[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 72 (Monday, May 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2607-S2608]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING BOB BENNETT

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today in honor of the memory of a 
humble statesman and an adored colleague and a dear friend, Senator Bob 
Bennett. Bob passed away peacefully in his house last week with his 
wife and children gathered around him by his bedside. In the wake of 
his passing, the Bennett family has witnessed an outpouring of love as 
thousands of individuals from across the country have reached out to 
pay their respects to a man who served selflessly to the very end of 
his service here. To the many expressions of love and admiration that 
have already been offered in Bob's honor, I wish to add a few words of 
my own.
  I had the distinct privilege of serving alongside Bob Bennett for 
nearly two decades as we jointly represented our beloved State of Utah 
here in the United States Senate. During the many years of our service 
together, Bob became more than a respected partner; he was a trusted 
confidante and a cherished friend.
  In this Chamber, Senator Bennett was widely revered as a wise and 
thoughtful leader committed to finding innovative solutions to the most 
difficult challenges of the day. But above all else, he was a 
passionate fighter for the people of Utah, who were always foremost in 
his mind. I have never met someone so committed to his constituency as 
Senator Bennett was to the people of Utah.
  It is no exaggeration to say that every Utahn has benefited from 
Bob's public service. You cannot ride the train, take public 
transportation, or drive on the freeway in our State without seeing the 
fruits of Bob's labor in the Senate. As Utah faced unprecedented 
expansion and economic growth, Senator Bennett worked tirelessly to 
ensure that our State's infrastructure kept pace with the demands of a 
booming population. Were it not for Bob and the indispensable role he 
played in securing much needed funding for these transportation 
projects in Utah, our State would not be the prime destination for 
business, entrepreneurship, and innovation that it is today.
  I need not rehearse all of Senator Bennett's accomplishments in the 
Senate because his public legacy speaks for itself. The TRAX and 
FrontRunner public transportation systems in Utah are perhaps the most 
tangible symbols of that legacy, but there are plenty more. I join all 
Utahns in thanking Senator Bennett for his many years of loyal service 
to the Beehive State. We love him, and we will miss him dearly.
  In addition to fighting tirelessly for the people of Utah, Senator 
Bennett exercised remarkable prudence as an appropriator and provided 
principal leadership on the Banking Committee and as chairman of the 
Joint Economic Committee. He was a talented lawmaker, skilled at 
forging consensus and reaching compromise without sacrificing his core 
conservative values.
  Over the 18 years that Senator Bennett served in this Chamber, he 
consistently demonstrated sound judgment and strong leadership. In a 
short time, he gained the trust of his Republican colleagues, who 
considered him a trusted resource on matters of strategy and policy. 
After seeing Bob's rapport with other legislators, then-Senate majority 
leader Bill Frist asked him to serve on the leadership team. Senator 
Bennett also served in leadership positions alongside Majority Leader 
McConnell, with whom he shared a deep and meaningful friendship.
  While Senator Bennett was well known for his quiet, contemplative 
demeanor, he was also regarded as an orator--a good one. He came 
frequently to the floor to engage his colleagues on the most complex 
issues of the day. He was exceptionally articulate, speaking with an 
eloquence and ease that reflected the brilliance of a well-cultivated 
mind. Whether he was giving a public address or holding a private 
conversation, Bob could explain even the most complicated policies in 
simple, understandable terms. He was a preeminent communicator whose 
talents will be sorely missed.
  Mr. President, up to this point, I have spoken at length about how 
Senator Bennett will be remembered as a public figure, but I also wish 
to speak about how I will remember him as a personal friend.
  Bob Bennett was one of the most humble men I have ever met. In a 
Chamber teaming with outsized egos and rampant self-importance, Bob 
stood apart. He always eschewed the spotlight and never esteemed 
himself above anyone else. On some days, you could even find him riding 
the Metro in to work. When a staffer asked him why

[[Page S2608]]

