[Senate Document 110-13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



 
                      TRIBUTES TO HON. TRENT LOTT


                                           

                                     Trent Lott

                     U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSISSIPPI

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES



                                           
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Trent Lott
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                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                     Trent Lott

                              United States Congressman

                                      1973-1989

                                United States Senator

                                      1989-2007

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                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing


                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Letter of Resignation.................................
                                                                   viii
             Farewell to the Senate................................
                                                                     ix
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                     34
                    Allard, Wayne, of Colorado.....................
                                                                     39
                    Barrasso, John, of Wyoming.....................
                                                                     73
                    Bennett, Robert F., of Utah....................
                                                                     32
                    Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri..............
                                                                     72
                    Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                     82
                    Brownback, Sam, of Kansas......................
                                                                     75
                    Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
                                                                     54
                    Burr, Richard, of North Carolina...............
                                                                     56
                    Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia..............
                                                                     78
                    Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
                                                                     85
                    Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia...................
                                                                     41
                    Coburn, Tom, of Oklahoma.......................
                                                                     86
                    Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
                                                                     12
                    Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota....................
                                                                     47
                    Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                     64
                    Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
                                                                     85
                    Corker, Bob, of Tennessee......................
                                                                     87
                    Cornyn, John, of Texas.........................
                                                                     38
                    Craig, Larry E., of Idaho......................
                                                                     69
                    Crapo, Mike, of Idaho..........................
                                                                     55
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     87
                    Dole, Elizabeth, of North Carolina.............
                                                                     15
                    Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico...............
                                                                     51
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                     14
                    Ensign, John, of Nevada........................
                                                                     56
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     59
                    Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
                                                                     61
                    Feinstein, Dianne, of California...............
                                                                     21
                    Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina.............
                                                                     91
                    Grassley, Chuck, of Iowa.......................
                                                                     26
                    Gregg, Judd, of New Hampshire..................
                                                                     66
                    Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska......................
                                                                     71
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     17
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     61
                    Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma..................
                                                                     74
                    Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia....................
                                                                     46
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                     19
                    Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                     36
                    Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     65
                    Lugar, Richard G., of Indiana..................
                                                                     89
                    Martinez, Mel, of Florida......................
                                                                     50
                    McCaskill, Claire, of Missouri.................
                                                                     82
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                   5, 6
                    Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
                                                                     83
                    Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
                                                                      3
                    Pryor, Mark L., of Arkansas....................
                                                                     83
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                   3, 5
                    Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
                                                                     43
                    Smith, Gordon H., of Oregon....................
                                                                     13
                    Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine....................
                                                                     28
                    Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
                                                                     21
                    Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
                                                                     31
                    Stevens, Ted, of Alaska........................
                                                                     81
                    Sununu, John E., of New Hampshire..............
                                                                     90
                    Thune, John, of South Dakota...................
                                                                     76
                    Vitter, David, of Louisiana....................
                                                                     40
                    Warner, John, of Virginia......................
                                                                     49
             Proceedings in the House of Representatives:
                Tributes by Representatives:
                    Barton, Joe, of Texas..........................
                                                                     93
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Trent Lott served for three decades in the U.S. Congress 
             on behalf of the people of the State of Mississippi. A 
             champion of a strong national defense, he remained 
             dedicated to encouraging economic growth and protecting 
             Americans' economic security by getting government off 
             their backs and out of their pocketbooks.
               Seven Presidents have known both his cooperation and his 
             opposition, for he kept Mississippi and his country ahead 
             of partisan and personal concerns.
               As the House Republican whip in 1981, he forged the 
             bipartisan alliance that enacted President Ronald Reagan's 
             economic recovery program and his national security 
             initiatives. Part of the reason for this and other 
             victories was Congressman Lott's creation of the House of 
             Representative's first modern whip organization, focusing 
             on regular Member-to-Member contacts and extensive 
             outreach to sympathetic Democrats. Counting votes, 
             building coalitions, and moving legislation were things he 
             seemed born to do, and he genuinely enjoyed the process.
               Elected to the Senate in 1988, he was a member of the 
             group of pro-growth stalwarts who opposed the tax increase 
             forced on President Bush in 1990. When he became the 
             Senate's 16th majority leader in 1996, he again put his 
             coalition-building skills to the test and, along with 
             House Speaker Newt Gingrich, enacted the historic welfare 
             reform bill of 1996.
               The next year, Lott, Gingrich, Congressional Budget 
             Committee chairmen John Kasich, and Pete Domenici together 
             produced a historic budget and tax cut agreement that 
             limited some Federal spending. But more important, it 
             created new incentives to save and invest, thereby 
             stimulating the economic growth that brought the Federal 
             budget into balance for the first time since 1968.
               As the Republican leader during the first 2 years of 
             President George W. Bush's administration, Senator Lott 
             led the fight for passage of the President's tax cut 
             package, the President's landmark education reform bill, 
             the largest increase in defense spending since the cold 
             war, the most significant trade legislation in a decade, 
             and the resolution supporting the President on military 
             action in Iraq.
               During the Senate's lame duck session of November 2002, 
             Senator Lott, drawing on his experience as a legislative 
             negotiator, reached the compromises that created the 
             Department of Homeland Security.
               For 16 years in the House of Representatives and 14 
             years in the Senate, Trent Lott was a driving force behind 
             America's military success. He was instrumental in 
             bolstering America's military recruitment, retention, and 
             overall readiness. In 1998 he led the charge for the first 
             pay raise in a decade for military men and women. His 
             leadership led to the development for the 21st century of 
             a new generation of Navy vessels to maintain America's 
             pre-eminence at sea.
               He worked with the Pentagon to advance Mississippi's 
             prowess in shipbuilding and weapons construction as well 
             as the State's strategic location for its numerous 
             military installations.
               In 1998, as the Senate's majority leader, he led a 
             Senate delegation to visit the leaders of Poland, Hungary, 
             and the Czech Republic and thereafter led the Senate to 
             ratify NATO's expansion to those nations.
               Senator Lott's top priorities for the State of 
             Mississippi were its schools and its transportation 
             system. His success in securing major transportation 
             projects like Interstate 69-- which will traverse the less 
             developed Mississippi Delta--and in doubling Federal 
             research funding for Mississippi's public universities has 
             enabled a new generation of Mississippians to build a 
             brighter future. He was particularly supportive of 
             university research programs that can both enhance the 
             academic curriculum and help create new private industries 
             within Mississippi. One example is the remote sensing 
             research program that is feeding information gathered by 
             space satellites to military, commercial, and agricultural 
             interests.
               Senator Lott's focus on economic development and job 
             creation was instrumental to Nissan Motor Company's 
             selection of Canton, MS, for its new $1 billion automotive 
             manufacturing facility. This will bring 6,000 
             manufacturing jobs at the plant and an estimated 30,000 
             jobs for suppliers around the State. Senator Lott also 
             convinced Lockheed Martin to place a state-of-the-art 
             space satellite manufacturing facility at NASA's Stennis 
             Space Center in Hancock County, MS, providing over 500 
             high-tech jobs at one of the Nation's most promising 
             space-related installations.
               In the 108th Congress Senator Lott chaired the Aviation 
             Subcommittee within the Committee on Commerce, Science and 
             Transportation, which oversees the security and stability 
             of the Nation's aviation industry. He also chaired the 
             powerful Rules Committee. He was a member of the Finance 
             Committee, which oversees tax and health care policy, and 
             served on the Select Committee on Intelligence.
               Born on October 9, 1941, the only child of Chester and 
             Iona Lott, in the little town of Grenada, MS, Trent Lott's 
             early years were shaped by the no-nonsense values of hard-
             working parents in hard-working times. More than once, his 
             family moved to take advantage of a job opportunity and a 
             chance at a better life. He grew up in a home where 
             frugality countered economic uncertainty and where 
             personal advancement had to be based on personal 
             achievement.
               When his family set down roots in the port city of 
             Pascagoula, where his father was a pipefitter and his 
             mother taught elementary grades, Trent Lott attended a 
             public school that would later bear his name. He received 
             his bachelor of science in public administration in 1963 
             and his juris doctorate in 1967 from the University of 
             Mississippi in Oxford.
               He is married to Patricia (Tricia) Thompson Lott, his 
             college sweetheart. They have two children--Chester Trent 
             Lott, Jr. and Tyler Lott Armstrong--and have been blessed 
             with three grandchildren, Chester Trent Lott III, Lucie 
             Sims Lott and Shields Elizabeth Armstrong.
                                Letter of Resignation
                             Tuesday, December 18, 2007

                                                  December 18, 2007.
             Hon. Richard B. Cheney,
             President of the United States Senate,
             Washington, DC.
               Dear Mr. President: I hereby give notice of my 
             retirement from the Office of United States Senator from 
             the State of Mississippi. Therefore, I tender my 
             resignation effective at 11:30 p.m., December 18, 2007.
                Respectfully submitted,
                                                    Trent Lott,
                                               United States Senate.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Tuesday, December 18, 2008

               Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I can't help but feel honored 
             and humbled by all that has been said here. My mother 
             would have loved it and would have believed it all.
               I feel totally inadequate to properly respond to much of 
             what has been said. I thank my colleagues one and all, 
             and, of course, the venerable symbol of this institution, 
             Senator Byrd, and his comments, ending as he always does 
             with magnificent quotes, from memory. So maybe it is 
             appropriate that I would begin briefly by telling some of 
             my experiences with Senator Byrd.
               When you enter my son's home in Kentucky, on the wall, 
             framed, is a tribute he gave to my first grandchild--a 
             grandson--the week he was born. I was majority leader and 
             came on the floor that Friday, and he asked me if I would 
             be around for a few minutes; he had something he would 
             like to say. It was truly one of the most beautiful things 
             I had ever heard in my life. Maybe it was because I 
             thought my grandson was the most beautiful I had ever 
             seen, but it was so magnificent, and he ended with a quote 
             of how a grandfather wants his grandson to remember him. 
             So it hangs there in a place of great pride. ``Chester 
             Trent Lott, III'' is the title.
               Senator Byrd and I have worked together, and of course 
             we have disagreed. There have been magic moments. I 
             remember when I was involved in our little singing group, 
             he came on the floor one day and asked me if I had a 
             little time; he had something he would like to show me. So 
             he went down to his office and he showed me a video of 
             himself at the Grand Ole Opry playing great fiddle. So we 
             were bonded by music, by heritage, by faith, and in so 
             many ways.
               I could tell a story about certainly each one of these 
             colleagues here and a lot on the other side and how I have 
             enjoyed being here and have enjoyed my work, and a lot of 
             it has been on a personal, one-to-one basis. Sometimes, 
             when I really, really cared about something, on a personal 
             basis, for my State or for the Senate or our country, I 
             would go to that Senator's office. I remember one time it 
             took me quite some time to track down Pat Roberts, because 
             he was hiding from me, but I found him.
               I remember one time I needed a vote, and I needed some 
             votes on the Democratic side. So the simple thing I have 
             always thought is, you know, go where the ducks are. If 
             you are looking for votes, you have to go talk to them, 
             you have to pursue those votes. So I went to Senator 
             Byrd's office. As always, he graciously welcomed me into 
             the inner sanctum. I think I smelled a cigar, which 
             delighted me, and I sat down, and he listened to me as I 
             made my pitch. I talked about the attributes of this 
             nominee for a very important position and why it was so 
             important, I thought, to the institution and why it was 
             important to me and my State. He listened, he asked a 
             couple of questions, and asked me to repeat the name.
               At the end, he said: ``Well, I think everything will be 
             OK.'' He didn't say: ``I will vote for him.'' He just 
             said: ``I think everything will be OK.'' I figured it was 
             good enough and time for me to take my leave, and I did. I 
             talked to my senior colleague, Senator Cochran, and said: 
             ``What does that mean? He said: `I think it will be OK.'''
               So the vote came, and it was OK. He was one of a number 
             of Democrats who did vote for that confirmation. It was 
             just sort of the epitome of Senator Byrd. I respect him as 
             a great Senator, I respect him because of the way he loves 
             this institution, and I respect him as a friend.
               I take occasion, when I am in the Senate, sometimes when 
             I am leaving, to go over and say: ``How are you doing, 
             Senator Byrd?'' Because I know how he felt about Erma, I 
             know how he loved Billie, and he has so many things that 
             appeal to me and that make him a great man. I single him 
             out now because of the beautiful remarks he just made and 
             because really he is emblematic of the relationships I 
             have had with so many of my colleagues here.
               I guess, to tell you the truth, I really was kind of 
             hesitant about this moment and about being here today and 
             what you would say, but it all sounded so good, now I am 
             thinking of changing my mind and maybe announcing for 
             President or something.
               But to our leaders, Senator Harry Reid, the majority 
             leader--he and I did work together on many occasions and 
             without a lot of fanfare. I remember we would bring up a 
             bill, and 100 amendments would always appear. I got to 
             thinking it was the same 100, but then he and I would go 
             to work, with me in the leadership of my party and he as 
             the whip on his side, working with Senator Daschle, and we 
             managed to get it done over and over again. We established 
             a relationship of trust and honesty with each other that 
             is so critical.
               I think he has the toughest job in the whole city, being 
             the majority leader in the Senate, and not just because I 
             had it but because I got to see what it was all about. The 
             President has the whole administration, the Speaker has 
             the Rules Committee, but the leaders of the Senate, on 
             both sides of the aisle, they lead because of who they are 
             and the power of persuasion they have and the respect for 
             the position they hold. Nothing in the Constitution gives 
             them special powers.
               So I appreciate what Harry Reid has said. He has been a 
             friend, he has been a supporter, he has offered me 
             encouragement when I was down and when I was up. He has 
             been very generous and magnanimous in what he has had to 
             say, and I admire him. I wish him only the best because 
             when he succeeds in working and making this institution 
             work and produce a result, most of the time the country 
             succeeds.
               To our Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, you knew just 
             a little bit too much about my background, all these 
             personal references, but I appreciate it. It means so much 
             to me. You have been a great friend. We have been in the 
             leadership together, we have kept our word to each other, 
             we have been supportive of each other in tough times and 
             good. I really enjoyed having you work with me in the 
             leadership when I was leader, and I have been so honored 
             and thrilled to be a part of your leadership team.
               I told you that I knew what your job was and I knew what 
             the whip job was, and I would be your whip and I would 
             support you. And I want the Record to show here, and for 
             one and all, I think you have been a magnificent leader 
             for our party this year. It has not been easy. It has been 
             tough. Both of you are going to get criticized, but I have 
             been riding shotgun for you, and it has been a great 
             pleasure, my friend. You have done a magnificent job for 
             our party.
               I have to recognize our most senior Republican, too, 
             Senator Stevens. He told me yesterday he didn't like my 
             nickname for him, so I am working on a more appropriate 
             one for him, but he has been a good and loyal friend too. 
             When I was a whip in the House and he was a whip here in 
             the Senate, he took me under his wing, even took me on 
             some flights with him. But I admire you so much, Senator 
             Stevens.
               And I have to say to my colleague from Mississippi, it 
             has been quite a ride--35 years--but we have enjoyed each 
             other's company. No matter how tough things get, we could 
             always sit down and talk about Ole Miss. I really thought 
             I would be the head coach this year, but that didn't work 
             out. But the thing I will always say about Senator 
             Cochran, and typically of him, after Katrina, which was a 
             seminal event in my life, obviously in the lives of my 
             families and neighbors and friends, and my State, we had 
             so many needs, and Senator Cochran immediately went to 
             work and produced appropriations--more than one--and he 
             got everything we needed. He didn't jump up and down and 
             brag about it.
               He helped not only my State but, as Senator Vitter said, 
             Louisiana and the entire gulf region, and here is what 
             really impressed me about it. We all took credit for what 
             he did--I did, our Governor did, our mayors did--and he 
             sat there quietly in the second row in Biloxi, MS, on the 
             1-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and public 
             official after public official got up and took deep bows 
             for what they had done. Finally, I had all I could stand, 
             and I got up and said: ``I am glad we all got to take 
             credit. Now it is time we recognize the man on the second 
             row who actually did it.'' I will forever be grateful for 
             what you did after Hurricane Katrina, which was obviously 
             a very tough event.
               To my staff, who are lined up back here--I have a great 
             team. Typically, Senate staffers do so much of the work 
             and we take the credit, but I have been blessed with super 
             staff this year, and there are some former staff members 
             in the balcony. I have a rule in my office that once you 
             work for Trent Lott, you always work for Trent Lott, no 
             matter who pays your salary, and, you know, it seems to 
             work. I never let them go. They are always on call and 
             they are always there, and I thank you all for that.
               I want to do something, too, that I have done before. We 
             don't do enough to thank our entire Senate family, 
             everybody from the elevator operators to our policemen and 
             the people here. I think the staff of the Senate here on 
             the floor appreciates it. I have always tried to think 
             about you too. One of my speeches about the sun is 
             setting, isn't it time to go home--as most of you know, I 
             was serious when I said I wanted to go home and have 
             supper with my wife Trish, and on occasion, I did it and 
             didn't come back either.
               But to all of the staff: Thank you. You have helped in 
             so many ways. Our leaders on the staff--I think of 
             Elizabeth Letchworth, Dave Chiappa, and Marty. They just 
             do great jobs, and so I want to express my appreciation to 
             them.
               To my State of Mississippi, they have shown me a lot of 
             leniency. They have honored me, and they have put up with 
             me sometimes, and it has been quite a pleasure to 
             represent that State. I love it, always will, and will 
             always be working for the State.
               But especially to my wife Tricia and our two children, 
             Chet and Tyler, and now our four grandchildren, they have 
             been very supportive, and they have always stood by me. My 
             wife has been a lot more than a wife and mother, she has 
             been a real helpmate. I thank them for all they have done.
               I do want to say again to the Senate itself, I have 
             learned to love the institution. Senator Byrd occasionally 
             accused me of trying to make the Senate into a mini-House, 
             and I have denied it, but maybe I was, in my desire for 
             order and neatness. The messiness of the Senate sometimes 
             was hard for me to take.
               But I love this place, and I was thinking about it 
             today--the friendships. They are real here, but they don't 
             go away. Some of our colleagues have gone before us whom I 
             have dearly loved as friends and not just colleagues, 
             people such as Connie Mack, Dan Coats, Phil Gramm, and 
             Paul Coverdell was mentioned. These are friendships which 
             will last forever.
               Dianne Feinstein. One of my regrets in deciding to 
             retire is that now we have sort of formed a team, and I 
             think maybe she is a little peeved at me that she took a 
             stand with me after I took a stand with her, and now I am 
             going to the house. But this is a great Senator, and she 
             is a symbol of what I hope the Senate will remember to do, 
             and that is to really go the extra mile to be a friend and 
             to have a personal relationship.
               She took on the Seersucker Thursday. When we lost 
             everything, she was the one who made sure my wife had some 
             glasses for us to drink out of. She didn't do it for 
             publicity, and I never talked about it publicly, but it 
             was a very special gesture. I thank my colleagues for 
             letting me be in the leadership. Thanks to my colleagues 
             and the American people for allowing me to have some fun 
             while being in the Senate. I commend it to you, for the 
             future. I didn't form the Singing Senators, the quartet, 
             just because I like to sing bass or because I enjoyed 
             music, but because I wanted to show that side of the 
             Senate. Could the Senate really have soul? Could the 
             Senate really have music in its heart? As bad as we 
             sounded, there was method in my madness. I also thought it 
             would lead me to find ways to get one of our Senators to 
             vote with us more. I think it got one more vote than we 
             would have otherwise.
               But the kilts--you know, just being a little looser I 
             think is a good idea every now and then. I believe 
             whatever you do in your life you should find a way to 
             enjoy it and have fun. I have to say I have had fun in the 
             Senate because I really enjoyed it. That is all there is 
             to it. But I tried to find a way to do some things that 
             made us closer as friends.
               I am glad we recorded some history with the Leaders 
             Lecture Series. I urge my colleagues to restart that, 
             bring in experts to talk to us, men and women who led the 
             Senate, who led the country, who know the history of our 
             country and the history of this institution, and give us 
             some opportunity to have an intellectual discussion about 
             what the Senate is, what it has been, and what it can be.
               I do hope we will always find a way to be just a little 
             bit family friendly. Remember, we all have families at 
             home, back in our States. Our leaders sometimes could give 
             us a little reward; if we would behave and allow them to 
             get to a vote quicker, maybe we could get home to our 
             families a little quicker.
               Senator Byrd mentioned the fact that I have been on 
             mountaintops and down in the valleys. I thought many times 
             about my high school class motto. As class president--we 
             had a class flower, we had a class color, we had a class 
             song, we had a class everything. We had a class motto that 
             has lived with me since those years at Pascagoula High 
             School in 1959. Our class motto was: The glory is not in 
             never failing, but in rising every time you fail. I have 
             had opportunities to fail, and I have had opportunities to 
             persevere, as the people I represent. It has been a great 
             motto, one I have learned to live by.
               I am not going to give a long speech today. I quoted a 
             great philosopher about how you should speak on occasions 
             such as this. He said: ``You should speak low, you should 
             speak slow, and you should be brief.'' John Wayne. I am 
             going to try to honor that. I am not going to give you a 
             list of achievements because I have been so pleased with 
             what my colleagues have had to say. But among the things I 
             really am proud that we have done in my years in the 
             Senate: We have built our military, we have made it 
             stronger, we gave them better pay, we gave them better 
             retirement benefits. I will always be proud of that. We 
             had tax cuts, tax reform, and strengthened the economy, 
             even things such as safe drinking water. I had communities 
             in my State that literally couldn't drink water out of the 
             faucets. We have improved on that. We had insurance 
             affordability, welfare reform, transportation.
               When I announced my retirement a couple of weeks ago, 
             one reporter asked about what was I most proud of. I said: 
             To tell you the truth, I am not the kind of guy who sits 
             around meditating on what I am going to put on a marker 
             somewhere. I am proud of all of it. But I think I am the 
             most proud of the effort we had with colleagues on both 
             sides of the aisle, working very closely with Senator 
             Domenici and Senator Grassley and others. So in my 6\1/2\ 
             years as majority leader we have had balanced budgets, 
             four, and surpluses two of those four. It hasn't happened 
             since 1968, and we are kind of struggling again. That is 
             something we need to do. Fiscal responsibility is a very 
             important part of what we can do for our children and our 
             grandchildren. I hope we will find a way to do that again 
             in the future.
               I have one regret. I guess I was part of the problem 
             along the way. The one thing I always hoped we could get 
             done for our children and our grandchildren we have not 
             been able to do, and that is to find a way to preserve, 
             protect, and ensure that Social Security will be there for 
             our children and grandchildren in the way that it is here 
             for us now. I hope we will find a way before it is too 
             late to get that done.
               With regard to recommendations, I have no anger, 
             complaints, I have nothing but hope and joy in my heart 
             for the future. I am so appreciative of the way the Senate 
             and the Congress and the American people stepped up and 
             helped us after Hurricane Katrina. But if there were just 
             two things I would like to urge the Senate to do--I have 
             touched on them, but I repeat them now--first, find a way 
             to make sure Senators have a life and have some time with 
             their families. When you lose that, you have lost an 
             important part of those pillars that make us who we are--
             family and friends, faith and freedom. You have to make 
             sure you pay close attention to that and learn to know 
             each other and know each other's families. It will make us 
             better people.
               Then, last, find a way to keep the human side. It has 
             been hard for me, with my Scottish roots, to tell people 
             when I really do appreciate them and love them; to call 
             people when they are celebrating and call them when they 
             are hurting. But when I hurt, myself, I know how much it 
             has meant to me to have some of you call and offer your 
             support and your encouragement. Find a way to do that. It 
             is more important than anything else that happens in the 
             Senate. Keep that personal, human touch.
               Always find a way to disagree if you have to, but don't 
             be disagreeable. There has come sort of a meanness, 
             sometimes, that I do not think is befitting of the 
             institution. I hope we will find a way to stay away from 
             that.
               Again, I repeat something I said a moment ago. This 
             morning when I was doing my morning Bible devotional, the 
             message that came through to me was one of hope and joy 
             for the future. I look forward to my opportunities after 
             the Senate. I am not going to say a fond farewell because 
             I am not leaving. I will not be here, but my heart will be 
             with you and I will be watching and I will stay in touch 
             for the rest of my life.
               Thank you so much for being able to serve with you. I 
             thank you all for what you have had to say today. I do 
             have a quick card in my topic. I do want to talk to you 
             about some folks who will be coming up later this week. 
             Thank you very much. God bless this institution.
               (Applause, Senators rising.)
?

