[Senate Document 111-24]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



S. Doc. 111-24



                  TRIBUTES TO HON. CHRISTOPHER S. BOND
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                                 Christopher S. Bond

                       U.S. SENATOR FROM MISSOURI

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES



                                           
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                                 Christopher S. Bond


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                 Christopher S. Bond

                                United States Senator

                                      1987-2011

                                          a
                                           
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                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing











                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell to the Senate................................
                                                                    vii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                      3
                    Bond, Christopher S., of Missouri..............
                                                                      9
                    Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
                                                                     22
                    Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
                                                                 13, 15
                    Cornyn, John, of Texas.........................
                                                                     16
                    Dodd, Christopher J., of Connecticut...........
                                                                     13
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                     13
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     19
                    Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
                                                                     17
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     21
                    Hutchison, Kay Bailey, of Texas................
                                                                     23
                    McCaskill, Claire, of Missouri.................
                                                                     10
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                      6
                    Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
                                                                     24
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                      5
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                      5
                    Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
                                                                      5
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Christopher S. ``Kit'' Bond is a sixth generation 
             Missourian, born in St. Louis in 1939. He grew up in 
             Mexico, MO, where he still resides and tends to several 
             groves of trees he planted by hand.
               Kit Bond graduated cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson 
             School at Princeton University in 1960 and received his 
             law degree from the University of Virginia in 1963, having 
             graduated first in his class.
               After serving as a clerk to the chief judge of the Fifth 
             Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Kit Bond practiced 
             law in Washington, DC, before returning home to Missouri.
               In 1969, Kit Bond became an assistant attorney general 
             under former Senator John Danforth. Before being elected 
             State auditor in 1970, Kit Bond was chief counsel of 
             Missouri's Consumer Protection Division.
               At age 33, Kit Bond became the 47th Governor of the 
             State of Missouri on January 8, 1973--the youngest 
             Governor the State has ever had.
               Kit Bond was reelected to a second term as Governor in 
             1980. Among his greatest accomplishments as Governor was 
             to take the Parents as Teachers Program statewide.
               After his second successful term as Governor, Kit Bond 
             continued his service to Missouri from his newly won seat 
             in the U.S. Senate. In that 1986 election year, he was the 
             only Republican to capture a seat previously held by a 
             Democrat.
               Based upon his solid ability to protect and advance 
             Missouri's interests in the U.S. Senate, Kit Bond was 
             returned by Missouri voters to the U.S. Senate in 1992, 
             1998, and 2004.
               While serving in the U.S. Senate, Kit Bond built a 
             reputation as a statesman who advocates for a strong U.S. 
             military, improved care for our Nation's veterans and men 
             and women in uniform, an expert in Southeast Asia, and a 
             reformer of our Nation's intelligence community. He is 
             also recognized as a national leader in the promotion of 
             plant biotechnology.
               As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations 
             Committee and ranking member of the subcommittee that 
             funds the Nation's housing and transportation needs, 
             Senator Bond worked to increase access to safe and 
             affordable housing and improve critical infrastructure in 
             Missouri and across the country.
               Throughout his career, Senator Bond worked to ensure 
             that Missouri receives a fair share of money to improve 
             roads and highways. As the then-chairman of the 
             subcommittee responsible for writing Federal highway 
             legislation, Kit Bond used his clout to bring $1.3 billion 
             in new Federal highway funds to Missouri in the most 
             recent transportation bill.
               Senator Bond fought for economic security by protecting 
             jobs from being driven abroad by overreaching regulations, 
             ensuring that the weapons systems defending our soldiers 
             continue to be built by Missouri's fine engineering and 
             production workforce, and working to make Missouri the 
             premier plant biotechnology and life sciences corridor in 
             the country.
               Kit Bond served as the vice chairman on the Senate 
             Select Intelligence Committee, where he worked to give the 
             intelligence community the tools to detect and disrupt 
             planned terrorist attacks on America.
               Kit Bond is married to Linda Bond. His son, Samuel Bond, 
             was first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and served 
             two terms in Iraq--the last as a scout-sniper platoon 
             leader. Sam married Margaret Crews, an attorney from 
             Richmond, VA; they have one child, a daughter named 
             Elizabeth.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Tuesday, December 14, 2010

