[Senate Document 113-33]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
TRIBUTES TO HON. MARY L. LANDRIEU
Mary L. Landrieu
U.S. SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA
TRIBUTES
IN THE CONGRESS OF
THE UNITED STATES
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. Doc. 113-33
Tributes
Delivered in Congress
Mary L. Landrieu
United States Senator
1997-2015
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2015
Compiled under the direction
of the
Joint Committee on Printing
CONTENTS
Biography.............................................
v
Farewell Address......................................
vii
Proceedings in the Senate:
Tributes by Senators:
Begich, Mark, of Alaska........................
12
Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
6
Booker, Cory A., of New Jersey.................
11
Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
32
Cantwell, Maria, of Washington.................
25
Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
16
Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
31
Coats, Daniel, of Indiana......................
14
Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
5
Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
3
Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina.............
20
Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
30
Heinrich, Martin, of New Mexico................
19
Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
20
Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
34
Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
10
Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
29
Manchin, Joe, III, of West Virginia............
8
Markey, Edward J., of Massachusetts............
18
Merkley, Jeff, of Oregon.......................
7
Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
3
Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
23
Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
31
Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
32
Vitter, David, of Louisiana....................
6
Warner, Mark R., of Virginia...................
15
BIOGRAPHY
Mary L. Landrieu has been fighting and winning for
Louisiana since she was first elected to the Louisiana
State Legislature at the age of 23. After serving 8 years
as a State representative and two terms as State
treasurer, in 1996 she became the first woman from
Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Landrieu was the chair of the Senate Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources, chair of the Appropriations
Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a member of the
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Small
Business and Entrepreneurship Committees. The nonpartisan
Congress.org ranked Senator Landrieu as the tenth most
effective legislator in the Senate.
In 2014, Senator Landrieu was appointed chair of the
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She became
the first woman to lead the committee and the first
Louisiana Senator to hold the gavel since J. Bennett
Johnston nearly 20 years prior. The Senate Energy
Committee sets policy for the Nation's oil and gas
industry, the top job creator and economic engine for
Louisiana. In 2006, Senator Landrieu spearheaded the
landmark Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security
Act (GOMESA). The bill expanded oil and gas production in
the Gulf of Mexico by more than 8 million acres. It also
shares the revenues produced offshore--an estimated $6
billion annually--with Louisiana to fund the State's 50-
year, $50 billion coastal master plan to protect
Louisiana's coastal communities from storm surges and
coastal erosion.
Senator Landrieu was the leading voice in Washington for
the gulf coast recovery effort. In the wake of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita and the failures of the Federal levee
system, she secured more than $120 billion in recovery
dollars and worked extensively to jump start recovery
projects. She was committed to reforming the Federal
Emergency Management Agency to ensure the Nation's
disaster response arm is speedy and effective the next
time a disaster strikes the United States, be it natural
or manmade.
In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster,
Senator Landrieu passed the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act, a
bipartisan, regional approach to address the immense
economic and environmental damage to America's working
coast. The RESTORE Act directs 80 percent of the Clean
Water Act penalties paid by BP directly to the gulf coast.
This represents the largest single investment in
environmental restoration in our Nation's history. Senator
Landrieu helped build a strong, bipartisan, hard-working
coalition of Congress Members to pass the RESTORE Act
through Congress with overwhelming support.
As the former chair of the Small Business Committee,
Senator Landrieu led the effort to ensure all small
businesses have access to capital and contracts, superior
health insurance at a low cost, and the resources needed
to help boost our economy and guarantee America's
competitiveness in the global marketplace.
As one of the chairs on the Senate Appropriations
Committee, Senator Landrieu was a strong and effective
voice for Louisiana. In 2012, the Senate appointed Senator
Landrieu chair of the Appropriations Committee's important
Subcommittee on Homeland Security. This subcommittee is
responsible for drafting legislation to fund the
Department of Homeland Security's 20 offices and 7
subagencies. The Appropriations Committee is considered
the most powerful panel on Capitol Hill. From this seat,
she fought for Louisiana's jobs and economic interests and
the funding the State needed to rebuild from the 2005 and
2008 hurricanes.
Senator Landrieu is married to Frank Snellings of
Monroe, LA, and has two children and one grandson.
Farewell to the Senate
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, it is my pleasure to take
a few minutes on the floor to give a farewell message, and
I thank you for your courtesies. I begin with a Scripture,
Philippians 4:7, New American Standard Bible, that reads:
``And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.''
Truly for the first time in my adult life I have felt
that extraordinary peace about something that was
unexpected, but is certainly something that I accept. It
has really been amazing as a Christian, as an adult, and
as a leader to find myself in this place in a time that
should be a time of sadness, but all I can feel is actual
joy. It is quite amazing.
It has never happened to me before, so I thought it
would be wonderful to share--with so many of my friends,
supporters, family, staff, and colleagues listening in--
for a few minutes to say that it is absolutely true, and I
am a testimony to this extraordinary peace since just a
few days before the election and since then. I think it is
because I feel and know that God has called me to another
place.
Before being a Senator, a wife, and a daughter, I am a
Christian, and my faith really is central to my life. My
parents always taught me to put my faith where it
belongs--in God himself. So it is really with that sense
of gratitude and joy that I have been given an opportunity
to serve my State, my region, and my country for now
almost 34 years--which is quite amazing--having started at
a very young age and still being relatively young.
So let me just share some remarks about that time, and
particularly the time here in the Senate. I want to begin
by thanking my family, and particularly my extraordinary
husband Frank, who has been a partner and, as I said on
election night, not only an encouraging and supportive
partner but one who has literally egged me on. When I
wanted to quit, he would say, ``No, you have to continue
to serve.'' He is not only an accomplished lawyer and
professional, but also an elected official in his own
right. He came from a family that was dedicated to public
service, having both of his parents being very active in
party politics--first the Republican Party and then the
Democratic Party. But that is a whole other story. They
are both strong civil rights leaders--my husband as well--
and are always encouraging me and are willing to share the
burdens of public life as well as sharing in the great
joy.
Our son Connor is now 23 years old, and our daughter
Mary Shannon is now 17. The reason I mention that is
because Connor was 5 when we were elected to the Senate.
Mary Shannon was adopted the 1st year we were here. On
election night, she looked at me--and she is just so
beautiful at 17--and she said, ``Mom, it is going to be a
little strange. I have only known you as a Senator.'' So I
warned her that now I am going to be a full-time mom. This
is going to be a real problem for her. She is not looking
forward to it.
To our new daughter-in-law Emily, and especially to our
precious little Maddox Parker Snellings, who many people
saw on election night--now, Maddox gets the distinction.
He is 10 months old, but he gives me the most joy, and I
used to keep a picture of him during all my debates. There
were only three, as you all will remember, but I would
keep a picture of him because my staff kept telling me,
``You have to smile more.'' I kept saying, ``But I can't,
because I am really aggravated.'' They said, ``No, you
have to smile.'' So my solution was to put a picture of
Maddox on my podium and, of course, I then smiled through
the whole debate. That is a trick for those who will be
continuing to debate.
To my mother and father, who are the light of not only
our family but the light of our community, the light of
the Nation in many ways--they had 9 children, 37
grandchildren, and now 6 great-grandchildren. They are in
wonderful health, they are watching right now, and I can
only say they are two of the most extraordinary
individuals I have ever known. Our family is truly blessed
by their sacrificial leadership.
Let me also mention my eight siblings--eight brothers
and sisters: Mark, Melanie, Michelle, Mitchell, Madeleine,
Martin, Melinda, and Maurice, Jr.--all M's. That is
another story. There are all of our spouses, my nieces and
nephews, who campaigned with me up until the last day. My
godchild Sasha literally knocked on doors with me. I was
teaching her how to knock on doors before the campaign was
over so the tradition could carry on in our own
neighborhood where we have lived since I was 5 years old--
Broadmoor in New Orleans.
When I first got here 18 years ago, I literally could
not find the side door. I didn't know anything. I wasn't
even expecting to be here. It was kind of like a dream
that I got here, because I had run for Governor, wanted to
be the Governor, and served 16 years in my State. I knew
that was what I was being called to do--and I see Lamar
Alexander--to change our education system, to do some
coastal work, and then I landed here. But I literally knew
nothing of how to be a Senator.
I stumbled a great deal in my first years. But I want to
thank my chiefs of staff, Norma Jane Sabiston, Ron
Faucheux, Jason Matthews, Jane Campbell, and Don Cravins.
I had five of the most remarkable chiefs of staff, who,
with me, learned how to do this job and to do it well. We
never forget where we came from, and they are still--all
of them--with me, and all of us are still working to make
our State the very best that it can be and to make our
country the very best that it can be.
To three staffers who have been with me for almost 20
years--Alicia Williams is the longest serving office
manager, I think, in the Senate. She was here when I
arrived and stayed with me. She was with Bennett Johnston.
T. Bradley Keith has been with me for 22 years as a former
staffer in a former life, before I was a Senator, and now
as my longtime State director. And Shannon Langlois has
been, I think, with the Senate for almost 30 years. She is
a caseworker. She was, again, with Bennett Johnston and
stayed with me. She has literally given her life to
thousands, hundreds of thousands of cases in Louisiana and
trained every caseworker that I had for 18 years, and they
just did phenomenal work.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record my
current staff, all of whom are here--my personal staff, my
energy staff, and my homeland security staff.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
Personal Staff of Mary Landrieu
Alexander Damato, Alex Sewell, Alicia Williams, Alyson
Azodeh, Andrew Holleman, Ashley Scott, Christina Jones,
Christopher Etienne, DerKirra Wilkerson, Don Cravins, Eva
Kemp-Melder, Jaren Hill, James ``Wes'' Kungel, Jim
Simpson, Katie Lewallen, Lauren Spangler, Leslie Leavoy,
Libby Whitbeck, Matthew Lehner, Marianna Knister, Megan
Blanco.
Rob Sawicki, Ross Nodurft, Will Harris, Whitney Reitz,
Zach Butterworth, Zephranie Buetow, Kelsey Teo, Meghann
Morin, Shannon Langlois, T. Bradley Keith, Terrence
Lockett, Sherae' Hunter, Laverne Saulny, Cathleen
Berthelot, Zach Monroe, Tani Bradford, LeNelle Williford,
Michael Jackson, Mark Herbert, Darlene Manuel.
Energy Committee Staff
Elizabeth ``Liz'' Craddock, Afton Zaunbrecher, Aisha
Johnson, Allen Paul Stayman, Bryan Petit, Caroline
Bruckner, Clayton Allen, Dan Adamson, Darla Ripchensky,
David Brooks, David Gillers, Dominic Taylor, Elizabeth
Weiner, Fayenisha Matthews, Herman Bubba Gesser III, Jan
Brunner, Jonathon Burpee, Kristen Granier, Lindsay
McDonough, Mark Tiner, Megan Brewster, Meghan Conklin,
Paul Davis, Renae Black, Sallie Derr, Sam Edward Fowler,
Sa'Rah Hamm, Will Dempster.
Homeland Appropriations Staff
Stephanie Gupta, Drenan Dudley, Scott Nance, Chip
Walgren, Colin MacDermott, Eric Bader.
