[Senate Document 115-23]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






                              Luther Strange
                              

                       U.S. SENATOR FROM ALABAMA
                       

                                TRIBUTES
                                

                           IN THE CONGRESS OF
                           

                           THE UNITED STATES
                           
                           
                           

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                    TRIBUTES TO HON. LUTHER STRANGE
                    
                    
                    


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                                    Luther Strange
                                    
                                    
                                    
                                                          S.doc.115-23
                                    


                                      Tributes

                                Delivered in Congress
                                
                                

                                   Luther Strange

                                United States Senator

                                      2017-2018
                                      
                                      

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                         U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
                                  WASHINGTON : 2021 
                           
                         
                                           


                            Compiled under the direction

                                       of the

                             Joint Committee on Printing
                             
                             
                             
                                      CONTENTS
             Biography.............................................
                                                                      v
             Farewell Address......................................
                                                                    vii
             Proceedings in the Senate:
                Tributes by Senators:
                    Collins, Susan M., of Maine....................
                                                                      6
                    Flake, Jeff, of Arizona........................
                                                                      7
                    Manchin, Joe, III, of West Virginia............
                                                                      3
                    McConnell, Mitch, of Kentucky 
                     ...............................................

                                                               3, 7, 10
                    Roberts, Pat, of Kansas........................
                                                                      4
                    Shelby, Richard C., of Alabama.................
                                                                      9
                

                                      Biography

               A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Luther Strange served 
             as the attorney general of Alabama for 6 years before his 
             appointment to the U.S. Senate. While attorney general, 
             Luther established a reputation for fighting public 
             corruption, following the facts wherever they led. The 
             professional investigations team he pulled together had 
             the best record in the country, with more than two dozen 
             convictions during his tenure.
               Luther joined other Republican attorneys general across 
             the country to hold Washington, DC, accountable to the 
             rule of law and stop Federal Government regulatory 
             overreach. A constitutional conservative and pro-life 
             Christian, Luther fought to protect the First and Second 
             Amendment rights of Alabamians. In 2014, he successfully 
             argued the 1st Amendment case Lane v. Franks before the 
             U.S. Supreme Court.
               In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, 
             Luther was the court-appointed coordinating counsel for 
             the Gulf Coast States. Under his leadership, Alabama 
             received compensation for economic and environmental 
             damages in a landmark settlement.
               Before being elected as attorney general, Luther 
             practiced law in Birmingham. His firm was awarded a first-
             tier ``Best Law Firm'' ranking by U.S. News and World 
             Report in 2010, and was also named by Southern Business & 
             Development magazine as one of the ``Top Ten Law Firms 
             that Understand Economic Development.'' While in private 
             practice, Luther was also named ``Best of the Bar'' by the 
             Birmingham Business Journal, recognized in Best Lawyers in 
             America, and called one of the ``Best Lawyers'' in Alabama 
             by Birmingham magazine.
               Because of his background in Boy Scouts and the impact 
             that organization had on his life, Luther actively 
             encouraged young people to explore opportunities to become 
             involved in public service. He served on the advisory 
             board of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and as a 
             trustee of Talladega College, Alabama's oldest 
             historically black college. An Eagle Scout by age 13, 
             Luther was named in 2011 as a recipient of the 
             Distinguished Eagle Scout Award by the Boy Scouts of 
             America.
               After attending Tulane University on a basketball 
             scholarship, Luther went on to earn his law degree from 
             Tulane Law School. He was inducted into the Tulane Law 
             School Hall of Fame in 2016.
               Luther served on four committees in the U.S. Senate 
             which have a direct impact on the people and industries of 
             Alabama--the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
             and Forestry; Armed Services; Budget; and Energy and 
             Natural Resources.
               Luther lives in Birmingham with his wife of 34 years, 
             Melissa. They are the proud parents of two sons, and have 
             one young grandson.
                

