[Senate Document 113-26]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. MARK BEGICH
Mark Begich
U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Courtesy U.S. Senate Historical Office
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Mark Begich
United States Senator
2009-2015
a
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Begich, Mark, of Alaska........................
7
Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
5
Booker, Cory A., of New Jersey.................
11
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
23
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
20
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
5
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
3
Franken, Al, of Minnesota......................
7
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
20
Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
17
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
21
Kaine, Tim, of Virginia........................
7
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
14
Landrieu, Mary L., of Louisiana................
8
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
19
Merkley, Jeff, of Oregon.......................
9
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
3
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
18
Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
16
Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
21
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
10
Udall, Tom, of New Mexico......................
12
Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
5, 7
BIOGRAPHY
Senator Mark Begich represented Alaska in the U.S.
Senate, where his primary focus was building a strong
Alaska economy.
During his tenure as U.S. Senator for Alaska, Mark
Begich earned the reputation of a hard-working, pragmatic
problem-solver who was willing to work across party lines
to get things done.
Quickly rising to leadership positions, Mark Begich was
chairman of both the Steering and Outreach Committee and
the Oceans Subcommittee. He also served on a number of
other important committees including Appropriations,
Commerce, Veterans, Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs, Armed Services, and Indian Affairs.
In addition, Mark Begich was appointed to the
President's Export Council, the national advisory board to
the White House on important export and trade policy. Mark
Begich was also named chair of the bipartisan U.S.-China
Inter-parliamentary Group aimed at improving trade
relations between the United States and China.
Senator Begich was elected to the Senate in 2008 after
serving as mayor of Anchorage for nearly 6 years. Born and
raised in Anchorage, Senator Begich's other priorities
included reducing the national deficit, tax reform, and
building a national energy policy that emphasized Alaska's
oil and gas resources, an Alaska natural gas pipeline and
the State's many renewable resources.
In 1988 at age 26, Mark was the youngest person ever
elected to the Anchorage Assembly where he served for
nearly 10 years. During that time, his colleagues three
times elected him chairman, Anchorage's second highest
political office, and he also served as chair of the
budget committee. During his time as mayor, Anchorage went
through the biggest building boom in a generation,
attracting millions of dollars' worth of public and
private investment. Through Mark Begich's leadership,
Anchorage voters supported the building of the new
Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, a $100 million
expansion of the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, and
a multitude of other projects that strengthened the city's
economy. In October 2008 both the Wall Street Journal and
Business Week recognized Anchorage as a city well
positioned to weather the international economic crisis,
and the city's bond ratings were upgraded due to improved
fiscal stability.
Outside of public service, Mark Begich earned
recognition not only as a successful businessman, but also
as an engaged member of the community. He served on the
University of Alaska Anchorage Board of Regents, as the
chair of the Alaska Student Loan Corporation, and with the
Alaska Commission on Post Secondary Education.
Mark's parents, Pegge and the late Nick Begich, came to
the territory of Alaska in 1957 as teachers. Following a
career as a teacher and superintendent of military schools
on Ft. Richardson, Nick was elected Alaska's third U.S.
Congressman. While running for reelection in 1972, Nick
Begich's airplane disappeared in the Gulf of Alaska when
Mark was 10 years old.
From his parents, Mark learned the values of hard work,
strength of farnily, and commitment to community, which
are the values he has applied to a successful business
career and a long record of public service.
Senator Begich is married to Deborah Bonito, a
successful businesswoman. They have a young son, Jacob.
The Begich family enjoys spending time together reading,
traveling, and enjoying the many great things Alaska has
to offer.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. BEGICH. I thank the Presiding Officer for allowing
me to speak on my 6 years of serving in this body. It has
been a true honor to serve with the Presiding Officer in
the short time he has been here and to serve with all of
my colleagues, but it has been an even bigger honor to
serve my fellow Alaskans.
Alaska is a huge State--660,000 square miles. More
than--to my friends from Texas and California, please
don't take this personally--double and triple the size of
States such as Texas and California.
But Alaska is a very small place in many ways. People
make personal connections with their elected officials. At
the end of the day, we pretty much know everybody one way
or another. Alaskans will more than likely see me at a
checkout stand at Andy's Hardware or Home Depot or hanging
Christmas lights at my wife's store or doing errands with
my son Jacob that at times he is not very anxious to do.
It is a small State, and they will more likely see me
doing that than on the floor making speeches or on C-SPAN.
When Alaskans contacted me with an idea or complaint or
problem, we made sure we responded. After 6 years in the
Senate, I am most proud of the work with helping Alaskans
and their families. My office responded to more than
360,000 individual letters and emails and phone calls from
Alaskans. To put it in perspective, 360,000 is roughly
half the population of the State.
Much of my staff is here with me on the floor today. I
thank them for their unwavering service to their fellow
Alaskans. Truly I have the best of the best. Some of them
worked with me when I was mayor and are now working for me
as a Senator. Many will go on and continue to do
incredible work not only for Alaskans but for this
country. I thank them.
We took on 3,000 individual casework cases to help
Alaskans navigate the Federal Government. We helped them
get their Social Security checks, made sure the local post
office actually delivers the mail, and in Alaska that is
important. We fought for benefits for individual veterans.
I am also proud of the great policy work we did. When I
say we, it is because sometimes ideas came from Alaskans,
sometimes they came from this body, sometimes I would have
a crazy idea I would write down on a sheet of paper, but
at the end of the day it was my staff that did the work.
Opening Alaska's arctic lands and waters to responsible
resource development--NPR-A, CD-5, Beaufort and Chukchi.
We also helped to convince the EPA to free up permits for
Kensington and Greens Creek mines.
The Arctic. When I first came to the office, I have to
say that not everybody knew where the Arctic was. Some
didn't even know it was an ocean, to be frank with you,
but that is not the case today. Some of my colleagues
probably got tired of hearing me always talk about Alaska
no matter what they were discussing.
I see my friend Al Franken is here, and I know he
remembers this story. He draws incredible maps of the
United States, and he does it all freehand. I remember him
drawing a map one day, and I said, ``You missed two
things, Alaska and Hawaii.''
He said, ``Well, when I drove around the country with my
parents, they were not States, they were just territories,
and the maps they bought were maps of the lower 48.'' So I
sent him a dot-to-dot of Alaska, and he sent me back a
nice letter with a map of Alaska he had drawn.
No matter what conversation my colleagues might be
having on an issue, I would manage to weave in Alaska.
The Arctic has unbelievable potential. We just touched
the tip of the iceberg and there is more work to be done.
Working on defense is important to Alaska. It is
important that we keep our military bases secure by saving
F-16s at Eielson and getting F-35s next. We need to make
sure that the benefits for those who are serving continue
to be there for them.