Ms. LANDRIEU. Madam President, I want to thank Don
Cravins, again, as my chief of staff; Liz Craddock, staff
director of my Energy Committee; and Stephanie Gupta, head
of homeland security. I know I am leaving them in good
hands with what they are going to be doing in the future
and with the great leadership that remains here.
I only have a few minutes, so I will just run through a
couple of the highlights of some of the accomplishments
that I am most proud of. I want to take this opportunity
to thank so many who helped, because the one thing I have
learned that most certainly is true, is that if you want
to accomplish really big things here--really great things,
generational things--you most certainly cannot do that
alone. So the first thing you need to do is look for a
really good partner--and I mean a partner that will be
with you through thick and thin. Sometimes you are lucky
enough to find those kinds of partners, and I found them
on both sides of the aisle.
The first major piece of legislation I introduced was
something that was in my heart for so long, and that was
the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. The cosponsors of
that bill, amazingly, were Frank Murkowski from Alaska,
Trent Lott from Mississippi, John Breaux from Louisiana,
and Senator Dianne Feinstein from California. Chris Dodd
joined me a few days later after we introduced it--and Ron
Wyden, Chris Bond, John Warner, and Thad Cochran, just to
name a few.
At the end of this effort--although this particular bill
didn't pass; we missed it literally by inches, and I will
describe what that was in a minute--we had 4,500
organizations throughout the country, from the Sierra Club
to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and everyone in between in
a broad coalition to fund the Land and Water Conservation
Fund. Lamar Alexander knows more about this than I could
ever know, and he will tell you one day the details about
the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Udalls and the
Udalls' fathers were very instrumental in the creation of
the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It was a promise
made but never kept--that this country would set aside
about $900 million a year to purchase land, to build our
parks, and to secure recreational opportunities. This
country is so blessed--more than any on Earth--with the
amount of natural resources we have, and we have not lived
up to that promise.
So I introduced this bill as a young legislator. John
Breaux said, ``You don't even know what you are doing; how
are you introducing a bill like this?'' I said, ``I don't
know, but I am just going for it because I believe in
it.'' So we never passed it, but it has been in part of
almost every piece of energy legislation--in pieces and
parts since that day we introduced that. I am very hopeful
that war will go on under Senator Murkowski, the daughter
of Frank Murkowski, and Maria Cantwell, who in many ways
got to the Senate because she defeated one of the
gentlemen who opposed us on this bill and used it as a
platform to get here. So I know she will be committed to
finishing the work.
The bill did three things. It fully funded the Land and
Water Conservation Fund, a trust fund that will go on for
generations. It would fully fund coastal restoration,
which is so important not just to Louisiana, because we
are literally falling away into the Gulf of Mexico, but it
will help Sheldon Whitehouse in his work. It will help
Dick Durbin along the Great Lakes, and it will help Cory
Booker in New Jersey. If you allocate the funding
correctly, it will be grants that these coastal
communities can use until we figure out how to clean our
atmosphere and how to stop the tremendous pressures that
are coming on our coast. Louisiana knows this. We have
experienced the worst disasters literally in the history
of our country, and they are only getting worse. I will
talk about that more in a minute.
But it was because we had laid the groundwork for CARA,
Pete Domenici literally felt so sorry for me--he knew how
hard we had worked and the coalition was so disappointed
when we lost--that he directed, literally with the stroke
of a pen, $1 billion to the gulf coast in the energy bill
for 2005. That money was divided 50 percent to Louisiana
and 50 percent to the other States.
Now, I can promise everyone here that for the $500
million that went to Louisiana, we can account for every
penny of it. We know exactly where it went, and we put
that down as a downpayment to restoring our coast, which
doesn't just belong to us--it belongs to the whole Nation.
This is the greatest, the seventh largest delta on the
planet. It is what Thomas Jefferson leveraged the whole
entire Treasury of the United States to purchase. It is
something worth fighting for. We would not be a country
without the Mississippi Delta, and we could never have
found our way west if we couldn't have supplied the great
center of this Nation with the commerce they needed.
Every State along this river--19 of them--use this river
and understand what I am talking about. Amy Klobuchar
understands this. She is at the top of this river, and I
am at the bottom, and we have talked a lot about how
important that corridor is. That needs to continue.
Then there was the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act,
which I finally passed with Pete Domenici's help, who was
my dear friend and one of the most wonderful leaders I
have ever worked with. He came from a family with eight
children. We had nine, and we are both Catholic and came
from the same sort of background. He served with such
passion. So he joined with me in passing the Gulf of
Mexico Energy Security Act, which finally secured a
permanent stream of revenue for coastal restoration and
protection.
But as Lamar Alexander knows, it left out the land and
water, and it left out wildlife. We just couldn't lift it
all, so that needs to be corrected.
Finally, there is the RESTORE Act, which I worked on
with my colleagues when the BP oil spill killed 11 people
in the gulf and spilled 5 million barrels of oil in the
gulf. Thanks go to Barbara Boxer, this extraordinary woman
who has been a partner with me. We think very differently
about the world. We see things very differently.
California is very different from Louisiana. But I will
say one thing about Barbara Boxer. If I had to be in a
foxhole with someone, I would want to be with her because
she never stops fighting. She and I are very much alike in
that regard. Once we set our minds to something there is
no dividing us.
People asked why did I send her money for her
reelection? Why did I raise so much money from Louisiana?
I said that I would do it again because when no one would
stand up--well, not no one, but if she hadn't stood up
when that BP oil spill went down, and said, ``I am chair
of this committee and I believe the gulf coast deserves
this funding,'' we just wouldn't have had it. It is as
simple as that. People do not know how powerful a chairman
is here. When a chairman makes up their mind and they say
this is what we are going to do, the rest of the
committee, for the most part, goes along. And so Barbara
said that.
Senator Vitter, who is the ranking member on that
committee, put his shoulder to the wheel, and we were able
to get--well, it is still in court, but we think--a
serious downpayment to recover from one of the great
ecological disasters of our State, of our country, which
is the loss of the gulf coast. This just isn't in
Louisiana. This is Texas and Mississippi, and it is going
to affect parts of the whole country. But we are on the
mend.
I came here to do that work. I came to find money. I
found it, and we are going to continue that work. I am
thrilled to work with so many of you to get that done.
On education--Lamar has to leave, but I am glad he is
here because I found a great soulmate in Lamar Alexander--
former Secretary of Education, former Governor, a
Presidential candidate, and absolutely extraordinarily
committed to finding a better way for our children in
America to be educated. As proud as we are of the public
school system, at the turn of the century, when people in
the world were wondering how to build the middle class and
lots of countries were struggling with how to do that,
America knew. America knew that if you educated your
citizens--women, boys, and girls; not just boys, which is
what half the world still does, which is a tragedy--if we
open up our schools for universal, free education, along
with other things, it would lift your country to greatness
unsurpassed in the history of the world.
What breaks my heart is to walk into schools today--and
Mark Warner knows this because he was Governor of
Virginia--and see children's eyes just completely dulled,
sitting there completely bored, teachers who are just sort
of going through the motions. It breaks my heart because I
know that not only does it limit their lives but it limits
the potential of our Nation.
With Lamar Alexander and a handful of Democrats, I was
proud to work with Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush
to pass a series of laws. Evan Bayh comes to mind, Joe
Lieberman, John Breaux, and a group of us stood up and
said, ``It is time to stop sending money to the States
without accountability.'' If we need to send money, we
need to hold States accountable, and we need to give
opportunities for choice to parents and public charter
schools.
I am reluctant to go too far on vouchers. You have heard
my speech on that. You heard Senator Feinstein's speech on
that. But both of us have agreed to support some kinds of
strategic vouchers that help poor kids get out of failing
schools until we can fix them.
Most important, I support high-performing public charter
schools, and I will continue to fight that for the rest of
my days. I thank all of you who helped on that and
particularly Tom Carper on the Democratic side and Lamar
Alexander. Cory Booker has been an amazing leader and will
hopefully continue on that. I thank Dick Durbin, who is on
Appropriations. I had to twist his arm a little bit on
some of it, but he ended up coming around and has been an
amazing fighter for the right kinds of public schools that
serve the children first and the bureaucracy and
administration second. I respect teachers. I respect
administrators. But our schools should work for the
children and their families who so desperately want them
to have a great education.
The third issue I wish to speak about, which is a legacy
issue, is adoption. I hope I can get through this without
tearing up. I don't know why I have always had such
passion for this issue.
My mother had nine children without one single problem.
As a young child, I remember my aunt adopted two children.
I think it might have been that; I can't remember exactly.
I started to think about all the children in the world who
don't have parents. Maybe I was just always so proud when
I filled out those forms in Catholic school. I can
remember sitting there filling them out: Are your parents
divorced or married? I loved checking ``married.'' How
many siblings do you have? I loved putting ``eight.'' I
was always so proud of my family.
I thought, what do children without parents do? I just
could not imagine. So I got very passionate about it. I
ended up, of all things, marrying an orphan. My husband
was adopted out of an orphanage. So I thought, yes, this
is going in the right direction. I thought I would adopt
children. I thought he could not say no since he himself
was adopted, and so this would work out. Sure enough, we
ended up adopting two children.
But this was my passion before I met my husband and
before I even thought about adopting. It was as if God put
this in my heart, so I have taken it and carried it.
I thank Dave Camp; Jim Oberstar, who is deceased; Tom
Bliley from Virginia, who is a great leader among us;
Larry Craig, who is no longer here, who served as my
cochair; and Senator Jesse Helms. Amazingly, I didn't know
to be afraid of Jesse Helms; I thought he was a really
nice guy. Later, everybody had to tell me how hard he was
to get along with. But I went up to him, and I thought he
would surely want to help because he had adopted a child.
I don't think a lot of people realize that. Sure enough he
did, and we passed a great treaty together that serves as
the model for international adoption today. Joe Biden was
the ranking member on the committee. With Jesse Helms' and
Joe Biden's support, we passed a great treaty years ago,
and we are still in the process of making that possible
and working it through.
The accomplishments are really quite long. I will only
say that Bob Casey worked on and took up the cause of the
adoption tax credit when he got here--I am thrilled and
hope we can keep it. I would like to say to Amy Klobuchar
how much I appreciate her agreeing to step in and take
over the leadership of the Adoption Caucus on this side
and Roy Blunt, who I think will take it up on the
Republican side and continue this great work.
There are over 100,000 children who are waiting for
families in the United States. There are over 500,000
children in foster care. These children think it is their
fault they are there, and it is not. It is not their fault
that their family disintegrated around them. It is not
their fault that they got pregnant at 11 and were kicked
out of their house. Instead of the family wrapping that
child in their arms and helping them to grow, they just
kicked them out on the street. It is not their fault.
We need to realize that God does not make trash. He
never has, and he never will. Everybody he has made has a
purpose and dignity, and we need to honor that and do
better work. I have spent a lot of time here on it. I am
going to continue to do so. I will never stop working on
it. I am very proud of the work we have done.
