[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 9 (Thursday, January 15, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S411-S418]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            FAREWELL ADDRESS

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I am once again, and, if confirmed, for 
the last time, honored, privileged, and proud to address you as a 
Senator from the great State of New York; to stand in this Chamber; to 
be amongst my colleagues with whom I have won legislative victories, 
suffered defeats, and made lasting friendships; to serve my fellow New 
Yorkers; to speak amidst the echoes of historic and fiery debates which 
have shaped the destiny and promoted the progress of this great Nation 
for more than two centuries.
  And I am gratified by the overwhelming support and vote of confidence 
from my colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and I look 
forward to working with them and continuing the conversation we began 
on Tuesday. And of course, I am so eager to continue working closely 
with my friend, and the Vice President-elect, Joe Biden.
  I have loved being part of the Senate, working alongside public 
servants of both parties who bring to bear their expertise and 
enthusiasm to the difficult, painstaking, and occasionally contentious 
work of turning principle into policy and policy into law. And I assure 
you I will be in frequent consultation and conversation with my 
colleagues here in the Senate.
  I also have been so fortunate to have what is, objectively, the best 
Senate staff, both in Washington and in New York that has ever been 
assembled, led and inspired by my Chief of Staff and friend, Tamera 
Luzzatto.
  In outlining the purpose of the world's greatest deliberative body, 
the authors of the Federalist Papers wrote that in part the Senate's 
role would be to avert the consequences of ``sudden and violent 
passions'' and ``intemperate and pernicious resolutions.''
  Well, I think each of us at times has wished that the Senate would be 
ever so slightly less ``temperate.'' But it is to the lasting credit 
and everlasting wisdom of our Founders that we come together, 
representatives of every State, members of both parties and neither 
party, in the hopes of finding common ground on which to build a 
stronger, safer, smarter, fairer, and more prosperous country for our 
children and our grandchildren.
  As I look back on 8 years of service here, and as I have spoken with 
many of you in recent days about the challenges that lie ahead, I find 
myself reflecting on the work we have done as well as the work that 
remains at this moment of tumult and transformation.
  I asked the people of New York to take a chance on me. To grant me 
their trust and their votes. In the years since, as our economy has 
grown more interconnected and the world more interdependent, and as New 
York has faced challenges amongst the greatest in our State and 
Nation's history, I have worked hard to keep faith with my fellow New 
Yorkers.
  I remember when I first arrived in the Senate. There were a few 
skeptics. Many wondered what kind of Senator I would be. I wondered 
where the elevators were. But I believed my charge on behalf of the 
people of New York and the Nation was to devote myself fully to the 
task at hand. So I got to work.
  No sooner had I taken office, 9 short months into my first term, the 
Nation was attacked on 9/11. The toll was devastating and New York 
would bear the heaviest burden. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost. The World 
Trade Center lay in ruins. A toxic cloud of debris and poison rained 
down over first responders, building and construction trades workers, 
residents, students, and others.
  We all remember as citizens and Senators the sense of common purpose 
that arose as if to extinguish the hate and violence that took so many 
innocent lives. In particular, I want to point out the many kindnesses 
of my fellow members who offered their words, and deeds, in support of 
the people of New York.
  In one moving gesture, Senators sent staff members to help answer the 
ringing phones in our office as New Yorkers struggled to track down 
family members and turned to our offices for help. I am also grateful 
to Senator Robert Byrd who said at my State's hour of need, ``Think of 
me as the third Senator of New York.''
  I remember visiting Ground Zero on September 12th with my colleague, 
Senator Schumer, to personally survey the devastation and to thank the 
first responders who were working night and day, in danger and 
difficulty, on what would become known as ``the Pile.''
  The air was acrid. Thick smoke made it hard to breath.
  We knew then that there would be lasting health problems for first 
responders, volunteers, workers, and others who rushed to provide 
assistance following the attacks.
  Two days later, Senator Schumer and I went to the Oval Office and 
secured a commitment from President Bush for $20 billion in Federal aid 
for New York's recovery. In the years that would follow, Senator 
Schumer and I would fight successfully to ensure that money was 
delivered as promised.
  In this and every instance, I have been grateful to have had Senator 
Charles Schumer as a partner and ally. New Yorkers could not ask for a 
more effective and determined Senator to fight for them. And I feel 
fortunate that if I miss seeing my friend Chuck, I can turn on the 
television to catch his latest Sunday press conference.
  Over the past 7 years, in a fight that continues, we have worked to 
bring business back to downtown and to secure funding for programs to 
provide health screening, monitoring, and treatment for all those 
suffering health consequences as a result of the attacks.
  We have at times clashed with the administration while holding firm 
to our commitment to these efforts.
  And I have developed close and lasting relationships with many of the 
families of the victims of 9/11 who in their grief have come together 
to fight for health monitoring and for smarter policies to prevent 
future attacks.
  Together, we advocated for the creation of the 9/11 Commission and 
for the successful implementation of its findings, including funding 
based on threat assessments and better resources for first responders.
  These efforts would become a model for finding common ground where 
possible, and standing your ground where necessary. For coordinating 
between Federal, State and local governments. For forging new 
partnerships between Government, academia, labor, and the private 
sector, and between members of both parties. A model for decisions 
based on sound evidence and solid facts, and for achieving results.
  This is how we approached many of the economic challenges facing New 
York. So many New Yorkers have lost jobs, or have seen their jobs 
paying less and their benefits covering less than before.
  I have met many who have lost health care or seen their premiums 
double. Who are unable to afford a college education or find good work, 
or pay rising mortgage bills. Who feel as though the hardworking middle 
class in this country experience the risk but not the reward of a 
global economy.
  So I have worked hard to help make investments in New York's economy, 
by coauthoring a law to expand renewal zone tax incentives for new jobs 
across upstate New York; helping to raise the minimum wage; working to 
extend unemployment insurance; securing $16.5 billion in transportation

