[Senate Document 113-13]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Ben Nelson
U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. Doc. 113-13
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Ben Nelson
United States Senator
2001-2013
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2014
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
14
Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
6
Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
8
Johanns, Mike, of Nebraska.....................
5
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
16
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
13
Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
10, 12
Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland..............
7
Nelson, Ben, of Nebraska.......................
9
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
10
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
3, 17
BIOGRAPHY
Ben Nelson was born on May 17, 1941, in McCook, Red
Willow County, NE, to Benjamin and Birdella Nelson. He
attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, earning a
bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1963, a master's degree
in 1965, and a law degree in 1970.
He entered law practice in 1970 and began a career in
insurance and politics. He was named the director of the
Nebraska Department of Insurance in 1975, and gained
political experience by serving as State campaign manager
for Democratic Presidential candidates in 1976 and 1980.
From 1980 to 1981 he served as president and chief
executive officer of the Central National Insurance Group,
and he served as chief of staff and executive vice
president of the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners from 1982 to 1985. His law career continued
in 1985 when he joined Kennedy, Holland, DeLacy and
Svoboda, one of Nebraska's prominent legal firms. He
served as Governor of Nebraska from 1991 to 1999.
He was elected to the Senate in 2000, was reelected in
2006, but was not a candidate for reelection in 2012.
Senator Nelson chaired the Senate Committee on
Appropriations, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch,
and served on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and
Forestry Committee, the Veterans Affairs Committee, the
Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Armed
Services Committee. He chaired the Committee on Armed
Services, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.
One of the first bills Senator Nelson cosponsored was
boosting production of ethanol and other renewable fuels.
Under his leadership Nebraska had moved to the forefront
of ethanol production, increasing production from 15
million gallons in 1990 to more than 300 million gallons
by the time he left office as Governor in 1999. Due to
this growth more than 4,300 Nebraskans were employed
directly or indirectly in ethanol production.
As an advocate for fiscal responsibility, Senator Nelson
strongly believed that Federal spending must be brought
under control and that budget cuts should be based on
shared sacrifice, not politics. He successfully won a 5
percent cut in spending across the board on Capitol Hill
in the FY2011 budget.
Among his other accomplishments in the Senate, he worked
to make disaster relief a part of the budget so that
producers do not have to turn repeatedly to emergency
measures to get help. His work on the farm bill brought
together his fiscal conservatism and his commitment to
American farmers. Senator Nelson authored legislation to
ensure farm payments go to farmers and ranchers, rather
than to people who do not farm. He also worked to cap crop
insurance payments to level the playing field for small
farmers while cutting subsidy spending for all American
taxpayers.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee he
worked to ensure that U.S. armed services and military
personnel have the modern equipment, training, and
resources they need to protect their safety and succeed in
their missions. He advocated for Offutt Air Force Base in
Bellevue, NE, and U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), a
unified command center headquartered at Offutt, which
provides global security for U.S. national security
interests including space, cyberspace, global strike and
deterrence, and combating weapons of mass destruction. He
worked closely with STRATCOM officials to ensure the
command was successful in its mission.
Senator Nelson's commitment to strengthening the U.S.
military went beyond active duty personnel with his
support to keep America's promise to its veterans. He
pushed to preserve access to health care for veterans and
expand the Veterans Administration's use of clinics to
provide quality care.
Senator Nelson and his wife Diane live in Omaha. They
have four children and five grandchildren.
Farewell to the Senate
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Mr. President, I rise today to
thank the people of Nebraska. It is a tremendous honor to
have had the opportunity to serve the State for 20 years--
8 as Governor and 12 as Senator. The people of Nebraska
are generous and hard working and it has been a true
privilege to represent them.
I also want to thank my parents--Birdella and Benjamin.
Raising me in McCook, NE, they instilled in me the values
I have tried to embrace and which serve as guiding
principles for me in both public and private.
I especially want to thank my family for their
unwavering love and support. As my colleagues know, public
service requires our families to sacrifice--sacrifice
privacy and sacrifice the ability to determine their own
schedule among many other things. So I sincerely thank my
wife Diane, our four kids and five grandkids for their
patience and understanding. While it is hard to walk away
from this body, I look forward to spending more time
together with family.
