[Senate Document 113-35]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



S.Doc 113-35

 

                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    Mark L. Pryor

                                United States Senator

                                      2003-2015





[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]



  
  
                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                                 WASHINGTON : 2015
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                      Tributes
                                Delivered in Congress

                                    
                                    
                                    
                                    Mark L. Pryor

                                United States Senator

                                      2003-2015          
                                 
                                 
                                 
                             Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                                     
                                     
                                     CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell Address......................................
                                                                    vii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
                                                                     17
                    Boozman, John, of Arkansas.....................
                                                                     17
                    Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                     25
                    Carper, Thomas R., of Delaware.................
                                                                      9
                    Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
                                                                     24
                    Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                      4
                    Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
                                                                     16
                    Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
                                                                      6
                    Enzi, Michael B., of Wyoming...................
                                                                     16
                    Graham, Lindsey, of South Carolina.............
                                                                     21
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                 21, 24
                    Heitkamp, Heidi, of North Dakota...............
                                                                     22
                    Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                     25
                    Klobuchar, Amy, of Minnesota...................
                                                                     13
                    Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                     23
                    Nelson, Bill, of Florida.......................
                                                                      3
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                     14
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                     18
                    Sessions, Jeff, of Alabama.....................
                                                                     12
                    Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
                                                                     24
                    Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
                                                                     14
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Mark Pryor is an attorney and former attorney general of 
             Arkansas who served as a U.S. Senator for 12 years. He 
             earned a reputation as a voice of reason for having 
             brought Democrats and Republicans and competing interests 
             together to find common ground and get things done. 
             Esquire magazine named Senator Pryor as one of America's 
             ``10 Best'' legislators on Capitol Hill.
               Senator Pryor helped build consensus on critical Senate 
             panels, including the Appropriations, Commerce, Armed 
             Services, Homeland Security, and Ethics Committees. He 
             often built bipartisan coalitions to overcome stalemates, 
             most notably on nominations, government spending, and 
             energy policy.
               As a top-ranking Commerce Committee member, Senator 
             Pryor held chairmanships overseeing communications, 
             technology, and consumer protection. He led the passage of 
             landmark legislation to prevent dangerous toys and 
             products from landing on store shelves. For these efforts, 
             Parents magazine named him one of its three ``movers and 
             shakers'' in Washington who have had a ``profound effect 
             on kids' safety.'' He also forged compromises among 
             consumer advocacy groups and private industry that led to 
             safer highways and more fuel efficient vehicles.
               As chairman of the Appropriation Committee's 
             Subcommittee on Agriculture, he directed funding to 
             critical USDA and FDA programs on research, food safety, 
             and rural development. On the Senate Armed Services 
             Committee, Senator Pryor passed legislation to improve tax 
             benefits for soldiers and ensure Arkansas' military 
             installations and defense industry remain strong and 
             vital. He leveraged his seat on the Small Business 
             Committee to improve financing options and resources to 
             help businesses compete in today's global market.
               Senator Pryor began his career in public service in 1990 
             as a member of the Arkansas State House of 
             Representatives. In 1998 he was elected Arkansas' attorney 
             general, making him the youngest chief law enforcement 
             officer in the Nation. As attorney general, he led efforts 
             to toughen laws against drunk drivers, protect children on 
             the Internet, and establish the Morgan Nick Alert System, 
             which helps to locate missing and exploited children.
               Senator Pryor grew up around the law, politics, and 
             policy as the son of a U.S. Senator and Arkansas Governor, 
             living in both Arkansas and Washington, DC. He received a 
             B.A. in history and his law degree from the University of 
             Arkansas and worked in private legal practice for over 10 
             years. He has a son and a daughter who attend the 
             University of Arkansas.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                              Monday, December 8, 2014

               Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I have to begin today by 
             saying one thing, that is, to God be the glory. I will 
             finish with that too. But first let me say a few words.
               Since election night I have had many Arkansans come up 
             to me and thank me for my service. I appreciate that. But 
             I need to thank them for allowing me to do this for the 
             last 12 years. It sounds like a cliche, but it is not. 
             Serving in the Senate has been the greatest honor of my 
             life. It truly has been. I have loved it. I have always 
             done it with a cheerful heart. When I go back to my 
             beloved Arkansas, I have to thank the people of Arkansas 
             for allowing me to work for them. I must confess I will 
             miss waking up every morning and thinking, how can I make 
             a difference for Arkansas and for America today? Those 
             years were momentous in so many ways, for our country and 
             for our world. I had a front row seat to making history, 
             and I hope I made a little bit of it myself.
               On a personal level, those years were filled with family 
             and friends, a remarkable staff, my Senate colleagues, and 
             a whole series of rich, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
               The Lord has given me two wonderful children who are now 
             in college. I know many of you all saw them for the first 
             time when they were in elementary school. I am very proud, 
             and their mother is very proud, of Adams and Porter Pryor. 
             I am very excited about their future.
               God has also brought an old sweetheart back into my 
             life, Joi. She and I attended the sixth and seventh grades 
             together. So when I say God has brought joy in my life, I 
             mean it, literally.
               Many of you know my parents. Of course, I would be 
             nothing without them. David and Barbara Pryor have touched 
             so many lives. They continue to do so.
               For the last 8 years, I have lived with my brother David 
             and Judith and Hampton Pryor in Washington, when I am here 
             in Washington. I will always be grateful for their love 
             and hospitality.
               Scott and Diane and Devin Pryor in New York have been a 
             great inspiration to me as well.
               My staff is simply awesome. I love them all, and they 
             are all part of my family too. There are too many to 
             mention, but words such as talent, commitment, public 
             service, effectiveness, all come to mind whenever their 
             names come up. I have said this many times about my staff, 
             and they keep telling me not to say it, but I am going to 
             say it one last time: They do 99 percent of the work and I 
             get 99 percent of the credit. So I want to acknowledge 
             them for a job well done. They should all hold their heads 
             high for the difference they have made. I ask unanimous 
             consent that a list of their names be printed in the 
             Record.
               There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 
             printed in the Record, as follows:

               Lisa Ackerman, Adrianna Alley, Ronnie Anderson, Suzanne 
             Bartolomei, Tim Bass, Frank Bateman, Jason Bockenstedt, 
             Patrice Bolling, Cathy Bozynski, Zac Bradley, Becca 
             Bradley, Ruth Bradley, Rachel Brown, Sonya Bryant, LaRonda 
             Bryles, Tamara Buchholz, Britton Burnett, Margery Buzbee, 
             Macio Cameron, Lauren Carter, Rachel Colson, Kim Cooper, 
             Paul Cox, Emily Culver, Laura Culver, Olivia Dedner, 
             Shiloh Dillon, Martine Downs, Wes Duncan, Michael Fangue, 
             William Feland, Greg Feldman, Jeff Fitch, Sherry Flippo, 
             Bradford Foley, Derrick Freeman, Conor Frickel, Bess 
             Ginty, Terri Glaze, Andrew Grobmyer.
               Russell Hall, Beth Hallmark, Julie Hamilton, Jacob 
             Hargraves, Megan Hargraves, Ruth Hargraves, Justin Harper, 
             Ehren Hartz, Tonya Hass, Mary Grace Hathaway, Whitney 
             Haynes, Brigit Helgen, Larry Henderson, Lauren Henry-
             Cowles, Hannah Herdlinger, Carrie Hern, Tate Heuer, Gene 
             Higginbotham, Brandon Hirsch, Emily Hoard, Sarah Holland, 
             Greg Holyfield, Vincent Insalaco, Susie James, Mark 
             Johnston, Louis Keller, Hank Kilgore, Caroline Kobek 
             Pezzarossi, Shannon Lane, Stephen Lehrman, Autumn Lewis, 
             Sam Losow, Shannon Lovejoy, Stan Luker, Scott Macconomy, 
             Amanda Manatt-Story, Elizabeth Manney, Randy Massanelli, 
             Eric May, Madra McAdoo, Nathan McCarroll, Lauren McClain.
               Marietta McClure, Audrey McFarland, Valerie McNeese, 
             Kate Melcher, Rodell Mollineau, Melissa Moody, Reed Moody, 
             Brook Mumford, Callie Neel, Eric Nelson, Wayne Palmer, 
             Allison Pearson, Mia Petrini, Brad Phelan, Jim Pitcock, 
             Marisa Pryor, Walter Pryor, Hayne Rainey, Candace Randle, 
             Kris Raper, Robbie Reed, Mary Renick, Erin Ridgeway, Jenny 
             Robertson, Kirk Robertson, Bob Russell, Paul Sanders, Amy 
             Schlesing, Kymara Seals, Kristin Sharp, Ashley Shelton, 
             Ashely Simmons, Jason Smedley, Haley Smoot, Lucy Speed, 
             Brandon Spicher, Jeffrey Stein, Arthur Stokenbury, 
             Michelle Strikowsky, Kelsey Stroud, Kelvin Stroud, Richard 
             Swan, Frances Tate, Michael Teague, Jennifer Thompson, 
             Courtney Van Buren, Joan Vehik, Crystal Waitekus, Brad 
             Watt, David West, Preston Weyland, Deke Whitbeck, Libby 
             Whitbeck, Amanda White, Marco White, Quinten Whiteside, 
             Elizabeth Wilson, Andy York, Mary Claire York, Julie 
             Zelnick.

