[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11706-S11721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
(At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to
be printed in the Record.)
HONORING SENATORIAL SERVICE
Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today unable to find the words
I need to express just what it has been like to go to work every day
with a real, live Greek philosopher.
Of course, I mean Paul Sarbanes--who is the longest-serving Senator
in the history of the State of Maryland; who has been among the wisest
members to sit in this body; who is serving out his last week here with
us. I have come to the floor today to say goodbye; and as I do, I
remember one of my favorite Greek stories--which, in a bit of a
roundabout way, reminds me of Paul.
When the Athenians set up the first democracy and declared that every
citizen could go and vote in the Assembly, they ran into just one
problem--no one wanted to go. It turned out that the Athenians were
also the first to discover voter apathy: It turned out that most of the
citizens would much rather spend time buying and selling in the
Marketplace than arguing politics in the Assembly.
So the leaders came up with a plan. They hired the two burliest men
they could find and gave them a long rope clipped in fresh red paint.
And then the two burly men would stand on opposite sides of the market
square and shout ``Everybody out.'' And after about a minute, they
would each grab an end of the rope that was dripping with paint and
walk down the square; and anybody who didn't get out of there in time
had to go around for the rest of the day with his shirt ruined.
I said that story reminds me a bit of Senator Sarbanes. Not because
his clothing has been anything but impeccable and stain-free--but
because it points out just how remarkable his 40-year career in public
life has been. The truth is that people have been finding ways to avoid
the responsibility of governing since governing was invented. So when
we have the luck to find a man willing to give not just an afternoon's
service to his country, but a whole life--and when he turns out to be a
man of uncommon intelligence and humility--we know what a treasure we
have stumbled on.
We can think back to those Athenians dawdling in the marketplace and
ask ourselves: didn't they know? Didn't they know they were in
``Ancient Greece,'' for crying out loud? Didn't they know they were
supposed to be in the cradle of democracy? Didn't they know we'd be
talking about them a couple of millennia later on the floor of the U.S.
Senate?
But of course, they had no idea, and we can't blame them--they had
lives to live. Compared to the getting and spending, the errands and
talk that go on in the market square, the work of governing can seem
like a book of the driest prose. The print is tiny and the lines are
closely spaced.
It takes an uncommon mind to appreciate the value, the necessity, of
what's in that book--but Paul Sarbanes has had one all his life. He
showed it when he won a Rhodes Scholarship and went on to graduate
first in his class at Oxford. He showed it when he was elected to the
Maryland House of Delegates back in 1966, and then through 3 terms in
the House and 5 in the Senate, through a career one newspaper called
``electorally invincible.'' And he showed it as one of the most quietly
influential members of this body, a listener in a town full of talkers,
a living example of the maxim, ``It's amazing what you can accomplish
when you don't care who gets the credit.''
But I can think of at least one accomplishment for which Senator
Sarbanes's credit is assured. In 2002, when he was chairman of the
Banking Committee, a series of corporate scandals shocked the stock
market, sapped trust in our economy, and cost shareholders and workers
billions of dollars. But Paul confronted the crisis of confidence and
wrote legislation that helped restore accountability to accounting.
Sarbanes-Oxley was greeted as the most fundamental reform of American
business since the Great Depression; and I believe it will be Paul's
legacy. I was proud to help him; and I will be even prouder to sit in
his chairman's seat on the Banking Committee. Paul--your work will be
mine, I promise.
Of course, Senator Sarbanes will be leaving another legacy here in
Washington--his son John, who was elected to represent his father's old
House district in the 110th Congress. I've never met John Sarbanes, but
if the son is anything like the father, 2006 will look a lot like 1970:
We'll be sable to walk over to the House side and find a bright young
man of immigrant heritage at the start of his Washington career,
brought up in the tradition of service and full of the quiet virtues.
I don't think politics has changed so much since 1970 that those
virtues aren't still in high demand. And come to think of it, politics
hasn't changed so much since the days of the rope in the marketplace--
with at least one notable exception. We have gotten rid of the rope. In
our country, no one forces you to care. No one forces you to vote. No
one forces you to serve. If you do those things anyway, it's not a
measure of compulsion, but of conviction. And if, like Paul Sarbanes,
you had the talent to make a career for yourself anywhere in the world
but chose to spend it here, then we owe you our thanks--for your
company, for your wisdom, for 40 years well spent in the Assembly.
Goodbye, Senator Sarbanes,--and my best wishes for you and your wife
Christine for many years to come.
Mr. President, today I pay tribute to my departing colleagues who
have, for a time, lent their talents, their convictions, and their hard
work to this distinguished body. I may have had my disagreements with
them, but the end of a term is a time for seeing colleagues not simply
as politicians, but as partners who have ``toiled, and wrought, and
thought with me.'' Each,
[[Page S11707]]
in his own way, was distinctive; and each, in his own way, will be
sorely missed.
Rick Santorum
I want to first recognize Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, who
has been a colleague of mine in this body for 12 years. During that
time he rose to No. 3 in the Republican leadership, as chairman of the
Senate Republican Conference, and made a name for himself as a young
and energetic conservative.
Rick Santorum is the son of an Italian immigrant who earned a law
degree and an MBA and won election to the House of Representatives at
the tender age of 32. After two terms in the House he won his first
Senate election in 1994, as well as reelection in 2000. Senator
Santorum quickly established himself as one of the faces of his party,
a testament to his strong principles and his communications skill.
Throughout his legislative career, Senator Santorum has been
especially strong on anti-poverty measures. He served as a floor
manager for welfare reform in the mid-1990s. In the Senate, he worked
for African debt relief and funding for the fight against AIDS, often
collaborating closely with his colleagues across the aisle. His efforts
moved Bono to declare him ``a defender of the most vulnerable.''
I was especially pleased to work with Senator Santorum on the
Combating Autism Act. When nearly 1 in every 166 children born today
will be diagnosed with this developmental disorder by the time they
reach school age, government action is more necessary than ever.
Senator Santorum recognized that, and he helped me work for a bill
that, in the final version, would authorize $945 million for autism
research, screening, education, and services--double the current level
of funding. On poverty, AIDS, autism, and many similar issues, Rick
Santorum has been a dependable ally.
Over his 12 years in the Senate, Rick Santorum dedicated himself to a
philosophy he described as ``healthy families, freedom of faith, a
vibrant civil society, a proper understanding of the individual, and a
focused government to achieve noble purposes.''
Senator Santorum and I may not have always seen eye-to-eye, but no
one ever questioned his commitment to principle. I wish him, his wife
Karen, and their six children all the best.
Mike DeWine
I also want to say farewell to Senator Mike DeWine. Senator DeWine, a
former prosecutor, has had a distinguished career in Ohio politics. He
represented his district for four terms in the House of
Representatives, and he served as Ohio's Lieutenant Governor for 4
years, beginning in 1991. Mike DeWine was elected to the Senate as part
of the famous Republican class of 1994 and served for a total of 12
years. I have had few more valuable partners on the other side of the
aisle.
Senator DeWine and I have been strong opponents of underage drinking,
a social malady that, in the last year for which we have data, led
directly to 3,500 deaths, 2 million injuries, and 1,200 babies born
with fetal alcohol syndrome, not to mention $53 billion in social
costs. The STOP Underage Drinking Act, which I cosponsored with Senator
DeWine, would fund a comprehensive Federal campaign of research,
prevention grants, and a media messages aimed to keep children and
young adults alcohol-free. I am proud to stand with Senator DeWine on
such a critically important issue.
And I am just as proud to have his support on a whole slew of health
initiatives, especially for infants and children. Because States'
variable screening standards leave many newborns at risk for treatable
disorders, we have worked together to standardize screening across the
Nation so that all newborns have an equal promise of health, no matter
where they are born. Senator DeWine and I have also worked together for
safer pediatric medical devices. But above all, Senator DeWine worked
with me to secure passage of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act.
That legislation provides incentives for the drug industry that have
dramatically increased the number of drugs tested and labeled for
children; as a result, more than a hundred drug labels have been
changed to incorporate new pediatric information.
It has been a pleasure to serve and work with Senator DeWine. I have
always admired his ability to put principle before party, and I am
thankful for all of his help, and most importantly, for his friendship.
I wish him and his wife Frances much happiness in the future.
Jim Talent
I would also like to recognize Senator Jim Talent. Senator Talent has
been a lifelong resident of St. Louis; and even when he was attending
Washington University in his hometown, his outstanding intellect was on
display as he was named the most outstanding undergraduate in political
science. It was a sign of success to come. Jim Talent was elected to
the U.S. House in 1992 and served a total of 12 years in Congress, the
last 4 representing Missouri in the Senate.
I was especially proud to work with Senator Talent on legislation of
the utmost moral importance: a bill that would establish new offices at
the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate and prosecute Civil
Rights-era murders. This legislation would help ensure that those who
took the lives of civil rights workers, and have thus far escaped
justice, never have another peaceful night of sleep. Senator Talent
said it eloquently: ``We want the murderers and their accomplices who
are still living to know there's an entire section of the Department of
Justice that is going after them. We need to unearth the truth and do
justice because there can not be healing without the truth.''
Senator Talent was also known for his work for renewable energy, his
opposition to predatory lending, and his solid social conservatism. And
though we didn't always agree, I am sure everyone who served with him
has respected his intellect and his outspokenness. May he and his wife
Brenda have many more years of happiness.
Lincoln Chafee
Next, I would like to send my best wishes to Senator Lincoln Chafee.
Senator Chafee and I have a fair bit in common: we are both lifelong
New Englanders, and we both had Senators for fathers. After completing
his undergraduate studies at Brown University, and while many of his
colleagues were busy studying law or political science, Lincoln Chafee
studied horseshoeing. I imagine he is the only modern Senator to have
worked as a professional farrier for 7 years. And while Senator Chafee
eventually took up the family business and went into politics, he has
always retained the humility and good humor that so often come to those
who spend time working with their hands.
Senator Chafee was a popular mayor of Warwick, RI, and on the death
of his father, Senator John Chafee, was appointed to fill out the
remainder of the term. He was elected in his own right in 2000, and has
served a total of 7 years in the upper house, cementing a reputation as
an independent thinker and one of his State's most popular politicians.
I especially enjoyed serving alongside Senator Chafee on the Foreign
Relations Committee. He was a welcome travel partner. On trips to Latin
America, it was always reassuring to have a familiar New England accent
at my side. On a more serious note, I have come to respect Senator
Chafee's courage and principle, especially on the matter of John
Bolton's nomination as United Nations Ambassador. Senator Chafee spoke
out in favor of competent diplomatic representation at the UN. Because
of his efforts, we are closer to the day when our representative at the
world body will work to win respect from the world, not alienation.
On that issue and many others, Senator Chafee was never afraid to put
his beliefs ahead of party pressure. He has voted to support stem cell
research and a responsible exit strategy in Iraq; and his strong
environmental record, including opposition to oil drilling in the
Alaska National Wildlife Reserve, has earned him the endorsement of
prominent conservationist groups.
We will miss his independent mind and his true Yankee spirit. I wish
all the best to Senator Chafee and his wife, Stephanie.
Conrad Burns
I would also like to bid farewell to outgoing Senator Conrad Burns of
Montana. Conrad Burns is the longest serving Senator in the history of
his State, and he has long been known for his plainspoken and blunt
style. Conrad Burns served as a Marine in Japan and Korea, and back
home he made a name for himself as a livestock
[[Page S11708]]
specialist, auctioneer, and radio agricultural reporter. He proved
himself a canny businessman, as one radio program grew into a network
of 31 radio stations and six television stations.
A passion for local politics led him to win a seat on the Yellowstone
County Commission. When he first ran for the Senate in 1988, Mr. Burns
was still a relative political novice; but he was known throughout the
State of Montana for his successful business ventures, and he won
election over an incumbent. Senator Burns was reelected in 1994 and
2000.
Over 18 years in this body, Senator Burns built up a record as an
influential committee member, sitting on Appropriations and chairing a
Subcommittee on Communications, as well as another on the Interior,
with jurisdiction over the entire National Parks Service. Senator Burns
has taken pride in securing resources for his State, as well as in
opening up the promise of advanced telecommunications for all. He
worked with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon to pass the CAN SPAM Act, which
combats unsolicited e-mail. Senator Burns has also worked for Internet
deregulation and broadband access in rural and areas, earning him
praise as ``one of the fathers of the modern Internet.'' That is quite
an achievement for a onetime cattle auctioneer.
Now Senator Burns is returning to his home State of Montana, and I
hope he and his wife Phyllis have many years of happiness there.
