[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 169 (Saturday, December 18, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10688-S10689]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS


                             Russ Feingold

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, with the close of the 111th Congress, the 
Senate will lose to retirement Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin--a 
proud progressive, a fearless reformer, and a genuine maverick in the 
very best sense of that much-abused term.
  During his three terms in this body, Senator Feingold has been a 
worthy successor to another great progressive reformer from Wisconsin, 
Senator Robert ``Fighting Bob'' LaFollette, whose desk I am proud to 
occupy, here on the Senate floor--and whose portrait is displayed 
prominently in Senator Feingold's office.
  Like Senator LaFollette, Russ Feingold knows that it is not enough to 
be on the side of the angels. It is not enough to have our hearts in 
the right place. Progressivism, by its very nature, is a fight against 
entrenched corporate interests, entrenched economic privilege, and 
entrenched political power. If we are going to succeed against these 
forces, we have to know how to fight, and we have to be willing to 
fight. And, as our colleagues here in the Senate know very well, 
Senator Feingold is equally skilled at building bridges across the 
aisle and tenaciously carrying the fight to those who oppose 
progressive change.
  Most famously, we witnessed these talents during Senator Feingold's 
relentless campaign to pass the landmark 2002 Bipartisan Campaign 
Reform Act, better known as the McCain-Feingold law. Senator Feingold 
and his legislative partner, Senator John McCain, championed this 
legislation for nearly 2 years, overcoming stiff resistance from both 
parties, as well as from powerful interests outside the Senate. They 
faced countless obstacles but refused to give up. They won.
  Again, in 2007, in the wake of the Abramoff scandals, Senator 
Feingold played the key role in pushing through the Honest Leadership 
and Open Government Act, a tough ethics and lobbying reform bill, which 
included stringent disclosure requirements and a crack-down on abusive 
practices by lobbyists.
  As chair of the Judiciary Committee's Constitution subcommittee, 
Senator Feingold cast the Senate's lone vote against the USA PATRIOT 
Act.
  For nearly two decades in this body, Senator Feingold has been an 
outspoken champion of working Americans--fighting for safer workplaces, 
the right to organize, stronger public schools, better access to higher 
education and health care. He has always stood up for Wisconsin's 
family farmers and rural communities.
  Senator Feingold has accomplished important and even historic things 
during his tenure as U.S. Senator. But, in my book, the highest 
accolade is simply that Russ Feingold is a good and decent person, with 
a passion for fairness, social justice, and honest government.
  For me, it has been a great honor to be his friend and colleague for 
the last 18 years. Our friendship, of course, will continue--as will 
Russ Feingold's fight for the progressive causes we both believe in.
  Our great friend Paul Wellstone used to say that ``the future belongs 
to those with passion.'' By that definition, Russ Feingold has a 
wonderful future ahead of him. I join with the entire Senate family in 
wishing him the very best in the years ahead.


                             Robert Bennett

  Mr. President, in these closing days of the 111th Congress, the 
Senate will be saying farewell to one of our most seasoned and 
accomplished Members, respected on both sides of the aisle, Senator 
Robert Bennett of Utah.
  Certainly, no one in this body doubts Senator Bennett's staunch 
conservative values and principles, especially on fiscal and regulatory 
issues. But, throughout his 18 years in this body, Senator Bennett has 
been a consensus builder, willing to reach across the aisle in order to 
get important things done for the people of Utah and of the entire 
United States. Clearly, this thoughtfulness has caused him to lose 
favor with the more extreme wing of his party, for which he paid a 
price during the primary election this year. I know I am not alone in 
mourning the loss of one of the Senate's most thoughtful conservatives.
  For example, he partnered with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon in 
advocating a legislation to provide universal health insurance 
coverage.
  And in response to the financial crisis of 2008, as a senior member 
of the Senate banking committee, he supported the Emergency Economic 
Stabilization Act. Senator Bennett was widely criticized by those on 
the right, as was I for the same vote by critics on the left. But he 
can take great pride in it, because facts are facts: the Troubled 
Assets Relief Program prevented a total meltdown of our financial 
system. And almost the entire $700 billion taxpayer investment has 
been--or soon will be--paid back to the Treasury. In fact, just this 
week, the Treasury booked a $12 billion profit on its previous $45 
billion TARP investment in Citigroup.
  I have been proud to call Bob Bennett my friend for the last 18 
years, and I count myself fortunate to have served with him on the 
Appropriations Committee. He is a gentleman, a bridge-builder, a person 
of rock-solid character and integrity.
  I join with the entire Senate family in wishing Bob and Joyce the 
very best in the years ahead.