                               Farewell to the Senate
                             Thursday, December 7, 2017

               Mr. STRANGE. Mr. President, I rise today to address my 
             colleagues for the last time. After nearly a year in this 
             Chamber, I am both its newest Member and the next to 
             depart. As such, I have both the optimism of a young 
             student and the battle scars of a man in the arena. Today 
             I would like to offer my colleagues some observations from 
             the perspective of my unique circumstances.
               My fellow Senators and I come from different places. We 
             were raised differently, and we have lived differently. In 
             coming to serve in the world's greatest deliberative body, 
             we have carried and tested different notions of America.
               There is, however, one reality that transcends our 
             individual experiences. In this Chamber, we are each 
             humbled by history. The Senate has been a forum for some 
             of the great debates of our Republic. It has shaped--and 
             has been shaped by--citizen legislators from every State 
             in the Union. We are awed by the strength of an 
             institution that has weathered great challenges and the 
             wisdom of those who first envisioned it.
               As I rise today in that spirit, I would like to shed 
             some light on a page of Senate history that bears great 
             significance in our current political climate. As we know, 
             across the aisle behind us is a space known as the Marble 
             Room. In a building that is home to so many breathtaking 
             historic sites, this alcove has a singular beauty and a 
             story worth telling.
               As part of the 1850s expansion of the Senate's Chambers, 
             the Marble Room began as a public gathering place and has 
             been frequented over the decades by politicians and 
             protesters alike. When the Union Army camped on the 
             grounds of the Capitol, soldiers even used its fireplaces 
             for cooking.
               For over 60 years, the Marble Room was steeped in the 
             life of the American citizen. It hosted meetings with 
             advocates, constituents, and the free press. It became a 
             very tangible example of our Nation's experiment in 
             representative government. In March 1921, it took on a 
             new, equally important purpose. The space was reserved by 
             the Committee on Rules as an escape for Senators from the 
             crowded halls of the Capitol and the windowless, smoke-
             filled rooms where they often had to gather off the floor. 
             It became the place where Senators of all stripes would 
             come to catch their breath and take their armor off. Some 
             would nap, some would eat lunch, some would read the 
             newspapers, and all would end up forming bonds that rose 
             above politics.
               Today the Marble Room is almost always empty. This 
             emptiness symbolizes something that worries me about 
             today's politics. It is likely both a symptom and a cause 
             of the partisan gridlock that often dominates this 
             Chamber.
               But the story of that room--the interplay between 
             citizens and institution, between pragmatism and 
             principle--is the story of the Senate and in some ways the 
             story of republican government in America.
               What was once an incubator for collegiality and 
             bipartisanship has become a glaring reminder of the 
             divisions that we have allowed to distract us from the 
             business of the American people. We each remain humbled by 
             the history of the Marble Room. We stand in awe of the 
             traditions of this hallowed body, but too often we fail to 
             let this history be our guide through today's political 
             challenges.
               My time in the Senate has reinforced for me what it 
             means to balance principle and pragmatism and to serve the 
             people of my State honorably, and it has taught me how to 
             navigate the turbulent waters of Washington. I imagine 
             that our predecessors who spent time together in the 
             Marble Room wrestled with similar questions.
               After all, the issues we face today are not all that 
             different. This body has been strained before--it has bent 
             but has not broken. Finding lasting solutions to our 
             Nation's problems does not require reinventing the wheel. 
             Our forefathers have done it before, and they have done it 
             right across the hall.
               I spent my early years growing up in Sylacauga, 
             Alabama--familiar to my friend the senior Senator--about 
             40 miles outside of Birmingham. My first hometown is known 
             as the Marble City for the swath of high-quality stone it 
             sits upon, 32 miles long and as much as 600 feet deep.
               Sylacauga marble is recognized for its pure white color 
             and its fine texture. Here in the Nation's Capital, we are 
             surrounded by it. It is set into the ceiling of the 
             Lincoln Memorial and the halls of the Supreme Court, and 
             it was used by renowned sculptor Gutzon Borglum to create 
             the bust of Abraham Lincoln that is on display in the 
             crypt downstairs.
               Sylacauga marble is used in places infused with 
             tradition and deep history. It is used to enshrine 
             important landmarks. It ensures that memories of the past 
             will stand the test of time to inform the decisions of the 
             future.
               In a small house in the Marble City, I was raised by a 
             family that instilled in me a deep and abiding reverence 
             for history and tradition. My father was a Navy veteran 
             and my only uncle, a West Point graduate killed in service 
             to our country in World War II, was, ironically, born on 
             the Fourth of July.
               As you can imagine, I didn't need to observe parades, 
             flags, and fireworks to understand the sacrifice people 
             have made to preserve our freedom. I just had to look in 
             my mother's eyes on her only brother's birthday to 
             remember that sacrifice. Forged in service and sacrifice, 
             my family understood the blessing of living in America and 
             the price of passing its freedoms on to the next 
             generation.
               Thanks to this generation before me, the Greatest 
             Generation, I grew up strong in Alabama. At a young age, I 
             was introduced to the Boy Scouts of America, as many of my 
             colleagues were. From volunteer troop leaders to the older 
             Scouts I looked up to, the Boy Scouts created an 
             environment of selfless service. As a Scout, I learned to 
             appreciate the institutions of American society and my 
             role as a citizen. By the age of 13, I was an Eagle Scout 
             traveling to Washington, DC, on a school trip to see this 
             great experiment in representative government up close. As 
             I tell every young person who comes to see me, that made 
             an enduring difference in my life.
               I often wonder, if we all approached our duties here 
             with the wide-eyed wonder of a young student on a field 
             trip, whether we couldn't accomplish a little more in 
             Congress.
               Of course, the strength of this body and the remarkable 
             foresight of our Founding Fathers run deeper than an 
             elementary school civics class or a trip to Washington. 
             For me, the next pivotal moment came as an undergraduate 
             student at Tulane University in spring and summer 1973.
