[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11425-S11428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              George Allen

  For my colleague now of 6 years, George Allen, this will be his last 
service as a Senator as this brief session closes. I have said it 
before, I will say it again and again, I rank him at the very top of 
the 261 Senators I have been privileged to serve with these many years.
  In fact, I have looked back at the history of Virginia and would like 
to note for the record that my colleague, George Allen, is one of only 
five Virginians to have served in the Virginia General Assembly, as 
Governor, as a Member of the House of Representatives; and as a U.S. 
Senator--the first in more than 150 years of our State's history.
  Together, we have shared a long history of serving the people of 
Virginia--I as a Senator and he as a member of the Virginia House of 
Delegates, House of Representatives, Governor, and U.S. Senator. I 
remember participating in

[[Page S11426]]

his first campaign and all the successive campaigns. George Allen 
served the Commonwealth of Virginia in public office for 25 years. How 
well I know. I campaigned for him when he ran for the State 
legislature, then for the Congress, then for Governor, and he won those 
elections handily. Then he ran for the Senate. It was a tough race. 
Tough because he was up against a very able opponent, a man whom I 
admire, a man with whom I have served with in this Chamber. But the 
voters of Virginia--and therein rests the final decision--sent George 
Allen to the Senate where I believe he has served with great 
distinction.
  I have been privileged to share the warmth and vigor of this 
magnificent man with his lovely wife Susan and their children, Tyler, 
Forest, and Brooke. What a privilege, a joy for me to see them as they 
have grown nourished by the love of two strong parents.
  In 1981 he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates to the seat 
once held by his philosophical inspiration, Thomas Jefferson. 
Throughout his career in public office, George Allen has consistently 
been guided by that same inspiration of smaller government and 
individual freedom. He has also been driven by the thoughts of two 
other leaders important to him; Ronald Reagan who said ``If not us who, 
if not now when?'' and his father who always told him ``The future is 
now.''
  Throughout his career in public service George has worked as an 
advocate of economic development, recruiting companies to Virginia and 
espousing policies to create jobs. As Governor, he oversaw the creation 
of 312,000 new jobs in Virginia by making the Commonwealth a better 
place to do business. He reformed the parole system to keep repeat 
offenders off our streets and out of our neighborhoods. His welfare 
reform set the stage for the Congress to act to help people get back on 
their feet and get back to work. He implemented the Standards of 
Learning in our schools to make sure all of our children receive the 
same quality education.
  I remember well our first effort together when he came to the Senate 
in 2001. As is often the case here in the Senate, there had been some 
problems confirming a federal judge who was ultimately recess appointed 
in late 2000. We came together and worked with the President to bring 
his nomination back to the Senate and as a result, Judge Roger Gregory 
was confirmed by the Senate to become the first African American seated 
on the Fourth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
  We were working partners. We shared everything--our staffs work 
together, our wives work together--and we crisscrossed this State from 
one end to the other over those 6 years. When either George Allen or I 
felt, for whatever reason, we could not keep an appointment somewhere 
in the State, one would fill in for the other.
  We were quite parallel in our thinking, the philosophy, the things so 
important to Virginians, and I think to most Americans, first and 
foremost the preservations of our freedoms, a strong national defense, 
a right to work, to hold a job and to compete fairly, to hold that job 
and to advance, to have a system of health care that did not serve only 
those more affluent than others but would serve any individual who 
suffered from pain or the need for medical attention.
  We have joined together in countless efforts for Virginia's 
communities; helping to fund museums, youth centers, innumerable 
infrastructure projects, and research at our colleges and universities. 
We also worked together on the Teacher Tax Relief Act. I am very 
hopeful if we pass this tax package, there will be a provision that 
George and I worked on together for many years, to be extended in 
statute; and that is, the Teacher Tax Relief Act. I will never forget, 
I was down visiting a small school. And as is so often the case, you 
are rushed through, and the teachers and the principal want you to meet 
as many students as you possibly can. It is always quite interesting to 
do that.
