working partners. We shared everything--our
staffs work together, our wives work together--and we
crisscrossed this State from one end to the other over
those 6 years. When either George Allen or I felt, for
whatever reason, we could not keep an appointment
somewhere in the State, one would fill in for the other.
We were quite parallel in our thinking, the philosophy,
the things so important to Virginians, and I think to most
Americans, first and foremost the preservations of our
freedoms, a strong national defense, a right to work, to
hold a job and to compete fairly, to hold that job and to
advance, to have a system of health care that did not
serve only those more affluent than others but would serve
any individual who suffered from pain or the need for
medical attention.
We have joined together in countless efforts for
Virginia's communities; helping to fund museums, youth
centers, innumerable infrastructure projects, and research
at our colleges and universities. We also worked together
on the Teacher Tax Relief Act. I am very hopeful if we
pass this tax package, there will be a provision that
George and I worked on together for many years, to be
extended in statute; and that is, the Teacher Tax Relief
Act. I will never forget. I was down visiting a small
school. And as is so often the case, you are rushed
through, and the teachers and the principal want you to
meet as many students as you possibly can. It is always
quite interesting to do that.
I remember I was rushed into one class, and I think they
were first graders. They were all sitting on the floor,
and the principal said: You have a few minutes. So I
started talking away, and I asked the first graders: Is
there a question you might have? And this absolutely
magnificent little girl, who sat there riveted to every
word I spoke, looked up and said: Yes. My question is, how
much longer must we sit here until the Senator comes?
Well, you don't forget those things. And I had difficulty
answering the question, I was so taken aback. I felt I was
universally recognized, but it is not the case in the
first grade.
Then I was in another classroom, and for some reason I--
I went through basic engineering school, and I have always
been interested in pencils and writing instruments--and I
saw a pencil, a rather fancy one, and I picked it up, and
the teacher saw that I liked it, and she said: Take it.
Keep it. I said: Oh, no, I don't take any gifts or
anything. You know, we have rigid rules in the Senate, and
nobody is going to bribe me with a pencil. And she said:
Oh, please, please, please. It is not school property. I
said: Oh? She said: Yes. Senator, you must understand that
as teachers--and this is prevalent not only in Virginia
but it is prevalent all across the land, particularly
among teachers in the elementary grades--we have to take
part of our own salary to buy what we deem are the
essential tools that are needed to educate our students.
Well, I just could not believe this, because teachers
are not among the more well paid. So George Allen and I
fought for years to get the Teacher Tax Relief Act signed
into law. It is on the books, and we need to extend it,
and I am optimistic that will be done. But it simply says,
if you can establish that you took your own salary and you
bought school supplies which were necessary for teaching
and the profession you are in, you get a $250 above the
line deduction--a small amount of money, but a great sense
of satisfaction.
George has been a strong member of the Commerce and
Foreign Relations Committees seeking to make our Nation a
better place for business, ultimately creating more
economic opportunity for all Americans.
We joined together after the tragic events of September
11, 2001, to try to help the people of Northern Virginia
and indeed all America respond and recover.
We worked on behalf of the men and women of the Armed
Forces. How proud we are in the Commonwealth of Virginia
of the extensive number of bases and institutions of the
U.S. military which we are privileged to have. There is no
greater responsibility of the Congress of the United
States than its specific obligation under the
Constitution. As my great teacher and mentor, Senator
Byrd, so often has told me, that is to provide for the
care and the welfare, and to raise the armies and maintain
the navies that this Nation requires. George Allen has
been a partner with me as we have done those things for
these many years.
In life we go through a series of stages. We are raised
and nurtured by our parents, receive an education, raise a
family of our own, and serve in various careers. George
Allen and his family have been public servants to the
people of Virginia and America for the past 25 years. The
people have been fortunate to have such a dedicated
Delegate, Congressman, Governor, and U.S. Senator. I am
proud to have served with this man and to call him my
friend all these years. Therefore, I bid him a fond
farewell from this institution. But I look forward to
working with him as he goes on and accepts challenges
perhaps even greater than the ones he had in the years
that he so loved serving in this Chamber.
The people of Virginia spoke, and George Allen, with
great courage, took that decision and quickly said: I
understand. He accepted it and has gone on about his
business. . . .
In conclusion, over the years I have served with each of
these 10 Senators, each has not only been a trusted
colleague, each has also been my friend. I will miss
serving with each of them in the Senate but know that each
will continue in public service in some capacity. I wish
each and every one of them well in the years ahead.
Mr. President, I see a number of colleagues here anxious
to speak, and I have taken generously of the time the
Presiding Officer has allowed me to speak.
I yield the floor.
