[Senate Document 110-29]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. JOHN W. WARNER
John W. Warner
U.S. SENATOR FROM VIRGINIA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
John W. Warner
United States Senator
1979-2009
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2010
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....................
16, 24
Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
8, 73
Allard, Wayne, of Colorado.....................
60
Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico..................
13
Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri..............
37
Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
12
Byrd, Robert C., of West Virginia..............
73
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
7, 30
Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
31
Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia...................
6, 81
Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
59
Coleman, Norm, of Minnesota....................
65
Collins, Susan M., of Maine
...............................................
.....
5, 39, 43
Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
57
Corker, Bob, of Tennessee......................
56
DeMint, Jim, of South Carolina.................
30
Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
43
Domenici, Pete V., of New Mexico...............
10
Dorgan, Byron L., of North Dakota..............
73
Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
53
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
71
Feingold, Russell D., of Wisconsin.............
12
Hagel, Chuck, of Nebraska......................
61
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
69
Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
18
Inouye, Daniel K., of Hawaii...................
66
Kennedy, Edward M., of Massachusetts...........
17
Kerry, John F., of Massachusetts...............
57
Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
63
Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
27
Lautenberg, Frank R., of New Jersey............
30, 56
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
75
Levin, Carl, of Michigan
...............................................
.....
7, 24, 26, 61
Lieberman, Joseph I., of Connecticut...........
3, 27
Lugar, Richard G., of Indiana..................
67
McCain, John, of Arizona.......................
23
McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
19
Menendez, Robert, of New Jersey................
43
Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
74
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
59
Reid, Harry, of Nevada
...............................................
..............
5, 6, 47
Salazar, Ken, of Colorado......................
10, 22
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
80
Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine....................
77
Specter, Arlen, of Pennsylvania................
68
Thune, John, of South Dakota...................
64
Warner, John W., of Virginia
5,
6, 21, 25, 31, 36, 37, 41, 43, 46, 52, 55,
56
Webb, Jim, of Virginia.........................
31, 36
Whitehouse, Sheldon, of Rhode Island...........
13, 56
Biography
Senator Warner was born on February 18, 1927. He is the
grandson of John W. and Mary Tinsley Warner of Amherst
County, VA, and the son of Martha Budd Warner and Dr. John
W. Warner, a physician and surgeon.
The Senator's first public service opportunity began
during World War II when, in January 1945, at age 17, he
enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served on active duty until
the summer of 1946 when he was honorably discharged as
petty officer 3d class, electronic technician's mate.
Following the war, he attended Washington and Lee
University on the GI bill, and was awarded a B.S. degree
in 1949. He then entered the University of Virginia Law
School.
At the outbreak of the Korean war in the summer of 1950,
Senator Warner interrupted his law studies and commenced a
second tour of active military duty, beginning in October,
this time as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. A year
later, in October 1951, as a first lieutenant in
communications, he volunteered for duty in Korea and
served as a ground officer with the First Marine Air Wing.
Following his active service in Korea, he remained in the
Marine Corps Reserve for 10 years and was promoted to the
rank of captain.
Upon his return from the Korean Peninsula, Senator
Warner finished his law degree at the University of
Virginia, and, in 1953, he was selected by the late Chief
Judge E. Barrett Prettyman of the U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals as his law clerk. In 1956, he was appointed an
assistant U.S. attorney, and served 4 years in the trial
and appellate divisions. He entered private law practice
in 1960 with the long-established firm of Hogan & Hartson.
Senator Warner's next public service began as the U.S.
Senate confirmed his Presidential appointment to be Under
Secretary of the Navy in February 1969. For over 5 years
during the war in Vietnam he served in the Department of
the Navy, and led the Department as Secretary from 1972 to
1974.
During his 5 years in the Navy Secretariat, Senator
Warner was engaged in two key diplomatic assignments:
representative for the Secretary of Defense to the Law of
the Sea Talks in Geneva (1969-1973), and subsequently,
principal negotiator and signatory for the United States
of the ``Incidents at Sea Executive Agreement'' between
the United States and the former Soviet Union (1970-1972).
This executive agreement remains in effect today and has
been used as a model for similar agreements between other
nations covering the operational directives for naval
ships and aircraft in international sea lanes throughout
the world.
Following his work in the Navy Department, Senator
Warner was appointed by the President to coordinate the
celebration of the Bicentennial of the founding of the
United States of America, directing the Federal role at
events in all 50 States and in 22 foreign countries.
Senator Warner won five consecutive elections to the
U.S. Senate, beginning in 1978. In 2005 Senator Warner
became the second-longest serving U.S. Senator from
Virginia in the 218-year history of the Senate.
Senator Warner served as chairman, and second-ranking
Republican of the Senate Armed Services Committee, having
begun his association with men and women in uniform 60
years ago. In this capacity, and throughout his career, he
has shown unwavering support for the men and women of the
Armed Forces. He has also been a champion of modernizing
the structure and operations of the military to ensure its
effectiveness in the 21st century.
Senator Warner also served as the second-ranking
Republican on two other committees, the Senate
Intelligence Committee and the Senate Committee on the
Environment and Public Works. In addition, he served on
the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mr. WARNER. I simply say to my State two words: Thank
you. I thank all those Virginians who have supported me
these 30 years. It was a humble challenge for me. I
accepted it and I look back on it with the deepest of
respect for the trust and confidence you gave me--all
Virginians--over these 30 years.
?
TRIBUTES
TO
JOHN W. WARNER
Proceedings in the Senate
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, today I am introducing
legislation to designate a portion of the Rappahannock
River in Virginia as the ``John W. Warner Rapids.''
These manmade rapids are a testament to Senator Warner's
long-standing commitment to protect and preserve the
environment, as they are the remains of the Embrey Dam,
whose removal he championed.
The Rappahannock River in Virginia flows over 180 miles
from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay. At
historic Fredericksburg, founded in 1728 along the river's
fall line, the Rappahannock was blocked by a wooden crib
dam built in 1853 and a 22-foot high concrete dam built in
1910.
Until the 1960s, the dam was used to generate
hydroelectric power, and until 2000 it was used to divert
water into a canal as a raw water source for the city. In
the 1990s, the city began to develop a new regional water
supply; and it was determined that the water facility
connected to the dam could be closed.
Funding to remove the dam was a significant hurdle. The
city sought support from the Federal Government and found
a strong advocate in Senator John W. Warner. In the mid-
1990s, the local river conservation group, Friends of the
Rappahannock, invited Senator Warner to a discussion about
the removal of the dam. After discussion and a paddle to
the site, Senator Warner pledged that if the group could
demonstrate community consensus regarding the dam's
removal, he would personally support the effort.
On February 23, 2004, on Senator Warner's signal, 600
pounds of explosives set by the Army and Air Force
Reserves opened a 130-foot breach in Embrey Dam, setting
the Rappahannock River to flow free for the first time
since 1853. By reopening the Rappahannock River, more than
1,300 river and stream miles immediately became available
to migratory fish in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
On July 30, 2005, the Friends of the Rappahannock and
the City of Fredericksburg honored Senator Warner in a
``Rappahannock River Running Free'' celebration. The
American Canoe Association, established in 1880 and the
Nation's oldest and largest canoe, kayak, and rafting
organization, stated:
For over 150 years the Rappahannock River has been
holding its breath behind a wall of iron, concrete, and
wood. U.S. Senator John W. Warner's efforts have allowed
the Rappahannock River to breathe free once again. In
appreciation of his efforts, the community of paddlers and
river users has bestowed upon him their highest honor. So,
let it be known, on behalf of the City of Fredericksburg,
the Friends of the Rappahannock, the American Canoe
Association, and the community of paddlers, that the new
rapids formed at the removal of the dam be known, now and
forever, and recorded on all maps, as ``John W. Warner
Rapids'' and may all your travels through be smooth.
On November 1, 2008, Senator Warner will be presented
with a bronze plaque that will be affixed to a permanent
monument along the banks of the Rappahannock River at the
rapids formed by the remnants of the dam.
The actions that I have described are a shining example
of the commitment Senator Warner has shown to the
environment during his 30 years in this body. He
recognizes the importance of protecting and preserving
natural treasures for the enjoyment of this and future
generations.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to
work so closely with him in this regard. For many years,
Senator Warner and I have served together on the Senate
Committee on Environment and Public Works. At the start of
this Congress, I became the chairman of that committee's
Global Warming Subcommittee. I was honored and delighted
when Senator Warner became, at his request, the ranking
minority member of that subcommittee. In February of last
year, the two of us held a subcommittee hearing on the
impacts of global warming on wildlife. Senator Warner
spoke with conviction and eloquence about his commitment
to wildlife conservation, and about his particular love
for rivers and streams.
In an example of the courage and statesmanship for which
he is rightly known, Senator Warner joined with me to
write a bill to reduce the manmade greenhouse-gas
emissions that are disrupting wildlife, threatening our
national security, and imperiling our economy. Last
October, we introduced our Climate Security Act, and the
next month both our subcommittee and the full Environment
and Public Works Committee reported the bill favorably.
That had never happened before with a climate bill in the
U.S. Congress, and it would not have happened without the
leadership, credibility, patience, and wisdom of Senator
Warner. I join many others in looking up to him, and I am
privileged to call him my friend.
The bill that I introduce today is a fitting tribute to
the legacy that Senator Warner leaves behind as he
retires. I encourage my colleagues to honor him by passing
this legislation.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Mr. REID. ... Having said all that--and I could a say a
lot more--one of the reasons we should pass this bill is
because of Senator Warner. I am sure the State of Virginia
has had great legislators over the years. I don't know
them all. I have served with a number of them. But I have
to say that in my experience in government, you don't very
often run into somebody of the caliber of John Warner. The
Commonwealth of Virginia has been well served by this
great American patriot, and he has devoted so much time--I
was trying to come up in my mind on a percentage basis how
much of his time has been spent on the defense duties he
has.
Mr. WARNER. Thirty years.
Mr. REID. But the vast majority of his 30 years in the
Senate, Mr. President, has been spent legislatively on
securing the security of our Nation.
There will be other opportunities, I am confident, to
express my admiration and respect and affection for John
Warner, but I hope people on his side of the aisle
appreciate him as much as we do. He is truly a wonderful
legislator and human being. We need to get this bill done
for him. ...
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for
finally working this out.
I rise today in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2009
National Defense Authorization Act. Let me begin by
thanking the committee's distinguished chairman, Senator
Levin, for his leadership, and also Senator Warner, who is
taking on double duty, acting as the ranking Republican on
the committee in the absence of Senator McCain. I want to
take this opportunity to thank the senior Senator from
Virginia for his years of service on the committee. He has
been a true friend to me and to the members of our
committee and the armed services of this Nation, and his
guidance, wisdom, and, above all, his civility in all
matters will be greatly missed. I deeply admire him, and I
thank him for his leadership on this bill and on so many
other issues.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I humbly thank my
distinguished colleague and longtime friend. I am certain
she can take my place.
Ms. COLLINS. I thank the Senator. ...
Mr. CHAMBLISS. ... Chairman Warner will always be
chairman to me. He has been my dear friend through many
years. What a great service to our country this great
American has provided in the true Virginia gentleman
tradition. He has always been such an asset to this body
and such an asset to our men and women in uniform. I thank
Senator Warner for his great service, I thank him for his
friendship, and I thank him for what he does every day for
our men and women in uniform.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I humbly acknowledge the
gracious remarks, and I express my appreciation.
Mr. REID. ... My friend, the distinguished Senator from
Arizona, says they are not ready to end this debate. We
have a professional staff. The Republican staff of the
Armed Services Committee is as professional as you can
get, and that on the Democratic side is as professional as
you can get, led by two of America's all-time great
Senators: Levin and Warner. I say that without any degree
of trying to make them feel good. It is the truth. They
are two of the great Senators in the history of our
country. They have worked as hard as they could to put
together a defense authorization bill. ...
I wish I had words adequate to express my personal
appreciation--and I can speak for everyone on this side of
the aisle--for the work done by Chairman Levin and John
Warner. There are no two more honorable people in the
world; whether they are rabbis, priests, ministers, there
is no one who has more credibility and honesty than these
two men. I have had conversations with these two fine
Senators, where they said: ``This is what I am going to
do.'' Do I need to check back with them and ask: ``Do you
really mean what you said?'' No. Their word is their bond.
Once they have said it, that is it.
I feel very bad. Senator Levin is going to have another
opportunity to do one of these bills, but this man,
Senator Warner, won't unless we invoke cloture. We need to
do that so that he can participate in coming up with the
final bill that will lead to a conference with the House
of Representatives. For 30 years--as I have said on the
floor before, I don't know his predecessors--I served with
a number of them--but the State of Virginia could not have
had a better Senator than John Warner. They could have had
one as good but nobody better. These two men have done
their very best. I accept the product they have given us,
the product we have right here, now, today. I accept it.
...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Mr. CARDIN. ... Mr. President, in closing, I commend my
colleagues Chairman Levin, Senator Warner, and all the
other members of the Armed Services Committee for their
hard work to craft and pass this bill. I look forward to
casting my vote to support it. I also want to take a
moment to congratulate Senator Warner for his work on
countless other critical pieces of legislation in years
past. I will miss his wise counsel on issues of national
and regional importance, I will miss his good humor, and I
will miss his grace. I wish him only the best in
retirement.
Mr. LEVIN. ... I next acknowledge our former chairman,
Senator Warner, because of everything he did to make this
bill possible and to get to the point where we are today.
Working within arm's reach of John Warner for the past 29
years has truly been one of the highlights, if not the
highlight, of my Senate career. He is truly a good friend,
not just to me and my wife Barbara but also to this
institution and to the Nation. He has stood watch over
national defense for almost three decades with unwavering
dedication. Before that, he stood watch because of his
being Secretary of the Navy. Because of his being in the
Navy, the Marines, he is truly a profile in courage. Next
year, we promise we will pick up his banner. We will carry
on in his honor, just as he has always done for the
Nation.
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.
I first met John Warner 40 years ago, in 1968. I was a
young lawyer, and he was head of United Citizens for
Nixon. I went to work for him in Washington, DC, at the
Willard Hotel. He had been an advance man for President
Nixon in 1960. He had been a businessman who was a
striking figure, as he still is. I remember one of my
assignments was to recruit a Mississippi chairman, and I
found an outstanding young man named Thad Cochran who
became chairman of Citizens for Nixon in Mississippi. Then
we went to Indianapolis for the national meeting of our
organization, and the mayor of Indianapolis was Richard
Lugar.
John Warner was 17 years old and enlisted in the Navy in
World War II. He served as a Marine officer in Korea. He
was appointed by President Nixon as Under Secretary of the
Navy in 1969 and became Secretary. He has served in this
Senate since 1978 with distinction. He has added civility,
a sense of institution, and perhaps his greatest
continuing contribution has been his expertise and
independence and leadership on matters of military affairs
which he has discharged in a bipartisan way with Senator
Levin for many years. ...
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.
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. ...
I want to say a word about my very good friend, Senator
John Warner of Virginia. I often call him Moses because,
as we have debated on the floor of the Senate over the
last several years on one of the major issues of our time,
the issue of war and peace and how we create a framework
for a more peaceful world for our generation and those to
come, it has often been Senator Warner we have gone to to
get direction and counsel on how we might move forward. I
had the opportunity of traveling with him to Iraq and
Afghanistan and other places along with his very good
friend, Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services
Committee. The friendship between the two of them, between
Senator Levin and Senator Warner, is one that exemplifies
the types of relationships that are important for this
Chamber and for the good of America. I will miss my good
friend, Senator John Warner, the man I call Moses, because
of his willingness to try to bring people together to try
to resolve major and difficult issues that face us in
America. ...
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. DOMENICI. Madam President, I rise today with a heart
that is not totally joyful because I am going to be
talking about four of my colleagues who are leaving the
Senate. Pretty soon, I will be talking about my own
leaving the Senate but not today. I will save that for
another day. The first one I want to talk about is John
Warner of Virginia. I have gotten to know him and his wife
Jeanne.
It is with great pride and honor that I pay tribute to
my friend and distinguished colleague from the
Commonwealth of Virginia, Senator John Warner. He served
in this body for 30 years; I have served for 36. So the
arithmetic is simple: I have been with him for all of his
30 years in the Senate. He dealt almost exclusively, and
with perfection, on military matters. I did the budget for
the Senate for a long time, and I have been privileged to
work for the last 5 years on energy matters. In between,
it was nothing but joy on my part to work on matters of
the Senate. I believe the same was true for John Warner,
who not only worked on military matters and worried about
our troops, but he also from time to time got over into
public works.
Early in his Senate career, Senator Warner and I served
on the Environment and Public Works Committee. More
recently, our work together has centered on defense and
national security and, as I indicated, of late, homeland
security.
He earned the respect of his colleagues on both sides of
the aisle because of his unique ability to negotiate and
foster positive working relationships with fellow
Senators. There was much being said about working across
the aisle and being bipartisan. Clearly, when things had
to be partisan because it was the nature of things, John
Warner was a partisan. But obviously, when it was a matter
that pertained to something that could be worked out
between Democrats and Republicans, one could bet that he
was quick to raise his hand and lift it across the aisle
and work with Senators from the other side.
He has been a leader on a broad range of issues. As I
indicated, he is someone who makes me proud.
Prior to his five terms in the Senate, John served his
country as a U.S. Marine, was later appointed Under
Secretary of the Navy and was eventually appointed and
confirmed as the 61st Secretary of the Navy. Early in our
Senate career, Senator Warner and I served on the
Environment and Public Works Committee together. Over the
past several Congresses, our work together has centered on
defense, national security, and homeland security matters.
