[Senate Document 113-32]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Tim Johnson
U.S. SENATOR FROM SOUTH DAKOTA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Tim Johnson
United States Congressman
1987-1997
United States Senator
1997-2015
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Compiled under the direction
OF THE
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
ix
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
10
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
16
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
14
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
8
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
6
Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
11
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
14
Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
8
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
15
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
13
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
5
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
3
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
16
Thune, John, of South Dakota...................
10
BIOGRAPHY
Tim Johnson learned early the value of a good education
and the necessity of hard work. The son of a college
professor and a homemaker, Tim's roots run deep in the
State.
A fourth-generation South Dakotan, he was born in Canton
to Van and Ruth Johnson. He has a brother, Tom, and a
sister, Julie. His great-grandfather was a homesteader in
Centerville, SD, and instilled in Tim the importance of a
hard day's work and an understanding of the State's
farming and ranching community.
Tim attended school in Canton, Flandreau, and
Vermillion, where he graduated from high school in 1965.
He then attended the University of South Dakota (USD),
graduating with Phi Beta Kappa academic honors. Tim went
on to earn both a master's degree in public administration
and a law degree from the University of South Dakota.
While earning his undergraduate degree at USD, Tim met
Barbara Brooks of Sioux Falls, whom he married shortly
after graduating. During their early years together,
Barbara and Tim quickly learned how to balance family
needs with academic and professional pressure. After
completing his graduate studies, Tim worked as a budget
analyst for the Michigan State Senate appropriations
committee while Barbara completed her master's degree in
social work. During that time, the couple welcomed their
first child, Brooks.
In 1975, Tim began a private law practice in Vermillion
and the couple welcomed their second child, Brendan. Three
years later in 1978, Tim was elected to the South Dakota
House of Representatives, and was later reelected in 1980.
It was during his second term in the State house that
their daughter, Kelsey, was born. During that time,
Barbara put her master's degree to work and became very
active in children's issues and services. Despite their
schedules, both parents remained committed and active in
their children's lives.
Following 4 years of service in the State house, Tim ran
for the State senate and was elected in 1982 and again in
1984. During his years in the South Dakota Legislature,
Tim earned a reputation as a hard-working, effective
author of sound fiscal and social policy. His achievements
did not go unnoticed. In 1979, the Vermillion Jaycees
presented him with the ``Outstanding Citizen Award.'' In
1983, he was the first recipient of the ``Billie Sutton
Award for Legislative Achievement'' presented by the South
Dakota Democratic Party.
After 8 years in the State legislature, Tim decided to
take his commitment to hard work and South Dakota values
with him to Washington. He was elected to the U.S. House
of Representatives in 1986 with nearly 60 percent of the
vote. During his first term in Congress, he was
responsible for passing more legislation than any of the
other 50 first-term Members. Tim received national awards
by the National Farmers Union, Disabled American Veterans,
and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Within the House
Democratic leadership organization, Tim served as regional
deputy whip from 1991 to 1994. Tim served as South
Dakota's Congressman for five terms before being elected
to the Senate on November 5, 1996. Tim was reelected
twice, in 2002 and again in 2008.
Tim served on several important committees, including
the powerful Appropriations Committee; the Banking,
Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; the Energy and
Natural Resources Committee, and the Indian Affairs
Committee. He served as chairman of the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs from 2011 to 2015.
As South Dakota's senior Senator, he worked to improve
the lives of South Dakotans while establishing a strong
record in the Senate. As an appropriator, Tim worked to
secure $10 million to fund a deep underground science lab
at the Homestake mine in Lead, and created incentives to
benefit the State's ethanol industry and farming
community. Tim proved to be a strong voice for South
Dakota in Washington, defending the State's interests time
and again, including fighting to save Ellsworth Air Force
Base and keeping important projects like the Lewis and
Clark Water System on track.
Both Tim and Barbara have faced challenges together and
have always fought to overcome them. In 2004, Tim battled
prostate cancer. Barb, a two-time breast cancer survivor,
was crucial to his recovery. The two remain committed to
raising awareness about cancer prevention and early
testing.
On December 13, 2006, Tim suffered an intracerebral
bleed caused by a congenital arteriovenous malformation.
Following surgery and as his rehabilitation progressed,
Tim remained committed to South Dakotans, working from
home until he returned to his Senate office on September
5, 2007.
While thanking South Dakotans for their prayers and
support at the Sioux Falls Convention Center in August
2007, Senator Johnson said, ``The greatest honor in my
life has been to stand by your side and fight for you in
Washington. Never in my life have I been so grateful that
you have been standing by my side as well.''
Tim remains an active member of numerous policy-based
organizations and remains committed to advancing the lives
of all South Dakotans and continues to be routinely
honored for his work. In 2008, Tim joined the Operation
Homefront Congressional Advisory Board, a nonprofit
organization that provides emergency support and morale to
our troops. When invited to join, the group noted Tim's
commitment to the members of our armed services, their
families, and our veterans. Also that year, he was honored
by the South Dakota Association for the Education of Young
Children, the National Farmers Union, and the Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America.