Mark Dayton
I would also like to recognize Senator Mark Dayton of Minnesota.
Senator Dayton's talents have long been apparent, whether graduating
cum laude from Yale University, starting in goal for the college hockey
team, or spending time as a teacher on the Lower East Side of New York
City. Senator Dayton has long been involved in public service and
Minnesota politics, serving on Walter Mondale's Senate staff in the
1970s and working in the 1980s and 1990s for economic development in
his home State. Senator Dayton was elected state auditor in 1990,
serving a 4-year term fighting the misuse and theft of public funds. In
2000, he once again entered State politics, defeating an incumbent to
win a term in the Senate.
Mark Dayton took many principled stands during his time in the
Senate, from his opposition to the Iraq War resolution to his work to
fully fund special education. Senator Dayton was also known for his
engagement with the needs of his Minnesota constituents. He won $3
million for a Minnesota National Guard program to provide soldiers with
postcombat counseling and support, worked to hire 148 additional patrol
agents to secure the United States-Canada border, and even donated his
Senate salary to pay for bus trips to Canada so seniors could buy
cheaper prescription drugs.
Senator Dayton chose to retire after serving out his term, but he
declared that ``everything I've worked for, and everything I believe
in, depends upon this Senate seat remaining in the Democratic caucus in
2007.'' Senator Dayton's wish came true when Amy Klobuchar won an
election to fill his seat; and I trust she will continue in Mark
Dayton's tradition of capable and hard-working representation for the
people of Minnesota. Senator Dayton is returning to private life in his
home state, and I wish him all the best.
George Allen
Next, I would like to bid farewell to Virginia's George Allen. As we
all know, Senator Allen is the son of the great football coach, George
H. Allen. As a boy and young man, Senator Allen lived all over America,
wherever his father's career took the family. But in the end, Senator
Allen fell in love with the State of Virginia, especially its wealth of
history. ``I was going to go into a partnership with someone in
Charlottesville in an old building built in 1814,'' he said, describing
his first law practice. ``Mr. Jefferson played the fiddle there,
allegedly . . . I lived in it while renovating. I started my law
practice and then bought a log house out in the country, in the woods.
Charlottesville is where I wanted to take my stand.''
In 1982, George Allen won election to the Virginia House of
Delegates--and Thomas Jefferson's old seat. In 1991, he was elected to
a term in the House of Representatives, and 2 years later, became
Governor of Virginia, a post in which he distinguished himself as an
energetic executive. As Governor, George Allen fought violent crime,
reformed his State's welfare system, and signed the standards of
learning education reform bill, which helped inspire No Child Left
Behind. In 2000, he was elected to the Senate, where he served on
committees including Commerce and Foreign Relations.
In the Senate, George Allen made a name for himself on technology
issues, keeping the Internet free of taxation, securing nanotechnology
funding, and providing high-tech grants to historically black colleges.
It's also been a pleasure to work with Senator Allen for several years
on our own legislation to enhance America's competitiveness in the
field of aviation by investing in aeronautics research and a new
generation of aerospace scientists. In addition to his technology
interests, Senator Allen was also a strong advocate of balanced
budgets.
George Allen is leaving the Senate, but we will remember him for his
affable demeanor and love of history. He was fond of quoting Thomas
Jefferson's 1801 Inaugural Address: ``The sum of good government is a
wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one
another but otherwise leave them free to regulate their own pursuits of
industry.'' George Allen did his best to live and work by those
principles, and as he returns to private life, I wish happiness to him,
his wife Anne, and their three children.
Bill Frist
Last but not least--the departing majority leader, Bill Frist of
Tennessee. His leadership position has only been the cap on a lifetime
of accomplishment. Bill Frist is a leading transplant surgeon, who has
performed more than 150 heart or lung transplants, as well as a highly
successful medical businessman. The same drive that fueled him in
politics, medicine, and business also inspired him to earn his pilot's
license and complete seven marathons. Senator Frist will be remembered
as a competent majority leader, not to mention as the first medical
doctor elected to the Senate since 1928.
After pursuing his medical career for nearly two decades, Bill Frist
established himself in Tennessee politics and was elected to the Senate
in 1994 and was reelected in 2000 with the highest vote total for any
statewide election in his State's history. As the Senate's only medical
doctor at the time, he attended to the victims of the 1998 Capitol
shooting, and he also served as a respected spokesman on anthrax and
bioterrorism following the terrorist attacks of 2001.
Besides leading the Senate since 2003, Bill Frist found recognition
for his outspoken positions on Medicare reform, judicial nominations,
and social issues. He also worked to establish a nuanced position on
stem cell research. Though we didn't always see eye-to-eye, we were
able to work together on important legislation, including bills on
obesity prevention and food allergies. And I think I can speak for all
of my colleagues when I thank him for his hard work in running the
Senate for the past 3 years--or, as a predecessor put it, ``herding
cats.''
Bill Frist is returning to his philanthropic work and his medical
practice, where I am sure he will find his success undiminished and his
skill undulled. I wish him, his wife Karyn, and their three sons many
happy years.
Senators Sarbanes and Dayton
Mr. REID. Mr. President, the great Senator Daniel Webster once
remarked that the Senate is a place:
of equals of men of individual honor . . . and personal
character.
He was right, and we can see what he was talking about in the fine
men the Senate is losing to retirement at the end of this Congress:
Senator Frist, Senator Sarbanes, Senator Jeffords, and Senator Dayton.
On previous occasions, I have talked about how much I appreciated
serving with Senators Frist and Jeffords. Today, I would like to say a
few more words about Senators Sarbanes and Dayton.
Paul Sarbanes is a man I have always admired. We share a similar
background.
I grew up in a small Nevada town. My parents weren't well connected
or highly educated. But as we see in my life--and Paul Sarbanes's
life--in America your background does not matter.
[[Page S11709]]
Paul is the son of Greek immigrants. His parents didn't have a formal
education, but they worked hard. They owned a restaurant--the Mayflower
Grill on Main Street in Salisbury, MD.
Paul worked hard too, and as a result, he has lived the American
dream. This son of Greek immigrants is the graduate of some of the
world's leading educational institutions, and for the last 30 years, he
has been a leading voice in the world's greatest deliberative body.
Paul received an academic and athletic scholarship to Princeton
University, from which he graduated in 1954. After graduation from
Princeton, he received the Rhodes Scholarship, which sent him to
Oxford, England, until 1957. When Paul came back to the States, he went
to Harvard to earn his Law Degree.
In 1970, Paul won his first Federal election--to the U.S. House of
Representatives. In 1976, he came to the Senate.
During the next 30 years, he made a tremendous mark on our country.
Paul Sarbanes has been an excellent Senator, but he has always
excelled when the country needed him the most--during times of crisis.
During Watergate, he was a leading voice for reform in the House.
During Iran-Contra, he led the fight for the truth in the Senate. And
more recently, in the wake of the Enron accounting scandals, he was
largely responsible for reforms which restored the people's confidence
in corporate America.
During his 30 years in the Senate, Paul Sarbanes has cast over 11,000
votes. Not all of them were as monumental as his work on Watergate,
Iran-Contra and Enron, but every one of them was cast with the people
of Maryland, and the people of the United States in mind.
Mr. President, Mark Dayton has served in the Senate just one-fifth of
the time Paul Sarbanes served here. But he, too, has made his mark.
He's been a fine public servant, and an even better friend.
Of course, Senator Dayton's service has always been closely
intertwined with that of our dear departed collegue Paul Wellstone.
Paul was a legend in our country, but Mark has kept his legacy alive
these last 4 years by fighting for the working people of Minnesota.
Mark was born in Minnesota in 1947. He graduated from Yale University
in 1969, where he majored in psychology and played varsity hockey. Mark
had many options coming out of college, but he chose to become a
teacher at a public school on New York City's lower east side.
It was an unselfish choice, and it would not be the last time Mark
chose a path in life that put the public's interest ahead of his own
self-interest.
In 1957, after his years of teaching, Mark came to Washington, where
he worked on the staff of then-Senator Walter Mondale. When Mondale was
selected the running mate of Jimmy Carter in 1976, Mark was there to
serve.
In 1990--following jobs in the Minnesota State government and the
private sector--Mark ran for Minnesota State auditor and won. In 2000,
he came to the Senate, where he has served ever since.
Mark is known here as a strong advocate for the people of Minnesota.
He has used his Senate salary to send busloads of seniors to Canada for
prescription drugs. He has used his power in the Senate to help low-
income constituents get the oil they need to heat their homes. And he
has created a ``Healthcare Help Line,'' which is available to
Minnesotans who have problems with their health insurers.
Mr. President, Mark Dayton, like Paul Sarbanes, like Jim Jeffords,
like Bill Frist, will be missed.
The Senate--and our country--are better off because of their service.
Mike De Wine
Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, as this session draws to a close, I
must take this opportunity to make a few comments on the outstanding
record left behind by our colleague from Ohio, Senator Mike DeWine.
I have worked closely with Senator DeWine ever since he came to the
Senate. I sit with him on three committees: the Select Committee on
Intelligence; the Judiciary Committee, where he chaired the Antitrust
Subcommittee; and on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Committee, where he chairs the Retirement Security and Aging
Subcommittee.
I consider Mike to be a Senator's Senator--he is a man who truly
represents his constituents, who studies the issues, works hard, and
does his very, very best to do what is right. His departure from the
Senate is a great loss to this body and a great loss to Ohio.
The DeWine legacy is considerable.
One of the major focuses of his work, which I admire greatly, is the
protection of children. Senator DeWine has sponsored numerous pieces of
legislation aimed at protecting children and enabling prosecution of
those who perpetrate acts against children. These include the
Protecting Children Against Crime Act of 2003, which became law as part
of the PROTECT Act, the National Child Protection Amendments Act of
2000, the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act of 1999, and the
Protection Against Sexual Predators Act of 1998. It is significant to
note that Senator DeWine is a founding member and cochair of the Senate
Caucus on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children.
The Senator's work to protect children extends beyond legal issues.
He is the author and true leader in the Senate of legislation to
protect children from the horrors of tobacco abuse by giving the Food
and Drug Administration the authority to regulate it. He has also taken
a leadership role in efforts to stop underage teen drinking by
sponsoring the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Act. The
STOP Act has a good chance of becoming law this year.
But the centerpiece of Mike DeWine's prochild agenda is his work to
incentivize pharmaceutical company testing of drugs used on children.
Mike DeWine showed this whole body the safety risks children face when
they take prescription medications never studied in the pediatric
population. I can just hear Mike saying now, ``Children are not little
adults.'' And he is right.
He worked across the aisle and across the Capitol to get the
Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003 enacted. This was no easy task.
It took grit and determination. He fought big PhRMA. He did it for the
kids. And he won. I am only sorry he will not be here next year as we
work to reauthorize it.
In his years as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator
DeWine emerged as a leader in the area of antitrust law and competition
policy. Both as the chairman and the ranking Republican member of the
Antitrust Subcommittee, Mike has played an invaluable role in each
significant legislative change to the antitrust laws enacted in the
past decade.
In addition to his legislative achievements in antitrust law, Senator
DeWine has become known for the subcommittee's active oversight of the
antitrust enforcement activities of the Department of Justice and
Federal Trade Commission. During the subcommittee's consideration of
numerous individual mergers, his thoughtful analysis and evenhanded
approach earned him considerable respect in the antitrust community as
a tough, but eminently fair, advocate of both consumer interests and
strong competition.
Earlier this year at the American Antitrust Institute's annual
conference, where he and Senator Kohl received an achievement award for
their many contributions to antitrust law, Senator DeWine commented
that ``[i]t's always difficult to find that fine line between
aggressive, healthy competition and destructive or anticompetitive
behavior, but it's our job on the Antitrust Subcommittee to keep
trying, and to promote the type of competition that helps everyone.''
From my perspective, Senator DeWine not only tried but succeeded
admirably in drawing this very difficult line in a careful and
appropriately balanced way. His expertise, institutional knowledge, and
thoughtful analysis will be sorely missed.
Also of note in discussing Senator DeWine's work on the Judiciary
Committee are his anticrime efforts. Mike has been a real leader on
issues such as the 1998 law, the Crime Identification Technology Act,
which increased funding for State and local law enforcement by $1.25
billion. His work in anticrime
[[Page S11710]]
technology continued in 2004, when the Senate adopted his amendment to
the intelligence reform bill that would upgrade the Federal Bureau of
Investigation's computer networks. That bill was signed into law on
December 17, 2004.
Mike has either sponsored or cosponsored a number of bills to help
law enforcement protect Ohio communities, including the local law
enforcement block grant program, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety
Act, the Rape Kits and DNA Evidence Backlog Elimination Act of 2003,
and the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004.
