[Senate Document 111-5]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




 
                     TRIBUTES TO HON. NORM COLEMAN


                                           

                                    Norm Coleman

                      U.S. SENATOR FROM MINNESOTA

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF

                           THE UNITED STATES



                                           
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Norm Coleman


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                    Norm Coleman

                                United States Senator

                                      2003-2009

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                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Alexander, Lamar, of Tennessee.................
                                                                      6
                    Bennett, Robert F., of Utah....................
                                                                     11
                    Brownback, Sam, of Kansas......................
                                                                     30
                    Bunning, Jim, of Kentucky......................
                                                                     31
                    Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia...................
                                                                     12
                    Cochran, Thad, of Mississippi..................
                                                                     17
                    Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                     15
                    Cornyn, John, of Texas.........................
                                                                     39
                    Durbin, Richard, of Illinois...................
                                                                      6
                    Ensign, John, of Nevada........................
                                                                     32
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     33
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     27
                    Inhofe, James M., of Oklahoma..................
                                                                     28
                    Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
                                                                  3, 21
                    Kyl, Jon, of Arizona...........................
                                                                     17
                    Lugar, Richard G., of Indiana..................
                                                                     17
                    Martinez, Mel, of Florida......................
                                                                      8
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                      3
                    Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
                                                                     40
                    Murray, Patty, of Washington...................
                                                                     27
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                     19
                    Snowe, Olympia J., of Maine....................
                                                                     36
                    Thune, John, of South Dakota...................
                                                                     24
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               A passion for change and getting things done has defined 
             the life of Norm Coleman from an early age. It has led him 
             from campus organizer in the 1960s, to a prosecutor in the 
             1970s, to solicitor general of Minnesota in the 1980s, to 
             mayor of St. Paul in the 1990s, to U.S. Senator for 
             Minnesota in the 2000s.
               Growing up in a large Jewish family in Brooklyn, NY, he 
             often said that most of his preparation for a life in 
             politics came from sitting around the huge Coleman family 
             kitchen table. Full-throated debate on the issues of the 
             day and mutual goodwill were always on the menu.
               In college at Hofstra University on Long Island, Norm 
             was student body president and a student activist deeply 
             involved in the antiwar and civil rights movements. He 
             went to the University of Iowa Law School where he also 
             served as student body president and graduated with high 
             honors. And then, drawn by a job opportunity in the Office 
             of Minnesota's Attorney General, he headed north to take 
             his first professional job.
               He spent 17 years in the Attorney General's Office, 
             prosecuting cases all over Minnesota and getting involved 
             in a wide variety of public policy matters, including drug 
             abuse and civil rights.
               In 1993, as a Democrat, Norm Coleman was elected mayor 
             of St. Paul, defeating the endorsed candidate of the 
             Democratic Farmer Labor Party.
               One of his very first actions as mayor was the rejection 
             of a proposed contract with city workers because it 
             included a huge unfunded retirement benefit liability. His 
             action was controversial, but it saved St. Paul taxpayers 
             tens of millions of dollars.
               When he took office, the capital city was experiencing a 
             serious economic decline and increase in crime and other 
             social problems. He set out to reform city services, put a 
             lid on property tax increases, and established public-
             private partnerships. His formula was ``hope plus 
             confidence equals investment.'' He wanted to prove to the 
             local business community that city government was a 
             reliable partner in their shared goals for the city. His 
             efforts paid off, with more than $3 billion of private 
             investments in St. Paul. In 2002, then-Mayor Coleman 
             received the U.S. Conference of Mayors' highest award 
             recognizing excellence in public-private partnership.
               An era of rapid change and economic improvement took 
             hold in St. Paul. Eighteen thousand new jobs came to the 
             city. A new science museum was built. The State's largest 
             software developer, Lawson Software, moved its 
             headquarters to downtown St. Paul. Harriett Island Park 
             and the land adjacent to the river were rehabilitated, 
             reconnecting the city to its greatest natural asset: the 
             Mississippi River. Increased community involvement in St. 
             Paul schools and law enforcement also brought measurable 
             improvements. And finally, Mayor Coleman engineered the 
             return of a National Hockey League franchise to Minnesota. 
             The nationally recognized Xcel Energy Center is now one of 
             the premier entertainment venues in America and home to 
             the NHL Minnesota Wild. Often called the ``House that Norm 
             Built,'' the Xcel Energy Center figured in the national 
             political scene as home to the 2008 Republican National 
             Convention, where John McCain officially received his 
             party's nomination for President.
               In 1996 Mayor Coleman made a major change. Frustrated 
             that the Democratic Party he had been a part of from his 
             youth had assumed the role of defenders of the status quo, 
             he switched to the Republican Party because he felt it 
             held the best opportunity to bring about job growth, 
             quality education, and greater public safety. In 1997 he 
             was reelected mayor as a Republican, with 59 percent of 
             the vote.
               In 1998 he ran for Governor and narrowly lost to 
             Independent candidate Jesse Ventura in a three-way race. 
             At 8 a.m. on the day after the election, he was back at 
             his desk in St. Paul.
               Shortly after his term as mayor ended, he entered the 
             race for one of Minnesota's seats in the U.S. Senate. He 
             engaged in a close and hard-fought campaign with incumbent 
             Senator Paul Wellstone, who tragically perished in a plane 
             crash 11 days before the election. Former Vice President 
             Walter Mondale replaced him on the ticket. In one of the 
             largest turnout elections in the country, Norm was elected 
             with over 1.1 million votes and a 2-percent margin of 
             victory.
               Norm Coleman was sworn in as a U.S. Senator on January 
             7, 2003. After taking office, he quickly gained a 
             reputation as a productive and thoughtful legislator, 
             willing to work with Members of both political parties to 
             get things done for Minnesota and the Nation.
               During the campaign, Norm Coleman promised to be a 
             strong advocate for Minnesota's rural and agricultural 
             communities, and that is a covenant he kept. Upon taking 
             office, he secured a seat on the Senate Agriculture 
             Committee. Minnesota owes one-third of its overall State 
             economy to agriculture, and Senator Coleman was tireless 
             in going to bat for the needs of Minnesota's producers, 
             defending the farm bill, ensuring agriculture disaster 
             relief, and promoting rural economic development. He 
             played a key role both in helping to write the 2008 farm 
             bill and in breaking the political impasse that had been 
             stalling the bill's progress.
               Senator Coleman brought Minnesota's commitment to 
             renewable fuels to the U.S. Senate. Minnesota is a 
             national leader in ethanol plants, biodiesel plants, and 
             wind energy projects. As co-chairman of the Senate Bio-
             Fuels Caucus, Senator Coleman led efforts to expand 
             renewable fuel initiatives, including the establishment of 
             the first ever national Renewable Fuels Standard, as well 
             as tax incentives for a range of renewable energy 
             technologies.
               Senator Coleman was a member of the Homeland Security 
             and Government Affairs Committee, where he led the 
             Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI). During his 
             first 4 years in Congress, Senator Coleman served as 
             chairman of the subcommittee, an assignment once held by 
             Harry Truman and rarely occupied by a freshman Senator. 
             After the Senate majority switched in 2007, Senator 
             Coleman continued to lead the subcommittee as the ranking 
             minority member, maintaining a productive relationship 
             with subcommittee chairman Carl Levin. As a direct result 
             of Senator Coleman'S leadership of PSI, the subcommittee 
             identified more than $80 billion in waste, fraud, abuse, 
             and potential taxpayer savings. The subcommittee also 
             conducted a historic and groundbreaking investigation into 
             allegations of abuse and misconduct related to the U.N. 
             Oil-for-Food Program. Specifically, the subcommittee 
             uncovered how Saddam Hussein was able to manipulate the 
             U.N.'s program to generate billions of dollars of illegal 
             cash. Additionally, Senator Coleman led a 3-year 
             subcommittee investigation into the security of our 
             Nation's ports, examining the threat of nuclear terrorism 
             and assessing various programs to secure, detect, and 
             interdict nuclear and radiological materials domestically 
             and abroad.
               Senator Coleman also served as a senior member of the 
             prestigious Senate Foreign Relations Committee. There he 
             worked hard to ensure that America remained a powerful 
             force for democracy and compassion in the world. 
             Understanding the importance of having an effective and 
             credible United Nations, he tirelessly led the fight for 
             reform to ensure the United Nations was adequately 
             equipped to face emerging global challenges. He was also a 
             leader in fostering exchanges of people and ideas through 
             such initiatives as the Peace Corps and student exchanges, 
             and in boosting America's role in fighting global AIDS.
               As chairman of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the 
             Western Hemisphere, and as ranking member of the 
             Subcommittee on the Near East and South Asia, Senator 
             Coleman worked to foster closer ties with our hemispheric 
             neighbors as well as conduct oversight of the wars in Iraq 
             and Afghanistan. Coleman's first bill to become law (P.L. 
             108-220) ensured that servicemembers returning to the 
             United States for rest and recuperation would no longer be 
             required to pay their own airfare. He also worked to 
             improve reintegration for National Guard and Reserve 
             members, and to reorganize our Nation's intelligence 
             services.
               Senator Coleman was also a member of the Senate Small 
             Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. A strong believer 
             in the power of the free market and individual initiative, 
             Senator Coleman was a firm and vocal advocate for 
             commonsense government regulation, low taxes, affordable 
             health plans, and entrepreneurial incentive. This 
             committee assignment allowed Senator Coleman to turn that 
             philosophy into real and meaningful policy.
               Eager to tackle the challenges confronting the 
             increasing number of baby boomers approaching retirement, 
             Senator Coleman was selected to join the U.S. Senate 
             Special Committee on Aging, which looks out for the 
             interests of America's seniors. Norm Coleman was a 
             critical vote in the passage of legislation to create the 
             Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit.
               Norm Coleman cared deeply about issues related to 
             children. He was selected to co-chair the Congressional 
             Coalition on Adoptions. In addition to assisting hundreds 
             of Minnesota families with complex international 
             adoptions, Senator Coleman passed legislation to encourage 
             teen adoption by modifying the rules for college financial 
             aid. He also passed the Conquer Childhood Cancer Act to 
             offer hope and resources to families faced with this 
             heartbreaking condition.
               Throughout his time in the U.S. Senate, Norm Coleman 
             continued to work hard for the needs of his State, 
             personally visiting each of Minnesota's 87 counties and 
             dispatching his staff to each of Minnesota's 853 
             municipalities. In the aftermath of the 2007 collapse of 
             the I-35W bridge in Minnesota, Senator Coleman was part of 
             a bipartisan, bicameral effort to fund and rebuild the 
             bridge in remarkably rapid fashion. Norm Coleman worked 
             tirelessly to provide disaster relief to Minnesota farmers 
             affected by flood and drought, mitigated the impact of the 
             Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative for those crossing 
             Minnesota's border with Canada, and permitted the 
             construction of a Critical Access Hospital in Walker, MN.
               Norm Coleman's voice and commitment to conservative 
             values and causes will continue in the future. His belief 
             in the free market, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility and 
             a strong national security will lead him to support causes 
             and efforts that will help restore confidence in center-
             right conservative principles and ideals.
               Senator Coleman and his wife, Laurie, presently have two 
             children, Jacob and Sarah. Their first son, Adam, and last 
             daughter, Grace, died in infancy.
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                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                    NORM COLEMAN
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                                  Tuesday, July 7, 2009
               Ms. KLOBUCHAR. ... I wanted to say something about Norm 
             Coleman. Last week he made a difficult decision. He had 
             the right to pursue a legal challenge, but he did what was 
             right for Minnesota. Norm was my Senate colleague for 2 
             years. We often worked together on issues for Minnesota, 
             and we all wish him and his family the best. ...
                                                 Thursday, July 9, 2009
               Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, it was a politician from 
             Kentucky who introduced the expression ``self-made man'' 
             into the lexicon. But even Henry Clay didn't follow as 
             unlikely a path as Norm Coleman did to the U.S. Senate. As 
             Norm puts it, he never even knew a Republican or a 
             Lutheran before he left home for college.
               Yet this middle-class son of Brooklyn became one of the 
             best Senators the people of Minnesota have ever known. And 
             he has always made sure to give them all the credit, even 
             when the voters would have excused him for taking a little 
             credit of his own.
               Another great American politician said the U.S. 
             Constitution was ``the work of many heads and many 
             hands.'' Norm's always had the same attitude about his own 
             career. He is grateful for the opportunities he has had. 
             He gives it everything he has. Then he is grateful when 
             his efforts on behalf of others succeed, which is more 
             often than not.
               The day he got here he was asked how it felt. He had a 
             simple response. He said he was humbled by the 
             opportunity. ``I believe that what I can do well, my 
             gift,'' he said, ``is to serve people, and now I have this 
             incredible opportunity to serve as a U.S. Senator.'' Six 
             years later, on the day he conceded defeat, his first 
             impulse was again to thank others. He thanked his staff 
             for the long hours and hard work they had put in on his 
             behalf. And he said he would always be grateful to and 
             humbled by the people of Minnesota who had given him the 
             honor to serve, and even more grateful for the patience 
             and understanding they showed over these last several 
             months.
               It wasn't the outcome he wanted. It wasn't the outcome 
             that his Republican friends and colleagues in the Senate 
             wanted. But we couldn't have expected anything less from 
             Norm Coleman than the class and graciousness he showed in 
             the closing act of this phase in his career as a public 
             servant.
               As I said, Norm came to be a Republican Senator from 
             Minnesota by a rather unusual route. He was a campus 
             activist in the 1960s, and a rather prominent one at that. 
             After college, Norm earned a scholarship to the University 
             of Iowa Law School and came to love the people and the 
             place.
               From there, he went on to Minnesota to serve in the 
             Minnesota Attorney General's Office. Later, he would use 
             his talents as chief prosecutor for the State of 
             Minnesota, and then as mayor of St. Paul, first as a 
             Democrat and then as a Republican. In what has to go down 
             as one of the more remarkable feats of bipartisanship in 
             American politics, Norm has the distinction of serving as 
             the 1996 co-chairman of the Committee to Reelect Bill 
             Clinton and the 2000 State chairman for George W. Bush's 
             campaign.
               As a big-city mayor, Norm didn't disappoint. He showed a 
             real knack for bringing business and government together. 
             He led a downtown revitalization effort, created thousands 
             of jobs, brought the National Hockey League to St. Paul 
             and fought to keep taxes low. He left office with a 74-
             percent approval rating after two terms that a local 
             magazine called ``by almost any measure ... an unqualified 
             success.''
               In 2002, Norm was still thinking about how he could 
             serve on the State level when he got a call from the 
             President asking him if he would run for the Senate. He 
             accepted the challenge and then he fought a tough and 
             principled campaign against our late beloved colleague 
             Paul Wellstone before Paul's tragic death shortly before 
             the end of that tumultuous campaign. Norm grieved with the 
             rest of Minnesota at Paul's passing, defeated his 
             replacement in the race, and was sworn in 2 months later 
             as Laurie, their children, Jake and Sarah, and Norm's 
             parents, Beverly and Norman, looked on. Laurie summed up 
             the day like this: ``It's incredible to think that he has 
             this opportunity.''
               Norm didn't waste a day. An instant hit at Republican 
             events across the country, he kept up the same torrid pace 
             in the Senate he had set in his come-from-behind win the 
             previous November. He pushed legislation that benefited 
             Minnesotans and all Americans, and he never let up.
               Norm spoke the other day about some of his 
             accomplishments here. He mentioned a few areas in 
             particular, including U.N. oversight, working with 
             Minnesota farmers, and his work on energy independence. 
             But he said his best ideas came from the people of 
             Minnesota.
               He was being humble. In a single term, Norm put together 
             a remarkable record of results. On energy and 
             conservation, he played a key role in establishing the 
             renewable fuels standard. He helped pass an extension of 
             the tax credits for wind, biomass, and other renewable 
             fuels. He secured loan guarantees and tax incentives for 
             clean coal power; protected fish populations; and 
             supported conservation programs to protect Minnesota's 
             lakes, rivers, and woodlands.
               He led major anticorruption efforts, including a 
             groundbreaking exposure of fraud at the United Nations. He 
             exposed more than $1 billion in wasteful Medicare spending 
             and uncovered serial tax evasion by defense contractors. 
             Norm was also instrumental in passing the Conquer 
             Childhood Cancer Act which increased funding for childhood 
             cancer research.
               The proud son of a World War II veteran, Norm has been a 
             true friend to all veterans. The first piece of 
             legislation he introduced was a bill requiring the 
             Pentagon to cover the travel expenses of troops heading 
             home from service abroad. Norm worked on a bipartisan 
             basis to establish the first-ever national reintegration 
             program for returning troops. And he worked hard in the 
             early years after 9/11 to strengthen homeland security.
               Norm Coleman's service in the Senate has been marked by 
             the same high level of distinction that has marked 
             everything else he has done in three decades of public 
             service. Today we honor our colleague and friend for that 
             long career that we hope is far from over. And we 
             punctuate an incredibly hard-fought campaign that some 
             people thought might never end.
               In the end, it didn't turn out the way many of us had 
             hoped it would. But none of us was surprised by the 
             graciousness with which Norm Coleman accepted the verdict, 
             and all of us can celebrate the 6 years of dedicated 
             service he gave to the people of Minnesota.
               After another setback some years back, Norm Coleman said 
             that real defeat isn't getting knocked down. It is not 
             getting back up. And I have no doubt that this is not the 
             last we will hear from Norm Coleman. He already has a 
             legacy to be proud of. But it is a legacy that is still 
             very much in the works. More chapters will be written. And 
             they will bear the same strong hand and commitment to 
             people and principle that he has shown in every other 
             endeavor of a long and distinguished career.
               In private conversation Senator Coleman often talks 
             about resting on the truths of his faith. It is an untold 
             Washington story--the glue of faith that holds this city 
             together. So as I say goodbye to Senator Coleman, I would 
             like to do so with words from the Torah that he knows 
             well:

               The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face 
             shine on you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His 
             countenance upon you, And give you peace.
               And on behalf of the entire Senate family, I want to 
             thank Norm for his service. We will miss him.
               I yield the floor.

               Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, first let me associate 
             myself with the remarks of the Republican leader, Senator 
             McConnell, relative to our colleague Norm Coleman. I 
             enjoyed serving with Norm. We worked together on a number 
             of issues during our service in the Senate. I was actively 
             supporting his opponent Al Franken in the Minnesota race. 
             I thought, as Senator McConnell noted, that Senator 
             Coleman showed extraordinary grace in conceding after the 
             latest Minnesota Supreme Court decision. It was a relief 
             to all involved and to the people of Minnesota to have two 
             Senators representing them here in this Chamber. I wish 
             Senator Coleman the very best in his future endeavors and 
             again thank Senator McConnell for his remarks which I know 
             speak on behalf of all Senators from both sides of the 
             aisle.

               Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, in 1998, Norm Coleman 
             ran for Governor of Minnesota against the son of one of 
             the most revered Members of this body, Hubert Humphrey, 
             who was also a former Vice President of the United States, 
             and a noted wrestler, Jesse Ventura, who was elected 
             Governor.
               In 2002 Norm Coleman ran a campaign against Paul 
             Wellstone, a beloved Member of this body who was 
             tragically killed in an airplane crash a week or so before 
             the election, bringing into the race a former Vice 
             President of the United States, a former U.S. Senator and 
             Ambassador, Walter Mondale. The whole country watched and 
             was riveted by that race during that last week. Norm 
             Coleman won that race.
               This past year, Norm Coleman was a participant in a race 
             that also riveted the Nation. He was opposed by a well-
             known TV personality, Al Franken, now a Member of this 
             body. The race went on for 2 years, with much publicity. 
             Then it went on for another 8 months after election day.
               If Norm Coleman could have found some way to make the 
             2000 Presidential election Bush v. Gore v. Coleman, Norm 
             would have been a participant in every single one of the 
             most spectacular political races of the last decade.
               Norm and I arrived in the Senate on the same day in 
             2003. We not only were Members of the Senate family, which 
             we often talk about here and which extends to both sides 
             of the aisle, we were Members of the same class, and are 
             good friends.
               My wife, Honey, and I got to know Norm and his wife, 
             Laurie the mother of their two children. We know of his 
             love for his family and of his deep religious faith. Each 
             of us in the Senate has enjoyed the good humor and cheer 
             and civil relationship that Norm has had with his 
             colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans.
               But most memorable--and the Republican leader spoke of 
             some of this--is Norm Coleman's record of service to our 
             country: chief prosecutor for the State of Minnesota, 
             mayor of St. Paul, Senator.
               He has been a strong, eloquent, effective voice for the 
             center of this country--an independent voice of the kind 
             our country and the Republican Party needs to attract and 
             represent and continue to bring the center into our party 
             and into our political process.
               The political campaigns of Norm Coleman have been more 
             spectacular than those of any of us in the Senate. But the 
             public service chapters of his life have been equally 
             impressive. As this door closes, I am confident new ones 
             will open.
               When I was Governor of Tennessee, my chief of staff, a 
             former Marine, came in and said to me during my last 
             years: ``Governor, I would like to say to you that people 
             remember the last thing you do.'' And I had no idea why he 
             said that to me, but I never could get it out of my mind, 
             and I think it is pretty good advice.
               People will remember the last thing Norm Coleman did in 
             this campaign. He proved to be determined and courageous 
             and, in the Minnesota tradition, a happy warrior in 
             attempting to make sure that every Minnesota vote counted 
             in the race, which was decided by just a few votes.
               But then, when the Minnesota Supreme Court made its 
             decision, he immediately was gracious about accepting the 
             rule of law and the court's decision and stepping aside 
             and congratulating Al Franken.
               That is the picture of Norm Coleman that most 
             Minnesotans and most Americans will remember. That may 
             have been the last thing that Norm did in this race, but I 
             am sure it is far from the last thing he is likely to do 
             in public life.
               Norm Coleman, after those three spectacular races, 
             deserves an easy, humdrum, conventional political race 
             someday. And Minnesota and the Nation can hope we will 
             deserve and have many more years of Norm Coleman's public 
             service.
               Madam President, I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
               I see my colleague from Florida.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from 
             Florida.