On energy very quickly and then finally disaster
recovery. I couldn't have been prouder when I became the
chair of this committee. It was quite a miracle. I didn't
expect it. I never thought I would last long enough to
become the chair because there were so many people ahead
of me. It kind of worked out when Max Baucus left to go to
China and Tim Johnson was retiring that it fell to me. It
has been my great joy for 9 months to serve as chair, with
Lisa Murkowski as my ranking member. Of course, I worked
with her father. I didn't sit next to him because I was a
junior member, but I worked with him closely, and it has
been wonderful working with her. I am so proud that Maria
Cantwell will step up and take that leadership. I know the
two of them work beautifully together. They do see the
world differently, but they are two women who know how to
compromise and who will be respectful of each other and
find a way for our country to move forward.
I can tell you all that in my whole life--which isn't
that long--it has been a pretty good run in public office.
There has never been a time when America has been closer
to energy independence. What that means to our country is
beyond description. We don't have to listen to parts of
the world that don't hold our values. We can lift up our
country. We can move forward. It has to be with a
combination of fossil fuels, weaning our way to a greener,
cleaner environment, and manufacturing right here in
America.
I hope you all will put down the swords and pick up the
plow and really plow together because this is an amazing
opportunity for our country. I sure hope we don't miss it.
It is going to benefit and make the whole country, not
just our part of the country, more prosperous.
People desperately want to move up into the middle class
and stay there and not feel so fragile and feel as if they
can have the manufacturing jobs and good energy jobs and
really eliminate some of the geopolitical nightmares we
have been in, fighting wars for oil. It has to come to an
end.
Finally, I will say a word about disaster recovery. When
I got to the Senate, my husband and I were looking at each
other saying: How did we even end up here? We had no idea.
When Katrina hit, it became very clear that this is why I
needed to be here.
I had been an appropriator since I was 23 years old. I
knew a little bit about budgets. I knew a little bit about
how the system worked. I knew how the State and local
governments depended on the Federal Government for so much
funding. I understood the power of HUD and the power of
housing and the power of building schools and levees and
the Corps of Engineers. So I was perfectly positioned to
be able to lead the effort for my State, and they
desperately needed a leader. I wasn't perfect. I made lots
of mistakes. But I wasn't afraid to try because that is
all you can do.
The devastation was so great and it was so unbelievable.
Eighty percent of the east bank of the city and much of
Jefferson Parish--not quite as bad as New Orleans--and all
of St. Bernard--67,000 people in St. Bernard lost
everything. Everyone in the Lower Ninth Ward lost
everything, which is like a small city unto itself. In New
Orleans east, which is like a small city unto itself,
60,000 people lost every school, every house. It was
unbelievable.
I say to my colleagues: Thank you for being there for
us. I know I aggravated you to death. I know I never
stopped asking. But you were the only hope because there
was just no way these communities could recover. New
Orleans has been there for 300 years. You have heard me
say this: We didn't move down there recently to go
sunbathing or to build condos; we have been down there for
300 years. The city is going to stay there. The region is
going to stay there. Had this government just invested a
little bit of the money back that we have given it over
time--from our energy resources, from our manufacturing,
from the wealth we have created along that great mouth of
the river--if the country had just given us a little bit
of money--$500 million here, $500 million there--and built
levees that wouldn't have broken in 52 places, we wouldn't
have had $140 billion in damage.
So I went to Robert Byrd because President Bush was not
that forward-leaning--I will just leave it at that. There
will be a lot more in my book about it, but I will just
leave it at that, not very forward-leaning. The person I
went to was Robert Byrd. In his old age, he was so wise.
He just looked at me. He didn't say much at that time, but
he just took my hand and he said, ``I will be there with
you.''
He was the chair of the Appropriations Committee, so
that meant something. He helped me write things in a bill
that could probably never be possible today. That was when
chairmen understood the power to help people to heal
wounds and to bring hope and to be compassionate. That is
what government is there to do. If government is not there
when you have lost everything, then what in the heck is
the use of having it?
So we hope we will be able to repay this country for the
investments that have been made, and we will. We will do
our best. With all of the people who come to New Orleans
and all the conventions that come--and we hope we bring
joy and happiness when people come--we hope to pay our way
and to pay this back over time for what you have done to
help us. We are doing a good job of helping ourselves by
planning better, doing more smart-growth, sustainable
development, building our levees to the point where they
won't break again, and we will continue to do that.
So those are some of the legacy pieces I have worked on.
It is kind of amazing that these were the things that were
in my heart when I was a little girl. I didn't learn this
when I was a Senator. I can remember taking a bus when I
was in the eighth grade down to the coast and looking at
LaFourche Parish for the first time, and for a girl from
the poor part of uptown, I kept looking at the nuns who
took me, and I said, ``What world is this?'' I had no idea
about Bayou LaFourche.
When I got to be a Senator, I remembered LaFourche, the
bayou, and I remembered how fragile it looked to me even
as a child, and I thought, if I can do anything to save
this place, I will. I have spent a lot of my time saving
it, and it is stronger now. It is still not completely
safe, but it is much stronger now.
I tutored in public school. My passion started when the
nuns of Ursuline sent me to tutor in a public school, and
the little girl whom I tutored, who was my age, couldn't
read. I can remember going home to my mother and saying,
``This is the strangest thing. I just met a little girl.
She is my age, and she can't read. Mama, is that possible,
that children don't know how to read?''
I can remember her sitting me down and explaining to me
why some children couldn't read, and I said, ``That
doesn't seem right to me.'' I made up my mind then that I
would work.
The reason I say this is because there are a lot of
young people listening to this, and I just want you to
know, just listen to your heart because God puts these
things in your heart at very young ages. If you don't
block it out, if you are not cynical and if you hope and
live openly, those dreams can come true. Then you can make
a profound difference in rebuilding a school system, which
I am continuing to work on, or make sure every orphan in
the world knows that they are loved and that we are going
to work hard to find them a family; to build this great
gulf coast, where I spent my life growing up as a child
and knowing that it is worth saving. It may not be as sexy
as the west coast or as prosperous as the east coast, but
the gulf coast is really worth fighting for. It is a very
special place in our country. I learned to love it as a
child, and I will fight for it as an adult.
Finally, let me just say a few thank yous in closing. A
thank you to my mentor Lindy Boggs, who coached me every
step of the way; to my mentor John Breaux, who got me into
this gig in the first place.
I thank Bennett Johnston, who taught me about being a
proud member of the Energy Committee; Senator Tom Daschle,
who saved my skin more times than I can tell you; Kent
Conrad, who taught me about the budget; Chris John and Jim
McCrery and Richard Baker in my delegation, who were
Democrats and Republicans--we worked together to do
amazing things. I also thank Cedric Richmond, who still
works closely with me, and Charles Boustany, whom I admire
a lot. I thank other Members who are no longer here:
Olympia Snowe--we were the first two women to chair a
major committee--well, actually a minor committee, the
Small Business Committee; and Lisa [Murkowski] and I were
the first to chair and be a ranking member of a major
committee. I couldn't have worked with two more remarkable
women. I thank Senator Joe Lieberman, who was a leader of
the DLC and a great mentor of mine on foreign policy
issues; Senator Ted Stevens, who was as grumpy as could be
but really did take me under his wing and teach me a lot;
Senator Danny Inouye; Senator Robert Byrd. I am going to
put others into the Record: Senators Mikulski, Carper,
Heitkamp, Manchin, Cantwell, Begich, Pryor, and Hagan.
I want to say a special word to the Black Caucus. I
represent 30 percent African Americans in my State. You
know, all groups of people are hard to represent, and my
State is so diverse, and I have tried so hard to be
respectful of all the different groups in my State.
I thank the Black Caucus--both the local elected
officials and the National Black Caucus--for being such a
great partner with me and helping me to understand about
compassion, forgiveness, faithfulness, and for trust.
Their spiritual strength is so amazing. I thank them very
much for coming down to help me.
I thank labor, who brought me here. They encouraged me
to run when I was 23 years old, and I tried to never leave
them. Only 8 percent of my State is now organized. I have
never left them. I think you should leave with the people
who brought you to the dance, and they most certainly did.
I thank Harry Reid, who has been an amazing friend to me
and who, most important, has been a great friend to my
family. He has honored us in so many small ways, and I
just love him for his tenacity and his leadership.
I thank you all. I hope I didn't leave anyone out. It
has been a joy, but I know God is calling me to a
different place. I am not the least bit sad and I am not
the least bit afraid because it has been a remarkable
opportunity to serve with all of you, and I thank you very
much.
(Applause, Senators rising.)
?
TRIBUTES
TO
MARY L. LANDRIEU
Proceedings in the Senate
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take a few
minutes to salute my colleagues who are departing the
Senate at the end of this year with the conclusion of the
113th Congress: Mark Begich of Alaska, Saxby Chambliss of
Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Kay Hagan of North
Carolina, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Mike Johanns of Nebraska,
Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana,
Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia, Mark Udall of Colorado, and
John Walsh of Montana.
They have all worked hard, ceaselessly giving their
energy and considerable time and service to their
constituents, to their home States and to our country. I
want to thank them for their service and for their
kindness to me over many years in so many cases. In
particular, I want to say a few words about these
colleagues. ...
Mary Landrieu and I also came to the Senate together in
1997. We served together on the Appropriations Committee,
where she has been an extraordinary advocate for
Louisiana, particularly after Hurricane Katrina. In fact,
her efforts have been so profoundly influential in her
home State, she is one that we all look to as a model for
what it is to be an advocate for your constituents. She
has done it so well. ...
Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us
at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them
for their service, their dedication to improving the lives
of Americans, and on a very personal level for their
friendship. I wish them all well.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues
who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list
of tributes. ...
I will close by mentioning the one whose fate was
determined the last, and that was Mary Landrieu of
Louisiana. She has been a great Senator for Louisiana. She
worked harder and achieved more for that State than,
obviously, the people of that State realized. There wasn't
an issue that came before us that Mary didn't stand up and
say, ``Now let me tell you how that affects Louisiana,''
and usually make a request which was fulfilled.
Let me add one other grace note when it comes to her
personal and public life. Mary and her husband have
adopted two children. They are the light of their lives.
Her dedication to the cause of adopted children has really
made a difference not just to the United States but in the
world. I am sure she didn't get a lot of political reward
for it, but thank goodness she put a big part of her life
and her public life into standing up for the rights of
adopted children and adoptive parents, encouraging more
and more, so the kids would have a loving home as part of
their lives. It was just one of the things that Mary
worked on, but it was one of the things I will remember. I
am going to miss her and her service to the U.S. Senate.
Mary bleeds Louisiana. Her father is the legendary
statesman Moon Landrieu, former New Orleans mayor, HUD
Secretary under President Jimmy Carter, and judge of
Louisiana's Fourth Circuit Court. Her brother, Mitch, is
the current mayor of New Orleans.
Mary--the eldest of the nine siblings--learned important
political lessons early. She was taunted in early grade
school about her father's pro-civil rights stands in the
1960s. Those experiences taught her that taking the right
position sometimes makes you unpopular--but you do it
anyway.
Mary was only 23 when she entered the Louisiana House of
Representatives in 1980. She went on to serve as a member
of her State's senate.
