[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 196 (Wednesday, December 12, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7480-S7482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO BILL NELSON

  Mr. RUBIO. Madam President, we have just heard the words of the 
senior Senator from my State, and I wanted to just take a moment 
because it reminded me of a truism that came to mind as I heard him 
speak and as I reflected back on our almost 8 years of service here 
together.
  Political divisions have existed in our country since its very 
beginning. What has changed is, there was a time not so long ago when 
Americans knew each other; when Americans had political differences, 
but they also served on the PTA board together; when we disagreed about 
whom to vote for, but we coached each other's kids in Little League or 
we were members of the same church and worshiped together or we lived 
side by side as neighbors.
  When all you know about someone is whom they voted for or what their 
political positions are, it is easy to dislike them, but when you know 
them as a fellow parent, as a neighbor, as your children's coach, as 
someone you live side by side with, then you know them as a person. It 
is a lot easier to dislike a political opponent than it is to dislike 
the whole person.
  I raise that point with you because I am very proud of the 
relationship, the working relationship, we have had in our 8 years here 
together. One of the things that made that possible is that I knew Bill 
Nelson as a person. If all I knew about him was that he and I did not 
always vote the same way on every issue--that is what most people know 
about us who serve here. That is one of the challenges we so often 
face. The men and women we represent in our representative parties and 
in our representative political leanings usually only know about our 
colleagues in the 3 minutes they may see us in a television interview, 
but we get to know each other as people. We get to know each other 
outside of politics.
  I knew Bill Nelson, and I know Bill Nelson, as a person and as a man. 
I am an enormous admirer of his knowledge of Florida. He knows every 
nook and cranny of the State. He might not remember this, but we were 
together on a Coast Guard aircraft after one of our storms, and as we 
overflew the State from above, he was pointing out and identifying down 
at the street level every corner of the geography of the State. I 
remember thinking: I have been in Florida politics for awhile. I know 
the State fairly well, but he knew it down to the street level. So to 
try to keep pace, I went back and opened up the Atlas and tried to 
replicate 25, 30 years of State service to try to at least be in the 
same neighborhood as he is in his knowledge of our State. It is 
incredibly impressive. It wasn't something he memorized by looking at a 
book. It was because he had been to all of these places at some point 
during his time of service to our State.
  I would say that certainly in the last quarter century, there has 
been no greater champion not just for Florida's space industry but for 
the space program; not just for NASA but for all of it, for the belief 
that great nations do great things; that they explore the heavens. 
There has been no greater champion for it.
  His leaving the Senate will be a tremendous loss and will require all 
of us to work harder to ensure that America remains a nation active and 
engaged in space.
  Above all else, I knew him--and know him--as a good man. I emphasize 
the word ``man'' because I think oftentimes in our modern culture we 
have developed a warped sense of what it truly takes to be a strong and 
good person.
  We live in an era in which we celebrate pride and arrogance, but I 
have learned, through the example of watching him up close, that Bill 
Nelson is a man with the kind of humility that our common faith tries 
to instill in us.
  He is a man that, at a time when it is so easy to be indifferent to 
the suffering of others, in his service here, has been a man of 
compassion.
  He told you just a handful of stories. There are so many more real 
human beings with whom he has stayed engaged in cases involving them, 
without cameras, without press, without bumper stickers, without 
documentaries, or any sort of recognition that so often people seek in 
the political process.
  We live in a time where being crude and abrasive is celebrated as 
strength, while decency is oftentimes ridiculed as weakness. Bill 
Nelson has been an example of decency. I cannot recall a single time in 
our 8 years of service together in which he did anything to harm me, 
embarrass me, or in any way create unnecessary conflict--in fact, any 
conflict--on a personal level. In fact, I would say the worst thing he 
ever did to me was he once, in front of an audience, accused me of 
being a moderate.
  It goes further than that. Our staffs would travel together across 
the State. Sometimes people would be shocked by it. They would gasp 
when my regional director and his regional director would share a ride 
to wind up at an event together, as if somehow Republicans and 
Democrats are supposed to be allergic to each other, when, in fact, in 
the end, no matter how we view our politics, we are all going to be in 
this Nation for the rest of our lives, so we better figure out a way to 
work together on the issues that will impact us all.
  I will greatly miss the opportunity to continue to serve with him. I 
know his service to our Nation and our State is not finished. I know he 
will find new endeavors. I know this simply because he is not one who 
is going to sit back and rest and reflect. He is going to keep working. 
I am excited to see what God's plans are for the rest of his years. I 
believe there will be many more because, despite the differences in our 
dates of birth--I am not saying he is old; I am saying he is older than 
I am--he could probably still beat me--in fact, he probably could 
always beat me--in a pullup contest or a pushup contest. This is 
actually not an exaggeration. It is true, which is why I have never 
challenged him to one. I will greatly miss working with him in the 
Senate, but I look forward to working with him beyond it.
  I will say this, and I think this is no exaggeration. When the 
history of Florida politics is written, the name Bill Nelson will be 
among the giants of Florida's political history, for few who have ever 
served at any level have done more for a longer period in the service 
of the people of the Sunshine State than the senior Senator who, 
moments ago, bid his farewell to a place and a Chamber where he has 
done so much good for our State, for our Nation, and for the world.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I rise to honor our friend Bill 
Nelson.
  As a member of the Commerce Committee, I have been able to see 
firsthand his leadership, and I have learned a lot from him.
  I think we all heard his heartfelt remarks about what he loves. He 
loves his service. He loves Grace up there and his family. He loves his 
staff, and he loves everything about the State of Florida.

