    [Senate Document 113-31]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                         TRIBUTES TO HON. MIKE JOHANNS

                                    Mike Johanns

                           U.S. SENATOR FROM NEBRASKA

                                    TRIBUTES

                               IN THE CONGRESS OF

                               THE UNITED STATES

    [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

                                   WASHINGTON : 2015

                                          Tributes

                                    Delivered in Congress

                                        Mike Johanns

                                    United States Senator

                                          2009-2015

      [GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                                Compiled under the direction

                                           of the

                                 Joint Committee on Printing

                                          CONTENTS
                 Biography.............................................
                                                                          v
                 Farewell Address......................................
                                                                        vii
                 Proceedings in the Senate:
                    Tributes by Senators:
                        Ayotte, Kelly, of New Hampshire................
                                                                         23
                        Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
                                                                         26
                        Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                         30
                        Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
                                                                         19
                        Chambliss, Saxby, of Georgia...................
                                                                         10
                        Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                         17
                        Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
                                                                         22
                        Cornyn, John, of Texas.........................
                                                                          6
                        Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
                                                                         22
                        Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                         24
                        Fischer, Deb, of Nebraska......................
                                                                         11
                        Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina.............
                                                                         27
                        Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     27, 29
                        Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
                                                                         25
                        Hoeven, John, of North Dakota..................
                                                                     18, 23
                        Isakson, Johnny, of Georgia....................
                                                                         10
                        Johanns, Mike, of Nebraska.....................
                                                                          6
                        Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                         28
                        McCain, John, of Arizona.......................
                                                                          8
                        McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky..................
                                                                      3, 11
                        Portman, Rob, of Ohio..........................
                                                                         13
                        Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                     20, 21
                        Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                          6
                        Roberts, Pat, of Kansas........................
                                                                         15
                        Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
                                                                         29
                        Wyden, Ron, of Oregon..........................
                                                                         20
                                          BIOGRAPHY

                   On January 6, 2009, Mike Johanns was sworn in as U.S.
                 Senator for Nebraska. He won the support of an
                 overwhelming majority of Nebraskans by demonstrating
                 principled leadership throughout more than 30 years of
                 public service.
                   Senator Johanns served on four committees in the 113th
                 Congress: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry;
                 Appropriations; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and
                 Veterans Affairs. In previous Congresses he served on the
                 Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Committee
                 on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Committee
                 on Indian Affairs.
                   Senator Johanns established himself as a legislative
                 leader on issues that are not only important to Nebraska
                 but also the Nation. He introduced and championed
                 commonsense legislation dealing with issues ranging from
                 agriculture to veterans to small businesses.
                   After hearing from businesses in Nebraska about a
                 provision in President Obama's health law that would have
                 created a paperwork nightmare for job creators, Senator
                 Johanns began an effort that gained bipartisan momentum
                 and the 1099 reporting mandate was repealed. On
                 agriculture, he led the fight against harmful government
                 regulations and continued his work on a long-term, reform-
                 minded farm bill that focused on risk management tools.
                 One of the first pieces of legislation to be signed into
                 law for 2013 was the National Defense Authorization Act,
                 which contained Senator Johanns' legislation to help
                 returning veterans find civilian employment and supplied
                 funding to continue work on the new command facility for
                 the Strategic Command (STRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base.
                   Before being elected to the Senate, Mike Johanns was
                 appointed the 28th Secretary of the U.S. Department of
                 Agriculture in January 2005. For nearly 3 years he worked
                 to expand foreign market access for U.S. producers,
                 promoted the growth of the renewable fuels industry, and
                 advanced cooperative conservation. Additionally, Mike
                 Johanns developed an indepth farm bill proposal, which
                 became the foundation for improvements and reforms adopted
                 in the final 2008 farm bill.
                   Mike Johanns also served as Nebraska's 38th Governor
                 from 1999 to 2005. As Governor, he promoted an agenda of
                 tax relief, less government, building the economy,
                 protecting families, and ensuring the health, safety, and
                 success of Nebraska's children.
                   Mike Johanns served on the Lancaster County Board from
                 1983 to 1987, and on the Lincoln City Council from 1989 to
                 1991. He was elected mayor of Lincoln in 1991 and was
                 reelected in 1995 without opposition. He successfully ran
                 for Governor in 1998 and was reelected in 2002.
                   He grew up on a farm where he learned a work ethic that
                 has been put to use serving the people of Nebraska and
                 this country. The values he developed while growing up
                 serve as the foundation for his commitment to public
                 service. Mike Johanns is a graduate of St. Mary's
                 University of Minnesota. He earned a law degree from
                 Creighton University in Omaha and practiced law in O'Neill
                 and Lincoln.
                   Senator Johanns is married to Stephanie Johanns, former
                 Lancaster County Commissioner and Nebraska State Senator.
                 The couple has two children and five grandchildren.
                                   Farewell to the Senate
                                  Tuesday, December 9, 2014

                   Mr. JOHANNS. I wish to start by saying I so appreciate
                 the kind words by Senators McCain, Chambliss, and Isakson.
                 I see there are others in the Chamber who may weigh in and
                 offer a thought or two. I can't express how much I
                 appreciate it.
                   I would like to offer a few thoughts--my farewell
                 thoughts--today.
                   I rise, first, to convey a very deep and sincere
                 appreciation to the people of a really great State, the
                 State of Nebraska. They have entrusted me with the high
                 privilege and the solemn responsibility of representing
                 them in this body.
                   I am honored to have served as a Senator from Nebraska,
                 and I hope and pray that I have done so in a manner that
                 upholds the high standards that Nebraskans have rightly
                 established for their elected office holders.
                   If I could turn back the clock 32 years I would do it
                 again--from my first day as the county commissioner,
                 throughout my service as a Lincoln City Council member, as
                 mayor of our capital city, Lincoln, as the Governor of
                 Nebraska, in President Bush's Cabinet, and now as a
                 Senator. No doubt about it, if I could turn back the
                 clock, I would just do it again.
                   I am so grateful for the trust placed in me and the
                 support of so many people who have made this service
                 possible.
                   Let me start with the top of the list, and that would be
                 my family. My wife, Stephanie, has been an incredible
                 pillar of support.
                   One of my best friends refers to her as ``spirited.''
                 That would be an understatement. She is a true partner.
                 She has given her whole heart to public service--both her
                 own service as a State senator and as a county
                 commissioner when we first met--and to mine.
                   I thank my children, Justin and Michaela, who are now
                 grown up. They have their own families. We have five
                 beautiful grandchildren. They have been a source of true
                 joy and pride. They too have cheerfully supported me
                 despite the sometimes long hours and the missed
                 birthdays--I could go on and on. It cut into that dad and
                 grandpa time.
                   I offer a special word of thanks to the hundreds or
                 thousands of volunteers whom I could never thank
                 individually. They went out there, pounded the yard signs,
                 walked the precincts, worked the phone banks, and they
                 probably wrote checks when the bank account was pretty
                 low. Their belief in me is what has been inspiring in
                 those campaigns.
                   Another group of people near and dear to my heart are my
                 current and former staff, campaign or government related.
                 We have always called ourselves Team Johanns. It is an
                 extended family and for good reason. Their hard work,
                 their commitment, and their professionalism enabled me to
                 represent and serve our great State and our country.
                   I have not only been truly blessed by the privilege to
                 serve, but I have been blessed by the privilege of meeting
                 some very extraordinary people.
                   In my various roles I have been with world leaders,
                 spiritual heads, cultural icons, Presidents, Vice
                 Presidents, Prime Ministers, Queens, and Kings--all
                 memorable experiences to be sure. But I will say they are
                 not the extraordinary people I speak about today. My real
                 inspiration comes from ordinary people whom I have
                 observed and watched do remarkable, extraordinary things.
                   Each year for the past 6 years, I have had the privilege
                 of selecting a Nebraska family to be honored as ``Angels
                 in Adoption.'' Each year their stories of unconditional
                 love show the limitless capacity of the human heart.
                   One family, the Welchels of Harrisburg, NE, went from
                 two children to seven. They adopted five children, all
                 with special needs, but their selflessness did not stop
                 there. They created a camp where these very special kids
                 could share life's journeys. How powerful is that?
                   I have learned that heroes walk among us daily whose
                 courage is revealed in split-second decisions, and in that
                 split second they put the lives of others in front of
                 their own.
                   Two Nebraskans did exactly that in 2012. A schoolbus had
                 collided with a semitrailer on a rural road near a
                 community called Blue Hill, NE. These individuals, Ron
                 Meyer and Phil Petr, arrived on this horrific scene. They
                 bravely ran onto that burning bus and pulled five children
                 to safety. A witness who was there at the scene expressed
                 absolutely no doubt those five children would have
                 perished, as others sadly did, if not for the remarkable
                 courage of Ron and Phil.
                   I have been so moved beyond words by my conversations
                 with the parents of our fallen men and women in uniform. I
                 would call them to offer them my condolences, and I have
                 found their strength to be so astounding. To a person,
                 they speak with such passion about love of country and
                 pride in their loved one's service, despite sorrow. They
                 honor their children with their patriotism. They honor
                 their children with their fortitude. Their grace through
                 incomprehensible grief inspires immeasurable gratitude.
                 May God bless them and all of the families of the fallen.
                   Walking the streets of a tornado-ravaged community--and
                 I have done that too many times as Governor and as a
                 Senator--I saw ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
                   One stands out especially in my mind. I watched in
                 amazement as Kim Neiman, the Pilger, NE, city clerk,
                 attempted to take care of every conceivable need of every
                 single resident following a devastating tornado that
                 literally leveled this Nebraska community.
                   Her tireless advocacy, her raw determination was focused
                 entirely on the community she loved. She had virtually no
                 regard for her personal loss. You see, her home was
                 destroyed, and her life was turned upside down by this
                 tornado as well. But for Kim, community came first.
                   These are good people, and there are so many more like
                 them. They inspired me, and they have motivated me to
                 search for solutions to break through partisan rancor that
                 too often dominates this government.
                   But they also fuel my optimism for the future. You see,
                 I believe that America's strength is in the fabric of
                 which we are woven. The threads of this fabric include
                 both the character of our people and the wisdom recorded
                 in our Constitution.
                   It is a very strong and very durable fabric that
                 withstands the overreach of any one President and the
                 misguided policies of any one administration.
                   That is why I look back, not with any regret--I would do
                 it all over again--but with gratitude. There were
                 victories won during my time here, and I am pleased to
                 have lead some of those charges. But I have to admit many
                 battles remain.
                   I would be dishonest if I denied some feelings of
                 frustration about the absence of the will to address
                 issues of paramount importance to our country, but I know
                 that no issue is powerful enough to shred the fabric of
                 this great Nation. Rather, these challenges are
                 overpowered by the ordinary people who do extraordinary
                 things, by the character of our people, and by the wisdom
                 of our Founders. So I reject the prophecy of hopelessness.
                   As the challenges we face grow more urgent--and they
                 will--so grows the collective fortitude to address them,
                 and I believe that is about to intensify.
                   On January 3, I will officially pass the baton to
                 Senator-elect Ben Sasse, and I wish him the best. With the
                 114th Congress, there will be a new day in this Chamber, a
                 new majority, and a lot of new faces. I hope they embrace
                 the new opportunities to exemplify true statesmanship.
                   Although confidence in our Nation's ability to solve
                 problems may be shaken, I still believe ordinary people
                 can do extraordinary things--even here in Washington, DC.
                 May God guide those efforts and may God bless this great
                 country, the United States of America.
                   I yield the floor.
    ?