[[Page S412]]

funding; and increasing funds for Amtrak and high speed rail.
  We passed legislation to create training programs for green-collar 
jobs that will help New York workers fill 21st century jobs that will 
in turn help end our dependence on foreign oil and fight climate 
change.
  And we prevented the closure of military installations and 
facilities, including the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, Rome Labs, 
and the Defense Finances and Accounting Service in Rome, which keep our 
Nation safe and employ thousands in New York.
  Even when we have faced obstacles, we have never given up. We have 
often promoted what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called ``bold, 
persistent experimentation.''
  We helped expand broadband access across rural areas in the North 
Country.
  We secured into law funding to retrofit trucks, school buses and 
other heavy vehicles with new clean diesel technologies developed in 
Corning and Jamestown.
  In the Finger Lakes and North Country we partnered with eBay and 
local universities and companies to create 21st century co-ops that 
help small businesses get the micro-loans and training to reach global, 
not just local, markets.
  In Rochester, we developed the first-ever Greenprint: a blueprint for 
how the city can harness its research institutions, innovative 
businesses, proactive local leaders, and talented workforce to become 
an even stronger clean energy leader.
  We brought Artspace to Buffalo and secured funds for cultural centers 
like Proctors Theater in Schenectady, Stanley theater in Syracuse, and 
the Strand Theater in Plattsburgh, creating a model for urban 
revitalization and economic development centered on cultural projects.
  I have worked to promote heritage tourism in places like Seneca 
Falls, home of the National Women's Hall of Fame and the site of the 
landmark Women's Rights Convention of 1848.
  New Jobs for New York brought together more than 2,600 entrepreneurs, 
investors, and researchers across New York to obtain capital, share 
ideas, and grow New York businesses.
  Farm to Fork created new markets for New York's agricultural 
producers in New York's restaurants, schools, and colleges. And our 
annual Farm Day here in the Capitol showcased New York farmers and 
vintners.
  With investments in transportation to ease congestion and pollution 
on Long Island, in Westchester, and in the Hudson Valley, renewable 
energy and nanotechnology in the capital region's ``Tech Valley,'' 
biomedical research in Buffalo, Biotechnology in Syracuse, microcredit 
in the Finger Lakes, we have demonstrated to companies large and small 
that New York, with our talented workforce, world-class educational 
institutions, and affordable, safe communities, is a wonderful place to 
do business. In fact, as you know, I recently took a detour through 
many of my colleagues' States where I had the opportunity to brag about 
New York and the kinds of innovative strategies we are putting into 
practice.
  Some 8 years ago, I first spoke on the Senate floor. The topic was, 
to no one's surprise, health care. And in the years since, I have 
continued my commitment to achieving quality, affordable health care 
for all Americans, no exceptions, no excuses. I was proud to be part of 
the bipartisan coalition which passed the ``Pediatric Rule'' into law, 
ensuring that drugs are tested and labeled for safety and effectiveness 
in children.
  We have expanded newborn screening. We were able to thwart the Bush 
administration's attempt to undercut community health clinics and 
broker a compromise to keep tens of millions of dollars in HIV/AIDS 
funding in New York through the Ryan White CARE Act.
  Because of our work, groundbreaking legislation now provides respite 
care for family caregivers; safety measures to prevent tragic injuries 
to children in and around cars; new resources for grandparents and 
other kinship caregivers raising children; and more affordable college 
for students, particularly nontraditional students who are studying 
while working or raising a family.
  I have also been proud to serve on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee, the first New York Senator to do so, and to be the only 
Member of the Senate asked to serve on the U.S. Joint Forces Command's 
Transformation Advisory Group.
  With my fellow members of the committee, we have expanded access to 
TRICARE for all drilling members of the Guard and Reserve; improved 
health tracking for servicemembers, especially important in treating 
complex, invisible injuries like post-traumatic stress disorder and 
traumatic brain injury; and we have passed the first ever expansion of 
the Family and Medical Leave Act so loved ones can take 6 months of 
leave to care for family members injured in service.
  I have visited with members of the Armed Forces at military 
facilities across the State, including 10 visits to Fort Drum, and I 
have met with our troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as 
those recovering at Walter Reed and at the military hospital in 
Landstuhl, Germany.
  From the firefighters, police officers, and citizens who responded on 
September 11, to the men and women of the 10th Mountain Division, known 
as the most deployed division in the army, New Yorkers have answered 
the call to serve. I have worked hard to honor the principle that we 
should serve those who serve us.
  I am proud of the progress we have made, often against tough 
obstacles and even tougher odds, under the leadership of Senator Harry 
Reid who has led with intelligence and grit.
  But of course there remains a long way to go.
  The House has passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as well as the 
Paycheck Fairness Act on behalf of women and others seeking equal pay 
for equal work. I hope we can pass these bills into law. We have moved 
Health IT ever closer to the finish line, which holds so much potential 
for reducing waste, errors, and costs while creating whole new data 
sets for research and avenues for innovation.
  I was dismayed when we were unable to expand the Children's Health 
Insurance Program to millions of uninsured children under the current 
President, though I am hopeful we will do so under the leadership of 
President-elect Obama. Providing health care for every single child, as 
we work toward coverage for every single American, is in our duty and 
in our reach.
  There are so many other works in progress that I hope will be pursued 
by my fellow Senators. And I have spoken with many of you about taking 
on the mantle and continuing the work of legislation I have proposed 
over the past 8 years.
  Finally, to my fellow New Yorkers, I want to express my profound 
gratitude. Thank you. I love being your Senator. Serving you has been 
the opportunity of a lifetime to continue the work of my life. To 
advocate on behalf of every single child's chance to live up to his or 
her God- given potential. To fight so that no one feels as though they 
are facing life's challenges alone, as if they were invisible.
  And we have had fun. 8 State fairs, 45 parades, 62 counties, and more 
than 4,600 events across the State. But who is counting?
  As I look back somewhat wistfully, and look forward hopefully, as I 
seek now to serve the country in a new role sustained by the same 
values that have motivated me for nearly four decades in public 
service, I am grateful to my colleagues in the Senate, to the superb 
Democratic staff, to my own staff here and across New York, to my 
supporters, and to the people of New York for this opportunity and 
responsibility that has meant the world to me.
  I may not have always been a New Yorker. But know that I will always 
be one. New York, its spirit and its people, will always be part of me 
and part of the work I do.
  I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the 
Senate, albeit if confirmed, in a new capacity, through this 
challenging time, at this defining moment, always with faith in my 
fellow Americans and optimism for all that we can achieve by working 
together.
  Mr. President, I am so honored to be here at the same time with my 
friend and colleague whom I admire so much and have such great 
affection for, the Vice President-elect, Joe Biden.
  I listened with enthusiasm and a lot of sentiment to the speech he 
delivered

[[Page S413]]

