[Senate Document 113-4]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]







                                    Jeff Bingaman

                            U.S. SENATOR FROM NEW MEXICO

                                       TRIBUTES

                                 IN THE CONGRESS OF

                                 THE UNITED STATES

[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]














                                                      S. Doc. 113-4
 
                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress

                                    Jeff Bingaman

                                United States Senator

                                      1983-2013




[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]






                        U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

                             WASHINGTON : 2014




                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing

















                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell Address......................................
                                                                     xi
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Bingaman, Jeff, of New Mexico..................
                                                                      7
                    Cardin, Benjamin L., of Maryland...............
                                                                     20
                    Conrad, Kent, of North Dakota..................
                                                                      8
                    Coons, Christopher A., of Delaware.............
                                                                     15
                    Harkin, Tom, of Iowa...........................
                                                                      9
                    Leahy, Patrick J., of Vermont..................
                                                                     19
                    Levin, Carl, of Michigan.......................
                                                                 10, 17
                    Mikulski, Barbara A., of Maryland..............
                                                                      3
                    Murkowski, Lisa, of Alaska.....................
                                                                     23
                    Reed, Jack, of Rhode Island....................
                                                                     14
                    Reid, Harry, of Nevada.........................
                                                                 12, 25
                    Udall, Tom, of New Mexico......................
                                                                   4, 8





















                                      BIOGRAPHY

               Jeff Bingaman, born October 3, 1943, grew up in Silver 
             City, NM, and attended Silver City public schools. Both 
             his parents were educators. His father Jesse was the 
             chairman of the science department at Western New Mexico 
             University. His mother Beth was an elementary school 
             teacher.
               After graduating from Western High School (now Silver 
             High) in 1961, Jeff Bingaman attended Harvard University, 
             where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in government in 
             1965. He subsequently entered the Stanford University 
             School of Law, where he graduated in 1968. He served in 
             the Army Reserves from 1968 to 1974. In 1969 he began his 
             legal career as assistant New Mexico attorney general and 
             served as counsel to the New Mexico State Constitutional 
             Convention held in Santa Fe in 1969. The following year he 
             entered private practice. In 1978 he was elected attorney 
             general of New Mexico. He was first elected to the U.S. 
             Senate for New Mexico in 1982 and was reelected in the 
             following four terms.
               Senator Bingaman was committed to improving economic 
             opportunity and economic security for America's working 
             families, and to retaining our Nation's competitive edge 
             in the world economy. He was a leader in the effort to 
             enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness, improve the 
             Nation's trading position in the world, and create high-
             wage jobs in the United States and New Mexico. He is known 
             for helping launch a major expansion of ``dual-use'' 
             military and commercial technologies. He was a prime 
             author of the legislation creating SEMATECH, an innovative 
             public-private consortium credited with helping bring the 
             American semiconductor industry back from the doldrums of 
             the 1980s. The Senator also fought for creation and tough 
             enforcement of the U.S.-Japan Semiconductor Agreement in 
             1986. That agreement, and the creation of SEMATECH, were 
             major factors in Intel Corporation's decision to expand, 
             which produced thousands of jobs in New Mexico. In 
             response to the National Academy of Science's report 
             titled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' which raised 
             concerns about the Nation's ability to retain its 
             advantage in the marketplace in science and technology, 
             Senator Bingaman joined a bipartisan group of Senators to 
             write the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully 
             Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science 
             Act of 2007. The purpose of the law, called ``America 
             COMPETES,'' was to invest in innovation through research 
             and development and education.
               Senator Bingaman dedicated a significant amount of his 
             work in the Senate to health care issues. He served as a 
             member of the two committees with primary jurisdiction 
             over health care--the Senate Finance Committee and the 
             Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee. 
             For his last six Congresses he was the only Democrat to 
             sit on both committees and often served as a bridge on 
             health care issues for both. Much of his work focused on 
             low-income health care programs for children and the 
             elderly through the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's 
             Health Insurance Program (CHIP). He also was known to 
             champion reforms to improve the overall quality and 
             efficiency of health care as well as oral health care and 
             health care workforce issues. Notably, during national 
             health reform efforts in 2009 and 2010, Senator Bingaman's 
             dual role on the Finance and HELP Committees placed him in 
             a pivotal role; he was asked by HELP Chairman Kennedy to 
             lead negotiations for Title I of the Affordable Care Act 
             and he was asked by Finance Chairman Baucus to participate 
             in the bipartisan Gang of Six negotiations. Senator 
             Bingaman took a leading role authoring many provisions in 
             the new law including the creation of health insurance 
             exchanges, insurance market reforms, Medicare payment and 
             quality improvements, oral health care, as well as health 
             care workforce improvements.
               Jeff Bingaman has been called the ``Education Senator'' 
             by one of New Mexico's leading newspapers. He was the 
             first Senator to introduce legislation calling for 
             national education goals and academic standards. He was 
             also a cosponsor of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act, 
             which established national content and performance 
             standards in core academic subjects such as math, English, 
             and geography, and also encouraged States to develop their 
             own academic content and performance standards. His 
             Technology for Education Act provides schools nationwide 
             with the strategy and resources to help them use 
             educational technologies to assist American students 
             achieve academic standards and prepare them for the 
             workplace. He was a leading advocate for expanding access 
             to the Advanced Placement (AP) Program that enables 
             students to obtain college credit while still in high 
             school. He emphasized making AP courses available to 
             students from all economic backgrounds.
               Senator Bingaman served as both chairman and ranking 
             minority member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources 
             Committee over a 12-year period, as well as a senior 
             member of the Senate Finance Committee, chairing its 
             Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and 
             Infrastructure. In these roles, Senator Bingaman made an 
             indelible mark on the Nation's energy and land 
             conservation policy. He worked to protect and enhance New 
             Mexico's and the Nation's public lands and its natural and 
             cultural resources. He led the charge for passage of a law 
             in 2000 that allowed the Federal Government to acquire for 
             $100 million the 94,761-acre Baca Ranch in the Jemez 
             Mountains--one of only three supervolcanoes in the United 
             States--and to designate it as the Valles Caldera National 
             Preserve to protect its natural values and cultural 
             resources for future generations. In 2009 Senator Bingaman 
             won passage of a law that protected more than 2 million 
             acres of Federal land in 9 States as wilderness, added 
             over 1,100 miles of rivers to the National Wild and Scenic 
             River System, and established 4 new national conservation 
             areas and 1 new national monument. Senator Bingaman also 
             negotiated and authored the legislation that President 
             Barack Obama used to establish the 242,500-acre Rio Grande 
             del Norte National Monument in Taos County, NM--the first 
             large landscape protected by President Obama using his 
             authority under the Antiquities Act.
               Senator Bingaman was also a strong champion of Indian 
             Country. He authored legislation that resolved an 
             ownership dispute between Sandia Pueblo and the Federal 
             Government over title to Sandia Mountain near Albuquerque 
             and legislation that settled three separate longstanding 
             Indian water rights claims by the Navajo Nation, Taos 
             Pueblo, and the four Pueblo Indian tribes in the Pojoaque 
             Basin, ensuring that these tribes will have secure and 
             reliable access to clean water in the future. He also 
             worked to secure passage of the Claims Resolution Act of 
             2010 which provided $3.4 billion for the Cobell Indian 
             Trust Settlement.
               His focus on diversifying the Nation's supply of both 
             electricity and transportation fuels ushered in an era of 
             expansive growth in renewable power and fuels, while 
             facilitating the technological developments that gave rise 
             to unprecedented discovery and production of domestic gas 
             and oil reserves.
               His work on energy efficiency produced new Federal 
             policies promoting energy conservation through more 
             efficient lighting, appliances, manufacturing, vehicles, 
             and buildings. This legacy has contributed greatly to 
             increasing U.S. self-reliance in energy, while also 
             reducing carbon emissions.
               His leadership in creating ARPA-E, a Department of 
             Energy based investment fund for early stage potentially 
             ``game-changing,'' energy technologies will yield benefits 
             to the Nation's energy production and conservation for 
             decades to come.
               Public safety concerns were of equal importance to the 
             Senator, as he worked to make America's streets, schools, 
             and homes safer. He supported a crime bill that provided 
             funds for more than 300 police officers in New Mexico as 
             well as prisons and crime prevention initiatives for 
             youth.
               He was known for his long-term approach to defense 
             issues and for his critical thinking on issues of 
             international concern. He was a strong and consistent 
             voice for reducing the threat posed by nuclear, chemical, 
             and biological weapons worldwide. He pushed for 
             ratification of the START II Treaty and Chemical Weapons 
             Convention and for reduction of the threat posed by 
             weapons of mass destruction.
               His work on international policies also included efforts 
             to strengthen non-military relationships, such as through 
             collaboration on science research and technology 
             commercialization, and his work reflected his commitment 
             to human rights, as evidenced by his success in winning 
             funding for workers rights enforcement in the Dominican 
             Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade 
             Agreement (CAFTA-DR). He advocated the provision of U.S. 
             international trade preferences to developing countries 
             such as Haiti to complement traditional foreign assistance 
             and speed economic growth in those countries.
               Senator Bingaman served on the Committee on Energy and 
             Natural Resources from 1985 to 2013, for which he was 
             chairman or ranking minority member from 1999 to 2013; the 
             Committee on Finance from 2001 to 2013; the Committee on 
             Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions from 1987 to 2013; 
             and the Joint Economic Committee from 1987 to 2013. Before 
             joining the Finance Committee, he served on the Committee 
             on Armed Services for nearly two decades. He also served 
             for shorter periods on the Special Committee on Aging, the 
             Select Committee on Ethics, the Committee on Government 
             Affairs, the Senate Impeachment Trial Committee, and the 
             Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem.
               He is married to Anne K. Bingaman, a longtime New Mexico 
             attorney, and they have a son John.
                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Thursday, December 13, 2012

               Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, in 1981, in his first 
             inaugural address, President Reagan said, ``Government is 
             not the solution to our problem; government is the 
             problem.''
               I came to the Senate 2 years later in 1983 with the firm 
             belief that in most cases his statement was wrong. I 
             believed then and I believe now that the Federal 
             Government can be a constructive force for good; in 
             protecting and maintaining the civil liberties of all 
             Americans, in maintaining and strengthening our economy, 
             in protecting our environment, and in helping Americans 
             live productive and fulfilling lives.
               As I look back over the last 30 years, many of the 
             arguments that have consumed our time at the Senate, 
             whether on questions of spending or taxes or regulation or 
             fiscal policy, those questions have divided between those 
             who saw government as the problem and those who believed 
             it could and should be a constructive force for helping 
             the American people deal with problems. I consider myself 
             firmly in the second camp. In each of the major areas of 
             national concern, I would like to be able to report 
             progress for the country since I arrived in the Senate. 
             Unfortunately, the record of progress is not so clear. In 
             many areas, we have made progress, but there are also 
             instances where we have lost more ground than we have 
             gained. As issues continue to be reconsidered, I am 
             reminded of the well-known statement that ``success is 
             never permanent in Washington.''
               With regard to our Nation's security from foreign 
             aggression, the end of the cold war and the collapse of 
             the Soviet Union were clearly the most positive 
             developments we have seen in the last 30 years. If the end 
             of the cold war was the most positive national security 
             development I witnessed since coming to the Senate, the 
             invasion of Iraq to bring about regime change in that 
             country was the biggest national security blunder. That 
             blunder cost our Nation dearly in service men and women 
             killed and injured and in resources that should have been 
             used to strengthen our economy here at home. Last month, I 
             was stopped by a woman from northern New Mexico who 
             thanked me for my service in the Senate and particularly 
             for my vote against granting President Bush the authority 
             to take our country into that war.
               The Nation's fiscal policy is very much the focus of the 
             Senate's attention during these final weeks of the 112th 
             Congress. On this issue, again, we have made one step 
             forward during the time I have been in the Senate, but, 
             unfortunately, we have taken two steps back. I arrived in 
             the Senate in January 1983, a period of large deficits 
             compared to anything the country had experienced for 
             several decades. Those large deficits grew and persisted 
             through the Reagan Presidency.
               In 1990, a democratically controlled Congress and 
             President George H.W. Bush made a significant step 
             forward, reining in those deficits with the enactment of 
             the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of that year, 1990. 
             That law created the statutory paygo requirement. It also 
             increased marginal rates for the wealthiest Americans, and 
             I was proud to support the measure. In 1993, another major 
             step was taken when, at the urging of President Clinton, 
             Congress enacted the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 
             that year, 1993. Again, that measure both raised taxes and 
             constrained spending. It was denounced by many in the 
             Senate as sure to throw the economy into recession. In 
             fact, the opposite occurred, and the economy prospered. As 
             a result of these policy changes and the strong economy of 
             the 1990s, we enjoyed a period of balanced budgets and 
             even surpluses in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
               Unfortunately, those surpluses were not to continue. 
             President George W. Bush urged Congress to cut taxes and 
             Congress was all too willing to oblige, and although I 
             didn't support the 2001 or 2003 tax cuts, they were 
             passed. At about the same time we were cutting taxes more 
             than we could afford, we were also going to war in 
             Afghanistan and in Iraq and adding a new drug benefit to 
             Medicare. No provision was made to raise revenue or cut 
             spending elsewhere to pay for any of these mammoth 
             undertakings. Of course, the cost of health care, both the 
             cost to government and to families and businesses who 
             purchased private insurance, continued to grow at too 
             rapid a pace. So the result was a return to large deficits 
             and, of course, those large deficits grew substantially 
             larger because of the recession that began in December 
             2007.
               Today, we are trying to strengthen our economy while at 
             the same time trying to reduce projected deficits. That 
             long-term deficit reduction will, once again, require 
             higher taxes as well as new constraints on spending, and I 
             hope that even in these final days of this 112th Congress, 
             we can reach agreement to proceed.
               As regards health care, in the long-standing fight to 
             provide Americans with access to affordable health care, 
             we have seen significant progress. In 1997 we enacted the 
             Children's Health Insurance Program which resulted in 
             nearly 8 million American children obtaining access to 
             health care. Of course, in 2010 we adopted the Patient 
             Protection and Affordable Care Act. This unfairly maligned 
             legislation has the promise of moving us much closer to 
             the goal of universal health care, and I am proud to have 
             worked with my colleagues in the writing of that 
             legislation and in seeing it enacted. Now that the recent 
             election is behind us, I hope the efforts to repeal that 
             legislation are at an end. I also hope the two parties can 
             find ways to improve the legislation with a particular 
             focus on better controlling the growth and the cost of 
             health care.
               In addressing the various energy challenges facing the 
             country, again, there is progress to report. In 2005 and 
             2007 Congress enacted major energy bills. Those bills 
             moved us toward a better and more comprehensive national 
             energy policy. Those bills promoted an adequate and more 
             diverse supply of energy. They increased the efficiency 
             and effectiveness of how we use energy in our economy. 
             They promoted strong market reforms and consumer 
             protections for electricity, and they struck a balance 
             between meeting our energy goals and lessening 
             environmental impacts of energy, including overall 
             greenhouse gas emissions. As a result of that balanced 
             approach, we have arrested what had been an increasing 
             dependence on foreign oil. Coupled with technological 
             advances that have opened new sources of supply, we are 
             headed to greater levels of energy independence than we 
             had thought possible even as recently as 7 years ago.
               The bipartisan consensus that allowed us to enact those 
             bills has, unfortunately, eluded us in the current 
             Congress. I hope in future Congresses there will reemerge 
             a recognition that climate change is a reality and that 
             our policies to meet our energy needs must also deal 
             responsibly with environmental issues, including the 
             damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
               As regards our Nation's policy on education, the good 
             news is we seem to have moved past the period where the 
             Republican nominee for President announced a commitment to 
             eliminating the Federal Department of Education. President 
             Clinton deserves great credit for making the support, 
             particularly of higher education, a priority of his 
             Presidency. President George W. Bush deserves credit for 
             making a serious effort to reform and improve elementary 
             and secondary education. Although that effort to improve 
             elementary and secondary education has not succeeded as 
             many of us who supported it had hoped, I remain persuaded 
             the Federal Government needs to persist in trying to play 
             a constructive role in improving education in this 
             country.
               The States and local school districts deserve great 
             credit for developing and adopting the Common Core 
             Standards, and I hope future Congresses will strongly 
             support the steps and the funding needed to upgrade 
             student performance by implementing those standards. 
             President Obama and his administration have demonstrated 
             their strong commitment to this goal.
               In addition to these areas of concern I have mentioned, 
             we have seen some progress in maintaining and advancing 
             the science and engineering enterprise in this country. As 
             the cold war came to an end, we successfully found ways to 
             better integrate the strengths of our defense laboratories 
             into the civilian economy through technology transfer and 
             partnering. We have also seen some important increases in 
             funding for research, particularly in support of the life 
             sciences, and that growth has stagnated in recent years. 
             It needs to continue and be replenished, but as we 
             continue that support, we must also recognize the need to 
             do more to support research and development in the 
             physical sciences and in engineering.
               One significant advance I was proud to support was the 
             establishment of ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects 
             Agency-Energy within the Department of Energy. That effort 
             to identify breakthrough science and engineering 
             initiatives to meet our energy challenges holds great 
             promise for our Nation and for the entire world.
               We have also seen progress in providing increased 
             protection for public lands. One particular bill in that 
             area was the omnibus public lands bill that was passed in 
             2009. It added wilderness protection to over 2 million 
             acres, designated 1,100 miles of wild and scenic rivers, 
             and added more than 2,800 miles for the national trail 
             system. I was proud to be part of the effort to enact that 
             legislation.
               Finally, I will make a few comments on the way we in the 
             Congress conduct our own business. Any fair assessment has 
             to conclude that in this area, we have lost ground in the 
             last two decades. Public opinion of the performance of 
             Congress is at an alltime low and it is not hard to see 
             why. I will mention three obvious ways in which the 
             functioning of Congress has worsened.
               First is the willingness of some in Congress to shut 
             down the government. In 1995, we saw the leadership of the 
             House of Representatives demonstrate that they consider 
             refusing to fund the government as an acceptable 
             bargaining ploy in their efforts to prevail in disputes 
             with President Clinton and Democrats on spending issues. 
             Since 1995, that threat to withhold appropriations has 
             been made several more times. As we saw then, shutting 
             down the government is costly, it is wasteful, and it is 
             harmful to Americans. I hope this irresponsible threat 
             will soon be viewed as unacceptable.
               A second way the malfunctioning of Congress became clear 
             was when in August 2011--just less than 18 months ago--the 
             Republican leadership in Congress determined that another 
             tool at their disposal was the ability to refuse to 
             increase the debt ceiling. By doing so, they could deny 
             the Secretary of the Treasury the authority to borrow 
             money to meet the obligations the government had already 
             undertaken. To my knowledge, this was the first time the 
             congressional leadership of one of our major parties had 
             stated their willingness to see our Nation default on its 
             debt.
               This threat to force a default on the obligations of the 
             Federal Government resulted in the sequester of government 
             spending, which is scheduled to begin January 1. It also 
             resulted in a downgrading of U.S. debt by one of the 
             leading credit rating agencies.
               We now hear renewed threats to use this so-called 
             leverage as a way to demand cuts in Medicare and in Social 
             Security. Once again, I believe this is an irresponsible 
             action I hope Congress will get beyond.
               Of course, a third way in which the functioning of the 
             Senate--not the full Congress but the Senate--has worsened 
             is the abuse of Senate rules allowing unlimited debate or 
             filibuster. As the Senate currently operates, a threat of 
             filibuster is used routinely to obstruct the Senate from 
             doing its business, even when the issue before the Senate 
             is relatively uncontroversial. Many times following a 
             delay caused by obstruction, an overwhelming number of 
             Senators will vote for the legislation or the nomination 
             which the Senate has been delayed in considering. In the 
             next Congress, I strongly encourage my colleagues to make 
             the necessary changes in Senate rules to limit the ability 
             of one or a few Senators to obstruct the Senate from doing 
             its regular business. My colleague Senator Udall of New 
             Mexico is on the floor with me. He has been a leader in 
             this effort to get these rules changed, and I commend him 
             for that.
               So the record of our progress both as a country and as a 
             Congress over the last 30 years has been mixed. There is 
             progress to report. I have mentioned some of that. There 
             are also many missteps and failures we need to 
             acknowledge.
               My conclusion remains that many of our challenges as a 
             nation can only be met with the help of a strong and 
             effective national government. There are times when the 
             actions of the government are more a problem than a 
             solution, but there are many more occasions where 
             enlightened action by the government is important and even 
             essential.
               I consider it an honor and a privilege to have 
             represented the people of New Mexico in the Senate for the 
             last 30 years. I thank the people of my State for their 
             confidence in electing me and supporting me during the 
             time I have served here. I thank the very capable and 
             committed men and women who have worked on my staff, both 
             in Washington and in New Mexico, during these 30 years. I 
             thank all my colleagues here in the Senate for their 
             friendship and help to me during this period. Of course, I 
             thank my wife Anne and our son John and his wife Marlene 
             for their support that has allowed me to serve in the 
             Senate.
               To all my friends and colleagues who will be here in the 
             next Congress and in future Congresses, I hope you can 
             find the common ground necessary for our country to 
             effectively move forward and meet its challenges. The 
             endeavor is a worthy one, and I wish you every success.
               Mr. President, I yield the floor.
?

