[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 154 (Monday, December 15, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6857-S6859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING SENATORS


                               Carl Levin

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, on first glance, one might not think that 
Michigan and Vermont share much in common. But to delve deeper is to 
see that both States have deep roots in their rural populations, strong 
agricultural bases, and stunning natural landscapes. Senator Carl Levin 
has represented the people of Michigan in the U.S. Senate since 1979. 
He is one of this Chamber's most senior Members and one of the longest 
serving Senators in history. He has cast more than 12,500 votes on 
behalf of his constituents.
  Senator Levin has worked to ensure that the lakes of Michigan will be 
clean and safe for generations of Michigan residents to come. He has 
sponsored legislation to protect and restore the Great Lakes and their 
abundant wildlife habitats and secured millions to bring Michigan's 
lakes back to their natural pristine glory, and he has supported the 
Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which has supported the Great Lakes, 
Lake Champlain, and international waterways.
  As chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Levin has 
been a powerful force in crafting our Nation's defense policy, 
particularly in the post-9/11 era. The battlefield has been vast, and 
his support of our troops has never wavered. He has consistently worked 
to ensure that the brave men and women serving in uniform have the 
support they need to keep our Nation and our allies safe. He and I 
shared reservations about launching a war in Iraq, reservations that 
have proven sound.
  I was particularly moved by Senator Levin's strong support--and 
steadfast leadership--in advancing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd 
Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act. That measure ultimately became law in 
2009, in large part to Senator Levin's commitment to ensuring its 
inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act. This Federal hate 
crimes law took years to achieve. At a time when it may have been 
easier to push a final vote down the road, Senator Levin worked with me 
to ensure that it was considered by the Senate and then upheld through 
a conference committee. This alone would be a remarkable achievement, 
but Senator Levin's Senate career boasts many achievements.
  I have also been honored to work with Senator Levin to reaffirm our 
Nation's commitments to those citizens of the world who, persecuted, 
oppressed and stateless, look to our country for protection. He has 
been a voice on behalf of displaced Iraqis and Syrians, and a 
dependable cosponsor of my Refugee Protection Act.
  From protecting America's waters to crafting America's actions 
abroad, Senator Levin has been a powerful and invaluable presence in 
the Senate. He heads now into retirement, where I know he and Barbara 
will enjoy spending time with their three wonderful daughters and 
beautiful grandchildren. Marcelle and I wish him and Barbara the very 
best in this new chapter. I will miss him.


                               Tom Harkin

  Madam President, Senator Tom Harkin and I came to Washington in the 
same year--Tom, to the House of Representatives, and I, to the Senate. 
For nearly 40 years, he has represented Iowans with the even temper and 
strong commitment that has become a hallmark of his tenure.
  Senator Harkin has been a leading defender of rights for persons with 
disabilities, anchored by the landmark law he authored, the Americans 
with Disabilities Act. Inspired by the challenges faced by his own deaf 
brother, Harkin led a crusade to enact this historic legislation, 
ensuring that individuals living with disabilities could not be 
discriminated against because of those disabilities. The ongoing effort 
to protect and support Americans--and people around the world--living 
with disabilities, has become a cornerstone of Senator Harkin's career.
  As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and 
Pensions, HELP, Senator Harkin has helped create a new model of health 
care, one focused on prevention and health rather than reaction and 
sickness. He was one of the leaders in crafting the Affordable Care 
Act, giving millions of Americans better access to health care. He has 
continually fought for the missions of and the funding for the Centers 
for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food 
and Drug Administration.
  I have worked with Senator Harkin on a number of matters, from 
international human rights to critical funding for breast cancer 
research. Senator Harkin and I have worked together in our shared 
commitment to America's farmers and farming, an industry that it so 
critical to both our States. Together we have worked to increase 
conservation funding, promote water quality, and protect the 
environment while supporting our family farmers.
  Tom Harkin is a lifelong Iowan. He and his wife Ruth have given 
decades in public service representing the people of Iowa. I want to 
congratulate him on an accomplished career and wish him, Ruth, their 
wonderful children and grandchild all the very best.


                            Jay Rockefeller

  Madam President, for nearly 30 years, West Virginians have elected 
Jay Rockefeller to represent them in the U.S. Senate. When he retires 
in January, he will leave a record of tireless service on behalf of 
West Virginians and all Americans.
  Senator Rockefeller ranks among the champions of affordable health 
care. He coauthored the Child Health Insurance Program, CHIP, a program 
I have also been proud to support, which provides health care coverage 
to more than 6 million children each year, who would otherwise be 
uninsured. A former chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he 
authored legislation to improve care for our Nation's heroes. He was 
instrumental in the creation of a commission on long-term care to look 
for solutions to a lack of essential long-term medical support for 
millions of Americans. With Ted Kennedy, he led the charge for health 
care reform in the Senate in the 1990s. The list of achievements goes 
on.
  For nearly 50 years, Senator Rockefeller has served the people of 
West Virginia as a State representative, a secretary of state, a 
college president, a Governor, and, for the last 30 years, as a U.S. 
Senator. He is a dear and valued friend. I wish Jay and his wife Sharon 
the very best as he retires from the Senate.


