[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 165 (Tuesday, December 14, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10227-S10228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS


                               Judd Gregg

  Mr. DURBIN. I want to join my colleagues in wishing our friend, 
Senator Judd Gregg, the best of luck as he prepares for his new life 
beyond the U.S. Senate.
  I don't think it is any exaggeration to say that, without the 
leadership and dogged insistence of Judd Gregg and Kent Conrad, there 
would have been no Presidential Deficit Commission.
  As a member of that commission, I want to say to Senator Gregg: I 
will get you back for that one.
  In all seriousness, serving on the Deficit Commission was not an easy 
assignment. But I believe the commission's work, and the way we went 
about our work, shows that Democrats and Republicans can still reason 
together and act together for the good of our nation. I thank Senator 
Gregg for helping to remind us of that important truth.
  You might remember a few years back when Senator Gregg won about 
$850,000 in a Powerball payoff. A bunch of us on our side of the aisle 
tried to convince him that he ought to do what all big lottery winners 
do: quit his job. He said no--there was more he wanted to do in the 
Senate.
  Judd and I served together in the House and the Senate and, as I 
said, on the Deficit Commission. We're one of the Odd Couples of 
Capitol Hill. He's Felix and I'm Oscar.
  We haven't agreed on a whole lot. But we have been allies on some 
big, important fights. Judd was an indispensible leader in the effort 
to finally give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco. His work on 
that bill will save thousands and thousands of lives in America and 
around the world and I am proud to have been his partner on it.
  I understand that Judd Gregg is the only person in New Hampshire 
history ever elected Senator, Congressman, Governor and Councilor. 
Little-known fact: I think he was also the model for the Old Man in the 
Mountain.
  When Judd claimed his Powerball winnings, he told reporters, ``Even 
Senators get lucky sometime.'' I am lucky to have worked with Judd 
Gregg in both the House and the Senate for almost 15 years. We have had 
some spirited differences--always will. But I respect him as an 
independent-minded conservative, a tough negotiator and a man who 
believes in public service.
  I wish Judd, Kathy and their family the very best in the next 
chapters of their lives.


                               Judd Gregg

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, through three terms in this chamber, 
Senator Judd Gregg has been a consistent, principled voice for 
responsible stewardship of the taxpayers' hard-earned money. Though he 
and I have not always agreed on the roles and responsibilities of 
government, that has not diminished my admiration for his principled 
stand on fiscal responsibility, a stand that has at times brought him 
into conflict with members from both parties.
  Senator Gregg has been willing to cross party lines on important 
issues throughout his tenure in the Senate. At times that has been the 
result of his belief in limiting deficits, as when he opposed the 
creation of the Medicare drug benefit in 2003 without identifying ways 
to pay for it. But he also supported last year the nomination of Sonia 
Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. He has voted to allow Food and Drug 
Administration regulation of tobacco. And he has voted to give U.S. 
workers a higher minimum wage.
  Still, Senator Gregg will rightly be remembered primarily for his 
advocacy of prudent spending. He consistently has pressed for a 
detailed, bipartisan effort to address the Nation's troubling fiscal 
situation. The bill he worked on with Senator Conrad ultimately became 
the model for the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and 
Reform. While the success of the commission is still unclear, it 
already is clear that Senator Gregg's efforts have helped move the 
discussion forward.
  I congratulate Senator Gregg on his distinguished service, and I wish 
him the best of luck in wherever his new endeavors take him.


                            George Voinovich

  Mr. President, aside from a few college football Saturdays each fall, 
Michigan and Ohio share much. Both States are known for our 
manufacturing strength. And both are known for the central role the 
Great Lakes play in the daily lives of our citizens. And over his 12 
years in this chamber, Senator George Voinovich has demonstrated that 
these shared interests are far more important than party labels.
  I have had the pleasure of working alongside Senator Voinovich on 
these and other important issues. Since 2007, he has been my co-chair 
on the Great Lakes Task Force, and he has brought just as much 
dedication and commitment to that work as you would expect from an 
Ohioan, lover of our Lakes, and expert angler. Recently, the greatest 
issue facing the Lakes has been the threat of invasive species, and 
especially Asian carp, which could devastate Great Lakes ecosystems if 
they make their way up the Mississippi River valley. His strong 
advocacy for protecting the Lakes helped yield an important victory 
just last month with passage of the Asian Carp Prevention and Control 
Act, which added the bighead carp to the list of species prohibited 
from import into the United States.
  Senator Voinovich was instrumental in helping ensure passage of the 
Great Lakes Compact, which protects the waters of the Great Lakes from 
diversion. He helped secure more than $200 million in funding for 
cleanup of contaminated sediments under the Great Lakes Legacy Act. And 
he has been my valued partner in introducing the Great Lakes Ecosystem 
Protection Act, which would provide important tools and funding to 
address a wide range of environmental concerns on the Lakes. Senator 
Voinovich also recognizes the integral role the Lakes play in our 
States' economies, and so has been at the forefront of efforts to 
promote shipping and commerce on the Lakes.
  In addition to his impressive legacy on Great Lakes issues, Senator 
Voinovich has been a thoughtful and effective advocate for our States' 
manufacturers. He and I co-chair the Senate Auto Caucus, and in this 
role, he has done much to ensure that the domestic auto industry, the 
backbone of American manufacturing, remains strong. He has been a 
powerful voice in the Senate for ensuring that U.S. manufacturers, 
including our auto industry, are able to fully participate in overseas 
markets, just as foreign companies are given access to our markets; his 
opposition to unfair aspects of a proposed free trade agreement with 
South Korea is just one recent example of that advocacy.
  It is no surprise that in his work on these issues, Senator Voinovich 
has been motivated by the interests of his State and our nation, and 
not the desire to score partisan points. He has throughout his time in 
the Senate--and before, when serving as a mayor and governor--
demonstrated the ability to find areas of bipartisan agreement, even 
when he faced political pressure to walk the party line. To cite just a 
recent example: He was one of a handful of Republicans to cross party 
lines and vote for the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act, which 
provided important new tools to help small businesses grow and provide 
the jobs we need to get our economy going.
  On these and other issues, I have had the opportunity to work closely 
with Senator Voinovich. I will miss him when we return in January. He 
has been a powerful and principled advocate for his State. The people 
of my State have benefitted greatly from his work on issues of common 
interest between Michigan and Ohio. And I have benefitted greatly from 
his wisdom, friendship and teamwork.