                                           

                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                    JEFF BINGAMAN
                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                           Wednesday, December 12, 2012
               Ms. MIKULSKI. Madam President, I rise to comment about 
             some wonderful men in the Senate who are retiring on both 
             sides of the aisle. Earlier today I spoke about my deep 
             affection and sorry-to-see-go friends Olympia Snowe and 
             Kay Bailey Hutchison, but I want to rise as the dean of 
             the women in the Senate to say some very special words 
             about very special men on both sides of the aisle. Because 
             when I came to the Senate, it was only Nancy Kassebaum and 
             me, and yet we worked on so many issues together. There 
             are really wonderful men here who supported me, supported 
             our issues, but really stood up for those States and their 
             communities. ...
               I want to say goodbye to our friend Jeff Bingaman of New 
             Mexico, someone who has also brought intellectual rigor, a 
             lawyer's insistence on thoroughness, and a real commitment 
             to people. It has been an honor and a pleasure to work 
             with him on the HELP Committee, especially on the 
             Affordable Care Act. I was proud to support all that he 
             did, particularly in developing and focusing on the health 
             workforce for the future.
               I knew I could count on Jeff in the committee and on the 
             floor as one of those men whom I refer to as a Galahad, 
             where men of quality always supported us women as we 
             sought equality. Our initiatives to end discrimination 
             against women in health care and in the workplace were 
             some of our proudest achievements in working together. ...
               I wanted to be sure that the day would not end without 
             my acknowledging these wonderful people who have given a 
             big part of their lives to making this country a better 
             place. I want to, in the most heartfelt way--I am so sorry 
             we did not have a bipartisan dinner or party to be able to 
             express this. I would have liked to have been in the same 
             room, breaking bread with them, in order to be able to 
             tell them how much we appreciate them, across party lines, 
             across those lines that ordinarily divide us. They came 
             from different parts of the country, they arrived in the 
             Senate with different objectives, they will leave under 
             different circumstances. But I want to again let them know 
             that each and every one of them had a positive impact on 
             me and I think a wonderful impact on the future of this 
             country. So I wish them well. God bless and Godspeed.
                                            Thursday, December 13, 2012
               Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I rise today 
             with a difficult task: to honor a great Senator and a 
             great friend, Senator Jeff Bingaman.
               This is difficult for two reasons. First, Senator 
             Bingaman is not one to call attention to himself, and, 
             second, he does so as briefly as possible. On both 
             counts--let me just say now--I am going to fall short.
               Jeff is that rare combination of character--brilliant 
             and humble. For Jeff, it is about the work, not about his 
             own ego, not about a monument to himself. For three 
             decades in the U.S. Senate he has been making a difference 
             for the American people and for our home State of New 
             Mexico.
               Public service is a noble profession--when it isn't 
             swamped by money, when it isn't held hostage to 
             hyperpartisanship. Jeff is the best example I know of the 
             nobility of politics. The origin of the word ``noble'' is 
             ``nobilis''--well known--from the Latin ``noscere'' to 
             come to know. Jeff, who is a scholar, probably knows that. 
             I had to look it up. But, knowing, making sense of the 
             world, using that knowledge to make the world a better 
             place, that is what public service is supposed to do, and 
             that is what Jeff Bingaman does.
               By Washington standards, Jeff is a man of few words. 
             When he comes to this floor to speak, we listen. If I am 
             at my desk in my office, I will turn up the television, I 
             will stop what I am doing, because I know that he will say 
             something insightful, something worth knowing, something 
             worth thinking about.
               When Jeff came to the Senate 30 years ago, this was a 
             different place. There was a new President. There was a 
             fierce battle of ideas, of ideology, of where the country 
             needed to go. Principles did not matter any less then than 
             they do now. But folks worked together. They clashed, but 
             they also compromised.
               We all know what has happened since then. Washington has 
             become more and more polarized. But, time and again, Jeff 
             Bingaman has been a voice of reason, of doing what is best 
             for our country--no grandstanding, just hard work, paying 
             attention to details, getting problems solved, getting the 
             job done. He is an inspiring role model.
               In his own quiet way, Jeff does something essential: He 
             challenges us to think a little harder, look farther down 
             the road, see how we can move our country forward, not 
             just today, but far into the future. He doesn't look for 
             the limelight. He looks for solutions. And his 
             accomplishments make for a very long list.
               He has been a truly great chairman of the Energy and 
             Natural Resources Committee. He has done so much to 
             protect our natural resources, to build a clean energy 
             economy, for jobs, for the environment. I was proud to 
             work with Jeff on the first renewable electricity standard 
             in Congress. He led the Senate bill, and I led the House 
             bill. As always, I learned from his example: steady, 
             focused, and reasonable.
               We will continue to carry the torch on renewable and 
             clean energy standards in Congress, following in his 
             footsteps. Today, we can be proud that 30 States--
             including New Mexico--have enforceable renewable 
             standards. Together, these cover the large majority of the 
             U.S. population.
               Jeff also shepherded the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the 
             first comprehensive energy bill in 13 years. A ``do it 
             all'' energy bill that covered renewables, nuclear, clean 
             coal, and oil and gas.
               Two years later, he took the lead in the Energy 
             Independence and Security Act of 2007. That bill was an 
             even more ambitious effort than 2005. As the National 
             Journal reported, it was ``the most sweeping energy 
             efficiency legislation ever put into law.''
               On both of these bills, Jeff worked in a commendable, 
             bipartisan fashion with Senator Domenici, a Republican 
             from New Mexico. He also achieved these compromise bills 
             with a Republican House in 2005, a Democratic House in 
             2007, and both were signed into law by Republican 
             President George W. Bush.
               The public lands package of 2009 was another great 
             achievement. Jeff reached across the aisle for compromise 
             and protected 2 million acres in 9 States as new 
             wilderness areas, and more than 1,000 miles of rivers and 
             streams--one of the greatest land protection laws ever. It 
             will benefit generations to come, and it is part of the 
             legacy of Jeff Bingaman.
               We are spending time these days debating the failings of 
             the Senate, the gridlock, the partisanship. In contrast, 
             Jeff's committee has been a leading light of cooperation 
             and compromise. When other committees lost their 
             bipartisan way, the Energy Committee kept steady. I 
             believe the standard he set will shape future energy and 
             natural resources policy in years to come. I hope it 
             guides us next year.
               When this body has looked for answers, so often it has 
             turned to Jeff. No surprise that he was one of the Gang of 
             6 to negotiate health care reform. When real solutions are 
             on the agenda, Jeff will have a seat at the table.
               Jeff was also one of the key negotiators in the No Child 
             Left Behind Act, and he pushed for the Technology for 
             Education Act and the America COMPETES Act--raising 
             standards for all students, increasing opportunity for all 
             Americans. Because he knows that investments in education 
             and technology and training are crucial, crucial for the 
             jobs of the future, crucial for our country.
               Education, health care, jobs, energy, and the 
             environment--Jeff has been a leader in all these areas. 
             What comes through over and over is he never forgets the 
             people who brought him here. He never forgets that what we 
             do here is about families, is about communities, is about 
             making a better future for our children and grandchildren. 
             That is what drives him, and that is what has made him 
             such a great Senator.
               One of the things I admire most about Jeff Bingaman is 
             his courage. You know where he stands, and he is not 
             afraid to go against the current. He was 1 of 23 Senators 
             who voted against war with Iraq. As he said later, ``I 
             think that was the right vote, but it was not a popular 
             vote.''
               I have valued his counsel on many occasions. It has been 
             an honor to serve with him. He is going to be missed--not 
             just for his good humor, not just for his friendship, but, 
             more important, for his character and wisdom. On both 
             sides of the aisle, his absence will be felt.
               With typical humility, Jeff would be the first to say he 
             has a great staff, and he does. When I first came to 
             Congress, on the House side, Jeff and his staff reached 
             out to me, and to my staff, always available to help, 
             always ready to work together, to try and do what is best 
             for our State and our Nation.
               Finally, I know Jeff would also say he could not have 
             accomplished so much without the support of his amazing 
             wife Anne. They met at Stanford Law School, and have 
             walked side by side, equal partners, ever since. Anne 
             Bingaman is as remarkable as her husband, and he would 
             very likely insist more so.
               My dad once said that the measure of someone isn't about 
             winning elections or awards or honors. It is what the 
             people who know you best think about you. For those of us 
             who know Jeff Bingaman, he is the real deal.
               Jeff Bingaman has lived a life of service--substantial, 
             enduring, noble service. I have no doubt that though he is 
             leaving the Senate, he will find other ways to serve, and 
             New Mexico and our Nation will be the better for it.
               Jeff, thank you. Thank you for your leadership, for your 
             friendship, and for your always wise counsel. As you and 
             Anne begin a new chapter in your lives, Jill and I wish 
             you the very best.
               I yield the floor.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.

               Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, let me thank my colleague, 
             Senator Udall, for his overly generous comments and 
             indicate that 30 or 40 years from now when he retires from 
             the Senate, I will be glad to make similar comments about 
             his service. I could make similar comments about his 
             service already based on the time he has served our State 
             as attorney general and in the Congress and now in the 
             Senate, but he does a tremendous job for New Mexico and 
             for the entire country here, and it is an honor for me to 
             get to serve with him. This will be 4 years that we will 
             have completed as the two Senators from New Mexico, and it 
             has been a great pleasure for me to have a good friend and 
             a very capable Senator to work with. So I again appreciate 
             the overly generous comments.
               I yield the floor.
               I suggest the absence of a quorum.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
               The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the 
             roll.

               Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam President, I ask 
             unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be 
             rescinded.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Shaheen). Without objection, 
             it is so ordered.

               Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam President, I spoke about 
             Senator Bingaman. I know the Presiding Officer is on his 
             committee and she feels the same way about him and all the 
             work he has done. It is going to be a sad day for all of 
             us when he exits at the end of this year, but he is a 
             pretty remarkable leader.

               Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my 
             colleague from New Mexico, Senator Jeff Bingaman, who is 
             retiring from the Senate at the end of this year. Senator 
             Bingaman has been a strong voice for the people of New 
             Mexico, first as their attorney general and then during 30 
             years of service in the Senate. He has brought a keen 
             intellect and a commonsense perspective to the Senate that 
             should make the people of New Mexico proud. He has worked 
             to build consensus across party lines to help strengthen 
             our Nation.
               Senator Bingaman and I serve together on the Finance 
             Committee, and we also worked together on the Energy and 
             Natural Resources Committee during my first term in the 
             Senate. I greatly admire the thoughtfulness he applies to 
             every issue. Throughout his career, he has focused 
             intently on finding solutions to the challenges facing our 
             country.
               For example, in 2009 I worked closely with him and other 
             colleagues on the Finance Committee in crafting the health 
             care reform bill that was signed into law as the Patient 
             Protection and Affordable Care Act. He was a key author of 
             that legislation, which has already improved millions of 
             people's lives.
               Senator Bingaman has brought a tremendous breadth of 
             knowledge to his chairmanship of the Energy and Natural 
             Resources Committee. He has long understood the need to 
             reduce our Nation's dependence on foreign energy and has 
             worked diligently to push Congress to create a national 
             energy policy suited to the 21st century. That includes 
             the Energy Independence and Security Act, which helped put 
             us on the right path by improving gas mileage in the 
             vehicles Americans drive, increasing production of 
             domestic biofuels, and boosting energy efficiency in homes 
             and businesses across our country.
               Senator Bingaman also understands the importance of 
             education as a source of opportunity to our people and a 
             key investment in the ongoing prosperity of our country. 
             As a member of the Senate Health Education, Labor, and 
             Pensions Committee, Senator Bingaman has worked to advance 
             teacher training and student technological literacy, and 
             boost graduation rates at underperforming schools. He also 
             helped pass legislation that increases student aid and 
             caps Federal student loan payments to assist students 
             struggling with excessive debt.
               Senator Bingaman has been an outstanding public servant 
             for the people of New Mexico and our Nation. I will miss 
             having him as a colleague in the Senate, but I also know 
             that his wife Anne will be excited to have him back home. 
             I wish him happiness and success in whatever he chooses to 
             do in the next chapter of his life.
                                             Tuesday, December 18, 2012
               Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, in these closing days of the 
             112th Congress, the Senate is saying farewell to one of 
             our most popular and respected Members, Senator Jeff 
             Bingaman of New Mexico.
               When Jeff came to this body 30 years ago, he had already 
             led a life of accomplishment. Raised in smalltown New 
             Mexico, Silver City, he was an Eagle Scout. He graduated 
             from Harvard College and Stanford Law School, where he met 
             his future wife Anne. While at Stanford, he worked on 
             Senator Robert F. Kennedy's campaign for President. At the 
             age of 35, he was elected New Mexico attorney general in 
             1978. Four years later, at the age of 39, he was elected 
             to the U.S. Senate.
               During his three decades in this body, Jeff Bingaman has 
             been a classic workhorse Senator as opposed to being a 
             show horse Senator. He is truly remarkable and distinctive 
             among Senators for his willingness to shun the limelight 
             and share the credit in order to get important work done 
             for his State and for his country.
               Senator Bingaman has been a much-valued colleague of 
             mine on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
             Committee, but he has really made his mark in the Senate--
             a lasting mark--in his role as chair of the Energy and 
             Natural Resources Committee. As chair and also at times 
             ranking member of that committee, he has played a leading 
             role in shaping energy policy for our Nation, authoring 
             bipartisan legislation promoting a balanced energy 
             portfolio encompassing all energy sources.
               Senator Bingaman worked closely with his New Mexico 
             colleague, Senator Pete Domenici, to pass the landmark 
             2005 Energy Policy Act, signed into law by President 
             George W. Bush. This was signed, I might add, 
             appropriately at Sandia National Laboratories in 
             Albuquerque, NM. That comprehensive law established 
             groundbreaking policies on many fronts, including a 
             renewable fuels standard for biofuels, support for 
             alternative vehicles, loan guarantees for new energy 
             technologies that reduce greenhouse gases, establishment 
             of policies to upgrade the electrical grid, plus a whole 
             range of measures to promote energy efficiency.
               In 2007 he again collaborated with Senator Domenici in 
             securing passage of the Energy Independence and Security 
             Act. This act included an ambitious increase in vehicle 
             fuel efficiency standards--from 25 miles per gallon to 35 
             miles per gallon by the year 2020--as well as 
             significantly greater commitments to the use of biofuels. 
             These two provisions are largely responsible for the 
             significant decrease in oil imports that we have seen over 
             the past several years.
               More broadly, Senator Bingaman has played a critical 
             role in ensuring the vitality of America's energy research 
             and development community, championing energy programs at 
             all levels, including universities, national laboratories, 
             and in private industry.
               I can't close without mentioning a great living legacy 
             of the Senator from New Mexico: his 2009 public lands 
             management bill that set aside more than 2 million acres 
             in 9 States as protected wilderness, including a 5,300-
             acre national monument to protect Paleozoic fossils 
             located north of Los Cruces, NM. I can say that Senator 
             Bingaman stands in line with those great heroes of America 
             who set aside public lands for all future generations, 
             people such as Theodore Roosevelt. Senator Bingaman takes 
             his rightful place there.
               For the last three decades in this body, Senator 
             Bingaman has been a tireless advocate for the people of 
             New Mexico and a determined champion of the future of 
             clean and renewable energy for the United States. He has 
             been an outstanding Senator and a wonderful friend. I join 
             with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in wishing 
             Jeff and Anne the very best in the years ahead.

               Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, over his time in this body, 
             Jeff Bingaman has worn many hats: champion of education, 
             expert on energy policy, steward of our Nation's nuclear 
             arsenal, thoughtful voice on national security.
               He has approached each of these varied responsibilities 
             with an attitude aimed not at attention-grabbing or point 
             scoring, but at practical, fact-driven problem solving. In 
             the accurate description of the Washington Post, 
             ``Bingaman isn't one to grab the spotlight, but this six-
             term senator's logical, cerebral approach tends to get 
             things one.''
               He has indeed gotten things done, for the people of New 
             Mexico first and foremost, but his practical approach has 
             benefited Americans from every State. I know first hand 
             that the people of Michigan have benefited from his 
             leadership.
               I have worked closely over the years with Senator 
             Bingaman to preserve programs that are vital to America's 
             manufacturing sector, the heart of my State's economy. His 
             support for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
             Program and the Technology Innovation Program has made a 
             major difference in the ability of American manufacturers 
             to research and develop new technologies, to increase 
             efficiency, to improve supply chains and to out-innovate 
             our overseas competitors.
               The people of Michigan also have benefited from Senator 
             Bingaman's leadership of the Energy and Natural Resources 
             Committee. He worked with me to enact legislation that has 
             brought significant improvements to Michigan parks and 
             recreational lands. With Senator Bingaman's assistance, we 
             have established the River Raisin National Battlefield 
             Park, preserving the site of one of the most important 
             battles of the War of 1812; made major progress toward 
             completion of the North Country National Scenic Trail; 
             enhanced wilderness protection at Pictured Rocks National 
             Lakeshore; and made many improvements at Keweenaw National 
             Historical Park. So, he has played a major role in helping 
             preserve and protect numerous jewels of our State's rich 
             history, culture, and natural beauty.
               From his post on Energy and Natural Resources, Senator 
             Bingaman has been one of our Nation's most influential 
             voices on energy, an issue that affects nearly every 
             aspect of economic and environmental policy. He has worked 
             with skill, intelligence, and determination to find 
             practical, bipartisan solutions in an issue area too often 
             dominated by politics and powerful interests. As we seek 
             to strengthen our Nation's competitiveness, his advocacy 
             on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other 
             important topics will yield important advantages.
               While we have not had the benefit of his service in this 
             Congress, Senator Bingaman served in the past with 
             distinction on the Armed Services Committee. In his 
             committee tenure he chaired the Emerging Threats and 
             Capabilities and Strategic Forces Subcommittees. His deep 
             knowledge of science and technology issues was of great 
             value in committee deliberations, in particular during the 
             difficult debate over the Bush administration's 
             determination to invade Iraq. His expertise on energy and 
             nuclear issues gave heft to his skepticism over claims 
             that Iraq had sought to acquire uranium from Niger, claims 
             that turned out to be false.
               As the son of two educators, it only makes sense that 
             Senator Bingaman would be careful, detail-oriented, and 
             reliant on facts rather than assumptions. It's no wonder 
             that in addition to his work on energy, defense, and 
             natural resources, he has been one of the Senate's most 
             consistent and effective advocates for quality education.
               On all of these issues, and so many others, Jeff 
             Bingaman has sought solutions and consensus rather than 
             attention and division. His careful, deliberate style, his 
             focus on facts, and his determination to find practical 
             answers to difficult challenges have been of enormous 
             value to the Senate, to the people of New Mexico, and to 
             the Nation. They will be missed in the Senate, and so will 
             he. I wish Jeff and Anne all the best as they move on from 
             the Senate.
                                            Thursday, December 20, 2012
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I wish to take a few minutes 
             today to honor my colleague, the senior Senator from New 
             Mexico, Jeff Bingaman, as he retires from a long career of 
             service to our country.
               For 30 years Senator Bingaman has been a dedicated 
             representative of the people of New Mexico, but for 26 of 
             those years he was the junior Senator from New Mexico. The 
             only person I know of who was a junior Senator longer than 
             Senator Bingaman was Fritz Hollings. He was a junior 
             Senator for many decades to Strom Thurmond. But 26 years 
             as a junior Senator still makes you a fairly senior 
             Senator. Jeff served alongside Senator Pete Domenici, the 
             longest serving Senator in New Mexico's history. Until 
             2009 he was the most senior junior Senator.
               Jeff Bingaman has never been one to get hung up on 
             titles and credits. If there was ever a conscience of this 
             body, it is Jeff Bingaman, a man who has been called by 
             others, including Byron Dorgan, a workhorse. That is 
             really true. For three decades he has quietly but 
             diligently fought for the people of New Mexico and this 
             country.
               American industrialist Henry Kaiser once gave this bit 
             of advice: ``When your work speaks for itself, don't 
             interrupt.'' That is Jeff Bingaman. That could have been 
             written for Jeff Bingaman by Henry Kaiser. That has been 
             Jeff Bingaman's motto for years. He is not one for flashy 
             press conferences. Most of the time he is too busy.
               Jeff learned humility in the small town of Silver City, 
             NM, where he grew up. His father was a professor and his 
             mom a teacher, and they instilled in him a love and 
             appreciation for education--and that is an understatement. 
             He got his bachelor's degree from Harvard and his law 
             degree from Stanford. Those are two of the finest 
             educational institutions in the world, and he has a degree 
             from both of them, Harvard and Stanford.
               At Stanford, where he was going to law school, he met 
             his wonderful wife Anne. I have such warmth for this 
             woman. We have traveled together. I can remember trips we 
             took on Senate codels; she was always the life of the 
             party. She is a great match for Jeff--Jeff being quiet, 
             subdued; Anne, not always so. I love them both. Anne is a 
             political powerhouse in her own right. She served 3 years 
             as head of the Antitrust Division of the Department of 
             Justice under President Bill Clinton.
               After they finished their law degrees, Jeff and Anne 
             returned to New Mexico, and they both entered the private 
             practice of law. There, Jeff spent 6 years in the Army 
             Reserves, and at that time he and Anne had their son John. 
             Senator Bingaman served a year as assistant attorney 
             general before being elected attorney general of New 
             Mexico in 1978. Four years later he was elected to the 
             U.S. Senate.
               As time evolves here, you see it in the face of our 
             children. I can remember that when I first came to this 
             body, Jeff had already been here 4 years. We had our 
             Senate retreats, and there was little John, and I watched 
             him grow as we did the retreats. I saw him just a short 
             time ago, this handsome young man, now working on his own 
             in New York in a very important job.
               In addition to being a committed advocate for the people 
             of New Mexico, Jeff has been a distinguished chairman of 
             the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. As chairman, 
             he has pushed for solutions to perhaps the greatest crisis 
             of our time: global climate change. He has run into brick 
             walls many times. As the Presiding Officer knows, it has 
             been difficult to get much done. But it is not because 
             Jeff Bingaman hasn't tried. I am so disappointed that Jeff 
             is leaving that committee with so much unfinished work. 
             Certain Senators have held up hundreds of bills in that 
             committee. What a shame. But that is what has happened.
               The Energy Policy Act of 2005--passed thanks to Senator 
             Bingaman's leadership--changed the Federal Government's 
             role in energy policy. It created energy efficiency and 
             renewable tax credits that have grown the crucial green 
             energy industry. He led that charge. Two years later Jeff 
             guided Congress to raise vehicle fuel efficiency standards 
             for the first time in 32 years.
               Senator Bingaman also serves on the Finance Committee. 
             He is tireless there, whether working on ObamaCare--and he 
             was instrumental in the progress of that, working with 
             Senator Baucus, Senator Conrad, and others. He has also 
             served on the Joint Economic Committee. He has been a 
             valued Democratic Member of this body. In the caucus, he 
             has been terrific.
               He has been someone I can call upon to ask for advice. 
             Over the years we have served together, he didn't come and 
             visit with me often, but when Jeff Bingaman wanted to see 
             me, I knew immediately that he had thought through and 
             knew what he wanted to talk about and knew what he wanted 
             me to help him with. I think so much of him, I admire him, 
             and I appreciate him. I will always remember this good man 
             and the work he has done. I am sorry to see this 
             brilliant, hard-working leader depart this body.
               When Jeff announced his retirement a couple years ago, 
             this is what he said:

               It is not easy to get elected to the Senate, and it is 
             not easy to decide to leave the Senate. There is important 
             work that remains to be done. That is true today, and it 
             will be the case at the end of this Congress. It will be 
             true at the end of every future Congress as well.

               Again, he hit the mark: There is plenty of important 
             work left to be done. I am only sorry he won't be here to 
             help us do that work.
               I congratulate Senator Bingaman and his wife Anne on 
             their long, productive careers. I wish them the very best 
             in the years to come.

               Mr. REED. Madam President, at this time, I wish to take 
             a few minutes to salute my colleagues who are retiring at 
             the end of this year with the conclusion of the 112th 
             Congress: Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Jeff Bingaman of New 
             Mexico, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Kent Conrad of North 
             Dakota, Jim DeMint of South Carolina, Kay Bailey Hutchison 
             of Texas, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Jon Kyl of Arizona, 
             Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, Richard Lugar of Indiana, 
             Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Jim 
             Webb of Virginia. They have all worked ceaselessly to give 
             their constituents the best representation and give the 
             country the benefit of their views, their wisdom, and 
             their experience. They are men and women who are committed 
             to the Nation, and they have every day in different ways 
             contributed to this Senate and to our great country.
               I wish to thank them personally for their service, and, 
             in so many cases, their personal kindness to me; for 
             listening to my points and for, together, hopefully, 
             serving this Senate and this Nation in a more positive and 
             progressive way.
               In particular, let me say a few words about some of the 
             Members with whom I have had the privilege to work more 
             closely. ...
               Jeff Bingaman has distinguished himself through his work 
             on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to improve 
             our Nation's energy policy, particularly improving our 
             energy efficiency. He has the vision and knowledge which 
             he has displayed so many times to deal with the difficult 
             issues that face us with respect to the appropriate use of 
             energy.
               He has also focused on some of the greatest challenges 
             facing our educational system, including preventing 
             dropouts and promoting the use of education technology. 
             ...
               I could go on with all of my colleagues, just thanking 
             them for their friendship, for their camaraderie, and for 
             their commitment to the Nation and the Senate. As they 
             depart, they have left an extraordinary legacy. Now it is 
             our responsibility to carry on in so many different ways, 
             and I hope we measure up to what they have done. If we do, 
             then we can go forward confidently.
               With that, I yield the floor.

