[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 178 (Friday, December 9, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7020-S7023]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTES TO DEPARTING SENATORS

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, much of the time here in the Senate, we 
are engaged in pretty fierce partisan battles. I would like to take a 
break from that for a moment and talk about the four Republican 
Senators who will not be back when the 115th Congress convenes next 
month. While we may have different political philosophies and policy 
prescriptions, I respect and admire each of them, and I will miss 
working with all of them.


                              Kelly Ayotte

  Mr. President, Senator Ayotte and I serve together on the Small 
Business Committee. I have seen firsthand her commitment to helping 
small businesses in New Hampshire and across the Nation. She is like so 
many other Senators, past and present, from New England States: 
pragmatic and willing to reach across the aisle to get things done.
  Prior to her election to the Senate, Senator Ayotte served as the 
chief of New Hampshire's Homicide Unit and deputy attorney general 
before she became the State's first female attorney general in 2004. 
She was appointed to that position by a Republican Governor, but she 
was reappointed twice by a Democratic Governor.
  In the short span of one Senate term, Senator Ayotte has become a 
respected voice on national security issues while serving on the Armed 
Services Committee and the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs 
Committee. Foreign Policy magazine listed Senator Ayotte as one of the 
top 50 Republicans on international affairs.
  Senator Ayotte comes from a military family and is married to an Iraq 
War veteran--Lieutenent Colonel Joe Daley--so she has been a staunch 
supporter of our men and women in uniform and their families.
  Senator Ayotte has worked hard to give New Hampshire veterans more 
choices when it comes to health care since the State does not have a 
full-service Veterans Administration, VA, medical facility. To help 
veterans in New Hampshire's North Country access care closer to home, 
she successfully pushed for the opening of VA clinics in Colebrook and 
Berlin.
  Senator Ayotte has been a leader in the fight against opioid abuse 
and addiction, helping Congress to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and 
Recovery Act, CARA, to improve prevention and treatment, support those 
in recovery, and ensure first responders have the tools they need. She 
helped to pass legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women 
Act, crack down on sexual assault in the military, make college 
campuses safer, and improve mental health first aid training and 
suicide prevention programs.
  Senator Ayotte has followed in the footsteps of other Republican 
Senators from New England, such as Robert Stafford of Vermont and John 
Chafee of Rhode Island, who are true conservatives when it comes to the 
environment. She crossed party lines to vote for Federal clean air 
rules that protect New Hampshire's air and water from cross-State 
pollution and to deploy the best available technology to reduce 
pollution from energy production. She helped pass the Better Buildings 
Act to encourage greater energy efficiency in commercial buildings, and 
she has been a strong supporter of the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund, which has helped protect thousands of acres in New Hampshire.
  I have enjoyed working with Senator Ayotte and send my best wishes to 
her and her husband, Joe, and their children Katherine and Jacob.