Mrs. CLINTON. . . . Finally, I also wish the very best
to my Republican colleagues who will leave the Senate at
the conclusion of this Congress. The Senate, at its best,
is a body that promotes bipartisanship, deliberation, and
cooperation, and the dedication to shared values. It has
been a privilege to work with my departing colleagues on
the other side of the aisle.
Friday, December 8, 2006
Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I have a few more minutes
before the 10:30 vote, and I take this time to say a few
words about some of my colleagues who are retiring. We had
a good bit of time yesterday devoted to their tremendous
contributions, and as each of us, the 100 of us, do know
each other pretty well, I have come to the floor to say a
few things about several of the colleagues I have had the
distinct pleasure of working with very closely. . . .
Mr. President, finally, I want to recognize the Senator
from Virginia, George Allen, for his service as Senator
and as Governor of his State. We have worked together on a
range of issues on the Energy and Small Business
Committees as well as on the historic antilynching bill.
To all of our retiring Members, I say thank you. Thank
you for your efforts on behalf of my State when you were
needed and thank you for your service to America.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, I also will say a word
about a couple of my colleagues who are leaving, and I
will be brief. . . .
George Allen, a great colleague with whom I also served
one term in the House of Representatives, and whose
philosophy of ``freedom first'' is certainly one that I
share. I know we are going to miss George and his sage
counsel in the years to come. . . .
I know we all move on at some time and that none of us
is irreplaceable. But by the same token, these colleagues
of ours who will be leaving will be missed and they will
be remembered for their great service to the Senate, to
their States, and to the United States of America.
I yield the floor.
Mr. DeWINE. . . . Mr. President, I want to wish the best
to all of my fellow Senators who were defeated this fall
or who are retiring this year--Senators Frist, Santorum,
Talent, Burns, Allen, Chafee, Dayton, and Jeffords. They
are all good people and all good friends. I wish them
well. . . .
Mr. DODD. . . . Mr. President, today I pay tribute to my
departing colleagues who have, for a time, lent their
talents, their convictions, and their hard work to this
distinguished body. I may have had my disagreements with
them, but the end of a term is a time for seeing
colleagues not simply as politicians, but as partners who
have ``toiled, and wrought, and thought with me.'' Each,
in his own way, was distinctive; and each, in his own way,
will be sorely missed. . . .
Next, I would like to bid farewell to Virginia's George
Allen. As we all know, Senator Allen is the son of the
great football coach, George H. Allen. As a boy and young
man, Senator Allen lived all over America, wherever his
father's career took the family. But in the end, Senator
Allen fell in love with the State of Virginia, especially
its wealth of history. Describing his first law practice,
he said:
I was going to go into a partnership with someone in
Charlottesville in an old building built in 1814. Mr.
Jefferson played the fiddle there, allegedly . . . I lived
in it while renovating. I started my law practice and then
bought a log house out in the country, in the woods.
Charlottesville is where I wanted to take my stand.
In 1982, George Allen won election to the Virginia House
of Delegates--and Thomas Jefferson's old seat. In 1991, he
was elected to a term in the House of Representatives, and
2 years later, became Governor of Virginia, a post in
which he distinguished himself as an energetic executive.
As Governor, George Allen fought violent crime, reformed
his State's welfare system, and signed the standards of
learning education reform bill, which helped inspire No
Child Left Behind. In 2000, he was elected to the Senate,
where he served on committees including Commerce and
Foreign Relations.
In the Senate, George Allen made a name for himself on
technology issues, keeping the Internet free of taxation,
securing nanotechnology funding, and providing high-tech
grants to historically black colleges. It's also been a
pleasure to work with Senator Allen for several years on
our own legislation to enhance America's competitiveness
in the field of aviation by investing in aeronautics
research and a new generation of aerospace scientists. In
addition to his technology interests, Senator Allen was
also a strong advocate of balanced budgets.
George Allen is leaving the Senate, but we will remember
him for his affable demeanor and love of history. He was
fond of quoting Thomas Jefferson's 1801 Inaugural Address:
``The sum of good government is a wise and frugal
government which shall restrain men from injuring
one another but otherwise leave them free to
regulate their own pursuits of industry.'' George Allen
did his best to live and work by those principles, and as
he returns to private life, I wish happiness to him, his
wife Susan, and their three children. . . .
Mr. HATCH. . . . Mr. President, I rise today to honor
the Senate career of my distinguished colleague from the
State of Virginia, the Honorable George Allen. The
contributions he has made to Congress and this country are
significant, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for all
that he has given.