It is incredible to hear stories from veterans when they
talk about the new model of care we developed over 2\1/2\,
3 years ago. Our State has 77,000 veterans. When I was
campaigning in 2008, I had an idea that I called the
Hero's Health Card, and I remember when I got into office,
people said it will never happen. People who know me know
that when you say never or no, that means yes, they just
didn't spell it properly, and I have to figure out what to
do.
Today in Alaska it doesn't matter if you are a veteran
in the smallest rural communities or the biggest cities,
you will get health care and access to it through our
tribal health care delivery system--the first in the
Nation.
One time when I was in Bethel, this gentleman who was a
veteran came up to me when I was in the VFW Hall. A lot of
us have been in VFW Halls, and you know that when someone
comes at you at an aggressive pace, it is probably not a
positive situation, but you have to engage them in a
conversation. He held his hand out and showed me his
scars, and he said that he had to go to Anchorage to get
this taken care of, and you told me I could go down to my
clinic and get it taken care of, but it didn't happen. I
was about to say something, but before I could get a word
out, he said, ``Do you know what I get to do because of
what you did? Every single week now when I need therapy, I
can go down the street in Bethel instead of flying to
Anchorage to get it done.'' That is a model of how to do
the right thing.
Alaska is well known for fisheries. I don't mean to pick
on Senator Franken, but I remember him coming up to me
because we coined a phrase on modified engineered fish
which we called the ``Frankenfish.'' It was not about the
Senator, but it was about this fish that was chemically
enhanced and would really destroy the fisheries in Alaska
and would be bad for the market and bad for consumers. We
fought over that issue because Alaskans brought it to our
attention every single day.
I just mentioned some of the things we did for Native
rural health care, which was not just about Alaska. When
we discussed an issue in our office, we asked: Can we do
it for Alaska, and does it have an international impact?
Will it impact the rest of the United States in a positive
way?
I remember hearing and reading about the money the
Federal Government owed to our tribes which had not been
paid for two decades. It was money for clinical services
they produced. We did some things, and the net result was
Alaska received over $500 million in settlements over the
last year. On top of that, many tribes across the country
now have almost three-quarters of a billion dollars, money
owed by the government for services delivered to
individuals. Earlier this week we were able to pass
another piece taking away the restriction on our tribes in
Alaska so they now, under the Violence Against Women Act--
and we hope the House passes it--will be able to dispense
and do tribal government in the sense of our justice
system improving the situation on the ground when it comes
to sexual assault, domestic violence, and substance abuse.
There are a lot of examples. It is hard when we talk
about these because there are a lot of great things that
have been done, not just individually but collectively. In
this place we spend a lot of time talking about doom and
gloom and how the sky is falling and always the worst-case
scenario.
We have come a long way in the last 6 years. The people
who know me know I don't care how bad the situation is, I
am positive about it because there is always another day
to solve these problems and make things happen.
I think about where we were when I came to the Senate. I
remember coming on this floor as a freshman in 2009, and
the chaos of this economy was unbelievable. We were losing
600,000 jobs a month--equal to the whole population of my
State--unemployed, boom, gone. Unemployment was around 10
percent. The stock market was at 6,500. Two of the largest
automobile companies in this country were flat on their
backs. No housing starts were happening. The market was
crashing. The deficit was $1.4 trillion per year. As a new
Member, I wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into, to be
frank. Some of the Members who came with me were trying to
figure out, What did we get? But we didn't sit around.
I know we always hear this doom and gloom out there.
When we look back over 6 years, we remember we had some
battles here, and most people think we don't do anything.
But where are we today? We are 17,000-plus in the stock
market today.
I can tell my colleagues that Alaskans saw this because
every year--I know I hear from other Members who ask me
this question all the time--we get a permanent fund check.
It is based on investments we make, and it is based on
revenues we receive from oil and gas. That permanent fund
check doubled this year from $800 to over $1,900. Why did
it double? Because it is based on the stock market average
of the last 5 years. We dropped off 2009, so the market
was doing better. Every Alaskan felt what this economy has
done. So when the naysayers are out there speaking, it is
just not accurate.
GM and Ford and Chrysler have added over half a million
good-paying jobs. Unemployment is at 5.8 percent--almost a
50-percent drop. Over 10 million new jobs and the longest
stretch of private sector growth on record--56 months.
Just last week--I know we always hear it is not good
enough. Of course, but it is a heck of a lot better.
I remember the chaos on this floor during those 3 or 4
months and as a new Member what we had to go through.
The deficit has dropped by $1 trillion a year. We are
down to about $480 billion now. We have sliced off $1
trillion a year from the deficit.
In Alaska we have seen some incredible things. Anchorage
unemployment is at 4.9 percent. There are more jobs in
mining and timber than ever before. Tourism has risen to
nearly 1 million visitors. There are 78,000 people in the
fishery industry.
It is important to remember that this is just a moment
in time of challenges we have as a body and as a country.
It is important to remember that there is a lot of work
ahead of us. But we have accomplished a lot. We spend a
lot of time on this floor debating what is bad about this
country.
Many of us are coming to the floor and giving our
farewell speeches and talking about good things. There are
a lot of good things we should be proud of as a country. I
am proud of what we have done over the last 6 years. This
country is back on track. We have more work to do to make
sure people's incomes rise, but that is starting to happen
now.
The challenge for my colleagues who are still here and
for this country is--it has been an incredible honor to be
in this body, but we need to make sure we move forward so
we don't have this as a platform of negative attitudes and
views but about opportunity and possibilities; not about
things that we sit here and try to figure out how to kill
but what we try to do to improve and give new ideas a
chance.
I said it earlier: I am a very optimistic person. I
believe what is possible today can be even better
tomorrow. But it is incumbent on people to believe it, to
want to do it, to put aside their differences where we
can. I will tell my colleagues, that is why fewer Alaskans
are party registered and more are nonparty registered in
our State than in most States--because our view is that we
don't care about the party; what we care about is getting
things done. We are trying to find the answer to yes
rather than trying to find the way to no.
I have a great staff, as I said earlier, some from
Alaska, some from here, and some from across the country,
people who I don't understand why they continue to subject
themselves to working for me after the mayor's office, and
then they came here. I always told them that what mattered
was not who sponsored the bill but whether it is a good
idea. If it is a good idea, then let's move forward, try
to find an answer, try to solve the problem.
The positive attitude we have to have is not only
important for this body, but it is important for this
country. In a weird way, they love us and they hate us.
The poll numbers show they don't love us too much--13
percent. But on the flip side, they look to us. They look
to us for certainty and guidance and where we might take
them. The pundits are different, but the people look to
us. I see it when I go to stores, when I am out and about.