During his Senate tenure, John has earned the respect
and admiration of his colleagues on both sides of the
aisle because of his unique ability to negotiate,
accommodate, compromise, and foster positive working
relationships with fellow Members. Through this approach,
John Warner has been a leader on a broad range of issues
such as strengthening our defense and national security,
fighting the global war on terrorism and decreasing carbon
and other emissions globally. While in the Senate, he
dutifully served on the Armed Services Committee,
Intelligence Committee, Environment and Public Works
Committee, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Committee.
John has been a longtime colleague of mine, and I will
dearly miss him. The Commonwealth of Virginia has been
fortunate to have John on their side. He has been an asset
not only to his State, but also to our Nation. In the
course of working together for so many years, I have
developed genuine respect for Senator John Warner. I thank
him for years of distinguished service and wish him the
very best in all his future endeavors. My wife Nancy and I
wish John and his wonderful family all the best during his
retirement.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I thank Senator John
Warner for his service to our country. Through his five
terms in the Senate, and before that as Secretary of the
Navy, Senator Warner has been an outstanding public
servant. In the Senate he has worked hard for our country,
and for the people of Virginia. As chairman and now
ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
Senator Warner has been a leader on a wide range of issues
affecting our national security, and he has always
approached those issues with the utmost determination to
do what is best for the Nation and the American people.
Finally, I thank Senator Warner for his vote in support
of the McCain-Feingold legislation when it passed the
Senate in 2002. It was his support, along with 59 other
Senators, that gave us that victory after a long fight to
ban soft money. I appreciate his effort on this and so
many issues, and I thank him for his dedicated public
service over so many years.
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I would like to honor my
friend from Virginia, Senator John Warner. John and I have
been friends since I was elected to the Senate in 1998.
As a true Virginian, John has dedicated his life to
serving his country. At the age of 17 he enlisted in the
U.S. Navy beginning his long career of public service.
After serving on active military duty in both World War II
and the Korean war, John went on to serve in the
Department of the Navy, and led the Department as
Secretary from 1972 to 1974.
Elected in 1978, John is the second-longest serving
Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia in the history
of the Senate. John has served the people of Virginia well
for 30 years and I know his family and the people of
Virginia are proud to call him one of their own.
John has a long list of accomplishments to show for the
people of Virginia and the Nation. His leadership in the
Senate will be missed and it has truly been an honor
serving with him.
I would like to thank John for his contributions to the
Senate and wish him well as he opens a new chapter to 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 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. ...
With the exception of Harry Byrd, John Warner has
represented Virginia in the Senate longer than any other
Senator in its history. He has done so with great
enthusiasm, skill, hard work, and style. To many people,
John Warner embodies what a Senator should be. He knows
the world, he knows this country, and he knows, of course,
his beloved State. He is an outstanding citizen of each of
those.
He is a patriot in the old-fashioned and in the
deephearted sense of that word. He has demonstrated his
love of country through years of service both in and out
of uniform. The miles he has traveled to all corners of
the world to see our forces in action and the hours--
innumerable hours--he spent hearing committee testimony,
he has absorbed. That has equipped him to really be an
expert in this body on military issues. His leadership
will be missed on those issues and other issues as well
here.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, we are all awaiting
efforts of the negotiating teams who are working on a
rescue plan to the current financial crisis. Many of us--
as I know the distinguished Senator from Montana has--have
cobbled together our thoughts and ideas, and now we are
waiting anxiously to see how they have fared in the
negotiations.
And I would like to take this time while we wait to
address another subject because a few months from now our
colleague, John Warner, will retire from the Senate after
30 years of service to the people of Virginia and the
people of America. His work in this Chamber and all these
halls has made our country stronger. And in a place where
partisan rancor too often rules the day, his is a legacy
of honor and dignity that will stand long after he has
gone. So I wanted to take a few moments to salute this
man.
When John Warner's country called, he answered. In 1945,
at 17 years of age, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was
sent to fight in World War II. When the war was over, John
attended a great Virginia institution, Washington and Lee
University, on the GI bill. In 1949, he entered law school
at my own alma mater, the University of Virginia. But
America called again, and John answered again,
interrupting his studies to serve as a ground officer with
the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Korea. He returned home
again, went back to UVA, and received his law degree in
1953. I would graduate almost 30 years after him. John
continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves after the
war, attaining the rank of captain.
John Warner's mother once said she hoped he would one
day become the Secretary of the Navy. Well, in 1972 he
fulfilled that hope, serving until 1974, during the
challenging years of the Vietnam conflict. In that office,
he succeeded his dear friend John Chafee, a fellow Marine,
later to become a U.S. Senator. It is John Chafee's seat
that I am now privileged to hold.
During his first campaign for the Senate, Senator Warner
told the Washington Post:
When I was Secretary of the Navy I drove the admirals
crazy. When I went to visit a ship I liked to go all over
it and talk to sailors.
He is, in the words of Adm. Mike Mullen, ``a man whose
love of country is matched only by his love [of] those who
defend it.''
In the Senate, John Warner's commitment to the men and
women of America's armed services is evident in nearly
everything he does. Alternating as chairman and ranking
member of the Senate Armed Services Committee with his
dear friend Carl Levin of Michigan, he has fought to
ensure that those who serve this country receive the best
possible health care and benefits. In 1999, they achieved
for our troops their first major pay increase in 16
years--and this year, did it again.
In his 30 years in the Senate, John Warner has dedicated
himself to helping his constituents and keeping our Nation
secure. He has supported the hundreds of thousands of
members of the military who are based in Virginia and
serve at more than 90 installations throughout his State.
He has helped keep Virginia's storied shipbuilding
industry strong, preserving jobs and sustaining
communities on Virginia's Atlantic coast.
In my home State of Rhode Island, on top of our State
House dome is a statue of the Independent Man. The statue
represents a spirit of liberty and freedom that has been
cherished in Rhode Island back to the days of Roger
Williams. Well, John Warner is Virginia's Independent Man.
Over and over again, he has put his country first and done
what he thought was right no matter what the politics.
Senator Warner saw the need for a change of course in
Iraq, and he has worked for real, urgent solutions to the
threat of global warming. As part of the Gang of 14, he
sought middle-ground answers to the challenging,
controversial topic of judicial nominations. He refused to
support President Reagan's nomination of Robert H. Bork to
the Supreme Court in 1987--a principled stand with a
political cost.
In 1994, when the Virginia Republican Party endorsed
Oliver North for the State's junior Senate seat, John
Warner refused to support the candidacy of a man who had
been convicted of a felony. He said then:
I do not now, nor will I ever, run up my white flag and
surrender my fight for what I believe is in the best
interest of my country, my State, and my party.
His relationship with our colleague, our fellow freshman
in the Senate, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, is a model
for the rest of the Senate of collegiality, enabling them
together to extract from the difficult logjam of judicial
nominations talented judges to serve Virginia.
Former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton paid Senator
Warner what I'd call the ultimate compliment around here:
``He wants to solve problems.''
We will all miss John Warner when he leaves the Senate
this January. His hard work and independent spirit have
enriched Congress for the past 30 years. And I count
myself very fortunate to have served with him.
On a personal note, I thank John Warner for his
exceptional, I daresay even avuncular kindness to me in my
first term. From the vantage point of 30 years' seniority,
I am a mere speck in the sweep of his tenure here. He has
served with 273 Senators, I believe, and yet he has made
me feel so welcome. In that kindness, I am the beneficiary
of his friendship of many years with my father, a
friendship that lasted as long as my lifetime to date. My
father was a fellow World War II veteran, a fellow Marine,
a fellow public servant, and a man who I remember today as
I express my affection and gratitude to the distinguished
senior Senator from Virginia.
Reporters interviewing John Warner have noted his
tendency to close his eyes and lean back in his chair
while answering questions. It's not a sign of disrespect,
they know, but rather a sign of deep concentration. I've
seen him concentrating that way myself in deliberations
behind the heavy steel doors of the Intelligence
Committee.
I envision sometime, when the press inquiries, staff
updates, legislative proposals, and constituent requests
have slowed, that Senator John Warner will take a moment
to close his eyes, lean back in that chair, and reflect on
what an extraordinary career his has been. I hope he
remembers all the good he has done and all the good will
and admiration he has earned among those who have been
privileged to serve with him. Senator Warner, I wish you,
your wife Jeanne, and your family Godspeed and best wishes
in all your future endeavors.
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 want to extend my deepest appreciation and warmest
mahalo to my friend and colleague, Senator John Warner.
His lifetime of devoted public service is truly admirable,
and his integrity and dedication to duty make him a role
model for all Americans. Few that have ever held the
position of U.S. Senator have been able to combine his
graciousness, intelligence, and absolute commitment to the
public good that have allowed him to be such an effective
bipartisan leader.
His experiences as both a sailor and a Marine during a
time of war, combined with his executive responsibilities
as former Secretary of the Navy, have given Senator Warner
the ability to tackle complex policy issues during his
time in the Senate. His leadership and experience on the
Armed Services Committee, as well as his ability to reach
across the aisle to get vital legislation passed, will be
irreplaceable. He is a gentleman of impeccable character,
and will be sorely missed by us all. I am honored and
humbled to serve with him. ...
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I wish very much that I
could be here in person today to pay tribute to the
extraordinary career of my friend John Warner. I know that
when we return to the Senate in January, all of us on both
sides of the aisle will miss the decency, thoughtfulness,
commitment, and friendship of our outstanding colleague
from Virginia.
We often speak about the high value of friendship in the
Senate, about the importance of sustaining it despite the
strong political and philosophical differences that often
erupt between Senators, and about the way it sustains us
in times of personal and political crisis. I know that
many of my colleagues feel the same way, and I am sure we
all cherish our friendship with John Warner.
The Senate will not be the same without him. In many
ways, he epitomizes the words of Shakespeare, that we
should ``do as adversaries do in law, strive mightily, but
eat and drink as friends.''
John's life is proof that individual persons make a
difference for our country, if they have the will to try.
From the time he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17
during World War II, to joining the Marine Corps in 1950
after the outbreak of the Korean war, to his service as
Secretary of the Navy, and to his brilliant career as a
Senator representing the people of Virginia, John Warner
has demonstrated a commitment to public service that few
people in the history of this Nation can match.
As my brother, President Kennedy, once said:
Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to
make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good
deal of pride and satisfaction, ``I served in the United
States Navy.''
It has been a special privilege, as a member of the
Armed Services Committee, to serve with John Warner,
particularly during his years as chairman or ranking
member of the committee. John deserves immense credit for
his contributions to our country, and America is a
stronger and better Nation today because of his life's
work.
Perhaps more than anyone I know, Senator Warner
understands that we are Americans first and members of a
political party second. Throughout his 30 years in the
Senate, he has consistently demonstrated an all-too-rare
willingness to reach across the aisle to achieve results
for the American people.
When the partisan passions of the day become heated in
this Chamber and threaten progress on fundamental issues,
we always know that John Warner is available to help find
the way forward--even if it costs him politically.
President Kennedy would have called him a profile in
courage, and I agree.
It is no secret that John and I don't agree on
everything, but even in times of disagreement, I have
never questioned that his position was the result of deep
thought and his special wisdom and experience. Our
Founders would regard the Senate career of John Warner as
a shining example of the type of person they envisioned
should serve in this body of our government.
I am sad to see him leave, but as John and his wife
Jeanne look to the future and the new challenges and
possibilities that lie ahead, we know that he will always
be available to answer the call of service, and we are
very grateful for the opportunity to have served with him.
We will miss him very much.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, John Warner is a Senator
who has served his country heroically.
During World War II, at the age of 17, he enlisted in
the U.S. Navy. At the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950,
Senator Warner interrupted his law studies and started a
second tour of active military duty.
Senator Warner's next public service began with his
Presidential appointment to be Under Secretary of the Navy
in 1969. He served as Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to
1974.
Following his work there, John Warner was appointed by
the President to coordinate the celebration of America's
bicentennial.
Beginning in 1978, Senator Warner was elected to the
Senate five times. In 2005, Senator Warner became the
second-longest serving U.S. Senator from Virginia in the
218-year history of the Senate. Now serving in his 30th
year in the Senate, Senator Warner rose to become chairman
of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In that capacity,
and throughout his career, he has shown unwavering support
for the men and women of the Armed Forces.
Every time I am with John Warner, I learn something new,
valuable, insightful, or humorous. He is truly a unique
blend of a military leader, country gentleman, historian,
great storyteller, and statesman. His hard work and
devotion will be missed by all his friends in the Senate.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise also today to pay
my respects to another retiring Member of the Senate, the
squire from Virginia, a longtime colleague of the occupant
of the chair, and a truly remarkable man.
It is not a stretch to say that if most Americans were
asked to conjure up in their minds the image of a U.S.
Senator, the man they would see is the senior Senator from
Virginia. To most people, John Warner seems as though he
were born to be a Member of this body, and in a remarkable
30-year career, he has proven they were right. He has
matched the image with the skill and, though it certainly
never was, he made it look easy.
Virginians are very proud of their history. They are
proud of their traditions. And John Warner has lived up to
the best of them. Like our Nation's first President and
Virginia's most famous son, he has always been a patriot
first.
The son of a World War I field surgeon, John first heard
the call to serve while still in high school, dropping his
studies at age 17 and enlisting in the Navy in the closing
months of World War II. The call to serve later led him to
interrupt law school in order to join the Marine Corps in
the Korean war. After that, it led him to fulfill his
mother's dream by becoming Secretary of the Navy; to take
charge of America's bicentennial in 1976; and, for the
last three decades, to serve America and the people of the
Old Dominion with distinction in the Senate. These are the
deeds that define John Warner. They are the only things
that can explain a career that has been as significant to
the strength of our Nation--and as beneficial to the
people of his State--as his.
John always balanced the interests of his State and the
Nation masterfully. Virginians have honored him for it,
sending him back to the Senate four times after that first
election in 1978, and he has repaid them time after time.
Over the years, John has earned a reputation as one of
the most knowledgeable, hardest working, respected
Senators on Capitol Hill. He has distinguished himself
among his colleagues on both sides of the aisle as a man
of intelligence, deep humanity, and courage. The people of
Virginia can be proud of his many years of service in the
Senate. John's entire Senate career speaks of his skills
as a legislator and his love of Virginia and country.
But any list of his legislative accomplishments would
have to begin with the work he has done on behalf of the
men and women in our military. He has vastly improved the
quality of life for military men and women by fighting for
substantial increases in pay, including increases in
separation, hardship duty, and imminent danger pay.
He has played a central role in improving benefits for
widows and survivors of fallen soldiers.
And many of us are not too young to recall John leading
the fight for the 1991 Gulf war resolution.
He played a major role in ensuring that America's
missile defense system was built, and deployed.
On being named chairman of the Armed Services Committee
from 1999 to 2001, and then for 5 more years from 2003 to
2007, he worked closely with Democrats and Republicans to
ensure that the interests of American security and the
interests of our servicemen and women were met.
As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator
Warner saw an emerging threat from radical terrorists that
many others overlooked. And he acted on it by creating a
new Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee dealing
with terrorism, chemical and biological warfare, and
cyberwarfare.
He pushed and succeeded in approving a major increase in
the Nation's submarine fleet.
He has guided the annual Defense Authorization Act
through Congress for years, using it in recent years to
modernize our Armed Forces and to meet current and
emerging threats in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He has been a firm supporter and a trusted friend to the
men and women bravely serving the cause of freedom in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
Closer to home, Senator Warner secured major Federal
funding to rebuild the Woodrow Wilson Bridge that connects
Alexandria to Maryland, easing the commute for millions
and improving the flow of commerce along the I-95 corridor
between Maryland, Virginia, and the DC area.
He has worked hard to improve the water quality and to
restore wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay. He has designated
thousands of acres of National Forest as wilderness,
expanded Virginia's National Wildlife Refuges and National
Parks, and secured funds to demolish the Embrey Dam.
He led a 3-year campaign to preserve the Newport News
shipbuilding shipyard in Hampton Roads--a show of grit and
persistence that paid off with thousands of jobs for
Southeastern Virginia.
Senator Warner has been unafraid, at times, to part ways
with his colleagues when he disagreed with them--but he
has never lost their trust, their confidence, their
respect, or their deep admiration.
In everything, he has been the consummate Senator, and
always a gentleman. And the Senate will never be the same
without John Warner.
On a more personal note, the entire Senate family shared
John's happiness when he married Jeanne, not least of all
because we all enjoy her company so much.
Elaine and I have valued their friendship over the past
several years.
John, I know, is a proud graduate of Washington and Lee.
The school's motto--``Not Unmindful of the Future''--is
meant to impress on graduates a sense of responsibility to
the future, rooted in the past.
In a long career of service to the current and future
good of his country, John William Warner has made that
motto his own.
Virginia has produced some of America's greatest
leaders. John William Warner is one of them.
His colleagues in the Senate are deeply grateful for his
service, his friendship, and his many contributions to
this body and to the Nation.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am deeply humbled like my
dear friend, Pete Domenici. I don't know if I am going to
measure the courage to say goodbye to the Senate, but that
will wait until next week.
I remember going back to a day when the Republican
leader, then Bob Dole, came to me. I adored him, as I do
to this day. He said to me, ``You need to do something for
the Senate.''
I said, ``What is that?''
He said, ``I want you to give up your seat on the Rules
Committee because the Senate has been joined by a young
man who I believe can best serve the Senate--because of
the complexities of the rules of the Senate, because of
the problems that face the Senate--if he were to serve on
this committee.'' Senator Dole said, ``I will assure you
if you wish to return you may do so without loss of
seniority or otherwise.''
So I said, ``Who is this man?''
And he described him.