George has spent most of his career in public service. A
few years after earning his law degree, he served as a
delegate in the Virginia Assembly before becoming a
Congressman in 1991. He made a successful run for Governor
of Virginia and presided over 4 years of strong economic
growth and steady job creation. In 2001, he joined the
U.S. Senate, and I have been honored to call him my
colleague for the past 6 years.
George has been a tireless advocate for a smaller, more
efficient Government throughout his career. He helped lead
the way to enactment of the President's tax cut package in
2001 and 2003 and has been an articulate defender of the
progrowth tax policies that we have pursued over the past
6 years, including the reduction in capital gains and
dividend taxes, the repeal of the death tax, and the
reduction in the tax burden of our Nation's small
businesses, where so many of our jobs are created. These
were lessons he learned well from his days as a Governor.
He has done more than just pay lip service to the
importance of keeping taxes low: He has fought the good
fight as well. He introduced and worked hard to ensure the
passage of the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act,
legislation that prohibited taxes on Internet access or
taxation from multiple jurisdictions on goods bought over
the Internet.
Over the last few years, George has achieved an almost
legendary status with the technology community in this
country. In 2001, George was appointed to serve as
chairman of the Senate High Tech Task Force where he
advocated for policies to make America a leader in
innovation from nanotechnology to broadband to the
education of future engineers and scientists. So much of
the technology agenda being advanced in this country today
spawned from the efforts of George as the High Tech Task
Force chairman. If you were to meet with the top
executives of any technology company with a significant
presence in the United States, they would tell you what a
wonderful advocate George Allen has been for their company
and their industry. I have heard it time and again from
hundreds of executives.
George also has served our party well. His success as
head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
during the 2004 election cycle is a result of the
Senator's bedrock faith in his beliefs and his ability to
articulate that which he holds true.
So many times, politicians come to Washington with
strongly held convictions and a desire to do good and
instead take the more expedient path to reelection and
power. When it comes to George Allen's career, no one can
say he ever abandoned his belief in the virtues of a small
government and lower taxes. These are the very beliefs I
hold true as well, and I was glad to have him on my side.
At its heart, politics is a battle over ideas. Our
distinguished Senator from Virginia earned the respect of
us all for the pitched battles he fought to advance the
cause of freedom and economic growth for the United States
and the world.
Personally, I have admired George Allen for a long time.
In my opinion, his demeanor, his knowledge, and his drive
are all exemplary and worthy of emulation. Every
interaction I have had with George over the years has done
nothing but bolster my original opinion of him. He reminds
me more of Ronald Reagan than any national politician I
have met. That is a high compliment for a great statesman.
I would like to take this time to thank my friend, George
Allen, and to wish him, Susan, and the rest of the Allen
family the very best as he leaves this great institution
to take on new challenges.
Mr. MARTINEZ. . . . Mr. President, today I recognize the
service of Senator George Allen. The citizens of the
Commonwealth of Virginia and the American people are
losing a great patriot in the U.S. Senate. Senator Allen
will be leaving the Senate after 6 years of service to his
home State constituents and to this country.
He has been an important member of the Republican Party
and the Senate, always striving to better America's
defense and homeland security. He has worked to ensure
good-paying jobs for the people of Virginia, and to
guarantee that every person in Virginia receives a quality
education. It is disappointing that a strong leader like
Senator Allen is leaving the Senate; he will be missed.
Senator Allen was one of the people who helped convince me
to run for the U.S. Senate, and without his support and
his guidance, I might not be here today.
I wish my colleague from Virginia and his family all the
best, and thank them for the service that they have given
to our country. Thank you, Senator Allen. . . .
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute
to the Republican Members of the Senate who will not be
returning in the 110th Congress. Senators George Allen;
Conrad Burns; Lincoln Chafee; Mike DeWine; Dr. Bill Frist;
Rick Santorum; and Jim Talent have served their
constituents with honor and distinction during their
tenure here in the U.S. Senate. All care very deeply for
this great Nation and I hope they will have continued
success in their future endeavors. . . .
Majority leader Bill Frist has run the Senate through
difficult and trying times and he has done it well.
Senator Mike DeWine, my neighbor to the north, has
represented the Buckeye State with great distinction and
has committed over 30 years of his life to public service.
Senator George Allen represented the Commonwealth of
Virginia in the U.S. Senate for 6 years, and he worked
closely with me to make America safer by helping usher
through important legislation to arm cargo pilots. Senator
Jim Talent has had a great career in Congress and wrote
the blueprint to the welfare reform bill of 1996. And
Senator Lincoln Chafee has continued the proud legacy set
forth by his father and my friend, Senator John Chafee.
Mr. President, I would like to again commend all of our
departing Republican Senators. I am proud of what they
accomplished here in the U.S. Senate. They will all be
missed, and I wish all of them the very best.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, Senator Allen has spent
many years working for Virginia.