People may be angry with us, but they want to know what we
are going to do to solve these incredible problems, and it
will be incumbent upon the next Congress to sit down and
work together. It is going to be tough because the
politics of the day are about the moment in time, not
about the long term. This is an incredible challenge that
has to be dealt with in some way.
I have spent a lot of time trying to, as I said, do what
I can; it didn't matter whose idea it was. I listened to
Senator Coburn speak. I remember one day we were working
on an issue--essential air service. Some of us have that
in our States. Senator Coburn was against it. I remember
having a conversation with him and trying to explain that
between one airport and the next is 1,200 miles. There is
no road. There is no way to get to it. At the end of the
day we were able to resolve that issue and move forward.
I think of all the things that have been accomplished in
this body but how little people know about it. In an odd
way, over these last few days more of the positive issues
are out there. I hope the press covers them. We will see.
But we live in a world where it is better to talk about
the negative because that seems to be what thrives. I hope
that changes.
Let me end by sharing a couple of other quick thoughts.
There are a lot of great stories about being here in the
Senate. Someone asked me one day, ``Do you write these
down?'' I said, ``no.''
I remember I was in Sitka, AK, and I was headed to the
airport. I got to the airport, and the attendant there was
checking my ticket, and he said, ``Oh, wait, Mr. Begich.
We have something for you.''
It was a wrapped gift at the airport.
I said, ``Great.''
Now, people who care about the TSA, please ignore what I
am about to say. They just handed it to me. I took it. I
opened it, and it was one of those empty books that say:
Please write down your thoughts and your notes. They are
incredible thoughts.
I remember I was coming through--people will remember
when it snowed like crazy. Well, people from DC thought it
snowed like crazy. I did not. I knew one thing, and that
is about how the plows work, being a former mayor. I
thought to myself, I can't leave my car on the street
because they will plow me in, especially in this place, or
they will attempt to. So my son Jacob and I--we got our
snow shovels, did our shoveling, and then drove the car to
another area. Then I realized--we were dressed in what I
call Alaska good garb--that I had to get back to the house
because I had this snow shovel and he had a snow shovel.
It was on the other side of the Capitol. So what did we
do? People who know me know I don't really follow all the
rules around this place. We started walking through the
Capitol with our snow shovels over our shoulders. The
place was empty. I realized what an incredible place this
is. First, we were allowed to walk through with snow
shovels. It was dead silent. If my colleagues have never
done that, they should. You walk through the Capitol and
you just see the history, and in a small way, we were a
part of it.
I did break another rule. This is confession time. I am
a Catholic, I can do that. We came into this Chamber. I
had the corner desk over here. Why did I pick that desk? A
lot of people don't know this story. Why did I do that?
No. 1, I was a junior Member, but No. 2, I wanted that
desk because that is where the candy box was, and I knew
every Member would have to go there sooner or later, and I
thought I could spend some time talking to them. And maybe
I would have a candy box, which I did. I had special
candies from my wife's store.
One day I came in here late at night with my son, and we
sat right there. I know the security guards probably
didn't see us. We took a photo. Yes, I broke the rules. I
took a photo of my son sitting there, and I will cherish
that photo forever.
As my son once said--and I said it on this floor one
time--about how important it is to get things done and the
battle we were having. I remember I actually quoted my son
on the floor, and I think I shocked somebody. I was
talking to him about something, and he said, ``Dad, just
suck it up.'' I thought, only from a young kid do you hear
what you have to do sometimes.
Now, I didn't forget my wife; I just wanted to wait
until the end. I know I am breaking the rules, but my wife
is right up there. I am pointing to her. Yes, I am,
Sergeant at Arms. Too bad. I am acknowledging her. She has
been incredible. She has allowed me to do my public
service, to fly those 20 hours every weekend to and from
Alaska. She has taken care of Jacob when I couldn't. I
love her dearly. Thank you.
To end, I will just say this: It has been a true honor
to serve in the U.S. Senate, to serve the people of
Alaska, and to know every day we--me, my staff, and my
colleagues who work with me--contributed a little bit to
making life better for Alaska, for Alaskans, and for this
country. There is no experience like serving in this body
and doing what I could to make a difference.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
TRIBUTES
TO
MARK BEGICH
Proceedings in the Senate
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take a few
minutes to salute my colleagues who are departing the
Senate at the end of this year with the conclusion of the
113th Congress: Mark Begich of Alaska, Saxby Chambliss of
Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Kay Hagan of North
Carolina, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Mike Johanns of Nebraska,
Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana,
Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia, Mark Udall of Colorado, and
John Walsh of Montana.
They have all worked hard, ceaselessly giving their
energy and considerable time and service to their
constituents, to their home States and to our country. I
want to thank them for their service and for their
kindness to me over many years in so many cases. In
particular, I want to say a few words about these
colleagues.
Mark Begich and I worked together to address the
challenges facing the fishing industry, which is vital to
both of our States. He has continually fought to address
the unique challenges facing Alaskans, particularly with
respect to access to VA health care. I salute him and wish
him the best. ...
Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us
at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them
for their service, their dedication to improving the lives
of Americans, and on a very personal level for their
friendship. I wish them all well.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues
who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list
of tributes. ...
I can't imagine how the Senator from Alaska handles that
commute back and forth, but he did it. I said the other
day when we spoke about his service that many people don't
realize his father was a Congressman before him and he
died in a plane crash with Hale Boggs when they were
flying back to Alaska to appear at an event. That plane
was lost and never recovered. When Mark Begich came from
Alaska to serve the United States, he completed the
journey his father never could complete. His 6 years of
service to Alaska have been extraordinary.
Before he got into politics, though, Mark was a whiz kid
entrepreneur. When he was just 16 years old, he got a
business license and he and his brother opened two
businesses: a nightclub for teens and a vending machine
operation. The business world's loss was our gain.
Senator Begich started his political career working as
an aide to then-Anchorage Mayor Tony Knowles. At 26, he
was elected to the Anchorage Assembly, or city council. In
2003, he became the first native-born Alaskan to serve as
mayor of Anchorage.
In 2008, he dared to take on an Alaska legend: Senator
Ted Stevens. When the votes were counted, Mark had become
the first Democrat since Mike Gravel in 1981 to represent
Alaska in the U.S. Senate.
As a Senator, Mark Begich has been a voice for working
families in Alaska and across America. He has diligently
and doggedly pursued commonsense, bipartisan solutions to
big challenges. In all things, Mark's heart is always with
Alaska. He has helped to protect Alaska fisheries,
promoted renewable energy development in the State, and
made sure Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson remains strong
and active.
Here is something about Mark my colleagues may not know.
In 2011 he was part of a four-man team in the Hotline's
live annual trivia contest. His teammates were three House
Members: Dennis Ross, Tom Davis, and Martin Frost. They
were up against a formidable team that included Chuck Todd
and Amy Walters. No one gave Mark's team a prayer of
winning. But once again, Mark Begich scored an upset
victory. He is to DC political trivia what Ken Jennings is
to Jeopardy: A memorable champion.
