[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 188 (Thursday, November 29, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7232-S7233]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO HEIDI HEITKAMP

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, at the end of each session of Congress, it 
is a tradition for the Senate to pause for a moment to acknowledge and 
express our appreciation for the service of each Senator who will not 
be returning in the next Congress. With that in mind, I would like to 
take a moment to express my gratitude to U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp of 
North Dakota.
  During the past 6 years, those of us who had a chance to come to know 
and work with Senator Heitkamp have been impressed with her dedication 
to the people of her home State, her involvement with tax issues, and 
her willingness to work with members on both sides of the aisle to find 
solutions to the problems and concerns of the people of North Dakota.
  I share a connection with Senator Heitkamp, who is a Senator from a 
smaller rural State. Because of this shared background, we have had the 
opportunity to work on various issues. But beyond our work together, I 
have enjoyed knowing Senator Heitkamp. Heidi is a remarkable person. 
She is the first female Senator elected from North Dakota and a 
survivor of breast cancer. She would feel comfortable in my home State 
of Wyoming, the Equality State, where we know what it is like to have 
women trailblazers. She may be leaving us after this Congress, but she 
does so knowing that during her time she has made a significant 
difference in the lives of North Dakotans and in our country.

[[Page S7233]]

  She joined the U.S. Senate in 2013 and has served in a Congress often 
divided by partisan views. She has been willing to work with President 
Trump and to work across the aisle on many issues, all for the good of 
the people of North Dakota. I have been one of those she has worked 
with, and I am happy to call her a friend.
  The accomplishments that brought her to the Senate are substantial. 
Before serving in the U.S. Senate, Senator Heitkamp served as North 
Dakota's tax commissioner and, later, attorney general.
  I have had the privilege of working with Senator Heitkamp on many 
issues. Notably, we worked together on an issue that has long been 
important to Wyoming, forging parity between brick-and-mortar stores 
and e-commerce. During her time as tax commissioner, North Dakota 
sought to make an out-of-State mail order retailer, which had no 
physical presence in the State, collect and pay use taxes on sales into 
the State. After entering Congress, Heidi cosponsored my bill, the 
Marketplace Fairness Act, seeking to level the playing field for brick-
and-mortar retail stores and out-of-State online sellers. Later, we 
worked on amicus briefs with several of our colleagues, and our efforts 
to create this level playing fields went all the way to the Supreme 
Court in the case South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., a case in which the 
U.S. Supreme Court sided with our position. These efforts have been 
such an important part of my time in the Senate, and I thank Senator 
Heitkamp for her work on this issue.
  Heidi has consistently and tirelessly fought for the people of North 
Dakota. She has worked in the best interests of small businesses and 
contributed in a significant way to culture of the Senate and the 
Nation as a whole.
  If her past is any indication of her future, I think it is clear that 
she will be closing the door on this great chapter of her life and 
moving on to something new. Whatever that may prove to be I am certain 
it will make good use of her abilities, background, and experience.
  My best wishes to Heidi, her husband Darwin, and their children as 
they enter the next chapter in their lives. I thank her for her 
willingness to serve the people of North Dakota and the people of the 
United States. There are countless ways of saying farewell, one of my 
favorites is: Happy Trails. Until we meet again.

                          ____________________