                                          TRIBUTES

                                             TO

                                        MIKE JOHANNS
                                  Proceedings in the Senate
                                                 Thursday, December 4, 2014
                   Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a
                 truly outstanding Senator, who will soon retire from this
                 body after more than 30 years of public service.
                   Of course, I am speaking of Senator Mike Johanns. Mike
                 has had a remarkable career. He is the only current Member
                 of this body--besides Senator Alexander--who has served as
                 Senator, Governor, and Cabinet secretary.
                   Yet for all he has accomplished, Mike isn't the
                 flashiest Senator. He doesn't hold the most press
                 conferences, he doesn't yell the loudest, and you never
                 have to worry about him knocking you over to get to a TV
                 camera, but in his steady and determined style, Mike has
                 proven himself a remarkably successful Member of this
                 body.
                   That was true in his successful battles to defend
                 Nebraska's rural communities against government overreach,
                 it was true when he worked with the late Senator Byrd to
                 sink a national energy tax that threatened his
                 constituents, and it was true when he led the first
                 successful legislative effort to revisit Obamacare,
                 working with many Democrats to repeal the so-called 1099
                 provision.
                   Mike has never looked for drama. He is always aiming for
                 results. So it didn't take long for people in the Senate
                 to recognize that Mike was more than just another freshman
                 in the minority. He became the guy you would turn to if
                 you wanted to get an amendment up to 60 votes.
                   That is truly remarkable for a first-term Senator. It is
                 especially remarkable when we consider that Mike came to
                 the Senate at a time when Republicans were in the deep
                 minority. But then again, Mike is a very remarkable guy:
                 county commissioner, city councilman, mayor, Governor,
                 Secretary of Agriculture. You name it, Mike has done it,
                 and that was before he even set foot in the Senate.
                   Some think Mike must have a secret that allows him to
                 assemble bipartisan coalitions on conservative issues, but
                 I don't think it is much of a secret at all. Mike works
                 across the aisle. He works in good faith, and he works
                 hard. He doesn't care what party you are from and
                 absolutely no one can outwork him.
                   Mike makes sure of that by getting up earlier than
                 anyone else. It is a habit he learned growing up on a farm
                 in northern Iowa. He would get up at 5 a.m. every day and
                 then from age 4 he would work. He would shovel muck. He
                 would fill the hog tanks. He would even deliver piglets.
                   The point is, Mike developed an appreciation for hard
                 work and responsibility at an early age. Along with his
                 strong Catholic faith, these are the traits that still
                 define him today, but they don't paint the whole picture,
                 because Mike Johanns may be an accomplished man, he may be
                 one of the smartest and most capable public servants you
                 will ever meet, but he is absolute putty in the hands of
                 his wife Stephanie. She is always by his side. She is his
                 best friend, and they complement each other perfectly.
                   Their idea--listen to this--of a perfect night out is a
                 night in together. They are both Husker fans and, as Mike
                 put it, ``Steph is almost never in a bad mood.'' He said,
                 ``She jumps out of bed, and she's got a big smile on her
                 face and she thinks this is bound to be the best day of
                 her life.''
                   It is a personality perfectly suited, as one can
                 imagine, to the campaign trail, which is a good thing
                 because the two of them have logged tens of thousands of
                 miles together campaigning across Nebraska, usually in
                 matching T-shirts, sometimes in a beat-up old Corsica.
                   They have plenty of stories from the trail, too, but one
                 from Mike's run for Governor stands out particularly. This
                 is what happened: The Johanns were driving home after a
                 long day of marching in parades in the hot Sun. They
                 passed a barn on the way, assuming it was a cattle sale.
                 They figured they would drop in and press a few palms.
                 Stephanie parked the car, Mike opened the door, and dozens
                 of well-dressed Nebraskan eyes fell on them.
                   The Johanns, in their sweaty T-shirts, hadn't dropped by
                 a cattle sale; they had crashed a wedding. I will give
                 them this, they made the best of it. Mike ended up dancing
                 with the bride, and of course he went on to win the
                 election as well.
                   This is the sequel: Months later, at an inaugural ball
                 in Lincoln, two uninvited guests showed up. It was, of
                 course, the bride and her husband.
                   They had a simple message: ``You crashed our wedding,
                 Governor, and now we're crashing your inaugural.''
                   So the senior Senator from Arizona [Mr. McCain] may like
                 to brag about his Hollywood cameo with Vince Vaughn, but
                 our colleagues know the truth. Senator Mike Johanns is the
                 original--the original--wedding crasher.
                   Mike and Stephanie certainly have traveled a long and
                 interesting road from when they first met while serving on
                 the Lancaster County Board in the 1980s, when Mike would
                 draft up walking lists on an old typewriter and they would
                 go out and campaign door to door.
                   A lot has changed. For one thing, Mike isn't a Democrat
                 anymore. But much is the same too. Mike still cares deeply
                 about mental health issues. It is what brought him into
                 politics in the first place. It is what he considers his
                 crowning achievement as Governor. He still has loyal fans
                 on staff who remember all of his efforts on the issue.
                   It is a rare thing, the loyalty Mike inspires in people.
                 This is the Senator with staffers who have been with him
                 for many years, some since his days in local politics, and
                 here is what they all say about Mike Johanns: Senator
                 Johanns is a man who cares--cares about his family, he
                 cares about the people who work for him, and he cares
                 about his constituents. That is why he has given his cell
                 phone number out to half of Nebraska.
                   He has made his mistakes, of course. As mayor of
                 Lincoln, he had to cancel Halloween one year. But that is
                 old news. To many Nebraskans he is still Governor, to
                 others he is simply Mike. But whatever Nebraskans call
                 Mike Johanns, they respect him, and I know they are going
                 to miss him. And so are we.
                   At least retirement will give Mike more time to pursue
                 his hobbies. We hear he is a voracious window washer. He
                 has even been known to pull out the Windex on vacation.
                 Whatever he does, we know this is a retirement that is
                 well earned. He has dealt with bird flu, mad cow disease,
                 the farm bill, deficit reduction, and just about any other
                 issue you can think of over a long and distinguished
                 career in public service.
                   We all want to thank Senator Johanns for his loyal and
                 dedicated service to the Senate and to the people of
                 Nebraska. We wish Mike and Stephanie the best as they look
                 forward to their next adventure together.

