[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 176 (Wednesday, December 7, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6835-S6836]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRIBUTE TO DEPARTING SENATORS
Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor our colleagues
who are leaving us at the end of this Congress, six individuals who
have done a lot to shape how the Senate operates today.
First I would like to thank my three Republican colleagues who are
departing. Thank you not only for their service to our country but your
willingness to work with me and other members of my party on a number
of issues.
Dan Coats
Mr. President, Senator Coats and I served on the Intelligence
Committee together. He was a supporter of many of our efforts,
including our encryption bill to require all companies to abide by
lawful court orders.
Mark Kirk
Mr. President, Senator Mark Kirk took a brave stance on gun violence
issues, bucking his party by cosponsoring our amendment to close the
terrorist loophole.
Kelly Ayotte
Mr. President, Senator Ayotte and I have worked very closely to
improve breast cancer detection. I am hopeful that together we can pass
our bill before the end of this Congress.
I would also like to speak to three of my closest colleagues on our
side of the aisle.
Over the past 24 years, I have had the pleasure of serving in the
Senate with Harry Reid, Barbara Mikulski, and Barbara Boxer, and I am
grateful not just for our working relationships but for the close
friendships I have formed with each of them.
Harry Reid
Mr. President, Senator Reid has served in Congress since 1983, and he
has been our party's leader for the past decade. Despite more than
three decades in Washington, Senator Reid still retains the values
instilled in him while growing up in Searchlight, NV. Often described
as a tough fighter, he has respect from both sides of the aisle for
being a consensus builder who is willing to constantly work to find a
deal.
One issue on which Senator Reid and I share a passion is Lake Tahoe,
the High Sierra lake that straddles the California-Nevada border.
Twenty years ago, Harry invited President Bill Clinton to announce a
major commitment to restoring the health of Lake Tahoe. That first
summit launched a public-private partnership that has now invested $1.2
billion in conservation and restoration projects around the lake.
This year, Senator Reid told me he wanted to turn the annual summit
into a celebration by inviting President Obama to speak. The event was
a huge success, with more than 7,000 people attending.
I will miss Harry's passion and leadership, but if anyone deserves a
break, it is him.
Barbara Mikulski
Mr. President, Barbara Mikulski is another fearless leader whom I
admire.
When I first came to the Senate in November of 1992, there were only
three female Senators: Jocelyn Burdick of North Dakota, who retired a
month later; Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas; and, of course, Senator Barb.
Senator Mikulski often quips, ``I may be short, but I won't be
overlooked.'' History certainly will not overlook the contributions she
has made.
Rising to become the first woman to chair the Senate Appropriations
Committee, Senator Mikulski is often described as a trailblazer. To the
women in the Senate, she is a mentor, the dean of the Senate women.
From three women in 1992 to 20 women senators today--and 21 in the
next Congress, much of that progress can be attributed to the
leadership of the longest serving woman in Congress, Senator Mikulski.
Barbara Boxer
Mr. President, finally, I would like to talk about my partner from
California, Barbara Boxer.
Senator Boxer and I were elected to the Senate on the same day in
1992, the ``Year of the Woman.''
The day Barbara was sworn in was historic; it was the first time two
women represented their State together in the Senate. That is an honor
I am grateful to have shared with my good friend.
From the Marin County Board of Supervisors, to the House of
Representatives, to the United States Senate--Senator Boxer has been a
champion for families, children, consumers, and the environment.
She rose to become the chair and now ranking member of the
Environment and Public Works Committee. I have great respect for
Senator Boxer's passion, dedication, and enthusiasm for protecting the
environment. No one does it better.
She led an effort to protect California's coast from offshore
drilling. She authored the California Missions Preservation Act to
restore and protect the 21 historic missions in California. She helped
create Pinnacles National Park, Fort Ord National Monument, and Caesar
Chavez National Monument. And she led the effort to expand the Gulf of
Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries.
In California, there are now more than 1 million acres of protected
wilderness thanks to Senator Boxer.
But she was more than just a champion for our environment.
In the Senate, Barbara was a staunch advocate for issues related to
children.
She pushed to protect children from dangerous toys by removing lead
or other dangerous chemicals and requiring cautionary warnings on
children's products sold over the Internet. She fought to remove
arsenic from drinking water to protect children. As chair of the After
School Caucus, she wrote legislation to secure Federal funding for
afterschool programs. Thanks to Senator Boxer, 1.6 million children now
have a safe place to go after school.
She fought for our servicemembers.
She founded the Military Families Caucus to provide support for the
families of servicemembers. She helped establish the West Coast Combat
Care Center in San Diego, so that southern California veterans with
traumatic wounds would have access to quality care.
And Senator Boxer fought for consumers.
She authored a bipartisan measure to prevent a conflict of interest
with banks acting as real estate brokers. After the housing crisis, she
wrote measures to protect homeowners whose mortgage is transferred or
sold. And she pushed for legislation to help homeowners refinance with
lower rates--thanks to that effort, 1 million borrowers were able to
save thousands of dollars in interest payments each year.
And finally, Barbara was a staunch defender of women's rights.
She led the floor fight to pass the Freedom of Access to Clinic
Entrances Act and pushed back against repeated
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attacks on women's health and a woman's right to privacy. Her efforts
led to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act that protects
women from domestic and sexual abuse.
She worked closely with then-Senator Joe Biden to pass that landmark
bill. After she announced her retirement, the Vice President said:
``You always knew in the Senate if you had Barbara on your side, you
didn't need much more.''
Well, I have been lucky to have Barbara by my side for the past 24
years.
She has been a strong advocate for the people of California, and I am
grateful to have served with her.
I am also grateful for the friendship we have shared over the years.
Barbara and her husband, Stewart, are two of the kindest, most caring
people I have had the pleasure of knowing. Their marriage of more than
50 years has brought them considerable joy. Together they raised two
wonderful children and are now blessed with four grandchildren.
I am sure she is looking forward to spending more time with them.
While she may be retiring from the Senate, the passion Barbara
displayed for public service will not end.
I know she will continue to advocate and remain a powerful voice for
the causes she championed here in the United States Senate.
I look forward to seeing what she is able to accomplish in the next
phase of her life and offer her best wishes in a well-deserved
retirement.
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