               Mr. MARTINEZ. Thank you, Madam President.
               Madam President, I am here this morning to speak about 
             my good friend and former colleague, Norm Coleman.
               Norm and I first met when I was Secretary of Housing and 
             Urban Development and Norm had been the mayor of St. 
             Paul--I had been the mayor of Orange County, FL--and 
             immediately we established a bond. We kind of spoke the 
             same language, if you will. We understood each other. We 
             had both been involved in the milieu of urban politics as 
             well as the challenges and responsibilities of being a 
             big-city urban-center mayor.
               I remember our discussions about the problems of the 
             cities and about the opportunities. Norm had been very 
             successful in creating a new arena for the hockey team in 
             St. Paul, and this was, I know, a tremendously proud thing 
             for him, an accomplishment he had.
               Little did I know our paths would again cross here in 
             the Senate. I remember being in Miami at a radio station 
             and there was a TV monitor on the screen during the 
             election of 2002, and I remember it was a debate between 
             Norm Coleman and former Vice President and Senator Walter 
             Mondale. I remember being detained there watching him and 
             thinking what a tough spot he landed in, what a 
             complicated race it had been through the tragic death of 
             Senator Wellstone, and how proud I was of him, of this 
             fellow whom I did not know that well but whom I had met on 
             a couple of occasions, and he was handling himself quite 
             well. It turned out he was successful in that race.
               Then, only a couple years later, we were reunited here 
             in the Senate as colleagues. We both immediately found one 
             another on the Foreign Relations Committee. Norm, at that 
             time, was the chair of the Western Hemisphere 
             Subcommittee. I found in Norm someone who was uncommonly 
             knowledgeable about the Western Hemisphere and carried out 
             those responsibilities with a great sense of urgency.
               Norm and I traveled in Latin America together. We 
             traveled to Chile and to Colombia and perhaps a couple of 
             other places where we conducted meetings trying to advance 
             the U.S. agenda, promoting the rule of law, fighting 
             against narcotrafficking that is such a blight upon our 
             cities and our communities, and trying to improve the 
             conditions of democratic rule in the region.
               I have no doubt that if Norm Coleman were in the Senate 
             this week, he would have been side by side with us as we 
             have watched closely the events in Honduras and have tried 
             to promote a reasonable, fair, and democratic outcome to 
             that country's troubled current moments.
               He was the original sponsor of efforts to build stronger 
             relations with our neighbors to the south. I had the 
             opportunity, as I said, to travel with him. Part of our 
             traveling took us to Colombia where a tremendous challenge 
             lies ahead for the people of that country as they fight 
             for the rule of law and against the narcoterrorists in 
             that country. I remember our meeting with President Uribe.
               Norm was also very committed and concerned about a 
             stable Middle East, about advancing the peace process in 
             the Middle East, but also about the security of Israel. He 
             was a very strong voice for a strong United States-Israel 
             relationship. He was a clear voice on the need for us to 
             not allow Iran to develop a capability that is nuclear and 
             that would invite the opportunity for Iran to carry out 
             the stated wishes of destroying the state of Israel. He 
             was a friend of Israel.
               He was also a friend of Cuban freedom. I remember when 
             Norm was first in the Senate. He came to the Senate 2 
             years before I did. During that time I was still Secretary 
             of Housing and Urban Development. I heard that Norm 
             Coleman was traveling to Cuba. I said to Norm: ``As you 
             travel to Cuba, as a now-sitting Senator, I hope you will 
             remember there is a large and growing dissident movement 
             on that island, and they deserve the same recognition you 
             would have given to Lech Walesa or Vaclav Havel had you 
             been traveling to Eastern Europe in the 1980s.
               Norm heard my voice and sought the opportunity to meet 
             with the Cuban dissidents while he was on the island. This 
             came as a great surprise to his host because the Cuban 
             Government frowns upon visiting dignitaries meeting with 
             anyone who would present the potential for a democratic 
             opposition to a country that has not known democracy now 
             for half a century.
               But, in any event, Norm Coleman met with them, and not 
             only met with them but while in Cuba made some very strong 
             statements about the need for a democratic solution to the 
             Cuban situation, about the need for the people of Cuba to 
             have an opportunity to live in freedom, and he spoke 
             highly about the dissidents. Needless to say, that was the 
             last time Norm Coleman was invited to visit Cuba by the 
             Cuban Government. But I knew then I had found a friend who 
             clearly understood the difference between freedom and 
             oppression and who would clearly stand on the side of 
             freedom.
               Norm, as has been expressed here this morning, with 
             great grace and courage fought through a very difficult 
             election, and that is in addition to the ups and downs of 
             all that went on in the recount and the legal challenges 
             that followed.
               Norm, with great grace, moved aside. When the time was 
             right, and when the legal challenges had been exhausted, 
             he did so with the grace and dignity that is the hallmark 
             of Norm Coleman.
               Norm and Laurie are my friends. I wish them the very 
             best as they go forward in their lives. I know they will 
             find other opportunities to be of service to the people of 
             Minnesota and to the people of the United States, and I 
             might daresay also to the people of Florida because Norm 
             has a great affection for my State, where he has spent a 
             lot of his time--I would daresay particularly in the cold 
             and bitter months when maybe it is a little more pleasant 
             around my neck of the woods than it would be in Minnesota.
               But we always welcome Norm to Florida. We hope he will 
             continue to visit us frequently, where he has a multitude 
             of friends and a multitude of people who love him, who 
             appreciate him, and who thank him for his great service to 
             our Nation and our State, and who thank him for the great 
             concern he has demonstrated about people who are 
             oppressed, as well as those who seek to live in freedom 
             and peace without threat from their neighbors.
               Madam President, I thank you and yield the floor.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah.

               Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I am pleased to join with 
             my colleagues in making some comments about our former 
             colleague, Norm Coleman. I welcome Senator Franken to the 
             Senate. I welcome him to his service here and congratulate 
             him on his victory. But it would come as no surprise that 
             Senator Coleman will be sadly missed.
               I had the experience of serving with him on the Homeland 
             Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where he 
             served as the chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on 
             Investigation. This is a subcommittee that has an 
             interesting history. It has the history of some 
             demagoguery if you go back into the past. It also has a 
             history of some accomplishment of the various Senators who 
             have served there. I think it unusual that a freshman 
             Senator would serve in that capacity and serve as if he 
             were not a freshman but a seasoned veteran. He took over 
             that assignment and went after a number of areas of 
             controversy, and pursued a number of difficulties, and 
             with a persistence that served him and the Senate very 
             well.
               So with all of the things we have heard about Norm 
             Coleman--his intelligence, his grace, his willingness to 
             work hard and at the same time do so with a sense of class 
             about him--I add my tribute to his ability to take on a 
             difficult assignment and follow it through.
               I wish him and his wife and his family well in their 
             activities now. I will not go through the resume the 
             Republican leader has established for us. I simply add my 
             voice of gratitude for the opportunity of serving with 
             Norm Coleman and my best wishes for him in his future 
             activities. He is a young and vigorous enough man that I 
             think we will hear far more from him in the years ahead.
               I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call 
             the roll.
               The bill clerk called the roll.

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

               Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it 
             is so ordered.

               Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I rise to speak this 
             morning for a few minutes about my dear friend, now former 
             Senator, Norm Coleman, from the great State of Minnesota. 
             Norm was a very unique individual in the Senate. He grew 
             up in New York, was educated in Iowa, and wound up living 
             in Minnesota. He was a student leader in undergraduate 
             school as well as in law school, so his leadership 
             qualities were certainly recognized early on.
               Norm grew up in an era right behind me, which was the 
             era of big rock bands, and Norm was right in with the 
             majority of the crowd of young folks back then and, in 
             fact, was a roadie with a rock band for a while. He spent 
             his 20th birthday at Woodstock. We used to joke about that 
             a lot in some of our conversations.
               After law school, Norm obviously settled down in the 
             State of Minnesota where he joined the Office of the 
             Attorney General and eventually became the State solicitor 
             general. He prosecuted any number of cases in both of 
             those offices. He became the mayor of St. Paul, MN, in 
             1993, and, boy, did he ever take over a town that was 
             headed south and bring it back to be a totally revitalized 
             community in a way in which, frankly, I have never seen.
               When you talk to the people of St. Paul today and you 
             ask them about what Norm Coleman did for the downtown area 
             of St. Paul, a smile immediately comes to the faces of 
             those residents. He created thousands of new jobs and 
             brought in more than $3 billion worth of new development 
             to the city. The one thing St. Paul residents, as well as 
             Minneapolis residents, will tell you today about Norm 
             Coleman from the standpoint of his legacy as mayor is that 
             he brought the hockey team back to Minneapolis-St. Paul, 
             and that has had a tremendous economic influence on that 
             community.
               I think it is a real tribute to Norm and his leadership 
             that after being elected as a Democrat in 1993, he became 
             a Republican in 1996, and then ran for reelection as mayor 
             in 1997 as a Republican, and was again elected mayor of 
             St. Paul. Norm ran for Governor of Minnesota in 1998, and 
             as a testament to the character, the integrity, and the 
             dedication as a public servant, when he lost that race for 
             Governor, he was still mayor of St. Paul, and the day 
             after that election, he was back in his mayoral office at 
             8 a.m. taking care of the business of the people of St. 
             Paul.
               I was very privileged to know Norm in a way other than 
             just being a colleague. We were very close personal 
             friends. Having been elected together, individuals within 
             classes tend to hang together from time to time, and Norm 
             and I enjoyed many social moments outside of this Chamber, 
             as well as many strong professional moments inside this 
             Chamber. I will have to say that as chairman of the 
             Committee on Agriculture, of which Norm was a member, 
             there was no harder working member of that committee for 
             his constituents, no more dedicated individual to 
             agricultural interests in his State than was Norm Coleman. 
             In fact, during the farm bill debate last year, Norm 
             pounded on me every single day during the course of that 
             farm bill debate about some issue that was of particular 
             interest to his State. It may have been talking about some 
             issue relative to ethanol, some issue relative to the 
             issues surrounding corn, wheat, or sugar beets, but 
             whatever it was, Norm was just a hard-working, dedicated 
             man when it came to making sure his constituents' 
             interests were protected in that piece of legislation 
             which was so vitally important to the State he 
             represented.
               I had the opportunity to travel with Norm many times in 
             the State of Minnesota, and he likewise traveled in my 
             State. I remember very well going to the Minnesota State 
             Fair with Norm. While we were there, we visited with some 
             of his corngrowers whom I have gotten to know on a 
             personal basis as a result of my relationship with him.
               I will never forget that because coming from a cotton-
             growing State where we produce a fiber that is used in the 
             manufacture of clothing, the folks in Minnesota have 
             developed a way to produce a piece of cloth from 
             byproducts of corn and ethanol production. They gave me a 
             shirt that day. It was a red shirt. They hadn't quite 
             perfected this procedure at that point in time. I had a T-
             shirt on underneath the shirt I had on, and I immediately 
             took my shirt off and put that red shirt on. It was hot as 
             it could be that day. When we got back to the hotel that 
             night, I took that shirt off, and I had this pink 
             undershirt on as a result of having that shirt on. The 
             corngrowers have reminded me of that. We have had a good 
             laugh about that ever since.
               Norm is just one of those guys who not only was a 
             dedicated professional Member of this body, but he is a 
             good guy. He is one of those individuals who folks on both 
             sides of the aisle had, first of all, respect for as a 
             Member of this body, but also from a personal standpoint 
             Norm was easy to get along with, easy to work with, and he 
             wanted to do what was in the best interests of Americans.
               I think his work on the Foreign Relations Committee, 
             particularly with respect to his investigation of the 
             fraudulent activities ongoing at the United Nations, is 
             unparalleled with respect to any investigation I have seen 
             take place during my years in the Senate. He uncovered an 
             awful lot of fraud and abuse.
               As a result of Norm's dedicated work and his dogged 
             determination, some changes have been made. Were Norm to 
             have come back to the Senate, there is no question he 
             would have continued to pursue that issue, and we will 
             continue to receive benefits from Norm's investigative 
             measures that were undertaken at the United Nations.
               I think Norm's reputation as a fighter and as a strong 
             advocate for Minnesotans is reflective in the way he 
             handled his election. He fought hard in his election. It 
             was very much an uphill battle. A lot of us had tough 
             elections last year, but nobody had a tougher one than 
             Norm on a day-to-day basis. But he wanted to make sure the 
             people who voted for him, the people who supported him and 
             worked hard in his election all across the State of 
             Minnesota had their just due, and he wanted to make sure 
             he could look every Minnesotan in the eye and say: ``I did 
             everything I could do to make sure this election was 
             fairly conducted and to make sure that every single vote I 
             could possibly get was counted.''
               At the end of the day, when the election was finally 
             decided, once again, in his very professional way, he 
             conceded and decided, as some of us have to do in politics 
             from time to time, that it is time to move on.
               We are going to miss Norm Coleman in this body. We are 
             going to miss his family. Laurie and my wife are very dear 
             friends. They communicated from time to time both while 
             the two of them were in Washington as well as while they 
             were in their respective States. We will miss that 
             personal relationship. His daughter Sarah and his son 
             Jacob are two very fine young people and certainly are 
             reflective of the fact that they have been raised by two 
             very good parents.
               So to Norm Coleman I simply say we will miss you in the 
             Senate. We are not going to let him go away, though. I 
             still talk to him on a regular basis and will continue to 
             do so and will seek his advice, his counsel on any number 
             of issues because this is a man who has served the public 
             just about all of his adult life. He has done so in a 
             professional way and in a way that all of us wish to 
             emulate.
               Congratulations to Norm, and good luck on whatever road 
             life now takes him.
               With that, I yield the floor.