                              Tim Johnson

  Madam President, the senior Senator from South Dakota, Tim Johnson, 
is as fine a public servant as I have known. These are words I have 
used before about Senator Johnson. As he approaches his retirement from 
the Senate, they are as true now as ever before.
  Senator Johnson embodies the traits of a dedicated public servant. He 
represents South Dakotans with every fiber of his being. He is the 
great-grandson of a homesteader who settled in South Dakota when it was 
still a territory. And he has never lost sight of the interests of the 
constituents he has served in Congress for more than 25 years. Never 
one to rest on the job, he introduced more legislation in his freshman 
term than any of the almost 60 new Members of Congress that term.

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  Vermont and South Dakota share similar rural challenges, and in 
Senator Johnson, I have found a partner in such efforts as protecting 
rural schools and giving them a voice in national competitions like 
Race to the Top. He and I share a strong commitment to supporting small 
family farms, an effort he has been recognized for by the National 
Farmers Union and others. Through the Appropriations Committee, Senator 
Johnson has been a stalwart defender of our Nation's veterans, and 
through his chairmanship of the banking committee, he has fought for 
middle-class families with steadfast diligence.
  Senator Johnson has faced no shortage of challenges in his life. But 
with his wife Barbara by his side, he has met all of these challenges 
with determination and with grace, and he remains a fierce defender of 
South Dakota and a friend. As he retires from the Senate, I wish him, 
Barbara, his children and grandchildren and his entire family all of 
our best wishes.


                             Mary Landrieu

  Madam President, for nearly 20 years, Louisianans have had no greater 
advocate, and no stronger voice, than that of Mary Landrieu. She has 
been a crusader for her State, and even today continues to fight to 
build on Louisiana's recovery from the devastating storms of 2005 that 
wreaked havoc across Louisiana and throughout the city of New Orleans.
  It was in 2005 that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the gulf 
coast, devastating New Orleans. Then in 2010 the Deepwater Horizon 
oilspill sent millions of barrels of oil into the gulf, coating 
Louisiana's beaches and wildlife. During these terrible times Louisiana 
could have had no better advocate than Senator Landrieu. After Katrina, 
Senator Landrieu secured more than $120 billion in recovery money to 
help restore New Orleans and Louisiana's coast. After the Deepwater 
Horizon spill, Senator Landrieu worked tirelessly with both Democratic 
and Republican colleagues to move the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act 
through the Senate. Her leadership secured essential reparations from 
British Petroleum to restore the battered gulf coast.
  In 2009, Senator Landrieu and former Senator Olympia Snowe made 
history as the first two female lawmakers to lead a full congressional 
committee--the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship--as 
chair and ranking member. Senator Landrieu is also the first female 
Senator to chair the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
  She has been an active member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, 
and I have appreciated her willingness to work with me on so many 
issues in her capacity as the chair of the Homeland Security 
Subcommittee. When Vermont was devastated by Hurricane Irene, Senator 
Landrieu was a key ally in helping me secure needed resources to help 
rebuild roads, bridges, businesses, and communities in Vermont. I thank 
her for that, Vermonters thank her, and I will never forget her 
invaluable work and support.
  Louisiana has been well represented by Senator Landrieu. She has been 
a steadfast and stalwart defender of her State's priorities and needs. 
I wish her, her husband Frank, and their entire family the very best.