                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                     TRENT LOTT
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                               Monday, December 3, 2007
               Mr. NELSON of Florida. ... I will conclude on a 
             completely different topic. I must say with absolute 
             frankness that I was saddened when I heard that the 
             Senator from Mississippi, Mr. Lott, was going to resign. I 
             think he is one of the most delightful of all the Members 
             of this body, in a legislative body of some exceptionally 
             talented and engaging people. We have seen Senator Lott 
             use his legislative prowess, often in a bipartisan way, to 
             bring about the consensus in order to get things done and 
             to move the legislative process along, which is so 
             necessary and, as the Good Book says: For us to come and 
             reason together.
               He has been a legislative master who got along so well 
             as the majority leader with Senator Daschle, the minority 
             leader, and then, because of the turn of events in 2001, 
             for Senator Lott, the minority leader, to get along with 
             Senator Daschle, the majority leader, so they could move 
             the business of the Senate along.
               He is a personal friend. I have had the privilege of 
             going to the University of Mississippi to speak on a forum 
             at the Trent Lott Institute at that great university. And 
             for this Senator, he will be very much missed in the 
             Senate. We wish him and Tricia and all his family 
             Godspeed.
               I yield the floor.
                                              Tuesday, December 4, 2007
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, during my time in public 
             office, I have had the opportunity to serve with many good 
             men and women. During my time serving in Congress, I have 
             had the opportunity to form a friendship with Trent Lott.
               Senator Daschle gave me the freedom, during the 6 years 
             I was assistant leader and he was the leader, to spend all 
             my time on the Senate floor, and I did that. Senator 
             Daschle did other things, but he trusted me. I hope I did 
             the right thing--I sure tried to do that all the time I 
             worked with him--but I lived on the floor of the Senate.
               During much of that time Trent Lott was the Republican 
             leader, and we worked together over those years, I think, 
             in a way that speaks well of our country. We made deals. 
             Legislation is the art of compromise, consensus building. 
             Even though Trent Lott is certainly a true conservative, 
             we were able, in his pragmatic fashion, to work things 
             out.
               Trent has an interesting background. He was born in 
             Mississippi. His family settled in a place called 
             Pascagoula. His father was a pipefitter. His mother taught 
             school. She was an elementary school teacher. The public 
             school that Senator Lott attended now bears his name. He 
             received a degree from the University of Mississippi and 
             also got his law degree from the same institution. That is 
             a wonderful community, Oxford, MS. I have had an 
             opportunity to spend a little bit of time there. There is 
             a beautiful community square. It is like I envision the 
             South as it used to be.
               He married a beautiful woman, Tricia--Tricia Thompson 
             Lott. They were college sweethearts. My wife, who is a shy 
             woman--always has been--has worked with Tricia on a number 
             of different issues and has been so enamored of her, with 
             what a wonderful woman Tricia is. She is a hard worker. 
             Whenever projects are involved, she does more than her 
             share.
               They have two children, Chet and Tyler. They have four 
             grandchildren.
               Trent has been in Congress 35 years. He is the only 
             person in the history of this country who has served as 
             both the House and the Senate whip. He has been a champion 
             for Mississippi, as we all know, but he has also been an 
             important instrument in the Senate accomplishing what it 
             has during the time he was here. I am disappointed that 
             Senator Lott is going to be leaving the Senate, and I will 
             miss him. I have been impressed with his ability to get 
             things done. Other than John Breaux and Trent Lott, there 
             are no two people able to accomplish as much as they did. 
             John Breaux was a dealmaker, and the place he always went, 
             as a Democrat, to start his deal, was with Trent Lott. 
             They developed a friendship that lasts to this day. As a 
             result of their ability to work together on different 
             sides of the aisle, we were able to accomplish a great 
             deal. During the Clinton years, much of what Senator 
             Breaux was able to accomplish for President Clinton was as 
             a result of his relationship with Senator Lott.
               There is no need for me to dwell on my friendship with 
             Senator Lott other than to say he is my friend, I wish him 
             well, and certainly I wish Tricia and Trent and their 
             family the very best. They deserve it.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we will, indeed, be saying 
             goodbye to our friend and colleague, Trent Lott, over the 
             next few weeks. Senator Reid and I will work out a time 
             certain for tributes to Senator Lott and his extraordinary 
             career sometime between now and the end of this session. 
             ...
                                             Tuesday, December 18, 2007
               Mr. REID. Madam President, I have publicly stated my 
             feelings about Trent Lott on a number of occasions since 
             he indicated he was going to retire by the end of this 
             year. We had a lovely reception for him in the Mansfield 
             Room. Other people have their own views as to the 
             strengths of Trent Lott, but having worked with him here 
             on the Senate floor for these many years, his greatest 
             attribute can best be summarized by the statesman Edmund 
             Burke: ``All government ... every virtue and every prudent 
             act--is founded on compromise ...
               That is not negative. That is positive. Compromise is 
             something we as legislators must do. Legislation is the 
             art of compromise. That is what we have been taught, and 
             that is the way it is. There is no better example of that 
             than what we have before us now or should have in a short 
             time from the House, the omnibus spending bill. That has 
             been the epitome of compromise by legislators and by the 
             White House as the executive. That is what Trent Lott did 
             best, approaching a difficult issue, trying to figure a 
             way out of it. No one who has ever legislated and gotten a 
             bill passed with their name on it has had what they really 
             started out to do. We all must compromise. That is a 
             negative term in some people's minds, but it really isn't 
             if you are a legislator.
               The special skill Trent Lott has, the special kind of 
             understanding and pursuit of the common good, requires us 
             to find common ground. Trent Lott embodies that skill. He 
             is a true legislator. In all my dealings with Trent Lott, 
             he is a gentleman. I have never, ever had Senator Lott say 
             something to me that he was not able to carry through on. 
             His commitments are as good as gold.
               We have had some jokes here about his dealings with John 
             Breaux. They have a lot of qualities, but their qualities 
             were the ability to make deals. When we needed something 
             done during the Daschle years, the first person we went to 
             was John Breaux. I am confident the first person he went 
             to was Trent Lott. They have been close personal friends 
             for all these years. As a result of their friendship, 
             their trust of one another, it kind of spilled off on the 
             rest of us, and we were able to get a lot of work done.
               It goes without saying that we disagree on policy often, 
             Senator Lott and I, but with Trent, these disagreements 
             never seemed to be that important because he was always 
             able to approach these challenges with a genuine desire to 
             find a solution.
               The history books will be written about this 
             institution. I am confident they will be written about the 
             State of Mississippi. There will be chapters that will 
             have to be dedicated to Trent Lott because he has been 
             part of the history of the State of Mississippi and of 
             this institution and the House of Representatives. No one 
             has ever, in the history of our country, some 230 years, 
             served as the House whip and the Senate whip, but Trent 
             Lott has. I believe he has made our country more secure in 
             many ways. When we talk about security, it doesn't mean 
             necessarily the military because our security depends on a 
             lot more.
               Senator Lott, I wish you and your wonderful wife and 
             your family the very best. I believe my dealings with you 
             have made me a better person and a better Senator.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The minority leader is 
             recognized.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, after the news of 
             Trent's retirement had spread, a young farmer in Jackson 
             had this to say about the man he had called ``Senator'' 
             most of his life: ``He's a good person to represent the 
             State, caring for people like he does.'' That farmer had 
             it exactly right because whether Trent was making sure an 
             old man in Pascagoula got his Social Security check or 
             ducking into a kitchen in Tunica to thank the cooks after 
             a political event, no service was too small, no task too 
             insignificant when it came to serving the people of 
             Mississippi.
               One time, when Trent was a young Congressman, a 
             constituent called his office to have his trash removed. 
             When Trent asked why he hadn't called the town supervisor 
             first, the man replied that he didn't want to start that 
             high.
               Nobody ever saw Trent Lott as a Congressman or a 
             Senator. To them, he was just Trent. As he vowed last 
             month, that commitment to the people of Mississippi does 
             not end here. ``I will work hard for the State, the last 
             day I am in the Senate,'' he said, ``and I will work hard 
             for this State until the last day I am alive.''
               In a plaque on his office wall, visitors will find 
             Trent's rules. The most important one he always said was 
             this: You can never have a national view if you forget the 
             view from Pascagoula.
               He never forgot his roots. Trent dined with Presidents, 
             yet he still remembers facing the winters of his childhood 
             without indoor heat. He also remembers his first hot 
             shower. And he never forgot the source of that luxury. 
             ``It came from hard work,'' his mother said. He would 
             spend a lifetime proving that he took her words to heart.
               The love of politics came early, thanks in part to some 
             lively debates with his folks around the dinner table. 
             They always treated him with respect--``as an equal,'' he 
             said--and they watched with pride as he threw himself into 
             his studies and everything else that was available to a 
             blue-collar kid growing up along the gulf coast in 1950s 
             America.
               Trent was an early standout. His high school classmates 
             voted him class president, most likely to succeed, most 
             popular, a model of Christian conduct, most polite, and, 
             of course, neatest. One friend recalls that Trent was the 
             only guy he ever knew who tidied up his bed before going 
             to sleep at night.
               Of course, Trent's reputation for neatness outlasted 
             high school. It has been the source of a lot of jokes over 
             the years. But some of those jokes really are not fair. It 
             is not true, for example, that Trent arranges his sock 
             drawer according to color every day. He is perfectly 
             content to do it once a week--black on one side, blue on 
             the other.
               In college, the connection to Mississippi deepened. 
             Surrounded by the white pillars and ancient oaks of Ole 
             Miss, he formed lifelong friendships and grew in respect 
             for the traditions of honor, integrity, duty, and service 
             that had marked his beloved Sigma Nu from its beginnings.
               There was always something to do, and Trent did it all: 
             frat parties, swaps, campus politics, singing, leading the 
             cheers at the football games, and, occasionally, even 
             studying. One of Trent's college friends recalls that Mrs. 
             Hutchinson's sophomore literature class was Trent's 
             Waterloo.
               But after a less than impressive showing on her midterm 
             exam, he refocused--and one of the things that came into 
             view was a pretty young girl he had first met in high 
             school band practice. One day Trent told a fraternity 
             brother he had met a girl he wanted to date. When he 
             showed him Tricia's picture, the friend said: ``Yes, I 
             think you should do that.''
               Then it was on to law school and marriage and private 
             practice. Then, in the winter of 1968, a surprise phone 
             call came that changed absolutely everything. It was 
             Trent's Congressman, Bill Colmer. He wanted to know if 
             Trent would be interested in a job as one of his staffers 
             in Washington.
               It was a tough decision. Trent had never thought of 
             coming here, and the money was not good. But it seemed 
             like a good opportunity. And, as Trent says, he never made 
             a choice in his life based on finances. So he took it. And 
             Tricia was behind him all the way. That spring, they 
             packed everything they could pack into their Pontiac and 
             headed north. It was the first of many gambles that would 
             pay off for Trent Lott.
               The new city and its temptations did not change the boy 
             from Pascagoula. He put his energy and his people skills 
             to work, learning the rules and customs of the House and 
             cementing new friendships over a glass of Old Granddad and 
             a cigar--always a cheap cigar--by night.
               The second big gamble came when Congressman Colmer 
             decided to retire. Trent wanted to run for his boss's 
             seat, but he would do it his way. Although more than 9 out 
             of 10 Fifth District voters were Democrats, Trent decided 
             he would run as a Republican.
               It was the hardest race of his life, but Trent loved 
             every greased-pig contest, every county fair, every 
             parking lot rally, and every conversation in every living 
             room he burst into--often unannounced, and usually 
             uninvited. And the voters loved him back.
               Buoyed by the Nixon landslide and a last-minute 
             endorsement by his boss, he won. And so at 32, Trent had 
             achieved what so many others in this country have 
             experienced: the realization, through wits and hard work, 
             of an outrageous dream. The boy from Pascagoula would 
             return to Washington as the gentleman from Mississippi, 
             full of energy and ready to put it to use.
               A year later came Watergate, new wisdom, and soon the 
             recognition by Trent's colleagues that he was a leader.
               It was an exciting time to be in Washington. The Reagan 
             revolution was about to take hold. As Trent later 
             recalled: ``You could feel the political ground shift.'' 
             And he would play a leading role.
               Rising up the leadership ladder, he revolutionized the 
             House's whip operation and found his place in the push and 
             pull of counting votes. The only Member in history to 
             serve as whip in both Chambers, Trent put his skills on 
             display every day on the floor and in some close 
             leadership races over the years, three of which he won by 
             a single vote. ``If you win by two,'' Trent always said, 
             ``you've wasted a vote.''
               But his special gift back then, as now, was his ability 
             to bring people around to his point of view. One of his 
             college friends put it this way: ``Trent could carry on a 
             conversation with a tree stump--and make it feel good 
             about itself.'' His colleagues soon learned that Trent 
             Lott's word was as solid as a Mississippi oak. So armed 
             with a reputation for honesty, charm, wits, and a group of 
             trusted soldiers--including an Arizona lawyer named Jon 
             Kyl and a young former Maine State senator named Olympia 
             Snowe--he turned minority Republicans into a potent 
             legislative force, ensuring some of the biggest victories 
             of the Reagan revolution.
               At the end of the Reagan years, Trent set his sights on 
             the Senate, and his opponent in that first race came right 
             at him. But Trent was ready for the fight. When the 
             opponent said Trent's hair was too neat, Trent politely 
             offered him a comb. When he falsely accused Trent of being 
             an elitist, the pipefitter's son responded the old-
             fashioned way: He and Tricia met just about every voter in 
             the State that summer. The voters could judge for 
             themselves what kind of guy he was.
               And, of course, they liked him, and they made him their 
             Senator. And he did not disappoint. Again, he rose 
             quickly, becoming conference secretary and then whip. Then 
             came another retirement, sending Trent to the top of the 
             class again as his party's leader in the Senate. On 
             passing tough legislation, he did not understand the word 
             ``no.'' On working out deals, he was without equal.
               We all saw it up close after Katrina, when Trent became 
             a ferocious advocate for the people of Mississippi and the 
             wider gulf coast, many of whom would rather live in tents 
             than move away. And in a fight that brought together all 
             his skills as a politician and home State advocate, he 
             won.
               We all know how valuable good staff is. Trent has always 
             had the best. We honor all of them today--past and 
             present--for their tremendous contributions. To those who 
             stay behind, we are glad you will be here. For those who 
             do not, we wish you every success.
               Trent has lived life fully, never afraid to reach higher 
             and always ready to accept whatever fate would bring. Who 
             in this Chamber was not impressed by the way he dusted 
             himself off after stepping down as leader? He never quit. 
             And there is something deeply admirable in that.
               To me, Trent has always been the perfect colleague. We 
             have been in a lot of tough spots together. He has always 
             helped me in every possible way, and he has taught me a 
             lot.
               Looking back on his beginnings, it is astonishing to 
             think of how far the son of Chester and Iona Lott has 
             come. He leaves this place with a remarkable 35-year 
             record of accomplishment of which he can be justly proud 
             and scores of admirers from across the ideological 
             spectrum. He will leave a mark on this institution that 
             long outlasts the political fights of the day.
               It is hard to believe Trent will not be around when we 
             all come back in January and the gavel drops on another 
             session. But when it does, we will remember at some point 
             in the days and weeks that follow that mischievous grin or 
             a heavy slap on the back or some happy tune we heard him 
             whistle once when he passed us quickly in the hall.
               Then we will be glad to have served with a man like 
             Trent Lott, and renewed in the hope that this institution 
             and this Nation that he loves--to borrow the words of 
             another Mississippian--will not merely endure, they will 
             prevail.
               Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
             now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 409, which is 
             at the desk.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will report 
             the resolution by title.
               The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

               A resolution (S. Res. 409) commending the service of the 
             Honorable Trent Lott, a Senator from the State of 
             Mississippi.

               There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to 
             consider the resolution.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed 
             to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it 
             is so ordered.
               The resolution (S. Res. 409) was agreed to.
               The preamble was agreed to.
               The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
                                     S. Res. 409
               Whereas Chester Trent Lott, a United States Senator from 
             Mississippi, was born to Chester and Iona Watson Lott on 
             October 9, 1941, in Grenada, Mississippi;
               Whereas Trent Lott was raised in Pascagoula, 
             Mississippi, attended public schools, and excelled in 
             baseball, band, theater, and student government;
               Whereas after graduating from Pascagoula High School, 
             where he met his future wife during band practice, Trent 
             Lott enrolled in the University of Mississippi in 1959;
               Whereas Trent Lott pledged Sigma Nu, rising to become 
             its president; formed a singing quartet known as The 
             Chancellors; and was elected ``head cheerleader'' of the 
             Ole Mississippi football team;
               Whereas upon graduating college, Trent Lott enrolled in 
             the University of Mississippi Law School in 1963, 
             excelling in moot court and as president of the Phi Alpha 
             Delta legal fraternity;
               Whereas upon graduating from law school in 1967, Trent 
             Lott practiced law in Pascagoula, then served as 
             administrative assistant to United States Representative 
             William Colmer until 1972;
               Whereas upon Congressman Colmer's retirement, Trent Lott 
             was elected to replace him in November 1972 as a 
             Republican representing Mississippi's Fifth District;
               Whereas Trent Lott was reelected by the voters of the 
             Fifth District to seven succeeding terms, rising to the 
             position of minority whip and serving in that role with 
             distinction from 1981 to 1989;
               Whereas Trent Lott was elected to the U.S. Senate in 
             1988 and reelected three times, serving as chairman of the 
             Senate Committee on Rules and Administration from 2003 to 
             2006;
               Whereas Trent Lott was chosen by his Senate Republican 
             colleagues to serve as Majority Whip for the 104th 
             Congress, then chosen to lead his party in the Senate as 
             both Majority Leader and Minority Leader from 1996 to 
             2003;
               Whereas Trent Lott was chosen by his peers to serve as 
             Minority Whip for the 110th Congress;
               Whereas Trent Lott's warmth, decency, and devotion to 
             the people of Mississippi and the country have contributed 
             to his legendary skill at working cooperatively with 
             people from all political parties and ideologies;
               Whereas, in addition to his many legislative 
             achievements in a congressional career spanning more than 
             three decades, Trent Lott has earned the admiration, 
             respect, and affection of his colleagues and of the 
             American People;
               Whereas he has drawn strength and support in a life of 
             high achievement and high responsibility from his faith, 
             his beloved wife Tricia, their children, Tyler and Chet; 
             and their grandchildren: Now, therefore, be it
               Resolved, That the Senate
               Notes with deep appreciation the retirement of Chester 
             Trent Lott;
               Extends its best wishes to Trent Lott and his family;
               Honors the integrity and outstanding work Trent Lott has 
             done in service to his country; and
               Directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit a copy 
             of this resolution to the family of Senator Trent Lott.

               Mr. McCONNELL. I yield the floor.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Mississippi.

               Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, the decision made by my 
             State colleague to retire from the Senate has left me with 
             a deep sense of loss. I respect his right to leave the 
             Senate, and I know he will enjoy a well-earned respite 
             from the demands and challenges that go with this job.
               Trent Lott has served with distinction, and he has 
             reflected great credit on our State and Nation. I have 
             enjoyed his personal friendship and the opportunity to 
             come to know his family, his wonderful wife Tricia and 
             their two fine children, Chet and Tyler.
               Trent and I were elected to serve in the U.S. House of 
             Representatives in 1972. At that time, he was serving as 
             the administrative assistant to Congressman William 
             Colmer, who was the chairman of the Rules Committee in the 
             House. So I looked to him for advice and counsel because 
             of his experience on the Hill and his insight into how the 
             House really worked, as only an insider such as he would 
             know.
               We became friends right away. We were the first 
             Republicans elected from our districts in Mississippi 
             since the Reconstruction period following the Civil War.
               In due course, we were elected to serve in this body, 
             and we have worked together over the years on the many 
             challenges that have confronted our State.
               I will truly miss serving with Trent in the Senate. I 
             have come to respect him and appreciate his legislative 
             skills and his great capacity for hard work. He is a 
             tireless and resolute advocate for causes and issues which 
             he decides to support. In a word, he is a winner. He gets 
             things done.
               I know Trent and his family will enjoy the new 
             opportunities they will have following his great career in 
             the House and the Senate. They have certainly earned the 
             right to new, less burdensome, and more rewarding 
             experiences in the years ahead.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Oregon.

               Mr. SMITH. Madam President, I have been privileged to 
             serve as a U.S. Senator now going into the 12th year of a 
             second term. In all 12 of those years, it has been for me 
             a great privilege and a high honor to serve as a colleague 
             of Trent Lott.
               Over the course of those 12 years, Trent Lott has told 
             me many times that he has visited every State in the Union 
             except Oregon. Notwithstanding that, this Oregonian feels 
             great pride today in speaking for Trent Lott.
               I hope Trent will come to Oregon someday, and when he 
             comes to Oregon, there is a place I would like to take 
             him. We have in Oregon many groves of very ancient trees. 
             It is tall timber. These trees go back 2,000 and 3,000 
             years. But because they are old, occasionally one of these 
             sequoias will fall. And when they fall, a hole in the huge 
             canopy in the sky is opened.
               When you are in one of these groves, you feel something 
             of the presence of the sacred, a sanctuary. That is a 
             feeling that I often have when I come to the floor of the 
             U.S. Senate. Occasionally, some tall timber leaves our 
             presence--through retirement or death or from other 
             causes--and when that happens, a great hole is left in the 
             Senate. That is the feeling I have as I contemplate the 
             retirement of Trent Lott. In this sanctuary, a great hole 
             in the canopy will be opened.
               Madam President, when I think of the men I have known, 
             the women I have known in the Senate, they are people of 
             extraordinary ability, but one stands apart in my mind as 
             how to get things done, and that is Trent Lott. I have 
             never seen his equal in the Cloakroom. We have all felt 
             his warm slap on our back, a steely look in his eye, and a 
             strong urging to vote this way or that. But it was always 
             done with understanding that we represent not just a party 
             but our country and our States, and that is where our 
             obligation lies.
               It was because Trent was so good, in my mind, that he is 
             still, and will forever be, something of an ideal because 
             he was my first leader. What I saw in him was someone who 
             knew this institution deeply, who worked relentlessly, who 
             could define differences and help us to reach honorable 
             compromises so that when we went home, we could look back 
             on something of an accomplishment.
               I am proud of the example my first leader set for me. It 
             is a high standard. I thank you, Trent, for that standard. 
             It is the gold standard, in my mind.
               I was halfway around the world when an event befell 
             Trent Lott that shook me deeply. I was celebrating my 
             reelection and on vacation. I watched over international 
             news as his words were misconstrued--words which we had 
             heard him utter many times in his big warm-heartedness, 
             trying to make one of our colleagues, Strom Thurmond, feel 
             good at 100 years old. We knew what he meant, but the wolf 
             pack of the press circled around him, sensed blood in the 
             water, and the exigencies of politics caused a great 
             injustice to be done to him and to Tricia. It was a wrong, 
             but it was a wrong that was righted.
               I was privileged to be asked by Trent Lott to speak for 
             him when he ran for whip. On that occasion, as I thought 
             of Trent, I thought of more than my leader, my first 
             leader. I thought of him as something much more. I thought 
             of him as a friend and as a father figure. I recalled on 
             that occasion words I spoke regarding my own father at his 
             funeral that seemed to define the man--the man I called 
             dad and the man I called my leader. They are words that 
             were put into the mouth of the character Anthony by the 
             great writer Shakespeare. Shakespeare said of Caesar, when 
             Caesar had fallen, these words: ``His life was gentle and 
             the elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up 
             and say to all the world: this was a man.'' I am 
             privileged to call this man my friend. May God bless Trent 
             and Tricia Lott and thank God for their service to 
             Mississippi and even to Oregon and to the United States of 
             America.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority whip is 
             recognized.

               Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I join my fellow Senators 
             in wishing my colleague, Trent Lott, the best of luck as 
             he begins the next chapter in his life. You are getting to 
             hear your eulogies today, Trent, and they are pretty good. 
             Most of us never think we will have that opportunity.
               Senator Lott and I sure have had our differences in the 
             11 years I have served in the Senate, and I guess we 
             always will when it comes to some issues, but serving 
             together this past year as whips for our respective 
             parties has given me a chance to work closely with Trent 
             on a number of issues and this I can say: Trent Lott is a 
             committed Republican. He can be a partisan, but he cares 
             about the Senate. He understands that politics, in the 
             Senate and in life, is the art of compromise. He has been 
             willing to reach across the aisle to try to find a way to 
             make the Senate work and make our government work and I 
             respect him very much for that.
               F. Scott Fitzgerald famously declared that: ``There are 
             no second acts in American lives.'' Well, Mr. Fitzgerald 
             obviously didn't meet Trent Lott.
               In the first act, Trent Lott began his career on Capitol 
             Hill working for a Democratic Congressman from 
             Mississippi. He then, of course, was elected as a 
             Republican Congressman from the same State. He spent more 
             than three decades in Congress serving the people of 
             Mississippi. As a leader in the Senate, he helped steer 
             America through some of the most turbulent chapters in our 
             recent history: Two shutdowns of the Federal Government, 
             an impeachment trial, a 9/11 terrorist attack on our 
             Nation, and anthrax attacks on the U.S. Capital. With my 
             friend, Tom Daschle, he negotiated the delicate terms of 
             our Nation's first-ever 50-50 Senate split.
               Seven years ago this week, Trent Lott stepped aside as 
             majority leader. Some wondered then whether Senator Lott 
             might be through with the Senate. But he stayed and he 
             managed in a short time to write one of the most 
             remarkable second acts in this Senate in recent memory.
               I know Trent must be feeling mixed emotions as he leaves 
             the Senate. I can assure my fellow whip he has left a mark 
             and will be remembered for a long time, not for Seersucker 
             Thursday, not for wearing kilts on the floor of the 
             Senate. Trent Lott will be remembered because he is one of 
             us.
               I wish Senator Lott and his wife Tricia and his family 
             the best of luck as they begin another new act.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from North 
             Carolina is recognized.