               Mr. BOND. Two years ago I announced my retirement from 
             the Senate, and that time has come. I have to begin by 
             thanking all my colleagues and my constituents for making 
             this job one of the best a person could hold. There is no 
             greater honor than being given the trust of the people at 
             home to represent them. I have done my best to keep faith 
             with my constituents on every vote I have cast and every 
             issue on which I have worked.
               Through more than two decades of membership in this 
             world's greatest deliberative body--sometimes delaying 
             body--I have participated in my share of debates. When I 
             first came to the Senate, the cold war was a conflict some 
             thought we would never win. Thanks to the courage and 
             resolve of former President Ronald Reagan, millions of 
             people now live in freedom. During this last term 
             especially, it seems many debates will have history-
             shaping consequences.
               America has faced many challenges in the past 6 years: 
             the longest recession since the Great Depression, wars in 
             Afghanistan and Iraq, the continuing battle against 
             terrorism, the fight to be competitive in a global 
             economy, and many more. As I look back, the successes we 
             have achieved during my time here have come because people 
             of good will were willing to work across the aisle for the 
             common good of our Nation.
               As I address the floor today, I am filled with memories 
             of the many colleagues with whom I have worked over the 
             years. One stands out in my memory--the one who was my 
             best friend and mentor in the Senate, who took me under 
             his wing and treated me and my family as close friends, 
             and that, of course, is the late Senator Ted Stevens. He 
             was unflagging in his support of his principles, and 
             everyone clearly knew where he stood. Yet he was a very 
             effective appropriator because he knew how to compromise. 
             I can only hope my colleagues and constituents know where 
             I stand, and I, too, know that working across the aisle is 
             the only way to get things done in this body.
               Right after I arrived, I had the pleasure of working 
             with the late Senator Robert Byrd, who achieved the acid 
             rain trading compromise and passed the Clean Air Act 
             Amendments of 1990. I also joined with former Senator 
             Wendell Ford to establish a National Guard Caucus, and now 
             it is a pleasure to work with Pat Leahy to ensure that our 
             dual-mission National Guard is adequately prepared to 
             serve emergency needs on the homefront and participate in 
             our national security issues abroad.
               On the Appropriations Committee, I have enjoyed the 
             successes I have had working first with Barbara Mikulski 
             and now Dianne Feinstein to ensure that public housing 
             meets the needs of the people it is supposed to serve and 
             the communities in which they live. We provided supportive 
             assistance for the homeless--particularly veterans--and 
             stopped lead paint poisoning of children in old public 
             housing buildings across the Nation. Barbara and I also 
             gave a boost to what I believe will be the job-creating 
             technology of the 21st century: agricultural 
             biotechnology. We did that with congressionally directed 
             spending in the National Science Foundation budget.
               With Senator Dianne Feinstein as chair of the Senate 
             Select Committee on Intelligence, we have put, I believe, 
             the Senate Intelligence Committee back on a path of 
             bipartisanship and achieved passage of the first 
             Intelligence Act Reauthorization in 6 years.
               I especially owe my Republican colleagues my sincerest 
             thanks and appreciation for sticking with me as we 
             negotiated our way through some tough compromises, such as 
             the fights we have had on FISA (Foreign Intelligence 
             Surveillance Act). When HAVA (the Help America Vote Act) 
             came to the Senate floor in 2001, ostensibly to cure 
             problems with punch card voting in Florida, most of us 
             Republicans thought was an effort to discredit the 
             election of former President Bush. I urged my colleagues 
             not to block the bill but to use it, not only to make it 
             easier to vote but tougher to cheat. When we moved to the 
             floor, I brought to the Senate floor a picture of a 
             springer spaniel, Ritsy Meckler, who had been registered 
             to vote in St. Louis, MO, to make the point that if we had 
             positive identification, it would have been much more 
             difficult for Ritsy to register or certainly to vote. My 
             friend, Chris Dodd, with whom I had worked on many 
             children and family issues and who worked with us on the 
             HAVA Act, told me he never wanted to see a picture of that 
             dog again, so I autographed the picture and gave it to 
             him. I think he still has it in his trusted memory box.
               Right now we are engaged on the Senate floor in passing 
             a bill that will stop historic tax increases from hitting 
             most American families and the entire economy next year. I 
             truly hope the House will be able to pass a bill for 
             signature by President Obama so we can begin getting the 
             economy to work again and preventing even more job losses. 
             Assuming we can do it, the new Congress has to put our 
             economy back on a sound footing. We must end the recent 
             trend of the push for government overspending and passing 
             the burdensome mandates on States and the private sector. 
             Excessive regulations that go beyond reasonable safety and 
             environmental restrictions are costing us jobs in 
             agriculture, energy, and many other areas of the economy, 
             and stopping badly needed developments that we in this 
             country need.
               The size of the debt has become an increasing concern 
             for my constituents and others across the Nation. We have 
             a debt problem that is caused by spending, not by having 
             taxes too low. I am encouraged to see there has been more 
             discussion of having a flat tax with lower rates, 
             eliminating a wide range of deductions, credits, and other 
             tax bill earmarks. Doing so would make it easier for all 
             of us, as Americans, to fill out tax forms, eliminating 
             the time and effort of figuring them out, and I think it 
             should enable us to put more of those resources into what 
             we need, our top priority: job creation.
               Speaking of job creation, I think there are tremendous 
             opportunities in export trade. I applaud President Obama's 
             call for expanding trade to create jobs. I look forward to 
             seeing his continued leadership and to seeing Congress 
             move forward promptly to adopt the trade agreements with 
             Korea, Colombia, and Panama. For our intermediate-term 
             future, it is essential the United States participate in 
             the Trans-Pacific Partnership with countries on both sides 
             of the Pacific to take down barriers to trade and increase 
             export job opportunities.
               As most of my colleagues know, I have been particularly 
             interested in expanding trade with Southeast Asia, which I 
             believe is not well understood by too many Americans. The 
             entire Asian region provides huge opportunities for better 
             American jobs through trade and investment across the 
             Pacific.
               In addition to expanding economic growth and jobs, trade 
             is also an important element in SmartPower, the fight 
             against terrorist insurgencies threatening other countries 
             and ultimately those of us here at home. As I mentioned in 
             the book the leader was kind enough to speak of, we can 
             and must use trade, investment, and education interchanges 
             to build strong economies as a necessary step as we use 
             military action to stop imminent, violent threats. The 
             combination can make stronger, stabler allies.
               I think SmartPower was no better demonstrated than in 
             the efforts of the Missouri National Guard Development 
             team in Nangarhar Province in Afghanistan. These military-
             trained Guard men and women went to Afghanistan with 
             strong private sector expertise in a wide range of 
             agriculture activities and helped reestablish a 
             profitable, legitimate agriculture in Agatha, while they 
             were maintaining security.
               By the end of the first 10-month growing season, illicit 
             poppy production had dropped to zero in Agatha, which had 
             been the second leading poppy producer in the nation. I 
             think we have to expand that model with more National 
             Guard units deployed but also a better coordination of not 
             only our military forces overseas but civilian assistance 
             that must go with them. We must continue our efforts to 
             avoid giving Al Qaeda and its related terrorist allies an 
             unchallenged place to develop recruiting and training 
             camps as well as command and control units that threaten 
             us.
               One of the greatest challenges, however, is the publicly 
             announced summer 2011 withdrawal date from Afghanistan.
               The withdrawal has signaled to our enemies they only 
             need to wait until next summer to put our allies in the 
             Karzai government on notice that we may not be there to 
             protect them after summer 2011. As important, it tells the 
             shura or local community leaders we will not be there next 
             year to protect them from the Taliban, so they are less 
             likely to cooperate with us. There must be a message, I 
             believe, from the White House, widely disseminated, that 
             we will pull out of Afghanistan only when conditions on 
             the ground indicate there will be security.
               A high point of my legislative career got an impetus in 
             2007, when I went with Senator Bayh on a congressional 
             delegation, a codel, to Afghanistan. We were told that the 
             limitations in the old Foreign Intelligence Surveillance 
             Act were a great threat to our troops as well as to those 
             of us on the ground. I worked, as the leader said, from 
             that point until summer 2008, with the strong support of 
             my Republican colleagues, and a workable compromise across 
             the aisle was developed which gave the intelligence 
             agencies the access they needed and, at the same time, 
             extended the protection of rights of Americans overseas 
             from unwarranted interception of messages by telephone or 
             email.
               As a result, we currently have that ability, but we must 
             go to work quickly to make sure other provisions of vital 
             intelligence collection measures and authorizations do not 
             expire without legislative extensions. For the United 
             States, our homeland, our defense against terrorist acts 
             from prisoners of war is essential, and we must prevent 
             the release of Gitmo detainees to other countries, where 
             they will return to the battlefield. The fact that one in 
             four detainees already has come back is a frightening 
             figure because we believe there are many more who will 
             come back, and I fear one of those may conduct an attack 
             on the United States. We need to have a law of war which 
             allows us to hold them.
               As a final thought on intelligence, however, the recent 
             WikiLeaks scandal has shown us what damage the Internet 
             can do to our diplomatic efforts as well as the safety of 
             those in dangerous places with whom we have worked. The 