                            blanche lincoln

  Mr. President, in these closing days of the 111th Congress, the 
Senate will

[[Page S10689]]

be saying farewell to one of our most popular Members, Senator Blanche 
Lincoln of Arkansas.
  During her 12 years in this body, at a time when the Senate has 
become increasingly partisan and ideologically divided, Senator Lincoln 
has charted an alternative course. She has cultivated friendships and 
collaborations on both sides of the aisle, and has been skilled in 
forging bipartisan agreements on a wide range of issues.
  Last year, Senator Lincoln succeeded me as chair of the Agriculture 
Committee. I would note that she is the first Arkansan and the first 
woman to serve in that position.
  She has used that position to champion causes that have been her 
passion for many years, including revitalizing rural communities, 
supporting family farmers, promoting biofuels and other forms of 
renewable energy, and advocating for better nutrition for our school-
aged children.
  Senator Lincoln is leaving the Senate at the very top of her game. 
Just this week, President Obama signed into law the Claims Resolution 
Act of 2010, the culmination of Senator Lincoln's efforts to provide 
justice for African-American farmers who suffered decades of 
discrimination in agricultural programs.
  Also this week, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act, which will become a major part of Senator Lincoln's 
legacy as a Senator.
  When I handed over the gavel of the Senate Agriculture Committee to 
Senator Lincoln last year, much work had been done on the child 
nutrition bill but much remained to be done. Senator Lincoln did a 
fantastic job--a masterful job--of taking over the child nutrition 
authorization and shepherding it to a unanimous approval by the Senate. 
Thanks to her leadership, low-income children will have increased 
access to Federal nutrition programs, the nutritional quality of the 
programs will improve, and the financial foundation of the National 
School Lunch Program will be greatly reinforced.
  Senator Lincoln also exhibited extraordinary leadership earlier this 
year in the Wall Street reform bill. Again, as the chair of the Senate 
Agriculture Committee, she was able to forge bipartisan consensus for 
strong reform of the derivatives market. Indeed, the provision she 
championed will help to restore integrity to the derivatives markets, 
it will allow companies to safely use derivatives to manage their 
business risk, and it will help to prevent future financial crisis. I 
was proud to support her in those efforts.
  For the last 12 years in this body, Senator Lincoln has been a 
tireless advocate for the people of her State of Arkansas, for American 
agriculture, for rural Americans, and for families with small kids. She 
has been an outstanding Senator and a wonderful friend. I join with my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle in wishing Blanche and Steve and 
their twin boys Reece and Bennett the very best in the years ahead.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I thank my colleague for his 
forbearance.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. CARPER. Before Senator Harkin leaves the floor, let me say I am 
so pleased that I was literally able to be here on the floor and hear 
you talk about our colleagues. What a wonderful thing to do, and to 
single out Democrats and Republicans and to reflect upon their service 
to their States and to our country. I had to mention that.
  You mentioned Blanche Lincoln. A lot of people say I respect my 
colleague, I think highly of my colleague, but here in the Senate we 
love Blanche. We love Blanche and her family. She is such a joy to work 
with. Always up, even during the course of the tough year she has had. 
I remember her more than once saying what doesn't kill you makes you 
stronger. And she has come through this with a smile and such grace, it 
is just remarkable. I loved working with her on the Finance Committee, 
especially on the health care bill that is designed to provide better 
outcomes for less money.


                              Bob Bennett

  You mentioned Bob Bennett. He and I served on the Banking Committee 
for a number of years. In the end, he lost his seat I think because of 
his willingness to do what we were rewarded for in Delaware, and that 
is to reach across the aisle and find ways for Republicans and 
Democrats to do things together. We will certainly miss him.

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