As a public official the lens through which I have
always tried to view decisions is: How will this policy,
this vote, or this decision impact my community, my State,
and my country? This focus and advocacy for my home State
has resulted in both praise and criticism at various times
but I stand before you today proud of the accomplishments
achieved over the last 12 years and grateful for the
opportunities afforded to me by the people of Nebraska.
Arriving in the Senate in 2001 I recall thinking about
what one of my predecessors in this body, Ed Zorinsky,
used to say. Senator Zorinsky said that the biggest
problem in Washington, DC, is there are too many
Democratic Senators and there are too many Republican
Senators. There are not enough U.S. Senators.
Unquestionably my proudest moments in the Senate are those
efforts that were bipartisan and pursued by a collective
motive to get the best possible result while maintaining
the dignity of this institution.
Probably the most straightforward example of this work
is the compromise achieved by the Gang of 14. As many of
my colleagues will recall, in 2005 there were several
judicial nominees presented to the Senate for its
consideration but which had not yet received an up or down
vote. The majority leader at that time, Senator Frist of
Tennessee, was considering what became known as the so-
called ``nuclear option'' which would have changed the
Senate's rules so that the minority party couldn't
filibuster a judicial nominee.
There was a great deal of concern about how this would
impact the Senate's long-standing tradition of majority
rule while recognizing minority rights--and what this
would mean to the way the Senate conducted its business in
the future. At that time, Senator Lott and I convened 12
of our colleagues--6 additional Democrats and 6 additional
Republicans. Together we met and exchanged ideas about how
to find a sensible way forward that would satisfy all 14
Senators such that each would agree the Senate was
dutifully carrying out its ``advise and consent''
responsibility without unduly restraining the ability of
the minority to assert itself in instances when it found a
nominee truly and substantively objectionable or unfit to
serve.
Ultimately an agreement was reached by this bipartisan
group. There was not a rules change, and in the midst of a
highly partisan environment, the Senate moved forward in a
positive way and I believe we did the right thing. Senator
Robert Byrd of West Virginia was a critical member of the
Gang of 14. In addition to his many accomplishments--
everyone knew then and knows now that there is not anyone
more well versed in the history of the Senate or who was
more protective of it as an institution. I will never
forget after the agreement was finalized Senator Byrd said
that he was proud of the work accomplished and that we had
``saved the Senate.''
Hearing those words from Senator Byrd was undoubtedly
one of the proudest moments of my career. Besides Senator
Byrd, I have had the opportunity to serve with so many
public servants in this body, and I thank all of them. I
would start naming names, but I know I will leave someone
out. So I want to thank all present and past Members of
the Senate that I have worked with for the occasions we
have had to work together so closely.
I also share the sentiment that many of my colleagues
have noted in their farewell addresses, and that is the
appreciation for the efforts of staff. Over the last 12
years I have worked with an incredibly dedicated and
talented collection of individuals. We call on our staff
to do a lot of work, often in a very stressful
environment. I thank everyone in my office back home and
at the office in DC for the work they have done on behalf
of the State of Nebraska.
If I were to leave this body with one thought and hope
for the future, it would be this: Congress needs to change
its math, and by that I mean the Members of Congress
should be more concerned about addition and multiplication
and less involved in division and subtraction which seems
to overtake this institution at times. My hope is that in
the process of doing this, Congress and our Nation will
have a stronger desire to find solutions for the country's
greatest challenges more so than any effort to try to
drive our citizenry apart.
With that, I will say one more time: Thank you to my
family, my staff, my colleagues, and most especially to
the people of Nebraska.
I yield the floor.
?
TRIBUTES
TO
BEN NELSON
Proceedings in the Senate
Monday, December 10, 2012
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise to honor our colleague
the senior Senator from Nebraska, Ben Nelson, upon his
retirement from the Senate. This will become effective
after the first of the year.
For 12 years Ben has been a valued member of the
Democratic caucus and an exemplary Senator for Nebraska
and the country. His life in public service dates back to
his youth. He spent his college days serving his Nebraska
community in another way--as a lay minister. Eventually he
chose law over ministry and went to law school. He
attended law school at the University of Nebraska, where
he got his bachelor's and master's degrees.
He spent many years practicing insurance law. He served
as director of the Nebraska Department of Insurance and as
president of the Central National Insurance Group. Then,
in 1990, he was elected Governor of Nebraska. Four years
later, he was reelected--with almost 75 percent of the
vote--to become the first Nebraska Governor in 20 years to
win a second term. So it was not a surprise when he ran
for the Senate in 2000. He won, even though President Bush
took Nebraska handily.
