[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.