                   The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.

                   Mr. REID. Mr. President, I want to join in the remarks
                 of the distinguished Republican leader, but add to that
                 that Stephanie is one of the funniest people Landra and I
                 have ever known. She has a great sense of humor. What the
                 Republican leader laid out is perfect, except this woman
                 has a sense of humor that is really quite remarkable.
                   I suggest the absence of a quorum.

                   The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Will the Senator
                 withhold his request?

                   Mr. REID. Yes, Mr. President.

                   The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from
                 Nebraska.

                   Mr. JOHANNS. Mr. President, just a word or two to both
                 leaders. Thank you so much for your kind words. I also
                 want to say thank you for mentioning my wife Stephanie.
                 This has been a remarkable partnership for a lot of years,
                 and I could not have done what I did without her. So thank
                 you to Senator McConnell. Mr. Leader, thank you. It has
                 been an honor to serve in this body. I will have more to
                 say next week in my farewell speech, but I did not want
                 this day to go by without expressing my appreciation.
                 Thank you.
                   I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a
                 quorum.
                                                   Monday, December 8, 2014
                   Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, in the waning days of the
                 113th Congress it is a bittersweet moment as many of us
                 are saying goodbye--although not on a permanent basis but
                 at least in terms of our official relationships working
                 together as Senators--to so many of our good friends and
                 valued colleagues. Every other December we find ourselves
                 bidding farewell to some of the most admired and respected
                 Members of this Chamber. Today I want to say a few words
                 about three of these esteemed Members, starting with my
                 good friend, the senior Senator from Georgia [Mr.
                 Chambliss]. ...
                   Next, I would like to turn to my colleague from
                 Nebraska, the senior Senator Mike Johanns. Even if Mike
                 Johanns had never been a Senator, he would have compiled
                 an extraordinary career of public service. It started with
                 a stint on the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners and
                 continued with 2 years on the Lincoln City Council,
                 followed by 8 years as mayor of Lincoln, NE.
                   In 1999 Mike left the mayor's office and moved over to
                 the Nebraska State Capitol, where he served for 6 years as
                 Governor. He said one of his proudest gubernatorial
                 accomplishments was enacting a mental health reform law
                 that helped improve the lives of some of Nebraska's
                 neediest and most vulnerable residents. That to me tells a
                 lot about his character and sense of compassion.
                   Born and raised as a farmboy, Mike was named America's
                 28th Secretary of Agriculture in 2005. Over the next 3
                 years, he held more than 50 separate forums on the farm
                 bill--more than 50. Not surprisingly, he continued to work
                 on agriculture-related issues when he joined the Senate.
                 Indeed, he has been a true leader, fighting passionately
                 to defend the rights and livelihood of farmers and
                 ranchers everywhere--especially in Nebraska.
                   These are issues that are vitally important to millions
                 of Americans, including Mike's constituents, but they are
                 not the kind of issues that help land you prime time
                 appearances on cable news. Luckily for us, Mike doesn't
                 care about media attention, but what he does care about is
                 doing the right thing for his State and for our country.
                   He understands something that many of us too quickly
                 forget--that taxes and regulations should be forced to
                 pass a simple cost-benefit test. That is why Mike worked
                 so hard to block the national energy tax known as cap and
                 trade, and that is why he has consistently demanded that
                 the Environmental Protection Agency and other Federal
                 agencies demonstrate how their proposed rules would affect
                 American jobs and American workers.
                   It is also why he has so aggressively pushed to abolish
                 the IRS 1099 reporting requirement in Obamacare, which
                 would have placed a costly new burden on America's small
                 business owners and indirectly on the jobs that they
                 create. Mike did more than anyone else to help highlight
                 the problems with this requirement and to demand its
                 repeal. Thanks in large part to his efforts, 81 Members of
                 this Chamber voted to abolish it back in 2011.
                   There is an old cliche in politics that there are two
                 types of politicians--show horses and workhorses. Mike has
                 never sought the limelight, and has certainly done more
                 than his fair share of the work. But he has done so in a
                 very quiet and thoughtful manner. He is someone who has
                 kept a low profile while working behind the scenes,
                 building bipartisan consensus and being infallibly polite
                 and gentlemanly in the process.
                   He is the type of Senator who is universally admired and
                 respected by all of our colleagues. His accomplishments
                 here in the Senate--I have just mentioned a few--have been
                 manifold. Yet I am quite certain his proudest
                 accomplishments are his family--his wife Stephanie, their
                 two children, and five grandchildren. They have been
                 generous enough to share Mike with us for the past 6
                 years, and now it is time for Mike to be with the people
                 he cares about the most. We will miss him a whole lot, but
                 he is moving on to perhaps the most rewarding chapter of
                 his life.
                   Mike, thanks for all you have done. Thanks for your
                 service, your guidance, and most of all for your
                 friendship.
                                                  Tuesday, December 9, 2014
                   Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I come to the floor to
                 praise the public service of and bid farewell to my friend
                 and valued colleague from Nebraska, Senator Mike Johanns.
                   With my remarks, I celebrate not just Mike's last 6
                 years in the Senate but also his 30-plus years in public
                 service that will culminate with the end of this term.
                   At the highest levels of government in both the
                 legislative and executive branches, Mike's life of public
                 service has been punctuated by great accomplishment. From
                 the Lancaster County Board in Nebraska to the Lincoln City
                 Council, from his service as mayor of Lincoln to his
                 service as the 38th Governor of Nebraska, from his service
                 as the 28th U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and throughout
                 his tenure in the Senate, Mike has demonstrated a
                 commitment to those with muted voices in our political
                 system, including small business owners, veterans, those
                 impaired by mental illness and most certainly America's
                 farmers and ranchers.
                   In the Senate, Mike's leadership and bipartisan efforts
                 to repeal purposeless tax reporting requirements in
                 Obamacare, his championing new trade agreements, and his
                 contribution to the development and final passage of a new
                 farm bill this year all describe a strong conservative
                 legislator committed to stimulating economic growth
                 through reduced government spending, lower tax rates, and
                 reduced regulatory burdens on American business.
                   I have appreciated Mike's partnership on key
                 legislation, including his joining me to cosponsor the
                 bipartisan Congressional Accountability and Line-Item Veto
                 Act of 2009. During the 112th Congress, we were both
                 cosponsors of the Foreign Earnings Reinvestment Act, a
                 bipartisan effort to let corporations reinvest earnings
                 kept overseas by our high corporate tax rates back into
                 the American economy.
                   I was also proud to join Mike as an original cosponsor
                 of his bill, the Two-Year Regulatory Freeze Act of 2011,
                 which sought to give the American economy a much needed
                 reprieve to burdensome and confusing Federal regulations
                 that frequently hinder economic growth. Mike was also an
                 original cosponsor of the Jobs Through Growth Act, and
                 many others.
                   I am also grateful that he joined in helping replenish
                 the Forest Service's aging air tanker fleet. A decade ago
                 the Forest Service had roughly 40 large air tankers to
                 fight wildfires that burned millions of acres of land
                 across Western States, including Nebraska and Arizona.
                   Today they own eight large air tankers. Senator Johanns
                 and I saw an opportunity to transfer several excess
                 Department of Defense aircraft to the Forest Service to
                 temporarily address this shortage, and that has happened.
                   While Mike and I have had disagreements along the way, I
                 have always respected his knowledge and experience as a
                 farmer, foreign trade expert, and the Nation's former
                 Agriculture Secretary.
                   I am proud of the areas where we agree: reining in
                 certain farm subsidy programs, advocating for free trade
                 agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea, and
                 even working together to kill the proposed USDA catfish
                 office--a little known $15 million program inside the last
                 farm bill that we both highlighted as wasting taxpayer
                 money and that, from a trade perspective, was negatively
                 impacting our cattlemen and soy farmers.
                   We also agree on the need to help returning veterans
                 seeking to reenter the workforce as beginning farmers, an
                 effort he championed in our last farm bill. I have long
                 applauded Senator Johanns for calling on Congress to pass
                 laws to stop farm subsidies from going to millionaires
                 while he was a sitting Secretary of Agriculture.
                   As much as I respect the substance of Mike's
                 accomplishments in public service, I have valued how he
                 has achieved them with a quiet, purposeful dignity and,
                 indeed, a vibrant sense of humor. He has never been
                 opposed to bipartisan cooperation whenever it is needed to
                 further the interests of his constituents or the greater
                 Nation.
                   For these reasons, his approach to governance in
                 legislating has earned him the respect of colleagues and
                 constituents across the political continuum. It should
                 also serve as an example to all of us in this body who
                 remain behind.
                   In an email Mike wrote to his friends last February
                 announcing his decision not to seek reelection in 2014,
                 Mike wrote: ``With everything in life, there is a time and
                 a season.''
                   Well, to my friend and valued colleague, Mike Johanns, I
                 bid fair winds and following seas in all that he and his
                 lovely wife Stephanie do, and I thank him for his service
                 and his friendship.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