               Mr. PRYOR. My colleagues. What can I say about my 
             colleagues that has not been said before? Or maybe I could 
             say, what can I say about my colleagues that they have not 
             said about themselves before?
               You know, politics is about people; not just the people 
             out there, but the people in here, the people the people 
             elect. I have served with some greats and some giants. 
             Robert C. Byrd, Ted Kennedy, Daniel Inouye, Ted Stevens 
             are at the top of the list. But the truth is every single 
             Senator I have served with is a giant.
               I have served with about 175 other Senators, so there 
             are too many to single out. But I have made lifelong 
             friendships here. We have done a lot of good things 
             together. This is what I will remember: all the 
             personalities, all the times when we came together to do 
             the right thing, and all the successes we had together.
               While in the Senate, I had more than 70 initiatives 
             signed into law. Almost all of those have been bipartisan. 
             I ask unanimous consent to have that list printed in the 
             Record.
               There being no objection, the material was ordered to be 
             printed in the Record, as follows:
                        Highlights of Senate Accomplishments
               Opened a new opportunity for the forestry industry. 
             Allowed domestic forestry products to be recognized by 
             USDA as biobased, leveling the playing field with imports 
             and ensuring such products can be procured by the Federal 
             Government and sold as a greener alternative to consumers, 
             P.L. 113-179.
               Funded critical agriculture needs as chairman of the 
             Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Crafted and 
             passed $20 billion annual spending measure that allocates 
             funds for agriculture programs, P.L. 113-76.
               Ensured veterans could collect retirement benefits 
             without gimmicks. Restored the full retirement pay 
             promised to disabled veterans and their survivors, P.L. 
             113-76.
               Honored former Senator Dale Bumpers for his conservation 
             efforts. Renamed the White River National Wildlife Refuge 
             to the Senator Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife 
             Refuge, P.L. 113-76.
               Ensured patients have access to lifesaving medical 
             treatment. Allowed the FDA to access industry-paid user 
             fees that had been blocked by sequestration, P.L. 113-76.
               Ensured disabled veterans are treated with dignity 
             during airport security. Ensured the dignity of wounded 
             and severely disabled servicemembers and veterans during 
             airport security screenings, P.L. 113-27.
               Protected food safety inspections from sequestration. 
             Ensured USDA food inspectors were not furloughed, 
             protecting 500,000 industry jobs at meat, poultry, and egg 
             production facilities, P.L. 113-6.
               Sought greater employment opportunities for veterans. 
             Allowed States to accept military training as fulfilling 
             credentials or certifications for special skills required 
             for certain civilian jobs, P.L. 112-239.
               Protected consumers from international scams. Extended 
             the FTC's ability to coordinate investigation efforts with 
             foreign counterparts and obtain monetary consumer redress 
             in cases involving Internet fraud and deception, P.L. 112-
             203.
               Expanded the safety mission at the National Center for 
             Toxicological Research. Allows the FDA to focus on the 
             health and safety implications of nanomaterials, P.L. 112-
             144, P.L. 112-55.
               Kept fatigued truckdrivers off the road with electronic 
             logging devices. Required truckers to use electronic 
             logging devices to more accurately monitor hours on the 
             job, P.L. 112-141.
               Prevented dangerous drivers from driving big rigs with 
             national drug database. Established a national database of 
             drug testing information for commercial drivers to ensure 
             they can't bypass the law, P.L. 112-141.
               Stepped up vehicle safety following numerous recalls. 
             Updated safety and compliance standards, and increased 
             resources at DOT to conduct additional research and 
             address emerging technologies, P.L. 112-141.
               Reduced distracted driving. Established a grant program 
             for States to enact and enforce laws discouraging 
             distracted driving, P.L. 112-141.
               Provided flexibility in pension plan payments. Allows 
             certain companies to invest in growth opportunities 
             instead of setting aside millions to cover certain pension 
             payments, P.L. 112-141.
               Protected homeowners from buying unnecessary flood 
             insurance. Defeated a mandate that would force families 
             and businesses behind certified levees, dams, and other 
             protection to purchase unnecessary flood insurance, P.L. 
             112-141.
               Stabilized Arkansas funding for Rural Schools Program. 
             Authorized USDA to allocate Federal dollars for road 
             projects in the State despite a missed deadline, P.L. 112-
             141.
               Expanded possibilities at the U.S. Marshals Museum. 
             Enabled the sale of coins to raise $5 million to enhance 
             exhibits at the U.S. Marshals Museum, P.L. 112-104.
               Ensured military families receive death benefits. 
             Provided death benefits to a family should a reservist die 
             at home during training, P.L. 112-81.
               Facilitated Camp Robinson land exchanges to improve 
             training and safety. Twice waived a statute to allow the 
             National Guard to gain land more conducive for training 
             and for an aviation support facility, P.L. 112-81, P.L. 
             109-13.
               Enabled first responders to help neighboring States 
             during a disaster. Secured $2 million for a program 
             enabling first responders to help their neighbors in times 
             of emergency, P.L. 112-74.
               Fixed FEMA's errors in disaster assistance repayment 
             process. Used legislative privileges to stop FEMA from 
             recouping disaster aid from an elderly couple who did 
             nothing wrong, and granted FEMA the clear authority to 
             waive debt in cases of FEMA error, P.L. 112-74.
               Leveraged funds for economic development in the Delta. 
             Increased the Delta Regional Authority's budget by nearly 
             $2 million, P.L. 112-74.
               Expanded environmentally-friendly options for military 
             construction projects. Encouraged DOD to recognize all 
             American National Standards Institute approved building 
             ratings and certification systems, P.L. 112-74.
               Provided community access to health care. Provided HHS 
             with the authority to issue a waiver and preserve funding 
             for Arkansas health education centers, P.L. 112-74, P.L. 
             112-10.
               Promoted exports abroad. Required the Commerce 
             Department to develop an outreach plan to strengthen 
             export promotion entities such as the Arkansas World Trade 
             Center, P.L. 112-55.
               Expanded science parks. Enables the government to make 
             loan guarantees and grants to create or expand science 
             parks, P.L. 112-55.
               Protected taxpayer dollars from prisoner fraud. Required 
             Federal and State prison systems to share information on 
             inmates with the IRS. This step allows the IRS to cross 
             reference tax returns with the list of inmates to 
             determine if a legitimate return is filed, before tax 
             refunds are paid, P.L. 112-41.
               Expanded environmentally-friendly options for military 
             construction projects. Encouraged DOD to recognize all 
             American National Standards Institute approved building 
             ratings and certification systems, S. Rept. 112-29.
               Modified product safety law to reflect lead limit 
             capabilities. Allows flexibility for certain manufacturers 
             and charities in complying with new lead limits, P.L. 112-
             28.
               Weeded out border corruption. Required applicants for 
             law enforcement positions within U.S. Customs and Border 
             Protection to receive a polygraph exam before they are 
             hired, P.L. 111-376.
               Spurred innovation in technology through monetary 
             prizes. Enables Federal agencies to hold competitions with 
             monetary prizes in order to encourage innovation in 
             research and technology, P.L. 111-358.
               Improved investments to advance U.S. manufacturing. 
             Required the National Science and Technology Council to 
             identify priorities for R&D programs and address 
             challenges in those programs, P.L. 111-358.
               Incorporated entrepreneurship into STEM activities. 
             Requires lessons in innovation and entrepreneurship be 
             taught as part of science, technology, engineering, and 
             math (STEM) education activities, P.L. 111-358.
               Improved technology access for blind and deaf. Ensures 
             all Americans are able to fully utilize online devices, 
             regardless of disability, P.L. 111-260.
               Prevented excessive financial regulation of nonbanks. 
             Ensured banks and financial companies receive a higher 
             threshold of review by the Federal Reserve, but that 
             companies who were not part of the fiscal crisis, like 
             Home Depot, do not have to undergo additional supervision, 
             P.L. 111-203.
               Empowered consumers to make informed choices when 
             selecting health plans. Ensured consumers have an easy-to-
             use Internet tool to select the best plan on the health 
             care exchange, P.L. 111-148.
               Retired certain C-130Es. Retired outdated C-130Es and 
             saved taxpayers millions of dollars in maintenance and 
             storage costs, P.L. 111-84.
               Streamlined DOD research requirements. Eliminated a 
             duplicative report to Congress on DOD development programs 
             to allow the Pentagon to spend more time on research and 
             less time on paperwork, P.L. 111-84.
               Blocked unreasonable regulation to end pocketknife 
             sales. Prevented Customs and Border Patrol from banning 
             certain pocket knives, bringing relief to consumers and 
             the 20,000 employees that could have been impacted, P.L. 
             111-83.
               Preserved President Clinton's birthplace for future 
             generations. Designated the former President's home as a 
             National Historic Site and unit of the National Park 
             System, P.L. 111-11.
               Helped parents protect children from inappropriate 
             content on the Internet. Required the FCC to fulfill its 
             obligation to continuously review and implement blocking 
             technology as it is developed, P.L. 110-452.
               Fixed housing contract problems for military families. 
             Requires DOD to investigate and prevent base housing 
             problems, P.L. 110-417.
               Fought for fairness for military pilots. Directed the 
             Air Force and Navy to review pilot assignments to 
             nonflying duties, and the effect these assignments have on 
             these officers' eligibility for flight pay, P.L. 110-417.
               Ensured farmers access to ammonium nitrate fertilizer. 
             Required DHS to ensure that any person who produces or 
             sells ammonium nitrate (AN) registers their facility and 
             maintains records of sales. Buyers are checked against a 
             terrorist screening database, which keeps AN out of the 
             wrong hands without placing an undue burden on farmers, 
             P.L. 110-329.
               Protected consumers from toxic toys and other dangerous 
             products. Overhauled the Consumer Product Safety 
             Commission and established strong product safety 
             safeguards that cut fatalities in half and dramatically 
             reduced toy-related recalls, P.L. 110-314.
               Fought for fairness in the Tax Code for military 
             families. Enabled men and women in uniform to collect 
             combat pay and other tax benefits, such as the child tax 
             credit and the earned income tax credit, P.L. 110-245, 
             P.L. 108-311.
               Provided relief to military families affected by 
             landlord foreclosures. Allowed the military to move 
             household goods for members of the Armed Forces who are 
             forced to relocate when the housing they are renting goes 
             into foreclosure, P.L. 110-289.
               Advanced investment in cellulosic biofuel. Required USDA 
             to conduct a nationwide analysis of where the greatest 
             potential for development of cellulosic biofuel exists, 
             P.L. 110-234.
               Updated regulations for private-public partnerships 
             following disrupted rice exports. Improves quality control 
             standards for university and private sector research, P.L. 
             110-234.
               Ensured soldiers receive fair time for rest and 
             recuperation. Offered additional leave for troops serving 
             extended tours, P.L. 110-181.
               Kept the Do Not Call List free. Permanently kept the Do 
             Not Call Program free, simple, and effective, P.L. 110-
             188.
               Improved medical care for wounded warriors. Increased 
             personnel and resources available to treat wounded 
             warriors, with an emphasis on training health care workers 
             on identifying and treating PTSD and TBI, P.L. 110-181.
               Made swimming pools safer for children. Requires drain 
             covers to meet antientrapment safety standards, P.L. 110-
             140.
               Improved fuel economy standards. Negotiated an agreement 
             that overcame 30 years of deadlock on fuel economy 
             standards, P.L. 110-140.
               Maintained training for first responders. Secured 
             funding for the Domestic Preparedness Equipment Technical 
             Assistance Program, a nationwide training program for 
             first responders, P.L. 110-53, P.L. 109-295.
               Tapped an Arkansas center to head rural transportation 
             security research. Designated the Mack-Blackwell Rural 
             Transportation Center at the University of Arkansas as a 
             ``National Center of Excellence for Transportation 
             Security,'' P.L. 110-53.
               Expanded online education opportunities for minorities. 
             Established a pilot program for Historically Black 
             Colleges and Universities to develop online courses, P.L. 
             110-16.
               Improved energy efficiency in military housing. Directed 
             DOD to consider products that meet Energy Star 
             specifications in order to reduce the military's energy 
             bill, P.L. 109-364.
               Cracked down on foreign truckdrivers entering the United 
             States illegally. Directed DOT and DHS to comply with 
             measures that eliminate fraud in the commercial drivers 
             license process and verify citizenship, P.L. 109-347.
               Put the FEMA mobile homes to good use. Ensured that 
             mobile homes purchased by FEMA in the aftermath of 
             Hurricane Katrina went to serve the public good, P.L. 109-
             295.
               Removed unnecessary obstacles for a local manufacturing 
             company. Eliminated a 4.5 percent tariff on crotonaldehyde 
             for Eastman Chemical Corporation, P.L. 109-280.
               Kept local manufacturer globally competitive. Eliminated 
             a 4.5 percent tariff on LCD display panels in order to 
             reduce production costs for Sanyo, P.L. 109-280.
               Funded the completion of the Little Rock Central High 
             School Museum and Visitors Center. Secured more than $5 
             million to complete the center, P.L. 109-146, P.L. 109-54.
               Identified gasoline price gouging. Requires the FTC to 
             determine if and where gasoline price gouging occurs in 
             the supply chain, P.L. 109-108.
               Prioritized Cleburne County for water infrastructure 
             assistance. Encouraged the Agriculture Secretary to 
             prioritize Cleburne County, AR, for rural utilities 
             service water and waste water loans and grants, P.L. 109-
             97.
               Improved medical care to soldiers. Increased funding for 
             mobile medical shelter prototypes, and later urged FEMA to 
             use up to $10 million to acquire a mobile medical system 
             for evaluation, P.L. 109-90, P.L. 108-287.
               Prevented moving companies from holding goods hostage. 
             Requires movers to release goods if a customer pays the 
             estimate, P.L. 109-59.
               Promoted the commercialization of biodiesel and hythane. 
             Requires DOE, in conjunction with universities throughout 
             the country, to prepare reports that would evaluate how to 
             best deploy biodiesel and hythane and create an 
             infrastructure to support their potential, P.L. 109-58.
               Protected soybean industry. Directed the USDA to 
             initiate a stronger response to combat Asian Soybean Rust, 
             which resulted in $1.2 million for the effort, P.L. 109-
             13.
               Established tracking system for wounded servicemembers. 
             Ensures families receive timely information when loved 
             ones are wounded, P.L. 108-375.

