[Senate Document 110-20]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



 
110th Congress, 2nd Session ------------------- Senate Document 110-20

                    TRIBUTES TO HON. WAYNE ALLARD 


                                           

                                    Wayne Allard

                       U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES

                  [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                           


                                           

             [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
             

Wayne Allard

                 
 Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                    Wayne Allard

                              United States Congressman

                                      1991-1997

                                United States Senator

                                      1997-2009

                                          a
                                           


                                           


                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell to the Senate................................
                                                                    vii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Akaka, Daniel K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                      8
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                      3
                    Allard, Wayne, of Colorado.....................
                                                                 19, 22
                    Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico..................
                                                                      7
                    Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri..............
                                                                      5
                    Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
                                                                      7
                    Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
                                                                     16
                    Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota....................
                                                                     25
                    Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
                                                                     14
                    Corker, Bob, of Tennessee......................
                                                                     13
                    Craig, Larry E., of Idaho......................
                                                                     23
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     11
                    Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico...............
                                                                      6
                    Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota..............
                                                                     30
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                     12
                    Ensign, John, of Nevada........................
                                                                     14
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     28
                    Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
                                                                      6
                    Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska......................
                                                                     23
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                      8
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     10
                    Inouye, Daniel K., of Hawaii...................
                                                                     27
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                     25
                    Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
                                                                     11
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                     24
                    Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     11
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                     17
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                     16
                    Salazar, Ken, of Colorado......................
                                                                  5, 20
                    Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
                                                                     30
                    Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
                                                                     27
                    Warner, John, of Virginia......................
                                                                     12
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               U.S. Senator Wayne Allard is a Colorado veterinarian 
             committed to cutting taxes, eliminating the deficit, 
             returning power to State and local governments, and 
             ensuring the security of America both at home and abroad.
               Consistent with his belief that elected officials should 
             be citizen-legislators, Senator Allard spent a majority of 
             his time in Colorado. Since 1991, he has conducted more 
             than 700 town meetings across Colorado, visiting each of 
             Colorado's 64 counties several times, while maintaining a 
             99-percent voting record in the Senate. He also has led by 
             example by being the most frugal member of the Colorado 
             delegation and has returned more than $4.2 million in 
             unspent office funds to the U.S. Treasury since being 
             elected to Congress.
               Senator Allard was a member of the powerful Senate 
             Appropriations Committee, where he worked to shape the 
             Nation's spending priorities and to ensure that Colorado's 
             people and projects received Federal support where it was 
             most needed. The Senator was the Republican leader of the 
             Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, in addition to 
             serving on the Legislative Branch, Energy and Water, 
             Military Construction, Transportation, and Financial 
             Services Subcommittees.
               Senator Allard also served on the Senate Budget 
             Committee. As a fiscal conservative, he believed that 
             Congress must reduce wasteful spending and strive for a 
             balanced budget.
               As a member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban 
             Affairs Committee, Senator Allard was the ranking member 
             of the Securities, Insurance, and Investment Banking 
             Subcommittee where he advocated for increased national 
             attention to the importance of savings plans and 
             investments and small business concerns. He also served on 
             the Financial Services and Housing and Transportation 
             Subcommittees.
               In the 110th Congress Senator Allard also served on the 
             Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, 
             where he was actively involved in the reauthorization of 
             the No Child Left Behind Act and work to increase access 
             to health care. Wayne Allard served on two important 
             subcommittees on this committee: the Children and Families 
             Subcommittee and the Employment and Workplace 
             Subcommittee.
               As founder of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy 
             Efficiency Caucus, and chairman of the Senate Space 
             Caucus, Senator Allard was a national leader on energy and 
             science-related issues.
               Born in Fort Collins, CO, in 1943 and raised on a ranch 
             near Walden, CO, Senator Allard received his doctorate of 
             veterinary medicine from Colorado State University in 
             1968. While completing veterinary school, Wayne Allard 
             married Joan Malcolm, a microbiologist and fellow graduate 
             of CSU. They built their veterinary practice in Loveland, 
             the Allard Animal Hospital, from scratch and raised their 
             two daughters, Christi and Cheryl, in Loveland. The 
             Allards have five grandsons.
               Senator Allard ran his veterinary practice full time, 
             while representing Larimer and Weld Counties in the 
             Colorado State Senate from 1983 to 1990. A longtime 
             supporter of term limits, Senator Allard was best known 
             during his time in the State senate for sponsoring the 
             Colorado law that limits State legislative sessions to 120 
             days, preserving the concept of a citizen-legislator.
               Senator Allard was a Member of the U.S. House of 
             Representatives from Colorado's Fourth Congressional 
             District from 1991 to 1996 when he was elected to the U.S. 
             Senate. As a Colorado Congressman, Wayne Allard served on 
             the Joint Committee on Congressional Reform, which 
             recommended many of the reforms that were incorporated 
             into the Contract with America. These reforms were among 
             the first legislative items passed by the Republican-
             controlled Congress in 1995. Senator Allard was reelected 
             to the U.S. Senate in 2002.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                              Thursday, October 2, 2008

               Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I would like to wrap up with 
             a few comments. I have spent 12 years in the Senate, 18 
             years in the Congress all together, when you consider the 
             6 years I served in the House of Representatives. I can 
             say it has been a great experience. In my view, I have 
             represented the best State in the Union. We refer to it as 
             the Centennial State because it joined the Union exactly 
             100 years after we became the United States.
               It has always been enjoyable to talk to my colleagues 
             and talk to visitors to the Capitol about my State of 
             Colorado because they have usually had great experiences 
             when they have visited my State. It is a tourist 
             attraction. We have a lot of things that bring people to 
             Colorado. It is a beautiful State. People have great 
             vacations when they go there, and they are more than 
             anxious to share their wonderful experiences with me, 
             share the wonderful and welcoming attitude they 
             experienced from the people of Colorado, and share with me 
             how much they have enjoyed visiting the great State of 
             Colorado.
               And, when people get tired of talking about the great 
             State of Colorado, we have always been able to talk about 
             their favorite cat or their favorite dog because, as a 
             veterinarian, it has always been a common interest among 
             many of my colleagues in the Senate, as well as visitors 
             to our office, to talk to me about their favorite pet. So 
             it has been a wonderful experience.
               This is the greatest legislative body in the world. It 
             is an honor to serve here. There are a lot of dedicated 
             employees who have helped me get things done in this body. 
             They put their own political preferences aside and thought 
             of the well-being of the institution. They have always 
             been very polite and most supportive and helpful. I wish 
             to thank them.
               I have had great employees in my office. I wish to 
             mention that you get things done because of the people 
             with whom you surround yourself. I have two members who 
             are currently on my staff who have served with me since I 
             was first elected to the Congress. I was elected to the 
             House of Representatives in 1990. They came in with me and 
             worked with me on the House side for 6 years and then they 
             came over here and continued to work in my office for the 
             last 12 years. I appreciate their dedication. Those kinds 
             of people don't come along every day. They spent 18 years 
             with me, bless their souls. The two I speak of are Sean 
             Conway and Doris Morgan. Both of them have been dedicated 
             staff people who have helped to make my service to the 
             people of Colorado successful.
               There are also some staffers who joined me after I 
             became a Senator in 1997, in addition to the two I 
             mentioned, including Andy Merritt, who is now my State 
             director; Dick Poole, who is one of my top staff people; 
             Tewana Wilkerson, who has helped me on the Banking 
             Committee; and Kris Hanisch, who has helped us balance our 
             books as well as helping us to move through the maze here 
             in the Senate. We do have our own little bureaucracy in 
             the Senate. She knows it and understands it and has helped 
             us move through it. She has been my office manager and has 
             kept us on the straight and narrow. I appreciate the 
             dedication of all of the employees who have worked with 
             me.
               I have a great group of employees currently serving me 
             in my office. We have had a number of people who have come 
             and gone, but I never felt it was because they were 
             disappointed in having to work in our office. When I 
             talked to people who came to work as employees in my 
             office, I would say, ``If your ultimate goal is to work in 
             a Senate office, I want you to rethink your goals. I want 
             you to get an experience here that will help you grow once 
             you leave the Senate, so you can be a better citizen, so 
             you can contribute more fully to whatever path you decide 
             to assume once you leave this great body and leave our 
             office.'' So I have always tried to encourage them to 
             think about where they want to go. We have had employees 
             who have worked in my office, continued their education, 
             and have become very outstanding. I have a number of 
             former staff people who are actually serving in elected 
             office; I think some five or six people right now who are 
             serving. They decided to go back to Colorado and pursue 
             elected office. I congratulate them, as they are very 
             active citizens in their communities.
               I wish to mention some of the committee chairmen I have 
             had an opportunity to work with. One of the committees I 
             was successful in getting on was the Budget Committee with 
             Pete Domenici as chairman, and then Judd Gregg following 
             him, and now we have Senator Kent Conrad. All of these 
             chairmen have been very gracious and helpful in working 
             with me on issues.
               Then I have had the chance to serve on the Armed 
             Services Committee. Senator John Warner, a great friend, 
             and somebody who is retiring and who has been very 
             helpful, served as the chairman while I was on the 
             committee.
               I also served on the Banking Committee. The first 
             chairman I served under was Phil Gramm, and then Richard 
             Shelby, and now Chris Dodd. I have to say I have been 
             blessed with great leadership on all of those committees.
               I also served on the Intelligence Committee. I served 
             with Senator Shelby, who was chairman, and Senator Kerrey 
             who was ranking member at the time I served on the 
             committee.
               Now I serve on a different committee this Congress, the 
             HELP Committee. It deals with health, education, pension, 
             and labor issues. My well-known colleague here in the 
             Senate, Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts, is chairman of 
             that committee. He is a wonderful person and someone whom 
             I greatly appreciate and who has spent a lot of time in 
             Colorado, I might say.
               I also serve with my very good friend who was chairman 
             of that committee for a while, Senator Enzi. I couldn't 
             ask for a better friend. He is from Wyoming, a neighbor of 
             Colorado. So we had many issues in common, and both Joan 
             and I consider Diana and Mike Enzi our very good friends.
               I wish to say a few things about those people who are 
             retiring, starting with Senator Pete Domenici, who I 
             mentioned was my chairman on the Budget Committee. I have 
             worked with him also on the Appropriations Committee. I 
             worked with him on energy issues and issues that are 
             common to New Mexico and the State of Colorado. His 
             service here in the Senate has been remarkable and 
             dedicated. The West has been blessed that we have had such 
             a good spokesman as Senator Domenici out there, carrying 
             many of the issues that are important to his neighboring 
             States, as well as New Mexico. The institution will miss 
             him. I am sure New Mexico will miss him. I consider it an 
             honor and a pleasure to have served with him.
               Senator Warner I mentioned earlier. We couldn't ask for 
             a greater statesman. He has made a number of trips to 
             Colorado. I worked with him on the defense authorization 
             bill. He has been more than considerate and helpful to 
             those issues that are important to Colorado. He has been 
             supportive on matters that we worked on for Fort Carson 
             and for Peterson Air Force Base and the Air Force Academy 
             and the many other issues involving the military and 
             military installations we have in Colorado. He has been 
             tough at times, but his leadership has been greatly 
             appreciated by me. I think the Senate and the country have 
             been blessed because Senator Warner has been willing to 
             dedicate so much of his time and effort to making this a 
             better country, a stronger country. He is somebody with 
             whom I am very proud to have been able to serve.
               Also retiring is Senator Larry Craig from Idaho, another 
             westerner with whom I found a lot in common. He and I both 
             have strong agricultural roots. He has been a very strong 
             advocate of those issues important to the West and his 
             State of Idaho. Again, I have appreciated working with him 
             on national park issues and public lands issues. He is a 
             superb individual.
               Another individual I wish to recognize who is retiring 
             is Senator Chuck Hagel from Nebraska; again, one of the 
             neighboring States of Colorado. The State of Nebraska is 
             downstream from Colorado. So we have ribbed each other a 
             little bit about water issues. Basically, though, we have 
             been partners on water issues. We have been able to work 
             together on many issues that have improved the management 
             of water in the Platte River drainage system, which is one 
             of the many rivers that originates in Colorado and flows 
             downstream. I also worked with Senator Hagel on the 
             Banking Committee. He was one who pushed early on for the 
             reform of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He brought to this 
             institution a great deal of experience. Again, he has 
             decided to retire the same year as I have. I will always 
             remember Senator Chuck Hagel and our relationship and how 
             we have been able to work together, I think for the 
             betterment of both of our States.
               I would be remiss if I didn't brag about my partner and 
             my wife, Joan Allard. Joan has spent much of her time 
             being with me, whether I have been in Colorado or here in 
             the Senate. Senator Mitch McConnell talked about the town 
             meetings she attended. She attended about as many of those 
             town meetings as I. It has been kind of embarrassing at 
             times because sometimes the number of people who came just 
             to see her in the back of the room was large and they were 
             having more fun back there than I was, up front trying to 
             conduct the meeting. People loved Joan as they got to know 
             her throughout the State of Colorado. Her dedication to me 
             and to her family and the people of Colorado is remarkable 
             and unique. We are known as partners here in the Senate. 
             Wherever I go, Joan is very close by, and people are used 
             to seeing us both at receptions. Many times I was invited 
             to events where they wanted me to come alone. I said, 
             ``No, I want my wife with me, and if you can't accept my 
             wife, maybe we won't make the reception,'' because she is 
             somebody who I didn't want to be divorced from this 
             process. She has been willing to make a personal 
             commitment in time and in supporting me in my work. So I 
             wanted to make sure that the responsibilities of serving 
             in the Senate didn't drive a wedge between what a 
             wonderful relationship we have had. She worked side by 
             side with me at the veterinary hospital. We worked and met 
             the challenges of raising two wonderful daughters of whom 
             we are very proud, and now we are seeing grandsons coming 
             up. So I couldn't have asked for a more dedicated wife. We 
             still have a lot ahead of us. I am very pleased that she 
             was willing to take an interest in my job of representing 
             the people of Colorado.
               The first vote I took in the House and in the Congress 
             was on whether to authorize the first gulf war in 1991. 
             That was a tough vote. I have now possibly cast my last 
             vote on the economic bailout or the stabilization act we 
             voted on yesterday. So my congressional career has been 
             bookended by hugely significant votes that have humbled me 
             in terms of the trust the people of Colorado have granted. 
             I wish to thank the people of Colorado who have been 
             supportive and who have expressed their views to me in my 
             town meetings, letters, e-mails, faxes, and phone calls. 
             My office has sent out roughly 2.1 million constituent 
             letters since I was sworn in. I say honestly that I relish 
             every opportunity to hear from and explain myself to the 
             people of Colorado. Even those who weren't supportive and 
             who expressed those views in town meetings, letters, e-
             mails, faxes and phone calls, I thank them for that.
               I have no regrets and leave this institution with a 
             clear conscience. I have been true to my campaign promises 
             and have worked to hold down taxes, hold down spending, 
             hold down the growth of government here in Washington, and 
             I have fought to balance the budget. I have worked to 
             defend local control and keep America strong. I have kept 
             in mind private property rights and the power of the State 
             in managing its own water resources.
               It is time to say goodbye and wish my colleagues the 
             very best, and to wish my successor, whoever that might 
             be, the very best. It is time for Joan and me to move on, 
             hopefully returning to a future in the private sector. I 
             came to Washington with small business experience, and I 
             hope to continue working in the business sector. The 
             challenge, as I see it, is for future Congresses to 
             protect the freedom that continues to create opportunity 
             for us and future generations and to ensure that we have a 
             secure America.
               May God bless America, and may God bless Congress' 
             future endeavors.