Tim and Barbara's oldest son, Brooks, is in the National
Guard following Army service in Bosnia, Kosovo, South
Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In May 2004, Brooks married
Naida Snipas Johnson of Massachusetts. They have two
children, a son Arijus and a daughter Aureja.
Their second son Brendan is an attorney in Sioux Falls.
He clerked for U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier in Rapid
City, served as an assistant prosecutor for Minnehaha
County, and as a partner in a private practice before
being appointed by President Obama as the U.S. Attorney
for South Dakota from 2009 to 2015 when he returned to
private practice. He is married to Jana Beddow, M.D.;
together they have four children: Trualem, Penn Neal,
Sutton, and Cooper. The family was blessed when ``Tru''
and ``Pen'' joined the family in 2007.
Their daughter, Kelsey, is a 2004 graduate of the
University of South Dakota, and received her graduate
degree from George Washington University in 2009. She
worked for Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD),
the American Association for Cancer Research, and is
currently a project manager for the Sanford Foundation in
Sioux Falls.
Throughout his career in public service, Tim Johnson has
been a strong voice for South Dakota. A champion of fiscal
responsibility and the State's agricultural community,
Tim's commitment to family and hard work can be seen
throughout his legislative accomplishments.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. JOHNSON of South Dakota. Mr. President, in 1986 the
people of South Dakota elected me to serve them in the
100th Session of the Congress in the House of
Representatives. In 1996 they gave me the honor and
privilege of being their junior Senator.
When I ran for the House in 1986, I told the people of
South Dakota that neither party has all the answers, and
that both parties have good ideas, as well as men and
women of good will. My job, as I understood it, would be
to work in a bipartisan manner, listening to all parties
and reaching a good fit--also known as compromise. That is
what I still believe.
However, in each year of my 28 years of service this has
become more difficult to achieve. Each party, rather than
working cooperatively for the American people, is more and
more focused on winning the next election. Today, days
after the 2014 election, you can walk into the call center
for either party and find Members dialing for dollars for
2016. Tonight there will be fundraisers across DC where
Members will discuss policy not with their constituents
but with organizations that contribute to their campaigns.
We have lost our way.
My thoughts are not original. My colleague and dear
friend from South Dakota, Senator Tom Daschle, in his
farewell called for finding common ground that ``will not
be found on the far right or on the far left. That is not
where most Americans live. We will only find it in the
firm middle ground based on common sense and shared
values.''
Ohio's Senator Voinovich in his 2010 farewell speech
said that his greatest frustration was the difficulty in
finding common ground on significant issues, saying that
``it doesn't happen enough.''
In fact, the need for bipartisanship and the lack of it
in the Senate is a hallmark of Senate farewell speeches.
Rather than expounding on this topic, I would like to
share the instances where I have experienced it.
I found it working with my colleague Senator John Thune,
as we put aside our political differences and worked as
our constituents expected two Norwegians to work. We
worked side by side as we pushed for farm bills, highway
funding, emergency relief from droughts and from floods.
We successfully fought the proposed BRAC closing of
Ellsworth Air Force Base. However, honoring our Norwegian
heritage, we never hugged.
I found it on the Banking Committee, working closely
with Ranking Member Crapo. Together, we reached middle
ground on reforms in which both parties gave up
significant priorities, compromising, finding the middle
ground to pass bills out of committee.
My best and most enduring memory of this magnificent
body occurred during my 9-month absence following my AVM,
a long and humbling journey. During this journey my
committee assignments were respected and my friend from
Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed graciously accepted extra
responsibilities until my return. Senator Harry Reid told
me that during my long absence my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle never once tried to take advantage of my
absence. More important, in so many ways the kind words
and prayers from you and your spouses, on both sides of
the aisle, supported both Barbara and me and gave us
strength during my long and continuing recovery.
I was grateful and humbled by your support on September
9, 2007, the day I returned to the Senate when almost
every chair in this Chamber was filled. Senator Reid and
Senator McConnell, I thank you for your welcome back to
the Senate family.
In the years ahead, I will miss this family--not the
bickering that I mentioned earlier, but the blessings that
you have all been to Barbara and me.
I would also like to thank another family that has been
critical to my work for South Dakota--a family that goes
by the name ``Team Johnson.'' This team is composed of
highly talented and caring individuals. They have worked
tirelessly in the Halls of Congress, in South Dakota, and
on campaigns to make our State and our country a better
place to live.
I wish I could thank each one of you for your service.
Please know how much I appreciated the long hours and late
nights that you put in. In the years ahead I hope we will
continue to celebrate the friendships we have forged.