             even greater threat we see is the continuing cyberattack 
             on military intelligence and private sector critical 
             infrastructure. With my colleague from Utah, Orrin Hatch, 
             we have introduced a cybersecurity bill that will 
             establish a cyberdefense alliance to allow private sector 
             entities to cooperate with government agencies to protect 
             our critical financial systems, our utilities and, most of 
             all, our communications systems from attack. The battle is 
             under way, and we will need every effort to stay ahead of 
             the developing attacks as well as helping the private 
             sector protect their information.
               In closing, I will tell my colleagues I have worked in 
             all possible party combinations. I have been in the 
             majority and minority. I have been fat and thin, and being 
             thin and in the majority is a whole lot better. In my two 
             terms as Governor, with a 70-percent Democratic majority 
             in both the house and the senate general assembly, they 
             explained to me how bipartisanship works. I figured it out 
             during my second term, which enabled us to do better. It 
             was my most successful term in any office, and the general 
             assembly and I both achieved passage of all the 
             legislative priorities we had.
               So now if my colleagues will permit a little parting 
             advice from an old bull: Work together, play nice.
               I would follow up on the leader's comment about a little 
             scuffle I had with Pat Moynihan. I never talked about it. 
             We never said anything publicly until now. Later on, as we 
             became fast friends, he used to tease me about setting up 
             boxing matches so we could raise money for charity. But 
             when I looked at his height and his reach, I didn't take 
             him up on that.
               In a world today where enemies are real--the kind who 
             seek to destroy others because of their religion--it is 
             important to remember there is a lot of real estate 
             between a political opponent and a true enemy. In 
             government we expect spirited and principled debate where 
             ideas compete and the best ones prevail. There will be 
             issues where people of good conscience cannot come 
             together, but let us never let what cannot be done 
             interfere with what can be done. Events in the world and 
             threats will continue to challenge us--terrorism, the 
             economy, and growing debt.
               Nearly 24 years ago, I was sworn in as a U.S. Senator. 
             Since that time, I have been honored to work with you and 
             others on all the priorities facing our country and many 
             more. Public service has been a blessing and a labor of 
             love for me. Little in life could be more fulfilling.
               But I look forward to the next chapter in my life. I am 
             neither shy nor retiring. There are ways to serve, and 
             elective office is only one of them. I plan to continue 
             fighting for Missouri and national priorities from a 
             different vantage point.
               Throughout 40 years of public life, I have met many 
             wonderful people. I have visited every area of the State 
             every term I have served in office. The people I have met 
             in office and the people I have worked with have made the 
             job so rewarding I decided to stay longer. The people of 
             Missouri have been my most trusted and valuable advisers, 
             and I thank them for giving me support and helping me to 
             identify not only the challenges but the solutions.
               In addition to my colleagues and friends, there are too 
             many others to thank, but let me give you the first one. 
             First, to my patient family--my wife Linda, the light and 
             love of my life; my talented, charming daughter-in-law 
             Margaret, and my son Sam, whom I regard as my personal 
             hero for his service as a marine ground-intelligence 
             officer in Iraq.
               Thanks to all who have worked for me in my office, on my 
             committees, and those who have helped me with political 
             activities--hundreds and thousands over the years. Some 
             were not born when I started, others have passed away. 
             Fortunately, many are still here.
               As Mitch said, I thank my political adversaries for 
             keeping me nimble and the media for keeping me humble. 
             Most of all, I thank the voters of Missouri for sending me 
             to Jefferson City three times and Washington, DC, four 
             times to represent them. There is no greater honor. I have 
             been truly blessed to be entrusted by them with the 
             responsibility of public office. I thank you from the 
             bottom of my heart.
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                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                 CHRISTOPHER S. BOND
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                             Tuesday, November 30, 2010
               Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 16 Senators will retire 
             this year. There is a pretty big turnover in this body, 
             but that is a lot of Senators at once. We are losing an 
             enormous amount of talent, but, of course, we are gaining 
             a lot of talent with the new Senators.
               I wish to show my respect for those who have served, 
             which I will do in a summary fashion because we are 
             talking about 16 individuals with very complex and 
             distinguished backgrounds.
               One might ask, what are the characteristics of a 
             Senator? There are a lot of different answers to that, 
             depending on your background and attitude toward politics 
             and government. First, I have always thought that one 
             characteristic of almost every Member of the Senate is 
             that he or she probably was a first grader sitting in the 
             front row, hand in the air waiting to be recognized. This 
             is an eager bunch or you would not have gotten here.
               Second, it is a group of risk takers. Most people who 
             end up in the Senate get here because a lot of other 
             people who wanted to be Senators were standing around 
             waiting for the right time to run. A lot of people who 
             were elected to the Senate seemed to have no chance of 
             winning at the time they decided to run, but the voters 
             decided differently, and here they are.
               Third, we are almost all professional and congenial. 
             That is a big help. It is almost a requirement in an 
             organization of 100 individuals who spend almost all their 
             time with one another, who serve in a body that operates 
             by unanimous consent, when just one Senator can bring the 
             whole place to a halt, and whose job basically is to argue 
             about some of the most difficult issues that face the 
             American people. So it helps that almost every Member of 
             the Senate is an especially congenial person.
               Back in Tennessee, people often say to me it must be 
             rough being in that job. They are awfully mean up there. 
             The truth is, I don't know of a more congenial group than 
             the Members of the Senate. We begin the day in the gym. 
             The next thing you know we are at a Prayer Breakfast, and 
             then we are at a committee hearing. Then we are on the 
             floor voting, and then we have lunch. It goes through the 
             day until 7 or 8 o'clock, or sometimes later. We live 
             together and we get along very well. We know and respect 
             each other.
               Not long ago, the Presiding Officer (Mr. Udall of New 
             Mexico) and I were having dinner together with our wives. 
             We were lamenting the loss of families who know one 
             another, the way it happened when his father was serving 
             in Congress and when I first came to the Senate to work 
             for Senator Baker. And that's true. We've lost some of 
             that. Still, there is an enormous amount of affection and 
             good will here. You don't always get to be very close 
             friends in this job, but you get to be very good 
             acquaintances, and you learn to respect people for their 
             strengths.
               Senator Domenici said, when he left, that we don't do a 
             very good job of saying goodbye here. That is true. As one 
             part of saying goodbye, I wish to say at least one good 
             thing about each one of the 16 retiring Senators. Much 
             more could be said about each, of course. Mostly, I am 
             going in alphabetical order. ...
               Senator Kit Bond was a Governor. He and I once served as 
             law clerks on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for two 
             judges who helped integrate the South, Judges Tuttle and 
             Wisdom. Senator Bond has a great many things that could be 
             said about him. What most of us admire greatly about his 
             time here is his devotion to our intelligence community 
             and national security, as vice chairman of our 
             Intelligence Committee, making sure our intelligence 
             agencies have the tools they need to prevent terrorist 
             attacks on America. ...
               It has been my privilege to serve with these 16 
             Senators. We thank them for their service to our country. 
             They have had a chance to serve in what we regard as the 
             world's greatest deliberative body; it is a special 
             institution. We will miss their leadership, and we hope 
             they will stay in touch with us because they are not just 
             retiring Senators, they are all our friends.
               I yield the floor.
                                            Wednesday, December 8, 2010
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of 
             materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to 
             retiring Members of the 111th Congress, and that Members 
             have until Thursday, December 16, to submit such tributes.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                              Friday, December 10, 2010
               Mr. REED. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to 
             our colleagues who are departing the Senate after 
             distinguished service on behalf of their States and on 
             behalf of the Nation. I have been privileged to work with 
             these individuals, to learn from them, to collaborate and 
             cooperate with them, and to, in some small way, help them 
             do what they have done so well--represent their States 
             with fidelity, with great effort, and to move the agenda 
             of the Nation forward. ...
               Kit Bond and Linda Bond have served with such 
             distinction. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, 
             he has made wise and judicious decisions about how we 
             invest in this country. In that process, he never forgot 
             the obligation to groups who are often overlooked.
               One of the areas where he has done so much work, and so 
             effectively, has been on the issue of homelessness. His 
             efforts, joined by our colleagues and friends, Barbara 
             Mikulski and Patty Murray, have made a real difference in 
             providing effective and efficient shelter for so many in 
             our large communities and in our rural areas, who 
             otherwise literally would be on the streets of America. 
             One of the most disheartening images in this country is to 
             see people who are forced to be on the streets. There are 
             many reasons for that. Kit Bond has done a lot to ensure 
             there is at least a capacity to help people who need that 
             kind of help. I thank him for that and commend him for so 
             much of what he has done for the people of Missouri and 
             the people of this Nation. ...
               To all of these colleagues and their families, my 
             deepest appreciation and my profoundest respect.

               Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise again to recognize the 
             service of another great Federal employee. This is a 
             tradition that was started by our friend and former 
             colleague, Senator Kaufman, and I am proud to carry on 
             that tradition. But I first want to say that I appreciate 
             the remarks of the Presiding Officer (Mr. Reed) about our 
             colleagues who are leaving this body, and I share his 
             great respect for not only Senator Kaufman but all of the 
             colleagues who are leaving the body at the end of this 
             Congress. ...
                                             Tuesday, December 14, 2010
               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to 
             my old friend, Kit Bond, a man who has dedicated the 
             better part of four decades to public service, and who has 
             never failed in all those years to put the people of 
             Missouri ahead of himself.
               As Kit puts it:

               Serving Missouri has been my life's work. ... I have 
             walked the land, fished its rivers and been humbled by the 
             honesty and hard work of our people. The highest honor is 
             to receive and safeguard the public trust.

               But Kit also knew when to leave the field to somebody 
             else. As he put it in his retirement announcement last 
             year before a packed Missouri house chamber:

               In 1973, I became Missouri's youngest Governor ... I do 
             not aspire to become Missouri's oldest Senator.

               It may have been the one ambition Kit did not pursue.
               Born in St. Louis, Kit is a sixth generation Missourian. 
             He grew up in Mexico, MO, where his grandfather founded 
             the A.P. Green Fire Brick Company, the largest employer in 
             town. Kit and Linda still call Mexico home.
               Kit has always been an overachiever. He graduated cum 
             laude from Princeton University and first in his class 
             from the University of Virginia School of Law. After that, 
             he moved to Atlanta to clerk for one of the great pioneers 
             of the civil rights movement, Judge Elbert Tuttle of the 
             Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
               After that, Kit went home to Missouri to practice law. 
             In 1968, he ran for Congress and lost, but he did not lose 
             his taste for politics. A year later, he was appointed 
             assistant attorney general, where he ran the Consumer 
             Protection Division under Attorney General John Danforth. 
             The future Senate colleagues would become close friends, 
             political allies, and dominant figures in Missouri 
             politics for more than a generation.
               In 1970, Kit was elected State auditor, and in 1972, at 
             the tender age of 33, he was elected as the youngest 
             Governor in the history of Missouri, and its first 
             Republican Governor in 32 years. It was an extraordinary 
             achievement, followed by an equally extraordinary series 
             of events. Four years after winning the seat, he lost it 
             to a Democrat named Joe Teasdale. But 4 years after that, 
             he won it back from the same guy.
               As Governor, one of Kit's greatest accomplishments was 
             working with the Democratic legislature to take the 
             Parents as Teachers Pilot Program statewide--a program 
             that was designed to help parents prepare their children 
             for the classroom and help them score higher on 
             standardized tests.
               As a young father and Governor, Kit saw how important 
             the program was for his own son Sam. ``As a parent looking 
             for an `owner's manual' to care for a new baby,'' Kit 
             said, ``[Parents for Teachers] was my lifeline.'' So in 
             1984, Kit signed a bill requiring all Missouri school 
             districts to provide Parents as Teachers services.
               Since its inception in the mid-1980s, this program has 
             been immensely successful and helpful to parents all 
             across Missouri, serving 3 million children in the State. 
             Today, the Parents as Teachers Program includes 3,000 
             programs and has expanded to all 50 States and 7 
             countries.
               As Governor, Kit was also a strong advocate for 
             biotechnology and the expansion of community health 
             centers to underserved areas.
               After his success as a two-term Governor, Kit decided to 
             follow his former boss, Senator Jack Danforth, to 
             Washington. He won his first term with 53 percent of the 
             vote, becoming the only Republican that year to capture a 
             seat previously held by a Democrat. For the last 24 years, 
             Kit has been a leader of this body.
               There is no stronger advocate for the men and women of 
             our Armed Forces than Kit Bond. He has worked hard to 
             ensure that our Nation's veterans get the care they need 
             and deserve. He has become an expert on Southeast Asian 
             affairs, last year coauthoring a book on Southeast Asia 
             and Islam entitled The Next Front: Southeast Asia and the 
             Road to Global Peace with Islam. ``It is not difficult to 
             convince a Senator to write a book,'' Kit said. ``The hard 
             part is convincing people to read it.''
               The Senate is indebted to Kit for his service as vice 
             chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. 
             He has worked tirelessly to conduct responsible oversight 
             of our Nation's intelligence community. He worked closely 
             with former Chairman Rockefeller and our current chair, 
             Dianne Feinstein. In doing so, they showed all of us the 
             importance of working together in a bipartisan fashion on 
             matters of national security.
               Kit was instrumental in the passage of the Protect 
             America Act and the subsequent Foreign Intelligence 
             Surveillance Amendment Act of 2008. He worked tirelessly 
             behind the scenes and across the aisle to combat 
             widespread misinformation about these bills.
               Regarding the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, Kit said, 
             ``There is nothing to fear in [this] bill, unless you have 
             Al Qaeda on your speed dial.'' Over the years, Kit worked 
             hard to improve Missouri's transportation and 
             infrastructure. Legend has it that his staunch protection 
             of Missouri's highway funds even led to a physical 
             altercation one day with our former colleague, Senator 
             Moynihan. The details are a little murky with the passage 
             of time, and Pat denied it ever happened. But Kit claims 
             to have been the last Senator to be ``slugged'' on the 
             Senate floor. The rest of us learned an important lesson 
             that day: Don't mess with Missouri's highway funding.
               I think anyone who knows Kit well will tell you the last 
             10 years have been some of the happiest for him. Linda has 
             made Kit a new man. I understand she has improved his 
             diet, his fitness routine, and, thank heavens, his 
             wardrobe. He has proudly watched his son Sam stand up and 
             defend the Nation Kit has served his entire life. First 
             Lieutenant Sam Bond served two tours in Iraq, the last as 
             a scout-sniper platoon leader, where he conducted close 
             reconnaissance and surveillance operations in order to 
             gain intelligence on the enemy. We all thank him for his 
             courage and his sacrifice in defending our freedom and 
             security.
               Now, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge 
             another one of Kit's loved ones--his dog Tiger, who has 
             become sort of a YouTube celebrity around here. Tiger is, 
             of course, named after Kit's beloved University of 
             Missouri Tigers, and her favorite pastime is lying under 
             Kit's desk and destroying a stuffed University of Kansas 
             Jayhawk. Tiger may not be the kind of dog one would 
             imagine for the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence 
             Committee. Even Kit admits she is a little bit of a 
             froufrou pet. But in Tiger's defense, Kit likes to point 
             out that the last time she saw FDIC Chair Sheila Bair, she 
             would not stop barking. Chairman Bair has not one but two 
             degrees from the University of Kansas. ``I think she 
             sniffed it out,'' Bond said.
               Kit has had a tremendous career in public service. He 
             has been elected seven times in Missouri, from State 
             auditor to his four terms in the Senate--more than anyone 
             else in the history of the Show-Me State.
               Looking back, Kit says his political adversaries kept 
             him nimble, and the media kept him humble. Whatever the 
             formula, Kit has been an outstanding Senator, and we will 
             miss him terribly. I am sure it is hard for Missourians to 
             imagine Kit outside of office. It is no easier for his 
             colleagues to imagine the Senate without Kit. As his 
             fourth term draws to a close, history will show he has 
             served the people of Missouri and the people of this 
             Nation with passion, honor, and integrity. He will be 
             missed.
               Let me just add, back in the mid-1980s, I started off in 
             the very last seat back there, and these were not great 
             years for Republicans. We had two freshmen my first year, 
             and two freshmen 2 years later, Senator Bond and Senator 
             McCain. So seniority being what it is in the Senate, I got 
             to move out of the very last chair, moving over two more 
             chairs, and Bond and McCain came back there and joined us.
               We were such power players in those days, we referred to 
             ourselves as the ``Not Quite Ready for Prime Time 
             Players.''
               But I must say to my friend from Missouri, you have come 
             a long way from those early days. You have made an 
             enormous difference in the Senate, and we will all miss 
             you greatly.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Missouri.

               Mr. BOND. Thank you, Leader McConnell, for your very 
             kind and generous words.
               Since I announced I was not running for reelection, I 
             have been overwhelmed by the nice things folks have been 
             saying about me. There is nothing like being eulogized 
             while you are still breathing. To my good friend Mitch, it 
             has been a long time since we sat back in the corner as 
             the ``Not Quite Ready for Prime Time Players,'' but while 
             I never made it to prime time, except, of course, one 
             appearance as a very less-than-best-selling author on the 
             ``Jon Stewart Show,'' you certainly have arrived.
               You have led us through many difficult and protracted 
             debates. Through all of it, you have been an agile, 
             disciplined, and courteous negotiator, with a good sense 
             of humor. You kept us together on many tough votes, at 
             least as much as is possible to keep 40-something 
             different, independent minds all together or, as I like to 
             say, 40 frogs in a wheelbarrow. But I thank you, Mitch. 
             While I have occasionally caused you heartburn--I realize 
             that--I have always appreciated your intelligence, your 
             leadership, and your friendship. You and Elaine are very 
             close friends of Linda and me, and we wish you both the 
             very best for the future.