                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                    WAYNE ALLARD
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                          Wednesday, September 24, 2008
               Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, Senator Pete Domenici, who 
             is retiring from the Senate this year after serving since 
             1972, once said to me that we don't say goodbye in the 
             Senate very well. As a matter of fact, we don't say hello 
             very well either. We have a little orientation program, 
             but we abruptly arrive and leave. We leave in the midst of 
             a lot of turmoil and discussion with very little time to 
             say goodbye. Yet in between that arrival and leaving, we 
             have very intense personal relationships. We virtually 
             live with each other. We see each other often for 
             breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We see each other more than 
             we see our families. So when there is a time for saying 
             goodbye, we look for ways to say it a little better.
               There are five Members of our body, all of them 
             Republicans, who have announced their retirement for this 
             year. While I won't be speaking at length about them here 
             today, I want to recognize their service. I will do it in 
             the traditional way in the Senate, which is to start with 
             seniority. By ``seniority,'' I mean from the time I have 
             known them. ...
               Finally, there is Senator Wayne Allard. We have two 
             veterinarians in the Senate. When Wayne Allard goes back 
             to Colorado, we will have one. Senator Allard told the 
             people of Colorado if he was elected that he would serve 
             two terms. He has, and he is keeping his pledge. He has 
             been a strong and vigorous advocate of military 
             preparedness. He is a member of the Armed Services 
             Committee. He has been a member of the Appropriations 
             Committee.
               One of Senator Allard's great contributions in the last 
             couple of years was to take a job that many others 
             probably wouldn't have wanted and plow into it. When the 
             Capitol Visitor Center, which is almost open, was being 
             worked on and running over budget and had some problems, 
             Senator Allard, through his chairmanship of the 
             Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee, was able 
             to jump into that and provide a great service. ...
               I say to all five of those Senators, we will miss them. 
             We are grateful for their service. I know people must look 
             at the Senate in many different ways.
               Let me conclude by telling a story about how some 
             teachers look at it. We have a tradition in the Senate of 
             making a maiden address. It is kind of a funny name, but 
             we still call it that. We pick the subject of most 
             interest to us. My subject was to put the teaching of U.S. 
             history and civics back in its proper place in the school 
             curriculum so our children would grow up learning what it 
             means to be an American. There is not too much the Federal 
             Government can do about that, but what we were able to do 
             is to begin summer academies for outstanding teachers and 
             students of American history. One group of those teachers 
             was here in July, one from each State. I brought them on 
             the Senate floor early one morning. I took them to Daniel 
             Webster's desk, which is occupied by the senior Senator 
             from New Hampshire right here by me. I took them back to 
             that part of the Senate where Jefferson Davis' desk is, 
             occupied by the senior Senator from Mississippi, and told 
             them the story of how the marks in the desk are because a 
             Union soldier came in during the Civil War and started 
             chopping on it with his sword. His commanding officer came 
             in and said, ``Stop that. We are here to protect the 
             Union, not to destroy it.''
               This Chamber is full of history, full of our country. 
             Anyone who stands on this floor and sees the engravings of 
             ``In God We Trust'' or ``E Pluribus Unum'' and gets a 
             sense of what has happened here has respect for it. The 
             teachers had that respect. When we got to the end of our 
             visit, one teacher said to me, I think it was the teacher 
             from Oregon, ``Senator, what would you like for us to take 
             home to our students about our visit to the Senate 
             floor?''
               I said, ``I hope you will take back that each of us 
             takes our position a lot more seriously than we take 
             ourselves. We understand we are accidents, that we are 
             very fortunate and privileged to be here, that each of us 
             reveres our country, and we respect this institution. I 
             can only speak for myself, but I think it is true of 
             Senators on both sides of the aisle that we get up every 
             day thinking first of how we can make a little 
             contribution before we go to bed at night that will help 
             the country be a little better off than it was in the 
             morning. That means serving in the Senate is a very great 
             privilege. I hope you will take that back to your 
             students. I don't know what they see on television or read 
             in the newspaper about the Senate, but that is how we feel 
             about the privilege we have to serve here.'' To these five 
             Senators--Warner, Domenici, Craig, Hagel, and Allard--we 
             say goodbye. They are members of our family. We appreciate 
             their service. We know they have believed it has been a 
             very great privilege to serve in the Senate. For us it has 
             been a great privilege to serve with them.
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I wish to make a few 
             comments about some of our departing colleagues who will 
             not be joining us for the next session of Congress. They 
             are great colleagues, people whom I have enjoyed working 
             with in my 3\1/2\ years here in the Senate. They include 
             Senator Allard from Colorado, Senator Pete Domenici from 
             New Mexico, Senator John Warner from Virginia, Senator 
             Chuck Hagel from Nebraska, and Senator Larry Craig from 
             Idaho.
               A quick word first about my colleague and the senior 
             Senator from Colorado, Mr. Wayne Allard. He has served the 
             State of Colorado with distinction. In the days before he 
             came to the Senate, now almost 12 years ago, he also 
             served the people of the State of Colorado in the general 
             assembly. I had the opportunity then to watch him work on 
             matters ranging from education to protecting the water 
             issues in the State of Colorado. I know well that he has 
             been a strong voice for the State of Colorado and know 
             that his services here, including the services of his 
             acting as a veterinarian for colleagues like Senator 
             Kennedy and his dogs, are something that will be missed. I 
             have enjoyed very much the time I have spent working with 
             him on matters of mutual and common interest to the State 
             of Colorado. I wish him well. ...
               I will miss my five colleagues. All of them are 
             Republicans who are departing. Many of them brought a true 
             spirit of bipartisanship and working together, which is 
             worthy of the emulation of many Members of the Senate who 
             will serve in this Chamber in the next Congress and in 
             many Congresses to come.
               I yield the floor.
                                           Thursday, September 25, 2008
               Mr. BOND. Mr. President, while he is on the floor, I 
             commend and thank the Senator from Colorado, Mr. Allard, 
             for the great work he has done on housing. I commend him 
             also for his great leadership on all aspects of energy. I 
             join with him in recognizing the great contributions of 
             Chairman Bingaman, Senator Murkowski, and, of course, 
             Senator Domenici. We will miss his guidance and his 
             leadership. But he has made a great contribution, and we 
             are most appreciative.

               Mr. DOMENICI. Now I rise to speak about Senator Wayne 
             Allard from Colorado who announced in January 2007 he 
             would not seek reelection in 2008, keeping his promise of 
             only serving two terms. I would like to thank Wayne for 
             his service here in the Senate and for his service to the 
             State of Colorado.
               Senator Allard announced in January 2007 that he would 
             not seek reelection in 2008, keeping his promise to serve 
             only two terms. Some of us were sorry that he did that. I 
             was one. I would like to thank Wayne for his service in 
             the Senate, for his service to the State of Colorado, my 
             neighbor. Although we did not always agree, we worked well 
             together, and I valued his commitment to his home State.
               In the course of working together with Senator Allard 
             for many years on the Senate Budget Committee and more 
             recently on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have 
             developed genuine respect for Senator Allard. We have a 
             lot in common, fighting for the interests of our 
             predominantly rural, Western States.
               We worked together for many years on the Budget 
             Committee. More recently, we worked on appropriations. 
             Colorado is my neighbor to the north, and we have much in 
             common in fighting for the interests of much of our rural 
             way of life that Western States have. At the same time, we 
             have growing metropolises with the problems of 
             transportation and the like, which he has spent much time 
             on. He has supported many things I have worked on. For 
             that, I am grateful and thankful to him today.
               He and his wife Joan will return to non-Senate life. I 
             don't know if he is going home. I haven't asked him 
             personally. But wherever he goes, it is obvious he will 
             make an impact.

               Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I wish Senator Allard 
             well as he leaves the Senate after 12 years here and 6 
             years in the other body. That is a long record of 
             honorable service to the wonderful State of Colorado. 
             During our time together in the Senate, I was very pleased 
             to work with Senator Allard on a critical issue facing 
             both our States: chronic wasting disease. I appreciated 
             his commitment to fighting the spread of CWD, which was 
             characteristic of his commitment to the people of Colorado 
             throughout his time here. I wish him all the best as he 
             leaves the Senate, and I thank him for his years of 
             dedicated service to our country.

               Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to a great U.S. Senator and friend, Senator Wayne Allard. 
             His strong political leadership will be greatly missed by 
             the people of Colorado and the United States.
               I got to serve with Wayne on the Senate Banking, 
             Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Budget 
             Committee. As fellow fiscal conservatives, we share many 
             of the same values and concerns. One of his core beliefs, 
             and mine, is that we must reduce wasteful government 
             spending and work to balance the Federal budget. This is a 
             philosophy that Wayne applied to every piece of 
             legislation that came in front of him. It was important 
             for him to do everything he could do as a public servant 
             to save the taxpayers' money. I know that I could always 
             count on Wayne to follow these principals and stay true to 
             his conservative roots.
               As many of you know, Wayne had a successful career as a 
             veterinarian before he came to Congress. With the help of 
             his wife Joan, they built a successful veterinary practice 
             in Loveland, CO, where they raised their two daughters, 
             Christi and Cheryl. As a veterinarian and as a U.S. 
             Senator, Wayne contributed more than most to the people of 
             this country. He will be greatly missed by me here in the 
             Senate, but I know he is looking forward to spending more 
             time with his family back in Colorado. I wish Wayne the 
             best of luck as he begins the next chapter of his life.
                                             Friday, September 26, 2008
               Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I want to take just a few 
             minutes to speak about our colleagues who have announced 
             their plans to retire at the conclusion of this 110th 
             Congress. We obviously will miss them. There are five 
             individuals about whom I wanted to say a brief word: 
             Senators Allard, Hagel, Craig, Warner, and Domenici. They 
             have all brought their intelligence, principles, and 
             perspectives on the issues confronting our Nation. The 
             Nation is better for their efforts.
               Senators Allard and Hagel both came to the Senate in 
             1996.
               Senator Allard had a long career in public service 
             before coming to the Senate. He managed to serve the State 
             of Colorado while never giving up his credentials as an 
             expert veterinarian in that State, reaffirming the long-
             held belief that he and all of us have had that a 
             legislative body should be composed of individuals with 
             training other than that which they acquire here in the 
             Halls of Congress. His straightforward approach has been a 
             hallmark of his work here.
               Living a principle that he espouses, he is fulfilling 
             his often-stated intention to limit himself to two terms. 
             He and his wife Joan will certainly be missed here in the 
             Senate. ...

               Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I wish to make a few 
             comments about some of our departing colleagues who will 
             no longer be with us next year. I have known some of them 
             for just a little while, others I have known for a long 
             time. And, to all of them I bid a fond farewell and mahalo 
             for their service to their State and to this country. They 
             are dear colleagues and friends of mine and I know that 
             even if they leave this fine establishment, our 
             friendships will continue long into the future.
               The Senators that I am referring to are Senator John 
             Warner from Virginia, Senator Pete Domenici from New 
             Mexico, Senator Larry Craig from Idaho, Senator Chuck 
             Hagel from Nebraska, and Senator Wayne Allard from 
             Colorado. Please allow me just one moment to reflect on my 
             service with each of these valuable Members. ...
               I wish a fond farewell to Senator Wayne Allard. For 18 
             years, the people of Colorado have benefited from the 
             leadership of Senator Allard. Through his service on 
             numerous committees including Appropriations, Budget, 
             Banking and Urban Affairs, our Nation has benefited as 
             well. I applaud his commitment to energy and science as 
             the founder of the Senate Renewable Energy and Energy 
             Efficiency Caucus as this is an issue that is also vitally 
             important to me. On this 50th anniversary of the National 
             Aeronautics and Space Administration, I should note that 
             Senator Allard has been a champion of space science and 
             technology research and I would like to thank him for his 
             leadership in this arena. From his time as a 
             Representative of Larimer and Weld Counties to his current 
             position as the Senator from Colorado he has been a 
             dedicated and capable public servant and I wish him all 
             the best.

