[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 144 (Monday, October 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S12378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TRIBUTE TO SENATOR DIRK KEMPTHORNE

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, it is with great pride and honor that I 
rise today to pay tribute to my retiring colleague from Idaho, Senator 
Dirk Kempthorne. In his six years of service to the United States 
Senate, he has proven himself to be a very thoughtful and determined 
leader and I am honored to have the opportunity to rise and speak on 
his accomplishments.
  It was a pleasure to work with Senator Kempthorne as he crafted one 
of the most important bills we have passed in the United States Senate, 
the Unfunded Mandates bill. I was particularly pleased that the private 
sector was included in the assessment of Unfunded mandates and Dirk was 
generous and extraordinarily helpful to me and my staff throughout the 
legislative process as we developed and negotiated this legislation. 
Not only did the junior Senator from Idaho manage two weeks of debate 
on the Senate floor which sometimes lasted 12 hours a day, but his 
skillful leadership and influence brought affected parties to the table 
to negotiate and produce legislation which passed both the House and 
Senate by overwhelming margins. Clearly, without his strong commitment 
to American small businesses, this objective would not have been 
achieved.
  In addition to his service on the Small Business Committee and Armed 
Forces Committee, Senator Kempthorne was given the responsibility of 
chairing the Drinking Water, Fisheries, and Wildlife subcommittee of 
the Environment and Public Works Committee. He wrote an update of the 
Safe Drinking Water Act which won bipartisan praise. He worked many 
long and arduous hours crafting legislation to reauthorize and reform 
the Endangered Species Act, an issue extremely important New Mexico and 
other WesternStates. Dirk's perseverance and hard work was instrumental 
in laying the groundwork for long overdue reform of this law and I am 
hopeful that we can be as diligent and compromising as he has been in 
crafting and passing ESA reform legislation in the future.
  The state of Idaho is fortunate to have a statesman of his caliber. 
During his tenure, he has earned the respect and admiration of his 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle because of his unique ability to 
negotiate, compromise, and foster positive working relationships not 
only with his colleagues, but between federal, state, and local 
governments. These skills will serve him well as he faces new 
challenges in the future. Although we will miss his presence in this 
body, I know that he will continue to be a valuable asset not only to 
the state of Idaho but to this Nation.
  Finally, I understand the challenges and difficulties associated with 
raising a family while serving in Congress and I respect and admire his 
decision to do what is right for his family and their future. Nancy and 
I wish Dirk, Patricia, and their children all the best.

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