                               Mark Pryor

  Madam President, since 2002, Senator Mark Pryor has been a dedicated 
representative in the U.S. Senate for the people of Arkansas. 
Throughout his career he has carried on a strong family tradition of 
service. I worked alongside his father, Senator David Pryor, for nearly 
20 years. Both father and son are two of the finest public servants I 
have known. Their conscientiousness and their decency are but two of 
the many distinguishing features of their work in this body.
  Throughout his tenure here, Mark Pryor has been a fierce defender of 
and advocate for rural communities, a commitment both he and I share. 
He has promoted expansion of rural broadband infrastructure to ensure 
that families, farmers, businesses, and students in even the most rural 
communities in Arkansas, in Vermont, and across the Nation have access 
to the World Wide Web. As the chairman of the Appropriations 
Subcommittee on Agriculture, he has been a partner of mine in working 
to ensure that farms small and large have the resources and support to 
maintain and contribute to the rich agricultural history of the Nation. 
We have also worked together to advance key conservation programs to 
help protect farmlands across the country.
  I have also greatly admired Senator Pryor's commitment to the 
National Guard. As cochair of the Senate National Guard caucus I have 
seen how active and effective he has been as a caucus member and as a 
valued ally in our bipartisan efforts to protect, defend, and bolster 
resources for the men and women of the National Guard.
  In the day-to-day work of the Senate, I will miss Senator Pryor's 
insight, his evenhandedness, and his friendship. He has been a 
passionate voice in the Senate for the people of Arkansas. I wish him 
and the entire Pryor family all best wishes in the years ahead.


                               Mark Udall

  Madam President, for nearly 20 years in Congress, Mark Udall has 
represented the people of Colorado with commitment and courage. He is a 
dedicated public servant, whose drive and responsibility to the people 
of Colorado will not wane with his retirement.
  An experienced mountaineer and proud environmentalist, Senator Udall 
has spent weekends exploring and enjoying the great outdoors, and his 
weekdays protecting them. He has authored legislation to create 
wildlife refuges and preserve wilderness in Colorado. He is also a 
leader in renewable energy, helping his home State adopt a renewable 
electricity standard and working to bring a similar innovation to the 
national stage.
  Senator Udall has worked hard to bridge the partisan divide during a 
period of unprecedented polarization. Many of the bills he has authored 
have enjoyed wide bipartisan support, including proposals to 
reauthorize NASA and to protect public lands. He was one of the 
Senate's newest Members when he successfully called on Republicans and 
Democrats to sit together in a show of national unity at the 2011 State 
of the Union, following the tragic shootings in Tucson, AZ.
  Senator Udall has been a tireless advocate for the protection of 
civil liberties. His work on the Senate Intelligence Committee has been 
focused on protecting the privacy and civil liberties of all Americans, 
a commitment that I strongly share. His departure will be a loss to the 
work of the Intelligence Committee.
  Mark Udall comes from a family with an uncommon history of public 
service. Though Senator Udall is retiring from the Senate, I know this 
service will continue. I wish him, his wife Maggie, their children and 
their entire family all best wishes as they begin their next chapter.


                               Kay Hagan

  Madam President, back when I was in law school, I tried to get an 
internship here on Capitol Hill, with no luck. Senator Kay Hagan has a 
different story. She first walked these Halls as an intern in the 
1970s.
  Her tenure here in the Senate has been too short, but she has 
represented her constituents in North Carolina with vigor and 
dedication. She has been a tireless advocate for women and children and 
was a key ally in my efforts to reauthorize the Violence Against Women 
Act in 2013. I have long felt that she has placed conscience above 
politics. She has shown a willingness to take tough votes on difficult 
issues, from LGBT rights to gun safety.
  Senator Hagan comes from a strong military family. North Carolina has 
one of the highest per capita enlistment rates in the country, and 
Senator Hagan has understood that behind every officer, behind every 
enlisted member of the military, is a family that needs our 
appreciation and support. She was an active partner in our efforts to 
strengthen the National Guard, and she authored such important 
legislative initiatives as the Hire a Hero Act.
  After decades of public service, I know that North Carolina can 
expect more service from Senator Hagan. I wish her, her husband Chip 
and their wonderful daughters the best.


                              Mark Begich

  Madam President, Senator Mark Begich comes from a long line of public 
servants. In his 6 years in the U.S. Senate, he has been a strong 
advocate for the people of Alaska. Senator Begich has worked tirelessly 
to promote Alaska's economy and business. During his

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Senate tenure, he has been a partner on such issues as voter 
protection, the USA PATRIOT Act and FISA reform, and empowering the 
National Guard.
  Alaska has more veterans per capita than any other State. As a member 
of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senator Begich has fought 
to improve veterans access to care, increase funding for the VA, and 
for research to better understand mental illnesses such as post-
traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury, TBI. These 
are priorities I share as well. He has also worked through the commerce 
committee to ensure that Alaska's many fisheries and their booming 
industry remain sustainable. His commitment to his constituents 
similarly extended to his work on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, 
where he fought to protect native voters from discrimination and to 
ensure that laws reflect and respect their needs and traditions.
  I have appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator Begich on 
some of the unique challenges that face rural states like Vermont and 
Alaska. Senator Begich has consistently worked to improve rural schools 
through legislation such as his Investing in Innovation for Education 
Act, which I was pleased to cosponsor and which would have given 25 
percent of its grants to rural schools. Senator Begich has supported 
legislation to facilitate rural Alaskans' access to quality health 
care. And he has supported measures to address the high heating costs 
facing our northern constituents.
  He is a man with an unfailing optimistic outlook on life. I wish 
Senator Begich, his wife Deborah, their young son Jacob, and his entire 
family best wishes.


