[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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