But the actions for which he will be remembered are very
far from trivial. When Mark Begich and others in the class
of 2008 arrived in the Senate, America's economy was in
free-fall. Millions of families had lost their homes to
foreclosure--the worst foreclosure crisis in America since
the Great Depression. America was fighting two wars. Our
military is the finest in the world. Many of its members
were exhausted from multiple deployments. On top of that,
an outdated policy of ``don't ask, don't tell'' forced
some servicemembers to lie about who they were in order to
serve the Nation they love. Time after time, Senator Mark
Begich took brave and principled stands that have made
America better and stronger--militarily, economically, and
socially.
This son of one of Alaska's great families has well
earned--and will always hold--a place in our Senate
family.
Mr. COONS. ... As I close, I would also like to thank
those of our colleagues who will be leaving the Senate
after the New Year.
It is an incredible privilege to work in this Chamber
and to represent the people. Every day I am awed by the
dedication and talent of many of my colleagues, public
servants who come to work to fight for their States and
their government.
To those who are ending their service in the Senate,
know that I value your friendship and partnership. It has
been an honor to work with you, and I thank you for all
you have done for our Nation.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to
retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that
Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December
23, 2014.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Walsh). The Senator from
Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I know a number of my
colleagues are going to want to talk about our friend Mark
Begich. When we came to the Senate--I see a number of
folks here--we came in 2008. I see a lot of other Members
who are newer Members as well. I think when you come in
with a class, you get kind of confused about what is going
on and you form a bond.
I remember my first--our first--Senator Franken wasn't
here yet, but Senator Merkley, Senator Hagan, Senator
Bennet, and a number of others were here. We were in
Senator Durbin's office. There was still a question about
what was going to happen in the election because there
were thousands of votes out. So being giddy new Members,
we got on the phone to call Senator Begich to say we wish
him well and we are counting on him. He said, ``Hey, Jacob
and I are leaving on vacation because I already know where
the votes are coming from. I am going to be there.''
He knew his State that well.
As someone who is a former chief executive and as some
others here who are former chief executives, I remember
him coming here, and many of us new Members were kind of
scratching our heads about the notion of how this
institution would work or didn't work sometimes. But, as
Senator Begich mentioned and as Senator Murray mentioned
at our dinner the other night, there are a lot of people
in this body who are chronic optimists. I am blessed to
have an optimist in my colleague Senator Kaine. I don't
always fit in that category. But Senator Begich, week in
and week out, would always try to remind us that it is not
quite as bleak as it might seem at the moment, that there
was good news and there was progress being made.
I think, looking back, I am not sure some of us fully
realized, particularly that first year and a half or two
when so many things happened--controversial things and
things that are still being relitigated in many ways but
that have allowed this country to make progress--and
Senator Begich was an incredibly important part of that.
He was also, as one of the newer Members, liaison to
management. So whenever anything didn't happen right with
leadership, it was always the fault of Senator Begich.
But I just want to say--and I know Senator Hagan was
here a little bit earlier--I fear at times that our
elections are almost becoming like parliamentary elections
in the other countries where people are voting for or
against a leader not based upon what a leader has done
individually--such as Senator Landrieu and all the things
she has done for Louisiana, Lord knows--but, as Senator
Begich just mentioned, there was not a bill or an issue
where he didn't find an Alaska connection and where he
didn't make a difference for the people of his great
State.
So I know I am just the first of many who want to say to
my colleague, to my friend, to a great Senator, Godspeed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Mr. FRANKEN. Mr. President, I was a part of that class.
I was a little late getting here, my colleagues will
recall. But I was part of that class and campaigned with
the class, and I remember being with Mark Udall and Tom
Udall and Mark Begich at a campaign event, and they kind
of looked at me and said, ``So your dad wasn't like a
public servant.''
I said, ``No.''
They said, ``Well, that is unusual.''
``No, no, that is fine.''
What a lot of people don't know about Mark is his father
died very famously in a plane crash.
Mark is the only Member of this body, I believe, who did
not graduate from college, did not go to college.
There are a lot of things about Mark--and Mark Warner
just referred to it--he was a chief executive.
We need more mayors here. Sometimes we say we need more
diversity. Sometimes we say we need more women. God knows
we need more satirists--but mayors, wow. Having that
mayor's perspective--Cory Booker looking a little smug--is
very useful.
Mike Enzi, a mayor--am I forgetting a mayor?
Mr. BEGICH. Tim Kaine, Richmond.
Mr. FRANKEN. Bob Corker.
Whom are you pointing at? Tim, were you a mayor?
Mr. KAINE. Richmond.
Mr. FRANKEN. Oh, Richmond, you just kept saying
Richmond. I don't know anybody named ``Richmond.''
Mr. WARNER. He was also a Lieutenant Governor.
Mr. FRANKEN. So he was a Lieutenant Governor too--OK. So
he is the most qualified.
This is what it is like when we are together. Being a
Senator, a lot of people ask, ``Is being a Senator as much
fun as working on Saturday Night Live?'' The answer of
course is no. It is not close, but it is the best job I
have ever had.
It means so much to us what we can do for our State, and
no one knows more about his State--and I know Mary
Landrieu is sitting here, no one knows more than Mary and
Mark--and that is an incredibly long flight he took every
weekend to go back to Alaska.
Minnesota had a happy warrior, one of the great Senators
who has ever served this body, Hubert Humphrey. We may
have noticed during Mark's speech he teared up a few
times, the most when he was talking about his wife.
That is good for you. That works out well.
Hubert Humphrey said, ``A man who has no tears has no
heart.''
This man has a tremendous heart. Humphrey was a happy
warrior, and this guy is a happy warrior--and you brought
joy, humor, and optimism to this body, and I thank you, my
friend, for that.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Ms. LANDRIEU. I rise to say a word about my dear friend
Mark Begich and to add some words on behalf of him.
We saw, when he presented himself in his final remarks
to this body, his compassion, his heart, and his emotions
were clear in relation to his family, his son, and to us--
because he was truly an amazing friend to many. He is
always in a good humor, always upbeat.
As the Senator from Virginia said, we could never quite
understand it, but he was--and still is--an amazingly
optimistic and positive person.
Having served as mayor, as a small business owner, as a
passionate champion for Alaska, what he didn't mention--I
thought I might because it might be too hard for him to
remember today--but I want this body to remember that Mark
comes from a distinguished line of public service.
A lot of us say that, but in Mark's case his father
literally gave his life to Alaska. His plane went down on
October 16, 1972. The plane has never been found.