  I remember I was rushed into one class, and I think they were first 
graders. They were all sitting on the floor, and the principal said: 
You have a few minutes. So I started talking away, and I asked the 
first graders: Is there a question you might have? And this absolutely 
magnificent little girl, who sat there riveted to every word I spoke, 
looked up and said: Yes. My question is, how much longer must we sit 
here until the Senator comes? Well, you don't forget those things. And 
I had difficulty answering the question, I was so taken aback. I felt I 
was universally recognized, but it is not the case in the first grade.
  Then I was in another classroom, and for some reason I--I went 
through basic engineering school, and I have always been interested in 
pencils and writing instruments--and I saw a pencil, a rather fancy 
one, and I picked it up, and the teacher saw that I liked it, and she 
said: Take it. Keep it. I said: Oh, no, I don't take any gifts or 
anything. You know, we have rigid rules in the Senate, and nobody is 
going to bribe me with a pencil. And she said: Oh, please, please, 
please. It is not school property. I said: Oh? She said: Yes. Senator, 
you must understand that as teachers--and this is prevalent not only in 
Virginia but it is prevalent all across the land, particularly among 
teachers in the elementary grades--we have to take part of our own 
salary to buy what we deem are the essential tools that are needed to 
educate our students.
  Well, I just could not believe this, because teachers are not among 
the more well paid. So George Allen and I fought for years to get the 
Teacher Tax Relief Act signed into law. It is on the books, and we need 
to extend it, and I am optimistic that will be done. But it simply 
says, if you can establish that you took your own salary and you bought 
school supplies which were necessary for teaching and the profession 
you are in, you get a $250 above the line deduction--a small amount of 
money, but a great sense of satisfaction.
  George has been a strong member of the Commerce and Foreign Relations 
Committees seeking to make our nation a better place for business, 
ultimately creating more economic opportunity for all Americans.
  We joined together after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, to 
try to help the people of Northern Virginia and indeed all America 
respond and recover.
  We worked on behalf of the men and women of the Armed Forces. How 
proud we are in the Commonwealth of Virginia of the extensive number of 
bases and institutions of the U.S. military which we are privileged to 
have. There is no greater responsibility of the Congress of the United 
States than its specific--specific--obligation under the Constitution. 
As my great teacher and mentor, Senator Byrd, so often has told me, 
that is to provide for the care and the welfare, and to raise the 
armies and maintain the navies that this Nation requires. George Allen 
has been a partner with me as we have done those things for these many 
years.
  In life we go through a series of stages. We are raised and nurtured 
by our parents, receive an education, raise a family of our own, and 
serve in various careers. George Allen and his family have been public 
servants to the people of Virginia and America for the past 25 years. 
The people have been fortunate to have such a dedicated Delegate, 
Congressman, Governor, and U.S. Senator. I am proud to have served with 
this man and to call him my friend all these years. Therefore, I bid 
him a fond farewell from this institution. But I look forward to 
working with him as he goes on and accepts challenges perhaps even 
greater than the ones he had in the years that he so loved serving in 
this Chamber.
  The people of Virginia spoke, and George Allen, with great courage, 
took that decision and quickly said: I understand. He accepted it and 
has gone on about his business.
  I would also like to pay tribute to nine other United States Senators 
who will retire from the Senate in the coming days.
  I have previously spoken in honor of my colleague from the 
neighboring state of Maryland, Senator Paul Sarbanes. Since my first 
days in the Senate, Senator Sarbanes and I worked together on a host of 
important regional initiatives, including: the restoration of the 
Chesapeake Bay; improvements to our Metro system; the creation of the 
office of the National Capital Region Coordinator; and on funding for 
the construction of the new Woodrow Wilson bridge. His retirement

[[Page S11427]]

is certainly a loss to the region as Senator Sarbanes has been a true 
champion of many issues vital to the Maryland, Virginia, and DC 
metropolitan area.
  Now, I would like to take a few moments to salute our majority 
leader--Senator Frist--as well as Senators Chafee, Burns, Santorum, 
DeWine, Jeffords, Talent, and Dayton. Each and every one of these U.S. 
Senators has served his State and his country with great distinction.