Mary is a formidable fighter for Louisiana. In her
State's darkest hours, during Hurricane Katrina and in the
aftermath of that terrible catastrophe, she stood strong.
She was exactly the right person for Louisiana. More than
any other single official, she deserves the credit for
directing billions of dollars in relief and rebuilding her
hometown and home State.
Governor Bobby Jindal's Secretary of Administration had
this to say about Mary Landrieu: ``She's relentless; once
she starts, she will not stop. And once she's on your
side, she's on your side.''
This is what St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain
remembers about Katrina: ``The very first federal
representative we had on the ground after Katrina was Mary
Landrieu ... when water was still in our houses and
neighborhoods. ... She spoke to my deputies and offered
assistance to them.''
Perhaps the best description of Mary Landrieu was
offered by her mentor, former Senator John Breaux, who
calls her ``a pit bull with Louisiana charm.''
In 2009, when Hurricane Katrina was just a dim, bad
memory for some, Senator Landrieu made sure the stimulus
bill included a provision that ended up allowing the State
to rebuild Charity Hospital, the cornerstone of health
care for many low-income New Orleans families.
Senator Landrieu has been a champion of the energy
industry--so crucial to the economy of her State and her
Nation. She has fought to preserve Social Security and
Medicare and other safety net programs that provide
dignity and security for so many. She has fought to defend
voting rights, women's rights, and children's rights. She
has earned a spot in heaven with her work to promote
adoption. She provided a crucial vote to pass the
Affordable Care Act, knowing full well that it would cost
her politically. If that doesn't earn her a spot in
heaven, it will at least earn her a place in history as a
profile in courage.
With her political genes and determination, I know that
Mary Landrieu will continue to be a force in Louisiana and
American politics for years to come. While I will miss
seeing her every day in this Senate, I look forward to
seeing her fight for what is right for many more years. It
has been an honor to serve with her.
Mr. COONS. ... As I close, I would also like to thank
those of our colleagues who will be leaving the Senate
after the New Year.
It is an incredible privilege to work in this Chamber
and to represent the people. Every day I am awed by the
dedication and talent of many of my colleagues, public
servants who come to work to fight for their States and
their government.
To those who are ending their service in the Senate,
know that I value your friendship and partnership. It has
been an honor to work with you, and I thank you for all
you have done for our Nation.
ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to
retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that
Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December
23, 2014.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise to thank Senator
Landrieu for her tireless service in the U.S. Senate to
our State and to the country. I have had the pleasure of
knowing Mary for a long time. She was in her second year
of service in the Senate when I first came to Washington
to the U.S. House, but it is far longer than that,
probably longer than anyone in this Chamber realizes. Both
sets of my grandparents live all of 3 blocks from where
Mary grew up, and I grew up all of 10 blocks from there.
Mary and my brother Jeff were grammar school classmates
starting at kindergarten.
Of course, here in the Senate I had the honor of working
with Mary on so many important issues and challenges. From
the moment we worked together on key Louisiana issues, we
determined on those issues to put aside any partisan
concerns when those crucial priorities were at stake.
As she alluded to, the most challenging and trying time
in all of that experience was just a few months after I
first came to the Senate when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
struck. Neither of us could have ever imagined facing the
challenges our State and Mississippi and others faced and
facing the challenges we faced in the Senate trying to
respond in a robust and full and responsible way. I am
sure it was the most trying work for both of us in our
careers.
Louisiana faced unprecedented disaster and desperation,
and that brought us together all the more to work for
those crucial Louisiana needs and priorities. We traveled
together, of course, to see the damage and meet with our
neighbors and local leaders all around the State. Her
staff and mine worked directly together around the clock,
really, for months, sometimes in my office, sometimes in
hers, always with the same goal of doing everything
possible to help our neighbors and Louisiana citizens get
through that disaster and get through to a full recovery.
Those trials, of course, didn't end with Katrina and
Rita. There were other similar challenges which brought us
together and on which Mary was a distinguished leader. She
was always a champion for domestic energy production, and
Louisiana will enjoy a far fairer share of oil and gas
revenue under the legislation commonly referred to as
Domenici-Landrieu.
After the infamous BP oilspill in 2010, Mary pushed for
the RESTORE Act legislation to dedicate revenue from the
fines to oilspill recovery in the affected areas.
As Louisiana fights continually against the loss of
coastal wetlands, major restoration work is moving forward
because of Mary's years of hard work directly related to
that.
Due to Mary's strong support of our Nation's military,
our fighting men and women are better off. The bases in
Louisiana, which are important to our communities and to
the Nation's defense, continue to have what they need for
their vital mission. Our veterans face challenges and most
recently faced the crying need for new health care clinics
in Louisiana, and Mary helped make those finally happen,
finally move forward, including pushing the case fervently
and directly to administration officials.
In a very personal and dramatic way, Mary is
enthusiastic in promoting children's welfare and
supporting adoption. Her dedication internationally was
recognized when Russia banned her travel after her direct
and well-founded criticism of Russia's action to curb
adoption by Americans.
In all of this work, one thing is always crystal clear--
certainly crystal clear to me--with Senator Landrieu:
Louisiana has always been first in her heart and her top
motivation, and she has had a distinguished career of
service in the Senate on all of those issues I mentioned
and many more. All of us in Louisiana give her our sincere
thanks for that.
Thank you. Mr. President, I yield the floor.
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I will just say a couple
words before I turn it over to the Chair and to my
colleague from West Virginia.
When I think of Mary Landrieu, I think of the most
tenacious person in the Senate standing here, holding
court, fighting for her cause, fighting for her values,
fighting for her State. I think particularly of the hard
work she did on flood insurance, on this issue that was so
critical to the State of Louisiana and very important to
my State of Oregon and to our other States but
particularly Louisiana. She was determined. Every time I
was on the floor, she would say: Jeff, have you done this
and Jeff, have you done that. She would grab someone else,
and she would say: And now we have to do this. That is how
legislation gets done.
Senator Landrieu really drives things through the
Senate. It is one thing to be here and express your ideas
in kind of a social manner--well, wouldn't this be nice or
wouldn't that be nice; it is another to stand here and
say: I am going to make this happen because it is
important to my constituents and important to our Nation.
I have seen Mary Landrieu do that on issue after issue,
and certainly for all who came in with my class 6 years
ago, it has been a wonderful education on how to make
maximum use and effectiveness from this privilege of
serving in the Senate.
Thank you for everything you have done, Mary Landrieu.
It is an honor to serve with you, and we are going to miss
you greatly.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.
Mr. MANCHIN. All of us came here at one time or another,
and the first impression you have is how they kind of
ingratiate you and bring you into the fold. I am often
asked--I am sure most of our colleagues are asked the same
question--whom do you consider your best and closest
friend, with whom do you associate and with whom do you
feel comfortable? In any category, without a doubt, it is
always Mary Landrieu. We come from a similar background--
rural States. We come from the same culture--hard-working
people who basically don't ask for an awful lot and give a
lot more back. Both of us come from large Catholic
families, and we have an awful lot in common. We and our
spouses have bonded, and we have done things together.
That was the way I heard the place used to work, that you
build relationships and there is camaraderie and you share
dinners at people's homes. It is such a different
atmosphere when that happens because you really do forge a
bond that is so much missing in this body.
Let me say one other thing. The great losers in this
whole election process we just had were the great people
of Louisiana. They lost a champion. They lost a fighter.
That is what Senator Merkley said. There is nobody who
said: I think you ought to be careful about that because I
think Mary is interested. We knew there could be problems.
With that being said, the best thing to do is to go talk
to Mary on this subject or issue, and we would work
through it. How do we compromise and bring everybody
together? And Mary would say, ``We will work through it.''
Coming from an energy State and Mary having an energy
State and the two of us being Democrats, on our side
sometimes our individual caucus is not as large as we
would like for it to be--let's put it that way--but we
talk an awful lot about how we are moving an energy
policy. As Mary said, we need it all in this country. We
should be totally energy independent. We shouldn't be
looking to other countries and buying their products and
giving them the resources to be used against us, and we
don't have to do that. We can do it in a sensible and
balanced way with the economy and the environment. Mary
has always had the economy and environment first and
foremost. That type of balance is hard to find, and it is
definitely hard to find in Washington.
So I just want her to know that there is nobody who is
going to miss Mary Landrieu more than me, being in this
body, going shoulder to shoulder with her and trying to
bring an even keel to this whole process.
Mary, I feel for the people of Louisiana. I truly do. I
am hoping somebody can come along and have the same spirit
and fight that you have, but no one is going to be able to
replace you and what you have been able to do and what you
have been able to make us aware of.
My little State was involved in helping after Katrina,
helping the State of Louisiana. The State of West Virginia
came immediately. When that happened, we were so proud to
be part of that, and we now have a lot of people from
Louisiana living in West Virginia today because of that
effort.
There has been a wonderful relationship and a wonderful
friendship, but more important, there has been a wonderful
person who has graced the Halls in this tremendous body
for 18 years who will not be replaced in this Senate and
this body. Again, the people of Louisiana should be
extremely proud to have someone who is a fighter, who gave
every drop she had of public service for her State and
never forgot where she come from. So with that, that is a
tremendous tribute in itself.
I say to my dear friend, thank you for your service on
behalf of the great State of Louisiana. Thank you for all
the important work you have done for our country. God
bless you, and I love you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, you can see that Mary
Landrieu has a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle,
and that is because Mary has stood up and been a mentor to
so many of us. She taught us how to fight for our own
States because that is what she has done every day for
Louisiana.
I was thinking about our States earlier. Mary mentioned
in her talk about how Minnesota is at the top of the
Mississippi and Louisiana is at the bottom and how hard we
fought for river issues and barges and locks and dams. We
will actually have success at the end of the year with the
ABLE Act, which is really important for other reasons, but
we are going to finally start the funding for lock and dam
improvements, and that kind of work would not have
happened without Mary and the work and support she has
provided with the RIVER Act. So a river doesn't divide us,
it unites us, and Mary is a uniter and brings people
together on so many issues.
First of all, Mary established the Congressional
Coalition on Adoption Institute. At some of the events she
literally brings the angels--people who have adopted
children in the most dire circumstances--to Washington to
celebrate these adoptions and talk about the policy
changes that need to be made.
For anyone who has adopted one of the foster kids or
brought them into an office and adopted them--the reason
you can do that is because Mary Landrieu started that
program so that foster children, who otherwise would not
have the connections and wherewithal to be able to get a
job for the summer, spring, or fall in Washington, DC,
would be able to work, and then she has all of these kids
to her house every single year.
Mary doesn't just fight for adopted kids at home, she
fights for them all over the world. I would hate to be the
bureaucrat in Guatemala when Mary Landrieu shows up to
fight them off. I see her staff, and some of them were
probably with her on that trip. I think she knew the name
of every child who was waiting to be adopted in Guatemala.