So when Mark walked in the first day I met him, I don't
know what I was expecting, but I was expecting someone to
have a heavy burden on his shoulders because of that. As
the eldest daughter of nine children, I take
responsibility so much for my brothers and sisters, and I
don't know how I could have gotten where I have gotten
without both parents literally lifting me up every day.
So as I have sat across from Mark all these years in
very close leadership meetings on Tuesday mornings--and he
has walked in with such optimism, such extraordinary
confidence in himself, in what he is doing, and in
encouraging us--I was always just so struck by the fact
that he grew up with a large family, six children. His
mother was widowed at a young age. He took on so much
responsibility, and yet he came to the Senate ready to
serve.
I know his father is truly honored that he didn't get
bitter, he wasn't angry. He grew up to be a man who
accepted that as God's will, which is a hard thing to
accept.
He did so much for the community that his father loved
and the State that his father loved. I wanted to add that
to the Record because a lot of people watching us think we
are one-dimensional robots and that there are no other
dimensions to our lives and our family.
But it always struck me, Mark, that you have been such a
man of courage, such a great inspiration to your family,
and truly an inspiration to all of us.
I know your parents are very proud, both of them.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
Mr. MERKLEY. I wish to add a word to honor my good
friend Senator Mark Begich. I think there is a special
connection with those of us who were elected on the same
day.
We share something else in common, which is on that
election day in November 2008 neither one of us knew if we
had won. We both had to wait some length of time--in my
case 2 days and in Senator Begich's case a couple of
weeks--but it kind of makes us ponder the future: Are you
going to serve or are you not going to serve and how will
you utilize that opportunity.
There is another connection that comes from being
Western Senators. When we talk about salmon--and Mark
Begich mentioned a while ago ``Frankenfish.'' Well, we are
very concerned. We have a collective concern about the
health of our salmon runs.
It is not just a fishing economy, although that is very
much a part of the economy of our States, it is about the
soul of our States, the traditions of our State, the
natural resources of our States.
When we talk about timber, we have a connection. Sitka
was mentioned. Sitka spruce is a common tree in our State
of Oregon.
When we get concerned about the rescues off the Oregon
coast because the water is so cold one can't be in it for
very long without dying--which makes it much more
important to have advanced helicopters, and just last
night we were able to keep a key helicopter on the coast
due to Senator Mark Begich's considerable involvement and
advocacy. Thank you so much for doing that.
Why is our water so cold off the coast of Oregon?
Because it is coming down with the currents from Alaska.
In so many ways our States are tied together.
As I have served this first 6 years, I have turned to my
friend from Alaska for advice and counsel time after time.
His seasoned policy judgment and his core political
instincts are on a par with any other Senator in this
Chamber and certainly far in advance of my own.
I say to the Senator, I appreciate your friendship. I
appreciate your sharing your judgment, and I appreciate
your buoyant spirit that reminds us, when we are
discouraged, that so much can be accomplished. What an
honor it is to have a seat in the Chamber of just 100
Senators, where we can add our voice to a conversation
about truly how to make this a better world.
Thank you, my friend, for your service. We will miss you
greatly.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). The Senator from
Michigan.
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I just want to add my words
to what my other colleagues have said about someone I am
going to miss dearly. Senator Mark Begich and I worked
together on many things. When I passed the reins from the
steering and outreach committee and suggested to our
leader that he should seriously consider Senator Begich
for that responsibility, he made us all proud as part of
the leadership in presenting a very important perspective
every single day.
I have frequently referenced an Energy Committee trip I
took to Alaska with Senator Begich where--I thought
Michigan was big. Michigan is big. But we not only had to
travel a long way to get to Alaska, once we were in Alaska
we had to travel a long way from one end to another.
I remember I ran into a number of people from Michigan
because in our Upper Peninsula we also have a lot of snow,
and we have a lot of people who were working there. But
everywhere we went--and we traveled to Native American
villages. We flew to Barrow. We were in every part of the
State. Some areas you could only get into by helicopter.
We would get there--we went to a Native village that
needed a new post office. Senator Begich took me out. We
had boots on because there was water coming up. We looked
at this little, tiny post office that was maybe a little
bigger than a closet, not much. We came out. The whole
community was there to urge us to support this post
office.
To see not only the information, the depth that Senator
Begich had about that before we got there, but the way he
interacted, his commitment to them--everywhere we went he
knew about that community, the leaders in the community.
He had a relationship with them.
This is somebody who loves Alaska. In his bones, in your
DNA, Mark, is your State. I love seeing that. It was so
inspirational to see that. I know the Senator has
wonderful family support at home. It has been my pleasure
to be at your home for dinner and to watch your son. He is
growing up. I know we have a lot more that we will benefit
from, from your leadership. I know you have a lot more to
contribute to Alaska, to our country.
Just know you are leaving with incredible respect from
colleagues and love and affection. We wish you every
Godspeed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I rise to add my sense of
gratitude and appreciation to someone who has become a
dear friend. I am his newest colleague and have had the
privilege of working with him for these past 13 months. I
just want him to know and state very publicly that he was
one of the anchors to me as I was getting to know a very
different place from being a mayor of a big city.
Your sense of fierce pragmatism was a light to me,
coming down into a place known for partisanship and
gridlock, and demonstrated to me your ability to bring
people together and get things done, but even more than
that, being a model for me, a role model for me in the
early stage of my career in the Senate.
I have to confess, and do it with pride, that I love
this country with the depth and the core of my being. My
parents taught me that sense of pride. But you expanded
that, incredibly, by bringing me out to Alaska. Of all my
experiences in these 13 months, that was one of the
highlights. It taught me a lot when I saw that a Senator
still had such a powerful touch and connection and
knowledge and love of the people of that State. You have
made me love Alaska even more and know Alaska in my heart.
What was extraordinary to me, in knowing you in your
short career, was how much you got accomplished, how
steadfast you were in pursuing the interests of your State
and this Nation. One thing I have to say, I felt
uncomfortable as I saw you--I will never forget being at
Bartlett High School, with the Bears, and seeing your love
and connection to those kids. It made me feel very
uncomfortable, the negativity that was being hoisted upon
you during a campaign.
It made me think of something as I was out there, and I
thought about it again as you talked of history. There is
a very famous poet named Maya Angelou, who said these
words:
You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I rise.
The truth is, you are one of those people who are at
your ascendancy. You have risen above it all. You have
risen above the things in Washington that try the spirits,
not just of those of us here but of the Nation. You have
risen to a level of accomplishment in your life that is
extraordinary and as awesome as some of the vistas I saw
in the State of Alaska.
The beauty I have right now, the confidence and the joy
I have right now, is the simple fact that I know that God
ain't finished with you yet.
Thank you. I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I just want to
rise, similar to others in our class, and many other
Senators have risen, to talk a little bit about Mark
Begich and his service to Alaska and praise him for his
service, because I think he has been--since I have been
here, the 6 years I have served with him; he was in my
class--I have seen a remarkable Senator who truly cares
about his State and has been an incredible advocate for
his State.