I said, ``Well, if that is for the best interests of the
Senate, I will step down.''
I did, and you, Mitch McConnell, joined the Rules
Committee. Not long after that, Dole again expressed his
appreciation to me, and he said, ``You know, I predict
that someday that man will become the Republican leader of
the Senate.
I was a bit taken aback. I hadn't been here that long,
but that is quite a prediction for someone to make.
Well, it has come true. It is almost as if the hand of
Providence has directed it because here, in these final
hours, these final days that my dear friend, Senator
Domenici and I will serve in this institution, we will be
a part of making a decision, a decision with regard to the
future of America and our economy. It is a decision of a
magnitude that I am not sure any other Senate has made in
its 218-year history, save perhaps during the Civil War, a
decision that this body will make affecting every single
American.
I just say in concluding, the Senate, the country is
fortunate to have you and others in the leadership role in
this institution today, on both sides of the aisle, to
guide us through to make that decision. That comes from my
heart.
Good luck, God bless you, bless the leadership of the
Senate and every Member of this institution as we assemble
within the coming days, each of us in our seat, to cast
this most important vote.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I want to make a few
comments about my good friend, Senator John Warner from
Virginia. When you first come to this body, you get to
know people. Soon I got to know him as a Senator's
Senator, because he was one of those people who was always
trying to bring people together and take on the major
issues that confront our country.
I had the distinct honor of traveling to Iraq and other
countries with him and with the distinguished presiding
officer. I admired the relationship between Senator Levin
and Senator Warner as a template for how things should run
in Washington, DC, as we represent the 325 million people
of America. There are two people from two different
parties who work together to make sure that what we were
doing was the very best job that we could to protect
America.
So you are, both the presiding officer as well as
Senator Warner, two of my most significant role models in
this Chamber. I admire you both for your service.
The Senator from Virginia was a member of pulling
together the Gang of 14. It was now some 2 years ago when
we were debating whether there would be a ``nuclear
option'' and whether we would move forward in saving some
of the procedures and the very functioning of the
institution of the Senate. I remember working in awe with
him as he and Senator Byrd and others worked on that
historic document at that time, and on so many other
occasions where he has been the person who has been the
glue to bring people together. So he is a Senator's
Senator, because he is such a proud American and such a
wonderful leader for Virginia and for the Senate.
But he also is a wonderful Senator because he has a very
unique ability of bringing people together. I would hope
that all of us, the 100 Members of this Chamber, always
continue to look to him for the kind of inspiration and
great example he has been.
I yield the floor.
Mr. McCAIN. ... Before explaining my concerns with this
bill, let me take a moment to express my sincere gratitude
to Senator Warner for his many years of service to this
Nation, not the least of which are 30 well-spent years in
the Senate where he has been a consistent and steadfast
champion of our men and women in uniform. Senator Warner
has been instrumental in providing needed oversight of the
Department of Defense, and in ensuring that our soldiers
are well trained, well equipped, and that they and their
families are well provided for. I am particularly grateful
for his contributions during this Congress when he so
frequently stepped in on my behalf. Let me be clear that
my concerns with this year's bill reflect in no way on
Senator Warner's outstanding efforts: He deserves much
credit for the many exemplary provisions contained in this
bill. ...
Mr. AKAKA. ... I want to take this last opportunity to
extend my warmest aloha to my friend and colleague Senator
Warner who managed this bill on the minority side. In my
many years of serving with Senator Warner on the Armed
Services Committee, I have never failed to be impressed by
his character, graciousness, and collegiality. Mahalo Nui
Loa for your friendship and for all that you have done for
our Nation and the members of our armed services in
particular.
Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, first, let me thank the
presiding officer.
This is a bittersweet moment for me. This will be the
last time the Senator from Virginia and I will be standing
here and celebrating the passage of a defense
authorization bill. We stood together in support of these
bills and the men and women of our Armed Forces for 30
years. In this particular case--there have been previous
examples of this, but this is perhaps the most dramatic
one--we would not be standing here with a bill in hand now
going to the White House but for the courage of the
Senator from Virginia.
I will not go into all the details as to how that came
about, but it is because of his commitment to the men and
women in uniform that we have a bill. We would not have a
bill this year except that he took the steps which he was
determined to take as a Senator of this Nation--not just
of Virginia--to support the men and women in uniform.
So on behalf of 25 committee members, 45 committee staff
members, 2.3 million active duty and reserve members of
the military and their families, I offer a heartfelt
thanks for them for a job always well done by the Senator
from Virginia.
I will have more to say about the Senator from Virginia
also next week. But for the time being, let me say this:
In the future, when we cannot seem to find our way out of
the difficult situations that a bill of this magnitude and
complexity get us into, people will say: ``Well, what
would John Warner have done?'' That will be the question
we will ask. When we ask that question, the right answers
will follow. I thank my dear friend.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Madam President, I thank my dear friend. If
I could take a moment. I wish to join the Senator in
thanking our respective leaders, Senator Reid, Senator
McConnell and the members of the committee and the staff,
once again, and indeed the members of the leadership staff
and the floor staff who made this bill possible.
I wish to tell a short personal story since this is my
last bill.
I just walked through Senator Reid's office. He asked me
to come in and visit with him privately for a minute. As I
passed by, I looked up on the wall, and there was a
portrait of Harry Truman. I had the privilege of serving
in the Navy in World War II--the closing year of World War
II--as a young 17-, 18-year-old sailor, never dreaming I
would ever be a Senator--that was the furthest thing from
my mind--a 17-, 18-year-old sailor.
It was one of the darkest hours of the United States.
Roosevelt was then President. Truman was Vice President.
It was the winter of 1945. I, similar to so many young men
at that time--and those women who joined the military
also--signed up and volunteered. We wanted to be a part of
this. The war had gone unexpectedly the wrong way in
Europe for a while when Hitler trapped our divisions and
Allied divisions in the Battle of the Bulge. Iwo Jima was
under way. Okinawa, a terrific battle, was on the horizon.
America was all together, and we were determined to
establish our freedom in the world. I remember my first
night--I had been on a steam train for about 2 days,
working its way up to the Great Lakes Naval Training
Station. It would stop at the station, and 17-, 18-year-
old guys would get on the train, and they would be in
those old cars, cold, shivering, with no food that I can
remember to speak of. We arrived at the Great Lakes at
about 4 a.m. We all were herded off the train into a great
big gymnasium. A fellow, a chief petty officer--he was as
big around as he was tall; I remember a very big fellow--
got up, and he had a bullhorn, and shouted at us. I
remember the words--here it was 65 years ago, 66 years
ago--as if it were this minute. He said, ``All you guys
who can't read and write, raise your hand.''
Well, I had been in a wonderful home. My father provided
well as a medical doctor, with the best of schools, even
though I left school to join the Navy. I did not know
people who did not know how to read and write. Some of the
other guys' hands were raised, and the fellow said through
the bullhorn: ``All right, you smart guys, fill out the
forms for the others.'' So I and others went over to help
those people fill out their forms--put their X on it. The
next day, we were in the training camps side by side, all
training.
Those men went on to different tasks in the military but
important tasks. There were many jobs in our military that
did not require an education, but they were as important a
part of the force as those of us, I guess, who felt we
were a little smarter.
But why do I tell that story? I later served in the
Marines. So I look back over these 60 years. I have spent
a great deal of my life associated with the men and women
of the Armed Forces. My active service is of no great
consequence.
But the thing I have always remembered is that you and
I, as a team, I say to the Senator--all these years we
have been working here, we have been working to improve
and make possible that the current generation of young men
going into the uniform, and women, have the same
advantages my generation had: The GI bill--working with
Senator Webb recently to get that through.
I always feel I am a Senator today because of all the
military men and women whom I have served with, who have
trained me, who have disciplined me, who have inspired me.
They performed the same duty I did that cold night in
1945. They have helped me fill out the forms. I have
learned from them, have had the wisdom to work with you
and others to put together these legislative measures for
their benefit.
So I close my last words thanking all those in uniform
who have so generously given to me their wisdom, their
friendship, their inspiration, and their courage to do
what little I have been able to do as a Senator to help me
fill out the forms and put my X on this my last bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.
Mr. LEVIN. Well, Madam President, the men and women of
this Nation would be grateful to John Warner if they knew
him, had that honor of knowing him. They have been
benefited by him even though they will never know him.
Maybe as a 17-year-old sailor back in 1945, the last thing
in his mind was that he would ever be a Senator. There is
something about this Nation that makes it possible for men
and women--in this case a man such as John Warner--to rise
to the very top of the respect of his countrymen and
women. It has been a true pleasure and honor to serve with
him.
I, again, will have more to say about that next week.
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.
I particularly wish to say a word about a colleague of
the occupant of the chair, Senator Warner of Virginia.
Senator Webb was kind enough to ask me to join him in a
tribute to John Warner, and I wish to say a few words
about him because our lives have intersected so much in
service here.
I begin by quoting another great Virginian, Thomas
Jefferson, who, when he arrived in Paris as U.S. Minister
to France--what we would now call an Ambassador--presented
himself to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs. The
French Minister of Foreign Affairs asked Jefferson,
because he was replacing Benjamin Franklin, ``Do you
replace Monsieur Franklin?'' Jefferson replied, ``I
succeed him. No one can replace him.''
I would say of another great Virginian, John Warner,
that no one can replace John Warner. He is a Senator's
Senator, a patriot, a true servant of our country and of
his beloved State, the Commonwealth of Virginia, all of
which will be forever grateful for his lifetime of service
and dedication.
Senator Warner began his service to our country at the
age of 17. Let me say, generally, without revealing his
exact age, that would be more than 60 years ago. He
enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1950, at
the outbreak of the Korean war, he interrupted his studies
of law to return to active military duty. Similar to so
many who served our country in that period--and I meet
them all the time in Connecticut, particularly World War
II veterans, the ones, for instance, whose families will
call and say, ``My dad or my grandfather thinks he may
have been entitled to a medal, but he never got it''--they
rushed back after the war to return to their families and
to their work. We check the records. In almost every case,
in fact, these veterans of World War II deserve medals. In
almost every case, when we give the medals to them, as I
have had the honor to do on many occasions, the veterans
of World War II will say, ``I didn't want this for myself.
I wanted it for my grandchildren.'' Then they almost
always say, ``I am no hero, I am an ordinary American
called to serve our country in a time of crisis.''
The truth is, these veterans and those who followed them
in succeeding conflicts, including the distinguished
occupant of the chair, may each think of themselves as
ordinary Americans but, in fact, together they have
protected America's security and saved our freedom. Those
veterans of World War II defeated the threats of fascism
and nazism. Think about what the world would be like if
our enemies in World War II had triumphed and think about
the extraordinary period of progress and economic growth
that followed after the successful conclusion of World War
II.
John Warner was part of that. His service continued. In
1969, he was appointed Under Secretary of the Navy. From
1972 to 1974, he served as Secretary of the Navy.
Throughout the rest of his career, including his long,
distinguished, and productive service on the Senate Armed
Services Committee, John Warner has shown unwavering
support for the men and women of the Armed Forces and, of
course, in a larger sense, unwavering support for the
security of America and the ideal of freedom which was the
animating impulse and purpose that motivated Jefferson and
all the other Founders to create America, a country
created on an ideal, with a purpose, with a mission, with
a destiny. John Warner has always understood that. The
fact that he is a Virginian is part of that understanding.
It has been my great honor to serve with John Warner in
the Senate, particularly on the Armed Services Committee,
where over the years I have come to work with him. Senator
Warner is a great gentleman, a word that can be used
lightly but belongs with Senator Warner, a person of
personal grace, of civility, of honor, of good humor,
someone who in his service here has always looked for the
common ground. As all of us know, when we make an
agreement with John Warner, even on the most controversial
circumstance, his word sticks. He keeps the agreement, no
matter how difficult the political crosscurrent may be. He
has had an extraordinary record of productive service to
America and to Virginia.
One of the things I cherish is that in January 1991,
after Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, I was asked to
join with Senator Warner to co-sponsor the resolution
which authorized the Commander in Chief to take military
action to push Saddam Hussein and Iraqi forces out of
Kuwait which they, of course, did successfully,
heroically, and with great effect on the stability and
future of the Middle East. It turned out that in 2003,
when it came time again for the Senate to decide whether
we were prepared to authorize yet another Commander in
Chief to take military action to overthrow Saddam
Hussein--and I don't need to talk about the causes for
which we argued for that case--Senator Warner asked me if
I would join him again as a co-sponsor. It was a great
honor for me to do that, and it passed overwhelmingly with
a bipartisan vote.
In a very special way, notwithstanding this kind of work
and work we did together, for instance, to establish the
Joint Forces Command, located in Norfolk, VA, to make real
the promise of joint war fighting that was inherent to the
Goldwater-Nichols legislation but was not quite realized,
I worked with Senator Warner and Senator Coats, a former
colleague from Indiana, to accomplish that.
Fresh in my mind and expressive of the range of John
Warner's interest and of his commitment to the greater
public good was the fact that at the beginning of this
session of Congress, he sought to become the ranking
member of the Subcommittee on Climate Change of the
Environment Committee, which I was privileged to about to
be chair of. We talked about the problem. John didn't, as
this challenge to mankind has taken shape, rush to the
front of it. He was skeptical. He listened. He read. He
concluded the planet is warming, that it represents a
profound threat to the future of the American people,
people all around the globe, and that it represents a
threat to our national security, which has been the
animating, driving impulse of his public service. We
talked and decided to join together. I call it the Warner-
Lieberman Climate Security Act; he calls it the Lieberman-
Warner Climate Security Act, which is a measure of the
relationship we have had and his graciousness. Without his
co-sponsorship, we would not have gotten it out of
subcommittee, first time ever. We wouldn't have gotten it
out of the Environment Committee, first time ever reported
favorably on this important challenge to the Senate floor.
We wouldn't have been able to achieve the support of 54
Members of the Senate, the first time a majority of
Members of the Senate said we have to do something about
global warming, including our colleagues, Senator McCain
and Senator Obama, which means the next President will be
a proactive leader and partner with Congress in the effort
to do something about climate change. It wouldn't have
happened without the support of John Warner, a final
extraordinary act of leadership by this great Senator.
He has a lot of great years left in him. I hope we can
find a way for him to continue to be part of the work all
of us have to do: One, to keep our country secure--and
there is no one with more expertise and a more profound
commitment to that--and, two, to get America to assume its
proper leadership role in the global effort to curb global
warming.
He is a dear friend, a great man. It has been a
wonderful honor to serve with him. I pray he and his wife
and all his family, beloved children and grandchildren,
will be blessed by God with many more good years together.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to ask my
colleagues to join me in voting for cloture on this
important rail safety and Amtrak reauthorization bill. I
am pleased to be doing this with the distinguished Senator
from Texas, Mrs. Hutchison, and am particularly delighted
to have the chance to share in the twilight area of the
distinguished career of the senior Senator from Virginia
on this issue. John Warner and I have been friends for
many years. We both had some military experience in World
War II, and Senator Warner went on to Korea to continue
his duty. We are grateful for not only his duty in the
military but his service to the country. Senator Warner is
a man with balance and sensitivity. It doesn't mean he
always agrees, and when he doesn't, you know that. He is
not hesitant to let you know that he disagrees, but he
always does it as a gentleman and always with a courtly
touch, if I might say. ...
Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, I do appreciate the
leadership on this bill. I am particularly honored to
serve with John Warner. He has been involved with so many
great victories here, great leadership. He will certainly
be missed. ...
Mr. CARDIN. Senator, you have been an inspiration to all
of us on these issues and a model for how we should work
together on regional issues. I congratulate you for a
great record in the Senate.
Mr. WARNER. Thank you. I have been a lucky man.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware is
recognized.
Mr. CARPER. I say to my leader, from my days as a naval
flight officer, how privileged I have been having served
in Southeast Asia, to serve under his leadership when he
was Secretary of the Navy and I was a young naval flight
officer, pleased to serve under his leadership then, and
delighted to be able to follow his leadership here again
today on the important legislation we have been voting and
debating here.
I wish to comment on what Senator Cardin said. You
provided an example for us regarding how we are supposed
to treat other people. You treat other people the way you
wish to be treated. You are an embodiment of the Golden
Rule.
If you look in the Bible, it talks about the two great
commandments. The second one is to love thy neighbor as
thyself; treat other people the way you want to be
treated. You certainly embody that. I, personally, am
going to miss you. I know a lot of others are as well.
You talk about passing the mantle to Senator Cardin.
Your mantle is so heavy, it is amazing to me you can even
walk around, all you have done and all you have
accomplished.
You are the best. It has been an honor to serve with
you, again, here in this capacity.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my good friend and
colleague from Delaware. ...
Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I know this afternoon at some
point the majority leader intends to speak about the
service of a number of the Members of this body who are
going to be retiring at the end of the year. But seeing
that people are elsewhere right now, I thought I might
seize this moment and say a few words about two of my
Republican colleagues with whom I have had long
relationships, and both of whom I respect a great deal,
and to wish both of them success as they leave this body.
The first is Senator John Warner. Right now, with the
situation facing this country, we are in more turmoil, we
are facing greater problems than at any time, probably,
since the combination of the Great Depression and the end
of World War II. We need people who are willing to work to
solve the problems of this country rather than simply
falling back into partisan rhetoric or simple party
loyalties.
I think it can fairly be said that throughout his
lifetime of service, and particularly his service in
politics, there is one thing everyone can agree on about
John Warner: He has always put the interests of the people
of Virginia and the people of this country ahead of
political party. He has been very clear at different times
that he and I are in different parties. But this is an
individual who has served this body with great wisdom and
a deeply ingrained sense of fairness, and someone who has
the temperament and the moral courage of a great leader.
