[Senate Document 113-37]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



 
TRIBUTES TO HON. MARK UDALL


                               Mark Udall

                     U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO

                                TRIBUTES

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF
                           THE UNITED STATES



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                                          S. DOC. 113-37

                              Tributes

                      Delivered in Congress

                                
                                     
                            Mark Udall

                   United States Congressman

                            1999-2009

                      United States Senator

                            2009-2015


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               U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
                       WASHINGTON : 2015                                           




                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                             
                             
                                     
                                     CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell Address......................................
                                                                    vii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Bennet, Michael F., of Colorado................
                                                                      7
                    Boxer, Barbara, of California..................
                                                                     19
                    Casey, Robert P., Jr., of Pennsylvania.........
                                                                     17
                    Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
                                                                      6
                    Durbin, Richard J., of Illinois................
                                                                      5
                    Hatch, Orrin G., of Utah.......................
                                                                     17
                    Hirono, Mazie K., of Hawaii....................
                                                                     18
                    Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                     16
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                      5
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                      4
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                     14
                    Shaheen, Jeanne, of New Hampshire..............
                                                                     18
                    Stabenow, Debbie, of Michigan..................
                                                                     20
                    Udall, Mark, of Colorado.......................
                                                                      4
                    Udall, Tom, of New Mexico......................
                                                                     12
                    Wyden, Ron, of Oregon..........................
                                                                      3
                                      BIOGRAPHY

               The people of Colorado elected Mark Udall to the U.S. 
             Senate in 2008. Before that he represented the State's 
             Second Congressional District for five terms (1999-2009). 
             He also served one term in the Colorado State Legislature 
             as a member of the General Assembly (1997-1999), 
             representing the 13th District, which encompassed the 
             community of Longmont and parts of southern Boulder 
             County.
               In the U.S. Senate, Mark served on three committees: 
             Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and the 
             Select Committee on Intelligence. Reinforcing his priority 
             of protecting our Western lands, Mark chaired the National 
             Parks Subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resources 
             Committee. He was also proud to serve as the chairman of 
             the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces. In that role, Mark 
             had oversight responsibility for all U.S. military space, 
             intelligence, and cyberdefense efforts, and our ballistic 
             missile defense and nuclear weapons programs. Mark's 
             committee assignments gave him a platform to address many 
             issues important to Colorado, including national security, 
             energy, the economy, clean energy jobs, and natural 
             resources.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                              Friday, December 12, 2014

               Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, it is humbling 
             to stand here to speak one final time with my colleagues 
             as a U.S. Senator.
               As a lifelong mountain climber, I have learned far more 
             from the mountains I did not summit, than those I did. 
             Every climb, I have found, offers a chance to look back 
             and reflect, and standing here today gives me a unique 
             opportunity to appreciate just how far we have come.
               For the past 18 years, my most rewarding challenge has 
             been exercising the power lent to me by the people of 
             Colorado to fight on their behalf, first in the State 
             house and then in the U.S. Congress. Throughout my career 
             in public service--my 6 years in the U.S. Senate being but 
             one chapter--I have always been guided by the rugged 
             independence, strength, and cooperative spirit that 
             defines who we are as Coloradans and as Westerners.
               That spirit helped me craft solutions to long-standing 
             problems in my home State of Colorado. From my very first 
             week in the U.S. Senate, I worked at resolving the 
             decades-long impasse between southern Colorado ranchers 
             and the U.S. Army, which uses the land surrounding Pinon 
             Canyon to train soldiers for deployment into war zones. 
             After 5 years of listening and lots of hard work, we 
             reached a deal that protects the property rights of 
             landowners while ensuring our troops are prepared to 
             defend our Nation. It was a teamwork-oriented approach 
             that reflected Colorado's best problem-solving traditions.
               I have said for years that Coloradans pull together come 
             hell or high water. Little did I know that this saying 
             would prove itself to be true during my time in the U.S. 
             Senate, from wildfires that left thousands homeless to a 
             biblical flood in 2013 that swept over much of the Front 
             Range. Despite the partisan Federal Government shutdown of 
             2013, we delivered more than $770 million in emergency 
             flood support and marshaled nearly $2.5 billion in 
             additional Federal assistance so that Colorado could 
             rebuild better and stronger than before. This disaster 
             relief work includes conservation easements and watershed 
             protection funds to ward off future floods and a series of 
             next-generation air tankers to help us fight fires for 
             decades to come. This is in addition to the more immediate 
             support needed to rebuild roads, bridges, and the 
             infrastructure that our communities depend on.
               Our uniquely Western perspective holds that compromise 
             is not capitulation, and that we are stronger when every 
             member of the community has a seat at the table--not just 
             the privileged. This is a cause that my family has 
             championed for generations and it is a creed that should 
             continue to drive all Coloradans who answer the call to 
             serve.
               At this point in our politics, Americans are rightly 
             impatient with the willful, partisan gridlock and 
             dysfunction in Washington. Yet, in Colorado, we know that 
             by working together we have been able to keep our State 
             moving forward and do our part to overcome Washington 
             silliness for the good of the Nation.
               But even as we keep our eyes on the horizon and the work 
             we still have to do, it is also important that we protect 
             our special way of life--and safeguard our land, water, 
             and air for future generations. I strongly believe that we 
             do not inherit the Earth from our parents--we borrow it 
             from our children. That is why I have championed efforts 
             to preserve our public lands and the special places and 
             natural wonders that define Colorado. Those efforts 
             include creating new wilderness areas around James Peak, 
             ensuring that future generations can experience the beauty 
             of the Great Sand Dunes and Chimney Rock, and turning 
             Rocky Flats--a former nuclear weapons facility--into a 
             wildlife refuge. I will continue working hard to protect 
             Brown's Canyon, which I hope to see designated as a 
             national monument in the days ahead.
               Protecting these special places along with our clean air 
             and water is just part of the larger fight to confront the 
             challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. 
             Colorado has long led the Nation's pursuit of a balanced, 
             forward-thinking energy strategy. Much of the progress 
             Colorado has made came after I fought alongside Republican 
             Speaker of the Colorado House Lola Spradley in 2004 to 
             pass our State's first renewable electricity standard. 
             This was the Nation's first democratically passed 
             renewable energy policy, and one which has actually been 
             strengthened and added to since it was created. Since 
             then, Colorado's renewable electricity standard has 
             increased from its start at 10 percent to the 30 percent 
             it is today. It has become a model for the Nation in how 
             to create good-paying clean energy jobs while fighting the 
             causes of climate change.
               I built on this effort in the U.S. Senate by 
             successfully pushing to extend the production tax credit 
             for wind energy. This has been a years-long, bipartisan 
             effort that I am proud to have led alongside Senator 
             Grassley from Iowa. From coming to the floor more than two 
             dozen times to explain the importance of wind State-by-
             State and to demand an extension in 2012, to fighting to 
             extend the wind tax credit again this year, I have never 
             given up on Colorado's thriving wind-energy industry and 
             the more than 5,000 jobs it supports across the State. 
             This is the sort of commonsense, bipartisan policy that 
             helps hard-working American families today but is also 
             part of implementing a clean energy future for generations 
             to come.
               As a Nation, over the past few years, we have persevered 
             through difficult times to continue building toward a more 
             perfect union. When our country was faced with the 
             possibility of another Great Depression, we took decisive 
             action--avoiding financial collapse, supporting 6 straight 
             years of job growth in private industry, and making smart 
             investments in everything from repairing our crumbling 
             roads to reinvigorating Denver's historic Union Station. 
             That is something to be proud of. There's a lot more to be 
             done--but it is important to pause and note the successful 
             milestones we have already reached on the road to 
             recovery.
               Despite a flawed rollout, the Nation's health care law 
             has increased access to quality health coverage for more 
             than 400,000 Coloradans, helped families lower expenses 
             and plan their future with free contraceptive care, and 
             kept costs down for the first time in decades. This is 
             helping to keep families out of bankruptcy and making sure 
             that all Americans--not just the wealthiest among us--
             receive the care they and their families deserve.
               Thomas Jefferson once said that a true patriot loves her 
             country not just for what it is ... but for what it can 
             be. I think a country where every family can rest easy 
             knowing that they will never be left in the cold again 
             when it comes to accessing health care is a cause worth 
             fighting for, and I could not be more grateful to those 
             who have fought alongside me to make that a reality. At 
             the same time, we must also continue to monitor closely 
             its implementation to ensure we identify and correct any 
             unexpected and uneven impacts on Coloradans and Americans.
               While protecting Americans from the abuses of an out-of-
             control health care system is an achievement we should all 
             celebrate, I have been equally as passionate about 
             upholding the Bill of Rights and protecting our freedom 
             and right to equality. We still have a way to go, but I am 
             proud to have followed in the footsteps of so many great 
             leaders, including many in my own family, who fought to 
             make sure America lives up to the values enshrined in our 
             Constitution.
               Many of you may recall that my father, Mo, helped to 
             integrate the University of Arizona, when it was beset by 
             racial divisions. My grandfather, Levi, issued a famous 
             court decision that recognized Native Americans' 
             constitutionally protected right to vote in our elections. 
             My Uncle Stewart challenged discrimination in our Nation's 
             Capital when he confronted the Washington football team to 
             demand they allow Black athletes to play alongside white 
             athletes. It has been these examples among so many others 
             that inspired me to take action when I felt we were not 
             living up to our constitutional ideals.
               That includes leading the successful fight to repeal the 
             military's discriminatory ``don't ask, don't tell'' policy 
             that had so shamefully kept gay and lesbian Americans from 
             openly serving their country in the Armed Forces. It 
             includes passing landmark hate crimes prevention 
             legislation and a law to make it easier for women to fight 
             wage discrimination.
               While there is much work left to be done to protect our 
             constitutional rights, I am proud to have led the effort 
             to reconcile the enormous power of our Nation's 
             intelligence agencies with the bedrock principles of our 
             democracy. We have proven that the choice between ensuring 
             our security and protecting our privacy is a false choice, 
             and that we can keep faith with our Nation's founding 
             principles while also safeguarding our communities. So 
             when the CIA tortured people in the name of the Americans 
             it was supposed to serve, we were strong enough as a 
             Nation to admit our mistakes and commit to learning from 
             this dark period in our Nation's history. That is why I 
             led the fight on the Intelligence Committee to declassify 
             the findings of our landmark report on the CIA's Detention 
             and Interrogation Program, to make sure that future 
             Presidents and intelligence community leaders do not 
             violate the principles that make America so exceptional.
               These are all important accomplishments--but I would be 
             remiss if I did not acknowledge that true leadership is a 
             team sport. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by many 
             people whose insights, counsel and contributions have made 
             me a stronger and more effective advocate for Colorado. In 
             particular, I want to point out that former Colorado U.S. 
             Senator Gary Hart has been a key, trusted advisor and a 
             dear friend throughout my 18 years of public service. I 
             want to thank my chief of staff, Michael Sozan, who has 
             guided my Senate office with a steady hand for the last 6 
             years ... and my State director, Jen Rokala, who I have 
             had the pleasure of working with over the past 15 years as 
             we served the people of Colorado. I also want to thank Joe 
             Britton, my deputy chief of staff; Jake Swanton, my 
             legislative director; John Fossum, my administrative 
             director; and Mike Saccone, my communications director, 
             for ably guiding me and my office.
               Even before coming to the Senate, I had the pleasure of 
             working with many dedicated people who put everything on 
             the line to better serve Colorado. I want to thank Alan 
             Salazar, my former chief of staff, along with Laura Davis, 
             Lisa Carpenter, Stan Sloss, Doug Young, Cookab Hashemi, 
             and Tara Trujillo for their guidance, patience, and good 
             humor. I also want to thank two staffers who have been 
             with me from the start: Jennifer Barrett, one of my most 
             trusted advisers, and Carter Ellison, my constituent 
             services director. The list of talented and driven people 
             who have worked with me over the years is too long to read 
             but their commitment to serving Colorado and our Nation 
             fills me with awe. I will miss my team greatly.
               It also has been my honor to serve as a member of the 
             Senate Armed Services Committee for the last 6 years--and 
             on the House Armed Services Committee before that. During 
             that time, I had the privilege of working on behalf of the 
             tremendous men and women who defend our Nation. I have 
             witnessed their great courage, professionalism and 
             commitment in performing dangerous missions in Iraq, 
             Afghanistan, Djibouti, and other places around the world. 
             I have been humbled by the indomitable spirit of our 
             wounded warriors recovering at Walter Reed, Bethesda, and 
             in Colorado. I have mourned our fallen. Their sacrifice, 
             and the loss that is borne by their families and a 
             grateful Nation, is never far from my mind. To all those 
             who have served, and to all their loved ones, I offer my 
             deepest thanks and my never-ending gratitude.
               When I first came to the U.S. Senate, I told my 
             colleagues that we were not elected to solve Democratic or 
             Republican problems, but to find uniquely American 
             solutions to our toughest challenges. Just like mountain 
             climbers who are all on the same rope, we know that we are 
             all in this together--and that we are only truly 
             successful when we all succeed together.
               The great writer Wallace Stegner challenged us to build 
             communities to match our scenery. In a narrow sense, that 
             means that we should strive to make our society as 
             beautiful and thriving as the natural landscape that 
             surrounds us. But in a broader sense, it also means that 
             our communities should bring out the best in us, and that 
             we should never stop building on the uniquely independent 
             yet cooperative spirit that makes Colorado great.
               That is the spirit that has guided me throughout my time 
             in public service, and it is the spirit that will continue 
             to guide me as I find new ways to keep Colorado and our 
             country moving forward.
               It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be a 
             U.S. Senator from Colorado and I will be forever grateful 
             for having had the challenge and the opportunity to serve 
             our great country.