[[Page S7481]]

  Service for him was, of course, service in the Army, service as an 
astronaut, service in the State government, service in Congress, and 
service in the U.S. Senate.
  I first met Bill in Minnesota. I am not sure he remembers this, but I 
do because he was one of the first Senators I met other than a 
Minnesota Senator. He came to help my good friend Paul Wellstone. I 
remember what struck me immediately about him was how kind he was and 
how warm he was.
  Part of that, of course, was the warmth he was bringing from Florida. 
Maybe you wouldn't think our States have a lot in common, but what you 
might not know is that there are entire beaches in Florida filled with 
Minnesotans in the winter months, perhaps even entire towns--but at 
this point, he had come to our State.
  It was no surprise, then, when I first was elected and we got to 
Washington, that Bill and Grace were so welcoming to our family. They 
got me involved in the Prayer Breakfast, which has meant a lot to me 
through my years in the Senate. It has been such a comfort. I have 
gotten to know so many people, really, because of their encouragement.
  I have gotten to know Bill's leadership firsthand, as I mentioned, on 
the Commerce Committee. I was talking to his staff about all of the 
things we did on that committee. I see Senator McCaskill here who also 
served with us and Senator Thune, the chairman.
  I remember when Bill took on lead in toys. We both did that together. 
I remember him taking on all kinds of consumer issues, time and again--
the 9-1-1 system, fraud and abuse--taking on the issues that matter to 
people in their daily lives. Then the bigger things--modernizing our 
space program, our aviation policies, responding to disasters, and 
climate change. I remember once he said: ``I have seen the blue 
brilliance of the Earth from the edge of the heavens and I will fight 
on to save this planet.''
  What I will most remember Bill by is his incredible marriage to Grace 
at a time when it is not easy to be in the Senate and make sure you 
keep your relationship strong. Grace, of course, was in leadership in 
her own way in the Senate's spouse club. When I was down there a few 
months ago, Grace told this really nice story, when we were in 
Jacksonville, about how my daughter had played piano at Grace's 
encouragement. They had the spouse event, and they smartly decided to 
have kids of Senators perform.
  I remember it a different way. I remember the kids who were 
performing were, of course, their own daughter, Nan Ellen, who is a 
beautiful singer and sings ``God Bless America'' at major stadiums; I 
remember Trent Lott's son, who is a professional country western 
singer, performing; and then I remember that my husband had raised his 
hand and volunteered that our 13-year-old daughter would play piano, 
when she is not even that good at it.
  We got to the event. All of the Senators are there, and Grace is just 
smiling like we are about to see Liberace perform. Abigail was sitting 
there with her music with little Post-it notes on them. Harry Reid 
calls her up and says: The next to perform is Abigail Bessler. She has 
been playing piano since she was 6 years old. I wanted to say: But she 
only practices a half an hour a week.