How can we forget the meeting with the Russians when
they started to use these poor little children as pawns in
a political game? Mary stood up to them. As a result, as
many of us know, she has now been banned from the country
of Russia. I don't think everybody knows that the reason
she was banned was because she was fighting for these kids
who were waiting to be adopted. Many of the parents are in
my State, and they actually have siblings and they are
trying to adopt the other sibling. That is a very sad
story and Mary stood up for them. In the words of her dad,
Putin didn't like it, and so Mary was banned. I guess that
is not where she is going on vacation after we are done
here.
The other thing about Mary I will never forget--how kind
and sweet and fun she is for her friends in the Senate--is
the time when we had a bet on the Saints-Vikings game in
the playoffs. We bet some food from our States. If anybody
remembers that amazing playoff game, the Vikings lost, and
I had to wear a Drew Brees jersey and walk over to Mary's
office with a pot of gumbo, which is really hard to make.
When I got to her office, all of her New Orleans press was
there, and when she tried that gumbo, she said, ``This is
Minnesota gumbo. This gumbo just needs something
special.'' She got out an enormous bottle of hot sauce
from her desk drawer--as only a Louisiana Senator would
have--and dumped it in my Minnesota gumbo. That is the
spice that Mary has added to all of our lives.
What we have learned from her we will never forget. As I
said, she is a role model for so many of us on how to
fight for our States.
We see it in the eyes of those little adopted children
and the great success we are starting to see on the coast
because of all the recovery you brought to your State. We
know you will never be forgotten and we want you to keep
fighting.
Thank you, Mary.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.
Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I can't leave the floor
without speaking to Mary. Mary has been such an incredible
inspiration to me. I have been in the Senate now for 13
months, and I have had a number of conversations with her,
but the best way to teach somebody is to show somebody.
Senator Landrieu is prodigiously persuasive, tirelessly
tenacious, doggedly determined. Just to watch Senator
Landrieu is to watch what every American should hope for
in a Senator--someone who is unyielding in their work and
service to them.
If you look at the myriad interests in the State of
Louisiana, I was amazed by what I saw first hand. Mary
stood up and fought for the people who were loud and
ornery but still had a good cause as well as the people
who were voiceless and humble. Mary stood up for them.
Mary stood up for people in her community who were from
every different background and from every different race.
Mary stood up for them in a way that is a model to my
State.
I heard my senior Senator mention you by name about how
essential you were when my State had its back against the
wall and was crushed by a superstorm. When there were
battles to get my State's funding, and Mary had no skin in
that game, my senior Senator mentioned you as a champion
for New Jersey and that is what blows me away about you.
I yearn for a government that has moral courage, more
than we have now, people who will risk popularity for
purpose and will risk substance for some kind of
celebrity. Senator Landrieu has done things against her
political interests, but for the people. That is why I
have a great deal of reverence for you and why I travel
down to your State.
Now the Senator knows this because I must have said it
hundreds of times when I was down in Louisiana, that that
is my ancestral State. I will end by saying this: My
grandaddy was born in Monroe. He was born poor. As my
family likes to say, he was so poor he couldn't afford to
be poor, he was po, P-O. He was born Black at a time of
immense segregation, when people who walked the hallways
of power couldn't give a damn about him. He taught me love
for your State, and more important, the urgency to stand
up and fight for those people that most folks won't fight
for.
I am telling you right now, my grandaddy died during my
first big election, but if he knew you, he would be so
proud of your service.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
Mr. BEGICH. I wish to echo all the comments people said
today, but I have to be honest. When I was elected, I was
scared of Mary. People said very politely that you should
check with Mary to see if she has an issue with something.
I was terrified of what people told me she would do if I
was not on her side.
If you remember, when I came in, we doubled the Oil and
Gas Caucus in the Democratic caucus by me just joining,
and so we had an immediate connection, which was unique in
itself. Our connection was not just that, but also, as
Mary mentioned, her mentor, Lindy Boggs, and our family
knows the Boggses very well.
I can still remember a call I got when I won my mayor's
race in 2003 from this woman in Louisiana. My staff came
in and said some woman from Louisiana is calling, and we
don't know who she is, but she wants to talk to you, and
so I said, ``OK.'' I took the phone call, and it was Lindy
Boggs. You know how she would start a conversation with
``Hi, darlin', I just want to check in with you and see
how you are doing, and congratulations.'' Then she said,
``One moment, someone is at my door.'' She came back and
said, ``The exterminator is here,'' and that is classic
Lindy Boggs.
What was so real about her--and I can see it in Mary's
style--and that is she is real. The work Mary has done--
and I didn't know it until I came to the Senate--for
foster kids and adoption is remarkable. Amy Klobuchar went
into great detail about that, and it shows that it is not
always about the policy and fights on the floor here, but
there is so much that individuals do outside this Chamber.
What Mary has done outside of the Chamber is to use this
position to make a difference for young people, and that
is powerful. As Mary has said, we fight over policies and
issues, but every one of those young people has been
touched in some way. I guarantee--and I am sure you have
seen it over the years where someone might come up to you
and say, I don't know if you remember me, and then they
tell you the story of how you met them when they were a
foster kid and just getting adopted or when you were at
one of the ceremonies or one of the events they were at.
Those are the things I will remember about you.
The tenacity that people talked about--there is no
question about it. I was glad when I got on the
Appropriations Committee because I thought, finally, I
will be on there with someone who will chew it up with me,
and I just had to hang on to your coattails when you were
fighting on issues.
When we sat in on those leadership meetings on Tuesday
mornings, I was always thankful when you came in. You were
right across from me. I don't know if they all figured it
out--maybe, again, as I said, it is a little bit of a
confession--we had our signals, or maybe eye contact, and
then we went to work. You were really incredible.
When you were in caucus--and many people don't see
those, except as Members--you were always passionate about
what was important to Louisiana. You never forgot what was
important to Louisiana.
People made the comment that you are tenacious. I would
say that any time something did move in the Congress, you
were a part of it in some way. When we were trying to
figure out how to fix the health care bill, you were right
there. You didn't hesitate. You knew it was a hot potato,
but it was also something that we knew we had to make
better, not just for people but for decades to come. You
were not afraid of that even though you said you knew it
could cost you your election because you knew
generationally it would have an impact.
It wasn't about the moment, it was about 10, 15, 20
years, you could look back and say you helped make that
happen, and you did, every time you tried to move in and
push an item or idea. Even though we will not be serving
here, you will have an impact.
I could tell, as we were shaking hands here, it was
amazing to watch you, you never stop. You were already
talking to each person about the work they need to be
doing. When I shook your hand, you were talking about
fisheries. I am like, Mary, just relax. But you are
already working it, and that is what is so unique about
you. You will not be in this body, but you will be in this
body because of the way you do your work. It is not about
being in this office, it is about caring about Louisiana,
and as I said, I saw it just in this last moment here. It
is unbelievable. You will never give up on the people of
Louisiana because you care so deeply.
It has been an honor to know you.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.
Mr. COATS. I wish to make some remarks about the Senator
from Louisiana. I had the pleasure of serving as ranking
member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee,
and Mary Landrieu was the chairman. I wasn't sure about
what to expect when I joined that committee. I knew of
Mary's passion and her persuasion, which is given in a
gentle but effective way. She reaches out. I thought, she
is going to convince me out of just about everything. I
will not be able to hold my own with her, but she was so
gracious in terms of working together with me as we worked
through some very tough issues.
She was a knowledgeable and effective leader. She
couldn't ask enough questions, couldn't gain enough
information, making wise decisions, given the limitations
that we had relative to appropriations and given the
process that, unfortunately, was not the way the
Appropriations Committee should go forward. Nevertheless,
working together on that and on a whole number of issues
turned out to be a very pleasant experience because of the
nature of the leader of the committee and her willingness
to work together.
You get to learn something about someone when you spend
3 days trekking along the southern border on the
immigration issue. We climbed into tunnels, driving along
fences, talking to Border Patrol agents, looking at the
enormous channels that exist relative to that border and
our Border Patrol people and immigration control people.
Both of us were right there in blue jeans and tennis shoes
in hot weather, and learning first hand the challenges
this country faces relative to dealing with immigration.
Her passion for children and her State has been talked
about. I think the word that best describes Mary is
passion. She has passion for anything that she engages in
and doing it in a way that is relentless and achieves
results. I think it is a great tribute to her character
and to the kind of person she is.
One thing we will not be able to do is meet together
somewhere in Russia. I have been banned from Russia and
Mary has been banned from Russia. I was banned because I
took significant exception to the Russian takeover of
Crimea and its activities in Ukraine. I was surprised by
that. Mary was banned for an unnecessary reason, and that
was trying to help Russian children who were trying to
find adoptive parents. Obviously she was successful, and
obviously she was as relentless there as she was on all
the other issues because Russia saw that as a threat. Here
is someone reaching out for all the right reasons and
doing something for all the right reasons--passion for
children and finding them a home.
I wish Mary the very best going forward in her next
chapter of life. I can testify to you from personal
experience that there is life after Congress, and it can
be a pleasant life. Knowing you, you will be engaged in
something very significant--whether for your State or your
country. Your life of service, and your family's life of
service, is well recognized. So I wish the Senator from
Louisiana the very best as she goes forward. It has been a
pleasure working with her.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Markey). The Senator from
Virginia.
Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I wish to follow the comments
of my friend, the Senator from Indiana, although I do
think the Record should be corrected. I would say to my
colleague I have also dealt with the Senator from
Louisiana a number of times on a number of issues, and I
have thought of lots of words to describe her style, but
``gentle'' would not be one to come to mind.
I know this is a day to pay tribute, so I wish to echo
some of the comments of the Senator from Indiana.
I first met part of the Landrieu family when I had a
chance to meet Mary's dad when he was serving as the
Secretary of HUD and I was a young staff person. Mary
talks a lot about her family. Her family was kind enough
to host me a variety of times when I was in Louisiana. She
has a great family, a great tradition.
So many folks have spoken about specific issues
regarding Mary's service in the Senate. I am not going to
talk about her focus on issues and the relentlessness she
brings, but I wish to acknowledge her generosity and heart
and spirit. She and Frank would always open their home for
whatever cause. Again, I heard the comments about her
enormous heart and commitment for adoption. I think about
so many events that we go to, but those Angels of Adoption
events at her house touched all of us in a way that is not
often the case. I also can acknowledge now that she has a
great love for the Commonwealth of Virginia and has spent
some time there due to her love of horses and her
daughter's riding and her own riding. As has been
mentioned by so many--and I know from our own
conversations--this is not somebody who wants to look
backward but is clearly already looking forward. I know
life holds for you and Frank a number of extraordinarily
exciting additional chapters. I hope I have the
opportunity to be a part of those chapters and to be
subject to that gentle persuasion on whatever issue comes
to mind as you go forward.
I know I speak for so many of our colleagues when I say
we all have a lot of unique characteristics, but with Mary
Landrieu they broke the mold.
I yield the floor to my good friend the Senator from
Maryland.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, one of the truly nice things
about serving in the Senate is the people we meet. Myrna
and I consider Frank and Mary to be our friends. She is an
incredible person and has given incredible service. I am
sorry the people of Louisiana could not see Mary in our
caucuses as she fought on different issues for the people
of Louisiana and what she did as an advocate on behalf of
people who otherwise would not have had their voices
heard. She did it in a very effective way.