It is easy to see Ben Nelson truly possesses the same
independent spirit as his Nebraska constituents. He served
his constituents with distinction in the Senate and, of
course, when he was Governor and as insurance
commissioner. He has always provided a strong voice for
fiscal responsibility, and he has been terrific for the
State's energy industry, agricultural sector, and even
tourism.
Similar to many of his Nebraska constituents, Ben is an
avid hunter, fisher, and outdoorsman.
As a sidelight, one of the things we learn as kids--and
as we get older it is something we must adhere to--is that
one should not be envious. Envy isn't something that is
very becoming of human beings, especially in an adult. But
I think if the truth were known, many Senators would be
very envious, as I am--and I would even think the Acting
President pro tempore would be--about that hair of Ben
Nelson's. I mean that is a mop of real hair.
Often people call his office and they believe he has a
toupee, but it is his hair. He will pull it for you
anytime just to show you it is real. I mean, he has hair
like a 15 year old. So I have to acknowledge I am a little
envious of his hair, and I think, if the truth were known,
maybe others are as well.
My wife has said on many occasions--and she tells me
this all the time--how handsome Pat Leahy is and she is so
glad he doesn't do a comb over.
Anyway, Ben Nelson is an avid hunter, fisher, and
outdoorsman. He has bagged pheasants and turkey, and one
time, to the consternation of all of us, he decided he was
going to take Senator Schumer from New York hunting for
pheasants. He did that. Everybody survived it alive, and
Ben Nelson still boasts about that; that he was able to
bring Schumer back all in one piece. More important, the
people who went hunting with them all came back in one
piece. The story goes that Senator Schumer even shot a
bird or two.
A lot of us have some trouble accepting that, but that
is what Ben says and I will take him at his word. He has
bagged all kinds of game birds--dove, quail, pheasants,
turkey--but he has also had the opportunity to hunt all
over the world and has bagged some of the most exotic game
that is possible for a hunter to hunt. He is the epitome
of a sportsman.
Ben isn't just a great hunter, though. He is also an
accomplished practical joker and a wonderful singer. That
may surprise some people. In our caucus, I proved to
everyone that he could sing, and sing quite well. He
recorded a few years ago a song called ``Western Town'' to
raise money for visually impaired children. He was one of
a dozen Nebraskan celebrities to record songs for this
charity. I obtained a copy of this and played it at a
Democratic caucus a few years ago. It was a hit. He was
singing--it is his voice--and it was very good. Here is
how it goes:
I'm from a western town in Nebraska. Don't know why I
left so long ago. All I know is this western town in
Nebraska lives in my heart and in my soul.
He did a great job of that song, as he has done
everything since I have known him.
I am sure Ben is looking forward to going home to the
western town--Omaha--where he lives with his wife Diane.
She is wonderful. She was a great First Lady and a
wonderful Senator's spouse. I like her for lots of
reasons, the smile she has, but also she makes some of the
best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten. They have
four children and five grandchildren. As he departs for
Omaha, he will be sorely missed here in the Senate.
He has always been a loyal and dedicated member of this
caucus, even when he was showing loyalty by questioning
the wisdom of the party sometimes. He is arguably the most
conservative member of the caucus. And while there are a
few things Ben and I disagree on, we agree on most
everything. Through the last 12 years he has been a valued
member of the team. He has made many of our
accomplishments possible through his dedication to country
first and State second. That is how it should be.
Edwin Chapin, a North American preacher and poet, said,
``No more duty can be urged upon those who are entering
the great theater of life than simple loyalty to their
best convictions.''
Ben Nelson lives by his convictions, even though it may
put him at odds with his party or his constituents. His
highest duty is to country and his conscience.
We had a retirement party a week ago tomorrow, and when
it was over, I grabbed Ben and we embraced. I care a great
deal about him. He has made some extremely difficult
votes, but he did it because it was the right thing to do.
His duty is to country and his conscience, and I repeat, I
have such high respect for Ben Nelson. I will miss him. I
have enjoyed working with him.