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

               Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I enjoyed hearing my 
             colleague's comments about our friend Senator Norm Coleman 
             because I share the same sentiments. I rise today to speak 
             about the extraordinary service of this extraordinary 
             individual.
               When I became the chairman of the Governmental Affairs 
             Committee in 2003, a freshman Senator took over the 
             position that I had held as the chairman of the Permanent 
             Subcommittee on Investigations. During the next 6 years, I 
             came to know Senator Norm Coleman as an energetic, 
             farsighted, and committed public servant, but most of all 
             I came to know Norm as a dear friend.
               As chairman, and later ranking member, of the PSI, Norm 
             demonstrated unfailing leadership and extraordinary 
             dedication. Working with his colleague from across the 
             aisle, Senator Carl Levin, Norm enhanced the PSI's 
             reputation as the Senate's premier investigative 
             subcommittee. He undertook many complex and important 
             investigations.
               Under this team's leadership, the subcommittee was 
             successful in ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse to the 
             tune of $14 billion. I remember particularly well an 
             investigation that exposed tax cheats in Medicare and in 
             defense contracting.
               Another success resulting from Norm's leadership was his 
             highly successful and courageous Oil-for-Food 
             investigation. Norm's investigation uncovered billions of 
             dollars of fraud in this program operated by the United 
             Nations. Norm was focused, determined, and undeterred in 
             his pursuit of the facts, in his pursuit of the truth.
               Norm's abiding concern for upholding the public trust is 
             rooted in his background. As a former prosecutor, he is a 
             champion of the rule of law. As a former mayor, he 
             understands the concerns of State and local government. As 
             a Senator, he always worked hard for the people he 
             represented and for the people of this entire country.
               These traits were evident in his service as a member of 
             the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. 
             Norm's hard work ensured that the Special Inspector 
             General for Iraq Reconstruction had the resources and the 
             authority necessary to do his work effectively. Norm's 
             keen insight into local government was invaluable during 
             our extensive investigation into the failed response to 
             Hurricane Katrina. His critical insight helped to shape 
             reform in many areas, ranging from our intelligence 
             agencies, to the postal service, and government 
             contracting.
               Norm was also a passionate advocate for educational 
             opportunity. His support for strengthening the Pell Grant 
             Program demonstrated his belief that the benefits of 
             higher education should be available to everyone with the 
             determination and the desire to pursue more education.
               In fact, the only quibble I have with Norm's public 
             service dates back to his tenure as mayor of St. Paul. His 
             success in bringing professional hockey back to Minnesota 
             was certainly commendable, but it was based, as I 
             understand it, on the flawed premise that Minnesota is the 
             hockey capital of the United States. The people of Maine 
             know better, of course, but this was typical of Norm's 
             pride in his State.
               The past election brought great disappointment, but it 
             also revealed character. Norm ran a vigorous, honorable 
             campaign, under very difficult circumstances. He never 
             betrayed his constituents, nor compromised his principles. 
             When the final court decision went against him, he 
             graciously conceded defeat. In fact, I had the opportunity 
             to talk with Norm right after the supreme court in 
             Minnesota ruled against him. I was struck, once again, by 
             his determination to do what he felt was best for his 
             State, even though it was not best for him. I was also 
             touched by his commitment, once again, to his constituents 
             and to moving on and ensuring that they had two Senators 
             representing them. He was not bitter. He was not hurt. He 
             was at peace. He was at peace because he knew he had 
             served the people of his State to the best of his ability 
             and with all his heart and tremendous intellect.
               It has been a true honor to serve with Norm Coleman in 
             the Senate, and the American people--not just the people 
             of Minnesota--are better off for his service. It has been 
             a joy to develop our friendship--a friendship I will 
             always cherish and always continue. I will miss serving 
             with Norm day to day, but I know I will see him many 
             times.
               I wish Norm and his wonderful family all the best in the 
             years to come.

               Mr. KYL. Madam President, I join my Republican 
             colleagues in thanking Senator Norm Coleman for his 
             service in the Senate.
               As a valued member of my whip team, Senator Coleman was 
             devoted to solving problems in a practical and nonpartisan 
             way. I could always expect from him a serious and 
             interesting view of an issue and could count on him for 
             good advice. His thoughtful and unique perspective, as 
             well as his talent and high energy, will be missed.
               Senator Coleman ran a fine campaign and was a consummate 
             gentleman throughout the long process of determining the 
             winner of his seat.
               I join my colleagues in wishing him all the best in his 
             future endeavors, and know that he will remain an 
             important voice in our party.

               Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, the Senate will continue 
             to benefit in the years ahead from the service and example 
             of Norm Coleman as a U.S. Senator.
               He brought to the Senate a seriousness of purpose and a 
             high level of energy which he used to help shape national 
             policies and successfully address many important 
             challenges faced by our country.
               I enjoyed working with him and playing tennis with him. 
             He brought to his service in the Senate a strong and 
             determined commitment to solve the problems facing our 
             country, especially as they affected farmers and workers 
             in his State of Minnesota.
               Norm Coleman's leadership will be missed in the Senate, 
             but we will continue to benefit from his example and his 
             contributions to this body for many years to come.

               Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I am pleased to join with 
             other Senate colleagues in honoring a loyal and talented 
             friend, Norm Coleman. For the past 6 years, it has been my 
             privilege to serve with him in the Senate. During that 
             time, we have worked together on many issues, and I have 
             witnessed with admiration his character and his dedication 
             to the United States and to the people of Minnesota.
               As a former mayor of Indianapolis, I was very pleased to 
             welcome another former mayor to the Senate in 2003 when 
             Norm took his seat after an election that was decided by 
             fewer than 50,000 votes. We talked frequently about our 
             experiences in Indianapolis and St. Paul, and we shared 
             many perspectives on domestic policy because of this 
             common bond. He was devoted to principles of good 
             government that deeply informed his service in the Senate. 
             It also was clear to me that Senator Coleman had an 
             extremely strong commitment to constituent service that 
             was stimulated by his service as a mayor. He understood 
             that serving his constituents was a 24-hour-a-day job, and 
             he threw himself into the task of serving all Minnesotans.
               I am especially sad to see Norm leave the Senate because 
             he has been an outstanding partner in the work of the 
             Foreign Relations Committee. I encouraged him to join our 
             committee in 2003, and he played a prominent role in our 
             work from the day he arrived. For 6 years, I sat with Norm 
             through hundreds of Foreign Relations Committee hearings 
             and meetings. He was one of the most active members of the 
             committee, and he could be counted on to bolster our 
             debates and our efforts to achieve quorums. I greatly 
             benefited from the opportunity to exchange ideas with him, 
             to compare perspectives on our witnesses, and to develop 
             common approaches to problems.
               His impact was especially profound as chairman of the 
             Western Hemisphere Subcommittee from 2003 until 2006. He 
             traveled frequently to Latin America and quickly developed 
             an expertise in the region. He was an effective advocate 
             for Plan Colombia, and he was one of our first leaders to 
             recognize how important it was to ensure that Colombians 
             had alternatives to economic and energy dependence on 
             Venezuela. He performed important oversight of the Western 
             Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the Peace Corps, and U.S. 
             policy toward Haiti. Senator Coleman was the lead 
             organizer of the U.S.-Chile Caucus, a group that allowed 
             Senators to engage with Chileans to discuss issues of 
             mutual interest.
               Senator Coleman developed expertise that went well 
             beyond Latin America. In April 2004, I chaired the 
             Senate's first hearing that looked into the troubled Iraq 
             Oil-for-Food Program. Senator Coleman took the lead from 
             there, and as chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on 
             Investigations, he conducted an extensive, 2-year 
             investigation into corruption and mismanagement related to 
             the Oil-for-Food Program. Many of his conclusions were the 
             basis of legislation that he and I introduced in 2005--the 
             United Nations Management, Personnel, and Policy Reform 
             Act. Senator Coleman also was a passionate and informed 
             advocate for U.S. programs to combat HIV/AIDS and a 
             careful student of Middle East politics.
               I know how much Norm was stimulated by the daily 
             opportunities of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 
             and he made the most of them. Had he prevailed in his 2008 
             reelection bid, he would have been the second-ranking 
             Republican on the committee.
               Senator Coleman leaves the Senate after 6 years having 
             established lifetime friendships. It was a special 
             pleasure for Char and me to spend time with Norm and his 
             wife Laurie at Aspen Institute events, giving us the 
             opportunity to know much more about their family and life 
             outside the Senate.
               I will miss his good humor, his hard work, and his 
             personal friendship. I have no doubts that he will 
             continue to serve the United States and his fellow 
             Americans in new ways, and I look forward to witnessing 
             all that he will achieve in the future. I join the Senate 
             in wishing him the best as he and his family move on to 
             new adventures.
               I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call 
             the roll.
               The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

               Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it 
             is so ordered.