To my friend and chief of staff for 30 years, Drey
Samuelson, thank you for joining my fledgling, uphill race
for Congress in 1986 and for staying with me until we
close the Senate office in a few days. Few Members of
Congress have been as fortunate as I have been to have the
loyalty, friendship, and thoughtful guidance that you have
given me.
My legislative directors have all been remarkable, but
time limits me to noting the services of two individuals
who have served the longest. Dwight Fettig started with us
in the House as a young man fresh from his internship with
Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. Dwight rose through
the ranks to legislative director and then became my first
director on the Banking Committee. Todd Stubbendieck is my
current LD, and his legislative guidance for over 10 years
has guided the staff in moving critical legislation
through the Senate. Todd and Dwight have worked on
legislation for projects that now deliver water to
hundreds of thousands of people across South Dakota,
country of origin labeling bills, farm bills, national
historic sites for Lewis and Clark and the Minute Man
Missile, numerous projects for Ellsworth Air Force Base
and the South Dakota National Guard with efficiency and
collegiality. To Todd and Dwight, thank you for your
outstanding legislative teams.
Our No. 1 researcher, humorist, historian, and go-to
person, Luci Weigel, has been with us since we opened the
first offices. Thank you, Luci.
To my South Dakota State director, Sharon Boysen, thank
you for leading the three State offices, for ensuring that
we were responsive to South Dakotans, and for coordinating
with the DC office.
Sharon Stroschein, who directed the Aberdeen office, and
Darrell Shoemaker, who managed the Raid City office, have
been outstanding leaders for 28 years. You and all the
State staff have been great advocates for South Dakota.
You made sure that I always knew what was on the minds of
South Dakotans, that I visited crisis situations,
nonprofits, local and tribal governments, promising
businesses, schools, and much more. Thank you.
Linda Robison, thank you for your dedication,
willingness to go the extra mile, and your outreach to and
service for our State's veterans for 28 years.
The Senate office only needed one office manager for the
last 18 years. Nancy Swenson is the most efficient,
precise, and insightful person I know. The University of
South Dakota will be forever grateful when they receive
the archives Nancy assembled. Thank you.
To the Senate standing Committee on Banking and the
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, you have served
our Nation well, and I know you will continue to do so in
the future. Thank you for your leadership on important
issues.
I am looking forward to the years ahead and the time we
will share.
To my wife Barbara and our three children--Brooks,
Brendan, and Kelsey--thank you for your unwavering
support, for putting up with late-night dinners, for
accepting that my work demanded that I be away so many
weekends, and for working side by side with me on
challenging campaigns. Without your understanding, love,
and support, I could not have done the work I love.
Finally, to the people of South Dakota, thank you for
the honor and privilege of serving you in our State
legislature, the House of Representatives, and the U.S.
Senate. Thank you for working side by side with me to
improve the lives of South Dakotans and our Nation.
Pilamayaye.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
TRIBUTES
TO
TIM JOHNSON
Proceedings in the Senate
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Mr. REID. Mr. President, if the words Hemingway said so
clearly--``man is not made for defeat''--applied to anyone
in the world, they certainly apply to Tim Johnson. He is a
testament to this sentiment because he never ever
acknowledged defeat. He refuses to be defeated.
Tim never lost an election. He served in the House of
Representatives from 1987 to 1997--for 10 years. He served
in the State legislature. They weren't all easy votes and
weren't all easy elections. He won his election in 2002 by
524 votes. Hundreds of thousands of votes were cast, but
he won by 524 votes.
Senator Tim Johnson refused to succumb to defeat because
he knew he was fighting for the people of South Dakota. He
fought for South Dakota jobs when he fought to keep
Ellsworth Air Force Base open and running. It was based
near Rapid City, and he saved it from closing. He worked
to this end, saving thousands of jobs, preserving a
thriving economy based on that Ellsworth Air Force Base.
During his tenure in the House and Senate he fought for
water, which is so important. People from so many other
States don't realize how important water is to States such
as South Dakota and many Western States. Water is
something you always have to keep your eye on. He secured
funding for the Mni Wiconi Rural Water Project and the
Lewis and Clark Rural Water System. Combined, those two
projects provided clean drinking water to some 400,000
people. That is half the population of the State of South
Dakota.
Without question though, Tim's biggest fight took place
in 2006. I can still remember that so clearly. I got a
call from his chief of staff saying, ``You need to go to
the hospital. Tim has been taken by ambulance to George
Washington.'' So I went there because Tim had suffered a
very bad bleed on the brain. He was born with this
situation--no one knew of course--but it suddenly hit him.
Lots of people have this condition, but most people don't
have a bleed on their brain, but Tim did. I was there in
the hospital with him. Barbara was there, his daughter
Kelsey, and his two boys, Brendan and Brooks, came in as
soon as they could. One was serving in the military after
having seen combat duty as a member of the U.S. Army. The
other boy is a lawyer and is now a U.S. attorney in South
Dakota.