I congratulate Ben Nelson on his career in public
service, including his service in the Senate, and wish him
the very best in his retirement.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute
to my colleague Ben Nelson. In fact, when we visited with
each other last night, I said to Senator Nelson that I
have spent a significant part of my career following jobs
he had done. I was the mayor of Lincoln when Ben Nelson
was the Governor of Nebraska, I became the Governor of
Nebraska as he was completing his two terms, and then I
joined him in the U.S. Senate. Before all of that, I
worked with Ben as the Secretary of Agriculture.
I can say from firsthand experience that Ben Nelson
always had the best interests of our State at heart. He
was enormously hard working. In fact, I don't hesitate to
admit for a second that when I came to the Governor's
office, I found the State to be in excellent shape. He
often joked about how he was tighter than three coats of
paint, and I think that is absolutely true.
He tended to business, balanced the budget, and made
sure that money was set aside in the Rainy Day Fund
because we in Nebraska know there are going to be days
where it might rain. He did a great job as Governor. We
worked hand in hand on a number of issues when I was
Governor and he was a U.S. Senator. When we became
colleagues in the Senate, that working relationship
continued.
I am very pleased to rise today and say to the people of
Nebraska that there was never a time where partisan
differences ever impacted or interfered with our ability
to work together. Senator Nelson was always looking for a
way to move the State forward and move our country
forward.
I just wanted to come to the floor today and thank my
colleague Ben Nelson for his service. We appreciate
everything he has done. We wish the Senator the very best,
and I have a sense we are going to have an opportunity to
work together in future years.
Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute
to and recognize the achievements of Senator Ben Nelson,
who, like me, will be leaving the Senate at the end of
this year. I consider Senator Nelson, who has represented
Nebraska in the Senate since 2000, a friend and an
excellent colleague.
Senator Nelson has had a long and impressive career,
spanning both the private sector as well as State and
Federal Government service. After graduating from law
school at the University of Nebraska, Senator Nelson spent
roughly two decades working in the insurance industry,
both as a legal practitioner and in leadership roles at
the Central National Insurance Group, the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners, and the Nebraska
Department of Insurance.
It was upon this impressive background that Senator
Nelson launched his career in public service when, in
1990, as a moderate Democrat, he was elected Governor of
Nebraska. As a testament to his dedicated service and
popularity, he was reelected to a second term in 1994
after garnering nearly three-quarters of the vote.
Nebraskans then sent him to the U.S. Senate in 2000.
Senator Nelson was reelected in 2006 in a landslide.
Nebraska and my State of North Dakota share a great deal
in common. Both States are populated by residents who
value hard work and who possess an independent streak that
places pragmatism above partisan politics. Senator Nelson
is a product of his Nebraska roots--he brought those same
characteristics to Washington and, as a direct result, was
able to work across the aisle and within his party to
benefit his State in ways more partisan legislators likely
never could have done.
Rural States such as ours also face unique challenges,
particularly those involving the agriculture industry,
which often go unnoticed by those who live in densely
populated areas. I have worked closely with Senator Nelson
over the years on farm legislation and know first hand his
passion for the industry and his drive to see family
farmers succeed. Nebraskans should be very proud of
Senator Nelson's hard work on the Agriculture,
Appropriations, and Armed Services Committees.
I will greatly miss having Senator Nelson as a
colleague, but I also know that his wife Diane as well as
his children and grandchildren will be excited to have him
back home in Nebraska. My wife Lucy and I wish Ben and his
family many happy years ahead.
Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise to comment about
some wonderful men in the Senate who are retiring on both
sides of the aisle. Earlier today I spoke about my deep
affection and sorry-to-see-go friends Olympia Snowe and
Kay Bailey Hutchison, but I want to rise as the dean of
the women in the Senate to say some very special words
about very special men on both sides of the aisle. Because
when I came to the Senate, it was only Nancy Kassebaum and
me, and yet we worked on so many issues together. There
are really wonderful men here who supported me, supported
our issues, but really stood up for those States and their
communities. ...
I wish to say goodbye to Ben Nelson of Nebraska, a
brother appropriator. We salute him for his work for the
people of Nebraska and the Nation. Using those committee
assignments on Appropriations, Agriculture, and Armed
Services, he looked out for rural communities and he stood
up for men and women in the military. I knew he took as a
personal responsibility the issues around our military
personnel--that they had the right pay, the right
equipment, and we protected their benefits. ...