               I know many of my colleagues will not be surprised to 
             know that I played basketball in college, and there is a 
             reason why. I am the tallest Senator in history, as I have 
             come to understand it. In between practice and part-time 
             jobs, I did find time to watch the newly formed Senate 
             Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities begin 
             its investigation of the Watergate scandal.
               In that moment, our Nation stepped into uncharted 
             territory. The strength of our Constitution was tested 
             like never before. Would the pursuit of justice overcome 
             politics? Would the institution of the Presidency be 
             forever changed? What are the responsibilities of citizens 
             in the Republic when the Republic's institutions are 
             tested?
               It was during that spring semester of 1973 that I began 
             to understand the tremendous power of the rule of law. It 
             is guarded by representatives who swear to protect, 
             preserve, and defend the Constitution of the United 
             States.
               When my basketball playing years ran out, it was this 
             realization that led me to go to law school. My new game 
             would be learning the ins and outs of this system that 
             ensured the rights our Founders envisioned. My new team 
             would be my fellow classmates and students who would go on 
             to practice law and serve our Nation at all levels of 
             government.
               As so many of our colleagues know, the path from 
             practicing law to writing it is well traveled. I was 
             fortunate to travel it with the help of some of Alabama's 
             finest public servants. As a young attorney, I first met 
             one of them for breakfast in the cafeteria at the 
             Department of Justice. In those days, you could go to the 
             Department of Justice without having to show an ID, and I 
             quickly discovered, after I had gotten my breakfast, that 
             I had forgotten my wallet. So Jeff Sessions had to pay for 
             my meal. He has continued to pay it forward to this day, 
             as a dear friend and mentor, and, of course, he is now the 
             Attorney General of the United States of America.
               Jeff Sessions is a gracious statesman and a man of 
             principle, and it is not farfetched, in my opinion, to say 
             that some of his temperament rubbed off on him from our 
             State's senior Senator and my dear friend, Senator Richard 
             Shelby. I so appreciate his presence here in the Chamber 
             today.
               Over 30 years ago, I was introduced to then-Congressman 
             Shelby by my friend, former Secretary of the Senate Joe 
             Stewart, a person who revered this institution. As a young 
             lawyer, I learned from a man fast becoming a legendary 
             legislator. He would become one of my most treasured 
             friends, sharing many days hunting together in the fields 
             of Alabama and elsewhere and many more stories shared here 
             in the halls of the Capitol.
               Together, Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby represent the 
             finest Alabama has to offer to our Nation. Following in 
             their footsteps here in the Senate is an honor I will 
             forever treasure.
               The example of these men inspired me to get involved in 
             public service. As the attorney general of Alabama, Jeff 
             Sessions set an example. As the most influential, revered 
             Senator in our State's history, Richard Shelby has guided 
             the way, each with an unparalleled reverence for the rule 
             of law.
               I spoke earlier about the balance of pragmatism and 
             principle. In doing so, I had my friends in mind. When I 
             was elected attorney general for the State of Alabama in 
             2010, I drew heavily on their examples of principled 
             conservative leadership.
               In this body we are too often convinced that standing 
             for deeply held principles is incompatible with 
             pragmatism. In the 6 years I have served as attorney 
             general, I learned that this could not be further from the 
             truth.
               Serving my State in that capacity required balance above 
             all else, as the Presiding Officer [Mr. Sullivan], having 
             been an attorney general himself, would understand. I had 
             an obligation to the people of Alabama who elected me to 
             fight for the conservative victories they were counting 
             on, but I also had a solemn duty to rise above politics 
             and follow the law and truth wherever it led.
               Make no mistake, during my two terms as attorney 
             general, I took every opportunity to defend the 
             Constitution and the people of Alabama against Federal 
             Government overreach--in other words, defending the rule 
             of law, the oath that we take.
               Together with other State attorneys general, I worked to 
             protect farmers and ranchers from an EPA rule that would 
             turn puddles in their fields into federally regulated 
             ecosystems. We stood up against threats to religious 
             liberty and the Second Amendment, and we took the fight 
             over illegal executive amnesty all the way to the U.S. 
             Supreme Court. On these and many other issues, we stood 
             for the rule of law, and we won.
               I don't have to prove my commitment to conservative 
             principles. At the same time, I have a record of upholding 
             the rule of law even when my own party goes astray. I have 
             the scars to show for it, believe me. Over my 6 years in 
             the State capitol of Montgomery, I assembled a nationally 
             renowned team of prosecutors behind a common goal: to root 
             out public corruption.
               This pursuit led to the convictions of several corrupt 
             public officials in the State of Alabama, including a 
             county sheriff complicit in human trafficking--the first 
             successful prosecution of its kind in decades.
               My team took on Alabama's Republican speaker of the 
             house for ethics violations, leading to his removal from 
             office and a prison sentence. As you might imagine, we 
             didn't make any friends in the political establishment by 
             doing so, but we shored up public trust in our 
             representative government.
               For their commitment to fighting public corruption, my 
             team has been recognized by the National Association of 
             Attorneys General as a gold standard. I personally had the 
             opportunity to address my former colleagues from both 
             sides of the aisle who are focusing on the same goal in 
             their States. More than any fleeting partisan achievement, 
             it is work like this of which I am the most proud.
               When faced with crises, we rose to a calling higher than 
             politics. After the tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 
             2010 decimated communities and ecosystems along the gulf 
             coast, I was appointed by the court as coordinating 
             counsel for the Gulf Coast States in that historic 
             litigation. Our team, working together with others, won 
             the trial and negotiated a multibillion-dollar settlement 
             for our State and other coastal States.
               Our work on that spill case built consensus, and it 
             found common ground. It brought together the interests of 
             fiscal conservatives and environmental advocates, and we 