I heard some of the conversations about what happened
with Katrina and the people of New Orleans. Mary Landrieu
brought us down to Louisiana for us to see first hand. It
was incredible for me, not to just see the physical
devastation, but thanks to Mary Landrieu, we saw the
people. We saw the spirit in the people, but we saw people
who needed help. It is that type of emotional involvement
that Mary gives to every cause she believes in.
So I want the Senator from Louisiana to know how much I
deeply respect your model of public service and the people
you stood up for.
Senator Landrieu spoke about the adoption issue. She got
into it because she has such a big family. I think I got
into it because of her. She is pretty persuasive. We all
feel better because of that. Senator Landrieu is the one
who really led us in those efforts. What an incredible
legacy.
I want to speak a minute about small business issues.
Senator Landrieu chaired that committee during a
particularly important time. I want to relate a couple of
stories to my colleagues. There are many times I was in
the Democratic caucus and we would be talking about an
issue and Senator Landrieu would stand and say, ``Well,
how about small businesses?'' Under her leadership we
brought some major initiatives to the floor to help small
businesses because of Mary Landrieu and her ability to put
together a commonsense package. She understood small
businesses are the growth engine of America. That is how
jobs are created and that is where innovation takes place.
I can tell my colleagues--I worked with her. I know what
we got done. I know how we took on our own governmental
agencies to make sure they did right for small businesses
and how we fought the bundling. Contract officers love to
take small contracts and make them into big ones because
it is less headache for them but less opportunity for
small businesses. Mary Landrieu stopped that practice and
put a spotlight on it. It was an incredible experience for
me because it showed me that each of us can make a
difference.
I knew what I was trying to do. One of the issues I got
involved with was to raise the surety bond issues and I
didn't see much chance of getting it done, but Mary gave
me the opportunity to get it done. She coached me on how
to get it done, and that is now a permanent law of the
land.
She made us all relevant on the committee, individually
and collectively. We have a great legacy to help small
businesses in this country, thanks to the leadership of
Senator Landrieu.
To the people of Louisiana, you could not have had a
stronger advocate, a stronger friend, a person who
accomplished more for that State during some extremely
challenging times. To the people of this country and the
work Mary Landrieu did on the Appropriations Committee for
our national security and standing up for and protecting
and defending our own country, the record of Senator
Landrieu is incredible. To those who are voiceless but had
Mary Landrieu to speak for them, from the disadvantaged to
small businesses--and the list goes on and on--this is one
incredible legislator. She is a model to many of us. I
thank her so much for her service and her commitment to
public life. It will always be an inspiration to me, the
fact that I was given the honor to serve with you in the
Senate of the United States.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Walsh). The Senator from
Massachusetts.
Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise to add my words of
admiration for this great person, for this great
legislator. Just to tell a brief story, it was back in
2006, in a lameduck session just like this. The Democrats
had won and were about to take over the Senate. The
Democrats had just won and were about to take over the
House--a different passage in time. But throughout all of
2006, even in the minority, Mary Landrieu was moving a
bill to open up a vast new area in the Gulf of Mexico for
drilling for oil and natural gas.
I was over in the House. I was from Massachusetts. I did
not want this bill to pass. I wanted to actually save it
for 2007 when the Democrats were in control. We could pass
it in an energy bill by the end of 2007, which would have
included this provision. Mary passed it through the
Senate--bipartisan, as usual. If we look up bipartisan, if
we Google it, Mary's picture actually comes up.
Over in the House, because of all of her momentum, I
lost and that bill passed. Again, tens of thousands of new
jobs fell to Louisiana through Mary Landrieu.
It was about a week later when I was out shopping and
here comes Mary right toward me with her daughter in her
riding outfit.
Mary said, ``I want to introduce you to Congressman
Markey.''
I said to her daughter, ``Well, you have to add a few
additional words because your mother just defeated me
quite badly just last week and passed a big bill for
Louisiana, for whom your mother always calls her people,
the people of Louisiana.''
There isn't anybody who understands better the spirit of
legislating, about protecting your home State and
respecting those who are maybe not in agreement with you
but are not your enemy but somebody with whom you try to
work.
After the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico I was the lead
Democrat in the House on the Natural Resources Committee
with jurisdiction over that, and Mary again was outraged
that such damage could be done to her fishermen, to her
tourism industry, to her people in Louisiana. She worked
hard to make sure billions of dollars would ultimately go
back into the gulf to ensure that her fishermen, her
tourism industry, and her people were protected.
Then, after having served in the House for 37 years, I
arrived in the Senate with a great concern for a bill I
had been working on in Massachusetts, which was the
dramatic rise in the insurance rates for homeowners and
businesses right along the coastline of Massachusetts. I
had to introduce legislation not only to work on the
issue, but when I arrived in the Senate, Mary Landrieu was
already here, already working on that bill, all ready to
protect her homeowners, her small business people from
outrageous increases in insurance rates that would have
basically made their homes unaffordable.
Throughout my career, all I can tell my colleagues is
one constant is this great, legendary legislator, somebody
who embodies all the best of what this institution stands
for. I just want to let her know how proud I have been to
be able to serve with her here and how proud I am to be
able to tell a story of the time when she just beat me
flat out because that is just how she plays. She plays it
for her State every time, and no waiting if it is
Louisiana. I know all the people of Louisiana know that
about her.
So congratulations on your great career.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, as I start my comments on
the land title legislation before us, I would be remiss if
I did not mention the incredible work our chair Mary
Landrieu has done on this legislation. As we just heard
from the tribute to her service over the last few minutes,
as the Presiding Officer said in his comments, if you
Google ``bipartisan,'' there will be a picture of Mary
Landrieu. I think this title sort of embodies that. We owe
great gratitude to Chairman Landrieu and to Ranking Member
Murkowski for the incredible negotiation and work they
have put into this package. ...
Friday, December 12, 2014
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly
about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the
Senator from Florida. I promise I will be brief.
Everybody will face retirement, voluntarily or
involuntarily. There will be a last vote to cast and a
last speech to make. Only God knows when that day comes
because we are all just one car wreck away from ending our
careers.
To the retiring Members, I have had the pleasure of
serving with you, and I know you all. You did what you
thought was best for our country and your State, and what
more could anyone ask? My good friend Mark Pryor, who
tried to find common ground at a time when it is hard to
find. Mary Landrieu, who would drill under the Capitol if
she thought it would help American energy independence. We
have good friends on the other side, and I will miss you,
and I wish you well. But I would like very briefly to
speak about four. ...
To all of you, Godspeed. I wish you nothing but the
best.
I am fortunate enough to go into my third term. To my
colleagues, as we go into the next Congress, let's try to
do better. I know we can. If we do, all boats will rise.
Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, I honor my friend and
colleague from Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu, who is
departing the Senate at the end of this year. Her career
in public service began 34 years ago when she was elected
to the Louisiana House of Representatives. During that
time and in her service in the U.S. Senate, she has proved
time and again that the people of Louisiana could not have
asked for a better advocate and fighter on their behalf.
It is tough to describe someone like Senator Landrieu.
Senator Landrieu is selfless, dedicated, tenacious, and
resilient, but these are just words that, while accurate,
fail to truly capture who this woman is and what she
stands for. It is only by looking at Senator Landrieu's
significant accomplishments that someone can truly begin
to understand the depths of her selflessness, dedication,
and resiliency. During my time in the Senate, I have seen
Mary embody these words like few others in this body.
Senator Landrieu and I both come from large families. I
know the impact being one of seven children had on me
growing up and I am sure Senator Landrieu can attest to
how big of an impact being one of nine children had on
her. During her time in public service, Senator Landrieu
has worked hard to ensure that all children can benefit
from having a family to call their own. Senator Landrieu
has worked extensively with the Angels in Adoption Program
since its inception, and cochaired the Congressional
Coalition on Adoption and the Congressional Foster Care
Caucus. Senator Landrieu's work has changed the lives of
children across Louisiana, the country, and around the
world. Because of her work, there are countless children
who are now able to feel the love and benefits of having a
family.
In 2005, Louisiana was victim of one of the worst
natural disasters to ever hit this country. Hurricane
Katrina devastated New Orleans and Louisiana the likes of
which this country has rarely seen. With one of the
country's great cities devastated and in ruins, it was
Mary Landrieu who took the lead on recovery efforts. It
was Mary Landrieu who held FEMA's feet to the fire to
better serve Louisianans. It was Mary Landrieu who helped
direct billions of dollars in recovery funds to the State.
It was because of Mary Landrieu that the great State of
Louisiana has bounced back strong as ever.
Senator Landrieu's leadership did not end with the
recovery and rebuilding efforts. Following the passage of
the Biggert-Waters Flood Reform Act in 2012, Senator
Landrieu was one of the first to recognize and sound the
alarm on the impending problems homeowners would face with
unreasonably high flood insurance rates. Because of her
early recognition of these problems and her proactive
approach to finding solutions, Congress was able pass a
bill preventing thousands of people across the country
from being forced to pay disastrously high flood insurance
premiums.
I have also had the privilege of working with Senator
Landrieu on energy issues. There is no better advocate in
the Senate on energy than Senator Landrieu. I came here
with the intent of learning everything that I could from
Senator Landrieu. My only regret is that there was no way
to fully take in all of her knowledge in the brief time
that I have been here. That is a testament to the
incredible work that she has done over her career to
advance a pragmatic energy policy for this country, work
that I hope to continue in the years ahead building upon
the energy legacy that Senator Landrieu will leave behind.
A word you hear often when people describe Senator
Landrieu is tenacious, and this was never more apparent
than on her work to advance the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Anyone who watched Senator Landrieu work that bill and
work behind the scenes to get the votes knows that she
will fight to the very last second for what she believes
in and that the word ``can't'' doesn't exist in her
vocabulary. Senator Landrieu singlehandedly forced this
bill to the Senate floor and brought us closer than we
have been in 6 years to approving this project once and
for all. Senator Landrieu's pragmatic approach to this
issue and willingness to embrace solutions over politics
stands as an example for the rest of the Senate to strive
for.
Senator Landrieu always looked out for the energy
interests of her State, while recognizing the need to
provide and protect her gulf coast communities. She has
pushed for increased LNG exports that would bring new jobs
and significant investment to her State. She also has been
instrumental in expanding oil exploration and production
in the Gulf of Mexico, but while doing so she has made
sure that her coastal communities receive a bigger share
of the royalties and revenue to mitigate any impacts from
the development. Working for jobs and economic development
and protecting those most impacted by this development,
that is a pretty good legacy to leave behind in Louisiana.
The Landrieu family name comes with a long history of
public service in Louisiana. The Landrieus, known for
their big personalities that are eclipsed only by their
accomplishments in office, can rest easy knowing that Mary
has more than lived up to the family name. The Senate,
Louisiana, and the country, are better off because of the
work Mary Landrieu has done in the Senate. I know I am not
alone in saying that we will miss having her here. I also
know I am not alone in saying that I am sure her work is
not done. I wish her luck in this next chapter of her life
and look forward to seeing the tremendous work she will
accomplish outside of this Chamber.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Mr. REID. Madam President, a noted author and analyst of
human behavior, Stephen Covey, said, ``Strength lies in
differences, not in similarities.''
