[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.

                          ____________________