[Senate Document 109-33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




109th Congress              SENATE DOCUMENT                S.Doc 109-033 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
 
                          TRIBUTES TO HON. RICK SANTORUM

                                    Rick Santorum

                     U.S. SENATOR FROM PENNSYLVANIA

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 




             [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 33208.001

Rick Santorum

                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                    Rick Santorum

                              United States Congressman

                                      1991-1995

                                United States Senator

                                      1995-2007


                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                                           
                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell to the Senate................................
                                                                     ix
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                      4
                    Allen, George, of Virginia.....................
                                                                      5
                    Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
                                                                     19
                    Clinton, Hillary Rodham, of New York...........
                                                                     11
                    Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                     20
                    DeWine, Mike, of Ohio..........................
                                                                  7, 11
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     12
                    Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina.............
                                                                     22
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                      6
                    Ensign, John, of Nevada........................
                                                                     10
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     15
                    Frist, William H., of Tennessee................
                                                                     20
                    Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska......................
                                                                      3
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     13
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     19
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                     11
                    Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
                                                                     11
                    Martinez, Mel, of Florida......................
                                                                     15
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                     10
                    Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
                                                                      5
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                      4
                    Salazar, Ken, of Colorado......................
                                                                      6
                    Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine....................
                                                                     18
                    Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
                                                                      9
                    Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................
                                                                     20
                    Warner, John, of Virginia......................
                                                                      8
                    ...............................................

                                      Biography

               Rick Santorum served in the U.S. Senate from January 
             1995 through January 2007. During that time, he served as 
             a champion for Pennsylvanians both through his 
             accomplishments in the U.S. Senate and through his 
             leadership position as Republican Conference Chairman, the 
             party's third-ranking leadership position in the Senate. 
             As Conference Chairman, Senator Santorum directed the 
             communications operations of Senate Republicans and was a 
             frequent party spokesman. He was the youngest member of 
             the leadership and the first Pennsylvanian of such a 
             prominent position since Senator Hugh Scott was Republican 
             leader in the 1970s.
               Senator Santorum was raised in Butler County, PA and 
             attended college at Penn State University. It was during 
             his undergraduate career that he became actively involved 
             in the political process as a campaign volunteer for the 
             late Senator John Heinz. Senator Santorum received a B.A. 
             in political science from Penn State in 1980 and went on 
             to earn an M.B.A. in 1981 from the University of 
             Pittsburgh. Later, he graduated with a J.D. from the 
             Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, PA. In 1990, at the 
             age of 32, Senator Santorum was elected to the U.S. House 
             of Representatives and made his mark in Congress as a 
             champion of government accountability and welfare reform.
               In the 109th Congress Senator Santorum served on the 
             Agriculture Committee; the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
             and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Rules and 
             Administration; the Special Committee on Aging; and the 
             Finance Committee, of which he was the chairman of the 
             Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy.
               Senator Santorum was prominent in the fight to reform 
             America's social welfare system by playing a major part in 
             the historic 1996 welfare reform law. The Senator believes 
             in giving recipients of Federal aid incentives to work 
             while providing funds for fatherhood and marriage 
             initiatives. Welfare reform, however, is only a part of 
             his broader vision to end urban and rural poverty by 
             strengthening families, communities, and the local 
             organizations that sustain them.
               Senator Santorum was a leader in congressional efforts 
             to revive America's communities and empower citizens to 
             enjoy better lives. The most important of his initiatives 
             for community and economic renewal was the Charity, Aid, 
             Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act, which passed the 
             Senate during the 108th Congress. Based on three 
             concepts--giving, saving, and fairness--the CARE Act 
             provides incentives for charitable giving, opportunities 
             for low-income families to build their individual assets, 
             and equity between faith-based and secular organizations 
             as they provide charitable social services. These renewal 
             programs will promote job growth, economic development, 
             affordable housing and higher education, and long-term 
             financial stability for Americans. Senator Santorum is 
             committed to further fostering this movement.
               Also of legislative precedence to the Senator was the 
             belief that human life is sacred and must be guarded by 
             the law, science, and society. To this end, Rick Santorum 
             sponsored and fought for measures to protect the most 
             vulnerable among us and to ban a procedure known as 
             partial birth abortion. During the 107th Congress, Senator 
             Santorum successfully ushered the Born-Alive Infants 
             Protection Act through the House and Senate. Ultimately, 
             the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which recognizes 
             the basic rights of all children born alive, was signed 
             into law. In the 108th Congress the Senator's legislation 
             to end partial birth abortion won congressional approval 
             and was signed by President Bush.
               The Senator is committed to the initiative to eradicate 
             global HIV/AIDS. He believes that the United States has an 
             obligation to provide funding to combat HIV/AIDS, and a 
             responsibility to extend debt relief to Third World 
             nations.
               Senator Santorum was proud to represent Pennsylvania's 
             leading industry, agriculture, on the Senate Agriculture 
             Committee. He was a leading advocate for the 
             Commonwealth's 55,000 hard-working farm families and was 
             responsible for the creation of the Farmland Protection 
             Program. The Senator fought for the future of 
             Pennsylvania's dairy farmers, worked to provide a robust 
             crop insurance program for producers of all sizes, was an 
             advocate on behalf of Pennsylvania's disaster assistance 
             needs, and supported child nutrition programs that have 
             had a tremendous impact on Pennsylvania's children.
               As a member of the Senate Select Committee on Aging and 
             chairman of the Finance Subcommittee on Social Security 
             and Family Policy, Senator Santorum was on the front lines 
             in the fight to save and strengthen Social Security and 
             Medicare. Furthermore, as the son of two Veterans 
             Administration employees, and as a former member of the 
             Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Santorum focused 
             on efforts to ensure that the American men and women who 
             serve in our military are treated with the respect and 
             honor they so richly deserve.
               While Senator Santorum is proud of his accomplishments 
             as a lawmaker and public servant, he is most proud of his 
             role as a husband and father. Senator Santorum and his 
             wife, Karen Garver Santorum, are the parents of six 
             wonderful children: Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Sarah Maria, 
             Peter, and Patrick.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Thursday, December 7, 2006

               Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, let me thank my great 
             friend and colleague from Nevada [Mr. Ensign] for his very 
             kind words. I thank him for coming to hear my last speech 
             on the floor of the Senate. I know there are many 
             listening who are applauding at this moment for that. But 
             I come here with a wonderful spirit. I have written on the 
             top of the page the same words that I wrote the night of 
             the election, and that is the word ``gratitude'' because 
             that is all I feel--an incredible sense of gratitude.
               Mark Rodgers is my long-time friend and chief of staff, 
             now head of the conference. We were talking again this 
             morning about coming to work every day and walking up to 
             the Capitol Building every day for 16 years now and still 
             feeling that, wow, I work here--every day for 16 years. It 
             was such a gift, such an incredible gift to be blessed to 
             serve the people of the 18th District in the Congress, 
             southwestern Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County, and for 12 
             incredible years to be able to serve the people of 
             Pennsylvania here in the Senate.
               So first and foremost, I want to thank who is most 
             responsible--and that is God--for this great gift he has 
             bestowed upon me and my family--to be able to serve the 
             greatest country in the history of the world and to serve 
             in a body that is, and hopefully will be, the greatest 
             deliberative body in the world. I think back to my dad, 
             when he came to this country, and my mom, who is a second 
             generation, and I think of how I grew up. It is amazing 
             what a great country this is and how God has bestowed upon 
             me and my family tremendous blessings. So I thank Him for 
             the opportunity he has given me to serve. We are all 
             called to serve. Some are frustrated because they don't 
             think they are in a job or a position in life where they 
             are doing what God has called them to do. God has blessed 
             me with the opportunity to do this and to serve in a way 
             that I hope he has called me to serve.
               Second, I thank my family. Karen and the kids are 
             watching. They have suffered a lot and have sacrificed a 
             lot in 16 years. I was telling John the other day that it 
             is amazing how you think you are doing certain things 
             well, and then you have the opportunity to spend a little 
             more time doing those things and you realize how 
             insufficiently you did them in the past. A phrase from the 
             Bible is ringing in my ears, ``the scales falling off of 
             the eyes.'' In the last month or so, I have had a lot of 
             scales fall from my eyes--to see not just what the 2 years 
             have been to my family, which have been a tough 2 or 3 
             years, but the accumulation of 16 years in what is a very 
             difficult life. I know everybody here recognizes that 
             because you live it. They know how difficult this life is, 
             how public everything we do and say is or what we are 
             accused of. We think we understand how difficult that is 
             for our family, but I don't think we really do. I want to 
             say thank you to Karen, who I picture in my mind with this 
             T-shirt dress she wore and had stenciled on it ``Santorum 
             for Congress.'' She went knocking on doors in 1990, when 
             no one gave us a chance. We did the impossible. We were 
             able to defeat a 14-year incumbent who no one thought 
             could be beat. I would not have even come close to winning 
             that election but for her.
               In 1994, it was the same thing. She went out with the 
             two children at home and she spent day after day--not 
             traveling with, no; she was giving speeches in her own 
             right and traveling all over the Commonwealth of 
             Pennsylvania, sacrificing. They continued to do that day 
             after day, year after year. I was a Senator, and I had 
             important things to do.
               I tell stories all the time about debates that were held 
             on the floor of the Senate, when I would call Karen and 
             say I had to come back to this very place and say more. 
             There was never a hesitation. She served more than I did. 
             My children--none of them have known their father without 
             being in politics. I got married in 1990 to Karen, and 
             Elizabeth came along 11 months later. Their life has been 
             with their father in politics, in the public arena. They 
             have had to deal with that in both pleasurable ways and 
             some very painful ways. So I thank them for being without 
             their dad far too often. Even when they are with their 
             dad, I am not as attentive as I should have been. But I 
             think they knew and they shared in the endeavor because 
             they knew it was important for them and for our country.
               So, hopefully, out of this experience they have been 
             given a sense of purpose, and they know more about what 
             life should be all about and that is to serve--serve God, 
             serve your family, serve your community, and to serve your 
             country. It is a great blessing. I thank them for the 
             opportunity they have given me, through their sacrifice, 
             to do that for the last 16 years.
               I thank my mom and dad and Karen's mom and dad and 
             everyone in our family who has been supportive every step 
             of the way--sometimes wondering why I was doing this, 
             sometimes unable to walk to the end of the driveway and 
             pick up the paper for fear of what was going to be said 
             next about their son-in-law or son. But they stood with us 
             and fought with us and they comforted us. I thank them.
               John mentioned the people who are here in this room, my 
             staff.
               I ask unanimous consent to have printed a list of all of 
             the folks who worked for us over the last 12 years in the 
             Senate at the end of my remarks.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
               (See Exhibit 1.)

               Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I wish I could read all 
             these names, but there are a lot of names. These are 
             people who worked for me in my personal office in 
             Washington and in my offices across the State and the 
             people who worked here in Washington in my leadership 
             office at the Senate Republican Conference. John said it 
             so well. These are incredible people. I have had the 
             opportunity now in the last few days to sit and talk with 
             each one of my staff members to find out what they are 
             doing and to get any final thoughts they would have. One 
             after another, I have been amazed at the dedication, 
             intelligence, caring, and the commitment of service they 
             had to the people of Pennsylvania, or to the causes I have 
             attempted to do my best to fight for in the Senate. These 
             are incredibly talented people whom I have been so blessed 
             to be associated with and to work with.
               I looked at the list of our legislative accomplishments 
             and I can say, yes, I worked on that, but on the autism 
             legislation, Jennifer Vesey wrote it, not me. She spent 16 
             months working with 15 offices. In fact, let me do 
             something at this point.
               Mr. President, I ask the Chair to lay before the Senate 
             a message from the House of Representatives on the bill 
             (S. 843) to combat autism through research, screening, 
             intervention and education.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER laid before the Senate the 
             following message from the House of Representatives.
                                       S. 843
               Resolved, That the bill from the Senate (S. 843) 
             entitled ``An Act to amend the Public Health Service Act 
             to combat autism through research, screening, intervention 
             and education'', do pass with the following amendment:
               Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
             section 1. short title.
               This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Autism Act of 
             2006''.
             sec. 2. centers of excellence; improving autism-related 
             research.
               (a) Centers of Excellence Regarding Research on 
             Autism.--Section 409C of the Public Health Service Act (42 
             U.S.C.284g) is amended--
               (1) in the section heading, by striking ``autism'' and 
             inserting ``autism spectrum disorder'';
               (2) by striking the term ``autism'' each place such term 
             appears (other than the section heading) and inserting 
             ``autism spectrum disorder''; and
               (3) in subsection (a)--
               (A) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
               (B) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
             following:
               ``(1) Expansion of activities.--The Director of NIH (in 
             this section referred to as the `Director') shall, subject 
             to the availability of appropriations, expand, intensify, 
             and coordinate the activities of the National Institutes 
             of Health with respect to research on autism spectrum 
             disorder, including basic and clinical research in fields 
             including pathology, developmental neurobiology, genetics, 
             epigenetics, pharmacology, nutrition, immunology, 
             neuroimmunology, neurobehavioral development, 
             endocrinology, gastroenterology, and toxicology. Such 
             research shall investigate the cause (including possible 
             environmental causes), diagnosis or rule out, early 
             detection, prevention, services, supports, intervention, 
             and treatment of autism spectrum disorder.
               ``(2) Consolidation.--The Director may consolidate 
             program activities under this section if such 
             consolidation would improve program efficiencies and 
             outcomes.''.
               (b) Centers of Excellence Generally.--Part A of title IV 
             of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) 
             is amended by adding at the end the following:
             ``sec. 404h. review of centers of excellence.
               ``(a) In General.--Not later than April 1, 2008, and 
             periodically thereafter, the Secretary, acting through the 
             Director of NIH, shall conduct a review and submit a 
             report to the appropriate committees of the Congress on 
             the centers of excellence.
               ``(b) Report Contents.--Each report under subsection (a) 
             shall include the following:
               ``(1) Evaluation of the performance and research 
             outcomes of each center of excellence.
               ``(2) Recommendations for promoting coordination of 
             information among centers of excellence.
               ``(3) Recommendations for improving the effectiveness, 
             efficiency, and outcomes of the centers of excellence.
               ``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `center of 
             excellence' means an entity receiving funding under this 
             title in its capacity as a center of excellence.''.
             sec. 3. developmental disabilities surveillance and 
             research program.
               (a) In General.--Title III of the Public Health Service 
             Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
             end the following:
                        ``PART R--PROGRAMS RELATING TO AUTISM
             ``sec. 399aa. developmental disabilities surveillance and 
             research program.
               ``(a) Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Developmental 
             Disabilities.--
               ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
             Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
             Prevention, may award grants or cooperative agreements to 
             eligible entities for the collection, analysis, and 
             reporting of State epidemiological data on autism spectrum 
             disorder and other developmental disabilities. An eligible 
             entity shall assist with the development and coordination 
             of State autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disability surveillance efforts within a region. In making 
             such awards, the Secretary may provide direct technical 
             assistance in lieu of cash.
               ``(2) Data standards.--In submitting epidemiological 
             data to the Secretary pursuant to paragraph (1), an 
             eligible entity shall report data according to guidelines 
             prescribed by the Director of the Centers for Disease 
             Control and Prevention, after consultation with relevant 
             State and local public health officials, private sector 
             developmental disability researchers, and advocates for 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other 
             developmental disabilities.
               ``(3) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive an award 
             under paragraph (1), an entity shall be a public or 
             nonprofit private entity (including a health department of 
             a State or a political subdivision of a State, a 
             university, or any other educational institution), and 
             submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
             such manner, and containing such information as the 
             Secretary may require.
               ``(b) Centers of Excellence in Autism Spectrum Disorder 
             Epidemiology.--
               ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
             Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
             Prevention, shall, subject to the availability of 
             appropriations, award grants or cooperative agreements for 
             the establishment of regional centers of excellence in 
             autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disabilities epidemiology for the purpose of collecting 
             and analyzing information on the number, incidence, 
             correlates, and causes of autism spectrum disorder and 
             other developmental disabilities.
               ``(2) Requirements.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
             or cooperative agreement under paragraph (1), an entity 
             shall submit to the Secretary an application containing 
             such agreements and information as the Secretary may 
             require, including an agreement that the center to be 
             established under the grant or cooperative agreement shall 
             operate in accordance with the following:
               ``(A) The center will collect, analyze, and report 
             autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disability data according to guidelines prescribed by the 
             Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
             Prevention, after consultation with relevant State and 
             local public health officials, private sector 
             developmental disability researchers, and advocates for 
             individuals with developmental disabilities.
               ``(B) The center will develop or extend an area of 
             special research expertise (including genetics, 
             epigenetics, and epidemiological research related to 
             environmental exposures), immunology, and other relevant 
             research specialty areas.
               ``(C) The center will identify eligible cases and 
             controls through its surveillance system and conduct 
             research into factors which may cause or increase the risk 
             of autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disabilities.
               ``(c) Federal Response.--The Secretary shall coordinate 
             the Federal response to requests for assistance from State 
             health, mental health, and education department officials 
             regarding potential or alleged autism spectrum disorder or 
             developmental disability clusters.
               ``(d) Definitions.--In this part:
               ``(1) Other developmental disabilities.--The term `other 
             developmental disabilities' has the meaning given the term 
             `developmental disability' in section 102(8) of the 
             Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights 
             Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002(8)).
               ``(2) State.--The term `State' means each of the several 
             States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of 
             Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the 
             Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and the 
             Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
               ``(e) Sunset.--This section shall not apply after 
             September 30, 2011.
             ``sec. 399bb. autism education, early detection, and 
             intervention.
               ``(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section--
               ``(1) to increase awareness, reduce barriers to 
             screening and diagnosis, promote evidence-based 
             interventions for individuals with autism spectrum 
             disorder or other developmental disabilities, and train 
             professionals to utilize valid and reliable screening 
             tools to diagnose or rule out and provide evidence-based 
             interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder 
             and other developmental disabilities; and
               ``(2) to conduct activities under this section with a 
             focus on an interdisciplinary approach (as defined in 
             programs developed under section 501(a)(2) of the Social 
             Security Act) that will also focus on specific issues for 
             children who are not receiving an early diagnosis and 
             subsequent interventions.
               ``(b) In General.--The Secretary shall, subject to the 
             availability of appropriations, establish and evaluate 
             activities to--
               ``(1) provide information and education on autism 
             spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities to 
             increase public awareness of developmental milestones;
               ``(2) promote research into the development and 
             validation of reliable screening tools for autism spectrum 
             disorder and other developmental disabilities and 
             disseminate information regarding those screening tools;
               ``(3) promote early screening of individuals at higher 
             risk for autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disabilities as early as practicable, given evidence-based 
             screening techniques and interventions;
               ``(4) increase the number of individuals who are able to 
             confirm or rule out a diagnosis of autism spectrum 
             disorder and other developmental disabilities;
               ``(5) increase the number of individuals able to provide 
             evidence-based interventions for individuals diagnosed 
             with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
             disabilities; and
               ``(6) promote the use of evidence-based interventions 
             for individuals at higher risk for autism spectrum 
             disorder and other developmental disabilities as early as 
             practicable.
               ``(c) Information and Education.--
               ``(1) In general.--In carrying out subsection (b)(1), 
             the Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of 
             Education and the Secretary of Agriculture, shall, subject 
             to the availability of appropriations, provide culturally 
             competent information regarding autism spectrum disorder 
             and other developmental disabilities, risk factors, 
             characteristics, identification, diagnosis or rule out, 
             and evidence-based interventions to meet the needs of 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other 
             developmental disabilities and their families through--
               ``(A) Federal programs, including--
               ``(i) the Head Start program;
               ``(ii) the Early Start program;
               ``(iii) the Healthy Start program;
               ``(iv) programs under the Child Care and Development 
             Block Grant Act of 1990;
               ``(v) programs under title XIX of the Social Security 
             Act (particularly the Medicaid Early and Periodic 
             Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program);
               ``(vi) the program under title XXI of the Social 
             Security Act (the State Children's Health Insurance 
             Program);
               ``(vii) the program under title V of the Social Security 
             Act (the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program);
               ``(viii) the program under parts B and C of the 
             Individuals with Disabilities Education Act;
               ``(ix) the special supplemental nutrition program for 
             women, infants, and children established under section 17 
             of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786); and
               ``(x) the State grant program under the Rehabilitation 
             Act of 1973.
               ``(B) State licensed child care facilities; and
               ``(C) other community-based organizations or points of 
             entry for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and 
             other developmental disabilities to receive services.
               ``(2) Lead agency.--
               ``(A) Designation.--As a condition on the provision of 
             assistance or the conduct of activities under this section 
             with respect to a State, the Secretary may require the 
             Governor of the State--
               ``(i) to designate a public agency as a lead agency to 
             coordinate the activities provided for under paragraph (1) 
             in the State at the State level; and
               ``(ii) acting through such lead agency, to make 
             available to individuals and their family members, 
             guardians, advocates, or authorized representatives; 
             providers; and other appropriate individuals in the State, 
             comprehensive culturally competent information about State 
             and local resources regarding autism spectrum disorder and 
             other developmental disabilities, risk factors, 
             characteristics, identification, diagnosis or rule out, 