For the last 18 years, Senate Democrats were stronger
because of Senator Mary Landrieu. Her ability to shun
political labels--instead of just going the route with
Democrats and Republicans and Independents, she went her
route. She made the United States a better place. She made
the Senate a better place.
She had good training for being a consensus builder and
somebody who liked compromise. I had the good fortune to
serve in the Senate with other Louisiana Senators. I
served with Bennett Johnston for many years on the
Appropriations Committee. He was chairman of the Energy
and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations. He was a good
legislator. Not only did he help Louisiana a lot, he
helped the country. Then there was John Breaux. He and I
came to the Senate together. He was the dealmaker. He
could put a deal together when no one thought one could be
put together. So Mary Landrieu has had good Louisiana
genes with those two men, and that is one of the reasons
she has been as effective as she has been.
As I indicated, Mary came to the Senate with no partisan
agenda. She was not interested in representing just
liberals or just conservatives. She worked to represent
all of Louisiana, which meant that sometimes she and I
were not on the same side of an issue, and other times we
were on the same side of an issue, but one thing was
always certain: She was always on Louisiana's side.
The Landrieu family's political legacy runs long and
deep in the State of Louisiana. She is the oldest of nine
children. She is the daughter of Moon Landrieu, and her
brother Mitch Landrieu is the mayor of New Orleans. Moon
was a former mayor of New Orleans from 1970 to 1978, and
was Jimmy Carter's Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development.
A number of years ago, I toured New Orleans because she
asked me to, as a member of the Appropriations Committee.
I said, ``OK, I will go, but I have to see those pumps--p-
u-m-p-s.'' I watched this show on National Public
Broadcasting, and they talked about these old pumps that
had been there since 1900 that still worked every day
pumping the water.
New Orleans is below sea level and those pumps have to
work 24 hours a day. I went to see those old pumps. They
were so clean. That place was spotlessly clean using those
very old pumps.
I toured Lake Pontchartrain. I learned so much about it.
Most all of the highways in New Orleans were built using
the seashells from that lake. Thousands and thousands of
tons of shells have come out of that lake. They recently
stopped doing that, after so many years, because they
thought it would be damaging to the environment. But over
the last 50, 60, 100 years, thousands and thousands of
tons of shells came out of that lake. We all heard about
Lake Pontchartrain during that huge storm that hit.
Also, as part of the tour of New Orleans, you had to go
to her home, that little home where nine children were
raised. It is really a beautiful little home--but nine
children, wow. Her mom and dad were there. That was the
first time I had been able to meet the famous Moon
Landrieu.
When we came there, unannounced, he was making peanut
brittle, and I got some peanut brittle. On occasion, that
good man has sent me some of his homemade peanut brittle.
So I think the world of Mary and her family.
She was very quick to follow in her father's footsteps.
At the age of 23, she was elected to the State
legislature, making her the youngest woman to have ever
been elected to that body.
After 8 years in the legislature, she became the State
treasurer for 8 years. In 1996, she was elected to the
Senate, becoming the first woman in Louisiana ever elected
to a full Senate term.
Since coming to the Senate, Mary has chaired the Senate
Committee on Small Business, and she was really good
there. She is now the chair of the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee, the same full committee her
predecessor Bennett Johnson chaired.
On the Committee on Small Business, she reduced heavy
Federal regulations and created tax relief for small
businesses. As chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources, Mary Landrieu fought for Louisiana's
industry and jobs. Even before she became chair of that
committee, she did something that was impossible. People
had been trying to do something like this in Louisiana for
50, 60, 70, 80 years, but she did it--she was able to get
New Orleans and the whole State of Louisiana and the gulf
coast some financial benefit from the offshore drilling.
She did that. That is a legacy she will always have.
She always had Louisiana's interests at heart, and the
people of Louisiana have been all the better because of
it. For example, in the aftermath of Katrina, she stood up
to the Bush administration and demanded more disaster
relief for the people in Louisiana. The New York Times
called her ``the national spokeswoman for victims of the
hurricane.''
As her time in the Senate comes to an end, all
Louisianans will miss having Mary in their corner. I wish
Mary Landrieu and her husband Frank and their children
Connor--who was recently married--and Mary Shannon the
very best.
I remember when Mary brought that little baby Mary
Shannon to the Senate. She was a tiny little baby. Now
this beautiful child has grown to be an expert horsewoman.
She is one of those people who rides horses all the time.
She has entered her horses in different contests and has
done very well.
I have known Connor since he was a little boy. He is
married, and they have a little baby named Maddox, and
Mary is so proud of her grandchild. Her husband Frank is a
wonderful human being. I think so very much of him. I hope
we will continue seeing them. Very often Mary will bring
her family to my office. She takes them out on the balcony
that overlooks the Mall.
Mary has touched my heart for a number of things, but
the one thing she has done, which has been unsurpassed, is
her caring for children who have no parents--adoptions.
She led the Senate in adoptions. Her two children were
adopted. Connor and Mary Shannon were adopted. She is so
involved in that program, and I know she will continue to
be involved.
Here on the Senate floor we will all miss Mary, her
voice of reason and moderation. I consider her to be a
good friend, and I appreciate all she has done for me, the
people of Louisiana, and our country.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I know that so many of my
colleagues are looking forward to wrapping up this year's
business and hopefully getting home soon for the holidays.
I wish to take a few minutes to speak about a couple of
issues. First I wish to give some remarks about my
colleague, the Senator from Louisiana, on her retirement,
and to mention a few things that have been going on in the
Small Business Committee which will be wrapping up
business. The Small Business Committee and Senator
Landrieu are kind of synonymous in my mind because my
colleague Senator Landrieu has been, for the better part
of the last couple of years, the chair of that committee
and has done some incredible work. As legislation is
moving through the final days in the U.S. Senate, we have
been very successful in getting some important legislation
passed for small business.
One piece of legislation we were able to make a part of
the defense authorization bill is sole-source contracting
for women entrepreneurs so they can more easily get
contracting with the Federal Government. That is going to
help us have their great products and services more easily
contracted and get access to those contracts.
There is also money for microlending programs. My
colleague from Michigan, Senator Levin, has pioneered an
idea that is so important to women entrepreneurs and that
involves the kind of lending they would like to see from
the Small Business Administration, which is microlending,
and for women to be able to get access to microloans. They
also want an intermediate loan level of $200,000 or less.
That helps them target some of the business interests they
have, because we definitely need more women entrepreneurs
in our country.
The third item is the STEP Program, which is a small
business export assistance program that works with States.
The Federal Government and the Small Business
Administration work with States to help them target
businesses within their States that can use export
assistance to become exporters. This is such an important
issue for our country, because we, with a growing middle
class around the globe, have a great opportunity to sell
new products and services around the globe. But many of
our small businesses are challenged by the risk of making
those kinds of attempts to sell in those markets. So this
export assistance program, which had been a pilot, is now
going to be a funded permanent program. So we are excited
about that and excited it is moving through.
I also didn't get a chance last week to speak about my
colleague Senator Landrieu on the floor, so I wanted to
take a few minutes now to remind my colleagues that as
someone who has served with her on the Energy Committee
and served with her on the Small Business Committee, I
have been so impressed with the accomplishments she has
achieved in her career here in the U.S. Senate. For much
of the time she was talking the other day--rightfully so--
she shared a lot of moments of her career and a lot of
personal moments. I wanted to remind my colleagues of some
of the very big challenges she faced as a Senator and how
impressed I am with what she was able to actually
overcome.
Many people know that obviously being hit by Katrina was
one of the biggest economic challenges not just in
Louisiana but to our country, and her impassioned
leadership and calls to hasten the efforts to make sure we
were doing everything we could for those individuals to
receive medical aid and shelter and help find loved ones
was nonstop for many days. She successfully, as she
mentioned on the floor, urged OMB to fully fund the
repairs of the levee system in southeast Louisiana and
continues that work. She succeeded in passing legislation
that directed the Army Corps of Engineers to analyze,
design, and strengthen the storm mitigation systems
against category 5 hurricanes.
Now if any of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate have ever
worked with the Army Corps of Engineers, say no more. You
know how challenging it is. We don't control them. They
base all of their work on science. They have a budget. It
is never enough money. It can seem as though we are
fighting them forever to get something we think is
essential to protect the people in our State to move
forward. So she did all of that and moved the focus to
make sure we establish a defense against category 5
hurricanes.
Also, if any of my colleagues ever had a flood or a
storm in their State post-Katrina, they know the first
person they were going to hear from was Mary Landrieu. She
didn't stop her efforts in Louisiana. She wanted to take
everything she learned from that emergency and call you up
and tell you these are the things you need to do
immediately and this is how you should get prepared. I
know she did that for many of my colleagues and we so
appreciated it.
Then another catastrophe happened--the Deepwater Horizon
oilspill. As a member of the Commerce Committee, I can
tell my colleagues I spoke to her many times about issues
as they related to the Clean Water Act and what was
eventually passed, the RESTORE Act, which was a bipartisan
effort. Basically, the bill made sure that 80 percent of
the Clean Water Act fines from BPA went directly into the
Gulf States, making this the biggest individual investment
in environmental conservation and restoration in our
country's history. That was no easy task. There were a lot
of people at the time who wanted to focus on many
different aspects of that disaster, and so many events
have taken place since then. But I can remember clearly
the catastrophe and what it meant for the fishing
community, the individuals, the States' economies--all of
the questions. A lot of people were looking backward about
what happened, but the Senator from Louisiana was looking
forward to make sure those funds were invested right there
in the gulf. That was a big challenge that she was
successful in meeting.
Obviously, she used her voice for many issues related to
Louisiana, but I wish to emphasize to my colleagues how
much she also used her voice for many other people who
didn't seem to be here in the Halls of Washington and made
sure that those issues were at the top of the agenda.
We had the 2009 economic crisis in our country and many
people remember because it had such a huge economic impact
on individual families. The Senator from Louisiana made
sure she was standing up for small businesses during that
time period. There were millions of Americans who lost
their jobs during that time period, and as everybody was
here talking about what to do to help these big banks--and
we all know that they got a bailout--many small businesses
across the country actually had performing lines of credit
cut out right from under them. So they didn't have anybody
knocking on the door to make sure they were being helped.
But the Senator from Louisiana got very vocal here about
the prioritization of making sure that we did something
about conventional lending and tried to tackle this issue.
From 2007 to 2009, the number of SBA borrowers dropped
by more than half and the amount of loans dropped by more
than one-third. Many of these small businesses were paying
the price. So Senator Landrieu got busy fighting for what
was the Small Business Jobs Act. If my colleagues remember
that debate, there were many times that some people on the
other side of the aisle didn't want to support that
legislation or even moments when Treasury didn't know if
they wanted to support that legislation. She was
successful in the end in getting that legislation passed
61 to 38. The Small Business Jobs Act leveraged more than
$42 billion in loans to more than 90,000 businesses
throughout the SBA. The bill, along with other measures,
helped target about $12 billion in tax cuts for small
business. So while the big banks had immediate relief,
they had someone here in DC fighting for small businesses,
and that was Senator Landrieu.