a few minutes ago. And the way he evoked the Senate and the 
relationships that are developed here and the work that is done on 
behalf of our country was as good as I have ever heard it.
  So I am deeply honored and privileged to be here with him and to 
address this Chamber as a Senator from the great State of New York, 
perhaps, if I am confirmed, for the very last time, and particularly 
amongst colleagues whom I have come to respect and like so much, and 
whose work I believe is always in the best interests of their States 
and their country, even when we are not in agreement.
  I am gratified by the support and vote of confidence I received 
earlier this morning from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. And I 
am eager, should I be confirmed, to get to work with the President-
elect and with the Vice President-elect and with all of you. I have 
loved being in the Senate working alongside public servants of both 
parties who bring their expertise and enthusiasm to the difficult, 
painstaking, and occasionally contentious work of turning principles 
into policy and policy into law.
  I also have been fortunate during these past 8 years to have been 
served by what I objectively believe is the best Senate staff ever in 
Washington and throughout New York. This incredible group of people has 
been assembled, led, and inspired by my chief of staff and my friend, 
Tamera Luzzatto. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record 
at the conclusion of my remarks the names of all of those with whom I 
have worked over the last 8 years, because I could not be standing here 
speaking to you were it not for them.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mrs. CLINTON. I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a 
catalog of the work and achievements which they have brought about.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  (See Exhibit 2.)
  Mrs. CLINTON. In the Federalist Papers, we often hear the reference 
to the Senate's role, to avert the consequences of ``sudden and violent 
passions'' and ``intemperate and pernicious resolutions.''
  Well, to the everlasting credit and wisdom of our Founders, we do 
come together in an effort to find common ground.
  As I look back on my 8 years of service, I find myself reflecting on 
this tiny piece of Senate and American history. Some 10 years ago, I 
asked the people of New York to take a chance on me, to grant me their 
trust and their votes. In the years since, as our economy has grown 
more interconnected and the world more interdependent, I have worked to 
keep faith with my fellow New Yorkers.
  I well remember, when I first arrived in the Senate, there were a few 
skeptics wondering what I would do and how I would do it. There were 
stalwart supporters and people such as my friend, Senator Barbara 
Mikulski, who kind of read me the rules of the road and set me on my 
way.
  No sooner had I figured out the way around the Senate, actually had 
just moved into my office, which all of our new colleagues will 
eventually be able to enjoy, and had gone off on my first August 
recess. I never, when I was on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, 
understood why the Senate went on recess all the time. But after the 
intensity of the workload and the extraordinary pressure of both the 
work here in Washington and the constituency work in our States, I was 
thrilled and relieved to see that August recess roll around.
  Shortly after we returned in 2001, our Nation was attacked on 9/11. 
The toll was devastating and New York bore the heaviest burden. Here I 
was, a very new Senator, and my city and my State had been devastated. 
Nearly 3,000 lives were lost, the World Trade Center in ruins, a toxic 
cloud of debris and poison raining down over our first responders and 
others.
  I well remember the rallying of support and sense of common purpose 
that all of my colleagues and the citizens of all of the States 
represented here showed toward me personally and toward New York. Many 
of you offered not only kind words but specific deeds. Senators sent 
staff members to help answer the ringing phones in our office as New 
Yorkers struggled to track down family members or to seek aid.
  I will never forget Senator Robert Byrd telling me at my State's hour 
of need, ``Think of me as the third Senator from New York.''
  On September 12, my colleague Chuck Schumer and I went to New York. 
As you recall, the roads were shut down, there was no way in or out of 
Manhattan other than by rail. The skies were clear. So Chuck and I, in 
a plane provided by FEMA, were the only ones in the sky that day other 
than the fighters who were circling overhead.
  We landed at La Guardia. We got into a helicopter to fly to the 
heliport on the west side of Manhattan, on the west side of the Hudson 
River. And then we proceeded, with the Governor, the mayor, and Federal 
officials to go toward the horror.
  When we were circling in the helicopter above the World Trade Center 
site, we could see the smoke still coming up, because it was, of 
course, burning. And we could see the very fragile piles of scrap and 
steel teetering as firefighters, construction workers, tried to 
continue their search and rescue effort. That site was as close as I 
have ever seen to what Dante describes as hell.
  It became known as ``the Pile.'' Chuck and I and our Government 
colleagues walked along one of the streets, and could not even see 
beyond the curtain of blackness, and occasionally breaking through 
would come a firefighter, totally exhausted after having been on duty 
for 24 hours, dragging an axe, knowing already that friends and even 
family members had been lost.
  The air was acrid. The thick smoke made it hard to breath. It burned 
your throat and your lungs. I knew then there would be lasting health 
problems for everyone who was exposed over any period of time to that 
air that carried so much death and destruction.
  Two days later, Senator Schumer and I went to the Oval Office and 
secured a commitment from President Bush for $20 billion in national 
aid for New York's recovery. In the years that would follow, he and I 
have stood side by side to fight for the successful delivery of that 
money as promised. In this and every instance, I am grateful to have 
had Senator Schumer as my partner and my ally. No one fights harder or 
is more determined, and even though I am leaving the Senate and we will 
no longer serve together, I know that whenever I am missing Chuck, all 
I have to do is turn on the television, especially on Sunday in New 
York.
  Over the past 7 years, thanks to so many of you, Senator Inouye, 
Senator Cochran, and others on the Appropriations Committee--I see 
Senator Harkin and Senator Murray--you have been there with us as we 
have worked to recover.
  I am very proud of the progress that has been made bringing New York 
back and securing funding for the essential programs to provide health 
screening and monitoring and treatment for all of those who still are 
suffering.
  I have developed close and lasting relationships with many of the 
victims and the families of the victims of 9/11. I applaud and thank 
them for their courage and their fortitude in not only fighting for the 
health benefits that were so desperately needed but for the creation of 
the 9/11 Commission, for trying to do better on threat assessments, 
more resources for first responders, committed, despite their grief, to 
smarter policies to prevent future attacks on our Nation.
  I see what we did together, and then quickly followed by that the 
anthrax attacks, and I remember with such incredible gratitude how we 
all came together. We should not only come together with that level of 
connection and commitment in time of disaster. This is an opportunity 
for us to pull together, with the new administration, to make a real 
difference, a lasting difference for our Nation. That is what I have 
tried to do as a Senator from New York.
  It has been a privilege working to improve the upstate economy, 
working on behalf of the farmers of New York. I remember a short 
conversation one day with Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan, Tom Harkin, and 
Max Baucus early after my arrival about how I wanted to help 
agriculture in New York.

[[Page S414]]

  They looked at me so quizzically and said, you have farmers in New 
York? I said, yes, in fact we do, about 30, 40 thousand family farms.
  Kent Conrad looked at me and he goes, you know, I do not believe that 
at all. So I gave a speech one day with a picture of a cow and said 
that this is a cow that lives on a farm, and the farm is in New 
York. We had a lot of fun kidding each other but working hard together.