It was a very difficult time for his family and a
difficult time for him especially. He was in surgery on
more than one occasion. His life was threatened. Many
people don't survive this difficult situation he was hit
with. But he is a huge man. I, frankly, never realized how
physically big and strong he was until I saw him lying
there in the hospital. But Tim met these physical
challenges, and they were very difficult. Ten months later
he was back working in the Senate. He was here on the
floor.
After this incident, his physical body would never be
the same, but his mental capacity is better than ever.
With the support of his wife Barbara, since 1969, and
their three children, whose names I have already
mentioned, he made this remarkable recovery. It was all
very difficult. He had to learn to talk again, he had to
learn to walk again, and much of his life now is
physically different than it was before. He is now, a lot
of times, in a wheelchair, but he has never asked for any
sympathy. He has pushed forward as he always has his whole
life.
Regardless of these changes to his body, his honorable,
indomitable spirit is the same. One newspaper recently
said, in speaking of Tim's return to the Senate:
Loss of integrity is a greater handicap to any
politician and, once lost, cannot be regained with
confidence. Johnson's integrity has never been in
question.
Tim Johnson has his integrity. He has his unbreakable
determination to fight for the people of South Dakota and
just fight to do the things he needs to do.
Tim is retiring after 18 years in the Senate and 10
years in the House. To say he will be missed by the people
of South Dakota is a gross understatement. He worked here
with my predecessor, the Democratic leader Tom Daschle,
and they got so many good things done for the State of
South Dakota. Senator Daschle is missed as Tim will be
missed, but their friendship is something I have long
admired.
To show the type of person he is, the person he beat by
524 votes came back the next election and endorsed him--a
Republican and longtime Member of the House and Senate,
Larry Pressler. He endorsed Tim Johnson in his reelection.
That is the kind of integrity Tim Johnson has. People
admire him very much.
Tim Johnson leaves the Senate as he entered it,
undefeated. I will miss him very much. My wife will miss
Barbara. They are members of a book club, and I have seen
their exchange of emails back and forth as to what books
they should read, what they thought of the book, and where
they are going to meet. So the Reids will miss the
Johnsons. South Dakota will miss the Johnsons. But Tim
will still proceed forward and be a great blessing to the
State of South Dakota, as he has always been, and to his
family.
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. ...
Tim Johnson and I served in the House of Representatives
together. We came to the Senate together in 1997. As
chairman of the Banking Committee, he has been an
extraordinary leader. He has dedicated himself
particularly to community banks and to rural housing,
which is consistent with the interests of his constituents
in South Dakota.
He has worked to build bipartisan compromise on issues
like TRIA and FHA reform, among so many other matters. As
the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related
Agencies he has been a tireless advocate for our military
personnel. I thank him. ...
Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us
at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them
for their service, their dedication to improving the lives
of Americans, and on a very personal level for their
friendship. I wish them all well.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues
who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list
of tributes. ...
Tim Johnson and I came to the Senate together, Tim from
South Dakota. He eventually became chairman of the Banking
Committee after he faced one of the toughest physical
challenges any Senator has ever faced, a debilitating
brain injury that left him physically limited but never
limited in spirit and intelligence. Thank God, with Barb
at his side, he continued in public service to serve the
State of South Dakota.
I am going to miss my great friend Tim Johnson.
He and I go back quite a ways. We served together in the
House--and we came to the Senate together in 1996. That
year, Tim Johnson was the only Senate candidate to defeat
an incumbent U.S. Senator in a general election.
He won that first Senate election the old-fashioned
way--with dedication, hard work, and a lot of shoe
leather. I think he knocked on every door in South
Dakota--twice. Dedication, humility, and unbelievable hard
work--those are the values Tim learned as a fourth-
generation South Dakotan. They are the values that have
exemplified his entire career.
In 1986, Tim Johnson was a semi-obscure State legislator
from Vermillion, SD, when he decided to run for his
State's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Tim might have been the only person who thought he had a
chance of winning that race, but he surprised people. He
did win--and he has never lost an election since. Eight
consecutive statewide victories and zero losses. That is
quite an accomplishment.
Here is another interesting fact about Tim Johnson:
During his first term in the House, he was responsible for
passing more legislation than any of the other 50 first-
term Members.
In his 36 years of public service, Tim Johnson has been
a strong voice for family farmers and ranchers in South
Dakota and across America. He is a longtime advocate of
Federal support for renewable energy--especially ethanol
and wind energy. He helped lead the effort to pass the
Country of Origin Label Act--the COOL Act, for short--to
let consumers know if the meat they feed their families
was raised in America.
Senator Johnson has been a leading advocate for Native
Americans. He has fought especially hard for the members
of the Lakota and Dakota tribes--descendants of the
legendary Indian leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse--who
call South Dakota home.
