[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 34 (Monday, March 11, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1275-S1276]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are going to take up legislation this 
week to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. I 
applaud the committee work done by Chairman Mikulski and Ranking Member 
Shelby. These two individuals are seasoned veterans. They have worked 
hard to get this legislation done, as only they could do. They are two 
of our most senior Members and two of the most respected Members.
  The measure we are going to work on starting today was passed by the 
House of Representatives last week. It is not perfect, and we hope to 
improve upon that. There will be amendments offered. I am working on a 
process to consider those amendments. This week will offer another 
opportunity for the Senate to return to regular order, an opportunity 
for this body to legislate through cooperation, through compromise, as 
we used to do. This legislation will be a test of the Senate's good 
will. America's economy is poised to grow and expand. The last thing it 
needs is another manufactured crisis, such as a government shutdown, to 
derail its progress.
  For some public servants the political fires are lit by their first 
trip to

[[Page S1276]]

Washington or by being moved by a memorable party convention speech. 
For others the history of military service leads to a career in public 
service. For still others a single issue, such as a proposed freeway 
through a vibrant community, propels them into politics. But for 
Senator Carl Levin, serving Michigan families is something of a family 
business. Senator Levin's father served as a Michigan corrections 
commissioner. His uncle Theodore was chief judge for the district court 
in the Eastern District of Michigan for many years.
  I was elected to Congress in 1982--the same year Senator Levin's 
brother Sander was elected to the House of Representatives. He has been 
ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He is a 
distinguished Member of the House of Representatives, having served 
that body for going on 31 years.

  The first time I met Carl Levin was over here. I was in the House, 
going to run for the Senate. We met in his office. The first thing I 
said was, I came to Washington a few years ago with your brother, 
elected in the same class.
  He said: Yes, he is my brother but also my best friend.
  How about that? That is something I have never ever forgotten. These 
two brothers, natives of Detroit, have done much for the State of 
Michigan.
  Carl Levin is truly an outstanding Senator and an even better man. He 
is the longest serving Senator in his State's history. He dedicated his 
life to Michigan families long before he was elected to the Senate. He 
served as general counsel to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission and 
as assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan. He served two 
terms on the Detroit City Council, one of them as president of the city 
council. As a Senator Senator Levin has consistently advocated for 
Michigan families, whether that meant supporting the auto industry, 
protecting Lake Michigan, holding credit card companies accountable or 
securing funding for sons and daughters serving in the U.S. military.
  As chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin is the 
Nation's most respected voice on national security and the most 
powerful advocate for the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces. As 
chairman of the Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations, he has 
sought truth on behalf of American families time and time again. He led 
investigations of the 2008 financial crisis, abusive credit practices 
and abusive credit card practices, and a long, extensive, extremely 
enlightening bit of work on the Enron collapse.
  His dedication to the Senate is matched only by his dedication to his 
own family. He and his loving wife Barbara have been married for more 
than 50 years. They have three daughters and six grandchildren.
  I am confident Carl is looking forward to spending more time with his 
grandchildren, taking long walks through his and Sandy's tree farm. It 
is a wonderful place they go. They don't harvest anything; it is just a 
bunch of trees, and they love that tree farm.
  I so admire Senator Levin. Clearly, when he retires in 2 years, the 
Senate will lose its powerful voice for military families and issues 
that need to be investigated by this body. Michigan is a much better 
place because of Carl Levin. Our country, the United States, is a much 
better place because of Carl Levin's service.

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