[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 150 (Wednesday, December 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6532-S6535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING SENATORS
Saxby Chambliss
Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, as the current session of Congress comes to
a close it is our custom to take a moment to express our appreciation
for the service of our colleagues who are retiring and will not be with
us when the next session begins in January. We will miss them all. Over
the years their experience and insights on a number of issues have been
a very valuable part of our debates and deliberations.
I know I will especially miss Saxby Chambliss. His work here on the
floor and in his committee assignments has played an important role in
our consideration of a number of issues over the years. Simply put, he
has been a great champion for conservative causes during his service in
the House and Senate and he has made a difference for his constituents
in many, many ways. He is a man of principle and he has a great gift
for expressing his viewpoint in a thoughtful, clear and interesting
manner. He is so persuasive, in fact, that even if you disagree with
him he makes you take a moment to reconsider your position just to be
sure you have not missed something.
Before he began his years of public service to the people of Georgia,
Saxby proved to be the kind of individual who would have been a success
at just about anything he decided to pursue. Fortunately, the path he
chose to follow in his life brought him to the Nation's capital to
represent Georgia--first in the House of Representatives and later in
the Senate.
Saxby served four terms in the House. It was a challenge that he
enjoyed because it gave him a chance to sit on the committees that were
taking a closer look at our intelligence organizations to be certain
they would be ready to face any future threats to our national
security. Georgia was proud to see that they had elected someone to
Congress who was hard not to notice. He did such a good job, in fact,
he was encouraged to run for the Senate.
When he arrived in this chamber, he had already established himself
as one
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of our leading conservative voices. That did not surprise any of us. He
has a calm, even way of expressing himself and articulating how his
principles play out in whatever issue we have before us.
One great attribute that Saxby brought with him to his work in the
Congress was his willingness to work with people who did not always
agree with him. He knew there would come a time when they would agree
with him on something no matter how many times they had disagreed in
the past. When the situation presented itself that was what he would
focus on.
Simply put, Saxby believes very strongly in making progress and
getting results. He is not all that concerned about who gets credit for
it. As the old adage reminds us, for Saxby, it is all about leaving
things a little better at the end of the day today than they were
yesterday.
Over the years Saxby has always found a way to make progress no
matter how rough the road seemed to be. It has been one of the guiding
principles behind Saxby's 20 years of service. His commitment to moving
forward has enabled him to leave his mark in Georgia and throughout
much of the United States.
Now that this chapter of Saxby's life has come to a close, I am not
sure what he has planned for his next great adventure. He just does not
strike me as someone who will be content to sit on the sidelines. I am
sure we will be hearing from him from time to time with some words of
encouragement and support--and a suggestion or two. In fact, I am
looking forward to it.
Saxby, thank you for your service in the House and the Senate. In
your 20 years of service in the House and the Senate you have not only
been a witness to the history of your home State of Georgia and our
Nation, you have helped to write it. Because of you the Nation is
stronger, safer and more secure. Yours is a record of leadership of
which you should be very proud.
Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you. From one Sigma Chi
brother to another, you have made a difference because you have always
led the best way--by example. What others are content to talk about you
have stepped up to do the work needed to get the job done and because
of that you have been able to make a difference--an important and long
lasting one.
Mike Johanns
Mr. President, as the current session of Congress comes to a close it
is our tradition to take a moment to express our appreciation for the
faithful service of those of our colleagues who will be returning home
at the end of the year. We appreciate their hard work and great service
on behalf of their home States and our Nation. We will miss them and
the thoughtful suggestions and good ideas they have brought to our
deliberations on the issues before us.
The word ``service'' brings to mind one of our retiring colleagues,
Mike Johanns. Mike has followed a path that has brought him from his
service as the Mayor of Lincoln, to his post as the Governor of
Nebraska, on to serve in the President's Cabinet as Secretary of
Agriculture and then on to the floor of the United States Senate. He
has made important contributions at each post and now, as he has
decided with the support and guidance of his family, ``it is time to
close this chapter in his life.''
As a former mayor myself I have a great deal of regard for Mike and
his commitment to the people that he has served for many, many years.
He has a great understanding of his home State of Nebraska and the
workings of its State and local government. He understands the
challenges that face his home State in the present, and the hopes and
dreams of the people of Nebraska for the future.
It did not take long to discover that Mike is a workhorse, not a
showhorse. He is not someone to land on a weekend talk show every week
talking about what needs to be done--he would rather be in committee or
on the floor every day doing it. In everything he did Mike always
brought along an abundance of Nebraska common sense. He used that
special gift of his and his varied background as a starting point for
finding common ground and a workable solution on a number of issues
that would be acceptable to all.
During his service in the Senate it has been good to have a neighbor
to work with who understands agriculture and our rural way of life. He
has been a great help in making the case clear to the Congress about
the difference between living on a farm and living in a big city or
town.