               Mr. COONS. ... There are so many other Senators I want 
             to speak about today [besides Daniel Inouye], but let me 
             turn to a few, if I might, and give some insight for the 
             folks who only see Members of this Chamber on cable TV 
             shows or in the give-and-take of election season or who 
             only know them as the cutout and caricatures that the 
             public thinks of as Senators. If there is a common thread 
             between them, it is that they share that loyalty, work 
             ethic, and humility that so characterized Senator Inouye 
             in his decades here. ...
               I have had the honor to serve these past 2 years with 
             Senator Bingaman of New Mexico, chairman of the Energy 
             Committee. He is one of the kindest, smartest, gentlest 
             people I have ever met. He has been a pleasure to work 
             with on the Energy and Natural Resource Committee.
               I remember we were both speaking at a conference on 
             advanced energy research last year out at National Harbor. 
             Thousands of scientists, investors, and entrepreneurs were 
             there. I pulled up in front of the massive convention 
             hall, and right out in front was a Prius with New Mexico 
             plates. Sure enough, Chairman Jeff Bingaman jumped out of 
             the driver's seat with no staff.
               Here was the chairman of the Energy Committee and a 
             Senator for nearly 30 years driving himself to a major 
             policy speech in his Prius. He practiced what he preached 
             as he prepared to deliver an important speech in a moment 
             that showed his humility.
               As unassuming a man as Senator Bingaman is, when he 
             speaks, you listen. He is living proof that the value of 
             one's words can and should exceed their volume. On that 
             day at National Harbor, Senator Bingaman delivered a 
             message similar to one he had given a decade earlier in a 
             report entitled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' 
             Senator Bingaman saw that this country was falling behind 
             in the race for innovation and investment in research and 
             education. These are things that lay the foundation for 
             long-term competitiveness. This vision and concern haunted 
             him, so he teamed up with our great colleague from 
             Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, and challenged the National 
             Academy of Sciences to study this trend and offer 
             recommendations. From that challenge, we got the seminal 
             study, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.''
               It asked what it would take for America to continue to 
             lead in innovation. That led to the America COMPETES Act 
             and the creation of ARPA-E, the Advanced Research Projects 
             Agency for Energy. The very conference at which we had 
             been speaking was the ARPA-E annual conference. Both of 
             these important accomplishments played vital roles in our 
             future competitiveness. They are focused on nurturing 
             innovation and creating a political system where 
             political, scientific, and economic forces work together 
             and not against each other.
               That is Jeff Bingaman. That is his sweeping, long-range 
             vision, and one we should all heed. His commitment to 
             thoughtful and forward-looking service on our Nation's 
             long-term competitiveness will be sorely missed. But even 
             more, many of us will miss his reserved, dignified 
             passion. ...
               So here we are, 5 days before my family celebrates 
             Christmas and 12 days before the new year and the 
             beginning of the so-called fiscal cliff. Our politics have 
             paralyzed this Chamber and this town. But what the example 
             of all of these remarkable Senators has shown us, what it 
             has taught me is that we can still be better than our 
             politics.
               The humanity of this place, too often shoved aside by 
             the politics of the moment, shows us that we can do 
             better. One by one, these Senators, in delivering their 
             farewell addresses to this Chamber, stood at their desks 
             and each in turn urged us to find a way to return to the 
             days when Senators knew each other and worked together. 
             What will it take to get us to that point again--a 
             horrific tragedy in an elementary school, a dangerous 
             economic cliff, some devastating attack, a cyberassault on 
             America?
               Our retiring colleagues are each telling us, each in 
             turn, that it is not too late to restore the humanity of 
             this Chamber and make a positive difference in the lives 
             of all we serve. Will we heed their call? I hope and pray 
             we will because we can do better. We must do better. And 
             in the spirit of each of these departing colleagues, I 
             will do my level best. I hope we all can commit to doing 
             the same.
               Thank you, and I yield the floor.
                                              Friday, December 21, 2012
               Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, at the close of each session 
             of Congress, the Senate has traditionally taken a moment 
             to express our appreciation for the service those who are 
             retiring have provided to the people of their home State 
             and our Nation. It gives us an opportunity to acknowledge 
             the contributions that every Senator makes to the day-to-
             day operations of the Congress and the work they have been 
             a part of as we have worked together to craft the laws 
             that govern the Nation.
               Over the years I have learned a great deal about how the 
             Senate works and how to be an effective representative for 
             the people of my home State from one of the best, Jeff 
             Bingaman. He has compiled quite a record that he can be 
             very proud of, and he has done it quietly, almost behind 
             the scenes as he has shown himself to be a workhorse and 
             not a show horse.
               For those of us from the West, that is quite a 
             compliment. In a nutshell, it means that someone is a lot 
             more concerned with getting results than in getting the 
             credit. It proves the old saying that you can get just 
             about anything done if you don't care who gets the credit 
             for it.
               When I first arrived in the Senate, I had always 
             believed in the importance of getting acquainted with how 
             things work by taking a close look at how the people who 
             were getting the results that I was equally committed to 
             achieving were doing it. Using that as my standard, one 
             Senator who caught my attention quickly was Jeff Bingaman.
               Jeff is a fellow Westerner and he knows and understands 
             the issues that are so important to the people back home. 
             As I watched him in action, I could quickly see why he was 
             a success story here. He had a reputation for his ability 
             to work with both sides of the aisle to get the results 
             the people of his home State had sent him here to achieve. 
             He had an understanding of the ramifications of the 
             legislation we were working on that was second to none. 
             Taken together, all of that had helped to make him an 
             important ally in any legislative battle that needed to be 
             won.
               As I got to know him, I looked to him for his leadership 
             on the issues that were on the minds of the people back 
             home in Wyoming. He was taking the lead on a number of 
             them as he worked to increase the awareness of our 
             colleagues about matters like open spaces, water, and the 
             future of our energy industry.
               Over the years, Jeff has been a mentor to me. I have 
             learned a great deal from him from our work together on 
             Western issues and from our service on the task groups we 
             both worked on. Jeff has an ability to summarize a 
             difficult issue simply so that it can be understood on a 
             number of levels by those of us who come from backgrounds 
             that are quite different from Jeff's and all our Western 
             colleagues. He was then able to propose commonsense 
             solutions that not only made sense to our fellow Senators, 
             but were also able to obtain the support they needed to be 
             considered and passed by the Senate.
               That would have never been possible if not for one of 
             Jeff's great gifts--his ability to find common ground in 
             the midst of some sharp disagreements. He knows how to 
             take the views of all concerned into account and then 
             develop a plan of action taking a variety of viewpoints 
             into consideration. Somehow he had a knack for finding a 
             way to make it all work.
               None of that should have surprised us. After all, Jeff 
             has one credential on his resume that not everyone has the 
             persistence and determination to acquire. Jeff was active 
             in Boy Scouts at a young age and with a lot of hard work 
             and determined effort, he was able to reach the rank of 