I wanted to be sure that the day would not end without
my acknowledging these wonderful people who have given a
big part of their lives to making this country a better
place. I want to, in the most heartfelt way--I am so sorry
we did not have a bipartisan dinner or party to be able to
express this. I would have liked to have been in the same
room, breaking bread with them, in order to be able to
tell them how much we appreciate them, across party lines,
across those lines that ordinarily divide us. They came
from different parts of the country, they arrived in the
Senate with different objectives, they will leave under
different circumstances. But I want to again let them know
that each and every one of them had a positive impact on
me and I think a wonderful impact on the future of this
country. So I wish them well. God bless and Godspeed.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, with the retirement of
Senator Ben Nelson at the close of the 112th Congress, the
Senate will lose one of its most respected members, and a
distinguished career in formal public service will come to
an end. I use that adjective ``formal,'' because it's hard
to imagine Ben Nelson not finding new avenues for public
service as a private citizen in the years ahead.
Senator Nelson and I come from neighboring States in the
rural, upper Midwest, and we have much in common. But we
differ in at least one respect: I come from the small town
of Cumming, IA, population 351; Ben comes from the big
city, McCook, NE, population 8,000.
Senator Nelson is often described as one of the most
conservative Democrats in the Senate, frequently voting
with the minority party. I prefer to describe him simply
as the most independent Democrat in the Senate, a
progressive at heart who--like so many from our part of
the country--is also deeply imbued with respect for
traditional values and fiscal prudence.
As we all know, Senator Nelson prides himself on
reaching across the aisle to get things done. He is a
pragmatist, not a partisan. He has never allowed ideology
or party to stand in his way of doing what he believes is
right for Nebraska and the United States of America.
As my colleague on the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry, Senator Nelson has been a
passionate advocate for family farms and rural America,
and he has been a leading advocate for increasing the use
of clean, renewable biofuels in order to decrease our
Nation's dependence on foreign energy sources.
As a member of both the Committee on Armed Services and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, no one has been a
stronger supporter of both active duty and retired
servicemembers.
Ben Nelson has been a successful CEO of an insurance
company, a popular two-term Governor of Nebraska, and, for
the last 12 years, an accomplished and effective U.S.
Senator. He has been a wonderful hunting colleague of mine
on more than one occasion.
Our friendship, of course, will continue. I wish Ben and
Diane the very best in the years ahead.
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. First, I want to thank my
colleague and neighbor Senator Harkin for his timely
remarks, and particularly for noting that we have been
hunting partners. As a matter of fact, that has been in
the news today. Not only has Senator Harkin noted our
exploits together, but in this morning's Washington Post
the senior Senator from New York noted that I have taken
him pheasant hunting in Nebraska as well. I am going to be
known not only for my hair but perhaps for hunting as
well, so I appreciate that.
Mr. HARKIN. Would the Senator yield?
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. Of course.
Mr. HARKIN. The Senator has been a great friend. I
enjoyed hunting with my friend before, and I read that in
the paper before about Senator Schumer going out.
Here is a real test for my friend from Nebraska: Aren't
I a better shot than Chuck Schumer?
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. He noted that he learned to
shoot at camp and that he was a marksman, so that is
probably a dispute I should not get in the middle of.
Mr. HARKIN. No, the Senator doesn't want to get in the
middle of that.
Mr. NELSON of Nebraska. I thank the Senator very much
for his kind remarks.
It is, obviously, a difficult time to speak about
leaving the Senate, and I did that earlier. I leave with a
great deal of melancholy and with a lot of friends and a
lot of hope for the future of our country.
Mr. REED. Madam President, at this time, I wish to take
a few minutes to salute my colleagues who are retiring at
the end of this year with the conclusion of the 112th
Congress: Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Jeff Bingaman of New
Mexico, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Kent Conrad of North
Dakota, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Kay Bailey Hutchison
of Texas, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Jon Kyl of Arizona,
Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Richard Lugar of Indiana,
Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Jim
Webb of Virginia. They have all worked ceaselessly to give
their constituents the best representation and give the
country the benefit of their views, their wisdom, and
their experience. They are men and women who are committed
to the Nation, and they have every day in different ways
contributed to this Senate and to our great country.
I wish to thank them personally for their service, and,
in so many cases, their personal kindness to me; for
listening to my points and for, together, hopefully,
serving this Senate and this Nation in a more positive and
progressive way. ...