Tim Johnson has fought for a livable minimum wage. He
helped strengthen America's health safety net by voting to
create the Children's Health Insurance Program and to
expand Medicaid to those who need it. He voted for the
Affordable Care Act, which passed this Senate without a
vote to spare. That was a difficult vote for many but I
believe that history will show it was the right vote for
America, and Tim Johnson was on the right side of history.
As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee these last 3
years, Tim Johnson has played a historic role in helping
to implement the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform law and
prevent a repeat of the kinds of abuses that nearly
crashed our economy in 2008. He has moved forward despite
intense opposition to reform from both inside and outside
of Congress.
One of the most important of the Dodd-Frank reforms was
the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau. Chairman Johnson pressed successfully for Senate
confirmation of Richard Cordray to head that new bureau so
it would have a strong leader at the helm.
While he is justifiably proud of the legislative
victories that bear his imprint, Tim Johnson may be even
more proud of the constituent services he and his staff
have given the people of South Dakota. Helping a veteran
secure a proper disability rating or helping a senior
citizen receive the Social Security and Medicare coverage
he or she is due may not make headlines, but it makes a
huge difference in the lives of individuals. Tim Johnson
and his staff understand that.
I will never forget seeing Tim Johnson walk onto the
Senate floor on September 5, 2007--less than a year after
a brain hemorrhage nearly killed him. The courage and
strength it took to come back from such a trauma is hard
to imagine. Senator Mark Kirk, my partner from Illinois,
told me that during his own recovery from a stroke, if he
ever felt like giving up, he would ask himself: ``What
would Tim Johnson do?''
Dedication to public service is a family trait in the
Johnson family. Barb's work on behalf of children and
families has made life better for so many. Kelsey is an
advocate for breast cancer awareness and research. Brendan
is the U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota. And
Brooks is in the National Guard following Army service in
Bosnia, Kosovo, South Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Some time ago, the chief and people of the Cheyenne
River Sioux Tribe honored Senator Johnson by bestowing on
him a Lakota name. His Lakota name is Wacante Ognake. In
English, it means ``holds the people in his heart.''
That is the spirit that has guided Tim Johnson
throughout his public life.
I wish Tim and Barb the very 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. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my
friend and colleague from South Dakota, Senator Tim
Johnson, who is retiring at end of this year. Tim has an
impressively long career in public service, representing
his home State of South Dakota in Congress for the last 28
years.
Tim is often described as ``a workhorse, not a show
horse,'' and with good reason. His values, passion, and
work ethic are reflected in the projects he has championed
and the constituent services he has provided for the
people of South Dakota. Following his AVM in 2006, Senator
Johnson came into the national spotlight which he so
seldom sought. All were inspired by his perseverance and
dedication to the people of South Dakota to return to do
the work he loves, and the Senate has been better for it.
As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee, Tim championed important water projects to
bring clean drinking water to rural communities and Indian
reservations, pressed for the development of renewable
fuels, and supported efforts to build vital infrastructure
throughout rural America. Through his position on the
Appropriations Committee, he fought to see these efforts
through from planning to completion.
Farmers and ranchers throughout his State could count on
Tim to be a strong voice for agriculture, advancing their
priorities in numerous farm bills. His leadership on
country of origin labeling, COOL, laid important
groundwork to support our Nation's producers and ensure
consumers know where their food comes from--a fight that
continues today.
Tim has also been a champion for veterans, working to
improve the benefits they are owed and connecting South
Dakota veterans with support and services in their
communities. He was able to secure advanced appropriations
for the Veterans Administration, providing budget
certainty and ensuring access to health care for those who
have so bravely served their country.
Tim has a strong relationship with the tribes in South
Dakota and is considered a steadfast and valued friend in
Indian Country. He has tirelessly pressed for the Federal
Government to meet its treaty and trust responsibilities.
While significant challenges remain, Tim Johnson's legacy
as an advocate for Native American issues has improved the
quality of life on many reservations. This commitment will
be missed both in the Senate and on the Indian Affairs
Committee.
Senator Johnson brought his passion for rural and Native
American issues to the Senate Banking Committee. Under his
chairmanship, the work of the committee highlighted the
often-overlooked needs in these communities--and he was a
champion during our efforts on housing finance reform to
make sure they could receive the resources they so
desperately need. Strengthening small community banks,
improving housing, and reauthorizing critical highway and
transit programs are just a few of the initiatives
Chairman Johnson undertook, and it was a pleasure working
under his leadership.
Throughout all of these accomplishments, accolades, and
challenges, Tim has remained true to his roots. He has
never taken his public service for granted and has always
considered it a privilege to serve the people of South
Dakota. The impact of his work during his time in Congress
will be seen in communities throughout his State for years
to come, and he has certainly left his mark on South
Dakota politics. I wish him the very best as he and his
wife Barbara embark on this new chapter and get to enjoy
more time with their family back in South Dakota.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to
retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that
Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December
23, 2014.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell
to my colleague and friend Senator Tim Johnson.