  I am grateful for the incredible efforts we made to support the 
people who do the hard work in New York and America, who get up every 
day and do the very best they can.
  In the Finger Lakes region in the North Country, we helped to expand 
broadband access and partnered with eBay to create a way for people to 
have a global marketplace, when before the market was limited to a very 
small region of our State.
  We looked for ways to retrofit trucks and schoolbuses and other heavy 
vehicles with new clean diesel technologies developed by two great 
companies in New York, in Corning and Jamestown, to clean up our 
environment.
  We created the first ever greenprint for Rochester--a blueprint, 
really, for how the city can harness its extraordinary research 
institutions and their business leadership and others to come up with a 
way to be a clean energy leader.
  We worked across the State to target investments from Bioinformatics 
in Buffalo to cultural icons such as the Stanley Theater in Utica. I 
took special pleasure in working with tourism because New York is such 
a great place of historic culture that I believed it needed to be given 
more support. For me, going to Seneca Falls, the home of the National 
Women's Hall of Fame and site of the landmark Women's Rights 
Convention, the first in the world in 1848, was a labor of love.
  There is a lot to look back on with great nostalgia and a lot of 
excitement, but I want to look forward now because we are at a turning 
point. I know that very well, as all of you do. Our challenge will be 
to come together, putting aside partisan differences and even, insofar 
as we can, geographic differences to meet the challenges of our time. I 
know our two leaders are struggling to do that as we speak. But I think 
this could be one of the golden eras of the history of the Senate. This 
could be a time when people will look back and say: You know, you never 
can count America out. Whenever the chips are down, we always rise to 
the occasion. We figure out a way forward and then we make life better 
for our people. We extend peace and prosperity and progress throughout 
the world. I am very excited about what can happen in the next 4 years. 
There is a lot of work ahead of us, but I know the people in this 
Chamber are more than up to it.
  Finally, to my fellow New Yorkers, I wish to express my profound 
gratitude. I loved being your Senator. Serving you has been the 
opportunity of a lifetime. It gave me the chance to continue the work 
of my life, to advocate on behalf of every single child's chance to 
live up to his or her God-given potential, to fight hard for those who 
too often do feel invisible, to remedy wrongs, as I hope we will do 
either today or in the next few days to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair 
Pay Act as well as the Paycheck Fairness Act, to do what we know will 
give our fellow Americans a better shot at the kind of future that is 
within their grasp.
  I have had a lot of fun: 8 State fairs, 45 parades, 62 counties, more 
than 4,600 events across the State. I look back wistfully, and I look 
forward hopefully. I now, if confirmed, will have the high honor of 
serving our country in a new role, but I will be sustained and directed 
by the same values that have motivated me for nearly four decades in 
public service.
  So to my colleagues in the Senate, thank you. You have been wonderful 
teachers and mentors and very good friends. And to the superb 
Democratic staff and their Republican counterparts who keep this 
Chamber going day-in and day-out no matter how late we are here and how 
long the workload turns out to be and to my own staff here and across 
New York, to my supporters, and, most of all, to the people of the 
great Empire State, I may not have always been a New Yorker, but I know 
I always will be one. New York, its spirit, and its people will always 
be part of me and of the work I do.
  I look forward to continuing my association with this body. We have 
much to do over in Foggy Bottom. We need your help to kind of clear up 
the fog, to give us a chance to operate on all cylinders with the 
direction and the resources and the improved management techniques I 
hope to bring to the job.
  This is a challenging and defining moment, but I will always keep 
faith in this body and in my fellow Americans. I remain an optimist, 
that America's best days are still ahead of us.
  (Applause, Members rising.)

                               Exhibit 1

    List of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's Staff, Past and Present

       Huma Abedin, Barbara Adair, Joshua Albert, Amanda Alcott, 
     David Alexander, Lily Alpert, Karl Alvarez, Erin Ashwell, 
     Kris Balderston, Brendan Ballard, Mary Catherine Beach, 
     Kathleen Beale, Eric Bederman, Yael Belkind, Suzanne Bennett 
     Johnson, John Biba, Nina Blackwell, Swathi Bojedla, Amy 
     Bonitatibus Crowley, Victoria Brescoll.
       M. Tracey Brooks, Catherine Brown, Colleen Burns, Daniel 
     Burton, W. Case Button, Wendy Button, Gloria Cadavid, Emily 
     Cain, Cathleen Calhoun, Jonathan Cardinal, Brian Carter, 
     Joseph Caruso, Robin Chappelle, Dana Chasin, Bradford Cheney, 
     Pamela Cicetti, James Clancy, Sarah Clark, Jennell Cofer 
     Lynch, Elizabeth Condon.
       Sean Conway, Sam Cooper, Theresia Cooper, Julie Dade 
     Howard, Heather Davis, Jenny Davis, Samuel Davis, Trevor 
     Dean, James Delapp, Amitabh Desai, Allison DiRienzo, Paula 
     Domenici, Karen Dunn, Eleanore Edson, Cleon Edwards, Diane 
     Elmore, Sarah England, Leecia Eve, Christine Falvo, Rebecca 
     Fertig.
       David Garten, Ann Gavaghan, Sarah Gegenheimer, Gigi 
     Georges, Kate Geyer, Dayna Gibbons, Robyn Golden, Rebecca 
     Goldenberg, Stacey Gordon, Jennifer Hanley, Monica Hanley, 
     Beth Harkavy, Jennifer Harper, Jennifer Heater, David 
     Helfenbein, Luis Hernandez, Eric Hersey, Christina Ho, 
     Melissa Ho, Joe Householder.
       Kara Hughes, Jehmal Hudson, Lucy Walker Irving, Lindsey 
     Katherine Jack, Kelly James, Tiffany JeanBaptiste, Irene 
     Jefferson, Lauren Jiloty, Keren Johnson, LaToya Johnson, 
     Michael Kanick, Jody Kaplan, Wendy Katz, Peter Kauffmann, Jim 
     Keane, Elizabeth Kelley, Michelle Kessler, Yekyu Kim, Heather 
     King, Joshua Kirshner.
       Danielle Kline, Kathleen Klink, Benjamin Kobren, Justin 
     Krebs, Jennifer Kritz, Michelle Krohn-Friedson, Laura 
     Krolczyk, Grant Kevin Lane, Elizabeth Lee, Joyce Lenard, 
     Alexandra Lewin, Andrew Lewis, Rachel Alice Lewis, Susan 
     Lisagor, Eric Lovecchio, Jonathan Lovett, Frank Luk, 
     Tamera Luzzatto, Ken Mackintosh, Sharyn Magarian.
       Mickie Mailey, Jamie Mannina, Jaime Martinez, Ramon 
     Martinez, Shalini Matani, Chelsea Maughan, Corinne McGown, 
     Lorraine McHugh-Wytkind, Michelle Dianne McIntyre, Luz 
     Mendez, Sheila Menz, Susan Merrell, Noah Messing, Lauren 
     Montes, Gillian Mueller, Timothy Mulvey, David Mustra, 
     Matthew Nelson, Ray Ocasio, Ellen Ochs.
       Ann O'Leary, Alexis O'Brien, Kevin O'Neal, Sean O'Shea, 
     Mildred Otero, Erica Pagel, Andrea Palm, Costas Panagopolous, 
     Paul Paolozzi, Kathryn Parker, Mira Patel, Charles Perham, 
     Karen Persichilli Keogh, Joshua Picker, Kyla Pollack, Tyson 
     Pratcher, Alice Pushkar, Murali Raju, Jeffrey Ratner, Kathy 
     Read.
       Philippe Reines, Robyn Rimmer, Brenda Ritson, Joleen 
     Rivera, Melissa Rochester, Miguel Rodriguez, Rose Rodriguez, 
     William Rom, Tracey Ross, Laurie Rubiner, Courtenay Ruddy, 
     Mark Saavedra, Susie Saavedra, Joshua Schank, Daniel 
     Schwerin, Kelly Severance Nelson, Ruby Shamir, Andrew 
     Shapiro, Geraldine Shapiro, Jessica Shapiro.
       Jyoti Sharma, Debra Simpson, Basil Smikle, Jake Smiles, 
     Sarah Smith, Benjamin Souede, Phillip Spector, Joanna 
     Spilker, Aprill Springfield, Dileep Srihari, Anjuli 
     Srivastava, Warren Stern, Deborah Swacker, Elise Sweeney, 
     Sean Sweeney, Michael Szymanski, Neera Tanden, Lee Telega, 
     Gabrielle Tenzer, Megan Thompson.
       Carrie Torres, Tam Tran-Viet, Leo Trasande, Lacey Tucker, 
     Dan Utech, Lona Valmoro, James Vigil, Lorraine Voles, Kristen 
     Walsh, Greg Walton, Enid Weishaus, Nicole Wilett, Joshua 
     Williams, Jeanne Wilson, Erica Woodard, Yajaira Yepez, 
     Maryana Zubok.
                                  ____