             available services and supports, and evidence-based 
             interventions.
               ``(B) Requirements of agency.--In designating the lead 
             agency under subparagraph (A)(i), the Governor shall--
               ``(i) select an agency that has demonstrated experience 
             and expertise in--
               ``(I) autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disability issues; and
               ``(II) developing, implementing, conducting, and 
             administering programs and delivering education, 
             information, and referral services (including technology-
             based curriculum-development services) to individuals with 
             developmental disabilities and their family members, 
             guardians, advocates or authorized representatives, 
             providers, and other appropriate individuals locally and 
             across the State; and
               ``(ii) consider input from individuals with 
             developmental disabilities and their family members, 
             guardians, advocates or authorized representatives, 
             providers, and other appropriate individuals.
               ``(C) Information.--Information under subparagraph 
             (A)(ii) shall be provided through--
               ``(i) toll-free telephone numbers;
               ``(ii) Internet websites;
               ``(iii) mailings; or
               ``(iv) such other means as the Governor may require.
               ``(d) Tools.--
               ``(1) In general.--To promote the use of valid and 
             reliable screening tools for autism spectrum disorder and 
             other developmental disabilities, the Secretary shall 
             develop a curriculum for continuing education to assist 
             individuals in recognizing the need for valid and reliable 
             screening tools and the use of such tools.
               ``(2) Collection, storage, coordination, and 
             availability.--The Secretary, in collaboration with the 
             Secretary of Education, shall provide for the collection, 
             storage, coordination, and public availability of tools 
             described in paragraph (1), educational materials and 
             other products that are used by the Federal programs 
             referred to in subsection (c)(1)(A), as well as--
               ``(A) programs authorized under the Developmental 
             Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000;
               ``(B) early intervention programs or interagency 
             coordinating councils authorized under part C of the 
             Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; and
               ``(C) children with special health care needs programs 
             authorized under title V of the Social Security Act.
               ``(3) Required sharing.--In establishing mechanisms and 
             entities under this subsection, the Secretary, and the 
             Secretary of Education, shall ensure the sharing of tools, 
             materials, and products developed under this subsection 
             among entities receiving funding under this section.
               ``(e) Diagnosis.--
               ``(1) Training.--The Secretary, in coordination with 
             activities conducted under title V of the Social Security 
             Act, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, 
             expand existing interdisciplinary training opportunities 
             or opportunities to increase the number of sites able to 
             diagnose or rule out individuals with autism spectrum 
             disorder or other developmental disabilities and ensure 
             that--
               ``(A) competitive grants or cooperative agreements are 
             awarded to public or nonprofit agencies, including 
             institutions of higher education, to expand existing or 
             develop new maternal and child health interdisciplinary 
             leadership education in neurodevelopmental and related 
             disabilities programs (similar to the programs developed 
             under section 501(a)(2) of the Social Security Act) in 
             States that do not have such a program;
               ``(B) trainees under such training programs--
               ``(i) receive an appropriate balance of academic, 
             clinical, and community opportunities;
               ``(ii) are culturally competent;
               ``(iii) are ethnically diverse;
               ``(iv) demonstrate a capacity to evaluate, diagnose or 
             rule out, develop, and provide evidence-based 
             interventions to individuals with autism spectrum disorder 
             and other developmental disabilities; and
               ``(v) demonstrate an ability to use a family-centered 
             approach; and
               ``(C) program sites provide culturally competent 
             services.
               ``(2) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may award one 
             or more grants under this section to provide technical 
             assistance to the network of interdisciplinary training 
             programs.
               ``(3) Best practices.--The Secretary shall promote 
             research into additional valid and reliable tools for 
             shortening the time required to confirm or rule out a 
             diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder or other 
             developmental disabilities and detecting individuals with 
             autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
             disabilities at an earlier age.
               ``(f) Intervention.--The Secretary shall promote 
             research, through grants or contracts, to determine the 
             evidence-based practices for interventions for individuals 
             with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
             disabilities, develop guidelines for those interventions, 
             and disseminate information related to such research and 
             guidelines.
               ``(g) Sunset.--This section shall not apply after 
             September 30, 2011.
             ``sec. 399cc. interagency autism coordinating committee.
               ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a 
             committee, to be known as the `Interagency Autism 
             Coordinating Committee' (in this section referred to as 
             the `Committee'), to coordinate all efforts within the 
             Department of Health and Human Services concerning autism 
             spectrum disorder.
               ``(b) Responsibilities.--In carrying out its duties 
             under this section, the Committee shall--
               ``(1) develop and annually update a summary of advances 
             in autism spectrum disorder research related to causes, 
             prevention, treatment, early screening, diagnosis or rule 
             out, intervention, and access to services and supports for 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder;
               ``(2) monitor Federal activities with respect to autism 
             spectrum disorder;
               ``(3) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
             any appropriate changes to such activities, including 
             recommendations to the Director of NIH with respect to the 
             strategic plan developed under paragraph (5);
               ``(4) make recommendations to the Secretary regarding 
             public participation in decisions relating to autism 
             spectrum disorder;
               ``(5) develop and annually update a strategic plan for 
             the conduct of, and support for, autism spectrum disorder 
             research, including proposed budgetary requirements; and
               ``(6) submit to the Congress such strategic plan and any 
             updates to such plan.
               ``(c) Membership.--
               ``(1) In general.--The Committee shall be composed of--
               ``(A) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
             and Prevention;
               ``(B) the Director of the National Institutes of Health, 
             and the Directors of such national research institutes of 
             the National Institutes of Health as the Secretary 
             determines appropriate;
               ``(C) the heads of such other agencies as the Secretary 
             determines appropriate;
               ``(D) representatives of other Federal Governmental 
             agencies that serve individuals with autism spectrum 
             disorder such as the Department of Education; and
               ``(E) the additional members appointed under paragraph 
             (2).
               ``(2) Additional members.--Not fewer than 6 members of 
             the Committee, or 1/3 of the total membership of the 
             Committee, whichever is greater, shall be composed of non-
             Federal public members to be appointed by the Secretary, 
             of which--
               ``(A) at least one such member shall be an individual 
             with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder;
               ``(B) at least one such member shall be a parent or 
             legal guardian of an individual with an autism spectrum 
             disorder; and
               ``(C) at least one such member shall be a representative 
             of leading research, advocacy, and service organizations 
             for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
               ``(d) Administrative Support; Terms of Service; Other 
             Provisions.--The following provisions shall apply with 
             respect to the Committee:
               ``(1) The Committee shall receive necessary and 
             appropriate administrative support from the Secretary.
               ``(2) Members of the Committee appointed under 
             subsection (c)(2) shall serve for a term of 4 years, and 
             may be reappointed for one or more additional 4 year term. 
             Any member appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired 
             term shall be appointed for the remainder of such term. A 
             member may serve after the expiration of the member's term 
             until a successor has taken office.
               ``(3) The Committee shall meet at the call of the 
             chairperson or upon the request of the Secretary. The 
             Committee shall meet not fewer than 2 times each year.
               ``(4) All meetings of the Committee shall be public and 
             shall include appropriate time periods for questions and 
             presentations by the public.
               ``(e) Subcommittees; Establishment and Membership.--In 
             carrying out its functions, the Committee may establish 
             subcommittees and convene workshops and conferences. Such 
             subcommittees shall be composed of Committee members and 
             may hold such meetings as are necessary to enable the 
             subcommittees to carry out their duties.
               ``(f) Sunset.--This section shall not apply after 
             September 30, 2011, and the Committee shall be terminated 
             on such date.
             ``sec. 399dd. report to congress.
               ``(a) In General.--Not later than 4 years after the date 
             of enactment of the Combating Autism Act of 2006, the 
             Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of 
             Education, shall prepare and submit to the Health, 
             Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee of the Senate and 
             the Energy and Commerce Committee of the House of 
             Representatives a progress report on activities related to 
             autism spectrum disorder and other developmental 
             disabilities.
               ``(b) Contents.--The report submitted under subsection 
             (a) shall contain--
               ``(1) a description of the progress made in implementing 
             the provisions of the Combating Autism Act of 2006;
               ``(2) a description of the amounts expended on the 
             implementation of the particular provisions of Combating 
             Autism Act of 2006;
               ``(3) information on the incidence of autism spectrum 
             disorder and trend data of such incidence since the date 
             of enactment of the Combating Autism Act of 2006;
               ``(4) information on the average age of diagnosis for 
             children with autism spectrum disorder and other 
             disabilities, including how that age may have changed over 
             the 4-year period beginning on the date of enactment of 
             this Act;
               ``(5) information on the average age for intervention 
             for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder 
             and other developmental disabilities, including how that 
             age may have changed over the 4-year period beginning on 
             the date of enactment of this Act;
               ``(6) information on the average time between initial 
             screening and then diagnosis or rule out for individuals 
             with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental 
             disabilities, as well as information on the average time 
             between diagnosis and evidence-based intervention for 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other 
             developmental disabilities;
               ``(7) information on the effectiveness and outcomes of 
             interventions for individuals diagnosed with autism 
             spectrum disorder, including by various subtypes, and 
             other developmental disabilities and how the age of the 
             child may affect such effectiveness;
               ``(8) information on the effectiveness and outcomes of 
             innovative and newly developed intervention strategies for 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other 
             developmental disabilities; and
               ``(9) information on services and supports provided to 
             individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other 
             developmental disabilities who have reached the age of 
             majority (as defined for purposes of section 615(m) of the 
             Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 
             1415(m)).''.
               (b) Repeals.--The following sections of the Children's 
             Health Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-310) are repealed:
               (1) Section 102 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4b), relating to the 
             Developmental Disabilities Surveillance and Research 
             Program.
               (2) Section 103 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4c), relating to 
             information and education.
               (3) Section 104 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4d), relating to the 
             Inter-Agency Autism Coordinating Committee.
               (4) Section 105 (42 U.S.C. 247b-4e), relating to 
             reports.
             sec. 4. authorization of appropriations.
               (a) In General.--Part R of title III of the Public 
             Health Service Act, as added by section 3, is amended by 
             adding at the end the following:
             ``sec. 399ee. authorization of appropriations.
               ``(a) Developmental Disabilities Surveillance and 
             Research Program.--To carry out section 399AA, there are 
             authorized to be appropriated the following:
               ``(1) For fiscal year 2007, $15,000,000.
               ``(2) For fiscal year 2008, $16,500,000.
               ``(3) For fiscal year 2009, $18,000,000.
               ``(4) or fiscal year 2010, $19,500,000.
               ``(5) For fiscal year 2011, $21,000,000.
               ``(b) Autism Education, Early Detection, and 
             Intervention.--To carry out section 399BB, there are 
             authorized to be appropriated the following:
               ``(1) For fiscal year 2007, $32,000,000.
               ``(2) For fiscal year 2008, $37,000,000.
               ``(3) For fiscal year 2009, $42,000,000.
               ``(4) For fiscal year 2010, $47,000,000.
               ``(5) For fiscal year 2011, $52,000,000.
               ``(c) Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee; Certain 
             Other Programs.--To carry out section 399CC, 409C, and 
             section 404H, there are authorized to be appropriated the 
             following:
               ``(1) For fiscal year 2007, $100,000,000.
               ``(2) For fiscal year 2008, $114,500,000.
               ``(3) For fiscal year 2009, $129,000,000.
               ``(4) For fiscal year 2010, $143,500,000.
               ``(5) For fiscal year 2011, $158,000,000.''.
               (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 409C of the Public 
             Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 284g) is amended by striking 
             subsection (e) (relating to funding).

               Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the Senate concur in the House amendment, the motion 
             to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements 
             relating to the bill be printed in the Record.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.

               Mr. SANTORUM. Mr. President, we just passed the 
             combating autism bill that we have been working on for 16 
             months. I thank Senator Dodd for his tremendous work on 
             that. I thank all of the autism groups. I thank Jennifer 
             Vesey for the tremendous work she did and the hours and 
             hours and patience it takes to put together complex and 
             important pieces of legislation.
               Later today, or tomorrow, we are going to pass the 
             abandoned mine lands bill. I would love to say that was 
             Rick Santorum, but it was Ashley Horning; it wasn't Rick 
             Santorum. She did all the work. I pretty much knew what 
             was in there, and I would negotiate the parts in 
             disagreement. That is what we all do. But on 90 percent of 
             the bills that most of us know about, we didn't hammer out 
             the details; it was done by folks who have the commitment 
             and vision and effort and work the long hours to make the 
             legislation possible. It is important that in Pennsylvania 
             now we will get $1 billion to clean up abandoned mines--it 
             is a tremendous contribution to the environment--our 
             miners will have health care coverage paid because, in 
             part, I had a terrific staff person. I can go down through 
             issue after issue and look at these accomplishments that 
             would be great to stand up and say that I did, but I had a 
             tremendous amount of help. I had incredibly talented, 
             gifted people who worked incredible hours.
               What most people across America don't realize is how 
             hard our people around here work. They don't do it for the 
             money. They don't do it because they have some agenda to 
             accomplish. They do it because they want to improve 
             America, make America a better place. They want to leave 
             this place better than how they found it. They want to 
             serve because they love this country and they believe in 
             what will make this country better. They work long hours. 
             They don't get paid as much as they could make if they 
             wandered off the Hill. I will put my folks, both in 
             Washington and across the State, up against anybody. They 
             are sitting in the gallery and here along the railing. 
             They have given their all and I thank them. They served 
             the people of Pennsylvania. Looking at Kevin Roy over 
             there, I think of all of the earmarks--that is a dirty 
             word--that we were able to get to help the people in 
             Pennsylvania in so many ways. I look at work we did for 
             the nonprofit community and welfare and families, and 
             Melanie Looney and her team worked on that.
               It has been an incredible group. Our Senate conference, 
             the message folks--it was awfully hard. Republicans are 
             not good on the old message issue. We don't follow our 
             talking points very well. We try. We try. We have a lot of 
             independent thinkers on our side. God bless them. They 
             always have a better way of saying things than what we 
             suggest or actually not even saying things, thinking of 
             things other than what we suggest. That is the beauty of 
             our party. We have a lot of diversity within our party.
               We have some very talented people who work very hard, 
             not just a dry message to spin, but to try to move the 
             debate, try to get our causes articulated in a way that is 
             communicated effectively to people across America. They 
             worked hard. They built coalitions. They did their best, 
             and I thank them for their effort and the tremendous 
             service they have given our conference.
               I thank the folks in my district offices. Most of those 
             folks have been with me 16 years. We don't have a lot of 
             turnover in our office. A lot of folks in Pittsburgh have 
             been with me 16 and others around the State have been with 
             me 12 years. They are dedicated people who go out and do 
             those security checks and veterans benefits and medals.
               I will always remember one story that happened this last 
             year. There was a man, a World War II vet named Patrick. I 
             was at a ribbon-cutting for a VA facility in Oakland in 
             Pittsburgh. While I was there, we arranged a little medal 
             presentation to a veteran who had sought a medal and was 
             never given that medal. That is all I knew about it. I 
             showed up. There was this older gentleman sitting in the 
             front row. His name was Patrick.
               Patrick was a World War II veteran who served in 
             Patton's army and was sent on a secret mission to try to 
             liberate a POW camp. In that mission, he was captured. He 
             was imprisoned for several months, I believe, in a German 
             POW camp. When he got out of the Army, he requested a POW 
             medal, but the paperwork didn't show he had been captured. 
             It was a secret mission, and it never appeared on his 
             military record.
               For 60 years, Patrick fought to get his designation as a 
             POW. He never married. In fact, later in his life after he 
             retired from work, he became somewhat of a recluse because 
             he was kidded by some of his buddies about being a POW. It 
             affected him dramatically, so much so that one of his 
             friends and relatives contacted us to say: Is there 
             anything you can do? Could it possibly be true?
               Ann Blocksidge in my office in Pittsburgh, wizard that 
             she is with these issues that she has been working on now 
             for 16 years, knew the places to call and put the records 
             together. We found out, yes, he was, and that was in one 
             place in one record and not in the same place as the other 
             record, and A didn't talk to B. So we were able to get him 
             his POW medal.
               I remember pinning it on him. This older man walked to 
             the microphone. He said: There is one thing I want to say. 
             He said: I finally feel welcomed home.
               It is a great story, but the folks in my office and 
             offices all over this Capitol do this every day because 
             they care, because the people call with impossible things, 
             and our folks do impossible things to help them.
               I thank all of them for all the service they have done, 
             for doing what I ask them to do when they come into the 
             office: Treat every caller as if it is your grandmother 
             calling. If you treat every caller as if it is your 
             grandmother--hopefully they get along with their 
             grandmother--then things will be fine.
               I thank my colleagues. This place gets a lot of 
             ridicule. It is very easy to criticize people in the 
             fishbowl. It is very easy to take shots at people for not 
             living up to expectations, and certainly we all do not 
             live up to expectations. But I think I can say without any 
             reservation that the men and women in this body are good 
             and decent people who are doing what they believe is best 
             for this country.
               I know many people find that hard to believe because 
             they look at people and they have beliefs so diametrically 
             opposed to people in this Chamber. I certainly have 
             views--and have demonstrated that on many occasions on the 
             floor of the Senate--that are diametrically opposed to 
             many people in this Chamber. But in my heart, I never 
             questioned the integrity and the sincerity of the people 
             who articulated their opinions, that they were not 
             sincere. I believed that they were sincere and that they 
             believed it was in the best interest of the country. That 
             is what is supposed to happen here. Ideas are to be 
             debated, points of view are to be discussed, and the 
             prevailing thought of the day will move the country in 
             that direction.
               I tell the people of America: There are very good people 
             here. There are people here on both sides of the aisle who 
             pray every single day for God's guidance. There are people 
             here today who, while we fight and argue, do so out of a 
             passion for doing what is right.
               I thank my colleagues for the courtesies they have shown 
             me, and particularly my Republican colleagues for the 
             honor they have given me to serve in the leadership for 6 
             years. I know that was not an easy decision back in 2001 
             to elect someone who had a reputation of being somewhat of 
             a bomb thrower in the House and in my early Senate days to 
             a position of leadership in the Senate. They took a risk. 
             I hope they feel it has paid off.
               It has certainly been a great blessing to me to have 
             been able to serve my colleagues in the capacity of 
             conference chairman.
               It is an incredible group of people. I think of John, 
             who is my tennis partner. We played our first match after 
             I was defeated, and he beat me 6-love, 6-1. He thinks it 
             is because he played better, but I am just preparing for 
             other employment.
               We have prayer groups here. One of the most important 
             things in my life over the past 12 years has been the 
             Senate prayer group, the Senate Bible study, and the 
             prayer breakfasts, the small prayer group with which I 
             have been involved. I don't know how people do it. I don't 
             know how people do this business without prayer, without 
             an understanding that there is something bigger than us 
             here, something that will help us, guide us, lift us up at 
             times when there seems to be no other reason to be lifted 
             up.
               I thank all of those who prayed with me and prayed for 
             me. Lloyd Ogilvie, a Chaplain here for many years, and 
             Barry Black, our Chaplain now--they are prayer warriors 
             for all of us. I know they pray for us every day. I know 
             Lloyd still prays for us every day, and I know millions of 
             Americans pray for us every day. I thank all of them for 
             helping me through and helping us and helping our country 
             through these difficult times.
               I thank our leader, Bill Frist, my first leader I served 
             under as a member of the leadership, Trent Lott, and the 
             leader I served under when I came to the Senate, Bob Dole. 
             Each and every one of them in their own way led 
             differently. But in the case of Senator Dole, he was a 
             larger-than-life figure to me, coming over to the Senate 
             as a 36-year-old Senator. He was on his way to run for the 
             Presidency. He took the time to be concerned about the 
             issues that were important to me. He put me on the 
             committees I needed to be on and gave me the opportunity 
             that I will never forget and certainly will always be 
             thankful for--to manage and work on the welfare reform 
             bill back in 1996.
               Of all the things I accomplished in the Senate, there is 
             nothing I am more proud of than what we did in 1996 to 
             reform the welfare system and transition it so millions 
             and millions would fall off the rolls, find gainful 
             employment, and change their lives and the lives of their 
             families. I owe that to Bob Dole. He gave me the 
             opportunity to stand at that manager's chair for months in 
             my second year in the Senate and take on what I would 
             argue was the most important piece of legislation in that 
             session of the Congress, the Republican revolution.
               I thank Trent Lott not only for his tutelage and 
             mentoring me in the time I have been here as a leader, but 
             for helping me in gaining leadership and being involved in 
             the leadership in the Senate.
               I thank Bill Frist for his friendship. His coming in as 
             a leader when I was already in the leadership was a little 
             different. He didn't come in and point the finger and boss 
             us around, he came in to learn. He came in to engage, to 
             try to take the knowledge that was in the leadership group 
             and use it to build a stronger group. I appreciate that.
               There is a humility in Bill Frist. It is a very 
             attractive quality and, I might also add, a rather rare 
             quality if one is in the Senate, but a very attractive one 
             and a very important one in Senators and leaders.
               I thank, I guess finally, the people of Pennsylvania. I 
             was talking to Jim Towey. Jim is the new president of 
             Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Jim is the former 
             director of the Faith-Based Office for the President. I 