Tim has deep roots in South Dakota and in the towns of
Canton and Vermillion in particular. He has served our
State for more than 35 years, first in the State
legislature and then, after winning a highly competitive
primary against two well-known Democratic opponents, in
the Halls of Congress. In 1996, after a decade in the U.S.
House of Representatives, Tim won his first of three terms
in the U.S. Senate. I am well acquainted with his second
election because I came out on the short end of that
stick. But I have had the privilege of serving with Tim
now in the South Dakota delegation for over 16 years, and
the last 10 have been here in the Senate. Today I want to
pay tribute to his many years of public service and all he
has done for our home State.
I would also like to take a moment to thank Senator
Johnson's staff for their dedicated work. They have worked
closely with my staff for many years, and I am grateful
for their efforts.
Like many South Dakotans, I will always remember Tim as
a fighter. South Dakotans are tough, rugged folks, and Tim
has exemplified that spirit every day in the Senate. A big
part of his legacy as a public servant will be his
tenacity, his work ethic, and his unwavering focus on the
policies he believed to be in the best interest of South
Dakota.
Tim and I haven't always seen eye to eye on every issue,
but we have always been able to come together and work
with South Dakotans in times of crisis. From drought
relief, to flood and tornado responses, to protecting the
Black Hills from wildfires, Senator Johnson and I have
always been able to quickly respond to the needs of our
State regardless of party differences or past
disagreements.
Mr. President, when you represent a State like South
Dakota--what some people like to call a flyover State, a
State some of our colleagues here in the Senate
occasionally mix up with North Dakota--there are days when
it can seem as though the concerns of rural Americans
aren't given fair consideration and the needs of rural
America are not being heard by the administration or the
more densely populated areas of our country.
I have had the great pleasure of working with Tim to
bring a voice to the concerns of rural America and those
of us who hail from the middle of the country. To
highlight just one of the many examples I could bring up,
since his first term in Congress Tim has fought tirelessly
for water infrastructure to deliver clean drinking water
to families in South Dakota and throughout the Great
Plains. Water is a vital resource in the rural expanses of
South Dakota, and Tim's efforts have helped meet this
basic need in underserved Indian reservations, small
towns, and rural areas across the State. These investments
will pay dividends well beyond his tenure in the Senate.
Throughout Tim's long career in public service--from his
beginnings in the legislature to his ascension to the
chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee--he has had a
hand in numerous efforts that will help South Dakotans and
Americans alike for generations to come.
I know I speak for all South Dakotans when I say thank
you, Tim, for your dedication and your service to our
great State. It has been an honor to serve with you here
in the U.S. Senate. Thank you for your example, your
efforts on behalf of our beloved South Dakota, and most of
all for your friendship. On behalf of my wife Kimberly and
me, I wish you, Barbara, and your family the very best as
you begin your retirement.
Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Friday, December 12, 2014
Mr. ENZI. Madam President, it is a tradition here in the
Senate to take a moment before the end of each session of
Congress to express our appreciation for the service of
those Members who will be retiring at the end of the year.
It is always a difficult time to lose some of our best and
brightest. One fellow Senator I know we will all miss is
Tim Johnson.
Tim has had quite a remarkable career and legacy of
service to South Dakota of which he should be very proud.
He came to the Senate to work for the people of his State
and he did such a good job they kept sending him back. It
has been a mutual admiration society--the people of South
Dakota and Tim.
Tim followed a proven path of success for his service in
Congress by first serving in the South Dakota State
Legislature. He had a knack for getting things done there
that it prompted him to serve in the House as South
Dakota's at-large Representative. He quickly developed a
reputation in the House as someone who had an abundance of
good ideas. As a freshman he had a list of bills he had
dropped in that was longer than any other freshman in the
House. It was clear to everyone that Tim was the kind of
person who knew how to get results.
Tim and I were part of the same freshman class of the
Senate. Over the years I have enjoyed having a chance to
come to know him. He has proved to be a good friend, a
great ally, and someone who was willing to work with
Members on all sides to get things done for South Dakota
and our Nation.
For me, it meant a great deal to have a Senator from a
neighboring State who had an understanding of our
agriculture industry. As I have often said, urban life is
very different from rural life and it was good to have
someone to work with whose background made those issues
and the need for action clear to him.
That is one of the reasons why Tim has such a strong
understanding of one of the key issues of the West--water.
For many of us water is something that we take for
granted. It is easy. You turn on the tap and you can have
as much as you want.
Unfortunately, for our rural communities, it is not that
easy. Water is a precious commodity--down to the last
drop. In fact, just about everyone from the West has heard
the old adage, ``Whiskey is for drinking, water is for
fighting!''