                               Dan Coats

  Mr. President, there is a famous quote attributed to the American 
author F. Scott Fitzgerald: ``There are no second acts in American 
lives.'' We all know that to be untrue and, as it turns out, so did 
Fitzgerald, who was quintessentially American. What he actually wrote, 
in an essay called ``My Lost City,'' is this: ``I once thought that 
were no second acts in American lives.''
  If we want to see a successful ``second act'' we need to look no 
further than to the senior Senator from Indiana, Mr. Coats. He is 
actually on about his fourth act.
  Senator Coats graduated from Wheaton College and then began his long 
service to our Nation by enlisting in the U.S. Army. Following his 
military service, he attended the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney 
School of Law. He excelled academically, becoming associate editor of 
the Indiana Law Review, and earned his juris doctor degree.
  Senator Coats served as a district representative to then-
Representative Dan Quayle. When Dan Quayle was elected to the Senate in 
1980, Dan Coats won his House seat and was reelected four times, never 
receiving less than 60 percent of the vote. When Dan Quayle was elected 
Vice President in 1988, Dan Coats was appointed to the Senate seat 
being vacated and then won elections in 1990 and 1992.
  During what I will call Senator Coats' ``first'' congressional 
career, he focused on cutting taxes and government spending and 
reforming entitlement programs. In 1998, he honored a term limit pledge 
he had made to his Hoosier constituents and did not run for reelection 
to the Senate.
  For many people, 18 years in Congress might be enough, but Senator 
Coats was just getting started. After he left the Senate, he joined the 
prestigious law firm of Verner, Liipfert, Bernhard, McPherson and Hand. 
In 2001, then-President Bush nominated Senator Coats to be Ambassador 
to the Federal Republic of Germany. He arrived in Germany just 3 days 
before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In the aftermath of 
9/11, Ambassador Coats established excellent relations with then-
opposition leader and future German Chancellor Angela Merkel--a crucial 
ally--and managed the construction of a new U.S. Embassy in the heart 
of Berlin, next to the Brandenburg Gate.
  Senator Coats served honorably as Ambassador for 3 and one-half years 
and then returned to practicing law at another ``blue chip'' law firm, 
King & Spalding. But he also served as president of Big Brothers Big 
Sisters of America and on the boards of many civic and volunteer 
organizations, including the Center for Jewish and Christian Values, 
which he cochaired with Senator Joe Lieberman. And Senator Coats and 
his wife, Marsha, formed the Foundation For American Renewal to 
continue their engagement in faith-based initiatives.
  Senator Coats began his ``second'' congressional career by running 
successfully for his old Senate seat in 2010. During Senator Coats' 
second stint, I have had the pleasure of serving with him on the 
Finance Committee, where we worked together to help charities receive 
timely notice on issues related to their tax-exempt status. I 
appreciate Senator Coats' calm and steady demeanor, the diligence he 
applies to his work, and the civility he extends to his colleagues.
  Senator Coats may be retiring from the Senate, but I have a hunch 
there will be yet another successful act in his long, distinguished 
career. While we may have policy disagreements, I have no doubt that 
Senator Coats is committed to the common good and will find new ways to 
serve. I anticipate, however, that he will also seek to spend more time 
with his wife, Marsha, whom he met in college, their three children, 
and their 10 grandchildren.


                               Mark Kirk

  Mr. President, John Kennedy wrote ``Profiles in Courage'' nearly 50 
years ago. But for the last 6 years, we have had yet another profile in 
courage here in the Senate: the junior Senator from Illinois, Mr. Kirk. 
In 2012, he suffered a devastating ischemic stroke. He had to relearn 
how to do basic things, like walking. It took a year of intensive 
physical therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago--physical 
therapy that has been likened to boot camp. When he returned on January 
3, 2013, and climbed the 45 steps of the Capitol Building to reenter 
the Senate, it was

[[Page S7021]]