                   Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I rise and second what
                 my friend and colleague from Arizona said.
                   It has been a privilege of mine to serve in this body
                 for 12 years--and I will be making some comments about
                 that tomorrow--but during my early years in the Senate the
                 Secretary of Agriculture was Secretary Mike Johanns.
                   Being a very active member of the Agriculture Committee
                 and being chairman for 2 years during then-Secretary
                 Johann's tenure, I had the opportunity to work with Mike
                 on a day-to-day basis and, boy, what a pleasure it is to
                 work with one of the finest gentlemen and public servants
                 I have ever known. He is smart, and he is political when
                 he needs to be political, but he has as much or more
                 common sense as, again, any public servant I have ever
                 known.
                   For the past 6 years, he has been my next door neighbor
                 in the Russell Building, so we see a lot of each other
                 coming and going and have the opportunity to visit on a
                 regular basis.
                   As I leave at the end of this term, one of the real
                 Members of the Senate I am going to miss is Mike Johanns.
                 I publicly thank him for his service and thank him for his
                 commitment. I wish him and Stephanie the best, but what I
                 really thank him for is the great friendship he and I
                 developed over the years.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.

                   Mr. ISAKSON. Madam President, I join the Senator from
                 Arizona and the Senator from Georgia--my senior Senator,
                 Mr. Chambliss--to rise for a minute and talk about Mike
                 Johanns.
                   I want to amend that. I don't want to just talk about
                 Mike Johanns, I want to talk about him and Stephanie
                 Johanns.
                   In the South what we have is what we call a two-for.
                 Mike and Stephanie are a two-for. They are a great pair
                 for America, and they are a great pair for the State of
                 Nebraska.
                   As a Senator from an agricultural State, I know the
                 value that Mike brought to the Cabinet of the United
                 States when he was Secretary of Agriculture.
                   I know from his serving the State of Nebraska when he
                 was Governor what a great job they did. I know the past 6
                 years, working side by side with Mike Johanns has been a
                 real treat. He is a gentleman, and he is a scholar. He
                 doesn't do anything if he doesn't know what he is doing,
                 and if he is not always right, he is almost always right
                 because he always has Stephanie there to guide him in the
                 right direction.
                   I pay tribute to a great Senator, and a great personal
                 friend, Mike Johanns, and his lovely wife Stephanie.

                   Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, I had an opportunity to
                 address the extraordinary career of the Senator from
                 Nebraska the other day, and he was on the floor, which was
                 welcomed, and his staff was in the gallery. I wanted to
                 say again, in a much shorter version, how much we all
                 appreciate his remarkable contributions to our country, to
                 his State, and to the Senate and wish him well in the
                 future.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

                   Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to celebrate
                 the legacy of my dear friend, my colleague, and my fellow
                 Nebraskan, Senator Mike Johanns.
                   Senator Johanns has dedicated more than three decades of
                 his life to serving the people of Nebraska and also this
                 Nation. His career in public service began at the local
                 level, where he was elected to the Lancaster County Board
                 of Commissioners. He later joined the Lincoln City
                 Council, and eventually became mayor of Nebraska's capital
                 city where he served for two terms.
                   Perhaps the most infamous decision Senator Johanns ever
                 made throughout his career in public service was in his
                 days as mayor of Lincoln. After an early season winter
                 storm dropped more than a foot of heavy wet snow on
                 Lincoln in late October, Mayor Johanns decided to cancel
                 Halloween. He cited power outages and hazardous downed
                 powerlines.
                   As you can imagine, this news was not received well
                 among some of those Lincolnites. To this day, constituents
                 haven't forgotten and they still occasionally remind him
                 of how he deprived an entire city of trick or treats on
                 that fateful October evening. He made up for it, though,
                 when he and his wife Stephanie treated children who came
                 to trick or treat at the mansion.
                   Fortunately, this incident didn't deal a death blow to
                 Senator Johanns' political career. He went on to serve as
                 Governor of Nebraska and was reelected to a second term.
                   As Governor, he focused on fiscal discipline and the
                 responsible use of limited State tax dollars, principles
                 he upheld here in the Senate as well. At one point, as
                 Governor, he even vetoed an entire 2-year budget proposal
                 because it raised taxes to expand government power.
                   He also championed ambitious mental health reforms that
                 allowed patients to receive care in the stability and in
                 the security of their own communities where they could be
                 near their loved ones. A decade later, these reforms in
                 Nebraska are still regarded as a major milestone in
                 improving mental health care.
                   Before he was a Senator or a Governor or a mayor or a
                 city councilman, he worked on his family's dairy farm.
                 That is not easy work. As Mike puts it, it is a job that
                 builds character and humility. Growing up on a dairy farm,
                 he would milk cows every day before school, sometimes even
                 taking the tractor halfway to town in the winter months
                 when the roads were so bad that the schoolbus couldn't get
                 out to his farm.
                   This upbringing gave Senator Johanns a great
                 appreciation and a deep understanding for the needs of our
                 Nation's agriculture producers, so it was no surprise when
                 President George W. Bush selected him to lead the
                 Department of Agriculture as its Secretary. Mike dutifully
                 served in this role, overseeing a new reform-oriented farm
                 bill and opening doors to new global markets for our
                 Nation's ag producers.
                   As Secretary of Agriculture, he saw first hand the
                 challenges facing hungry nations. It was in this role that
                 he fell in love with the people of Africa, and he has
                 worked here in the Senate to develop food aid programs
                 that not only feed but also empower hungry populations
                 around the world.
                   Senator Johanns has tirelessly worked for our State and
                 our Nation. He brought to the Senate a unique perspective,
                 having served virtually every level of government. His
                 well-rounded approach to his work here reflects that rare
                 wisdom. Many of us here have had the pleasure of working
                 closely with him because he always makes a point to work
                 with his colleagues regardless of party affiliation,
                 whether it be on complex legislation or that annual Senate
                 secret Santa tradition.
                   We are all familiar with the confident, peaceful
                 demeanor he brings to the Senate, and his plain-spoken
                 clarity will truly be missed once he leaves Congress. This
                 is who Mike Johanns is. It is who he has always been: a
                 quiet workhorse with a soft spot for the world's most
                 disadvantaged, and a burning desire to help wherever he
                 can. Friends back home who have known him since before he
                 began his career in public service will tell you that he
                 is the same man today he was back then--never losing sight
                 of his goal of helping people, never getting a big head,
                 and always putting Nebraska first.
                   The Senator's wife Stephanie has been by his side
                 throughout every step of this tremendous journey, always
                 supportive and steadfast. Anyone who knows Mike knows he
                 and Steph are inseparable. I am sure they are both looking
                 forward to having more time to spend with family next
                 year.
                   Mike, you are a statesman and a model citizen. I am
                 thankful for all the work you have done for Nebraska and
                 for the entire Nation. You have set such a great example
                 for your fellow Senators, and we all appreciate your
                 dedication over these past 32 years. You have served
                 Nebraska with dignity and integrity. Good luck. I wish you
                 and Stephanie all the best. God bless you both.
                   I yield the floor.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