             called him the other day. He said: You know, Rick, I have 
             been here--I think he said 6 months. He said: I really 
             like the State, like the area, good people. But the more I 
             study the State and the more I get the feel of 
             Pennsylvania, I have one question: It is not how did you 
             lose the election, but how did you get elected here twice?
               I got elected twice because I had a lot of wonderful 
             people who campaigned hard, worked hard, and believed in 
             me and were able to maybe see past some of the differences 
             with me to give me an opportunity to serve here, and I am 
             eternally grateful.
               It is an incredible State. It is one I got to know very 
             well and, obviously, got to know thousands of people. I 
             had the opportunity to serve them. I had the opportunity 
             to be scolded by them, reprimanded by them. But I always 
             understood they were my employers. I work for them. And 
             when you work for somebody, sometimes they are going to 
             tell you they don't like the job you are doing. And you 
             better act like someone who is an employee instead of an 
             employer or you are not going to find yourself as an 
             employee very much longer. Well, I tried to act like an 
             employee. But that doesn't mean I always had to agree with 
             my employer, and a lot of times I didn't. And maybe I 
             spoke up too often too loudly and too boldly on some of 
             the things that my employer didn't agree with. I hope they 
             respect the fact that it was a heartfelt disagreement and 
             that I did what I did and I said what I said because I 
             believed it was in their best interests, even though they 
             may not have thought so.
               I respect the fact that I didn't win this election and 
             that the people of Pennsylvania made a different decision. 
             I had an opportunity to meet with my successor today in my 
             office and get a chance to talk with him about some of the 
             ins and outs of the Senate. He is a good man, and he will 
             do a good job. I hope the people of Pennsylvania will give 
             him and extend to him the same courtesies and trust and 
             cooperation that so many Pennsylvanians who didn't agree 
             with me on a lot of things but knew that it was important 
             to work together--such as our Governor, Ed Rendell, whom I 
             worked with as mayor and as Governor, as well as I did 
             with any Republican that I know--I hope that Republican 
             officeholders in Pennsylvania treat my opponent with the 
             same kind of respect and the same kind of cooperation that 
             Governor Rendell and I have had over the years.
               That brings me to my colleague, Senator Specter. It was 
             very kind of Arlen to come and say a few words. He said 
             that we are not only colleagues in the Senate and, 
             obviously, colleagues from Pennsylvania, but we are 
             friends. I have to tell my colleagues, when I first came 
             to the Senate, I thought it was a very long shot that I 
             would be friends with Arlen Specter. All I had heard about 
             Arlen Specter was how prickly a character he is, how 
             difficult he is, sort of cold and tough. But he is a 
             pretty soft guy. He really is. He gets those 
             granddaughters around him and he just melts. No, he is a 
             good man. I don't agree with Arlen a lot, and of course 
             everybody knows that, but Arlen has been a good partner. 
             We have worked on a lot of things together. And even when 
             we disagreed, we understood and respected the disagreement 
             and didn't let it affect us, or certainly our 
             relationship, or if it was important enough to us and 
             important enough to the State and important enough to the 
             country, we worked hard to try to bridge those 
             differences. I think that is a good model. I recommend it 
             to my successor. I recommend it to all my colleagues.
               This place doesn't have to be as personally 
             confrontational as it is. I say that as someone who was 
             pretty personally combative when I first came here. I know 
             that I have had some pretty strident debates on the floor 
             of the Senate, but I will tell my colleagues that in my 
             heart, it was never personal, it was always about what the 
             issue was about. And it is hard for a lot of people in 
             America who look at it in a culture that takes everything 
             personally--people have asked me why I have been so 
             comfortable and at ease with what has happened, and it is 
             because I don't take it personally. People disagree with 
             where I wanted to take this country, and that is fine. 
             They will have an opportunity to take it someplace else, 
             for now.
               But I don't take it personally. I look at the empty 
             desks of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and 
             I look at each and every one and I can see them all 
             sitting there, and I can't think of one that I would take 
             a disagreement with personally--and I have had 
             disagreements with virtually every one but all of them 
             have disagreed, hopefully without being personally 
             disagreeable. That is how this place works. It is the only 
             way it can work and be successful for America.
               In closing, I want to say that I always come back to the 
             word ``gratitude.'' To God, to my family, to my 
             colleagues, to the wonderful people who have worked for me 
             and with me over the years, to the people of the 18th 
             Congressional District, to the people of Pennsylvania: 
             Thank you. Thank you. I don't know what I will be doing 
             next, but I cannot imagine that anything I do in the 
             future will rival the kind of blessings I have felt from 
             all of the folks whom I have mentioned. The relationships 
             and the wonderful accomplishments and the great spirit I 
             have experienced over these last 16 years are experiences 
             that I am eternally grateful for to all of those involved. 
             It has been a great blessing.
               I thank my colleagues, I thank those who came and 
             listened, those who might be listening in other ways, but 
             I thank them, personally, for the great kindness they have 
             shown me. I leave a very happy and contented former 
             Senator from Pennsylvania who feels very blessed.
                                      Exhibit 1
                          Senate Personal Office Employees
               Aho, Robert W; Anderson, Thomas S; Armata, Andrew M T; 
             Baldwin, Todd A; Barbera, Vincent M; Barron, Bruce A; 
             Bashore, Keith E; Beresnyak, Allison M; Beresnyak, Thomas 
             E Jr.; Bernier, George M III; Bernstein, Luke M; Berry, 
             Donna A; Bertuola, Lawrence J; Beynon, Matthew E; 
             Bickhart, Robert G; Blocksidge, Anne M; Bonesso, Rozzanna 
             J; Bowman, Patricia Dianne; Bowser, Julia E; Boyd, Allison 
             J.
               Bozzuto, Robert F; Bragg, Heather N; Broughton, Aaron 
             Michael; Brown, Brian T; Burkhalter, Colin J; Butler, 
             Timothy R; Caldwell, Stanley D; Calka, Courtney JO; 
             Carlson, Michael R; Carter, Andrew C; Castillo, Michael J; 
             Chapman, Elizabeth R; Christman, David R; Clater, Michael 
             D; Cognato, Christopher; Cognato, Michael H; Coleman, 
             Samuel E; Collins, Leah R; Conklin, Jennifer M; Coppolo, 
             Stephen D.
               Corman, Jacob D III; Coulter, Kathryn A; Covel, Michelle 
             F; Crane, Rebecca H; Curry, Margaret K; Daniel, Kelly L; 
             Davidek, Jason E; Davis, Mary Elizabeth A; Davis, Virginia 
             L; Dermody, Brandon D; Devito, William J; Dick, John T; 
             Diehl, Samuel W; Dougherty, Kara A; Doyle, Lyda A; 
             Dutkowski, Margaret C; Ely, Ramona J; Ensslin, Mary T; 
             Evans, Andrea L; Faulk, Page C.
               Faustino, Mary A; Feenstra, Paul A; Feller, Meredith L; 
             Fergusen, Sarah E; Ferrara, Lorenzo L; Finney, Thomas S; 
             Fischer, Karen E; Fratto, Salvatore A; French, David G; 
             French, John M III; Galko, Vincent A; Garver, Nancy L; 
             Gaston, Shivellia T; Gemma, Peter B Jr.; Genesio, 
             Christine J; Gerry, Keith M; Gorman, Victoria Lynn; Greco, 
             Michael P; Greene, Charles M; Gresov, Winston G.
               Gutierrez, Jennifer C; Haberkern, Jeffery J; Hall, David 
             M; Harbula, David Scott; Harvey, Marcus W; Hershey, Jill 
             E; Hershey, Michael S; Hoadley, Cassandra; Holcombe, Sara 
             K; Hornbake, Lawrence E; Horne, Wesley O; Horning, Ashley 
             E; Howard, Jaime L; Hybels, Amy R; Irvine, Walter G Jr.; 
             Irwin, Christine E; Ivanov, Florina D; Johnson, Thomas O 
             II; Kauffman, Alexander J; Kelly, Caitlin B.
               Kennedy, Brian D; Kinsman, Chelsea M; Kitchen, Michelle 
             L; Kocan, Sheila T; Koutsiouroumbas, Athan; Kuklis, Joseph 
             V; Laager, Maryanne R; Ladd, Abigail A; Larcinese, Mary E; 
             Laurenson, Craig A; Lebaudy, Laura A; Leidner, Kristina S; 
             Leinbach, Christian Y; Lewandowski, Leslie L; 
             Lindenberger, Stephanie Ann; Lofton, Marian Victoria; 
             Looney, Melanie L; Lyle, Stephen T; Lynch, Stephanie F; 
             Maclean, Heather Marie.
               Maddox, Audrey C; Maguire, Erin K; Mahon, Emmet M; 
             Maines, Laura A; Martin, David; Martin, John E Jr.; 
             Mattei, Thomas J Jr.; Matthews, Shawnna Lee; Mcclard, 
             Melissa J; Mccoy, Ida M; Mccracken, David E; Mccree, 
             Michael R; Mcdonald, Robin V; Mcelwee, George S; Mcginley, 
             Christopher P; Mckeon, Meredith; Mcnamara, Kevin M; 
             Medina, Wanda I; Meyer, Christine M; Mihalke, Michael H.
               Miller, Eric R; Miller, Jennifer L; Miller, Manda B; 
             Miller, Nicole M; Miller, William A; Mitchell, Anna K; 
             Mitchell, Marcus P; Mizer, Erica L; Molineaux, Peter J; 
             Moore, Thomas; Moore, Zachery P; Morinigo, Nicholas; 
             Morton, Bylly Jo; Mullen, James G; Narcavage, Michael III; 
             Navin, Lawrence M; Ohara, Gerald J; Oshea, Joseph J; 
             Pallotto, Adam R; Palmer, Wayne D.
               Park, Victoria P; Parrick-Cox, Susan; Patel, Kajal A; 
             Pavlik, Bonnie M; Peacock, Deborah A; Pearson, Tim; Perez, 
             Janet M; Petraglia, Amy W; Poteet, Paul W; Preate, 
             Alexandra V; Pugh, Jennifer S; Quinn, Christine Marie; 
             Rajsic, Michelle; Ramos, Josephina; Reilly, Sean M; Reyes, 
             Jeremy; Rhodes, Allison L; Riegel, Ellen J; Rockwell, 
             Russel A; Rode, Katherine R.
               Rodgers, Lincoln R C; Roman, Lisa M; Romaniello, 
             Catherine M; Roscoe, Abigail; Rossi, Connie J; Rossman, 
             Eleanor T; Roy, Kevin F; Ryan, Maureen; Sailhamer, Brent 
             A; Salvesen, Erling R III; Sanborn, Alden R; Sanders, 
             Joseph E Jr.; Sarmir, Danielle; Scanlan, Tricia L; 
             Scaringi, M Anthony; Schmidt, Keith A; Schmidt, Michele E; 
             Sears, William P; Sechler, Michael W; Shaner, Mathias R.
               Sharp, Crystal N; Sharp, Trudy R; Shelby, Melissa B; 
             Sheriff, Marie A; Shirk, Jamie E; Shott, Christine M; 
             Simodejka, Jill L; Sinha, Sushant K; Smith, Brian A; 
             Smith, Jacob W; Solfanelli, Matthew; Soroka, Suzanne M; 
             Sosar, Edward D; Spangler, Courtney Leigh; Sparvero, Emily 
             S; Stawasz, Karen L; Stein, Peter J; Stephans, Elizabeth 
             L; Stolnacher, Patricia L; Stoltzfoos, Gerald D.
               Stoltzfoos, Jeffery L; Strickland, Carolyn; Strothman, 
             Alexis A; Stuart, Robert R; Swain, Tooshar K; Swartz, 
             Barbara K; Sweeny, Jennifer Mahurin; Sybyl, Julie M; Szy, 
             Daniel J; Taylor, David N; Tekel, Adam R; Thompson, Holly; 
             Titus-Young, Joy J; Traynham, Robert L; Trego, Joshua S; 
             Tulyasathein, Charnsin; Turner, Michelle D; Urguhart, E 
             Randy; Valdes, Stephen G; Vanderpool, Kristen R.
               Vesey, Jennifer L; Voinski, John A; Vulakovich, Randolph 
             P; Walker, Patricia B; Wall, Toni B; Walters, Christopher 
             F; Watson, D Dexter; Weaver, Chad A; Weber, David; Weiss, 
             Todd M; White, Jennifer S; Wiesenfeld, Michael A; 
             Williamson, N Kathy; Willis, Jessica R; Wittman, Anne E; 
             Wright, Erica Clayton; Wusinich, Maria T; Yanoshak, Erica 
             M; Younger, Anita.
                       Senate Republican Conference Employees
               Amy Marie Adams; Jeff Hunt; Garrett Fahy; Joel Digrado; 
             Kate Harris; Shonda Werry; Cris Clapp; Melissa Seckora 
             Anderson; Elizabeth Keys; Barbara Ledeen; Chrissy Shott; 
             Sarah Berk; Mark Rodgers; Randy Brandt; Katherine 
             Gonzalez; Carlos Gonzalez; Lane Marshall; Cyrus Pearson; 
             Robert Traynham; Henry Peterson; Chris Angrisani; Laura 
             Gill.
               Nick Schweich; Aaron Broughton; Tim Petty; Curtis 
             Swager; Nate Green; David Song; Michael Bleicher; Jen 
             Sweeney; Joy Schmidt; Eden Gordon; Susana Levenson; Eric 
             Miller; Chris Myers; Rebecca Cotton; Drew Cantor; Alex 
             Kaufman; John Rankin; Dan Ronayne; Eric Ruiz; Loredana 
             Vouto; Deidre Woodbyrne.