               Mr. PRYOR. I do not do very many press conferences, as 
             you all know, and I have always been first in line to work 
             with any and all of my colleagues to try to get things 
             done. The Senate is a special place. On a personal level, 
             we talk about the Senate family. It is a family. When 
             people mention the Senate to me, I think of other 
             Senators, of course, and I think of legislation, but 
             usually the first thing that comes to mind is the people 
             who work here: the Parliamentarians, the clerks, the 
             doormen, the Capitol Police. I am appreciative of the 
             other Senators' staffs and the committee staffs, and even 
             to my House colleagues--most of them, anyway. No, even to 
             my House colleagues.
               But I have always been mindful of the people who really 
             make this place run: the janitorial staff, the folks in 
             the restaurants, the maintenance guys, the painters, the 
             carpenters, the tech people. The list goes on. All of them 
             contribute to make the Senate what it is. We work here 
             together. We go through life and budget cuts and changing 
             political winds together. There is a bond we all feel 
             because we all have been in the Senate together.
               Please give me just a few moments of your time to make 
             this next point. As great an institution as the Senate is, 
             the Senate is broken. The American people know it. In 
             fact, this is an area where the American people are way 
             ahead of Washington. The people around our Nation look at 
             Washington and they shake their heads. We sometimes cannot 
             see the forest for the trees because we get bogged down in 
             personalities or perceived wrongs or whatever the case may 
             be.
               This is not a Barack Obama problem, this is not a George 
             Bush problem. In fact, all recent Presidents have gone 
             through periods of deep unpopularity. This is an ``all of 
             us'' problem. The political environment today grinds the 
             trust and confidence out of our system. Let me tell you, 
             that is not good for anybody.
               The Republicans have a great opportunity in 2015 and 
             2016. They convinced the voters they are the party that 
             can govern. Now it is time for them to turn off the 
             rhetoric and turn on the governing. In the Senate, if the 
             new Republican majority will run the Senate the way they 
             have said it should be run, then this is a very good 
             start. If we can replay the tape over the last 2 years, we 
             will hear Republican Senators time and again clamor for an 
             open amendment process and for regular order. They were 
             caustic when the Democratic majority changed the rules--a 
             change, by the way which I did not support. So let's 
             change the rules back to what they were. Let's govern the 
             way we know we ought to govern.
               Democrats--this is an important message--Democrats 
             should help the Republicans govern. The rules are not the 
             problem around here. We are the problem, all 100 of us. 
             Hyperpartisanship has gotten the best of us. When things 
             get too partisan, good judgment and common sense go out 
             the window. The biggest and most serious problem facing 
             our Nation today is the dysfunction in our political 
             system within Washington. America has incredible 
             potential, but we cannot reach it unless Washington starts 
             to work again for all of us. If we are to continue to be 
             the greatest Nation on Earth, we must work together. That 
             is, after all, the American way. That is our history. This 
             country was created, this country was forged. The great 
             melting pot is just that, a melting pot. E pluribus unum 
             actually means something: Out of many, one. We have many 
             differing viewpoints, many philosophies, many backgrounds, 
             many priorities. So we have the pluribus part down pat. 
             That is not the problem. No, the challenge comes with the 
             unum.
               From my perspective, I see the ultimate question as a 
             question of loyalty. Who are we loyal to? I just mentioned 
             that we have many different viewpoints, philosophies, and 
             agendas. But if we have different loyalties, then we are a 
             divided nation. That will only lead to bad things. When 
             each of us takes our oath of office, we swear allegiance 
             to the Constitution, not a party, nor a President, nor an 
             interest group. We do not swear allegiance to those who 
             pay for our campaigns or to a certain agenda. We need to 
             hash out our differences in the Senate in committee and on 
             the floor, then hash them out with the House, but at the 
             end of the day, produce legislation. That is the essence 
             of the legislative branch. We also must exert our 
             authority as article I, the first branch of government.
               We have checks and balances. We cannot provide the check 
             or the balance if we are not functioning. Making this 
             place function is part of our oath of office. One thing we 
             should all remember: The Senate is bigger than we are. We 
             do not have to look further than our own desks to see 
             that. Look inside your desk and you see the names written 
             in the drawer. In my desk I see Senator Gronna, elected in 
             1911 from North Dakota. Names such as Everett Dirksen and 
             George Mitchell, David Pryor, Joe Lieberman, and Carl 
             Levin--these men molded history. These are Senators who 
             shaped world events. These Senators were good stewards of 
             what our Founding Fathers created for us. We should be 
             too, each and every one of us.
               The Father of our Country had a lot to say about 
             partisanship. In his Farewell Address, he warns us of the 
             ``continual mischiefs'' and ``ill-founded jealousies'' 
             caused by parties. We should take heed. It is the greatest 
             mistake of our time to allow these prophesied mischiefs 
             and jealousies to divide us and damage the American 
             political character.
               Abraham Lincoln once famously said, ``A house divided 
             against itself cannot stand.'' That is so true. His voice 
             is echoing down through the halls of history to us. If we 
             are divided, we cannot stand. We will not stand a chance 
             in the future. Let Lincoln's words be a clarion call to 
             all Members of Congress. That includes all Senators.
               Look at what is happening to us. The Congress is getting 
             more liberal and more conservative. Look at the wild 
             swings in regulations that have occurred from President 
             Clinton to President Bush to President Obama. No wonder we 
             are seeing a sluggish economic recovery.
               Washington is creating uncertainty and instability. The 
             private sector cannot make investments or take risks with 
             confidence. It should be the opposite. The Federal 
             Government should be fostering economic growth. This 
             country needs Washington to function. That starts in this 
             Chamber.
               One thing I like to say in meetings is this: ``Don't 
             just bring me the problem, bring me the solution.'' So I 
             have identified a big problem here this afternoon. It is 
             fair for you to ask about the solution. Regardless of your 
             political philosophy, bipartisanship is the answer. Let's 
             take off the red jersey and take off the blue jersey and 
             let us all put on the red, white, and blue jersey. Our 
             Nation's challenges, large and small, require us to get on 
             the same team; that is team USA.
               Remember, I mentioned Abraham Lincoln saying that, ``A 
             house divided against itself cannot stand.'' Well, he was 
             actually quoting an itinerant Jewish rabbi who said that 
             about 2,000 years ago. Jesus was right then and He is 
             right now. A house divided against itself cannot stand. 
             Good government is good politics. Although there are 
             short-term gains to be had by political division, the 
             long-term consequences are bad for the country. It is time 
             for the giants of the Senate to emerge. Jesus has offered 
             us some advice. Probably the best practical advice of 
             wisdom He left us here in the Congress is called the 
             Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto 
             you. If we applied that around here, about three-quarters 
             of our problems would vanish. Poof.
               Is that impossible? Not at all. Most of us claim to have 
             a Judeo-Christian faith, so why not apply what we know to 
             be true? The first step in this process is another one of 
             Jesus' admonitions--forgive one another.
               I know each Senator, from time to time, feels betrayed, 
             let down, slighted, or somehow wronged. We need to forgive 
             one another and let the healing begin.
               I am not trying to combine religion and politics, but I 
             think most everyone in the world agrees that Jesus is one 
             of the greatest moral teachers of all time. He has a lot 
             to say about how we should treat one another.
               There are and there will be 100 Senators. Healing the 
             Senate and getting it to function as it did for two 
             centuries is up to each individual Senator. That means 
             doing the right thing but also persuading others to do the 
             right thing. It is not about us, it is about our country, 
             our children, and our grandchildren. It is about being 
             good stewards.
               In closing, let me say I loved my time with you. I will 
             always remember you with fondness and I will always be 
             cheering for you. I expect great things from you because I 
             know you are capable of doing great things. God bless the 
             Senate and the work we do, and God bless the United States 
             of America.
               I yield the floor.
               (Applause, Senators rising.)