That is why I will not be the only one who will miss him. Our rural
communities in the West will miss his ability to understand the
problems of rural America and what should be done to address them.
Mike has also been one to focus on the money side of each issue that
came to the Senate. He knows how important it is for us to get a handle
on our Nation's finances to ensure that our children and grandchildren
will not have to clean up the financial mess we are going to leave them
if we are not careful. Mike has said that our failure to act will cause
our financial problems to appear sooner than we might think.
I am sorry to see Mike go when there is so much to be done that could
use his understanding not only of the issues, but from his experience,
the impact they will have on the local, State and national level.
Still we know where to find him whenever we could use some of his
Nebraska-rooted common sense. Thanks, Mike, for your service to the
State of Nebraska and to our Nation. You can be proud of what you
helped to accomplish and the seeds you planted that will lead to more
accomplishments in the years to come.
Thanks for your leadership and thanks for your friendship, too. Diana
joins in sending our best wishes to you and our appreciation for all
you have done. Please keep in touch with us. We will always be pleased
to hear from you.
Carl Levin
Mr. President, once again, as is our tradition here in the Senate, we
take a moment to express our appreciation for the service of those
Members who will be retiring at the end of the year. We will miss them,
their good ideas and thoughtful suggestions, and their concern and
active involvement in the challenges facing our Nation in a number of
areas.
It is hard to mention the word ``service'' and not have Carl Levin
come to mind. As a former local official myself, I have a great deal of
respect and regard for all those who have worked their way up from the
local level to the Senate.
For Carl the great adventure of his political life began with his
service on the Detroit City Council. During his 8 years on the council
Carl probably had enough run-ins with the Federal bureaucracy that he
decided he had to do something about it. For him that meant a run for
the Senate.
Carl's election and his subsequent service in the Senate have shown
him to be quite an effective legislator and a force for the positions
he has taken on a long list of issues. He has been a Member of the
Senate since 1979 and he has hit a number of milestones since then that
reflect the length and production of his service.
It is important to emphasize that Carl's service in the Senate has
never been about longevity, it is been about results. That is why he
has been a part of so many issues that needed someone with his talents,
skills and abilities to help move them through. Such an issue has been
his great support for our Nation's military and our veterans.
Carl has been working for the benefit of those who have served in our
Armed Forces since he first walked in the door of the Senate.
Determined that they reap the benefits they have earned with their
service, Carl joined the Armed Services Committee to ensure our
military and our veterans were getting what they deserved and required
both during and after their service.
That is one of the main reasons why he is currently serving as the
Chairman of our Armed Services Committee. He wanted to make a
difference for those who were sacrificing so much to serve in our
Nation's military. I don't think our servicemen and women--and our
Nation's veterans--have ever had a better friend than Carl Levin.
Now he is closing the chapter of this great adventure of his life.
With his service he has made a difference in more ways than I could
ever hope to mention in my brief remarks. In the process Carl has
touched more lives for the better than we will ever know with his
commitment to the day-to-day
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issues that affect us all--like education, the environment and health
care. He has had an impact on his home State and our Nation that will
be felt for a long time to come.
Thank you, Carl, for your service in the Senate. I know I join with
the people of Michigan in expressing our appreciation to you for
dedicating so much of your life to making our Nation a better place for
us all to live. That is why your constituents have always been there to
express their appreciation of your work here in the Senate with their
votes. That is also why no other Senator has ever represented Michigan
as long as you have.
Diana joins in sending our best wishes to you for all you have
accomplished and for your close and personal attention to the needs of
our Armed Forces and the concerns of our veterans. Thanks, too, for
your friendship. We will miss you, but I am certain we will be in
touch.
Tom Harkin
Mr. President, it is hard to believe how quickly this session of
Congress has come to an end. Before that final gavel brings it to a
close, however, it is good to have this time to express our
appreciation for the service of those Members who will be retiring at
the end of the year. They all have a lot to be proud of--from their
first speech here on the floor to their representation of their State
over the years.
Those words can not help but bring to mind Tom Harkin. I have had a
chance to come to know him and work with him as the Chairman of the
health committee. I have been very impressed with his dedication to his
work and his determination to make a difference for the people who
voted to hire him on for the job--and all Americans in all of the
States.
I think one of the reasons why we were able to work together has to
do with his Wyoming background. Tom spent some of the best years of his
life in Rock Springs and I can not help but think that his time there
made a big difference in his life.
Tom has quite a remarkable record of service to the people of Iowa
and it is clear they feel the same about him. They have sent him back
to the Senate to serve as their representative for five terms in the
House and five terms in the Senate. During his service in the Senate I
appreciated having the opportunity to work with him as the ranking
member of the committee. In addition, the leadership he has provided
the committee as chairman has enabled him to take an active role on
issues that will have an impact on his home State and the rest of the
country for many years to come.