               Mrs. McCASKILL. Mr. President, I think it goes without 
             saying there are things Senator Bond and I might disagree 
             on, but today is not a time to talk about those things. I 
             rise for a few minutes to talk about Senator Bond and the 
             things I most respect and admire him for. It could be a 
             very long list, and I don't want to take too long, but I 
             am going to hit the high points of the things I think 
             demand that anyone who has paid attention to Missouri 
             needs to respect and admire this man for.
               First, for 42 years, he has served the State of 
             Missouri. Let us start there. He loves the State we call 
             home. I would say that he knows it better than any living 
             person in the world. He understands it, he is dedicated to 
             it, and he has made Missouri his life's work. For that, he 
             deserves my respect and admiration.
               Second, he has made major sacrifices to serve. As the 
             leader said, he graduated first in his class from the 
             University of Virginia Law School; a graduate from 
             Princeton. I don't need to explain to anybody in the 
             Senate what that could mean in terms of one's career, in 
             terms of making money. Christopher ``Kit'' Bond could have 
             been wealthy beyond anyone's imagination. He had the 
             intellect, he had the personality to succeed in any 
             business that he decided to engage in, and certainly in 
             the practice of law.
               I think in today's world there is so much cynicism about 
             the people who choose a career of political service. This 
             is a great example for civics classes throughout this 
             country, to see that this is what we are talking about--
             someone who chose not to make big bucks, not to travel the 
             halls of power in the private sector, but to toil in the 
             fields of being a public servant. Yes, there are many 
             things about being a public servant that are grand and 
             glorious, but there is a lot that is not.
               I would challenge anyone to go to as many farm bureau 
             picnics as my colleague has gone to and not admit a little 
             bit of fatigue. I would challenge anyone to have attended 
             as many State fairs as my colleague has attended and not 
             confess a little fatigue. I would challenge anyone to go 
             to what my dad used to call the ``slick ham suppers'' in 
             small communities across the State after a long week of 
             work, because he knew there were people there who were 
             going to be rewarded by his presence and that it was part 
             of his job. He realized that was very important. So I am 
             very respectful and have great admiration for the fact 
             that he has toiled in the field of public service for all 
             these years.
               Third, I respect and admire how proud he is of his 
             family and how devoted he is to his wife. It is wonderful 
             to behold when someone exudes love and admiration and 
             devotion to those people who are most important to all of 
             us--our families. I have watched Senator Bond as he began 
             to immerse himself in foreign policy, and I know it was 
             because he went to bed every night and woke up every 
             morning thinking of Sam, and Sam's service and what Sam 
             was doing and feeling, that compelled him to do as much as 
             he could in the Halls of Congress to help men and women 
             such as Sam Bond throughout our world.
               Fourth, and maybe this is the best one, Senator Kit Bond 
             is not afraid of a fight. I think that is terrific. You 
             know, Missouri is a tough State. It is a tough State in 
             that anybody who tells you their reelection is certain 
             does not know or understand Missouri. Every election is a 
             battle in Missouri. He has a record of nine and two in 
             those elections. And for our beloved team, the Missouri 
             Tigers, he and I would take that record any year in 
             football. He has had three campaigns for Governor and four 
             campaigns for the Senate from the State of Missouri, and 
             his record is nine and one in those elections. Let me tell 
             you, that is one remarkable achievement because in 
             Missouri we have some strong-minded folks. We have a bunch 
             of folks on one end who are very loud and very 
             opinionated, and they are not going anywhere, and we have 
             a bunch of folks on the other end who are just as loud and 
             just as opinionated, and they are not going anywhere. But 
             in the middle we have a grand and glorious group of very 
             stubbornly independent people.
               I like to point out to people that the State of Missouri 
             elected John Ashcroft Governor and Harriett Woods 
             Lieutenant Governor in the same election. Now, many of you 
             may not know who Harriett Woods is, but I can assure you 
             my colleague and I both know these two people--John 
             Ashcroft and Harriett Woods--and they had absolutely 
             nothing in common. They had completely divergent 
             ideological views of the world, yet Missourians elected 
             both of them. Why? I will tell you what that grand and 
             gloriously stubborn streak of independents want in 
             Missouri--they want someone with a smile.
               Check for Kit Bond--when you think of Kit Bond, you 
             think of him smiling. Even if his teeth are gritted, and 
             he is telling you something you don't want to hear or you 
             can tell he is angry at you, he is still grinning. They 
             appreciate his intellect. He has always been an 
             intellectual giant, and that is important when you are 
             toiling the fields of public service. His integrity. There 
             was never a doubt in all of these years of Kit Bond's 
             service that this was not a man of the very highest 
             integrity. And finally, a work ethic. And gee howdy, 
             Missourians want a work ethic. They want somebody who 
             understands that they are working hard and they want to 
             see you working hard, and that is exactly what Senator 
             Bond has done for these 42 years. He has worked very hard, 
             even down to planting his chestnut trees himself on the 
             farm in Mexico.
               So the magic formula of a ready smile, intellect, 
             integrity, and an amazing work ethic has put him in the 
             same category as some of Missouri's very greatest. From 
             Thomas Hart Benton to Senator Christopher ``Kit'' Bond, he 
             has shown the world and shown our country what hard work, 
             what somebody who loves the middle of America and all that 
             it represents can do in the Senate.
               He has been a wonderful role model for many of us in 
             Missouri, even if we don't always agree on every issue. 
             And by the way, I will tell this story today: When I took 
             my desk in the State auditor's office, there is a 
             tradition in the State auditor's office in Missouri that 
             all the previous State auditors' pictures are around your 
             office on a photorail at the top. I sat down at my desk on 
             the first day having been elected State auditor, and I 
             looked up and who was directly across from me--Kit Bond 
             and John Ashcroft. I will confess I moved the order so I 
             didn't have to look at both of you every single day. But 
             you were a reminder to me that there are many different 
             ways to serve.
               It is with a great deal of reluctance that I say 
             farewell to Senator Kit Bond in the Senate. He has served 
             here well, he has served his State well, and I hope he 
             remains a colleague and friend of mine for many years to 
             come.
               With the utmost admiration and respect, I yield the 
             floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota is 
             recognized.

               Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I also want to add my voice 
             in respect and recognition for the service of Senator Kit 
             Bond. He has been a terrific colleague. We have jousted 
             over issues such as water policy affecting our two States, 
             but he has always conducted himself with honor and 
             integrity. He will be missed in this Chamber.
                                           Wednesday, December 15, 2010
               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the order for the printing of tributes be modified to 
             provide that Members have until sine die of the 111th 
             Congress, 2d session, to submit tributes and that the 
             order for printing remain in effect.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                            Thursday, December 16, 2010
               Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I would like to take a few 
             minutes today to pay tribute to a longtime colleague, the 
             senior Senator from Missouri, who like me will be leaving 
             this body in a few short weeks. It has been an honor to 
             serve with him, and I wish him, his wife Linda, and his 
             son Samuel--who is bravely serving his Nation as a first 
             lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps--and the rest of his 
             family the best of luck in the future.
               Senator Bond, or Kit as many of us know him, knew at an 
             early age that his calling was public service. After 
             earning his law degree and practicing for a few years here 
             in Washington, DC, he returned to Missouri to run for the 
             U.S. House of Representatives in 1968. While he was 
             unsuccessful in that first run, at the young age of 29 he 
             caught the eye of the then-Missouri Attorney General John 
             Danforth, who hired him as an assistant attorney general.
               After heading the Attorney General's Office of Consumer 
             Protection, Kit was elected in his own right to serve as 
             Missouri's State auditor, and later went on to two terms 
             as Governor of Missouri. He still holds the distinction of 
             having been the youngest Governor elected in his State's 
             history at the age of 33.
               Kit was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986. During his 
             time in this body, he has established himself as a strong 
             advocate for the people and interests of the State of 
             Missouri. He has also established himself as a national 
             leader on issues that are important not only to his State 
             but to our Nation as a whole.
               For years, as a member and later chairman of the Small 
             Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, he has served as 
             a leading voice for small businesses.
               As the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on 
             Intelligence, Senator Bond has worked continuously to 
             ensure our Nation's intelligence community has the tools 
             and resources necessary to keep us safe. Throughout his 
             career in the Senate, he has also been a knowledgeable, 
             leading voice on matters of importance to veterans, and 
             has time and again proven his unwavering support for our 
             men and women in uniform.
               As a member of the Appropriations Committee, and 
             chairman and ranking member of the Transportation and 
             Housing Subcommittee, he has played a significant role in 
             advocating for improvements to our Nation's roads and 
             other vital infrastructure.
               These are just some of the areas for which Senator Bond 
             will no doubt be remembered. But I would like to take a 
             moment to speak to an issue that he and I have worked 
             together for many years, for which he may not receive the 
             attention he deserves--his strong advocacy for the health 
             of our Nation's children and families.
               Senator Bond and I have worked together on these issues 
             for many years. In 1991, his support was vital to gaining 
             enactment of a piece of legislation of which I am most 
             proud--the Family and Medical Leave Act. To date, this 
             bill has been used more than 100 million times to ensure 
             that workers can care for ailing loved ones, or care for a 
             new child, without the fear of losing their job. This 
             seems like common sense now, but it took 7 years, and two 
             Presidential vetoes to finally see this important law 
             enacted.
               That wouldn't have happened without the involvement of 
             Kit Bond.
               He also was one of the key supporters of the successful 
             effort in 2009 to ensure that airline workers have full 
             access to their Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.
               Senator Bond and I have also partnered over the years to 
             improve maternal and child health and end preventable 
             birth defects. I was proud to be a cosponsor of the Birth 
             Defects Prevention Act of 1998, which he authored. I was 
             also honored to partner with him and others again in 2003, 
             when we were successful in passing the Birth Defects and 
             Developmental Disabilities Prevention Act. These measures 
             helped to establish, and then expand, the role of the 
             Centers for Disease Control in researching and developing 
             solutions to the problems posed by birth defects and 
             developmental disabilities.
               He was also a key Republican sponsor, along with Senator 
             Hatch of Utah, of the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act, 
             which I authored in the 110th Congress. This legislation 
             is the next step in our work together, and seeks to 
             educate every parent, and provide access for every 
             newborn, to a battery of lifesaving prenatal tests. This 
             landmark legislation helps build on the successes which we 
             have had on this issue in the past, and I was pleased that 
             Senator Bond was a supporter yet again, as he has been 
             throughout his career in the Senate.
               While we did not always see eye to eye on every issue, 
             Senator Bond was always someone with whom those policy 
             disagreements were never personal. He has been an 
             honorable legislator, and a valued colleague during our 
             time serving in the Senate together.
               Once again, I would like to wish Senator Bond, his wife 
             Linda, his son Samuel and his family, and all their 
             extended family the very best in all their future 
             endeavors.

               Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues 
             in paying tribute to Senator Bond as he prepares to leave 
             the Senate.
               Senator Bond and I came to the Senate together in 1987. 
             While we have not seen eye to eye on some issues, I have 
             admired his passion and convictions as he worked to 
             faithfully represent his State.
               Even before coming to the Senate, Kit Bond had a 
             distinguished career in public service for the State of 
             Missouri serving as assistant attorney general, State 
             auditor, and later as Governor. He cares deeply about his 
             home State, which is evidenced by his long list of 
             accomplishments in the Senate--a robust highway bill, 
             targeted investments in public housing and infrastructure, 
             and a strong national defense to name just a few.
               Senator Bond and I have long shared a common interest in 
             the Missouri River. Though we disagree on how it should be 
             managed and the ability of our States to utilize this 
             resource, I have enormous respect for my colleague for his 
             passion in defending Missouri's claims to it.
               In particular, I deeply appreciated Senator Bond's work 
             with me on the Dakota Water Resources Act. This 
             legislation was critical for the economic future of North 
             Dakota. During discussions on the bill, he was a tenacious 
             advocate for his State's interests. His diligence in 
             representing his State, coupled with his willingness to 
             gain a better understanding of the water needs of my 
             State, ultimately helped us reach a compromise acceptable 
             to both States. The people of Missouri can be proud of his 
             work fighting for their interests.
               Senator Bond has been a man of his word who served his 
             State and country with distinction. I wish him well in his 
             future endeavors.

               Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in 
             appreciation and admiration of Senator Kit Bond. Kit has 
             been a faithful public servant to the people of Missouri 
             for many years. I feel privileged to have had the 
             opportunity to serve alongside him in the U.S. Senate.
               Before being elected to this body, Kit made a strong 
             impression as a student, a lawyer, and a public servant. 
             He graduated cum laude from Princeton University, and was 
             first in his law school class at the University of 
             Virginia. He practiced law as an assistant attorney 
             general for the State of Missouri under John Danforth, who 
             himself was a future Senator from the Show-Me State. His 
             colleagues at that time included John Ashcroft, who also 
             went on to serve in this Chamber, and future Supreme Court 
             Justice Clarence Thomas.
               Kit often jokes that he transitioned from the second 
             most hated career--a lawyer--to the first: a politician. 
             The people of Missouri have repeatedly affirmed that he 
             made the right choice. They elected him to be their State 
             auditor. They elected him as the youngest Governor in 
             Missouri's history. And they have elected him four times 
             to represent them in the U.S. Senate.
               Senator Bond brought many of his passions as Governor to 
             this Chamber, including his longtime support for 
             Missouri's successful Parents as Teachers Program. He also 
             kept a special place in his heart for issues relating to 
             children. In time he rose to become a senior member of the 
             Appropriations Committee as well as the Environment and 
             Public Works Committee.
               Senator Bond and I worked most closely together on 
             issues relating to national defense and foreign affairs. 
             In this Congress alone, he and I jointly introduced the 
             Military Voting Protection Act of 2009, the Iran 
             Democratic Transition Act of 2010, and a resolution 
             affirming Israel's right to self-defense. His leadership 
             as vice chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence 
             has been a lasting contribution to the security of our 
             Nation,
               Kit has helped shape legislation that will govern our 
             Nation for years to come, but his spirit is what I will 
             miss the most. As he has said:

               Serving Missouri has been my life's work. I have walked 
             the land, fished its rivers, and been humbled by the 
             honesty and hard work of our people. The highest honor is 
             to receive and safeguard the public trust.