  She gets up there, pounds it out, stands up, and says: Now I am going 
to play a song that I made up.
  I am like: No.
  And she played this song, and it actually wasn't that bad.
  The first one there to greet her was Grace. Grace said: That was so 
beautiful, Abigail. Perhaps tomorrow at the luncheon, you will just 
want to play the second song.
  Grace was so sweet to her and to our family and to really all of the 
spouses and everyone she worked with.
  So I think when we think of Bill, we also think of Grace. It has been 
my honor to work with both of them and to respect both of them. As 
Senator Rubio said, we know there are many great things ahead.
  Thank you, Bill. Thank you, Grace.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Dakota.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I rise today to thank and honor our 
colleague and ranking member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, Senator Bill Nelson.
  As has been mentioned by some of our colleagues, Bill Nelson has 
served the people of Florida and our Nation with distinction in a 
career spanning more than four decades.
  I have been honored to have Bill Nelson as a colleague from my first 
day in the Senate and for the last 4 years as a partner in an 
especially successful working relationship on the Commerce Committee. 
Over this time, we fostered a can-do spirit with committee colleagues 
and drove nearly 100 committee legislative accomplishments. Together, 
we worked on policy for our Nation's future in technology, aviation, 
ocean management, surface transportation, scientific research, space, 
and many other areas.
  Senator Nelson exhibited an especially extraordinary passion for 
prioritizing safety, the future of manned spaceflight, and an 
unshakeable belief that powerful companies should be held to account 
when consumers aren't treated fairly.
  Certainly in the instances when we used the authorities of our 
committee to demand answers about cyber security failures, troubling 
privacy violations, and the scourge of illegal robocalling, I always 
knew that Senator Nelson had my back. We are both passionate about 
serving the people of our respective States.
  I won't soon forget my visit with Bill to the Everglades, where he--
clearly in his element--introduced me to some alligators and some 
unwelcome python squatters, which nonetheless love Florida too. I still 
have a photo holding on to one of those big snakes. It makes our 
rattlesnakes in South Dakota look small by comparison.
  Certainly in the instances when we used the authorities of our 
committee to demand answers about all of these other important issues, 
we worked closely together.
  I was pleased to not only join him in Florida but also to welcome him 
to South Dakota to see some of the issues that are important in our 
State. On a very, very cold October day, I had the privilege of showing 
Senator Nelson Mount Rushmore. I remember that as we walked up there, 
the wind was blowing--as it typically does in South Dakota--about 30 or 
40 miles an hour, and the wind chills were very, very cold. I know that 
as someone who spends a lot of his time in the great State of Florida, 
where many of my constituents, like those of Senator Klobuchar's, spend 
their winters, it probably felt especially cold to him. But we had a 
chance to go underground and look at some of the tunnels of the old 
Homestake gold mine that are now host to the National Science 
Foundation's Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory. I 
remember thinking at the time that Senator Nelson is the only Senator 
in Senate office who has been in space, so he has been thousands and 
thousands of miles in space, and now he has been 5,000 feet 
underground, too, and there aren't many people who can say that.
  Bill's work in the Senate and on the Commerce Committee has left a 
legacy. I also want to acknowledge his outstanding staff team who have 
supported his efforts. He mentioned them. My staff had the opportunity 
to work closely with his staff, and they are the very best and true 
professionals in every sense of the word. I am grateful for the work we 
have been able to do together.
  As your colleague from Florida, Senator Rubio, pointed out, as you 
not only leave this place but continue your life in Florida, you will 
continue to impact that State in the profound way you have so much in 
the past.
  I just want to wish Senator Nelson and his wife Grace all the best as 
they head to more long, sunny days in their beloved home State of 
Florida.
  Madam President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CRUZ. Madam President, I rise today to recognize my distinguished 
colleague and friend, Senator Bill Nelson. He has represented the 
people of Florida in the U.S. Senate for 18 years now.
  Today it may seem that there is very little that unites people of 
different parties in this Congress. It may seem a strange notion to say 
good things about your political rivals and opponents. But this is 
America. I think the