we opted for public transportation instead of a personal driver, Bob 
simply said: ``Because the Metro is more convenient.'' This anecdote is 
indicative of Bob's character. He resisted the trappings of public 
office and truly saw himself as a servant of the people.
  Perhaps more importantly, he never let the office of Senator define 
him. Maybe that is because he came to Congress with such a rich and 
varied background. Prior to his work here, Bob had already served as a 
Mormon military chaplain, a congressional liaison with the Nixon 
administration, a public relations director for billionaire Howard 
Hughes, and as the chief executive officer of FranklinCovey. For Bob, 
being a Senator was never something that was central to his personal 
identity; it was merely a job title that allowed him to serve others in 
a greater capacity.
  Allow me to share a simple story that illustrates Bob's humility and 
willingness to serve. Many years ago, Bob befriended a blind couple in 
his local Mormon congregation. Every single Sunday, Bob would pay the 
couple a personal visit, drive them to church, and stay by their side 
for the duration of meetings--always ready and always eager to help. 
For Bob, faithfully serving this elderly couple was just as important 
as fulfilling his duties in the Senate. That, Mr. President, is 
heartfelt humility and love unfeigned.
  I often wondered what it was that enabled Bob to serve so selflessly. 
I believe the answer is simple: It was his faith in and love for Jesus 
Christ, whom he looked to as a model of servant leadership. Bob 
believed in the Christian teaching that when you are in the service of 
your fellow men and women, you are only in the service of your God. 
This belief animated his service until the very end.
  For as long as Bob was physically able, he was an active volunteer in 
his church congregation. In fact, just 3 weeks ago he hosted a 
doctrinal discussion with dozens of Latter-day Saints seeking to build 
their faith. In this meeting, Bob bore testimony of Jesus Christ and 
his perfect example of love and sacrifice. The next day, Bob suffered a 
stroke and was admitted to the hospital for the last time.
  Both in public office and in private life, Bob Bennett was a model of 
selfless service. We were blessed by his work in the Senate and will 
continue to benefit from his example of humble leadership. I pray that 
we might always remember Bob's humility and kindness and seek to 
emulate these qualities ourselves as we work together to overcome the 
challenges facing our country.
  Mr. President, having said all of that, Bob was very fortunate to 
have Joyce as his companion. She is a terrific human being, very 
talented--a flute instructor, a tremendous flutist. He has wonderful 
children, each one of whom has made contributions in our society that 
are exemplary. His friends will always remember Bob as somebody who 
really accomplished a lot in his life as well as the lives of many 
thousands of people around him.
  I personally am deeply grateful for the kindness he showed to me, the 
friendship we had together, and the privilege I had of serving with 
him. I will miss Bob very much, and I think all of us who knew him well 
will miss him. He was truly a great example.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, I wish to make a few comments about 
Senator Bennett; and then I will yield the floor to Senator Nelson, who 
has another schedule; and then, for the information of Senators and 
staff, I will make some comments on how we are going to proceed on the 
Energy and Water bill, which I hope we can wrap up pretty quickly, but 
I will wait until Senator Nelson finishes.
  Mr. President, I am glad I had a chance to hear the majority leader, 
Senator McConnell, as well as Senator Reid and Senator Hatch, all of 
whom were great friends of Bob Bennett, as was I.
  Bob Bennett came to Washington with his father Wallace Bennett, who 
was a U.S. Senator. He was in the Senate when I first came here as a 
Senate aide. I first met Bob nearly 50 years ago, when we, in effect, 
both worked for Bryce Harlow, who was President Nixon's Chief of 
Congressional Relations. Mr. Harlow, who is revered in Washington 
still, would have Saturday morning meetings with all of those of us who 
had the job of being congressional liaisons with Members of Congress. 
Bob Bennett was in the Transportation Department, and I was Mr. 
Harlow's assistant and telephone answerer in the White House at the 
time. We got to know each other then. We have known each other ever 
since. He and his wife Joyce visited with us in our home in Tennessee 
and we traveled with them and worked together on a variety of issues. 
They became very special friends.
  He was chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee, to which 
Senator Hatch referred, which had so much to do with his home State of 
Utah. He handled that with great diligence and great effectiveness for 
a number of years. That is the bill we are working on today in the 
Senate.
  I will be at his service tomorrow, as will other Senators. I simply 
wanted to add my voice to those of the majority leader, the Democratic 
leader, and his colleague Senator Hatch in saying we all greatly 
admired Bob. He served our Nation brilliantly and well and eloquently.
  I heard his farewell address. It was one of the best I have ever 
heard. I remember one of the things he said: The great value as a 
Senator is that you not only have a say, you have a vote.
  Bob Bennett had a lot to say, he cast a lot of votes, and a lot of us 
listened very carefully to what he had to say and greatly respected his 
votes. We have lost a great friend, and Utah and our country lost a 
great public servant.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I will talk about the Zika virus, but I 
want to first add a comment about Senator Bob Bennett.
  A gentleman's gentleman, a legislator's legislator, a Senator who 
would reach across the aisle in order to get the workable consensus in 
order to get something done.
  Doesn't that sound like the type of person we need in the Congress 
today in order to confront the issues we are facing? I was saddened to 
hear the news he had passed on.

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