I could go on with all of my colleagues, just thanking
them for their friendship, for their camaraderie, and for
their commitment to the Nation and the Senate. As they
depart, they have left an extraordinary legacy. Now it is
our responsibility to carry on in so many different ways,
and I hope we measure up to what they have done. If we do,
then we can go forward confidently.
With that, I yield the floor.
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, there are few issues we deal
with on the Armed Services Committee in which the stakes
are so high or the policy questions so complex as in
dealing with our Nation's strategic forces and
capabilities. The fearsome power of our strategic weapons,
the urgency of avoiding mistakes, the difficult strategic
calculations they require, the advanced technologies
involved, all of these combine to make strategic forces
complicated and of paramount importance.
It has also been the signature issue for Senator Ben
Nelson during his service on the Armed Services Committee.
Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee since 2009,
Senator Nelson has long been one of the Senate's most
thoughtful voices on issues related to our nuclear
arsenal, space programs, missile defense, and other
strategic issues. As he prepares to leave the Senate, we
are losing an outstanding contributor to our Nation's
strategic thinking and decisionmaking.
Certainly the presence of Offutt Air Force Base and U.S.
Strategic Command in Senator Nelson's home State give him
firsthand evidence of the importance of these issues.
Appropriately, he brings a commonsense Nebraska viewpoint
to our consideration of them.
Senator Nelson's efforts were important to the Senate's
2010 approval of the New START Treaty, a significant step
forward in our nuclear arms reduction efforts. He made it
clear in that debate that he is a firm believer in the
need to ensure that the Department of Energy's nuclear
weapons laboratories are modernized and able to support
the existing nuclear stockpile so that we do not have to
return to nuclear testing.
His commonsense approach has been especially noticeable
in issues involving management of the nuclear weapons
laboratories as they balance the science behind stockpile
stewardship and meet day-to-day problems with the deployed
nuclear forces.
As chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, he has
helped ensure strong oversight of and support for the
development, testing, and deployment of effective
ballistic missile defenses, including the phased adaptive
approach to missile defense in Europe that is already
providing protection for our forward deployed forces, our
allies and partners against Iran's current and emerging
ballistic missiles.
He has been an advocate for improving our deployed and
planned homeland ballistic missile defense capabilities,
including efforts to understand and correct the problem
that led to a flight test failure of the Ground-based
Midcourse Defense System in December 2010. In this regard,
he has supported rigorous and operationally realistic
testing of our missile defense systems.
Of course, strategic issues are not Senator Nelson's
only concern. On the Armed Services Committee, before he
chaired Strategic Forces, he was chairman of the Personnel
Subcommittee, where he demonstrated a keen understanding
of the issues and a deep concern for the men and women of
our military and their families. He has been a tireless
advocate for the National Guard and for Nebraska's farm
families, and a fighter for working families across
America, advocating for a reasonable minimum wage and for
important workplace protections. He has been among our
most passionate voices for an end to the partisan gridlock
that has marked Washington, and the Senate, for far too
long.
None of these issues is simple. All of them are vitally
important. Senator Nelson's thoughtful, careful
contributions have without question made our Nation safer,
made our military forces more effective, our use of
precious taxpayer dollars more effective. He has earned
the respect and affection of the people of Nebraska, and
he will be sorely missed on the Armed Services Committee
and in the Senate. Barb and I wish all the best for Ben
and Diane as they continue their efforts to serve their
State and our Nation.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, at the end of each session of
Congress, as is our tradition, we take a moment to express
our appreciation and acknowledge the many contributions
each retiring Senator has made to the day-to-day work of
the Senate. We will miss them when the gavel brings to a
close the 112th Congress--especially Senators like Ben
Nelson who have made an important difference during their
service.
Since he is from Nebraska, Ben is a neighbor to my home
State of Wyoming and he understands more than most the
inherent problems and challenges faced by rural America.
The people of Wyoming, Nebraska, and the West, have taken
on a rugged way of life and it shows itself in their
independence, their unique spirit, and their great love of
their community and their country.
Ben's upbringing and his ties to his State of Nebraska
gave him an important understanding of the issues that
surround our rural way of life. He took an active role in
the Senate's work on agriculture and energy issues because
he understands how great a concern they are back home.