Our senior Senator has a history and a family heritage
involving public service. If you go into Senator Warner's
office, you will see a picture of a great uncle who lost
his arm serving in the War between the States. His father
was an Army doctor who participated in some of the most
difficult campaigns of World War I. Senator Warner himself
enlisted at the age of 17 in the Navy toward the end of
World War II and was able to take advantage of the GI bill
to go to college. Then when the Korean war came about, he
joined the Marine Corps, went to Korea as an officer of
Marines, and, in fact, remained as a member of the Marine
Corps Reserve for some period of time.
He, as most of us know, gave great service in a civilian
capacity in the Pentagon. He had more than 5 years in the
Pentagon, first as Under Secretary of the Navy, and then
as Secretary of the Navy, and after leaving as Secretary
of the Navy, was the official responsible for putting
together our bicentennial celebrations in 1976.
I first came to know John Warner my last year in the
Marine Corps when I was a 25-year-old captain and was
assigned, after having served in Vietnam, as a member of
the Secretary of the Navy's staff. John Warner was the
Under Secretary at the time. John Chafee--later also to
serve in this body--was the Secretary. Then, toward the
end of my time in the Marine Corps, John Warner was the
Secretary of the Navy and, in fact, retired me from the
Marine Corps in front of his desk when he was Secretary of
the Navy. I have been privileged to know him since that
time.
I was privileged to follow him in the Pentagon, when I
spent 5 years in the Pentagon and also was able to serve
as Secretary of the Navy.
Shortly after I was elected to this body, Senator Warner
and I sat down and worked out a relationship that I think,
hopefully, can serve as a model for people who want to
serve the country and solve the problems that exist, even
if they are on different sides of this Chamber. We figured
out what we were not going to agree upon, and then we
figured out what we were going to be able to agree upon. I
think it is a model of bipartisan cooperation on a wide
range of issues, ranging from the nomination of Federal
judges, to critical infrastructure projects in the
Commonwealth of Virginia, to issues facing our men and
women in uniform, to issues of national policy.
It has been a great inspiration for me, it has been a
great privilege for me to be able to work with Senator
Warner over these past 2 years.
Last week was a good example of how bipartisan
cooperation, looking to the common good, can bring about
good results when Judge Anthony Trenga made it through the
confirmation process, an individual whom Senator Warner
and I had interviewed and jointly recommended both to the
White House and to the Judiciary Committee.
I am particularly mindful--I see the Senator; the senior
Senator has joined us on the floor--I particularly am
mindful of the journey I took upon myself my first day as
a Member of the Senate when I introduced a piece of
legislation designed to give those who have been serving
since 9/11 the same educational opportunities as the men
and women who served during World War II.
Perhaps the key moment in that journey, which over 16
months eventually allowed us to have 58 co-sponsors of
that legislation, including 11 Republicans, was when
Senator Warner stepped across the aisle and joined me as a
principal co-sponsor, and we developed 4 lead sponsors on
that legislation--2 Republicans, 2 Democrats; 2 World War
II veterans, 2 Vietnam veterans--that enabled us to get
the broad support of the Congress and eventually pass that
legislation. History is going to remember John Warner as a
man who accomplished much here during his distinguished
tenure. He was the first Virginia Senator to support an
African American for the Federal bench. He was the first
to support a woman. He was the first Virginia Senator to
offer wilderness legislation. Senator Warner has never
wavered in his determination to do what is right for
America, even when it caused him from time to time to
break with the leadership of his own party.
There are important legacies, but perhaps more than
anything else, we will remember Senator John Warner's
tenure here as having been a positive force for the people
who serve in uniform. There is not a person serving in the
U.S. military today or who has served over the past 30
years whose life has not been touched by the leadership
and the policies of John Warner and whose military service
has not been better because of Senator Warner. As a
veteran, as someone who has served in the Pentagon, and as
someone who served on the Armed Services Committee, he
understood the dynamic under which they had to live,
understood the challenges they had to face when they
served, and understood the gravity of the cost of military
service. Senator John Warner has stood second to none in
protecting our troops and their way of life.
When John Warner announced his retirement 13 months ago
on the grounds of the University of Virginia, he reminded
us that at the end of the day, public service is a rare
privilege. In my work with him over these many years, and
particularly over the last 2 years, I can attest to the
fact that he certainly approaches this work in that humble
spirit.
So on behalf of the people of Virginia and all those who
have worn the uniform of the United States in the past 30
years, I wish to thank Senator Warner for his
exceptionally talented leadership and all he and his staff
have done for our State and for our country. This
institution will miss John Warner, his kindness, his
humility, his wisdom, and his dedicated service. I know we
in Virginia will continue to benefit from his advice and
his counsel for many years to come.
Mr. President, I also wish to say a few words today
about Senator Chuck Hagel, who will be leaving this body.
Chuck Hagel and I have known each other for more than 30
years. We both came to Washington as young Vietnam
veterans, determined to try to take care of the
readjustment needs of those who had served in Vietnam.
Senator Hagel had been an infantry sergeant in Vietnam;
wounded, came up, worked in the Senate for awhile, became
a high-ranking official in the Veterans' Administration.
He later ran the USO before he came to this body. He is
known in this body as an expert on foreign affairs.
Again, as with Senator John Warner, he is someone who
puts country first, who puts the needs of the people who
do the hard work of society first. It has been a rare
privilege for me to have made a journey with someone,
beginning in the same spot in the late 1970s and ending up
here in the Senate. I know this country will hear more
from Chuck Hagel in the future. I certainly wish him well.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The senior Senator from Virginia
is recognized.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I am very deeply moved by
this moment. As a matter of fact, now--this is just a
month or so short of 30 years--I can't think of another
opportunity or moment in the Senate when I have been so
moved and so grateful to a fellow Senator. I have served
with five individuals, you being the fifth now, in the
Senate to come from Virginia, to form the team we have all
had, some different in different ways, but generally
speaking, Virginia's two Senators have worked together on
behalf of not only the Commonwealth but what is best for
the United States.
I remember one time so vividly we stood together here at
the desk on a rather complex issue, and there were clear
political reasons for us to vote in a certain way. You
turned to me and you asked what I was going to do, and I
replied, and you said, ``That is what I will do because
that is in the best interests of the country though it may
not be politically to our benefit, or possibly to our
State.'' That is this fine man with whom I finished my
career in the Senate as my full partner and, most
important, my deep and respected friend. Our relationship,
as you so stated, started over 30 years ago when we worked
with the Navy Secretary together.
You mentioned Vietnam. To this day, I think about that
chapter in my life. I remember John Chafee, whom I am sure
you recall very well. He and I one time were asked to go
down to the Mall. The Secretary of Defense sent us down
there, and we put on old clothes and went down, and there
were a million young men and women--over a million--
expressing their concerns about the loss of life, the war
in Vietnam, and how the leadership of this country had not
given, I believe, the fullest of support to those such as
yourself, Senator, and Senator Hagel, who fought so
valiantly and courageously in that war. I might add a
footnote that Senator Chafee or then-Secretary of the Navy
Chafee, and I, Under Secretary went back from the Mall
directly to the Secretary of Defense and sat in his
office, and that was sort of the beginning of the concept
of ``Vietnamization'' when we tried to lay those plans to
bring our forces home.
But anyway, in the years that passed, I remember so well
working with Senator Mathias on the original legislation
to establish the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I felt
strongly that it would be some tribute fitting to the men
and women who served, as you did, so valiantly during that
period. I think time has proven that while there was
enormous controversy about that memorial, it has in a very
significant measure helped those families and others who
bore the brunt of that conflict, you being among them.
I thank the Senator from Virginia for working together
this short period we have been here. As I leave, I leave
with a sense of knowing that for our Virginia, but perhaps
even more important, for the United States of America,
there is one man in Senator Webb who will always do what
is right for his country and will fear absolutely no one
in trying to carry out that mission. Whether it be a vote
or a piece of legislation, or whatever it may be, he will
persevere. He showed that on the GI bill legislation.
I was privileged, as I might say, just to be a corporal
in your squad on that, but you led that squad with the
same courage that you fought with in Vietnam and that you
will fight with today and tomorrow and so long as you are
a Member of the Senate. I hope perhaps maybe you might
exceed my career of 30 years in the Senate, and that
wonderful family of yours will give you the support that
my family--my lovely wife today and my children--have
given me so that I could serve here in the Senate.
America will always look down on you as a proud son. I
don't know what the future may be, but I know there are
further steps of greatness that you will achieve, Senator.
I wish you the best of luck from the depths of my heart. I
thank you for these words today, similar to words we have
shared, both of us, in speaking of our working partnership
here in the Senate. I thank you, sir. I salute you.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, if I might address the senior
Senator through the Chair, it is a rare opportunity to say
something like this on the Senate floor, but I will
reiterate my appreciation for the leadership the senior
Senator from Virginia has shown in my case since 1971--it
is hard to believe--and for the example he has set here in
the Senate for 30 years in terms of how to conduct the
business of government. I can think of no one with whom I
would rather have shared the past 2 years in terms of
learning the business of the Senate and having something
of a handoff here in terms of how we take care of the good
people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. There is only one
other person in this body I can say these words to, but I
say them from my heart: Semper fidelis, John Warner. Thank
you very much.
Mr. WARNER. I thank you.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Mr. BOND. Mr. President, today I join my colleagues in
saying goodbye, thank you, and best wishes to good friends
leaving the Senate, especially a couple of Senators with
long and distinguished service. One of those, who has been
a hero of mine for a long time and has become a good
friend, is John Warner. He is a Member in the Senate well
known for his patriotism, for his long service to both his
State and his Nation, and perhaps more than any other
Member of the Senate, he is known for being a gentleman in
the true meaning of the word. I would say he is a Senator
to whom we can all look up to. I did when I arrived, and
from the beginning I learned a great deal.
Now, as a fellow UVA Law grad, my good friend, the
squire from Virginia, John Warner, who is retiring after
30 years of service, has left an indelible mark on this
body. We will miss as much, though, the presence of his
wonderful wife Jeanne. I think all of us in the Senate, at
Senate gatherings, at Senate family affairs, know how much
Jeanne adds to our family. She is truly a wonderful lady.
She has cleaned up the squire a good bit. My wife Linda
and I enjoy and look forward to seeing Jeanne and John
after their service in the Senate because we are good
friends.
Not only do John and I share the UVA Law connections,
but he and I were on a panel at his school, St. Albans,
along with several other distinguished Members of the
Senate, and we had the opportunity to go back to the
school that he had attended and my son attended.
Let me go back to what John Warner has done in his
impressive 30 years in the Senate. His service to the
country began long before he was elected to this body in
1978. At age 17, John chose not to go back to St. Albans
immediately but first chose to serve his country,
enlisting in the U.S. Navy to help keep our Nation safe
from Nazi Germany.
He, again, answered his Nation's call to service at the
outbreak of the Korean war, when he served in the U.S.
Marine Corps.
Since his service in our Armed Forces, John has been a
tireless advocate for our military and for our veterans.
For the soldier returning home after service, John has
worked to improve the care our veterans receive, the care
a grateful Nation owes each and every one of our brave
volunteers.
As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, as vice
chairman, as a ranking member, as a leader in the Armed
Services Committee, John has worked to ensure that the
military, particularly our troops on the field in battle,
have the equipment and the resources they need.
Under John's watch, the Senate always passed a defense
authorization bill, a feat that is not only achievable
because of John's skill but because of the respect he has
for Members on both sides of the aisle.
John used this legislation year after year to modernize
our military to make sure they met 21st century needs. In
this way and all others, John embodies the motto of his
esteemed undergraduate Virginia school, Washington and
Lee, which is ``Not Unmindful of the Future.''
John has always kept that responsibility to the future
in mind as he has worked to keep our fighting forces the
best in the world.
But he has also done much in other areas. It has been my
pleasure to work with him on the Environment and Public
Works Committee. He was an invaluable leader, from whom I
learned much. He was a great friend in passing the highway
bill in 1998. I followed his work later on while working
on the current highway bill. I owe a great deal to the
skill, to the advice, and the leadership he provided in
making sure we could meet the needs of our highways and
our bridges. His guidance and leadership were extremely
vital for the success of the bill I worked on. He has also
kept his responsibility of the future in mind during his
tenure on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
It has been an honor, a pleasure, and a treat to fight
side by side with John on the Intelligence Committee. He
has always been looking to the future, to all our futures.
He worked on the committee to help us prevent another
devastating attack on our soil such as 9/11.
John was an invaluable ally on the committee in our
efforts to reform and oversee our intelligence operations.
With John's help, we passed probably the most important
legislation I have had the opportunity to lead--the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act--to assure we had an
early warning system against terrorist attacks.
Because of John's work in the Senate, his heart on the
battlefield, our Nation is not only a safer place but,
under his guidance, wisdom, and leadership, it has become
a much better place.
It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve
with John Warner. He is an icon of the Senate. He will be
missed for his ability to work across the aisle, for
putting his country first, and for the friendship with
Jeanne, his wife, and the rest of us. I join my colleagues
in congratulating the Senator and his wife and thanking
John for his many years of service.
I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
Ms. COLLINS. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President,
throughout our Nation's history, the Commonwealth of
Virginia has provided leaders of uncommon courage,
dedication, and vision. The names that are revered in the
Old Dominion are honored across America: Washington,
Jefferson, Monroe, Mason, and Henry, to name but a few.
Today, as the 110th Congress draws to a close, we say
farewell to another great Virginian, a great patriot,
public servant, and distinguished colleague whose name
history will add to that honor roll: the name of our
friend and colleague, Senator John Warner.
Senator Warner's career mirrors those of the Founding
Fathers in many ways. During World War II, when freedom
was under attack, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy at just 17
years of age.
Following the war, he rejoined civilian life, earned a
college degree, and entered law school. At the outbreak of
the Korean war, he suspended his studies to serve his
Nation once again, this time as an officer in the U.S.
Marine Corps.
After he returned from Korea, he completed his law
degree but remained an officer in the Reserves, always
ready to answer the call of his Nation. Senator John
Warner truly exemplifies the American tradition of the
citizen soldier.
As a civilian, John Warner continued to serve: as an
assistant U.S. attorney, as Under Secretary of the Navy,
and as Secretary of the Navy. During his 5 years in the
Navy's Secretariat, he demonstrated another American
tradition: a commitment to both military strength and
diplomacy.
It is fitting that one so steeped in the best of
America's traditions was chosen by the President, in 1976,
to coordinate our Nation's bicentennial celebrations in
all 50 States and in 22 foreign countries.
It was in 1978 that the wise citizens of Virginia sent
John Warner to the U.S. Senate. For 30 years, the people
of America have been grateful. The hallmark of Senator
Warner's service in the Senate has been his absolute and
unwavering commitment to a strong national defense. It has
been my honor to serve with him on two committees that
bear directly upon that commitment--the Senate Armed
Services Committee and the Senate Homeland Security
Committee.
As the chairman and ranking member of the Armed Services
Committee, Senator Warner has consistently upheld the
pledge he took to defend America when he enlisted in the
Navy 63 years ago. His support for our men and women in
uniform, for their families, and for our veterans is
unwavering. He has been an effective and strong advocate
for modernizing our military to meet the challenges of the
21st century.
Senator Warner also understands that America's future
does not just depend upon defending our Nation against
attack. I am proud to have worked with him on climate
change legislation, and his leadership on the America's
Climate Security Act with our friend, Senator Joe
Lieberman, demonstrates his commitment to protecting our
environment and to securing our energy future.
Senator Warner's career has been defined by his
involvement in some of the most pressing issues of our
time. But he has also worked hard on those seemingly
smaller issues that make a big difference in people's
lives. As just one example, he joined me in authoring the
tax deduction for teachers who spend their own money on
classroom supplies. Whether in uniform or in our
classrooms, John Warner believes those who serve have
earned our gratitude and our support.
Also we remember John Warner's pivotal role at a time
when our institution of the Senate was at a threshold of
chaos and dysfunction. I refer to his leadership in the
so-called Gang of 14, which worked out a compromise on
judicial nominations that helped save this institution
from what would have otherwise been a very bleak time.
Senator Warner has continued and enhanced the best
traditions of this Nation and of the Commonwealth of
Virginia in countless ways. One that must be mentioned,
before I conclude my remarks, is his unfailing civility
and courtesy toward his Senate colleagues. Regardless of
the significance of the issue or the intensity of the
debate or the strength of his colleagues' feelings,
Senator Warner has always tempered staunch advocacy for
his convictions with the utmost respect for the
convictions of others.
On a personal note, he has been a wonderful friend and
mentor to me, the Senator from Maine. I know all Americans
join me today in thanking Senator John Warner for his
dedicated decades of service to his country, whether in
times of peace or war, and in wishing him all the best in
the years to come.
Thank you, Mr. President.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it is sometimes somewhat
breathless to be seated on this Senate floor knowing that
just maybe 48 hours remain of my career in the Senate. I
shall remain in office through early January, but I tell
you, it takes me a few minutes to assemble my thoughts.
But in your case, I would say: Look at the many things we
have worked on together.
This fine Senator is so proud of the Naval installations
in her State. We visited the shipyard together, indeed the
facilities at Portsmouth. The ships are made there. The
ships are berthed there. It has been home to the U.S.
Navy, I imagine, from the earliest days of the formation
of our Colonies and the first of the ships we had.
I hope what I am about to say is fully understood. But
those of us--I have had some modest career in the Navy in
my lifetime--always refer to the ship in an affectionate
way, as if it were a female. Indeed, it does protect the
sailors at sea with its steadiness and its seaworthiness,
and we often refer to the ships as the fighting lady.