             delivered results because it was the right thing to do. 
             While the victims of the Alaska oil spill, which the 
             Presiding Officer is well familiar with, had to wait many 
             years for a resolution, we were able to deliver justice 
             and set a gold standard for responding quickly and 
             effectively to the needs of our coastal communities.
               After all, the institutions our Founders laid out in the 
             Constitution are only as strong as the people's belief in 
             their strength. When America no longer trusts that its 
             representatives are remaining true to their oaths, the 
             entire system loses its value.
               As the most recent Senator to take that oath, I remember 
             the feeling of the Bible under my left hand. I remember 
             reflecting on a verse it contains that has brought me 
             peace in times of challenge. Proverbs 19:21, which I keep 
             by my bedside, says: ``Many are the plans in a person's 
             heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.''
               I remember raising my right hand here in the well, where 
             so many others have gone before--many of whom likely found 
             it difficult to discern exactly what the Lord's purpose 
             was in that moment. Each of them came to this body in the 
             face of significant national challenges. Some faced 
             violent conflict, others an economic crisis. Our forebears 
             would not be surprised by the issues before this body 
             today, but I do believe they would be surprised and 
             discouraged by the emptiness of the Marble Room.
               Mr. President, the policy challenges we face are not new 
             ones. This body debates a budget resolution every single 
             year. Many years, it also faces questions of war and 
             conflict overseas. At least once a decade, it seems, we 
             face some tectonic shift of the economy.
               As a lifelong student of history, I am reassured by 
             stories of the grave crises that have been addressed on 
             this very floor. In this Chamber, the post-Civil War 
             Senate ensured that the Nation stayed the course of 
             healing and reunification. In this very Chamber, the 
             Senate put politics aside to defeat the rise of fascism in 
             Europe and guided the creation of a new 20th-century world 
             order. On this floor, long-overdue support for civil 
             rights was won, vote by vote.
               This civil rights struggle is held vividly in the memory 
             of my home State. In the early 1960s, my elementary school 
             in Birmingham, Alabama, was segregated. By 1971, I was 
             taking the court with three young Black men--my teammates, 
             my classmates, and my friends--to play for the State 
             basketball championship.
               As our Nation evolves, the traditions and history of the 
             Senate demand that this institution meet each new 
             challenge, armed with the will of the American people.
               As I watched with the rest of the country, it was on 
             this floor that the Senate restored faith in our 
             institutions by delivering justice after Watergate. It was 
             a real pleasure for me as a lawyer later in life to get to 
             meet Fred Thompson, who served in this great body and was 
             the counsel for the minority on the Watergate Committee, 
             to see the example he set as a Senator and to call him a 
             friend.
               The idea that the chaos and upheaval we see today are 
             unique falls flat in the face of this monumental history. 
             Pundits and politicians alike are too quick and easy to 
             talk in superlatives, but chaos and change are nothing new 
             to this country. The Senate was designed to endure, and 
             rooms of marble are built to last.
               Studying that Senate history puts the issues of today in 
             perspective for us, but it also sheds light on the true 
             challenge of our generation--a newer, more serious threat 
             to the future of this institution and its traditions.
               You see, the Senate was designed to accommodate conflict 
             and profound disagreement. It was not, however, designed 
             to tolerate the entrenched factionalism that dominates 
             today's proceedings. It was not designed for the people's 
             representatives to hunker down in private rooms, emerging 
             only long enough to come to the Chamber and cast votes.
               There are 100 seats in this Chamber. Each one was 
             contested and hard-earned, but they are rarely all 
             occupied. The less time we spend in the same room, the 
             easier it becomes to view our colleagues on the other side 
             of the aisle as obstacles instead of opportunities.
               What do I mean by opportunities? Mr. President, I 
             believe our generation of leaders will be judged by 
             history on whether we strove to heal the divisions of this 
             body and our Nation. In pursuit of that goal, every Member 
             of this body has an opportunity to grow in understanding.
               Yet it seems to me that ``compromise'' has become a 
             dirty word in American politics, and that is a serious 
             threat to our hopes of advancing meaningful policy, in my 
             view.
               It seems that reasonable Americans understand what we 
             are called to do better than we do. I see the chairman of 
             the Committee on Agriculture here, who is a dear friend 
             and maybe can put this better than I can. As he knows, a 
             wise farmer in Alabama once told me: When my wife sends me 
             to the store to buy a dozen eggs and there are only half a 
             dozen left, I come home with a half-dozen.
               I believe we have the power to bring home half a dozen 
             here in the Senate and maybe even bring home a dozen for 
             the American people. We have the power to be a profound 
             force for good.
               After all, compromise was baked into the Founders' 
             design of this institution. At the heart of our system of 
             checks and balances is an understanding that no one branch 
             and certainly no one partisan faction will get all it 
             wants, all the time.
               From the very beginning, compromise allowed our Nation 
             to embrace both the republicanism of Thomas Jefferson and 
             the federalism of Alexander Hamilton. The very structure 
             of this body is the result of the Connecticut Compromise 
             of 1787, which accommodated proponents of both equal and 
             proportional representation.
               The authors of this very pragmatic solution, Roger 
             Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth, are depicted on the wall 
             right outside the Senate Chamber, not far from the Marble 
             Room, where their example of finding common ground would 
             be practiced for decades to come.
               Mr. President, in the shadow of these founding debates, 
             political voices today are arguing louder and louder about 
             smaller and smaller things. It is easy for those outside 
             this Chamber to insist that they know what should be done, 
             and as long as we remain so deeply divided, those outside 
             voices will always win.
               When I leave the Senate, I hope to have lived up to the 
             words of a different voice, familiar to those of us in the 
             Chamber. On April 23, 1910, in a time of great change in 
             this country, as the United States was coming to define a 
             new world order, President Teddy Roosevelt delivered a now 
             famous passage that bears repeating:

               It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points 
             out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of 
             deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to 
             the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred 
             by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who 
             errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no 
             effort without error and shortcoming; but who does 
             actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great 
             enthusiasm, the great devotions; who spends himself in a 
             worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph 
             of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at 
             least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall 
             never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know 
             victory nor defeat.

               Here today, our Nation faces challenges like it did 
             during Watergate 43 years ago and like it did in the time 
             of Roosevelt 107 years ago. When we have each left this 
             great body, I know we would like to be remembered as men 
             and women in the arena--as people who spent themselves in 
             worthy causes.
               I am convinced the worthiest cause we can join today is 
             a return to the collegiality, the pragmatism, and, yes, 
             dare I say, the compromise of the Marble Room.
               So, Mr. President, as I leave the Senate, I am indebted 
             to so many--to those who have helped me become the man I 
             am today, to the colleagues who have welcomed me as a 
             partner in the people's business and who are so kind to 
             take time to be here today in the Chamber, and to the 
             great State of Alabama, which I have had the immense honor 
             to serve.
               I thank God every day for the blessing of my wife, 
             Melissa, and my children and grandchildren who are here 
             with us today. Greeting every day assured by their love 
             and support has made my work here and throughout my life 
             possible.
               I thank my staff in Alabama and here in Washington, many 
             of whom are here joining us, who have risen to the task of 
             serving our great State through troubling times. Their 
             tireless dedication reminds me there is a very bright 
             future ahead for my State and for this institution.
               I thank the staff of the Senate serving here on the 
             floor and in the Cloakrooms, the U.S. Capitol Police, and 
             all of those who preserve, protect, and defend this 
             hallowed institution.
               I thank each of my colleagues for the privilege of 
             joining them in service. The friends and working partners 
             I have found here in the Senate give me great hope that, 
             in the right hands, this experiment in representative 
             government will long endure.
               I thank the men of principle who have served Alabama 
             with honor for years before me. I especially thank my 
             friend Richard Shelby for his friendship and his guidance 
             during my time here in the Senate.
               Finally, I thank the people of my State. Alabama is a 
             beautiful place with millions of hard-working, good people 
             who call it home. As I look back on my career, I am most 
             proud of the last 7 years I have spent working on their 
             behalf, both in Montgomery and here in Washington.
               Mr. President, in preparing my remarks today, I spent a 
             lot of time in the Marble Room. I reflected on the stone 
             that built it and the bedrock of my hometown. I thought 
             about the lawmakers who frequented it years ago. I thought 
             about the challenges they faced, their own principled 
             stands and pragmatic negotiations. Most important, I 
             thought about the common ground they found there.
               Off the record and away from the cameras, this space 
             represents an opportunity to once again find balance. 
             Balance between principle and pragmatism in the Senate 
             would reflect the very spirit of America, which is defined 
             by balance.
               The zeal for adventure that won the West and put human 
             footsteps on the face of the Moon is balanced by a 
             reverence for tradition and our founding principles--
             individual liberty, the rule of law, and the pursuit of 
             happiness. The entrepreneurial drive that built great 
             cities and today drives innovators to ask ``what's next?'' 
             is balanced by a solemn remembrance of the struggle and 
             sacrifice that have paved the way.
               The Senate is a sacred place that was designed to 
             embrace the spirit of America. To lose the art of balance 
             and compromise in this body is to lose something 
             essentially American. If we cannot find shared cause, 
             shared purpose, in the quiet corners of the space across 
             the hall, then we may never find it here on the floor of 
             the Senate, where the critics are so quick to point out 
             how the doers of deeds could have done them better.
               As I prepare to leave this esteemed body, I urge my 
             colleagues, who will face many more challenges ahead, to 
             take these words to heart. For the sake of our Nation, I 
             urge them to return to the Marble Room.
               With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

                                          a
                                           
                               Farewell to the Senate
                              Monday, December 11, 2017

               Mr. STRANGE. Mr. President, today I wish to recognize 
             the remarkable staff that has worked this year in my 
             Senate offices. Individually, they bring expertise and 
             professionalism to their tireless efforts on behalf of our 
             State. Together, they have united in honorable service to 
             the people of Alabama. It is with pride and admiration 
             that I recognize Virginia Amason, Will Batson, Morgan 
             Blankenship, Brent Blevins, Melissa Clarke, Paula Cox, 
             David Daniels, Valerie Day, Avis DuBose, Jon Foltz, Jacob 
             Gattman, Jordan Howard, Taylor Jetmundsen, John Little, 
             Sandy Luff, Shanderla McMillian, Cecelia Meeks, Nick 
             Moore, Maria Olson, Jake Proctor, Duncan Rankin, June 
             Reeves-Weir, Cody Sanders, Jeff Sommer, Drew Tatum, Shana 
             Teehan, Susan Thompson, Kevin Turner, Brookley Valencia, 
             Dylan Vorbach, and Zandra Wilson.
               As they continue their careers of public service, this 
             staff bears the esteem of a grateful State and my utmost 
             gratitude for a job well done.
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                                      TRIBUTES