               Mrs. DOLE. Madam President, Harry Truman was wrong. 
             Truman famously defined a statesman as ``a politician who 
             has been dead for 20 years.'' It is a good line, but it 
             wasn't true then, as Truman's own career attests, and it 
             is not true today. That said, we can never have enough 
             statesmen and women to validate our democratic creed, 
             which makes our sense of loss all the greater when an 
             authentic statesman leaves this place.
               For 35 years, Trent Lott has served the people of 
             Mississippi with distinction, never forgetting their 
             interests, even as he advanced our national interests: 
             Economic development for Mississippi, meeting 
             transportation infrastructure needs, persuading businesses 
             to build plants and provide jobs. His effectiveness is 
             legendary, whether championing a strong national defense, 
             encouraging entrepreneurship in a dynamic economy, or 
             expanding both educational opportunity and accountability. 
             Through it all, Trent kept faith with the people who sent 
             him here. Just as he long ago earned their trust and 
             confidence, so he impressed Members on both sides of the 
             aisle with his integrity and his decency.
               The only person ever to serve as a party whip in both 
             Houses, Trent soon became much more than a party leader. 
             To his lasting credit, he helped convince us tax cuts were 
             the road to economic revitalization. At the same time, he 
             argued for a bipartisan approach to education reform. In 
             the bleak aftermath of 9/11, Trent appealed to what 
             Abraham Lincoln called the better angels of our nature. 
             Similar to Ronald Reagan, he wears an optimist's smile, 
             for he never confused an adversary with an enemy. Trent 
             Lott will be remembered as someone who preferred to narrow 
             our differences rather than exploit them.
               The junior Senator from Mississippi has scaled the 
             heights in his political career and he has experienced 
             life's valleys as well. With dogged determination, he made 
             adversity, whenever it occurred, a strengthening 
             experience. As one who has shared Senate Bible studies 
             with both Trent and his beloved wife Tricia, I know that 
             his has been a profoundly spiritual journey and one that 
             is far from over.
               In a town where talk is cheap--indeed, it is the only 
             thing that is cheap--Trent prefers solutions to 
             soundbites, and he has never mistaken civility for 
             weakness. One of his basic principles is to respect others 
             whose views might differ. More often than not, he found a 
             way to distill the best of each, which to me is the 
             definition of a statesman.
               His ability to get things done--to work effectively and 
             foster relationships with colleagues from both parties--
             resulted in his numerous triumphs as the Senate majority 
             leader. In his first year as leader, he personally led his 
             colleagues to pass two landmark legislative items: Welfare 
             reform and the budget compromise, which resulted in the 
             first balanced budgets with surpluses in 30 years.
               Of course, the Senate is also a family, and on this day, 
             I must mention some of my most cherished memories in the 
             Dole family album, of Trent and Tricia campaigning for me 
             in Rocky Mountain, NC, in autumn 2002; of Bob Dole showing 
             up for the Spouses Club, presided over by Tricia, though 
             begging off on a tour of the Capitol since he said he had 
             already seen the place. Nor will I ever forget sitting in 
             Trent's cherished rocking chair on the front porch of his 
             Pascagoula home--a home that would vanish on a brutal 
             morning a little more than 2 years ago, when a tempest 
             named Katrina scoured miles and miles of Mississippi 
             coastline.
               Similar to so many who looked out on the gulf, the Lotts 
             lost everything that day--everything but life and love and 
             the faith that gives to them both a meaning that no storm 
             can wash away. In the years since, the victims of Katrina 
             have had no more passionate advocates than Trent and 
             Tricia Lott. No one has worked harder, longer, to ensure 
             that we honor the promises made to our fellow men and 
             women along the gulf coast. As the mayor of Gulfport said 
             about Trent:

               Although suffering catastrophic personal losses himself, 
             he has tirelessly fought our battles and won our wars for 
             us time and again. His legacy will be recognized in every 
             corner of our great State and the pages of history will 
             reflect the honor and service of the Senator from 
             Pascagoula who restored hope in the citizens of 
             Mississippi.

               I would add I have great respect for Tricia's enormous 
             efforts to provide needed supplies and hope to the Katrina 
             victims.
               Houses, we have learned, are vulnerable to the fury of 
             nature. Supremacy in politicians is even more transitory. 
             Majorities shift similar to the sands of Biloxi. But some 
             things endure. Honor endures. True leadership generates 
             its own legacy. True leaders stake their own claim to 
             posterity's gratitude. That is the stuff of statesmanship, 
             and that is the essence of Trent Lott.
               The gentleman from Mississippi has had a lengthy and 
             purpose-driven career in this institution, and he will be 
             greatly missed. With deep admiration and respect for a 
             trusted colleague, I wish Trent and his family all the 
             best.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah 
             is recognized.

               Mr. HATCH. Madam President, when I came to the Senate 
             after the election of 1976, the chairman of the Judiciary 
             Committee was a very distinguished gentleman from 
             Mississippi named James Eastland. I can remember the first 
             time I met Senator Eastland as a citizen newly elected to 
             the Senate, when nobody thought I was going to make it. I 
             was invited into his office and the first thing he did was 
             offer me a cigar. I said: ``Well, I am sorry, sir. My 
             faith does not permit me to smoke.'' He said: ``Well, 
             then, have a drink.'' I replied: ``Well, sorry, sir, but 
             my faith doesn't permit me to drink.'' Senator Eastland 
             then exclaimed very loudly: ``What the expletive is the 
             matter with you Mormons?''
               I want everybody to know Senator Lott has never offered 
             me a cigar nor has he ever offered me a drink, although I 
             think he has been tempted a few times.
               Let me say this: I have such admiration for Senator Lott 
             and his wife Tricia and for the love and respect they have 
             shown to all of us and this institution, and for all of 
             their hard work.
               It is no secret that I bitterly resent the way Senator 
             Lott was treated after Senator Strom Thurmond's 100th 
             birthday party. It was wrong, and it was hitting below the 
             belt. It would have crushed any one of us to go through 
             what he went through, facing such harsh attacks knowing 
             that he certainly did not mean to say what others tried to 
             put in his mouth. But Trent fought his way back, kept his 
             head high, became a friend to everybody in the Senate 
             again the very next day, and, of course, won the respect 
             of virtually everybody who has ever known him or what he 
             stands for.
               I have tremendous respect and love for Trent and Tricia 
             for the sacrifices they have made for their State and for 
             this country. He and Senator Cochran have been one of the 
             best duos in the history of the Senate--two real 
             gentlemen, two strong, tough people. But, they are also 
             two people who have shown respect for this body and all of 
             its Members in ways that not many others have.
               All I can say is I wish Senator Lott and Tricia the best 
             of luck in all of their future endeavors. While I am 
             certain he will be an asset to any effort with which he 
             becomes involved, I am equally certain the Senate is going 
             to be a lesser place without him.
               Supporting Senator Lott throughout his time in the 
             Congress is one of the most beautiful and noble women in 
             the history of the Senate. Tricia Lott has been the 
             quintessential Senate wife, and I doubt Senator Lott would 
             have been as great as he has become had it not been for 
             his relationship with Tricia.
               Elaine and I are going to greatly miss you, Trent. I 
             know I am not supposed to refer to you by your first name, 
             but I am going to make an exception in this case. We will 
             always be pulling for you, your success, and your 
             happiness in this life. This old Senator is going to miss 
             you greatly. We are going to miss the efforts you put 
             forth. We are going to miss the talents you have. We are 
             going to miss the energy you bring to the Senate. And, we 
             are most certainly going to miss your ability to bring us 
             together, making better Senators out of us all.
               God bless the Lotts. We in the Senate will surely miss 
             them.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Arizona.

               Mr. KYL. Madam President, almost exactly 21 years ago, 
             after I had been elected to the House of Representatives 
             from the State of Arizona, my wife Caryll and I came to 
             Washington and almost immediately met Trent and Tricia 
             Lott. In fact, we have a photograph that is displayed in 
             our home with Trent and Tricia on which Trent made a 
             wonderful inscription.
               I learned from the very beginning that Trent Lott was a 
             leader--a leader in the House of Representatives and a 
             leader among his colleagues. I have been following Trent 
             Lott ever since as House whip, as Senate whip, as Senate 
             Republican leader, and as a colleague in battles too 
             numerous to mention.
               Chaplain Black began this morning asking that we come 
             here to serve. No State has ever been served better than 
             by their representative, Trent Lott. He always puts 
             Mississippi first, yet always is able to balance his 
             devotion to his constituents with the national interest 
             and with his responsibilities in representing his 
             colleagues.
               That he came to serve, again to use the Chaplain's word, 
             is best illustrated by his decision to run for reelection 
             a year ago. Many of us knew Trent had come to believe that 
             he had to prioritize his family responsibilities and had 
             concluded it was about time for him to leave public 
             service. But the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina hit the 
             coast of Mississippi, destroying not only the Lotts' home 
             in Pascagoula but so many of the homes and businesses of 
             his friends in Mississippi. It did not take Trent too long 
             in pondering what he faced to conclude that he owed it to 
             his constituents in Mississippi to continue to use his 
             skills in Washington, DC, to represent them, to help them 
             recover from the devastation that had been visited upon 
             them. It was this service, after he had already concluded 
             that his time had come to move out of public service, that 
             I think illustrates perhaps better than anything else his 
             devotion to the people of Mississippi, to his friends 
             there. He did not decide to leave the Senate until his 
             work was done, and for that the people of Mississippi, I 
             know, will be forever grateful to Trent Lott.
               Trent has always been known as being a person who has 
             been able to find the common ground among his colleagues. 
             That is a very special skill. Some people call it 
             dealmaking. Some people talk about it in terms of the art 
             of compromise, frequently talking about Trent's ability to 
             move across the aisle and to work with friends on both the 
             Democratic and Republican side.
               I think his ability to do this, which is unprecedented 
             in my 21 years in Washington or unequaled, I should say, 
             is due to a variety of qualities. First, Trent's 
             intelligence; second, his boundless energy; third, his 
             knowledge of the institutions, of both the House and the 
             Senate. Again, I know of no equal in terms of the 
             knowledge of how these bodies work and how we can achieve 
             great things by working with people in both bodies.
               His knowledge of the nature of man--this is something my 
             father taught me and I have tried to learn from people 
             such as Trent Lott--what makes people tick--you can find 
             that common ground and achieve great things if you 
             understand people. I think that is one of Trent's greatest 
             qualities and one which will be missed in this body. And, 
             of course, his commitment to what he has always believed 
             was right for Mississippi and America. Also contributing 
             to his success is his faith, and it sustained him more 
             than we will ever know. And finally, of course, his 
             family.
               It is interesting that everybody who has commented about 
             Trent's service in the Senate has quickly moved to also 
             comment about his commitment to his family and in 
             particular his wonderful wife Tricia. It has to say 
             something when that is one of the first things people 
             think of when they think of you. I know if that is the way 
             Trent is remembered, he will be a very happy man.
               Trent Lott has been serving almost his entire adult 
             life--the people of Mississippi, the people of America, 
             his colleagues in the House and Senate. And I have been 
             honored to serve with Trent for 21 years. I have learned a 
             lot. Most important, I have enjoyed my time with Trent, 
             especially quiet times.
               Now it is time for Trent to serve his family more in 
             accordance with his priorities, and no one can argue that 
             he has not earned that right.
               So Trent Lott, a man for all seasons--Representative, 
             Senator, servant, leader, husband, father and grandfather, 
             proud American and Mississippian, and friend--thank you. 
             God bless you.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Pennsylvania.

               Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I noticed the Senator from 
             California and I rose virtually simultaneously. I yield to 
             her.

               Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I thank the Senator 
             from Pennsylvania very much. It is very generous of him. 
             My remarks are very brief and they are very personal.
               Trent, I want you to know how much I have enjoyed 
             working with you. I have enjoyed your friendship, I have 
             enjoyed your sense of humor and, yes, I have even enjoyed 
             your singing.
               (Laughter.)
               I have found you to be both forthright and truthful. I 
             have found that when you give your word, you keep it. I 
             tend to judge people on two bases: how they go through the 
             tough times and whether I would want to be in a bunker 
             with them in a real debate.
               I watched you go through the tough times. I remember you 
             showing me a picture of a chair that had gone a mile from 
             the home that blew down in the hurricane. I remember your 
             fight with the insurance company, and I can only say to 
             that insurance company: Give up, you are going to lose.
               I want you to know how much I treasure the relationship 
             we have had. You have a great future. For you and your 
             family, you are probably doing the right thing. For us, it 
             is going to be a real loss. I want you to know how much I 
             enjoyed the times we had socially, the seersucker caucus, 
             seeing you turn up here in white bucks, all clean, 
             spotless, a seersucker suit, a pink shirt, and a pink tie. 
             No one in seersucker quite equals you, Trent Lott. For me, 
             a westerner, to see a southerner at his peacock best was 
             incredibly special.
               I thank you for your contributions to the Senate. I 
             thank you for your friendship. I wish you well, and may 
             the wind always be at your back.
               I yield the floor.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Pennsylvania.

               Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, I join my colleagues in 
             expressing my heartiest congratulations to my good friend, 
             Senator Trent Lott, on his historic career of 35 years as 
             a Member of the U.S. Congress. I also express deep regrets 
             that following the new year, we will no longer have Trent 
             Lott as a Member of this body. His announcement that he 
             will be retiring was a shock to some of us here in the 
             Senate. Trent has been the embodiment of what's good in 
             this body for so long, that it will be difficult to think 
             of the U.S. Senate without the Senator from Mississippi. I 
             applaud Trent's outstanding service to the people of 
             Mississippi, and the Nation, which he has successfully 
             undertaken in both wings of the U.S. Capitol.
               Trent Lott was born on October 9, 1941, in Grenada, MS, 
             the only child to a shipyard worker, Chester Lott, and a 
             schoolteacher mother, Iona. Trent attended a high school 
             which in later years would bear his name, the Trent Lott 
             Middle School. Lott went to the University of Mississippi 
             where he achieved an undergraduate degree in public 
             administration in 1963 and a law degree in 1967. During 
             his time at college he married his wife Patricia Thompson 
             in December 1964. Together the couple had a son and a 
             daughter, Chester and Tyler.
               After graduating from law school, Trent began a law 
             practice in Pascagoula, MS, but left after less than a 
             year when he was offered a job working in Washington as an 
             administrative assistant for Congressman William Colmer, a 
             Mississippi Democrat. When Congressman Colmer announced 
             his retirement from the House of Representatives, Trent 
             Lott announced his candidacy as a Republican to seek the 
             vacant office. Lott, even as a Republican, won Colmer's 
             endorsement, vowing to fight the increasing power of 
             government that was developing in Washington. Lott went on 
             to win the seat with 55 percent of the vote. The next 35 
             years would mark a series of extraordinary moments in 
             history as Trent Lott begins his career as a Member of 
             Congress.
               I have had the privilege of serving with Trent in the 
             Senate for the past 19 years. I have watched him 
             throughout his Senate career develop into a strong and 
             effective leader, mastering the art of compromise, a feat 
             which is hard to accomplish in these times. These 
             qualities served Trent well as he climbed the ranks in 
             House and Senate leadership: he served as House minority 
             whip from 1981 to 1989; Senate majority whip for 5 months 
             in 1995; and in June 1996, he succeeded my good friend, 
             Senator Bob Dole, to become the 16th majority leader of 
             the Senate. Trent served a brief stint as minority leader 
             after the 2000 elections produced a 50-50 split in the 
             Senate, with Vice President Al Gore still being the 
             tiebreaking vote. As the Bush administration came into 
             office, with Vice President Dick Cheney now being the 
             tiebreaker, control went back to the Republicans and Trent 
             resumed his duties as majority leader. Later in 2001, 
             Trent would once again become minority leader as Senator 
             Jim Jeffords, a Republican from Vermont, became an 
             Independent and caucused with the Democrats, allowing them 
             to regain the majority. Presumably, Trent will leave the 
             Senate while serving in his most recent leadership 
             position; he was elected this Congress to serve as the 
             Republican whip. Senator Trent Lott is the first person to 
             have served as whip in both Houses of Congress.
               Drawing on his impressive experience as a legislator and 
             a negotiator, Majority Leader Lott was instrumental in 
             promptly moving legislation from Congress to the 
             President's desk. Working harmoniously with the executive 
             and legislative branches of government, the country 
             witnessed landmark bills being signed into law. Major 
             policy initiatives, such as the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 
             and bringing balance to the Federal budget for the first 
             time since 1968, were both accomplished under Trent's 
             leadership. However, I was most impressed with the role 
             Trent played in the impeachment proceedings for President 
             Bill Clinton. Working with him during this difficult time 
             in our country's history was an experience I will always 
             remember.
               Aside from a distinguished career as majority leader, 
             Senator Lott has been a champion for his own State of 
             Mississippi. Recognizing that the top priorities in 
             Mississippi are an expanded transportation system and 
             innovative education, Trent time and time again proved to 
             the people of his State his ability to deliver. He has 
             secured Federal funding to improve Mississippi's 
             transportation expansion and has more than doubled 
             research funding for Mississippi's public universities. 
             Recognizing Trent's leadership through public service, the 
             University of Mississippi in Oxford, where he received 
             both his undergraduate and law degrees, named its 
             leadership institute after him.
               On a personal note, I believe all my colleagues can 
             agree with me, that along with his remarkable 
             accomplishments in Congress, what we will miss most about 
             Trent is his affability, commonsense persona, and his 
             enjoyable sense of humor. He brings a breath of fresh air 
             to Washington, a town which desperately needs it at times. 
             No one questioned Trent's motive when he revived a long-
             forgotten Senate tradition known as Seersucker Thursday, a 
             tradition which this Senator has participated in, and will 
             continue to participate in.
               Senator Trent Lott's service and leadership were 
             invaluable to this institution. Truly a great Senator, he 
             will be missed in this body. I wish him, his wife 
             Patricia, and all his family the very best in the years to 
             come.
               I am pleased to join in this tribute to Senator Lott. My 
             only regret is that it is occurring perhaps 18 years too 
             soon.
               I would characterize Trent's attributes, among many, as 
             his talent, his character, and his flair. He has brought 
             to this body enormous intellectual capability and great 
             street smarts. Ordinarily, the two do not go together, but 
             with Trent, they have been united to the great benefit of 
             the body.
               We have watched Trent in his positions in the Senate 
             before taking a leadership role after his election in 
             1988, being the majority leader, and the way he makes 
             contacts on the Senate floor. We all move around, none 
             with the speed and alacrity of Trent Lott. There is always 
             an intensity to his conversations. He doesn't buttonhole 
             people or lean over as Lyndon Johnson was reputed to have 
             done, but there is a real intensity. Usually at the end of 
             the short conversation, the other person is nodding in the 
             affirmative.
               At our Tuesday luncheons, the way he moves around from 
             table to table, it was almost as if he were in Club 21. 
             Here again, moving in and out with a great deal of speed 
             and, again, the conversations and what I surmise at some 
             distance to be success.
               He has been characterized as a dealmaker, a term which 
             is not always used in the highest sense, but with Trent 
             Lott it is. The great problem with our body is there are 
             not enough deal makers. Not enough Senators willing to 
             come to an accommodation. It is an understanding of the 
             varied points of view.
               On the rare occasions when I have disagreed with a 
             majority vote--may the record show Trent is smiling--he 
             has been understanding in his leadership position, never 
             conceding, and frequently advocating, but always 
             understanding.
               If there is one thing this body lacks, it is a sense of 
             accommodation. That is evident by anybody who will take a 
             photograph of the Chamber today and note how many people 
             on the other side of the aisle have appeared here. I hope 
             their numbers will be increased before this proceeding is 
             concluded.
               The business about our political process being dominated 
             by the extremes of both parties is very much to the 
             detriment of the country. Those who are willing to cross 
             the aisle, as the last speaker did on the Democratic side, 
             the Senator from California, the country owes a great debt 
             of gratitude to. And to those such as Senator Lott who 
             have been able to forge compromises, it is in the greatest 
             tradition of the Senate and the greatest tradition of the 
             United States.
               Just a word or two about his character. I attended the 
             100th birthday party of Senator Thurmond on December 4, 
             2002. I have seen many comments blown vastly out of 
             proportion during my tenure in the Senate and before, but 
             never have I seen one blown as much out of proportion as 
             that one was. And I said so at the time. My record on 
             civil rights is one which no one yet has questioned. What 
             Senator Lott said was in no means out of line. And then to 
             continue in the Senate and really move as a Member without 
             leadership credentials was to his enormous credit. Then to 
             come back and to run for another leadership position and 
             be successful was in the greatest tradition of the phoenix 
             rising from the ashes. I haven't seen any greater display 
             of character in this body in the time I have been here.
               Then there is the matter of flair, which this body needs 
             more of. Always a smile, always a pat on the back, always 
             the joviality, and the great tradition of Seersucker 
             Thursday. It is always an interesting time when people 
             come, not recognizing Seersucker Thursday. One day, our 
             leader, Bill Frist, went out and bought a suit--and I have 
             a picture hanging proudly in my outer office--and Bill 
             couldn't get the trousers adjusted, and the highlight of 
             the picture is the unadjusted trousers of one of our 
             Senate colleagues.
               Let me end on a note which I have debated whether I 
             should comment about, but it is relevant because of the 
             response Trent made to a short story I told recently at 
             the celebrity comedy evening. I dusted off an old story 
             from Mayor Bill Daley at the 1968 convention and made 
             Trent the object of the story. It went to the effect that 
             when Trent came back to the Senate after the losses in 
             Mississippi, he was devastated and very glum.
               I approached him on the Senate floor one day and said: 
             ``Trent, why are you so unhappy? What is wrong?''
               I knew, in one sense, but he seemed especially morose.
               He said: ``Well, Arlen, not only was my entire property 
             destroyed in Mississippi, but my entire library was 
             destroyed--both books--and I wasn't finished coloring one 
             of them, either.''
               Well, that little bit of joviality at Trent's expense 
             was met with his approaching me on the floor--and this 
             part of the story is true and what makes it perhaps 
             relevant to these comments--and with a scowl on his face, 
             he said: ``Arlen, I thought you and I were friends. We 
             have been in this body a long time together. Now I hear 
             you are making me the butt of jokes at comedy hour, so I 
             don't really understand. And besides your unfairness and 
             your incivility, you are wrong--I have more than two 
             coloring books.''
               In a sense, that characterizes Trent Lott's magnanimity, 
             and we are all going to miss him very much. He has made a 
             great contribution. When Trent decided there was another 
             course for him and his family, I had great respect for 
             that decision as I have great respect for him.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Iowa.

               Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I had an opportunity to 
             hear the first half hour of this tribute to Senator Lott, 
             and then I had to go on to another piece of business, and 
             I have just returned. But in all of this conversation 
             about Senator Lott, there has been some levity. I am not 
             going to be able to add to that because my wife always 
             tells me every time I try to be funny, I kind of screw up. 
             So I want to add to the business aspect of Senator Lott 
             and the Senate.
               I think most of the tribute I heard praised Senator Lott 
             for making the Senate work, the process of the Senate, 
             moving things through the Senate, making the Senate a 
             great part of our institution of self-government, and he 
             does that. But I would like to talk about the substance of 
             policy I have seen Trent Lott bring to the Senate and 
             bring to the people, and whatever I talk about is part of 
             the laws of the United States to which I think he has 
             contributed.
               Like all of my colleagues, it is hard for me to imagine 
             the Congress, and especially the Senate, without Trent 
             Lott being a part of it.
               I met my friend Trent Lott when I was elected to the 
             House of Representatives in 1974. He had already been in 
             the House of Representatives at that time for 2 years. As 
             has been said so many times, he went on to become a very 
             competent House Republican whip, first showing what a 
             successful national leader he would prove to be again and 
             again, as he is now in that position in the Senate.
               I also remember talking with Congressman Lott 8 years 
             after I came to the Senate, as he was imagining whether he 
             should run for the Senate. But it has really only been in 
             the last 12 years that I have had the opportunity to work 
             most closely with Senator Lott. He has been a very strong 
             ally, particularly for me as a leader on the Finance 
             Committee, but he has also, on occasion, been a worthy 
             opponent.
               Senator Lott has fought tirelessly for legislation that 
             respects the principle of less government and more 
             freedom, particularly economic freedom. His support for 
             tax relief, expanded market opportunities for U.S. 
             manufacturers and for job creation, and for consumer-
             driven health care has been essential to the many 
             successful legislative initiatives that have come from the 
             Committee on Finance in recent years.
               Back in 1997, as a new member of the Finance Committee, 
             Senator Lott worked for passage of the Tax Relief Act of 
             1997. This legislation included a $500-per-child tax 
             credit, a 20-percent capital gains tax rate, the Roth IRA, 
             and estate tax relief for small businesses. In fact, 
             Senator Lott was a leading proponent of capital gains tax 
             relief, and he remains unfailing today in his commitment 
             to this vitally important pro-growth tax policy.
               In 1998 Senator Lott was a key player on the Finance 
             Committee in putting together a final agreement on the 
             highway bill.
               In 2001, when I became chairman of the Finance Committee 
             and we had the opportunity to pass the largest tax relief 
             bill in a generation, Senator Lott was Republican leader 
             at that time, but he continued as a member of the Finance 
             Committee and in turn an essential supporter and 
             contributor to what has become known as the Economic 
             Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. This 
             legislation lowered rates for all taxpayers, made the Tax 
             Code more progressive, and created the first ever 10-
             percent marginal tax rate.
               Two years later, after September 11, we were at work on 
             the Finance Committee to pass legislation to stimulate the 
             economy. Again, Senator Lott was in the forefront as an 
             advocate for reducing the capital gains tax rate to 15 
             percent, where it is today. Senator Lott weighed in 
             heavily to get it done. Also, with lowering taxes on 
             income from dividends and capital gains, the Job Growth 
             Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 accelerated some of 
             the tax changes passed in 2001 and increased the exemption 
             amount for the alternative minimum tax. These initiatives 
             encouraged economic growth and were vital to mitigating 
             the economic shock of the terrorist attacks of September 
             11, 2001. By spurring economic activity, those tax 
             policies altogether resulted in recordbreaking revenues 
             collected by the Federal Treasury.
               Senator Lott has brought tremendous energy to policy and 
             tremendous energy to getting the work of the Senate done. 
             But I am going to remember his contribution to the policy 
             this Senate has made--very good policy--and he has been 
             there working very hard as a member of the Senate Finance 
             Committee to do that. The drive to get the work done has 
             helped me get my work done in the Senate.
               Now, there is no doubt he served his constituents of 
             Mississippi very effectively. After nearly two decades in 
             the Senate, he showed his loyalty by staying in the Senate 
             after a planned retirement just last election. He decided 
             to run for reelection in order to do what he has done for 
             an entire life as a public servant--to help the people of 
             Mississippi, and in this specific instance to help the 
             people of Mississippi recover from Hurricane Katrina. 
             Mississippians didn't quit, and neither did Senator Lott 
             quit. He used his influence and power in the Senate to 
             help his State recover.
               As a Republican leader in the Senate, Trent Lott's 
             experience and knowledge of the Senate and the Senate's 
             procedures have proven to be invaluable. It will be a long 
             time, if ever, that we see anyone work the whip process 
             better than Senator Lott has.
               Senator Lott leaves the Senate with a great legacy of 
             accomplishments. Woven throughout everything, though, is 
             Senator Lott's ability to lead. He demonstrated repeatedly 
             his talents and abilities for building winning coalitions. 
             He led with commitment to getting things done. He 
             understood that there are different points of view but 
             that they can be brought together for the right approach 
             that brings results and, as a result, good policy.
               I salute Senator Lott's tremendous success as a leader 
             in the Senate, and I am truly sorry to see Senator Lott 
             leave the Senate. I will miss him as a colleague and as a 
             friend. Trent Lott has made the Senate, he has made his 
             home State, and, for sure, the Nation a better place.
               Thank you for your service, Trent Lott.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Maine.