Mike DeWine's work to protect Ohioans extended into the compelling
field of mental illness treatment as well. In fact, Senator DeWine is
known throughout the country for his work related to the treatment of
mental health in the criminal justice system, including bills such as
the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act and
America's Law Enforcement and Mental Health Project.
Another DeWine contribution is the Poison Control Center Enhancement
and Awareness Act, a significant contribution to public health which
established a national toll-free poison control hotline and provided
substantial assistance to local poison control centers.
Finally and more recently, Senator DeWine authored a bill to protect
children's eyes by restricting their access to potentially damaging
cosmetic contact lenses.
Our new leader, Senator McConnell, said this of Senator DeWine, and I
could not have said it better:
I have never observed a more skillful legislator than he
during my time in the Senate . . . You know he is a
formidable force who, when he has made up his mind about an
issue, never lets go. Many bills that have cleared the Senate
in the ten years the Senator from Ohio has been here have the
fingerprints of Mike DeWine. He is truly an extraordinary
legislator.
I echo those sentiments.
Mike DeWine has been an outstanding Member of our body, a good friend
to me, and a superb representative for his constituents. He and his
staff work hard and their work has yielded incredible benefits for the
American people. It is with great pride that I commend his achievements
to this body, and I thank Mike for all he has done to make the U.S.
Senate a more effective and accomplished body. I will miss him, as a
legislator, as a colleague, and as a friend.
Lincoln Chafee
Mr. President, I am grateful for the opportunity to take a few
moments to recognize the service and devotion to the U.S. Senate by my
colleague and friend, Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.
A true Rhode Islander, Lincoln Chafee was born in Providence,
attended a Warwick public school, and earned a degree from Brown
University, where he captained the wrestling team. As an avid horse
enthusiast, he attended the horseshoeing school at Montana State
University and worked as a blacksmith at harness racetracks in the
United States and Canada, but only a handful of years slipped by before
he returned to his home in Rhode Island.
Lincoln then entered politics in 1985 as a delegate to the Rhode
Island Constitutional Convention. A year later he was elected to the
first of two successive terms on the Warwick City Council. In November
1992, Lincoln became the first Republican elected mayor of Warwick in
32 years--and, with his positive vision, he so won over the hearts and
minds of voters that he was reelected for another three terms in a
reliably Democratic city. He held the mayoral post until appointed by
Governor Lincoln Almond in November 1999 to fill the unexpired Senate
term of his late father, John Chafee. In November 2000, he was
overwhelmingly elected to the U.S. Senate.
As I, Lincoln has a great interest in policy that affects the health
of our Nation's people, and I am proud to have had the honor of working
with him on a number of initiatives that made Americans healthier.
I admire Lincoln for taking a stand on stem cell research. He has
supported important legislation and joined a bipartisan group of
colleagues in calling on President Bush to expand the Federal policy on
embryonic stem cell research. Senator Chafee and I share similar views
on this issue: he is opposed to any cloning with the intention of
creating a human life but strongly supports legislation that would
allow stem cell researchers to use excess embryos which were created
for in vitro fertilization purposes and would otherwise be discarded. I
respect and appreciate his courage to stand up for his convictions in
the face of such a controversial issue.
Lincoln has been a champion for breast cancer research since his
arrival in the Senate in 1999. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor
of his Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act, which would make
Federal grants available for the development and operation of eight
national centers that would conduct research on how environmental
factors may contribute to the causes of breast cancer. In recognition
of his outstanding leadership in this arena, Lincoln has been honored
by the National Breast Cancer Coalition and also presented with the
Avon Foundation Pink Ribbon Crusader Award.
Senator Chafee has been a leader in the fight to reauthorize and
maintain adequate funding for the State Children's Health Insurance
Program--also called CHIP. I worked very closely with his father to
write that law in 1997. I recognize that Lincoln is also dedicated to
the goal of this program, which is to provide health insurance to low-
income, uninsured children, and I thank him for his diligent efforts.
We have worked tirelessly to ensure that funding continues to make the
program available for these children.
Senator Lincoln Chafee is a great man, a loyal Rhode Islander, and a
great American. I thank and commend him for all his selfless work. His
contributions have made his State and the whole country significantly
better than before his arrival in Washington. We will all miss his
presence here in the U.S. Senate, but I doubt we have seen the last of
Lincoln Chafee in the way of public service. I wish him and his family
health, happiness, and the best of luck in all future endeavors.
Rick Santorum
Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my colleague and friend
from Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum, who will soon be ending a
very distinguished and impressive career in the U.S. Congress.
In my 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate, I have seen a lot of
Senators come and go. However, it is hard to think of anyone who has
had more energy, more enthusiasm, and who, in such a short period of
time, has had a greater impact on many important issues affecting our
families and our society, than has the junior Senator from
Pennsylvania.
After receiving advanced degrees in business and law, Rick was
elected to the House of Representatives in 1990 at the age of 32. He
served two terms in that body before running for the Senate, he
distinguished himself as part of the so-called Gang of 7 that helped
uncover the House banking scandal and called for reforms of the House.
The same year he was first elected to Congress, Rick was married to
his wife Karen, and they started their family that now includes six
children. As the father of six myself, I know firsthand the challenges
and joys that come from having a large family. Rick has done such a
marvelous job balancing home life with public life with its demanding
schedule and its never-ending conflicts.
After winning election to the Senate in 1994, Rick Santorum
immediately began exerting leadership on issues in several different
legislative areas but notably in the areas of health, agriculture, and
welfare reform. Upon winning reelection to his second term in the
Senate, his GOP colleagues validated his natural leadership by choosing
Rick to chair the Senate Republican Conference.
Although Senator Santorum is well known for his strong defense of
many conservative positions and his articulate voice on many issues
affecting the sanctity of the family, it would be wrong to characterize
him as a strict partisan. I have seen many examples where Rick has
reached across the aisle to his Democratic colleagues and found common
ground on issues of importance to all Americans.
One notable example of this is on an issue that is also very
important to me--promoting charitable initiatives. Several years ago,
Senator Santorum
[[Page S11711]]
teamed up with another of our most distinguished and thoughtful
colleagues, Senator Joe Lieberman, to introduce the Charity, Aid,
Recovery, and Empowerment, CARE, Act. The CARE Act was designed to
address many problems faced by the charitable sector of our Nation and
to help them to better achieve their goals of lifting up the
impoverished among us and of helping all of us better assist our fellow
man in times of need.
As an original cosponsor of the CARE Act, I saw up close the tireless
dedication and unending efforts that Rick Santorum put into promoting
this legislation, not just in the Senate but with the White House.
While this very ambitious legislation has not entirely been enacted,
Rick can take a great deal of justifiable pride in the fact that great
strides have been made in achieving the goals of the CARE Act.
Moreover, he can take great satisfaction in knowing that his colleagues
in the Senate and the House, policymakers in the executive branch,
those who serve so diligently in the charitable community, and indeed
concerned Americans from all walks of life, are much more aware of the
accomplishments and the needs of the charitable sector because of the
efforts of Senator Santorum.
Mr. President, the junior Senator from Pennsylvania is going to be
long remembered in this body, and he will be sorely missed. He will be
remembered and missed for his intelligence, his articulate voice, his
courage, his energy, and his leadership. I salute Rick as a fine public
servant as he enters the next stage of his life, and I thank him for
his dedication and for his hard work. I am sure I am joined by all of
our colleagues as we wish Rick and his family the very best in the
future.
Jim Talent
Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the accomplishments of
Senator Jim Talent from the great State of Missouri. I feel privileged
to have worked with Jim on different pieces of legislation, and I
greatly admire his dedication to his constituents and respect his many
accomplishments during his time in public office.
Jim's official, political career started when he was only 28 years
old, after he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He
went on to serve for 8 years in that position, and he worked diligently
to pass meaningful legislation which benefited the people of Missouri.
In 1992, Jim was elected to the House of Representatives from
Missouri's second district. Jim wasted no time in tackling important
issues and introduced the Real Welfare Reform Act of 1994. Much of the
ideas from this legislation were phased into the Personal
Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1996, which I joined Jim in
voting for. This historic piece of bipartisan legislation has had a
profound positive impact and dramatically changed the way that this
country helps its neediest citizens. According to the Department of
Health and Human Services, welfare caseloads in this country have
declined 58 percent since the enactment of this legislation. These
results show that, even as a new Senator, Jim had tremendous foresight
in crafting meaningful ideas which addressed a serious problem in this
country.
Jim also served on many important committees during his time in the
House, including the Armed Services Committee, the Small Business
Committee, and the Education and Workforce Committee. During his time
on these committees, Jim continued to utilize his tremendous work ethic
in reviewing and drafting important initiatives which benefited
American citizens. In addition, Jim worked endlessly as an advocate for
small business, which he recognized as the financial backbone of our
country.
In November of 2002, Jim began the next phase of his service after
being elected to serve as Senator for his State of Missouri. Being born
and raised in Missouri, Jim had a great knowledge base of the State and
thus the background to recognize important issues which affected his
constituents and the State as a whole.
I can truthfully say there has been no Senator in the history of this
body who has worked harder to represent the history of his State than
Jim Talent.
Jim served on four diverse Senate committees: Agriculture, Nutrition,
and Forestry; Energy and Natural Resources; Aging; and the Armed
Services Committee.
During this Congress, Jim and I worked together on the joint
resolution which proposed an amendment to the Constitution authorizing
Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United
States. Jim and I were in complete agreement on this subject, and I
greatly respected his steadfast support of this proposed legislation.
During debate of this topic, Jim continually provided insightful
commentary that showed his heartfelt support of a very important topic.
Jim summed up his feelings with the following sentiment: ``The flag is
the unifying symbol of our Republic. It represents that common history
and heritage which holds America together notwithstanding religious,
cultural, or political differences. Physical and public desecration of
the flag degrades those values and coarsens America far more than any
speech or political dissent possibly could.'' We were both sorry to see
the amendment narrowly miss passage, but I will always admire and
respect Jim's unwavering support on this important topic.
A final item I would like to draw attention to is the Combat Meth Act
that Jim drafted along with Senator Feinstein. Recognizing the
disastrous effects that have been wrought on American neighborhoods and
families due to this horrible drug, Senators Talent and Feinstein wrote
this new law aimed at making the ingredients used to cook meth less
available to law breakers. While we didn't always agree on the approach
to this effort, we were united in efforts to stop the insidious damage
inflicted by this drug. I applaud Jim's efforts in drafting an
incredibly important law that we all hope will have a significant
impact on decreasing the amount of toxic meth labs in our communities.
As Jim embarks on the next phase of his career, I wish him luck in
all of his future endeavors. I also want to extend my congratulations
and appreciation for Jim's legislative achievements during his time in
Congress. I am confident that his character and attributes will
continue to steer him toward a life of accomplishment and benefit to
those around him.
Jim Jeffords
Mr. President, I would like to extend my best wishes to my good
friend and colleague, Senator Jim Jeffords.
For the last 18 years, I have been privileged to serve with Jim here
in the United States Senate. When he first came to the Senate in 1989,
he was assigned to the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. At
the time, I was the ranking minority member of that committee and
worked closely with Jim. In fact, when Jim later became chairman of the
committee, he changed the name to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions, better known today as the Senate HELP Committee. He
did that because he felt that the purpose of the committee was to help
people. Later, he and I also served together as members of the Senate
Finance Committee.
Jim has an undergraduate degree from Yale University and graduated
from Harvard University Law School. He served in the United States Navy
for 3 years and was in the Reserves until 1990 when he retired as a
captain.
He started his career in politics in 1966 when he was elected to the
Vermont State Senate. In 1968, he became the attorney general for the
State of Vermont. In 1974, he was elected to the U.S. House of
Representatives where he tells a very interesting story about the day
that he was sworn in as a Member of the House. As Jim tells it, 1974
was not a good year to be a Republican candidate--for those who do not
remember, it was the year that President Richard Nixon resigned due to
the Watergate scandal. The 1974 freshman class had 92 new Members of
which only 17 were Republicans--two of them were our Senate colleagues,
Chuck Grassley and Jim Jeffords. At the time, Chuck was on crutches and
Jim was in a neck brace. As the two walked down the aisle, Jim heard
one of the Democrat Members say, ``There are two we almost got.'' Well,
all I can say is, thank goodness the Democrats didn't get Chuck and
Jim. The two of them have been an integral part of both the House and
the Senate.