It is a message that has stayed with Tim throughout his
service in the House and the Senate. It has been a
priority for him to ensure that good, clean water supplies
are available to everyone in South Dakota and the West.
That is why you will find his legislative record of
accomplishments filled with his efforts to pass
infrastructure projects to ensure our water supplies would
be both reliable and available.
I could go on about his other accomplishments and our
work together on agriculture issues but I would be here
for quite a long time and not begin to make a dent in what
he has been able to achieve during his career. Let me just
say that the work Tim began in the State legislature and
continued when he came to Congress has helped to make
South Dakota what it is today. I think by any standard he
has done a good job and made the people of his home State
proud.
Through the years, Tim has had some health problems, but
he never let them stop him or slow him down in his work
for South Dakota. Sometimes I think of him as a warrior--a
quiet one--who is blessed with a spirit to work for the
people of South Dakota that just cannot be diminished.
When I think of Tim I will always think of him as
someone who leads the best way, by example. I have learned
a lot from him over the years and I think we have made a
difference together in our shared commitment to our
Nation's agriculture industry. We have worked on a lot of
bills together and by placing both our names on a bill we
made it a bipartisan effort that I would like to think
drew a lot of other Members to our side to work with us.
Thank you, Tim, for your service, not only to South
Dakota but to the West and to all our Nation. You have a
lot to look back on with the satisfaction that comes from
having done a job and done it well. Diana joins in sending
our best wishes to you for your hard work and determined
effort to address the problems and challenges of our
Nation. Thanks, too, for your friendship. Good luck on the
next chapter of the great adventure of your life.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, the senior Senator from
South Dakota, Tim Johnson, is as fine a public servant as
I have known. These are words I have used before about
Senator Johnson. As he approaches his retirement from the
Senate, they are as true now as ever before.
Senator Johnson embodies the traits of a dedicated
public servant. He represents South Dakotans with every
fiber of his being. He is the great-grandson of a
homesteader who settled in South Dakota when it was still
a territory. And he has never lost sight of the interests
of the constituents he has served in Congress for more
than 25 years. Never one to rest on the job, he introduced
more legislation in his freshman term than any of the
almost 50 new Members of Congress that term.
Vermont and South Dakota share similar rural challenges,
and in Senator Johnson, I have found a partner in such
efforts as protecting rural schools and giving them a
voice in national competitions like Race to the Top. He
and I share a strong commitment to supporting small family
farms, an effort he has been recognized for by the
National Farmers Union and others. Through the
Appropriations Committee, Senator Johnson has been a
stalwart defender of our Nation's veterans, and through
his chairmanship of the Banking Committee, he has fought
for middle class families with steadfast diligence.
Senator Johnson has faced no shortage of challenges in
his life. But with his wife Barbara by his side, he has
met all of these challenges with determination and with
grace, and he remains a fierce defender of South Dakota
and a friend. As he retires from the Senate, I wish him,
Barbara, his children and grandchildren and his entire
family all of our best wishes.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final days
of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect
on the past and to look toward the future. I have been
very moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our
departing Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute
to each one of them. They have all been wonderful
colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know
every one of them. I wish them all the very best in all
their future endeavors. They will most certainly be
missed. ...
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I
wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will
not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to
run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection
campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in
order of seniority.
Mr. President, I wish to begin with Senator Tim Johnson.
After several years of service in South Dakota, where he
received the Outstanding Citizen Award and the Billie
Sutton Award for Legislative Achievement, Tim was elected
to the House of Representatives in 1986. He served there
for 10 years, earning many distinctions, among them, one
for passing more legislation than the other 50 first-term
Members. In 1996 he was elected to the Senate, where he
has served three terms. In recent years Senator Johnson
has served as chairman of the Banking Committee, of which
he has been a member since 1997. Over the years he has
advocated for community banks in South Dakota, worked to
pass the Safe and Fair Deposit Insurance Act of 2005,
which updated the Federal deposit insurance system, and
pushed to deal with the special needs of consumers in
rural areas. Tim has also shown immense courage in dealing
with health issues and has been an exemplary public
servant. We will miss him next year and wish him and
Barbara well. ...
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the
contributions of Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota, who
is retiring at the end of this year.
Senator Johnson has served South Dakota in the House and
the Senate for nearly 28 years. He was elected to the
House in 1986 and was elected to the Senate in 1996.
During those 28 years, Senator Johnson has been an
advocate for bipartisanship to get results in Congress. In
fact, bipartisanship could be considered one of the
campaign platforms that first got him elected to Congress.
As he related in his farewell remarks on this floor last
week, when he first ran for the House of Representatives,
he told the people of South Dakota that neither party had
all the answers, that both parties had good ideas, and
that both parties had men and women of good will. ``My
job, as I understood it, would be to work in a bipartisan
manner, listening to all parties and reaching a good fit--
also known as compromise.''