                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                    MARK L. PRYOR
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                               Monday, December 8, 2014
               Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, in just a few moments one of 
             my best friends in the Senate is going to give his 
             farewell address. Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, a former 
             State legislator, former attorney general, and two-term 
             Senator, was caught in this tidal wave in the last 
             election that caused those of us in the Democratic Party 
             in the former old Confederacy, now known as the South--and 
             of course parts of the South these days don't look 
             anything like the old Confederacy. As a matter of fact, my 
             State of Florida is a good example. It is a compendium of 
             people from all over the United States because folks from 
             all over the country have moved to Florida, and thus it is 
             a microcosm of the country.
               Arkansas is a State where the Pryor family has served 
             with great distinction and enormous public service for 
             decades. Although it temporarily comes to an end with 
             Senator Pryor leaving the Congress in January, that is not 
             the end of his public service. His mom and dad served so 
             ably for years in the Governor's mansion, as well as the 
             Senate, serving the people of this country and Arkansas. 
             Mark and his family served our country so ably over the 
             years and that public service will continue.
               I reflect back just a few days ago when Senator 
             Rockefeller gave his farewell speech. He is another 
             extraordinary public servant who has demonstrated selfless 
             public service. He is a Senator who, because of his family 
             heritage, could have done anything he wanted, but he 
             chose--after a life of privilege, growing up as a young 
             man, and after having spent time abroad--to go to one of 
             the poorest States in the Union. He first was a volunteer 
             to the poor and later developed a distinguished record of 
             public service that included secretary of state, Governor, 
             and now a five-term Senator. I will speak later about 
             other colleagues who are leaving.
               These are just two examples. Senator Rockefeller and my 
             seatmate Senator Pryor are extraordinary public servants 
             who when you talked to them and when you looked in their 
             eyes, if they gave you their word, that was it. You didn't 
             have to worry about it.
               Some say it is a throwback to the old days. The old days 
             is a throwback that we ought to go to, when if a Senator 
             gave you his or her word, that was it, when there was 
             civility among Senators, when there was not an avalanche 
             of outside money that came in to try to define you with 
             statements that were not true.
               We see what has happened to our politics in America 
             today with exceptional millions of dollars coming into a 
             State, buying up television, to create a statement in 27 
             seconds often that is not true and that fact checkers say 
             is not true, factcheck.org and Politifact.
               Yet when we talk to the TV stations and the broadcast 
             stations and show them the fact checkers, they will still 
             run the TV ads. But rather than talk about the mistakes 
             that were made with the Citizens United Supreme Court case 
             and missing by one vote in this Chamber several years 
             ago--we had 59 votes and we needed 60 to cut off debate so 
             we could get to the DISCLOSE Act, a DISCLOSE Act that did 
             not counter the Supreme Court decision, it just said if 
             you are going to spend all this money, you are going to 
             have to say who it is that is doing the contribution.
               Of course, if we had been able to pass that, then all of 
             this money would not be flowing because it is hiding 
             behind this masquerade of the Committee for Good 
             Government or the ABC committee for whatever. So they 
             masquerade behind that veil to spend all of that money for 
             their ultimate purposes.
               It caught a number of our people. Just look at what 
             happened in the runoff election this last Saturday. Look 
             at the imbalance of the spending on television that 
             occurred since the general election and the runoff in the 
             State of Louisiana.
               I will speak about Senator Landrieu, Senator Udall, 
             Senator Begich, and Senator Kay Hagan later.
               I wanted particularly to talk about Senator Rockefeller, 
             our chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Senator Pryor, 
             one of the finest public servants I have ever had a chance 
             to serve with.

               Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to give a tribute to 
             Senator Pryor, whose remarks we have just heard [see 
             farewell address, page vii].
               Through nearly a quarter of a century of dedicated 
             public service, Senator Mark Pryor has established a 
             strong reputation as the voice of reason.
               From an Arkansas legislator and attorney general to a 
             U.S. Senator, Senator Pryor has always put the people 
             first. To me, he has been an admired colleague, a great 
             collaborator, and a treasured friend. Working with Senator 
             Pryor during his service in the Senate, I know that he 
             acquired his voice of reason the old-fashioned way: He is 
             such a good listener.
               All of us are pretty good talkers, or we wouldn't be 
             here, but Senator Pryor has the distinction of being a 
             good listener. Whether debating colleagues on the Senate 
             floor or interacting with his guests on his Pryor-Side 
             Chats back home, he has consistently demonstrated that he 
             is one of those special individuals who can disagree 
             without ever being disagreeable. He always sticks to his 
             principles, yet he respects the principles of those with 
             whom he disagrees. He is well informed but always open to 
             new information.
               It has been a particular pleasure to work with Senator 
             Pryor on the Homeland Security Committee for many years 
             and on the Committee on Appropriations. His work ethic, 
             his attention to detail, his willingness, once again, to 
             listen to alternative views have been great assets in 
             addressing the challenges we face in our country.
               He has been a diligent fiscal watchdog for the Nation's 
             taxpayers. To me, Senator Pryor's approach to public 
             service is best defined by the crucial role he played in 
             ending the government shutdown in fall 2013 and as a 
             member of the Gang of 14 in 2005. In each case he worked 
             closely with me and with other Members to end a crisis and 
             to achieve a responsible, commonsense solution. In each 
             case he listened and he led.
               As a charter member of our Common Sense Coalition last 
             year, Senator Pryor stepped forward to restore both 
             government operations and help to restore some modicum of 
             citizen confidence in our Senate, in our government.
               These certainly were not the only times that Senator 
             Pryor's bipartisan approach and concern for the well-being 
             of Americans had been evident. In 2007, after a large 
             number of recalls following injuries and deaths that 
             caused parents throughout America to be concerned about 
             the safety of their children's toys--especially those 
             manufactured overseas--he once again stepped forward to 
             lead. After an extensive investigation in the Homeland 
             Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Pryor 
             worked with those of us on the Republican side on a bill 
             to strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission so 
             that we can now better detect and counter threats to our 
             children's health before these threats even reach the 
             store shelves, and eventually homes, schools, and daycare 
             centers.
               From restoring trust in government to protecting our 
             children, Senator Pryor has proven over and over again 
             that bipartisanship works. It is so significant that his 
             message to us today is that the dysfunction and 
             hyperpartisanship that have characterized the Senate 
             cannot stand.
               That is a wonderful parting message, and it is typical 
             of Senator Pryor that rather than talking about all of his 
             accomplishments, he instead is beseeching the Senate to 
             work together in the interests of all Americans--whether 
             we are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, or 
             not affiliated with any party at all.
               The 2014 election did not produce the result Senator 
             Pryor had hoped for, but it did reveal another aspect of 
             his extraordinary character. His message to the people of 
             Arkansas and to the new Senator-elect on election night 
             was genuine and it was gracious. To the people of 
             Arkansas, he simply expressed his sincere gratitude for 
             the opportunity to serve. But may these words, spoken that 
             evening to us in the Chamber, which he echoed today, be 
             his legacy. He said that night:

               The biggest and most serious problem we are facing in 
             this Nation today is the dysfunction of our political 
             system in Washington. We have incredible potential, but we 
             won't reach it unless Washington starts to work again for 
             all of us.

