[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 23 (Thursday, February 9, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



               Thanking the Majority and Minority Leaders

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I want to thank the distinguished majority 
leader and the minority leader. I didn't expect this today; I was just 
happy to be in the Chair. But it was certainly nice of them to say such 
nice things. That means a lot to me, and I am sure it will mean a lot 
to my wife Elaine and our family.
  I have a great deal of respect for both leaders. Senator McConnell is 
a very close friend and a wonderful leader. I don't think we have had a 
better leader than he in my time in the Senate.
  I will not go on and on, but Senator Schumer and I have been friends 
for a long time, and I believe he is one of the great Senators here. I 
hope we will be able to work together on a lot of things in the future. 
I hope we can get out of this rut we are in right now so we can work 
together, so we can feel good about being here, and so we can help this 
country.
  I thank both the majority leader and the minority leader for their 
kind remarks. I didn't expect those, and I was a little shocked that 
they would say these things this morning, but I am very grateful to 
both of them. I want to thank both of them for being my friends.
  I yield back to the minority leader.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I thank my friend for his kind words and, 
most importantly, his distinguished service to his country. Now on to 
other subjects.