[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 152 (Friday, December 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6774-S6776]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FAREWELL TO THE SENATE

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Madam President, it is humbling to stand here 
to speak one final time with my colleagues as a United States Senator.
  As a lifelong mountain climber, I have learned far more from the 
mountains I did not summit, than those I did. Every climb, I have 
found, offers a

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chance to look back and reflect, and standing here today gives me a 
unique opportunity to appreciate just how far we have come.
  For the past 18 years, my most rewarding challenge has been 
exercising the power lent to me by the people of Colorado to fight on 
their behalf, first in the State House and then in the U.S. Congress. 
Throughout my career in public service--my 6 years in the U.S. Senate 
being but one chapter--I have always been guided by the rugged 
independence, strength and cooperative spirit that defines who we are 
as Coloradans and as Westerners.
  That spirit helped me craft solutions to long-standing problems in my 
home State of Colorado. From my very first week in the U.S. Senate, I 
worked at resolving the decades-long impasse between southern Colorado 
ranchers and the U.S. Army, which uses the land surrounding Pinon 
Canyon to train soldiers for deployment into war zones. After 5 years 
of listening and lots of hard work, we reached a deal that protects the 
property rights of landowners while ensuring our troops are prepared to 
defend our Nation. It was a teamwork-oriented approach that reflected 
Colorado's best problem-solving traditions.
  I have said for years that Coloradans pull together come hell or high 
water. Little did I know that this saying would prove itself to be true 
during my time in the U.S. Senate, from wildfires that left thousands 
homeless to a biblical flood in 2013 that swept over much of the Front 
Range. Despite the partisan Federal Government shutdown of 2013, we 
delivered more than $770 million in emergency flood support and 
marshalled nearly $2.5 billion in additional Federal assistance so that 
Colorado could rebuild better and stronger than before. This disaster 
relief work includes conservation easements and watershed protection 
funds to ward off future floods and a series of next-generation air 
tankers to help us fight fires for decades to come. This is in addition 
to the more immediate support needed to rebuild roads, bridges, and the 
infrastructure that our communities depend on.
  Our uniquely Western perspective holds that compromise is not 
capitulation, and that we are stronger when every member of the 
community has a seat at the table--not just the privileged. This is a 
cause that my family has championed for generations and it is a creed 
that should continue to drive all Coloradans who answer the call to 
serve.
  At this point in our politics, Americans are rightly impatient with 
the willful, partisan gridlock and dysfunction in Washington. Yet, in 
Colorado, we know that by working together we have been able to keep 
our State moving forward and do our part to overcome Washington 
silliness for the good of the Nation.
  But even as we keep our eyes on the horizon and the work we still 
have to do, it is also important that we protect our special way of 
life--and safeguard our land, water and air for future generations. I 
strongly believe that we do not inherit the earth from our parents--we 
borrow it from our children. That is why I have championed efforts to 
preserve our public lands and the special places and natural wonders 
that define Colorado. Those efforts include creating new wilderness 
areas around James Peak, ensuring that future generations can 
experience the beauty of the Great Sand Dunes and Chimney Rock, and 
turning Rocky Flats--a former nuclear weapons facility--into a wildlife 
refuge. I will continue working hard to protect Brown's Canyon, which I 
hope to see designated as a national monument in the days ahead.
  Protecting these special places along with our clean air and water is 
just part of the larger fight to confront the challenges and 
opportunities posed by climate change. Colorado has long led the 
Nation's pursuit of a balanced, forward-thinking energy strategy. Much 
of the progress Colorado has made came after I fought alongside 
Republican Speaker of the Colorado House Lola Spradley in 2004 to pass 
our State's first renewable electricity standard. This was the Nation's 
first democratically-passed renewable energy policy, and one which has 
actually been strengthened and added to since it was created. Since 
then, Colorado's renewable electricity standard has increased from its 
start at 10 percent to the 30 percent it is today. It has become a 
model for the Nation in how to create good-paying clean energy jobs 
while fighting the causes of climate change.
  I built on this effort in the U.S. Senate by successfully pushing to 
extend the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. This has been a 
years-long, bipartisan effort that I am proud to have led alongside 
Senator Grassley from Iowa. From coming to the floor more than two-
dozen times to explain the importance of wind State-by-State and to 
demand an extension in 2012, to fighting to extend the wind tax credit 
again this year, I have never given up on Colorado's thriving wind-
energy industry and the more than 5,000 jobs it supports across the 
State. This is the sort of common-sense, bipartisan policy that helps 
hardworking American families today but is also part of implementing a 
clean energy future for generations to come.
  As a Nation, over the past few years, we have persevered through 
difficult times to continue building toward a more perfect union. When 
our country was faced with the possibility of another Great Depression, 
we took decisive action--avoiding financial collapse, supporting 6 
straight years of job growth in private industry, and making smart 
investments in everything from repairing our crumbling roads to re-
invigorating Denver's historic Union Station. That is something to be 
proud of. There's a lot more to be done--but it is important to pause 
and note the successful milestones we have already reached on the road 
to recovery.
  Despite a flawed roll-out, the Nation's healthcare law has increased 
access to quality health coverage for more than 400,000 Coloradans, 
helped families lower expenses and plan their future with free 
contraceptive care, and kept costs down for the first time in decades. 
This is helping to keep families out of bankruptcy and making sure that 
all Americans--not just the wealthiest among us--receive the care they 
and their families deserve.
  Thomas Jefferson once said that a true patriot loves her country not 
just for what it is . . . but for what it can be. I think a country 
where every family can rest easy knowing that they will never be left 
in the cold again when it comes to accessing health care is a cause 
worth fighting for, and I could not be more grateful to those who have 
fought alongside me to make that a reality. At the same time, we must 
also continue to monitor closely its implementation to ensure we 
identify and correct any unexpected and uneven impacts on Coloradans 
and Americans.
  While protecting Americans from the abuses of an out-of-control 
healthcare system is an achievement we should all celebrate, I have 
been equally as passionate about upholding the Bill of Rights and 
protecting our freedom and right to equality. We still have a ways to 
go, but I am proud to have followed in the footsteps of so many great 
leaders, including many in my own family, who fought to make sure 
America lives up to the values enshrined in our Constitution.
  Many of you may recall that my father, Mo, helped to integrate the 
University of Arizona, when it was beset by racial divisions. My 
grandfather, Levi, issued a famous court decision that recognized 
Native Americans' constitutionally protected right to vote in our 
elections. My uncle Stewart challenged discrimination in our Nation's 
capital when he confronted the Washington football team to demand they 
allow black athletes to play alongside white athletes. It has been 
these examples among so many others that inspired me to take action 
when I felt we were not living up to our constitutional ideals.
  That includes leading the successful fight to repeal the military's 
discriminatory ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy that had so shamefully 
kept gay and lesbian Americans from openly serving their country in the 
Armed Forces. It includes passing landmark hate crimes prevention 
legislation and a law to make it easier for women to fight wage 
discrimination.
  While there is much work left to be done to protect our 
constitutional rights, I am proud to have led the effort to reconcile 
the enormous power of our Nation's intelligence agencies with the 
bedrock principles of our democracy. We have proven that the choice