He came to the Senate in 2000 after a strong record of
accomplishments as his State's Governor.
As Virginia's Senator, he has worked diligently to
protect our freedoms, preserve conservative values, and
help America remain the land of opportunity.
He was a strong supporter of the tax reforms of 2001 and
2003 that have resulted in the economic upswing our
economy is currently enjoying.
His work on the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act has
helped keep access to the Internet tax free.
He also worked to increase military benefits, including
legislation to increase the death benefits for families of
fallen troops from $12,000 to $100,000.
I have also worked with Senator Allen on the PACE Act.
Senator Allen understands that we must provide our
children with the education necessary for the jobs of
tomorrow. His work with the National Nanotechnology
Initiative will also help our country compete globally as
other countries continue to emerge. Senator Allen
understands that America must remain home to the best and
brightest.
I will miss working with him in this Chamber, and I will
miss his friendship and support on the issues that matter
most to America. . . .
UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS
Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to
retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that
Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December
27, 2006.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Mr. STEVENS. . . . Mr. President, Senator George Allen
has served the Commonwealth of Virginia with honor and
integrity. George is a principled person, following
bedrock beliefs gained growing up in a strong family.
These principles have led George to promote and defend
freedom in this country and around the world. His
legislative accomplishments are aligned with this
philosophy.
Senator Allen's major accomplishments include the
Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, increased
benefits for the families of fallen troops, funding to
upgrade telecommunications infrastructure for minority-
serving institutions, and greater protections for
intellectual property.
In all of this, Senator Allen has not forgotten who his
real boss is: the American people. He has always, and will
continue, to put the interests of this country above his
own. That is a true mark of a leader, and all Virginians
can be proud to have been represented by a man with
Senator Allen's character.
As many of his constituents, colleagues, and friends
know, Senator Allen closed much of his correspondence with
the words ``keep winning.'' Just like his dad, a Hall of
Fame coach who reached great heights and suffered tough
losses on the gridiron, we know George won't let this
setback define him. We all expect him to ``keep winning''
for Virginia.
Catherine and I wish him and Susan the very best. We
know we will hear more about this dedicated public servant
in the future. . . .
Monday, January 8, 2007
Mrs. DOLE. Mr. President, it is an honor indeed to pay
tribute to a number of fine individuals who I am fortunate
to call not just my colleagues, but also dear friends:
Senators Bill Frist, George Allen, Conrad Burns, Lincoln
Chafee, Mike DeWine, Rick Santorum and Jim Talent. . . .
It has also been a privilege to serve alongside my good
friend and colleague, Senator George Allen. In the Senate,
George built on an already remarkable record of service to
the people of Virginia, where he served as a member of the
House of Delegates, a Member of the U.S. House of
Representatives and as one of the most respected and
successful Governors in the history of the Commonwealth.
As a Senator, George continued his common sense,
``Jeffersonian'' style of conservative leadership. He
proved time and again that he is a tremendous ally of
Virginia's defense communities and military families. In
2005, George was a strong proponent of helping families of
fallen soldiers by raising the death gratuity for next-of-
kin from $12,000 to $100,000. And as a member of the
Commerce Committee, George Allen was the Senate leader in
working to maintain America's competitive advantage in
technology and innovation. George founded the Senate
Competitiveness Caucus to promote an agenda that ensures
that the United States continues to create high-paying
jobs and produce the very best engineers and scientists in
the world.
One of George's best attributes as a Senator was that he
did more than just talk the talk--George delivered real
results. He advocated for increased funding for math and
science education, in particular at historically black
colleges and other minority institutions. He has been a
leader in the Senate on improving health savings accounts
by increasing the amount individuals can contribute each
year to their HSAs, thus allowing them to save more money
for current and future health care needs. George also
secured more than $3.5 million in Federal funding for
cutting-edge nanotechnology research and development. And
he led the fight to ban Internet access taxes and make the
Internet tax moratorium permanent, as he understands that
saddling consumers with high taxes will stifle innovation
and expand the digital divide.
Throughout his career, George Allen has served the
people of Virginia with courage and distinction, and he
has provided a wonderful example for public servants who
follow in his footsteps. I wish all the best to George,
his dear wife Susan, and their three children. . . .
As these men--Bill Frist, George Allen, Conrad Burns,
Lincoln Chafee, Mike DeWine, Rick Santorum and Jim
Talent--conclude their service in the U.S. Senate, let me
say that I am so proud to have worked with individuals of
such character, strength, and intellect. Our Nation is
grateful for their many contributions. And as they each
will undoubtedly continue to contribute to our country's
greatness, their leadership and vision will be missed here
in the U.S. Senate.