[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 178 (Thursday, December 20, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14046-S14047]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SENATORS AND SENATE LEADERS

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, let me say just a word or so before I make 
my final speech of this year. I thank all Senators on both sides of the 
aisle for the work they do on behalf of this great Nation. They work 
here at a sacrifice. We are paid well, but there are many here who 
could earn much more money in other fields. There are many who come 
here after earning much more money in other fields but who want to give 
something to the Nation, who want to serve. Here is the place--in this 
Chamber--where Senators, since 1859, have served the Nation.
  So I salute all Senators. I salute the leaders of the Senate--our 
Democratic and Republican leaders of the majority and the minority.
  I have been a majority leader. I have been a minority leader. I have 
been a majority whip. I know the kinds of problems with which they are 
confronted every day. I know the demands that are made upon them by 
their colleagues. I know of the expectations that surround this Chamber 
and the expectations of our leaders. They spend a lot of time 
protecting our interests and working on behalf of our interests. They 
spend many hours here when the rest of us are probably sleeping. They 
carry to their beds problems that we don't know about. Many demands are 
made on these leaders.
  I sit here and I hear criticism of our majority leader. He is the 
majority leader and was chosen by his colleagues for this job. He sets 
the schedule. He decides the program.
  So not only do I salute him for the great work that he does on behalf 
of the Nation every day, but I also have empathy with him. I know he 
must go home troubled at night--troubled because he could not fulfill 
the expectations of this Senator, or that Senator, troubled because he 
is sometimes unjustly criticized. I had all of these things happen to 
me.
  So I thank Tom Daschle. He can't be everything to everybody. He has 
to do what he has to do. He has to do what he thinks is best. He has to 
promote the interests of the Senate. He has to promote the interests of 
getting on with the work.
  So does our majority whip. These are two fine Senators. There isn't a 
Senator here who doesn't think that he could do that job right there 
better--that majority leader's job. Every Senator thinks he can do it 
better. Every Senator thinks he can do the whip's job better. But they 
do the best they can.
  I want to pray for them in this season that we are entering. I want 
them to know that we Senators, upon reflection, cannot help but thank 
them for the work they do.
  Somebody has to do this so we can leave the Senate when our speeches 
are made and go home. But they have to stay.
  Senator Reid, the whip, stays around here. He stays around the 
Chamber. He renders a tremendous service to his country.
  I want to take this moment to thank him, to thank Tom Daschle, to 
thank the Republican leader, to thank the Republican whip, to thank the 
Senators--the ladies and the gentlemen--who preside, all of the members 
of the staffs in the cloakrooms and in the hallways, in the corridors, 
and those who provide the security of this Chamber, and the people who 
work in it. I thank them all.

[[Page S14047]]

  Somebody appreciates you. You may not realize it, but somebody is 
watching you. Somebody appreciates what you are doing. The people at 
the desk up there, somebody appreciates you.
  So I just want to express that appreciation.

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