I was not here for his entire speech, but I turned it
on. The good thing about our offices is you can tune it
in. I caught the point where he got a little bit choked up
about Deborah and Jacob. I got choked up, too, in the
office. I can cry but not in public. In any event, the
first thing I know about Mark is how much he cares about
his family and how much the toll of serving in the Senate
takes on that family.
His travel--I am a Westerner, and I have to travel out 5
hours, 6 hours, 8 hours to get home. His flight is always
long--we heard the description the other day from Senator
Murray. He flies all the way out to Seattle at the end of
the day. It is 12:30 our time when he arrives there. Then
he gets on another flight for another 4\1/2\ hours up to
Anchorage, just to get home. It is not a very long
weekend. Then he has to get on a flight and come back.
His family is so important. I have seen him with his son
Jacob. We live just across the alley from each other. I
can look out my back window and look down and see the
light--just four houses down--and know whether Mark and
Deborah and Jacob are in town. We have spent many good
times in his house there. That is the first thing I would
like to say.
The second is--I have seen this over and over again with
Senators. You are one of the best at it--taking the issues
that are involved with Alaska and that Alaskans care about
and that you knew so well when you were a mayor and
fitting them into this vast Federal landscape and making
sure Alaskans are heard. I think you are one of the best
at doing that. You stepped out on so many different
issues. I remember the Native American corporations and
how you would reach out in a number of areas with Senators
throughout the Senate and try to reach some compromise
there.
I have a large Native American community. We, too, have
the same kinds of issues on that front that you do. We
also share many Native American tribes. As the Senator
knows well, it was my father and my uncle who stood up in
the 1960s and 1970s to make sure the Natives got a fair
shake in Alaska. Mark--that is the way he serves when it
comes to Native Americans, caring about them, caring about
their issues, going up to the North Slope where it is
cold.
My understanding is that during this campaign he got
frostbite on one occasion, being out in that terribly
tough environment. Thank you for that and for working with
me and working with everyone else who tries to make sure
Native people get justice. They look to Washington for
justice. They look for justice at the Supreme Court. They
are not getting much of it over there at the Supreme Court
any more. We are the last refuge. We served together on
the Indian Affairs Committee.
One final thing to talk about. I have been working on
the Chemical Substances Act for the last couple of years
with Senator Vitter. We have tried to do everything we can
to bring people together--12 Republicans, 12 Democrats--on
this extraordinary piece of legislation.
We have been working to make it better. We have had
Senators start joining us on both sides of the aisle.
Mark, you were one of the key people to work on that. As
Senator Warner said earlier, you were our liaison to the
leadership. You were in all of those leadership meetings.
Whenever I told you there was a problem, you would surface
it, whether or not it was going to blow up the meeting.
You stuck in there when it came to truly caring about
issues and caring about getting things done.
I think if anything is your hallmark, it is wanting to
put aside the partisanship and trying to get things done.
So that is something that you should be tremendously proud
of.
Just as a final word, I love your State of Alaska. I
have climbed your highest mountain. My cousin, Mark Udall,
has also done the same thing, climbed Mount McKinley,
which has now returned to its Native name, called Denali.
I remember going up to your State as a State attorney
general. It was the only State in the Nation that put in
money for our conference of attorneys general and put us
on an 8-hour train across Alaska so we could see all of
Alaska.
Alaska is a terrific State. You and I have some
disagreements on what we protect in Alaska, but the
wonderful thing is we understand each other's position. We
are still very good friends. It has been a real honor to
serve with you. I wish you and Deborah and Jacob the very
best. Wherever you land--I hope to see you in Alaska again
because I know I am going to come up there. But wherever
you land, our door will always be open to you.
Thank you and God bless you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, we have heard a lot of
people honoring our wonderful colleague Senator Begich
today. We are all going to miss him dearly. We are
especially going to miss him in Minnesota. I have heard
many positive statements about Alaska today, but no one
can come from a State where they can say they have one of
the main streets in Anchorage named after them; that is,
Minnesota Street in Anchorage.
That is because there are many Minnesotans in Alaska.
Believe it or not, it was not cold enough in Minnesota so
they moved to Alaska. One of those people who moved to
Alaska was Mark's dad. Mark's dad actually grew up about
30 miles away from my dad. It is rough-and-tumble country
up in the Iron Range of Minnesota. Mark still has
relatives in northern Minnesota, and particularly he has
an uncle named Uncle Joe--Joe Begich--who served in the
legislature for many years and also is a Korean war vet
and was truly the heart and soul of the Iron Range
delegation in the Minnesota State Legislature.
For any of our colleagues who think Mark Begich is a
character, they should meet his Uncle Joe. I know Uncle
Joe. I hope he is watching because nothing made him
happier than the day Mark Begich got elected to the
Senate. When Mark once came up there with me and we were
greeted by Uncle Joe, it was like a hero's welcome when
Mark Begich appeared on the Iron Range of Minnesota.
People came out, and we did an event with veterans. Then,
of course, the problem was we went to a bar, and we could
get no pictures that didn't have a Budweiser sign on them.
Mark is a hero up there, and he is a hero across our
State just for the work he has done for rural communities.
When I say we have rural communities in Minnesota, he
always says we have extreme rural communities in Alaska.
He has done work in conservation, which we care about so
much. He has done work on tourism. We are cochairs of the
tourism caucus, and I still remember the hearing we had
right in the middle of the downturn, where every Senator
came to talk about all of the things that were happening
in their States with tourism. Mark was actually able to
cite the price of cruises you could take in Alaska. It was
written up in the Washington Post about all the Senators
hawking their States, but no one was prouder to hawk
Alaska.
The other thing about Mark, which I know was mentioned,
is he doesn't believe politics is about standing in the
opposite corner of the boxing ring. He believes politics
is about working together in the middle and trying to find
common ground.
The last thing I will say is how much we love Deborah
and Jacob, and we know we will see them around and they
are not going to go away.
One time Deborah, Jacob, and Mark came over to our house
for brunch. My daughter is about 6 years older now. She
was about 13. Jacob and my daughter were playing a game in
the other room, and the adults were talking over
breakfast. I will never forget Jacob Begich. From the
other room, he heard his dad talking about him and, as any
politician's kid would do, he said, ``Stop talking about
me, Dad.'' So that kid has inherited that Mark Begich
sense of fierce independence. When he left, my daughter
said, ``I love that kid, Mom. He knows how hard it is to
be a politician's kid.''
Mark has left here the legacy of Alaska, the legacy of
good work, the legacy of a great staff, and the legacy of
a great family. We will see you around, and thank you for
your service.
Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, we will be losing a good
friend, Mark Begich. Mark and I served on the Armed
Services Committee together for a number of years. We were
very active. I was ranking member and he was chairman of
the Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces,
dealing with missile defense, which Alaska was deeply
involved with as a State.
Mark was an expert on those issues. We dealt with
nuclear issues and outer space and satellite issues. That
was a particularly good time together. I believe every
committee--every decision we reached--was a bipartisan
decision that came out of committee. We supported the
subcommittee report that was made a part of the Armed
Services bill and then became law. For the most part I
think not too many changes were made in it.
I think a lot of people may not appreciate that Senators
do get along. We do work together on issues important to
the country, such as space and military space necessities
that are so valuable to our men and women as they are in
harm's way, to be able to produce a missile defense system
that ensures that this country is not vulnerable to attack
by a missile from an adversary.
That system is up, standing, and operating today. It was
great to work with Mark in establishing it. He is a
delightful person to work with, always with a positive
attitude. I know he will be successful in whatever future
endeavors he undertakes. He was mayor of Anchorage.
Anybody who has been a mayor has learned some things and
has had to deal with constituents face to face. He loved
actually meeting his constituents and talking with them.
I wish Mark every success in his future endeavors and
would like to express my appreciation to him for the
courtesies he has shown me and the effort we made together
to improve the defense of the United States.
I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a
quorum.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, I pay tribute and
recognize the accomplishments of a trusted ally and dear
friend, Senator Mark Begich, who will be leaving the
Senate at the end of the term. Mark has been a tenacious
and steadfast advocate for his constituents and the State
of Alaska and a strong moderate voice during his years in
the Senate.
I have had the honor and privilege to work with Senator
Begich on both the Indian Affairs and Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs Committees. As someone who
represents one of the most rural States in America, he has
an impressive understanding and compassion for the unique
challenges rural communities face.
As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, he
played a major role in postal reform negotiations. He
understood rural citizens rely most on the Postal Service
for critical deliveries of prescription medicines, time
sensitive bills, and other important communications. He
knew that without a rural post office, many small, rural
communities would cease to exist.
During his tenure on the Indian Affairs Committee, he
was dedicated to confronting and addressing the unpleasant
truths about the Federal Government's treatment of Native
people in our country. He understood the threats facing
subsistence rights, Native languages, and rich cultural
traditions, and fought to ensure they were given parity
and respect. Senator Begich also knew far too many Native
women today experience violence and sexual assault,
particularly in remote areas, and so he fought for the
tribal provisions in the reauthorization of the Violence
Against Women Act--VAWA--and advanced his Safe Families
and Villages Act to extend those protections to Native
women in Alaska. He has also been a fighter for American
Indian and Alaska Native veterans and worked hard to
increase their access to care at both Indian Health
Service and Veteran Affairs facilities. His compassion for
indigenous issues extended to tribes in the lower 48
States and Native Hawaiians, and I know Native people
across the country feel they have lost a true champion
with his departure.
Anyone who knows Senator Begich knows he is an
intellectually curious and energetic person. He always
approached issues from a solutions-oriented mindset, which
meant he was more tied to outcomes than to rhetoric, and
the Senate was well-served by his presence. Senator Begich
is also a devoted family man to his wife Deborah and young
son Jacob. I remind myself that our loss is their gain, as
I am sure they are excited to have him home more. I truly
enjoyed working alongside him and look forward to when our
paths cross again. I wish him incredible happiness and
success in the next chapter.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Mr. REID. Mr. President, Alaska is a State unlike any
other State in the country. Often referred to as the
``last frontier,'' Alaska's landscape is as breathtakingly
beautiful as it is immense. Its residents are some of the
most kind and accepting people one would ever meet. Any
person who represents the State of Alaska must possess a
true love for the exceptional beauty of this region and
the vastness of it. It is so far away from everything. The
capital Juneau, you can only get there in an airplane.
That is the only way you can get to the capital of the
State of Alaska. So I am going to spend a little bit of
time talking about Senator Mark Begich and his faithful
service to the people of Alaska.
There is no surprise that he is dedicated to Alaska and
the people of Alaska. His father, Congressman Nick Begich,
was dedicated to Alaska, as has been his mom Pegge. They
moved to the then-territory of Alaska in 1957 to teach
school. Congressman Begich became involved in Alaskan
politics and successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. House
of Representatives.
Tragedy struck. The whip of the House, Hale Boggs, and
he were in Alaska campaigning and they were flying to an
event. The plane disappeared. They searched, they
searched, they searched. After 2 months, Congressman
Boggs, Congressman Begich, and the pilot were declared
dead. Their plane and bodies to this day have not been
found. They are hidden someplace in the vastness of
Alaska, in one of the mountains or the many bodies of
water. We don't know.
In spite of this heartbreaking loss, the Begich family
has pushed on. His mother continued to raise six children
alone while managing real estate properties and being
active in local politics.
By the age of 17, Mark had already acquired his mother's
business acumen, starting his first business, a jewelry
venture, and also owning and managing real estate. One
reason Senator Begich has been a good Senator is because
of his innate business acumen.
At age 26, he was elected to the Anchorage Assembly,
which is the city council, a position he held for 10
years. Then in 2003 he was elected mayor of Anchorage. He
served two terms before running for the Senate.
Now, 2008 was a dark time for Alaskan politics, but
Mark's Senate victory brought a fresh face and new hope to
the State. From the time he stepped foot on the Senate
floor, he has not let the people of Alaska down. He has
fought to expand economic opportunity, to defend the
rights of Alaska Natives, and to fortify rural Alaska.
Senator Begich's efforts to reform the Alaskan veterans
health care system was exemplary, and it is a blueprint
for a bipartisan solution that the Senate reached this
year to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Senator Begich has made tremendous contributions to the
Senate over the past 6 years. I know he will continue to
fight for what is best for Alaska as he transitions into
the next stage of his life. I hope public service is
somewhere in Mark's future. Every State needs a man of his
quality. He will always have his wife Deborah and his son
Jacob by his side.
I can remember the first time I saw Jacob was right
behind us by the Ohio clock. President Obama walked by and
that little boy yelled ``Obama!'' So his little boy loves
politics.
It has truly been an honor to serve with Senator Begich.
I am glad he has been part of our leadership team as head
of the steering committee. He has done a remarkably good
job. I thank him again for his service to the Senate and
certainly to our country.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, Senator Mark Begich comes
from a long line of public servants. In his 6 years in the
U.S. Senate, he has been a strong advocate for the people
of Alaska. Senator Begich has worked tirelessly to promote
Alaska's economy and business. During his Senate tenure,
he has been a partner on such issues as voter protection,
the USA PATRIOT Act and FISA reform, and empowering the
National Guard.