Senator Jeffords has always been known for his self deprecating sense
of humor. I will never forget his story
[[Page S11712]]
about being interviewed by a reporter with Congresswoman Millicent
Fenwick, who, as many know, was a very elegant woman from New Jersey,
on their first impressions of what it was like to live in Washington.
Congresswoman Fenwick talked about her lovely view of the city from
across the river. When asked what it was like for him to be in
Washington, Jim replied that he lived in a Winnebago in the parking lot
of a Holiday Inn and he had a view of the hotel dumpster. Quite
honestly, Jim is probably one of the most humble and down to earth
people I have met in the Senate.
Jim is someone who fought hard for increased education funding,
especially for special needs children. He is also very passionate about
environmental issues. But in my opinion, one of Jim's most significant
achievements was the difference he made on health care issues. Jim was
committed to providing a prescription drug benefit to Medicare
beneficiaries and was actively involved in writing the Tripartisan
Medicare prescription drug bill which was considered on the floor of
the Senate in 2002. Jim, Chuck Grassley, former Senator John Breaux,
Senator Olympia Snowe, and I all got together and wrote a bill that
provided a drug benefit for Medicare beneficiaries. It was the
foundation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, Medicare Part D,
which was included in the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. Jim
provided valuable input and did his best to look out for what was in
the best interest of senior citizens and the disabled. So far, 38
million Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in the Medicare Part D
Program.
Before I close, I want to share an insightful story about Jim that is
indicative of the way he has led his life. When Jim interviewed Paul
Harrington to be the HELP Committee's Health Policy director, it was at
his home in Shrewsbury, VT. Shrewsbury is a very rural town in a very
rural State and that is best typified by the Brown Covered Bridge. Jim
conducted the job interview in his garage where he had a large pile of
bent nails on his work bench. While he discussed the possibility of
Paul joining his staff, they each began straightening out the used
nails. At the end of the conversation they had created quite a large
pile of nails that were useful again. Paul shared this experience with
many of his friends and colleagues when he left the Senate because he
felt that the circumstances of the job interview were indicative of
Jim's philosophy and his approach to problem solving. I couldn't agree
more. There's a practical side to Jim's nature that seeks to adapt old
solutions to solving new problems. Using the analogy of the nails, Jim
has always been able to take up used ideas from the past and put them
to good use in new circumstances by reshaping them to fit the new needs
of today.
I want everyone to know that I consider Jim to be one of my dear
friends in the Senate, and while I was disappointed when he decided to
become an Independent, I respected his decision. And so did former
Senate majority leader Bob Dole, who is a close friend of Jim's. In
fact, on the first year anniversary of Jim's big decision, Bob sent Jim
a pineapple upside down cake. He told Jim that he looked all over for a
cake to send him and came to the conclusion that a pineapple upside
down cake described Jim the best. While that may be true, let me say
that Jim is a man who has the best of intentions and always does what
he believes is in the best interest of his constituents.
While serving in the Senate, Jim has always been an independent force
and that is one of the main reasons that I respect him so much. Policy
always came before politics, something very rare in Washington these
days. He has a great love for the institution. He is passionate about
issues he cares about and it showed when he offered an amendment in
committee or spoke on the Senate floor.
Jim has dedicated his life to public service and the great people of
Vermont are very fortunate to have had him representing them in both
the House of Representatives and the Senate. He is a great legislator
and he will be missed by all of us. I wish Jim Jeffords all the best in
the years ahead.
Conrad Burns
Mr. President, I want to pay special tribute to my good friend and
colleague from Montana, Senator Conrad Burns, known by his staff,
Montanans, and myself as just Conrad. It is hard for me to imagine a
more down-to-earth Member of Congress than Conrad. His straight-
shooting analysis of the issues and his humorous outlook on life made
life around the Senate more enjoyable.
Utahns in particular owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Burns. As
chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and
Related Agencies, Senator Burns worked with our delegation to meet many
of Utah's needs.
First and foremost, he oversaw a dramatic increase in funding for the
Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) Program, which provides funding for
schools, roads, and public safety services in rural communities in Utah
where the tax base is limited due to the predominance of tax-exempt
Federal land.
Chairman Burns also helped me to pass legislation which expedites
research and development projects on Bureau of Land Management, BLM,
land. Senator Burns also helped provide funding for Sandy City, UT, to
upgrade its drinking and storm water infrastructure. With this funding,
Sandy City will now be able to prevent flooding which has threatened
the homes of many citizens in the past.
Over the years, Conrad has been extremely helpful to many Utah
communities. He helped provide funding to protect the Range Creek/
Rainbow Glass Ranch for conservation purposes, to improve drinking
water for the citizens of Centerfield, Mayfield, Park City, and Eagle
Mountain, UT, to provide for the Sand Hollow Recreation Area, and to
increase the reach of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
Conrad has also helped Utah and our country continue down the path of
energy independence and accelerate Utah oil and gas production by
helping to fund the Utah Oil and Gas Leasing Internet Pilot Program.
Allow me to share just one example of how Senator Conrad Burns is,
and always will be, a man of the people. The highway system around the
Washington, DC area provides for express lanes for vehicles carrying
passengers. A regular feature of the Washington commute is lines of
passengers hoping to be picked up by drivers who are driving their way.
Much of the population of the high occupancy vehicle express lanes is
made up of single drivers who have picked up these passengers, thus
allowing them to use the express lands. For years, my friend Senator
Burns would pick up these riders in his less than glamorous van. They
would have great conversations together along the way, and in most
cases, the passengers would not have the slightest idea that they had
been picked up and were now chatting with a U.S. Senator. And knowing
the junior senator from Montana, I am sure that's just the way he
wanted it.
Senator Conrad Burns has been a great friend to the people of Utah
and a great friend to me. I will miss his presence here in the Senate,
and I wish him the greatest of success in his future endeavors.
George Allen
Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Senate career of my
distinguished colleague from the State of Virginia, the Honorable
George Allen. The contributions he has made to Congress and this
country are significant, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for all
that he has given.
George has spent most of his career in public service. A few years
after earning his law degree, he served as a delegate in the Virginia
Assembly before becoming a Congressman in 1991. He made a successful
run for Governor of Virginia and presided over 4 years of strong
economic growth and steady job creation. In 2001, he joined the U.S.
Senate, and I have been honored to call him my colleague for the past 6
years.
George has been a tireless advocate for a smaller, more efficient
Government throughout his career. He helped lead the way to enactment
of the President's tax cut package in 2001 and 2003 and has been an
articulate defender of the progrowth tax policies that we have pursued
over the past 6 years, including the reduction in capital gains and
dividend taxes, the repeal of the death tax, and the reduction in the
tax burden of our Nation's small businesses, where so many of our jobs
are created. These were lessons he learned well from his days as a
Governor.
[[Page S11713]]
He has done more than just pay lip-service to the importance of
keeping taxes low: He has fought the good fight as well. He introduced
and worked hard to ensure the passage of the Internet Tax
Nondiscrimination Act, legislation that prohibited taxes on Internet
access or taxation from multiple jurisdictions on goods bought over the
Internet.
Over the last few years, George has achieved an almost legendary
status with the technology community in this country. In 2001, George
was appointed to serve as chairman of the Senate High Tech Task Force
where he advocated for policies to make America a leader in innovation
from nanotechnology to broadband to the education of future engineers
and scientists. So much of the technology agenda being advanced in this
country today spawned from the efforts of George as the High Tech Task
Force chairman. If you were to meet with the top executives of any
technology company with a significant presence in the United States,
they would tell you what a wonderful advocate George Allen has been for
their company and their industry. I have heard it time and again from
hundreds of executives.
George also has served our party well. His success as head of the
National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2004 election cycle
is a result of the Senator's bedrock faith in his beliefs and his
ability to articulate that which he holds true.
So many times, politicians come to Washington with strongly held
convictions and a desire to do good and instead take the more expedient
path to reelection and power. When it comes to George Allen's career,
no one can say he ever abandoned his belief in the virtues of a small
government and lower taxes. These are the very beliefs I hold true as
well, and I was glad to have him on my side.
At its heart, politics is a battle over ideas. Our distinguished
Senator from Virginia earned the respect of us all for the pitched
battles he fought to advance the cause of freedom and economic growth
for the United States and the world.
Personally, I have admired George Allen for a long time. In my
opinion, his demeanor, his knowledge, and his drive are all exemplary
and worthy of emulation. Every interaction I have had with George over
the years has done nothing but bolster my original opinion of him. He
reminds me more of Ronald Reagan than any national politician I have
met. That is a high compliment for a great statesman. I would like to
take this time to thank my friend, George Allen, and to wish him,
Susan, and the rest of the Allen family the very best as he leaves this
great institution to take on new challenges.
Mark Dayton
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, as Senator Mark Dayton prepares to leave
this body, I would like to share with my colleagues a few thoughts
about his service. In September, I had the pleasure of speaking on
Senator Dayton's behalf at a dinner paying tribute to the retiring
Senators, and I ask that my remarks from that event be printed in the
Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record.
On the night six years ago when Minnesota voters chose him
as their 33rd Senator, Mark Dayton told the cheering crowd:
``No matter what your political party or personal philosophy,
no matter who you voted for today or even whether you voted
at all, I'll work for you. When, next January, I become
Senator Dayton, please--call me Mark. Because I'm your public
servant. I'll work for you.''
For the past six years, Mark has kept that pledge, because
those words were not the rhetoric of a campaign; they were a
reflection of Mark's deeply-held beliefs. Mark Dayton treats
everyone--from the wealthiest to the least fortunate--with
the same sense of fairness and compassion, and he carries
himself with a humility to which we can all aspire. Mark's
lack of guile has characterized his service here, where
political calculating is an accepted reality.
When Mark came to the Senate, he brought with him a broad
range of experience. In the private sector he had worked as a
public school teacher in a challenging New York City school;
as a counselor to runaway youth; as a chief financial officer
for a non-profit group; and as head of an investment group.
In public life, he had served as a Senate aide to Walter
Mondale; as head of Minnesota's Department of Energy and
Economic Development; and as State Auditor, among many other
capacities.
That path of service to Minnesota led to his own election
to the Senate. Mark and I serve together on both the Senate
Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Subcommittee on
Investigations. As the ranking member on both committees, I
have witnessed in Mark a Senator who is passionately
dedicated to public service. Mark reads the long reports, he
attends the dry meetings, he masters the difficult material,
and he asks the tough questions with a disarming directness
and quizzical curiosity.
``On the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Mark has
been a strong voice in our hearings examining abusive tax
shelters and offshore tax havens. Mark has been a leader on
prescription drug issues, and he even donates his Senate
salary to help seniors buy prescription drugs they could not
otherwise afford. And Mark has been a great battler on issues
common to our two states, including fighting on behalf of our
steel and mining industries and to strengthen our Northern
Border.
As part of our work on the Armed Services Committee, Mark
traveled with Chairman Warner and me and six other Senators
to Iraq, where we saw firsthand Mark's deep dedication to the
men and women of our Armed Forces. After allegations surfaced
that our troops in Iraq had been given contaminated water by
a contractor, it was Mark's insistence that led to an ongoing
investigation into the contractor's actions. And Mark has
been a true champion for our National Guard and Reserve
forces, working forcefully to ease their difficult transition
back to civilian life when their tours of duty finally end.
As Mark writes the next chapter in his own life, he can
return home to the people of his beloved Minnesota knowing
that he has served them honorably and well. Some of them will
probably insist on calling him ``Senator.'' But, for most,
this idealist with a good heart never stopped simply being
``Mark.''
We shall miss Mark Dayton and wish him well as he leaves us.
Lincoln Chafee
Mr. President, as this session of Congress comes to a close, I want
to take a moment to pay tribute to my friend Lincoln Chafee.
Following in the footsteps of his late father, John, Senator Chafee
has been a voice of moderation and civility in the Senate. In a time of
increasing partisanship, Senator Chafee has been a bridge between the
parties and to an earlier era of a less divisive politics. He votes his
conviction and his conscience, not just a party line.
Senator Chafee's legacy will be defined by his leadership on
environmental protection and fiscal responsibility. On both, he has had
a forward-looking approach, grounded in common sense, for which our
grandchildren will be grateful.
Senator Chafee has been a true champion for conservation, fighting
for clean air, clean water, and a healthier environment. He has been
willing to stand up to the administration when he believes it is wrong,
including opposing the administration's Energy bill, its weak
regulations on mercury, and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife
Refuge. For the past several years, Senator Chafee has led an effort
with Senator Jeffords and me to fully fund the EPA Brownfields program,
which would accelerate the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield
sites, protecting human health, and creating jobs. Senator Chafee is a
member of the Senate's Smart Growth Task Force, which promotes growth
and development that protects the environment and preserves critical
habitats.
