[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 40 (Monday, March 14, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S1458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           GOLDEN GAVEL AWARD

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I would like to say a word to Senators 
about our colleague currently in the chair. He has just passed an 
important milestone. He has now presided over the Senate for 100 hours. 
We all know what that means. He will be receiving the Golden Gavel, and 
I look forward to presenting it to him tomorrow.
  Presiding over the Senate may not seem the most glamorous job around 
here to some people, but it is an important one. You learn a lot about 
procedure, you learn a lot about your colleagues, and because the use 
of electronic devices is prohibited, you rediscover the lost art of 
communicating with a pen and a piece of paper. I think we could all 
stand to benefit from that kind of practice.
  Today's Golden Gavel recipient often dashes off notes for pages to 
bring to his staff while in the chair, and because today's Golden Gavel 
recipient is a doctor, it also takes his staff about 3 hours to 
decipher each of the notes he writes.
  Here is the bottom line for our friend from Louisiana. Being in the 
chair reminds him of all the history in this Chamber. It brings to mind 
the many important decisions that have been made here over the years, 
and it gives him perspective.
  ``Every now and then,'' Senator Cassidy says, he likes to just ``soak 
up the moment.'' I hope he will take the opportunity to do so now. He 
is the first Member of the class of 2014 to earn the Golden Gavel 
distinction, and all of our colleagues are pleased to acknowledge this 
accomplishment.

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