               In his retirement, Kit will now have the opportunity to 
             focus his time on his other loves: his wife Linda, his son 
             Sam, and his new daughter-in-law Margaret. The Mizzou 
             Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals will also likely see 
             him in the stands more often. Sandy and I wish both Kit 
             and Linda the very best as they continue their journey 
             together.
                                            Saturday, December 18, 2010
               Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, with the retirement of 
             Senator Kit Bond at the close of this Congress, the Senate 
             will lose one of its most respected veteran Members, and a 
             truly distinguished individual with a distinguished career 
             in public service will come to an end. Of course, we would 
             expect big things from a young man who graduated with 
             honors from Princeton and first in his class at the 
             University of Virginia Law School, and Kit Bond did not 
             disappoint.
               At age 29, he became assistant attorney general of 
             Missouri, serving under former Senator John Danforth. At 
             age 33, he was elected Governor of the State of Missouri, 
             serving two terms. In 1986, he was elected to the Senate, 
             where he has now served for nearly a quarter of a century.
               Over the years, Kit Bond has been a great friend and a 
             frequent collaborator, especially on the Appropriations 
             Committee. For example, in 1993, when the Midwest was 
             devastated by historic floods, Senator Bond was the senior 
             appropriator in the minority party from the nine impacted 
             States, and I was the senior appropriator in the majority 
             party. We took the lead in the Senate, working together 
             very effectively to rally Federal assistance to victims 
             all across the stricken Midwest.
               Over the years, we have worked together to improve the 
             locks and dams along the Upper Mississippi. I can say I 
             think we are both proud of our work in the early part of 
             this decade, forging an agreement to authorize the 
             modernization of five of the critical locks so that our 
             goods can move more efficiently up and down the river. We 
             worked very hard for about 4 years to bring together a 
             remarkable coalition of industry and agriculture and the 
             environmental community to make this project possible.
               Senator Bond and I are members of a breed of Senators 
             affectionately known around here as ``pavers.'' We both 
             believe very strongly that it is a cardinal responsibility 
             of the Federal Government to invest generously in a first-
             class national transportation infrastructure--the roads, 
             the bridges, the locks, the dams, and so on--what we call 
             the arteries and the veins of commerce.
               Senator Bond and I have also collaborated frequently to 
             boost the rural economy and improve the quality of life of 
             the people who live in our rural communities. In 
             particular, we have used funding through the Housing and 
             Urban Development Subcommittee of Appropriations to 
             approve housing for people of modest means, with a 
             particular focus on rural areas. On this score, I would 
             note Senator Bond was a ``compassionate conservative'' 
             long before that term came into fashion. He cares deeply 
             about the well-being of the less fortunate in our society, 
             giving them both a helping hand and a hand up. In the mid-
             1990s, I was proud to work with Senator Bond on the first 
             bipartisan welfare reform bill, modeled, I might say, on 
             the very successful welfare-to-work program we had in 
             Iowa.
               Over the years, Senator Bond has recruited and retained 
             an exceptionally talented staff.
               In particular, I will cite Jon Kamarck, his outstanding 
             lead staffer for many years on the Appropriations 
             Committee, with whom I have had the pleasure of working on 
             many occasions. I know Senator Bond also places great 
             store by his longtime staffer and current chief of staff, 
             Brian Klippenstein--who, by the way, had the good sense to 
             marry a Democrat from the State of Iowa.
               Mr. President, the Senate has been fortunate to have a 
             Senator of Kit Bond's high caliber and character for the 
             last 24 years. In so many ways, he represents the very 
             best in this body--a passion for public service, a 
             willingness to reach across the aisle to get important 
             things done, and an insistence on the highest ethical 
             standards. He has always been determined to do the right 
             thing for the people of Missouri and the entire United 
             States.
               For me, it has been a great honor to be his friend and 
             colleague for the last 24 years. Our friendship, of 
             course, will continue. I wish Kit and Linda the very best 
             in the years ahead.
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, At the end of each session of 
             Congress it has long been a tradition in the Senate to 
             take a moment to express our appreciation and say goodbye 
             to those who will not be returning in January for the 
             beginning of the next Congress. One of those I know we 
             will all miss in the months to come is Kit Bond.
               I still remember the first time Kit Bond was drawn to 
             our attention on a national basis. It was 1974 and then-
             Governor Kit Bond was being honored for his work in State 
             and municipal affairs by the Jaycees as one of the Ten 
             Outstanding Young Americans of that year. He was in his 
             thirties and he was already making his mark in the day-to-
             day life of his home State at a time when most people his 
             age were still trying to find the ``right'' career to 
             focus their energies on that would be both challenging and 
             rewarding. After seeing him so recognized and realizing 
             what it meant, I was inspired myself. I have been in awe 
             of him ever since.
               That honor Kit received so many years ago proved to be 
             one of the first to come his way during a four-decade 
             career that now includes his service to the people of 
             Missouri on the State and the Federal level. Over the 
             years he has been a champion for the people of his home 
             State and that is why they have elected and reelected him 
             numerous times. Simply put, he has been an outstanding and 
             highly effective legislator.
               It is no secret. Kit has an amazing resume. Actually, it 
             is more a record of success that lists what he has 
             achieved and the results he has been able to obtain that 
             reflect the work he has been a part of that has helped to 
             make our country a better place for us all to live.
               Looking back, Kit had already begun to make a name for 
             himself when he graduated from the University of 
             Virginia's law school. He was first in his class and had a 
             number of opportunities awaiting him, some of which he 
             explored, before he returned home to Missouri. Once there 
             he began his career of public service as the State's 
             assistant attorney general under former Senator John 
             Danforth.
               Soon thereafter Kit won his first statewide race when he 
             was elected to serve as State auditor. Two years after 
             that, he became the State's first Republican to serve as 
             Governor since the days of World War II. He was also the 
             youngest Governor the State had ever had.
               As Governor he learned a lot of lessons that stemmed 
             from being a Republican Governor with a general assembly 
             with 70 percent Democratic majorities in both houses. He 
             has commented that those days taught him a great deal 
             about the meaning of bipartisanship. That is why, when he 
             ran for and won a Senate seat, he soon became known for 
             his ability to work with all of his colleagues on a long 
             list of issues.
               Over the years, for example, he has been a tireless 
             supporter of our Nation's military. He has also been a 
             fighter for our veterans and their right to the benefits 
             they have earned through their service.
               Another issue close to his heart has been the need to 
             increase the availability of safe and affordable housing 
             and improve the infrastructure of Missouri and the rest of 
             the Nation.
               These and many other issues Kit has taken up during his 
             career reflect his belief in the importance of doing 
             everything we can today to make our tomorrows better for 
             our children and our grandchildren--since their future is 
             ours, too.
               I know I am not the only one who will have a moment from 
             time to time next year when I will wish Kit was still 
             here, walking around with that trademark smile of his, 
             caught up in yet another battle for something he believed 
             in, something he knew would be important to the people of 
             Missouri and the future of our Nation.
               Fortunately, whenever we feel the need for a little of 
             his advice or an observation or two we will know where to 
             find him--just down the street, back home in Missouri.
               Now that this chapter of Kit's life has ended, I have no 
             doubt another will soon begin. As Kit pointed out, ``there 
             are many ways to serve'' and ``elective office is only one 
             of them.''
               As he leaves the Senate, I would like to thank him for 
             his willingness to serve; his wife Linda for her support 
             and encouragement along the way; his son Sam for his 
             heroic service in our Armed Forces; and all the members of 
             his family who stood behind him over the years.
               Diana and I send our best wishes and heartfelt 
             appreciation to them all. We especially want to thank Kit 
             and Linda for their friendship and for all they have meant 
             to this Senate family of ours that extends from one corner 
             of our Nation to the other. Keep in touch. We will always 
             enjoy hearing from you with your thoughts about whatever 
             we happen to be taking up on the Senate floor. Good luck 