a truly inspirational moment none of us will forget.
  Senator Kirk is an Illinois native, from Champaign. He received his 
B.A. in history from Cornell University, graduating cum laude. He went 
on to earn a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a 
law degree from Georgetown University. While he practiced law at the 
law firm of Baker & McKenzie, most of his adult life has been spent in 
public service.
  Senator Kirk joined the U.S. Navy Reserve as a direct commission 
officer in the intelligence career field in 1989. He was recalled to 
Active Duty for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia; participated in 
Operation Northern Watch in Iraq, which enforced the no-fly zone, in 
2000; and later served three reserve deployments in Afghanistan. He 
retired from the Navy Reserve with the rank of commander.
  Senator Kirk worked for Representative John Porter and at the World 
Bank and the State Department. He came back to the Hill to serve as a 
counsel to the House International Relations Committee, as it was known 
at the time. When Representative Porter retired, he successfully ran 
for the seat of his former boss and went on to win reelection four 
times. I had the pleasure of serving with both Representative Porter 
and then-Representative Kirk while I was in the House. And then he was 
elected to the Senate in 2010, to the seat President Obama previously 
held.
  During Senator Kirk's 16-year congressional career, he has 
demonstrated that he puts country above party, most notably by 
supporting the commonsense assault weapon ban. More recently, he was 
the first Republican Senator to meet with President Obama's Supreme 
Court nominee, Merrick Garland. And he was the first Republican Senator 
to call for hearings and a vote on this superbly qualified individual, 
a position applauded by Crain's Chicago Business journal.
  Senator Kirk is a staunch supporter of Israel and has been at the 
forefront of efforts to ensure that a robust sanctions regime remains 
in place against Iran if it fails to comply with the terms of the Joint 
Comprehensive Plan of Act, JCPOA. I have been pleased to work with 
Senator Kirk on S. 1882, the Nepal Recovery Act. That bill is on the 
legislative calendar; it would be a fitting tribute to Senator Kirk if 
the Senate can pass it before the end of the 114th Congress.
  I know that Senator Kirk is justifiably proud of chairing the 
Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, 
and Related Agencies. Under his stewardship, Congress is poised to pass 
record health care funding for our veterans. He serves as the cochair 
of the bipartisan Senate Great Lakes Task Force, which promotes the 
economic vitality and environmental health of the Great Lakes, which 
provide drinking water to 40 million Americans and Canadians. He 
authored the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative authorization bill and 
helped to secure $300 million in funding to implement it.
  During the 112th and 113th Congresses, Senator Kirk had an awesome 
responsibility all Senators appreciate: his desk on the Senate Floor--
Desk No. 95--was the ``candy desk.'' He kept the desk stocked with 
sweets made in Illinois such as Mars, Milky Way, Jelly Belly, and 
Snickers, helping to support an industry that employs over 3,000 people 
in his home State.
  Senator Kirk suffered a life-threatening stroke. It temporarily 
slowed him down, but he returned to the Senate where his courage, 
grace, dignity, collegiality, and resolve will continue to inspire all 
of us long after he departs next month for his next great endeavor. I 
wish him well.