Lincoln Chafee has also been a strong voice for fiscal discipline. He
has repeatedly opposed reckless tax cuts and supported pay-as-you-go
budget rules to bring the budget back into balance. The bipartisan
Concord Coalition has twice recognized him for his fiscal
responsibility.
Lincoln Chafee has also been an important voice on foreign affairs.
He took a courageous stand in 2002 as the lone Republican to vote
against the Iraq war authorization, and he has served well as the
chairman of the Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee of
the Foreign Relations Committee.
I want to close by noting that Lincoln Chafee remains widely
respected and admired in Rhode Island, as well as among his colleagues
on both sides of the aisle in the Senate. His father would have been
very proud of how well Lincoln Chafee has served the people of Rhode
Island.
I thank him for his service to our country and wish him and his wife
Stephanie all the best.
Jim Jeffords
Mr. President, when this session of Congress comes to an end, Senator
Jim
[[Page S11714]]
Jeffords will leave the Senate. He has been a thoughtful and
independent voice here, and he will be greatly missed.
Senator Jeffords has been a true champion for the environment. He was
instrumental in passing the 1990 Clean Air Act, and he chaired the
Environment and Public Works Committee from 2001 to 2002. He has fought
for policies that encourage renewable energy use and that reduce
emissions of carbon and other pollutants.
Senator Jeffords is a strong believer in promoting economic
development that also protects the environment and preserves the
landscape. In the 1960s, when he served as a State senator and then
attorney general of Vermont, Jim worked on the most comprehensive
State-level growth management policy in the United States. Jim
continued these efforts as a U.S. Senator, and I joined with Jim in
1999 to form the Senate's Smart Growth Task Force, a bipartisan,
multiregional caucus.
With Jim's leadership, the task force's membership grew to more than
20 Senators who shared the goal of determining how the Federal
Government can help States and localities address their own growth
management issues. Out of this task force, a series of bipartisan
legislative initiatives have emerged, including legislation to promote
brownfields development, support urban and town centers, provide
transportation funding and access, and conserve open space and historic
structures.
Senator Jeffords has also been a strong leader on education, job
training, and disability legislation and served as chairman of the
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee from 1997 to June
2001. He has a particular passion for improving education for students
with special needs and coauthored the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. Jim Jeffords is also a strong advocate for fairness and
has sponsored legislation to end discrimination based on sexual
orientation and to strengthen penalties for hate crimes.
Senator Jeffords became a household name and earned a spot in Senate
history in 2001 when he left the Republican Party, creating a
Democratic majority in the Senate. That action stunned Washington. But
for those of us who have been fortunate to know him over the years, we
were not at all surprised that Jim Jeffords had followed his conscience
and his deep commitment to the interests of the people of Vermont and
did what he believed to be right.
I want to wish Jim and his wife Elizabeth well as they enter a new
phase in their lives.
Mike De Wine
Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I would like to take a moment to pay
tribute to our colleague from Ohio, Senator Mike DeWine. Senator DeWine
is a truly decent, thoughtful individual with a deep concern for
children and a refreshing willingness to reach across the aisle. He has
been a solid partner on several of the issues common to our two States
and the region.
In particular, it has been a pleasure to work with Senator DeWine on
issues affecting the Great Lakes, which are critical for our States'
economies and for our environment. Since 1999, he and I have served as
cochairs of the Great Lakes Task Force and have shared a commitment to
protecting and restoring these national treasures. We have fought to
protect the lakes from invasive species, to improve water quality, to
create a long-term restoration plan, and to expand public access to the
lakes.
Senator DeWine's service here has also been characterized by his
commitment to children and children's health, and he has been willing
to work in a bipartisan way to make progress. He has worked with
Senators Dodd and Jack Reed to prevent teen suicides and with Senator
Clinton to ensure that drugs given to children are safe for them. He
has sponsored a bill with Senator Kennedy to allow the Food and Drug
Administration to regulate tobacco. As the chair of the District of
Columbia Appropriations Subcommittee, he has also worked to reform the
child welfare system in DC.
In addition to his bipartisan approach, Senator DeWine has also shown
a willingness to take politically difficult positions when he believes
they are the right thing to do. Last year, for example, he joined a
bipartisan group of 14 senators who worked to forge a compromise on
judicial nominations and to save the Senate from the so-called nuclear
option. That step helped to diffuse a tense situation and to protect
the Senate as an institution.
I have great respect for Mike DeWine's integrity, his commitment to
his State, and his willingness to seek progress over partisanship. I
wish him and his wife Fran well in their future endeavors.
Bill Frist
Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. President, today, I rise to acknowledge and honor
the good work and service of my colleague from Tennessee, Senator Bill
Frist. As a Senator for the past dozen years, and majority leader for
the past four, Senator Frist has been a leader of strong resolve on
behalf of his home State and our entire Nation. His work in the U.S.
Senate will be remembered for a long time to come, and I personally owe
Senator Frist a debt of gratitude.
He has been an advocate of the offshore drilling agreement that would
benefit not only the people of my home State of Florida, but millions
of Americans living in the gulf coast region--this plan would reduce
America's reliance on foreign sources of energy and is vital to our
future. I applaud Senator Frist for recognizing and acting so
decisively on this important issue.
Senator Frist has also been a dedicated leader on immigration reform
and I thank him for taking on this divisive, yet necessary issue with
such a keen understanding of what our Nation needs. I also know how
passionate Senator Frist is about national security and defense. We
were able to travel to and around Iraq together, and while there, we
had the opportunity to personally thank some of our troops for their
courage and incredible sacrifice. I was appreciative to have that
experience with someone who certainly knows the meaning of service.
On a personal note, Senator Frist made sure that I would be able to
pay my respects to Pope John Paul II--and I cannot say enough about how
much that has meant to me and to my family. Thank you for that and for
your relentless leadership. Thank you for your time and for your
counsel. Thank you for your friendship.
Senator Frist is a fine senator and a true gentleman. We will miss
him a great deal here Washington. Yet, all of us know how well he will
do as he returns to his long and distinguished career in medicine. The
people of Tennessee are fortunate to have back their revered Dr. Frist.
I wish my best to Senator Frist and his family always.
Rick Santorum
Mr. President, today, I commend Senator Rick Santorum for his
dedication to public service and accomplishments as a legislator. Above
all, I admire the Senator's commitment to the people of his home State,
Pennsylvania, and to his family. Throughout his 12-year tenure in the
U.S. Senate, he relentlessly fought to pass legislation benefiting the
welfare of, not only his constituents, but Americans everywhere. In
addition, Senator Santorum has been a great advocate in the effort to
find a cure for the Global HIV/AIDS pandemic and a strong supporter of
the war on terror. He has represented the American people well.
As a colleague, I would also like to thank Senator Santorum for his
strong leadership as chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
During his time in Washington, Rick has always maintained the
importance of family, a value that I admire and share. He has also
provided valuable guidance to me in the past and will be missed. I wish
my colleague from Pennsylvania, his wife, and children all the best in
the future. Thank you for your service.
George Allen
Mr. President, today, I recognize the service of Senator George
Allen. The citizens of Commonwealth of Virginia and the American people
are losing a great patriot in the U.S. Senate. Senator Allen will be
leaving the Senate after 6 years of service to his home State
constituents and to this country.
He has been an important member of the Republican Party and the
Senate, always striving to better America's defense and homeland
security. He has worked to ensure good-paying jobs for
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the people of Virginia, and to guarantee that every person in Virginia
receives a quality education. It is disappointing that a strong leader
like Senator Allen is leaving the Senate; he will be missed. Senator
Allen was one of the people who helped convince me to run for the
United States Senate, and without his support and his guidance, I might
not be here today.
I wish my colleague from Virginia and his family all the best, and
thank them for the service that they have given to our country. Thank
you, Senator Allen.
Rick Santorum
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, when I look back on the years I was
fortunate enough to have served in the Senate with Rick Santorum, I
think I will most remember him for his strong and passionate belief in
the principles he fought for on the floor, the unwavering support he
always gave his friends, and the powerful way he expressed himself on
the issues that came before the Senate.
Whenever there was a problem ahead, it was always good to know Rick
was in your corner. In fact, Rick was one of my first supporters when I
was running for the U.S. Senate. Everyone who runs for the Senate for
the first time has a great need for funds. I was no exception. Rick
gave me a check that I later noticed was not signed. I needed the help
and I would gladly have walked halfway across the District of Columbia
to get his signature to make the document official, but when he learned
that I needed his endorsement on the check he had so generously helped
me obtain, he dropped everything he was doing and came to where I was
to sign the check for me.
In the years since my election, Rick has shown time and time again
that he is a thoughtful, genuine person on whom I could rely. He has a
great mind for politics and his heart is with the people of
Pennsylvania whom he has represented so well. I have often relied on
him for the way he would quietly offer me his good advice, support me
when we took up issues that were big concerns of the people of my
State, mentor me on how to get things done around here, advise me on
procedure, and help me to advance the causes that were common to the
people of our States. The people of his home State could not have had a
more active and effective advocate through the years, and he will be
very hard to replace.
As any observer would note, Rick's career has been nothing short of
amazing. At every step in his political life, critics would tell him
his vision was an impossible dream. In response, Rick would take his
case to the people, and time after time he would prove the naysayers
wrong. That is because Rick knew the value of hard work and he also
knew the first law of politics--it is not where you start, it is where
you finish--and Rick made a habit of finishing first.
When Rick ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, he
knew it was going to be a rough campaign because he was battling a
seven-term incumbent who had a lot more money than he did. So, Rick
knocked on 25,000 doors and put together a grassroots effort that
included people from many different backgrounds who wanted to work with
Rick on a wide range of issues. In the end, when the election was over
and the votes were counted, Rick had won. It was clearly Rick's
personal touch and his enthusiasm for the job that had been strong
enough to overcome every obstacle--even a shortage of financial
resources.
It wasn't long after that Rick was elected to the Senate after
another difficult campaign battle. Again, the critics said it couldn't
be done. Once again, Rick showed them he could do it.
As soon as he arrived in the Senate, he continued to fight for the
principles he believed in, regardless of what others predicted the
outcome would be. He fought for the tough causes without regard for the
outcome because he couldn't be silent when the rights of the unborn
were denied or a cherished principle was at stake. It was a commitment
borne of his deep and abiding faith. In fact, I can't think of anyone
who is a stronger man of faith than Rick is. His faith is a great part
of who he is, and it forms the basis of his character.
I heard a story about the last campaign about Rick and a trip he and
his wife were making so Rick could appear on ``Meet the Press.'' It was
near the end of what had been a long and difficult campaign and anyone
else would have been exhausted. Not Rick. He was fighting for a cause
that he believed in, and he was, once again, full of that remarkable
energy he called upon for all of his political campaigns.
As they headed down the road toward Washington, Rick and his wife
talked about how hard the campaign was and how it had affected them and
their family. As they thought about the battle that was still before
them, they began to talk about Rick's opponent and the toll the battle
was undoubtedly taking on him and his family as well. Without
hesitation, as they drove to Washington for the televised debate, they
took the time to pray for his opponent and his family in the hope that
God would bless them and give them all the strength they would need to
complete the campaign. Then they would leave the matter to the voters
to decide. That is how strong a part of his life Rick's faith is.
In the years to come, I think Rick will often come to mind, standing
with us on the Senate floor, taking on a cause that has driven him to
act. Rick is known as a scrapper, but he is much more than that. He is
a warrior, the kind you want on your side when the going gets tough. He
is also a brilliant tactician, and if there is anyone who can develop
and implement a winning strategy on the floor or in the field, that
individual is Rick Santorum.
Rick has been a winner over the years because he knows the value of a
message--and how to effectively advocate and present it. He is a great
persuader as well, and he has been a valuable part of many efforts to
pass legislation. He is someone who likes to get things done, and that
ability has been recognized here in Washington and back home in
Pennsylvania by members of both parties. When it comes to a difficult
bill, Rick has the conviction, courage, and persistence to work through
our difficult process and get the job done. His defense of life on the
floor has made a difference and it will continue to do so.
Rick knows that one person doing the right thing is a majority. He
knows that has cost him in the past, but he will be the first to say
that it has been worth it, and people will see that in the long run it
is all about standing up for what you believe.
I have always believed that life is a great adventure and God has
placed us where he needs us, when he needs us to be there. I know that
God has special plans for Rick. We haven't heard the last from him.
There is another battle, a greater cause for which he is needed, and I
am looking forward to seeing where God will see fit to place him in the
months to come.