                   Mr. PORTMAN. Madam President, this is a bittersweet time
                 for all of us. As you have heard, as we close the book on
                 one term of Congress and look forward to the next, we are
                 here to say goodbye to one of our esteemed colleagues who
                 is finishing his service in the Senate. It is always
                 tough, but it is especially hard for me with regard to
                 Senator Mike Johanns--a guy I consider a fine Senator,
                 also a good friend, and sort of the perfect example of the
                 statesman. Through his impressive career as mayor,
                 Governor, Cabinet member, and Senator, as his colleague
                 has just said, he has displayed that.
                   I first met Senator Johanns when he was Secretary
                 Johanns. He was Secretary of Agriculture in the George W.
                 Bush Cabinet, and that meant we got to spend a lot of time
                 together. I was the U.S. Trade Representative, and I truly
                 believe I have traveled around the world more with Mike
                 than I have with my family. We went all over, from Asia to
                 Europe to South America and Africa. We fought for farmers
                 and ranchers. Our ideal was that we could expand exports,
                 and we were able to do that and make some progress with
                 his hard work.
                   We went to farflung corners of the world, such as
                 Burkina Faso, to deal with cotton issues important to U.S.
                 farmers. We spent countless--and I mean countless--hours
                 on something called the green room negotiating sessions,
                 trying to reach a deal in the Doha round of talks with the
                 World Trade Organization.
                   I remember one time Mike and I had the opportunity to
                 brief reporters as we were going across Africa. We were
                 racing across the Sahara Desert to make our way to an
                 airport. Because the airport had no lights, the pilots
                 insisted we get there while there was still light so they
                 could see where they were landing.
                   He taught me a lot, not just about arcane agricultural
                 issues, such as what is a green box or an amber box
                 subsidy in agriculture--fun issues such as that--but he
                 also taught me a lot about negotiating and about how, as
                 we said earlier, to be a statesman.
                   We had some tough negotiating sessions, but Mike was
                 always a proud and relentless representative and champion
                 for the interests of our great country and the interests
                 of the farmers and ranchers he knew so well. He always did
                 his job on the global stage with honor and with dignity.
                 If there has ever been a more forceful advocate for
                 American farmers, whether it was there or here in the
                 Senate, I don't know who it is.
                   In 2007, he told me he was going to leave the
                 administration and go home to Nebraska, and that he was
                 considering running for the Senate. I never thought I
                 would be able to serve with him, because I didn't know I
                 was going to follow him, but I knew when he told me that,
                 he would be in the Senate and that he would put in the
                 same level of dedication to this body as he had as
                 Secretary of Agriculture, and that has been true.
                   He is not flashy. His colleague from Nebraska has just
                 called him a workhorse. I hope he takes that as a
                 compliment. I would. He has never sought out the cameras
                 or, for that matter, sought out recognition for his good
                 work. He just does the right thing. A true statesman.
                   So, Mike Johanns, we are going to miss you. We are going
                 to miss Stephanie. And we wish you Godspeed.
                   I yield the floor.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

                   Mr. ROBERTS. Madam President, the first time I met Mike
                 Johanns was in Hutchison, KS. Hutchison, KS, is where we
                 have the State fair every year. I was somebody then. I was
                 the chairman of the sometimes powerful House Committee on
                 Agriculture, and I had made a pitch to get the Secretary
                 of Agriculture to actually come to the fair, thinking that
                 Mike Johanns would be a far better speaker than myself and
                 maybe I could avoid some trouble. So I had the Secretary
                 come and I made the promise that every farmer who wanted
                 to ask the Secretary of Agriculture a question would have
                 that opportunity. I hadn't bothered to tell Mike about it,
                 but when he arrived on the scene, he nodded his head and
                 said, ``Fine.'' He had this yellow tablet under his arm,
                 and with ample staff, some who used to work for me, but
                 that is beside the point.
                   So cutting things short, all the activities in the State
                 fair he attended, and he dutifully went around to every
                 exhibit, and we finally ended up in the amphitheater and
                 there must have been 150 to 175 farmers all lined up
                 waiting to speak to or to question the Secretary of
                 Agriculture. I thought to myself: Oh, my gosh, what have I
                 done? The Secretary is coming in--I didn't know Mike that
                 well at that particular time--and what have I gotten him
                 into?
                   But Mike didn't seem to be bothered at all. He was
                 absolutely comfortable, unflappable. He had the microphone
                 and he sat down at a table, put down the yellow tablet and
                 said, ``Yes, sir, and what is your first question and what
                 is your name?'' The individual would give his name and the
                 question, and Mike would write down the question. He said,
                 ``Thank you very much for that. It will receive all of our
                 attention. Next.''
                   He went through the whole 125 or 150 and never answered
                 a question, but he wrote it down. Every farmer who came up
                 later to me said, ``You know, the Secretary wrote down my
                 question.'' They were tremendously impressed, as opposed
                 to me. Silly me, I would have tried to answer their
                 questions, and we would have been there 2 or 3 hours, Lord
                 knows how long. So I asked Mike, ``How do you get by with
                 that?'' He said, ``Well, it saves a lot of time and you
                 never get in trouble by what you don't say,'' which always
                 sort of stuck with me and what a class act he was.
                   County commissioner, mayor of Lincoln, Governor,
                 Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Senator. I suppose if I
                 floated a balloon for you to be President that you might--
                 no, Stephanie wouldn't buy it and you wouldn't either. But
                 that would be the logical next step, Mike, and I think we
                 certainly could and probably will do a lot worse. But at
                 any rate, since I brought up Stephanie, Franki and I
                 extend our very best wishes and love.
                   I do have somewhat of a minor discomfort, it isn't a
                 quarrel--I would never quarrel with Stephanie--but some
                 degree of discomfort.
                   We have to have meetings around here a lot, and some of
                 us stay for the whole thing. We would always look around
                 for Mike. He would be around for the fireworks and then he
                 would leave and he would always go home--because he had a
                 home very close on Capitol Hill--to be with Stephanie.
                   She is absolutely wonderful. She has the best smile
                 ever. You cannot be unhappy or in a bad mood ever when you
                 see Stephanie.
                   So I would come to work in the Hart Building or here in
                 the Capitol and I would happen to run into Stephanie and
                 she would always come up with that big smile on her face
                 and say, ``Hi, Pat. How are things going?''
                   What are you going to do? I mean, I am trying to be the
                 curmudgeon of the Senate, but Grassley keeps edging me
                 out. So here I would be in sort of a bad or a grumpy mood
                 and she would flash that smile, and I would say, ``Just
                 fine.'' Then I would be feeling pretty good and I would go
                 into the office. They would say, ``What is wrong? You have
                 a smile on your face.'' I would say, ``I've been
                 Stephanized.'' I am truly going to miss that.
                   I remember the time we were sitting probably right about
                 here in the back. We had just concluded the farm bill for
                 the first time, and then it took us 400 days to get the
                 rest of it. Mike is an expert on agriculture program
                 policy. Ask anybody else if they would like to talk about
                 agriculture program policy and you would get a high glaze
                 after about 8 seconds--but not Michael. Mike knows
                 agriculture farm program policy. We call it farm program
                 policy in Nebraska and Kansas, but he knows an awful lot
                 about it.
                   I asked him, ``How many people do you think in this
                 body, in this Senate, absolutely understand farm program
                 policy?'' He retorted, ``How many people want to
                 understand agriculture program policy?'' We decided there
                 were about 5 in the Senate and maybe about 10 in the
                 House--which shows you why we have a tough time getting
                 the farm bill done.
                   I relied on his advice and counsel when I was the
                 ranking member. I am so sorry--I regret--should I have the
                 privilege of becoming chairman of the Senate Agriculture
                 Committee, I would look forward to a dynamic duo with
                 regard to what we could accomplish. But Senator Johanns is
                 like Shane: Come back, Shane. Come back, Mike. But Shane
                 rode away, and the Senator is going to ride back to
                 Nebraska. I give him that, and I give him all of the
                 success he can possibly have.
                   Six years is all this man has served. Some people have
                 been here a lot longer. I have. You can accomplish a lot
                 in 6 years. People say: What can you do in 6 years?
                   No. 1, you can work on legislation and you can know what
                 you are talking about and you can earn people's respect
                 and you can be smart about it. I don't mean smart smart. I
                 mean just smart, so that what you say and when you say it,
                 people pay attention. That is precisely the kind of person
                 Mike is. You can have all the integrity in the world and
                 you can do exactly what he says when he talks about the
                 people of Nebraska.
                   The people of Kansas are very similar to the people of
                 Nebraska. My only complaint with the people of Nebraska is
                 they chose to go play in the Big Ten and are finding it a
                 little more difficult than running the track meets they
                 used to run against Kansas State and KU. But if you want
                 to go to the Big Ten and do that, why that is your
                 business--but we have the same kind of roots.
                   I have always said there are no self-made men or women
                 in public office. It is our friends and the people we
                 represent who make us what we are, and Senator Johanns has
                 spoken so eloquently to that.
                   Michael, I was trying to think of a tag I could label
                 you with that might be noteworthy of everything you stand
                 for. Others will do better than I and others have already
                 said that. I simply come up by saying that you are an
                 uncommon man with a very common touch, and I am going to
                 miss you--and everybody in the conference is going to miss
                 you and I suspect everybody in the Senate is going to miss
                 you for the way you have conducted yourself and the job
                 you have done for Nebraska.
                   We wish you all the best and we love you.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Manchin). The Senator from
                 Maine.