                               Exhibit 2

                 Senator Clinton: Champion for New York

       For eight years in the United States Senate, Hillary Rodham 
     Clinton has been a champion for the people of New York, 
     achieving results often in the face of tough challenges and 
     tougher odds. That has been the hallmark of her tenure: 
     Senator Clinton has fought to solve problems, working with 
     Democrats and Republicans, forging new state and local 
     partnerships, proposing creative and common-sense legislative 
     solutions, and drawing national attention to challenges and 
     opportunities in New York State.
       Senator Clinton has fought for New York when New York has 
     needed a fighter most. These past eight years, New Yorkers 
     have

[[Page S415]]

     faced challenges among the toughest in our state's history 
     and tragedy among the most devastating in our nation's 
     history.
       From the time of her election in 2000, and following her 
     landslide reelection in 2006, Senator Clinton continued the 
     work she's pursued for more than 35 years in public service 
     as an advocate for children and families, a champion for 
     women's rights and human rights, a leader on health care, and 
     a voice on behalf of all those who have felt invisible.
        Standing up for New York after 9/11
       Creating Economic Opportunity
       Meeting Our Responsibility to Service-members and Veterans
       Driving Change in Health Care
       Standing Up for Women's Health
       Advocating for Children and Families
       Leading the Way to a New Energy Future
       Addressing Infrastructure Challenges


                  standing up for new york after 9/11

       In the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001, 
     Senator Clinton worked tirelessly on behalf of the victims 
     and their families and New Yorkers who needed a strong voice 
     in Washington.
       Just three days after the attacks, Senator Clinton and 
     Senator Charles Schumer went to the Oval Office and secured a 
     commitment from President Bush for $20 billion in federal aid 
     for New York's recovery. In the years that followed, they 
     fought successfully to make sure that all of the funding 
     promised to New York was delivered.
       Senator Clinton's first visit to Ground Zero was on 
     September 12, 2001, and she quickly recognized that there 
     would be lasting health problems for first responders and 
     others who rushed to provide assistance after the World Trade 
     Center attacks as well as for workers, residents, students 
     and others exposed to the toxic cloud of debris and chemicals 
     around Ground Zero. She fought for the establishment of, and 
     secured $335 million in funding for, programs to provide 
     health screening, monitoring and treatment for first 
     responders, building and construction trades workers, 
     volunteers, residents, office workers, and students suffering 
     health effects and stood up again and again to stop the Bush 
     Administration's efforts to slash funding for this critical 
     care.
       The attacks of September 11 also underscored serious gaps 
     in our homeland security, and Senator Clinton worked with the 
     families who were tragically affected by 9/11 to demand the 
     creation of the 9/11 Commission and then to implement its 
     findings, including making sure our first responders have the 
     resources and support they need to meet our crucial homeland 
     security demands and pressing for threat-based homeland 
     security funding.


                     creating economic opportunity

       Senator Clinton worked across the aisle to address the 
     economic downturn facing New York and harness the state's 
     talent and resources. To help struggling New York workers, 
     she successfully extended unemployment insurance. She was a 
     driving force behind raising the minimum wage and helped 
     secure in law the first increase in a decade.
       Senator Clinton co-authored a law that expanded Renewal 
     Zones with incentives for job creation across Upstate New 
     York. And when efforts to push additional legislative change 
     hit roadblocks in the Republican-controlled Congress, Senator 
     Clinton rolled up her sleeves and developed creative 
     strategies to stimulate economic development, expand markets 
     for New York businesses and producers and create jobs.
       In the Finger Lakes and the North Country, she partnered 
     with eBay, local universities and local companies to organize 
     public-private trading cooperatives which provide small 
     businesses with technological support, microloans, and 
     training programs to sell goods online and improve their 
     sales.
       Senator Clinton saw that New York City's restaurants were 
     buying produce out of state at the same time that upstate 
     farmers and producers were struggling, so she launched Farm-
     to-Fork, an initiative that has helped New York farmers and 
     producers sell their products to New York's restaurants, 
     schools, colleges and universities.
       She brought Artspace to Buffalo, creating a thriving model 
     for urban revitalization and economic development centered on 
     cultural projects, and secured funds to renovate downtown 
     cultural centers like Proctors Theater in Schenectady, the 
     Stanley Theater in Utica and the Strand Theater in 
     Plattsburgh.
       She helped secure the funds needed to expand broadband 
     access to rural and underserved areas in the North Country 
     and championed an agenda that would create new investments in 
     broadband infrastructure throughout the State.
       Senator Clinton also saw the need to better showcase 
     Upstate innovation to potential investors. She helped launch 
     New Jobs for New York, a non-profit organization that brought 
     together more than 2,600 entrepreneurs, investors and 
     researchers across New York and shined a spotlight on over 
     200 companies across New York, helping them to obtain the 
     investment capital, strategic partnerships and joint ventures 
     they need to grow their businesses and create jobs.
       She has also intervened to prevent jobs from leaving New 
     York and was instrumental in several large employers 
     maintaining their presence and their workforce in the state.
       Senator Clinton advocated for New York businesses and 
     research institutions, securing more than $837 million in 
     funding for cutting edge defense projects throughout the 
     state and millions more for alternative energy, 
     nanotechnology and other innovation. She championed creating 
     a business environment that encourages investments in 
     research and development and has been instrumental in the 
     renewal of the R&D tax credit that supports thousands of high 
     skill jobs in New York.