                                         TO

                                   LUTHER STRANGE
                

                              Proceedings in the Senate
                                             Thursday, December 7, 2017
               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on behalf of all of our 
             colleagues, I want to thank the junior Senator from 
             Alabama for an extraordinary farewell. Due to the unusual 
             circumstances of his arrival, his service here regretfully 
             is limited to roughly a year, but I know all of our 
             colleagues share the view that the Senator from Alabama 
             has made an extraordinary difference for Alabama and for 
             the Nation during his time here. I know I also express the 
             views of all of our colleagues that we will miss him 
             greatly.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.

               Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I rise as a Member of this 
             great body to say thank you to our good friend from 
             Alabama for serving. It is such a shame that we have so 
             many good people in this body and some really great people 
             in this body who are here for such a short period of time, 
             and to have a person like Senator Strange come before us 
             and be part and try to make a difference.
               I truly enjoyed his speech based on bipartisanship, 
             which is what we are all here for, and seeing how we have 
             digressed to the point where there is very little 
             bipartisanship that goes on and then knowing that we can 
             make that change and make a difference.
               I want to thank the Senator. It has always been a joy to 
             be around him. He has such a way and such a demeanor about 
             him--his congeniality, his camaraderie and wanting to make 
             this place work the way it is supposed to work and the way 
             they have told us it did work.
               With that I would say, Senator, I am grateful I got to 
             know you. I am grateful that you have passed through these 
             doors for all of us to call you our friend. I am sad that 
             you are not staying.
               I know there are bigger things in store for you. I know 
             your life is going to be blessed, and with that, you 
             blessed us by being part of us for a period of time.
               Thank you, Senator.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

               Mr. ROBERTS. Mr. President, I have had the unique 
             privilege of knowing Senator Strange in that I have the 
             privilege of being the chairman of the all-powerful--
             sometimes-powerful--Senate Committee on Agriculture.
               I hope every Senator will read your comments, sir. I 
             think, perhaps, every Senator in their heart wishes, as 
             you do, that we could get along better. For better or for 
             worse, I think we represent the Balkanization in this 
             country, but we come here with the hope that, yes, through 
             compromise, and, yes, that in working together, we can 
             represent our people in a much better fashion. Your 
             remarks, I think, really hit the nail on the head in terms 
             of what we should be doing.
               We do that on the Committee on Agriculture. When Luther 
             first came to the Senate and asked to be on the Committee 
             on Agriculture, I knew right then he was a special person 
             and would be a special Senator. A lot of people get 
             sentenced to the Committee on Agriculture. It is a 
             pleasant sentence, really, when you do that work. I have 
             been privileged to be the chairman in the House and in the 
             Senate for quite a few years. We will not get into that.
               The Senator asked to be on the Ag Committee, and so, 
             when we try to put together a farm bill, it is our 
             responsibility--both the distinguished Ranking Member 
             Stabenow and myself--to travel to various States. We have 
             sat on the wagon with the farmer, the rancher, the grower, 
             and said, ``What do you think?'' We listen to the farmer 
             first, knowing that if you are fair to the farmer--they 
             are the backbone of the Nation and underappreciated in our 
             society today.
               So I have been going to Kansas, Michigan, and Montana, 
             and I said: I haven't been down South, I am going to 
             Alabama. I am going to go down there with our newest 
             Member who wants to be on the Ag Committee and has already 
             demonstrated his affection, not only for the committee but 
             his commitment to represent farmers and growers and 
             ranchers in Alabama. So we planned an event. We were going 
             to listen to every commodity group, every farm 
             organization, and any farmer who wanted to come in and 
             talk to the chairman and the new member of the Ag 
             Committee.
               This was a special day for me and, as sometimes happens, 
             planes don't fly. Planes fly to Atlanta, but they don't 
             fly from there, which was the case when we were going down 
             the night before, before we had this opportunity to visit 
             with a lot of folks in Alabama. If you try to find a 
             rental car that time of night, it is difficult. So we 
             finally found a rental car after the third or fourth 
             rental car opportunity, and then we drove to Montgomery.
               Now, if you drive from Atlanta to Montgomery--people 
             don't usually recommend doing that, but I will tell you, 
             from about 1:30 in the morning to about 4 a.m., it is an 
             easy drive. Then you get to Montgomery, and you get to 
             that square they have there in Montgomery where they have 
             a statue of Hank Williams. So the first person to welcome 
             me in Montgomery, Alabama, was Hank Williams. Of course, 
             being a country and western aficionado--or at least fan--I 
             thought that was very special. So we went down and saw 
             Hank. I saluted him.
               Then we went off to the hotel. Of course, the hotel had 
             given up our hotel reservations. So that posed a little 
             bit of a problem. They finally made some accommodations 
             for me, at least, but it didn't have a bed. It was an 
             office room. Then I finally figured out it was a wall bed, 
             and I pulled the wall bed down, but there were no sheets 
             and pillows. I just sort of slept in my wardrobe, so to 
             speak. Then I said, ``I can't sleep.'' It was getting to 
             be 5:30, 6:30 a.m., and we were starting off about 7 in 
             the morning.
               I came down the elevator, and as happened, the elevator 
             door opened up. Across from me was Luther. He said, ``How 
             did you sleep, Mr. Chairman?'' I said, ``As well as could 
             be expected.'' Finally, I told him what happened.
               After all of that, I had probably one of the best days 
             in my service in the Senate, visiting a State I had not 
             visited before. I talked to every commodity group, every 
             farm organization representative. We went out to many 
             different farms. I learned first hand that a big export 
             factor to China is peanuts. If we are going to be making 
             friends with China--or at least getting to a situation 
             where we have a better relationship with any country--as 
             you know, agriculture can be a tool for peace. It is a 
             stabilizing factor. It becomes a national security 
             situation. We talked about this at length.
               I must say I was very impressed with the folks I met 
             there and the respect they had for you, Luther, for 
             wanting to be on the Ag Committee, obviously, and for your 
             record as attorney general and your public service. To a 
             person, they were committed to you and thanking you for 
             your service on the Committee on Agriculture.
               So wherever you go, whatever you do, I know you are an 
             Aggie. I know you will continue to fight for your farmers, 
             and, as you know, we are going through a pretty rough 
             patch.
               Personally, I want to thank you for your friendship, 
             and, personally, I want to thank you for the message you 
             gave to all Senators here, which I think should be 
             mandatory in our quest to see if we can't achieve a better 
             situation in working together to find solutions. The 
             Senator from West Virginia and I feel the same way, and I 
             know whatever you are going to do, you will do so with 
             dignity and with respect and with strong leadership.
               Thank you, my friend.