Rick Santorum has been a great friend during the time I have had a
chance to come to know him. His expression of his faith and all he has
shared with us at our Prayer Breakfasts will stay with me because they
were a powerful and memorable affirmation of his belief in God. I hope
he continues to weigh in on the issues that come before the Senate. We
can always benefit from the views and advice of someone who says what
he means and means what he says.
Jim Talent
Mr. President, soon the last remaining items of business on the
legislative calendar for the current session of Congress will be
completed and the current session will be brought to a close. When it
does, several of our colleagues will be returning home and ending their
service in the Senate. We will miss them, and we will especially miss
the good ideas and creative energy they brought to their duties in the
U.S. Senate.
Jim Talent is one of those individuals we will miss because of his
can-do spirit and his determination to make a difference. He cares a
great deal about our country, and he came to the Congress determined to
make this a better place for us all to live--especially our children
and our children's children. That is why he has always been so focused
on the future of our Nation and the need to solve the problems that
face us before they overwhelm us.
I first met Jim when he was the chairman of the House of
Representatives Small Business Committee. Coming from a small business
background myself, I was determined to do everything I could to
eliminate the redtape that too often serves to discourage instead of
encourage the growth of our
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small businesses throughout the country.
At the time, Jim was working on a number of issues in his committee
that I was working on with the Workplace Safety and Training
Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
Together we began to focus on some OSHA issues and other matters
affecting the workplace that needed our attention. We came up with a
plan to work them incrementally, and by taking them up piece by piece,
bit by bit, we were able to get some things done that might have
otherwise been put off for another day. Over a couple of years, we were
able to pass into law some of the first changes in the history of OSHA.
Each step was a small victory for the workers of America. Taken
together, the results gave us both hope that we would collaborate on
bigger and bigger things in the future.
Back then, Jim had a decision to make. He was very popular back home
and he probably could have stayed in the House for quite a long time,
but he decided he wanted to run for statewide office. That call
eventually led him to run for the Senate. It was a difficult battle,
but Jim emerged with a wellearned victory.
I was delighted by his decision to run for the Senate and even more
enthused by his victory. It proved what I had always thought about Jim,
that he is a hard worker and he is always there to fight for what he
believes in.
During his service in the Senate, Jim has been a champion for the
people of his State and an expert on health plans for small businesses.
When he was in the House he had served on the conference committee for
the Patients Bill of Rights. He got the health plan legislation we
wanted in the report, but the report, was never voted on. Now that he
was in the Senate, he was working on a number of issues but none as
hard or as focused as he was on passing the small business health plan
into law that he had helped shape and draft.
In the end, we were able to get 56 votes in the Senate for our plan,
but it takes 60 to force a matter to a vote. That meant we were just
four votes short of the total we needed to pass this legislation and
address the issue of health care for small businesses and people all
across the country.
I know we will miss Jim's participation when we take up this issue
next year, but I expect he will find a way to keep our feet to the fire
and remind us that the people of this Nation are expecting us to get
something done to help address their health care needs. I look forward
to hearing from him with his suggestions and thoughtful comments about
the bill that emerges from committee next year--how to improve it and,
more importantly, how to pass it.
In the years to come, I know I will miss Jim and his creative ideas
and enthusiasm for getting things done. Jim's greatest asset has always
been his ability to listen to all sides of an argument and create ways
around the obstacles that were preventing us from taking action. He is
a leader, an innovator, and most of all, a friend to all who have come
to know him.
Thanks, Jim, for your dedication, your persistence, your courage, and
the many capabilities you brought to your work on the Senate. You will
be missed around here. Good luck in whatever you choose to do in the
days to come. You will always have our support and our appreciation for
your determination to make this country's health care system work as it
should.
Mike De Wine
As each congressional session draws to a close, we work as hard as we
can to try to tie up all the loose ends and finish as much of the
pending legislation as we possibly can. As we do, we also take a moment
to say goodbye to some of our colleagues who won't be with us during
the next Congress to share with us their insights, wisdom and
creativity.
As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions, I know I will miss Mike DeWine when the committee meets
to begin its schedule of activities next year. Mike has always been a
particularly hard-working member of the committee and I know my
colleagues on the committee and I will miss his perspective and his
tireless commitment and his dedication to the issues affecting children
and families.
Working with Mike has been a pleasure. We have a great deal in
common--beginning with our mutual enjoyment of the old-fashioned ice
cream social back home. It is a tradition for both of our families and
our political lives because it is a great way to get everyone together
to talk about current events while enjoying everyone's favorite
dessert.
No one ever said that politics was an easy career to follow and, true
to form, Mike has had a number of hurdles placed before him that took
some doing for him to overcome.
He began his career of public service as a county prosecutor. He took
a tough stand against crime and people noticed. Then, he was elected to
the Ohio Senate. That led to a run for a seat in the Congress. He faced
a tough primary fight, but wound up at the top of a field of six
candidates. Then, when the general election was held, he was elected to
serve the people of his district in the House of Representatives.
In the years to follow, Mike had some more tough battles. He didn't
always win, but he never quit. That spirit of dedication and commitment
of his helped him to win a seat in the Senate, representing the people
of Ohio he had been fighting for over the years. His election gave Mike
a new forum from which to promote his principles, and he soon proved
himself to be a champion for children and family values. As bill after
bill came to the Senate floor for our consideration, Mike always gave
it a close look to see if there was something that needed to be added
to increase the protections available to our Nation's children.
Mike understands full well that our children are our most important
resource. If we don't help our Nation's families do a good job of
raising their children, nothing else we do, no matter how well we do
it, will matter much in the long run.
Some people might be surprised to learn how well Mike has used his
time to work with members on both sides of the aisle. To Mike, it was
just common sense. You never know how long you will be a member of the
Senate, he would say, so it makes sense to use your time wisely.
As the chairman of the Senate HELP Committee I can attest to the fact
that he has used his time wisely. He has been a great addition to the
committee because he is an expert on children's issues and issues
affecting older Americans. I have watched him carefully work on a
number of bills dealing with a wide variety of topics. He always comes
to our meetings, well prepared, fully focused, and committed to making
a difference for the people of Ohio and the rest of the Nation.
Mike is very much a people person, and he and his wife Fran have made
regular trips to Haiti to work with the poorest of the poor. I have
often heard it said that God must love the poor because he made so many
of them. Fortunately, God also made people like Mike DeWine to plead
their case for them in Washington and work with them around the world
in an effort to make their lives better.
The ice cream social I mentioned earlier has become an annual
tradition and Fran and the friends she recruits are now famous for
their hospitality as they put on what must be the world's biggest pie
and ice cream social.
That is just part of the full schedule Mike and his family maintain
every year here, in Ohio and around the world taking on the causes he
and Fran hold dear. If you want to know what kind of a year Mike has
had, take a look at his Christmas card. If you do, you will see an
amazing collage of pictures of his family and all that has taken place
in their lives over the past 12 months. It serves to emphasize his
great belief in the importance of family and family activities. It is a
value Diana and I and so many of our colleagues share.
In the years to come, whenever I think of Mike DeWine, I know I will
think of those Christmas cards, which I hope to be still receiving, and
of the smiles and happiness reflected on each face in the pictures on
that card. They tell me that Mike and Fran DeWine have learned one of
life's most important lessons. Fame and fortune are all too often
fleeting and evasive things in life. In the end, and every day, the
most important part of our lives has to do with the strength of our
faith, the bonds that tie our families together,
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and the friendships we develop along the way that help us to fully
appreciate and enjoy all that life has to offer.
Mike DeWine is truly blessed to have a family which has shown
themselves to be role models on all three of those special values. I
know I will miss him, but, I also know I won't forget him and Fran.
Conrad Burns
Mr. President, the 109th Congress will soon be drawing to a close. As
it does, we will be casting our final votes on the issues we will take
up this year, and saying goodbye to several of our colleagues who will
not be with us for the start of the 110th session of Congress. I know I
will miss them all for the creativity, imagination and firm resolve
they have brought to the consideration of the issues we have worked so
hard to address for the past 2 years.
One of our colleagues I know I will miss in particular is Conrad
Burns. Throughout my service in the Senate he has been a remarkable
friend, and the kind of person you would want on your side if a battle
on the Senate floor was about to take place. For 18 years he has been a
remarkable Senator and a strong and effective representative of the
people of Montana. It just won't be the same around here without him.
Conrad Burns is a true westerner--through and through--and very proud
of his western roots. He has always been strongly committed and
absolutely loyal to the United States and to his home State of Montana.
He showed his commitment to each at an early age. First, his love of
his country showed itself when he decided to leave home and join the
Marines. Then, when his tour of service was completed, he returned to
Montana and began a career that was going so well his employer wanted
to transfer him to another State where he thought Conrad would be more
effective. That is when Conrad's love for his home State of Montana
showed itself and he quit a promising career rather than leave the
State he loved so well.
Instead, Conrad set up the Northern Ag Network, which grew from 4
radio stations to 29 radio stations and 6 television stations. Then, as
things were going so well with that project, he began looking for a new
challenge. He found it when he ran for Yellowstone County commissioner
and won. It was the start of a great political career for him and the
more the people of Montana got to know Conrad Burns, the more they
liked him.
Conrad then decided to run for the Senate and ever since he came to
Washington, Conrad has compiled quite a remarkable record of service.
He has made great decisions for our country as he has watched out for
the best interests of the people of Montana. He has made a difference
on the local, State and national level. Here in Washington, he has
championed some amazing projects and issues and there is a lot of
legislation that bears his mark for his having worked on it or
supported it through the years.
As we have watched Conrad roll up his sleeves and get to work on any
of a number of issues, he has always impressed us with his
understanding of complex issues and their short-term and long-term
implications for our society such as the Internet and the development
of modern technologies. In fact, I don't think anyone knows more about
broadband and communication issues than he does. He is probably the
greatest expert in the Senate on those matters and I know I will
continue to seek his advice and counsel about them when these or
related issues come to the floor in the months to come.
That is an impressive start, but it is not all you will find when you
examine Conrad's record of service. Conrad has also been a hero to
small businesses across the country. He understands their importance
and he is fully aware that our Nation's small businesses are the
backbone of every State's economy and our national economy as well.
People around the country have come to know Conrad as he exercised
his strong and effective leadership on the Appropriations Committee. He
was always very careful with the people's money to ensure it was
effectively spent.
For my part, I will always remember Conrad as one of my greatest
mentors in the Senate. Thanks to him, I learned a great deal about the
hearings process and how it works. I learned the importance of putting
a hearing together that would generate good ideas to solve difficult
problems. That enabled us to address the concerns of the ranchers of
Wyoming, Montana and the West and take a closer look at the destruction
caused by the fires in our States. As we examined those issues during
our hearings in Montana, I got a chance to see how he handled the gavel
and exercised his leadership as chairman. That experience helped me to
plan and hold my own hearings and ensure a maximum amount of
participation and discussion.
Conrad has also been a good friend over the years we have served
together in the Senate. We have fished and golfed together. We have
worked together on issues of concern to Wyoming, Montana and the West
and we have voted together. We have gone to quite a few sporting events
together usually to watch the Wyoming and Montana teams play each
other. I seem to recall that Wyoming usually got the better of those
encounters. I think Conrad may recall those games differently, but I am
pretty sure the Wyoming teams always finished ahead of the others.
Our families have enjoyed each other as well. Our wives are best
friends in the western sense--not the Washington, DC sense. Our kids
grew up together and they have remained close--even through those times
when they were miles apart.
Most important to me, Conrad has been my friend through thick and
thin--the good and bad--the wins and losses--and the highs and lows of
political life. Time changes so many things in our lives, but one thing
it never changes is a friendship. Thankfully, those only grow deeper
and stronger with time.
As we say goodbye to Conrad Burns, I know I will still be seeing him,
hearing from him and spending time with him now and again. Change is
temporary, friendships are permanent, and I know my family and I are
looking forward to continuing to share our lives with Conrad and his
family. We can't ever let change ``change'' that.
Bill Frist
Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Senator Bill Frist,
whose sense of public service harkens back to ancient Athens when every
citizen, in order to be called an Athenian, served in a public capacity
for the good of the state. And it is more than fitting that this
Senator, this son of Tennessee, comes from the only place in the United
States with a full-scale replica of the Parthenon, for Bill First--like
the Athenians of old--sees himself first as a citizen above all else.
Senator Bill Frist and I arrived in the U.S. Senate in the same class
in 1994. And only 9 years later, he was chosen Senate majority leader--
a rapid ascent by anyone's count. In the time that Senator Frist has
served his country in the position of leader, he has worked ceaselessly
to translate ideals and principles into tangible improvements in the
daily lives of the American people. For me, it has been a tremendous
privilege over the years to work closely with him on many issues and
serve with him on the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Committees
on Commerce, Small Business, and Finance.