       meeting our responsibility to servicemembers and veterans

       As New York's first Senator to serve on the Senate Armed 
     Services Committee and as the only member of the Senate to 
     serve on the U.S. Joint Forces Command's Transformation 
     Advisory Group, Senator Clinton served as a leading advocate 
     for our men and women in uniform, military families, and 
     veterans.
       When the Bush Administration targeted several New York 
     military bases for closure, Senator Clinton fought back, 
     working with base communities to prevent all of the proposed 
     closures. Together, they ensured that Niagara Falls Air 
     Reserve Station, Rome Laboratories and the Defense Finance 
     and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Rome remained open and that 
     the C-130 mission remained at Stratton Air National Guard 
     Base. Her efforts actually turned a potential loss of 
     thousands of jobs into a gain of hundreds of new jobs and 
     helped to preserve and strengthen New York's vital role in 
     our national security.
       Senator Clinton was one of the first to recognize and 
     address troubling gaps in health care and health monitoring 
     for our servicemembers. Continuing work she began as First 
     Lady, she secured in law health tracking for all 
     servicemembers after it was revealed that there was no 
     baseline health history to evaluate them, ensuring that all 
     active duty personnel and reservists receive regular health 
     screenings.
       Senator Clinton worked across the aisle to secure in law 
     access to TRICARE military health care benefits for all 
     drilling members of the guard and reserve.
       Senator Clinton also secured in law the first ever 
     expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act to enable 
     military family members to take up to six months of leave to 
     care for their injured loved ones, often suffering from 
     serious injuries affecting their bodies and minds that 
     require care from family who work full time.
       Senator Clinton fought to make sure our government lives up 
     to its responsibility to our veterans after they leave 
     service. She successfully changed the law to streamline the 
     VA disability benefits claim system to cut red tape and help 
     wounded servicemembers receive the benefits they have earned. 
     She also secured in law assistance for family members caring 
     for loved ones suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI), 
     the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 
     established a Department of Defense Task Force to assess the 
     mental health challenges facing wounded warriors, including 
     post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She also fought and 
     succeeded in stopping the VA's plan to close the Canandaigua 
     VA hospital.


                     driving change in health care

       Senator Clinton distinguished herself in the Senate as a 
     leading advocate for fixing our broken health care system and 
     ensuring that all Americans have access to quality, 
     affordable health care.
       She worked with members on both sides of the aisle and with 
     health providers across New York to press for needed change 
     to improve quality, reduce costs and expand access.
       Senator Clinton saw that all too often family caregivers 
     are the ones who struggle, largely unnoticed and unaided by 
     our health care system, to provide care to chronically ill 
     loved ones with Alzheimer's and other debilitating 
     conditions. She became their champion, authoring and 
     successfully passing a groundbreaking law to expand access to 
     desperately needed respite care.
       She pushed to bring the delivery of health care into the 
     21st century, pressing for Congress to enact national 
     standards for incorporating information technology into the 
     practice of medicine to reduce medical errors, improve 
     quality and reduce costs.
       She was a driving force in efforts to expand the Children's 
     Health Insurance Program, an initiative she helped launch as 
     First Lady and which has provided access to health care for 
     thousands of children who otherwise would be uninsured, 
     including nearly 400,000 children in New York.
       She used her unique public platform to spotlight the upside 
     down incentives in our health care system, calling for an 
     emphasis on wellness and prevention of chronic diseases that 
     are driving up health care costs. And she was vigilant 
     against Bush Administration efforts to roll back health care 
     for New York's most vulnerable, stopping a short-sighted 
     attempt to cut community health clinics that are the primary 
     source of health care for many low-income New Yorkers and 
     brokering a compromise that prevented the loss of tens of 
     millions of dollars in Ryan White CARE Act HIV/AIDS funding 
     for New York.


                     STANDING UP FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH

       Senator Clinton served as a steadfast defender of women's 
     health and a leading voice against the Bush Administration's 
     efforts to put ideology before science. She successfully 
     pressed the Bush Administration for a decision on Plan B 
     emergency contraception, after more than three years of 
     delay. She spoke out against administration efforts to

[[Page S416]]

     restrict access to contraception and family planning and 
     raised the alarm against the administration's last minute 
     plan to undermine women's health by putting in place new 
     rules to allow any employee of a health provider to refuse to 
     participate in any way in health care they find 
     objectionable.


                   ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN & FAMILIES

       Senator Clinton has also continued her life-long advocacy 
     on behalf of children and families.
       She saw significant barriers facing grandparents and other 
     family members raising children who would otherwise end up in 
     foster care. So she fought for and secured in law landmark 
     legislation to keep families together and remove obstacles 
     facing grandparents, uncles, aunts, and other family members 
     trying to enroll children in school, sign them up for health 
     care or access other needed services, information and 
     referrals.
       Following the tragic death of Cameron Gulbransen of Long 
     Island, Senator Clinton joined with families and safety 
     advocates to pass into law legislation requiring that all new 
     vehicles produced in the United States include safety 
     features to protect children against preventable injuries and 
     death from non-traffic accidents in and around cars. Senator 
     Clinton partnered with former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim 
     Kelley to secure in law expanded access to newborn screening 
     and increase groundbreaking research at the National 
     Institutes of Health.
       And as chair of the Senate Superfund and Environmental 
     Health subcommittee, Senator Clinton held hearings and fought 
     to address environmental health hazards, like child lead 
     poisoning and asthma, that disproportionately affect low-
     income and minority communities.
       When the Bush Administration stopped enforcing the 
     ``Pediatric Rule,'' a Clinton Administration regulation 
     requiring that drugs prescribed to children be tested and 
     labeled for safety and effectiveness specifically in 
     children, Senator Clinton forged a bipartisan coalition to 
     restore the rule and secure it in law. And when President 
     Bush nominated an opponent of basic safety regulations for 
     children's products to head the Consumer Products Safety 
     Commission, Senator Clinton led an alliance of consumer 
     groups and safety advocates to successfully block the 
     nomination.


                   EXPANDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY

       Senator Clinton pushed successfully for more funding for 
     Head Start programs that benefit nearly 50,000 low-income New 
     York families and pushed for the expansion of Early Head 
     Start, bringing national attention to the importance of a 
     comprehensive zero to five early childhood system. She also 
     secured in law legislation to place additional teachers and 
     principals in the schools where they are most needed.
       Senator Clinton fought for and succeeded in expanding 
     access to affordable college loans and Pell Grants, including 
     year-round Pell for non-traditional students, so that more 
     students who want to attend college will have that 
     opportunity, regardless of their background or circumstances. 
     Senator Clinton also championed public service, securing the 
     funding needed to maintain AmeriCorps and enable more 
     Americans to serve our communities in exchange for assistance 
     with college costs.


                 LEADING THE WAY TO A NEW ENERGY FUTURE

       From her first days in office, Senator Clinton made it a 
     priority to protect New York's natural resources and develop 
     New York's potential as a leader in alternative energy. She 
     secured in law environmental protection for Long Island Sound 
     and the Great Lakes.
       Senator Clinton also helped pass a new law to clean up 
     polluted land known as brownfields, and worked to bring 
     together developers, environmentalists, and local leaders 
     from across New York to redevelop blighted properties.
       Senator Clinton was an early advocate for harnessing 
     alternative energy as an engine of economic growth, working 
     with public and private partners across New York to pioneer 
     new green strategies. She secured in law major federal 
     funding for New York to retrofit trucks, school buses and 
     other heavy vehicles with new clean diesel technologies 
     developed in Corning and cleaner engines manufactured in 
     Jamestown. In Rochester, Senator Clinton worked with local 
     leaders to develop the first in the nation urban ``green 
     print,'' a plan for environmentally sustainable growth and 
     alternative energy development. She also secured passage of 
     laws to create ``green jobs'' training programs, and to push 
     the federal government to install green building 
     technologies.