               Mr. STRANGE. Thank you.

               Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell 
             and to express my gratitude to Senator Luther Strange as 
             he leaves the U.S. Senate. During his too-brief tenure 
             here, he established an admirable reputation for hard 
             work, dedication to his State of Alabama and our Nation, 
             and a commitment to principles.
               Senator Strange was appointed to the Senate last 
             February to fill the vacancy created when Senator Jeff 
             Sessions became Attorney General of the United States. 
             From the start, it was clear that Senator Strange's pride 
             in his home State was matched only by his humility at 
             being selected to represent the State he loves.
               Building on the reputation he earned as attorney general 
             for Alabama, Senator Strange established himself here as a 
             determined advocate for the rule of law and defender of 
             our Constitution. From preserving the Senate traditions 
             that foster full and open debate to supporting our 
             veterans and strengthening our national security and our 
             economy, Senator Strange has worked on a number of 
             important initiatives.
               Senator Strange has met the obligations of his office 
             with energy and dedication, and it has been an honor to 
             serve with him in the U.S. Senate. I wish him and Melissa 
             all the best in the years to come and look forward to many 
             more contributions and accomplishments from this 
             distinguished American.

               The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.

               Mr. FLAKE. Mr. President, I just want to say on the 
             record how much I have enjoyed serving with the Senator 
             from Alabama. He has meant a great deal to this 
             institution, to this body during his short time here, and 
             it is sad to see him go.
                                            Thursday, December 21, 2017
               Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on a completely different 
             matter, I would like to say a few words in tribute to a 
             fine colleague whose all-too-brief time in the Senate will 
             soon draw to a close.
               Senator Luther Strange of Alabama is the newest Member 
             of this body, having been sworn in just this past 
             February, but he did not waste any time in making an 
             impact. In this historic year for the Senate, Luther 
             quickly emerged as a strong voice on policy and an 
             important vote on landmark legislation.
               On a personal level, it didn't take anyone long to 
             realize that this newcomer would rank among the most 
             diligent, dedicated, and public-spirited Members of this 
             institution. At first, we even wondered whether Luther 
             might be a little too diligent.
               Upon his arriving in Washington, the Senator dived into 
             the task of meeting his colleagues with the friendly 
             earnestness that is his calling card. The first time 
             Luther passed Senator Roberts in a Capitol hallway, he 
             stopped to introduce himself and share his excitement to 
             be joining the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
             Forestry. There was nothing unusual there, but I have it 
             on good authority that the very next day, when Luther 
             found himself sharing an elevator with Senator Roberts, 
             the junior Senator from Alabama introduced himself all 
             over again. Not long after, a chance meeting on the train 
             occasioned yet a third introduction. Pat Roberts had to 
             put a stop to it.
               ``Yes, Luther,'' he broke in. ``I think we've met 
             before--and we're sure glad to have you here, too.'' We 
             certainly were glad as well.
               Luther came to the Senate with a national reputation for 
             integrity and excellence in public service. That started 
             young. The proud son of a Navy veteran turned college 
             professor, this Birmingham paperboy made Eagle Scout at 
             age 13--an accomplishment that still shows up on his lapel 
             from time to time.
               He received his bachelor's from Tulane, where--and I 
             know this may come as a shock--the man the Senate 
             historian has apparently verified as the tallest Senator 
             in history played scholarship basketball.
               After graduation, to save for law school, he spent a 
             year on a boat that supplied oil rigs in the North Sea. He 
             pitched in on everything--did whatever it took to help the 
             team--and helped the crew navigate the ship through choppy 
             waters.
               These qualities will sound familiar to everyone who has 
             worked with Luther since.
               He built a sterling reputation as an up-and-coming 
             lawyer in private practice. He then set it aside to serve 
             the people of the State he loves, as Alabama's attorney 
             general.
               In the fine Alabama tradition of public servants, like 
             his friends and mentors Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby, 
             he combined a steel spine with a servant's heart. Whenever 
             the people of the State needed defending--their 
             businesses, their religious liberties, their Second 
             Amendment rights--their attorney general was there for 
             them.
               Then as now, he fought fiercely when times required it 
             and his principles demanded it, but no matter how 
             important the issue at hand, from the Supreme Court to the 
             Senate floor, Luther never loses his good humor or his 
             conviction that we serve in order to help our 
             constituents, not to aggrandize ourselves.
               Luther Strange reminds us that character counts. He 