                              David Vitter

  Mr. President, Senator Vitter is probably one of the most 
conservative Senators and yet has a long record of bipartisan 
accomplishments on behalf of his home State and the Nation. I have 
enjoyed serving on the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, 
which he has chaired for the past 2 years. During that time, the 
committee has reported nearly 30 bills, 8 of which have been signed 
into law so far. One of those bills, Senator Vitter's Recovery 
Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act--the RISE After 
Disaster Act--will help small businesses recover from disasters more 
rapidly. Considering that small businesses are major employers and the 
lynchpins of their communities, helping them to recover is crucial.
  Senator Vitter is a Louisiana native, born in New Orleans. He was an 
excellent student and went on to earn his A.B. from Harvard. He 
attended Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, earning a B.A., and 
then he earned his law degree from Tulane. He was elected to the 
Louisiana House of Representatives in 1992; in 1999, he won a special 
election to succeed then-Representative Bob Livingston to represent the 
State's First Congressional District. He was reelected in 2000 and 2002 
with more than 80 percent of the vote in each instance. In 2004, he won 
the Senate seat being vacated by John Breaux. That election was 
historic; he became the first Republican in Louisiana to be popularly 
elected as a U.S. Senator. The State's last Republican Senator, William 
Pitt Kellogg, was chosen by the State's legislature in 1876, back 
before the 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted. Senator 
Vitter was reelected in 2010 with 57 percent of the vote.
  Senator Vitter has had a productive career as a legislator. On June 
22, 2016, President Obama signed into law the Frank R. Lautenberg 
Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amends the Toxic 
Substances Control Act, TSCA, the Nation's primary chemicals management 
law. Senator Vitter was the lead Republican sponsor of this measure, 
working first with our beloved former colleague, Senator Lautenberg, 
and then with Senator Udall. The new law, which received bipartisan 
support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, will 
make it easier for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, to 
review the safety of chemicals already on the market and the new ones 
being developed, and it provides a stable source of funding for EPA to 
meet the law's requirements, a huge step forward with respect to 
chemical safety.
  Senator Vitter has been instrumental in developing and passing 
important public works bills, including the current Water Resources 
Development Act, WRDA, reauthorization. While he has been an architect 
of our Nation's infrastructure policies, he has also been sensitive to 
the concerns of his home State. Thanks to his involvement in the past 
several surface transportation bills, Louisiana is no longer a 
``donor'' State with respect to the highway trust fund; the State 
receives $1.06 in spending for every $1.00 it sends to Washington in 
gasoline taxes. Senator Vitter was stalwart when one of the Nation's 
worst natural disasters--Hurricane Katrina--devastated Louisiana and 
the rest of the Gulf Coast in 2005 and again in the wake of the BP 
Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. He coauthored the RESTORE Act, 
which directs 80 percent of the Clean Water Act fines levied against 
BP--$5.5 billion--to the States whose fisheries, shorelines, and 
economies were decimated by the spill.
  Senator Vitter has numerous other legislative accomplishments. To 
mention just a few, he authored the Steve Gleason Act, which helps 
people afflicted with diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 
or ALS, by making it easier for them to acquire speech-generating 
devices. He reformed the Federal Reserve Board by putting in place the 
requirement that at least one sitting board member must have community 
banking experience. And he successfully elevated Barksdale Air Force 
Base's Global Strike Command to four-star general status.
  I mentioned a moment ago that Senator Vitter is a conservative. He 
and I have vast differences of opinion on many issues. But that is ok; 
that is the nature of the Senate. The genius of our system of 
government is that it allows--and encourages--people with different 
points of view to come together and agree on legislation that moves our 
country forward, and that is something Senator Vitter has been able to 
do over his career. I send my best wishes to Senator Vitter, his wife, 
Wendy, and their children Sophie, Lise, Airey, and Jack.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, today I want to pay tribute to two 
colleagues who are retiring at the end of this year, Senator Boxer and 
Senator Mikulski, two remarkable Democratic women Senators leaving the 
Senate as four new women come in.

[[Page S7022]]

  



                             Barbara Boxer

  Mr. President, for more than 40 years, Barbara Boxer has committed 
her life to public service, over 30 of them in Washington, first in the 
House of Representatives and, since 1993, in the U.S. Senate.
  When asked what advice she would give to her successor, Senator Boxer 
said she should not be afraid to fight the good fight every single day.
  And that is what Senator Boxer has done. Over the past four decades, 
she has been an advocate for medical research, women, workers, the 
environment, and infrastructure.
  As ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, 
Barbara Boxer urged Congress and the country to confront climate 
change, creating the Climate Action Task Force with Senator Sheldon 
Whitehouse.
  In closing, I am reminded of what Robert Kennedy once said: ``The 
purpose of life is to contribute in some way to make things better.''
  Senator Boxer has told us that, while she is leaving the Senate to 
return to California, she does not intend to end her life of service. 
She will continue to work to make things better. We wish her well and 
we thank her for her public service in the House and here in the 
Senate.