                  ADDRESSING INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES

       As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, 
     Senator Clinton in 2005 helped craft major transportation 
     legislation reauthorized every five years that sets the 
     nation's investment in our highways and mass transit. In her 
     role as a key negotiator, Senator Clinton secured over $16.5 
     billion in transportation funding for New York, a substantial 
     increase of approximately $3 billion over the previous bill. 
     She also succeeded in including in the law new pollution 
     controls for construction equipment and creation of a 
     commission to chart the nation's transportation future.
       In the wake of the tragic Minnesota bridge collapse in 
     2007, which dramatically underscored the urgency of our 
     infrastructure needs, Senator Clinton helped secure in law 
     legislation to address the deteriorating condition of our 
     nation's roads, bridges, drinking water systems, dams and 
     other public works. She also successfully pressed for 
     increased funding for Amtrak and high speed rail and to 
     reduce flight delays and ease congestion in New York's 
     crowded airspace.
       For nearly four decades, Hillary Rodham Clinton has 
     dedicated herself to public service, as an attorney twice 
     voted one of the most influential in America, a First Lady of 
     Arkansas who helped transform the state's health care and 
     education systems, a First Lady of the United States who 
     fought for families at home and women's rights around the 
     world, a renowned expert and advocate for quality affordable 
     health care for all Americans, and as a twice-elected United 
     States Senator who was a tireless champion for the people of 
     New York and a voice for the voiceless everywhere. This 
     document is a snapshot of Senator Clinton's efforts and 
     accomplishments for New York in the Senate, but she has also 
     worked across the Empire State to help communities tackle 
     local challenges and capitalize on their unique 
     opportunities.

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from New York.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I thank the Chair for the opportunity to 
speak today about the wonderful record of our esteemed colleague, 
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
  For 8 years, Senator Clinton and I have served jointly as New York 
Senators, and I have seen, better than anyone, her unwavering 
commitment to her constituents and her country. Through all this time, 
Hillary has demonstrated the equanimity, the prudence, and the 
fortitude that have made her an exceptional leader and a great public 
servant.
  Hillary's career has been defined by her unflagging desire to improve 
the lives of the least fortunate among us. Even before finishing 
school, she was working to protect children at the Children's Defense 
Fund and the Carnegie Defense Fund on Children. Turning down a 
promising career in Washington, Hillary moved to Arkansas and directed 
the legal aid clinic at the University of Arkansas Law School.
  During her tenure as First Lady, Hillary made it her priority to 
fight for justice around the world, advocating for women's rights and 
democracy worldwide. She made huge gains in protecting women and 
families. She helped create the Office of Violence Against Women at the 
Justice Department and was instrumental in the passage of the Foster 
Care Independence Act and the Adoption and Safe Families Act.
  After serving her country 8 years as First Lady, when most people 
would retire, Hillary stepped up and has served as a vital and powerful 
advocate on behalf of the people of New York. Going from the White 
House to White Plains, Hillary has continued to show as much acumen in 
her dealings with national and global leaders as she shows empathy and 
interest in the needs of private individuals around New York.
  We are the only Federal position where two people serve the exact 
same job, so you get to know your colleague almost better than anyone 
else. I have seen firsthand Hillary's dedication and tenacity. Let me 
tell you all, tell the people of New York, Hillary looks great from far 
away, but the closer you get, the better she looks.
  I just want to say this, Hillary: It is a day, as you said so well, 
of looking back wistfully but to the future with anticipation. That is 
how I feel. I look back wistfully at the many experiences we shared, 
working together, getting to know one another, and learning to work and 
respect and love one another. It has been an amazing part of my 
experience. I am so thankful for the 8 years we worked together for the 
people of New York and America. I know our friendship, as we have said 
to one another, will continue no matter what corner of the globe you 
are in. And maybe I will try to get some international presence on 
those Sunday press conferences so you can see them over there. They are 
mainly aimed at local New York stuff.
  Let me just say, as Hillary said, we traveled the State together. We 
taught each other about agriculture and worked side by side on those 
horrible days after 9/11. We have worked for the benefit of aging 
nuclear weapons and helping the onion farmers in the Hudson Valley. 
What a great experience it has been.
  Of course, as my colleagues know, for all the time she focused and 
spent on the people of New York--and it was an enormous and successful 
effort--she also at the same time has been one of our most active and 
engaged colleagues

[[Page S417]]