I say to the Senator, I would hope that you would accept
that as an accolade, the fighting lady from Maine. We have
watched you under the toughest of circumstances. One time
I remember working with you and your tenacity was fierce,
and you really sort of turned back a lot of my thoughts
which I thought were so important. But it worked out in
the end. You prevailed and that was the development of the
legislation which reconstructed, reformulated so much of
our intelligence community. That was truly a masterful
accomplishment on your part.
Again, the reason I am a bit breathless is when I first
came to the Senate, these 30 years ago, there were not any
ladies in the Senate at that time. We were joined in my
class by Nancy Kassebaum from Kansas, a wonderful lady.
Believe me, she very quickly established her own stature.
We all admired her tremendously as a very strong Senator,
which she was throughout her career. But from that small
beginning commenced the transformation of the Senate in
many ways--from the one lady--she certainly was a fighting
lady, too--to where today we have many. As a matter of
fact, we do not even count them anymore because they just
have gotten into the full fabric of the Senate and
everybody is just totally unconscious to that except, I
guess, people like myself, with a wandering eye,
constantly taking a look at the dress one day and
complimenting my dear friends.
But on a serious note, we have had a marvelous, strong
friendship and working relationship, and I shall miss you
dearly, as I will this institution. But I do leave with
the thought that you are one of the great strengths of
this institution which will be called upon, as it is in
this hour. The Nation calls upon this body to save it.
I was looking last night, as I was trying to drift off
to rest, at the famous poem that was written, ``O Ship of
State.'' Do you remember that poem? And America today is
looking to its Congress like few times in history. ``O
Ship of State''--I have that poem on my desk.
At this time, I ask unanimous consent to have that poem
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
O Ship of State
(By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Thou, too, sail on, O Ship of State!
Sail on, O Union, strong and great!
Humanity with all its fears,
With all the hopes of future years,
Is hanging breathless on thy fate!
We know what Master laid thy keel,
What Workmen wrought thy ribs of steel,
Who made each mast, and sail, and rope,
What anvils rang, what hammers beat,
In what a forge and what a heat
Were shaped the anchors of thy hope!
Fear not each sudden sound and shock,
'Tis of the wave and not the rock;
'Tis but the flapping of the sail,
And not a rent made by the gale!
In spite of rock and tempest's roar,
In spite of false lights on the shore,
Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea!
Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee.
Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears,
Our faith triumphant o'er our fears,
Are all with thee,--are all with thee!
Mr. WARNER. I see the Senator is desiring to speak.
But those two things remind me that this great Ship of
State will sail on and you will be at the helm. I wish you
the best.
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I thank the Senator from
Virginia for his very kind and thoughtful comments. At a
time when we are attempting to pay tribute to him, he, of
course, is gracious to others.
I thank the Senator from New Jersey for his tolerance on
the extra time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the
Senator from New Jersey is recognized.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I ask unanimous consent to speak as in
morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I was happy to yield to the
distinguished Senator from Maine on her recognition of
Senator Warner. I certainly join in her comments about
Senator Warner, as we did recently when the Senator
appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and
recognized his tremendous service to this institution and
to the country. I often say, as I said to him before at
the hearing, that, in fact, I am privileged I came to the
Senate at a time when I got to serve with John Warner and
to see some of the finest traditions of service in this
country. I appreciate his tremendous service, not just to
the people of Virginia but to the people of this Nation.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank the gracious Senator
from New Jersey. I appreciate those remarks. Although it
has been short lived, we have had a good, strong working
relationship; not always on the same side on several
issues, but that is what democracy is all about. I thank
the Senator.
Mr. MENENDEZ. I thank the distinguished Senator from
Virginia.
Mr. DODD. This is not a prearranged or prestaged event.
It was my intent at this moment to spend a few minutes
talking about my friend from Virginia with whom I have
just shared, once again, another memorable moment, as he
talks about the moment we are in. That is characteristic
of my friend from Virginia. One of the reasons he will be
missed, with his well-deserved retirement, is that
throughout my 28 years here--actually I have known John
Warner a bit longer than that, but we have served here
together for almost three decades--in every moment I can
think of that we have been in a moment not unlike the
moment we are in--none quite so grave economically--it has
always been the posture and position of John Warner to see
this body not as one that is divided by this architectural
divide that separates us by party, which must confound and
confuse the public as they look at us, wondering if we
ever begin to think of ourselves as Americans with a great
privilege of serving in this historic institution, that we
would come together to find solutions to problems.
It has been characteristic of John Warner, from the
first moments I have known him, to always see this divide
as being sort of a silly barrier; that it probably would
be a wise, although probably not a welcome idea, that the
seating arrangements ought not to be based on party but
maybe some other configuration where you actually have to
sit next to someone you may disagree with or of a
different party from time to time. That, in itself, may
serve as a crucible in which better decisions might be
reached.
I am going to miss him very much on many different
levels. We have only served on a couple of committees
together over the years, not by choice but by
circumstance. Yet on those occasions, I have enjoyed
immensely the work of John Warner. There have been times--
and he will remind me often--when we haven't shared a
philosophical standpoint in common over the years. But on
levels far more significant and far more important to me--
and I would hope with other Members as well--my
relationship with John Warner is one based on a love of
this institution, the importance of it. The hope and the
aspirations of a people depend upon it. That, more than
anything else, is what I have enjoyed so much about
working with John Warner, his reverence for this body.
I will use the words of John Stennis, the former
chairman of the Armed Services Committee--the position
which John Warner now holds--who spoke at a Democratic
caucus meeting. He paused when he stood up for several
seconds and said nothing at all, and the room quieted, as
you might imagine, to a stillness. The first words of John
Stennis were: I am a Senate man.
I thought, what a remarkable moment, how he began his
discourse with us, those of us who were new, by describing
himself as a person of this institution. John Warner is a
Senate man. He has done many things of great import in his
life. But if I were to be asked by people what is a good
example of a Senate person--I guess more politically
correct today, given the fact that we have a lot of
diversity of gender in this institution--John Warner has
been a Senate person. He understood the historical value
of this institution and the importance it continues to
play. While we have had our differences philosophically,
we have enjoyed great friendship on a personal level.
I cherish in my office a wonderful photograph of John
Warner and I sailing together in my Old Friendship sloop
off the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island, enjoying
great dinners together, a game of tennis every now and
then over the years. So beyond the political discourse and
the substantive debates or disagreements, there are
relationships here that are far more significant on a
human level than that.
I was thinking the other day about one of these battles
that goes on from time to time. This one was over which
State was going to win the contract to build the Seawolf
submarine. The presiding officer from Rhode Island would
have certainly taken the side of the New England point of
view. It was a serious discussion about whether it would
be in Newport News or in Connecticut and Rhode Island that
the contract would be awarded. There was a lot of
jockeying back and forth, a serious debate and discussion.
It ultimately worked out well for both States and the
country as a result. But the final decision came down that
Connecticut was going to be awarded that contract.
In a moment like that, after weeks and weeks of back and
forth, you might expect that the delegation or the Member
you have been dealing with on the other side would feel
embittered or upset, a variety of emotions that would
normally be put on the negative side of the ledger. I
don't think I have ever told this to too many of our
colleagues. I arrived back in my apartment that night
feeling good about the result and the fact that it worked
out well. And there on the outside of my door was a
package. I opened it and there was a first edition copy of
Jack London's ``The Seawolf.'' It was sent to me by my
colleague from Virginia, with a congratulatory note on
Connecticut and Rhode Island prevailing in this particular
contest; that the country would be better if we all worked
together to get this new piece of military hardware built.
I thought to myself, what an incredible gesture at a
moment like this, the sensitivity, the appreciation,
seeking out a first edition copy of Jack London's ``The
Seawolf,'' the very program we were talking about. That is
the kind of person John Warner has been.
While there will be great debate and discussion, and he
has certainly done a fantastic job working with Carl Levin
on the Armed Services Committee and has been a great
custodian of guaranteeing and protecting our Nation's
security during that tenure, it is those moments of
arriving home that night many years ago and picking up
that book that I still cherish and have by the way. I will
read it to my daughters at an appropriate time in their
lives, a great story in and of itself. It is moments like
that.
I wish you the very best, dear friend.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my friend. I must say
to you that John Stennis, if I had to name five
individuals in this institution--I think I have served
with 272 Senators--John Stennis would be one. He was a
magnificent man. As a matter of fact, I have his old desk.
In his final days here he called me in one day and he
said, ``I want you to have this desk.'' Of course, it was
a long story, but there it is. I still have it in my
office. He was a great teacher.
Scoop Jackson was another great teacher. I hope some of
the young Senators have learned from you and me. Who
knows. But in those days, those were men of formidable
strength intellectually, command presence, and they were
great teachers. Stennis was foremost among them all.
I thank my dear friend for his comments.
Mr. DODD. I thank my friend for his distinguished
career. There are plenty of references to that in the
Record. I thought I would share at least a couple of
personal anecdotes.
Mr. WARNER. We finally solved the submarine problem by,
I think you built part of the ship--we call them ships now
rather than boats--and we built the other part. They are
put together in the yards of the two. They are sailing the
seven seas today. That program is running on, and our sole
production of submarines now is in Connecticut and in
Virginia, putting the parts together.
Mr. DODD. That is right. We hope it works. At the time
that happened, I kept thinking of the person who once
described a camel as being a horse that was designed by
Congress in the sense of building two parts of this boat
and welding them together. It was a perfect congressional
result of a matter. Nonetheless, I cherish those comments.
I wish you the very best. Thank you for your service to
our country. ...
Again, John Warner and Pete Domenici are classic
examples of people who step out of what you might normally
associate them with on an issue and get involved and make
a difference, almost overnight, because they said this is
worthy of our attention and certainly serious, so serious
that it demands action. ...
Again, Mr. President, to my friend, John Warner, a
special thanks, my dear friend. Now, when they say there
is a white-haired Senator roaming around the floor, they
will not have to guess whether it is the guy from Virginia
or the guy from Connecticut, unless someone else arrives
here with a full head of white hair. So to the white-
haired caucus, again to John Warner, I thank you, dear
friend.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank our distinguished
colleague.
Mr. President, I see the distinguished majority leader.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am going to give a speech
regarding Senator Warner in just a minute.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, it is very standard in the
Senate, we say ``the distinguished gentleman,'' and we say
that a lot, and we mean it. But it is never more
meaningful than when you refer to John Warner as a
distinguished gentleman because that says it all. If there
were ever a distinguished gentleman, John Warner is that
person.
I can remember when I first came to the Senate 22 years
ago, I was so fortunate. I was placed on the Environment
and Public Works Committee. John Warner, even though he
had been here a while, was one of the relatively new
members of that committee. Some people had been there for
so long. John Chafee was the ranking Republican on that
committee. What a wonderful man he was. But anyway, John
Warner took such good care of me. He looked out for me. I
sat on the other side of the dais, but he took good care
of me. We were able to do some good things.
I was fortunate, I was subcommittee chairman my freshman
year. Senator Warner will probably remember this. We
worked on a number of things. One of the things we worked
on was Alar. It was a product that people sprayed on
cherries, apples, grapes to keep them from falling off the
trees and vines too quickly. We legislated and legislated,
and we were never able to get anything passed, but we
accomplished what we set out to do because through the
hearing process we focused so much attention on this that
people stopped using it.
John Warner is a distinguished gentleman. There is no
more distinguished gentleman than the man we refer to as
John Warner--John William Warner. I love his stories. He
talks about his dad who was a physician.
When John was 17, he had in his heart that it was
important to wear the uniform of the American serviceman.
He volunteered for the Navy so he could fight in World War
II. He says he did not do any fighting, but he would have
if he had been called upon to do so.
After his first tour of duty, he returned home to his
native Virginia, where he attended Washington and Lee
University on the GI bill, and then the University of
Virginia Law School, which, by the way, was then and is
still now, a very difficult school to get in. It is always
rated as one of the top 10 law schools in America. It is a
great school.
His legal studies were interrupted again to be in the
U.S. military, this time as an officer in the Marine Corps
during the Korean war. His 10 years in the Marine Corps
Reserves earned him the rank of captain, Captain John
Warner.
When he completed law school, he was selected as a law
clerk by one of the outstanding and historic circuit court
judges: E. Barrett Prettyman. What a name: E. Barrett
Prettyman. But those of us who have been in the practice
of law have always recognized that Prettyman wrote some
pretty opinions. He was a renowned lawyer and, of course,
now we have a Federal courthouse named after Judge
Prettyman as a result of his being such an outstanding
judge. John Warner worked for him.
After 4 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, John Warner
was appointed and confirmed as Under Secretary of the
Navy, then as Secretary of the Navy.
Then, one of my fond memories of John Warner is his
telling a story. He was Under Secretary; John Chafee, whom
I had the good fortune to serve with in the Senate, was
the Secretary of the Navy. The Vietnam war was ongoing.
They were asked by the Secretary of Defense, Melvin Laird,
to come down and see what was going on at the Capitol
Mall. So, as Senator Warner said, they left their
Cadillacs someplace else that were supplied to the
Secretary and the Under Secretary, and they took off their
fancy clothes and came down to the Capitol Mall. And look
around they did. There were tens of thousands of people
here, tens of thousands--hundreds of thousands of people
at the Mall. They were demonstrating against the war.
Frankly, after listening to the speeches and watching the
crowd and seeing the fervor of the crowd, both Secretary
Chafee and Under Secretary Warner returned to the Pentagon
and recommended to Melvin Laird that he better take a
close look at this war, that things would have to change,
based on their observation of what was happening on the
Capitol Mall that day.
That is John Warner perfectly described: Someone who
gathers the facts, and after having an understanding of
the facts, issues his honest opinion as to what is going
on. He and John Chafee, two wonderful human beings, two
dedicated servants of the U.S. military, returned back to
the Secretary of Defense and said: Things have to change.
After serving in the Department of the Navy, he did a
number of other things. But the story I try to tell is, I
repeat, a real John Warner portrayal because he is always
eager to listen to all sides of an issue. He is always
willing to part from conventional wisdom in order to do
the right thing, and then once he says he is going to do
something, that is it. So after serving in the Department
of the Navy, he decided he would accept the challenge of
being the national coordinator for America's bicentennial
celebration in 1976. As my colleagues know, there are a
lot of things that happened during that period of time
under his leadership. But as a little side story, there is
a story about Virginia City, NV. Virginia City, NV, at one
time was a thriving place of some 30,000 or 40,000. It was
the reason Nevada became a State so far ahead of most
Western territories. In 1864, we became a State. But as
part of his going around the country, as you do when you
have a job such as his, raising money and giving speeches,
he was asked to go to Virginia City, this historic place
in Nevada. He had never been there. It is a very winding
road to get up there, and it is a dangerous road. But he
was looking forward to being there because one of the
patrons in the area--there are some people who are wealthy
in Virginia City--decided to have dinner in honor of the
bicentennial celebration. So John Warner and his entourage
arrived in little Virginia City, which now, by the way, is
not 30,000 or 40,000, it is a very small community of
maybe, if we are lucky, 1,000--but probably not. He went
to the assigned place. He knocked on the door. There was
no answer. He looked in the window, and saw the beautiful
table, it was all set. It was a banquet in this beautiful
home. So someone with John Warner went to the local law
enforcement and said, ``Could you help us?'' Because they
thought maybe something was wrong. So the local deputy
came and looked in the window with everybody else, walked
around the house, and he came to Senator Warner and said,
``Mrs. So-and-so is in her vapors. The dinner will not go
forward.'' In Nevada, rather than ``in her vapors,'' we
would have said she is too drunk to a have a party. But
anyway, John Warner, being the gentleman he is, responded
that was OK. Although he came to Virginia City, he did not
have dinner at that home that night. He went someplace
else for dinner.
I heard Senator Dodd's remarks about him. John Warner is
a unique individual. I see the presiding officer who is a
brand-new Senator. During that time, we had something
called the nuclear option, and I heard Senator Collins
talk about this today. Senator Collins was talking about
how John Warner silently was the leader of that situation
that took place. I talked to John Warner during that
period of time. John Warner told me what he was going to
do. I never once told anyone publicly what he said he
would do, but we all knew where he was. I knew where he
was. He was on the right side of the issue. Because of his
credibility, the issue, with the help of some new Senators
such as the presiding officer from Colorado, was settled
to the good of the country.
John Warner is a person who has class. He has clout and
he has tremendous courage. John Warner was sitting as a
Senator. A Democratic Senator was his colleague. A person
was running as a Republican against his colleague in the
Senate, somebody whom John Warner didn't agree with, and
he said so. That takes courage. Think about that. You are
a Republican from a Republican State. You are sitting with
a Democrat. The person who is the nominee for the party is
somebody whom you would think the senior Senator from
Virginia would support. John Warner, as a matter of
conscience, couldn't do that, and he didn't. Everybody
said ``that is the end of John Warner. He will never get
reelected.'' But, of course, it only caused his popularity
to grow in the State of Virginia because they know John
Warner is a person who supports people for who they are,
what they do, not any political party.
John Warner was elected in 1978 to the first of five
terms representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. Three
years ago, he became the second-longest serving Senator in
the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is without
any elaboration or fluff of any kind that now, in his 30th
year as a Senator, John Warner has rightly earned the
reputation as one of America's all-time great legislators.
He is an expert in a number of different areas such as
national security. He is a champion for the men and women
in the military, there is no question about that; he
served as chairman and now the ranking member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee; he is a leader on
environmental issues; he served as longtime senior member
of the Environment and Public Works Committee, where I had
the pleasure of serving with him.