Ben learned at an early age that he could make a
difference if he worked hard and dedicated himself to the
people of his State. It was a plan of action he put into
everything he has ever done in life.
It helped him to make a successful run for Governor,
after which he decided to run for the Senate. He knew it
wouldn't be easy, and it wasn't, but when the votes were
counted he had won an important Senate seat and was headed
here to represent his beloved home State.
Soon after he began his Senate career he cast a vote to
lower everyone's taxes. That took courage. In the years
since then, he has shown that he has a lot of that
important quality in abundance.
Since we are neighbors and share an appreciation and
understanding of rural America and our unique way of life,
it shouldn't come as a surprise that we have a great deal
in common. We both love our great outdoors, and there are
places in Nebraska that are almost as beautiful as
Wyoming.
We both love to hunt, and Ben has had some very
interesting opportunities to pursue his hobby all over the
world. My hunting has all taken place in Wyoming. Because
of our love of hunting and my great affection for fishing,
Ben and I cochaired the Sportsmen's Caucus. We have also
worked together on a number of issues related to the great
outdoors. They are matters that mean a lot to us and to
our constituents back home.
Thanks, Ben, for your service and for your determination
to make the position of your constituents known here in
Washington. You have made a difference in many ways and
you can be very proud of your legacy of service. Thanks,
too, for your friendship. I have enjoyed coming to know
you. Whatever you have planned for the future, I hope you
continue to enjoy the great adventure of your life.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, as a Senator from a rural
State, supporting our Nation's farmers is something close
to my heart. Senator Ben Nelson shares that commitment,
and has been a longtime champion of legislation to protect
American agriculture and our Nation's farms in a rough
economy. Senator Nelson's work for rural communities has
benefited his home State of Nebraska, but his support of
agriculture has helped Vermonters, too. These are among
the legislative issues on which Senator Nelson has had an
impact since he came to the Senate in 2001.
As a member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry, Senator Nelson has been an active
participant as we have tried to move the 2012 farm bill
through Congress, one of the most pressing pieces of
legislation before us today. He has fought tirelessly for
Nebraska's interests in that bill, as well as the
interests of the Nation's agricultural industry as a
whole.
While he has worked on a number of legislative matters
in the last decade, I particularly appreciated Senator
Nelson's support for my effort to give the National Guard
a seat at the table of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a
former Governor. He understood that this multiyear effort
was done to recognize that the men and women of the
National Guard serve our country with unmatched loyalty
and that they and their families make sacrifices every
day. He recognized that they are indeed deserving of full
representation at the highest levels of the Pentagon. In
2010, Senator Ben Nelson was awarded the Harry S. Truman
Award for his commendable work with the Guard. Since the
National Guard has taken on an increased role in overseas
conflicts, Senators like Ben Nelson have stepped up to
give them the recognition and support they deserve.
I commend Ben's loyalty to Nebraska and to economic
sustainability across the country. His dedication to
sustainable energy is rare in our modern political
climate. Rather than folding to the issues that divide us
and ignoring the future of our farms and environment,
Senator Nelson has taken a strong stance on controversial
and difficult issues and has managed to open the minds of
many of his colleagues with time, bringing people together
around the possibility of creating positive change.
Through it all, he has kept the needs of his State in
mind, even as he has worked to create a brighter future
for the entire country.
Senator Nelson is an honest man, a level-headed public
servant, and a friend to many. True to his roots, he has
built a legacy in the Senate that will last after he has
moved on from the halls of the Capitol. I wish him the
best in his retirement from Congress.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute
to the Senators who will not be returning when the 113th
Congress commences next month. I have already spoken about
Senator Kyl and about Senator Inouye, one of the truly
great Americans and giants of this institution. At the
time of his death, Senator Inouye was just a few weeks
short of celebrating 50 years of Senate service. Only
Senator Byrd served in this institution longer.
Turnover is a natural occurrence, but it's important to
acknowledge that the Senators who are departing have
served in the Senate for a combined total of 237 years, or
nearly 20 years per Senator, on average. Add Senator
Inouye, and the total is close to 300 years. That service
represents an enormous amount of expertise on issues
ranging from national defense and foreign affairs to the
Federal budget to energy policy. The departing Senators
will also take with them vast institutional knowledge and
bipartisan friendships and working relationships that will
leave a void we will need to fill. ...