               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise to speak today 
             regarding the retirement of my esteemed colleague from 
             Colorado, Senator Wayne Allard. I have known Senator 
             Allard since he joined Congress in 1991 and have worked 
             closely with him in the Senate since 1996. Today I am sure 
             that I am joined by many of my colleagues in saying that 
             his service, his work ethic, and his friendship in this 
             institution will be missed.
               A native of Colorado, Senator Allard was born in Fort 
             Collins in 1943. Using the skills he learned while growing 
             up on a ranch, Senator Allard obtained a doctorate of 
             veterinary medicine at Colorado State University. Soon 
             after, he and his wife Joan opened the Allard Animal 
             Hospital. Over the years that followed, Senator Allard 
             successfully built his practice and raised his family. He 
             even continued his practice while serving in the Colorado 
             State Senate for 17 years. Ever the citizen-legislator, 
             Senator Allard brought this same attitude to the U.S. 
             Congress in 1991 and more specifically to our Senate 
             legislative body in 1996.
               It was in 1996 that Senator Allard was elected to the 
             Senate with a promise to only serve two terms. Not being 
             one to back away from that commitment, Senator Allard 
             declared early in 2007 that he would not seek a third term 
             because it would have gone against his word. It was then 
             that he declared it was a matter of integrity and of 
             keeping his commitments. And it is now, that I can say 
             nothing could be truer about the character of my good 
             friend, Senator Allard. Born and raised in the West, he 
             understands what it means when he shakes your hand and 
             gives you his word. His integrity is of the character of 
             which we need more of and his commitments are of the 
             nature of which we will surely miss.
               Indeed, for the last 17 years I have observed Senator 
             Allard working tirelessly for the good people of Colorado. 
             Throughout his tenure, the demands placed on Senator 
             Allard have been great, yet he always manages to find the 
             time to listen, to engage, and to talk to Coloradans about 
             the things that are most important to them. Impressively, 
             Senator Allard has held over 700 townhall meetings since 
             he began his service in the Congress.
               From his work on the Contract with America to his 
             instrumental role in working with me to craft the current 
             law promoting and regulating the development of oil shale 
             and tars sands in the United States, which was passed as 
             part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Senator Allard has 
             always done the work of the people, and he will be missed. 
             I wish him and his lovely family the best and thank him 
             for the years of service he has provided to this body.
               To my friend Senator Wayne Allard, I convey my highest 
             admiration and respect for what he has been able to 
             accomplish while here in the Senate. As with any new 
             chapter in our lives, our feelings are always mixed as we 
             continue turning the pages that finish the tale of one 
             story while we hurriedly rush to the next. Yet the story 
             of Senator Allard's journey in the Senate would not be 
             complete without the support of his wife Joan and the love 
             of his children and grandchildren. Without question, our 
             loss is their gain. It is to them that I extend my deepest 
             gratitude for the sacrifices they have made while their 
             husband, their father, and their grandfather has served so 
             well these many years. I am certain they are excited to 
             have Senator Allard back, but somehow I have a feeling 
             that he will not be resting for long.

               Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, Senator Allard has spent 
             many years working for Colorado.
               He came to the Senate in 1996 after serving three terms 
             in the U.S. House.
               As Colorado's senior Senator, he worked diligently to 
             cut taxes, eliminate wasteful spending, return power to 
             State and local governments, and assure the security of 
             America both at home and abroad.
               Consistent with his belief that elected officials should 
             be citizen-legislators, Senator Allard conducted more than 
             700 town meetings across Colorado, visiting each of 
             Colorado's 64 counties.
               He was one of only two veterinarians in the Senate and 
             provided leadership on small business issues from his 
             practical experience.
               He also led by example, returning more than $4.2 million 
             in unspent office funds to the U.S. Treasury.
               As the Republican leader of the Interior Appropriations 
             Subcommittee, Senator Allard worked to shape the Nation's 
             spending priorities.
               His work on the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act 
             helped keep access to the Internet tax free.
               He also worked to increase military benefits, including 
             legislation to increase the death benefits for families of 
             fallen heroes from $12,000 to $100,000.
               I will miss working with him in this Chamber, and I will 
             miss his friendship and support on the issues that matter 
             most to America.
                                           Saturday, September 27, 2008
                        ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
               Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the tributes to retiring Senators that appear in the 
             Congressional Record be printed as a Senate document and 
             that Senators be permitted to submit such tributes for 
             inclusion until Friday, November 21, 2008.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                             Monday, September 29, 2008
               Mr. LIEBERMAN. ... I offer thanks and best wishes to 
             other colleagues who are leaving--Senators Allard, Hagel, 
             and Craig.
                                            Tuesday, September 30, 2008
               Mr. DODD. ... Mr. President, I, again, want to say a 
             kind word or two about Wayne Allard as well, who is 
             retiring. We serve on the Banking Committee together. He 
             has a wonderful family history dating back decades in 
             Colorado. Some of the earliest arrivals from the East were 
             the Allard family in Northern Colorado. That family has 
             made wonderful contributions.
               Wayne has been a wonderful member of the Banking 
             Committee. We have not spent a lot of time on many issues 
             together, but I can tell you, on issues such as regulatory 
             reform and working together to see we had a good housing 
             bill last summer, Wayne Allard was a very constructive and 
             positive member, and he can be very proud of his 
             contribution to this body.
               Certainly, as to the landmark transportation bill we 
             sent to the President just a few years ago, Wayne Allard 
             was as much responsible for that as any Member of this 
             body, coming from a State where you normally would not 
             think of transportation issues, certainly not mass transit 
             issues as being pivotal. But Wayne Allard played a very 
             important role in all of that.
               So to Wayne Allard, his wife Joan, and their family, I 
             wish them the very best as well in their retirement years.

               Mr. DURBIN. ... Wayne Allard is a colleague of mine who 
             made a promise to the people of Colorado that he would not 
             run for reelection, and he kept his word. He did not stand 
             for reelection this year. Wayne and I had an interesting 
             responsibility, assignment, to deal with the legislative 
             appropriations bill. It does not get a lot of attention 
             because it just deals with Capitol Hill and the people who 
             work here. But this Nation's Capital is a great American 
             treasure. Wayne took it so seriously. He held more 
             thoughtful hearings about this Capitol and the new Capitol 
             Visitor Center. He asked the hard questions and did it in 
             a respectful, gentlemanly way. I was honored to sit next 
             to him and to participate in those hearings.
               I came to know him and his family and respect him. We 
             get to see one another in the Senate gym in the morning. I 
             go there in the morning for no obvious reason, but I get 
             to at least socialize with Wayne and a number of other 
             colleagues. I am going to miss him and wish him the very 
             best.
               Those Senators leaving our ranks leave positive memories 
             for this Senator from Illinois. The fact that I have been 
             able to serve with them, know them, and count them as 
             friends, I count as one of the real blessings of my 
             service in the Senate.
                                             Wednesday, October 1, 2008
               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise today, as one of those 
             who made the weighty decision not to seek reelection, to 
             share my most personal thoughts--tributes--to my esteemed 
             colleagues who will quietly, humbly, and with a deep sense 
             of gratitude to their States, to our Nation, bring to a 
             conclusion their public service as U.S. Senators.
               This is a diverse group of Senators. Whether we hail 
             from small farms, small cities or, in my case, from major 
             metropolitan areas, we bring different backgrounds, 
             different interests. That diversity gives the Senate its 
             strength to serve equally all Americans. What we share, 
             however, is an unwavering love for our States, our country 
             and for the institution of the U.S. Senate.
               We aspire to Winston Churchill's quote: ``We make a 
             living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.''
               It has been my privilege, over my 30 years in the 
             Senate, to serve with a total of 261 Members. Each, 
             almost, shall be remembered as a friend. ...
               I turn now to Senator Wayne Allard, with whom I have 
             been privileged to serve on the Armed Services Committee, 
             who told his fellow Coloradans that if they chose him as 
             their Senator, he would only serve 2 terms. He kept his 
             word, just as he has honorably kept his word to his 
             constituents on many issues. I admire this Senator and how 
             well he has served his State.
               This veterinarian and small-business owner has been a 
             forceful advocate for military preparedness, for increased 
             access to health care and for cutting spending, leading by 
             example by often returning some of his own office's funds 
             to the U.S. Treasury. In a sense, he sent them back to his 
             constituents.
               He was also willing to roll up his sleeves and take on 
             the tough task of overseeing the construction and 
             budgeting, along with other Senators and Members of the 
             House of Representatives, on the new Capitol Visitors 
             Center. I might add, as a footnote, that when I was 
             chairman of the Rules Committee, I co-sponsored some of 
             the earliest pieces of legislation to provide for this 
             center. Senator Allard can be proud of his efforts, which 
             will serve present and future Americans who travel from 
             afar to their Nation's Capital to learn about their 
             government, the longest-surviving Democratic republic in 
             world history.
               I vividly recall journeying to Colorado, home State of 
             one of my children, to travel through a magnificent area 
             of the State with his lovely wife and children on behalf 
             of his campaign to get elected to the U.S. Senate. Those 
             trips are memories I have and will keep safely tucked 
             away.
               I am proud to say I have come to know each of these fine 
             men. And I firmly believe that this is but yet another 
             beginning in all of our lives, for, to quote Churchill 
             again, ``the chain of destiny can only be grasped one link 
             at a time.''
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. CORKER. Madam President, there are a number of 
             distinguished Senators who are leaving this body this 
             year. I know there have been a number of tributes given to 
             all of them and their service.
               Senator Warner is a very distinguished Senator whom I 
             have known, it seems from afar, almost all of my life. I 
             have watched him with great admiration, and I have watched 
             him lead us on the Armed Services Committee.
               Chuck Hagel, who exercises this tremendous independence, 
             somebody with whom I have really enjoyed serving on 
             Foreign Relations; Wayne Allard from Colorado who is 
             honoring a two-term pledge to leave this body after two 
             terms to go back to the people of Colorado, he has been 
             distinguished in his service on the Banking Committee; 
             Larry Craig of Idaho who, again, in the energy area, has 
             offered great counsel and made sure that wise decisions 
             were made in that particular committee--I honor all of 
             them. I wish them well. I think we are all better having 
             had the opportunity to serve with them. ...

               Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to my colleague Senator Wayne Allard. Senator Allard is 
             retiring to honor a commitment he made to the people of 
             the State of Colorado to serve only two terms. I have come 
             to know Senator Allard best as a fellow member of the 
             Budget Committee. Even though we often disagreed, I always 
             found him to be a true gentleman.
               Born and raised in Colorado, Senator Allard has always 
             been true to his roots and has fought to represent the 
             best interests of his State. His entry into public service 
             came in 1982 when he was elected to the Colorado State 
             Senate. While serving in the State legislature, he 
             maintained a successful veterinary practice he built with 
             his wife Joan.
               Senator Allard's public service has spanned more than 
             two decades. After serving in the State legislature, he 
             was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and 
             subsequently the U.S. Senate. During his time in the 
             Senate, there are accomplishments that stand out. He 
             spearheaded legislation creating the country's 56th 
             national park, the Great Sand Dunes National Park. He also 
             took on the extraordinary task of overseeing the Capitol 
             Visitors Center as chair of the Legislative Branch 
             Appropriations Subcommittee. Finally, he has been a 
             steward of the taxpayer and has led by example, returning 
             unspent funds from his office account to the U.S. 
             Treasury.
               I wish Senator Allard and his family many happy years 
             ahead and thank him for his years of public service.

               Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, President Ronald Reagan once 
             said:

               Let us be sure that those who come after will say of us 
             in our time, that in our time we did everything that could 
             be done. We finished the race; we kept them free; we kept 
             the faith.

               There can be no question that Senator Wayne Allard's 
             time in public office will be remembered by these words 
             both here in this Chamber and in his State of Colorado. 
             Wayne will end his career in the U.S. Senate because of a 
             self-imposed term limit. He has never once wavered in his 
             belief that legislators are citizens first and lawmakers 
             second.
               As one of only two veterinarians in the Senate, I know 
             the void the Senate will feel. Leaving a veterinary 
             practice to fight for what is right in the U.S. Senate 
             isn't exactly the norm. Wayne and I each made this choice 
             and we have stood shoulder to shoulder in legislating for 
             the humane treatment of animals. The legislation we put 
             forth against animal fighting has become law and has 
             helped law enforcement put away individuals who abuse 
             animals. I am sad to see that our small, very small, 
             veterinary caucus will leave with Wayne.
               Wayne's commitment to country and freedom is 
             unshakeable, but his dedication to fiscal conservatism has 
             made him a hero for taxpayers across the country, 
             especially in his State of Colorado. Throughout his time 
             here, he has fought to pay down the debt by eliminating 
             programs, staying true to the belief that government 
             should steer clear of a wasteful spending black hole.
               His efforts on the Appropriations Committee have been 
             committed to steering our country toward fiscal 
             responsibility, and his voice will be missed.
               I hope this Chamber remembers the role Wayne played in 
             fighting against a bloated Federal Government and giving 
             States the rights they deserve to manage their own 
             affairs. Let's not let his voice for government 
             responsibility fall on deaf ears. The burden of the 
             taxpayer rests on our shoulders, and that is even more so 
             now with Wayne's departure.
               Wayne has been a voice and a crusader for Colorado, 
             preferring the scenery there to that of Washington. He has 
             worked hard to ensure that his constituents are as 
             familiar with his face as they are with his name. Colorado 
             has greatly benefited from his leadership, as has this 
             country.
               It is with sadness that I lose my friend here. But I 
             know the impact he has had on this body, his State, and 
             our country. I wish him great success in his future 
             endeavors. I know he will continue to be an advocate for 
             life, liberty, and freedom.
               We will continue to fight for the ideals Wayne came to 
             this body hoping to achieve, that ``Government of the 
             people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish 
             from the Earth.''

               Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, it has been a genuine 
             pleasure to serve in this body with the distinguished 
             Senator from Colorado, Wayne Allard. He has made 
             significant contributions through his thoughtful and 
             effective leadership for the betterment of our country.
               He has brought to the challenge of public service a 
             seriousness of purpose and sense of responsibility to do 
             this job well, not for personal aggrandizement but for the 
             improvement of our national security and our Nation's 
             economy.
               In the process, he has reflected credit on his State of 
             Colorado and his family. His personal qualities of 
             humility and trustworthiness have aided him as he has 
             worked to contribute to the quality of this legislation we 
             have enacted.
               Wayne Allard is one of the most respected Members of 
             this body. He is also one of the best-liked Senators. We 
             are certainly going to miss having the benefit of his 
             leadership.
               We wish him well in the years ahead.
                                              Thursday, October 2, 2008
               Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise this morning to 
             recognize and pay tribute to several colleagues who are 
             concluding careers in the Senate. These gentlemen have 
             distinguished themselves. They have dedicated themselves 
             to representing their States and representing the best 
             interests of the Nation. ...
               There are three Senators with whom I have had the 
             opportunity to serve closely. They are people I respect 
             immensely and wish the best to as they go forward. Wayne 
             Allard and I came to the Senate together. We were in the 
             House of Representatives together. We have served on both 
             the Armed Services Committee and the Banking Committee 
             together. It seems, indeed, that on the Banking Committee, 
             we were either the subcommittee chair or ranking member, 
             depending on who has the majority, throughout our career 
             in the Senate. In that effort, we worked closely with 
             Senator Allard and his staff on issues with respect to 
             homelessness, housing programs, many areas of endeavor. He 
             has been a distinguished individual who has done a great 
             deal, not only for the State of Colorado but for national 
             housing policy and for many other areas of endeavor.
               On the Armed Services Committee, I had the privilege of 
             working with him. He applied his energy and efforts to 
             clean up the Rocky Flats plant, a nuclear facility in 
             Colorado. He has made a lasting and extraordinary 
             contribution to his State through those efforts. I commend 
             him for all those. I wish him well as he goes forward. ...
               To these Members, I wish them well. I thank them 
             personally for their kindness to me and their 
             thoughtfulness on so many other occasions.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I thank my good friend 
             from Colorado. I am here to talk about his distinguished 
             career.
               Mr. President, as the 110th Congress draws to a close, 
             we must reluctantly say goodbye to some friends who will 
             be leaving us. That includes, as we have been discussing, 
             my good friend, the senior Senator from Colorado.
               As the Republican leader, I get to work closely with 
             each and every one of our colleagues on this side of the 
             aisle. What has always impressed me the most about Senator 
             Allard is the fact that he is a true citizen-legislator in 
             the model our Founding Fathers envisioned.
               The Founders favored ordinary citizens of extraordinary 
             wisdom. Those who step forward from among the people they 
             represent and return to them when their time here is done.
               So it is with Wayne Allard. He is retiring from the 
             Senate because he is following a two-term pledge he set 
             for himself when he was first elected in 1996. In the 
             spirit of George Washington, he voluntarily retires ``from 
             the great theatre of Action'' to return to the people and 
             the place he has so ably represented.
               Anyone who knows Senator Allard knows he is a big 
             believer in keeping close contact with the people he 
             represents. As a member of the Colorado State Senate, he 
             passed legislation limiting the length of legislative 
             sessions to 120 days to better ensure that State lawmakers 
             stayed in touch with their constituents.
               After election to the Senate, he made a promise to 
             Coloradans that he would visit every one of the State's 
             counties every year--a promise he kept, keeping him in 
             sync with Colorado sympathies and values.
               Even more impressive are the 700 town meetings across 
             Colorado that Senator Allard has held since his election 
             to the Senate.
               As a Senator, he has hosted the Allard Capital 
             Conference, which brings Colorado community leaders to 
             Washington to see the workings of the Federal Government 
             up close--and to keep the Federal Government accountable 
             to the people who elected them.
               If I may add, I have had the pleasure of speaking to the 
             Allard Capital Conference attendees on more than one 
             occasion, and I have always admired how Senator Allard has 
             stayed tied to communities across Colorado. He is always 
             seeking to bring them closer to their elected 
             representatives.
               For 12 years, Senator Allard has been a strong voice for 
             returning power from Washington back to the people and to 
             the States. He has been a strong voice for lower taxes and 
             lower Federal spending. Hailing from the Rockies, he has 
             been a strong defender and protector of our environment.
               Senator Allard has a different background than most of 
             his colleagues. Born and raised in Colorado, the son of a 
             cattle rancher, he had a successful career as a 
             veterinarian. He and his wife Joan started their own 
             animal hospital. He maintained his successful practice 
             while serving as a State senator, and was elected to the 
             House of Representatives for three terms starting in 1990.
               I have had the pleasure of working alongside Wayne on 
             many issues over the years. We have been allies in pushing 
             the Department of Defense to safely and efficiently 
             dispose of deadly chemical weapons stored in the Blue 
             Grass Army Depot in Kentucky and the Pueblo Depot in 
             Colorado.
               I have watched with admiration as he fought to establish 
             the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, which is crucial 
             to preserving the natural habitats of so many diverse 
             species in Colorado.
               That success came after he successfully pushed, as a 
             Member of the House, legislation to make the Rocky 
             Mountain Arsenal site a wildlife refuge, turning a site 
             that was once a manufacturing center for nerve gas and 
             other chemical weapons into what is now one of the largest 
             urban wildlife refuges in the Nation.
               Wayne has fought to get aid for workers in Colorado who 
             were exposed to unhealthy amounts of radiation at nuclear 
             weapons facilities. He has also taken the lead on passing 
             legislation to preserve the Great Sand Dunes National Park 
             and Colorado's Spanish Peaks mountain area. With his 
             retirement, Colorado is losing a longtime champion of 
             conservation and environmental protection.
               Senator Allard has been a consistent and strong 
             supporter of our military and our national security 
             interests. He led the debate on establishing a system to 
             protect America from ballistic missile attacks, and he has 
             supported funding and rigorous testing for such programs.
               He has passed legislation multiple times to improve the 
             system of voting for our men and women in uniform serving 
             overseas, making sure the brave warriors who protect 
             America are heard when it is time to elect America's 
             leaders.
               With all these accomplishments, and many more, the 
             senior Senator from Colorado is going to leave some very 
             big shoes--maybe it is better to say boots--to fill come 
             next January.
               He is also going to leave behind many friends. I am 
             proud to call myself one of them. Elaine and I have 
             enjoyed getting to know Wayne and Joan and their family 
             over the years. We have had a chance to have dinner 
             together from time to time, just the four of us. We will 
             miss the common sense and grace they have brought to our 
             Nation's Capital.
               We are sorry to lose such a fine Senator. But as Wayne 
             has said himself about his pledge on term limits: A 
             promise made should be a promise kept.
               The people of Colorado should be proud that their 
             Senator ends his tenure with integrity, with honor, with 
             humility--the same integrity, honor, and humility he 
             brought when he came to the Capitol.
               Wayne, we all wish you the best of luck for whatever the 
             future holds. You will always have friends in the Capitol. 
             We look forward to seeing you and Joan in the coming 
             years.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Colorado.

               Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from 
             Kentucky for his more than generous remarks. Joan and I 
             have been thrilled to have been able to work with you and 
             your lovely wife on many issues. The people of Colorado 
             need to know I got things done in this body because of 
             your help and your assistance. Many times we shared common 
             issues that we wanted to see move forward. But lots of 
             times you were more than generous in giving me an 
             opportunity to put forth my bills and my arguments on 
             various bills, and I will forever be thankful for that.
               I think the country needs to know that in your wife and 
             you we have two great leaders in this country. I brag 
             about both of you when I get back to Colorado and talk 
             about those people who I think have made a huge influence 
             on this country and have set a great example for 
             Americans.
               So I thank you. I thank you for your continued 
             leadership. I look forward to your continuing to serve in 
             this body. America needs you, and the people of Kentucky 
             ought to be thankful they have such a fine Senator.

               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I thank my good friend 
             from Colorado.

               Mr. ALLARD. I thank the Republican leader.

               Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to my friend and colleague, Wayne Allard, the senior 
             Senator from Colorado. As all of us in the Senate know, 
             Senator Allard will retire from the Senate at the end of 
             this legislative session.
               Senator Allard is a Coloradan through and through. 
             Raised on a ranch in Walden, CO, a very small town in the 
             northwest corner of our State, he found his calling in 
             animal medicine. He followed this passion to Colorado 
             State University at Fort Collins, where he received his 
             doctorate of veterinary medicine. Even today, he proudly 
             wears his tie as a Colorado State University ram. At CSU, 
             Wayne met his future wife Joan who was studying 
             microbiology at the time.
               After graduating, Wayne and Joan built the Allard Animal 
             Hospital in Loveland together. They made their home there. 
             They had two wonderful daughters, Christi and Cheryl. 
             Living and working in Loveland, Wayne developed a passion 
             for public service. He developed a passion for the good 
             that could come from serving in politics.
               He began his political career in the Colorado State 
             Senate. There, he served the people of Weld and Larimer 
             Counties in the State legislature for 7 years. A strong 
             believer in preserving the idea of citizen-legislators, 
             Senator Allard championed a Colorado law that limits 
             legislative sessions to 120 days, a law that is still in 
             our Constitution today. It works to ensure that Colorado 
             representatives are able to spend the bulk of their time 
             in their communities as opposed to the corridors of the 
             State Capitol.
               In 1991, the people of the Fourth Congressional District 
             elected Senator Allard to the U.S. House of 
             Representatives. Five years later, Coloradans elected him 
             to serve as Colorado's U.S. Senator.
               Throughout his career on the Federal level, Senator 
             Allard has been a strong voice for fiscal responsibility 
             and ensuring the security of America at home and abroad. 
             He has used his position on the Senate Appropriations 
             Committee to champion priorities important to Colorado. He 
             has played an active role on the Senate Budget Committee 
             to restore integrity to the government's use of taxpayer 
             dollars.
               Yet, even as Senator Allard served in Washington, he has 
             never forgotten where he came from and who he works for. 
             He was always traveling throughout Colorado, engaging his 
             constituents, hearing their hopes and concerns. It is 
             there, in those communities of Colorado, that Senator 
             Allard feels most at home.
               I have been privileged to work with Wayne Allard in the 
             Senate for the past 4 years. We fought together for clean 
             and safe drinking water for the communities in the Lower 
             Arkansas Valley and through the construction of the 
             Arkansas Valley Conduit which we hope will happen in the 
             next several years. We worked to ensure the Animas-La 
             Plata Water Project in Southwest Colorado, making sure 
             that project is fully funded, to implement the historic 
             settlement between Colorado and its Indian tribes. Over 
             the past few months, we came together to move judicial 
             nominees for the Federal Court in Colorado through the 
             often contentious Senate confirmation process. It has been 
             a productive and fulfilling partnership.
               Now, to be sure, Senator Allard and I have not always 
             seen eye to eye on a number of issues. But in spite of our 
             differences, I have always respected him. He works hard. 
             He is humble. He loves the people of Colorado.
               But more than his love for Colorado and his country, 
             Senator Allard is devoted to Joan, Christi, Cheryl, and 
             his five grandsons. You will never see him have a smile 
             wider or laugh harder than when he is in their company. I 
             am happy that his return to Colorado will afford him the 
             opportunity to spend more time with them. He deserves it.
               I know Senator Allard is a great admirer of a Democrat 
             from Colorado by the name of Wayne Aspinall, who served in 
             this Congress for a very long time. Wayne Aspinall was a 
             strong protector of Colorado's water and the champion of 
             the people of the Western Slope during his 24-year tenure 
             in Congress. Congressman Aspinall once said:

               We all have moments when we feel that ``the system'' is 
             wrong, but that does not entitle us to assume that only we 
             could be right and therefore permit us to secede from our 
             society. We have to learn to live with it--to improve on 
             it if we can, to change it through established procedures, 
             if we must, but we must always remember that individually 
             we are only one person and that the views and ideas of 
             others might be equally valid as our own.

               For the past 25 years, Senator Allard has committed 
             himself and his talents to the people of Colorado in this 
             spirit--a spirit of reform and a spirit of humility. He 
             has served with honor and distinction and with an 
             unyielding focus on what he thinks is best for our State. 
             I thank him for his service and his friendship, and I 
             congratulate him on his retirement.
               Mr. President, I thank the presiding officer. I yield 
             the floor and I note the absence of a quorum.

               Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, while the Senator from Idaho 
             is on the floor, I made some comments earlier about the 
             pleasure of being able to work with him in the Senate. I 
             wish to also recognize the fine work he has done on 
             energy. We certainly appreciate his work on that.
               Colorado is an energy-rich State. We have all forms of 
             energy, not only fossil fuels but also wind and solar and 
             geothermal. I think Senator Craig has been very sensitive 
             to those.
               When working with the Senator from Idaho I felt like he 
             truly had the Nation's interest in mind. It has been a 
             pleasure for me to serve with Senator Craig, particularly 
             on the Appropriations Committee. The Senator brought in a 
             very competent staff and was himself extremely 
             knowledgeable.
               As we leave this institution, I wish to thank the 
             Senator from Idaho for all the work he did to help me 
             along with legislation. What a privilege it has been to be 
             able to know Senator Craig and work with him in the 
             Senate. Also, I wish to recognize the Senator's hard work 
             in the Senate.
               Senator Salazar was making some comments earlier on, 
             talking about my retirement. I happened to have gone 
             downstairs and grabbed a lunch and there he was. I also 
             want the people of Colorado to know I have enjoyed working 
             with Senator Salazar. We have not agreed on some of the 
             national issues, but I think generally one thing we have 
             agreed on is we need to work for Colorado.
               I think we have truly been partners in that effort. I 
             appreciated the opportunity to get to know you. I'm 
             reminded that when Colorado came into the Union, in 1876--
             we are known as the Centennial State--the Republicans were 
             pretty much in control of everything. You see, Colorado is 
             a State that is recognized as a swing State, it swings 
             back and forth between the Republican and Democratic 
             Parties.
               But at that particular time, there was a big effort to 
             have a Senator from the north and a Senator from the south 
             of our State. Similarly, today, I grew up about as far 
             north as you can get in Colorado, Senator Salazar grew up 
             about as far south as you can get in the State of 
             Colorado. I think, at least in the spirit, and certainly 
             in geographic location, we have been able to represent all 
             of the State of Colorado and deal with those issues in a 
             civil and responsible way.
               I wish to thank Senator Salazar publicly for his service 
             to the State of Colorado and also want the people of 
             Colorado to know I highly respect Senator Ken Salazar, who 
             is sitting in the chair right now, for his dedication and 
             the rich heritage he has in the State of Colorado. I have 
             appreciated the opportunity to serve with Senator Salazar 
             in the State of Colorado and I wish the Senator well in 
             future years.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

               Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, before the senior retiring 
             Senator from the State of Colorado leaves, let me thank 
             him for his gracious comments. We have been a very good 
             team and have partnered on a lot of issues over the years 
             because we have such common interests in mind. Our States 
             are very similar in so many ways.
               The State of Colorado happens to have the hydrocarbons 
             we do not have, when it comes to gas and oil. But at the 
             same time, agriculture, water, and timber, tourism, and 
             all the great things many people attribute to the West are 
             embodied in the State of Colorado and certainly in the 
             State of Idaho.
               But a very special thanks to Senator Allard for your 
             fine comments. The work the Senator has done on behalf of 
             his State is precedent setting. I hope--I know--the 
             Senator will be continually recognized for that.
               But let me also say the Senator and his wife Joan have 
             become good friends of both my wife Suzanne and I. Those 
             are the kinds of friendships that build partnerships in 
             the Senate. I hope other Senators recognize the Senate 
             works well when Senators are friends and partners.
               Now, we may have our disagreements along the way, and 
             there may be some disagreements between Democrats and 
             Republicans, but when the collegiality of the Senate 
             leaves, the Senate no longer works or works as well as it 
             should on behalf of our citizens. Certainly, the 
             collegiality between the Craigs and the Allards has been 
             long-standing and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

               Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I would like to begin my 
             remarks this afternoon acknowledging four of our 
             colleagues who will be leaving the Senate along with me at 
             the end of this Congress, the 110th Congress, and then 
             make some additional comments. ...
               Mr. President, I wish also to recognize one of my 
             classmates with whom I came to the Senate 12 years ago. He 
             is our neighbor from the West, the senior Senator from 
             Colorado, Wayne Allard. Aside from Senator Allard and 
             Colorado usually taking Nebraska's water, we find little 
             to quarrel with in the kind of work that Senator Allard 
             has done for his State and our country.
               I have had an opportunity to serve 12 years with Senator 
             Allard on the Banking Committee. His very steady 
             performance and leadership will be missed on that 
             committee, as well as on the other committees he has 
             served and has been very active, as my colleague in the 
             chair knows, who served with him as well on the Armed 
             Services Committee. His leadership on the Budget Committee 
             in particular will be missed. I wish to acknowledge that 
             friendship and that leadership of Senator Allard. ...
               Senator Craig, Senator Allard, Senator Warner, and 
             Senator Domenici all leave the Senate a better institution 
             for their service.

               Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize 
             Senator Wayne Allard, who will retire from the U.S. Senate 
             at the end of this Congress after more than 25 years of 
             serving and representing Colorado in the State senate, the 
             U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
               Wayne Allard's work throughout his career reflects his 
             intense commitment to the people of Colorado. While we 
             frequently disagree on issues, he has earned the respect 
             of his colleagues for his integrity, hard work, and the 
             strength and steadfastness of his support for the 
             principles he believes in.
               I have worked with Wayne Allard as he helped lead our 
             effort to move the National Trails System Willing Seller 
             Act through Congress. Without this bill, a landowner who 
             wants to sell to the Federal Government was denied the 
             right to do so. The legislation provides the Federal 
             Government with the authority to acquire land and 
             easements from willing sellers to complete nine national 
             scenic and historic trails authorized across the Nation. 
             One of those is the North Country Trail, which runs 
             through Michigan. I particularly appreciate Wayne Allard's 
             hard work on this important measure. On the Senate Armed 
             Services Committee he brought his important background and 
             experience as a veteran to our work on the anthrax threat.
               I offer my thanks and best wishes to Wayne Allard and 
             his wife Joan as they turn to the next chapter of their 
             productive lives.

               Mr. KYL. Mr. President, as this session draws to a close 
             and as we look forward to the 111th Congress, I would be 
             remiss if I didn't pay tribute to my colleagues who are 
             retiring after years of service to their country.
               I have known Senator Wayne Allard since we served in the 
             House together.
               Senator Allard served with distinction on the Armed 
             Services Committee, and we have worked together to make 
             sure that this country is prepared to meet national 
             security challenges. Both of us believe strongly in 
             President Reagan's famous axiom, ``peace through 
             strength.''
               Recently, we worked together to secure funding to study 
             the possibility of basing missile defenses in space. As a 
             result, policymakers will finally begin to have the 
             information necessary to debate the overall feasibility of 
             a space-based missile defense layer. The space threat will 
             only grow in the years ahead, and I am pleased that I was 
             able to work with Senator Allard to make small, but 
             measurable progress toward better defending the Nation.
               Senator Allard is the model legislator. He's not a 
             professional politician, but a veterinarian by trade. He 
             understands that the money we spend in Washington is not 
             the government's money, but the taxpayers'. And he proves 
             it, returning over $4 million of his office's funds to the 
             government's coffers. His votes are based on principle, 
             not politics.
               I wish Senator Allard all the best. Colorado has lost a 
             great legislator, but I am sure that his wife Joan, his 
             children, and his five grandsons will be glad to have him 
             at home more often.

               Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, with the conclusion of our 
             business for the year comes the moment when we must say 
             farewell to Members who have chosen to leave the Senate, 
             and I want to take this opportunity to honor my friend and 
             colleague from Colorado, Senator Wayne Allard. He is 
             leaving as a matter of principle, believing in the value 
             of citizen-legislators, which he is fulfilling by ending 
             his service here after two terms. I greatly respect him 
             for that choice.
               One of the wonderful things about the Senate is the 
             distinctive experiences that bring people to this place. 
             Senator Allard's professional training is as a 
             veterinarian, a skill that is of great importance to a 
             State with as much livestock agriculture as Colorado. He 
             began a successful veterinary practice from nothing in 
             Loveland, in the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains. 
             That experience has given him unique insight into the 
             needs and concerns of America's millions of small 
             businesses, where the job growth and creative energy of 
             our economy comes from.
               Wayne Allard brought many values with him to the Senate, 
             but perhaps the most important is the need to use more 
             care in the way we spend the people's money. He personally 
             practiced that value by returning $4.2 million of his 
             office allotment to the U.S. Treasury. As a member of the 
             committees which handle appropriations, the Federal 
             budget, and banking policy, he has been a constant 
             advocate for lower spending, improved efficiency in 
             government programs, and steady progress toward a balanced 
             budget.
               Our former colleague, Howard Baker, once said that you 
             could trace the decline of the legislative branch of 
             government to the installation of air-conditioning in the 
             Capitol. What he meant by that was that previous 
             generations of Senators were driven from Washington by the 
             tropical summers, and that gave them an opportunity to 
             reconnect with their roots so they could return refreshed 
             and reoriented toward the people's wishes. Senator Allard 
             needed no such climatic encouragement: he couldn't wait to 
             get back to Colorado where he would spend countless hours 
             listening to and learning from the folks who sent him 
             here.
               I will truly miss his example and his friendship here in 
             the Senate. The Senate is a distinctive and valuable 
             institution generation after generation because the senior 
             Members pass on their lessons to the junior Members. 
             Senator Allard taught me a lot about how to be a good 
             Senator by working hard, sticking to your principles, and 
             listening more than talking.
               Former Senator Harry S. Truman said that if you want a 
             friend in Washington, buy a dog. But Senator Allard has 
             been my good friend, encouraging me when I was discouraged 
             and keeping me humble when I was flying too high for my 
             own good.
               I think the ideas of fiscal conservatism and frugality 
             that he based his life and service on are returning to the 
             forefront here in Washington as he departs. As we move 
             toward a balanced budget, I think he can take pride in 
             fighting for it for 12 years in Washington and pointing us 
             in the right direction.
               Wayne Allard is a good man who chose to serve in the 
             Senate for a specific amount of time, and he has done 
             that. I honor him today as a person of character and 
             wisdom, and I thank him for making me a better Senator and 
             for making the Senate a place that better reflects the 
             values of regular people.
                                              Monday, November 17, 2008
               Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I rise to recognize the 
             service of a great public servant and an outstanding 
             leader.
               Senator Allard has been a tremendous and dedicated 
             servant to his home State of Colorado. His distinguished 
             career spans 17 years in the U.S. Senate and the House of 
             Representatives.
               Senator Allard has been a devoted champion of the State 
             of Colorado. His tireless commitment to the people of 
             Colorado is evident to all who know him. He has been an 
             ardent supporter of increased national attention to the 
             importance of savings plans and investments and small 
             business concerns.
               Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in 
             paying tribute to this magnificent Senator.
                                           Wednesday, November 19, 2008
               Mr. SPECTER. The Senate Appropriations Committee, as 
             well as the Senate generally, will miss Senator Wayne 
             Allard. Wayne has been a strong voice for fiscal 
             responsibility. His background as a veterinarian has 
             provided an interesting dimension beyond members who have 
             legal, business, or academic backgrounds.
               Senator Allard has led by example, demonstrating his 
             frugality by returning more than $4 million in unspent 
             office funds to the U.S. Treasury since being elected to 
             Congress. In retiring after two terms, he has stuck by his 
             commitment on term limits. My personal preference would 
             have been for Wayne to stay on because, building on his 
             experience, he would have made additional significant 
             contributions to the benefit of his State, Colorado, and 
             the Nation.
                                            Thursday, November 20, 2008
               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, when the final gavel brings an 
             end to the current session of Congress, my good friend 
             Wayne Allard has chosen to retire from the U.S. Senate. I 
             know we will all miss him and the strong and powerful 
             voice he has been for Colorado and the West. His eye for 
             detail and focus on the issues that are of such great 
             importance to his constituents and mine will be very 
             difficult to replace.
               Wayne is quite a remarkable guy. He knew at a very young 
             age that he wanted to be a veterinarian and so he directed 
             all his efforts to pursuing that calling. He graduated 
             from Colorado State University with a degree in veterinary 
             medicine and opened a veterinary practice in Loveland, CO, 
             with his wife Joan.
               As he worked at the profession he loved he got to know 
             the people of the area and the problems they faced every 
             day. He wanted to do more than just take care of their 
             animals and livestock, so he started to branch out to a 
             career in politics. He knew he could find the time for 
             both his practice and for politics and the challenge of 
             learning something new interested him.
               Wayne had one great advantage as he began--his family's 
             deep Colorado roots. Wayne's great-great-grandfather was a 
             trapper and an explorer and he was one of the first 
             permanent settlers of Northern Colorado. His family was 
             among the first to move into the area and establish a home 
             there.
               Wayne grew up on the family ranch. He learned at an 
             early age the importance of a hard day's work and of 
             always doing your best. His days were spent baling hay and 
             helping out with whatever needed to be done around the 
             ranch from dawn to dusk. Life on the ranch taught him a 
             lot and instilled in him the values and principles that 
             have served him well throughout his life and his political 
             career.
               Wayne is a strong believer in the idea of a citizen-
             politician. He believes that the more experience we have 
             in the workforce, the better we are able to find 
             legislative solutions to address the problems faced by 
             families across the Nation.
               That philosophy guided Wayne's efforts in the House and 
             helped him win his present seat in the Senate in 1997. 
             That was the same year that I came to Washington, and 
             Wayne was one of the first people I met. Our shared 
             commitment to the people of the West made us natural 
             allies.
               It was soon after we were sworn in as freshman Senators 
             that Wayne told me about his plans to hold an annual 
             conference to get his constituents more involved in the 
             day-to-day operations of the government. His dream took 
             shape as the Allard Capital Conference. This annual event 
             gives those who attend an opportunity to learn more about 
             how their government works, and to share their good ideas 
             about how to change things. When it is over, it sends all 
             those who attend back home to Colorado with a hefty dose 
             of encouragement to continue the dialog they began here. 
             It has been a great success and Wayne has been able to 
             attract many of Washington's leaders to participate along 
             with an impressive list of Senators from both sides of the 
             aisle.
               History will show that Wayne has been so successful in 
             the Senate because he is committed to getting things 
             done--and not in making sure he gets the credit. It is 
             another philosophy we share. You can get just about 
             anything done if you don't care who gets the credit for 
             it. Wayne has been a workhorse more than a show horse and 
             that has always pleased his constituents.
               Over the years, Wayne's commitment to fiscal sanity has 
             been so strong and so compelling that it drove him to give 
             up his seats on the Armed Services and Environmental and 
             Public Works Committees to join the Appropriations 
             Committee. From there he took the reins of the Legislative 
             Branch Subcommittee and began the difficult and demanding 
             task of overseeing the construction of the Capitol Visitor 
             Center. Up till then, the project had been the center of a 
             lot of attention because there were so many cost overruns, 
             delays in its construction, and questions about how the 
             project was being managed. Wayne brought some sanity to 
             the process. He started checking in on the work being done 
             on a regular basis and his oversight brought a much needed 
             sense of accountability to the project which is now about 
             to open its doors to the people who come to visit our 
             Nation's Capital every year. In the years to come, the 
             Capitol Visitor Center will be part of the legacy of 
             Wayne's service to the people of our Nation.
               There is another area of achievement that Wayne is 
             probably more proud of--and that is his work on the Great 
             Sand Dunes National Park, his successful effort to convert 
             Rocky Flats, which was formerly a nuclear weapons 
             facility, to a national wildlife refuge, and his 
             determination to protect and preserve the area around the 
             Rio Grande River. All these projects were important to him 
             because they enabled him to make a difference back home in 
             Colorado.
               Now that his Washington years are drawing to a close, 
             Wayne would be the first to give a lion's share of the 
             credit for all he has accomplished to his wife Joan. She 
             was there from the start, working alongside him in his 
             veterinary clinic and she was by his side as he served in 
             the Senate. They have long been a remarkable team, and it 
             can truly be said that he and I both overmarried. Joan has 
             been his best friend, his most trusted adviser, and his 
             wisest political adviser and counselor.
               Now they will return to Colorado and to the life that 
             they love. I don't know what Wayne's plans are for the 
             future, but I hope and expect I will continue to hear from 
             him whenever he thinks that we just aren't getting it 
             right when it comes to the budget, the environment, or any 
             of the other issues that have driven him during his 
             service in the Senate. Whatever he decides to do, I know 
             we will continue to hear from him, and that is something 
             that can only continue to serve us all well. Wayne is a 
             special guy who loves Colorado and his country, and he has 
             dedicated his life to making them better places for us and 
             for future generations to live. He can retire secure in 
             the knowledge that he has succeeded because he cared 
             enough to serve.
               Thank you, Wayne, for your heartfelt commitment to 
             Colorado and the Nation, for your willingness to serve the 
             people in the Senate, and most of all, thank you for your 
             friendship. Diana joins in sending all the best for a 
             continued rich and rewarding life to you and Joan. And 
             Wayne, for me, please keep track of and share the good 
             fishing spots. I know most of them will be in Wyoming.

               Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the order from September 27 regarding tributes to retiring 
             Senators be modified so that Senators be permitted to 
             submit such tributes for inclusion in a Senate document 
             until Friday, December 12, 2008.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                              Friday, December 12, 2008

               Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, one of the great privileges 
             of my tenure in the Senate has been to serve with my 
             colleague Wayne Allard from Colorado.
               He and his wonderful wife and partner Joan have 
             contributed greatly to the life of the Senate. Wayne has 
             been a leading advocate for a strong space and missile 
             defense program, an important issue when he chaired the 
             Strategic Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Committee on the 
             Armed Services. I was honored to follow him in that 
             position when he moved to the prestigious Appropriations 
             Committee.
               Wayne has also been a firm and consistent voice for a 
             sound economic policy based on the free market, lower 
             taxes, free trade, and restraint in spending. Day after 
             day--year after year--he never wavered in those 
             principles.
               I deeply regret that Wayne took a pledge to not seek a 
             third term in the Senate. His unqualified commitment to 
             principle will be sorely missed. Wayne is a man of 
             integrity, and he never hesitated to keep the promise he 
             made to the voters of Colorado.
               Wayne and I came to the Senate together. We have been 
             good friends throughout our time here. We have stood 
             together in the Armed Services Committee in support of our 
             men and women in uniform. We were thrilled to see the 
             child tax credit become law, providing relief to hard-
             working American families. We witnessed many other 
             important pieces of legislation be enacted into law. And 
             we were able to stop quite a few bad pieces also.
               Mary and I send our best and most sincere wishes to 
             Wayne and Joan. I know that he will continue to contribute 
             to the good of Colorado and to the Nation.
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