                   Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, when Senator Mike Johanns
                 stated in February of last year that he had decided not to
                 seek a second term in the Senate, he did so in a way that
                 revealed so much about his character. There was no
                 dramatic press conference, there were no weeks of rumors,
                 there were no guessing games. Instead, there was just a
                 simple and brief press release.
                   Then, the very next day it was back to work for Senator
                 Johanns, traveling throughout the State of Nebraska for a
                 series of townhall meetings with the people he is honored
                 to serve.
                   Nine months later, in October 2013, his character again
                 shone through. The Federal Government was shut down due to
                 a massive failure to govern responsibly. It was stifling
                 our economy and causing great harm to the trust the
                 American people deserve to have in their government.
                   As a key member of our Common Sense Coalition, Senator
                 Johanns worked effectively and quietly to restore
                 government operations and to restore citizen trust in
                 government. Again, no dramatics, no search for the
                 limelight, just solid results, just effective leadership.
                   Quiet, effective leadership guided by common sense has
                 been the hallmark throughout the Senator's 32 years in
                 public service. From Lancaster County commissioner and
                 mayor of Lincoln to Governor of Nebraska and U.S.
                 Secretary of Agriculture, he has been well informed,
                 thoughtful, and untiring.
                   The old farm country saying that sowing is easy, reaping
                 is hard, perfectly describes his record of accomplishment
                 and his determination to see any task to its completion.
                 Most of all, the Senator from Nebraska always does what he
                 thinks is in the best interests of our country and of the
                 people he so proudly represents.
                   In an interview shortly before he announced that he
                 would be leaving the Senate, Senator Johanns said he hoped
                 he would be remembered as ``a guy who was good to work
                 with.''
                   Working with Senator Mike Johanns has been more than
                 just good. It has been an honor and a privilege and I wish
                 him and Stephanie all the best.
                   Thank you for your service.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.

                   Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise to also express my
                 appreciation for Senator Mike Johanns and for his wife
                 Stephanie.
                   I first met Mike shortly after I was elected Governor of
                 my State. At that time Mike was serving as Governor of
                 Nebraska. Right away when I went and visited with Mike I
                 could tell this was somebody who was not only somebody we
                 could count on but who had the right motivation in public
                 service, had great ideas, and was somebody I could look to
                 as a mentor, and I have ever since.
                   From his experience at the local level as commissioner,
                 then as mayor, then as Governor, then as Secretary of
                 Agriculture, and then as a Senator, Mike has been somebody
                 all of us have counted on and somebody whose advice we
                 have sought when we wrestled with tough decisions.
                   So I just want to add my voice as well to the others who
                 have expressed our appreciation for Senator Mike Johanns
                 and for Stephanie and to say how much we are going to miss
                 him. We are going to miss him not only on a personal
                 level--because he is a great guy and a great friend and
                 somebody we can count on--but we are going to miss his
                 advice, his counsel, his participation in this process on
                 behalf of the American people.
                   I think Mike epitomizes the kind of approach we need to
                 have in this body to get work done--to listen, to think
                 carefully, and to remember always that we work for the
                 American people, and he has a long and distinguished
                 career doing that.
                   He is somebody who will be truly missed, and I think he
                 is somebody who exemplifies the very best of this body and
                 of public service on behalf of our great Nation.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.

                   Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, our colleagues know the
                 Presiding Officer is a recovering Governor, I am a
                 recovering Governor, Mike Johanns is a recovering
                 Governor. So we are sort of a support group for one
                 another, men and women who used to be somebody special. I
                 am kidding because I think we still are.
                   The Senator was talking about Michael, and I had the
                 privilege of knowing him and his wife for a number of
                 years. We were Governors together, and my wife Martha and
                 his wife Stephanie were First Ladies together and define
                 what the standards should be for First Lady or First Man,
                 if you will, if you have a female Governor.
                   I will never forget when I first met him. I was talking
                 about Stephanie and how we know each other and so forth,
                 and he told me this great story about--I think they were
                 county commissioners together. It was Lancaster County.
                   I might be mistaken, I think he used to be in those days
                 maybe a Democrat, and a long time ago I was a young
                 Republican for Barry Goldwater, when I was a 17-year-old
                 Republican freshman student at Ohio State, and later found
                 out Hillary Clinton was a Goldwater ``Golden Girl'' at the
                 Republican Convention in 1964.
                   In any event, I just want to say one of the reasons he
                 is so thoughtful, and I hope maybe the reason I am fairly
                 thoughtful, is because we have the ability to work across
                 the aisle and to see and appreciate the views of other
                 people.
                   The story about how he and Stephanie, when they were on
                 county council together, they met, started liking each
                 other, started dating, fell in love and later got
                 married--they even had lunch together every day they were
                 on county council, and every day he was Governor they
                 continued to have lunch together and here, too, for many
                 days. That is a love, the kind you just don't see. You
                 just don't see that very much.
                   I just want to say: You are such an inspiration to the
                 rest of us, you and your wife, the way you cherish each
                 other and hold together and support each other and stand
                 by each other. It is just a real source of inspiration.
                   There is an old saying: It doesn't matter who gets
                 credit for something when you get a lot more done. You
                 define that, a guy who doesn't need headlines, a lot of
                 attention. I hope the rest of us are that way, but you
                 define that for us.
                   We love working with you. We are going to miss you. We
                 wish you the best and wish you Godspeed. As we say in the
                 Navy, fair winds. God bless you.

                   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.

                   Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I am here to talk about the
                 Intelligence Committee report, but before the Senator
                 leaves the floor, I just want to tell my colleague from
                 Nebraska how much I appreciate his service. I note for the
                 body that in the effort to build a bipartisan coalition
                 for major tax reform, Mike Johanns was the Senator whose
                 counsel we all thought we needed, and I thank him.

                   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. ...
                   I have been proud to work with Mike Johanns, an
                 extraordinary Senator and an extraordinary gentleman, on a
                 number of issues. We were particularly happy--both of us--
                 when the HAVEN Act was incorporated into the pending
                 version of the National Defense Authorization Act. This
                 legislation will allow disabled and low-income veterans
                 the ability to finance improvements to their homes so they
                 are safer and more accessible. We also worked together on
                 healthy housing efforts and to reduce lead hazards. This
                 is consistent with so many things he has done,
                 particularly with respect to veterans. Again, I wish him
                 the best as he goes forward. ...
                   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. REED. ... Before I conclude with my remarks
                 regarding the traditional defense programs, I want to
                 touch on two other aspects of the legislation, one in
                 particular with respect to the defense act. I am pleased
                 that it includes the HAVEN Act. This is bipartisan
                 legislation that I introduced with Senator Johanns to help
                 more veterans with critical repairs and modifications for
                 their homes so they are safer and more accessible.
                   This program is directed at our disabled and low-income
                 veterans. They find themselves out of the service, they
                 have benefits, but they have needs to fix their homes and
                 this program will help them do that. It establishes a
                 competitive pilot program allowing nonprofit organizations
                 throughout the country to apply for grants administrated
                 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to help
                 make key improvements to the houses of veterans with
                 disabilities, or low-income veterans.
                   It is fitting we take this step to give back to those
                 who have made a personal sacrifice for our Nation, and I
                 am particularly delighted I was able to work with Senator
                 Johanns. As I noted in my remarks yesterday, he is
                 retiring, but his decency, integrity, intelligence, and
                 commitment to his constituents and also to the men and
                 women of the Armed Forces will be missed here. ...