               Mark Pryor has been an extraordinary individual who 
             always did what he believed was right. He has contributed 
             enormously to our country and served his State well.
               I commend him for his service and I thank him for his 
             commitment, his integrity, and, most of all, for his 
             friendship.
               Thank you, Mark.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant majority leader.

               Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the great Cesar Chavez once 
             said, ``If you really want to make a friend, go to 
             someone's house and eat with him . . . the people who give 
             you their food give you their heart.''
               That is true. Sometimes they give you more than that. 
             Sometimes they give you an adventure in eating that you 
             will never forget.
               That is what happened to me when, in January, I was 
             invited by Mark Pryor to be his guest at a legendary 
             Arkansas political event. I am talking about the historic, 
             well-known, annual Gillett, AR, coon supper.
               Never heard of the Gillett coon supper in Arkansas? It 
             is to Arkansas what Tom Harkin's steak fry is to Iowa, 
             only it is nonpartisan, it draws about 1,200, and 
             unfortunately they don't serve steak.
               Coon is raccoon served in large buckets. Folks just 
             reach inside and pull out a chunk of coon, as they say in 
             Gillett.
               I was there that night with Mark Pryor. I wanted to make 
             sure I had my best manners as a visiting guest. I was 
             certainly appreciative of the invitation to a packed room 
             with the Governor and every walking politician in 
             Arkansas. Bill Clinton had been there over and over again 
             in his terms as Governor. He never missed that supper, and 
             we weren't about to miss it that evening.
               I watched as they put these bowls of coon and other 
             meats on the table, and I noticed something interesting. 
             All of the visitors like myself had bowls of coon put in 
             front of them. All the folks from Arkansas were eating out 
             of the beef platter. It struck me that perhaps this was a 
             delicacy they were saving just for guests. We asked for 
             advice from Mark Pryor about the proper selection of the 
             cooked coon, and he said, ``Get one with a big bone 
             because they have the least amount of meat on them.''
               So we followed his advice, nibbled at the corners, 
             smiled, and said what a great dinner it was. We looked 
             around and saw that only a handful of the local people 
             from Arkansas were actually eating the delicacy of the 
             evening, including one old fellow whom I went up to 
             afterward to introduce myself to who was wearing a real 
             coonskin cap. He told me he shot the raccoon and this cap 
             had been in his family for a long time. He passed it on to 
             his daughter first, of course, and then to his grandson.
               Mark Twain, another Mark, it turns out, loved roasted 
             raccoon as well, but he always kept an open mind when it 
             came to the issues of the day, including the issue of the 
             afterlife.
               Mark Twain once said, ``I don't like to commit myself 
             about heaven and hell--you see, I have friends in both 
             places.'' One reason Mark Pryor has been such a good 
             Senator is that he has friends on both sides of the aisle. 
             We just heard this warm tribute to Mark Pryor from my 
             friend Susan Collins of Maine, and I am sure others will 
             join the chorus on both sides.
               Mark Pryor is a man of deep faith who takes seriously 
             the admonition from the book of the prophet Isaiah, ``Come 
             now, let us reason together.''
               Like Kay Hagan and Mark Udall in our caucus, Mark Pryor 
             has politics and public service in his bloodstream. Mark 
             Lunsford Pryor is the fifth generation of Pryors to serve 
             in politics in his State. The first three generations 
             served as sheriffs.
               Mark Pryor served 4 years in the Arkansas House of 
             Representatives and 4 years as Arkansas attorney general. 
             In 2002, the people of Arkansas elected him to the Senate, 
             the same seat his father David held in the Senate for 18 
             years. Mark Pryor placed on his desk the same motto that 
             his father placed on his. It read, simply: ``Arkansas 
             Comes First.''
               But he made his own decisions, and he left a 
             considerable mark in the Senate. Halfway through his 
             freshman term, a new Member himself, Mark Pryor was called 
             on to join forces with the lions of the Senate--John 
             Warner, Robert C. Byrd, and Danny Inouye--to forge a 
             compromise over judicial nominations that averted a threat 
             to a bigger confrontation. That compromise, Mark said, was 
             the result of perspiration, not inspiration.
               I disagree. It involved the inspiration of a young 
             Senator from Arkansas who realized that public service 
             often meant trying to work together and to reason together 
             and to try to break down in your own individual fashion 
             the dysfunction of Washington.
               I worked with Mark on so many things over the years. As 
             a whip I went to him many times, and we talked about 
             difficult votes. I always found him to be honest, 
             straightforward, and highly principled. We didn't always 
             come to the same conclusion on the vote, but I respected 
             him every time because I knew he gave thoughtful 
             consideration to both sides. When it came to his vote, he 
             was going to do what was right in his own heart and 
             especially what was right for Arkansas. I knew that would 
             make the final decision when it came to the vote.
               I also want to put in a word of thanks to Mark as a 
             grandfather of two 3-year-olds who are anxiously awaiting 
             the arrival of Santa Claus in just a few weeks. You see, 
             Mark had the responsibility of reforming the Consumer 
             Product Safety Commission. It was an assignment long 
             overdue. That commission was grinding to a halt. It was 
             not exercising its authority, and it wasn't keeping 
             Americans safe, as it should. Mark stepped up, in a 
             bipartisan fashion. He stepped up, and he ended up 
             strengthening the Consumer Product Safety Commission 
             through his efforts on the Senate Commerce Committee. That 
             will keep toxic toys and harmful products out of stores.
               Many people recognize what Mark Pryor contributed in 
             that effort. Parents magazine applauded Mark Pryor as one 
             of the three movers and shakers in Washington in the year 
             2005 for his work on the Consumer Product Safety 
             Commission--work that continues to this day to keep 
             America safer. Consumer protection has always been a 
             hallmark of Mark's service, dating back to his days in 
             Arkansas as attorney general and certainly as a Senator.
               Fewer than 2,000 men and women have ever had the 
             privilege of serving in the Senate. In our entire history, 
             with hundreds of millions of people in our population, 
             fewer than 2,000 have been sworn in to represent their 
             States in the Senate. In Mark Pryor we have a person who 
             did an extraordinary job as a Senator for Arkansas and for 
             America. He has been a great friend of mine--someone I am 
             going to miss very much, but I hope he will keep in touch. 
             We say that somewhat loosely when people leave here, but I 
             mean it, because Mark Pryor always brought a smile to my 
             day. I recognize that his work in public service aspired 
             to the highest levels and always will.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.

               Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I came to the floor without 
             any prepared remarks, but I want to say a few words, if I 
             could, about our colleague Mark Pryor.
               I have affectionately called him ``Hey, man,'' because 
             in Arkansas, when you see one of your friends, you don't 
             just say ``Hi, Tom'' or ``Hi, Mark,'' you say ``Hey, 
             man.'' For the last 12 years, we have been saying a lot of 
             ``Hey, man's,'' and hopefully we will do so for a long 
             time to come.
               I was down in Honduras--murder capital of the world--10 
             or 12 days ago, and trying to figure out how to help save 
             a nation that may be a failing nation. They have a lot of 
             gangs down there--gangs involved in extorting money from 
             businesses, a lot of them kidnapping people, trafficking 
             people. Gangs have a bad connotation in Honduras, as they 
             should--here in Washington, DC, and in the Senate, not so 
             much.
               Senator Collins and Senator Durbin have talked about 
             some of the ``gangs'' this Senator from Arkansas has been 
             involved in, which I think most of us would say are doing 
             the Lord's work, doing good work. Mark is a man of deep 
             faith, as we know, and he has been a great role model for 
             the rest of us.
               Mark has reminded me before--and maybe some others as 
             well--that in the Old Testament, in Proverbs, we are 
             reminded we should always pray for wisdom. That is 
             something I pray for every night--not just for my 
             colleagues, of course, but certainly for me. All I can say 
             is the good Lord has answered his prayer.
               One of the reasons he has ended up as a member of these 
             gangs for good is because he has so much wisdom. He is a 
             good listener. He is just a very wise human being.
               It has been a joy serving with him. He got here in 2003. 
             He raised his right hand here and took the oath of office 
             in 2003. He came through orientation for new Senators, and 
             I talked to him about it later, and I asked, ``How was 
             orientation, Mark?'' He said, ``Well, it lasted about that 
             long. It was over. If you are a Democrat, we are going to 
             put you over here, and if you are a Republican, we will 
             put you over here, and it was just like, have at it.'' He 
             and I talked about it, and we said, ``That doesn't make 
             much sense.''
               As an attorney general and a member of the Attorneys 
             General Association, and myself as a former Governor and a 
             member of the National Governors Association, we had a 
             robust orientation program for new attorneys general and 
             for new Governors. The Presiding Officer is a former 
             Governor of Maine, and he recalls that well. I think one 
             of the reasons why the Governors are less partisan and 
             more likely to work across the aisle to get things done 
             together--and the same with the attorneys general--is 
             because of that orientation that occurs a couple weeks 
             after the election. We didn't have anything like that in 
             the Senate. So Senator Pryor, along with former Governor 
             and Senator Voinovich, former Governor Alexander and 
             myself decided to see if we could get some kind of 
             orientation program here for Senators. Now when people 
             show up a couple weeks after getting elected new Senators, 
             they no longer get put over in one corner as Democrats and 
             one corner as Republicans and are told to go at it. They 
             spend some time together--maybe the most concentrated time 
             they will have together during the time they are here--
             with folks of the other party. Those of us who are 
             Senators and spouses and chaplains and so forth go in and 
             provide information and tell them to learn from our 
             mistakes--those of us who have made plenty of them--and 
             you won't make those same mistakes.
               One of the things Senator Pryor is especially good at 
             doing is trying to connect each new Senator with a 
             mentor--a Democratic Member and a Republican Member--and 
             he was dogged in that. Not that everybody needs a mentor, 
             but we all need friends. We need friends on both sides of 
             the aisle, and you will keep those friendships for a long 
             time.
               I was a naval officer for 23 years. When I was a 17-
             year-old graduate from high school, I went off to Ohio 
             State to eventually become a Navy midshipman. I did that 
             for 4 years, 5 years as a naval flight officer in a hot 
             war in Southeast Asia, and 18 in the cold war until I 
             retired in 1991. I started learning about leadership when 
             I was pretty young--something I learned before I became a 
             midshipman. But among the things I learned about 
             leadership is that a leader should be humble, not haughty. 
             A leader should say do as I do, not do as I say. Leaders 
             should have the heart of a servant, and we should come 
             here with the idea of serving. The Scriptures we read say, 
             ``He who would be a leader must be a servant to all; he 
             who would be first should be a slave to all.''
               A leader should have the courage to stay out of step 
             when everybody else is marching to the wrong tune. A 
             leader shouldn't ask what is the easy thing to do, the 
             speedy thing to do; they should ask what is the right 
             thing to do. And a leader, as has already been said, a 
             leader should ask the question asked of a rabbi some 2,000 
             years ago. A rabbi was asked: What is the most important 
             commandment of all? He mentioned what one was, and then he 
             said the second one is love our neighbors as ourselves. I 
             think that is the most important one of all. Leaders are 
             like that.
               I just wish to say that I think my friend, ``Hey, man,'' 
             also known as Senator Mark Pryor, personifies that kind of 
             leader. God knows we need more of them. He has 
             demonstrated by his own character and behavior what he 
             believes.
               I am tempted to say we are going to miss him, but we are 
             still going to see a lot of him. In the Navy, when 
             somebody has done a great job, we say two words: Bravo 
             Zulu. So I say that to my friend.
               We also have this admonition. The Navy has the tradition 
             of hailing farewell on a ship or submarine or aircraft 
             carrier, whatever squadron you are on. When people come 
             in, we have an event called a hail and farewell party. 
             When it is over, for those who are leaving, we say: 
             Farewell and a following sea.
               So I would say this: Farewell and a following sea, and 
             we will see much more of you in the future.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). The Senator from 
             Alabama.

               Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I thank Senator Carper for 
             those good remarks, and I think they reflect the quality 
             and the character Mark Pryor has displayed as a Member of 
             this Senate.
               I have been asked: Who are some of your favorite people 
             across the aisle, Democratic people whom you respect and 
             like? Mark Pryor has always been at the top of that list.
               We have both served as attorneys general of our States. 
             We have a number of things to talk about. I have been able 
             to commiserate with him over Arkansas football in recent 
             years. We kind of keep up with those things a lot.
               I just would wish to say something that I basically said 
             at the National Prayer Breakfast several years ago. 
             Senator Pryor and I were cochairmen, and I was able to 
             say, with great confidence, that Mark Pryor is one of the 
             best people I have ever served with in the Senate. He is a 
             man of faith and integrity, and his ego is under control--
             not always so around this place, and it makes it run 
             better. He is collegial, willing to work with people 
             across the aisle, work within his own party, and not one 
             who has had difficulty making decisions. He has done what 
             he thought was right year after year here in this great 
             Senate.
               We had the opportunity to lead the Senate Prayer 
             Breakfast and then the National Prayer Breakfast twice, 
             and it was a special time. Mark really did a great job and 
             spent a great deal of time meeting with people from all 
             over the world. I think the depth of his faith is quite 
             obvious.
               To Mark I wish to say that you are special to me. Your 
             service in the Senate has been very special. You have 
             always done what you thought was right for your State and 
             done so in a way that is so pleasant and collegial to work 
             with. I know you will have some great adventures ahead. It 
             looks even like the Razorbacks are coming back. They may 
             give Alabama and Auburn a real hard time next year--who 
             knows. Hope springs eternal. They did pretty well at the 
             end of this year, I have to say. A monster may be arising 
             in Arkansas--who knows.
               We do have a great Senate, with less than 2,000 people 
             having served in this body. We have people of talent and 
             ability throughout, but there are people over the period 
             of years that touch you as the genuine article, people 
             whom you respect and admire, and, Mark, you are one of 
             those. God bless you and Godspeed.
               I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.

               Ms. KLOBUCHAR. I join my colleagues today in all the 
             good words that are being said about my friend Senator 
             Pryor. I got to know Senator Pryor best in the Commerce 
             Committee, where early on he scored a major victory for 
             the children of this country. That was at a time we 
             learned that toys and children's products that contained 
             lead were being brought in from all over the world. We 
             actually had a young child in Minnesota whose mom went out 
             and bought a pair of Reebok tennis shoes, and with the 
             tennis shoes came a little charm. That little child 
             swallowed that charm, and that little child died. He did 
             not die from choking on the charm; he died over a period 
             of days when the lead went into his system. That is just 
             one example. Senator Pryor was heading up the Consumer 
             Subcommittee, and we took a major vote to change the 
             standards of lead in children's products, including 
             jewelry and toys, and it was a huge bipartisan vote, a 
             very important bill, what was called one of the most 
             important pieces of consumer legislation in decades. 
             Senator Pryor got that done.
               Later, while he was head of that subcommittee, we had a 
             little girl in Minnesota named Abigail Taylor who died in 
             a swimming pool. All she was doing was playing in a kiddie 
             pool, and she happened to be sitting in the middle of the 
             pool. The pool drain malfunctioned and basically sucked 
             her insides out. She survived for a year. When Mark Pryor 
             came to Minnesota, he met with that little girl and her 
             dad. She later died after a surgery to try to save her 
             life.
               We worked after that to get the bill passed--named after 
             Howard Baker's grandchild, who had also died in a similar 
             circumstance--to make sure that all these public pool 
             drains--from apartments to YMCAs; you name it--were 
             checked. There has been a decrease in the number of 
             deaths. We do not hear about them on the news like we used 
             to, and that is because of Mark Pryor's work in the Senate 
             subcommittee.
               So I know the Taylor family--that was my proudest 
             moment, standing back in the Cloakroom and calling them. 
             They believed after they met Mark Pryor that it would be 
             easy to pass this bill, that we could get this done. It 
             wasn't quite that easy. It took a few months. We had to 
             end up putting it in the energy bill to get it done. But 
             being able to call Scott Taylor, who never gave up 
             believing Congress could get something done--that is just 
             one more example of the work Senator Pryor has done. So I 
             thank him for that.
                                              Tuesday, December 9, 2014
               Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take a few 
             minutes to salute my colleagues who are departing the 
             Senate at the end of this year with the conclusion of the 
             113th Congress: Mark Begich of Alaska, Saxby Chambliss of 
             Georgia, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Kay Hagan of North 
             Carolina, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Mike Johanns of Nebraska, 
             Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, 
             Carl Levin of Michigan, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jay 
             Rockefeller of West Virginia, Mark Udall of Colorado, and 
             John Walsh of Montana.
               They have all worked hard, ceaselessly giving their 
             energy and considerable time and service to their 
             constituents, to their home States and to our country. I 
             want to thank them for their service and for their 
             kindness to me over many years in so many cases. In 
             particular, I want to say a few words about these 
             colleagues. ...
               Mark Pryor and I have worked together on the 
             Appropriations Committee. We have worked together on a 
             number of initiatives. I want to thank him particularly 
             for his role in trying to help States like Rhode Island be 
             included in the Commodity Supplemental Food Program. I 
             thank Mark for that. I offer him my fondest wishes. ...
               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.

               Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, today we honor the 
             dedicated public service of my dear friend and colleague, 
             Senator Mark Pryor from Arkansas.
               For Mark Pryor, public service is a calling--one that 
             goes to the roots of who he is. Mark Pryor is the fifth 
             generation in his family to serve in public office.
               Beholden to no party, no special interests, Senator 
             Pryor's singular objective in Washington has been to make 
             lives better for the people of the State his family calls 
             home. The sign on his desk says ``Arkansas Comes First.'' 
             It was his father's campaign slogan a generation ago, and 
             that's the priority that guided Mark Pryor from the day he 
             arrived in the Senate.
               When Senator Pryor learned that a widow in Greenwood, 
             AR, was being deprived death benefits because her husband 
             died at home, instead of in combat, Senator Pryor crafted 
             an amendment to change that Pentagon rule, restoring the 
             full death benefit for the widow--and fixing it 
             permanently so it would be available to other surviving 
             spouses.
               A deeply patriotic man, with a profound respect for 
             those who serve, Senator Pryor is the author of the HIRE 
             At Home Act, which encourages companies to consider 
             military experience for servicemembers reentering the 
             workforce.
               But he has also fought to bring down the costs of 
             Arkansans' prescriptions and to protect the social safety 
             net. When FEMA demanded back pay for Federal disaster aid 
             it provided to Arkansas, Senator Pryor made sure the rule 
             got changed.
               I was honored this past year to partner with Senator 
             Pryor on the Bring Jobs Home Act, to prevent companies 
             from being rewarded for shipping jobs overseas and giving 
             them an incentive to bring those jobs that have left our 
             borders back home again.
               Of course, Senator Pryor served as chairman of the 
             Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural 
             Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related 
             Agencies. So as author of the 2014 farm bill, I relied on 
             Senator Pryor as a partner. He introduced the Forest 
             Products Fairness Act, which helps timber farmers in 
             Arkansas and across the Nation qualify for USDA's 
             BioPreferred Program.
               During an age of partisan strife, Senator Pryor has 
             provided sanctuary for those who seek compromise. I share 
             the sentiment he expressed in his farewell address--it is 
             imperative that we come to work not wearing jerseys of red 
             or blue but ones that have red, white, and blue.
               It saddens me that my dear friend, Senator Pryor, cannot 
             join us in this enterprise, because he has truly been a 
             voice of civility and reason. But I have no doubt he will 
             find new ways to serve the country and the State that he 
             loves.
               I wish him Godspeed in his future efforts.
                                           Wednesday, December 10, 2014
               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.

               Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, it is one of the Senate's great 
             traditions at the close of each session of Congress to 
             take a moment to note the service of those of our 
             colleagues who are leaving the Senate at the end of the 
             year. It is a time for us to express our appreciation to 
             our fellow Senators for their service and share what we 
             have learned from them as we worked together to make a 
             difference in our States and in our Nation.
               I have often thought that Mark has one great overriding 
             rule that has guided him in his work in the Senate, ``Is 
             this what the people of Arkansas sent me here to do?'' 
             More often than not the answer to that question has helped 
             him to develop a strategy to get things done that were 
             designed to make his home State and our Nation better 
             places to live.
               Ask just about any one of us here in the Senate what has 
             made Mark Pryor such an effective legislator and you will 
             get the same answer--bipartisanship. In fact, he was so 
             good at it, we might need to come up with a different word 
             to explain his strategy, something like Pryor-itize. For 
             Mark, the best way to get things done was to get everyone 
             involved--all parties, all sides of an issue, and 
             representatives of every point in between--together and 
             then take the best of what everyone had to offer to form a 
             coalition that would bring his legislative effort to a 
             successful conclusion.
               That is why both parties would often try to recruit him 
             for their legislative projects. Each party knew he had a 
             great ability to persuade that would help to bring other 
             Members together to support their efforts.
               I have often said that serving in the Senate is a great 
             adventure. If it were anything else, it would be too much 
             like work and too hard a job to take on. Because it is an 
             adventure it is something more--it is a chance to take on 
             the greatest challenge there is, leaving the world a 
             better place than we found it when we first walked through 
             the doors of the Senate, and find new, creative, and 
             inventive ways to make it happen.
               As he closes this chapter of his life, his Senate 
             adventure, Mark can be very proud of his efforts, and his 
             successes over the years. He has a great deal to be proud 
             of and I hope it brings him the satisfaction that comes 
             from knowing he has taken on a difficult job and done it 
             well.
               I know I will miss seeing Mark around campus here in 
             Washington, DC. I will miss his willingness to help on 
             those tough challenging issues we always seem to have 
             before us. I will also miss his words of faith and 
             determination that he would share with us during our 
             Prayer Breakfasts.
               I hope you will keep in touch with us in the days to 
             come with news of your next great adventure in life. Thank 
             you for your service to our country, thank you for your 
             focus on making Arkansas and our Nation better places to 
             live, and, most of all, thank you for your friendship. 
             Good luck in all your future endeavors. God bless.
                        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. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I am honored to stand here 
             and recognize my colleague and friend, Arkansas' senior 
             Senator Mark Pryor, for his service to our State, his 
             contributions to our country, and his work across the 
             aisle.
               I have worked with Senator Pryor during his entire 
             service in the Senate, both as a Member of the House and 
             as a colleague in the Senate. While we don't always agree 
             on policy, we always agree that we need to do what is best 
             for Arkansas and what is best for our Nation.
               Mark is always ready to step forward, find a solution, 
             and resolve an issue. He is always ready to extend a hand 
             to the other side of the aisle to get support, and he 
             always has Arkansas on his mind.
               Over the last 4 years, we have introduced several pieces 
             of legislation together, and you will find our names as 
             cosponsors of several other pieces of legislation that all 
             have one goal--helping the people of Arkansas and helping 
             the people of our country.
               There is a long-standing tradition of collaboration in 
             the Arkansas delegation. When I was elected to the House 
             in 2001, longtime Arkansas Congressman John Paul 
             Hammerschmidt gave me some advice I have tried to live by 
             since coming to Washington. He said, ``John, always 
             remember that once the election is over, it is time to put 
             away the political differences and focus on helping the 
             people of Arkansas.'' That is how the delegation worked 
             during John Paul's 26 years of congressional service, 
             which included service with Mark's dad, Senator David 
             Pryor, and that is how Mark and I operated as well.
               I appreciate the welcome Mark gave to me and the help 
             his office offered to my staff when I moved over here to 
             the Senate in 2011. I value his friendship, thank him for 
             his service, and appreciate all he has done for the people 
             of Arkansas. I wish him well in the next chapter of his 
             life.
                                              Friday, December 12, 2014
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I am going to take just a 
             minute, because time is running out, to talk about a 
             couple of Senators.
               I rise to honor Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas upon his 
             departure from this institution. I have been in the Senate 
             28 years, and there has been a Pryor here for 22 of those 
             years. I first worked with Mark's dad, David Pryor. David 
             Pryor left this institution because he had quite a 
             significant heart attack. What a fine Senator. I have said 
             before, and I will say again, he was the best legislator I 
             ever served with, whether during my experience in the 
             State legislature of Nevada or here: David Pryor. He was 
             very good.
               Six years after David left, Mark came. What a good 
             legislator he is. He is just such a fine person. But it is 
             no surprise to me that he followed in his dad's footsteps. 
             After all, the Pryor family has worked as public servants 
             in Arkansas for five generations. Mark's great-great-
             grandfather was a sheriff. Mark's great-grandfather was a 
             sheriff. Mark's grandfather Edgar was a county sheriff 
             also in Arkansas. In fact, just last year, an Arkansan 
             said to Mark, ``I'm for Mark Pryor not because of his dad 
             David but because of Edgar.'' That is how deep the Pryor 
             roots run in Arkansas.
               On Mark's desk is a plaque that reads: ``Arkansas Comes 
             First.'' This was a plaque that was on his dad's desk and 
             that Mark put on his desk. This has been Mark's mission 
             since he has been here--to put Arkansas first. The Senate 
             and the entire country have benefited from the influence 
             of the Pryors in the U.S. Senate--David and Mark.
               Mark was born in Fayetteville, grew up in Little Rock, 
             and attended the University of Arkansas as an 
             undergraduate and later to law school. While working as an 
             attorney in private practice, he began his public service 
             in 1990, when he ran for a seat in the house of 
             representatives. He was elected and served there for 4 
             years.
               In 1996, Mark was faced with the fight of his life. He 
             had a situation occur near his Achilles tendon on one of 
             his legs. They tried physical therapy, but it didn't seem 
             to get well, and they discovered he had a very rare form 
             of cancer--clear-cell sarcoma--in his left leg. So it is 
             an understatement to say it was a trying experience for 
             Mark. He was faced with the prospect of dying or losing 
             his leg.
               Mark was buoyed in this difficult experience that he had 
             by his family, his friends, and the people of Arkansas 
             praying for him. It was quite a spiritual experience for 
             Mark and his family. This experience deepened his 
             compassion for those who suffer physically, financially, 
             and emotionally, and he has translated that into his 
             public service.
               In 1998, he was elected attorney general of the State of 
             Arkansas. In his 2002 senatorial election he bucked the 
             national trend to become the only Democrat to defeat a 
             Republican incumbent. Bucking trends would quickly become 
             one of his hallmarks here on Capitol Hill. As a Senator, 
             he has shown courage in voting according to his 
             conscience.
               Key among his legislative accomplishments have been 
             bills to extend tax benefits and improve medical services 
             for men and women to make the products that people buy, 
             especially products for children, safe. He has also been a 
             strong advocate for honest and transparent business 
             practices in order to preserve our American tradition of 
             responsible free enterprise.
               His respect for tradition extends to the Senate itself. 
             I say this for a number of reasons, but once a reporter 
             asked him what he would do if he had absolute power over 
             Congress. In his characteristic fashion, he responded he 
             would instill in his fellow Senators greater respect for 
             each other and for the world's greatest deliberative body. 
             That is what Mark Pryor said.
               While some may have disagreed with Mark, they never ever 
             questioned his sincerity, his integrity. I admire his 
             impeccable dedication to his conscience.
               Mark Twain said, ``The proper office of a friend is to 
             side with you when you are in the wrong. Nearly anybody 
             will side with you when you are in the right.''
               With apologies to Mark Twain, if eternal agreement were 
             the price of friendship, we would all have fewer friends. 
             Friendship can transcend policy preferences, as Mark's and 
             mine do. We agree on most everything. There are a few 
             things we don't agree on politically, but that doesn't 
             matter. It doesn't matter because he is my friend.
               He is a friend to my wife and me. It is no secret there 
             are many people--the Republican leader and his wife--who 
             reached out to console me and Landra during her terrible 
             accident, and then when the cancer was ravaging her body. 
             But she pulled through that. And one reason she did, I am 
             convinced, is Mark Pryor. Mark Pryor, who almost died from 
             cancer, called my wife often--texted her often telling 
             her: You are going to be OK; don't be afraid. So my wife 
             loves Mark Pryor.
               We were talking about the elections not long ago, and I 
             said, ``I have never prayed to win an election, and this 
             election I didn't either.'' She said, ``Well, I did.'' 
             That is how she feels about Mark Pryor.
               I am really honored to have served with Mark Pryor, who 
             is such a genuine person, so sincere. He has been an 
             invaluable asset, his service here in the Senate. I 
             congratulate Mark on his exemplary service here in the 
             Senate.
               Mark will always be my friend. There is a quote that 
             bears directly on my feelings about Senator Pryor: ``A 
             good friend is hard to find, hard to lose, and impossible 
             to forget.'' I will never ever forget Mark Pryor. He is a 
             unique, one of a kind, kind, thoughtful, considerate man.

               Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will now speak very briefly 
             about my retiring colleagues and then turn it over to the 
             Senator from Florida [Mr. Nelson]. 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.

               Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I honor my friend Mark 
             Pryor. For 12 years Senator Pryor has served the people of 
             Arkansas in this body. He is independent, open-minded, and 
             hard working. He will be missed.
               Senator Pryor comes from a distinguished Arkansas 
             political family. His father, David Pryor, was Governor of 
             and later Senator from Arkansas. Mark was born in 
             Fayetteville, AR, and attended college at the University 
             of Arkansas. He received a law degree from the University 
             of Arkansas School of Law and then spent several years in 
             private practice.
               In 1991, Senator Pryor was elected to the Arkansas House 
             of Representatives. Eight years later he was elected 
             attorney general of Arkansas. In 2002, Mark won election 
             to the U.S. Senate from Arkansas, winning the same seat 
             his father once held.
               In the Senate, Mark has distinguished himself through 
             his independence and his willingness to reach across party 
             lines. Although Mark and I have not always agreed, I have 
             always known he has acted in what he firmly believes are 
             the best interests of his State.
               Senator Pryor has served on a number of important 
             committees during his time in the Senate, including the 
             Appropriations Committee, the Homeland Security and 
             Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Committee on 
             Commerce, Science, and Transportation. I have been 
             fortunate to work with him on a number of important pieces 
             of legislation, on topics ranging from medical care to 
             homeland security to victim restitution. He has been a 
             strong partner in these efforts, and I have been grateful 
             to have him as an ally.
               Senator Pryor is a decent and thoughtful man. He has 
             served his State honorably. I wish him and his family the 
             very best.

               Ms. HEITKAMP. Madam President, I wish to honor my 
             colleague, Senator Mark Pryor, who will be leaving the 
             Senate at the end of this Congress. Senator Pryor has been 
             a tireless champion for the people of Arkansas for 12 
             years in this legislative body. However, his commitment 
             and dedication to the State of Arkansas is reflected not 
             only in his work here, but in the public service he and 
             his family have given for decades.
               As the son of a former Governor and U.S. Senator, 
             Senator Mark Pryor grew up in a family that embodied 
             public service, instilling his interest and desire to do 
             the same in his career. After attending the University of 
             Arkansas and working in the private sector as an attorney, 
             he turned his sights to public service. While serving as a 
             member of the Arkansas House of Representatives and then 
             as attorney general for the State of Arkansas, Senator 
             Pryor honed his understanding of the needs of the State 
             and developed strong connections through its institutions 
             which served him well throughout his career. It was here 
             that I first met Mark. He was serving as attorney general 
             in Arkansas at the same time I was serving as attorney 
             general in North Dakota. I was immediately impressed with 
             this young public servant and grew to understand that he 
             is intelligent and principled in how he approaches his 
             life and career. In 2003, Senator Pryor was elected U.S. 
             Senator from Arkansas, reclaiming the seat his father once 
             held.
               As a Senator, he served on various committees that 
             allowed him to fight for the priorities of Arkansas, pass 
             legislation and champion initiatives which helped this 
             Nation. During his tenure on the Armed Services Committee, 
             Senator Pryor protected the interests of Arkansas 
             servicemembers and their families. His work on the 
             Appropriations and Commerce Committees created 
             opportunities for growth in transportation, rural 
             broadband, energy, and agriculture, all critical interests 
             for Arkansas. Leading these issues with bipartisan 
             proposals and working closely with his colleagues on 
             marshalling these efforts Congress after Congress, Senator 
             Pryor earned the respect of his colleagues for his quiet 
             devotion and steadfast commitment.
               Mark is a Senator who promotes commonsense solutions--
             solutions that seek strong support and address some of the 
             more important needs of this Nation's citizenry. During my 
             short time in the Senate, we served together on the 
             Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Small 
             Business Committees. I very much enjoyed working with him 
             and serving together for the benefit of others. I continue 
             to find him to be a man of great honesty and integrity. 
             This type of stewardship is to be admired and appreciated 
             by those inspired to serve on the local, State, or Federal 
             level.
               I applaud my colleague for his years of tireless 
             commitment in defense of his home State, for his service 
             in the Senate and this country. I wish the very best to 
             him and his family in the years to come.
                                              Monday, December 15, 2014
               Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, since 2002, Senator Mark 
             Pryor has been a dedicated representative in the U.S. 
             Senate for the people of Arkansas. Throughout his career 
             he has carried on a strong family tradition of service. I 
             worked alongside his father, Senator David Pryor, for 
             nearly 20 years. Both father and son are two of the finest 
             public servants I have known. Their conscientiousness and 
             their decency are but two of the many distinguishing 
             features of their work in this body.
               Throughout his tenure here, Mark Pryor has been a fierce 
             defender of and advocate for rural communities, a 
             commitment both he and I share. He has promoted expansion 
             of rural broadband infrastructure to ensure that families, 
             farmers, businesses, and students in even the most rural 
             communities in Arkansas, in Vermont, and across the Nation 
             have access to the World Wide Web. As the chairman of the 
             Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, he has been a 
             partner of mine in working to ensure that farms small and 
             large have the resources and support to maintain and 
             contribute to the rich agricultural history of the Nation. 
             We have also worked together to advance key conservation 
             programs to help protect farmlands across the country.
               I have also greatly admired Senator Pryor's commitment 
             to the National Guard. As cochair of the Senate National 
             Guard Caucus I have seen how active and effective he has 
             been as a caucus member and as a valued ally in our 
             bipartisan efforts to protect, defend, and bolster 
             resources for the men and women of the National Guard.
               In the day-to-day work of the Senate, I will miss 
             Senator Pryor's insight, his evenhandedness, and his 
             friendship. He has been a passionate voice in the Senate 
             for the people of Arkansas. I wish him and the entire 
             Pryor family all the best in the years ahead.
                                             Tuesday, December 16, 2014
               Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as we wind down the final days 
             of the 113th Congress, it is a good time both to reflect 
             on the past and to look toward the future. I have been 
             very moved as I listened to the farewell speeches of our 
             departing Senators, and I wish I had time to pay tribute 
             to each one of them. They have all been wonderful 
             colleagues, and I enjoyed working with and getting to know 
             every one of them. I wish them all the very best in all 
             their future endeavors. They will most certainly be 
             missed. ...

               Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, before this Congress ends, I 
             wanted to pay tribute to several of my colleagues who will 
             not be here when we convene next year. Some chose not to 
             run again, and others unfortunately lost their reelection 
             campaigns, but we will miss them all next year. I begin in 
             order of seniority. ...
               Mr. President, Senator Mark Pryor comes from a family 
             with a history of public service. Mark served as Arkansas 
             attorney general before being elected to the Senate in 
             2002, occupying the same Senate seat his father David 
             held. As a member of the Agriculture Committee, Mark 
             fought hard to protect the interests of Arkansas' farmers, 
             and through his position on the Homeland Security and 
             Government Affairs Committee he pushed for regulatory 
             reform, all the while asking how each decision he made 
             would impact people back in Arkansas. Through his work, 
             Mark embodied what it meant to be a public servant. ...

               Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, Senator Mark Pryor of 
             Arkansas has served the people of Arkansas in the Senate 
             for the last 12 years, guided by his strong faith and 
             determination to bridge the partisan divide.
               As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Senator 
             Pryor has successfully directed Federal assistance to his 
             Arkansas constituents, helping to strengthen his State's 
             economy. As a member of the Commerce Committee, he 
             prioritized bringing broadband Internet service to the 
             rural parts of Arkansas. When Senator Pryor served on the 
             Senate Armed Services Committee, he successfully 
             introduced and passed legislation to provide tax relief 
             for our servicemembers deployed in combat zones, as well 
             as legislation to more quickly inform military families 
             when their loved ones are injured in combat.
               Senator Pryor has time and again proved his dedication 
             to the State where he was born and raised, and I wish to 
             thank him for his service in the Senate.

               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. HIRONO. Mr. President, I wish to say a few words 
             about my colleague, Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, who 
             will be ending his tenure in the Senate at the end of this 
             Congress.
               The Pryor name is synonymous with public service in 
             Arkansas. Mark's father, David, served Arkansas in the 
             U.S. House, as Governor, and in the U.S. Senate. In fact, 
             Mark succeeded his father in the U.S. Senate after serving 
             in the State legislature and as attorney general.
               Throughout his two terms in the Senate, Mark has been a 
             workhorse and not a show horse. As he noted in his 
             farewell remarks, he is not one to attend many press 
             conferences. But he certainly has done a lot of work on 
             behalf of the people of Arkansas. In 12 years in the 
             Senate he has worked to get 70 laws passed--many on a 
             bipartisan basis.
               His work improves the lives of Americans and our youth 
             each day--from his work in consumer product safety, access 
             to health care, veterans issues, and more. He has fought 
             to protect Medicare, and to support Arkansas' farmers, 
             small businesses, and middle class families.
               That may be why in his 2008 reelection to the Senate he 
             earned more votes than any statewide elected official in 
             Arkansas history.
               Senator Pryor told us in his farewell to look inside our 
             desks and see the names written in the drawer, to see the 
             predecessors who have come before us. These names can 
             serve as a reminder of what we all are here for and what 
             large shoes we must fill, as well as how we must 
             collaborate to get things done.
               Mark has spoken about the fact that politics is about 
             people--both the people we serve and the people we serve 
             with.
               While there are many good people serving here, we will 
             all miss the work ethic, warmth, and charm that Mark 
             brought to the Senate during his service.
               It has been an honor serving as his colleague.
               Aloha, Mark, a hui hou, ``until we meet again.''