[[Page S10228]]

                             Sam Brownback

  Mr. CONRAD. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my colleague, 
Senator Sam Brownback, who will be leaving the Senate at the end of 
this term. Senator Brownback has served the people of Kansas for 16 
years in the Congress, serving one term in the House of Representatives 
before being elected to the Senate in 1996. Sam is leaving the Senate 
to serve the people of Kansas as their Governor.
  As rural, Midwestern States, Kansas and North Dakota have a lot in 
common, sharing many of the same challenges and opportunities. 
Agriculture is a key component of both States' economies. In fact, 
North Dakota and Kansas often vie for the position of top wheat 
producer. Senator Brownback knows agriculture well, having been raised 
on a farm near Parker, KS, and serving as a State leader of Future 
Farmers of America in high school. Early in his career, Sam served as 
Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. These experiences prepared him for his 
work in the Senate, where he championed producing more energy from 
biofuels and opening overseas markets to American beef--two issues that 
are just as important to farmers and ranchers in North Dakota as they 
are to those in Kansas.
  I worked closely with Sam on a program that helps ensure that 
individuals who live in rural areas have access to doctors. The Conrad 
State 30 program allows foreign doctors educated in the United States 
on J-1 visas to obtain a waiver of the requirement to return to their 
home country for 2 years if they agree to practice for 3 years in a 
medically underserved area of the country. This program has been vital 
for individuals in rural States like Kansas and North Dakota. Without 
it, residents of rural areas would have to travel long distances to 
visit physicians. I am proud to have Senator Brownback's support of 
legislation to expand this program and make it permanent.
  Senator Brownback's concern for his fellowman does not stop at 
America's borders. Although he does not serve on the Senate Foreign 
Relations Committee, Sam has been very involved in international 
affairs, and has dedicated himself to causes that protect the most 
vulnerable. He was instrumental in passing the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act, worked to bring peace to Darfur, and, most recently, 
fought to end the trade in conflict minerals from the Congo.
  Sam is one of the most genuine Members of the Senate. He is willing 
to listen to opposing views and engage in respectful debate. This great 
body will miss Senator Brownback's collegiality.
  I thank Senator Brownback for his service in the Senate and wish him 
the best as he continues to represent the people of Kansas as their 
Governor.


                            George Voinovich

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I would like to ask my colleagues to join 
me today in recognizing the service of a fellow Senator, and friend, 
Senator George Voinovich. He has spent over four decades as a public 
servant and has been a tireless advocate for the State of Ohio.
  Senator Voinovich started his career in public service in 1967 when 
he served as a Member of the Ohio House of Representatives. He then 
went on to serve as a county commissioner, the mayor of Cleveland, and 
as the Governor of Ohio. In 1998, he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  Having worked extensively in local government, Senator Voinovich 
understood first-hand the importance of Federal investment in 
infrastructure before he ever arrived in Washington.
  Senator Voinovich has served with me on the Environment and Public 
Works Committee since the 106th Congress, 1999. Throughout his career, 
he has been a great advocate for transportation. As the ranking member 
of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee during the 111th 
Congress, he helped us ensure ongoing investment in Federal highway, 
transit and highway safety programs and the jobs that those investments 
create.
  In hearings, Senator Voinovich has frequently highlighted the 
importance of investing in infrastructure at all levels of government 
and often called on his colleagues to support passage of a new long-
term surface transportation authorization at increased funding levels.
  He and his staff have contributed to the efforts of our committee to 
draft a new surface transportation authorization. Senator Voinovich's 
passion for these issues was influential among his colleagues on the 
Environment and Public Works Committee, and will help guide us as we 
move forward on new transportation legislation.
  During his service on the Environment and Public Works Committee, 
Senator Voinovich has also been an advocate for investing in America's 
water resources and protecting water quality. I was also pleased to 
join him as a cosponsor of the Clean Coastal Health and Public Health 
Act, which helps to ensure our Nation's beaches are safe for swimming 
and recreation.
  I am also grateful for his partnership in supporting investment in 
America's ports, which are important economic drivers in both Ohio and 
California, and are vital to the national economy.
  Senator Voinovich's service on the Environment and Public Works 
Committee will have a lasting impact both in the State of Ohio, and 
across the Nation. I want to extend my best wishes to Senator Voinovich 
and his family in his retirement, and express my gratitude for his many 
years of hard work and dedication to public service.

                          ____________________