                   Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues
                 who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list
                 of tributes. ...
                   I want to say a word about three others on the other
                 side of the aisle who are retiring: Saxby Chambliss of
                 Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, and Mike Johanns of
                 Nebraska. I got to know them when I gathered with one of
                 these gangs, as they call them around here, to talk about
                 deficit reduction. We spent more time together trying to
                 explore the Federal budget in ways to reduce our deficit
                 in a thoughtful manner so that we really got to know one
                 another and respect one another.
                   There is a world of difference in our political values
                 and philosophies, but each of them in their own way made a
                 positive contribution toward making this a stronger
                 nation. ...
                   Finally, here is a suggestion for when you have watched
                 all of the ``shouting head'' political TV talk shows you
                 can take: Listen to Senator Mike Johanns. Mike's quiet,
                 reasonable approach was a real asset not only to the Gang
                 of Eight negotiations, but to the entire Senate. We will
                 miss his calm demeanor and his good-faith efforts to find
                 smart, fair solutions to tough challenges.
                   None of them is running for reelection so I can't hurt
                 them politically by saying that I regard each of these
                 Senators as friends. They showed political courage when
                 partisanship would have been easier.
                   I wish them the best in all their future endeavors.

                   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.

                   Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, I rise to thank my friend
                 Saxby Chambliss. Senator Coburn spoke about leadership. We
                 are very much going to miss Senator Coburn, Senator
                 Johanns, and Senator Chambliss in this body. ...

                   Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, in the new Congress we will
                 welcome 12 new Republican Senators, and that is wonderful.
                 They are great people. They are excited. They are
                 enthusiastic. I think they are going to do wonderful
                 things. We are going to lose 3 of our Republican
                 colleagues. I am thinking, maybe that is about the right
                 ratio; it is about 4 to 1.
                   But these are three individuals who are unbelievable in
                 what they have been able to do in the relationships they
                 built, the friendships, and the work they have done on
                 behalf of the American people. So I am looking at that
                 statistic and I am thinking: Wow, these are three great
                 people who have done the work of many, and I think they
                 have laid the foundation in many ways for us to get to a
                 majority: Senator Johanns, Senator Coburn, and Senator
                 Chambliss. I think they have done a lot of that work
                 required for us to get to majority.
                   We have heard about the great Senator from Georgia. But
                 I think the things I am going to talk about for a minute
                 in regard to Saxby Chambliss apply to the two individuals
                 sitting here with him. They are cut from the same cloth:
                 Senator Coburn, Senator Johanns, true public servants.
                 People who ran for the right reason; people who serve for
                 the right reason. I think we could ask anybody in this
                 body on either side of the aisle, and they would tell us
                 that these three individuals served for the right reasons,
                 and served the American people to the very best of their
                 ability--not just the people of their State, but the
                 American people. They will be remembered long after they
                 are gone. They will be remembered because of the great,
                 wonderful people they are, for the relationships they have
                 built, and for that service. So I echo Senator Ayotte's
                 comments.
                   Senator Coburn touched on it, too. One of the first
                 people I looked to as a mentor when I came here 4 years
                 ago was Saxby Chambliss. Now, that doesn't seem
                 intuitively like something I would do--I am from North
                 Dakota, he is from Georgia. Mike Johanns has been a mentor
                 of mine since Governor days, so for more than a decade.
                 But one of the first people I looked to as a mentor was
                 Saxby Chambliss, and I don't even know why. It was one of
                 those things that immediately you like the guy. But as you
                 listened to him a little bit, you respected the guy. You
                 thought: This guy has something to say. He knows what he
                 is doing. But then, it is that relationship thing--that
                 thing where he goes out of his way to work with you, to
                 help you, to understand what you are trying to do in a
                 friendly way, with great humor, and he does it naturally.
                 It is just who he is. It is automatic. I think Senator
                 Isakson really put his finger on it: It is just the way he
                 is. You are naturally drawn to him. ...
                   When we talk about Saxby Chambliss, Tom Coburn, Mike
                 Johanns, it doesn't get any better than that. We will miss
                 them a lot.
                   I wish all three of them Godspeed, and may God bless you
                 in your next career.

                   Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as the current session of
                 Congress comes to a close it is our tradition to take a
                 moment to express our appreciation for the faithful
                 service of those of our colleagues who will be returning
                 home at the end of the year. We appreciate their hard work
                 and great service on behalf of their home States and our
                 Nation. We will miss them and the thoughtful suggestions
                 and good ideas they have brought to our deliberations on
                 the issues before us.
                   The word ``service'' brings to mind one of our retiring
                 colleagues, Mike Johanns. Mike has followed a path that
                 has brought him from his service as the mayor of Lincoln,
                 to his post as the Governor of Nebraska, on to serve in
                 the President's Cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture and
                 then on to the floor of the U.S. Senate. He has made
                 important contributions at each post and now, as he has
                 decided with the support and guidance of his family, ``it
                 is time to close this chapter in his life.''
                   As a former mayor myself I have a great deal of regard
                 for Mike and his commitment to the people that he has
                 served for many years. He has a great understanding of his
                 home State of Nebraska and the workings of its State and
                 local government. He understands the challenges that face
                 his home State in the present, and the hopes and dreams of
                 the people of Nebraska for the future.
                   It did not take long to discover that Mike is a
                 workhorse, not a show horse. He is not someone to land on
                 a weekend talk show every week talking about what needs to
                 be done--he would rather be in committee or on the floor
                 every day doing it. In everything he did Mike always
                 brought along an abundance of Nebraska common sense. He
                 used that special gift of his and his varied background as
                 a starting point for finding common ground and a workable
                 solution on a number of issues that would be acceptable to
                 all.
                   During his service in the Senate it has been good to
                 have a neighbor to work with who understands agriculture
                 and our rural way of life. He has been a great help in
                 making the case clear to the Congress about the difference
                 between living on a farm and living in a big city or town.
                   That is why I will not be the only one who will miss
                 him. Our rural communities in the West will miss his
                 ability to understand the problems of rural America and
                 what should be done to address them.
                   Mike has also been one to focus on the money side of
                 each issue that came to the Senate. He knows how important
                 it is for us to get a handle on our Nation's finances to
                 ensure that our children and grandchildren will not have
                 to clean up the financial mess we are going to leave them
                 if we are not careful. Mike has said that our failure to
                 act will cause our financial problems to appear sooner
                 than we might think.
                   I am sorry to see Mike go when there is so much to be
                 done that could use his understanding of the issues and
                 his experience, as can be seen by the impact he has had on
                 the local, State, and national level.
                   Still we know where to find him whenever we could use
                 some of his Nebraska-rooted common sense. Thanks, Mike,
                 for your service to the State of Nebraska and to our
                 Nation. You can be proud of what you helped to accomplish
                 and the seeds you planted that will lead to more
                 accomplishments in the years to come.
                   Thanks for your leadership and thanks for your
                 friendship, too. Diana joins in sending our best wishes to
                 you and our appreciation for all you have done. Please
                 keep in touch with us. We will always be pleased to hear
                 from you.