                            Barbara Mikulski

  Mr. President, this year we are also saying farewell to our 
colleague, Barbara Mikulski, the senior Senator from Maryland.
  Senator Mikulski first entered politics almost 50 years ago when she 
was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1971. Five years later, 
she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and, a decade 
after that, she was elected to the U.S. Senate.
  Senator Mikulski is the longest serving woman in the history of 
Congress and is the first woman Senator to be elected in her own right.
  These achievements are notable, but they are not what inspired 
Barbara to come to work every day.
  Senator Mikulski one remarked that, ``Each one of us can make a 
difference. Together, we make change.'' And that is what Barbara 
Mikulski sought to do every day.
  As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, 
Senator Mikulski has championed education, workers' rights, and health 
care. She has stood up for our children and our seniors.
  As a member of the Appropriations Committee since she arrived in the 
Senate, Barbara Mikulski has worked tirelessly to ensure that the 
programs that advance those priorities receive the funding they need to 
be successful.
  Margaret Chase Smith once said, ``Public service must be more than 
doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication 
to the people and the nation.''
  Senator Mikulski dedicated her life to the people of Maryland and the 
country. We will miss her in this Chamber and wish her well.
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as this eventful 114th Congress draws to a 
close, today I wish to honor a number of our colleagues who will be 
ending their service in the Senate. I was a newcomer to the Senate at 
the beginning of this Congress and the only Democrat in the freshman 
Senate class of 2014. I am eternally grateful for the guidance and 
wisdom of my fellow Senators, particularly those with decades of 
experience fighting for the American people. Constituents, colleagues, 
and historians will recount their accomplishments for years to come, 
but I will take a few minutes now to convey some brief words of praise 
and gratitude.


                               Harry Reid

  Mr. President, it has been a great honor to serve in the Senate under 
the leadership of Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. Senator Reid has 
taught us all what it means to represent one's State in the U.S. 
Senate, doing everything one can to fight hard for the people back 
home. In his nearly 30 years in the Senate, Senator Reid has mastered 
the rules and traditions of this institution and used them to deliver 
victories for the people of his state and the nation.
  Senator Reid is always ready to lend an ear and a helping hand to his 
Democratic colleagues; yet he listens most intently to his 
constituents. He never stops thinking about how to ensure that they 
have access to well-paying jobs, health care, education, and a better 
future for their children. Senator Reid has supported economic 
development and infrastructure investments that have created jobs 
throughout the country.
  After the 2008 financial crisis, when millions of homes were 
underwater and the existence of the American auto industry hung in the 
balance, Senator Reid helped craft a compromise to begin our economic 
recovery. I am grateful for his strong support of the American auto 
industry during this crisis, which helped us pass essential legislation 
to restructure Michigan's automotive manufacturers and rebuild our 
communities. I was also proud to work with him and other leaders on the 
Dodd-Frank Act, which holds Big Banks accountable and helps safeguard 
American families to prevent another crisis and build a healthier 
economy. Senator Reid's contributions are too many to name, from 
advancing affordable health care coverage for millions of Americans, to 
defending labor protections and our social safety net. Through it all, 
Senator Reid has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the details 
of policymaking and to his constituents.
  Senator Reid's legacy and the memory of his tireless work ethic will 
continue to inspire us to keep working hard, like our constituents do 
every day, to make their lives better. Senator Reid understands and 
reminds us all that hard work, faith in each other, and faith in our 
country are what allow us to endure and improve as a nation. I thank 
Senator Reid for his great service, his guidance, and the conviction 
with which he leaves us as our country continues to move forward.


                            Barbara Mikulski

  Mr. President, I would also like to honor Senator Barbara Mikulski, 
who blazed a trail for women in the Senate and always looks out for the 
members of our communities no matter their gender, race, or identity. 
As the father of two daughters, as well as a son, I greatly admire 
Senator Mikulski's work to break barriers for women. She has fiercely 
fought to ensure that all women have access to essential health care 
services, is a champion for equal pay, and passed legislation that 
expanded childcare access for all families.
  A daughter of Baltimore and a former social worker, Senator Mikulski 
also knows the challenges that our communities face. She has been 
dedicated to supporting our older, industrial communities like 
Baltimore and Detroit so that they can compete in the new economy. I 
would also like to recognize her leadership as Vice chairwoman on the 
Appropriations Committee. We owe her a debt of gratitude for her eagle 
eye and unrelenting spirit in defending essential programs in areas 
including health care, education, job creation, infrastructure, and 
national security. Our work on breaking down barriers and advancing 
these priorities is not yet done, but I thank Senator Mikulski for 
leading the way.