Alaska has more veterans per capita than any other
State. As a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans'
Affairs, Senator Begich has fought to improve veterans
access to care, increase funding for the VA, and for
research to better understand mental illnesses such as
post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and traumatic brain
injury, TBI. These are priorities I share as well. He has
also worked through the Commerce Committee to ensure that
Alaska's many fisheries and their booming industry remain
sustainable. His commitment to his constituents similarly
extended to his work on the Senate Indian Affairs
Committee, where he fought to protect Native voters from
discrimination and to ensure that laws reflect and respect
their needs and traditions.
I have appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator
Begich on some of the unique challenges that face rural
States like Vermont and Alaska. Senator Begich has
consistently worked to improve rural schools through
legislation such as his Investing in Innovation for
Education Act, which I was pleased to cosponsor and which
would have given 25 percent of its grants to rural
schools. Senator Begich has supported legislation to
facilitate rural Alaskans' access to quality health care.
And he has supported measures to address the high heating
costs facing our northern constituents.
He is a man with an unfailing optimistic outlook on
life. I wish Senator Begich, his wife Deborah, their young
son Jacob, and his entire family best wishes.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final days
of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect
on the past and to look toward the future. I have been
very moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our
departing Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute
to each one of them. They have all been wonderful
colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know
every one of them. I wish them all the very best in all
their future endeavors. They will most certainly be
missed. ...
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I
wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will
not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to
run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection
campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in
order of seniority. ...
Mr. President, Senator Mark Begich arrived in the Senate
in 2008, having previously served as mayor of Anchorage.
Mark worked hard and accomplished a lot in his 6 years
here, but what I will always remember is Mark's commitment
to our veterans. Alaska has more veterans per capita than
any other State in our Nation, and through his position on
the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Senator Begich has been
their champion. I thank Mark for his public service and
his commitment, and I wish him and Deborah well.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize
my fellow Senator from the class of 2008, Senator Mark
Begich of Alaska.
Senator Begich's career in public service began earlier
than most at the young age of 19, when he was hired by the
Anchorage city health department. By that time, Senator
Begich was also well on his way to establishing himself as
an enterprising businessman and entrepreneur. Born and
raised in Anchorage, AK, Mark Begich would go on to serve
in the Anchorage Assembly where he was the youngest member
ever elected, before successfully running for the post of
mayor in 2003, a role in which he served until his
election to the Senate.
Here in Washington Senator Begich has used his position
as chair of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans,
Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, as well as his
extensive knowledge of the Alaska economy, to advocate for
Alaska-first policies. As a Senator from a State with one
of the highest populations of veterans per capita, Senator
Begich has also been a passionate defender of our Nation's
military. I also have had the pleasure of serving with
Senator Begich on the Senate Appropriations Committee and
have greatly appreciated his contributions.
I would like to thank Senator Begich for his years of
dedicated service both to Alaska and the Nation.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I recognize the
accomplishments of Senator Mark Begich, our colleague from
the State of Alaska. These last 2 years, I have had the
privilege to work with Senator Begich on a range of
issues--from Native adult education and health care to
fishing rights--and I consider him a good friend. Senator
Begich is not only someone who is easy to work with as a
reasonable, open-minded legislator, but is also someone
who truly cares about the people of his State and embodies
the values of the Senate.
In his farewell remarks last week, Senator Begich
commented on the relative size of his State, which, at
660,000 square miles, is more than twice and three times
as large as other large States such as Texas and
California geographically.
That is 164 times larger than my home State of Hawaii.
It also gets a lot colder. Despite the differences between
our States, as the two noncontiguous U.S. States, Hawaii
and Alaska have always had a special bond.
That bond was forged by Senators Inouye and Stevens--two
of the Senate's giants. Those two men, who were from
different parties and very different States, looked out
for one another. They did a lot of good for our States,
and all who come after them have sought to emulate their
example of working together and looking out for each
other.
Mark did that for me even before I was sworn in to the
U.S. Senate. As many of my colleagues may know, Senator
Inouye passed away just weeks before I was to be sworn in.
At the time I would been assigned to the Energy,
Judiciary, and Veterans' Affairs Committees. However, with
Senator Inouye's passing--and I have to thank our
leadership here as well--I asked for a seat on the Senate
Armed Services Committee, an appointment critical to
Hawaii, where military activity is a vital part of our
economy.
Mark Begich gave up his seat on the committee to open a
slot for me. Not to shortchange Alaska, Mark got a seat on
Appropriations. But I will never forget that he recognized
how important the military was to Hawaii and how he agreed
to help me out.
Not only was Mark reinforcing the long-lasting Hawaii-
Alaska bond, but it was also characteristic of Mark's
desire to help--something that his constituents know all
too well.
As Senator Begich mentioned in his farewell remarks,
``Alaska is a very small place in many ways. People make
personal connections with their elected officials.''
Whether it is answering constituent letters, or helping
people navigate the Federal bureaucracy, Senator Begich
has been there for Alaskans. He has also taken their
concerns and made sure that everyone in Washington knows
about them--whether it is the situation in the Arctic,
fishing, energy development, or the challenges of Alaska
Natives. There is not a Member of this body who has not
heard Senator Begich talk about Alaska's unique
challenges.
As he also mentioned, most people in his State pretty
much know each other.
In a State like Alaska--much like Hawaii--you can't ``go
Washington.'' You have got to stay grounded in the day-to-
day concerns of the unique local communities back home.
Sometimes this can be tough, but Mark has always kept
Alaskans first and foremost in all of his work in the
Senate.
I have had the privilege of serving with Mark on the
Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, and have seen first
hand how hard he has worked on behalf of Alaska's
veterans. He has been tenacious in working to see that
Alaska's veterans and Natives have access to health care--
and creatively, worked to see that veterans can access the
tribal health care delivery system. As he has put it, if
the clinics are there for some, why not have them be
available to all?
This is the kind of commonsense solution that is a
hallmark of his time in the Senate.
I will miss his good humor and his hard work. It has
been a pleasure serving with Mark and I wish him and his
family all the best in their next chapter.
Aloha Mark and a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to celebrate and thank
the 13 outgoing Senators who have worked tirelessly to
represent their home States in the Senate: Senator Mark
Begich, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator Tom Coburn,
Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike
Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu,
Senator Carl Levin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Jay
Rockefeller, Senator Mark Udall, and Senator John Walsh.
I have worked side by side with these men and women for
years--some for decades--and witnessed first hand their
extraordinary commitment to public service and to the
people they so proudly represent.
Even when we didn't see eye to eye on every issue, I
always deeply respected and admired their service to our
Nation and their dedication to fight for what they believe
in.
It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and
every one of these extraordinary colleagues. I will miss
their leadership and their friendship, and I wish them all
the best as they embark on the next chapter.