               Ms. SNOWE. Madam President, I wish to join all of my 
             colleagues, sadly and regrettably, in a big farewell to my 
             very good friend, a good friend to this institution, a 
             giant in this institution, as Trent prepares to leave the 
             Senate and usher in a new chapter of his much-accomplished 
             life. With his 35 years of distinguished service, his 
             leaving the Senate represents an enormous loss to our 
             Nation and to his beloved State of Mississippi, to the 
             Senate, and to many of us personally.
               There is no question that it speaks volumes about his 
             dedication and commitment to his beloved State of 
             Mississippi when he could not and would not leave the 
             Senate until his State found solid ground and footing in 
             the aftermath of the horrific devastation of Hurricane 
             Katrina.
               I must admit I feel as if I bear some responsibility in 
             Trent's leaving the Senate. You see, a few weeks ago, 
             prior to the recess, Trent said: ``Olympia, if you don't 
             vote with me, I am leaving the Senate.'' Always the 
             straightforward approach. Trent, I just didn't realize you 
             were serious. So I am a little relieved to know it wasn't 
             about me.
               But, you know, I have known Trent for 28 years, since we 
             first served together in the House of Representatives, and 
             I have always known him to be an adept and thoughtful 
             legislator in his various leadership capacities in both 
             the House and Senate. He forged the template for reaching 
             out and solving problems and strengthening the respective 
             institutions in which he served.
               I saw first hand his masterful skills as minority whip 
             when he was elected in 1981. In 1982, he raised a few 
             eyebrows when this conservative man from the South named a 
             centrist woman from Maine as his chief deputy whip. That 
             was groundbreaking at the time because it was the first 
             Republican woman to serve in that capacity. But in 1981, 
             we only had 192 Republicans in the House, and Trent 
             demonstrated his legendary abilities to cross party lines, 
             secure the votes, and was so instrumental to instituting 
             President Reagan's agenda. So it was no surprise that 
             President Reagan would frequently call Trent and his whip 
             organization to the White House, because he knew Trent was 
             central and crucial to securing those early threshold 
             victories for his key initiatives.
               For those who served at that time in the House of 
             Representatives, we had epic budget and tax-cut battles. 
             We were rebuilding our hollow forces after Vietnam and of 
             course, the cold war was in full force. Indisputably, 
             Trent rose to the occasion time and time again. He was a 
             consummate coalition builder. He created what he described 
             as the buddy system, bridging the political divide, 
             understanding that there would be regional, political, and 
             philosophical differences that would divide us, but he 
             would find a way to unite us.
               At that time we had, what was it, Gypsy Moths, which 
             were the Northeast-Midwest Republicans, those of us who 
             were there, Republicans, and then the Boll Weevils, who 
             were southern Democrats. I will leave it up to you to 
             decide whether it is appropriate to name Members of 
             Congress after insects. Nevertheless, that was the 
             regional divide and it was Trent's challenge to bridge 
             that divide, and he did it time and time again. Even after 
             the 1982 election--we lost 26 Republican seats in the 
             House of Representatives, now we were down to 166 Members 
             of the House--he managed to secure votes that would have 
             eluded others. In fact, we were able to obtain a 100-
             percent increase in defense spending in 5 years. That is 
             what he was able to accomplish, because he systematically 
             and mathematically as well as philosophically worked with 
             people across the political lines to make it work. As he 
             says himself, he is a congenital doer, who wants to solve 
             the problems of this great Nation.
               It is no surprise, then, that he would be the first 
             person elected to whip in both the House and Senate. He 
             rose rapidly here within the ranks of leadership, with the 
             culmination as Senate majority leader in 1996. He 
             characteristically wasted no time once again applying the 
             same formula for coalition building and achieving the 
             passage of watershed legislation, as has been mentioned--
             whether it was the minimum wage, Kassebaum-Kennedy 
             legislation on health care portability, or the landmark 
             welfare reform, even after it had been vetoed twice by the 
             President.
               We all know during that period of time as well his 
             tenure was bookended by unprecedented and historic 
             events--the impeachment trial, a 50-50 Senate for the 
             first time in 120 years, and the worst attack on American 
             soil. He managed to achieve the first balanced budgets in 
             probably more than a half a century. He, as we all well 
             know, guided this institution with dignity and skill 
             during those tumultuous times.
               On a more personal note, one of the crowning 
             achievements of his persuasive powers is when, as others 
             have mentioned here today, he was determined to dedicate 
             Thursday, one summer day, for Seersucker Day. He 
             approached me with the idea. He said, ``Olympia, are you 
             going to wear a seersucker suit?'' I said, ``Trent, be 
             serious; I am from Maine. We don't wear seersucker suits 
             and I will not wear it. Not over my dead body.''
               Of course, when Seersucker Day arrived, I showed up in a 
             seersucker suit, to his surprise, alive and well. But that 
             is an indication of his ability to persuade.
               Finally, I think there can be no discussion of Trent's 
             legacy without paying tribute to his extraordinary wife 
             Tricia. Theirs is truly a special partnership. I know 
             Trent would be the first to say he could not have done any 
             of it without Tricia. She in her own right has contributed 
             immeasurably, in both the House and the Senate, and their 
             wonderful children as well.
               To the Senator from Mississippi, Senator Lott, you have 
             been a pivotal and positive and powerful force for the 
             good for our first branch of government, bearing a close 
             resemblance to what our Founding Fathers had in mind--
             Madison in particular--when he said he expected of the 
             Senate ``to prefer the long and true welfare of our 
             country.''
               It is with profound gratitude we say farewell and wish 
             you well. God bless you and Tricia and your entire family.
               I yield the floor.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Michigan is recognized.

               Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise today also to 
             express my friendship and gratitude to the great Senator 
             from the State of Mississippi. When I think about comments 
             that have been said about his effectiveness, I have to say 
             from this side of the aisle, we have lamented his 
             effectiveness from time to time--and appreciated, as well, 
             the desire and the practical side of the Senator from 
             Mississippi, to want to get things done, to be able to 
             make things work. I, for one, am very grateful for that.
               I am assuming some of that comes from having been on the 
             staff side as well as having been in the House and the 
             Senate and learning how things work and valuing governing, 
             valuing relationships, and wanting to get things done.
               Back in my home State of Michigan, when I talk about the 
             legislation Senator Lott and I have championed, folks 
             raise their eyebrows. What are you two doing working 
             together on something? I talk to them about the fact that 
             if it weren't for Senator Lott and his leadership, joining 
             with me, we would not have achieved something important 
             earlier this year based on legislation we introduced to 
             provide more competition in the area of prescription 
             drugs, and to lower the price of prescription drugs 
             through the ability of generic drugs to come into the 
             marketplace. We were successful in amending the FDA bill. 
             It got tough in conference. A lot of folks didn't want to 
             see those loopholes closed. I thank Trent for hanging in 
             there or we would not have achieved that. Businesses 
             around the country will benefit from lower prices on 
             prescription drugs for their employees as a result of your 
             leadership. Seniors will benefit as a result. I thank you 
             for stepping up at the time when it was not easy to do.
               It has been a great pleasure to work with you in many 
             different ways. I have to say also, always to me you have 
             been a southern gentleman. I, too, never thought in my 
             wildest dreams I would wear a seersucker suit. Along with 
             Senator Snowe, and with the help of Senator Feinstein--who 
             chided and pushed and persuaded all of us, and helped all 
             of us be able to find seersucker suits--we have all joined 
             and had a great time every year being able to come 
             together for that great picture I have in my office.
               I know you will be missed on both sides of the aisle. We 
             understand that you understand the process. I know your 
             book ``Herding Cats'' reflects what in fact it is 
             oftentimes in the legislative process. But you have been 
             able to do the herding and been able to get people to come 
             together, and you will be known for being an extraordinary 
             leader in the Senate.
               I rise today to congratulate you, to thank you, to wish 
             you and Tricia and your children and grandchildren nothing 
             but happiness as you move to the next chapter of what I am 
             sure will continue to be a very meaningful and exciting 
             life.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah.

               Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, one of the words we often 
             hear as people talk about relationships is the word 
             mentor. It is always assumed that the older person mentors 
             the younger person. The record is clear that I am 8 years 
             older than Trent Lott. But the record is also clear that 
             he has acted as my mentor as I have come here to the 
             Senate.
               We have all heard about his legislative accomplishments. 
             I wish to pick out three items of my relationship with 
             Trent where he has taught me things that have been 
             valuable. First, when Trent ran for the whip position, I 
             worked for the election of Alan Simpson. I didn't know 
             Trent all that well. Alan and I were friends from long 
             ago. We first met up in the family gallery when our 
             respective fathers were being sworn in as Senators. He 
             introduced me to his child bride and I introduced him to 
             mine. He made the Simpson-like comment. He said: ``Having 
             married younger women, this means in our older age we will 
             smell perfume instead of liniment.''
               After I got to know Trent and appreciate his abilities, 
             I made the comment, ``If I had known you to have been as 
             good a leader as you are, I would have voted for you in 
             the beginning.'' He corrected me and said, ``No, your 
             relationship with Simpson was so strong and so personal 
             that you should have supported him, and I didn't even ask 
             you because I respected that relationship.''
               That was a very important thing he taught me there about 
             relationships and commitments that I have tried to 
             remember ever since.
               Second, as a freshman Senator who was sure I understood 
             the institution, I moved out aggressively in a variety of 
             circumstances and suddenly found myself caught in a vise 
             between two very senior, very powerful, very opinionated 
             Senators, whose names I shall not disclose.
               I didn't know what to do. Whatever I did, I would offend 
             one or the other and both of them had reputations for very 
             long memories and determination to take revenge. In my 
             moment of great panic, I called Trent and laid this before 
             him, more or less seeking some kind of balm or salve, and 
             received instead a solution. He, with his expertise, knew 
             how to maneuver between these two giants, and what was in 
             some ways my most difficult day in the Senate became, with 
             Trent's help, one of the better days I experienced in the 
             Senate, as I watched these two clash together, with me on 
             the sidelines, staying out of it because of his help. He 
             taught me again: Don't get yourself into that kind of 
             problem in the first place.
               Finally, emotions run high around here. People get all 
             wrapped up in the issue of the time. We had one of those, 
             where some members of the Republican conference deserted 
             leadership and there was a sense of great anger. Some 
             people were talking about retaliation. Trent taught me 
             this great truth. He said: ``The most important vote is 
             the next one. Do not allow your concern over that vote to 
             damage your relationship that you may need on the next 
             vote.''
               Those among us of the Republican conference who wanted 
             to retaliate--Trent did his best to say to them: ``No, 
             don't carry that grudge, don't carry that forward. 
             Understand, the most important vote is the next vote.''
               Those were the three things I wanted to highlight that I 
             have learned from Trent. But I want to point out that he 
             himself, when the blow fell--as Senator Specter has said, 
             in a vastly overblown reaction to an appropriate comment--
             he himself demonstrated in his own life his commitment to 
             those principles. He did not allow anything that had 
             happened as a result of that to destroy his relationships, 
             the friendships he had built. Even if there were some who 
             could have been attacked for having abandoned him, he did 
             not attack those relationships. He did not show any desire 
             to retaliate. He may have felt it. Indeed, he would not be 
             human if he didn't. But he came back to the Senate with 
             his optimism showing, his determination to stay calm, his 
             determination to stay engaged and not allow a sense of 
             revenge or retaliation to take him over. That, of course, 
             served him in good stead when he was returned to 
             leadership by the same massive majority that he had when 
             he took the whip's job the first time--by 1 vote.
               This is a man we shall miss. This is a man who has 
             taught us a lot. This is a man who served as a mentor to 
             me, and because of him, I now own a pair of white bucks.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Tennessee is recognized.

               Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, once upon a time in 
             spring 1968, even before Ted Stevens was a Senator, a 
             young man with carefully combed hair came from Pascagoula, 
             MS, to Washington, DC, and he moved into a spare bedroom 
             in the house at the corner of Klingle Street and Foxhall 
             Road.
               It was almost 40 years ago. I remember it very well, 
             because I was already in that house along with four other 
             single young men in our twenties. Our new resident from 
             Mississippi was different in several ways from the rest of 
             us. No. 1, we were single, and he was married. Tricia and 
             Chet, then a baby, were still back in Mississippi. No. 2, 
             he was a Democrat and we were Republicans. But at that 
             age, that did not matter to us very much.
               And No. 3 is--and this is hard for anyone in the Chamber 
             to imagine, for me even to say--I remember him as quiet.
               Maybe it was because he did not stay long, because he 
             remembers that we were noisy--playing the piano, staying 
             up late, having parties, and then getting up at 6 a.m. and 
             going to work.
               So for whatever reason, maybe because of those 
             differences, our friend from Mississippi moved out after a 
             few months. Tricia and Chet came to Washington, I believe, 
             and he continued his job with Mr. Colmer, the Congressman 
             from the area where he grew up.
               My other roommate was Glover Robert, who was from 
             Gulfport, who had introduced us all to Trent, and who 
             later was Trent's campaign manager in his race for 
             Congress. I can remember Glover saying at that time that 
             everybody in Mississippi knows Trent Lott is one of two 
             young men in Mississippi who is going to grow up to be 
             Governor of Mississippi. The other young man who Glover 
             talked about was Thad Cochran, who we also met that year 
             in 1968. At that time he was also a Democrat. Neither of 
             them grew up to be Governor of Mississippi, at least not 
             yet. But one became the chairman of the Appropriations 
             Committee, and one became the leader of the Senate, and 
             both are our friends.
               Now Trent, after 35 years in Congress, is moving on to 
             the next chapter of his life. I understand his decision. 
             We talked about it. As far as anyone can say from outside 
             the Lott family, it looks like a wise decision on a 
             personal basis. But on a personal basis too, I am truly 
             sorry to see him go, because over those 40 years, we have 
             been in different places most of the time--I mostly in 
             Tennessee, he mostly here--but we have stayed in touch in 
             many different ways.
               When our roommates got together at the Governor's 
             mansion in Tennessee in the 1980s, I remember reading to 
             the group after dinner from a book on manners. When I came 
             to the Senate, I received a book, ``George Washington's 
             Rules of Civility,'' that was inscribed, ``To my friend, 
             Senator Alexander, the history professor, Trent Lott.''
               In 1986, I became a little bit exasperated with the 
             House Republicans from a distance and I called up Trent 
             and said: ``What is going on? Are we Republican Governors 
             and the House Republicans on the same page?'' He 
             introduced me to Newt Gingrich, and a group of the 
             Governors and the Republican leaders in the House met at 
             Blackberry Farm in the Smoky Mountains for a whole weekend 
             and had a terrific weekend, in terms of charting the 
             future course for our party.
               A few years later I came to Washington as Education 
             Secretary and immediately turned to Trent--who was always 
             in some sort of leadership position, usually some 
             different one--for advice and support.
               Those who follow the Senate know that Trent has, along 
             the way, taught all of us various lessons. He has 
             especially taught me lessons, particularly how to count. 
             It is because of Trent Lott that a year ago, it was 
             necessary for me to write 27 thank-you notes for 24 votes 
             in the race for whip. I have worked hard to learn my 
             lesson from him over a period of time.
               About 6 weeks ago, Trent and Tricia invited my wife 
             Honey, me, and the Greggs down to their home outside 
             Jackson. We spent a weekend. It was following up a nice 
             weekend we had had in the mountains of Tennessee sometime 
             earlier. Most of the remarks today about Trent have been 
             about Trent in Washington, DC, and they are all very 
             appropriate. And here in the Senate we often think of 
             Trent as having the wiliness of Lyndon Johnson and the 
             joyfulness of Hubert Humphrey--two other great figures in 
             Senate history--but it is more fun to see him in 
             Mississippi. Going through the airport, every single woman 
             in the airport in Mississippi wanted to talk to Trent 
             Lott, and he talked to them all of the way through the 
             Jackson Airport.
               To see the number of buildings in Mississippi already 
             named after him--and he is not even dead yet--and to see 
             the beautiful home they have outside Jackson, MS, is 
             something to behold. Judd and I counted five different 
             tractors in his garage, and we rode in most of them. We 
             should have known, or I should have known, from seeing how 
             happy he is there and how much he loves to do this, that 
             his mind was probably more on becoming farmer of the year 
             in Mississippi than it was on spending another 5 or 10 
             years in the Senate.
               Trent, transitions--I have had a number of them--are not 
             always easy, but they have been for me the most rewarding 
             parts of my life. I believe for you and Tricia this next 
             transition will be the same--liberating, not entirely 
             easy, but perhaps the most rewarding period of your life.
               I tried to think of some words that would describe it, 
             and I thought of words that better describe the Smoky 
             Mountains where I am from than the Mississippi area where 
             you are from. But the thought still applies. They are 
             words from Emily Dickinson, which say:

               Goodbye to the life I used to lead and the friends I 
             used to know. Now kiss these hills just once for me, for I 
             am ready to go.

               It is a reassurance for us to know that you are not 
             going far. I hope it will be reassuring to you to know 
             that you are not going far, that your old friends are 
             still here and we are still your friends.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Vermont.

               Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, let me note--it has probably 
             been noted here on the floor already--that it is so much 
             nicer to hear your eulogy in person than afterward. In 
             many ways you know it is more heartfelt because the 
             Senator from Mississippi is here and has the ability to 
             correct it, something he would not have 40 years or so 
             from now when he might rejoin his Maker.
               I think, though, about Trent Lott. Trent is one of those 
             Senators who has great respect on both sides of the aisle. 
             I think it is because he is from the old school. I do not 
             want to damage his reputation in Mississippi to have one 
             of the more liberal members of the opposite party praise 
             him, but I do it easily. Because, as I told Trent within 
             an hour after he made his announcement--we were on the 
             phone, and I told him that one of the things I liked about 
             him is he followed that rule Mike Mansfield told me my 
             first week here in the Senate: Senators should always keep 
             their word. Every time Senator Lott and I have worked 
             together, to find our way, sometimes through a very 
             tangled parliamentary or legislative morass, we got 
             through because I could always count on him once he made a 
             commitment to keep his word and he would keep his 
             commitment. I think he knows I did the same with him. As 
             Senator Mansfield tried to instruct all of us, those of us 
             who were here at that time, this is the mark of what a 
             real Senator should do. Because while you may disagree on 
             one issue, you are going to be allies the next day on a 
             different issue. And that is what makes the Senate work 
             best.
               Marcelle and I have had the opportunity to travel with 
             Trent and Trish, and I must admit this is a great deal of 
             fun. I think he even has some of the photographs I have 
             given him from some of those trips. As they have told me 
             in Vermont, on occasions when he came up, a number of 
             Vermonters came up to me afterward and said, ``Boy, the 
             Senator from Mississippi is really good looking.'' I said: 
             ``Well, yes, he is.'' ``He has got all of that hair.'' I 
             said, ``Yes, he does.'' And they said, ``He can really 
             sing well.'' And I said, ``I do not need to talk with you 
             anymore.''
               They would go on. Those trips--and I will close with 
             this--one of the reasons why more of us should take such 
             trips, bipartisan trips, is you find that you have so many 
             things in common. Trish and Marcelle would talk about 
             children and their hopes for them growing up. All four of 
             us would talk about the difficulties in maintaining homes 
             in our home State and in Washington, and doing it if you 
             are not wealthy. We would talk about those things where we 
             felt the Senate should come together. We talked about our 
             backgrounds, our faith, our hopes for this country. I 
             think somebody listening in would have been hard pressed 
             to know which one was the Democrat and which one was the 
             Republican.
               I have served all these years with Trent Lott. I will 
             miss him as a colleague, but I might say I will miss him 
             especially as a friend.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Casey). The Senator from 
             Texas.

               Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, my State, like many States, 
             has produced some political giants: Lyndon Johnson, Phil 
             Gramm, John Tower, many great political figures. But one I 
             recall specifically: Bob Bullock, a Democratic Lieutenant 
             Governor in what was generally considered the most 
             powerful political position in State government. I 
             remember one time he said that there are two types of 
             politicians: one who wants to be somebody, and the other 
             who wants to do something. Most decidedly, Trent Lott is 
             of the latter category.
               I have heard comments today about his great ability to 
             compromise. I think compromise is in and of itself 
             underrated. Compromising with principle, looking for 
             common ground while staying true to your convictions and 
             your principles, is an art and one that Trent Lott has 
             practiced throughout his congressional career.
               Since the foundation of our Nation, Congress has been 
             the workplace for many men and women who have come from 
             modest beginnings and who took it upon themselves to 
             shoulder great responsibilities. They have undertaken the 
             noble yet difficult work of governing in the best 
             interests of the American people. This has always been the 
             defining characteristic of our country. In Lincoln's 
             phrase: ``Government of the people, by the people, and for 
             the people.'' This year, after more than three decades of 
             public service in the Congress, we bid farewell to a man 
             who has embodied this notion.
               Trent Lott from Pascagoula, MS, always took to heart his 
             responsibility as a representative of the State, and he 
             has never lost touch with his roots. We have heard 
             reference to his memoir, ``Herding Cats,'' which I told 
             him, after reading it: ``It was surprisingly good.'' He 
             said: ``Why were you surprised?'' I said: ``I am not going 
             to go there. It was surprisingly good.''
               But he answered one particular critic in his memoirs by 
             saying: ``I ascended to the leadership of the Senate 
             because I was from the Magnolia State.'' I found this to 
             be a telling statement about a man who not only 
             represented his State's interests but sought to represent 
             its character and was literally impelled to public 
             service.
               As we know, he served Mississippi in both the House of 
             Representatives and the Senate, in the majority and 
             minority, through the administrations of seven Presidents. 
             He has experienced just about everything a life in 
             politics has to offer--the good, the bad, and the ugly. 
             When his beloved home State was hit by a natural disaster 
             named Katrina, he made it his top priority to see that the 
             people of Mississippi were shepherded through the most 
             difficult of times. Throughout his life and service, 
             Senator Lott has served his home of Mississippi with 
             unflinching resolve. His principled and dedicated service 
             has earned him a national reputation as a strong leader. 
             His fervent desire to solve some of our Nation's biggest 
             problems has put him at the forefront of national 
             politics.
               Trent has always sought to find common ground on 
             important legislation, and there is no doubt in my mind 
             his absence will be profoundly felt. But as many have 
             already observed, Senator Lott has paid his dues. He has 
             done his time. He has served his State. He served his 
             country. So while it is with sadness we say goodbye to a 
             colleague and a statesman and, most important, a friend, 
             it is with great joy that I wish Senator Lott the best of 
             luck in the next stage of his life.
               Trent, thank you for everything you have done for our 
             country, for the Senate, this great institution, and for 
             everything I have learned from your example. I know you 
             and Tricia have a bright future ahead, and I know you 
             especially look forward to spending more time with your 
             children and grandchildren. We wish you the very best.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Colorado.

               Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I rise to say a few words 
             about the retirement of my friend and colleague, Senator 
             Trent Lott. Trent has visited Colorado. However, he 
             complained he was kept busy and couldn't appreciate 
             Colorado's vistas. Now he will have time to appreciate the 
             great State of Colorado, and I invite him to revisit us 
             because he will have time.
               Trent was majority leader when I came to the Senate in 
             1997. A large percentage of the views I have of how this 
             body should work and how we can best come together, 
             despite differences of opinions and goals, was formed 
             watching Trent Lott shepherd through legislation 
             organizing 100 competing agendas into a manageable 
             schedule. I have always felt we were sent here by the 
             people of our States to solve problems and achieve 
             results. I know ideas can and do vary as to what solutions 
             are or even what the problems are. That makes the end goal 
             of finding solutions most of us can agree to that much 
             harder and the skills required to do so much more rare. 
             The Senate has been lucky to have Trent in our midst as we 
             worked through the pressing issues of these times.
               It should be noted Trent has done his work here, all the 
             while remaining a genuinely decent man and a true 
             gentleman. He is, everyone agrees, a fundamentally nice 
             person who enjoys the human contact and personal 
             relationships that come with his position. He enjoys 
             working on behalf of the people of Mississippi. He has 
             represented their interests well, and they have made it 
             clear they approve of his service.
               Trent attended Pascagoula Junior High, which is now 
             called Trent Lott Middle School. He is truly an example 
             for future Americans to emulate. I join my colleagues in 
             thanking Trent and his wife Tricia for their service and 
             thank God for providing him to public service in the 
             Senate, where I personally know of his service.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.

               Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise to pay great tribute 
             to Trent Lott. Similar to so many on the floor, I felt 
             compelled, had a great desire to come to the floor because 
             of my deep respect and affection for Trent. I mean that.
               It is probably a great testament to Trent, given those 
             very deep and sincere feelings of mine, to remember how we 
             were introduced politically. I was running for Congress 
             and he endorsed my opponent. For a lot of people, it would 
             have meant that person would never have built a strong 
             working relationship with the other or it would have taken 
             a long time. For Trent, it took about 5 minutes. After I 
             won, he called me and congratulated me and explained that 
             my opponent was a former colleague of his and a friend and 
             he felt loyalty and affection for the person. But the past 
             was the past and the future was the future and he wanted 
             to build that same friendship and sense of loyalty with 
             me. So that was that.
               It wasn't just words. He put that into action and made 
             it perfectly clear from the beginning he was sincere. That 
             is Trent. That is probably the first and one of the most 
             important lessons he imparted to me.
               I will always feel privileged to have learned other 
             lessons in two particular settings. First, I was honored 
             to be asked to join his whip team over the last couple 
             years, and I did so. I have learned an enormous amount as 
             a member of that team. I will always remember his being 
             very forthcoming in asking me for advice and ideas and 
             what I thought about this or that, all the while paying 
             compliments about my insight into things. I will remember 
             it not because any of those compliments were true but 
             because it showed his spirit and effectiveness at 
             including people, getting the best out of them and 
             bringing folks together.
               As a member of his whip team, I will also always 
             remember and appreciate his taking me under his wing and 
             trying to help me develop relationships and friendships 
             with other Senators more and, as he would put it, be able 
             to schmooze more effectively. I hope, Trent, you continue 
             your work with me as you join the private sector, because 
             obviously we still have a long way to go. But I appreciate 
             the spirit of that work.
               The second setting that is so important, in terms of my 
             personal experience with Trent is, of course, the 
             experience of Katrina and dealing with that horrible 
             hurricane. There couldn't have been better allies in terms 
             of our recovery work than Trent and Thad. I will always be 
             deeply indebted to them for all their work on behalf of 
             the entire gulf coast. In south Louisiana, occasionally in 
             the press there would be some story or comment resentful 
             toward Mississippi in terms of the recovery, saying they 
             got this per capita and we got this; we didn't do well 
             enough. I would always explain that, boy, they got it 
             exactly wrong. Because our best allies throughout all that 
             horrible experience were Trent and Thad. Were it not for 
             them, we would not have fared nearly as well. I will be 
             the first to admit that. I thank them on behalf of my 
             State for their tireless efforts on behalf of the entire 
             gulf coast.
               So, Trent, I join everyone in wishing you and Tricia and 
             your family all the best. You deserve it. I know this is 
             not the end of anything. It is the beginning of new great 
             things. I look forward to our continuing tutorials on 
             schmoozing and maybe even getting me to wear a seersucker 
             suit someday.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

               Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, those of us who come from 
             the South take great pride in our heritage. Part of the 
             heritage we are very proud of is the fact that whether it 
             is the State of Mississippi that sent John Stennis and 
             Senator Eastland to this body or whether it is my State 
             that sent Richard Russell and Paul Coverdell and Sam Nunn, 
             we are very proud of the folks we have sent to the Senate. 
             Come January, we are going to add the name of Trent Lott 
             to those great men who have represented the South in this 
             body.
               When I think of Trent Lott, I think about something that 
             a lot of people probably can't relate to, but he and Thad 
             will directly relate to. Trent is the epitome of the 
             genteel southern gentleman, married to a beautiful belle 
             with whom he went to college.
               In the fall in Oxford, MS, there is a special occasion 
             that takes place on football Saturday afternoons. They 
             have a place down there called the Grove that is unlike 
             any other area I have ever been to on any football 
             afternoon. The Grove is what one might think. It is truly 
             a beautiful spot with trees and green grass. All the 
             University of Mississippi football fans gather in the 
             Grove and, instead of backing up SUVs and pickup trucks 
             with beer kegs on the back, as we do in Athens, they pull 
             out silver goblets, white tablecloths, chandeliers on the 
             table, and they enjoy a great festive atmosphere. Trent 
             Lott brings that same gentility, that same mannerism of 
             our part of the world to the Senate.
               A couple of quick personal anecdotes that somewhat 
             relate to that. Trent has a way of being able to look at 
             somebody and, whether it is trying to figure out how they 
             are going to vote, what they are feeling like that day or 
             whatever it may be, boy, he can get right to the heart of 
             it. I am reminded of when I was thinking about running for 
             the Senate back in 2002. Trent came to me in the summer of 
             that year. I remember this conversation like it was 
             yesterday.
               He said: ``Look, I know they are working on you to run 
             for the Senate. You and I have been good friends for 
             several years during your House days. I don't think you 
             have got the fire in the belly. Unless you do, you better 
             not run.''
               He was exactly right. About 6 months after that, he came 
             to me again and said: ``I have heard you speak more and 
             more about what you want to do, and you have the fire in 
             the belly. It is the time to run.''
               The other anecdote I will never forget about Trent is 
             that during my campaign, we had a farm bill we had 
             finished in conference. It was a late farm bill that year. 
             It was in early spring 2002. I needed to be all over my 
             State campaigning. Unfortunately, I got stuck in 
             Washington for a weekend with the farm bill conference. 
             Trent was coming to Georgia to campaign for me. I told 
             him: ``Trent, I am not going to be able to go. I feel bad 
             about this.'' He said: ``Don't worry about it. Stay here 
             and do what you have to do. Julianne and I will take care 
             of this.''
               So he went to Georgia, spent the whole day traveling 
             around to five different events in different parts of my 
             State, and drew big crowds because he was Trent Lott.
               He called me up on Sunday morning when he got back and 
             said: ``Saxby, I got this thing figured out. I know how 
             you are going to win this campaign. What you need to do is 
             stay in Washington and let Julianne and me take care of 
             that campaign for you.''
               Trent is one of those people whom those of us junior 
             Senators looked up to from day one. As I think back on my 
             class, Lindsey and a couple of us served in the House 
             together, where we got to know Trent. But whether it was 
             Elizabeth or Norm or Lamar or others in our class, from 
             day one, Trent has been one of those individuals whom we 
             admired so greatly because of his knowledge of the 
             institution, because of his ability to come to you when 
             you knew you were struggling with an issue. He could talk 
             to you for 2 minutes and all of a sudden you would feel 
             better about whatever it was you were struggling with. 
             That is the kind of person Trent Lott is and that is the 
             part about Trent Lott I truly am going to miss.
               His office happens to be right around the corner from 
             mine. There is many a day we will be on the elevator 
             together going back after a vote. He will start picking at 
             me about something. He will say: ``I know you have been 
             worried about something. What is it?'' Invariably, again, 
             he is right. He has had the ability to say a couple words 
             that all of a sudden changed my perspective on whatever 
             the issue was I was struggling with.
               So, Trent, we are mighty proud of you as a southerner. 
             We are mighty proud of you as an American. And we are 
             certainly mighty proud of you as a Member of this body. 
             You are truly going to be missed. But I treasure the last 
             13 years of having the privilege of serving with you in my 
             House days as well as my Senate days.
               God bless you, and may God bless your family.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.

               Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I appreciate so many of 
             these remarks. I would like to say a few things about 
             Trent.
               I think Trent's strength, first, is his roots. He knows 
             where he came from. He knows how he was raised. He is 
             loyal to his constituents and his people. He loves the 
             people of Mississippi, and they love him. If he chose to 
             move to Alabama and run for the Senate, he would be a 
             winner there. He is well known in our State. He used to 
             have a television program with the three Congressmen from 
             that region, the ``Gulf Coast Report.'' It went for 35 
             years and just ended last year. He started that with 
             former Congressman Jack Edwards of Mobile and it had such 
             a tremendous following. In fact, it was front page news in 
             Alabama when Trent Lott announced his retirement.
               Second, Trent was at the forefront of what clearly has 
             been a historical movement of mainstream Republican 
             thought in the South. It has been a trend that has been 
             steady and strong, and has shaped the Nation. It ended up 
             helping provide a Republican majority in the House and the 
             Senate to accomplish things that would not have been 
             accomplished otherwise.
               I am not that much younger than Trent, but I remember 
             when he made that fateful decision to run for Congress as 
             a Republican in Mississippi. Those of us who were 
             following politics at that time knew his decision was an 
             important one. We young Republicans, throughout the South 
             in particular, all watched with tremendous interest to see 
             whether he would be successful. He and Thad both were 
             successful that year. It was a movement of significant 
             historical importance because many have followed his path.
               Trent has had an incredibly wise way of dealing with 
             people. I remember sitting right over here, having not 
             been here long, and a very important bill was on the 
             floor. A very critical amendment was being decided, an 
             amendment, if it had gone the wrong way, could have 
             derailed the entire legislation. I had reasons to vote 
             against it, but I had not made up my mind. There were a 
             lot of reasons I could have voted against it. Some good 
             friends were on the other side. He sidled up to me, and 
             all he said was: ``Look at old Phil. This is his first big 
             bill on the floor. It would be a shame to see him lose 
             that bill.''
               (Laughter.)
               He did not say any more. Those simple words touched my 
             concerns, and I thought about them for a day and a half 
             before I decided to vote with Phil and Trent. He had a 
             gift to sense your concerns, to know where Members were.
               I will mention two other things I think were of 
             historical importance.
               We could not agree on how to handle the impeachment. 
             Trent was the leader of the Senate. The Senate was 
             supposed to try the House charge of impeachment. The Chief 
             Justice who sat back here off the floor was asked: ``What 
             procedures shall we use, Mr. Chief Justice?'' He leaned 
             back in his chair and said: ``Well, it is the Senate's job 
             to figure out how to conduct the impeachment trial. That 
             is what the Constitution says. It is your problem, not 
             mine.'' And still we could not agree.
               Trent thought and worried and did everything he could 
             possibly do to reach an agreement on procedure. That 
             agreement could not be reached, so he took an 
             unprecedented step of calling the Senate together in the 
             Old Senate Chamber. Do you remember that? That is when we 
             had, what Trent called, the great epiphany when Ted 
             Kennedy and Phil Gramm spoke up and an agreement was 
             reached. We did not embarrass the Senate. We did our duty. 
             We followed through successfully. We met the 
             constitutional responsibility we had. He was creative in 
             trying to impress on us the importance of reaching that 
             decision.
               I can think of another one from the Republican side. In 
             our movement in 2001 to reduce taxes the vote was close, 
             with every single vote critical. Senator Domenici was the 
             Budget chairman at that time, and I believe the critical 
             vote was over the budget reconciliation. Trent called a 
             meeting of the Republicans in the Senate Chaplain's 
             Office.
               (Laughter.)
               The room has a high arched ceiling--so I guess we had a 
             prayer meeting up there. You could look down the Mall and 
             see the Washington Monument. Such a location had never 
             been used before or since. There were a couple of votes 
             Trent had to have. He knew he could count votes. Maybe 
             there was just one vote he had to have. So that meeting 
             was orchestrated carefully, and it worked. Our tax cuts 
             passed, with every vote crucial and ultimately on the 
             floor the vote was a 50-50 tie, with the Vice President 
             breaking the tie. For 10 years, however, we will have had 
             tremendous tax relief for Americans. It has surged our 
             economy.
               Without a truly skilled leader in both those instances, 
             this Senate could have gone the other way and the history 
             of our country could have turned out quite differently.
               I have enjoyed my friendship with Trent Lott and Tricia. 
             I think he is a fabulous leader who has done remarkable 
             things for our country. It has been an honor to serve with 
             him.
               If you come to Alabama, you can have my Senate seat, 
             Trent.
               Thank you, Mr. President.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

               Mr. ISAKSON. Trent, this is the time, on an occasion 
             like this, where somebody always rises and says: Whatever 
             could be said about this subject has been said, it is just 
             that everybody has not said it yet. But in this case, it 
             is not true. We have only been talking for 2 hours 7 
             minutes. It would take a lot longer than 2 hours 7 minutes 
             to say all the things that could be said about your 
             distinguished career.
               But there are two things I wish to say, the two most 
             powerful words in the English language: Thank you--first, 
             on behalf of the late Paul Coverdell and his lovely wife 
             Nancy.
               I will never forget in March 1993 meeting Paul--as I had 
             for 20 years, as I led the Georgia House and he led the 
             Georgia Senate--at the International House of Pancakes in 
             Buckhead at 7 a.m., his first time back in Georgia after 
             being sworn in. I had him tell me about the place known as 
             the Senate. All he could talk about was Trent Lott. He 
             said: ``Johnny, Trent Lott has the two l's. He can 
             legislate and he can lead.''
               So on behalf of Paul, whose legislation--the Coverdell 
             Education Act, and many other things--was done here, thank 
             you for what you did for him. I know you always have 
             shared with me how much you appreciate what ``Mikey'' did 
             for you.
               But, second, Trent, thank you on my behalf. If every one 
             of us in this room stood up and thought about it, we could 
             take a specific incident that in our career has been 
             accomplished that would not have happened were it not for 
             your insight, your leadership, and your commitment.
               For me, it was the pension bill last year and the 
             pensions of 91,000 Delta employees in Georgia. We got down 
             to the lick log, as they say in Georgia, on the last day, 
             in the last hour before the August recess. Bankruptcy was 
             pending, and it was almost over. Thanks to your tenacity 
             on Finance and your care and your willingness to be able 
             to do what you did, that legislation passed. I got the 
             credit, but the benefit belongs to you.
               Thank you for what you have done for all of us.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

               Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to my 
             friend, my encourager, my mentor. Mae West once said: 
             ``Marriage is a fine institution, but I am not ready yet 
             for an institution.''
               Reflecting on the comments of my colleague from Georgia, 
             I think when we get here, I don't know how many of us are 
             ready for the institution. What I had--and what I know my 
             other colleagues had--in Trent Lott was somebody who put 
             his arm around you. He shared with you the importance of 
             your word is your bond, the importance of family--more 
             than things you can read in a rules manual or a procedural 
             manual but the history of the heart and the soul of the 
             institution, embodied by my friend and my encourager, 
             Trent Lott.
               This Chamber has been home to some of the great 
             statesmen in American history. I say this not with 
             hyperbole or superlatives, but I say it as a matter of 
             established fact: that among the great statesmen in the 
             history of this country, one is sitting in this Chamber 
             today, who will move on to do other great things, I am 
             sure.
               Similar to me, he governs from the bank of the 
             Mississippi. It is a little colder where I come from, the 
             State I represent. But he is an outstanding representative 
             of the Heartland, the heart and soul of America.
               On my way to the Senate complex, as I walk through, I 
             sometimes stop and take a look at the words that are 
             written in one of the office buildings by Everett McKinley 
             Dirksen. I wish to read these words because this is 
             inscribed on the wall: ``His unerring sense of the 
             possible that enabled him to know when to compromise; by 
             such men are our freedoms retained.'' Such a tribute 
             belongs to Trent Lott.
               Freedom requires that we all express our views strongly 
             and to do that on the floor. But in the end, you need 
             those who can knit together, who can craft legislation. We 
             all have stories of being in Trent's presence and watching 
             him do that. He truly is today's current master of the 
             Senate. He understands the art of what it takes to get 
             things done.
               Some of us have said the worst sin in politics is not 
             knowing how to count. If that is the case, then Trent is 
             pure as the driven snow because he knows how to count. And 
             not only knowing how to count, what he does is use that in 
             a way to kind of guide us to ultimately get things done. 
             That is what it is about.
               I believe what we are suffering from in this country 
             today is a deep partisan divide. So the American public 
             looks at and wonders about our ability to do what we have 
             been elected to do. If there is somebody today who has the 
             antidote to that infection, it is Trent Lott. Because in 
             the end, that is what he strives to do.
               We all have our stories. I served on the Conference 
             Committee on Homeland Security to reshape the way in which 
             we do intelligence, to look at somehow getting rid of the 
             silos that were problematic on 9/11 that the 9/11 
             Commission talked about, and to figure out a way to put 
             together a system of gathering intelligence which works 
             together, is seamless.
               I watched time and again, when it seemed like we were 
             not going to get it done--and it was not, by the way, 
             partisan; it was not just Democrat versus Republican; 
             sometimes it was House versus Senate--and I can tell you, 
             almost every time, on every occasion--and Chairman Collins 
             could tell you the same thing, and Ranking Member 
             Lieberman could tell you the same thing--at the moment you 
             needed that, where it seemed like it was not going to get 
             done, the voice that arose was the gentleman from 
             Pascagoula, the Senator from Mississippi, who would offer 
             a little something that would kind of pull us back 
             together and move us forward. In the end, we passed the 
             bill. The Nation is better for it.
               I had the opportunity earlier this year to be honored 
             with Senator Lott by the Ripon Society, with the Theodore 
             Roosevelt Rough Rider Award. That is, by the way, the 
             progressive wing of the Republican Party. Trent got up 
             there, when he received his honor, and said: ``Before I 
             got here, I used to be called a conservative.''
               He is still a conservative, a principled conservative. 
             But the reason he was recognized by the Ripon Society--and 
             I think by folks regardless of what side of the aisle they 
             are on, what side of the political spectrum they are on--
             is because of his incredible ability to find common 
             ground, to pull people together.
               In Minnesota, we all know of the Scandinavian who loved 
             his wife so much he almost told her. There are many in 
             this institution who care so much they almost get 
             something done. But Trent Lott is one of those who both 
             cares so much and he gets things done.
               I thank the Lott family for sharing him with our Nation. 
             I know the foundation of Trent's service is commitment to 
             freedom, to faith, and to family. That is about as solid a 
             foundation as one could have. That is something this 
             first-term Senator has seen, has appreciated, and carries 
             in his heart.
               I thank him for his lifetime of service to all 
             Americans. I ask that God continue to bless Trent, Tricia, 
             and the Lott family.
               Mr. President, I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.

               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, there are others seeking to 
             be recognized and I shall be brief. But I think of my good 
             friend in many ways, not the least of which, we are two 
             Senators who stood in the well in kilts with our knobby 
             knees showing and voted--to the astonishment of all our 
             colleagues.
               You have helped me through the years in many ways, 
             particularly on the defense bill. You have served on the 
             committee. When that bill was dogged, disparaged, cast 
             aside, you always were there to bring it back, sometimes 
             six or seven times in the course of the spring, until we 
             were able to pass it, always, always being guided by your 
             heart and your concern for the men and women who wear the 
             uniforms and their families.
               But I wish to speak of you in a very personal way. We 
             had our differences in elections. Like Bob Bennett, I was 
             on the Alan Simpson team. I remember sitting in your 
             office discussing that and voting for Simpson. You won, 
             but you never held it against me or Bob or others. That is 
             the way you managed this institution.
               But I think back on my own career, insignificant as it 
             is, and I reflect on the fact that I have been privileged 
             to serve with 271 Senators in the 29 years that I have 
             been privileged to serve. My dear friend Thad Cochran and 
             I have that record together as we came to the Senate in 
             fall 1968.
               What I didn't know about the Senate--and surprisingly, I 
             had the opportunity as Secretary of the Navy to come here 
             for 5 years and testify many times and to come and respond 
             to the calls of Members who, for whatever reason, wanted 
             to talk to the Secretary about their particular problems--
             I never realized how all-consuming this body would be in 
             terms of it becomes your family, they are your friends, 
             and those bonds continuously grow year after year. When 
             one Member is celebrating exhilaration, accomplishments, 
             be they on the floor of the Senate or be they in private 
             life or whatever the case may be--winning an election, as 
             Thad and I have done five consecutive times--you share 
             those moments. But you also share the moments when a 
             Member is faced with despair.
               They often say the fall may be painful, but the road 
             back is doubly challenging. I have watched you in those 
             situations, and the strength that you and your lovely wife 
             exhibited has been instilled in me. I pray to God that I 
             never face some of the challenges that faced you: the 
             devastation brought to your State, your graceful step down 
             from the leadership, and your comeback, your magnificent 
             and courageous restoration of your career in full--I say 
             to you, Senator--in full. You made a tough decision, as I 
             have done, not to return to this body and to our dear 
             friends, but you did it on solid ground, and all of us 
             join in our hopes that in your next challenge in life, you 
             will make a contribution to this country you love, to the 
             State you love, and to the Senate you love. Thank you for 
             your friendship.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida is 
             recognized.

               Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, this statement comes from 
             the back row but no less love from us back benchers. Let 
             me tell you the Senate career that, for me, now completes 
             3 years has known no better friend than Trent Lott. I have 
             certainly appreciated your willingness to mentor me. I was 
             astonished to hear that Bob Bennett considered you a 
             mentor. I thought you did that for those of us who have 
             just gotten here but, frankly, it looks as though you 
             mentored about everybody in the Senate. So I consider 
             myself very fortunate.
               I think back to when we first met. I was first here in 
             Washington as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, 
             and Trent was the leader, the Republican leader of the 
             Senate. We had occasion to meet, and shortly thereafter we 
             were building a Habitat for Humanity house on a cold day, 
             much like today, and I got the opportunity to know him on 
             a more personal level and got to know Tricia as well. That 
             has only endured and continued. I also very much 
             appreciated you shepherding my nomination as HUD Secretary 
             through the Senate, which I know was no easy feat, but you 
             have my gratitude, in fact, then and now.
               But, to me, as I look at my short career in the Senate, 
             there was no issue that punctuates my time more than the 
             very divisive issue of immigration. You didn't need to get 
             involved in that--you really didn't. I know a lot of 
             people in Mississippi probably wish you hadn't. The fact 
             is, you saw a problem that needed solving. I remember you 
             saying: ``Is there a problem?'' In fact, there was. And 
             does this bill improve the situation from what it is 
             today? And you said that it did, which I agreed with. Then 
             you went on about trying to solve the problem, which is a 
             quality that I greatly admire. You were moving the ball 
             forward. You were trying to do what in your heart you felt 
             was best for the Nation and something that would, in fact, 
             move the ball forward and get it done. So you courageously 
             worked, I know, sometimes against the grain. But I, for 
             one, would rather have no one in a foxhole than Trent Lott 
             during difficult times when they are lobbing them in at 
             you.
               So I very much appreciated the fact that you taught me a 
             great deal in that difficult time, but also throughout my 
             time in the Senate. I very much thank you for taking an 
             interest in me and in my career, and I very much thank you 
             for what you have done for our Nation and for your State.
               As I look forward, my Senate career will be diminished 
             by not having the opportunity to continue to work and 
             learn from you, but I am grateful for the time I have had 
             and what I have learned by your side. Thank you very much 
             for your service and all the best to you and Tricia.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico is 
             recognized.

               Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, let me first say of Senator 
             Lott I must make a slight confession. You know I am 
             leaving next year, and one of the reasons I am leaving is 
             because I have an ailment that has an impact on my brain. 
             I say that in all honesty. I already told the whole world 
             that. The point of that is I have difficulty remembering 
             some things. I still am a pretty good Senator, so nobody 
             is fighting about that. I just know that you and I have 
             gone through some incredible legal situations, legislative 
             situations, and I am trying to pull them up now in the 
             next few minutes just to share them with you and to share 
             them with everybody here.
               I have been here 36 years, which is a little bit longer 
             than Trent, and that is six elections. You must know that 
             I was in the middle of a lot of things or I couldn't have 
             been here 36 years. I am not a back bencher or an under 
             the tabler. I am where the action is, and I lucked out on 
             the committee that did a lot of exciting things.
               One of the things Trent Lott has taught me about 
             leadership is that it is quiet. It takes place without you 
             knowing it is happening. That is what you did. When we had 
             to put together the votes for the balanced budget and for 
             the reconciliation tax bill, which was one of the most 
             monumental acts, and we had to use that Budget Act drafted 
             by the distinguished Senator Byrd and he didn't quite 
             think we would be able to use it the way we did, and we 
             had that battle and we won that on a vote, then we were 
             using it to reconcile tax cuts for America. It is hard to 
             explain, when you would get everybody around and then you 
             would say: ``We are almost there, but we are not there. 
             And here I am, I have been working on it forever, and we 
             have this very unique process, and we just have to get the 
             votes. We can't come back a second time on this kind of 
             thing. We will get killed. It has to go right now.'' He 
             would say we are one vote short or two, and you just knew 
             that it was going to happen. He knew what was there, and 
             when he would tell us to go, we would go, and sure enough, 
             that is how it happened.
               So I have had all kinds of situations, from the huge 
             balanced budget, to--I remember when we reformed welfare. 
             Many of these things came from the budget process, the way 
             I used it on behalf of the Senate. We put in the numbers 
             so that you couldn't avoid--if you did the welfare reform, 
             you would get the protection of the budget. And I can 
             remember that was an exciting day because it all of a 
             sudden became bipartisan.
               Do you recall, Trent, that it didn't end up with just 
             us; it was them. They came to the party, and so ultimately 
             did the President. It was one great big party. But it was 
             also, in the end, absolutely imperative that we had the 
             reconciliation instruction that came with it that Senator 
             Lott--he wouldn't fuss with me. He wouldn't ask me to 
             prove it. He would just say: ``Is that the way it is?'' I 
             would tell him yes. And he said: ``Well, that is what we 
             will do.''
               It was just terrific to be a chairman of important 
             matters and have a leader like Trent who would say: ``If 
             that is what it takes, that is what we are going to do.'' 
             We didn't redo it or rethink it because it got tough. Many 
             times the path I chose was probably the harder one. He 
             would say: ``If that is the way we are going to do it, we 
             are going to do it.'' It was rather terrific to be part of 
             a team like that.
               Now, I want to tell you, it works both ways because 
             Trent Lott was on the opposite side of something very 
             important when he was over in the House. We did a Social 
             Security change here to permanently fix Social Security--
             we thought--and Trent--we heard from over in the House 
             that the rocks and the stones weren't coming from the 
             Democrats.
               We said: ``Where are they coming from?''
               They said: ``They are coming from Trent Lott.''
               I said: ``Well, maybe I have to go over there and talk 
             with him.''
               Then I said: ``Well, maybe I won't. Maybe I will just 
             let him stew.''
               It was something Reagan was for and we were for, but his 
             little team wasn't for. I think they were right. I think 
             we made a mistake. But we didn't do that. We didn't get it 
             done. Do you remember, Trent? It died. You were over there 
             and, clearly, you knew what you were doing, and I don't 
             think you liked it very much because it was Republicans 
             against Republicans.
               But we did get back together, and for the one angst we 
             had many memorable pluses that are just terrific when it 
             comes to thinking back on the life of the Senator over a 
             complicated, tough period of time, when we learned how to 
             use a Budget Act for innumerable things. In fact, the 
             Budget Act was used, over a period of 16 years, by me, as 
             chairman, with my staff, as an instrument beyond which 
             anybody ever thought it would be used. It changed how we 
             functioned as a Senate because it permitted us to do 
             things through the reconciliation process that were 
             absolutely impossible without that act.
               Then we got around to the balanced budget. That was the 
             big monster event of our time. We had to get that done, 
             and we got it done, sure enough, by reconciliation 
             instruction that was really gigantic, and then sitting 
             down in a little room that I use over here that I call my 
             hideaway. I hope somebody puts a sign on it after I leave 
             because that little room was the room wherein we 
             negotiated, four people negotiated the balanced budget.
               Trent was the guy who would come in every now and then 
             to see if we were making headway and see if we needed 
             help. It was Speaker Gingrich, myself, and somebody from 
             the White House. Sure enough, when we were through, he was 
             right there by our side, having participated as if he 
             really knew what the budget was all about. He could put on 
             a terrific face. He didn't have any knowledge of what I 
             was doing in there, but he just asked: ``Is it going all 
             right?''
               ``Yes, all right. Is it going all right? Fine.'' Then he 
             would walk out and have a terrific press conference. They 
             would all think he really knew what this budget was about. 
             I mean, I have to admit, you don't have to tell him very 
             much. We were still a long way from getting there, and he 
             would walk out and say: ``They are making great headway. 
             This is really moving ahead.''
               I would go home after having not slept for 2 weeks, and 
             I would be worried that he shouldn't be saying that 
             because we were so far apart, and all he would say is: 
             ``Don't worry. Just give them a little bit of optimism; we 
             have to keep them alive a little bit.''
               I close by saying, Trent, I know what it is to sacrifice 
             to be a Senator. I did that. I came here, believe it or 
             not, with my eight children--and I am going to just 
             mention it once because you had it a little bit better, 
             not much--but the pay was about $38,000 with eight 
             children, and we couldn't find a way to change the pay 
             because we were scared to. That is the kind of suffering 
             we went through. Trent did the same in his early days. 
             When he and his wife came here, the Senate had decided for 
             a number of years that we did not want to pay ourselves a 
             salary, which is one of the worst things we did. A 
             democracy should not do that. We must pay people for these 
             important jobs.
               That wasn't what kept him going. He loved the place, and 
             his family loved it, it is obvious. His son was ambitious 
             and rambunctious, wanting to get ahead, and he did get 
             ahead. He was able to do that while his dad served here, 
             and that is truly to their betterment and a compliment.
               I say thanks for the sacrifice for serving us, for 
             serving in the Senate, and for serving our Nation. It is 
             important you are leaving at a time when you are strong 
             and have a lot of energy left. That means you will have a 
             second life and you will say to me what James Baker has 
             said at least 10 times. He said: ``Domenici, there is life 
             after the Senate.'' And I say that to you: ``May that life 
             be as good as the Senate or better, and may your family 
             enjoy it as much as they have enjoyed the Senate, and may 
             it be successful for all of them.''
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my 
             friend from Mississippi, Senator Trent Lott. Trent and I 
             have been friends since my first year in the House in 
             1987.
               He was the minority whip in the House during my first 
             year in Washington, DC. Now that we are in the Senate 
             together, 20 years later he is my minority whip again.
               Trent and I have enjoyed our time together on Wednesday 
             afternoons in Chowder and Marching. My wife Mary and I 
             have enjoyed spending time with Trent and his lovely wife 
             Trish. Trent and Trish are college sweethearts and two of 
             the great warming personalities in our Senate family.
               We are proud that members of the Lott family call 
             Kentucky home. Trent and Trish often come to the Bluegrass 
             State to see their son Chet and his family.
               He has served the people of Mississippi well for over 30 
             years. After the devastation of Katrina, the gulf coast 
             region had no stronger advocate than Senator Lott.
               Trent has risen from humble roots in his beloved 
             Pascagoula to one of the top leaders in Congress. I know 
             his family and the people of Mississippi are proud to call 
             him one of their own.
               Mr. President, I would like to thank Trent for his 
             contributions to the Senate and wish him and his family 
             well as they open a new chapter in their lives.

               Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a dear 
             friend and colleague here in the Senate whom I have served 
             with in this body as long as I have been in the Senate. 
             Over the course of his 35 years in Congress, Senator Trent 
             Lott has developed a reputation for strong leadership, a 
             bipartisan approach to legislating, and an unwavering 
             commitment to Republican ideals and values. As you know, 
             he is the only Senator to have served as whip in both the 
             House of Representatives and the Senate, and it was under 
             his watch as a younger legislator that our Nation saw 
             significant economic recovery and increased national 
             security in the 1980s that had the support of those on 
             both sides of the aisle. Over the years, from my time in 
             the House of Representatives to my time here in the 
             Senate, I have looked to Trent for collaborative examples 
             of how to accomplish important, conservative goals such as 
             tax reform, support for our military, and health care 
             transformation, to name just a few. He has gained a 
             remarkable, lasting reputation for being able to bring 
             competing interests to the table, to work out successful 
             answers to policy challenges--a quality that is in 
             increasing deficit here in Congress these days. Trent has 
             committed his congressional service to Mississippians to 
             furthering policies that stand for America: a strong 
             national defense, responsible and fair tax policies that 
             encourage economic growth, and health care that puts 
             patient needs above government mandates. I am especially 
             heartened that Trent remains unequivocal in his belief in 
             second amendment rights.
               Trent and I have worked together over the past few years 
             on the Finance Committee, and I have been pleased to have 
             his support on legislation that we have moved through the 
             committee, legislation that advocates tax policies that do 
             not penalize Americans for saving or investing. Trent 
             understands that tax structures that favor small business 
             investments, individual saving and investing, and a 
             financial services system unburdened by onerous 
             regulations are critical keys to a healthy economy for the 
             United States, one that translates into a more stable 
             global economy.
               I have been pleased to host Trent when he has come to 
             Idaho, and I have had the pleasure of visiting the great 
             State of Mississippi. Trent's retirement from the Senate, 
             while in his best interest and in the interest of his 
             family, will be a loss for the Senate and the promotion of 
             conservative values here in Congress.

               Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to honor a man who 
             is my close friend but who, more important, is an American 
             patriot and statesman.
               Today we pay tribute to Trent Lott, whom many, including 
             myself, consider an institution within this great 
             institution.
               I have known Trent for a number of years. He has served 
             as an able and well-accomplished leader, a great 
             Republican whip, and a distinguished Congressman and 
             Senator from the State of Mississippi. A man of impeccable 
             character, Trent always shows the utmost respect for his 
             colleagues and for Congress itself, always putting the 
             interests of the country before his own. Trent Lott has a 
             leadership style that I personally admire and I believe 
             often went underappreciated. He loves this institution, 
             and we respect him for that.
               During his tenure in Congress, Trent has been a 
             legislative warrior fighting for commonsense solutions to 
             our country's most difficult challenges. He does not seek 
             credit for his achievements--they are too numerous to 
             list--even though he has been instrumental in shaping our 
             great democracy.
               Trent Lott is a modest and honest man who has made the 
             United States a better place from where it was when he 
             first took the oath to serve in Congress decades ago. He 
             is a true gentleman, and I have no doubt that his 
             impressive legacy will live on for generations to come.
               God bless Trent Lott and his beautiful family. Your 
             service to this great Nation will certainly be missed but 
             will never be forgotten.

               Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President. I rise today to celebrate the 
             career of Senator Trent Lott--an accomplished leader, a 
             great American, and a true friend. Trent has spent more 
             than three decades in Congress tirelessly fighting for a 
             State and a people he dearly loves.
               Trent's path in life has followed closely that of the 
             great American story. His humble beginnings, as the son of 
             a hard-working teacher and pipefitter, established the 
             foundation to value an honest day's work. These principles 
             have remained ingrained in Trent's heart throughout his 
             historic rise to the Senate.
               In his more than 30 years in Congress, Trent has earned 
             an immense amount of respect among his peers. Easily said, 
             he knows all the ins and outs. While there are many things 
             we can all learn from his legacy, the most notable of all 
             is the power of compromise. Senator Lott has proved to 
             every one of us the impact reaching across the aisle can 
             have on this country. It seems simpler these days to say 
             ``I am a Republican'' or ``I am a Democrat'' and to leave 
             it at that, but for Trent Lott reaching across the aisle 
             and working with others has led to results.
               Trent has shown all of us that we share the commonality 
             of serving the American people in the Congress. We are 
             here to make the best decisions we can for our country and 
             its people, and bipartisan solutions are a vital component 
             to the legislative process.
               When looking back at Senator Lott's accomplishments, the 
             list is long and distinguished. In the areas of foreign 
             policy and national defense, Senator Lott has been a 
             strong supporter of our armed services, stationed both 
             domestically and abroad. He has fought hard for the 
             security of our Nation and the protection of our 
             servicemen and women. Likewise, he has not forgotten the 
             commitment our veterans have made to this country and has 
             upheld what he knows is our responsibility to support our 
             veterans at every opportunity.
               As a public servant, my colleague has fought strongly to 
             keep government off the backs of the American worker and 
             set the stage for the Republican revolution through the 
             pro-growth gang the Five Amigos. Alongside Congressman 
             Jack Kemp, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Senator Connie 
             Mack, and Congressman Vin Weber, Trent advocated President 
             Reagan's approach to politics, tax cuts to promote 
             economic growth for everyone in America.
               Never far from his mind is his beloved home State of 
             Mississippi, the sparkle in his eye. He has stood by the 
             people of his State with unwavering devotion. When the 
             people of his State were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, 
             Senator Lott shared their pain with his own family's loss 
             and jumped into action. He dedicated his efforts to secure 
             disaster relief and restoration construction.
               Senator Lott has recognized the importance education 
             plays in developing tomorrow's leaders and has been a 
             staunch advocate of improving the education system in 
             Mississippi. Over the past few years, Senator Lott has 
             sent several excess Senate computers to public schools in 
             Mississippi in an effort to increase their students' 
             access to the vast amount of information in the 21st 
             century. His commitment to education in his State will be 
             enjoyed for years to come.
               I have had the great privilege of working with Senator 
             Lott on a variety of issues. During my years in the House 
             of Representatives, I remember when, as the Senate 
             majority leader, Trent worked tirelessly to help pass the 
             landmark welfare reform bill of 1996, such a monumental 
             piece of legislation that it is already receiving 
             history's praise.
               It has been a pleasure to work with him in Senate 
             Republican leadership and to serve alongside him on both 
             the Commerce and Finance Committees. Last year, on the 
             Commerce Committee, Trent and I worked together to 
             establish broad video franchising reform. This year, as a 
             member of the Finance Committee, Senator Lott has been a 
             very strong advocate for enacting permanent tax relief 
             without increasing other taxes.
               There can be no question that Senator Lott is a man of 
             results; his remarkable list of achievements illustrates 
             this very point. But it is important to highlight that 
             Trent does not overpromise. He will tell you just as 
             straight as he can, ``I'll be with you until I can't be 
             with you anymore.''
               Senator Lott stands among few men in this world; a 
             promise isn't simply a word to him, it is a commitment to 
             make good on a pledge. Trent carries around a small 
             notebook in which he records every promise made to him or 
             by him. Senator Lott is a man of his word who will hold 
             you to yours.
               For the 7 years I have been in the Senate, I have been 
             in a small group with Trent who have met to pray together 
             and to share each other's burdens. I have seen him on the 
             highest mountain and the lowest valley. Through it all he 
             sought his Lord for wisdom, comfort, and strength.
               On a personal level I will miss serving alongside my 
             friend. But I know wherever this life leads you, I am 
             certain the Lord will bless both you and your incredible 
             wife Trish. I also know you will bless those whose paths 
             you will cross.
               As his role as a Senator nears an end, I ask that we 
             remember Senator Lott's legacy to this country, his State, 
             and its people. Senator Lott, I wish you and your family 
             the best of luck. It has been a privilege to serve 
             alongside you in the Senate.

               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as we come together for this 
             last week of legislative activity before we adjourn for 
             2007, I appreciate having this opportunity to join my 
             colleagues in expressing our appreciation for the many 
             contributions to the Congress that have been made by one 
             of our colleagues who will soon be retiring. We have heard 
             many great speeches, seen a lot of passion and emotion--
             all well-deserved and heartfelt.
               Trent Lott, who has a well-earned reputation as a hard 
             worker and great fighter for the people of Mississippi, 
             has announced that he will be leaving the Senate so he can 
             spend more time with his family. Although I understand the 
             reasons for his departure, I know I will miss him and his 
             presence and active participation in our work and the day 
             to day life of the Senate.
               Trent's story begins in a town called Pascagoula in 
             Mississippi. It is where he was raised and it is the place 
             he still calls home. His dad worked in the shipyards and 
             his mother was a teacher. Together they taught him the 
             great lessons of life, and when he left for college he was 
             already showing the presence of the leadership qualities 
             that would someday help to lead him to a career in 
             politics.
               Trent enjoyed his school years and after a year of law 
             practice, Trent got a job with Congressman William Colmer, 
             who was from his hometown. When Congressman Colmer retired 
             after 40 years in the House, he encouraged and endorsed 
             Trent as Trent ran for and won his seat.
               I have often heard it said that the great formula for 
             success is preparedness plus opportunity. I know that 
             Trent believes it too, which is why when the opportunity 
             came for Trent to run for the House, he was fully prepared 
             and that ultimately led to his success. He then served in 
             the House from 1973 until his election to the Senate in 
             1988.
               Here in the Senate, Trent has compiled a remarkable 
             record of achievements because he understands the 
             importance of working together to reach common goals. I 
             have a similar rule I have often put into practice during 
             my service in the State legislature and here in the 
             Senate. I call it my 80/20 rule. Simply put, it means we 
             can agree on 80 percent of every issue. It is the other 20 
             percent that can sometimes throw us off track and prevent 
             a solution to the issue at hand. If we are going to make 
             any progress, the key to success is to focus on that 80 
             percent and not allow ourselves to get sidetracked.
               Trent fully understands that principle and he has put it 
             into effect throughout his political career. Whenever he 
             was working on an issue he knew that it was better to walk 
             away with half a loaf than wind up with nothing. He knew 
             that, with half a loaf in hand, he could always work on 
             negotiating for the other half sometime later on down the 
             road.
               That spirit of cooperation and compromise has been 
             Trent's hallmark and his guiding philosophy during his 
             service in the House and Senate. That is why he was able 
             to get so much done for his State.
               There is no doubt that the people of Mississippi love 
             Trent and they greatly appreciate how hard he has been 
             working for their best interests. That is why they kept 
             sending him back to Washington after every election.
               I will never forget when I was running for reelection in 
             2002 and Trent came to Wyoming with his wife Tricia to 
             help. He was a big hit and he received an enthusiastic 
             response everywhere we went. It made a big difference to 
             me to know that our leader in the Senate was willing to 
             take the time to help a fellow Republican who was up for 
             election.
               I wasn't the only one, of course. Whenever Trent saw an 
             opportunity to help one of our nominees, he was always 
             there to lend his support and provide whatever was needed 
             to increase our chance for success.
               Trent has been very fortunate in his life, but nowhere 
             has he done better than in his choice of a spouse. The old 
             adage is true. He and I both ``over-married'' and our 
             lives have been blessed with the presence of a spouse who 
             makes it possible for us to do everything we need to do as 
             Senators. Without them, our lives and our jobs would be 
             impossible.
               Now Trent has decided to leave the Senate and pursue 
             another adventure in his life. He will be greatly missed 
             and, after more than 30 years of fighting for the people 
             of Mississippi, he will be very difficult to replace.
               Trent will always be remembered as someone who had a 
             talent for putting together agreements so that everyone 
             came out a winner. He has been in more battles than I can 
             count on the floor and in committee and through it all he 
             has always stood up and fought for the things he believes 
             in, like keeping our taxes low and providing a strong 
             defense to keep us safe and free from harm.
               In his statement about his retirement, Trent reminded us 
             of the Bible passage that tells us that everything has its 
             own time, everything has its own season. For Trent, this 
             will be a time of great change and the beginning of 
             another new season in his life. One thing that won't 
             change, however, will be Trent's continued service to God 
             and the country he loves.

               Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I join my Senate colleagues 
             in wishing Senator Trent Lott well as he leaves the 
             Senate. I have known Senator Lott since I arrived here in 
             1993, and he has always been a model of civility, and 
             someone whose word you can rely on. While we don't have a 
             great deal in common politically, we still have worked 
             together on important issues like media concentration and 
             527 reform. One of the best things about working in the 
             Senate is finding ways to reach across the aisle and work 
             together, and I am pleased that Senator Lott and I could 
             find that common ground. I think that is what the American 
             people want us to do, and it is something that Trent Lott 
             has always done very well. It was a pleasure from time to 
             time to be on the same side as Senator Lott. He is an 
             effective and tenacious legislator, and I think we both 
             enjoyed the strange bedfellows aspect of our work 
             together. I particularly enjoyed appearing before the 
             Rules Committee when Senator Lott was its chairman.
               Senator Lott has given so much of his life to public 
             service, serving 35 years in Congress, in a number of 
             different leadership posts. I have appreciated his 
             willingness to work together on a number of issues, and I 
             have appreciated what a fair and courteous colleague he 
             has been. I know that the people of Mississippi will miss 
             his leadership, as will so many in this body. I wish him 
             all the best as he leaves the Senate and returns to 
             private life.

               Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I rise today to 
             congratulate my friend, Senator Trent Lott, on his 35 
             years of service to the people of Mississippi in both 
             Houses of Congress, and also to wish him well as he leaves 
             the Senate, and begins the next chapter of his incredible 
             life.
               Senator Lott was born in Grenada, MS, in 1941. His 
             father was a shipyard worker, and his mother was a 
             schoolteacher. He went to the University of Mississippi in 
             Oxford, where he earned an undergraduate degree in public 
             administration, and a law degree.
               After finishing his education, he went to work for his 
             local Congressman, William Colmer, for 4 years. When 
             Congressman Colmer announced his retirement in 1972, he 
             endorsed Trent Lott as his successor--even though Colmer 
             was a Democrat, and Lott ran as a Republican. Trent Lott 
             won that election. And he was reelected to Congress seven 
             times.
               As a Congressman, Trent Lott had a major, positive 
             impact on his colleagues, and also on the economic 
             vitality of America. After the 1980 election, he was 
             elected to serve as House minority whip, and he became the 
             first southern Republican to ever hold that position.
               Counting votes, building coalitions, and moving 
             legislation were things he seemed born to do, and he 
             genuinely enjoyed the process. In 1981, he helped forge 
             the bipartisan alliance that enacted President Ronald 
             Reagan's historic, across-the-board tax cuts.
               Those tax cuts have been extremely successful. Since 
             they went into full effect, the U.S. economy has almost 
             quintupled in size, the Dow Jones has surged from less 
             than 1,000 to over 13,000, and a wave of revolutionary 
             technologies, including cell phones and the Internet, have 
             strengthened America's position in the global marketplace.
               In 1988, Trent Lott ran for, and won, a seat in the U.S. 
             Senate. Since he arrived, Trent has earned strong marks 
             from the people of Mississippi, and they have reelected 
             him to the Senate three times.
               Senator Lott has never forgotten the needs and concerns 
             of his constituents. I know about his compassion, 
             dedication, and hard work because I have seen it first 
             hand.
               In 2005, as we all know, Senator Lott's house was 
             destroyed by Hurricane Katrina--a storm that created so 
             much destruction throughout the gulf coast.
               Since then, Senator Lott--along with his partner from 
             Mississippi, Senator Cochran--have helped lead the fight 
             to make sure that Washington meets its obligations to the 
             people of the Gulf Coast States, who are rebuilding still 
             today. His commitment during this time is a good part of 
             why he decided to run for reelection.
               Throughout his tenure in the U.S. Senate, Trent Lott has 
             demonstrated tremendous leadership ability.
               After the 1994 election, he was elected Senate 
             Republican whip, and in 1996, he succeeded another Senate 
             legend, Bob Dole, as Republican leader.
               During the next 6 years, Senator Lott was a strong 
             leader for several pieces of legislation that improved 
             life in America in a wide variety of ways.
               First and foremost was the landmark welfare reform bill 
             of 1996.
               The next year, Senator Lott worked to produce a 
             bipartisan agreement that cut taxes, cut spending, and 
             most important, balanced the Federal budget for the first 
             time in almost 30 years.
               Then, in 2001, Senator Lott led the fight for President 
             Bush's tax cut package. Combined with the tax cuts that 
             followed in 2003, lower taxes have once again recharged 
             America's economy, even as the global economy grows more 
             competitive.
               Since 2003, we have created 8.3 million jobs, which is 
             more jobs than all the other major industrialized 
             countries in the world combined. The economic growth 
             caused by those tax cuts has also led to record tax 
             revenue. Federal tax receipts are up more than 37 percent 
             over the past 3 years. This has enabled us to cut the 
             budget deficit in half, and if trends continue, we will be 
             able to eliminate the deficit as soon as 2012.
               During recent years, Senator Lott has also taken a 
             leadership role on other issues, including improving 
             education and strengthening homeland security. In fact, he 
             brokered the compromise that created the Department of 
             Homeland Security. He was also instrumental in passing the 
             Rail Security Act.
               Senator Lott's ability to round up votes and get results 
             is clear for anyone to see. That is why his Republican 
             colleagues elected him assistant Republican leader again 
             last year.
               I have had the privilege to serve with Senator Lott as a 
             member of the Republican leadership and have watched him 
             affect the outcome of every major piece of legislation 
             that has gone before Congress.
               Last month, when Senator Lott announced his intent to 
             resign from the Senate, I was saddened--like all of my 
             colleagues--to hear of his plans. However, like all of my 
             colleagues, I also understand his desire to have time for 
             himself and his family. After 35 years of public service, 
             he deserves that and more.
               America is a better place--and has a brighter future--
             because of Trent Lott.
               I wish Trent and Tricia, and their family all the best 
             in the future.

               Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, as this session of the 
             Senate draws to a close, I want to say thanks and farewell 
             to one of our most dedicated Members, Senator Trent Lott 
             of Mississippi, and to wish him all the best in the next 
             phase of his life.
               In his 35 years of service as a Member of both the House 
             and the Senate, Trent Lott has consistently demonstrated 
             his deep commitment to our Nation and to his State. His 
             amazing understanding of intricate Senate rules and 
             procedures has guided us through many challenges. His 
             outstanding work as our Republican whip has strengthened 
             our caucus and our two-party system.
               I have had the privilege of working with Senator Lott on 
             two issues of paramount importance to the safety and 
             security of our Nation. Like me, he comes from a 
             shipbuilding State and he fully understands how essential 
             seapower is to preserving our freedom. We have worked 
             together to strengthen our Navy and to pursue a dual-
             shipyard strategy because it is in the best interests of 
             America.
               As a leader of the Homeland Security and Governmental 
             Affairs Committee, I had the opportunity to work closely 
             with Senator Lott during our investigation of the response 
             to Hurricane Katrina. His knowledge of the gulf region was 
             invaluable, and his compassion for the victims of that 
             disaster was inspiring. Although his own home was 
             destroyed by the storm, Senator Lott was on the front 
             lines from the start, directing resources where they were 
             most needed and helping cut through the red tape. Before 
             Katrina hit, he had planned to step down from the Senate 
             last year, but with the needs so great and with a 
             contribution yet to make, he instead ran again so that he 
             could continue to serve at a time when his experience and 
             dedication were most needed.
               Although Maine and Mississippi are separated by great 
             distance, both are rural States facing similar challenges, 
             and I have always found Senator Lott a strong ally in 
             meeting them. I was especially pleased to cosponsor his 
             Amtrak reauthorization bill, which recognized that the 
             benefits of modern rail service must be made available to 
             all States and to all of the American people.
               Last April, I had the honor, at Senator Lott's 
             invitation, of addressing students at his beloved 
             University of Mississippi. Specifically, I addressed 
             students at Ole Miss's Trent Lott Leadership Institute, a 
             designation made in honor of his commitment to public 
             service. It is a commitment that has greatly benefited our 
             Nation, and it is the legacy for which Senator Trent Lott 
             will always be remembered.

               Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, it is with sadness and 
             affection that I note the imminent departure from the 
             Senate of my dear friend and distinguished colleague Trent 
             Lott of Mississippi. Trent and I came to the Senate 
             together almost 20 years ago. Over that time, I have come 
             to respect Trent's leadership abilities, but most of all I 
             have treasured his friendship and counsel.
               Trent and I come from different places but we share a 
             deep love for our country and a deep respect and 
             appreciation for this institution in which we have been 
             privileged to serve. Trent not only represented his 
             beloved home State, but he became a national leader 
             because his colleagues recognized that he had 
             extraordinary abilities to make this institution work.
               Like all successful and effective Senators, Trent 
             understood that for this institution to work for the 
             American people, the 100 Members of this body must find a 
             way to cooperate despite the differences in region, 
             ideology, party, and even personality. Trent had a seventh 
             sense of what motivated his colleagues and how they might 
             approach an issue that was before the Senate. Sometimes it 
             was uncanny how prescient Trent could be about the outcome 
             of a particular vote on the Senate floor. He understood 
             that one could compromise in order to achieve results 
             without compromising core principles.
               Yes, Trent was a conservative Republican partisan when 
             he needed to be. But Trent also knew there were times when 
             it was critical to put partisanship aside for the national 
             interest. Particularly in the area of national security, 
             Trent comprehended that Republicans and Democrats must 
             find a way to unite to promote America's interests.
               In addition to being an effective legislator, Trent is a 
             man of considerable charm and warmth. Hadassah and I have 
             great memories of the times we spent with Trent and his 
             wonderful wife Tricia. When we would travel abroad, Trent 
             was a terrific companion and always carried himself with 
             honor, style, and grace. I even remember a moment when we 
             were staying in a hotel in Scotland when we were forced to 
             hurriedly exit in the middle of the night because of a 
             fire alarm. Yet, there was Trent, perfectly coiffed and 
             unruffled. Our leader!
               Although Trent was always devoted to the institution of 
             the Senate, he was also devoted to another critical 
             American institution--the family. Trent did not merely 
             talk about family values--he lived them. Trent saw no 
             contradiction in being a good Senator and being a good 
             husband and father. That is to his tremendous credit, and, 
             for all of us, a tremendous lesson.
               Above all, Trent appreciated the miracle of America. He 
             rose from modest means in Grenada, MS, to ascend to the 
             legislative heights in Washington, DC. However, Trent 
             never abandoned the values of faith, family, and hard work 
             that were his inheritance from his beloved parents, 
             Chester and Iona Lott.
               Trent, as you begin this new chapter in your life, I 
             wish you well. Your example of doing what is necessary to 
             make this institution work is something we have all 
             benefited from. The people of Mississippi and the people 
             of America are grateful for your service. Hadassah and I 
             look forward to continuing our friendship with Trish and 
             you for years to come. May God bless you and yours, dear 
             friend.

               Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I rise to speak about Senator 
             Lott. The Senate is a place--and we have heard it today 
             for 2 hours with wonderful eloquence and thoughts and 
             humorous stories and anecdotes about Senator Lott--it is a 
             place of words and language. It is also a place, 
             obviously, of legislation, and legislation leading to 
             laws. But, most significantly, the Senate is a place of 
             people, of individuals--individuals who come here from all 
             over our Nation, representing their people but always 
             representing America, and who meld into the institutions 
             and traditions of this extraordinary place in various 
             ways. Certain individuals leave an indelible mark. There 
             are not too many, but there are some who have.
               I would expect that Trent Lott will be one of those 
             individuals.
               I have had the great pleasure and honor of working with 
             Trent Lott off and on for a long time. I was elected in 
             the class of 1988 to the House of Representatives. He was 
             Republican whip of the House at that time.
               Somebody mentioned in their statement--and I served in 
             the House with him and have served in the Senate with him 
             for many years--that he won three major leadership 
             elections by one vote. I know I, at least, voted for him 
             in those three elections, so maybe I was that one vote.
               Our wives and our families have integrated over the 
             years and have been close and done a lot of interesting 
             and fun things together. Kathy and Tricia are very close 
             friends. Trent and Kathy are close friends. And I am a 
             close friend of Tricia. We really enjoy that friendship, 
             and it goes back to a lot of different instances.
               There are a lot of stories told about Trent Lott. One of 
             my favorites is that Trent tends to like to sing and 
             dance. I guess that comes from his cheerleading days at 
             Mississippi. But he has so much energy he has to let it 
             out through song and dance. On occasion, he can be drawn 
             into this. In fact, it does not take too much to get him 
             to sing.
               We were at a gathering once, where Tricia and I and 
             Kathy were sitting around a table near a stage, and Trent 
             was up on the stage singing with his good friend, Guy 
             Hovis, and then there was dance music that started. 
             Tricia, knowing Trent as she does so well, turned to Kathy 
             and said under her breath: ``If you don't look at him, he 
             won't ask you to dance.''
               Little did Tricia know that Kathy actually likes to 
             dance too. So the two of them went off and danced away and 
             had a great time. Tricia and I sat at the table dancing 
             inside. But as a practical matter, he has an energy and a 
             personality that is effusive and effervescent, and it 
             draws everybody in.
               He is truly the American story. He is not a southern 
             story, he is an American story. He came from a family of 
             moderate means. His father was a pipefitter. His mother 
             was totally committed to him. He raised himself up and 
             went to his beloved University of Mississippi, which I 
             think he still thinks he is going there some days he talks 
             so much about it.
               His whole life has revolved around Mississippi and the 
             people of Mississippi and the people he has helped in 
             Mississippi. This is what has made him go: his ability to 
             reach out and make people's lives better, to change their 
             lives and improve their lives.
               He has brought all those Mississippi values here. I 
             think there is some sort of almost genetic quality to 
             Members of the Senate from the South. They just have this 
             ability to move through this body with ease and with 
             comfort and make everybody feel relaxed and enjoy them. 
             They do not have that stoic nature that we might have, 
             those of us from the Northeast. Rather, it is just the 
             opposite. They have an energy and an effervescence and a 
             personality that brings people in and causes people to 
             want to work with them.
               Of course, numerous statements have been made about what 
             a great individual he is, about going across the aisle and 
             understanding how you go across the aisle and make things 
             work here. That is absolutely true. He is a tremendous 
             doer of legislation because he has the capacity to bring 
             together coalitions. He knows how to reach out to people 
             in a comfortable way. He also knows how to fight a fight 
             and win it.
               But it goes well beyond this issue of working to reach 
             compromise to make legislation pass because he has had a 
             passion for getting things done. He also has a philosophy 
             of how we should govern. He is truly a conservative, a 
             fiscal conservative, an individual who understands the 
             importance of giving the individual opportunity, giving 
             the individual the capacity to succeed in our Nation 
             because he had undertaken that and accomplished it.
               But it always goes back to his Mississippi roots, I 
             believe. He now has--I think it is something Senator 
             Alexander described because Senator Alexander and his 
             wife, Honey, and Kathy and I had the good fortune to be 
             invited down to visit him at Tricia's new home--we call it 
             Tricia's home--in Jackson, MS, where they bought this very 
             nice house they are restoring. It is an antebellum house. 
             It is a beautiful house. He just loves the land. He loves 
             the people who come to the house. The people he sees, he 
             loves, throughout his day and when he is traveling in 
             Mississippi.
               Of course, he loves his tractors. He has this whole shed 
             full of tractors. I am sure there must be maybe seven 
             tractors there, farm equipment. Of course, only one or two 
             of them actually work. But as a practical matter, he loves 
             them. He loves to just drive around his property and make 
             sure his fields are cut. He cuts them, and he makes sure 
             they are properly taken care of. He is working his 
             Mississippi land. I suspect he and Tricia built this home 
             to gather their family which is so important to them: 
             Chet, Tyler, their grandchildren coming over on a regular 
             basis. Kathy and I just looked at them and said: These are 
             special people. These people represent the values we 
             really have as Americans--not as southerners but as 
             Americans--the value of family, value of honesty, value of 
             integrity, the willingness to get things done and to work 
             hard. Succeed, and then take advantage of your 
             opportunities to make life better for others, and that was 
             his whole purpose in the Senate--to make life better for 
             America but especially for his constituents in 
             Mississippi.
               Of course, then came Katrina. What a devastating effect 
             it had on him and Tricia. They had this beautiful home in 
             Pascagoula which, again, Kathy and I had a chance to 
             visit, an extraordinary house in a line of Victorian 
             houses right on the waterfront. Out behind the house there 
             was this magnificent oak tree, just huge. I have never 
             seen such a spectacular and large tree. The storm came, of 
             course, and it wiped out his house, it wiped out his 
             brother-in-law's house, his sister-in-law's house, and 
             every other house anywhere near there was devastated. He 
             found his class ring, I believe, three blocks away, or 
             somebody found it and gave it to him. All of their 
             memorabilia, the things that meant so much to them, the 
             photos of their families, their notes and comments they 
             received from people, from Presidents and others, all the 
             memorabilia that had represented his lifetime and Tricia's 
             lifetime, of family and Mississippi activity was also 
             spread and destroyed by the storm, and the house, of 
             course, was eliminated by the storm.
               But I asked him, because I was so startled, if the tree 
             was still there. He said to me: ``Yes, the tree is still 
             there.'' This huge oak tree that is so beautiful, so 
             magnificent and so elegant. As Trent leaves this Senate, I 
             think of this oak. He may be leaving the Senate, but he is 
             still here, and he will be here. His memory will be here, 
             and the way he did things, the way he taught those of us 
             who learned from him will be here. He will leave a legacy 
             which, like an oak, will stand for a long time in this 
             body. It was an amazing and an extraordinary privilege to 
             have the ability, the right, and the privilege to serve 
             with him, and for Kathy and I to get to know him and 
             Tricia over these many years. So we thank him for his 
             service, and we look forward to continuing our friendship 
             as the years proceed.

               Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, there is something that is 
             being concluded tonight or upon the time we go sine die, 
             and that is the career of Senator Trent Lott of 
             Mississippi. While many have come to the floor over the 
             course of the day to speak about Trent, I have not had 
             that opportunity because of several other meetings and a 
             committee that was in session. So I wish to take a few 
             moments to visit with all of my colleagues about my friend 
             and my associate Trent Lott.
               There is not a lot I can say to add to what has already 
             been said about his quality as a person, his ability as a 
             leader.
               I first got to know Trent in 1981 when I came to the 
             House. He had already been there for 10 years and was 
             rapidly growing in stature among Republicans as a leader 
             who would ultimately be chosen to work as a Republican 
             whip in the House.
               He and I grew to know each other and our wives got to 
             know each other during that period of time and a clear 
             friendship developed. But it was not until both of us left 
             the House and came to the Senate that we developed a 
             different kind of relationship and friendship that, 
             frankly, most Senators don't have the opportunity to do.
               Trent Lott and I and John Ashcroft, the Senator from 
             Missouri, who became U.S. Attorney General under this 
             administration, and a former Republican, and then to 
             become a Democratic Senator and then to retire, Senator 
             Jim Jeffords of Vermont, all four of us developed a very 
             unique relationship that no other Senators shared. We 
             found out that we could sing together and that in doing 
             so, we could not only have fun ourselves, but that other 
             people, sometimes with a smile, would suggest they enjoyed 
             listening to us.
               We formed a group called the Singing Senators, and over 
             a period of about 4 years, we traveled from Los Angeles to 
             Springfield, MO, to Branson to Houston to Nashville. We 
             were on the ``Today Show.'' We sang at the Kennedy Center. 
             What was most interesting was, we shocked folks. Not only 
             after a lot of practice did we begin to sound pretty good, 
             but can you imagine stuffy, blue pinstripe suit Senators 
             all of a sudden singing ``Elvira''? That we did, and we 
             had a lot of fun doing it, and we entertained people all 
             over the United States.
               But what came out of that was a friendship and a bond 
             that probably few others have because the four of us 
             traveled together with our spouses in all of these 
             locations that I mentioned and a good many more, not only 
             to entertain the public and to show we were human by our 
             character, while we could still be Senators, but also to 
             raise money for our party or to raise money for a Senate 
             candidate.
               I will never forget the time when we were in Los Angeles 
             and there were about 1,000 people out there waiting to 
             hear us. We were singing off of a CD with our background 
             accompaniment music, and the system broke down. And what 
             do you do when the music stops? Well, most people quit 
             singing. But we found out that we could sing a cappella, 
             or without accompaniment. So we sang ``God Bless 
             America,'' we sang a couple of other songs, and then they 
             got the music fixed. And I think the audience enjoyed us 
             without music more than they enjoyed us with music. 
             Anyway, we had a lot of fun.
               But in the end we did something else. We went to 
             Nashville and put all our songs together on a CD, produced 
             several thousand CDs, just to give away, and found out 
             that they were in demand. So we sold them all, and all of 
             the money went to the Ronald and Nancy Reagan Alzheimer's 
             Fund. And, frankly, we found out to our great surprise 
             that it raised a lot of money.
               I know Trent and John and Jim and I still today, every 
             so often, will get a phone call from somebody who says: 
             ``I just listened to your CD again, and you know, you guys 
             were amazingly good for U.S. Senators.''
               Now, that is probably a side of Trent Lott that was not 
             spoken to today, but it is a side of Trent Lott that you 
             all ought to know--the smile, the joy, the fun we had of 
             singing the kind of songs we sang in a way that Senators 
             are just not supposed to do. For in the end, Senators are 
             like an awful lot of other folks out there--we are human. 
             We have a very human side to us, with our friends and our 
             families, and that is what we learned about Trent and 
             Tricia Lott and John Ashcroft and his wife and Jim 
             Jeffords and his wife, as we traveled around the country 
             singing on behalf of Republicans, but really singing on 
             behalf of America because we enjoyed it and we hoped 
             others would enjoy it.
               That is something I will miss when Trent Lott leaves 
             because we have had an opportunity since that time to get 
             together on occasion and sing a few songs and enjoy 
             ourselves. Trent Lott, a great U.S. Senator from 
             Mississippi, and a guy with a pretty good bass voice.

               Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
             our friend and colleague, Senator Trent Lott of 
             Mississippi. When Senator Lott steps down at the end of 
             this year after 35 years of service to our country in the 
             Congress, he will leave behind a legacy of leadership and 
             service to Mississippi.
               I have known Senator Lott for many years. Our friendship 
             dates back to when he was first elected to the House of 
             Representatives in 1972.
               In 1981, when serving as House Republican whip he played 
             a central role in the formation of a bipartisan coalition 
             which produced national security initiatives and promoted 
             economic recovery under President Ronald Reagan.
               In 1994, Senator Lott became the first Republican to 
             ever have been elected whip in both houses, and then went 
             on to become Senate majority leader. He and his friend and 
             fellow Senator from Mississippi, Thad Cochran, who were 
             both elected to the House in 1972, were the first two 
             Republicans to win statewide elections in the Magnolia 
             State since Reconstruction.
               In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina left nothing but an oak 
             tree on the front lawn of where his home had been in 
             Pascagoula, MS, Senator Lott worked tirelessly for 
             recovery funding and tax breaks for gulf coast homeowners 
             and businesses who had lost everything.
               My wife Lilibet, who is also from Mississippi, and I 
             wish Trent, Tricia, and their family every happiness in 
             their new life. They have earned it. But we will miss 
             them.
               Mr. President, I know all our colleagues join me in 
             congratulating Senator Trent Lott on a long, successful, 
             and distinguished congressional career.

               Mr. BOND. Mr. President, born in Grenada, raised in 
             Pascagoula, and educated at the University of 
             Mississippi--there is no denying where Trent Lott is from. 
             He is a true son of Mississippi.
               Trent is one of my few colleagues who knows how to say 
             ``Missouri'' right.
               In all seriousness, it has been an honor to work with 
             Trent Lott, and a real pleasure for Linda and me to get to 
             know his wonderful wife, Trish.
               Senator Lott has had a remarkable career in Congress 
             that has spanned seven Presidents, two impeachments, and 
             most important, decades of progress that has made 
             Mississippi and America stronger and more prosperous.
               He saw Watergate up close and personal, oversaw the end 
             of the cold war, spearheaded enactment of historic welfare 
             reforms, shepherded passage of tax relief in both the 
             Reagan and Bush administrations that made America's 
             working families more prosperous, and helped pass numerous 
             historic trade agreements to create more U.S. jobs.
               While his career in Washington began in the House, he 
             quickly became a creature of the Senate and built a 
             reputation as a parliamentary master.
               Getting work done in the Senate is no easy task. I like 
             to say it is a lot like getting frogs in a wheelbarrow. 
             Some may call it herding cats. However you would like to 
             say it, Senator Lott knew how to get the job done.
               Senator Lott always knew how to count votes and get the 
             best deal based on Republican priorities and principles. 
             In the Senate, there is no higher compliment. And in that 
             respect, Trent is a Senator's Senator, reflected both in 
             his work on behalf of Mississippi and on behalf of 
             America.
               On behalf of the country, his belief in fiscal 
             responsibility led to a historic tax cut agreement that 
             produced the first balanced budget since 1968.
               His belief in investing in a strong national defense has 
             made our country safer.
               On behalf of his home State of Mississippi he has been 
             tireless in his efforts to promote economic development 
             and expand job creation. From investing in schools to 
             improving infrastructure, his contribution has been 
             extensive and lasting.
               Thanks to Senator Lott, Toyota, Lockheed Martin, 
             Northrop Grumman, and many other companies have a home in 
             Mississippi.
               It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve 
             with Trent Lott.
               I join my colleagues in congratulating the Senator and 
             thanking him for his many years of service and for our 
             friendship.

               Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to join in 
             recognizing Senator Trent Lott.
               Less than 6 months ago, I joined the Senate. I was 
             selected to serve out the term of our dear friend, Craig 
             Thomas, and given the responsibility to represent the 
             people of Wyoming.
               My experience has only been enhanced by the quality of 
             the individuals with whom I serve. The welcome has been 
             warm, the advice gratifying, and the diversity of my 
             colleagues remarkable.
               This morning's session is about the incredible service 
             of one exceptional Member of the Senate, Trent Lott. 
             President Reagan once said, ``I know Trent Lott as one of 
             the most important leaders in the country on issues vital 
             to all Americans.''
               Shortly after I joined the Senate, Senator Lott was kind 
             enough to visit with me and share some advice. In addition 
             to his advice on how to deal with the Senate as an 
             institution, it was his advice of a more personal nature 
             that is most inspiring. Senator Lott stressed that to 
             survive the chaos and challenge of serving in the Senate, 
             it was important to never be far from the people you love 
             the most. It was evident from his words that the depth of 
             love for his wife Tricia, his family, friends, and the 
             people of Mississippi was the key to his success in 
             Washington. His inner strength comes from the people who 
             supported him when times were tough and challenged him 
             when he thought all was well. It is a lesson I will 
             remember for as long as I am fortunate enough to represent 
             the people of Wyoming in the Senate.
               If he were with us today, Senator Thomas would want to 
             extend his heartfelt best wishes to Trent and Tricia. I 
             know Susan Thomas wishes the entire Lott family many years 
             of happiness and success. I join all of my colleagues in 
             wishing all the best to this remarkable man.

               Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, the first call I received 
             from Trent Lott was in 1986 when I first ran for Congress. 
             Though the polls hadn't yet closed and I still didn't know 
             that I won, Trent called me up to congratulate me. In 1994 
             when I ran for my Senate seat, Trent Lott again called me 
             on election night to tell me congratulations. Trent and I 
             have worked together for 21 years and he has always been 
             the best political mechanic in Washington. I take great 
             pride in having helped launch the successful political 
             career of Trent Lott by being one of his first supporters 
             in his bid for the Republican whip position.
               People quite often take shots at Trent without 
             justification. Don Imus used to say on his morning radio 
             program that it looked like Trent ``combed his hair with a 
             sponge.'' Well, I have to admit it did look that way 
             sometimes, but if that is the worst you can say about 
             Trent, I think he is doing just fine.
               One lesson I've learned from Trent is that you shouldn't 
             take things too seriously. I've seen him laugh in the face 
             of adversity on more than one occasion, most recently when 
             Trent's home in Mississippi was wiped out by Hurricane 
             Katrina. Romans 5:3 tells us to rejoice in our sufferings 
             because ``suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, 
             character; and character, hope,'' and certainly I've seen 
             that in the life of Trent Lott.
               When he talked this morning about his four pillars of 
             family, faith, friends, and freedom, the one that people 
             didn't talk much about was his faith. I have prayed with 
             him at a weekly meeting for many years, and I have to say 
             this about him: he is a faithful and obedient person to 
             his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So many of my colleagues 
             say they have lost a friend, a colleague, and a statesman, 
             but I have lost a brother. I rejoice in the contributions 
             that Trent Lott has made throughout his life.

               Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I wanted to take a few 
             moments this morning to pay tribute to my departing 
             colleague, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi.
               Senator Lott has been a trusted friend, a hardworking 
             legislator, and a skilled party leader on issue after 
             issue in his 35 years of distinguished service in the 
             House and Senate. He has been a tireless champion of 
             conservative values over the years, but it is a testament 
             to his unfailing courtesy and affability that he has been 
             so popular and effective with his colleagues over the 
             years, without ever surrendering those core values. This 
             Senate will miss his presence and example, and his State 
             and his Nation will miss his principled leadership.
               I often think about what an incredible country this is 
             where the son of a Kansas farmer and the son of a 
             Mississippi shipyard worker can work together on the great 
             issues of our day in the world's greatest deliberative 
             body. I know that this country is better for the fact that 
             Trent Lott, with all of his talents and abilities, was 
             given that opportunity.
               Senator Lott was instrumental in the great political 
             realignment that took place in the South throughout the 
             1970s and 1980s; in fact he was only the second Republican 
             elected to Congress from Mississippi since Reconstruction. 
             He went on to become one of the most effective political 
             leaders of his day, perhaps one of the most effective 
             leaders this body has ever seen. Trent has been amazingly 
             effective in building coalitions, in working across the 
             aisle, and in leading his party.
               Those of us on both sides of the aisle who have worked 
             with him over the years know that Trent Lott is a man of 
             his word. In large part that has accounted for his 
             political effectiveness both with the voters and with his 
             colleagues. With Senator Lott, there is never any question 
             about where he stands and who he is, and that kind of 
             integrity gains people's respect and admiration.
               His integrity was never more apparent than when he 
             stayed in the Senate out of a sense of duty to his State 
             to see his people through the terrible natural disaster 
             that was Hurricane Katrina.
               After three decades serving the people of his State and 
             serving his country in the U.S. Congress, we now say 
             farewell to our valued colleague. He has served his 
             country with resolve, honor, and energy. As he leaves us 
             in order to spend more time with his beloved family, I 
             join my colleagues in thanking Trent and his wife Patricia 
             for their service to their country, and I wish him all the 
             best in his future endeavors.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.

               Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as a sort of starting point, I 
             noticed that throughout today we have had a lot of 
             legislative business, and I thought it was interesting 
             this morning, when many of my colleagues came down here to 
             pay tribute to Senator Lott, that while that was going on, 
             and I was coming down here as well to listen to some of 
             those and to offer my remarks at that time, I was handed a 
             whip card to go start to do some whip work, because that 
             is the task that Senator Lott--and I have had the honor to 
             serve on his whip team--is entrusted with here in the 
             Senate.
               So it was always focused on the task and always on the 
             work at hand. Even as we were in his last day here in the 
             Senate paying tribute to him, he continued to work hard at 
             the responsibility that had been entrusted to him by his 
             fellow Senators on this side of the aisle.
               It was a great privilege, as I said, to be able to serve 
             in that capacity and to learn from Senator Lott. I think 
             he has the distinction as perhaps the only person who 
             served as the whip in the House of Representatives and now 
             in the Senate. As he leaves, he leaves a great legacy. 
             Many of us who have had the opportunity to learn under his 
             tutelage about the way this institution operates have been 
             blessed to have someone like him as a teacher.
               Senator Lott always understood that although we deal 
             with very serious, very weighty, sometimes complex and 
             oftentimes consequential issues, it is also important that 
             we not take ourselves too seriously. Trent never did. Even 
             those of us sort of plain Midwesterners who resisted the 
             Seersucker Suit Day and its attendant fashion statement 
             recognized the value of many of the trends that Senator 
             Lott was responsible for instigating.
               Trent never lost sight of the fact that in the end--
             while we are elected officials, we are Senators, we have 
             responsibilities to our constituencies, responsibilities 
             under the Constitution, responsibilities to our country--
             that we are all human beings. In the end, despite our 
             differences, the relationships are what will endure. He 
             worked actively at building those types of relationships.
               I first had the opportunity to meet Trent when I was a 
             Member of the House of Representatives. Like many of my 
             colleagues who at the time served in the House, he was the 
             leader in the Senate. But we had some opportunities to 
             interact, and we always respected the work he did and the 
             way he understood the Senate and its rules and its 
             procedures and was able to effectively make it work to 
             produce results. Ultimately, that was always his 
             objective. He knew we were going to disagree, he knew 
             there would be differences, but in the end his objective 
             was always to get us across the finish line so the Senate 
             could complete its work, and the work of the American 
             people could be done.
               I will certainly miss, as will many Senators, that 
             personal touch, that sense of humor, that warmth, that 
             smile--all those things that are part of his character and 
             his personality that are so closely associated with the 
             Senate.
               My office is next to his on the fourth floor of the 
             Russell Building. It was not uncommon for Senator Lott to 
             do the pop-in visit. He would pop into my office, always 
             to have a discussion about perhaps what the issue of the 
             day was. But there was not one of those pop-in visits 
             where I didn't learn something, where just, again, having 
             been exposed to him presented the opportunity to learn 
             from someone who had mastered this institution after 
             serving here for those many years; someone who also 
             understood the House very well, 34 or 35 years, I think, 
             in total in the House and Senate, as well as having served 
             here as a staffer prior to that.
               When Senator Lott came to the Senate the very first time 
             as a staffer--I don't know exactly the date, but I know it 
             was sometime in the late 1960s--I was probably in first or 
             second grade, somewhere in that vicinity.
               Over the years, his service has helped accomplish a 
             great many things for the American people. He has been a 
             great leader for the Republican Party. As majority leader, 
             as minority leader, as minority whip, majority whip--in 
             all those positions he has held he has had one goal and 
             objective in mind, and that is to help his team help this 
             great country continue to prosper, continue to be safe and 
             secure for future generations.
               If I think there are any lessons that can be learned, 
             things that I, perhaps, learned from Trent during his 
             service in the short time I have had the opportunity to 
             serve with him, one would be to serve causes that are 
             greater than yourself. I think he had a great sense of 
             purpose about what was important in life. Clearly, that 
             was the case or he would have gone off and done other 
             things a long time ago.
               Second, to be serious about your work. He was very much, 
             as I said, a task master. I know from experience, serving 
             on his whip team, that when there was a task at hand he 
             was very focused and intently conscious of the importance 
             of getting the job done and getting it done in a timely 
             way. He was serious about his work. But the other thing he 
             understood was he never took himself too seriously. He, as 
             I said, invested in relationships in this body, knowing 
             full well it is those relationships that will have the 
             enduring value.
               The final lesson that I got from Trent is never forget 
             where you came from. That was one thing he also modeled. 
             He was a Mississippi original through and through. That 
             was something you always sensed. His priority, his heart, 
             was always with his home State. What came through loud and 
             clear to all of us when his State was struck with the 
             adversity that came from Hurricane Katrina and the 
             aftermath of that was the enormous work he did to help his 
             State to recover. He always had a sense of where he was 
             from. He never lost sight of that, and who he represented.
               There is a verse in the Bible that says: ``Where your 
             treasure is, there will your heart be also.'' I think you 
             could always tell what things Trent treasured. You could 
             always tell where his heart was because of the things that 
             he treasured. His faith was very important to him in a 
             personal way. His family, his beloved wife Tricia, and his 
             children, were always a top, first priority for him. 
             Finally, his friends. That was something I think you heard 
             abundantly today as people from both sides of the aisle 
             got up and talked about their experiences and the 
             relationships that he had built with them over the years. 
             If you can judge someone where their heart is, by where 
             their treasure is, you always knew where Trent Lott's 
             heart was. It was with his faith, it was with his family, 
             and it was with his friends.
               I am very proud and privileged to count myself among 
             those friends.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.

               Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, how much time do I have?

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is recognized for 3 
             minutes.

               Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I 
             may speak for as long as I wish to consume. That will not 
             be very long. I cannot talk about Senator Lott in 3 
             minutes.