If I were to name just a few of the issues on which Tom has made a
difference I would begin with his work on behalf of those living with
disabilities that resulted in the passage of the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Tom's groundbreaking legislation was written to help
ensure all Americans would have an opportunity to lead more fulfilling
and productive lives. In the days to come, his work on this issue will
continue to provide the support that will help those living with
disabilities to work toward their goals in life--and achieve them.
I also wanted to point out his work with our education system. Tom
understands the importance of a good education and the difference it
makes in young lives--today and tomorrow. Thanks to his hard work and
determination students of all ages have a new appreciation for the fact
that an education consists of more than just a few years in a
classroom--it is a lifelong adventure, a journey that never ends
because there is always something new to learn, some new skill that
will make someone a more valuable member of the workforce.
I am sure he has heard it before but it is pretty clear that Tom
Harkin is Iowa, through and through. He has devoted so many years of
his life to the people of his State and they are greatly appreciative
of his efforts--and the results he has been able to achieve.
Now, as Tom has made clear, it is time for someone else to step up to
the plate and continue the work he has begun on so many issues. There
is no question that you will be a difficult act to follow. For all
those years Tom's heart and soul has been in Iowa while his mind and
his focus has been in the nation's capital, working to make Iowa a
better place to live.
Now Tom's remarkable career in the House and the Senate has come to a
close and this chapter of his great adventure of serving the people of
Iowa here in Congress has concluded. While we did not always agree on
the best way to get things done we always agreed that we needed to
focus on what we could do to have the greatest impact on the lives of
Americans all across the country. Fortunately, I think we succeeded in
many ways and Tom will be remembered for those positive results--and so
many more.
One last Tom Harkin memory has to do with his popcorn tradition. I
know I am not the only one who hopes it will continue. I do not think a
single visitor to your office or that section of the building will ever
forget the wonderful aroma your Iowa popcorn sent all around the area.
For visitors from back home it must have been a touch that made them
feel right at home. It was just more proof that you never lost sight of
the people back home and they loved you for that.
Thank you, Tom Harkin, for all you have brought to the House and the
Senate over the years. You have made it clear what the people of Iowa
expect from their government and what you were working so hard to
achieve for them. Thank you for your service, thank you for your
dedication to making our Nation a better place to live and most of all,
thank you for your friendship. You have not only been a witness to the
history of your State and our country, you have helped to write each
chapter over the years. In the days to come your achievements will
continue to inspire the next generation of our leaders who will want to
do what you have done. I am sure they can count on you for your
insights, suggestions and advice. Diana joins in sending our best
wishes to you.
Mark Pryor
Mr. President, it is one of the Senate's great traditions at the
close of each session of Congress to take a moment to note the service
of those of our colleagues who be leaving the Senate at the end of the
year. It is a time for us to express our appreciation to our fellow
Senators for their service and share what we have learned from them as
we worked together to make a difference in our states and in our
nation.
I have often thought that Mark has one great overriding rule that has
guided him in his work in the Senate, ``Is this what the people of
Arkansas sent me here to do?'' More often than not the answer to that
question has helped him to develop a strategy to get things done that
were designed to make his home State and our nation better places to
live.
Ask just about any one of us here in the Senate what has made Mark
Pryor such an effective legislator and you will get the same answer--
bipartisanship. In fact, he was so good at it, we might need to come up
with a different word to explain his strategy, something like Pryor-
itize. For Mark, the best way to get things done was to get everyone
involved--all parties, all sides of an issue, and representatives of
every point in between--together and then take the best of what
everyone had to offer to form a coalition that would bring his
legislative effort to a successful conclusion.
That is why both parties would often try to recruit him for their
legislative projects. Each party knew he had a great ability to
persuade that would help to bring other members together to support
their efforts.
I have often said that serving in the Senate is a great adventure. If
it were anything else, it would be too much like work and too hard a
job to take on. Because it is an adventure it is something more--it is
a chance to take on the greatest challenge there is, leaving the world
a better place than we found it when we first walked through the doors
of the Senate, and find new, creative, and inventive ways to make it
happen.
As he closes this chapter of his life, his Senate adventure, Mark can
be very proud of his efforts, and his successes over the years. He has
a great deal to be proud of and I hope it brings him the satisfaction
that comes from knowing he has taken on a difficult job and done it
well.
I know I will miss seeing Mark around campus here in Washington, DC.
I will miss his willingness to help on those tough challenging issues
we always seen to have before us. I will also miss his words of faith
and determination that he would share with us during our prayer
breakfasts.
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I hope you will keep in touch with us in the days to come with news
of your next great adventure in life. Thank you for your service to our
country, thank you for your focus on making Arkansas and our nation
better places to live, and, most of all, thank you for your friendship.
Good luck in all your future endeavors. God bless.