John Warner is going to return to private life at the
end of the year. The family, our family, our Senate family
will lose a tremendous leader and friend. In a place where
one's integrity is paramount, I have not known anyone more
honest and honorable than John William Warner. I have
served throughout my career with lots of people at city
level, county level, State level, in the House of
Representatives, and in the Senate. I have served with
hundreds of men and women. There may be, John Warner,
people who are as honest and as honorable as you, but
never have I met anyone more honorable and more honest
than you. Our country is grateful to you for your service.
Even though the people of Nevada don't know you, if they
did, they would be as grateful as I am for what you have
done for our country: Dedicated service in the Senate, in
the Armed Services Committee, for the cause of democracy.
He knows everybody. I was talking to him the day before
yesterday when Paul Newman died. I said, ``Did you know
Paul Newman?'' He said, ``Yes. My son went with his
daughter for a couple years.'' I said to him, ``Was his
daughter as pretty as Paul Newman was handsome?'' He said,
``More so.'' That kind of speaks to his son, too, doesn't
it?
John Warner, a man who had an estate in Virginia,
decided a number of years ago to no longer have that and
moved into the city. I wish I had the words to express, to
communicate, to tell him of my affection, my admiration.
But even though I may not be able to express it very well,
I want John Warner to know that John Warner will always be
in my heart.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Salazar). The Senator from
Virginia is recognized.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I think sometimes Senators
should be seen and not heard from. That might be this
moment for me. I am deeply moved and humbled by your
comments, my dear friend and leader of this body, at this
time. As I was talking with Senator Dodd about history and
how both of us have an interest in the great events of our
Nation, we talked about the challenges facing America
tonight and how fortunate we are to have leaders such as
yourself and Senator McConnell on this side of the aisle
to lead our Nation out of this situation. I am glad we
didn't dwell on those heavy matters. We touched on the
light ones as we talked together. How well I remember you
as the chairman of the committee; you remember we worked
on batteries. For some reason, the lead battery was the
center focus at that time.
Mr. REID. I say to my friend, now it is a big issue. We
tried a long time ago.
Mr. WARNER. That is right. But we got some money and put
it into research of batteries, which hopefully might be
contributing in the future to our deliverance from the
problems we have with reliance on foreign oil and greater
use of our motor vehicles operated by natural gas. But I
could go on.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, could I interrupt my friend and
say one thing? I wish to say this because I try not to be
envious. Envy is not anything that is good, but I have to
admit that I am so envious of your hair. I mean, for a
man--I mean, I am envious. I have to acknowledge that. It
is great. I wish I could get up in the morning and go to
the mirror and have that.
Mr. WARNER. I am about breathless at the moment, but if
you will spare me a minute to tell a story about that. My
mother lived to be 96 years old and she bequeathed this to
me. But I can tell you a number of times calls come into
my office and people will inquire and ask for the
secretary, not me, and they will say my husband has a bit
of a problem, but it can be solved if the Senator would
say where he gets his wig. So I am not--that is true. It
has happened about a dozen times in my 30 years. So that
is one of the great things----
Mr. REID. So you will forgive me of my envy?
Mr. WARNER. Yes.
Mr. REID. Thank you.
Mr. WARNER. But I thank my distinguished leader. I also
wish to say, on behalf of my wife, the deep affection our
two wives have. They have been privileged to serve the
responsibility of shepherding the annual event for the
First Lady. When that occurred in my house, everything
stopped. I mean all engines, everything. The total focus
for weeks was that luncheon. I think my wife succeeded
your wife.
Mr. REID. That is right.
Mr. WARNER. My wife learned the meticulous manner in
which your wife planned that event. But the wives play a
vital role in this institution. While we sit here and have
what I call the good old democracy mind and we argue
between each other in the quietude of the evening, our
wives will put us together and all is forgotten. That is
the strength of this institution.
I thank my good friend. I do not deserve the rich
remarks he made, but I accept them in the sense that he
made them.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I join in the tributes of my
colleagues who are leaving the Senate on the Republican
side. There are only three ways to leave the Senate. You
can retire, you can lose, or you can die. They have chosen
the best of the three options, to leave of their own will.
The first Senator to whom I wish to pay tribute is on
the floor. That is Senator John Warner of Virginia. I have
listened to the tributes from Senators Harry Reid and
Chris Dodd and so many others and I join in the chorus. I
will not recount John's illustrious career and service to
our country. But he was kind enough a few weeks ago, when
I called and said I do a cable show, can I drop by his
office, and he agreed to it. We have captured forever, in
this little cable show I do, his office. Some of the
memorabilia tell the story of his life and the story of
Virginia and the U.S. Navy, I might add, and he also
shared so many great stories of his service to our country
in so many different capacities--in the Navy, in the
Marine Corps, in the President's Cabinet, and in the
Senate.
I think of John Warner and his gentlemanly ways as I
hope not a throwback to the Senate of the past but perhaps
an inspiration of the Senate of the future because his
friendship transcends party label.
There have been times in the Senate when he has proven,
with his independence, that he looks at issues honestly
and directly and sometimes has broken from the ranks of
his fellow Republicans when he felt it was necessary. I
know he thinks long and hard before he makes those
decisions.
There have been times when he showed extraordinary
leadership during this contentious debate over this war in
Iraq. He and Senator Levin exemplified the very best in
the Senate. Even when they disagreed, they were totally
respectful of one another, they were deferential to one
another's feelings and interest. Yet they served the
national purpose by engaging in a meaningful, thoughtful
debate on an extremely controversial issue.
During the course of the last several years--John Warner
may not remember this, but I will never forget it--when I
got into hot water on the floor of the Senate for words
that were spoken, John Warner was one of the first to come
to me afterward. He put an arm on my shoulder and said,
``Look, we all make mistakes. Carry on.''
I know it is probably something he has forgotten, but I
never will. I thank him for that generous spirit and
compassion, which I hope will be part of my public service
career in the future, as has exemplified his own. He
showed courage so many times and foresight that will be
part of his legacy.
As Harry Reid mentioned, the courage to step out in his
own home State against all the odds and to take on a
member of his own party with whom he disagreed in a very
public way, that wasn't missed. We noticed all across
America that you were willing to show that kind of
courage.
In the Senate recently, if Senator Barbara Boxer was on
the floor--if she hasn't already done it, I am sure she
will when she returns--she will tell you, were it not for
John Warner's leadership, the debate on the issue of
global warming would not have gone forward in the Senate
this year. Both Senator Warner and Senator Lieberman
stepped up and found a bipartisan approach to deal with
this issue. We did not pass it. I wish we had. But we
certainly engaged in debate many thought was impossible.
We brought it to the floor. We engaged the Senate and the
American people in a thoughtful consideration of an issue
that will be here for generations to come.
I consider it a great honor to have served with John. I
think he is an exceptional individual. Virginia was lucky
to have him as their voice in the Senate for 30 years.
America was lucky to have him in service to our country in
so many different capacities.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I thank my colleague for his
very thoughtful remarks. Our relationship has been one
that included both wives. I recall an event we attended,
and immediately the next morning my wife received from you
a book which she, being an avid reader, stayed in that
book for evenings that went on for a week or so. That is
the way this great institution works. It is not all on the
floor before the television cameras.
Senator Durbin is a strong leader, a tough adversary. I
wish to say how much I have enjoyed working with you
through these years. I wish you and my other colleagues
well because you have a great challenge in the next few
days or two. We have to solve--and you will be part of
that leadership team dealing with it, along with
colleagues on this side--we have to reach the right
solution to restore America's confidence in the lifeblood
of this Nation; namely, its economics.
I thank the Senator. I wish to add that my mother very
proudly always claimed Illinois as her State.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, we are honored being the home
of your mother's birthplace. I failed to mention one other
bill that I think is so important, and that is the
extraordinary assistance Senator Warner gave to his
colleague, Senator Webb, when it came to the new GI bill.
That bill passed, and it will dramatically improve the
lives of so many veterans and their families because we
stepped forward in a bipartisan fashion. It was the first
thing Senator Webb said to me as a new Senator was his
goal, and he would be the first to add he could never have
achieved it without the support of his colleague from
Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, how thoughtful to raise that,
not in the context of this Senator but Senator Webb. I
have great respect for him, particularly his military
career, which is extraordinary, where mine is of far less
consequence. I joined him. He was the leader on that
legislation. I always said I was the sergeant in the mere
ranks of his platoon. But it enabled me to add one more
chapter to what I have tried to do so much: to repay to
the current generation, the men and women who very bravely
wear the uniform, all the wonderful things that were
taught me by previous generations of men and women who
wore the uniform from whom I learned so much throughout my
entire career and public life.
That is landmark legislation, I say to my good friend
from Illinois. It is something that is well deserved for
the men and women and their families. I commend you for
bringing that up about our good friend and colleague,
Senator Webb.
I yield the floor.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I had occasion to share
my thoughts about the Senator from Virginia before and do
not intend to expand on those remarks at this point other
than to note that I think all of us, particularly those of
us who are new, very much feel we are graced by this
institution and by the opportunity we have to serve in it.
Some of us have the opportunity to give the grace back,
and Senator Warner of Virginia has certainly done that.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wish to express my
appreciation, as always, to my good friend. This man will
leave his mark in this institution. I tell all that with a
great sense of pride, as will the presiding officer. I
have come to know him and work with him on many occasions.
I yield the floor.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
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. ... I honor
all of them. I wish them well. I think we are all better
having had the opportunity to serve with them.
Mr. LAUTENBERG. ... I thank again my dear friend and
colleague, whom we will all miss. He leaves with our
admiration and affection--Senator John Warner. He and I
each served in the war. I don't want to tell which war. It
goes back a long way. But we did serve in the war
together, not in the same theater but we served. He will
be missed. ...
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, it is with real sadness that
I bid farewell to one of the most distinguished public
servants I have known. Over the 22 years I have spent in
the Senate, I have respected and admired the work of the
senior Senator from Virginia, John Warner.
As a veteran of two wars and an unfailingly gracious
man, he understands the needs of our men and women in
uniform and has worked diligently to meet them. During his
6 years as the chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
he was always helpful in my efforts to improve the quality
of life for those serving at military installations in my
State of North Dakota. I thank him for that.
In the five decades since Arthur Vandenberg reminded us
that partisan politics should stop at the water's edge, it
has not always been possible to live up to that ideal. In
a day when there are huge disagreements about the best
course for our Nation, we cannot always present a unified
face to the rest of the world. But perhaps more than
anyone else in the Senate today, John Warner has
epitomized that ideal. His partnership with the Senator
from Michigan, Carl Levin, in their leadership of the
Armed Services Committee has been an example to all of us.
John has been a tremendous leader in the Senate on
military affairs, but I have also been proud to work with
him on a number of bipartisan initiatives. On big issues,
Senator Warner always puts country before party or
ideology. Most recently, he has been a valued member of
our Gang of 20 working on a bipartisan, new era energy
bill. I regret that we will not be able to finish it
before he leaves the Senate, but we are proud to count him
as part of our current group.
After 30 years in the Senate, 2 years as Secretary of
the Navy, and honorable wartime service in both the Navy
and Marine Corps, our Nation owes a big debt of gratitude
to John Warner. He has my great respect and my thanks.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, it is a privilege to speak
today about my good friend and colleague, John Warner,
with whom it has been an honor to serve in the Senate for
almost 25 years.
At age 17, John enlisted in the Navy to serve our
country during World War II. After that, he attended
Washington and Lee University on the GI bill and went on
to study law at the University of Virginia. In 1950, he
interrupted his legal education to deploy to Korea as a
Marine, eventually attaining the rank of captain before
receiving his law degree in 1953. Sixteen years later,
John was appointed Under Secretary of the Navy, and in
1972 rose to become Secretary of the Navy. In 1978, the
people of Virginia elected him their Senator, and he has
represented them and the rest of our country with courage
and dedication for over 30 years.
In particular, John has fought relentlessly for our men
and women in uniform in his leadership role as chairman
and ranking member of the Armed Services Committee. He has
always had a special place in his heart for our country's
veterans. His background as a sailor, Marine, and Navy
Secretary gave him the experience and insight needed to
address extraordinarily complicated and wide-ranging
issues of vital importance to our country's defense. Today
he is recognized by all as one of our country's foremost
experts on national security matters, and someone whose
record of bipartisanship is simply unmatched.
That is a legend's biography, and through it courses the
public virtues of service, patriotism, grace, and high-
mindedness in a way few have seen, but I know many will
read about.
On a personal note, one of my fondest memories of John
was of a debate between us that occurred on the Senate
floor. It was late one night in June 2006, and I had
proposed a resolution setting a deadline on our combat
presence in Iraq that wasn't a popular position at that
time. I was clearly outnumbered, and the debate became
heated and personal. In fact, my plan received only 13
votes, and Senator Warner wasn't one of them.
But even in times of disagreement, John had no trouble
rising above partisan bickering in service of a higher
purpose. In the best traditions and practices of the
Senate, he rose to speak and engaged me in a respectful
and substantive dialog on a controversial issue that
calmed the Senate Chamber and I hope informed the American
public.
I want to close by saying that I, the people of
Virginia, and this country are grateful for John's
distinguished service and will miss him dearly. I wish him
and his family my very best and look forward to continuing
to receive his wise counsel in the years ahead.
Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, my friend John Warner, the
very distinguished gentleman from Virginia, has decided to
retire from the Senate after 30 years of exemplary
service.
John and I were sworn in as Senators on the same day.
While our paths had crossed a few times before becoming
Members of this body, we became good friends and neighbors
as well as competitors on the tennis courts.
Before John was elected to the Senate, he had achieved
national prominence as the administrator of the American
Revolution Bicentennial Administration. He also had served
as Secretary of the Navy.
As a Senator, John has served prominently as chairman of
the Armed Services Committee where he worked effectively
on shipbuilding issues that were important to both of our
States.
John Warner has served with great distinction in the
Senate. He has earned the respect of all Senators because
of his stewardship and his sense of responsibility for our
national security interests, which he has done so much to
protect.
The Senate, the State of Virginia, and the Nation will
greatly miss having the benefit of John Warner's steady
hand at the helm.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise this morning to
recognize and pay tribute to several colleagues who are
concluding distinguished 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. ...
Senator John Warner was my chairman on the Armed
Services Committee. Frankly, he represents the model of a
Senator. His integrity, judgment, and decency resonate
throughout this Chamber and will make a lasting impression
on this body. He has served Virginia with distinction. He
has particularly served the men and women of our Armed
Forces with distinction and unfailing dedication. Part of
that comes from his own experience. As a young man he
joined the Navy and then later was in the Marine Corps.
His own experience, later amplified by his service as
Secretary of the Navy, left an indelible impression upon
him. That impression is the fact that all the great
decisions made in Washington ultimately must be borne by
young men and women who serve in uniform. He has never
forgotten that. He has never forgotten that decisions we
make play out in the lives of soldiers and sailors,
Marines, airmen, and their families. That unfailing sense
of obligation to these young Americans is a profound
contribution he has made.
He is also someone who on many occasions has defied the
current tides of popular opinion. I recall that when the
deplorable incident surrounding Abu Ghraib broke, there
was a sense in some quarters that we should try to avoid
mention of that, that we should minimize the issue.
Senator Warner recognized we couldn't do that, that we
owed it to the men and women in the Armed Forces to look
at the issue carefully so it would not be repeated, to
ensure that it was, as it truly was, an aberration in the
otherwise extraordinary dedication of our forces, not just
to the military profession but to the ideals of decency
that have been the hallmark of the American fighting man
and woman throughout our history. His efforts there will
be ruled as a remarkable display of placing the needs of
country and respect for the institution of the military
above any partisan political concerns. He is someone who
has made a huge contribution. Again, that contribution
will resonate throughout the history of this country,
particularly the history of the Senate.
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. ALLARD. ... 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 of that committee while I
was on the Armed Services Committee. ...
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 I am
very proud to have been able to serve with.
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, this body will lose two of the most
respected, highly regarded consensus builders in the
history of this body. I speak of the senior Senator from
New Mexico, Mr. Domenici, and the senior Senator from
Virginia, Mr. Warner. Between the two of these
distinguished national leaders, they have given the Senate
and this country 70 years of service.
Most Americans are aware of Senators Domenici and Warner
and the contributions they have made. Those of us who have
had the privilege of serving with these two individuals
know what they have meant to our country. They have been
role models, leaders, men of conscience, of vision, of
integrity, of courage. And all of those most-valued human
characteristics have been evident when America has needed
them most.
For their voice and their courage and their vision, we
thank them. For the kind of men they are, and the Senators
they have been, we thank them. We are all much enriched by
our association with Senators Warner and Domenici, and
this country will miss them greatly.
But they leave strong legacies. They leave men and women
who have been touched by their leadership and their values
who will carry on behind them, emulating their leadership
and their vision. ...
Senator Craig, Senator Allard, Senator Warner, and
Senator Domenici all leave the Senate a better institution
for their service.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to
pay tribute and to wish my warmest regards to my dear and
truly close friend, John Warner. As I have told John
before, I feel very deeply that working so closely with
him for the past almost 30 years now was truly one of the
highlights of my Senate career. He is a gracious, civil,
and wise man. He has been a great friend to me and to my
wife Barbara. He has been a great servant to this
institution and to the Nation.
From the time that he enlisted in the Navy and rose to
the rank of petty officer 3d class during World War II,
his service as first lieutenant in the Marines in Korea,
to his continued service in the Marine Corps Reserve where
he rose to be a captain, to his leadership as Under
Secretary and then Secretary of the Navy, John Warner has
reliably strengthened our national defense for a
remarkable six decades.
For the last three decades as a Senator, he has
continued the unwavering dedication that he has shown
throughout his military career to the men and women in
uniform. He is a profile in courage and statesmanship.