in the Senate, working on issues of national policy and international 
importance, from national security to early childhood education. In all 
of her many roles as a public servant, Hillary has always shown the 
insight to see the heart of a problem. She has had the courage to 
tackle it and the talent to solve it. That is the trademark of Hillary 
Clinton--insight, courage, talent, all applied for the betterment of 
the people of New York, the people of America, and now the people of 
the world. No matter how abstract the problem, no matter how esoteric 
the question, Hillary has never once forgotten the people whose lives 
and happiness depend on her work.
  So Hillary, yes, it is a bittersweet day, but I am so joyful about 
the excitement--it is palpable--that you exude going on to this new 
challenge. I am also--and I know every one of the people of New York is 
as well--grateful for the wonderful job you have done serving them and 
us. It has been a great ride. I am so grateful, again, for the 
opportunity to work alongside of you.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Maryland.
  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, I join with the Senator from New York, 
Mr. Schumer, in giving a tribute to our dear friend, Senator Hillary 
Rodham Clinton. How special it is today that, as she gave her farewell 
speech, we are literally within minutes on the brink of a vote to 
proceed to the Lilly Ledbetter bill. Senator Clinton has been a 
champion for women, a champion for the opportunity of women, and was 
the lead on introducing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. How terrific 
it is that as she gives her last speech on the Senate floor, we will be 
voting on something for which she has been a champion.
  She has been a champion for women both here and around the country, 
for their economic security, their health security, and also for women 
around the world, both in her work as First Lady and here in the 
Senate, whether it was to make sure to work with our current 
administration to have access to education for Afghan girls, but also 
as First Lady with the women of the world to make sure, through her 
project, Vital Voices, women had those voices.
  She has been a champion all of her career. Whether it was at the 
Legal Defense Fund, as First Lady, or now as a Senator of the United 
States, she has always made sure she has stood up for those who had no 
voice, and she has used her voice to speak for them. That is what we 
know she will continue to do.
  But I think what we also admire about Senator Clinton is, she is not 
only at home with world leaders with whom she will certainly work in 
her new job but with community leaders as well.
  She spoke eloquently about her challenge and Senator Schumer's 
challenge on that despicable and horrible day of 9/11. But I also want 
to talk just very quickly about September 10 because while we know 
Senator Clinton is a woman of great integrity, keen intellect, and is a 
can-do person, many do not realize the wonderful bipartisanship in 
which she has tried to engage in this body. So let me tell you as one 
of the women of the Senate where we were on September 10.
  The night before that terrible day, we were at Senator Clinton's 
house, affectionately calling her Hillary. All of the women, on a 
bipartisan basis, were there because, guess what we were doing, Mr. 
President. We were throwing Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison a shower. 
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison had just adopted a child. We were so 
enthusiastic, and we, the women of the Senate, do what women do all 
over America, we threw Senator Kay a shower, and we gathered at 
Hillary's house. We had great food, a couple of drinks that made us 
feel even better. We told stories. We teased Kay. I volunteered to be 
Aunt Barb, and she knew I had many talents, but baby-sitting would not 
be one. We had such a wonderful time. But that was not the only time, 
as she has worked with all of us. But it shows the warmth and the way 
she goes about that.
  We will always cherish where we were that night because it was 
special because the next day was so stunning. I could give many 
examples about it, but we know she has been a tenacious advocate for 
the people of New York, a leader on crucial issues, a respected 
colleague, and a dear friend. We are going to miss her, but we know as 
the Secretary of State she will be a new voice of America. And America 
does need a new voice.
  Senator Clinton, we know you are going to get us back on track. You 
are going to work with President Obama to restore our national honor, 
to repair those friendships around the world which we desperately need. 
And as you have been in so many things, we know you will be unflinching 
on human rights and unflagging in strengthening America's alliances 
abroad. We will work together on those issues, and we know you will be 
a great Secretary of State. You have been a spectacular Senator, and it 
is because you are just simply a wonderful human being.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is 
recognized.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I say to my good friend from New York, 
through the Chair, I believe the new President could not have made a 
better selection for Secretary of State. Senator Clinton has had a 
unique career in the Senate, actually having only been here 8 years, 
but nevertheless a candidate for President of the United States who 
came very close. She had fabulous public service before that as First 
Lady for 8 years. She has clearly made a difference throughout her 
life, and I expect she will do the same again.
  I told her on the floor privately, I am particularly enthusiastic 
about her selection as Secretary of State because I think she will be 
the first Secretary of State in the history of the United States who 
has actually been to Hazard and Pikeville, KY. That should give her an 
extra edge in this new responsibility which she is about to assume.
  I say to the Senator from New York, we will be anxious to work with 
her on some of the issues for which we shared a passion during her 
years as Secretary of State. I know she will do an outstanding job. She 
has been a credit to the Senate and will be one of the Nation's 
outstanding Secretaries of State.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as I think about Senator Clinton's leaving 
the Senate to become Secretary of State, I am reminded of the words of 
the great English bard William Shakespeare, who wrote that ``parting is 
such sweet sorrow.''
  Senator Clinton's departure from this chamber is a time for joy as 
well as sorrow. Hillary Clinton has been an effective, hard-working 
Senator.
  When Senator Clinton first came to the Senate in 2001, she asked my 
advice. Although Mrs. Clinton had been an accomplished and graceful 
First Lady, she told me that she wanted to excel at working for the 
State of New York.
  I advised her to be a work horse about her new role as a Senator and 
a work horse she has been, and the people of her State have benefitted.
  Following the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001, she and I 
worked with Senator Schumer to secure financial aid for New York City 
to help the city to recover from that terrible tragedy. For that, she 
has since referred to me as the ``third Senator from New York,'' and I 
am very proud of that designation.
  Senator Clinton and I have worked together on legislation for the 
withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, served on the Budget Committee 
together, and worked on several important appropriations issues.
  Senator Clinton has been an active and aggressive Senator, always 
mindful of the traditions of this great Chamber. She has won the 
respect and admiration of everyone.
  In her 2008 Presidential bid, Hillary Clinton broke down barriers for 
women all across this country, and inspired many of them to pursue 
their own hopes and dreams of a future in politics.
  I will miss Senator Clinton. This Chamber has been graced by her 
eloquence, intelligence, and her natural leadership.
  Mrs. Clinton's 8 years as our country's First Lady, and her 8 years 
in the U.S. Senate, where she served on five different Senate 
committees, including the Senate Armed Services Committee, certainly 
qualify her for the high honor of being Secretary of State. She will

[[Page S418]]

shine in that office because of her sound judgement, keen intellect, 
sharp wit, infectious charm, and powerful commitment to making this 
world a better place.
  I congratulate Senator Clinton on her new position and wish her the 
best of luck and success. These are troubled times and she will have a 
most difficult job in the years ahead. Speaking at her graduation at 
Wellesley College, Hillary Clinton declared that, ``the challenge now 
is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be 
impossible, possible.''
  I say go to it Secretary of State-designate Clinton. If anyone can 
make ``what appears to be impossible, possible,'' Secretary of State 
Hillary Rodham Clinton can and will.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President. I have known Hillary Clinton for many years, 
but for the past 8 years I have had the pleasure of working with her as 
a colleague in the U.S. Senate.
  People on all points of the political spectrum agree that Senator 
Clinton is one of the brightest, most highly accomplished U.S. 
Senators.
  Born in the hometown of our President-elect--Chicago--Hillary Clinton 
graduated from Wellesley College, where she was the first student in 
the school's history to deliver her own commencement address--not a 
Governor, a U.S. Senator, dean, or the university president.
  She then attended Yale Law School, where she met her future husband 
and our future President, Bill Clinton.
  After law school, she worked for the Children's Defense Fund and 
served as a member of the Watergate inquiry staff in the House of 
Representatives.
  When the Clintons moved to Arkansas, Hillary became a successful 
attorney in private practice and served as the State's First Lady.
  We all know that she was a remarkable First Lady, leading the way on 
health care reform, helping create the State Children's Health 
Insurance Program, as well as the Violence Against Women Act.
  We also know that she was not just a leader for domestic policy, but 
also became an admired and effective diplomat throughout the world, 
especially in her call for human rights.
  When Senator Clinton came to the Senate 8 years ago, some expected 
her to have trouble fitting in. Those concerns quickly disappeared--she 
was a natural. She has proven in her time here to be exceptionally 
adept at the give-and-take of the legislative process.
  As a result, in just 8 years, she has left an indelible mark, 
especially through her seats on the Health, Education, Labor and 
Pensions Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the 
Special Committee on Aging and the Armed Services Committee.
  As with Senator Biden, the departure of Senator Clinton is 
bittersweet. She brought a wealth of knowledge, skill and wisdom here, 
and she will be sorely missed.
  But after the last 8 years--with so much work ahead to repair our 
country's once-lofty stature in the world, I can think of no one better 
suited for the challenges ahead than the Senator from New York, Hillary 
Clinton, our next Secretary of State.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas.

                          ____________________