                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                     MARK UDALL
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                              Tuesday, December 9, 2014
               Mr. WYDEN. I close with just a word about our friend and 
             colleague Senator Mark Udall of Colorado. I have had the 
             pleasure of serving with Senator Udall on the Intelligence 
             Committee and have admired his commitment to American 
             security and core American values. Many in the Senate 
             would not know this because all of those intelligence 
             meetings are behind closed doors, but Mark Udall is not a 
             Senator who is afraid to stand alone. He is not afraid to 
             fight for what he believes in. When the fight to 
             declassify this report [on the CIA's Detention and 
             Interrogation Program] got bumpy--and let me tell you it 
             did a lot of times. I think some of you heard this weekend 
             we had an 11th-hour objection to the report getting out. 
             People asked me what I thought, and I said it was not 
             particularly surprising because there were objections 
             practically every hour on the hour for months and months. 
             Yet when the fight to declassify the report got very 
             difficult, some people said: This is going to get buried 
             forever. That is what happens when you try to get 
             accountability and transparency. Senator Mark Udall made 
             it clear that wasn't going to be allowed to happen on Mark 
             Udall's watch.
               I am going to wrap up by saying to Senator Udall, I 
             remember when we started this battle together and we got a 
             handful of votes, sometimes like 13 to 2 or whatever. We 
             thought it was going to be a long time before there was 
             reform. We went from those days to eventually getting up 
             to 15 or 20 votes. Colleagues, today, to a great extent 
             because of Senator Udall, in the last vote for real 
             surveillance reform, we were up to 58 votes--58 votes for 
             real surveillance reform. That, to a great extent, is 
             possible because of the extraordinary service of my good 
             friend Senator Mark Udall from Colorado. We Westerners 
             always make sure we stay in touch, and you know that is 
             going to be the case with this particular friend from the 
             West, a wonderful Senator, Mr. Mark Udall.

               Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, today is a 
             historic day, as Senator Wyden made clear, Senator 
             Feinstein, Senator Rockefeller, and many other Senators to 
             follow.
               Before I talk about my involvement in the efforts that 
             were put forth to reach this day, I want to say to Senator 
             Wyden, my good friend, you honor me with those comments. I 
             want to acknowledge that when you are in a fight, it 
             matters whom you are in the fight with. It has been my 
             privilege and honor to fight on the side of transparency, 
             on the side of protecting the Bill of Rights, and this has 
             been a righteous cause. We are going to continue to work 
             to find the right balance between privacy and security. As 
             Ben Franklin famously implied, we can have both, but we 
             don't end up with both if we set aside the Bill of Rights 
             and those fundamental principles that are enshrined into 
             the Bill of Rights. It has been my privilege to fight 
             alongside you, and I wish you all the best. Yes, we 
             westerners will stay in touch. ...

               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 Udall and I served together on the Armed Services 
             Committee. I am grateful to have traveled with him to 
             Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2011. He is committed to our 
             troops, committed to our national security, committed to 
             his home State. He has been an advocate for clean energy, 
             for natural resources, for things that will be a legacy 
             for generations to come in Colorado and throughout the 
             United States. ...
               Along with all of my other colleagues who are leaving us 
             at the conclusion of the 113th Congress, let me thank them 
             for their service, their dedication to improving the lives 
             of Americans, and on a very personal level for their 
             friendship. I wish them all well.
                                           Wednesday, December 10, 2014
               Mr. LEVIN. ... I will yield to the Senator from Colorado 
             [Mr. Udall], but first I wish to thank him for the great 
             contribution he has made to our committee. I think he is 
             planning on speaking on a different subject. He has played 
             a major role on the Intelligence Committee. I look forward 
             to reading, if not hearing, his remarks on the subject on 
             which I know he has spent a good deal of time. Although he 
             has had perhaps more visibility in terms of the 
             Intelligence Committee, he has been a major contributor on 
             the Armed Services Committee. I can't say we will miss him 
             because I will not be here, but they will miss the Senator 
             from Colorado.