  Without a doubt, I could speak at-length in honor of each of these 
outstanding individuals. In light of time constraints, however, and the 
fact that so many of my colleagues wish to similarly pay tribute, I 
shall endeavor to keep my remarks brief.
  First, I would like to say a few words about our distinguished 
majority leader, Senator Bill Frist. You know, in this post-September 
11, 2001, world, we think of national security as the most important 
issue of the day. Certainly, Bill has worked hard in that area over the 
years--not only as majority leader but as a hard-working member of the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But, right behind national security 
comes the issue of the health of our citizens, and Bill Frist has been 
at the forefront of every major piece of health care legislation during 
his 12 years in the Senate.
  Whether it has been ensuring that America's seniors have access to a 
sorely needed Medicare prescription drug benefit or whether it has been 
his efforts to encourage the use of new technology in medicine so that 
the knowledge of one doctor in one part of the world could help a 
doctor and a patient in another part of the world, Bill Frist has 
improved the healthcare system for all Americans.
  The Senate will no doubt miss Bill Frist's leadership, but I have no 
doubt that his public service will continue, particularly his heartfelt 
healthcare work in impoverished areas of the world. I wish him, and his 
magnificent wife Karen all of the best in their future.
  Now, I will speak a few words about our colleague Lincoln Chafee. I 
have known the Chafee family for many years, and count the late John 
Chafee and his wife Virginia as my dearest friends.
  The year was 1969, this country was engulfed in a war in Vietnam, and 
I was privileged to be asked to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy. I 
was told that the Secretary of the Navy, who would be my boss one step 
up, would be a man named John Chafee, former Governor of the State of 
Rhode Island.
  I will never forget we both served in the Marines, at different 
times. He was a captain and I was a captain in the Marine Corps 
Reserve, and we met on a cold day in February outside the Pentagon, 
shook hands, and walked upstairs. And there we were greeted by the 
Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations.
  Chafee turned to me, and he said: You know, the Navy and the Marine 
Corps constitute almost a million uniformed men and women. It was that 
large in the height of the war in Vietnam. And he said: Here we are, a 
couple of lowly captains, and now it is our responsibility. Let's 
square our jaws and stick out our chins, get this job done, and provide 
the leadership that these men and women of the Armed Forces so richly 
deserve.
  John Chafee was an absolute teacher and mentor of mine in every way 
during those years we worked together in the Department of Defense. He 
would take his trip to Vietnam. I would stay back and man the store. He 
would return, and I would take my trip. We had problems throughout the 
world. It was in the middle of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. John 
Chafee was a magnificent man. He had been Governor of the State of 
Rhode Island three times, and he was a magnificent leader of the men 
and women of the Armed Forces.

  He decided that he was going to move on and consider running for the 
Senate, and resigned, and I succeeded him then as Secretary. But I 
never lost the feeling that he was right there, should I need him to 
help carry out my duties. And then, as luck and good fortune would have 
it, he came to the Senate, and not too many years thereafter I came to 
the Senate and once again joined him.
  I will never forget my first day in the Senate he came up to me and 
said: Do you remember I was Secretary and you were Under Secretary? I 
said: Yes, sir. He said: Well, that's the way it's going to be here for 
a while. You listen to what I say and what I do, and I will give you 
some advice as we go along.
  That was the kind of man he was. I never heard him speak a harsh word 
about any other colleague. But he achieved his special niche in this 
institution through his absolute love for the environment as well as 
the men and women of the Armed Forces. Those were the two things on 
which he worked. And as luck would have it, his son came to join us, 
and he has so many of those magnificent attributes of his father and 
his mother. An absolutely magnificent human being, his mother, and all 
his family, as a matter of fact.
  It is my honor to share with my colleagues some of the important 
accomplishment of Lincoln Chafee during his 7 years as a member of this 
body, and to personally express my appreciation for his service to our 
country.
  Senator Linc Chafee came to the Senate from local government serving 
on the city council and later as mayor of Warwick. I believe it is this 
experience of leading a major city that solidified his commitment to 
fiscal responsibility. In his service in the Senate he was steadfast in 
his belief to restore controls on the federal budget and to promote 
responsible government spending.
