[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.
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