               Mr. DURBIN. I have some tributes here for my colleagues 
             who are retiring, leaving the Senate. It is a lengthy list 
             of tributes. ...
               Mark Udall, my friend from Colorado and the Presiding 
             Officer's colleague. As I said last night, I served with 
             his dad. His dad may have been the funniest public servant 
             I ever served with. What a wit, what a sense of humor. He 
             once said, ``If you have politics in your bloodstream, 
             only embalming fluid will replace it.''
               Thank goodness the Udalls have politics in their 
             bloodstream. Mo Udall served in the House of 
             Representatives, candidate for President; Mark Udall's 
             uncle, Stewart Udall, was Secretary of Interior under 
             President John Kennedy; Tom Udall, Mark's cousin, the son 
             of Stewart Udall, serves as Senator of New Mexico; Mark 
             Udall himself, what a great person.
               I can remember so many things about his public service, 
             but I remembered, especially last night, when he lost his 
             brother and came before our caucus lunch and talked about 
             the love he had for that man and what that loss meant to 
             him. It touched the heart of everyone in the room. It gave 
             us an insight into the heart of Mark Udall as a person.
               He was committed to a number of causes. His wife Maggie 
             and he have given so much time to the environment and 
             preserving our national heritage, but he also showed great 
             courage when it came to his service on the Senate 
             Intelligence Committee. Even as a new member of that 
             committee, he stepped up for principles and values, and I 
             am glad he did, preserving our rights and liberties as 
             American citizens and fully supporting the disclosure that 
             Senator Feinstein made yesterday with her report.
               Mark has fought to protect Americans' privacy rights 
             with thoughtful reforms of the NSA and the PATRIOT Act.
               In keeping with his family's tradition, he has made 
             protecting our environment and our precious natural 
             resources a top priority. He has been a leader in 
             addressing climate change as a growing threat to our 
             national security. He organized support in the Senate for 
             legislation that would require 15 percent of electricity 
             to be generated from renewable sources by 2021.
               In the 2013 Defense Authorization Act, Mark Udall led 
             the effort to allow the Pentagon to continue to develop 
             and use renewable energy.
               During his one term, Mark Udall made more dauntless 
             decisions and achieved more good for America than many 
             Senators who have served far longer.
               He supported a recovery act that helped turn the tide 
             against the worst economic downturn since the Great 
             Depression. He voted for the most far-reaching financial 
             reform since the Great Depression and he supported one of 
             the biggest investments in college affordability since the 
             GI bill. Millions of Americans are back at work and 
             millions of Americans know the security that comes with 
             affordable health care, in part, because of his courage.
               The famed explorer Edmund Hillary once said, ``Human 
             life is far more important than just getting to the top of 
             a mountain.''
               For Mark Udall, being a U.S. Senator has been about 
             something more important than acquiring power. It has been 
             about using that power to preserve our precious natural 
             treasures and make life better for others.
               Mo Udall would be proud of the U.S. Senator his son has 
             become, and I am certainly proud to have worked with him.
               I have been in the Senate now for 18 years, and I have 
             seen many come and go. But we have lost, sadly, in this 
             departure of these Members some of our best.

               Mr. COONS. ... As I close, I would also like to thank 
             those of our colleagues who will be leaving the Senate 
             after the New Year.
               It is an incredible privilege to work in this Chamber 
             and to represent the people. Every day I am awed by the 
             dedication and talent of many of my colleagues, public 
             servants who come to work to fight for their States and 
             their government.
               To those who are ending their service in the Senate, 
             know that I value your friendship and partnership. It has 
             been an honor to work with you, and I thank you for all 
             you have done for our Nation.
                        ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENT
               Mr. BENNET. I ask unanimous consent that the tributes to 
             retiring Senators be printed as a Senate document and that 
             Senators be permitted to submit tributes until December 
             23, 2014.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
                                            Thursday, December 11, 2014
               Mr. BENNET. Madam President, I wish to take a moment 
             today to speak about my friend Mark Udall, who is soon 
             going to be finishing his term. Mark's sister Doty 
             describes him as an OK politician but an extraordinary 
             public servant. I think it is fair to say that Mark could 
             never reduce his role as a representative of the people of 
             Colorado to just politics. It is not in his DNA.
               It is with a very heavy heart that I see him leave the 
             Senate, because he is my friend. But it is especially sad 
             at a time when Mark's kind of leadership and constructive 
             engagement is exactly what this place needs.
               ``Udall'' is a name that is synonymous with the West, 
             and Mark and the collective service of the Udall family 
             have come to represent the very best of our Western way of 
             life. They have embodied that pioneering and 
             entrepreneurial spirit dating back to the days when 
             Americans were building entirely new lives on the 
             frontier. They have a historic love for the beauty and 
             majesty of the West. They have spent lifetimes protecting 
             it.
               Mo and Stu Udall, Mark's uncle and father, both served 
             our country during World War II. Stu was elected to serve 
             the Second District of Arizona. When President Kennedy 
             asked Stu to serve as the Secretary of Interior, Mo won 
             Stu's seat in Congress.
               Unlike his son Mark, Mo never ran for the Senate. He 
             explained why. He said:

               I told the Arizona Press Club with [Barry] Goldwater 
             present that there were three reasons I was not running 
             for the Senate: 1) I love the House. 2) My wife and family 
             are against it. 3) I have taken a poll and you are going 
             to beat the hell out of me.

               Although he did run for President. The New Republic 
             reported on that:

               The Arizona Congressman, Morris Udall liked to tell a 
             story about a response he got at a barber shop in Maine: 
             He looked in at the door and, meaning to introduce 
             himself, said ``Mo Udall, running for president.'' 
             ``Yeah,'' the barber said, ``we were just laughing about 
             it this morning.''