             Eagle.
               Some people might be surprised that I mention Jeff's 
             Eagle, a great achievement that he was able to attain so 
             many years ago. I have found that the Eagle speaks volumes 
             about the strength of someone's character as they grew up. 
             It proves that they were focused on more important 
             things--like setting goals and then planning a course of 
             action to reach them--one by one. There is no more 
             valuable skill to have in the pursuit of a career and the 
             development of a life than that.
               During his service in the Senate, Jeff has compiled a 
             record of which he can be very proud--as proud as the 
             people of New Mexico are proud of him. That is why they 
             kept sending him back to the Senate. It is also why his 
             record of service will continue to receive the notice it 
             deserves as the issues he has worked so hard on will have 
             an impact on the West and the Nation for many years to 
             come.
               I don't know what Jeff's plans are for the future, but I 
             feel certain we haven't heard the last from him. I hope he 
             will continue to keep in touch with all of our Western 
             delegations. I am certain we could all use a little New 
             Mexico wisdom from time to time on the issues that come 
             before us that are of such great concern to the West and 
             rural communities all across the country.
               Thank you, Jeff, for your service to New Mexico and to 
             the United States. We appreciate your willingness to come 
             to Washington to ensure the concerns of your State were 
             heard and that they received the attention they deserve. 
             Thanks most of all for your friendship over the years. I 
             have learned a great deal from you and about you and I 
             know the lessons I have learned from you about the Senate 
             and our committee structure will continue to make me a 
             more effective advocate for Wyoming and the West. Whatever 
             the next chapter of your life holds in store, I know you 
             will give it your best--just as you have done with every 
             other great adventure in your life.
                                            Thursday, December 27, 2012
               Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, born in Texas and raised in 
             New Mexico, Senator Jeff Bingaman for nearly 30 years has 
             represented the State he has been proud to call home. 
             Lawyer, advocate, environmental stalwart, these are just a 
             few of the terms that can be used to describe Senator 
             Bingaman.
               A longtime public servant, Senator Bingaman has served 
             his Nation in the Army Reserves, in his State as an 
             attorney general, and, since 1983, has served the people 
             of New Mexico in the U.S. Senate. Along the way, he has 
             earned a reputation for being fair and bipartisan--no 
             small feat in today's polarized Congress.
               Senator Bingaman has been a fierce advocate for the 
             environment, and has worked hard to expand conservation 
             and end tax breaks for big oil companies. I was proud to 
             work with him on legislation to increase the production of 
             biofuels and to modernize the Federal Government's 
             approach to protecting the environment. As chairman of the 
             Senate's Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he has 
             worked tirelessly to advance energy independence, an issue 
             so important to many, including those in New Mexico.
               A supporter of a comprehensive approach to reforming our 
             immigration system, Senator Bingaman has supported a 
             responsible and thoughtful approach to protecting our 
             Nation's borders. Like me, he opposed ill-advised 
             legislation which was regrettably enacted in 2006 to build 
             electronic and other forms of surveillance along every 
             land and maritime border. A Senator of a southern State, 
             Senator Bingaman opposed the effort to construct a costly 
             fence along our southern border.
               Senator Bingaman has been a force here in Washington, 
             but he has never lost sight of the needs of the 
             constituents at home that he represents. He has worked to 
             secure Federal funds for critical needs in New Mexico, and 
             for education development and transportation improvements.
               Jeff's moderate temperament has led to many successes 
             both in the Halls of Congress, and in his home State. I 
             wish him and his wife Anne all the best in retirement.
                                              Friday, December 28, 2012
               Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute 
             to the Senators who will not be returning when the 113th 
             Congress commences next month. I have already spoken about 
             Senator Kyl and about Senator Inouye, one of the truly 
             great Americans and giants of this institution. At the 
             time of his death, Senator Inouye was just a few weeks 
             short of celebrating 50 years of Senate service. Only 
             Senator Byrd served in this institution longer.
               Turnover is a natural occurrence, but it's important to 
             acknowledge that the Senators who are departing have 
             served in the Senate for a combined total of 237 years, or 
             nearly 20 years per Senator, on average. Add Senator 
             Inouye, and the total is close to 300 years. That service 
             represents an enormous amount of expertise on issues 
             ranging from national defense and foreign affairs to the 
             Federal budget to energy policy. The departing Senators 
             will also take with them vast institutional knowledge and 
             bipartisan friendships and working relationships that will 
             leave a void we will need to fill. ...
               Mr. President, Jeff Bingaman is another Senator whose 
             quiet demeanor belies his tremendous skill and 
             effectiveness as a legislator. Senator Bingaman and I were 
             born 2 days apart October 3 and October 5, 1943, 
             respectively. Both of Senator Bingaman's parents were 
             teachers, which may help explain his interest and 
             involvement in educational policy. He graduated from a 
             public school in a small town in New Mexico and then went 
             to Harvard for his bachelor of arts degree and Stanford 
             for his law degree. From 1968 to 1974, he served in the 
             U.S. Army Reserves and in 1978, he was elected attorney 
             general of New Mexico. Senator Bingaman was first elected 
             to the Senate in 1982 and then won reelection four times, 
             only once dipping below receiving at least 61 percent of 
             the popular vote.
               Senator Bingaman has worked on everything from dropout 
             prevention in schools with low student achievement and 
             graduation rates to phasing out the waiting period for 
             disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare 
             benefits and to eliminate it for people with life-
             threatening conditions to the establishment of ARPA-E, the 
             Advanced Research Projects Agency at the Department of 
             Energy.
               Earlier this month, the Energy Information 
             Administration, EIA, reported that with improved 
             efficiency of energy use and a shift away from the most 
             carbon-intensive fuels, U.S. energy-related carbon 
             dioxide, CO2, emissions are likely to remain 
             more than 5 percent below their 2005 level through 2040. 
             Emissions from motor gasoline will decline as a result of 
             the adoption of fuel economy standards, biofuel mandates, 
             and shifts in consumer behavior. Emissions from coal used 
             in the generation of electricity will decline as power 
             generation shifts from coal to lower-carbon fuels, 
             including natural gas and renewables. These are all 
             significant accomplishments, made possible largely by 
             Senator Bingaman's steady hand at the helm of the Energy 
             and Natural Resources Committee, where he has helped to 
             shape and pass all of the major energy bills for over the 
             past decade.
               In 2009 Senator Bingaman shepherded the Omnibus Public 
             Land Management Act to passage. That legislation added 
             wilderness protection to over 2 million acres, designated 
             1,100 miles of wild and scenic rivers, and added more than 
             2,800 miles to the national trail system. I believe it was 
             the biggest wilderness bill Congress has ever enacted 
             after the original Wilderness Act of 1964 and the Alaska 
             National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. The 
             epitaph on the stone plaque where the great English 
             architect Sir Christopher Wren is buried reads, ``If you 
             seek his monument, look around you.'' The same could be 
             said for Senator Bingaman with regard to the preservation 
             of our natural world.
               Two weeks ago, Senator Bingaman gave his farewell speech 
             to the Senate and I would like to quote from the beginning 
             of that speech. He remarked,