                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                    RICK SANTORUM
                              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 Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania, one of the 
             leaders of the majority in the Senate the last few years, 
             came to the Senate in 1994 and helped shape a different 
             agenda. He believed fervently in the power of the 
             institution to change the world and felt deeply about 
             issues.
               I served on the Committee on Banking with Senator 
             Santorum for many years and came to respect the junior 
             Senator from Pennsylvania. I have a high regard for his 
             ability to work through the big issues.
               For service to our country, both the House and the 
             Senate, thank you, Senator Santorum. We will miss you. . . 
             .
               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 Rick Santorum, Karen, and their six children whom 
             they home school, and his Italian heritage--which explains 
             a lot about his enthusiasm and vigor for the things he 
             believes in most strongly. . . .
               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. ALLEN. Mr. President, as the time for my departure 
             from the Senate draws near, on behalf of the greatest 
             blessing in my life, my wife Susan, and on behalf of 
             myself, I thank all of my colleagues for their many 
             courtesies and friendships that have been forged during 
             the past 6 years. I offer a few concluding reflections 
             about our time here together, as well as about the future 
             of our Republic. . . .

               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 Rick Santorum and I spent most 
             of our time on the floor of the Senate in hot debate, 
             disagreeing on almost everything. But we found some areas 
             of agreement, and one of them was the global AIDS effort. 
             I am glad that he joined as my partner in that effort. The 
             money that we secured will be spent around the world will 
             save lives and provide hope. . . .
               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.

               Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise to take a moment to 
             congratulate my colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator 
             Santorum, who spoke very eloquently about the world threat 
             that we face today. Rick Santorum is someone of great 
             passion. He is someone who is fearless. He is someone who, 
             frankly, does not care whether people agree with him or do 
             not agree with him.
               I will say this: This Senate is going to be a lesser 
             body without Rick Santorum's great passion and his great 
             drive, his great creativity. He will take those attributes 
             out of this body, but I know that we will hear from him. 
             He will be vocal. He will be concerned. He will be 
             involved in whatever role he decides to assume after the 
             first of January.
                                             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. . . .
               I would also like to pay tribute to nine other U.S. 
             Senators who will retire from the Senate in the coming 
             days. . . .
               Now, I would like to take a few moments to salute our 
             majority leader, Senator Frist, as well as Senators 
             Chafee, Burns, Santorum, DeWine, Jeffords, Talent, and 
             Dayton. Each and every one of these U.S. Senators has 
             served his State and his country with great distinction.
               Without a doubt, I could speak at-length in honor of 
             each of these outstanding individuals. In light of time 
             constraints, however, and the fact that so many of my 
             colleagues wish to similarly pay tribute, I shall endeavor 
             to keep my remarks brief. . . .
               Senator Rick Santorum has an impressive record of public 
             service. Subsequent to his service in local and State 
             government, he was elected to the U.S. House of 
             Representatives. In 1994, Rick was elected for the first 
             time to the U.S. Senate. From his first day in the Senate 
             until 2002 we had the opportunity to serve together on the 
             Senate Armed Services Committee. Throughout his time on 
             that committee, and since he left the committee, Rick 
             could always be counted on for his deliberate and reasoned 
             decisionmaking to ensure the best possible policies for 
             the men and women in the Armed Forces. Since 2001, Senator 
             Santorum has also played an important role in the Senate 
             leadership as Republican conference chairman. As 
             conference chairman, Senator Santorum has tirelessly 
             represented the Republican Party as the party spokesman. 
             There is no doubt in my mind that Rick Santorum's passion, 
             enthusiasm, and leadership will be missed here in the 
             Senate. . . .
               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.


               Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I have sought recognition to 
             discuss a number of matters briefly. . . .
               Mr. President, I regret the departure of my 
             distinguished colleague, Senator Rick Santorum. He has 
             been really a ball of fire in the U.S. Congress. He was 
             elected in 1990 to the House of Representatives, defeating 
             a long-term incumbent by literally going door to door in 
             his district in the Pittsburgh area.
               He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, reelected in 
             the year 2000, and has displayed admirable qualities--
             energy, determination, confidence, and the pursuit of his 
             own personal values. There is no doubt that Senator 
             Santorum has espoused, articulated, and pushed causes he 
             deeply believed in which may not have been popular in many 
             quarters, but he was determined to undertake the pursuit 
             of those values because he believed in them so deeply. I 
             counseled him from time to time to save some of his 
             philosophy for December 2006.
               A famous quotation about President Lincoln; he was asked 
             by a little boy, in effect: How do you serve, Mr. 
             President?
               He said: I represent my true beliefs and values 90 
             percent of the time.
               The little boy said: Well, what about the other 10 
             percent?
               The famous statement by President Lincoln: So that I can 
             represent my true values 90 percent of the time.
               It is not unknown in our body to occasionally defer some 
             of the more controversial positions. But Senator Santorum 
             didn't do that. He spoke his mind and he spoke his heart. 
             Those are rare qualities in public life and public service 
             and in politics. For that, I salute him.
               On a personal level, Rick and I have had a superb 
             relationship, not only professionally, not only 
             politically, but also personally. A more devoted family 
             man could not be found. He has taken this turn of 
             electoral results philosophically and in a good spirit. I 
             have had some experience on the losing end of elections 
             and, having been there, I say that he has responded with 
             great class, with great style. His comment earlier this 
             week was: Tough on the family, tough on Karen, tough on 
             the children, but now they have their husband back, and 
             they have their father back. And he had a big smile and a 
             sense of satisfaction. He spoke to the caucus yesterday, 
             and he exuded confidence. He exuded personal pride in what 
             he had done. I join him in that. As a colleague, I 
             personally will miss him very much. I know that will be 
             the sentiment of this body, even those with whom he has 
             tangled in a rigorous way.

               Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I am going to take a couple 
             minutes to talk about my great friend Rick Santorum. 
             Election night; a lot of emotions going on; no question my 
             heart was torn because my best friend in the Senate lost 
             the election that night. I was saddened simply from a 
             personal level, but I was also saddened for our country 
             because I believe Rick Santorum has served this country so 
             well. His integrity, his vision--so many things about this 
             man have really been extraordinary.
               I have gotten to know a lot of the people around him, 
             his staff. It says a lot about him because of how many of 
             them are sitting in this room today. The quality of the 
             people he has around him says a tremendous amount about 
             him, as does the passion with which they served him and 
             the passion with which he serves the country.
               I also came to know Karen and his six kids. They are 
             extraordinary people. Rick is a great leader of his home. 
             Just seeing the love and respect that Karen has for Rick 
             and that his children have for him as a father says a lot 
             about him as an individual as well.
               I am going to keep this short. This is completely from 
             the heart. I can say with confidence that as a human 
             being, there have been maybe human beings as good who have 
             served in this Senate, but there have been no better. He 
             is that quality of a human being. His faith leads him to 
             that. I consider it a great privilege to have served with 
             him and to call him a friend over these last 6 years. I 
             know the friendship he and I share will be a lifetime 
             friendship.
               Rick, this body will miss you greatly, but no one in 
             this body will miss you more than I.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to say to my good 
             friend from Pennsylvania [Mr. Santorum], before he leaves 
             the floor, what an extraordinary 16 years he has had 
             representing the people of his State and what a truly 
             outstanding Member of the Senate he has been and what a 
             moving farewell address I had an opportunity to witness. 
             Good luck, good friend, and Godspeed.

               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. . . . 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. . . .
                I also acknowledge that several of my colleagues will 
             not be with us after we conclude our business tonight, 
             tomorrow, the next day, or whenever we are going to 
             conclude our business here, colleagues with whom I have 
             served with a great deal of pleasure. My friend Rick 
             Santorum was serving in the leadership. We both served in 
             the House of Representatives. He was a great inspiration 
             to the Republican team here, and I know everyone, Democrat 
             and Republican, respects him for his commitment, values, 
             and ideals. . . .
               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. . . . I also thank my good friend from 
             Pennsylvania, my friend who keeps the candy drawer over 
             there, Rick Santorum. Like so many who spoke about him 
             yesterday, I applaud Rick for his passion and his absolute 
             fearlessness in standing up for what he believes. I recall 
             being on this floor many nights late at night during the 
             debate over partial-birth abortion. Some nights it was 
             just Rick and me, and we closed this place. He got it 
             done. I thank him for that.
               I also remember how Senator Santorum stood with Senators 
             Lindsey Graham and Sam Brownback to help me pass my unborn 
             victims of violence bill and see it signed into law. It 
             took several years to pass this legislation, and 
             Congressman Graham had been the sponsor and was the 
             sponsor of the bill in the House. I applaud his 
             determination to get this done. When it comes to foreign 
             policy issues, I share an interest in western hemisphere 
             issues with my friends Senator Norm Coleman, the chairman, 
             and Mel Martinez. Mel, thank you. Senator Coleman has 
             admirably served this body as chairman of the Western 
             Hemisphere Subcommittee. I sincerely enjoyed traveling 
             with him to Haiti. . . .
               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.
               I want to first recognize Senator Rick Santorum of 
             Pennsylvania, who has been a colleague of mine in this 
             body for 12 years. During that time he rose to No. 3 in 
             the Republican leadership, as chairman of the Senate 
             Republican Conference, and made a name for himself as a 
             young and energetic conservative.
               Rick Santorum, the son of an Italian immigrant, earned a 
             law degree and an MBA and won election to the House of 
             Representatives at the tender age of 32. After two terms 
             in the House he won his first Senate election in 1994, as 
             well as reelection in 2000. Senator Santorum quickly 
             established himself as one of the faces of his party, a 
             testament to his strong principles and his communications 
             skill.
               Throughout his legislative career, Senator Santorum has 
             been especially strong on anti-poverty measures. He served 
             as a floor manager for welfare reform in the mid-1990s. In 
             the Senate, he worked for African debt relief and funding 
             for the fight against AIDS, often collaborating closely 
             with his colleagues across the aisle. His efforts moved 
             Bono to declare him ``a defender of the most vulnerable.''
               I was especially pleased to work with Senator Santorum 
             on the Combating Autism Act. When nearly 1 in every 166 
             children born today will be diagnosed with this 
             developmental disorder by the time they reach school age, 
             Government action is more necessary than ever. Senator 
             Santorum recognized that, and he helped me work for a bill 
             that, in the final version, would authorize $945 million 
             for autism research, screening, education, and services--
             double the current level of funding. On poverty, AIDS, 
             autism, and many similar issues, Rick Santorum has been a 
             dependable ally.
               Over his 12 years in the Senate, Rick Santorum dedicated 
             himself to a philosophy he described as ``healthy 
             families, freedom of faith, a vibrant civil society, a 
             proper understanding of the individual, and a focused 
             government to achieve noble purposes.''
               Senator Santorum and I may not have always seen eye to 
             eye, but no one ever questioned his commitment to 
             principle. I wish him, his wife Karen, and their six 
             children all the best. . . .