               It is not hard to know where Mark acquired his self-
             deprecating approach to the world, just as it is not hard 
             to know where he inherited his commitment to civil rights, 
             to conservation, and to good government.
               Mark has said it was during this time that his political 
             views were formed. He himself went on to seek office.
               In 2008, when Mark was elected to represent Colorado in 
             the Senate, his cousin Tom--Stu's son--was elected to 
             serve the State of New Mexico and is one of our colleagues 
             today.
               Mark Udall's connection to the West and to public 
             service comes from both sides of his family. Mo Udall, a 
             man of many talents, met Patricia Emory, Mark's mother, 
             while playing baseball in Colorado. Patricia or ``Sam'' 
             Udall was a sharpshooter, pilot, Peace Corps volunteer at 
             the age of 56. She was a native Coloradan and the person 
             Mark credits most for his passion for the outdoors, for 
             backpacking, and climbing.
               Today in the 21st century we face a profound set of 
             challenges and a dramatic test of our democratic 
             institution. Can what Mark Udall often calls this glorious 
             experiment in self-government continue to thrive into the 
             next century and beyond?
               Mark has carried on the tradition of his family by 
             serving as a moral forward-pointing compass. Throughout 
             his career he has defended personal freedom and liberty, 
             and he has built a legacy of conservation and 
             preservation. As a member of the Colorado General Assembly 
             representing Longmont and parts of Boulder County, Mark 
             toughened the laws against poaching big game as trophy 
             animals. As a Member of the House of Representatives, he 
             worked across the aisle to establish the Rocky Flats 
             Wildlife Refuge, cleaning up the former nuclear site and 
             preserving 4,000 acres of wild land near Denver. He 
             established the James Peak Wilderness Area, protecting 
             14,000 acres of some of our most scenic land in Gilpin and 
             Grand Counties. He passed the Rocky Mountain National Park 
             Wilderness Act to designate nearly 250,000 acres within 
             the park as wilderness, including Longs Peak, which is 
             actually a 14er that I have climbed. Mark Udall has 
             climbed all of them in Colorado, every single 14er we 
             have, because they are included in the tallest 100 
             mountains that we have, each one of which has been 
             summitted by Mark Udall. These are lands that will be 
             protected long after any of our political careers are over 
             and long after they remember who it was who protected 
             those lands to begin with. But if anybody cares to check, 
             they are going to know that it was Mark Udall.
               Mark has been vocal, active, and effective in his fight 
             against climate change and in his promotion of renewable 
             energy. He was the statewide cochair of the successful 
             2004 campaign to pass Colorado's Amendment 37. This 
             measure required Colorado's power companies to generate 
             most of their electricity from renewable sources. Colorado 
             was the first State in the Union to take the issue to the 
             voters. Amendment 37 passed. Mark Udall was the driving 
             force behind that effort. After his victory in the State, 
             Mark took this issue to the House of Representatives. The 
             House has twice passed the national renewable electricity 
             standard championed by Mark.
               During his time in the Senate, he has continued to push 
             for a national policy, and his doggedness in standing up 
             for Colorado's wind energy production saved thousands of 
             good-paying jobs across the State and ensured that we will 
             continue to lead the Nation in developing our clean energy 
             economy.
               The same is true for our ski areas, which have expanded 
             recreation activities and summertime job opportunities 
             thanks to a law Mark passed in this Senate.
               Colorado's aerospace industry is thriving in part thanks 
             to Mark Udall. His work on space policy also dates back to 
             his time in the House of Representatives as ranking member 
             on the Space Subcommittee. Mark helped revitalize 
             aeronautics and aviation research and development at NASA 
             and ensured that the Hubble space telescope received 
             service and funding.
               In the Senate, Mark helped lead the Colorado delegation 
             opposition to a proposal that would have canceled the 
             Orion Program, costing the State 1,000 jobs. The 
             administration backed off. Last week, with a shuttle and 
             rocket--both built by companies based in Colorado--NASA 
             launched a successful test flight of the Orion vehicle. We 
             will again carry astronauts into space, traveling deeper 
             than ever before and eventually maybe even visit Mars.
               As everybody in this Chamber knows, Mark has been a 
             staunch defender of the rights and freedoms we cherish as 
             Westerners. As a member of the Senate Armed Services and 
             Intelligence Committees, Mark fought every single day he 
             was here to protect the security of the American people 
             and the Bill of Rights. He has taken on NSA and CIA when 
             they violated our constitutional values.
               In 2011 he worked on a classified level to pressure 
             intelligence officials to dismantle a massive email 
             collection program that affected American privacy. 
             Administration officials were unable to provide evidence 
             that the program was effective. It was shut down. It only 
             became public information when the New York Times reported 
             on it in July 2013.
               Well before Edward Snowden made headlines in 2013, Mark 
             warned of the NSA's overreach. In 2012, on this Senate 
             floor, he warned the American people that they would be 
             shocked to learn about what the NSA was doing in secret. 
             He introduced landmark, bipartisan surveillance reform 
             legislation with Senators Ron Wyden, Richard Blumenthal, 
             and Rand Paul. It became the basis for the USA FREEDOM 
             Act, which received 58 votes just a few weeks ago. There 
             was a time, before the relentless use of the filibuster, 
             when a majority of votes in the Senate would have been 
             enough to ensure passage of that bill.
               Earlier this week the Intelligence Committee released 
             the executive summary of the Senate Intelligence 
             Committee's study of the CIA's Detention and Interrogation 
             Program. Nobody in this place fought harder than Mark 
             Udall to shed light on these tactics. His goal from day 
             one has been holding the CIA accountable, shedding light 
             on this dark chapter of our history, and ensuring that 
             neither the CIA nor any other agency or future 
             administration would make the grievous mistakes that were 
             made here. He accomplished his goals with respect to the 
             process without leaking classified information but by 
             applying pressure both politically and privately until the 
             report was finally released. He has been effective because 
             he has stood on consistent principle on every issue we 
             have faced.
               He voted against the PATRIOT Act. He opposed the war in 
             Iraq. He helped lead the fight to end ``don't ask, don't 
             tell.''
               Mark truly is the very best of what it means to be a 
             public servant: independent, responsible, tough, focused 
             on the future, and possessing an abiding can-do spirit. 
             His calm presence, his unassuming nature, and his ability 
             to see pure good in those around him are exactly what we 
             so desperately need in our process today.
               Simply put, Mark Udall has fought for Colorado families 
             in the most constructive way possible--by pushing 
             thoughtful commonsense solutions--but has never ever 
             fought to achieve a partisan political fleece.
               When Colorado was struck with a series of natural 
             disasters, from wildfires to floods, Mark was at his very 
             best, standing up for our State and our families to lead 
             the efforts to ensure that our communities had the support 
             they needed to recover and better prepare for the threats 
             we faced next. He has strengthened the way we respond to 
             the growing threat of wildfire by emphasizing preservation 
             efforts that will save lives, property, and tax dollars. 
             We would expect nothing else from a man who has dedicated 
             himself and his career to standing up for Colorado 
             families, the middle class, and the values of the American 
             West.
               As a Senator, a Representative, a State legislator, 
             director of the Colorado Outward Bound School, Mark has 
             been a model public servant. He has lived up to and 
             exceeded the high standards his family has set for more 
             than a century. Throughout all of his work, Mark has 
             always fought against the dysfunction that persists in 
             Washington.
               It is true, however, that Mark cannot take full credit 
             for the work. His wife and partner Maggie Fox shares his 
             commitment to leaving more opportunity for the next 
             generation. She has worked as a teacher and community 
             organizer on the Navajo and Hopi reservations of Arizona 
             and New Mexico, and for the Colorado, North Carolina, and 
             Northwest Outward Bound Schools. She has become a leading 
             voice in many efforts to protect our land, our air, and 
             our water. Their partnership is a genuine one. It has made 
             Mark's work possible.
               Mark's staff has been among the finest, most 
             professional, and most effective in the Senate. It has 
             been a pleasure for me and for my staff to work alongside 
             them on behalf of the people of Colorado.
               Over the past few years I have learned that really there 
             are two broad categories of people in Washington: There 
             are those who embrace and add to the dysfunction because 
             it serves their ideological convictions or gives them an 
             opportunity to star on the cable news or both. Then there 
             are the people who are actually trying to save the place. 
             They are looking for areas of compromise to break the 
             gridlock and to move us forward.
               Mark is one of the good ones, and I have no doubt he 
             will continue to make profound contributions to Colorado 
             and to our Nation in a variety of ways, but we are 
             diminished by his loss. Every one of us, for the sake of 
             this institution, would do well to live up to the example 
             Mark Udall has set.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.

               Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam President, I thank 
             Senator Grassley for allowing me this time to talk about 
             my cousin, Mark Udall. First, let me say to Senator 
             Bennet, I know that Mark feels he could not have had a 
             better partner, a better friend, and someone to work with 
             on Colorado issues and the great national issues than 
             Senator Bennet.
               Senator Bennet spoke eloquently of Mark's incredible 
             record in public service. Two years in the Colorado 
             Legislature, 10 years in the House of Representatives, and 
             6 years here in the U.S. Senate. I served with Mark in the 
             House, and here in the Senate. He is not only my cousin. 
             He is not only an extraordinary public servant. He has 
             been a great ally, as we have worked on the issues 
             together.
               Mark has been--and will continue to be--a champion, for 
             the environment, for civil liberties, and for a government 
             that is as open and good as the people we are privileged 
             to represent.
               Mark has been a courageous and outspoken leader in the 
             fight against climate change. He knows that global warming 
             is not just a threat to our environment, but to our 
             national security and our economy. He and I have worked on 
             this issue throughout our time in public service, pushing 
             to expand clean energy production and for commonsense 
             steps to reduce pollution. He and I introduced, and got 
             passed, a renewable electricity standard when we were both 
             in the House to increase the use of renewable energy and 
             create jobs across the country. When the Senate passes a 
             similar RES, which I believe it eventually will, Mark you 
             will share in that victory, for all your determination and 
             hard work to make it happen.
               Our dads loved the land. They taught us to love it as 
             well. Mark doesn't just climb mountains. He protects them, 
             so that generations to come will enjoy this legacy of 
             natural treasures. Together we have fought for full 
             funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and for 
             wilderness preservation. He has accomplished so much that 
             will live on, long after we all are gone.
               Mark has also been a true leader on the Senate 
             Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee. 
             He is absolutely fearless, and undaunted, in defense of 
             our Nation, and in defense of our liberties. We both 
             opposed the original PATRIOT Act, as well as its 
             reauthorization. Mark has been eloquent and tenacious in 
             warning of over-reaching surveillance, and secret 
             interrogations. The Intelligence Committee released its 
             study of the CIA's secret program this week. No one fought 
             harder to hold our government to account, in insisting 
             that we must not only be secure, but we must honor the 
             values that define us. We can and must do both. History 
             will remember his invaluable role in making it possible 
             for the American people to have this great and necessary 
             debate.
               Madam President, my dad once said that, in the end, it 
             is not the awards you receive, it is not the trophies in 
             the garage, or the honors on the shelf, it is what the 
             people who know you best really think of you. To those of 
             us who know Mark--in our family, here in Washington, and 
             in his beloved State of Colorado--he is the real deal.
               I remember when Mark's dad, Mo, ran for President in 
             1976. Mo lost the nomination to Jimmy Carter. In his 
             concession speech, he recalled the words of Will Rogers, 
             ``Live your life so that whenever you lose, you are 
             ahead.'' Mo went on to say:

               And I am ahead. I'm ahead in staff people who love me 
             and believed in me. And I'm ahead because I have love, 
             respect, and admiration for all of you in this room.

               That was true of Mo. It is equally true of Mark. In his 
             years of public service, and in the years to come, that 
             will always be said of Mark. Whatever the task, whatever 
             the challenge, he meets it head on. In the Congress, and 
             in his day-to-day life, he is practical, independent, and 
             always generous of himself.
               Mark, wherever you go, wherever you are, win or lose, 
             you are ahead--and we all are ahead whenever you are in 
             the room. Or I might say whenever you are on the trail, or 
             the mountainside. We find you out on the trail as likely 
             as anywhere else.
               But, then, that has always been the case with Mark, and 
             with all our family. If you are a Udall, you spend a lot 
             of time outdoors, and gladly so. We never know when we 
             will run into each other. A number of years ago, I was 
             hiking up a mountain in Argentina. All of a sudden, there 
             on the trail at 16,000 feet, was Mark, coming back from 
             the summit. So, I never know when I'm going to run into 
             him, but Madam President, let me say, I am always glad 
             when I do.
               Mark, for me, you have always set an example. You have 
             always been true to the legacy of our family. I know that 
             will never change, whatever your endeavors. So, to you, 
             and Maggie, and Jed and Tess, Jill and I wish you all the 
             best in this new chapter in your lives.
                                              Monday, December 15, 2014
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, the famous English poet William 
             Blake once said, ``Great things are done when men and 
             mountains meet.'' There could be nothing more apt when 
             talking about Mark Udall than when we talk about men and 
             mountains. He knows mountains. He has climbed nine 
             Himalayan peaks. He has climbed Mount McKinley. He has 
             climbed 99 of the highest summits in Colorado, and that is 
             the place where we have the great Rockies. Those are big 
             mountains. He once attempted to scale Mount Everest but 
             was stopped by a severe storm. While we were waiting to 
             finish our work on Saturday, someone told me they were 
             hoping to go skiing on Sunday.
               I said, ``Where are you going to go skiing?''
               ``I don't know the name of the place.''
               ``How high is that place?''
               ``Eight hundred feet.''
               In the Sierra Nevada Mountains where I am from, and the 
             Rockies, that is not a mountain. We have mountains in 
             Colorado and Nevada.
               Mark Udall once attempted to scale Mount Everest and was 
             nearly there when one of the most violent storms came. 
             Using good sense, he decided they shouldn't do it, and it 
             was the right thing to do. People die by saying they are 
             stronger than nature. He understands his limitations, and 
             his limitations are not very much. Mark is a tremendous 
             athlete. He could do anything athletically. He has the 
             genes of his dad, Morris Udall, whom I had the good 
             fortune of serving with in the House of Representatives. 
             Morris Udall is the only person to have played 
             professional basketball being blind in one eye, couldn't 
             see, but he was able to adjust his perceptive qualities 
             with a basketball hoop to play professional basketball.
               We all felt Mark's loss when his brother Randy was found 
             dead in the place he loved more than anyplace else, the 
             Wind River Mountains in Wyoming. That is where Randy loved 
             to go. That is where Mark loves to go. People told Randy 
             he shouldn't go alone, but he went alone, and it appears 
             maybe he had a heart attack while he was out there. They 
             found him dead several weeks later in the mountains he 
             loved. It was real tough for Mark, who looked up so much 
             to his brother. Mark, though, has met many mountains and 
             done many great things.
               He served in the House of Representatives where he was 
             stellar. But it is the work in the Senate where his 
             greatest feats have been accomplished. In 2013 there were 
             storms in Colorado and there was catastrophic flooding. It 
             was very bad. Lives were lost, homes washed away. The 
             people of Colorado needed help, and Mark would not stop. 
             He held up legislation until the people of Colorado got 
             what they deserved. He helped secure nearly $1 billion in 
             Federal assistance for the people of his State, money to 
             rebuild homes, bridges, roads, and reestablish lives.
               While he dedicated himself to protecting the people of 
             Colorado, he also was committed to safeguarding the 
             constitutional rights of all Americans. Who has done more 
             in exposing what has been going on with the invasion of 
             people's privacy? No one has done more than Mark. He has 
             done this in a number of different ways. But as a member 
             of the Intelligence Committee, his work sounded the alarm 
             about the National Security Administration's bulk data 
             collection program. He fought to end the CIA's Detention 
             and Interrogation Program, and together with Senator 
             Feinstein has pushed to make public the committee's study 
             of the CIA's torture program.
               People have said: Perhaps if Mark had not been so 
             concerned about individual rights, about the bulk data 
             collection, about the torture, maybe he would have been 
             reelected. But that is not Mark Udall. He comes from a 
             family with a long tradition of public service, as I have 
             indicated. His Uncle Stewart was Secretary of the 
             Interior, after having served in Congress for many years 
             representing the State of Arizona, as did his dad Mo 
             Udall. Mo Udall was one of the most recognizable 
             Congressmen in the entire 20th century, having run for 
             President, and he had a sense of humor that was really 
             quite remarkable.
               Here in the Senate Mark has cousins. It has been 
             interesting. During the last few years, we have had a lot 
             of cousins: Mark, Tom, Mike Lee, Gordon Smith--all 
             cousins, first cousins. How did that come about? Mark 
             would, as he did just a day or two ago, look and kind of 
             smile and say, ``It could have been polygamy.'' And it 
             was. But they are a very close family.
               In spite of the closeness of Tom and Mark--two brothers 
             could not be closer than these two men. They climb 
             mountains together. I have talked to them about putting on 
             crampons, these spikes you put on your shoes to climb the 
             ice. These are adventurers.
               So we are going to miss Mark. But he has forged his own 
             path and his own legacy.
               Now, as his time in the Senate draws to a close, he will 
             carry that legacy to other endeavors.
               I wish Mark all the best. It has been such a privilege 
             to serve with him. He will be deeply missed.

               Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, for nearly 20 years in 
             Congress, Mark Udall has represented the people of 
             Colorado with commitment and courage. He is a dedicated 
             public servant, whose drive and responsibility to the 
             people of Colorado will not wane with his retirement.
               An experienced mountaineer and proud environmentalist, 
             Senator Udall has spent weekends exploring and enjoying 
             the great outdoors, and his weekdays protecting them. He 
             has authored legislation to create wildlife refuges and 
             preserve wilderness in Colorado. He is also a leader in 
             renewable energy, helping his home State adopt a renewable 
             electricity standard and working to bring a similar 
             innovation to the national stage.
               Senator Udall has worked hard to bridge the partisan 
             divide during a period of unprecedented polarization. Many 
             of the bills he has authored have enjoyed wide bipartisan 
             support, including proposals to reauthorize NASA and to 
             protect public lands. He was one of the Senate's newest 
             Members when he successfully called on Republicans and 
             Democrats to sit together in a show of national unity at 
             the 2011 State of the Union, following the tragic 
             shootings in Tucson, AZ.
               Senator Udall has been a tireless advocate for the 
             protection of civil liberties. His work on the Senate 
             Intelligence Committee has been focused on protecting the 
             privacy and civil liberties of all Americans, a commitment 
             that I strongly share. His departure will be a loss to the 
             work of the Intelligence Committee.
               Mark Udall comes from a family with an uncommon history 
             of public service. Though Senator Udall is retiring from 
             the Senate, I know this service will continue. I wish him, 
             his wife Maggie, their children and their entire family 
             all best wishes as they begin their next chapter.
                                             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 Udall's family has served 
             the United States for decades. His cousin Tom has served 
             beside him in the Senate for the past 6 years. His father 
             Morris ``Mo'' Udall was a Member of the U.S. House of 
             Representatives for 30 years and also ran for President. 
             His Uncle Stewart served as Interior Secretary under 
             Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in the 
             1960s.
               Before being elected to the Senate in 2008, Mark served 
             in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Colorado 
             State Legislature. Through his position on the Energy and 
             Natural Resources Committee, Mark has continued his 
             family's commitment to our public lands and resources, 
             chairing the National Parks Subcommittee.
               Senator Udall has also worked hard to help the U.S. 
             Government get its fiscal house in order, pushing his 
             colleagues to make tough choices today to help create a 
             better tomorrow. As a member of the Armed Services and 
             Select Intelligence Committees, Mark has advocated for 
             more transparent detention and drone policies and pushed 
             to make public the ``Committee Study of the Central 
             Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation 
             Program.'' ...

               Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I wish to take a moment to 
             thank my friend and colleague Senator Mark Udall for his 
             dedicated service to the people of Colorado and our 
             Nation.
               As many of my colleagues are aware, long before Senator 
             Udall was climbing the steps to Capitol Hill he was hiking 
             the mountains of Colorado as a course director and 
             educator with Outward Bound, an organization he would 
             eventually lead as executive director. However, as a 
             member of the Udall family, headed by his father 
             Congressman Morris ``Mo'' Udall, who served in the House 
             of Representatives for 30 years, elected office was never 
             far from Senator Udall's mind. After 20 years with Outward 
             Bound, Senator Udall left to pursue a career in public 
             service.
               After serving a term in the Colorado State Legislature, 
             Senator Udall ran successfully to represent Colorado's 
             Second Congressional District in the House of 
             Representatives, a seat he held for five consecutive 
             terms. When we arrived at the Senate in 2008, Senator 
             Udall and I found common cause in our work on both the 
             Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee 
             on Energy and Natural Resources. Senator Udall's 
             commitment to working across the aisle to confront the 
             difficult issues facing our Nation was appreciated by many 
             in the Senate, and I know his presence will be missed.
               I wish the very best to Senator Udall and thank him for 
             his service.

               Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I would like to say a few 
             words about my colleague, Senator Mark Udall of Colorado, 
             who will be ending his 6-year tenure in the Senate at the 
             end of this Congress.
               Senator Udall has served in public office for 18 years, 
             serving in the Colorado House of Representatives for 2 
             years before being elected to the U.S. House of 
             Representatives, where he served for 10 years. He was 
             elected in 2008 to the Senate.
               For Mark, public service is a family affair. His father, 
             Arizona Representative Mo Udall, served in Congress for 30 
             years. His father ran for the U.S. Presidency. His uncle, 
             Stewart Udall, served as President Kennedy's Secretary of 
             the Interior. And his cousin, Tom Udall, serves as one of 
             New Mexico's U.S. Senators.
               This legacy, coupled with Mark's love of the outdoors, 
             give him a unique perspective on public service. Before 
             running for office, Mark worked as an educator and 
             executive director of the Colorado Outward Bound School. 
             As an avid mountaineer and educator, Mark understands the 
             value of America's open spaces, smart policies for 
             conservation and economic growth, and finding practical 
             solutions to our shared challenges.
               Mark Udall is a champion for the environment. His 
             efforts to support progressive renewable energy policies 
             as a State legislator and Member of Congress have helped 
             Colorado become a frontrunner in clean, sustainable energy 
             to prepare for a more sustainable future. He has also 
             fought hard to expand the National Park Service, saying 
             the Earth is borrowed from our children, not inherited 
             from our parents, and that we must work to preserve these 
             public lands to ensure their existence for future 
             generations.
               I have had the privilege of serving with Mark in the 
             House and on the Senate Armed Services Committee to 
             support the men and women who defend our country. We have 
             worked together to focus on making our military more 
             energy efficient and less reliant on fossil fuels.
               Mark has climbed some of the most daunting peaks in the 
             world. The kind of self-reliance and focus required to 
             meet those kinds of challenges mark his work in public 
             service. His decency and integrity in fighting for the 
             middle class, for our environment, for transparency in 
             government, inspire us to continue his work.
               It has been a privilege to serve with Mark.
               Aloha Mark and Maggie and a hui hou, ``until we meet 
             again.''

               Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I wish to celebrate and thank 
             the 13 outgoing Senators who have worked tirelessly to 
             represent their home States in the Senate: Senator Mark 
             Begich, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Senator Tom Coburn, 
             Senator Kay Hagan, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Mike 
             Johanns, Senator Tim Johnson, Senator Mary Landrieu, 
             Senator Carl Levin, Senator Mark Pryor, Senator Jay 
             Rockefeller, Senator Mark Udall, and Senator John Walsh.
               I have worked side by side with these men and women for 
             years--some for decades--and witnessed first hand their 
             extraordinary commitment to public service and to the 
             people they so proudly represent.
               Even when we didn't see eye to eye on every issue, I 
             always deeply respected and admired their service to our 
             Nation and their dedication to fight for what they believe 
             in.
               It has been a privilege to serve alongside each and 
             every one of these extraordinary colleagues. I will miss 
             their leadership and their friendship, and I wish them all 
             the best as they embark on the next chapter.
                                                Friday, January 2, 2015
               Ms. STABENOW. Mr. President, I wish to express my 
             gratitude to a dear colleague and friend who has been a 
             champion for our national parks and for preserving the 
             natural splendor of our Western lands: Senator Mark Udall.
                Just as the Great Lakes are part of my DNA, the Rocky 
             Mountains are part of Senator Udall's. He likes to quote 
             the saying that we did not inherit this Earth from our 
             parents but that we are borrowing it from our children--
             and that is the perspective that has guided him as chair 
             of the Senate National Parks Subcommittee.
                He has worked to expand national parks and to 
             revitalize our natural resources. Recognizing that our 
             dependence on fossil fuels poses a threat to our land, 
             water, and wildlife, Senator Udall has been a leader in 
             pushing for investments in renewable energy. I know how 
             proud he was that Colorado was the first State to pass a 
             voter-approved renewable energy policy. A key to making it 
             happen was Senator Udall teaming up in a bipartisan way 
             with the Speaker of the Colorado House.
                When Colorado was struck by floods, forest fires, and 
             beetle infestations, Senator Udall fought to make sure the 
             State had the Federal resources to contain the damage and 
             aid the recovery.
                We learn a lot about our leaders during a time of 
             crisis, and time and again, Senator Udall has proven the 
             strength of his character and his convictions.
                In the wake of the mass shooting in Aurora, CO, Senator 
             Udall threw his support behind a ban on combat weapons, as 
             well as an amendment to expand background searches for gun 
             purchases. It was a bold position to take politically, but 
             the Udall family has a long tradition of taking bold 
             positions whose wisdom is borne out by history: His 
             grandfather issued a court decision that recognized Native 
             Americans' right to vote; his uncle challenged 
             discrimination by Washington's football team; and his 
             father helped integrate the University of Arizona.
                It is fitting that in Senator Udall's last full week 
             with the Senate he gave a stirring speech on the floor, 
             demanding transparency in the way that our Nation treats 
             suspected terrorists. Senator Udall has also been one of 
             the Senate's most vocal advocates for civil liberties, 
             arguing passionately that our government's conduct must 
             always respect both our values and the Constitution.
                Personally, I have had the honor of working alongside 
             Senator Udall as cochair of the Congressional Caucus on 
             Parkinson's Disease, teaming up on behalf of the National 
             MS and Parkinson's Disease Registries Act. This past month 
             we joined forces on an amendment that ensures women in the 
             military will have access to quality health services, with 
             a specific focus on maternity and preventive care.
                I will miss our talks and our collaborations. But 
             leaving the Senate will allow Senator Udall to become an 
             even more avid outdoorsman. While he has already climbed 
             Mt. Everest and the 100 tallest peaks in his home State of 
             Colorado, I have no doubt that he will soon conquer new 
             and exciting challenges in the great outdoors.
               From listening to his farewell address, it is already 
             apparent to me that Senator Udall has achieved a clarity 
             that will serve him forever after. ``As a lifelong 
             mountain climber,'' he said, ``I have learned far more 
             from the mountains I did not summit, than those I did.''
                I know I speak for many of us here when I say that I 
             have learned a great deal from Senator Udall, and I thank 
             him for serving Colorado and our Nation in the U.S. 
             Senate--and for being a great friend. Happy trails, 
             Senator.