[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



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                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                     Tim Johnson

                              United States Congressman

                                      1987-1997

                                United States Senator

                                      1997-2015

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                            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.