Tim Johnson
Ms. HEITKAMP. Mr. President, I rise today to honor my friend and
colleague from South Dakota, Senator Tim Johnson, who is retiring at
end of this year. Tim has an impressively long career in public
service, representing his home State of South Dakota in Congress for
the last 28 years.
Tim is often described as ``a work horse, not a show horse,'' and
with good reason. His values, passion and work ethic are reflected in
the projects he has championed and the constituent services he has
provided for the people of South Dakota. Following his AVM in 2006,
Senator Johnson came into the national spotlight which he so seldom
sought. All were inspired by his perseverance and dedication to the
people of South Dakota to return to do the work he loves, and the
Senate has been better for it.
As a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Tim
championed important water projects to bring clean drinking water to
rural communities and Indian reservations, pressed for the development
of renewable fuels, and supported efforts to build vital infrastructure
throughout rural America. Through his position on the Appropriations
Committee, he fought to see these efforts through from planning to
completion.
Farmers and ranchers throughout his State could count on Tim to be a
strong voice for agriculture, advancing their priorities in numerous
farm bills. His leadership on country of origin labeling, COOL, laid
important groundwork to support our Nation's producers and ensure
consumers know where their food comes from--a fight that continues
today.
Tim has also been a champion for veterans, working to improve the
benefits they are owed and connecting South Dakota veterans with
support and services in their communities. He was able to secure
advanced appropriations for the Veterans Administration, providing
budget certainty and ensuring access to health care for those who have
so bravely served their country.
Tim has a strong relationship with the tribes in South Dakota and is
considered a steadfast and valued friend in Indian Country. He has
tirelessly pressed for the Federal Government to meet its treaty and
trust responsibilities. While significant challenges remain, Tim
Johnson's legacy as an advocate for Native American issues has improved
the quality of life on many reservations. This commitment will be
missed both in the Senate and on the Indian Affairs Committee.
Senator Johnson brought his passion for rural and Native American
issues to the Senate Banking Committee. Under his chairmanship, the
work of the committee highlighted the often-overlooked needs in these
communities--and he was a champion during our efforts on housing
finance reform to make sure they could receive the resources they so
desperately need. Strengthening small community banks, improving
housing, and reauthorizing critical highway and transit programs are
just a few of the initiatives Chairman Johnson undertook, and it was a
pleasure working under his leadership.
Throughout all of these accomplishments, accolades, and challenges,
Tim has remained true to his roots. He has never taken his public
service for granted and has always considered it a privilege to serve
the people of South Dakota. The impact of his work during his time in
Congress will be seen in communities throughout his State for years to
come, and he has certainly left his mark on South Dakota politics. I
wish him the very best as he and his wife Barbara embark on this new
chapter and get to enjoy more time with their family back in South
Dakota.
Mike Johanns
Mr. President, I also wish to honor my colleague from Nebraska,
Senator Mike Johanns, who is retiring from the Senate at the end of
this year. Senator Johanns has been a friend since I started in the
Senate, and I appreciate his willingness to work with me towards our
shared goals. He is one of only two current Senators to have served as
a Governor and cabinet Secretary, providing him with a tremendous
amount of wisdom on how to get things done. It is his incredible
knowledge and strong Midwestern work ethic that I admire most about
him.
For more than 30 years, Senator Johanns has been a strong voice for
the people of Nebraska. His first act in public service was in 1983 as
a County Board member in Lancaster County. He later went on to serve as
both Councilman and Mayor of Lincoln. He would eventually become
Governor of Nebraska and Secretary of Agriculture under President
George W. Bush. Senator Johanns set no limits to his potential; readily
serving in any capacity he could to make our great Nation a better
place.
Senator Johanns and I serve together on the Agriculture Committee and
I greatly admired the thoughtfulness and expertise he brought to the
negotiations on the Farm Bill. His knowledge as a former Agriculture
Secretary was unmatched and ensured many improvements were made
throughout the debate. Senator Johanns never forgot about our farmers
and always kept his eye on providing them with the best possible
outcome he could.
We also had the privilege of working together on the Banking and
Housing Committee. He and I worked together with a bipartisan group of
committee members to draft and advance legislation reforming the
housing finance system to protect the American taxpayer from another
bailout and to guarantee that another housing crisis does not happen
again. Once again, his voice on behalf of rural America during these
talks was critical and something that I greatly appreciated.
Senator Johanns has never been about taking credit or seeking the
spotlight. He maintained a strong, hard work ethic throughout his time
in the Senate and was one who was willing to cross the aisle to get
things done. The American people expect that of their representatives,
and Senator Johanns met those expectations on behalf of Nebraska.
I will miss having him as my colleague in the Senate, but I also know
that his wife and family will enjoy the free time they will have with
him. I wish him happiness and success in the next chapter of his life.
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