John Warner and I were elected to the Senate on the same
day, November 6, 1978. We have been on the Senate Armed
Services Committee our entire careers, and we have worked
together on 30 consecutive defense authorization bills,
authorizing funds for the armed services of the United
States. We have served with some of the true giants of the
Senate together, leaders such as John Stennis, Barry
Goldwater, and Sam Nunn. They all understood the critical
importance of bipartisanship on national security and
defense issues.
Over the past few years, as John and I have passed the
chairman's gavel back and forth, we have worked together
to maintain the spirit and practice of bipartisanship in
our leadership of the Armed Services Committee. That
spirit has lasted until the final days of this Congress
and will last until this Congress is done, just as we have
concluded work on the Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2009, with the lion's share of the credit belonging
to John Warner's energy, his passion, and his commitment
to supporting our Armed Forces.
The bill this year could not have passed without John
Warner's support and some very courageous actions on his
part. If trust is the currency of Senate dealings, John
Warner is a rich man. In our many travels together--to
Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, and elsewhere around
the world--we have had plenty of time to discuss issues.
We focus on areas of agreement, and we have trusted each
other completely, even when we stand on opposite sides of
an issue.
The Senate is an institution whose individual seats are
occupied only briefly, compared to our long history. But
this institution is placed in the stewardship of each
Senator, and I can name no Senator who feels and
recognizes and honors that responsibility and that
stewardship more than John Warner. Time and time again,
John has answered the call of duty on behalf of our
Nation's defense, on behalf of the welfare of the men and
women and families of our Armed Forces whom he loves and
respects so deeply and whose cause he so ably and
passionately champions.
One of the very first Senators from Virginia, James
Monroe, said, ``National honor is the national property of
highest value.'' Speaking to John's honor, one of John's
staff members used to comment that John Warner is a
Senator who happened to be from Virginia. What he meant is
that John always looks for the course of action that is in
the Nation's interest and in the interest of our national
security, as well as in the interest of his beloved
Virginia.
John Warner has embodied the qualities that are our
Nation's national greatest honor--integrity, independence,
fairness, civility, and strength. Throughout his lifetime
of service, he has been an unyielding advocate for causes
and policies that embody those qualities. In all of his
work, he has upheld the tradition of the distinguished and
valuable leaders and patriots from Virginia who have
shaped our country over the last three centuries. That is
what our country needs in the Senate, and that is what our
country expects from the Armed Services Committee. On so
many occasions, when important issues arose on a variety
of matters which required bipartisan solutions, the search
for a partner began and ended with John Warner.
I cherish the time that we have worked together. I
cherish the deep friendship that has evolved. Barb and I
will forever appreciate John and Jeanne's friendship. We
expect to enjoy it for a long time.
Mr. KYL. Mr. President, considering the long and
distinguished history of the State of Virginia, it is
quite an accomplishment to be the State's second-longest
serving Senator. But, that is just one of Senator John
Warner's many accomplishments.
Senator Warner has been serving his country since 1945
when he enlisted in the Navy. Later, he joined the Marine
Corps and served in Korea. During the Vietnam war, he
served in the Department of the Navy, ultimately attaining
the position of Secretary.
Senator Warner's service and knowledge of the military
have guided his work in the Senate. He has served as
chairman of the Armed Services Committee and has guided
many bills through the Senate. His commitment to the men
and women in uniform has never wavered, and he has used
his position to make sure that they have the resources
they need to complete their mission. Debating a defense
authorization bill without the leadership of Senator
Warner will be a new experience for most of us.
On a daily basis, Senator Warner provided a fine example
for other Senators. For the Senate to function properly,
there must be comity in the body. Senator Warner was
courteous and always willing to settle disagreements in a
way that befits Senators. The Senate cannot work on behalf
of Americans if Senators are unwilling to work in a
courteous and bipartisan manner. Senator Warner understood
that fact well.
Senator Warner has served in the Senate for 30 years,
winning five elections. Many Americans have never seen a
Senate without John Warner, and many Virginians have
always had John Warner as their Senator.
When John leaves the Senate, the body will lose not only
a distinguished legislator but also a consummate
gentleman.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I rise in tribute to the
senior Senator from Virginia, the Honorable John Warner.
Senator Warner is without a doubt one of the finest
Senators this Chamber has ever had, and the Senate will be
a lesser place without him.
Senator Warner is truly a great American--a patriot who
has devoted 45 years of his life in service to his
country. One of America's Greatest Generation, he served
his country honorably during World War II, enlisting
before he was 18 years old. When war in Korea broke out,
he again answered his country's call to arms. After
earning his law degree, he served as the Under Secretary
and later the Secretary of the Navy, again serving with
great distinction and integrity.
In 1979 Senator Warner came to the Senate to begin his
30-year Senate career. As in every one of his endeavors
before, he immediately made an impact, eventually serving
with distinction as chairman of the Senate Armed Services
Committee. It is in this capacity that I have had the
great privilege of working with him and getting to know
him over the last 4 years.
Senator Warner's leadership on the Armed Services
Committee has been invaluable. There is no doubt that when
he speaks, all are wise to listen. He provides unwavering,
courageous leadership that all lean upon. There is never
any doubt to his motives. His only motive is to look out
for our men and women in uniform and ensure our Nation's
defense. His first priority is his country.
Senator Warner has never failed to lead courageously. At
times, some of the positions he has taken have been
politically unpopular, but his latest reelection--with
over 82 percent of the vote--attests that his constituents
know he is only dedicated to doing one thing--the right
thing. In times of crisis, there is no doubt that Senator
Warner becomes a rock that we all lean upon when we face
the most challenging issues of our time. He was one of the
leaders that worked on the Military Commissions Act and
the incredibly difficult and contentious issue of
detainees. Once again, just this year, he led again, this
time by becoming one of the Gang of 20, trying to provide
bipartisan solutions to American's energy issues. And, of
course, it took his leadership to bring about passage of
the defense authorization bill this year, a bill that by
tradition is passed each year, but which was looking
extremely doubtful of passage for the first time in
decades.
I have only one regret regarding my service with Senator
Warner, and that is I did not have the opportunity to
serve with him longer. He is one of the finest statesmen
of his time, and I am proud to call him my friend. I
aspire to his example and his name belongs in the pantheon
of the Senate's greatest figures.
Last, I would like to tell him thank you. Thank you for
your great service to our great Republic. Thank you for
the untold sacrifices you and your family have made along
the way in your 45 years of public service. Thank you for
your integrity, patriotism, leadership, and honor.
As I noted before, the Senate will be a lesser place
when he leaves, but I wish Senator Warner a fond farewell
and Godspeed.
Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, as the Senate completes its
work for the year, we have also reached the end of the
distinguished career of the senior Senator from Virginia,
John William Warner, Jr.
In their wisdom, our Founders created the Senate to be a
body like no other on Earth to harness the special wisdom
that experience can bring. I think they had people like
John Warner in mind as the kind of person who would best
serve the Nation in the Senate.
Senator Warner has lived a life of faithful, skillful
service to his country. He served in World War II,
enlisting as a 17-year-old. He interrupted his law school
studies to also serve in Korea. He served as an assistant
U.S. attorney. And for 5 years he served in the
Secretariat of the Navy, leading the department from 1972
to 1974. That seems like a full career in itself, but it
was just a prolog to five terms in the Senate.
Over three decades, John Warner has worked with great
energy, skill, and wisdom to protect the national security
of the United States. The Department of Defense is a
massive organization with a budget that staggers the
imagination. But Senator Warner has devoted himself to
mastering the details of the DOD and has been a relentless
advocate for its modernization and continuous improvement
in effectiveness. Throughout his career, he has
demonstrated tremendous caring for the millions of men and
women who have worn the country's uniform and been their
best friend on Capitol Hill.
Senator Warner has been a counselor and mentor to me in
my first 6 years here, and on behalf of the people I
represent in Minnesota I thank him for his counsel to me
on how to do this job right. He taught me that just as the
human body has its bones and vital organs under the skin
and out of sight, the most important work of the Senate
takes place away from the television lights and the press
conferences.
The day-to-day work of achieving compromise on hundreds
and hundreds of issues that come before us is where the
real difference can be made, and John Warner excelled at
that work.
Another Virginian, George Washington, said during the
darkest days of the American Revolution that, ``spirit and
perseverance have done wonders in all ages.'' Today I
honor the spirit of patriotism that has always motivated
John Warner and his perseverance through six decades that
has made this a stronger and freer nation. May his
sterling example of service inspire all of us to serve as
nobly and as skillfully as he has done.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, I rise to recognize the
service of a great public servant and an outstanding
leader.
Senator Warner has been a tremendous and dedicated
servant to his home State of Virginia and our Nation. His
distinguished career spans 30 years in the U.S. Senate,
making him the second-longest serving U.S. Senator from
Virginia.
Senator Warner has always placed the well-being of
Virginia and the United States ahead of partisanship and
personal feelings. He has been an ardent supporter for the
men and women of the Armed Forces. As a respected leader,
he pushed to modernize the structure and operations of the
military to ensure its effectiveness in the 21st century.
Madam President, I ask my colleagues to join me in
paying tribute to this magnificent Senator.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I am pleased to join with
other Senators in honoring our distinguished colleague,
John Warner, who will be retiring at the end of the 110th
Congress. When he steps down, Senator Warner will have the
distinction of being the second-longest serving Senator in
Virginia's history. He stands as an example of the type of
temperament, foresight, and dedication that the Founders
envisioned when they created the Senate. For the past 30
years it has been my privilege to serve with John Warner.
During that time, we have shared a common commitment to
the national security of the United States. We have worked
together on innumerable issues, and I have witnessed with
admiration his strong character, his intellectual
independence, and his unfailing devotion to public
service.
Even before John was elected to the U.S. Senate, he had
distinguished himself in service to our country. He joined
the U.S. Navy before his 18th birthday and went on to
serve honorably in World War II. After college and before
he was able to complete law school, he returned to the
military as an active duty Marine during the Korean
conflict. After his service, John came home to complete
law school. Subsequently he worked as a Federal prosecutor
and private lawyer. President Nixon appointed John to be
Under Secretary of the Navy, and he went on to be
Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974. When he was
elected to the Senate in 1978, he was extremely well
prepared to take on the role of a Senator and to
contribute greatly to the national security of our Nation.
Senator Warner has played a prominent role in almost
every major defense policy accomplishment of the last
three decades. In the Senate, he has been a steadfast
supporter of the well-being of the American soldier,
sailor, and airman. I know that not a day goes by that he
does not devote thought to how he can contribute to
improving our Armed Forces and making our country more
secure. It was a special pleasure for me to have chaired
the Foreign Relations Committee during the 4-year period
from 2003 to 2007 when John was chairing the Armed
Services Committee. I believe relations between the two
committees became stronger during this time, as we
cooperated closely on arms control matters, policies
toward Iraq and Afghanistan, arms sales, and many other
matters.
My friendship with John has been strengthened by our
mutual membership in the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, and I
was privileged to participate in the awarding of Beta's
Oxford Cup to Senator Warner in April 2008. The award
ceremony and dinner took place in the Foreign Relations
Committee hearing room, and this was a wonderful
opportunity for us to share experiences with other Beta
members.
It is difficult for me to imagine the Senate without
John Warner. He loves this institution, and he derives
great satisfaction from both its collegial nature and the
daily opportunities Senators have to improve life in the
United States.
Senator Warner leaves the Senate after 30 years, having
established a legion of friendships and a memorable
legacy. We will miss his kindness, his steadiness, and his
unfailing confidence in the United States. Even as we will
miss seeing our friend every day, we know that John will
be blessed by the opportunity to spend more time with his
family. I am sure that he will continue to serve the
public, and I join the Senate in wishing him all the best
as he moves on to new adventures.
Mr. SPECTER. Senator John Warner's retirement is a great
loss to the Senate. He brought to this body in 30 years of
service wit, wisdom, and gallantry. An old-style southern
gentleman, Senator Warner held a unique position as the
Senate squire. His experience in military matters going
back to his sailor days in World War II, to Secretary of
the Navy in 1972, and chairmanship of the Armed Services
Committee, made him a preeminent figure in the Department
of Defense legislation. When Senator Warner made a
recommendation on defense matters, his word carried great
weight.
Some of my fondest recollections of John Warner come
from the squash court where we regularly engaged until he
said his knees wouldn't take the twists or turns any
longer although he continued to be an avid tennis player.
In a squash match more than 20 years ago, I sustained a
serious gash under my left eye requiring six stitches for
closure. At that time, I had read about a Washington
hockey player who sustained an eye injury but came back
immediately to play with headgear and a plastic cover over
the face. I secured one the same day of my injury and was
back on the squash court the next day.
Some of our longest discussions occurred in the Senate
gym where we would talk while awaiting our turn on the
massage table. He would always say we came at about the
same time although he was precise to assert his 2 years'
seniority.
Senator Warner was a help to me even before I became a
Senator when he and his new bride, Elizabeth Taylor, were
the star attractions at a fundraiser for me in New York
City.
Senator George Mitchell tells an interesting story about
Senator Warner. Senator Mitchell recalls a filibuster
where cots were set up in the Senate Marble Room where
Mitchell was feeling sorry for himself about giving up a
lifetime appointment as a Federal judge then becoming a
Senator and wasn't too happy about the all-night sessions.
As George put it, he was stumbling his way through the
cots during the 1980 filibuster all-nighter when he
stumbled across newly wed John Warner snoring on one of
the cots. George commented that John was giving up more
than he was so it wasn't so bad after all.
My speculation is that Senator Warner will be called
back for more public service because he still has a lot of
vim, vigor, and vitality, but we will sorely miss him in
the Senate.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I wish to speak today in honor
of my good friend, the senior Senator from Virginia. As
you know, Senator Warner is retiring at the conclusion of
this the 110th Congress, and I wanted to take a moment to
express my appreciation for his friendship and his years
of public service.
Senator Warner's retirement marks the end of a career in
the service of the United States that has spanned six
decades. John, having been born in 1927 and raised right
here in Washington, DC, enlisted in the Navy during World
War II in January 1945. After the conclusion of the war,
he left the military to pursue a legal education at the
University of Virginia, only to rejoin the Navy, this time
with the Marines, to serve in the Korean war.
In 1953, he finished his legal studies while still
serving in the Marine Corps Reserves and spent the next 7
years as a government attorney, first as a clerk for a
U.S. appeals court judge, then as an assistant U.S.
attorney. Senator Warner left the public sector in 1960 to
pursue a career in private legal practice, though it would
not be long until he was called into service again.
In 1969, he was appointed by President Richard Nixon to
serve as the Under Secretary of the Navy. Just over 3
years later, he succeeded John H. Chafee as the Secretary
of the Navy. This, of course, was a unique era in the
history of U.S. diplomacy and, as Naval Secretary, John
was involved in a number of diplomatic efforts involving
the Soviet Union, most notably the Sea Executive
Agreement.
John's political career began in 1978 when he was
elected to represent the State of Virginia in the Senate.
He is the second-longest serving Senator in Virginia's
history and, by a margin of many years, the longest
serving Republican from the State. Of course, John and I
have crossed paths many times during our years in the
Senate. We served together on the HELP Committee and the
Select Committee on Intelligence. But, for me, one of the
most memorable times I shared with John took place outside
the Halls of the Senate.
During the August recess of 1985, my son Jess and I were
joined by John and his son on a fishing and boating trip
in Utah. During one day of the trip, after returning from
a hike, I was surprised to see a ghostly-looking creature
sitting in our campsite. As it turned out, John and some
of the others had formed a mudhole down near the river,
and he had been diving in and out of it. By the time I had
returned to the campsite, John was covered head to toe in
pumice mud. Apparently, the mud was good for the skin, but
at the time I was unaware of this fact.
On the last day of the trip, John and I were fishing on
Lake Powell and I was lucky enough to catch an 8 pound
striped bass. He was impressed with my catch and he asked
if he could keep it, apparently he wanted it as a trophy.
That evening, we flew up north to an event in Deer Valley,
UT, but because we didn't have time to change after the
flight, we showed up in our fishing clothes. John strode
into the fancy ski lodge to meet the shirt-and-tied crowd
sporting his jeans and carrying my fish around with him!
Though I can't be certain, it sure seemed like he was
proud of it.
But, seriously, Mr. President, Senator Warner will
always be remembered for his even-tempered nature and for
his work on behalf of our men and women in the military.
He has never been one to follow the crowd for
partisanship's sake, always choosing to follow his own
conscience. I must admit that, over the years, John and I
have found ourselves in disagreement over issues that I
believed to be of vital importance. But he was always one
to respect the views of his colleagues in either party,
even if he went a different way in the end.
I wish John and his wife Jeanne the best of luck in all
their future endeavors. I think I speak for all my Senate
colleagues when I say that the Senate will be a lesser
place without John in it.
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I appreciate having this
opportunity to join with my colleagues in wishing John
Warner all the best as he retires from the U.S. Senate
after 30 years of service to the people of Virginia. John
has had a long and distinguished career, and he will be
greatly missed.
Like so many of us, John's early years had a great
influence on his life and helped to shape his character
and mold his destiny. John's father was a surgeon and he
saw to it that John's education began at an early age and
included samples of just about everything there was to
learn. John was soon picking up on a course of study that
included math, music, science, Latin and much, much more.
During those early years, John felt the call to serve
his country, so he joined the Navy when he was 17 years
old so he could be part of our Nation's heroic effort in
World War II. He then joined the Marines in 1950 to be
part of our forces fighting the Korean war.