[[Page S7482]]

day will never come where men and women of honest hearts and good faith 
cannot come together and find common goals worth fighting for together.
  Bill and I have served together on the Senate Armed Services 
Committee and on the Senate Commerce Committee, but the principal area 
where Bill and I have had the privilege of working closely together 
concerns space. Bill and I have worked hand in hand promoting and 
protecting America's program of space exploration and supporting the 
critical institutions in the State of Texas, the State of Florida, and 
throughout the country that have made our country a world leader in 
space. It has been a truly bipartisan partnership. Both Bill and I 
believe that America is and should be going forward the leader in 
space, that we have a responsibility, and that there are great and 
glorious things to accomplish for mankind through space exploration. In 
this time of bitter, partisan division, of nasty personal rivalries, we 
have been able to see truly bipartisan cooperation.
  We worked together hand in hand on the 2015 commercial space bill, 
passed into law and signed into law by President Obama. We worked hand 
in hand on the NASA Authorization Act of 2017. We worked hand in hand 
and passed that into law, signed into law by President Trump. There are 
very few major, substantive areas that have major legislation, one 
signed by Obama and one signed by Trump. I think that is a reflection 
of the bipartisan cooperation we have seen.
  We worked hand in hand on the Space Frontier Act, and we are working 
together to extend the operation of the International Space Station to 
2030. That accomplishment, that cooperation is good for America, and it 
is good for our leadership in space.
  I have to say that I am still jealous that, unlike Senator Nelson, I 
haven't been on an actual trip to space for a hands-on experience, but 
I suppose anything can happen.
  Bill, I promise you, our work will continue. America's leadership in 
space will continue. We will persevere and constantly show those who 
say it can't be done that there is still the will to drive, to explore, 
to create, to learn, and to search the unknown for answers.
  Bill, you are right--I believe that in our lifetime, a human being 
will step foot on the surface of Mars and that the first boot that 
lands on the red planet will be the American boot of an American 
astronaut planting the flag of the United States of America.
  There is still a will in our Nation to tame the stars and behold the 
wonders of creation even closer. I will say that spirit of exploration 
also inspires generations of little boys and little girls who look to 
the skies and wonder, what if? We cannot limit our gaze on the Earth 
below us; it isn't in our nature.
  I will say finally, in addition to his commitment to space 
leadership--and I would note that in addition to Bill's bipartisan 
cooperation, his team worked hand in hand with my team, both committed 
to passing meaningful, important legislation, to finding compromises 
that would make it not just through the Senate but through the House 
and be signed into law, and the members of his staff were skilled and 
dedicated partners in producing those results.
  But I will tell you, beyond that, on a very personal level, Bill is a 
good man. Just a moment ago, when I congratulated him on his farewell 
speech, he chuckled and said: I may be one of the only people who have 
taken you to dinner. And you know, that is right.
  I remember back in 2013--my first year in this body--it was a 
tumultuous time. We were in the midst of battles where more than a few 
bare-knuckle punches were being thrown all around. Right in the midst 
of that, Bill said: Ted, why don't you come out and have dinner with 
Grace and me. The two of them took me to dinner, and we had a 
delightful, relaxing, engaging dinner. We didn't debate big policy; we 
simply talked as three human beings privileged to have the chance to 
serve our country. It was a gesture of friendship.
  We all know that Harry Truman famously said: If you want a friend in 
politics, buy a dog. That has not been the approach Bill Nelson has 
taken to politics. He extended a hand of friendship, and that blossomed 
into cooperation, and it blossomed into accomplishments together for 
the United States and for the States of Florida and Texas.
  Bill, it has been a privilege to work with you, and I look forward to 
continuing to work with you in the years ahead in your next chapter. It 
is an honor to serve with you.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.

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