Senator Frist's allegiance to serving others has been nothing short
of exemplary. He went into medicine because he cared about people. His
profound dedication to public service--to the American people and the
people of Tennessee--grew out of an earlier devotion to thousands of
men and women whose dilemmas and struggles Dr. Frist came to understand
firsthand. No wonder he takes such great pride in being known as a
``citizen legislator''--and with good reason.
As he prepares to leave this Chamber, we recall that when the leader
spoke about America's uninsured or the rising cost of health care or
about the dangers posed to our communities by the threat of
bioterrorism, his insights are rooted, not in theory, but in years of
up-close and personal contact with the people who sent him to
Washington in the first place. We also remember that Senator Frist was
the first practicing physician to occupy a U.S. Senate seat since
1928--in fact the sign on his office door didn't say ``majority
leader''--it fittingly read, ``Dr. Bill Frist, M.D.''
He has held his oath of office with distinction, just as he has kept
to the
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2000-year-old Hippocratic precept ``to do no harm,'' and in fact, he
has gone well beyond that tenet, as he has done and will continue to do
a world of good. We will miss his perspective and leadership and wish
him and Karyn all the best as they pursue this next phase of their life
and service together.
Lincoln Chafee
Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to my great friend,
Senator Lincoln Chafee, a public servant who exemplifies the idea that
superior governance depends on people of good will working for the
common good--together. He epitomizes the New England pragmatism in
government that sees not weakness but strength in reaching across the
aisle to build consensus and make the system work for those it was
formed to serve.
When I consider Senator Chafee's tenure, I cannot help but think how
he has so successfully forged his own pathway and legacy of exceptional
service in the U.S. Senate, while honoring the formidable contributions
of his extraordinary father, John Chafee. Senator Chafee has brought
levelheaded leadership on myriad issues critical to our progress as a
people, always with vigilant and careful attention to his beloved Ocean
State of Rhode Island.
He has been a stalwart colleague and friend in our mutual cause to
revitalize and advance the political center, in our concerted effort to
answer the challenges facing our Nation by producing not rancor but
results, not acrimony but accord. His loss not only diminishes the
Senate but is also a loss for the country because we need more voices
seeking to craft compromise and consensus to forge solutions, not
fewer.
Linc Chafee was not only a political neighbor of mine in the center
of the political spectrum--where most Americans consider themselves--
but he has been a next-door neighbor in my hallway in the Russell
Senate Building, a corridor also appropriately occupied by my good
friend Senator Mike DeWine, who also epitomized the finest ideals of
public service. So I will profoundly miss seeing them not only in the
Senate but also simply walking down the hall outside my office. They
were a constant reminder of what is best and most noble about public
office.
Linc and I worked hand-in-glove on issues of fiscal restraint and
accountability by calling for and advocating the implementation of the
pay-as-you-go approach to the Federal budget. And I believe it is
instructive that he is rightly considered a champion of the
environment, even as he championed economic growth. But that is Linc--
for him, issues that may seem mutually exclusive to those with
intractable dogmas could coexist naturally in his vision of a world not
so easily or appropriately cast in hews of black and white. Indeed,
Senator Chafee's fight to strengthen air and water quality standards
continues to resonate, a battle he has waged with innovation and
resolve by combining business development with environmental advocacy.
Unflagging in his dedication to the precepts of personal
responsibility and freedom, fiscal accountability, and serving the
public interest, Lincoln Chafee has, with honor and distinction,
brought intelligence, vigor, and courage to the U.S. Senate from
debates about foreign policy and homeland security to marshaling health
care efforts to confront breast cancer and long-term care.
Whether serving as captain of his university wrestling team, working
as a blacksmith at harness race tracks, or serving the highest ideals
of public service, Lincoln Chafee has demonstrated an independence,
resiliency, and strength of purpose that has made him a credit to this
institution and an example for his country.
I wish Senator Chafee, his wife Stephanie, and their children all the
best for the future.
Jim Jeffords
Mr. President, I rise to express my enormous gratitude and deep
appreciation for my good friend and colleague, Senator Jim Jeffords.
President John Adams, who served as the first President of this body,
once exclaimed. ``If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of
mankind whom should we serve?'' The answer given through the years by
Senator Jim Jeffords has been one marked by the eloquence of his
actions.
True Yankee independence and integrity are two of the hallmarks
distinguishing Senator Jim Jeffords. Our legislative service together
dates back to the 97th Congress and our participation together on the
house Aging Committee, ironically at much younger ages than we are
today. We have also served together on the Senate Finance Committee.
And I will forever fondly remember the monthly moderates lunches we
attended together, just as I will cherish the lunch we shared in the
final days of his distinguished tenure in the Senate.
Indeed, so many achievements distinguish this public servant and
usher him into a prestigious pantheon of officeholders, whose common
denominator is uncommon commitment to addressing tough issues that
truly affect the daily life of the people whom they represent.
Educated at Yale University and Harvard Law School, this son of a
former chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court could have pursued
any number of pathways in his life, but it testifies to his strength of
character and abundance of integrity that he chose to use his depth of
learning, prodigious skill, and expertise on behalf of others with the
goal of service--a journey that began with his active duty in the U.S.
Navy in 1956 and that continued throughout his 32 years in the
Congress. From his days in the U.S. House in the mid-1970s--where he
also served with my husband Jock McKernan--to the present, Senator
Jeffords made a priority to champion education and the environment and
by doing so became one of the best advocates these issues have ever
had.
In 1975, Senator Jeffords, as the ranking member on the subcommittee
on select education, coauthored what would later be known as the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which has provided equal
access to education for millions of students with disabilities. Since
its enactment, Senator Jeffords has continued to fight for full Federal
funding for the law. He has fought to reduce industrial pollution and
acid rain, and as a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee he ensured the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act. More
recently, Senator Jeffords has introduced legislation that would clean
up polluting powerplants and create incentives for investments in
clean, renewable power.
In 2001, during the tax-cut debate, as we were working to ensure a
fair but a fiscally-responsible compromise, Senator Jeffords and I
combined to advocate for significant relief for the working poor. In
2003, during intense negotiations, we joined forces to ensure
prescription drug benefits for Medicare. And I could not have been more
pleased to work with him in authoring the so-called Snowe-Jeffords
provision to the historic Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act. I couldn't be
more proud that our arguments were not only persuasive in the Senate
but ultimately before the U.S. Supreme Court after more than 3 hours of
oral arguments, as the act--including our provision--was upheld.
In the true spirit of statecraft, Jim Jeffords has ennobled not only
the art of public affairs but the public affairs component of art.
Then-Congressman Jeffords cofounded the Congressional Arts Caucus and
has consistently fought for financial support of the National Endowment
for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the
Institute for Museum and Library Services. Like my State's own Margaret
Chase Smith, Senator Jeffords has been a public servant of deep and
abiding conscience, buttressed by a profound courage and unwavering
love for his State and his country. I wish him all the best.
Jim Talent
Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Senator Jim Talent, my
colleague and friend whose capacity for being a catalyst on issues that
he holds dear is truly remarkable--and will be missed in the U.S.
Congress.
In his first term in the U.S. Senate from Missouri, otherwise known
as the Show-Me State, Senator Jim Talent has shown--not just me--but
his colleagues and his constituents that he is a person who cares about
health care, small business, economic growth, and defense. Whether
during his 8 years in the U.S. House or his 4 years in the U.S. Senate,
Jim Talent has demonstrated the fortitude and will necessary to meet
challenging issues with national implications.
[[Page S11719]]
In the U.S. House, as a freshman congressman, he introduced the Real
Welfare Reform Act of 1994, which became the basis for landmark,
bipartisan welfare reform legislation. Never one to turn from a
challenge, then-Congressman Talent also managed to get association
health plans legislation passed out of the U.S. House, not once but
twice. And he built on that success by working on that same issue in
the U.S. Senate--indeed, Senator Talent was an essential proponent of
this important effort to allow small businesses to pool their resources
to lower skyrocketing health insurance costs.
I saw firsthand how the same indefatigable energy that was indicative
of his commitment in the House was very much on display in the Senate
as he worked tirelessly with our leadership, Labor Secretary Chao, the
National Federation of Independent Business, and so many others on this
critical issue. As we go forward to identify a path forward on this
vital matter, Senator Talent's acumen and will to move this issue will
be missed in our chamber.
I wish Jim Talent and his entire family all the best for what I am
certain will be a successful next chapter in his life.
FAREWELL TO SENATOR MIKE DE WINE
Mr. President, I rise today to express my gratitude to Senator Mike
DeWine, whose desire to do good has remained his abiding purpose and
lifelong contribution to the people of Ohio, the U.S. Senate, and his
country. The moniker of ``bodyguard of the poor''--which he has been
dubbed by many in his State--speaks volumes about Senator DeWine's
tireless dedication to enriching and helping others and about his
earnest efforts to defend the defenseless and protect those in need.
With a career in public service spanning more than 30 years, Senator
Mike DeWine has more than earned his reputation as hard-working,
honest, compassionate, and results-oriented. I first got to know Mike
when he entered the House of Representatives the same year as my
husband Jock. I am proud to say we served together in both the U.S.
House and Senate. In the 99th and 101st Congresses, we both served on
the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. And in the U.S. Senate, we were
colleagues on the Select Committee on Intelligence, where issues of
national security and safety have been more paramount then ever.
America is most fortunate to have had his thoughtful, considered
approach on that committee and on so many other issues. Jock and I have
treasured our longstanding friendship with Mike and Fran DeWine, and we
have enormous respect for Mike's passion and depth of commitment.
Indeed, he is a serious and deliberative legislative craftsman who
sought to effectively represent his State and reach across the aisle in
the true spirit of the institution. At no point in time was this more
evident than during last year's debate over judicial nominations when
Mike--a dedicated member of the Senate Judiciary Committee--joined with
me and a dozen of our colleagues to form the Gang of 14. His courage
and leadership helped broker a compromise that preserved the principles
and traditions of this great institution. His loss diminishes the
Senate at a time when we need more like Mike DeWine--leaders committed
to solutions over sound-bites. I will deeply miss seeing Mike in the
Senate--for he was always a reminder of the finest ideals of public
service.
Indeed, Mike DeWine has represented well the principles and pride of
America's heartland. As the son of parents who ran a small agricultural
business, he learned the value of diligence and perseverance working in
the fields and in the mill.
He has exemplified that unwavering commitment throughout his career
in public service, whether as a prosecutor, U.S. Representative,
Governor, or U.S. Senator and whether advocating for children,
promoting humanitarian relief, aiding law enforcement, protecting our
natural resources, spurring job growth, increasing national security
through intelligence improvements, or working to secure balanced
budgets. And he has led many of these efforts through his active and
thorough committee work on Appropriations, Judiciary--Health,
Education, Labor and Pensions--and Intelligence.
Above all else, I believe Mike DeWine's essential sense of humanity,
and the personal compass that guided him in all he did in the Senate,
was exemplified by his final minutes on the Senate floor--which he
devoted to speaking of the soldiers of Ohio who had fallen in service
to our Nation in Iraq. That Senator DeWine sought assurance he would
have this opportunity to honor the troops before the end of the session
is a testament to the compassionate heart of an exceptional man.
For all of his dedicated service to the people of Ohio and to this
country, undoubtedly, Mike DeWine's most cherished achievement is his
marriage of 39 years to his wife Fran, their eight children, and nine
grandchildren. I wish them--and Mike DeWine--all the best.
RICK SANTORUM
Mr. President, today I honor a principled legislator, a passionate
advocate, and stalwart son of Pennsylvania, Senator Rick Santorum,
whose vitality as a leader in both the House and Senate was exceeded
only by his exceptional dedication and extraordinary civic
contribution.
During his 16 years in both the House and the Senate, Rick Santorum
marshaled his experience and skills in business and law to answer
effectively and historically a clarion call to public service. And the
bedrock hallmarks that have been the constant catalysts driving him are
his remarkable passion and enormous resolve.
In the Senate, an institution known rightfully and constitutionally
for deliberation, Rick's energy has been refreshing and welcomed.
Whether on the Senate Armed Services or Finance Committees on which we
both served, Senator Santorum invariably infused policy debates with a
fresh, informed, and vibrant voice on a range of critical issues,
including national security, health care, economic development, and
combating AIDS. Indeed, Rick has been passionate in aggressively
fighting the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS--a scourge that brings tragedy
to millions of men, women, and children across the globe. Throughout
his tenure in the Senate, Rick worked without regard to political
ideology or philosophy on this matter that truly rises above
partisanship because he recognizes that compassion and humanism are
ideals too large and important to be constrained by political labels.