                             Barbara Boxer

  Mr. President, Senator Barbara Boxer is also a trailblazing woman and 
a fierce advocate for what is best for her State, and I have been 
honored to get to know her through our work in the Senate. Throughout 
her career, Senator Boxer has fought for commonsense consumer and 
environmental protections to make us safer. She has been an incredible 
partner in our fight this year to end the water crisis in Flint, MI, 
and to reduce the threat of drinking water contamination in cities 
across the Nation.
  Senator Boxer knows that we must protect our children and communities 
from the grave effects of environmental contamination by investing in 
our aging infrastructure and maintaining vigilance. We must also 
provide the extra care, education, and health care services that these 
children and communities need to recover.
  She has always been a champion for children, from establishing the 
first federally funded afterschool program to protecting children from 
contaminated products. Just as importantly, Senator Boxer has been a 
leader in protecting the natural resources these future generations 
will inherit. Her victories for clean water, job-creating smart 
infrastructure projects, and environmental protections should inspire

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us to keeping looking toward the future as we help our great States 
thrive today.


                              David Vitter

  Mr. President, in a Congress where bipartisanship is all too rare, I 
have been honored to work with many Republican colleagues on 
commonsense, bipartisan solutions. Senator David Vitter has served as 
chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee, of which I am a 
member, and has been a consummate partner on issues affecting 
Michigan's small businesses. On the Small Business Committee, we have 
been able to pass significant legislation to ensure that small 
businesses have the resources they need to compete, expand, and give 
back to their communities. We extended the SBA 7(a) Federal loan 
program to provide thousands of small businesses with financing at no 
cost to American taxpayers. Together, we introduced legislation that 
will provide patent education to small businesses. We also introduced 
legislation that will help small businesses plan for and protect 
against cyber security attacks. I am glad to have colleagues like 
Senator Vitter who believe that no issue is too small when it comes to 
supporting support job creation and economic growth.


                               Dan Coats

  Mr. President, I would also like to extend my warm wishes to Senator 
Dan Coats. He has served ably as chairman of the Joint Economic 
Committee, and I have been proud to sit on the committee during his 
tenure. He has convened important hearings to discuss essential issues 
including the Federal debt, the effects of automation on our economy, 
tax reform, and economic growth. I appreciate his consistent efforts to 
create a bipartisan forum where we can discuss innovative ideas for 
addressing our Nation's economic challenges. As a fellow Midwesterner, 
Senator Coats knows that we must have big ideas and bigger hearts as we 
move forward, committed to helping all Americans achieve the future 
they deserve.


                              Kelly Ayotte

  Mr. President, I also had the pleasure of serving with Senator Kelly 
Ayotte on the Senate committees on Small Business, Commerce, and 
Homeland Security and Government Affairs. She has been a pragmatic 
partner on legislation as varied as the Northern Border Security Review 
Act, which will strengthen American security at the northern border 
with Canada, and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Improvement 
Act, which would expand a public-private partnership to help businesses 
get their products to market. We also introduced the Pet and Women 
Safety Act to protect victims of domestic violence from emotional 
trauma caused by acts or threats of violence against their pets. I 
respect Senator Ayotte's dedication to these issues. As a father, I 
also admire Senator Ayotte's great work raising two young children 
while in the Senate. I wish her family all the best in their next 
adventure.


                               Mark Kirk

  Mr. President, another colleague from the Midwest, Senator Mark Kirk, 
has served with distinction in the Senate. Like me, Senator Kirk also 
served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve. We have collaborated on 
efforts to help veterans suffering from PTSD, protect wildlife habitats 
and improve water quality in the Great Lakes, extend Medicare coverage 
for Americans at risk for diabetes, and even establish the Senate 
Albanian Caucus. I admire the strength and resolve Senator Kirk has 
exhibited throughout his Senate term and wish him continued success.
  It has been a privilege to work with such talented and committed 
colleagues. I wish them all the best in this next chapter of their 
lives and thank them for their work. Thank you.

                          ____________________