               Mr. HATCH. . . . Mr. President, I rise today to pay 
             tribute to my colleague and friend from Pennsylvania, 
             Senator Rick Santorum, who will soon be ending a very 
             distinguished and impressive career in the U.S. Congress.
               In my 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate, I have 
             seen a lot of Senators come and go. However, it is hard to 
             think of anyone who has had more energy, more enthusiasm, 
             and who, in such a short period of time, has had a greater 
             impact on many important issues affecting our families and 
             our society, than has the junior Senator from 
             Pennsylvania.
               After receiving advanced degrees in business and law, 
             Rick was elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 
             at the age of 32. He served two terms in that body before 
             running for the Senate. He distinguished himself as part 
             of the so-called Gang of 7 that helped uncover the House 
             banking scandal and called for reforms of the House.
               The same year he was first elected to Congress, Rick was 
             married to his wife Karen, and they started their family 
             that now includes six children. As the father of six 
             myself, I know firsthand the challenges and joys that come 
             from having a large family. Rick has done such a marvelous 
             job balancing home life with public life with its 
             demanding schedule and its never-ending conflicts.
               After winning election to the Senate in 1994, Rick 
             Santorum immediately began exerting leadership on issues 
             in several different legislative areas but notably in the 
             areas of health, agriculture, and welfare reform. Upon 
             winning reelection to his second term in the Senate, his 
             GOP colleagues validated his natural leadership by 
             choosing Rick to chair the Senate Republican Conference.
               Although Senator Santorum is well known for his strong 
             defense of many conservative positions and his articulate 
             voice on many issues affecting the sanctity of the family, 
             it would be wrong to characterize him as a strict 
             partisan. I have seen many examples where Rick has reached 
             across the aisle to his Democratic colleagues and found 
             common ground on issues of importance to all Americans.
               One notable example of this is on an issue that is also 
             very important to me--promoting charitable initiatives. 
             Several years ago, Senator Santorum teamed up with another 
             of our most distinguished and thoughtful colleagues, 
             Senator Joe Lieberman, to introduce the Charity, Aid, 
             Recovery, and Empowerment, CARE, Act. The CARE Act was 
             designed to address many problems faced by the charitable 
             sector of our Nation and to help them to better achieve 
             their goals of lifting up the impoverished among us and of 
             helping all of us better assist our fellow man in times of 
             need.
               As an original cosponsor of the CARE Act, I saw up close 
             the tireless dedication and unending efforts that Rick 
             Santorum put into promoting this legislation, not just in 
             the Senate but with the White House. While this very 
             ambitious legislation has not entirely been enacted, Rick 
             can take a great deal of justifiable pride in the fact 
             that great strides have been made in achieving the goals 
             of the CARE Act. Moreover, he can take great satisfaction 
             in knowing that his colleagues in the Senate and the 
             House, policymakers in the executive branch, those who 
             serve so diligently in the charitable community, and 
             indeed concerned Americans from all walks of life, are 
             much more aware of the accomplishments and the needs of 
             the charitable sector because of the efforts of Senator 
             Santorum.
               Mr. President, the junior Senator from Pennsylvania is 
             going to be long remembered in this body, and he will be 
             sorely missed. He will be remembered and missed for his 
             intelligence, his articulate voice, his courage, his 
             energy, and his leadership. I salute Rick as a fine public 
             servant as he enters the next stage of his life, and I 
             thank him for his dedication and for his hard work. I am 
             sure I am joined by all of our colleagues as we wish Rick 
             and his family the very best in the future. . . .

               Mr. MARTINEZ. . . . Mr. President, today I commend 
             Senator Rick Santorum for his dedication to public service 
             and accomplishments as a legislator. Above all, I admire 
             the Senator's commitment to the people of his home State, 
             Pennsylvania, and to his family. Throughout his 12-year 
             tenure in the U.S. Senate, he relentlessly fought to pass 
             legislation benefiting the welfare of not only his 
             constituents, but Americans everywhere. In addition, 
             Senator Santorum has been a great advocate in the effort 
             to find a cure for the global HIV/AIDS pandemic and a 
             strong supporter of the war on terror. He has represented 
             the American people well.
               As a colleague, I would also like to thank Senator 
             Santorum for his strong leadership as chairman of the 
             Senate Republican Conference. During his time in 
             Washington, Rick has always maintained the importance of 
             family, a value that I admire and share. He has also 
             provided valuable guidance to me in the past and will be 
             missed. I wish my colleague from Pennsylvania, his wife, 
             and children all the best in the future. Thank you for 
             your service. . . .

               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, when I look back on the years I 
             was fortunate enough to have served in the Senate with 
             Rick Santorum, I think I will most remember him for his 
             strong and passionate belief in the principles he fought 
             for on the floor, the unwavering support he always gave 
             his friends, and the powerful way he expressed himself on 
             the issues that came before the Senate.
               Whenever there was a problem ahead, it was always good 
             to know Rick was in your corner. In fact, Rick was one of 
             my first supporters when I was running for the U.S. 
             Senate. Everyone who runs for the Senate for the first 
             time has a great need for funds. I was no exception. Rick 
             gave me a check that I later noticed was not signed. I 
             needed the help and I would gladly have walked halfway 
             across the District of Columbia to get his signature to 
             make the document official, but when he learned that I 
             needed his endorsement on the check he had so generously 
             helped me obtain, he dropped everything he was doing and 
             came to where I was to sign the check for me.
               In the years since my election, Rick has shown time and 
             time again that he is a thoughtful, genuine person on whom 
             I could rely. He has a great mind for politics and his 
             heart is with the people of Pennsylvania whom he has 
             represented so well. I have often relied on him for the 
             way he would quietly offer me his good advice, support me 
             when we took up issues that were big concerns of the 
             people of my State, mentor me on how to get things done 
             around here, advise me on procedure, and help me to 
             advance the causes that were common to the people of our 
             States. The people of his home State could not have had a 
             more active and effective advocate through the years, and 
             he will be very hard to replace.
               As any observer would note, Rick's career has been 
             nothing short of amazing. At every step in his political 
             life, critics would tell him his vision was an impossible 
             dream. In response, Rick would take his case to the 
             people, and time after time he would prove the naysayers 
             wrong. That is because Rick knew the value of hard work 
             and he also knew the first law of politics--it is not 
             where you start, it is where you finish--and Rick made a 
             habit of finishing first.
               When Rick ran for a seat in the U.S. House of 
             Representatives, he knew it was going to be a rough 
             campaign because he was battling a seven-term incumbent 
             who had a lot more money than he did. So Rick knocked on 
             25,000 doors and put together a grassroots effort that 
             included people from many different backgrounds who wanted 
             to work with Rick on a wide range of issues. In the end, 
             when the election was over and the votes were counted, 
             Rick had won. It was clearly Rick's personal touch and his 
             enthusiasm for the job that had been strong enough to 
             overcome every obstacle--even a shortage of financial 
             resources.
               It wasn't long after that Rick was elected to the Senate 
             after another difficult campaign battle. Again, the 
             critics said it couldn't be done. Once again, Rick showed 
             them he could do it.
               As soon as he arrived in the Senate, he continued to 
             fight for the principles he believed in, regardless of 
             what others predicted the outcome would be. He fought for 
             the tough causes without regard for the outcome because he 
             couldn't be silent when the rights of the unborn were 
             denied or a cherished principle was at stake. It was a 
             commitment borne of his deep and abiding faith. In fact, I 
             can't think of anyone who is a stronger man of faith than 
             Rick is. His faith is a great part of who he is, and it 
             forms the basis of his character.
               I heard a story about the last campaign, about Rick and 
             a trip he and his wife were making so Rick could appear on 
             ``Meet the Press.'' It was near the end of what had been a 
             long and difficult campaign and anyone else would have 
             been exhausted. Not Rick. He was fighting for a cause that 
             he believed in, and he was, once again, full of that 
             remarkable energy he called upon for all of his political 
             campaigns.
               As they headed down the road toward Washington, Rick and 
             his wife talked about how hard the campaign was and how it 
             had affected them and their family. As they thought about 
             the battle that was still before them, they began to talk 
             about Rick's opponent and the toll the battle was 
             undoubtedly taking on him and his family as well. Without 
             hesitation, as they drove to Washington for the televised 
             debate, they took the time to pray for his opponent and 
             his family in the hope that God would bless them and give 
             them all the strength they would need to complete the 
             campaign. Then they would leave the matter to the voters 
             to decide. That is how strong a part of his life Rick's 
             faith is.
               In the years to come, I think Rick will often come to 
             mind, standing with us on the Senate floor, taking on a 
             cause that has driven him to act. Rick is known as a 
             scrapper, but he is much more than that. He is a warrior, 
             the kind you want on your side when the going gets tough. 
             He is also a brilliant tactician, and if there is anyone 
             who can develop and implement a winning strategy on the 
             floor or in the field, that individual is Rick Santorum.
               Rick has been a winner over the years because he knows 
             the value of a message--and how to effectively advocate 
             and present it. He is a great persuader as well, and he 
             has been a valuable part of many efforts to pass 
             legislation. He is someone who likes to get things done, 
             and that ability has been recognized here in Washington 
             and back home in Pennsylvania by members of both parties. 
             When it comes to a difficult bill, Rick has the 
             conviction, courage, and persistence to work through our 
             difficult process and get the job done. His defense of 
             life on the floor has made a difference and it will 
             continue to do so.
               Rick knows that one person doing the right thing is a 
             majority. He knows that has cost him in the past, but he 
             will be the first to say that it has been worth it, and 
             people will see that in the long run it is all about 
             standing up for what you believe.
               I have always believed that life is a great adventure 
             and God has placed us where he needs us, when he needs us 
             to be there. I know that God has special plans for Rick. 
             We haven't heard the last from him. There is another 
             battle, a greater cause for which he is needed, and I am 
             looking forward to seeing where God will see fit to place 
             him in the months to come.
               Rick Santorum has been a great friend during the time I 
             have had a chance to come to know him. His expression of 
             his faith and all he has shared with us at our prayer 
             breakfasts will stay with me because they were a powerful 
             and memorable affirmation of his belief in God. I hope he 
             continues to weigh in on the issues that come before the 
             Senate. We can always benefit from the views and advice of 
             someone who says what he means and means what he says. . . 
             .