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

               Mr. BYRD. I thank my colleagues, Mr. President.
               Mr. President, in his political memoir, ``Herding Cats: 
             A Life in Politics,'' our distinguished colleague, the 
             former majority leader, Senator Trent Lott, noted that he 
             viewed his ``years in Washington as a magnificent 
             experience, with many more mountaintops than valleys.'' 
             How is that? Let me say that again: He viewed his ``years 
             in Washington as a magnificent experience, with many more 
             mountaintops than valleys.''
               What a wonderful way to look at one's experience in the 
             U.S. Congress. Everyone in public life knows there are 
             valleys. Life may be unfair, but in public life, that 
             unfairness, I daresay, is magnified tenfold. But as 
             Senator Lott explains, he prefers to look at the 
             mountaintops, and his political life has been one of many 
             mountaintop experiences.
               This son of a shipyard worker and public school teacher 
             was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972. 
             He was in the House for 16 years, where he distinguished 
             himself by serving with great aplomb on the House Rules 
             Committee as his party whip. I know something about that 
             party whip. That ain't easy.
               In 1988, he left his safe and secure seat in the House 
             to run for the Senate. Reach for the stars. In the Senate, 
             Senator Lott has served as Republican conference 
             secretary, Republican Senate whip, Senate minority leader, 
             and Senate majority leader. As the Senate whip, Senator 
             Lott became the first Republican ever elected to the whip 
             positions in both Houses of Congress.
               As the Republican Senate leader, Senator Lott served 
             with dignity and with diplomacy. Diplomacy was his tool. 
             He was a facilitator who sought to bring differing 
             political factions together on key legislative issues.
               Trent Lott established solid, productive relationships 
             with the Senate Democratic leaders in order to keep 
             legislation moving, moving, moving to the floor. Make no 
             mistake, as a conservative Republican, Senator Trent Lott 
             has always been combatively--combatively; underline that 
             word, combatively--partisan in his thinking and his 
             approach to public policy, but--a big conjunction here--
             but he never allowed his partisanship to become stubborn 
             or nihilistic or destructive. No, never.
               Senate Majority Leader Reid--that is Harry Reid, Senator 
             Harry Reid, majority leader--recently commented on how 
             closely he has worked with Senator Lott. They negotiated. 
             They negotiated. Together they worked out compromises, 
             which, as they say, is the art of politics and the 
             legislative process. Majority Leader Reid then explained: 
             ``Even though Trent Lott is certainly a true conservative, 
             we were able, in his pragmatic fashion, to work things 
             out.''
               It is not easy. Allow me to state this in another way. 
             Senator Lott always put the good of this institution--
             right here, this institution--and the good of our country 
             first; that is, above partisan political interests or 
             political party. For that, I have always respected him, 
             Trent Lott, and I have always admired him.
               Senator Lott takes great pride in his roots and his 
             southern heritage. I, too, am a southerner and am proud of 
             that. My great uncle was killed fighting for the 
             Confederacy. As a champion of his beautiful and beloved 
             home State of Mississippi, he was always on call for the 
             people of the Magnolia State. This was best seen a few 
             years ago when he was considering retiring from the Senate 
             at the close of the 109th Congress, but feeling an 
             obligation to help his State to recover from the deadly 
             and devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina, Trent Lott 
             decided to stay with us, and I, for one, am glad he did. 
             Thank you, Trent.
               In his political memoir, ``Herding Cats,'' which I 
             mentioned a few minutes ago, Senator Lott included a 
             special chapter entitled ``The Differences Between Friends 
             and Colleagues.'' ``Differences Between Friends and 
             Colleagues''--what a powerful and insightful look this is 
             into the political realities of life and work on Capitol 
             Hill. Senator Trent Lott pulled no punches--none--as he 
             discussed the differences between the two. He bluntly 
             recalled telling one person: You didn't help me when you 
             could have. Senators, think of that. Think of that 
             statement if it was said to you: You didn't help me when 
             you could have. That is piercing, leaves nothing unsaid. I 
             guess that about sums it up: You didn't help me when you 
             could have.
               I will miss Senator Trent Lott. I wish him and his very 
             lovely wife Tricia--tell her I said hello on behalf of 
             Erma and myself--I wish him and his lovely wife Tricia 
             health, happiness, and success as they now embark upon the 
             next phase of their lives. I pray they will enjoy nothing 
             but the best. They have earned it.
               Mr. President:

             It isn't enough that we say in our hearts
             That we like a man for his ways;
             And it isn't enough that we fill our minds
             With psalms of silent praise;
             Nor is it enough that we honor a man
             As our confidence upward mounts;
             It's going right up to the man himself
             And telling him so that counts.

             Then when a man does a deed that you really admire,
             Don't leave a kind word unsaid,
             For fear that it might make him vain
             Or cause him to lose his head;
             But reach out your hand and tell him, ``Well done,''
             And see how his gratitude swells;
             It isn't the flowers we strew on the grave,
             It's the word to the living that tells.

               Thank you, Trent.

               Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, while I was deeply saddened 
             when Senator Trent Lott told me he would retire at the end 
             of the year, I understood completely why he made this 
             decision.
               Trent and Tricia have been trying to restore their lives 
             in Mississippi following the devastation of their home as 
             a result of the terrible devastation which struck our East 
             Coast during the Katrina and Rita hurricanes. They lost 
             their home--and most of their possessions, and they need 
             time to recover.
               There is no Senator with whom I have served who has had 
             a deeper commitment to our Nation. Trent was the whip of 
             our party in the House of Representatives when I was whip 
             here in the Senate. We initiated weekly conferences to try 
             to share the progress and intentions of our leaders at 
             that time. From those days until now I have considered 
             Trent one of the best friends I have had in my lifetime.
               Trent and I have served together on several committees 
             of the Senate. Our primary work together has been on the 
             Commerce Committee where Trent has been our leader on the 
             Aviation and Maritime Commerce Subcommittees. His work on 
             our Commerce Committee will be sorely missed.
               Trent's own words on ``herding cats'' is well known 
             here. He has had more success in achieving bipartisan 
             results than most people outside the Senate know. Trent 
             has not sought the credit for what he has accomplished--it 
             has been enough for him that he knew the job was done.
               His role as a member of the Singing Senators is well 
             known. What people should know is that he had the good 
             sense to ask this Senator not to join--they didn't need a 
             monotone!
               As I told the The Politic,it is doubtful the Oak Ridge 
             Boys will come back to the Capitol. Trent brought them to 
             the LBJ Room--where he asked them to sing ``The Late Night 
             Benediction at the Y'all Come Back Saloon.''
               It is hard for me to visualize the Senate without Trent 
             Lott. I believe every Senator here now knows what he has 
             done. He stepped down from the leadership--kept a smile on 
             his face and went back to work. He regained the leadership 
             as he was selected to be our whip--and the Republican 
             leader's comments show that Trent Lott became the whip any 
             leader would dream to have: loyal, supportive, full of 
             energy to get the job done, and all with that smile that 
             we all know so well.
               So, as I said in the beginning, it is with sadness that 
             I join in wishing Trent and Tricia the best that life has 
             to offer as they leave this Senate family. Catherine and I 
             wish them the best and will pray for their success in the 
             future.
               Mr. President, I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi, the 
             Republican whip.
               [Mr. Lott's farewell speech appears on page ix.]

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California.

               Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I hope we all heed Trent 
             Lott's words that he spoke so beautifully right now. He 
             spoke from the heart, and he spoke from experience. As I 
             listened to him, I thought: We do sometimes forget about 
             what is important in life. I think he brought that back to 
             us.
               I yield the floor.

               Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I first want to comment 
             on what a pleasure it was listening to several hours of 
             tribute to Senator Lott. I have not served with Senator 
             Lott for very long, but at the point in time that I, 
             hopefully, would be allowed to decide to retire from the 
             Senate, I could only hope I have such kind things said 
             about me in so many different ways.
               I was glad I got an opportunity to listen to 3 hours of 
             Senators talking nicely about each other. It is an 
             important thing to do this time of year, and I think, 
             frankly, it is an important thing to do more often, and we 
             do not do enough of it around here, particularly across 
             the line. ...

                                           Wednesday, December 19, 2007
                                       prayer
               The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following 
             prayer:
               Let us pray.
               Our Father, when we look to the heavens, the works of 
             Your fingers, the Moon and the stars that You have 
             established, what is humanity that You are mindful of us? 
             May those thoughts of Your Majesty lead us to humility and 
             a willingness to acknowledge our weakness and failure as 
             we receive Your strength and wisdom.
               Give our Senators a passion for Your glory. Help them to 
             remember Your words: Those who exalt themselves shall be 
             abased, and those who humble themselves shall be exalted.
               Today, I personally thank You for the gifts of Trent and 
             Tricia Lott. I praise You for their friendship, their 
             faithfulness, and their fervor for You. As they leave the 
             Senate, surround them with Your grace, power, and love.
               We ask this in the Name of Him who is perfection 
             incarnate. Amen.

               Ms. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, yesterday was a day of 
             tribute to one of our colleagues, a gentleman who has 
             served his State and this country admirably for many 
             years. I have not had the privilege to serve in the Senate 
             with our colleague for as long a period as many of those 
             who spoke yesterday, but I think we know it doesn't take 
             long to realize how important has been the contribution of 
             the Senator from Mississippi to this institution. I 
             listened yesterday to so many of the kind words. I heard 
             repeated time after time: statesman, leader of an 
             institution, truly a statesman.
               We all know of Trent Lott's tremendous dedication to the 
             institution that is Congress, 35 years of public service 
             between the House and Senate, his creation of the whip 
             organization in the House that emphasized Member-to-Member 
             contacts and outreach that are so important in building 
             relationships, election to the Senate in 1988, Senate 
             majority leader in 1996, and then Republican whip earlier 
             this year. We don't want to lament the loss of a 
             tremendous asset, but we need to always remember to 
             celebrate those accomplishments, learn from them.
               I learned that if there was a problem that needed to be 
             resolved, you could go to Trent to resolve it. When there 
             was a compromise that needed to be brokered, Trent could 
             figure out how to make that happen.
               I learned that when there was a shortage of tomatoes at 
             the Lott household, Trent knew he could just go a couple 
             doors down the street and find some tomatoes in a friendly 
             neighbor's yard. My husband and I have been neighbors with 
             Trent and Tricia these past 5 years. As neighbors, we 
             share a lot of things. We share a lot of leaves. He blows 
             the leaves down the sidewalk to my house, and my husband 
             will blow the leaves back down to his house--good, 
             friendly neighbors. I have always appreciated that.
               Truly, whether it is the quick conversation between 
             Members during votes or whether it is the closed-door 
             sitdown when he comes to the office and says: ``Lisa, I 
             want to talk to you about this,'' Trent knows the pulse of 
             the Senate.
               I would watch him on the floor. He was like a butterfly. 
             He would come over and alight next to somebody, have a 
             quick conversation, a talk, and then he would move over to 
             another area and do the same thing, kind of going from 
             person to person, always working but always friendly and 
             always working to find a path forward. His ability to 
             develop those relationships and work out a deal to 
             everyone's satisfaction is a skill I certainly look to as 
             a model for how the Senate should operate.
               It is with great fondness that I wish my friend, my 
             colleague, my neighbor, well in his future endeavors.
               I wish him and Tricia well and truly love as they embark 
             on their next adventure. We do know there will be 
             adventures. I thank him for his friendship, his service to 
             this Nation and to this institution.
               I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania is 
             recognized.

               Mr. CASEY. ... Senator Lott has left us. I had the 
             privilege of presiding yesterday when I heard all of the 
             testimonials to his service. I was honored to be a small 
             part--a witness of that Senate history. We wish Senator 
             Lott and his family all of God's blessings at this holiday 
             season. But also beyond the season, we wish him the best 
             of luck in his new life outside of the Senate. We are 
             grateful for his service. ...

               Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I wish to take a few moments 
             this morning to pay tribute to our colleague from 
             Mississippi, Senator Trent Lott.
               Senator Lott has been at the center of every major 
             policy debate in the Congress for more than three decades.
               Senator Lott was a fierce and effective advocate for 
             limited government. No one who has been involved in 
             debating budget, tax, or health policy with Senator Lott--
             as I frequently did on the Finance Committee--can question 
             his commitment to conservative principles of government.
               But what made Senator Lott effective was that he 
             understood that others had different views, and he 
             understood the importance and art of compromise. He was 
             driven to produce results, and he was unrelenting in his 
             efforts to build coalitions to pass legislation and make 
             things better for the American people. He recognized that, 
             in the Senate, compromise is necessary to get things done. 
             As majority leader, he was able to find policies that 
             could hold his caucus together and at the same time win 
             support from the Clinton White House and moderate 
             Democrats.
               In more recent years, he has played a key behind-the-
             scenes role in bridging differences between the parties. 
             No one was better at counting votes and knowing the limits 
             of his negotiating flexibility. When Trent Lott told you 
             he could produce the votes for a proffered compromise, he 
             delivered. You could count on it.
               Perhaps most important, Senator Lott had an uncanny 
             ability to persuade and cajole people to get a deal. He 
             has a great sense of humor and a seemingly unparalleled 
             ability to develop friendships and relationships with 
             Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and both 
             ends of the Capitol. He always knows who the key players 
             are, and what will bring them to the table. These skills 
             have produced a great record of accomplishments for 
             Mississippi and the Nation.
               Personally, I will miss his quick wit, his insights, and 
             his friendship. As Senator Lott prepares to leave the 
             Senate, I wish him and his wife Tricia all the best.

               Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, Senator Lott is a true 
             gentleman: agreeable, good-humored and kind in nature. 
             When I think of Trent Lott, the words consensus and 
             congeniality come to mind. These words come to mind 
             because Trent has become one of the greatest mediators 
             this body has ever seen, his ability to bring all parties 
             on an issue to the table and when the negotiations are 
             done, each person leaves with a smile on their face. 
             Senator Lott's humor and affable personality made working 
             with him a pleasure, even when a compromise could not be 
             found and the time for negotiating was over, nobody would 
             leave the table feeling alienated or hurt. They left with 
             Trent still a friend and eager to work on the next 
             solution.
               Trent Lott's 35 years of service to his country as a 
             Member of Congress will forever be remembered in chapters 
             of our Nation's history and by his constituents of 
             Mississippi. But the one who deserves just as much thanks 
             and gratitude is his college sweetheart and wife Tricia. 
             While Trent has been dedicated to his job and country for 
             the past 35 years, he has been devoted to his family.
               Senator Lott's congeniality could be attributed to his 
             humble beginnings, southern upbringing, or a number of 
             things, but no matter the reason he still remains a humble 
             man with many friends and a man who is truly kind to 
             others. As I have grown to know him through our work here 
             in the Senate, I have seen that his kindness stretches 
             beyond the walls of his duties on this floor and to all 
             who encounter him. Trent always has a smile on his face 
             and extends pleasantries to everyone he passes. Here in 
             Washington, it is easy for one to be consumed by self-
             importance and it is easy to forget to treat others as we 
             wish to be treated, but he never did. While in the lobby 
             of another office, Senator Lott will have a candid 
             conversation with the much overlooked staff manning the 
             front desk or anyone in his path--he will go out of his 
             way to make sure everyone is greeted with a warm hello.
               I have agreed with Senator Lott on many issues, and I 
             have disagreed with him on many as well, but in each 
             scenario we always ended with a handshake and a good 
             laugh. This institution is losing a man who could bring 
             people together and allow bitter enemies to lay down their 
             swords.
               This is a man who will be missed by many, and I wish 
             Senator Lott the best of luck as he retires from his years 
             of political service.

               Mr. CORKER. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to a distinguished colleague from the great State of 
             Mississippi, Senator Trent Lott.
               As a reformer, a defender, and a leader, Trent Lott 
             leaves behind a legacy in the U.S. Senate, the fruits of 
             which we will reap for years to come. In 1996, Trent 
             joined with colleagues to enact a historic welfare reform 
             bill. He pushed for reform again when he supported 
             President Bush's tax cut package early on in the 
             administration. Trent has never been afraid to step 
             forward in faith toward what he knows is right.
               A champion for a strong national defense, Trent 
             supported the President's military action in Iraq as well 
             as increased defense spending. As a defender himself, 
             Trent understands the importance of a strong military and 
             the value of rewarding those who valiantly serve this 
             country. In 1998, he urged Congress to raise the pay for 
             our military men and women, an act that hadn't occurred in 
             a decade.
               As the first man to serve as the whip in both the House 
             and the Senate, Trent could not have accomplished any of 
             the aforementioned achievements and many others without 
             his innate ability to lead. Leadership is not easy. The 
             weight of good leadership is often a difficult load to 
             bear, but Trent Lott upheld his roles as Senator, majority 
             leader and whip with an admirable level of dignity and 
             integrity throughout his tenure.
               As a new Senator, I have been touched by Trent's candor, 
             patience, unique charm, and by observing the tremendous 
             relationship he has with his wife Tricia. Professionally, 
             I have benefited greatly from his knowledge and experience 
             about how to effectively make a difference in the U.S. 
             Senate. He is a gifted negotiator, and his strong 
             leadership will be greatly missed. For more than three 
             decades, Senator Lott has been a great public servant to 
             the people of Mississippi in Congress. I extend my best 
             wishes to Trent and Tricia as they begin the next phase of 
             their lives together.

               Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to wish farewell to an 
             honored colleague and a good friend: Senator Trent Lott. 
             Trent served in Congress for 35 years, and has represented 
             the State of Mississippi in the Senate for 19; during that 
             time, he distinguished himself as both a dedicated and 
             effective party leader, and a symbol of bipartisan 
             compromise. Few Senators play both roles so well.
               Those who know Trent often describe his personal 
             charisma and his natural leadership abilities. Those 
             abilities have been on display for decades, manifesting 
             themselves as early as his college days at Ole Miss, where 
             Trent was a fraternity president, a cheerleader, and a 
             well-known presence on campus. Trent brought his budding 
             political skills to Washington, where he served as a 
             staffer on Capitol Hill before he was elected to Congress 
             himself, in the first of a long series of wide-margin 
             victories.
               From 1973 to 1989, Trent represented Mississippi's 
             conservative Fifth District, serving on the House 
             Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal, as well 
             as in the Republican leadership. As Republican whip, he 
             helped build broad coalitions to pass important domestic 
             and national security legislation.
               In 1988, Trent was elected to the Senate by 8 percentage 
             points over his opponent and never again faced a close 
             race, winning reelection overwhelmingly in 1994, 2000, and 
             2006. His skill at negotiation made him a Senate natural, 
             and his party entrusted him with its highest leadership 
             responsibilities: majority whip in 1995; majority leader 
             in 1996; and, in a widely remarked-upon comeback, whip 
             again just last year.
               Newt Gingrich called Trent ``the smartest legislative 
             politician I've ever met.'' And though I often disagreed 
             on the issues with Trent, not to mention Newt, I just as 
             often admired his acumen. I couldn't begin to list the 
             important legislation shepherded through this body by the 
             Senator from Mississippi: education reform, defense 
             spending, trade legislation, the ratification of NATO 
             expansion, the creation of the Department of Homeland 
             Security, and much more. But even as he worked on matters 
             of national and international import, he always had time 
             for the people of Mississippi: he helped expand his 
             State's highway system, brought research funding to its 
             universities, and dedicated himself to Mississippi's 
             economic recovery in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. 
             Indeed, the challenges posed by that destructive storm 
             convinced Trent to put off retirement until this year; and 
             I am sure that the people of his State are grateful for 
             the time he could lend to their recovery efforts.
               In his memoirs, Trent compared leading the Senate to 
             herding cats. But today, at least, the Members of this 
             most difficult body have found some unanimity: We are 
             united in our affection for Trent Lott and in our sadness 
             at his departure. We will miss his legislative talent, his 
             rich baritone, his taste in seersucker suits, and his fine 
             head of hair. But we trust that he and his dear wife 
             Tricia have many happy years ahead, and we wish them all 
             the best.
                                              Tuesday, January 22, 2008
               Mr. LUGAR. I join my Senate colleagues in expressing our 
             confidence that many wonderful adventures lie before our 
             friend, Trent Lott, and his family, even as we are 
             saddened by his plans to leave the Senate.
               Tributes to Trent will include praise of his 
             extraordinary leadership abilities, his thoughtfulness for 
             others, his physical strength and endurance during long 
             sessions of work, his even temper and good humor, and even 
             his vocal performance talents.
               But Senate insiders will usually turn to the concept of 
             ``Trent the Vote-Counter'' in an attempt to identify how 
             and why our friend succeeded on so many occasions while 
             many colleagues did not fare so well. I would not suggest 
             for a moment that Trent lacked any counting ability, but I 
             would suggest that a search for his crystal ball misses a 
             major point. Trent was successful because he convinced 
             people that they should support him and demonstrate that 
             support by voting for him.
               Long before he announced his interest in elective office 
             or commenced ``herding cats'' on the House or Senate 
             floors, Trent studied the Congress with the benefit of his 
             able mentors, and he learned the fundamentals of how they 
             had gained election in his home State of Mississippi. 
             Trent learned that long before any vote counting 
             commenced, the fundamental task was to win hearts, minds, 
             and trust of individual voters, and that requires 
             evaluation of interests, the best arguments delivered in 
             the most appropriate language with the best selection of 
             time and place, and the steady development of trust.
               We watched Trent win elections in Mississippi, from 
             afar, but we have witnessed his House and Senate 
             leadership races up close. He faced strong and able 
             opposition. He was a graceful winner. He fulfilled all 
             expectations and promises, and we know he will continue to 
             do so.
               Trent, I thank you for loyal friendship, personal 
             encouragement, and the times we have enjoyed great 
             experiences together. I pray for your continuing good 
             health and vitality which will make possible the enjoyment 
             of your loving family and your service to others.
                                            Wednesday, January 30, 2008
               Mr. SUNUNU. Mr. President, across America, those 
             citizens who have on occasion chosen--or been required--to 
             listen to congressional debate have often heard the Senate 
             described as an institution. It is a term which has been 
             overused and perhaps misused more than once, but I believe 
             it is quite appropriately applied in observing that with 
             Senator Trent Lott's departure, we have lost a reservoir 
             of institutional knowledge, knowledge which has been of 
             enormous value to Members of every political stripe for 
             many years.
               The breadth of Trent Lott's experience--on both sides of 
             the aisle, in both Chambers of Congress, as back bencher, 
             and as a member of leadership--has given him an insight 
             into and understanding of the legislative process unique 
             among his peers. We have heard many colleagues describe 
             the effect of that experience when combined with the 
             persuasive personality of the Mississippi gulf coast: No 
             one counted votes better, and perhaps more important, no 
             one enjoyed it more.
               Within our caucus, in committee rooms, and on the floor, 
             Trent could rely time and again on the great friendships 
             and professional respect developed through years of hard 
             work. Even more valuable perhaps, he understood the 
             unusual psychology, decisionmaking, and ego unique to 
             Members of Congress. We all perceive the important role 
             these factors play in our work; few have been able to 
             master them to their use.
               For Trent, however, counting votes was only the means to 
             a more important end--being an effective Senator. He has 
             long been a strong voice for the State of Mississippi, but 
             he has also developed the habit of finding his way to the 
             center of the legislative storm at the crucial moment when 
             a final deal is struck.
               On matters of policy, I have worked both alongside and 
             against Trent--even coming out ahead once or twice. Those 
             rare events have revealed him to accept loss gracefully, 
             negotiate in good faith, and accept compromise without 
             conceding principle. These are traits essential to 
             integrity and stability in governance, but also traits 
             that strengthened his hand for the next battle.
               Thus, the experience, the ability, the institutional 
             knowledge we lose is very real. I count Senator Lott as 
             more than a valued colleague; he is also a valued friend. 
             As a Senator, in my first term, I have always been able to 
             count on Trent for sound and thoughtful advice, which 
             always reflected his sincere concern for the personal 
             well-being, career, and family of all with whom he served. 
             I always took confidence from the fact that he unabashedly 
             placed family at the top of his priorities, and understood 
             that our public service should not take place at our 
             families' expense.
               Mr. President, although I am the youngest Member of the 
             U.S. Senate, and still serving in my first term, I am 
             grateful to Senator Lott for his commitment to keeping the 
             Senate strong. The Framers of our Constitution saw the 
             Senate as the legislative body that would maintain an even 
             keel, engage in meaningful debate, and forge legislation 
             through the art of compromise that addresses the 
             challenges of our day. Through successes and failings, 
             Trent has always been true to this purpose. Most important 
             to him, he has also been true to his constituents, and to 
             his family. I trust that these priorities will continue to 
             guide him, and know they will bring him success for many 
             years to come.
                                             Thursday, January 31, 2008
               Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I want to take this 
             opportunity to say a few words about my friend and 
             colleague, Senator Lott.
               Senator Lott has compiled a long and distinguished 
             career in public service on behalf of the people of 
             Mississippi and our Nation. He has been a tireless 
             advocate on behalf of the needs of his State and its 
             people, particularly in light of the devastation wrought 
             by Hurricane Katrina. Senator Lott also fought for our men 
             and women in military uniform to ensure they have the best 
             training, equipment, and technology available. Throughout 
             his career, he believed that the American people should be 
             able to keep more of their own money instead of sending it 
             to Washington. Finally, Senator Lott understood and 
             appreciated the fact we need judges on the Federal bench 
             who will uphold the law, not make the law.
               During his time in the Congress, he has been an active 
             participant in many important legislative battles. The 
             votes he has cast and the policies he supported have made 
             the State of Mississippi and our Nation a better place.
               Senator Lott is in a select group of individuals who 
             have held leadership positions in both the House of 
             Representatives and Senate. He has served as House 
             minority whip, Senate majority leader, Senate minority 
             leader and Senate minority whip. His election to these 
             important leadership positions in both bodies show a high 
             level of trust and respect from his colleagues.
               With his departure the Senate will lose one of its most 
             effective Senators and the people of Mississippi will lose 
             a powerful advocate. I truly appreciate his leadership, 
             service in the Senate, and service in the House of 
             Representatives, wit, wisdom, and friendship.
               I wish him the best of luck in all future endeavors.
                     Proceedings in the House of Representatives
                                           Wednesday, December 19, 2007
               Mr. BARTON of Texas. Madam Speaker, I hadn't intended to 
             give a 1-minute today, but I just got off the telephone 
             with one of my dear friends, the Senator from the great 
             State of Mississippi, the Honorable Trent Lott.
               Yesterday was his last day in the U.S. Senate. After a 
             distinguished career in both the House of Representatives 
             and the U.S. Senate, he is resigning effective, I assume, 
             today or tomorrow, whenever the other body goes out.
               I have known Trent Lott for the 23 years that I have 
             been in the House of Representatives. When I first got 
             elected, he was the minority whip here in the House. He is 
             one of the wisest men, in terms of political knowledge, 
             that I have ever been around in my political career. He is 
             a great guy personally. He has a great family. He has 
             served not only his State, but his country, with exemplary 
             distinction for the many odd years that he has been in the 
             House and the Senate.
               We are going to miss the Honorable Trent Lott of the 
             Magnolia State of Mississippi, and I want to wish him and 
             his family the very best this holiday season and in the 
             years ahead.
               God bless Trent Lott and his family.
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