  We were privileged to serve together on the Committee on Environment 
and Public Works where he quickly became a skilled legislator. He 
successfully authored legislation to stimulate the redevelopment of 
brownfields areas previously contaminated by hazardous waste, that 
plague our urban areas. This law is already producing results in 
improving neighborhoods and bringing new industries back to urban 
areas.
  Senator Chafee was also a leading voice in fostering bipartisanship 
in the Senate, and was an active member of our informal group of 
Senators known as the Gang of 14. We were a group of seven Republicans 
and seven Democrats, but we had no formal standing in the Senate. We 
would meet regularly to share our thoughts on judicial nominees pending 
on the Senate Calendar to ensure that the Senate could continue its 
responsibilities under article II, section 2, of the U.S. 
Constitution--the advice and consent clause. Senator Chafee was an 
integral part of this effort which allowed candid and respectful 
discussions of the qualifications of individuals to serve in the 
federal judiciary and prevented the continued use of party-led 
filibusters on judicial nominees except in extraordinary circumstances.
  Linc Chafee will be remembered in this institution for his 
independence. We all fight to try to maintain that independence. We are 
respectful of our party leadership. We are respectful of our party 
affiliations. We know the demands of our State. But there are times 
when we feel we must act and make decisions that reflect our own 
innermost feelings of independence, and Lincoln Chafee will be 
remembered for that.
  As Senator Chafee prepares to depart the Senate, I thank him for his 
meaningful contributions to the Senate, and wish him, his wife 
Stephanie, and his children, Louisa, Caleb and Thea, ``fair winds and 
following seas.''
  Now, Mr. President, I wish to say a few words about Conrad Burns. 
Senator Conrad Burns has an impressive record of public service, 
beginning with his service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957. 
Conrad has served the great State of Montana with distinction in the 
U.S. Senate since 1989.
  I will never forget when his first campaign came along, I was asked 
to go out and campaign with him. I acknowledged I would do it. I didn't 
know him, so I went on out to Montana. I had been in Montana in earlier 
years. I had been actually an employee of the U.S. Park Service and had 
been a firefighter out in Montana in 1943 and then again in 1947, I 
think it was.
  Most recently, in August I toured Malmstrom Air Force Base with 
Senator Burns. On this tour, I saw firsthand the love and pride that 
Senator Burns has for the people of his State. As a senior member of 
the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he has worked 
tirelessly for the men and women in the Armed Forces.
  And old Conrad--he embodies all of those great qualities of Montana. 
Talk

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about independence, he has it, and robustness, and a thirst for life 
and laughter. It was a sheer joy to campaign with Conrad Burns because 
wherever he went, he would walk into a room and he would tell a story, 
talk to his people.
  He loves every square foot of that State. And I shall miss him. I 
shall dearly miss Conrad Burns. We have to have a few characters around 
here who do our duties and accept our daily bread, and he is one. And 
you could kind of go to the bank on what he told you. He was never at a 
loss for telling a story to cheer up a colleague. Whenever he felt that 
colleague was a bit down, Conrad would cheer that colleague up. He and 
his lovely wife and family will go on to other challenges.
  Senator Rick Santorum has an impressive record of public service. 
Subsequent to his service in local and state government, he was elected 
to the United States House of Representatives. In 1994, Rick was 
elected for the first time to the United States Senate. From his first 
day in the Senate until 2002 we had the opportunity to serve together 
on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Throughout his time on that 
Committee, and since he left the Committee, Rick could always be 
counted on for his deliberate and reasoned decisionmaking to ensure the 
best possible policies for the men and women in the armed forces. Since 
2001, Senator Santorum has also played an important role in the Senate 
leadership as Republican conference chairman. As conference chairman, 
Senator Santorum has tirelessly represented the Republican Party as the 
party spokesman. There is no doubt in my mind that Rick Santorum's 
passion, enthusiasm, and leadership will be missed here in the Senate.