               Ms. SNOWE. . . . Mr. President, today I honor a 
             principled legislator, a passionate advocate, and stalwart 
             son of Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum, whose vitality 
             as a leader in both the House and Senate was exceeded only 
             by his exceptional dedication and extraordinary civic 
             contribution.
               During his 16 years in both the House and the Senate, 
             Rick Santorum marshaled his experience and skills in 
             business and law to answer effectively and historically a 
             clarion call to public service. And the bedrock hallmarks 
             that have been the constant catalysts driving him are his 
             remarkable passion and enormous resolve.
               In the Senate, an institution known rightfully and 
             constitutionally for deliberation, Rick's energy has been 
             refreshing and welcomed. Whether on the Senate Armed 
             Services or Finance Committees on which we both served, 
             Senator Santorum invariably infused policy debates with a 
             fresh, informed, and vibrant voice on a range of critical 
             issues, including national security, health care, economic 
             development, and combating AIDS. Indeed, Rick has been 
             passionate in aggressively fighting the global pandemic of 
             HIV/AIDS--a scourge that brings tragedy to millions of 
             men, women, and children across the globe. Throughout his 
             tenure in the Senate, Rick worked without regard to 
             political ideology or philosophy on this matter that truly 
             rises above partisanship because he recognizes that 
             compassion and humanism are ideals too large and important 
             to be constrained by political labels.
               Finally, I well recall our legislative service together 
             in the House where Rick was a vital champion for change 
             and an indispensable force behind an agenda for reform. He 
             unquestionably engendered a transformative sensibility 
             that helped catapult Republicans into the majority.
               Senator Santorum has dedicated his life to service to 
             others, and I have no doubt that he will continue to do so 
             in the future. Characterizing those achievements is his 
             steadfast integrity and allegiance to deeply held beliefs. 
             But for all of his accomplishments and the titles that 
             accompany them, those that bring him the greatest 
             satisfaction, that he treasures above all, are that of 
             husband and father. Rick Santorum has served his country 
             and the people of Pennsylvania well, and I wish him, his 
             wife Karen, and their children all the best.

               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. . . .
               Senator Rick Santorum is a principled conservative who 
             is not shy to tell you where he stands. He has served the 
             Commonwealth of Pennsylvania tirelessly for the last 16 
             years. Rick has always been honest and upfront, and his 
             passion will be missed. Rick and his wife Karen have six 
             wonderful children who all should be proud of how their 
             dad represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Congress. . . .
               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 Rick 
             Santorum has a distinguished career serving the people of 
             Pennsylvania.
               Everyone knows he is a hard worker who is defined by his 
             determination, commitment to a core set of values, and 
             unyielding optimism.
               His strong leadership in the Senate led Senator Santorum 
             to be elected chairman of the Senate Republican Conference 
             in 2001.
               I have had the opportunity to work on a number of 
             projects with Senator Santorum as the vice chairman of the 
             Senate Republican Conference. He joined with me in 
             supporting and organizing numerous leadership summits, 
             which gave us opportunities to reach new constituencies. 
             These summits have been outstanding, and their success was 
             due in large part to our cooperation and Senator 
             Santorum's leadership.
               Throughout his tenure in the Senate, he has committed 
             himself to helping American families.
               He believes profoundly in the dignity of all human life 
             and has consistently fought for measures that protect the 
             most vulnerable among us. He has supported initiatives to 
             strengthen and protect Social Security, provide access to 
             affordable health care, and stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
               Senator Santorum's passion and commitment to his work 
             are admirable qualities that will be missed. It has been 
             an honor to serve with him in the Senate. . . .
             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, yesterday I was moved 
             by the emotional farewell of Senator Rick Santorum. He 
             said he still feels the thrill of coming to work in this 
             building every day. The energy he put toward his work in 
             this Chamber, I will remember as one of Senator Santorum's 
             most striking qualities.
               Senator Santorum's enthusiastic direction of the 
             Republican conference rallied our majority. I believe he 
             jeopardized his own future in Pennsylvania by urging us to 
             think and act for the national good. Pennsylvania has been 
             served well during his time in Congress and so has our 
             Nation.
               Rick's energy has been of great benefit to many 
             charities, and he has taken a special interest in helping 
             those affected by autism. His efforts on behalf of each of 
             these causes have been exceptional. And despite his many 
             commitments, Rick's dedication to his family and personal 
             convictions never wavered. Catherine and I wish Rick and 
             his family well. . . .

               Ms. COLLINS. . . . Mr. President. In his eloquent and 
             touching farewell address delivered to this body on 
             December 6, 2006, Senator Rick Santorum began with one 
             word to describe his feelings as he concluded this phase 
             of his life. The word was ``gratitude,'' and it describes 
             the feeling I have for his 12 years of outstanding service 
             here.
               Rick Santorum is a person of strong convictions--
             convictions that are built upon a solid foundation of 
             faith, love of country, and devotion to the people of 
             Pennsylvania. But as he stood firm for his political 
             philosophy, Rick Santorum recognized the obligation we all 
             share to overcome our differences to work on behalf of our 
             citizens. He spoke his mind, but he acted from his heart.
               Two issues in particular exemplify Rick's dedication to 
             meeting the real needs of real people. Like Maine, 
             Pennsylvania is a large rural State in which access to 
             home health care services is essential for our older and 
             disabled Americans. Home health has become an increasingly 
             important part of our health care system. The kinds of 
             highly skilled, and often technically complex, services 
             that our Nation's home health caregivers provide have 
             enabled millions of our most frail and vulnerable citizens 
             to avoid hospitals and nursing homes and stay just where 
             they want to be--in the comfort and security of their own 
             homes.
               When Medicare payments for home health care were in 
             jeopardy, Rick Santorum joined me as an original cosponsor 
             of bipartisan legislation to restore funding, and he was a 
             key to its success. Throughout his Senate career, he has 
             been a compassionate champion of quality health care for 
             those in need. It is telling that his Senate career, which 
             included so much valuable work in this area, ended with 
             passage of his landmark bipartisan Combating Autism Act, 
             which will do much to improve the quality of life for 
             children with autism and their families.
               The second issue I would like to highlight is education. 
             Rick Santorum has been a leader in making our schools 
             safer, and in strengthening math and science education. 
             But he also understands that quality education begins not 
             in Washington or in the State capitals, but in the 
             classroom. From my talks with teachers throughout Maine, I 
             know that a great many of them expend not just great 
             amounts of energy to educate our children, but often dig 
             deep into their own pockets to buy classroom supplies and 
             to advance their own professional development. The $250 
             tax deduction I authored in 2001 for educators who use 
             their own funds to cover these expenses would not have 
             become law without the strong advocacy of Rick Santorum 
             with his former colleagues in the House of 
             Representatives.
               And, finally, when the Senate Homeland Security and 
             Governmental Affairs Committee held hearings in early 2006 
             in response to the lobbying scandals in Washington, one of 
             our first witnesses was Rick Santorum, a long-time 
             advocate of lobbying reform. When our reform legislation 
             passed our Chamber overwhelmingly, Senator Santorum said 
             the Senate ``stepped up in a big way.'' The Senate stepped 
             up in large part because this person of high ideals was 
             pushing it along.
               Mr. President, in his farewell address, Senator Santorum 
             stated that although he often disagreed--often 
             vigorously--with many of his Senate colleagues on the 
             issues, he never doubted the sincerity of their 
             convictions. Staunch advocacy tempered with respect for 
             the views of others is the hallmark of the Senate, and it 
             is a central part of Rick Santorum's legacy. I thank him 
             for his service, and wish him and his family all the best 
             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 goes without saying that it pulls at my heartstrings 
             to bid farewell to Senator Rick Santorum. On issue after 
             issue--tax relief, education, affordable health care, 
             national security--Rick has stood tall for Pennsylvanians 
             and all Americans.
               Rick is a man of conviction, deep faith, and integrity--
             qualities instilled in him growing up in Pennsylvania as 
             the son of an Italian immigrant. He doesn't beat around 
             the bush, and you never have to wonder where he stands. 
             His word is his bond, and he expresses his views with 
             great passion and expertise.
               Since his early days in the Senate, Rick was an 
             inspirational leader. One of the qualities I admired most 
             about him as a legislator was that he never was one to 
             dodge the tough issues; in fact, he readily took the lead 
             on those issues and set out to find solutions to very 
             serious challenges. For example, he spearheaded the 
             passage of welfare reform in 1996, which to date has 
             helped more than 1 million Americans go from receiving 
             welfare checks to paychecks. Rick fought hard for No Child 
             Left Behind, and as a result, today math and reading 
             scores in Pennsylvania schools are on the rise. He also 
             fought hard to ensure that all Pennsylvanians have access 
             to high quality, affordable health care. He is a strong 
             supporter of Federal cancer research, including increased 
             funding for breast cancer research. And he led the charge 
             to reform our medical malpractice laws to curb lawsuit 
             abuse and ensure that patients continue to receive the 
             critical care they need. Rick also recognizes that hard-
             earned dollars belong to families and small businesses, 
             not Uncle Sam.
               In addition, Rick was one of Congress's most dedicated 
             and knowledgeable Members when it came to developing 
             antipoverty initiatives. He was the driving force behind 
             legislation that would provide a tremendous boost to 
             charitable giving through a series of targeted tax 
             incentives aimed at helping the homeless, the drug 
             addicted, and the less fortunate in our society. And he 
             committed himself to working to eradicate the global HIV/
             AIDS pandemic. In short, Rick Santorum is the embodiment 
             of what it means to be a compassionate conservative.
               Rick was so attentive to the needs of those he 
             represented and always put Pennsylvania first. For 
             example, he helped secure $100 million to build America's 
             first ever coal to ultra-clean fuel plant in Pennsylvania, 
             which not only creates jobs but also provides more 
             affordable energy and benefits the environment. I often 
             joked with Rick that he should hold another title, the 
             ``Mayor of Pennsylvania.'' It's no surprise that he made 
             it a point each year to visit all of Pennsylvania's 67 
             counties. On so many issues, Rick has been a principled 
             advocate for his constituents.
               While Rick works incredibly hard, there is no question 
             that he is first and foremost a dedicated family man to 
             his wife Karen and their six children. It has been a 
             privilege indeed to work closely with Rick--sometimes 
             literally, as our offices were on the same hall. He is an 
             all-around class act, and with his numerous 
             accomplishments and exemplary record of service to his 
             constituents, he will certainly be a tough act to follow. 
             . . .
               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.
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