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between ensuring our security and protecting our privacy is a false 
choice, and that we can keep faith with our Nation's founding 
principles while also safeguarding our communities. So when the CIA 
tortured people in the name of the Americans it was supposed to serve, 
we were strong enough as a Nation to admit our mistakes and commit to 
learning from this dark period in our Nation's history. That is why I 
led the fight on the Intelligence Committee to declassify the findings 
of our landmark report on the CIA's Detention and Interrogation 
Program, to make sure that future presidents and intelligence community 
leaders do not violate the principles that make America so exceptional.
  These are all important accomplishments--but I would be remiss if I 
did not acknowledge that true leadership is a team sport. I have been 
fortunate to be surrounded by many people whose insights, counsel and 
contributions have made me a stronger and more effective advocate for 
Colorado. In particular, I want to point out that former Colorado U.S. 
Senator Gary Hart has been a key, trusted advisor and a dear friend 
throughout my 18 years of public service. I want to thank my Chief of 
Staff, Michael Sozan, who has guided my Senate office with a steady 
hand for the last 6 years . . . and my State Director, Jen Rokala, who 
I have had the pleasure of working with over the past 15 years as we 
served the people of Colorado. I also want to thank Joe Britton, my 
Deputy Chief of Staff; Jake Swanton, my Legislative Director; John 
Fossum, my administrative director; and Mike Saccone, my Communications 
Director, for ably guiding me and my office.
  Even before coming to the Senate, I had the pleasure of working with 
many dedicated people who put everything on the line to better serve 
Colorado. I want to thank Alan Salazar, my former Chief of Staff, along 
with Laura Davis, Lisa Carpenter, Stan Sloss, Doug Young, Cookab 
Hashemi, and Tara Trujillo for their guidance, patience, and good 
humor. I also want to thank two staffers who have been with me from the 
start: Jennifer Barrett, one of my most trusted advisers, and Carter 
Ellison, my constituent services director. The list of talented and 
driven people who have worked with me over the years is too long to 
read but their commitment to serving Colorado and our Nation fills me 
with awe. I will miss my team greatly.
  It also has been my honor to serve as a member of the Senate Armed 
Services Committee for the last 6 years--and on the House Armed 
Services Committee before that. During that time, I had the privilege 
of working on behalf of the tremendous men and women who defend our 
Nation. I have witnessed their great courage, professionalism and 
commitment in performing dangerous missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, 
Djibouti and other places around the world. I have been humbled by the 
indomitable spirit of our wounded warriors recovering at Walter Reed, 
Bethesda and in Colorado. I have mourned our fallen. Their sacrifice, 
and the loss that is borne by their families and a grateful Nation, is 
never far from my mind. To all those who have served, and to all their 
loved ones, I offer my deepest thanks and my never ending gratitude.
  When I first came to the U.S. Senate, I told my colleagues that we 
were not elected to solve Democratic or Republican problems, but to 
find uniquely American solutions to our toughest challenges. Just like 
mountain climbers who are all on the same rope, we know that we are all 
in this together--and that we are only truly successful when we all 
succeed together.
  The great writer Wallace Stegner challenged us to build communities 
to match our scenery. In a narrow sense, that means that we should 
strive to make our society as beautiful and thriving as the natural 
landscape that surrounds us. But in a broader sense, it also means that 
our communities should bring out the best in us, and that we should 
never stop building on the uniquely independent yet cooperative spirit 
that makes Colorado great.
  That is the spirit that has guided me throughout my time in public 
service, and it is the spirit that will continue to guide me as I find 
new ways to keep Colorado and our country moving forward.
  It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be a United States 
Senator from Colorado and I will be forever grateful for having had the 
challenge and the opportunity to serve our great country.

                          ____________________