[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 151 (Tuesday, September 19, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5842]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Tribute to Joe Donoghue

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, this week marks 30 years of loyal service 
to the Senate by one Joe Donoghue, my legislative director--30 years 
working for the citizens of Arizona and trying to make me a better 
Senator. During those three decades, he worked his way from the 
mailroom to a position of considerable importance on my staff. He has 
made himself something of an expert not only on Senate procedure but on 
all the many issues our staff has worked on over the years--from budget 
matters to immigration reform, to national security.
  Joe is capable, intelligent, hard-working, and trustworthy--a 
justifiably proud professional staffer, a pro's pro. He is well liked 
by staff and Members on both sides of the aisle, especially by those 
who, like him, have dedicated most of their careers to the Senate. I 
have come to depend on his professionalism and his counsel. More than 
that, my wife Cindy and my children treasure his friendship, as do I--
as do I.
  Joe and I began our Senate careers around the same time. He started 
sorting mail and performing other entry-level duties in the first year 
of my first term. He was 18 years old. I wasn't quite that young, but 
it was a long time ago for both of us.
  When he came to work with us, I don't think Joe knew if I was a 
Republican or Democrat. He just knew he needed a part-time job to pay 
for books and beer. These were pre-internet and email days, and making 
certain the immense amount of mail we received from constituents was 
opened, given to me or to appropriate staff, and answered as quickly as 
possible was very labor intensive and challenging, but he acquitted 
himself well, as he has with every responsibility he has accepted on my 
behalf.
  His work ethic and reliability quickly made him indispensable. He 
worked his way up to legislative correspondent and then to legislative 
assistant, with the lead responsibility for, among other things, 
helping me fight years of pitched battles with appropriations bills, 
targeting wasteful spending, and the practice of earmarking. Those were 
the days when the Senate actually debated appropriations bills. I have 
many fond memories of Joe drafting thousands of amendments at my 
direction to strike wasteful earmarks, although I am not sure they are 
fond memories for the floor staff who had to process the amendments.
  As I mentioned, in addition to his legislative work, Joe was my 
driver for over 20 years. I travel an awful lot, back and forth to 
Arizona on weekends, campaigning for colleagues, and on overseas trips. 
During the week, when the Senate is in session, my nights are often 
consumed with meetings, dinners, and speeches. Joe worked a long shift 
in the office during the day and drove me to various appointments day 
and night--taking me to airports and picking me up, getting me safely 
and on time through Washington traffic to keep a schedule that was 
always impossibly crowded.
  We spent a lot of hours together--thousands of hours--and Joe was 
almost always good company, even when I was not. He always made a point 
on those drives to tell me a joke, and some of them got me in trouble 
when I repeated them in public.
  During my 2008 Presidential campaign, Joe worked as my assistant, 
traveling from campaign stop to campaign stop, doing all manner of 
small and large tasks for me, even once holding an umbrella overhead 
while I gave a speech in the rain in Manchester, NH.
  As my legislative director, Joe is someone everyone on my staff looks 
to for policy guidance and instruction on Senate procedure and for 
insights into the personalities and priorities of senior staff in other 
offices and for the leadership. He goes out of his way to make sure 
each one of my staff knows they are appreciated and an integral part of 
our office. I am grateful for Joe Donoghue's faithful service to my 
office, the Senate, the people of Arizona, and to me.
  On their behalf and mine, I want to thank Joe. I have barked at you, 
teased you, laughed with you, and counted on you. We have been through 
a lot of highs and lows in our 30-year association--good times and bad. 
The good times were better and the bad times easier because of your 
help and friendship. Thank you, my friend, my dear friend. It has been 
quite a ride together. I cannot imagine serving here without you.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I listened carefully to Chairman McCain 
talking about his long association with Joe. I thought maybe it was 
appropriate, I would say to my colleague from Arizona, to point out 
that he eliminated an awful lot of my earmarks over the years.
  Mr. McCAIN. Great job.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I will have fond reflections as well, in a sense. I 
want to join you, Senator McCain, in congratulating Joe for a great job 
for you and for our country for a very long time.
  Mr. McCAIN. Thank you.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Virginia.