Finally, I well recall our legislative service together in the House
where Rick was a vital champion for change and an indispensable force
behind an agenda for reform. He unquestionably engendered a
transformative sensibility that helped catapult Republicans into the
majority.
Senator Santorum has dedicated his life to service to others, and I
have no doubt that he will continue to do so in the future.
Characterizing those achievements is his steadfast integrity and
allegiance to deeply held beliefs. But for all of his accomplishments
and the titles that accompany them, those that bring him the greatest
satisfaction, that he treasures above all, are that of husband and
father. Rick Santorum has served his country and the people of
Pennsylvania well, and I wish him, his wife Karen, and their children
all the best.
Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I would like to pay tribute to the
Republican Members of the Senate who will not be returning in the 110th
Congress. Senators George Allen; Conrad Burns; Lincoln Chafee; Mike
DeWine; Dr. Bill Frist; Rick Santorum; and Jim Talent have served their
constituents with honor and distinction during their tenure here in the
U.S. Senate. All care very deeply for this great Nation and I hope they
will have continued success in their future endeavors.
Senator Conrad Burns and I have had a great working and personal
relationship over the last 8 years. He and his wife Phyllis have become
dear friends of my wife Mary and me. I have enjoyed our time spent
together both personally and professionally. Conrad and I watched a
baseball game with our grandsons a couple of years ago in Montana.
Conrad and Phyllis also joined Mary and me at the Kentucky Derby. I
wish Conrad and his family all the best as they start a new chapter in
their lives.
Senator Rick Santorum is a principled conservative who is not shy to
tell you where he stands. He has served the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania tirelessly for the last 16 years. Rick has always been
honest and upfront, and
[[Page S11720]]
his passion will be missed. Rick and his wife Karen have six wonderful
children who all should be proud of how their dad represented
Pennsylvania in the U.S. Congress.
Majority leader Bill Frist has run the Senate through difficult and
trying times and he has done it well. Senator Mike DeWine, my neighbor
to the north, has represented the Buckeye State with great distinction
and has committed over 30 years of his life to public service. Senator
George Allen represented the Commonwealth of Virginia in the U.S.
Senate for 6 years, and he worked closely with me to make America safer
by helping usher through important legislation to arm cargo pilots.
Senator Jim Talent has had a great career in Congress and wrote the
blueprint to the welfare reform bill of 1996. And Senator Lincoln
Chafee has continued the proud legacy set forth by his father and my
friend, Senator John Chafee.
Mr. President, I would like to again commend all of our departing
Republican Senators. I am proud of what they accomplished here in the
U.S. Senate. They will all be missed, and I wish all of them the very
best.
GEORGE ALLEN
Mrs. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, Senator Allen has spent many years
working for Virginia.
He came to the Senate in 2000 after a strong record of
accomplishments as his State's Governor.
As Virginia's Senator, he has worked diligently to protect our
freedoms, preserve conservative values, and help America remain the
land of opportunity.
He was a strong supporter of the tax reforms of 2001 and 2003 that
have resulted in the economic upswing our economy is currently
enjoying.
His work on the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act has helped keep
access to the Internet tax free.
He also worked to increase military benefits, including legislation
to increase the death benefits for families of fallen troops from
$12,000 to $100,000.
I have also worked with Senator Allen on the PACE Act. Senator Allen
understands that we must provide our children with the education
necessary for the jobs of tomorrow. His work with the National
Nanotechnology Initiative will also help our country compete globally
as other countries continue to emerge. Senator Allen understands that
America must remain home to the best and brightest.
I will miss working with him in this Chamber, and I will miss his
friendship and support on the issues that matter most to America.
JIM TALENT
Mr. President, Jim Talent has a long and honorable history of service
to the people of Missouri.
In the House of Representatives, he introduced the bill that laid the
foundation for historic welfare reforms.
In 1997, he became the youngest chairman in the House when he was
named Chairman of the House Small Business Committee. Under his
leadership, the committee passed many crucial reforms for small
business owners, including tax relief and health insurance provisions.
When Jim joined the Senate in 2000, he continued serving his State
while emerging as a powerful force for the good of his State and the
Nation.
His work on the Energy Committee has shown great foresight and has
galvanized our fight for energy independence.
I am proud to have served with Jim these past 6 years.
I expect great things from his continued efforts on behalf of the
Midwest.
MARK DAYTON
Mr. President, I wish Senator Dayton well as he departs from the
Senate.
During his 6 years serving the citizens of Minnesota as their
Senator, I got to know Senator Dayton by working together with him on
the Committee on Rules and Administration. I have seen first hand
Senator Dayton's tireless efforts to protect the interests of his
State.
During his political career, Senator Dayton has held many leadership
roles for Minnesota, including commissioner of the Minnesota Department
of Energy and Economic Development, State auditor, and, most recently,
U.S. Senator.
As the eldest of 4 children, he grew up knowing what it meant to set
a good example. I have no doubt that Senator Dayton will continue to
serve as a shining example for his two sons.
I know that Senator Dayton's love for public service--and for
Minnesota--will remain strong in the future, and I wish him well.
MIKE DeWINE
Mr. President, Mike DeWine has spent more than three decades in
service to his State and the Nation.
Senator DeWine has maintained a reputation of integrity throughout
his service as a State senator, Lieutenant Governor, four-term
Congressman, and U.S. Senator. He has built a record of service on
making our Nation and the world a better place for future generations.
A father of eight and grandfather of nine, Senator DeWine is a
devoted family man.
He is a champion of children's causes, always focusing on protecting
their welfare and safety.
Senator DeWine has often reached across party lines to vote with his
heart for issues in which he believes.
His hard work and devotion will be missed by the people of Ohio, whom
I know are grateful for his years of service.
LINCOLN CHAFEE
Mr. President, it is no coincidence that Senator Lincoln Chafee's
home State has an 11-foot-tall statue called the Independent Man
standing atop the State House in Providence, RI. In fact, Senator
Chafee has referred to this statue as his inspiration, as it represents
Rhode Island's founding principles of political and religious freedom.
Senator Chafee has done an admirable job following in the footsteps
of his father, Senator John Chafee.
During his time in the Senate, Senator Chafee has been committed to
environmental issues as a champion for improved air and water quality.
Senator Chafee has remained steadfast in his beliefs and a powerful
voice for Rhode Island.
RICK SANTORUM
Mr. President, Senator Rick Santorum has a distinguished career
serving the people of Pennsylvania.
Everyone knows he is a hard worker who is defined by his
determination, commitment to a core set of values, and unyielding
optimism.
His strong leadership in the Senate led Senator Santorum to be
elected chairman of the Senate Republican Conference in 2001.
I have had the opportunity to work on a number of projects with
Senator Santorum as the vice chairman of the Senate Republican
Conference. He joined with me in supporting and organizing numerous
leadership summits, which gave us opportunities to reach new
constituencies. These summits have been outstanding, and their success
was due in large part to our cooperation and Senator Santorum's
leadership.
Throughout his tenure in the Senate, he has committed himself to
helping American families.
He believes profoundly in the dignity of all human life and has
consistently fought for measures that protect the most vulnerable among
us. He has supported initiatives to strengthen and protect Social
Security, provide access to affordable health care, and stop the HIV/
AIDS epidemic.
Senator Santorum's passion and commitment to his work is an admirable
quality that will be missed. It has been an honor to serve with him in
the Senate.
JIM JEFFORDS
Mr. President, today we say goodbye to Senator Jim Jeffords after 18
years in the Senate, serving the State of Vermont.
Throughout his years in the Senate, Senator Jeffords has remained
steadfast in his convictions and beliefs.
As a proud citizen of the State of Vermont, Senator Jeffords has made
enormous efforts to ensure the interests of his State were represented
in the U.S. Congress.
This is the legacy Senator Jeffords has earned.
As a staunch proponent of environmental issues, Senator Jeffords rose
to leadership as chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee
in 2001, and he currently serves as the committee's ranking member.
Senator Jeffords leaves the Senate with my respect.
[[Page S11721]]
CONRAD BURNS
Mr. President, Senator Conrad Burns has had a long and distinguished
career in the Senate as Montana's longest serving Republican Senator.
Since 1988, Senator Burns has represented his constituents with honor
in the Senate. He has made sure that Montana's unique, rural economy is
sustained through his support of balanced trade, high-tech investments,
and small business.
Since serving as chairman of the Communications Subcommittee in 1997,
he has continually fought for the rollout of broadband in rural areas
and pushed for new Internet and mobile phone technologies to help
Montanans participate in our global economy.
Senator Burns' love for the outdoors has made him a steward of our
country's natural resources. As chairman of the Senate's Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee, I have watched him work tirelessly to
protect and provide for our National parks and forests. Our natural
resources are being protected thanks to the work of Senator Burns. I
know he is looking forward to returning to Montana and the great
outdoors.
He has been an ardent supporter of making Government more fiscally
responsible and lowering our taxes, and he was often an ally on issues.
His leadership and strong conviction to do what is right will be
sorely missed.
PAUL SARBANES
Mr. President, Senator Sarbanes, the son of Greek immigrants,
embodies the very heart of the American dream.
Senator Sarbanes' parents, who never received a college education,
instilled in him the belief that no matter where you go and what you
see, you should always stand by your principles and never forget your
roots.
He became a Rhodes Scholar.
Senator Sarbanes served the people of Baltimore with distinction and
honor in the Maryland Legislature before coming to Washington to
represent them on a national level.
After a period of service in the House of Representatives, he was
elected to the Senate in 1976. Since then, he has held numerous
positions within the Senate.
Most recently, he served as the ranking member of the Senate Banking,
Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and as a senior member of the
Foreign Relations, Budget, and Joint Economic Committees.
Today we bid him farewell after five terms in the U.S. Senate, which
makes him the longest tenured Senator in Maryland's storied history.
Paul is a good friend, and I will miss him.
BILL FRIST
Mr. President, I would like to conclude with Dr. Bill Frist, who has
dedicated his life to helping people.
Though many of us have come to know Dr. Frist best in his current
role as our leader, his contributions to America exceed elected office.
Dr. Frist first came to Washington in 1972 as an intern for Tennessee
Congressman Joe Evins. Congressman Evins told the young intern that
should he ever want to serve in Congress, he should first excel in a
profession other than politics and then bring that experience back to
Washington.
Dr. Frist did just that.
During a stellar 20-year career in medicine, Dr. Frist performed over
150 heart and lung transplant procedures, including the first lung
transplant and the first pediatric heart transplant in Tennessee and
the first successful combined heart-lung transplant in the Southeast.
He always hoped to one day serve America at a broad policy level,
where he could advance medicine and improve the quality of life of the
Nation.
Dr. Frist returned to Washington in 1994, becoming the first
practicing physician elected to the Senate since 1928. As a U.S.
Senator, Bill Frist has been one of the leading voices on health issues
in America today.
He moved quickly up the leadership ranks, becoming deputy whip in
1999, chairman of the NRSC in 2000, and finally majority leader in
2002.
In the Senate, Dr. Frist has worked tirelessly to strengthen
Medicare, provide seniors with better access to prescription drugs,
reduce health care disparities among races, and make health care more
affordable and accessible.
He has also been one of America's strongest advocates for increasing
funding for global HIV/AIDS. He sponsored landmark legislation to
provide $15 billion to combat global HIV/AIDS in African and Caribbean
nations hardest hit by the disease. This law will literally save
millions of lives and stands as one of the greatest public health
accomplishments in modern history.
Many of us also remember Dr. Frist utilizing his medical skills in
1998, when a gunman shot and killed two U.S. Capitol Police officers in
the capitol. The gunman was also shot and seriously wounded during the
incident. Dr. Frist came to the aid of Officer Jacob Chestnut, who
later died of his wounds, as well as the gunman, who survived because
of Dr. Frist's actions.
After the event, Dr. Frist told Capitol reporters:
At the time, I did not know he was the alleged gunman, and in truth,
as a physician, you try to focus on resuscitation.
People have said ``If you knew that, would things have changed?'' And
the answer is, ``No.''
``As a physician, you're trained to focus, and that's what you do
year after year. You're not a judge; you're not a jury. You're a
physician.''
Dr. Frist never stopped being a physician. Throughout his 12 years in
the Senate, he always had the Nation's health in mind. He was always a
champion of medicine, and his class and integrity is unquestioned.
The Senate will truly miss his leadership, and we will miss all of
our departing friends.
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