  Senator Mike DeWine has been in public service nearly his entire 
adult life. He was an assistant prosecuting attorney, he has held 
various state elected positions, he was a member of the U.S. House of 
Representatives, and most recently, since 1995, he has served the state 
of Ohio in the U.S. Senate. I am pleased to have served on the HELP 
Committee with Senator DeWine where we worked together on various 
children's health issues. There is not a bigger champion of children's 
health than Senator DeWine. Senator DeWine was also an instrumental 
member with me on the Gang of 14. Throughout his years in the Senate, 
Senator DeWine has proven to be a thoughtful, highly respected member 
who has always been willing to do what is right. In my view, he is a 
true statesman.
  From 1956 to 1959, Senator Jim Jeffords served in the United States 
Navy. He later served in the Naval Reserves. In 1989, after Jim had 
served the citizens of Vermont in State positions and in the United 
House of Representatives, Jim was elected to the United States Senate. 
In the Senate, I have been pleased to work closely with him, 
particularly in serving with him on the Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions Committee and on the Environment and Public Works Committee. 
Jim chaired both Committees during his years in the Senate.
  While Senator Jeffords legislatively had many interests, I believe 
that improving the education of our children, particularly children 
with special needs, is the issue most dear to his heart. I remember him 
time and time again on the floor of the United States Senate pushing 
for increased funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education 
Act, IDEA. And, I remember joining him, and others, in pushing hard for 
mandatory IDEA funding after it became clear that the Congress would be 
unable to fulfill its funding commitment through the discretionary 
funding process. While, to date, we have not achieved full funding, it 
is without question that Jim Jeffords' Senate career has left a 
lasting, positive imprint that will improve America's education system 
for years to come.
  Over the past 4 years, I have been fortunate to have been given the 
opportunity to work closely with Jim Talent on the Senate Armed 
Services Committee. Since his first day on the Committee--Jim Talent 
has been one of the hardest working Committee members.
  As chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee, Senator Talent has been at 
the forefront of the Committee's efforts to strengthen the Navy's 
shipbuilding program, working closely with the Chief of Naval 
Operations in the formation of the CNO's plan for a 313-ship Navy. He 
showed steadfast determination in working with the administration and 
the Congress to secure the funding required to build the future Navy; 
spearheading the effort to raise the top-line for shipbuilding by over 
20 percent during the course of his tenure as Seapower Chairman.
  Senator Talent has also been passionate in his support for the needs 
of our brave men and women in uniform; championing quality-of-life and 
quality-of-service initiatives. Most notably, he has been a strong 
advocate for legislation that will put an end to predatory lending 
practices against military personnel and their families.
  Senator Dayton was elected to the Senate in 2000, and throughout his 
years in the Senate I have had the privilege of serving with him on the 
Senate Armed Services Committee. As a hard-working member of that 
Committee, Mark was a strong advocate for our armed forces. Notably, he 
was a strong supporter of increasing the death benefit gratuity for 
survivors of deceased members of the Armed Forces from a little more 
than $12,000 to $100,000. Thanks in part to his efforts, this increased 
death benefit gratuity is now law.
  Senator Dayton also reached across the aisle and worked closely with 
me in support of efforts to provide Medicare beneficiaries with a 
prescription drug benefit. Together, we introduced legislation to 
provide America's seniors with a refundable tax credit to help off-set 
the costs of prescription drugs.
  In conclusion, over the years I have served with each of these 10 
Senators, each has not only been a trusted colleague, each has also 
been my friend. I will miss serving with each of them in the Senate but 
know that each will continue in public service in some capacity. I wish 
each and every one of them well in the years ahead.
  Mr. President, I see a number of colleagues here anxious to speak, 
and I have taken generously of the time the Presiding Officer has 
allowed me to speak.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida is recognized.
  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I am mindful that the majority 
leader will be coming here in approximately 6 minutes to speak, and I 
am looking forward to his comments.
  Mr. President, I want to say that one of the great delights of being 
a part of the Senate is to sit at the knee of such great leaders, such 
as the senior Senator from Virginia, and to learn from him and to hear 
the stories that so often he can weave into any circumstance that is 
facing us, that has some application of a story he had encountered in 
the past. I thank him for his leadership. I thank him for his 
contribution. And I thank him for being a mentor to so many of us in 
this Senate.