That legislation also saw a small business lending fund
increase so that there was more capital on Main Street for
small business. As a result of the legislation, 2011 and
2012 were the two biggest years on record for the 7(a) and
the 504 Program, which are kind of the premier programs
for the Small Business Administration. That went a long
way to helping small businesses begin to recover. Also,
the small business credit initiative helped small
businesses get access to capital.
So all of these things were what my colleague from
Louisiana fought for to help small businesses. I think it
is a perfect example, along with those other things about
how she used her voice to try to bring clarity to the
challenges we were facing and stand up for those who
weren't being heard.
She also, though, lent her voice to another group that
is often--we don't necessarily always understand all of
the issues surrounding it. I kind of think that she took
over for Senator Byrd who was a great advocate on behalf
of animals and spoke a lot about his dog, and many of the
stories he shared warmed everybody's heart. Senator
Landrieu last year was the Humane Society's Legislator of
the Year for her consistent work to prevent the cruel
practices of horse slaughter, to protect wild animals, and
strengthen provisions against animal fighting. So she
clearly deserved that title and we certainly appreciate
her efforts there. She was also a voice for the District
of Columbia. People get committee assignments, and, yes,
she had that committee assignment, but the thing about
Senator Landrieu is that once she took an assignment, she
was tough on making sure those issues were addressed. She
did that for the District of Columbia.
I want to add my sincere thanks to the Senator from
Louisiana for all of her work and public service here in
the Senate. She will be missed. I know she and I share a
passion for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It is an
issue that is near and dear to my heart and something she
has tried in her time in the Senate to get fully funded.
We are going to continue that work on her behalf in the
Energy Committee.
Again, I thank my colleague and dear friend for her
incredible passion and for fighting for those whose voices
were not always heard. There is no mistake her voice was
heard here in the Senate.
Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, for nearly 20 years,
Louisianans have had no greater advocate, and no stronger
voice, than that of Mary Landrieu. She has been a crusader
for her State, and even today continues to fight to build
on Louisiana's recovery from the devastating storms of
2005 that wreaked havoc across Louisiana and throughout
the city of New Orleans.
It was in 2005 that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged
the gulf coast, devastating New Orleans. Then in 2010 the
Deepwater Horizon oilspill sent millions of barrels of oil
into the gulf, coating Louisiana's beaches and wildlife.
During these terrible times Louisiana could have had no
better advocate than Senator Landrieu. After Katrina,
Senator Landrieu secured more than $120 billion in
recovery money to help restore New Orleans and Louisiana's
coast. After the Deepwater Horizon spill, Senator Landrieu
worked tirelessly with both Democratic and Republican
colleagues to move the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act through
the Senate. Her leadership secured essential reparations
from British Petroleum to restore the battered gulf coast.
In 2009, Senator Landrieu and former Senator Olympia
Snowe made history as the first two female lawmakers to
lead a full congressional committee--the Committee on
Small Business and Entrepreneurship--as chair and ranking
member. Senator Landrieu is also the first female Senator
to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee.
She has been an active member of the Senate
Appropriations Committee, and I have appreciated her
willingness to work with me on so many issues in her
capacity as the chair of the Homeland Security
Subcommittee. When Vermont was devastated by Hurricane
Irene, Senator Landrieu was a key ally in helping me
secure needed resources to help rebuild roads, bridges,
businesses, and communities in Vermont. I thank her for
that, Vermonters thank her, and I will never forget her
invaluable work and support.
Louisiana has been well represented by Senator Landrieu.
She has been a steadfast and stalwart defender of her
State's priorities and needs. I wish her, her husband
Frank, and their entire family the very best.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final days
of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect
on the past and to look toward the future. I have been
very moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our
departing Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute
to each one of them. They have all been wonderful
colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know
every one of them. I wish them all the very best in all
their future endeavors. They will most certainly be
missed. ...
Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I
wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will
not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to
run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection
campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in
order of seniority. ...
Mr. President, Senator Mary Landrieu started a career of
public service in the Louisiana State Legislature and then
as State treasurer. She was elected to the U.S. Senate in
1996, becoming her State's first female Senator. Senator
Landrieu has always fought for her State, a fact never
more apparent than in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita when she fought valiantly for disaster funding
and reforms that helped countless people in Louisiana.
Mary has also been a champion for our children, and I have
seen her commitment as we worked together on adoption and
foster care issues over the years. We will miss Mary's
spirit, but we know she will never stop fighting for what
she believes in. I wish Mary and Frank well in this new
chapter of their lives. ...
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, my friend from Louisiana
Senator Mary Landrieu has devoted her entire life to
public service, and today I wish to recognize the
extraordinary leadership and energy that she has brought
to the Senate throughout her career.
Senator Landrieu has been a leader on so many issues,
none more so than as a passionate advocate for children
around the world. I was proud to work with her on
legislation to address the decline in international
adoptions, in addition to several other bills that Senator
Landrieu has authored to support children both in the
United States and in developing nations. This issue is
particularly near to Senator Landrieu's heart, and I know
I am speaking for countless children around the world when
I thank her for her efforts to ensure all children
experience the benefits of a safe and loving family.
I also had the pleasure of working with Senator Landrieu
during her leadership of the Senate Small Business
Committee, as well as on the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee.
Senator Landrieu has always fought hard for her home
State of Louisiana, and her dedication to her constituents
was made clear in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. All
Americans vividly recall the scenes of destruction caused
by the storm--more than 1,800 killed and $100 billion in
property destroyed in just days. Those who were fortunate
to escape the storm physically unscathed were more than
likely left homeless, and over 80 percent of Senator
Landrieu's hometown of New Orleans was under water for
weeks after Katrina made landfall.
After the storm Senator Landrieu immediately set to work
building support for legislation to jump start the gulf
coast recovery and help her constituents put their lives
back together. Senator Landrieu nearly singlehandedly
pushed through critical funding and reforms to help
Louisiana rebuild.
It has been an honor working with her, and I thank her
for her years of service to the Senate and the Nation.
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, at the end of this session
of Congress, the Senate will be bidding farewell to my
colleague and dear friend, Senator Mary Landrieu, who has
served the people of Louisiana with such devotion over the
last 18 years.
I don't think it is possible to overstate the magnitude
of the challenges that she has faced on behalf of her
constituents. Hurricane Katrina may have been the most
horrible natural disaster our country has ever
experienced--and Senator Landrieu's native city of New
Orleans was ground zero.
No one was more engaged in the recovery effort that
followed that calamity. Senator Landrieu fought
tenaciously to secure the funds it would take to repair
and revitalize the gulf coast with infrastructure
improvements that would protect the coast against another
major event.
In the 10 years since Katrina, Senator Landrieu has been
a champion for homeowners who were struggling to afford
flood insurance, most recently by winning passage of the
Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act, this past
March.
Of course, just as the gulf coast appeared close to
making a full recovery, it was struck by another
disaster--the Deepwater Horizon oilspill. Again, Senator
Landrieu was on the vanguard of that recovery, winning
passage of the RESTORE Act so that the vast majority of
the fines collected by the U.S. Government would go back
to the gulf coast to help pay for the cleanup. It is the
single biggest investment in environmental restoration in
American history.
These were the moments when the people of Louisiana
needed Mary Landrieu most--and she delivered as only she
can.
At the same time, Senator Landrieu has always understood
that the oil and gas industry is vital to her State's
economy, and so it was a major milestone when she became
the first woman to chair the Senate Energy Committee.
She fights so hard for Louisiana, but over the years of
working with her, I have learned how much she is driven by
a deep feeling of compassion, not just for those displaced
by hurricanes or those whose livelihood was jeopardized by
the Deepwater Horizon but for the children of her State
and our country who were given up for adoption or placed
in foster care.
Senator Landrieu knows the joys of adopting first hand,
having adopted her two children, Connor and Mary Shannon,
and she wants other parents to feel that joy. So she
sympathizes with parents who wish to adopt a child but who
are struggling to do so--especially since she knows there
are children desperate for parents but who remain wards of
the State. By matching those parents with that child, she
knows that she can create a true family.
So she has led the efforts in the Senate to improve
child welfare systems internationally and to make it
easier for American parents to adopt children in other
countries. She has pushed for Federal funds to create
foster care mentoring programs, so that children who are
in the foster system have better guidance during the most
critical years of their social development.
I know I speak for other Members of this Chamber when I
say that we will do our very best to continue the momentum
that Senator Landrieu has created for finding a permanent,
loving home for every American child.
I will deeply miss having her with us but I have
absolutely no doubt that Mary Landrieu will find new ways
to express her devotion to the people of Louisiana and our
country. It is not just a tradition in her family; it is
her singular passion. I thank her for her amazing service
here and I look forward to all the great achievements that
are in her future.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the many
accomplishments of my friend, Senator Mary Landrieu, my
colleague from Louisiana, during her 18 years here in the
U.S. Senate.
Senator Landrieu was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996.
Prior to serving in the Senate, she had already served the
people of her State for 16 years--first as a State
legislator, and later as a State treasurer. Altogether
Senator Landrieu's service to the people of Louisiana has
spanned nearly 34 years of commitment.
Mary served her constituents with utter conviction,
dedication, and persistence--qualities that her colleagues
in the U.S. Senate use to describe her.
However, Senator Landrieu's dedication can be described
in other ways as well.
In her farewell remarks, Senator Landrieu discussed how
faith and family helped drive her. She draws tremendous
strength from her faith, and also her large and supportive
family--a family that knows a thing or two about the ups
and downs of politics.
Her father, Moon Landrieu, served as a judge, State
representative, New Orleans city councilman, and Secretary
of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Her brother, Mitch Landrieu, was Louisiana's Lieutenant
Governor, and both her father and brother have served as
mayors of New Orleans--her father during an era of
renewal, and her brother during an era of rebuilding.
Mary has clearly stepped up to the plate during the
devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the horrendous BP
oilspill. Those are the kinds of challenges that none of
us expect when we enter public life--but they are the
challenges which show our communities what we are made of.
Senator Landrieu rose to both challenges. She has worked
as hard as any Senator has ever worked to see that her
constituents were taken care of. She has pushed hard on
Federal agencies to help rebuild, and passed legislation
to help with gulf restoration. She has also fought to see
that flood insurance rates remain affordable--not just for
those in Louisiana, but across the country.
Her efforts have earned the respect of everyone she has
worked with, and she earned the opportunity to serve as
chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
as well as the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Committee. I know that the issues she championed on these
two committees were important to her constituents, and I
admire her advocacy for jobs in her State and more
opportunities for small businesses.
Of course, Senator Landrieu's work extended beyond these
two committees. For years, she worked on adoption,
education, conservation, and other issues that were near
and dear to her heart.
All of us will miss Mary's drive, tenacity, and
willingness to work with others to get things done. She
will continue to be a tough and relentless fighter for
Louisiana no matter what her next challenge will be.
Aloha, Mary, a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''
[all]