             and God bless.
                                              Sunday, December 19, 2010
               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to speak in honor 
             of my good friend Senator Kit Bond. Senator Bond has 
             represented the people of Missouri in the U.S. Senate for 
             the last 24 years, and, at the end of this session, he 
             will depart for greener pastures. I think I speak for all 
             of my colleagues when I say that his presence will be 
             missed.
               Kit was born in St. Louis, MO, in 1939. He is a sixth 
             generation Missourian and, after knowing Senator Bond for 
             many years, I know that the people of Missouri have never 
             been far from his thoughts. As a young man, he left 
             Missouri for a short time to attend college at Princeton 
             University and law school at the University of Virginia, 
             where he graduated first in his class. After law school, 
             he served as a law clerk for the Fifth Circuit Court of 
             Appeals before going to Washington, DC, to practice law 
             with the renowned law firm Covington & Burling.
               Senator Bond returned home to Missouri in 1967 to begin 
             a long career in public service. After losing a brutally 
             close congressional election in 1968, Kit went to work for 
             the Missouri Attorney General's Office, serving under the 
             great former Senator John Danforth. In 1970, Kit was 
             elected Missouri State auditor at the age of 31. Then, 2 
             years later, when he was only 33 years old, he was elected 
             Governor of Missouri. Kit was the first Republican 
             Governor that State had seen in nearly three decades.
               For me--and this may be a little selfish--the most 
             important accomplishment of Kit's first term was 
             rescinding Executive Order No. 44, which had been issued 
             by Missouri Governor Liburn Boggs in 1838 and ordered the 
             expulsion or extermination of all Mormons from the State 
             of Missouri. On June 25, 1976, then-Governor Bond 
             rescinded that order and issued an apology to the Mormons 
             on behalf of all Missourians. I remember that day clearly. 
             And, while I was not yet acquainted with Kit, he earned my 
             gratitude and respect.
               As Governor, Senator Bond's star rose dramatically. He 
             was even considered as a potential running mate for 
             President Gerald Ford in 1976. Yet, in a surprising upset, 
             Kit lost his reelection bid for Governor that year. But, 
             Missourians soon came to regret this mistake and reelected 
             him to the Governor's office in 1980.
               After finishing his second term as Governor--a 
             successful term by almost all accounts--Kit was elected to 
             the Senate in 1986. Thanks to his good judgment, his 
             commitment to his home State, and to his character, he was 
             reelected in 1992, 1998, and 2004.
               For several years, I have had the pleasure of serving 
             with Kit on the Senate Intelligence Committee, where he 
             currently serves as vice chairman. From that position, I 
             have been able to see his wisdom and good judgment first 
             hand. It can be difficult serving on that committee, 
             working on important issues that, if everything goes 
             right, will never see the light of day. But, I can say 
             this--Senator Bond's commitment to our Nation's security 
             is second to none.
               Mr. President, it has been an honor and privilege to 
             serve next to Senator Bond for these many years. I want to 
             wish him, his wife Linda, and their family the best of 
             luck in any future endeavors.
                                              Monday, December 20, 2010
               Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I wish to join my fellow 
             Senators to honor a colleague and a friend, Senator 
             Christopher Samuel ``Kit'' Bond, who, like me, will be 
             retiring from the Senate at the close of this Congress.
               I have had the privilege of working with Senator Bond on 
             a variety of issues in the Senate for over a decade. He is 
             an advocate of our Nation's military, infrastructure and 
             energy needs, and intelligence community. The two of us 
             have stood together on numerous issues--most notably 
             advancing coal technology and maintaining a strong 
             national defense.
               Representing Missouri, home to major military bases and 
             installations, Senator Bond has been instrumental in 
             ensuring that all citizens who are a part of our armed 
             services--including servicemembers, family members, and 
             survivors of veterans--are provided the world-class care 
             and benefits they have earned. Additionally, whether the 
             items of the day were funding for our Armed Forces and 
             intelligence communities or improving U.S. relations among 
             the international community, Senator Bond brought a voice 
             of wisdom and reason to the Senate and governing bodies 
             worldwide.
               The Senate will not be the same without Senator Kit 
             Bond. In a time when America has needed leadership in the 
             Senate to address threats from conventional and 
             unconventional means, Senator Kit Bond has continued to 
             rise to the occasion by giving those who defend us the 
             critical tools needed to prepare and protect our Nation. I 
             will miss my friend Kit Bond.
                                           Wednesday, December 22, 2010
               Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I would like to take a 
             few minutes to pay tribute to the 16 Senators who will be 
             departing this body at the end of the year.
               I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve 
             alongside each of these Senators as colleagues and as 
             friends. All served their States with distinction and gave 
             their constituents strong voices in the world's greatest 
             deliberative body. Senators Evan Bayh, Robert Bennett, Kit 
             Bond, Sam Brownback, Jim Bunning, Roland Burris, Chris 
             Dodd, Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, Carte Goodwin, Judd 
             Gregg, Ted Kaufman, George LeMieux, Blanche Lincoln, Arlen 
             Specter, and George Voinovich each left an indelible mark 
             on the Senate, and I wish them well as they take on new 
             challenges and opportunities into the future.
               I would like to speak briefly about a few of the 
             Senators I knew best and served with in committees to 
             recognize their contributions and accomplishments and 
             share my fond memories of them and the legacies they will 
             leave behind. ...
               Kit Bond has a long and distinguished history of service 
             to the people of Missouri. As one of the longest serving 
             Members in the U.S. Senate and a former two-term Governor, 
             his life's work has been dedicated to the State of 
             Missouri.
               In the Senate, Kit has been a respected leader on many 
             issues, such as national security, transportation, and 
             global economic competitiveness. While serving as the vice 
             chairman on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, he 
             has worked hard to strengthen national security through 
             supporting the U.S. military and reforming the Nation's 
             intelligence community. As the leader of the Senate 
             National Guard Caucus, no one has done more to support the 
             role of the National Guard in our defense.
               Kit and I have worked on many issues together during our 
             time in the Senate. In particular, last year when 
             Democratic lawmakers tried to push cap-and-trade bills 
             through Congress, Kit and I released the report, ``Climate 
             Change Legislation: A $3.6 Trillion Gas Tax.''
               Our joint report revealed how climate legislation would 
             result in a massive new national gas tax on American 
             families, farmers, workers, and truckers--by increasing 
             the price of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
               It has been my pleasure to serve with Senator Bond. His 
             office has been next to mine for 12 years and it will not 
             be the same without that familiar cigar aroma lingering in 
             the second floor halls of Russell. Without a doubt, he 
             will be missed by his colleagues in the Senate and his 
             constituents in Missouri. ...
               In conclusion, the departing Senators' contributions, 
             their dedicated service, and the issues they championed 
             will be remembered long after their final days in the 
             Senate.
               I believe I can speak for my fellow Senators when I say 
             that we will all miss our departing friends.

               Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, when the 111th Congress 
             draws to a close, we will bid farewell to 16 colleagues 
             who have collectively given more than 200 years of service 
             to our Nation through their service in the Senate. These 
             include seven of the Senate's most experienced Members. 
             People like Chris Dodd and Arlen Specter who have each 
             served five terms in the Senate. Kit Bond who has served 
             four terms and Bob Bennett, Byron Dorgan, Russ Feingold, 
             and Judd Gregg, who have each served three terms in this 
             Chamber. ...
               I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of 
             Kit Bond, one of the foremost experts on our Nation's 
             transportation and infrastructure needs. I appreciate 
             Senator Bond's interest in understanding the unique 
             transportation and infrastructure challenges that we in 
             Alaska, the largest State in our Union in terms of land 
             mass and one of the youngest. Senator Bond, like all of 
             us, wears many hats in this institution. He has also 
             earned the undying respect of our Nation's citizen 
             soldiers through his leadership of the Senate National 
             Guard Caucus. ...
               It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve with each 
             of the people who will leave this Chamber when we adjourn 
             sine die. Each has made substantial contributions to their 
             States, to the Nation, and to the Senate during their time 
             here.
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