               Mr. REID. Madam President, I don't know much about the 
             State of New York or the city of New York. I do know there 
             is a high school there called James Madison High School, 
             which has some pretty prominent graduates: Senator Bernie 
             Sanders of Vermont, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, and 
             Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota. I believe Ruth Bader 
             Ginsburg, a member of the Supreme Court, also graduated 
             from that high school. I am sure there are others.
               My message to Norm Coleman is that I have been involved 
             in close elections. I lost an election for the Senate many 
             years ago by 524 votes. I won one not too many years ago 
             by 428 votes. So I have some appreciation for what Norm 
             Coleman and his opponent, Al Franken, went through.
               My thoughts during the past 8 months have been directed 
             toward the difficulty they have had in their lives as a 
             result of that close election. One of my elections--the 
             one I won by 428 votes--took 6 weeks. I cannot imagine one 
             taking 8 months. It was a hard-fought campaign. Almost 3 
             million people voted, and it was decided by 312 votes.
               I appreciate, as I think do the people of Minnesota, the 
             Senate, and the country, Norm Coleman not taking this to 
             the Supreme Court or a higher court. He could have done 
             that. That speaks well of him.
               Norm has a lot of fans, of course, in the State of 
             Minnesota, but he is also a friend of a close personal 
             friend of mine from the State of Nevada, Sig Rogich. Sig 
             Rogich and I have been very close personal friends for a 
             long time. He is a man of accomplishment. Having been born 
             in Iceland, he came to America and was raised in 
             Henderson, where I was raised. Actually, he is a wealthy 
             man now, a very prominent businessman. One of Norm's 
             biggest supporters around the country is Sig Rogich; he 
             has a great pedigree. He was part of the Tuesday team of 
             famous media developed for Ronald Reagan. He worked in the 
             White House for the first President Bush. He is a very 
             personal friend of the first President Bush and also is 
             well known and was part of the second Bush team and knows 
             him very well. My understanding of Sig Rogich's 
             relationship with Norm Coleman is that they are friends. 
             That speaks well of both of them, that they have such 
             high-quality friends.
               Norm Coleman's relationship with me--me being a Democrat 
             and he being a Republican--was always very good. We spoke 
             to each other often. He was always very courteous and 
             always a gentleman with me. I never heard him say a 
             negative word about me. I cannot ever recall saying 
             anything negative about him. To show that he did do some 
             legislation that I watched very closely, one piece of 
             legislation he did was one that would allow people, when 
             filing their income tax return, to designate part of their 
             return to go to the National Guardsmen or Reservists, 
             those who lose their jobs as a result of going into combat 
             and their families are having trouble making the grade. 
             The few dollars they get from the military doesn't make up 
             for what their house payment is and everything. This would 
             allow money to be put into an administrated fund to go 
             toward the families of these people fighting overseas. I 
             thought so much of that legislation that I have sponsored 
             it. It is working its way through the Senate, and it is a 
             fine piece of legislation. I acknowledge that I 
             plagiarized this from Norm Coleman. It came from his 
             friend and my friend, Sig Rogich.
               I wish Norm and his family the very best. Recognizing 
             that these campaigns come to an end, he is a relatively 
             young man, and I am sure with his educational background 
             and his notoriety in Minnesota, he will have a bright 
             future.
               I suggest the absence of a quorum.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call 
             the roll.
               The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

               Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it 
             is so ordered.

               Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I am here today to speak 
             about Senator Coleman, who was my colleague for my first 2 
             years in the Senate. As everyone knows, last week the 
             Minnesota Supreme Court issued its ruling on the outcome 
             of last November's Senate election. As I did this week, I 
             congratulate Al Franken for his hard-earned and long-
             awaited election victory. He has had a good first week in 
             the Senate, and we all welcome him. But I do wish to take 
             this time to talk about Norm Coleman.
               First of all, after 6 months without having a second 
             Senator, Senator Coleman made a very difficult decision, 
             and he did it with such grace. He could have appealed that 
             decision. He could have gone to Federal court. It was his 
             right. But he made a decision which he felt was best for 
             the State of Minnesota, and the country.
               I wish to talk a little bit about what it meant to me to 
             have Norm Coleman as a colleague in the Senate.
               When I first came to the Senate, Norm had been a Senator 
             for many years, and he was very gracious to me. He reached 
             out with his staff. We basically got along from the moment 
             I started to the end of his term as a Senator. We worked 
             very hard at that. When we had disagreements, we talked 
             them out and our staffs would talk them out because we 
             felt the most important thing was that we represent the 
             State of Minnesota.
               Each one of us knows Norm in our own way, but I think 
             all of us agree this is someone who cares so much about 
             his family, his wife Laurie, and their two children, Jacob 
             and Sarah. Theirs is a family that has known tremendous 
             tragedy. Two of their children died in early infancy from 
             a rare genetic disease. While Norm doesn't talk about this 
             much, his reverence to life and his devotion to family are 
             very clear.
               Second only to his family has been his dedication to 
             public service. It has literally defined his adult life. 
             Maybe it was sheer destiny that he found his way to the 
             Senate. After all, he is a graduate of James Madison High 
             School in Brooklyn, which is also the alma mater of two of 
             our Senate colleagues--Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders.
               Norm hit the ground running in politics, and he has not 
             stopped. In college, he was a student activist, and in law 
             school, he served as the president of his class. 
             Immediately after getting his law degree, he joined the 
             Minnesota Attorney General's Office, recruited by my good 
             friend, legendary Attorney General Warren Spannaus. Norm 
             was in the Attorney General's Office 17 years, most of 
             that time doing criminal prosecutions, ultimately rising 
             to the position of solicitor general for the State of 
             Minnesota.
               In 1993 Norm was elected mayor of St. Paul at a time 
             when the city, especially its downtown, was suffering 
             economically. During his 8 years as mayor, he worked to 
             turn St. Paul around. Building public-private 
             partnerships, he redeveloped the industrial riverfront 
             into a recreational green space. A new Minnesota science 
             museum was built overlooking the Mississippi River. Most 
             famously, he brought hockey back to Minnesota, securing a 
             new National Hockey League franchise that moved into the 
             new arena. Hockey is very important in Minnesota.
               In 1998 Norm was narrowly defeated in a three-way race 
             for Minnesota Governor. The winner, of course, was Jesse 
             Ventura--something not many people across the United 
             States expected to happen. I think Norm once said that not 
             everyone can say they lost to a candidate whose previous 
             career highlight was being killed by an alien creature in 
             the movie ``Predator.'' But he took it in stride.
               In 2002 Norm was elected to the Senate under tragic 
             circumstances. Just days before the election, my good 
             friends Paul Wellstone and his wife Sheila and their 
             daughter Marcia and members of their staff were killed in 
             a tragic plane crash in northern Minnesota. Norm became 
             the Senator. Like Paul, Norm took his duties very 
             seriously, and I could see that in my 2 years in the 
             Senate. He cared deeply about the work he did in foreign 
             relations, some of which people never really talked about, 
             never made the front page of the newspaper, but it was 
             something he cared deeply about.
               Together we worked on several issues in our State which 
             were of key importance, legislation to benefit our State. 
             The most dramatic example of this spirit of cooperation 
             was our response to the sudden collapse of the Interstate 
             35W bridge into the Mississippi River on August 1, 2007. 
             Thirteen people were killed and 150 were injured, many 
             with severe and permanent injuries. Literally, our cities 
             came to a stop. For our State, out of this unprecedented 
             disaster, this public trauma was something to which they 
             immediately responded.
               I still remember when Senator Coleman and I came in the 
             very next morning--we flew in with the Secretary of 
             Transportation, Mary Peters--and there were already 
             billboards up, literally 12 hours later, directing people 
             where to go with the traffic and how to get buses to get 
             to where they had to go. As I said that day, a bridge in 
             America should not just fall down, but when one does fall 
             down, we rebuild it. In the 72 hours immediately following 
             the bridge collapse, Norm and I worked together to secure 
             $250 million in emergency bridge construction funding. 
             Representative Jim Oberstar led the way in the House. 
             Approval of this funding came with remarkable speed and 
             bipartisanship. Capitol Hill veterans tell me it was a 
             rare feat, aided by unity among Minnesota's elected 
             leaders across the aisle, across the political spectrum. I 
             am pleased to report that just 13 months after that 
             collapse, Minnesota drivers were able to drive over a safe 
             new 35W bridge and eight-lane highway. That is just 13 
             months after the collapse.
               While the bridge is the most visible example, Norm and I 
             had many other opportunities to work together on issues 
             that mattered to the people in our State.
               There was another Minnesota disaster in August 2007 when 
             severe flooding hit the southeastern corner of our State. 
             We worked on this together, along with Congressman Walz, 
             to ensure a rapid, effective response by Federal agencies 
             to help communities, businesses, and families in need.
               We worked together on the Agriculture Committee. We both 
             served on that committee. We succeeded in passing a new 
             farm bill that was very important to our State.
               We worked together with a bipartisan group of Senators 
             on energy legislation, to move forward in unity.
               We worked together in securing Federal funds for the 
             security costs of the Democratic and Republican National 
             Conventions, along with our colleagues in Colorado. I 
             still remember standing before this Chamber saying that I 
             stood tall to obtain the funding to protect the security 
             of the Republican leadership from across this country. We 
             did that together.
               We joined to secure educational benefits owed to our 
             National Guard and Reserve troops returning from active 
             duty overseas. We are so proud of our National Guard in 
             Minnesota. The Red Bulls have served longer in Iraq than 
             any other National Guard unit in the country. And Norm and 
             I worked together to make sure we expanded the Beyond the 
             Yellow Ribbon Program to help those Guard and Reserve who 
             really have no base to go home to but go home to little 
             towns across our State. We worked on that together.
               Our State has a proud tradition of electing both 
             Democrats and Republicans to office. They expect us to 
             work together. From the very beginning, Norm and I knew 
             that was part of our duty to the people of our State, that 
             was part of our obligation, no matter if we disagreed on 
             issues, that we were going to work together.
               So today I acknowledge my former colleague, Norm 
             Coleman, for the strength he has shown during this long 
             campaign, for the grace he showed last week when he made 
             that difficult decision, and for the fine work he did for 
             the people of Minnesota.
               Madam President, I yield the floor. I suggest the 
             absence of a quorum.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call 
             the roll.
               The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

               Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent 
             that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

               The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it 
             is so ordered.

               Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I would like to join some of 
             my colleagues who have spoken previously in reflecting 
             upon the service of our colleague, Norm Coleman. As we all 
             know, the election process in Minnesota has come to a 
             conclusion. We have welcomed his successor to the U.S. 
             Senate. But I also want to make some remarks about Senator 
             Coleman's years of distinguished service in the Senate and 
             my recollections of his service to the people of Minnesota 
             and our country.
               Obviously, all of us come here motivated to do different 
             things. We all have reasons we want to be in public 
             service, things we want to accomplish. Senator Coleman 
             came from the State of Minnesota, having been in an 
             executive position where he served as mayor of St. Paul. 
             He accomplished some wonderful things for the State, not 
             the least of which was bringing hockey to Minnesota. That 
             is something any of us from that region of the country 
             know was greatly appreciated by the citizens of his city 
             and his State.
               Norm and I came to the Senate under different 
             circumstances. I recall having traveled around the country 
             with Senator Coleman as we were campaigning together in 
             2002 trying to come to the Senate and having that 
             opportunity to get to know him. When you travel with 
             somebody on an ongoing basis, you get to know them not on 
             a superficial basis, but you have a chance to really get a 
             glimpse into the soul of people when you are in certain 
             circumstances, when you are in tough campaigns. Certainly, 
             Norm was no stranger to tough campaigns.
               As it turned out, in that 2002 election Norm was elected 
             to the Senate. I lost my election in 2002 and didn't come 
             here until a couple of years later. But during the course 
             of the campaigns, and then having served with Norm--
             representing a neighbor State in South Dakota--we shared a 
             lot of common interests. Whether it was agriculture or 
             renewable energy or the economy in our States and trying 
             to create jobs in the Upper Midwest of this country, Norm 
             was somebody who, more than anything else, cared about 
             results.
               There are so many instances here where we get drawn into 
             debates in the Senate and the partisan lines get drawn and 
             a lot of ideology comes into play. Obviously, that is part 
             of the process as well. But the bottom line was that Norm 
             cared about getting things done for the people of 
             Minnesota. I think that was the kind of can-do attitude he 
             brought to his job as mayor and to all the other areas of 
             public service in which he was engaged during the course 
             of his career in public life.
                But coming to the Senate, I am sure, had to have been 
             frustrating at times because this is a place where 
             sometimes it is very difficult to see the result and the 
             outcome of your efforts. Norm was someone who was focused. 
             He was intent upon getting things done, getting things 
             accomplished, and I think during his service here he did 
             some great things for the people of Minnesota and for the 
             people of this country.
               I think Norm would tell you that in coming to the 
             Senate--and I would tell you the same thing--he can now 
             look back on some of the things he was involved in getting 
             done, such as being involved in the big debates over the 
             confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts or Justice Sam 
             Alito--these were big debates in which we were all 
             involved in seeing good people nominated and ultimately 
             confirmed to be on the Supreme Court. We worked in areas 
             that were specific to our States--again, agriculture, 
             renewable energy, putting energy policies in place that I 
             think will drive America's future in terms of trying to 
             lessen our dependence upon foreign sources of energy and, 
             obviously, trying to bring more economic opportunity to 
             this country by promoting the energy sources we have right 
             here, particularly in places such as the Midwest where we 
             can produce biofuels and wind and other forms of renewable 
             energy.
                Those are the kinds of issues Norm was committed to 
             because he understood the profound impact they had on the 
             citizens of his State of Minnesota. I also think sometimes 
             around here people tend to--as we all do because we all 
             are elected to represent constituencies--sometimes feel 
             pressured to make votes that might be more political. But 
             I have seen Norm Coleman time and again come in here and 
             make votes--sometimes tough votes--that he thought were 
             the right ones for the future of this country. That, too, 
             is a quality that sometimes is lacking and can be rare in 
             public life.
                So I just wanted to express my appreciation for having 
             had the opportunity to serve with Norm Coleman in the 
             Senate. He is someone who I think was a tremendous 
             reflection upon the State of Minnesota, the people of his 
             State; someone who was intent upon doing the right thing 
             for the future of this country; and, frankly, someone who, 
             in my view, brought an authenticity and a genuineness to 
             this body and to this world of politics in Washington, DC, 
             which sometimes is lacking in those qualities. He was 
             sincere, he was genuine, and you knew exactly where he was 
             coming from. With Norm, what you saw was what you got.
                I was pleased to have had the opportunity not only to 
             serve with him in the Senate and to call him a colleague, 
             but more important than that to call him and Laurie and 
             their family friends, because that is something that is 
             also rare in Washington, DC. Sometimes the Senate can be a 
             lonely place, and when you develop a friendship of the 
             type and depth that I have with Norm, I find that to be 
             something I will always treasure and remember.
                I also know Norm will continue in whatever he chooses 
             to do next to serve the people of Minnesota and the people 
             of his country because for him it wasn't about the 
             position or the title, it was about the difference he 
             made, and he is making, and I know he will continue to do 
             great things for this country. Whatever he chooses to do 
             next, it will be with an eye toward how he can make a 
             difference and contribute in a positive way to furthering 
             and improving the quality of life for the people of the 
             State and the people of this country.
               Mr. President, I thank Senator Coleman for his years of 
             dedicated and distinguished service, and I wish him all 
             the best as he begins the next chapter in his life in 
             continuing his service to Minnesota and our Nation.

               Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             the tributes to Senator Coleman in the Congressional 
             Record be printed as a Senate document and that Senators 
             be permitted to submit statements for inclusion until 
             Friday, August 7, 2009.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                                  Friday, July 10, 2009
               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I wish to speak in honor of 
             the service of my good friend, Senator Norm Coleman. 
             Senator Coleman was among the more thoughtful and 
             intelligent Senators that I have known. His presence in 
             this Chamber will be sorely missed.
               Senator Coleman came to the Senate with more insight 
             into the lives and needs of his constituents than most 
             obtain after years of service in Congress. He was elected 
             mayor of St. Paul, MN, in 1993. Of course, at that time he 
             was a Democrat, but I don't hold it against him. He 
             eventually realized the error of his ways and was 
             reelected as a Republican in 1997. He became the most 
             popular and well-known mayor in Minnesota, mostly because 
             he shared something in common with Minnesotans: a love of 
             hockey.
               In 1993 the Minnesota North Stars became the Dallas 
             Stars, leaving the State of Minnesota without a franchise 
             in the National Hockey League. Norm shared the view of 
             probably every Minnesotan that this was just not right. 
             Honestly, how can you have an NHL without a team in 
             Minnesota? Due in large part to Mayor Coleman's lobbying 
             efforts the NHL awarded St. Paul an expansion franchise in 
             1997, the Minnesota Wild.
               You would think that bringing hockey back to Minnesota 
             would be enough to get him elected to any office he wanted 
             in the State. But, as many have observed, the people of 
             Minnesota are unpredictable. In the 1998 gubernatorial 
             election, in a race that grabbed the attention of many 
             people throughout the country, Norm finished just 3 
             percentage points behind Jesse Ventura, whose pre-Governor 
             career was, to put it lightly, a colorful one.
               Though this result had to be difficult for Norm, I think 
             we all ultimately benefited from the outcome of that race. 
             Norm was elected to the Senate in 2002 and immediately 
             became known for his thoughtful demeanor and his 
             dedication to the people of Minnesota. He was a loyal 
             Republican, but he was also willing to work with those in 
             the opposing party to help the State of Minnesota and the 
             Nation as a whole. He supported President Bush, but, as 
             should be expected of any loyal supporter, he was not 
             afraid to express his disagreement or offer his advice 
             with regard to changes and reforms. Indeed, I think 
             Republicans and Democrats alike have had a good working 
             relationship with Senator Coleman because, as many have 
             noted here today, he was more concerned with getting 
             things done and being true to his convictions than he was 
             about being political and towing the party line.
               Mr. President, while I welcome Senator Coleman's 
             successor, I must admit that I was disappointed when I 
             heard of the final decision of the Minnesota Supreme 
             Court. Obviously, I don't like seeing the number of 
             Republicans in the Chamber go down. But, more important, I 
             am sad to see the Senate lose such a vibrant and 
             intelligent voice. Indeed, I think his views and 
             statements on the legislation being considered by the 
             Senate this year would add greatly to the debate.
               I want to wish Senator Coleman the best of luck in his 
             future endeavors. While I am sure that he will be a 
             valuable asset for any effort with which he becomes 
             involved, I am more certain that he will be missed here in 
             the Senate.
                                               Wednesday, July 15, 2009
               Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I wish to pause for a moment. 
             I know we are on the bill, and I am most anxious to 
             proceed with the Defense authorization bill, having served 
             on the committee since 1994 and before then in the House. 
             It is imperative now that we get as robust a bill as 
             possible.
               Before doing that, let me mention one thing because I 
             haven't yet spoken about this. I have been watching 
             several of our colleagues come to the floor to speak about 
             a great Senator, Norm Coleman, who is no longer seated in 
             the Senate but who is a remarkable character.
               A good friend of mine, Paul Weyrich, who recently died, 
             wrote an op-ed piece, and it is called ``The Workhorses 
             and the Show Horses.'' He talked about so many of the 
             Members of the House and the Senate who are out there just 
             to make themselves look good. They are the ones who are 
             show horses. Then there are the workhorses. We talk about 
             someone such as Norm Coleman, who was always there and 
             getting deeply involved in issues, many of which are not 
             popular issues if you are using them to run for 
             reelection. I am thinking of a close friend, a mutual 
             friend of ours named Ward Brehm. Ward Brehm and I have 
             been working together for a long time on some things in 
             Africa, as the Chair is aware, and he was talking about 
             being from Minnesota and how much involved Norm Coleman 
             got in various international affairs issues that don't 
             have any votes behind them, but he was willing to do it. 
             Every time you turned around, he was willing to do things 
             that other people weren't willing to do.
               I remember several years ago when he and I met with a 
             delegation from Burundi and Rwanda and the DRC. This was a 
             group that was over here in conjunction with the National 
             Prayer Breakfast. He and I always worked together during 
             the time that we had the National Prayer Breakfast. We 
             would get these people to come all the way over here from 
             different countries, but we kind of concentrated on 
             Africa. I remember him standing there talking for a long 
             period of time--keep in mind he is a Jew. I was never real 
             clear where in New York he was from--I think the Bronx or 
             someplace. But anyway, he was very strong in the Jewish 
             community, and I am not. I am on the Christian side. But 
             we would always get together and talk to them about Jesus 
             and talk to them about loving God. And then when he would 
             pray--at the end of these things, we would offer a prayer, 
             and he would end up giving a prayer in Hebrew--an amazing 
             guy.
               At the National Prayer Breakfast African dinner 2 years 
             ago--I had sponsored the dinner that was for all the 
             Africans who had come over for the Prayer Breakfast and 
             stayed for the African dinner--he was a major player in 
             that. So these are things people didn't know about Norm 
             Coleman.
               The idea is scripturally based; it is Acts 2:42. It is 
             kind of a genesis of these weekly Prayer Breakfasts in the 
             Senate. On Wednesday mornings, we had a Prayer Breakfast 
             and about 20 or 25 Senators showed up every Wednesday. 
             Norm Coleman was the chairman of that and was always in 
             these groups. But he was also one who was helping us in 
             forming these same groups with members of Parliament from 
             all over Africa. He was a tireless worker in that effort, 
             which was not something out there to get any votes.
               I talked to him the other day, having gone through this 
             election and then the 8 months or so, whatever it was, in 
             recounting and all of that. I told him that many years ago 
             I was mayor of Tulsa, and I did a pretty good job, I 
             thought. I was supposed to win hands down. Someone came 
             out of obscurity and because of a set of circumstances 
             that should have gotten votes, not lost votes, I had lost 
             unexpectedly on that Tuesday.
               Well, we had scheduled our Tulsa Mayor's Prayer 
             Breakfast the next morning. Bill Bright, who died not too 
             long ago, came by as the speaker. Keep in mind, here he 
             was the speaker at the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast the 
             morning after I lost the election. He gave the most 
             brilliant speech. I remember how he said it and the words 
             he used. He said: ``A lot of times we think in terms of 
             what is happening to us today, looking at our own careers, 
             but,'' he said, ``God is still up there and there is a 
             plan for all of us.'' He said in a very clear way that I 
             thoroughly understood, the day after I lost the election I 
             wasn't supposed to lose, that God opens a window and he 
             closes a door and that window is going to be bigger. I can 
             tell you right now I wouldn't be doing what I am doing 
             today if it had not been for that.
               So I would just say about my friend, Norm Coleman, God 
             has a plan in mind for you, Norm, and it is one we will 
             look back someday and say perhaps this is the best thing 
             that could have happened to you. In the meantime, we love 
             you, Norm, and God bless you.
                                                Thursday, July 16, 2009
               Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, I commend the 
             extraordinary career of Norm Coleman. Norm began his 
             public service as a prosecutor for the Minnesota State 
             Attorney General's Office, working his way up to chief 
             prosecutor before eventually serving as solicitor general 
             of Minnesota. In 1993, he became mayor of St. Paul. During 
             his tenure as mayor, Norm worked faithfully to revitalize 
             the city, even securing a National Hockey League franchise 
             for St. Paul. In 2002, at the urging of President Bush, 
             Norm ran for U.S. Senate. He was the challenger in a 
             close, hard-fought race, and his ultimate victory was an 
             exciting one.
               I am proud to have served alongside Norm in the Senate. 
             He was an excellent comrade in the fight against partial 
             birth abortion and worked hard to prevent waste and fraud 
             at the United Nations. Known for his willingness to work 
             with both parties, Norm fought for tax cuts, renewable 
             energy, and prescription drug benefits for seniors. He 
             worked for the passage of legislation improving rural 
             health care, increasing funding for Pell Grants and 
             securing our ports.
               He leaves an impressive record as testament to his 
             service in the Senate, but his presence here will be 
             missed. Though the outcome of last fall's election ended 
             differently than I had hoped, I know great things are in 
             store for Norm. He has much more to offer our great 
             country. I wish Norm, his wife Laurie, and their two 
             children, Jacob and Sarah, all the best as they embrace 
             the new and exciting opportunities before them.
                                                  Monday, July 20, 2009
               Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, today I pay tribute to my 
             distinguished colleague from Minnesota, Senator Norm 
             Coleman.
               I've worked with Senator Coleman since 2002 when he was 
             elected U.S. Senator of Minnesota. Norm is a man of 
             integrity and patriotism. He has dedicated most of his 
             adult life to serving the people of Minnesota. While he 
             served in the Minnesota Attorney General's Office for a 
             large portion of his career and eventually became 
             solicitor general, he is highly praised in the city of St. 
             Paul for his successes as mayor. His vision and execution 
             to revitalize the city of St. Paul became a benchmark for 
             success in local governing. Because of his accomplishments 
             as mayor, he gained higher approval ratings in Minnesota 
             than most politicians in Washington ever receive in their 
             entire careers.
               During his tenure as U.S. Senator, Norm was a leader in 
             strengthening our homeland security and national defense. 
             He consistently supported and sponsored measures that 
             provide our troops with the important tools they need to 
             defend our freedoms overseas and fought to make sure they 
             receive the proper care and services as they return home. 
             Additionally, Norm remained a strong voice for alternative 
             fuels and energy independence. The Commonwealth of 
             Kentucky and I are thankful for his diligence in promoting 
             clean energy.
               He always fought for what he believes is best for 
             Minnesotans and for America. While we are sad to see him 
             go here in the Senate, we are grateful for his 
             contributions. I am honored to know him and to have worked 
             with him. I wish his wife Laurie, his children, Jake and 
             Sarah, and him the best in all of their future endeavors.
                                                Tuesday, August 4, 2009
               Mr. ENSIGN. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute 
             to our former colleague, Norm Coleman.
               Norm once said, ``It is easy to criticize, particularly 
             in a political season. But to lead is something altogether 
             different. The leader must live in the real world of the 
             price that might be paid for the goal that has been.''
               Norm Coleman is a leader. Norm or, more important, his 
             character endured one of the most difficult elections in 
             the history of the Senate, and came out standing taller in 
             the eyes of many. It is not easy to lose. But it is so 
             much harder to maintain your dignity in the face of 
             defeat, which Norm has done.
               Having spent most of his life as a Democrat, Norm is 
             what we would call a ``late bloomer.'' I also started out 
             as a Democrat and voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976. In 1996, 
             Norm realized that the path of the Democratic Party was 
             paved for other people, not him. He joined the Republican 
             Party to share in our vision to keep taxes low, reform 
             education, and grow jobs.
               Norm more than adhered to this vision while in the 
             Senate; he became a powerful voice on these issues. He 
             also established himself as a fierce advocate for 
             renewable energy. Norm fought for tax incentives that 
             would strengthen the development of renewable energy 
             across our country. He saw renewable energy as the key to 
             greater national security and economic stimulus.
               Norm also introduced legislation that would wean our 
             Nation off our dangerous reliance on Middle Eastern oil by 
             placing a greater emphasis on increasing renewable fuel 
             infrastructure and alternative fuel technologies. His 
             legacy will continue to thrive as we move our country 
             closer to energy independence, through innovation, not 
             government handouts.
               Norm's leadership did not end at the shores of our 
             Nation. He established himself as a true voice in foreign 
             policy issues by exposing the corruption that was rife 
             throughout the U.N.'s Oil-for-Food Program and becoming a 
             fierce advocate for our servicemen and women.
               However, all of this pales in comparison to the legacy 
             that he will leave in Minnesota. Throughout his entire 
             Senate career, he never lost track of the voices of his 
             constituents and the promises he made to them on the 
             campaign trail.
               His greatest legacy, perhaps, will be bringing hockey 
             back to Minnesota. Minnesota will enjoy the fruits of his 
             labor for years to come.
               I consider Norm a friend and someone whom I respect and 
             admire.
               Norm, we will miss you dearly. I wish you much success 
             in the future knowing that great things lie ahead of you.
                                              Wednesday, August 5, 2009
               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, I appreciate having this 
             opportunity to join my colleagues in expressing our great 
             appreciation of the many contributions Norm Coleman has 
             made to the work of the Senate and the future of our 
             country during his service here. He is quite a remarkable 
             individual, and I know I am going to miss seeing him on 
             the Senate floor and working with him on issues of concern 
             to the people of Minnesota and my constituents in Wyoming.
               Ever since Norm's political career began, it was clear 
             he had a mind of his own and, like the old adage about 
             baseball umpires, he was going to call them as he saw 
             them. That meant taking each issue as it came, carefully 
             studying what was proposed and its consequences, and then 
             making up his own mind on how he thought he should vote.
               His independent streak and his determination to be true 
             to his principles, his commitment to the people of 
             Minnesota, and his internal compass transcended party 
             politics and kept both sides guessing as to how he would 
             vote on any given issue.
               I remember the first time I met him, shortly after his 
             election to the Senate. It turned out we had some things 
             in common. For starters, early on in our political 
             careers, Norm and I both served as mayors, so we had an 
             appreciation for the demands that are made upon local 
             officials.
               Norm was elected mayor of St. Paul. I was elected mayor 
             in my hometown of Gillette, WY. We both had some tough 
             challenges to deal with as our communities felt the aches 
             and pains of growth and we were fortunate enough to put 
             together a good team who helped us to deal with the needs 
             of the people who were counting on us to solve some pretty 
             vexing problems.
               Looking back, Norm was able to compile quite a record, 
             and he became a very popular mayor. His administration 
             promoted policies that helped to spur an increase in the 
             number of jobs in the St. Paul area. He also helped to 
             oversee a downtown revitalization that came at a time when 
             many other similar areas across the country were 
             downsizing and becoming a shadow of their former selves. 
             He also managed to help engineer the return of 
             professional hockey to Minnesota. The presence of the 
             Minnesota Wild soon became a source of great pride to the 
             people of his State. He was able to do all of that and so 
             much more without increasing property taxes. That was the 
             result of careful planning, and it understandably earned 
             him the respect and admiration of his constituents.
               Then, with a key election approaching, Norm was giving 
             some thought to his political future. There were a lot of 
             rumors as to his next run for office, but the people of 
             Minnesota made it clear that they wanted him to run for 
             the Senate, so Norm began what was to become a very 
             difficult and emotionally charged race. When it was all 
             over, Norm Coleman had defeated a Minnesota political icon 
             and was sworn in to represent the people of his home State 
             in the Senate.
               Ever since that day, Norm has been working to serve the 
             people of Minnesota and do whatever was in their best 
             interests. Always focused on getting results, he supported 
             the President when he agreed with him, and he never 
             hesitated to speak up when he felt there was another way 
             to get things done that ought to be taken up as part of 
             the mix.
               Of all his accomplishments during his service here in 
             the Senate, there are two that I will always remember. The 
             first was a fact-finding mission we took along with 
             several of our colleagues to Africa to determine what we 
             could do as a nation to help combat the AIDS epidemic 
             there. For both of us our visit turned out to be a great 
             cultural shock. There were barriers of all kinds we had to 
             deal with--language, customs, and technology. All of the 
             things we take for granted here are virtually nonexistent 
             there. The lack of any regular distribution of the written 
             word, like a community newspaper, makes getting the most 
             basic of information to the people an incredible 
             challenge.
               When we returned to the United States we joined with our 
             colleagues on both sides of the aisle to develop a program 
             that has been producing tremendous results for the past 
             few years. The great strides that have been made have not 
             eliminated the disease, but they have greatly increased 
             the quality of life there. Our efforts have also helped to 
             make people more aware of what they can do to ensure they 
             don't get AIDS, or if they are already infected, what they 
             must do to avoid transmitting the disease to anyone else.
               We both learned from that experience the truth of the 
             old adage--you may not be able to save the whole world, 
             but you can always make a good effort to save part of it, 
             and the results we have achieved in Africa and the lives 
             we have saved will be part of Norm Coleman's legacy of 
             service in the Senate.
               Another part of the change he brought that will be felt 
             for many years to come is the leadership he showed as the 
             chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 
             Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In 2006 Norm led 
             the effort to determine how safe and secure our Nation's 
             ports were. The results of his investigations were 
             unsettling and soon became the subject of headlines across 
             the country.
               Norm wasn't looking for headlines, however. He was 
             looking to craft a workable solution to the problem, and 
             he did when the Senate approved a program that authorized 
             the use of pilot technology to screen incoming cargo 
             containers for their contents. As a result of his efforts, 
             people all across the country will be better protected 
             from those who might wish to do us harm. Thanks to Norm, 
             that once open door has now been closed.
               Norm will not be a part of this current Congress, but 
             his impact will continue to be felt for some time to come. 
             He was a tireless worker for Minnesota, and although I 
             don't know what the future holds for him, I have every 
             confidence that we haven't heard the last of Norm Coleman. 
             He has been and will always be an individual of vision and 
             action. That is a combination that can't help but produce 
             results, and I am certain he will continue to set new 
             goals in his life and achieve them--one after the other. 
             Good luck my friend, and keep in touch. We will always be 
             interested to hear from you and to benefit from your take 
             on our work in the Congress to make Minnesota and the rest 
             of the Nation a better place for us all to live.
                                               Thursday, August 6, 2009
               Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor and pay 
             tribute to my good friend and colleague, an extraordinary 
             public servant and tireless advocate for the people of his 
             cherished State of Minnesota, Senator Norm Coleman. I want 
             to express my most sincere gratitude for his longtime 
             friendship and my enormous admiration for him and his 
             impressive litany of accomplishments. Although I am 
             saddened by his departure from this esteemed Chamber, I 
             know with utmost certainty that Senator Coleman's 
             exceptional contributions to Minnesotans and the American 
             people will continue well into the future.
               I am proud to say that Senator Coleman and I served 
             together over his 6 remarkable years in the Senate, and I 
             would like especially to express my immense gratitude for 
             his pivotal role on the Committee on Small Business and 
             Entrepreneurship over that span of time, where I served 
             first as chair and now as ranking member. Senator Coleman 
             was always a reasoned and passionate voice on the 
             committee, and his indelible impact is indisputable. 
             Whether it was our work together on the Small Business 
             Health Fairness Act of 2005, the Small Business Disaster 
             Response and Loan Improvements Act of 2006, or a number of 
             other measures and issues, Senator Coleman, true to the 
             founding tradition of the U.S. Senate, continually 
             addressed the concerns of his constituents, while at the 
             same time making the best decisions for this Nation.
               I especially recall our joining forces over winter 2006 
             when natural gas and home heating oil prices had 
             skyrocketed in Maine, Minnesota, and numerous other cold 
             weather States, turning a crucial problem of years past 
             into an urgent crisis that required immediate 
             congressional attention. With the level of funding 
             allocated in the budget, States could not maintain the 
             Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, an 
             initiative I have long championed which provides vital 
             funding to our country's low-income families and elderly.
               Recognizing both the plight of Minnesotans and all 
             affected Americans from the beginning of this crisis, 
             Senator Coleman and I, among others, battled to shed light 
             on this emergency early by calling for the passage of a 
             bill to provide additional LIHEAP funding to States. 
             Senator Coleman was an instrumental catalyst in our 
             successful effort to pass this bill to the benefit of 
             countless Minnesotans, Mainers, and other untold Americans 
             across this land. And for that, I will be forever 
             grateful!
               With a career in public service of more than 30 years, 
             begun in 1976 when he was chief prosecutor for the 
             Minnesota Attorney General's Office, Senator Coleman 
             possessed an unfailing determination to advocate on behalf 
             of the people of Minnesota that has never faltered or 
             waned. Prosecuting cases around the State while further 
             developing a growing concern for community issues, Senator 
             Coleman was eventually named Minnesota State solicitor 
             general. And his outstanding trajectory of leadership was 
             just taking off, for it was then--in 1993--that Norm 
             became mayor of St. Paul, during which time, with his 
             hallmark optimism, he steered the course of the capital 
             city through a transformational revitalization effort.
               And so it came as no surprise that Norm Coleman, after 
             he was sworn in as a U.S. Senator, hit the ground running. 
             And let me say from the outset, Senator Coleman's was a 
             welcomed voice in an era of increasing partisanship, 
             especially at a time when ideology has been held in 
             greater value by many of our Nation's elected officials 
             than service to the American people, when too often the 
             slogans and sound bytes of campaigning never stop, and the 
             governing all too frequently never begins, and where 
             public disenchantment with politics runs high. Senator 
             Coleman's desire to look beyond this regrettable status 
             quo, embracing instead the long-held tenets of 
             collaboration and cooperation, could not have been more 
             central as our Chamber sought to enact laws to genuinely 
             improve the lives of Americans.
               As I reflect on my friend's illustrious tenure in the 
             Senate, I cannot help but recall in instance after 
             instance on imperative matters of far-reaching consequence 
             how Senator Coleman was able to transcend party politics 
             and seek solutions and results for the betterment of his 
             State and country. For example, Senator Coleman, along 
             with Senators Durbin and Lincoln, was a leading proponent, 
             supporting the Small Business Health Options Program Act 
             or the SHOP Act which would once and for all finally level 
             the playingfield for American small businesses and the 
             self-employed and allow them to pool together nationally 
             to receive a host of new, affordable, and quality coverage 
             options.
               Norm, like the rest of us, understood all too well that 
             health insurance market reform and coverage policies in 
             the SHOP Act must be included in broader health reform 
             legislation. We will miss his voice as the health care 
             debate moves forward and as we strive to build a consensus 
             on landmark health care legislation. But make no mistake, 
             Senator Coleman was integral in helping lay the foundation 
             for achieving meaningful and sustainable health care 
             reform.
               Placing his country and constituents above political 
             expediency, Senator Coleman and I joined together in 
             support of passage and eventual enactment of the Fair 
             Equity Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing pay 
             equity in America and protecting victims of wage 
             discrimination into law. We have labored to extend key, 
             renewable energy tax credits to expand the indispensable 
             State Children's Health Insurance Program or S-CHIP. We 
             stood side by side in the fight to allow Medicare to 
             negotiate lower drug prices, and we joined together to 
             help block proposed cuts in Medicaid. I want to thank 
             Norm, who has truly been a stalwart soldier in arms, for 
             his resolve and will on a cross section of issues that 
             have defined his term in the Senate as a model of 
             governance that ought to be more prevalent.
               In that vein, I cannot convey enough what a privilege it 
             was to serve in the Republican Main Street Partnership 
             with Senator Coleman--an organization that my husband, 
             Jock, formerly chaired. Founded in 1998 to promote 
             thoughtful leadership in the Republican Party and to join 
             with individuals, organizations, and institutions that 
             share centrist values, the partnership has unfortunately 
             witnessed a decline in our ranks in recent years. But the 
             message and impact of the organization are intrinsically 
             connected to our capacity to truly achieve bipartisanship 
             and garner results on behalf of those who elected us, and 
             Senator Coleman embodied that ethos with integrity and 
             distinction.
               In fact, Senator Coleman characterized the Main Street's 
             message well when he said, ``This isn't about marching to 
             a single tune. This is about being able to listen and work 
             with like-minded colleagues, bring those perspectives, and 
             hopefully play a role in the resolution of things that, 
             bottom line, are good for the people of Minnesota.'' Well, 
             his actions not only aided Minnesotans, but also Mainers 
             and Americans of every stripe and background across this 
             great land.
               And yet, despite all of his exemplary achievements, his 
             greatest accomplishment is undeniably his wonderful family 
             and the love and devotion he has for his wife Laurie, and 
             their two children, Jacob and Sarah. So, it is with a 
             profound honor that I join with his family, and his many 
             friends, in praising Norm for his tireless stewardship of 
             the common good and phenomenal commitment to public 
             service, and for a tenure that enfolds his legacy into the 
             rich, long-standing Senate tradition of Minnesota.
               And so to my colleague and good friend, Norm, let me 
             say, you have been a shining example of bipartisanship and 
             comity that transcends politics, and you will be sorely 
             missed. As you embark on this next chapter and as you 
             consider your next endeavors be they public or private, I 
             urge you, in the immortal words of the poet Alfred Lord 
             Tennyson, ``to strive, to seek, to find, and not to 
             yield.''

               Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I join my colleagues in 
             appreciation and admiration of Senator Norm Coleman. Norm 
             has been a faithful public servant to the people of 
             Minnesota, a principled leader, and a good friend. He made 
             a difference here in Washington, and I feel privileged to 
             have served with him in the U.S. Senate.
               Norm and Laurie arrived in Washington at the same time 
             as Sandy and me. We experienced many of the same 
             challenges and adjustments that freshman Senators face, 
             and we encouraged each other by facing them together. Norm 
             and I found we shared a common approach to solving 
             problems, and partnered to advance legislation whenever we 
             could.
               Norm said his best ideas came from the people of 
             Minnesota, and they can be proud of what he achieved in 
             Washington. Norm supported conservation programs to 
             protect his State's lakes, rivers, and woodlands. He had a 
             real heart for children, especially those suffering from 
             cancer or waiting to be adopted into loving homes. He was 
             a champion of private-sector initiatives in alternative 
             energy, including clean coal, wind power, and biomass 
             technologies. Norm exposed fraud at the United Nations, 
             waste in the Medicare Program, and tax evasion by defense 
             contractors. He voted to put John Roberts and Samuel Alito 
             on the U.S. Supreme Court. Norm consistently supported our 
             troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and he believed in their 
             mission.
               Some of my strongest memories of Norm were formed during 
             our trip to Iraq in January 2008, about a year after 
             President Bush announced our surge of forces there. Norm 
             had joined many Senators in supporting the surge, despite 
             the political risk that support entailed. He understood 
             that the strategy and leadership of General David Petraeus 
             was America's best chance to succeed in Iraq.
               Norm and I, along with Senator Johnny Isakson, visited 
             Baghdad together. We had dinner with General Petraeus and 
             Ambassador Ryan Crocker, and discussed how we could 
             facilitate political reconciliation in Iraq. We met with 
             General Ray Odierno to discuss the new mission of 
             population security, as well as the progress they were 
             seeing in reducing violence and U.S. casualties. We toured 
             a marketplace in western Baghdad, where U.S. and Iraqi 
             forces had helped bring back shopkeepers and their 
             customers by driving out insurgents and terrorists.
               During our visit, I got to see the Norm Coleman that 
             Minnesotans know very well. At Maverick Security Station 
             in Baghdad, I saw Norm honor troops who hailed from the 
             Twin Cities and throughout his State. At a meeting with 
             Iraqi civilian leaders, I saw him offer encouragement to 
             Sunnis, Shias, and Kurds working to build a free and 
             democratic nation in the heart of the Middle East. And 
             wherever we traveled, I saw his easygoing manner, his wry 
             sense of humor, and his appreciation of the honor bestowed 
             on him by his fellow Minnesotans.
               Norm ran a tough race for reelection last fall, a race 
             that lasted far longer than the Minnesota winter. He 
             mounted a legal challenge based on a clear principle: no 
             Minnesotan should be disenfranchised. As chairman of the 
             National Republican Senatorial Committee, I was proud to 
             support Norm as he pursued his case in the courts. And 
             once the courts had spoken, I respected the grace with 
             which he conceded the race, and the optimism he has shown 
             for his own future, and that of our country.
               Norm accomplished much in Washington, but I think he 
             remains proudest of what he achieved closer to home. After 
             Minnesota's hockey team moved to my home State of Texas 
             back in 1993, Mayor Norm Coleman of St. Paul led the 
             effort to bring the National Hockey League back to the 
             Twin Cities. Since the first puck dropped in 2000, the 
             Minnesota Wild have sold out every game they have played, 
             and every fan owes a debt of thanks to Norm Coleman.
               I too am thankful for Norm Coleman, because he set a 
             good example for all of us. He never let public service go 
             to his head. He always put his faith and family first. He 
             fought hard to keep his seat, but never failed to keep his 
             cool.
               I wish Norm and Laurie the very best, as their journey 
             together continues.
                                                 Friday, August 7, 2009
               Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I honor and bid farewell 
             to my friend and our colleague, Senator Norm Coleman of 
             Minnesota. Norm and I served together for 6 years in the 
             Senate and on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He 
             also served on the Agriculture, Aging, Homeland Security, 
             and Small Business Committees. He has a legislative record 
             of which he can be proud.
               As our colleagues know, I have long enjoyed my work with 
             Native people. Norm, throughout his tenure, was a 
             steadfast friend of American Indian, Alaska Native, and 
             Native Hawaiian people and a strong advocate for the 
             interests of the tribes in his home State of Minnesota. 
             His voice will be missed in the U.S. Senate on these 
             issues.
               As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security and 
             Governmental Affairs Norm pushed for drastic reforms in 
             our Nation's emergency response and recovery capabilities 
             in the wake of the failed response to Hurricane Katrina. 
             He was diligent and steadfast in his desire to protect our 
             country and deeply engaged in efforts to increase 
             protections for our Nation's critical infrastructure.
               I will remember Norm as one who had a love and 
             appreciation for my State of Alaska. On several occasions 
             he enjoyed the beauty of Alaska while seeking his prized 
             king salmon on the Kenai River. Norm further extended his 
             Alaska ties by hiring Jennifer Mies Lowe, who is married 
             to my former chief of staff, George Lowe. Jennifer served 
             Senator Stevens for many years before moving to Senator 
             Coleman's office as his chief of staff.
               Norm has a long record of public service fighting for 
             Minnesotans. He served as mayor of St. Paul before being 
             called by the people of Minnesota to come to the U.S. 
             Senate. I expect that we have not heard the last of him.
               In closing I would like to wish Norm, his wife Laurie, 
             and children Jacob and Sarah the very best. Norm, thank 
             you for your service to the Nation, the Senate, and 
             Minnesota. I know Norm and his strong sense of service to 
             his country, and while I will miss him in the Senate, I 
             look forward to his next opportunity to serve.
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