                   Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I wish to honor my
                 colleague from Nebraska, Senator Mike Johanns, who is
                 retiring from the Senate at the end of this year. Senator
                 Johanns has been a friend since I started in the Senate,
                 and I appreciate his willingness to work with me toward
                 our shared goals. He is one of only two current Senators
                 to have served as a Governor and Cabinet secretary,
                 providing him with a tremendous amount of wisdom on how to
                 get things done. It is his incredible knowledge and strong
                 Midwestern work ethic that I admire most about him.
                   For more than 30 years, Senator Johanns has been a
                 strong voice for the people of Nebraska. His first act in
                 public service was in 1983 as a county board member in
                 Lancaster County. He later went on to serve as both
                 councilman and mayor of Lincoln. He would eventually
                 become Governor of Nebraska and Secretary of Agriculture
                 under President George W. Bush. Senator Johanns set no
                 limits to his potential; readily serving in any capacity
                 he could to make our great Nation a better place.
                   Senator Johanns and I serve together on the Agriculture
                 Committee and I greatly admired the thoughtfulness and
                 expertise he brought to the negotiations on the farm bill.
                 His knowledge as a former Agriculture Secretary was
                 unmatched and ensured many improvements were made
                 throughout the debate. Senator Johanns never forgot about
                 our farmers and always kept his eye on providing them with
                 the best possible outcome he could.
                   We also had the privilege of working together on the
                 Banking and Housing Committee. He and I worked together
                 with a bipartisan group of committee members to draft and
                 advance legislation reforming the housing finance system
                 to protect the American taxpayer from another bailout and
                 to guarantee that another housing crisis does not happen
                 again. Once again, his voice on behalf of rural America
                 during these talks was critical and something that I
                 greatly appreciated.
                   Senator Johanns has never been about taking credit or
                 seeking the spotlight. He maintained a strong, hard work
                 ethic throughout his time in the Senate and was one who
                 was willing to cross the aisle to get things done. The
                 American people expect that of their representatives, and
                 Senator Johanns met those expectations on behalf of
                 Nebraska.
                   I will miss having him as my colleague in the Senate,
                 but I also know that his wife and family will enjoy the
                 free time they will have with him. I wish him happiness
                 and success in the next chapter of his life.
                            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.
                                                  Friday, December 12, 2014
                   Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly
                 about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the
                 Senator from Florida. I promise I will be brief.
                   Everybody will face retirement, voluntarily or
                 involuntarily. There will be a last vote to cast and a
                 last speech to make. Only God knows when that day comes
                 because we are all just one car wreck away from ending our
                 careers.
                   To the retiring Members, I have had the pleasure of
                 serving with you, and I know you all. You did what you
                 thought was best for our country and your State, and what
                 more could anyone ask? My good friend Mark Pryor, who
                 tried to find common ground at a time when it is hard to
                 find. Mary Landrieu, who would drill under the Capitol if
                 she thought it would help American energy independence. We
                 have good friends on the other side, and I will miss you,
                 and I wish you well. But I would like very briefly to
                 speak about four. ...
                   Mike Johanns--he introduced me to Bono. I said, ``Who is
                 Bono?'' I don't follow that music that much, but I
                 actually did know Bono.
                   Mike introduced me to Africa. He was the Secretary of
                 Agriculture for the Bush administration, and he had a
                 passion for the developing world, particularly Africa.
                 Through Mike I got to know The One Foundation and the
                 Gates Foundation. Through Mike and Stephanie I have been
                 to Africa many times, and you represent the best in our
                 country. You are absolutely wonderful people. You will be
                 missed. My way to repay you is to stay involved in the
                 developing world. ...
                   To all of you, Godspeed. I wish you nothing but the
                 best.
                   I am fortunate enough to go into my third term. To my
                 colleagues, as we go into the next Congress, let's try to
                 do better. I know we can. If we do, all boats will rise.

                   Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I honor my colleague and
                 friend Mike Johanns. For many years, Senator Johanns has
                 worked tirelessly for the people of Nebraska, first at the
                 local level, then at the State level as Governor, and most
                 recently as senior Senator from Nebraska. Mike is a kind
                 and thoughtful man, and I have been grateful to serve with
                 him these past 6 years.
                   Senator Johanns was born and raised in Osage, IA, where
                 he grew up working on his family's farm. After high
                 school, he attended Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
                 and Creighton University School of Law. Following law
                 school Mike clerked on the Nebraska Supreme Court and then
                 practiced law in Lincoln, NE, where he was a founding
                 partner at Nelson, Johanns, Morris, Holdeman, and Titus.
                   In 1983, Senator Johanns was elected to the Lancaster
                 County Board. Five years later he won election to the
                 Lincoln City Council, and then, 3 years after that, became
                 mayor of Lincoln. Mike followed his success in local
                 politics with success in State politics. In 1998, he won
                 his first term as Governor of Nebraska, and was reelected
                 by a landslide 4 years later.
                   Senator Johanns entered national politics in 2004 when
                 President George W. Bush asked him to serve as Secretary
                 of Agriculture. Four years later he won election to the
                 U.S. Senate from Nebraska, where he has served with
                 distinction ever since.
                   When he retires later this month, Senator Johanns will
                 have spent more than 25 years as a public servant. I
                 commend him for his service to the State of Nebraska and
                 to the people of this Nation.
                   Although his tenure in the Senate was brief, Senator
                 Johanns wasted no time. His previous experience as
                 Secretary of Agriculture proved indispensable as a member
                 of the Senate Committee on Agriculture. To this committee,
                 he brought expertise on farming issues unrivaled by other
                 freshman Senators. He also served actively on the Banking
                 Committee and was a member of the Senate's Gang of Eight
                 during budget negotiations in 2011. Throughout his
                 service, Senator Johanns always had the best interests of
                 the Nation at heart.
                   Madam President, Senator Johanns is a good man who has
                 served his country well. His retirement is well deserved.
                 I wish him, his wife Stephanie, and their children the
                 best going forward.
                                                  Monday, December 15, 2014
                   Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, it is not uncommon for
                 Senators to leave this Chamber to serve in Cabinet
                 positions. Senator Mike Johanns, however, brought that
                 executive branch experience with him when he was elected
                 by the people of Nebraska to represent them in the Senate.
                 A former mayor, Governor, and U.S. Secretary of
                 Agriculture, Senator Johanns has served at every level of
                 government.
                   While we have often supported competing proposals, we
                 have found important and meaningful places to work
                 together. Senator Johanns joined me in coauthoring
                 legislation to improve the Food for Peace Program, helping
                 to feed an additional 200,000 people in dire need. Serving
                 on the Agriculture Committee together, we are both
                 committed to farming, family farming, and supporting our
                 Nation's agriculture sectors and the people and
                 communities that are part and parcel of farming and food
                 production in America. Senator Johanns has also been an
                 important advocate for veterans, working on programs to
                 help returning soldiers find civilian employment.
                   I wish Senator Johanns, his wife Stephanie, and their
                 family the very best in this next chapter of their lives.
                                                 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. ...

                   Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, over three decades as a
                 public servant, my friend and colleague Senator Mike
                 Johanns of Nebraska has proven time and time again that
                 politicians can be deeply principled while still
                 recognizing the need to find common ground on the complex
                 and difficult choices we must make as a nation. I believe
                 this is a lesson that all former Governors carry with them
                 after holding executive office, and Senator Johanns and I
                 were often able to reach an understanding on that basis.
                   Before coming to the Senate in 2009, Mike Johanns had
                 already built a distinguished record of public service as
                 a county board member, city council member, mayor, and
                 two-term Governor of Nebraska. Senator Johanns also served
                 for 3 years in the White House Cabinet as Secretary of
                 Agriculture to President George W. Bush. While leading the
                 Department of Agriculture, Senator Johanns helped U.S.
                 agriculture producers find new markets overseas, promoted
                 expanded use of renewable fuels, and encouraged
                 conservation of agricultural lands. Having played a key
                 role in developing the farm bill passed by Congress in
                 2008, then-Secretary Johanns decided to return to
                 legislating full time and successfully ran to represent
                 Nebraska in the Senate.
                   Senator Johanns' time in Congress is best characterized
                 by his low-key approach to the most high-profile and
                 consequential issues of the day. He was one of the
                 bipartisan Gang of Eight Senators who tackled the
                 challenge of crafting a comprehensive Federal deficit
                 reduction plan in 2011, and in 2013 we worked together on
                 a bipartisan deal to reopen the Federal Government and
                 avoid a default on our national debt. I was also very
                 proud to work with Senator Johanns on legislation to
                 address the unacceptable trends in military sexual
                 assault. Senator Johanns always brought the work ethic he
                 developed growing up on a Nebraska farm to our business in
                 the Senate, and for that and many other reasons I very
                 much enjoyed working with him.
                   Senator Johanns has given many years to public service,
                 earning him the right to seek a bit of a break from the
                 spotlight, and I wish him all the best in his retirement.

                   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.

                                             [all]