             reminds us that deeply held conservative values do not in 
             any way stand opposed to collegiality and common decency. 
             To the contrary, our values require these things.
               He reminds us that the American people need not choose 
             between leaders who share their principles and leaders who 
             dignify public service. They should hold their elected 
             officials to a high standard and demand that we do too.
               If you cannot tell, Luther's colleagues look up to him 
             in more ways than one. We are sorry to see him go.
               In the farewell speech that Senator Strange delivered on 
             this floor, he challenged his colleagues to revive greater 
             comity in this body. He implored us not to give up on 
             bipartisanship or on building friendships that run deeper 
             than policy disagreements. He reminded us that the 
             Senate's Marble Room, across the hallway from this 
             Chamber, used to be a popular gathering place. Senators 
             from both parties would relax and get to know one another 
             above and beyond the specific disputes of the day. Today, 
             Luther pointed out, this room often sits empty.
               His advice is well taken, and I have an idea how we 
             could begin to put it into practice. All of us on both 
             sides of the aisle could try to approach our work with 
             more of the optimism, can-do spirit, and reverence for 
             this great institution that Luther Strange has brought to 
             work every single day.
               Of course, the Senate's loss will be a happy gain for 
             Luther's beloved family.
               Despite the fact that his bright idea for a first date 
             with Melissa was a trip to the Talladega Superspeedway to 
             take in the Talladega 500, he convinced her to marry him 
             anyway. Their loving partnership has now spanned 36 years 
             and counting. They have raised two sons. I hear that Luke 
             is just an inch shy of his dad's height and that Keehn is 
             an inch taller. In recent years, Luther and Melissa have 
             become the proud grandparents of two young boys.
               I have it on good authority that a certain black Lab 
             named Sophie might be the most excited of all the Stranges 
             to welcome the Senator back home to Birmingham.
               Wherever Luther's distinguished career takes him next, I 
             know he is glad it will involve more time with the people 
             he loves most.
               He has served with distinction in the Senate during a 
             year of historic achievements. On behalf of Alabamians, he 
             has made vital contributions on the Committee on 
             Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; the Committee on 
             Armed Services; the Committee on the Budget; and the 
             Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. He has cast 
             votes to help middle-class families and set America on a 
             brighter trajectory for years to come.
               We thank him and wish him every success in his future 
             endeavors, and we salute him for the dedicated service he 
             has rendered to his country and to the people of the great 
             State of Alabama.

               Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, today I wish to honor my good 
             friend and colleague from Alabama, Senator Luther Strange, 
             prior to his departure from the U.S. Senate.
               While Luther and I have worked closely together in the 
             Senate, our friendship dates back nearly four decades. 
             Over the years, I have had the privilege of not only 
             getting to know Luther, but also getting to know his wife, 
             Melissa, and his two sons, Luke and Keehn.
               Even before Luther was appointed to the U.S. Senate, he 
             and I worked alongside each other throughout much of our 
             careers. When Luther was sworn in to fill Attorney General 
             Sessions' seat, I was pleased to have him just down the 
             hall from my office.
               As soon as Luther was sworn into the Senate, he hit the 
             ground running. His camaraderie, integrity, and great 
             attitude did not go unnoticed. Another thing we all 
             quickly observed about Luther in the Senate was his 
             willingness to help in any situation. He was always the 
             first to volunteer, whether the task be big or small. 
             Luther is admired by Members on both sides of the aisle, 
             which is rare in Washington. He has made a lot of friends 
             in the Senate and has worked in a bipartisan fashion.
               In addition to his work ethic and great attitude, Luther 
             was able to accomplish an incredible amount legislatively 
             in a short period of time. His successes include his work 
             on the final National Defense Authorization Act conference 
             negotiations, securing three littoral combat ships, his 
             help in achieving the 51 votes needed to pass a once-in-a-
             generation tax reform package, and helping repeal 
             Obamacare.
               Luther's time in the Senate was cut too short. I would 
             be remiss not to mention how much I, along with my Senate 
             colleagues, have enjoyed his company.
               I thank Senator Strange for his time and service both to 
             Alabama and our Nation here in the Senate. I wish him all 
             the best in his future endeavors, and I look forward to 
             continuing our close friendship.
               Thank you.
                                            Thursday, December 13, 2018
                        ORDER FOR PRINTING OF SENATE DOCUMENTS
               Mr. McCONNELL. 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 
             retiring Members of the 115th Congress, and that Members 
             have until Friday, December 21, to submit such tributes.

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