                               John Walsh

  Madam President, Senator John Walsh has served but a brief time in 
the Senate, but he came to this body with a long history of public 
service. A decorated veteran, he enlisted in the Montana National Guard 
in 1979, and he rose through the ranks, ultimately being selected as 
Montana's adjutant general. He is the first veteran of the Iraq and 
Afghanistan wars to serve as a Senator, and during his tour of duty, he 
earned the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit, and the combat infantry 
badge.
  As a Senator, John Walsh has been a strong advocate of mental health 
care for veterans, preserving native languages, and bringing outsourced 
jobs back to the United States. As cochair of the Senate National Guard 
Caucus, I recognize and greatly appreciate his deep understanding and 
strong support for the Guard, its needs, and its future.
  I wish him, his wife Janet, and their children and grandchild all the 
best in the next chapter of their lives.


                            Saxby Chambliss

  Madam President, in Senator Saxby Chambliss, Georgians have had a 
diligent voice in Congress for nearly 20 years. We may not always 
agree, but I have appreciated his willingness to cross the aisle on 
such important issues as budget priorities and agriculture policy.
  Senator Chambliss is the former chairman and ranking member of the 
Senate agriculture committee. In his time in Congress, Senator 
Chambliss has participated in enactment of four bipartisan omnibus 
agriculture bills, the most recent of which is the 2014 farm bill. He 
played an important role in reforming the Crop Insurance Program and 
has been an advocate for supporting the Nation's agricultural sector. I 
have particularly appreciated his support for critical conservation and 
forestry programs.
  Senator Chambliss was recognized as a key legislator in the 2011 
discussions surrounding deficit reduction. He has been an active member 
of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of the 
National Guard. Through his tenure, he has been a steadfast 
representative for the people of Georgia, and one prominent publication 
in the State gave him the title ``Georgian of the Year'' in 2009.
  Senator Chambliss will retire at the end of this Congress, and I wish 
him, his wife Julianne, their children, and grandchild all the very 
best.


                               Tom Coburn

  Madam President, while several Members of this Senate class will be 
retiring this year at the end of their terms, another Senator will also 
be taking his leave of this Chamber, in the midst of his current term. 
For a decade, Senator Tom Coburn has represented his constituents in 
Oklahoma with steadfast dedication and perseverance. He and I have not 
always agreed, but I have always respected and admired his commitment 
to his principles.
  Senator Coburn has built a record and reputation as a fiscal hawk, 
reminiscent in some ways of the role that the late Senator Howard 
Metzenbaum of Ohio assumed for many years in the Senate. Senator Coburn 
can be a tough bargainer, and sometimes he has chosen not to seek or 
accept compromise at all. But he also has shown the ability to work 
across the aisle, whether on reducing government spending or promoting 
transparency in government. In the first Congress in which he served in 
the Senate, he partnered with then-Senator Barack Obama and others to 
author the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act, which 
established a public, online database detailing Federal spending. For 
many years he served as an active member of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee, where we worked together on such policy issues as patent 
reform, copyright protections, and support for law enforcement.
  Senator Coburn is a longtime public servant for the State of 
Oklahoma. Members retire from Congress for a host of reasons, and I 
know Senator Coburn's retirement has been hastened. He has left his 
mark on this institution, and I wish him, his wife Carolyn, their three 
daughters and their grandchildren good health and all the best in Tom 
Coburn's retirement from the Senate.


                              Mike Johanns

  Madam President, it is not uncommon for Senators to leave this 
Chamber to serve in Cabinet positions. Senator Mike Johanns, however, 
brought that executive branch experience with him when he was elected 
by the people of Nebraska to represent them in the Senate. A former 
mayor, Governor, and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Senator Johanns has 
served at every level of government.
  While we have often supported competing proposals, we have found 
important and meaningful places to work together. Senator Johanns 
joined me in coauthoring legislation to improve the Food for Peace 
program, helping to feed an additional 200,000 people in dire need. 
Serving on the agriculture committee together, we are both committed to 
farming, family farming, and supporting our Nation's agriculture 
sectors and the people and communities that are part and parcel of 
farming and food production in America. Senator Johanns has also been 
an important advocate for veterans, working on programs to help 
returning soldiers find civilian employment.
  I wish Senator Johanns, his wife Stephanie, and their family the very 
best in this next chapter of their lives.

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