Twenty-eight years later, it is clear that he not only
understood his job well then, but his efforts to
compromise have paid big dividends for South Dakota. Over
the years he has worked on a number of issues, from the
farm bill, to highway funding, to flood relief and to
protect South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base.
No one Senator can deliver results on their own, but by
working across the aisle, Tim has not only done well for
his constituents but has gained a good reputation here in
the Senate. He has served in leadership positions on the
Senate Banking Committee, which he currently chairs, as
well as the Senate Appropriations, Energy and Natural
Resources, and Indian Affairs Committees. On each of these
committees, Senator Johnson has championed issues that are
important to the people of his State but has always done
so with an eye toward fairness--listening to all parties,
promoting compromise, and doing what is right for working
people across the country.
For these reasons, Senator Johnson is well-respected and
has earned the good will of the Senate. When he was faced
with the challenge of a lifetime--a brain hemorrhage in
2006--he was supported by a Senate community that set
aside partisanship and political calculations. Everyone
wanted to see him recover. When he returned to the Senate
after months of recovery, he was welcomed by the whole
community. Tim continues to be a profile in courage.
His legacy is one of compromise and collaboration--two
attributes that are critical to the functioning of this
body and two attributes which we would do well to
remember.
We will all miss Senator Johnson in the Senate. Aloha to
him, his wife Barbara, his three children, and his six
grandchildren, and a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''
Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to celebrate and thank
the 13 outgoing Senators who have worked tirelessly to
represent their home States in the Senate: Senator Mark
Begich, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator Tom Coburn,
Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike
Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu,
Senator Carl Levin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Jay
Rockefeller, Senator Mark Udall, and Senator John Walsh.
I have worked side by side with these men and women for
years--some for decades--and witnessed first hand their
extraordinary commitment to public service and to the
people they so proudly represent.
Even when we didn't see eye to eye on every issue, I
always deeply respected and admired their service to our
Nation and their dedication to fight for what they believe
in.
It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and
every one of these extraordinary colleagues. I will miss
their leadership and their friendship, and I wish them all
the best as they embark on the next chapter.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I wish to pay tribute to a
man I have admired throughout my career in this Chamber,
Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota. I am proud to call
Tim my friend.
Long before Senator Johnson and I crossed paths in the
Senate, we were both studying at Michigan State
University--I was an undergrad while Senator Johnson was
doing postgraduate studies. In fact, his parents retired
in the East Lansing area. I know that Senator Johnson
considers the University of South Dakota to be his alma
mater, but I will always think of him as a fellow Spartan.
All of us here are committed to public service, to
defending the Constitution and to protecting our Nation
against foreign threats, but few of us have had our
commitment tested as Senator Johnson has.
In 2004 Senator Johnson learned that he had prostate
cancer, but he was determined to beat it and to continue
representing the people of South Dakota. ``I wish this was
something that wasn't happening to me,'' he said. ``But I
will deal with it head on,'' and he did. He had surgery,
then he made a full recovery, and was soon back to work.
In 2006 we were all shocked to learn that Senator
Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage--and for weeks we
hoped and prayed for him and his family. Incredibly, he
again made a full recovery--and he again came back to
work.
That is commitment. That is a Senator with a deep
appreciation for the privilege of serving the people of
South Dakota. That is Tim Johnson
Despite the personal health issues Senator Johnson
experienced, he succeeded in leading passage of the Safe
and Fair Deposit Insurance Act of 2005, a law that 3 years
later was critical to keeping America's deposits safe
during a time of great economic turmoil. As chair of the
Senate Banking Committee we have relied on his leadership
and judgment in reducing risk in the financial sector and
in ensuring that Dodd-Frank reforms were implemented
effectively.
I will miss our work together to improve the health care
of American veterans, and I will miss the opportunity I
have had through the years to work with Senator Johnson on
empowering small family farms to compete in the modern
marketplace and to help ethanol producers expand their
place in our Nation's renewable energy future.
Knowing how important it was for ranchers to be able to
tell consumers their meat products came from the United
States, Senator Johnson has been a champion of country of
origin labeling since going back to the 2002 farm bill,
and since then he has helped to strengthen and fully
implement the law, a mission that carried over to the 2014
farm bill that I authored as chair of the Agriculture
Committee.
In addition, Senator Johnson has been a forceful
advocate for the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards
Administration rules that ensure that family farmers and
ranchers are able to compete on a level playing field.
I know how much Senator Johnson has loved policymaking,
so I know he must have agonized over this decision. But I
also know that the love and devotion he has for his family
comes first, and now he will be able to spend more time
with his wife Barbara, his two sons, his daughter, and all
his grandchildren.
Tim, thank you for being such a strong, resilient, and
resourceful partner and friend through the years. I wish
you a happy and successful retirement with your family.