               In 1981, in his first inaugural address, President 
             Reagan said, ``Government is not the solution to our 
             problem; government is the problem.''
               I came to the Senate 2 years later in 1983 with the firm 
             belief that in most cases his statement was wrong.
               I believed then and I believe now that the Federal 
             Government can be a constructive force for good; in 
             protecting and maintaining the civil liberties of all 
             Americans, in maintaining and strengthening our economy, 
             in protecting our environment, and in helping Americans 
             live productive and fulfilling lives.

               I agree wholeheartedly with Senator Bingaman and am 
             grateful that for the past 30 years in public service, he 
             has lived by those words and beliefs. ...
               Mr. President, these men and women who will be leaving 
             the Senate soon have made extraordinary sacrifices to 
             serve our Nation. We are fortunate that they have chosen 
             to spend significant parts of their lives in public 
             service. All Americans owe them a debt of gratitude. Those 
             of us who will be in the Senate next month when the 113th 
             Congress convenes can best honor the legacy of our 
             departing colleagues by reaching across the aisle as they 
             have done so many times to forge bipartisan consensus and 
             solutions to our Nation's most vexing problems. The men 
             and women who will be leaving the Senate at the end of 
             this Congress understand that compromise isn't a dirty 
             word; it is the genius at the heart of our political 
             system. We will miss them.
                                              Sunday, December 30, 2012
               Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize 
             one of our most distinguished Senators as he prepares to 
             retire from this body after five terms. Senator Jeff 
             Bingaman has earned the reputation of being a strong and 
             effective leader during his time in the Senate. He has 
             achieved what all of us try to achieve as advocates of our 
             States--getting results in Washington while staying 
             closely connected to our constituents who sent us here to 
             represent them. I have admired his intelligence, courage, 
             pragmatism, and willingness to solve problems with 
             bipartisan solutions.
               Senator Bingaman and I have worked together on many 
             issues and projects, and I have never questioned his 
             steadfast commitment to do what he believes is right for 
             New Mexico and this country. During his 30 years in the 
             Senate he has worked tirelessly on a number of committees, 
             including the Armed Services Committee, the Finance 
             Committee, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
             Committee, and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
             Resources, which he currently chairs.
               While most of my work with Jeff has been on energy 
             issues, working with Senator Bingaman on the Senate HELP 
             Committee was also a great pleasure. He has been an 
             excellent partner, for example, on issues that are 
             important to our American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and 
             Alaska Native constituents, who often live in communities 
             that face multiple challenges. There have been many times 
             in the HELP Committee when it has been necessary for me to 
             explain why a proposed solution won't work in Alaska. As I 
             begin to explain about the Federal trust responsibility, 
             or tribal sovereignty, the lack of health care and basic 
             infrastructure, or how difficult it is to get and keep 
             teachers, nurses, and others in those communities, there 
             have been times when I have seen my colleagues think, here 
             we go again, the ``It is different in Alaska'' speech. But 
             whether we have been discussing education, health care, 
             job creation, or any one of the innumerable challenges 
             Americans face when they live in Indian Country, Jeff 
             Bingaman gets it. He and I have been able to speak with 
             our colleagues on both sides of the aisle with one voice 
             about what will work, what will not work, and why. We can 
             explain the complexities of the Federal trust 
             responsibility and tribal sovereignty as a bipartisan team 
             because whether our constituents live on a reservation in 
             New Mexico or a remote village in Alaska or in one of our 
             larger cities, the challenges they face are often the 
             same, and what will work in other places in America often 
             won't work in our Native communities. That partnership has 
             been so important in making sure that the good work we are 
             trying to do for all Americans works for America's first 
             peoples in every State.
               In addition to our work on HELP, our strongest 
             collaboration has been while working together in our 
             leadership roles on the Energy and Natural Resources 
             Committee. Senator Bingaman has been tireless in ensuring 
             that our Nation has the energy resources it needs to meet 
             our growing demands well into the 21st century. He was a 
             leader in the development of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 
             and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, both 
             major blueprints for the expansion of all forms of 
             renewable energy, especially biomass, geothermal, and 
             marine hydrokinetic power. I am happy to have had the 
             chance to work closely with Senator Bingaman in those 
             efforts. In 2008 and 2009 we also worked to pass a package 
             of major public land legislation that will be a legacy for 
             the Senator for decades to come.
               When Senator Bingaman announced he was retiring from the 
             Senate, I took note that he vowed to finish out the 
             remainder of Congress with substantive achievements. Since 
             then, he has affirmed this promise and has again driven 
             productive discussions on several issues that will last 
             beyond his time here, such as his efforts to move forward 
             our Nation's program on spent nuclear fuel. The 
             legislation that he introduced is indicative of months of 
             thoughtful and productive discussions aimed to address the 
             back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. I congratulate him on 
             constantly moving the conversation forward and putting a 
             marker out there toward reaching an equitable goal.
               Senator Bingaman should be very proud of his nearly four 
             decades of public service as New Mexico's attorney general 
             and U.S. Senator. From fighting for our energy future to 
             standing with the people of New Mexico through difficult 
             economic times, Senator Bingaman has been a trusted leader 
             for the people of his State. He has been a champion for 
             his constituents, a powerful voice for Native American 
             concerns, and a leader on science research and energy tax 
             policy.
               He has been unfailingly and personally considerate to 
             me, and I extend my gratitude for his service and thank 
             him for his gracious aid on issues of concern to me and my 
             home State. I wish him and his family good health and best 
             wishes in the future and great happiness in whatever he 
             and Anne now decide to do. The Senate has been a better 
             place due to his civilized manner, his wit, and his 
             intelligent solutions for the Nation's problems. We will 
             miss Senator Bingaman's presence here in the Senate.
                                             Thursday, February 7, 2013
                            ORDER FOR PRINTING OF TRIBUTES
               Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
             there be printed as a Senate document a compilation of 
             materials from the Congressional Record in tribute to the 
             retiring Members of the 112th Congress.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so 
             ordered.
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