[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11485-S11486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO MARK KEENUM

  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to bring to the attention of 
the Senate that my long-time staff member and current chief of staff, 
Mark Keenum, who has served my office and the Senate so well for the 
past 17 years in a manner which reflects great credit on the Senate, 
has been nominated by President Bush to be Under Secretary of 
Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services.
  His confirmation by the Senate will give him an opportunity for 
continued public service that will benefit all Americans. I do not know 
of another person who would bring any better qualifications to this job 
than Mark Keenum. He has an agriculture economics undergraduate degree 
from Mississippi State University and also received graduate degrees 
from that university, including a Ph.D. After completing his studies, 
Mark served on the faculty at Mississippi State as an instructor and 
was actively engaged in research in emerging agriculture and 
aquaculture areas of interest in our State.
  In 1989 Mark joined my staff here in Washington as a specialist in 
agriculture and agriculture economics. He has been an outstanding 
member of my staff, both in helping to develop policy initiatives and 
in monitoring all the legislation affecting the Department of 
Agriculture. In my duties as a member and later Chairman of the Senate 
Agriculture Committee, he provided very

[[Page S11486]]

valuable advice and assistance in shaping policy there. He was actively 
engaged in the successful completion of several farm bills. Mark worked 
to craft the language, negotiate, and iron out differences in 
conference with the House. He has communicated closely with the 
administration over the years, all in a very professional and 
thoughtful way.
  Mark and his wife Rhonda are close friends of mine. Mark's personal 
qualities are impeccable. He is courteous and intelligent; he works 
hard, has a strong sense of responsibility, and has good judgment. I 
appreciate the way he has helped manage the administrative and 
legislative functions of my office, as well as the counsel he has 
provided me for the past 17 years.
  I am confident that Mark will do an excellent job in helping develop 
options for the next farm bill. He will be a great resource for the 
administration, as well as for the Congress.
  We will miss him here in the Senate. I am pleased to congratulate him 
on his nomination and extend my thanks to him for the great job he has 
done in the Senate.

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