John's service in our Armed Forces and his tenure as our
Secretary of the Navy has made him one of the Senate's
strongest and most knowledgeable voices on the use of our
Nation's military. He has been one of the Congress' most
respected and most sought after experts on our actions in
Iraq, the war against terrorism, and our efforts in Iraq
and Afghanistan. His experience has also made him a leader
in the Senate's oversight on defense spending.
Through the years, John has been an important part of
the debate on global warming. His concern about the issue
and the future of our Nation led him to ask us for our
good ideas and commonsense proposals, regardless of our
party affiliation, in an effort to reach a consensus on
the issue that would ultimately lead us to a workable
solution.
There are two important reasons why John has been such a
tireless worker on this and other similar issues. John
shares my love of the great outdoors and all that it has
to offer. He enjoys taking time from his busy schedule to
hunt and fish with his grandchildren. He remembers the
days he spent with his father taking part in those great
activities and he wants to give his grandchildren the same
gift. So do I. I think that shows John Warner has a streak
of Wyoming in him and has fished there.
In the years that I have served with John I have always
been impressed with his unique style and his ability to
present his positions on the issues with great power and
force. John has always been one to reach out to Members on
both sides of the aisle, and his ability to bring us
together on the issues has helped us to develop answers to
problems that seemed to elude us. I don't think anyone has
a better grasp of the importance of finding a third way to
do things than John. He knows that there are always three
ways of beginning our work on the issues. The first two
lead to gridlock as they are the extreme positions on the
issue. The third way is closer to the middle and has
elements in it that everyone can agree on. That is usually
what gets things done.
That has always been John's measure of success. He has
never been one who was concerned about making points, he
has always been interested in making progress.
John will always be remembered for the leadership he
brought to the Senate on a number of issues that concerned
him. As he worked on them all he showed his independence
and his willingness to consider all viewpoints to find the
one that he thought stood the best chance of succeeding,
on the floor and in the field. John would be an excellent
diplomat because he knows how to disagree without being
disagreeable. He has forged good working relationships
with us all and that is why he has so many friends in the
Senate.
John has been a great public servant, and his career
shows the results he has been able to achieve in every
area of his life. I am proud of his service in the Senate
on behalf of the people of Virginia, his service in our
Armed Forces, and especially, I am proud to call him my
friend.
It is always difficult at the end of the session to say
goodbye to our colleagues who are retiring. We have worked
together for so many years that we will miss their
thoughtful suggestions, their well chosen words, and their
commitment to the issues we have worked on together.
For John, the good part of goodbye is the knowledge that
we will meet again and, I am sure, we will work together
again, laugh again, and continue to enjoy all that life
has to offer again. This is not a time to say goodbye,
just a reminder to be well until we see each other again.
Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you, John, and
to Jeanne. You deserve nothing but the best life has to
offer and you shall have it. I look forward to the days
ahead and a time when we can get out our fishing poles and
explore some of Virginia's best rivers and streams. Good
luck and God bless.
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.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Mr. ALEXANDER. ... With the departures of Ted Stevens
and two other Senators of whom I have already spoken--Pete
Domenici and John Warner--the Senate loses more than 100
years of service. More than that, this country loses three
men whose view of America was rooted in the last years of
World War II and the remarkable ascendancy of our country
since then. Looking around the Senate, it will be
difficult to find many among those of us who remain with
the breadth of vision and old-fashioned patriotism that
these men have contributed.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today is a day I have dreaded.
Today I say farewell to my good friend and esteemed
colleague, Senator John Warner.
A few years ago, in an article for a Capitol Hill
publication, Senator Warner called attention to the
courage of America's war veterans. He explained that the
men and women who serve in our military are ``heroes [who]
share the timeless virtues of patriotism and selfless
devotion to duty in defending our country.''
Mr. President, Senator Warner is one of my ``heroes.''
He is a man who has always displayed ``the timeless
virtues of patriotism and selfless devotion to duty in
defending our country.''
Indeed, Senator Warner has spent his life in service to
our country. He enlisted in the Navy at the tender age of
17 in order to serve in World War II. A few years later,
he joined the Marines in order to serve in the Korean
conflict. From 1969 to 1972, he served as the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy, and from 1972 to 1974, as Secretary
of the Navy.
In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, and is now
the second longest serving Senator in the history of his
beloved Commonwealth of Virginia.
His entire Senate career has been marked by his dignity,
style, grace, and integrity. He is one of those men with
whom one can disagree without rancor. I cannot recall ever
hearing anyone speak ill of John Warner.
A few years ago, on another occasion in which I paid
tribute to my good friend, I referred to him as ``the
classiest of class acts''--and he is. We will miss his
comity, his courtesy, and his refreshing bipartisan spirit
always seeking consensus solutions for the good of the
country. Whether in committee or on the Senate floor, he
never succumbs to the bitter, destructive partisanship
which has all too often characterized this Chamber in
recent years.
Senator Warner has spoken out against his own party when
he felt that the wrong course was being pursued. When the
horrors of Abu Ghraib came to light, John Warner did not
hesitate to help write the legislation to restrict the use
of torture.
Senator Warner embodies the guiding principles set down
by another of our country's brave warriors, Gen. Douglas
MacArthur, who proclaimed his leading lights to be,
``Duty, honor, country.''
Mr. President, without qualification, I can say that it
has been an absolute pleasure to have served with this
distinguished and esteemed Virginia gentleman, and I will
miss him.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Mr. NELSON of Florida. Madam President, I wish to take
this opportunity to pay tribute to a true patriot and a
dear friend, Senator John Warner of Virginia.
It has been an extraordinary experience for me to serve
with Senator Warner on the Armed Services Committee and
the Intelligence Committee.
In the capacity of his service on the Armed Services
Committee, which has been upward of three decades, serving
as its chairman, the insight and guidance he has provided
has been invaluable. Over and over, you will hear the
members of that committee speak as if with one voice, how
we appreciate his public service. He has great knowledge.
He has great wisdom. It is tempered with a wonderful
personality that is most studious and deliberative. Few
have done as much to champion the cause of our men and
women in the Armed Forces of the United States as John
Warner.
This Senator admires him for his sense of fairness, for
his mutual respect of all the Members of the Senate. We
know there has to be civility in the Senate for it to
function. There has to be mutual respect. There has to be
respect for the truth. There has to be respect for the
dignity of individuals and those Senators' families. All
of that is certainly apropos of the senior Senator from
Virginia. Over and over, I have been in situations with
him that could have been adversarial. Yet his calm
judgment and reason have brought people together. Of
course, that is the admonition of the Good Book: ``Come
let us reason together.''
Over and over, as I have sought his counsel on matters
of some of the Nation's highest secrets, John Warner has
provided the leadership and the clarity, as we have made
those decisions, sometimes making those decisions
together.
So it is with a great reluctance on my part that I see
our colleague, Senator Warner, retire after a very
distinguished and long career. It has been a privilege to
serve with John. I will miss him as a colleague. I will
miss his leadership, his fairness, and his great capacity
as a gentleman of the Senate.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, for most of my time in the
Senate it has been my privilege to serve alongside one of
its most respected Members, the senior Senator from
Virginia, Mr. Warner. As he prepares to retire from his
Senate service, I would like to pay tribute to him as a
leader, a legislator, and as one of my closest friends in
this body.
John Warner is a living emblem of the finest the Senate
has to offer. He is a skilled policymaker who actively
contributes to the civility that helps the Senate function
as the Founders intended.
Senator Warner has represented the Commonwealth of
Virginia with vision, persistence, and wisdom. He has
helped lead the Senate through debates on some of the most
nettlesome national security issues of our time. Always a
gentleman, he has carried himself with the utmost
integrity and honesty. He is a Senator of his word. We
have worked together on many issues, and I am going to
miss his counsel and his friendship.
John Warner came to the Senate in 1979, after early
service in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, which
led to his successful tenure as the Secretary of the Navy.
He quickly made his mark on one of Congress' most
important committees for steering our national security
apparatus, the Senate Armed Services Committee. He rose
quickly in seniority and has served as the committee's
chairman, ranking member, and chairman emeritus.
He formed a now legendary partnership with Senator Sam
Nunn of Georgia, and together they worked to fundamentally
restructure the Nation's war-fighting organization in the
mid-1980s. He has worked closely with the committee's
current chair, Senator Levin, and with ranking member
Senator John McCain, to support our troops through the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a member of the Defense
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have seen how the two key
defense committees have come together to make that
extensive and crucial department work better. John Warner
has been an important part of this superb working
arrangement, and it was fitting that the fiscal year 2007
defense authorization bill was named in his honor.
Senator Warner is an accomplished advocate for
Virginia--the home to a wide variety of military
installations, as well as to rural and urban communities
of varied needs. He has tackled the difficult
transportation challenges of the Washington, DC,
metropolitan area, making a real difference in the lives
of millions. As a part-time resident of Virginia I have
always called him my Senator away from home.
Marcelle and I have enjoyed the friendship and company
of John and his wife Jeanne, including on the Senate's
delegation to the recent 60th anniversary of D-day.
Foreign leaders know Senator Warner extremely well; they
see him, as we do here in the Senate, as a man of great
stature and wisdom.
I thank John for his service and for his friendship, and
Marcelle and I join all Members of the Senate in wishing
John and Jeanne all the best in their future endeavors.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to
my good friend and colleague, a true giant of this
institution, and a consummate public servant, the
gentleman--and I use that term with every fiber of the
true definition of the word--the gentleman from Virginia,
Senator John Warner.
Mr. President, in delivering these remarks, and most
especially in considering Senator Warner's impending
retirement from the Senate, I have chosen not to focus on
the tremendous loss to this body that will occur with
John's departure--though the dimension of that loss is
indisputably monumental. Rather, I prefer to recall the
incalculable contributions John has made to enhancing this
institution since his arrival here nearly 30 years ago--
and his unparalleled commitment to the State and the
Nation he has served so honorably and so well.
John and I both came to the Congress at the same time--
albeit to different Chambers. I had long been familiar
with Senator Warner's outstanding reputation as a man of
strength, character, knowledge, and integrity from my days
in the House. And it didn't take long for me to find out
why when I joined him in the Senate.
Among many memories is my service on the Senate Armed
Services Committee as chair of the Seapower Subcommittee
under John's leadership as chairman--and the command and
the focus and the vision that he brought to that critical
panel. I can tell you, with his long service on the
committee--and of course as a former Secretary of the
Navy, there wasn't anyone who instilled greater confidence
when it came to meeting the challenges of limited defense
dollars and the reality of that post-cold war period than
John Warner.
I certainly well recall that at a time when our foreign
policy had quite frankly made our Navy into America's
``Emergency 911'' force, with a 331-percent increase in
contingency operations at that time from the previous 10
years, at a time when the branches of the services weren't
meeting their recruitment goals and the Air Force and Navy
were woefully short of pilots, at a time when China was
continuing to make quantum leaps in military technology,
Senator Warner's expertise and leadership didn't arrive a
moment too soon.
I remember an instance when he called our allies to
account on Kosovo--when he saw that our European partners
had deployed only 722 of the 1,264 policemen they had
promised to provide as part of the Kosovo Police Force, he
held them to their commitment. He exposed that inequity
and thanks to his hand at the helm they began to change
their course.
From day one as chairman, Senator Warner was relentless
in scrutinizing existing defense programs as well as
articulating a vision for the future. And nowhere was that
more in evidence--or more prescient, for that matter, than
when he created the Emerging Threats Subcommittee, to
address everything from cyberterrorism to terrorist
threats here at home.
Indeed, as I said at an event at the time, ``the fact
is, since Soviet power has receded from the heart of
Europe, the United States faces more regionally diverse
and unpredictable challenges to its national security than
ever before. And John knew we must be prepared to
respond.'' Well, that was and is the John Warner I know--
always looking ahead, always anticipating the next
challenge, and always working to meet those challenges
head on.
And above all else, no one is more concerned about the
welfare and well-being of our brave men and women in
uniform than John Warner.
Interestingly, Senator Warner was Under Secretary of the
Navy while the late Senator John Chafee served as
Secretary. And might I just say as an aside, what an
extraordinary duo would come out of the Pentagon to
subsequently serve side by side in the U.S. Senate. And
like John Chafee, John Warner earned the unwavering
respect of our military men and women because of his
unflagging respect for each and every one of them.
Certainly, Senator Warner has always had unlimited
enthusiasm and commitment for the men and women of the
Navy and Marine Corps. In fact, I understand that, in a
time before there were elevators and escalators in the
Pentagon, he was known for quite literally bounding up the
steps ``two by two'' in the mornings, and that he did so
every morning to get to his office to serve the officers,
sailors, and Marines for whom he cared so much.
I am certain it is that very spirit that explains why he
is so beloved by our members of the Armed Forces of the
United States. I am certain it is also that spirit that's
made him so beloved by Members of this U.S. Senate.
It's a spirit not only of ``can do,'' but of ``must
do.'' It's an honor-bound dedication to the notion that we
all have a sworn duty to our constitution and to our
country to leave a better Nation for having acted in our
country's best interests.
It's a quality we witnessed once again during historic
debates on our course in our war in Iraq. Senator Warner
consistently brought to bear his credibility, his
gravitas, and his experience to elevate the Senate's
deliberations and rise above the din of partisanship. What
John Warner said on the matter of Iraq--or on any military
issue of vital import--carried the weight of an intellect
pledged solely to the concept and pursuit of doing what is
right.
And at no time was John's sense of the greater good more
evident than in his leadership in the so-called Gang of
14--at a crossroads when the very institution of the
Senate was caught in the crosshairs of a struggle over
judicial nominations. As we recall, at the time, the
repeated, systemic filibuster of the President's nominees
had been a corrosive force on the Senate. At the same
time, exercising the so-called ``nuclear option''--that
would have jettisoned the traditional rules governing
these nominations--would truly have had long-standing
consequences for the future of the Senate.
But we set aside partisan differences to help forge
consensus to safeguard a body constituted to be neither a
rubber stamp nor a personalized veto. Just when we were
about to cross a political Rubicon, this watershed
compromise embraced and preserved the essence of our
Founding Fathers' vision to achieve results through
accommodation--and embodied the best traditions of the
Senate. And John Warner was instrumental in standing up
and leading that charge--once again, lending the gravity
of his standing in the Senate to advance that crucial
cause.
So when I think of John Warner, I think of an embodiment
of what our forefathers quite likely had in mind when they
envisioned a U.S. Senator. Someone who is learned, who is
deliberative, who is compassionate, who is considerate,
who is experienced, who is reasoned and measured in
approach--but who is most undeniably unafraid to act
decisively when circumstances demand.
That is the caliber of the man to whom this institution
is about to bid farewell. And as we do so, I also cannot
help but recall the proud tradition of extraordinary
thinkers and leaders that the great Commonwealth of
Virginia has produced over centuries--the ranks of which
John Warner is most unquestionably fit to occupy. What a
credit he has been to his State, what a legacy he
contributes to Virginia, and certainly to America. The
people of Virginia could not have asked for a more
eloquent and powerful voice in the U.S. Senate--and it was
a powerful voice not for the brashness of its volume or
tone, but because of the credibility and thoughtfulness
behind the words and thoughts that voice delivered.
Quite simply, he is truly one of the best--deeply
respected, highly regarded, a principled, independent-
minded voice of reason. He is what we need more of in
government. And he sets an example for us all.
He has also been a great friend to me--as he has to so
many of us. I will miss the firmness and sincerity of his
warm ``hellos.'' I will miss running into him in the
hallways, on the Senate subway, on this floor. I will miss
his institutional wisdom and depth and breadth on the
issues. I will miss his kindness and camaraderie. And, I
imagine, there are 98 others in this Chamber who feel
likewise.
So let me just say, farewell John Warner. And while none
of us wants to see you go, there is certainly unanimous
consent that--as you yield the floor for the final time--
no one is more deserving of this time to now spend with
your family, your friends, and with whatever personal
pursuit you may choose--than you, John, as a public
servant of so many years, a public servant of great
accomplishment, and a public servant of such positive and
indelible consequence to the Senate, and to America.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, it has been one of my
great honors to serve with one of the most distinguished
Senators in our body, Senator John Warner of Virginia. A
man of great wisdom, a man committed to the country that
he has served for many decades in a host of important
positions. John Warner has never failed his Nation. In
addition to his knowledge and judgment which I so deeply
respect and have so often followed, he is a true delight
to be with and has the rare collegial skills to bring
highly intelligent and committed Senators together for the
common good. As chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
as its ranking member and in the last 2 years as its de
facto ranking member he has continued his record of superb
service. We have gone through many difficult times, and
without his leadership I don't see how we could have
worked our way through some of our Nation's great
challenges.
John Warner is a product of the heart of Virginia. Our
affectionate title of ``squire'' reflects the recognition
of his Virginia heritage and style. Among other good
qualities no one is more delightful to travel with than
John Warner. I cherish the opportunity to have listened to
many of his stories both humorous and insightful. He is a
walking student of American history. I urged him to seek
reelection but he chose not to. He will be greatly missed.
My best wishes go with him and his wife Jeanne.
Mr. CHAMBLISS. I wish to speak of the retirement from
the Senate of my friend Senator John Warner. Senator
Warner is the quintessential Virginia gentleman. He is
gifted of speech, courteous, possesses courage and
conviction, and is a defender of freedom and the Senator
most committed to the protection of our men and women in
uniform as well as their families. It has been my
privilege to serve with Senator Warner on the Armed
Services Committee. His leadership as chairman was superb.
His commitment to protecting America and Americans is
unparalleled.
From his days in the U.S. Navy to his years as Secretary
of the Navy to his years in the U.S. Senate, John Warner
has provided the kind of service and leadership that
Virginians and Americans appreciate and respect.
I will miss John Warner but certainly wish him and
Jeanne Godspeed as they continue life's journey.