Mr. President, Senator Ben Nelson is a native Nebraskan
who earned his B.A., M.A., and J.D. degrees from the
University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He embarked on a highly
successful career in the insurance industry, working for
Central National Insurance Group of Omaha. In 1975 he
became Nebraska's State insurance director before going
back to work for Central National Insurance, first as an
executive vice president, and then as president.
With regard to politics, Senator Nelson decided to start
at the top. In 1990 in his first run for office he was
elected as Governor of Nebraska. In 1994 he was reelected
with 74 percent of the vote. During his tenure, he cut
spending relative to the previous administration by 64
percent, promoted legislation to cut crime through the
Safe Streets Act and juvenile crime bill, advocated for
low-income families through the Kids Connection health
care system, enacted welfare reforms, and cut taxes for
over 400,000 middle-income Nebraska families. He was
forced to step down because of term limits, but then he
successfully ran for the Senate seat vacated by Senator
Bob Kerrey. While that race was close, he was reelected in
2006 with just under 64 percent of the vote.
Senator Nelson is a moderate to conservative Democrat,
which is fitting given the conservative tilt of Nebraska
voters. For the past 12 years he has frequently reached
out to Republicans to try to get things done. For
instance, he was a member of the Gang of 14 that helped to
resolve the judicial nominations controversy in 2005. He
has worked hard to protect and promote the State's
agricultural interests, becoming a champion of ethanol and
farm-based alternative energy sources. He is a member of
the Armed Services Committee and has been at the center of
shaping our Nation's defense policies, securing a new
headquarters for STRATCOM, and a new Veterans
Administration hospital for Nebraska's veterans.
Senator Nelson has always been true to his beliefs and
true to his word, and it has been a pleasure to work with
him. His desire to seek bipartisan compromise is a noble
one. He likes to quote Henry Ford, who said, ``Coming
together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success.'' Senator Nelson has always
heeded those words; we would be well served to do likewise
in his absence. ...
Mr. President, these men and women who will be leaving
the Senate soon have made extraordinary sacrifices to
serve our Nation. We are fortunate that they have chosen
to spend significant parts of their lives in public
service. All Americans owe them a debt of gratitude. Those
of us who will be in the Senate next month when the 113th
Congress convenes can best honor the legacy of our
departing colleagues by reaching across the aisle as they
have done so many times to forge bipartisan consensus and
solutions to our Nation's most vexing problems. The men
and women who will be leaving the Senate at the end of
this Congress understand that compromise isn't a dirty
word; it is the genius at the heart of our political
system. We will miss them.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, I wish to recognize my
colleague Ben Nelson for his many years of distinguished
service and leadership on behalf of our country and the
people of Nebraska.
It has been an honor to serve with Ben over the past 6
years. He is a true statesman and a champion for the
people of Nebraska. During his time in the Senate, Ben has
earned a reputation as a pragmatist who values problem
solving over partisanship, and I have admired his
sensible, commonsense approach to legislating.
Ben seemed to be destined for public service from an
early age, winning his first election at the age of 17,
and he is known for his consistent record of putting
Nebraska first. No matter what the issue, Ben has always
stood up for his State and he has improved the lives of
people across Nebraska. At a national level he has been a
strong voice for fiscal responsibility and shared
sacrifice.
Having grown up in a small town in Nebraska, Ben has
never forgotten his roots. While serving on the Senate
Agriculture Committee with Ben I saw first hand his deep
appreciation and respect for the farmers, outdoorsmen, and
rural communities that are vital not just to our economy
but to our way of life in the Midwest.
He was instrumental in crafting both the 2008 and the
2012 farm bills, and he has been a clear and consistent
advocate for homegrown energy, leading the way on policies
to help our country achieve energy independence.
He has also been a champion for our men and women in
uniform, helping to ensure that members of the Armed
Forces and our veterans receive the support they need and
deserve.
Senator Nelson, it would be impossible to do full
justice to your legacy in a single statement. So instead
let me simply say this: The State of Nebraska is better
because of your leadership, and so is our country. You
will be missed in the Senate, but given everything you
accomplished before you were elected--as Governor of
Nebraska and as a successful businessman--I know in your
retirement you will continue to find ways to improve our
great country and work for the people of Nebraska.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF TRIBUTES
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that
there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of
materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to the
retiring Members of the 112th Congress.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.